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Part 3 of ja0s Blank Canvas AU
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2022-07-19
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2024-03-12
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Blank Canvas: Heritage

Summary:

This is part 3 of my Blank Canvas AU. If you have not read the first two parts, you should do that before starting this one. ;) On to the summary!

Midoriya Izuku has been tried and tested and is already making a name as the first Quirkless Hero. Winner of the Sports Festival and capturer of the infamous Hero Killer Stain. Whether his accomplishments are praised or criticized, Izuku is well on his way to be a Hero. Through thick and thin, success or ruin, he will fight the good fight with his friends, family, and mentors encouraging him on. Watch out Villains of the world, the Hero Edge is on the case.

This next part will follow through the exams, lead up to the training camp, and whatever other shenanigans these problem children get into. As always, this is a slow burn fic and honestly I have no idea how long this part will end up being. But I have a plan for an ending of sorts so we'll have to wait and see!

(Updated every other week on Tuesdays!)

Chapter 1: Pushing Forward

Notes:

Welcome to part 3 of Blank Canvas! Thank you so much for your patience with me going on hiatus to collect my thoughts. :) I made a lot of progress so I've got a healthy amount of buffer.

At the end of part 2, internships happened and the drama of Hosu took place. Due to circumstances, Izuku has full credit of capturing the Hero Killer Stain while those in the know are aware of their odd connection. Bakugou is facing real consequences for his actions and Izuku will eventually too for befriending a Villain. While Chizome has been offered a very special role in the investigation of a certain trash fire of a man.

With the start of part 3, Izuku finally has the chance to talk with his fellow Heroes-to-be about their Quirks and costumes. All while they prepare for the end of term exams! Ganbare, first year Hero students! Work hard so you can attend the summer training camp!

Again, thank you very much for reading Blank Canvas and I hope you enjoy part 3 as well! :D

EDIT: Added a part to this chapter with Izuku asking Aizawa what to do with Bakugou. Thanks to LadyPhoenix68! :D

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

“Mom, I’m off!” Izuku called out as he stepped into his signature red shoes.

“Have a good day, sweetie!” Inko called from the kitchen. “I’ll see you after school. Love you!”

“Love you too, mom!” he replied before walking out the door with his yellow backpack.

Today was a new day. Third week in the Hero Course and Izuku was ready to take on whatever the universe threw at him. Growing up Quirkless had been hard and fighting to become the first Quirkless Hero student even harder, but the greenet was determined to see his dream through. He would face the world head on and take it by storm. Or at least he would but on his own terms. Which was why he routinely now hid his recognizable hair under his beanie before heading off to school.

Blending into the crowd helped make the commute an uneventful one which Izuku preferred. He had grown up with negative attention focused on him for something out of his control and it still persisted to this day though not from all corners as it had before. Now Izuku had people who had his back. Allies in family, friends, and mentors who believed and supported him. Let those who didn’t think what they want. Izuku was going to be a Quirkless Hero no matter what.

He arrived at UA and took off his beanie once he was a ways past the gate. Izuku felt comforted within the walls where he knew Nezu’s cameras were watching. Meaning that someone would have to be very stupid to do or say anything negative to him. Not with the principal in his corner. And even if they did, they would have to contend with not only Nezu’s wrath but also Izuku himself. He had enough training and fighting skills to defend himself if need be. Not that he thought anyone would because again they would have to be really stupid to try. Especially after Hosu.

No longer was Izuku the Quirkless nobody who won the Sports Festival on a fluke. He was the Hero-in-training Edge who took down the Hero Killer. True in part though not the whole truth, but it was enough that Izuku would tolerate being given more credit than was due. It was to protect his friends as well as not give the credit undeservingly to Endeavor. That bastard had no part in the capturing of Stain other than being there for the end.

Besides, the Number Two Hero didn’t deserve to be one at all. Not for all he has done to his own family. Thankfully Nezu, Aizawa, and Detective Tsukauchi were working together to take the hypocrite Hero down. And hopefully soon. They needed to get Shouto out of there as soon as possible. Aizawa mentioned Nezu had a plan which he hoped would be carried out quickly. Though as to what that plan was, he didn’t know as of yet.

Green eyes scanned the crowd as he walked looking for friendly faces. Off in the distance he noticed some fenced off areas on the grounds where it looked like some construction was planned. Perhaps new gyms or training grounds? UA already had so many but it wouldn’t be that much of a surprise if that’s what they were. With a shrug, the greenet walked inside to change his shoes.

He was suddenly tackled from behind by Mei as soon as she spotted him. Not all that out of the norm for their Pink Gremlin which he accepted with an amused chuckle. Izuku turned to greet her more normally before they headed off to class while chatting until they had to part ways with a quick hug and a promise to see each other at lunch. With that Izuku walked off to join his classmates in Class 1-A after stopping by the teachers’ room for his tablet.

His transcribing of his Hero Analysis was being put on hold for the time being. Izuku now had to focus on the new assignment Nezu had given him. Pairing off the first year Hero Course students against the teacher they would have the most challenge with. His mentor had given him a month to consider the 39 students as well as himself of how he would fair against the variety of Quirks of his peers. Though to be honest, Izuku didn’t think it would take that long as he had already started doing something similar on his own.

Not that surprising since his brain was constantly breaking down the Quirks around him. It was a long-standing habit of his since he was very little. Picking apart the little details to figure out the bigger puzzle. His father had sometimes spoken of Quirks with him growing up, answering his muttered questions from time to time when he was young. But when Izuku’s fascination turned specifically to the Quirks of Heroes, he had stopped bringing them up as his father didn’t very much care for them. Which was unfortunate as his dad had some good insight into Quirks if he remembered correctly, but Izuku didn’t want to bother him with something he had no interest in.

That was okay though. Now he had Nezu to talk to about Quirks. The chimera very much had interest in his analysis and had helped him a lot already to organize his thoughts better. This new assignment was going to be a challenge for sure, but Izuku would take it on eagerly. And when he met up with everyone to discuss their costumes about his proposed changes, he hoped to get more information to solidify his pairings. Especially with 1-B who he didn’t know as well as his own class. He looked forward to talking to Monoma in particular since his Copy Quirk potentially meant he had an interest in observing the Quirks of others. Perhaps not as fascinated as Izuku was but he would have to have some knowledge to effectively use his copies.

Having been lost in thought, Izuku suddenly found himself in front of the towering door of Class 1-A. He wasn’t sure if he would ever get used to the sight of it. Before the door had been an imposing barrier that kept him out but now it was more welcoming knowing that he was accepted within. Well, by the majority anyway. Bakugou was the wild card out of their unique deck of characters.

But Izuku wouldn’t let his ex-childhood friend keep him from ever pushing forward. He was here by his own hard efforts and he was here to stay. Taking a deep breath to pump himself up, the Quirkless teen sported a friendly and self-assured smile before walking through the door.

The class was in typical disorder before homeroom started. Friends were huddled in clusters around the room. Hagakure was chatting with Aoyama and Ojiro while leaning on the tail teen’s desk. Most of the Bakusquad were crowded around Sero’s desk except for Bakugou himself who was brooding in his seat at the front. Jirou was standing next to Yaoyorozu’s desk with Hitoshi sleeping at his own desk behind them. Tsuyu, Tenya, and Ochako were talking together in their seats while the rest were at their desks doing their own things quietly.

Izuku’s smile warmed at the sight. This was his class, his friends and future fellow Heroes. Together they were going to protect the world and every day, every lesson was one step closer to that future. The greenet closed the door behind him and greeted his friends and classmates as he headed for his desk.

Shouto, upon seeing him, stood up from his seat as Izuku neared his own. The taller teen crowded into his personal space but Izuku didn’t mind. In fact, he let out an amused huff when Shouto endearingly took a light hold of his shirt since his own hands were occupied taking things out of his bag.

“Good morning, Shouto,” Izuku greeted as he unpacked what he needed. “How are you?”

“Good morning, Izuku,” he replied, still clinging to his shirt. “I am well. You?”

“I’m good too,” the greenet replied as he finished his task before turning to face his friend properly.

Now that his hands were free, Shouto let go of his shirt to take hold of one of his hands. Izuku interlaced their fingers and he noted how nicely the cool digits fit between his own. They only shared their moment briefly before the bell chimed and everyone moved to get to their seats including them. They gave one last squeeze before letting go and sitting at their desks as Aizawa walked into the room.

“Morning, problem class,” the tired man said as he stood at the podium. “Today’s morning classes are business as usual and then in the afternoon we will go over your assessment exercise from yesterday. We will also start having you meet up with one of our Support analysts to discuss potential upgrades and changes to your costumes and gear.”

Green eyes widened in surprise at the announcement as he had asked to do just that but hadn’t expected it so soon. Not that he wasn’t prepared to do so with so many notes and questions to go over with each of them. There were just such blaring issues and questionable choices that needed to be addressed. That went for both classes which after a signed question from the Quirkless teen, a subtle nod from the tired man confirmed he would be meeting with both.

Good. Though I’m not sure how willing those in 1-B will be to taking advice from someone they don’t technically know. But perhaps if I talked with them as someone they do know…

Izuku’s thoughts trailed off as he thought of the beanie and borrowed goggles from Mei that still lived in his bag.

Meanwhile the rest of the class murmured their excitement and wonderings of who they would talk to. Though those who were more familiar with his work like his friends or those like Yaoyorozu who he had previously offered to help shot him curious glances probably already guessing it was him. Which honestly was kind of obvious by now or at least should have been, but Izuku wondered if Aizawa was being vague on purpose. Perhaps to see if anyone could figure out who the mysterious, but also quite obvious, person would be. It could also be to not set Bakugou off first thing in the morning. The Quirkless teen was sure that the blonde would lash out as soon as he found out that the lowly Deku would dare give him advice.

But then again, Izuku wondered if he would be meeting with Bakugou face to face so soon after his suspension. He knew that the explosive teen was supposed to stay away from him as much as possible. Perhaps they would have him meet up with someone else in Support. Or maybe Izuku could hand his own notes to be given to the blonde by proxy. Aizawa would probably be the best bet with Maijima there as well. Hearing his ideas from two Pro Heroes might make Bakugou ever so slightly more open to his proposed changes.

The greenet decided to worry about that later. For now, he was excited to help his fellow Heroes-in-training and get to know them better. While also analyzing them and their Quirks for his assignment. It felt a bit weird to do that with his friends and classmates but it would be good practice for collecting intel on others. A useful skill for any kind of Hero.

With those few announcements out of the way, Aizawa released them to work on whatever as he disappeared into his sleeping bag. Some took the opportunity to catch up on homework while others read books or chatted quietly with their neighbors. Or in Hitoshi’s case, a nap just like their teacher. Izuku took the time to skim through his notes he already had on his classmates, wondering who he should talk to first.

Homeroom ended quickly and they transitioned into their regular classes. Business as usual for the most part other than Izuku working on his new assignment during English. He went back over his coded notes for each student and focused on what their weaknesses were. The ones that could be exploited and once he had those, he would be able to better figure out which teacher would be their greatest challenge. He was so enraptured that he didn’t notice when class ended. 

“It’s time for lunch, Izuku-kun,” Tenya said suddenly, knocking him out of his own little analysis bubble. “Whatever you are working on can wait.”

Green eyes blinked a couple times before looking up to see his friends watching him curiously while other students were heading off to the cafeteria.

“What are you working on?” Ochako asked curiously as she peeked at his coded notes.

“An analysis assignment from Nezu-sensei,” Izuku answered.

“Ooh, what does he have you analyzing now?” the gravity girl asked since she couldn’t read what he wrote.

“I was told not to tell you,” the greenet replied with an embarrassed blush from the sudden attention.

“Why is that?” Tsuyu asked as she stood from her seat to look.

Oh yeah, I can’t believe I get to say this, Izuku thought, smirking at the perfect opportunity.

“It’s classified,” he said with a cheeky tone and a wink.

Some gave dramatic gasps in shock while others snickered around him. Izuku giggled himself as he moved to put away his things. Not that they could read his notes anyway. The code Nezu had come up for him would be a hard one to crack.

“You know what I think?” Hitoshi suddenly called out, gaining everyone’s attention. Izuku stared at him suspiciously as those conspiring purple eyes flickered from Shouto to the Quirkless teen before continuing with a smirk. “I think Izuku is just a planted student and is actually a government spy.”

That earned a collective ‘ooh’ from his friends.

“Hitoshi, no,” Izuku denied as he stood up.

The majority of them laughed at their exchange all except for one. Shouto on the other hand, in all his conspiracy theorist glory, eyed him in a way that showed he was seriously considering it.

“Shouto, no!” Izuku pressed. “I swear I’m not a spy!”

“That’s exactly what a spy would say,” the brainwashing jerk face snarked.

“Stop it, Hitoshi!” the pink cheeked greenet scolded. “You’re just giving him new unfounded conspiracy theory ideas!”

“I dunno, Green Bean,” the Purple Panda replied as he moved toward the door with the rest following. “Doesn’t seem entirely unfounded to me.”

“He’s got a point,” Ochako said as they walked. “You do write in code and you were the one with a secret identity.”

“Disguise and code name included,” Tsuyu tacked on in amused bluntness.

Izuku just stuck his tongue out in response earning chuckles from all around. They got their food and lunch was filled with typical friendly socializing. Talking, eating, and not so secret hand holding. Soon enough lunch was over and it was time for their Hero Fundamentals class. Everyone filed off to class and there was some more last-minute socializing before the bell rang.

As soon as it did though they were all in their seats as Aizawa walked into the room followed by All Might. Most were still surprised that another teacher was joining the Number One Hero but Izuku was happy for the new routine. With Yagi’s lack of teaching skills, having another competent teacher there was comforting, especially Aizawa.

“As I said in homeroom, we will be reviewing your rescue exercise from yesterday,” the tired man said, pressing a button on the remote in his hand that lowered a screen from the ceiling. “Watch, observe. What obstacles did you all face and how did you work to overcome them? If you didn’t, think about how you could next time you face such a situation.”

With that, the lights dimmed as Aizawa started the recording of the first round. Izuku watched himself briefly making it to the tower he had started from before turning his attention to the others that were in his group. Sero and Ashido had positioned themselves similar to him taking the high ground. Ojiro chose more of the middle enough to be off the ground but not too high in case he would fall. While Tenya had chosen to stick to the ground which made sense for his Quirk.

At the sound of start, Izuku wasn’t surprised to see he was the first one to head straight towards All Might thanks to the tracker he had planted. The others had spent a short while longer trying to figure out where the Hero was based on his booming voice before they too were racing towards him. The rest was as he remembered.

Tenya sticking to the ground doing his best to navigate the labyrinth with Quirk boosted speed. Ojiro and Ashido using their Quirks to traverse higher up. Then there was Sero and himself, sailing through the air in similar fashions with one Quirk based and the other with tech. Izuku couldn’t help the spark of pride that flickered to life as he watched himself take first place with a burst of technological speed. As well as the warm feeling when Sero took his loss with grace and even congratulated the Quirkless teen on his win. The tape wielder even glanced back at him and gave him a wink and a thumbs up making Izuku blush but returned the gesture before they both turned back to the front.

At the conclusion of the first race, the light brightened and the homeroom teacher glanced up at All Might next to him. The blonde stood there for a moment waiting for something to happen before noticing everyone was looking at him. He blinked in surprise before shaking himself out of his stupor and stepped up to the teaching plate with a literal step forward.

“Now, students,” All Might said as he clapped his hands together. “What did you observe?”

Unsurprising Yaoyorozu was the first to raise her hand and the Hero nodded his permission to speak.

“The biggest obstacle was the course itself,” the creative girl said. “Those with the most mobility had the higher chance of success. In this round, Sero-kun had the best Quirk to maneuver around while the others were limited in one way or another. As for Midoriya-kun…”

Green eyes watched her somewhat nervous as she turned to look at him. He wasn’t expecting her to say anything mean or degrading as she hadn’t so far. But there was still that fear that the spell that made UA different would break at any second.

“…while he doesn’t have a Quirk, that doesn’t necessarily put him at a disadvantage as there were others with Quirks who were also challenged by the course. Besides, his use of his Support Items and obvious training were more than enough to place him in first.”

Izuku smiled at her and gave an appreciative nod which she returned in kind.

“I do have a question though if you don’t mind,” Yaoyorozu said to which he nodded again curious of what she wanted to know. “How were you able to determine All Might’s location so quickly?”

There were curious murmurs across the class as Aizawa rewound the recording back to the start of the race.

“As you can see,” the creation girl explained as they watched. “The others needed some time to figure out where the teachers were but Midoriya-kun seemed to find them immediately.”

The homeroom teacher played the clip a few times for the others to see what she was talking about. The other four looking around while he targeted them immediately. At the time putting the tracker seemed like a smart thing to do. Aizawa saw him do it and didn’t say anything so he thought it was alright. But now that he thought about it, would using his tracker like that be considered cheating?

“I-I, um, I used a tracker?” Izuku replied, nervously looking down at his desk not so sure about his victory anymore. “It’s one of my Support Items that I made based off the com system we used at the USJ. It’s how I found…”

The Quirkless teen trailed off as he glanced at Tenya, unsure if he was allowed to say anymore. It was on the verge of talking about their fight with Stain. The speedster’s eyes widened in surprised realization having been unaware how they had found him. Izuku gave him a nervous smile in silent apology, but Tenya wasn’t having it. The taller teen let out a bit exasperated sigh paired with a small smile and a grateful nod. The greenet’s smile brightened as he returned the gesture.

The other two in the know watched the exchange while the rest of the class was preoccupied with his answer. Surprise that he would make such a thing with a mix of horror at the reminder of the USJ. As well as chattering of whether that was cheating or not. Not maliciously but rather out of curiosity. Comments that did not go unnoticed by Izuku and the teachers alike. Tired black eyes watched the Quirkless teen hunch his shoulders and stare down at his desk with guilt.

“That’s enough,” Aizawa ordered, drawing everyone’s attention to him. “While it wasn’t exactly how the exercise was intended to go, Midoriya using any and all methods and/or skills to get the job done is not cheating. If it were, I would have said something when I saw him plant the tracker on All Might before the exercise began.”

Some students seemed about to protest but were shut down with a raised hand as Aizawa asked, “Midoriya, did you have your tracking system active before the round began?”

“No, sir,” Izuku answered with a shake of his head. “I only placed the tracker on All Might as we entered and calibrated my goggle to prepare the tracking program, but I didn’t turn it on until after we started.”

“Then there was no cheating,” Aizawa declared. “Perhaps some invasion of personal space and privacy due to lack of situational awareness, but other than that no rules were broken.”

The Erasure Hero side-eyed the buff blonde next to him who was trying to hide his confusion behind his smile. Yagi was trying to figure out when exactly the boy had tagged him figuring it must have been when he had accidentally run into him. Or was it by accident? Deep set blue eyes found timid green and let out an impressed huff. The Number One Hero made sure to give the boy an assuring nod that he wasn’t mad or anything. Midoriya Izuku was just full of surprises.

“That being said, I would like to make a point,” Aizawa spoke up. “As I said before, the use of a tracker, while not necessarily prohibited, did go against an element of the exercise. To find a target without knowing the exact location. A situation you will find yourselves in plenty of times when on rescue missions.”

That was meant to be a point made during their trip to the USJ but given the interrupting Villain attack, that didn’t happen. But now seemed a good time as any to bring it up. The kid’s move was smart but there wouldn’t always be a chance to repeat it. Yes, the strategy had helped in Hosu and the assessment, but again, things did not always turn out that way.

“In disaster scenarios such as building collapses, earthquakes, and various others, there would be no time or opportunity to do what Midoriya did,” Aizawa continued. “However, if there is one then take it, but it is essential to practice finding those in need without such advantages. Understood?”

The Underground Hero scanned the room piercing each of his students with his serious gaze who all earnestly nodded. Especially the green one who he knew would take this lecturing to heart and do better.

“Good,” the tired man said with a nod. “Let’s continue. Now, any other observations or questions about the first group?”

Encouraged by Yaoyorozu being the first to speak, various students made comments about different parts of the race. The teachers also gave their own comments pertaining to each student’s performance and improvements they could make before moving on to the next group. The entire time Izuku was taking note of anything he thought would help with his analysis. He too had comments and questions but thought it would be better to save them for his one-on-one discussions with each of them.

The rest of the reviews went much the same. Yaoyorozu would bring up a good point here and there. The others would make their own comments and observations as did the teachers. Notes that each group had those with a clear advantage over the others who were limited by the specific terrain of Ground Gamma. It was a good way for them all to see that their strengths and weaknesses could change depending on any given situation or factor in a fight. Such as Tenya being the best at running with Quirked speed in an open area but was hindered in tight quarters.

“That about wraps up Heroics for today,” Aizawa declared as they finished going over the races. “But before you’re dismissed to beginning training, I have one more topic to discuss.”

The students quietly waited in their seats to hear what their homeroom teacher had to say.

“As I’m sure you’re aware the summer break is coming up,” the tired man said as he shuffled some papers on the podium. “Though seeing as you only have three years here to train yourselves to be Heroes, it would be irrational for you to waste time and take a whole month off. As such, we will be holding a summer training camp in the woods.”

This announcement earned a series of excited reactions. Rejoicings of games, fireworks, summer foods, and the like washed over the classroom. Though personally Izuku doubted that would be the case. This was Aizawa they were talking about. When has he ever designed a training that would be considered ‘fun’? The answer was never. Training was serious business when it came to the Underground Hero. It was extremely unlikely the training camp would be fun and games as they were assuming.

Yeah, no. Not with hardass caterpillar man in charge.

“Quiet down, problem class,” Aizawa ordered with a quick Quirked glare. “Seeing as it will be out in nature, our training activities will be adjusted as needed. But let me make this clear…”

The terror of the night that was their teacher passed a stern stare across his students.

“…anyone who fails the upcoming final exams will be put into summer school hell instead. You have a month until then. Study hard and remember to keep up with training as well. The written exam is only one part of the final. Prepare yourselves to pass the practical portion as well.”

“Yes, sensei,” the class said together.

The tired man gave a nod and said, “The rest of the day will be spent training while some of you will be meeting with the Support analyst I mentioned earlier. Now go change into your gym clothes and meet at Gym Gamma.”

Everyone started packing up their things before heading off to the locker rooms. Izuku purposefully took longer than the others figuring that Aizawa may want to talk to him as he was the mentioned Support analyst. His friends seemed to realize that too and didn’t linger too long to wait for him. Unfortunately, they were all used to Izuku not joining them for training but hopefully that trend wouldn’t last forever. He was a Quirkless Hero relying on Support Items to help him along the way but he still needed time to actually train with his fellow aspiring Heroes.

Izuku busied himself with his things as he waited for all the others to leave. Most of his classmates didn’t pay much attention as they left in groups. His friends left in their own sending him various friendly greetings on their way out the door. All Might also left as he was probably low on time and had other work to do and so bowed before leaving. The only other person who paid attention to him was Bakugou who sent a glare his way but said nothing as he trudged to the changing rooms. Finally, the student and teacher were alone.

“So, what do you have in mind for the hellions?” Aizawa asked as Izuku approached him with belongings in hand.

“Lots of things,” the teen answered as he handed over an open notebook. “Some are more personalized for their given situation and Quirk backlash, but I have other ideas that I think should be applied to all.”

“Such as?” the teacher inquired while he looked over the notes having purposefully made himself familiar with Nezu’s code.

“For costume wise, I think everyone in general needs them to be made with better and more protective material,” Izuku said as he pointed to parts of his notes. “Like Tenya’s armor. When we fought against Stain the knives went through it like butter. What’s the point of him wearing armor that doesn’t actually protect him?”

“Good point,” Aizawa agreed with a nod.

“As for the others, adding material similar to kevlar or material that would work better with their Quirks would be ideal. Also for the girls, there are certain aspects that I question the suitability of them.”

“For example?”

“Ochako’s suit for one. She mentioned it being tighter than she was expecting and some of her gear is oddly designed. Like her wrist guards. Sure, they’re designed to stimulate her pressure points to help her suppress her nausea but I don’t think they have to be that bulky. Also, her boots. I get that the heals were designed with shock-absorbing components but they literally click when she walks which would not help with stealth. Plus, the design itself affects her footing and if she had decided to race along the pipes like Ashido-san did during the race, she could have taken a wrong step and fallen. And they too are also bulkier than they need to be.”

He had other ideas to possibly add to her gear but that he wanted to talk to Ochako about during their own meeting. Same for other additions he had for several of his classmates. But the young analyst walked his teacher through the other ideas he had for improving what was already there. Adding steel toes to everyone’s shoes, giving all the girls more chest support because they didn’t seem to have enough if any, and everyone should have first aid supplies on their person while in costume. Regardless of whether they knew how to use them it would be helpful to have on hand in case of an emergency.

Izuku also brought up ideas he had for improving everyone’s training. Hand-to-hand combat with and definitely without Quirks. Never know when you’re going to go up against an opponent like Aizawa who could take away your Quirk. Or just being in a situation when you couldn’t use your Quirk safely.

It also would teach them to not rely on Quirks for everything. Sometimes they aren’t even necessary and yet society had become so focused on Quirks that many think Quirk first and have no backup plan if that failed. Much like the Villains that Eraserhead went up against in the middle of the night who were caught by surprise with the loss of their power giving the Underground Hero the opening he needed to end the fight quickly.

He also suggested that everyone should have at least some basic first aid training to go with them carrying the supplies. Izuku himself would eventually be training with Shuuzenji, hopefully soon, on just that and felt it was important for the others to know as well. He also thought that everyone should periodically go to see Hound Dog to check on their mental health. Taking care of the mind was just as important as the body after all.

“You have good input, thank you,” Aizawa said as he finished with his overall suggestions. “I will confer with the others to help implement these changes.”

“Of course,” Izuku said with a smile, happy to help. “Thank you, Aizawa-sensei.”

“Anything else you would like to address?” the teacher asked looking through his notes.

“Oh, um, yes,” Izuku answered with a nod. “How are we going to handle the, um, Bakugou situation?”

“Ah, yes…that,” Aizawa uttered with a sigh. “What do you think?”

“Well, I was figuring he would take it better from someone else than me,” the Quirkless teen said because there was no way Bakugou would want to listen to him. “Like maybe Maijima-sensei and you? Maybe even don’t tell him they’re from me so he’ll actually consider it?”

“Yes to the former but a hard no on the latter,” the tired man stated firming getting a questioning look from his student. “You can’t hide from him forever. He needs to be open to working with you in the future or else his stubbornness could affect both of you out in the field. You don’t have to like each other but you do have to work together.”

Izuku considered that and knew his teacher was right. He nodded as he said, “Well, I’m willing if he’s willing.”

It hadn’t been him who was the first to push the other away. Ever since his diagnosis, Bakugou had been the one to put distance between them. In fact, he could pinpoint the exact moment it started. A memory of watching his friend fall off a log into a stream and reaching out a hand to help him while the others laughed. Only for his hand to be smacked away. But Izuku would never hesitate to reach out and offer to help anyone. Not even his childhood friend turned bully.

“Alright then,” Aizawa said with a nod. “Anything else?”

“Um, no?” the student replied. He was sure he covered everything he wanted to talk to Aizawa about.

“Well, what about you?” Aizawa asked as he looked up at the teen.

“Me?” Izuku responded with a tilt of his head.

“Any costume changes you can think of for you?” his teacher pressed.

“Oh I want to figure out the whole dual Hero identity thing for sure. My suit will have to be able to change pretty quickly between them to be effective. I also want to add head protection of some sort. Concussions are not fun and also my hair is very recognizable. Plus, I could incorporate my goggles and fire mask tech into it as well along with listening devices inspired by Jirou-san and Shouji-kun. I also need to find a better material for my capture bombs. People keep breaking out of those too quickly. Oh, and I was thinking of some sort of tranquilizer to help immobilize an enemy.”

Many of those improvements were inspired by the fight in Hosu. Injuries, lacking in reconnaissance, failed capture attempts, and just the unnerving, but affective, tactic of taking away someone’s ability to control their own body. He would have to ask Maijima about chemical mixtures that could be used as such without harming the person under its affects.  

“Is that all?” Aizawa asked, pleased with his improvements but there was one thing he felt the boy overlooked.

“Huh?” the greenet let out in confusion.

“Is that all?” the tired man repeated. “No other thoughts? No other improvements or changes?”

Green eyes tried to search tired black but couldn’t think what he was getting at and said, “…no?”

“So, with these improvements,” Aizawa stated, trying to make a point but not outright wanting his student to come to the conclusion himself. “Your suit and gear will be the best it can be for this current upgrade. Technologically as well as practically?”

Ah, I think I know what he’s getting at, Izuku thought though the added sight of the Underground Hero touching his capture weapon helped.

“You mean the scarf, don’t you?” the greenet said with a grimace.

“Yes.”

“Ah,” Izuku let out with a defeated sigh, disappointed he didn’t think of it earlier.

“I understand why you chose to wear it,” the man said. “But, in all honesty, it could be a liability in the field.”

“I-I know,” the Quirkless teen replied, doing his best not to flinch at the ‘L’ word. “But I figured I could cut myself free with the knife if anything were to happen.”

“But then what would that leave you?” Aizawa asked.

“What do you mean?” Izuku countered tilting his head again.

“I understand how important that scarf must be for you,” the tired man explained, letting out an understanding sigh. “I’m not really one for…things. Not like Zashi and his perpetual need to buy out every store we go to.”

Izuku couldn’t help but giggle at that, easily imagining the blonde going crazy buying everything in sight. He wondered if that was the fate of Hitoshi when they first took him in. With his brother being so similar to their teacher he could picture their twinned tired expressions while following after their energetic shopping trip leader.

The voice of his teacher knocked him out of his imagination as he said, “But you remember that friend I told you about.”

“You mean the one that…” Izuku’s voice faded out not wanting to say it out loud.

“Yeah, him,” Aizawa confirmed with a reminiscing sad sigh. “The goggles, the ones he gave me, I still have them.”

“You do?” the greenet asked with a tone of surprise.

“Yes, they mean a lot to me,” the tired man replied, a fond look crossed his scruffy face for a moment before going back to serious. “A lot like that scarf is to you I’ll bet. The knife is practical but the scarf…not so much.”

“Yeah…you’re right,” Izuku agreed with a relenting sigh. “I wore it more on a whim than anything else. But you’re right that it could be more of a liability and isn’t worth it just for aesthetic.”

“Exactly,” Aizawa said with a nod. “It’s irrational to wear something impractical. It could get caught on things. You could get snagged, dragged, or caught up in them.”

“Like elevators or jet turbines,” the greenet offered. “Or even a stray missile.”

“Morbid but yes,” the tired man conceded. “As a famous Hero costume designer said…”

The student and teacher then finished together, “…no capes.”

Notes:

We're back in it now, folks! Izuku is going to be busy as usual leading up to the end of term exams. Sh-sh-shout out to all those who helped me with the upcoming ideas for costume and quirk improvements. This is more of a blanket thank you since their suggestions are sprinkled through the first part of part 3. So thanks to the_second_one, XysidheQueen, Seagirl Neptuna, boba slushie, Mon, remy, mayhemrea, SinningInTheRain(Sinned), Christina, SoFewSpoons, thePanopticon_isJust_azkaban, Doraemax, RowanTheRamblingRavenclaw, Jeskridge001, Kaiya Azure, Live_like_the_wind, JFC, and EnergeticEccentricism. (I think that's everyone...) Much appreciated!

To those who were worried, Izuku 'cheating' has been addressed. Aizawa did see him and didn't say anything so he essentially gave permission. But I do agree that doing that did go against the intention for the exercise. So a little of yes and no for that, but he's not in trouble or anything. Just another learning opportunity. EDIT: I found who commented on this. Thanks again, RavensphirSeltos!

See? The scarf was only temporary. :) Seriously, it was more for aesthetic for just a short while. Because come on, he's got the scarf. Why not wear it at least once? Chizodad would be so proud to see him in it. But yeah, definitely the least practical thing on him so it's gotta go sadly. Izuku can at least wear it outside of costume though! And he'll still have the knife from Chizome on him in costume.

So All Might's awkward reaction when Aizawa is silently all 'your turn' is based on my own experience. When I was still figuring out the whole ALT thing, I had a teacher who it was my first lesson with turn to me and expected me to just go for it. And I was all '...um...' because we hadn't even discussed anything. Which can happen from time to time and you just had to go with the flow in the moment. After that we talked more but it definitely caught me off guard. My last year I had something similar with a new teacher who worked with me at my last school. Thankfully I was prepared by that time to improvise a lesson with games. Distracting them with a few rounds of shiritori while I went and got my laptop for a powerpoint game. By that time I had several versions for different times of years so we passed the time with English games. Again we had better communication after that but yeah...sometimes the main teacher can spring something on you when you're not prepared.

Fun Facts About Japan:

Not really related to anything actually in the chapter but more connected to the mentioned shiritori game above. I don't think I've talked about that one but it is a great game for the students to practice vocabulary. Shiritori is a Japanese word game where the basic rules are that the next word has to start with the last kana character of the previous word. Or in English the last letter. Which makes sense since shiritori ( しりとり ) means 'taking the end/rear'. There are some other rules like typically nouns are mainly used and anyone who uses a word ending in ん ( n ) loses since no other Japanese word starts with that.

For when I would do shiritori in English, I had a couple versions. The traditional next word has to start with the last letter of the previous one. I would also have one where they had to do it with them all starting with the same letter. Or my favorite which was what I called 'ABC' order where they had to think of words that started in the order of the alphabet. On top of those I would have a limit of how many letters had to be there with more for the higher grades to be more of a challenge. Or even the allowance of the textbooks to look up words limiting the higher grades or if we were near the end of the year.

More info on the original version can be found here.

That's it for this chapter but not for this update! As a further thank you for your patience, you're getting a double update. ;) It's time to get those one-on-one sessions started! As always let me know of any typos and whatnot. Now let's go!

Chapter 2: Mr. Fixit

Notes:

Let's get those one-on-one sessions going! Izuku had got a lot of students to talk to starting with the most urgent cases. At least I think so. Enjoy the double update! :D

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

After finishing his talk with Aizawa, Izuku made his way to the Support studio. Once there, Maijima greeted him and led him to a more private room away from the chaos that was Mei. The greenet was grateful so that there were no distractions while he held his meetings. He had already discussed the changes he wanted to propose to the Support teacher and Maijima was already working on drawing up the order forms. They may not all get done by the final exams but a good chunk could be with the month in between. The most critical cases being top priority of course.

The next month of school was going to be busy for the Quirkless teen but what else was new. Izuku’s schedule has been constantly busy since the beginning of the school year. The hours of training, observing, tinkering, and therapy really added up over time. Adding having a sit down with each student of the Hero Course, both 1-A and 1-B, even more so. But thankfully he was being given time to do that to better fit his schedule.

He was also allowed to see them in the order he saw fit with the most concerning cases taking priority. Which was why he eagerly awaited his first appointment with his tablet full of ideas and questions at hand. Counting the seconds for the ‘defective Pikachu’ to walk through the door who would hopefully no longer be as defective after their meeting. Or at least not as much.

The door opened to reveal a surprised Kaminari who clearly had not expected to see Izuku on the other side. The blonde let out a huff of laughter as he closed the door and walked further into the room.

“You’re the one we’re meeting, Midoriya?” Kaminari asked in amusement as he sat in the chair next to him. “Huh, guess I should have known. Yaoyorozu did bring it up during lunch on your first day.”

“Yeah, it’s me,” Izuku replied with a smile. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you guys for a while now. Especially you and Yaoyorozu-san.”

“Me? Why?” Kaminari responded with a curious tilt of his head like a puppy.

The smile dropped from the greenet’s face as he said in a serious tone, “You need to stop short circuiting yourself.”

“Oh, yeah, that,” the blonde said as he stared back wide eyed in shock. He then let out an awkward chuckle as he bashfully rubbed the back of his head. “I know that I get a little spacey after I go all out, but it’s something I gotta deal with if I want to win, right?”

“Wrong.”

“Huh?” the electric boy let out in confusion.

“I brought it to Recovery Girl’s attention and she agrees that it’s something we need to address,” Izuku stated seriously. “How it hasn’t before now I don’t understand, but UA is different. Here they want you to be the best that you can be as well as safe and healthy. That includes physically and mentally.”

“Okay…” Kaminari said, still confused as to what he was getting at.

“With you it’s a bit of both I think,” the analyst continued. “Physically because quite literally frying your brain like you do could have long term side effects. What those are I don’t know but Recovery Girl should and I’d like you to speak with her. She’s already working with Maijima-sensei and Aizawa-sensei to figure out Support Items and training options to help you. But you should talk to her specifically about how your Quirk affects your body medically.”

“Yeah…uh, I could do that,” the blonde agreed hesitantly, kind of scared of the healing Heroine but figured he should if the other was so worried about it. Like he said no one had brought that up before but now that it was pointed out he was worried too. “You, uh, mentioned Support Items? Like what?”

The inventor hummed as he looked at his notes with a hand on his chin and said, “Perhaps a device made of conductive material to help you direct your electricity since you don’t have much control of where it goes outside of your body. Maybe a grounding collar or something to prevent excess electricity from traveling to your brain. Or maybe even a capacitor to help you store and redirect your electricity. Potentially even electrical bombs of a sort kind of like the one I made at USJ.”

The Quirkless teen looked up to see that Kaminari was already looking overwhelmed and those were only some of Izuku’s ideas. The blonde blinked blankly for a few seconds before shaking himself out of it then asked, “And training?”

“Number one would be more hand-to-hand combat practice both Quirked and Quirkless,” Izuku replied. “But I think everyone needs that in this class. Well, other than Ojiro-kun who has obviously practiced martial arts. But for you specifically, we need to figure out a way for you to use your Quirk without having to rely on letting out your maximum voltage.”

“Like what?” the electric user asked again tilting his head like a puppy.

“Perhaps lowering it so it doesn’t take you out of commission,” the greenet offered. “Or even finding out the highest you can go without going over your limit. Because it’s dangerous to be vulnerable like you are when you do go too far. Especially in a real fight like at USJ.”

“What do you mean?” Kaminari asked, his tone sounding hesitant, confused, and a hint offended but this was something he had to hear.

“A Villain almost grabbed you after you knocked out all the others,” Izuku replied in a serious tone. “He most likely had a Quirk related to electricity and was probably the one disrupting communications. But if I hadn’t warned them about that, you could have been hurt or held hostage. You need to be aware at all times in a fight or else things could go seriously wrong.”

Like Aizawa-sensei’s friend. You never know what could go wrong at any given time.

“I guess you have a point, but sometimes I’ll have to go all out,” Kaminari said with a defeated sigh. “There’s just no other way for me.”

Now the blonde looked like a kicked puppy resigned to his own Quirk backlash.

“That right there is why I also think this is something we need to address mentally,” Izuku stressed, earning a curious look from his classmate. “Specifically, your mentality when it comes to your Quirk. You shouldn’t resign yourself to a one-and-done strategy. Especially one that leaves you so vulnerable afterwards. You also don’t have to rely on your Quirk to fight. I don’t.”

“But you’ve got all that gear,” Kaminari countered.

“Exactly,” the Quirkless teen replied. “As Aizawa-sensei likes to say, you shouldn’t have just one tool in your belt. A Quirk is just one of them. I don’t have one so I have one less tool but I more than make up for that with everything else I have. Plus, I’ve been training in self-defense for years. Support Items, analysis, and fighting ability. That’s my strategy around not using a Quirk to fight.”

“It certainly works for you, Mr. Copy Cat,” the electric user playfully teased earning a giggle from the other boy.

“And I’m not the only one it works for,” the greenet continued. “Some Pro Heroes do the same when their Quirks aren’t ideal for the situation. Even our homeroom teacher does this. Eraserhead can only erase someone else’s Quirk. That’s it. Erase the Quirk and make it a Quirkless fight. The rest is his fighting technique combined with the use of his capture weapon. Essentially fighting Quirkless and he’s one of the, if not the, best Underground Heroes.”

“He really is a badass,” Kaminari agreed with a nod while a shiver ran down his spine. “Absolutely terrifying too.”

“It’s his aesthetic,” Izuku commented with a joking shrug making the other boy chuckle. “But anyway, my point is that there is more than one solution to any given problem. We just need to work on you trying to figure out a better strategy than just shock them until you’re both down. Because just like that Villain at the USJ, you could go up against someone or something that won’t be taken out by Indiscriminate Shock. Leaving you to their mercy.”

“That’s super heavy, dude,” Kaminari said, that hurt puppy look was back.

“But a hard truth none the less,” the Quirkless teen countered. “You short circuiting yourself is dangerous both to your health as well as your safety in a fight. We want you to be safe, Kaminari-kun.”

“I appreciate that, Midoriya,” the blonde replied with a sad but grateful smile. “Guess I never thought much about that stuff before. Though no one has ever brought it up before as bad or anything. I mostly just get teased for looking like an idiot.”

“You’re not an idiot, Kaminari-kun,” Izuku declared defensively for his sake. “I know you’re smart in your own ways. You got as far as the one-on-one battles after all which proves you have the potential to be a good Hero. You just need some advice and guidance to be even better.”

“Thanks, Midoriya,” Kaminari responded with a warmer smile, not entirely used to someone caring so much about his wellbeing when it came to the side effects of his Quirk. Not that people didn’t care about him, they did, but this was new. “You’re a smart guy and you did beat me by letting me kick my own ass. Guess I should work harder to not be the mentally fried out idiot anymore.”

“No worries, Kaminari-kun,” Izuku said with a smile, happy that the other was willing to take his advice. “We’ll work together to make you the best electric Hero you can be.”

Izuku had more ideas for his classmate, and hopefully friend, but this was a good start. Kaminari would have a talk with Recovery Girl about his backlash and side effects from it. She would handle the medical side of helping him figure out a better way to use his Quirk. While Izuku would work with Maijima for his proposed Support Items and Aizawa for changes to the electric teen’s training. Though Izuku did wonder why Aizawa hadn’t addressed it before. Perhaps he was waiting for Kaminari to change himself? Probably but that clearly didn’t work.

Bet Shuuzenji-sensei is going to scold him for taking so long if she hasn’t already. And that it took a student to bring up any concerns to address it. Guess no one is perfect when it comes to teaching. Everyone is a lifelong learner.

Next on the list was Yaoyorozu. The main issue with her wasn’t really her Quirk per say but rather her costume. Sure, the creation girl was willing to show some skin but that didn’t mean she necessarily had to, not in the amount or way the Support company had designed her Hero costume. To Izuku it was a disgrace and very inappropriate for a teenage girl. A boob window? Seriously? Just…no.

As he waited for his next ‘client’, he prepared his notes for the creation girl. A short while later the door opened to the pony tailed teen with a mildly surprised expression on her face. But only for a second as she smiled with an amused shake of her head and a chuckle as she closed the door.

“Of course, it’s you, Midoriya-kun,” Yaoyorozu said as she entered the room. “I was mostly sure it would be but I also didn’t want to assume.”

“I had a feeling you would figure it out, Yaoyorozu-san,” Izuku responded in amusement. “Please take a seat.”

The class vice president nodded and gracefully sat in a chair across from him. The fact that she was in her gym clothes did not diminish her trained etiquette and poise.

“Thank you for taking time to talk with all of us,” Yaoyorozu said. “Your observational skills and strategic mind will do all of us good. I know I have much to improve on.”

Her grateful tone turned solemn as she spoke. Izuku could figure what she was referring to, her loss to Tokoyami in the one-on-ones. It’s true she could have done better in that fight but she has nothing to be ashamed of. Rather her loss was a chance to learn and do better in the future.

“You’re smart as well, Yaoyorozu-san,” Izuku stated though her grimace showed she didn’t believe him. Guess he would have to help her to change that. “Did you ever think to use his Quirk against him?”

“What do you mean?” the creation girl asked, the grimace replaced with confusion.

“During your fight with Tokoyami-kun, you put a lot of focus on your creations that you typically use to fight,” the greenet commented. “A staff and a shield. Which by the way you should just have a readymade version on you at all times rather than wasting your lipids on new ones each time.”

Yaoyorozu’s eyes widened at his suggestion. Why hadn’t she thought of that?

“But you could have made other things to give you a better edge in that fight,” Izuku continued. “Can you think of what that is?”

The creation girl pondered for a bit, considering her opponent and his Quirk.

“Well, his Quirk Dark Shadow is quite strong,” she said. “Good for offense and defense.”

“True, that’s why I asked him to be on my team for the Cavalry Battle,” he replied. “But what was something you could have taken advantage of? What is his weakness?”

She took a moment to think again. Considering what the young analyst was asking of her and what she could have done about it. Soon a look of epiphany grew on her face.

“Light?”

“Yes,” Izuku confirmed with a proud smile. He knew she could figure it out. “Dark Shadow is affected by light or rather the amount there of.”

“Which makes sense since Dark Shadow is, well, a shadow,” Yaoyorozu tacked on as she continued to pick the Quirk’s weakness apart. “Shadows are smaller the more light there is so if I made something with more light that would weaken Dark Shadow.” She then let out a sigh and looked sadly down at her lap. “I should have made a flash bomb of sorts.”

“It would have been more effective than what you did,” Izuku agreed with a solemn nod. Hindsight was 20/20 after all. “But don’t let that loss get you down. Think of it as a learning opportunity. Not all fights are going to be the same so you shouldn’t approach them all the same. You’re smart and observant, Yaoyorozu-san. Use that to find your own advantage in a fight. Be flexible.”

Speaking of flexible.

“Now the main thing I want to discuss with you is your costume,” Izuku stated, getting down to business.

“My costume?” she asked, surprised. “What about it?”

“To be blunt, I hate it,” he said flatly, earning an affronted look from her. “Not the colors or anything but the fact that they thought it was appropriate to intentionally give you an opening in order to use your Quirk that also leaves vital areas exposed.”

“Ah, I see,” Yaoyorozu replied simply.

“I kind of get why they did it since your Quirk requires your creations to come from your skin,” the greenet stated. “But there are so many other ways to do that rather than the blatant…chestal window.”

He blushed while letting out an embarrassed cough. While he thought it wasn’t right for them to sexualize a minor, he was still a socially awkward boy with a penchant for politeness.

“I know you’re not against showing skin but in all honesty your suit is lacking in protection,” he pushed onward despite his awkwardness. “Most of your body is exposed and whatever material they used is terrible. When you created that insulation blanket during the USJ attack, your costume was left in tatters and you had to create a new one. Further wasting your lipids while also leaving you vulnerable.”

Yaoyorozu nodded as she considered his points while holding her chin in thought. It was true that her current leotard did give her ample access to her skin but the lack of protection was now glaringly obvious. She also suddenly thought of the weather how as of now in the summer heat her lack of coverage was fine, but come winter? Perhaps having more material to cover her up would be better.

“Do you have any particular design ideas in mind, Midoriya-kun?” the creation girl asked. “As I said, your perspective will be good for us to reconsider our costumes and other improvements. I trust your input and would be happy to hear your ideas.”

The earnest tone of her voice made Izuku blush, a little overwhelmed that she was so willing to hear him out. That she trusted him and was open to his criticism and advice. That she was willing to change just because he had issues with her costume when she did not. Yet another aspect of UA that was different from before. Filled with people, teacher and student alike, who thought what he had to say mattered and was just creepy stalker nonsense with no value. It was…nice.

“S-sure, Yaoyorozu-san!” Izuku beamed as he pulled up his ideas. “First of all, I just want to say I am so judging whoever designed your costume. Seriously, have they never heard of a wonderful invention called zippers?”

His serious tone made her giggle as she moved to sit in a chair beside him to see his sketches better. He was so absorbed in what he was doing he didn’t realize until she was already seated. The sudden closeness surprised him and he couldn’t deny that he jumped a little. The reaction was unexpected and the pony-tailed girl looked at him in concern.

“Am I making you uncomfortable?” Yaoyorozu asked. “I’m sorry, I can move back. I only wanted to see your ideas better.”

“N-no, it’s fine, Yaoyorozu-san,” Izuku was quick to assure though his awkwardness slipped out in his stutter. “You just surprised me is all.”

He gave an awkward laugh to try and convince her. It didn’t entirely work but it was enough to not make her feel compelled to move back. She did put a little more space between them though which he appreciated.

“Is this better?” she asked, giving him a hopefully comforting smile.

Izuku blinked in surprise that she did that just to make sure he was comfortable before say, “Oh, um, yes. Thank you, Yaoyorozu-san.”

He gave her a small bow of his head in gratitude. His politeness was just too strong he couldn’t help it. Not that she minded it finding it endearing.

“Please, call me Momo,” Yao-Momo insisted suddenly with a kind smile. “You’ve helped me and the others so much. And any friend of Shouto-kun’s is a friend of mine.”

Izuku’s eyed widened in surprise yet again. One because she made such an offer so quickly since knowing him, but also that she was on a first name basis with Shouto as well. Though they have known each other far longer than he had. If anything, it was more of a shock as he hadn’t seen Shouto and Yao-Momo interact outside of their own friend group much other than in training. Plus, there was a slight pinch of something in his heart that they shared a closer bond than he thought, but he didn’t know why.

Weird.

“Thanks, Momo-san,” Izuku said after breaking himself out of his own head. “You can call me Izuku if you’d like.”

“Then I shall, Izuku-kun,” she replied with a warm smile.

The greenet sported one of his own, happy to have made a new friend. Now on a first name basis, he walked her through his ideas. Protection was the main goal here which meant covering more of her skin with a tougher material. But they also had to design it in a way that would still allow her easy access to her skin to efficiently and effectively use her Quirk. A delicate balance that they eventually were able to meet.

They decided on a sort of jumpsuit in similar colors to her original with a few added stripes for accents. The suit was sleeveless with shoulder straps and a high collar with a clasp. It was backless down to her mid back and the front had a zipper to open and had built in chest support that could also be zipped open if she needed it. The lower half went down to her ankles with openings on the outsides of her thighs as well as zippers down the sides of her calves that could be opened as well.

Her boots weren’t terrible though Momo agreed with Izuku that they didn’t need to have high heels. He also recommended protective gloves that could be easily taken off of her hands. Her belt he suggested should have more pockets for such things as first aid and emergency snack packs so she could refuel on the go. Then there was the book shelf.

To put it bluntly he wasn’t a fan of it. Having references on hand was a good idea but a literal bookshelf? Not very efficient when it came to looking up information unless you knew exactly where it was. Plus the shelf itself was right at the end of her spine and could potentially prove harmful if she were to fall and land on it in a fight.

Instead, he suggested a computer set up similar to his tablet but in the form of wrist guards. Two just in case something happened to one of them. At first sight they would look just like regular wrist guards but had a screen that could pop open with a keyboard. That way she could easily search her reference material and quickly find what she needed displayed on the screen.

Momo was pleased with his suggestions and agreed immediately to the changes. His points were thoughtful and mindful of her Quirk as well as her safety. She really appreciated his advice and thanked him so sincerely that he blushed, still not used to praise like that.

With two students down, Izuku decided to call it a day for costume and Quirk advice. He still needed to train as much as the others. So as Momo left to return to training herself, the Quirkless teen gathered his gear and made his way to Gym Gamma. Once there he saw that about half of the others were hard at work taking turns sparring with each other with the rest observing them fight.

Oh, looks like Aizawa-sensei decided to start with hand-to-hand combat already.

They were still using their Quirks for now but it was good practice none the less. Izuku smiled happily that his teacher agreed and implemented his advice to help his fellow Hero-hopefuls improve themselves. He walked into the gym and headed towards Aizawa who was observing off to the side.

The Erasure Hero quirked a brow on sight of him and asked, “Done already?”

“For today, yes,” Izuku replied with a nod. “Those two were the ones I’ve wanted to address for a long time. Besides, I need to train too.”

“True,” the teacher agreed with a nod of his own. “Well, now that you’re here we can get everyone back to work.”

Aizawa called for everyone’s attention, breaking up the fights and having the students gather around him.

“Now then, so far all of you have gained experience fighting with your Quirks,” the tired man said. “However, it was brought up by our analyst that it would be prudent for you to learn to not rely on your Quirks alone. So we will be sparring without using Quirks.”

“No Quirks?” Sero asked. “Why?”

“Not all situations can be resolved with your Quirks,” Aizawa explained. “For example, if there was a gas leak, Quirks such as Kaminari’s, Todoroki’s, or Bakugou’s would be dangerous to use. One spark and the whole area would go up in flames.”

The students shivered at the imaginary scenario but also nodded in agreement. Well most of them anyway. Bakugou himself just scoffed but also grimaced because he knew the man was right.

“You could also face someone like me with an ability that counters your Quirks,” the Erasure Hero said further. “It would be practical to have other skills to fall back on when your Quirks aren’t at your disposal. Logical, rational. Therefore no using your Quirks for this session of training. Though those with physical mutations try to keep the use of them to a minimum.”

Most of them glanced at their fellow classmates that fell under this exception. It made sense. Shouji and Ojiro could do nothing about their mutations of extra arms and added tail respectively. There were also those whose physical features were tied to either their Quirk or familial genetics. Like Kouda with his rock like appearance or Tsuyu who couldn’t not be frog like. Then there was Hagakure who literally was invisible all the time. Her and all the others nodded in understanding.

“First up, Midoriya and Ojiro,” Aizawa ordered. The two students nodded and made their way to the spar area with Izuku leaving his gear on the sidelines. “Remember Ojiro, try not to rely on your tail. Midoriya, you know what to do.”

Both teens bowed to their teacher and then to each other before getting into a fighting stance. Izuku thought this was a smart first match up. He knew that Ojiro has taken martial arts for years from what Hitoshi told him. And he himself has been learning self-defense for a long time now. The only concern he had was Ojiro’s instinctive use of his tail but whatever happens happens. Izuku would fight with all his might as he always has.

“Ready. Begin.”

They both lunged towards each other with practiced ease. Trading various styles of punches and kicks while blocking the other’s attacks. Ojiro did his best to not use his tail though he did slip up from time to time using it to protect himself, but he was mindful to not use it to attack. Izuku appreciated his dedication to the exercise and succumbed to the thrill of the fight.

Control wavered between the two as one gained an advantage only to lose it. Ojiro almost getting Izuku into a head lock only for Izuku to evade and attempt to swipe the blonde’s feet out from under him. He let the use of his tail to not fall go as it was probably reflexive. Instead going right back in with a right hook that the other deflected with his arm. They were essentially in a stalemate until Aizawa called them to stop.

“Woah, that was intense,” Kaminari commented with a grin.

“I know, right?” Sero agreed with a chuckle. “But it also looks kind of fun.”

“Fun, you say,” Aizawa spoke, zeroing in on the tape wielder who gulped under his intense stare. “Then why don’t you go next? Ojiro, out.”

Some were surprised that the blonde was the one to be taken out of the lineup. But only for a moment because it made sense that the best person to experience a Quirkless fight with would be with someone who fought Quirkless. Either him or Eraserhead but that wasn’t the plan of this exercise. Sero resigned to his fate and walked into the ring.

The two teens sized each other up. Sero was tall with a decent build while Izuku was shorter but with more muscle. Height could be an advantage but no necessarily a guaranteed win. The greenet would also have to mindful of the taller boy’s elbows. He wasn’t allowed to use his Quirk but the odd shape of his elbows could do some damage on their own.

“Ready…”

“Alright, number one,” Sero said as he got into a fighting position. “Let’s see what you got!”

“…begin!”

The taller boy was quick to shoot forward but Izuku stepped out of the way while landing a kick on his side as he passed. The hit made Sero stumble a little but he quickly righted himself and charged at Izuku again. The greenet blocked and redirected untrained punches the tape wielder threw at him as the shorter boy snuck in more kicks. Sero eventually tried to match his tactic but the Quirkless teen turned it against him. He grappled his leg by the ankle and then swept his other leg out from under him, pinning him to the ground.

“Holy crap, dude,” Sero said, breathing heavily from the exercise. “You are such a badass!”

The class let out oohs and aahs as Aizawa declared him the winner of the fight. Well, not everyone. Bakugou clicked his tongue in annoyance at his win before jerking his scowl to look anywhere but at him. Izuku paid no mind as he helped Sero up who offered him a fist bump and a smile, impressed by his skill. The Quirkless teen eagerly returned it and beamed sensing no ill feelings towards him beating someone with a Quirk.

After that it was the rest of the class’s turn. Aizawa gave a demonstration for some simple hand-to-hand combat techniques which they practiced. He then paired students up and those chosen spaced themselves out in the room. They spent the rest of the training session with half of the class sparring while the other half watched before switching a few times. That way everyone had a chance to observe and put into practice what they were learning.

Finally, the school day came to an end and they were all dismissed to go home. It was kind of nice for Izuku to go back with the rest of them to the locker room. A part of the class and a part of the Hero training. He was there learning with his fellow future Heroes and he reveled in the potential and comradery around him. Izuku couldn’t help the smile on his face as he changed ready to tell his mom all about his day.

Notes:

Kaminari and Yaoyorozu are our first up! For Kaminari specifically I am not a science person as in I don't know of things actually work. More going off what I could google and attempted to make sense of. So if the science is off, I'm sorry. ^_____^; For Yaoyorozu, I took inspiration from other people's redesigns and picked elements that I liked. So not entirely my designs but changed and incorporated together much like this fic. You can see her new costumer here! Also again thank you to those who gave quirk/costume advice. ;)

And yes, I so called Aizawa out for not addressing Kaminari's overloading tendencies. You would think a competent teacher like that wouldn't allow it. He got after canon Midoriya for breaking bones and being useless. Why not Kaminari and him short-circuiting himself?

Now not everyone is going to get an entire conversation with their sessions. Certain ones do have that but not all. You'll see as we go forward. But everyone in 1-A and 1-B has some form of suggested improvement. There were some characters that I struggled finding something and had to play around with, but I got there eventually. One of the many reasons I needed to go on hiatus which really helped me think through them. So I hope you like them! :)

In story he has a month to get through them all so the sessions will be 'spread out' technically. Giving Izuku time to also train and study for the exams as well like we saw here. The Quirkless training is an idea I really like and realistically it should have been where they started to then build up to fighting with quirks. But it is fiction so you can do whatever you want really. -shrugs-

That's all for this update and I hope you enjoyed that it was a double! Updates will be every two weeks on Tuesdays unless something comes up. Because you know, life happens and whatnot. Thanks so much for your patience and your readership. You peeps are awesome and I appreciate each and every one of you. Stay safe out there! Tata for now!

Chapter 3: Angered Turbulence

Notes:

It's Tuesday again! :D I'm glad you've been enjoying the first two chapters of Heritage. Finally getting back into Izuku's life and journey to be a Hero. Well this update we're going to be having quite a few point of view changes but they're all going to be focusing on one thing. Or rather character. Katsuki. Time to get an update on the human hand grenade. ;)

Warning for excessive swearing and references to canon suicide baiting though it's more on the subtle side. From ['Would a 'great...] to just before [Katsuki didn't know how...] and then again briefly hinted at ['Still doesn't answer...] but just that line.

Formatting reminder:
-Dialogue using sign language.-

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

Katsuki didn’t know what to think or do about his current situation as he sat at his desk. It was the next morning after the Quirkless sparring and he was ignoring his extras yammering behind him. All he felt was irritation for everything and everyone around him. And it was all because of fucking Deku. Everything was changing ever since the teachers walked in on and interrupted their confrontation. As soon as Aizawa captured him in his weird scarf, Katsuki’s world got turned upside down.

‘Are you sure it didn’t start before that?’

The explosive blonde scowled knowing his inner voice, aka his ‘conscience’, meant his decision to turn on the shitty nerd once he learned he was Quirkless. Because as soon as he had found out, Katsuki knew that Deku could never be a Hero without a Quirk. It was too dangerous and the Quirkless weakling would just end up dead. He knew that but Deku never accepted it as fact. Instead, the shitty nerd kept fighting and pushing forward toward an impossible future.

This stubbornness was what had led Katsuki to think the Quirkless idiot was looking down on him which the therapy mutt agreed was the case. That that he had concluded that somehow Deku thought he was better than him even without a Quirk. That he could possibly be a Hero same as Katsuki who had the perfect Quirk to become the best. That Explosion was on the same level as his Quirklessness.

While for Deku that would rise him up from the bottom where he belonged, it had the opposite effect on Katsuki. Placing them on the same level actually lowered the blonde, dragging him down to the lowest of the low. The Quirkless. Useless. Genetic dead ends of society. But Bakugou fucking Katsuki refused to be one of the Dekus of this world. He was stronger, smarter, better than that. He was going to be the best and be even better than All Might ever was.

This perception had overtaken his reasonings behind how he treated the Quirkless bug who used to be his friend. Teach him his place and remind him that he was beneath Katsuki. As well as vent his anger as he still blamed Deku for failing life and ruining their promising Hero futures together. Now Katsuki would have to reach for the top by himself which was perfectly fine because he didn’t need anyone else.

‘And now you have no one.’

Fuck off.

Everything started to change since he first started at UA, his path to become the best Hero already blocked with obstacles. The literal ones of Aizawa’s Quirk Assessment tests didn’t scare him and he killed every one of them with fiery passion and power. However, the annoying strength of the two recommendation students landed him in third overall. Little had he known back then that he would end up in the same place in the Sports Festival falling under Deku and Eyebags. Hell, even IcyHot too in a way.

But it became clear as the weeks passed that he wasn’t the strongest here. At least, not yet. Katsuki always pushed himself to work harder, be better, faster, stronger. Keeping to his exercise regiment, sleep schedule, and constantly thinking of better ways to wield his Quirk. Deku wasn’t the only one able to be creative with Quirks after all. The explosive teen had tons of ideas for moves only he could pull off just waiting for the opportunity to try them out.

Then the Sports Festival happened and that whole shit show of confronting the Quirkless nobody who had hid from him only to sneak in and steal his win out from under him. Katsuki was supposed to number one, the best, but everywhere he turned were obstacles keeping him from being just that. Namely people who for some reason gave a damn about Deku and were making his own life hell.

‘That’s karma for you.’

Shut up! Nobody asked you.

It didn’t matter that his stupid inner voice was right because he didn’t want to admit it. That it was his own fault for being suspended and put on UA’s shit list. All because he changed from Deku’s friend to his bully trying to make him realize that he could never be a Hero. Especially not a great Hero like Katsuki could be.

‘Would a ‘great Hero’ give the same kind of ‘advice’ you did?’

Let it go! I said it, regretted it, and Deku didn’t do it. Move the fuck on.

‘But he could have. Why did you say that to him? Didn’t you say you don’t want him to die?’

Katsuki didn’t know how to answer that. Hell, he hadn’t even realized until he was confronted by the fucking rat that the reasons behind his ‘lessons’ had become hazily fused together over the years. That it wasn’t just because he thought Deku was looking down on him, but he also didn’t want the shitty nerd to die all because he was being stupid enough to try at playing Hero without a Quirk.

He had always been concerned about Deku fucking up and dying, but the misconception that the shitty nerd thought he was better than Katsuki obscured it. At first when the Quirkless jerkoff protested saying he didn’t and in fact looked up to him, he didn’t believe it and had let his instincts take over. But since starting therapy with the mutt, that mindset was slowly being chipped away.

He hadn’t even thought about Deku looking down on him after the disaster of a meeting with Nezu, too overwhelmed by everything else. Facing consequences and being punished for something everyone else let slip or even encouraged. The remembered overwhelming need for the Quirkless loser not to die following his impossible and dangerous dream. As well as the loss of the start of his Hero career by his own misguided hands. Not to mention his mom realizing her part in all this and changing how she had always interacted with him.

There was also the comparison to Endeavor paired with what he knew of the Number Two Hero’s homelife. Pushing for the best even by proxy to the point of breaking bodies and minds and making a mother snap. That wasn’t Katsuki, fuck no. Even he knew what the fiery man was doing was wrong and yet the similarities were still there.

He pushed for the best same as Endeavor and had hurt Deku in the process without care. Or rather he did care but had been too consumed by his insecurities to properly express it. But with the constantly underlying worry brought back into the light of Deku just putting himself out there without a Quirk or care for his own weakling life, he forced himself to think differently. To focus on not wanting Deku to die rather than on his lingering belief that the Quirkless fucker looked down on him.

Katsuki still didn’t think it was possible. For Deku to make it and survive as a Quirkless Hero. Relying on gadgets and gear to compensate for a lack of natural power. Because this wasn’t a game of Heroes like they had played growing up where they could just go home to their mommies at the end of the day to kiss any booboos to make it better.

No, this was real life.

A game of life and death that would most certainly end in Deku getting in over his head. That he would one day run out there unprotected and disadvantaged only to wind up dead. It was a change of mindset for Katsuki that made him feel more validated in his lessons to the Quirkless fucker. More heroic than attacking the other for looking down on him even though he said he didn’t. A more understandable reason to teach him now before he learned the permanent hard way to then never live to fight another day. But these lessons he wasn’t allowed to try teaching anymore and instead had to deal with the changes to his life.

‘Still doesn’t answer why you said what you did to him.’

He still didn’t have an answer to give.

It wasn’t just Katsuki’s life that was changing either, forced to face consequences for things he had never been called out on before. He also noticed a change in Deku as well. How he interacted with others and how they reacted to him. He definitely wasn’t the cowering mess he was as a kid. Well, actually Deku hadn’t really cowered but rather stubbornly and fearfully faced all those who tried to teach him his place. But he had still been a blubbering mess standing up to his betters.

Now though he acted and was treated as an equal. The other extras reacted as if he had always belonged in their class. Actually seeming to like his company and according to the principal they valued his stupid scribblings as well. People actually listened to him and Katuski couldn’t understand why, but also couldn’t do anything about it.

He was on thin ice here at UA. Couldn’t do anything to the Quirkless loser or his creepy friend. Couldn’t even call him Deku to his face though that didn’t stop him from calling the nerd that in his head. Instead, he had to keep his distance while he proved to the teachers that he could handle himself. Which he well fucking could and he would show them how great of a Hero he could be just as he was.

Another change was Deku’s irritating habit of leaving or doing other weird shit during English class. Thankfully the shitty nerd was in the back so he wasn’t as distracting during the lessons. But when he did leave, Katsuki’s Jiminy fucking Cricket of an inner voice kept bringing up the thought that he might be going to meet with the principal. What that fucking rat saw in his ‘personal student’ the blonde couldn’t see. Whatever. Let them fawn over his creepy stalker notebooks all they like. He would never have to deal with them again.

But he couldn’t get over how Deku held himself now. He smiled with his friends and easily interacted with everyone in class. Quite a contrast from Aldera but everyone there had believed what Katsuki had that the Quirkless fucker didn’t matter. Only he did on his path to be the best Hero. But now Deku faced challenges head on, even taking down the Hero Killer with confidence. Or at least the media said so and there was that stupid video. Clear evidence he couldn’t deny. But still, it was like seeing the Quirkless freak having an actual backbone for the first time with a fighting fist to back it up. A more intense version of his younger self.

There were other subtle changes that he noticed but quickly ignored because they didn’t matter. However, there was one that left Katsuki confused. The nerd’s pen case. No longer red, yellow, and blue with All Might’s face plastered on it like it had been for fucking years. In fact, the explosive teen didn’t see Deku with a single piece of All Might merch on him. Which was totally weird because he knew for a fact that the other boy had a practical shrine for the Number One Hero. Something that the blonde was not at all jealous of in any way, shape, or fashion.

Nope. Not at all.

But it was strange to see Deku without even one piece of All Might merch. He was the Hero he looked up to growing up much like Katsuki though for different reasons. It was probably for some dumb shit reason like his smile or whatever. All while Katsuki aspired to match and eventually rival the Symbol of Peace and take his rightful place as Number One.

But now…nothing. No sight of All Might on the nerd’s person at all. There was also how the nerd acted around All Might. There was no reverence on his face being taught by their shared childhood idol. Which was really fucking weird because Katsuki had expected to have to deal with his irritating fanboying over the Hero. But instead there was none, only paying attention like he would any regular teacher.

Weird.

The All Might pen case had been replaced with a Present Mic themed one. Which okay fine maybe Katsuki listened to Put Your Hands Up radio from time to time. Not as often now since he had to already listen to the loud mouth during English class every day. But maybe there were some shows he found mildly entertaining. Perhaps even was the reason he had taken drum lessons as a kid. Though that was more his mom making him go to music classes and the drums seemed the least useless to learn. He at least had gotten a good workout from it even if he didn’t stick with it.

Whatever, let Deku change, he thought as the bell chimed for the end of the morning classes and he trudged off to the cafeteria.

That had no effect on him. Katsuki was going to keep pushing forward and show the world how great of a Hero he could be. Which was why he chose to ignore the nerd and focus on himself. If only he could get some peace and quiet for a fucking second. But with his own personal extras, that was never gonna happen.

Despite his outburst on his first day back to class, Pinky, Pikachu, and Soy Sauce face still insisted on trying to sit with him at lunch. Shitty Hair would join them too but seemed to be the only one who got that Katsuki just wanted to be left the fuck alone. The others though very much did not and kept pestering him with their badgering. Yesterday he had left them as well and hoped they got the message but it was clear they didn’t as once again they noisily joined him at his table with Shitty Hair trailing behind.

“Yo, Bakugou,” Sparky greeted as his tray clattered onto the table. “You left so fast. Thanks for saving a table, dude.”

“Yeah, it’s so crowded today,” Raccoon Eyes commented, annoyingly taking a seat beside the irate explosive blonde without a care.

“I see you got something spicy yet again,” Tape Arms pointed out as if that was fucking new. “Bet that makes you pretty regular, yeah?”

They just kept yapping as Shitty Hair sat done farthest from him with that weird glum look on his face. The one that he swore was most definitely Deku’s fault for snitching. That combined with the annoying chit-chat just pissed him the fuck off.

That’s it. Katsuki out.

“Ugh!” the explosive teen growled as he stood up with his food. "Just leave me the fuck alone!"

~~~

Eijirou sighed into his food as Bakugou stormed off once again. It was the third time this week he’d done that. The redhead knew they should just let him have his space but the others didn’t get that apparently. He would hang back to see where they sat but every day they converged on the explosive teen as they had since early on. Only for Bakugou to now get up and leave once they sat down.

"What's with him?” Ashido asked, watching him walk away in confusion.

"Was it something we said?" Sero offered, regretting his attempt at teasing the human hand grenade. Though he didn’t go off as explosively as before.

"Should we go after him?" Kaminari suggested, already standing up to follow.

Eijirou sighed as he lowered his chopsticks and said, "Just leave him alone, guys."

"Huh?" the electric teen let out as he paused.

"He clearly wants to be alone right now,” the redhead explained seeing that his friends didn’t get it. “Us hovering over him and bothering him isn't going to solve anything."

"But we're worried," the pinkette countered with a pout.

"Yeah, don't you think he's acting weird?" Kaminari prodded as he took his seat but looked out to where Bakugou had disappeared in the crowd.

"He didn't let off a single explosion,” Sero commented. “Though I guess that's kind of an improvement. Those sparks can sting!"

"I know you're worried, I am too,” Eijirou said, poking at his food. “But we should let him cool off for now. He's going through some...stuff."

"Stuff?” Ashido asked, leaving towards him with curiosity at the smell of gossip. “Do you know something, Kirishima?"

Eijriou let out another sigh as he placed his chopsticks down and replied, "I...just drop it, please. It's up to Bakugou if he wants to talk about it."

"Yeah, I guess," Kaminari said, shoulders slouching in defeat.

"Man, if that's the case, we'll never find out,” Sero lamented. “Bakugou will never tell us."

"Unless...,” the pinkette said in conspiratorial tone. The other two besides Eijirou leaned in to listen. “...we find out who this Deku person is. The one he mentioned before."

Good luck with that, the red head thought, knowing he only figured it out because he met Izuku before UA.

"Maybe, but we don't know who that is," Sero replied with a shrug.

"What kind of a name is Deku anyway?” Kaminari asked, tilting his head curiously. “Isn't that some kind of wooden doll?"

"Or 'useless' I think?” the black-haired boy offered. “Seems kind of a cruel name to give your kid if that's the case."

"Unless it's a nickname?” Ashido wondered aloud. “Still mean though."

"But since when has Bakugou been nice?” the tape wielder snarked. “He's all yelling and explosions."

The comment earned laughs from them. Even Eijirou covered his own with a cough, begrudgingly amused by the truth of it.

"Yeah, he gives insulting nicknames to all of us," Kaminari said in agreement.

"Right? I don't want to be called Raccoon Eyes!” the pinkette complained. “I can't help that my sclera is black! It runs in my family!"

"I know I have a soy sauce face, but he doesn't need to point it out all the time," Sero said glumly.

"Pikachu is a pretty cool character, but I know he means it in an insulting way for me,” Kaminari pouted next to him. “Especially paired with him calling me a dunce to my face."

"And I don't know why he calls your hair shitty, Kirishima,” Ashido added, speaking up for him. “I think it's a good look for high school and we're like horn buddies."

Eijirou was surprised at the sudden praise and smiled as he said, "Thanks, Ashido."

The pink skinned girl he had known since middle school gave him a supportive wink.

"I wonder who Bakugou would decide to call Deku,” Sero pondered with a hand on his pointed chin. “A weak Quirk maybe?"

The hardening teen’s brow twitches at that as he snapped, "There's no such thing."

"What?" Sero responded in surprise at the sudden hard words.

"There's no such thing as a weak Quirk,” Eijirou reiterated more clearly.

"I meant physically,” the black-haired teen amended. “Like maybe someone with a mental type or just something that isn't physical strength. Like my Tape isn't technically strong physically but I've got some mad tethering skills."

The tape wielder gave a pose to show off his elbows with pride.

"Oh...right...,” Eijirou said as he looked down at his food with guilt for snapping at his friend. For a long time, he’s felt insecure about his own Quirk, thinking it as weak and how he wished to be so much stronger. It was something he was working on so he could be strong like Izuku was, confident in himself. “Well maybe but still a Quirk doesn't make you stronger or weaker. It's what you do with it that shows your strength."

"True, true,” Sero conceded with a nod. “Though I bet Bakugou doesn't think that. He thinks his Quirk makes him super strong. It does to a point, but he's no powerhouse like Todoroki."

"Yeah,” Ashido agreed. “He's always going on about how he's the best and calls us extras or other nicknames.”

"But they either seem connected to our looks or our Quirks,” the electric user commented, brows furrowed in thought. “What would Deku be connected to? Not sure how it could be related to looks so much, but it could be a reference to their Quirk or rather…"

The blonde trailed off with a contemplative look still on his face as he connected some dots before slowly turning his gaze to a certain area of the cafeteria.

"...a lack thereof."

The others followed his gaze to where Izuku was chatting and laughing with his friends. Completely unaware what was being uncovered across the way.

"What? You think Midoriya?” Ashido asked as they turned back to their own table. The blonde nodded in reply. “But why? We don't even know if they know each other."

"It's just a guess,” Kaminari replied, grimacing down at his tray. “But it's based on something Todoroki said when Midoriya and Shinsou first joined our class. Something about Midoriya disguising himself as Hiro to hide from Bakugou."

Eijirou was surprised that he remembered that. It had only been a passing comment that got brushed aside by the sudden realization that Bakugou hadn’t been in class. Then seemingly completely forgotten once Aizawa revealed he had been suspended for attacking another student.

"Oh, that's right. He did say that,” the pinkette said, pounding a fist in her other hand in revelation before placing one on her chin in thought. “So, they do know each other. And if they do then that must mean that maybe Midoriya is this Deku."

"I wonder how they know each other,” the tape wielder said. “Extended family? Old classmates? Childhood friends? It's a shitty nickname regardless."

"But why would Bakugou attack Midoriya?” the electric blonde frowned. “That's why he was suspended, right? For attacking someone before the final match?"

"Would explain why he didn't have all his gadgets,” Ashido grimaced, not liking the picture she was painting in her mind about someone she thought of as a friend. “Midoriya was using them a lot during the festival so it was weird that he didn't have any for that last fight."

"Still kicked ass without them though,” Sero commented, remembering the finals match. “Did you see that over the shoulder throw? Damn, Midobro is freaking strong."

"He sure is,” Eijirou added, speaking for the first time in a while. “I wonder how much he can lift."

"A whole trashed beach's worth apparently," Sero quipped with toothy smile.

The others laughed at his friendly joke.

"I can't believe he did that!” Ashido exclaimed, impressed with their classmate. “It was super nice, but I so couldn't do that. Bugs and all the gross slimy things. Blegh."

"Says the girl who can secrete slimy things," Kaminari teased as he pointed his chopsticks at her.

"My Acid is different!” she retorted as she stuck out her tongue. “At least my Quirk doesn't make me all loopy when going all out."

"Hey! I'm working on it!" the electric teen defended as he crossed his arms in a pout. He certainly was going to more so now that he had his meeting with Izuku. That and he was bullied by Recovery Girl to take better care of himself.

The conversation devolved into jabbing at each other’s Quirks in a friendly teasing way. Which lead to Ashido and Sero openly wondering who the Support Specialist would be and what they would talk about with them. Kaminari and Eijirou shared a look having already met with said specialist. He certainly wasn’t going to say something because it had been obvious that it was going to be Izuku. He was Hiro after all and had observed all of their Quirks so who else could it have been? But his electric friend and he silently agreed to keep mum on the subject just to see how the other two would react. Small pleasures of messing with their friends.

Eijirou didn't know if Bakugou was still among them but there was time to figure that out. For now, he would let the angry blonde have his space and time to cool off. Allowing time and distance to defuse the bomb that was the explosive teen. He only hoped that his other friends wouldn't set him off by bringing up their theory that Izuku was Deku. They were right, but Eijirou wasn't going to tell them that. At least they moved on from the subject for now, but he feared they wouldn't let it go so easily. If the time comes that they do, he would do his best to calm the fiery situation as best he could, but for now he would focus on food and chatting with his for sure friends.

~~~

The rest of lunch had been quiet after having ditched his noisy extras. Katsuki finished his food in relative peace, ignoring the annoying chatter of the other less important extras around him. But all too soon lunch was over and he had to unfortunately go back to class. Not that he didn’t want to learn, but rather he’d have to be bothered by his idiots again.

Ugh.

Surprisingly though they did actually leave him alone. Huh. Katsuki passed a glance at Shitty Hair, figuring maybe he said something to get it through their thick skulls. Just leave him the fuck alone and stop fucking talking bullshit. Whatever. The blonde decided to just focus on training and letting off some steam.

He didn’t much care for the Quirkless sparring they had added to training as of yesterday. Not using his Quirk made him feel weak and powerless, like Deku. He didn’t like it at all. But he guessed it did make sense to know how to fight without it so he would go along with the hobo man’s plan. He hadn't care for the teacher having the shitty nerd serve as the example for the exercise, but then again, he was a Quirkless fucker so who else to show what a true Quirkless opponent was like.

It had pissed him off that Deku managed to hold his own against Tails. It just reminded him that the shitty nerd had taken self-defense so that he could stand up for himself. Enough to stave off physical attacks but hadn’t seemed enough to compensate for a lack of Quirk. However, with each addition to the stack of growing changes in his life, a small part of him was in conflict with what he had known his whole like.

Maybe…Deku wasn’t useless.

At least not entirely. He still didn’t have a Quirk and had to make up for it with gadgets and gizmos to get the job done.

‘Like the ones you destroyed.’

Katsuki clicked his tongue in annoyance at the reminder.

‘Perhaps compensating for your inability to win by trying to sabotage his chances?’

Fuck off, Jiminy Cricket!

‘Well, he seems to be holding up just fine without them.’

Which was something Katsuki couldn’t counter or deny as Deku had still been fighting and was matched up seemingly evenly against the human Kangaroo. To the point that his hobo of a teacher had called it quits ending the match without a clear winner. A scenario Katsuki would never be satisfied with. The explosive teen did his best to not glare or even look at Deku as Soy Sauce face was made to fight him next. But he couldn’t look away as his extra got his ass handed to him and was pinned to the ground. Losing against Deku of all people.

The other extras praised the Quirkless pissant at his win but all Katsuki could do was scowl before forcing himself to look away. He didn’t know what to make sense of when it came to Deku. He was Quirkless, useless, a weakling that was supposed to be below him.

But he wasn’t.

Deku was declared the winner of the Sports Festival, not Katsuki. Deku had the credit for taking down the Hero Killer. Deku for some reason was recognized as the one responsible for cleaning up some damn beach. He was winning and advancing as a Hero while Katsuki was stuck and even falling behind. No firsts for him since the entrance exam. Only thirds and below. As if Katsuki was the Deku and Deku was…honestly, he didn’t know anymore.

Whatever, he thought, mentally shutting his dilemma away seeing dwelling on it as pointless since he didn’t have an answer anyway.

It’s not like the nerd was there right now. For some fucking reason he hadn’t bothered coming to the beginning of training these last couple of days while some of the others were called to meet with this so-called specialist. He was probably off in the Support studio or wherever doing gods knew what. Well, fuck him and his crappy tech. It had nothing to do with Katsuki.

His inner voice tried to once again bring up that it kind of did since he had destroyed them but he ignored it. Instead, he focused his attention on his moves as he trained. Thankfully they were practicing with Quirks today so he was able to let off some steam via explosions. Cementoss was there with them so he didn’t have to hold back destroying cement pillar after pillar. A great way to end another annoying day at UA. Soon he could go home and have some fucking peace and quiet in his room.

But the good end of his day just had to be interrupted by the nosiest of his extras as the last bell rang releasing them from class. Everyone was packing up while the hobo man was still hidden in his sleeping bag at the front. Katsuki was finishing up putting his things away when it happened.

"Hey Bakugou,” Racoon Eyes called out, earning a scowled look from him. “Can I ask you something?"

Katsuki let out a frustrated noise before asking, "What do you want, Pinky?"

"You mentioned someone named Deku at lunch the other day,” the pinkette replied. “I was wondering who that was exactly."

At the mention of the banned name, Katsuki shot a glance at their teacher who had an eye cracked open. The blonde grimaced, knowing he wasn’t allowed to say it but he hadn’t meant to having said it out of habit when he had snapped. The human caterpillar scrutinized him for a second before closing his eye again. The blonde was probably going to have a talking-to for his slip up later.

"And I told you that it's none of your business,” Katsuki sneered as he turned back to packing his backpack. “Leave it alone."

"But I'm curious~,” she whined, drawing other people’s attention. “They're the one you got suspended for attacking, right? Who is it?"

The explosive teen turned toward the pink haired teen, posturing himself to be intimidating as he ordered, "Leave. It. Alone."

"Wait, the one Bakugou attacked was someone called Deku?” Tails interjected annoyingly, further spreading his business. “That's a weird name. It means 'useless', right?"

In the back, the shitty nerd was looking down avoiding eye contact. Clearly also not wanting for this to be happening. IcyHot joined Deku at his side while glaring at Katsuki.

"I dunno. I kind of like it,” Pink Cheeks said, making the explosive blonde’s eyebrow twitch. “It gives off a 'you can do it' vibe to me."

The Quirkless fucker looked up in surprise as he asked, "Really? You think that?"

The fuck are you doing, Deku!?

"Yeah!” she replied with a fist pump in the air. “It's really close to ‘dekiru’, don't you think?"

No, it’s fucking not!

"Uh, yeah, sure," the green menace replied, doing that annoying thing where he rubs the back of his head all nervous and shit.

It pissed Katsuki off while the Quirkless boy was surprised by the comparison. He still didn't like the nickname but that at least gave it a less bitter taste. Beside him the element wielder linked their pinkies.

"Still a weird name,” Pinky chimed in again. “So, who is this Deku, Bakugou?"

"Yeah, who is it? Who is it?" Invisibitch pressed annoyingly all cheerful and shit.

"It's none of your fucking business!” Katsuki snapped with a snarl. “Stop poking your nose into crap that doesn't involve you."

He turned to leave for the day with his backpack haphazardly thrown on his back. He made his way almost to the door when the bomb dropped.

"Is it Midoriya?"

Time froze in that moment. Katsuki stopped at the door while everyone was frozen in place. The explosive teen slowly turned to see the extras around him. Most had a look of confusion trying to process what they just heard. While the others who already understood the implications of that question reacted differently.

There was disappointment from Shitty Hair and Deku’s group of friends glared daggers at him in protective anger. Katsuki zeroed in on the Quirkless fucker who looked sad and apologetic towards him. As if he felt sorry for this hole the blonde was suddenly in. But why?

Katsuki didn’t understand. Wasn't this what Deku wanted? To turn everyone against him. That’s why he told Shitty Hair, right? Why else would he be acting like that before Pinky had to open her big gossipy mouth. Now he was surrounded by the judgmental whispers of his classmates. He didn’t like it. It reminded him of what happened to Deku at the Sports Festival. Revealed to be Quirkless and immediately chastised for it.

Only this time it was Katsuki in the center of it all. This was not the kind of attention that he liked or ever wanted. Fuck Raccoon Eyes for outing him as a bully who attacked another and that it was none other than the UA charity case himself. Deku had everyone wrapped around his stupid Quirkless fingers for some fucking reason. He just didn’t get any of this shit. Fuck it. He was done here.

The blonde clicked his tongue and left without a single word, leaving the acid girl’s question unanswered. But to her, and the others who realized what had gone unsaid, his silence and exit were answer enough. That Katsuki, their resident hot head, was not just bark but also bite. That he had attacked one of their own.

~~~

Shouta watched the scene unfold from his sleeping bag. He hadn’t expected that to get out so soon after Bakugou joined them in class again. He knew Midoriya wouldn’t have ever said anything having conditioned himself to hide their twisted relationship. Nor did he think that the explosive one would either in a sense of subconscious shame. Which the tired man figured he hadn’t and it was only a slip of the tongue that led to the reveal.

He waited to see how the others would react to this. If things started to get out of hand he would take over, but for now he would let them process it undisturbed about something so disturbing. That one of their peers who claimed to be the ‘best’ Hero acted in such a nonheroic way. Unfortunately, it was a learning experience that would prepare them for future scandals. Which there certainly would be with Tsukauchi’s insane yet logical idea to work with the Hero Killer to weed out the ‘fake Heroes’.

And eventually Endeavor once our case is solid.

But that would take time, ground work. It would be more rational to start at the lower ranks then work their way up. Otherwise, any attempt at the Number Two Hero would be met with adversity and a refusal to believe anything was wrong with such a high-ranking Hero. So instead, they would start from the bottom to work their way up.

This situation was somewhat similar and they were already taking steps to prevent another Endeavor. Bakugou served his suspension and did seem to be trying to a certain extend. Still stubborn and brash but he was toning it done compared to before. The matter of him falling into old habits such as the banned nickname were to be understandable. Shouta would still have a talk with him about it but the look the teen had on his face told him that he knew he messed up.

Good.

It was small step back but nothing the kid couldn’t recover from. Habits were hard to break so it wasn’t surprising the nickname would slip out. However, Bakugou’s decision to not answer and rather storm off away from the scene might come back to bite him later. As the door closed, it was then that the whispers started.

“Wait, Bakugou attacked Midoriya?” Satou asked, breaking the tense silence.

“No way,” Kaminari lamented as he stared at the door where his friend had left, neither confirming nor denying they were right. The electric teen then turned to the green one along with everyone else. “Dude, Midoriya, are you Deku?”

Shouta didn’t miss the flinch the Quirkless boy tried to hide at the nickname. This was what they were trying to avoid by banning the name. Guess he would have to order them not to use it as well.

“I, um, I…” Midoriya let out, trying to answer but also not wanting to at the same time.

“Don’t force yourself, Izuku,” Todoroki spoke up, fulling taking the shorter boy’s hand in his who glanced up at him and gave a thankful smile.

“But seriously, are you?” Kaminari pressed anyway. “I mean, it was just a theory based on what Todoroki said, but are you the one Bakugou attacked?”

The class looked at the Quirkless teen with concern as nervous green eyes flickered from face to face. This was very much a situation he had not wanted to be in. Surrounded by people and being drowned in their pity. He was fine now. UA was different. The teachers cared and Bakugou was getting the help and tough love that he needed to be better. But Midoriya feared that if he confirmed it, his classmates would treat his ex-childhood friend poorly. To him, that was the opposite of what Bakugou needed.

“That’s seriously messed up if that’s true,” Ojiro interjected, grimacing down in both disgust as well as guilt. To think that he had gone around warning others about a fellow aspiring Hero all because his Quirk was suspicious all while there was a hidden bully among them. “Not heroic at all.”

“More Villain-like than anything else,” Jiro commented casually as others nodded in agreement.

“Bakugou is not a Villain!” Midoriya snapped, drawing everyone’s attention back to him.

The green one was angry, that much was clear. Brows furrowed, his usual smile turned very much upside down, and fists clenched at his sides. Todoroki wasn’t holding his hand anymore and instead was latched on to his shirt. A touch of solidarity while the Quirkless teen spoke.

“Bakugou is not a Villain,” he repeated, meeting every gaze on him to will them to understand. “He messed up and his personal issues are being addressed, but he’s willing to learn from his mistakes and become a better Hero, a better person.”

“Why are you defending him?” Ojiro asked, confused. “Didn’t he attack you?”

“Bakugou and I have known each other since we were born,” Midoriya explained, hoping to do his best to get them to at least kind of understand. “We were childhood friends, but…when he got his Quirk and I never got mine, he…changed.”

“What did he do to you, Midoriya?” Jiro asked, concern in her tone.

“It doesn’t matter, it’s in the past,” the green one tried to brush off.

But the class wasn’t having it as Hagakure interjected, “Of course it matters! We’re going to be Heroes together. Shouldn’t we know who we’re going to be working with in the future?”

If Bakugou actually becomes a Hero,” Ojiro responded.

“Oh, he will, I know it,” Midoriya declared, earning shocked expressions around the room. “Bakugou is brash and violent and yes, he did bully me. But while that was wrong and his motivations as to why are super messed up, there’s one thing that he has always wanted to be. A Hero. And a Hero he will become.”

“I dunno,” Sero said, unconvinced. “Beating someone up enough to get suspended doesn’t sound like what a Hero would do.”

“There is much darkness in this emitter of light,” Tokoyami added, dramatic as ever. His arms were crossed over his stomach and his mind was split between processing the reveal while also holding an angry shadow at bay. An irate Dark Shadow would not help this situation right now.

“You said it,” Hitoshi muttered with a scowl, not a fan of the explosive bully.

“While I understand your concern which I’m sure Izuku appreciates,” Yaoyorozu interjected, shooting a glance at her friend who just gave a shrug. His fists unclenched and Todoroki was quick to grab his hand again. “It is as Bakugou said, it isn’t really our business.”

“How can you say that?” Hagakure whined. “Bakugou attacked someone and we’re going to do nothing?”

“I don’t understand how you can defend him, Midoriya,” Satou commented. “I don’t think I could.”

“Izuku has a big ass heart and can’t bring himself to not help anyone,” Hitoshi stated, earning a pointed look from the green one. “What? You do. Even if they don’t deserve it.”

“I…ugh, I know he messed up,” Midoriya conceded, running the fingers of his free hand through his hair in an attempt to calm himself. It didn’t work unfortunately and only messed his hair up more so he stopped with a frustrated sigh. “He fucked up and attacked me, but like I said the situation is being handled. The teachers know and he’s facing consequences for his actions. He needs support to be better, not this.”

“What do you mean?” Uraraka asked.

The green one looked to her and answered, “Bakugou was a bully, that’s true, but giving him a taste of his own medicine won’t do any good. It would only be more of the same. What we need is change. Bakugou did something wrong and now he has the opportunity to learn from his mistakes. You don’t have to like him. All I ask is you give him a chance. Allow him a chance to change.”

Green eyes turned towards his classmates, pleading for them to understand. To get where he’s coming from even just a little. Because fighting fire with fire in this situation would backfire, he was sure of it. They didn’t have to be friends with Bakugou, but he hoped they would at least treat him as a person. It was more than what he grew up with, treated less than nothing all because of a double-jointed pinky toe.

“We’re with you, Izuku,” Kirishima spoke suddenly, already knowing exactly what the green one was asking. The redhead then turned to the class. “Like he said, Bakugou messed up, but he’s still here to be a Hero more than anything else. And so are we. A Hero would support his fellow fighters, not turn their backs on them. That wouldn’t be manly.”

“Are you really okay with this, Kirishima?” Ashido asked, knowing his own issues with and dislike of bullying.

The hardening one turned to his middle school friend with a determined look as he said, “Yes, I am. Bakugou bullied Izuku, but like he said, the teachers are addressing it. Be his friend or not, that’s your choice, but don’t treat him as if he were a Villain. Like Izuku said, it would just be more of the same. What we need is change.”

The redhead then held up a fist out in front of him. A silent question of ‘who’s with me’ to the class. The others whispered with their neighbors trying to decide what to do. The first move actually came from the quietest of their classmates.

-I’m with you,- Kouda signed before joining his fist with Kirishima’s.

Kirishima didn’t understand it but he could guess with the help of Kouda’s fist touching his and the shy smile the other was giving him. He in turn gave a toothy one of his own. The animal whisperer was so manly.

“I will remain unbiased and allow the future to unfold unimpeded,” Tokoyami declared.

Dark Shadow finally managed to break out of his gut and cried, “But Fumi!”

“No, Dark Shadow,” the dark teen chastised his Quirk, knowing it was protective of their friend. “The night is not merely dark and light. The shadows are full of greys. We all have a hint of darkness within each of us, only varying in shade. We are merely learning Bakugou’s is darker than we once thought.”

The spirit pouted before worming its way through the crowd of students to nuzzle against Midoriya who patted the living shadow’s head with his free hand.

“Midoriya is right,” Shouji said from one arm as another grew to join the fist bump. “While I wasn’t a friend of his before, I won’t change how I treat my classmate.”

There were still skeptical looks but eventually everyone agreed. Some were unsure if they actually could but were willing to at least try. If not for themselves, then for Midoriya. Their selfless Quirkless counterpart who was already more of a Hero than any of them. For him at least, they would try.

Good.

“Glad to know we have that settled,” Shouta suddenly spoke, causing several of his students to jump. He hid an amused smirk in his scarf as he extracted himself from his sleeping bag. “That being said, this business is being dealt with by the teachers and does not concern anyone outside of this room. Don’t go gossiping or spreading unneeded rumors. This is between Bakugou and Midoriya. I don’t want to hear that any of you spread word of their business, got it?”

“Yes, sensei,” they replied as a group.

“One more thing,” the teacher tacked on, sending a Quirked glare across his problem students for effect. “That nickname that Bakugou called Midoriya is banned. If I hear it from any of your, you’ll find yourself in detention. This is your only warning.”

That at least covered his own class. There would only be a single warning for anyone else who heard the nickname when Bakugou let it slip out. His main concern being the more competitive ones in 1-B like Monoma. He wasn’t sure what someone like that would do with such information if they figured it out.

His students earnestly nodded, not daring to speak under the fierce stare of their teacher. Shouta nodded as well, accepting their answer. He gathered up his papers and sleeping bag before heading towards the door. Just before leaving he glanced back towards Midoriya who met his eye and gave him a grateful smile. Not as bright as usual and a bit sad, but full of thanks for his words and all he’s done for him. The tired man nodded once more before walking out the door, leaving the Quirkless teen surrounded by friends knowing he was going to be alright.

~~~

The next day wasn’t all that different except for the tension between one human hand grenade and everyone else. Izuku hoped that things would settle eventually and that the psychological distance would lessen. He knew what it felt like to be alone and didn’t wish it upon anyone, not even Bakugou. Ever since he met Mei, he knew the value of true friendships and that it would seriously help his ex-childhood friend.

But even though he asked for his friends and classmates to give Bakugou a chance, the final decision was up to them as to what they would do. At least the explosive blonde’s typical friend group mostly tried. Ashido, Kaminari, and Sero tried greeting Bakugou who just ignored them as he trudged to his seat. Izuku observed Eijirou eyeing him as he went, clearly still unsure how to best handle his feelings towards the other. But he was hopeful that his classmates would do their best and not leave Bakugou behind.

Time as well as their own choices would determine how the future unfolds. For now, Izuku would do what he needed to do for this situation and keep his distance. Instead, he would focus on the mountain of work he had to do analyzing his fellow first year Hero students as well as counseling them on their Quirks and costumes. He was going to be busy enough without wasting his time on things out of his control.

Notes:

This chapter is brought to you by Katsuki's new tendency to mic drop and leave not wanting to deal with his confusing problems. :P

There ya have it. The class knows now. Took me a bit to figure out how exactly and came up with this. 'Cause Izuku wouldn't and Katsuki wouldn't and not even Eijirou would all for various reasons. But Shouto had said that and Katsuki had let it slip. And Kaminari is smarter than he comes off as so I figured he would be able to connect the dots. Then there's Ashido the gossip queen.

Once again Katsuki is a complicated mess and his povs are still a pain to write. Back in part 2, reader Cricket commented on the lack of mention of Katsuki's 'Deku is looking down on me' thing during his suspension chapters. To be honest, he has so much going on during that part that I kind of sort of forgot but not really forgot about it. In a sense, that was addressed with Izuku yelling at him that he was an idiot and it was the opposite. Which got quickly overshadowed by the comparison to Endeavor when Katsuki knows what goes on behind closed doors. He does in canon too but I don't think he's ever compared to Endeavor in the same way BC Izuku does. But I wanted to bring it up in this chapter at least a little to give some kind of resolution to it? It's still a factor but more background to me when I'm writing. Katsuki still feels like he should be the best but keeps missing it by this much. While he has to accept that Izuku isn't as helpless and powerless as he thought. Almost to the starting point of Izuku might be actually equal if not better than him. Not Quirk wise but by what a Hero is supposed to be. I dunno. Katsuki is so fucking complicating it's hard for me to articulate.

Katsuki noticing Izuku's lack of All Might merch is thanks to Remember123! Loved the idea 'cause he so would notice something like that. Strangely hyper focused on Izuku despite not wanting him around at the same time. Him eventually learning about Izuku selling his collection is also going to be a shock but that's for later. When? Who know.

Fun Facts About Japan:

So Japan does have descriptors of different face types categorized by condiments. And looking them up I noticed a lot similarities of the teachers and students I worked with who had similar face types across the different schools I taught at. Soy sauce face is one of them and in Japanese is shouyu gao ( しょうゆ顔 , しょうゆがお ). It's considered the face type of a typical Japanese man with narrow eyes, a straight nose, and a slim face. Which fits Sero to a T though Katsuki uses it in a derogatory way. There are other face type names like sauce, salt, sugar, miso, vinegar, and mayonnaise along with probably others. Each of which have a different collection of feature types. Here's a bunch of links to different sites about the different types.

That's it for this update! Katsuki has it rough but hopefully things will get better for him over time. We'll just have to wait and see. I hadn't actually exactly planned for this to be this update having known certain things had to happen but not exactly when. But after looking through my notes and such this is the best time for this to happen. So next update will be going back to Izuku and continuing on with his counseling sessions. Until then be safe and take care of yourselves. Bye bye for now! And yes, I do still appreciate you peeps pointing out typos and weirdness. It might be awhile before I actually fix it but still appreciate it none the less. ^______^ Anyway, see ya!

Chapter 4: Busy As A Bee

Notes:

Happy Tuesday, dear readers! After the angst of last chapter, we're going back to Izuku's consulting sessions. And a nice bit of fluff towards the end. ;) You'll see...or rather read. :P

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

The following days ran pretty much the same. Homeroom, morning classes, lunch, some consulting sessions, and then either joining for training or popping into the Support studio if he needed to tweak one of his gadgets. For his meetings, his primary focus was on those who had issues that needed to be addressed as soon as possible, costume or otherwise.

From 1-A that meant three of his classmates other than Kaminari and Momo who he already talked to. For Tenya, he discussed using a stronger but light metal alloy instead of whatever shitty material his original suit was made of. That as well as add protection for his exposed joints between sections. Izuku also brought up to his friend the idea of changing the design to be even more stream line than it was.

He understood that Tenya designed his suit to resemble his family’s iconic style, but there were parts of it that were clunky and seemed unnecessary except for aesthetics. Like seriously, the named Ingenimuffler around his waist served no purpose except decoration! At least his Ingenifoot boots were practical with a cooling system and other mechanisms to help the performance of his engines thereby greatly extending his running distance. But again, like the muffler much of the ‘armor’, if you could call it that after Hosu, was mostly decorative and definitely did nothing to protect him.

How could it when knives cut through it like butter?

They also discussed his thoughts of possible improvements to his gear and fighting style. Tenya grimaced when the greenet brought up his ‘match’ against Mei though only for a second. She had apologized after all, but he did agree that some of her tech would help his maneuverability. He was also intrigued by the idea of adding some sort of free running to his training in combination with his Quirk. The engine user said he would consider his suggestions and left with plans to discuss the possible changes with his brother.

Ochako was another one he wanted to talk to about her costume. He brought up the same concerns he had mentioned to Aizawa about her wrist guards and boots. With potential added features for the latter like gyroscopes and air jets for maneuverability in the air when she uses her Quirk on herself. He also gave some suggestions for additions and other changes. For her personal comfort a suit that wasn’t as tight and would allow easier movement. The others were more for her personal safety.

One, armored gloves. Her Quirk was touch based for activation with a brush of her fingers and deactivation with pressing the pads of her fingers together. Meaning that her fingers were essential to her Quirk and therefore very vulnerable. He hated the comparison but it was similar to Shigaraki’s in a way needing five finger contact to work. Incapacitate just one of their fingers and their Quirk would most likely be rendered useless.

He also thought that she should have some sort of grappling device to help with mobility and also a utility belt full of objects and weapons she can use against an opponent. The gravity girl was ecstatic about his suggestions, giving him a big hug in thanks and acceptance before she left.

Eijirou was the other one he wanted to talk to though he wondered if his friend would be open to change. He knew the redhead modeled a lot of his Hero persona after Crimson Riot even down to his Hero name, but a homage wasn’t worth one’s own health and safety. Red Riot was going to be the immovable object against unstoppable forces and he had a great Quirk to accomplish that. But as they saw during his fight against Bakugou, he could only use his Quirk for so long before his stamina ran out.

“Hey, Izuku,” Eijirou greeted as he entered with a toothy grin. “Knew it would be you. So, whatcha got for me?”

“I’d like to talk about your costume if that’s alright,” Izuku answered as the teen sat down.

“Sure, man,” the redhead agreed with a nod. “Super manly, right? Just like Crimson Riot.”

“I figured as much,” he giggled in response as he pulled up a picture of the costume for reference. “I do have some questions about it.”

“Shoot,” Eijirou said, bumping his fists together confidently.

“What’s the purpose of the shoulder guards?” the analyst asked, pointing at the feature. “Are they to show you’re ‘geared’ up to fight?”

“Heh, I guess,” the hardening teen answered with a shrug. “I dunno. I thought they looked cool.”

“And the cloth around your waist?” Izuku pressed. “Or the fact that you’re fighting half naked.”

He was after all. Not in the same way as Momo but still.

“Well, I figure that whatever I wear is going to get destroyed anyway so why bother,” Eijirou replied. “Like during my fight with Bakugou. Man, that fight was intense. My uniform got totally shredded by his blasts! Besides, I’m my own armor with my Quirk. As for the cloth, I see it as a badge of honor. Also, Crimson Riot fought without a shirt so…”

The redhead trailed off with another shrug, still sporting a smile though not so confident now. Izuku thought over what his friend said and it confirmed his guesses on his choices of design.

“I see. Eijirou-kun, can I be blunt with you,” the Quirkless teen asked, getting a nod in answer. “While I can appreciate your homage to Crimson Riot and your dedication to manliness. But your costume, it’s not…practical.”

“What do you mean?” Eijirou inquired with a tilt of his head, smile gone and replaced with brows furrowed in confusion.

“Today Heroes are identified by their costumes,” Izuku replied, though he didn’t care much for the term costume but used it anyway. It was the common vernacular after all. “But there should be a balance between appearance and practicality. Preferably leaning more towards the latter for physical safety and Quirk efficiency.”

“Alright. Well, what about mine?” Eijirou pressed, sitting up straighter.

“Your shoulder guards, while cool looking, are bulky and don’t offer much protection,” Izuku explained, pointing to the picture as he spoke. “Same for the fact that you’re fighting topless. I know you can harden your skin as your own personal armor but you can only hold that for so long.”

“I see,” the redhead said with a nod, clearly open to his criticism. “What do you have in mind?”

“It would be better for you to have some form of protection,” the greenet answered, smiling as he flipped through some design ideas he had. “Not necessarily all armored up like Tenya is which in my opinion is too much but I’ve already talked to him about it. Anyway, maybe some kind of body suit that’s made out of a material that will work with your Quirk. Like something made of polyurethane possibly.”

“What’s that?” Eijirou asked, turning to his friend.

“It’s a type of plastic material,” Izuku replied, having grown familiar with the versatile substance since first being taught by Mei. “It can take various forms depending on how you treat it. It can be tailor made to be either rigid or flexible which would be perfect for your Quirk.”

“That could work,” the hardening teen conceded with a nod as he turned his attention back to the designs. “Oh! What’s that one?”

A particular design caught his red eyes and he eagerly listened as Izuku talked him through it. It had a similar look to his original of shoulder guards, baggy pants for movement, and boots, but there were some changes. The ‘gears’ were replaced with guards that would lay flat on his shoulders with a protective collar around his neck and had layers that went down his upper arms. Across the chest were two straps to secure the guards making an ‘X’ inadvertently including Eijirou in the ‘bastu boys’ with him and Hitoshi.

To match were a set of gauntlets with padding for his knuckles and layered support panels for his wrists. His boots were also changed to match as well with the layered look and added ankle support. The jagged cape was gone which the redhead guessed he could live without. It also looked like Izuku designed an addition of pockets for his belt along with changing the single ‘R’ on the buckle to two. Then under all the gear was a dark material that appeared skin tight but was probably made with that plastic stuff the greenet mentioned.

“How’d you come up with that one?” Eijirou asked, his grin back again liking the design.

“Oh, um, well, you come off as a defender of the people,” Izuku answered, blushing bashfully. “The shield that protects us. Running with that I sort of thought it was like you’re a knight in shining armor but minus the shiny. So, I looked into historical armor and tried to give it a modern twist. Nothing super flashy but it’ll give you more protection than you do now.”

“Really? You see me as a knight?” the redhead asked, face brightening at the thought.

“It does match your whole chivalry thing,” the greenet quipped in reply earning a chuckle.

“That it would,” Eijirou said with an amused tone. “So, you really think I should ditch the cape?”

“Yeah, I do,” Izuku confirmed with a somber nod. “If it’s just for aesthetic, I’d recommend getting rid of it. I’m doing the same with the scarf I wore the other day. It does add something to my look, but…it serves no practical purpose.”

The greenet let out a sad sigh after admitting that but he couldn’t deny that Aizawa was right about it.

“Totally badass though,” the hardening teen grinned, making his friend give a small smile at the praise. “But if the Hero who took down the Hero Killer says so, guess I’ll get rid of it. Any other suggestions you got for me?”

An awkward blush brushed over his freckled cheeks at the slipped in praise but decided to press on without commenting on it.

“I was thinking some sort of head gear,” Izuku replied, searching through his notes until he found what he was looking for. “Ah, there it is. I know your hair is a big part of your look, but you should still protect your head as best you can. I was considering something like wrestler headgear where it covers parts of your head, but with emphasis on your jaw, nose, ears, and back of your head while still leaving your hair visible. We’d have to figure a sturdy but light material to make it out of though.”

“More of that plastic stuff?” Eijirou offered.

“Maybe, either that or a sort of metal,” the analyst muttered, adding some notes to his sketches. “I’ll have to ask Maijima-sensei what he thinks would work best. But what do you think? Do you like it?”

“I think it’s freaking awesome, man!” the redhead cheered, pounding his fists together. “You thought up a design that was more practical but not super different from mine and you get my thing with Crimson Riot. I really appreciate this, Izuku. Thanks, man.”

“I’m really glad you like it, Eijirou-kun,” Izuku said, smiling warmly pleased the other took it so well. Not everyone was open to such criticism. “I’ll let Maijima-sensei know and we’ll get the changes submitted.”

Eijirou shot him his signature shark-like smile as they exchanged a fist bump before the redhead left.

Now while Class 1-A had gotten first dibs in talking to Izuku, it wasn’t out of biased. There were just more ‘emergency’ cases in his own class than 1-B. Not that the other class didn’t have any but for the most part he didn’t have much issue with their costumes. Except for one.

Shiozaki Ibara was modest and courteous, righteous and strong. Her Vine Quirk was good for offense, defense, and obstruction among many other uses. But her devotion to her highly religious inclinations has her wearing essentially a toga. No protection, no utility. Just a plain white robe with black boots. Not that going for a simplistic design was bad, just look at Eraserhead, but hers just didn’t seem very practical.

Before starting his sessions with 1-B, Izuku had decided to once again don his Hiro disguise. He didn’t know the students in the other class as well and hadn’t really talked to any of them other than Monoma. So, he didn’t know how they would react to him, his Quirklessness, or the fact that it would be their first time meeting him as Izuku, not Hiro. But Hiro they did know to an extent and he figured they might be more receptive to his advice than as Izuku. For now at least. Therefore, when the vine-haired girl entered the room, she was greeted to a familiar boy wearing a black beanie, goggles, and had soot on his cheeks.

“Oh, it’s you,” Shiozaki said upon entry and seeing the hidden fellow greenet. “We’ve never been formally introduced. My name is Shiozaki Ibara. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

She bowed low as Izuku stood up to greet her properly. Well, sort of.

“It’s nice to meet you officially as well, Shiozaki-san,” he responded with his own bow. “Please, call me Hiro.”

“I was told that we would be discussing certain matters with a Support analyst,” Shiozaki said as they both took their seats. “It makes sense for it to be you. What is it that you wish to discuss, Hiro-kun?”

“I’ll be meeting with everyone from Class 1-A and 1-B,” Izuku answered. “But I put a priority on talking to those who have issues with their Quirks or costumes that I feel need to be address or resolved. For you, it’s not your Quirk but rather your costume.”

“My costume?” the vine wielder parroted back confused. “What is wrong with it?”

“I’m guessing it’s supposed to be a sign of humility?” the Quirkless teen said with a questioning tone. She nodded in reply. “That I understand but I question the practicality of your design. Primarily in function and protection. The one strap shoulder design could fail and simple cloth won’t do much to protect you even though you’re primarily a distance fighter. So, I came up with this as a possible alternative.”

He pulled up a design on his tablet and showed it to her. It was an outfit that was a mixture of the traditional outfits worn by shrine maidens as well as the ones worn for archery. The black boots he kept the same because they were practical as they were. The pants were long and pleated down the front from her waist to her ankles with plenty of room to move around.

The top was a combination of the traditional gi worn by both with the cross the body wrap. The sleeves were short to just above the elbows and more open to allow movement. The shoulders were even designed to detach if she needed more sunlight. He didn’t know if she absorbed it through just her hair or her skin as well so decided to add the feature though it could always be changed as needed. Under it all was a sort of under armor similar to his own but he was between it being with or without sleeves. Again, because he didn’t know if her skin played a factor in her Quirk.

“I was thinking we could go with the traditional red color or the dark blue,” Izuku said as he referred to the design. “Or we could go all white like your current one. The material would be sturdy and durable. I also propose an under armor to wear underneath this for added protection. It’s not visible in the sketch because I’m not sure how you absorb sunlight to fuel your Quirk.”

“How did you know I need sunlight?” Shiozaki asked, more out of curiosity than taking offense.

“Well, your Quirk is plant based,” he replied. “Plants need water, nutrients, and sunlight. It would make sense that Vines does as well. I wasn’t sure if it was only through your vines or if you also absorb it through your skin. But then again…”

Izuku’s brain made a sudden connection that he thought was ridiculous he hadn’t thought of before. Plants absorbs sunlight through their leaves, having it interact with water and carbon dioxide within the chloroplasts to produce glucose and oxygen. So it would make sense that she did so through her vines otherwise her skin would be green as well.

A clearing of a throat broke him from his muttering, once again out loud.

Oops.

“You are quite correct, Hiro-kun,” Shiozaki said with a hint of amusement and wonder. “My vines take in the sunlight needed for my Quirk. It is partially the reason I have my hair at this length besides personal aesthetic. It’s very impressive for you to come to such a conclusion.”

“Oh, well, um,” Izuku sputtered out as his cheeks reddened at the praise. “Quirk analysis is sort of my thing. It was the reason why I was asked to observe all of you fight in the first place.”

“I see,” she replied with a dignified nod and smile. “It appears they chose the rightful person to assist us in our course to become righteous Heroes. I thank you for your input and will consider your suggestion.”

She left with a bow leaving a happy Izuku behind pleased that his first meeting with 1-B had gone so well. All of his ideas were suggestions and it was up to them to decide to take his advice or not. He smiled to himself as he readied for his next guest by removing his disguise. Shiozaki was the first of 1-B and wouldn’t be the last, but there was one more person in 1-A he wanted to address earlier rather than later.

And if it just so happened to be Shouto who next walked through the door, Izuku insisted there was no favoritism at play. He just really wanted to check on the element wielder’s progress in his training. And…he really really wanted to finally help Shouto with his costume as he had promised to do before.

Shouto was not at all surprised to see Izuku and simply sat down next to him so they could begin. Closer than Momo had when she had moved to see his ideas better, but instead of making Izuku jump it made him blush. The greenet didn’t move away though and instead shift to face his friend better, their knees knocking together in the process.

“Tell me about your progress with your Quirk, Shouto,” Izuku inquired with a smile, tablet in hand ready to take notes.

They had been working on helping him improve his control of his Quirk since basically the start of school. Refining his use of his ice and building his skill and confidence with his fire. A work in progress still but progress none the less. Izuku smiled every time he opened the freezer at home and saw the little ice man Shouto had created during the sleep over.

Apparently, he had continued to practice forming new shapes whenever he had a spare moment. Even got into the habit of leaving the frozen creations near plants so they watered them as they melted. With practice and advice from his mother, the miniature ice sculptures were slowly getting more and more refined. And maybe once he was more comfortable with his left side, Shouto might be able to do the same with his fire. The young analyst wondered if he could potentially make a dragon out of his fire. Maybe not but it would be a cool looking move.

Izuku intended to help Shouto train with his Quirk more. Give suggestions as well as an opportunity for him to go up against such a strong Quirk again. Their fight during the festival had been difficult for more than one reason. Half Cold Half Hot was one of the strongest Quirks in their class and had been a challenge for the Quirkless teen to overcome. But there had also been the bi-color teen’s refusal to use his full power out of spite.

Thankfully Izuku had snapped him out of that thought process, fighting a lack of fire with fire to inspire Shouto to use his own. Because fire itself wasn’t necessarily bad. Yes, it could do a lot of damage if it got out of control, but fire was used for so many good things as well. Cooking for one was a tasty way to use fire. Being mindful of the cooking time and the amount of flame used to make a delicious meal. Like a perfectly cooked steak.

There were also trades that required high levels of heat. Metal working, glass blowing, ceramics. Fire was used to build. So, while fire can be destructive like a wild fire, it can also be used to create. For Shouto he could use his to create hope in those he saves. Thereby taking his fire as his own and becoming the kind of Hero he wants to be.

However, before they got to working on his Quirk, there was something else Izuku wanted to address. Specifically, on what the Support Company had dressed Shouto in. He got why they had designed the bi-color teen’s suit to look similar to Endeavor but since he knew what the man was like, he didn’t like the similarity one bit.

There was also the fact that his Support Item for Shouto was nowhere to be seen. Or so he had thought. Turned out that they had taken his idea for a device to help regulate his temperature and created the combat vest instead of the full body suit Izuku intended. Which was okay he guessed but wouldn’t that only address the areas covered by the vest? That was why this time, now that he had dedicated time to do so, he was going to sit down with Shouto and design the Hero Costume he actually wanted.

Easier said than done because Shouto was similar to Aizawa in the fact that he didn’t care what he looked like.

“But you should care, Shouto,” Izuku pressed, coming out sounding closer to a whine. “A Hero’s costume can be used to reflect the kind of Hero you are. Not always but still. I just…I don’t like that they made you look like a mini Endeavor.”

Grey and blue eyes widened as he hadn’t thought of his costume like that. But now that Izuku pointed out he couldn’t unsee how similar his suit was to his father’s.

“No, you’re right,” the elemental wielder relented. “But I don’t really have any ideas of how I would change it. Do you, Izuku?”

“Hmm…let’s see what we can do,” the young analyst said as he pulled up a fresh screen to sketch. “Do you have a favorite color?”

“Not really,” Shouto replied. He didn’t necessarily have a single color he favored over all. Though there was a certain color he was growing to like more than others.

“Hmm…maybe we could play around with your Quirk then,” Izuku muttered while sketching out a plain suit base that he could manipulate as needed. “And I don’t mean the ice-borg terminator look you had the first time.”

Yeah, that first version of his Hero suit had been a travesty. Shouto let out an amused huff as Izuku shot him a challenging smirk.

“Blue or white could represent for your ice,” the greenet offered, turning back to the sketch. “Then a shade of red for your fire. But how to distribute them evenly…”

The Quirkless teen played around with some designs while Shouto watched his friend silently. Honestly the dark blue did suit him and Izuku kind of wanted to keep it in, but not covering the whole costume. Perhaps half? Half Cold Half Hot was split right down the middle like his perfectly separated hair. His suit could reflect that but wouldn’t that give away his Quirk too much? It would be better to keep some element of mystery when it came to his abilities.

What if they mixed it up? The suit colors split down the middle but then alternated opposite between the top and bottom. Like the harlequins of old. Then they could mislead which side produced what at least initially. Shouto mostly used his arms to send out his ice and fire so perhaps they could switch the assigned colors on top. A dark red on his icy right side and then a dark blue on his fiery left. Then for the bottom switch them to the opposite.

“I like that idea,” Shouto said suddenly making the other jump having lost himself a little in his muttering. “Do you think we could add some white as well?”

“Sure,” Izuku replied with a smile. “Any special reason why?”

“A reference to my mother,” the taller teen answered with a small smile of his own. “She always supported me and told me that I could be the kind of Hero I want to be. That I didn’t have to be like my father. Also, my Hero name shares a kanji character with her.”

Izuku couldn’t help the warm endearing beaming smile at his reasons. That was so gods dame cute! The greenet squealed at the cuteness and crushed his friend in a brief hug before letting go. He missed the subtle blush from the sudden embrace as he turned back to the design. He tried a few ideas before deciding on having the white on the top. His collar and shoulders would be white and then narrow down in a diagonal towards his upper chest. Then before the two sides would meet, there would be a tapering strip of white down to his belt. Showing the separate sides that eventually meet in the middle.

That meant his boots could stay the same as well. Some more white to represent his mother. Then he could be a momma’s boy from top to bottom. Which Izuku tried to tease him about but sweet oblivious Shouto simply agreed with it. The greenet merely chuckled before explaining it. His friend simply shrugged and still thought it was accurate.

Izuku made a couple more changes. He added another hint of white by adding a line at the cuffs of his longer sleeves. Then there was the belt. The idea of carrying the makings of a first aid kit was awesome! The metal capsules that limited the amount of supplies he could carry not so much. Which was why he redesigned the belt to have actual pockets in addition to the capsules. They would still be useful to quickly give to those in need before moving on to where he was needed next.

“Does this look okay to you, Shouto?” Izuku asked, showing him the final design.

The element wielder hummed as he looked it over before grey and blue eyes connected with green.

“I like it,” Shouto answered, staring intently into his eyes. Izuku knew he was talking about the costume but he couldn’t help the blush that dusted his freckled cheeks. “Thank you, Izuku.”

“O-of course, Shouto,” Izuku said, bashfully casting his gaze to the sketch. “I-I’ll let Maijima-sensei know about the change. Hopefully it can be done by the final exams. If not, it should be done by the next semester.”

“I’ve waited this long. A little longer is fine,” the bi-color teen replied, adjusting his posture while subtly moving closer to his friend. “Thank you for helping me with this, Izuku. I appreciate everything you do for me.”

The greenet shot a beaming but blushing smile at him. He did his best not to balk noticing the how close his friend was. He really didn’t mind but still became bashful when they entered each other’s personal space.

“I’m happy to help,” Izuku said, still smiling. “Are you ready to get to training now, Shouto?”

“Ready when you are,” Shouto responded with a nod of his head and a small subtle smile.

“Then come on! Let’s go!” Izuku chirped as he eagerly took Shouto’s hand and dragged him willingly to go train, letting Maijima know of another confirmed change before they went along their way.

~~~

Shouto smiled softly as he was pulled along by his friend who made him feel so warm. That same warm feeling gave him somewhat of an idea of what his mother had meant the day they had reunited. That he may have 'feelings' for Izuku. Though as he had no previous experience with such feelings, he wasn't sure exactly. It was more of a concept than anything else.

What he did know was that he liked holding Izuku's hand. Liked hugging him, cuddling with him, and just being around him. Izuku brightened up his life more than any fire Endeavor shot his way. The Quirkless boy was so different than him and yet he was attracted to stay in his orbit. As if they were meant to stay close to each other.

This Shouto did not mind at all. He enjoyed their shared touches and looked forward to any opportunity to be connected. And, thanks to his mother's suggested research, he had gotten ideas for more. Hugs and cuddling were enjoyable though he preferred to keep those more private. Holding hands, or pinkies at times, was great and subtle enough for his comfort, but it would be nice to have other things to share in public.

Through his readings, there were certain friendly gestures that popped up again and again. He had his favorites and decided to implement a plan to add them to their shared collection. Not all at once but slowly to gage Izuku's reaction. To get closer to him.

Shouto wasn't really afraid that he would be rejected. Izuku had agreed to his request to hold hands all those weeks ago. And ever since he had accepted every new touch as they came and Shouto found himself craving them more. The way he had grown up had been so isolating and lacking of human contact other than his father's fists. The soft touches he shared with Izuku were precious to him, every single one.

From what the Quirkless teen told him, Shouto could guess he had a similar experience. Could understand being pushed around and told his path in life that was predetermined by something not in their control. Shouto didn't ask to be Endeavor's masterpiece and Izuku never asked to be Quirkless. They both thrived to be a Hero but on their own terms with their own strengths.

Shouto was still wrapping his head around using his left side. He had been repressing it so long that it was like an untrained muscle in his otherwise toned body. His control was crude compared to his ice so he would have to work hard to take hold of his fire properly. However, Izuku had been right, it wasn't Endeavor's Quirk, but his own.

It would take time to train with his left but he was sure the greenet would gladly help him. He may not have his own Quirk but Izuku had this natural ability to analyze others' Quirks quite thoroughly. A skill that had come in handy during the Sports Festival and definitely during their fight in Hosu.

How Izuku had figured out the Hero Killer's Quirk in such a stressful situation he didn’t know, but it was very impressive. Because despite it turning out that they had known each other before Hosu, Shouto figured the Villain would have kept any information on his Quirk to himself. Meaning that his friend had picked his Quirk apart while in mid fight.

Very impressive indeed.

During that fight, Shouto had used his fire willingly against an opponent for the first time. The brief flare of fire during his match against Izuku had been in reaction to his words that helped him remember the ones his mother had told him when he was young. But Hosu, in order to protect his friends, he had unleashed his fire over and over in a way he had never before. And it felt...good.

Shouto had forgotten what it felt like to let his fire loose. It was strangely exhilarating feeling the heat in the air and the eb and flow of the equilibrium within. His two sides pushing back and forth in a battle of temperature dominance. But as Izuku said the first time he had analyzed his Quirk, his two sides were meant to balance each other out.

As he had said when presenting his name, as Reinen he wanted to bring that same balance to the world. He of all people knew that life was not all sunshine and rainbows. That there was a middle between devastation and paradise that they lived in. Unfortunately, some leaned towards one side or the other and an alarming amount towards the darker sides. Like Izuku growing up Quirkless and being judged for it or Shouto pushed past his limits to be something he didn't want. Still wanting to be a Hero but not giving two shits about his old man's stupid rivalry. It was entirely one-sided as far as he was aware.

All Might aimed to save people with his strength and never seemed to let his high ranking go to his head. Endeavor however was all about power and reaching for the top. Shouto had always admired All Might more than his father as a Hero. Their goals were different and it was clear to him which was what an actually Hero was driven by.

Izuku was the same wanting to be a Hero to help others. He was so selfless and strong. It wasn't a Quirked strength but rather a strength of character. One that the Quirkless teen channeled to fuel his training in building his other strengths. Physically, mentally, and materially. His success of winning the Sports Festival without a Quirk and instead with his developed skills and Support gear was proof that his hard work had paid off.

Not everyone believed that. Bakugou being a prime example. Shouto hadn't paid that much attention to his explosive classmate other than to note his brash behavior. It was explanation enough as to why Izuku had hidden from him before the festival. But after what Izuku told him had happened before the final match, it had been a window into the Quirkless teen's past and how people had treated him.

It made Shouto angry for his friend. Izuku didn't ask to be born Quirkless and despite what people like Endeavor and Bakugou believed, that didn't make him weak. If anything, growing up without a Quirk made him stronger. Always having to find a different way to reach his goals and finding new paths and methods that those with Quirks might not think to try. Shouto was proud of his friend and just knew that he would make an amazing Hero one day.

They had more Quirkless training today and so everyone was in their PE uniforms scattered around the room. Once the two arrived, Aizawa was changing the pairings and so the two friends parted ways to face their individual opponents. Shouto had to admit it was a challenge to fight without his Quirk. His father put a lot of focus on attacking with his ice and more preferably his fire. There was still some other fighting training to go along with that but it always involved the use of his Quirk.

It gave Shouto an insight of how Izuku had to approach a fight. Having no fantastical power to rely on and only his own trained skill and strength. Whenever the element wielder spied the Quirkless teen land another win, he could see the sense of humble pride coming from his friend. Proud of all his hard work paying off but not enough for it to cloud his mind and even bashfully accepting any praise sent his way.

Shouto would be more than happy to spend the rest of his life letting the embodiment of sunshine of a boy know how amazing he was. Bright and warm with a smile that could be blinding. But Shouto would never be able to make himself look away. Instead, he always wanted to bask in his special friend’s light. Absorbing the kindness and affection from the other and allow himself to grow into the kind of person that Izuku saw in him and what he himself wanted to be.

Time flew as they sparred and before long it was time to call it a day. Shouto sighed internally as they headed for the locker rooms, knowing he would have to go home and most likely train some more. Nothing out of the ordinary when it came to his life but still exhausting none the less. However, there wasn’t much he could do about it. Not now as he was. Endeavor was still way more powerful than him in Quirk and personality. He would have to endure until he could get himself out of that house.

Shouto quickly changed out of his sweaty clothes and back into his formal uniform. They only had the end of day meeting before they would all be sent home. Though for him it wasn’t really a home anymore. Not since Touya disappeared and his mom was sent away. Natsuo avoided the place like the plague and Fuyumi only stayed for him. Beyond that it was just a house that he lived in. No longer filled with any sense of warmth and only overwhelming heat.

The bi-color teen forced himself to stop thinking about it too much. It was better for him to just go along with his father’s whims for now. At least to an extent even though he still refused to completely cooperate with the bastard’s demands. Shouto would use his fire but in the way he wanted to, not Endeavor.

After closing his locker, grey and blue eyes zeroed in on a curly mess of green. His friend was still finishing up changing as he chatted with Hitoshi. Just the sight of him filled Shouto with a warm feeling as well as a strange flutter in his gut. Not exactly sure what it was but in an odd way it made him feel happy so that meant it had to be a good feeling, right?

Shouto moved to stand near his friends as Izuku was working on his perpetual mess of a tie. The sight of it gave him an idea.

~~~

“And I told you it’s my style,” Izuku defended as Shouto approached them.

He was fighting with his tie same as always. It wasn’t his fault that he never learned how to do it properly. His dad was overseas, his mom had never helped Hisashi with his, and Izuku hadn’t really had to wear one until high school. What resemblance of a knot was the best that he could manage. Not that he would admit that to his brother.

“That’s not a style. It’s a mess,” Hitoshi scoffed with a judging expression.

Izuku refused to meet his eye as he stubbornly replied, “Aesthetic.”

“No, it isn’t,” the brainwasher retorted.

At that point Shouto joined them and asked, “What isn’t what?”

“Izuku’s mess of a tie,” Hitoshi answered with a casual wave to said mess. “It’s not an aesthetic.”

Grey and blue eyes studied him for a few moments and Izuku did his best to will down the blush of being under the scrutiny of his crush. But his attempts failed with Shouto reached out and began to undo his tie with nimble fingers.

“Um, Shouto?” Izuku asked, very much resembling a strawberry. “W-what are you doing?”

“Fixing your tie,” Shouto responded as he did as he said.

“Thanks, Shouto-kun…but, um, why?” the blushing mess of a greenet pressed.

“Because it’s not tied properly,” his crush replied as he deftly manipulated the material while being close to him.

“Thank you!” Hitoshi blurted out with a dramatic wave of his hand. “Please teach the toddler how to tie his own tie.”

“I could…” Shouto said as he finished the knot before smoothing the tie down. “…or I could tie it for him.”

Grey and blue eyes peaked down at him through a curtain of red and white. Izuku didn’t know he could blush so deeply as he stared into a partitioned stormy sea. That was until Hitoshi wolf whistled next to him breaking their little moment. Izuku jumped back a little bit and bashfully rubbed the back of his head while muttering his gratitude to his special friend.

“You’re welcome, Izuku,” Shouto said, casually grabbing his hand to give a gentle squeeze. He then leaned down to whisper in the shorter teen’s ear. “And I will help you with your tie any time you like. Or I could teach you if you prefer.”

The element wielder pulled back to looked at his properly, a small warm smile on his face. Izuku was flustered about the whole situation but still found himself liking it. He simply nodded in answer as the other boys around them were already heading out the door. Hitoshi left first as the two lingered behind for a short moment until they were in the back of the group.

Izuku expected Shouto to let go of his hand as they too headed back to 1-A. He knew his friend preferred to keep their hand holding to themselves but apparently being on the tail end of Hero students was enough for him. The greenet gave a squeeze to get his attention and a questioning tilt of his head once the bi-color looked at him. Shouto gave him what had to be a muted form of a smirk as he reaffirmed his grip.

His new level of boldness and closeness in unexpected though not unwelcome. Izuku enjoyed it despite being a blushing mess. He gave his friend an accepting smile as if to say that if Shouto was fine with this then so was he. The taller boy’s response was to intertwine their fingers before turning his gaze forward. Missing the shy smile Izuku turned away as he timidly walked a bit closer to his crush while his heart beat quickened in his chest.

He’s going to be the death of me, Izuku thought with a fond internal huff.

Notes:

Shouto is making some moves. ;) Some progress for y'all in the TodoDeku front. I have lots of ideas for them but could always use more! :D

More costume changes! Not for everyone but for the ones I felt needed a more visual reference. Tenya's I'm not sure if he would be willing to change the actual design of it. Perhaps slightly but still keeping the style close to the same. He is supposed to be acting as Ingenium until his brother gets better after all. Also I know that the first hit from Stain is to the shoulder for him where there is no armor, but when Tenya protects Shouto from the thrown knives they go through the armor on his forearm.

Ochako's would basically be the same but looser and with gear she gets later in canon a bit earlier. Still room for practice and improvement though. And she still will have to work on being able to use her quirk on herself for longer periods of time.

As for the actual changes, we've got Eijirou's! The reference to polyurethane is from canon. It's mentioned as part of his costume in the notes before chapter 145 in volume 16 of the manga. The rest is just from google searches so if I got it wrong let me know.

Then there's our first from 1-B, Shiozaki! Like seriously, a toga? No! Protection. Though I'm not sure if she would be willing to change to something so different. I actually wanted to see what you peeps thought about it. :) Also sh-sh-shout out to Divergent and Christina on for their two cents on how Shiozaki absorbs sunlight. ^___^

And we have Shouto's! I feel like he wouldn't necessarily care how his would look like. Mainly based on his first one that was just terrible. Then there's the janitor version that I'm certain is also meant to be similar to the flaming turd of a man. No thank you. Shouto is his own hero. (But I do like him in the dark blue still.)

Now I know some of you think that Izuku shouldn't hide from 1-B. For reasons as stated in the chapter, he will for now. However I do have a point planned for him to be introduced as himself and not Hiro to 1-B. All in due time.

Fun Facts About Japan:

For Shiozaki's proposed costume change, I did look at those traditional clothing I mentioned in chapter. The first being the shrine maiden or miko ( 巫女 , みこ ) who wear hakama ( 緋袴 , はかま ) which are red pleated pantskirt, a kosode ( 小袖 , こそで ) a white precursor to the kimono with shorter sleeves, and typically with ribbons in their hair. Though Shiozaki wouldn't need that. Then there's the traditional archery clothing of a keikogi ( 稽古着 , けいこぎ ) a traditional practice top clothing, hakama but in various colors instead of just red, and various other pieces. Basically I see Shiozaki dressed up similar to Kikyo in Inuyasha.

That's all for this update! More consultations in the future though we're going to have something a bit different next chapter. A secret for now though. ;) Thanks so much for staying with me through this long ass story. Have a great day and hope you enjoyed the chapter! Bye bye!

Oh also, if anyone has ever made any fanart for this I would love to see it. ^_____^ Any and all would be welcome. You can share it with me on the discord or the tumblr. And if someone were to not want it publicly linked to the fic but still wanted to share, that is also a-okay with me. I would still love to see 'em. Okay, now bye bye. :P

Chapter 5: A Tired Man And A Rat Take A Ride

Notes:

And we're back for another update! Let's see who was paying attention to a new development on UA campus. ;) This chapter is not Izuku heavy as there are other matters that need to be attended to for certain plot points to move forward.

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

The end of day meeting on Friday revealed a new development in their UA life. Dorms. That’s what Nezu had been building on campus that week. Which should have taken longer than three days but not everyone had their own Cementoss and Powerloader to expedite construction. As their homeroom teacher explained, the dorms weren’t mandatory but that any student that wished to could stay on campus instead of commuting was welcome. Some of the teachers would be moving onto campus as well to watch over those who did.

Izuku didn’t think he would because while it would be fun to live with his friends, he didn’t want to leave his mother alone at home. It was hard enough on them both that Hisashi was in a situation that he couldn’t be with them. Besides, he loved living with his mom and cooking together with her. And his commute to school wasn’t terrible especially if he was in disguise. He would move out eventually but for now he wanted to savory the time with his family.

But the announcement gave him hope for his special friend. Izuku glanced over at Shouto who had a glimmer of hope in his eyes that was soon smothered in his usual stoicism. The greenet could easily predict what his friend was thinking. That this was a perfect opportunity to get away from Endeavor but also that there was no way that man would allow him out of his sight.

However, Izuku had more hope that he actually might be able to as he was sure Aizawa and Nezu would do anything in their power to convince the Number Two Hero. They had done so much to help the Quirkless teen and the Heroes knew that Shouto was in a bad situation. The sudden addition of a dorm system just had to be tied with their plans to get him away from his abusive father as soon as possible.

~~~

The weekend that was typically filled with naps and relaxing away from a bunch of teenagers was ruined. Not that Shouta would complain because it was for a very good cause. They needed to get Todoroki away from his father as soon as they could. Nezu’s solution? Build a dorm system as a school sanctioned ruse to offer the kid a safe place to live while not tipping the Number Two Hero off that they knew what he got up to behind closed doors.

It would be difficult to convince him, Shouta knew, but they would do all they could to talk the fiery man into allowing them to watch over his son. His student was not in a good situation and he would be damned if he let him stay there any longer. Who knows when one of the ‘training sessions’ would go too far or horribly wrong? It was what they speculated had happened with the eldest Todoroki child who was there one day and then seemed to disappear the next according to records they found. Declared dead but no proof of an actual body to corroborate that.

Shouta was with Nezu visiting the homes of Class 1-A’s students while Vlad was doing so with Cementoss for Class 1-B. They didn’t expect all of the parents to agree as it wasn’t mandatory at this time. But if at any time that it did, this would at least be a chance to introduce the idea for them to get acclimated to the possible change to their children’s school lives.

For Hitoshi, he and Hizashi had decided to wait on moving to campus. They both figured it would probably become required at one point, but they would wait for now. Shouta enjoyed his time away from his problem class with Hitoshi being an exception though he didn’t mind. They were of similar temperaments so living with him was no issue. As for Hizashi, he still had his other two jobs outside of UA to attend to and staying in their apartment for now was more convenient.

It was interesting to explore the different family dynamics of his students. Asui’s parents seemed as level headed as she was and she interacted well with her younger siblings. Jirou’s passion for music came from her father and her calmer nature from her mother. Kouda’s mother was just as rock like as him but much more expressive gushing over how proud she was of her son.

Bakugo was his own case though it was more seeing quite a change from when they had last seen their family interactions. The two hotheaded blondes were both more subdued compared to how they had been during the meeting to discuss the kid’s consequences. The father, Masaru, was the same calm nature, but the mother, Mitsuki, and his student weren’t exchanging the same rough housing or banter from before.

Seems that the therapy and anger management is working.

“We want to thank you for all that you are doing for our son,” Masaru said as he and his wife sat on the couch with their son between them. “Though while we approve of the idea of a dorm system, at this time I think it would be best to keep Katsuki at home.”

“Yes, we still have things we need to work on as a family,” Mitsuki added while Katsuki grumbled quietly beside her with his arms crossed.

“Of course, we understand,” Nezu replied, eyeing the family of three and approving of the less hostile atmosphere. A work in progress but still better than before.

“If it becomes necessary to mandate the dorm system,” Shouta spoke up beside his boss, sitting in an actual suit with tie and had his hair pulled up into a half bun. “Would you be willing to allow your son to move to UA?”

“Yes, we would,” Mitsuki answered immediately. “UA has done a lot for Katsuki despite all that he’s done in the past. I admit we messed up somewhere raising him and I’m still trying to figure out when exactly. After learning about what Katsuki’s said and done to Izuku, I can’t help but feel like a failure as a parent.”

The explosive teen bristled at that not liking his mother calling herself a failure which in turn meant he was too. Failed to realize what he had been doing was wrong and failed to see until recently that Deku may not be as weak as he had thought. Still Quirkless but not entirely useless. He scowled as he pulled his arms tighter around himself.

Mitsuki sighed sadly at the reaction and reached towards her son. He flinched ever so slightly expecting a hit as he had grown accustom to growing up. But ever since that disaster of a meeting, his mom’s interactions with him had changed. Instead of harsh, they were soft. Like now as she gently placed her hand on his head and ran her fingers soothingly through his spiky hair. It was still surprising but weirdly…nice.

“I know Katsuki has done wrong in the past,” Mitsuki said, her red eyes gazing softly at her son. “And that I had a role in that too. But I’m working towards being a better mother and I can see my son changing for the better. Even if he can still be a bit of a brat at times.”

The teen grumbled under her praise and affection but let it go on for a moment more before brushing her hand off of him. Not in a violent way but enough to let her know to stop. The mother smiled, a mix of happy and sad, that he didn’t yell at or shove her away as well as proud that she didn’t feel the urge to snap at him either. Besides them Masaru watched them fondly glad to see them interacting in a less volatile way.

Nezu and Shouta were impressed with the improvement as well. They were both going through anger management and this was a definitive sign of improvement. It was good to see their hard efforts were paying off even in such a relatively short amount of time. The teachers bid the Bakugous farewell to continue on their list of meetings.

Ultimately, the ones that agreed to move to UA were Uraraka, Aoyama, Kouda, Shouji, and Satou for various reasons. While Shouta was a little concerned with Uraraka being the only girl, he preferred it to her living alone in an apartment with only the bare minimum of belongings. In the dorms she should have more access to food as her kitchen had seemed quite bare. As for the boys moving in, other than Aoyama the others were more on the calm side. Uraraka should be fine though he did stress that if any issues were to come up to get a teacher immediately. Her response had been dripping with fighting spirit affirming that if anyone did try to mess with her, they would get what’s coming to them.

Shouta wasn’t surprised that Midoriya would be staying at home. Same with other students in his class such as Asui who was very close to her family. The problem child’s mother wasn’t against the idea of a dorm system but they both preferred to keep the kid at home for now. Though like many parents if the dorms became mandatory, she would approve trusting UA with her precious son.

Both upon arriving and leaving the Midoriya apartment, Shouta noted the lack of the All Might name plate on the green one’s door. He wondered what the room looked like now through the closed door though had a hard time imagining it without the shrine to the Number One Hero. He also took note of the additions to the ‘gallery’ Inko was forming for her son since he had last been there. However, as there were other more important matters to attend to, he couldn’t dwell and only gave them a passing glance to see they were commemorations to the Sports Festival and Hosu. Not at all surprising to Shouta that Inko would do so. The talk with the Midoriyas had been quick and soon they were out the door.

Out of all the families they had to meet that day, this was the most crucial meeting. They were still investigating and building their case against the Number Two Hero, but this was a step towards getting Todoroki away from his abusive father. Because that's what Todoroki Enji was. A father abusing his family in so many ways. It had to be stopped.

The Todoroki estate came off as intimidating much like the family head himself. Overbearing and over the top. In a word, excessive. Shouta certainly thought it was way too much though he preferred the simpler things in life. Coffee, cats, and a good place to take a nap. Of course, if Hizashi were there too then that would be even better. If the cockatoo could shut up for five minutes though. The curse of falling in love with a loud blonde. Shouta should warn Hitoshi to not do the same otherwise he too would be plagued with a chatterbox for life.

But back to the matter at hand, the car pulled up to the front of the house, or rather mansion, and the two Heroes exited the vehicle. Shouta allowed Nezu to take the lead as he was of higher authority despite the chimera barely coming up to his knees in height. He wondered if watching the rat confront the flaming trash can of a man would be as satisfying as watching him reprimand the Number One Idiot. A tiny terror toppling down towering titans. The tired man covered up a huff of laughter that snuck out at the thought with a cough.

A polite knock and a few minutes of waiting led to a bespectacled young woman with white hair and flecks of red tips opening the door. Her grey eyes, similar in color to Todoroki's right side, widened at the sight of them. But she quickly composed herself with a smile.

"Hello, may I help you?" the woman asked as she looked between the two.

"Good day to you, miss," Nezu greeted with a bow. "I'm Nezu, the principal of UA, and this is my associate Aizawa Shouta, Todoroki-kun's homeroom teacher."

"Oh! It's nice to meet you," she replied in a cheerful tone. "I'm Shouto's older sister, Todoroki Fuyumi. Please call me Fuyumi."

"It's nice to meet you as well, Fuyumi-san," the principal said back. "Is Todoroki Enji in currently?"

"Yes, he is," Fuyumi answered in a confused tone. "May I ask why you’re asking?"

"There is a matter I am required to discuss with him pertaining to his son's education," Nezu stated, being mindful of his wording. "With young Todoroki-kun as well if possible. You may also attend if you wish."

"I see," she said, a hint of concern in her voice. "Please come in."

"Thank you," the chimera replied with another bow as they entered the house and took off their shoes. "And I assure you that Todoroki-kun is not in trouble in any way."

"Oh, okay. Good," Fuyumi said with a sigh and a blush before leading them further in.

That hint of concern and relief could mean anything. Was she worried about her brother or her father? Or perhaps both? There was no record of her taking any action to bring Endeavor's wrong doings to light. But then again Stain had noted a young woman helping Todoroki after his 'training' the night after the Sports Festival. It had to be her, right? That had to mean she was in Todoroki's corner in some aspect. Hmm, they would need to learn more about that.

"Please wait here," Fuyumi said as she directed them into a room. "I'll get father and Shouto for you. Make yourself comfortable. I'll be right back."

She left as they entered the room. It was very traditional with tatami mats, a lower floor table, cushions to sit on, and only one paired with a legless chair. Three guesses who that spot was reserved for. The Heroes settled themselves on one side of the table waiting for the others.

Endeavor entered first looking miffed at their intrusion into his home. Behind him came Todoroki appearing stoic as ever but a hint of curiosity as well as worry in his heterochromatic eyes. The pair took their seats, the father in his expected seat with the teen taking the cushion next to him. Fuyumi came soon after with tea for all as well as an offering of rice crackers to snack on.

“Mmm, this is a lovely blend,” Nezu commented after taking a sip of his tea. “Oolong, is it not?”

“Oh, um, yes, it is,” Fuyumi replied, surprised to be addressed before her father.

“Mmm, simple and yet sophisticated,” the chimera commented. “Thank you for providing the refreshments.”

The sister smiled at the appreciation as she said, “Of course! I…”

“What is it that you want?” Endeavor interjected with his arms folded across his chest in irritation.

The sudden interruption caused Fuyumi to flinch. Todoroki beside her didn’t but his posture did stiffen.

“Ah, yes, the matter at hand,” Nezu said as he placed his cup down and turned his attention to the offending man. “As you may know, I am Nezu, principal of UA, and I’ve come to discuss a matter in regards to your son’s attendance at UA.”

Fierce blues eyes scanned the creature while the chimera simply stared back unblinking. The Number Two Hero then turned his attention to Shouta. His brows furrowed as if trying to figure out who he was. Which was fair because he was an Underground Hero but they had met before. Was he that egotistical that he would forget? Actually, that seemed likely considering who this was. Only for Shouta to be surprised.

"You,” Endeavor barked after a few seconds. “You were in Hosu."

Wow, he actually remembered. Though we did fight a Noumu or two together so one would think he would.

"Yes, I was,” Shouta replied with a nod.

"What are you doing here?" the fiery man sneered, even though he didn’t have his flames on at the moment.

"I'm Todoroki's homeroom teacher," he answered simply.

"A teacher, huh?” the elder Todoroki scoffed. “It's hard enough to believe you are a Hero. Are you the reason why my Shouto did so poorly in the Sports Festival? Third place and losing to a Quirkless no less. How disgraceful."

The sneer brought another flinch from Fuyumi who stared down at her cup. While the other three did their best not to react to the Quirkist comment even though they very much wanted to punch the man for it. All feeling very protective of the mentioned Quirkless boy.

"I think he did rather well considering he was holding himself back,” Shouta countered, causing the teen to lower his head slightly in shame. “If he had gone all out, he could have potentially won."

"Precisely why his placement is unacceptable,” Endeavor derided, glaring down at his son. “My Shouto is destined for greatness. All he needs to do is give up his pointless rebellion and embrace his destiny. At least he had some sense knocked into him and agreed to intern with me. We were finally able to start training his fire."

And exactly how rough were you in that training? Shouta thought as he forced his expression to stay blank.

He hadn't liked that Todoroki had gone with his father for the internships. It could have been a chance to get away from the man. But on the other hand, despite the shitty situation Endeavor was the one who had the most experience with wielding a fire Quirk. It sucked but was true. At least until they were able to find someone else who could help the teen.

"Training is part of the reason why we are here," Nezu said, drawing everyone's attention to the small creature. "As well as a concern of safety."

There was a flash of mixed emotions across the three Todorokis. Piercing blue a hint of panic quickly smothered in a scowl. Grey and blue widening ever so slightly in surprise before schooling back to nothing. While pure grey flickered with worry between the two.

"In regards to what exactly?" Endeavor questioned as wisps of smoke seeped from his skin as his Quirk itched to come out.

"Villains, of course," the principal replied, unbeknownst to the others that Enji was also listed in that category. "We are concerned with the number of times our students have been engaged with Villains so soon into their Hero careers. The USJ and as for young Todoroki-kun, the events in Hosu."

The specifics of those events were not mentioned but all three Pro Heroes and the Hero student knew exactly what Nezu was referring to. Fuyumi looked a bit confused as she was out of the loop but did nothing to press for more information.

"I see," the flame Hero said flatly, still eyeing them with a glare. "What is it that you want to say that addresses this issue?"

"As principal of UA and with the backing of the school board, I will be implementing a dorm system for our students," the chimera revealed. "Student will be housed on campus under the supervision of their teachers."

The fiery man stared the teachers down while they met his gaze refusing to look away.

“How would a dorm system help with training?” Endeavor pressed. “We have ample training accommodations here. If he were on campus, I wouldn’t be able to monitor his progress.”

“By living on UA grounds, the students will have better access to our training facilities,” Nezu offered. “Not having to commute every day would increase the time they could dedicate to training. We could also give progress reports to keep you informed.”

The flaming Hero’s brows scrunched in thought, unfortunately liking the idea of more time dedicated to training. Though he still didn’t like the idea of Shouto being out of his sight. He was just starting to embrace his fire side after all these years. There was so much he had to teach him still.

“But what guarantee do you have that he will be safe?” the father questioned. “As you said, one of those Villain encounters happened on UA grounds.”

“We have ungraded our security greatly since the attack on the USJ,” the chimera assured, having seen to the arrangements himself. “The safety of the students is my top priority as principal of UA. I as well as my staff will do whatever it takes to keep them safe. Which the dorm style would allow less exposure to potential danger going to and from the school.”

Endeavor frowned at the point of potential danger during his son’s daily commute. It wasn’t something they had to worry about before UA. Shouto was privately tutored for elementary school then was driven to the private junior high he attended. But UA was further away and it wasn’t as feasible to keep up with that every day. Leaving his masterpiece unprotected at times which he very much didn’t like but still not thrilled with letting him go. Having him under inferior Heroes’ guidance was bad enough.

“Is it necessary for Shouto to attend these dorms?” the fiery man asked because if it wasn’t he would refuse.

This kind of question was one that Shouta had been worried about, but Nezu on the other hand saw some wiggle room when it came to the wording. Endeavor could have used ‘mandatory’ or ‘required’ or other variations, but instead he used ‘necessary’. A word that could be applied in many ways in regards of this situation.

It was necessary to remove Todoroki from this house. It was necessary to keep Endeavor away from his own son. It was necessary for the teen to be in a safe and nurturing environment. It was necessary to separate them before they built a solid case and took down the Number Two Hero.

“Yes,” Nezu answered, pushing down his glee at his deception. “It would be in everyone’s best interest that Todoroki be admitted to the new dorm system.”

Endeavor scowled at the answer, not liking it at all. He didn’t want Shouto out of his sight but he also didn’t want to affect his standing in his alma mater. Because if the principal himself was demanding this then what would happen if he refused? It was feasible to believe that the known sadistic rat would sink so low as to expel his son. Leaving them to find an inferior school than UA to finish his training.

No, it had to be UA. Endeavor graduated from there. All Might did as well. UA was the best where the strongest Heroes were trained. It had to be UA or nowhere else. And if this was how it had to happen then so be it. He hated to not be as personally involved in his training but Shouto needed to graduate from UA. There he would get stronger and finally beat All Might once he graduates finally placing a Todoroki at Number One.

“Fine,” the father growled finally.

His children both stared at the man, eyes widened in surprise as they never thought he would agree. Shouta’s own widened as well for a second before schooling his features again. While there was a twinkle in Nezu’s eyes having won an important piece in the chess game he was secretly playing against the Number Two Hero.

“But do not go easy on Shouto,” the fiery man commanded. “He has a legacy to live up to and must be pushed to succeed me.”

“I can assure you I don’t do soft when it comes to training,” Shouta declared with what Nemuri called his resting bitch face. Fierce and intimidating even though it was just his face.

Todoroki nodded in agreement. His teacher was tough but also fair. Pushing enough for them to strive to be better but rational to know what went too far. Unlike his bastard of an old man who knew no such limit.

“Aizawa-san is our strictest teacher,” Nezu added. “He is known for expelling students who lack potential. Todoroki-kun shows much promise as a Hero and Aizawa-san is the best to assist him in his progress.”

The flaming Hero seemed skeptical at that as he didn’t see Shouta as much of a Hero. Not surprising coming from a man obsessed with rankings, but it was no matter. Eraserhead was considered among the best of the Underground, not that he would brag about it. The tired man just wanted to do his damn job and save all he could as a Hero should.

“If that is all, you may leave,” the fiery man said, dismissingly them suddenly. “I am a busy man and need to get back to my work.”

“Of course, thank you for your time,” Nezu replied, bowing deeper than usual to placate the Number Two Hero.

“Fuyumi, show them out,” Endeavor ordered, causing his daughter to jump being suddenly addressed. “I must speak with Shouto in regards to my expectations when it comes to the dorms.”

He did not at all sound pleased with the prospect but had agreed with their plan. Fuyumi nodded and stood up from the table as the two teachers did as well.

“We look forward to receiving you at UA, Todoroki-kun,” Nezu said, addressing the student. “We will send further information in concern of the dorms as to what you will need and what will be provided.”

“Yes, Nezu-sensei,” Todoroki replied with a bow.

“I’ll see you in class on Monday,” Shouta tacked on as they exited the room, sending a wave at his student from behind.

They left the son with his father figuring he was most likely going to be lectured ad nauseam about expectations and legacies. But soon they would have him away from the man who had been abusing him for years. Another step towards fixing the Todoroki shitshow.

“I again must thank you for the tea, Fuyumi-san,” Nezu commented as they walked through the halls. “Would you possibly have any other recommendations?”

“Oh, yes of course,” Fuyumi replied as she pulled out her phones to exchange information. “It might be easier to text you my favorites.”

“That would be lovely, Fuyumi-san,” the chimera said, pulling out his own as they made it to the front entrance. “Would you mind if I shared my own as well?”

“I’d be happy to get some recommendations!” she beamed, happy to have someone to talk tea with.

“Excellent, feel free to contact me at any time about anything,” Nezu stated with a cheery tone, only to lean forward in a way that implied secrecy. The sister leaned down to hear better. “And I do mean anything, Fuyumi-san.”

Grey eyes stared at him in confusion as beady black suddenly intensified in hidden meaning. She looked from the principal to her brother’s homeroom teacher who was looking just as intense. What were they trying to said? Did they…?

“Do you…?” Fuyumi whispered, tears staring to pool in the corner of her eyes.

“Yes, we do,” Nezu answered her unfinished question. “We want to assist to keep Todoroki-kun safe. Any and all assistance in the endeavor would be most helpful.”

His wording was precise in not revealing his true intention and yet hitting it on the nose with careful wording. Because the ultimate goal was to save Todoroki from a certain flaming trash bag of a man with a moniker that was synonymous to attempts to achieve a goal.

The bespectacled woman swallows down her nerves as best she could. She glanced down the hall to see if anyone was approaching but saw no one. Her father was quite long winded when it came to his sermons so it wasn’t surprising. She turned back towards the man and chimera with a look full of gratitude and determination.

“Of course, I will gladly help in any way I can,” Fuyumi promised with an affirming nod.

The principal let out a satisfied hum at her declaration. Excellent, yet another source of information to use against the Number Two Hero.

“Thank you, Fuyumi-san, we’ll be in touch,” Nezu concluded with a bow before putting on his shoes.

“Thank you for having us,” Shouta added, shoes already on.

Fuyumi smiled as she showed them out, feeling hope for the first time in a long while. Somehow these men, these Heroes, knew that something was going on in the Todoroki household. Knew about it and wanted to do something about it as well. That was a first. Before all she could hope for was to keep the peace enough to keep everyone safe. But perhaps now there was new found hope to fix the situation they had been born into altogether.

Meanwhile Shouta drove himself and Nezu back to UA. The most important battle had been won. Todoroki would be living on campus and get some space away from Endeavor. Finally, some progress in keeping the kid safe from his own fucking father. Thanks to Inko for bringing this to their attention, Izuku for sending the Hero Killer to investigate, Stain for collecting evidence, this Dabi for providing it, and now Fuyumi for joining their team as an ally.

With their help they had come this far. Pulling Todoroki out of a bad situation to a better one at least temporarily. And hopefully, with time and honing their case more, they could gather a few more allies on their side. The mother who was essentially locked up in a mental facility and the teen who had fallen victim to his father’s obsession with power by any means. Once they had them then they could move forward with finalizing their take down of the Number Two Hero.

Notes:

The dorms have begun! Sh-sh-shout out to gac102 for suggesting starting the dorms earlier than canon. Took me a while to figure out exactly how and when that would make sense plot wise. Hopes this works for you peeps! As well as how Nezu manages to get Endeavor to agree. That part I'm not sure works so well but it's what I came up with. -shrugs- ^____^

Got a bit of a look into certain family dynamics. The Bakugous aren't as explosive. Still awkward around each other for Katsuki and Mitsuki but they're working on it. Aizawa has now seen the additions to the gallery but his full reaction to them will come up in a later chapter. They had things to do in this one. :P

Again, I hope this works for convincing Endeavor to agree. Underhanded but this is Nezu we're talking about. Also, I hope you liked the bit with Endeavor recognizing Aizawa and just being an asshole. Then we also have Fuyumi as a new ally! As for who is staying in the dorms, I decided by those whose birthplaces were furthest from where UA is supposedly. I made a reference map here if you're interested.

This chapter's featured tea is brought to you by Christina on the discord!

Fun Facts About Japan:

This one is more insight of the table and chairs they're sitting at for the talk in the Todoroki abode. Originally I had the line like this "It was very traditional with tatami mats, a lower chabudai floor table, zabuton cushions to sit on, and only one paired with a legless zaisu chai." but it felt a bit clunky to me. So I'll just talk about it here!

The overall 'traditional Japanese room' is called washitsu ( 和室 , わしつ ) and is sometimes referred to as the 'tatami room' as they typically have tatami flooring. If it is multiple rooms they'll be divided by sliding doors called fusuma ( 襖 , ふすま ) that are sometimes painted with different scenes. The room could also have sliding door/windows called shouji ( 障子 , しょうじ ) which are the lattice ones with the paper. If the room's purpose is to receive guests it could also have a built in alcove called a tokonoma ( 床の間 , とこのま ) for decorations like calligraphy scrolls or floral arrangements.

Now for the furniture, there could be a low table called chabudai ( 卓袱台 or 茶袱台 or 茶部台 , ちゃぶだい ) or in winter a kotatsu ( 炬燵 , こたつ ) which is a heated table. I practically lived sitting at my kotatsu in Japan 'cause I am a girl of the desert and actual winter weather is freaking cold to me! :P Brr. Anyway, you can sit either right on the tatami or you could sit on cushions called zabuton ( 座布団 , さぶとん ). I personally doubled up on the cushions when working in the tatami room in the Board of Education building on days I worked there. You could also attach what's called zaisu ( 座椅子 , ざいす ) which is a legless chair that provides back support. Not necessarily a show of power as I have it in the chapter but if there's only one spot at the table that has one...I would feel there was a bit of posturing. :P

On a side note, when I was writing and editing this chapter, I felt thinking back to one of the lessons in the first year textbook practicing "What's this? It's...." answer questions. I had to repeat that particular one so many times I feel it's engraved into my brain. I believe it went like this. "What's this?" "It's senbei. It's a rice cracker. Here, try one." "It's delicious. Thank you, Hiro." Short, simple, but my mind now always goes to that chapter's little practice dialogue whenever I hear or read senbei. I believe some of you also are or were ALTs like I was and could relate. I have another one with I think second years where the character Hiro is going to American to visit his uncle. The flight attendant's speech was another one I had to say a lot and I remember most of it. XD Oh my brain and memorizing things. Anyway, this was more of a side note than a fact.

Alright, that's it for this update! Dorms are underway and Shouto is going to get some space from his overbearing father. Next up will be a rundown of the rest of Izuku's consulting sessions saving the 'best for last'. You'll see. :P We're getting closer to final exams, folks! Getting exciting. ^_____^ Tata for now and stay awesome!

Chapter 6: Lead Up To Finals

Notes:

Yo! We're getting closer and closer to the finals. This chapter is a montage/time skip of sorts going through the rest of the consultations. There is also a Katsuki pov at the end that is kind of in the middle of Izuku's pov. For an update on explody boy.

So we're going to be going through 1-B as well this chapter so here's a reminder of the character names and their quirks. ^____^ I did my best to indicated who is who in the chapter but just in case.
Awase Yosetsu: Weld
Kaibara Sen: Gyrate
Kamakiri Togaru: Razor Sharp
Kuroiro Shihai: Black
Kendo Itsuka: Big Fist
Kodai Yui: Size
Komori Kinoko: Mushroom
Shiozaki Ibara: Vine
Shishida Jurota: Beast
Shouda Nirengeki: Twin Impact
Tsunotori Pony: Horn Cannon
Tsubaraba Kosei: Solid Air
Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu: Steel
Tokage Sestuna: Lizard Tail Splitter
Fukidashi Manga: Comic
Honenuki Juzo: Softening
Bondo Kojiro: Cemedine
Monoma Neito: Copy
Yanagi Reiko: Poltergeist
Rin Hiryo: Scale

Edit to a previous chapter. It was pointed out for chapter 1 of this part that Izuku should have asked Aizawa about what to do with Bakugou. I more was thinking they wouldn't have done that 'off screen' but I added a small part anyway. :) You can read it if you would like, but basically Aizawa agrees to Maijima and him being the ones to talk to Katsuki but not keeping the fact that the info is from Izuku a secret. Katsuki needs to learn to work with Izuku. :) So thank you, LadyPhoenix68! ^____^

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

And so the weeks passed. Izuku studied, trained, and proceeded through meeting with all of the first year Hero Course students until he was finished. Any changes to their costumes or gear were being submitted after each session. The ones that were more of a priority being first so they would hopefully be ready in plenty of time to practice with them before the final exams. The rest would have to wait until the next semester. As to what the exams would actually be, the teachers were being very quiet about what the they would entail.

The Quirkless teen was so busy that when Maijima had proposed a contest to the Support students he opted out immediately. It was for some sort of weights intended as a training tool. Preferably high in weight but compact in size. It was an interesting idea to have weights on while training. You could build your strength while improving your speed with added weight, then theoretically you could become super-fast once you took the weights off. Izuku might have to look into that as a potential training tool in the future but for now he was far too busy for such side projects. Mei on the other hand eagerly took on the challenge.

Izuku made sure to meet with both 1-A and 1-B intermittently as to not show any favoritism. He focused on the ones he wanted to discuss their costumes and potential Support Items first. Not necessarily glaring issues like the others but more suggestions and questions.

In general, everyone could use more protection. Ojiro could easily add a sort of under armor to his outfit with added material to protect his tail. The appendage was strong but it was still exposed skin. The same could be said for Shouji’s arms. He understood that parts of them needed to be uncovered for his Quirk to work properly, but the main limbs could and should be protected. Both appreciated his input and agreed to the additions.

Aoyama’s costume wasn’t necessarily terrible though it could use a redesign in Izuku’s honest opinion. His obsession with shiny things was a bit much for him though he personally wanted to go Underground rather than stand out so much. At least the armor protected vital areas which Izuku made sure to request an upgrade of the material to a more decent one like with Tenya’s. His red glasses did protect his eyes though they didn’t need to be so big much like his armor didn’t need to be so bulky. Then there was the cape that served no purpose but for show.

However, the laser wielder was adamant on keeping it as close to the original as possible. Even insisting the cape was essential for his look. Guess that’s flashy Daylight Heroes for ya. Though he was open to the idea of adding more outlets for his emitter gear on his palms so he could shoot his lasers from his hands. Izuku also got the glittery boy to agree to speak with Recovery Girl about his tendency to get an upset stomach from Quirk overuse. Perhaps she would have an idea that could help him.

Tokoyami was more receptive to change having trust in Izuku’s judgement since the Sports Festival. For him the cape did actually serve a purpose to provide a dark place for Dark Shadow to recharge. Though it didn’t necessarily need to be so long so they compromised with a capelet instead that went to his waist. Then he would have the cover needed for Dark Shadow but was less likely to trip or get caught on things.

The dark teen was also in agreement that he relied on his Quirk too much. Dark Shadow was strong but they were a pair and needed to work together. Izuku suggested a pair of gauntlets to protect his hands and wrists with talon-like tips to the fingers for added offense. The greenet also suggested shoulder guards as well to protect his neck and shoulders. Last couple of ideas were a utility belt to hold supplies as well as a sort of flash bomb or emergency light source in case Dark Shadow got out of control. Just in case.

Hitoshi already had an idea of what Izuku wanted to do for him. It started off as more of a joke when the brainwasher teased that the antenna housing the greenet designed for a new helmet for his own costume looked like bunny ears. His retaliation was to threaten to make a version with cat ears for his jerk of a friend. Same with the nickname, Hitoshi actually turned out liking the idea. To a point that is.

He more wished to emulate Eraserhead’s style of patrolling the streets as a Hero hidden in plain sight. Both hiding their Support Items, his mask to Aizawa’s goggles, in their twinned scarves and able to quickly switch into Hero mode by putting them on in an instant. Wearing a helmet like that all the time wouldn’t be as practical even if it was for protection. But they figured it could be of used for specific missions or raids when he would need even more anonymity. His hair could be just as recognizable as Izuku’s but also proved in Hosu to be useful in conjunction with his Quirk.

Either way, Izuku designed a helmet that incorporated a lot of his own tech. In the cat ears would be a new listening apparatus inspired by Jirou and Shouji connected to a bone conduction speaker system. The helmet’s visor was able to be raised or lowered and had similar features to his goggles. Infrared and the ability to record with a new setting for night vision that he also would be adding to his goggles. The inventor also hoped to add his tracking system to the visor but wasn’t sure if there would be time. They would have to see.

One feature Izuku was on the fence about for Hitoshi was keeping his mask. That night the brainwasher had confided in him about his home life, the greenet learned that his friend, his brother, had been made to wear muzzles in the past. It turned his gut sour at the thought, but Hitoshi insisted he was fine and not to worry about it. Izuku would anyway and made sure to add into the design that the helmet could attach to his mask but also easily detach as well. Just in case at any time wearing it became too much.

The only other costume change Izuku had for 1-A was for Bakugou. Seriously, those grenade gauntlets did not look comfortable. They were bulky and obstructed his movement despite the intended purpose of storing his sweat for bigger attacks. Instead, he thought that a body suit that collected the sweat from all over his body would be a more efficient.

His Explosion Quirk mainly centered in his hands, this Izuku knew personally well having faced them so many times in the past. It came from a combination of Masaru’s Acid Sweat that was localized in his hands and he could ignite it if he rubbed his hands together, and then Mitsuki’s Glycerin that secreted from her skin all over her body. Bakugou being their son had the combined effect of producing explosive sweat anywhere on his person but with the ignition point concentrated at his palms.

With that in mind, the body suit would be able to collect much more of his sweat and could direct it wherever he needed. That being either his hands or his smaller grenades. The latter by the way could be automatically filled with a special apparatus instead of manually filling them every time. As for his gauntlets, Izuku drew up a redesign that were of a similar style but slimmer.

These proposed changes could not be given by Izuku directly. Bakugou would outright reject anything he suggested and most likely reprimand him for being a ‘creepy stalker’ again. But as he thought before, and his teachers agreed, it would be Maijima who would talk to Bakugou through his notes with Aizawa there to supervise the unpredictable blonde.

The rest of 1-A were either suggestions for Support Items or inquiries about their Quirks. For the girls, Tsuyu could definitely use a waterproof communication device after what happened at the USJ. Ashido could have bombs similar to Izuku’s but filled with her own acid to throw at her opponents instead of shooting a stream at them to better localize the acidic pool.

For Jirou, Izuku felt she could use gear similar to Present Mic. They were quite similar with Quirks related to sound after all. Her Stereo Boots were just fine but she could use more gear to plug her jacks into. Perhaps around her neck like the Voice Hero or even Support Items for her hands. Jirou thought that was a good idea and left with plans to figure out what would work best with her fighting style.

He didn’t have much for Hagakure as his concerns with her suit had already been relieved. Thank gods they hadn’t tried to make a teenage girl fight naked as he had first feared. Instead, he asked her questions about her Quirk. Turns out it wasn’t just simple invisibility but light refraction. They tossed ideas back and forth wondering as far as if Hagakure could redirect light attacks or even refract enough light to make herself visible. Their talk gave her goals to work towards in her training.

Sero was pretty much set with his Quirk that he wielded with practiced ease. It was super versatile helping with offense, defense, and mobility. He very much reminded Izuku of that old comic book superhero. Just your friendly neighborhood tape dispenser! To be even more similar he could add a Support Item that redirected his tape down his arm to his wrist. The only other thing they discussed was if Sero could produce different kinds of tape or was he limited to just one. Because if he could, changing to double sided tape or even surgical tape could make him even more versatile in the field.

For Satou, they discussed his Quirk and how exactly sugar affects him. Turned out that consuming ten grams of sugar gave him three minutes of increased strength by five-fold. He could extend that time by ingesting additional ten-gram servings, but once it wears off, he suffered from a sugar crash and became very sleepy.

It was similar in a way to Kaminari’s issue with his Quirk causing him to be more vulnerable from Quirk overuse. He suggested training to extend his time limit as well as his improved strength. He also inquired whether the types of sugar played a factor or could it be any kind. He’s only ever seen the other boy either eat sugar cubes or just down a pack on sight. Satou said it could be any kind and even could get his power from any sweet things like cakes and other deserts. He even liked to bake as a hobby that also helped his Quirk.

That was all well and good but carrying around cakes in battle didn’t seem very practical. The sugar cubes and packets were better, but perhaps something similar to Recovery Girl’s energy gummies would work as well. They would be compact and easy to eat. He also suggested that Satou would benefit on increasing his base strength so that his Quirked strength was even stronger.

Last but not least for 1-A was Kouda. The quietest of his consultations as it was all in sign but just as constructive as the rest. Izuku did suggest more protection and coverage when it came to his costume. Like extra padding for his shoulders, elbows, and knees as well as protective gloves and boots. He could even add a mask to hide his mouth so people wouldn’t be able to see what he was saying to his animal companions. It was something they could discuss over the coming weeks to see what his friend would like to do.

However, the main thing he discussed with Kouda was his challenge of actually finding animals to use his Quirk with. Again and again Izuku has seen the animal whisperer unable to apply his Quirk because there were no animals around. And so, his suggestion was actually having a dedicated animal companion, at least one, that would be with Kouda always to help him fight. And perhaps as a friend and comfort animal as Kouda was very shy.

Izuku would have to ask Nezu if that would be possible depending on the rules of the school. But if you thought about it, for Kouda an animal companion could be classified as a Support Item for his Quirk. Animals essentially were the tools he needed for his Quirk to work and without them he was fighting Quirkless. Izuku, of course, could very much relate.

Again, they would have to see if that would even be allowed though Izuku was sure they could. Though they may be limited by the type of animal more than anything else such as bigger predators like tigers and bears. But it would be nice to have a variety eventually such as birds for reconnaissance from the air or moles for underground. Or even bugs would be great for espionage if his Quirk did work on them. Kouda seemed a bit freaked out by the idea so Izuku moved on but also made a mental note for his other assignment.

Surprisingly most of 1-B didn’t have much issues with their costumes. Other than Shiozaki, who was still considering his ideas, Izuku mostly approved of their designs with only minor tweaks or additions. Much like with her, he donned his Hiro disguise to meet with the other Hero students starting with Shishida.

His costume was simple with boots, pants, a collar, and sunglasses, but why have a collar with no shirt? Perhaps most materials would irritate his fur while transforming into his beast mode but there had to be a type out there that would work with his Quirk. The gruff teen was actually quite receptive to his suggestions and kind of gave Izuku some Hound Dog feels. Which when he mentioned it, he learned Shishida actually respected the Hero and they spent some time talking about him.

Support Item wise, he had a number of candidates for upgrades. For Kaibara, he suggested protected coverings for his fingers that would add to his offensive capabilities and increase his attack damage when they were spinning. Komori’s Quirk worked best in humid environments and having some sort of Support Item to increase it in enclosed spaces or areas would be helpful for her mushrooms.

Awase was limited by his need for physical contact with his hands to activate his Weld Quirk. If he had some sort of long, sturdy but light objects on him then he could connect two different targets without touching them at the same time. Like a linking log of sorts. As for what material they were made out of, steel was strong but heavy. Graphene would be more ideal and Awase was able to weld any material together, organic or inorganic alike.

From watching their Battle Training, Izuku knew that Rin could shoot his scales out like bullets, but with a Support Item he could increase his accuracy and shots per second. The Quirkless teen also asked if he could reverse the direction of his scales or not because if he could then the sharper edges would increase his attack damage.

Kendou could use protective gloves that could grow with her hands. Yes, her hands could be huge but they were still just her hands, vulnerable to injury. He also voiced his curiosity of whether she was limited to between normal to huge or could she adjust the size of her hands. Because if she could, she could give a specially sized hand in any given situation.

There were a few others that Izuku thought would benefit from having various items on their person to manipulate with their Quirk. Such as Yanagi with Poltergeist or Shouda with Twin Impact. The latter could also use a locating device to keep track of the objects he hits, thinking of his own tracking device, but it turned out Shouda already had a plan for such a thing. Great minds think alike, right?

Kodai could also carry objects on her person, ones preshrunk by herself. With her Quirk she could carry quite a number of preshrunk items though she would be limited by weight. Size affected the volume of the things she touched, not the mass so the weight would remain the same. But she could shrink a few heavier items or a bunch of lighter ones so she was always prepared.

When it came to what fuels a Quirk, there were two that should keep emergency supplies on them. Tetsutetsu would benefit from iron-rich snacks or something similar. Perhaps vitamin pills or even gummies. He could also use a sort of gauge to track his iron levels so he knew when he was running low. That was what had led to his loss to Eijirou in the Sports Festival.

Tokage could also use energy snacks on hand. Much like Momo, her Quirk drained her energy when she regenerated pieces of her body. It was a weakness that she typically combatted by returning her separated parts before her time ran out but that wasn’t always possible. Also, Izuku was intrigued to learn that her suit was made from her own cells so that it regenerated with her body.

Having been inspired by his Quirk, Izuku actually asked Bondo for advice on how he used his Quirk. Cemedine was a really cool Quirk and would be great for trapping people, but Izuku had yet to find a way to use it without hampering his own or others’ movements. Turns out that Bondo could control how fast his glue dried meaning it didn’t stick around as a gooey mess.

Perhaps Izuku could look into a different type of glue instead with quick drying features. He still planned on improving his capture bombs but if he could use the glue bombs in a similar fashion that would open up more possibilities. As for suggestions for the fellow glue user, the Quirkless teen suggested Bondo possibly having glue bombs of his own on hand to prevent overuse of his Quirk.

Kuroiro could use a sort of bomb as well. His Quirk, Black, allowed him to merge into any dark color becoming one with the shadows. However, there won’t always be shadows available if he went up against a well-lit opponent. But if he were to have black paint bombs on hand, he could make his own darkness in an instant. Kind of like an instant black hole like in those old cartoons.

Fukidashi had an interesting Quirk that allowed him to materialize physical manifestations of words he speaks. Specifically, onomatopoeias as he saw during their Battle Training though it was from watching Monoma use it instead. He wondered if Fukidashi could record his voice and leave ‘word bombs’ in places or did it have to come straight from his mouth.

If he couldn’t, it was still a cool Quirk. Izuku was curious if the volume that the word was said in affected the power level. They were things for the other boy to try out. Besides that, Izuku suggested vocal and breathing exercises to increase his limit as well as keeping cough drops on hand to sooth his throat.

The rest of 1-B were more inquiries about their Quirks and how they worked. Honenuki got in on recommendation and was a pretty solid fighter. A bit ironic as his Quirk allowed him to soften things he touches as well as return them to their original state. But thinking of Bondo’s Quirk, Izuku wondered how Honenuki’s affected things that were already soft or even sticky like glue. Because his Quirk isn’t hardening so wouldn’t it make soft things even softer? Ultimate softness?

Kamakiri was pretty intimidating and had a similar air to Bakugou, but he willingly answered Izuku’s questions about his Quirk. Turns out he can control the shapes of his blades, able to produce various designs as needed. He could also control exactly where they came out of his body. Though they weren’t sure if the blades were detachable or could be reattached if they were. It was something Kamakiri could try but Izuku stressed to not force himself if that ended up hurting him. The taller boy was strong but it would be best to avoid harming himself.

Tsunotori was a delight to work with and they chatted in English much to her relief as she was still learning Japanese. He learned that she could produce a seemingly infinite number of horns and could remotely control up to four at a time. She could even make herself fly by riding on them which was so cool. He wondered if her mental state affected her level of control and also suggested a diet rich in keratin to strengthen her horns.

Tsuburaba’s Quirk was very versatile and would be great for obstructing movement. Barriers in midair to block their way barely visible to the seeing eye. Izuku was curious if it could also help with mobility as well like making platforms that could be used as stairs for example. He figured his Quirk relied on how much air he breathed out kind of like how Gran Torino’s is affected by how much he breaths in. Breathing exercises would be helpful to increase his lung capacity.

Last but certainly not least, was Monoma. It would be the first time interacting with the blonde since the Sports Festival. Only this time the copier knew what he looked like out of his disguise. Because of this, Izuku removed his beanie and goggles while cleaning the soot off his cheeks as best he could. He had been looking forward to this meeting hoping to find a fellow Quirk enthusiast.

The door opened to an irate looking Monoma who sneered as he entered. It made Izuku worry for a second that maybe this wouldn’t go so great after all. But then again, Monoma hadn’t seemed to judge him because of his Quirk status before so maybe it would be okay? The greenet gulped but didn’t cower under the glare of another blonde, refusing to ever do that again.

“Really, Hiro?” Monoma scoffed as he entered the room. “Putting me at the bottom?”

“I was saving the best for last!” Izuku replied with a bright smile, a little forced due to nerves but sincere none the less.

The copier’s irritated mask twitched as he tried to keep it on but it broke under the sheer power of sunshine radiating from the Quirkless boy. Monoma let out a laugh as he shook his head and sat down.

“So, you really are Hiro, huh?” the blonde asked, already knowing the answer but still wanting to make sure.

“Yep, that’s me,” the greenet confirmed with a nod before adjusting himself to sit straighter. “Midoriya Izuku. It’s nice to officially meet you.”

He gave a bow with his greeting.

“Monoma Neito,” the other boy said, giving a bow of his own. “So, what do you have for me? Wise words to improve my Quirk? Proposed gizmos or costume changes? ‘Cause I’ve gotta say 1-A has quite the opponent in me already.”

The copier smirked in his typical antagonistic way but Izuku knew it was a mask. A veil to hide the insecurity within. He too had experience with that but instead of arrogance it was his smile. Hiding how much he was hurting inside by smiling others’ worries away. Something that didn’t work as much now that he was at UA with friends and teachers who cared.

Of course, his mom always worried about him but she had felt powerless to do anything to help him on her own. Which Izuku in no way faulted her for. It had been hard enough for him to survive his past schools until he could sort of stand up for himself. Fighting back enough so he wasn’t just a human punching bag to his classmates. And now he didn’t have to fight as much because the teachers had his back here.

It wouldn’t surprise him if Monoma experienced something similar. Yes, he had a Quirk but it was one that only allowed him to copy the powers of others. It kind of reminded Izuku of the first holder of One For All. Seemingly Quirkless while actually possessing a power that gave him the ability to pass on Quirks. Only able to become useful after the forced acquisition of a stockpiling Quirk.

Monoma’s was similar having to first copy Quirks and then wield them as his own for a certain amount of time. It explained the stopwatches on his Hero costume. His Quirk on its own was no Explosion or Half-Cold-Half-Hot but once he copied said powers, he became a powerhouse himself. Able to possess multiple Quirks at a time and arguably had the most versatile potential out of all the first years.

“Actually, I don’t have much on your costume or your Quirk,” Izuku replied, earning a confused look from the blonde across from him. “If anything, you just need to keep working on extending your time and number of copies you hold. Or even working towards potentially using more than one at a time.”

“Which I’m already working on,” Monoma said, letting out an exasperated sigh as he slumped back into the chair and crossed his arms. “So why am I here? Just to chat? I could be out there training, you know.”

“Actually, yes,” the greenet answered. While he didn’t have anything analysis wise to share with Monona, there was still something he wanted to talk to him about. “Why do you have it out for 1-A so much?”

Pale blue eyes widened at the sudden question about his beef with 1-A. His surprise was quickly overshadowed by the mask returning in a challenging smirk.

“Feeling protective now that you’re a part of the ‘superior’ class?” Monoma sneered and using air quotes.

“No,” the Quirkless teen responded with a shake of his head. “I just want to understand why you keep antagonizing 1-A. We’re going to be allies in the future, not rivals.”

“Clearly you don’t know how Hero rankings work,” the copier scoffed. “Everyone fights to be a better Hero than someone else. Pushing themselves on their way to the top.”

“Oh, I do, but that really only applies to Daylight Heroes,” Izuku countered. “I’m aiming for more Underground work. Well, mostly. In my position I have to be a little of both. Kind of comes with the whole first Quirkless Hero thing.”

The greenet rubbed the back of his head bashfully. It was awkward to admit it out loud even though it was true.

“Heh, guess you’re right,” Monoma conceded, uncrossing his arms as he leaned forward while steepling his fingertips together in contemplation. “The victor against the evasive Hero Killer certainly won’t go unnoticed for a long while.”

Izuku blushed at the reminder of his ‘accomplishment’. Monoma didn’t know the whole story, only what was reported to the media. Unaware of all the different pieces that were purposefully kept missing because the entirety wasn’t as pretty of a picture. But with him being credited alone it drew attention away from the flaws surrounding the take down of Stain.

“Uh, yeah, heh,” the Quirkless teen replied, wanting very much to move on from the subject. “Anyway, I know that there is a focus on rankings when it comes to Heroes now-a-days, but I’m concerned with your level of rivalry with 1-A. That you’re more focused on the power play than what aspiring Heroes should be focused on.”

“And what’s that?” Monoma questioned, leaning back a little as he lowered his connected hands a bit.

“Heroes are meant to protect and save people,” Izuku answered, saying what he has said time and time again. To Chizome, his friends, mentors, Bakugou, and so many more. “To me, without that mentality the ranking system means nothing when it comes to Heroes. What number you have doesn’t determine the kind of Hero you are. Much like your Quirk doesn’t define you.”

~~~

Neito was suddenly reminded of their first conversation after Class 1-B’s Battle Training. How they both understood what it was like to be considered ‘weak’ because of their Quirk statuses. Neito having no power other than to copy others and Midoriya with none at all. The copier recalled the Quirkless teen’s parting words that day.

‘Every person, and Quirk for that matter, has the potential to be great. If you learn how to use it right and for the right reasons.’

Back then, Neito hadn’t known what to think about the odd kid who came to observe their class. Just some rando from the Support Course scribbling notes in his notebook. Which were more extensive than the blonde ever expected, nor did he expect the other boy to actually praise his Quirk declaring it ‘amazing’ and ‘useful in any kind of situation’. That with Copy, the ‘possibilities are endless’.

He still didn’t know how to feel about that or instill the confidence that it was true. Still burdened by years of having to prove to others and to himself that he could be a Hero with a Quirk like his. Because ever since his Quirk manifested, he always heard the same thing. Repeated over and over again like a broken record.

‘You’ll never be a Hero with a Quirk like that. There’s no such thing as a Hero who can’t do anything on their own.’

But they were wrong. The boy across from him was proof of that. Midoriya had even less than him with no Quirk to rely on and yet he thrived. They were a lot alike, Midoriya and him. Both replicating Quirks of others to use as their own. Neito’s method just happened to be with his Quirk and Midoriya through technology.

The Quirkless teen was already making a name for himself. Winner of the Sports Festival, revealed cleaner of an entire beach of trash, and more recently singled out as the aspiring Hero who took down the Hero Killer Stain. All without a Quirk and instead with gear he made himself to compensate for what he lacked genetically. Never letting his lack of a natural power hold him back.

Neito was the same. It was true that Copy didn’t make him naturally strong on his own. He knew that he was never meant to be the protagonist of the next Hero generation’s story. Merely a supporting character but with the potential to outshine the main cast. Because Midoriya was right, using Copy he could be strong.

Despite what others said to him growing up, he never felt bad about or resented his Quirk. It was the power he had been born with and he would wield it with pride. Perhaps a bit too much for his classmates to stomach with his penchant for dramatics, but that was how Neito psyched himself up so that he had the confidence needed to fight.

Sure, it made him seem less than heroic but that was on par for the course for him. He knew he couldn’t be stronger on his own. That he needed to use others’ Quirks to have any level of raw power. It was a weakness he was very aware of and accepted. That in order to become a Hero, Neito had to act in less-than-heroic ways to get by.

The copier was sure Shinsou felt the same. He had dismissed the gen ed student as a nobody who would drag 1-B down, but the brainwasher fought his way to the very top landing in second place. He too didn’t always act as the perfect Hero. What little of his fight with Bakugou that could be transcribed due to smoke, the trash talk and insults had been very satisfying to read. He was sure it was just as much for Shinsou to say them straight to that exploding crap bag’s face.

Ah, kindred spirits.

Perhaps not all of 1-A was so bad. At least when it came to the two transfer students. Midoriya praised his Quirk and was pushing him to be a better Hero. Shinsou was surprisingly shrewd and a force to be reckoned with on the mental plane. Neito could see them as allies in the future, but as for the others it would take more time.

It’s just so hard to see past the ego of that Bakugou. Declaring he would win only to land in third. How naïve. As Midoriya says, the Quirk does not define you or your worth.

“Alright, fine,” Neito sighed, slumping back in defeat. “I’ll try to not focus on it so much, but I won’t stop challenging 1-A to a fight. Nothing wrong with some ‘friendly’ competition, right?”

~~~

Izuku signed in relief as well as resignation. He knew that Monoma wouldn’t stop entirely. It was just part of his nature it seemed. But at least he gave the Quirkless teen’s words some thought. It was better than nothing.

“I appreciate that, Monoma-kun,” Izuku replied with a small smile.

“You can call me, Neito, you know,” the copier said suddenly, earning a shocked look from the greenet. “Heh, don’t act so surprised. I know we haven’t known each other very long or talked much, but I feel connected to you in a way. Like we have a lot of similarities.”

“M-me too, Neito-kun,” Izuku stuttered out, smile growing brighter. “You can call me Izuku if you’d like.”

“With pleasure, Izuku,” Neito smirked, making the other boy blush. “So, anything else you want to talk about while I’m here?”

“Oh, yes!” the Quirkless teen chirped, messing with his tablet to pull up his notes. There were some questions he had about his Quirk. Once he found what he was looking for, he looked eagerly at Neito ready to take notes.

“The Quirks you copy, do you know how to use them upon copying them? Or do you have to observe how the original wielder uses it? Like instinctive versus observation? What does it feel like when you copy? Do different types of Quirks feel different when you do? Like mental versus emitter? Oh, you also mentioned something about ‘misses’ during the Cavalry Battle. So that must mean that there are certain Quirks you can’t copy, right? Or is it more certain aspects of a Quirk that limit you? I was also wondering…”

“Woah, woah, Izuku, hold up,” Neito interjected with a placating gesture. “I can only answer one question at a time.”

The blonde smiled in amusement at the greenet’s embarrassed bashful expression.

“Sorry about that,” Izuku said, rubbing the back of his head. “I just get so excited learning about Quirks and how they work. It’s kind of a bad habit of mine.”

“It’s no problem,” Neito assured him, amusement in his pale blue eyes rather than judgement. “I find them fascinating myself and with my Quirk a certain level of analysis is a must. I’m fine with answering your questions, just…one at a time, please.”

They both chuckled at that. Izuku reorganized his thoughts and went back to the beginning of his list. They stayed there talking Quirks much longer than he had with his other sessions. It was so nice to have someone to talk Quirks with who held a similar passion as him. Perhaps not outright curiosity and rather more related to his Quirk, but it was a subject they were both knowledgeable about. The thought of having a Quirk analyst buddy brought a smile to the Quirkless teen’s face.

~~~

Katsuki glared down at the paper in front of him. He had been waiting to meet with that damned specialist even though he didn’t plan to listen. One by one the extras were absent from training and then coming back either deep in thought or as happy as can be. The gushing praise for whoever it was made him want to barf. The only thing that would make it worse was if Deku were there all the time but he was still gone for a good portion of training. But no way in hell was Katsuki interested in what the shitty nerd was up to. He didn’t at all care.

Well, maybe a little. Okay, no, he was curious as fuck. Always had been when it came to Deku who had followed him like a Quirkless puppy growing up. But as the years passed, a distance grew between them as Katsuki’s pride manifested and grew stronger with his Quirk. With that distance, he found he knew less and less about his childhood friend. Didn’t even know about that stupid beach until the rat said something. It made him wonder what else he didn’t know about Deku. What other secrets he may be hiding from him.

Katsuki did have a gist of what was in the nerd’s notebooks though. Scribblings about Heroes though he didn’t know what exactly. He had always thought they were just stalker notes that could only be considered creepy. But he had been wrong apparently as Nezu himself found them intriguing. Whatever. Let the rat like them. Katsuki didn’t want anything to do with that or Deku.

Apparently, he couldn’t get what he wanted unlike the Quirkless bastard.

“Bakugou, we have your notes from the analysis specialist,” Aizawa said, leaning against the wall next to the orange haired Support teacher. “Here. Read it, consider it, and take the advice that will help you improve.”

His teacher held out the paper waiting for Katsuki to take it. The blonde teen glared at it a second more until the tired man shook them in his face. He grumbled as he snatched the paper without looking at it.

“Why am I not meeting with this ‘specialist’?” Katsuki demanded to know, wondering why he was being singled out. “Am I not good enough for that elusive fucker?”

“No one is above or below each other in this,” the orange haired shortie said, though the teen rolled his eyes at that. “It’s just that…”

“You’re not allowed to meet them,” the hobo interrupted with a glare.

Katsuki glared back as he asked, “Why not?”

“Take a moment and think,” was his gruff response.

So he did. Everyone has been meeting this specialist but Katsuki wasn’t allowed. Instead getting the notes from the teachers, not whoever it was. Wait a second. Notes. Katsuki had a moment of epiphany as he snapped to the paper in his hands.

No.

Scribbled notes full of advice and questions. Drawings of suggested changes to his costume. Ramblings about his Quirk with information no one should know unless they knew him before UA. Which could only mean…

No, it can’t be.

‘It can.’

Fuck.

“No way in hell am I taking any of this!” Katsuki snarled, crumpling the paper as he made a fist. “Not from that Quirkless fucking De…”

Flashing red eyes and floating black hair made him stop even though it had nothing to do with erasing his Quirk.

“End that and you’ll receive detention,” Aizawa growled with a scowl.

They glared daggers at each other though Katsuki had that sick feeling of guilt souring in his stomach paired with annoyance. He almost said the long-standing nickname out loud in his anger again.

Dammit.

“You’re not allowed to say that name, remember?” the tired man reprimanded.

The explosive blonde huffed out a sigh as he slumped back crossing his arms and said, “Yeah, yeah, I fucking know. It slipped out, alright? Same as the other time. Those extras kept badgering me and it pissed me off.”

“I figured,” Aizawa drawled as he blinked, dark hair falling around him. “Regardless, keep in mind that it is banned.”

The teen grumbled but nodded none the less. The Support teacher silently watched the interaction.

“You will read those notes and you will give them actual consideration,” the hobo ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument. “This is directly tied to your improvement as a Hero and is meant to make you a better Hero than you are now. This is not the time for personal grudges or self-pity.”

Katsuki scowls but says nothing.

“Everyone needs time to learn and adjust what they need to become better,” Aizawa continued, his tone less fierce but still stern to make his point. “You are no exception. Even I had to learn through trial and error to figure out what works best for me Support Item wise.”

Red eyes eye the hobo curiously though he still had a frown on his face. Though honestly that was just his face.

“I didn’t start off with my scarf and goggles,” the scruffy man explained. “As I fought and learned, I changed what I needed to be a more effective Hero. My Quirk allows me to erase others’ Quirks essentially making it a Quirkless fight. To have more of an edge I came up with a new fighting style using my capture weapon to use in tandem with my Quirk, but it became obvious over time that it wouldn’t be enough.”

The Underground Hero reached into his scarf and pulled out his goggles. The new ones that Deku made.

“When I was a student here at UA, I can across a Villain with a Smoke Quirk. Can’t exactly erase a Quirk when I can’t see them. It was then that I started using goggles to protect my eyes and better use my Quirk. There’s nothing wrong with change.”

Katsuki begged to differ though he didn’t have much of an argument other than his life was not turning out how he thought it would. But then again, he couldn’t deny that parts of his predicament were his own fault.

“Change does not make you weak,” Aizawa stressed, playing on his buttons to make a point. “It means you’re improving. Allowing yourself to change and evolve will only make you stronger.”

Once again, Katsuki glared at his teacher, begrudgingly accepting that he may have a bit of a point. Fine, he’ll look at the nerd’s stupid notes. If, and only if, he thought they could do anything to improve his already honed fighting prowess he would…consider it. But they were weeks away from the finals and he had time to find other ways to become stronger without Deku’s shitty advice. Katsuki was going to be the best Hero on his own and no way the Quirkless loser would have anything worth while for him to actually consider.

With a huff, the explosive blonde trudged out of the room to stuff the ‘advice’ in his bag and then lose himself in training. Katsuki needed to be at his best to kill the finals and show those extras what a real Hero looks like. No way was he going to lose this time. He was going to win.

Notes:

And there you have it! Everyone in the first year has more or less been talked to and certain issues addressed! If you have any other things that bother you in canon, let me know! I don't guarantee I'll do everything because there's only so much you can do. ;) Also, for some of these characters, I did rely on support items they already had by the time of the joint training arc. At least to get something for each and every one of them.

I don't have everyone immediately accepting Izuku's thoughts. Some need to think about it and then there's Aoyama. I see him as a 'lead a horse to water but can't make them drink' situation. Willing to listen to Izuku but not necessarily take his advise. Now for things going on in canon, I have my own ideas of what to do and will not confirm or deny things until it comes time to post that part. ;) 'Cause suspense and no spoilers. But by all means speculate all you want. :P

So Kouda. Now I have an idea for an animal companion for him and those on the discord may recall that brainstorm. But I'm open to what others think! Seriously, the boy needs a zoo. Give him all the animal friends!

Sh-sh-shout out to Divergent and Bigsmile on the discord for logicking (I know that's not a real word. :P) out that Katsuki could secrete explosive sweat all over body, but the ignition spot is just his hands. The suit is sort of Dune inspired collecting liquid from all over his body and could work to replace the storage tanks. It could also automatically fill the smaller grenades instead of manually adding cartridges with is an unnecessary extra step. I don't have an exact design for the gauntlets in mind but just slimmer than they are in canon so Katsuki can actually use his arms.

Sh-sh-shout out to Coup on the discord for being the science friend when it comes to Kodai’s quirk. The whole affecting size but not weight or mass or whatever. It was a bit ago and I don't remember all of it. :P If I got anything wrong, this part or otherwise, I apologize and please let me know. ^____^ I am no expert and am relying on others and the internet.

The transcripts Monoma mentions are in part 2 chapter 12! Also, I had fun having them interact again. I want them to be friends! Though there will be bumps because of their personalities. ;) First name basis though!

For redesigns that I actually took the time to sketch out, we have Tokoyami and Hitoshi! Coup had some points when it came to Hitoshi's helmet to make it more comfortable but I was too lazy to redraw things. :P It's good enough to get you a general idea though! Izuku's new helmet design to be revealed at a later time. ;)

That's all for now! Next chapter isn't finals quite yet. We have the whole robots convo to get through and other things that are not from canon. There will be more from Katsuki next update too.

Chapter 7: Lunch Time Conversations

Notes:

Greetings, dear readers! We're back with another chapter. Not quite to the finals just yet but so so close. :)

Warning for swearing for a Bakugou pov this chapter. Also brief mentions of canon suicide baiting though only once in the paragraph starting with [The explosive teen stared at him in confused shock. ...]

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

Before they all knew it, it was nearly the end of the second week before the exams. On Thursday night, Izuku took a break from studying to watch a live interview with Midnight and Mt. Lady on the topic of costume regulations and how they affected Quirk use. He couldn’t help the blush from seeing the debut version of her Hero costume which had been quite controversial at the time, inspiring legislation to be passed to regulate costume requirements related to skin exposure.

At least it had been a bit more protective than the one she had worn in her third year at UA. Izuku, ever the curious boy, had looked up his teachers’ costume records to see how they changed over time. Aizawa’s had been a progression of jumpsuit alone to the addition of his scarf and then the goggles from his friend. Who Izuku felt kind of guilty looking up but it was nice to have a face to go with the name. It was sad to think that Shirakumo Oboro was gone but from his picture he seemed like a good guy when he was alive.

Present Mic had always sported his hair in some kind of spiked fashion and progressed through various speaker systems over the years, but the radio DJ theme ran throughout his costumes. Midnight however…well, could you really call that a costume? It was barely an outfit in his opinion. A trench coat, choker, sunglasses, boots, belt that barely covered her around her hips, and padded patches over her breasts. The rest had been bare skin giving no protection at all.

Her debut version was an improvement of sorts. A corset around her torso, a harness that extended from her neck to her waist, and her glasses exchanged for the thinner mask she wore today. Allowing quick access to her Quirk but again no protection. While he questioned her current costume as well for that same reason, at least the ultra-thin fabrics kept accidental exposure to her Quirk to a minimum while allowing her to access it quickly as well.

But she had a point that for certain Quirks, clothing could be more restricting than helpful. Like with Momo who needed access to her skin to use her Quirk much like Midnight did. When the interview turned into a bickering match between Midnight and Mt. Lady instigated by the younger Hero, Izuku stopped the video and went back to studying.

Summer was in full gear come Friday morning and it wasn’t even summer break yet. The heat and humidity were high and the cicadas were as loud as ever. It made wearing a beanie to school difficult, but Izuku would rather have a peaceful commute than worry about hat hair. His green curls were always such a mess anyway. The day went by fast through their morning classes and before they knew it, it was lunch time.

One more week to go until finals, Izuku thought as he put away his things.

He had managed to wrap up the last of his counselling sessions yesterday. He was pleased he finished in three weeks’ time while also working on Nezu’s assignment, training, and studying for the exams. Let’s just say he looked forward to the short break before the summer training camp. Which Aizawa reminded them of at the end of class along with the repeated threat of summer school hell upon failure before he walked out.

Kaminari and Ashido immediately started freaking out being the lowest ranking in the class. Well, more the electric teen grabbing at his head in shame while the acidic girl tried to laugh off her worrying. Tokoyami seemed concerned as well having scored below the middle on their midterms. Mid-range test takers like Satou and Kouda were also a little worried. The amount they had learned between the midterms and finals was quite drastic in comparison.

“Ashido-san, Kaminari-kun, it’s going to be okay,” Izuku said, trying to reassure them. He wasn’t sure how he ranked in this class but he was pretty confident in his academic abilities. “There’s still time to study. Then that way, we’ll do our best and pass our exams so we can go to the training camp together.”

The greenet gave them a determined smile with fists clenched in the spirit of ‘we can do it!’. Tenya, ranked second in the class, backed him up confident that they would make UA and their teacher proud. Shouto, ranked fourth, did as well though was blunter about it as he didn’t think it should be difficult if one just paid attention in class. Let’s just say they weren’t encouraged by the higher-ranking students’ words.

“Please don’t worry about it so much,” Momo spoke up, the top-ranking student meeting them with a kind smile. “I could help you study and catch you up on the important topics, if you’d like.”

Ashido and Kaminari were ecstatic at her offer.

The creation girl nodded before her mood turned suddenly glum, confident in the written portion but not so much the practical. But then again, she had given what she had discussed with Izuku some thought. About being more flexible and using someone’s Quirk against them. She would just have to be more creative when she fights. Black eyes met curious green, concerned at her reaction. She gave him a reassuring smile that she was alright which he returned in understanding.

Others seemed interested in her offer. Jirou was having issues with quadratic functions, classical Japanese was giving Sero trouble, and Ojiro felt he was falling behind a little. They all asked if Momo would be willing to tutor them as well much to her surprise. Her enthusiastic acceptance was adorable causing those watching to smile endearingly. Shouto and Izuku shared a glance happy to see their friend so excited, instinctively linking their hands together.

Momo was eagerly already planning a study session at her house over the weekend. Which must be pretty fancy since she wanted the great hall to be prepared as the perfect spot. Shouto and Tenya were unphased but the rest were all thinking ‘damn’. The class vice president asked for everyone’s tea preferences wanting to please everyone. She had a momentary tea fangirling moment which Izuku was sure Nezu would have enjoyed.

Her enthusiasm was kind of overwhelming, determined to reform them into model students over the weekend. It sort of came off as humble bragging, but her bouncy energy was so adorable no one cared.

~~~

Well…most people didn’t care. Katsuki at the front of the room scowled down at his desk being reminded that he had placed third in the midterm exam. Not coming out on top once again.

He didn’t like that his extras went to Ponytail for help instead of him. It was as if he didn’t know enough or something. Which was wrong because he knew plenty having made studying a part of his routine to become the best Hero. Brawns needed to be paired with brains to be most effective. Something he had been trying to instill in Shitty Hair before the Sports Festival. Before his suspension.

Angry red eyes looked up in search of the redhead, meeting a similar shade except filled with concern. They hadn’t really spent any time with each other since before his suspension started. Katsuki wasn’t allowed his phone and only limited internet access enough to do homework. He’s also been avoiding the others for a while now, needing space.

Now he felt he had more space than he knew what to do with. It was as if his extras had moved on leaving him behind. But that wasn’t entirely true because Katsuki had been the one to walk away first. Isolating himself out of anger and apparently self-pity. At least according to the therapy mutt.

It was something they talked about during some of their sessions once teachers began to notice him sitting alone. The Hero had concerns as it was out of character for him and had wanted to discuss it. Katsuki hadn’t wanted to because it dealt with feelings and all that shit, but he hated to admit that talking about it did kind of sort of help.

In the beginning, the explosive teen believed that they were doing it to him because other than the bullshit with Deku, it had never been his fault. However, the mutt called that into question of if his fri-extras had said or done anything to hurt him in any way. The answer was no, they didn’t. They simply didn’t approach him anymore after Pinky outed him to the class.

No one asked him about it which he was relieved about at first, but now no one asked him anything. The teachers did from time to time in class and during training whoever he sparred against would do so at least semi-willingly. But other than that, no one tried to interact with him. Which was fine because Bakugou Katsuki didn’t need friends.

‘Are you sure?’

…no, I’m not, he thought with a sigh. Thanks for making me admit that, fucking Jiminy Cricket of a conscience.

Okay, so maybe he missed having the others around. Just a tiny infinitesimal bit. It was like when he got back to class. The isolation during his suspension had been annoying as it was too quiet. The noise of his extras was like white noise, easy to tune out but needed to break the silence. However, by his own choices, he lost that.

It sucked to admit it as he saw it as a weakness but he couldn’t deny it either. Katsuki didn’t like being alone anymore. It was isolating and annoying and he just didn’t like it one bit. That sour gut feeling of guilt welled up whenever he would catch himself watching Deku at his own table happily interacting with his friends. Thinking about how isolated he had made the Quirkless nerd growing up while trying to force him to understand his personal truth. Allowing a pang of longing for his own extras to start to grow.

But Katsuki didn’t know how to fix it. He was the one that walked away and assumed that the others would follow. That’s what had happened before UA. Him doing his own thing and the others following as they should. But not here. No, he left and they let him. Left him alone and did their own thing. Which was fine he guessed ‘cause it had given him time to fucking breath for once. His extras could be so exhausting at times, but they were still his…right?

Oh, fuck this.

He could do this. Katsuki was the one to walk away and he was going to be the one to come back first. Take initiative and make it happen. Just like a Hero would. With this thought in mind, he sent a challenging look towards Shitty Hair silently asking what he wanted to do. A quick glance at Ponytail then a questioning quirk of his brow.

Hair-For-Brains stared at him in confusion before suddenly getting it. His eyes widened in understanding before giving a shrug paired with a shake of his head. Katsuki was surprised since he knew the other boy ranked on the lower range. The blonde’s eyebrows furrowed in thought before glancing down at his own notebook then looking back up. He quirked his brow again but in offering this time.

Again, Shitty Hair looked at him in surprise not expecting the offer. Katsuki continued to stare him down to show he meant it. The redhead then gave him a small smile and a nod in agreement from across the room. The explosive teen returned it without a single word spoken as he turned back to his desk. It would be awkward, yes, to meet up with one of his fri-extras again, but it was a start.

The class finally broke up for lunch and Katsuki trudged ahead alone. He got his food and found a table not expecting anyone to join him. However, to his surprise, movement caught his eye and he looked up to see Shitty Hair standing before him.

“Hey, man,” the redhead said with a small awkward smile. “Mind if I sit here?”

The blonde studied him for a moment before letting out a huff as he said, “If you want.”

“Thanks,” the hardening teen said, smiling with a flash of teeth as he sat down.

They sat in silence for a while as they ate. There was a tension in the air that neither had the nerve to break just yet. More focusing on eating and getting used to being next to each other again. Katsuki feeling awkward after making himself admit he didn’t like being alone. The other boy still unsure if he could be friends with an ex-bully but had seen how determined he was to be a Hero. More subdued than before but still powerful and strong.

Time dragged on and eventually Kirishima couldn’t take it anymore as he asked, “So, how’ve you been, Bakugou?”

“Fine,” Katsuki drawled as he poked at his food.

“That’s good,” the other said awkwardly. “Finals are coming up. You think you’re gonna be ready?”

“Of course, I will,” the explosive teen insisted, feeling a bit more at ease having an actual conversation again. “The written test I’ll kill and the practical I’ll blast to pieces.”

Where he will prove that Deku’s ‘advice’ was not worth his time and there was nothing wrong with his gear or costume. So what the gauntlets got in his way. They allowed him stronger explosions so he wanted to keep them. A part of his carefully thought-out design for his Hero costume. Katsuki was going to kill the practical and finally prove he was the best.

He was also too pissed off and lonely to even want to consider the shitty nerd’s suggestions. Still wanting to help him even after all he’s done. Like how Shitty Hair still wanted to sit with him even after finding out what had happened that landed him in detention. Willingly spending time with him after avoiding him for weeks. Katsuki wondered why but also didn’t want to say anything to make his fr-extra leave him alone again.

Kirishima, ignorant to his thoughts, oddly chuckled at his declaration, feeling it was kind of nice to hear some old Bakugou again.

“Wish I had your confidence,” the hardening teen commented. “The practical maybe, but I’m kind of worried about the written.”

“If you didn’t have so much crap in your hair,” the blonde snarked on instinct. “Maybe you could get something through your thick skull.”

His words caused the redhead to grimace which then made Katsuki scowl down at his plate. Shit. Did he manage to fuck this up already?

“In the classroom,” Kirishima said, wanting to confirm what happened. “That was you asking if I wanted to study with you, right?”

Fiery red eyes shot up in shock that he hadn’t forced the other boy away. That he was still there sitting with him, still talking.

“Yeah,” Katsuki answered, swallowing nervously which was weird. “What of it?”

Do you want to?

“I’m up for that,” the redhead replied with a nod before his brows furrowed in concern. “Though I do have some questions about…”

Kirishima trailed off, not sure how to phrase it exactly.

“About what, Shitty Hair?” Katsuki pressed though he had an idea already.

“About you and…,” the hardening teen started but trailed off with a sigh. He took a steadying breath before staring eye to eye with him. “Did you really bully Izuku?”

He would have been surprised at the first name basis with the nerd, but he was distracted by the judgement in the other teen’s red eyes. The kind that Katsuki did not like at all. He had seen it in the eyes of his teachers, his parents, Inko. It hurt, a lot. And now it was coming from his fri-extra. His best extra. They had gone into battle together and came out semi-victorious. Had fought fiercely against each other in an all-out fight. This was his extra, his…friend. This was Kirishima.

Katsuki looked down with eyebrows furrowed in shame as he said quietly, “…yes.”

Their conversation was quiet so no one else could hear, but even at this volume, the tension between them was suffocating.

“Why?”

A single word in question. Soft and sad. Katsuki fought hard and fierce and yet that single word hurt more than a punch from All Might himself would.

“Because…”

The blonde paused to clear his throat as well as his head. He didn’t want to mess this up.

“Because I had to teach De-the nerd a lesson he refused to learn. That he couldn’t be a Hero without a Quirk. Otherwise, if he tried, he would just end up dead.”

Which was true. Deku was Quirkless therefore more vulnerable because he didn’t have a Quirk. Yeah, sure, he could fight with his stupid gadgets and whatnot but he wouldn’t have them all the time. And sure, he could also fight others during their Quirkless sparring but again, that wasn’t how it was out in the world. Life was full of danger in their Quirked world. Despite how much the shitty nerd pisses him off, Katsuki never wanted him to die due to his own recklessness.

He kept his focus on his plate, not wanting to see his friend’s reaction just yet because there was more.

“At one point I thought he had started to look down on me. Seeing himself better than me and my strong Quirk, but he said he never did and instead looked up to me. Which in hindsight I can see since he had always followed me like a puppy no matter what I did to him. But that thought fueled my anger towards him and I would lash out.”

Something Hound Dog had helped him figure out over the last few weeks. It had taken time for him to admit even that to himself but it was true. Deku trying to be a Hero without a Quirk confused him and pissed him off. Couldn’t understand that the shitty nerd didn’t realize it was impossible. Pushing the explosive blonde with the need to ‘teach’ him more.

“I bullied him because he’s Quirkless. Quirkless and wanting to be a Hero anyway. I was angry at him for a lot of things and it drove how I acted towards him. But even if I had been wrong about him looking down on me, I still needed him to realize that he couldn’t be a Hero. Not without a Quirk. Because in the end, I just don’t want him to die.”

Katsuki fell silent letting the words hang in the air. They were true back then and still are now to a degree. Even if Deku was proving he wasn’t entire useless in a fight as he had thought, there was still that threat lingering in the unknown of the future. One misstep, one wrong move and it would be curtains for him. The teachers may be allowing the Quirkless teen to live out his fantasies, but no matter how much he trained or how many gadgets he made, it didn’t change the fact he was weaker than everyone else. Weak and vulnerable while pursuing one of the, if not the, most dangerous of professions.

Deku couldn’t…no, actually Katsuki didn’t want him to become a Hero. There was just too much risk for him. To many variables that could go wrong no matter how prepared the shitty nerd tried to be. Better to keep his Quirkless ass out of the way and safe than stick his nose in other people’s dangerous business. Because while being Quirkless might not actually mean it was impossible, but a Quirkless Hero very much certainly was not a good idea. Though apparently only Katsuki could see that but couldn’t do anything about it.

Guess he would just have to keep an eye out and save the stupid nerd’s ass when the time came that he got in over his head.

There was a long pause as Kirishima processed his explanation before saying, “…dude. That’s messed up.”

“I know,” Katsuki sighed dejectedly, picking at his food.

He hated that he knew that now and not back then. That he should have handled it all differently but hadn’t known how. Had taken cues from how others like his mother, teachers, and classmates interacted with him and turned them against the Quirkless teen. Which turned out to be very wrong and filled him with a mixture of emotions feeling pissed off and regretful. Not a fun combination.

Kirishima studied the explosive teen before him. He had changed so much in just a few weeks. He was still an asshole with how he talked to him. Calling him mean nicknames and all that, but there was an element of remorse as well which was weird. In a good way though. Seemed that Bakugou was able to feel regret.

“So, what are you doing to fix it?” the redhead asked curiously.

“Huh?” Katsuki let out, red eyes snapping to fellow red.

“What are you doing to fix it?” Kirishima repeated. “It’s clear you regret it, right? So, fix it like a man. Make it right.”

The explosive teen stared at him in confused shock. Make it right? But how? Katsuki royally fucked up here. Acted as a Villain rather than a Hero. Bullied and suicide baited his childhood friend. Belittled and beat him mentally and physically all because Katsuki saw De-the nerd as weak which he was in comparison to himself. But with recent events, he couldn’t deny what he saw with his own eyes. That the Quirkless teen was proving he wasn’t as powerless as he had thought. Though kicking ass didn’t change that he was still more vulnerable than others.

But how could he fix things between himself and Deku? More than a decade of crap was a lot to come back from. Honestly, he had no idea what he would do. It had only been a month and Katsuki had a taste of his own medicine. He had made the nerd isolated in the past and now he made himself alone not liking it one bit. Was being judged by teachers, parents, and classmates for something he himself enacted with no thoughts of the consequences. Katsuki never expected this to be his UA experience.

“I…I’m not sure,” the blonde admitted, poking at his food again. “How can you fix this?”

Another question was if he wanted to. Deep down past the repressing anger a part of him did. Along with memories of catching beetles and exploring the woods. Of playing Heroes together and always beating the bad guys. Until it had all been ruined by a pinkie toe joint. But did he deserve to be forgiven for all he had done? As they were, they were essentially out of each other’s lives and could just stay that way. Ignore each other as he was ignoring the shitty nerd’s shitty notes.

“Honestly, I don’t know either,” the redhead replied, earning the other’s attention and gave him a sad but supportive smile. “You messed up, but you’re admitting that you did. That’s good. Progress. I was kind of worried that you wouldn’t.”

Shitty Hair rubbed him head much like Deku does. Only this time Katsuki didn’t find it annoying for some reason.

“I’ve been kind of confused on what to do with all…this,” Kirishima admitted, sheepishly looking at him. “I don’t like bullies…”

The blonde flinched, legit flinched.

“…but I also see a lot of potential in you to be a great Hero.”

Fiery red eyes stared at him confused by the contrasting comparison.

“Honestly, dude, I want to be your friend, but I can’t be friends with a bully.”

“Looks like we can’t be friends then,” Katsuku huffed, abandoning his food to slump back with his arms crossed. “I am a bully after all.”

“You were a bully,” the hardening teen stressed, making the explosive teen stare at him curiously. “But now you admit that was wrong. Which to me seems that you want to change. To be better. Not a bully, but a Hero instead. Isn’t that right?”

The blonde scrutinized his face, searching for any deception, but Shitty Hair held his gaze with red eyes filled with determination. Strong, sturdy, and rock solid like his Quirk.

“…yeah,” Katsuki muttered with a hesitant nod.

“Good,” his extr-friend replied with a toothy smile. “‘Cause I can so be a friend with a Hero.”

The hardening teen held out a fist towards Katsuki. The explosive teen stared at it for a second not entirely believing this was happening, but it was. Shitty Ha-Kirishima wanted to still be his friend. Still wanted to become Heroes together. Katsuki wasn’t going to be alone.

He fist-bumped his friend and said, “Thanks…Kirishima.”

The use of his actually name filled the redhead was so much happiness and pride. This time his smile was beaming with warmth and sunshine while still looking sharp as ever with his shark like teeth.

“Thanks, Bakugou,” he grinned. “Let’s train hard to be the best manliest Heroes together.”

Katsuki simply nodded before going back to his food. A slight blush dusted his cheeks as a weird fluttering feeling tickled his gut. Both of which he chalked up to the super spicy curry he was eating. Not at all because of the puppy dog of a human being sitting with him, loyal and true. No way in hell. The blonde distracted himself by shoveling more food into his mouth.

~~~

On the other side of the cafeteria, Izuku and his friends were theorizing what would be on the exams. They were all worried not knowing what they would be up against. Well other than Mei who was excited to see what new challenges she would face in her own exams. As for the Hero Course students, all they knew was that they would have a comprehensive written and practical exam of everything they had learned this year.

Izuku wasn’t super worried about the written portion. Even if they hadn’t been in 1-A since the beginning of school, his passion for knowledge about Quirks and Heroes made him feel prepared. Though he wanted to ask for his friends’ notes just to see what wasn’t covered in General or Support classes. That way he would know what to help Hitoshi study so they were both caught up.

As for the practical, Ochako and Tsuyu were listing the different kinds of training they had been doing. Combat and rescue exercises along with basic training. Thankful that the first and last one Hitoshi and he had experience in though not so much rescue. But then again, considering how their trip to the USJ had been interrupted and the only other rescue training Class 1-A had was All Might’s assessment, to be honest the two transfer students weren’t that far behind their classmates. The only difference with Hitoshi was that he didn’t experience the first Villain attack.

However, none of this got them any closer to figuring out exactly what they would be tested on or how. All they could do was study hard and stay as physically fit as possible throughout the coming week. Their group brainstorm was interrupted with an elbow suddenly leaning gently but firm on Izuku’s head.

I gotta work on my situational awareness more, the greenet thought as he glanced up to see Neito staring challenging at his friends.

“Look who we have here,” the cocky blonde sneered, still leaning on the Quirkless teen as he scanned the table. “Wannabes from Class 1-A. Do you really think you deserve to chat so casually with the first-place winner of the Sports Festival? The Hero who took down the Hero Killer?”

Ochako and Tenya looked offended by his taunting words, Tsuyu upset, Hitoshi and Shouto appearing indifferent but very much not internally, and Mei eyeing a potential new baby test dummy.

Izuku on the other hand let out a sigh as he nudged the blonde’s arm off as he said, “Could you not, Neito-kun? None of us are better than the other. We’re all trying to be Heroes same as you.”

“True but it always seems those in 1-A can’t help but crave being the center of attention,” the copier accused. “The USJ. Rumors that there were other interns from 1-A caught up in the mess in Hosu. It’s almost as if they like being attacked. Asking for it even.”

Okay, that’s going too far.

“I was there, you know,” Izuku said, suddenly standing up to face the antagonizing boy.

“What? In Hosu? No duh,” Neito replied, confused since it was caught on video.

“I didn’t mean there,” the greenet said with a shake of his head. “The USJ attack. I was there too.”

The usually manic blonde stared at him in shock. Not many knew that Izuku was there expect for those involved and his mother. Well, there was also Chizome who he told personally when the Villain came to check on him. Then there was Shigaraki and Kurogiri but they didn’t know it was him specifically. Just a voice over the PA system giving out ‘cheat codes’.

“You…you were there?” Neito breathed out, unsure what to think. His recently declared friend was the closest he got to the attack that happened at the USJ.

Hiro was there,” Izuku confirmed as the blonde swallowed nervously. “I was supposed to be there to observe their rescue training and potentially give advice for improvements. But instead of learning to rescue others through training, we had to rescue ourselves against real Villains. How exactly is that ‘asking for it’?”

“Well, I, uh…” the copier wavered under the intense stare of the shorter boy.

“This is why I talked to you about antagonizing 1-A,” the Quirkless teen said, green eyes glaring into pale blue. They were friends sure but he didn’t need to be a jerk to his other friends. “I know you have some kind of beef with 1-A, but that doesn’t mean they actually think they are better than you. So, stop being an ass just because you feel inferior. I already told you you’re not. You are just as powerful as them in your own way.”

They stared off, the greenet refusing to look away and the blonde feeling like he couldn’t. Neito could feel the disappointment radiating from Izuku, not liking it one bit. It soon became too much and the copier cast his gaze down in shame. As he did so, Izuku noticed the class rep of 1-B, Kendou Itsuka, approaching who he had met only as Hiro. She paused in surprise at the sight of her class’s resident crazy boy acting like this.

“I’m sorry,” Neito quietly said as green eyes connected to pale blue filled with regret. “I really am, Izuku.”

The Quirkless teen studied him for a moment to assess his sincerity and saw no sign of his usual mask. With a nod he silently accepted his apology. Izuku still figured this wouldn’t be the last time Neito challenged their class but next time perhaps he won’t be so insensitive about it. No one asks to be a victim no matter what the situation.

“We’re okay here, Kendou-san,” Izuku said, returning his gaze to her with an assuring smile.

The orange haired girl had to shake herself out of her surprised stupor before saying, “Glad to hear. I apologize if he bothered you.”

Despite just apologizing, the copier clicked his tongue in irritation for being called a bother. Izuku gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder. Neito’s eyes widened in surprise briefly before giving the greenet a small grateful smile. People didn’t typically want to touch or be touched by him, some thinking his copying as stealing. But at least with Izuku, there was no such fear. Not because he was Quirkless but because he genuinely meant the comforting gesture.

Those around them were confused by the entire interaction. Shouto in particular felt a sharp pain in his heart for how close Izuku was to the other. He didn’t know why but he didn’t like it.

“We’re fine,” Izuku insisted as he turned back to her. “Was there something you wanted, Kendou-san?”

“Oh, yes, actually I was kind of listening to what you were talking about earlier,” Kendou replied, remembering what she wanted to say after taking care of whatever mess Monoma found himself in again. “You’re worried about the final practical coming up, right? I don’t think you have to be so much. I heard from one of my friends a few grades up that we’ll be facing robots in combat like the entrance exam again.”

Robots? Again?

Izuku wasn’t sure that was right. It didn’t seem practical to have them fight the same kind of opponent over and over. Sure, it could serve as a base to judge their growth but it could also leave them with less experience from new challenges. Besides, to be honest, having to face them during the Obstacle Course was enough for him.

One would think the teachers of UA would want their students to gain as much experience in different scenarios as possible. Because how would they learn to fight new opponents if they always went up against robots? Wouldn’t it be more practical to fight another person? Robots followed their programming but people could be unpredictable.

Plus, there’s the combinations of Quirks that countered each other. Kind of like what Nezu has had me…no. No way.

Izuku had finished his assignment from Nezu early enough to give him plenty of time to study. Reviewing all his notes from class as well as train for the coming practical. But surely his mentor didn’t actually have Izuku involved in the planning of the final exams. It was just an analysis exercise. Hypothetical. Pairing his classmates and peers with the teachers they would be challenged the most by to find ways to improve their training…right?

Because they couldn’t seriously think of actually having the students fight the teachers who are trained professionals. They would lose for sure going one-on-one against Pro Heroes!

“Are you okay, Izuku?” a voice called out, breaking him from his thankfully quiet freak out.

The Quirkless teen became aware of Neito holding him by his shoulders staring at him in concern. He looked around to see the others also looking worried at his sudden mood change. Izuku blushed at the attention and their concern for him. It was nice but he was now the center of attention. Again.

“I-I’m fine,” Izuku muttered as he took his seat. Instantly Shouto took his hand under the table and the greenet shot him a grateful smile.

“Right…,” Kendou said though not looking convinced. “Well, we better be going. Sorry to bother you and enjoy the rest of your lunch.”

She then grabbed Neito by the back of his shirt and dragged him away though he didn’t put up much of a fight. Green eyes watched him go and the copier mouthed one last ‘sorry’ before turning away. Izuku just knew their friendship was going to be rocky with their differing personalities, but he was still willing to try.

His friends were still worried but turned back to their food and talking about other things. For this he was grateful. But Shouto, ever the blunt one to do as he wants, squeezed his hand to get his attention.

“Are you really okay?” the bi-color teen asked, heterochromatic eyes filled with concern.

“I’m fine, Shouto, really,” the greenet assured, moving their hands to interlace their fingers. “Do you have any plans this weekend?”

Shouto smiled at the action and talked about how he would mostly be studying and training. It had been actually really nice living on campus these last few weeks. He could study when and where he wanted whether in his room or the common room. It also allowed him the opportunity to study with his friends and classmates who were staying in the dorms as well. They could even train together or on their own at their leisure rather than the strict schedule his father had forced on him for years. He also was allowed to leave campus in his free time to visit his mother.

It was nice to hear that Shouto was happy being away from Endeavor. He had more freedom and people around who cared about him. Of course, there were hiccups now and then as they were a handful of teenagers. Living under one roof with some for the first time like Shouto, but those that were more experienced were happy to teach them the ways of ‘adulting’.

When lunch ended, they returned to class and got ready for another afternoon of training. With his counselling sessions done, Izuku joined them as well giving his all in the various matches he had. Each opponent had their strengths and weaknesses that he was much more familiar with. It allowed him to even out the match with both sides having advantages and disadvantages. While also doing his best to distract himself from the lingering suspicions that Nezu’s assignment wasn’t entire what it had seemed to be.

When the day was done and they returned to class to prepare to go home, it seemed the rumor of fighting robots had already been passed on to the rest of 1-A. Kaminari and Ashido were much more relaxed at the information, excited even, that with robots they could let loose and not worry so much about their lack of Quirk control. Others were also more confident thinking that the written test was going to be the bigger obstacle now. But Izuku still doubted it would be that easy while at the same time not wanting to think of Nezu possibly manipulating him like this.

“Why are you idiots so excited?” Bakugou suddenly called out, shocking everyone as he had been pretty quiet these last few weeks.

“Bakugou,” Eijirou called out in warning as he walked in with the explosive blonde.

But Bakugou seemed to brush him off though they shared a look that calmed the redhead down. Irritated red eyes then turned back to yellow as he growled, “So what if it’s robots? You need to learn to control your Quirks more. No way can you be Pro Heroes if you don’t push yourselves to be better. Got it, Dunce Face?”

It was angry like typical Bakugou and yet there wasn’t as much bark as before. He was even giving advice in a vague but critical way. Kaminari seemed cowed while also shooting a glance at Izuku who gave a shrug and a nod to agree with him. The electric teen let out a sigh knowing they were both right.

Fiery red eyes followed the interaction but didn’t address it as he turned to Ashido and said, “Same for you, Pinky. Get control of your Quirk or people could get hurt.”

“But their robots,” the acidic girl countered, confused.

Bakugou shot her a deadpan look while muttering ‘moron’ under his breath. Eijirou heard him and knocked him with his shoulder. The blonde merely rolled his eyes until they fell on observing green. The Quirkless teen was openly staring at him surprised at how different and yet not he was. Still gruff and blunt as ever but calmer than he had ever seen him.

Izuku was waiting for the act to end, for Bakugou to return to the bully he once was and yell at him while using his Quirk. That was how their last real interaction with each other had ended in the prep room. Since then, they had been keeping their distance, barely sharing glances much less this current stare off. Those around looked between them knowing at least a little of their past.

However, Bakugou surprised them all by looking away from Izuku and staring every one of them as he said, “I didn’t win the festival like I said I would, but I have another chance. In these upcoming finals, we’ll be getting individual scores. New challenges and new ranks. Then we’ll know where we currently stand and who is the best.”

The explosive teen challenged every one of them especially those he lost to in the past. Shouto and Momo from the Quirk Assessment test. Shinsou from the semi-finals. And of course, Izuku himself who came out on top all without a Quirk and went on to get notoriety in Hosu. Out there in the real world. Without another word the blonde left as the rest stared after him. Even Aizawa cracked an eye open from his sleeping bag noticing the progress he was already showing.

It would be interesting to see what results came from the coming finals.

Notes:

We're gearing up for finals now, folks! We'll have to see if Izuku's suspicions are correct. ;P I, as always, will not confirm or deny something related to the fic until the answer is revealed in story.

Katsuki and Kirishima have reunited! Still a work in progress but progress none the less. Katsuki is battling between seeing Izuku as weak while slowly accepting he could hold his own. For me he would still cling to that first thought out of stubbornness. A long held belief that was difficult to change. But also fueled with not wanting Izuku to get over his head and end up dead. He's still working through his thoughts about this whole situation and there's more to come, but for now, this is where he's at. To me anyway.

We finally got to the Monoma lunch time talk. Of course their newly created friendship would affect that. ;) Neito is still going to come off as cocky at times because that is just who he is as a person. But I hate the way he essentially claims 1-A asks to be targeted again and again. Focusing more on the attention they received for it and no thought of the trauma the attacks caused. No way would Izuku stand for that.

Then back to Bakugou essentially reintegrating himself in the class. He's still going to be very much Bakugou in BC but slowly being more self aware of how he treats others. Again, a lot more growth planned but with no intention of turning him into someone he's not personality wise. Bakugou will still be Bakugou but not as...intense as before. :)

Fun Facts About Japan:

Speaking of robots, I don't think I've talking about the Robot Restaurant in Shinjuku yet. It is...an experience. XD Honestly I don't think I would have gone if my friend visiting at the time hadn't insisted on it, but now I'm glad she did. Currently it is closed due to covid and all that, but hopefully it will reopen.

Anyway, the building itself is hard to miss with a huge sign in rainbow lettering and bright lights illuminating two female robots on the outside you can take pictures with. Inside you wait in a sort of lounge like lobby to go in. Then the actual stage room has rows of seats and small tables along two walls facing the floor in the center. Once the performance starts you are stuck in your seat. But once it does, you don't really care about that.

The room goes dark and then suddenly you're watching a parade of dancers and performers moving among different robots and moving stages that are all covered in lights. Honestly it's hard to describe in words and just something you have to see. Better to go watch the tons of videos of it on Youtube. :P But seriously it is so cool and oh so Japanese. The official site is here where they have info for the show along with videos as well. ^_____^

That's all for now! Finals start next chapter so I hope you're excited! I certainly am to share what I came up with. :) Fight hard, young heroes! Again, thank you for your continued readership and I appreciate every one of you. Stay awesome! Bye!

Chapter 8: End Of Term Exams: Whip Into Shape

Notes:

Happy Tues...-record scratch-...er, Wednesday! Yes, Wednesday! Happy Wednesday, dear readers! Apologies for the delayed posting. I recently got another promotion at work and I've got lots to learn for it. This past weekend though was...stressful. To the point that Monday when I usually do most of my editing before a post, I really needed a don't-do-anything-brainy day. And this chapter had more editing needed than usual so I wasn't able to finish it yesterday before work. But here it is now! :D And we should be back to the usual Tuesday update next time if life permits.

Warning for Midnight being well...Midnight. If you're uncomfortable with her brand of banter, read the dialogue with caution after the paragraph starting with [To be in character...]. Though the exposition paragraphs should be alright through the end of the chapter.

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

Come the weekend, everyone continued their hard efforts to prepare for the final exams. Those who met up at Momo’s house were shocked to see just how rich she was living on an enormous estate. The great hall was grander than they expected making them feel out of place. But Momo played the most gracious host with tea served in fine china and various tea cakes and sweets paired with it. Her warm reception was enough to calm all their nerves and study their hardest with her help.

The weekend flew by in a rush. Izuku himself studied well into the night but not so late as to lose on sleep. Many were feeling burnt out but kept pushing to be as prepared as they could. Bakugou and Kirishima even met up outside of school to drill as much into the redhead’s skull before the finals. Come Monday, morning classes were more review sessions and then last-minute training to keep them in tip top shape.

Finally, it was time for their end of term exams. They started with three days of written tests. It was grueling tedious work writing answer after answer. Reading through the questions multiple times once done to make sure they were correct. The classroom silent save for the ticking of the clock and the scratching of pencils to paper.

“Alright, pencils down,” Aizawa announced, making some of them jump at the sudden noise. “Pass your exam papers to the front face down and those in the front hand them to me.”

The tests were collected and then they were released to go get changed for the practical. It would be nice to be able to wear his Hero costume again. Even though it was without the scarf this time, but Izuku agreed with Aizawa that it wasn’t practical. He did however still have the knife tucked away in one of his pockets.

“I see you’ve got a new get up, Midoriya,” Kaminari commented as he walked over to him. “No scarf this time?”

The electric blonde himself also had a change to his gear now wearing a black choker like collar around his neck. Izuku wondered if it was the one he suggested to help protect his brain from his own electricity.

“No, I decided not to wear it,” Izuku replied, subconsciously reaching for his neck even though it wasn’t there. Just his fire mask. “Not really practical, you know?”

“Yeah, I guess, but still badass looking though,” the electric blonde grinned making him blush. “I also noticed you didn’t wear those same gloves from the Sports Festival. What gives? Don’t want to copy me anymore?”

“No, not that. I still have my escrima rods. I just...decided to change them out,” the Quirkless teen answered, taking hold of his injured hand with the other. “Realized that if they malfunction, they could be dangerous to me too.”

“How’d you figure that out?” Kaminari asked with a tilt of his head.

“Experience,” Izuku answered as he rubbed along the hidden scars under the non-conductive gloves he now wore.

Across the room a certain explosive blonde overheard and looked down guiltily. He hadn’t meant to hurt the nerd like that, not at all. De-he hadn’t ever scarred from one of his explosions though that was probably due to his slight resistance to fire. Guess it didn’t extend to electrical burns. Beside him, Kirishima placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Bakugou exchanged a look with him before casually brushing his hand away and walked out of the locker room.

“Ah, well anyway, digging the new look,” Kaminari grinned while shooting him finger guns.

“Heh, thanks,” Izuku replied with a smile. “We should probably get going though.”

“Yeah, don’t want to keep those robots waiting,” the electric teen said with a wink.

Izuku still wasn’t sure about that but said nothing as they left to join the others. He was pleased to see a few others were sporting improved Hero costumes he had suggested. Momo looked so much more comfortable in her new suit as she was surrounded by the others admiring it. Eijirou also had his new gear including the under armor and shoulder guards as he was talking amicably with his friends while Bakugou stood brooding beside him. He still had the oversized gauntlets and when he met Izuku’s eyes, the blonde stubbornly scowled and looked away. Not that Izuku actually expected him to take his advice anyway.

Shouto also had his new suit that earned him some ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ at the new look. Izuku listened as he watched his friend explain the reasonings behind the alternating colors representing the two sides of his Quirk. He also earned some cooing from the girls when he told them the white was meant to represent his mother. It was so cute and fit with him including her name in his Hero moniker.

Once everyone was gathered, they got on the bus with Tenya not bothering to attempt to organize them this time. Partially because it had been pointless last time they were on a bus, but also, he was distracted thinking of the coming exam. Then again, they all were in their own ways.

The students were all relieved that the written portion of their exams were done. After three days, their brains had definitely been hurting from thinking so much and hands cramping from so much writing. The practical was almost a relief so they could stretch their legs and other muscles. That was until they arrived at the center plaza of the practical exam area and were met with a confusing and intimidating sight.

The teachers.

Aizawa, who came with them as escort, now stood facing the students with the other teachers flanking him. The others in 1-A were confused while Izuku waited with bated breath. With every passing second, he was losing hope that he did not actually help orchestrate what was about to happen next.

“It’s time,” Aizawa said, grabbing everyone’s attention. “Let the practical exam begin. Keep in mind failure is possible in these finals. So, if you want to attend the summer training camp, don’t make any stupid mistakes.”

The others started to question as to why so many teachers were there, but Izuku knew. He didn’t want to and hoped he was wrong, but hearing the robot rumor mentioned once again it just sounded so silly. His world seemed to come crashing down as Nezu popping out of Aizawa’s scarf confirmed his darkest fears. His mentor had lied to him and made him responsible for his classmates’ future trials.

“This year’s exams have been revised due to certain circumstances,” the principal cheered, contrasting with the tired man’s ‘so done’ expression. Also, seriously how the heck does that weird scarf hold so much? Potential pocket universe?

The news seemed to break Kaminari and Ashido who were still as stone. Others questioned the change growing concerned now that they didn’t know what to expect anymore. Though Izuku couldn’t understand why they didn’t see it yet. Wasn’t it obvious? That they would be fighting the teachers instead of robots, paired up against those that would give them the most trouble. And whose fault was it? Izuku and by proxy Nezu himself.

“We as teachers have decided to bring a new focus to the tests,” Nezu explained as he rappelled down their homeroom teacher’s body like a mini mountaineer with Thirteen ready to catch him should he fall. Ever the rescue Hero. “Hero work will be involved along with teamwork and combat between actual people.”

His cheery tone to those who didn’t know him would take it as a comfort, but those who did knew that what made the chimera happiest was messing with people. Even his own personal student to whom he gave a wink despite the horror on the Quirkless teen’s face. Cheeky rat bastard.  Nezu knew they would have to talk afterwards but for now he would have his fun. All while Izuku glanced up at Aizawa next to the chimera, the tired man gave him a look as if to say 'I told you so' even though he hadn't said anything.

No wonder the other teachers react to him the way they do, Izuku thought as he let out an exasperated sigh. Well, good luck, everyone.

“So, students, what does this mean for you?” the principal asked rhetorically as he plowed on forward. “You will be working in pairs together and will be facing off with one of our esteemed UA teachers!”

The chimera splayed his little arms wide with glee, reveling in the horror that spread across the group of students at the stunning realization. Even Izuku had a shock as this whole time he had been following Nezu’s instructions of pairing his classmates with teachers while pairing himself against the other students, not the teachers. Sure, his mind had still played around with ‘what if’s’ but his focus had been on what he was assigned. Meaning that he could easily guess who of his classmates would be going up against which teacher, but for him he had no idea who he would be facing. Any of them could prove a challenge to a Quirkless teenager.

“We’re…fighting against…the teachers?” Ochako questioned, still not accepting it to be true.

“Indeed, you are,” Nezu chirped, thoroughly thrilled by the situation. “And you may show gratitude toward Midoriya-kun as his analysis and suggestions aided in our decision of your assigned pairings.”

Way to throw me under the bus like that, Izuku thought as nineteen pairs of eyes shot to him. The teachers were obviously not impressed with the principal’s reveal. Especially Aizawa who gave the mammal a Quirked glare.

"YOU KNEW?!" the class exclaimed.

Well, most of them. His closer friends didn’t seem as shock but were still surprised.

"No, I didn't! Really!” Izuku insisted, waving his hands frantically in denial before nervously wringing them together. “Well, I sort of did? It was an assignment from Nezu-sensei to pair you guys up with the teachers but I swear I didn't know it was for this! I thought it was just a hypothetical exercise!!"

His classmates stared at him in shock. Some even glared but it was more in concern for themselves. They knew the Quirkless teen loved Quirks and was able to pick them apart in an instant. What weaknesses did he find to exploit and what kind of hell were they about to face?

Don’t blame Midoriya,” Aizawa barked out as an order grabbing everyone’s attention. “Yes, his input did play a factor, however the final decisions were made by me. Your partners and opponents have already been assigned. Various factors such as fighting style, grades, and interpersonal relationships were considered to determine your matchups under my discretion. Got it?”

He sent out another Quirked glare at his students but only briefly to not overuse his Quirk before the exams. His classmates nodded quickly and waited with bated breath for their assigned match ups. Each and every one of the teachers they had come to know looked quite intimidating now that they were going to fight them.

“As an example, Todoroki, Yaoyorozu,” Aizawa called out, eyeing the pair. “You’ll be partnered together and will be facing…me.”

The two gulped nervously as his creepy Totoro smile grew on his scruffy face while also holding his capture weapon threateningly.

“Then there’s Bakugou…”

Please not me, Izuku pleaded internally. Please not me! I know that Aizawa-sensei wouldn’t but please not me!!

“…you’re with Kirishima.”

The greenet let out a sigh as the redhead knocked a hardened fist against the explosive blonde’s arm who snarled at him but nothing more.

“And your opponent will be…”

Kirishima looked excited to find out who they would be fighting, but only for a second as All Might jumped down in front of them in a dramatic fashion.

“…will be ME!” the Number One Hero announced as he stood up tall as ever.

Wow, they’re pulling out the big guns for this, huh?

The hardening teen looked terrified at the reveal, seriously questioning the sanity of their teacher. Even Bakugou looked shocked that he would have to fight his idol.

“Now then, let’s announce the teams and the teachers they will be fighting,” Nezu chimed in with a wave of his paw as a projection appeared with the list of matchups.

End of Term Final Exam Lineup:

Matchup 1: Satou and Aoyama VS Cementoss

Matchup 2: Asui and Tokoyami VS Ectoplasm

Matchup 3: Iida and Ojiro VS Powerloader

Matchup 4: Yaoyorozu and Todoroki VS Eraserhead

Matchup 5: Shinsou and Uraraka VS Thirteen

Matchup 6: Ashido and Kaminari VS Nezu

Matchup 7: Kouda and Jirou VS Present Mic

Matchup 8: Hagakure and Shouji VS Snipe

Matchup 9: Sero and Midoriya VS Midnight

Matchup 10: Kirishima and Bakugou VS All Might

Upon reading their names, the students gravitated toward their partners as they warily eyed their opponents. Some appeared calm though concerned like Tsuyu and Tokoyami. While others were trying their best not to freak out like Kouda and Jirou. Yeah, that was going to be a tough one. He felt bad but Present Mic would be the one to give them the most trouble. Feeling bad about the matchups and guilty for his unknown part in them, Izuku called out to his classmates.

"Everyone! For whatever happens today, I'm sorry,” the young analyst said as he gave them a deep apologetic bow. “But also, please do your best!"

“No sweat, Midoriya,” Sero assured him as he approached. “It’s not like you knew or anything. We’ll just have to fight our hardest, right?”

The Quirkless teen looked up to meet a fist being held out to him. Not to hit but to greet. Izuku smiled letting out a shaking breath and returning the fist-bump as he said, “Y-yeah.”

“You will have 30 minutes to complete the exam,” Nezu announced, gaining everyone’s attention. “To win, your objective is to either capture your opponent by putting these handcuffs on them. Or alternatively, you can win if one you can manage to escape the combat area.”

So, it was either capture or run away. Kind of like the Battle Training they had but much more difficult because this was up against the teachers this time. Admittedly people who were way better trained than them with years of experience. Yeah, this was going to be difficult. Closer to a real battle than anything they had done before. Especially Hitoshi and Izuku who had less experience than the others.

In this scenario, the teachers were essentially in the role of the Villain while the students were the Heroes. Kind of strange seeing they were fighting Pro Heroes but he would take it over facing off against a real Villain again any time soon. Yeah, no thank you, universe.

This exam was a test of their decision-making skills. If they had a chance to win then they should fight. However, if they were outmatched, escape was the better option. It would be up to them to decide which course of action to take in their respective fights. They all had some experience with that in regards to the USJ attack, but the ones that understood the most were those involved in Hosu.

The four that fought and helped defeat the Hero Killer shared glances with each other. Though it was kind of hard to see some of them like Tenya who already had his helmet on. But the engine user gave a tilt of the head to his fellow fighters who returned it in kind. They would all do their best today.

“Now you might be thinking that your only choice is to flee fighting against us Pro Heroes,” All Might boomed while he dug something out of a mysterious back pocket that Izuku did not want to know where it was. “That’s why we had the Support Course make these!”

He turned to reveal a sort of wrist band with weights that looked surprisingly similar to something Mei was working on…

“Wait, that was what that contest was for?!” Izuku exclaimed as he stared wide-eyed at his Support teacher.

“What contest?” Sero asked beside him.

“In the Support studio,” the greenet answered. “They held a contest for a sort of compact weighted training tool.”

“Well…this is training, right?” Maijima offered with gave an apologetic shrug.

“Indeed!” All Might interjected as he presented the gear. “These super-clever accessories are ultra-compressed weights! They will add approximately half of our body weight, giving us a disadvantage making it harder to move around and eat up our stamina.”

The teachers placed the weights on their ankles and wrist with those like Cementoss and All Might doubling up on their own arms. It was kind of funny to see the Number One Hero gripe about them being heavier than he thought. Mei does good work and they would do their job well.

“You said it was a contest,” Momo inquired. “Who won?”

“That would be Mei-chan,” Izuku answered. “Always excited to make another baby…I mean invention!”

He quickly tacked on the explanation with a blush. He was so used to calling them that now that he almost forgot that not everyone was used to her words. The others chuckled at his reaction.

“So, what you’re saying is that we only have a chance with a handicap?” Bakugou asked as he glared at the teachers. Izuku was sure he didn’t like that. The blonde clicked his tongue in annoyance as he muttered, “…whatever.”

“Let’s begin,” Aizawa said as the other teachers started to head towards a line of waiting buses. “The matches will take place simultaneously and we have specific stages prepared for each. Once you are there, you’ll have five minutes to come up with a strategy before the exam officially begins.”

“Yes, sir,” they replied before the various teams started to talk strategy.

Everyone loaded their respective buses and drove off to their separate areas. While it would have been nice to watch everyone’s fights to see if his predictions were right, Izuku understood why they were going all at once. It would be an unfair advantage for the other teams after the first if they went one at a time. Hopefully he would be allowed to watch the recordings of them later though. Wouldn’t put it past Nezu to have him watch them anyway.

Sero and he took a seat together in the back while Midnight lounged at the front of the bus. She sent her signature sultry look towards them with a wink before facing the front. It was going to be so weird fighting against her and her eccentricities.

“So, what’s the plan?” Sero asked quietly beside him.

To be honest, having Izuku on anyone’s team was both advantageous but also not. He knew everyone’s Quirks including the students and teachers alike. He also knew why certain students were pitted against specific teachers. Though others like Sero didn’t have any glaring weaknesses that could be taken advantage of so they could have been paired against any of them and still face a challenge. Then there was Izuku himself. He didn’t have a Quirk to help them win. Just his gear, mind, and body. Hopefully it’ll be enough to pass.

“What do you know about Midnight?” Izuku asked instead of answering.

“She’s a dominatrix,” the taller teen immediately replied, causing the greenet to blush and sputter at his bluntness.

“I mean about her as a Hero!” the analysist whispered in a hiss. “Her Quirk, fighting style. Strengths, weaknesses. Things that will help us either fight or escape from her.”

“Oh, right,” Sero chuckled with a slightly embarrassed tone. “Well, I don’t know much about her Quirk. Other than it makes you pass out like she did with Bakugou and Shinsou after their match. Uh, she also has a whip?”

“And sometimes a feathered fan to help spread her Quirk,” Izuku added, hand on his chin. “Somnambulist allows her to exude a sleep-inducing aroma from her body. That’s why she wears ultra-thin fabrics so she can easily access her skin to use it. But that shouldn’t be an issue because it’ll be filtered through our masks.”

“Wait, your mask has a filter?” the black-haired teen asked in surprise.

The greenet stared confused at the taller boy as he asked, “Yours doesn’t?”

“…no.”

Izuku let out an incredulous sigh.

“Who doesn’t put a filter in a mask?” he griped before running a hand through his hair to calm himself. “Alright, that’s okay. We can deal with it. We’ll just have to be even more careful then. That and upgrade your mask to have one after this.”

Due to a lack of filter, they would have to keep their distance. As long as neither of them breathed in her Quirk then they had a fighting chance to escape, but they would have to be careful. Out of all the teachers they were facing today, Midnight was among those who would be a challenge to best at their current level.

“So…do we have a plan?” Sero asked hesitantly.

“Yes,” Izuku replied with a confident nod. “Here’s what we’ll do.”

They talked strategy for as long as they could throughout the bus ride up until the planning time was gone and they were ushered into their own battle area. It was a rocky expanse with limited coverage just enough to have places to hide, but other than that it was a wide-open space. Not good when going up against an opponent with a Quirk that spreads through the air.

To be in character, they decided to go by their Hero names. They were acting as Heroes against a ‘Villain’ after all. In full gear, Cellophane and Edge cautiously made their way into the testing area at the call to start. They had to be very careful in order to avoid a sneak attack from the R-rated Hero who could be anywhere. Though the Quirkless teen suspected that she might be closer to the exit gate the further they walked with no sign of her.

They were in sight of the gate when a chuckle could be heard behind them. Not good. Edge shot out his arm to wrap his partner in one of his capture weapons. He spun around quickly to get momentum and tossed the tape wielder away. As soon as he let go, the young Hero quickly turned to face the threat he could feel closing in on him. She had her hands reached out for his head so he ducked down and maneuvered to a more comfortable distance away from her.

“My, my,” Midnight leered with a snap of her whip. “Sacrificing yourself to my mercy so soon? I was hoping for more of fight.”

“Who says I’m giving up?” Edge countered with a hidden smirk. “Our fight has only just begun.”

Her blue eyes widened in excitement at the challenge. Izuku knew a lot about Heroes including her. Her Quirk was a danger to both him and his partner. At least up close anyway. Her scent can only spread so far which was why he got Sero the hell out of there. He himself was safe as long as he had his mask on while also knowing that if given the chance, she would force it off of him to gain total control.

He also knew that she had that weird thing with ‘vibrant youth’ still not entirely getting what exactly that means. But there was also her whole dominatrix theme from her costume to her Hero persona.  Playful and flirtatious one second then serious and temperamental the next. Willing to literally whip anyone into shape and make them submit to her wishes.

Yeah, not doing that.

There was only one way to fight an opponent like her. Keep your distance, evade, and block any attacks sent your way. A game of cat and mouse until the opportune moment. Distract her with her own tendencies letting her think she’s in control. Then when the time came, flip the situation on its head and pull the proverbial rug out from under her.

Let’s play a game.

“Catch me if you can!” Edge yelled cheerfully as he activated his Jet Shoes and zoomed past her before she could react.

“Oh, I do love a good chase,” Midnight cried out in excitement. “Run, run, run, little Midoriya. I’ll catch you in the end.”

“I’d like to see you try!” he called back, skating back the way they came. “And it’s Edge to you!”

It might seem counterproductive to move away from the gate, but they had a plan. Step one was getting Cellophane away from Midnight to protect him from her Quirk. Step two was to provoke her and draw her away from the gate. Now he was onto step three, distract.

Once he was a decent ways away from the exit, Izuku slowed down and turned to face his opponent. The R-rated Hero had followed him as predicted but at a more leisurely pace. She’d snap her whip every so often to intimidate while leering at him like a predator staring down her prey. To her knowledge that’s what he was, but to him it was opposite.

“I had planned to stay close to the escape gate until time ran out,” Midnight said as she came closer. “But this is so much more fun. Seeing you running away from me is so thrilling though it would have been better if you had screamed. Come on, Edge, scream for me.”

Her whip cracked in the air as she eyed him like a piece of meat.

“Not gonna happen, Midnight,” Edge replied as he settled into a fighting stance. “Also, talking to teenagers like that is highly inappropriate.”

The sleep inducer chuckled giving him a wink as she said, “Well, they don’t call me the R-rated Hero for nothing. Anyone under the age of majority view at their own risk.”

“And yet you work at a high school,” the greenet countered with a disapproving shake of his head.

She simply shrugged before suddenly snapping at him with her whip. He easily dodged by jumping high into the air. There wasn’t so much he could do offensively against her at this point. Her whip gave her reach and flexibility. Even if he were to try to counter with his staff, she could potentially grapple it and yank it away.

Dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge.

For a few minutes, that’s all Edge did. His Jet shoes helped a ton with his maneuverability. Jumping high or skating low. His defensive training driving his instincts to tuck and roll when needed. It was almost like a dance around the R-rated Hero who was fully focused on him.

Midnight was smiling the whole time, licking her lips occasionally as if finding their little battle delicious. The thought almost sent a shiver of discomfort down his spine but he chose to ignore it. This could be good experience against an opponent who would use sex appeal against him in the future. Either way, he needed to keep his focus on his role in their exam. Distract and keep Midnight busy until the real plan could be put into action. All he had to do was keep fighting until he received the signal.

“As much fun as this is, I am growing bored of this same song and dance,” Midnight lamented as she cracked her whip much more while forcing him back. “Let’s spice things up with some real action, shall we? Or you could give in. Just take off that mask and all it would take is one tiny breath for you to submit to me. What do you say, Edge? Will you be mine?”

“Never, Midnight,” the young Hero declared, wiping sweat off his brow in a way that he could touch one of the buttons on his goggles. “A Hero doesn’t submit to Villains. They fight them.”

“Then fight me, Hero,” the R-rated Villain challenged, pulling her whip taunt in her hands and snapping it threateningly. “Give me everything you’ve got.”

“With pleasure,” he replied before finally ‘spicing things up’ with a fiery breath attack from his mask. The sudden billowing heat forced her back giving him time to maneuver away. As she was establishing her bearings, the Quirkless teen whispered, “Cellophane, what’s your status?”

I’m here! his partner’s voice rang through his earpiece. He had given one to Sero before the test began. “Ready whenever you are, Edge!

Perfect.

“Now that’s what I call spicy,” Midnight cackled as the last of the flames fizzled out. “Give me more, Hero.”

“Actually…I’ve gotta jet,” Edge replied, earning a confused look from his opponent as he reached into one of his pockets. “You know, places to be, people to see.”

On the word ‘see’, he threw a flash bomb between them to blind her and then threw a smoke bomb to further distract her. In the confusion, he activated his tracking system to find Sero and infrared to move through the smoke to perch atop one of the jagged stone formations. Once there, he turned off infrared but kept the tracking on positioning himself with his partner directly behind him.

By that time, the R-rated Hero had cleared most of the smoke away with her feather fan, looking amused as well as frustrated as she said, “Don’t think you’ll be getting away so easily, Hero Edge. This game is not over yet.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Midnight,” Edge smirked under his mask. “It’s time for this Hero to ‘peace’ out.”

Upon flashing her a peace sign, a length of tape shot out of nowhere and wrapped around his torso. Blue eyes widened in surprise having totally forgotten about the other student in the exam. While Izuku had been fighting her, Sero had time to position himself right next to the gate. Sure, he could have gone through alone to secure their win, but that would mean leaving the Quirkless teen to do all the work. Besides, why win that way when they could both pass through that gate together in one well timed move?

“Bondage play in the middle of battle?” Midnight teased. “I wonder what young Todoroki would think about such a kink.”

She winked at him in hopes of flustering him and make him take a wrong step. But Izuku was quite used to her and everyone else’s pestering him about his crush on Shouto. He refused to let that affect him in a fight. Though it did irritate him enough to throw one last step in the plan that he hadn’t really wanted to do until now.

“That’s enough out of you, Villain,” he declared as he threw one more bomb her way.

Midnight closed her eyes anticipating another flash bomb only to be surprised when she was dosed in a sticky solution instead. The goo covered her from the waist down running down her arms, legs, and whip to the ground. She tried to wipe it off but found she couldn’t move anymore. It was the first time the greenet had used his glue bombs in a fight now with a formula that dried almost instantly. That way it did its job as a capture agent without negatively affecting anyone else in a fight.

Thanks, Bondo-kun.

“Looks like you’re in a sticky situation,” Edge quipped from where he stood.

“I dunno,” Midnight replied in a teasing tone as she tried to pull herself free. “Seems quite hard to me.”

The Quirkless teen groaned at her ruining a perfectly good pun with a suggestive joke. Thankfully he wouldn’t have to deal with her much longer as a tug from the tape around his gut let him know it was time to go.

“Well, looks like that’s my queue!” Edge said with another hidden smirk while flashing her the peace sign again. “Stick around for a while, Midnight. I’ve gotta go. Bye!”

Before Midnight could say or do anything else, the greenet was being reeled back towards where Cellophane was standing close to the gate. His Jet shoes were still active so that he wasn’t dragged across the ground as he went. Once he was far enough away, Izuku jumped in the air to flip himself around. As planned, when he was close enough, Sero cut off his tape and spun around in time for the shorter teen’s momentum and a well-timed jump to land him on his back.

“Onward!” Izuku commanded to his trusty steed.

The pair started laughing triumphantly as Sero carried them both through the gate to victory.

Notes:

And that's part 1 of the exams! Most pairings I kept the same for similar reasons as the sports festival. As for who Izuku and Hitoshi would be facing, I was between Midnight and Thirteen for both of them. But looking over the ideas, I decided these were the better pairings and would be more interesting to write. If I had gone with Hitoshi fighting Midnight, I probably would have Sero still fail and then Hitoshi confuse Midnight mimicking and throwing Sero's voice or something. But again, I liked this match up so much more. :)

Side note, I do have a head canon that Sero doesn't have a filter in his mask just because of the shape. But I do know he gets knocked out in canon but Midnight taking his helmet off before taking him out with her quirk.

If you skipped through the fight though, as I said in the warning, Midnight is Midnight and tossing sexual innuendos and banter left and right. But Izuku is having none of that. Sero gets tossed away from danger and Izuku works on distracting her. Lots of dodging and stalling until the right moment. Because I didn't want just one of them to pass through the gate, I wanted them to go together which I hoped you liked. The imagery of Izuku riding through the gate on Sero's back was hilarious to me. I just had to. :P

Also it was finally revealed what Izuku wanted to deny. And yes, y'all were right that this was exactly what Nezu, and myself, had planned for Izuku's little 'assignment'. :P One of those things that is very much obvious but I refuse to confirm until the time came. But now Izuku has a taste of how manipulative Nezu can be even with those he enjoys spending time with. Cheeky rat bastard indeed.

Fun Facts About Japan:

Well, sort of. :P When it comes to taking tests, I actually don't know much. Reason being there wouldn't be anything for the ALT to do at school so they would have us spend test days at the Board of Education instead. But I've seen some when it came to vocabulary tests and such. The kids are very well trained in Japan to keep the test papers down as they pass them back down the rows. Some teachers also have them space their desks apart just for test time. Then when it comes to the tests themselves, the kids are silent. Like hear a pin drop silent. Same goes for when they have assemblies and any other times silence is called. Almost to the point of it being eerie.

Anyway, in the US, when it comes to multiple choice we have the options of A, B, C, and D typically. They do something similar in Japan except it's ア, イ, ウ, エ, and if they need a fifth option オ following the first column in the katakana chart. If an answer is correct, they mark it with a circle because as we've seen in anime maru ( 丸 , まる ) means correct. Some people would even turn it into a spiral and add petals to make flowers if it was 100% correct. For incorrect, sometimes they would use an X for batsu ( 罰 , ばつ ) but what I usually saw was either a slash mark through the wrong answer or even a check mark to let the student know to check the answer. Which is different from the US since we would use a check mark to say it is correct.

Oh and going back to maru and batsu, outside of a test but during the lessons, teachers would use hand gestures for those two. For me, I would use them when giving instructions for a lesson or review game. Things that are okay I would make a circle with my hands. Things that aren't I would cross either my hands or if it was a big no-no I would cross my arms at my wrists or mid fore arm. Which honestly became a habit and I still do it to this day. XD Probably always will same with the Disney point and the head bowing. Damn you, conditioning!

That's all for this chapter! Thanks for your patience. We'll have the rest of the matches next chapter though please know I won't be going into detail with all of them. Just the ones I feel need it. ^___^ Which should still be fun through hero-fanboy Izuku's eyes. Until then stay safe, be well, and continue being awesome!

Chapter 9: End Of Term Exams: Win Some, Lose Some

Notes:

Update is a bit late but here we are again! :) I had a morning shift at work and then had some errands I had to do after. I hope you like the rest of the final exams!

Disclaimer at the top, I have no idea how black holes actually work. I did some research online but it didn't make a lot of sense to me and I could be completely wrong. Though I don't go into too much detail so it should be fine. :)

Got a couple different povs this chapter and I did my best to make it clear. Warning for swearing because there is a Katsuki one as well.

Formatting reminder:
"Speech through a sound system."
"Hitoshi using his Quirk."
"Hitoshi doing an impression without his Quirk."

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

Team Sero and Midoriya have passed the exam! a voice announced their win as they crossed through the gate.

Sero and Izuku cheered with twinned fist pumps into the air before the taller teen helped the other off his back. A number of robots came to attend to them. The Quirkless teen provided the ones going off to attend to Midnight with a supply of the solution he and Mei had come up with to dissolve the glue safely and quickly without damage to person or property.

They were escorted to a rather large tent labeled ‘Recovery Girl’s Field Medic Station’. Inside they found said Hero within along with some of their classmates. Some were lying down on cots while others were huddled around a viewing area with several screens showing the different matches. Shuuzenji finished her fussing on one of her other patients before coming over to check on them. She instructed them to their own set of cots and started assessing their injuries.

Sero was completely uninjured having been thrown away so quickly in their test. Izuku had some bruises and scrapes but nothing too serious. She gave them both a kiss and some gummies giving them the all clear. The two thanked her with a bow and they both moved to join the others when the Hero stopped them. They turned back to her in confusion when she placed her attention on Izuku.

“One moment, Midoriya-kun,” Recovery Girl said. “Seeing as we’re together and have some with injuries, would you like to come observe? Then we can finally start at least a little of your first aid training.”

Green eyes widened in surprise and then a beaming smile broke on his face.

“Oh, yes, of course!” he chirped in excitement.

The elder woman gave an approving nod before walking to the nearest patient.

“More training?” Sero teased with a grin. “How many mentors do you have now, Midoriya?”

“Heh heh, just a few,” he replied with a blush before following after the Healing Hero.

Both Satou and Aoyama were pretty beat up. Turns out they tried to take Cementoss head on with sugar powered punches and belly button lasers. However, both of them were incapacitated by overwhelming amounts of cement barriers and overuse of their Quirks. Cementoss on the other hand thrived in urban areas and had no time or energy limit to his Quirk. Their match apparently ended in the first few minutes and were lying passed out in the recovery tent.

There weren’t any serious injuries from Tenya and Ojiro’s match. Theirs ended actually pretty quickly as well. Powerloader had hidden underground and laid traps beneath the dirt of their battle area. Tenya had been able to outrun the obstacles and, with a quick decision, was able to fling Ojiro to the exit gate with a Quirk powered spin. The tail wielder then was able to deflect a grapple from their opponent and pass through the gate to secure their win. If anything, Tenya was the most injured with some bruising from being buried in the ground up to his neck.

Tsuyu and Tokoyami faired alright. There were no seriously injures past scrapes and bruises. It was fascinating to hear how they faced off against Ectoplasm’s clones. Relying on team work and thankfully had essentially a third fighter on their side with Dark Shadow. The sentient spirit was key to their victory.

Communication between the three was also a major factor in their win. They had devised an awesome sounding escape plan only the two of them could have pulled off that Izuku was itching to watch with his own eyes. As a fighting pair, they complimented each other well. Tokoyami was strong in long range combat but weak at close range. Tsuyu however was easily able to back him up and cover his blind spots.

Thanks to her level-headedness and quick thinking, she had been able to swallow the cuffs seconds before being swallowed by what sounded like a terrifyingly tall super clone of Ectoplasm. Even Izuku didn’t think he could have done that. Definitely not physically. Then with Dark Shadow distracting their opponent she was able to spit them back up and with a bit of subterfuge, a shadowy fist managed to cuff Ectoplasm around his prosthetic leg gaining their victory.

Hagakure and Shouji were unscathed. They had been pinned down under Snipe’s fire for a while with the added obstruction of smoke. The invisible girl separated from her partner removing her gloves and shoes to go full stealth. Izuku knew she did have a suit on but going barefoot wasn’t very safe. He might look into new gear for her that could switch between visible and invisible along the same lines of his new color changing suit.

Shouji had acted as the distraction, keeping Snipe’s focus on him trusting in his teammate. He even ‘surrendered’ with his many arms raised confusing his opponent and giving Hagakure the chance to cuff him. A bait and switch that lead to their win.

That was all who finished so far, the rest were still battling it out in their respective matches. Izuku was interested in watching all of them, but there were two he was torn between focusing on more. Shouto’s or Hitoshi’s. They were his closest friends and while it may be biased, they were the ones he was rooting for the most. However, seeing the danger his brother was currently in, green eyes couldn’t look away from his screen.

~~~

OcOchako and Hitoshi were in quite a pickle. They were up against Thirteen who was currently trying to suck them up with their Quirk like a vacuum. Or more accurately pulled into a black hole which was much worse. Either way, it was all they could do to hold on. The match had started with their opponent giving them an opening to run. However, the short reprieve was only enough for them to grab a hold of the railing for dear life.

Fuck, this sucks.

Pun may or may not be intended. You decide. Right now, Hitoshi had other worries. Number one was to not get sucked into a Pro Hero’s finger. Number two, which was just as important as number one, was to not let his partner meet a similar fate. Ochako and he were in this together and he would be damned if either of them got hurt or failed. He would not let this be another Hosu getting taken out of the fight so quickly.

Think, Hitoshi, think. What would Aizawa do? What would Izuku do?

He couldn’t use his Quirk right now nor could he do anything with his mask. His hands were too busy keeping him where he was. Ochako couldn’t use her Quirk either since she couldn’t get anywhere close to their opponent in their current predicament. Nor was it enough to negate the effects of Black Hole. They had no offensive or defense when it came to Thirteen’s Quirk. It seemed the only way out of this was a diversion or a surprise twist the Pro Hero didn’t expect.

But what? What would shock Thirteen into turning off their Quirk? Any weapons they threw would just get sucked up into nothing. The only thing that could possibly throw them off was the loss of something irreplaceable. Precious as life itself.

Fuck, it has to be that, doesn’t it?

“Fuck,” Hitoshi voiced out loud.

“What is it?” Ochako yelled beside him.

“I have a plan,” the brainwasher called out as he adjusted to scoot closer to her. “And I don’t think you’re going to like it.”

Once he was close enough, he whisper-shouted into her ear just loud enough for her to hear but not Thirteen over the sucking sound of their Quirk. The gravity girl’s face paled as she listened to the insane plan.

“You’re right, I don’t like it,” she replied. “But what other choice do we have?”

“To me, none,” Hitoshi said, his brows scrunched in frustration. “But it’s the only thing I can think of that could work. It’s risky, I know, but if you’re willing, we might have a chance to win this.”

Her brown eyes searched his purple for something though he didn’t know what. Hope? Inner strength? Courage? Who knew but whatever it was she found it as a determined look came over her face.

“Let’s do it,” Ochako declared with a firm nod. “Let’s win.”

“Right,” Hitoshi responded with his own and a masked smirk. “Let’s do this.”

The two teens maneuvered in a way so Thirteen couldn’t see what they had planned. Ochako used her Quirk on him allowing the brainwasher to hike himself up to wrap one of his arms around the pole to hold himself and freeing the other arm. Manipulating his capture weapon, he looped it around her wrist several times then tied off the end on the pole with some give. What they had planned might dislocate her shoulder but if they predicted correctly, that would be the worst of their injuries. And just in case the end on the rope slipped, she was still connected to the rest of his capture weapon.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Hitoshi asked once they were ready, earning another determined nod. “Okay, here it goes. URAVITY, WE NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE!”

“I KNOW, HOAX, BUT HOW?” she yelled as well, making damn well sure Thirteen heard them.

“TAKE MY HAND,” he cried holding out his free hand.

Playing her role well, Ochako looked at it skeptically while casting nervous glances back at their opponent. She then subtly let go of the pole with her wrapped arm, grabbing the give tied to the pole before she reached with her other hand for his own. Only for her to ‘slip’ just as she took hold of him.

“URAVITY!” Hoax called out, lacing in a tone of fear. “HOLD ON!”

“I…I CAN’T!” she wailed as her fingers ‘slipped’ as well.

“URAVITY NO!” the brainwasher exclaimed. While Thirteen was distracted by the ‘falling’ girl, he quickly fiddled with his mask to a setting he had memorized before yelling in Aizawa’s voice. “THIRTEEN, STOP THIS MATCH IMMEDIATELY!

“R-right!” the Pro Hero replied as they deactivated their Quirk on instinct, only for their arms to fall limp on their side a moment later.

Ochako, not actually in danger, landed on the ground still gripping the length of his scarf that kept her tethered to the pole. While he floated next to her still gripping the bar. They both stayed where they were for a few moments trying to catch their breathe. It was such a risk and yet it worked. Thirteen was brainwashed and they had a moment to breath.

Thank the fucking gods.

Once he felt more composed, Hitoshi unwrapped Ochako from the pole after she deactivated her Quirk and they walked over to the Hero together. He could be the one to cuff them as his touch didn’t affect those under his control, but he turned to face his partner instead.

Care to do the honors,” Hitoshi said with the cuffs held out in offering, his voice still sounding like Aizawa.

“Sure, but can you not talk in that voice now?” Ochako replied with a smirk.

The purple haired teen nodded and changed his mask back to normal. The gravity girl eyed up the brainwashed Hero trying to figure the best way to do this. Once ready, she managed to pin the easy target down with one of the moves she learned from Gunhead. Thirteen came back to reality confused and cuffed but soon congratulated them on their win.

~~~

Oh wow, that was amazing! Izuku thought as their match concluded. A risky move but it worked out in the end.

The greenet smiled knowing that his brother had passed the final before turning to the other screens. Even though they were still fighting, Izuku could see that Jirou would need healing after her and Kouda’s exam. He felt really really bad about her match up because a listening Quirk like hers up against a voice Quirk like Present Mic’s was the worst. She was clearly hurting with the blood dripping from her ears. Kouda was still being affected as well with all the animals being scared away. There was also his shy nature obviously not liking being yelled at from across a forest.

However, in such an environment they still had a chance to win. It was a weakness Izuku had learned about the Voice Hero from Hitoshi a couple weeks into him living with their teachers. His brother regaled him with a hilarious tale of the great Pro Hero Present Mic screeching and hiding on top of the refrigerator in full costume. All to get away from the smallest of bugs that had dared to invade their home. All while Hitoshi and Aizawa watched in amusement with the latter cancelling out his husband’s Quirk during his freak out.

Yamada had been saved by DJ simply eating the bug as if it was nothing. It had made the loud blonde scream about his baby eating a bug both grossed out by it but also happy it was gone. Hitoshi had so wanted to record the scene so badly but was threatened with being grounded if he did. Though Aizawa apparently did sneak a picture of Yamada’s freaked out face, for posterities sake of course.

But back to the matter at hand, if Kouda could summon and control the countless number of insects and other creatures teaming under the ground, they had a win. Because other than that, Present Mic had already scared off any other animals he could possibly work with. A revelation that it looked like Jirou had as well offering something to her partner only for the boy to freak out. But there was a problem with that plan.

Kouda was also scared of bugs.

That could mean a loss if he couldn’t work past that fear, but it seemed that seeing that same blood Izuku saw running from her ears spurred him into action. Kouda forced himself to give orders to a grouping of bugs found near them and shortly after an arsenal of tiny allies erupted from the ground at Present Mic’s feet. The onslaught of creepy critters caused the Pro Hero to pass out and the students won with Kouda carrying Jirou in his arms through the gate.

Having finished before them, Hitoshi entered just in time to see the end of that fight. One look at his guardian who had fainted to an army of bugs caused the purple haired teen to sigh and shake his head.

“Taken out by bugs, huh?” the brainwasher commented.

“Yep, as predicted,” Izuku replied.

“…wow,” was all his brother said in an unimpressed tone before going over to meet with Recovery Girl. Most likely to get lectured about how dangerous their stunt was.

The Quirkless teen was torn between observing her and watching the rest of the matches. Shuuzenji easily noticed and waved him off. She had managed to show him at least a few things and could go over them again in the future. He sent a smile in thanks before giving his sole attention to the screens.

There were three pairs left fighting their respective enemies, but Izuku’s attention went straight to Shouto’s match. He and Momo were up against Eraserhead. It was a tough match up for them as they tended to rely on their Quirks a lot, so going up against an opponent that could erase them would prove to be a challenge. They would have to be calm, collected, and creative as well as work together as a team. He also hoped Momo would take his advice on being flexible in a fight and use the enemy’s weaknesses against them.

From what the others said it was a shaky start. Shouto had taken charge when Momo appeared to hesitate, still haunted by her loss against Tokoyami despite their talk. However, as they were running through alleyways and hidden paths through the fake neighborhood, she stopped them. Still hesitant but looking a bit more resolved. After talking for a short while, they continued on their path with no one knowing what they discussed.

I wonder what they’re planning.

The idea to continuously use their Quirks to help indicate when Eraserhead was in eye sight of them was both smart and yet not. Especially when it came to Momo. It was a huge waste of her lipids whereas Shouto could just alternate between his two sides to keep his equilibrium. They tried to stay hidden as much as possible to keep themselves out of their enemy’s radar, but this was up against a Pro Underground Hero.

Eraserhead was considered one of the best in his line of work. Hiding in the shadows and skilled in espionage and infiltration. It would take a miracle to not run into him once during their exam. The students watched with bated breath as they could see their homeroom teacher closing in.

When the opposing sides clashed, it was awe inspiring. Finding footage of an Eraserhead fight was extremely difficult and typically of very poor quality making analyzing it a challenge. But here it was in broad daylight and not under threat of real Villains in the USJ or Hosu. They could see his skilled moves clear as day and boy was it awesome.

Eraserhead ran across powerlines as if he was born to it. Or he was part cat which wouldn’t surprise Izuku at all. The use of his capture weapon to traverse the residential area was like it was a part of him. Just another limb that he could manipulate with ease. Expertise that almost got Shouto captured standing out in the open for some reason. The Quirkless teen felt fear for his friend at the terrifying sight of Eraserhead baring down with Erasure active, hair standing on end and eyes glowing red like a demon.

However, it turned out to be a diversion as the element wielder quickly closed his eyes as Momo ran out and threw one of the Russian nesting dolls she had made. They turned out not to be as wasteful as he thought as inside was a cleverly hidden flash grenade. She had even rigged them in a way that breaking them open pulled the pin which Aizawa didn’t know until after kicking one.

With the Pro Hero distracted and disoriented, the pair ran in the opposite direction to get some distance. They gained a lead while Aizawa took a moment to quickly apply eye drops before running after them. It was inspirational to watch him shoot out his capture weapon to grapple onto the powerlines to launch himself into the air. Hitoshi and Izuku just had to practice doing that with their own.

When the Erasure Hero grew closer, the students kept running trying to get away even with their Quirks erased. To some of the others they thought they were had, but Izuku thought differently. Fighting against an opponent like Eraserhead was all a matter of timing. Erasure was a powerful Quirk but also had weaknesses to exploit such as his need to blink.

In the brief moment the black-haired man was forced to close his eyes, the screen was instantly filled with ice. Shouto skidded to a halt on the turn of his heel and unleashed his biggest move, Heaven-Piercing Ice Wall. The glacial wall blocked them from their opponent’s view giving them cover to implement the next part of their plan.

Izuku watched curiously at the different things Momo was creating. A long length of cloth similar to Aizawa’s scarf, a catapult, two big pieces of black cloth, and what looked like a dummy puppet of sorts. Once ready, they covered themselves in the cloths that obscured them and the catapult completely. Then they were off.

Eraserhead had waited on his side of the wall since the escape gate was behind him. Whether they decided to fight or run, they would have to go through him regardless. Upon sight of the disguised figures, the Erasure Hero shot after them moving almost too fast to see even with the compressed weights on his ankles and wrists. His capture weapon shot out and wrapped around their heads pinning the students together. Or…so he thought.

So that’s what the dummy was for.

When Aizawa pulled his scarf taunt, the black cloth furled up to reveal Momo crouched next to the catapult while holding the dummy high. He was caught by surprise at the sudden appearance of the weapon and missed the creation girl’s momentary slip of missing the launching lever. Instead, his head moved as if glancing at the still covered element wielder while jumping away.

At the same time Momo successfully launched the catapult and the scarf look-a-like flew through the air surrounding the Erasure Hero. Flames suddenly erupted from under the black cloth and Momo’s capture weapon copycat started to react. As the heat rose, the material was no longer loose and pliable, instead stiffening and wrapping tightly around Eraserhead in an instant.

Oh, she must have infused it with nitinol alloy, a metal with shape memory when exposed to heat. How clever!

It was an impressive plan that used her creation and his fire, together playing a part in their victory. Though Momo still looked unsure about her win. However, Aizawa must have said something because the next moment she was covering her mouth as tears welled in her eyes. It worsened when Shouto placed a comforting hand on her arm.

The creation girl suddenly hugged him and he awkwardly held his arms out not used to hugging anyone other than Izuku. Said greenet watched endearingly as Shouto carefully wrapped his arms around her. They were friends and hugs were a great comfort. Though Izuku still felt a pang of jealousy seeing someone else hugging his Sh…hugging Shouto.

No, nope. Yes, I like Shouto, but he is my friend. Not my boyfriend or anything.

Damn feelings. Now that he had accepted he liked Shouto, he found himself getting jealous of others. Those who got too close or too familiar with him. Sharing those sorts of things was something special just between them. When others did it, he didn’t like it, but he also couldn’t stop it from happening all the time. Not as a friend.

Ugh, not now, feelings.

To distract himself, Izuku turned to the last two matches still on going. Ashido and Kaminari were up against Nezu, trapped in the same industrial maze they were in for All Might’s assessment. Izuku knew exactly why they were paired up against the principal. Both were strong opponents when it came to raw Quirk power however they were single-minded and more action-oriented than strategic. Which didn’t mesh well with how the chimera viewed life like a game of chess, always thinking many moves ahead.

Explains why he tricked me the way he did but still doesn’t hurt any less.

The world was falling apart around the Hero students who ran for their lives. The overview shot of their battle area showed how Nezu was strategically sealing off any direct routes to the exit gate. There was another window on the screen that gave them the perfect view of the principal himself. Cackling madly in a crane swinging a wrecking ball with careful calculations all while drinking bloodred hibiscus tea, his favorite when feeling most sinister.

Izuku figured his mentor would win when the time ran out and so turned his focus on the other fight. Bakugou and Eijirou against All Might. The Quirkless teen let out a sigh seeing that the two had decided on a head on approach. Attacking the Number One Hero again and again in hopes to win. Which they could if they were smart and strategic like Tsuyu and Tokoyami had been, cuffing the Hero when least expected.

But this was Bakugou they were talking about. Sure, he may have shown some change over the last few weeks, but he was still Bakugou. Still rage and adrenaline with a mindset inclined toward determining one’s place in the world through brute force. Which could have worked against a different opponent but not so much against All Might.

They were at least still fighting rather than downed immediately. An explosive sword and a rock-hard shield against the might of the Number One Hero. But Quirks were like muscles, prone to fail with overuse. As the seconds ticked by, they lost more and more stamina. It would have been more efficient and smarter to find a way to cuff All Might, but Bakugou just had to win by overpowering his opponent.

What. An. Idiot, he thought with another sigh.

Thankfully his frustration with the explosive blonde as well as his recent bout of jealousy were both extinguished as cool fingers suddenly intertwined with his. Shouto was back and already given the all clear from Recovery Girl. Freeing him to take his chosen place at Izuku’s side. One that felt good and right, comforting like him.

“Are you okay?” Shouto asked as he ran a soothing thumb over his skin. “You look upset.”

“No, I’m alright. Just frustrated at Bakugou for not using his brain,” Izuku replied, giving him a reassuring smile. “I know he can and does use it often, but he has a bad habit of letting his anger take over at times.”

Like with me during our confrontation.

“Ah, I see,” Shouto said as they both turned back to the screen to watch a raging blonde and hard-fighting redhead battling it out against the Number One Hero.

~~~

Fuck, why isn’t this working?!

Katsuki was pissed. His plan had been simple. Beat All Might with his Quirk and have Shitty Hair back him up. Kirishima had agreed thinking capturing rather than running would get them a higher score. Which actually didn’t really matter because this was a pass/fail exam. All that capturing would do would show how strong they were and not cowards running away like dogs with their tails between their legs.

Bakugou Katsuki was not a coward.

He was strong, a Hero. Yes, he was a bully in the past but his intentions were meant to be good. To make Deku realize he couldn’t be a Quirkless Hero or else he would end up dead. Because Katsuki always believed that to be the truth. But now, here at UA, he was learning he was wrong. Not something he wanted to admit out loud per say but the thought was flittering around him mind as if his inner voice was waving it like a flag trying to get him to acknowledge it.

Damn his conscience trying to make sense. His inner voice had always been an annoying little thing, trying to goad him into second guessing his thoughts and actions. Not that he had listened before but now with facing his consequences and talking to Hound Dog, he was now. And boy was it irritating since he couldn’t tune it out same as before.

That same voice had been yelling at him this entire match, questioning his decision to face All Might head on and sounding annoyingly like Deku for some reason. But this was how it had to be done. Katsuki had to fight All Might and win to prove he will be a Hero. That he was strong enough to take down the Number One Hero and show how he would surpass his idol as he always planned. To finally get a win after all his previous losses.

Kirishima went along with his plan eagerly, excited to join him in battle again despite his worries about facing All Might. And Katsuki had to admit they worked well together. He didn’t have to worry about hurting Shitty Hair with his explosions and his partner knew when to step in and when to let Katsuki take the lead. A perfect tank to his DPS if you wanted to be a fucking nerd about it.

The plan was simple. Toy with the enemy until time was almost up and then knock him out, blasting the smile right of his fucking face. However…said plan was not going as well as he thought it would. All Might was strong, no fucking shit, he was the Number One Hero after all. But even with those shitty entirely unneeded handicap weights, the Symbol of Peace was proving more of a challenge than he expected.

It had started with a powerful blast of air roaring towards them down the main street. Windows breaking and weakened parts of buildings flying off. Debris was everywhere as they righted themselves and stared at the devastation. It was clear All Might was taking his role seriously and acting like the Villain he was assigned to play. No care for destruction of property and surrounded by an air of intimidation more powerful than they had ever experienced before.

Katsuki distracted the approaching Villain with a stun grenade, blinding him with the sudden glare. He jumped to attack All Might head on and not even the man grabbing his face stopped him from firing rapid fire explosions at him. It did suck when he was body-slammed into the ground and finally able to breathe again when the huge hand let him go. Fiery red eyes blinked open enough to see their opponent going after Kirishima.

Red Riot hadn’t been expecting the flash of light so was affected by the friendly fire attack. It was as his friend was blinking to fix his vision that Kirishima got taken down. Before he knew it, All Might was behind the redhead and all he could do was activate his Quirk and take the powerful punch that sent him flying. Katsuki had planned to take the Villain from above as he propelled himself with explosions, but the students ended up colliding in the air head on.

Fucking hell that hurts.

But neither of them wanted to give up. Shitty Hair got up first and offered a hand to Katsuki. Normally the blonde would refuse any kind of help because he was just fine on his own. But this was Kirishima who didn’t look down on him nor did he see himself as beneath him. No, they were equals. Partners, friends. Battling together to prove they were going to be great Heroes.

Let’s do this, he thought as he took the other’s hand.

Again and again, they attacked the Villain. Katsuki with explosive punches and Kirishima with hardened strikes. They scored hits for sure but there were also misses as well. Guts were punched and their last meals were sent flying everywhere. It was quite disgusting actually but they refused to give up. No matter how many times it took, they would do their best to beat All Might.

The most amazing Hero always wins.

It was something he believed since childhood. A part of who he was refusing to ever give up. Always fighting even if his opponent was bigger or older than him. They were just weaklings standing in his way. Going up against All Might was no different...or so he had thought.

The man’s speed was insane making even thinking of running or hiding a crazy idea. No matter what they did they would end up fighting him. Logically the only way to beat him was with a full-power attack. His smaller blasts earlier did nothing to the Villain so he had to go bigger, harder. Same with Shitty Hair. He had to be harder than rock, taking and giving blow after blow.

First one grenade gauntlet was destroyed and shortly after the other. But not even a knee to the chin or being bitch-slapped with his own partner would stop Katsuki from fighting. They would just have to change tactics now that his stronger moves were out of play. Well, not entirely.

His gauntlets were designed so he could use his stronger attacks with less risk of hurting himself. Storing up his sweat to be ignited all at once, but he could still do that without them. It meant having to force more of his sweat out instead of collecting it over time. This took a toll on him as his arm spasmed in pain while his body pumped out his sweat for another full-blown attack.

Katsuki was able to fire off multiple of those between Red Riot’s own attacks. Kirishima even landed a solid hardened blow to All Might’s left side that seemed to really throw the Villain off. It gave the explosive teen the perfect opportunity to end this. Katsuki finally got him into a good choke hold, ready to hold on for dear life until All Might passed out and they won. Only to be overtaken by a sudden wave of horror instead of victory as a buzzer went off.

Team Kirishima and Bakugou have failed due to the time expiring.

…what.

He…lost? Katsuki couldn’t believe it. He lost. Again. He lost a-fucking-gain. What the shit?! No! This was not how this was supposed to go. He was supposed to win. Finally win and prove that he was a Hero. But he lost instead. Once again failed to reach his goals despite all his hard effort. Why? Why couldn’t he win anymore?

The younger blonde was so stunned he forgot he was holding All Might. The man easily and carefully removed his arms. He placed the shocked teen down on the ground who was oblivious to the world or those around him. Both All Might and Kirishima started at him with concern for the catatonic teen. Never had he been so…quiet.

~~~

The look of dismayed confusion on Bakugou’s face hurt Izuku bad in his kind heart. He hated to see anyone lose and he knew that his childhood friend was going to be taking this harder than anyone else. Winning was a big part of what he thought a Hero was. He knew that was one of the reasons why the blonde looked up to All Might so much. The strongest man on Earth who always won at the end of the day. An ideal Bakugou looked up to and aimed to surpass.

But not today. With the sound of the buzzer and the announcement of their loss, the explosive teen once again was not a winner. Despite everything that has happened between them, it didn’t stop Izuku from feeling bad for the guy. He was going to be devastated after this. At least he wasn’t going to be alone though since the greenet noticed Eijirou hanging out with him again.

Thank you, Eijirou-kun, for not giving up on him.

Said friend was helping the unresponsive blonde onto a stretcher and walking with the robots that escorted them out of the battle area. Izuku looked around to see how the others were reacting to the conclusion of the practical tests. Other than Kaminari and Ashido, the rest were there to witness the explosive teen’s devastation at his loss. Their expressions were a mix of concern, a hint of guilt, and even a bit of pity. It was clear to all of them that a win would have meant a lot to their resident angry Pomeranian.

Ashido and Kaminari were confused by the mood as they joined the others but immediately understood as Bakugou and Ejirou arrived. The redhead gave them a smile that was more of a grimace before turning back to his oddly quiet friend. The others in the Bakusquad traded looks before joining him and approaching Bakugou for the first time in weeks. While a majority of Class 1-A did pass the exam, the air was solemn as they all felt for the distraught blonde.

With a final once-over from Recovery Girl, they were released to go change and go home to all get some much-needed rest. Bakugou had to be escorted to the waiting buses by his friends. He was more lucid now but still weirdly quiet and avoiding eye contact. His expression was blank and looked strange without his typical scowl. Softer and less…Bakugou.

There wasn’t anything Izuku could do about it though as any action on his part could make the situation worse. So instead, he put his trust in the Bakusquad and turned his focus to his own friends. They sat down near each other as the bus drove them back to the main building. Izuku was of course sitting next to Shouto, not once having let go of his hand. They weren’t exactly hiding it nor making a show of it. The others didn’t comment on it either having grown used to the pair being physically closer than the rest. The not-yet-a-couple were unaware of the betting pool Hitoshi and Mei had organized on when they would finally be official.

“So Shouto,” Izuku said gaining his attention beyond their interwoven hands. “Who came up with your strategy during your exam?”

“Both of us actually,” Shouto answered. “Us using our Quirks continuously was my idea and hers was how we eventually captured him. Momo said it was all about timing and she was right. Her plan worked perfectly.”

The greenet smiled as he glanced over to said girl who was blushing having overheard their conversation. Good, she needed the moral boost after the Sports Festival. Though that twinge of jealousy popped up again as he remembered they hugged after they won.

“Were you worried about fighting Aizawa-sensei?” Izuku asked as he turned back to his friend in an attempt to distract himself from such thoughts.

“Yes, but it worked out in the end,” Shouto replied with a shrug. “Momo thought we won because Aizawa let us when she missed hitting the launch lever. But Aizawa said he jumped back to avoid getting potentially frozen by me and unintentionally fell into her trap.”

Ah, so that’s what he said to make her cry like that.

“I see, well good for you guys,” the greenet smiled, internally willing his jealous side to calm the heck down. “I’m glad you’re becoming closer friends. Hugs are a great source of comfort.”

Grey and blue eyes studied him for a moment before Shouto said, “It was a bit strange since we don’t do that often if at all, but it was kind of nice.”

“Ah, I see,” Izuku muttered, looking away in an attempt to hide his sad expression.

Shouto noticed anyway and leaned forward to whisper in his ear, “However, I like hugging you more.”

The Quirkless teen shivered at the confession as well as the feeling of his breath on his ear. The bi-color teen pulled back just enough away so that when Izuku turned to look at him their noses were almost brushing each other.

“…really?” Izuku breathed, staring in disbelief into eyes of stormy grey and balmy blue.

Shouto merely let out an affirming hum in reply, his own eyes lost in forest green. Izuku blushed before bashfully turning away, smiling wider feeling better that his warm friend liked his hugs more. Meanwhile his other friends, especially Hitoshi, all rolled their eyes at the interaction. Collectively thinking ‘just kiss already’. Seriously, the pining and flirting were getting old.

Once the buses arrived on the main campus, they quickly changed and returned to class 1-A briefly to be told to come to UA the next day. The teachers had to go over their results of their exams and then they would be meeting at school only in the morning to give them their grades. Then the rest of their weekend they would be free.

Notes:

That's the finals! Most I kept close to canon because of various reasons. Official failed students are Katsuki, Kirishima, Satou, Aoyama, Ashido, and Kaminari. The rest passed! Omedetou! (congratulations ;) ( おめでとう ) ) Also double for Izuku who finally got to start on some first aid training! Work hard, green bean!

So back to the black hole thing. Again, I don't really get them but I do know they don't actually suck and rather pull. Like super strong gravity. Which led to another brainteaser. Would Ochako's quirk negate Thirteen's? I wasn't entirely sure because there's the theory it isn't entirely negating gravity but instead reducing it. So who or whatever she uses her quirk on the gravity is reduced or manipulated in some way. So it could potentially reduce the effect of Thirteen's quirk but again, I could be completely wrong. :P

Oh, alternate route if I had Izuku paired up with Ochako against Thirteen. I would have probably had Izuku use a flash and smoke bomb to distract Thirteen. That way they lose sight of the two students and have to carefully clear up some. Only to find just Izuku with Ochako nowhere to be seen. Then she could take Thirteen out from above or behind with Gunhead martial arts.

Sh-sh-shout out to SoFewSpoons on discord for the tea suggestion! It was awhile ago but fit so perfectly. So thanks! On another note, keep in mind Izuku in this is more on the forgiving side. Sure he's lost some confidence in Nezu for this trickery, but Nezu has also helped him a shit ton. So yeah, it'll hurt but I still have lost more planned for them. ^___^

So...Katsuki. He failed. Again. Perhaps a bit because I'm still enacting my own karmic revenge on him but also for plot reasons. In canon, really the only reason he won was because Midoriya would not take his shit and left him go in head first entirely like an idiot while understanding that Katsuki would not run away. I actually really hate that they were paired up in canon because their relationship is so fucked up. All of the work to force cooperation was on Izuku while forcing him into a fight with his bully. Now here in BC, Izuku isn't there to logic some sense into Katsuki. Kirishima is here for sure but he's not as much to take a leading role. Not to me anyway. And he seems to roll with more what Katsuki would do going into a battle. Sure, there are criticisms on his part but I felt he would go along with the plan. And his canon fight does have Kirishima saying a frontal assault could mean more points.

Careful, Izuku. Your feelings are showing. But then again so are Shouto's even though they don't really know how the other feels. We're getting there, I promise. There will for sure be progress in either this part of the series or possibly into the next depending on how the story goes, but not quite yet. I have a very specific idea of when they break that barrier between them and finally get together. Which I hope you will like. :)

In the mean time, there's the betting pool! Honestly I have no idea who would win exactly or what their bet will be. Though I do have a silly idea of who could maybe win but I am so open to suggestions. Same with the prize. Like it could be money but it could also getting people to do things for the winner or maybe they get snacks. Again not sure but I thought something other than money could be fun! Anyway, let me know!

Alright, I wanted to get this finished and posted as soon as possible so no fun facts this chapter. Next update is them going over the results and then there's a special Hitoshi fluff fest with the foster fam. Like super fluffy. As fluffy as the cats themselves. ;) But you'll have to wait and see what that is all about! Thank you for your patience and hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Chapter 10: Like Riding A Bicycle

Notes:

Update time again! Prepare yourselves. Fluffiness is impending. ;) I hope you enjoy it!

Linktree to all the things! This includes the discord, tumblr, and more! Join if you'd like! :D

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

Chapter Text

The next morning came quickly. Those that failed were already lamenting that they wouldn’t be going to the summer training camp. Well, most of them. Bakugou was sitting quietly at his desk while Aoyama was forcing himself to smile with his usual sparkle at his own. Eijirou, Ashido, Satou, and Kaminari though looked resigned to their fate of summer school hell.

“Please don’t be so sad,” Izuku tried to comfort them. “Maybe there will be a last-minute twist and they’ll let you go anyway! This is Aizawa-sensei we’re dealing with!”

Kaminari had looked like he was about to snap at him for being so hopeful. However, the mention of their teacher’s name made him pause in his plans to poke Izuku in the eye. A second later they heard the rattling of the door as it was about to opened and everyone ran to their seats.

“Once the bell rings, I expect you to be in your…,” Aizawa said as he slammed the door open only to see them all seated already. “…seats. I see you’re learning. Good.”

He walked to the front podium, placed down his papers, and then stared out at his students looking tired as ever.

“Morning,” he began. “As some of you are aware, there were unfortunately a number of you who did not pass your final exams. Therefore, pertaining to the training camp…”

The six that lost stared glumly at their desks, but Izuku watched Aizawa just waiting for the bait and switch. His suspicions of an unexpected twist were confirmed by the tired man’s scheming Totoro smile.

“…everyone will be going!”

The cheerful tone did not suit him at all. Both Hitoshi and Izuku rolled their eyes at his dramatics while the others cheered at the news.

“Yeah yeah, you get to go,” Aizawa affirmed, back to his bored expression. Yeah, much better. “The good news is that no one failed the written exam. However, six did fail the practical.”

The mentioned six received sympathetic looks from their peers. Even Bakugou who was sitting as silent and still as a statue. Not reacting to anything but there was a spark of fire slowly returning to his eyes now knowing he was still going to camp with the rest. No longer feeling a bout of isolation from the class. His suspension and temporary self-isolation were bad enough.

“Allow me to explain,” the tired man continued. “For each of your practical battles, the teachers made sure to leave a way for you students to win against them. Or else you wouldn’t have stood a chance. Our interest was in observing how you approached the task and worked together to deal with it.”

“But didn’t you say that the teachers wouldn’t be holding back?” Ojiro asked near the front.

“That was all to put you on edge,” Aizawa explained, ignoring the snort from the back unintentionally using one of his student’s Hero names. Problem child. “Besides, when it comes to the training camp, we’ll be focusing on building your strengths. Those of you who failed will need those lessons the most. We had no intention of separating you from the start. It was merely a logical deception to push you.”

The Totoro smile was back at that last sentence, just as creepy as before. Aizawa sure did love a logical ruse. Such a drama queen. And he complained about Yamada all the time according to Hitoshi. Once again, the two brothers rolled their eyes as the others openly complained about being tricked yet again by their homeroom teacher. Especially Tenya who shot up from his seat to voice his ire.

“This is the second time you’ve lied to us, Aizawa-sensei!” the class president barked, one arm shoved stiffly into the air. “Aren’t you worried about us losing faith in you as our teacher?”

Blunt but a good point. Aizawa promised to consider it at the very least though Izuku highly doubted they would ever be rid of his logical ruses.

“I may have lied about that but I didn’t lie about everything,” Aizawa announced, taking back control of his class and specifically eyeing the ones that didn’t pass. “Failure is failure. For the six of you, we’ve prepared extra lessons. Ones that will be far tougher than what you would have faced at summer school.”

That announcement put a dampener on the happy mood of knowing they would all be going to camp together. Extra lessons did not sound fun but at least they would be together, right? After that, their teacher called for a dismissal and left information packets for them before he left. Tenya, still rumbling over yet another deception from their teacher, dutifully helped pass out the papers.

There was nothing about where the training camp would be or what they would be doing, but judging by the packing list they could be going anywhere or doing anything. The only hint was the mention of the woods Aizawa made weeks ago. Those around Izuku started discussing the list noting what they would need to get to be prepared. Izuku had a few things missing as well but most he would be able to find at home. Though considering they would be gone a week, he might need a bigger suitcase.

“Since exams are over and we have the rest of today and tomorrow off,” Hagakure said with an assumed skip in her step. “Why don’t we do a class trip to the mall?”

The idea was met with enthusiasm as they had never hung out as a class outside of school before. Though they did decide to move it until tomorrow so they could have all day rather than just an afternoon. Plus, they could meet up in casual clothes instead of their uniforms.

Not everyone could go but a good number of them could. Eijirou, bless his heart, did try to get Bakugou to join them, but the typically explosive blonde quietly left without a word. Shouto couldn’t come either already having plans to see his mother, but that was okay. There was always next time, right? They all parted ways to their respective homes eager for their plans tomorrow.

~~~

Hitoshi walked the now familiar path to his foster home. Living with Aizawa and Yamada was definitely the best placing he’s ever had. Caring and never scared of him using his Quirk on them. Each passing day he grew more hopeful that this might be it. His family. There was still a seed of doubt just in case, he’s been hurt way too many times before not to, but the hope continued to grow as time passed.

“I’m home,” Hitoshi called out as he entered their apartment and took off his shoes.

“Welcome home, Toshi!” Yamada called out from down the hall. “Go and get changed out of your uniform and meet us in the living room, yeah?”

The nickname had spawned randomly over the last few weeks and seemed to stick. Not that Hitoshi was complaining or anything. It was just…different. A good different.

“Uh, sure,” he replied before going to his room.

It was a lot more put together now that he had lived with them for a month. There was the desk from before as well as the cabinet holding Yamada’s Eraserhead collection. The blonde had offered to move it somewhere else in the apartment but Hitoshi didn’t mind. He liked looking through it from time to time and it was fun to see how much Yamada was dedicated to showing his appreciation of his husband’s work.

Along with those, he now had a bed with a table next to it and a dresser for his socks and undergarments among other things. He also had a laptop for his homework and personal use. That addition had been a shock and he tried to get them to return it, but Yamada wasn’t having it insisting he keep it.

The loud man also set him up with a kind of mini sound studio. Speakers, stereo system, sound board. The works. Also, really comfy headphones with cat ears on top. All because Hitoshi had mentioned his like of music never expecting this, but he endured the setup since it was nice to listen to music again. It was also helping him work on his mimicry and impressions, recording himself talking and replaying it back to practice and make changes. And he may have dabbled a little with putting some sounds together just for the heck of it. Nobody needed to know about that.

The walls weren’t as bare anymore either. There were a few posters of cats and one badass one of Eraserhead crouched on the edge of a roof. How Yamada managed to get that no one knew and it was kind of weird having a poster of his teacher on his wall while living with the man. But Eraserhead had become his favorite Hero and his inspiration. Made it less embarrassing waking up to it every day.

There were also other pictures on the wall. They did get his second-place medal framed with advice from Inko. Nothing too flashy but enough to present it as something special. Something of Hitoshi’s and it wasn’t the only one. His guardians had actually started hanging pictures of him mixed among the others they had up around the apartment. Further including the purple-haired teen into their home and personal lives.

There was the picture Yamada snuck of Izuku and him surrounded by cats on the last day of the internships. Embarrassing but nice. Then there were others. Such as various shots of Hitoshi interacting with the cats or random candid shots while they were out and about. There was also one of Aizawa and Hitoshi leaning on each other passed out on the couch. More embarrassing than the others but still nice.

As for his room, it was still a work in progress but was way more personalized than he had in a long time. Purple eyes looked at his things in sincere appreciation, still not thinking he deserved all this. The teen let out a happy little huff as he entered his room. The walls were painted a dark purple and the curtains on the window were a close match. When drawn it shrouded the room in darkness which was kind of helping with his insomnia a bit.

At the moment the curtains were cracked enough to let in some light. The line of light stretched across the floor over to his bed. The bedspread was also a dark purple with a pattern of black paw prints. His sheets and pillows were simply black so he almost missed it. However, trained cat seeking eyes managed to spot the ball of black fur curled up on one of his pillows.

Hitoshi let out an amused huff as he very quietly placed his bag down. On socked feet he silently walked over to his bed towards the napping cat. Sashimi had warmed up to him over the last few weeks. Still hesitant like the shadow cat that she is but seemed to enjoy spending time in Hitoshi’s room. Something that Aizawa was totally not at all jealous of as she used to spend pretty much all her time in their bedroom.

More than once, Hitoshi had woken up in the middle of the night to find her crawling onto his bed. He would watch quietly as she settled into a ball much like now on his chest. It was absolutely adorable and he loved every moment spent with the shy cat who was currently existing as a round void into the abyss on his pillow. The teen smiled as he reached out and gently pet the cat. Suddenly the void was looking back at him through yellow eyes floating like miniatured twinned suns.

“Hey, Sashimi,” Hitoshi whispered, carefully smoothing the soft black fur. “I’m home.”

The shadow cat gave out a quiet meow in greeting before closing her eyes again. He chuckled and gave her a few more pets before going to change his clothes. His closet was full of clothes now instead of him switching between the few outfits he had kept in his backpack. It was still weird to have so many but also kind of nice to have options. It had been so long that he had more of a choice in clothing that it was sort of fun to mix and match more. Play around with fashion as Yamada says.

But today wasn’t anything special. Sure, he had learned he passed his first final in the Hero Course though probably just barely for the practical with the trick they pulled. But other than that, it was like any other day or to him at least. Tomorrow would be more fun with their meet up at that mall. Oh yeah, he needed to mention that to his guardians.

Not caring much what he wore today, Hitoshi took off his uniform and slipped into comfier clothes. He put on loose light purple t-shirt and dark grey sweatpants keeping his socks on from earlier. A simple outfit for a simple day. No need for any extra frills when he planned to relax at home for the rest of today. After pocketing his phone and one last pet for Sashimi, Hitoshi headed for the living room.

What he did not expect walking in was having confetti thrown at his face. With new trained instincts, the brainwasher fell into a defensive stance until the rain of confetti fell. He was met with an odd sight. There were balloons and streamers along with the confetti on the floor. For some reason Yamada and even Aizawa were wearing party hats.

What?

Purple eyes searched for clues as to what the hell was going on. The ones already gathered were confusing other than indicating they were celebrating something. But what? A banner on the wall reading ‘Congrats On Passing!’ answered his question.

Ah, right. The exams.

But then he saw another banner that confused him again. As well as bring up very mixed emotions at the same time. It read ‘Happy Birthday, Hitoshi!’ in bright red letters.

…huh.

 

It had been so long since he celebrated his birthday. At least big like this. For some of his good past placements he might have gotten at most a cupcake with a candle but that was it. At others it had gone ignored altogether which was fine. Those homes it was better not to be noticed at all.

But not here.

Here he was noticed. Here he was included and cared for. Treated like a human being, not a Villain in the making. Given his own space and so much more without any worry of the cost. Ever since he entered the YamaZawa home, Hitoshi had always been welcomed. It was almost overwhelming.

The teen gulped as he pushed his feelings down. He relaxed his stance as he asked, “What’s going on?”

“A celebration!” Yamada cheered, popping another party popper launching more confetti. “A two-in-one for you passing the exams and also your birthday!”

“You’re cleaning this up, Zashi,” Aizawa interjected as he stared sternly at the confetti littering the floor while DJ played with it spreading it around further.

“Oh hush,” the blonde retorted while sticking out his tongue before turning to their charge. “I know your birthday was in the middle of the exams so I thought it would be better to wait to celebrate until after. And now we have more to celebrate about so it’s double the fun!”

Another popper was fired and the tired man tried to swipe the others out of the loud man’s hands. But the blonde kept them away with his one-inch height advantage. He also distracted his husband by giving him a swift kiss on the lips causing the black-haired man to jerk back in embarrassment. They had gotten more open with their PDA over the weeks but Aizawa still didn’t like to show affection in front of anyone. Not that Hitoshi minded all that much. He had to deal with the pining idiots he called friends. Their fluttering around each other was a lot more frequent and becoming quite irritating to those watching despite the cuteness of it all.

The two men were still squabbling over the confetti, but Hitoshi wasn’t paying attention to them right now anyway. He was still trying to process what was going on. They put this all together for him? For passing the exams and his birthday? But why? Okay, he knew why but a part of him still couldn’t believe that they cared this much. Maybe Inko would as she considered him her son, but what about them? What was Hitoshi to them?

As if to overwhelm him even more, Yamada pulled out a big present. It was oddly shaped and wrapped in gaudy paper with a big bow on top. Hitoshi could easily guess what it was but didn’t want to believe it until ripping the paper off after the loud man’s prodding. It was a bicycle. A real two wheels, handlebars, pedals, frame, and seat of a bicycle.

“Is this…for me?” the purple-haired teen whispered, reaching out but afraid to touch it in case he was wrong.

YUP!” Yamada confirmed with a hint of his Quirk. Too quick for Aizawa to erase. “You said you liked cycling so we got you a bike! That way you don’t have to walk everywhere and can cycle instead.”

The blonde beamed at him as Hitoshi stared wide eyed at the bicycle that was apparently his. Aizawa watched him figuring he was trying to process the gift knowing all too well how overwhelming his husband’s gift giving could be. He tried his best to hold him back but there were times he couldn’t or didn’t want to. This situation was the latter. The tired man wanted their kid to be happy.

Purple eyes blinked as if getting out of a stupor before looking up confused into lime green as he asked, “Why?”

“It’s your birthday present, silly,” Yamada replied, still smiling but growing concerned inside. “Don’t you like it?”

“I…I do, but…” Hitoshi said, taking a moment to clear his throat. “…why me?”

“Why you what?” Aizawa inquired, having an idea but wanting to be sure.

“Why give it to me?” the teen asked, staring longingly at the bicycle but still not touching it. “Why waste money on me? Why do any of this for me? Just…why?”

Hitoshi didn’t know his emotions were showing through until he felt a slow stream of tears running down his cheeks. He rubbed at the weird sensation to find his hand was wet. Huh. Guess Izuku was rubbing off on him with all his crying. Must be contagious or was it because he was unofficially a Midoriya now? Who knew?

“Hitoshi,” a voice called out. He turned to see it was Yamada. “Can I hug you?”

Purple eyes stared at the held out open arms of his foster parent. That was something else he hadn’t experienced in a long time. Before Izuku and subsequently Inko, Hitoshi hadn’t shared hugs or other affectionate touches with anyone once he was in the system. Others kept him at a distance just in case his brainwashing extended beyond just talking to him. Which would have made his Quirk easier to use but probably would have made his life a lot more difficult at the same time.

But Yamada was asking to hug him. To be close without fear. It was…nice. Not really able to speak at the moment, the boy simply nodded in reply. The loud man smiled warmly as he calmly approached the teen. Hitoshi could feel the man’s arms wrap around him in a comforting way that he hadn’t felt in a long time besides Inko. The embrace of a parent.

But this was different from her hugs. Inko was larger than life despite her small stature. Hers were the hugs of a mother, soft yet firm. But this was from a man. Taller, sturdier, stronger. More solid against a toned torso. It was the hug of a father. Hitoshi still wasn’t sure he deserved this, still doubted why he was here. But he shakily wrapped his arms around his guardian who started to run his slim fingers through his purple hair.

Another hand started touching him, rubbing soothing circles on his back. The younger one turned to see it was Aizawa giving his own form of comfort. He wasn’t much for touchy feely stuff but felt compelled to do at least that. For Hitoshi it was more than enough.

“Because we want to,” Yamada said after a while once their kid calmed down. “We want to help you. Take care of you. Give you a home and a family.”

Being so close to each other, no one missed the flinch at those words. To Hitoshi they still felt taboo, something not meant for him. And yet he found himself here being comforted by two father figures right here while having a surrogate mother across the city. What did he do to deserve two families like this?

The two men shared a glance holding a silent conversation. Discussing a topic they had planned on bringing up eventually but not necessarily in this moment. However, it might give the boy in their charge comfort and assure him that they wanted them here. They both nodded in agreement shortly after as Aizawa moved his hand to the boy’s shoulder.

“We were going to wait to bring this up,” the tired man said, gaining the teen’s attention. “I know it hasn’t been very long since we started fostering you, but we already know we want you in our family. Officially.”

Purple eyes glistened with tears staring at him in disbelief.

“But we also know that this is your decision too,” Aizawa continued, giving the boy’s shoulder a squeeze. “We want you with us but we also want you to want to be with us. We want you to be happy and if that isn’t with us then so be it.”

The kid let out a shaky breath before saying, “Inko says she would take me in if you didn’t want me. That she would fight you for me even though you’re Pro Heroes.”

The Underground Hero snorted as he said, “I wouldn’t put it past her. Inko is not someone you mess with when it comes to her kids.”

He gave the kid’s hair a ruffle in appreciation for lifting the mood a little.

“Is that what you want, Toshi?” Yamada asked, drawing both of their attentions. He was still smiling but there was a hint worry in his eyes. “Would you rather live with Inko? If you do that’s fine. We’ll understand. But I hope you would stay with us.”

They had pulled away from each other a little so there was some space between them. Enough for Hitoshi to study the blonde loosely still holding him. Yamada was still his teacher and a Hero, but he was more than that now. He was his guardian, his fos…his parent. Both of them were even though Hitoshi was in no way ready to say so out loud. Not after only a month of domestic bliss.

“N-no, I, uh,” Hitoshi said, reaching up to nervously rub his neck. “I’d like to stay here…if you want me to. I, uh, I like it…here.”

At his words, the loud blonde squealed and pulled their kid into another hug. This time was way more embarrassing than the first even though he still liked it to some degree. Hitoshi made a show of resisting before pushing the man away. While Aizawa huffed at his husband’s antics even though he was used to it after all these years.

“So, want to go for a test drive?” Yamada asked with an excited smile.

The kid looked longingly at the bike again only this time he reached out and touched it as he said, “Sure.”

Together, they walked the bicycle out of the building to the garage down below. Not the most refreshing of places in comparison to a park or out on the streets, but it would do for now and allow Hitoshi to ride his first bike in years. It took him a few tries to get his bearings but as the saying goes, it was like riding a bike. It was as he remembered.

The wind in his hair. The increase in speed going faster than just walking. The feeling of using muscles in a way he had almost forgotten and yet never had. It was thrilling and exhilarating as all those times before even if they were few and far between. Hitoshi couldn’t help the grin spreading on his face or the happy cackled that escaped his lips. He was riding a bike, his bike, and he never felt freer. All while his guardians watched him endearingly, pleased to see him so happy. Also snapping some pictures to capture the moment of course.

They let him ride around for a while before calling him back inside. They had dinner to eat and a birthday to celebrate with a cake afterwards. Aizawa produced a bike lock out of his scarf he practically lived in even off duty and they secured Hitoshi’s present to the bike rack. He then handed the key to his kid who stared at it in awe as they walked inside.

After dinner and cake, they watched a movie together each with an accompanying cat in their laps. DJ with Yamada, Esp with Aizawa, and even Sashimi curled up tight with Hitoshi. It felt right, safe, home. This was where the boy belonged. He only wished it hadn’t taken so long for them to find each other, but the past was the past. Now they had the future to look forward to.

“Thanks,” Hitoshi said suddenly, drawing his guardians’ attention while he kept his focus on the shadow cat. “For everything. I really appreciate all you’ve done for me.”

“No problem, kiddo,” Yamada replied with a pat to his purple mess of hair. “We’re happy to have you here.”

“You’re stuck with us,” Aizawa added in an almost playful tone making the kid snort.

“Anyway, thanks…Hizashi,” the teen said, earning a cut off squeak from the blonde as purple eyes looked into green before turning to black. “You too, Shouta. Thank you for fostering me.”

“No worries, kid,” Shouta said as he reached over to ruffle his kid’s hair. “You’re welcome here for as long as you like.”

And if that was forever then so be it. They had already mentally adopted him and could wait to make it official since they wanted to give him some time. To grow more comfortable with each other and become a real family. Because that’s what they were even without the proper paperwork. A family. Found for now and hopefully officially in the future.

“Oh, um, tomorrow 1-A is meeting at the mall to get stuff for the camp,” Hitoshi brought up before he forgot. “Is it okay if I go?”

“Of course, you can,” Hizashi said with a smile. “Would you like one of us to drop you off?”

“Nah, I got a ride,” the teen smirked, looking forward to riding his bicycle again.

“Very true,” the blonde chuckled. “Well, we can at least give you some cash for whatever you end up buying. Though I’m sure we have most of what you’ll need already.”

“You don’t have to but I know you’ll insist anyway,” Hitoshi replied already accepting his fate.

“You’re learning,” Shouta commented earning a tongue being stuck out at him by an overgrown cockatoo.

The brainwasher snorted himself before saying, “Cool. Thanks.”

They turned their attention back to the movie until the end and finally they all went off to bed. Only this time Hitoshi felt more assured that this was his and no one else’s. He actually managed to fall asleep that night with a smile on his face. Waking up the next morning surrounded by all three of the cats brought it back instantly.

Yeah, I could get used to this, Hitoshi thought as he snoozed for a few more minutes.

Notes:

The YamaZawas finally made the offer! I still think it's too soon for Hitoshi to accept just yet since timeline wise it's been only a month. But now he knows it's an option and that they really do want him with them. That he is considered a part of their family. ^______^ Hitoshi deserves all the family fluff. That and cat fluff too.

So Hitoshi's birthday is July 1st. I think the exams happen around early July so he would have been too busy to celebrate it. And Present Mic is so one to insist on celebrating in a big way. I also thought this was a perfect opportunity to give Hitoshi a bike again. Also also one of the people I worked with in Japan just loooooved cycling and would talk about it a lot so I tried to channel that.

One more random comment, the title of the chapter. To me not only does Hitoshi pick up riding a bicycle again, but he's slowly remembering what it's like to be part of a family again. A long time coming from a distant memory, but with the Midoriya's and YamaZawa, it's starting to come back to him.

Fun Facts About Japan:

Specifically fun birthday facts this time! :D Now in the US birthdays are very special occasions to celebrate with big parties and lots of revelry. In Japan, not so much. Typically it's children's birthdays that get celebrated more than adults. And as they get older, the celebration is seen more as a private thing than public. Which is due to the fact that Japan tends to focus on the group rather than the individual. Birthdays weren't really even celebrated until after World War 2 when there was more western influences in the 1950's. Like introducing Christmas and Easter.

There are some significant birthday milestones in Japan. Rights of passage essentially. Shichi-go-san ( 七五三 , しちごさん ) celebrates the third (san, for boys or girls), fifth (go, for boys), and seventh (shichi, for girls) birthdays of young children. They get dressed in traditional Japanese clothes and taken to shrines to celebrate them making it to those ages with wishes of good health and longevity. There's also Coming of Age Day, or Seijin no Hi ( 成人の日 , せいじんのひ ) for when younger Japanese men and women who reach the age of maturity. This was at 20 years old up until 2018 but was lowered to 18 years old instead and was set to be effective in 2022. This one is a public holiday held on the second Monday in January for people who will 'come of age' between April 2 of the current year through April 1 of the next. They get all dressed up in traditional clothing and celebrate officially becoming adults.

To say happy birthday in Japanese, it's otanjoubi omedetou ( お誕生日おめでとう , おたんじょうびおめでとう ) which translates to 'birthday' (tanjoubi, the o makes it more polite) and 'congratulations' (omedetou). There is a Japanese version of the English birthday song. Otanjoubi omedetou replaces each line of the original song but with the same melody. :) This site has a version of it you can listen to with some info on birthdays in Japan. Also other sites with birthday info are here and here.

By the way, very random but the Happy Happy Birthday Song by Arrogant Worms is freaking hilarious. ;)

That's all for this chapter! Next up is a villain update. Some angst to balance out the fluff. :P Though I'll let you know now it's not the mall incident just yet but we're very close to it. I've got some build up for Shiggy's thoughts leading up to him finally meeting the elusive admin. ;) Alright, thanks for reading! Ta ta!

Chapter 11: On The Fence

Notes:

And we're back! Time to get a peek into the villain side of things. :) Again, not quite the mall but very very close. Enjoy!

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

Tomura stared at the picture of the potential admin held carefully in his hand. Father was on his face making him feel anxious yet safe in anticipation for their coming guests. Kurogiri, who stood behind the bar watching his charge, had arranged for some broker to find them better recruits. The decayer hated to admit it but his plan to hire just any old thug for the USJ attack had been a botch on his part. Meaning that going forward he would have to be more careful about his party members’ stats. If he ever managed to find anyone he liked that is.

Red eyes peered between the covering digits at the picture of one person he very much wanted to recruit. Midoriya Izuku was still on his list despite that stupid Stain’s insistence that he was wasting his time. Screw him. Tomura would show that damned idiot Hero Killer he didn’t know jack shit. Sure, the kid had that annoying desire to be a Hero but the Villain was sure he could convince him. All he needed was an opportunity to talk with the Quirkless boy.

He was growing more and more sure that Midoriya was indeed the admin even though he had only ever heard his voice once and briefly. But the decayer had this sort of gut feeling that it was him. Midoriya was smart and resourceful. Clearly able to find a counter or work around when up against different kinds of Quirks. Even strong ones like that brat of Endeavor’s though Tomura didn’t know what the whole face touching moment was about. It was completely different from his current one with Father. But then again, he didn’t know much when it came to physical affection in general.

In the vague memories of his life before Sensei, Tomura remembers some touches. The patting of his head from his grandparents. The feeling of his sister’s hand in his. The hug of his mother. But the touch that was still seared into his flippant memory was the sting of his father’s hand. His memories were shotty but the punishing slaps still managed to break through whatever mental block that locked the rest away. With them brought the strong urge to scratch.

But now that same hand gave him a strange sense of comfort where it rested on his face. Father may have hurt him in the past but now all that was left of him served as Tomura’s support instead. Caressing the young Villain’s face instead of hitting it. His father was long dead, but Father would stay with him forever.

Tomura was jolted from his thoughts at the sound of the bell jingle as the door to the bar was opened. He tucked the picture of the admin in his pocket as he turned to see their visitors. In walked Okuta Kagerou or better known in the underworld as the broker Giran. He looked like a sleaze with a frumpy purple suit, lumpy scarf around his neck, and wore round tinted glasses even at night. Topping it off with that stupid pencil thin goatee, missing tooth, and constant cloud of smoke from his cigarette. It was enough to make Tomura want to gag.

But he begrudgingly admitted the man was good at his job. Or at least Sensei and Kurogiri said he was. If his master thought so there must be something to this NPC. It was enough for him to push past his annoyance and listen to what the sleazy man had to say.

“Shigaraki,” Giran greeted jovially as he strolled through the door. “Word has been spreading about your League of Villains for the last few days. That something big is about to start. Certainly has peaked interest in a number of people.”

The broker smirked as he took a hit of his ever-present cigarette before blowing the putrid smoke into the air. Tomura itched to decay that cigarette but held himself back from the urge. Giran would just light up another one if he did.

“Well?” the decayer replied eyeing the clear lack of ‘interested people’. “Who are they?”

Giran gave a pleased grin before turning back out the door. A moment later two strangers walked into the room with the broker not far behind. One was a girl dressed in a high school uniform with blonde hair in two messy buns and her cheeks a rosy pink as she smiled with apparent glee. In contrast was the scrutinizing stare of a black-haired man in rumpled and tattered clothes that had seen better days. His skin too as he was covered in scars and were those staples?

The fuck is up with these two?

“Huh, so this is you,” the scarred man said, a smirk on his face and his hands in his pockets. “Pictures don’t do you justice. You’re way grosser in person.”

What.

His eyebrow twitched in irritation.

“Wow, it really is the handy man!” the girl chirped with her fists pounding in the air in excitement. “You’re friends with Mr. Stainy, right? Oh, please let me join the League!”

Ugh, fucking Stain again?

Tomura had the strong urge to scratch. How could these two weirdos possibly be a good match for the League? Sensei must have been wrong about this broker. But…Sensei was never wrong, right? Either way, Tomura couldn’t possibly allow these freaks into his party.

“Kurogiri, get rid of these NPCs,” the young leader growled with a finger pointed at the useless trash in his hideout. “There’s no way I could work with them. They’re two types of people that I hate griefing me in my own home base. I don’t want a brat and some guy with no manners.”

The girl let out a questioning sound at the rejection but still continued to smile. While the scarred man beside her stared at the decayer blankly with half lidded teal eyes.

“Come now, Shigaraki Tomura,” Kurogiri said with a placating gesture of his misty hands. “They have come all this way to see you. The least we could do is hear them out.”

Tomura didn’t want to but he guessed he could at least unlock the very basics of their character profiles. He let out a quiet relenting growl that only the warper heard.

“Besides,” the misty man continued with a subtle nod before turning his attention to Giran. “This broker is well respected in the underworld. They could be quite valuable assets or at the very least competent fighters.”

The sleazy man blew out a puff of smoke at the praise before saying, “Either way, you still owe me my finder’s fee. Now for introductions…”

Giran stepped away from where he had been leaning on the door to stand behind his found recruits.

“…let’s start with this one,” he began gesturing a cigarette holding hand toward the still smiling blonde. “She seems like a typical adorable high school girl, right? Well, the media kept her identity under wraps, but she is actually a suspect in several deaths where the victims have bled out.”

…huh.

Well, that was certainly an unexpected twist. A killer under the guise of a high school girl. Tomura started to play around with the idea of an assassin on his team. That is until she spoke.

“Toga Himiko, here!” the girl beamed with a smile made sharp with pointed teeth like a vampire. “Life is too hard! I wanna make life easier to live in this dumb world.”

The girl wiggled her arms excitedly as she spoke. Still smiling and blushing like a school girl. It made Tomura fall back to his original opinion that she was of no use to him.

“I wanna be Mr. Stainy!” Toga rambled on with crazed glee. “I wanna kill Mr. Stainy!”

Another nail in her coffin of so not being a good fit. Though that second part piqued his interest enough that he had an inkling of curiosity as to what she meant by ‘be’ Stain.

“C’mon, handy man!” she begged, grinning widely with her arms outstretched in excitement. “Please let me join you, Tomura!”

And that was the last straw. The use of his first name irked Tomura to the core. Only Sensei was the one to call him that or well by itself that is. Kurogiri used his full name so it didn’t count and he rarely saw the doctor so he didn’t matter. But this random girl had the balls to call him that without his permission and on their first meeting? On top of that she was obsessed with Stain like everyone else was for some gods damn reason.

“What is she? Crazy?” the decayer sneered.

“Well, she knows what she wants at least,” Giran replied with a shrug as the girl just kept smiling seeming oblivious to his utter disinterest. “I’m sure she could be useful to you in some way.”

Tomura highly doubted that but said nothing at the broker continued.

“Next up is this young man,” Giran said gesturing to the scarred stranger who just looked bored. “While he hasn’t committed any flashy crimes, he has taken Stain’s ideals to heart.”

Again with fucking Stain. Seriously, when was everyone going to just forget that freak? When were they going to instead focus on him?

“I’m not liking this,” the scarred man drawled. “Is the League really dedicated to the Hero Killer’s cause?” He glanced over at the smiling girl. “Seems unlikely if you’re gonna let this nut job join.”

Toga didn’t seem phased by his insult and continued to beam. It was like she couldn’t turn the smile off or something. It was kind of unnerving, but at least she could actually properly present herself unlike this guy. How annoying.

“Fuck off, you human raisin,” Tomura growled. “At least freak girl knows how to introduce herself to people unlike you. How about you give it a try like a proper adult?”

The scarred man glared back before answering, “Right now I go by Dabi.”

Dabi? Like cremation? The fuck kind of name is that? A fake one obviously. That ticked the decayer off.

“Not good enough,” the young leader pressed. “I want your real name.”

“You’ll know my real name when you need to,” the scarred man shot back stubbornly with a dismissive turn of his head before side eyeing Tomura. “In any case, my goal is to make the Hero Killer’s will a reality. In any way I can.”

“That wasn’t what I asked you, patchwork,” the decayer sneered back in irritation. “Fuck. Nowadays all everyone talks about is ‘Stain this’ and ‘Stain that’. Why is everyone so hung up over him?”

Tomura stumbled in his growing anger as he suddenly stood up from the bar. His palms now facing the two annoyances in front of him just itching to touch and decay his current problems away.

“Don’t do it, Shigaraki Tomura,” Kurogiri pleaded beside him sensing his charges intentions.

“Every damn day,” Tomura ranted as he geared up to attack. “It’s really pissing me the fuck off. You two are dead.

The growing tension in the room snapped as the decayer lunged forward hands outstretched. His opponents reacted with surprisingly quick reflexes. Toga popped out a knife and thrust it at him with noted skill. Dabi quickly withdrew his hand from his pocket and aimed his palm at the handy man. All adamant to dish out their own violence whether to attack or defend. But none of their attacks hit true as they were all redirected by carefully positioned portals. Tomura’s and Dabi’s hands appearing above their own heads and Toga’s knife plunged into the floor a distance away from everyone.

“Please calm yourself, Shigaraki Tomura,” Kurogiri chided as Giran watched the display unimpressed letting out a puff of smoke. “If we are to work towards realizing your desires, it is necessary to expand our organization. As we are now in the spotlight, this is our chance.”

The warper then elongated his misty neck to snake his head over directly next to Tomura’s ear.

“I advise you to be more accepting, not rejecting so quickly, Shigaraki Tomura,” Kurogiri implored before dropping his voice to a whisper. “Acceptance would allow you to use them and take advantage of the ideology the Hero Killer left behind.”

The young leader glared but made no further move to attack. He very much still wanted to but the misty man did have somewhat of a point though he didn’t want to admit that. Because this whole situation was just so gods damn irritating! It was all about fucking Stain and not him. They didn’t want to join the League because of Tomura. They wanted to join because of that annoying Hero Killer who was stealing all of the attention that should be on the young leader of the League of Villains.

Why were they so obsessed with Stain? How was he seen as so different from him? What made people be drawn to the Hero Killer and not Tomura? There was something about that blood licking bug that inspired people and the decayer just didn’t get it. It was seriously pissing him off and he needed to get some air. To get away from this irritating situation so he could think.

“I’m out of here,” Tomura declared as he retreated his hand from the disappearing portal and started for the door.

“Where are you off to?” Giran asked as he passed.

“Shut up!” the decayer snapped as he slammed the door behind him.

~~~

Dabi watched in displeasure as the handy man walked out on their meeting. Raging like a petulant child even though he didn’t look much younger than himself. Was this really the leader of the League of Villains? No wonder the attack on UA had fallen through. Whatever half-baked plan an immature guy like that could come up with was bound to fail.

Is joining the League really going to help me take down Endeavor?

“I hate to say anything ill about a client,” the broker said with his cigarette hanging from his lips. “But he’s too young and far too immature.”

My thoughts exactly.

“I really thought he was going to kill us for a sec!” the blonde said still smiling even after all that.

Seriously what is up with this girl?

“He makes me want to vomit,” Dabi commented returning his hand to his pocket.

Maybe this was a mistake. The handy man seemed to have a grudge against Stain which seemed contrary to the media reporting they were working together. But you didn’t necessarily have to be on good terms with your coworkers especially in the criminal world. Then again, he seemed to have a potent animosity for the Hero Killer.

To be honest, Dabi was actually more neutral when it came to Stain’s ideals. Sure, he agreed that a great number of Heroes were fakes and Endeavor being one of them, but Dabi didn’t care about seeking out the liars as much as Stain had. He only cared about taking down one false Hero in particular. One he had hoped would be taken out by the Hero Killer himself and had been intrigued when he had learned the Villain was already looking into the Number Two Hero. Which was why he had approached Stain and had given all of the evidence he had collected over the years of the Villain in Hero clothing.

But it had all been for naught.

Endeavor was number one on his shit list and he had every intention to still work towards tearing the bastard down. But now another Hero was on his list as well. Or rather a Hero-in-training. It was all that damn Midoriya’s fault that the Hero Killer couldn’t go after En-dick-vor. He was the one to end Stain’s Villain career and put an end to the revenge Dabi desired.

If I ever meet that kid in person…

Honestly, he didn’t know what he would do but there would certainly be an element of fire involved. Dabi would burn him like he had burned up the fire user’s chance for swift revenge. The Hero Killer seemed like the most promising outlet for Endeavor to be torn from his false throne, but now he was in custody with no way to carry out his will. And now Dabi was stuck with seeking other avenues of support to fulfill his personal mission.

The League had seemed the most promising after Stain but now he was having second thoughts. An immature leader and then Dabi being recruited alongside the psycho chick next to him. What was he getting himself into? Would it be worth it in the long run? Dabi was seeking to join the League as a means to an end, but at what cost to him.

His sanity probably if the League turned out to be more of an insane asylum. But then again, his mental state had always been precarious. Ever since he was young, he had issues with his emotions trying to understand the situation he had been born into. Raised to be a Hero despite his faulty Quirk only to then be recast as an understudy when his youngest sibling’s ‘superior’ Quirk manifested and eventually completely cast aside. Only the words of his mother had kept him somewhat sane as he grew up in a world of rejection.

Dabi had blamed his replacement for a time not knowing where to channel his growing frustration. Seeing all he wanted being handed to an ungrateful brat. Eventually lashing out but was thankfully stopped even if it was by that bastard. Because after talking with his mother he realized he had been angry at the wrong person. That it was actually all that bastard’s fault and no one elses.

Endeavor deserved to have all that he has worked towards destroyed because it was all built on a lie. He didn’t want to make a Hero as he claimed, he wanted to make a weapon. One he would use to take down All Might. Something that Endeavor could never do as the weak excuse of a Hero that he was. Dabi was his first try but was ultimately rejected because of his own flawed genes.

Whose fault is that, you Quirkist bastard?

Perhaps this was a mistake but what else could Dabi do? He needed more power in order to take down the Number Two Asshat. It wasn’t something he could do alone. He needed allies, money, connections. If this League could help him reach that goal, Dabi guessed he could put up with a few crazies for a time. As long as he got his in the end, he would do anything to complete his personal mission.

“Please allow us to get back to you about recruitment at a later time,” Kurogiri said breaking him from his thoughts. “I believe our leader knows what he must do in the end. Understands the circumstances he is in. First All Might, and then the Hero Killer…he has been humbled twice now.”

Cry me a river. I’ve been ‘humbled’ my whole life.

“He will come back with an answer,” the misty man assured them though Dabi still had his doubts. “One that will satisfy all parties. Yourselves as well as him. He only needs some time.”

Hand Freak could take all the time he needs. It’s not like Dabi had anything else lined up for his plans against Endeavor. He was willing to wait for whatever answer the handy man had for them. He had waited this long for his revenge against that bastard. What was a little bit more?

Dabi nodded his agreement along with the others before they all left the misty man to his bar. They stayed together until parting ways outside of the hideout. The scarred man tipped a nod in goodbye to the broker but ignored the girl as she waved cheerfully before skipping away. He cast one last glance at the unassuming building. Dilapidated and covered in graffiti. Looking nothing like it housed the newest Villain group with a number of violent attacks under their belt. One failed and one semi-successful but still enough to garner attention from the media.

Teal eyes squinted at the building in thought before turning away and heading back to the rat hole he called a home. He was still not sure about this League and its immature leader though he was siding with just biting the bullet and going for it. Take a chance to see what the League could offer him and if it wasn’t good enough, he could always leave burning anyone who tried to get in his way. It wasn’t going to be swift as it could have been with Stain, but Dabi would use this League of Villains to fulfill his goal.

In the end, no matter what, one day the world would know what kind of scum bag the Number Two Hero was. Force them to see that they worshipped a false idol and that their Hero society wasn’t as perfect as it seemed. The Hero Killer had laid the ground work and Dabi would do all he could to make it spread. Help his ideology grow and flourish until Endeavor fell victim to his deadly design.

Only then would Dabi be fully satisfied.

~~~

‘There is no meaning to wanton killing and bloodlust without conviction.’

Just you wait, Hero Killer, Tomura thought as he trudged down the street.

The sun was bright in the sky and the people of the city were milling about their days. They were as bright and happy as the day was with no sense of the unknown danger among them. Tomura was a Villain after all and could kill dozens of people with only a touch before any Heroes would show up. Honestly, he felt like he stuck out like a sore thumb in his black hoodie and pants along with his blood red shoes. A blip of darkness amongst the light. Yet no one paid him any mind as they lived their lives in blissful ignorance.

Much like how the media gave him little to no attention and focused only on the Hero Killer.

That seriously pissed the young leader off. What about him? What about his Noumu? Why was everyone so obsessed with Stain? Even those useless NPCs that sleazy broker had brought only wanted to join the League because of the Hero Killer. How was he different? Weren’t they the same? Destroying what they hate? Tomura just didn’t get it.

The Villain mindlessly walked until he came to a huge shopping center. The place was packed with couples, families with their children, and hordes of teenagers scampering about. Random kids fawning over garish Hero merch and school age friends talking and laughing. All of them smiling without a care in the world as if they were safe from the dangers that lingered in the shadows.

Tomura didn’t know if they were naïve or just ignorant. No one was safe. There was definitely someone somewhere getting killed in this very moment and yet these idiots just kept smiling. Like that crazy girl Giran found. Smiling as if nothing could harm them. Smiles, smiles, smiles. Their optimism was enough to make him sick.

“Whoa, look! Hero Killer merch!” an NPC called out drawing the Villain’s attention.

Tomura paused to watch two boys standing before a wall of things dedicated to Stain. There were replica masks, scarves, and swords along with themed clothing like beanies and t-shirts. Even he knew that was messed up to sell such things. The boys as well though that didn’t stop them from taking a picture of one of them wearing a mask. Laughing and calling it ‘cool’ despite the connection to a murderer. Gaining entertainment from a man who committed acts of violence.

He just didn’t get it.

Stain attacked and killed Heroes that he hated. Tomura did the same with what he hated, the most hated being All Might. He was so fake. Giving false hope with his stupid smile. Always claiming that he was there to keep everyone safe. But where was he when Tomura needed to be saved? No one came to his aid when he needed it most. No one except Sensei.

His master raised him to hate. To embrace that hatred and unleash it in any way that he wanted. That was what the Hero Killer was doing too, right? Lashing out at those he hated. Yet he was getting all the attention. From the media, from sympathizers. Some of who couldn’t care less about his ideals like those boys. They all turned to him.

Why? Why him and not me? Seriously what gives?!

How were they the same and yet so different? Tomura just couldn’t wrap his head around why. He didn’t understand what drew others to one and not the other. It was in that moment that he saw the one person who could possibly truly help him understand. Tomura weaved his way through the crowd carefully as he approached the boy in question.

Let’s see what the ‘Little Hero’ has to say.

Notes:

Toga and Dabi have been introduced to the League! :D We'll be getting into more of their thoughts later. For now very close to canon other than Dabi working with Stain in BC. A reminder of the BC Todoroki family history is chapter 2 in part 2 with Rei's version of events.

Btw, small edit because a comment reminded me. If anyone has fun Endeavor nicknames let me know! Just all the ways to insult the human trash fire. >:)

Shiggy is just very much confused in this. Going over and over again of why Stain caught everyone's attention. And who better to get an answer from than our favorite green bean? Especially with Shiggy knowing that Stain knew of Izuku in some way. Look out, Izuku. Shiggy is coming for you. -dun dun duuuuuunnnn-

That's all for now! Next up is the mall incident! :D About to be a little more complicated with Izuku's connections to Chizome and Shigaraki's interest in the admin. Next chapter should be fun. ;) Until then stay awesome! Bye bye!

Chapter 12: Let's Go To The Mall!

Notes:

Welcome back! Hope everyone's holiday season is going nicely. ^____^ For me, work has been hella crazy but that comes with customer service. Now I'm not the biggest fan of How I Met Your Mother, but I can't help thinking of Robin Sparkles whenever malls come up. :P Btw, I'm so excited to share this chapter with you. Because the mall incident, it's happening, people. >:) Let's get to it!

Oh and there are a few pov changes between Izuku and Shiggy so we can see what each of them are thinking.

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

It was a bright sunny day when Izuku arrived at the mall. Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall was huge and it was his first time coming here. With friends no less! As he converged on the entrance, he saw Hitoshi riding up on a bicycle.

Oh, so that’s what he was talking about.

His brother had texted him that he had something to show Izuku when they got to the mall today. This had to be it. A present maybe?

“Nice wheels,” Izuku commented as he approached the bike racks.

“Thanks,” Hitoshi smiled softly as he locked up his bicycle.

“What’s the occasion?” the greenet asked as they walking into the mall together.

His friend looked away shyly for some reason and replied, “…birthday.”

“Birthday?” Izuku parroted with a questioning tone. “Wait, when was your birthday?”

“It was on July first,” Hitoshi answered, still not looking at him.

“Hitoshiiii~!!” the shorter boy whined as he gripped and then shook his brother’s arm. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“It was in the middle of finals,” he replied with a shrug. “I didn’t want to bother anyone and this was kind of the first time celebrating my birthday in years. I didn’t even really remember until I was attacked with confetti.”

The Quirkless teen snorted at the mental image before asking, “Yamada?”

“Yup,” Hitoshi confirmed. “Complete with balloons, banners, streamers, and party hats. Sho-Aizawa actually wore one too.”

He hadn’t meant to let the first name slip out like that. Not to others at least. It would take time to get used to saying them to his guardians’ faces. Izuku noticed anyway but didn’t say anything. Internally though he was pleased that they were progressing and getting closer as a family. He wouldn’t mention his friend’s birthday to the others since he hadn’t mentioned it before. But that wouldn’t stop him from getting Hitoshi a present while they were here.

The mall was crowded since it was a weekend. Regardless they were able to find some of their classmates already converging. Not everyone could make it from 1-A but they were able to meet up with those who could. Tenya of course had come early and was quick to wave them over to their meeting spot, able to easily recognize Hitoshi and then Izuku beside him despite the habitual beanie he wore to hide his hair.

Ochako was also there along with a handful of others. Momo and Jirou greeted them as they joined the group before returning to their conversation. Shouji and Tokoyami offered a nod his way which he returned. They didn’t have to wait long for the rest of their group to trickle in with Eijirou, Kaminari, Hagakure, and finally Ashido joining them.

“Oh, I love this place!” Ashido exclaimed once they were all together. “There are tons of stores! And they’ve got the coolest and trendiest stuff!”

It was really cool. The mall was an open-air outdoor building with four floors of different shops. It was like they had everything! Even specialty products and clothing for all kinds of Quirks. Such as shirts for people with multiple arms like Shouji or bigger calves like Tenya. It was all so fascinating that Izuku accidentally fell into a muttering hole analyzing everything like he always did. A flick to the arm from Hitoshi helped get him out of it while Tokoyami let out a huff of amusement nearby.

“Hey, aren’t those UA students?!” a voice called out from the crowd.

“Yeah, I think that purple guy won second place,” another said.

“Wow, it’s so cool to see them in person!” yet another squealed in excitement.

The group of young Heroes turned to see those around them recognizing them from the Sports Festival. It was a bit unnerving to be honest though Izuku unfortunately had been subject to a lot of attention since he started at UA. The festival and then Hosu…it was a lot. Which was why he had developed the habit of wearing his beanie all the time in public. A sort of protection to his identity as his hair was the most recognizable thing about him. The rest of him was just plain which had allowed him to go unnoticed for years.

Now, not so much.

Izuku knew he would have to get used to it eventually. The attention. It unfortunately was a package deal with challenging social norms, but he also wasn’t alone and was surrounded by friends. He knew they would support him and his closest friends would defend him if need be. So, somewhat reluctantly but knowing this was the best time as any to ease into his own portion of spotlight, Izuku carefully pulled off his beanie and revealed his green curls for all to see.

There was a slight hush from those who were admiring the students of Class 1-A. An overall shock that the winner of the Sports Festival and the young Hero-in-training who was credited with capturing the Hero Killer stood among them. Then the silence filled with whispers. Nothing bad that he could hear though he did notice some people scoff before walking away. The rest were essentially curious wonderings.

The greenet rubbed the back of his head bashfully while Hitoshi took a step closer standing guard. His other friends also surrounded him like a protective bubble. There were some in the crowd that looked at him with contempt but the Quirkless teen paid no attention to them. He was too distracted by the growing whispers from those who instead looked at him in awe.

“Is that really him?”

“Yeah, I think it is.”

“Woah, I never thought I would meet the Hero Edge in person.”

“He’s shorter than I thought he would be. Hard to believe it’s the same person who took down the Hero Killer.”

“I dunno. He was pretty badass during the Sports Festival. Winning first place without a Quirk? Damn, dude!”

“I didn’t really think a Quirkless Hero could be a thing, but now? I think the kid can do it.”

“Yeah, me too!”

Then the supportive ones of the crowd seemed to ban together as they cheered out, “THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK, HERO!”

Green eyes stared in shock at their reaction to him, not having expected that level of positivity. Those who had given him the stink eye either sneered in distaste and walked away or scowled in what looked like discomforted shame. But the rest were smiling and literally cheering him on. Him, Quirkless little him. Izuku couldn’t help the beaming smile that their words brought to his face.

“I’ll do my best!” the aspiring young Hero replied with earnest and gave a bow.

The crowd cooed at the sight and some snapped some pictures before the little meet-and-greet broke up. Izuku turned back to his friends still smiling as bright as the sun which prompted Hitoshi to pull out his sunglasses. That had been so much better than he ever expected. Maybe he shouldn’t hide while out in public so much. He still would for now because he didn’t think he could handle that kind of attention alone just yet. But here with his friends he was glad he plucked up the courage to proudly show the world that he was here.

“So, what’s the plan for today?” Izuku asked now that they could start their day at the mall.

Turns out they all needed different things like a duffle bag for Jirou or outdoor shoes for Kaminari. The latter which led to a short reprimand from Tenya that it was recommended in their supply list to bring well-worn footwear but did a typical one-eighty muttering about focusing on utility. It was so in character of their speedster that Izuku couldn’t help the snort that snuck out. In the end they decided to divide and conquer before meeting up again for lunch.

Jirou and Momo paired up to look at bags. Kaminari left with Hagakure and Tenya to get some shoes. Ochako decided to join Eijirou and Ashido on their own mission. While Shouji and Tokoyami went their own way. Leaving Izuku with Hitoshi which he did not mind in the least bit.

“So, what do you want to do, Hitoshi?” Izuku asked his friend.

“First, coffee,” Hitoshi replied already turning in the direction of the nearest café.

“Ew, gross,” the greenet commented with a cringe. “I can’t even stand the smell of that stuff.”

“Then stay here, you ninny,” the brainwasher shot back as he walked away. “I’ll get it real quick and then we can go hunt for Eraserhead merch or something nerdy you like.”

“I’ll be here!” the Quirkless teen replied back cheerfully but then suddenly realized that left him all alone, green hair fully exposed.

Well, I guess getting used to attention on my own starts now.

Not two seconds later Izuku found himself under some random person’s arm as a raspy voice said, “Well, if it isn't the Quirkless winner of the Sports Festival. How cool. Can I get an autograph, Little Hero?”

Huh?

Izuku was uncomfortable for many reasons in that moment. One, this guy was seriously invading his personal bubble. You can’t just up and go touch someone like this, but when Izuku tried to wiggle out of his grip it only got stronger. And two, there was something about the way the man said ‘little hero’ that sounded…off for some reason.

“You also took down the Hero Killer in Hosu too, right?” his captor continued, still too close for comfort. “You’re something else, aren’t ya?”

“Yeah, um, that’s me,” Izuku answered, very much wanting this to be over with already. When was Hitoshi coming back? “What is it that you want?”

“Just a friendly chat. I am a big fan of yours,” the man replied before letting out a chuckle. “I can’t believe I finally got to meet you. I was just passing by and here you were, all alone. It’s almost like fate.”

As the interaction went on, Izuku was getting more and more uncomfortable. The weirdo wasn’t letting go and kept talking to him. Was he one of those weird stalker fans? Izuku had enough problems with Villains left and right becoming interested in him. He didn’t need any others.

“Who are you?” Izuku asked as he forced himself to look up at who was holding him.

The hooded guy had shaggy light blue hair and had some kind of skin condition that left him looking dry and crusty. Or did it have to do with his Quirk? He also had some scars on his face like on his mouth and his right eye. He also had a beauty mark below his lower lip on the right side. But green eyes were drawn in by contrasting red that stared down at him with what felt like maddened glee.

Who is this guy?

“You might have heard of some of my work,” the man said as he withdrew his arm. “The attack on UA. Oh, and the Noumu I let loose in Hosu.”

What little comfort Izuku had from getting some space from the creepy guy was short lived as the retreating hand reached for his throat instead.

“I’m Shigaraki Tomura,” the decayer greeted with a manic grin. “It’s so nice to finally meet you face to face, Midoriya Izuku. I’ve been looking for you.”

It was in that moment Izuku finally realized how much trouble he was in when he connected the man next to him with the leader of the League of Villains himself. He had never gotten a good look at his face before since he wore that creepy hand over it, but it was him. The man who attacked the USJ and who could decay anything with a touch of his hand. Said hand that was now wrapped around his very throat.

I am so fucked.

“…Sh-Shigaraki…Tomura,” Izuku breathed out, too scared to do anything else. The crusty man’s grin widened.

~~~

Tomura was ecstatic. He had no idea that he would run into his potential recruit on the same day Giran offered him such crappy ones. Well, maybe not so crappy. They had some fighting skills and instincts at least. Guess he could give them a try, but he would think about that later. Right now, he literally had the ‘Little Hero’ in the palm of his destructive hand.

This is going to be fun.

Maybe he could finally figure out if Midoriya was also the admin as well. He didn’t think the kid would outright admit it or anything if he asked, but maybe he would let something slip. And it’s not like Tomura would necessarily recognize his voice having only heard it once, but if some of that intriguing Quirk analysis were to come out, well, that would be enough proof for him.

“Why don’t we go sit and get to know each other better, eh, Midoriya?” Tomura suggested while at the same time already steering the teen away.

~~~~

Izuku was freaking out. Seriously, what was up with him and meeting Villains? Chizome was right, he is a trouble magnet. Or rather, in this of many cases, a Villain magnet. And this one wanted to recruit him for some reason, but why? What would a Villain like him want with an aspiring Hero like Izuku? The greenet had no idea how this little chat would turn out. All he knew was that Hitoshi was nowhere to be seen and he currently had a hand that could decay anything wrapped around his neck. Only the single lifted finger prevented the Quirk from destroying his windpipe in seconds.

With that thought in mind, Izuku made no move to fight as he was led to a nearby bench. No one gave them a passing glance, unaware of the Villain amongst them. They sat down side by side as the ignorant masses continued about their business.

“I’m surprised you came so quietly, Midoriya,” Shigaraki commented as they settled. “Any particular reason for that? Fear of me or fear of my Quirk? Not that you know what it is, right?”

The Quirkless teen’s eyebrows scrunched in confusion. Was he fishing for something? But why? Answer was Izuku did know what his Quirk was and how it worked, but he wasn’t going to say anything about it. Any of his analysis, whether of friend or foe, could be dangerous in the wrong hands. And right now, he was indeed in very wrong hands.

“Cat got your tongue?” the Villain teased with a chuckle. “No matter. Probably for the best. Wouldn’t want to make a scene here, right? Relax, breathe. I only want to have a friendly chat with you. But, if you do try to run or fight me, well…”

The decayer silently threatened by brushing his last finger across his skin. Barely enough contact to activate but enough to make Izuku’s brain freeze up in fear. His sole attention on the hand around his neck and what it could do.

“…if I touch you with all five fingers…”

Izuku was scared shitless right now. One moment he had simply been scared of the Villain next to him and the next he was terrified as he felt said Villain's hand wrap around his neck. Now Shigaraki was actively threatening him with his Quirk, tapping away at his throat. A hand that was capable of turning anything it touches into dust with five finger contact. A hand that could...

"...decay."

Red eyes snapped to him wide in shock. While Izuku clamped his mouth shut to prevent any more unintended words to slip out. He chanced a glance up at the Villain holding him to see a creepy crusty smile grow on his face. On par with Chizome's own but this one sent a more intense shiver down his spine.

"Now how would you know that?” Shigaraki sneered with glee. “Unless..."

The Villain leaned down to whisper in his ear.

"...you've seen it before. Isn’t that right, Admin Midoriya~?"

Another shiver shot down his spine at the new nickname. That was what Shigaraki had called him during the USJ attack, an admin giving out cheat codes when he warned All Might about his Quirk. In reports following the incident, there hadn’t been much stated about the Villains who had escaped or what their Quirks were. Probably due to it being an ongoing investigation as well as to not cause panic. But that also meant that he had no way to explain how he knew what it was.

Fuck.

“…yes,” the Quirkless teen let out quietly, seeing no sense in denying it especially with the deadly appendage on him right now.

He swallowed nervously and could feel each digit flex around his neck. The last one stopped tapping and drew away but still hovered threateningly in the air.

“Ah, so you are the admin,” Shigaraki chuckled with a pleased tone. “I had my suspicions but didn’t think someone could be that smart without a Quirk. Guess I was wrong. There really is a big brain under that green mess you call hair.”

Fuck this was not good. This was the whole reason why he didn’t want to talk about Shigaraki’s Quirk. Didn’t want to reveal that he could analyze Quirks and pick them apart on sight. Thank the gods he didn’t have any of his notes on him. The leader of the League would be the worst person to get a hold of any of them. But now said Villain had a hold of him, the source of his analysis. Not good at all.

“Sensei is eager to meet you,” Shigaraki continued, causing another shiver of fear. “He likes Quirks too. Has a lot of them on…hand that you could analyze to your admin’s delight.”

The Villain chuckled to himself as if there was a private joke there, but Izuku had no idea what it was. Unless it was some lame jab at his creepy abundance of disembodied hands. But the greenet paid no mind to it as his brain was freaking out learning there was someone else interested in him.

This guy has a sensei?

That could mean there was someone even worse than him out there, but who could it be? Pieces of information rapidly clicked into place in his mind. Shigaraki, the League, Noumu, Quirks. The picture was very clear as Izuku remembered something All Might had said the day he offered him One For All.

‘The Noumu had multiple Quirks as you and that Villain, Shigaraki, had revealed during the attack. Naturally that is not possible which leads me to believe that All For One may still be out there somewhere. As to where I don’t know but if he is alive, he may have connections with the League of Villains.’

Shit. All For One was ‘eager to meet him’. Fuck.

“As I said before, I’ve been looking for you,” the decayer said, breaking Izuku out of his internal freak out to remind him of the crap hole he was currently in. “A Quirkless boy rejected by a society oblivious to your talents. Idiots, all of them, but I see your worth. You’re smart, strong. All without the help of a Quirk. We could use a player like you in our party.”

What?

Chizome had said that Shigaraki was interested in him but it was entirely different hearing that straight from the Villain’s mouth. He wanted him. The leader of the League of Villains wanted him, a Quirkless teenager, to join him. Had recognized how some treated him for something out of his control and acknowledged the hard-earned talents he had. Much like the Hero Killer had but instead of wanting him to become the Hero he dreamed to be, this man wanted him to become a Villain. Two differing sides of the same coin.

Green eyes cast down not knowing what to say and was distracted by the color red. Izuku loved the color red. It was why his favorite pair of shoes were red, but right now that same color that typically filled him with joy now filled him with fear. Because the Villain next to him with his life literally in his hands had shoes the same color red as his. The color of blood. Similar shoes that walked down two very different paths.

“You don’t have to answer now,” Shigaraki offered with a shrug as he removed his hand to again sling his arm around the younger’s shoulders, deadly hand dangling casually. “Think about it. For now, let’s just talk.”

The Quirkless teen let out a slow sigh of relief. He was still terrified being so close to the Villain, but at least the decayer wasn’t grabbing his throat anymore. However, he was far from out of the woods. Shigaraki essentially had him pinned even though his hold was more casual. Izuku was still in danger of the young leader laying his hands on him at the first sign of resistance.

Okay, what did he need to do in this situation? Shigaraki was interested in recruiting him so that must mean he doesn’t intend to harm him, right? But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t hurt others. Any one of the blissfully ignorant around them could fall victim to the unknown Villain. Also, Hitoshi would be looking for him soon. Surely, he would be able to see that this situation wasn’t right and alert the proper authorities. Izuku just had to buy some time, keep him talking and the man wanted to do just that.

Time to get a Villain monologuing.

“What do you want to talk about?” Izuku asked as he glanced up at the man.

Shigaraki grinned, pleased that the Quirkless teen was playing along. Thinking possibly his plan to convert the kid was already starting to work. All while Izuku was playing around with the idea of the little black tracker he’s made a habit of carrying. It was there, right in his front pocket. If only he could get an opportunity to reach for it, but for now he would have to wait being under the decayer’s scrutiny. Shigaraki gave a grateful squeeze to the younger one’s shoulders before he spoke.

“Ultimately I hate everything,” the Villain began with a scowl. “Everything and everyone in this messed up society. You would know growing up that not all are treated equally. The weak and the ‘born’ Villains. Pushed down constantly until there’s nothing left to do but fight back. All while the sheep stand around and do nothing.”

His initial rant finished in a snarl only to ramp back up as he gestured towards the crowd around them.

“Just look at them, walking around as if nothing is wrong. Smiling like a bunch of idiots while any one of them could start a massacre at any given moment. All because the laws and rules of today’s society are assumed to be built on their shared morality. That nothing bad could ever happen to them because ‘no one would ever do such a thing’.”

Izuku looked out at the scene as he talked. It really was just like any other day. Friends were laughing, families chatting. He spotted a couple with a young child and the mother clearly had another on the way. All blissfully unaware of the danger Izuku was in while they continued their happy shopping day.

“But even though they piss me off, there’s someone else that I hate more right now,” the Villain continued, giving a squeeze to the boy’s shoulder to get his attention. Green eyes peered up into red as a sneered grin grew on the decayer’s face. “The Hero Killer Stain. He’s a real thorn in my side. And who better to talk about him than with the ‘Little Hero’ himself.”

A shiver shot down his spine fast as lightning despite the lack of a deadly hand on his neck. Only one person ever called him that and he was in police custody. How did Shigaraki know it? He thought it was just a coincidence earlier.

Wait, Chizome said that the League had tried to recruit him. Did Chizome tell them about me? No, he wouldn't do that. Maybe it was a mistake.

Izuku had taken much from the man after their talks. Perhaps Chizome took something from him as well?

"Who the fuck is Chizome?" the Villain spat in confusion.

Crap, I said that out loud, didn't I?

"Yeah, you did,” Shigaraki replied with a hint of amusement.

“Fuck,” Izuku whispered, he really needed to do something about his muttering.

"You've got quite the potty mouth for a perfect little Hero,” the decayer teased.

"Obviously you've never met Bakugou,” the greenet muttered with a grimace.

"Bakugou...isn't he that explosion one?” Shigaraki asked, thinking over what he had seen in the Sports Festival. The violence, the yelling, and the prideful attitude. First place, my ass! “Heh, guess he does seem the type if all that screaming is taken into account. If he wasn’t in a stupid Hero school, he would make a powerful Villain."

“Bakugou is not a Villain,” Izuku snapped but immediately regretted it. What was he thinking with a Villain holding him hostage?! However, regret or not, he needed speak his mind. “He’s strong and brash, but he will be a Hero.”

Someday anyway though the blonde had a long way to go until then. But even though Bakugou had been his own personal villain growing up, he hadn’t known better so Izuku didn’t entirely blame him for what happened. And now he had a chance to change. There was no way in hell he would let Shigaraki see him as another recruit. The man considering himself was bad enough.

The Villain let out a hum at that, putting a pin in that subject for now to instead get back to the topic at hand.

“If you say so,” Shigaraki said with a shrug before moving on. “Anyway, the Hero Killer is pissing me off. We’re not working together even though the media made it look that way. But I’m sure you know that already, right, Little Hero?”

Izuku did not like being called that by him. The meaning was so different coming from Shigaraki. No admiration or encouragement. More like an insult like Deku had been growing up. Admin was more like the decayer’s version of Chizome’s nickname for him. An intrigue in his abilities and a sort of respect for his skills.

The greenet merely gave a nod in answer to his question.

“Now everyone thinks that the League is associated with Stain and yet he’s getting more attention than us.”

Wait, seriously? He’s unhappy he’s not getting attention?

It was like the complaints of a child.

“That’s my problem right now. Everyone is so obsessed with that damned Hero Killer all of the sudden. But what about the League? Our attack on UA, my Noumu in Hosu…that griefer Stain upstaged us at every turn.”

Shigaraki was tense in anger and Izuku was having a hard time focusing on any one given thing. The Villain holding him, the crowd around them, and the decaying hand so dangerously close to him. He seriously hoped the young leader would remember his interest in him and not lash out in frustration.

No one is paying attention to me. Not me or my Noumu. But why? He boasts of cleansing this world of corruption, but in the end, all he does is destroy whatever he hates, just like I do. And yet he’s the one everyone is watching and not me.

Well, I guess that’s one way to look at it.

But there’s so much more as to why Chizome did what he did. As for Shigaraki he didn’t know anything about the reasons behind his actions. All Izuku knew was that he wanted to kill All Might and cause chaos.

“Why is that, Midoriya?” Shigaraki asked, the sound of his name drawing the teen’s focus up to the Villain’s face. “What makes us so different? Come on, Little Hero, tell me what’s so gods damn special about the Hero Killer Stain.”

Oh so much, you whiny man-child of a Villain.

Izuku made sure to definitely not say that out loud.

What was the difference? He thought back over all of his encounters with the man who told him ‘yes’. Chizome always treated him as an equal, listening to him and seeing his potential with no care about him being Quirkless. Though he did show care for Izuku’s wellbeing. Checking on him from time to time to make sure he was alright and see how he was doing on his path to become a Hero.

Shigaraki on the other hand wanted him to be a Villain despite all the effort Izuku has put into becoming a Hero. Saw him has a hurt child who should hate the world that had rejected him so many times. Perhaps in another universe the Quirkless teen could have fallen to Villainy. Taken the rejection and turned it into fuel for his hatred. Either tearing down the world with calculating accuracy or just burning it all down in a mad frenzy. But this Izuku didn’t nor would ever do such a thing. He was a Hero and that was that.

Another difference was that Chizome had never threatened him while Shigaraki did so upon their first meeting. He wasn’t exactly now, not as much as before, but there was still the possibility. One refused to attack children while the other had no qualms in trying. Stain being one to meticulously investigate and observe his targets before he struck while Shigaraki seemed to commit violence on a whim. Unleash some Noumu and see what happens.

There were other differences between them but all pertained on how Izuku saw them personally. However, that wasn’t what Shigaraki was asking about. He wanted to know what society saw as different between him and the Hero Killer. And the difference was obvious, to him at least.

“What’s the difference?” the boy replied finally, looking up into curious red. “You’re both Villains who have committed acts of violence in order to reach your goals. I can’t accept what either of you do…and for you I don’t understand it either. But the main difference is that Chizo…Stain, while I also can’t accept what he does, I can understand him.”

The decayer let out a contemplative hum as he quirked a brow in question. A quick nod of light blue hair prodded the teen to continue.

“He and I…we have something in common. We were both inspired by All Might.”

Shigaraki scoffed in disgust at the mention of the Symbol of Peace. Unsurprising since he hated the Hero enough to try to kill the man, but Izuku would press on even though he himself didn’t like All Might as much as before. He was still a part of the story.

Partially distracted by his own distaste, Shigaraki didn’t notice that someone was watching them, but Izuku caught a blip of purple in his peripheral vision. He subtly turned, green eyes connecting with purple and Hitoshi tilted his head in silent question. No words were used but the action paired with the concerned look on his face and a quick message using the sign language Aizawa taught them spoke volumes.

-Are you okay?-

Izuku did his best to carefully shake his head in ‘no’ while playing it off as a need to clear his throat. Purple eyes firmed in determination and gave a nod before disappearing in the crowd while taking out his phone. The moment took only mere seconds but it was enough to give Izuku hope that soon he would be able to get away from his captor.

“We actually met because of All Might,” Izuku revealed, not going into detail but pressing on to stall for time. “After meeting him I learned that Chizome wanted to be a Hero, inspired by the same event I was when All Might saved so many people from a disaster by himself. But he came to see that Heroes were changing. It wasn’t just about helping people anymore. Instead, Heroes became seekers of fame and money, letting corruption infect their Hero duties. Those are the ones he calls ‘false Heroes’ and to be honest he has a point.”

The Quirkless teen looked up to the League leader who was watching him with rapt attention.

“The Hero Killer I understand,” Izuku said, brows furrowed and tone serious. “He’s not a Villain out to simply destroy. He has reasons behind his actions, wanting a better class of Hero. He even saved me that night from the flying Noumu, showing his heroic instincts from deep down even though he’s resigned himself to being a Villain. He can be manic and single minded when it comes to his goals, but he doesn’t destroy things just for fun.”

~~~

Tomura listened with mixed emotions. Annoyed that the admin was giving that irritating Stain an odd sort of praise but also intrigued to hear a different outlook on the Hero Killer’s mission. Their motives were different but not as much as he thought. Attacking Hero society to expose the corruption hiding within. Though Stain’s method seemed to more target the symptoms of the problem while Tomura was aiming for the root.

Hero society was perched precariously on the shoulders of a single Hero. Knock that down and the rest would fall. He thinks he was starting to get what Stain was talking about when ranting about convictions. It wasn’t that Tomura didn’t have them, he did, but the concept hadn’t solidified in his mind yet. Until now.

They were different and now he knew why. All thanks to the ‘Little Hero’ himself. Stain was a man on a mission and to society that mission was clear. But for Tomura, they didn’t know his mission or the reasons behind it and so they didn’t see him for the Villain he truly was. The young leader was going to take down Hero society, the one that had failed him. Then when the dust settled, he would rebuild a new world where no one would be left behind. Destroy the world to save it.

Today’s society was infected. Heroes were relied upon to take care of all the wrongs of the world. Civilians leaving anything dirty or difficult for someone else to clean up for them. Whether that be crime or leaving a lost child alone because a ‘Hero’ would come along eventually to help. Only they don’t, not in his case, and instead the inaction of the sheeple and the absence of Heroes leads to those left behind to sink down to the dregs of society. Leads to people like him.

And who was the root of this problem? The one that always boasts ‘I am here!’ even though he isn’t. Not where and when he was needed most while preening and posing for the people. The one who worked his way into the position of Symbol of Peace to be a source of hope to the populace. While at the same time inspiring complacency and laziness as others believed that they didn’t need to do anything ‘cause someone else would deal with the issue. Civilians passing responsibility onto the Heroes who in turn pass it along to the Number One Hero. Because if he is there, everything would be okay.

But everything was never okay.

Everything was wrong. Flashes of his lost memories sparked in his mind. The pull of his sister’s hand, an offered treat from his grandfather, kind words from his grandmother, and comfort from his mother. Only to be overwhelmed by a flickering image of a disembodied hand in a pool of blood.

Each hit him with a twinge of pain that he was long used to and he ignored the itch that always came when he tried to remember more. Those memories weren’t important enough to him to dig through his subconscious. He didn’t need them to fuel his drive to destroy. Besides, even if they were dead, they were still lending a helping hand by reminding him daily of the hate that filled him with his own brand of conviction.

That was all he ever wanted, for someone to reach out to help him, but they never did. They allowed a child to walk down the street with no shoes and the blood of his family still on his hands. Such a sight drove most away in disgust and even those who did approach him left quickly to leave the matter to a cop or some Hero. But they never came. An itch grew with every passing rejection. That was until…him.

Sensei. He saved Tomura. Held out his hand and took him in. Taught him all he needed to know and told him to embrace the hatred within. To not let it fester or else he would suffer unnecessarily. That it was his right to do as he liked and destroy what he didn’t. Which was what Tomura was going to do and he knew exactly who to start with…

“…All Might,” the decayer said with a tone of relief and revelation.

~~~

The Villain let out a sigh as he slumped back against the bench, taking a confused Izuku with him with the arm still slung over the younger’s shoulders.

“It’s so clear to me now,” Shigaraki said, letting out a chuckle. “Why the Hero Killer pisses me off, why I hate everything…it all makes sense now. It’s all connected to All Might.”

Um, what? How? Huh?!

The Quirkless teen looked up to see a super creepy crazed smile on the decayer’s face. He looked like a creature from a horror movie. Wrinkled skin pulled taunt, dry lips threatening to crack and bleed, and shadowed red eyes glowing with manic joy in his revelation. Just the sight of such an expression on a very powerful Villain while in said Villain’s grip made the air grow tense and the rest of the world fuzzy and muffled. All Izuku could do was look at Shigaraki and nothing else.

“Yeah, that has to be it,” the decayer ranted. “How could I have not seen it before now? It’s so simple. Him and that stupid grin on his face are the reason these morons can smile so thoughtlessly! Believing in that there’s no one that garbage Pro can’t save all because he’s smiling! Such idiots!!”

Shigaraki pulled Izuku closer to him forcing him against the Villian’s side. Meaning he would be able to feel the shaking of the greenet’s body terrified to be this close to him. The hugs Izuku had shared with Chizome had been unexpected but ultimately welcomed in the end. But this…it was never expected or wanted. He just wanted to get away from the man clutching him as soon as possible.

“Ah, I’m so glad we had this chat, Midoriya,” the Villain said quietly right into Izuku’s ear. Green eyes glanced up into red ones that were full of contentment and creepy fondness. “It’s all thanks to you, admin, that I know my way now. How ironic that the Little Hero himself has helped me realize that I am the opposite of the Hero Killer. And now, thanks to the media, I can use his ideals and convictions as stepping stones to destroy all this corrupt society holds most dear.”

Shigaraki giggled, legit giggled at the thought of twisting Chizome’s morals and message to cause more destruction and chaos. That pissed Izuku off because he knew for a fact Chizome would never do whatever the decayer had in mind. But in this moment, there was nothing he could do about it, not with the potential threat of being decayed.

In the distance, they could hear sirens coming closer. To Izuku it brought a wave of relief knowing help was on the way. But for Shigaraki it brought irritation for having his moment with the admin come to an end so soon. He would have liked to chat some more but this was his cue to leave.

“Consider my offer,” Shigaraki said, whispering in his ear again. “I want you to join the League. You’d be a good fit and a real buff to our intelligence score. We want you and will accept you as one of our own. So when you get sick of this Hero gig, know that we’ll be waiting for you with open arms.”

Finally, the decayer let him go as he stood up from the bench. Izuku was too surprised by the sudden freedom to even try and reach for the tracker in his pocket. There was no opportune moment and the pale blue haired man was already out of reach. Any move he made now would be too conspicuous.

“Well, I’m off,” Shigaraki said while he reached into his pocket to signal Kurogiri to be ready to pick him up. “I’ll see you around, admin. Don’t die out there before you can join us, got it?”

The Villain was already walking away when a question suddenly popped up in the greenet’s mind.

“Shigaraki, wait,” Izuku called out, causing the man to pause and glance back at him. “What does All For One want? What’s he after?”

“Ah, so you know of Sensei,” Shigaraki responded in amusement as he turned more toward the teen. “Very impressive, Midoriya. You’re just full of hidden easter eggs, aren’t ya? As for your question, who knows, really. Perhaps you can ask him yourself when you meet him.”

With that, the Villain smirked as he gave a farewell nod of his head before just walking out of the mall. No one around them none the wiser that the leader of the League of Villains was among them.

~~~

Tomura was in such a better mood as he left the mall than when he first arrived. Before he had been frustrated and confused, but now his path was clear. He’s had ideals and convictions from the very beginning. Still muddled in his mind when Stain questioned him but the talk with the Little Hero did wonders in helping him straighten them out.

Nothing has changed from before. Well, sort of. Guess he would let Giran know that he would accept the recruits he had brought. Better than nothing as of now. Their numbers were too small but he still had to be more selective than he was for the USJ attack. Quality over quantity and all that. Staples and the school girl were a start with a knack for violence. The broker should be able to scrounge up some other useful players.

Once together they would complete this mission. Take down All Might and show the world how fragile their sense of safety really is. Tomura grinned as he entered an alley and pulled out Father from his hoodie pocket. A portal opened as he fixed the appendage on his face. With Father and the extra pair of hands from his new recruits, they would destroy the current status quo. Burn it down and build again from the ashes.

All starting with All Might, Tomura thought as he disappeared into inky blackness.

Notes:

The admin and Shiggy have finally met face to face! Now for me, Shig isn't going to change his ideals much from canon. Izuku's life has been changed a lot with meeting Stain but others are still barely feeling the waves of that change. As with everything else it will take more time to develop. But I do have some fun ideas for future interactions. ;)

Izuku now knows when Hitoshi's b-day is! Unfortunately he didn't get the chance to get a present for him. Which I'm not exactly sure what to get him. So if you peeps have any fun ideas let me know! I do have one already planned out from Mei though. Others not so much and even then it might just be from the Freakateers and Inko.

And Izuku revealed himself in public! :D Green bean can't hide forever, ya know? Not so bad at first but then Shiggy had to ruin it. Izuku just can't seem to stay away from villains and villains just can't seem to leave him alone. :P Just a reminder, Izuku never saw Shig up close in person since he was in the control hub most of the time during the USJ attack. So this is the first time he's seen his face.

Bad time for Izuku though is that Shig knows he is indeed the admin. He really needs to address his muttering problem. Which I do have plans for btw. ;) Also bad time is that Izuku knows that All For One is interested in him. Oh the future drama is going to be so fun. XD

Anyway, hope you liked the BC take on the mall incident! :D Next chapter will deal with the aftermath of it all. Poor green bean is going to really need a hug after all this. Oh and there's a Hitoshi moment that I'm really excited for you to read. No spoilers though! Alright, stay awesome and see ya next time!

Chapter 13: Recount The Encounter

Notes:

I liiiiiive! Sorry it's a day late, folks. Life has been hectic that I didn't realize 2 weeks had passed. My job is in customer service so it has been hectic with it being the holiday season. -also someone quit with no notice so I've been helping to cover them- Suuuch great timing... Anyway!

Essentially I forgot yesterday was a posting day. I was actually in a writing mood and I had errands to run so I didn't remember until it was late evening my time. So you're getting this a day later. :P But anyway, here is the aftermath of the mall incident! Enjoy!

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

Izuku didn’t know what to do as he watched Shigaraki walk away and just sat there on that bench froze. He didn’t notice anyone approaching him until he felt arms wrap around him causing him to flinch after what just happened.

“Izuku, are you okay?”

The familiar sound of his brother’s voice instantly calmed him down. Izuku turned into Hitoshi’s embrace and hugged him back, tears falling from his eyes and onto the taller teen’s shirt. He had been so so scared the whole time his best friend was gone but now he was here and Shigaraki wasn’t and Izuku could just let it all go.

“H-Hitoshi, I was so s-scared,” Izuku blubbered into his shoulder, his old stutter coming out with his fear. “Th-thank you for calling for help.”

“Of course, I did,” Hitoshi replied, squeezing his friend tighter. “You didn’t look at all comfortable and I just knew something wasn’t right. Who was that guy anyway?”

“Shigaraki Tomura,” the Quirkless teen answered, pulling away slightly to look up at Hitoshi. “The leader of the League of Villains.”

“Holy shit,” the brainwasher cursed, purple eyes wide in shock. That was a Villain that was holding his brother hostage. Izuku could have…he could have been hurt by a Villain in front of him again, but wasn’t. First Shigaraki, then Stain, and now Shigaraki again? “What the fuck is up with you and Villains, Izuku?”

“I don’t know!” Izuku whined, burying his face in his friend’s shirt again. “I don’t know why they keep coming after me. It’s like someone out there wants me to suffer or something. It’s stressing me the fuck out!”

The purple haired teen held his friend close rubbing hopefully comforting circled on his back.

“Don’t worry, Izuku, we’ll get Shouto over to give you a hug and more in no time,” Hitoshi joked, trying to lighten the situation.

“Now is not the time for teasing, Hitoshi,” Izuku countered, though he did admit the idea of a hug from Shouto sounded wonderful right now.

As they sat there the police had arrived and started evacuating the mall. They were too late to catch Shigaraki though honestly that was to be expected when they came in sirens blaring giving the Villain with access to a warp Quirk plenty of time to escape. But they still searched through the crowd and building thoroughly for any sign of him. Not even the local Heroes could locate him but again Izuku wasn’t surprised with Kurogiri’s Quirk. He still didn’t know the limitations of the Villain’s warping but it was most likely Shigaraki’s method of escape. Not too difficult when you can walk through a portal and disappear to gods knew were in a single step.

The rest of their class tried to join up with Hitoshi and Izuku but the police kept them away. Eventually Tsukauchi showed up with a cat headed counterpart. The detective let out an exasperated sigh upon seeing that Izuku was involved once again. Couldn’t the poor kid get a break? It had only been a month since he last encountered a Villain up close and that one was a doozy with the boy actually knowing the man personally.

Now the kid was drawing the attention of the leader of the League of Villains. He had mentioned that Stain told him Shigaraki was looking into recruiting him and this certainly confirmed that. The detective gathered Hitoshi and Izuku to go down to the station for questions while the rest of their class was escorted by officers back to their homes.

The ride to the station was weird sitting in the back of a police car. Izuku never imagined himself there and it was a bit unnerving. But he wasn’t being arrested with no handcuffs in sight and Hitoshi was right next to him the whole time. The Quirkless teen was still freaking out over what happened and instinctively reached for his brother’s hand. It wasn’t something they really ever did but Hitoshi knew that Izuku found comfort in physical contact so didn’t say a word as he held his friend’s hand back.

Once they got there though the two were separated to give their own version of events. Hitoshi and Izuku shared one last glance before they were escorted to their individual interview areas. The greenet found himself in a room alone sitting opposite of a mirror. He had to remind himself that he wasn’t in trouble and instead was here to talk about what happened at the mall. But that reality didn’t stop him from thinking that this might have been what it would have been like if he had gone the Vigilante route and was caught.

Good thing I didn’t. This is really intimidating.

The door opened not too long after that and Tsukauchi entered the room followed by Aizawa. The detective took a seat and his teacher leaned against the wall behind him. The tired man looked more exhausted than usual though that wasn’t surprising. His number one problem child got involved with a Villain again and by proxy dragged his foster kid into the mess. Aizawa wasn’t much one for showing affection and feelings but he cared too damn much for his kids and wanted to unleash his husband’s crazed doting on the lot of them.

Zashi would wrap them up in blankets and surround them in soft things to protect them from everything in this world. Get Inko involved and the kids would be goners to protective parental affection.

Aizawa suppressed a shudder knowing he would have to talk to Midoriya’s mom about this. Oh boy was that going to be a conversation. Inko was not someone to mess with when it came to her son. A real mama bear protecting her cub. He did not look forward to that talk but it would have to be done.

“Thank you for waiting, Midoriya,” Tsukauchi said once he had his papers in order. “Eraserhead will preside over this interview while Present Mic is with Sansa who will be taking Shinsou’s statement. Now tell me what happened.”

Izuku told him everything he could recall. Hitoshi left to get coffee leaving the Quirkless teen alone. Shigaraki then came up and wrapped his arm around him.

“It was my first time seeing Shigaraki without that hand over his face,” Izuku said, visibly cringing as he remembered. “I didn’t recognize him until he introduced himself. He said he’s been looking for me.”

The detective and Hero scowled in anger and concern that another Villain was drawn towards this boy. What did this mean for his future? They would have to keep a better eye on him so nothing happened to Izuku.

“It was around that time when he put his hand around my throat,” the greenet revealed, shuttering at the memory of the tapping of his last finger. “I didn’t know what else to do so I went along with him so nobody would get hurt.”

“But you could have gotten hurt,” Aizawa pointed out.

He didn’t like the problem child’s tendency to put others’ safety before his own. It was part of being a Hero but Izuku’s was almost pathological. An unfortunate habit from his shit show of a childhood. Sometimes he would use his head but others not so much.

“Possibly but I didn’t think he would if he was interested in me joining the League,” the teen countered, earning a huff from the tired man who figured he was right. “So I followed him. He, um, did sort of threaten me with his Quirk though and I accidentally revealed I was at the USJ when I let slip I knew what his Quirk was. Now he knows I’m the ‘admin’ as he calls me.”

Aizawa pinched the bridge of his nose trying to stave off the growing headache. More problems for the problem child. Tsukauchi did his best to school his face and hide the terror he felt for this boy. Shigaraki has been interested in him since the USJ attack? This was not good.

“I couldn’t deny it so now he knows,” Izuku lamented with a sigh then he cringed when he remembered what happened next. “Shigaraki said that his ‘sensei’ was also interested in me. That he likes Quirks too. I think I know who it is…”

The teen’s voice trailed off as the thought was too terrifying to voice.

“Who, Midoriya?” Tsukauchi pressed but not harshly. He just needed answers and was afraid the boy’s thought matched their own theory. Only one way to find out.

“I think,” Izuku paused to clear his throat before looking the detective in the eye. “I think it’s All For One.”

Both men could not help the sudden widening of their eyes in horrid surprise. Tsukauchi felt sick that this child who was probably the smartest in the room also thought that All For One was the mysterious benefactor of the League of Villains. While Eraserhead was appalled that the kid even knew that name.

“That is who we believe is the secret leader of the League of Villains as well,” the detective confirmed even though he very much didn’t want to, but facts were facts. Especially with him. “It would explain the Noumu at the very least.”

“Wait, how do you know who that is, Midoriya?” Aizawa questioned.

“All Might told me on the day that he…,” Izuku trailed off, not knowing if Tsukauchi knew about One For All or not. Aizawa wasn’t sure either so he didn’t finish what the green one didn’t say.

“I see,” Aizawa all but growled, once again pissed off at the blonde buffoon upon learning he had dumped even more sensitive and dangerous information on the Quirkless teen’s shoulders.

“What else happened?” the detective asked, pushing the interview along despite the tension in the room. He would have to ask Toshinori about that later.

“Shigaraki said he wanted me to join the League,” Izuku replied, confirming the men’s unvoiced suspicions. “That they could use a ‘player’ like me. That he sees my value even though others don’t.”

The teen cast his gaze down much like he had in that moment but only for a second. For the sight of his beloved red shoes conjured up the odd connection he shared with Shigaraki.

Similar pairs of shoes walking down two very different paths indeed.

“He told me to think about it,” he continued. “He also stopped grabbing my throat but he still kept me close. It is super uncomfortable to have a Villain’s arm around your shoulders, by the way.”

The tired man covered up a snort with a cough.

“What did he want with you?” Tsukauchi asked, trying to understand even just a small part of this bizarre situation.

“To talk,” the teen answered as he looked down at the table while fiddling with his fingers.

The two men stared at the boy trying to process the simple answer. Aizawa was the first to break himself out of his temporary stupor as he parroted, “…to talk.”

“Yeah.”

“What is with you and Villains wanting to talk to you?” Aizawa complained, pinching the bridge of his nose again.

“I seriously have no idea,” Izuku replied with a shake of his head before looking up at his teacher. “I think I might be a Villain magnet or something.”

The tired man gave the label some thought. It sounded similar to problem child which this one definitely was.

“Accurate, but that makes you even more of a problem child,” the homeroom teacher stated, causing the teen to look bashfully ashamed. “What did you talk about?”

“About Shigaraki, how he hates everything,” Izuku replied. “How civilians lived their lives believing Heroes would keep them safe no matter what all while society pushed others into Villainy. Then he wanted to talk about Stain. He, um, knows by the way.”

“Knows what?” Aizawa asked with a quirked brow.

“That Chizome and I…know each other,” the teen admitted. “He called me Little Hero which is what Chizome likes to call me.”

“…fuck,” the Underground Hero cursed as the detective nodded in agreement. They had no idea what the Villain would be able to do with that information.

“What else did you talk about?” Tsukauchi pressed on, doing his best to stay professional.

“It was so childish,” Izuku scoffed, remembering the young leader’s whining. “Shigaraki was just complaining about people not paying attention to him. He thought that Stain and him were the same destroying what they hated, but he didn’t like that the media has more coverage of the Hero Killer and not the League or the Noumu.”

The Quirkless teen took a moment to breath to calm himself down. It was just so aggravating to think that Shigaraki did what he did just for the attention. Unless there was some hidden motive behind his actions, but as he had told the Villain, it was the reason why they weren’t reporting on the League as much. They just didn’t know what the League was after.

“He, uh, wanted to know why everyone was paying attention to the Hero Killer and not the League,” the greenet explained further. “How he and Stain were different. I said it was because Stain has reasons why he did what he did and people could understand his actions even if they don’t approve of them. But Shigaraki, we don’t know his reasons, don’t know why he’s doing all this.”

“And how did he react to that?” Tsukauchi asked.

“For some reason, his conclusion was that all of it is All Might’s fault,” the Quirkless teen replied, brows furrowed in confusion. “That somehow his hatred of everyone especially the Hero Killer was connected to All Might. Calling everyone idiots for being reassured by his smile. For believing that as long as All Might was here then everything would always be okay.”

Which honestly, now that he thought about it, Shigaraki was kind of right. Just a speck of truth in his mad rant. It was an issue that everyone put so much trust in a single Hero. Being the sole pillar as the Symbol of Peace would eventually have devastating results once it was gone. Or knocked out from under as Izuku expected Shigaraki to try to do. All while playing off the reputation of the Hero Killer, muddling his cause and insulting his true mission.

“He admitted that the League was not actually connected to Stain,” Izuku said, picking at his fingers. “And yet despite that, he plans to use the media saying they were to his advantage. How I don’t know but I think it’s easy to assume whatever he does won’t be good.”

“No shit,” Aizawa commented with a deadpan expression. The tired man let out an exasperated sigh as he ran a hand through his hair. “Well, that’s just fantastic. We have an immature Villain with a dangerous Quirk using the Hero Killer’s reputation to do gods know what and essentially has a Super Villain backing him.”

“And is interested in recruiting me,” Izuku tacked on with a sigh of his own.

“That too,” his teacher scowled.

“While this is all concerning, I believe that last factor is what we should address first,” Tsukauchi declared, earning a nod from the Hero and Hero-in-training.

“Agreed,” Aizawa said. “We should have you move on campus for your safety. In fact, we should have all the students move into the dorms.”

“What about my mom?” Izuku asked in concern. If Shigaraki knew his name and was looking into him, he most likely knows where they live.

“We’ll increase patrols around your area,” Tsukauchi replied. “Both Heroes and officers. We’ll also have a protective detail outside your home while we figure out exactly what to do.”

“O-okay,” the teen said with a nod. Still worried about his mother but it was something at least.

“We’ll keep her safe, Midoriya,” the detective assured him, a soft but determined look on his face. “Anyway, thank you for the report. I’m sorry you had to go through that but this will help our investigation.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t do more,” Izuku said, looking ashamed. “I have a tracker in my pocket and I might have been able to sneak it on him but I couldn’t. I did try to stall for time though so he wouldn’t hurt anyone while waiting for Hitoshi to find me.”

“You did plenty, Midoriya,” Tsukauchi stressed. “As you said, you helped keep others safe. You were able to keep a level head in a stressful situation. It’s very impressive at your age.”

“But also problematic attracting Villains like flies to honey,” Aizawa complained with a huff as he crossed his arms.

“It’s not on purpose,” the teen retorted with a pout.

The tired man sighed before walking over and ruffled the kid’s hair as he said, “Problem child, let’s get you home.”

The three left the room and met up with the others. Upon seeing Hitoshi, Izuku rushed over to him wrapping his arms around his brother in a hug. Once they let go, Present Mic who was also there pulled the greenet into a hug as well. He had been so worried for his favorite student when he heard what happened. Hitoshi had called Aizawa first who immediately took control of the situation. Ordering their kid to call the police while they rushed to the scene as Heroes.

The situation had been handled before they got there and Tsukauchi had informed them so they could meet them at the station instead. Aizawa went to deal with Izuku as his homeroom teacher while Yamada stayed with Hitoshi as his guardian. They had both been worried about their kid and neither could deny the soft spot they had for the Quirkless teen. Much like how the boy was essentially Hitoshi’s brother, in the same sense Izuku was kind of their son.

Together they walked out of the station prepared to head out only to encounter All Might approaching them in his powered-up form. He was still smiling as ever but it wasn’t as cheerful as it usually was. This one seemed forced and full of concern while still trying to maintain appearances. But why? Didn’t they all know about his…?

Oh wait, Hitoshi doesn’t know about his other form.

“Young Midoriya, young Shinsou!” All Might called out. “It’s good to see you are well.”

“All Might?” Izuku questioned with a tilt of his head. “But why?”

Why was All Might there? Did it have to deal with Izuku encountering Shigaraki?

“He wanted to make sure you two were alright,” Tsukauchi replied. “Besides, I needed to talk to him anyway.”

The greenet nodded as the Number One Hero joined them and said, “What a relief to see you’re safe.”

The Hero reached a large hand out to pat the boy’s head on instinct to reassure himself that he really was there and okay. But then again, they had never traded such a gesture before so he hesitated. Izuku, ever the smart one, figured out what he had tried but stopped himself from doing. Honestly, he still was angry at the man he had looked up to for so long, but slowly he was accepting his new perspective of the Symbol of Peace. And so, Izuku decided to accept the touch and nodded his head in approval.

Yagi’s eyes widened ever so slightly in shock before carefully placing his hand on the boy’s green curls. They were as fluffy as he imagined them to be having watched other teachers do this same thing. The others watched curiously at the exchanged, all knowing what had happened between the two to various degrees. Angry for what All Might had said to the Quirkless teen but relieved to see there wasn’t any bad blood between them. Not as much as before.

“I’m sorry you had to go through something like this, young Midoriya,” All Might said as he removed his hand. “I wasn’t there to protect you and the others.”

Izuku flinched ever so slightly at his words even though he knew Yagi didn’t mean anything mean by them. He was a Hero that tried to be there for everyone after all.

“Izuku did well to protect himself,” Hitoshi snapped suddenly, making everyone aware of the stink eye the teen was giving the man.

“Hitoshi,” Izuku hissed in reprimand.

“What? You did,” his friend retorted.

“He did indeed,” Tsukauchi chimed in. “Along with a lot of other people today.”

“As I heard,” All Might agreed with a nod. “Thank you for your hard work today, young Midoriya. You are certainly your own kind of Hero.”

The greenet looked up at his former idol with tears welling in his eyes. It was so nice to hear the Number One Hero call him one as well. His own kind that was unique to him.

“Thank you, All Might,” Izuku said with a teary smile.

It was then that Inko showed up, tears flowing freely down her face standing next to the cat headed officer, Sansa.

“Izuku! Hitoshi!” the mother cried out as she stumbled towards them.

Her sons met her half way with Present Mic in tow while Aizawa remained standing next to Yagi and Tsukauchi. They would need to discuss the added security and protection with her but knew better to give the greenette a moment with her boys.

“Please, I can’t take much more of this,” Inko cried as she clung onto the teens who hugged her back.

“I’m so sorry, mom,” Izuku said, holding his mother tight. “But everything is fine now. We’re both okay so don’t cry. The Heroes and police have been taking really good care of us.”

“Yeah, we’re okay, auntie,” Hitoshi added, holding them both close.

As they had their moment reassuring each other through physical touch, the men standing off to the side watched. This was one of the things they enjoyed most about their work as Heroes and in the police force. Reuniting families successfully after a trauma.

“He saved a lot of people today,” Yagi commented as they stood there. “But that won’t always be the case. I should know as the Symbol of Peace.”

Aizawa quirked a brow as All Might turned his gaze up to the stars.

“It pains me to think that someone somewhere could be calling out for my help and I would never know. But it’s an unfortunate and yet unavoidable truth that I can’t save everyone.  I am only human after all. Even as Heroes, even as me, there are always those beyond our reach that we can’t protect.”

The two Heroes and detective stare over at the teens next to the tearful mother while Sansa and Present Mix stood next to them.

“But that’s all the more reason for me to stand tall and smile,” All Might continued. “To stand as the Symbol of Peace and be a light for all whether civilian, Hero, or Villain to look toward. To light the way for the next generation.”

“Oh yes, Midoriya said Shigaraki mentioned something about that,” Tsukauchi brought up grabbing their attention. “Apparently calling us ‘idiots’ for being assured by your smile and thinking everything will be alright if you’re there. I assume there was more to it than that and it might make him worry.”

“Perhaps,” Yagi conceded. “I will still do my best to serve as the Symbol of Peace despite this. However, there was something that young Midoriya pointed out to me that I hadn’t considered before.”

“What’s that?” the detective asked.

“While I intended to become a beacon of hope, I may have created an imbalance,” the Number One Hero admitted. “I have become known as a pillar of this society but once I eventually retire, what happens next? Even I don’t know.”

Sunken blue eyes trailed back to the Quirkless teen.

“I had hoped to have my successor take my place as the Symbol of Peace,” Yagi said, mourning the lost opportunity with the boy. “However, I’m now wondering if that would be wise or not. As young Midoriya asked me, what happens when the sole pillar goes away? Perhaps it would be best to share this responsibility rather than keep it as a burden for one person.”

Aizawa hummed in agreement beside him as he too looked at the young aspiring Heroes. All Might was a special case, a Hero who used his immense power and influence to help anyone he could. Not always succeeding but he always tried his absolute best. However, All Might wouldn’t be able to be the Number One Hero forever. As it is with life, time moves ever forward and each new generation must take over and prepare the way for the next.

“What are we going to do about Midoriya?” Aizawa asked.

“I’m not sure,” Tsukauchi replied. “While this time appears to have been a coincidence, but with his interest in recruiting Midoriya, it’s almost a guarantee that Shigaraki will try to meet him again. Potentially even kidnap him if given the opportunity.”

All Might sputtered at that and almost lost his hold on his buffed-up form. A bloody cough escaped and the Hero wiped his mouth with his hand. This was the first he had heard of this interest.

“Shigaraki wants to what?” Yagi questioned, his smile replaced with a concerned frown.

“He wants him to join the League,” Aizawa answered, brows furrowed in angered worry. “Has since the USJ attack.”

“Since then?” the blonde asked. “How? Why?”

“Probably from him announcing their Quirks to you,” the tired man replied having been told what happened after he had passed out. “Midoriya said Shigaraki called him the ‘admin’.”

“Oh, yes, um, I believe I remember him saying something like that,” Yagi recalled thinking back to their fight. Blues eyes turned back to the boy who was certainly brave and strong but also so young. “We have to protect him.”

“No shit,” Aizawa deadpanned.

“We’re considering moving him into the dorms and adding patrols and security around the Midoriya home,” Tsukauchi stated, also concerned for the boy. “But we’re open to any other ideas.”

“I may have one actually,” All Might said, inspiring intrigue in the other two men. “As the winner of the Sports Festival, young Midoriya has an invitation to attend the I-Expo on I-Island. The island is constantly moving so there would be no way for Shigaraki to know where he is. I was also given an invitation and so could watch over young Midoriya and whoever he brings as his guest.”

Aizawa was impressed. That wasn’t a half bad idea at all. Apparently, it was a good day for All Might.

“I also have an additional invitation,” Yagi added as he directed his attention to the Underground Hero. “If either you or another Hero would care to join us, they would be welcome. I merely want to ensure young Midoriya’s safety.”

“We’ll figure out the logistics later,” Aizawa said, waving off the topic for now as he wanted to consult with Nezu about it.

“Agreed,” Tsukauchi concurred. “For now, let’s get these kids home safe.”

The men finally joined the others to see Inko fretting over the boys. They were still trying to reassure her they were alright but she was a mother. Of course, she would worry over her children.

“Midoriya-san,” the detective called out gaining the greenette’s attention. He bowed to her as he said, “Our apologies that this happened to your son. We will do everything in our power to keep you both safe.”

“What happened to my baby?” Inko all but demanded to know.

Tsukauchi glanced at Aizawa who gave a reluctant nod. This was not going to be pleasant. Then the detective turned to the boy in question who let out a relenting sigh. He too knew this wasn’t going to be pretty. This was his mother after all.

“I can’t tell you the details, ma’am, as this is an ongoing investigation,” Tsukauchi answered, doing his best not to wilt under the maternal glare. “However, Midoriya had an encounter with the leader of the League of Villains.”

“He what?!” Inko gasped before grasping her son’s face with both hands to get a good look at him. “Oh my baby, you must have been so scared. Are you hurt at all? Please say that you’re okay.”

“I’m fine, mom, promise,” Izuku answered, placing his hands over hers as he gave her an intended reassuring smile. “He didn’t hurt me. He just wanted to…talk. But I’m okay, really!”

The mother still looked at him concerned but eventually relented with a nod.

“What are we going to be doing about this?” Inko asked, turning her attention to the Heroes and officers again.

“We believe Midoriya will be safest in the dorms on campus,” Tsukauchi replied. “We will also increase patrols and security near your home. All Might has another option as well for the interim.”

“All Might?” the greenette questioned, apparently too focused on what they were doing for her son to even notice the civilian dressed Hero.

But once she did, oh if looks could kill. It was impressive to see a woman of her stature make the Number One Hero cower before her. It was a feat that they had only seen Recovery Girl pull off successfully.

“Now see here,” Inko scolded while pointing at All Might. “I don’t care if you’re ranked Number One. The way you’ve treated my son has been unacceptable!”

“Mom, please, he already apologized,” Izuku tried to get her to calm down.

“That doesn’t excuse what he did…what he said,” the mother countered, glaring daggers. “He really hurt you, Izuku.”

“I know,” her son relented as he gently cupped her cheek to make her look at him. “But like I said, he apologized. It doesn’t make up for everything but All Might promised to make it up to me. I hold him to that promise. So please, let it go.”

Her resolve to stay mad at the Number One Hero crumbled as she looked into the pleading eyes of her baby boy. Finally, she let out a sigh as the tension in her shoulders released and she pulled her son into another hug. Izuku hugged her back placing his head on hers in comfort.

Oh, I don’t remember being able to do that before. I think I grew a little!

A small happy thought after all the craziness that was today.

“What is this other option?” Inko asked, pulling away from her son while wiping some of her tears away with a handkerchief.

“Young Midoriya has been invited to I-Island,” All Might answered, a bit sheepishly still fearing the anger of the short statured mother. “As the first-place winner of the Sports Festival, he and one guest is allowed to visit the island and attend the I-Expo.”

“I-Island? Are you serious?!” Izuku squealed in excitement.

“I-Island? What’s that?” Hitoshi asked before noticing that Izuku was on the verge of nerding out again. “On second thought, never mind. I’d rather sleep than sit through a mutter session right now.”

“Essentially it’s a man-made island that moves around to protect the research and scientists that live there,” Aizawa explained flatly. “Midoriya would be off the grid and protected by a security system on par with Tartarus. He would be safe from Shigaraki there.”

Or so they hoped. There was no telling what would happen with a Warp Quirk in play.

“I-I’ll think about it,” Inko said, though she was already thinking it was the best option to keep her son safe for now.

“Of course,” Tsukauchi replied before calling to his counterpart. “Sansa. Let’s get them home safe.”

“Yes, sir,” Sansa saluted before escorting them away. Inko, Izuku, and Present Mic followed but Hitoshi lingered.

The purple haired teen turned to look the Symbol of Peace in the eye before quietly threatening, “You better keep your promise…Yagi.”

Sunken blue eyes widened and darted between the teen and Aizawa. The tired man merely shrugged and said, “He figured it out on his own.”

“…I see,” Yagi replied staring at Hitoshi in fear(?).

Is my civilian name that easy to figure out? What else does young Shinsou know?

“I won’t share it if that’s what you’re worried about,” Hitoshi assured him while glaring. “But I am holding you to your promise to protect and make it up to Izuku. Be good to him, got it.”

“Hitoshi,” Aizawa interjected earning the purple one’s attention. “No threatening the Number One Hero.”

The Number Two Hero though…sure, go for it.

The brainwasher childishly stuck out his tongue before heading to the waiting car. It was an immature response but the tired man marked it as good progress that his kid felt more comfortable around him to do that.

“That being said, I too hold you to that promise,” Aizawa added as he addressed Yagi as well.

“You too, Aizawa?” All Might said, feeling affronted.

“Yep, me too,” the Erasure Hero affirmed. “You seriously messed up with Midoriya. You’re learning but you still have a long way to go.”

“Agreed,” Tsukauchi chimed in. “In all honesty, for the sake of the students, I personally think you should consider leaving UA.”

“But it’s only been three months,” All Might countered with a frown. “I’ve barely even started.”

“I did tell you that you weren’t cut out for teaching,” the detective replied, earning a grumble from his friend. “We need to protect them in any way we can.”

“I’ll be in touch for the security arrangements,” Aizawa said before joining his family in the waiting car.

The Number One Hero waited for the car to pull away before deflating with a sigh of relief.

“So, All For One, huh?” Tsukauchi said. “This time, let’s catch him for sure.”

“One more fight,” Yagi agreed with a nod. “Thank you, Naomasa, for everything.”

“Of course, Toshinori,” his friend replied, their small moment of friendship hidden in the shadows of the night.

Notes:

Izuku got those hugs! :D He did very much need them after last chapter. "It’s like someone out there wants me to suffer or something." Me, that would be me. :P Sorry but also not sorry. I blame my brain.

Now Aizawa and Tsukauchi know about Shiggy and the recruiting and all the other stuff. That he knows Izuku is the admin, knows Stain, and knows about All For One at least to an extent. Which that particular drama is going to be fun to explore. :P

WE'RE GOING TO I-ISLAND!!! Typically I don't see fics going there but some I've read have and I liked it! Also Izuku needs to meet Melissa. It is a must. As to what happens on I-Island...we'll see! ^____^

Tiny bit of Dad Might bonding of sorts. They're not great but not as bad as before with each other. Also I did find a use for Hitoshi figuring out Yagi's name. :P I like the imagery of the purple floof boy threatening All Might and Aizawa lightly scolding him for it. Also Inko glaring him down as well. Such a strong powerful mother. Chiyo would be proud.

That's it for this update! Next we're off to I-Island. Hopefully our green bean can stay safe! See ya! Also happy holidays to all!

Chapter 14: A Blessing In Disguise

Notes:

Happy New Year, dear readers! :D Hope everyone is enjoying a fresh start and starting to get the hang of writing 2023. Every year it's always a struggle in the beginning. :P Anyway, let's get to the chapter!

EDIT: Here are reminders of Izuku's (minus the scarf), Hitoshi's (and pre-Hosu Izu) , and Shouto's hero costumes at this point. For visuals! :D (might be best to view on the computer than phone)

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

Ultimately, Inko did agree to Izuku going to I-Island. It was the safest place for him to be in the immediate future while they figured out how exactly they were going to protect them both. Then after that he would be at the training camp at an undisclosed location. Two weeks was plenty of time to come up with an acceptable plan for the Midoriyas.

Izuku didn't have to worry about getting a passport. His mom and him had long since had them in hopes of visiting Hisashi one day if they ever got permission. That never happened but they had kept them updated just in case. He did have some shopping to do though as it was his first time traveling outside of Japan. A bit nerve-racking since he didn’t know what to expect but exciting none the less. Though due to recent circumstances, they left the actually shopping to others as they stayed under guard at home.

The next hurdle was deciding who to bring as his plus one. His first thought was Mei because she would love to visit an island dedicated to Support development. But it turns out she already had an invite having somehow impressed the right people with her commercial of a fight. It would be a great opportunity for her to see new tech and possibly make good connections for the future.

His second choice was Shouto in hopes of getting him more physically away from Endeavor. The dorms were good for that and Izuku would be joining him there soon. Not such a bad drawback from being a target of a Villain though that part still sucked. He would get to be with friends at least but he would miss spending time with his mother. Opposite of the situation that prompted his friend living in the dorms. Shouto certainly did not miss being in the presence of his father.

That plan didn't follow through either though. Despite now living away from him, Endeavor still held power over Shouto. As a high-ranking Hero, he had been invited to I-Expo but thought it would be a waste of his time. So instead, he was sending his son to represent him, presumably alone from the sound of it.

Such great parenting, Izuku thought with a roll of his eyes.

Which led to his third attempt by asking Hitoshi. It's not that he didn't want his brother to go but he figured Hitoshi wouldn't be as interested. He wasn't into Support like Mei and Izuku were and when it came to Shouto they could enjoy spending more one-on-one time together. Not that the greenet didn't enjoy spending time with his purple haired counterpart. They were brothers after all so it would still be fun. Plus, the others would be going as well.

“Glad to know I’m your third choice,” Hitoshi scoffed jokingly once he asked him. “Some kind of brother you are.”

His three best friends were hanging out at his house that was currently under surveillance. The Midoriya apartment had been assigned their own detail and were provided with improved security equipment. A camera for the door as well as some positioned within the apartment itself along with emergency call buttons spread around their home just in case. All connected to the same emergency system on every phone enforced by the Hero Commission in case calling 119 wasn’t possible.

The same one that Chizome had used after attacking Ingenium and captured his words in the aftermath.

The added security put Izuku more at ease of leaving his mother alone for a week. It in no way made their home as protected as I-Island or UA was but it was better than nothing. She also wouldn’t be entirely alone with her own personal detail keeping an eye on her. Also, currently Aizawa was there serving as escort for Shouto off UA campus while also keeping an eye on his problem children before they left.

“I thought we addressed this in Hosu, Hitoshi,” the greenet replied with a cheeky smile. “You’re my trash panda.”

The brainwasher playfully glared at him while the other simply smiled brighter.

“He does look like a raccoon with those perpetual dark circles,” Mei added, not looking up from the baby in her hands.

Hitoshi play acted being offended as he said, “Burned by our own Pink Gremlin.”

“That is what she does best,” Izuku quipped. “That and make everything she touches explode.”

The pinkette snapped her head up to protest only to think about it for a second before giving a shrug and going back to what she was doing. Hitoshi and Izuku chuckled at the reaction while Shouto merely hummed in amusement.

“So, do you have everything you need?” Izuku asked, turning back to Hitoshi but asking all of them in general.

“As far as I know,” Hitoshi answered with a shrug. “They already got me squared away with a passport and whatnot. Though Shouta had to stop Hizashi from packing too much. I mean, I could fit all of my stuff in one bag and he was trying to bring five for himself.”

The Quirkless teen giggled at the mental imaged that brought up. Yamada could be so weird at times. Extra in his own way while Aizawa did his best to reign him in. At the same time, the loud blonde made his hobo of a husband be more social and not as recluse. They certainly were opposites that helped balance the other out.

Hitoshi calling his foster parents by their first names was a new development. Now feeling more comfortable in the placement, he did fill Mei and Shouto in on his situation in part. That he was being fostered and had two dads now essentially. But he didn’t share exactly who they were not knowing if the two Heroes wanted others to know about them or not. Besides, Mei wasn’t so great when it came to remembering people’s names unless they were friends or a person of interest. As for Shouto, his conspiracy plagued brain would most definitely explode or something learning he had sort of been right. He may figure it out eventually someday but not today.

Another development was that there were additions to their party heading to I-Island besides All Might and the four teens. Seeing as they were a bunch of teenagers and one of them had a recruitment target on their back, Nezu saw fit to have another teacher join them on their trip. Present Mic was the one picked due to his good rapport with his students as well as being Hitoshi’s guardian. He also already had a good media presence though not as much as All Might. Besides, he would love to yell at any Villains that tried to get at his kids.

The other person joining them was Hound Dog for multiple reasons. Mostly it was for the Hero to serve as Izuku’s personal guard dog which earned the teen a gruff laugh from the man when he cheekily pointed it out. But it was also for his mental health as well. Inui knew everything that was going on with the Quirkless teen so would be the best to talk to and provide mental and emotional support without feeling the need to hide anything.

Hound Dog was protective by instinct and even more so after yet another encounter with a Villain. He had been shocked when initially learning that Izuku had a personal relationship with the Hero Killer. Concerned and confused as to how that could work between a student aiming to be a Hero and a Villain who had hunted Heroes. But after talking with Nezu, Aizawa, and of course the kid himself he had a better understanding.

Stain was the first to support the boy’s aspirations of becoming a Pro Hero. A seemingly impossible task in this society that focused so much on Quirks. Trying to become a Hero without one was thought to be absurd. And yet with the words of encouragement from a Villain, Midoriya Izuku was thriving as the first Quirkless Hero.

The boy never let himself be influenced by much of anything else from the Hero Killer. Well other than being more critical of what makes a Hero beyond the flash and flare of the ranking system. Which honestly Inui could also agree with Izuku’s interpretation of Stain’s view of Hero society. Still didn’t condone murder but yes there was a level of corruption in their current system. The dog man wondered how the Quirkless teen achieving his dreams would affect the future. Only time would tell.

However, Stain was not the Villain Hound Dog was worried about. It was Shigaraki. The counselor was concerned that the encounter Izuku had with the League leader would affect his mental health. Worried of ill effects such as flash backs or nightmares. Or even just feelings of discomfort about certain topics or actions related to the incident. Besides therapy dogs were a thing, right? They could sense and help with such things.

Therefore, the Hunting Dog Hero would be joining them on this little adventure to give Izuku both physical and mental protection. Which would have been awkward if they had not gotten to know each other better during their therapy sessions. It was kind of nice having a trained professional to talk to who knew about Izuku’s life issues of being a Villain magnet while also considered a freak of society to some in the Quirked populace. Another Hero on his side.

One would think Aizawa would also come to make an even four-teachers-to-four-students matchup. However, the Underground Hero couldn’t due to work related issues. Something about a certain school under investigation. Izuku feared what his mentors came up with to handle his past teachers. Still not wanting them to be punished too harshly by a vindictive Nezu and ruthless Eraserhead. But that situation was out of his hands and the Quirkless teen had too much on his plate to waste his time worrying about something out of his control. What happens to his past schools will happen and hopefully to the letter of the law with Tsukauchi involved.

The teens spent the day relaxing and hanging out. Even Inko joined in to spend time with her son before they left for I-Island. While Aizawa habitually napped in the corner on a futon the greenette mother insisted he use. He may be fine laying down where ever but he was her guest and her inner host wouldn’t allow it. Not that the tired man protested too much knowing how strong-willed the short statured woman was. It was easier to just accept her doting and if he got a better-quality nap out of it who was he to complain.

They stayed until after dinner when Aizawa was to escort them to UA to spend the night in the dorms. It would be easier the next day to have them all together before flying off to I-Island. Plus, it was an act of subterfuge to further protect Izuku and change up his schedule in case Shigaraki was following him. Even with a Villain with a warping Quirk their hope was that it would prevent another encounter if they didn’t know where the target was. A shell game of sorts.

Before they left, Inko made sure to hug each of her mentally claimed children. Mei enthusiastically reciprocated, both females squeezing the stuffing out of each other. Hitoshi had grown used to her hugs and accepted it without protest and rather savored it. Shouto was still hesitant not being used to the act from anyone else but Izuku or his own mother. However, the bi-color teen slowly melted into the hug.

Then there was her son, her baby boy. The Midoriyas clung to each other with customary tears filling their eyes. It would be the first time Izuku would be far away from his mother and for longer than a couple days. He unfortunately was used to his dad being far from home, but this was his mother. His anchor for love and support. He was going to miss her on this trip.

The others let them say their goodbyes but it wasn’t like it was for forever. A week at I-Island and then another at the training camp. Two weeks should fly by quickly with all they had planned. Besides, Izuku would be able to see Inko when they got back from I-Island and before leaving for camp.

Inko pulled away first and cupped her son’s face as she said, “Have a good time and stay safe. I’ll see you when you get back, okay?”

“Okay, I will,” Izuku replied as he placed a hand over hers. “I love you, mom.”

“I love you too, Izuku,” the mother said before placing a kiss on his cheek and then let him go.

The troop gathered their things and headed out the door. Izuku looked at his mom one more time giving her a smile and a wave before leaving their home. He was a little sad on the drive to UA but was comforted by Shouto taking his hand. The shorter teen gave him a grateful squeeze. He decided to not focus on missing his mother too much and instead on the exciting adventures they had ahead of them.

Spending the night in the dorms was interesting. They had done a good job constructing and furnishing what was called the Heights Alliance, a series of dorm buildings available to students. The bottom floor was spacious with couches to sit on and tables to eat or study at. There was also a well-stocked kitchen for them to cook in if they so wished along with a laundry room and communal bathrooms.

The visiting teens were given a tour of the dorm rooms of those that were living there. It was kind of fun seeing the different styles of his friends and classmates. Aoyama’s was…well, very much him. Wall to wall in glitter and mirrors. He even had a full suit of armor in the corner which would explain his choice in his Hero costume. Guess he was really into knights.

Kouda’s was definitely not flashy in comparison though whose room would be? It was simple and comfortable looking with green accents and stuffed animals to cuddle. He also had a cute pet rabbit named Yuwai-chan! They spent a few minutes cooing over the rabbit and Kouda even let them pet him one at a time. Izuku never had a pet before so it was fun experience outside of the time spent with Hitoshi’s cats.

Yes, they were now his cats. Shouta could grumble about it but that wouldn’t change the fact that cats chose him. Not all the time but enough that the tired man didn’t get as much cat cuddles as before. Though Aizawa internally thought it was actually a good sign that showed how well Hitoshi fit into their lives.

Satou’s also was comfortable and simple. He had a small little kitchen of sorts set up in his room so he could make sweets for his Quirk instead of buying all the time. Such a perfect hobby to go with his Quirk and the results were delicious! Satou actually had a fresh batch of cookies cooled and ready to eat which they all enjoyed.

Ochako’s room showed her more conservative side. They had never talked about it but Izuku had looked into her parents’ construction company out of curiosity. Seemed they had some financial trouble but were pulling through regardless. Which probably led to her more frugal nature and that was fine. Her cactus plant seemed happy and she had a chart of the stars on her wall. Enough personal touches to claim the space as her own.

It was certainly more personable compared to Shouji’s room. Just a short desk for homework and a futon to sleep on at night. The rest of the room was bare though the multi-armed teen was perfectly fine with that. He didn’t have much need other than the bare essentials anyway.

The one that shocked them the most was Shouto’s room who somehow changed the base western room into a traditional Japanese one. Complete with tatami flooring, low sitting furniture, and even sliding shouji doors instead of curtains. When asked how he managed it all Shouto merely said was through ‘hard work’ with no other explanation.

They eventually settled back in the common area on the first floor making a huge blanket and pillow pile to have a movie night. Those that lived there already had their favorite spots and the others settled amongst them. Izuku of course snuggled up next to Shouto which his friend accepted gladly. It had been a while since they had the opportunity to be close like this.

The movie played as they chatted and ate snacks. Eventually they all fell asleep and come morning, Aizawa found them still passed out. He looked over his charges sleeping so peacefully. He especially liked seeing Hitoshi getting some actual rest as he still struggled with insomnia from time to time. But with the help of Recovery Girl as well as the cats, his kid was getting much needed sleep.

Then there were his pining problem children. An unfortunate side effect of being friends with Midnight, Aizawa was more aware of the budding relationships in his class. Most he could ignore as they were still slowly growing, but there was one pair that was bonding and bonding fast. Namely his number one problem child who was currently cuddling up with the son of the Number Two.

All of 1-A were his problem children for one thing or another. More personally was Hitoshi but they were working on that. Then there was Bakugou and all of his issues but again they were working on it. The rest were more on the minor problem side, but not these two pining idiots. It was clear they liked each other and what a match they made. A Villain magnet and the son of an abusive hypocritical Hero.

Aizawa snapped a picture of the cuddle pile before switching over to his alarms. The blaring sound forced the students awake in a disheveled heap. Izuku shot up instantly and Shouto reluctantly followed, slumping against the other’s shoulder still wanting to be close. The others also worked on waking up by stretching or rubbing their eyes.

“Time to get up,” the teacher said simply before turning to leave.

They all worked together to clean up the blankets and pillows as well as their leftover snacks and trash. They then whipped together a simple breakfast, some working on cooking while the rest helped set the table. Breakfast was a quiet affair as they were still sleepy and before they knew it, it was time for them to go. It had all been a sort of preview as to what life in the dorms was like.

After quickly getting ready and double checking they had everything, the group bound for I-Island bid the others goodbye and were off with the three Heroes meeting them at the gate. Aizawa released the teenagers to their custody and watched them leave until they were out of sight.

They were quite the crowd heading off to the airport. Izuku and his best friends accompanied by All Might, Present Mic, and Hound Dog. Four teenagers and three adults, the latter of which were all of tall stature. Thankfully the vehicle they were using had tinted windows and plenty of space for them all. Izuku wondered if that would be the same for the airplane that they would be taking though he did worry a little about All Might. Was he planning on staying in his buffed-up form throughout the flight?

Turned out they were using a private plane that also had a separate cabin for the teachers to use in the back. The students would be kept in the front with at least one of the adults to supervise them. After takeoff and once they were in the air, they all settled for the number of hours of flight time.

Hitoshi immediately reclined his seat to take a nap. It was almost like Aizawa had come with them after all. Mei pulled out a thankfully nonexplosive baby she had snuck in her carry-on bag while the rest were stored securely down below. Shouto chose to close his eyes as he listened to Izuku excitedly but quietly yammering about the I-Expo as he marked up a booklet he had on the events. There were so many things he wanted to see!

The flight went on with Present Mic and Hound Dog periodically switching who was watching them. Unsurprisingly to Izuku, All Might stayed in the back understandably conserving his time for when they arrived at the island. The greenet didn’t expect to see the Number One Hero until they landed however at one point Hound Dog approached him saying Yagi wanted to speak with him. If he was alright with that of course. The counselor knew there was still some friction between them and didn’t want to force the teen to interact with the man if he didn’t want to.

But Izuku wasn’t as mad at All Might as he was before. Sure, he was still kind of awkward around him after all that had happened but he felt sure they could be civil. He had let the man ruffle his hair last time after all. The Quirkless teen left Shouto who had fallen asleep at some point and walked towards the back. Yamada was also there but promptly stood up as he entered. The Voice Hero placed a comforting hand on the teen’s shoulder giving him a pat before leaving the boy alone with his childhood idol.

“Young Midoriya, thank you for coming to speak with me,” All Might said, his baggy clothes sitting loosely over his gaunt form. “Please, have a seat.”

The skeletal man gestured in general to the available seats around him letting the Quirkless teen decide. Izuku chose a chair facing him, not too close but not too far either. An equal distance.

“Inui-sensei said you wanted to talk to me,” the greenet said as he got comfortable. “What do you want to talk about?”

“I wanted to check on how you were doing,” Yagi replied, a hint of concern in his sunken blue eyes. “I know the main reason why we suggested you attend the expo is not…ideal. However, I hope you will enjoy your time on I-Island none the less.”

“Oh, um, yeah,” Izuku grimaced, unfortunately reminded of a certain Villain getting ‘handsy’ with him. “I’m…okay, I guess. I’m still not sure what to think about…him, or why he wants me to join him. Even why he thinks I would want to when I’m aiming to be a Hero. I just don’t get it.”

“Perhaps he is blinded by his own desires and is unable to see yours,” the Hero offered, having experienced something similar himself when projecting onto the Quirkless teen. “Or even refusing to thinking that what he believes is right or more important.”

The greenet nodded thinking that made sense. It was much the same with Chizome too, thinking there was no other way than his way to set things right. Why do people have to be so stubborn?

“Maybe that, but I still don’t get it. Get him,” Izuku said, a contemplative expression on his face. “I wonder what drove Shigaraki to Villainy. Why he hates you so much?”

“That…that might be All For One’s doing,” Yagi theorized which could be possible considering their history. “As our suspicions are correct and he is this ‘sensei’ Shigaraki mentioned, it would be no surprise if he were to have ‘taught’ him to hate me. To hate all Heroes and what they stand for.”

“Maybe or maybe not,” the young analyst replied, his hand on his chin. “It could be part of it, but we know nothing about his family or his childhood. There could be more to his story than just someone raised to be a Villain by All For One.”

The gaunt blonde considered that for a moment before saying, “You have a point. Everyone has a past. A reason why they do what they do. A Villain isn’t born but made by choices. There could be circumstances in Shigaraki’s past that led him down this path. Though whether those were by choice or not we also don’t know.”

“I’m sure the police are looking into him,” Izuku said, lowering his hand to his lap. “But I think we should do all that we can to learn who Shigaraki is because that might not even be his real name for all we know. Not to mention if his Quirk isn’t registered, that could point towards an accidental manifestation or something like that which contributed to his current circumstances.”

“‘Know thy enemy’,” Yagi quoted as the teen nodded. “We’ll do all that we can, young Midoriya. Together.”

With his last word, the gaunt man held out a boney fist at him. Green eyes widened at the word not expecting it from the man who chose to bear the world on his shoulders. But then he smiled as he shared a fist bump with the Number One Hero and said back, “Together.”

The skeletal blonde smiled as he reached over again and ruffled his green curls briefly before asking, “So are you excited for the I-Expo?”

“Oh yes!” Izuku chirped as he took out his book. “I-Island is so cool! A floating city that can go anywhere with over 10,000 scientists living there! I never thought I would be able to go. Thank you so much for suggesting it, All Might!”

The beaming smile was blinding and Yagi hadn’t expected him to be so excited. But he was glad to see the Quirkless boy so happy especially after what happened.

“Of course, young Midoriya,” Yagi replied with a softer smile. “I’m glad you could come and with all your friends too. I myself have a friend on I-Island.”

“You have a friend on I-Island?!” Izuku exclaimed, bouncing in excitement to learn something new about a Hero. “Who is it, who is it?!”

“He’s a dear friend of mine who I haven’t seen for quite a while,” the deflated Hero answered, a sheen of nostalgia on his face as he recalled their time in the US. “I’m not sure if you heard of him but he’s the one who designed all of my Hero costumes.”

“Your Hero costumes?” the Quirkless teen questioned, brows furrowed as he quickly ran through his All Might trivia until they rose suddenly as he figured it out. “Wait, you mean David Shield?!”

Sunken blue eyes widened at the outburst before he chuckled. Of course, young Midoriya would know.

“Indeed, he’s been living on I-Island for years now,” Yagi said with a nod. “When we get there, I could introduce you if you would like. Though there is something you should know. David doesn’t know anything about One For All or its ability to be transferred to another. So please don’t mention it or let anything slip.”

The greenet frowned at that and asked, “Wait, not even your close friend knows? Why?”

"No,” All Might answered with a shake of his head. “Danger follows all who know of One For All."

Izuku slumped back and crossed his arms as he said, "And yet you told me."

The skeletal man coughed awkwardly into his boney hand as the Quirkless teen stared at his judgingly.

"Yes…um, well,” Yagi said as he cleared his throat. “I had been hoping to make you my successor. If you had accepted and I passed it on to you then you would have had to know."

“But I’m not,” Izuku countered, still unimpressed. “Does Detective Tsukauchi even know?”

The Number One Hero thought for a moment before saying, “I…I’m not sure. We’ve never openly discussed it.”

“But he knows about All For One and your small form,” the greenet pointed out. “He’s a smart guy, All Might. He might have at least figured something out.”

“There is a possibility,” Yagi admitted, wondering if Tsukauchi did or didn’t know.

“Is there anyone else who does know about One For All?” Izuku asked, wanting to know who else was on the list.

“Sir Nighteye does,” the gaunt blonde answered with a slight grimace. “Oh, and also that friend of my master’s I told you about.”

“Gran Torino?” the teen lilted with a tilt of his head.

All Might nodded as he said, “Yes, him too.”

“Okay, so you, me, Sir Nighteye, Gran Torino, and maybe Tsukauchi,” Izuku surmised, not knowing that Aizawa and Nezu were also on that list. “But I still don’t see why you wouldn’t tell David, your friend, while telling a random teenager about your Quirk. Especially a friend who is a brilliant scientist and lives on a moving island designed with security to rival Tartarus. What's more protected than that?"

"You do have a point,” Yagi conceded after thinking it over for a moment.

The Quirkless teen relaxed his body thankful the man was willing to listen as he said, "Besides, maybe he could help with figuring out something to address your time limit. Could have kept it from shortening as much as it has if he had known."

The skeletal blonde stared at him in shock, clearly taken aback. Blue eyes blinked a few times before he replied, "Oh...I didn't think of that."

"Does he know about this form?" Izuku asked gesturing to his gaunt figure as he was trying to better understand their relationship and where they stood secrets wise.

"Yes, he does,” All Might answered as it wasn’t something he could hide from his close friend for long after his fight with All For One.

The young analyst hummed in thought before saying, "Then he might already suspect something is wrong and might be brainstorming ideas to help you."

Yagi let out a short chuckle as he responded, "That would be something David would do."

"Then tell him,” Izuku implored as he leaned forward with his hands steepled in front of him. “He's your friend and would want to help you. If you trust him then he would most likely be willing to keep your secret."

And again, he lived on an island meant to protect the secrets and technology within. What better place for a holder of knowledge about One For All to live?

"I believe you are right, young Midoriya,” All Might conquered with a nod. “Alright then, I will tell him."

"Good,” the greenet said letting out a sigh in relief as he lowered his hands. “I know that keeping your Quirk a secret is important but some secrets need to be shared in order to address any issues."

Like with Shouto and how Endeavor is a total asshole to him and his entire family.

"Very well,” the Symbol of Peace responded just as an announcement was made saying they were close.

Izuku rushed over to the nearest window and beamed when he spotted the island below. This was going to be so awesome! While behind him, Yagi stood up knowing this was going to be exhausting once they landed. He would have to stay in his muscle form for long periods of time in order to keep his smaller form a secret.

“Young Midoriya,” All Might called out to gain the excited teen’s attention. He had already shed his civilian clothes and was showing his signature colors of red, yellow, and blue. “I believe you and the others requested to bring your Hero costumes and gear along, correct? It’s time you changed and let those of I-Island know that you are here as Heroes.”

“And a mad scientist and her babies,” Izuku joked causing the now taller blonde to sputter at the term. “Alright, I’ll see you when we land, All Might.”

With that he left the private cabin and everyone prepared for landing. Once they touched down, the three Pro Heroes and three Hero students left the plane fully suited up. Then there was Mei in her usual attire of a black tank top and overalls tied at her waist as well as her signature steampunk goggles on her head. She has other clothes, Izuku has seen them, but Mei tended to live in her workshop gear much like Aizawa did in his own Hero suit. That and his obnoxious yellow sleeping bag.

Weirdos the lot of them, Izuku thought while smiling endearingly as they entered I-Island.

Notes:

We've made it to I-Island! Next chapter starts the actual arc which I hope you will enjoy! ^___^ I had fun with this one even though there were some plot related challenges I had to figure out. We shall see what you peeps think as we go!

First struggle was to figure out who all was going. I was torn between Mei and Shouto ultimately, but then Shouto is invited anyway and I wanted to keep the Freakateers together. So I invented a lil' invite for our Pink Gremlin and then everyone gets to go! With some Mic and Hound Dog slipped in as well. You'll see. ;)

Little preview of dorm life and more to come in the future. I will be mixing the layout for who is rooming where but I'll post that once we are actually moved into the dorms. I didn't fully jumble them up but enough for certain plot reasons.

Dad Might bonding! Well, in a way. :P They're getting there little by little and have some sort of comradery. Also Izuku giving some advice. Honestly I don't know if Tsukauchi knows about OFA or not in canon. At least not before the whole confrontation with Shiggy as seen in season 6. I also honestly don't remember if I had him knowing in BC or not and it's too long for me to check for that one small detail. XD But I would figure he'd have something figured out about it even if he was never explicitly told. Tsukauchi is a smart guy after all.

That'll it for this one! More bonding packed than action, but a start to a knew year. Cheers! Next up we're getting some introductions! So excited for Izuku to meet Melissa and can't wait to share All Might's talk with David! Hi canon, name's joker, I'mma change ya 'cause I can. :P Anyway, thanks for reading as always. Best wishes to you all this new year. Bye bye. ^____^

Chapter 15: I-Island: Friends New And Old

Notes:

It's finally I-Island time!!! :D Super excited to explore this arc with you peeps. ^____^ I'm sure you're all wondering how this is going to go down since Izuku doesn't have OFA. I myself am happy with what I came up with so I hope you all do as well!

Warning for spoilers for My Hero Academia: Two Heroes for this next arc on I-Island. Please watch the movie if you don't want to be spoiled! :D

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

The screening process was surprisingly easy. They stood on a moving walkway as sensors scanned them as they went. Mei couldn’t help constantly looking around and zooming in on every little detail as they went. Shouto was also glancing around curiously as he had never been to the island before. The Heroes themselves were relaxed and amused at their wonderment. Especially with Izuku who was muttering up a storm talking about why I-Island was created to protect the world’s most brilliant minds. Hitoshi sent a look that said ‘did you really have to’ as they were bombarded with facts after All Might had foolishly asked the Hero fanboy the question.

Once they passed the immigration inspection, they were finally released and free to explore the island. There was a pre-opening event for the I-Expo for anyone with an invitation. Mei and Izuku were so excited to see what kind of research and projects the scientists had been working on. While the others were amused by them geeking out.

“This place is huge!” Izuku exclaimed as they exited the terminal.

The layout was massive for a man-made island. Buildings of various sizes, shapes, and colors were spread out across the city. There were also expanses of grass and trees as well as wide pathways for people to walk on. There were even floating spherical vehicles in the sky so you could see the island from above.

Amazing, the Quirkless teen thought, smiling wide as he took in the scene.

There were quite a number of people there even before the official opening of the expo. Different pavilions featured various demonstrations of people’s Quirks and other abilities. Unlike Japan they were allowed to use their Quirks freely here as long as it didn’t harm anyone. Which meant that they could enjoy such things as a free concert conducted by a man with a music Quirk or greeted by someone with a waterbending Quirk spelling out ‘welcome’ above the sculptural fountains.

This is going to be so much fun!

The greenet was buzzing in excitement and couldn’t wait to start exploring, but first they had to find the hotel.

“Oh my gods, is that All Might?!”

Okay, strike that. First, they had to deal with the crowd that had suddenly swarmed them once a buffed up All Might was recognized. Thankfully Hound Dog and Present Mic were quick to corral their charges out of the way of the stampede of admirers.

Izuku was very grateful for that not wanting to relive the day the media trespassed onto UA campus. Being squished in that hallway had not been fun at all. The memory then unfortunately reminded him of Shigaraki, who had used the panicked chaos as a distraction at the time, as well as their most recent interaction of being held captive by him at the mall. The Quirkless teen forced those thoughts down and instead chose to focus on how Shouto was crowding into his space as they waited on the side of the crowd. That closeness was something he did not mind at all.

It took a bit of time, patience, and organizing but eventually the crowd thinned and they were able to go about their business.

“I didn’t expect us to be held up so long,” All Might said as he working on rubbing off the various kiss marks his fans had left. “That may have caused us to be late.”

“Late for what?” Izuku asked as the others nodded equally curious.

“You remember that friend I mentioned?” the Number One Hero replied as the Quirkless teen nodded while the others shook their heads. “David Shield is a dear old pal of mine who lives on this island. I haven’t seen him in a long time and wanted to drop in to visit. I hope you all don’t mind coming along.”

His last comment was more towards the others than Izuku who he had already offered to introduce to his friend. There weren’t any protests from the others so it was agreed they would go. It was at this time that a girl came bounding towards them on a pink pogo stick. She wore a short sleeved white blouse, a dark muted pink vest, khaki capris, brown boots, and then matching pink plaid bowtie, shirt cuffs, and high socks. Her blonde hair that came down to her waist bounced as she went and as she got closer they could see her eyes were blue behind her glasses. All in all, she was pretty cute for a girl.

“Uncle, you’re finally here!” she exclaimed as she launched herself at the Number One Hero. “Welcome, Uncle Might!”

All Might easily caught her and enthusiastically spun her around while they both laughed. The others stared at them confused as to who this was exactly. Shouto especially so scrutinizing them in search of a family resemblance. Izuku rolled his eyes already seeing his conspiracy theory gears hard at work just because she called him uncle.

“Good to see you, Melissa!” the buff blonde boomed, holding her up as if she weighed nothing.

“Oh my gosh, it’s been so long since I’ve last seen you!” the girl, Melissa, cheered, her blue eyes filled with excitement over the reunion. “It’s almost hard to believe that you’re actually here.”

“It’s all thanks to your invitation,” All Might replied boisterously.

They reminisced while the others watched. About how it had been so long and he almost didn’t recognize her. Turned out she was 17 years old so a little bit older than the UA students were. It was kind of cute to see them interact as a family joking and laughing after being apart for so long. It was good to see Yagi spending time with an actual friend and not just a coworker. As the Symbol of Peace, he didn’t seem to have an abundance of friends he could turn to so this was nice.

Though Izuku was a little confused. This obviously wasn’t David Shield so who was she exactly? Another friend or were they related? Perhaps she was David’s daughter or something. Yeah, that had to be it.

“You’re right. I am David Shield’s daughter.”

Oh, I said that out loud, didn’t I?

The blonde girl giggled as she said, “Yes, you did. That was a quick deduction. Good job. I’m Melissa Shield. It’s nice to meet you.”

Melissa held out a hand in greeting first to Izuku and then to everyone else as she shook their hands down the line. They introduced themselves as she went however for the students it was a bit awkward as they weren’t used to greeting in this way instead of bowing.

“So, are you all first-year students at UA?” Melissa asked after they were all introduced to each other. They all nodded in reply. “Wow, it’s a pleasure to meet you. And I actually recognize you all from the Sports Festival. Hatsume, you were the one with all the intriguing Support gear, right?”

Thaaat’s me~!” Mei lilted in a sing song voice and a peace sign. “I wanted to show the world my beautiful babies and got an invite to this thing because of it! I’m so excited to see what babies that are being made here.”

The blonde girl smiled at her enthusiasm giving no reaction to her preferred terminology.

“Yes, you had some very impressive tech. I hope you enjoy the expo,” Melissa commented before turning to the three boys. “And you were in the top three. Congratulations on your placements. Especially you, Midoriya. It was inspiring to see you win with Support Items instead of a Quirk. Thank you for fighting so hard.”

The older girl gave him a wide eyes-closed smile, truly honest in her praise.

“Oh, um, thank you,” Izuku said, blushing as he rubbed the back of his head. “Not everyone thinks that so it’s really appreciated.”

“Of course!” Melissa assured him then her bright smile dimmed some but was still warm. “It’s nice to see someone like you fighting to become a Hero. I had once dreamed of being one too but gave up on it a while ago. You see…I’m Quirkless too.”

Green eyes widened in shock at the reveal. It was his first-time meeting someone else who was Quirkless and close to his own age.

“Really?” he breathed out.

“Yep, Quirkess as the day I was born,” Melissa answered still smiling but it was brighter than a moment ago. “I didn’t think a Quirkless Hero was possible, but seeing you it makes me think I might have given up too easily.”

Izuku took in the older girl in front of him. Quirkless just like him and had once wanted to be a Hero. Only she chose another path while he refused to give up. Not that it was bad she did that. It was her choice.

“You still could be,” Izuku offered. “Become a Hero, I mean.”

“Nah, that’s okay,” the blonde teen countered with a dismissive wave of her hand. “I’m going to be my own kind of hero and help others through Support Items.”

“Someone after my own heart,” Mei interjected reminding the two they weren’t alone.

Melissa giggled before asking, “So did you make all of your Support Items yourself, Midoriya?”

"Yep!” the greenet chirp, moving his body to show off his tech. “Mei-chan was the first to start teaching me and we both got into UA through the Support Course. And other than my arm wrappings, most of them are part of my Quirk Replication project."

"Quirk replication?” Melissa questioned in intrigue. “That is such an intriguing idea!"

"Isn't it?” Mei responded as she pulled Izuku into a one-armed hug “Izuku and I are baby making partners."

"She means we work together making inventions!" the flustered boy cut in with hands waving about.

"I kind of figured,” Melissa chuckled, remembering her using the term earlier. “That is a really interesting idea. Would it be alright if I look into it too? This is I-island of course and we're all about Quirks here."

Izuku was surprised that she would be interested in his idea as well as happy to hear a dedicated young inventor like her found it ‘intriguing’. Mei on the other hand…had a different reaction.

“Hey, no stealing my future partner’s idea,” Mei snapped as she glared while she turned their hug into one that was more claiming than friendly. “Izuku and I are going to make the best Quirk inspired babies and you can’t take that away from him.”

He was surprised at her for acting in such a way. Izuku had already shared the idea with her so they could work on it together. He didn’t see an issue of letting others try to find inspiration from the Quirks around them.

"It's okay, Mei, she can if she wants,” Izuku insisted as he patted her arms still wrapped around him. “It's all about the furthering of knowledge and creating better Support Items, right?"

The pinkette stared the other girl down for a few more seconds before sighing as she let go.

"Yeah...you're right,” Mei said solemnly only to go right back to her excited self. “We should exchange info to share baby ideas."

In a flash, she whipped out her phone and shoved it towards their fellow inventor.

"Of course!” Melissa replied happily as she takes the device in her hand. “Though we do have certain levels of security when it comes to passing information outside of the island. But I would be happy to talk Support with you."

Mei squealed in delight as they exchanged information. Izuku quickly learned that she went ahead and share his contact info as well when he got a message on his phone. Well, it would be good to have these kinds of contacts in the Support world so he would let it slide.

A clearing of a throat broke them from their socializing and they all turned to All Might who asked, “So, Melissas, where is Dave hiding?”

“Oh, Papa?” the blonder girl replied before giggling, using the same moniker for her father as Izuku did with his. “He’s in his lab as always. He recently had a breakthrough on some research he’s been focusing on for years. Though I don’t know what it is exactly because he said it was confidential.”

Izuku shot a side-eye glance at All Might who briefly met his eye. The Quirkless boy had a guess that whatever research it was, there might possibly be a connection between it and Yagi. Like Tsukauchi, David was smart and could potentially put two and two together that there was something different about his Quirk. Thank the gods he convinced the typically skeletal man to tell his friend about One For All.

Who knows what crazy theories or ideas a scientist like him would come up with when worried about a friend?

“I see,” All Might said, smiles as always though Izuku could sense some tension in his shoulders. “That’s scientists and their secrets for you.”

“Mhmm,” the blonde girl hummed in reply. “He actually has no ideas that you’re here. I wanted it to be a surprise to celebrate his hard work.”

She gave the group a wink at her celebratory little trick. The Number One Hero chuckled and was even more excited now that he could surprise his friend after so long.

“Well then, shall we get going?” All Might prodded, wanting to move on with their schedule.

“Oh, yes of course!” Melissa cheered, grabbing her pogo stick that had been standing on its own this whole time. She pressed a button and it seemed to disappear completely compacting into a pocket size cube that she put in her pocket. “We can go surprise Papa at his lab if we hurry. This way, everyone, follow me!”

She was already running off leading the way and the rest of the group followed.

They entered a super tall tower near the center of the island. Their IDs were checked and they were signed into the building. Melissa led them through the halls, up the elevator, and they exited on a high floor. Before entering the lab, she turned towards them holding a finger to her lips as she gave a conspiring wink. They all nodded remaining silent as she entered the lab.

From inside they could hear talking as Melissa made her presence known. Elements of surprise were mixed in the voices of two men and happy mischief from the girl. They waited patiently outside for her queue though All Might was holding himself back a little so excited to finally see his friend again.

“So, what brings you over here, Melissa?” a man’s voice asked, probably David.

“You’ll see,” she replied cryptically. “In honor of your hard effort completing the first stage of your research, I invited a special someone to celebrate with us.”

“And who would that be?” David inquired, sounding as if he had no wild guesses as to who.

“A person you dearly love, Papa,” Melissa answered, queuing her surprise.

All Might flashed the group a thumbs up before suddenly appearing in the doorway as he exclaimed, “I AM HERE! FILLED TO THE BRIM WITH HEARTFELT EMOTIONS UPON OUR REUNION!”

The others peeked into to see the Number One Hero posing dramatically conveying his excitement. Behind him were Melissa along with two men. One was tall with glasses and short brown hair wearing a dark blue button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up along with grey pants and black shows. The other was shorter and a more stout figure wearing a light pink button shirt, brown suspenders, and dark grey pants and shoes. They were both staring at All Might in complete shock. The surprise had been successful.

“Toshi…All Might?” the brunet questioned, not believing his bespectacled eyes. Judging by the voice, Izuku guessed this was David.

“Is it really him?” the other man added. An assistant or associate perhaps?

The rest of them were focused on the reunion going on of All Might embracing his friend and twirling him around before sprawling him on the floor. It was quite a sight. However, one of their party was scrutinizing something else or rather someone. Hound Dog sensed something off about the man behind the scientist. A hint of worry mixed with his shock upon seeing the Symbol of Peace. He could hear it in the sound of the man’s slightly raised heartbeat as well as smell the increase of sweat and stress-related pheromones in the air.

Hmm…

“Well, Papa, were you surprised?” Melissa asked, smiling wide at the slack-jawed expression still on her father’s face.

“Oh, uh, yeah. Completely surprised,” David answered as a happy smile replaced his shock. Though Hound Dog was sensing something weird from him as well much like his assistant.

“We can both thank Melissa for that,” All Might said as he helped his friend up.

The two friends reminisced about how long it had been and were laughing as if no time had passed between them. Yagi was just so happy to finally see David after all this time. They shared a fist bump just like old times.

“Let me introduce you to our little troupe,” All Might added, stepping aside to reveal their group.

Izuku was at the front with Mei right beside him both freaking out they were in the same room as the David Shield. A professor and top scientist in the research world. He even received a Noble Quirk Prize! Not to mention he was All Might’s partner in the US and designed all of his costume from his Young Age to his Golden Age versions.

I never thought I would get to meet such a prestigious scientist and inventor like him in real life! Pinch me, I must be dreaming.

“Ouch!” Izuku cried out suddenly when he was indeed pinched. By Hitoshi no less.

The greenet glared at his brother who merely shrugged as he said, “What? You ask.”

The others giggled at them as well as the fanboy moment that he had muttered aloud.

“Well, I guess I don’t have to introduce myself,” David chuckled causing the Quirkless boy to blush. “But I’ll do so anyway. Nice to meet you all. I’m David Shield.”

They tossed greetings back and forth. While doing so, All Might covered up a cough and David took notice. A look of concern washed over his face briefly but only for a second as he came up with a quick plan to be alone with his friend.

“Melissa, would you mind showing the others around the expo?” David asked his daughter. “It’s been a long time and we could use some time to catch up.”

“Sure thing, Papa,” Melissa agreed, eager to show them around. “Sounds like fun. Follow me, everyone. I would be honored to show you what we’ve been working on here.”

Mei and Izuku were the most excited to see what I-Expo had in store. Hitoshi and Shouto followed behind with Present Mic trailing after. Hound Dog on the other hand lingered still trying to assess his concerns. All Might took notice and leaned down so the other Hero could whisper in his ear.

“Your friend…he seems nervous,” Inui growled quietly still eyeing the other two men as David was dismissing Sam. “And his assistant…something is off about him. Be wary.”

While Yagi didn’t want to think badly of his friend, he knew to trust in Hound Dog’s instincts. There was a reason he was a counselor as well as a Hero. He had a natural sense for danger so when he gave a warning one was to listen and not question it. Even if it was something minor, the Hunting Dog Hero was skilled in sniffing it out.

“I see,” All Might replied just as quiet, looking at his friend a bit more critically. “I’ll keep an eye out for anything suspicious.”

Hound Dog nodded before following after the teens in their charge.

~~~

As soon as they were alone, Toshinori immediately started smoking and coughing as he let his powered-up form go. David hovered over him in concern as he reverted to his skeletal appearance in a haze of smoke.

“Thank you for noticing, David,” Toshinori said as he coughed into his hand. “The amount of time I can hold my muscle form has shortened since we last met.”

“Your email said it was bad, but I didn’t know it was this serious,” David replied while looking his friend over in worried scrutiny.

They stayed crouched on the floor for a while until the Hero was able to catch his breath. Then David helped his friend further into his lab. Toshinori stripped out of his Hero costume and laid down in an examination pod in only his boxers. David hooked up monitors above his heart and near the scar he had gotten from All For One. The professor then situated a breathing mask over his face before closing the lid and started running tests.

Toshinori closed his eyes and rested as the room was filled with hums and beeps of the machines. Numbers and gauges were illuminated on the pod as well as the scientist’s many screens. When the results of his Quirk levels came up, David was concerned that they had gotten even lower than the last time they checked. However, they were at least dwindling at a steady pace so he still had time to implement his plan.

“You can’t keep going like this, Toshi,” David chastised as Toshinori sat up from the examination pod. “Your Quirk levels are still dropping ever since you received that serious injury from All For One. But with these numbers, there will be a day when you won’t be able to use your Quirk at all.”

The Number One Hero coughed into his hand as he looked down with guilt. He knew that already. It was why he was so adamant on finding a good successor to take One For All before it was gone forever. Toshinori couldn’t let this shared Quirk die with him.

I have to tell him the truth, he thought as he did his best to brace himself to share this secret.

“At the rate you are losing your Quirk, the day the Symbol of Peace disappears grows closer and closer,” David said, his fist clenched on his desk in frustration. “Your presence is the only reason Japan has such a low crime rate of six percent. Other countries average around twenty percent and others even worse than that. I almost wish you had never left. The US could use you, All Might.”

The day he would have to retire as a Pro Hero was inevitable but that didn’t necessarily mean he would stop being the Symbol of Peace. The title was merely a name to an ideal. A concept of a protector who would always be there to save the day. As they say, you can kill the man, but you can’t kill an idea.

But there was also young Midoriya’s point. His quest to become the Symbol of Peace had put a lot of pressure on a single Hero. It had been part of his own personal goals but where did that leave the rest of the Hero world once he couldn’t actively fight anymore. Who could replace the Number One Hero as the Symbol of Peace?

The answer was simple now. It couldn’t be just one person to take over his legacy. It had to be everyone. Working together to keep the peace he himself had worked so hard to secure and maintain. Only then through hard work and team work would their society flourish and shine brightly leading into the future.

I must tell him now before it’s too late.

“David…I have something to tell you,” Toshinori said, drawing his friend’s attention away from the concerning results of him pushing himself so hard. “It’s about my Quirk. It’s…different.”

“Different?” David asked, turning to face him in his chair. “How so?”

“I…I was not born with this power,” the once Quirkless man revealed, forcing himself to say the words he fought desperately to keep hidden. “In fact, before I was given it by my master, I had no Quirk at all.”

Toshinori cast his shadowed gaze down not wanting to see his friend’s reaction. While David stared at him in shock much different than what he had felt earlier. Seeing his friend after so long was a thrill but this…this was something else.

“You were…Quirkless?” David asked, not sure if he could believe it to be true. This was All Might after all. The strongest man alive.

“Yes,” the skeletal man admitted still not looking at him.

The professor thought over what he had just learned about his long-time friend. Never once would he have guessed that All Might had been Quirkless. He just had such overwhelming power that went well with his overpowering personality, but to not be born with this power and instead given…

“Wait, you said you were given this power?” David asked suddenly, staring at his friend in disbelief. “How is that possible?”

And so Toshinori told him. The tale of two brothers when Quirks first began to show up. One wanting to rule over all while the other wanted nothing to do with it. A giver and a taker fighting against each other until one pulled a move to force his younger brother to submit to him only for it to backfire. One For All was created and the journey of such a unique Quirk began.

Hero after Hero it was passed down to for the next generation to try again and again to take All For One down. But as each successor was overpowered by their shared enemy, One For All grew stronger. The inherited Quirk enhanced the wielder’s original as well as their natural strength. By the time it was given to Toshinori, since he didn’t have a Quirk, it seemed to increased his physical strength more than the others to compensate.

However, after his fight with All For One, the injury he sustained had affect his ability to draw upon his power. Toshinori didn’t go into the drama between him and Mirai who had wanted him to retire and choose a successor immediately instead of continuing his Hero work. That was a can of worms he did not want to open especially not now. Telling David this secret was stressful enough.

David sat and listened to his friend’s story. It almost seemed absurd, a fairy tale, and yet the evidence was all there. It explained so many things that he had questions about. Toshinori was given a long-existing Quirk that painted a target on his back all while he was building a name for himself as the Symbol of Peace. There was so much more to his friend’s past than he had thought.

“And now I am in search of a successor for this Quirk,” Toshinori surmised. “I thought I had found the perfect choice however I was turned down.”

“You, All Might, were turned down?” David asked in disbelief. “By who?”

“That young man you met earlier, Midoriya Izuku,” the blonde answered, his tone solemn at the lost opportunity. The boy had so much potential. “I see a lot of myself in him. Both growing up Quirkless with a goal to become Heroes. Only I became one with One For All while he continues to fight without a Quirk. I believe he would be a great choice to receive One For All but I also admit he is doing well on his own.”

His own kind of Hero.

“I see what you mean,” the professor commented, his hand on his chin. “He’s the one that won the Sports Festival this year for the first years, correct?”

“Yes, he did,” Toshinori replied with a nod. “He is also credited in apprehending the Hero Killer Stain in Hosu which was caught on video.”

David’s eyes widened in surprise at that. A wanted Villain who was known for evading capture was taken down by a Quirkless teenager. If he had developed a Quirk, what more could this young Midoriya Izuku do as a Hero?

“As to why we are all here on I-Island,” Toshinori explained further. “Other than to visit you and enjoy the I-Expo, it was to protect young Midoriya. He has caught the interest of the leader of the League of Villains who we know is associated with All For One. We hoped to put some distance between him and Villains until we finalize a plan to protect him from Shigaraki. What better place than I-Island?”

This time it was David who turned his head down in shame. Toshinori watched while thinking of Hound Dog’s warning.

“What is it, David?” the skeletal man asked.

“I…” he began only to stop. The scientist was clearly conflicted about something and struggling to let it out. After taking a deep breath though he forced himself to speak. “I have something to tell you, Toshi.”

David began to speak of a plan to retrieve a piece of his research that had been confiscated and locked up as it was considered too dangerous. The device itself was intriguing and able to amplify one’s Quirk without damaging their body or brain unlike with drugs. The fact that he designed it to help All Might remain as the Symbol of Peace was an honor. However, if such a device fell into the wrong hands…it could be a disaster.

To think if All For One got his hands on it…

The thought made Toshinori shudder. The plan David and his assistant had come up with even more so. Hiring fake Villains to distract the civilians and Heroes visiting the island all in order to steal it. All in the name of All Might. Even if it was with fake Villains, Toshinori did not like being a motivation for such a scheme.

“David…why did you sink to such measures?” the skeletal blonde asked, not wanting to believe his friend would agree to such a plan.

He was currently pacing as he was processing this new development. There was also a part of him that realized they hadn’t managed to keep young Midoriya out of danger after all.

Damn it!

“It was Sam’s idea,” David admitted solemnly. “After our sponsors confiscated the device as well as all my research, Sam suggested this plan to take our research back. To steal what was stolen from us and leave to continue our research elsewhere.”

“That’s insane, David,” Toshinori said, chiding him like a child as he stilled his pacing.

“I know, I thought so too,” David agreed as he let out a sigh. “But Sam was insistent. Wanted everything back so we could keep working on the project we had put so much time and effort into. He has everything planned out.”

The Number One Hero was so angry that his friend would do something like this. It was for his sake but that didn’t excuse even a fake act of violence. If it even was actually fake. He had to inform the other Heroes and they would treat it as a real Villain attack just in case. They must protect the people and the top-secret research existing on this island.

“When is the attack going to happen?” All Might asked as he buffed up into his muscle form in anger.

David for the first time felt intimidated when faced with the Symbol of Peace. Finally understanding what Villains must feel when confronting the Number One Hero.

“Tonight, during the reception,” David answered quickly. “The tower will be closed and everyone will be in the same place. They plan to take control of the security systems and lock the island down. Then capture any Heroes so they can’t fight back, but they’re ordered to not harm anyone.”

Tonight, huh?

That didn’t leave much time for a plan, but it was enough to tip off the other Heroes and beef up security to sensitive areas. They should also screen through the arriving guests for the planned attackers. Though they could be on the island already.

“Do you know when these fake Villains are supposed to arrive?” Toshinori asked as he slowly let his bigger form go and sat back down. “Or even who they are?”

“Sorry, I don’t know,” David admitted with a shake of his head. “Sam handled all of the preparations with them. I only know when the attack is planned and that I’m to play along so that we could get to the device.”

The Number One Hero hummed as he thought. It was unfortunately that he didn’t know more and would make planning a counterattack more difficult. Of course, they could ask his assistant but with Hound Dog’s warning of Sam seeming off he didn’t think it would be wise. If they did and this turned out to not be a fake attack, they could unintentionally alert the Villains they knew of their plan. They would have to be careful.

“I’m so sorry, Toshi,” David apologized earnestly, hanging his head in shame. “I’m just scared that the peace you’ve built as a Hero will fade away with you. I wanted to ensure you could be a Hero and maintain all you’ve worked hard for. What kind of future will we have without All Might?”

The professor stared sadly down at the floor. His fears for the future seemed to radiate from him in irky black. He also feared that he lost the trust and friendship of his greatest and precious friend.

“While I understand your motivations, I am disappointed you would stoop to this level of criminality,” All Might said, causing David to flinch. “However, it’s not too late to prevent this or to keep it from getting out of hand. We need to inform the other Heroes and do all we can to take control of this situation.”

David looked up at that, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. There was disappointment in Toshinori’s shadowed blue but also concern. After learning what the scientist had planned and intended to do, he still cared. Was still the Hero David knew and loved.

“Of course, All Might,” David agreed earnestly. “And I’ll accept any punishment for my hand in all this. I knew it was wrong but I still almost did it. I just…I didn’t want to lose you. And the world…they can’t lose the Symbol of Peace.”

Toshinori got up from the examination pod and walked over to his friend.

“You’re not going to lose me, my dear friend,” the skeletal Hero assured him as he placed a comforting hand on his friend’s shoulder. “And the world will always have a Symbol of Peace. It may not always be me but the next generation of Heroes is filled with them.”

The professor looked at him confused as he asked, “What do you mean?”

“I’ve come to realize something because of young Midoriya,” Toshinori answered as he removed his hand. “That having the world on one Hero’s shoulders is too much. Instead, it is a burden that can be shared and thereby make a stronger foundation for society. The world is filled with capable Heroes as well as good people like you. Together we can maintain peace.”

David stared in awe at his words. Never had he expected for All Might to say such a thing. Nor had he ever considered that angle when it came to maintaining peace. Perhaps…perhaps there was still hope.

The professor let out a huff of laughter as he said, “That Midoriya sounds like some kid.”

“Indeed,” Toshinori conceded with his own chuckle. “It is unfortunate he did not accept One For All when I offered it to him. In him I see the shine of great potential and the true heart of a Hero. Always wanting to help others and save those he can. In fact, he was the one to convince me to tell you about my Quirk. He even guessed you might have already been planning a way to help me. He was right.”

The scientist was in shock. A boy he had never met before today already knew so much. Clearly a fanboy knowing all about him and his work, but to predict that the man would pursue means to help the Number One Hero was something else. Who was this kid?

“I think I’m starting to understand what you see about him,” David said, standing up from his chair. “That boy will make a great Hero.”

“He still has far to go,” Toshinori replied, nodding. “It won’t be easy forging a path as a Quirkless Hero, but I believe young Midoriya can do it. He may not rank high but not everyone aims for the top as I do. However, as long as he works hard to save those in need, he will make a great Hero indeed.”

The two friends smiled and nodded in silent agreement. The gaunt Hero then got dressed and they left together to alert the proper authorities of the looming threat. They would have to be swift and quick to organize a counteroffensive but they would do their best to keep the chaos at bay.

Notes:

There ya have it! The start of I-Island shenanigans. Izuku's muttering seems to just be getting worse but he's got an idea on how to handle that in the future. And it's just so fun for him to have awkward introductions because of it. XD

Melissa has officially met the Freakateers! Mei is so possessive and overprotective of Izuku. XD I just love her spaz nature so much. Her emotions always doing a 180 flip at a moment's notice. Hitoshi and Shouto of course would be more chill while Izuku is awkward but sociable. Plus Quirkless bonding time.

I had a lot of fun with Hound Dog being a part of their group in this. Easily sniffing out that something wasn't quite right. ;) And with All Might actually being open with his friend about OFA, David and he had a heart to heart both getting things off their chests. Will the Heroes be prepared in time? We'll have to wait and see! :D

Fun Facts About Japan:

This is more of an anecdotal one. For my personal experience with it comes to the JET Program application process, it took about 10 months. I submitted my application in September and got an email in December that I would get an interview which was in January. Then in March I found out I got wait-listed and had to wait to see if I would get picked or not. Thankfully only for a week! I got another email informing me I was to be placed in Yachiyo City and let's just say for me I was very happy for the wait.

In the application you can give requests of possible placements and why. Not a guarantee but I have a feeling it might have affected my placement. XD I put down Chiba as my top choice for the sole reason that Tokyo Disneyland was located in it. Yup, as reminder Tokyo Disney is in the Tokyo Bay area but technically it is in Chiba Prefecture! Anyway, I added that I would find a way to visit Tokyo Disney regardless of placement but being in Chiba would just make it easier. After a week, I find out I got Yachiyo that was 40 minutes away by train? Ya-freaking-tta!! I'll take it. And if I became the local Disney expert/park guide, let's just say I channeled my inner cast member and Disney magic. ;P That and years of experience visiting the US park as well as working in Disney World for a year.

Anyway, when it came time to finally depart for Japan in late July, for me it was quite the process. Depending on where you're flying from, not all airports have a direct path to Narita or Haneda airport. That was happened to me and so I had to fly to California, stay a night, and then take a flight from there to Japan. Lots of lugging around so many suit cases to and from and back to the airport. The flight to Japan is over 11 hours and once you get there, as soon as you get through customs and to the hotel, it's straight into 3 days of orientation. Physically and mentally exhausting but still worth it.

Then there's that first night in Tokyo. You're exhausted but how can you resist not exploring! Seeing Shinjuku for the first time was an experience much like how Izuku is when he first sees I-Island. So much to see, hear, eat, and just absorb. And I feel like I mentioned this once before, but I still cannot believe I got to see a freaking giant Godzilla head on top of TOHO cinema my very first night in Japan! XD That's when it really started to sink in for me. And it just so happened to be when a newer Godzilla film had come out too so double Godzilla. You can see some of my pictures here. Enjoy!

That's it for now! We've got more I-Island fun to come next chapter. But no spoilers for that. ;) Have fun theorizing! Okay, bye bye. ^___^

Chapter 16: I-Island: Exploring The Expo

Notes:

And we're back continuing our journey on I-Island! :D We've got a bunch of friend fluff coming your way this update so I hope you enjoy! ^________^ Editing took a bit more time than usual because I had some parts I still had to flesh out. Didn't help that I had a really long week at work last week. On top of that I also caught a cold, but I managed to survive!

Alright, enough complaining. Let's get to the chapter!

Reminder that it isn't just Izuku who came to I-Island in BC. We've got Hitoshi, Shouto, and Mei tagging along under Present Mic and Hound Dog's supervision. All Might is here too but currently with David Shield.

Slight warning for teasing this chapter? Though not really but just in case. From ["Ochako-chan!...] to before ["Who are they?"] but there's some comfort also mixed in and it's not too teasing. There's also a little subtle teasing in the paragraph starting with [He hadn’t interacted much...] through to before ["Kaminari!"] and a little more in [The purple haired teen sputtered...].

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

I-Island was amazing! The area for the I-Expo was filled with colorful buildings, structures, and sculptures.  Izuku was having a hard time focusing on just one thing because there was just so much! There were even literal music notes floating in the air most likely coming from someone’s Quirk. It was really fascinating to be in a place where you could use your Quirk so freely.

Seriously, this place was huge. It was almost hard to believe that they were on a man-made island in the middle of the ocean right now. There was also another section of the island that was more like a normal city. They would be going there later for the reception in the Center Tower for citizens and Heroes alike. Thank goodness they were all told to bring formal clothes beforehand. Even Izuku would have been embarrassed to show up in one of his punny t-shirts that simply said ‘dress clothes’.

I-Island really had everything you would need. The only downside according to Melissa who was showing their group around was that they weren’t allowed to travel. Which honestly was understandable in order to protect the scientists and their research, but that still sucked that they were stuck there.

A screech grabbed the party of seven’s attention and also caused Izuku to geek out as he exclaimed, “Oh my gods, it’s the Monster Hero, Godzillo!!”

Others around them also fanned over the intimidating Hero as the large lizard man flashed them a toothy smile and a peace sign. It was just so cool to see him in person! His friends and the Heroes supervising them chuckled at his fanboying moment. It was certainly not going to be the last considering so many Heroes were flown out there by their sponsors for the expo.

Be still my Hero fanboy heart!

“Let’s look in here!” Melissa cheerfully said as she pointed to a nearby building. “We definitely have to check out what’s in there. I think you’ll get a real kick out of it.”

They made quite the group walking into the building. A loudmouth radio host, a gruff canine counselor, a pink haired inventor, and three young aspiring Heroes following after the daughter of David Shield. Inside they found it was filled with new Hero Support Items. Both Mei and Izuku didn’t know what to look at first. Thankfully, Melissa was an excellent guide and introduced them to the various inventions with knowledgeable explanations for each one.

A multipurpose Beagle that was as fast as a jet and could also travel in the air as well as underwater. That’s so cool! A diving suit that allowed the wearer to drop down to as low as 7,000 meters in the ocean. That’s so deep! There was also a helmet that enabled you to see all the way around your body using 36 different sensors. That’s so much!!

Melissa smiled fondly as she watched them fawn over the various tech as she said, “Almost everything in here was created using a number of inventions Papa patented.”

“That’s impressive,” Izuku replied with a beaming and excited Mei nodding beside him. “You must be very proud of him.”

The blonde girl hummed in agreement before saying, “All of these inventions are going to help Heroes all around the world. It makes me so proud to think of all the people they will be able to help because of his hard work.”

It was awesome that she had someone like her dad to look up to like that and Izuku told her as such. Melissa blushed and told them that her dream was to follow in his footsteps and become a scientist just like him. In fact, she was training to do just that and was a third year studying at the I-Island Academy. It was very impressive as anyone who dreamed of becoming a scientist wanted to go there.

But she was humble about her achievements, saying she still had much to learn. Honestly, Izuku felt the same way. Despite all his analysis training and mentoring he is getting from his teachers, there was still so much more to explore and discover. The future was an open book and all one had to do was push forward and take every opportunity presented to them.

I see a lot of myself in her beyond us both being Quirkless.

“Oh, I forgot to ask,” Melissa spoke up suddenly. “What should I call all of you? By your real names or would you prefer a nickname?”

Present Mic and Hound Dog had already introduced themselves by their Hero names as they were in costume and technically on duty as guardians. The three Hero students decided to follow suit and so Hitoshi, Shouto, and Izuku introduced themselves as Hoax, Reinen, and Edge respectively. As for Mei she insisted in her typical in-your-face fashion to call her by her first name. They were going to become Support partners so might as well start the friendship process now.

“Wow, first name basis already, Mei?” a familiar female bubbly voice called out suddenly. They all turned to see it was Ochako also in her Hero costume.

“Ochako-chan!” Izuku squawked in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

A clearing of a throat further alerted them to the presence of Momo and Jirou who were also geared up.

“You guys are here too?!” the greenet exclaimed having not expected any of them. “Why didn’t you say anything before we left?!”

“Thought it would be funnier to see your reaction,” the gravity girl answered cheekily. “Yours are just so dramatic it’s hilarious.”

The now bigger group all snickered as the Quirkless boy hid his flushed face with his arms. Shouto even gave a chuckle finding his reaction cute before placing a comforting hand on his friend’s back. The contact helped Izuku settle down and when he lowered his arms, they joined hands. There was nothing better to help him calm down than holding hands with his crush.

“Who are they?” Melissa asked curiously.

Oh, right. Izuku introduced the three girls as their classmates and that they were all in UA’s Hero Course in Class 1-A together. Each of them offered her their own names, both given and Hero. He then introduced Melissa to them as their friend which made the older girl blush slightly. They had only just met and they were already friends?

“Nice to meet you,” the blonde girl said with a genuine friendly smile. “My dad and Uncle Might are really good friends and haven’t seen each other in a while. As they’re catching up, I’ve been showing the others around the expo for a bit. If you would like, we could go to a café to grab some tea for a bit.”

They all agreed it was an excellent idea and she led them to one of her favorite nearby tea spots. The newer members of their party sat with Melissa at one table to get to know each other better. The rest of them sat at different tables with the Heroes at one and the students at another to take a break and rest their feet.

The group of girls were chatting about the Hero students’ internship experiences. Melissa was impressed what they had seen and done so far so early in their careers. Patrols, training, and working with Pro Heroes all sounded so exciting. The young Heroes tried to brush it off as nothing special but the inventor was insistent with her praise.

The Heroes were casually chatting at their own table. Well, Present Mic was talking mostly and Hound Dog would occasionally offer grunts in reply. Then at the teenager’s table, Mei was currently rifling through Izuku’s info booklet eager to see what else the expo had. He took note she dog-eared some of the ones he was excited about too.

Izuku himself was talking about some of them as Shouto listened beside him. The dual element wielder watched him with a sparkle of endearment in his heterochromatic eyes. He didn’t understand everything that was coming out of his freckled friend’s mouth but he was happy to simply hear what he had to say. Hitoshi though had decided to take the opportunity to sneak in a nap with his capture weapon serving as a cushion on top of his crossed arms. That is until there was a sudden whiff of coffee in the air.

A single purple eye peeked out as a steaming cup of coffee was placed before him. He could tell it was straight black just from the smell. Though there was an added dollop of whipped foam placed on top that someone had formed into a crude cat. Hitoshi looked up further to find Kaminari smiling down at him wearing a butler uniform.

“Thanks for waiting,” the electric teen said with a certain lilt in his voice though Hitoshi couldn’t place it. “I noticed you talk about cats and coffee a lot but didn’t know how you liked it. Thought you looked like you could use an energy boost though so enjoy!”

The brainwasher just stared in surprise as the electric blonde placed a container of cream and sugar down with a wink. He was too shocked at first to do anything as Kaminari turned towards the others.

Wait, he noticed that? When? Why? Just…what?

He hadn’t interacted much with the other boy outside of training. The closest to socializing they had was during the trip to the mall but that had been a disaster. Hitoshi found himself very much confused about this situation. A quick glance at his closest friends offered no help as both Mei and Izuku were smirking at him while Shouto was blank-faced as ever. He missed the knowing smile on his dad’s face as he snuck a picture of the exchange to send to his husband. Oh, and Midnight who would love a bit of hot gossip.

Yamada then watched as his son cautiously reached for the cup and carefully mixed in some sugar so as to not destroy the foam cat. He smiled fondly as the typical satisfying relaxed slump of tense shoulders as their kid took the first sip. It reminded him of a certain grumpy cat of a man he left back home. It was so funny how alike they were even though they weren’t related by blood as he snuck another picture. It would be a nice addition to his growing gallery at home.

“Kaminari!” Izuku chirped, excited to see their classmate though he was a little confused.  “What are you doing here?”

“Apparently they needed extra wait staff for the expo,” Kaminari replied giving them a thumbs up in greeting. “A few of the guys from class figured we would help out. Got us a free trip to the island and we get paid for our time. Then on our breaks we’re allowed to explore the expo.”

“Is he another one of your classmates?” Melissa asked, surprised to meet yet another student from 1-A.

“Yep!” Ochako chimed in with a clap of her hands while the others nodded.

“Melissa, this is Kaminari Denki,” Izuku said, introducing the two acting as a sort of liaison. “His Hero name is Chargebolt. Kaminari, this is Melissa Shield.”

“Nice to meet you, Kaminari,” Melissa greeted offering her hand. “Or would you prefer your Hero name?”

“You as well, Melissa. And Kaminari is just fine,” he replied, shaking her hand and noting she was really cute for a girl. Then upon releasing it he turned back to Hitoshi and asked, “So, how’s that drink treating ya?”

The purple haired teen sputtered at the sudden attention. Seriously, what was going on right now? The others chuckled as he cleared his throat.

“Uh, great, thanks,” Hitoshi answered, finding himself feeling shy for some reason. “You were right. It was just what I needed.”

He was indeed grateful for the boost of caffeine. The insomniac could already feel it working at waking him up. Kaminari was clearly pleased as he smiled widely and brightly at him. It was different from Izuku’s or Hizashi’s brightness who could be as intense as the sun making him feel a need for sunglasses. But the blonde teen was more…electric though that could be just his Quirk. Or his tendency to make puns. Either way, Hitoshi didn’t know what it was exactly but that smile sparked something unknown inside him.

What the heck is going on?!

However, the moment was broken and therefore immediate answers lost as they were interrupted by an order barking speedster.

“This is not the time to be slacking off!” Tenya scolded while coming at them at top speed. “You came to the island to make money, didn’t you? How can you do that if you’re not willing to work hard?!”

Kaminari squawked as he was herded away from Hitoshi by their class president in full costume minus his helmet. Commanding in presence as ever.

“Wait, you’re here too, Tenya?” Izuku asked in surprise.

“Of course,” Tenya answered as he stared down the goofing off blonde. “I am from a long line of Heroes and so it was expected for us to receive an invitation. However, I was the only one available to attend as the rest of my family was busy. So, it’s only me representing the Iida family.”

“That’s the same for me,” Momo revealed drawing everyone’s attention to her. “My father is a shareholder in some of the sponsor companies for the expo. I was excited to hear we could go to the preview.”

It was then revealed by Jirou that Momo was also giving a few plus-one invitations as well. The girls had decided to let chance decide who got them and after a game of rock paper scissors, Ochako and Jirou were the winners. The other girls were still there on the island with them but would have to wait for the official opening of the expo.

Momo probably paid for them all to come with her, Izuku figured with a smile. That’s so nice of her to not leave the other girls out.

They had a plan to go as a group to look around the expo the next day. Melissa happily offered to show them around herself which they excitedly accepted. Kaminari practically begged to join them since he hadn’t had much time between shifts. Of course, his company would be welcomed among them much to his relief.

After they finished their various drinks, the group of ten from before were joined by Tenya making eleven while Kaminari reluctantly went back to work. There was a lot of noise coming from one pavilion so they headed over there to find a Villain Attack course. Different contestants were racing to see who could defeat the ‘villains’ as fast as possible. Or in this case, robots. Again.

It was another contest more directed towards offensive Quirks much like the Hero Course practical exam. Definitely something Bakugou would have gravitated towards to show off his power if he had been on the island. Though Izuku figured he wasn’t because he couldn’t see the explosive blonde as being willing to work waiting tables to come. Too beneath him. Perhaps if he had won first place in the Sports Festival then he would have gotten an invitation like Izuku had, but he didn’t.

Well at least I don’t have to worry about running into Bakugou while I’m here.

Most of them decided to watch rather than participate in the challenge. Mei had wanted to try and was already thinking of which of her babies would be perfect up against the foe robots. Unfortunately, she couldn’t since she was a civilian and not a Hero student and so didn’t have the required training for safety purposes. But if she had, Izuku was sure she would have done an impressive display of technological terror similar to her match with Tenya that had gotten her own invitation to the island.

Said speedster chose to oversee the group rather that run the course. The girls also opted out along with Hitoshi who already knew his Quirk wouldn’t work on robots from his bitter failure of the practical. Izuku played around with the idea of combining the use of some of his gadgets, but decided against it not really caring to rank himself. Shouto was the only one passively interested and gave an impressive showing of clearing the course in 14 seconds with his Heaven-Piercing Ice Wall. Though Izuku found himself a bit distracted by his attack stance and how his white and red hair fluttered in the wind. It was…a nice view.

“Izuku, are you alright?” Shouto asked as he rejoined their group. “Your face is a little red.”

He brought up his right hand to Izuku’s forehead to check his temperature. Though that only deepened the reddening of his cheeks as they were in public and this was one of Shouto’s more forward gestures. Thankfully though his skin was still cool from using his Quirk so it did start to help to tone down his blush.

“I-I’m fine, Shouto, really,” Izuku assured him with a smile. “It’s probably just the sun.”

The taller boy hummed in answer as he removed his hand only to shift to stand beside him and take his hand instead. The blush remained as Izuku smiled softly at the action and gave Shouto an appreciative squeeze. They kept holding hands as they all watched a few more contestants participate. Though no one came near their resident element wielder’s time and so he held first place until Present Mic decided to take a stab at it.

The Villain Attack course was open to any Hero competitors though it was more aimed at the younger crowd. However, Izuku was entertained, impressed, and a little proud that he did. Because it was hilarious to see this skinny, banana-haired, leather-bound man casually stroll to the stage while whistling to then merely scream ‘YEAAAHHH!’ at the robots destroying them in seconds. All with just the right volume and frequency from years of practice. Goes to show you didn’t have to have a physical Quirk to beat the course.

The group moved on from there and explored the other pavilions as the afternoon turned to early evening. As the sun began to set, they went back to the café from earlier and presented a tired Kaminari with a spare invitation to the reception that night. The electric blonde was ecstatic and couldn’t believe he could go with them. Melissa was more than happy since she had an extra. She was only sad she had just the one and would have liked to have invited the other boys from 1-A on the island. Apparently, Satou, Sero, Shouji, and Tokoyami were also there but, much like the girls, not everyone could go.

Ever the class president concerned about their image, Tenya stressed for them to be on their best behavior tonight. There were going to be a number of Pro Heroes in attendance and the students were there acting as representatives of UA. It was essential to not tarnish the prestigious Hero school’s reputation. They were more ordered than agreed to change and then meet in lobby seven at 6:30pm sharp in order to go as a group. He then dismissed them with a commanding smile before running off at full throttle as always.

That’s Tenya for you, Izuku thought as he chuckled in amusement.

After that, they all parted ways for their various hotel rooms. Though Mei reluctantly didn’t want to part from her fellow female inventor but a promise to visit Melissa’s lab at a later time placated her. His classmates retreated to their own hotel rooms while Izuku and his friends left with the two Pro Heroes in tow.

All Might, due to his status and situation, had his own suite. The rest of their group was situated in a special suite of sorts with multiple rooms to compensate for the number of people in their party. The two adults had their own rooms and then the students were split with the boys in one room and Mei in the other. Probably for the best as she tended to stay up late working on a baby before going to sleep. The boys’ room had just two beds though that was fine with them. Hitoshi took one and that left Shouto and Izuku with the other not minding having to share.

It took some time to convince Mei to actually get cleaned up and dressed. Izuku had to force her to take a quick shower to clean off any stray grease. The threat of not letting her bring a single baby with her to the party was enough to make herself get ready. He laid out her outfit for the evening on her bed before retreating to his shared room where Hitoshi and Shouto were already getting ready themselves. Izuku made himself think of this as just like the locker room back at UA and turned his back to focus on changing himself.

When he had first heard they would need formal clothes for their trip, Izuku had been worried he wouldn’t find anything. He had never been to a fancy dinner in his life so the reddish-brown pinstripe suit with a pale-yellow button up and black clip-on bow tie seemed just fine. He had even planned on wearing his favorite red shoes as well both for comfort and he literally didn’t have any fancy shoes to wear.

However, before they had left Yamada had insisted, nay demanded, to see their outfits for the gala. He had already helped Hitoshi out with a simple but stylish black suit and tie with a deep purple shirt and matching pocket square. He had even shown his son how to style his hair in a way that had some of his hair swept forward like bangs in front of one side of his forehead while the rest of his gravity defying hair was slicked back somewhat for a more formal look. The brainwasher had also been playing around with eyeliner lately though hadn’t been brave enough to wear it in public yet. This was as good a time as any.

Shouto had a plethora of finery to choose from with all the different social events he had been dragged to over the years. Endeavor did so love to show off his masterpiece whenever the occasion came up. So his outfit of a light gray suit with dark gray accents, muted blue shirt, and striped maroon tie had been approved, but when it came to Mei and Izuku’s choices, they were immediately vetoed and labeled fashion disasters. His own he couldn’t see what was wrong though he did agree that Mei’s idea of wearing her least greasy overalls was not an option.

This abrupt decision had prompted Yamada to go on an emergency shopping trip before they left much to Aizawa’s exasperation and Izuku’s dislike of putting upon others. But the Voice Hero had insisted anyway and Hitoshi just told him to accept it. There was no stopping his dad once he put his mind on shopping for someone. He just couldn’t help himself because he loved showering people with gifts.

For Mei, he had kept in mind her love of function while adding fashion into the mix. He gave her a dark gray pant suit with a surprising number of hidden pockets. Perfect for carrying around some of her compacted babies in case she found an opportunity to show them off. He paired it with a pink shirt to match her hair and dark gray tie. Yamada even found a porkpie styled hat to match which Mei fixed up with one of her spare sets of goggles. She also added some steampunk flair with a few gears on the side paired with a couple of feathers, one pink and one yellow.

Then for Izuku, he was also given a dark gray suit but with a green shirt and pocket square that matched his hair. Then the tie Yamada gave him was a deep rich red knowing it was his favorite color. As for shoes, he found a simple black pair that he assured were comfortable as well as fashionable. Izuku still didn’t understand what had been so bad with his original outfit, but would take the Voice Hero’s word that this was better.

If anything, he was impressed Yamada had found the two outfits so quickly. He had given them a onceover each, accurately listed off their sizes, and had only taken a couple hours shopping to find them. Considering his choices, the blonde man had some serious scrounging skills when it came to off-the-rack clothing. But then again, this was Yamada they were talking about. The man who managed to acquire a hefty amount of Eraserhead merch from gods knew where. If anyone could pull together two emergency outfits out of thin air at the last minute, it was him. And that was exactly what he did.

The material was nice and the fit was really good. Izuku was surprised how good he looked in the suit when he checked himself in the mirror in the bathroom. Most everything was buttoned up and ready to go all except for one thing. The tie. The greenet mourned not being able to use the clip-on bow tie. He just couldn’t get his head around tying ties no matter how many tutorials he looked at.

“Do you need help with that?” Shouto asked from behind him.

Izuku let out a relieved sigh as he said, “Yes, please, Shouto. I’d really appreciate…”

He turned around as he spoke and found himself frozen.

“…that.”

Izuku had seen Shouto’s suit before but it very much different actually seeing him in it. It was relatively simple but stylish and it actually reflected the two parts of his Quirk. The suit reminded him of snow and the tie hinted at his fire side almost matching his hair on his left. Plus, he had never seen Shouto in a suit before and damn did he look good. Though he did keep his hair the same not caring enough to bother styling it differently. Izuku didn’t care either. His crush was just naturally good looking without much effort.

Shouto stood there looking at him for a moment. He took in how nice Izuku looked in his own outfit. Yamada had good taste and Shouto very much appreciated the view. Perhaps the next time his father dragged him to an event he could take Izuku with him. The company would be more than welcome and he would also enjoy the…what was the word?

Eye candy, if I’m using that correctly, the bi-color teen thought to himself as he took a step forward.

There were still so many words and phrases that he was learning. Having such an isolated childhood did not help him understand teenager slang like his classmates and friends did. Thankfully Izuku was always willing to help explain whenever one of Hitoshi’s jokes went over his head. He personally still didn’t get them once he had a better understanding, but he appreciated his friend’s efforts anyway.

Heterochromatic eyes scanned over the greenet’s face. His hair was a curly mess as always but Shouto found it cute. In fact, there were a lot of things he thought were cute about his special warm friend. How his green eyes glistened with excitement when he was observing and analyzing Heroes. His constellation of freckles that dusted his cheeks especially when he was blushing as he was right now. The shy smile that grew on his face whenever they were close much like they were now.

“May I?” Shouto asked as he reached for the untied tie.

“Yeah,” Izuku replied though it came out very breathy.

Shouto hummed in response and proceeded with carefully manipulating the smooth material into a perfect knot. He had so much experience tying ties over the years. In fact, if he recalled correctly, his eldest brother was the first to show him how, but when he disappeared, he couldn’t rely on his help anymore and so had to do it himself. It didn’t necessarily make him an expert tying someone else’s, but it wasn’t anything a quick internet search couldn’t remedy.

“There we go,” Shouto said as he smoothed the finished tie down. “All done.”

“Th-thank you, Shouto,” Izuku said, his cute face tilted down bashfully as he peaked up at him through his lashes. “I really appreciate it.”

“Any time,” the taller teen responded with a small smile on his face. “I would do anything for you.”

They just stared at each other in a comfortable silence until Hitoshi called out, “Hey, lovebirds, hurry up or Tenya’s gonna blow a gasket.”

“R-right!” Izuku squeaked before taking a moment to compose himself. “Are you ready to go, Shouto?”

The element wielder nodded and they left the bathroom together. Hitoshi gave him a onceover and let out a wolf whistle.

“Looking good there, Green Bean,” the purple haired teen commented with a smirk. “I’m sure Shouto agrees.”

“I do,” Shouto stated bluntly making Izuku blush.

Hitoshi snorted before turning back to Izuku and said, “Your hair is a mess as always though. Want me to style it a bit?”

“Oh yeah, sure!” Izuku chirped in excitement. He’s never really done anything to his hair before. It was always such a hassle so this should be fun!

The brainwasher nodded and did quick work on his hair so they wouldn’t be running late. He styled it much like his own. Some hair brushed forward to act as accenting bangs. The rest gently slicked back ever so slightly but still keeping his signature fluff. Hitoshi even manage to force a sort of part on the side so he didn’t look so much like he had a bush on his head. After a quick look in the mirror again, the greenet loved it and pulled his friend into a quick hug. Hitoshi grunted having been caught by surprise and seeing as his arms were pinned to his sides, he could only awkwardly pat Izuku on the back until he let go.

“Shall we?” Izuku asked, his eyes and smile bright and eager for the coming evening.

Hitoshi pulled out his sunglasses despite it being dark outside before answering, “Lead the way, sunny boy.”

The Quirkless teen just giggled and led them out of their room. Mei surprisingly was all ready and looked great in her pant suit. When she noticed them joining her and their Hero guardians, she looked over her boys and gave them all an approving smile and thumbs up.

“Looking good, my fellow Freakateers!” Mei cheered with a huge grin.

“Freakateers?” Yamada questioned beside her. He and Hound Dog were still in their Hero costumes for the party. “That’s what you call yourselves?”

“Yep!” the pinkette chirped with a clap of her hands before pointing to herself. “I’m Porthos.”

“Aramis,” Hitoshi said simply with a salute.

“I’m Athos,” Izuku added on. “And Shouto is our d’Artagnan.”

Shouto gave a small awkward circular wave in response not knowing what else to do. They all chuckled fondly. Yamada though was apparently thoroughly entertained by their group nickname as he was trying not to fall into hysterics.

“Wow, you guys put in way more thought than Shou and I did back in high school,” the loud blonde snickered. “He and I along with another friend were just called the three Dumbigos of Class A.”

Again, they laughed as a group before Present Mic did a final check of their outfits. With his approval and a few quick pictures, they then left their suite to join the others. Thankfully they were only a minute or two late meeting up with Tenya and the others but they weren’t the only ones late as it was only him and Kaminari there. Tenya was dressed in a blue suit, white shirt, and yellow tie and Kaminari was still in his butler outfit. The class president still reprimanded them for their tardiness despite not being the only ones late as the other girls weren’t there yet.

“Cool your jets, Tenya,” Mei said, getting very much into his space with her usual lack of care for one’s personal bubble. “Haven’t you ever heard of being fashionable late?”

“That may be a saying some people use,” Tenya replied, a light blush dusting his cheeks. “However as UA students we must do our best to be more timely so as to keep to our promised appointments.”

He awkwardly adjusted his glasses while Mei simple shrugged and pulled back to a more comfortable distance. Though she stayed standing beside him humming to herself happily. As they waited, Tenya called the other girls from their class up to figure out where they were at. Izuku in turn texted Melissa who responded she was on her way.

Ochako was the first to show in a pretty pink frilly short dress, dark gray stockings, pink shoes, and a flowered bow in her hair. Momo and Jirou arrived not too long after. Their class vice president sported a long pale green dress, white shoes, and a fancy gold clip in her hair while Jirou hid shyly behind her. The purple haired girl wore a more punk style dress with a purple top and pink skirt with a black half-sleeve jacket, gray stockings, and pink shoes along with a pink flower in her hair to match. Both Jirou’s and Ochako’s dresses were borrowed from Momo for the occasion.

The last to arrive was Melissa in a beautiful blue strapless dress that had a dark top and a pale skirt with a black sash around her waist and a flower accent to match the dress. Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail and she wore a red headband. She breathily apologized for being late but it was only by a few minutes so they still had plenty of time to get down to the party.

With the rest of their part together, they all headed down to the reception in the elevator. The party was being held on the second floor and they arrived without issue. It was going to start around 7pm so they made it with time to spare thanks to Tenya’s need for punctuality. However, before they could go inside and start mingling with the crowd, All Might suddenly appeared before them.

“Greetings, young Heroes!” the Number One Hero boomed. “It’s good to see you all nicely dressed and ready for action.”

He took in their various formal wear and gave an approving hum at their choices. Or in the case of Hitoshi, Mei, and Izuku, Yamada’s fashion sense. All in all, they looked good.

“Hmm, yes, you all look rather dashing,” All Might nodded in approval, but then he oddly leaned forward and lowered his voice to a whisper. “I’d like all of you to come with me. There is something I must discuss with you before the reception starts.”

His volume was low but his tone was very serious. Something had to be up and so they all nodded and followed him to a separate room a little ways away from the reception hall. Inside they found other Heroes as well as I-Island security leaders.

Ok, something definitely is up.

Present Mic and Hound Dog were immediately on alert. As for the students, those who had been exposed to Villain attacks were already figuring that something was going down and it couldn’t be good. Which left Mei and Melissa standing there wondering what was going on for everyone to seem so serious. Once they were inside and the door was shut, All Might turned back to their group.

“Unfortunately, I must tell you there has been a…complication,” the Number One Hero said, still smiling as ever but it was dulled by the tense atmosphere. “I want to apologize to you specifically, young Midoriya, as we had come to I-Island to protect you. However, we have been made aware of a possible Villain attack.”

Seriously? Can’t I catch a break? Izuku thought though he figured, or rather hoped, that the threat wasn’t directed at him specifically.

“We didn’t have much time to come up with a counter plan,” All Might pressed on. “We don’t know who they are or how they will attack. We don’t even know for sure if this attack will be real or not. All we know is when and why. However, we have determined that we will need all of your help in order to succeed in case it is. Will you help us, young Heroes?”

Present Mic and Hound Dog were already set on helping in any way they could be of use. The Hero students could sense their determination and nodded earnestly that they would as well. Melissa and Mei traded a somewhat scared glance as they were the least experienced when it came to fighting. But if there was any way for them to offer their support to the Heroes then they would.

“What can we do to help?” Melissa asked, speaking for the rest.

The Symbol of Peace smile intensified finding inspiration in their determination to help.

“Here is what we will do,” he said and began to explain their plan.

Notes:

All the friend bonding! :D Izuku's friends really like to tease him and Melissa got to meet some peeps from Class A. No Kirishima though. :/ I could have brought him as well with the working the expo thing but I wouldn't think he would want to leave Bakugou behind by himself. Especially since the rest of the Bakusquad did go to I-Island. You're probably wondering how it's going to go down without Bakugou or Kirishima, but I'll just tell you throw canon out the window for this one. :P I've got a plan and I think you'll like it. I do anyway.

Sh-sh-shout out to cooper and Baltimoresurvivor for their help with outfit suggestions! (really thank you, I'm quite fashion illiterate...) :P I was originally going to keep Izuku's the same as cannon but Baltimoresurvivor had some fun ideas for changing it up as well as something for Hitoshi. Which I think I made it work? ^____^ And cooper even threw together some schematics for Mei's which I then drew up which you can see here!! :D To give you a better idea of her outfit. So thanks!

Flirting. Just a whole bunch of flirting this chapter. ;)

Also reminder I have no idea how coffee works. I don't drink the stuff myself so I made stuff up in an attempt to write something cute. If anything, I see it as Kaminari made that coffee himself also without much knowledge how it works. So there, that's my logic. :P

Fun Facts About Japan:

Let's talk restaurant etiquette! Now in the US, good customer service consists of the wait staff regularly checking in with their tables and seeing if there's anything they need and if they are doing okay. Very much attentive service without the customer having to ask for it. That is actually not the case in Japan. In fact, it's kind of the opposite. In restaurants and food places, they don't come unless you call for them as they don't want to interrupt your meal or socializing. In fact, a lot of places have a call button for that specific reason to notify them you need something or ready to place your order. There are also places like conveyor belt sushi that they will have tablets and such you can use to order your food without even talking to a person. I experienced it where those places will either serve your order to you via person or conveyor belt depending on the restaurant set up. This also goes for karaoke booths as well. You order through the tablets or indicate you're ready to order. Then they come and get your order and give it quickly once it's ready so that you can maximize your enjoyment of the experience. (also karaoke is super duper fun in Japan and they do have a large selection of English songs to choose from over there)

Another difference is tipping. In the US, tipping is a big part of the restaurant industry and are part of restaurant staff wages. The better the service, the better the tip. (at least in theory) In Japan, they don't tip. Top service is considered to be a part of the job and no extra compensation is expected. Which was really hard to wrap my head around at first because customer service in Japan is top notch. They are just so kind and determined to get it right the first time. You just feel like you want to tip them anyway but it's just not a cultural thing there. Like how I previously mentioned that if you're in a convenience store and they notice what you are buy is expiring, even that day, and they will go out of their way to get you a fresh one. I strongly feel this is tied to their cultural mentality of the betterment of the group verses the individual. Get it done right the first time and everyone will be happy.

That's all for today! I hope you liked all the fluff this chapter. 'Cause next chapter is the attack itself and just plain drama. A nice balance. ;) Thank you for your patience and have a great two weeks!

Chapter 17: I-Island: Rock The Boat

Notes:

Hello again, my lovely readers! Thank you for your patience. As I explained on the discord, last week would have been when I posted but my work schedule was way too busy for me to do any editing for this. So I postponed for another week. But! To make up for the wait, this chapter is longer! :D Not exactly planned but that's how the plot points worked out.

A reminder of all who is on I-Island in BC. For our main group we have Izuku, Shouto, Hitoshi, Mei, Present Mic, Hound Dog, and All Might. Then we've got Momo, Jirou, Ochako, Tenya, and Kaminari. And of course Melissa as well. There are a few others but these are the main ones who actually play a part. :)

Formatting reminder:
"Hitoshi using his Quirk." (with or without impressions)
"Hitoshi doing an impression without using his Quirk."
"Speech over a sound system."

 

Also...

....

...

...I'm sorry.

(read the new tags just in case...)

 

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

Everything was going according to plan. Wolfram had initially been skeptical of the legitimacy of this job when he had first been contacted about it. What kind of fool would attempt to infiltrate an island with a security system to rival Tartarus? However, as his client explained their plan it had seemed less and less like a fool’s errand.

An inside contact would help them get past security and would ensure that their equipment would make it through customs. Separate transactions to mislead authorities. Their party of seven as well as a hand full of underlings arrived early in the day blending in with the other tourists visiting the island. No one the wiser that Villains were in their presence.

As arranged, they checked in with their mysterious partner via phone who elected to use a voice changer. A pathetic attempt at anonymity as Wolfram had a good guess as to who it was but no matter. The goods were to arrive at 3pm at Gate 66. In the interim, they explored some of the island getting a lay of the land as well as observing the Heroes who they would have to subdue later. From the looks of it they were a bunch of small fries that they would have no issues with detaining.

Right on time, the goods arrived and they were ready to start implementing their plans. The guard there had been easy to restrain and everything was going smoothly. Well, there was one bump in the road. According to their contact, All Might for some reason decided to show up. How annoying. But again, no matter. They could handle him as well as the others, no problem.

Infiltrating the Center Tower as time grew closer to their takeover had been laughably easy. The people on this island were like babes in the wood. So innocent and trusting that everything was alright. All because they were living somewhere considered untouchable. How naïve. With the right contacts and motivations, anything was possible. It also helped that they had the backing of the Number One Villain who was more than happy to humiliate an associate of All Might’s.

It’s going to be so satisfying to wipe that obnoxious smile off his smug face.

His men were already upstairs subduing the guards and taking control of the security system. Once they did, he would have total control over the entire island. Then every single one of them would be his hostage to threaten as he well pleased. The amount of power he would have over so many lives was going to be such a thrill.

All that was left was to wait for the reception to start and their plan could officially commence. He and his minions were all dressed for the part and it was going to be fun playing ‘fake’ Villain. Wolfram couldn’t wait to savor the look of betrayal once he revealed his true plans tonight. To not actually help this poor famous scientist recover his work to better the world and instead take him and his device for himself. Something that could amplify Quirks like that was going to make him a pretty penny.

The time drew near and they prepared themselves to begin. At the sound of the insipid Number One Hero’s voice giving a pompous speech, his minions from above gave the signal. An emergency message began to announce that a bomb threat was received.

I-Island will be placed in high-alert mode. Your safety is our top priority. All residents and tourists are to return to their lodgings as soon as possible. Anyone remaining outside after ten minutes will be in violation of the law and detained.

Oh, they’ll be detained alright, Wolfram thought with a smirk behind his metal mask as the building was being sealed off trapping everyone inside. Let the fun begin.

His men entered the reception with guns raised and the crowd gasped and screamed in fearful surprise. Oh, how he loved the sound of it all. Even with all the Heroes, they would do best to quickly realize that the security system was under his control.

Time for a demonstration.

~~~

Little did the Villain know that things were actually no longer going according to his plan. A group that had been sent up the tower before the attack began had reached their goal thanks to an employee’s only express elevator. They were led by Present Mic and Hound Dog who were technically last-minute guests of Izuku’s and hadn’t been seen at the party yet so therefore wouldn’t be missed. With them were their students as well as Melissa who had insisted on tagging along in the case they would need help with the security system. Which was very likely and out of all of them she would be the most familiar with it.

Jirou and Hound Dog were guiding their way listening for any upcoming threats while Mei helped look ahead thanks to her Zoom Quirk. The rest were providing a protective barrier around their civilian, Melissa, as well as the most important person to their plan. Izuku himself was doing his best to quietly encourage and coach Hitoshi on exactly what he was going to need to do.

Brainwashing was going to be key to their plan. They needed to take back control of the security room without the Villains downstairs knowing. Thankfully one of the babies Mei had decided to have on her person to show off at the party was a smaller collapsible version of Hitoshi’s voice-altering mask. It was something she had been working on as a present for him after Izuku had let slip about his birthday. Of course, she was going to make him a perfectly practical baby to carry with him on the go.

I still need to get Hitoshi a gift too, but that’s a future Izuku problem.

Right now, they were a little busy at the moment.

The timing of her having the mask with her in this kind of situation was perfect. With forethought or not be damned. It was almost like a plot device or something in a story of their lives. Thanks for that, Mei-chan! It would greatly help them pull off their retaking of the security system. Though Izuku had no doubt that Hitoshi could have done just as well without it considering how much he has been practicing his mimicry. This way just made it easier as Support Items were supposed to do.

When they finally got to the control room, an island wide announcement was being broadcasted and the building shut itself off from the world. Izuku and Hitoshi were situated near the front of the group. The young Hero Hoax was working quickly to mimic the voice of who sounded like the leader monologuing downstairs. While fellow young Hero Edge was recording the voices of the other Villains for him to copy later over the coms. Brainwashing didn’t work through sound systems but Hitoshi could do more than just that.

It was as a live video of civilians being held hostage by security robots that they started their plan.

What is going on up here?” Hoax called out in the voice of the leader mixed with his Quirk.

The four Villains in the room quickly turned to him in surprise with various outcries of ‘boss’ or ‘Wolfram’. In an instant, the young Hero took control of their minds making them go slack jawed and become nonresponsive. Kaminari then stepped forward to play his part and knocked the brainwashed Villains out with a shock of his electricity.

With the help of Momo and Melissa combined, they worked together to quickly apprehended each one with Quirk suppressing cuffs that the creation girl made from specs provided by the young scientist. Once done, the Pro Heroes took control of watching over them with help of a few others so the next part of their plan could be implemented.

Melissa expertly took back control of the security system as her hands glided over the console with ease. However, she didn’t fully reverse everything the Villains had done. Instead, she kept the building sealed off to trap the bad men inside. Then for outside, she cut the video feed of the streets in a way that looked like a glitch before reverting the exterior security robots off high alert. She also had a message sent out to only the outside on smaller screens and personal devices informing civilians what was really going on. Not all the details of course but enough for them to know this was an emergency. They could see people quickly running to their homes to stay safe from the Villains.

Back to downstairs, they got their first glimpse of the leader on the surveillance screens. A tall man with dark brown shoulder length hair wearing a black colored battle suit and an off-white trench coat. On his face was a mask of twisted metal leading Izuku to guess that it could have something to do with his Quirk. Either that or he’s just trying to be ‘metal’ with his nefarious fashion choice.

The Villain, Wolfram they figured judging by what the minions had said, was monologuing still. Wow, how cliché. Still, it gave them time for Hitoshi to copy the voice of the henchman who had been messing around with the security system before from Izuku’s recording. Just in time too as the Villain leader took notice of the ‘glitch’ and called in for an update.

What’s going on up there? Wolfram demanded to know.

Izuku had to suppress a snort because it was almost exactly how Hitoshi had sounded just a few moments ago.

Nothing,” Hoax replied, doing his best to match the tone and speech pattern of the new Villain he was playing. “I ran into a pesky bug in the system but easily bypassed it.

Good, now do it, Wolfram ordered though what exactly they didn’t know leading to a moment of silence. Awkward for them and irritating to Wolfram as he then snarled, “Well?

Hitoshi and Izuku exchanged looks with Melissa who gave an unsure shrug.

We’re trying, boss,” the brainwasher said to stall, not sure what else to say.

Then try harder! Wolfram demanded, turning away from the crowd growing frustrated as he was being made a fool. “We need those emergency restraining devices to incapacitate the Heroes.

The last part he hissed out in a whisper though the others would hear about it anyway. Izuku informed the Heroes down below using his own com system along with his suspicions of the man’s Quirk. Mei had taken a picture of all his schematics when she had helped him remake his gear and so Momo was able to make a copy with her Quirk for him. The subtle nod from All Might on the screen told them he heard them loud and clear.

Izuku signed to Hitoshi his next plan as he whispered to Melissa, “Can you turn them on but not actually activate them? Or make it look like they failed or something?”

The blonde girl eagerly nodded and did her magic on the control panel. Down below small holes opened up along the floor of the reception hall and strips of blue material shot out of them restraining the Heroes. Wolfram grinned pleased to see his plan working only for the blue strips to sputter out and disappear.

What is it this time?! the Villain snapped in anger.

They glitched out on us, boss,” Hitoshi replied, reading what Izuku wanted him to say through sign. “I can’t get them to come back on.

Wolfram cursed loudly hundreds of floors down before growling, “What do you mean they glitched out? Are you that incompetent? Get them back on right NOW!

The angered leader was starting to remind Izuku of a child throwing a temper tantrum. Which also reminded him of Shigaraki who he did not want to think about right now. Instead, he focused on Melissa who was ‘fixing’ the capture devices by turning them on and off intermittently. The blue strips would emerge only to ‘glitch’ out again and again.

They knew they couldn’t play around with them forever or else the Villains could snap and become more violent. But they only had to wait long enough for the island’s security personnel to gather outside of the reception hall. From the control room, they could see everything that was happening and control most of the situation. The only wild cards were the Villains themselves.

Thankfully just as the pissed off leader seemed about desperate enough to grab a hostage, the rescue party was in position. Izuku quickly informed All Might who bellowed for everyone to get down as security stormed the room. Everyone but the Villains ducked down to the ground and scrambled out of the way as best they could as the gunmen were overwhelmed.

From both sides the Villains were attacked. Armed security from the hall and the Heroes from within the room. The infiltrators put up a fight but one by one they were taken down. All that remained was the leader who was keeping everyone at bay flinging metal-infused attacks with no care who they hit. Civilians were screaming as other Heroes and security were doing their best to quickly escort them out of the room to safety.

The only one able to get close to Wolfram was All Might. The room was as cleared out as it could be when he worked his way punching through columns and rows of metal. The Villain was fueled by anger and just kept shooting more metal attacks at the Number One Hero. It did not deter the buff blonde who locked fists with Wolfram and pushed his limits to take the evil man down.

From the looks of it, Wolfram actually had two Quirks as his body started to glow red hot. He was even able to stand up against All Might’s overwhelming strength for a time. The onslaught of metal assaults had damaged the sound system so they couldn’t hear whatever Wolfram was saying to the Symbol of Peace. Well except for Izuku who still could through his ear piece but no one else did and that was probably for the best. Because Wolfram revealed a disturbing element of their plan that made both him and the Number One Hero’s grimace.

All For One was involved and the backer of their plan.

Why? Why was he always in the mix somehow? The one to first create One For All, the secret leader of the League of Villains, and the creator of the Noumu. Now this on top of that? What did All For One not have his hands in? Izuku would very much like to never meet the boogey man of the underworld because he was a whole new level of evil. The thought of even being in the same room as All For One made him shudder and wish his parents was right there to hold him and make him feel safe from the world.

However, the gifted Quirk from All For One seemed to be taking a toll on the Villain. He was losing strength and was eventually knocked out by All Might. The red glow disappeared as Wolfram laid on the ground unconscious, his body appearing thinner than it had before. Izuku figured that the Quirk must have augmented his strength by perhaps consuming his muscle mass.

All in all, the opening reception had been a mess, but it could have been a whole lot worse. Some people did get hurt but all would make a full recovery. And all of the guards who had been incapacitated had been found and released. Casualties had been kept to a minimum and David Shield’s research was still safe. He as well as his assistant Sam were taken into custody to question them on the plot.

David went quietly already having accepted his fate. He had been surprised to see they had actually been real Villains with real guns. Sam had assured him it would all be fake but it seemed he had lied. It made him wonder what else his long-time assistant had lied about. Was he actually trying to help him get his research back or did he have other motives?

The professor turned to see Sam giving more of a fight. Demanding to know why they were taking him and making a fuss when they restrained him. He was clearly angry about all this but only time would tell as to why exactly. That their plan failed and they didn’t retrieve his research? Or whatever possible hidden plan he had didn’t happen as expected? David didn’t like to think ill of others and hoped it was the former but there was a fear in the back of his head that thought it was more likely the latter. That he had been betrayed by someone he thought of as a friend.

In the end, the Villains were captured, civilians rescued, research kept safe, and the Heroes and island security personnel secured the peace once more. The reception hall was a wreck but the cleanup was left alone to be dealt with tomorrow. Those that were injured were attended to by medical staff and those involved with the rescue gave statements before being released.

The opening of the I-Expo the next day was to be delayed as construction and cleanup crews attended to the wreckage from the attack. While at the same time the public were to be informed of what exactly transpired that night with reassurances that everything was under control. It was also why they would be commencing with the I-Expo despite the Villain attack. To assure the people of I-Island that everything was going to be alright.

It was similar to when UA had still held the Sports Festival after the attack at the USJ. To reassure the population that everyone was fine and they had the situation under control. Going back to routine to comfort the masses and bringing the world back to normal. Not that everything was entirely back to how it was with new security implemented and slight changes to schedules and procedures.

The same would be for I-Island. No longer could the citizens think that their own little man-made world was impenetrable. I-Island was not the perfect protective bubble as they had thought. There were issues and weaknesses that could be exploited and taken advantage of like tonight. However, like the USJ, they could definitely learn from what happened and do what they could to prevent it from being repeated in the future.

There were a lot of similarities between the attack of I-Island and the USJ. Villains infiltrating a place no one expected them to do so. Said Villains attacking for their own selfish reasons and not caring who got hurt along the way. Izuku also played a similar role in the rescue of controlling things from a control room with the help of his friends. Tonight ended up with Izuku’s original plans of a carefree time with his friends once again being thwarted by the violent whims of another.

Seriously, what gives with my life?

To be completely honest, Izuku already had enough of I-Island and wanted to go home. It had only been one day and he missed his mother so much right now. He could really use her cooking to help calm him down after this whole mess of a trip. At least he had the comforting cuddles of Shouto once they went to bed that night in their shared room with Hitoshi pointedly ignoring their cuteness.

He guessed visiting the expo would keep him distracted for the rest of the time they stayed there. But this place was now tainted by yet another Villain encounter in his life. Seriously what was up with that? It was like drama followed him everywhere he went. Maybe that was his Quirk. Attracting all kinds of danger that put him in the thick of it.

Now that would suck as a Quirk. The complete opposite of a Quirk that gave you good luck. Izuku thought that if such a Quirk did exist, he would probably call it Murphy’s Law. Because the adage of ‘anything that can go wrong will go wrong’ seemed perfect for it. Especially since it seemed to keep happening at the ‘worst possible time’ over and over again.

However, Izuku would push forward despite all the drama in his life. He had a goal and was determined to reach it with his own strength and the support of the people who cared about him. And so, he chose to stop thinking about what happened and snuggled further into Shouto’s side. His friend held him closer in his slumber and together they slept through the night. Surely nothing more could go wrong that night...

...right?

~~~

Inko was worried about Izuku, but then again, she was always worried about him. He was her son, her baby boy. How could she not worry about him? Her only child growing up having to deal with the prejudice of others for something he couldn’t control. He still pushed himself though, ignoring all who looked down on him, and kept moving forward towards the future he desired. It was honestly inspiring and she was so proud of him.

But that didn’t stop her from worrying. Again, how could she not? Izuku kept running into Villains and he hasn’t even graduated yet. It had even started before attending UA with the Sludge Villain that attacked her son over a year ago. Then there was the USJ, Hosu, and now the incident at the mall. He did make it out alive every time, but the repeated encounters were putting a strain on her heart.

At least he was far away from the Villains of Japan being off on I-Island somewhere on the open ocean. Protected as best they could for now until he was moved onto UA campus. Which honestly made her sad to not have Izuku at home with her, but if it would keep him safe then she would endure it. They could still call and text same as they did with Hisashi. It would just be sad to no longer be with each other in person as often.

That was okay though. Inko knew he would have to move out eventually making his own way out in the world. She just didn’t expect it to be so soon. He was still in high school and she didn’t think he would move out until at least college age. That she had a few more years to spend with her boy.

Unfortunately, Villains kept finding him. Or was it him who found them? Either way, Izuku’s safety was more important to her than the fact she would miss him and he would miss her. They would make do as they have with Hisashi all these years since he was injured when Izuku was ten. Phone calls, text messages, and emails would have to do.

It had been lonely the night Izuku had left with his friends to stay at UA before heading off to I-Island. But she at least had comfort that he was under the protective watch of Aizawa and his friends. They wouldn’t let anything happen to her son. His safety was of top importance and she knew they would keep him safe.

It had been strange the next day to be escorted to work by her personal detail. They were under orders to keep watch over her just in case anyone from the League tried to approach their apartment or her workplace. Not that they knew if Shigaraki would know where they lived or where she worked, but it was better safe than sorry especially with a Warp Quirk in play. There wasn’t much they could do against a power like that but they would do their best to keep watch.

Work was normal and before long Inko was escorted back home and was left alone in her apartment. The added security gave her a sense of safety but it was still eerie being alone. So, in order to stave off her nerves, Inko put on some music and began to make dinner for herself. Cooking always helped her calm down after a long day.

After looking through her pantry, she decided to cook up some miso marinated salmon with a side of fried rice and a small salad. Taking her time, the mother gathered her ingredients and began to make the marinade. Once that was prepared, she started on the fish removing any bones and scales before placing the finished pieces into the marinade and setting it aside.

She prepped the oven to heat up before gathering what she needed for the fried rice. The day-old cooked rice she had left over was warming up in the microwave as she cut up green onions and sliced ham. She also pulled out some left-over corn and peas to add as well. The eggs were cooked to fluffy perfection and then set aside. Then the rice, meat, and veggies were added to the pan until a good char could be seen. She added the eggs back in and thoroughly mixed the fried rice with soy sauce and seasonings.

By that time the oven was ready and the salmon marinaded long enough. After putting the fish in to bake, she turned off the heat on the stove before covering the rice to keep it warm. Inko then worked on the salad. A simple side dish of lettuce, cucumber, corn, tomatoes, and a topping of seaweed. Then she pulled out a bottle of Japanese-style dressing to pour once everything was ready.

With the salad done, she was almost finished with dinner and started to prepare the table. For one, she had to remind herself as she was alone tonight. A single plate, a glass of green tea, and a set of chopsticks set on a holder so as not to touch the table. The salad and dressing followed then came the fried rice in a serving bowl. The oven was turned off before she removed the fish with an oven-mitted hand and placed the cooked salmon on her waiting plate with a spatula.

“Something smells good,” a gruff voice suddenly called out.

Inko spun around and dropped the spatula at the sight before her. A strange man was in her home and she hadn’t heard him until now. Not over the music playing and all of her cooking. How did he get in? None of the alarms had gone off of someone entering the apartment without permission.

She gasped as she suddenly remembered the warned of Warp Quirk.

The short woman stared up terrified at the man before her. He was almost as tall as Hisashi but with blonde hair instead of black. He wore black boots, black pants, and a dark red tank top that showed off his very buff muscles.

“My eyes are up here,” the man snarked with a smirk. “Well, eye anyway.”

The reason for the correction was obvious. One eye was sharp, black, and filled with cruelty. The other was just…gone. Replaced by a prosthetic that sat amongst a jagged scar that ran down his face from hairline to his upper lip. The mixture of his appearance and the evil aura emanating from the man filled Inko with fear.

“W-who are you?” the mother asked shakily as she took a step back. “Why are you in my house?”

The man grinned at her obvious fear as she tried to subtly get to one of the hidden emergency alert buttons.

“I’m looking for someone,” he sneered, reveling in her terror. “You wouldn’t happen to know where I can find some kid named Midoriya Izuku, would ya?”

“Izu…,” Inko gasped, the question stopping her in her tracks in shock, but only for a second as her mama bear mode activated. “What do you want with my son?”

She glared at the man and continued her secret mission to call for help.

“Oh so you’re the brat’s mom, huh?” the man said snidely. “Where is he?”

“H-he’s not here,” the mother answered since it was true but she still stuttered in fear. Besides, even if he was here, it wasn’t like she would tell this monster of a man before her.

“I call bullshit,” the man growled in annoyance. He glanced around the room before spotting the dinner for one. “But then again…”

Having momentarily lost interest in her, the clearly dangerous man that wanted her son for some reason went over to the table. His distracted focus allowed her to shoot over to the closest alert button and press it. She only hoped they would get up there in time. As she did so, the man picked up one of the pieces of miso salmon and shoved the whole thing in his mouth.

“Mmm!” he uttered as he chewed before swallowing. “Just like mother used to make. She’s dead now though, I think. Dunno. Having seen her in years.”

The man licked his fingers clean before grabbing the tea to wash down his stolen food. But apparently the fish was all he had been interested in as he turned back to the terrified mother.

“Name’s Muscular,” the man introduced himself with a smug tone. “Shigaraki sent me to pick up the brat and get out of here. Kind of a boring mission really. I’d rather go out and fight someone to the death, but noooo~, I have to go on a gods damn ‘escort mission’ as Handsy called it. At least it would get him to shut the fuck up about his precious ‘admin’ or whatever.”

His words shot a shiver down Inko’s spine. This man wanted her son and was sent here by Shigaraki. The same Villain who had held her son hostage very recently and the reason he wasn’t here right now. Who had sent this man who would rather be out killing people than here. Meaning a willing murderer was in her house standing before her asking for her son.

Please get here soon!

“But it turns out the brat isn’t even here!” the Villain complained with a scowl. Only for it to morph into a feral grin. “Well, this doesn’t have to be a complete waste of my time.”

His cruel eyes, one real one not, focused solely on her. Inko gulped.

“Before I go, why don’t we have a little fun…”

As he prepared to swing a closed fist at her, Inko on instinct flung the still warm pan in her hand at her attacker who swatted it away as if it was an insignificant little bug. She tried again using her Quirk to pull the spatula she had dropped and threw that too only to get the same result. It was soon clear how Muscular got his name as his muscles started to grow past his skin. A sight that Inko knew would have fascinated Izuku if only the man wasn’t attacking his mother right now.

His expanding muscles apparently increased his speed as well as his strength. Muscular rushed her and punched her in the stomach. The hit sent her flying across the room and she hit the wall hard. He stalked over to her while grinning like a hyena and kicked her when she tried to crawl away.

“What? No fight in you?” the Villain sneered down at her. “That was your intention, right? To fight me? But where is that now, hmm?”

His taunts fanned the flames of her fear as she tried to get away from him. She shakily scrambled to her feet and stumbled as she tried to keep her distance from Muscular who lazily followed her with a feral grin. Inko couldn’t hear the frantic knocks coming from the front door as she screamed while the man laughed as he lunged for her once more.

~~~

Keigo was reveling at the feeling of the wind winding through his crimson red feathers and golden blonde hair as he soared through the sky when he got the call. An emergency alert of a suspected assault in progress in an apartment near his location. With practiced easy, he changed his direction with a twist of his wings and flew towards the area at full speed.

He didn’t necessarily know what to expect when he had arrived. To be honest he didn’t know the area all that well as his usual patrol route was in a different city. But there was a raised alert for this area due to a high-level Villain threat though as to who was involved exactly he didn’t know. He had more taken this shift to get some time away from the Hero Commission than anything else. But…could this be related to that or was it a separate incident?

When he arrived on scene, he found police officers pounding on a door as he touched down lightly on the landing. From inside, he could hear the sounds of a struggle with harsh words muffled by the closed door. Immediately he took over the situation and waved the officers back as well as ordered them to call for back up. He sent one of his feathers through the mail slot as another worked on picking the lock. What he heard was…disturbing. Even for him and all the things he’s seen and done under the service of the Hero Commission.

There were the screams of a woman and the joyous laughter of a man. Domestic violence perhaps? Keigo willed his feather picking the lock to work faster as the sounds of the fight inside were growing more concerning. Objects were being tossed around and he could hear the eerie sound of flesh hitting flesh. But what worried him most was the cries of the woman that were growing fewer and far between.

“Come on, fight me!” the Villain bellowed from within. “Make this waste of my time worth it. If I can’t take the brat then you can at least entertain me before I leave.”

So, there were potentially only two involved but there was interest in a third. Though if this was supposed to be ‘entertainment’ to the attacker, they needed to get in there asap. With a click of the door unlocking, the Hero and officers rushed inside. They were met with the sight of a tall muscular blonde man as he punched a short and very battered green haired woman sending her flying across the room. Her head made contact with the wall on impact and she fell unconscious to the floor.

Muscular clicked his tongue in annoyance at the sight of reinforcements. He reluctantly let Kurogiri know to open a portal not liking the sour taste of having to retreat. He hated to step away from a fight before they finished but at least he had some fun. The violent man didn’t know if he had killed the bitch mother of the brat but she looked as good as where she was slumped on the floor.

“Who are you and why did you attack this woman?” Hawks demanded to know as he bristled his feathers up to appear more intimidating. The officers stood ready to act behind him.

“Ha! Wouldn’t you like to know, birdbrain!” the Villain sneered with a barked laugh. “None of your gods damn business, Hero. I hate to fight and run, but…”

A warp gate opened behind him in the middle of the apartment and there was nothing they could do to stop him. All Hawks managed was to shoot out a single red feather as the Villain disappeared through the misty portal before the officers and Hero could get to him. They cursed at the attacker’s escape only to gasp at the horrific sight of Inko. She was clearly injured covered in cuts and contusions as she laid on the ground in a growing pool of her own blood.

“Quick, call an ambulance!” Hawks ordered as one of the officers rushed over to the hurt woman.

Their partner called in the situation only to get confirmation that one was already enroute and would be there very soon. It was then Keigo learned that this apartment was hooked up with a special security system connected to the Commission’s emergency response service. Leading him to draw conclusions that perhaps this actually was connected to the high-level threat.

“Why is this apartment equipped with this level of security?” Hawks inquired sternly to one officer as the other was still assessing the woman as they waited for the paramedics to arrive. They seemed reluctant to answer but wilted under the glare of the Number Three Hero.

“This is the home of Midoriya Izuku, sir,” they reluctantly replied. “He is under threat of Shigaraki Tomura of the League of Villains.”

Midoriya Izuku…where have I heard that name before?, Keigo thought as he pulled up a program on his phone to access the cameras he took notice of around the apartment.

The video feed gave him front row seats to what happened behind the closed door as they had tried to come in. The words that came from the Villain, naming himself Muscular, were chilling. But seeing this unassuming woman stand up to such an intimidating figure was strangely impressive in a way. Attempting to defend herself despite being outmatched by the cruel muscled man.

It was then the paramedics arrived and took over the care of the injured woman. The officer stepped aside so that they could carefully transfer her to a portable gurney and made as quick of work as they could getting her downstairs on her way to the hospital. By that time, more officers and detectives arrived to begin processing the scene.

Keigo felt in the way especially with his large wings so he pulled them close as he moved to leave and wait outside to give his statement. However, he was pulled to a stop as a number of things hanging on the hall wall caught his attention. Still trying his best to not be in the way, he stepped closer to examine them.

So this is Midoriya Izuku, huh?

A set of three framed pieces depicting different accomplishments of the boy’s life. Because it was clear that was what these three celebrated. An article about a cleaned beach, the proud collage of a first-place win of the UA Sports Festival, and finally the capturing of the Hero Killer in Hosu. All while Quirkless and clearly kicking ass.

Impressive.

Now, Keigo kept up with the news and had heard of the boy before, but to be honest, he hadn’t paid much attention to all the hubbub about it. He didn’t see any issue with someone like him working towards being a Pro Hero. If that was his prerogative then go for it. At least he had more choice than Keigo had growing up.

Well, that wasn’t necessarily true. In a sense anyway. Keigo was fine with being a Hero though he would admit his training was…unconventional. Not that he could tell anyone about it and who would believe him anyway. This was the Hero Commission after all. Who hadn’t seemed to have any interest in this Quirkless kid which was another reason Hawks hadn’t put much effort into knowing who he was.

But now he thinks he possibly should. There were beginnings of talks about a potential new assignment from the Commission in regards to the League. Infiltration and information. And for some reason this kid had caught the attention of the supposed leader? Hawks had a gut feeling he should meet the kid at least. See for himself why Shigaraki Tomura was interested in Midoriya Izuku.

“Hawks,” a man called out dressed in a suit and trench coat. He removed his hat as he approached. “Detective Tsukauchi. Are you ready to give your statement as to what happened here?”

Keigo turned to face him being mindful of his wings as others bustled around them. Tsukauchi must have noticed as he gave a directing nod before leading them both outside. They exited the apartment and stepped to the side out of the way. There were officers addressing curious neighbors as crime scene technicians were hard at work.

“I was in the area because of the high alert, but I didn’t expect to get involved,” Keigo confessed as the detective took notes. “What’s with this Midoriya Izuku? Must be something else for all this fuss.”

Tsukauchi gave him an assessing look at his phrasing. Keigo didn’t mean to be, well, mean or anything. Nor did he want to make too much of a fuss himself. Appearing neutral for as long as possible was a skill he had learned over the years among the other interpersonal ones drilled into him. The Hero Commission was a battlefield of politics where strong opinions one way or another would just cause more problems than needed. Plus, acting like Switzerland, you could learn more about other people’s opinions without influencing them. Then once he knew, he could tailor his own to match and subsequently get more information.

People love to talk when they think they’re among friends.

“Midoriya has had a…complicated life,” Tsukauchi answered cryptically. “Including the interest of Shigaraki Tomura. He’s currently somewhere safe and we hoped more security and surveillance would be sufficient in the mean time before better arrangements could be made.”

“Apparently not,” the winged Hero commented, earning a solemn nod from the detective. “I saw the footage of what happened in there. It’s not pretty. The attacker mentioned he was there for Midoriya Izuku but since he wasn’t here decided to attack who I’m assuming is his mother.”

“We were afraid of a kidnapping attempt,” Tsukauchi sighed. So much for letting him ‘think about it’. “Once we’ve assessed the situation, I’ll inform those involved with his case and we’ll go forward from here.”

They stood there for a moment watching the others work. Bags of evidence and reports being written. A scene they’ve both seen numerous times but it felt different this time. Keigo hadn’t even met the kid, yet he found himself worried for the Quirkless teen anyway. Getting booed at the end of the Sports Festival, the whole deal with Hosu, and now this?

Kid’s got it rough, Keigo thought as he wondered what other ‘complications’ the boy had in his life.

“I got a feather through,” Keigo offered as a silver lining. Well, sort of. “Can’t feel it anymore but I heard a snippet or two that might interest you.”

Tsukauchi gave an intrigued hum.

“Station?”

The winged Hero nodded in reply and once again the detective led the way.

~~~

As news of the attack rushed through the grapevine, those who heard it and knew the woman involved were devastated. Tsukauchi still couldn’t believe the hardships the Midoriyas kept going through. Aizawa feared for the mother of his student and hoped her fierce will was enough to pull her through. Nezu worried for his personal student and immediately sent a message to the Heroes keeping watch over him on I-Island though he didn’t get a reply until the next morning. Shuuzenji, while she never met the woman and only her son, had quickly grabbed her go-bag and raced to the hospital to see what she could do. Even the Bakugous were concerned for her health having been informed as they were one of her emergency contacts.

Katsuki himself was worried for the well being of the woman he considered family and silently accepted the hugs from his parents as they sought comfort from each other in this tough time. He wanted to fight it, but there was nothing he could do to stop the hot tears running down his face. His mother pulled him closer and he gripped her tight not wanting to ever let her go. Sure, they had their issues but he knew he loved her all the same.

They were all concerned that Inko was hurt but they knew she was also tough. She may appear meek however underneath her unassuming features was a fierce mama bear. Ready to strike out and protect what was hers. Right now, the future seemed bleak but they still held hope that it would all turn out alright. All they could do was help as best they could and wait and see if she would pull through.

None of them the wiser of the attack being thwarted out at sea at the same time.

~~~

Tomura was pissed when Muscular came back empty handed. Well, mostly other than the blood he was scuffing all over the floor. But there was no sight of the admin and he was regaled with his underling’s complaining again about how boring it was.

“Those damn Heroes always have to ruin my fun,” the muscle head complained like a whiny dickhead. “The brat wasn’t even there and I didn’t get to finish off that bitch either with that wing fucker showing up. Though I gotta say she was a real spitfire having the nerve to stand up to me.”

The sneer on his fucked-up face was disgusting and the decayer rolled his eyes.

“I ordered you to get the admin and bring him back,” Tomura snapped in annoyance.

“And I told you he wasn’t fucking there,” Muscular growled in response. “Wish he were so you’d stop pining for the little twerp. It’s why I suggested it in the first place.”

Alright, fine, sure he did. Tomura was not used to having to wait for things. Sensei always said he was allowed to have whatever he wanted. To destroy what he hated and take what he liked. It had been only more recently that the need for patience was added. The USJ had admittedly been not the best plan and Hosu had been on a whim. Even the encounter at the mall had been by chance.

Yes, Tomura had told Midoriya to think about it, but waiting was so boring. The ‘will he, won’t he’ was driving him nuts. It took so long for him to actually meet the admin and now he had to wait for him to join them? Ugh, it was exhausting his limited to non-existent patience. Which led to his ‘pining’.

“Shut the hell up, crusty,” Muscular griped in frustration. “If you want your little boyfriend so bad, why don’t you take his ass and bring him here?”

Boyfriend? No fucking way. He wasn’t into twinks. Though not having to wait sounded nice.

“What a great idea?” Tomura grinned maliciously. “Muscular…I have a task for you. A very important escort mission.”

“Eh, what the hell,” Muscular said with a shrug. “At least it’s something to do.”

While it had sounded like a satisfying plan, taking the admin now, only for it to once again fall through. Midoriya wasn’t there and the young leader had no idea where else to look. Guess he would have to think of a new plan to bring the admin into their party. Try and try again as Sensei said.

“Whatever,” Tomura said dismissively.

“Now what?” the musclehead asked like an idiot.

“I don’t know,” the young leader waved him off annoyed. “Go fight a Noumu for all I care.”

“Fuck yeah,” Muscular responded, pounding a fist into his other hand. “One thing going for those genetic freakshows, they put up a good fight.”

Tomura just rolled his eyes behind Father at the other Villain’s pathological enthusiasm to fight. Though he did have sort of a point, the Noumu were good for fighting. It did help that the majority of them had regeneration Quirks among the others. The same could be said about Muscular who could also put up a fight but other than that he had been a bit of a disappointment so far. His yammering about fighting and blood were annoying as shit and this failure was as well. The others he’s collected seemed more competent and to use their heads while this guy was all muscle and no brain. Well, if it didn’t work out, Sensei could at least do something with his Quirk. Now that would make a terrifying Noumu.

It was then that something caught his eye. As Muscular turned to leave, a flash of red captured his attention. It was different from the splashes of blood on the muscle man’s clothes. Not dark soaked into cloth in indistinct patterns, but rather bright red and a quite defined shape. Red eyes long used to searching for hidden easter eggs couldn’t have possibly missed it.

The single red feather that had been pinned into Muscular’s clothes became dislodged as he walked away. It floated down to the ground among the scuff marks his bloody boots left behind. Ignoring the blood, Tomura walked over and reached down picking the feather up with two fingers. He stood up and examined it in the dim light of the bar.

It looked like a normal feather but he suspected otherwise. Things Muscular said like ‘Hero’ and ‘wing fucker’ made him suspicious that there was more to it. The young leader’s mind ran through the list of Heroes he knew with wings and quickly landed on Hawks the Number Three Hero. Known for his red wings, speed, and laid-back nature. Tomura didn’t know everything about his Quirk or if his feathers could do anything other than what he’s seen. Not to mention they were a good distance away from the Midoriya apartment.

Better safe than sorry, right?

“Nice try, Hero,” Tomura jeered before he decayed the feather in his hand.

The dust fell to the ground making more of a mess among the blood. He then turned to leave for his room with no more thought to it leaving Kurogiri to clean it up as always. There was much to plan since this one had fallen through. Tomura would need to figure out when the admin would be the most vulnerable. Then once he did, the League of Villains would strike.

You’ll be joining us soon, Admin Midoriya.

~~~

All For One had mixed emotions of what had happened. Well, that is from what he could actually feel for anyone. He had been informed as Hisashi of the state of his wife. To say that he was surprised would be an understatement. He had no idea young Tomura had planned to send someone after his family. Most likely to take Izuku in he could easily guess. Not a terrible idea though certainly not the way All For One would go about bringing in his son.

Tomura had chosen to send Muscular to collect the boy. Clearly a man who didn’t hold back and attacked his wife with no qualms. All For One felt for Inko and some part of him hoped she pulled through. She was a part of Izuku’s life though he found himself wondering if her loss would help steer his son to his side. Only time would tell so he would let that situation be as he showed his ‘support’ for his wife.

All For One didn’t know what his son was doing at the moment. Somewhere out at sea at an unknown location for his safety due to encountering Tomura at a mall. Another incident he had not known about until afterwards. He had been informed of his son being taken somewhere to be safe but wasn’t told anything else for his protection. Though that didn’t prevent the man from knowing exactly where Izuku was at any given moment.

You see, the father had among his collection a Quirk that allowed him to track those closest to him. And seeing as they shared blood, he could easily trace his son’s whereabouts effortlessly. The Quirk didn’t show him what his target was doing, only where they were enough for the faceless man with the ability to give exact coordinates to Kurogiri at a moment’s notice. A most certainly useful ability if deemed necessary to protect, or even collect, his son. Unfortunately, he couldn’t use that same Quirk to also track where One For All was as each new user masked what traces were left of his brother within the stolen power.

Oh well. It makes the chase more challenging at least.

Wherever exactly his son was, All For One was almost glad Izuku hadn’t been home for this abduction fiasco. He knew his child wouldn’t have stood aside or gone quietly. Not with his mother threatened by such a man. It could have very well been Izuku instead of Inko currently hospitalized. If that were to ever happened, there would be…words. Well really only one word and that word is death. No one was to hurt his son.

No. One.

Muscular was a decent addition to the League of Villains his ward had created. This batch was certainly better than the mob of lower-class criminals he had for the USJ invasion. Though for this particular violent man, All For One had an expectation for Tomura to keep Muscular on a tight leash going forward. He was intense and cruel all of which made him a good ‘tank’ as his ward would say. However, the augmented muscled man who was obsessed with murder had no sense of restraint. Tomura needed to keep him in line and to let him know his place in the League.

And if not, he would.

If anything, out of this misadventure, the father found some motivation. He liked the idea of Izuku finally joining him. It had been the plan all along and it was about time they went forward with it. The boy has had plenty of time to play Hero and now it was time for him to join the family business. But to do it properly would need planning.

With Inko hurt, this could be the perfect opportunity to bring Izuku in, but All For One would have to wait to hear what her condition actually was. He also had some preparations to make so his son felt welcome with them. He should also take inventory of his Quirks to see which would benefit the boy the most. A Quirk was what every Quirkless person wanted in his experience. He was sure Izuku would be ecstatic to be given one of his very own.

For now, he would plan and wait to see how this would all unfold. While wondering how Izuku would take the news about his mother. The fact that a member of the League was responsible would certainly sour his willingness to join them. If All For One had to get rid of Muscular in order for his son to come to him then so be it. In the end, the father wanted his son by his side where he belonged.

The apple should not fall far from the tree.

Notes:

I'M SO SORRY, INKO!!

Seriously, I'm so sorry. I hate seeing good mom Inko get hurt. The first time I ever read a fic where Inko was killed off I sat for a minute in shock. I never realized before then that someone could do that and I had to mourn for her before continuing to read it. Oof that was rough. But from that tragedy leads to another trope I love so much which is adopted Izuku. Who will actually get that role I won't spoil but have fun theorizing. ;)

Now, I'm still on the fence on actually having Inko die or not. Honestly one of the points leaning towards her dying is to spare her from ever suffering from finding out All For One is Hisashi. Izuku, who will find out eventually, is going to be bad enough. For now she'll be in a sort of limbo. Kind of like Han Solo in Star Wars when he was frozen in carbonite. I just don't know what will work best for the story itself. We'll just have to let time, and my brain, decide what happens with that. And if you have any thoughts I will consider those as well.

For the recipes Inko was using, here is the miso salmon, the fried rice, and the salad dressing (along with a different salad combo) in case anyone was interested. :)

So the attack on I-Island was shorter than the movie. Though that I would think should be expected since they got a warning for it. Yes, there were some plot devices thrown in there but I'm happy with how it turned out. If anything, this gave Hitoshi a time to shine with support of his friends and classmates. All of them working as a team to take down the bad guys together.

Wolfram's English voice actor also does Hawkmoth from Miraculous Ladybug and Deep Sea King from One Punch Man. While writing this I was channeling a mix of the two combining Hawkmoth's whininess and Deep Sea King's cockiness and also both of their tones of frustration. I know some people are sub only for the voices but if you wanted a better idea of what I imagined him sounding like I'd try the dub. :) Also fun fact, the English voice actor for Plagg in Miraculous also is Saitama in One Punch Man! I don't know why but I find that hilarious. XD

That's it this chapter! Next chapter I have some very nice fluff to offset this. Izuku deserves it for all the new drama coming his way. Kekekeke. For now, I leave you with this angst. Cool? Okay, bye! :D

Chapter 18: I-Island: Troubled Waters

Notes:

I AM HERE! WITH A NEW CHAPTER! Gotcha some nice fluff to make up for all the angst last update. I hope you like it! :D

Warning for teasing starting at ["Time to wake up, listener...] through [The Quirkless teen nodded...]. Also at [In retrospect...] to ["Alright, alright...].

If you're sensitive to intimacy that is more than holding hands, read with caution from [Noting the different sides...] to [The brainwasher lumbered out of bed...]. Just in case. ;)

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

The next morning after the attack on I-Island, Izuku woke up to a pleasant sight. A still slumbering Shouto with the red and white of his hair tousled together from sleep. It was kind of like themselves cuddled close together on the bed. The greenet was curled into his friend’s left side and they were holding each other close. It was really nice.

So cute, Izuku thought as he quietly gazed at his crush.

He could get used to this, waking up next to Shouto. The first time had been at the sleepover that seemed like forever ago. They also got to cuddle the night before coming to I-Island but were rudely awakened by Aizawa. On brand but not appreciated. Though having Shouto sleepily lean on him after had been nice. Also, so so cute.

Shouto had become bolder when it came to sharing touches in public. Not in a shout-from-the-rooftops sort of way but more openly than when they first started getting to know each other. Well other than when Shouto had impulsively taken his hand after their first training session, but that was part of who he was. For so long his life was controlled by his father but this was something that he could control, not Endeavor. That it was his decision to do what he wanted and was comfortable with. And it was something that Izuku would support him in.

Besides, he didn’t mind in the slightest. Izuku liked Shouto and enjoyed spending time and being close to him. Holding hands, hugging, cuddling, and generally being in each other’s personal space. Izuku’s certainly had room for two if it was with Shouto. His special friend.

The room was quiet except for the sounds of slumbering breathing. The fond huff Izuku let out easily blended with them, however, the ever so slight movement of his body was apparently enough to prod Shouto awake. Grey and blue eyes slowly blinked awake staring up at the ceiling to then lazily turn to connect with green.

“Mornin’,” Shouto mumbled, still too sleepy to speak properly.

Izuku giggled quietly before whispering, “Good morning. Did you sleep okay?”

His friend hummed in reply as he shifted to his side and pulled the shorter boy close. Their foreheads were close to touching and their legs became tangled together. Shouto once again closed his eyes and began to snooze in their new position. Izuku thought about doing the same but decided to continue watching his friend instead.

Shouto’s two-toned hair was cascading to the side in even more of a mingled mess. This close Izuku could see that much like his hair and his eyes, his eyebrows and eyelashes were different from one side to the other. His right a light grey rather than white fanned against pale skin. In contrast his left the same fiery red as his hair that blended into his scar.

It was an unfortunate mark from his past but did nothing to deter from his looks. The scar was a part of him and Izuku liked it all. Shouto was so amazing. So strong both in Quirk and personality. Blunt, stoic, and a bit naïve at times, but all in a very Shouto way. It was just him.

Noting the different sides of him so close, Izuku wondered where exactly the two sides met. Where hot and cold converged to make the whole that was his special friend. Was he split evenly down his body like how he wore his hair every day? Or was it uneven as the divide twisted and turned internally amongst his organs? Or even a combination of both or something else entirely. Though that could just be him overthinking things as he often does.

A way to find out would be to touch Shouto directly on his skin but the thought made Izuku blush in embarrassment. They were close, yes, but that was with their clothes on. The only time they were undressed around each other was when they changed for training. Once Izuku had figured out he had a crush on Shouto, he hadn’t been able to even look in his direction getting flustered seeing him without a shirt. Hitoshi of course found his embarrassment hilarious much to his own frustration.

So that option was out. He already knew there was a temperature difference depending on the side from how many times he’s held Shouto’s hands. But those experiences didn’t help him with his current spout of curiosity. What did it feel like right where hot and cold met? How could he feel that without feeling up his friend in a way that was way too embarrassing? Green eyes subconsciously found themselves drawn to Shouto’s lips.

He didn’t know why exactly but he was suddenly fascinated by them. They were slightly parted as Shouto laid there before him sleeping. Izuku wondered what they felt like. Were they cool on one side and warm on the other? A perfect split in temperature or the same across? It was hard to tell just by looking as there was no visible sign. Despite that he still searched for one while also wondering how they would feel. Were they as soft as they looked?

“Would you like to try?”

Green eyes shot up to grey and blue as Izuku gasped and stared at him in shock at the mumbled question. Shouto himself was entirely serious about the offer as it was one of the new touches he had been wanting to try. He had already tried some with tying his friend’s tie for him or latching onto his clothes when his hands weren’t free. Those among other things that he’s carefully spread through their stolen moments with each other.

But Izuku didn’t know that. All he saw was his friend looking at him through half lidded eyes of gray and blue. Was he still half asleep? Not entirely aware of what he was saying. Or was Shouto offering just so the Quirk obsessed boy could sate his curiosity? Pushing himself just so Izuku could learn more about his Quirk. Or was it something else entirely though he couldn’t think of what that would be in this moment.

“Huh?” he muttered, thoroughly confused.

He watched as Shouto’s eyes glanced down intently at Izuku’s lips before purposefully turning back to green.

“Would you like to try?” Shouto offered again just as quietly as he leaned in.

Oh…oh, my.

Izuku was a blushing mess as they were now a breath apart, their foreheads now touching. It was the closest they had ever been face to face. He found himself flittering his focus from one eye to the other then down to his lips and back again. Was he actually considering his offer?

This would be a kiss. His first kiss. With his crush no less, but Shouto didn’t know that Izuku liked him as more than a friend. To him the moments they shared were probably just friendly touches, but this…this would be different. Kissing wasn’t something just friends did. Or at least not to Izuku. Kissing was more intimate and he found himself wanting to so much in this moment.

An unexpected but very tempting moment. All he had to do was lean forward and…

“Could you guys stop being disgustingly cute?” Hitoshi suddenly called out breaking the moment. They looked over to see a mess of purple as the other boy sat up rubbing the sleep from his eyes. That and the sight of them almost kissing. “At least wait for me to leave the room.”

The brainwasher lumbered out of bed with an annoyed huff and made his way to the bathroom. The other two watched him leave before turning to each other as they heard the shower running. Izuku took note of how close they still were and blushed remembering what they had almost just done. He almost kissed Shouto who was showing no signs of embarrassment or discomfort. More like curiosity wondering what they would do next.

But Izuku couldn’t do it. He couldn’t take advantage of his friend like this. Kissing him wouldn’t be out of only curiosity for him. He would want it to mean more than that but he didn’t know what Shouto would think of it. And it was too embarrassing to even consider asking him. So instead, he gave the other boy a soft smile as he tucked a lock of hair behind his ear.

“Let’s start getting ready too, Shouto.”

There was a flicker of something in his heterochromatic eyes. Disappointment? He couldn’t tell for sure as it was gone a second later as Shouto schooled his features again and nodded. They both got out of bed and went about their routines. At least what they could until the bathroom was free.

Shouto accepted the offer to go first once Hitoshi was finished. To be honest he was kind of mad at him for interrupting them. He needed a moment to collect himself so he wouldn’t snap at the purple haired teen. A quick shower allowed him to wash away some of his anger but a little still lingered as he too finished in the bathroom.

Izuku perked up at the sight of him and gave a wave as he took his turn to shower and finished getting ready for the day. Leaving Shouto alone with Hitoshi with that flicker of anger that remained. Hitoshi who was used to reading people, even the stoic ones, took notice. He let out a sigh knowing why and could guess how lover boy was frustrated for being interrupted.

“Look, I’m sorry for earlier,” Hitoshi said, breaking their awkward silence.

Grey and blue eyes flickered to him before going back to what he was doing in his bag as he said, “Sorry for what?”

“For interrupting you,” the brainwasher replied, taking notice of the sudden stiffness of the other boy’s shoulders that was forced down.

“There’s nothing to apologize for,” Shouto insisted though he still appeared tense.

“I’m still gonna,” Hitoshi countered as he folded his arms. “You were about to get some action and I cockblocked you. I’m all for you two being together and all that, but seriously, no lovey dovey stuff when I’m in the room. We’re friends and you two are fucking cute as shit together, but I really don’t need to see anything beyond G-rated, okay? Next time get your own room.”

Shouto stood there considering what he said. That he wasn’t against it and just didn’t want to see what they had almost done. Kissing if he remembered correctly from his research. Yeah, kissing. Shouto definitely wanted to try kissing Izuku. Wanted to be close to him in any way possible. But perhaps Hitoshi had a point and that particular action perhaps should be kept to themselves. He had become less self-conscious when it came to being close to Izuku when out in public but perhaps there were some things that would be better shared privately. It would be more…intimate. Special. Full of that same warm feeling just for them to experience and no one else.

“I see,” Shouto responded after a moment as his posture loosened. “Thank you, Hitoshi. And I apologize to you as well. That won’t happen again.”

Hitoshi walked over to his friend and patted his shoulder as he said, “It’s not a big deal, but thanks anyway. Besides, it’s kind of nice seeing you two pining idiots making some progress.”

“I’m working on it,” the element wielder replied simply though his stoic delivery made the other snort.

“Got a grand plan or something?” Hitoshi joked with a smirk.

Grey and blue looked into purple that was filled with mirth. But there was also support and absolutely no judgement in his chosen someone who was special to him and so very warm.

“Something like that,” Shouto said with a small smile of his own.

The purple haired teen nodded in approval before offering, “Well if you need any help, let me know. Like I said, you two are grossly cute together.”

And the sooner the pining could stop the better. It was becoming more and more painful to watch as time passed.

“What are you guys talking about?” Izuku asked as he walked out of the bathroom while dabbing at his damp hair.

“Nothing you need to worry about, Green Bean,” Hitoshi replied with a dismissive wave before going back to his own things. Izuku would find out sooner or later anyway. Again, preferably sooner.

Shouto’s eyes were drawn to his warm friend who gave a shrug. He noticed how his green curly hair appeared to glisten in the morning light. He traced his gaze down to bright green eyes, freckled cheeks, and then landed on his tempting lips.

Not now. Not yet.

He forced himself to take in the casual clothing his friend chose for the day. A simple white t-shirt under a short sleeved green flannel and dark gray shorts. In fact, they had all gone casual in their own styles not wanting to be dressed as Heroes for the day. They’ve done enough Hero-ing on I-Island thank you very much.

Instead, the plan was to meet up with the others from UA as well as Melissa and hang out exploring the expo. Now that they were ready, the three boys left their shared room and joined Mei and the three Heroes who were already in the common area of their hotel suite. The pinkette was in her overalls as per usual while Present Mic, Hound Dog, and All Might were in their Hero costumes. With their group assembled, together they left to join the others for breakfast.

Tenya and Momo were able to coordinate with everyone and they decided on a restaurant that served both breakfast and lunch so that they had plenty of choices to choose from. Izuku himself went with the grilled salmon breakfast set with a side of natto. A more traditional Japanese meal, but I-Island housed people from all over the world and provided its citizens with a variety of cuisine.

It also gave Izuku a sense of home. It had only been a full day apart but he missed his mom and her cooking. Perhaps he wouldn’t have so much if he could have enjoyed the I-Expo without a Villain attack, but noooo, not him. The universe just couldn’t give him a break from being caught up with Villains for gods damn once. It was like he had been cursed the day he had gotten attacked by that Sludge Villain. Or maybe even before that.

Bakugou had been his bully since he was four and had escalated over the years to the point of telling him to kill himself. So essentially the Quirkless boy’s own personal villain of sorts. Then Sludgy came along trying to force himself down his throat. Then All Might with his words acting as daggers stabbing into Izuku’s Hero loving heart, acting as an enemy to his aspirations. Not now anymore but back then very much yes.

At least with Chizome his interactions had nothing to do with his Villain status. The Hero Killer even ironically gave him encouragement to keep fighting to become a Hero. Though they had their own fall out of a sort having to fight against each other in Hosu with Izuku ultimately taking away his freedom. He couldn’t help feel guilty about that but also have a sense of relief that one less Villain was on the streets.

With the I-Island attack, more Villains had been caught thanks to the tip off they had gotten for the raid. It could have been a lot worse without that warning. Wolfram could have actually taken the entire island hostage and detained the Heroes with the emergency capturing devices. Helpless to stop them getting their grubby hands on the device David designed to help All Might regain and maintain his powerful strength.

It had been made with good intentions but it was dangerous. A device like that in the hands of a Villain? Disastrous. It was like his analysis. If it were to fall in the wrong hands the world as they knew it would be in trouble. A shiver shot down his spine just imaging someone like Shigaraki or even All For One getting their hands on such a thing. Nope, that would not be good at all.

Now those two were Villains that they needed to work towards taking into custody. Though Izuku still found himself wondering how Shigaraki ended up getting involved with All For One. Were they related or did one find the other? Did they join forces sharing similar goals or was one groomed to follow in the other’s footsteps? Was the decayer born with the drive to be a Villain or was he raised to become one?

They just didn’t know.

There were too many unknowns for Izuku to form a clear opinion of Shigaraki. Yes, he was a Villain, but why? What drove him? What were his motivations past what he had said at the mall? Why exactly did he hate All Might so much? Izuku really wanted to try and dig up the handy man’s past. There had to be more to the story than just a man child covered in hands wanting to kill All Might out of spite.

Perhaps that could be something he could bring up with Nezu next time he saw his mentor. He knew the principal was busy with his various take down projects, but he was sure the chimera would be intrigued. A new puzzle to try and solve so they could see a more complete picture than from the few pieces they had now. There was just so much more they had to learn to better understand the situation. Because Izuku preferred to believe that no one was born to be a Villain.

Well, maybe All For One.

Izuku based this thought on all he had heard and read about the boogey man of the underworld. He just sounded like evil incarnate. Manipulating others to control them. Forcing a Quirk on his own brother to do the same only for that plan to backfire. Surviving through all these years and fighting the wielders of One For All trying to beat them into submission. Trying again and again to get what he wanted without a single care for others.

It made him wonder how Shigaraki was treated by the man he called Sensei because he had a hard time imagining the one considered the Number One Villain as a doting father. It just didn’t seem possible for a man like that. His mind even conjured up a ridiculous imagine of All For One, dripping with evil, fondly cooing over a baby. Which unfortunately looked like himself thanks to Shigaraki having told him All For One’s interest in him. Izuku forced that thought out of his mind and focused on his food while being internally thankful his dad was nothing like that monster.

While they ate their respective dishes, All Might stepped away to take a phone call. Izuku watched him go in curiosity while he talked at a discreet distance. The man was buffed up as he usually was while out in public and of course was smiling. However, whatever the phone call was about must be a hard subject as that smile became more strained as the call continued. Izuku’s brows furrowed in concern while he finished up his food as the others sociably ate and talked.

After a time, All Might came back and said, “Present Mic, Hound Dog, would you come with me for a moment?”

The two Heroes shared a look before standing up from the table. The teens watched them step a short distance away and the Number One Hero talked to them quietly. Again, it was clear that whatever was going on couldn’t be good news. All Might spoke with that same strained smile as Present Mic paled and Hound Dog’s mane bristled. The three men shot quick glances at the table too quick for them to be sure who they were looking at. Though Izuku had a paranoid thought that it might have been him but he quickly brushed it off.

The adults talked for a few minutes before they all nodded coming to some form of agreement. They then approached the table with schooled features as the waiting teens watched. All Might was the one to address them as the other two Heroes flanked him.

“May I have everyone’s attention?” he asked though he already had it. “There has been a change of plans as there was a…development back in Japan. Therefore, we and those who came with us must leave early.”

The teens shared concerned looks wondering what was going on, but the Heroes wouldn’t say. Those that would remain lamented that they wouldn’t get to spend time exploring the expo together. Which would have been nice but at least the group that was leaving had been shown around by Melissa before all the craziness. The older blonde girl promised to keep in touch and would for sure work with Mei to discuss her babies. It was nice to see his eccentric pink haired friend make a new one who also had a passion for Support.

Izuku and his friends went back to their hotel suite with the Heroes and quickly packed before leaving for their awaiting jet. There was a bit of tension in the air as they took off bound for Japan. The teens didn’t know what this ‘development’ was and the Heroes didn’t offer any further explanation. In fact, they left the students to themselves to discuss whatever was going on in the private compartment in the back.

Mei was distracting herself tinkering while Hitoshi and Shouto were taking naps. Izuku was busy searching the news for what this ‘developlment’ could be. There were some short stories here and there of a few low-ranking Heroes being called in for remedial training for minor mistakes made on the job. Nothing too serious other than mentions of minor property damage or civilians being injured due to collateral damage. But all that could be righted easily with insurance payouts and public apologies.

There was also an article that mentioned the investigation into a local foster center as well as a number of foster families associated with it. They were facing possible charges ranging from Quirk discrimination to child endangerment and/or abuse. There was a single allusion to the finding of a ‘vocal restraining device’ that made Izuku think back to the night Hitoshi had finally told him about his foster situation. The word muzzle came to mind as he wondered if the news story could be related to his friend in any way.

Perhaps Izuku could ask Aizawa once they got back. Surely, he or Nezu would know and wouldn’t be at all surprised if they were the ones that instigated it. The principal seemed to have had made progress on his list of take downs as there was a scandalous article about his middle school. Aldera and its teachers, staff, and students were under investigation of similar charges to the foster center. Quirk discrimination, child neglect, child abuse, child endangerment, and the list went on and on.

Accusations of teachers neglecting their duties and insinuations of rampant bullying that had been turned a blind eye to for years. Which all of it was true as Izuku had experienced it firsthand. But seeing the dirty laundry of his youth being aired out like this…honestly, he didn’t know how to feel about it. To him it was in the past and he had already moved on. Sure, there were lingering effects on his mentality but he had been working on those with Hound Dog.

There was a part of him that didn’t want to poke the bear that was his past, but another wanted to see what kind of consequences his past teachers and peers would face. To see them suffer as he had suffered by their hands or lack thereof. Perhaps some of Nezu was rubbing off on him kind of like how Chizome had on his view of Heroes. Though Izuku would never go full blown revenge like Nezu does much like how he could never commit premeditated murder.

But this still left Izuku wondering why they were being summoned back after only a day. He didn’t think anything he found in the news warranted any of their specific presences. Well, maybe him and his connection to Aldera or even Hitoshi and his potential one with the foster center investigation. Mei didn’t have any association with the news stories and Izuku didn’t see any particular ones with the Heroes in the back. That could only leave…

Izuku looked over at the slumbering Shouto beside him. He looked at peace resting with his eye closed and face slack. It was the same expression he had this morning when they had woken up together. Which reminded the greenet what they had almost done as he found himself glancing down at his friend’s lips and forced himself to look away.

Perhaps this all was the start of the take down of Endeavor? Or at least the lead up to it. This certainly would be a good place to start. First with low-ranking Heroes being held responsible for their mistakes. Along with a middle school and a foster center being investigated as well. If they used the notes he had given Nezu about the Heroes targeted by Stain, maybe they could even slowly reveal why he had chosen them.

Izuku decided to suggest that to his mentor once they met up again. Revealing the Hero Killer’s motivation and his criteria of what a false Hero actually was no matter the rank. Because it could be a perfect way to ease the public into actually believing anyone could become corrupted in the current system. Even the Number Two Hero.

The people had already started to question the legitimacy of the news claiming that Stain was just a mad man. But by slowly introducing them the reasons behind his actions and who he targets, perhaps it would help others better understand Chizome. To see him as more than just some random murderer who targeted Heroes for no reason.

Honestly Izuku really liked that idea. Then it could ease them into seeing the imperfections of their current system. That there were flaws and those flaws could be anywhere. Not just criminal behavior, association, or neglect of duty, but also hidden behind closed doors while off the clock. Maybe even motivate them to step up and hold those in power responsible for their actions, or lack of action, no matter how high they ranked in society.

Starting low and working their way up would help acclimate the people to this idea. Like placing a frog in water and slowly raising the temperature. Only this time Endeavor would be the frog and hopefully his future consequences would boil him alive. Because that bastard deserved whatever comes to him for all that he has done. At least Shouto was away from him finally and his friend had even told him that his sister was looking into apartments now that he was out of the house.

Fuyumi seemed like a kind and caring sister when Izuku had met her briefly after the Sports Festival. Perhaps she had only stayed in the Todoroki home for Shouto? His friend had mentioned once that he had more than one sibling but she was the only one left living there other than him. His older brother Natsuo was a college student living near campus.

Then there had to be another sibling because Shouto had mentioned once that he had three, but the third he didn’t really talk about. Well, to be honest, the bi-color teen didn’t talk about his family much anyway. The most had been during the Sports Festival concerning his father and his reason for being born. Other than that, it was passing comments and brief check-ins to see how he was faring at home.

But now Shouto was living in the dorms away from his father. Hopefully forever out of that bastard’s reach to never again suffer his expectations or ‘training’. Perhaps that was the reason they were coming back early. That this ‘development’ was in regards to Endeavor and taking the abusive father down. Seems a little too soon for him but maybe? Either that or it could be them finally getting Shouto into the loop that they were investigating the Number Two Hero.

Izuku could speculate all he wanted but they would all have to wait until they got back. At least them coming back early meant he should be able to see his mom soon. It may seem pathetic to some that he couldn’t even last two days away from his mother. But Inko and Izuku were close having only each other for most of his life. Of course, Hisashi was still in their lives but they could only share their love with him from afar.

Seeing as he would have to wait for answers, Izuku put away his phone and decided to follow Hitoshi and Shouto’s example to nap the rest of the flight away. The greenet was getting comfortable when they hit a small pocket of turbulence and the plane jerked. Mei gave no reaction and Hitoshi didn’t even stir. Shouto though was woken up and gave a grunt as he blinked awake.

“Are we there yet?” he asked groggily.

“No, not yet,” Izuku replied quietly. “Just some turbulence. You can go back to sleep.”

His friend hummed in response as he closed his eyes. Izuku smiled endearingly at his restful face and settled in to nap as well. The overall quiet atmosphere of the cabin with the small sounds of Mei tinkering lulled him to sleep. In what seemed like no time at all, Izuku found himself being gently shaken awake. Green eyes blinked slowly open and peeked up to see Yamada looking down at him.

“Time to get up, listener,” Present Mic said quietly with a smile. “We’re almost there.”

“Mmm, five more minutes,” Izuku replied as he closed his eyes and snuggled into his warm pillow.

Wait, pillow?

The Voice Hero chuckled as he watched the greenet force himself to open his eyes and see he was snuggled up against Shouto. Huh. He must have ended up leaning against his shoulder while they slept. Another snicker drew his attention back to the loud blonde.

“You took pictures, didn’t you?” Izuku accused as he carefully moved away from his friend.

“Guilty as charged,” Yamada admitted with no shame. “I’ll share them with you later. Anyway, care to wake up the other listener? I gotta handle Toshi who is just as stubborn as Shou is when it comes to his naps.”

The Quirkless teen nodded and his teacher left to go wake up his grumpy kitten of a foster kid. Izuku carefully placed a hand on the shoulder he had been leaning against and gave a gentle shake.

“Shouto, time to wake up,” the greenet prompted quietly.

The element wielder did not open his eyes and instead leaned his head down to nuzzle Izuku’s hand.

“Five more minutes,” he mumbled.

Izuku chuckled as he had said the same exact thing just a few moments ago. He gave another gentle shake.

“We’re almost there,” he said earning a grumble in complaint from his friend.

But Shouto forced himself to wake up doing his best to blink the remaining sleep from his dual-colored eyes. Once they landed on green, he turned his arm that was on the arm rest so that his palm was face up. An open invitation to hold his hand that Izuku immediately accepted. He intertwined their fingers and gave a squeeze before looking around the cabin.

There was some moving around as everyone was preparing to land. Mei reluctantly putting her current project away. Yamada chose to just sit and buckle in next to Hitoshi who either was refusing to wake up or was playing dead just to mess with the blonde. Or even both to get a few more moments of precious sleep. With no sight of Hound Dog, Izuku could guess he was in the back with All Might.

A pressure on his shoulder made him turn his attention back to his immediate area. Green eyes were met with a wall of red and white as Shouto’s head was leaning on his shoulder. A switch to their positions from earlier. Izuku let out an amused huff as it seemed his friend had fallen back asleep. He gave a loving pat to his head before checking they were both safely buckled up. Izuku then leaned his head on Shouto’s and closed his eyes to enjoy a bit more time being close to his crush before they landed back in Japan.

In retrospect that had been a bad idea as they had both nodded off and once again Izuku was woken up by Yamada. Only this time he actually witnessed the loud man taking pictures of them. All while Hitoshi smirked doing nothing to stop his foster dad. Jerk, as always. Mei just stood there smiling as she usually did though she did shoot him a wink.

Mei-chan too? Ugh.

“Alright, alright, you got your evidence,” Izuku waved them off as he straightened up. He then turned to Shouto as best he could and gently shook him awake once more. “C’mon, Shouto. It’s really time to get up now. We’re here.”

The element wielder was slow to open his eyes and blankly stared at everyone for a few seconds. He finally processed the situation and nodded as he sat up. The two let go of each other’s hands and worked on unbuckling and gathering their things. At the same time, the private cabin opened and All Might stepped out followed by Hound Dog. Together they all disembarked the plane with their luggage and got into the discreet van waiting for them.

Notes:

If you skipped the warned of parts...they almost kissed. Kekekeke. Also Present Mic took pictures of a pair of adorable love birds sleeping while leaning on each other on a plane. Twice. Don't worry, he'll share them. ;)

The kiss was so close! I'm sure y'all hate me for teasing the first kiss. :P But we're making progress! I have a very specific moment for when they do actually kiss which I'm super excited to share when we get to it. Hopefully all the sleepy boy snuggling is enough of a peace offering. I just want them to be happy and comfortable together.

If anything, you can blame Hitoshi. Shouto isn't happy really but they at least metaphorically kissed and made up. ;) No bad blood amongst the Freakateers.

Izuku being retrospective over breakfast. He really has had a tough life so far and it's only going to get harder. Sorry, green bean! I love you but the angst is too entertaining and fun to explore. Still working on figuring out when it would be best to drop the Endeavor bomb among everything else. But at least we've got some stepping stones.

Fun Facts About Japan:

This one is more connected to the restaurant I have them eating at in this chapter. I’m basically having them going to Japan’s version of Denny’s. Yes, they do have Denny's in Japan. :P However, much like how McDonald's over there have Japan only menu items, Japan Denny's has its own differences. You can explore their website here to see the menu and whatnot.

Lots of hamburgs or hamburg steaks ( ハンバーグ , ハンバーグステーキ ) which is what they call salisbury steaks in Japan. Very confusing the first time I came upon the term at my second school. I automatically started correcting them to hamburger but the students and teacher were all 'what are you doing? that's what it's called here.' I was all 'wah? that's not the word we use in English,' which they were very surprised to hear. XD Literally a 'wait, you don't?' 'nope!' situation. Let's just say we were all confused and experienced culture shock, but we learned something at least!

Anyway, they serve a lot of Japanese style/influenced dishes which isn't that surprising. If anything, the biggest difference is that they don't serve breakfast all day. Breakfast is strictly in the morning and there's only a half hour overlap before they switch over to lunch/dinner. Which to me kind of sucks because the fun part of places like Denny's and IHOP is that you can get breakfast at any time. Come on, Japan, you are missing out on the magic of all day breakfast!

Alright, that's it for this one. I hope you enjoyed the fluff because next chapter Izuku learns about Inko. I know I didn't have her attack reported on in the news but with Izuku's threat level that kind of information might be more sensitive. Plus they're still working on crime scene anyway. You'll see. Okie dokie, that's a wrap, folks. See ya!

Chapter 19: A Hard Pill To Swallow

Notes:

Happy Tues-record scratch, checks calendar-er, Wednesday! Happy Wednesday, dear readers! ^___^; Apologies for the delay. My sister is back in town and I got...distracted. :P

As of last chapter, there were concerns about the take down of Aldera. Well, it hasn't actually happened yet? Last chapter was the start of an investigation. I am still figuring out when more of the actual take down will happen or how much into detail I would go. Always open to ideas for that kind of stuff! Let me know in the comments or the discord.

We've got some pov changes in this one so let me know if any are confusing. I try to not make them be that way.

Formatting reminder:
"Speech heard through a speaker."

Enjoy the angst!

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

The drive to UA was quiet. The Heroes weren’t saying much and most of the teens were still tired from the plane ride. Hitoshi went back to his nap while Mei was keeping herself busy with her baby just like before. Izuku looked out the tinted window watching the world pass by while holding Shouto’s hand who sat beside him. Though the Quirkless teen swore he kept feeling eyes on him from the Heroes at the front but whenever he looked, they were turned away. It made him slowly start to worry that this might actually be about him and not Shouto.

Once they arrived at UA, the teachers led them to the principal’s office. Nezu of course was in there as well as Aizawa who was leaning on the wall behind his boss. Yamada went to stand next to his husband while All Might and Hound Dog flanked the principal’s desk. Leaving the students standing awkwardly not sure what to do.

“Please, take a seat,” Nezu said gesturing towards the couch facing his desk with his paw. His tone wasn’t as chipper as it usually was and it had the greenet concerned.

How bad is this ‘development’?

Izuku sat down on the couch first and Shouto took the space on his left side. Mei plopped down on his other side and Hitoshi took whatever space was left. Once settled the teens faced the teachers as the same tension since I-Island filled the air.

“Thank you for coming back so promptly,” Nezu began, breaking the silence. “I apologize for interrupting your time on I-Island however we have some…news.”

It was hard to tell who exactly the principal was looking at as his eyes were all black. But Izuku swore he felt the chimera’s focus on him and, unfortunately, he was right.

“Izuku-kun,” Nezu called out, confirming his worries. “It’s about your mother, Inko-san.”

All four teens tensed up immediately. Every one of them cared for Inko as a mother and were instantly concerned what had happened to her. Shouto quietly took his hand and the cool temperature of his fingers helped ground Izuku. He glanced at his friend briefly giving a squeeze in thanks before turning back to the principal.

“Wh-what about my mom?” Izuku stuttered out nervously.

“Your mother, she was…,” Nezu said only to trail off, uncharacteristically unable to continue.

From behind him, Aizawa sensed his boss didn’t want to be the bearer of bad news to his personal student, but he believed in ripping the bandage off quickly. One and done. Then the healing could begin.

“Your mother is in the hospital, Midoriya,” Aizawa stated bluntly but still mindful of his words.

Green eyes stared at him in shock. His mom? In the hospital?

“…h-how?”

His breathe became shaky as his homeroom teacher continued, “She was attacked last night in your apartment. A Villain going by the name Muscular, aka Imasuji Gouto, infiltrated the residence via a warp gate created by most likely Kurogiri. According to the video recordings, he was sent to…retrieve you on Shigaraki’s orders.”

The Underground Hero paused letting that sink in for a moment not wanting to overwhelm the green one all at once. However, he knew he had to keep going eventually.

“Inko is currently in the hospital under critical condition. Recovery Girl is there to oversee her treatment and to assist in any way she can. Though at the moment Inko’s injuries are too extensive for her to use her Quirk safely.”

Izuku gulped trying to swallow all this down before asking, “A-and Muscular?”

Aizawa let out a huff of a sigh, brows furrowed in frustration as he answered, “The officers and Hero on scene were not able to apprehend him as he escaped through another warp gate. Hawks managed to send a feather through with him but has lost contact with it since. Meaning we have no way of knowing where the League is hiding at this current time.”

If it were any other time, Izuku would be geeking out over Hawks being in his apartment, but not now. For the reason why he was there was horrifying. Yet another Villain was messing with his life. Shigaraki sent Muscular to take him and he ended up hurting his mother so badly she was in the hospital.

N-no…no way. This can’t be happening.

This was his fault. He should have been there for her. To protect her. To save her from getting hurt by a Villain because of him. If only he had been there. His mind plagued him with what-ifs and he felt guilty for not being there for her. Off on I-Island goofing around. Well, not entirely as the Villain attack was no walk in the park either. But Izuku wasn’t there to protect his mother and he couldn’t help blame himself for everything.

He was the Villain magnet attracting all kinds of trouble. The Sludge Villain, USJ, Hosu, the mall, I-Island, and now this? What more could the universe want to dump on him to make his life so fucking hard? He was so lost in his self-deprecating thoughts that he hadn’t noticed he was in the middle of a panic attack. But everyone else did.

Izuku was numb to the world. Couldn’t feel the cool touch of Shouto’s hand. Couldn’t hear the voices calling his name. He was consumed by a mantra that it was his fault, his responsibility, his fuck up.

His mom was hurt and he did nothing to protect her. He was useless as a Hero not even able to save his own mother. It didn’t matter that he was far away on an island to get away from Shigaraki. All that mattered was that the Villain still wanted him and still went after him and hurt his mom in the process.

And it was all. His. FAULT.

~~~

As soon as Shouta saw that the kid was spiraling, he snapped into action. Before anyone else moved he was stalking over to the couch and kneeling in front of his problem child. He didn’t touch him as Midoriya was so out of it he didn’t want to make it worse. Though the green one may not disapprove of it since he had a tight hold on Todoroki’s hand who was handling the death grip like a champ. He and the others were more worried about their friend in this moment.

“Midoriya, can you hear me?”

There was no reaction to give him an answer. Green eyes were open wide but seemed vacant as words of guilt tumbled out of his muttering mouth. Out in the open for everyone to hear how he blamed himself. A glance back towards Hound Dog showed the dog man fighting to not growl in anger. Not at Midoriya but at the situation. But he did his best to stay as professional as he could while mentally noting what the boy was saying knowing they would need to talk about it in a future session. Beside him Nezu was up making what smelled like lavender tea in hopes of calming everyone down.

Shouta turned back to the panicking kid in front of him and said, “Midoriya, please let me know you can hear me. We need you to calm down. Come back to us.”

It had no effect. So Shouta resorted to something he rarely used with his students. A move he used when the people he saved were in the deepest of panic attacks and he had to resort to searching their wallets. He used the boy’s given name.

~~~

“Mi----ya, c-n --- he-r -e?”

Izuku could but he couldn’t. It was like a bad connection. It was all a garbled mess, cutting in and out.

“Mid--iya, pl--se --t m- kn-- y-u can h--r me. We n--d you t- c--m down. C-me b--k to -s.”

He couldn’t understand, couldn’t make sense what the voice wanted. Couldn’t cut through the static filling his mind. That was until…

“…Izuku.”

The sound of his name in the somber deep voice of his teacher finally did the trick. Pulling him out of the well of self-blame enough to see the surface. Still out of it unable to take in his friends and mentors watching him with worry. Green could only focus on black that stared back at him filled with concern. Aizawa could sense he was ever so slightly more aware and continued his efforts to bring the kid back.

“That’s it, Izuku, listen to my voice,” the tired man coaxed gently. “Can you hear me better now?”

He received a small nod in reply but that was it. More than enough though compared to before.

“Good, you’re doing great,” Aizawa said, holding back a sigh of relief. “Is it alright if I touch you?”

Izuku thought about it and took the time to assess himself physically. It drew his attention to his hand that was clenching Shouto’s like a life line. He relaxed his grip but didn’t let go as he gave another nod. Aizawa gave a hum in thanks as he gently grabbed his other hand and placed it on his broad chest.

“I want you to follow my breathing, do you think you can do that?” the man asked, earning another small nod. The muttering had died down but his breathing was still erratic. “Good, just follow my lead.”

Aizawa exaggerated his breathing and coached his student back to a normal breathing pattern. Breath in four seconds, hold for seven, and then exhale slowly for eight. Again and again, he repeated it. Izuku had challenges following along at first but, as the minutes passed, he managed to match him exactly, breath for breath. As he calmed down, life slowly came back to his eyes.

Izuku could feel everyone looking at him. Could see their concerned expressions. Could feel Shouto’s hand in his and his other hand on Aizawa’s chest. Could feel how dry his mouth was and taste the bitterness of his lingering guilt. Could hear the raspy sound of his own breathing. Could smell the calming lavender scent of the tea Nezu walked over and now stood ready to offer to him. Could sense all the worry and care everyone had for him while feeling like he didn’t deserve it.

“S-sorry,” Izuku apologized quietly as he pulled his hands away and curled in on himself.

“There is nothing for you to be sorry about, Izuku-kun,” Nezu insisted as he offered the tea now that his hands were free. “Nor is there anything for you to feel guilty about. This is not your fault.”

“But I should have been there for her,” Izuku pressed, taking the cup but merely holding it in his lap just to keep his hands busy. “She got hurt because of me.”

“No, she didn’t,” Aizawa countered, still kneeling in front of him but not moving to touch again. “She was hurt by Muscular, not you. Muscular was sent by Shigaraki, not you. Shigaraki chose to do this, not you.”

“BUT IT WAS ALL BECAUSE OF ME!” the Quirkless teen snapped, almost spilling the tea. His outburst made everyone jump. “I’m the Villain magnet. I’m the one they keep coming after. If I had been there then they wouldn’t have gone after her. She would have been safe.

“Then what about you, Izuku.”

Green eyes that had been glaring down at his tea snapped back up to black.

“What about you? Aizawa stressed, almost seeming to scowl in anger at his lack of self-worth. “What if you were there and Muscular took you and hurt your mother anyway? What if he took you and Shigaraki had you and we had no way of finding you? What if we lost you?”

The Quirkless teen’s breath hitched. The months spent at UA being supported by so many people seemed to have melted away as his mind had reverted to how it was in middle school. Why did they care so much about him? He was Quirkless, he was useless. He was the creepy nerd who stalked Heroes just wishing he could be one despite being a genetic dead end. Why would they care this much about a useless little bug like him?

“You are not useless, Izuku,” Aizawa all but growled, doing his best to stifle his anger for all the shitheads in his problem child’s past. “You are strong, smart, and the kindest fucking person I have ever met. I am proud to have you as my student. And none of us want to lose you.”

His friends and teachers gave various responses in agreement. Shouto placed a hand on his knee, Mei leaned against his arm, and Hitoshi reached over her to place a hand on his shoulder. All Might, Hound Dog, and Present Mic all nodded at him. Aizawa carefully reached out and gave his green curls a gentle pat. Then there was Nezu who did something he never expected.

His mentor gently took the tea from him and placed it on a nearby table. Nezu then proceeded to climb onto Izuku’s lap and planted himself nonchalantly down before leaning against him. The teen looked to Aizawa for answers but the tired man merely shrugged with a look that said this was just how Nezu was. Oddly physically affectionate when he wanted to be. Lord knows how many times the principal has invaded his own personal space to make himself at home in his capture weapon.

Not sure what exactly to do, Izuku hesitantly wrapped his arms around the chimera. When Nezu snuggled further into the embrace, the greenet hugged him more firmly as tears fell from his eyes. He had never felt this much care from anyone other than his mother. Hisashi too when he had been home but it had been so long since he had seen his father in person. This was all a little too much but he would be damned if he didn’t soak it up.

He had friends who cared. Teachers, mentors, too. In this moment he didn’t feel alone. Didn’t feel helpless having to face the world on his own with no support system behind him because he had a strong one right here. These people were precious to him and he was precious to them. It was like…they were family.

“Wh-what’s going to happen to me?” Izuku finally asked in a sniffled whisper though didn’t let go of Nezu.

Because there was a lot to consider here. Inko was hurt but was his main caretaker. Then again, they were going to be moving him on campus for his protection. But then what would that mean for their apartment? All of their possessions filled with precious memories. There were also his mom’s medical bills. Would he have to leave UA and work to pay off everything?

“There will be no need for that, Izuku-kun,” Nezu said, breaking him from his thoughts. “There is a clause that UA has to help students in tragic situations such as this. Your mother’s medical needs as well as both of your living situations will be taken care of completely.”

“What?” Izuku asked, confused.

“Basically, Nezu is going to use his power as principal and abuse it in his bias towards you to help you in this devastating time,” Aizawa answered with a sigh as he ran a hand through his hair. “Normally I would disapprove but, unfortunately, I am also biased and am condoning his actions. So please for the love of all that is holy accept his help so I can sleep.”

He could certainly use a century long nap after all this shit. Can’t the world leave his problem child alone for once?

“O-okay,” the boy agreed after a moment to think. “Where am I going to stay?”

He knew they would be moving him into the dorms but didn’t know when that would go into effect. Obviously, he couldn’t go back to their apartment so he didn’t know where would he go for now.

“He could stay with us,” Hitoshi offered out of the blue. He wanted his brother to be safe.

“While that could be a possibility,” Aizawa replied immediately to his foster son. “Seeing as the plan was to have Izuku live on campus, it would be more practical for us to move into the dorms instead.”

The vague acknowledgement of their living situation was enough to confirm one of the theories simmering in the back of Shouto’s mind. He cast a glance at Hitoshi then at Aizawa. So, they are father and son. Though perhaps not exactly how he had thought before as he now knew Hitoshi was being fostered. He just didn’t know by who exactly until now. But Shouto knew that this was not the time to revel in one of his theories being technically right. Izuku needed him more right now.

“As Aizawa-san said, it would be for the best to continue with the plan of you living in the dorms,” Nezu said from his lap, Izuku still loosely holding him kind of like a teddy bear. “However, seeing as your mother is…incapacitated at the moment, I have arranged with your father to call him to discuss exactly what will happen to you.”

“Call my dad?” Izuku asked, a bit eager to hear his father’s voice. “When?”

“Any time as of now,” Nezu replied, moving to get off his lap and Izuku let him go. The chimera walked back over to his desk as he spoke. “I contacted him as soon as we learned of your mother. He seemed very concerned and was also worried about you. I assured him you were safe and scheduled to speak with him once you were back and informed of the situation.”

The principal retrieved his phone before returning to his place on Izuku’s lap. Guess that was a thing now. Aizawa changed to sitting on the floor and the other Heroes moved to stand near the group around the couch.

The phone rang a few times before the sound of his father’s voice came through, “Principal Nezu, I presume?

“Yes, indeed, Midoriya-san,” Nezu answered, ignoring the lack of greeting. “Thank you for your time. I understand you are a rather busy man and the time difference does add a level of difficulty.”

Hisashi is acceptable,” the man said causing Yamada to perk up at the name similarity remembering Izuku telling him that when they had first met. “As for the situation and how it affects my son, of course I would make the time to attend to Izuku’s needs. He is there now, correct?

“Y-yeah, I’m here, papa,” Izuku chimed in, feeling comfort from his father’s voice.

Izuku, how are you? Hisashi asked, the care for his son clear in his voice.

“I’m…okay, I guess,” the son replied, tone understandably solemn. “I’m worried about mom.”

As am I,” the father assured. “I am sure the hospital staff is doing everything they can to attend to her.

“The Heroes too,” Izuku added, though he winced realizing he mentioned Heroes to his father. But he couldn’t stop now that he started. “Recovery Girl is also helping them.”

There was a short pause before Hisashi said, “I see. Well, she seems to be in good hands then.

“As is Izuku-kun, I can assure you,” Nezu interjected. “I am sure you are concerned as to what will happen to him while his mother is in the hospital.”

Indeed,” Hisashi replied, his tone serious. “Seeing as his mother is injured, I would prefer he were with me. However, my current circumstances are not…ideal for that.

The mention of Izuku being with his father made him both happy and sad. Happy to finally be with his dad after so long but what would that mean for UA? Hisashi was overseas so that would mean he would have to leave school, right? But Izuku didn’t want to leave nor did anyone else. There was also the fact that Hisashi couldn’t have any outside visitors due to his work as that was why they had never been able to visit him after his injury.

“Hisashi-san, we at UA would be more than happy to house him here on the grounds,” Nezu offered, having no intention of losing his personal student. “We already have a dorm system in place for students with some already taking advantage of it. Meaning he would be safely housed on campus with friends and teachers to look over him. Would this be satisfactory to you?”

There was a pregnant pause as the father considered it. Everyone was tense in the room as they waited. As for All Might, he was having different dilemma. The man’s voice sounded familiar to him though he couldn’t recall from where exactly. For some reason it sent a shiver down his spine but he wrote it off as a reaction to the man hinting at removing Midoriya from UA.

After a moment, Hisashi spoke, “Again, I would prefer him with me. Though I’m certain Izuku would want to stay…

A sigh could be heard as they waited with bated breath. Izuku hoping his father would say…

…yes, having him live there would be satisfactory. At least until I can make other arrangements.

They let out a collective sigh of relief though the moment was a little bittersweet. It was a yes for now but his last comment meant that it may not be permanent. Izuku would have to talk with his dad about that but not now. He would take this small victory and plead his case to stay at a later time. He had worked so hard to get where he was now and wanted to see this through to graduation in three years.

“Thank you for your permission, Hisashi-san,” Nezu said, relieved that he could still teach his personal student. Izuku was a rare gem of intellect that he had yet to refine to a brilliant shine. “Due to his circumstances, Izuku-kun will be made a ward of UA until other arrangements are necessary. We will keep you updated to his progress going forward.”

That would be acceptable,” his dad finally agreed.

With that settled, Hisashi bid his farewells before ending the call. The others were relieved that Izuku could stay and were all considering how best to handle moving him into the dorms. All Might however had different thoughts plaguing him. He still couldn’t place it but there was just something familiar about the man’s voice on the phone. He couldn’t pin down exactly how or why but he swore he had heard that voice before. But where? When? How? Who? Because he certainly had never met or talked to Midoriya’s father until now.

It’s probably nothing, he thought, brushing the feeling away for now.

Whatever it was, he would figure it out later. For now, he would focus on Midoriya and his needs in this moment. They would need to gather his personal effects from his apartment while the others helped him settle into the dorms. He may have hurt the boy in the past and was now working on making it up to him. Helping him move, even in this grim situation, was another step towards redemption.

~~~

At the end of the call, All For One summoned Kurogiri. The misty man was quick to respond to his order as was part of the design of the caretaker of his ward. Follow orders without question and do what he could to aid and protect Tomura as he grew into his role of successor. And soon he would have another charge.

“Kurogiri.”

The warper replied, “Yes, master.”

“Make the necessary preparations,” All For One ordered, caressing the picture of his son that he couldn’t exactly see but could still sense with one of his Quirks. “It’s about time for a family reunion.”

What happened to Inko was unfortunate but the fact that Izuku hadn’t been there was more important to him. That his son, his progeny, wasn’t hurt by the mad dog Tomura had sent after him. A decision made on impulse but fortunately had worked out in a strange way. It opened this opportunity for All For One to finally bring his son into the fold.

Kurogiri gave a bow knowing exactly what his master needed from him and left to begin preparing for his son to join them. Following the order without question, or at least, not out loud. For while a majority of him was under the control of his conditioning, a small portion still clung on to the person he once was. The part that still wanted to fight for and protect those in need. And while he could not go against his master’s orders, he would do everything he could to protect his son once this Midoriya Izuku was living amongst them.

Nothing would happen to this innocent boy. Not on his watch.

~~~

The principal clapped his paws together drawing everyone’s attention to him.                                                          

“With that settled, let us begin preparations to move Izuku-kun on campus,” Nezu declared from the boy’s lap. “Aizawa-san, will you see to collecting his things from their apartment?”

“Of course,” Shouta easily agreed. It was part of his duty as a Hero and a teacher to help his student in this trying time.

As he was standing up, All Might suddenly spoke, “I would like to volunteer to help as well.”

His offer made the Underground Hero’s shoulders slump in annoyance but he begrudgingly accepted the offer anyway. The other two Heroes in the room also stepped up to help and the four left UA bound for the Midoriya abode. Leaving Nezu to personally lead the kid and his friends to the UA dorms.

The drive to the apartment was somber. There was a sense of relief that Midoriya would be staying at UA. However, the looming threat of his father taking him away was still there but was held at bay for now. They would still be able to help guide the young aspiring Hero and would do everything they could to see him flourish.

Once they arrived, Shouta led the group up to the apartment as he was the only one to have been there before. All those weeks ago to collect the kid’s notebooks in order to protect the information within. Only this time the front door was marked with police tape as it was now a crime scene. Upon entering the home, there were officers still working on collecting evidence and taking notes on what they find or see. They gave a passing glance at the Heroes as each of them flashed their licenses before going back to their work.

Shouta walked into the green one’s room, noting the lack of name plate on the door and attempted to mentally prepare himself for what he was about to see. But despite Hitoshi having told him that Izuku had made a change to his room, the actual sight of it devoid of the onslaught of All Might’s smiling face was still a shock. Before he had been overwhelmed by the sheer amount of merch and Hero fanboy-ness. But now…there was a drastic lacking of the Number One Hero’s image.

Damn.

What once had looked more like a figurine collector’s shop rather than a bedroom was now incredibly bare of merch. There were still some remaining traces of Heroes with a poster or two along with a handful of figurines. Perhaps a notebook here and a pencil there. But any evidence of All Might being among the featured Heroes was just…gone.

“Damn,” Shouta said out loud as he walked further into the room.

“What is it?” All Might asked in concern as he too entered the bedroom.

The Number One Hero, still buffed up for appearances, looked around searching for what could be wrong. But seeing nothing, he turned to the Underground Hero for answers.

“This room,” Shouta explained as he began to start packing the few figurines that were left. “I’ve been in it before.”

He hid a smile in his scarf at the sight of the Present Mic figure next to his own that was gifted by his husband to the green one. Hizashi bit down a squeal upon seeing it too and gave a shoulder bump to his grumpy hubby before moving to pack up some clothes for the kid. Hound Dog busied himself in the bathroom and whatever else the newest ward of UA would need.

“You’ve been here before?” All Might asked, having closed the door so that he could shrink down to save his time.

“Yes,” the tired man replied, continuing to pack things. “I came to collect Midoriya’s notebooks to bring to UA for his safety as well as the safety of the Heroes he had analysis on.”

Yagi thought back to the Midoriya’s notes. He had seen them multiple times by now. When he had first met the boy autographing them and when they discussed the ones he had taken during his observations of the battle training. They were quite insightful and clearly clever, but dangerous? He didn’t really understand how.

“Are they really that dangerous?” All Might asked.

Shouta stopped what he was doing and turned to the Number One Hero with a deadpan look.

“With what he wrote, every single Hero in those notebooks, including you, could be taken out like that.

The Underground Hero snapped his fingers at the final word. The emphasis made the skeletal man flinch.

“Well then, um,” Yagi said, taking a moment to clear his throat. “Why did you react that way if they are safely at UA?”

“The last time I was in this room it was like a shrine to one Hero,” Shouta answered as he went back to packing. “Had their face plastered everywhere with posters and figurines and whatever else the kid could get his hands on. But now, it’s all gone.”

All Might looked around the room seeing the spaces on the walls and in the room that were bare other than the places the small amount of merch had been before being packed away. There was no clear evidence as to who that Hero had been.

“Hmm. That would be quite a shock to see that and now this,” Yagi commented, oblivious to the can of worms he was digging in. “I wonder why young Midoriya would take it down. Who was the Hero?”

Shouta tried not to smile but ultimately failed as he quickly hid it in his scarf. Despite the situation, he was filled with vindictive satisfaction for what he was about to say. After schooling his features, he turned to the Number One Hero and Symbol of Peace about to ruin his day with only two words.

“All Might.”

The tired man left it at that letting the reveal wash over Yagi like a tsunami. Sunken eyes widened once again realizing he had seriously messed up when it came to Midoriya Izuku. A boy who had looked up to him so much to decorate a whole room full of him. Only for All Might to let him down and tarnish his own image in the boy’s eyes with careless words. Resulting in this.

Fuck.

“Now, are you going to start helping us pack?” the voice of the Erasure Hero broke him from his thoughts. “Or are you going to continue standing there like an idiot? You did offer to help, right?”

“Oh, uh, yes! I will do just that,” All Might blurted out before making himself busy.

With four Heroes working together, they finished relatively quickly with a pile of bags and boxes with the Quirkless teen’s belongings. Shouta left a list of what they took with the officers while Present Mic and Hound Dog worked on bringing the luggage down to the car. Before leaving, Shouta made a point of also gathering the number of framed achievements of Inko’s gallery of admiration for her son. But first he actually took a moment to really look at the newer additions rather than the passing glances he had given the last few times he had been there.

The beach he was familiar with and it made him proud of the kid for several different reasons. A testament to his drive and dedication to get the job done. A mark of character that he had no want of recognition for it and only hoped others would be able to enjoy the results of his hard work. An accomplishment that simultaneously worked towards his goal of becoming a Hero while providing community service without want of praise. Helping for help’s sake.

This was further celebrated in the framed first place medal next to it laying on a collage of news headlines. A placement the green one had fought tooth and nail for while still being concerned for his peers. Used his analytical brain and long honed training to fight his way to the top very much like Shouta had in his time. It was still strange to be a source of inspiration for someone when technically he shouldn’t be known at all as an Underground Hero. But a mutual feeling of pride and appreciation brought a subtle warm smile to his scruffy face.

Then there was the article from Hosu. There were mixed feelings there and understandably so for those in the know. Izuku had fought and won against the Hero Killer Stain who he had secretly befriended over a year ago. A then civilian and Villain interacting sporadically late into the night unbeknownst until being questioned after the Hosu mess.

A strange connection existed between them and really only the two of them understood it. They could only glean so much from the recording the kid played for them that Nezu preemptively erased. A good call on his part as that would be damning evidence in some way or another. Guess they didn’t need to worry about that now though. A threat destroyed before it could even be used.

But despite the odd circumstances that come with Hosu and Izuku capturing the Hero Killer, it was still a mark of who he was as a person and a Hero. Despite knowing a Villain and despite having to deal with so much crap growing up Quirkless, Izuku still managed to stay true to his path. Finding inspiration in the words of the Hero Killer to keep on fighting towards his goal of becoming a Hero.

I feel like I should thank him if I were to ever see him in person again.

Stain’s encouragement had done so much for the kid and it was hard to dismiss that a Villain such as him was able to do good. For some, a Villain was a Villain and a Hero a Hero. One was bad, the other good and no in between. But Stain’s and Izuku’s odd friendship was evidence that wasn’t exactly the case. That a Villain like him was capable to do good while a Hero thought to be good like Endeavor could do bad.

Sending the Hero Killer after the Number Two Hero may have been an odd and dangerous move, but they would put what the man found to good use. It made up a good chunk of their evidence combined with what they also have been able to discover. They still needed more time to prepare everything and solidify their case. But thanks to Izuku asking Stain to investigate a different kind of ‘false’ Hero and the Villain choosing to actually approach this case in a different way than to attack, there was really hope of them successfully taking Endeavor down.

As Shouta started to take the three frames down starting with the one for Hosu, All Might was studying the one of the beach. He had buffed up before they left the boy’s room and so was hunched over slightly as he examined the framed article and picture beside it. The smile the peace sign giving boy was tired but still bright as the sun setting behind him which made the cleaned beach glisten.

“So, he really did do all that, huh?” All Might commented solemnly.

He knew that Nezu had said so but this concretely confirmed it seeing the before and after pictures. It was the sort of thing he would have assigned to his successor if they had met before UA. And it could have even been Izuku as he had wanted too. If only Yagi hadn’t been such an idiot all those months ago.

“Yep,” Shouta confirmed as he took down the second frame. “Mostly by himself from what he told me with a little help from his friend at the end. Took about ten months to get the job done.”

“Ten months, huh?” the Number One Hero uttered, feeling more impressed by the accomplishment. “It takes a lot of drive to complete such an endeavor.”

Shouta’s brows furrowed at the use of that word. Since the start of the investigation into the Hero using that as his moniker, the word had become tainted.

“Well, drive is something Midoriya is not lacking in the least,” the tired man pressed on past it as he reached for the final frame. “From my understanding he has always wanted to be a Hero. To help people. And he will do everything he can to become the first Quirkless Hero. Serving as an example and guiding light that anyone can be a Hero no matter Quirk or not.”

The Erasure Hero glared at the Number One Hero who cast his gaze down to the ground in guilt. He too had judged the boy before really getting to know him all because he didn’t have a Quirk. If he had known all of this, well…maybe he wouldn’t have been so quick to judge. Would have been able to see past the lack of Quirk to see the budding Hero within. If only there was a way to change the past.

In lieu of an actual response, All Might merely nodded and helped bring down the last of the luggage. Shouta carefully wrapped the pieces of Inko’s gallery in blankets from the linen closet before joining the others below. The drive back had a different form of tension mostly coming off of the skeletal form of Yagi. Present Mic and Hound Dog didn’t know what happened but Shouta closed his eyes enjoying the satisfaction of letting All Might know just how much he fucked up with the green one. That if he truly wanted to make up for all he has said and did to hurt him, it was going to be a long road to redemption.

Notes:

Again, I must state my apologies to the Midoriya family and all that I've put them through. Poor Izuku just can't catch a break. Nezu might be a little OOC for some people in this chapter but he's grown close to Izuku in BC. To me, he wouldn't want to bright him any pain if he could help it. Revenge for sure but pain like learning about his mom, not so much. Thankfully we've got Aizawa to handle these situations. Besides, we could use some chimera cuddles. ;)

So Hisashi has given his 'permission' to stay at UA...for now. But it's been made obvious that he and the League have an interest in Izuku to join them. I just can't help sprinkling in dramatic irony whenever I can with every Hisashi/DFO appearance or mention. Can't wait to get to that reveal. I actually know exactly how that will go down but still working on the reaction part of it all.

For All Might sort of recognizing Hisashi's voice but not fully connecting it to All For One. First consider that their fight had been over five years ago so it's been a while. Also Yagi has never heard All For One's voice filled with care and concern for someone before. It's a tone of voice that he wouldn't necessarily connect to the cold and evil tone All For One uses in battle. Just food for thought.

There might be a bit of recapping this chapter but it's more of a summary of sorts. It has only been a few weeks in BC time but going on years for the update schedule. More of a reminder of the events that have taken place in case you've forgotten.

By the way, I couldn't resist All Might learning about Izuku's redecorating and why. Just so he knows how much he's hurt him with just his words alone. Also it frustrates me in canon that All Might never acknowledges Izuku's analysis skills. Or really anybody. Can't they see this kid is freaking smart as shit?!

Again, sorry for the wait for the chapter. Here. Have pictures of my sister's cat as a gift. This chapter changed to be more Aizawa centric but we'll get back to Izuku next chapter. I've got some sad fluff coming to you next time. Future apologies to the sad green bean. Alright, thank you for your patience and have a good one!

Again as in the top notes if you have any ideas about the Aldera take down to be less off screen, let me know!

Chapter 20: Anguish Shared

Notes:

Happy Tuesday, dear readers! :D We're back again with another chapter. Got that promised sad fluff all ready for ya! Hope you like it!

Some reminders for you. In BC, the dorms opened early but were not originally mandatory. The ones who are in the 1-A dorms are Ochako, Aoyama, Kouda, Shouji, Shouto, and Satou based on plot stuff and the distance they were born from UA. Then for I-Island, those who were on the island were all the girls so Ochako, Hagakure, Ashido, Tsuyu, Momo, and Jirou as well as Kaminari and Tenya who helped out with the attack. Of course Izuku was there with Shouto, Mei, and Hitoshi. Then in the background were also Sero, Satou, Shouji, and Tokoyami. Just to be clear who was where to avoid confusion.

Linktree to all the things! This includes the discord, tumblr, and more! Join if you'd like! :D

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

Chapter Text

Izuku was still trying to process all that had happened in the last few days. He was confronted by Shigaraki seeking advice as well as to extend an invitation to join the League. He was sent to I-Island to get away from Villains only to have to participate in deescalating a Villain attack organized by All Might’s friend and his assistant. Now he was back in Japan as a ward of UA because Shigaraki sent a Villain to take him anyway despite saying he would wait for his answer and his mother was hurt in the process.

Why is this happening to me?

He didn’t know the answer to that. Didn’t know why he seemed allotted to suffer since his diagnosis when he was four. Ever since then his life had been one struggle after another. Years of bullying. Denied what he needed to pass the Hero Course practical exam because of a policy that Nezu has since amended. Literally fighting his way to the top in the Sports Festival just to prove he had what it took to survive the esteemed UA Hero Course without a Quirk.

That should have been the end. Should have been when he could feel more assured of his success while still fighting toward his long-held goal. But no, not him. He was still Quirkless and even though Hosu had helped, there were still others who refused to believe that he could do it. Not wanting to admit that maybe what they believed for so long had been wrong. Instinctively wanting to either fight to be right or defend against being wrong.

Not everyone was like that. Chizome had changed in his own way despite claiming he was an old dog. Collecting evidence on Endeavor instead killing him, then giving what he had to Izuku and the side of the Heroes. All Might was changing as well. Now listening to Izuku’s words and warnings to then take action from them. Seeing that while he accomplished his ideal of becoming a Symbol of Peace, there’s only so much one person can handle. That it was better to share the burden of protecting the world instead of shouldering it all by yourself.

Then there was Bakugou and his own form of change. It was subtle and he still had a long way to go but Izuku could see the start of change in him already. Stepping away from a situation instead of attacking it in fiery fury. He had even given his own version of advice to his friends before the final exams. Still worded harshly as was his style but advice none the less.

Izuku himself had changed becoming more confident in himself and his abilities. All with the help of his own determination as well as the guidance of his mentors and peers. But it wasn’t just his schooling that was changing. Now his mom was hurt and he was a ward of UA and his dad was thinking of pulling him out of the school to be with him. Which would be somewhat nice as it had been so long since Izuku had seen his dad. But he also didn’t want to leave UA after working so hard to get to where he was now. He definitely would have to try and talk his father out of it, at least until he could graduate from his dream school.

But it was still too soon for that and even then Izuku didn’t know what he could possibly say to change Hisashi’s mind. Too overwhelmed with the fact that his mother was in the hospital all because a Villain wanted him. Which he still blamed himself for despite what Aizawa and Nezu had said. If Shigaraki didn’t want him then Inko wouldn’t have been hurt. Why did Izuku have to keep catching the attention of Villains?

Again, he didn’t have an answer and didn’t have the time or energy to try and figure it out. Besides, he was too busy right now putting on a brave face as Nezu was escorting them to the dorms. Shouto held his hand the entire time which the Quirkless teen was grateful for. The contact was a small source of comfort that was partially distracting him from his sudden change in reality.

Lead by Nezu into the dorm, Hitoshi, Mei, Shouto, and Izuku came upon those who had chosen to live on campus scattered about the common room. Well, other than the ones who were still on I-Island. Ochako, Satou, and Shouji were still there as the two boys had gone there to work which really only left Aoyama and Kouda. The sparkly teen was observing himself in a hand-held mirror on one couch while the animal whisperer was playing with his pet bunny on the floor. However, upon seeing the solemn teens approaching with the principal, their classmates knew something was wrong and were on alert as Nezu went over to talk to them.

Izuku lingered closer to the door not wanting to hear about his mom being hurt again. He was doing his best not to think about it until he was alone and could let everything out without worrying everyone. Even though he knew he had their support, he didn’t want to burden them with his barely contained emotions. It took all he had to keep the Midoriya tears at bay.

Shouto stayed beside him not wanting to let go or to leave his sad friend alone. Mei gave Izuku a big hug before joining the principal. She wanted to ask if she could stay the night to support her friend before going back home the next day. Hitoshi gave a supporting squeeze to his brother’s shoulder before also walking over to the group. He wanted to ensure they knew not to pressure Izuku into talking before he was comfortable. Class 1-A was a good group but some of their classmates could be a bit too pushy. He’d have to make sure the rest of them know that once they learned of what happened.

Nezu quietly informed the two students a brief summary that Izuku was dealing with a family crisis though didn’t go into too much detail. That was for his personal student to reveal if he wanted to or not. From behind him, Hitoshi stared down his classmates in silent threat channeling his inner Shouta as best he could. All while trying to not internally laugh at a sudden mental image of his tired foster dad surrendering to being a cat tree to their three furry menaces which had happened just last week. Perhaps it was his own brain trying to distract him from the awful reality that his auntie who was practically his mother was hurt.

Izuku didn’t pay much mind to what Nezu was telling them. Instead distracting himself with the feel of Shouto rubbing comforting circles on his skin with his thumb. At one point he had moved to intertwine their fingers while shifting closer to his special friend. The element wielder had purposely positioned himself to have Izuku on his left side and hoped the warmth of his inner fire would put the shorter boy at ease. Izuku greatly appreciated it and leaned his head on his friend’s shoulder.

After a few minutes of talking, the group approached the two teens lingering off to the side. Aoyama immediately offered his condolences and somehow pulled out a plate of cheese out of nowhere. Much like Nezu making teapots magically appear or Aizawa having some sort of pocket universe in his scarf. Izuku wasn’t exactly sure what to make of this and just awkwardly look a piece of cheese. The French speaking teen smiled at his acceptance and insisted he would gift more dairy delicacies in the future.

Kouda quietly offered his bunny, Yuwai-chan, for Izuku to hold, but seeing as he was holding hands with Shouto and didn’t want to let go he declined. At least for now but he did give the cute critter a few careful pets. The animal whisperer shifted the bunny holding him with one hand to sign his own condolences and support with the other. Izuku signed his thanks back with a sad smile.

Nezu easily approved of Mei and Hitoshi staying the night. Having done so before leaving for I-Island, the pinkette found the blankets and pillows used in the last sleepover and began forming a sort of nest in the common room. The boys simply followed her lead and helped out, thinking that a huge cuddle pile would help them deal with what had happened. Though Izuku didn’t really intend on staying out with them all night. He really needed some time alone, but for now he distracted himself with spending time with his friends.

They were in the middle of a movie when Yamada, Inui, and Aizawa arrived with his things. All Might wasn’t there though he could guess it was due to his time limit and so didn’t say anything about it. Izuku did his best to not crying seeing the evidence that he was indeed now living on campus. That he wouldn’t be going back home to their apartment and wouldn’t be able to see his mom cooking in the kitchen. Not for the foreseeable future or ever again for all they knew. It was still too early to tell with what little he knew about his mother’s health status. Only that she was too unstable for Recovery Girl to heal her right away and that they would have to wait and see.

The movie had sort of distracted him from this new reality and cuddling next to Shouto had helped. Much more grounding than the animated characters on the screen. But now that his teachers were there with his stuff, they as a group paused the movie to help him settle into his new home. Izuku fought his hardest to not break down in front of his friends and teachers as they headed for his room.

While the dorms hadn’t been mandatory before, Aizawa had preemptively made a plan of who would be assigned where in the building. Keeping in mind that it was a co-ed dorm system and splitting them with boys on one side and girls on the other. Though also knowing that teenagers will be teenagers, he would have to instill on them to use their heads to think and stay safe.

Aizawa knew they could only control hormonal teenagers with curfews and rules so much having once been one himself. As such, he had already accepted his fate and had placed his problem children together on the first floor. Izuku would be moving into the room next to Shouto and eventually Hitoshi would be taking the one on the other side of his brother. Sandwiching the Quirkless teen between two of his closest friends. Leaving one more room open on the second floor for when the rest of the class moved in.

Kouda currently was the only one on the third floor so far. Satou and Aoyama were next to each other on the fourth floor with Ochako set up across the hall. While Shouji was by himself for now on the top floor. The rest of the placements would be revealed on the official mandatory move in day. Though Aizawa did quietly tell Hitoshi and Izuku that Bakugou would be on the top floor in the room furthest from them so they wouldn’t have to worry about running into the explosive blonde except for on the first floor. But knowing how Bakugou was in general as well as his strict sleep schedule, Izuku didn’t really imagine his childhood friend spending much time in the common room anyway.

The kitchen on the other hand…, he thought, knowing the firecracker of a human was actually quite skilled at and enjoyed cooking.

They didn’t do much in regards of organizing his room. Izuku didn’t have the energy for decorating and was fine with them just helping getting the bags and boxes into his room. There were also a few things bundled-up in blankets which Aizawa informed him were the framed pieces his mother had put together in recognition of him. Again, the Quirkless boy fought back the Midoriya tears forcing himself to wait to be alone to cry.

Once everything was at least settled in his room enough for him to sleep that night, the group moved back down stairs. It was about time for dinner and so they went to the kitchen instead of back to the movie. Yamada insisted on being in charge of cooking and Izuku offered to help. The loud blonde tried to refuse not wanting to bother the kid during such a hard time, but the sight of pleading green puppy dog eyes broke his resolve easily. Aizawa would have poked fun at his husband’s weakness but he too couldn’t say no to Izuku especially not to that look. Even more so now.

As this was all to comfort the greenet, Yamada asked what he wanted to eat. Offering to perhaps make his favorite dish though Izuku for once wasn’t in the mood for katsudon. He would just compare it to his mother’s cooking and while he hated to admit it, he was doing his best not to think of her right now. Not until he could do so alone.

Instead, he asked if they could make okonomiyaki. A dish that could be tailor made to everyone’s preference and wasn’t too difficult to make. The blonde DJ easily agreed and started gathering ingredients from what was in the kitchen. Thankfully it was well stocked with everything they would need as Nezu had insisted the students have access to adequate sustenance.

This turned into a make-your-own okomomiyaki line with everyone choosing what they would have in their own portion. Yamada manned the griddle while Izuku worked on chopping up the cabbage and other ingredients. Shouto also offered to help and followed whatever instructions he was given by the English teacher. Passing portioned out ingredients for the loud blonde to mix together and then fry to perfection.

In what seemed like no time at all they were all enjoying their own okonomiyaki creations. They settled back into the common room to finish the movie as they ate. The teens were in the pile of pillows and blankets while the adults took the couches. Aizawa and Yamada sat somewhat close together on one and Hound Dog was on another with Nezu perched on his shoulder. To ‘oversee’ his students being his justification. The canine counselor didn’t mind as they were both feeling instinctively protective of their shared charge and needing to keep watch over him.

The food was delicious though Izuku wasn’t able to fully enjoy it nor did he have much of an appetite. He still forced himself to eat at least half of it to keep his strength and energy up. He knew he was going to need it for the emotional break down that was coming. That was also why when he ate all that he could, he made a point to get himself a big glass of water when he took his dirty dishes back to the kitchen.

Izuku drank a full glass while he put his leftovers in a container not wanting to waste it. He put it in the fridge for later before washing his dish. He was going to start washing the other dishes dirty from cooking when Shouto stopped him. His friend had wondered what had been taking him so long and came looking for him.

His worrying was appreciated though Izuku really needed some time alone soon. He didn’t know how much longer he could keep his emotions at bay. Soon the dam would break and he would be drowning in Midoriya tears. But he couldn’t let go just yet, couldn’t succumb. So, he let his friend silently take his hand and lead him back to the common area with the refilled glass in his other hand.

Izuku did his best to pay attention to the movie while he drank his water. To think about the characters, plot, and other aspects of it. Or even just focus on the feeling of Shouto running his thumb soothingly over his skin of their intertwined hands. Anything other than the raging storm of emotions that was locked up inside him. Because he didn’t want to worry his friends and mentors even more than they already were. Didn’t want to burden them with how much this was affecting him.

Finally, the movie ended and Izuku saw a way out. He drained the last of his water before standing up as he let go of his friend’s hand.

“Where are you going?” Shouto immediately asked, his hand twitched as if he were resisting reaching out to him.

“My, uh, my room,” Izuku answered, hesitant wondering if they would let him. “I need some time…alone.”

He took in everyone’s worried expressions but no one did anything to stop him. His friends spoke up that they understood but that they were there for him if he need them. The teachers said as much but more with their expressions rather than words. It brought a sad but grateful smile to the Quirkless boy’s face. He gave a nod in thanks and turned to head upstairs.

Though a short distance away from the common area, Izuku was stopped just before reaching the stairwell. The greenet turned to see the warm hand holding his arm was Shouto’s. No surprise there. Izuku wouldn’t mind spending time with his crush at any other time, but he didn’t want to burden the other with his building negative emotions. Didn’t want him to drown in his sorrow with him. Shouto had his own problems and shouldn’t have to deal with his as well.

Despite his insistence, Shouto still hesitated as he asked, “Are you sure, Izuku?”

The greenet gave him a sad smile as he said, “I’ll be fine, Shouto. I just…need some time to myself.”

The bi-color teen studied his face before sighing as he reluctantly let go and begrudgingly stayed put as he watched his friend walk away from him. Izuku looked back once more to find Shouto still standing there and gave him a nod with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. His friend sighed again forced himself to turned to head back towards the others.

Once the stairway door closed, Izuku took a bracing breath before taking careful steps up the stairs. Soaking in the silence of the stairwell with only the sound of his shoes as he climbed. Almost there. One step closer to privacy, one step closer to being truly alone. All he had to do was get to his room.

In no time at all and yet what seemed like an eternity, he made it up the one flight of stairs and was in front of his new room. He fumbled a little with the new key in his hand and the new door he opened. Green eyes automatically scanned the room and took note of how different it was from his own back at home. Though he wondered if he would ever go back there again knowing Shigaraki knew where he lived.

He mentally inventoried the bags and boxes illuminated in the hallway light. Filled with his possessions and would now be housed here, not at home. That this would be his new home for the foreseeable future. His eyes fell on the bundled-up frames that his mother had lovingly put together. Being so proud of her baby boy and wanting to show his accomplishments off even if only to herself. But how could she be proud of him when he was the reason she was hurt.

Izuku hesitantly walked into the room and carefully closed the door behind him enveloping himself in darkness. Only then did he lean his back against the door and sink slowly to the floor. Tears broke through the mental dam and poured down his face as he finally allowed himself to let go. The Quirkless teen was a sobbing mess hugging his knees close to him while trying to stifle his crying. He didn’t want to be a burden to his friends as he sat there letting his emotions wash over him and drown him in sorrow.

He didn’t know how long he stayed like that. Consumed by guilty thoughts placing blame on himself for his mother getting hurt. If only he had been there, would he have been able to protect her? But then again there was what Aizawa said. What if he had been there and was taken away and his mom still got hurt? What then? Izuku could have been gods knew where in Shigaraki’s clutches for reasons he didn’t understand nor really wanted to find out. That was a mystery he was fine being unsolved.

Despite having hidden away to not bother the others, a part of him did long to be close to someone right now. His mother’s hugs always made him feel loved and cared for but she couldn’t be there being hurt and in the hospital. The ones from his father had always made him feel safe but it had been a long time since they had shared one. Plus, right now any sense of comfort from his dad was tainted with the thought of possibly leaving UA.

Hitoshi and Mei expressed their caring affection in their own ways. His brother wasn’t much for physical contact unless he felt it was necessary. Holding his hand or hugging him when Hitoshi sensed Izuku needed it. Mei was more intense with how she constantly tackled him in greeting and was fierce to comfort and protect. No one messes with her friends.

Honestly, he appreciated them both but neither of those was what he wanted right now. He wanted…he wanted Shouto. It wasn’t even because he liked him as more than a friend. It was just…Shouto made him feel warm. Made him feel cared for and wanted even though he didn’t think Shouto wanted him the same way he did. But that was okay. What they had was enough and what Izuku needed right now.

He knew that he turned Shouto away before. Knew that he told him he would be fine and needed time alone. But to be honest he didn’t want to be alone. Not anymore. Izuku had grown used to having people who cared for him around. It was only his past habits that forced him to isolate himself not wanting to be a burden. But another part of himself was fighting that tendency. Enough for him to want to reach out even though he still felt like a bother. He just…he needed Shouto.

The crying teen took out his phone and was about to text his friend when there was a knock on his door.

“Izuku?” a very familiar and comforting voice called out.

Shouto…

“Izuku, it’s Shouto. Can I come in?”

YES.

Izuku wiped his face as best he could as he stood up. Though he was sure he looked terrible with eyes red from crying and residual snot on his face. But Shouto didn’t give two shits about that for as soon as the door opened, he pulled Izuku into his arms as he closed the door behind him. He had been worried about his friend and despite the greenet telling them he wanted to be alone, Shouto didn’t want him to be. Wanted to be there for his friend who had almost lost someone precious to him. An experience he could empathize with for multiple reasons. And when he had come up to go to his own room hearing crying from his friend’s, there was no way in hell he would leave him to suffer alone.

The bi-color teen wordlessly led them over to the bed. Izuku at first was hesitant not wanting to trouble his friend with his worries even though he had clung to him so desperately a moment ago. But Shouto wasn’t having it and with careful determination pulled Izuku along with him. They situated themselves on the bed with Izuku lying with his head resting on Shouto’s chest. Warm fingers began running through green curls as they held each other close.

Despite crying so much, more continued to trickle down his freckled cheeks soaking into his friend’s shirt. Not that Shouto cared being more worried about Izuku and comforting him. In the quiet of the room, he silently held his friend rubbing soothing circles into his back letting him know he was there for him and that he was safe there. Allowing the Quirkless teen all the time he needed to let out his sorrowful emotions.

Before long Izuku was asleep and his shaky breathing had evened out. Shouto took in his relaxed expression, his eyes rimmed red from crying but it was better than before. Grey and blue eyes studied the face that was close to him. From the curly bangs that fringed his forehead to the eyelashes dewed with lingering droplets of tears that were fanned above dustings of freckles. His eyes then trailed down to his friend’s lips that were parted slightly as he breathed slowly against his chest.

Shouto couldn’t help but take note of how close they were in that moment. Close to how they had been on I-Island before Hitoshi interrupted them. The distance between them was next to nothing and yet Shouto made no move to close it. It was not the time to try kissing even if he still wanted to. Inko was hurt and Izuku needed to be comforted. There would be time later to explore kissing and many other things he was curious to try. But for now, he would be there for Izuku in any way he was needed.

Suddenly the boy in his arms jerked awake while letting out a startled cry. Shouto stared wide eyed for a moment watching his friend breathing heavily and frantically searching the room. But he snapped himself out of it and reached out for the Quirkless boy. Izuku flinched in his grasp until he started speaking.

“Shh, Izuku, it’s okay,” Shouto quietly said, gaining his friend’s attention.

“Sh-Shouto?” Izuku questioned, focusing on the grey and blue eyes he could barely see in the dark room.

“I’m here, Izuku,” he answered, rubbing hopefully calming circles on his arms.

“…Shouto,” the greenet breathed out in relief.

The bi-color teen pulled the other back down to lay on his chest again. He held the trembling boy close as he ran cool fingers through green curls. The temperature made Izuku shiver so Shouto was quick to change hands. While he was still was getting used to accepting his left side, the Quirkless boy seemed to prefer it when needing comfort. Odd for him because his fire had been nothing but trouble growing up. Only now was he associating good with the side of him that had driven his mother over the edge. That his left side could be used for good.

“Shhhh, Izuku, I’m here. You’re safe,” Shout whispered into his friend’s hair. “No one’s going to hurt you.”

“I-it’s not me I’m worried about,” Izuku hiccupped in reply, turning his head further into his chest in shame. “It’s mom.”

A sullen silence filled the room. Shouto wasn’t sure how to respond exactly and Izuku needed a moment to organize his thoughts. To figure out how to voice the raw emotions simmering just below the surface. Of love and loss, worry and concern for his mother. Of guilt.

“I just…I can’t help but blame myself,” Izuku muttered into his shirt. “I should have been there to protect her, but I wasn’t. And…and this is the second time I almost lost a parent. My dad almost died when I was ten and now mom got attack by a Villain. I know Recovery Girl and the others will do everything they can for her but I’m so scared of losing her.”

Shouto let out a hum in response. He could relate to his friend’s worries. To the feelings of loss. For so long he had thought he had lost his mother. Lost her love and motherly affections. Which Rei proved wrong once he had gained the courage to finally visit her in the hospital thanks to Izuku. Since then, they had started to reconnect after so long, sharing stories of their lives apart with an unspoken hope to be reunited outside of clinical walls.

But there was also someone else he had lost and would never be able to see again. At least according to his father.

“I’m sure she’ll pull through,” Shouto said as he tucked a lock of hair behind his friend’s ear. “I…understand how you’re feeling.”

“Because of your mom?” Izuku asked, staring up at him cautiously.

“Yes, but also because of…,” the two-toned teen paused to take a steadying breath. This wasn’t a topic he ever talked about. “Because of Touya.”

“Touya?” the greenet parroted back in curiosity. “He’s one of your brothers, right?”

“The eldest, yes,” Shouto replied with a sad sigh. “But he died when I was young. Or so that was what my father said.”

“Tell me about him,” Izuku said, latching onto the distraction but also wanting to learn more about his friend’s family.

Grey and blue eyes cast to the ceiling as curious green watched him. Shouto took a moment to figure out how to explain the enigma that his sparse memories pieced together into a vague picture of his brother. White hair and roughened hands that he couldn’t recall if they were hot or cold. The two warring temperatures that filled his home growing up. None of which could compare to the warmth he felt for the boy in his arms. The feeling gave him the courage to speak.

“My brother…I don’t remember much about him,” Shouto began, still not looking at Izuku but absentmindedly rubbing his thumb across the skin of his arm in his grasp. “He was my father’s first attempt at a successor, but he came out…flawed.”

“Flawed?” the greenet asked. “How?”

“His Quirk was strong and fire-based like his,” the other explained. “But his body was more like my mother’s whose Quirk is one of ice. Because of this, he was susceptible to his own fire.”

The element wielder glanced down at the Quirkless boy who was quietly muttering how he could see such a combination happening. He let out an amused chuckle when Izuku murmured a chastising comment about that was why Quirk marriages were illegal and forcing genetics could be dangerous. Not everyone would turn out with a perfect balance as Shouto had.

The young analyst blushed having been caught mumbling again. He really needed to do something about that or more people like Shigaraki could become interesting in his analysis. One wrong moment caught muttering could be his last. Or at least his last peaceful one depending on the person wanting him dead or as their own personal Quirk database. Perhaps he should incorporate a muffling feature to his fire mask. One of many possible improvements he was playing around with.

“What do you remember about him?” Izuku inquired, getting back to the topic at hand.

“His hair was white and his hands were rough from overuse of his Quirk,” Shouto answered, playing with green curls as he spoke. “He was still training with my father when my Quirk manifested. Once it did, I joined them for training.”

That had been odd. Enji had been ecstatic once he officially started training Shouto. Clearly favored his youngest over his oldest. For a four-year-old child, he didn’t understand at the time and Touya had never said anything, but even young Shouto could sense something off about his brother. Only later did he come to think it was most likely jealousy as Touya had always looked up to their father from day one and wanted to train under him. While Shouto was forced to as he was Endeavor’s ‘masterpiece’.

That label was what had made something snap in Touya. Shouto didn’t exactly know what happened. His back was turned and his father was suddenly yelling. Young him had turned to see Enji blocking him from something bright and blue and hot before their father dragged his brother out of the training room. Shouto had followed after trying to understand what happened as Touya was thrown into his room.

He never did learn what happened having been sent to his room soon after. Only hearing the muffled yelling of his father and brother and the cries of his mother. Shouto didn’t want to ask his mother about it now in case it triggered her. There was no way that bastard would say anything and he couldn’t ask the brother that was now lost. Leaving it a mystery of the past though that was probably for the best.

“One day in training, something bad happened,” Shouto said, appreciating the fact that Izuku didn’t push him for details. Maybe someday but not right now. “After that, Touya didn’t come to training anymore.”

Which meant all of Endeavor’s focus had been on him, a four-year-old child. Pushing and pushing him even to the point of puking onto the training room floor. His mother did what little she could against the bastard but it never stopped the harsh training. Shouto had feared he would face it and the aftermath alone except he had been wrong.

Touya had come to him dutifully after every session. The odd feeling he had gotten from his brother before that had disappeared replaced by a fierce protectiveness. Rough hands patched him up and piercing blue eyes took in every injury. Taking pictures for a reason he couldn’t fathom at the time and that were now lost somewhere nowhere to be found. Though Shouto would resume his brother’s efforts even though he didn’t necessarily know it was for the same reason back then.

His eldest brother had taken care of him in sparing moments late into the night before leaving him alone. A new routine to his life. Time with his mother only to be pulled away by his father then patched up by his brother. That was…until that fateful night.

Mother snapped and poured boiling water on him scarring Endeavor’s precious ‘masterpiece’. After that she was gone. Touya still came to him after training sporting his own burns and bruises from practicing on his own. But near the end his brother visited him less and less until he was gone as well.

They didn’t know how he had ‘died’ exactly and their father didn’t elaborate. A shrine was erected in the Todoroki home in honor of their fallen brother. Enji would dutifully visit it regularly along with his other siblings. Shouto would as well to pay his respects though a part of him still hoped that his brother was out there somewhere. Would maybe one day come back again to comfort him late into the night.

“Touya would still help me outside of training,” Shouto said. “He knew how rough training could be with my father and he helped take care of my injuries. But after what happened with mother, it wasn’t long after he was gone too.”

“Do you know what happened to him?” Izuku asked, curious but asking in a way that his friend wouldn’t have to elaborate if he didn’t want to.

“No, I don’t,” Shouto replied, letting out a sigh. “My father simply told us he died and left it at that. Beyond that I don’t know what became of Touya. All I know is that he’s gone.”

A quiet sniffle drew his attention from green hair to green eyes. Izuku sat up as he wiped futilely at his tears. The greenet pulled the other up into a sitting position as well to pull him into a hug. Shouto only hesitated for a second as this was new before wrapping his arms around his warm friend.

“I’m sorry for your loss, Shouto,” Izuku whispered next to his ear. A shiver shot down his spine though he didn’t understand why. “Please know I’m here for you.”

The bi-color teen huffed in laughter at how his friend was worried about him when Shouto was there to comfort him instead.

“And I’m here for you too, Izuku,” Shouto promised as he firmed his hold around the other. “You don’t have to be alone. We can get through this. Together.”

From their positions, Izuku couldn’t see the sincere small smile on Shouto’s face and vice versa the blush on freckled cheeks went unsee. Neither knowing the mutual understanding of the meaning behind those words. They stayed like that for a while not saying anything only soaking up the feel of the other in the embrace.

Eventually Shouto broke the silence and said, “My mother would like to meet you some time.”

“Really?” Izuku asked in surprise but didn’t let go.

“Mhmm.”

He could feel as well as hear the hummed reply.

“Oh…I’d like that.”

“Mmm…”

They kept holding onto each other for a little while more though they did shift to lay back down after a bit. Arranging themselves side by side in each other’s arms much like I-Island and the sleepover. Again, Shouto had to remind himself that it wasn’t the time for kissing. Though he was still very much tempted with Izuku so close.

Later.

Shouto ran his fingers through green curls though they appeared black in the dark room. Which reminded him of their teacher’s black hair and his theory concerning it. Which then reminded him of another theory of his that was recently proven correct.

“Turns out I was right, you know,” Shouto said suddenly out of the blue.

“What do you mean?” Izuku asked, not pulling away and leaning into the touch.

“Hitoshi and Aizawa,” the conspiracy theorist commented. “They are technically father and son.”

The greenet froze trying to think back as to how Shouto had made the connection. He had been so overwhelmed before and hadn’t registered much of what was said entirely. But now that he thought about it, Aizawa did basically admit that Hitoshi was living with him. Anyone could who knew of his friend’s foster situation could connect them with that.

“Okay, fine, you were right,” Izuku huffed as he snuggled closer. “But being right about one of your theories doesn’t make all of them accurate. There’s no way my dad is fake. We just talked to him earlier, you weirdo.”

Shouto chuckled as he held him close. Perhaps Izuku was right. Perhaps not all of his crazy theories were right, but it still was fun to play around with them. Like an intellectual exercise trying to make sense of the world around him. In a way it was sort of fun applying such odd theories to what he observes. And it was a bit entertaining to mess with Izuku like this. He chuckled again before shifting slightly to get more comfortable.

Izuku fell asleep before him and slumbered peacefully in his arms. Again, Shouto had to restrain himself from closing the distance between them. He wanted to try kissing with Izuku, not force it on his friend. While that sometimes happened in his research materials, he preferred when it was mutual. A shared connection wanted by both parties. So instead, he compromised and placed a gentle kiss on the top of the greenet’s head.

“Everything is going to be alright, Izuku,” Shouto whispered into the night before drifting off to sleep himself.

Notes:

‘Individually, we are a drop. Together, we are an ocean.’ – Ryuunosuke Satoro (Or Akutagawa...I found two different names.)

I'm basing Izuku's whole insistence on team work on this quote I found. One of my biggest issue with canon is that Midoriya tries to take everything on all by himself like All Might had done. Makes me want to steal Aizawa's capture weapon and catch him to I can noogie some sense into his thick head. Team work is a thing!

Anyway, I feel so bad for Izuku in this chapter. Thankfully I found a way to comfort him through Shouto who certainly isn't complaining. :P Plus I love to keep teasing the kiss. It's coming! ...eventually. ;)

At least Izuku is getting comfort and support from his friends and mentors as well! Sh-sh-shout out to Serif, Rogue, Mousy, Christina, and cooper for help with Kouda’s bunny name. It can be found in Kouda’s trivia section on the wiki and is stated in the MHA School Briefs #3 chapter 6. Yuwai escapes Kouda’s room and explores the dorms during Midoriya’s and Bakugou’s house arrest. it’s super cute and hilarious being from Yuwai's pov. XD

I'll reveal the full layout of the dorm assignments when we get to that part. But for now, Izuku is close to friends and far away from Bakugou.

One thing I'd like to point out for just randomness. When I started writing this story, I came up with the idea of Inko framing Izuku's success with the beach just as a fun little detail. Well, in real life, I actually eventually started working at a place that does custom framing and I have experience with that stuff having worked in the frame shop. I will never be able to look at framed things ever again. XD So at least to me, those three frames hold a lot of significance. Marking his accomplishments as well as showing the love and support of his mom.

We got to see Shouto's pov when it came to his childhood. Now Izuku knows more about Touya though not the full story. Just some things I felt he should know. :P Also bonding over trauma for the soft boys.

That's all for now! Next update starts Izuku official first day living in the dorms. We'll be meeting a character we haven't seen in a while and no, it's not Stain. I'm still figuring out when exactly works best for him to meet up with Izuku again. It will happen but not yet. Just wanted to rip that bandaid off now before you got your hopes up. I'm not that cruel. :P Anyway, more bonding and fluff next chapter! Gods know Izuku deserves a break from all I put him through. Tata for now!

Chapter 21: A Friend In Need Is A Friend Indeed

Notes:

Thank you for your patience, dear readers! Sorry for the wait. I was a little busy being a bridesmaid for my friend's wedding. :P Tiny bit preoccupied. But we're back with more fluff! If you're interested, I chose this style of dress in steel blue. ^____^

Did a small edit last chapter. I forgot to add where Ochako was placed since she's also living in the dorms. A simple fix.

So...there were guesses it would be Bakugou that shows up. It's not. Just going to rip off that bandaid now before we get to the chapter.

Warning for teasing. There's a very brief one at ["Please take care of him..."] to about [The blonde winked...] but it's really not that bad. To the point a warning is probably not necessary but I will just in case. There's also another one at ["Though I figure..."] but again very brief.

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

Chapter Text

The next morning Izuku woke up still cuddled up close to Shouto. It took him a moment to remember where he was exactly which led him to remembering why he was there. Shigaraki sent a mad dog after him and hurt his mother in the process. Now he was a ward of UA and didn’t know if or when he would see his mother again. Didn’t even know if she would pull through this horrible set of events. Despite all the crying he had done the day before, new tears trickled from his eyes.

Izuku tried to be quiet and not disturb his slumbering friend, but his sniffles still woke Shouto up. Instead of complaining though, after blinking a few times, those familiar heterochromatic eyes focused on him before cool and warm arms wrapped more firmly around him.

“You’re okay, Izuku,” Shouto mumbled into his hair. “I’m here with you.”

The Quirkless teen felt calmed by his words even though he was still grieving for his mother’s current state. He buried his face into his friend’s shirt and quietly let the tears flow for a bit. As a Midoriya, he almost needed to cry to release his pent-up emotions or he would burst. Inko and he had always been quick to cry whether they were happy or sad. Hisashi wasn’t but never seemed to mind their outbursts of tears. Not even when Izuku had first learned he was Quirkless did his dad shy away. Merely took him in his arms and comforted him in the best way he could at the time.

His father didn’t know the full extent of what he had endured trying to be a Hero. He thought his mom didn’t either as Izuku refused to tell her so she wouldn’t worry as much. But it turned out that Inko had known all along as she had a whole box of evidence of what he had been through. He should have known with his mom’s tendency to document everything about him. From his achievements to his tribulations. Only this time the latter had roped Inko into Izuku’s woes herself. No matter what anyone said, Izuku would still blame himself even just a little for her landing in the hospital.

As if sensing his thoughts, Shouto shushed him as he ran cool fingers through green curls. The tingling sensation was quite soothing as Izuku settled into the touch. They stayed like that for a while until they couldn’t resist the need to go to the bathroom anymore. They got up from the bed together and Shouto gave him one last lingering hug before leaving. As he opened the door, he was surprised by the sight of Aoyama standing there with his hand raised as if to knock. The sparkly blonde also seemed a bit surprised at seeing him leave Izuku’s room before quickly reverting back to his usual smile.

“Please take care of him,” Aoyama said as he gave a small bow of his head. “The poor petit chou.”

The other boy’s tone had a hint of sadness despite the smile on his face. Shouto blinked once before glancing back towards the sounds of Izuku moving about in his room. Not knowing if he was up for other company just yet, the bicolor teen quietly closed the door before responding.

“Of course,” Shouto replied simply though he didn’t know what those last two words he had said meant. “Always.”

The blonde winked at him with a pleased hum before leaving. Shouto didn’t know why he did that exactly and just brushed it off as he headed for his own room right next to Izuku’s. He opened the door and started his now usual routine to get ready. One somewhat similar to what he had done back in the Todoroki household but now it was at his own discretion and terms.

The first night had been strange when he gave the western style room a chance. However, it had been a bit too different for him. No tatami mats, no shouji doors, no Japanese influence at all. A modern room that clashed with his traditional furniture. The curtains on the windows he guessed he could live with, but the slapping sounds of his bare feet on the synthetic floor, the lack of a pull string for the light, and just the general lack of anything traditionally Japanese was too much. He missed the feel of tatami under his feet and didn’t think he could live with such a drastic contrast to before. Not even his hatred of his father had been enough to quell that feeling.

So Shouto had requested to potentially change it into the Japanese style he was accustomed to which they granted. He had been shown a warehouse full of furniture and other bulky things the school didn’t have a current use for. With hard work and determination, he managed to transform his modern room to what it was today, tatami mats and all. Ever since then waking up every morning not under his father’s roof yet a style he was familiar with was a breath of fresh air. And while he hated why Izuku was now in the dorms too, he still looked forward to spending time outside of school work with his close friend.

Izuku on the other hand was feeling awkward in this unknown place. His stuff was still mostly in boxes and he had to hunt for what he needed to get ready for the day. He would have to take time to fully set up his room but for now he gathered the bare essentials. Thankfully each room had their own small bathroom though he would have to go downstairs to shower and such. But this gave him a moment of privacy to ready himself before having to face people other than Shouto again.

The Quirkless teen dressed himself in a simple outfit of jean shorts and a plain pale green t-shirt instead of one of his punny ones. He wasn’t really in the mood today for understandable reasons. Just as he finished getting dressed, there was a quiet knock on his door. Opening it revealed Shouto in dark pants, a white shirt, and a light blue overshirt.

“Hello, Izuku,” Shouto said. “Are you ready to go downstairs?”

His friend offered his hand waiting for Izuku to take it or not. The Quirkless teen took a moment to prepare himself with a deep breath before gently taking the hand held out to him. Together they headed down to the first floor and were met with the delicious smells of breakfast. Aoyama was hard at work creating masterpieces of crepes while Kouda was feeding his rabbit some vegetables at the table. Izuku learned that those already living in the dorm had decided to trade off who cooked breakfast with at least two working together for the six of them. But with the others off on I-Island it had been just Aoyama and Kouda and it just so happened to be Aoyama’s turn.

As he cooked, they were joined by a still tired Hitoshi and an already energetic Mei. The pinkette joined Shouto and Izuku at the table with Kouda as they waited for the sparkly blonde to finish. Aoyama insisted to do his task by himself despite offers to help. Hitoshi beelined to the coffee maker and grumbled about there not being any coffee ready. The brainwasher then grumpily worked on a batch as more crepes were being made. By the time the coffee was finished brewing breakfast was ready and they all sat down to eat.

Over the breakfast of crepes, Izuku learned more about what life was like in the dorms. Out of the six who already living there, it was agreed that Satou was the best cook especially with baking. A hobby he took up to help with his Quirk which the young analyst was already mentally adding to his notes on the sugar powered teen. He wondered what other hobbies his friends and classmates had that were related to their Quirks.

It was something Izuku figured he would learn soon enough as the dorms were going to be made mandatory come the start of next term. Then they would all be living under one roof which was a bit nerve-wracking co-existing with people other than his mother but also exciting at the same time. There would be an adjustment period but they should be able to live together fairly well. Though Izuku wondered how living with Bakugou would turn out. Guess he would have to wait and see.

As they were eating, Nezu came in with another man trailing behind. Izuku immediately was distracted by this newcomer he had never met before. He took in his appearance of a stoat middle aged man with a buffalo-like head with red fur. Was that his Quirk or a familial mutation like Ashido’s horns? Because some people had genetic traits that were passed down through generations but had nothing to do with their Quirks.

Almost all of them were curious about this new person except for one. Tired purple eyes widened as Hitoshi let out, “Taikan?”

What was his caretaker from his old foster center doing here?

“Greetings, students,” Nezu said with a wave of his paw. “Pardon the intrusion but I wanted to take the chance to introduce our newest addition to the UA staff. Taikan Gosei.”

The buffalo man gave a bow of his head in greeting to all of them and then turned his attention to Hitoshi specifically.

“Hey, kid,” Taikan said gruffly.

“What are you doing here?” Hitoshi asked. Not that it was bad that he was here but he had only ever seen the man at the foster center. So why was he here?

“As was pointed out to us teachers by a certain young analyst,” Nezu answered, not so subtly hinting at Izuku who blushed. “Our students in the first year Hero Course should be provided with more counseling opportunities than has been in the past. As such it seemed appropriate to hire another person to share the work load so as not to overwhelm Hound Dog with the task. And it just so happened that Taikan-san was willing and available to take the position.”

It explained why Nezu hired him but still didn’t explain why Taikan was here.

“But what about the…?” Hitoshi asked only to trail off at the end. His close friends knew about his foster situation but none of his other classmates did. It just wasn’t something he wanted to share right now.

“Ah, yes, his previous employment,” Nezu said, picking up easily on what he was hinting at. “Unfortunately, he was…”

The chimera paused attempting to tell them what happened in a more…delicate manner but Taikan beat him to the quick.

“I was fired,” the buffalo man answered flatly.

“You were what?!” the brainwasher all but growl, channeling his inner Aizawa.

Izuku and the others were surprised when Hitoshi stood up from the table in anger, but his analytical mind was quickly putting two and two together. To what possible connection these two had and came to a conclusion as he took out his phone. He quickly searched for one of the articles he had looked at on their flight back to Japan. Of a certain foster center being investigated along with a number of foster families.

The greenet was quick to stand up and show the seething purple haired teen the article. Purple eyes sped read through the text and he paled realizing that because of the investigation into his foster situation, one of the kindest men in his life before UA got fired. All because of him. Fuck.

“I…I’m sorry, Taikan,” Hitoshi muttered as he looked down at the ground in shame. “I didn’t mean for them to fire you.”

“Nonsense,” Taikan retorted with a firm tone. “It wasn’t your fault.”

With his empathic Quirk, he could feel the kid’s guilt and sent a gentle wave of ease into the boy’s mind to calm him. In fact, he sensed an overlay of unease from all the teenagers and carefully instilled a sense of calmness on them. Just enough to help them relax from whatever underlying tension was causing these emotions. Especially from the green haired one who had a strong feeling of loss obviously from the attack on his mother as Nezu had informed him of earlier.

Izuku took note of the foreign calm feeling that was smoothing out his still stormy thoughts. They weren’t as bad as yesterday when the news of his mother was fresh. No longer a roaring tempest with searing sheets of rain and had become more of a rumbling thunderhead with lightning threatening to strike. But this new feeling was reducing it more to light grey rain clouds fluffy and unassuming with just enough water to sprinkle down. Not entirely making his sadness and grief disappear but calming it down significantly from what it was before.

Was that the man’s Quirk? Something to do with manipulating emotions? Not that manipulation was the best word because that could have a bad connotation. More influencing the emotions of others? Seemingly for the better as he was helping them calm down. Green eyes studied the relaxed posture of his friends and classmates. He too felt more peaceful despite his life being a constant series of unfortunate events with his mother getting hurt the most recent.

A clearing of a throat startled Izuku out of his thoughts and he snapped his attention to the principal.

“Astute as always, Izuku-kun,” Nezu praised in amusement for his blushing personal student. “If you have any questions about his Quirk, you may ask him yourself if he is willing. Though at another time as we have business today. We still have work to do to settle him into a new routine here at UA.”

“I would be fine discussing my Quirk with you, Midoriya,” Taikan said with a nod. “Shinsou has told me about your analysis and I’m intrigued to see what you think of mine. Should be interesting.”

The Quirkless teen was a blushing mess but he still shot the buffalo man a beaming smile. A new Quirk to study and a willing subject for his analysis. He bowed in thanks and with that the principal and new counselor left them to their morning.

As they finished eating and helped to clean up, Aizawa showed up to take Mei and Hitoshi home. The pinkette gave Izuku a bear hug and left him with orders to text her if he needed anything, baby related or otherwise. Considerate but still hyper focused on her future goals as always. Hitoshi ruffled his hair with a similar offer to contact him if needed.

“Though I figure you’ll be just fine with Peppermint Prince here,” the brainwasher said with a teasing wink that earned him a smack to the arm. Though not too hard as he was probably right.

“Peppermint Prince?” Shouto questioned with a tilt of his head as this was his first-time hearing that.

“Oh, that’s right!” Mei exclaimed, slinging an arm over their d’Artagnan’s shoulders. “We’ve got nicknames for all the Freakateers. I’m Pink Gremlin, Izuku is Green Bean, Hitoshi is Purple Panda, and we decided you’re Peppermint Prince! Isn’t it awesome?!”

“Peppermint…Prince,” Shouto said again, getting the first part but not really understanding the second.

“It’s ‘cause of your hair,” Hitoshi explained. “And according to Izuku, you’re prince-like.”

The element wielder turned to the Quirkless teen as he asked, “You think I’m a prince?”

“I-in a way?” Izuku replied with a blush. “Sometimes you seem princely. Also, alliteration?”

Shouto hummed in thought considering the reasoning. He wasn’t sure how exactly he was prince-like but if his friend thought so he was fine with it. Shouto was willing to be Izuku’s prince. Yes, he thought with a nod silently agreeing to the nickname. Mei squealed in delight and gave Shouto a squeeze before letting go. Hitoshi and her waved goodbye before following Aizawa out the door. Leaving Izuku alone with Shouto as Aoyama and Kouda had returned to their rooms.

“What would you like to do now, Izuku?” Shouto asked from beside him.

“Well, I should probably start setting up my room,” Izuku responded with a shrug. “It’s going to have to happen sometime.”

“I’ll help you if you would like,” his friend offered though he would understand if the other boy wanted to be alone. He wouldn’t like it because he would worry about Izuku the whole time but he would make himself be understanding.

“That would be very helpful, Shouto,” Izuku said, accepting his offer. “Thank you.”

“Of course, Izuku,” the bi-color teen replied with a nod and a relieved smile.

Together they headed back to Izuku’s room and he had less trouble unlocking his door this time. The two were facing a mountain of boxes and bags. With a shared nod of determination, the two friends got to work. Sorting through clothing, books, and other odds and ends. They utilized the storage available filling the closet, dresser, and the drawers under the provided bed. Any school related things were placed into the desk.

As for decorations, Izuku put up pictures from his room at home. Happy memories of him growing up and a few with his friends as well. There was also the picture of him and his parents when he was about five or six. The same one that Shouto had seen and yet still believed his dad was not his dad and instead thought it was Aizawa. Even after talking to his dad Shouto had the audacity to say it was all CGI and still possibly faked. The ridiculous thought made Izuku chuckle as he hung the picture on his wall.

Izuku also took care to organize his Hero collection. Very much sparse comparted to how it was before the Sports Festival flooded with All Might’s face. Wait…Yagi had gone to help collect his things which meant he had been in Izuku’s room. But the Hero didn’t know what his room looked like before so there was nothing to feel embarrassed about, right? Just an ordinary room of a grieving student to be packed up for the new ward of UA.

But then again Aizawa-sensei was there too…he wouldn’t tell All Might. Right?

To be honest, Izuku wasn’t sure. Aizawa wasn’t much of someone to out another person’s business unless necessary. But he was also vindictive and sometimes petty concerning things that pissed him off. And All Might definitely pissed him off especially when it came to Izuku. It wouldn’t at all surprise him if his mentor took the opportunity to shower the Number One Hero with guilt of how much he fucked up with his former number one fan. Unfortunate and not wanted or necessary by Izuku but a possibility none the less.

The greenet let out a sigh at the thought as he adjusted his Eraserhead figurine. He was a great Underground Pro Hero but enjoyed messing with people a bit far too much. Especially with all his logical ruses. You never really know if he’s serious or secretly gauging them against ridiculous odds.

They managed to get through everything and stored the empty collapsed boxes in the closet. All that was left were the blanket wrapped frames his mother had put together. Something Izuku had been putting off until he had no choice but to face what to do with them.

“Do you want to hang them up?” Shouto asked from beside him.

Honestly Izuku didn’t know if he did or not. He loved that his mom was proud of him and put all that effort into acknowledging all he has accomplished so far. But it also hurt to even just think about them with the strong connection they have to Inko as well as himself. Could he stand to look at them every day knowing that his mother was in the hospital all because he fought to become a Hero and gained the attention of Villains along the way? With everything so fresh, he didn’t think he could. At least, not right now.

“Not today,” Izuku answered, carefully picking them up and storing them safely in the closet. “Maybe someday, but…”

He trailed off as he was trying to hold back a new wave of tears not helping his thoughts trailing back to his mom. Shouto understood and silently took his friend’s hand in support of his decision. He could always change his mind at another time. Now just wasn’t the time and that was okay.

“What would you like to do now?” Shouto offered as a change of subject.

Green eyes scanned his now finished room. His bed was made, his things put away, and room decorated with what he had. All in a room that still didn’t feel like his despite the personal touches. The walls were same in color but everything else was different. The bed wasn’t his bed and the other pieces of furniture were not the ones he had used every day for years. Even the sheets were the ones provided by the school and not the ones his mother had gotten for him. It was like he was at home but also not. His things in a foreign place.

Right now, he didn’t want to be here. Reminded by every difference, no matter how subtle or insignificant, that this was not the apartment he had grown up in. That he was here and not with his mother who was hurt because of him. That he was the cause of all of her problems and he hated it.

“Could we go to your room for a bit?” Izuku asked, green eyes glancing up at his friend pleading for them to leave.

And who was Shouto to say no to that. To him.

“Sure.”

The greenet smiled gratefully at him and gave his hand a squeeze in thanks. Izuku gathered some things like his summer homework and a spare notebook in case he had a random analysis moment. Things to keep his mind occupied if needed to keep him from thinking about where he was and specifically why he was there.

Though to be honest, as they arrived at Shouto’s door, his room in and of itself is a distraction. It was still a shock to open up the door expecting a room somewhat similar to his own only to find such a drastically different one. He accepted that Shouto accomplished the task through ‘hard work’ as he simply gave in explanation. But seriously where the heck did he get the materials for this? The world may never know.

Entering the room, Izuku followed Shouto’s example and took off his shoes and socks. He wasn’t as used to the feel of tatami under his feet as his friend was but it was kind of nice. The bi-color teen pulled out a couple of cushions for them to sit on as he only had one low chair at his desk from home. They sat down in the middle of the floor and Izuku put his things aside. He didn’t feel like starting on anything right away and instead basked in the serenity of the traditional Japanese room.

The two sat there in silence simply enjoying the other’s company. Though Shouto predictably shifted closer so their shoulders touched as he also took Izuku’s hand. The Quirkless teen made no fight as he had no fight to give. Not for this. The contact was always welcome and, in the moment, very grounding. A solid connection for him to focus on reminding him he wasn’t alone.

Letting out a relaxed sigh, green eyes lazily looked around the room. It was quite homey even though he himself didn’t have this style at home. The neutral colors were calming and the various plants brought a special touch to the atmosphere. Shouto himself stuck out with his head of white and red hair but he still managed to look at home in this space. Izuku smiled at his friend whose eyes were closed relaxing as if he was meditating.

Then Izuku was distracted as he spotted a box in the corner that kind of stuck out. Everything else was prim and proper and in its rightful place. But this box was just an ordinary cardboard box just sitting out in the open. And it was oddly labeled ‘research material’ though as for what wasn’t obvious with the plain look of the box.

The young analyst, ever the curious one, couldn’t help but want to know what it was for.

“Shouto,” Izuku called out, earning a hum from the boy beside him. “What’s that for?”

Grey and blue eyes opened to follow his friend’s pointed finger to the box. He blinked a few times as if he himself was trying to remember what it was for. When in reality Shouto was trying to figure out how to answer without giving anything away. At least not so bluntly as he usually was.

For the box in question held the ‘research material’ his mother had suggested and whatever else he had branched out from on his own. It wasn’t that he was ashamed of what he was reading or anything. It was just more private to him and he didn’t want to tip off Izuku to what he was doing if he found his research references. It might taint his attempts to figure out what the fluttering feeling was and try to attain new experiences of being close with his warm friend. He hoped to possibly share that in the future but not right now.

“Personal project,” Shouto answered as he closed his eyes again while running his thumb along his friend’s skin. “Still in progress at the moment, but…”

The element wielder carefully interlaced their fingers before grey and blue eyes peeked over to look into green.

“…I’ll let you know the results when I find what I’m looking for.”

Izuku merely nodded as his freckled cheeks grew pink under his friend’s gaze. The butterflies in his stomach were going crazy for some reason though he was feigning ignorance. He knew that his feelings addled brain was going nuts with scenarios and hopeful wishful thinking. But the Quirkless teen pushed them down not wanting to ruin what they have together over his selfish wanting for more. This was enough.

“I’d like that, Shouto,” Izuku replied, giving his friend a warm smile and putting his curiosity over this ‘personal project’ aside.

They stayed sitting quietly for a little while longer until Izuku started to get antsy and needed to do something. So, they both pulled out their summer homework and decided to work on that for a while. It was better to not put that off for too long or else they would be scrambling to finish it all later. Besides, they both figured that with whatever Aizawa had planned for the training camp, there wouldn’t be time to work on it then.

Together they sat there working and asking each other questions when they needed to. It was calming and domestic. Just what Izuku needed to keep his mind off things. After a while they decided to take a break for lunch. After a short time in the kitchen, they came back up with some onigiri and worked for a while longer. They eventually decided to call it a day satisfied with their progress and chose to watch something on Shouto’s laptop instead.

“What should we watch?” Shouto asked as he laid out his futon next to the wall for them to sit on.

“Oh, um, do you remember that show I suggested?” Izuku replied, turning to his friend after adjusting the cushions for them to lean against. “The one that could give you ideas about how to use your Quirk?”

The element wielder thought about it for a moment before saying, “The one about the different elements and fighting styles?”

“Yeah, that one!” the greenet chirped, excited. “It’s a great show and could also help inspire you too. Although…”

There was a particular character that Izuku found himself second guessing if it was actually a good idea or not.

“Although?” Shouto questioned.

“Well?” Izuku started, pausing a moment to steal himself. “There’s a character you might highly identify with.”

The greenet glanced hesitantly at his friend.

“Who?” Shouto asked, confused but curious. “How?”

 “Zuko,” Izuku replied, awkwardly casting his eyes away not sure how to look at his friend. “Shit father. Fire power. Scar on his face?”

Green eyes glanced up at grey and blue trying to assess his reaction.

“Ah,” was all the bi-color teen replied, unsure how to feel.

Izuku could understand and was quick to assure, “I really think it would help you to watch for idea purposes for your Quirk, but I also don’t want to trigger you with bad memories. It’s up to you if we do watch it and if it gets too hard, we can stop at any time, okay?”

Shouto was silent for a moment thinking. He wasn’t sure how he would reaction to someone who was supposed to be like him in those ways. But he also wanted to see what Izuku wanted him to watch. Because for all he knew it could help inspire him much like the other movie from the sleepover had for his ice. He’d like to at least give it a try.

“I trust you, Izuku,” Shouto finally said after a few minutes. “But yeah, if it does, I’ll let you know, okay?”

They stared at each other, one assessing while the other tried to reassure. Eventually Izuku relented and was willing to try as well. But he would for sure stop the second Shouto became uncomfortable.

“Okay,” the Quirkless teen said as he loaded the first episode onto Shouto’s laptop. This should be fun if there’s no trauma brought up. He’d hate to trigger his friend. Once it was ready, he turned to his friend. “You ready?”

“Ready.”

Izuku nodded and settled close to Shouto to cuddle with before he pressed play.

Shouto was in awe at the very start. Just seeing the brief displays of manipulating the elements was fascinating. It really was like another world of Quirks presented in a different way. A place of peace and balance only to be destroyed by fire much like a majority of his life had. Huh, no wonder Izuku was worried about him being affected by it. But Shouto would power through to see what exactly this show was about.

When the girl broke the ice, it showed her bending was inexperienced but powerful. Perhaps watching her could help him get more ideas of his ice as she herself would surely learn better control and techniques. It was also interesting that it was a world where not everyone had a special power and that instead those who could bend were considered strange. It reminded him of Izuku being in the opposite situation with no Quirk in today’s world of superpowers.

Then he saw him. Barely any hair save for a black ponytail and his eyes were a golden color. But the scar…it was almost exactly like Shouto’s.

“Whoa,” Shouto gasped, his stance stiffening causing Izuku to quickly press pause.

“Are you okay, Shouto?” Izuku asked in concern.

“Yeah,” the bi-color teen breathed, oddly fascinated by the character frozen on the screen. “His scar…it’s on the same side as mine.”

“Mhmm,” the greenet hummed in reply. “You two don’t exactly look alike but you’re still quite similar.”

Shouto simply nodded before cautiously asking, “Will we learn about his father?”

His tone was one of hesitation and apprehension. It made Izuku worry but Shouto had asked to watch this putting his trust in him. The least Izuku could do was to be honest with him.

“W-we will but over time,” Izuku answered doing his best to reassure his friend. “And the original is only three seasons. And again, we can stop at any time.”

The other boy thought for a moment before his slowly nodded.

“I should be okay,” Shouto said softly, snaking an around Izuku’s shoulders to pull him close. “If you’re here with me.”

Izuku blushed as his friend gently caressed his arm with his hand. He found himself leaning forward briefly on instinct which allowed Shouto to lower his arm to loop around his waist and pull him even closer. It also almost looked like Shouto was smirking in amusement at his embarrassment but honestly it was really hard to tell even for him.

Oh boy.

“O-okay,” Izuku stuttered, face reddening even more. “Are you ready, Shouto?”

“Whenever you are,” was his answer as he managed to snuggle even closer.

Izuku gulped due to nerves as he reached out to press play before settling more comfortably in his friend’s embrace.

Of course, Shouto found himself following Zuko’s every move though his personality didn’t remind Shouto of himself at all. Guess he would have to see how exactly they were similar besides their matching scars. As the show continued, he learned more about the mysterious boy found in the ice. There was definitely something more to his character.

Izuku was also enjoying watching the show again. It had been a while and he couldn’t help imagining how each type of bending would make for an intriguing Quirk to have. Especially the Avatar once he mastered all four elements. Seeing Aang with just airbending and having fun flying around made him wonder if that’s how Hawks felt soaring through the air with his wings. It just looked like so much fun!

I wonder if I could make some kind of flying or gliding apparatus. Or would that be too impractical.

Guess he would have to pick Mei’s and Maijima-sensei’s minds on that. He certainly would have to practice a lot to not crash like the character on the screen did. Ouch. The first episode ended quickly so of course they continued to the second one. Who stops on a two-parter? Besides, Shouto really wanted to see what happened next.

The way this Zuko was using fire to intimidate was striking a little too close to home but he endured. As Izuku said, they apparently were very similar so there had to be more to his backstory and a reason why he used his fire that way. Especially with all the talk of his honor being on the line. He would just have to wait and see.

Seeing the young airbender’s ability to fight even while restrained would be a good skill to know. You never know when you could find yourself incapacitated like that. Agility and evasive maneuvers appeared just as useful as raw power as air was used skillfully to fight against fire. He was also surprised at the powerful magic displayed that came from such a young-looking child. But then again, new and more powerful Quirks were manifesting every year in their world.

And it turned out he was right. The boy turned out to be the Avatar meant to save the world. No pressure. While Izuku said Shouto was a lot like Zuko, he couldn’t help but identify with Aang as well. Born for a specific purpose he had never asked for with expectations he didn’t want. But still, despite that the show was interesting to watch.

“So, what did you think?” Izuku asked, pausing it before the next episode.

“It’s…intriguing,” Shouto said after thinking a moment. “I don’t know much of the world yet but I’m curious to see how he will eventually learn all of the elements. Especially when at war with one of them.”

Kind of like how Shouto had been at war with his left side until Izuku finally got him to understand that it was his fire, not his fathers as he thought for so long. It was his Quirk to wield and his choice to use as he saw fit. That Shouto didn’t have to be controlled or be anything like his father. Fuck Endeavor and his expectations. Shouto was going to be his own person and own kind of Hero.

“And how are you doing with, um, Zuko?” his warm friend asked carefully.

Again, Shouto paused a moment to think and then replied, “His scar is similar to mine. His use of fire…it’s more based on power like my father.”

“Yeah, I was kind of worried about that,” Izuku said with a frown and his eyes downcast.

Shouto didn’t like that. He reached out with his free right hand and gently cupped the shorter boy’s face. Green eyes turned up to him as a faint blush dusted over those adorable freckled cheeks.

“I’m fine, Izuku,” he insisted, still holding the other close. “I will let you know if I am ever uncomfortable.”

“Okay,” Izuku breathed out, pupils dilated in a way that made Shouto curious as to what that meant. Research for later as his friend asked him a question. “Do you want to watch more or do something else?”

The element wielder removed his right hand to then place it on his own chin in thought before saying, “We could watch a little more.”

“Okay!” the greenet chirped, smiling happily as he pressed play once again before snuggling into Shouto’s side to get comfortable. No way at all was he complaining as he did the same. Leaving them more half sitting half laying down as they continued from where they had stopped.

They watched a number of episodes before calling their current viewing session finished. They would have plenty of time to watch through the series at their leisure. Shouto already noticed some things he could try with his fire despite feeling a little awkward with how he somewhat resembled the banished prince. Even to the point his nickname in their friend group was Peppermint Prince.

“Is Zuko the reason you think I’m prince like?” Shouto couldn’t help but ask.

“Wha? No, not at all!” Izuku insisted with his hands waving in protest. “You just…sometimes you seem so regal? Like if our friend group were in a fantasy world, I think you would be the prince character.”

“Oh?” the bi-color teen let out in surprised curiosity. “And what about the others?”

The Quirkless teen brought a hand to his chin in thought as he muttered, “Hmm, good question. Well Mei would definitely be the mad inventor of the village. Like Belle’s father in Beauty and the Beast. Definitely a movie you should see. As for Hitoshi, perhaps he would be some kind of siren or a ninja maybe? I could see Aizawa-sensei as a ninja and he’s been teaching Hitoshi and me. Though I might be more of an adventurer than a ninja, at least half the time. But Hitoshi could so be a ninja and his Quirk translates well with a siren of lore. Yeah, that could work.”

A chuckle beside him snapped him out of his brainstorming and he turned blushing to glare at his friend who was looking at him in amusement.

“You always give your all in everything you do,” Shouto commented with a subtle fond smile on his face.

“Oh hush, you,” Izuku retorted, sticking out his tongue before changing the subject. “Should we go down for dinner?”

“Sure, I believe it’s my turn to cook,” the bi-color teen said as they both stood up.

“What are you going to make?” Izuku asked, following him out the door.

“Cold soba,” his friend replied simply causing the greenet to snort.

“You really live off that stuff, don’t you, Shouto?” Izuku quipped.

Shouto simply shrugged as he said, “I like cold soba.”

The Quirkless teen shook his head fondly as he took the taller boy’s hand and led them out of the room. The pair headed for the stairs and went down to the first floor. The other boys weren’t downstairs yet as Shouto started gathering the ingredients he needed. With Izuku’s offered help, it didn’t take long for dinner to be ready and the others to join them.

The dish was simple yet still delicious. Maybe it was because Shouto made it or that Izuku was eating it with his friends. But for the first time since he was told about his mother, he found he was able to laugh freely as they ate and talked. Aoyama’s gushing rant about cheese was quite hilarious to watch especially when he shoved a piece into Kouda’s mouth unexpectedly. The animal whisperer’s eyes were wide with shock before he started to chew and gave the sparkly blonde an approving thumbs up.

Yeah, it was silly and random and juvenile, but Izuku was starting to feel like the kid that he was. A teenager spending time with other teenagers goofing around. It was nice and normal. A comfort after all that has happened. The reality of his situation was still there but in that moment at that table, the Quirkless teen could let reality exist in the background of his mind. His mother was hurt, yes, and he was a ward of UA now, but he still had to live his life to the fullest. For him, his mother, and everyone who cares for him.

One day at a time, he thought as he slurped another mouthful of noodles. One day at a time.

~~~

The bar was quiet as Tomura built a house of cards while Kurogiri watched over him. He imagined each card representing a Hero though the current social structure was more of an upside-down pyramid than this. A single Hero holding up the world on his shoulders making All Might their modern-day Atlas. Without him the world would surely topple down crashing to the ground.

Everything really was Ass Might’s fault. His smile gave a false sense of hope and security to a world that was actually cruel. A Hero wasn’t always going to come to the rescue and what can go wrong will go wrong. Blowing up in your face in spectacular fashion. Tomura knew that from personal experience along with many of the new recruits he now had.

He didn’t know a whole lot about his underlings not really caring to do so. They were still low level in familiarity and trust when it came to their character stats. They would need to prove themselves to him for the young leader to actually care. Especially Muscular who had failed his last mission though to a point Tomura had to admit a part of it was the Heroes’ fault. That and his impulsivity. But they would all soon have a perfect opportunity to do so with the newest mission coming up.

The only things holding them back now was knowing where the target would be most vulnerable and not having the necessary equipment for his pawns to make their moves. One of his recruits had a very useful gas Quirk that annoyingly affect himself as well as others. Tomura wanted the Heroes to suffer that Quirk’s effects, not his party members. Ones who were dutifully standing by for the last pieces to his plan to fall into place.

The house of cards he had built collapsed as the door chimed and a cloud of smoke infiltrated the bar.

“Heard back from the union today,” the voice of the broker called out through the door. “Delivery is expected tomorrow. Due to the rush order, it might not look like much, but the quality is guaranteed.”

It was then that Giran entered the bar properly after his little speech.

“Apologies for making such an unreasonable request,” Kurogiri said in place of Tomura, knowing his charge would never say such a thing. He’s never had to apologize for anything since coming into his master’s care.

Giran ignored the warper addressing the young leader instead.

“Tell me, Shigaraki,” the broker said, letting out a puff of smoke. “Do you know the reason why the union was willing to accept this outlandish order of yours? Because of everyone’s high expectations of you. The young leader of the League of Villains taking that first step into the light. The scum hiding in the shadows are sure to follow suit if you succeed.”

The slimy man extended his arm out and had a wide grin on his face, missing tooth on full display.

“Which means brokers like me will be rolling in hungry new customers,” Giran stated in delight, tilting his head to the young leader. “Crime pays.”

Tomura chuckled darkly as he said, “Oh, yes. You may not be able to keep up with how busy you’re gonna be.”

The broker chuckled as well while taking another drag of his cigarette.

“I look forward to it,” Giran said as he turned to leave. “Anyway, thanks.”

The door closed behind the man, only the remaining smoke dissipating into the air. Tomura turned to the cards scattered on the bar imagining the destruction he was going to inspire. A chain effect that will spread through the underground and the dregs of society will make themselves known and show that they were still there. That no matter what the Heroes and those who were considered ‘good’ did, those that were ‘evil’ still remained.

“My pawns are ready, their prey is set, and all that’s left is the final touches to the mission,” Tomura said as he took a certain picture out of his pocket. Red eyes focused on a now familiar set of green as Midoriya Izuku’s face smiled at him. “Soon it’ll be time for the real game to begin.”

Soon, admin. Very soon.

Notes:

Alright! Izuku is starting to slowly acclimate to the dorms, but it'll take him some time to fully adjust. But not to worry. He's got a supporting Shouto to help him along the way. For Shouto changing his room, I referenced the MHA School Briefs Vol. 3 for his reaction to his room and where he found the supplies. I made my own changes because of the differences in BC from canon, but I still drew on how he felt about the original western style of his dorm room.

I hope I used the French correctly. I was looking up names of endearment and chou came up as meaning either a cream puff or cabbage. Various websites say it's more for someone you love but I went more with the green vegetable theme. :P

So, the character we haven't seen in a while was the OC I made for this with help from peeps on the discord. You can read up his post on the tumblr here. He was introduced in BC part 2 chapter 39.

Shouto finally learned about his nickname!! :D So Peppermint Prince was decided in BC part 2 chapter 52 but Shouto wasn’t there for that. And I realized this was the first time he would be hearing it.

They had an ATLA watch party! :D It was first suggested in BC part 2 chapter 11 though I don't remember by who exactly. XD Sorry. Does this mean I'll be rewatching the series the nth time for ideas? Yes, yes it does. Also Izuku has sort of seen the 'research material' but it's still a mystery to him yet.

Sh-sh-shout out to Isn’t Sane and cooper on discord for Sh’s fantasy AU classes/professions! That little rant was fun to write.

That's all for now! I've been showering you with fluff but that last part with Shiggy means there's rough waters ahead. Next chapter has some teenager shenanigans and then the start of the training camp! Let the hell training begin. >:) Bye bye!

Chapter 22: Training Camp: Blow Off Steam

Notes:

Hhhaaaaaaaappppppyyyy Tuesday!! :D We've finally arrived at the training camp arc! Got more fluff for ya with a dose of Aizawa hell training mixed in.

Got a number of pov changes this chapter as a heads up.

Oh also a slight warning that there are some more-than-innocent thoughts from both Izuku and Shouto this chapter. Not sure if that's something people are sensitive too but I thought I would point them out just in case. First is the paragraph starting with [Though he would reluctantly admit...] but the next is fine. The second is from [Except there was one problem...] continuing through to before [Izuku turned his gaze...] Definitely not past kissing but not exactly vanilla either.

Formatting reminder:
"Dialogue heard through a sound system."
...
-Dialogue using sign language.-

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

A few days later, the group that went to I-Island returned and those who lived in the dorm came back to UA along with Tenya and Momo. Ochako was quick to pull Izuku into a hug and assuring him that she was there for him if he needed anything. It was obvious they knew about his…living situation especially with the sad looks he got from Satou and Momo. Tenya and Shouji did as well but also gave him comforting pats on his shoulder.

“Thanks, everyone,” Izuku said as he wiped some tears away once Ochako let him go. “I’m okay though. Really.”

They didn’t seem entirely convinced but accepted it anyway not wanting to push. Satou and Shouji left for their rooms while Ochako went to the kitchen to hunt for a snack. Tenya went off to check on Aoyama and Kouda who were in their rooms at the moment. Leaving Izuku and Shouto with Momo in the common area.

“I know you said you’re okay, Izuku-kun,” Momo said, her tone still filled with concern. “But if there is anything you need, anything at all, don’t be afraid to ask. Not only as your class representative but also as your friend.”

Izuku could see her sincerity in her eyes which brought new tears to his own. Shouto instinctively took his hand and gave a comforting squeeze. Momo tracked the action out of the corner of her eye but said nothing and kept her gaze on the poor Quirkless boy who had been through so much in such a short amount of time. She needed him to know that she and everyone else in their class were there for him. Well, perhaps not Bakugou but he was another matter.

“Thanks, Momo-san,” Izuku accepted with a sniffle. “I really appreciate it.”

“Of course,” she replied with a smile before perking up suddenly. “Oh, I actually had an idea for an activity we could do as a class before the summer training camp. And we can do it on campus.”

To ensure his safety was left unsaid, but Izuku was fine with not repeating another incident like the mall.

Or I-Island.

“What is it?” he asked curiously.

“A pool day!” Ochako chirped as she poked her head out of the kitchen. She took a bite of mochi she found before joining them. “Us girls were thinking about asking the teachers to use the pool and have some fun. Then we thought it might be more fun to invite everyone. Don’t you think?”

She happily munched on her mochi waiting for his answer. Izuku looked between her and Momo who also was interested in his input. Green eyes then turned to Shouto who gave a shrug.

“Could be fun,” Shouto said though he had no idea what people did on a ‘pool day’.

Izuku gave him a small smile before turning back to the girls and said, “Sure, let’s do it.”

“Excellent!” Momo cheered, clapping her hands together. “I’ll put together a formal proposal and contact the others as well. It will be a wonderful opportunity to bond as a class, I’m sure.”

Tenya came back down at that point and Momo let him know that the pool day was a go. They left to go put their proposal together and inform the rest of the class. Izuku was already looking forward to it as he too thought it could be fun. He hadn’t played with friends in a pool for a very long time. The closest he got was those days spent on the beach with Mei. Sometimes when she found something gross, she would chase him around with it and he had fended her off by splashing her with sea water. They had never fully gone into the water but it had been silly and fun none the less.

“What is a pool day exactly?” Shouto asked suddenly, his brows furrowed in thought.

Oh, that’s right. Shouto probably never had one growing up. Not with how his father ran the family.

“It’s when you spend time with friends or family at the pool,” Izuku explained or at least the best he could from his own limited experience. “Playing games like volleyball or Marco Polo. Or even just playing around in the water. It can be really fun.”

He gave his friend another smile who returned a small one of his own. Even if they weren’t able to have the pool day this time, he was determined to show Shouto all that he missed out on from his childhood. And if Izuku did some catching up as well then it was a win-win for both of them. Together.

Turned out that Momo and Tenya did good work. Their proposal was approved by Aizawa who figured they could use some fun before the training camp. Typically, he wouldn’t but he appreciated that they planned it to include Midoriya where he was safest. Screw his friends who teased him for being weak to his ki-students. The green one and the others had been through enough and even then, they deserved the opportunity to be the kids that they were when they still had the chance. Besides, there would be plenty of training at the summer camp to make up for them goofing off.

Class 1-A was excited to spend some time together. A majority of their class showed up to hang around at the school pool. Izuku was happy to see his friends and classmates after what happened a few days ago though he didn’t really advertise his change of housing. Not just yet. He didn’t want what happened to his mother to dampen the light hearted air. This was a much-needed break from reality for him as well as for them.

Though he would reluctantly admit that there was another distraction other than the swimming for him. They were all in the school uniform swimwear but Izuku couldn’t help be hyper aware of Shouto shirtless. Curse you, feelings. He also suddenly felt self-conscious more so for the scarring on his hand, but at least his self-training had helped build up his muscles. When Shouto asked about the flush of red on his freckled cheeks, Izuku waved it off as nothing but the sun while some of the others who were in on the secret bet snickered.

Some played games like Marco Polo while others just swam around and splashing each other. Eventually a game of volleyball was called and the class reps acted as team captains. It was a lot of fun and everyone got into a competitive spirit. By the end of their second game with the score tied with one win each, that was when Eijirou showed up with Bakugou in tow.

“Sorry we’re late,” the redhead called out. “Took a bit to convince Bakugou to come with me.”

They were all resting drinking the orange refreshment drinks Tenya had brought along. Eijirou was smiling apologetically but seemed excited to be there. Bakugou on the other hand did not. He scowled at everyone who looked at him until he made eye contact with Izuku. The scowl turned into a saddened grimace before he turned away. Green eyes watched him curiously for a moment before he realized something.

Oh, he must know about mom.

Bakugou and him hadn’t been close for a very long time, but out of anyone in his family, the explosive blonde respected his mother the most. He never cared for his dad but Izuku had never been bothered by that. Every family was unique and Hisashi showed his affection differently that Masaru. Just like how Mitsuki and Inko were different. One fiery and the other soft but both filled to the brim with motherly care. And his mom had cared for Bakugou as a part of her family. Well, at least until he had hurt her baby so bad to leave a scar. Izuku subconsciously rubbed the electrical burns on his hand until Shouto grabbed it with his own to stop him from fussing. The feel of his warm skin was grounding.

Everyone could feel the tension in the air now that the explosive blonde was there. Bakugou’s friend group were starting to acclimate again to being around him after the reveal of his past bullying. His other classmates were still deciding how they felt about it all but were doing as Izuku had requested and didn’t treat him poorly. Most choosing to leave him alone unless they were required to for training and such. Though other than that, this was the first time they all were hanging out with Bakugou included outside of class time. The change in Izuku’s place of residence and the reason why only added to the stress of the moment.

“Um, are we ready to keep playing?” Izuku asked in hopes of breaking the tension.

“Sure, what are we playing?” Eijirou asked, grinning excitedly.

“Well, we were playing volleyball though we could do something else too,” Izuku answered, casting a look at the others who nodded.

“Sounds like fun whatever we do,” the shark toothed redhead said with a nod of his own before he turned toward Bakugou. “How ‘bout it, Bakubro? Wanna play?”

The explosive blonde scowled as he looked over the group until he fell upon Izuku. The Quirkless teen kept eye contact with him green eyes firm offering a challenge. He knew Bakugou liked a challenge even though he didn’t always face it the most logical way. Long having the habit of facing them head on instead of, well, using his head. But this was silly and fun and kid games. There wasn’t as much need to think smartly about a little competition between friends.

“Fine,” Bakugou growled simply in agreement making Eijirou smile sharper and wider in excitement.

There was still a sense of rivalry between them from the volleyball games. Then someone suggested a contest to see who was the fastest swimmer. Which sounded like a lot of fun! That is until the use of Quirks was brought up. Not really a fair contest but then again Izuku’s whole life had been competing against those with an advantage over him. Never the less he would grin and bear it while doing his very best.

The girls chose not to participate but did help organize the groupings. First up were Kaminari, Bakugou, Kouda, Tokoyami, and Hitoshi. No surprise with the use of Quirks that Bakugou came in first. Though to be honest he didn’t actually swim and rather blasted his way over the water.

Free style swimming, my ass.

Next up was Eijirou, Satou, Shouto, Aoyama, and Sero. Again, the winner was obvious from the start even though Shouto didn’t actually swim either. But he at least technically touched the water despite it being in ice state. Though there was a close call with Sero if only Aoyama hadn’t run into him midair.

Then it was Izuku’s group’s turn. The Quirkless teen was up against Shouji, Ojiro, and Tenya. Once again, he could guess the winner but wouldn’t let that stop him from swimming as fast as he could. Tenya won easily gliding along the pool lines using his Quirk. But Izuku didn’t do too bad in his own right. He lost to Ojiro who used his tail to swim faster but Shouji had more drag with his arms. Landing Izuku in a proudly claimed third in his group.

Unfortunately, they never did find out who was the top of the class. Bakugou, Shouto, and Tenya were ready to go for the final round with Quirks at the ready. Only for nothing to happen and they crudely fell into the water with a big splash. It was 5pm and Aizawa in all his Erasure Hero glory was there to dismiss them.

Play time was over.

They retreated to their respective homes with Izuku and the others in dorms having the shortest commute. They all showered and readied themselves for a quiet evening. Tomorrow would be an early start as they would be heading off to the summer training camp. The seven of them ate dinner together and watched a movie before calling it a night.

Shouto accompanied Izuku to his room with the ever-present offer to have him stay. The greenet appreciated it but tonight he needed some alone time. They would be spending a week with all the others after all. He liked his friends and classmates but sometimes you just needed some time to yourself. So Izuku instead gave his friend a big hug before saying good night.

As soon as he closed his door, Izuku’s phone rang and he was instantly excited upon seeing who it was.

“Hi, papa!” Izuku exclaimed as he picked up the call. “Why are you calling so late?”

Izuku, my son,” Hisashi spoke with his ever-warm tone. Though from fatherly affection or Quirk based from his Fire Breath who was to say. Perhaps both. Yeah, let’s go with both. “Can’t a father merely wish to speak with his child?

“Of course, you can,” Izuku giggled as he sat down on his bed. “What’s up?”

I wanted to check on you to see how you were fairing,” his dad replied, a hint of worry in his voice. “How are you, Izuku?

“I’m…I’m okay,” the boy answered, taking a moment to think of what to say. “The dorms are…different, but not bad. I’m enjoying spending time with my friends. We even had a pool day today.”

Sounds pleasant,” Hisashi said with a hum. “I believe you are heading off to a training camp tomorrow?

“Yeah, it should be fun.” And hard work. “Sorry I can’t tell you where it is, papa.”

That’s quite alright, my son,” the father assured him. “I understand it is in order to ensure your safety.

“Thanks for understanding,” Izuku replied, smiling warmly in appreciation for his dad. “Well, I better go to bed since we’re leaving early tomorrow. I’ll call you in a week, okay? Love you, papa.”

And I you, Izuku,” Hisashi responded, his low voice smooth and soothing. “Sleep well.

Izuku smiled as he ended the call. He sent a quick text to Mei saying he’d see her in a week. She sent him a simple thumbs up most likely elbows deep in one of her babies. Class 1-H had their own training camp of sorts so she would be well occupied and it gave him relief to know that his friend wouldn’t be alone while they were gone. Still smiling, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

~~~

As the boy hung up, All For One couldn’t help but smile to himself. In the massive archive of Quirks in his person, he sent out mental tethers to feel the one in particular that allowed him to locate one who shared his flesh and blood no matter the distance.

I will see you sooner than you think, my son.

His young ward had a similar thought as well with their plans in place.

~~~

The next morning came in a seemingly blink of an eye when Izuku woke up to his alarm. After a quick breakfast and making sure they had all they needed for the camp, the dormmates left together to meet up with the others. Class 1-A and 1-B gathered on campus waiting for the buses to arrive. They mostly stuck to their own groups though the classes did acknowledge each other. Neito looked like he wanted to say something provoking but stopped himself once he met the Quirkless teen’s eyes. They exchanged greeting nods from across the way as Kendo glanced between them confused but accepting. The less she had to karate chop the blonde into submission the better.

Soon the buses arrived and the class presidents were leading their respective classes. Though Bakugou pointedly ignored Tenya and trudged onto the bus first to claim the back seat with Eijirou and the rest of the Bakusquad not too far behind. Izuku himself chose to sit right behind Aizawa to be as far away from Bakugou as possible. Shouto took the seat next to him and Hitoshi sat in the seat behind them. The rest of the class sat with their friends despite Tenya’s best efforts to corral them in a sense of order.

Through the chaos, Aizawa attempted to address 1-A saying they had an hour before their first stop. However, no one seemed to hear him other than Izuku and those seated close to him. The others were too busy being noisy to give him any kind of attention. Shouto even had his eyes closed to rest instead of actively listening. Meaning that Izuku was really the only one to hear their teacher mutter it was their ‘last time to relax’. What that meant exactly he wasn’t sure but whatever it was, this was Aizawa who he knew would work them to the bone.

Guess I should prepare myself for anything, Izuku thought before closing his eyes himself.

At some point, he must have actually dozed off because the next thing he knew he was being shaken gently awake.

“Izuku, wake up,” Shouto called to him through the haze of sleepiness. “We’ll be stopping soon.”

The greenet groaned in protest and snuggled into his friend’s shoulder that he had ended up leaning on. Shouto chuckled as he grabbed the other’s hand and rubbed his thumb along his skin soothingly. It made Izuku smile and forced himself to wake up. No longer were they in the city as they were now surrounded by trees as far as the eyes could see.

When the bus pulled to the side of the rode, they should have known something was up. This was Aizawa after all, but the students were just happy to get to stretch their legs for a bit as they walked off the bus. The sun was shining bright and the cicadas buzzing as loud as ever. Izuku himself took some relief being off the cramped bus as he stretched his arms over his head.

The first clue had been the lack of any rest stop facilities like a bathroom or anything. Just a fenced off patch of dirt on the side of the road overlooking a forest. Then there was the fact that Class 1-B was nowhere to be seen even though they had left at the same time. The final clue at least for Izuku was the other car that was parked as if waiting for them. Which was confirmed a moment later as the doors popped open and out stepped two Pro Heroes that had his fanboy heart racing with excitement.

Mandalay and Pixie Bob of the Wild, Wild Pussycats!

“Heya, Eraser!” the telepathic brunette called out which Aizawa responded with a small bow of his head.

It was then that a kid got out of the car too as the two rescue Heroes introduced themselves in their group’s typical animated fashion. Which honestly sounded a little weird with only two of them to Izuku as he typically heard it with all four members present. But he didn’t pay much attention to the Heroes anyway too distracted by the kid.

Aizawa introduced the pair to the class which reminded Izuku that something more had to be going on than a simple rest stop. There was no way their teacher would pass up an opportunity for a logical ruse.

As he turned to go confront Aizawa, Shouto quietly asked, “Where are you going?”

“It’s okay, Shouto,” Izuku reassured him in a whisper. “I just need to ask Aizawa-sensei something.”

His friend nods in understanding before turning back to the pair of Heroes. They were explaining how they owned the land and where the summer camp is located. It was quite far and Izuku was even more certain the adults were planning something the rest of his class was now just starting to piece together based on the worried looks he was seeing. But the Quirkless teen kept heading towards their teacher.

The tired man raised a brow in question as he approached and Izuku signed in answer, -You’re planning something, aren’t you?-

-I don’t know what you’re talking about,- Aizawa signed back.

-A logical ruse of sorts?- he pressed. -My guess would be with Pixie Bob’s Earth Flow?-

His teacher’s face remained flat so the young analyst gave the Erasure Hero a determined look until the man finally budged with a sigh.

-…fine. Yes, I have something planned and you can’t weasel out of it.-

Izuku rolled his eyes before replying, -Wasn’t planning to. Can I at least get my gear?-

His mentor stared at him for a moment before signing, -Yes.-

Izuku signed his thanks before beelining to the storage compartment under the bus. At this point his classmates had finally figured it out and were attempting to scramble back onto the bus, but the Heroes weren’t having it. Mandalay was practically purring as she told them they would have to hurry if they wanted to get there by lunch time. While Pixie Bob blocked the students’ path to the bus prepared to corral them over the side of the cliff.

“By now you should have known it wouldn’t be that easy,” Aizawa drawled as the earth bender crouched down and activated her Quirk.

The ground beneath their feet started to crumble and quake sending the majority of them over the fence and down to the forest floor below. A rough ride though Pixie Bob did help soften their fall a bit with her Quirk. It wouldn’t help with training if anyone broke any bones in the first five minutes of summer camp.

Mandalay called out to the fallen students to tell them that the use of Quirks was allowed and they had three hours to get through the ‘beast’s forest’. Most likely packed with creatures for them to fight with the use of Pixie Bob’s Quirk. While this was all happening, Izuku was gearing up with what he thought would help best against dirt monsters or whatever else she cooked up with Earth Flow. Jet shoes for mobility, goggles for general eye protection, and then his fully packed utility belt, fire mask, escrima rods, and such for offense and defense.

He also made sure to snag Hitoshi’s capture weapon and didn’t bother with his voice changing mask since his Quirk wouldn’t work on animated earth creatures. Not everyone’s Quirks would be as well suited as others, but this was a perfect opportunity for the brainwasher to get some experience fighting with the Support Item. Either way, they were going to have to work together to get through the forest and hopefully in time for lunch.

“Oh, we missed one?” Mandalay said as she turned around, surprised to see the green haired boy still up there. Pixie Bob was too but she quickly turned her attention back to her visor as she assessed the situation down below.

“No, he just figured it out,” Aizawa sighed with shrug.

“Wow, that’s clever of you,” the telepath praised causing Izuku to blush a little. “Well little kitten, I guess that means you can come back with us.”

“No, thanks,” Izuku responded with a smile, earning confused looks from the two Heroes. “Aizawa-sensei says I can’t ‘weasel out of it’ and honestly, I don’t want to. I’m going to fight my way there like the others. This is part of our training to be Heroes after all.”

With that, he walked over to the edge of the cliff before activating his shoes and shooting up into the air.

“LOOK OUT BELOW!” he cried out as gravity took hold.

The two members of the Wild, Wild Pussycats watched confused but amused as he disappeared from view while Aizawa rolled his eyes at his antics.

~~~

Beside them, Kouta stared in his own confusion as the weird green boy launched himself over the cliff where the other loser Hero wannabes were. What was with him? Why would he go down there when he could have not wasted his time fighting stupid fake Villains? This entire summer camp was so stupid to him he didn’t see any point in any of this. Having no understanding as to why anyone would want to be a dumb Hero.

Heroes get hurt. Heroes die. Heroes were here one day and gone the next. Just like his parents. Kouta…he missed his parents. They loved him and he loved them. But they weren’t alive anymore because they just had to go play Heroes instead of staying with him. Putting the lives of others before their own and were then praised for it because they ended up dead. Everyone kept telling him how brave his mom and dad had been and that he should be proud of them. But how could he be proud of his parents when they left him behind?

Now he lived with his cousin who was doing her best to take care of him. But Shino wasn’t sure how to help Kouta understand what happened to his parents or help him deal with their loss. He was just a kid who missed his parents and now hated all Heroes because they were gone. She didn’t know how to get through to her younger cousin as he processed his new living situation with anger. It broke her heart to see him unhappy like this.

But Kouta didn’t need to be coddled or anything. He was just angry. And now he had to deal with these losers who wanted to be Heroes just like his parents were and it made him sick. No one should want to be a Hero because in the end Heroes won’t come home. They’ll die and be gone one day never able to come back. Why would anyone want to pursue something like that?

Which was why he didn’t understand one bit why that strange boy jumped off the cliff. Why he would waste his time and safety like that? It was all just so stupid to Kouta. Whatever. Let those idiots do what they want. He would just do his best to ignore them during their time there.

“So, was that him?” his cousin asked while standing beside the scruffy man. “Midoriya Izuku?”

Midoriya Izuku? Who’s that?

“Yes, it was,” the man answered simply.

Oh, the weirdo.

“Wow, I’m looking forward to see what he does during the camp,” she commented with a smile. “Between the Sports Festival and Hosu, he shows a lot of potential.”

“Indeed,” he agreed with a nod. “While the others work on strengthening their Quirks, he’ll be focusing more on his gear. Nezu also wants to have him help some of them with their Quirks one-on-one.”

“Oh really? Why?” his cousin asked.

“Midoriya’s analysis skills are impressive for someone his age,” the scruffy man replied. “Nezu has been mentoring him and he’s helped quite a lot already to improve their costumes and Quirk control. Might as well keep him doing that since we’re here to increase everyone’s handle of their Quirks.”

Training Quirks to become Heroes. How pathetic. And this Midoriya weirdo is going to help them with it? His stupid analysis or whatever must be tied to his Quirk. A dumb Quirk for a dumb Hero.

“It must be impressive if it’s caught the eye of Nezu,” Shino noted with a touch of fascination. “And he really doesn’t have a…?”

“Nope,” the man answered. “Midoriya really is Quirkless.”

He’s what now?

Kouta stared down at the forest below feeling even more confused.

~~~

“LOOK OUT BELOW!”

The voice of the resident Class 1-A cinnamon roll rang through the forest just as they were being confronted by a giant beast. Everyone looked up to see Izuku descending towards them covered in gear with a grin on his face. He landed with his Jet shoes cushioning his fall and green eyes hidden under goggles were quick to assess the situation. Even Bakugou was watching but he quickly turned away with a click of his tongue.

“Hey, everyone!” Izuku chirped out as if he didn’t just jump off the same cliff they had been unceremoniously tossed off of against their will. “Looks like we’re dealing with dirt monsters created by Pixie Bob’s Earth Flow.”

As he spoke, he tossed Hitoshi his capture weapon who caught it with growing practiced ease.

“Izuku, you are a gods’ send,” the brainwasher sighed in relief as he wrapped the now familiar cloth around his neck. “I could kiss you.”

“Ew, no,” the greenet retorted in disgust. No way he wanted to kiss his brother.

Shouto had already gravitated to his side and his face scrunched in disappointment for a moment. Because he very much wanted to kiss Izuku but his friend seemed against the idea. But then again, there was that interrupted moment on I-Island. Where they had been so close and Shouto swore Izuku had been leaning in until Hitoshi had spoken and broke it. The element wielder was still trying to understand his feelings towards Izuku but that had to prove there was some level of want on Izuku side too, right? Perhaps there was still hope.

“We’ll need to work together to get through this,” Izuku said as he stared the dirt creature down. “Not everyone here has an offensive Quirk suitable against these things. But together we can do this.”

Most of them got pumped up at his words except for Bakugou who blasted off towards the nearest earth monster as he bellowed, “Don’t tell me what to do, shitty nerd!”

Not unexpected but not helpful in this situation either. However, there were other more pressing matters at hand. Izuku and the others braced themselves for the coming fight. Together they would get through this. The Quirkless teen took a deep breath as he adjusted his mask before leaping into action. The next few hours were grueling as they proceeded to punch and kick and trip and blast their way through the forest.

Three hours, my ass, Izuku thought as he panted in exhaustion when they finally broke through the trees.

Through team work and sheer want of lunch they had powered through the forest fighting beast after beast. Those with reconnaissance Quirks were quick to locate and inform everyone when a new enemy popped up. Then the rest coordinated together to distract, fight back, and defeat the dirt monsters in teams. Even Bakugou teamed up to take down whichever creature ended up on the wrong end of his explosions.

But it had definitely been more than three hours as the targeted time had been noon but the sun was already starting to set. They were all exhausted and covered in bumps and bruises. Also, why Aizawa thought it was a good idea to have them fight in their school uniforms was beyond him. Those were expensive and now they were all messed up with some needing serious repair or replacement. Tenya’s pants were completely ruined from the knees down.

The class cleared the forest and approached the Heroes and kid standing in front of the building they would be staying at. Once they were close some collapsed to the ground while others did their best to keep themselves standing. Izuku himself lowered his mask and lifted his goggles for some relief if even a little. Collectively they were exhausted and hungry, wanting nothing more than to eat and rest. This summer camp was already proving to be hellish.

“You did so much better against my dirt monsters than I expected,” Pixie Bob gushed as they all tried to catch their breath. “I thought you would take longer than you did, but you were seriously great out there. Especially…”

Blue eyes flickered between Bakugou, Tenya, Shouto, and Izuku with excitement.

“…you four seem to have quite a bit of experience behind you.”

The four who had fought in Hosu traded looks as this hadn’t been the first time they were faced with a more serious fight. Izuku glanced at Hitoshi in concern as he wasn’t included in her praise. But his brother shrugged knowing he was still not as experienced as the others. He was knocked out pretty quickly when they had confronted Stain after all. There was still much for him to learn.

Pixie Bob was then suddenly crowding them proclaiming she wanted to groom them herself. Flitting about and making them uncomfortable. Shouto even moved to stand in front of Izuku to protect him from her fawning over them. Green eyes peeked over his friend’s shoulder and despite the doting Hero he found himself once again distracted by the kid.

“Um, who is that?” Izuku asked, pointing over to the kid.

His question made Pixie Bob stop as everyone’s attention went to the boy.

“Oh, this little guy?” Mandalay replied, turning to the boy standing near her. “He’s my cousin’s son, but he lives with us now. Kouta, why don’t you say hello?”

The kid glared at them with black eyes shrouded in the shadow of his horned hat. In a way, he kind of reminded Izuku of a young Bakugou.

I wonder why he’s here.

Izuku approached the boy as he said, “Hello, I’m Midoriya Izuku. It’s nice to meet you, Kouta-kun.”

He reached out a hand in greeting in hopes of starting off on the right foot with the kid. Which failed as he watched Kouta reel back and ready a punch aimed for his crotch. But the weeks training with Aizawa kicked in and Izuku caught the hit before it landed home. The boy was surprised as the Quirkless teen kneeled down to the kid’s level still holding onto his fist. Not too hard but enough to keep it in place.

“That wouldn’t have been very nice,” Izuku quietly mutter with a frown. “I’m sorry if I offended you or anything, but I hope we can get along.”

The greenet offered the boy a smile in hopes of repairing whatever he somehow managed to ruin in the first few minutes of their meeting. Seriously what did he do to piss the kid off?

Kouta glared at him in a very young Bakugou kind of way before he ripped his fist free as he snarled, “The last thing I want is to be around a bunch of wannabe Heroes.”

Izuku was surprised at that as most people he knew wanted to be Heroes and yet this kid seemed to hate them. But why? What happened to this boy for him to hate Heroes?

Is it related to why he’s here?

Kouta,” Mandalay said with a scolding tone, but the kid scowled at her as he walked away.

Aizawa sighed next to her at the interaction before saying, “Alright, that’s enough. Get your bags off the bus and into your rooms. We’ll have dinner in the cafeteria and then you can bath and sleep. Rest up. Your training starts in earnest tomorrow.”

With that, the tired man turned around and walked into the building. The students trudged over to the bus, collected their belongings, and Mandalay showed them the way inside. The boys were in one room and the girls in another. They were provided with futons to sleep on and were allowed to arrange themselves as they liked. To no one’s surprise at all Shouto and Izuku were situated right next to each other while Hitoshi took the other side that was up against the wall. Bakugou made a point to place himself on the opposite side of the room.

After dropping off their stuff, the students collected in the cafeteria and sat down to enjoy their feast. There were rice balls, gyoza, pork cutlets, pickled vegetables, various tempura, curry, sashimi, and so much more. Seriously, a feast and the two rescue Heroes kept bringing out more. Which was great because they were all starving. So what they wouldn’t be providing prepared food for them after today. Tonight, they would enjoy the gifted banquet.

While eating, Izuku was stuffing himself until he burst while happily chatting with his friends. But he couldn’t help keeping track of the kid skulking around. He was angry, that was clear, but why he was angry was not. Izuku couldn’t help but wonder what happened to make his so upset. It had to be the reason why he was here and why he didn’t seem to like Heroes. But what could it be?

Recent events in his own life had him theorizing a loss or injury of a loved one. It would explain a lot though he hoped he was wrong. Almost losing his mother was one of the worst things to happen in his life and he didn’t wish it on anyone. Not even Bakugou or Shigaraki for that matter. They may be the villains in his life, whether past or present, but no one deserves to experience such tragedy.

After dinner and helping to clean up, they were released to relax in the outdoor baths. The fact they had onsen there was awesome. They could relax in the hot water after that long trek through the woods. It wasn’t easy fighting dirt monsters in hopes of a hot meal, but they pushed through the ordeal and now they were literally soaking up their prize for winning the day.

Except there was one problem for Izuku that he wasn’t sure how to solve. They were all bathing together, separated by gender of course, but that had no effect on Izuku being highly aware that they were all essentially naked. Wearing towels of course, but under that, nothing. Meaning he was spending time unclothed with his crush who was in a similar state. Sure, the pool day had been similar but they at least had swim trunks on then. This was something else entirely.

Let’s just say Izuku planned to blame the perpetual blush on his face on the heat of the water.

Little did he know that Shouto was in a similar situation headspace wise. He was equally aware of their current state of undress though he had no plans of addressing it. He was still working towards kissing Izuku and nowhere near wanting anything more than that. They were still essentially kids and had years ahead of them. No need to rush just because they were in this kind of situation.

Besides, it wasn’t like they were alone or anything. The rest of the boys were bathing with them, enjoying a communal soak. So Shouto chose to not let his increased consciousness of their lack of clothing bother him as he settled next to his friend in the water. Izuku turned away as he did, flustered by his crush being so close. Once he was settled though, the level of the water did help by covering most of him up.

“Hey,” Shouto said simply in greeting.

“Hey,” Izuku said back with a shy smile.

Their hands bumped together under the water and Izuku jumped at the sudden contact. It was nothing new to them, not by a long shot, but it still flustered him none the less. Shouto eyed him curiously but made no move waiting to see what Izuku would be comfortable with. That brought a smile to the greenet’s face as he shyly but purposefully took his friend’s hand. The bi-color teen smiled softly before shutting his eyes and leaning back against the side of the onsen.

Izuku turned his gaze to look at his friends and classmates. Some were relaxing like Shouto was while others were playing around in the water. He could hear over the wall separating the two baths where the girls were chatting and giggling. Green eyes looked up and was surprised to see little Kouta peeking down at them from the top of the wall. The Quirkless teen gave the boy a friendly wave. Kouta’s eyes widened in shock at being noticed before ducking out of sight.

They stayed in the baths for a while, letting their muscles rest before one by one they got out to go to sleep. No surprise to Izuku that Bakugou was the first to leave as he was very particular about his bedtime. Eijirou lingered a little longer to then leave with his fellow members of the Bakusquad. The rest of the boys left in groups and eventually Hitoshi, Shouto, and Izuku left together.

He was less flustered once they were dressed and readying themselves for bed. But then the blush came back as he settled onto his futon and Shouto scooted close so they could cuddle. They had gotten used to that over the short time since Izuku moved into the dorms, taking turns in each other’s rooms. But this was in the same room with a majority of their classmates.

Shouto seemed to sense his discomfort and backed off. Though they did settle into their respective futons as Tenya turned off the light. Izuku made a point to set an early alarm knowing Aizawa’s preference for a rude awakening. He finally drifted off to sleep wondering what their training would look like the next day.

Notes:

Hoped you liked the pool shenanigans! No Mineta so no pervy reasons for them to sneakily spy on the girls. And they came up with the idea in the first place to it worked out well! Just a bunch of kids being kids and having fun.

Got a little interaction between Bakugou and Izuku but not much. I know people are wanting a Katsuki pov and it is coming up but not just yet. We got a little glimpse into his thoughts when the Bakugous were informed about Inko getting attack though. If anyone caught that... :P

Of course, I couldn't stop myself from adding a little Dad For One drama. ;) It entertains me so much.

The training camp has finally begun! Rough start but they made it through. And we've met Kouta! :D I'm excited for when we get to their little chat up at his hideout.

Fun Facts About Japan:

This one goes along with the obligatory anime bath scene! It's time to talk about onsen ( 温泉 , おんせん ). This is a big part of Japan's culture and they have onsen everywhere. Approximately 3,000 establishments using the natural hot springs through out the country. They can be either indoor or outdoor but outdoor is more traditional. There are even specific classifications for onsen as determined in the Japanese Hot Spring Act ( 温泉法 , おんせんほう ) which I didn't know about until I looked this up. XD Oh Japan, you amuse me so much.

Anyway, much like on trains and their thing about shoes, they also have a social etiquette for onsen. Washing yourself before you go in and no clothes except for a towel among others. Here are some resources for you to read if you want to learn more about that and onsen in general.

I have gone to an onsen while in Japan. In my first year, we were invited on a trick with the Yachiyo International Association (YIA for short). It turned out to be more of a work trip because they wanted to practice English with us but it was still fun. We were given the suite that had the best view of Mt. Fuji or as they call it Fuji-san ( 富士山 , ふじさん ). It's not using the actual honorific but I still think it's cute. ^____^ Anywho, all us girls had a 'when in Rome' moment and enjoyed the onsen together. A little awkward by American standards but still a fun time.

Oh and if you're interested, here's a post with some pictures from my trip to Fuji-san! :D

That's all for now! The training camp will be in full swing starting next chapter. Oh and Izuku will get to work with someone he hasn't had a chance in a while! You'll see who. ^____^ Hope you liked the chapter!

Oh and, um, I just yesterday accepted a full time position at my work. So I'll have to see how that affects the update schedule/writing time. Because while I love being consistent and more on the often side, life does come first. We'll just see how that goes moving forward. Thankfully I am one who likes to have a buffer of chapters and have been consistently adding to them when I can or the mood strikes. Anyway, only time will tell!

Chapter 23: Training Camp: Copycat Attack

Notes:

Heyo! Finally found some time this week to update. :) We're fully in the training camp now. These kids are going to be worked to the bone. I blame Aizawa.

Reminder that this is an AU of Izuku going through the support course, not the hero course, so there are things he doesn't know compared to canon.

Formatting reminder:
-Dialogue using sign language.-

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

The vibrations from his alarm woke Izuku up and he found himself cuddled close to Shouto despite them falling asleep separated. They had somehow met in the middle of their two futons having naturally gravitated towards each other in their sleep. Not that Izuku was complaining or anything but he still blushed in the early morning light. Though a quick look around showed that most everyone was still asleep except for Hitoshi beside him who was scrolling on his phone.

Izuku carefully shifted to face his brother and signed, -Did you sleep alright?-

He knew Hitoshi had a hard time sleeping at times so wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t. Though he hoped he had or today’s training was going to be tough on him.

-So, so,- Hitoshi signed back. -No cats to cuddle.-

He then showed Izuku that he was looking through the dozens upon dozens of pictures he had of the EraserMic cats. The greenet cooed at them quietly missing the little furballs. DJ was an orange cuddle monster in all of his and the white furred Esp always looked regal. Then there was shy Sashimi who appeared to have really warmed up to Hitoshi over the weeks living there as she snuggled into his mess of purple hair in a tight black ball. Izuku was so glad his friend was in a better home now.

His subtle shifting had been enough to wake Shouto up who grumbled as he snaked his arms around Izuku’s waist. The movement surprised him and he jumped slightly before sinking into the feeling. While Shouto was certainly warmer on the left more than the right, he was still overall warm and Izuku loved being in his arms. He ignored the gagging face Hitoshi made at them.

“Mornin’,” the sleepy element wielder mumbled into his hair.

“Morning,” the Quirkless teen whispered back with a pat to his arm.

They stayed like that listening to the others sleep for a little while until the door was opened with enough force to wake everyone up.

“Time to get up, hellions,” Aizawa announced to the groggy teenagers. “Get dressed, eat breakfast, and then meet outside. It’s time to start your training.”

With that, he turned and left to go check on the girls that Mandalay had gone to wake up herself. The boys started shuffling around the room, stretching and trying to rub the sleep from their eyes. A particular explosive blonde grumbled as he did so until he spotted something he didn’t want to see so early in the morning. Deku and IcyHot fucking cuddling.

“Ugh, get a room!” Bakugou barked from across the room in disgust.

The others turned to see the two who were close in each other’s space. No one was really surprised as they had noticed how affectionate the two were with each other. Many of them were in on the bet to see when they would officially get together.

“But we’re already in a room,” Shouto retorted, slightly confused as he was still waking up.

Red eyes glared at him for a moment before Bakugou scoffed, “Whatever.”

He then left the room in a huff to get ready for the day and the others started to follow suit. As they were getting up, Izuku noticed a lock of his hair had fallen off and was stuck on Shouto’s pajamas. He chuckled as he reached for it to pick it off. The element wielder sleepily hummed in question and blinked lazily at the hair held up to him.

“Just a loose lock of hair, Shouto,” Izuku said, giggling again at the disheveled look of his friend with the two sides of his hair messed up. He only got another hum in response as they too got ready for the day.

It was always a sight to see Shouto somehow manage to part his two toned hair with ease. Probably from years of practice. Izuku himself didn’t even bother messing with his hair. It was going to get messed up during training anyway. Soon enough they were all dressed, fed, and yawning outside in the morning sun.

“Good morning, class,” Aizawa said, sounding the most awake out of all of them despite looking perpetually exhausted. “Today marks the start of a training camp intended to increase your strength. The goal is to exponentially expand your skills in order for you to earn a provisional license. That way you are better prepared to face the dangers that continue to fester in the darkness. Proceed with care.”

The tired man then produced a ball from his scarf.

“Bakugou,” Aizawa called out as he tossed the ball. “Throw it.”

Izuku watched as the blonde caught the ball without question.

“Um, why is he throwing a ball?” the greenet asked in a whisper to Ochako who was near him.

“Oh, that’s because it was one of the things Aizawa-sensei tested us on for the Quirk Assessment tests on the first day of school,” she replied as Bakugou walked away from the group. “I think he got like 700 meters or something?”

“705.2,” the explosive teen corrected as he readied to throw the ball.

“Still doesn’t beat my score of infinity,” the gravity girl retorted and then stuck out her tongue.

The others chuckled while Bakugou bristled at the fact he couldn’t beat someone at something. Though Round Cheeks did prove herself a competent opponent so he would let it slide.

“So this is like we’re checking our progress, right?” Ashido asked, already getting pumped to see how much they had improved. “Oh, and we’ll get to see how Shinsou and Midoriya compare to us too!”

The pinkette beamed over at them excited to see what they were made of. Hitoshi simply shrugged while Izuku smiled also interested what their scores would be like. The others were focusing on Bakugou as he wound up his arm to throw the ball. Sero wondered aloud if he could reach a mile while Eijirou cheered his friend on.

Bakugou grinned as he held his arm back before putting all his force, both muscle and Quirk, into throwing the ball as he screamed, “GO TO HELL!!”

Go to hell?

“He yelled ‘die’ the first time,” Ochako told him quietly as they watched the ball soar through the air.

Yeah, that’s Bakugou for ya.

The ball grew farther and farther away into the trees a good distance away. Bakugou landed on his foot and waited smugly for his result. That had to be a lot farther than his first throw. Sure, he hadn’t been getting the best results when it came to the Sports Festival but he’s trained a lot since then especially after failing the final exams. There had to be vast improvement.

“That was 709.6 meters,” Aizawa drawled as he held up his phone for them to see.

There were murmurs of disappointment from the class as Bakugou stood there shocked by the lack of improvement. There was a little but seemed insignificant compared to what he expected.

“You’ve all completed a single semester of UA,” the teacher explained. “In combination with your various experiences, you have all definitely improved compared to the beginning.”

The tired man eyed each of his students especially his foster son and problem child.

“However, those improvements were centered more on technical skill and mental prowess with an increase in stamina thrown in. But when it comes to your Quirks, there hasn’t been much improvement. As such, that is the reason why we’re going to focus on improving your Quirks during this training camp.”

The students shivered at the creepy grin that stretched across their teacher’s face.

“This training is going to be so hard that you’ll feel like you’re dying,” Aizawa declared, enjoying their looks of terror a little too much. “Let’s hope all of you can survive.”

The air was filled with tension as the gravity of their situation became clear. Their teacher was going to work them to the bone. Pushing them past their Quirk limits to make them stronger, faster. Well, mostly everyone as they had Quirks to improved. Izuku though…

“Yes, Midoriya,” Aizawa called out, acknowledging his student’s raised hand.

“What will I be doing this week, Aizawa-sensei?” Izuku inquired, wondering what his training would be since he didn’t have Quirk. The curious glances from his classmates told him they were wondering the same thing.

“Your focus will be training with your gear against Quirked opponents,” his mentor answered, scratching under his eye. “You will also be helping with improving other people’s Quirks as requested by Nezu. We’re coordinating how exactly that will be done between everyone’s Quirk training. For Class 1-A and 1-B.”

“So, no pressure,” Izuku snarked, feeling a bit wary of the seemingly daunting task. But then again, hadn’t he been doing just that all along?

With that said, they were divvied up to start their individual training. Bakugou and Shouto were provided with drums of water away from the others. One boiling to help expand the former’s sweat glands and one tepid for the latter to freeze then heat up in as he switched from ice to fire and back. Sero and Kaminari were also isolated situated on individual hills. The tape wielder under orders to continuously produce tape and the electric blonde was set up with a high-capacity battery.

Eijirou and Ojiro were paired together to efficiently train Hardening and Tail at the same time. Similarly, Shouji and Hagakure were assigned to each other to practice his tracking alongside her stealth abilities. Satou and Yaoyorozu were set up with a table of food to fuel their Quirks, pumping iron and creating objects respectively.

Kouda was tasked with vocal exercises to expand the range of his Quirk and the shy boy would do his very best. Tokoyami hid away in a dark cave to practice controlling a more powerful Dark Shadow. Aoyama was to continuously fire off his laser to increase the range though there was still something that needed to be down about his stomach problems. Same with Ochako who was to float around in an inflatable ball to get her more acclimated to using her Quirk on herself.

Tsuyu was to use her tongue to climb. Jirou to stab her Earphone Jacks repeated into stone to strengthen them. Ashido to intermittently creating acid against the rock beside her to increase her skin durability. While Tenya was running around at full speed.

As for Hitoshi, he was to work with the Wild, Wild Pussycats on a rotation as they switched out to check on the various training. Different people meant different personalities and differing triggers on what would get them to talk. As well as practicing both with and without his voice changing mask.

Then there was Izuku who was currently setting up a makeshift mini studio. Maijima, with Mei’s help, had put together a sort of studio-to-go kit so that he could work on his Support Items at the camp. Of course, he also had on his own Inventor’s Special, the tool belt made for him by Mei, buckled around his waist to make things more convenient. It was like a pocket of UA had followed them out to the woods.

As they were settling into their newly assigned routines, it was then that Class 1-B joined them. Adding twenty more students for the teachers to train with each of them having their own unique Quirks. Thankfully they weren’t alone as the whole team of four Wild, Wild Pussycats were there to help them out.

Ragdoll’s Quirk was great to help keep track of everyone and spot weaknesses for them to improve. Pixie Bob could manipulate the area with her Quirk and create ideal training grounds tailor made for each student. Mandalay’s Telepath enabled her to give advice to multiple people at once. Tiger was strong and flexible, ready to beat them to a pulp in order for them to improve their physical strength.

Those with strength Quirks eyed Tiger with apprehension fearing his ‘boot camp’. But considering all that was going on at UA, they didn’t have much man power to spare to train the Heroes-in-training. Therefore, utilizing the Wild, Wild Pussycats was the most logical with their experience and range of powers.

“Don’t fall behind Class 1-A,” Vlad King commanded loudly. “Do me proud.”

Is that where Neito-kun got it from? Izuku wondered as he rolled his eyes at the teacher’s antagonizing of the two classes.

“There’s one more person you’ll be working with during the training camp,” Aizawa said before turning his way. “Midoriya, come here.”

Izuku wiped off some grease on his hands as he approached the group of students. They were staring at him curiously with some whispering aloud theories as to why he was called over. Only one of them knew that the winner of the Sports Festival was one and the same as the Hiro they had been working with for a while. The copier smirked as his friend stood in front of his class.

Aizawa eyed that smirk carefully not sure what it meant. He still worried what Vlad’s loud blonde’s reaction would be. Hopefully not as explosive as his own class’s loud blonde had been. Well, one of them anyway. But there were still unknowns that had him worried about his problem child. The green one has already been through so much and it had only been one semester into his first year.

“Midoriya will be helping improve your Quirks as well during your training,” Aizawa explained. “Introduce yourself.”

“H-hello! Some of you may know me already,” Izuku said, managing only to stutter a little. “I’m Midoriya Izuku.”

The class gave a collective greeting to him before Kendo spoke up, “Nice to meet you, Midoriya. I’m Kendo Itsuka and I’m class president of 1-B. Let me introduce to you…”

“A-actually I know all of you already,” the greenet interjected, grimacing briefly for cutting her off.

“You do?” Kendo asked in surprise that was shared with most of her class.

Neito was another story. He knew exactly who Izuku was and how he knew 1-B. With his usual air of smugness, the copier walked to the front.

“You sure do,” Neito said as he went until he stood right next to his friend and faced his classmates. “Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to the one who observed our training and provided us with the notes for improvement. This...”

Aizawa prepared to act as he watched the loud blonde throw an arm around the green one’s shoulder.

“…is Hiro-kun."

Oh, so he knew already. Guess he didn’t have to worry as much. Though he still would because the problem child was a trouble magnet.

“WHAT?!” Class 1-B cried out before talking quickly amongst themselves.

"Hiro-kun?"

"He's Hiro-kun?"

"The winner of the Sports Festival?!"

"But if he is then that means Hiro-kun’s Quirkless."

"Which also means that he's super smart without one."

"And can kick ass. Taking down the Hero Killer? Damn."

"It's nice to officially meet you, Hiro-kun,” Kendo spoke up over the others to silence them.

"Oh, um, nice to meet you too,” Izuku replied bashfully with a bow. “Hiro is just a nickname though you can still call me that if you want. I don’t mind."

He smiled at the other Hero class excited to be working with them. And hopefully they’re less antagonistic towards 1-A than Neito.

“With Izuku’s help, we’re sure to kick 1-A’s ass,” the copier declared, his arm still on the shorter boy’s shoulders.

Neito-kun,” Izuku scolded with a bite of sternness.

His classmates were surprised to learn they were on a first name basis. Aizawa was too since this whole time he had been worried how Monoma would react to the kid. Guess he really had nothing to worry about with this one.

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Neito relents as he rolled his eyes. “We’re all trying to be Heroes in our own way and we should work together not against each other. Blah, blah, blah. But come on, nothing wrong with a little friendly competition.”

The blonde wiggled his eyebrows at the green haired boy who stared at him unimpressed as the rest of them were watching the interaction in shock. Neito was still being cocky but not as much as he could work up to when it came to Class 1-A. While this cinnamon roll of a boy was not putting up with his bullshit. Though this being the teenager who won the Sports Festival and took down the Hero Killer all while Quirkless, should they really be surprised?

“That’s enough horsing around,” Aizawa declared with a clap of his hands. “Both classes have a lot of work to do and only a week to do it in. Let’s get to it.”

Class 1-B was given their own assignments and training was off and running. Some of them literally like Tenya. Izuku retreated back to his little studio and got to work on his gear. He checked over his Support Items before putting them on one by one. The Quirkless teen planned to wear them as much as he could during the training camp. He would have to get accustomed to the added weight for long periods of time in the future after all. With Jet shoes on his feet, goggles and mask on his head, and belt, escrima rods, and arm wrappings secured to his person, Izuku was ready to start training.

“I’m ready,” Izuku said as he approached Aizawa. His mask was hanging around his neck and his goggles pushed up. “Where would you like me to start?”

The tired man hummed in thought as he surveyed the students while standing casually with his hands in his pockets. A particular blonde one caught his eye.

“Monoma, come here,” Aizawa ordered, catching the copier’s attention.

“Why with Neito-kun?” Izuku asked as the other ran up to them. “The goal is to train Quirks, isn’t it? I don’t have one for him to train with.”

“While true, there is a reason why I want you two to train together for a time,” the teacher replied as he addressed the two of them. “Your point of people relying on their Quirks too much. There will come a time when Monoma won’t have a Quirk to copy and so would be effectively Quirkless. It would be logical for him to gain experience fighting against an opponent whose Quirk he can’t copy and learn to fight despite that.”

“Ah, yes, ‘don’t be a one trick pony’ and all that,” the greenet snarked. “Well then I guess I should take my gear off.”

“No,” Aizawa said flatly.

“Why not?” Izuku inquired with a tilt of his head. “With these I have an unfair advantage.”

“And when exactly is a Villain fight fair?” the Underground Hero retorted with a raised brow and crossed arms.

Fair point.

“What, Izuku?” Neito jeered though in a teasing way. “Don’t think I’m up for the challenge?”

The copier playfully punched him in the shoulder while smirking. Though under his bravado he was a bit worried as he eyed the Quirkless teen’s gear. Hiro had quite the arsenal on him that was for sure, but the man had a point that apparently was Izuku’s at first. That there would be times when he couldn’t rely on his Quirk to give him the power he needed like when facing someone Quirkless or a Quirk that was a miss. It would be beneficial to learn to fight without it.

Izuku gave a shrug as he said, “Alright. You asked for it.”

Neito gulped but still kept the forced smile on his face as Hiro adjusted his mask and goggles on his face.

They moved to an open patch that Pixie Bob raised slightly to make a fighting ring quite similar to the one used in the final rounds of the Sports Festival. Guess Neito was going to get a taste of what could have been if he had made it into the top sixteen after all and up against none other than the first-place winner himself. Geared up and Quirkless meaning he was going to have to fight harder than he ever fought before.

Yeah, this’ll go well, the blonde thought sarcastically.

“Don’t go easy on me, Hiro,” Neito insisted despite all that. “Fight me like you fought in the festival. Show me what it’s like to fight the number one student.”

Green eyes studied him for a moment behind his goggles before nodding. Then with a roar, a pillar of fire shot out of his mask and all Neito could do was dodge it. The blonde stumbled but managed to right himself only to be forced to dodge again as a cloth wrapped fist was aiming for his face. The copier instinctively reached out and managed to brush the other’s arm only to feel nothing upon contact.

Crap, right. No Quirk, no copy.

He was at a huge disadvantage but he guessed this gave him a very clear view as to how Izuku experienced the world. It reminded him of the same words he always heard growing up. That he couldn’t be a strong Hero with a Quirk like his. A fact that he had accepted long ago that he would never be a protagonist in his own life story.

Copy was a useful Quirk as Izuku and he knew, but it had its weaknesses. Kind of like that Shinsou guy who had to result to less-than-heroic means to use his Quirk and survive for the next fight. Neito was no different. He willingly embraced his darker side knowing that if he didn’t, he wouldn’t be able to stand alongside those with more power. But even then, that wouldn’t help in this situation. He needed to get creative.

Think, Neito!

A staff suddenly entered his vision as Izuku took a swing at him. The hit grazed his side as he did his best to evade. Neito hissed in pain but powered through and grappled the weapon with both hands trying to take it from him.

“Good, try taking control of the fight,” Izuku praised while still fighting him. “But be careful. Not everything is as it seems.”

The middle of the staff separated into two pieces as the Quirkless teen twisted them out of his grip. The greenet then activated one of the electrified ends and swiped it at him to force the copier back. The blonde almost went past the edge but managed to stay in. He eyed the rather intimidating boy in front of him who was stalking towards him with an air of raw power. In desperation, Neito kicked up some dirt to obscure himself from the other’s view to give him time to maneuver away from the edge.

However, that move only got him away from one edge for a second before he was being wrapped in some kind of cloth and came face to face with Edge himself.

“Good improvisation, but be mindful of yourself too,” the shorter teen instructed him. “A distraction like that could give you cover but it can blind you the same as your opponent. Which is why my goggles have infrared for such occasions.”

“Damn, Izuku,” Neito let out with a shaken laugh. “You’re prepared for anything.”

The blonde aimed a kick for the greenet’s gut who quickly whipped him out of the red wrapping that secured themselves back around his arms. So, new gear since the Sports Festival, huh? Izuku was just full of surprises and probably always will be. That was when he saw it.

Izuku’s hair was green, dark and rich in color to the point of appearing black in shadow. A tangled mess that Neito was glad he didn’t have to deal with very much used to his own straight hair. The strands twisted and curled in a complex labyrinth on his head. And in that mess, he saw a speck of white.

Surely, he’s not greying early.

‘Cause it was either that or…the hair wasn’t his. Perhaps even a certain heterochromatic element wielder’s who always seemed too snuggly and close to the Quirkless boy before him. If he could just touch it, that was all he would need for his Quirk to work. Kind of going against the exercise but he was curious if he could actually copy Todoroki’s Quirk from a single hair. If it was his anyway.

Well, here goes nothing.

 Neito ran at Izuku who copied him. Ha! Irony. As they collided, the blonde feigned a punch to the right which the other boy ducked down to dodge going exactly where Neito needed him to go. His hand shot forward and grabbed his hair where the white one was and pulled. He yanked the hairs free and knew instantly that his plan had worked as he could feel the power of fire and ice surging through him. With a stomp of his foot, the copier sent a wave of ice towards the Quirkless teen who was quick to activate his shoes and jump high into the air.

“How did you do that?” Izuku asked as he knew Shouto was on the other side of the field. His curiosity overpowered the pain he felt on the side of his head. Though he did note that his hair might be a liability at its current length. Perhaps a haircut was in order on top of the new helmet he had planned.

The copier grinned as he let green strands blow away in the light breeze to hold up a single white one that was definitely not his.

Oh my gods, are you serious?!

“You can copy people’s Quirks from just their hair?!” Izuku exclaimed in excitement as he lifted his goggles. Guess Shouto left a hair on him as well from last night.

“Yup!” Neito replied popping the P. “Did that with shark boy’s Quirk during the cavalry battle.”

The blonde gave him a wink.

“Do you know what this means?” the young analyst began to ramble. “You could carry around a collection of different people’s hair with you and then copy their Quirks from that. Then you wouldn’t necessarily have to rely on touching the person themselves before a fight. Though that is still a viable strategy and the hair could act more as a backup. I wonder if there is a limit as to how long you can copy the Quirk from the hair. Is there a time limit as to how long the Quirk stays connected to it? Then what would that mean for other parts of the body? Could you copy a Quirk from someone who is dead? Or even a disembodied part of them? Like whoever’s hands that Shigaraki likes to wear for some reason. Or does the person have to still be alive for Copy to work? Perhaps not all in one piece since you copied it from a single hair. Then there’s also…”

A clearing of a throat snapped him out of it. Green eyes looked up to meet pale blue ones filled with amusement.

“Mind if we continue where we left off?” Neito drawled with a smirk.

Oh, right. Their fight. Though now it was more evened out in a sense. Neito had a Quirk copy and Izuku had his gadgets. It would be like fighting Shouto all over again though the copier wouldn’t have as much control over it as he did. Definitely not the ice but closer with the fire. Instead of answering Izuku quickly adjusted his goggles before he sent out a wave of fire that Neito countered with his own. The two pillars of fire crashed and shot up into the sky in a blast of heat. The flames dissipated and they stood there panting staring the other down.

“This is quite some power your lover boy has,” Neito teased, igniting a ball of fire in his left hand. “Guess I’ll have to include this with my future hair collection. Though I never expected to become such a collector. Also, that theory on disembodied parts and dead people…kind of morbid, don’t you think?”

“Whatever works,” Izuku answered with a shrug before tossing a smoke bomb.

The Quirkless teen activated his infrared midjump as he flipped around to the back of his opponent. The copier was still looking for him when Izuku kicked him square in the back and sent him off the platform and into the dirt. Neito groaned as he propped himself up at the same time the other boy exited the smoke.

“While you do have an advantage when you have a Quirk copy,” Izuku said while turning off his infrared and hopping down to help him up. “Don’t let it distract you or make you think you’ve already won. A Quirk is just a tool that can only help you in a fight if you use it well, but it can also work against you if you’re not careful. No matter how powerful the Quirk, no one, not even All Might, is invincible. There’s always the possibility to lose.”

“Well, aren’t you all sunshine and rainbows,” Neito jabbed as he dusted himself off.

“Life is not fair nor should we expect it to be,” the Quirkless teen said, lifting his goggles again to look at his friend properly. “The life of a Hero is dangerous and chaotic. One wrong move could be our last. We have to do our best to be prepared for anything. That includes the potential to lose if we’re not careful. And even then, something could go wrong when you least expect it no matter how much you prepare. Even so, we all have to do our best. Go beyond.”

He held a fist out to the other. Neito grinned as he returned the fist bump and they said together, “Plus Ultra!”

“Not exactly what I had in mind but you seemed to have made some progress,” Aizawa drawled as he approached the pair. He secretly approved of the green one’s little speech and found the hair idea intriguing. “Go off and follow your training for today, Monoma. Midoriya, make a round and see if you can find any improvements or suggestions. Then come find me once you’re done.”

“Yes, sir,” the two students answered together before going their separate ways.

Notes:

We finally got to another IzukuNeito friend moment! :D This has been in the queue for a while now. I hope you liked it! Not sure about future interactions just yet. Letting the story flow naturally and let my brain figure out ideas as we go. ^___^ But yeah, I like these two interacting as friends. Monoma gets played off as overly crazy a lot which fair, but I like the other sides of him too. There's more to him than just antagonizing 1-A.

The Tododeku fluff continues because I can't help myself. :P The others are all 'aww' but also 'just kiss already'. While Katsuki is just 'nope don't want to see that'.

I want to say thank you to all who helped with the quirks from hair idea. Unfortunately I can't remember who specifically. XD Sorry. There were some on the discord and someone in the comments. You know who you are to so thanks! ^___^ I might not remember who exactly but I still appreciate you. <3 EDIT: I found the commentor! Thanks for the idea, Quantum! :D

Not much more to note than that. Thanks for your continued readerish and support! I appreciate every one of you, my dear readers. Be well and I'll see ya next update! More training camp and bonding moments are coming up next! Bye bye!

Chapter 24: Training Camp: Clear The Air

Notes:

Heyo! Happy Tuesday! :D I somehow ended up with a three day weekend and was super productive for future chapters for this. And I'm super excited to share this one with you! Got a fun bonding moment for ya! ^____^ Hope you like it!

Formatting reminders:
"Hitoshi using his Quirk."

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

As everyone was busy with their different tasks, Hitoshi was starting to get a migraine from all the attempted brainwashing he was doing. He rotated between the four Pussycats trying to get them to respond to him. Even Vlad King stepped in as he wasn’t as familiar with him or his Quirk. Meaning he had five new people he didn’t know well who all had differing personalities. The trick was to try and assess which of his tactics would be the best to get them to respond the fastest.

Easier said than done.

Hitoshi managed to get Mandalay with a joke once but after that she was more cautious as they sparred. Pixie Bob was harder to figure out though a comment on her age seemed to do the trick. Though the absolute thrashing he received afterwards that didn’t make it seem worth it as he found himself buried up to his neck in the dirt. Tiger was another case as his Quirk and strength already made him a tough opponent. Hitoshi couldn’t concentrate on getting him to talk as he spent most of the time trying not to be pounded into the same ground he had been buried in before.

When it came to Vlad King, Hitoshi tried a few things but the grumpy man was as stubborn as he looked. However, the brainwasher was able to get him with an impression of Shouta asking a question in regards to his beloved dog. Which confused Vlad King because Aizawa never talked about his dog preferring cats instead. His simple response of ‘what’ was all Hitoshi needed to take control.

Upon his success, the teen made the serious man do the little teapot dance just for fun. His foster dad hid an amused smile in his scarf as he blatantly took a video for blackmail material. Hitoshi snorted though it was more of a grunt because he could feel Vlad King fighting to break free. Both of them were quick to hide up in the nearby trees before the brainwasher released him. Neither of them wanted to experience his wrath as he stormed off looking for them. Once the coast was clear, Shouta ruffled his kid’s hair before they got back down to resume his training.

Three out of four wasn’t so bad but Hitoshi hoped for more. Now he was facing Ragdoll whose own Quirk showed his every weakness. How the hell was he supposed to work his way around that? She immediately knew he needed a verbal response since she mimed zipping her lips shut as she took over his training.

Great. Just great.

He tried everything he could think of. Jokes, mimicry, insults, jingles, but nothing worked. Ragdoll could see right through him and simply sparred with him all while smiling brightly. It reminded him of someone else who was all green haired and smiley. Able to pull at your heart strings with a single look. It gave him another idea.

“Damn it!” he cursed, trying to sound as frustrated as possible. “Why can’t I do this?”

The brainwasher threw a punch attempting to make it appear like a desperate move. Which it kind of was because he wasn’t sure what else to try with her. Ragdoll easily blocked the hit and used his momentum to flip him over her shoulder and onto the ground. Very much mirroring how Izuku took him in their final match in the festival.

“Fuck,” Hitoshi groaned with a grimace.

The Hero looked down at him in concern before helping him up.

“Thanks,” he said as he grabbed her hand to pull himself up. “Don’t suppose you’re going to answer me still?”

Ragdoll shook her head still smiling but he could see a hint of apology in her eyes.

“Then I give up,” the teen muttered before crouching down in seeming defeat. The Hero followed and looked at him with worry. Hitoshi let out a dramatic sigh as he said, “I just…sometimes I don’t think I’ll ever be good enough to be a Hero.”

“Aw, don’t say that,” Ragdoll assured him thinking the match was over. She could see his weaknesses but wanted him to know that they didn’t have to hold him back. “You can still be a great Hero and not be perfect all the time. Not all of us are All Might.”

Yeah, no kidding but he can still be an idiot too, Hitoshi thought, fighting back a grin at the memory of threatening the Number One Hero. Instead, he schooled his features to appear hopeful and shit like Izuku does. At least the best he could as an insomniatic purple troll doll while slipping his Quirk into the mix.

You really think so?

“Yeah, I…” then the Hero trailed off has her eyes went blank.

A single clap pulled purple eyes away from his most recent victory to see his foster dad approaching.

“Well, done,” Shouta praised. “A different technique than I’ve seen you try before. Effective though perhaps not always practical.”

“None of mine are perfect for all the time,” Hitoshi retorted with a raised brow.

“True,” his dad agreed. “What was the inspiration for this one?”

The brainwasher grinned as he replied, “Izuku and his puppy dog eyes.”

They both looked over to said boy who was talking with one of the 1-B students before moving on to the next. Shouta hummed in understanding a moment later recalling the different times that particular technique had been highly effective. Though whether the green one intentionally used it or not was up for debate. Both, probably both. Either way, it would certainly be useful in certain situations depending on the circumstances.

“Well, keep it as an option,” Shouta said looking back to his foster son. “Now release her so you can continue training.”

Hitoshi nodded and let go of his control over the Hero. Ragdoll blinked back to herself before sending a beaming smile at the teen.

“That was a neat trick!” she praised no way offended by his underhanded move. “I didn’t see that coming at all. Great job! You’re learning to fight dirty like Eraser here.”

“Uh, thanks,” Hitoshi replied, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly at the compliment.

His foster dad gave a pleased hum before walking off to go observe the others.

“Now that you managed to get me, we’re going to mix things up,” Ragdoll proclaimed as she stood up. He followed. “We are here to train your Quirks so I want you to brainwash me and practice ordering me around.”

Okay, he could do that. Hitoshi had gotten some practice with his classmates but more wouldn’t hurt.

Shall we begin?” the brainwasher asked.

“Yes,” Ragdoll responded with a smile until he took hold of her mind and her expression turned blank.

Let’s get started then.

~~~

By the end of the day, they were all exhausted. Again. Only this time they weren’t done working for the day yet. Their next challenge? Dinner. As promised, the Pussycats wouldn’t be making their food anymore. If they wanted to eat, they would have to prepare it themselves. Tonight’s menu was curry and they were faced with piles of vegetables and meat.

While they were tired, the two classes worked together to start cooking. Teams focused on cutting the carrots, potatoes, onions, and meat. Then others assisted on getting the fires ready with wood and setting up pans to cook in. Shouto was particularly helpful with that task using his left side to help start the fires. Izuku cherished the small smile on his friend’s face as the others thanked him for his help.

See? Fire isn’t so bad.

Well, mostly. Bakugou tried to light one of the fires with an explosion but put too much power behind it. Let’s just say he wouldn’t be in charge of that next time. Despite that, with everyone working together, they finished cooking and finally were able to eat. Not the highest quality of food considering they were a bunch of tired teenagers, but after an exhausting day of training, anything would taste good.

“Kouta!” Mandalay called out. “It’s time for dinner. Where are you?”

Izuku quickly scanned around and found the kid walking off into the darkness. The greenet excused himself grabbing a plate of food before following the boy into the night. The stars were shining bright against the big black sky. You could see so many out here away from the city. Izuku found the boy staring up at them while sitting near the edge of a cliff.

The sound of the boy’s stomach growling made him chuckle as he said, “I heard that.”

Kouta stiffened at his voice and snapped his head to glare at him.

“You must be hungry,” Izuku continued. “Here, I brought you some dinner.”

He offered the boy the plate as he approached. Only for the kid to stand up in anger and snap at him.

“What are you doing here?” Kouta demanded to know. “How’d you find me?”

“I followed you,” the greenet replied with a shrug. “You should eat before it gets cold.”

“Just leave me alone,” the child growled, his hands fisted at his side. “I’m fine. I don’t need or want anything from your or the other losers. Get lost and forget about my secret hideout.”

Secret hideout?

Izuku looked around. There wasn’t much. Just a wide ledge overlooking the forest below. There was a cave though.

“You stupid wannabe Heroes,” Kouta scoffed. “Spending all your time ‘improving your Quirks’. Yeah, right. They just want to show off. And you! Why are you even here?!”

The greenet stared at the angry child confused as he asked, “What do you mean?”

“You don’t have a Quirk,” the boy snapped. “So why are you even here?!”

Izuku confusion turned somber and it made the kid pause. But he didn’t understand and wanted answers. Why was someone who was Quirkless at a training camp to improve Quirks?

“Kouta, do you think someone without a Quirk can be a Hero?” the teen asked.

Black eyes studied him for a second before he spoke.

“I don’t know,” he huffed as he crossed his arms. “And I don’t care either. Wanting to be a Hero is stupid.”

“Why do you think that?” Izuku pressed but in a gentle tone. “Growing up, everyone wanted to become a Hero. Even me.”

Kouta rolled his eyes as he said, “Yeah, so what? Not everyone wants to be a dumb Hero.”

“That’s true,” the greenet conceded with a nod. “But why don’t you?”

Izuku slowly sat down on the ground, purposefully putting himself at the boy’s level. If he hoped to help the kid and get some answers, it would be best to talk to him as an equal. He didn’t want to seem like he’s trying to diminish or dismiss the kid’s beliefs. Much like Chizome had done for him on that roof over a year ago.

Kouta watched him, still scowling, but it was a mix of anger and confusion. He followed his movements as Izuku slowly leaned forward to place the plate of curry closer to the boy before retreating. The kid looked between the food and him a few times before slowly sitting in front of it. Instead of answering his question, Kouta picked up the spoon and shoved a bite into his mouth.

The effect was almost immediate. The taste wasn’t the best and it was nothing compared to his cousin’s cooking. But the boy was hungry and he started shoveling the curry into his mouth. It helped a little with his mood though he was still annoyed with the loser watching him eat. But Izuku said nothing patiently waiting for him to finish. He was just glad the kid got something to eat.

When the plate was empty, Izuku asked, “Better?”

“…maybe,” Kouta replied as he wiped his mouth clean.

They were quiet for a while longer. Izuku hoped the boy would answer his earlier question but he seemed to be as stubborn as Bakugou. That was okay. He had experience with that.

“Can I tell you why I want to be a Hero?” Izuku asked instead.

Kouta scoffed and crossed his arms, but the boy didn’t say no or walk away so he took that as the go ahead. Izuku turned to face the stars above and the forest below. It really was a beautiful night.

“Growing up Quirkless wasn’t…easy for me,” he began, choosing his words carefully. “People would tease me and tell me I couldn’t do anything. Being Quirkless now-a-days is pretty rare. We’re so used to everyone having these special powers that someone like me is seen as a freak.”

Green eyes peeked over to see black watching him only for the boy to look away as if he didn’t care.

“Originally, I wanted to be a Hero like All Might. Brightening people’s days with a smile. Over time though, I wanted to be a Hero for other reasons. To show that those who are considered weak like me could still be whatever they wanted to be. And for me, that’s being a Hero.”

The wind whistled through the trees below as a summer breeze ruffled his hair. Reminding him of his mother when she would run her fingers through his green curls. Only for him to remember where she was right now.

“Recently there’s another reason,” he said, doing his best to keep his voice even though Kouta could sense the hidden emotions and curiously glanced up at him. “My mom. Sh-she…”

He cut off his stuttering voice as the tears started to bud in his eyes. Damn it. Izuku didn’t want to cry in front of the kid but he couldn’t help it. He did try to hold back but Midoriyas were criers. Crying was inevitable.

“What about your mom?” Kouta asked quietly.

Green eyes shot to him in surprise that he would ask. Only to find a child with eyes filled with lingering anger mixed with sadness and concern. Could it be he…?

“My mom was h-hurt by a Villain,” Izuku let out shakily, doing his best to keep it together. “She’s in the hospital right now.”

“Is she…okay?” the boy asked hesitantly.

“For now, yes,” he answered, wiping a few tears away though more followed. “But she got really hurt and they have to wait to try and heal her.”

Even though they didn’t know if she would be able to be healed. Muscular did quite a number on her from what he was told.

“Oh…,” Kouta said, his eyes cast down.

“Yeah,” Izuku replied solemnly with a sigh. “I wasn’t there to protect her. I don’t think I even could if I had been there. That’s why I want to work hard and get stronger so that next time I for sure can. I want…need to protect others so they don’t have to suffer.”

They fell silent again and let the sounds of the night play out.

After a while, Kouta quietly spoke next to him, “I…understand. Not about wanting to be a Hero but…”

Izuku turned to face the kid properly as he trailed off sensing that Kouta might be opening up to him. Black eyes peeked up at him for a moment before focusing on the ground. He had his knees pulled up to his chest and his arms wrapped around his legs. His fingers picking at a stray thread on his shorts.

“My parents,” he murmured quietly, his anger just barely holding back his tears. “They were…Heroes.”

Were.

That explained why Kouta was here and not with his parents. At least to a point but Izuku could guess there was more to it.

“Have you ever heard of Water Hose?” Kouta asked, glancing up at him with the tiniest of tears in his eyes.

“Of course!” Izuku answered, recalling exactly where in his notebooks in analysis on the Hero duo was. “A two person Hero team who worked together. They saved so many lives over the years. They even…”

Only for him to trail off at the scowl on the boy’s face. Yeah, he remembered the news report now. Gushing over the boy’s deceased parents…not cool, Izuku.

“I’m sorry,” the Quirkless teen said, internally chastising himself. “I’m kind of a Hero fanboy.”

He chuckled awkwardly but it did nothing to alleviate the tension.

Crap. How can I fix this?

“I’m also sorry for your loss,” Izuku offered with a solemn smile. “I know I still have my parents and I can’t understand exactly how you feel. But I almost lost my mom less than a week ago and I almost lost my dad when I was ten. Even though he pulled through and hopefully my mom will too, it was still…scary.”

“You were…scared?” the boy asked, surprised he admitted it. Kouta didn’t want to admit how scared he was when he first found out about it. Anger was much easier to deal with.

“Yeah, I was,” the teen answered with a nod. “Almost losing someone is scary. You don’t know if you’ll ever see them again. My mom and I are close. When I found out what happened, I felt like it was my fault for not being there for her. Still do to be honest.”

The greenet let out a sigh as he felt the lingering guilt that he knows is misplaced. He just couldn’t help it. They sat there quietly absorbing what they had learned about each other. Kouta finding someone that might understand what he was going through and Izuku better understanding the boy next to him.

“I guess I can see why you wouldn’t like Heroes,” Izuku commented, looking over at the kid. “I would be upset too if I was in your shoes.”

“I’m not upset,” Kouta scoffed, pointedly turning away. “And we don’t have the same shoes.”

Izuku chuckled as he was right. His little black boots were nothing like his own red shoes.

“No, that’s true,” Izuku conceded. “But I can sort of understand how you’re feeling. It’s okay to be upset, Kouta-kun.”

The boy said nothing but he also wasn’t glaring at him. Kouta was more staring out into the night thinking about what he said. Izuku didn’t want to bother him anymore than he had. So, he reached for the boy’s plate and prepared to leave him be, but a small hand grabbed his wrist and stopped him. Green eyes connected with black in silent question.

The kid looked down before asking quietly, “Can you stay…please?”

“Sure,” Izuku answered easily, settling down closer to the boy.

They didn’t talk anymore. Only sat there enjoying the evening air. But as Kouta was starting to nod off, Izuku suggested they go back and offered the boy a ride on his back. Kouta sleepily nodded and once the boy situated with the empty plate in hand, he walked them back down to camp.

Aizawa glared at him as soon as he spotted the problem child who had broken curfew. However, upon seeing the boy on his back, his eyes softened considerably. The tired man let out a huff as he silently took the plate from his hands so Izuku could better hold the kid.

“Is he alright?” Aizawa asked as they walked to the boy’s room.

They passed Mandalay who was visibly relieved to see her young cousin.

“He’s fine,” Izuku assured as she followed them and listened. “Just tired. He did eat though.”

The brunette nodded in thanks as they neared the kid’s room. She opened the door and let Izuku inside who gently placed the boy on the bed. Mandalay worked quickly to take off Kouta’s shoes before tucking him into bed. They walked out of the room as quietly as they could before closing the door behind him.

“Why don’t we go talk?” Mandalay offered as she led them to a sitting area.

The student and teacher followed her and they were joined by Pixie Bob who brought a tray of drinks for them. They settled on the couches with Aizawa and Izuku on one and the other two Heroes on the other.

“So, I’m guessing you have questions?” the telepath asked, sounding more like a mind reader.

The greenet nodded as he said, “I was surprised when Kouta-kun didn’t seem to like Heroes. But after we talked and I learned about who his parents were, I can kind of understand why.”

Mandalay’s eyes widened in surprise as she asked, “He told you?”

“Mhmm,” he nodded again. “Not at first, but I told him a bit about my mom. It helped us to have something to relate to.”

Izuku grimaced not wanting to think about the state of his mother, but it had helped.

“What happened, if I may ask?” Pixie Bob asked hesitantly.

“His mother is in the hospital currently,” Aizawa spoke up, knowing his student most likely didn’t want to talk about it himself again tonight. “She was attacked by a Villain a week ago.”

The Pussycats stared at him in shock that quickly morphed into concern for the teen.

“Do you know who the Villain was?” Mandalay pressed but not too pointedly.

The tired man glanced over at his student silently asking if it was alright to say. Izuku gave him a nod in response. Aizawa nodded back before turning back to the other Heroes.

“Muscular.”

Both women gasped and shared a look of horror. Aizawa and Izuku also cast a glance at each other before turning back. It took a moment for the other two to calm down.

“I see…,” Mandalay said, doing her best to keep her composure. “I’m sorry for what happened to your mother, Midoriya. That man…he’s a monster. He’s the one who murdered Kouta’s parents.”

This time it was Izuku’s turn to gasp. His eyes trailed to the direction of Kouta’s room even though they were separated by a wall. Guess he could relate to the boy much more than he thought.

“When?” Izuku asked as he turned back to them.

“Two years ago,” the telepath answered. “He was still so small and couldn’t understand. They were protecting civilians when they were killed. An honorable death for a Hero but how can you explain that to a child? They were everything to him. His entire world ripped away and making him feel left behind.”

The air was thick with sorrow for the boy in the other room.

“At the same time, his parents were being praised for their sacrifice. That it was a noble act. But I think this caused Kouta to despise Heroes instead. To be honest, he doesn’t seem to like us all that much being Heroes like his parents. Perhaps he thinks he’s stuck here with us having nowhere else to go."

Like me being a ward of UA.

Though that wasn’t entirely true. While his mother was incapable of taking care of him right now, his father could. But that would mean leaving UA which Izuku didn’t want to do.

“Heroes just don’t make sense to Kouta,” Mandalay said with a shake of her head. “Because if his parents hadn’t been Heroes, then they still would have been here for him.”

Izuku nodded at that but didn’t have anything to say in response. He bid the Heroes good night before heading towards the shared room with his classmates. He made quick work to get ready for bed and then tiptoed his way over sleeping bodies in the dark room to his futon on the other side. Hitoshi was passed out which was good. Shouto also seemed to be asleep as Izuku settled down on the ground. However, either he was faking or just barely asleep, his friend woke up and blinked at him blurrily.

“Zuku?” Shouto slurred out as he reached out for him instinctively.

The Quirkless teen scooted closer to him as he whispered, “Sorry I’m late. I was talking to the kid.”

“Kid?” the other mumbled sleepily as they settled next to each other.

“Kouta, the little boy,” Izuku replied. “I brought him some dinner and we talked for a bit. He’s…angry and doesn’t like Heroes, but after talking to him I can kind of understand why.”

Though he still found it weird to meet someone who adamantly did not want to be a Hero. Shouto merely hummed in response already falling back asleep. Izuku chuckled quietly as he tucked a lock of hair behind his friend’s ear before drifting off to sleep himself. Tomorrow was going to be another tough day and he knew he would need as much rest as possible.

If only he knew just how tough it was about to become.

~~~

The breeze was warm as Dabi stood on the cliff looking down at the forest below. Not that he could really feel it on his scarred skin nor did he care. His focus was elsewhere. Hidden within the trees were unsuspecting Heroes living in a peace they would soon interrupt. Give the kiddy Heroes a little taste of the future Shigaraki wanted to make.

Not that Dabi cared about that all that much. His only goal was taking Endeavor down and unfortunately their target had thrown a wrench into his plans. But that handsy fucker wanted him for some reason and so they’ll get the Quirkless shithead for their ‘boss’. Shiggy’s attitude had seemed better since their first meeting having come to terms with something he hadn’t before. Gaining some form of maturity seemingly out of nowhere. But he still acted like a child at times through tantrums at seemingly nothing.

Whatever. Dabi just didn’t care. He had a mission to do same as the others. They were just waiting for everyone to arrive. Toga was there complaining about the last-minute Support Items they ordered from the black market. While the twerp Mustard chastised her for focusing too much on aesthetic rather than function. Though he did have a point that it was more important that the gadgets worked, not that they were ‘cute’.

They were soon joined by Magne hauling her large magnet covered in clothe. Followed by the cannibalistic Moonfish, the lizard guy Spinner with purple hair, and the cloaked Muscular who was just itching for a fight. He had been complaining ever since being sent to get Midoriya the first time that he hadn’t been able to ‘finish the job properly’. Dabi didn’t give a fuck about his need for violence or how pumped up he was.

“Shut the fuck up, you crazy bastard,” the fire user snapped, glaring over his shoulder before turning back to the forest. “There’s only seven of us here. We wait for the other three to join our little party.”

Muscular growled in complaint but said no more. Dabi rolled his eyes in annoyance anyway. Why did he have to deal with these people?

“Attacking the USJ with a bunch of random thugs had been a mistake for the League,” Dabi said into the night. “Using a small group of elites is better.”

In a room, Aizawa and Vlad King were working late finalizing plans for the next day.

“First, we take away their sense of peace…”

The students slumbered away with no knowledge of the Villains lurking above.

“…let them know that their lives…”

One Midoriya Izuku snuggled closer to one Todoroki Shouto none the wiser what the universe had in store for him next.

“…rest in our hands.”

That the Vanguard Action Squad was ready and waiting to strike.

Notes:

Hitoshi has a new technique! You never know when the puppy dog eyes would be useful. ;) I might have had a little fun with Hitoshi brainwashing Vlad King but I couldn't resist. Also it was needed father and son bonding.

Can I just say I absolutely love the tiny little smile Shouto has when he lights the fire for the girls? It's just too precious. -I just suddenly forgot how to spell precious and literally had to think of Gollum from LOTR to remember...-

Kouta and Izuku bonding! :D ...They have way more to relate than I intended but then it just fit and I'm all hell yeah let's make them friends. I just love how Kouta connects to Midoriya in canon with the letter and the shoes. Not sure what will happen with them yet in BC but we'll see! ^____^

Uh oh. The League be creepin'. Camp is about to get...interesting. :P Dabi is still pissed at Izuku because he has no idea of his connection to Stain. Just wait, dear readers. I've got a fun thing planned for that interaction. ;) Among others... Oh I'm just so excited for the coming arc! The fluff! The drama! All of it! Wee!

But for now, I leave you with this. Now I've got five days of work in a row. Gotta keep up that customer experience! Up next is the test of courage. I wonder how that's going to go. -Your Mad King Says: PONDER!- ;) Until then, be safe, be healthy, and be happy! See ya!

Chapter 25: Training Camp: Test Of Courage

Notes:

Reminder of the remedial team. We've got Satou and Aoyama who lost against Cementoss, Ashido and Kaminari against Nezu, and then Katsuki and Kirishima against All Might. In case you forgot. :)

So I've got a little treat for you this week. It's going to be a double update! :D Why? Because I felt like it. Also the ending of this chapter didn't seem like a satisfying cliffhanger. Which means you get two chapters this happy Tuesday. ;) Enjoy!

Warning for teasing from ["Partnering again, eh?..."] to just before ["Oh, yes!"].

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

Fuck mornings.

Katsuki was exhausted. Not that he would show it like the others kept up late for remedial classes, but come on, two in the fucking morning? What the fuck, hobo man? Keeping a strict sleep schedule was important to his routine. Only five hours of sleep was seriously messing with his energy, but Katsuki would push himself hard regardless. He needed to work harder to be better.

I’ll do whatever it takes to be a Hero.

After hearing what happened to Inko, he had to do his damnedest to become one. His aunt had been attacked by a Villain and although the last time he had seen her she had yelled at him, he was determined to be there to beat whoever tried to mess with her again. Katsuki wasn’t so stubborn as to admit at least to himself that he cared for Inko. Just thinking of her had red eyes trailing to a mess of green hair across the way only to snap away a second later.

Katsuki wasn’t sure how to feel about Deku right now. Inko was his aunt and it hurt to hear what happened to her. He couldn’t even imagine what the nerd was going through since it was his mother though he seemed to be doing alright he guessed. Regardless, from lack of sleep and having to see the two idiots canoodling this morning, Katsuki didn’t have the energy to even think of Deku right now. Any scrap of it he was going to need to get through training today.

“WAAAAAAH!!” Rock Face screamed as loud as he could from a top of a hill.

It’s too fucking early for this crap, Katsuki thought, resisting the urge to yawn.

The others weren’t so restrained visibly looking as tired as he felt. Big Lips was trying to appear strong but his eyes were squinted in sleep. The walking Disco Ball wasn’t as ‘sparkly’ as usual with a smile that was more like a grimace. Pinky and Pikachu couldn’t stand up properly propped up on their bent knees. Shitty Hair’s grumbling ended up getting himself wrapped up in the hobo’s scarf to force him to face the early morning sun. Even across the way, the Copycat from 1-B didn’t seem up to his usual snark.

“I wasn’t lying when I said it would be tough,” the scruffy man said, pulling his scarf taunt. “You’re not only here to improve your Quirks, but also to overcome weaknesses seen in the finals. Consider why you are more tired than the others before you start whining about it. You have much more to improve here.”

He released his hold on Kirishima and the red head would have fallen over if Katsuki hadn’t stuck out his arm. He caught Shitty Hair who grabbed onto him long enough to stand on his own. His friend sent him a grateful look. Katsuki merely huffed in reply before pulling his arm away and made his way to his assigned barrel of boiling water to get started on today’s training.

~~~

Across the field, Izuku was surprised at the interaction never expecting Bakugou to help anyone like that. But then again, there had been a lot of things that he never thought his once childhood friend would do. Bakugou had been so brash and explosive since his Quirk came in and it only increased as the years went by. The showering of praise allowed his confrontational nature to grow while at the same time put a lot of pressure on him to live up to those expectations.

Perhaps that was what had led him to think Izuku had been looking down on him? Someone he saw as lesser trying to match him on his perceived higher level. He was completely wrong of course but maybe that was it. Regardless, while Izuku still saw the Hero in Bakugou despite all he’s done to him, the subtle changes he saw meant there was progress in him working towards being a better person. It gave him hope that his childhood friend could be an even greater Hero than he would have been already. A Hero that sought to save people and not just to be the best.

“Uraraka! Shinsou!” Aizawa called out suddenly drawing many people’s attention to the pair.

Ochako was walking around with a boulder floating above her hands. While Hitoshi was already sweating currently controlling multiple students at once ordering them to use their Quirks while under the control of his own. Two birds, one stone, right?

“That also includes you,” the teacher continued, his tone stern. “Technically your team didn’t fail, but you were very, very close. You took a big risk with what you did despite all of your precautions. It was a gamble that paid off this time, but next time you may not be so lucky. It was only Thirteen’s concern for Uraraka that aided in your win, but against a real Villain it won’t be the same case.”

Ochako and Hitoshi hung their heads in shame, but nodded accepting the criticism.

Aizawa nodded as well before addressing them as a group, “All of you should know to not put yourselves in danger on purpose just in order to win. Yes, you’re training to become Heroes, but you need to be smart in this dangerous work. Think and fight with your mind as well as your body. Find a way to win without sacrificing yourself and live to fight another day.”

Izuku knew those words came from the loss of his friend back in his high school days. A young Hero-in-training who never had a chance to see their future as Pros come into being. A sad story but one that fueled the man to push his students so they wouldn’t meet the same fate.

“Don’t lose focus. Work harder and aim to be faster, better, stronger. And don’t forget where you started from. Remember who you were before UA. Who you were then and who you are now are drastically different. Keep pushing forward while thinking why you’re sweating, why your limits are constantly being tested. Then you will know what it means to improve.”

His words were harsh and demanding of them to push themselves to their limits in order to surpass them. It was hard work but even then, they knew it was all in an effort to help them improve and be better. Some even already seeing results from their hard efforts. That paired with his little speech drove them to work even harder and become the best kind of Heroes they could be.

“Meow, meow, meow, meow!” Pixie Bob spoke in a laughing tone while sitting on a pile of boxes. “More importantly, you kittens are gonna have fun tonight! The two classes will be pitted against each other in a test of courage. You’ve all been training very hard, so as a reward, you’ll get to play hard later!”

Her enthusiasm was not matched by the students who were already exhausted. To many it sounded more like training than a reward and in the dark no less. Though those that embraced the darkness looked forward to the coming revelry in the dark. Regardless they all refused to slack off and continued to keep pushing themselves as they trained.

A test of courage, huh? Izuku thought, smiling as he sparred with one of the 1-B students. Sounds like fun!

Training was followed by preparing dinner. Bakugou surprised a lot of people with his cutting skills but Izuku knew he actually was a very good cook. His passion for spicy things had driven him to learn so he could make food at his preferred spice level. Izuku himself helped out loading firewood while others busied themselves peeling potatoes and other tasks.

At one point he spotted Kouta carrying a box of vegetables to help out his aunt. He was still standoffish with the other students but he wasn’t exactly running away to his hideout like before. Izuku managed to caught his eye and gave him a small wave as he was putting down his box. The boy looked away stubbornly but after a moment glanced back at him and returned the wave before darting off. Izuku chuckled as he went back to his task.

Soon enough they finished, consuming the stew they had just made, and cleaning up after themselves. Then it was time. The test of courage was about to begin.

Well, for most of them. Unfortunately, those in the remedial classes were dragged off, some literally, by their teacher. Bakugou made no complaint and followed with his hands in his pockets. He didn’t want to do that dumb kid stuff anyway. Though talk of strategy and whatever wasn’t going to be much better. Ugh, this training camp really sucked.

For those participating, Class 1-B was up first as the ‘scarers’ scattered along the planned route lying in wait to terrify them with their Quirks. Izuku himself was already brainstorming how he would use the Support Items he was dressed in head to toe. The path was a loop with nametags located at the midway point to prove they cleared the course. Then 1-A would pair up to walk the route and thankfully their numbers were even what with six of them stuck taking the extra classes. Meaning Izuku didn’t have to do this alone.

Thank goodness for that.

“Revelry in the dark,” Tokoyami said out of the blue.

Not sure what that means, but okay!

They drew lots to find their partners. Tokoyami was with Shouji, Jirou with Hagakure, Yaoyorozu with Ojiro, Ochako with Tsuyu, and Tenya with Kouda. Izuku found himself paired with Sero who flashed him a smile.

“Partnered again, eh, Midoriya?” Sero quipped, wiggling his eyebrows. “If we keep seeing each other like this, might as well go steady.”

Izuku laughed the comment off though he still blushed at the insinuation. He glanced over at Shouto who was glaring at Sero as he stood next to his own partner Hitoshi. The greenet caught the bi-color teen’s attention and Shouto’s expression softened. They stared at each other for a moment lost in the other’s eyes while Sero and Hitoshi traded a knowing look.

“So, you and Todoroki, huh?” the tape wielder said suddenly next to him.

The Quirkless teen jumped as he snapped his attention back to his partner.

“Eh? Yes? No? What?”

Sero chuckled at his reaction as he said, “Never mind. You ready for this?”

“Oh, yes!” Izuku chirped, glad for the change of subject. “I’ve never done one of these before but it sounds like fun!”

They were one of the last pairs in the lineup so they waited patiently for their turn. Well, as much as one could while listening to screams coming from the forest intermittently. It was just as Ochako and Tsuyu entered the forest that the air of playful scaring turned to be filled with real fear. Even the smell in the air turned foul and there were whisps of black smoke drifting out of the tops of the trees.

Is there a fire on the mountain?

But how? The embers fluttering in the smoke looked blue. The only fire related Quirks were Shouto’s and Bakugou’s and neither of them had blue flames. Maybe Fukidashi with the right words or Monoma if he copied one but again, no one in either class had a Quirk like that. So, what was going on? Izuku had a sinking feeling that their fun filled night was taking a turn for the worst. Which was quickly confirmed when Pixie Bob was suddenly surrounded by a pink aura and pulled by an unseen force.

“Pixie Bob!” Mandalay cried out as they tracked her trajectory.

She was on the ground, her head pinned by a long cloth covered object. The tall figure holding it could either be a man or a woman, Izuku wasn’t sure, but that didn’t matter right now! The Hero was hurt, lying still as blood was running done her face and her visor was broken.

“Let’s first rid ourselves of these feral cats,” this person, this…this Villain, sneered.

Villains? Here? No way. I thought they had planned it so no one could find us. We don’t even know where we are!

Seriously, what the hell was happening?

The one pinning Pixie Bob wasn’t alone. There was also another Villain next to them posturing. He had green scaled skin and purple hair armed with what looked like a sword on his back. Wait, the eye mask and scarf looked familiar. Was he trying to look like Stain?

Izuku didn’t know how to feel about that nor did he have the time. Pixie Bob was hurt and the camp was being attacked by Villains. Clearly more than these two judging by the smoke and blue fire raging in the woods. And now there was some sort of pink gas? Fuck. Who knows how many were out there or what they could do? They had to be careful as once again they would have to fight just to stay alive.

Then Izuku remembered something. Or rather someone.

Shit! Kouta!!

“Mandalay!” Izuku called out, already readying his Jet shoes. “I know where Kouta is!”

“Hey wait!” the Hero yelled at the same time the lizard Villain shouted, “That’s him!”

But Izuku heard neither of them as he dashed off into the forest with his whole focus on finding Kouta and making sure he was safe.

“Shit,” the lizard man cursed. “The target’s on the move.”

Target? Mandalay thought in dismay.

“Not to worry, Spinner, dear,” the other Villain assured their partner. “He should run into one of the others.”

“You’re right, Big Sis Mag,” the lizard man nodded before turning back to the others and started monologuing as bad guys do. “Greetings, UA High School. We are part of the Vanguard Action Squad of the League of Villains. How are you this fine evening?”

Little did they know that Mandalay was sending out a message to all the Heroes and students warning them of what was happening. They were under attack and their secret training camp was no longer safe.

Everyone! Two Villains attacked us. High possibility there are more. They also revealed they have at least one target. Everyone, especially Midoriya Izuku, needs to return to camp immediately. We need to regroup. Do not engage any enemies.

Izuku ran while listening to the telepath’s message. The feeling was foreign like a kind of electrical static but he ignored it and her instructions so that he could find Kouta. It didn’t matter that he was a target. He needed to find Kouta and fast. Then they could both go to safety.

Gods damn it, Shigaraki! What the fuck do you think you’re doing?!

The Villain seriously had no qualms when it came to attacking children. The same children in fact over and over again. Seriously, universe, what gives? And Kouta was out there somewhere alone, most likely at his hideout. The thought of him alone and unprotected drove Izuku to move all the faster to get to him. To keep him safe.

~~~

Kouta was scared. The trees were on fire and there was a weird smell in the air. He was alone and his cousin didn’t know about this place so she couldn’t come find him. Couldn’t come protect him from whatever was happening. He didn’t know what to do so he stood there staring out at the scary sight below. And it only got worse as he heard a noise from behind him at the same time the voice of his cousin rang in his head.

Kouta. Kouta! I hope you can hear my voice. Hurry up and come back to camp!

He could, he very much could hear his cousin’s voice in his head, but he couldn’t come back to camp. Not with the towering masked and cloaked figure suddenly staring down at him.

I’m sorry, I can’t come to you! I don’t know where you’re always running off to.

He knew that as he stepped back away from the scary man. It was part of why he came up here because nobody knew about it. So that he could be alone. But now that was putting him in danger. Kouta was scared.

Forgive me. Just get back home, fast!

He would, oh how he wished he could. But how could he with this person, this…this Villain bearing down on him. Following him step for step.

“Came up here scouting for a nice vantage point,” the Villain said, standing before him. “Didn’t expect to find someone up here. You’re not even on the list.”

Kouta trembled as he looked up at the tall man, not knowing what to say or do. Because what could he do? He was just a kid!

“By the way, nice hat, kid,” the man continued, his voice growing ever familiar in his young ears though he didn’t know why. “Wanna trade it for this lame mask?”

He reached for the mask with a giant hand. Kouta took the chance and turned to run, but it was no use. The scary man was fast and blocked his path, muscles breaking through his skin at an alarming rate. However, that wasn’t what Kouta was focusing on as he trembled with fear. The news broadcast of his parents’ death played in his head as he realized who exactly was in front of him. The Quirked muscles paired with a murderous grin and a damaged eye filled with bloodlust. It was him.

The Villain who killed his parents.

It was in that moment as the murderer’s fist was coming down on him that Kouta found himself being dragged out of the way.

~~~

Izuku almost didn’t make it. He finally reached the cliff to find poor Kouta facing a Villain all by himself. He looked so small compared to the towering figure. One who was aiming a punch right for the kid. No way in hell was Izuku going to let that happen.

With a burst of his Jet shoes, the Quirkless teen shot forward and grabbed the boy in just the nick of time. At least for him though Izuku still took a glancing blow from the Villain. His goggles cracked and flew off his head as they landed in a heap on the ground.

Okay, ouch, that fucking hurt, Izuku thought as he picked himself up to face their attacker.

“What are you doing here?” Kouta shouted, shocked that he was there.

“I came to make sure you were alright,” Izuku answered, eyes not leaving the Villain.

Wait, is that? Izuku thought, looking the man over and immediately recognizing certain features. Shit, it is him. Muscular.

The greenet chanced a glance down at the boy beside him who was trembling like a leaf. He could relate being faced with the man who attacked their parents but he didn’t have time to allow his fear to take over him. He needed to protect them both.

“Well, well, well,” the familiar man drawled with a grin. “Look who it is. Shigaraki’s little pet project. Peh, I don’t see what’s so special but whatever. You’re coming with me, kid. Shigaraki wants you.”

“I don’t give a fuck what Shigaraki wants,” the Quirkless teen spat back. He was really pissed at the handy man right now. “No way am I going with you.”

“You got quite a mouth on ya,” Muscular jeered. “A little fight in you too. This could be fun. Shigaraki said to take you in but he didn’t say in one piece.”

The muscled Villain was staring at him like a piece of meat. There was no way Izuku was going to be able to fight him off alone. He needed backup, fast. And he needed to get Kouta the hell away from here as soon as possible. But with his broken goggles there was no way Izuku could call for help. He couldn’t even use his phone seeing as there was no service out here. He’ll have to add a secondary communication device of some kind after this. If they made it out of this alive that is.

“Come on, Midoriya,” the Villain taunted, dropping into an attack position ready to strike. “Show me why Shigaraki wants you so bad. Show me what makes you so special. SHOW ME YOUR BLOOD!”

Muscular surged forward and Izuku only had a second to grab Kouta before using his Jet shoes to shoot up into the air. They jumped over the Villain as he ran past them and landed quickly turning to face the man.

“Kouta, get on my back,” Izuku instructed as he crouched down.

The boy was quick to do as he was told and latched onto him like a koala. The Quirkless teen willed his arm wrappings to unfurl and then secure the kid to his back. All while he kept the Villain at bay with a blast of fire from his mask.

“Not bad,” Muscular said as he waved the last of the flames away. “But playing keep away isn’t my style. Fight me with everything you’ve got!”

He moved to charge them again at the same time Izuku threw a glue bomb at him. The bomb hit true and dowsed the man with glue, drying instantly and cementing him on the spot. But the young analyst could see the glue already cracking as more muscles grew out of his skin.

Shit.

By himself, he wasn’t going to last long. Izuku was smart and clever. Could think his way out of a lot of things, but sometimes brain could not beat brawns. Sometimes you needed more of an edge in a fight than some gear. And Izuku knew just the kind of edge he needed in this moment.

Eraserhead.

His teacher had been with the remedial class at the time of the attack. Perhaps he was still there and could help Izuku take down this muscled monster. He could at least get Kouta there, a bit safer than out here. Then the Quirkless teen could draw the Villain away and use being a target to his advantage.

With that plan in mind, Izuku blew another billow of fire as he reached for another bomb. Muscular was still working on the first layer of glue as he was hit by a second glue bomb. The Villian roared in anger and grew even more muscle to break himself free. The young Hero knew he didn’t have much time and so he tossed a smoke bomb before he jumped off the cliff with Kouta secured on his back.

“COME BACK HERE!” the muscled man screamed, a loud crack snapping through the air.

Fuck. Not good.

Izuku was racing on his Jet shoes, zig zagging through the trees as best he could to put some distance between them. Behind them he could hear the Villain rampaging through the forest in pursuit. He seriously hoped he could get to Eraserhead in time.

The Quirkless teen did his best to keep their attacker at bay. Throwing smoke and glue bombs behind him until he ran out. The others wouldn’t help in this situation, not even the improved capture bombs considering the Villain’s Quirk. Izuku figured the only way to defeat him was to erase the muscled man’s Quirk and then take him down. It wasn’t like any of them had a Quirk like All Might’s to overpower Muscular in strength. Well maybe Dark Shadow empowered by the darkness of the night but Tokoyami could be anywhere. At least with Eraserhead, he had a general idea of where he could be.

Izuku dodged another tree trying not to get distracted by the angered howling behind him as the Villain continued to chase them. He then spotted some of his classmates ahead running for the same building he was. Most likely to safety and here Izuku was drawing danger to the door step. But what choice did he have? He needed to find Eraserhead.

“RUN!” Izuku yelled. “THERE’S A VILLAIN BEHIND ME!! RUN!!”

Tenya was quick to take action and grabbed hold of Kouda and Sero by the collar before activating his Quirk. The animal whisperer and tape wielder flailed as they zoomed off ahead of them. Izuku let out a sigh of relief as he kept going.

“Why?” a quiet voice asked behind him. “Why did you come for me? Why did you fight him?”

He couldn’t spare a glance focusing on skate-running, but he did reply, “I had to make sure you were safe. That’s what Heroes do. Save people.”

“But he’s so strong,” Kouta pushed, holding on to him tighter.

“I know,” Izuku said as he dodged another tree. “That man…he’s dangerous.”

“I-I know,” the boy replied, voice wobbly with tears. “He…he killed my parents.”

That hurt Izuku’s heart. That the kid knew and had to face the man that murdered the most precious people in his life. It hurt Izuku too but at least his mother was still alive. But Kouta…he ended up alone.

“I know,” the Quirkless teen answered. “He’s the one that hurt my mom too.”

He could hear and feel the sharp intake of breath from behind him. Izuku hadn’t really been planning to share that as he didn’t want to make the boy sad. But it was a truth and a connection that they both shared. For better or for worse was yet to be seen, but that was for the future. For now, they were running for their lives.

Suddenly they cleared the tree line and were met with an odd sight. Tenya, Sero, and Kouda were stopped and standing off to the side. They were watching with caution as Aizawa was dealing with who had to be one of the other Villains. The black-haired man was covered with scars lined with staples and wearing dark clothes including a long coat.

Eraserhead had the scarred man wrapped in his capture weapon as the Villain taunted him about his worry for his students. The Hero pulled his scarf taunt in threat only for it to cut through the other like butter. The Villain seemed to turn to sludge and Izuku wondered if that was his Quirk. But he also noticed that Aizawa had Erasure active so it couldn’t be that. Perhaps someone else’s that he couldn’t see? Which left the question as to what was the Villain’s Quirk.

“SHOW ME YOUR BLOOD!!”

Fuck. Right, Muscular.

“ERASERHEAD, QUICK!” Izuku cried out as he rushed towards him. “There’s a Villain following us with a transformation Quirk that increases his muscle mass. You need to erase his Quirk fast!”

The Pro Hero nodded before snapping his gaze towards the sounds of the coming danger crashing through the trees.

“Get into the building now!” Aizawa ordered, momentarily pleased when he heard quick footsteps behind him.

He searched the trees for any sign of the coming threat. Blinking just enough to rehydrate his eyes but still ready to activate Erasure. It was obvious where the Villain was coming from with all the noise. No subtlety at all but that was to his advantage. Without even seeing him, he could guess his next opponent most likely relied on his Quirk a lot. Let’s see how he handles a Quirkless fight.

The Villain broke through the trees tossing one of them out of his way with ease. Eraserhead recognized him immediately and internally cursed. The problem child and Kouta had to face him of all people? Why did the universe have to curse them with such rotten luck? No matter. The Hero would make quick work of Muscular and finally bring him down.

Black eyes flashed red as Erasure took effect. Muscular paused in shock as his muscle retreated back under his skin. The blonde was clearly trying to will his Quirk to work but that would never happen under Eraserhead’s Quirked eyes.

“Stand down, Villain,” the Underground Hero ordered with a growl.

“Ah, another Hero, huh?” the Villain sneered. “Eraserhead, right? You think taking my Quirk will stop me from fighting you? No way in hell. I’ll beat you down until you’re a bloody heap in the dirt. I will make you show me your blood.”

Muscular ran towards him only to be instantly wrapped in the Hero’s scarf. Eraserhead surged forward and kneed the man in the face, right into his injured eye which was an obvious weak spot. It was almost laughable how easily the Villain crumbled to the ground. All talk but without his Quirk he wasn’t much of a fight. The Pro fished out a pair of Quirk canceling cuffs and secured them on tight before turning around.

The problem child and Kouta were still there. Watching.

“Thank you, Aizawa-sensei,” Izuku breathed out, the boy still on his back. “I knew I couldn’t fight him on my own, but I was able to get Kouta away from him.”

Why are you still out here?” Aizawa fumed as he stalked over to them. “I told you to go inside.”

“Can’t,” the problem child replied as he unfurled his arm wrappings and passed Kouta over to him. “I can still help the others out.”

“Not as a target, you can’t,” the Hero said sternly while holding the boy securely.

Watch me,” Izuku retorted with a tone of challenge.

The teen then rushed off back into the forest and Aizawa could do nothing with his arms full of child.

Fuck.

“TELL THE OTHERS THEY HAVE MY PERMISSION TO FIGHT!” Aizawa shouted. “IN DEFENSE ONLY!”

The kid waved over his shoulder in response as he ran while the tired man sighed.

…problem child.

“Is he going to be okay?” Kouta asked quietly, staring off where Izuku had left.

“I sure hope so,” was the teacher’s answer. “Let’s get you inside.”

Then I’ll go find the problem child and drag his ass back here if I need to.

Aizawa was not going to let anything else traumatic happen to the green one for once. The universe seriously needed to cut the kid some slack.

It doesn’t.

Notes:

It's official. The training camp attack as begun. Curse those villains who won't leave Izuku alone. -looks into mirror and gives a mischievous wink-

Got some BakuKiri action going on. Also, a glimpse into Katsuki's thoughts on Inko and her attack. As well as some mixed feelings about Izuku. There's more of that to come, dear readers. ;) Also a little of TodoDeku as well because they're adorable and I can't help myself.

If you skipped the teasing, Sero jokes about dating Izuku. Shouto is jealous for like a second until he and Izuku catch each other's attention. Sero and HItoshi share knowing looks and then Sero jokes about Izuku and Shouto being a thing and Izuku is a flustered mess. But what else is new? :P

Let me just say, for coming chapters I had to put a lot of effort figuring out how Izuku was going to react to the League. Especially zealots like Spinner who has Stain all wrong. I did my best so I hope it all makes sense to you. :) Because seriously Spinner is just wrong. Bad lizard.

Sooo...the Muscular fight. Not as flashy as canon but BC Izuku also doesn't have One For All so it was never going to be. This was a brains vs brawns fight and brains won out. I do think that Muscular does rely on his quirk a lot and the eye thing is an obvious weakness. Also Eraserhead is a badass and just that good. :P

Alright. That's part 1 of this update. On to part 2! :D

Chapter 26: Training Camp: Blood, Sweat, And Tears

Notes:

And now for part 2 of this update! :D Again because I felt like it. Izuku is running around trying to save everyone like he does. Let's get into more of the training camp attack!

Formatting reminder:
"Hitoshi using his Quirk."

Warning for swearing because we've got a Katsuki pov this chapter.

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

Izuku came back to the clearing they had gathered for the test of courage. There were no students there anymore. Which meant that about half of one class was safe while the rest were still out there facing the attacking Villains. Before him the Heroes were still fighting the first two Villains who had appeared.

Tiger was facing off against the one with some sort of attraction Quirk though they weren’t using it now. Perhaps because their Support Item was on the ground next to Pixie Bob who was still unconscious. Mandalay was fighting the lizard guy who was wielding a huge ass sword made of hundreds of knives.

What the fuck is up with that?

Intimidating at a glance but it looked cumbersome to swing around. In all honestly, he looked ridiculous to Izuku. Then there was what he was saying.

“You’re not…!”

Swing and a miss.

“…a real Hero!”

And strike two.

Mandalay was dodging as best she could but the ludicrous knife sword was giving her a challenge.

“It’s time to knock you off your false throne!” the lizard shouted, aiming another swing.

Alright, that’s enough of that.

Izuku wasn’t entirely sure what the Villain was griping about, but the talk of false Heroes gave him an idea. Paired with the red scarf and white mask, he was probably referencing the Hero Killer. But Izuku was sure Mandalay would not have been on Chizome’s shit list. She and the rest of the Pussycats were good Heroes who had spent the last twelve years aiding in rescue efforts all over Japan. The lizard man sounded like he was full of crap.

The Quirkless teen skated towards them and grabbed one of his explosive bombs from his belt. He took aim and threw the bomb at the sword. Upon impact the bomb exploded and the sword broke apart, bits of knives scattering everywhere. Not the sturdiest of weapons either it seemed.

“What the hell?!” the lizard man yelled.

“Mandalay! Kouta is safe!” Izuku shouted, ignoring the man as he momentarily deactivates his shoes so he could skid to a stop. “And I have a message from Aizawa. Tell everyone they have his permission to defend themselves against the Villains!”

Mandalay nodded and quickly passed on the message hoping that Eraserhead knew what he was doing. She then quickly engaged the lizard man again in combat.

“Get back to camp now!” she ordered as she kicked at the Villain who blocked the blow with his arms. “They’re targeting you so we need to make sure you’re safe.”

“I can’t,” Izuku said same as he did to Aizawa while reactivating his shoes. “My friends and classmates are still out there along with 1-B. We don’t even know if they have other targets than me. I need to help save them, not just myself. I won’t let them take me, I promise!”

“MIDORIYA, WAIT!” Mandalay called out but he was already gone. “Dammit!”

“You and me both, lady,” Spinner grunted as they fought. “Shigaraki wants that kid something bad. Not sure why though. That kid was saved by Stain. Even though he took the Hero Killer down, he was still chosen by him. Marking him as a true Hero.”

“It doesn’t matter why,” Magne yelled from her own fight. “Shigaraki wants him and is the whole point of this mission. Now stop before you say too much.”

“Too late!” Mandalay shouted as she landed a kick to the lizard man’s head in their distraction. “Finally, a solid hit.”

Tiger also sent his own opponent to the ground with a punch meaning they both had a moment to breath. The telepath considered the boy’s words. It was true that they didn’t know if there were any other targets, but they did know that Midoriya was one of them. However, they couldn’t do anything to stop him right now. All Mandalay could do was pass along his warning.

Stay safe out there, kid. As best you can.

They were in for a rough night.

~~~

Katsuki was trying to process what the hell was happening right now. Out there in the woods the other first years were battling it out with Villains while he and a handful of extras were safe. Safe and useless. Vlad King was watching over them and Glasses was trying to keep everyone calm though it wasn’t really working. Not sure how calm a robot like him could actually be.

Rock Face, Glitter Boy, and Pinkie were terrified. Big Lips, Tape Arms, and Pikachu were doing their best to comfort the others but it still wasn’t helping much. The Copycat was skulking in the corner away from everyone trying to hide how scared he was for his classmates. Especially for the Quirkless teen, his friend, who was being targeted by the attacking Villains.

He wasn’t the only one. They were all worried when Mandalay told them that he was a target. Even Katsuki was worried sick though he wouldn’t say so out loud. Not to the extras anyway other than Shitty Hair who stayed close to his side. The blonde could see his friend was scared but trying his hardest to remain ‘manly’. The explosive teen huffed and nudged the other’s arm before sending a glare his way meant to say he was there for him. Kirishima seemed to understand and sent a thankful smile though it didn’t meet his eyes. Still scared but at least he knew he wasn’t alone.

Katsuki had already been worried about Izuku after he heard about Inko. She was like a second mother to him and she had always been caring to him growing up. Perhaps closer when he was younger and growing a little more distant as the years passed. But she had always been nice to him and never treated him poorly. Well, until his punishment meeting with Nezu when she straight up screamed at him. Something he deserved after all he had done to her son.

Now she was in the hospital for who knows how long and with his shitbag dad overseas, it had left him wondering where Deku was going to go. Obviously, they couldn’t leave him to live alone in their apartment. The only thing Katsuki could figure were those dorms Nezu had built. It would make sense and would keep the nerd safe. Meaning that he hadn’t had to worry as much about that Quirkless fucker because his precious Heroes would do anything for their favorite student. Still a very weird concept for him to think about as Katsuki had always been the favorite before UA.

Not anymore.

With the training camp location kept a secret and them being overseen by Heroes, one would think they would be safe out here in the woods. But of fucking course they weren’t. For some reason Villains kept finding and attacking their class. Especially one green-haired fucker who seemed to draw trouble to him constantly. The USJ, Hosu, Inko, and now this? What other shit was the fucking nerd dealing with that Katsuki didn’t know about.

Hopefully Deku wasn’t out there alone. Hopefully he would listen for once and do as he was ordered to. Get to safety and not get caught by the Villains who for some reason wanted him. What the hell was that about? First the Heroes wanted Deku and now Villains? What the fuck is happening? Katsuki seriously didn’t know.

But what he did know was that nothing was simple when it came to Deku. He was stubborn and persistent. Never letting anyone keep him from doing what he wanted. Katsuki knew this so he shouldn’t have been surprised to not see the nerd walking through the door. Instead, it was the hobo carrying a kid. The one with some spunk who tried to punch Deku in the crotch.

“Vlad, I’ve got another one for you,” Aizawa said as he let the boy down. “I’ll send anyone I see here to regroup. Watch over them and keep these ones safe.”

The fellow Hero nodded in reply as the tired man readied to go back outside.

“What about Izuku?” Shitty Hair asked beside him. “Is he coming here?”

The scruffy man let out a long sigh before replying, “No, he isn’t. Problem Child ran off leaving me with the kid. Now I have to go out there and find him before anything happens to him.”

Of course, he’s fucking not coming. Stupid stubborn Quirkless bastard.

“We should go out and help you search for him,” the red head offered, worried and ready to defend his friend. Wanting to be useful which Katsuki could identify with. It was awful standing there doing nothing while the others were fighting.

“No, you all are to stay here,” their teacher ordered. “We need to get everyone to safety. Having you out there would only make things worse. Stay. Here.”

Eraserhead glared at them to pressure them to obey but without his Quirk to save his eyes. Many cowered under his stare and were quick to submit. Except for one.

They were being ordered to stay put. To stay safe. But what about the others? What about Deku? He wasn’t safe. He was out there fighting Villains while Katsuki was stuck here in time out. Putting his life on the line for others despite knowing one of the reasons why the Villains were there was for his Quirkless ass. Katsuki couldn’t take it, not liking this sitting here and doing nothing. He had to do something. Just had to or else someone could get hurt. Or worse someone, like Deku, could die.

I don’t want him to die.

So he ran.

~~~

The explosive teen bolted for the door before Shouta could do a damn thing.

“Bakugou! Wait!” the Underground Hero shouted as his student blasted off into the night. “Damn it! Fucking problem children.”

He should have known it wouldn’t have been that easy. Not when it came to Bakugou and his impulsiveness. Trying to control his problem class was like herding irate cats.

“Vlad, watch them and don’t let anyone else get out,” Shouta ordered as he put on his goggles again.

Now I have yet another problem child to get back. Gods damn it all.

The Erasure Hero ran out after the blonde one who disappeared into the trees. He was ready to follow but was stopped as another figure stepped out from the shadows. The same one who literally melted to a puddle of goo not too long ago.

“Long time no see, Eraser,” the Villain taunted with a grin.

“You,” the Pro growled, readying himself in a fight position.

“Me,” the scarred man lilted. “I didn’t get to introduce myself earlier. Name’s Dabi.”

Dabi? Wait, wasn’t that…?

Shouta looked over the man who possibly was the one to give Stain information on the Todoroki case. The ‘potential ally’ as the Hero Killer had said. But why was Dabi here, attacking the camp? The same camp that the youngest Todoroki was at. Didn’t the informant care? Or was there more than one Dabi out there? Unlikely but either way, informant or not, Shouta would defend his kids.

“Your concern is showing again, Eraser,” Dabi teased, igniting a ball of blue flames in his hand only for it to snuff out under a Quirked glare.

“I’ll ask again,” the Hero sneered. “What do you want and where are your friends?”

The fire wielder clicked his tongue before replying, “You’re starting to sound like a broken record. It doesn’t matter anyway. You’ve already been defeated.”

The Villain’s smirk was pissing him the fuck off. Shouta shot out his capture weapon but the scarred man dodged. However, the Underground Hero had anticipated that and threw the other end of his scarf at Dabi and pulled. The Villain fell forward and managed to block the kick aimed for his head. They grappled until Shouta had to blink and Dabi forced him back with a blast of blue flames.

“The world is losing faith in you, Heroes,” Dabi jeered as they both breathed heavily. “UA, All Might. Despite these two trusted pillars of our superhuman society, sloppy management allowed Villains to slip in and attack. Damaging the world’s trust in you both.”

Blue eyes widened in maddened glee while Quirked red ones narrowed in anger.

“Just imagine how they’ll react when it comes to light that you let a student get kidnapped!”

The Villain’s monologuing was getting on his nerves. He needed to end this quickly so that he could go after the problem children. Shouta had more important things to do than waste his time listening to the ramblings of this ranting man.

“What is going on out here?” Vlad King called out suddenly.

It was all the distraction he needed. Shouta shot forward and kicked the fire wielder’s head hard. The Hero wrapped Dabi up tight in his capture weapon and stomped the scarred man into the ground. As he suspected, the Villain turned into goop and was no more.

Another fake.

Which left questions of where was the real Dabi was and what was his actual Quirk. Was it the fire or the duplication? Or it could be both for all they knew with the Noumu and All For One involved. Regardless, the Villain was out there somewhere with the rest of their students. He needed to get them all to safety especially the problem children that ran off against orders.

“Vlad, watch them and keep them safe,” Shouta ordered once again. “That’s the second copy I’ve fought and he used the same attack. Their strategy is probably to distract us with their strongest fighters to hide they’re few in number, but you’ll be fine on your own. Don’t hesitate and attack first.”

He waited long enough for Vlad King’s simple nod before rushing off into the night. Shouta had to find Bakugou and Midoriya. Had to protect them from the Villains and themselves. He didn’t know what the blonde one would do but he was sure he ran after the green one. Which made his goal simple. Find the number one problem child and bring him to safety. That was the objecive for the Hero part of him while another part, the parental part, was also keeping an eye out for his foster kid.

Midoriya, Bakugou, Hitoshi…everyone, defend yourselves and be safe.

~~~

Across the forest, the students of 1-A and 1-B were doing their best to defend themselves. Many had been knocked out by the swirling pink gas permeating the woods. Those that were conscious were protecting their fallen classmates and those like Momo were doing all they could to help. Many benefited from the gas masks the creation girl made with her Quirk.

Such as Tetsutetsu and Kendo who were pursuing the source of the gas. Working together to take that Villain down to help their fellow young Heroes. The shots fired from Mustard’s gun rang through the forest as Izuku ran searching for anyone needing help. The sharp sounds only stirred him on to be faster.

From what he had observed, there were at least five Villains in the camp. Muscular who was down. That one guy Aizawa was fighting that turned into goo. Then there was the lizard and his partner. And now someone with a gun though Izuku didn’t know what that Villain’s role was tonight. Though he could hazard a guess as the pink gas dissipated and the sound of gun shots ceased.

The Quirkless teen skated ever forward regardless, searching for his friends and fellow Heroes. Pushing himself to go faster and help the others. He was the reason the Villains were there and he would be damned if he let any of them get hurt because of it. Izuku refused to be taken by the Villains as well and would not give up without a fight.

Fuck you, Shigaraki.

Out of the corner of his eye, Izuku spotted movement too late to dodge. But then he was suddenly yanked out of the way as a shadowy claw slammed into the ground where he had stood a moment ago. Green eyes looked down to find himself wrapped up in Shouji’s dupli-arms and boy was he glad to see his classmate. But then he saw the blood.

“Shouji!” Izuku exclaimed at the bloody stump of one of his arms. “What happened to you?!”

“What are you doing out here, Midoriya?” Shouji reprimanded, breathing heavily. “You know they’re targeting you, right? You should have gone back with the others already, not be out here like this.”

“I can’t,” the greenet responded with a shake of his head. “I have to…”

“You want to save your friends, right?” the scuffed up grey-haired boy interjected as he lowered the other boy to the ground. “No matter the cost to you?”

“Yeah,” was his reply before commenting. “You’re injured.”

Izuku pulled out a small roll of bandages to at least stop the bleeding.

“Yes, we were ambushed by Villains,” Shouji said, still trying to catch his breath while talking as Izuku did his work. “I was covering us, but…Tokoyami lost control of his Quirk.”

Oh shit.

That had to have been Dark Shadow then. And no wonder Tokoyami lost control. Dark Shadow was stronger at night but also harder to control as well. With the stress of the attack and his friend getting hurt, one single moment was all it would take to lose control over such a strong Quirk.

“Tokoyami…Dark Shadow…”

“Yeah,” Shouji uttered, not surprised that he figured out the situation so quickly. “In order to get through here, we’ll have to face off against Dark Shadow.”

Izuku cautiously peeked around the tree to assess the situation. The spirit was raging and Tokoyami was in the middle of the swirling beast of darkness. He had no control at all and was a prisoner of his own Quirk. The dark teen spotted them from behind a tree and ordered them to keep their distance. He didn’t want them to die at the hands of Dark Shadow like this, but they couldn’t leave him either. It was clear that Tokoyami was scared and in pain. Izuku had no idea Dark Shadow could become so terrifying now that they were faced with how powerful the spirit could be.

“What happened?” Izuku prodded, wanting to understand what led to this.

“We were on high alert after Mandalay’s first warning,” Shouji recounted, keeping quiet so as not to draw Dark Shadow’s attention. “But one of the Villains managed to sneak up on us. I pushed Tokoyami out of the way and the Villain cut off my hand with his Quirk in the process. It’s not as bad as it looks. It was one of my duplicates that was cut off so it isn’t gone forever.”

Izuku let out a sigh in relief at that morsel of good news as he cast a glance at the now bandaged limb. It could grow back and Shouji would be just fine. Didn’t change the shit show they were in right now though.

“Dark Shadow dragged Tokoyami out of the way while I hid in the bushes. I tried to cover him but he was enraged to see that I was hurt. His own anger fueled into his Quirk and Dark Shadow took over. Now Dark Shadow is attacking anyone who gets too close. We need a way to take back control.”

Yeah, but how? The rampaging entity was stronger at night. Only light would tame this raging beast of darkness. Either that or Hitoshi’s Brainwashing. But he wasn’t here right now lost somewhere in the woods.

“Light,” Izuku said suddenly. “We need light.”

The taller boy nodded before asking, “Your mask produces fire, right? We could use that.”

Or my flash bombs but that may be too blinding at night. Not to mention it would definitely give our location away.

“We could,” the greenet agreed though he didn’t think they should just yet. “But there are other factors we need to take into consideration.”

“Like what?” Shouji asked.

“That Villain, the one who attacked you, they’re still out there,” Izuku explained, eyeing every move the shadow made as it was tearing up trees as if they were toothpicks. “By the sound of it they’re quite powerful and quick. We could use Dark Shadow to defeat them and then take back control.”

The multi-armed teen considered before replying, “That could work, but how?”

“We draw Dark Shadow to us,” the Quirkless teen proposed. “If he’s drawn to sound, we can use your dupli-arms to get him to follow us without risking our bodies. We can lead him to where the Villain is and then once they’re down, we can weaken Dark Shadow and save them both. Not the best plan but it should work.”

It was risky. Making themselves a target of the phantom’s wrath, but it seemed like the best plan to him. Take advantage of the unideal situation and take two birds out with one shadowy stone.

“How do you plan on finding the Villain?” Shouji questioned. “I didn’t see where they ran off to.”

“You two were first to be sent into the forest,” Izuku reasoned out. “The next two were Shouto and Hitoshi. They would most likely be the next ones to run into the Villain. We could also use Shouto’s fire to help calm Dark Shadow down if my mask isn’t enough.”

Shouji thought about it and then agreed that was the best course of action. If they ran across the Villain, they would be able to take him down easy with Dark Shadow’s power. If not, they would at least have a backup plan to help Tokoyami take back control.

And so they ran, implementing Izuku’s plan of leading the raging spirit through the forest. He was situated on the other’s back so they could stick together and be less of a target while Shouji distracted Dark Shadow with his arms. Trees were crashing around behind them as they ran, but they didn’t stop and were quick to spot towers of ice ahead. It had to be Shouto and from the looks of it he was trying to keep a powerful opponent at bay.

“That way!” Izuku yelled in a whisper.

They arrive on a scene filled with ice and…were those blades coming from the Villain’s mouth?! The mad man was dangling in the air as his teeth grew at insane speeds, piercing anything in their way. Shouto was doing his best to fend him off with his ice. Behind him, Izuku could see Hitoshi was speaking, trying to get the Villain to respond but it was no good. The mad man was ranting about flesh and whatnot but never responding to what the brainwasher was saying.

It was then that the two parties met.

“Todoroki! Shinsou! Watch out!!” Shouji shouted with the rampaging sentient shadow coming up quick behind them.

“MORE FLESH!!” the Villian yelled only to be smashed to the ground under Dark Shadow’s overpowering hands.

The spirit roared growing larger as it raged into the night. They needed to calm Dark Shadow down but they also needed to take the Villain down first while they could. Shouto and Hitoshi seemed to realize that seeing how easily the specter had knocked the mad man down. But the living shadow didn’t seem to realize the real threat among them still attacking blindly at anything that made a sound or moved. Meaning all of them were in its crosshairs.

“No, flesh. Precious meat,” the Villain lamented, his teeth growing again propping him up from the ground. “Can’t allow. I’m the only one who gets to slice them open. NO ONE STEALS FROM ME!”

Sharp blades forked out of the mad man’s mouth intent on carving the spirit into pieces. But Dark Shadow was not flesh and blood and the blades passed right through. The irate shadow snatched the Villain in a dark fist seething with rage.

“YOU ARE NOTHING, INSIGNIFICANT LITTLE BUG!!” Dark Shadow roared, squeezing tighter and tighter.

The bladed teeth broke under the entity’s strong grip and Dark Shadow hurled the man around. The Villain was thrown against tree after tree until he was let go at the other end of the clearing. The mad man flew through the air and crashed into a tree with a crack before crumpling to the ground unconscious. But it wasn’t enough to sooth the still raging spirit.

“NOT ENOUGH!” Dark Shadow bellowed, growing even bigger. “NOT ENOUGH!!”

Dark Shadow!” Hitoshi called out with his Quirk. “Can you hear me?!

But the specter only howled with anger.

Dark Shadow! Release him!” the brainwasher screamed desperately. He hated seeing how much pain his friend of darkness was in, but the shadow wasn’t responding to him. There was nothing he could do.

“SHOUTO! NOW!” Izuku cried out before breathing out a blast of fire, having jumped off Shouji’s back so he could help their friend.

At the same time, Shouto unleashed his own fire and Dark Shadow shrank under the twinned light instantly with a whimper. Finally, Tokoyami was able to take back control and crouched low to the ground covered in sweat.

“Thank you,” the bird boy rasped out, exhausted from the ordeal. “You saved me.”

“And you saved us,” Izuku pointed out, crouching in front of his friend but not too close. “It was only because of Dark Shadow that we were able to beat that Villain. Thank you, Tokoyami. And thank Dark Shadow for us too.”

The greenet figured Tokoyami wouldn’t want to let Dark Shadow out any time soon fearing he would lose control like that again. Nor did he think the spirit would want to come out either. Dark Shadow didn’t like being out of control or doing anything to hurt Tokoyami. Though Izuku hoped the specter knew that this wasn’t its fault.

“Are you okay?” Shouji asked. “You did what we needed you to do.”

Though he did feel a bit guilty using his friend like that when he was in pain. Shouji had hoped to help him take back control as soon as possible, but he couldn’t deny that the raging overpowered Dark Shadow was exactly what they needed in that fight.

“Shouji, Midoriya, I must apologize,” Tokoyami lamented from the ground, unable to meet their eyes. “Anger consumed me and my Quirk took over. My fury combined with the influence of the darkness spurred Dark Shadow into a frenzy. I couldn’t contain it and I ended up hurting Shouji. I didn’t…!”

“It’s going to be alright,” Shouji stopped him placing a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “But we’ll deal with that later. That’s what you would say, right? We have more pressing matters now, my friend.”

Tokoyami looked up at him in shock. The boy he hurt in his moment of weakness still wanted to call him friend. The bird boy gulped before giving a nod in response.

“I’m not sure if you were able to hear Mandalay,” Izuku said, getting back to the over pressing matter at hand. “But we have permission to defend ourselves and others against the Villain.”

“We did,” Hitoshi said, carefully laying down the unconscious boy he had on his back that the greenet was just now noticing. The brainwasher then turned to him with a glare. “But more importantly, why are you still out here, Izuku? You’re a fucking target and should have gone back to camp immediately.”

He was seriously pissed off that his brother was not doing as he was told. That damn need of his to help others regardless of his own safety. Hitoshi admired his drive but in times like these it was infuriating.

“I can’t just sit back and let others get hurt,” Izuku asserted himself as he stood up straight. “The Villains are here because of me and I will not be the reason others are hurt without doing anything about it. I have to protect them.”

“And what about you, Izuku?” Hitoshi reprimanded, reminding him of Aizawa in his words and his expression. “How can you protect others when you aren’t willing to protect yourself?”

The two brothers glared at each other but Izuku refused to back down. He had to help the others no matter what.

“Why do they want Izuku?” Shouto asked, concerned for his friend.

“I…I’m not exactly sure,” Izuku answered, turning away from Hitoshi to look at him. “But for some reason, Shigaraki has been looking for me. He…he wants me to join the League.”

“You? Why?” the element wielder pressed as he stepped closer to the greenet. “Why does he want you?”

“And how do you know that?” Shouji added, confused.

“I don’t know why exactly,” Izuku replied, avoiding everyone’s eyes. “But he told me that day at the mall that he had been looking for me ever since the USJ.”

“Which is why I can’t understand why you are out here, Izuku,” Hitoshi scolded with a scowl. “The safest place is back at camp where your ass should be right now. Not out here where Villains are everywhere and you could get kidnapped by any of them.”

“He’s right,” Shouto interjected, now also glaring at Izuku. “We need to get you out of here.”

“But the others…!”

“The others have permission to defend themselves,” Hitoshi cut him off. “What we need to do now is defend you and get you somewhere safe. I won’t let these asshats take my brother away.”

The brainwasher then suddenly pulled the Quirkless teen into a tight hug.

Please, Izuku,” Hitoshi pleaded quietly into his ear. “Let me protect you for once. I can’t lose you. None of us can. We need you to be safe. So please. Just…please.”

Green eyes filled with tears hearing the desperation in Hitoshi’s voice. Could feel the strong need to protect as he was wrapped in his brother’s arms. Izuku looked around at the others who were watching with worry and determination. Then he landed on Shouto who was silently pleading for him to do as Hitoshi says. To let them protect him this time around. How could he say no to that?

Izuku moved his arms to hold his brother tight.

“O-okay.”

Notes:

Already Izuku and Spinner are butting heads. That sword of his is ridiculous. Let's explode it. I do find it hilarious that Horikoshi had Izuku break it in canon because it was too time-consuming to draw. They're not wrong just by the look of it. So bye bye weird knife sword.

More on Katsuki's mindset in this. He's worried. Of course he's worried. Katsuki has always been worried about Izuku and doesn't want him to die. In BC that is his whole motivation for everything that he's done to Izuku. And I just couldn't keep him from being left out of the chaos. More on that later. ;)

Aizawa's got his work cut out for him. Not only is Izuku running around but now he has to worry about Katsuki as well. On top of that Hitoshi is somewhere out there. Three main problem children along with the rest of the two classes. He's going to need a barrel of coffee and the world's longest nap after this. But the night isn't over yet.

Izuku finally got to use some first aid knowledge! :D Finally found a time for that to shine a little.

Poor Tokoyami and Dark Shadow. He didn't mean to lose control and Dark Shadow is one powerful badass. And don't worry, birdie boy, Shouji is still your bestie.

Ok. Hitoshi's moment. I had so much fun with that. Izuku has a hero's heart and mind, but it really does blind him to his own safety. Hitoshi can't lose his brother after everything they've been through. Perhaps Shouto could have been the one to plead but I didn't really see him being so emotional about it. Hitoshi was the better fit.

Alrighty! That's all for this update. I hope you enjoyed the two chapters! Still got more of the attack to come. Thrills! Chills! Spills! It's going to be fun in the angstiest way possible. ;) Until then, be good and well, dear readers! Ta ta for now.

Chapter 27: Training Camp: Collision Course

Notes:

Haaaaaaaaaaaaaappppy Tuesday! I actually had the day off so yay! :D We're back for another chapter update. The drama just keeps on coming!

Warning for swearing because of Katsuki pov. Also just in general there are a number of pov changes this chapter that I tried to keep obvious.

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

“O-okay,” Izuku stuttered out, his voice cracking with emotion for a moment. He gave his brother a tight squeeze before letting go, wiping some tears away as he gathered his thoughts enough to form a plan back to camp and then addressed the others. “But we should cut through the forest instead of back where the Pussycats could be still fighting. It’ll be faster and draw less attention from the Villains.”

The number of known enemies was up to six with the teeth bladed Villain. Him along with Muscular and the one that had the Gas Quirk were down. Leaving at least three more out there for them to do their best to avoid. Because Hitoshi was right. Izuku shouldn’t be out here like this though he didn’t regret it either. He had managed to help Tokoyami with Shouji and everyone else’s help while at the same time managing to take down a powerful Villain. One less threat against his friends and classmates.

They headed off with Izuku in the middle surround by the others. Shouji was hard at work keeping eyes and ears out for any threats. Shouto could defend them with his ice and could help control Dark Shadow if Tokoyami and the spirit were willing. Hitoshi could brainwash any Villains if they had the ability to respond. And while Izuku was the one needing protection, he would do anything he could with his remaining gear to fight whatever threat came their way.

The group was making good progress with no Villains in sight until they found a couple of their classmates. Tsuyu was pinned to a tree by her hair with whatever Support gear a blonde girl with twinned buns on her head was wearing who was pinned down herself to the ground by Ochako. That same gear was now being stabbed into the gravity girl’s thigh and blood was being pumped out of her.

Are those syringes?!

“OCHAKO!” Izuku yelled in concern.

“Help her, quick!” Tsuyu shouted desperately.

But the girl Villain broke out of Ochako’s hold and jumped away as her syringes shot back to her. She clicked her tongue in annoyance at being interrupted like that after finally getting someone’s blood. But then golden eyes lit up as she spotted the boy Shigaraki wanted.

“Oh, it’s you!” the girl squealed in delight. “It’s nice to meet you, Midoriya Izuku. I’d love to stay and chat but there’s too many people around. We’ll talk later, ‘kay? Bye!”

With that, the girl skipped off into the forest as if she hadn’t just been siphoning blood out of someone. However, the students didn’t follow her because it was too dangerous. They had no idea what her Quirk was or if she had any friends hiding around.

“Who was that?” Shouto asked as the boys jogged over to the girls.

“One of the Villains,” Tsuyu answered, wiping some blood off her mouth. “She was crazy. Calling us by our first names as if we were friends. Saying how much she loves blood.”

“She also kept going on and on about her crush,” Ochako added, rubbing below the wound on her arm. Izuku stepped towards the girls silently pulling out some bandages from his belt as she spoke. “How she wants to be just like them and even become that person. How she liked them…slashed up and bloody.”

The two girls shivered at the memory of how the Villain gushed about her crush and preferences. Talking of blood with a tone of euphoria and look of exhilaration. A sickly sight.

It was at that time they heard a shout and turned to see Bakugou of all people running towards them.

“DEKU!” the explosive blonde screamed. “YOU FUCKING IDIOT!”

“B-Bakugou?” Izuku exclaimed in surprise. “What are you doing out here?”

“I could ask you the same fucking question, you damn nerd!” Bakugou snarled, little explosions popping in his open hands. “Why in the fucking hell did you run your Quirkless ass out here?! Do you have a death wish or something? They’re after you, you fucking idiot! Get your ass back to camp now!”

It was the first time they had spoken to each other since the confrontation. There had been passing glances here and there but Bakugou had kept his distance. Then the first thing he’s saying, or rather shouting, to Izuku was get himself to safety. Showing a concern in a very Bakugou way that contrasted so much compared to the Sports Festival.

Does he…actually care?

“W-we’re heading there right now actually,” Izuku offered in hopes of placating the seething blonde. “You can join us?”

“Peh, yeah sure, whatever,” Bakugou brushed off as he crossed his arms. “We’ll save your Quirkless ass from these idiot Villains.”

The explosive blonde turned and started to head back the way he came. Which was great because they didn’t know exactly where they needed to go having been distracted by the blood thief. Why she took Ochako’s blood he didn’t know but whatever reason it couldn’t be good. Izuku lost himself in thought muttering aloud as they walked with Tokoyami standing quietly beside him.

~~~

Katsuki grumbled as they walked, annoyed by the stupid muttering of the nerd behind him. Though it also gave him a strange sense of comfort to know that Deku was there. That he hadn’t been taken by the Villains and was still very much alive. So, he let it be as he led the group back to camp. Everything was going to be okay now that he found the Quirkless shithead. He wouldn’t let Deku die.

But then the air was quiet. Too quiet.

Katsuki stopped and snapped back to see the nerd was gone.

Shit.

“Where the fuck did he go?!” Katsuki snarled, drawing everyone’s attention to the fact that Deku was gone.

“Izuku!” both IcyHot and Eyebags called out. “Where are you?!”

Their answer was a chuckle from a yellow jacketed masked man standing eloquently up in a tree with a cane.

“Did you enjoy my little trick?” the Villain taunted, bouncing a marble in his gloved hand. “I took the boy with my magic. Shigaraki has extended an invitation for him to join us. Why have him squander fighting a world that won’t accept him all for lacking a Quirk? The League will gladly take him in with open arms and let him truly shine.”

He presented the marble that sparkled blue in the moonlight.

“GIVE HIM BACK, YOU BASTARD!” Katsuki demanded.

“Give him back?” the Villain parroted incredulously. “How can one give or take him when he doesn’t belong to anyone? Midoriya is his own person and can make his own decisions. Don’t be so arrogant as to decide for him.”

Even though that was exactly what the evil magician was doing. What a fucking hypocrite. Katsuki raged and fired off explosions ready to fight. Only for Half-and-Half to beat him to it sending a wave of ice at the kidnapper, but the Villain jumped out of the way avoiding the attack.

“Why so aggressive?” the man said with a teasing tone as he flew through the air holding onto his top hat. “We merely wish to offer him a place to flourish instead of drowning in this fanatical world of heroism. We value what makes each of us unique unlike society that condemns us for it. What is so bad about that?”

The Villain landed on top of another tree posturing with his arms as if he was making a good point. Which annoyingly he kind of was in a weird way. It was then that Octopus boy realized something.

“It isn’t just Midoriya,” he told them. “Tokoyami is gone too!”

IcyHot gasped at the same time Katsuki cursed. Shit. Not just one but two of them were taken. And one of them being among the strongest in 1-A too. Fuck! This was not good. Beside him Ice boy was calling the Villain out for monologuing which he so totally was, but no way had he beaten them yet. They were so fucking going to get those two back if it’s the last thing Katsuki did. Deku was no way in hell being taken by the Villains.

“A bad habit of mine as I was once an entertainer,” the man revealed, playing around with the marble twisting his hand this way and that. “Taking this Tokoyami was a spot of improv on my part, but how could I possibly resist?”

The magician turned his hand one more time to reveal not one, but two marbles cradled in his fingers.

“Moonfish, our dear ‘blade tooth’,” the Villain crooned, giving a name to the other one Dark Shadow had defeated. “A dastardly death row devil that your friend took down so easily and violently. Seeing that, I decided the avian would do well to join our troupe as well.”

Even though he was masked, they could hear the cruel smile in his voice as he grasped the marbles firmly in his fist.

“GIVE THEM THE FUCK BACK, YOU GODS DAMN HYPOCRITE!” Katsuki roared with rage.

Again, he readied to explode this guy’s fucking face off but Half-and-Half beat him to it. Another barrage of ice was sent towards the Villain who dodged out of the way once again. Dammit!

“Stop missing, IcyHot!” the explosive blonde reprimanded letting off some explosions to vent.

“Don’t blame him,” the Villain interjected from the air. “Slight-of-hand and escapology are my specialties. Combat on the other hand is not. I am no fool to entertain the idea of fighting UA Hero candidates such as yourselves.”

The magician disappeared briefly behind a spire of ice then reappeared with one hand in his pocket while the other was reaching for his ear.

“Vanguard Action Squad,” the marbling thief called out, his words reaching the other Villains. “I’ve acquired our target. It’s time to close the curtain on our little show. Meet at the retrieval point in the next five minutes for our final bow.”

Shit, he was getting away. Fuck no to that. No way in fucking hell was he letting that thieving bastard out of his sight. Katsuki ran after him and the others followed. None of them wanted the Villains to leave with their friends.

~~~

The others of the Squad heard the call but not all could react so quickly. Magne was still fighting Tiger and was literally tied up with the Hero’s body wrapped around her. Spinner wasn’t in much better shape pinned to the ground by the telepath. Though their ride, Kurogiri, warped in and was able to give them a quick hand much to the Heroes’ dismay. Toga was somewhere in the woods and quickly changed course for the retrieval point. While a Noumu was mindlessly chasing after two students with multiple limbs ending in chainsaws and drills aimed at them ready to strike.

Dabi on the other hand didn’t have to go very far. Twice was rambling beside him complaining about how Mr. Compress took too long in one sentence then praising him the next. He knew the guy had issues with a split personality but sometimes trying to decipher his real opinion was a pain. However, his duplication Quirk was powerful even though he struggled with not knowing if he himself was a clone or not. It helped Dabi out though not having to actually go up against Eraserhead who apparently would have kicked his scarred ass.

Speaking of which, he wondered how the second one of him was fairing out there. Twice had sent out another one after Eraserhead took out the first. To keep those back at the camp busy so the Villains could do what they came there to do. Now that they were leaving, there wasn’t much of a need for distractions anymore. Besides, his clone wouldn’t do anything the original wouldn’t do either. A copy all the way down to the personality that would most likely not survive the night.

The fire wielder wondered how many of them of the Vanguard Action Squad would make it back to the League. He already counted out that little jerkoff Mustard considering the gas was gone. Moonfish neither as they had seen the man taken out by a giant birdlike creature. That was one powerful Quirk. As for the others though he couldn’t be sure until they met up at the retrieval point. Either way, not all had gone according to plan but what can you do?

“Hey, Dabi,” Twice spoke up beside him. “Shouldn’t you call that Noumu back? We’re leaving and it’ll only react to your voice, correct?”

Oh, that’s right. He should do that. Shigaraki did designate the Noumu specifically to him so he’d have to be the one to call it back. Mr. Compress’s signal would have had no effect on the creature. He sent his own signal to the Noumu as they continued on to meet with the others. Then they could get the hell out of here with Shigaraki’s precious ‘admin’.

Dabi was still pissed off at the kid and his meddling with Stain in Hosu. But Shiggy wanted him and was confident he could convince the kid to join them. Guess they’ll have to wait and see if he was right. And if Dabi got the chance to vent some anger once they realized they couldn’t, well, that would suit him just fine. He didn’t care if Midoriya joined them or not. All he cared about was one thing and one thing only.

Burn Endeavor to the ground.

~~~

Fucking dammit!

Katsuki cursed yet again as they chased after the Villain holding Deku and Birdbrain. He was pulling farther and farther away as time passed. They needed a way to close the gap since they were getting nowhere on foot. The blonde considered the Quirks around him. Sure, he could blast himself ahead but even he had to admit he couldn’t do this on his own. Especially since they were heading towards where the other Villains were meeting.

“Round Cheeks!” Katsuki called out as they ran. “Make us float! And Frog Face, throw us using your tongue!”

“My name is Uraraka!” Floaty girl complained which he knew that but now was not the time.

“Whatever! Just do it!!” he snapped back. “We can’t let him get away!”

They were surprised that he was willing to cooperate with them but quickly got to work. Once Asui had them wrapped in her tongue, Uraraka activated her Quirk. The frog girl then whipped around launching them into the air. Shouji held onto Katsuki, Shinsou, and Todoroki tight as they flew through the air crashing right into the back of the fleeing Villain. Gravity came back and they fell in a heap to the ground.

Together, Katsuki, IcyHot, Eyebags, and Octopus Arms pinned the dumbass magician down into the dirt. The explosive teen went to reach for the marbles that were in the Villain’s jacket pocket, but Multi-Arms seemed to have the same idea and was already doing just that. Well at least one of them got those losers away from the thief. However, they weren’t alone in the clearing they had landed in.

“Get out of the way, Compress!” a scarred man yelled, reaching out his hand that ignited into a blue flame.

Beneath them, the masked Villain also glowed blue but it wasn’t from the other’s Quirk as the magician shrank. The teens scrambled doing their best to dodge the blast of blue flames. Half-and-Half and Katsuki weren’t as affected by the heat as much as Octopus boy and Troll Doll were, but the flash of fire was still intense for all of them. However, after dodging that attack, the fight was far from over.

Todoroki fended off one of the Villains dressed in mostly black fighting with what looked like measuring tape. While Katsuki dodged a fucking syringe being shot at him by some crazy ass blonde. She fucking giggled as she tried to get close enough to stab him but he forced her back with well-timed explosions. Shouji did his own part when she switched targets going after Shinsou instead and knocked the girl even further away with a multi-armed smacked. The girl growled with a feral grin as she skidded to a stop.

As they were kept busy, Compress released himself from his own Quirk grumbling how they ruined his exit. He walked over to Dabi reaching for his pocket to hand over the captured kids. Only to find his pocket empty.

“Bakugou, Todoroki, Shinsou,” Shouji called out suddenly. “We’re done here. His ‘trick’ obviously has something to do with those little marbles. The ones he stashed in his pocket.”

The tall teen held up two marbles in one of his many hands. The other three sighed in relief even though Katsuki would deny it.

“Then let’s get the fuck out of here,” Katsuki growled, already preparing to leave.

“Well, well, well. Color me impressed, young Hero,” Compress chuckled, his playful tone putting them on guard. “But did you really think it would be that easy?”

They realized they were surrounded. Compress and Dabi to their front, Toga and Twice on either side, a suddenly appearing Noumu coming from the woods, and they found their rear blocked by a towering Kurogiri who had just warped in.

“Five minutes has passed since the signal,” the Warp Villain drawled. “It is time to go.”

Kurogiri formed portals behind each Villain and they disappeared one by one. Toga gave them a wink as she left, Twice dived in as if it were a pool, and the Noumu silently trudged through. Compress turned to leave as well only for Dabi to stop him.

“Hold on. We’re not leaving without the kid,” the fire wielder ordered, staring down the young Heroes.

“Oh ho ho, no need to worry about that,” Compress assured him. “Seeing how proud they were of rifling through my pockets, I thought I would allow them time to gloat. But as I said, did you really think it would be that easy.”

The teens stared the Villain down trying to figure out what he could mean. They had the marbles and they had all seen him put his hand in his pocket before signaling the others. So why was the man boasting?

“Let me explain a basic tenant of magic,” the Villain exulted as he reached up to remove his mask. “Misdirection. Distract you by flaunting something shiny to keep you from noticing what I don’t want you to see.”

There was another mask underneath but now they could see his eyes and mouth. The magician then stuck out his tongue to show two shiny marbles. Ones that looked exactly like the marbles Shouji held in his hands, but which ones held the captured kids? The young Heroes had a bad feeling they knew the answer to that which was confirmed in an instant at the snap of the Villain’s fingers. The marbles they had taken transformed into chunks of ice crushing any linger remanence of hope.

Katsuki cursed having been played by the man who had taken Deku and Birdbrain. The magician had tricked them and was now gloating about it as he fixed his mask back on his face.

“Forgive me,” Compress said with an arrogant bow. “But I do so love a twist endin-.”

His words were cut short as a length of cloth shot out wrapping around his head and yanked. The Villain fell forward as his mask slipped off his face along with the capture weapon and his mouth fell open in surprise. Shinsou was reeling his scarf back in as Shouji, Todoroki, and Katsuki raced to catch the marbles falling through the air.

The mutli-armed teen’s long reach grasped one of the marbles while the other two went for the second. They were so close but also got in each other’s way in the process. Todoroki and Katsuki watched in devastation as the marble was snatched out of the air right in front of them by a scarred hand. The Villains were only partially there with their lower halves contained in the portal as the two teenagers fumbled past them.

“Too slow, little Heroes,” Dabi taunted, showing off his prize as they righted themselves. “Compress, release them.”

The magician complained of ruined finales as he snapped his fingers once again. Tokoyami suddenly appeared in Shouji’s arms and Deku…he had a Villain’s hand around his neck. Shinsou paled at the sight remembering the mall. Shouji was stunned and Tokoyami was terrified and confused. Todoroki was frozen as his friend, his Izuku, was being taken away right in front of him. And Katsuki…

…no.

“DEKU, NO!” he screamed as he blasted his way towards the boy.

Deku was scared. Green eyes wide in fear. If only Katsuki could reach him. Be fast enough to get him back. Be a Hero and save him. He pushed his explosions to be bigger, more powerful. To be strong and fast enough to save the boy who he had once befriended all those years ago. A hand glistening in sweat reached out as far as it could so close to grabbing him. So close, so close, so close!

Then the world went black.

~~~

Shouta was running as fast as he could. He had wasted too much time fighting those stupid clones and he was growing more and more worried for his students as time passed. The Hero kept running across children either unconscious or covered in blood. Some had gas masks he could guess were from Yaoyorozu. Who herself was being carried on the back of one Vlad’s kids. All of them Shouta directed back to the camp with warnings to be vigilant and stay together.

The Erasure Hero pushed ever forward, determined to reach them in time. Gods knew what these children had to face tonight. This whole camp thing had been to prepare them to face Villain attacks. Oh, the gods damn fucking irony of it all. Shouta hated the universe for doing this to his kids. They were problem children, every one of them, but no one deserves this.

Fire was still crackling around him. He could hear explosions going off and could see the towering ice over the trees. Both helped direct him to exactly where he needed to go. Along the way he ran into Uraraka and Asui who were headed in the same direction he was. The girls explained what they did to send the boys ahead as they went and it only pushed the tired man to go faster.

His pounding heart was loud in his ears and his breathing was heavy in his chest. His feet pounded on the ground as they ran as fast as they could. Shouta’s mind was racing with thoughts going faster than his feet. He had to get to them. Had to protect them. Save them. He had to be their Hero and the familiar sight of purple in the distance spurred him on even more. They were there right in front of him. So close that he would soon reach them. A hope was kindling in his chest as they ran through the trees.

Then he got to the clearing. The last wisps of black mist disappeared and the air was thick with tension. No one was moving or saying anything. It was all way too quiet except for heavy breathing. But this was not the silence of peace and safety. This was the silence of sorrow.

Hitoshi was the first to move, collapsing to his knees as he wept, “I-Izuku…”

They were all staring at the spot where the portal had been.

Oh no.

“What happened?” Shouta questioned, doing his best to stay professional but it was proving difficult.

He knew the answer already to his question judging by the solemn atmosphere.

“Izuku, he’s…,” Hitoshi choked out. “He’s gone.”

The Hero knew it but he hadn’t wanted to believe it. Didn’t stop it from being true as there was no sight of the green one anywhere. But also…

“Where’s Bakugou?” Shouta pressed, searching for the other problem child who was also nowhere to be seen.

He didn’t want to believe the worst. Didn’t want to even think the thought forming in his mind, but you don’t always get what you want. Shouji was the one to speak up.

“Bakugou…he’s…”

His student trailed off as Shouta collapsed to the ground same as his kid, but the teen didn’t have to finish. It was enough to confirm his fears.

…gone.

Not one, but two of his students were gone. Kidnapped by the League of Villains only gods knew where.

…no.

The news hurt but the facts couldn’t be denied. As a Hero and a teacher, Shouta…failed.

Notes:

LE GASP! IZUKU HAS BEEN KIDNAPPED! -shocker...- Jk, that outcome I didn't make subtle at all. Besides, there was no reason for the League to want to take Katsuki because of his behavior during the award ceremony because that didn't happen in BC. Just Izuku talking about him to Shiggy. We'll have to see what happens with that. ;)

Katsuki cares! :D In his own abrasive way but still! We're another step forward on the redemption arc I have planned for him. Still seeing how it goes in the future but we're getting there. I did have a lot of fun writing his interaction with Compress and all that since we didn't get to see it in canon. Katsuki is such a hothead. XD

So Izuku has briefly met Toga and then Dabi is still mad at him. Now that he's been kidnapped, we're closer to them actually interacting with them. I'm super excited to share what I came up with. But for now patience.

Poor Aizawa. Well poor everyone but I feel for Aizawa here. This whole time the students have been fighting for themselves and he was stuck on the sidelines unable to help them. Then he finally gets out there he's too late. Too little chance to help and too late to do anything about it.

That's all for this update! We have reached the end of the training camp arc and move on to the kidnapping. I've got some fun League interactions coming up whether from drama, fluff, or otherwise. It's certainly going to be interesting and I'm excited to see if you like it! See ya!

Chapter 28: Abduction

Notes:

Up top, sorry for the delay! Ao3 was down when I would have updated last week and for real life, it worked better for me to postpone to now. That's life for ya. :3 And for today specifically I had work and had to wait to post until I got home.

The kidnapping is officially on! Time see how Izuku will react to the members of the League. We've got a little bit of backtracking in the beginning of the chapter.

There are a few pov changes in this chapter just as a heads up.

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

Where am I?!

Izuku hadn’t seen how it happened. One second, they were walking through the forest with the others ahead and then the next the world was gone. He lost all sense of his surroundings and could only feel an overwhelming pressure pushing down on him from all directions. It was constant and unrelenting and all too much. He wanted out of wherever this was but he didn’t know how. It was getting hard to breath as he started to panic. Memories of being shoved into lockers left to fight his way out resurfaced even though it had been so long ago. He needed to get out!

Then the world came back, but it was different. They weren’t on the same path as before and green eyes quickly took in the scared faces of his friends staring at him while a towering Kurogiri flanked them from behind. Then a rough hand grabbed the back of his neck and Izuku stiffened. The feeling reminded him of the mall and Shigaraki which made the five-finger contact a cause for alarm. He glanced up to see a scarred grin and piercing blue eyes staring back. So, not Shigaraki meaning he wouldn’t be decayed but this was far from better still being in the clutches of a Villain.

“Let’s do this the easy way, yeah?” the scarred man whispered in a gravelly voice.

He was the same Villain that Eraserhead had been fighting a clone of before. Which meant he either had a fire Quirk or a duplicating one or both. Definitely a yes on the first one as his captor heated his hand up just enough to deliver his silent threat. Izuku gulped.

“DEKU, NO!”

Green eyes snapped to the sound of the old nickname to see Bakugou racing towards him propelled by his explosions. Red eyes were laser focused on him and Izuku internally begged him to stop. He didn’t want to be captured by Villains but he also didn’t want both of them to be either. Izuku already accidentally drew Shigaraki’s attention to Bakugou with a passing comment. He didn’t want to serve him to the handy man on a silver platter.

Izuku felt himself being drawn back, the strange feel of the dark mist on his skin from the portal. He sank further and further back as the world was shrinking around him. Green eyes stayed connected to red pleading for him to stay away. Don’t get caught because of his own recklessness and mistakes. Please, stay away.

Stay safe…Katsuki.

Once again, the world was obscured in a shroud of misty black but there was no oppressing pressure like before. He didn’t note anything of the Quirk being more focused on the hand on his throat for what felt like forever yet no time at all. If anything, it felt like they were floating but eventually, only a matter of seconds really, he felt solid ground under foot and he took a step back. However, Izuku only had a moment to let out a gasp when the wind was suddenly knocked out of him.

Dabi and he had exited the portal a mere second before being tackled to the ground by a blur of blonde. The scarred man thought it was Toga and Izuku didn’t know what the hell was going on anymore. So, they were both surprised to find it wasn’t a Villain sprawled on the ground with them, but Bakugou.

“Oh, looks like we got a bonus drop,” a raspy voice said, breaking them from their stunned shock.

All three of them turned to find the leader of the League of Villains leering down at them from a bar stool. Dabi scoffed as he shoved the blonde kid off of him before roughly grabbing their main target by the scruff of his neck. Something fell out of the Izuku’s belt but the clatter of it hitting the ground was lost in the commotion. The kid’s stuff was going to be confiscated anyway so he wouldn’t escape, but Dabi found himself curious about what looked like a folding knife. Subtly, he placed a foot on the knife and casually dragged it close to him to pick up later.

As soon as their ‘guests’ got their bearings, they began to struggle. Magne was quick to grab Bakugou while Kurogiri formed a portal around his hands before he could let off any explosions. When his hands were released from the warping, he had been forced into a heavy looking box of sorts. Kurogiri then warped in a restraining chair from somewhere and Magne shoved Bakugou into it strapping him in. An impromptu plan but considering the situation they had found themselves in, this was for the best for everyone.

At the same time, Izuku struggled to get free. He elbowed the man holding him in the gut and the rough hand released him. But he only had a moment of freedom as another person crowded his space. A dry hand he unfortunately knew well reached out making him back up into a broad chest, right back into the arms of the scarred man he had just escaped from.

“Now, now, Midoriya,” Shigaraki rasped with a tone of amusement. “Let’s not make this difficult, shall we?”

An arm wrapped around Izuku’s waist as a scarred hand was raised in front of him. Blue flames ignite in threat and the Quirkless teen tried to cower away but had nowhere to go.

“Dabi!” the decayer snapped and the fire went out. The two glared at each other before Shigaraki turned back to Izuku who was too freaked out to recognize the name. “We don’t want to hurt you, Midoriya. We want to recruit you.”

The reminder filled Izuku with anger that overpowered his fear as the fire wielder loosened his grip.

“What happened to letting me think about it?” the Quirkless teen retorted with a glare.

The Villain sat back down on his stool as he considered the question. He hummed then said, “I grew…impatient.”

“After one fucking week!?” Izuku shouted incredulously. “No, not even a week. Two fucking days! That’s not time to think. And you even sent Muscular after me. You…you hurt my mom!”

“Technically, I didn’t,” Shigaraki countered. “That was Muscular.”

Sure, like that made any difference.

“He’s your man following your orders,” the greenet challenged with his arms crossed. “So in the end it’s your fault.”

“He’s not really ‘my man’,” the handy man replied with air quotes. “More like a…mad dog.”

“Well, your mad dog needs a muzzle,” Izuku sneered back.

“And what use is a muzzled mad dog?” Shigaraki quipped with too chirper of a tone. “Doesn’t matter now though. He was…left behind.”

Green eyes blinked in surprised and for the first time took in the people in the room. There was Shigaraki in front of him with Kurogiri behind the bar. Standing behind the teen was this Dabi which he sort of recognized the name but couldn’t place it right now. Too much other information was distracting him at the moment. He noted the lizard man, the one with the attraction Quirk, the blood stealing blonde girl, a masked man in a yellow jacket and top hat, and another man dressed almost entirely in black from head to toe with a grey accent in the shape of a T. But all of that became like white noise in his mind as green eyes connected with familiar red.

“B-Bakugou?” Izuku stuttered out, eyes instantly tearing up as he realized his fear became real. That they were both kidnapped together.

“I’m as surprised as you are, Midoriya,” Shigaraki drawled as he walked over and hooked an arm around the teen’s shoulders making him flinch. “You were the only intended target though if we found any other hopeful candidates, we would’ve taken them. The one with the shadowy bird Quirk would have been interesting from what Mr. Compress told me. But considering what I saw in the Sports Festival and what you told me at the mall, I can see some benefits to this one joining us.”

The explosive blonde watched their interaction confused as hell before barking out, “What the fuck, Deku?!”

The decayer glared down at the uninvited boy for a moment then ordered, “Muzzle him.”

Bakugou fought the small amount he could due to his restraints but of course it wasn’t enough and his raging words were soon muffled behind a mask. Wait, a mask! Izuku suddenly remembered he still had his gear on. Well, some of it. But as soon as he moved to use his fire mask, a dry hand was grabbing the device with all five fingers.

“Ah, ah, ah. Be smart about this, admin,” Shigaraki scolded as his mask started to crumble around his neck. Izuku was quick to unlatch it so he wouldn’t be decayed as well. What remained of his mask fell to the ground and shattered. “There we go. Much better. Now the rest.”

Izuku was forced to remove all of the Support Items on his person. His goggles were broken and lost on the mountain back at the camp and his mask was gone now too. That left his Jet shoes, his belt that was mostly empty, the two electric rods, and his arm wrappings. Izuku tried to pass the latter as just clothing but Shigaraki brought up a screenshot from the Hosu fight of him clearly using them to capture Stain. Curse that video.

As for the belt, they made him empty each pocket before handing over the belt itself. Izuku hated it but wasn’t surprised either. They wanted to make sure he had nothing to defend himself with. Nothing he could use to his advantage and escape. Not that he wouldn’t do that without taking Bakugou with him. Besides, there wasn’t much left in his belt anyway after his encounter with Muscular. Though there was something that was missing.

The knife. The one Chizome had given him. It was gone. Possibly lost somewhere in the woods never to be found. It hurt to have lost it but then again maybe that was a good thing. Because Izuku watched as Shigaraki picked up each piece of his gear, inspected it, and then gripped it with five fingers. The resulting dust began to pile onto the bar top and Kurogiri sighed. But the misty man did nothing to stop the young leader and simply formed a portal there with another over a trashcan.

What is it with people enjoying breaking my stuff?

First Bakugou and now Shigaraki. At least the knife being lost was better than destroyed altogether. Still existing out there somewhere in the world as a representation of his connection to Stain. Distant much like they were never to be close again. The reminder made the situation all the sadder but it also didn’t change anything. Regardless, Izuku would do anything he could to escape though he highly doubted it would be quick or easy. For the foreseeable future, they were stuck with the League.

“Perfect, a character reset,” Shigaraki proclaimed destroying the last of his things leaving Izuku not only gearless but also shoeless too. “Now we can start fresh. And don’t worry, admin, once you join us, we can get you what you need to rebuild them.”

The hand on his face obscured it but he could hear the grin beneath it. Izuku scowled back though it only made the decayer chuckle. A squeal came from the blonde girl in the room drawing everyone’s attention.

“He’s so cute when he’s angry!” Toga gushed, skipping over to him and getting up in his face.

“Toga, space,” Dabi scolded with a flick to her head. Her crowding the kid’s space was forcing him into his own.

The blonde girl backed away rubbing her forehead sticking her tongue out at the scarred man as he rolled his eyes. Izuku moved away closer to Bakugou who was the least threatening out of all of them. His childhood bully or a group of Villains? An easy choice for Izuku.

“Perhaps we should introduce ourselves to our new recruits,” the masked top hatted man suggested and the others nodded. “Greetings, fledglings. Mr. Compress at your service.”

The masked man took off his hat and gave a bow.

“Oh! Me next, me next!” the excited blonde girl chimed in. “I’m Toga Himiko. You can call me Himiko. Especially this cutie.”

She gave Izuku a wink.

The man dressed in mostly black spoke up next, “The name is Twice. Welcome to the League. We don’t want you here!”

The kidnapped teens shared a look at the contrasting statements but the others continued unphased.

“Hello, dearies,” the tall brown-haired Villain said next. “I’m Magne, but you can call me Big Sis. She/her/hers. If you ever need anything don’t hesitate to ask.”

Izuku could easily guess letting them go was not included in that ‘anything’.

“Dabi,” was all the scarred man offered. His name still sounded familiar but Izuku was a bit distracted at the moment to try and recall it.

Then it was the lizard man’s turn.

“I go by Spinner and I have a question,” he said, looking less ridiculous without the giant knife sword. “What was it like meeting Stain in person?”

Ah, so he is a fan.

“Oh, yes! I want to know too!” Toga interjected jumping up and down. “I just love how he makes people all bloody. Really, how was Stainy?”

Stainy? Izuku silently questioned as she clapped her hands together in excitement.

“Stain is the inspiration to many of us here,” Spinner explained, his tone serious. “His actions have taught us that once a Hero receives compensation for protecting people like money or media attention, they are no longer a real Hero. I embody Stain’s principles and aim to purge the fake Heroes of this world. We will knock them off their false thrones and keep his will alive. Stain will endure.”

What.

“Are you fucking kidding me?!” Izuku snapped, pissed.

Some of them jumped at his outburst. Even Bakugou who hadn’t expected it or the strong swearing to come from the Quirkless cinnamon roll of a teenager. But Izuku paid them no mind as he glared at the lizard zealot who had it all wrong while everyone stared.

“Is that what you think his motivations were?” he pressed, forgetting about his current kidnapped situation in his anger. “That he only went after those Heroes just because they were being paid? Being a Hero is a job, dumbass, and while there are Heroes who do it only for the money, there are so many more ways for a Hero to be ‘fake’.”

The lizard man stared at him in shock before schooling his features into a glare of his own.

“Oh, and what would you know about Stain’s motives?” Spinner countered as he crossed his arms. Though he was curious what the boy, the true Hero saved and chosen by Stain, had to say.

A chuckle from the bar drew their attention to Shigaraki who was swirling a drink in his hands. With only four fingers of course. Izuku couldn’t help but wondered how annoying that must be to always be mindful of his fingers like that. Or how he planned to drink it with that hand on his face.

“Heh, you would be surprised just how much he knows about Stain,” the young leader lilted, thoroughly amused. “Right, Little Hero?”

“Well, I, um,” Izuku muttered, wringing his hands nervously as he was quickly reminded where he was and who he was with.

He really didn’t want to reveal to a group of Villains the fact he befriended one before. Even sent him after an actual fake Hero hidden in plain sight. But Shigaraki on the other hand, had no qualms spilling his secret from behind the disembodied hand on his face.

“He and Stain are on a first name basis,” the decayer leered, watching the resulting reaction to the reveal through pale digits. “By all means, Midoriya, tell us all about Chizome.”

Twice, Toga, and Spinner all yelled at the same time, “WHAT?!”

Magne and Compress were also surprised but not as vocal. Kurogiri already knew of their connection since Hosu. Not that you could tell what he was feeling from his misty face anyway. Dabi, though, he stared wide eyed at the boy very much caught by surprise, but then he glared remembering that the kid had ruined his plans with Stain. Just because they knew each other didn’t change that fact. If anything, it made him confused and even more pissed off.

Izuku refused to look at Bakugou not wanting to see his reaction to that. The explosive blonde was oddly quiet staring at him in shock. Couldn’t believe what he was hearing and finding out about the nerd. He…he knew the Hero Killer? Personally? When? How? Why? What the actual fuck was going on?

Not that Izuku would go into detail about that. Their odd friendship was between Chizome and himself. These Villains might not be able to understand how the Hero Killer helped inspire a young Hero. But then again, he didn’t know what drove these people to Villainy in the first place. Maybe this was an opportunity to find out? Then if…no, when the Heroes save them, he could try to help the Villains out of their illegal ways. If they were willing that is to accept that help.

But what could he tell them? What could he say to try and make them understand what Stain’s motivations actually were? Because it wasn’t just the money or fame. Those were just parts of the problem, not the core reason and aren’t even applicable in all cases. There was just so much more to why the Hero Killer targeted certain Heroes over others. Picking and choosing his victims for specific reasons, not just wanton violence. That made him think back to the mall and what he told Shigaraki back then.

“Akaguro Chizome wanted to be a Hero when he was younger,” Izuku began, earning surprised gasps from the League. “Like many, he was inspired by All Might and went to school to become a Hero. But when he was there, he learned the way they taught Heroics was different from what he and I believe a Hero should be.”

He ignored the muffled ‘what the fuck’ from Bakugou keeping his attention on the Villains. They were all silent listening to him speak.

“Heroes are meant to save people, regardless of if they get paid for that or not,” the Quirkless teen stated, sending a pointed look at Spinner. “It’s when the reason behind being a Hero is just for the money or fame is when it becomes a problem. Focusing more on branding yourself as a Hero instead of doing what a Hero does. Save people.”

He gave the Villains a moment to consider his words before continuing.

“That isn’t the only way a Hero can be ‘fake’ either. Turning a blind eye to crime or even participating in it. How can you call yourself a Hero when you’re adding to others’ suffering?”

Shigaraki, who had been halfheartedly listening, straightened his posture as he paid better attention. Dabi too straightened, his piercing blue eyes staring intently at the teen.

“It’s true that a number of Stain’s victims were out for fame and fortune. More acting the role of a Hero than actually doing it. But most of the time there were other reasons why he chose them. Another element to their corruption leading him to want to purge them from the current system.”

Way too violently in his opinion but Izuku didn’t see the Villains caring all that much about violence or lack of restraint. They had just attacked a training camp full of teenagers holding nothing back.

“He didn’t solely target Heroes just because they made a lot of money or were higher in the rankings. And no way in hell would he have labeled the Wild Will Pussycats as ‘fake’. They’ve saved countless lives over their twelve years as a Hero team. Their theming was purposeful to bring comfort to victims of crime and disasters. Similar to why All Might smiles through his fights. While I agree the commercial nature of Heroes now-a-days isn’t the best, having a piece of a Hero you admire and get comfort from isn’t necessarily bad.”

He himself still had pieces of Hero merch though a far cry from the amount he had before. Only keeping the most precious and sentimental of them to remind him of his personal Heroes. One of which wasn’t even a Hero at all.

“Not all Heroes are fake,” Izuku said, staring at each of them in the eyes. “Same as not all Villains are born bad. Chizome started off wanting to be a Hero but resorted to Villainy in order to attempt to bring what a Hero truly was back. If you really are inspired by him, then that should be why. Not just to strike out at any Hero that gets in your way and call them fake.”

The bar was silent when he finished, the others thinking over what he said. Only for the moment to be ruined by a slow clap coming from Shigaraki.

“Quite a speech there, admin. Very stirring,” the decayer jeered as he brought his hands together in a final clap before lowering them. “But it isn’t just the Heroes that are the issue. It’s the entire system. Society buys into the rankings and the engrained belief that Heroes will save the day without them lifting a finger. While at the same time turning their backs on those deemed not worth of their time or effort. Even labeling those that don’t match up within their ‘normal’ as Villains because they don’t fit in their perfect little box.”

The young leader stood up and slowly stepped towards Izuku who refused to look away.

“Everyone here has suffered,” Shigaraki said, pausing a step away from the teen. “Whether it be because of people, rules, or Heroes trying to hold them back. Growing up Quirkless, I’m sure you experienced something similar. That you can understand.”

The decayer then took off the hand on his face so he could look down at him unmasked in order for the teen to see there was no malice in his red eyes. More searching for a commonality he was sure was there between them. And Izuku, he couldn’t really deny that there was because it was true. He had been judged for being different from society at large. For being Quirkless in a Quirked world where even then people were judged for something out of their control. Like Hitoshi. Like himself.

“Y-you’re right, I can,” Izuku admitted, slumping his shoulders in the sort of small defeat but didn’t look away. “Life isn’t fair. People are judgmental. Whether it be the type of Quirk or no Quirk at all. I…understand.”

Green eyes cast around the room. Spinner could have been rejected for his appearance. Toga her obsession with blood. Dabi for the scars on his face. And the others probably have their own issues and back stories. Even the pale haired man-child in front of him who was under the thumb of All For One. All of them had their own stories.

“People are defined by their Quirks,” Izuku said, turning back to Shigaraki. “Heroic, Villainous. Strong, weak. Quirked, Quirkless. Labeled since the day their Quirks come in or when they never show up.”

He chanced a glance at Bakugou who caught his eye before casting his gaze to the ground in guilt. He then looked at the others.

“But…it shouldn’t be that way. The Quirk does not make the person, but how that person uses the Quirk. For good or evil. To help others or help themselves. I refuse to be labeled for not having a Quirk. I want to become a Hero to prove that Quirkless does not mean weak or useless. That I can still fight for what is right. Which begs the question…”

Izuku then glared up directly into Shigaraki’s eyes.

“…why am I here?

They stare at each other in silence sizing the other up.

“He’s got a point,” Dabi said suddenly, breaking the moment. “If he wants to be a Hero so bad, why are we wasting our time?”

This at least gave himself more of a green light to mess with the kid. Though while he was still pissed at the little bastard, his head was full of questions. Why did Midoriya take Stain down when he knew him so well? Did he know about the man’s investigation into Endeavor? If he had, would he have let the Hero Killer finish his mission? To finally take the Number Two Shitbag down? He just didn’t know.

“Because we need to make him see,” Shigaraki replied without looking away with a weird soft look on his wrinkly face. “To show him that while society continues to reject him, we won’t. We want you here with us, Midoriya. We accept you as you are. You don’t have to prove anything to us. Not your worth, your usefulness. All you have to be is yourself.”

His tone was almost soft despite the perpetual rasp. Probably from his Quirk along with the dry look of his skin and the chapped nature of his lips. Looking almost as dried up as the pale hand typically on his face. Which the significance of it Izuku still didn’t know. Didn’t know why this Villain, this person, chose a hand to adorn himself with as a part of his Villain identity.

“Think about it, Midori…no, Izuku,” the decayer insisted as he fixed the hand back on his face. “At least consider our offer. Together we can tear the current system down, expose the corruption within, and have a clean slate where there are no Heroes or Villains.”

Izuku could have been snarky and quipped about how well the last time he was told to ‘think about it’ had gone but decided against it. He was surrounded by Villains and Bakugou was there too. It wasn’t just Izuku in danger. He needed to stall. Survive. Play along with whatever it was they really wanted from him until the Heroes were able to come for him.

“…fine,” Izuku relented, earning a muffled ‘WHAT’ from the explosive blonde. “But I want to point out that two days is not enough time to ‘think’ about it. I don’t care how impatient you are. This is my decision, not yours.”

Though honestly, he already knew what his decision was going to be. However, judging by his expression, Shigaraki thought the opposite.

“Understood,” Shigaraki grinned before stepping to the side. “Dabi, show him to his room.”

“Wait, what?” the Quirkless teen sputtered, casting glances between the handy man, scarred man, and Bakugou.

“You are our guest,” the young leader answered. “We may be Villains but we can still be hospitable.”

The greenet gave the decayer an unimpressed look before asking, “And Bakugou? What about him?”

“He…was unexpected,” Shigaraki replied, eyeing the restrained and muzzled blonde. “But he’s too much of a dangerous unknown for us to allow him to wander about freely. He’ll have to stay where he is, but don’t worry. We’ll take proper care of both of you.”

Izuku gulped seeing no way to argue. He wanted to protest, to keep the two of them together, but he was already being dragged away by the scarred man. Green eyes looked back to fiery red trying to silently tell him how sorry he was. For all of this. He liked to think what looked like a nod was Bakugou accepting or at least acknowledging him before they lost sight of each other. Together but separate, both kidnapped by the League of Villains.

~~~

…breaking news tonight. An attack was reported to have occurred at a UA High sanctioned training camp. The principal offenders are reported to be called the League of Villain’s Vanguard Action Squad. This marks another case involving the League in a string of incidents including the USJ attack and Hosu…

Click.

…the youngest of the victims is reportedly the son of the Pro Hero team Water Hose, who were killed tragically by one of the Villain’s present at the attack…

Click.

…of the 40 students, two are reported missing. Bakugou Katsuki and Midoriya Izuku were kidnapped by the League before disappearing without a trace…

Click.

Kai had flipped through the different news channels before turning the offending thing off. Though it wasn’t the television he was furious at but the League that took his little bird. How dare they take Midoriya and taint him with their filthy hands. Before he hadn’t paid much attention to the pathetic little group of Villains making a fuss with their Noumu here and there, but now? Now they had Kai’s attention.

“Chrono!” the yakuza leader barked, knowing his second in command would be close.

In an instant, the white robed man swiftly walked through his office door. He bowed his masked head respectfully as always as he said, “Chisaki-sama?”

“Get me all the information you can on this League of Villains,” Kai ordered, sneering at the childish name.

He was already angry at the League for unleashing those Noumu in Hosu at the same time the angel was there as well. It still irked him to see the clear signs of Midoriya being infected with the Hero syndrome, but it had also given him some peace of mind to know he could defend himself. Didn’t necessarily need the protection Kai wanted to give, but now he found himself regretting not getting to the boy first.

“Of course, sir,” Chrono agreed immediately. “Anything in particular you want to know?”

“Anything you can get,” Kai answered, pulling up a saved picture on his phone. One of the boy smiling proudly at the end of the Sports Festival. “Especially as to what plans they have for Midoriya Izuku. If it is sinister, we’ll need to act quickly in order to protect him. I will not let them snuff out his light.”

It was clear leading up to this that Shigaraki wanted Midoriya for something though he didn’t know what. There was the spotting of the decayer at the mall holding one of UA’s students hostage. They didn’t say who but Kai could guess when the boy was whisked away somewhere suddenly that it was him. It also had been reported that a Villain attacked the little bird’s mother. Kai had considered bringing him into their fold then but UA beat him to it.

Following the attack on his mother, the angel returned but was hidden away on UA campus. There wasn’t much Kai could do against the improved defense of the school. But at least it had meant the boy was safe from the world, even though that included him. Now however, the little bird was in the clutches of Shigaraki and they had no idea what he would do.

Hold him against his will, crush him to pieces, or set him free to fly another day. Kai just didn’t know and he hated not knowing. He controlled every person and piece of his yakuza group. From the man who took him in and was currently in a coma down to little Eri who was crucial for his future plans to come to life. Even if they threatened her own but it was no matter. Kai could easily Overhaul her and start again whenever he wished. One of the few good things that came from his own infection.

But when it came to Midoriya, he had no control. The boy had his attention but only from afar. Kai wanted to protect the living angel and keep him safe from this diseased world. However, he had waited too long and the Quirkless boy had been taken farther out of his reach. Not that it would stop him from reaching past his own limits to take the little bird back. Then he would keep him close and safe, never to leave Kai’s side. Then together they would make the world anew. No more Quirks, no more impurity. Going back to how the world once was and as it should be.

Quirkless and pure.

~~~

Rikiya was annoyed, gripping his wine glass firmly as the spots on his temples darkened. The seemingly insignificant bug that was Midoriya Izuku was in the spotlight. Again. Along with that irritating League of Villains. He had Skeptic look into their group briefly. At first, they were just a nuisance causing unnecessary chaos and oh so childish. But as time passed, their little band was becoming more of a problem. The people were talking and a lot of it was about the League of Villains. Their mere presence could muddle the Meta Liberation Army’s own message.

Meta Powers were ever evolving and it was their basic human right to use them as they wished. Villains today embraced this belief though more violently and ‘evilly’ as his own followers. The members of the Meta Liberation Army were constantly training in order to strengthen their Meta Powers for the day of reckoning. When they would reveal themselves and teach the world that the rules meant to ‘protect’ them were only holding them back.

It was still unclear what the League of Villain’s goals were what with the seemingly pointless attacks at the USJ and in Hosu. But this…this attack on a hidden training camp had been purposeful. All to get one little boy with no Meta Power or value. To Rikiya, it was idiotic. He didn’t understand Shigaraki’s desire to snatch him up and in such a flashy fashion too. How the League has caught the world’s attention again made his stress levels start to rise.

The Meta Liberation Army had been working in the background for years. Decades even. Silently training and growing with each new recruit to their cause. Now Shigaraki was making a big stink about some insignificant Quirkless relic of the past. A remanent of a world before Meta abilities came into being. No matter what attention Midoriya was getting, in the grand scheme of things he meant nothing to the coming revolution.

Soon the world would be free of the rules, regulations, and restrictions of today’s society. Soon they would abolish all of those and live freely using their Meta Powers as they liked. Why waste time on one Quirkless child like that? It made no sense to Rikiya as did much of what the League of Villains was about. No clear goals other than destruction.

The Meta Liberation Army wanted to destroy too but it was to gain a freedom once lost. The League of Villains had no such goal or at least that the grand commander could tell. One day they would have to deal with that trivial troupe and rid themselves of the League once and for all. They were tainting Destro’s legacy with their filth and wanton violence.

But for now, Rikiya chose to ignore them. The League and the boy. Re-Destro and their future society had no use of one Quirkless child who could contribute nothing to their ever-evolving world. His stunted genes could be snuffled out for all he cared. How could someone Quirkless help further their growth as a species? If anything, Shigaraki taking him for gods knew what reason could be a blessing in disguise. Either way, neither of them mattered to him right now. They were mere ants just waiting to be crushed under his shiny polished shoes. Their eradication could wait.

The grand commander had far more important things to attend to.

Notes:

Bum bum buuuuuum! Shiggy destroys all of Izuku's things and Katsuki is strapped to a chair. Not the best of circumstances surrounded by villains.

Got some mixed reactions from the League. Toga is just excited as always. More on her will be in a later chapter. ;) Dabi is Dabi which is going to be addressed next chapter. ;) ;) And Spinner gets a good talking to and I have future pov planned for him too. I'm not covering every League member just because there was no reason plot wise, but those ones will be getting a closer look.

I'm just going to say while crazy manic Shiggy is fun, I love me some soft Shiggy as well. He didn't chose this life and was raised in it because of All For One. Either way, we'll have to see if he actually gives Izuku time to think.

Chisaki is not at all happy with the League. Still figuring out how that is going to affect the plot but that's mostly for part 4. We also got MLA activities in the background. Now I know not all of the MLA thinks like ReDestro but this is my understanding of his character and his plans and ambitions for the future.

That's all for this time. Thanks for your patience and I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Next up is all Dabi. ;) To compensate for the down time and delay, I'm planning on posting next week as well to get us back on track update wise. That and I don't want to wait two weeks to post the next chapter. The misunderstanding between Dabi and Izuku has been burning a hole in my chapter buffer for awhile now. Gotta convince the human raisin he has no actual beef with the green bean. Alrighty, bye bye until next time!

Count down to Dad For One reveal: 5 chapters

Chapter 29: Third Degree

Notes:

Alrighty! We are back on track. ^___^ I'm super excited to share this week's update. It's finally Dabi meets Izuku time!!! :D Hope you're ready for some big bro Dabi feels. ;) It's gonna be so much fun.

Oh, if you want a reminder of the BC version of the Todoroki family history, easiest would be Rei's pov from the first two chapters of part 2.

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

“Get in,” Dabi ordered as he practically threw Izuku into the room.

He stumbled but quickly righted himself and took in his new surroundings. The room was quite bare having a futon on the floor and not much else furniture wise other than a low table and some cushions to sit on. There was also a lamp next to the futon but that was about it. Not even a window though he wasn’t really surprised by that. Shigaraki may have called him a ‘guest’ but in reality, he was a prisoner who they didn’t want to escape. It didn’t take him long to take everything in so Izuku turned to face the Villain who was glaring at him.

He didn’t know why but the scarred man seemed to hate him for some reason. The others welcomed him warmly more or less with varying degrees of excitement or at the very least mild interest, but not him. Piercing blue eyes scowled down at him clearly pissed off about…something.

“So, you’re the one to take down Stain,” Dabi sneered as he kicked the door closed behind him. “You don’t look like much.”

There was a tension that chilled the room despite the fire lingering under the other’s scarred skin.

“I-I am,” Izuku said, standing as straight as he could but his fear slipped out in a stutter. “What’s it to you?”

The Villain ignored the question and instead said, “You think you’re quite the little Hero, don’t you? I don’t really see why Shigaraki thinks he can persuade you to join us. Seems kind of pointless to me. May as well consider other possible recruits.”

Dabi really did see it as near impossible for them to convince this kid to join them. Too much of a Hero streak in this one. But he had a duty to at least try even though it was by way of a threat to those the boy cared about.

“What do you mean by that?” Izuku asked, his voice quieted in sudden concern for others.

“Let’s see…Shigaraki said you were pretty protective of Bakugou,” Dabi pondered with a cruel smirk. “Seeing as he’s here too, might as well try and convince him. Of course, there are your little friends as well. It would be pretty sweet to have the ability to brainwash anyone we wanted. Surely Shinsou Hitoshi could be interested.”

Izuku breathed in sharply at the threat to his brother.

“Or have someone to make such useful and intriguing ‘babies’ for us. Hatsume Mei comes to mind.”

Dabi stalked towards him standing tall to be more intimidating and had his hands out ready to ignite as he sneered at Izuku’s angered expression.

“Then there’s your precious Todoroki Shouto. He in particular has a very good reason to hate this world that accepts false Heroes.”

Green eyes widened at the hint to Shouto’s problems with Heroes. But how did this man, this Villain, know? As far as he knew, the only ones aware of the Todoroki situation were those involved in the investigation. Other than Chizome who was in jail, his mom in the hospital, and the family themselves. Which only left one person who was another piece to the puzzle and he finally connected the name.

Could it be?

“Wait…you’re Dabi?”

The tone caused the scarred man to pause, smothering the flames itching to escape.

“…yes?”

The Villain’s voice came out sounding unsure though a bit confused as he had already told the kid his name.

“The one that gave Chi-Stain the information on Endeavor?” Izuku pressed, wanting to be sure. “That Dabi?”

“Yeah…wait,” Dabi paused before crowding into the kid’s space. “How do you know about that?”

Izuku found himself backing away from the scarred man until he was up against the wall.

“Because Stain…because Chizome told me himself,” the Quirkless teen breathed out, basically experiencing kabedon with the Villain. “That you were a potential ally.”

Dabi froze, staring down at the kid. What the fuck?

“But why are you here?” the greenet asked, head tilted in confusion. “Why are you with the League when you helped Stain?”

The question broke him out of his stupor as Dabi growled, “Because someone stopped Stain from completing his mission. Leaving him to rot in jail while that bastard is still out there doing whatever he pleases.”

It was clear the scarred man cared about what was happening in the Todoroki household though the reason why was not. They didn’t even know how this supposed ally knew about what was going on. Didn’t know how they had gotten the damning information that was helping strengthen their case. So why did this stranger care so much?

Izuku looked at him, really looked. The scars were prominent and covered his body like patchwork. His eyes were as blue as the flames he could fire off whenever he pleased. His hands had been rough on his skin when he had been dragged around by the man. Then there was his hair. It was black like an abyss threatening to swallow him up but there, at the roots, was that…white?

‘His hair was white and his hands were rough from overuse of his Quirk.’

No…

‘He was my father’s first attempt at a successor, but he came out…flawed.’

…could it be?

‘His Quirk was strong and fire-based, but he was susceptible to his own fire.’

But surely it couldn’t.

‘My father simply told us he died and left it at that.’

But what if it could?

‘My brother…”

The different pieces fell into place as Shouto’s words raced through his head before the possible completed picture came out in a whisper.

“Touya?”

The affect was instant. Dabi pinned him to the wall with an arm pressing against his throat. His other scarred hand was held close to the teen’s face as blue fire ignited.

How do you know that name?” the Villain demanded to know, his eyes were fierce.

“Shouto told me!” Izuku replied quickly, his own eyes flicking between piercing blue eyes and scorching blue flames. “About the older brother that was there for him. Rough hands that took care of his wounds. Until he was gone and he didn't know where. Was told he was dead.”

The Quirkless teen was growing less certain he was right that this was the long lost Touya in front of him, but his gut was firm in his assumption at the same time.

“Why do you think this Touya is me?” Dabi asked, trying to play it cool and not admit to something if he didn’t have to. It was too soon. “Seeing as he’s supposedly dead.”

“You have a fire Quirk,” Izuku answered, hesitant but still very much sure at the same time. “Your eyes…they match Shouto’s left side. Your skin is rough to the touch probably from your Quirk not being compatible with your body. You know a lot about what’s going on in the Todoroki household more than a stranger would. That and…”

He glanced up at the Villain’s hairline.

“…your roots are showing?”

The scarred man cursed as he pushed himself away from the teen. He ran rough fingers through his hair that he would have to dye again while he paced the bare room. Izuku watched him taking a step away from the wall but kept his distance. Didn’t want to chance provoking the fire wielder’s wrath.

Dabi suddenly stopped and glanced over at him as he asked, “How much do you know?”

“A lot but not everything,” Izuku replied, frowning. “About the Quirk marriage, the training, the incident with his mother. How he hated that bastard so much he refused to use his left side calling it his ‘father’s’ Quirk. That I had to fight him to even get him to use half of his power and realize that it was his own Quirk, not Endeavor’s.”

The Villain listened not sure if he could, or even wanted to, believe the Quirkless boy in front of him.

“He misses you, you know?” Izuku offered, cautiously looking into stunned blue eyes. “Still remembers you though only vaguely. He was still so young, but he does. Mostly the roughness of your hands being so careful while taking care of him. And his mother, Rei. Shouto started going to see her after the Sports Festival. Wants to reconnect with her even after all that’s happened.”

Dabi didn’t know what to think about that. Rei, their mother, had hurt Shouto scarring him for life. Forever marked much like he was and both their scars were linked in some way to the sins of their father. Shouto’s from Endeavor driving their mother out of her mind and his own from sheer defiance. Both hated the man for all he’s done but reacted in different ways. Dabi wanted to burn the man to the ground while Shouto hadn’t wanted to use the fire inherited from him at all. Only for this boy to convince him otherwise and make the Quirk his own?

Now he learns that his brother misses him even in vague memories, but how could he after what Dabi tried to do to him? Misplaced anger that had been corrected by their mother only after, but it didn’t change what he did. Now he’s being told that Shouto was able to seemingly forgive the woman that hurt him? Then what did that mean for him? He had tried to attack his youngest brother as well in his anger and jealousy. Did Shouto not know that he was thinking fondly of a brother who had tried to harm him?

Dabi never blamed her for any of it, not even once. Rei did all she could to care for her children while dealing with Endeavor’s obsession. It was with her calm words whispered into the night as they held each other close that had helped keep his own mind together growing up. But what about her? Who did she have to talk to about all the troubles of her life? Practically no one but her own children who all sought her for help and could only offer so much back. All that stress with no outlet to lessen it caused her to snap.

But Rei hadn’t lashed out at Shouto because she hated him or anything. Rather the reminder of their father on his left side. An instinctive act that led to her hurting her own child while mentally battling against Endeavor. Dabi couldn’t say as much. He had been angry. Jealous. Felt abandoned by the bastard who helped bring him into existence only to toss him aside. He still tried his best to impress his father who begrudgingly agreed to still train him. That was until he was born.

Shouto. The golden child. The perfect balance of their parents’ Quirks blessed by the grace of genetics. Dabi had not been so lucky. Strong fire in a weak body intended for ice. Only luck and a little something else allowed him to live this long. But at the time, he had tried to make do with what he had. Training himself hard as he watched from the sidelines until he was replaced completely when Shouto’s Quirk manifested. Now that he had his ‘masterpiece’, Touya wasn’t needed anymore.

It had happened in an instant. Shouto had turned away, whimpering about the training like an ungrateful brat. Complained about something Touya had wanted from the beginning. For their father to pay attention to him. To see him for more than his flaws. To be a son to his father and follow in his footsteps. But Touya wasn’t good enough, wasn’t perfect like Shouto. Touya was worthless. A failure.

He…snapped.

Endeavor laughably overpowered him though he was the Number Two Hero. While he was no All Might, he was still a powerful man in Quirk, money, and more. But Touya had fought against the man that refused to acknowledge him or his hard efforts to be the Hero he was born to be. Let out all his rage built up over the years and was only stopped when some of it slipped past the bastard towards his mother. Giving the shitbag an opening and ending the fight with a sucker punch to his gut.

That night Touya had let it all out. All his hatred and resentment for Shouto who was given everything he had ever wanted but had been denied. Ranted and raved until he had dissolved into tears that he couldn’t even shed now. Not with the tear ducts he had burned away. Dabi would shed no more tears for that bastard. But his mother talked him through it and he had learned it wasn’t Shouto he should be mad at, but their father. Everything had been Endeavor’s fault.

Perhaps…perhaps Shouto could forgive him? No, he shouldn’t. Couldn’t. Touya was the one to try and hurt Shouto, but Touya was dead. There had come a time after Rei was locked away that he couldn’t take it anymore. No longer had her words to calm him and emotions built up driving his fire hotter. Growing so wild it went out of his control burning everything around him.

How he survived the fire he didn’t exactly know. Well, he sort of did but chose not to think about it. Focusing instead on taking Endickvor down for all that he’s done while the ignorant masses praised him. In the beginning, Dabi had even played around with the idea of taking Shouto away certain that their father wouldn’t stop training him, but he ultimately decided against it. Endeavor’s reach was far and he feared them getting caught would just land Shouto back in that bastard’s hands while he was carted off to jail. Better to be free so he could do what needed to be done to show the world who Todoroki Enji truly was.

An abusive flaming trash bag of a man posing as a righteous Hero.

Turns out that was easier said than done. There wasn’t much a homeless teenager like him could do except gather information. A lot coming from before he had left and kept just in case it became useful. Which it could have been in the Hero Killer’s hands if it wasn’t for this brat. The reminder reignited his earlier anger that had been dowsed momentarily by his past identity being figured out so quickly. Perhaps he was seeing why Shigaraki wanted him so badly. The kid was fucking smart though that still didn’t change the fact that he messed with Dabi’s plans.

“If you know,” the fire wielder seethed as he rounded on the teen who cowered under his fury. “Then why the fuck would you stop Stain from taking Endeavor down?”

Green eyes blinked in confusion as the boy straightened while he tilted his head and said, “I…didn’t?”

“Yes, you fucking did, you asshat,” Dabi growled. “You captured him in Hosu and now Stain can’t stop Endeavor.”

“But he can?” Izuku lilted.

The Villain stared the boy down with his head full of questions and blue eyes searching for answers, but couldn’t find any.

“The fuck are you talking about?” Dabi questioned, confused.

“That flash drive, the one you gave Stain,” Izuku answered. “Chizome gave it to me after saving me from that Noumu.”

“And why the hell would he do that?” he pressed further, trying to understand what the fuck was happening.

“Because I…I was the one to send Chi-Stain after Endeavor in the first place,” Izuku revealed, wringing his hands nervously.

Dabi froze yet again at the revelation. This boy, this child, this…Hero. He knew about Endeavor, the Quirk marriage, training, practically everything. He also personally knew the Hero Killer and had been given all the information Dabi had given Stain. Now he was saying he was the one who sent the Villain after the Number Two Hero?

What the actual fuck?

“You…you did?” the Villain breathed out in disbelief.

“…yeah,” the boy admitted, picking at his fingers.

“You…why?” Dabi asked, brows furrowed in bewilderment at this enigma of a kid.

“Because I wanted to protect Shouto,” Izuku stated, standing more confidently and looking him in the eye proper. “Shouto isn’t safe in that house and if anyone is a false Hero it’s Endeavor for how he treats his family.”

Falso Hero indeed.

“Then in Hosu…why?”

“I had to and Chizome understood that,” Izuku declared, clenching his fists. “Stain is a Villain. He needed to be stopped, but so does Endeavor. He is no Hero. We plan to take him down and you can help if you are the ally Chizome said you were.”

Dabi pondered the offer for a moment before asking, “An ally, huh? You said ‘we plan to take him down’. Who exactly is this ‘we’?”

“Lots of people,” the teen said. “Nezu, Eraserhead, Detective Tsukauchi, my mom, me, and even Chizome played his part by passing on his information to me. We’re all working together and will do everything we can to bring that bastard to justice.”

The scarred man rolled his eyes at that last word.

“Pft, justice,” he sneered with a shake of his head. “You sound just like the others. There’s no justice to be had here. Not with their precious Number Two Hero.”

The Villain moved to lean against the wall and then sat down on the ground in slump of defeat.

“Not necessarily,” the greenet countered, relaxing his hands as he followed sitting beside the man. Not too close but not too far either. “Not if the public slowly became aware of the corruption of the current system.”

The seeds of which were already being planted. The ongoing investigations into Aldera and Hitoshi’s foster center and past homes. There were also the lower ranking Heroes being held accountable for their actions. Not to mention Nezu was leaking out the dirty laundry of those targeted by Stain. Of course, with some sense of tact for those he had actually killed. They had tended to be the more monstrous of his victims but some of them still had families. While it was prudent to inform the public, Nezu knew at least to not be insensitive though at times he did need a guiding hand.

The Villain just stared at him for a while trying to size the kid up. Sure, Dabi had done and given up a lot in his own pursuit of tearing down the flaming shitbag, but so had this boy. Going to such lengths, doing all he could and teaming up with whoever he could to protect Shouto. But why? That was a lot of work for just one person who wasn’t even directly involved.

“Why are you doing all of this?” Dabi asked in a tone softer than before, genuinely curious.

“Because I…”

 …love…

“…care about Shouto.”

Izuku changed the word that sprang into his head at the last second, but that was as far as he got explaining why. Because this was the first time his like had turned to love. Or at least his first time thinking of it as that, but when did that change? When did his like turn to love? Was it the nights spent cuddled close together? Bonding over past trauma and recent wounds? Becoming more aware of the boy he had been crushing on for a while now? Honestly, he didn’t know and left the explanation at that. It wasn’t like he could do anything about it right now anyway.

But Dabi caught the momentary pause and narrowed his eyes in scrutiny. There was a slight blush on the boy’s freckled cheeks hinting at an answer. Perhaps Shouto was more precious to him than they thought. The scarred man smirked in amusement but said nothing. He didn’t want to reveal anything that could put a target on his baby brother’s back in case All For One was listening. His threats from before were mostly empty anyway.

They sat there in silence for a while. Shigaraki was probably wondering where he was but Dabi didn’t give a fuck. They could survive without him for a gods damn minute while he processed all that he had learned in the short time of meeting this boy. While Izuku had his own revelations to considered. Namely how or even if he should tell Shouto that his brother was alive and…relatively well. That and he became a Villain. That was an even closer connection to Villainy than Izuku who had befriended one and earned the attention of another, but family was so much closer than that. Learning that Dabi was Touya could be devastating to his friend.

After a while, Izuku bravely asked a question that had been burning in the back of him mind for some time. Really ever since Chizome had handed him the flash drive before changing back to Stain forcing Izuku to take him down as Edge.

“Dabi,” he said after a moment deciding what to call the man. “What exactly did you give to Stain as evidence?”

Blue eyes peeked over at him but he didn’t fully turn his head.

“Pictures, anecdotes,” the scarred man answered. “Really anything that I thought would be useful and damning. At one point I managed to snag a copy of his financial records related to some troublesome lawsuits, but pictures mostly.”

The Quirkless teen nodded at that before he said, “Yeah, my mom did the same with me.”

It hurt to talk about her but it was true. She had also told him she had been doing the same for Shouto too. Not anymore though.

“Your mom?” Dabi prodded.

“Yeah, she tried her best to help me growing up,” Izuku replied. “Taking pictures, recording everything she could. It wasn’t much growing up Quirkless like I did being bullied by everyone, but it’s helping now. Nezu and Eraserhead have been working with a detective to investigate my past schools. Because it wasn’t just the other students bullying me but the teachers too.”

Izuku didn’t have to tell him all that, but he knew so much about the scarred man’s tragic backstory he might as well share his own.

“She sounds like a good mom,” Dabi commented, only to cringe at the scowl the boy shot at him.

Right. They hurt the kid’s mom. Or rather Muscular did. The Villain let out a sigh as the room grew quiet again though with an underlying tension. What can you say after that? Sorry, we hurt your mom? Yeah, no.

“You know, she sounds like a woman I met once,” the scarred man offered as a change of subject to hopefully alleviate the tension. “I needed time away from that house and hid in a park. Well, not as well as you probably could, greenie.”

He mussed the kid’s hair who smacked his hand away. It was childish and way too familial for the situation, but he didn’t care. After learning all this damn kid has done for his family, Dabi couldn’t help but feel closer to the boy. And if his suspicions were correct, this Midoriya Izuku might be family one day anyway.

“She found me and saw my scars,” Dabi continued as he held up an arm. “Not as bad as these but still noticeable. I told her it was from training my Quirk which was true but she could somehow tell there was more to it than that. Though me refusing to go to a hospital might have given that away.”

‘Are you sure, sweetie?’

He could still hear her kind voice in his mind even though he couldn’t remember what she looked like much.

“Anyway, she called me out, in a motherly way, and offered to help me,” the scarred man said, recalling vague memories of that day. “I refused that too of course. Even back then I knew there wasn’t much that could be done to stop that bastard. But she sensed my reluctance and didn’t push. Instead, she told me about her son.”

The woman, her features hazy in his memory, slowly sat down on the ground near him. Not too close to scare him off but not too far away either.

“My boy is training too,” she said with a fond but sad tone. “He wants to be a Hero one day but he’s…well, he gets picked on by the others.”

She stared dejectedly down at her lap.

“I do my best to help him, but there’s only so much I can do.”

The world around them is green with the grass and the leaves of the trees. It contrasted with his patchy red hair that he knew was fading to white.

“But hopefully someday something can be done to help my son. So, I’m putting together a secret weapon.”

Her voice turned almost playful at those last two words. She gave him a calm grin as she held a finger to her lips. The green surrounding them seemed to settle on the woman as well.

“What is it?” young Touya had asked quietly, curious what this secret weapon could be. Maybe he could use it against his father.

The woman, now with an aura of green, smiled at him for feeling comfortable enough to talk to her.

“I’m collecting evidence,” she said, her hands neatly folded in her lap. “Taking pictures and recording whatever I can of what they’re doing to my son.”

He had stared at her thinking. That was it? Her secret weapon? Pictures and whatnot? How would that take down Endeavor? That man could just blast all of that away with his Quirk.

“How do you know that will even work?” he sneered, angered that it wasn’t something stronger.

“Honestly, I don’t,” the green woman replied, her smile slipping for a moment before she schooled her features. “But I still hope that one day that will be enough. I have to at least try, right? I want what’s best for my son.”

She once again smiled at him, green seeping into her features more solidly. Green hair, green eyes.

Green, green…green. Wait.

Blue eyes snapped to curious green eyes under green hair. Stared at the boy sitting not too close but not too far. At the budding Hero who was already going after the real Villains of this world. Who reminded him of a woman who had once tried to help him.

No fucking shit.

“Fuck,” Dabi breathed, eyes blown wide. “I think I met your mom.”

“W-what?” Izuku stuttered out, just as shocked.

“That woman…I think she was your mom,” the scarred man muttered, his head reeling. “Green hair, green eyes, super mom vide, kid who was picked on and wants to be a Hero, and telling a traumatized random child to gather evidence? I could go on.”

The greenet thought over his list before nodding with a small smile as he said, “Could be. Sounds like her.”

“Damn,” Dabi let out, slump back against the wall. “I’m really sorry she got hurt.”

And he meant it. That woman had led him to start collecting his own evidence. He could at least try too, right?

The boy only nodded but said nothing. It was awkward again but not the same as before. More solemn than tense. Both left to their own thoughts as they sat there side by side. This was not at all what Dabi had expected when it came to the kid. Before he had been angry but that was long gone now. He had only truly known Midoriya Izuku for less than a day, but Dabi already found himself willing to kill anyone who tried messing with him.

‘Your older brother vibe is showing.’

The teasing voice of Toga rang in his head. They had only been working together for a short while when she made that comment. Muscular had been giving the teenage girl a weird look and Dabi did not like it one bit. They were Villain’s sure and she was fucking crazy but no way in fucking hell was he letting that fly. He had walked over and planted himself squarely between the two and shot a glare at the muscled creep. The man appeared miffed and stalked off after that. Which led to the blonde girl’s teasing words. He had shoved her away dismissively in response.

The memory flustered him a bit because he couldn’t exactly deny it. Especially not now with the kid. He huffed in annoyance and shoved his hands in his pockets. He expected them to be empty but was surprised by an unknown object until he remembered what it was.

Oh, right. That.

"So, you really do know him, huh? Stain?” Dabi spoke up, his hand still in his pocket. “And this must be one of his then, yeah?"

‘This’ being the knife he had picked up earlier. He hadn’t had a chance to examine it closely but now in the lamp light he could see an ‘S’ carved into the handle.

"Hey, that's-!" Izuku exclaimed, instinctively reaching out to grab it only to draw back remembering the one holding it was a Villain.

"Yours? Yeah, I know,” Dabi replied, lowering his hand holding the folded knife. “You dropped it when we were, um, tackled through the warp gate."

Izuku stared at the hand holding the knife. The piece connecting him to Chizome that he had thought was lost in the woods to never be found. But at least it didn’t get destroyed along with his other gear. Not that this was much better with another Villain possessing it now. Guess Izuku would never get the knife back. Except he was surprised when the knife was offered to him on a scarred palm.

"Wha?" the teen choked out, his eyes brimming with tears.

"It's yours, isn't it?” Dabi stated, holding out his hand waiting for him to take it. “Stain gave it to you himself. I can't take that from you."

"But...I'm a prisoner,” Izuku said, confused. “Don't the kidnappers typically not want their prisoners armed?"

The scarred man carefully reached out with his other hand and slowly, cautious took one of Izuku’s hands in his. He then gently placed the knife in the teen’s hand before closing his fingers around it. But he didn’t let go just yet, encased the boy’s smaller hands in his as he gazed into cautious green eyes.

"As far as us two are concerned, you're not a prisoner,” Dabi stated, willing his conviction in his blue eyes. “At least not to me. You helped my family and even sent the fucking Hero Killer after my shitbag of an old man. Hell, even your mom helped me out in the weirdest fucking crazy random happenstance of this universe. I am not your enemy, Midoriya Izuku."

Green eyes overflowed with tears at his words. Guess that meant he had one ally in this den of wolves. Not even Bakugou was considered one even though he had run after him in an attempt to save him. This was different. The man before him may be a Villain but he wouldn’t be the first that Izuku had bonded with. So, when scarred hands let go of his, the boy didn’t hesitate to launch himself at Dabi and latch onto him as he cried.

Dabi was surprised of course but was quick to wrap his arms around the boy. This must be some stressful shit especially with all he’s learned about the kid in such a short time. Shigaraki was going to have a hard ass time convincing the Quirkless teen to join them. Sure, he had been through some shit that would have turned anyone Villain and yet he still proved what Stain had seen in him despite all that.

Midoriya Izuku was a true Hero.

But in this moment, he was still a child. Still young and being forced to face the worst of this world head on. And Dabi helped with that. Guilt pooled in his gut making him hold the teen more firmly. After a while Midoriya…no, Izuku passed out. Dabi gently picked him up and then laid him on the futon.

“Sleep well, Izuku,” Dabi whispered as he tucked the kid in and brushed the hair out of his face. “And I truly am sorry.”

He then reached for the lamp and with a flick of the switch the light snuffed out.

Notes:

Finally Dabi and Izuku are good. Ugh, it was hurting me having to write him as upset with our favorite green bean. He's on your side, you burnt raisin! Not sure how this will impact future parts yet but I've got some ideas. Though that is far into the future so no need to worry about that yet.

For Izuku figuring it out so quickly, Shouto told him a little about his brother in chapter 20 of this part. And Izuku is a smarty and I thought the roots comment was funny. :P I dye my hair myself and roots always peek through eventually.

If Izuku switching calling Chizome by his name or by Stain, I have a reason for it. Because while Chizome and Stain are the same person, Izuku understands that Chizome sees them as to separate identifies. So he's done some things with the intentions of Stain and others as Chizome. I dunno. It's just how my brain worked it out.

I know people are looking forward to a big Aldera take down. I would like to do something but I'm still figuring out what exactly and how. As for when at least reserved for after part 3 ends. Too much for this part to cover and I think it would pair nicely with Endeavor getting some consequences. But again, still figuring things out. If anything, please don't except a super detailed thing? I guess? :3 I will try my best though as I always do.

But not as detailed as readers expected. Aldera has always been a back stage thing for me. Not a main thing. I did want to give them consequence but I think the consequences others want is more than i was will to Initially give. This story is for me to share, not for others to dictate how it goes. So no not as a big thing because no.

I had a little fun with the whole Inko thing. It was just a random brainstorm I had and decided to use it. Doesn't really affect anything plot wise other than giving Touya more of a reason for documenting things at such a young age.

He's got the knife back! :D I can't have him losing something so precious. Or can I? >:) Kekeke. We'll see. Also Dabi is already shipping Izuku with his bro. And now he is more of an ally than before! Still figuring out how exactly going forward but Dabi is at least on Izuku's side in a way.

Okay! Now we're back on track. Next up is a peek into the Hero side with focus on the Yamazawa family. Then back to Izuku who wakes up to a surprise visitor. Who could it be? We'll find out next time! :D See ya!

Count down to Dad For One reveal: 4 chapters

Chapter 30: No Feeling Is Final

Notes:

Iiiiiit's update time again! :D Got an update on the hero side of things of a sort and then we get to find out the identity of Izuku's visitor! :P

Let's get to it!

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

Chapter Text

Shouta wasn’t much when it came to emotions. Most of the time he was indifferent to anything he didn’t deem worthy of his attention. Those that did make the list were few. Cats, coffee, and Hizashi of course. There were also the handful of people he counted as friends even if they could be annoying at times. Then there were his students who he never admitted to actually caring about. Not in words at least. He did more so with his actions and how he pushed them to be their best selves.

However, this year was far different from years past. Never had he had a class that had been through so much so soon into their Hero careers. Not even through their first year before crossing paths with Villains again and again. And now two of his students have been kidnapped and completely out of his reach to protect.

Shouta was pissed. At himself for failing and at the League for their audacity, but he was also very much worried. He had no idea what the League could possibly be doing to his students. Didn’t know if they were safe and well or hurt or even ali…no, he couldn’t even let himself consider that. Shigaraki wanted Izuku for some reason so he wouldn’t hurt him, right? Bakugou was another story but the teacher knew the boy would not go down without a fight.

He worried for his other students as well but Shouta knew they were at least safe whether in the hospital or at home. Out of the forty students, fifteen of them had been knocked unconscious by that Quirked gas. Then eleven others were injured from defending against the Villains or running for their lives from that fucking Noumu they just had to bring to terrorize his students. Again. Then there was Hitoshi who was currently passed out in a hospital bed from mental and emotional exhaustion.

It wasn’t easy when one of your best friends was taken from you. Shouta knew exactly how it felt having lost Oboro so long ago, but he would be damned if he let his son go through the same experience as him. The Heroes were going to find them and rescue them from the League’s clutches. Bring them back home to their loved ones no matter what. A promise that Shouta swore to keep as he carefully brushed some hair out of Hitoshi’s face as he slept.

The Heroes had their own causalities that night. Pixie Bob was hospitalized in critical condition and Ragdoll was missing. Most likely taken by the League as well and presumably injured based on the blood found at the midway check point. They all held a hope that she was still alive but also were prepared for the worst. Death was a risk that came with the life of a Pro Hero.

But that shouldn’t have been the case for his students. Not so soon and not so life threatening when they still had so much to learn and experience in life. Hizashi and the others were also pissed that the League yet again attacked the first years and even kidnapped two of them. Nezu was already hard at work coordinating with the police and other Heroes to gain intelligence and try to figure out where they were being kept so they could get them back.

They knew frustratingly little when it came to the League. Since the USJ, they only had known of Shigaraki and Kurogiri as members other than the small fry thugs and Noumu they apprehended. But they learned from Hosu that there was more where that Noumu came from. Disturbing creatures that were no longer the humans they once were after going through unknown but obviously grotesque experimentation. Whether by their own choice or not was also unknown.

This most recent attack did provide them with new information but at the cost of the safety of his students. More had joined the League and were far more dangerous than the thugs Shigaraki chose before. The self-titled Vanguard Action Squad had been organized and well prepared for a group of seven Villains and a Noumu. Shows that quality over quantity was more dangerous and did as much if not more damage than overwhelming by numbers.

There was talk amongst those on the case that there was another behind it all. A speculation they had after the examination of that first Noumu and then confirmed by Shigaraki himself at the mall. All For One, the considered Number One Villain, was backing the League though for what reasons they didn’t know. Nor did they know if a man who could take any Quirk he wished would have any interest in someone Quirkless. But they also didn’t know if the rumored ancient one would take the opportunity to use the other side of his Quirk and tempt the Quirkless boy with what he had been denied his whole life. Or if Izuku would take it.

Shouta sided on that he wouldn’t. The kid had already turned down the Quirk of the Number One Hero. A Quirk so powerful that Izuku could have easily become a strong Hero with proper training, but the Quirkless teen had said no to his childhood idol. Perhaps a bit out of spite because declining such an offer seemed insane to some people, but mostly it was because the kid wanted to prove himself with his own strength. Show everyone that Quirkless did not mean weak or useless. And so far, he’s done a damn good job at that in Shouta’s opinion.

But there was a possibility of Izuku’s choice not being a part of the scenario. After the mall incident, the Erasure Hero made a point that they needed to know all they could about All For One now that he had been confirmed as part of the League. All Might had been hesitant to tell those who did not already know, but was convinced by the shared front of Shouta, Nezu, Tsukauchi, Recovery Girl, and also an old-timer new-comer Gran Torino.

The retired pro had heard what happened and offered to help in any way he could. A few sparring sessions showed he was more than capable of holding his own in a fight even against Eraserhead. Besides, the old man said he wanted to save the kid to meet the one that had caught Yagi’s eye as well as had built Support tech based on his Quirk. Having receive his own goggles from the boy, Shouta couldn’t really blame him.

Based on what All Might reluctantly revealed and what Gran Torino knew of All For One, they got a disturbing picture of the Villain’s Quirk. It literally could be all the power for one person with the ability to take any Quirk he pleased. While also being able to give Quirks to others if he wished to and had used as a manipulation tool in the past. There wasn’t anything stopping him from doing the same here despite Izuku’s expected protest. Unless the Heroes got to them first.

A soft knock came from the hospital room door.

“Enter,” Shouta said, loud enough for whoever it was to hear but not too much as to wake up his son.

In walked his husband in civilian clothes and his long hair down in a ponytail. Shouta managed to pull himself away from their son to meet Hizashi half way in a hug. The night had been very stressful and he could very much use physical comfort from his favorite human cockatoo. The blonde held him close and placed a soft kiss on his temple which had the tired man lean more into the embrace.

“How is he?” Hizashi whispered quietly.

“Physically he’s okay,” Shouta replied. “Some scrapes and bruises, but when everyone was being checked by the staff, he passed out. They wanted to keep him for further observation just in case.”

His husband nodded before asking, “And how are you?”

The Underground Hero had always had a hard time expressing his feelings. This was no different because there were so many and he didn’t know what to do with them. Nor did he know how to properly communicate this complex menagerie of emotions whirling inside of him. So instead, Shouta tightened his grip on the love of his life and sighed heavily into his shoulder.

“That bad, huh?” Hizashi commented as he rubbed a soothing hand along his back. “I know you suck at this, but I’m gonna need some actual words so I can help you.”

Shouta knew that talking would actually help but he still didn’t want to though he would anyway. Communication was something they had worked long and hard on between them. Sure, there had still been occasional fights and they needed time to cool off before talking properly, but it had all worked out in time. He took a moment to try and collect his thoughts before he spoke.

“I’m…angry. Angry at the League for targeting the students again. For hurting them and taking two of them. I’m angry at myself for not being fast enough to save them. I missed them by less than a minute and if I had just been faster, I could have erased Kurogiri’s Quirk and cut off their escape. I wasn’t even quick enough to stop Izuku from rushing off in the first place. I…I failed them.”

Rare tears were leaking from his normally dry eyes as he clung to his husband. Hizashi ran a hand through his hair despite it being gross at the moment as he held the other man close.

“You didn’t fail them, Shou,” Hizashi insisted despite Shouta’s grunt in protest. “No, listen. I know you fought your very hardest for your students. You always do. But that does not make you a failure. I feel like a failure too because I wasn’t there to protect them, but I also know that’s wrong.”

The blonde pushed his husband a short distance so he could look him in the eye.

“We are Heroes, but we are also human. We are not perfect nor can we save everyone. But we can still fight to save those that we can. And we will save them. You, myself, and the others will do everything we can to get them back.”

The conviction was strong in his bespectacled green eyes. He meant every word and it ignited an inferno inside of Shouta to do just that. Find Izuku and Bakugou and get them back where they belonged. It also reminded him of how much he loved this man. His strong convictions were part of what drew Shouta to him. The black-haired man reached up and took his husband’s face in his hands.

Their lips met strong and firm but more in compassion than anything else. Hizashi’s mustache tickled his upper lip and Shouta’s stubble scratched his chin, but the familiar sensations did nothing to ruin the kiss. It lasted for about a minute before they parted and eyed each other tenderly. They then both turned to the purple haired teen in the bed still sleeping.

At the very least, their son was safe after the mess at the training camp. Now all they had to do was find Izuku and Bakugou. Find them, save them, and bring them back. Right the wrongs that had befallen them and be their Heroes in their time of need.

Stay strong, problem children.

~~~

Izuku woke up to fingers carding through his hair. He kept his eyes closed in contentment his sleep addled brain thinking it was his mother. That they were in their apartment and it was any other morning. But then he heard a giggle that was certainly not his mother and a string of events came rushing back to him making him remember what had happened the night before. That he had been kidnapped by the League of Villains.

Green eyes snapped open to the bare room and obviously he wasn’t alone. Toga, the girl from the night before, was there playing with his hair. Izuku shot up and scrambled as far away from her as he could until his back hit a wall.

“Good morning, cutie,” she said, smiling brightly at him. “About time you woke up, sleepy head.”

There was no window so Izuku had no way of knowing what time it was. The room was only lit by the lamp that she most likely had turned on. The Quirkless teen breath quickened as he sat there freaking out. The last thing he remembered was latching onto Dabi after he had given him back the knife from Chizome. Which he could feel was tucked into his pocket and it helped ground him somewhat. Didn’t change the fact that he was watching the younger Villain before him like a hawk.

He didn’t know who she was or what she could do. Didn’t know why she was smiling at him like that. It could mean anything and he had been tricked by smiles before. People telling him kind words trying to lure him into a sense of safety only to turn as soon as he did. Izuku had quickly learned to not trust those smiles. Once bitten, twice shy.

“W-what do you want?” Izuku asked, cautiously.

“Nothing, just wanted to check on you,” the girl claimed, still smiling. “We didn’t get to talk much yesterday and I’ve been so looking forward to meeting you. Shiggy has been bragging about the Quirkless kid with a big brain. Though that little picture he carries around with him doesn’t do you justice.”

She gave him a wink while he freaked out over the information that Shigaraki carried a fucking picture of him. Obsessed much? That’s creepy as hell!

“What does he want with me?” he pressed because there had to be a reason, right? Other than just wanting him there for his brain.

“To join us!” the blonde girl chirped, clapping her hands together. “Shiggy, the others, and I want a world where we can live freely. Where we can do what we want without people saying we can’t.”

Sounds like anarchy but okay.

“And what do you want specifically?” Izuku asked. Maybe he could learn more about the members of the League and let the Heroes know once they were rescued. “Why did you join the League?”

Her reaction was to squeal as she quickly crawled over to sit right next to him. Izuku had no time to react before she looped her arms around one of his and squeezed.

“I joined because of Stainy,” she said, still smiling and flashing her pointed teeth. “He cuts people up and covers them with blood. I just love blood so much. It’s so cute, don’t you think?”

Golden eyes look at him expectantly. Up close he took note that her pupils were slitted like a cat’s. Was that related to her Quirk? Or was it the liking of blood? It would explain her prominently pointed teeth in her smile which was now tilted to the side inquisitively. Oh, right, her question.

“Um, not really,” was his answer, making her pout. “You know Stain wasn’t just about cutting people, right?”

And really it was just so he could use his Quirk. A necessity that turned into a collection of blades. One of which was thankfully in the pocket opposite of where Toga was. He did not need her finding out about his knife.

“I know, you said as much yesterday,” the girl replied, smiling again. “But I still like him anyway. I hope maybe someday I can become Stainy. Because isn’t that what people do? Become what they love?”

Green eyes stared at her inquisitively.

“What do you mean ‘become’?” the young analyst couldn’t help but ask. “Is it part of your Quirk?”

The blonde nodded eagerly before she said, “Can I show you?”

“…sure?” Izuku agreed hesitantly though he wasn’t sure what to expect exactly. Certainly not her grabbing his hand and biting it. “Ow!”

He tried to pull his hand away but she was surprisingly strong. He could feel her sharp teeth piercing his skin and her sucking blood out. But not for too long as she released him and immediately pulled a floral-patterned bandage from her pocket. Apparently, she came prepared.

“What was that for?” the boy demanded as he cradled his now bandaged hand close.

Instead of answering, the girl changed. Literally. A grey ooze covered her skin and then plopped down to the floor. It didn’t smell bad or anything and seemed more like watered down clay than anything else. Which was probably more accurate as her features had been reformed into his own. Izuku was staring at another him who was smiling back at him dressed in a sailor uniform. It was…different.

“So, you can…change,” Izuku stated, piecing what he had just learned while being mindful of his words. He didn’t want to upset the Villain who had just bitten and then transformed into him. “I’m guessing by drinking their blood?”

“Exactly!” Toga squealed, latching onto his arm again. Still weird as she now looked and sounded like him. “It’s called Transform. The more I drink the longer I can stay as that person. One cup is good for up to eighteen hours. I can even change between people if I drink more than one person’s blood.”

“Is it just their appearance and voice?” Izuku asked, not able to help his curiosity. “Or can you copy their Quirk as well?”

Wouldn’t work with him since he didn’t have one, but if she can copy people from their blood, she could possibly replicate their Quirk factors too from their DNA.

“Not their Quirks, no,” she answered thoughtfully before turning to him with a smirk. “Not that I’ve experienced anyway. I can duplicate their clothes though…”

She then leaned close to whisper into his ear with his own voice.

“…but I have to be naked first.”

Then for some reason she, as Izuku, climbed into his lap and straddled him. The boy tried his best not to tremble in fear wondering what the hell she was doing. He also really hoped she wouldn’t feel the knife hidden in his pocket.

“You know, I bet you would look so cute covered in blood,” Izu-Toga said, tracing a finger along his chin. He gulped.

“W-why do you say that?” he stuttered out.

“Because I think everything looks cute in blood,” she replied, her smile turning wistful and a blush dusted his copied freckled cheeks. “Blood is so rich and red and so, so pretty. I just love seeing it and drinking it and using it to turn into people I like. Blood allows me to show my love.”

She tucked a loose green lock of his own hair behind his ear as she bit down on lips that looked just like his.

“You remind me of a boy, you know,” Izu-Toga practically purred. “I showed him my love and I could show you too. Though Shiggy said not to harm you so we’d have to be careful. But would you like to try, Izuku? Will you let me show you how much I can love you?”

It was kind of creepy to see himself like this but he was also fascinated by the incredible applications for her Quirk. It would be great for espionage and infiltration. Too bad she couldn’t duplicate the Quirks too though perhaps she could in time with training. There was also the obsession with blood. He could see how people might be put off by it however there were Heroes with blood related Quirks like Vlad King. But what exactly pushed her to become a Villain?

“Why are you with the League?” Izuku asked, repeating his question from earlier instead of answering hers. Besides, he didn’t really want to talk about love with a Villain. Didn’t want Shouto to become a target like him.

“I told you,” Izu-Toga answered, letting out a small huff in annoyance but still smiled. “I joined because of Stainy.”

“He’s not actually connected to the League, you know,” Izuku stressed. “Shigaraki is just using the media claiming that but Chizome hates how the League has attacked children.”

“Oh that’s right, you know Stainy,” the girl clapped his duplicated hands together while side stepping his point.

Seemed her time limit was up or she chose to drop his form as more of that grey goo formed on her skin. Thankfully she was nice enough to shift off of him so none of it got on him. Leaving a larger pile of the stuff on the ground. The blonde girl went back to sitting next to him as she pulled out her phone. She shot a quick text and a moment later a dark purple portal opened under the goop and it was gone.

Is Kurogiri their butler or something?

“So, what was Stainy really like?” Toga asked as she turned to him, yellow eyes eager to learn about her idol.

The greenet blinked for a moment thinking before he said, “Chizome is…intense. He has very strong convictions when it comes to Heroes and is willing to kill those he considers ‘fake’. But he never went after someone without a reason and he does not target children.”

He wanted to make that clear that what the League was doing did not align with Stain’s methods.

“He’s also caring. At least towards me,” Izuku admitted, a small sad smile on his face. “He was the one to first encourage me to be a Hero, you know?”

Green eyes turned to look into yellow ones that were watching him intently. Toga still smiled and nodded her head to prod him to explain.

“I…had a really rough day when we first met,” the Quirkless teen continued. “Growing up Quirkless was hard and that day in particular was…bad. But it was also the day I met him. The day I was finally told that a Quirkless kid could become a Hero when everyone else had said no. Well, my dad said maybe but Chizome told me yes.”

He gazed out across the room feeling somber at his memories. That day really had been the worst and yet best day of his life. The small flicker of hope almost snuffed out by baited words, sludge, and an almighty rejection only to be fanned back into life strong by the unlikeliest of people.

“It’s ironic, isn’t it?” he said, letting out a huff and leaning his head back against the wall. “A Villain encouraging someone to be a Hero. But with him, it worked. I have always wanted to be a Hero and I will become one no matter what.”

He then turned to look at the girl next to him directly in the eye.

“I know that Shigaraki wants to recruit me, but I could never be a Villain. I want to be a Hero who saves people no matter who they are or what happens to me. I want to save anyone that I can.”

The intended ‘even you’ went unsaid.

Toga could see and almost feel the conviction radiating from the Quirkless boy. She, like Dabi, saw that Shigaraki had his work cut out for him with this one.

“That’s very admirable of you, Izuku,” she said, her smile suddenly turning sad. “But you can’t save everyone. Some people have no choice but to live outside of the norms of society. For some people there’s just no other way.”

Her smile was now gone and she had her legs tucked up against her with her arms hugging them close. Toga looked so much younger in that moment. It made him wonder how old she really was and when she had resorted to Villainy.

“Is that what happened to you?” Izuku asked hesitantly.

Yellow cat-like eyes glanced over at him taking in his concerned expression. No judgment, just curiosity.

“Mhm,” she mumbled with a nod as she turned her gaze to the ground. “I tried to be normal. To wear a mask everyday hiding who I really am. But it got harder and harder and harder to resist until I couldn’t anymore.”

She paused to steal a look to gauge his reaction but Izuku stayed silent as he returned her nod of encouragement from earlier. Toga gulped before giving him a small thankful smile. She loosened her posture a bit as she continued.

“Blood. I’ve always been fascinated by it. Drawn to it. The color, the taste. The feeling of becoming someone else. I love it all, but that’s not considered ‘normal’. Not to my parents or my friends and classmates. They didn’t understand and were surprised when I ‘snapped’.”

She emphasized the last work with air quotes as well as a roll of her eyes.

“I just wanted to show him how much I loved him. Loved how he looked roughed up and bloody. The urges became too much and I let them consume me. So I consumed him.”

Her expression was almost wistful as she recalled sucking the blood out of her first crush. It had felt so good at the time. Finally able to have the boy’s blood inside her and be connected to him through it. A feeling of ecstasy that she could never give up ever again.

“After that, I couldn’t go back,” Toga said, smile dimming again. “Couldn’t pretend anymore to be someone I’m not because my normal is not the same as everyone else’s. But it’s not fair that they get to live their lives how they like and I can’t. Not without going against the law. That’s why this life…it’s the only way I can live my life how I want.”

Izuku looked at the girl sadly. He didn’t know all the details but he had a better understanding as to what drove her here. Knew all about not being considered ‘normal’. Even though he was a little freaked out about her ‘consuming’ someone like she had when she bit his hand, but in this world of Quirks it was possible for her urges to be normal. Not to everyone else moral wise but in regards to secondary aspects related to one’s Quirk if he was right that’s what it was. Well, all he could do is ask.

“You say you’re attracted to blood,” Izuku inquired, gaining her attention. “Did you ever think…it’s a side effect of your Quirk?”

Toga considered his question for a moment before answering with a shrug, “Probably, but it doesn’t matter. It’s my Quirk and it’s what I like. I can’t change that and I don’t want to.”

“You shouldn’t have to,” the Quirkless teen insisted, earning a surprised look from her. “All Quirks have side effects or draw backs and everyone has to learn to work with or around them. I’m wondering if it’s not just a liking of blood but also a biological need? Like you need to drink blood after a certain amount of time or else it’ll affect you negatively.”

The blonde girl put a finger on her chin in thought before saying, “Hmm, maybe I do. Sometimes I get more desperate for blood if it’s been a while. Blood typically tastes even better at those times.”

“Like you get really dehydrated and then finally drink some water?” Izuku offered as a comparison. “Or you’re starving and no matter what food you eat tastes like the most delicious thing in the world.”

“Exactly!” Toga exclaimed, latching onto his arm again. “You get me so well. I see what Shiggy means by you being super smart. And you’re super nice too! We’re going to be such good friends, Izuku!”

The Quirkless boy nervously chuckled still unsure about the blood crazed Villain.

“Um, sure, I guess,” Izuku conceded. “Though I do have a…concern?”

Toga tilted her head in confusion wondering what would worry her new friend and asked, “What is it?”

He hesitated for a moment thinking if this was a good thing to bring up while he was alone with the Villain. Not wanting to offend her or set her off. Toga seemed to change her mood in an instant and who knows what could piss her off enough to go against Shigaraki’s orders. She had already bitten him after all.

“You asked if you could ‘show me how much you can love me?’” he asked carefully. “How exactly do you show your love?”

Izuku cautiously looked over at her as yellow eyes were narrow and studying him closely. Again, he gulped. The air was tense as she stared at him and he did his best not to shake in fear. The smile wasn’t there as if feeling challenged for how she feels and acts, but honestly Izuku just wanted to understand.

“The way I show my love is by drinking the blood of those I love,” she finally said, still looking at him intently. “It’s as normal as kissing is for others, but for me it’s with blood. Consuming a part of them and then becoming them. The more I love them the more I want all their blood for myself. Then no one else can have them but me.”

“But what about them?” he asked quietly, unable to look away. “What about those you take all their blood away? Wouldn’t they just end up dead? Then you wouldn’t be able to be close to them anymore.”

Yellow eyes now stared at him curiously and less threateningly. His words weren’t condemning her for wanting blood but rather came from a concern of the preservation of life. The subtle change was enough to give him the courage to keep going.

“And even then, wouldn’t that be forcing what you want on them? Wouldn’t that be the same as everyone forcing what they want on you? Taking away their right to live how they want?”

Now she looked down at the ground confused, trying to make sense of what he was asking. What point he was trying to make?

“I-I’m not saying drinking someone’s blood and becoming them to show your love is wrong by all means,” Izuku stressed with placating hands. “But if you end up killing someone for their blood because you want to show your love, what about them? Do they want to die for your love or do they want to live? Because there are a lot of ways people show their love and it’s about finding a balance between them. Forcing what you want on others without consideration of what they want isn’t…well, it’s not good.”

Toga’s brows were pinched together in thought as she glared down at the floor. He wasn’t sure what she was thinking but he wanted to make sure she knew that he didn’t think her form of love was villainous. Rather it was more intense and not everyone can handle it. That she shouldn’t have to hold back her love completely but perhaps show it in moderation? Though he wasn’t really an expert on love himself feeling like an idiot sometimes while pining after Shouto. Hell, he’d only realized he loved Shouto just yesterday while talking to a Villain of all people. His life was so weird.

“Toga, I don’t think you’re bad because you show your love like this. It’s a part of your Quirk and a part of you. It doesn’t make you evil or anything, just different. But we’re all different and those differences make us who we are.”

Cautiously, he reached out and gently took her hands in his. Yellow eyes shot up to green.

“I love all Quirks and Quirks do not determine who you are,” Izuku said earnestly. “I have a friend with a Quirk that people thought as Villainous, but he’s training hard to be a Hero. Your Quirk does not make you a Villain, but how you choose to use it. And your Quirk is so so useful. You could be a Hero too, you know?”

She scoffed but didn’t pull her hand away. Her eyes were hard but he could see tears starting to pool.

“I’m a Villain, Izuku,” Toga all but spat out, though her voice was brimming with emotions. “I’ve killed people.”

“So have a lot of Heroes,” Izuku retorted, recalling researched statistics. “Whether through collateral damage or having to go all out in a fight. Casualties…they happen, but there’s a difference between that and when you purposefully take a life. Stain did even though he had reasons, but…I just can’t condone murder. Losing your life…no matter what it’s seems like too high of a cost for someone to pay.”

This time Izuku was the one to cast his gaze down as tears came to his eyes. Toga looked at him taking in his reaction doing her best to understand. The aversion to death, the tears, and the now trembling hands holding hers. After a few moments she pieced somethings together and spoke.

“Have you…lost someone, Izuku?”

The greenet shook his head as he wiped away some tears with one hand while still holding hers in the other.

“N-no, but it was close,” Izuku replied, sniffling as he leaned back against the wall looking up at the ceiling. “I almost lost both of my parents. Not at the same time, but…my dad when I was ten and m-my mom…”

He trailed off not wanting to talk about it. It was too soon, too fresh. Not to mention he was in the midst of those who had worked with the man responsible for hurting his mother. Including the girl next to him who was now pulling him into a hug. It should be unsettling but he was feeling too emotionally exhausted to care. It has been quite the roller coaster ride with his feelings lately.

“I’m sorry about that, Izuku,” Toga murmured quietly as she ran her fingers through his hair. Working to soothe him same as always. “I didn’t know Muscular all that well. Really the training camp was the first time I worked with him. Though he did have a love for blood like I do.”

The Quirkless teen flinched in her arms so she held him closer.

“No, shh shh shh. It’s okay, Izuku,” she said, doing her best to calm him. “He isn’t here and even if he was, I wouldn’t want anything to do with him. You are so much more important than him. So much stronger, better, kinder. The absolute best.”

It wasn’t really what he needed to hear but Izuku forced himself to calm down. He was not at all in a situation to be losing himself to his emotions. The Quirkless teen needed to keep his head if they were to survive this and get out of here.

“Thanks, Toga,” Izuku said, though it was more for her sake than anything else.

“You can call me Himiko,” was her response as she loosened her hold to meet his eye. “We’re friends, right?”

Green eyes stared into yellow and all he saw was sincerity or at least he thought so. Izuku didn’t really know Toga that well but he guess he could use all the ‘friends’ he could get. Dabi seemed to actually be an ally as Chizome had said. Maybe she could be too?

“Sure…Himiko-chan.”

Notes:

So the heroes are worried. Shouta is not so good with the communicating emotions thingy. But at least he's got Hizashi to help him through it. I just ship them so much. Polar opposites that still just strangely seem to work. A sun and moon of a power couple. Both worried about their numerous kids.

The visitor is Toga! Kudos to those who guessed it. :) I couldn't resist the temptation for more villain bonding. How it will affect future events we shall see. The story is forming as we go.

I see Toga as a very touchy feely kind of girl. Mainly because of the mask she was forced to wear not able to express herself freely. But with the League she can be how she wants to and do as she pleases. No more holding back. Also very flirty. I know in canon she falls for Izuku because he was so beat up during the training camp but he also looks very similar to her first love. So I went with that. :P

More talk of Stain and Izuku's connection to Chizome. Other that Spinner, Toga would be the most interested. Which turned into a look into her past. More of a glimpse for now. I did my best with their conversation. I more wanted to look at personal desires versus the boundaries of others. Yes, Toga has her wants and needs that were denied to her and she taking it now as she pleases. But there's also the other side of that if she does that against another's will then she is doing the same to them. Denying them a choice based on her own actions. Idk. Toga is a complicated character but she also so deserves some love.

Smart pants Izuku rises again! The blood craving has got to be because of her quirk. I don't know if that got brought up or concerned in the manga yet but that's my theory and I'm sticking with it. And I have an idea for how to help her in the future.

I do kind of want some redemption for some of the villains. Depending on how the story goes will determine who gets that or not. Dabi is definitely one I'm looking at and now with this chapter is Toga too. We'll have to see about the others. Future stuff that I'll figure out later.

Okay, that's all for now. I've got a camping trip next weekend which I'm excited about! :D Anyway, more HimiIzu bonding next time and League shenanigans. And if you've been with me this far, you know it's all a slow burn because my brain wants it that way. :P I just have so many ideas I want to play around with! I hope you enjoyed the chapter and thanks for your readership! I appreciate you! ;3 Bye bye 'til next time!

Count down to Dad For One reveal: 3 chapters

Chapter 31: Lend A Hand

Notes:

And we're back! This update comes to you as I'm getting off doctor leave. Why? Because I happened to fall the first night of my camping trip and busted my knee... Yeah, not fun. My mental relaxation trip turned into a physical relaxation trip. It was doing fine when I could properly rest and ice it regularly, but then it got bad again when I went back to work. So I've been to see the doctor and got an x-ray. Waiting on the results and taking it easier at work so we'll have to see. But hey, at least I'm still alive. Bright side, right? Heh heh...heeeeeh.

Anyway! Besides my personal drama, let's get back to Izuku's! Continuing on with his bonding with Villains because it's fun. ^____^

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

“Sure…Himiko-chan.”

The blonde girl squealed at the sound of her name and all but tackled Izuku back into a tight hug again. At the same time, the door opened flooding the room with light from the hall. Dabi stood there for a moment not at all expecting the kid to being tackled by their resident blood enthusiast.

The scarred man let out a sigh at the sight and said, “What are you two doing?”

“Bonding!” To-Himiko chirped, not letting go of Izuku. “We’re friends now, right, Izuku?”

“Y-yeah,” Izuku stuttered out, blushing as she started rubbing her cheek on his like a cat.

“Save it for later,” Dabi ordered, walking into the room. “Boss wants him out in the bar.”

“But I want to spend more time alone with Izuku!” the girl pouted, clinging to him harder.

Later,” the scarred man scolded firmly before looking the Quirkless teen over noting remnants of dirt and such from the forest. “Let’s get you cleaned up, kid.”

Dabi turned to leave but paused at the door to glance behind him. Izuku gave Himiko’s arms a gentle pat to both soothe her and to ask for her to let him go. She still pouted but released him and they stood up together.

“Go get him some clothes,” Dabi instructed the blonde who squealed in excitement before darting off yelling ‘Big Sis Mag!’. “Oh great, she’ll be a minute. Whatever. Follow me, kid.”

Izuku was led down the hall and he couldn’t help but look around as they went. The walls were bare and there wasn’t much to the place from what he could see, but it also wasn’t as run down as one would think a Villain’s lair would be. He was even surprised when they arrived at a bathroom and Dabi turned the shower knobs to quickly get hot water for him.

“Use what you like though it’s not much,” Dabi offered turning back to him. “Toga will come with your clothes and you can just leave your dirty ones in here. They’ll get taken care of later.”

“By Kurogiri?” Izuku asked, quirking an eyebrow and getting a nod in reply. “You guys seem to rely on him a lot.”

“Yeah,” Dabi conceded with a nod then gave an amused huff. “Sometimes I think he’s more of a glorified babysitter than anything. Especially when it comes to Shiggy.”

Well, from the little that Izuku had seen he wasn’t wrong. Kurogiri seemed to take care of a lot of things for the League besides transportation. He had even seen the warper try to persuade Shigaraki in a certain direction but still making it seem like it was his decision. A necessary tactic for the young man who still acted like a child when he didn’t get what he wanted.

“Anyway, clean up,” the scarred man prodded with a wave of his hand. “The ‘boss’ wants to see you.”

The Villain rolled his eyes while using finger quotes before closing the door to give the teen some privacy. Again, there was no window so no way out other than the door he just came through. There wasn’t much else in there except what you expected to be in a bathroom. Shower, sink, toilet, and a supply of toiletries. Nothing else that he could use to arm himself with unless he wanted to see if Shigaraki was scared of tampons like some men were. Izuku wasn’t having gone on several emergency-runs for his mother in the past.

The knife he got back from Dabi was the best he was going to get weapon-wise though he didn’t want to risk it being discovered and destroyed. It meant too much to him to lose again. But if he needed to, he would defend himself with it. And he would do everything he could to keep anyone from taking it from him.

His current conundrum was where to hide the knife while he showered. He could take it in with him though he wondered if that would lead to rust. He also didn’t want to leave it with his clothes as he wasn’t sure if they would be taken or warped away while he was cleaning up. But where could he hide it where no one would think to look? Another glance at the tampons gave him an idea and so he quickly hid the knife within the feminine products.

With that done, he quickly undressed and stepped into the shower. The water was pleasantly warm with a surprisingly good pressure for a Villain hideout. It was also surprising to see a small selection of shampoos and other cleaning products. Izuku would have figured they’d have just one that everyone used. Then again, there were all kinds of Villains in different situations and apparently different tastes in shower supplies. He simply gave a shrug and scrounged for what would work best with his mess of curly hair. It left him smelling like coconuts.

“Izuku! I’ve got your clothes!” Himiko’s voice suddenly called out making him flinch.

The greenet cautiously peeked out and squeaked to see that she was actually in the bathroom with him. Him who was currently naked! He hadn’t even heard her come in!

“Himiko-chan!” Izuku exclaimed, grabbing the shower current to hide himself from her. “What are you doing in here?!”

“I told you,” she grinned back like nothing was wrong. “I’ve got your clothes!”

The blonde girl cheerfully placed the folded pile of clothes in her arms on the counter.

“I can see that,” Izuku replied, his cheeks red in embarrassment. “But what are you doing in here? I’m naked!”

“It’s no big deal,” Himiko said with a dismissive wave of her hand as she busied herself arranging the clothes just right. “If I changed into you, I would be able to see you naked if I wanted to. I even have to be naked sometimes to use my Quirk. A little embarrassing, I guess, but nothing to really worry about.”

“It may not be a big deal to you but it is to me,” Izuku pressed, gripping the curtain tighter. “Could you please leave?”

She left out a huff with her hands on her hips before smiling once again as she said, “Fine, fine. I’ll go. But let me grab something real quick. Mother nature and all that.”

Himiko crouched down and opened the cabinet under the sink. Going exactly where his hiding spot was.

“No wait!”

Too late.

“What is this~, Izuku?” Himiko lilted as she leaned back with the knife in hand. “It certainly wouldn’t be effective in stopping a little bleeding.”

“I-it’s mine,” he admitted, fearing that he would lose the knife so soon after getting it back. “It was…his.”

“His?” she asked before looking at the knife and seeing the S carved into the handle. “Oh my gods! This was Stainy’s?!”

“Shh!” Izuku stressed while glancing at the door before whisper shouting. “They’ll hear you!”

“I can’t believe you have one of Stainy’s knives!” Himiko cooed, thankfully quieter, at the folded blade. “Oh I sooooo would love to have one.”

She couldn’t deny that she toyed with the idea of keeping the knife to herself. It would bring her that much closer to the man she loved and admired. Plus, you could never have too many knives. But then she glanced at her new friend who looked so so sad. Tears budded his glistening green eyes and she noted a slight wobble to his lips. Then Himiko thought back to what Izuku had said about Stain and him. About how much the man’s encouragement meant to him. Meaning that this knife meant a lot to him too. Who was she to take something special and precious like that from her new friend?

“He really means a lot to you, doesn’t he?” Himiko commented as she stood.

Her smile was barely there as she looked down at the knife but what remained was full of fondness and understanding. After all, she had a special place in her heart for her own knives though not for the same reason.

“Y-yeah, he does,” the boy nodded, still holding onto the shower curtain but his embarrassment forgotten in that moment.

“Well then, there’s only one thing to do,” she declared, carefully tucking the folded knife within the pile of clothes. The greenet gave out a confused squawk as she winked at him. “It’ll be our little secret.”

Only half true since Dabi knew about it too, but at this point Izuku would take it. He gave her a wobbly smile as he said, “Thanks, Himiko-chan.”

“No worries, Izuku,” Himiko replied, smiling brightly again. “Now hurry up. Shiggy is waiting.”

Not the best motivation to actually hurry up as she skipped out of the bathroom, but Izuku couldn’t hide out in the shower forever. His fingers were already turning pruny from the water. Also, the bandage Himiko had given him was soaked but a quick check at the bite marks showed they had already scabbed over so they should be fine. He’ll just have to toss it once he was finished. So reluctantly he did one final rinse before quickly toweling-off and stepping out of the shower.

Izuku then walked over to the pile of clothes Himiko had left him. He wasn’t sure if he would get his own clothes back but at least they were nice enough to loan him some clothing. He’d rather not walk around naked thank you very much. Izuku didn’t really expect much but he did kind of like what she had picked out for him. A plaid olive-green undershirt, a solid pine green long sleeve overshirt, khaki pants, and simple white socks. Also, thankfully but awkwardly, a fresh pair of plain underwear. Going commando would not have been ideal. He was still shoeless though.

Overall, the outfit was nice. Not his usual style though Hitoshi kept pointing out his wasn’t actually a ‘style’, but rather a punny mess mixed with Heroes. Accurate but still a style, Purple Panda! Besides, not everyone could have Present Mic as their own personal stylist. Though thinking about the Hero reminded him that they were currently being held captive by Villains waiting for the Heroes to rescue them. Now was not the time to be thinking about fashion.

Izuku shook his head to force himself to get back into the moment. He brushed his teeth with the provided toothbrush and paste that hadn’t been there before but had probably been warped in by Kurogiri. He then did his best to tame his hair though there wasn’t much he could do with it here. They didn’t have any of the products he used at home.

No, not home. Not anymore.

Stop it, Izuku. We need to focus.

Again, he shook his head messing up his hair a bit though no one else would notice it. Izuku folded the used towel and placed it on the counter. Kurogiri would most likely take care of it later. After making sure the knife was tucked safely in a pocket, Izuku left the bathroom on socked feet. Himiko was waiting for him and gave him a once-over grinning the whole time.

“Looking good there, Izuku,” she commented with a wink.

“Oh, um, thanks, Himiko-chan,” Izuku replied as he blushed.

She giggled at his reaction as she approached latching onto his arm like she had before. Himiko even linked their hands together before leading them down the hall. The close contact wasn’t bad per say but it wasn’t anything special either. She was no Shouto and Shouto was definitely not her. Himiko was a happy go-lucky high school girl whose desire to live her life as she wanted had forced her to Villainy in today’s society, but that didn’t necessarily make her evil. She even was nice enough not to take or tell anyone about his gifted knife.

Having an unexpected friend in his current kidnapped situation made him feel a bit more at ease. Now he had two allies with her and Dabi though he wouldn’t allow himself to put any kind of faith or hope in their loyalty or help. They were still Villains even though they were being friendly to him. Just like Chizome was with Izuku while at the same time still had carried out his version of justice as Stain.

Hand in hand, they walked back into the bar area seeing everyone present. The members of the League were spread around the room while Bakugou was still chained up and muzzled like an animal. He gave Izuku an incredulous glare at how close he was with the blood drinker to which the greenet replied with a short grimace implying it couldn’t really be helped. Magne, the Villain with the attraction Quirk, cooed at them while the others were either surprised or indifferent. Twice, the one in all black with a sort of T on his chest, was a bit of both.

Shigaraki, with a half-finished glass in hand, regarded them being so close with a grin obscured by the disembodied hand on his face. However, as his eyes traced down to their joined hands, he scowled at the sight of one of them.

“I said he wasn’t to be harmed,” the young leader reprimanded, glaring at Himiko. Izuku looked down to see she was holding the hand she had bitten.

“It’s nothing serious,” she replied with a dismissive wave of her other hand. “Just a little love bite between friends.”

Himiko shot a wink at Izuku who smiled warily back.

“Friends, eh?” Shigaraki all but purred, his grin back on his hand-covered face as he leaned forward. “Warming up to us already, admin?”

“You wish,” Izuku retorted, crossing his arms suddenly which made Himiko pout at him for letting go of her hand. She still hung onto his arm though.

“No matter,” the decayer said, sounding undeterred as he somehow managed to take a sip of his drink. “We still have plenty of time to convert you.”

Izuku gave him an unimpressed look before turning his attention to Bakugou. He was not happy to see the other boy was still tied up with his hands restrained and his mouth muzzled. The greenet tapped Himiko’s arm asking for her to let go which she did and then he walked over to his childhood friend. They may not be on the best of terms but Bakugou was in need of help and Izuku was there to give it.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

Bakugou couldn’t answer verbally with the muzzle still on, but he glared at him in a way as if to say ‘what do you fucking think?’.

“He’s fine,” Shigaraki said dismissively setting his now finished glass down on the bar. “We haven’t touched a hair on his little head.”

“Has he had water?” Izuku questioned as he turned back to his captor. “Food? Has he had a chance to use the bathroom?”

They stared each other down in silent challenge.

“No, he has not,” Kurogiri answered instead of his charge.

“Some kind of hosts you are,” Izuku huffed before turning back to Bakugou and reaching for the muzzle. “Help me get this stuff off.”

It was then that Shigaraki, miffed at being told what to do, stood up and stalked over to the Quirkless teen.

“You don’t get to give orders, admin,” the decayer leered, towering over him. “You’re not in the League yet.”

“And I’m not going to allow you to mistreat him by neglecting biological needs,” Izuku countered.

He forced himself not to stand down. Sure, he was terrified to be butting heads with a dangerous Villain like Shigaraki, but he wouldn’t let his fear stop him from helping Bakugou.

“Without water he’ll die,” he lectured, his hands fisted in determination. “Lack of food isn’t going to help you out either. There’s also the fact that at some point he’ll need to…relieve himself. Unless you want him to leave a mess for you to clean up. Or would you just make Kurogiri do it instead?”

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the warper shift ever so slightly straighter at the call out. Izuku had a feeling that the others didn’t interact with the misty man much unless they needed something from him. More of a servant than a fellow League member. It made him wonder what Kurogiri’s role was in their little Villain group. What goals or motivations he had to be part of the League of Villains.

Shigaraki glared down at him through the fingers hiding his eyes before growling in defeat, “Fine. We’ll replen his health and stamina. But only on the condition that he keeps his magicka usage to absolute zero while he’s with us.”

“Of course,” Izuku said, agreeing for Bakugou who barked out a muffled ‘what?!’. “Bakugou may be hot headed, but he should know by now that he can’t go up against an opponent stronger than him or ones that outnumber him by himself. That he isn’t ‘all mighty’.”

He glanced over at the restrained blonde as green eyes stared pointedly into angered red. But his last two words were meant as a reminder of the last time Bakugou had chosen to fight straight on against a stronger opponent and predictably lost. While this was a different situation than his match with All Might, the principle still applied. Brute force would not help them here. They would need to think and bide their time for the right opportunity to escape. A concept that maybe Bakugou was finally getting into his head as he seemed to begrudgingly slump in agreement. At least that was what Izuku hoped.

The Quirkless teen then turned back to Shigaraki who let out an annoyed huff before ordering, “Twice, release him and keep an eye on him.”

“Yes, sir,” Twice answered with a salute to then switch to splaying his arms wide as he whined, “No way! Why me, boss?”

“Because you can make copies to keep him in line,” Shigaraki retorted in irritation. “Besides, if Bakugou should choose to break his promise to behave, there would be no real harm to our party.”

Copies? That’s his Quirk?

That would explain the version of Dabi he saw that had turned to goop after being taken down by Eraserhead. Izuku wondered what the limitations were for a Quirk like that.

Taken if that was a copy made by Twice, then that would mean he can create copies of other people. Which could stand to reason he could make copies of himself too. Does he have a limit to how many copies he can make? Whether by number or stamina or other factors? Does having multiple copies at once affect the strength and/or durability of the copy? Also, what kind of information would he need to make a copy in the first place? Is it just their bodies that are copied or also their Quirks? That copy of Dabi had used fire before turning to sludge so he probably could. And what about…

“You’re quite the rambler there, admin,” Shigaraki chuckled breaking him from his thoughts. Ones that he once again said out loud for all to hear. Fuck. “Now, now. No need to fret. That big brain of yours is one of the reasons why we would love for you to join us.”

Izuku gulped because he knew that and still ended up muttering his thoughts. It was way worse than letting one of his notebooks fall into their hands. He had given them his analysis himself.

“That was quite impressive,” Mr. Compress complimented, stunned.

“Woah, you’re like wicked smart,” Twice praised to then chide, “What are you, some kind of stalker?”

The Quirkless teen couldn’t help the flinch at the insult and missed the flash of guilt in Bakugou’s eyes. But Izuku was starting to realize that Twice had some sort of split personality. Though which one was his true feelings had yet to be seen. Possibly even both.

“Nah, Izuku is just super smart,” Himiko chimed in. “He thinks my love of blood is a side effect of my Quirk. Maybe even a need.”

“Hmm…that would make sense,” Shigaraki pondered with a scratch of his neck.

“It would be like me and needing to stay warm,” Spinner added, though Izuku wondered if he realized he was letting future Heroes know of a weakness to cold.

“Or Shiggy’s dry ass skin,” Dabi jabbed just to piss off their boss.

“Fuck you, Dabi,” Shigaraki sneered.

“In your dreams, Crusty,” the scarred man quipped back with a smirk. “I wouldn’t let you touch me with a ten-foot pole. Hell, I bet you can’t even touch yourself without decaying your own dick off.”

Shigaraki growled and launched himself at the fire user only to disappear through a suddenly formed portal. A second later, he fell through another onto a couch tucked into a corner of the room. The decayer snarled as he bounced back up for a second attempt.

“Shigaraki Tomura, please do not fight in front of our guests,” Kurogiri admonished in his deep voice. “Would it not be more beneficial to show our comradery rather than us quarreling?”

The question made the young leader pause considering the misty man’s point. Which he had to agree with even though he wanted to still decay the fucking burnt raisin.

“Fine, whatever,” Shigaraki relented though reluctantly. “Twice, go. Kurogiri, get them something to eat and drink.”

The warper nodded before disappearing while Twice replied, “You got it, boss. I don’t wanna…”

The copier followed his instructions anyway and unchained Bakugou from the chair. Though the Villain did hesitate when it came to the restraints on the explosive teen’s hands. After considering what to do for a moment, Twice took a step back and held out his arm palm down. A dark brown goo flowed out of his hand that, instead of pooling on the ground, it seemed to fill some sort of invisible mold until a copy of Mr. Compress was formed.

Wow, that’s so cool.

Izuku may be kidnapped right now but he was still a fanboy of any and all Quirks.

“A copy of me, eh?” the original Compress asked. “Any particular reason?”

“Figured if the kid tries anything you could just marble him,” Twice replied as the copy fiddled with the thick block covering Bakugou’s hands. “So no explosion, ya hear? There’s more where he came from.”

“Indeed,” the second Compress confirmed with a nod. “I am never one to miss an occasion to show off my magic prowess.”

Izuku was momentarily fascinated as the hand restraints disappeared inside a small blue ball, but he was also apprehensive as he watched Bakugou be released. The explosive blonde let out a muffled growl wanting to scream and blast the Villain for touching him and turned to do just that. Damn it! Now was not the time for brash behavior. Izuku had hoped that his childhood friend had realized and accepted they needed to be smart about this. To use their heads to think and wait for the right moment. Fighting them physically now would only get them into more trouble. Being kidnapped was bad enough but it could also be a whole lot worse.

“Bakugou, don’t,” Izuku ordered, forcing him to stop. “We promised to behave, remember?”

The firecracker teen growled behind the muzzle but made no further moves towards the copy. Shigaraki snickered at the interaction thoroughly amused. Only for the greenet to turn on him.

“And you promised to be a proper host,” Izuku chastised their captor. “How will he be able to eat or drink with that thing still on?”

He spat the word out not wanting to even call it by its name. From hearing stories from Hitoshi and seeing Bakugou in one, he was growing to hate them more and more. That people would use muzzles on other people just to get them to shut up. Sure, Izuku was kind of doing that to himself with the plan to add a muting feature to his mask but that was to protect others as well as himself. As was evident from a moment ago, he needed to better contain his muttering to keep his analysis away from Villains as best he could.

The two were staring each other down but neither refused to look away. Shigaraki was the leader of the League of Villains and would be damned if he wasn’t shown up by someone not in their party. Yet. But Izuku wouldn’t back down either. It was Shigaraki’s fault they were there in the first place. Meaning it was his responsibility to ensure the care for their needs. A duty the decayer reluctantly accepted thinking if he didn’t then it would hinder the admin from joining them like a choices-matter game.

“Fine,” Shigaraki relented once again with a scowl but still kept eye contact. “Twice, take it off.”

“Ah man,” Twice complained, really not wanting to get close to the explosive teen. He turned to the copy and said, “You do it.”

“No, thank you,” the copied Compress declined with a shake of his masked head. “I would rather not be exploded.”

“Come on, man!” Twice whined. “This is why I made you.”

“No.”

The two bickered back and forth neither wanting to get near Bakugou who was growing annoyed. He just wanted the damn muzzle off if the Villains would shut the fuck up. Most stared in amusement at their antics except Shigaraki who was becoming more and more irritated that they weren’t doing as they had been told.

“SHUT UP!” the young leader finally snapped. “I don’t care who does it. Just do it already!”

The two of them flinched before Twice said, “Sorry, boss. If he wants to, he should do it himself.

That last part was grumbled out in a whisper as Twice moved to do as ordered though the backhanded comment went without further action on Shigaraki’s part. Guess it must be something that happened often as the man definitely had some sort of split personality. The two still seemed reluctant to comply and ended up deciding which of them would do it with a round of rock, paper, scissors. After a few tied rounds, Twice was the triumphant winner and flipped the defeated copied Compress off.

The masked magician hesitantly removed the muzzle from Bakugou’s face. The blonde teen very much wanted to avoid his touch but also really wanted the damn thing off. So reluctantly he let the Villain get close. Wasn’t like he could do much else in this situation surrounded by Villains in only gods knew where. Though he very much wanted to blow something up right now.

“Now isn’t that better, Bakugou?” Shigaraki leered as said boy attempted to rub away the feeling of the muzzle. “As the admin said, behave and your time here will be less…restrictive. If not, well, we can easily tie you back up.”

Bakugou sneered in anger but did nothing more. He did growl at Twice when he got too close him, but other than that, he cooperated relatively willingly as he was being led out of the room. He may or may not really need to…relieve himself as the nerd had put it. Red eyes connected with green briefly before finally leaving the room.

“Come sit with me, Izuku,” Himiko said, coming to his side suddenly. “We can eat and get to know each other some more!”

Izuku found himself being dragged by her over to the bar.

“There’s time for that later,” Shigaraki interjected. “All of you have tasks to complete today. So go do them. I’ll watch over our guest.”

“But Shiggy!” the blood drinker whined with a pout.

“Now!” their boss growled.

Himiko jumped into action at the order though she did offer a cheerful wave goodbye to her new friend. Magne, Spinner, and the original Mr. Compress left swiftly after while Dabi lazily went on his way. The scarred man gave a brief concerned glance back at the Quirkless boy being left alone with their temperamental leader. Hopefully Kurogiri would be back soon to babysit their interaction.

With the others gone, that left Shigaraki and him by themselves and Izuku had no idea what to do about it. The teen stood awkwardly while the Villain sat lazily at the bar. He didn’t even know where to look as his green eyes flickered around anywhere but his captor. The decayer watched him in amusement for a bit before getting bored.

“Come sit, Izuku,” Shigaraki instructed, patting the stool next to him.

The Quirkless teen eyed the man in hesitation for a second before he cautiously approached. He didn’t think he had much choice to refuse and didn’t really want to find out how Shigaraki would react. He was kind of a wild card when it came to his emotions. Especially when it came to Izuku with the decayer threatening him one second and acting friendly the next. Asking him to join only to then hurt his mother. Still holding out his offer of a place among them after kidnapping them and then destroying all of his gear on top of that. Let’s just say it was confusing.

Izuku carefully sat down next to the young Villain who regarded him quietly. The silence was awkward. Understandably so but still awkward. What does one talk about with their captor? The seconds dragged on feeling like hours and Izuku was tempted to succumb to the need to say something to break the tension. Though what exactly he didn’t know. A glance at the carefully held and apparently refilled glass in the decayer’s hand strangely gave him one.

“Um, isn’t that difficult?” Izuku asked, getting a curious hum from the Villain. “I mean, always paying attention to your fingers and how you hold things.”

He pointedly pushed down memories of the feeling of that same hand snaked around his own neck.

Shigaraki considered his question for a moment before saying, “Hmm, yeah it can be annoying, but it’s something I’ve had to deal with since my Quirk manifested.”

“Indeed,” Kurogiri agreed, suddenly appearing through a warp gate. “Shigaraki Tomura has improved in his awareness of his Quirk though there are still…accidents.”

“You’re just mad whenever I decay one of your precious glasses,” the young leader jeered though the misty man gave no reaction. Shigaraki then turned back to Izuku. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, all Quirks have drawbacks that people have to work around,” the young analyst said, not able to help himself. “With you, it’s your five-finger contact activation. I wonder if something like a glove that covers at least one of your fingers would be enough to negate that.”

“There are gloves like that?” the decayer asked curiously, an odd glimmer of hope in his eyes. It made him seem younger in a way though no less creepy behind the hand.

“Uh, yeah, for drawing or for certain sports,” Izuku replied with a nod.

The Villain grinned in excitement as he snapped his attention to the misty man behind the bar.

“Kurogiri, look into that immediately,” Shigaraki ordered swiftly. “Find them, get them, and bring them to me.”

He then turned back to Izuku clearly pleased.

“Not an official member and yet you’re helping us already. My thanks to you, Izuku.”

It was just as Izuku was being praised that Twice and the copied Compress returned with Bakugou. The explosive blonde glared incredulously at him and eyed at how Izuku was seated right next to Shigaraki. Again, the Quirkless teen gave him a look to show he had no real say in the matter. Kind of hard to refuse your captor when he was unpredictable and violent in his actions.

The explosive teen scowled at him a moment more before rolling his eyes and trudging over to Izuku slumping down on the stool next to him. As he did, Bakugou’s traitorous stomach decided to let out a growl much to his annoyed embarrassment. And the shitty nerd had the audacity to fucking giggle at him here in this messed up situation they were in. It caused him to give his own growl once more. Shigaraki snickered at his reaction finding his anger amusing. Perhaps he would be an asset to them if even just for entertainment.

“Now eat,” their captor ordered as he stood up and made to leave. “Kurogiri, do what I told you. Twice, Compress, watch them until he gets back. You two should be enough for a short while.”

“You got it, boss,” Twice saluted only to then whine, “Ah man, babysitting? So lame.

Shigaraki then left needing some time away from his irritating underlings. The young leader could only handle their antics for so long. The misty man merely nodded and through a formed portal withdrew two bowls each of steaming miso soup and fried rice along with glasses of water and chopsticks. He placed the dishes down on the bar before disappearing in a warp gate once more.

Notes:

Oh look! More HimiIzu bonding. Now she knows about the knife too. ;) I find them so fun. Also some ShigIzu drama and bonding. Shiggy's a little weak to his admin's logic. Especially after Izuku accidentally reveals how smart he is. :P I had fun with the League interactions. The thing with Twice originally had him making copies of himself but then I remembered he refuses to do that until going up against the MLA.

Not much to note this chapter. Just laying some ground work. Coming up we've got a heart to heart between Izuku and Bakugou and then more League shenanigans! :D You'll see. Alrighty, take care of yourselves out there. Don't go falling off of ladders. Bye bye.

Count down to Dad For One reveal: 2 chapters

Chapter 32: Food For Thought

Notes:

Update time again! I had work today so had to wait until now to post. Anyway! Izuku has a talk with Bakugou and then more bonding time with the League. Now mind you this will be just one talk between them out of several. With how complicated their relationship is, it's going to take time to get through all the years of crap. One conversation at a time.

The knee is still healing. Nothing is broken and my ACL is fine. Preliminary results from my MRI is that the tendons and ligaments are fine. I'll get more deets from the ortho doc at my appointment tomorrow. Currently hobbling around on crutches though just in case. Oh knee injuries, they're just so much fun, am I right? :P

Okay, let's go!

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

With both Kurogiri warped away and Shigaraki had gone off to do gods knew what left Izuku with Bakugou and two Villains. Twice and the copied Compress moved to sit at the couch in the corner which gave the teens a moment to themselves while still being watched over.

It was just as awkward as when he was left alone with Shigaraki but for very different reasons. He’s known Bakugou since they were children and they’ve been through so much together. A lot of it not good whether it be the bullying or the various Villain attacks. Guess this was just one of their many shared misadventures and hopefully they would make it through. Together.

Of course, Katsuki was the one to break the brief moment of silence.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” the explosive teen demanded to know, thankfully in a whisper. Or well, his version of one. “Why are you helping them? Why are you playing along?”

Because, Bakugou,” Izuku answered, grabbing the bowl of miso soup, taking a testing sniff before sipping it. The taste was pretty good considering it was from a kidnapper. “We are at an extreme disadvantage here. We’re surrounded by Villains with no idea where we are or how to get in touch with the Heroes. As of now they don’t seem to want to hurt us but that could change at any second. I don’t know about you but I’d rather not die here.”

The blonde stared at him in shock at how rational he was being despite their situation as Izuku sat there and calmly continued to eat. It oddly reminded Katsuki of their teacher who upheld the use of logic so highly. And he couldn’t argue with the nerd’s points either so he begrudgingly reached for his own food. A serious lack of spice but it would do for now.

“Fine, I’ll play along too,” Katsuki grumbled with a huff. “But I’m not happy about it.”

“When are you ever happy?” Izuku quipped with a smirk.

“When I’m kicking Villain ass,” he snapped back before chopping down on a mouthful of rice. “Speaking of Villains, what the fuck was that shit about you knowing Stain? How in hell do you know him?”

He seriously needed answers on that subject. Like what the fuck was up with that shit?

Izuku sighed into his fried rice really not wanting to get into that topic right now. Bakugou didn’t really deserve any answers when it came to his business, but he also felt that his childhood friend turned bully turned whatever the hell they were now should know. It’s just…it was going to dig up a bunch of past drama and trauma in a stressful situation. Though there didn’t seem much else to talk about and the blonde was not someone to stop pursuing whatever caught his focus.

“Do you remember that day you gave me a certain piece of…advice?” Izuku began, glancing at the other boy to gauge his reaction. The perpetual scowl on his face became laced with guilt. “Well, you weren’t the only one to give me advice that day. Not the same kind but one that was just as hurtful and the other that changed my life.”

Katsuki was silent for once in his life as he listened to what the Quirkless boy had to say. He still felt terrible for what he had said regretting it ever since the insensitive words had left his lips. Even more so now after talking with the therapy mutt about his feelings and whatnot. It still sucked but it was helping him sort through them all and better understand them. Still no idea how to make up for all he’s done to the nerd, but he guessed listening could be a start of sorts.

“After you said what you said and left me there, my day only got worse. Much more than my average day of enduring the taunts and ridicule of everyone in school. Especially from you.”

The explosive teen gulped to try and swallow the lump of guilt growing in his throat, but not even a drink of water could wash it away.

“Like I told you during the festival when you…attacked me, I was assaulted by a Villain on my way home. A Sludge Villain tried to take over my body by shoving himself down my throat. Not a fun time.”

Yeah, no kidding. Katsuki certainly wouldn’t have wanted to go through something like that. It sounded disgusting and traumatizing. He wasn’t even sure how well his Quirk would have worked against something like that. Thinking of the Quirkless nerd trying to fight that kind of Villain alone was terrifying. De-Izuku could have died and yet he didn’t. He was here relatively safe and very much alive. That’s right. Didn’t he say he was sav…

“But I was saved. By All Might of all people. Can you believe it?”

The greenet let out a sad chuckle at the memory as the blonde stared surprised to learn he had met All Might before attending UA. Though the circumstances of how weren’t exactly the best.

“I couldn’t myself. That he saved me and even signed my notebook. But then he was leaving and I stupidly latched onto his leg. We landed on a roof and it was there I got my second piece of advice that day. I asked the Number One Hero if someone Quirkless like me could be a Hero like him and do you know what he said to me?”

Izuku turned to look Bakugou in the eye with tears in his own.

“He told me, to my face, that it wasn’t possible. That I should be more realistic. Didn’t even ask why I wanted to be a Hero thinking I wanted to be Number One like him. Then he left me there on that roof with your and his words hovering over me. It could have ended very bad, but like I told you, I’m too stubborn to listen. It was after that I met…him.”

The sadness in his watery eyes morphed into an odd fondness. The greenet stared wistfully out at the room as he relived their first meeting in his mind. It had been over a year ago and yet seemed so much longer.

“I was sad from no one believing in me. Pissed off at what you said. Then I was scared when I first saw him, the Hero Killer Stain, except he didn’t hurt me. Instead, he talked to me. About my goals and why I wanted to be a Hero. I told him I wanted to help people no matter what or who it is. That I didn’t care about the rankings or money or any of that crap. I’ve only ever wanted to help.”

The fondness turned into a conviction that Katsuki was slowly getting used to seeing on the Quirkless boy’s face.

“Stain the Villain, Akaguro Chizome the man. Out of everyone in my life, he was the very first to say he believed I could do it. That it would be difficult which I already knew, but if I could find my edge in a fight, I could become a Hero. His words drive me to fight my hardest and be the best Hero I can be with my own strength.”

Edge, huh?

Katsuki hadn’t been there for when they had chosen their Hero names. He personally still didn’t have one since the few ideas he did have had been rejected. But he remembered when he saw that name in the newspaper connected to the events in Hosu. Which made him wonder what kind of fuck fest of feelings that had to have been for the nerd actually knowing his enemy like that and still having the balls to take him down.

“After that first time, he visited me a handful of times. The next was when the news first broke of the beach being cleaned. No one knew it was me at the time, but apparently Chizome had been ‘keeping an eye on me’ watching me work.”

Again, still creepy to have a Villain, or really anyone, to follow you like that. Watching you without your knowledge and keeping track of what you were doing. Sure, Stain had done it to observe his resolve and progress. Once again noting his ‘true Hero’s heart’ and witnessing for himself Izuku’s desire to help people in even the subtlest of ways. But again, still creepy.

“He was curious why I never said it was me and I told him that it wasn’t something I did for the recognition. People knowing now was Nezu-sensei’s doing. At the time, I was just happy people would be able to enjoy the cleaned beach again while also using it as training for UA. And I met Mei-chan there. In a way, meeting Chizome led me to making a new friend. And because of Mei-chan, I found a new path to Heroics through Support.”

The greenet smiled softly remembering his first real friend after so long. The sight only soured the blonde’s guilt. Katsuki hadn’t really thought about it growing up but he and the others had driven the Quirkless boy to loneliness. No friends, no support. He never understood what that would be make someone feel. Not until his own school mandated isolation during his suspension and self-imposed one afterwards.

“He also came to check on me after the USJ attack. It wasn’t explicitly reported it was me with you guys but he figured I was.”

Katsuki blinked in surprise at that reveal. Deku had been with them that day? Oh right, he was Hiro. The extra sent to observe them during training. Guess last time he had been too focused on his anger towards the nerd to connect that dot until now. He must have been the one telling them what to do over the ear pieces. At least that must have meant he hadn’t been in any danger back then, right?

“That night Chizome and I came to a conclusion that I was a trouble magnet which honestly, I have to agree with. I’ve ran into so many Villains at this point it has to be true. Like the universe decided growing up Quirkless wasn’t enough.”

There was a brief moment of silence as the two mused over that fact. Katsuki stewing in guilt as he had added to this selfless hardworking boy’s life. All because of his own insecurities and need to prove how strong he was to himself and everyone else. While Izuku wondering what his life could have been like under different circumstances, but then again not really wanting it to change at the same time. Because with all the bad in his life, if any of it was taken away, that may take the good as well. His parents, friends, mentors. Shouto. Even Chizome despite him being a Villain. A captured Villain now but still his inspiration to keep fighting.

“The last time we met on…friendly terms was after the Sports Festival.”

Blonde brows furrowed in curiosity as red eyes watched a fond but sad smile grow on the greenet’s freckled face.

“He said that he was proud of me and that meant more than any medal could. Because his ideals when it comes to Heroes are so strong, I know he means it when he says he sees a true Hero in me.”

Even more than All Might.

“In Hosu, we didn’t want to fight each other, but we had to for our own ideals. Him believing his mission in life was to cull the false Heroes in this world. Me wanting to protect those in danger and refusing to stand down. He respected that in me despite having to fight me and the others.”

He knew that he wasn’t supposed to talk about it. About the others being involved. But this was Bakugou who he knew was smart enough to figure it out. He wouldn’t insult him with lies.

“It was a tough fight even with us working together. In the end, well one end, I managed to take Stain out with his own Quirk. Though I did get stabbed in the process which was not at all pleasant. A knife to the gut fucking hurts.”

Katsuki grimaced in sympathy as Izuku held his hand against his middle even though the injury was long since healed.

“He didn’t mean to, more me putting myself in the way to save Shouto. After he was down, he offered me his scarf to help stop the bleeding until the medics arrived. Then after he saved me from the Noumu, he gave me his knife out of respect and to serve as a reminder of his belief in me.”

The gifted blade almost seemed to burn in his pocket but Izuku made no movement towards it not wanting to let anyone else know his secret. Dabi and Himiko were on his side but there was no telling what anyone else would do. Not even Bakugou. Though he feared he had revealed it anyway when they heard a sniffle come from the corner.

The two teens looked over to see the two Villains watching them.

“That was beautiful,” Twice said as he dabbed a tissue to his watery masked eyes. “No wonder you think so highly of him.”

“Um…thanks?” Izuku replied with an unsure grimace.

Twice nodded his head once before negatively interjecting, “Sounds too mushy for the Hero Killer if you ask me.”

“You never know,” the copied Compress commented with a shrug. “Not everything is as it appears.”

He twirled an unassuming marble around his fingers as a point. Considering the man’s Quirk, anything or anyone could be hidden inside.

“I guess,” Twice relented as the two Villains went back to their own conversation.

With them no longer paying such close attention to them, Izuku continued more quietly, wanting Bakugou to know but not let the Villain overhear.

“A-anyway, that same night Chi-Stain told me Shigaraki was interested in me. Which Shigaraki then told me himself when he approached me at the mall.”

“Wait, what?!” Katsuki hissed out in shock. “What the fuck do you mean ‘approached you at the mall’?”

Izuku turned to him, a hard look in his green eyes.

“What I mean is that Shiga-fucking-raki came up to me the day we went to the mall as a class and grabbed me by the neck. Said he wanted to recruit me while threatening me with his Quirk.”

They stared at each other Izuku willing the truth of his words causing Katsuki to swallow nervously. He hadn’t known his childhood friend had been in such danger. And he wouldn’t have been able to do anything about it because he had refused to go that day. Clearly the nerd had come out of that incident alright, but they weren’t exactly in a great place right now.

The blonde gave a nod accepting what he said which Izuku returned before continuing.

“Shigaraki then started acting like we were old friends while he ranted about Stain and All Might. About how everyone was paying more attention to the Hero Killer and that All Might was responsible for all the wrongs in our society.”

The childishness of it all still irritated him as he let out a frustrated sigh while he ran his hands through his hair in agitation.

“Then the cops came in sirens blaring and he easily left before they arrived. Told me to think about his offer only to then sic his damn mad dog after me almost immediately. Hurting mom in the process while I was off on I-island for my own protection.”

Not like that plan had actually worked out what with him and the others having to deal with a Villain attack. Again. He had been in danger at the same time as his mother. And while he knew he couldn’t have been in two places at once, Izuku still couldn’t help feel regret for not being there for her. But there was also Aizawa’s point that if he had been, he could have ended up in Shigaraki’s clutches. Well, here he was in that exact scenario. Fucking hell, his life sucked.

“I don’t understand what Shigaraki thinks he can accomplish here,” Izuku said as he glared down at the bar and clenched his fists. “I know you and I both want to be Heroes no matter what. I told him that and yet he still took me and you ended up here too.”

The Quirkless teen then turned to Bakugou with a determined look on his face.

“I know you’re angry and want to fight your way out, but we can’t be brash here. Like I said before, we’ll need to bide our time until the best possible chance.”

He hated that his life was like this. Again and again, he had to endure shit being thrown at him. No Quirk, bullying, almost losing his dad, so many Villain attacks, his mother getting hurt, and now he was kidnapped. Izuku never chose any of this to happen nor had any say in any of it. All he has ever been able to do is take what he was given since he was four and do the best that he could. Making the most of his life as a Quirkless trouble magnet.

Katsuki glared at him in thought. Not out of anger necessarily at him but angry at the situation overall. Damn, the nerd’s life was a shit show and he had his own hand in that. Fuck, this was all so messed up. If it had been him, he didn’t know if he could have handled all this as well as De-Izuku did. Hell, he might have lost his mind on top of his own insecurity issues. In comparison, Izuku was a saint to have endured so much.

“Alright, fine, I get it,” the explosive blonde relented with a huff. “We’ll do it your way, nerd.”

There was no sense of malice behind the nickname as it had in the past. As if for the first time in a long time Bakugou was actually willing to work together on this. With Izuku no less. Maybe, just maybe, he was starting to see a glimmer of the Katsuki he once knew. One was allowed to hope especially in a situation like this.

“Thank you,” Izuku said with a grateful smile. “We will get through this. Together.”

The greenet then held out a hesitant but hopeful fist out to his maybe-someday-again friend. Red eyes glared down at it for a moment before rolling his eyes and then bumped their fists together. He then went back to swallowing down the poor excuse for food without another word. Izuku’s smile softened and he too turned back to his own food.

It was then that Kurogiri returned in a swirl of black mist. Which randomly made Izuku want to giggle at how spot on the Villain’s name was with the kanji for ‘black’ and ‘mist’. Though another part of him wondered if that was even his real name or not. Like how Dabi wasn’t using his real name either. Which brought up the question if anyone in the League were going by their actual names or chosen monikers like him. Izuku planned to find out once they managed to get the hell out of here.

“Twice, please go to fulfill your duties for today,” Kurogiri commanded in a polite tone. “I will watch over our guests.”

“Yes, sir,” Twice saluted to then slump onto the table and complained, “Aw man, chores? I don’t wanna…

“Cheer up, my friend,” the copied Compress said while giving a comforting pat to his creator’s shoulder. “Perhaps I could come along and help you finish in a timelier manner.”

“Oh yeah, that would be great!” Twice exclaimed, instantly chipper. “If we work together, we’ll be done twice as fast. We got this in the bag! Who wants to work with you?

How do they manage to keep up with that? Izuku wondered as the Villain and clone walked out of the room with a new pep in their steps.

“It becomes easier as time passes,” Kurogiri answered his unintentionally mumbled question. “Twice has a…troubled past. However, who amongst us does not?”

Izuku glanced at Bakugou who scowled down at the bar. Out of all of them, he would be the one with the least troubled though he still had his own ups and downs. Not that anyone’s past pains were any less than another’s. They were all just different and unique to each of them. Shaping who they are and where they ended up in life.

Bakugou could definitely be considered the most privileged. A strong Quirk and a support system meant to help him only to enlarge his ego and sense of superiority. Izuku was the opposite growing up at the bottom of the social hierarchy. And from what he’s learned so far of the League, they all had their own issues that drove them to join the League of Villains.

Dabi and his family history. Himiko’s love of blood and society’s revulsion of it. There also definitely had to be something more behind Shigaraki’s hatred of Heroes as well as those hands. He didn’t know what the other League members’ stories like Spinner’s or Magne’s though he could hazard a guess on them. Mr. Compress and Twice were more of a mystery but they must have their reasons. As for the others left behind from the attack on the camp, he wouldn’t waste his time wondering about them. Especially Muscular who just seemed like a mad man thirsting to draw blood. Yeah, him he didn’t give two shits about for all he’s done.

Once they were finished eating, Kurogiri wordlessly warped the dishes away to who knew where. That left them in an awkward silence as the misty man seemed to compulsively pick up a clean glass and started wiping it down anyway. A nervous tick maybe? Or just a force of habit to keep his hands busy. Izuku could understand that. There was a reason why he had always kept a notebook on him so he was ready whenever his hands itched to write his thoughts down.

“IZUKU!”

Izuku suddenly found himself being glomped by his new blood loving friend as Himiko tackled him from behind. The force of it pushed him into Bakugou’s space. The explosive blonde next to him growled at her to which she hissed back like a smiling cat.

“Please don’t literally fight over me,” Izuku pleaded as he turned to the girl. “Did you want something, Himiko-chan?”

“Just to spend time with you,” she giggled, now ignoring the other boy. “I finished up real quick what Shiggy wanted me to do. Now we can have fun!”

“Fun? I’m done for fun,” Magne said as she entered the room. “What kind of fun are we talking about?”

Himiko grinned mischievously at Izuku as she said, “We could play spin the bottle.”

He gulped as she winked at him.

“Um, maybe something else?” Izuku asked hesitantly. Her flirting was kind of overwhelming and he already had someone else he liked.

“Boo, you’re no fun,” she pouted, moving to sit on the stool next to him. “How about truth or dare?”

“Only if I can dare you to fight me,” Bakugou growled on his other side. “I’ll kick your ass.”

“Oh, I’d like to see you try, blasty boy,” Himiko shot back, her golden eyes on fire at the challenge.

Honestly Izuku didn’t know how skilled she was but the confidence she had made him think she could kick his ass instead.

“Perhaps an activity less violent,” Kurogiri drawled, carefully observing the threatening teenagers. He’d rather the bar not to be destroyed. Again.

It was at that point that Spinner joined the group and clearly overheard them as he suggested, “How about a video game? We’ve got Mario Cart.”

“Ooo, Mario Kart!” Himiko squealed as she began shaking Izuku’s arm. “How ‘bout it, Izu? Wanna play with us?”

Izu?

Her cat-like eyes now looked at him with eagerness and excitement. Izuku found he couldn’t look away. She looked so young in this moment, not at all like the Villain she was. Just a girl who wanted to play with her friends. He now found he couldn’t say no. Besides, what was the harm in playing a few games? Not like they had much else to do.

“S-sure,” Izuku agreed, gulping nervously but still gave her a small smile. “I’ll play with you.”

A quiet ‘what the fuck?’ came from his other side but he ignored his fellow captive. Like he said they needed to bide their time and he also wanted to try and get to know more about the members of the League. What better way than Mario Kart? You learn a lot about a person by the way they play. Like when he played for chore duty with his friends.

The bubbly blonde girl squealed again and so missed the brief grimace on his face at the thought of his friends. Most definitely worried about him and same with Bakugou’s for him. Hopefully they would be together again soon. For now though, they needed to be careful and do their best to stay on the League’s good side. And so Izuku schooled his features to try and somewhat match Himiko’s excitement if just a little as he gave a nod.

The bar became a bustle of activity. Himiko and Magne scrounged up cushions and blankets to make a nest on the floor. Spinner gathered and then set up the gaming system with the help of Mr. Compress who had joined them. A move made easy with his compression Quirk. Izuku was surprised they even brought out a spare television to use when they already had one on the bar top. But none of them ever made a move for it so maybe it didn’t work? Who was Izuku to know.

Once it was all setup and done, Himiko came up to him and led him by the hand to the pile.

“You can sit by me,” she grinned as they settled on some of the cushions. Then she called out to Bakugou, “You can join too, blasty, but only if you play nice~!”

The explosive teen scowled at her singsong voice and stubbornly stayed sitting at the bar. The nerd could do whatever he wanted but Bakugou refused to play nice with these people. He would begrudgingly ‘bide his time’ as promised but there was just no way he would stoop to this level of ‘friendliness’. Not his style and he was still super pissed about them being kidnapped.

“Here, this one is the least glitchy,” Himiko pressed on, undeterred by his attitude as she offered Izuku a controller. “We get…heated when we play.”

“Who doesn’t?” Izuku replied with a shrug and an awkward smile. He knew his friends got really into it though not enough to throw controllers or whatever the League did to make them ‘glitchy’.

“Technically I’m the only one who gets heated,” the gruff voice of Dabi called out as he walked into the room with his hands in his pockets. “So, when the boss is away, the mice will play? Count me in.”

The scarred man then slumped into an unoccupied bean bag chair amongst the piled blankets and cushions next to Izuku.

“See you’re making yourself at home,” Dabi commented, side eying Izuku who had Himiko sitting closely next to him. “Still sure you’re not interested?”

The fire user already knew the answer but it was more of a question to play his role as recruiter.

“Still no,” Izuku answered with a shake of his head. “But there isn’t much else to do when you’re kidnapped and being held against your will.”

Dabi snorted at his nonchalant tone as the Quirkless teen gave an almost snarky shrug.

“Izuuuu~! Don’t think of it like that!” Himiko whined beside him, shaking him by his arm. Izu again? “Think of it like a…a sleepover! Yeah! So we can all get to know each other and be friends!”

“Speak for yourself,” Dabi scoffed though there wasn’t any heat behind it. “We’re not here to be friends. We’re here to watch the world burn to ash.”

“That’s just his inner goth talking,” she fake-whispered at Izuku while the scarred man flipped her off. “Why don’t you choose first, Izu?”

Guess she’s sticking with that nickname, Izuku thought until he felt multiple pairs of eyes on him.

“O-oh, um, no that’s okay,” Izuku said, nervous all of a sudden as everyone was looking at him. “You guys can go before me.”

He didn’t know if they had dibs on certain characters and didn’t want to piss anyone off by picking theirs. Sure, he had his own, but considering the situation, Izuku honestly wouldn’t care which character he played as long as they weren’t harmed.

“Nuh-uh, nope, not happening,” she contested, pushing the controller closer to him. “You are the guest so you get to choose first. I insist.”

No one countered her word and did nothing until finally Izuku relented, “O-okay.”

He gulped before turning his focus to the screen at the character select. It was so totally weird doing something so mundane while surrounded by Villains watching his every move. Though at least the Quirkless teen felt a bit safer with Himiko on one side, Dabi on the other, ad Bakugou behind him. Semi-allies in this not-so-great situation.

Izuku scanned the selection before going to his usual pick of Yoshi. For some reason that got a surprised sound out of Spinner.

“Oh, s-sorry,” Izuku said, rubbing the back of his head. “Did you want to play that one? I just like him because he’s…green.”

That was one of the reasons since he too had a lot of green about him. Green hair, green eyes, and his family name meant ‘green valley’. While his favorite color was red, green was special to him as well since it was literally a part of him. Hell, he even got the nickname Green Bean even though it was embarrassing. But this time it was more awkward because Spinner was also…green.

~~~

The lizard man was eying him inquisitively. Iguchi wasn’t exactly sure how to feel about the boy that caught Shigaraki’s interest. The boy was working to become a Hero which he personally despised because that was what the Hero Killer had been fighting against. Yet this was also the one that Stain had saved and marked as worthy before subsequently being captured by him. A boy who had someway somehow gotten to know the man and seemed to understand his ideals differently than Iguchi himself did.

Could this young Hero be right about the Hero Killer?

Hearing the boy’s thoughts on Stain’s philosophy and mission in life had been both intriguing and frustrating. No one likes to think or admit they were wrong about something, but Iguchi found himself in a position of having to when it came to the Hero Killer. All he knew of Stain was from that video and the media coverage of his case. He certainly never met the guy in person while this boy actually did. Perhaps…perhaps there was something more about Stain’s fight against the fake Heroes than he thought.

It had only been one day since they kidnapped the kid and Iguchi was already second guessing his own personal mission. To continue Stain’s work and cut down Heroes who worked for money or fame. That only those who did so with no compensation were worthy of the title. But then this Quirkless child enters their midst and says otherwise with a crap ton of conviction. Speaking as if he truly knew and most likely did.

Now this same child was sitting amongst them offering to give up a character in freaking video game. All because he thinks Iguchi would want to play that particular one. Which would be correct because he too preferred Yoshi because he was green. His mutation from his Quirk marked him as a ‘freak’ even in this Quirked society from a very young age. To the point that he had become a recluse hiding away from the world that discriminated against him. No one could ridicule you to your face if you don’t show it.

But then he saw the video of the Hero Killer. Iguchi long knew he was more of a follower than a leader. He had no goals, no real motivations. Then he heard Stain’s words and found out he was associated with the League. For the first time in his life, he felt like he had a purpose. That his wouldn’t be a pointless existence wasting away in front of a computer screen.

It had been surprisingly easy to turn Villain. Iguchi had pieced together an outfit trying his best to emulate Stain. The eye mask, scarf, and even the choice of blades as his weapons. That makeshift sword he used to have had been a chore to put together and was supposed to serve as a further homage to the Hero Killer. Only for the Quirkless boy among them to break it into pieces much like how his words were doing to the lizard man’s ideals now.

His clear knowledge of Stain was affecting Iguchi much like the Hero Killer’s had inspired him in the first place. The boy had given him a new perspective on his goals and motivations thereby influencing his own. He had shown no animosity towards the lizard man other than his skewed views of Stain’s mission. Who was now apologizing to him for picking their shared favorite character on freaking Mario Kart.

This kid.

Iguchi still was trying to wrap his head around this enigma of a person. A Quirkless child fighting his way towards being a Hero in a judgmental society. He had seen the reactions of the crowd during the awards ceremony in his little room. Seen that this boy had also been judged for his Quirk or rather lack thereof same as he had for his mutation. And yet this boy, no, this Hero still fought on no matter what they said or did. Not even letting the Hero Killer stand in his way.

Perhaps…he is a true Hero?

“No worries, kid,” Iguchi said, relenting to the one deemed worthy by Stain. “Play him if you want.”

Notes:

Katsuki now knows about Chizome! He'll have to take some time to process that hidden development. In fact, he's learned he's missed a lot when it came to Izuku. Meeting Stain, the stuff about All Might, and also of Shig approaching him at the mall. All with Katsuki's own actions as a sour cherry on top of it all.

At this point, they're more allies than anything else. Not exactly friends but not enemies either. The road to reconciliation is a long one and this is just the beginning.

Did someone ask for League Mario Kart shenanigans? No? Well, you're going to get them anyway! :D In the next chapter of course. But I though this was a good opportunity to start building a bridge between Izuku and Spinner. Help clear some of that bad air.

That's it for this time! Like I said, Mario Kart madness next chapter. Also the final lead up to the Dad For One reveal. Oh I hope you guys like it. The suspense is killing me! But hang in there, dear readers. All in due time. ^____^ See ya!

Count down to Dad For One reveal: 1 chapter

Chapter 33: Status Quo

Notes:

Thank you for your patience! :D I had work today and had some last minute editing to do. Btw, I got off crutches after the last update and MRI showed nothing torn! So I did have just a really really big bruise. Got a few weeks of physical therapy and a follow up ortho appointment but it should be good from here! I knew I was a clutz but damn son. So not ever using that ladder ever again. :P

At the start, this is not the Dad For One reveal chapter. Just fyi in case there was any confusion. This is the final chapter leading up to that. That's right, folks, next chapter Izuku learns about his dad. His poor heart. :( (But the drama! :D)

 

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

The awkward moment was brief but Spinner said Izuku could keep Yoshi before subsequently choosing Luigi for himself. Himiko picked Toadette and Dabi went with Bowser while Compress and Magne shared they preferred Waluigi and Daisy respectively. For now, they were fine with watching while waiting for a turn. It would be interesting to see how they played and reacted to the game.

Round after round, they went with the last place player being replaced with one of the ones waiting. Dabi would curse, Himiko would pout but easily give up her spot, and Izuku would carefully hand off his own. Compress and Magne would be more composed more playing for fun than to win. The only one he hadn’t seen was Spinner who just kept on staying in the top three no matter who he raced. In fact, he had won a majority of the races and it was starting to really piss a certain scarred man off.

“How the fuck are you better at driving in-game than in real life?” Dabi growled as once again Spinner passed the finish line first.

They were playing on Rainbow Road which honestly Izuku and his friends usually saved for a torture round or a final decider of who was the best for the gaming session. But the League was more ‘go big or go home’ choosing the more difficult tracks to play most of the time. A Villain’s version of ‘Plus Ultra’ maybe? Spinner had so far won five straight games in a row driving like a mad man but still skillfully traversing the hell map.

“Grand Theft Auto translates better to other games,” Spinner grinned at the burnt raisin who glared at him. “Real life though, traffic laws get in the way.”

“Bullshit,” Dabi snapped.

“Just admit you suck,” Himiko chimed in to tease and earned a middle finger from the scarred man.

Spinner was the most skilled out of all of them. The rest weren’t terrible but Dabi was the worst out of the group. Izuku could hold his own having played a lot of Mario Kart since hanging out with his best friends. Himiko channeled the manic vibe of Mei but cared more about sabotaging everyone than actually winning. Magne and Mr. Compress were more chill as they had fun watching the drama as they played. But Dabi was competitive and his temper reminded Izuku of the explosive blonde still sitting at the bar.

Bakugou hadn’t moved from his spot though Izuku didn’t blame him. He at least could semi trust that they wouldn’t hurt him, but the same could not be said for Bakugou. They didn’t actively target him during the training camp attack. He was just here out of bad luck and an urge to get to Izuku. To possibly even save him? It was why his childhood friend had turned bully to him all those years ago. Not wanting him to become a Hero so he wouldn’t get hurt. Hypocritical in his execution by hurting him with his Quirk and his words, but the Quirkless teen guessed there was some sort of sentiment there?

Izuku liked to assume it was a desire to save him that had burned in his red eyes as Bakugou had raced towards him that night. Only for them both to fall through the warp gate and ending up a heap on the floor. Now they were both here against their will and it was only because Izuku asked that the explosive blonde wasn’t tied up right now. Though one wrong move from him could change that. So far though, Bakugou was behaving and so was allowed some freedom.

“Damn it!” Dabi cursed, getting hit by a red shell from Himiko.

“Out of my way, you burnt piece of bacon!” she taunted as her Toadette raced past him.

Aw crap. That means she’s behind me!

Izuku was comfortably in second making his way to first as they were running their second to last lap. His Yoshi was racing behind Spinner’s Luigi with a banana ready to drop as he passed. But with the sabotaging blonde menace herself on his tail, he felt that she needed to be stopped first.

“I’m coming for you, Izu~!” Himiko chirped, hot on his tail.

Izuku played up his worry until she was positioned just right behind him before saying, “Sorry, Himiko-chan, but I’ve gotta…split!”

The banana was released and not a second later she ran right over it.

“Damn it!” she cursed just like Dabi had as Toadette spun out and fell over the side.

“Greenie’s got some skills,” said scarred man commented with a grin, thoroughly entertained by the dose of karma as he tried to catch up. “Thanks for the revenge, kid.”

Despite the red shell, he had managed to recover quickly and was now in third place. Though knocking Himiko off with the banana had him helped.

“No problem,” the greenet smiled innocently. “Here. Have a present.”

He then dropped a second banana sending Bowser spinning too.

“Fuck, you got the triple?” Dabi swore as he fought to keep his spinning kart on the track.

The Quirkless teen gave him a playful wink before focusing on his task to outrun Spinner. They were nearing the start line and about to enter the final lap. As they rounded another corner, a row of item boxes was waiting for them. In hopes of something good, he dropped the last banana and ran through one of the boxes.

Green Shell! I can work with that.

Izuku shot the shell off and it started bouncing against the walls but Spinner managed to avoid it. Damn. The race went on and the teen managed to get a few more bananas and another green shell. But he still found himself trailing after the lizard man whose mad racing style was helping him evade any of the obstacles that would place him at a disadvantage. If nothing happened in the next minute, Luigi would once again claim the win.

Please, something good! Izuku internally pleaded as they approached another row of item boxes.

He was hoping for one of the shells preferably either the red or shiny one this time. Or a mushroom would be great for a speed boost. It was the final stretch and any kind of boost would be helpful. Even one of the flowers whether fire or boomerang would be welcome, but it wasn’t what he got.

Super Leaf? Seriously?

Sure, the item gave a him somewhat of a defensive boost, but he had been hoping for something more offensive. But then out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Himiko had nabbed herself a Blooper back in fourth place. They were approaching a rather tricky part of the track which was the worst place to get inked.

Not good.

But then he noticed the banana he had dropped before just waiting to trip someone up. Like a certain green hatted handyman?

Perfect, he thought grinning as he equipped his item.

“Eat my dust, Hero,” Spinner jeered as he entered a tricky corner only for his camera to get splattered with ink. “What the hell?!”

His visual was impaired so he couldn’t see the previously dropped banana and spun out of control. Izuku was blinded as well but raced past him spamming his tail swish to push away any other hidden threats. His Yoshi easily took first place followed by Dabi’s Bowser in second, Himiko’s Toadette in third, and Spinner’s Luigi ending up in dead last.

“Way to take down the king,” Dabi jeered, grinning at the lizard man’s loss.

“Thanks, I guess,” Izuku said, bashing rubbing the back of his neck. “Though it was more thanks to Himiko-chan’s last-second attack.”

“It was a nice use of Blooper,” Magne commented from the side as Compress nodded beside her in agreement.

“Don’t forget your skillful use of bananas!” Himiko chirped while clapping her hands together even though she had been one taken out by said bananas. “You kicked all of our asses with those.”

“Ah, yes the bananas,” Dabi said in an amused tone as he reached out to ruffle Izuku’s hair. “Hail to the Banana King.”

“All hail the Banana King!” Himiko cheered while the greenet swatted the scarred hand away.

Dabi took the reaction as a challenge and nabbed the teen bringing him into a head lock. Izuku tried to wiggle out of the hold but found himself stuck. Leaving him to the man’s mercy which wasn’t much as he started giving him a noogie. Izuku continued to struggle as the others chuckled, or in Himiko’s case outright laughed as she snuck a picture, at the situation. Well, everyone except Bakugou who stared confused as fuck as to how they got to here.

“Well, well, well.”

The scratchy voice cut the oddly lighthearted air making everyone freeze. Almost comically, they slowly turned as a group to see Shigaraki watching them with his hands on his hips. His tone was indiscernible and the signature disembodied hand hid his face and therefore his reaction. They watched with baited breath as a dry hand slowly reached up and gently grasped Father.

“What do we have here?” the young leader said as he revealed his hidden smirk happy to see the admin getting along so well with the League. “I see we’ve made ourselves at home, eh, Little Hero? Starting to feel like a part of the party, Izuku?”

Hearing Chizome’s nickname and his first name from the Villain who was behind his kidnapping, as well as so many other painful moments of his life, still sent a shiver down his spine. Along with the implications of him actually fitting in with his little troupe. Though there wasn’t anything against them as people as he was getting to know them. Looking past the curtain the term Villain that shrouded them to most to see the person within.

They all had their pasts and struggles they had faced. Himiko forced to conform to fit in society’s box. Dabi and his boatload of family issues. There were also his guesses as to the others. Spinner for how he looked, Magne for just wanting to be herself, and even Shigaraki had to have something pushing him along this evil path. Some kind of motivation in his past other than being raised by All For One to hate Heroes. Though exactly what those were remained to be learned.

These people labeled as Villains weren’t necessarily bad guys but definitely ones who either did not make the best choices in life or couldn’t. Depending on how you were raised, the understanding of what was good or bad could become skewed. Prime example of that was Bakugou and all he did growing up. Encouraged by everyone believing him to be a destined Hero while they pointedly turned a blind eye to Izuku’s own suffering. Resulting in an aspiring Hero acting like a Villain.

Who knows how any of these people would have turned out if they had a different upbringing. No judgement for their appearance or who they were on the inside. Allowed to live their life without having to suppress a part of themselves. Or even given their own choices in life and not forced to follow another’s planned path. But instead, they were here. One way or another, this group of misfits found each other and were willing to fight for everything they were denied.

Oddly but also not, Izuku could see himself fitting in with them.

Well, sort of. Not him as he was now but if his life had gone a different path. If he hadn’t been so stubborn or had neglected to learn to defend himself. If he had let Bakugou’s words along with everyone else’s get to him. If All Might hadn’t saved him from that Sludge Villain.

If he hadn’t met Chizome.

There were too many what-ifs that could have changed his life forever. But it does not do to dwell on what could have been because it did not change who he was now. Izuku was a Hero who was starting to see where these Villains were coming from. Could see them more as actual people. But it did not change the fact that they were Villains by their own choices despite all their hardships. That they willingly attacked children and most likely all of them had killed someone at least once in their lives. Izuku could not and would never do that.

The Quirkless teen didn’t know how exactly to respond to Shigaraki though his question was more of a tease than anything else. He carefully freed himself from Dabi’s arm and quietly handed his remote to Himiko not feeling like playing anymore. The carefree atmosphere was gone. Crumbled to dust by Shigaraki’s mere presence at the reminder of why they were there and who was responsible for it. Izuku felt ashamed to have forgotten even for a second that they were being held captive by the League of Villains.

“Oh, don’t stop on my account,” Shigaraki said, still grinning though it did lessen seeing the admin’s less than enthused reaction. “By all means, continue.”

But the moment had been broken and Izuku couldn’t see it coming back. Instead, he quietly looked down at the blankets around them internally scolding himself for forgetting himself and his situation. And not just his but Bakugou’s too. They were in this mess together. They could only hope to get out of it together as well.

Himiko looked on saddened by Izuku’s sudden change of behavior. She had been enjoying herself so much then Shiggy had to show up to ruin the fun. That wasn’t always the case because he was fun to play with normally. His reactions were so funny when he was losing and she loved to push his buttons.

His trash talk was hilarious too when he was being all cocky and winning. But right now, he was being a real bummer. Though she couldn’t blame Izuku too much for all he’s said so far about wanting to be a Hero and not a Villain. Sure, Himiko wanted him to stay but it was becoming clearer that might not actually happen if he could help it. Guess she would have to enjoy her time with him while she could.

Dabi also was eyeing the Quirkless teen. It had been kind of fun for a moment there. Like Izuku was the new younger brother of their little group. But the boss was back and with him the reality of the situation. The kid was here to be recruited to their ranks but he no way expected him to actually accept the offer. There was too much Hero in him to join them as Villains. And to be completely honest, Dabi didn’t want him to stop aiming for that.

Someone’s got to take my shit bag of a father down.

Who better than the one who sicced the Hero Killer on Endeavor in the first place? Sure, there were other people at play but it was Izuku’s meddling that had prompted it all. It might not be how Dabi would have gone about getting his revenge but he guessed going the legal way could be fun. Heroes burning other Heroes with their own bullshit. Gathering each piece of evidence like kindling to build a pyre and roast his bastard ass for all to see.

The others felt for the boy who had been so happy and carefree just a moment ago. The joking and teasing with them was now replaced with melancholy. Magne wordlessly collected the spare controller from Himiko and Spinner tried starting another game in an attempt to smooth the situation. But no one’s heart was in it anymore as they all drove on the new track not really caring to actually race.

~~~

The awkwardness was obvious to everyone and it annoyed Tomura to the bone. He huffed in irritation and turned away to face the bar while replacing Father on his face. He was met with a pair of red eyes glaring at him.

Oh, right. The explody fire type.

“What?” Tomura asked as he glared back and crossed his arms. “Too good to play with the others?”

“I don’t play games with lowlife Villains like you,” Bakugou snapped, trying to reign in his temper but couldn’t help the bite in his voice. He didn’t want to piss off their captors but he was also pissed himself and wanting to explode his crusty ass.

The young leader clicked his tongue in further annoyance. Acting all high and mighty like they were beneath him. Much like how he was during his little speech before the Sports Festival. Claiming that he would be the best and end up on top. But he didn’t and hadn’t even been the decayer’s first choice for recruitment.

Tomura had played around with the idea after Izuku mentioned him and his tendency to curse during their little meet-and-greet at the mall. The anger and power would be fitting for a Villain but ultimately the admin was who he had his eyes on. The only one he very much wanted in their party from the nest of Herolings. The only one that mattered. Bakugou ending up here had been a…bonus of sorts or at least it seemed at first. Now…not so much.

“Watch your tone, boy,” Tomura growled, his arms lowering to expose his hands. “Or you might find our hospitality less…pleasant.”

“Pleasant my ass,” the blonde teen barked back. “You had me chained to a fucking chair.”

“Only until you agreed to be civil,” the decayer replied with a sneer. “But we could easily lock you back up if needed. Don’t test my patience.”

~~~

The room was silent as two pairs of red eyes stared each other down in challenge. The game was long forgotten as everyone watched the drama unfolding. The League members were curious how it would unfold. While Izuku was tense with worry and silently prayed to the gods that Bakugou would keep his cool.

Please don’t be brash!

It was during this staring contest that Twice and his Compress clone showed back up.

“Wha…?” Twice started to say but was quickly shushed by Himiko who then waved him over. He quickly sitting down while the copy moved to stand near the original. “What’s going on?”

His tone was at a whisper but it was as loud as a yell in the quiet of the room.

“Shh,” she whispered. “Just watch.”

The blood drinker was watching them with a smile on her face though that seemed to be her default. Izuku had only seen her not smiling for brief moments before it came back, but he wasn’t paying attention to her right now. Green eyes could not tear themselves away from his childhood friend staring off with the leader of the League.

Please, just please.

Bakugou, as if he could hear his silent plea, caught sight of Izuku without breaking contact with Shigaraki’s gaze. Despite it being out of the corner of his eye, the Quirkless boy’s worried expression, for him no less, was enough to remind him of their predicament. That they needed to be calm and patient so they could get out of here. Well, this was as calm as he felt he could be considering the circumstances. But for D-Izuku, he would try harder and forced himself to look away first.

“Heh, smart move,” Shigaraki jeered, thinking he had won. “Don’t think too highly of yourself, Ba-ku-gou~. You are strong, but your Quirk only gives you a buff. You are not OP and we can nerf you if needed. And it does not make you better than any of us.”

An irate blonde eyebrow twitched and the Villain noticed. A sore subject, perhaps? It wouldn’t surprise him with the kid’s ego. Sensing a source of amusement, Shigaraki continued.

“What was it you said before the Sports Festival?” the decayer said in a taunting tone now enjoying himself while tapping a thoughtful finger to his chin. “That you would be the one in first place? Just think of how that worked out for you with all your yelling and posturing.”

It was like he didn’t know when to stop or was wanting to set Bakugou off. Or both. Yeah, probably both. Izuku gulped nervously and prepared to defend his fellow Hero-to-be at a moment’s notice. He would not just sit here and watch his childhood friend get decayed.

“You did put up a good show, I’ll give you that,” the Villain relented with a shrug. “Though I didn’t consider you until my first little chat with Izuku. To me you seemed more like a yapping puppy suffering from small dog syndrome. But after rewatching your matches, I could see some potential as a part of our party. A berserker perhaps?”

“Fuck off, crusty,” Bakugou growled, not appreciating the ‘compliments’ coming from him. “There’s no way in hell I’ll join your ‘party’. I’m gonna be a fucking Hero, not a shitty Villain like you.”

“Really?” Shigaraki jeered. “With your attitude, I think you’d make a better Villain than a Hero. You’re nothing like that sappy Ass Might.”

“I said fuck off!” Bakugou snapped, unable to help the instinctive explosions he let out to force the young leader back.

Many things happened at once. Shigaraki shot his hands forward in anger ready to decay the defying teen without a second thought. Bakugou in turn aimed his own hands to defend himself. The others quickly stood ready and waiting to act but none of them as fast as Izuku who leapt forward to get between his childhood friend and their captor. Well, perhaps not as fast as Kurogiri who, long used to these kinds of antics, formed portals where needed to redirect any Quirk use out of harm’s way.

“Stay back, Shigaraki,” Izuku demanded, green eyes staring the Villain down hard. “You’re just trying to pick a fight.”

The decayer seethed breathing heavily in his anger at the situation. Their bonus was turning into a griefer instead and the admin was trying to protect him. Going against him and even trying to order him around. Again. It pissed the young leader off.

Shigaraki took a step forward suddenly despite his hands being hidden in the warp gates. Izuku, on instinctive, twitched his hand to his pocket but managed to stop himself before he drew the knife. Of course, with the Villain’s focus on him, the movement did not go unnoticed.

“Hmm, what were you reaching for there, Izuku?” Shigaraki questioned, his anger mixing with intrigue. “Did the kitty manage to find himself some claws? Can’t have that. Give it here, admin.”

By now, Kurogiri had released everyone from his Quirk which freed the decayer’s hands. Izuku tried to stay out of his reach refusing to give up Chizome’s knife to him. The Quirkless teen didn’t think he could stand to see the Villain destroy it like all of his other gear. Those had been bad enough but at least they were replaceable. But the knife? It was special to him. Unique. With no way of replacing it because there was zero chance of him ever being able to see Chizome ever again. Especially not anywhere near any weapons.

But Shigaraki was adamant at getting whatever the admin was hiding. He kept lurching forward but the boy would dodge him over and over. Well, at least this was giving him some more insight on the kid’s fighting technique but this game of cat and mouse was starting to piss him off more than the blonde extra had been.

“Stop moving and give it to me, Izuku,” the decayer demanded, lunging for the boy again.

“Stay away from me!” the Quirkless teen shouted, moving to avoid him but managed to trip on one of the unseen blankets.

It was enough of a slip up for Shigaraki to grasp Izuku by his right wrist but in his rage, he wasn’t paying attention to his fingers. All five came into contact with the boy’s skin and the affect was instantaneous. At first all he felt was a cracking sensation like glue drying on your skin and then flaking away. And then the pain came crashing down as his skin disappeared revealing the tissue, blood, and bone beneath.

“GAAAAAH!!” Izuku cried out, kicking the Villain in the stomach to force him away.

“IZUKU!” was cried out at the same time as, “BOSS!”

But who exactly was shouting Izuku didn’t know or care as he passed out from the pain.

A flurry of movement followed as both Dabi and Himiko dove for the Quirkless teen. Bakugou did too but was stopped by the copied Compress while the other Villains went to Shigaraki. While they were busy with the young leader, the two attending to the injured boy had the same idea as they reached for the hidden knife. Himiko was quicker though and managed to snatch it from her friend’s pocket before the others saw.

“Hands off, psycho bitch,” Dabi growled, igniting his hand to ward her away. “It ain’t yours.”

Though he didn’t even know how the crazy blonde was aware of the knife at all. This kid was shit at hiding things apparently.

“I know,” Himiko replied, smiling like always. “It’s Izuku’s.”

The two stared each other off.

“How do you know that?” Dabi asked, narrowing his blue eyes suspiciously.

“I could ask you the same thing,” she shot back boring her own cat-like eyes into his. “I found where he tried to hide it during his shower.”

The fire wielder let out an exasperated sigh while running a hand through his dark hair. Freshly dyed the night before.

“This idiot kid,” he whispered making the girl giggle.

“Don’t worry,” Himiko insisted. “His secret is safe with me. Besides, between the two of us, who would be less suspicious carrying an extra knife?”

Dabi thought for a moment before relenting, “…fair point. Just keep it safe. It means a lot to him.”

“Again, I know,” she replied with a wink before hiding the knife in one of her many hidden pockets.

The exchange was short but informative to the pair. They both knew of the knife and both wanted to keep it away from Shigaraki’s wrath. Together, they silently agreed to do all they could to protect Izuku.

Dabi and Himiko turned back to the others but stayed close to Izuku. Neither wanted to try moving the boy so as to not hurt him even more than he was. His wrist looked in bad shape not surprising from their boss’s Quirk. Decay was destructive and even deadly if he held on long enough. They didn’t think he had meant to use it on Izuku but that didn’t change that it had happened.

Twice was fussing over Shigaraki who was staring down at his hand in betrayal. He hadn’t meant to but still managed to damage the admin. This was going to hurt his recruitment strategy. A silent observer thought so as well as the monitor on the bar turned on suddenly with the words ‘sound only’ showing.

SHIGARAKI TOMURA,” a booming voice called out, the air stilling in its authority. “WHAT. HAVE. YOU. DONE.

Notes:

Oh no! Izuku's poor hand and All For One is pissed! Uh oh, Shiggy, you're in trouble!!

I have a particular plot reason for Izuku getting hurt like that. I had always planned for Shiggy to do it but it took me ages to figure out how exactly. Was it due to anger or an accident? Did he want to hurt Izuku or did it just happen? And why? But this seemed to fit the best for my version of Shiggy so here we are!

I hope you enjoyed the Mario Kart shenanigans! :D Thanks to Serif and Christina on the discord for the pairing ideas. I don’t really play Mario Kart a ton and had to research some things. I originally had Izuku have the Blooper but found it was statistically impossible to get above 4th place. But I also really wanted to use it because I thought it would be funny if Spinner lost that way. So I changed some things and figured this worked best. Just wanted to be silly. :P

ALL HAIL THE BANANA KING!!

Sadly Shiggy had to break up the fun and go around picking fights. Aftermath of that to come in the next couple chapters. ;) At least Izuku has some allies backing him!

That's all for now! :D Some fluff to cleanse you before next chapter. Because the count down is done. DFO reveal next time! We'll also get an update on the hero side of things which I'm sure people have been wondering about. You'll see. Alrighty! Stay safe out there and be sure to dismount ladders properly! See ya! ^____^

Chapter 34: The Devil Himself

Notes:

Happy Tuesday, dear readers! Welcome back to another chapter of BC! :D It's here, folks. Izuku gets to learn about his dad! Kekekeke. This should be fun. ;)

A little update of sorts concerning the discord. It's dead. People have come and gone because it is dead. Reason being is that I am such an introvert with no experience being on or running a discord. Honestly I really just wanted to write a story and I never expected BC to get so popular. I also don't have anyone in my day to day life to talk about BC or MHA in general so the discord has really helped with brainstorming ideas along with comments from you guys. Basically I've reached out on there to get some help and I've gotten some responses. If anything I wanted to ask here as well in case anyone who had left would maybe want to help so it's not so dead. If not no worries. Just wanted to ask. ^____^

Anywhoozlebee, let's get to the chapter! Enjoy the angst!

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

Chapter Text

All For One was furious.

He had been watching closely ever since his son had arrived. Seeing Bakugou as well had been a surprise but he paid little mind to the child who had tormented Izuku growing up. The blonde had mellowed out so to speak as the years passed and even more so recently. Besides, he played a role in shaping who Izuku was and All For One believed it would benefit him in bringing his prodigy into the fold.

The father had been entertained to watch Izuku interact with the little group his successor had brought together. He had quickly grown close to two of them and reprimanded another. All For One was pleased to see him even show some backbone standing up to Tomura instead of cowering like others have. Izuku had grown more confident than he had been in his youth. Yes, he has always been a brave soul but he still had the typical lack of confidence of a child. But now he had the experience to back his power for standing up to others.

All For One had been amused at Izuku’s embarrassment in the bathroom having sensed it with one of his many Quirks. Enough to feel his emotions but not enough to actually see anything. Though he did know about the knife of course but didn’t consider it a threat. He would let his son have his trinkets. Besides, it was interesting to hear directly from Izuku his thoughts on the Hero Killer and how Stain had met and influenced his son. Taking inspiration from a Villain to be a Hero? How amusingly ironic.

It had been good to see Izuku getting along with the others in their moment of juvenility with the video games. His son showed good strategy and his moments of sporadic analysis were intriguing to experience. Izuku really had been hiding quite a skill from him. But now Tomura had gone and hurt his son and All For One would not stand for it so he decided to take action.

“Kurogiri,” the father ordered. “Bring the boy to me. We will have to clean up young Tomura’s mess.”

He took pleasure at the flinch of his successor’s shoulders at his reprimand. Good. Tomura needed to understand that he ‘botched’ as his ward would say. There would be time to instill that in him but for now his focus was on Izuku. It was finally time to bring him to his proper place at All For One’s side.

~~~

One day had passed since the attack. It wasn’t even a full 24 hours but every second that passed was one too long. Shouta hated not being able to do anything to save his students. Nezu was meeting up with the others as well as with Detective Tsukauchi to form a rescue plan. With the confirmed involvement of All For One, they were going to need all hands on deck for this mission. Even Endeavor if just for the fire power though Shouta very much did not like it one bit. The others didn’t either but for appearances, they had to still be civil with the man.

Fucking asshole.

Shouta let out a frustrated sigh as he ran a hand through his hair. Fuck, he needed a shower, but he didn’t want to leave before Hitoshi woke up. They were still in the hospital and he refused to go home until he saw his kid’s eyes open. The tired man needed to be there so he could tell their son what was happening. That and to make sure he wouldn’t do something reckless and try to go after Izuku himself. There was a stubbornness streak in Hitoshi that he recognized well and so wouldn’t put it past him to do something rash. Especially when it came to one of his closest friends.

“Ugh.”

The grunt was gravely from sleep as Hitoshi finally blinked his purple eyes open.

“Hitoshi,” Shouta sighed out in relief. “How are you feeling?”

He adjusted himself in the crappy chair to be closer to his kid. Hitoshi laid there attempting to rub the sleep from his eyes as he assessed himself. No serious injuries but he had a killer headache.

“Head hurts,” Hitoshi replied, laying his arm over his eyes to block out the light.

“Here,” the tired man said holding a glass of water. “Drink. We’ll get you some painkillers after we get you something to eat.”

Hitoshi nodded as he sat up a little to take a sip. He didn’t know how thirsty he was until the cool water washed over his parched tongue. The relief was refreshing as he gulped the rest of it down. A little too fast as he ended up choking on the water and fell into a coughing fit.

“Easy there, tiger,” Shouta scolded but with no bite. There was a small smile of relief as he took the empty cup and then rubbed his kid’s back. “That’s it. Breathe.”

It took a minute or two but Hitoshi managed to calm the coughing down. He cleared his throat before saying, “Thanks.”

“Of course,” Shouta replied, giving one last pat to his back before leaning back to give his kid space.

The purple haired teen rubbed his temples in hopes it would make his headache go away. Fruitless but still a comfort in its own way. Besides, he probably got off easy after the attack. Compared to the others, his headache was nothing. Especially considering what happened to…

…Izuku.

Purple eyes whipped to tired black as Hitoshi asked, “Where’s Izuku?”

Shouta closed his eyes and ran a hand down his scruffy face. He really didn’t want to be the bearer of bad news but also didn’t want to place that burden on anyone else. He had to be the one to tell Hitoshi. Had to admit to him that Shouta had failed to keep them all safe.

“Hitoshi,” Shouta breathed out, no way mentally prepared to do this but he would anyway. “Izuku, he’s…he’s missing. We don’t know where he is.”

Bakugou was missing too but considering their past, now was not the time to bring that up. He worried about both of his missing students but knew that Hitoshi would focus on Izuku. Shouta would do everything in his power to get his kid’s friend back.

Hitoshi sat there frozen. He could easily spiral into grief for his friend but also knew it would do nothing to help Izuku. To find him and bring him back. Hitoshi needed to be strong right now. Had to keep his wits about him so that when the time came, he would be ready to help save Izuku. Because there was no way he would just sit and do nothing. Not when his brother was in danger.

And I guess Bakugou too.

It was what a Hero would do even though he hates the guy’s guts. It’s what Izuku would do. A true Hero acknowledge by the Hero Killer himself. Hitoshi was no saint like Izuku was but he would be damned if he didn’t try for the sake of his brother.

“I want to help,” Hitoshi stated firmly.

“No,” Shouta retorted. “Leave whatever plans you’re making in your head to the professionals. We are working on a rescue mission as we speak.”

“Good,” the brainwasher shot back. “I still want to help.”

“And I want a gallon of coffee but this place’s stuff is ass,” the tired man quipped flatly. The look his kid gave in return was not amused. “Look, I know you want to help. I understand. But this is a delicate situation. We need to be rational and think this through. We can’t be brash or else…”

Shouta trailed off not wanting to say anything that would jinx them and cause any more harm to come to his students. He had no idea how they were and it was driving him nuts. He could imagine it was even worse for Hitoshi worried about his friend. It was a scenario he was unfortunately familiar with but now was not the time to bring up unhappy memories.

“Please, Hitoshi,” Shouta pleaded as he placed a hand gently onto his kid’s. The teen was trembling. “Please promise me you won’t do anything reckless.”

He couldn’t have anything happen to him too. While it wasn’t official, to Shouta, Hitoshi was already his kid. Their kid. And he would be damned if he would let his son get himself into more trouble than he could handle. Especially with All For One involved. Shouta didn’t even want Hizashi anywhere near that monster but knew his husband would fight for their students all the same. They were Heroes after all. Confronting danger was their job.

“I…,” Hitoshi started but was cut off by a knock at the door.

“Enter,” Shouta called out.

“Eraserhead, sir?” a nurse asked as they entered the room. “Sorry to disturb you but your presence has been requested.”

Requested? By who? Shouta lifted a brow in silent question.

“Yaoyorozu-san has woken up and said she needed to speak with you,” the nurse answered, the news easing some of his worry. “Something pertaining to the attack.”

Something about the attack? Shouta wondered what it could be from his homeroom’s vice president. He cast a look at Hitoshi sitting on the bed who was avoiding eye contact. Yep, stubborn. The tired man sighed.

“I see,” Shouta said, turning back to the nurse. “Give me one moment and I will go with you.”

They gave him a nod as he stood up from his own chair and pulled out his phone to call Hizashi. The phone rang a few times until the blonde man picked up.

Shouta? Hizashi asked. “We’re about to start a meeting. What’s up?

His husband’s voice was like a salve soothing Shouta’s mind instantly.

“Zashi, he’s awake,” Shouta said as he placed a hand onto of Hitoshi’s head. His kid still refused to look at him but didn’t shy away from his touch. Good.

Well, that’s good to hear,” Hizashi sighed in relief. “How’s he doing?

“Says he has a headache,” the tired man commented, shooting a glance towards the nurse who gave him a nod. “But otherwise, he seems fine. Stubborn as a cat though.”

Hitoshi grunted in protest as Shouta ruffled his hair before letting go.

On the phone, Hizashi giggled, “Like father, like son.

The comparison made the scruffy man blush and he instinctively tucked his head into his capture weapon. At least he had a good change of subject.

“Yaoyorozu is awake and asking for me with information connected to the attack,” Shouta informed. “I’m leaving for a moment to speak with her. I wanted you to know in case Hitoshi needs anything.”

Sounds good, Shou,” Hizashi replied, most likely with a nod. “I’ll keep an ear out and head over once we’re done here. Tsukauchi has a possible lead but I’ll let them know that Yaoyorozu might have something as well. We’re going to get those kids back.

Shouta hummed in response before saying, “Thanks, Zashi. We’ll see you later.”

Love you, Shou!” the birdbrain chirped cheerfully. “Give my love to Hitoshi too!

“Will do. Love you,” he muttered quietly before hanging up and turning to their kid. “Hizashi sends his love.”

“Oh, um, thanks,” Hitoshi said, still not comfortable enough to say the same.

Shouta didn’t hold it against him giving him all the time in the world to adjust. He gave his kid a pat on the shoulder before he followed the nurse out of the room. The teacher was pleased to hear Yaoyorozu was awake and was curious what she wanted to tell him. He wasn’t the only one as a head of spiked red and a head of white and red spotted him and proceeded to follow him as stealthily as they could.

~~~

…beep…beep…beep.

The steady sound from a heart monitor was what woke Izuku up. Green eyes blurrily blinked open to find himself in a different room. It was plain and the lights were dimmed. No window and only furnished with the bed he was laying on, the monitor, a bedside table, and a cabinet. Oh and the intravenous bag connected to him. He groggily followed the trail of the IV to his arm and then to the bandages wrapped around his right wrist.

Oh. Right. That happened.

Shigaraki had used his Quirk on him. Fuck, Decay was not at all pleasant to experience. It sent a shiver down his spine imagining that happening to his throat that day at the mall. The threat had seemed more casual back then though still a danger, but now he knew what it felt like and it made his skin crawl. He could have crumbled to dust like the UA barrier. Shigaraki had a very dangerous Quirk.

Needing a distraction, green eyes looked around and spotted a glass of water on the bedside table. No way in hell would he drink that. There was no telling what could have been added to it. Poison or sedatives for all he knew. Which brought him back to the IV bag not knowing what was in that either. He was groggy though that could still be from him passing out. However, not knowing what was being pumped into his body, he reached for the needle stuck in his arm.

“I would be careful with that,” a deep voice spoke out of nowhere.

Not surprising as to why when Izuku jerked to see Kurogiri was in the room now. Probably the only way in or out as he couldn’t see anything resembling a door. Unless it was hidden behind the cabinet? Not something he should be worrying about right now.

“Here, allow me,” the misty man offered, approaching him. Izuku flinched away as he reached a shadowy hand towards his arm. “Do not worry, child. I have no intentions of harming you.”

“Oh yeah?” Izuku snarked, glaring. “So the attacks on the USJ, Hosu, and the training camp were just fun play dates then?”

The warper said nothing in response and simply stood there reaching out but making no move to touch him. Green eyes stared off into patches of yellow but neither wanted to budge. Though he still wanted to take the needle out and it was clear the Villain insisted on doing it for him.

Izuku sighed as he held out his arm and said, “Fine.”

“Thank you, young Midoriya,” Kurogiri replied as he deftly removed the needle with little to no pain. The feel of his mist was weird on his skin as a small bandage was placed where the needle had been. “There. That should be more comfortable.”

Okay, kind of weird for a Villain to think of his comfort level. But then again, Shigaraki was doing the same thing being all nice to him. Well, sometimes. Kidnapping him wasn’t nor was destroying his stuff or hurting him with his Quirk. Accidental or not, that shit fucking hurt.

“Uh, thanks, I guess,” Izuku said awkwardly taking his arm back.

The misty man nodded before he noticed the still full glass of water.

“You should maintain your hydration,” Kurogiri advised. “You were the one adamant about addressing biological needs after all.”

True but no way in hell was he drinking from that damned glass.

“I’m not drinking that,” Izuku refused, now glaring at the glass. “I don’t know what that is.”

Kurogiri silently eyed the teen who was glaring at the unassuming glass with suspicion. Not something he could hold against the boy in the slightest. But he still needed to drink some water.

“I would be willing to test it for you if you wish,” Kurogiri offered as he warped a small glass to pour a small portion in. “To alleviate your suspicions.”

“I can’t see your mouth so for all I know you could warp whatever you ‘drink’ away,” Izuku said as he watched the Villain pour some water from the first glass into the other and presumably swallow it down. Well, guess it was the thought that counts. He still wasn’t drinking it though.

They stared off in silence until Kurogiri seemed to accept that he wanted nothing to do with the unknown glass of ‘water’. However, he seemed determined for him to drink something. With another deft use of his Quirk, the warper offered an unopened water bottle out of thin, although near black, air.

“Would this suffice instead?” the Villain asked, again strangely concerned for Izuku’s well-being.

But he is essentially the League’s babysitter.

Izuku eyed the bottle and flickered between it and the misty man offering it to him. He knew little about the warper as this was the longest interaction he’s ever had with him. Only the briefest of meetings at the USJ before he spread them throughout the different areas. Then when Dabi was dragging him through one of his portals. But the Quirkless teen guessed he had never done anything to directly harm him personally. Still didn’t trust him though.

But I am thirsty.

Fuck it.

“Fine, I’ll take it,” he relented, reached out for the bottle which Kurogiri gladly gave to him. Being the polite boy that he was, Izuku of course said, “Thanks.”

“You are welcome, young Midoriya,” the misty man replied with a nod as he cracked the bottle open.

Kurogiri watched as Izuku drank the water down. He couldn’t taste anything off other than the mineral flavor some bottle waters had. The water also felt nice quenching his thirst and dowsing out the parched burn in his mouth. In no time at all, the water was gone and he wasn’t showing any ill effects. Guess he was safe. For now.

“If you are well enough, child,” Kurogiri said, reaching out for the empty bottle which Izuku handed over. “My master would like to seek an audience with you.”

The Quirkless teen still had a grip on the bottle and it crunched under his suddenly tense fist. Izuku stared off into nothing for a moment freaking the fuck out because he knew exactly who his ‘master’ was. It wasn’t Shigaraki though he did follow every order from him and the others, but instead the hidden leader behind the League that the public didn’t know about. Izuku did though.

All For One wanted to see him.

Izuku gulped as he forced himself to let go of the bottle. It crinkled more as he pried his fingers off of the plastic. In an instant, it was gone but his hand was still raised frozen in shock. He stared at it for a moment before lowering it gently onto of his bandaged hand. He couldn’t feel much from it and was honestly scared to take a look. Not that his mind was on that right now anyway.

“Do I have a choice?” Izuku asked, green eyes downcast.

Kurogiri was silent for a moment before he said, “…no.”

It was oddly sad in tone. Also, a bit forced in a weird way? Izuku wasn’t sure nor did he know what it meant. There were so many questions when it came to the misty man. Who was he before the League? Why did he join? What were his goals for the future? Why was he so worried about his well-being? Questions, questions, questions. None of which he had the time to get answers to right now.

Izuku had a reluctant date with the devil to get to.

“Let’s get this over with,” he conceded with a sigh, moving to get off the bed.

He was in different clothes than before. Not surprising with how much blood had gotten on the others. Sorry, Himiko. Izuku was now in a loose pale blue t-shirt, grey sweatpants, and white socks. His clothes from before were nowhere in sight which meant that he had lost Chizome’s knife. Again. Now he really didn’t know where it was. For all he knew, Shigaraki could have found it and decayed it to nothing.

Izuku let out another though sadder sigh. Kurogiri regarded him quietly before forming a portal tall enough for them to both step through. The teen hesitated for a moment before taking a deep breath and forced himself to walk forward. They were in and out in an instant.

Stepping out of the warp gate, Izuku found himself in what he could only describe as a Villain’s lair. It was dark and spooky almost to the point of being cliché though if you’re the Number One Villain he guessed he could stay ‘classic’. Though did he really have to have all of the stereotypical creepy monitors, countless wires, and mysterious bubbling containers?

“Ah, you’ve arrived,” a deep powerful voice spoke further into the shadows. “Please, come closer.”

The voice was oddly familiar though Izuku had no idea why. Must be his nerves getting the better of him. There was no way he had met All For One before. Gods Izuku wished to be with his parents right now. Wrapped up safe and sound in their arms protected from the world. But you can’t always get what you want.

Especially me for some reason.

“This way, young Midoriya,” Kurogiri said, gesturing with a black wispy hand. “It would not do well to keep my master waiting.”

Izuku gulped and nodded nervously as he stepped forward. The Quirkless teen tried to stay brave doing his best to control the shivering that threatened to overtake him. He was very much out of his league without a single Support Item to defend himself with. Not even Chizome’s knife, but then again, what would a knife do against the boogey man of the underworld. Any of his unknown Quirks could take him out in an instant.

They walked in relative silence other than the sounds of their footsteps and the buzzing, dripping, and bubbling coming from the machines around them. Izuku very much did not want to know what was in those. All of his attention was focused on meeting one of the most terrifying Villains in the world. A man who could give and take Quirks on a whim and was powerful enough to go up against All Might himself. And who was Izuku compared to that? Just a Quirkless teenager being led into the depths of what he could only imagine was hell.

It was then he got his first glimpse of the devil himself. Izuku had heard a lot about All For One but nothing could have prepared him for seeing him in person for the first time. In mere words, he would describe him as the embodiment of pure power. The air was oppressive around him and the man himself seemed to ooze tyranny. He was even sat upon what Izuku would call a throne covered in wires and tubes making him appear like a dictator from a science fiction story.

The image was further solidified with some of the wires actually being connected to him. The Villain was in a somewhat simple black suit without even a tie and yet he had an air of absolute authority. His posture was almost casual but still had an overbearing feeling about him. As if he knew that he could overpower anyone he came up against and with all the stories Izuku had been told and found himself, he believed he very well could. Especially over a Quirkless person like himself.

Izuku gulped in a sorry attempt at swallowing his fear.

“Now, now, there is no need to fear, my boy,” All For One said with a smirk. His mouth was his only distinct feature on his bald scarred head that was leaning on his propped-up fist. “I have no intention of harming you.”

The Villain had no eyes yet Izuku could feel them burning holes through him in an intense but impossible gaze. Despite what he said, there was no way Izuku was going to lower his guard. He had no reason to take All For One at his word. Though he also couldn’t keep looking at the man who had a hand in his kidnapping. Standing there awkwardly with his hands fisted at his sides and eyes cast down doing his best to keep his cool and not break down in front of All For One.

There was a moment of silence as the greenet stood there while the scarred man watched him for lack of a better word. Perhaps he had a Quirk that allowed him to see without eyes? Anything was possible in their world of Quirks and definitely with a Villian who could…acquire any Quirk he wanted by stealing from another. The seconds dragged on to minutes with nothing said until Izuku couldn’t stand it anymore.

“Wh-what do you want f-from me?” Izuku asked, his nerves bringing back his old stutter.

All For One hummed before saying, “Yes, I’m sure that you are curious as to why I requested your presence. As curious as I am to know how you will react.”

“React to what?” the Quirkless teen breathed out, his fear almost stealing his voice entirely.

The man shifted to sit up straighter while steepling his large hands before him. Izuku glanced up and now found that he couldn’t tear his eyes away from where the Villain’s should have been. As if something, whether a Quirk or nerves, kept him from turning away.

“Young Tomura has expressed an interest in you joining his ‘party’ as he calls it,” All For One stated, his tone serious and even. “Sees the value of your analytical abilities and the strength you hold without a Quirk in this society. It comes from your character and refusal to be torn down by those who wish to see you fail. He is willing to do anything to bring you into the fold.”

Izuku knew that. He knew just how far the leader of the League was willing to go. Holding him hostage. Hurting his mother. Attacking children. Kidnapping him. All to get his way. And yet hearing it from the Number One Villain made it feel ten times worse. Izuku clenched his jaw to keep his chin from trembling.

“Admittedly I was surprised someone like you would have caught his attention. Even without seeing you the first time you had crossed paths though you certainly left quite the impression. It was very astute of you to determine young Tomura’s Quirk so quickly in the midst of a fight. One finds themselves curious as to just how quickly and accurately your analysis can be.”

Fuck, that was not something you wanted to hear from the Number One Villain. That All For One was curious about you. The worst hands for someone like Izuku to fall into even if he would never willingly give any analysis to the likes of him. He would never help a Villain hurt someone else with what he knew. Thankfully, his analysis was a natural talent and not something All For One could just take from him with his Quirk. Though there was the potential he might try to force it out of the Quirkless teen which Izuku would fight his hardest to his last breath.

I will never work with All For One. I will be a Hero.

“If anything, his interest in you shows a level of maturity I have not seen previously. That young Tomura has strategy more in mind than relying on brute force. The USJ attack certainly was a learning opportunity for him and even more so has his journey searching for his ‘admin’.”

All For One thought Shigaraki was acting more mature? Because of him? No, no way. Sure, the attack on the training camp was more organized than the others. USJ was just a fuck fest and in Hosu the Noumu seemed to have been let loose on a whim. All to spread a little chaos and ruin everyone’s day. But his kidnapping had been deliberate and intentional. Successful. Fuck, did he inadvertently help the leader of the League ‘mature’? All because he was ‘interesting’?

Why do I keep attracting Villains!? This is getting beyond ridiculous!

“Of course, even if he hadn’t shown interest in you, I would still have pursued bringing you into our company.”

…fuck.

Izuku gulped as he stared terrified at All For One. The Villain had settled back in his throne with his still joined hands lowered in front of him. His eyeless sockets gazed at him almost softly and his smile held an odd sense of fondness? What the fuck was going on right now?

“W-why?” Izuku couldn’t help but ask. Seriously, why?

“Oh, I’ve been interested in you for a very long time, Midoriya Izuku,” All For One admitted, the sound of his name coming from his mouth sent a sharp shiver down his spine. “Even before you were born.”

…what?

The greenet’s mind abruptly stopped like a record scratch. Before he was even born? What was that supposed to mean? Just, what?

“Before I…what?” the boy muttered, completely and utterly confused.

“I have been alive for a very long time, my boy,” All For One said, leaning forward slightly. Izuku did not like being called that by him. He wished his dad were there to get him away from this man. “I have seen and done countless things. I will admit I no longer even remember how old I am exactly. My age, much like my name, has been lost in time.”

Okay...and?

“I have taken Quirks and given them away with the help of my power. Some are grateful and those who weren’t didn’t survive long enough to suffer their disappointment. I even came up with the idea of the Noumu to experiment further with the combination of Quirks. Results vary but I have been satisfied so far with what we have created here.”

There was a slight shifting beside him. Izuku sparingly glanced over to find Kurogiri standing stiffer than he seemed to normally. From the little time that he had known the warper, Kurogiri had impeccable posture. However, he was now more tense though Izuku didn’t know why. Was it the mention of Quirks? Noumu? Neither? Both? Even though the Quirkless teen was terrified, his analytical mind still couldn’t help but ask questions.

“Manipulating Quirks in others is fascinating and we have discovered wonders of their effects on the human body. However, as the years passed, a new curiosity caught my unique interest. If I could pass Quirks on with my Quirk, would I potentially be able to pass on my own Quirk to another? Could I pass on this legacy I have built over the centuries?”

Izuku’s brows furrowed in confusion. Pass on his legacy? Did he mean to Shigaraki? The Villain was grooming him for something so could that be it? But then what did that have to do with his own birth?

Come on, Izuku, you can figure this out.

He would regret that he did with All For One’s next words.

“With this curiosity, I came up with a plan to test my theory. I left certain factors to ‘fate’ as some would call it. I did not want to force the outcome feeling it would muddle the results. It took a bit of time for the experiment to truly begin until I happened to meet one Midoriya Inko on her way to work.”

…mom?

The boy could say nothing being too shocked by what he was hearing. Mom had met All For One? How? Where? When?

‘…on her way to work.’

On her w…no. No, it can’t be.

Memories flashed through his mind of his mother speaking fondly of the stranger she had ran into that fateful day. A man who was kind and handsome. Who pursued her with a passion she had never experienced before. Who wooed and married her. Who eventually became his…

…no. No! It can’t be true!

The universe couldn’t possibly be this cruel to him. Izuku had been through so much in his short life. Quirkless and bullied for it. Attacked by Villains again and again. Befriending one and catching the interests of others. Judged for something out of his control and pushed down by a society that wanted him to disappear into the background. Only for Izuku to fight back and claw his way through life. But this…how can you fight this? How could anyone get past the fact that…

…All For One is my…

“…father?”

All For One grinned in pleasure at how quickly he had connected the dots. How the father had never known how clever his progeny was still baffled him but it pleased him to experience it firsthand.

“‘Hisashi’buri, my son. It has been far too long.”

It was all too much. The stress of being kidnapped, the fear of being in the presence of dangerous Villains, and now this revelation on top? Izuku’s mind couldn’t take it and forcefully shut down. He didn’t even know if he fully fell to the floor before the world turned to black.

~~~

Kurogiri was quick to catch the fainting boy in a warp gate before forming another so he would fall securely in the misty man’s waiting arms. He swore no harm would come to the teen and it would not do well to have him be hurt by the fall in front of his master. This was All For One’s child and despite all the times he had let the world push him around, the Villain was quite protective of his son.

“Hmm, perhaps I did not ease him into that as well as I could have,” All For One commented as he assessed his son resting in his underling’s arms. “But no matter. What’s done is done.”

“Yes, master,” Kurogiri said simply. More of acknowledgment of his thoughts than an actual reply.

“We will have to see to his health,” the father stated in a way that was an order. “Take him to the doctor, Kurogiri. However, stand guard to ensure he does nothing more than tend to what is necessary. Garaki can at times be…impulsive.”

“Yes, master,” was the warper’s response with a bow of his head before doing as ordered.

All For One kept staring at the spot even after the warp gate disappeared. He knew that Izuku would be alright physically. Well for the most part. There wasn’t much more they could do in regards of his hand. Tomura’s Decay was destructive as ever and All For One did not possess a proper Quirk to fix what his protégé had destroyed. Unfortunately leaving his son with permanent damage to his right hand. There would be words on the matter later but for now, he would tend to his son.

With some effort, All For One prepared himself to become mobile so that he could be there by Izuku’s side when he awoke.

Notes:

DUN DUN DUUUUUUNNNN!!!

DFO: I am your father.
Izuku: -faints- X___X

By the way, this is actually only part 1 of my Dad For One reveal. ;P I had more than one idea that I liked and didn't want to part with them so yeah. This is the 'rip off the bandaid' approach. Yeah, worked out great Ass For One. Good job there, bud. Or should I say spud? :P

Got a glimpse on the hero side of things. Aizawa is worried about his kids and feeling guilty. Hitoshi just wants to help his best friend in the whole wide world. And now Momo has some deets to reveal while two peeps are snoopin'. What could go wrong? :)

A little interaction between Izuku and Kurogiri. He is quite the doting caregiver for a villain. ;) But he can't go against his master the poor guy. He'll do his best to protect Izuku though as he has been charged with. Sadly not from his father though, but orders are orders.

By the way, Baltimoresurvivor, you called it. I so totes did reference Star Wars for the reveal. I just had to. ^_____^

Like I said this is only the beginning of the Dad For One reveal. Honestly I just couldn't help myself but what else is new. :P Coming up, we actually get an update from Chizome! Yep, he's still here hiding in the background. Then we've got part 2 of the reveal. I hope you'll like it but for now I'll let you stew over this one. ;P Okie, bye bye!

Chapter 35: The Devil Is In The Details

Notes:

You get an extra long chapter this time! I originally was going to do this as two separate chapters and a possible double update. But the place I had for the cut was a weird transition so I decided against it. So enjoy the long chapter! :D

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

Chapter Text

Chizome was frustrated.

Ever since his capture, he had been working with the police. Going through the cursed treasure troves of Heroes to weed out the weak links. It was a much slower process than his own but what can one expect with the restricting bureaucratic red tape. Existing to protect the innocent but it also prevented swift justice for the guilty. Killing or maiming them had been far quicker.

But Chizome would endure for Izuku’s sake.

They were taking what he knew of false Heroes and had been using the damning information to address the issues at hand. Of course, the media drank up the drama as they informed the public of each case brought to light. It was causing stirs in the Hero rankings much to the Hero Commission’s distaste. However, much like the video of Stain’s last speech as a free man, they could do nothing to get rid of the information once it was made public. You can’t kill an idea.

He also made a point of sharing what information he had on the League of Villains. Though his introduction to them had been brief, his observations could potentially one day prove useful. Such as Shigaraki’s ideals and attitude. His desires to destroy it all. There was also that misty fellow Kurogiri who had a strange reaction to his Quirk. While it hadn’t surprised him that he was unable to form any warp gates under Bloodcurdle’s control, there was something that had been odd. The fact that Kurogiri hadn’t simply collapsed and had managed to shakily prop himself up on the bar. Very odd.

“Thank you for your cooperation, Akaguro-san,” Tsukauchi said as he straightened his papers. “This information should help us out.”

It felt weird being called by his actual name after so long. A privilege that only Izuku had been given ever since he had shrouded himself under the moniker of the Hero Killer Stain. But they were trying to reform him from the Villain that he was and into a different kind of Hero. Not like Izuku fighting out there in the world but from behind closed doors. Using information instead of knives of what he knew of the fakes of the world against them and reveal their unique brand of corruption.

But it wasn’t enough. He had to do more.

“I want to help,” he said suddenly, surprising the detective across from him.

Tsukauchi had been doing his best to visit him regularly. There were many cases in operation at the same time and he had to juggle his own time between them. It was the life of an effective detective and Chizome held great respect for him because of that. But it also frustrated him because Tsukauchi still didn’t trust him very much despite his lie detecting Quirk.

“You want to help?” Tsukauchi asked, confused. “Help with what? You’re already helping with this.”

In conjunction to revealing the corruption of the lower-level Heroes, they were continuing their work on taking down the Number Two Hero. Endeavor may still be acting as an active Hero, even invited to work with them on an upcoming mission, but his head was still very much on the chopping block. His day of retribution would be coming soon.

“I want to help rescue Izuku,” Chizome answered, his eyes hard with conviction. “I want be there for him.”

He hadn’t been told directly. No one wanted to talk to the Hero Killer being too terrified to interact with him. But people talk and he was very good at listening. It was how he had dug up so much dirt on the filth that dared to call themselves Heroes.

“How do you…never mind,” Tsukauchi said, shaking his head to clear it. “You know we can’t risk taking you out in public yet. While you have cooperated with us so far, we still need to build a mutual trust. That we will keep up our end as long as you do yours.”

Chizome knew that they didn’t trust him. He was an unknown.

And yet…

“I still want to help,” he reiterated in earnest, letting an ounce of his murderous spirit to leak through to show his heroic resolve to save the Little Hero.

His conviction was strong and made the detective want to shudder but he resisted as he sighed and rubbed his temples as he said, “While I understand your protectiveness of him, I don’t think that would be wise.”

“Wise?” Chizome sneered, tone razor sharp with indignation. “You do not trust me with Izuku and yet you trust Endeavor?”

He stared daggers at the detective who this time did flinch under his volatile vitality but otherwise was able to school his features. It was a skill he had to develop in order to interrogate the most intimidating of criminals. But the feral protective energy coming from the man formerly known as Stain was intense.

Tsukauchi cleared his throat as he straightened his papers again before saying, “He is a complication but a known one. We have no way of knowing if you would just run off and continue your ‘mission’.”

A fair concern but Chizome hadn’t even thought of doing that. Once Izuku had wrapped him in his capture weapons, he knew his time as the Hero Killer was over. Much like when he cut away his life as the Vigilante Stendhal along with his nose, he had done the same giving Izuku his knife along with his scarf and the flash drive of evidence. It was only out of the boy’s own kindness and concern that he was given an opportunity to continue his mission but in a more legal way.

Izuku said I changed his life for the better. Guess he did the same for me.

“I want to help,” Chizome stressed, leaning forward in emphasis. “Keep me in the back. Cuff me for all I care. Hell, even have me locked up in a patrol car just so I’m there if you need me.”

If he needs me.

“Whatever it is, I’ll do it. Just let me be there to save him.”

The detective stared at him with his expression unreadable. Another skill that he had long perfected mostly due to his Quirk. Being able to tell the truth all the time, he learned to not show any sign of the abundance of little white lies being told every second of every day. Appearing neutral was just easier than always pointing out that he knew the truth.

And the truth of the former Hero Killer Stain was plain as day even without his Quirk. All he wanted to do was save Izuku.

It was extremely risky. Like he said, they have no way of knowing how this man would act. Didn’t know if he would cut and run at the first opportunity. There was no telling with someone like him. But then again, he was already taking a chance even working with him like this. Anyone else would have thrown him into Tartarus without a second thought. A Villain was a Villain and that was that.

But because of Izuku and the information he had provided, Tsukauchi had chosen to put his trust in this man. For him to help them expose and rectify the ‘fake’ Heroes that had wheedled their way into the Pro Hero system. Taking advantage of it for their own gain. It was a truth he had known for a long time but couldn’t really do anything about it on his own. Not all Heroes were as good natured as All Might and even he wasn’t as perfect as he tried to seem as was evident with what happened with Izuku.

That kid.

He was connected to so many people and things since Tsukauchi had first become aware of the boy. And to this man in front of him very much so. The former Villain and him had a bond no one could ever understand. Not even they really understood it themselves, but somehow, they worked. While the detective was reluctant considering Stain had stabbed Izuku last time they had met, he knew that it hadn’t been intentional. Izuku had insisted that the Hero Killer had never made a move to hurt him before and the deleted recording had proved that. There was also the Villain rescuing him from the flying Noumu as further evidence that he wanted to protect the boy.

Maybe he could take a chance, but he would have to get permission first. Though the chances were extremely slim.

Tsukauchi let out a steady sigh before saying, “I will…consider your request. I would like to confer with some colleagues to see what we can do. If we can.”

“My thanks, detective,” Chizome replied, leaning back and sighing in relief. “I understand it puts you in a difficult position on top of your other work, but I must save him from Shigaraki’s clutches. Nothing good will come of him staying with that man-child a second longer.”

“Agreed,” the detective said, nodding. “I will inform you of our decision. Until then.”

They exchanged silent goodbyes before Tsukauchi left. Soon a guard came to escort Chizome back to his place of residence. A simple flat that was secured more so to keep him in as well as others out. He also had to wear a tracker that would inform them if he ever tried to leave. House arrest was far better than he had ever thought he would get for all he had done as Stendhal and Stain. All thanks to Izuku who had inspired the police to hire him rather than toss him away.

Thank you, Izuku, for all that you have done for me.

The thought brought a rare smile to his unmasked face that was only reserved for him. The true Hero who in an odd way had ended up saving Chizome from himself.

~~~

Consciousness returned slowly to Izuku though he didn't want to open his eyes. Instead, he focused on the softness of the sheets that covered him and the comfort of the bed. The lights were low and he felt so comfortable that he didn't want to wake up just yet. Didn't want to think of the nightmare he’d had but his mind brought it up anyway.

A forest on fire. People screaming. Villains attacking. Kidnapping. That his dad was…Izuku quickly forced the thought down because it couldn’t possibly be true. All of it together was just too much to be reality.

Izuku grimaced and snuggled into the pillow not wanting to think. Snoozing until he felt a dip in the bed. Thoughts of his mother came to mind not remembering for a moment that she was in the hospital. But that thought was contradicted when a hand too large began to card through his hair. However, he didn't flinch away as the touch was gentle and caring. Familiar. Forcing himself to wake up, Izuku blinked open his eyes as he turned to the presence next to him.

Green eyes that were squinted in drowsiness shot wide open at the sight of who exactly was sitting on the bed. The hand never left his hair and a fond smile was present on the man's face, but it wasn't just any man. It was someone Izuku knew but hadn't seen in person for a very long time. Someone he loved and missed dearly but hadn’t expected to wake up to him by his side. Causing the teen to look up at him in confusion.

"Papa?" Izuku asked unsure he was really there.

"Yes, Izuku, it's me,” his dad replied with a warm smile. “'Hisashi'buri, my son."

The long-standing joke sparked a ping of a strange feeling that Izuku couldn’t place but he ignored it as he cried out in excitement, "Papa!"

Izuku lurched up and captured his dad in a hug. Strong protective arms gently wrapped around him as he snuggled into Hisashi's chest. It had been so so long since he had last hugged his dad. He savored the feeling of being held by Hisashi as the man brought his hand once more to play with his hair. The father and son sat there for a few moments enjoying their closeness.

However, curiosity won in the end. Izuku gave a squeeze before pulling back but not letting go completely. Green eyes took in the sight of his father finally seeing him without a computer screen between them. Five years was a long time not to see someone in person and Izuku wouldn’t waste this unexpected chance.

Hisashi looked the same as ever. More refined and sharper features compared to Izuku’s who looked more like his mother. His hair a short wavy black as well as his eyes. Tall of stature and broad of shoulder. Not necessarily muscular but enough to make one feel safe in his arms. However despite him looking the same, there was something that seemed...off. An ever so slight shimmer around the edges. Most would probably not notice it but this was Izuku. He noticed everything.

The itch of something being off sat in the back of his mind but he ignored it passing it off as his eyes playing tricks on him in the dim light. This was his dad. What could be off about him? Sure, he had his peculiarities but everyone had those. It was probably nothing.

"It's been so long, papa,” Izuku said, fond tears building in the corner of his eyes. He still couldn’t believe that he was actually there beside him. “But how are you here? I thought you couldn't leave the US?"

Green eyes searched the man's body for signs of the terrible injury that had kept him from his family. A deformation or bandage to show where it was. Not entirely sure what to look for as Hisashi had been always vague on how exactly he was injured. He hadn’t wanted to burden his family with worry and the knowledge of how close he had come to death. But no matter where he looked, Izuku couldn't find anything.

Does that mean papa finally found someone to heal him? But how? When?

A deep chuckle broke him from his thoughts. Izuku looked up to see his dad smiling in amusement down at him. He was just so damn tall even sitting down! There was no way Izuku would ever get that tall. Darn it. Forever cursed to be short.

“Still muttering, I see,” Hisashi teased with a smirk. “Your mouth always seemed to have a mind of its own.”

The father cupped his face with his large hand and stroked his thumb across his freckled cheeks affectionately. Savoring the moment knowing it won’t last forever.

“To answer your questions, I did manage to heal my injury in time,” Hisashi said, his expression becoming soft as he looked at his son. These many years had been difficult for him as well not being able to be close to Izuku. “However, circumstances did not allow for us to meet again in person. Until now that is.”

The boy’s face scrunched in confusion at the vague explanation. No details that actually answered his questions. Green eyes finally tore themselves away from his dad to scan the room. The room was still dim enough that he couldn’t make out anything distinctive. Just a plain room with bare walls and a bed with white sheets. Definitely not his room at UA or at home.

“Where are we?” Izuku asked as he turned back to his dad.

Hisashi lowered his hands and took both of Izuku’s in his own. The greenet looked down seeing how much bigger his father’s hands were compared to him. Not as much as when he was a kid though. The sight brought up memories of all the times his dad’s hand had engulfed his when they would walk the streets together. But now even though his own hands had grown since then, Hisashi’s were still bigger.

“Izuku,” his father said, tracing his thumb along his son’s skin. “My injury. It…changed me. Physically.”

Again, green eyes searched for signs of the injury that had almost taken his dad’s life, but still found nothing. Though there was that strange shimmering he had noticed before.

Maybe someone is using a Quirk on him?

“Astute as always, my son,” Hisashi said, confirming his muttered question. “The Quirk is called Mirage and has suited my needs for years to keep up appearances. I did not want to worry you.”

A sort of half-truth. Most of it was to keep playing his role as father to his family. But this time he wanted to try easing the boy into the truth. One step at a time.

“H-how long have you been using this Quirk?” Izuku asked, reaching up with his hand to touch his dad’s face only for a large hand to hold him back. A gentle but firm grip enough to say stop.

“All in due time, Izuku,” Hisashi assured as he guided their hands back down. “I found the need to use Mirage once I was well enough to speak with you over video call. As I said, I did not want to worry you. I was injured, yes, but there was no need for you to see it.”

Not yet.

“Did mom know?” Izuku asked quietly, tears then suddenly budding as he remembered she was in the hospital. He tucked closer to his dad’s chest as he quietly cried. “I’m scared for her, papa.”

“Shh, come here, my boy,” Hisashi said, wrapping his son in his arms once more and ran a soothing hand through his hair. It also relieving for him as his Quirk wasn’t buzzing from sensing a Quirk because his son didn’t have one. “No, she did not know. And I too have her in my mind, but Inko is a strong woman. She may very well pull through.”

Izuku sniffed as he nodded into his dad’s shirt. Still finding comfort in his words even though there was no definite assurance in them. Same as he always answered with neither yes or no, only maybe. Letting time bring the answer instead. The waiting sucked but at least there were no expectations to be let down.

Though there was one thing Hisashi had mentioned before that Izuku really hoped to change his mind. Of taking custody of him since his mom was currently hospitalized which would most likely mean he would be pulled from UA. But Izuku couldn’t let that happen or how would he continue his journey of becoming a Hero? It had been the last time that he had spoken to his dad before now other than the phone call the night before the camp and it had left a bitter taste in his mouth on top of the sorrow of finding out about his mother’s attack.

But wait.

Something didn’t add up. How did he end up here? Wherever here was because Izuku certainly didn’t know. After his mom was hurt, the Quirkless teen had stayed on UA campus until the training camp. Which according to his nightmare had ended with a Villain attack and him and Bakugou being kidnapped. Leading to him somehow having several heart-to-hearts with said Villains before getting injured by Shigaraki. And then he met…

“Papa,” Izuku stated firmly as he pulled away enough to look his dad directly in the eye. “Where are we?”

Green eyes were hard with determination to get the answers he sought. The black eyes of his father studied him assessing if he was indeed ready for them. However, there was no way to actually know that until he officially opened up to the boy. Perhaps now was the time and there was only one way to find out.

With his son’s hands once again in his, Hisashi closed his eyes as he took a deep calming breath before opening them again. Black eyes stared into green as he slowly switched Mirage off to gradually take away his façade. The shimmering became more noticeable as his once defining features faded away little by little. His son watched first in fascination only for his eyes to slowly fill with horror as black hair was replaced by a scarred bald head with only a mouth and no eyes or ears. Izuku couldn’t help but jerk back out of the man’s grasp as the image completely dissolved to reveal not Hisashi, but All For One instead.

I just hugged All For One, Izuku thought, wide-eyed in dismay. All For One is my dad.

Guess Chizome wasn’t the first Villain he had hugged after all.

“You…you’re a Villain,” Izuku shuddered, eyes wide in shock. “You’re the Villain.”

“I am,” All For One confirmed with a nod. “And you are my son.”

The boy scrambled back to get as far away from him as he could on the bed while the Villain made no move to follow. His mouth was flat but ever so slightly turned down at the corners as if mourning the loss of their closeness, but Izuku didn’t care about that. He just realized that all this time he had been longing for the comfort of his dad, he had in fact been unknowingly thinking of All For One.

Why? Just why?

“No, it can’t be true,” Izuku denied, refusing to believe as he gripped his hair tightly and shook his head. “That’s impossible. My dad cannot be All For One. I…I can’t be the son of a Villain. I’m going to be a Hero!”

“Deny it all you want,” All For One said in an almost scolding tone. “However, it will not change the truth. You are my son. My progeny. My blood.”

Each claim was like an arrow to his heart. Hurting him in a way that somehow surpassed the pain from the knife to the gut he had gotten from Stain. Izuku suddenly wondered if that was the exact same knife that Chizome had given him. But it couldn’t be because that knife had been confiscated and the one he had was a hidden one they hadn’t found. Not that he knew if he would ever find it again anyway.

Stop it! There are more pressing matters right now!

Green eyes shot up and glared at the man, the Villain, sitting before him. Calmly watching him freak out over finding out his fucking father was All For One. Again. Guess Izuku needed to hear it twice to even begin to contemplate the concept. He didn’t want it to be true and no way knew what he would do with such information. At its base, it entirely ruined his image of his dad both figuratively as well as literally with that damn Mirage Quirk.

“Fuck.”

“Language, Izuku,” His-All For One scolded as if he still had the right.

Fuck you,” Izuku spat out of spite. “Why the fuck would you have a kid anyway? What the hell do you want from mom and me?”

All For One sighed and if he had eyes, Izuku assumed he would have rolled them at his attitude. While the father had expected as much from him it didn’t stop him from being annoyed at the reaction. Izuku was his son, his legacy, and the sooner he accepted that the easier it would be to have him working beside him.

“I have already acquired what I wanted from Inko,” All For One answered, doing his best to remain calm. “I was in need of a mother for my future child and she provided. I now have you.”

The look of disgust and outrage that Izuku shot at the Villain would even give Bakugou a run for his money. All For One married his mom just to have a child?

“Did you ever even love her?” Izuku demanded to know. “Or was all of it a lie?”

The scarred man gave a hum in thought which pissed the teen off. It was answer enough no matter what he said if he needed a fucking minute to think if he loved someone. The answer should have been immediate to be true.

“Yes and no,” his fath-the Villain replied. “I feel something towards your mother though I wouldn’t exactly call it love. To be honest, I have no understanding of the concept of love when it comes to others. Though I do feel a stronger connection when it comes to those who share my blood.”

A trait few had in this world. He had felt it with his brother all those years ago and he felt it now for his son. Inko did not but in her own way she was connected to him now through Izuku. However, beyond being the boy’s mother and doing her best to raise him, All For One had only acted out rather than felt his ‘feelings’ for his wife.

“As for you, my son,” All For One continued, his eyeless face focused on the boy. “My intention is for you to finally join me. To stop this foolishness with Heroes and take your part in the family business.”

“You…you want me to join you?” Izuku asked incredulously. “Are you insane!? I’m fighting to become a Hero. There’s no way in hell I would ever join you!”

The room fell silent after his outburst. Izuku sat there seething as he glared at his bastard of a father. Guess Shouto wasn’t the only one with a villain for a dad. Though Endeavor was only that towards his family while Izuku’s was to the whole world. Gods he could use being with Shouto right now but no way did he want him anywhere near the monster sitting before him.

All For One took in his son with the infrared Quirk that allowed him to see without eyes. Izuku was angry. Angrier than the father had expected but then again, his hero complex was strong and had been since he was young. Even asking Hisashi if he could still be a Hero without a Quirk. The father had never fully encouraged Izuku because why would the Number One Villain support his son becoming a Hero. But he never denied it either not wanting Izuku to pursue that goal out of spite to prove himself.

While his experiment had failed in passing on his Quirk to his child, the Quirkless diagnosis had seemed like a blessing in disguise in its own way. The judgment and torment Izuku had gone through would have been proper fuel for a future Villain. However, he had underestimated how stubborn his son was and that spiteful nature came out despite his efforts or rather lack thereof. Izuku was still fighting his way towards being a damned Hero. This All For One could not allow.

“Do you know why the League of Villains was formed?” All For One asked the boy who was glaring at him.

“To be a pity party for a man-child so he could finally have people to share his shitty video game references with?” Izuku snarked in answer.

All For One gave him a flat look though there was a spark of amusement at his son’s snide remark. He didn’t know Izuku had it in him but had to keep face in the moment. Well, as much as he could with what he had left of his face.

“No, Izuku,” the father sighed. “Young Tomura has been gathering those rejected by this society and together they are working towards changing this corrupt system.”

“By destroying it?” the boy questioned with a raised brow. “How is that going to help change anything? It’s only going to bring the world into chaos.”

“Out of chaos, comes order,” All For One quoted. “A chance to start fresh and bring a new world order.”

“And who would be in charge of this ‘new world order’?” Izuku pressed, crossing his arms. “You? ‘Cause I don’t see you letting anyone be the leader except you. Not even Handsy who you have obviously been grooming.”

“Young Tomura will have his own role to play when the time comes,” the Number One Villain conceded with a shrug. “As will you once you finally accept your destiny. Then together, we can rule this world as we see fit.”

The greenet scoffed at that thinking it was all a bunch of crap.

“I would think that you of all people would understand their plights, Izuku,” All For One remarked towards the glaring boy who was eyeing him questioningly. “You too have experienced similar rejections from this society. All because you were not born with a Quirk like the other eighty percent of the world population.”

Izuku sat there stubbornly silent. Though All For One didn’t expect him to answer. Not yet anyway.

“You have faced the ridicule of your peers. Experienced the lack of support from teachers. Suffered from their sabotaging and endured pain under their willfully blind eyes. Labeled Quirkless and left to rot away to the dregs of society. Because to them, without a Quirk you are nothing.”

The Midoriya tears already started to bud in Izuku’s eyes but he refused to let them fall.

“This is more of a modern concept of course. Quirks have become infused with one’s identity and to not have one has become unfathomable. No Quirk means no individuality. Without that, how could someone be considered a person?”

It was like his childhood tormentors were back. Insults and wishes for him to just disappear popped up in the back of his head. Izuku fought to ignore them.

“It’s quite ironic compared to when Quirks first began to appear. Those who manifested meta-abilities were seen as outcasts, freaks of nature. Rules were implemented to suppress their use of their natural born powers to give a sense of security for those without them. However, as the number of what were then called metahumans grew, the ideology of those born with meta powers had a natural right to use them formed and eventually became our reality. Though that only came to fruition after much violence and bloodshed.”

Izuku knew a bit about that time. It was inevitable with his fascination of Quirks that he would research their origins. But he would never have the same understanding as the man before him. All For One had been there from the very beginning and had witnessed first-hand the hardships the first Quirk users experienced.

“But now that ideology has mutated as Quirks became infused with one’s identity in this society. Back then there was no room for metahumans among those that were ‘normal’. And now there is no room for the ‘normal’ because they are no longer the norm. Treated harshly for something out of their control and labeled a pariah for how they were born.”

It was true. The discrimination and bigotry they had tried to destroy had never actually disappeared. It only redirected from one side of the controversy to the other. Rearing its head on those now considered the new freaks of society for not being ‘special’ like everyone else. But didn’t being Quirkless make him unique in his own right? Why did others get to decide what he was worth without a Quirk? The tears that had been building up had already started to trickled down his cheeks.

“But you of all people know that Quirkless does not make you worthless,” All For One pressed on, seeing his son’s tears as a good sign. “You have fought every day to prove yourself to others despite every setback.”

The father leaned forward testing the waters of his son’s comfort level. The boy made no reaction being lost in his own mind with All For One’s words buzzing in his head. The scarred man took the opportunity and carefully shifted closer.

“But do they deserve such effort from you for all they have done to make your life oppressive? Don’t you think they should be taught a lesson? That you, even without a Quirk, could be as strong or even stronger than anyone with one.”

All For One cautiously reached out his hand to cup his son’s chin. The boy flinched at the initial contact and his breath hitched as he looked up at his dad. The hair, eyes, and ears were gone, but he could hear Hisashi still in his voice. Deep and rich reaching into his soul bringing up memories of being comforted by his words alone.

“You could do that with us, you know,” the father said, caressing Izuku’s tear-stained cheek with his thumb. “With me. We could show them together.”

Show them…together?

“Or, if you would like, I could give you a Quirk. Any one that you would like and you can become even stronger than you are now.”

Whatever spell Izuku had found himself under broke suddenly at the offer. It reminded him of All Might’s offer of One For All. Acknowledging all the time and effort he had put into winning the Sports Festival only to tarnish it by saying he could only be a Hero with a Quirk. That his Support Items in the end were a crutch, not a solution.

‘Without them, I fear you would be left defenseless in a fight. Because this world is one of Quirks and the Quirkless will always be at a disadvantage.’

“You think you can bribe me with a Quirk, Ass For One?” Izuku growled as he smacked the man’s hand away.

The scarred man’s hairless brow twitched in anger.

“Watch your tone, boy,” All For One said, his tone tense in irritation. “I could always force one on you.”

“Like you did your brother?” Izuku retorted with a sneer. “Yeah, that turned out great for you.”

Whatever annoyance irked him at his son’s resistance disappeared in a flash at that passing comment. Izuku knew of what transpired with him and Yoichi? But how? And the second part. He must know of what transpired after his plan to subdue his brother to follow him failed. Which means…

“…All Might told you of One For All, didn’t he?”

Izuku instantly clammed up as he paled realizing what he had just carelessly revealed.

“But why would he tell you of all people?” All For One questioned further, his sharp mind quickly connecting previously unknown dots. “Unless he had a very specific reason to inform you of One For All and its history. His successor, perhaps?”

The Number One Villain grinned at the delicious irony of that idea. All Might his sworn enemy handing the Quirk he has sought all these years to his own son. Finally bringing One For All back into his grasp though not in the way he had intended. However, he recalled something from a few minutes ago. There was still no sense of a Quirk in Izuku. No buzzing need from All For One to take what resided within another person. Izuku was still Quirkless.

“You turned his offer down,” All For One stated rather than questioned. He was baffled that anyone would turn down such a Quirk when he himself has yearned for it for centuries.

The Quirkless teen couldn’t meet his eyeline. Internally he was freaking out that the Villain had figured all of that within seconds of him foolishly revealing he knew of One For All along with All For One. Thinking of them side by side also had him recalling the fight that had left All Might badly injured that lined up too well with when Hisashi had been hurt. No fucking way.

All Might almost killed my dad.

Izuku had no idea how to handle that new discovery on top of everything else. It further muddled his feelings about the whole situation. On one hand, All Might had hurt his dad, but on the other, Hisashi turned out to be All For One.

Dad For One?

The teen shook that thought out of his head. Now was not the time for that. But in regards to All Might and his fight with All For One, let’s just say that this was all an emotional shitshow and Izuku was stuck right in the middle of it.

“Why did you not take One For All, Izuku?” All For One demanded to know. “It would have been a perfect opportunity to obtain it.”

“The same reason I won’t take a Quirk from you,” Izuku answered, once again glaring at the bastard. “I don’t need a Quirk to prove myself. I have developed skills and Support Items to help support myself as a Hero. I will become the first Quirkless Hero and there is nothing you can say or do to change that.”

The boy stared the Villain down with green eyes filled to the brim with conviction. He refused to give up now after all the effort he’s put in to even get here. So many people have helped and supported him and he couldn’t let them down. Couldn’t let himself down. Izuku had to do this. For his friends, mentors, and his mom. For Chizome. For himself. Fuck all the others who didn’t believe or wanted him to walk a different path. Midoriya Izuku was a Hero through and through. He would never be anything else.

All For One shook his head as he said, “You are just as stubborn as my late brother. As I assume you know, with him I had to be more persuasive than with others. But no matter what I did he never seemed to learn it was best to work with me rather than against me.”

Not even giving him a Quirk had worked leading to a wild goose chase spanning centuries for the one Quirk that got away. And it seemed that Izuku may be just as stubborn even refusing the Quirk that All For One coveted above all others. He had hoped that the offer of a Quirk would have been exactly what he needed to convince his son to join them. However, it was becoming clear that convincing Izuku would not be so easy.

“While I can admire your strength of character,” All For One stated, folding his hands neatly in his lap and straightening his posture. “It would not do you well to resist me as you are. You are my son, Izuku. You belong by my side. It is where you were born to be.”

“No one is born to be or do anything,” Izuku snapped back, thinking of how Shouto had been born as tool to beat All Might. But he was his own person and could choose his own path. Izuku could too no matter who his father is. Shouto’s bloodline didn’t control him and neither would his. This Izuku refused to accept. “We all make our own destinies.”

Again, All For One shook his head at his son’s stubbornness. It had been far easier to convince Tomura to follow in his footsteps. But then again, he had been a traumatized child when the Villain had found him. Lost and alone on the street just waiting to be plucked up and fall into his wicked hands. Tomura had even been willing to cover himself with the hands of his sins to this day to remind him of his mostly forgotten past. Izuku however was proving to not be as easy.

Their tense moment was broken by a knock at the bare room’s door.

“Enter,” All For One called out.

The door opened and the lights turned on to reveal a stout short man with a bald head, a full light brown mustache, and goggles over his eyes. Izuku had never met the man before but something about him seemed familiar for some reason.

“Ah, you’re awake. Excellent,” the man said, his lab coat making him look like some kind of doctor. “Sorry about the hand though.”

Izuku looked down at his bandaged right hand. He had completely forgot about it but understandably with him learning such devastating news. He was the son of the Number One Villain. All For One was his father. Izuku aimed to be a Hero and was the son of a Villain.

Fuck. My life has become so much more complicated. Damn it all.

“Alright, let me see it,” the man said as he reached for Izuku’s injured hand.

The Quirkless teen tucked it close to his chest instead protectively holding it with the other as he spat, “Don’t touch me.”

“Izuku, allow the doctor to examine your hand,” All For One ordered in a firm tone. “I would hate to hurt you further using force.”

Izuku gulped nervously figuring that was not a hollow threat. He slowly let go of his hand and held it out for the now labeled doctor. As the man unwrapped the bandages, Izuku took the opportunity to study him up close. He still seemed familiar as if the teen had seen him before but where? When?

“There we go,” the doctor said as he finished. “There was only so much healing we could manage. Heh. That Shigaraki has quite the destructive Quirk in his hands.”

Yeah, no kidding.

The greenet looked down at his hand now exposed and covered with more scars than before. There were the ones from the electrical burn from when Bakugou had destroyed his electric glove. Now there were cracks and valleys in the shape of a hand wrapped around his wrist. Forever marked by Shigaraki Tomura.

But that wasn’t all.

His hand. Izuku couldn’t really…feel it. Maybe a slight tingling but that was it. And he couldn’t fully grip anything. His fingers just couldn’t seem to close all the way like before. It didn’t feel like his hand anymore which was horrifying. Shigaraki had not only marked him, he had broken him in a way. Decay had done damage bad enough to now limit his hand use and it pissed Izuku the fuck off.

Not only did this give him yet another setback to deal with, but his thoughts went to Shouto and their many moments of holding hands. His right was now scarred and verging on the point of useless. At least right now but he hoped Recovery Girl could work her magic or assist with physical therapy to get some strength back. Once they could get away from their captors that is.

“Other than what you see, you’re in good health,” the doctor continued. “Your bloodwork came back fine and there’s no sign of infection. Also, I checked for what you asked for, Master. The boy is indeed still Quirkless.”

All For One nodded as he said, “As I expected. My Quirk also did not detect one earlier either, but it is good to be sure.”

“H-how could you tell?” Izuku quietly asked, still ever curious and learning anything about the Villain’s Quirk could prove useful.

“Depending on the Quirk, All For One can sense its presence,” the father replied as he then held up one of his large hands. Izuku noticed a small hole centered in his palm. “However, I get a much clearer and stronger reading through physical contact.”

So that’s how his Quirk worked. Perhaps that small hole was how he took Quirks in and in return let them out again. Meaning his main port of his original power was located in his hands. Those same hands that had held him close just minutes ago and had run through his hair. Suddenly remembering this, Izuku’s own hands shot up to protectively hold his green locks. To think that All For One could have at any time forced a Quirk on him scared the shit out of him.

The sight of his son being so fearful of him sent a small ping of pain to All For One’s heart. It wasn’t…pleasant to see his own child shy away from him. However, if force was necessarily then so be it. One cannot make omelets without first breaking some eggs.

“Is it as why we expected?” All For One asked, turning to the doctor. “The reason for his lack of Quirk?”

The question caught Izuku’s attention but he stayed huddled in the corner of the bed.

“Yes,” the doctor confirmed with a nod as he pulled forward a clipboard he had tucked under his arm. “I believe due to the fact that you are from the first generation, the meta-power genes were more recessive. That paired with the boy’s mother’s weak Quirk, genetically the chances of him manifesting a Quirk were considerably low from the beginning.”

“I see,” the father said, placing a thoughtful hand on his chin. “Would the probability have been higher with a stronger Quirk factor in the mother?”

“Not that I could figure,” the other man replied as he looked through his paperwork. “No matter who would have ended up as the surrogate, the statistics are still coming out low.”

“Hmm, then it was for the best that we did not pursue any other attempts,” All For One commented, lowering his hand. “It would have been fruitless in the end and not worth the time and effort.”

Acting as the doting father had been an interesting challenge but All For One could not see himself going through with it again. Once was more than enough for him. He may be in a sense immortal but one does grow weary of repeating such a daunting task.

Izuku on the other hand was glaring once again at his fath-sperm donor. They were talking as if he wasn’t there. Speaking about him like some kind of experiment gone wrong. Mentioning that there had been the consideration of attempting it again, but not worth it because it took too much effort. To them it was just procedures and protocols, but to Izuku, this was his father who had thought about cheating on his mother and then decided against it. Affirming that there was no limit to how low the Number One Villain would sink to get his way.

Then there was the man beside him casually talking about all this as if it was normal. Openly discussing results of what seemed to come down to a gods damn experiment. Fuck. Was that what his whole life had been? A fucking experiment just to see what would happen? And Izuku thought Shouto had it bad with his bastard of a father forcing a Quirk marriage. His mother bred like an animal in search of the perfect Quirk. For Izuku, he was only in existence because All For One wanted to see if having a child would pass on his Quirk.

For the first time ever, Izuku was grateful he was Quirkless. That he wasn’t cursed with All For One’s Quirk.

“Regardless of the end results,” the doctor said as he settled his papers. “It was good to see how well you’ve grown, boy. Last time I saw you, you were just a child but you’re well on your way to becoming a young man.”

This stranger looked at him with an uncomfortably fond look as if he was proud of him. Izuku didn’t like it one bit. He took a moment to think over the man’s words. The last time he saw him was when he was a child? When? He searched his memories of doctor visits at first coming up empty until he recalled one particularly bad one. The one that had started his many years of suffering.

‘It’s not going to happen.’

Green eyes snapped to the man as he gasped, “It was you. You’re my…”

“Childhood Quirk doctor? Yes,” the mustached man grinned, interrupting him. “It has been a while, hasn’t it, young Midoriya. It’s been a pleasure meeting you again.”

The feeling was not mutual in any capacity. Izuku pointedly ignored the doctor turning his attention back to All For One.

“You manipulated everything,” the Quirkless teen said, his feelings a mix of fear, anger, and not wanting to belief this was all true. “Mom, me, just…everything. You, you’re a monster.”

“Name calling will not change reality, Izuku,” All For One admonished with a frown. “I see that we will get nowhere with you as of now. I will allow you time to adjust and reconsider your answer. In the meantime, I have other matters to attend. Kurogiri.”

At the call of his name, a warp gate immediately formed and the misty man entered the room. The doctor took his leave as All For One stood up from the bed.

“I am sending you back to young Tomura,” the scarred man said. “Think carefully of all I have said, Izuku. And before you dismiss them as the mere words of a Villain, bear in mind that I know you have taken the words of another to heart before.”

What? Izuku thought, staring wide-eyed at his father.

“You had mentioned someone believing in you and never said who that was exactly,” All For One smirked, seeing he was getting to the boy. “It was quite a surprise to find out it was the Hero Killer himself.”

“How did you…?” Izuku questioned.

“During your precious Sports Festival, we invited him to this stronghold for a little chat prior to your rendezvous in Hosu,” the Villain explained though the Quirkless teen already knew that. “He revealed his familiarity with you when young Tomura let it be known he sought to recruit you.”

Oh, right. Izuku had guessed as much when Shigaraki revealed that he knew, but he hadn’t considered that it meant his ‘Sensei’ knew too. Though it did make sense.

“You may think you are above taking the words of a Villain,” the father chided. “But you are not. His words are as villainous as mine.”

In a technical sense maybe because Stain was a Villain, but his encouragement had been far from villainous.

“Now that I think about it,” All For One pondered, briefly tapping a finger thoughtfully on his chin. “You are quite the Villain magnet, Izuku. Socializing with Stain up until his capture. Gaining young Tomura’s attention even before he knew you as the ‘admin’ he sought. Though…perhaps it isn’t all that surprising since you’ve been connected to who is considered to be the Number One Villain since the idea of you was conceived.”

Izuku knew he was a Villain magnet. Figuring that out on his own had been horrible. Hearing it from Shigaraki ten times worse. Now from All For One himself?

Strike that. This is a thousand times worse.

“I reiterate, think carefully about what I said, Izuku,” the father advised strongly. “I will confer with you once you have made the correct decision.”

With that, All For One left leaving Izuku alone with Kurogiri.

“Come, young Midoriya,” the warper instructed beckoning to a newly formed portal. “Let us return.”

Notes:

There ya have it! Izuku officially and fully knows about Dad For One. I'm so sorry. -no i'm not :P- This was the other way I had thought of for Izuku finding out. The slow ease into it that didn't work so well either. All For One has no idea how stubborn his child can be.

Chizome is concerned! He just wants to help the Little Hero. Too bad he's still a new reformed villain. I do have a reunion planned for them at one point this part though it may or may not be Kamino. You'll just have to wait and see! As for the Endeavor case, definitely not happening this part. I've got mostly figured out my plans for the rest of part 3 so if anything in part 4 when we get there.

All For One now knows Izuku was offered One For All. Sh-sh-shoutout to Remember123! You asked for it, you got it! Like I said to your comment, I didn't think Izuku would tell Hisashi about All Might's offer but him accidentally letting it slip to All For One, sure.

Izuku meets the doctor again! I do want him to make the connection with the Nomu that grabbed him but it didn't fit here. I'll figure it out. Let me just say, for the whole 'no matter what he'd be quirkless' part, I don't know genetics and was just making stuff up after brief research. So if it's wrong, whatever. It's fanfiction! :D

So yeah, Izuku knows now. Sorry, bud. -still not- Coming up, Izuku gets a little one-on-one time with Kurogiri! Followed quickly by reuniting with Bakugou after learning about the Dad For One crap. Oh boy. Wonder how that's going to go down. -of course i know but i'm not telling- Okay, that's all I've got for ya. Hope you liked the chapter! Bye!

Chapter 36: Despair

Notes:

Happy Halloween! :D It's update time again. All aboard for our continued journey on the angst train. Sorry, not sorry! We've got guilt and tears this chapter so I hope you enjoy! I'll be spending the rest of the day working on carving pumpkins. If anyone has some fun designs, let's share 'em on the discord! :D

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

Chapter Text

“Come, young Midoriya. Let us return.”

Izuku gulped as he looked apprehensively at the waiting warp gate before he slowly removed himself from the bed. He didn’t want to not liking being ordered around like this, but he didn’t want to stay here either. At least he would be with Bakugou again. Oh fuck, Bakugou. How the hell was he going to react to this? Hell, how was his mother going to take this? Izuku was almost glad she was currently hospitalized and unconscious. For now, she was spared the knowledge that her husband, his father, was a Villain and had been the whole time. That their family had all been a lie and part of a gods damn experiment.

Izuku was desperate for a distraction. Anything to escape from his new reality even for a moment. Walking through the warp gate gave him the perfect opportunity as his analytical mind took over. He had never had the chance to actually study Kurogiri’s Quirk. His brief fall through the inky blackness had been quick before falling towards the water during the USJ attack. Even when he had walked through it earlier, he wasn’t paying attention too worried about meeting All For One. But now he made analyzing this Quirk his top concern desperately wanting anything to not think of what he had just learned.

The Quirkless teen expected to simply walk through one portal and immediately into another back to the bar. But as he did, he found himself in a world of swirling darkness. Oppressive and vast. There was just no end in sight in this unknown plain of existence. Izuku almost started to freak out feeling lost and alone until he turned around to find Kurogiri standing, or rather simply existing, behind him.

“Why are we in here?” Izuku asked curiously. Did the Villain want to talk to him or something?

“You appeared to need a moment,” Kurogiri explained calmly. “We may return to the bar whenever you feel ready.”

Izuku was surprised by the gesture similar to earlier with the needle and the water bottle. Was the warper worried about him? There was no telling his expression because of the black mist covering his face, but the teen felt like he could sense a hint of concern in the man’s yellow eyes. In a strange way it made sense. Other than transportation, it seemed that Kurogiri’s main role in the League was as a caretaker. Raising Shigaraki and cleaning up after the others. Almost like a surrogate parent of sorts.

“Th-thank you,” the boy stuttered out.

The misty man merely nodded in reply.

They fell into an awkward silence after that. Izuku however gladly took the given opportunity to catch his breath so to speak. His mind was hard at work sorting through all he had learned in such a short span of time. All while also distracting himself with staring into the black abyss surrounding him.

“Do you spend time in here sometimes?” Izuku asked curiously. “You know, just to get away from it all?”

Kurogiri was silent for a moment in thought before admitting, “Yes, periodically. There are times the members of the League of Villains can be a bit…much.”

Izuku couldn’t help but snort at that comment.

“Yeah, no kidding,” the teen chuckled. “I would hide in here too if I had to deal with Shigaraki’s tantrums every day. Must be nice to have a Quirk like this.”

No one to hurt you or call you names. Nothing to hold you down or push you away. Add on top that he could go probably anywhere in the world with it. Hell, if Izuku had manifested a Quirk, this one would have been nice to have growing up. Then he could have avoided his bullies with ease and would even had been able to get himself away from that Sludge Villain. And no way in hell would anyone have called him plain covered head to toe in black mist. In fact, Izuku thought it would have looked kind of cool and possibly with an underlying green color instead of purple like the man next to him.

“It is a useful Quirk,” Kurogiri spoke up pulling Izuku from his thoughts. “However, it is not my Quirk.”

Not…his Quirk?

“What do you mean exactly?” Izuku asked, confused.

The warper looked like he tried to say something but the yellow patches squinted as if he was in pain. Kurogiri let out what Izuku thought was a sigh before he said, “I cannot say.”

“You can’t say because you don’t know?” the teen pressed needing answers. “Or you can’t because you’re not allowed?”

The misty man said nothing to either question. His silence could mean anything but Izuku suspected it might be a mixture of both. Okay, so maybe Kurogiri was under orders or something. Limited to what he can and can’t say. At least not directly.

“So you have this Quirk,” Izuku stated, trying to understand. “You can use it but it’s not your Quirk, right?”

“Correct,” Kurogiri answered with a bob of his misty head.

“Which means that you were given this Quirk, yes?” the young analyst questioned further earning a nod. “Is that how they got you to join the League? All For One gave you a Quirk?”

Again the warper paused before answering, “…yes.”

His unsure tone meant there was more to the story than that. Assuming that Kurogiri had been given a Quirk, then perhaps it had fused with one he had originally. Depending on if he had a Quirk to start with. It was possible the man had been Quirkless like Izuku was before getting the Quirk he had now. But then Izuku remembered Kurogiri’s tense reaction before when All For One had been talking about Quirks and Noumu. He hadn’t known which part had affected him but his mind decided to put them together into a very morbid thought.

“Kurogiri,” Izuku said, gulping before saying what he really hoped wasn’t true. “Are you…a Noumu?”

Surely, he wasn’t. All the Noumu that Izuku had seen were mindless raging monsters despite their exposed brains. Only able to take orders and enacting acts of violence because of them. But Kurogiri walked and talked of his own accord though he did obey any order given to him by the other Villains. Well, most of the time. He had some say in influencing Shigaraki with advice and right now he wasn’t strictly following All For One’s order to bring him back to the bar.

“I…,” the misty man began to say, his yellow eyes scrunched again. “I…cannot…”

“You can’t say,” Izuku offered, sensing the warper was forcing himself despite whatever was holding him back. “Did you join the League willingly?”

Or were you forced?

The second question he left unsaid. Whatever the man’s response to the first, if he could, would be enough to answer them both. Izuku could practically see the mental battle going on within as the mist surrounding his head sputtered jerkily. There was definitely something preventing him from answering. It made Izuku more certain that his theory of Kurogiri potentially being a Noumu or something similar was correct. That he wasn’t entirely free willed as he first appeared to be.

“You don’t have to answer if you can’t,” Izuku conceded, not wanting the warper to hurt himself while fighting his internal battles. Even without an actual response, he more or less had his answers.

The mist settled down lazily once again waving as if there was a light breeze. The tension that had grown in Kurogiri’s posture relaxed as he gave the Quirkless teen a grateful nod.

“Shall we return?” Kurogiri asked in an even tone. “Or do you require more time?”

Izuku didn’t really want to go back but he knew he couldn’t hide in the Villain’s Quirk forever. No matter how much his life sucked right now, he knew he’d have to face it sooner or later. Waiting it out would do nothing. The Quirkless teen had to acknowledge and accept that his father was a Villain. It would be tough and he worried how others would react once they found out. His mentors, his friends. His mother. Though the one that concerned him the most other than her was Bakugou who had known his dad growing up.

The greenet took a shaky breath in and slowly let it out. He balled up his fists and took a step forward rather than verbally answer the warper. Kurogiri understood anyway and released them back into the real world. The bar was empty save for the explosive blonde who was once again chained to the chair with a muzzle over his mouth. They must have tied him back up after the scuffle from before. His red eyes glared at the Villain behind him before they then shifted to connect with green.

Bakugou’s brows were still furrowing in his typical scowl, but as his eyes made a quick scan of his person, the anger within them changed to something else. Especially when he noted the state of Izuku’s right hand. Anger was replaced by the hard look of concern. Bakugou, no, Katsuki was worried about his childhood friend.

Izuku found himself suddenly filled with guilt. Katsuki was chained up like an animal and he couldn’t help but think it was all his fault. He was the reason for all of this to happen and not just the kidnapping. All For One had wanted a child and so had him with Inko. Shigaraki had wanted to recruit him and Inko got hurt in the process. Now they both wanted Izuku to join the League and so kidnapped him and Katsuki got taken along for the ride. All because Katsuki had tried to save Izuku from the Villains.

It had only been a few months since he had started his therapy but Katsuki already showed vast improvement. Izuku could see it the way he handled himself around his friends and how he interacted with their classmates. Even more so at the camp when Katsuki had run after him in order to protect Izuku during the attack. But because of that, Katsuki ended up getting kidnapped too. Now they were surrounded by Villains and it was all Izuku’s fault.

Tears fell down freckled cheeks as Izuku walked over to the other teen in a daze. Kurogiri watched him silently and made no move to stop the crying boy as he worked on removing the muzzle. While Katsuki stared at him wondering what the fuck was going on and why Izuku was crying. Yes, he knew the Midoriyas were an emotional bunch, but these tears seemed different. Hurt and mournful, but for what? What the hell happened while he was gone?

“I-I’m sorry,” Izuku sobbed, his hands growing clumsy as he struggled with the muzzle. “I’m so sorry for everything.”

The explosive blonde let out a muffled ‘what the fuck’ as he kept crying. Izuku just couldn’t stop thinking that everything was his fault. All For One seduced his mother all in order to have him. Muscular hurt her because Shigaraki wanted him. The training camp was attacked for that exact same reason. Now Katsuki and he were stuck with the League because Shigaraki and All For One wanted to recruit him. None of that would have happened if Izuku wasn’t there. Repeated thoughts running over and over and over again in his mind compounding his raging guilt.

Maybe it would have been better if I had never been born.

A foot stomped down on his hard breaking Izuku from his spiraling thoughts. Green eyes snapped to red as Katsuki glared him down in anger that he would ever even think that. The sight of it was familiar and oddly brought Izuku back out of his head.

He still didn’t want to believe the truth. Didn’t want to have the memory of watching the familiar face of his father melt away to something completely foreign and unknown. Into All For One. But this, the sight of anger in those red eyes was something Izuku knew well. Even though Katsuki has been growing and changing he was still Katsuki. Just as fiery and fierce as he was since he was a kid. Had still cared for Izuku’s wellbeing even though he went the entirely wrong way to keep him safe. Alive. That underlying care had still been there though through all of the bullying and he could see it now clear as day.

Katsuki cares.

The Quirkless teen wiped some of his tears away and tried again to remove the muzzle. It took him a little bit to figure out how it worked and then he was able to unlatch the clasps freeing the explosive blonde.

“What the hell is fucking wrong with you?” Katsuki growled in a scolding tone. “How could you ever think about yourself like that? That you shouldn’t have been born? What the actual fuck, Deku?!”

The old nickname slipped out without thought. Just the sound of Deku had become a curse to Izuku over the years. An insult from the start that reminded him of how useless everyone thought he was. The Quirkless useless Deku who would never amount to anything. And yet, hearing it from his childhood friend now while chastising him for his self-deprecating thoughts, it brought him a strange comfort. Katsuki was there with him, was worried about him, and still wanted him safe and alive. That deep down, his childhood friend he had lost all those years ago was still there within him.

Izuku collapsed to the ground in front of him as he breathed out, “K-Kacchan…”

Katsuki froze and looked down at the distraught nerd now clinging to his leg. The blonde hadn’t heard that name in over a year. Not since Dek-Izuku started hanging with that pink haired mechanical menace he called a friend. He hadn’t even heard his first name from the nerd since he had attacked him during the Sports Festival.

Yes, he acknowledged that what he had done was an attack. Not the actions of a friend but of a bully. That he, Bakugou Katsuki, had been a bully for years and no one had told him so. All because he was going to be a Hero so nothing he did could be wrong. But it had been wrong. So very very wrong and he only knew this because the teachers of UA were different than the ones he had before.

They were Heroes, both literally and professionally. They had seen that what he had done and did what all the others should have done. They told him he was wrong.

It was a hard truth to swallow at first. The start of his therapy and anger management had been rough. Lots of denial on his part. It took a while for them to work past his decade worth of experience of repressing his emotions rather than face them. But once they did, they came out in, not surprisingly, explosive outbursts. Mostly yelling sessions of Katsuki screaming out his emotions at first. Then slowly decreasing in volume and bark as he became more comfortable with it.

Katuski still had far to go now that he knew what was wrong, but progress was progress. He hoped to work back into Dek-Izuku’s good graces to at least go back to being Katsuki to him. Being called Bakugou by the nerd just felt wrong. They had known each other for so long. He secretly hoped to possibly earn back the childhood nickname D-Izuku had given him. Reluctantly admitting to himself that he actually liked it.

Maybe one day.

But he didn’t expect it to be today. Even without the muzzle, he found he couldn’t speak at the moment due to shock. Couldn’t verbally ask Izuku what was wrong feeling too overwhelmed by the sound of his own nickname. Red eyes could only stare down at the boy crying into his lap. Eventually he forced himself to take a deep breath to calm down.

“Hey, nerd,” Katsuki said quietly, nudging him with his leg just enough to get his attention rather than dislodge him. “What the hell happened? Why are you so upset?”

Watery green eyes slowly looked up into rarely concerned red. The nerd let out a shaky breath as tears ran down his cheeks.

“Come on, D…” Katsuki forced himself to cut the nickname off, took a breath, and then tried again. “Talk to me, Izuku.”

The use of his first name seemed to do the trick. His breath hitched and his gripped tightened for a moment before Izuku relaxed his hold. Still clinging to him but not as desperately.

“K-Kacchan,” the greenet said, his voice shaky and unsure. “Hisashi…he’s…”

Izuku trailed off becoming too overcome by his emotions.

“Hisashi? Your dad?” Katsuki pressed trying to get answers when his words escaped him. “What’s he got to do with anything?”

The Quirkless teen let out another shaky breath and gripped his leg tighter to brace himself for whatever he had to say.

“Hisashi…he’s…my father is…”

“Come on, nerd,” Katsuki demanded, growing impatient. He knew he was upset but come on spit it out already. “Just say it.”

“All For One…he’s Hisashi,” Izuku managed to get out finally. Green eyes stared out blankly for a moment before locking once more with red. “He’s my father.”

Katsuki sat there bound and once again was gagged by his own shock just staring at the other as he processed that. All For One, the boogeyman of the underworld and secret leader of the League, a Villain so evil to earn the title of being Number One, was Izuku’s dad?

The fuck?

“Are you fucking serious?” Katsuki asked incredulously earning a shaky nod from Izuku. “Shit.”

Katsuki had never liked Izuku’s dad even though the nerd had always loved him. Hisashi had always seemed…off. Katsuki had noticed the difference in looks he would give between Izuku and Inko. For his son, Hisashi was all genuine smiles and care. But for his wife, Katsuki had always thought it was forced. His own dad, Masaru, adored both him and his mom. In different ways of course but they were very real and sincere. Hisashi had only ever been that way to Izuku while Inko had been too blinded by love to see it.

But Katsuki had. Now he knew why.

Fuck.

“What does he want?” Katsuki asked, not sure what else to say. But he would need answers if he was going to help Izuku with this.

“H-he wants me to join him,” Izuku answered as he rubbed some tears away in a fruitless effort as more took their place. “He said that I was born to join him. That the whole reason I exist is because he wanted a child. All to see if he could pass on his Quirk.”

Thankfully it hadn’t worked but it still sucked to know his existence was all due to a sick experiment. Playing with their lives like lab rats. Guess Izuku could relate to Nezu on that aspect now. Two lab rats that could huddle close and lick each other’s wounds clean. Figuratively of course and only if they ever got out of here.

“Did he hurt you?” the blonde pressed, eyeing the other teen’s mangled hand.

“N-no,” Izuku said, shaking his head as he brought up said hand. “They tried to heal me but Shigaraki’s Quirk did too much damage. I…I can barely feel it.”

Katsuki watched as the nerd feebly clenched and unclenched his hand. The attempt was pathetic but he could see the struggle as eyebrows furrowed over saddened green.

“How am I going to become a Hero with this?” Izuku asked in frustration. “It’s basically useless.”

No Quirk and now no more full function of his dominate hand. Just great.

“Stop that,” Katsuki scolded, nudging the other with his foot again. “Recovery Girl can work her magic when we get the hell out of here. Do what you do best, nerd, and look for the bright side.”

“The bright side?” the Quirkless teen uttered with an incredulous tone. “Where is there a bright side in all this crap that is my life? My own father is a fucking Villain, Katsuki!”

“Doesn’t make you one,” the explosive blonde shot back. “You want to become a Hero? Then just do it, D-Izuku.”

Green eyes stared at him wide in shock. Katsuki had always told him he couldn’t be a Hero. That he was useless without a Quirk before UA. The required counseling had helped temper him but they hadn’t talked much after the confrontation during the Sports Festival. This was the first time since they were four years old that Katsuki had said anything about Izuku becoming a Hero.

“Y-you don’t have to force yourself, Katsuki,” Izuku said, again wiping his eyes. “I don’t…Deku doesn’t bother me as much anymore.”

Not from you.

“I’m not,” Katsuki said but stopped himself with a snarl. “I don’t want to call you that anymore.”

The nickname had changed for him. It was so connected to who he was before UA that Katsuki didn’t want anything to do with it anymore. It was so engrained in his brain it was a hard habit to break, but he wanted to break it. For him. For Izuku.

“I just…I can’t call you Midoriya,” Katsuki explained. The family name was just too formal for him. “But I…I don’t know what I have the right to call you anymore.”

Deku was out. He wanted it gone. But Izuku felt too close. To friendly. They weren’t friends or at least not now if ever. Katsuki just didn’t know what to call him anymore. He messed up their friendship long ago.

“You can call me whatever you want, Kacchan,” Izuku insisted as he placed an assuring hand on his childhood friend’s knee. “Um, is it okay if I still call you Kacchan sometimes?”

The blonde had never said anything about his gifted nickname. He had scolded others when they used it but he never told Izuku off for calling him that. Maybe he liked it?

“It’s fine, nerd,” Katsuki replied, a slight blush on his cheeks as he forcefully looked anywhere but at Izuku. “Call me what you like. Even dumbass for all the shit I’ve pulled.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Katsuki,” Izuku pressed, suddenly feeling very tired after the emotional rollercoaster he had been on. Leaning on his leg was quite comfortable.

“Hey, don’t fall asleep on me,” the explosive teen chided though there wasn’t much he could do while restrained. “Damn it.”

He then looked up to the misty man who had been watching them silently the entire time. Just great.

“Hey, smog face,” he called out, indicating his head down to the sleep teen rest on his knee. “A little help?”

Kurogiri simply nodded and walked over. He carefully picked Izuku up and walked him over to the couch in the corner to lay him down gently. He even placed a soft blanket over him before stepping away. The warper then turned back to Katsuki who eyed him suspiciously.

“Would you like anything to eat or drink, young Bakugou?” he asked, strangely politely.

“Hah?” Katsuki sneered, glaring at the warper. “You trying to recruit me, Villain?”

He spat the last word out with as much venom as he could. No way in hell would he succumb to their desires for him to turn Villain. Bakugou fucking Katsuki was a Hero damn it. But the misty man gave no reaction to it and simply stared at him for a moment before speaking again.

“If there is anything you require,” Kurogiri said. “Do not hesitate to inform me.”

“Anything?” the teen asked with a sneer. “Then why don’t you let me the fuck go?”

At least freed from the chair, he would be free to move closer to Izuku and be prepared for any opportunity for them to escape. However, ‘anything’ did have its limits as the warper again simply stared at him. No movement towards him and instead maneuvering back behind the bar picking up a glass to clean. As if when not under order of the others, that was where he belonged.

It pissed Katsuki off but there was nothing he could do besides yelling into the living void of a man. For now, he resigned himself to where he was stuck in this fucking chair. Red eyes trailed over to the slumbering form of Izuku on the couch looking at peace in this hell they were in.

Stay strong, nerd. We’re going to get the fuck out of here yet.

They would escape these lunatics. Katsuki guaranteed it. He would do what Izuku thought was best and bid his time wisely. Annoying but a Hero would do what he had to do.

We can do this…Zuku.

Notes:

The nicknames! Finally after dozens and dozens and dozens of chapters and countless words, the nicknames are back! People have been commenting they've missed the use of Kacchan ever since Izuku stopped using it back in part 1. I always wanted it to come back but not for anything less than a strong emotional reason. Which just so turned out to be heartbreak. Heh. But it happened!

And a new nickname has been born too! My whole thought is that Katsuki has a two syllable nickname engrained in him. But Deku is out. No more. Bye bye. See ya! But I thought Zuku could be a fun replacement and a step forward for him. ^____^ A small step on his path to redemption. Still long to go though but progress!

Izuku's got a theory about Kurogiri. I'm not sure how it will affect the story, but I like having Kurogiri be a bit more self aware than in canon. Still strongly conditioned but there are bits of his former self showing through. Idk. I want redemption for him too! -throws out redemption like sprinkles-

-but only for those who deserve it. suck it endickvore-

Well now Katsuki knows about Dad For One. We'll have to see how he processes this in the future. Even I'm still figuring that out. For now though they have more important things to worry about. Like staying alive and escaping. Hang in there, boys! Your time with the League isn't over yet.

O'keee, that's it for this time! Like I said. It's pumpkin carving time. I'll share 'em to the discord when I finish. Coming up, we get an update from class 1-A and let me tell ya, Hitoshi is not having a good time. Though that shouldn't be all that surprising. Don't worry. I do have some comfort in line for him. You'll see. Alrighty, then. Have an ooky spooky day! Byeeee!!

Chapter 37: Grief And Gratitude

Notes:

...this was not meant to be posted yet. Yes this is the draft version. Urgh. I'll edit this weekend. But enjoy, I guess?

EDIT: So this is the actual update. I must have hit the post button when I was half asleep. Oopsie!

This chapter is brought to you by the words fuck and thanks! Hence the title. So warning for swearing because grief and frustration.

Formatting info:
-Dialogue through text.-

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

Hitoshi tried to feign sleep. He was growing tired of the hospital missing the cats but his dads insisted that he stayed because of the continued headache he was having since the attack. It was inconclusive if it was due to Quirk exhaustion, stress, or something else entirely, but at least they were satisfied enough that he would be released that evening. Finally free of this oppressive overly sterile place.

Hizashi had been in and out managing to visit him between the number of meetings they were having discussing the coming rescue attempt. They were trying to keep it hush hush but he knew about it anyway through the one-sided conversations Shouta had while camped out in his hospital room. Neither of them wanted him to feel alone in this place which he appreciated, but it also left him with no privacy to process the loss of his friend or even attempt at forming a plan to save him. He could always sense his dad’s stare whenever even the thought of it crept into his mind. Hitoshi was growing to love them both but damn did he need to help Izuku.

I have to save my brother.

They understood and he knew that. Between various talks to get him to be ‘logical’ about this, Shouta had shared the tragic story of his high school friend. Of a life cut short so suddenly while he had been having his one shining moment saving them all before retreating to the dark alleys to save from the shadows instead. It was horrible and Hitoshi felt terrible for their loss but he also couldn’t shake this need to save Izuku no matter how hard he tried.

How could he not want to save the boy who had saved him? The first to say he wasn’t a Villain just because of his Quirk. That he, Shinsou Hitoshi, could become the Hero he had always wanted to be.

I have to save Izuku.

It wasn’t a want. It was a need. A hard felt compulsion that was harder and harder to ignore with every second that passed. Hitoshi couldn’t just lay here. He had to do something. Anything. Had to save Izuku or he would go insane with worry. His brother was out there somewhere surrounded by Villains and he had no idea if he was alive or not. He had to know Izuku was alright.

“I can here you thinking,” Shouta muttered, holding a hand over the mic of his phone. “Doing okay, kid?”

“I’m fine,” Hitoshi grunted though he felt far from fine. He just…he needed to do something.

The tired man eyed him while also listening to his phone. They were letting him know of final arrangements for the rescue. A two-pointed simultaneous hit on possible locations of his students. Tsukauchi had one from reports of the scarred man he had fought at the camp going into an abandoned building collected by the Cat Quirked officer Sansa. Shouta wondered if the feline man would appreciate a cat themed gift in thanks.

There was also the forethinking action of Yaoyorozu with the help of Awase from Class 1-B of creating and attaching a tracker onto the Noumu the League had brought to the camp. The two locations weren’t exactly next to each other but they were close both being housed in Kamino Ward. Close enough that if either location proved more promising, the Heroes could easily converge doubling their efforts to save the two boys and the missing Hero. Tiger had earnestly volunteered to join them in search of his fellow Pussycat.

It was a good plan except for one part that Shouta didn’t like but knew he had to do. They had a distraction planned and were going to hold a press conference at the same time to throw off suspicions of any plans they had at rescue. Which Shouta as their homeroom teacher had to attend along with Vlad King and Nezu. Meaning he had to dress up in a stupid suit and play nice with the press. He hated it because he had gone Underground to avoid the media.

But again, he knew he had to.

The tired man let out a sigh as the phone call wrapped up, “Understood. I’ll be sure to be ready in time for the press conference.”

He ended the call not bothering to say goodbye. There was no point so he didn’t spare the energy or time. Honestly, with how much he hated having to ‘clean up’ and ‘look nice’ it was going to take more time than other people especially with Hizashi tied up with last minute details. He was going to have to force himself to shower and shave to appease the press.

Annoying.

“I have to go, Hitoshi,” Shouta said, begrudgingly standing up and cracking his back. He caught a whiff of his Hero suit and almost gagged at the smell.

Damn, I really do need a shower.

Practically living in Hitoshi’s hospital room for two days straight really did a number on him. Gross. But then again, he had been far stinkier camping out for weeks on stake outs to the point Hizashi wouldn’t be anywhere near him until he took three showers and did his laundry twice. Only then would his cockatoo of a husband agreed to finally give him a ‘welcome back’ kiss and then some. They both needed a shower after that.

But now was not the time to think of such things. They had two teenagers to save and a missing Hero to find. Preferably alive at the very least. They would deal with whatever condition they found them in accordingly. Rescue missions like this always had unknown factors no matter how much they prepped and planned. The dice would roll as they may.

“Fine,” Hitoshi replied, refusing to open his eyes. The pain killers helped but a persistent stinging remained just behind his eyes.

“Stay here until they release you and then go straight home,” Shouta ordered, stepping closer to his kid to ruffle his hair. The teen sneered in disgusted at his stench but didn’t pull away from his touch. “I’ll leave you train fare. We’ll meet you back at the apartment when this is all done.”

The brainwasher didn’t really reply and just let out a hum in response. It didn’t reassure Shouta that Hitoshi would do as he was told but he really did have to go.

The tired man sighed before saying, “Stay safe at the very least. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Again, he only hummed but it had a more affirmative tone so that was at least something. Shouta hummed back giving one last comforting pat before leaving. As he opened the door, he was met by the sight of his students. Kaminari had his hand raised as if to knock while Kirishima and Todoroki stood behind him. The rest of the class was standing further away watching them closely.

“Need something?” Shouta asked, eyeing them.

Todoroki’s expression was as blank as ever though he could see some strain in his eyes. Not that surprising considering his ‘friend’ was missing. Shouta would be the same if Hizashi was missing too. Worried about the man he loved but not wanting to show how much it affected him to others. Wanting and needing to appear strong until his loved one was back in his arms.

We’ll get him soon, kid.

Kirishima on the other hand seemed nervous. He was smiling like always but it came off forced. Like he was hiding something and not very well. Not under the scrutinizing eyes of their teacher, a trained Underground Pro Hero. Then there was Kaminari who just looked a tad intimidated by him as he always was.

“Oh, uh, not from you, sensei,” the blonde one said, nervously rubbing the back of his head. “We came to see Shinsou?”

His tone came out as a question as if not knowing it would be allowed. Well, Shouta was kind of standing there as a barrier between his kid and the world, but he had no issues with Hitoshi’s friends visiting him. As long as they didn’t do anything stupid or reckless. They were a bunch of hormonal teenagers though. Gods only knew what trouble they would manage to get themselves into. Outside of random Villain attacks of course.

Shouta looked between the two boys and then up at the others before turning to his son and asked, “You up for visitors? Your classmates are here.”

Finally, Hitoshi opened his eyes and actually looked at him. The dark circles were more prominent under his eyes and he looked exhausted. And yet the comment on his class being there and apparently wanting to see him was a surprise. In the past, he had always been avoided being seen as a Villain. But much like Izuku, UA was proving so different than his other schools with people who saw him for more than his Quirk. It was…nice. Though it did make him think about Izuku again. A distraction like his chaotic classmates would be nice right about now.

“Sure,” Hitoshi said, rubbing his eyes as he sat up.

His foster father nodded and stepped out of the way to let his students in. They each thanked him as they entered and once they were all inside, Shouta told Hitoshi to let him know if he needed anything. Hizashi and him would both be busy tonight but out of the two he would be the one most available. If not, Nemuri was always down to help. When she had heard about them fostering Hitoshi, she had squealed and gushed over her new nephew. They’ve been able to hold her back not to overwhelm their kid but, in a pinch, a parent’s got to do what a parent’s got to do. Including subjecting their kid to the whims of their overly affectionate and caring friend. While she was on patrol duty tonight, Nemuri was just a phone call away.

Once the door was closed, the room was awkwardly quiet. Not standing it, Hitoshi spoke up saying, “Hey guys.”

“Hey man,” Kirishima said, giving him a toothy strained smile. “How ya feeling?”

“Tired, headache,” he replied, rubbing his temples.

Without saying anything, Shouto stepped forward offering both of his hands. Hitoshi stared at them dumbly having no idea what he was doing. He cocked an eyebrow in silent question.

“I’ve been researching different ways to use my Quirk,” Shouto explained, tone even as ever. “I read that both hot or cold could help with headaches. Do you have a preference?”

Oh. This was him offering to help. That was nice of him. Normally Shouto was only physically close to Izuku but he wasn’t here right now. This was him trying to help a friend in need. To do something.

“Uh, cold, for me,” Hitoshi answered.

Both worked for him but cold sounded better to him right now. He sighed in relief when his friend gently pressed his right hand to his forehead. Yeah, that’s the stuff.

“I have a hand towel if you want to make some ice, Todoroki,” Kaminari suddenly offered, pulling out a small yellow towel with little black lightning bolts from his pocket. “To free up your hands.”

Huh, that was unexpected. Hitoshi wanted to whine when Shouto pulled his hand away to form some ice. He placed the frosty chucks into the offered towel and Kaminari offered the wrapped ice to Hitoshi with a kind smile. The brainwasher felt a spark when they touched as he took it from his slightly smaller hands. Probably from his Quirk or whatever.

“Thanks,” Hitoshi said, accepting the gifted makeshift ice pack. He oddly had a slight blush to his cheeks as he pressed it against his forehead.

“You’re welcome,” Kaminari replied, smiling shyly. He too had slight reddened cheeks as he stayed where he was close to Hitoshi’s side.

Huh.

Their classmates watched the interaction. Some with knowing looks while others just thought it was a nice gesture.

“So, did you see the news?” Kaminari asked curiously. “Reporters are hounding UA for answers.”

“Even worse than last time,” Satou commented from the back, earning some nods in agreement.

Ah, yes. That time with all the hype about All Might that gave Shigaraki an in to UA. Damn reporters. They can be such nuisances. Glad he was aiming to be an Underground Hero like his foster dad. Being under the glaring light of the media? No, thank you.

“On and off,” Hitoshi replied, grabbing the water cup on his bedside to take a sip. “Did all of Class A come here?”

Purple eyes scanned the group now in his room but didn’t think it was everybody. He knew there were some also staying in the hospital like him. And then there was Bakugou and…

No, stop. Not right now.

If he thought about it, he might end up crying. Probably part of the reason his head still hurts on top of everything else. He also didn’t want to cry in front of them either. Didn’t feel comfortable being vulnerable like that.

“As many that could,” Tenya reported solemnly. “Jirou and Hagakure are still unconscious from one of the Villain’s poisonous gas. Yaoyorozu had a bad concussion and is also hospitalized but thankfully she woke up yesterday.”

So, the remaining fourteen had decided to visit him, huh? Because that only left out the two who were…

No, seriously stop! I can’t do this right now.

But the tears that he typically never shed before he had met Izuku unwillingly started to bead at the corners of his tired eyes.

Damn it.

He was surprised as a comforting hand carefully started rubbing soothing circles on his back. Purple eyes looked over to see it was Kaminari who gave him a sad but kind smile.

“We’re here for you, Shinsou,” the blonde said, giving a light pat before pulling his arm back.

Hitoshi took a shaky breath in and out to calm himself before saying, “Thanks.”

He then looked over the crowd making eye contact with each of them. The brainwasher hadn’t really interacted with all of them outside of class or training. Preferring to stick with his own friend group most of the time. But they were there and they were there for him. Showing him that they cared.

“Thanks to all of you,” Hitoshi stressed, truly grateful. “I didn’t…before UA, I didn’t really have a lot of friends. So, I…just thanks, guys. This means a lot.”

“Like Kaminari said, we’re here for you, man,” Kirishima insisted, giving him an assuring smile as the others nodded.

Hitoshi nodded too in reply before deciding to be brave and open up a little to these people. Shouto was here from his closest friend group along with the rest of their lunch time gang. Mei wasn’t here but they had been texting a little bit. She understood that he didn’t have enough energy to deal with her brand of manic energy right now. Not with…him gone. But she was more than willing to offer support from afar with a bunch of cat memes because she knows he likes those. He’ll have to let her know that the others visited him later.

“Thanks again,” the purple haired teen reiterated, feeling a little overwhelmed with the amount of care his classmates had for him. “It’s just…I know Heroes can’t save everyone. That we can’t protect people out of our reach, but I was so close. I could have saved him. Wanted to, needed to. But I…”

Again, the fucking tears were building and this time they fell. Kaminari was quick to grab the tissue box on his bedside table and offer it to him. Why was he being so nice to him all of the sudden? The hand towel, the back rub, and now this? There was also the drink on I-Island that he hadn’t ordered but very much enjoyed. Did…did Kaminari want to become his friend? Hitoshi didn’t really know him but he wouldn’t say no to becoming friends. Gratefully taking a few tissues, he blew his nose and wiped his face before chucking them into the trash can.

“I failed,” Hitoshi admitted, disgruntledly balling his fists on the sheets and the ice pack forgotten. “He was right there and I wasn’t able to reach him. Bakugou ran after him and ended up being taken too. Now they’re both missing and I can’t fucking do anything to help save them. Just…fuck!”

He lurched forward grasping his purple hair in bitter sorrow hunched over in his bed fucking bawling like a damn baby. Fuck! He hated how useless he felt right now. That there was nothing he could do to be a Hero to his brother and that jackass Bakugou.

Fucking fuck!

That same comforting hand from before returned to his back as he felt the bed dip a little letting him know Kaminari was now sitting next to him. Damn it all! Hitoshi swears the Midoriya tears and need for physical comfort were contagious. That and the bouts of impulsiveness. Because the next thing he knew he was pulling Kaminari, who he doesn’t really know all that well, into a big damn bear hug. Clinging onto him like a lifeline.

Way to make friends there, Hitoshi. Just go and cry all over them. Good job.

But the electric blonde took it in stride and wrapped his arms firmly around him. Holding him tight and even started to hum to try and calm him. Which strangely helped but then again that might have been influenced somewhat by Hizashi. The Voice Hero was always carrying some kind of tune at home no matter what he was doing. Can’t take the music out of the disc jockey. Ever.

“Shh, it’s okay, Shinsou,” Kaminari whispered quietly as he ran a hand through his hair.

Would his Quirk make it stand up even more than it did naturally? The thought made him snort. Thanks for the comic relief, brain.

“What?” Kaminari asked, pulling away slightly to look at him.

“Sorry,” Hitoshi said, unable to stop the snicker that snuck out as he wiped his eyes. “My brain thought something weird but don’t worry about it. And, uh, sorry about your shirt.”

The blonde looked down at his white shirt that had an omega symbol on it that was now soiled with his snot and tears and simply shrugged.

“That’s okay,” Kaminari said with a smile. It was kind of a nice smile Hitoshi thought. “You’re allowed to be emotional, dude. Happens to all of us.”

He again grabbed the tissue box and offered it to him. So damn nice. Hitoshi was grateful and decided he would make an effort to get to know him better.

“Thanks,” Hitoshi said once again. “I’m just so frustrated I couldn’t save them. That I can’t…”

He trailed trying to fight back another wave of tears. Damn those Midoriya emotions.

“What if you could?” Kirishima asked suddenly.

Everyone’s attention snapped to him instead of the bonding happening on the bed.

“What do you mean?” Hitoshi asked, confused.

“What if you could help save them?” the red head pressed. “What would you do?”

Purple stared into red hardened with conviction.

“I would do anything in my power to help save them,” Hitoshi answered firmly.

Kirishima nodded before he said, “Then let’s go get them.”

The others gasped at his words.

“Now see here…” Tenya barked only for Hitoshi to cut him off with a raised hand.

“What do you have in mind?” Hitoshi asked, now curious and a tiny bit hopeful there was a way for him to help.

“I was here yesterday and ran into Todoroki,” Kirishima explained, pointing his thumb at the quiet element wielder next to him. “We both couldn’t just sit at home and had decided to come here. We were planning to visit you and the others when we saw Aizawa leaving your room. We were curious and followed him to Yaoyorozu’s.”

Oh, right. Yaoyorozu had asked to see him yesterday. It had been the first time his dad had left his room for anything other than the hospital’s shitty coffee. He complained about it but still drank it anyway. Such a caffeine addict though who was Hitoshi to talk. He just hadn’t been allowed any because they didn’t want it to affect his system while they were observing him. But as soon as they were home, one coffee, please. Nice and hot with a cat-in-your-lap on the side.

“And?” Hitoshi pressed, pushing daydreams of coffee and cats aside for now.

“And we overheard that she managed to place a tracker on one of the Villains who attacked us,” Kirishima answered. “That she also created a tracking device for it. A device she could possibly recreate for us.”

Because Hitoshi wasn’t the only one who lost a friend that night. Kirishima had a strong need to get his friends back too. Both Bakugou and Izuku.

“You should leave this to the professionals like All Might,” Tenya scolded as he chopped his arms. “To act without legal permission would be unbecoming of aspiring Heroes. Now is not the time to be impulsive.”

“So what?!” Kirishima snapped, startling everyone. “So what if it’s impulsive. All I know is…”

He clenched a fist to his chest with a touch of his Quirk activated. A physical sign of his hardened resolve.

“…at the camp, I couldn’t do anything. I heard Izuku was targeted and then Bakugou ran off after him. And what did I do? Just stood there and did nothing. I couldn’t help them at all. I was helpless, useless. How am I supposed to call myself a Hero or a man?”

Kirishima’s words were full of passion and purpose. It was clear he felt horrible about what happened during the attack and couldn’t stand by and do nothing. He wanted, needed, to do something to help. Hitoshi felt the same.

“Kirishima, calm down, dude,” Kaminari said, still sitting beside him on the bed. “We’re in a hospital, remember?”

 “Also Tenya does have a point,” Tsuyu commented, looking at Kirishima with concern.

But the red head didn’t want to listen to reason. That was what had kept him from running after Bakugou that night. Staying with Vlad Kind had been the reasonable thing to do. They were safe and it would have been unwise for them to run off into danger. But if he hadn’t, if he had instead chosen to run with Bakugou, maybe he could have helped save them both. But he hadn’t and here they were. Two classmates, two friends, were missing and they actually had a way to help. If Yaoyorozu agreed that is.

Kirishima took a deep breath attempting to calm himself though it didn’t really work.

“All of you,” he said, his body shaking with raging emotions. “Just…listen for a minute. I get it. I know you’re right. But…”

He then turned sharply to Hitoshi who was watching him in earnest. Because he got it. The need to help and make up for his failures during the camp attack. To act instead of doing nothing.

“…we can get them, Shinsou. They’re still within our reach. We can save them!”

The hand held out to him was inviting. Not to hold but offering Hitoshi a comradery with the urgent need to help their friends. Well, mostly Izuku for him but he understood that Bakugou needed saving too. He’s still a fucking jerkwad but also didn’t deserve to be kidnapped by Villains.

“Wait, let me get this straight,” Ashido spoke up hesitantly, twirling a finger in the air in thought. “You want Momo to make you another receiver, use it to track down the Villains, and then try to save Bakugou and Midoriya? All by yourselves?”

“Yeah,” Kirishima confirmed with a nod.

“The Villains who attacked the training camp were prepared to kill some of us,” Shouto stated, his expression flat as usual but there was a hint of determination in his tone. “But Izuku…”

That protective lack of emotion faltered for a moment as he thought of his friend. His warm and very much special friend who had been taken from him right before his eyes. At the camp, it had been overwhelming and he hadn’t known how to process it. But afterward, he had gone to see his mom seeking comfort and advice. What was he supposed to do with the raging emotions within him? Shouto didn’t even know what to label them let alone deal with them. His mother had at least one answer.

Love.

It was love that he was feeling. Different from the love he felt for his mother and siblings. Different from the way he felt about his friends. About Inko. Izuku…he was different from everyone. He was warm and caring and had done so much for Shouto. Had been there to comfort and just be there for him. That is until they took him.

It was only because of the years of pushing down his emotions that allowed him to look so calm right now. Shouto had learned to do that because the less reaction he showed to his bastard of a father, the less he would rage during their training. It still was terrible and brutal but it had alleviated just a little which had been relief enough.

But under this calm exterior, there was a raging fire of emotion burning beneath his skin. No amount of his ice could dowse the flames searing in his heart. Shouto had known his feelings towards Izuku were different than for anyone else but he never knew what that feeling was called. Now he did but it had been overwhelmed by another as grief for his love was drowning any other emotion. Well, most of them except the rage he felt for the Villains who took his Izuku.

They had to get him back.

Or else Shouto didn’t know what he would do. Didn’t even know what to do with the waves of intense emotions that threatened to drown him. If this was possible, to save Izuku and Bakugou, then Shouto would do it. He didn’t even have to think about it. No matter what, he would do anything he could to get Izuku back.

I still haven’t…

Shouto cut the thought of not having kissed Izuku yet out of his mind. Of not telling him how he feels and let him know just how special he was to him. That Shouto wanted to be closer to him. More than just friends and instead become a word he had been reading again and again in his research. But only if Izuku wanted to, of course. However, they had to save him first before he could ask him.

The others were watching him quietly. They weren’t sure how to react to the flashes of emotion on his typically stoic face. Though it wasn’t surprising this was affecting their ice prince. The Villains had taken Izuku after all. It was no secret how those two acted around each other. It was not a matter of if they would get together but when. There was a reason they had a secret bet going on though that was not at all a concern right now.

Not with two of their classmates missing.

Shouto took a deep breath and slowly let out a stream of steam trying to release some of the raging feelings within. It didn’t really help but at least it was some sort of outlet. As he was learning from the element bending show, his power was affected by his emotions.

“They were taken alive,” Shouto finally continued where he had trailed off. “But we don’t know for how long. Which is why we’re going after them.”

“You can’t do this!” Tenya exclaimed exasperated and in disbelief they were actually talking about this. “Have you lost your minds?”

“Calm down, Iida,” Shouji urged, blocking their class president with a bandaged multi-arm. “I get where they’re coming from. Kirishima’s frustration and Todoroki and Shinsou’s feelings because they couldn’t keep them away from the Villains. I’m upset too. We all are. But…”

He extended one of his limbs as he formed a mouth that spoke.

“…we can’t let our emotions get the best of us, right?”

There were murmurs of agreement from some of them. Aoyama pointed out that Aizawa had given them permission to use Quirks to fight back only at the training camp. Tokoyami himself expressed his remaining feelings of guilt for his role in their failure that night. It would be best for them to leave it to the Heroes like All Might.

But Kirishima didn’t agree. Couldn’t. He couldn’t just do nothing.

“You guys,” he whined in frustration.

They just didn’t get it.

“Listen. We’re all in shock that the Villains took Bakugou and Izuku, but we have to be rational,” Tsuyu said holding a finger to her chin as she frowned in saddened concern for her friend. “Even if your intentions are noble, you can’t just go out there trying to find the bad guys like this. If you do, knowing you’re breaking the rules, then wouldn’t you be acting like Villains instead of Heroes?”

The comparison instantly pissed Hitoshi off.

“Like Vigilantes, not Villains,” he spat, causing the frog girl to jump and stare wide-eyed at him with fear.

The brainwasher had spent too long being called a Villain all because of his Quirk. But as Izuku said, it isn’t the Quirk but how you use it that makes you a Hero or a Villain. Or in this case, more like Vigilantism. Plans of using their Quirks to help save, not harm. Taking the situation into their own hands just needing to do something to help save them.

A tense silence fell over everyone. No one knew what to say or how to settle this divide between them. Some couldn’t let their classmates do such a foolish thing. Others were understanding but couldn’t see themselves actually doing something like they were proposing. However, the determined few couldn’t think of not doing it. Not after this idea of possibly having a way of finding and saving them had been planted in their minds.

A knock on the door finally broke the silence making some of them jump in surprise. They all turned to see a doctor enter with what looked like much needed pain killers for Hitoshi’s headache that had been pounding in his head this whole time.

“Apologies for the interruption,” the doctor said. “But I need to check up on Shinsou’s condition.”

They all understood and agreed to leave to give them a moment. Kaminari was a little reluctant but gave Hitoshi one last pat to the shoulder before getting up from the bed. Purple eyes couldn’t help but track the electric blonde’s movements for some reason. Weird. Most of them bid their goodbyes as they turned to leave. All except for Kirishima and Shouto.

“We talked to Yaoyorozu yesterday,” Kirishima said quietly so the others wouldn’t hear though a lingering suspicious Tenya did. “If we are going to do this, it’ll be tonight. If you can get out of here by then, we’ll be meeting in front of the hospital after the sun sets.”

Hitoshi simply nodded in response before they too left him alone with the doctor. He knew they were planning on discharging him today so he would be free to join them. Shouta didn’t want him to do anything reckless and Hizashi wouldn’t approve of what he planned to do either. But Hitoshi just couldn’t pass up this opportunity to save Izuku.

At the very least, both of his foster parents would be busy tonight thankfully. He knew there was a raid planned and a press conference would be held at the same time as a misdirection. If their little band could help in any way with the rescue, he would do it in a heartbeat. And if they were going to do this, they may very well need a certain baby making mad woman just in case.

After getting the pain killers from the doc and going over his stable results, he was informed of his check out time later that day. As he said, Shouta and Hizashi would be busy so he would be checking himself out with the expectation for him to go straight home. But he wouldn’t and would gladly accept any punishments his foster dads would give him once this was all over. When his little chat with the doctor was done, he was left to rest until it was time for him to go.

Once he was alone, Hitoshi picked up his phone that had been charging on the bedside table. There were some unread messages from Hizashi sending his love and a wish for him to get home safely. There was one from Shouta as well along the same lines but with less emojis. It sparked a pang of guilt in his gut but he ignored it exiting out of the text to send a different one to Mei.

Purple Panda:

-Meet me at the hospital as soon as you can.

We’re going to save Izuku.

Tonight.-

He still felt guilty about doing this but Hitoshi refused to let it stop him. His brother needed him and he knew their pseudo-sister would want to help too.

Pink Gremlin:

-◉‿◉

٩(•̤̀ᵕ•̤́๑)ᵒᵏᵎᵎᵎᵎ

Let me pack some babies and I’ll be right over.

ᕕ(ᐛ) ᕗ-

Hitoshi sent her a thumbs up emoji and called it good. Knowing he would need it, the teen then set an alarm on his phone before settling back into the bed. A nap was just what he needed to be rested and ready for tonight. Reality slowly faded as the pain killers did their job lessening his headache and he finally got some sleep.

Soon, Izuku. We’ll rescue you soon.

Notes:

And so the rescue plans begin. Hitoshi is hurting and he isn't the only one. Kirishima wants to get everyone back together. Shouto just wants his Izuku back. Just a bunch of hurting going on right now. Shouta doesn't want his problem children getting involved but uh yeah that isn't going to happen.

Honestly I don't have much more to say for this chapter. I just got off work and I'm tired. XD I need some food and some z's. Y'all already were able to enjoy this but the draft version because I somehow accidentally posted the draft so here we are! Hehe...yeeeeaaaahhh.... Anyway! Next up we're going back to the League. Shiggy's gonna get a scolding and find out some things. We'll have to see how that goes! Till next time, sleep well and have a wonderful rest of your week!

Chapter 38: Iron Hand In A Velvet Glove

Notes:

Oh hey! Oh hi! Oh hello! It's a surprise update that is actually intentional on my end! :D A show of appreciation for all my dear readers for staying with this long ass story. Happy Thanksgiving!

We've got a number of pov changes this chapter that I did my best to keep clear.

Alright, let's get to the scolding! Enjoy this treat and I do still intend to post next week.

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

SHIGARAKI TOMURA. WHAT. HAVE. YOU. DONE.

Tomura shivered remembering his master’s sharp tone after he had hurt Izuku. He was terrified as he now stood before Sensei who had summoned him for a ‘talk’. He had been taught many lessons over the years but never had that tone of voice been used on him. Not from All For One anyway.

Before him though…

Tomura stopped that train of thought right in its tracks to avoid the stabbing pain that came whenever he tried to remember before Sensei. Not that he tried that often because his past didn’t matter to him as much as the future he was after. A world without judgment and no stupid Heroes to mess things up. Where they could live their lives as they wanted.

He didn’t know why Sensei was so furious with him for hurting the admin. Tomura was the one who had chosen him to join them, not Sensei. Or so he thought.

“Do you know why I have summoned you here?” Sensei asked, his fury radiating from him in murderous waves.

Tomura knew there was a reason why All For One was considered the Number One Villain. Alive since the beginning of Quirks and had a collection of them built over the centuries. Had maimed and killed and stolen as he wished landing him on the highest throne of the Villain world. An all-powerful god of evil among men. Tomura knew this and yet he was still shocked and terrified of it when that lethal energy was directed at him.

“No, Sensei,” the decayer replied in a fearful whisper.

He stood there feeling naked and scared shitless for the first time in front of the man who had taken him in when no one else would. The man who raised him and helped mold him into the Villain he was today. Who had offered him a second chance at life after his first had crumbled to dust. In a sense, All For One was his father for all intents and purposes other than them never saying as much. The heated glare from the eyeless man stung and made Tomura feel once again like that scared lost child that Sensei had found that fateful day.

All For One glared at his ward relishing in the ticks and tells of his fear and discomfort. Good. That means while he doesn’t understand why they were there, that he could sense there was something wrong. The man sat in his throne once again hooked up to the various machines that were necessary to maintain his health. While he was about as good as new as one could be after a near death match, there were still some health-related issues they had to address.

The scarred man steepled his fingers as he let out a sigh and leaning back in his seat. While he enjoyed pressing with his mere presence the gravity of the situation, Tomura would never learn if he didn’t explain. All For One hadn’t necessarily planned to tell anyone his connection to Izuku or at least not so soon. But it seemed he needed to in order to assure the safety of his son when interacting with his chosen successor.

“You have placed yourself in a difficult situation,” All For One admonished, lowering his hands slightly. “While I admire your resolve and carry through of bringing Midoriya Izuku to us, you have made a serious error in harming him.”

Tomura knew that. It had been an accident. Hurting Izuku had never been the plan. He wanted the admin to join them and a carrot was better than the stick. Show him he was welcomed with open arms. But as happens with his Quirk, things get decayed without him necessarily meaning to. The snarky comment about Kurogiri’s glasses was no joke.

“I’m sorry, Sensei,” Tomura said with a grimace. One that All For One could see as he didn’t even try to hide behind Father in front of him. His master would have been able to see it regardless. “It won’t happen again.”

“It had better not,” All For One stressed with a hard tone. “No further harm is to come to him, understood?”

“Yes, Sensei,” Tomura conceded.

“Good,” the scarred man said, accepting the answer with a nod before turning to the misty man watching them quietly. “Kurogiri, you are to make sure he doesn’t.”

“Of course, master,” Kurogiri replied, forming a small portal and reaching inside it for something. “These should also help prevent any further damage.”

The warper brought out of the portal two pieces of cloth. All For One presented his palm and Kurogiri quickly placed them in his hand following the silent demand. He used one of his Quirks to see they were a pair of black gloves though they seemed designed to only cover two fingers with material that stretched down to wrist straps. His analytical mind considered the usage of them in connection to maintaining Tomura’s control of his Quirk.

Impressive and simple.

“It was a suggestion given by young Midoriya, master,” Kurogiri prompted without All For One needing to ask.

“Did he now?” the father muttered with a proud smile on his scarred face. “Well, we shall have to put this gift to good use. Nothing must come to harm the boy. Use them well, Tomura.”

All For One offered the gloves to his ward who hesitantly took them from him. Still afraid of the man who had scolded him. In need of a distraction, Tomura studied the gloves to figure out how to put them on. They covered his pinkie and ring fingers on both hands and fit nicely around his wrists. They were a little weird since they were new, but he agreed that they should workout nicely to help control his Quirk.

Though there was something that confused him. Why did Sensei care so much about Izuku? In all the years he had known him, All For One had never shown any level of concern for anything. Yes, he had taken Tomura in but other than teaching him the wrongs of the world, he had never influenced or had concern over how he lived his life. Had always allowed the young leader to make his own choices and learn from his own mistakes.

Why does Sensei care what happens to Izuku?

He had never been concerned for any of his other recruits. Certainly not the thugs the decayer had chosen for the USJ attack. They had all been merely cannon fodder than anything else. Just a simple factor of numbers. It was a lesson he had learned from and had been more thoughtful for the chosen few sent to attack the training camp. That had definitely been a more successful raid.

But despite them being hand selected by himself, All For One had paid little attention to them and had never expressed any interest in their wellbeing. And yet he did for Izuku. So much so to make him livid with Tomura, but why? He didn’t understand and desperately wanted to.

“Why do you care so much about Izuku, Sensei?” Tomura asked, not exactly expecting an answer but All For One had always said he could at least try. You never knew what was possible until you took the chance to find out.

All For One hummed in contemplation. He guessed he could tell his successor about Izuku. To implore how grave of a mistake it would be to ever bring harm to his son again. Yes, it seems it would be necessary to tell him exactly who Izuku was to him.

“He is my son, Shigaraki Tomura,” All For One revealed, staring the much younger man down. “You are not to harm him in anyway ever again.”

Sensei’s…son?

Tomura stood there frozen in shock. Never in a million years would he have thought to hear that from Sensei. His master had never expressed any want or of actually having a family. Other than their talks of this fucked up world, they had only ever talked about his side project besides the League. The Noumu had been a long-standing experiment.

The creatures were created with the lowest dregs of society. Low life thugs and those abandoned by the rest of the world. Especially any Quirkless that still managed to pop up from time to time. When Tomura had first heard that Izuku was Quirkless, he had been surprised to see that he had made it so far in life. He had been more overwhelmed to learn the admin he had been searching for was Quirkless and instead naturally smart. But in the back of his mind had been a spark of a question that was quickly lost amongst his plans to bring Izuku in to join the League.

Why hadn’t he been taken to become a Noumu like the rest?

Now he knew why. Sensei was protective of his son and therefore wouldn’t subject him to the Noumufication process. Or at least seemed like he didn’t. Not to family. Though that kind of connection didn’t necessarily save anyone from that. The doctor had no qualms using his own grandson to make the winged Noumu they had lost in Hosu. Being family didn’t guarantee protection from harm.

Except Izuku was.

Because he’s…

“You’re his…he’s your…” Tomura muttered, his brain piecing together what that meant for Izuku and himself. Because this must mean they were closer than a young Villain leader and a recruit.

Tomura was to be All For One’s successor. Izuku was his son and All For One was his father. And to Tomura, Sensei was kind of like his new father after he…no, don’t think about that. So if All For One was his surrogate father and Izuku was his actual son, then that means, in a way, he’s his…

“…I have a brother?”

That was not the reaction All For One had expected. He had thought that perhaps Tomura would not take it well. Potentially see Izuku as a replacement for himself as he was connected to All For One by blood. A stronger bond than being taken off the streets as an abandoned child. He could easily imagine his young ward throwing one of his typical temper tantrums upon learning that Izuku was his son.

But he didn’t. Tomura sounded pleasantly surprised, innocently curious, and a tiny bit hopeful. Intriguing. Perhaps this will all work in All For One’s favor. His chosen successor and his son working beside him. All he had to do was convince Izuku that his silly dreams of becoming a Hero were childish. That his fate was at All For One’s side as he was born to be.

“In a way, yes,” All For One replied, lowering his hands to his lap. “I am sure you now see why harming him in anyway cannot be allowed. There mustn’t be any more incidents or the consequences will be severe.”

“Yes, Sensei,” Tomura agreed more eagerly, smiling a little in awe at this newest development.

I have a brother.

Which means that he had hurt his brother. By accident but still. At least with the gloves Izuku mentioned that Kurogiri was able to quickly find he wouldn’t have to worry about that again. Still weird but not having to be as mindful of his fingers and just touching things? Now that was something Tomura could get used to. Why hadn’t they thought of these for him before?

Thanks for the tip, admin.

Yet how did the young leader repay him? Fucking decaying his wrist. Tomura was a griefer to his own plans. The decayer thought of the damaged limb regretting what he had done. The doctor had mentioned that while the hand was still there, the dexterity of it had diminished. While he was a doctor, there had been only so much they could do. Decay had affected too much of the flesh for them to do much else.

Fuck.

How was this going to affect Izuku joining them now? Tomura had only wanted him to give up whatever he had been hiding. Which the decayer still didn’t know nor did he care at this point. Whatever it had been was what led him to hurting Izuku. If anything, he would have liked to know so he could decay the shit out of it to vent his frustrations. But for now, he was marveling at the fact while the majority of his family now existed as disembodied hands like the one he typically wore on his face, he just learned that Izuku was kind of like family him. The son of his Sensei who was like a father to Tomura.

Could this be fate?

“Now go,” All For One commanded, breaking him from his thoughts. “We all have work to do.”

The young successor bowed as All For One dismissed them and Kurogiri already had a portal formed for them to exit through. Tomura stepped inside as he had many times before and was back in the bar instantaneously. Magne was sitting at the bar filing her nails as she had been tasked to watch over their guests. He signaled her to leave to which she nodded and vacated the room.

Once alone, Tomura turned his attention to their recruits. Bakugou was tied up in the chair but the muzzle had been taken off. The explosive blonde glanced over at him with that perpetual scowl on his face before scoffing in a huff and pointedly turned away.

Red eyes followed his gaze and found an interesting sight of Izuku lying on the couch in the corner asleep. The admin was curled up slightly into a ball as he clutched the blanket that had been laid over him. It was kind of endearing to see his newly found little brother looking so relaxed. Tomura looked fondly at the sight that he could easily get used to.

The young leader moved to walk over to the couch when Bakugou barked, “Hey, leave him alone, crusty.”

His voice was sharp if quiet as to not wake up the Quirkless teen, but it had no effect on Tomura. It was nothing compared to Sensei’s from earlier.

“He has nothing to fear from me,” the decayer responded quietly, continuing towards the couch and carefully sitting down. His tone then turned to a low growl when he glanced back over at Bakugou. “You on the other hand better watch it. Or we can always muzzle you again.”

Perhaps not the best thing to say to someone they’re trying to recruit though honestly at this point Tomura wasn’t feeling very motivated with this one. Too feral, defiant, and annoying. Bakugou glared as he reluctantly stayed quiet really not wanting the muzzle again. But he kept a sharp eye on the Villain who was way too close to his childhood friend. He needed to make sure nothing else happened to Izuku so they could get out of there alive. Tomura took his silence as a win and turned back to the boy asleep beside him.

The admin looked so peaceful sleeping there. Little sounds of his calm breathing gently filled the air. His freckled cheeks were something the Villain hadn’t really noticed before but his eyes couldn’t help connect them together. Then there was his hair all fluffy and green. Like a bush. It looked so soft and Tomura had the strong urge to touch it. And with the newly gifted gloves, he had no worries of hurting the other with his Quirk as he reached out his hand curiously.

He brushed the green curls lightly with his fingers. As he thought, they were really soft and Tomura carefully ran his hand more through the admin’s hair. He was instantly fascinated not just at the feel but also the ability to not having to be overly aware of his fingers. While he couldn’t feel as much with his covered fingers but the gloves gave him a new freedom he hadn’t felt in a long time.

Izuku stirred in his sleep and Tomura froze not knowing what to do. He watched as the admin shifted in a way that ended up with him nuzzling into the young leader’s lap. Two pairs of red eyes stared wide in shock. Bakugou watched in disbelief while Tomura gulped nervously before continuing to card his fingers carefully through his little brother’s hair.

Yeah, he could get used to this.

~~~

Izuku found himself being slowly pulled back to consciousness as if coaxed by the fingers running through his hair. A comforting gesture since childhood that always helped calm him. He let out a sigh as he leaned into the touch and snuggled into his pillow. A pillow that then let out a soft dry chuckled at him.

Wait.

Izuku took stock of the situation as he kept his eyes closed. Last time had been a disaster and he wanted to prepare himself for whatever the world had in store for him next. Though he honestly couldn’t think of anything worse than waking up and finding out his own father was gods damn All For One.

The hand in his hair was being gentle as it continued to play with his hair. Obviously, his pillow was actually a person which would mean he was most likely in their lap, but who exactly he didn’t know. Okay, let’s think this through. It couldn’t be Himiko because the hand was too big which he knew from personal experience. It also wasn’t Dabi because the hand didn’t feel rough like his. Kurogiri could also be eliminated because his Quirk would have been a big give away.

So the hand was large but gentle. The slight scratches of the nails against his scalp left a nice tingle in their wake, but he only felt three fingers doing that. The other two fingers still gave a pleasant pressure but it didn’t feel the same as the others. Then he noticed the smell. It was dusty and dry as if all of the moisture had been sucked out of it. Which means, considering all the members of the League and their Quirks, that could only mean it was…

Decay.

Izuku’s eyes shot opened and he looked up in terror at Shigaraki. The Villain was watching him with that weird soft smile from before. Considering his Quirk, the Quirkless teen was too terrified to move as he gulped.

“No need to worry, admin,” Shigaraki said, his tone sounding amused. “You’re safe with me.”

The decayer lifted his other hand and showed that he was wearing gloves. The same kind Izuku had suggested to him. Kurogiri really worked fast. The gloves meant that Decay wouldn’t activate and upon knowing that, he pushed the Villain’s hand away and scrambled to the other side of the couch. A little difficult considering he got tangled up in the blanket placed on him but Izuku managed to fling it off. He huddled there as he glared at his kidnapper who had dared to touch him like that.

“Stay away from me,” Izuku seethed with a glare.

~~~

Tomura frowned at his reaction. It had been going so well when he was still asleep. Calm and quiet. Compliant. Actually leaning into his touch with no fear or hatred. But now that he was awake, he was instantly on his guard. Though could Tomura really blame him for that? The decayer did hurt him. Tomura needed to fix this.

Izuku was his little brother after all.

The thought of family had Tomura reaching into his pocket and pulling out Father. He always made a point to keep it with him at all times when he wasn’t wearing it on his face. A gift from Sensei to remind him of his anger and his goal. To destroy the world in a rain of fire so a new one could be born from the ashes.

The Quirkless teen eyed the young leader cautiously, but other than taking out the creepy disembodied hand he made no other movement. Izuku didn’t necessarily want to keep sharing the couch with him but also didn’t really want to find out the Villain’s reaction if he tried to move away even further. He was kind of a wild card when it came to his emotions. Especially when it came to Izuku threatening him one second and acting friendly the next. Let’s just say it was confusing.

Izuku carefully sat there next to the young Villain who regarded him quietly. He glanced over at Katsuki who was watching them like a hawk but not doing or saying anything else. Well, at least he seemed alright. The silence that filled the room was awkward. Understandably so but still awkward. What does one talk about with their captor? It came to a point that he couldn’t take it anymore and broke the silence with a question that had been bugging him.

“Why do you wear that hand on your face?” Izuku asked, peeking over at the Villain.

The decayer seemed surprised at the question for a second until a smirk grew on his face.

“You trying to unlock my character bio, admin?” Tomura replied, his tone dripping with amusement.

“Does that mean it’s connected to why you became a Villain?” the teen countered, hoping he could learn more about his past.

“Yes, but I don’t even know how much or why exactly,” the decayer answered, gaining a confused look from the greenet. Tomura tapped his temple. “Repressed memories due to trauma, but I don’t need to remember that to reach my goal.”

Surprisingly the Villain was actually talking to him. Then again, he was trying to recruit Izuku so he guessed it made sense he was being so open. Especially after decaying his hand. There was no way Izuku would say yes to joining but he wouldn’t let this opportunity pass.

“What happened to you?” Izuku pressed on, seeing what he could get. "I’d like to try to understand how you got here, why you're doing this. Because I don't believe anyone is born a Villain but rather made. Whether by their own ambitions or forced into it. I'm trying to figure out which one you are."

"Perhaps both, but like I said, the details are fuzzy for me,” the young leader shrugged, turning to face the bar. “I don't remember much before Sensei found me."

"You don't?” the teen echoed, wondering what could have caused him to have amnesia. “What happened?"

The air was quiet as Tomura sat there thinking. Trying to figure an answer to give the admin beside him. The boy was trying to get to know him, to understand him, not just as a Villain but as a person. Wasn’t ignoring him as so many others had. The least the decayer could do was to give as much of an answer as he could. The snippets that ran through his mind were painful as always to sift through but he gathered enough to form an idea.

Green eyes watched him in rapt attention as Tomura tilted his head towards the teen and said in a solemn tone, "I think I killed my family."

Izuku stared at him in shock and the reaction almost made the decayer laugh, but he didn’t want to ruin this little heart-to-heart they were having. Just the two of them sitting side by side trading words besides the angry blonde glaring at them. It had been a long time since he ever talked about himself like this.

"W-what makes you think that?" Izuku breathed.

"Again, not sure,” Tomura replied, shrugging again. “I remember them being kind and caring. Well except for my father who treated me like crap. Him I would have been glad to kill if I did."

Okay, so he had a shitbag of a father as well though he certainly wasn’t alone in that category. Maybe the Todorokis and him could start a club. Izuku too now that he knew who exactly his father was. Which was something he was having a hard time processing. Hisashi had been so kind to him. Never took a hand to him or yelled at him too harshly. Had even told him to at least try to be a Hero only to now tell him it was impossible. That he was born to follow in All For One’s footsteps.

Yeah, right. There’s no way in hell I’m doing that.

He refused to lose his dream when the chance of achieving it was finally in his grasp. Fuck All For One and his bullshit. Izuku was going to be a Hero no matter what.

"They were kind and I have a strong feeling that I killed them,” the young leader confessed, scowling down at the hand. Izuku didn’t know how to feel about his captor as he listened. “I remember being angry and itching to do something about it. Then suddenly, the urge to itch disappeared and I was free. Except freedom for a five-year-old means wandering aimlessly hoping someone would reach out and help. But they never did."

He remembered wandering the streets alone for who knows how long. No shoes, obvious blood on his small hands, and apparently a crazed look on his face that drove most people running. Some had stopped to ask him if he was okay but after one look, they would leave quickly saying a cop or Hero would come along to help him eventually. But there had been no helping hand extended his way until Sensei found him. Taking a small lost child in his comforting arms and offering him a home.

"I wasn't bullied like you, Izuku,” Tomura stated as he glanced over at the recruit. There were tears growing in the corners of those concerned green eyes. “No, I was abandoned by this society. No one helped, civilian or Hero alike, the clearly alone and lost little child wandering the streets. No one until Sensei."

The day Sensei had found him was seared into his brain. The air was muggy and smelled of minerals as the rain fell. He had taken refuge under a bridge and had been forlorn thinking no one would find him there. Yet Sensei did.

"Sensei saved me,” the Villain said, a tone reverence in his voice. “Took me off the streets and helped me when no one else ever did. Guided me and gave me my family to help me on my mission in life. Told me that I was allowed to let go and destroy all those who wronged me. That this world was mine to tear down and rebuild it to what I want."

~~~

While Izuku could feel for the man beside him, he couldn’t help but question why All For One took him in. Because from just that small glimpse into his past, it was clear to the boy that Shigaraki did not exactly choose this path in life. Something happened to his family leaving him orphaned on the streets. And unfortunately, this society was reliant on Heroes so seeing a young traumatized child could be deemed too much responsibility to the average citizen. Leaving said child to fend for themselves and vulnerable to be led astray.

How unlucky for Shigaraki to be found by All For One out of anyone in the world. Izuku could relate now after finding out who exactly his father was having been lied to his whole life. Hisashi was a farce and All For One was a bastard who expected him to become a Villain like him. No way that was happening for Izuku but who knows what the Number One Villain filled Shigaraki’s younger self with to make him who he was today. Lessons on how to hate the world while also giving him a home and…wait, did he say All For One gave him his family?

 “What do you mean by he ‘gave’ you your family?” Izuku asked, brows furrowed in morbid curiosity.

“This…” the Villain said as he held up the disembodied hand for him to see. “…is Father.”

Green eyes blinked once, twice, and then thrice before he understood.

“Wait, is that actually your father’s hand?!” the Quirkless teen squeaked in revulsive shock. He didn’t really want to think about what that meant for the other hands.

Shigaraki let out an amused chuckle then replied, “The hands I wear were a gift from Sensei and the doctor. A way to keep them close and remind me why I was now here. They are a part of me and fuel my hatred for this world that turned its back on me.”

Izuku wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Didn’t know if he could say anything. He was still in shock to learn that the Villain wore actual hands, the hands of his own family, as a costume of sorts to show where he came from. To be honest it was overwhelming. He had guessed there was more to Shigaraki’s story but never expected this and this was only a peek. He needed a change in subject, at least for the moment.

“What is your plan exactly?” Izuku asked, not really sure what else to say but trying to see if he could get some answers.

~~~

Tomura eyed him curiously. Did he want to know because he wanted to join or was he just fishing for information? Honestly, he wasn’t sure at this point. While he wanted the admin to join them, he was starting to see that was going to be harder than he thought. Although Izuku has seen the darker side of this world, instead of making him fall into that darkness, his experiences were pushing him into the light.

Little Hero, indeed.

The young leader still wanted him to join them. Be a part of the change Tomura wanted to make to the heartless world they lived in. To show that Heroes were false idols and the people had become complacent sheep. Standing idly by while others did the work. All of them a part of the problem that left those rejected and neglected to fall into the only place left for them to go.

‘What happened to you? I’d like to try to understand how you got here, why you're doing this.’

The admin had wanted to know his story. Not that Tomura remembered all of it himself. Memories of his past repressed from a trauma he didn’t really want to remember anyway. He didn’t need it because the hands of his family gifted to him by Sensei were reminders enough. Both a comfort and a torment at the same time. Serving as a symbol of his first steps on his path to Villainy.

‘Because I don't believe anyone is born a Villain but rather made. Whether by their own ambitions or forced into it. I'm trying to figure out which one you are.’

Honestly, Tomura wasn’t entirely sure himself. It certainly wasn’t his original idea as a kid. In fact, he thinks he wanted to be a H…a stab of pain pinned that thought in its tracks. Why was his mind trying to bring up his past so much lately? Was it because of Izuku? A Quirkless boy who had seen the inequality and prejudice of this world first hand. Who could understand to a degree what he himself had experienced. It was as if his mind wanted to connect to Izuku and maybe see if Izuku would accept him as he is.

But the admin has yet to agree to join them. Frustrating, yes, but again with how things have been going, he couldn’t really blame him for hesitating. Muscular attacking his mother had never been part of the plan. That was on that blood obsessed muscle head. If anything, Muscular being captured at the training camp saved the young leader the trouble of having to deal with the idiot himself.

Good riddance.

Tomura also never intended to hurt Izuku but he ended up doing that anyway. And now he learned that the admin had actually been Sensei’s son all this time. This had to be fate even though Izuku was too stubborn to see or accept it. Yet. This would all be a matter of time even though it was going to be longer than he wanted. But if it was for the admin, Tomura figured he could actually try to be patient.

“Spoilers,” the decayer said as he stood up from the couch. “When you join us, you can hear our plans. For now, relax and consider our offer. We really do want you to join us, Izuku. I want you to…”

He leaned down causing the boy to freeze allowing him to get close and whisper in his ear.

“…little brother.”

As he leaned back, he gave Izuku an encouraging soft smile that he strangely found so easy to make in the boy’s presence. The teen stared up at him green eyes wide with shock. He knows and now he knows Tomura knows too. Good. Now he could see they were more connected than he realized. That they were meant to be together recreating this fucked world side by side.

“Think, admin,” Tomura said as he placed Father on his face. “Take all the time you need. We really do want you.”

He gave one lingering look at Izuku before turning to leave. As if sensing it, Kurogiri suddenly appeared at his usual place behind the bar. It gave Tomura peace of mind that the boy would be well looked after. Not that he was necessarily worried about the other members of the League. Toga and Dabi already seemed close despite the burnt raisin’s initial hostility. Even Spinner seemed fine with the kid after their clash of ideals. Izuku would fit in just fine.

It has to be fate, he thought as he left the room.

~~~

Katsuki glared at the Villain as he walked away. Once he was out of sight, he turned to watch Izuku who was still frozen on the couch. What the fuck did Crusty say to him?

“Oi, De-Zuku,” Katsuki called out in a harsh whisper. “What the fuck did he say to you?”

The sound of his new nickname, despite it being choppy with the old one, was enough to break him from his trance. Green eyes blinked before connecting with concerned red. They stared at each other in silence until Izuku could collect himself.

“H-he knows,” the greenet finally said with a stutter. “About All For One a-and me.”

Now it was Katsuki’s turn to be shocked. Well fuck. That can’t be good. If that Shigafucker knew about who his shitbag dad was, there was no telling what he would do with that information.

“What exactly did he say to you?” the explosive blonde questioned.

Kurogiri silently observed them but they paid the misty man no mind. Honestly it was just them right now and neither could give two shits for anyone else. They were only teenagers gods damn it. All of this crap was way too much for them to handle.

“He…he called me…,” Izuku started only to pause for a moment. A confused expression then took over his face. “He called me ‘little brother’.”

Katsuki blinked not really knowing how to react to that. Little brother? What the fuck was up with that? Handsy finds out that All For One is Izuku’s father and now he sees him as a little brother? What the fuck?!

But now was not the time to panic. As Izuku had said over and over since they got here, they needed to be smart and wait for the opportune moment to escape. Which meant they had to keep their wits even though this was so much more fucked up the longer they stayed. And if the nerd was having a hard time doing that, even if it was understandable why, then Katsuki was going to have to step up and act as his support. Because despite all of the fucked-up shit he pulled as a kid, Katsuki had to make up for it and was going to be the best damn Hero he can.

And right now, Izuku was in desperate need for a gods damn Hero.

“Okay, okay, so that shitty fucker knows,” Katsuki spoke, trying to be calm for fucking once in his life. “But we need to stay focused, Zuku.”

The new nickname dropped from his lips so much easier than his first name. It had a similar feel in his mouth as Deku but without all of the bad history tied to it. But it was still new so it felt like a novelty.

“I’ll have to get used to you calling me that,” Izuku said, smiling at him with that stupid sappy look on his face. It turned amused as a blush unwantedly flared on the blonde’s cheeks.

“Shut up, nerd,” Katsuki grumbled, annoyed when his childhood friend actually giggled at his embarrassment. “Whatever. I know this has been shitty from the start but we gotta stay strong.”

“Of course, Kacchan,” Izuku agreed with a chuckle. “We’ll get through this together. Plus Ultra.”

He held up a fist even though Katsuki couldn’t return it with his hands bound, but the sentiment was still clear.

Katsuki replied instead with a nod as he said, “Plus Ultra.”

Still silent, Kurogiri said nothing but in the swirling depths of his warped mind he too would go beyond as best he could with his conditioning. While he was a Villain now, no matter what All For One and the doctor did to him, no Quirk or experimentation would ever fully snuff out the Hero within. If possible, he would help these innocent children in any way he could.

Plus Ultra, indeed.

Notes:

Shiggy sees Izuku as a little brother! :D SailorStar9, you so called it. I'm sure all of you were wondering how in the hell was Shiggy going to react to him and honestly I was too. I played around with so many different scenarios but for the longest time I couldn't decide on one. From him being stunned in disbelief to jealousy to explosive anger. Honestly pages of different ways this could have gone.

But you know what? I am a sucker for soft Shigaraki.

He's immature and violent but there's that suffering child inside. Which canon Midoriya is reaching out for and BC Izuku will too. How and when remains to be seen. But for BC Shiggy, I see him as hard around the edges but deep down he just wants a family again. A place where he just belongs without any of the other bullshit. Again, details are still unsure but I just love him genuinely wanting Izuku to join for himself. To be somewhere he can belong like Shig felt he did. With the fun of conflicted goals thrown in the mix.

If anyone is questioning Izuku not knowing about the hand being called Father, here's a reminder. In BC, when Shigaraki says that during the USJ attack, Aizawa's ear piece was broken and Kirishima, Bakugou, and Todoroki were still far away. Only All Might was close enough to hear anything and Izuku had to result to speaking over the PA to warn him about Decay. So while it did happen, Izuku didn't hear it.

That's it for today! Hope you enjoyed this surprise update! ^___^ Coming up we're back to the hero side of things. Prep happening for the rescue from multiple parties. Kamino is coming, folks. All hell is going break loose. Okie! See ya next week!

Chapter 39: Common Cause

Notes:

Heyo! As promised, here is our usual update! It's more lead up to Kamino time! As always a slow burn because my brain demands it. We'll get there though I promise. ;)

We've got more pov changes this chapter so fair warning.

Also warning for the briefest of mentions of suicide baiting. Like seriously it's just those two words used and that's it.

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

Hitoshi sat on the bed in the setting evening sun listening to the dial tone on his phone. He had made up his mind on going after Izuku if Yaoyorozu agreed to help them. Mei was already there waiting sitting in a chair beside him and was visibly antsy to get going, but there was one more thing Hitoshi had to do before they could leave. The phone finally connected and his dad’s voice spoke.

Hitoshi, what is it? Shouta asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

“Hey, um, I wanted to let you know I’ve been discharged,” Hitoshi replied, a little nervous but knew he had to do this.

For Izuku.

Good to hear,” he said. “How are you feeling?

“Better,” the purple haired teen answered, working on keeping himself to sound calm. “My headache’s gone and they cleared me of anything else, but I wanted to ask you something.”

Shoot,” his foster dad said.

Hitoshi cast a nervous glance over to Mei who flashed him a thumbs up. He nodded and then turned his attention back to the phone. He really hoped this worked.

“I know you wanted me to go straight home, but I was wondering if I could meet up with my friends?”

There was silence for a moment and when he didn’t really get an answer, he pressed on with the argument he and Mei came up with to try and convince him.

“It’s just I don’t really want to be alone right now,” the brainwasher explained. “And I know you and Hizashi are busy. And I just…”

Who are these friends? Shouta interjected, his flat tone revealing nothing.

It wasn’t a ‘no’ though which make Hitoshi hopeful as he answered, “Mei, Shouto, and a few others.”

Definitely Kirishima but they didn’t know about Yaoyorozu or not. There was another moment of silence as his foster dad considered it. Please, please say yes. A tired sigh came out on the other side of the phone.

Yes, you can,” Shouta agreed though reluctantly. His tone then became firm. “Be safe and don’t do anything reckless.

Hitoshi had never lied to the man before. Well maybe by omission when it came to his foster situation, but other than that, no. This time though he had to lie. He couldn’t just not do anything to help rescue Izuku. He had to save his brother.

“I won’t,” Hitoshi lied through his teeth. He paused for a moment before tacking on, “Thanks.”

He got an affirming hum before his foster dad hung up to finish preparing for the press conference. The purple haired teen knew he very much did not want to go in front of a bunch of reporters. He hated the press with a passion and felt like a monkey in a suit parading before them and putting on a show. But at least he would go on with the thought of his foster son not doing anything reckless. Hitoshi felt a sharp pang of guilt knowing that he actually was and had lied basically to the Hero’s face.

Fuck.

Mei stood up from the chair and sat next to him on the bed. She wasn’t the best at social cues but could sense her friend was feeling down. They never really hung out just the two of them as Izuku was the main link, but the fact that they were going to save him was a bond that wasn’t going to break. The pinkette gave a comforting pat to his shoulder.

“You doing okay there, Hitoshi?” Mei asked, doing her best to support him.

“Yeah, I…I’m fine,” Hitoshi replied, a little shaky. He wasn’t used to her comforting him like this. “You, uh, you ready to go?”

The mad inventor smiling manically at him was answer enough so they collected their things before leaving the room. They walked quietly through the halls with anticipation weighing heavily on their shoulders. Kirishima had been as firm as his Quirk wanting to do this and Shouto as rigid as his ice, but they didn’t know if it actually would happen. It all depended on Yaoyorozu.

The sun had already set once they made their way outside. Kirishima and Shouto were out there waiting for them. Their ice prince was stoic as ever but the rocky red head had a worried grimace on his face. They both looked up as the other two approached.

“You decided to come,” Kirishima commented, his expression losing some hardness but was still serious.

“Yup,” Hitoshi responded as he pointed a thumb back at Mei. “Phoned a friend too.”

“Okay,” the red head nodded. “That makes four of us. All we’re waiting for is…”

“Me,” a voice called out from behind Hitoshi.

They all turned to see Yaoyorozu who had a bandage patch on her forehead and a frown on her face. Well, at least she agreed to speak with them. Now was the time to see if she also agreed to help them. Hitoshi waited with bated breath.

“So, what did you decide?” Kirishima asked, also desperately wanting to know.

She grimaced and looked down for a moment to collect herself as she said, “I think that…”

“Hold on.”

The new voice that spoke caused them to gasp and turn to see that it was Tenya who had just showed up. It was hard to tell the look in his eyes with the glare of the hospital lights on his glasses, but his posture seemed stiffer than usual.

“Iida, what are you doing here?” Kirishima questioned considering he had been against the idea.

“Why? Why do you insist on doing this?” the speedster prodded, his fists firm with emotion. “Especially you two.”

He pointedly looked at Shouto and Hitoshi. Ah, this had to be about Hosu and the chief giving them amnesty from fighting without a license. Well, that was more Tenya and Shouto who acted without permission unlike Izuku and Hitoshi but still.

“We’re still students,” Tenya continued to reprimand them. “If we are to act recklessly it would reflect poorly on UA which is in a bad position as it is. We can’t be rash and act without permission!”

“Now is not the time for your obsession with sticking to the rulebook,” Hitoshi snapped in irritation. “We’re going to do this with or without your ‘permission’.”

His spitefulness came out with his air quotes. Tenya looked offended and reared back to punch him. Seeing as the speedster mostly fought with his legs and Hitoshi had been training with Shouta for months, it was easy to dodge and parry the hit. Tenya stumbled a little before righting himself and glaring at him which Hitoshi returned channeling his inner Eraserhead. It almost took the others holding them back to stop their fighting.

Tenya growled but relented as he said, “I know you’re frustrated and concerned. I am as well. As class rep of course I am! I worry about all of my classmates. Not just Izuku and Bakugou.”

Hearing his brother’s name said out loud was like a shot to Hitoshi’s heart. While they were friends, Tenya better watch what he says or someone was going to get brainwashed.

“When I saw my classmates in the hospital, all I could think of was my brother,” Tenya explained, small tears forming in the corner of his eyes. It helped to quell some of Hitoshi’s anger at him. “What if you ended up hurt like that and I did nothing to try and stop you. Can’t you understand where I’m coming from?”

The others stood there staring at him not sure what to do. Mei on the other hand felt compelled to comfort him. As agreed, they had spent some time in the studio testing out her babies. Mainly the speed related ones which worked perfectly with his Quirk. So, they had gotten to know each other better and had made amends after her apology concerning their match. While they weren’t as close as she was to her Freakateer friends, she still cared for him and didn’t like seeing him like this. And so, just like with Hitoshi, she walked over and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Tenya blinked in surprise at that and looked down at her. He was confused by the reaction but only saw concern in her yellow cross-haired eyes. It sort of helped to calm him in a way while at the same time making him angrier at the others for getting her involved. His classmates were at least training to be Heroes but she was a civilian. She had no experience that would help her protect herself if anything were to go wrong.

The class rep took a deep breath to calm himself so he wouldn’t lash out again.

“Thank you, Mei,” Tenya offered in appreciation. She gave him another pat before letting go as he turned his attention to the others. “You can’t do this. And you shouldn’t have roped her into it too. We’re training to be Heroes, dammit! Not Vigilantes.”

“You’ve got it wrong,” Shouto spoke up suddenly. “We never intended to face the Villains head-on. We’re going to get them back without fighting.”

That surprised Tenya enough to lessen his anger. They didn’t plan to fight? But then how…?

“We’re going to be stealthy, man,” Kirishima assured. “Covert ops and all that. Then we can rescue them without breaking the rules.”

Then it was Yaoyorozu’s turn to chime in.

“I have trust in Todoroki’s judgement,” she said, head downturned and a hand held protectively in front of her chest. “But things could go very wrong. Which is why I’ve decided to join you as backup. I will stand behind my classmates.”

She lifted her head to look them in the eyes to convey her conviction on the matter. Sweet, that meant they had her help recreating the tracker and as backup. Tenya however was not pleased by this.

“You can’t possibly be serious about this,” the speedster admonished.

“Thanks, Yaoyorozu,” Kirishima said with a relieved smile. “You’re the best.”

“We’re doing this, Tenya,” Hitoshi pressed with a determined frown. “None of us can stand by and do nothing. We have a real chance to help with this and that’s what we’re going to do. We are going to save them.”

Purple eyes stared hard into stubborn dark blue. Whether he liked it or not, they were doing this. And if he tried to stop them again, Hitoshi was not above using his Quirk on him to prevent that.

“It’s clear we’ll never agree,” Tenya finally relented closing his eyes for a moment as he let out a sigh. After a moment he opened them hardened with his own resolve. “Therefore, I will be going with you.”

The declaration surprised them never thinking he would actually go along with their plan, but Hitoshi guessed there was a first time for everything. So, this was it. The group of six were going to save them. They had no guarantee of success and didn’t know what the Villains had up their sleeves, but at least they had a chance and Hitoshi was going to take it.

~~~

Shouta was worried. For his missing problem children. For his kid to do something reckless. The tired man didn’t really believe Hitoshi when he said he’d stay out of trouble. However, there wasn’t really anything Shouta could do about that right now. He was in this stupid suit about to go to an irritating press conference. He even shaved for the damn thing. At least he got some relief with Hizashi’s offer to help with his hair. Not that Shouta couldn’t do that himself but it felt nice to feel his husband playing around with the strands. It left him with a messy half bun to keep the hair out of his face.

“Thanks, Zashi,” he said with a relaxed sigh though he still felt tense. Gods, he hated the press. “Let’s get this over with.”

“You’ve got this, Shou,” Hizashi said, giving him a light peck on the lips. “We’re going to get them back. Tonight.”

Shouta nodded though he wished he could be there to help save their students but as their homeroom teacher he couldn’t. He was the face of Class 1-A and needed to be at the press conference to represent his missing students. Kan had to as well for 1-B and Nezu as the principal of UA. Together they would have to face the press and accept their judgment for failing to keep their students safe. While the Villain attack wasn’t expected, it was still their responsibility to protect them.

At least he had some comfort though that the press conference was for more than just answering for their failures. A distraction that was part of a two-fold rescue plan having two different locations to attack at the same time. One from Yaoyorozu’s help and the other from intelligence gathered by Sansa.

Hizashi was already dressed and ready to join them. He hadn’t originally been a part of the raiding team but Tsukauchi couldn’t keep him away even if he tried. There was no way he was going to stand by while his favorite student was in the hands of Villains. Hosu had been bad enough and then with the training camp, Present Mic refused to stay on the sidelines. Not this time.

Well, at least with Hizashi there, he can also keep an eye out for Hitoshi. Reckless kid. Shouta already gave him a heads up of his suspicions just in case.

“Stay safe out there,” Shouta said, giving his husband a certain look.

It was one they always shared whenever one of them was going off on a dangerous mission. No matter how much they planned and prepared, things could still go wrong at any moment. They knew that all too well. It was their way to communicate how much they loved each other in case the worse could happen.

“I will, Shou, I promise,” Hizashi assured him, giving a lingering kiss before stepping back. “Try not to kill any reporters while I’m gone.”

The comment made him chuckle alleviating some of the tension in the air.

“No promises,” Shouta quipped with a smirk. “Now get out of here, Cockatoo. Bring our kids back.”

With a final nod, the Voice Hero left which gave the tired man a moment alone to mentally prepare himself for this. It was going to be irritating and frustrating. He hated so much being on TV. But if this was for his students, his kids, then he would gladly suffer through the grilling UA was about to experience.

Alright. Let’s do this, Shouta thought as he too walked out the door.

~~~

Alright. Let’s do this, Hitoshi thought as he adjusted his mask.

It wasn’t the collapsible one Mei had given him on I-Island but a simple black medical mask. Though he did have the other one on him just in case they needed a little mimicry. It was part of his disguise which he agreed was a good idea, but he refused to get all dressed up like the others in ridiculous outfits. Though the brainwasher did go for a faux leather jacket that reminded him of his pop’s. The thought of just one of his dads made him grimace with guilt but he forced the feeling down.

This is for Izuku. And Bakugou. Ugh.

He hated that bastard so much but they were Heroes and not even he deserved to be kidnapped by Villains. Fine, he’ll do his best to save the human Pomeranian too, though he didn’t have to like it.

Heh, wonder what he’ll think when he sees these idiots.

Honestly, they were being ridiculous dressing up like they were gangsters or something. Yeah, no. Hitoshi loved his brother from another mother but no way was he doing that.

Shouto chose a black vest and bottoms with an off-white button up shirt. He was attempting to hide his distinctive hair with a black wig though some of his white was peeking out. His declaration of this being his incognito self was hilariously deadpanned though.

Yaoyorozu went with a pink dress that while pretty on her, it might not be the most practical. Tenya looked absurd with his little mustache, red bow tie, and striped suspenders paired with a white top and black pants. Kirishima kept his theme of red with a jacket, pants, and a white undershirt. Not too bad but then he added two pieces of metal on his head like horns.

Then there was Mei and all her ridiculous over-the-top glory. They had all gone into a Donki Oote store and she happened to find a steam punk section. They thought they’d have to drag her away before she took too long looking through all of it, but they didn’t have to. Her yellow eyes zoomed in and immediately spotted exactly what she wanted.

Like on I-Island, she chose a pork pie hat in a rich red and refused to wear a skirt choosing pants to go with instead. Then she found a matching jacket with a Victorian waterfall waistcoat to go as well. For some reason, when Tenya saw her in the outfit, a blush came to his cheeks as he stared at her before he quickly shook himself out of it.

Hmm…interesting.

Hitoshi would have to keep an eye on that, but not right now. Besides, he was still a little pissed at Tenya for trying to hit him earlier though he did apologize. He accepted but that didn’t mean he wasn’t still mad at him for trying to stop them. Tenya agreed to come with but as their watchdog more than anything else. To keep an eye on them not condoning their actions and would make them retreat at the first sign of physical trouble.

Not the worst, he guessed, just as long as they got a move on. Yaoyorozu was also apprehensive seeing the rescue of their friends as more a job for the Pros than a bunch of amateurs like them. But she understood how they were feeling and was willing to compromise by helping them. Though silently she wished they would look past their frustration and see how difficult a rescue without fighting would be.

On their way over by bullet train, they had discussed their plan. The rest of the class knew about it and had tried to talk them out of it, but it wasn’t going to work. They were here dressed strangely for their chosen mission and there was no stopping them now. Well other than the class reps insisting they would at the first inklings of danger.

Sure, they had plenty of chances but there was no way Hitoshi was going to turn back. He could feel Mei’s own determination even though she was distracted quickly scrolling on her phone. Kirishima sure as hell wasn’t going to back down and Shouto didn’t know what else to do feeling lost without Izuku.

The bicolor teen had come to an understanding in their time apart. That he had certain feelings for his warm friend and needed to get him back to tell him. There was no knowing if there would be another chance to save him. He just…he needed Izuku to know how he feels about him.

The two-hour train ride had been tense with them all sort of avoiding eye contact. They had arrived in Kamino Ward at ten o’ clock sharp. The streets were crowded and the Villains could be hiding anywhere in the city. Kirishima wanted to jump right in but Yaoyorozu had been the voice of reason that they were too recognizable and had to be careful. Which is what lead to this weird little rescue costume party they had going on.

“Momo, couldn’t we have saved some money if you had used your Quirk?” Shouto asked flatly.

Oh, good point.

Yaoyorozu started babbling about that being against the rules and how it would impact the economy. Yadda, yadda, yadda. Honestly, Hitoshi figured she just wanted to go shopping which was probably more accurate. Oh rich girls. She also had another rich girl moment when she excitedly revealed it was her first-time using coin lockers when they stored their stuff. Hitoshi just shook his head in amusement.

“Look! It’s UA High!” a voice in the crowd called out making them all cringe. Had they been spotted already?

So much for disguises.

But turned out it was actually not about them as they sort of blended into the crowd. Up on a big screen on the side of a nearby building, they were displaying footage of the press conference. Seeing his dad up there fanned the flames of his guilt but he refused to let it burn up his resolve. Hitoshi would apologize to them both for lying later.

It was weird to see Shouta on TV like this. As an Underground Hero, this was a rare sight but a necessary one. Hitoshi felt bad having to see his foster dad like this. How he was being socially forced to apologize for something that had been out of his control. Hitoshi certainly didn’t blame him for losing Izuku and Bakugou. Sure, he put some blame on himself for not being fast enough, but a large part of this was on the Villains.

While he was in the hospital, Taikan had come to visit and helped talk him through how he was feeling. Thankfully, Shouta had left the room for a coffee break to give them some privacy. It had helped him sort through his thoughts and feelings though it had done nothing to dissuade his intentions. Something Taikan had picked up on but could only insist on him to not jump into anything rashly and say he was always there for him. Another level of guilt of having lied to him too and both knew he could tell. One more person on his list to apologize to later.

It was hard watching their teachers and principal being blamed for everything. That they were responsible for the twenty-six injured students and the kidnapping of two more. It was like they were treating them like Villains themselves. Fuck that. They were Heroes damnit and Heroes weren’t perfect all the time. They can’t expect them to be all powerful and omnipotent. They weren’t gods. Just another reason to avoid the press and become an Underground Hero like his dad.

The crowd around them started chastising the Heroes on the screen. Questioning their responses and berating them on their plans. They had no idea how much thought the Heroes put into tonight with the press conference and the rescue.

Just you wait and see, you jerks. The Heroes are going to save them and we’re here to help in any way we can.

“We should get going,” Hitoshi said, making the others nod before carefully weaving through the crowd following after Yaoyorozu. This had to work or he didn’t know what he would do. Hitoshi needed his brother back.

~~~

Shouta hated this. It was just him along with Nezu and Kan in front of a sea of reporters. They had already made their initial statements and apologies for their failures. Now it was the time where the reporter heathens could ask them questions. Trying their best to trip them up and squeeze them for any juicy bits of gossip and drama. All while the cameras flashed and filmed their every move forcing them to keep a tight hold on their reactions.

Gods, I hate the media.

So far it hadn’t been so bad. They were of course angry in general but at least seemed to accept them at their word. Until this guy started talking. The reporter had muted brown hair and wore a worn brown suit. He had a little notebook in his hand that he kept glancing at as he asked his questions. Well, they more sounded like accusations which was ticking Shouta off. He so wanted to punch this guy in the face.

“You spoke of keeping the students safe, Eraserhead,” the man said, looking once again down at that damn notebook. Shouta wanted to burn it. “But we have information that you actually encouraged them to fight during the attack. However, by doing so, didn’t that put them into grave danger? What sort of reasoning do you have for that decision?”

Shouta leaned forward to speak clearly into the mic and answered, “It was a decision I made because we didn’t know the full situation. By allowing them to use their Quirks to defend themselves, it was to help avoid the worst possible outcome.”

“And what would that outcome be?” the reporter sneered. “Do you consider twenty-six victims and two kidnapped children a win for UA High?”

Oh, he so wanted to kick this guy’s ass.

“I assure you that the outcome could have been far worse,” Shouta stressed, staring the man directly in the eye. “I feared every student there would be tortured and killed in the end.”

“Most of the victims were harmed by the poisonous gas attack resulting from one of the Villain’s Quirks,” Nezu chimed in, appearing and sounding calm but Shouta noted the slight twitching of his tail. “Because of the quick actions by two of the students, the injuries were thankfully kept to a bare minimum. In addition, we are providing mental health counseling to all students. For the moment, there have been no signs of serious psychological trauma.”

That Shouta was grateful for just like he was after the USJ attack. Well, at least this time Inui had additional help from Taikan to share the load. While he felt bad for the buffalo man for being fired from the foster center, he was a welcomed addition to the UA staff. And he was familiar with Hitoshi’s past so he could give more of a personal touch.

“So, you think you’ve found a bright spot in this tragedy?” the reporter derided.

Nezu shot back, “We are relieved that this group of burgeoning Heroes still have a future.”

“Can you say the same for the two that were abducted?” the man retorted with his face twisted into a frown.

The question was like a slap in the face. Shouta managed to keep it mostly together except for a twitch of his eyes. Of course, they would come to this part eventually. This was not going to be pleasant.

“Bakugou Katsuki enrolled at UA with excellent marks and placed third overall in the Sports Festival,” the reporter grilled. “However, throughout the festival he displayed a level of violence that brings his future Heroic motivations into question. It’s obvious he has little control of his temper.”

Oh, he didn’t know half of it. Didn’t know of the years of bullying and of the suicide baiting. Had no idea that Bakugou had attack the boy who won the Sports Festival. But he was also determined to be a Hero and was willing to work with them to learn from his mistakes and be a better person. That Bakugou wasn’t a Villain.

“Could this be the reason why the Villains kidnapped him?” the man questioned. “What if he’s being brainwashed as we speak and being pulled towards the path of evil? How does that play into his so-called future as a Hero?”

You know nothing, you damn reporter.

Shouta wanted to scream and shout. Wanted to kick this guy’s ass. The Underground Hero was seeing red at the reporter’s insinuations. He oh so wanted to take this jerk outside to the alley and beat the living shit out of him. But he can’t. Not when his students were in danger.

Alongside him, Nezu and Kan side-eyed him with worry as he stood up. Shouta’s face was hardened with resolve to not lash out even though he very much wanted to. So instead of doing what he wanted, Shouta stood tall and looked straight into the reporter’s eyes.

“As Bakugou Katsuki’s teacher, I can assure you he is determined to become a Hero,” Shouta insisted, keeping his eyes downcast. “His actions during the Sports Festival were born of deep-seated convictions. We have already taken steps to address his violent nature and he has made great progress in controlling his temper. He is trying his hardest to reach his goal to become the top Hero.”

The tired man refused to look away from asshole reporter. The guy to his merit held his gaze with the fierce Underground Hero. Though Shouta did feel a small victory when he noted the small twitch of the man’s eye as he swallowed down his nerves. There was a reason Eraserhead was considered a terror in the night. Able to stop enemies in their tracks with just a hardened glare. If only he could activate Erasure for added effect but now was not the right time for that. Not in front of the cameras that he hated so much. Though perhaps not as much as he hated this guy right now.

“If the Villains intended for him to join them, then they are grossly mistaken,” Shouta stated in a firm tone. “Bakugou Katsuki is aiming to be a Hero. I can guarantee you that much.”

The crowd chattered quietly whispering their opinions on his words. Whether or not they would take them has yet to be seen.

“That doesn’t prove anything nor is it real evidence,” the reporter scoffed. “I asked you for concrete information, not your feelings.”

Ass.

“There’s also the matter of Midoriya Izuku,” the jerkwad pressed on, pissing Shouta off more. “He has been associated with incidents involving the League of Villains since they first revealed themselves. The USJ attack, Hosu, and before the training camp he had even been approached by Shigaraki while out at the mall. One would think that is more than just coincidence.”

What.

First of all, how did he know all of that? The kid’s identity had been kept anonymous in reports of the USJ incident. Unless they had an inside source who said more than they should have. Or even just someone involved or in the know unintentionally talking about it when they shouldn’t. Reporters always seemed to find a way to dig up dirt if they were motivated enough. And it was clear this guy has done his homework when it came to his problem child. At least with the capturing of Stain there was that damn video out there. As for the mall, he figured the man had looked at the security tapes to get that piece of information. Still concerning though.

“It could explain how someone Quirkless could even get into UA. Perhaps he had a little help from his friends in the League to con his way into the Hero Course. Perhaps he is a spy and simply has been reunited with his fellow Villains. Because someone becoming a Hero while Quirkless is impossible.”

WHAT.

Shouta was past pissed off. He was absolutely livid at what he was insinuating. That Izuku was a fraud, a spy, and that he was a Villain. Absolutely fucking not. Izuku was the truest of Heroes he had ever seen. Even the Hero Killer had seen it encouraging him to keep fighting. This jackass didn’t know jack shit about his problem child.

“Midoriya Izuku has worked harder than anyone in his pursuit to become a Hero,” Shouta stated strongly, doing his very best not to growl. Well, too much anyway. “He has been judged for his lack of Quirk his entire life and yet still fights against it all to pursue his only goal in life. To help people and keep them safe.”

“He has also shown his altruism and desire to give back to the community,” Nezu interjected, his tail jerking unseen behind him in anger. “Might I remind you he was the one to clean an entire beach by himself with no want of recognition. Simply a task he took upon himself. He was also instrumental helping to administrate during the USJ incident. How I will not say as it would risk the security of UA and its facilities.”

The hands that had shot up at the new piece of information of that attack slowly lowered in disappointment. Couldn’t keep it entirely secret now because of that damned reporter, but they would control what information they had. Nezu was also known not to budge when he refused to speak of something further.

“He was also the one credited with the capture of the Hero Killer Stain,” Shouta added. He knew that Izuku didn’t like the attention but this was important to defend his character. “Midoriya won his spot in the Hero Course with his own hard efforts and convictions to become a Hero. The Villains would be fools to try and convince him otherwise.”

There was more whispered chattering from the crowd. Some looked convinced while others still skeptical and suspicious. There was no pleasing or convincing everyone, but Shouta and the others knew who Izuku was and his character. His strength of will was unquestionable to them. Even if society didn’t accept the kid, they would no matter what.

“We are doing our best with what intel we have available to us at this time,” Nezu stepped in, trying to take the heat off of one of his best teachers. “The police are working earnestly on this case and I have no doubt they will be able to break it soon. We will not rest until we are able to return our missing students to UA.”

Oh, they sure as hell would. As the press conference continued, Shouta’s thoughts were half on the questions and half on the raid taking place right now as he took his seat again. He hoped it was successful with the least casualties. That they would get Bakugou and Izuku back safely, that Hizashi came out of it alive, and that his son didn’t do anything reckless. The jury was still out on that last one but a father could only hope for the best possible outcome.

Stay safe and fight hard, Shouta thought as another question was asked.

Notes:

The drama train is rolling out! Lies. Deceit. Betrayal. Sorry but Hitoshi is on a mission. But then again, family isn't always perfect. They'll get through this though eventually. First comes first. Rescue is the name of the game.

I always found their little dress up thing in Kamino hilarious. They are just so ridiculous looking. And for Yaoyorozu's coin locker thing, it's a little sketch in volume 10 of the manga just before chapter 86. Just a silly little detail. ^___^

Fun Facts About Japan:

Omg, this section isn't dead! :D JK, this is always an option but not all chapters have something I can talk about. A lot of them worked themselves in the beginning.

Anywho, we're going to talk about Don Quijote! In MHA, they have it called Donki Oote for licensing purposes, but in real life it is Don Quijote. It's a chain of variety stores that have about anything and everything you would be looking for. From candy and snacks to kitchenware to luggage and travel to so much more. Like seriously. They have floors and floors of stuff. Costumes, clothing, technology, souvenirs, and on and on. They even could have a themed cafe and a um, -blushes- adult area to purchase intimate things. I even found a bottle opener where the handle was a wooden carved penis. That was interesting which I did not buy but did take a picture of because reasons.

Anyway! For me personally, I would go there from time to time. My personal favorite things to get were kit kats, metal earth modeling kits, 3D crystal puzzles, and whatever else caught my eye. It was also a great place to find souvenirs at a reasonable price. And they aren't just in Japan but also a number of other asian countries and Hawaii. You gotta check 'em out!

Here is the main website and the wiki page for Don Quijote if you want to learn more. :)

Alrighty, the press conference is underway. What does that mean? Kamino is coming! We're going back to the villain side of things but these two sides are going to crash together eventually. Or should I say smash? ;) We'll have to wait and see! I'm just happy that Black Friday weekend is freaking over for this year. Ugh, working retail this time of year freaking sucks. Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter and I'll see you next time!

Chapter 40: Kamino: Line Them Up

Notes:

Salutations, dear readers! It's official. Kamino has begun. Still in the setup but it's happenin', captain. ;) Let's go!!

-btw just remembered it was a post day, oppsie!, hey i had work and i cooked, anyway here ya go!-

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

“Izuku!”

The Quirkless teen let out an oof as he was tackled by someone. From the stress of it all, Izuku must have passed out again on the couch. Now he had a girl glomping him and nuzzling against his cheek.

“Himiko-chan!” he exclaimed trying to push her away. “A little space, please?”

“Boo, you’re no fun,” she pouted but did get off of him and sat down next to him on the couch. “Oh, before Shiggy gets back.”

As he sat up, he watched her dig something out of her pocket. He couldn’t see what it was when she pulled it out as she kept her fingers closed around it tightly. But once she put it in his hand still covering it with her own so Kurogiri wouldn’t see, he knew exactly what it was.

No…no way.

“Himiko-chan,” Izuku muttered, staring at her in surprise.

It was the knife from Chizome. He couldn’t see it but he could feel it. Wrapped up in a piece of cloth as added subterfuge but there was no mistaking the shape. Izuku didn’t know what to say. He thought he had lost it. Again. But she had it and was giving it back to him. Again. One of the only few things he had left from Chizome. This meant so much to him.

“It’s yours, isn’t it?” Himiko said, pushing the knife gently into his hand. Her smile was more genuine and softer than usual.

The Quirkless teen simply nodded as he breathed out, “Thank you.”

“What are friends for?” she replied, still smiling.

After a quick check of Kurogiri who was currently looking at something in their opposite direction, he slipped the cherished knife deep into his pocket. Izuku was determined to not lose it this time. Which was good timing as the other League members started to filter into the room.

Izuku and Himiko were on the couch. Mr. Compress and Spinner were leaning up against the back wall. Magne stood off to the side with one arm propped on her hip. Twice was next to her staring down Katsuki who glared back from the chair he was still chained to. Dabi was standing by the tied-up teen with his hands in his pockets. Shigaraki was the last to arrive and took his typically place at the bar. Kurogiri was quick to whip up a drink for him unbidden.

“Well then,” Shigaraki spoke up as he grabbed the drink and swirled it around in his hand. “Now that we’re all here, there’s a little something I’d like us all to see.”

He reached for a nearby remote and for the first time turned on the TV on the bar. The screen lit up and showed a live stream of what looked like a press conference. There were cameras and reporters, but most of all there were their teachers. Nezu, Aizawa, and Vlad King from Class 1-B were sitting behind a table and were making statements to the press.

Izuku cast a glance at Katsuki who gave him a look as well. The blonde looked as surprised as he was to see Aizawa, the Underground Hero Eraserhead, dressed up and allowing himself to be seen on camera. The young analyst knew how much effort he put into avoiding the media. To actually do so willingly…well, it honestly meant a lot to them both. Though Izuku was more likely to say that than Katuski.

It was difficult to watch their teachers, their Heroes, being blamed for everything. From themselves as well as the reporters. Because it wasn’t their fault the training camp was attack and they were kidnapped. That was all Shigaraki and his obsession with Izuku. Which also made it his fault as well though he very much didn’t want or intended to get kidnapped.

I should have gone back to the teachers sooner, Izuku thought, though he also didn’t regret running off to make sure his friends were safe.

We will be increasing patrols of the school grounds,” Nezu said on the screen. “As well as review the security measures of the school. Rest assured that our priority is the safety of UA’s students.

The reporters started talking over each other with deriding comments and accusing questions. Talk of endangering the students, that the Heroes should be ashamed, and what that meant for the rest of them. Did UA plan to only protect those in the school?

“Strange, isn’t it?” Shigaraki commented as he turned the stream on mute and moved to face his recruits. “The Heroes are now becoming the bad guys. So much criticism.”

He tutted as he shook his hand covered face. Again, Izuku and Katsuki traded looks not liking to see their teachers like this one bit. They knew the press putting all of the blame on them was unfair. But then again, life wasn’t fair.

“But why so much judgement,” the decayer continued after a sip of his drink. “Everyone makes a mistake or two, right? No one’s perfect. Not even Heroes. They sure do have it rough in these modern times. Don’t you think so, Izuku?”

It was clear Shigaraki no longer had much interest in Katsuki as his sole attention was on him. Which was both good and bad at the same time. Good that he wasn’t getting as much pressure to join as Izuku was, but also bad because that meant he was a ‘less valuable player’ and could be in more danger as collateral damage.

Spinner opened his mouth to speak only to shut it without a word. Before he would have commented on how Heroes were no longer Heroes once they received payment to protect people. However now he wasn’t so sure. Not after the kid had adamantly claimed that had never been Stain’s message after all. He still had some things to reconsider but he knew this kid was a Hero through and through. What could he say against the boy chosen by Stain?

“In this current system, a Hero only cares for money and glory,” Shigaraki stated, mirroring the lizard man’s former beliefs. “And today’s society soaks up the glamour and theater of it all. Glorifying the favored few while shunning those deemed unworthy of their attention.”

The Villain’s tone had hardened as he spat out every word. Izuku unfortunately couldn’t help but agree. People had become obsessed with the ranking system and limelight Heroes were always reaching for the top. The higher the rank the higher the pay and the higher the chance of advancement. Always wanting more. Which Izuku did not want to deal with at all though he would still have to to a degree.

“But what makes them so much better than any of us?” Shigaraki questioned as his anger was replaced by curiosity. “What is a Hero? What is justice? Is our society truly fair? Once people start asking themselves these questions, it will be a sign that we’ve won. Don’t you want to be on the winning team, Izuku?”

Izuku watched as the decayer stood up from the bar and started to approach him.

“Join us, admin,” Shigaraki said as he walked. “You could be my Player Two. Our backgrounds may be different, but I know you’ve seen the rotten underbelly of this world. The suffering and corruption. All of us here have experienced it. Whether because of people, rules, or Heroes holding us back.”

By the end of his little speech, the Villain was standing in front of Izuku on the couch. He held out his hand in offer with the gloves still on. A sign of good will and that there was no danger from his Quirk. If Izuku wasn’t who he was, he may have been tempted to take it. But he didn’t. Couldn’t. Wouldn’t. Not in a million years would he take that hand and become a Villain.

There was only one way that Izuku would take Shigaraki’s hand. The young leader wasn’t born a Villain and instead seemed to have been raised to be one. He was a victim of All For One among countless others. Izuku was determined to try and save him from this hellhole he had been forced into. Hoping that one day the Quirkless teen could reach out his own hand and that Shigaraki would take it. Only then would Izuku take his hand.

“Join us, Izuku,” the decayer offered again. His tone was again oddly soft. “Help us change this world.”

Izuku stared at the hand for a moment before looking up at Shigaraki. He couldn’t really see his face with the hand covering it, but he could see one red eye peeking through the fingers. That same softness was in them along with a yearning for him to say yes. It almost hurt him to have to disappoint, but there was just no way Izuku would become a Villain. He did want to help change the world, but as a Hero instead.

“I can’t,” Izuku answered with a shake of his head. “I won’t.”

Shigaraki let out a disappointed sigh as he lowered his hand. He kind of figured that would be the admin’s answer but he still had to try.

“You still need time,” the decayer replied as he turned and walked back towards the bar.

The young leader said nothing more as he sat down and turned the sound back on. They all quietly listened as the press conference continued. The reporters were merciless especially the one guy who took hold of the room. Izuku felt bad for their teachers being grilled on live television. All because Shigaraki decided to attack the camp and kidnap him. It all just kept coming back to Izuku.

Curse his fucked-up life.

Izuku hated when the reporter put Katsuki’s future as a Hero into question. Of course he was going to be a Hero and on the screen Aizawa agreed and defended him. Saying all the things that he too believed to be true. Then the reporter turned to the topic of Izuku himself. Every word out of that man’s mouth was like venom.

It could explain how someone Quirkless could even get into UA. Perhaps he had a little help from his friends in the League to con his way into the Hero Course. Perhaps he is a spy and simply has been reunited with his fellow Villains. Because someone becoming a Hero while Quirkless is impossible.

Con.

Izuku sat there silent and in shock.

Spy.

The League members all turned to him and gave him various empathetic looks.

Fellow Villains.

Himiko next to him gently pulled him into a hug which he didn’t fight.

Quirkless.

He was too out of it to even care.

Impossible.

The physical contact did help ground him though. It was enough to bring him back to the moment and force himself to not break down in tears. He saw Katsuki watching him with concern.

Kacchan.

The Quirkless teen took a deep breath to calm himself as his mentors defended him on the screen. He needed to be strong here. Not just for himself but for the both of them. At the mention of Stain from his teacher, Spinner and Dabi glanced his way before turning back to the conference. Himiko herself gave him a gentle squeeze in support. Then Nezu spoke of the police working on breaking the case of their kidnapping. Izuku hoped it would be soon.

The police are working earnestly on this case and I have no doubt they will be able to break it soon. We will not rest until we are able to return our missing students to UA.

Please, sensei. Please come soon.

Izuku didn’t know how much patience Shigaraki had left. Considering last time, he didn’t think very much. At the very least he seemed calm for now but that was probably because Izuku was here with him. He needed to get away from here and Katsuki too. Izuku was honestly more worried about his childhood friend than himself in this situation. They wanted him specifically and Katsuki was here by accident. They seriously needed to find a way to get away from the League of Villains. As Heroes they had to.

“Hmm, considering the Heroes said they’d continue investigating us,” Shigaraki said as the TV screen turned to black. “It would be better for us to not just stand here and talk. Sensei…”

His voice trailed off as he turned back to the screen that now said ‘sound only’. Izuku stared at those two words in horror knowing exactly who was on the other side. He still had no idea how to feel about All For One being his father. It was way too soon and there was too much going on for him to properly process it. He could only watch as Shigaraki talked to his master.

“…lend me your power, Sensei.”

A pleased hum came through the sound system at the request. Izuku was worried what sort of ‘power’ All For One would give him. Quirked? Noumu? Or something else entirely. They just didn’t know and the unknown was terrifying.

A wise decision, Shigaraki Tomura,” All For One said. “Yes, I will lend you my power. Use it well.

~~~

Hitoshi and the others followed Yaoyorozu through the dark streets of Kamino. The tracker said they were close to the place the Noumu was located that she had tagged back at the camp. The area was mostly empty with only some people walking about. She stopped just at the corner of a building and they followed suit.

“Okay, that building over there is where the tracker is broadcasting from,” Yaoyorozu said, double checking the self-made device in her hand.

“So that’s their hideout?” Kirishima asked, standing next to her and covertly looking at the building. “Not so bad, I guess.”

The building was unassuming. Not run down but also not upkept. There were no lights on and judging by the buildup of weeds by the front door no one has been through there in a while. Just your standard abandoned warehouse that was potentially a Villain’s lair hidden in plain sight.

“Perhaps but we don’t know that for sure,” Yaoyorozu replied, again looking down at the tracker then back up at the building. “According to the tracking history, the one I tagged hasn’t moved from this location for the past day or so. Other than that, we don’t have much more information. What we do know is that one Villain is hiding here, but that could be it. Bakugou and Izuku might not even be here. We’re going into this practically blind. Please try to proceed logically from this moment forward.”

‘Logically.’ She sounds like dad.

Hitoshi resisted the urge to roll his eyes at her overprotectiveness even though he was kind of grateful for it. She was like the class mom and Tenya the dad continuing with the family metaphor. Which also fit with his determination to stop them at the first sign of trouble.

“I don’t like this,” Tenya said, not surprising. “No one here has experience sneaking around. We need Hagakure or Jirou.”

“Speak for yourself, Tenya,” Hitoshi interjected with his arms folded defensively. “I’ve interned with Eraserhead. Stealth is a big part of his deal.”

They traded hard looks until Mei stepped in.

“Boys, focus,” the pinkette ordered sternly. “Now is not the time for this bullshit.”

The swearing caught them off guard. Mei didn’t necessarily not swear. He’s heard her a couple times in the lab when a baby went particularly wrong, but Hitoshi had never heard her say one so pissed off before. It was plenty to get their heads out of their respective asses and back in the game.

Right. The rescue mission.

“Sorry,” Hitoshi muttered, feeling a little ashamed of himself. The stress and anticipation were affecting his spite levels and he took it out on his friend. All while trying to save his best friend.

“Of course, Mei, my apologies,” Tenya conceded as well. “But I am serious about stopping you if things become even a little bit dangerous. I will not hesitate to call the police if I have to either. I merely want to make sure my friends are safe.”

The class rep looked all of them in the eye and lingered a little once he turned to Hitoshi. The brainwasher didn’t like it but he let it go for now. They had more important things to do than butt heads over a disagreement.

“Fine, whatever,” Hitoshi relented, not happy but also very much done fighting with him right now. “No fighting with the Villains, I got it. So, what are we going to do?”

None of them were as experienced with strategy as Izuku was, but he wasn’t there to help them. They’d have to analyze the situation themselves and figure out how in the hell they were going to help the two that were kidnapped. If they were even here or not.

“Let’s start with reconnaissance for now,” Yaoyorozu suggested.

They all agreed and proceeded to survey the area in hopes of coming up with a plan. They really were going in blind and needed all the information they could get.

Hang in there, Izuku. We’re coming for you both.

~~~

The meeting room was packed. The Heroes and police were split into two teams. Hizashi was with the group assigned to raid the bar they suspected to be the League of Villain’s hideout. With him were All Might, Endeavor, Kamui Woods, Edgeshot, and a retired Hero named Gran Torino. The others had been skeptical of him but All Might vouched for his mentor. Most accepted him after that except for of course Endeavor but he mostly just ignored the older Hero and instead spent most of the meeting glaring at All Might.

“Why am I wasting time cleaning up UA’s mess?” Endeavor complained, arms crossed and the showy flames on full heat. “I’m a very busy man, you know.”

Get off your high horse,” Best Jeanist scolded over the conference call between them as he fixed a loose strand of his hair. “One would think you would jump at the opportunity considering you’re a UA alum.

The fiery Hero clicked his tongue in irritation.

“We need as many hands-on-deck without alerting the Villains of our plans,” Tsukauchi said, standing next to a computer that had the window showing a video call with the other team prepped across town. “Think of the bigger picture, Endeavor. This could potentially be the beginning of the end for Hero society. Regardless, we will stop at nothing to resolve this successfully.”

Honestly, he had hoped to not have Endeavor involved in this considering he was under investigation. But as always, the Hero Commission got its way and ordered for him to be included. The detective would have much rather worked with Akaguro but unfortunately yet understandably, he was not allowed to come. It was too soon and too risky. Too many unknowns of how the former Villain would react, but at least he actually cared about Midoriya unlike this self-absorbed jerk.

On the screen, the second group watched them and nodded in agreement to what the detective said. Their team consisted of Best Jeanist, Gang Orca, Tiger, Mt. Lady, and X-less. They had the assignment of raiding the second hideout they located thanks to Yaoyorozu’s quick thinking. Both teams were prepped and ready to take simultaneous action at the two locations. 

“Midoriya is strong in his will to become a Hero,” Tsukauchi continued. “I have no doubt he will resist any attempt at recruiting him.”

And I know Bakugou from the time of the internships,” Bean Jeanist spoke up, having specifically chosen to insert himself into the boy’s suspension. “He is stubborn and prideful but he is strong as well. Regardless, we need to hurry and get them back.

And Ragdoll,” Tiger chimed in, determined to take this chance to get his friend back. “She was taken too.

“With the help of the tracking device made by one of the students, we were able to determine two separate locations to strike,” Tsukauchi said, addressing both groups. “The bar is the main target where we believe the kidnapped victims are located. This is the priority and has the bulk of our forces. The focus is retrieving Bakugou and Midoriya. Then the others are to gain control of the second hideout to cut off paths of retreat and we’ll arrest them all at once.”

Easier said than done but they were Heroes and would do their very best. Even though Hizashi was not at all thrilled that Endeavor had been invited along. Abusive asshole. But he knew why they had brought his ungrateful ass along. Even though he was a terrible person, he was a powerhouse that they would most likely need considering the enemy they were about to go up against. Beggars can’t be choosers and all that.

Beside him, Hizashi overheard Gran Torino ask, “Toshinori, if they’re recruiting old geezers like me, then…”

“Nonsense,” All Might cut him off. “You are still Gran Torino. And considering the staggering stakes at hand, we can be sure he is involved.”

“All For One,” Gran Torino replied slowly.

All For One…

Hizashi had heard that name before but didn’t know a ton about it before this meeting. Not like his husband did anyway. At the very least, he knew that name was associated with a sort of cryptid considered the Number One Villain, but one so hidden deep down in the darkness of evil that it was almost hard to believe he was real. However according to the Number One Hero, his mentor, and one of the organizers of this raid, he very much could be. Warning them that he could be the architect behind it all and would be crafty, cautious, and only reveal himself if his safety was guaranteed. The thought of having to potentially face such a monster sent a shiver down the Voice Hero’s spine.

“We have the element of surprise here!” Tsukauchi stated with passionate determination. “The Villains will not succeed! Nezu feigned ignorance for us during the press conference as if we didn’t have any leads. All to throw the League off so they wouldn’t expect a raid on the very same day. This is our time to retaliate and counterattack! Remind the world what you can do as Heroes!!”

The two teams were pepped up and ready to go. After the detective’s motivational speech, they moved out to their respective set locations. Hizashi felt the thrill of the fight buzzing under his skin. Like a deep bass in a club that vibrated you to your very core. The DJ allowed the adrenaline to fuel him as he readied himself until the bass dropped and the rescue track played at full swing. They were so going to get those boys back no matter what happened.

~~~

Hitoshi stood in front of the brightly lit vending machine appearing to be making a choice but was actually eyeing the building behind him. The others were standing beside him doing the same. This was as close as they had gotten but there’s been no sign of movement inside and still no lights. They had no idea what was going on inside but there was no way they would just walk in blind. It could be a trap. But they still needed to know in order to figure out what they could do.

“What’s our next move?” Hitoshi asked, mindlessly ‘deciding’ between the buttons.

Shouto took a look around before saying, “It isn’t too crowded, but there are people around.”

“We can’t draw attention to ourselves,” Yaoyorozu added, surveying the area before spotting a gap between the fence separating their target and the building next to it. “What if we tried around the back? We might get a better chance of seeing inside and getting more intel on this place.”

It was better than nothing. Hitoshi nodded and took the lead just itching to do something. Mei followed with Tenya behind her along with Shouto, Kirishima, and Yaoyorozu. It was a tight fit and they had to basically crab-walk just to move. A glance back had him feeling bad for the girls who were doing their best being bustier than the rest of them. Despite that, they kept going. About half way along, Hitoshi spotted a window.

“How about there?” Hitoshi offered, moving far enough so they were centered under it. “We should be able to see what’s inside through the window.”

“I’ve got it!” Mei exclaimed in an excited whisper.

She then proceeded to climb Tenya like a koala until she was perched on his shoulders. The whole time the speedster was as red as a tomato but did his best to support her weight. Hitoshi again noted the odd little interaction as Mei peered through the window.

“Nope, I don’t got this,” she openly admitted though she still tried to look around. “It’s too dark in there. I can’t see anything even with Zoom.”

“Give me a moment and I can make a night vision scope,” Yaoyorozu offered only for Kirishima to stop her.

“Don’t bother,” the red head said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair. “I already have one with me.”

“Well, you’re prepared,” Hitoshi commented as they were all surprised.

“Shut up,” Kirishima replied, expression hard with anger and determination. “When I thought about us doing this, I figured we might need them.”

“Oh, you picked a good one!” Mei chirped though quietly as she eyed the baby in his hand. “I’d say that’s one of those that cost up to 50,000 yen. Quality stuff. Great choice.”

“Whatever,” he said, brushing her off.

Carefully Shouto helped Kirishima onto his shoulders so he could reach the window better. Mei helped steady him until he could do it himself by holding on to the top of the wall. Once he was set, Kirishima lifted the scope to his eyes and looked inside.

“It’s pretty trashed,” the red head commented as he scanned the room. “But I don’t see any…”

His words trailed off with a horrified gasp as his face contorted into disgusted shock.

“What happened?” Tenya questioned with worry. “Were you seen?”

Kirishima didn’t answer him and instead shakily offered the scope to Mei as he said, “The back left corner…”

The pinkette took them from him and scanned the room. She noted the trash, crates, and overall messiness. They were all in shades of muted green. That’s when she spotted the vats with tubes sticking out of them. They were glowing bright green in the scope and she used her Quirk to zoom in on what looked like exposed brains?

“Why are there weird brainy things in there?” Mei asked, confused having never seen a Noumu in person before.

“Brainy?” Hitoshi responded, just as confused. “What are you talking about?”

“There are weird vats in there with things in them with exposed brains,” she answered, casting a look down at him and gestured with her head.

Hitoshi took a moment to think about it. They were dealing with the League of Villains and there were things with exposed brains. Which most likely meant one thing. Hitoshi turned to look at Tenya and Shouto as he remembered the Noumu from Hosu.

“You don’t think those are…Noumu?” Hitoshi asked hesitantly.

The shaky confirming nod from Kirishima was not the answer he wanted.

Notes:

The dominos are being set! Every piece put into place. This is their design.

Izuku got his knife back! It had to happen, right? And I just can't help with Toga being all over Izuku. Touch starved and all that on top of Izuku not hating her for her quirk. Friendsies! -not a word but who cares!-

More of the press conference and I'm sorry, Izuku, truly I am. But my brain is cruel and demands drama. Also give Shiggy some fuel to back his offer. He really really wants Izuku to join them.

Things are tense in the rescue kiddo group. Hitoshi and Tenya are still butting heads in a clash of personalities. They're friends but still. Like Mei said, now is not the time and to focus. Though that's gonna be hard with noumu in the mix now. Stay safe, ya crazy kids!

That's it for now. Get ready for us to get into it next chapter. Dominos are going to start falling. ;) Anyone up for pizza? -not intended as a pun because canon shenanigans but my brain went 'yeah'- Alrighty. I had a nice three day weekend off and now it's back to Christmas time retail madness. A glittery mess that Aoyama would both love and hate. -whines...i don't wanna!!!- Okay, I'll stop. Byee!!

Chapter 41: Kamino: And Knock Them Down

Notes:

Merry Christmas and happy holidays, dear readers! :D Well wishes to all whether you're celebrating or not. I'm posting early because a) Christmas and 2) I work a mid-shift tomorrow and don't want to worry about updating afterwards. :P So present for you in the form of the official start of the Kamino incident! Wrapped up in drama with a bow on top. Enjoy!

There are a number of pov changes by the way. Oh and warning about references to the sludge villain just in case?

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

“Lend me your power, Sensei.”

A wise decision, Shigaraki Tomura. Yes, I will lend you my power. Use it well.

Izuku gulped in an attempt to swallow down his terror. That was his voice. All For One’s. His…father. Izuku hated knowing that now. His dad’s voice had always been a comfort to him growing up. Now it only gave him pain.

Shigaraki grinned as he turned back to their captives.

“Kurogiri, Compress,” the decayer said, beckoning his underlings. “It’s time our party moves on. Take care of our guests.”

The masked magician simply nodded and began walking towards Katsuki first. Izuku watched frozen as Compress held his hand up ready to use his Quirk and trap them like he had before. The Quirkless teen didn’t even know what it did exactly or what it looked like. All he knew was that he hated that oppressive pressure that took away all his sense of the world. Izuku didn’t want to experience it ever again.

Knock knock.

Compress was close to Katsuki with his hand outstretched when the knock came to the door. They all froze and stared at it unsure how to react.

“Hello?” a voice called out from outside. “Anyone there? I have a pizza delivery.”

Nobody moved not sure what to do. Spinner leaned forward to see if he could hear anything, but as he did there was a loud BANG as the back wall suddenly caved in and bricks flew everywhere.

“SMASH!” All Might yelled as he punched his way into the bar.

The room fell into chaos. Spinner was sprawled on the floor in fear as others were forced back from the power of the punch.

“Kurogiri! Gate!” Shigaraki ordered in a shout.

But despite how good he was with his Quirk, Kurogiri never got the chance as Kamui Woods swung his way in through the hole All Might had just made.

Kamui had seen the boys before but always in the background as he patrolled in their area. It was hard to miss the blonde teen with the explosion Quirk. Admittedly using his Quirk without a license but kids were kids. Then there was the other one. Small and a bit skittish but there none the less. Hard to miss the one Quirkless kid among thousands of Quirked ones.

But then he suddenly wasn't in the background any more.

He won the Sports Festival without a Quirk and surprised everyone out of nowhere. Then Hosu happened, the mall, the attack on the kid’s mother, and then the kidnapping. Midoriya Izuku was involved in a lot and attracting attention for it. Including the League of Villains. But regardless of what the media said and the speculations of his connections, Kamui had a job to do.

They needed to save him, both of them, and as a Hero he knew exactly what to do. So as soon as All Might had broken down the wall, Kamui unleashed his own attack.

“Pre-emptive Binding…”

Kamui shot out his arm and sent out multiple branches capturing the Villains.

“…Lacquered Chain Prison!!”

Dabi on instinct ignited his Quirk to burn his way out but another Hero in yellow and white shot through the opening and kicked him in the head knocking him out. Ouch. Izuku was finally able to get a good look at him once he flew back across the room and landed next to All Might. Wait, he knew that Quirk!

Gran Torino!

Holy crap, Izuku never expected to actually meet him. Wasn’t he retired? Wait, focus. Izuku shook himself out of the fanboy spiral and went to work. He dashed from the couch over to the still bound Katsuki and started searching his own hair for something. Katsuki glared at him in confusion as he watched him let out a triumphant gasp and held up a hairpin he had hidden. Thank goodness no one found it with all the Villains touching his hair. Which considering the fact three of them had done that was all down to luck.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Katsuki spat as Izuku got started on the lock.

“A trick I learned from my internship,” Izuku replied, his tongue sticking out as he worked. “Aizawa insisted.”

“Ha!” the blonde barked, now grinning fiercely. “Well, I’ll be damned, nerd.”

Izuku flashed him a proud smile as the lock clicked open and his hands were finally free. After that, they both worked quickly to remove his other restraints. Now they could both move with ease and help the Heroes save them.

Turning back to the fight, at this point it looked like the Heroes had already won. All of the Villains were captured though they still struggled in Kamui’s wooden hold. Izuku had seen the move before even though Mt. Lady had ruined it to steal the spotlight. It was so much cooler to see it up close! If only he didn’t have to get kidnapped in order to do so.

The Villains let out their complaints and disbelief they had planned this on the same day as the press conference. They had no idea the police had been so close. At least now they could be taken into custody for their crimes. Hopefully with some rehabilitation instead of straight imprisonment. Izuku could see they were just people who had been dealt a bad hand in life.

The young analyst caught a hint of movement and turned to see Edgeshot slip through the crack of the door. He had made himself paper thin with his Quirk and then expanded back to normal once inside. So cool! The Ninja Hero unlocked and opened the door to reveal armed officers on the other side. Wow, they really had a plan and came prepared. Even Endeavor was apparently downstairs according the Edgeshot. Not exactly who Izuku wanted to save him but he would take what they could get. As long as they could get out of here.

Izuku could hear the flame Hero yelling about something from outside but couldn’t make it out. Not his concern right now as he and Katsuki surveyed the situation. All Might turned to them with his signature smile.

“You must have been scared,” All Might said in his deep voice addressing the two teens. “But you remained strong. Our apologies we took so long. You’re safe now, boys.”

Katsuki had that face where he didn’t want to portray any weakness. Izuku could sense he was about to have an outburst of denial so he placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him. Red eyes darted to his with a growl but as soon as he saw green, he forced himself to calm down.

“Thank you, All Might,” Izuku said for him instead before looking at the other Heroes. “Thank you, everyone.”

The Number One Hero shot him a thumbs up.

“No! I don’t like this,” Shigaraki growled from where he sat imprisoned on the floor. Hard red eyes glared up at All Might from behind Father. “After all of my preparations, the final boss shows up and ruins everything. Party restrained, no easy way to escape, and backup? Can’t be helped. Kurogiri! Warp over as many as you can!”

Izuku’s eyes shot to the warper after the decayer’s manic command. He was still conscious and could easily warp in backup for the League, but nothing happened.

“The Noumu, right?” All Might prodded, his voice filled with confidence.

The seconds passed and still nothing happened. No warp gates opened and no Noumu appeared. It was pissing Shigaraki off.

“What are you waiting for, idiot!?” the decayer spat in anger.

“Apologies, Shigaraki Tomura,” Kurogiri said, somehow having visible sweat on his misty face. “The Noumu are no longer in a fixed location. I cannot retrieve them.”

What,” the Villain leader snapped.

“You still have a lot to learn, Shigaraki,” All Might said as he walked over to stand behind Katsuki and Izuku placing his large hands on their shoulders in comfort. Izuku gladly took it while Katsuki reluctantly allowed it. “Your little League is still green and underestimated us all. The spirit of these boys, the police’s diligent investigations, and our righteous fury!”

Over the earpieces, the Heroes heard the confirmation that Best Jeanist’s team had managed to take control of the second hideout. Good. They didn’t have to worry about Noumu running around causing havoc. The Number One Hero gave the teens’ shoulders a pat before moving back in front of Shigaraki.

“Enough is enough,” All Might said, his hands on his hips in his signature pose. His heroic spirit almost made him seem to glow. “Your game has come to an end, Shigaraki Tomura!”

~~~

The League members were terrified. Spinner was a blubbering mess staring up at the Number One Hero. But not Tomura. He was pissed. Livid. Absolutely hated the fake standing in front of him filled with ignorant pride. They weren’t done yet. A quick glance at the TV screen that still showed ‘sound only’ meaning Sensei must still be watching.

Sensei…

“You think this is over?” Tomura sneered from the floor. “You idiot. I’ve only just begun to play.”

The decayer struggled in the wood binding him and he forced himself to slowly stand up.

“Justice. Peace,” Tomura ranted as he rose. “This society you’ve created is garbage. Ridiculous ideals that shit on those considered weak and worthless. That is why I targeted you, All Might. You’re the reason why I started gathering people to my cause.”

He managed to shakily get to his feet all while staring the Number One Hero down. Oh, how Tomura despised this man.

“You think this is the end?” the decayer rasped. “No, this is only the beginning. You’ve lost. KUROGIRI!”

As the Villain shouted the other’s name, Edgeshot stretched himself to the width of string and pierced through the warper before he could make a move. Other than Dabi, his Quirk was one they had to get control of as soon as possible. A second later, Kurogiri slumped unconscious in Kamui Wood’s grip.

“Ah! What just happened?” Magne cried out, thinking they had killed the misty man.

“Oh, he’s very much alive,” Edgeshot explained as he formed his head to its normal size. “Merely unconscious after playing around with his insides a little. Ninpo: Thousand Sheet Pierce! His Quirk is a liability so it’s better for him to sleep.”

Gah! These stupid Heroes with their stupid super move names. The noodle of a man, the woodsy fucker, and then there’s Ass Might. Now they’ve taken their escape hatch? Fuck the Heroes. The old geezer with them started yammering and listing off his party members’ legal identities. As if that meant anything to him.

“There’s nowhere left to run,” Gran Torino said, a scowl on his wrinkly face. “That leaves one question for you, Shigaraki? Where is your boss hiding?”

Tomura was so livid he was seeing white. He recalled the day All For One had found him.

‘No one has come to save you, have they?’

No, they hadn’t. He had been lost and alone. Ready to die having given up hope for any sort of help.

But then Sensei came.

‘You didn’t do anything wrong.’

All For One had offered his hand to a poor little Shimura Tenko and took him in when no one else seemed to care. He had lost hope but Sensei had reignited the spark.

‘Don’t worry. I am here for you.’

All For One raised him and helped form him into the Shigaraki Tomura he was today. He was more than a master and a mentor. Sensei was more like a father to him. His hero. Sensei would hate that comparison but it was true. All For One has done so much for Tomura and now these Heroes wanted him to betray his trust. Fuck that. No way would he tell them anything about Sensei.

“No, this is not over,” Tomura growled, his anger jittery under his dry skin. “Just you wait. The game is still mine.”

“Tell us where he is right now, Shigaraki,” All Might demanded, his smile hard and antagonistic.

“Go away,” the decayer breathed, his words coming out in a manic desperation. “Disappear!”

“SHIGARAKI!!” Al Might bellowed.

“I HATE YOU!” Tomura screamed, his animosity rolling off of him in waves. “ALL OF THIS IS YOUR FAULT! I. HATE. YOU.

It was in that moment that things changed.

~~~

The Heroes watched as gooey splotches of black formed in the air and then screeching Noumu started coming through. Another warping Quirk? It couldn’t be Kurogiri’s because he was still passed out. Besides, these looked different from his misty warp gates. These were thick and liquidy, but the consistence was not the issue right now. Fuck, they had to deal with Noumu after all.

Izuku noticed they were all taken by surprise. The Heroes and the Villains. More and more portals appeared bringing more and more Noumu. They just kept coming! If the Heroes thought they had won, well then this must be the start of round two.

“Dammit, Edgeshot!” Gran Torino yelled in a scolding tone. “Stop Kurogiri!”

“It’s not his Quirk!” Izuku exclaimed over the Noumu screaming. “Similar application but still different! It has to be someone else.”

“The kid’s right,” Edgeshot confirmed. “He’s still out. This isn’t his doing.”

Still didn’t change the situation as the Noumu continued to appear. All Might was furious and turned to Kamui Woods.

“Don’t release them under any circumstances, understood?” he ordered with a pointed finger.

“Right!” Kamui confirmed, reaffirming his grip.

Izuku was sickened to see more creatures who were once human being forced to do the League’s bidding. He could feel the bile rising in his throat no matter how much he tried to swallow it down. Izuku was then struck by the urge to puke and the same black goo came spewing out of his mouth. It was disgusting and grotesque. Izuku also felt triggered as the consistency reminded of the Sludge Villain that had tried to force himself inside the teen over a year ago.

Make it stop!

“Midoriya! Bakugou!” he could hear All Might call out.

Izuku only had time for the briefest of glances to see the same thing happening to Katsuki before the black substance consumed him.

~~~

“NOOO!!” All Might howled in anger.

Toshinori had been so close. Within arm’s length and yet he still wasn’t able to catch them in time. All he got was an arm full of black goo.

DAMMIT!

“Endeavor!” Kamui called out. “Help us!”

Only for him to see that more Noumu were appearing in the street below. How many did they have of those things?! The police were firing their weapons at the monsters but it had little effect as they kept advancing. Endeavor was hard at work burning any of them that were close to him. They would have to deal with the ones upstairs themselves.

Shit.

Down below, Endeavor gave orders to evacuate taking charge of the situation. Tsukauchi realized they must be the Noumu from the other site and urgently talked into his shoulder walkie to get in contact with Best Jeanist. What the hell was going on over there? But there was no answer. Present Mic did his best to help at least immobilize the creatures making them freeze in pain by screaming at a pitch too high for regular human ears.

Above, Gran Torino was jetting around kicking between the Noumu. He landed next to All Might after he punched another away from him.

“What now, Toshinori?” Gran Torino asked, keeping his eye on the new fight they had found themselves in. He had a feeling their earlier success had been too easy a victory.

“Without Kurogiri, they shouldn’t have been able to warp the Noumu here,” All Might answered, his body ready for battle. “This backup came way too fast.”

It’s as I feared. All For One must have made a move.

“Sensei…,” Shigaraki spoke reverently amongst the chaos confirming the dreadful thought.

It was then that the same black ooze started bursting out of the League members’ mouths just like with Bakugou and Midoriya. The Heroes were shocked by yet another wrench thrown into their plans to rescue the teenagers. Gran Torino was quick to jump into action and All Might followed right behind him. They needed to stop them before they escaped to gods knew where. All Might was even willing to pass through the strange Quirk to an unknown location so he could continue his pursuit to take Shigaraki and his followers down.

But just as the Number One Hero reached the young Villain leader, Shigaraki disappeared in the black goo and again all All Might grabbed was a handful of goo floating in the air as the portal broke. The other League members followed leaving behind Noumu and empty loops of Kamui’s branches.

“NO!” the young Hero exclaimed in dismay. “I’m so sorry!”

“This wasn’t your fault, Kamui,” Edgeshot insisted though he too was feeling some guilt that they managed to get away. However, he ignored the feeling as he jumped out of the way of a charging Noumu. “None of us were able to stop them.”

Edgeshot transformed with his Quirk and shot through the Noumu like an arrow to take it down causing it to give a shriek before falling limp.

“Kurogiri’s Quirk allows him to open warp gates that anyone can pass through,” Edgeshot continued as he reformed his head. “But this Quirk is different. It seems to target specific people.”

Astute observation, All Might thought as the Noumu continued to rage out of control.

A number of them leapt at him and latched on to his back. Gran Torino cried out in concern for his old friend’s successor but there was no way All Might would allow himself to be taken down by mere Noumu.

“Oklahoma,” All Might bellowed as he powered up his attack. “SMASH!”

The Number One Hero spun around fast enough to throw the Noumu off of him and out of the building. The creatures burst through the ceiling and the walls falling down to the streets below. The police were continuing to fire their weapons at the Noumu but still no effect. Endeavor was having the most success burning them to a crisp with his fire. Present Mic did his bit repeatedly screaming at the Noumu at that same inaudible pitch immobilizing them with the painful noise.

The Noumu were everywhere down on the streets. Which could only mean that Best Jeanist had failed at the warehouse for unknown reasons. Endeavor complained how much stress was being put on his Quirk as he fought Noumu after Noumu. All Might would stay and help but he needed to chase after the boys and the League. He’d have to motivate Endeavor to keep fighting without him and he knew exactly how to do that.

Coughing partially from the smoke and from keeping his buff form up, All Might moved to stand in the hole he had made in the wall.

“Endeavor!” he called out catching the fiery man’s attention. “Are you keeping up?”

Toshinori knew Endeavor wanted to surpass him. How could he not know with how his fellow Hero fought fiercely in every fight. Always pushed himself to fight harder especially when he and All Might were paired up. His personality was as fiery as his Quirk and quick to ignite at the slightest provocation. Yes, Toshinori knew exactly how to motivate him and the scowl on the other Hero’s face was evidence that it worked.

“Do I look like I’m having trouble?” Endeavor growled up at him as he was surrounded by downed Noumu that were being served extra crispy. “Concern yourself with your own responsibilities, you damn fool. Go! Now is the time to go after them.”

He punctuated his response with a blast of fire at two Noumu coming at him from above. All Might nodded and knew he was leaving the scene in capable hands. He even noted the other Heroes hard at work taking the Noumu down. Very well then, it was time to track down the ones that got away.

“Right,” All Might nodded, readying himself for the chase. “I’ll leave you to it then.”

With a blast of air, he leapt into the night sky and raced towards the direction of the second raid location. Gran Torino followed not far behind as he focused on jumping from building to building. He had to get there in time to save those innocent boys from the dastardly Villains’ hands. Not even All For One was going to stop All Might from accomplishing that task.

I’m coming for you, young Heroes. Be strong and have faith. For I am here to save you.

~~~

Noumu. They had gone out of their way to come to this warehouse in search of Izuku and all they found were fucking Noumu. Hitoshi hadn’t been there when the Noumu first appeared at the USJ but Izuku told him about the creature made to withstand All Might. Seeing them in Hosu had definitely not been a treat. Especially when one of them tried to take his brother away to gods knew where. Well at least they knew one thing and that was Izuku wasn’t here. Just the Noumu as far as Mei and Kirishima could see.

There was a loud thud that came from nearby and they turned to see a giant foot sporting a pickup truck like a shoe rising up into the sky. That enormous leg could only belong to Mt. Lady which meant Heroes were there. The truck covered foot then came crashing down and broke through the building. Tenya had a fleeting hope that hadn’t been a civilian’s car but was distracted like the others by the resulting cloud of dust and debris that suddenly filled the air. The wind backlash was strong enough to knock Mei and Kirishima off the others’ shoulders as they all fell over to the ground.

As the scene settled and the Heroes moved in, the teens righted themselves before moving to a place they could better assess the situation while still hidden. Once they could see better, Hitoshi noted Mt. Lady holding a couple of Noumu in disgust. Tiger was there too picking up Ragdoll who had been missing until now. Then Best Jeanist captured the rest of the Noumu with Gang Orca’s help. It looked like they had everything under control in less than a minute.

That’s Pros for you, I guess.

From their hiding spot, they could hear Mt. Lady complaining about how gross the Noumu were. She was now holding a total of three who were squirming in her giant grip as she whined about it not being much of a fight. Best Jeanist admonished the rookie about the difference between difficulty and importance before ordering for the transports. From experience, he knew to expect the unexpected. There was a potential for more unknown obstacles in their mission and they had to keep up their guard. Not all was as it seemed.

The teens watched Tiger worry over his teammate while Gang Orca did his best to comfort the other Hero. They couldn’t see much of Ragdoll but the glimpse of her being wrapped in nothing but a white sheet didn’t look like good news. At least it seemed like she was still breathing so there was that.

“Looks like everything is fine,” Tenya whispered with a sigh of relief. “The Heroes had a plan all along even before we did.”

The speedster stiffly held up an arm as he smiled in relief. Kirishima did as well except with a manly fist instead. Yaoyorozu was also relieved that they didn’t actually have to do anything. After all, it was now evident that they had nothing to worry about because the Pros had a handle on it all. But even though it seemed that way, Mei, Shouto, and Hitoshi couldn’t quell the worry that still burned inside them for their fourth Freakateer.

Where are you, Izuku?

It was the whole reason they had come here. To save Izuku along with Bakugou from the League, but if there was only Noumu and the officials had it under control, what could they do to help? The two class representatives were ready to get the hell out of there, but Hitoshi didn’t want to just yet. The brainwasher was still processing what had all just happened.

Izuku wasn’t here but the Noumu were. There were crashes they could hear across town which to Hitoshi meant All Might was fighting somewhere. Was he where Izuku was? He said as much out loud and the others were relieved by just the thought of All Might’s involvement. But Hitoshi wasn’t because he knew how much of an idiot the Number One Hero could be at times. He certainly didn’t trust him when it came to Izuku for all that All Might had done to his brother. The brainwasher meant it when he had threatened the Hero after Hosu.

The others turned to leave but Hitoshi couldn’t help look back. Behind him Shouto and Mei did the same out of concern for their friend. There was a strange feeling in the air. The Noumu had grown oddly quiet and the Heroes were focusing on the shadowy depths of the ruined warehouse. There was the faintest sound of footsteps as something or someone emerged from the shadows.

“Apologies, Tiger,” a deep voice called out. Just the sound of it sent a shiver down everyone’s spines. “But Ragdoll’s Quirk was too useful to pass up. How could I not fall to temptation to take it?”

Take it?

The wording was strange and Hitoshi’s reaction to the man’s voice was even stranger. Considering the circumstances whoever it was must be a Villain tied to the League. But on the other hand, for some weird reason the voice sounded familiar in a way. Which couldn’t be because he didn’t know who this man was nor did he know any Villains.

Who am I? Izuku?

The sarcastic thought snuck in as the Heroes began interrogating the newcomer. They still had no idea who it was approaching as it was too dark to see.

“My body was almost destroyed,” the voice spoke, tone deep and ominous. “Ever since, I haven’t had the chance to stock up on Quirks.”

Stock up?

Hitoshi felt like Izuku as his mind started piecing together what the Villain was saying. Take? Stock? Did he mean he could take Quirks from people? It sounded impossible but then again…

The Villain finally stepped into the light and Best Jeanist took immediate action. He took hold of as many fibers as he could and encased the unknown threat from head to toe in Quirk controlled thread. From behind him, Mt. Lady started chastising him for his brash actions but Best Jeanist knew when to act and when to wait. A single moment of hesitation could be the deciding factor in a fight. He was fighting his hardest just to keep a tight hold on the Villain.

Best Jeanist felt like he had it under control until a sort of black energy lined with red started emitting from the bound man. It all happened too suddenly for the teens to see. There was a flash of white and a loud BOOM filled the air followed by a cloud of dust. As it settled, what had been one ruin of a building was now expanded into a disaster zone. Hopefully they had evacuated the area of civilians.

Dozens of buildings were turned to piles of rubble and Best Jeanist was down in the forefront of it. Mt. Lady, Gang Ocra, and Tiger who was covering Ragdoll protectively were thankfully out of the way. But how? Hitoshi couldn’t be sure exactly but they watched as the Villain started to fucking slow clap of all things while floating in midair.

“I see now why you are the Number Four Hero, Best Jeanist,” the Villain said as he clapped for the blood covered Hero who was shaking in fear on the ground below him. “That attack should have annihilated you all, but you managed to manipulate the others’ clothing in order to pull them out of the way just in time. You have quite astute instincts. Consider me…impressed.”

The teens stared in horror at the scene. This man, this monster, had taken down multiple Pro Heroes in a single blast without as much as a scratch. He was even leering down at them as if he were a demon god among men. Not that they could see his face under the mask but his presence reeked of superiority. Hitoshi had experience in sensing that in others his whole life and clearly saw it in him.

Best Jeanist was just lying there in the dirt staring up at the man who had attacked them. Not surprising considering the power of the blast, but the Hero seemed to suddenly be filled with the urgent need to keep fighting as he forced himself up by his Quirk. The fibers from the back of his collar propped him up as he shot more at the Villain floating in the air.

But the attack never landed as another burst of air shot down at Best Jeanist and tore a hole through his gut. The ground seemed to explode under him as blood spurted out of him like a geyser. Unsurprising to see the Hero collapse from the pain officially taking him out of the fight. Gods damn this Villain was strong.

“Ah, I see now,” he continued, his arm still raised from the attack. “Your strength isn’t from raw power, but of practice and experience. There is no need for your Quirk. Tomura’s disposition would not pair well with it.”

The blast had cleared the air of dust enough for them to get a better look of the Villain. He was in a simple black suit as if he were a mere business man dressed for work, but the mask marked him for what he clearly was. Evil. It was black in color and intimidating in appearance. There were tubes and armor on his head and neck. Whoever he was, he was really playing up the Villain look.

The teens were all scared shitless. Who the hell was this guy? Taking down those Pros in an instant? They so were not prepared to face someone like this. Hitoshi and the others knew they needed to run but they were so scared they couldn’t move. Fuck fight or flight. They were all frozen in fear like prey being confronted by a predator.

Suddenly there were sounds of splashing followed by what sounded like two people caught in a coughing fit. One of them cursed and fuck that sounded like Bakugou. Which could only mean…

…Izuku.

His friend, his brother, just had to be on the other side of that wall. So close and yet still out of reach. A careful peak over the wall confirmed it by a flash of green and blonde amongst the rubble. Hitoshi clenched his fists in frustration as he latched onto the sound of Izuku coughing. At least he was still alive.

Please hold on just a little longer. We’re here to save you.

Now all they had to figure out was how. It was time to think. Think, think, think.

What would Izuku do?

~~~

This stuff is disgusting, Izuku thought, coughing as the world came back into being.

The bar had been in chaos. Heroes attacking, Villains captured, and then Noumu suddenly appearing out of nowhere. The next thing Izuku knew was that same black goo that had brought those monsters started pouring out of his own mouth. Bad memories of the Sludge Villain flooded his mind as he gagged on the stuff. The world then suddenly became an inky black sea before he came back to one of ruin.

They were in what looked like one of the zones of the USJ. Buildings either in precarious positions or smashed to pieces. While trying to cough up what was left of the black goo, green eyes quickly assessed the situation. Katsuki was beside him hacking up a lung just like Izuku was but at least they were still together. He took note of the fallen Heroes nearby which wasn’t a good sign. Then his shitbag of a Villain father had to speak up.

“My sincerest apologies, Izuku,” All For One expressed though Izuku highly doubted he meant it. The imposter who had pretended to be his father started to approach them.

"Stay away from us, you bastard," Izuku growled, getting into a defensive stance which Katsuki quickly copied.

The rubble under his feet hurt since he still didn’t have any shoes after Shigaraki destroyed his. Whatever this was they found themselves in was going to be tough. Izuku would have to power through the pain and fight his way out of this.

"Bastard?” the Villain questioned as he paused. His voice became low as if he were disappointed in him. “Is that any way to talk to one’s own father?"

The Quirkless teen glared up at the man who had betrayed them and only used his mother for his own desires. Fuck him and his centuries old face lift hidden under his mask.

"You may be my father,” Izuku hissed. “But you're not the dad I knew growing up."

"Oh but I am,” All For One pressed. “Though not as played up in the civilian role as Hisashi. But I am still your father no matter how I portray myself to you. My DNA runs through your veins, Izuku, marking you as my son forever."

"Blood does not define one's family,” Izuku retorted, thinking of Shouto and his crappy family upbringing. “It may mark our heritage but family can be chosen or rejected. You may see me as your son but I no longer see you as a father. You are a Villain to me. Nothing more."

His fists were clenched tight, or best as he could with the mangled one, and were shaking with anger. Beside him Katsuki was the same. He had never liked Hisashi growing up and now he knew why. Red eyes cast a glance at green before returning to scowl at the Villain.

"That is just your childish ignorance telling you that you have a choice,” All For One scoffed dismissively. “But you are my son no matter what you think or say. You are destined to come back to me. It is useless to resist."

Like hell he was. Izuku would never join or become a Villain like him. He spat at All For One’s feet in response. The Number One Villain shook his head in disappointment.

“Still stubborn I see,” All For One mused solemnly. “But eventually you will see it is your destiny to join me. Together we can rule this world as father and son.”

Izuku suddenly found himself remembering a movie made back in the pre-Quirk era. A universe at war, people having supernatural powers, and a young man who learned that his father was a Villain the whole time. Izuku even had a similar hand injury to the main character of the franchise.

When did my life become like Star Wars?

Though he doubted that this man, this monster who had played Villain since when Quirks first started appearing, would have any kind of redemption. All For One was even like a combination of Vader and the emperor in one. Had he ever done even one good thing in his long life?

He made you, a small voice said, attempting to be comforting. It wasn’t. Not now that Izuku knew of this ‘little’ tidbit about his parentage.

And I thought Shouto had it bad. What will he think of me when he finds out the truth? What will the world think?

Izuku shuddered at the thought. If they reacted negatively to someone Quirkless being a Hero, even one who had proven above anything that would have been expected of anyone with a Quirk, who knows how they would react to that same person being the son of the boogie man of the underworld. The odds were not in his favor.

Thankfully there didn’t seem to be anyone in sight except for the downed Heroes and Katsuki who already knew. For now, his secret was safe. Little did he know the group of teenagers on the other side of the wall staring at each other in disbelief. Holy shit that was a reveal. They were stunned into silence not knowing what would happen next.

Izuku glared at the bastard that was his father as he said, “Believe that all you want but I will never join you.”

“Perhaps not now,” All For One replied, a contemplating hand held in front of his masked chin. “But no matter where you run or try to hide, I will always be able to find you, Izuku. Tomura finding the training camp was by no accident.”

A look of horror spread across the Quirkless teen’s face. It must be one of his Quirks. One that allowed him to track Izuku somehow whether by blood or otherwise. He really was the reason for all of that to happen in more ways than one. Gods damn it all!

It was then that more black splotches of goo appeared and the League members came falling out just as they had. Spinner gagged while Himiko complained how gross the experience was. Which yeah, it very much was and left a horrible taste in his mouth. Twice couldn’t seem to decide if he loved the black stuff or it reeked something awful. Magne and Compress were more composed while Dabi and Kurogiri were out cold.

“Sensei…,” Shigaraki breathed reverently from where he was kneeling on the ground looking up at his master.

“Seems you have failed again, Tomura,” All For One stated as he walked towards the decayer. “But do not let this discourage you. Try and try again. I even brought your associates back to assist you as well as these children you deemed important pieces for your game board.”

The Number One Villain offered his hand to the young leader much as he had when All For One had first found him on the streets as a child. The only person in the world who had offered him any help when he needed it most.

Sensei…

“Start over as many times as it takes,” All For One continued as his devoted successor gazed reverently up at him behind the hand of his father. “I am here to provide you with any help that you need. You were chosen for this, Tomura. All of this is for you.”

I call bullshit, Izuku thought as just moments before All For One was saying he wanted Izuku next to him and yet seemed to be using Shigaraki for something.

The young analyst glanced at the decayer kneeling on the ground. Pale blue hair sitting tangled and unwashed. Face obscured by a severed human hand. Black clothes rumpled and frayed. Shoes as red as the blood he spilt in the name of destroying the world. So very different from himself.

And yet…not so different at the same time.

Izuku had taken note of the shoes at the mall as they were so similar to his own. Now that he knew about All For One being his father and Shigaraki seeing him as a brother, guess they had more in common than he thought. It made him wonder if had All For One decided to take Izuku away rather than raising him as he had with Inko, could he have potentially been in Shigaraki’s place?

But why did All For One do that? What had he hoped to gain or accomplish raising Izuku like he did? The Villain could explain that he had wanted to see if All For One could have manifested again genetically. A copy of his own Quirk or similar, but Izuku was Quirkless and All For One had said it was most likely his fault. The whole first-generation genes mixing with fourth. However, that didn’t explain why the Villain had left it at that.

All For One could have taken him and raised him just like Shigaraki. Could have even given him a Quirk and yet left him Quirkless. All to see what would happen to him with desires for him to fall to Villainy. A sudden thought occurred to him. All For One knew how Izuku had been treated growing up. Of the bullying and discrimination and yet had done nothing to stop it. Meaning he had to have seen it as fuel to push him towards the Villain path.

Jokes on you, Ass For One, Izuku thought rebelliously.

Instead of corrupting him and turning him away from this messed up world, it had only pushed him to work harder to become a Hero. And now he had a support system of friends and teachers for that dream. Izuku didn’t need his father’s half-hearted advice to try which was utter bullshit now because he never even meant it. He had people who believed in him and most of all Izuku believed in himself.

Though he did worry a little about his mentors learning about his connection to the Number One Villain. However, despite that Izuku knew they had to know. Hell, they knew about Chizome and that had been bad enough. This situation Izuku had no idea how to handle but maybe they would. Whatever happened, he would willingly be questioned by Tsukauchi to prove he would never turn Villain no matter who was his father. Whether the actual truth or his personal one, it would ring true for him.

All For One was still delusional about Izuku joining him but he was dead wrong. However, the same could not be said for Shigaraki who was so dependent on All For One. It was almost similar to how Izuku had looked up to Katsuki as he became a bully. Holding him at a high esteem even though his actions were horrible. A toxic situation that honestly made him worried for the young Villain.

Izuku could see how All For One was manipulating Shigaraki and the decayer was too conditioned to look past it for what it was. It made him wonder who Shigaraki really was under that hand. The one he called Father which was creepy as hell. The young analyst was determined to research the Villain’s origins once they were able to get away from the League.

Speaking of, the other Villains were all watching the exchange silently. They must not interact with All For One much if at all. In their various suits, they did look the part of a Villain, but from his sessions with Hound Dog, Izuku could see that they were just people. Broken by the relative issues in their lives, but still human none the less. Ones who had no one to look out for them until the League. Much like Izuku hadn't been supported until Chizome.

It might seem strange to others but Izuku felt bad for them. Because Shigaraki was right that he could understand what they had gone through having experienced something similar himself. Judged for something out of their control and forced to find a way to deal with it. Only they resorted to Villainy while he held strong to Heroism. It made him want to help save them even from themselves even more than before.

But first thing was first. The two kidnapped teens needed to get away from their captors. Save themselves so they could go on to save others. Katsuki and Izuku traded a determined glance silently knowing they would both fight their hardest to get the hell out of there. No way were they going to willing let the League take them again. Not when freedom was so close.

Okay, we can do this, Izuku thought as he firmed his defensive stance.

They had to.

Notes:

Hello! Your dish of drama has arrived. This is just a slice. -cause you know pizza and stuff- Successes turned to ruin. Reveals to be had. And Izuku with no shoes. His socks are going to have to get dirty in the fight to come.

Some quick thinking on Izuku's part during all of the chaos. Too bad the heroes' plan didn't work. That darn All For One. -shakes head- Sh-sh-shout out to SKTurbo for the 'centuries old face lift' insult! Always fun to call him names.

Not much else for this chapter. Oh btw, as an added Christmas treat, you're getting a double update. ;) Off to touching up the next chapter I go! -woosh- Hope you enjoyed! More Kamino to come. ^______^

Chapter 42: Kamino: Keep Your Friends Close

Notes:

And now for update number 2! :D Why? Because I can't help myself. And Christmas. The turkey is fueling me to give content just because. Present for you, dear readers!

More pov changes this chapter as well.

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

“Holy fuck.”

Hitoshi couldn’t help but curse. He and the others stood there wide eyed in shock at what all that had just happened. The Noumu. The Heroes. The Villain who managed to take the Pros down in seconds. Now the League was here with Izuku and Bakugou but that wasn’t the worst of it. No, the absolute fucked up cherry on top was the mic drop that Izuku was the son of that fucking OPed Villain.

“Okay,” Hitoshi let out quietly, running his fingers through his hair to try and get rid of some of the staticky tension buzzing inside him. “First can we all agree to keep our mouths shut about the whole ‘super bad guy is Izuku’s father’ thing?”

While they were still too shocked to verbally respond, all of them nodded in agreement. That was a lot to unpack and they would need time to process it. Not to mention that it was utterly fucked up and extremely sensitive information about one of their friends. One who so desperately wanted to be a Hero that he was determined to fight the world to get there.

For Hitoshi, while this was a ‘holy shit’ moment, he had no doubts about Izuku no matter who the fuck was his father. Shouto was the same knowing that blood did not determine who you were as a person. Mei didn’t give two shits because those who make babies together stay together. The others weren’t as close to Izuku as them three were but they were still determined to save their friends. The reveal if anything added an awkward feel to the rescue but no way was it going to stop them from doing what needed to be done.

Okay, let’s think this out. Izuku style.

They couldn’t freak out. Not now that the kidnapped teens were so close. Thankfully the Villains didn’t seem to have noticed them hiding on the other side of a now crumbling wall. Probably why the leader had been so loose lipped and talking freely in front of them. Purple eyes took a quick peek around the wall to better see what they had to work with.

There was some distance between them and their rescue targets. Too much for a quick snag and grab with no guarantee they could get away. Not to mention he had no idea where they would go next. If they rushed out there without a plan, they would just be putting themselves in danger making an even bigger mess of the situation. No, they had to think and find a way to reach them, but how?

Hitoshi clenched his fists in frustration. Tenya must have misinterpreted and grabbed him by the front of his shirt to stop him. Same with Shouto next to him who looked so furious to the point he might puke it out because the emotion was too much. Yaoyorozu was doing the same with Kirishima. Mei however was flipping through her phone for some reason of all the things to do in a situation like this. Then again, she was Mei and Mei did strange things at all times.

The brainwasher reached up and grabbed Tenya’s hand to pull it off of him. The speedster tilted his head in silent question asking if he planned on running out there. Hitoshi gave a sharp shake of his head which was enough to make Tenya loosen his grip. The movement seemed to break Shouto out of a sort of trance.

Grey and blue eyes blinked a few times before looking up into purple. They were filled with so much emotions that it was hard to not look away. Fear, anger, anguish, and an overall heartache that he didn’t know what to do with now that his Izuku was so close and yet so far away. Hitoshi sighed in sympathy for the lover boy and placed a firm hand on his shoulder giving it a hopefully comforting squeeze. He stared determinedly into Shouto’s eyes hoping he could see the fire in his eyes that no way in hell was he giving up so quickly. They were going to find a way to save them. All they had to do was figure the fuck how.

What would Izuku do?

Then the Villain leader spoke drawing everyone’s attention to him.

“Ah. There you are.”

The teens froze in fear afraid he had found them only to turn to see All Might coming in fast with the full moon at his back. Hitoshi still hated the guy for how he treated Izuku, but thank fuck he was there. At the very least they now had a player who could stand up against that overpowered monster of a man.

Now to figure out that plan…

But that thought was put on hold for a moment as the power of the Hero and Villain colliding resulted in a gale of wind to blast towards them. Don’t fly away first, plan second. At least it was a step in the right direction.

~~~

Oh thank the gods!

Izuku had never been happier to see All Might in all of his life. Maybe seeing him after being rescued from the Sludge Villain but that had been dampened by his rejection. However, seeing him now was such a relief. It showed that the Heroes were still there fighting to save them and it brought hope to the kidnapped teens that they might actually get away from the Villains.

All Might came shooting down from the sky through the clouds of smoke like a bullet and collided with All For One at full force. The resulting wind was strong but they did their best to stand their ground.

“You are to return my students, All For One!” the Number One Hero growled.

He was fist to fist with All For One as they faced off with each other. Well with only one actual face as the Villain didn’t have one anymore. Even though they couldn’t see it because of the mask, Izuku knew he looked like Mr. Potato Head under there.

“Come to kill me a second time, All Might?” All For One chided as he held the foolish Hero back.

The air was turbulent from the power of their attacks stirring up rubble and dust. An unstoppable force meeting an immovable object. Then the power surged sending out an explosion of air knocking the League and kidnapped teens down while the rescue kiddos braced themselves as best they could behind the broken wall. The Hero and Villain were engulfed by a swirling cloud of dust. No one could see anything until the smoke started to clear. There was some distance between them now as they started each other off.

“You took your time finding us,” All For One commented, flexing his hand to stretch it from the impact. “The bar is only five kilometers from here and yet it took you at least 30 seconds after I sent the Noumu to arrive. You’ve gotten weaker, All Might.”

The Villain sneered at the Hero who had the audacity to take what was rightfully his. One of many unworthy holders of One For All who thought themselves noble Heroes when they were undeserving of the mutated Quirk’s unique power. All For One was determined to finally, after all these centuries, to take One For All back. Which he almost had if indeed All Might had offered it to his son only for the boy to reject it. No matter. He would do it himself.

All Might glared at the Villain who was the root of all evil in today’s world. The source of so much violence and pain with absolutely not an ounce of regret or remorse. All Might thought he had him over five years ago but now faced with All For One he knew he had been wrong. The monster who had murdered his master was still very much alive and committing acts of evil. This could not stand.

“You’re one to talk,” All Might shot back. “Hard to miss the fancy life-support mask you have. Aren’t you overexerting yourself?”

The Hero stood up straighter to better stand against his enemy. Izuku and Katsuki were splayed on the ground watching. Both were surprised to see how easily All For One had held All Might back with his bare hands. Truly marking him as the boss Villain that he was.

“I will not repeat the same mistakes from five years ago,” All Might stated with conviction as he clenched his fists at his side. “You hear me? I will take young Bakugou and young Midoriya back! And you will be locked up for the rest of your life. I’ll make certain of that! You and the despicable League of Villains!”

All Might shot forward at the finish of his declaration.

“Sounds like you’ve got your work cut out for you,” All For One replied unphased. He held out his hand as his sleeve bulged from the building power of his attack. “Seems this will be hard for both of us.”

Red-lined black energy flickered around his arm as All Might neared him. Before the Hero could connect, he was forced back by a tornado of air that sent him crashing into a building and other structures around him also fell down due to collateral damage. All For One followed his movements before looking down thoughtfully at his hand.

“Hmm…Air Cannon plus Spring-like Limbs,” the Villain muttered, considering his hand. “Kinetic Booster times four. Strength Enhancer times three. Quite a delightful combination. Perhaps a few more enhancers next time.”

The resulting dust cloud cleared and the teens could see that All Might had been thrown blocks away by that single attack. Damn that All For One was strong.

All Might! Izuku internally screamed in worry.

As if sensing his dismay, All For One spoke, “No need to worry, Izuku. It will take more than that to kill him.”

The Number One Villain then turned to address Shigaraki.

“Young Tomura, remove yourself from the battlefield,” All For One said as he raised his hand and pointed it at Kurogiri. His fingers turned black and shot out at the warper piercing into his prone body. “Take the children with you. Kurogiri will warp you away.”

The misty man’s body began to twitch and shake. Izuku hated to see him like that considering Kurogiri wasn’t necessarily there by his own will. Magne was also worried demanding All For One be careful because the Heroes had done something to him. She clearly had no idea who All For One was ordering him about and pestered him about his ability to transport them instead.

“The warp Quirk I have is still new, Magne,” All For One answered, taking her insolence in stride. It irked him but now was not the time for petty grudges. “There is still much to learn from it. For now, I know it is limited by distance where as Kurogiri’s uses specific coordinates. I can only transport people to and from my own location. With more focus, to or from someone I am familiar with. But as that is all, it is easier to use Kurogiri’s Quirk.”

The warper’s body was still twitching harshly on the ground. With a flick of his embedded fingers, All For One forced a warp gate to expand rapidly from Kurogiri’s head area.

“Forcible Quirk Activation,” the Number One Villain commented as his extended fingers retreated before shifting his focus to Shigaraki again. “Young Tomura, leave this place.”

“What about you?” the decayer asked in concern and longing to not part from his master.

There was a boom in the near distance. All of them turned to see All Might shooting up into the air and deftly switching directions to aim straight at All For One. The Villain lifted himself into the air to meet his foe.

“Use your mind, young Tomura,” All For One ordered as he rose. “Think. There is much more for you to learn and grow from.”

“YOU’RE MINE!” All Might yelled as he aimed a punch at All For One.

The Villain blocked the blow with his arm. Another blast of air followed the impact.

“Sensei…” Shigaraki breathed, watching the exchange.

Compress had enough and decided to be the voice of reason as he approached Dabi and said, “We must go, Shigaraki. While we have the chance as our masked leader keeps All Might entertained. Claim your prize.”

The magician made quick work of marbling the scarred man and pocketing him safely. Katsuki and Izuku suddenly found themselves surrounded by the remaining members of the League of Villains. Twice, Compress, Himiko, Spinner, Magne, and Shigaraki surrounded them. A barrier between them and freedom. This was not going to be fun.

All Might, sensing the change, broke off his assault on All For One to protect them, but the Number One Villain cut him off with extended black fingers. The Hero wanted to save the boys but All For One was in the way. It took all of his focus to not succumb to the Villain’s attacks even though he desperately wanted to protect the innocent children in all of this mess.

Twice whipped out his measuring tape in an attempt to capture Katuski with it, but the teen blasted out of the way in the nick of time. Himiko came slicing at him with her knife next but Izuku deftly pushed her and her blade away from his friend. A flash of guilt crossed her eyes before she spun away to attack Katsuki from another angle. She didn’t want to fight her new friend but had no hesitation going after the explosive boy with the bad attitude.

This secondary fight really wasn’t fair. It was six against two. Better than six against one but not by much. The League had the advantage here. Katsuki had his Quirk to defend himself and all Izuku had was the years of self-defense training. Not to mention he was shoeless. Not the best circumstances but fuck were they going to go down fighting. Screw everyone who said he was defenseless without a Quirk. Izuku was ready to go full honey badger on these Villains.

Compress came at Katsuki from behind but he quickly blasted his way up and over the Villain. It seemed that Katsuki was their primary focus on capturing first. Probably because he had a Quirk while Izuku did not. This irked him but it also allowed him some freedom the explosive teen did not. Izuku dodged around the other Villains as they aimed for Katsuki getting kicks and hits in along the way. He tried to keep moving in the same direction as Kacchan in case there was any sign of possible escape.

“I’m coming for you!” All Might cried, still trying to get close to them, but All For One managed to stick his finger tendrils into his back.

“I think not,” All For One sneered, dragging the Hero away. “Because I am here.”

The Villain always hated that insipid catch phrase. He had suffered through it when Izuku was young listening to that damn video over and over again. But he couldn’t show his son how much he had hated the man when he was young. Still letting life ebb and flow until Izuku came to port in his fateful spot in life. But now that he knew of his origins, All For One had no need to hold back.

The Number One Villain flung All Might away into another building as if he were a doll. All For One watched in amusement as the walls crumbled under the impact.

~~~

The hidden rescue teens could see the ones that had been kidnapped and the defending Hero were stuck. Thoughts of Tsuragamae from Hosu sprung in Tenya’s, Shouto’s, and Hitoshi’s mind when it came to laws and uncertified use of Quirks to cause injury. Then they all thought of their classmates’ concerns of their personal mission to save their friends.

It was no use. They were stuck too. Their friends, classmates, and teachers/Heroes were all concerned for Katsuki and Izuku same as them. It hurt they were so close but didn’t have the authority to fight. On the other side of the wall, Katsuki still fought to stay out of the Villains’ grips while Izuku played his own game of keep away.

They needed to wait. There had to be an opening when the rescue teens could swoop in and grab them. Then once they were safe and out of the way, All Might would be able to use his full power without hesitation of the boy being hit. But how? Hitoshi wasn’t Izuku with his brain running a mile a minute. He wasn’t the strategist like his brother.

Come on, Hitoshi, think!

Bakugou and Izuku were avoiding attacks left and right. The Villains were losing themselves to the thrill of the fight going after them both. It was exhausting. Knives were thrown and punches were heaved. Then Mei seemed to have a sudden revelation.

“I’ve got it!” she chirped in an excited whisper.

“Got what?” Hitoshi asked, eyeing her both curious and cautious.

“We can’t fight,” Tenya stressed, ready to grab his friends again to hold them back. “Especially you, Mei. You’re not even in the Hero Course!”

“Fight, shmight,” Mei brushed off with a dismissive wave of her hand. Her eyes were still glued to the phone in her hand. “We don’t need combat to save them. All we need is some specialized babies and a coordinated rescue.”

Shouto turned to her desperately clinging on to any hope of saving Izuku and said, “Tell us your plan.”

Mei looked up at him and for the first time her expression was totally serious. Though her smile was still a little mischievous as it always was but other than that full of conviction. Damn, if she wasn’t into making support babies she would make a fierce Hero.

“Here’s what we’ll do.”

~~~

As she talked out her plan, All Might was still fighting All For One meeting him blow for blow. The wind bellowed and the ground cracked beneath them but neither stood down. Though All For One could tell All Might was not going full out and it wasn’t because he had weakened over the years.

“Holding back, are we?” All For One taunted though he himself also was strangely. Perhaps it was because of his son? Feelings due to personal connections are so bothersome at times.

All Might jumped away to get some space. He was indeed holding back but how could he not. Bakugou and Midoriya were there and he didn’t want to blow them away. They were innocents in this fight and he would be damned if he let them become collateral damage. Always a concern for a Hero.

“You’ve placed yourself in quite a predicament,” All For One chided with his arms held wide. “How will the ‘Hero’ prevail in this fight?”

The Number One Hero internally cursed as he chanced a glance at the teenagers still fighting for their lives. It hurt that he could do nothing to help them right now being overwhelmed by his nemesis. At the very least, the young Heroes were holding their own despite the circumstances. Though they knew that they were a liability in his own fight and were trying to figure a way out of there.

~~~

“You can’t be serious,” Tenya blurted out once Mei finished telling them her plan.

“Look, we know Izuku is smart and even Bakugou will have realized the situation,” Mei defended, a pink brow twitching in annoyance at being questioned. “They’re on the defensive right now doing everything to stay away from the Villains. This helps us and we need to wait for when they have some space between them.”

It was madness, a gamble, but all things considered, what else could they do? There wasn’t much risk to them so Tenya couldn’t object. It would also help change the tide in the fight into All Might’s favor. Hitoshi was relieved when Tenya actually agreed to the insane plan Mei had cooked up. It was as mad as she was, but again this was Mei. Mad mad mad madam Mei.

The wild card was Bakugou. He was stubborn and brash and an overall dickhead, but for some reason he had warmed up to Kirishima of all people so a lot of the plan fell on him. The red head had befriended both Izuku and Bakugou so he could call for them both to follow.

Tenya was their leg man and Hitoshi was his support sporting Support Items to help. Mei, it turned out, had copies of Izuku’s designs on her phone which she showed to Yaoyorozu who easily was able to recreate them. Hitoshi now had his Jet shoes on his feet and a copy of Izuku’s arm wrappings on his own. He had never used that version of capture weapon before but it would be easier in theory to use than his own.

Not the best strategy to go in with gear untrained but what choice did they have. At least he had a little experience with the Jet shoes having had Izuku dare him once to try during a training session. His brother then subsequently had laughed his ass off when Hitosho of course fell on his ass and made a fool of himself. After which Izuku actually showed him the basics in case he ever needed to use them for whatever reason. Guess that case was now.

“Ready?” Hitoshi asked, not entirely feeling ready himself but was going to do this anyway.

There was always a level of uncertainly no matter how much you planned. The others felt it too but they too were determined to see this through. Tenya was on the right, Hitoshi on the left, and Kirishima in the middle. The brainwasher tested out the arm wrappings on his right and found it was a quite similar feel to his own. There was only a little resistance before he got the hang of it and secured himself to Kirishima’s torso.

“Ready,” the red head nodded and the others followed suit.

With a nod of his own, Hitoshi activated the shoes as Tenya powered up his Recipro Burst. Kirishima crossed his arms in front of him and hardened them. A burst of power from Tenya’s engines and Hitoshi’s shoes, together they broke through the crumbling wall. As planned, Shouto quickly formed a spire of ice as high as he could once they were clear.

As they soared over the battle field, Hitoshi and the others were fired up even more to see this plan through. They raced up the ice and shot into the air way out of reach from the Villains. All For One attempted to shoot his finger spikes at them but All Might put a stop to that. A strong punch to the mask on his face sent the Villain flying into what remained of a nearby building.

~~~

The League members were caught by surprise. The kidnapped teens too having had no idea their friends were there. Red and green eyes trailed after them as they sailed through the air. This was it, it had to be, their ticket out of here. All they had to do was take it.

“COME ON!” Eijirou called out as he reached out his hand to them both.

It was all the encouragement they needed. Together Izuku and Katsuki ran as the blonde prepared to blast off. Only for something to pull Izuku back. A strange sort of tie that he felt in his gut keeping him from moving any farther. It felt like a tether or a leash on his very being.

Don’t be so hasty, Izuku,” All For One’s voice hissed suddenly inside his head. “Your time with us has only just begun.

No! It can’t end like this! At least, not for both of them. Izuku still saw the opportunity they had here and refused to let their friends’ efforts go to waste.

“Kacchan, go!” the Quirkless teen yelled as he pushed the other away.

“I’m not fucking leaving you, Zuku!” Katsuki screamed back as he turned to offer his back. “Quick! Get on!”

“No! I’ll only weigh you down!” Izuku pleaded. He didn’t even think that would work considering what had to be a Quirk’s effect on him.

Not good.

“Get the fuck on, Zuku!” the explosive blonde snarled, not at all wanting to leave him behind.

“This is not the time to argue!” the greenet shot back not wanting them to miss this chance. “There’s some kind of Quirk holding me back right now. I can’t move. Just go!”

Again, he pushed the other away, but Katsuki wouldn’t let up. He grabbed at the shitty nerd and pulled and pulled only for the teen to find he couldn’t budge Izuku one bit. Shit. So he really couldn’t come with him by whatever was keeping him in place. Katsuki stared at him in disbelief as Izuku gave him a sad smile.

“It’s going to be okay, Kacchan,” Izuku insisted though he honestly didn’t know for sure himself. But Katsuki had to leave while he still could. Izuku would find another way.

The blonde stared at him giving him a long last look before asking, “Are you sure?”

Red eyes glanced over at where All For One was starting to pick himself up. Sure, the League wanted Izuku but there was no way to know if they would do something to him if he kept resisting. Katsuki hated the idea of leaving him but knew why Izuku was being so persistent. If anything, he could do more when free of the Villains than when captured by them. He still didn’t like it though.

“I’m sure,” Izuku replied even though he wasn’t entirely. You never know what the future holds but he at least knew one thing. “He won’t hurt me, Kacchan. He’s my dad.”

A terrible, horrible, and unfortunate fact but a fact none the less. While All For One never raised a hand to stop any of the bullying and abuse from others growing up, he had never raised a hand to him himself. A truth Katsuki knew too from how devoted the father was to his son. Fuck, he hated this so much.

"You better fucking find a way out of this shit, Zuku," Katsuki growled before reluctantly blasting off into the air.

Notes:

Uh oh! The battle has finally begun between All Might and All For One! Will the heroes prevail or will the villains take the day? ;) We'll see!

Also uh oh! Hitoshi and the others heard about Izuku's awkward dad situation. Certainly not helping in this tense rescue attempt. Sadly Izuku couldn't get away. Sorry! Blame All For One who just doesn't want to let him go. Well that will complicate the fight. Stay strong, Izuku!

Sh-sh-shout out to Rubyred21 for the Mr. Potato Head insult! Take that, Ass For One!

Alright, that's enough for now. Enjoy the double update! ^____^ More Kamino coming up next time. What will Izuku do? His very best that's what. Everyone is conflicted in their own ways as the fight continues and pieces are moved on this devastation of a chessboard. May the best player win! Okie, bye bye!

Chapter 43: Kamino: And Your Enemies Closer

Notes:

Happy new year, dear readers! Hope everyone had a happy start to 2024! We're starting off getting into the thick of the Kamino fight. Stay strong, All Might!

There were some mixed reviews for last update's gifted chapter. Bottom line is that you can't please everyone. And to be honest, I'm writing this to mostly please myself and to let my brain process the story. I like to see the story through various characters' eyes. Might not be everyone's cup of tea but my method has been more or less the same since the beginning. Not everything is going to be up to reader standards but I write how I write. I'm not a professional and just doing what feels right for me and any editing being saved until I find an end. Mostly for my own sanity and to not get burnt out so I actually finish this. If I can figure out a way. Hopefully, we'll see. That's future me's problem. Just one update at a time. And as for how the plot happens, I have my reasons for things going a certain way that will be revealed as to why at a later time. Also one last thing, just want to point out I said this would be a slow burn from the very beginning and we are three parts in so...if that's not your thing that's fine. Just know that BC has always been at a simmer until the times come to turn up the heat.

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

Sad green eyes watched Katsuki go getting high enough to finally reach Eijirou who held on tight. While they were too high up to see clearly, Izuku could feel the dismay coming from Hitoshi. The brainwasher shot out what looked like a replica of his arm wrappings but they weren’t long enough to reach. Either way it didn’t matter as they were soon too far away to do anything.

“Young Midoriya, watch out!” All Might cried out as Twice tried to grab the boy.

Izuku leapt out of the way just in time only to have to dodge Himiko’s grabby hands. Fuck, he was in a terrible pickle right now.

Ouch!

The Quirkless teen cursed internally as he stepped on a rock seriously missing his shoes. Or anything to defend himself with for that matter. Even a frying pan would be better than nothing thinking back to that first rooftop meeting with Chizome. That felt like so long ago. However, Izuku was forced to knock himself out of his own head when yet another set of Villain hands tried to catch him. He needed to focus on the fight here and now as he searched for something, anything, to use as a weapon.

If only I had…

Like an act of the gods, a bag shot up into the air and landed at Izuku’s feet. On the side it said ‘Edge Survival Kit Courtesy of Hatsume Industries, Inc.’ which meant this was from Mei! The Quirkless teen snagged it as he evaded yet another of the Villains’ attempts to catch him.

“Don’t touch him!” All Might bellowed as he aimed to protect Izuku only for the Villains to get in his way.

Meanwhile Magne was preparing an attack with Compress and Spinner. They were aiming to get Katsuki back, but that plan didn’t work when Mt. Lady suddenly enlarged to her towering self to block Compress. The blow and resulting fall knocked the magician out along with Mt. Lady who collapsed to the ground. But the Villains refused to give up as Magne went to try again only to be kicked out of commission in the head by a blur of yellow and white.

Gran Torino was on the scene.

“About time you showed up,” All Might jibed though it was really to bring some light to the dark of the situation.

“Not all of us are as fast as you, hot shot,” Gran Torino shot back before he noticed Izuku was still there. “Shit.”

The retired Hero jumped into action and shot over to the kid to at the very least bring him closer to the Heroes. Izuku was surprised but didn’t fight when the older Hero grabbed him and just made sure to keep the gifted bag close. Whatever Quirk that had held him back before was gone just like his chance to escape. Guess All For One was confident enough that he wouldn’t be able to get away even in the Hero’s arms. That or he hadn’t noticed having been knocked down by All Might but either way. Once they landed near All Might, Torino let go of Izuku and looked him over for any injuries.

“Are you hurt?” the retired Hero asked, never able to fully turn off his heroic instincts.

“No, Gran Torino, sir,” Izuku replied, a little starstruck that one of his Support gear inspirations was right in front of him.

There was a flicker of shock that flashed across the man’s face before it turned into an impressed smile.

“What’ve you got in the bag?” Torino inquired with a nod of his head towards it.

Oh, right!

Izuku quickly peeked into the bag and recognized a number of his usual Support gear inside. He noted his fire mask and arm wrappings among many others. There was even his collapsible shield from the Sports Festival and, oh my gods, his Jet shoes! Mei was a godsend gifting him these along with everything else. He started grabbing each one of his gadgets and putting them on his person starting with the shoes.

Meanwhile, All For One picked himself up off the ground as he said, “Shimura’s friend, I see.”

The Villain nonchalantly brushed off some dust as he observed the change of circumstances since he had been knocked down. Most of the League was unconscious and that Bakugou brat had managed to escape. However, Izuku was still there which was good. He had felt his son attempting to leave and had quickly grabbed onto him with one of his stocked Quirks. It would be a waste if he were to escape before he agreed to join them.

The Heroes too were sizing up the odds against them. Only two of the League were left with Shigaraki and Toga still standing. Then there was All For One who was a whole mess of trouble by himself. The other Heroes were still down and it was just the two of them with the kid still there. Not the best but they would work with what they had as they always did. Gran Torino would protect the kid from the Villains while All Might faced off against All For One.

“Tomura!” Himiko exclaimed, wiggling around nervously next to Shigaraki. “I don’t want to die here!”

“You must go, Tomura,” All For One ordered as blackness spread down his fingertips. “Leave and take the boy with you.”

Sharp tendrils grew from his hand and shot out past the Heroes towards the unconscious Magne.

“Forcible Quirk Activation!” the Number One Villain shouted. “MAGNETISM!”

The pierced Villain started twitching on the ground. Gran Torino blasted over to stop them leaving the kid with All Might. However, that was when Himiko started glowing pink and parts of the other Villains lit up blue. She was standing directly in front of Kurogiri’s warp gate and the others flew to her knocking them all through it. Shigaraki was being dragged as well but was very resistant to leave his master.

Then Izuku felt the pull too and was quick to shoot out his arm wrappings to bind him to a metal pole sticking out of the rubble.

“Young Midoriya, no!” All Might cried as he raced to his aid.

It took everything to resist the magnetic attraction pulling him towards the League. It hurt as his arm wrappings started to rip from the strain. All Might however was able to catch him just in time and held him tight as the Hero dug his heels firmly into the ground.

"NO!” Shigaraki growled, reaching for Izuku. “Go away! Stay away from my brother!"

"How dare you call him that?” All Might yelled, still struggling to keep the boy from being taken away. “You are nothing but his captor!"

"Oh, they are much closer than that,” All For One jeered, forcing the Quirk to pull harder. “You as well, All Migh-."

Gran Torino cut him off with a kick to the head. The blow jostled his movements and it flung Magne through the portal with Shigaraki following soon after. The decayer didn’t want to leave though. Izuku was still there and All For One’s body was too damaged for him to abandoned them. He needed to stay to collect his brother and remain with the closest thing he had to a father figure.

He wanted to stay with his family.

But his body fell through the portal anyway and the warp gate collapsed. As it did, the force pulling Izuku disappeared and the kickback sent All Might back with the boy in his arms. The space gave him a chance to hide the Quirkless teen behind some rubble to at least give him so form of shelter. They were far out of the woods yet.

“Stay here,” All Might ordered before launching himself back towards All For One.

Izuku knew it was in his best interest to listen knowing he was in way over his head. Even though the Villain was his father, you never knew what would happen in a fight like this. He had to be prepared to move at a moment’s notice, but considering what had happened before with that Quirk that had held him back, he didn’t think escape was an option. Even though the League was gone, All For One could still potentially try to take him or keep him there. Izuku was stuck and could only watch.

The Number One Hero raced towards the Villain readying a punch. Only for Gran Torino to suddenly appear in a black puddle of ooze between him and his nemesis to take the blow instead.

Shit.

“Warping, plus Shock Inversion,” All For One narrated as he enjoyed the new little side show.

The punch hit true and All Might had unintentionally knocked out his own mentor. His arm went flailing as blood spurted in little drops from the impact.

“I came to save Tomura,” the Villain confessed, unphased by the gore. “To ensure his future and that of the League’s. However, if you do indeed intend to fight me, then I will face you as you wish.”

All For One took a moment to use his newest Quirk obtained from the Pro Hero Ragdoll to track Izuku. It was different from the one he’s used to keep tabs on his son through their blood connection. It felt like an invisible string that conjoined them no matter the distance. It was with that connection combined with the use of another of his Quirks that he managed to keep Izuku from getting away. Not after they had reunited after so long. There was much they needed to catch up on after all.

Search however was more accurate and versatile allowing him to pinpoint up to one hundred people at a time. And not just their location but their Quirks and weakness as well. On the battlefield before him was a collage of his enemies from All Might and the old man serving as his shield to the other Heroes scattered about. Conscious or not, All For One could see them all where they lay as clear as day.  

Everyone had a light. A spark of life inside of them. All For One could see it now with Search and the brightest of them all was One For All existing within his nemesis. The Quirk was blinding compared to the others and the glare of it irked the Villain knowing what he desired was so close yet still out of his reach. For now. One day All For One would take One For All back and what was left of his brother would be his. Family reunited once more.

One For All’s brilliance was almost enough to distract him from his true goal but not quite. There were other lights scattered about however there was only one All For One was interested in. Izuku’s was dim compared to the rest like an old lightbulb. It was neutral in feel and the lack of brightness may be due to his lack of Quirk but regardless his small light was still there. A mark of the existence of his own child being protected by the fools who called themselves Heroes.

Regardless of dim or bright, with Search All For One could now see exactly where his son was hiding. He would be mindful of that area as the battle continued, but for now Izuku could stay in his hiding place. There was nowhere for him to run and that suited the father just fine. He would end this quickly so that they could be on their way. The Villain turned his attention back to his adversary sightlessly staring the Hero down.

“In the past, you managed to crush my comrades one by one with your fists. Forcing them underground and into the shadows.”

He could not remember all of their faces but their Quirks he clearly recalled. Each had a unique flavor of sorts and their own nuances much like wine. All For One was quite the connoisseur when it came to Quirks and his own Quirk allowed him to read them in others like a book. This ability allowed him to sense One For All within All Might and, despite the brightness seen by Search, he could feel it diminishing in power in a way. No…it was almost as if the Quirk was sealing itself up in a sense.

Hmm…interesting.

But also concerning as he didn’t know what that meant for the hybrid Quirk. All For One would have to work harder to finally claim One For All and bring it back to him where it belonged.

“In their suffering,” All For One went on with a sneer. “You were extolled as the Symbol of Peace.”

Between them was Gran Torino still knocked out from the blocked punch and All For One pointed a finger at All Might from behind the unconscious Hero.

‘I’ll face you’, my ass, All Might thought as he glared at his enemy as he continued to rant.

“How grand the view must have been from your throne built atop the mountain of their sacrifices and defeats.”

All Might had enough and screamed in rage as he flung himself at the Villain. All For One in turn powered an attack of his own. His left sleeve bulged as he layered Quirk upon Quirk aiming right at the man keeping One For All from him. Black and red energy crackled around him which All Might took note of but kept his course digging his foot in as he readied a punch.

“Detroit…SMAAASH!”

The Hero grabbed Gran Torino out of the way with one hand while sending a Quirk powered punch at All For One with the other. The Villain met it with his own fist and once again the power became turbulent in a strong blast of air. All Might was giving his all but All For One just stood as if he wasn’t facing the Number One Hero.

The strength of the attack was ripping the Hero’s costume apart. The blonde grunted from the pain in his body from the exertion but kept pressing forward unwilling to give up. Plus Ultra and all that. But even then, it was proving too much as blood spouted out of All Might’s mouth as he was forced away. Or so it seemed as the Hero skidded to a stop a short distance away still holding on to Gran Torino.

“Hmm, he stopped the attack himself,” All For One commented aloud as he realized All Might was still holding back. “Still unwilling to fight me with your full power, eh, All Might?”

The Hero gently placed his mentor on the ground. A stretch of red cloth flew out and snagged Gran Torino dragging him away from the line of fire. Izuku still followed All Might’s order to stay put but he didn’t want to leave the older Hero vulnerable in an active battlefield. He couldn’t fight but he could at least help keep one of the fallen safe. The two combatants took note of the action but kept their attention on each other.

The reminder that Izuku was still there was a good wake up call for them both. For All Might, it made him more aware of the people he still needed to protect as other Heroes were saving civilians amongst the flames and wreckage surrounding their fight. As for All For One, it presented a weak spot for him to poke at to provoke his enemy.

“I see,” the Villain hummed snidely. “It is because if you did, you would be endangering those you have sworn to protect.”

It was true but All Might didn’t have to like hearing it come from the Number One Villain’s mouth.

“Shut up,” snarled the Hero as he stood there shaking in anger. “You always enjoy toying with people and probing their weaknesses. You steal from and break them. Manipulate and discard them like trash. Scoffing at innocent people who merely want to lead happy lives!”

All Might’s eyes were practically glowing blue with conviction as his anger fueled him for the coming fight. In a flash, he shot forward in a blink of an eye making the ground crack beneath him as he surged towards All For One. The Hero gripped the Villain’s left wrist that he had raised to attack him and clamped down to cut off the release of power.

“You cannot be allowed to continue this Villainy!” All Might declared, holding strong.

All For One moved so that his other hand could face the Hero as he stated, “It’s over, All Might.”

“I WILL NOT STAND DOWN!”

All Might surged his other fist forward right into the mask on All For One’s face. The material cracked as the Villain was punched into the ground. Izuku watched in awe at the display of power as Gran Torino stirred beside him. Only for the teen and older Hero to stare in concern as they saw All Might’s buffed up form was failing on one side. Small Might was showing through as he was beginning to reach his limit.

Not good.

And that wasn’t all as the Villain was still conscious on the cracked ground with All Might’s fist still pressed into what was left of his face.

“Something wrong?” All For One jeered making the Hero gasp in surprise. How in the world did he not get knocked out with that? “You appear to be worked up for some reason, All Might. By the way, I’ve heard similar words before from countless others. Even from the one who possessed One For All before you. Shimura Nana.”

The Villain cackled up at the Hero despite his face looking like a smashed potato as All Might gasped at the mention of his master. Gran Torino cursed under his breath next to Izuku who wondered about the person All For One was talking about. The predecessor of All Might’s.

The Quirkless teen remembered the Hero talking about her during that disaster of a meeting after the Sports Festival. Afterwards, he did as he always did and researched her. However, as was often the case of Heroes of past generations, not much information was available as it was for more current ones. But there also seemed to be specific sections of the Hero’s life that were completely blank. It was as if she didn’t want them to be known. The lack of knowledge made Izuku want to know even more but there wasn’t much he could do without key pieces of information so he had put that search on the back burner until new clues came to light.

Maybe tonight he would finally get new leads.

Perhaps that shouldn’t be on his list of things to worry about but Izuku couldn’t help it. The young analyst was a curious one always seeking knowledge. Though he did remind himself that they were stuck in a dangerous situation made even more so with him still there, but couldn’t help because All For One did not want to let him go. It was because of him that Izuku wasn’t far away safe with his friends. Instead, he was here as a liability causing All Might to hold back and now they could physically see he was at his limit.

Come on, All Might!

The world was watching as helicopters flew overhead. There was so much at stake here. All Might was the Number One Hero. The initially self-proclaimed and now socially accepted Symbol of Peace. The single pillar that held up them all. But what had appeared solid before was starting to crumble and be revealed as more precarious than they thought. Tonight was going to be a turning point no matter what happened. Only the outcome would reveal if it would be for the better or the worst.

“You have so much in common with her,” All For One said, still pinned to the ground under All Might’s quivering fist. “Shimura Nana who was an utter waste of a human who passed on what did not belong to her to you. One For All.”

All Might gritted his teeth in anger. How dare he insult his master. Nana was a saint. He could remember her clear as day. Nana was beautiful and strong and her words even stronger. All Might had lived by them his whole life. Her smile could light up a whole city and he had learned to always smile from her. It was a Hero’s duty to save the person and their heart at the same time.

Nana had seen the conviction in him to become the Symbol of Peace and graced him with the power to accomplish that goal. It had been her choice and he had graciously accepted her precious gift. It had been a long, hard road to obtain One For All and master it with Gran Torino’s tough-love help. Regardless he was proud with what he had achieved and lived to uphold his own ideals as well as her legacy.

“My master was a true Hero,” All Might growled. “Do not speak of her with your filthy mouth, Villain.”

Shimura Nana possessed no skill,” All For One sneered back, enjoying this little button of provocation he had found. “Held grand ideas with no way to live up to them. For her of all people to possess One For All is an embarrassment for me as the creator. And her death…how pathetic. Would you like to hear how she died?”

All Might was outraged at the ill speak of Nana and screamed, “ENOUGH!”

He reared his left arm ready to smash that filthy mouth shut. But it was at that same time that All For One powered up an attack of his own and blasted the Hero away in a flash of blinding light. All Might was sent flying through the air and almost hit the hovering helicopter if not for Gran Torino jetting up and catching him at the last second.

“You’re in the way,” All For One said in annoyance as he coughed in his attempt to pick himself up.

But the Heroes paid his words no mind while still keeping their sights on him. Gran Torino ordered All Might to calm down. They had to keep their heads or it would end up just like last time. All Might must not get distracted or else All For One would escape like he had six years ago. He had to focus here. All For One’s Quirks and fighting style were different from last time. He needed to think and figure a way to defeat the dastardly Villain. To somehow push past his limits and win this fight!

The reporters above and the people watching across Japan were witnesses to a nightmare. Half of Kamino ward had been destroyed in an instant and All Might was facing the Villain responsible. The Heroes had been outraged that their plans were thwarted and the people were scared seeing an enemy who could stand up against their Number One hero. Would their chosen Symbol of Peace be able to prevail?

Hope. Fear. Anger. Doubt.

But above all else, there was an expectation for their champion to win out in the end. Just as he always does. All Might had to triumph over this great evil that disrupted their peaceful world. The Hero knew what they expected of him and it was a burden he had taken on proudly but now it was really sinking in the point young Midoriya was trying to make. The issue of him being the sole pillar holding up society to provide the people peace of mind.

‘What happens when that one pillar goes away?’

Until he had met the boy, it honestly hadn’t been something he had thought about. Becoming the Symbol of Peace had always been his goal and he had achieved it through hard work and the ever-present smile on his face. But ever since Midoriya asked the question, he couldn’t help consider the consequences of when he would finally meet his match. When he would eventually have to step down as the Number One Hero.

Now seemed the deciding point. It was do or die time and All Might had no intention of dying. He had a world to protect from the monster that was All For One. Screw the hole in his gut. Screw the pain permeating his body and the blood he was coughing out of his lungs. He was a Hero dammit! All Might was prepared to push himself past his limits and take All For One down once and for all.

“I find myself conflicted,” the Villain said, holding out one hand and then the other as he spoke. “Tomura has been hard at work chipping away at the trust society has in Heroes. Seems hardly fair for me to take his moment by landing the final blow. And yet I find it hard to resist.”

The Hero and Villain stare each other down. Both filled to the brim with conviction to see the other’s end.

“Your hatred of me is nothing in comparison to my loathing of you,” All For One sneered, lowering his arms. “I killed your master, yes, but that was merely one waste of a life. You on the other hand took everything I have ever tried to build. I want to watch you suffer until your last breath.”

His right arm sputtered and bulged as he channeled Quirks into it in his anger.

“I will see you die broken and disgraced…”

Red-lined black energy crackled into life at the sheer power building in his arm.

“…for all the world to see!”

The Heroes prepared themselves to dodge as the Villain raised his arm. Gran Torino shot off to protect the kid as All Might stood strong against All For One. He will not allow the Villain to win this fight, but All For One knew the Hero’s weakness. A need to protect each and every person he can as he proclaimed as much insipidly from his moronic mouth. And he was being presented with the perfect opportunity to exploit it as he sensed the Quirk emitting behind the now steaming Hero.

“Not everyone is as fast as you, All Might,” All For One taunted just before releasing his attack. “I will destroy all that you have protected over these many years!”

It happened in seconds. The world played in slow motion as All Might realized that the attack wasn’t aimed at him, but at a woman who was clawing her way out of the wreckage behind him. Gran Torino noticed at the same time and changed directions in midair but it was too late. All For One’s attack was too powerful and blew him away. Izuku held on for dear life where he hid using his shield to protect him and green eyes sheltered by goggles searched the smoke for any sign of All Might.

When the wind finally died down enough to move, Izuku quickly turned on his infrared and let out a sigh of relief. In a rainbow of color, All Might stood tall as a figure of red and orange. Only he didn’t look quite right. Smaller, skinner.

Oh no.

“The first to go shall be your ridiculous public image,” All For One admonished as the smoke cleared. “Let the world see how pitiful you truly are, ‘Symbol of Peace’.”

Izuku turned off his infrared to unfortunately see with his own eyes what he wished wouldn’t happen until far in the future. It was just as he feared. All Might’s small form was there on display for everyone to see and he had no backup to help him. A lone figure weakened overtime standing up against a dangerous foe. A single pillar about to crumple and fall.

Come on, All Might!

The world was in shock. Only few knew of this form where he looked like a living skeleton. Skin taunt, hair limp, and blood dripping down his gaunt face. Izuku and Gran Torino had seen it before but the people were staring in confused horror. What the hell happened to their Symbol of Peace?

Izuku knew. Not in great detail but he knew it had been a fight against a terrible and powerful Villain. Only now he knew exactly who that Villain had been this entire time. All For One, his father, had fought against All Might, was nearly killed by the Hero, and had left All Might with a horrendous wound that affected him to this day.

Part of Izuku still felt the pain of near loss of almost losing his dad. Another was angry at All Might for nearly killing Hisashi. Then another wasn’t sure if he should feel either of those things anymore because Hisashi had been a lie and was the worst Villain of all time. Izuku hated All For One but still held a love for the memory of his father growing up. Even though there had never been such a man, the teen still remembered how it felt to be held close by his dad. A comfort that he had held precious all these years.

This was definitely going to take time to fully process and figure out how he felt about it all. If he ever did. Oh boy was Hound Dog going to have a field day with this one. Maybe Izuku should talk to Nezu about getting the man a raise or see if he could get help from the new school counselor Taikan. If Hitoshi could trust him, so could he. Maybe. But now was not the time for such worries. The Quirkless teen watched as Small Might stood tall but shaking before a mostly unaffected All For One.

“Sunken eyes and hollow cheeks,” All For One said with disdain. “You are their greatest Hero? Pathetic. Perhaps now they will see how wrong they were about you having seen your true form. Your move, Small Might.”

Shadow cast blue eyes glared at the Villain refusing to allow his words to distract him. His body may be rotting and growing frail and his weakened state exposed, but All Might was still the Symbol of Peace. The Hero clenched his fist determined to see this fight through no matter what.

“Say what you will, All For One, but I am still the Symbol of Peace,” the Number One Hero declared with conviction. “Nothing you do to me will ever take that from me.”

Yes! That’s it, All Might!

“Still stubborn, I see,” the Villain replied with a disappointed tone. “May as well give up on making you see the truth. However, there is one or two little things you may have interest in knowing.”

All Might stared at All For One not sure he would actually want to know what the madman would say. Izuku watched in tense apprehension pretty sure he was one of those things. Green eyes glanced up at the helicopter hovering above but they seemed to be too far away to hear the fighting pair’s little talk. It still scared him what All Might would think if All For One revealed their connection, but at least the public wouldn’t know just yet.

Maybe? Please? Hopefully?

“My apprentice, Shigaraki Tomura…”

Izuku felt a little sense of relief for the moment as well as a hint of curiosity of what the man would say. But he still dreaded what would come out of the Villain’s mouth.

“…he is your beloved Shimura Nana’s grandson.”

The battlefield fell silent as All For One allowed the reveal to sink in. You could hear a pin drop as the weight of it dampened all other sounds. Izuku swallowed as he watched for All Might’s reaction. Those sunken eyes widened in horror at the thought of it but his eyebrows stayed furrowed angry at the audacity of such a lie.

“All these years, I wondered what would extinguish that Heroic flame within you. What would crush your golden heart. Then I found Tomura.”

‘I wasn’t bullied like you, Izuku. No, I was abandoned by this society.’

No.

Izuku knew All For One had found Shigaraki. The decayer had told him himself that the Villain was the only one to reach out to him. Everyone else had left the lost little boy alone.

‘Sensei saved me.’

But did he really?

Yes, he had been the one to take him off the streets but at what cost? His freedom, his future? What would have become of Shigaraki if he hadn’t been found by All For One? Was Shigaraki Tomura even his real name?

Shimura Nana’s grandson?

Could it be true? Could Shigaraki really be a descendant of All Might’s master? That would make him a hand-picked successor just to piss All Might off. Forcing him to face off against the offspring of a woman he considered family. Cruel but very on brand for All For One. After all, he wasn’t above using and abusing familial ties to get what he wants. How would this be any different?

“I took him in and groomed him to hate you,” All For One taunted with a cruel smile hidden under what remained of his mask. “Watched as you so proudly smiled while beating your master’s descendant. What a Hero you are.”

All Might was shaking in anger. How dare he. HOW DARE HE! How dare All For Fucking One have the audacity to tell such lies of his master. There was no way Shigaraki was related to her. It…it can’t be true.

“Liar!” the Hero snapped.

“Oh, come now,” All For One admonished. “There is no call for insults all because you do not want to accept the truth. Of course, this is something I would do.”

True. That All Might couldn’t deny. This man was a manipulative monster. He would do anything to poke and prod at people. Finding their weaknesses and exploiting them for his own schemes and desires. Thinking back to Nana, he remembered her beauty mark on the right side of her chin. The same marking that Shigaraki also had in the exact same place. No. No, it can’t be true. He didn’t want to believe it to be true, but knowing how the man, the Villain, in front of him was, it had to be.

NO!

All For One was a monster who would do this exact perverted and horrible thing just to get a rise out of him. All to hurt him in the worst way possible even worse than the physical injury to his gut. The Number One Hero glared at All For One filled to the brim with anger. He was no longer smiling. It was what the Villain had wanted but not exactly as he had thought his nemesis would react. All For One had expected a level of defeat but sensed mostly a raging animosity. All Might accepted that far quicker than he had anticipated.

Hmm…I wonder what changed him from last time.

“Where has your smile gone, Hero?” All For One jeered, raising his hands to press his thumbs into his cheeks mocking his insipid missing smile. “Do you not always smile when facing an enemy? Even when that enemy is far closer to you than you think?”

How could he smile in a situation like this? Yes, All Might could see that this was something All For One would do in an attempt to break him. It almost did but the fact that Izuku and that woman were still in danger forced him to push those feelings down. All Might had to stay strong here in order to protect them. No distractions could be allowed.

Memories of his master once again surfaced in his mind. Of her personal philosophy that real Heroes not only save lives, but also their hearts. That no matter how scared you were or how challenging the situation was, a smile was key to show that everything would be okay. That those who smiled no matter what were the strongest in this world.

All Might was strong. With One For All, he was arguably the strongest in the world. But in this moment, he couldn’t be as strong as Nana. While he was determined to fight on despite the reveal of his small form, he wasn’t strong enough to smile through learning that her descendant had been turned into a Villain.

He was angry and still didn’t want to believe it. But the facts that All For One was a manipulative bastard and there were still innocents he needed to protect, they pushed the Number One Hero to keep it together. Once he defeats All For One, only then could he let go and surrender to the storm of emotions raging within.

“You bastard,” All Might growled in anger.

All For One cackled then said, “To be honest, I expected you to react differently, but your hostility is quite entertaining.”

“How dare you insult her legacy like this,” All Might bellowed in fury. “To use her own grandchild…how could you commit such a horrendous atrocity.”

It was a horrible concept to take in. The Hero was having a hard time keeping himself together even though he knew he couldn’t as he would not relent from his Heroic duties. He was forcefully pushing down the what-ifs buzzing in his head of what would his master think if she knew things had turned out like this. Her successor and her progeny standing on opposing sides. He hated this so much but he couldn’t break down here. All Might had to fight on.

Izuku watched in nervous anticipation. He had feared All For One would reveal that he was his son, but he hadn’t. Instead dropping a different bomb of information all to devastate the Number One Hero. The Quirkless teen didn’t know what could possibly be going through All Might’s head right now. He worried it would be enough to make him stumble and faulter. To make a single small mistake that would have a huge impact on the pending fight. Apparently, he wasn’t alone.

“D-don’t lose,” a shaky and hurt voice spoke. Izuku turned to see it was the woman All Might had protected. “Keep…going…All Might! We need you!”

To all, the Symbol of Peace appeared frozen. A statue of outrage suspended in time as a testament to the unimaginable battle they were witnessing. Their chosen Number One Hero looked battered and beaten down more than they had ever seen before. Still standing and facing the mysterious Villain who had managed to hold his ground against the strongest Hero they had ever known. The people worried if their champion had finally met his match.

Would All Might prevail as he always did or would he fall to the hands of this Villain?

No, he had to win. Despite his appearance, they still believed in All Might. Their chosen savior who fought for them again and again no matter how daunting the circumstances. He would win this fight. The scared woman believed. The people watching did too as they began cheering him on which grew so loud that the Hero could actually hear them in the distance. Even Izuku believed he would do everything in his power to take All For One down.

“DON’T LOSE, ALL MIGHT!” Izuku screamed from where he hid. “DON’T LET THAT BALLSACK-FACED BASTARD WIN!”

The crescendo of their support and belief in All Might ignited the dying spark of One For All within. While he didn’t feel like he could power up his whole body, he had plenty to punch All For One in his fucked up face. Yellow energy crackled around his right arm as All Might channeled as much power as he could into it. The Symbol of Peace wasn’t done yet.

“Really now, Izuku?” All For One chided in disappointment. “Was that really necessary?”

“For you it is, Ass For One!” the teen yelled back.

Perhaps not the best to be insulting him in a situation like this but in these times Izuku couldn’t help channeling his inner Kacchan.

“You were right,” All Might interjected, forcing the Villain to focus on him instead of the boy. “As a Hero, there is so much I must protect in this world. For this reason, I will defeat you!”

Toshinori had to remember where he started. A Quirkless teenager with a lofty dream to make a world filled with smiling people living together happily. With the help of One For All, he became the Symbol of Peace he had always wanted to be. The one they could all look to and rely on to always bring them hope. It was that hope that was driving them to cheer for him now.

All Might would not disappoint.

~~~

Not just civilians were cheering the Number One Hero on as the world watched in anticipation. Heroes were stepping up to help with rescue efforts and the police were hard at work as well. Even the ones holding down in the flat provided to Chizome as they watched the live footage of the scene.

Understandably, he had not actually been allowed anywhere near the raid. Frustrating that he couldn’t be there for Izuku but he knew it would take time to build a level of trust with them. Perhaps he could at least ask for permission to see the boy in person. To see the Little Hero for himself and affirm that he was safe and alive. But that would have to wait until later as there were more pressing concerns.

All Might.

Chizome watched in rapt attention as the Number One Hero remained standing ready to fight despite his weakened state. It had been a shock to see the man he viewed as one of the few true Heroes look like that. A living skeleton that looked as if a strong breeze would be able to knock him over. A far cry from the strong powerhouse of a man All Might has always appeared. It made one wonder what on earth could have happened to the Hero to result in this.

But what impressed him as it always had while watching the rise of the Symbol of Peace was the sheer desire the man possessed to be a Hero and protect others despite himself. That he still stood and was willing to fight on despite his disadvantage. That All Might, no matter his appearance, was a true Hero. That and the fact he was out there protecting Izuku made Chizome believe in him even more than he had before.

“Win, All Might,” Chizome said aloud despite knowing the Hero would not hear him. Regardless he would verbalize his support. “Fight on and fight hard. You must end this in triumph.”

The Symbol of Peace must win this. For himself. For Izuku. For everyone. Because that was what a true Hero would do.

Notes:

Uh oh! All For One is still standing and Small Might has been revealed. And Izuku is stuck in the middle. Sorry, green bean, but I got reasons to keep you in the thick of it as does your dearest dad. At least Gran Torino has got his back! And even Mei and Momo do their part to help!

Sadly the League got away but Izuku was saved at least. Though poor Shiggy is going to miss his brother. However, Izuku isn't out of the woods yet as the fight continues.

Sh-sh-shout out to Flaming Skeleton Supreme Synpai on the discord for discussing Search with me. I had thoughts of if Search only tracked quirks and potentially it not working on Izuku quirkless. The anime has them shown as dots of light to represent people/quirks and canonly OFA is brighter having more quirks collected together. So then it could stand that someone quirkless could be dimmer than someone quirked.

So watching through the fight to write this part, I noticed something about All For One. Well two observations really. One is that he typically keeps his hands open which I would figure is a habit to be able to use his quirk at any time. But he also seems to use his left hand a lot in leading up to an attack. Makes me think he's either left handed or ambidextrous though I could so totes be wrong.

Oh and thanks to who ever gave the suggestion of calling All For One a ballsack-faced bastard. Don't remember who but I had to use it. XD

That's it for this update! The fight continues next chapter. Will the heroes win or will the villains? We shall see! Tata!

Chapter 44: Kamino: Knock Out

Notes:

And we're back! Just got off work and came home to a tasty meal of artichokes! Boil 'em and nom on the leaves (petals?) in melted butter mixed with garlic. MmMmm! Delicious. Alrighty, let us continue on the journey through the Kamino fight. Stay strong, All Might! Big baddy All For One wants to kick your butt.

Warning for a lot of mentions of blood but I do not at all go into any actual gore other than that. Not the biggest fan of going super realistic and detailed with it comes to that part of violence.

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

‘Toshinori, when you find yourself at your limit, remember to look inside.’

The voice of Toshinori’s master rang in his head as he faced All For One across the way. Her words were the fire that fueled him burning deep inside. Flames that were being fanned by the encouraging words of all those who believed in him. Believed in All Might.

‘Remember why you clench your fist.’

He had to think. Had to remember where he started. What motivated him down this path.

‘You must remember who you are and why you are here. Use this to help you push past your limit.’

Toshinori did. He thought back to that awkward Quirkless teenager he used to be with a lofty dream. A happy world full of happy people with no worries in the world because he was there to protect them. To assure them with a smile that everything would be alright. It had been his goal back then and it was still his goal now. As the Symbol of Peace, no matter what he would fight his hardest to win this fight.

Gran Torino finally was able to right himself after being knocked back by the strong attack from All For One. He was getting too old for this shit, but no way in hell was he leaving Toshinori to fight the Villain who killed Nana alone. She had been a mentor and a friend to them both and they would stand together to protect her legacy.

But Gran Torino wasn’t sure how much help he could be considering how the battlefield had turned into even more of a disaster zone. There were deep gouges into the ground in a V shape running on either side of All Might. Proof of how large-scale of an attack that it was making him wonder how many more Toshinori could take. From look alone it didn’t seem like even one with only one arm holding any of his power. It was a surprise that he even had any left.

“And there it is,” All For One spoke as he lifted himself into the air. “All that remains of your strength, right, All Might? How terrifying.”

The Villain sneered down at the battered and bloody husk of a Hero below him.

“Do you know that I have often dreamed of seeing you charge at me with your entrails painting the ground? Hmm, yes. Now that would be the finest of art.”

From above, their battleground seemed like the beginnings of a masterpiece. All For One could see the various brush strokes they had made destroying the surrounding buildings. Piles of rubble and cracked earth with splattered patches of blood. The two of them have made quite a picture. All that was needed was All Might dead in a bloody mess as a final touch. Then he would take his son away from here and put an end to his foolish dreams of becoming a Hero. That was never to be his fate.

It is time.

All For One surged multiple Quirks into his arm and raised it to aim at All Might. The Hero below glared up at him but the Villain felt no fear. From up in the sky, he looked like nothing but an insignificant little bug ready to be squished under his feet.

“Let’s see,” All For One pondered wickedly. “I reckon you have, what, two punches left? Three at most? Let us test it, shall we?”

The Villain readied to fire his shot only to be stopped by an interrupting blast of fire from someone else. All Might was also surprised as he noticed that Endeavor and the other Heroes from the other raid had finally made it to the scene. Backup had arrived.

“ARE YOU SERIOUS!?” Endeavor bellowed from the edges of the battlefield. He was absolutely furious at what he saw. “What the hell is with that weak little body!?

All Might had never really gotten along well with Endeavor but he respected him as a fellow Hero. Perhaps more on the violent side than himself but a Hero none the less. He knew that Endeavor saw him as a rival always fighting to best him. To find out about his small form like this…well, it certainly would be a shock. As it was to everyone watching.

The Heroes had made it just in time. Tsukauchi and the police were handling the remaining Noumu now that they were all under control. The detective had taken charge and ordered the Heroes there to aid All Might against their foes. Seems there was only one left and a powerful one at that. It was their turn to join the fight against the Number One Villain.

All For One.

Edgeshot quickly pieced together that Tsukauchi already knew that there would be danger. Feared for his friend’s life and sent them there to help in any way they could. And he was right now that they were there at the disaster zone that used to be Kamino Ward. What remained was a devastating backdrop to a horrifying scene. All Might weak and deformed below and a masked Villain floating above.

All For One observed the new arrivals and considered the implications of arriving now. The Noumu he had left them hadn’t been particularly strong but for them to handle his little gifts so quickly was quite impressive. Considering what had happened in Hosu, he believed that much of the credit went to Endeavor.

“Impressive,” the Villain said, his sightless eyes on the fiery Hero. “As to be expected of the man who fought and clawed his way to Number Two. How does it feel to see the Number One spot becoming so close to vacancy? I’m sure you can practically taste it.”

Hidden, Izuku wanted to gag on that thought. No way in hell could Endeavor be allowed to become the Number One Hero. He wouldn’t stand for it. Not with how that bastard wasn’t even worthy of the title Hero let alone be considered the best of them all. He would do anything to not let that happen. But in this moment, he could do nothing but watch.

The suspense and tense atmosphere were maddening, but there was nothing Izuku could do except stay put. He feared that if he tried to leave All For One would use that same Quirk again to stop him. Or even use that teleporting Quirk to send him away to Shigaraki. And it wasn’t like he could join the fight. Izuku felt like he would only make things worse if he tried. All Might was having a hard enough time without him mucking it up. So Izuku stayed.

So far though, other than not allowing him to escape with Katsuki, All For One had done nothing to him apparently satisfied with keeping him this close. The Villain was clearly confident he would come out victorious and most likely planning on dragging Izuku with him. Fear of that happening kept him rooted to his hiding spot defending himself with his gear. His collapsible shield was helping out a lot protecting him from falling debris.

Endeavor was shouting out complaints at All Might despite this very much not being the time. They were in the middle of a battle for their lives, dammit! Get your fucking head out of your ass, Endickvor! The world did not revolve around him and his personal failings. Especially since the resulting anger from them had bled to be felt by his own family. Though the bastard was oddly inspiring at the end of his tirade.

“STAND UP AND FIGHT!” Endeavor roared, his fire growing even hotter in his anger that Izuku swore he could feel it from where he hid. “SHOW THEM ALL WHY YOU ARE BETTER THAN ME!”

All Might considered his fellow Hero surprised by his support while All For One was far from impressed.

“If you are here to merely cheer him on,” the Villain drawled in annoyance. “Then I would much prefer you remain silent.”

All For One aimed his next attack at Endeavor only for it to be deflected by a length of black that shot at him.

“Think again, madman!” Edgeshot shouted as he reformed his head and rushed his string-like body around to the other side to become whole once more.

The fight was back on as the Heroes took action. Kamui Woods went after the fallen Heroes of the warehouse raid easily grabbing them with his Quirk and taking them to safety. He worried for them all but was most proud of Mt. Lady who was a fellow rookie Hero like himself. Present Mic followed after him to help knowing his Quirk would not do well in this situation and so focused on rescue. Tiger himself held Ragdoll close as he also picked up the civilian woman All Might had protected.

They were here. His fellow Hero brethren had come to aid the Number One Hero in his fight. Perhaps not on the front lines but anything that could help All Might to not hold back would fulfill their duties as Heroes. Together, they could help even out this fight.

Edgeshot and Endeavor were keeping All For One busy. Allowing for the others to help rescue those in danger as well as give All Might a much-needed rest. A small break to get his bearings and prepare himself for the next head-to-head fight. He had to conserve as much of his remaining energy as he could. All For One needed to be stopped once and for all.

~~~

Gran Torino watched him as All Might stood there in awe of his fellow Heroes helping him in any way they could. He was a wreck. Clearly on the verge of collapse though he refused to falter or give up. It just wasn’t in his vocabulary to cry uncle. Not back when Nana had first met him and not now facing off against her killer. Standing his ground to be the pillar he had always aimed to be. All of Japan and the world was rooting for him and he knew that. For all of them, Gran Torino knew that All Might would endure.

The older Hero took note of the others taking the fallen and getting the hell out of there. Good. Less distractions for Toshinori to deal with. Then he could concentrate fully on the fight and do what he must to defeat All For One. But then Gran Torino suddenly remembered MIdoriya and blasted over to where the teen was hiding.

“Come on, kid,” Gran Torino said as he landed suddenly making the boy jump. “We gotta get you out of here.”

“N-no! I can’t!” the teen exclaimed shaking his head earnestly. “Seriously, Gran Torino, sir. I can’t leave!”

“You can’t stay here, kid,” the Hero admonished preparing to take the boy by force. “Now let’s go!”

“NO!” the Quirkless teen screamed as he kicked the man away from him. He didn’t understand!

Gran Torino was already battered and bruised from fighting Villains and Noumo. He had not expected the boy to give up a fight about leaving. Didn’t he realize he was in danger here and needed to be evacuated? Taken out of harm’s way where he would be safe and away from this mess. And yet for some reason he very much didn’t want to go or as he said ‘can’t’.

“Why?” the Hero questioned, growing irritated by his resistance as he picked himself up. “Why ‘can’t’ you leave?”

“Because I…because he…,” the boy struggled to get out. It was as if he wasn’t sure how to explain why. “I…I don’t know what he’ll do if I try to leave, sir. I don’t think he’ll let me.”

“Won’t let you?” Gran Torino asked, confused. “Who? Why?”

“All For One, sir,” the kid answered with genuine fear in his voice as his words came tumbling out faster and faster. “W-when Katsuki was able to escape, there was a force inside me keeping me from going too. I don’t feel it now but he could always use it again. And if I try to leave, what’s to stop him from using that weird warping Quirk we saw earlier. He could send me away to where the League is and what if the Heroes can’t find me again. I-I don’t want to disappear like that!”

His words came out in a speeded jumble that Gran Torino could almost not understand. But he pieced enough together to get that the boy was scared. Afraid of being taken away by All For One but also not sure if he could leave. Finding himself stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Shit.

He was already seeing this kid was a heap load of trouble. It reminded him of Toshinori when he was younger. No, strike that. Toshinori was still trouble even up to this day. Guess he’ll have to keep the boy safe not liking having Midoriya so close to the fight. However the unknown of All For One and his apparently fixation on the kid didn’t allow for better circumstances.

I’m getting too old for this, Gran Torino thought as he hunkered down and turned to watch All Might and All For One fight.

~~~

Toshinori was grateful for the other Heroes and their efforts to help. That and the cries of the people reminding him that no matter what he looked like, he was still their Number One Hero. A pillar that had to remain strong and not break under All For One’s unspeakable power. Their united cheers and support fueled All Might to keep fighting and be victorious as he always was. To live up to the title of Symbol of Peace.

He had to do this. For the people and the Heroes. For his students who held boundless admiration for him. It was all for them that he remained standing ready to take All For One down. With this drive, All Might faced the intimidating figure of the Villain floating up in the sky above. Never flinching even when black energy crackled around his growing arm readying yet another strong attack as he countered continuous attacks from Endeavor and Edgeshot. Fighting their hardest as he would too.

I will not stand down!

 “How utterly pointless!” All For One sneered as he shot out his power again.

A pillar of air blasted down to the ground forcing the weakling Heroes away. He would not waste any more time with them and their insignificant efforts to stop him. With the field clear of distractions, he focused on All Might while still keeping his son’s location in mind. It pleased him that Izuku knew not to try and escape again.

Smart boy.

Not surprising as he was his son. It was about time All For One finished this so that they could leave this place together. For Izuku to stop dwelling on his childish dreams of Heroism and start accepting his new reality. That it was his fate to be by his father’s side as All For One ruled over a new world.

“Enough of this!” the Villain called out done with their annoying antics.

His arm started to spasm and expand as All For One loaded it with Quirk after Quirk.

“Springlike Limbs!”

His suit was ripping apart at the sheer amount of power and physical growth of the arm.

“Kinetic Booster times four! Strength Enhancer times three!”

His arm continued to grow as he kept listing off Quirks. It was mindboggling just how many he had.

“Multiplier! Hypertrophy! Rivets! Air Walk! Spear-like Bones!”

All Might glared up at the man who was the root of all evil in this world. The Villain’s arm was now a twisted and mangled mess of Quirks revealing the monster he truly was underneath that unassuming suit.

“The shockwaves from before were merely a warm up,” All For One stated as he glowered down at his unworthy nemesis. “Simply to wear you out as I knew it will take much more than that to kill you. With this ultimate combination of Quirks, I will finally end you.”

Despite the intimidating sight All Might refused to back down. The Hero readied himself for the coming powerful attack. The mutated mess that was his arm was grotesque and huge. Elements of the different Quirks appearing like pock marks along the twisted flesh. There was so much power in that arm that it was leaking out in beams of red light. A fearsome sight but it would not stop All Might.

“You may think you still have a chance to beat me, All Might,” the Villain leered. “But you are mistaken. While you do still possess One For All, it will do you no good. I can sense that it is shutting down in a way. Cutting you off to its great well of power. Your remaining strength is like a lingering ghost. Mere embers compared to the inferno it once was.”

All Might does his best to ignore his troubling words. It was true he could not use One For All as he once had in the past, but that didn’t matter right now because he could not lose. Not now when everything was at stake. The Hero readied his arm and willed One For All to not let him down now. Yellow energy sparked from his skin with his power.

“Your fire is waning, Hero,” the Villain sneered. “Growing weaker each time you use it. Now it has reduced to nothing but a feeble spark.”

All For One rushed towards All Might reaching for his foe as he reared his colossal hand into a powerful fist.

“I know of your offer to the boy,” All For One revealed as he grew closer and closer to his enemy. “To pass on One For All to him and become your successor. Pity he did not accept.”

Toshinori stared in horror that All For One knew about that. Was it the reason why he wanted Midoriya so badly? Was All Might the reason he was kidnapped?

Shit.

“It would have made this far easier if he had,” All For One went on. “Then One For All would have finally been back in the family where it belongs.”

Shock flashed in blue eyes for a moment at the implication of that. Back in the family? What did this monster mean by that? His concerned confusion was clear on his face even though he willed it away as quickly as it came. He still had an enemy to fight.

“I’m sure you are wondering the meaning behind my words,” the Villain grinned from beneath his mask. “If Shigaraki being your master’s grandson was devastating, I wonder how you will react to know who your almost chosen successor really is.”

All Might stood strong forcing himself to not let All For One’s words trip him up. Would not let himself falter so close to ending all of this. No matter what the Villain said, he would defeat him.

“Midoriya Izuku…”

Their fists were inching closer and closer as the Number One Villain fast approached the Number One Hero. The air was thick with tension but their convictions cut through it like a hot knife through butter. All For One believed this would be the perfect cherry on top of everything and act as the last straw to finally break All Might.

“…is my son.”

The Villain purred the word as their fists clashed. He waited to see the exact moment when the Hero’s heart would finally crack. But it never came. Yes, there was a jolt of disturbance however it was fleeting and quickly replaced by sheer anger. A loathing for this monster of a man who, if he were telling the truth, was willing to put his own child into unnecessary danger. All Might would prevail.

RAAAAAAAH!!” the Hero bellowed as he put everything he had into his punch.

His powered fist strained against the mangled mess of flesh, Quirks, and bone that was All For One’s. The sheer force of the impact between them combined and became tangible. Fusing into a blinding ball of blue light that was shrill and as loud as a jet engine as it expanded until it snapped with a flash shooting out around them. Shock waves rolled from the colossal snap exploding into a cloud of dust and debris that obscured them from the world. All For One refused to stop as All Might refused to move. Stalemate. This the Villain could not allow.

“IMPACT RECOIL!”

The added Quirk caused All Might’s arm to threaten to buckle as blood spurted out, but the Hero refused to relent and forced himself to stand his ground. All For One could not be allowed to win this fight. The Villain forced him back but All Might still matched his fist and would not give up. His mind kept wanting to go to Midoriya and this bastard’s claims about him, but he could not allow such distractions.

“Regardless if young Midoriya is of your blood or not,” All Might proclaimed, gritting his teeth through the painful strain. “You will not be winning this fight, All For One!”

“So resistant,” All For One tutted with a grunt. “I see you’re fighting to rekindle some of your former strength. A desperate attempt at best. But a wish to fulfill your duty and stop the inevitable just shows how pathetic you really are!”

The Villain willed his Quirks to force All Might back and finally beat his enemy into the ground where he belonged. Their fight had made this the perfect place for the death of their precious Symbol of Peace. A grave for their misguided hopes and trust in the fool they called their Number One Hero. But All Might would not go down so easily as he yelled in his efforts to keep fighting. Blood continued to splatter everywhere as the words of his master came to him in his mind.

‘When you feel you’ve reached your limit and can’t go on, you must remember who you are.’

I.

AM.

ALL MIGHT!!

The Hero stamped his foot firmly down behind him with enough of One For All to brace him against the sheer force of All For One.

“I WILL BEAT YOU!” All Might proclaimed, eyes glinting a sharp blue as he planned his counter attack. “Not just as a Symbol but as a Hero and teacher! I will do as my master did for me for the future Heroes of this world! Until they are ready to take their place…”

With a boom, he finally planted a firm footing into the cracked ground and forced them to stop. He knew he needed to change things up to turn the fight in his favor. All Might clenched his other fist as yellow lightning energy formed around it.

“Your naïve resistance is embarrassing,” the Villain sneered.

The Hero ignored him as his fist grew in strength and size.

“…I won’t…”

“Perchance I was wrong.”

All Might quickly shifted all his power from one arm to the other turning so that All For One’s monstrous fist flew past him.

“…I refuse to die!”

He reared his powered-up arm and managed to punch All For One in the face hard. Advice that had been pounded into him by Gran Torino filled his mind. A head on fight against the Villain was impossible. He was too strong and had too many unknown Quirks. All Might needed to be smart, strategic. He had to use his wits to win this fight.

From their hiding place the older Hero and the Quirkless teen saw that he had used one of his arms as bait. A fine plan but it left the limb battered and even more blood came spurting out. Not to mention All For One was still standing.

“Clever. How unlike you,” the Villain commented as he Quirked up his other arm to use the Hero’s trick against him. “BUT YOU ARE STILL WEAK!!”

But All Might wasn’t done yet as he transferred his power back to his other arm. It was bloody and bruised and hurt like hell. The Hero ignored it and powered through the pain.

“HOW ABOUT NOW!?” All Might yelled as he really put his back into it.

The Number One Hero reared his powered arm back with all the strength he could muster from One For All. Tracing the pieces of his Quirk to the hidden pool of power within. The gifted Quirk from his master that Nana had graced him with so that he could become the Symbol of Peace he had always dreamed of since he was a teenager.

One For All was his as of now. Passed on from Hero to Hero who had all kept and cultivated it to the strength it was today. His Quirk was meant to bring joy and peace to the world filling everyone with hope. While Toshinori was losing touch with One For All, he held enough of its power to finally punch the lights out of All For One.

All Might grasped onto the feeling of when he first harnessed One For All. It was like a string of light of different colors of the rainbow rolled up into a ball of white. The color of peace, honesty, and of new beginnings. Hopefully Toshinori would survive this fight so that he could find a worthy successor and help train them to be an even better Hero than he was. One worthy of continuing the legacy of One For All.

It was with this inherited power that he would finally take All For One down. He had to win. Had to beat this Villain down. Even with his arm battered and bruised All Might was going to defeat this evil man if it was the last thing he would ever do. All For One gasped in surprise and aimed an arm at the Hero. All Might growled as he dodged the hit that shot past him and exploded in flames where it impacted. Thankfully nowhere near where Izuku and Gran Torino were hiding.

All Might ran low at his foe paying the fire no mind. All For One was his only point of focus in that moment. With blood leaking from his mouth, the Hero yelled through the pain raking his body as he pushed himself past his limits.

GOODBYE, ALL FOR ONE!!

With a twist of his foot, the Symbol of Peace put all of his might into this punch. He turned his body for the best angle and smashed his fist into All For One’s mangled face. What remained of his mask broke under the power of One For All that flared into an inferno within the Hero.

“UNITED STATES OF SMASH!!

The hit was so strong that All Might forced All For One into the ground. The impact was intensely more powerful than before breaking the earth beneath the Villain. Rubble flew away from them in the resulting blast of wind that was like a tornado. The aftershock forced the helicopter and Gran Torino away. Izuku managed to stay put only by planting the edge of his shield firmly into the ground and bracing himself with his staff from the back.

The world grew strangely silent as the people watched with baited breath. Was it really over? The dust finally settled enough for them to see All For One on the ground motionless and All Might hunched over but still standing. There was no sign of his buffed-up form and blood was dripping from his mouth and down both of his arms. But despite all that, he was still standing.

All Might had won.

With the world watching, the Number One Hero shakily raised his arm to hold a firm fist in the air. All Might buffed up his arm one last time knowing the people were watching and needed to know that he was there. That everything was going to be alright now. In the air, the helicopter hovered and the reporter within allowed them all to see as they announced.

ALL MIGHT WINS!!

Finally, he had done it. All Might defeated All For One. He could hear the people’s cheers from all around at his victory. For them, he buffed up entirely even though it was just for show. Despite staggering a step in exhaustion, he had to show them that their chosen Symbol of Peace was still alive.

The other Heroes who were still conscious watched the scene unfold. Edgeshot voiced concerns that he was pushing himself after such an intense fight. But Gran Torino who had landed near them saw the posturing for what it was. That All Might knew he was still working and that this was his last job as the Number One Hero and Symbol of Peace.

All Might could hear the people cheering for him. He was glad he was able to bring them peace one last time. He held his bigger form a moment longer before the effort became too much. All Might grunted out a cough of blood as he released it and was skeletal once more. And yet they still shouted their praise.

He knew this was his last fight as a Hero. One For All was nothing but a weak spark inside him. Now it was going to be the other Heroes’ responsibility to keep fighting. He would still help them as best he could but All Might the strongest Hero was no more. After this, with young Midoriya’s words as encouragement, he planned to advocate unity and teamwork amongst the Heroes. Together they will win the ongoing battle against evil.

Seeing an adventurous reporter and camera man peaking over now that the fight was over, All Might raised a lanky arm and said, “Now, it’s your turn.”

The people cheered even harder at his last message. All Might smiled as he lowered his arm and the reporters were escorted away by the arriving police securing the area. The battle was finally over.

Notes:

All Might has prevailed! :D But of course he would. Can't let All For One have his way now could we? Though I gotta say I had a lot of fun writing All For One's dialogue in this chapter. He's just so manipulative and evil.

A little more interaction with Izuku and Gran Torino! Gotta check in with the green bean. I know, he's still stuck there but the fight is over now so he's safe. And again, reasons to be revealed in the future.

So All For One said it. Izuku is his son. Oof. How will All Might react to that in the aftermath? We'll see! Btw, going through this part in canon, with All For One listing off the quirks he used, all I could think of was DBZ abridged. The part where Goku is fighting Vegeta.

Goku: Kaioken...!
Vegeta: No.
Goku: ...times...
Vegeta: No, no, no.
Goku: ...FOUR!
Vegeta: FUUUUUUUUUUUck! -blown away-

(If you haven't seen DBZ abridged, please do. Still hilarious. XD For me without having watched it and even more so after I watched the whole show.)

Fun Facts About Japan:

There are many ways to say goodbye in Japanese. With All Might saying goodbye to All For One I thought we'd talk about it now. And to show we haven't said goodbye to this section. :P Nope! No sayonara to FFAJ as it exists in my notes. XD

Speaking of sayonara (さよなら), it isn't actually the standard way to say goodbye to someone. Reason being is it doesn't just mean goodbye but more goodbye forever or an extended period of time. Kind of like 'I don't know when I will see you again' feel. Kids will use it growing up but adults typically don't preferring to use ones not so formal.

So how else can you say goodbye? At the work, I would greet the teachers with an osaki ni shitsurei shimasu ( おさきにしつれいします , お先に失礼します ) which essentially means pardon me/forgive me for leaving before you'. In Japan, they are very work focused and the teachers put a lot of extra hours in past when school let's out. Then the reciprocated response is otsukaresama deshita ( おつかれさまでした , お疲れ様でした ) which is them thanking you for all your hard work for the day. It doesn't have a direct translation into English though. It uses the verb tsukareru ( つかれる , 疲れる ) which means 'to be tired' and is used in a way to say 'you look tired from working so hard'. A show of appreciation for your efforts essentially.

Then with family and good friends you can use jyaa/jyaa ne ( じゃあ/じゃあね) or mata/mata ne ( また/またね ) which are both short for jyaa, mata ne ( じゃあまたね ).
The more formal version is sore dewa mata ne ( それでわまたね ) meaning 'see you later then' and jyaa is just a casual sound between close friends and those younger than you. Essentially saying jyaa ne serves as 'bye-bye'.

There's a bunch more ways so if you're interested you can check these links out if you're interested. :) About sayonara and goodbye greetings in general then otsukaresama deshita and jyaa ne specifically. Enjoy!

There ya have it! The Kamino fight has come to an end but we're not done yet. Come on, it's me! :P The fight may have been won but now there's the aftermath to deal with. Oof. Lots to unpack after all this. ;) We'll see what's up with that next time. じゃあね!

Chapter 45: No Man Is An Island

Notes:

Heyo! A little later than usual but having work does that. :P Just had to wrap up last minute editing and now we're here! The Kamino fight is officially over. All Might won and All For One is down. Now for the aftermath.

There is a, um, particular development this chapter that I am a little worried about readers' reactions. Just remember that I have reasons for everything that will be revealed in time. Take it with a grain of salt if you will. And remember this is all in good fun. :)

Let's go!

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

As soon as Izuku heard cheering, he finally felt safe enough to peek over his shield. He had heard the whole fight but stayed crouched behind his gear for protection. Only when there were sounds of triumph did he dare to look. Green eyes grew wide as soon as he saw All Might standing there big and strong with steam coming off of him in tendrils. He…he did it. All Might beat All For One.

The Villain wasn’t moving and the Hero started to look uneven on his feet. Which is why when the police started arriving to help with the rescue efforts of the other Heroes, Izuku picked up his stuff and rushed over to Yagi. The blonde man had released his bigger form and was a skeleton once more.

“Are you alright, All Might?” Izuku asked as soon as he was close enough to the man.

He was already pulling out some first aid supplies from his belt. Not much but it was better than nothing. But the Hero held up a hand telling him to stop. Green eyes stared up at him in confusion and concern as sunken blue seemed to study him.

~~~

Toshinori finally had a moment to at least start to process all that he had learned. Of Shigaraki and his connection to Nana. Of All For One taking her grandson in just to hurt him personally. Of how this boy, this fledgling Hero in front of him, was the son of the worst Villain ever known. In this moment, the last one was his biggest concern.

The Hero looked, really looked, at the boy staring up at him with green eyes brimming with concern. Who was already trying to help him after the biggest fight he had ever had. Acting as a Hero. Yes, he could still see it. See the Hero within the boy no matter if he was actually All For One’s son. That there still was goodness and the heart of a Hero within him that had made All Might offer One For All to him in the first place.

‘I know of your offer to the boy. To pass on One For All to him and become your successor. Pity he did not accept.’

All For One knew of his offer. If he hadn’t gotten to know the boy more, he would have been worried the Quirkless teen had told the man himself. But this was Midoriya. An aspiring young man with strong convictions to become a Hero. Midoriya was no Villain nor did he think the boy ever could be. It was something many saw with Aizawa and Nezu backing him among others. That this seemingly simple Quirkless boy had the makings of a real Hero.

If only he had agreed to take One For All. Midoriya would have been a worthy successor despite who his father may be. While there was now a small part of him that was relieved that he hadn’t or else it would have fallen into All For One’s clutches, but then again One For All could not be taken by force. It had to be willingly given by the holder for the transfer to take place.

Would young Midoriya have given it to All For One as his father? Or would he have refused to give such power to a Villain?

“All Might?”

Toshinori blinked at the call of his Hero name. He looked down to see Midoriya still watching him with worry. Guess he had zoned out there a little in his considerations of the boy. So many what-ifs and unknowns having clouded his head. Either that or he was just exhausted which was totally understandable.

“I’m fine, young Midoriya,” the Hero assured him, only coughing a little blood from his mouth. The teen did not look convinced. “Okay, I will be fine. What about you? Any injuries?”

“No, sir,” Midoriya replied with a shake of his head. “Not from the fight.”

His green curls bounced around the goggles that were now propped higher on his head so that he could see the man better. Toshinori himself didn’t see any serious injuries on the boy. Perhaps some bumps and bruises from trying to keep away from the Villains, but nothing more. It gave the Hero much relief to know he had not gotten hurt while stuck on such a devastating battlefield.

“I’m glad to hear that,” the blonde sighed in relief before coughing up more blood.

“You’re hurt, All Might,” Midoriya stated, still holding some first aid supplies in hand. “You’ll need a hospital but at least let me patch you up a little.”

“There is no need to worry,” the Hero insisted, waving his offer off. “I’m fi-.”

A strange sharp pain suddenly struck him in the chest. It was not from any of his injuries. This was something different coming from where he envisioned his Quirk resided in his core. It was constricting and hard much like the pain one feels from a heart attack. An uncomfortable pressure that felt like One For All was being squeezed. What…what was going on? Toshinori collapsed to his knees with a croak of pain.

“All Might?!” the boy cried out in fear as the Hero fell to the ground.

Midoriya made quick work to move him on his back, bending his knees, and then using his own lap to cushion the man’s head. He didn’t know what was going on but Recovery Girl had taught him what to do for a heart attack. It was the only thing he could think to do.

“Toshinori!” Gran Torino called out as he suddenly landed next to them. “What happened?”

“I-I don’t know!” Midoriya answered, looking down at the Hero with great concern. “He clutched his chest and then collapsed.”

The older Hero nodded before turning his attention to Toshinori and asked, “Toshinori, can you tell me what’s happening?”

The blonde’s eyes were screwed shut in pain unable to answer right away. After a few moments, the pain ebbed to a manageable level for him to open his eyes and look up to his mentor.

“I…I’m not…sure,” Toshinori managed to say between gasps of pain. “There is this…strange pain within me. I think it has…something…to do with my Quirk.”

“Shit,” Torino cursed before casting a glance at the boy not sure he could ask more probing questions.

Midoriya noticed the odd look and said, “I know about One For All, Gran Torino.”

The older Hero blinked at him in surprise and then turned to All Might.

“You told him?”

“I did,” Toshinori answered with a nod.

“All Might offered me One For All after I won the Sports Festival,” Midoriya explained, carefully wiping away some of the blood caked on the Hero’s face. “I turned it down though.”

This obviously surprised Sorahiko who looked from the boy to him and back. It was then that another twinge of pain sparked in Toshinori’s chest.

“Gah,” he gasped sharply and wet from his own blood.

The sound pushed Gran Torino to action.

“Stay here with him,” the older Hero ordered as he prepared to jet away. “I’ll go get the medics so we can remove him safely.”

“Yes, sir,” Midoriya affirmed with a determined nod.

Toshinori watched his mentor fly away with a blast of air. He knew that he would get back as fast as possible but medical attention was not his biggest concern. Something was happening to One For All and he didn’t know what. As time passed it had gradually become increasingly more difficult to pull power from the Quirk as if there were walls forming around it cutting him off. Now this new constricting pain felt like it was closing One For All off from him even more.

There…there wasn’t much time.

He didn’t know what this would mean concerning One For All. Would he lose access altogether? Would he still be able to transfer it to another if that happened? Or would this Quirk be stuck within himself and its legacy end with him? Ending generations of hard effort to pass on One For All and cultivate its power to one day defeat All For One. Well, with this fight he guessed that goal had been reached. All For One would be going to Tartarus to never see the light of day again.

But Toshinori didn’t want the path of One For All to end with him. He still needed to find a worthy successor but how could he with so little time? He…he had to do something. Now. Sunken blue eyes slowly turned to look into concerned and caring green. He had to try.

“Young Midoriya,” the Hero breathed, wincing at another spark of pain. “I have a favor I must ask of you.”

“What is it, All Might?” Midoriya asked, curious as he still looked down at the Hero in concern.

“I know you wish to become the first Quirkless Hero,” Toshinori said, watching the boy carefully and watching his words even more. “Despite my past actions towards you, you have gone above and beyond to prove that possible.”

The Quirkless teen gasped and tears already started to bud in his eyes.

“I admit that I was wrong to assume things of you,” the Hero went on, reaching a hand up and placed it over the boy’s own stilling his doting movements. “You and I are not the same. We may have had similar origins but we are our own individuals with our own goals in life. I followed mine and you must follow yours.”

The building tears began to fall knowing that All Might, his childhood idol, finally and truly believed in him. He fruitlessly wiped them away with his free hand as more fell while the man squeezed his other in comfort. Toshinori knew the boy was emotional and let him be.

“Th-thank you, All Might,” Midoriya said after a few moments. “You don’t know how much that means to me.”

“I sincerely mean them, my boy,” Toshinori said, truly meaning his words. No matter if All For One was actually his father, he could not sense a single non-heroic bone in his body. “As such, I hope you do not take what I must ask of you the wrong way.”

Teary green eyes blinked in confusion before he let out, “W-what do you mean?”

The Hero stared up at the boy for a moment. Took a long look as a final consideration before he asked something of him that was almost too much to bear. But even with the controversial and uncorroborated factor of All For One, he had a gut feeling that what he was about to ask was the right thing to do. Letting out a slow sigh in resolve, he spoke.

“To be honest, I’m afraid, young Midoriya,” Toshinori said, looking up at the teen forlornly.

“A-afraid?” Midoriya asked. “Afraid of what?”

“I fear that One For All will fade away and be trapped inside me,” the man answered. “My time limit is diminishing by the day and I am afraid that once it is down to zero so will the Quirk itself disappear. After this fight, I can feel the last flickers of One For All threatening to extinguish. I’m afraid that if I don’t pass it on now that One For All will be lost forever.”

The Quirkless teen breathed in and out shakily unsure what to think. He waited quietly as the Hero continued.

“Young Midoriya, I have asked you before and you said no. I respect that, but you also know that I am still in search of a successor. I know you want to make it as a Quirkless Hero, but my time is running out and I can’t let this Quirk die with me. So I ask you if you would take One For All, not as a successor, but as a place holder. Until a time when I’m able to find the one worthy to wield it as the next Symbol of Peace.”

~~~

Izuku felt like his brain short circuited for a moment. All Might wanted him to…what?

“W-what did you…?”

His words trailed off as his mind was still rebooting trying to understand. All Might finally believed he could be a Hero without a Quirk, but then he wants him to take One For All. Just what?

“Please, young Midoriya, I implore you,” the man in his lap pleaded. “Please take One For All. You don’t have to use it. Only take it. Keep it safe and pass it on when needed to a worthy and willing wielder.”

Green eyes blinked blankly as he processed the Hero’s request. Okay, so, he wasn’t asking Izuku to be his successor. He merely wanted him to take One For All so that it could be passed on to someone else. That wasn’t too hard to understand, he guessed, though he had some concerns. How was One For All passed on? What would happen to him if he did take it? But most importantly, should All Might really be giving it to him of all people? The son of the Number One Villain?

The Quirkless teen glanced over at All For One where he laid unconscious a short distance away. It had been terrifying to see the man who had raised him as a doting father firing powerful attacks against the Number One Hero. To think those same hands dealing destruction had once seemed so safe to him as a child. A sanctuary where nothing could go wrong and everything would be alright.

Not anymore.

Hisashi the father was dead. Now only a memory knowing the truth that he had actually been a Villain this whole time. It would be unwise for All Might to give One For All to him. Even in desperation, he should not give One For All to the son of All For One.

“Young Midoriya?”

The sound of his name pulled Izuku out of his head. He shook it a few times in attempts to clear it at least a little. He had to tell him. Had to tell All Might the truth. That out of everyone in the whole world, the Quirkless teen should be his last choice.

“All Might, I can’t…you shouldn’t…,” Izuku tried to explain but fear kept the words from coming out.

He had to know, but what would happen once he did? Would All Might still see him as a Hero? Or would he see him as a Villain just like his father? He wasn’t. There was no way Izuku could ever be a Villain like him. Regardless, there was no telling how the Hero would react, but he still needed to know.

“I’m his…”

Green eyes glanced from piercing blue to the unconscious form of All For One and back again.

“He’s my…”

But no matter how hard he tried the words would not come out. He…he couldn’t say it.

Just spit it out!

But nothing did. The teen growled in frustration as the Hero quietly watched him as he pieced together what the boy was trying so hard to say.

“I see,” the blonde man said, allowing the truth of the matter settle within him. “So it’s true. He is your…”

All Might also trailed off. Seems Izuku wasn’t the only one having trouble voicing the truth. The teen simply nodded with a mournful look. For the father he thought he had only to find out all of it was a lie. For the family they had been but never would be again. And potentially for his future as a Hero and the respect of All Might.

“I…I’m so sorry, All Might,” Izuku said sadly. “The things he said…I would never…and you…your small form.”

The Hero squeezed the smaller hand in his stopping the boy before he said, “It’s alright, young Midoriya.”

It certainly didn’t feel like it would be alright. All For One knew about All Might’s offer of One For All. Now he was offering it again only now Izuku knew he was the son of a Villain.

“I…I promise I would never be like him,” the teen said, hoping the Hero looking up at him could see he was speaking the truth. “I…I’ve only ever wanted to be a Hero. And now he…he forced you to show your true form.”

“Again, it’s alright,” All Might insisted. “My time as the Number One Hero would always eventually end. You told me so yourself.”

He meant it as a way to alleviated some of the tension but judging by the boy’s grimace it didn’t work. Yagi let out a sigh and gave the teen a hopefully reassuring pat.

“W-what will you do now?” Izuku asked, earning a confused noise from the Hero. “Well, I mean, obviously I shouldn’t be the one anywhere near One For All. Not when he’s my father.”

They both glance over at the downed Villain who was thankfully still out. Only the rise and fall of his chest as a sign he was still alive. Hopefully reinforcements would be there soon to make sure he went into custody.

“While you may share lineage,” All Might said, turning back to the boy. “It does not change that I am in need of your aid. I still want you to take One For All.”

“Wha?” Izuku gasped out in shock. “But why? I’m his…?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Yagi insisted with a small shake of his head. “I have a gut feeling, no matter your parentage, that you are the next to hold One For All. Even if only as a place holder. Please take it, Izuku. Protect this power.”

The greenet sputtered as he protested, “B-but he’s my…”

“It doesn’t matter who he is,” the Hero stressed, reaching up with his other hand. “All that matters is who you are.”

“But I…”

All Might gently cupped the boy’s chin with his bony hand. There was still blood on it from the fight, but Izuku paid it no mind as he stared down wide-eyed at the man.

“Please, young Midoriya,” Yagi pleaded as he stroked a bloody thumb across his face. “Even if for a short time, will you help me keep this power alive to pass on to the next holder. Will you help me…Hero?”

His thumb was so long that it even reached Izuku’s lips smearing blood along the way. He reflexively licked his lip and cringed at the coppery taste. Izuku wanted to say no because how could All Might trust him with One For All after learning about All For One. But the Symbol of Peace was looking at him so desperately all battered, bruised, and bloody from the fight, he found he couldn’t. The Quirkless teen licked his lips again out of nerves quickly reminded of the blood. He wiped the rest of it off before answering.

“I…okay, I’ll do it,” Izuku answered with a nod as the Hero still cupped his cheek. “Only for safe keeping, right?”

“Only for safe keeping,” All Might assured, giving the boy a small pat before lowering his hand. “Thank you, my boy. Not just as a Hero but as a man. You have saved me. You’re my Hero, young Midoriya.”

“O-of course, Yagi,” Izuku uttered, a blush dusting his dirty cheeks.

The Hero chuckled before saying, “Please, Midoriya. We have been through far too much to be so formal. I think you may call me Toshinori, my boy.”

Woah, first name basis with All Might? Holy crap!

“O-okay, Tosh-Toshinori-san,” the teen stuttered, old habits of politeness breaking through. “You can call me Izuku if you like.”

“Of course, young Izuku,” Ya-Toshinori said with a tired but warm smile.

Neither believed the day would come when they would be on a first name basis. Not after Toshinori hurt Izuku so much when he had first offered One For All. While Izuku had agreed to it now, he knew it was only temporary. But this new level of companionship between them, both hoped it would last far longer than the short-lived shared connection they would have through One For All.

Speaking of…

“So how do we…?”

“Toshinori!” a voice suddenly called out.

Izuku had tried to ask how exactly All Might would pass on One For All to him but he was interrupted. Gran Torino had returned and he wasn’t alone as rescue teams and paramedics followed him. But that was okay. Toshinori could give him One For All at a later time. He seriously needed medical attention more right now.

Seeing that help was finally here, Izuku sighed in relief and smiled down at the Hero in his lap.

“Let’s get you to the hospital, All Might.”

~~~

The paramedics were careful and quick administering aid to the Number One Hero. Gran Torino stood close by keeping watch over Nana’s troublemaker of a successor. Kamui, Tiger, Present Mic, and X-Less were hard at work attending to the downed Heroes as well as looking for any survivors trapped in the rubble. While Endeavor was more barking orders than actually helping overseeing the loading of All For One into an awaiting iron maiden. Edgeshot however made a point to check on the boy who had been stuck on the battlefield.

The Ninja Hero, civilian name Kamihara Shinya, wanted to make sure the kid was okay after all of that. But he also had an interest in meeting the boy whose chosen Hero name was so close to his own. The Quirkless teen’s story was intriguing. Transferring from Support to the Hero Course after placing first in the Sports Festival. Making a name for himself in Hosu taking down the Hero Killer. Now falling victim to being kidnapped by the League of Villains.

Who are you exactly, young Hero Edge?

The boy was awkwardly sitting off to the side after being checked over by the medics. They had noted the mangled state of his hand but other than some bumps and bruises he was determined fit enough to wait for the hospital. He looked almost like a scared animal though as green eyes flickering around at all the activity happening around him. Because of this, Edgeshot approached the boy cautiously and carefully.

“Are you alright?” the Hero asked, kneeling down to be more on his level. “I’m sure you’ve been through a lot these past few days.”

Green eyes blinked up at him and gasped in awed surprise, “You’re the Ninja Hero Edgeshot!”

So the rumors of him being a Hero fanboy are true.

“The one and the same,” Shinya chuckled in amusement, his smile hidden by his mask. “Now are you going to answer my question?”

“Oh, right, yeah,” the teen babbled, shaking himself out of his fanboy moment. “Um, I think I’m okay right now? I just…I have a lot to think about after all this.”

Of course. Kidnapping and violence would be unsettling for anyone. Not to mention the boy’s mother was in the hospital as well. For now though, the kid seemed fine physically if in need of a shower. Hopefully mentally as well with time and therapy.

“Good to hear, kid,” the Ninja Hero said with a nod of his head. “Would it be okay if I asked you a personal question?”

“Uh, sure?” the boy replied, quirking his head to the side curiously confused.

“Why did you choose your Hero name?” Edgeshot asked, wondering if it was connected to himself or not.

Whether it was or not didn’t necessarily matter to him, but it being so close to his made him wonder. Considering the boy was an obvious fan of Heroes, was it possible he looked up to Shinya? Not that he thought highly of himself. Yes, he was the Number Five Hero but he fulfilled his Hero duties with calm focus and always kept a level head. He was a Hero no matter if he had fans or not. Saving lives was his main priority.

“Edge?” the teen asked, getting a nod from the Hero. “Oh, it was inspired by the first person to ever encourage me to follow my dream of becoming a Pro Hero.”

“Oh, I see,” Edgeshot replied flatly.

He wasn’t disappointed but it answered his question. As this was the first time meeting the boy, then Shinya was not the inspiration behind the name and instead it was someone else. Neither here nor there to the Hero but apparently the kid misinterpreted him.

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” the boy blurted out flailing his hands. “I didn’t mean to impede on your Hero name, Edgeshot, sir! Honest! It’s just he said without a Quirk I would need to find an ‘edge’ to win in a fight and I did. So, I decided to be that edge myself.”

Shinya considered the reasoning. Hmm, yes, that was indeed a fine origin for the name. Considering the boy was Quirkless, he would need to learn extra skills and have additional gear to compensate for a lack of Quirk. He himself fought not just with Foldabody but instead combined it with his ninja skills as well as his knowledge of anatomy. While his Quirk did help, even if he didn’t have it, he could still have been a Hero just like this boy.

“Hmph, interesting,” the Hero said with a nod. “I don’t mind your Hero name being close to mine. I was only wondering if it was on purpose or not.”

“Oh, um, no, it wasn’t, heh,” the kid said, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. “Though I can see why you would think that. My friend Red Riot did that with Crimson Riot. He is his idol.”

“And I’m not yours?” Shinya said with a teasing tone.

“Oh, you are! Along with a lot of other Heroes too,” the boy exclaimed, a glimmer of excitement returning to his eyes. “I’ve always wanted to be a Hero and took a lot of inspiration from so many of you. Even my tech is based off a number of Heroes’ Quirks. The ones I could replicate anyway.”

He explained some of his gear to the Hero. Like his Jet shoes being inspired by the retired Hero just across the way. And how some of the others that were based on his own classmates. Even the goggles that he had built based on the ones he had made for Eraserhead that had gotten him into UA. Then there was his fire mask.

“A-and this one…”

His voice trailing off momentarily as he caressed the mask solemnly for some reason.

“…this was inspired by my dad.”

The words were soft and sad. Like words spoken at a funeral but Shinya didn’t know why. Though he wouldn’t pry for it was not his place. Perhaps there was some family drama related to his father that they didn’t know. Again, perhaps it will be resolved over time and with a helpful amount of therapy.

“Wow, you really do like Heroes,” Shinya quipped in an attempt to lift the mood.

“Yeah, I do,” the kid said with a bashful smile as he wiped a budding tear away. “Heroes help people and that’s all I’ve ever wanted to do. In any way I can.”

This surprised him. Yes, it was also Shinya’s goal as a Hero but now-a-days many were drawn into to Hero work by the ranking system. Perhaps not the best reason to take on such a high-risk job, but it kept the Heroes coming he guessed. However, to hear a kid wanting to be a Hero simply to help people was honestly refreshing. Shinya highly approved.

“That is a noble motivation,” the Hero said, reaching out a hand and pausing just above the boy’s head. After a nod of permission, he ruffled his soft green hair. “Keep up the good work, Hero Edge.”

“I will, Hero Edgeshot,” the kid beamed brightly.

Edgeshot chuckled and ruffled his head once more before retreating his hand.

“Kamihara Shinya,” the Hero said. “It has been a pleasure to meet you.”

If he thought the boy’s smile was bright before, now it was almost blinding.

“Midoriya Izuku, sir,” the boy, Midoriya, said. “It’s nice to meet you too.”

Shinya simply nodded in reply as he stood up. All Might was secured on a stretcher so they were ready to go. Edgeshot held out a hand to the kid who stared at it for a moment before taking it. He lifted Midoriya up and escorted him with the other Heroes to the ambulances waiting nearby.

~~~

Golden eyes smoldered in the night as Kai watched the little bird being led away. The yakuza leader had been furious that the pitiful and diseased League had taken the pure and strong angel that was Midoriya Izuku. Tainting him with their filth and endangering one of the few Quirkless people left in this Quirk infected world. This he could not stand.

Kai had been planning a rescue attempt of his own but the police and insipid Heroes beat him to it. Not by much as he stood there watching from the shadows as the Heroes escorted Midoriya away safe and sound. Though it had been impressive that the boy had managed to keep away from the League during that hellish fight with the help of his Support gear. Defending himself to live and be free of his captors.

He stood there watching until Midoriya was shut out of sight in an ambulance before turning away. Kai had intended to infiltrate the League of Villains and disinfect the world from their sickly presence but again the Heroes had beaten him to it. While the majority of the League had escaped, at the very least the little bird had been saved. Or to be more accurate, Midoriya had saved himself.

As such, there was no reason for Kai to expose himself after their ruckus. That and then there was All For One. Even he had been affected by the Villain’s oppressive presence and Kai wasn’t an idiot to step out on the field of battle drawing All For One’s ire. Not when he could fight fist to face against All Might himself. Well sort of as the Number One Villain had no face and just a mangled mess of scarred flesh.

Disgusting.

As disgusting as all the putrid Heroes fighting against him. Kai wished he could Overhaul them all into nothing. That was his ultimate plan when it came to Quirks. For now though, Midoriya was in, not necessarily good, but better hands that Shigaraki’s. Kai would allow the little bird to heal from whatever wounds he obtained while with the League of Villains.

There would be time to finally meet Midoirya once things settled down. For now, he would return to his base and push forward with his plans. The world was disgustingly infected with Quirks and Kai was determined to cure it. Then everyone would be as pure and clean as the Quirkless angel that was Midoriya Izuku. Even Kai would be purified when the time was right.

Notes:

PLEASE DON'T HATE IZUKU FOR SAYING YES!!! Like I said above and say again and again, I have reasons for him doing so. And while he did say yes, I still consider this a quirkless au and you'll see why eventually. So please, please, please be kind in the comments. We're just adding more spice into the mix. ;)

I did my best with trying to describe what All Might was feeling with OFA, but I am absolutely no expert. Relying on google here so if it's wrong so sorry.

Got a little moment with Edgeshot! Someone commented about Edge being close to Edgeshot and wondered how the hero would react. I don’t remember who exactly and there are way too many comments for me to find it, but here ya go! :D

Oh look! A wild Overhaul appeared. Yup, he's still out there in the background. What a creeper though with, to Chisaki, good intentions. Dear oh dear. The villains aren't done with you yet, green bean.

Alrighty, I'll let y'all stew over this newest development. Coming up we're back to the rescue kiddos and their regrets. More angst to come! Later gators!

Chapter 46: Do's And Don'ts

Notes:

Yellow! We're back! :D Kamino is over and All Might and Izuku are off to the hospital. Now we're going to check in with the other side of things going back to the rescue kiddos. Got some scolding going down. Oof.

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

Rescue efforts were in full force and reporters were covering all of it letting the people know the Heroes and police were hard at work. The aftermath was devastatingly more serious than they could have imagined. Truly showing the severity of the fight that the Number One Hero had claimed victoriously. All Heroes were earnestly doing all they could to make sure that his hard efforts were not put to waste and save as many civilians as possible.

The streets were packed and the trains were shut down due to the attack. The students of the rescue party were split into two groups unable to reunite in the post battle reprieve. They couldn’t even contact each other because the cell towers had been knocked down. Hitoshi stared up at the building’s display screen as the crowd around them cheered for All Might relieved that he had once again defeated his enemy. But he could not share in their revelry as his gaze trailed after Izuku every time he had appeared on the screen until he was gone.

There had been glimpses of him throughout the fight but the main focus had been on the battling two. It hurt every time he appeared knowing that Hitoshi had not been able to save him. Bakugou said something about a Quirk or some shit keeping Izuku there but that still didn’t make him feel any better for leaving him behind. The whole reason he had come to Kamino was to save his brother and he couldn’t even do that.

I failed.

What had been the point of coming here if he couldn’t save Izuku? Yeah, sure, they managed to get Bakugou with Kirishima’s help but it wasn’t good enough. They failed to get Izuku back and the entire fight Hitoshi had been terrified for his brother’s life even past when All Might finally punched the Villain into the ground.

The entire time Bakugou had been glaring up at the screen growling words of encouragement. Willing with everyone else for All Might to win this fight. It had been an experience to see a mob of people cheering a single Hero on with all of their might. Truly showing why the Number One Hero deserved the Hero name All Might. He truly was the Symbol of Peace.

Still an idiot at times though.

All Might may be the embodiment of a perfect Hero but Yagi was a flawed human being like the rest of them. It was through this fight that this truth finally showed through the man’s well-kept façade. He was not at all perfect and in fact had been hiding a secret from everyone for who knows how long. That his strength was not infinite and he did indeed have a limit.

But that didn’t stop him from going Plus Ultra and claiming victory. All Might put everything he had into this fight and defeated the big baddy as he always did. He saved them all from that monster including Izuku who was finally free of the League. However, Hitoshi would not be appeased until he saw his brother in person. To see with his own eyes that Izuku was in arms reach and very much alive.

In another part of the city, Shouto was in a similar headspace. While his expression didn’t show it, within was a tempest of emotion. Beside him Momo was relieved and Mei was cheering up a storm, but Shouto could not join in. He could only stare longingly up at the screen as a glimpse of Izuku being escorted to an ambulance appeared.

He needed to see him. Needed to grab hold of Izuku and never let go. He needed…he needed to finally tell Izuku how he felt. To tell him how important and special he was to him. To ask him if he would be willing to be more than friends. To finally finally kiss the boy who had broken through his icy walls and capture his once frozen heart. Taking it into his kind and caring hands slowing warming it to finally be open to letting someone else in.

I have to tell him.

But both would have to wait for the residual chaos to die down. At the very least, the two parties could head towards the Heroes. Regroup as well as let the them know that they had Bakugou. Then maybe the Heroes or the police could tell them where exactly Izuku was taken. To finally be reunited with their precious and cherished friend.

“Let’s get the fuck out of here,” Bakugou barked, internally also anxious to see Izuku with his own eyes.

Hitoshi rolled his eyes in annoyance but agreed with the angry Pomeranian.

“Yeah, let’s go,” he said already walking in the Heroes’ direction.

The two groups weaved their way through the crowd toward what remained of Kamino ward. Shouto’s didn’t have far to go as they did put some distance between themselves and the fight but close enough so they could meet up with the Heroes. Hitoshi’s took a little longer as they had flown farther away to ensure their safety from the Villains. But not before too long the rescue teens were reunited and presenting Bakugou to the Heroes.

Let’s just say the Pros were not happy with the meddling group of teens.

The return of Bakugou was announced over the radios and they were all taken to the nearest police station for debriefing. As minors, they were all kept in a meeting room of sorts with an officer stationed in the room to watch over them. Parents were called to assure them the teens were fine and in their custody for now. Of course, there was worry and each of them knew they would face some form of consequences once they were returned to their respective families.

Hitoshi was just oh so lucky to have his happen in front of the others when Shouta came storming into the room. As their homeroom teacher, he had been called in to assist in the debriefing of his students. But the purple haired teen was his son and he was furious that his kid had been so gods damn reckless. Especially after he specifically told him not to. There was a moment of silence as they all stared at the incensed Hero who was heaving in anger and from the effort of rushing there as fast as possible. He was even still in the suit he wore for the press conference.

“Shouta, I…” Hitoshi tried but was cut off by a red eyed Quirked glare.

Shit.

“You are in serious trouble, Hitoshi,” Shouta growled.

At any other time, their first name basis would have been a source of gossip, but the others knew now was not at all the time to focus on that. All of them were in trouble but it seemed their classmate had the worst of their teacher’s ire in the moment.

“You deliberately disobeyed me,” the Erasure Hero said, his words dripping with outraged disappointment as he released his Quirk.

His son held his head down in guilt as he said, “I know.”

“You could have been killed,” Shouta stressed.

“I know,” Hitoshi nodded.

Shouta didn’t believe him and went on, “And what’s worse, not only did you go willingly with the others, you brought Hatsume into this.”

He gestured towards his kid’s friend who had no business in Hero matters. None of them did but most of all her. Involving someone with zero training for a situation like this was just asking for trouble. At least she had the mind to not be part of the plan that sent three teenagers flying over the worst battle the modern world had ever seen.

Gods damn them and their stupidity!

Their hearts were in the right place and the plan had worked in part, but this was the most idiotic thing a student of his had ever done. Well, Iida running off and ending up standing up against the Hero Killer alone had been bad. Made worse getting three more of his problem children involve with two under his own permission. But this…this really took the cake.

“You put yourselves all into unnecessary danger,” Shouta reprimanded staring each of them down igniting guilt as he went. “The Heroes and police had the situation handled. You had no reason to get yourselves involved like this.”

“I know!” Hitoshi snapped, finally looking back up at him. “But none of us could just do nothing. We had to save Izuku.”

“And Bakugou,” Kirishima tagged on.

Another Quirked glare from their teacher had the red head clamping his mouth shut and squirm awkwardly under his furious gaze. Shouta took a moment in his dominance of the situation to look at the mentioned teen. Bakugou appeared fine other than bumps and bruises. They’ll have to get him to the hospital next to check and see if there were any internal injuries or other ailments obtained during the kidnapping. But right now, he needed to stress to these irrational and impulsive teenagers that what they did was wrong.

“You may be Heroes-in-training, but you had no right doing what you did tonight,” Shouta pressed turning back to his son. “I understand why but what you did was foolish and dangerous. You could have been hurt or even killed. Could have distracted the Heroes at a critical moment ruining all of the planning that went into the rescue. There were so many working cogs that anything you did could have thrown a wrench and ruined everything.”

Again, he turned his hard gaze to each one of them and he could see their frustrated understanding. Even Bakugou looked remorseful most likely feeling some form of grateful regret. The only one who was still stubborn in his belief that what they did was right was Hitoshi. Of course, it was him. Much to Midoriya’s point, they were a lot alike and Hitoshi was just as stubborn as him. An oddly endearing thought but the situation soured it.

“Who came up with this plan?” Shouta demanded to know.

“Me!” Hatsume claimed eagerly even raising her hand which surprised the Hero.

“Actually, it was kind of all of us, Aizawa-sensei,” Iida spoke as he calmly took the girl’s hand in his and gently moved it back down before letting go. “We did this together. If anything, you may place the responsibility on me for not stopping this from happening.”

Of course the class president would say that. His class had chosen well in that respect but it still didn’t help in this situation. Shouta almost had the urge to expel all of them including the others not here. Only leaving Bakugou and Midoriya because considering that this big of a group showed up to the rescue, he was sure the others at least knew about it but said nothing. Well, besides Jiro and Hagakure who were still hospitalized.

These kids.

“It was my idea in the first place, sensei,” Kirishima admitted, glancing at Bakugou for a moment before turning back to him. “I couldn’t stand just sitting by while my friends were in danger. Not like I did at the training camp.”

It had hurt too much then to not be able to do anything. This time they at least managed to get one of his friends out of there, but he was still worried about the other that hadn’t been able to get away.

“We all wanted to do this,” Todoroki said, his eyes almost pleading for him to understand. “We had to save them.”

The tired man internally sighed at the sight. Knowing how close Todoroki was to Midoriya, he was sure he was worried sick. In fact, they all were and he understood that, but it didn’t change the fact that they shouldn’t have done what they did. Regardless, it did happen and they could potentially have intel the Heroes didn’t have access to during the two raids.

“Do not, I repeat, do not pull this kind of stunt off again,” the teacher growled, raising his hand and holding his finger and thumb close together. “I am this close to expelling all of you in this room except Bakugou for what you did. Next time there will be no such mercy. Understood?”

“Yes, sir,” the teens replied collectively though he didn’t really believe they meant it.

Teenagers.

“Now is there anything you need to report?” the Hero asked, all business. “Anything the police and/or Heroes need to know?”

The students gave him a quick rundown of what happened on their end. The disguises, the reconnaissance. Honestly it was the budding of a good plan considering they were inexperienced teenagers, but they had been lucky things hadn’t turned out worse tonight.

They had known of the Noumu they had seen in the warehouse. Monstrous creatures who had once been human. Certainly, a sickly sight for anyone to see, but it was not the worst that the teens had to report.

“Anything else?” Shouta asked having noted everything they had said down to share with Tsukauchi later. The detective was hard at work sorting through the aftermath as rescue attempts were ongoing.

“There,” Iida answered though he paused sounding hesitant for some reason. “There is one thing, sensei.”

The speedster shared an unsure glance with the others.

“What is it, Iida?” the Hero pressed, taking note of the action.

“Well, it’s about Izuku,” Iida replied, grimacing along with the others. “And that Villain.”

“Explain,” Shouta ordered, folding his arms and observed them all closely.

“The guy was ranting,” Hitoshi chimed in, his brows furrowed. “Said things that couldn’t possibly be true. That Izuku is…”

He cut himself off with a growl of frustration as he gripped his purple hair. It confused Shouta. What the hell were they trying to say?

“It certainly is hard to believe,” Yaoyorozu added, her hand on her chin. “I would never think it possible.”

Beside her Iida nodded in agreement.

“So what?” Hatsume interjected fiercely with a flail of her hands. “Izuku is Izuku.”

“Well, yeah, of course he is,” Kirishima said, his brows scrunched in thought. “But this is huge though. Don’t you think, Bakugou?”

They all turned to the blonde who was unusually quiet and somber. Bakugou looked to his friend for a moment before closing his eyes. He took a long breath in and out. Red eyes then opened and stared up at Shouta. It was a hard truth and sensitive information, but Bakugou knew that this man, this Hero, would do right by it and Izuku. It was no secret to him that their teacher held favor for the Quirkless teen allowing nothing to impede his hard work. Seeing him for himself letting nothing else taint his view and understanding of who Izuku actually was as his own person.

“Zuku did not know this until now,” Bakugou stressed, his words coming out slow and sure. “None of us did growing up.”

The new nickname was a surprise. Something had obviously happened during the kidnapping. Whether for the better or worse was to be seen, but if anything, it showed some progress.

“Didn’t know what?” Shouta questioned, wanting this little game to end. “Tell me, Bakugou.”

“Zuku’s dad, Hisashi,” the boy said, pausing until the man nodded for him to continue. “Turns out he was All For One this whole time.”

…what.

“Explain,” Shouta said, his internal hackles up but he let nothing show.

“We were hiding behind a wall,” Hitoshi piped up, slowing looking up at him in the eye. “You know, being safe.”

The father’s eyebrow threatened to twitch in annoyance at his stubborn sass.

“We were, Aizawa-sensei,” Yaoyorozu insisted, her hand held protectively over her chest. “Iida and I would have stopped it all if there had been any chance of a fight.”

“Yes, the agreement was that we would not interject ourselves into the fighting,” Iida added with a firm nod. “We were to be nonviolent only. No physical contact with the enemy.”

“I get it,” Shouta snapped, slightly guilty at the sight of his students flinching but only a little. “Get on with what you heard.”

They all shared a look seemingly not sure how to exactly say it. How could one say such a thing about a friend? Well, one of them found the words.

“Izuku and Bakugou had suddenly appeared and that Villain apologized,” Todoroki reported, blunt as ever. “Izuku called him a bastard and he identified himself as his father. Izuku rejected him as his dad.”

The others looked at him in shock for just outright saying it like that. No sugarcoating or anything but then again, he wasn’t known for that. Straight and to the point. Most likely drilled into him but his own father.

Annoyed by the others walking around eggshells, Bakugou clicked his tongue and said, “Like I said, he didn’t know until like a day ago. Shigaraki tried to pick a fight with me, Zuku got in between, and Dusty ended up using his Quirk on Zuku. The nerd disappeared and next I see him he’s got a fucked-up hand and was a crying mess.”

He could still see it clear as day. The flesh of his hand a twisted mess. The look of devastation on his freckled face. That he even had the audacity to think he should have never been born, but that was not for their ears to hear. Maybe the therapy mutt or his teacher but that’s it. Just so they could help Izuku.

“He blames himself for the whole thing,” Bakugou confessed, much to their surprise. “All because of that bastard. I never liked Zuku’s dad because he always seemed off to me. Now I know why. The fucker was a Villain this whole fucking time. But Zuku is nothing like him.”

“Yeah, for real,” Kirishima interjected with a determined nod. “Izuku said it himself back there. ‘Blood does not define one’s family.’ That’s what he said to him. And that he would never join him or become a Villain.”

Which the red head also believed himself. Even before UA, meeting back in that park, lost and alone, Izuku did what he did best. Help people. He was the embodiment of the kindness of strangers. Seeing someone in need and doing whatever he could to help them. Even a random lost teenager in a park at the end of a long day.

“There was something concerning that the Villain said,” Yaoyorozu mentioned with a worried look. Shouta nodded for her to continue. “Well, yes, Izuku swore he wouldn’t, but that man sounded confident that he would. ‘No matter where you run or try to hide, I will always be able to find you.’ He said that them finding the camp was no accident.”

Well, that was concerning. Did All For One have some kind of tracking device on him? Or was it a Quirk? Either way, the Hero was confident that either of those had to be the case as the students had no prior knowledge of the training camp’s location. He would have to let Nezu know so they could figure out a possible counter.

“I see,” Shouta said, mulling the new information over in his mind. They would have to fact check all of that but it was good to know. “We will look into this matter. Discretely, understood? Do not discuss this with anyone outside of this group. Swear to confidentiality for his safety.”

“Yes, sir,” they replied in unison earnestly.

“Sensei?” Hitoshi tacked on quietly, his earlier anger diminished. “What about Izuku?”

“What about him?” Shouta asked, one brow quirked up.

“Should he know we know?” he questioned. “I…he’s my brother. You know Izuku is an overthinker. He can’t turn that damn brain off. If it is true, I want him to know that I’m here for him. That we all are.”

The eyebags under those searching purple eyes were darker than usual as Hitoshi looked to each of his classmates and friends. Some were immediate to respond with a nod like Hatsume, Todoroki, Kirishima and even Bakugou. While the others thought for a moment before Iida and Yaoyorozu nodded as well. They didn’t know the greenet as well as the others, but they had gotten to know the Quirkless boy who has only ever done anything he could to help them and others.

“I just…I don’t want him to think he’s a Villain because of this,” Hitoshi added, running frustrated fingers through his hair. “I know what it’s like to be called one and Izuku was the first to tell me I wasn’t. I want to do the same for him. That no matter what, whether family or Quirk or whatever, nothing could make him a Villain other than his own actions. That I know he’s the Hero he’s always wanted to be.”

Honestly more poetic than Hitoshi usually was but Shouta got it. Those two were close enough to see each other as family. Good. The kid was going to need the support. Izuku was going to have a lot of shit to work through after all this. Having the backing of his friends and classmates would help a lot.

“Understood,” Shouta said with a nod. “Again, do not discuss this with others. However, considering his involvement in this, and if you choose to tell him by your own accord, you may do so but discreetly. But know this, he has been through a trauma. If you have any misgivings, report them to me. Do not confront Midoriya on your own. He’s been through enough.”

“Yes, sensei,” they answered together.

After that, the teens were taken home one by one by their families. Shouta made a point to assure them that their children were fine and that UA would continue to protect them going forward. They were still his students and he would do everything in his power to see them continue their individual paths to become Heroes. The last were Bakugou, Todoroki, and Hitoshi.

Cementoss and Ectoplasm soon arrived with the Bakugous in tow. The Heroes had been tasked to escort the family to the hospital. Shouta watched curiously how the family would act as the last time had not been under ideal circumstances. There had been a lot of airing out of dirty laundry that day.

Mitsuki, who was usually a firecracker, was standing there in tears. Masaru stood calm and soothing next to her with a hand comforting placed on her lower back, but Katsuki had only eyes for his mom. Mitsuki so wanted to run and hold her son close. To feel her child in her arms and reassure herself that her baby was back safely. But she also knew that Katsuki didn’t like being touched as much especially not from her. And honestly Mitsuki couldn’t blame him for it.

They had been rocky since the suspension meeting. Mitsuki couldn’t help but blame herself for some of the things her own son had said and done. Though they had been getting better and sadly even more so when Inko had first gotten hurt. While neither would say it out loud, the news of her attack had scared both of them about losing each other despite typically butting heads.

However, while yes Katsuki preferred not to be touched, he decides to anyway. He wasn’t used to seeing his mom like this and didn’t like it either. Izuku and Inko were the emotional ones, not them. And yet here they were with his own mother crying in a police station. Whether for her or for him he couldn’t necessarily say, but Katsuki stepped forward and was the one to pull her into a hug.

The mother gasped in surprise and gratefully took to holding him close while crying into his shoulder. Gross but Katsuki chose to ignore it. Masaru smiled and moved to hug them both and simple existed there with his family. Happy that they were reunited once more. Shouta noted it as a far better interaction than the last time he had seen the Bakugous.

Improvement. Good.

It was then that a woman with white hair and red speckles showed up and exclaimed, “Shouto!”

“Fuyumi,” Todoroki said beside him.

The siblings walked towards each other and the sister latched onto her brother. Shouto held her close and whispered quiet apologies for making her worry. He had been so focused on trying to save Izuku he didn’t even think of his own family. He would have to apologizes to Natuso and his mother as well, but for now he held his sister close.

Once the families had their fill, it was time to wrap things up. Cementoss was to escort Todoroki back to UA and upon learning Fuyumi had come by train had offered to drive her home as well. She tried to turn it down but the Hero insisted to which she finally accepted. Besides, the drive would give her a little more time to catch up with her brother. It had been a while since he had moved into the dorms.

Ectoplasm was to watch over the Bakugous seeing them to the hospital for an overnight visit for observation. Who knows what happened during the kidnapping and they would need his statement as well. Though if all was well Katsuki would be released to go back home with his parents where a protective detail would watch them for a few days to make sure they were alright.

Which left Shouta with Hitoshi who was standing quietly beside him. The purple haired teen refused to look at him probably still stewing in his stubbornness. Fair but frustrating. He was also probably distracted by his worrying for his friend. Shouta was as well for the problem child but he was also worried for his son. He could imagine Hizashi was too after seeing the rescue attempt but knew that he was also on duty. Hero work came first, but perhaps they could visit for everyone’s peace of mind.

“Come on,” Shouta said with nod of his head. “Let’s go.”

Hitoshi said nothing and only quietly followed behind him to the car without question. The drive was silent for a while on the way to the hospital, but Shouta wasn’t going to let it stay that way for long. There was something they needed to discuss before they got there. Knowing that there would be an emotional cockatoo waiting for them in worry.

“Hitoshi.”

The sudden call out of his name caused the teen to flinch. Shouta sighed.

“Hitoshi, I’m not mad at you,” the tired man spoke, his tone much calmer from earlier. “Disappointed, but not mad.”

Hitoshi let out a disbelieving noise and stubbornly turned away. Again, Shouta sighed.

“Okay, maybe a little mad,” he admitted as he passed a hand through his hair as they rode through a light. “But you had me worried sick, you know that?”

He glanced over and saw a small flash of purple eyes watching him before turning away again.

“I told you not to be reckless and you were anyway. I said that to protect you because I wasn’t going to be there to do it myself. I had a job to do and I did it.”

Shouta catches another quick glance from his kid but other than that, nothing.

Stubborn.

“You had your reasons and you did what you did. Nothing we can do to change that now, but please don’t do anything like that ever again.”

He pulled into the parking lot for the hospital and stopped in a spot before turning to face the teen. He watched for a moment as Hitoshi took in where they were before looking down at his lap.

Sigh.

“You are still a student, Hitoshi,” Shouta said, watching him for any sign of understand. “Still learning. But most of all, you are my son.”

Hitoshi took a sharp intake of air at the declaration. Purple eyes open wide in surprise slowly looked over to see Shouta watching him with pure sincerity.

“You are my son,” he stressed. “Perhaps not legally yet but to me you have been for a while. Same for Hizashi. That you, Hitoshi, are a part of our family. So sue me if I was worried as shit about hearing that my son participated in an unknown rescue attempt that could have gone very badly.”

There was a flicker of guilt in the kid’s eyes and he took that as a victory. That he finally understood how worried Shouta had been and exactly why. Yes, he cared about the safety for all his students but one can’t help but favor family.

“Luckily it didn’t and you came out unscathed,” Shouta said, running a hand through his hair. “But that does nothing to quell the worry of a parent for their child. Blood be damned. You are my son and I don’t want my son getting hurt or dying prematurely.”

The tired man reached out a hand and gently placed it on his kid’s shoulder who was just staring at him in shock.

“Please, Hitoshi,” Shout pleaded, his tone earnest. “Please don’t be reckless like that again without telling me. I don’t want to lose you. I don’t want to lose my son.”

He had already lost someone precious to him in a Villain fight. He didn’t think he could take another loss like that.

Hitoshi stared at the man he considered his dad only a moment longer before shooting forward to pull him into a hug. It was a little awkward as they were still seated in the car but Shouta didn’t care. He held his son close and ran soothing fingers through his purple hair. The pair sat there holding each other for a little while before pulling away.

“Come on,” Shouta said, smiling warmly at his son. “We’ve got a loud emotional cockatoo to deal with.”

His kid managed to both blush and blanch at the same time. Finally feeling guilty for making them worry. Shouta reached out to ruffle his son’s hair before getting out of the car. Hitoshi followed suit and spent the time walking up to the hospital trying to fix his hair only for his dad to attempt to mess it up again. They ended up play fighting by the time they reached the waiting room. All tension gone until they were interrupted by a staff member clearing their throat reminding them of where they were exactly.

Ah, yes. Public. Hospital. Right.

Both Shouta and Hitoshi gave a quick apology neither able to hide their slight blushes of embarrassment. The worker simply shook their head with an amused smile before getting back to their task. It was then that they were noticed by a certain loud mouth blonde.

“Hitoshi! Shouta!” Hizashi exclaimed, crossing the waiting room still in his Hero costume. “Oh, you reckless boy. Here let me take a look at you.”

They were in public, yes, but this was a hospital primarily for Pro Heroes. So there wasn’t much risk of others learning of their connection as Hizashi fussed over their son. Besides, Shouta wasn’t in uniform as he watched his husband check Hitoshi for any injuries before pulling him into a tight hug. He gave them a moment before joining in the hug himself.

Hitoshi was crying a little feeling overwhelmed being surrounded by these two men who actually considered him a part of their family. As their son. He mumbled apologies into Hizashi’s leather jacket squeezing him closer.

“Shhh,” the blonde man shushed as he rubbed his son’s back in comfort. “It’s okay. We’re together now. It’s just…we love you and want you to be safe.”

“Ditto,” Shouta said simply.

“Ditto?” the blonde scoffed in mock offense. “I say we love him and you go with ditto?”

“Ditto,” he repeated flatly just to annoy him.

“You are ridiculous!” Hizashi said, shaking his head in exasperation.

Hitoshi chuckled at their bickering as they still held each other close. Honestly, they were both ridiculous but he wouldn’t change a thing.

“Thanks, dads,” he mumbled quietly into the embrace.

Hizashi immediately snapped back to him and squealed in delight as he increased his affectionate doting. It was the first time Hitoshi had ever called them that!

“Shouta!” the blonde exclaimed excitedly as he squished their son in another hug. “We’re dads!”

“No shit,” Shouta replied with a raised brow.

Hizashi covered Hitoshi’s ears as he gasped, “Language!”

Hitoshi, loving to mess with people, looked up as his dad with a mischievous smile and opened his mouth.

“Fuck,” he said, imitating Izuku when Midnight thought the Green Bean was oh so innocent.

Again, the blonde let out a dramatic gasp and started blaming Shouta for corrupting their son. To which the black-haired man argued that he had nothing to do with it and that their son came that way. All while Hitoshi was feeling overwhelmed by them calling him their son over and over. So it was true. They did see him as their son. It made him smile up at the two as they naturally pulled apart.

“It’s too late, dad,” Hitoshi smirked only for it to quickly fall into an awkward grimace. “But do I call you both dad? Wouldn’t that be confusing?”

“You can call us anything you want,” Hizashi replied with a comforting smile.

“Whatever you’re comfortable with,” Shouta tacked on with a nod. “And you don’t have to decide now either.”

The teen nodded and gave them a grateful smile. It was then that Hitoshi’s stomach decided to let out a betraying growl. He flushed red in embarrassment as his dads chuckled.

“Hungry?” Shouta smirked in amusement. “Stay here. I’ll find us something to eat.”

While he was gone, Hizashi and Hitoshi moved to sit in some of the chairs. The brainwasher asked about Izuku and his dad told him he was being checked by the doctors at the moment. Hizashi had come with him in the ambulance and while he couldn’t enter the room for legal reasons, he would stay close for updates. And to protect him. Hitoshi was grateful that his dad cared so much for his brother.

“Here, eat,” Shouta suddenly announced, holding a plastic wrapped sandwich and bag of chips in front of the teen.

Okay so maybe he jumped just a little bit. Sometimes they seriously needed to get the human cat a bell. Hitoshi took the food and Shouta sat down beside him with a cup of coffee. He then tossed an apple to Hizashi which the blonde easily caught.

It wasn’t anything fancy however Hitoshi couldn’t help but feel that this was a special moment. Sure, they were in a hospital waiting room surrounded by other families there for loved ones. The food was simple, convenient and quick, but to Hitoshi it was a feast. A special meal at his very first family dinner.

Hitoshi was truly sincere as he clapped his hands together and said, “Thank you for the meal.”

Notes:

And some nice fluff to lessen the scolding. Originally when I was letting the story just flow I had Aizawa and Hitoshi going back home to Yamada and the cats. They had their heart to heart in their home and actually sat down to a dinner together. And it was just so perfect and sweet and I loved it...then I started rereading the next chapter and was hit that I had Present Mic go with Izuku to the hospital. Oh I was so mad at myself! XD But this was an acceptable change while adhering to what I had already written. So yeah, a poor excuse for a first family dinner but oddly more sweet. To me at least. ^___^

At least it gives Hitoshi some relief even though he's still worried about Izuku. Of course Shouto is too. Do I hear confessions coming up soon? ;) We'll see!

So...Aizawa knows about Dad For One but is still going to check his facts. Of course the Freakateers have his back and Katsuki is all 'fuck Hisashi'. And Kirishima has his back and as a reminder they did meet before UA in BC all the way back in part 1 chapter 15. Man it's been a hot minute. A tiny bit of hesitation from Iida and Yaoyorozu but they still support Izuku. He's gonna need it.

Anyway, I had fun exploring how I would think Aizawa would have reacted to the rescue kiddos. The scolding they got in canon didn't seem like enough as well as took too long. They didn't even get taken for questioning when they gave Bakugou to the authorities or at least as far as we know. While with Hosu they were questioned. Idk, it just seemed weird and was probably for plop reasons to move on.

Some family moments. Growth for the Bakugous!! :D Shouto feeling bad upon seeing his sister! And Hitoshi finally realizes just how much his foster parents love him! Again not has homely as I had wanted but it's still fluffy and sweet.

I would like to ask for ideas for nicknames. Like what could Hitoshi call Aizawa and Yamada. And vice versa what could they call him. Just fun family nicknames really. Might be fun to change them up. I'm open to any ideas. Fluffy, snarky, teasing, whatever. Please and thank you! ^____^

That's it for now! Oh and I have figured out the end for part 3. Looking around 51 chapters of content and then eventually 52 with an author's note announcing the official start of part 4. With my usual hiatus to build up buffer chapters. So we are moving! Oh and don't worry TodoDeku fans, I've got a very nice fluff moment for them coming up before part 3 is over. ;) But what it is I won't say! mine is an evil laugh now die of anticipation! >:D Next up is back to Izuku and the heroes and him are going to have a 'talk'. Hang in there, green bean! Alrighty, bye bye!

Chapter 47: Limbo

Notes:

Heyo! Sorry for the delay. I was right in the middle of moving houses and transferring to a different store so I had no time to post last week. I also bought a new mattress that I had to get set up on Tuesday last week on top of everything else. So I was a teeny tiny bit busy. ^___^ Like I've been literally living out of boxes in an almost empty house surrounded by dust bunnies. Only the sound of the show on my laptop and the owls out back for company. -plays the worlds smallest violin for myself- Anyway! Update time is now!

Linktree to all the things!

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

Chapter Text

The trip to the hospital had been quick as the ambulances were rushed through the streets. All Might was taken first to assess his injuries while Izuku was whisked away to be check by other doctors. Once they had finished their preliminary tests, he had been moved to a private room and Present Mic had made a point to stand guard at his door as they continued their work. Izuku was grateful when he had volunteered to come in the ambulance with him. And how could Yamada not watch over his favorite student.

They wouldn’t let Present Mic inside as it was against procedure, but they couldn’t turn him entirely away either. He wasn’t a parent or guardian but he was a Hero and a teacher. At the very least they allowed him to be close but not any closer than the other side of the door. Still, knowing that the DJ was there for him, it gave the teen a little bit of comfort as he waited to see what was to happen to him.

Izuku felt like he was in limbo right now. He honestly didn’t know where he stood. A hospitalized mother. A Villain for a father. A murderer his inspiration. A ward of a school of Heroes with a heritage of villainy. What did that mean for his future? What was to become of Izuku?

He silently went along with whatever the doctors needed to do. Blood tests, x-rays, and whatever else they deemed necessary. There were many questions as to what had happened to his hand. Izuku told them that Shigaraki had used his Quirk on him but didn’t know what was done to it after that. All For One and the doctor had said they tried to heal him but he honestly didn’t know how besides the bandages his hand had been wrapped in.

For now, other than his hand, he was deemed fit and healthy. Besides waiting for test results there wasn’t much more they could do so they let him be for now. Izuku laid there alone in the hospital bed just blanky staring up at the ceiling. Only the beeping of the heart monitor broke the uncertain silence.

A knock at the door startled him as he blinked his eyes open. Oh, guess he must have fallen asleep for a moment though not surprising after all the he had been through. Another knock sounded on the door.

“C-come in,” Izuku croaked, his mouth suddenly feeling very dry.

The door slid open and in walked Detective Tsukauchi followed by Aizawa in his Hero outfit and he had Nezu perched on his shoulder. Izuku tried to sit up but the detective held up a hand to tell him to stop.

“No need to trouble yourself, Midoriya,” Tsukauchi said, walking over and holding out a cup to him. “Here. Ice chips. I’m sure you’re thirsty.”

“Th-thank you,” the teen rasped accepting it.

He popped one into his mouth and enjoyed the gentle crunch and soothing feeling of the cold.

“Here, let me help you up,” Aizawa said as he approached the bed.

The tired man worked on adjusting the bed so he could sit up comfortably. Nezu meanwhile hopped off of his shoulder and onto a nearby chair. The two men then pulled up two more for themselves and sat down. Suddenly Izuku became very aware that all their attention was on him. The Quirkless teen looked down at the cup in his hand awkwardly.

“How are you, Izuku?” Nezu asked breaking the silence between them.

Green eyes glanced up at him and his usual unreadable face. A small smile that could mean anything and beady eyes watching him full of mystery. A part of him liked to think he saw some level of concern in them though. This was one of his mentors after all.

“I’m…” he trailed off popping in another ice chip. He let it melt in his mouth using the time to assess himself before swallowing. “I’m fine, I guess. My, uh, my hand is really messed up though.”

Izuku held up the mangled mess that was his hand. At least it still looked like a hand more or less, but there were more scars and much less dexterity. Seriously, how was he supposed to be a Hero with this?

“May I?” Aizawa asked, holding his hand out but waiting for permission.

The boy nodded quietly and allowed the man to take his hand in his own. The Hero’s hands were coarse from years of hard work and wielding his capture weapon. But they were gentle as he examined the kid’s hand testing it careful and stopping any time Izuku ever so much as flinched or grimaced.

“Hmm, the doctors said it was Shigaraki?” Aizawa asked and he nodded again to confirm. “I see. We’ll have Recovery Girl take a look at it. At the very least, we can start you on physical therapy to strengthen it.”

“But what if it never gets better?” the teen breathed in fear. “What if it stays like this forever? How can I be a Hero with a hand like this? I…how am I even going to write?”

It was his dominant hand. All of his precious analysis had been written by this hand. Now what was he supposed to do? Write with his nose? Speech to text? What?

“It will get better, Midoriya,” Aizawa pressed, giving his hand a comforting but gentle squeeze. “But healing takes time so you must have patience. Use that drive of yours to become a Hero and see this as another training exercise.”

“Another setback is more like it,” Izuku muttered but the men still heard him. They shared concerned looks before turning back to the kid.

“Can you tell us what happened, Midoriya?” Tsukauchi asked, a small notebook in hand. “It’s okay if you’re not ready yet but we will need to know eventually.”

The teen popped in another ice chip before answering. Izuku knew this was going to be a long and painful process telling them. A part of him worried that when he got to one crucial fact that they would turn on him. Lock him up and throw away the key. Treat him like a Villain just like his father.

However, another part trusted these men. They have aided him and defended him time and time again. Never judged him for lacking a Quirk. Aizawa and Nezu personally chose to train him and Tsukauchi had been willing to listen to what he had to say. And all of them were working with him to help bring Endeavor down. Taking him at his word. They didn’t even condemn him when they had found out about Chizome.

But All For One is so much worse.

Izuku grimaced as he swallowed the now melted water down. Their reaction was unknown, but then again, the same had been after Hosu. He had to do this. Bite the bullet and rip off the bandage. Let out the awful truth he now knew but would not let it hold him back. Now all he had to do was tell them and let the chips fall where they may.

“I…I’ll try,” Izuku said, taking a breath to prepare himself. “But I’ll let you know now, it’s…a lot.”

“Don’t push yourself too hard, kid,” Aizawa said, running a thumb along the boy’s hand he was still holding. A physical anchor knowing that touch helped him through hard times. “If you need to take a break at any time let us know. We’re here to listen at your own pace.”

Green eyes turned to look into the concerned black of Eraserhead. The Underground Hero kept his gaze knowing the kid was searching for his sincerity. The other two were quiet during their little staring contest. Izuku looked and looked finding no hint of dishonesty. Only concern and support to help him through this tough time. Just like he had since first meeting him in that training room those many months ago.

You really are a great Hero, Eraserhead.

“O-okay.”

He could do this. The greenet took one more ice chip and used it to washed down some of his fear. Next time he opened his mouth, Izuku began to tell them their harrowing tale.

~~~

Shouta and the others sat there quietly to hear what the kid had to say. He desperately wanted to know what had happened to his student. Or more like he needed to know. Needed to hear for himself what his problem child had gone through as well as see if he would admit to a certain piece of information. But they wouldn’t push him if he didn’t out right.

He had trusted his fellow Heroes to take care of Midoriya during the rescue and so instead had focused on his meddling students. Admonishing them for their recklessness and instilling his disappointment in them. Especially Hitoshi who thankfully finally understood that while it had worked, what he and the others had done was wrong. However, when it came to Midoriya, none of this was his fault and Shouta would do anything to help him believe that.

The kid’s tale started off slow but he was correct in saying it was a lot. One second walking with his classmates back to camp and the next finding himself in the hands of a Villain. Pulled through a portal as his friends fought desperately to get to him only for just one of them, who wasn’t really a friend, to get through. Midoriya didn’t even know he had until they were tackled by Bakugou on the other side.

Kidnapping both of them not being the plan was confirmed by the kid himself. More a matter of chance than anything else. Well at least he hadn’t been entirely alone through this mess but definitely not ideal at the same time. Regardless, Shouta kept his personal feelings to himself as he listened.

There were tears when the kid told them about how Shigaraki destroyed his Support Items one by one. A ‘character reset’ he had called it. Well, with the help of Hatsume and Yaoyorozu during Kamino, at least he wouldn’t have to rebuild all of them all over again. They had stored all of his gifted gear along with his other possessions in a box to bring back to UA once he was released from the hospital.

Midoriya told them how the League introduced themselves to him one by one. He gave them their names and what he took note of the Villains and their motivations. It was honestly good insight for them and Tsukauchi was scribbling away taking notes. A flashy magician, a drinker of blood, a man with a split personality, a doting Villain with a magnet Quirk offering to help, and a lizard man supposedly inspired by Stain. One of the most notable though was the mysterious Dabi.

“Dabi?” the detective let out in surprise. “You met him?”

“I-I did,” the kid replied with a nod. “He h-hated me at first. Thought I stopped our case against Endeavor. It surprised him when I told him I was actually the one that started it.”

“You told him?” Shouta questioned, receiving another nod. “Huh. What did he say to that?”

“Not much really,” the teen answered, brows furrowed in thought. “Mostly asked why I would do such a thing. I said it was to help Shouto. I also offered for him to help us but he didn’t respond to that.”

The boy shrugged as he played with the ice cup for a moment before continuing.

“He did help me though,” Midoriya admitted, a small smile forming on his face. “While I was there. Other than the anger at the very beginning, once I explained he got sort of…protective of me. Watched my back. So maybe he could be an ally for us. Someday.”

The men considered that as a potential outlet. If they could manage to get in contact with Dabi that is though his connection to the League was questionable for reliability. However, if Dabi could help in some way, they wouldn’t look past it.

“Either way, he told me that he wasn’t my enemy,” the boy shrugged. “He’s grateful to me for starting all this with Stain.”

Midoriya paused for an awkward moment, fiddling with his cup before he added.

“The, uh, the rest of the League knows.”

Now it was the adults turn to be awkwardly quiet. The teen was looking down at the cup as they shared glances.

“Knows what exactly?” the detective asked tentatively.

They waited patiently until the kid replied, “Knows that I know him too. Stain.”

“How?” Tsukauchi pressed kindly but in surprise. “Did you tell them?”

“N-no!” Midoriya squawked in defense with a frantic wave of his hands. Well, one hand as Shouta was still holding the other. “I didn’t want to tell them. Shigaraki outed me.”

Shouta raised an eyebrow as he questioned, “‘Outed you’?”

“Yeah,” the kid sighed with a frown. “He practically bragged about it. A number of them joined the League because of Stain’s ‘connection’.”

The boy scoffed indignantly.

The detective hummed in thought before he said, “We know Shigaraki has been taking advantage of that to recruit. Giving them a sort of ‘legitimacy’. So it would make sense why he would tell them about that.”

The others nodded in agreement not putting it past the Villain to use anything to his advantage. Though Shouta could see the boy very much did not like it. Using someone he considered a sort of friend against his will. The tired man ran his thumb soothingly across the back of the kid’s hand earning him a small grateful smile for the support.

“I kind of snapped at them,” Midoriya admitted, grimacing a little. “Spinner, the one with the Lizard Quirk, thought that Stain’s message was that Heroes who were paid were fakes. Which to that logic all Heroes today would be ‘fake’ but it was so wrong to what I know that I just couldn’t help it!”

His voice had rapidly become incense and it made them all worried.

“Hey, hey, calm down, kid,” Shouta said kind but sternly to get his attention. “It’s understandable you’d be upset. You know the guy.”

Green eyes glanced at his as frustrated tears started to pool and he sniffled. The detective quietly handed him a tissue which he took gratefully.

“I just…I know Chizome’s work as Stain was illegal and wrong,” he told them while attempting to wipe his face clear. “But to misinterpret his message like that and use it as an excuse to go after any Hero in their way…”

He groaned in frustration as they gave him a moment to calm down. A few more tissues later he was better but still clearly emotional. The room had grown quiet except for the beeping of the machines and while it sucked, they did still need to get through this.

“So, what exactly did Shigaraki want?” Tsukauchi asked, pressing on. “Why did he target you?”

Midoriya took another moment to wipe his nose before answering.

“It was the same as the mall and why he attacked my mom,” he answered with a frown. “He wants me to join them. That I could understand why they were there and did what they did. Which, honestly, I can’t exactly deny. Not with how I grew up.”

The kid hung his head in what could be shame. Shouta would have to check in on that but not right now. He bent forward a little to meet his student’s eye as he pressed, “Explain.”

They stared at each other for a few moments. The tired man gave his problem child a short nod to continue and the boy answered with a hesitant one of his own.

“Th-they’ve been hurt. All of them,” Midoriya said as he shared a look with each of them. “I don’t actually know all of their stories but I got to know some of them.”

The detective, teacher, and principal sat there quietly ready to listen to what he had to say about the members of the League of Villains. It would be useful information coming from someone who actually had the time to meet them. And out of anyone, they knew that Midoriya wasn’t one to judge others and much like with his analysis, he saw the world objectively.

“Dabi has a…beef with Endeavor,” he explained though vaguely. “He has his reasons to want to see him taken down though he doesn’t necessarily care about justice.”

It seemed as if the kid was holding something back but they didn’t press to know more as he continued.

“Him-Toga, she has a Quirk that has a side effect that makes her crave blood. If she doesn’t ingest some periodically, she experiences withdrawal. But because drinking blood isn’t typical or seen as ‘normal’, she had to hide that side of her until she couldn’t anymore. As she said, ‘wearing a mask’ until it slipped.”

Midoriya looked at each of them trying to will them to understand that there was more to her than her crimes. That she didn’t have an easy upbringing and there were things that weren’t her fault. That she and the others had reasons for being there. He had already told them all the different Quirks he had seen, but needed them to understand it didn’t define them and that certain things couldn’t be helped.

“They may be Villains but they’re also just people too,” Midoriya insisted with conviction. “I know they’ve done bad things but has anyone ever tried to reach out and offer to help them? No one is born a Villain. Maybe all they need is a chance to change.”

It wasn’t surprising that the kid would say that. It was just like when he defended Bakugou even after he hurt Midoriya. Not to condemn but to offer a chance to rehabilitate. The two men and the principal shared a glance. Unconventional but not entirely unheard of. There were rehabilitation programs in place to help those down on their luck. First time offenders, Vigilantes, and others who simply needed a helping hand out of poor choices and bad situations.

“We can certainly look into options in regards to that,” Nezu offered earning a relieved smile from the boy. “However for today, it would be pertinent to continue with the topic at hand.”

“Agreed,” Tsukauchi said with a nod. “What else happened, Midoriya?”

“R-right, well Shigaraki made a point that he would ‘take proper care’ of us,” the teen went on, doing his best to recount all that had happened. “They kept me in a room but they chained Katsuki to a chair and muzzled him. I got after Shigaraki about it because we’re human and need to eat and drink and pee. Eventually he agreed and we were fed and taken care of. More reluctantly for him than with me.”

Well, that was a relief though the chained up and muzzled part was concerning. Considering Shigaraki had destroyed all of Midoriya’s gear, he wasn’t considered much of a threat. Bakugou on the other hand would be with that Quirk of his. Therefore understandable but still not ideal. Perhaps something for him to work through with Hound Dog later. Also, the kid called him Katsuki? Huh.

“What else happened?” Shouta pushed on.

“Well, we were…kept in the bar,” Midoriya admitted with a wince, making it seem like he was holding something back again. “Katsuki and I with the rest of the League. And then Shigaraki comes in and tries to pick a fight with Katsuki. I got in between and…”

The teen trailed off and was staring down at his injured hand. The others followed his gaze and connected that must have been when the injury had occurred. Shouta made a point to give a gentle but comforting squeeze.

“I-I passed out from the pain,” the kid sniffled. “It hurt so much. The next thing I knew I was in this different room connected to a heart monitor and my hand wrapped up. Then Kurogiri showed up and I was at first suspicious of him but he was oddly…gentle.”

Well, that was a surprise to hear considering every time they had interacted with the warper had been connected to violence. Shouta arced a brow in consideration of how exactly the Villain could be ‘gentle’.

“How so?” the detective asked, also curious.

The boy thought for a moment before he replied, “He was accommodating. Asking for permission before doing anything. It felt like he was actually concerned for my wellbeing while I was there. I also…I don’t think he’s there by his own free will.”

Again a surprise. What did Midoriya mean by that?

Shouta kept his eye on the kid as he said, “Elaborate.”

Midoriya again took a moment to think trying to find the right way to voice his suspicions. It was just a theory and he could be wrong. Only having guesses with no firm answers from Kurogiri.

“At one point he was helping me through one of his portals but we didn’t…go all the way through.”

The teen paused for a second more as he collected his thoughts.

“We were just…in there,” Midoriya explained, eyebrows furrowed in thought. “In his Quirk. Just standing inside of a portal but not being in any actual place. I asked why and he said that he thought I needed a moment away. Apparently, Kurogiri uses his Quirk like that sometimes which considering how the League is I could understand. They are a lot to handle.”

The others nodded in understanding and for him to continue.

“Well, I started asking him questions about his Quirk because, you know, it’s me.”

That comment earned him a few chuckles from his knowing audience. The kid let one out as well before he went on.

“But there was something he said that was strange. That it was a useful Quirk but that it wasn’t ‘his’ Quirk.”

Midoriya stopped again to let it sink in for the detective and Heroes to consider the implications of that wording.

“Not ‘his’ Quirk?” Tsukauchi pressed questioningly. “What exactly did he mean by that?”

“He couldn’t say,” was his answer along with a shake of his green haired head. “Like physically he couldn’t say it. It looked like he was in actual pain when he tried. He was able to admit that All For One gave him his Quirk but couldn’t tell me if that was why he joined the League or not. Same with when I asked him…”

The boy trailed off again unsure if he should even say his theory out loud because it was ridiculous, right? There was no proof of such a thing to be possible. However, the others were very much curious as to why he brought this up.

“What did you ask him, Midoriya?” the detective questioned.

“I…”

They waited as he took a deep breath before looking Tsukauchi in the eye.

“…I asked if he was a Noumu.”

Silence fell at even the possibility. Was that even possible? All of the Noumu they had seen so far were mindless monsters with grotesque features. Extremely different from the fearsome Villain that was Kurogiri. A Warping Quirk could be quite powerful in either the right or wrong hands which right now was definitely in the wrong. But was it by his own will?

“Why would you think that, Midoriya?” Tsukauchi prodded as he noted it down.

“I met him…All For One,” Midoriya seemed to force out, grimacing at the mention of the supervillain but pressed on anyway. “When he mentioned the Noumu to me, Kurogiri grew stiff. When I asked him those questions, like I said he couldn’t answer as if he wasn’t allowed to answer. And he would follow orders but then he let us exist in his Quirk for just a moment instead of going straight back to the bar. That and just the way he interacted with me was so different than how he was during the USJ attack.”

The boy flinched even though he was the one to bring it up. He glanced over at Shout and couldn’t help but look at the scar under his eye. The tired man tracked the movements and placed his free hand over the other still connected to the kid.

“It’s alright, kid,” Shouta said in an attempt to be reassuring.

“Indeed,” Nezu piped up as he observed the pair. “We will look into this possible theory at another time. If you would continue, please. You mentioned you met All For One?”

Midoriya shuddered at the name and shrank into himself in fear. Shouta stroked a thumb across the back of his hand in an attempt to sooth him.

“He’s not here,” Shouta stressed as green eyes turned to him. “You have nothing to fear from him. Or us.”

His problem child looked at him as if he didn’t fully believe him, but gave a small affirming nod anyway.

“He was…intense, but it was him so, yeah,” Midoriya said earning understanding nods. “He said he wouldn’t hurt me. That actually, it wasn’t just Shigaraki who wanted me to join the League. That he…”

The teen abruptly cut himself off not wanting to say it out loud. Couldn’t. It was clear that Midoriya was afraid but as to what exactly they couldn’t be sure. Though Shouta was certain all of them had an idea, but they waited for Midoriya to be the one to trust them and tell them himself. The kid took a moment to calm down while wiping tears away with his free hand.

“He offered me a Quirk,” he said sadly and then suddenly switched to anxious reassurance. “I said no, I swear! I would never take anything from him though he did say he could force one on me. He didn’t but still.”

The room went silent as they absorbed that information. The men and chimera shared an awkward glance with each other. Shouta was almost burning to ask Midoriya some questions in regards to the offer/threat but now wasn’t the right time. They needed to help him get through his story first.

“Anything else?” Tsukauchi asked calmly.

The teen nodded and said, “Yeah, I, um, I met the doctor.”

“And who exactly is the doctor?” the detective inquired as he wrote it down.

“I don’t actually know,” Midoriya answered. “I never got his name, but he’s the one helping him with the Noumu. He said he was the one to heal my hand and that he did ‘his best’. But also…”

The falls into silence were really a trend with this conversation as the kid trailed off again. Repeatedly having to be led back to the topic at hand.

“But also what?” Shouta asked as he gave a physical prod through their connected hands.

The kid sat there staring down at his lap and took a deep breath before he whispered, “He was also my childhood Quirk doctor. He was the one to tell me I was Quirkless.”

Midoriya slowly looked up with tears in his eyes and they all felt for the boy. He really wasn’t kidding when he said it was a lot. Kidnapped, meeting all those Villains, putting up with Shigaraki, protecting Bakugou, getting his hand hurt, meeting All For One himself, and finding out the doctor who had diagnosed him was working with the man. This was all much more than ‘a lot’.

“I see,” Tsukauchi said quietly as he wrote it all down. “I am sorry you had to experience that, but perhaps we could possibly track him down through your medical records. It’s at least a place to start.”

The boy nodded sadly at that as he took an ice chip from his slowly melting cup.

“And how was Bakugou doing through all this?” the detective asked, taking a rest on that subject and move on to something else. It seemed to do the trick as the kid calmed down a little.

“Oh, um, well after meeting him, I was sent back to the bar with Kurogiri,” Midoriya answered, fiddling with the edge of the paper cup. “Katsuki was tied up again muzzle and all. I sort of broke down in front of him after all that happened. He snapped me out of it and I helped him at least get that damn thing off his mouth.”

The greenet had grown to hate the idea of muzzles. After hearing what had happened with his brother growing up and seeing his childhood friend in one himself, it left a bad taste in his mouth at just the sight. Masks were different but muzzles were just wrong.

“He stayed tied up until the Heroes came to rescue us,” Midoriya pressed on as he turned to his teacher. “I actually managed to get him out of the chain thanks to you, Aizawa-sensei.”

Shouta perked up as the boy looked over at him and he asked, “Oh? How so?”

The kid gave a soft smirk as he reached into his hair and pulled out a bobby pin.

“You never know when you’ll need one, right?”

Shouta couldn’t help the proud grin on his face. Training well paid off.

Nezu considered the small item for a moment before exclaiming, “Oh how delightfully clever!”

“What is that for exactly?” Tsukauchi asked, confused.

“Lock picking,” Midoriya answered simply with an innocent smile.

The detective blinked in surprise for a moment before he huffed out in amusement, “…right. Yes, very clever.”

The boy beamed at the praise and Shouta was happy to see it on the kid’s face again. Though he was curious about something.

“So what’s with you and Bakugou?” the tired man asked, wanting to better understand whatever changed between them. The teen made a questioning noise directed at him. “He called you Zuku. And you called him Katsuki.”

Green eyes widened in surprise before he said, “Oh, uh, yeah. We kind of…bonded. Not perfect but better than we were before.”

Nezu nodded approvingly even though he didn’t know the details as he commented, “That is good to hear that there is an improvement between you two.”

“Agreed,” Shouta tacked on.

“Alright, I’ve written everything you said so far,” Tsukauchi spoke up, scanning his notes before flipping to a fresh page. “Is there anything else you can tell us? Perhaps about Shigaraki or the other members of the League? Anything you feel is important for us to know?”

The teen took a moment to search through his thoughts. Working through his memories for any other information that he could give them. Most he had already said with some omissions. Nothing pertinent that would actually help them find the League, but there was one thing he thought they should know.

“Shigaraki told me a bit about himself,” Midoriya offered hoping it would help better understand the young leader. “You know that hand he wears on his face? Well, he told me that was his father’s hand. Like his actually biological hand. Shigaraki calls it Father.”

Well, that’s disgusting and disturbing as shit.

“Did he say why?” Shouta asked, both wanting and not wanting to know.

“Not exactly but he said he couldn’t really remember,” the boy answered, looking disturbed himself. “Memories repressed due to ‘trauma’ he said, but he thinks he might have killed his family. That he remembers them as mostly kind except for his father. Other than that, nothing and if he tries to remember he gets this itch. Which I thought was more because of his Quirk but perhaps it’s something else?”

“Potentially psychological,” Nezu surmised with a paw on his chin. “Itching like that can be connected to anxiety or depression.”

The teen nodded at that as he said, “Well considering he said All For One found him when he was only five, I could see that as something to be anxious or depressed about.”

Shouta couldn’t help the snort of amusement at the kid’s sass which he quickly covered it up with a cough. The others side eyed him but kept focus on the boy.

“Did he say anything else to you related to that?” Tsukauchi questioned, jotting down what he said.

“To Shigaraki, All For One saved him,” he explained with a concerned grimace. “That he had been wandering the streets and no one had helped him when he clearly needed it. Knowing that, I can see why he would hate the world that turned their backs against him when he was so young.”

“And someone of that age is very impressionable,” Nezu commented further.

Shouta agreed as he added, “Easy pickings for someone like All For One.”

The others nod in agreement.

Now that makes quite the Villain backstory.

“A-anyway, there isn’t much after that,” the boy shrugged. “Shigaraki had us listen to the press conference and tried to get me to join again. That’s when the Heroes came and the rest happened. They came crashing in, we were sent away, the League came next, and then All Might was fighting All For One. At least Katsuki was able to get away but I couldn’t. He wouldn’t let me.”

“How so?” the detective questioned, frowning in concern.

“It had to be some sort of Quirk,” the teen theorized. “Like an invisible rubber band that was stretched to the limit. I couldn’t physically move by an unseen force. It stayed until Katsuki and the others were gone and I was stuck there in the middle of it all. I-I did my best to stay out of the way.”

The boy cast a nervous look towards his teacher who simply patted their joined hands.

“You did good, kid. Very good.”

The rare praise from the stoic and stern made the teen blush. The sight of him looking now like a strawberry was amusing and Shouta hid a fond smile into his scarf.

~~~

Izuku really appreciated his teacher’s kind words. He was rare to say such things unless he truly meant them. It made him smile that the Hero thought as much.

But will he still after he finds out?

Izuku was still scared to find out the answer, but right now mostly he was exhausted. It had been a lot to go through even though it had only been a few days. Meeting the League and Shigaraki’s repeated offer. Meeting Dabi and learning who he really was. Izuku wasn’t sure if he should share such information with his mentors and the detective. Dabi seemed very protective of his identity and he didn’t want to break their already shaky trust. And it wasn’t like he could ask him for permission or if it was okay to tell them. For now, Izuku would keep that to himself.

That wasn’t all he had left out. Izuku didn’t tell them about their video game marathon. Nor did he bring up the knife traveling around like a shell game. There were things that Izuku didn’t think they needed to know. They definitely didn’t need to know about the various hugs and hair ruffles he had received during the kidnapping. Much like how Izuku had hugged Chizome on several occasions. There was also how he had ‘helped’ Shigaraki accidentally with the glove suggestion. Not that he could help it. Helping was in his nature.

“Is there anything else?” Aizawa asked, his hand still holding his own.

Izuku was grateful for the connection. A physical anchor throughout recounting the whole ordeal. There was one more thing he needed to tell them. Well actually there were two but Izuku felt his agreement to hold One For All was best to wait for when they could speak with All Might, but that wasn’t his biggest concern right now. Izuku feared how they would react.

“Midoriya?” his teacher said, drawing his attention. “Is there anything else? You know you can tell us.”

The man looked at him unwavering. His tired eyes were hooded and the perpetual edging of veins were red from use of his Quirk. But there was also care and support swirling in the dark pools that were watching him. As solid and steady as the hand holding his and how the Hero had always done everything he could to help Izuku. To protect and guide him on his chosen path to become a Hero. It was this that finally gave Izuku the courage to speak the awful truth.

He took a steadying breath in and slowly let it out before he spoke, “You know how I’m a Villain magnet? Well, apparently, it’s in my blood.”

The teen grew silent again still hesitant to actually say it out loud. With Katsuki it had been so fresh that he had no issue letting it out, but with All Might he couldn’t and he was having an equally hard time now. However, unbeknownst to him, the three men already knew the truth.

Tsukauchi had questioned Bakugou before he was sent to the hospital. His report of the boy’s lineage in front of him rang true, but they wanted to see if the kid trusted them enough to tell them himself. Or did they need to remind him that no matter what, they would not abandon him because of that. Actions speak lowered than words and for him they screamed to the universe that he was a Hero through and through. No matter if his father was a Villain.

“What do you mean, Izuku?” Aizawa asked, actively choosing to use the kid’s given name to further help keep him grounded.

It helped. They gave him all the time he needed to speak. There was no rush here and they wanted him to know that.

“Th-the Villain that All Might fought? All For One?” Izuku finally said, shakily from nerves. Green eyes cautiously flicked between them until they landed back on Aizawa who ran a sooth thumb across his skin. “It’s just…he’s…”

Words were failing and he hated it. Just say it, dammit! Another squeeze came to his hand and the gesture caused fresh tears to start to form and his lips quivered with emotions. Come on, he could do this.

“…he’s my dad.”

They came out small and quiet but they still came out finally. But even though it was a whisper, it felt as deafening as one of Present Mic’s shouts as the room filled with silence. Only a slight ringing in his ears from the sheer desolation he felt knowing the father he loved was dead. Just an idea and a lie that filled him with sorrow all because that man, that Villain, that monster did this to him.

But then again, this had to be his life, right? Born Quirkless and bullied for it. No friends. No teachers in his corner. Only the love of his mother and father to carry him on through the years. That and his stubborn desire to become a Hero. A dream that had no other support until Chizome came into his life. Then Villain attack after Villain attack eventually leading to being kidnapped. On top of all that his own fucking father was a Villain, the Villain, this whole gods damn time. Izuku couldn’t help but start to suddenly laugh at the absurdity of it all.

The Heroes and detective were surprised at the reaction. They exchanged confused looks as the teen’s laughter turned almost hysterical. Tears of irony rolled down his freckled cheeks as his outburst came out sporadically.

“What’s so funny?” Aizawa asked, growing concerned.

The teen took some breathes to steady himself as he wiped some of the tears away. Tsukauchi offered more tissues from the tissue box placed on the bedside table to him and he grateful grabbed them.

“It’s just,” Izuku answered, dabbing his face. “Before all this, I was worried about people finding out I had met Stain before Hosu. That I was familiar with a Villain. But I’ve been associated and related to one this entire time. It’s just…what kind of a sick joke is my life?”

Seriously, what had he done in a past life to deserve this. Not that he necessarily believed in that but there had to be some karmic trash that had been dumped on him of all people. Why did he have to be the one to deal with all of this bullshit and fight so hard for what he wanted in life? There had to be some reason for him to have to put up with all this crap when no one else did. Otherwise, why did he have to suffer so much?

His hysterics turned to tears as they rolled down his cheeks like a waterfall. He couldn’t stop them even if he tried. Izuku was a Midoriya after all. No matter that his father wasn’t who he thought he it was, the genes of his mother ran so deeply within him that crying was a part of him as much as his green features. In fact, the reminder that he looks mostly like his mother was a small blessing in all this mess. At least he wouldn’t have a physical reminder of who his father was in reality.

Much like when Izuku had learned of Inko’s attack, Nezu had a strong urge to comfort him now. The chimera carefully climbed onto the bed and pawed his way over to his student waiting for the boy to notice him. Once he did, Nezu took a careful step closer watching for any sign of rejection. But seeing none, he crawled into the boy’s lap and nuzzled against him. Izuku blinked in surprise before wrapping his free arm around his mentor while beside them Aizawa gave his hand another gentle squeeze to remind him he was there for him too.

Honestly it was more than Izuku could have ever asked for and he appreciated them more than they could ever know.

Tsukauchi watched them silently feeling like he was intruding on a verging familial moment between the three. He didn’t know the teen as well as the other two did and felt like a third, or rather fourth, wheel. But despite that, considering all the boy had done in regards to getting into the Hero Course, Hosu, Stain, the attack on I-Island, and the whole thing with Endeavor, even finding out his father was All For One did nothing to taint the vision of a future Hero he and the others saw in him.

“Thank you for telling us, Midoriya,” Tsukauchi said, not wanting to break the moment but had to as part of his job. “I’m sure that was very difficult for you.”

Green eyes snapped to him in fear having forgotten he was there for a moment. But upon seeing no sign of judgement or condemnation from the detective, he let out a slow sigh of relief. Nezu patted his arm in comfort and the boy held him closer. The teen then shared a thankful look with Aizawa before turning back to Tsukauchi.

“What’s going to happen to me?”

Notes:

What's going to happen to you indeed. Will the heroes help him or throw him to the wind? We'll find out next time! ^_____^ Oh and if anyone was expecting a reunion with Hitoshi this chapter, sorry to disappoint but we had to get the tough stuff over with before the fluff. And Izuku was still being processed and needed the talk with the authorities first. So yeah, Hitoshi was at the hospital but won't meet up again with Izuku until later.

Condolences to Izuku's hand. It'll be a tough journey but he's still going to try his best going forward. Also me being me, I have plans. ;) And the physical therapy should help judging from my own experience of pt since I messed up my knee. I saw some people in for their hands after surgery and I don’t know much what would be recommended but I’ll do some research and see what I find. But pt does help! I learned some good exercises and tricks to help with my own recovery. So if you ever get injured like me or get surgery def do the pt after.

All the comforting physical support! :D Aizawa figured that out ages ago and Nezu has too. I have read some fics where Nezu was against physical touch due to his years of experimentation. Which valid if it was forced upon him but I'm more going with the animal instincts to comfort those in their pack of sorts. Honestly all of Izuku's mentors have already mentally adopted Izuku anyway so to me they are all a big unofficial family.

So what will happen to Izuku? You'll find out next chapter! Again thank you for the patience. I'm now moved into the new house and officially transferred to the new store. And I am typing this while on my brand new fancy mattress. Now all I gotta do is unpack the gazillion boxes in my room. Yay moving. :P Alrighty. I shall leave y'all with this until next time. Byeee!

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