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Chapter Text

When Midoriya Izuku was born, time stopped in its tracks as the universe stared in awe. It watched as the giggling bundle of green was held to his tired mother’s chest, a fire in his soul burning brighter and hotter than any star yet born. And the universe knew he was going to be incredible.

Izuku had not been blessed by his genetics, getting the quirkless gene from his mother’s mother, but the universe gave him other gifts, knowing he would come to wield them in time.

In his mind was a black hole, to leave him with an endless hunger for knowledge. In his ears was the vast emptiness of space, leaving even the smallest of sounds to echo and amplify. His body was given a push and pull like a star to match his fire, drawing people and altering gravity to his will. In his eyes, an ever-shifting blend of greens, silver stars were placed, turning them into nebulae more beautiful than any other.
And in his heart was placed the flint from which was struck the first spark which ignited the Big Bang, and in his hands was placed the steel that struck it.

The universe wept in mourning when he could not use his gifts yet, the fire driving him still cut off from his reach, but warming him nonetheless, and when he reached it, evil would know true fear. The world would know true passion and care. Those caught in his orbit would know true love.

The universe looked at the child, the brightest star, and loved him.

Chapter Text

When Izuku had agreed to train with All Might, he’d expected it to be harder. Yes, it was difficult, and most days he wanted to lay down and never get up from how sore and tired he was, but he was adapting quickly. Things seemed lighter than they looked, and he found himself easily increasing his speed every time he ran, his feet feeling like they barely touched the ground.

His muscles built up fast, startling even Yagi, who questioned if Izuku was truly quirkless, only for the boy to produce his medical files on his computer, showing dna testing and quirk manifestation exams proving his state. Ten months later, the beach was clean, and Izuku took One for All.

When he slept that night, reality seemed to shift. A channel opened in him, and he felt more powerful than he ever had. And his dreams shifted. He opened his eyes to find himself drifting in a cloud of blues and greens, shot through with gold that seared his eyes. He could hear whispers just barely audible, unable to hear words. Then, the sound cut off, and he felt a presence that was so much larger than him. It felt ancient and powerful, able to destroy him and everything he loved on a whim.

But he knew he was safe. It was like when his mother hugged him while raging against the world for its unfairness. This thing, whatever it was, would keep him safe no matter what came.

He looked at it with curiosity. Thoughts and possibilities raced through his mind, faster than ever before, each being deconstructed and rebuilt in a new way before being replaced. A sense of amusement not his own echoed in his head before a voice spoke, though he knew it made no sound. It spoke of power and safety, of dangers to come, of what he was and all he could be, and he listened with rapture. This thing knew him in ways he couldn’t have before.

When he woke, he felt disoriented, and there were whispers lingering in his head. His vision was clearer than before, and a deep thrumming mixed with the crackling of flames reverberated through his body as he gathered his clothes. When he looked into the mirror, he nearly screamed.

His pupils were gone, his green irises a solid thing, scattered with reflective flecks that changed as he watched. His skin was paler, freckles bold against the new pallor. His already bouncy hair seemed to float against logic. He calmed himself, and decided to text All Might.
Midoriya Izuku: Hey, is OFA supposed to change my appearance? -5:45 a.m.

As he waited for a response, he continued his routine, trying to maintain his calm. This did not stop him from scrambling for his phone when it pinged.
AM: I’m not sure. Have your looks been altered? -5:56 a.m.

Izuku sighed, sent All Might a selfie, and brushed his teeth. He glanced at his phone when it pinged a second time, reading the old pros response.
AM: No need to worry, just wear sunglasses and meet me ASAP, we’ll figure it out after the testing finishes.

He relaxed, grabbing his Mega MightyTM sunglasses from his desk and heading to eat. His mother briefly questioned them, but he explained it away as a confidence boost, promising not to wear them if it’s too dark. When he headed out, he felt light, like he could leap up and never have to come back down. It left him giddy.

The morning passed in a blur, but the sight of Yuuei hero academy stopped him. The building was intimidating. Excitement rose in his body as he walked forward, only to get shoved aside by Bakugou
“Out of the way nerd! Tch.”

Izuku stumbled, undeterred, and moved forward. And then he was moving downward. His eyes closed as the ground rose to meet him in preparation of an impact never to come. When he opened his eyes, he saw he was floating a few feet above the ground, though it didn’t extend to his now scratched glasses. A shiver of panic shot through him before he realized it felt natural, even relaxing to float. He glanced up to see a flustered brunette.

“Oh gosh, I’m sorry for using my quirk on you without permission! I just figured it would be bad luck to fall before the test. Here, let me…!” She grabbed his shoulders, adjusting him so his feet were parallel to the ground again. “Release!”

She pressed her fingertips together, and he landed on shaky legs. Before he could come to his senses from the rapidly progressing encounter, she was turning to leave, waving her goodbyes.
“See you inside! Bye!”

He blinked as she ran off, realizing he hadn't said a single word. A frown crossed his face as he headed in. He’d have to find her later to thank her.

Chapter Text

The written test passed quickly, leaving Izuku waiting for the rest of the time allotted to run out as he checked and edited his answers. He had gotten a few odd looks from the proctors when he finished, apparently the first done and in record time. When he handed in the packet, a shiver of anxiety roiled in his gut. They were all escorted into a theater with assigned seats. The darkness seemed to shimmer in his view, flickers of light dancing before his eyes until he focused on blocking it out.

Excitement bloomed through him as Present Mic stepped out on stage. The blond danced out onto the stage, trying to raise the energy of the room. His voice carried throughout the room without a microphone, though he was quick to grab the one standing at the front of the stage.
“Heeelloooo, little listeners! It’s so good to see you all here. Can I get a YEAH?!”

Before Izuku could stop, he eagerly called out a responding ‘Yeah’, earning him a few sniggers and glares from those around him, but the negative peer reviews were swept from his mind as the pro grinned at him in pride.

He began to explain the test, occasionally calling for more audience participation, Izuku being the only responder. This apparently annoyed several people, but they were silenced when Present Mic pointed to him
“I like you, listener! I’ll keep an eye on you during the exam. Now then-”

“Excuse me!” He was cut off by a boy standing up two rows behind him, waving a pamphlet. All eyes were drawn to him instantly. “On the information provided for the test, four robots were listed, not three! If this is a mistake, Yuuei should be ashamed of such a grievous error! And you!”
He turned, pointing to Izuku in a sharp motion. “Your shouting has been very distracting. Please remain quiet!”

Izuku, riding on the confidence Mic’s grins and encouragement gave him, responded calmly in his defense. “I only responded to requests for a response, and only when they were requested. If I’m honest, it is rather rude that I was the only one answering him. I’m sorry you found it distracting. Also, you interrupted Present Mic before he could finish explaining. You should have saved your questions for after he was done instead of causing a scene.”

This seemed to catch him off-guard. Izuku turned to the stage as Present Mic called for everyone to settle down and look at him.
“Excellent catch, listener, I was just about to cover that. The fourth robot is worth zero points. It’s a distraction that’ll go crazy in small spaces, so it’s better to avoid it altogether. Now, any other questions? No? Well then, as the school motto goes; Give it your all, PLUS ULTRA!”

They were sent to they're testing areas, Izuku watching for familiar faces. His eyes landed on the brunette who helped him in front of the school, and he turned to move towards her. His path was blocked by a familiar tall boy, a stern glare levelled at him behind glasses.
“I suppose you were headed over to distract her? She is clearly in the middle of preparing for the test. You should respect her more and stay away. Perhaps you are part of the test, though, and here to distract us for a purpose. Either way, I won’t let you sabotage her.”

Izuku sputtered, apologies and an explanation tripping over each other on his tongue.

“AND START! Well?! There’s not gonna be a countdown in real battle! Move it!”
Present Mic’s voice echoed in the sudden silence, and then everyone was rushing into the city. Izuku dashed forward, feeling lighter with each step. Warmth flooded through him as the roar of flames entered his ears. He was racing through the streets, quickly coming upon a robot tearing apart a wall. He dashed forward, grabbing a chunk of debris and swinging it into its face. The concrete crumbled as it made contact, crushing the machine’s chest and leaving him with a length of rebar.

After that, he went through several encounters, determining that their weak point was the back of the neck, where his rebar sunk in easily to leverage their heads off. Facing off against a group would be his near downfall though, when he didn’t see a chunk of concrete headed for him, debris from another student’s attack. He was pulled out of the way, greeted by a fluffy mop of purple hair and tired purple eyes. He panted from exertion, but managed to speak up before he left.
“Thanks. Hey, do you want a tip?”

The other boy hesitated, look a little irritated, before nodding.
“The back of the neck is a weak spot. I look forward to seeing you in the heroics department, I hope I make it too.”

With that, he dropped his rebar, racing off to find more robots. He heard people calling out numbers like 75, 43, and 54, setting him on edge. He hadn't kept track of his points. He quickened his pace, his earlier encounter making him more aware of his surroundings. He found himself dashing to rescues before attacking anything, his objective switching from ‘pass the exam’ to ‘why is this exam so dANGEROUS KIDS MIGHT GET HURT-’ A low rumble caught his attention not long after the one minute warning was called.

Slowly, an enormous bot rose nearby, sending examinees running, screams ripped from their throats. He turned to join them, keeping an eye out for stragglers.
“HELP! I’M STUCK! Please don’t leave me!”

He whirled to find the brunette trapped under rubble, scuffed and green around the gills. Fear bubbled in his chest as the zero pointer got closer to her, and once again his legs moved without his consent. Thrumming spreading through him, using the heat in his body as a conduit. He rushed forward, a slap dash plan forming in his head. He raced by her, a hand reaching out and flipping the debris off her legs. He didn’t stop. He leapt up, fist cocked back, heat wrapping around him like a snake constricting prey. His hand came down, and there was the sound of tearing metal for a moment as light blinded him. It dimmed as he began to fall. The zero pointer was gone.

He was too unfocused to realize his situation, and even if he did, he couldn’t have done anything anyway. He relaxed into the pull of gravity, drawn out when a sharp pain flared in his cheek, and then he hit the ground. He snapped out of his daze, sitting up to see the brunette puking beside him. He settled down to wait with her for medical assistance as the test was declared over.

Chapter Text

Izuku waited patiently, taking stock of his injuries. A harsh throbbing in his feet, hand, and wrist alerted him to broken bones. Bruising was already darkening his skin. Yet he felt good, his mind clear, allowing him to wonder what the heck happened with the zero pointer. A quick talk with the floaty girl revealed little.

"Well, when you jumped, you were giving off a green mist, and it got really hot. When you punched the robot, its head started glowing green and it sort of collapsed in on itself towards you. It was super loud. Then it was gone and you started falling! So I ran out and hit you before you landed. That was crazy! You could have died!"

His response was cut off when an elderly woman smacked his side with her cane, sending him scrambling away with a yelp.
"Indeed he could have! That was very reckless of you, especially when there were other, better options that throwing yourself towards your death. I have half a mind not to heal you and let you deal with the consequences of such a foolish course of action. Maybe it would make you think things through more." She huffed "Now, let me see where it hurts and I'll fix you up."

"Um, I think I broke some stuff in my hand and wrist, and my feet aren't feeling too great either..." He responded, offering up the damaged appendages. She confirmed his suspicions, reset the bones whilst ignoring his poorly suppressed whimpers, and gave him a quick kiss on the back of his hand. Exhaustion crept into his limbs as he smiled in thanks. She checked the girl beside him, healing a twisted ankle.

When Izuku was released from the testing area, he received a text from All Might, asking to meet him by the gate. They made their way to a secluded building where the pro relaxed. Izuku pulled off his sunglasses, rubbing his face.
“Well my boy, I must say that I hadn't expected One For All to manifest so visibly. It’s a stockpiler that enhances what’s already there.”

Izuku bit his lip, pondering.
“Well, there’s the possibility that this is a new manifestation of One For All, as you said the previous holders all had quirks, so maybe it’s adapting to a quirkless user. It could also be that my medical records are forged and I did have a quirk, but that would require a lot of effort and a conspiracy, but I can’t think of any reason why I in particular would be a target-”

He was cut off in his ramble by All Might coughing. He put a hand on Izuku’s shoulder, giving him a bright smile.
“Whatever this is, young Midoriya, We will work through it. Plus Ultra!”

The teen lit up. “Yeah,”
“Plus Ultra!”

“How am I gonna explain this to my mom?”

Chapter Text

As Izuku walked up the steps of his apartment building, he considered how his mom would react. She was a flighty, emotional woman obsessed with keeping him safe and healthy. This was probably not going to go well.

He opened their door, calling out to Midoriya Inko.
"I'm home!"

The stout woman came rushing forward, wringing her hands. She offered him a delighted smile as he hugged him tightly.
"Hi Izuku! Welcome back, I was just about to start dinner. Why don't you get washed up? I'll call you when it's ready."

He pulled away with a sheepish look.
"Actually... Mom I need to show you something."
He pulled the sunglasses off, revealing his eyes, putting the rest of his changed features in better perspective. Inko's face turned to shock.

"Izuku, what... What happened? Did someone hit you with their quirk? Are those contacts and this is some prank?" Her hands Rose to his cheeks, eyes widening as she realized his skin was much paler. She turned him this way and that to get a good look at him.

"No one hit me with a quirk. I woke up and I just... looked like this. I wore sunglasses this morning because I didn't want you to stop me from going to the exam."
She huffed, shock and hurt crossing her face.

"Izuku! I would have taken you to the doctors. What if this is something bad? What if something is really wrong? You should have told me instead of putting yourself in danger. Now get ready, we're going to the doctor now."

Chapter Text

When the Midoriya duo returned to their apartment, they were quiet, each needing time to process the information they had been given. Inko had gotten every test she could to try to figure out what had happened to Izuku. Izuku had gone along with it, upset but resigned, only to find out something that made his brain feel frozen.

He had a quirk gene.

Something he had been told over and over by doctors from age four to six that he didn't have, only to be told now he had, because they had missed it. He had the FGQ1B2 gene, a recessive gene that doctors don't typically look for because it was rare. Since the first generation of quirks, one in 400,000 quirked people had it. The only reason it was found today was the doctor he visited this time did a study on it and caught it in his test results. They had talked about it at length before the woman settled for the theory that Izuku's near death experience with the sludge villain, combined with the sudden diet change and the near constant stress of his new training schedule caused his body to activate the hidden gene to adapt. His quirk was examined and registered as "Solaris."

Any abilities he discovered later would have to be reported, the same as anyone else. As for his current abilities, he could increase his body temperature, which at it's base was already much higher than the average person's now, to the point of giving first degree burns. He could run faster, lift objects nearly four times his weight, and release visible "wisps" of heat energy. These were semi-solid, and he could also adjust their temperature (He accidentally started a fire and melted a chair to a puddle.) By the end, he was tired, cold, had accidentally used so much energy at one point he fractured his arms from the inside out, and wanted to sleep. His arms were determined to be the result of his quirk seeming to partially rely on raw energy and putting strain on him. He was sent home with a warning to take it easy and only practice his quirk in legal areas like quirk gyms.

He texted All Might with everything he had found out and turned his phone off before heading to bed.

When he opened his eyes, he was in space, moving towards what looked like a planet below. His eyes drifted over the dead looking world, endless deserts on the surface. He braced himself for a landing and hit the ground with a thump. The sight of distant ruins set him walking forward, cloak flapping around him. He pulled on a hood, taking in the garment. The off-white cream color stood out against the red-orange sand, symbols stitched into the hems in gold, accented with green. He noticed similar symbols drawn in green wrapping his wrists.

When he looked up, his hand rising to shield him from the sun, he saw the ruins were what looked like a city. Buildings worn down a collapsed, buried in sand. He searched for any signs of life in vain. He marched forward, finding a ring of five tall walls. Three were half collapsed, but he could see on all of them were the remains of mosaic murals. He looked at them, and saw depictions of people tending crops and gardens, playing in rivers, children and adults dancing in ribbons of color flowing from instruments. The final was a gathering around a stone platform with waving banners and carved pillars. A white circle floated in it, perhaps a light, which they seemed to be worshiping. He moved on, looking at the fallen city in curiosity, despite the heat and his growing thirst.

He was surprised when he saw stairs leading up a hill and began to trek upwards. Hot winds blew sand at him, making him cough and his eyes water. When he reached the top, he saw the shrine from the mural, although the banners were long gone with no trace. The pillars stood tall against the countless years ago they must have been carved. In the middle, a basin sat, water rippling within. He made his way forward and dipped his hands in, startled to find it was cold. He cupped his palms and brought them to his mouth to drink. The coolness trickled down his throat, leaving him refreshed. When he sighed in satisfaction, a wisp of his quirk curled into the air like smoke, and drifted across the pillars. They lit up with the same symbols he bore, and images flickered across his vision. A lush world full of flora, skies full of strange reptilian birds. People drifted between the trees, watchful but calm as they gathered food. Their eyes glowed blue as the observed their home, the area lighting up in response. He felt the being from the cloud behind him, from the night his quirk activated, watching with him. He turned to look, but before he could see, he was sitting up in bed.

He blinked at the morning light streaming through his window as his stomach growled. When he finished preparing for the day, he walked down the hall to the kitchen. He was greeted by the smell of steamed rice, grilled fish, and miso soup. The table was set, a small bowl of natto and a tray of nori waiting for him by his plate. His mother sat in her place, waiting for him. "Hey mom."

She jumped at being addressed, turning to him.

"Oh! Good morning Izuku, you're up a few minutes early."

Yeah, I had a weird dream and couldn't get back to sleep."

She hummed, the looked at him apologetically.

"I'm sorry about yesterday... I know I overreacted a bit when we arrived at the doctor, but I was just so scared. What if something really had been wrong? I couldn't bear it if something terrible happened to you Izuku..."

He gave her a gentle smile, hugging her close.

"I get it mom, you were just worried. Yeah, maybe some of those tests were overkill, but I understand why you felt they were necessary. I forgive you. Now, let's eat, and have a good day, huh?"

She gave him an eager nod and a confident, determined smile.

Chapter Text

The next few weeks were spent anxiously awaiting his letter to determine his acceptance or rejection, during which time Izuku spent most of his days exercising. He had decided that he should modify his training to account for his increased strength, but went further, realizing All Might's plan was centered around bulking up and there was no agility training or anything similar. His research led him to conclude one for all was reliant on strength, not muscle mass, and began to practice free running. Hopefully, his speed, agility, and spacial awareness would increase as he spent evenings climbing buildings and roof jumping, video tutorials guiding him along his path.

He often went home covered in bruises, scrapes, and hoping he hadn't sprained anything. He hadn't heard from All Might lately, and wondered why. He worried about the injured man, but was aware how capable he was, and settled his mind with news reports of sightings and interviews. He couldn't keep from thinking 'What if he knows whether I got in? What if I didn't and he's trying to figure out how to tell me I need to give the quirk back?' This usually led to a somber, anxious day.

Izuku sighed as he pulled on his heelies for free running and escaping feelies. He headed out, rolling down the sidewalk He reached the abandoned section of town, where even villains tended to stay away because the feel of the air. When he was younger, Izuku would have agreed. The constant feeling of eyes on the back of your neck, the chill even during the summer, the silence that no one wanted to break for unknown reasons. Nowadays, Izuku didn't feel it. It felt like his world, away from everyone else. He didn't need to speak up because no one was listening. He didn't need to flee because he wasn't being chased. He didn't need to worry about expectations because there were none for him to meet. It was his paradise.

Izuku scaled up and down the buildings, swinging on flag poles and fire escapes. When he finished, his body was sore, but he hadn't fallen once. He grinned and pulled his lunch box out. He had recently discovered a love of Slavic dishes, and was pleased to see his mother had made chebureki and paired it with knedle. A thermos of tea completed the small meal as he tucked in on a roof. He thought back, remembering why he had started studying Slavic culture with a focus on Russian.

"Hey mom... We uh... Haven't talked about this in a while cause I know it hurts... But what was dad like?"

That simple sentence had started a conversation about Midoriya Hisashi, a Russian man adopted to a Japanese family, and who married Midoriya Inko. He had loved his home country's culture and had taught Inko about it, had wanted to teach Izuku. But he never had the chance because he had been killed by a drunk driver. Inko had wanted to, tried to teach him, but it hurt too much. He had been a wonderful man that loved Izuku and her. After that, the two had started looking into his father's native country. They learned and brought the culture into their lives. After that Inko started talking about him more. She shared old stories and cried less when she thought of him. They both decided it was a good way to honor him.

He was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of footsteps around him, whipping around to see a figure approaching from several buildings away. He shoved his things into his bag and bolted. He raced across rooftops and found an industrial air conditioner. He hid behind it and yanked out the length of duct tubing he had in his bag, stashing it under a box. He pulled the tube over his head, one end on the ground, the other he tilted to press to the side of the machine. The person chasing him approached and let out a string of curses when he didn't find the teen. He made a phone call, reporting seeing him and stating he would patrol the area to see if Izuku came back. Izuku carefully turned his head, peering through a hole in the side of his camouflage to get a look at the hero. His eyes caught on a grey scarf and gold goggles.

Eraserhead. He had almost been caught by Eraserhead.

Eventually the man left, and Izuku waited another ten minutes to leave his hiding spot and tuck the disguise away. He left quickly, staying close to buildings on the ground. He returned home without incident.

Chapter Text

Izuku walked ever forwards through the desert, quickly approaching what looked like the remains of a massive staircase, large portions of it collapsed and scattered in the desert. He looked at it in awe before realising in horror it was the only way forward. He searched desperately through the area for another path, or some way to climb, but turned up nothing. 

Eventually he gave up, settling for simply running forward, and using his quirk to leap. He sailed upwards, but found himself coming up short. He fell towards the ground, bracing himself for impact when he saw the symbols around his wrists glowing. He looked at them in confusion, only to realize his fall had slowed. He landed gently on the debris below. He blinked as the glow faded, and focused his quirk into them, the familiar heat relaxing his body now that he was calm.

They lit up brightly and he felt light. He turned his attention back to the stairs, leaping upwards. He growled in frustration as he reached the appropriate height, but couldn’t sustain his glide long enough to reach it. He panted as he stood at the base, tired and chilly despite the sun beating down on him. He walked to the shade, sitting down. He called his quirk forth, watching wisps curl in the air.

As one brushed against the debris around his, his thoughts turned to his diminished energy, and watched in shock as part of the stone disappeared in a brief flash. He ran his hands over it, finding the area hotter than the rest of the stone as he confirmed the portion was indeed gone. He looked at the evidence of his quirk in wonder. He wrapped the remaining stone in it and it collapsed under the lights towards him. His energy began to return to him.

He huffed in delight as he reached out, eating up the surrounding debris, but quickly found himself becoming uncomfortable. There was a pressure in his stomach that seemed to radiate out into his bones, and winced as he felt a bone in his pinky crack. He remembered his quirk’s strain on his body, realizing he was feeding it, making it more powerful, threatening to make it more than he could handle. He eased off, running a short distance to bring it down to what he could handle, and grinned.

If he could train himself to handle more, he could keep huge amounts of energy in reserve, waiting for a villain to attack and taking them down easily. He could potentially fight for hours depending on how much his quirk affected his stamina and simply recharge like a phone. He could dissolve debris to free trapped civilians or stop it from hitting people if it gets launched towards a crowd.

He forced his thoughts to stop, shaking his head. He could think later. For now, there was a task at hand.

He marched back to the base of the stairs and looked up. He focused on his quirk, leaping up. He grinned in victory as h e glided down, the gold stitching of his cloak glittering in the sunlight. He landed, sprinting forward to cross the gap to the next platform, laughing. His laughter started to fade as he realized he was about to come up short, but felt his quirk press against the bottom of his foot, and he pushed off, a second wind to his jump now. He landed, taking debris in as he sprinted towards the final gap.

He whooped as he jumped forward, forming platforms underfoot whenever he started to sink. He landed in a roll and stopped on his feet. Adrenalin kept his heart pumping as he realized his mouth felt like it was full of cotton. He marched forward, speeding up as he caught sight of a familiar shrine and basin.

The one was much larger than the shrine he had seen before, though it was nearly the same. He paused as he came to a set of murals. The first was two groups of people marching towards each other, large machines at their backs. The second was row after row of people laid on the ground, clothed in red, a short pillar at their heads. Graves. He made his way forward, now somber. He pushed his hands into the basin and greedily drank the water within.

He blew outwards this time, and his quirk began to seep into the air. Images flickered across his sight for the second time as he watched.

The people were now building cities, tearing away the plants for their monuments to having lived. They planted the remaining area with food, and the sound of machines filled his ears as his vision shifted, people building things of clockwork, the blue light powering them as they worked. He felt the presence beside him now, felt its gaze on him. As he turned to look back, he yawned awake.

He jolted when he heard his mother shouting, racing to his door. He opened it as she reached for the handle herself. She fell forward onto the ground, gasping for air as she held a white envelope.

"Izuku! Your letter from Yuuei! It's here!..."

He took the letter as she pushed herself to stand, a hand on her elbow to pull her up. He stared at it as his mother shut the door, looking nervous.

He moved to his desk, ripping open the envelope and pulling out a small hologram projector. He placed it on the floor. His eyes went wide as the image of All Might appeared, laughing.

"Hello, Young Midoriya Izuku! It is I, All Might, here to announce that I am signing on as Yuuei's newest teacher! I am also here to tell you your test results! You completed the written exam with a 99/100 possible poits, the highest score of your fellow examinees, and breaking the all time highest of 92/100 points. This wasn't your only test though. Your physical exam results are still to be covered. You acheived 44 villain points in the exam. This is one point shy of the passing mark of 45 points, but unfortunately, still a failing grade." Izuku froze, staring at the recording. One point... One measly point. He failed. "However, there was more to the exam than villain points. Watch this!"

The video cut to a security feed. The brunette he had saved approached Present Mic with a determined face. "Excuse me, sir? I'm here because there was an examinee during the physical who saved me. He had green hair, freckles, he was kind of... otherworldly with the whole pale skinned and glowing thing going on... Anyway, because he saved me, he lost the opportunity to get points, so I was hoping I could give him some of mine! He was a real hero right then, even if he was just a student, and it would be a real shame if someone like him missed his chance because he saved someone else." 

Present Mic grinned, patting her on the head. "Sorry little listener, but points can't be transferred. I wouldn't worry about him though. Stuff like that? Gets noticed."

The video ended, cutting back to All Might as he beamed with pride. "You made a lasting impression. And Present Mic was right!"

"During the exam, once you became aware that the test was more dangerous than it seemed, You went out of your way to keep your peers safe and pass along tips that helped them. And then you faced off against the zero pointer despite everyone else fleeing because you saw someone in danger. You quickly freed her and neutralized the threat, although you put yourself in needless danger in the process. This netted you points in our secondary scoring system, rescue points! You gathered 148 rescue points, for a grand total of 192 points, breaking another record set at 189 points, putting you in first for the physical exam as well! Congratulations Young Midoriya. And welcome to Yuuei Hero Academy!"

He sat there as the recording ended and the projector turned off. He turned to the envelope again, pulling out several papers. A list of school supplies, order forms for a uniform, and hero costume submission forms. He set them down, stood up, and opened his door. He stood there for a moment as his mother's pacing stopped.

"I got in..." A painfully large smile took over his face. "I got in!"

Chapter Text

The next few days were spent gathering his supplies, upping the bar on his training, and being happy.

Nowadays his hours were packed, leaving him with whiplash from his youth, spent reading and sobbing alone when he wasn't hero tracking or trying to follow Kacchan. Now he was going on outings with Yagi-san, and going out training, he had even made friends with a barista at a coffee shop he visited on his way home from the abandoned section. It was a complete turnaround that made his head spin and his heart soar.

There was a bitterness though. All of this started happening because he got a quirk. If he was still quirkless he probably wouldn't have passed the exam, wouldn't have set a single toe on the road to heroics. It hurt to think about, but he had accepted it a while ago. Nothing to do about it now but use his position to help the quirkless. Now he could make a difference.

Izuku sighed as he entered his room, stretching until his joints popped. There was a near constant ache in his muscles nowadays. Headaches sprung upon him regularly from the tension in his neck and shoulders. He entered the bathroom, grabbing a bottle of anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxer pads, before settling down to massage himself as best he could. He groaned softly as his shoulder popped again. Sweet relief.

The smell of peppermint burned his nose a bit as he applied the pads and settled down to research heroes in his room until the pads could come off. As he worked and reworked his analyses, he came across statistics and theories about the areas heroes worked. The crimes overlooked, the wait times for responses, the crimes heroes themselves committed. He knew it was a broken system, but it was clicking more securely in his head now. How many heroes were heroes for fame and glory. How many left the field early from injuries they didn't need to get. How many just couldn't handle it and entered different careers. It made him aware of how much work he had ahead of him if he was going to follow his path. But that was part of what made it worth it. The work would pay off. Maybe not for months, maybe not for years. Progress was always slow and always would be.

But it was progress nonetheless.

He jumped when his timer beeped. The pads came off easily, and he stepped into the shower to wash off the mess left behind. The hot water felt incredible as he stood for a moment in the stream. Eventually he pushed himself to finish up. He had school after all.

Izuku was walking through a graveyard, thousands of the headstones he had seen in the mural stretching out before him. He trekked slowly, silent. Then, he came upon the ruins of a machine. He saw windows on the side, filled with intricate filigrees of the same metal. He cleared away some of the sand, finding what looked like a lock covered in symbols. Inside, half buried in sand, were bones. He saw two beaked skulls and figured they were probably the lizard-birds from his visions.

He frowned sadly, and pulled his quirk forth, hoping he could somehow open the cage and give them a proper burial. The symbols flared to life, the cage groaning and creaking in protest as it opened. To his surprise, the bones lit up as well, rattling as they rose from the sand and formed four skeletons. They flapped, green energy trailing after them as they flew past him into the sky. They circled overhead, beaks opening into silent cries.

He stood, watching for a moment. He then turned and began his silent march once more. He was dimly aware of them following overhead. He continued, finding more cages, freeing more lizbirds, wondering if he was resurrecting them or if this would fade. Would he need to maintain them? Would they be a drain on his energy? Could he use them?

His questions went unanswered as he drew closer to the next set of ruins and the graveyard disappeared in the distance behind him. The groan and screech of dying machinery made his ears ring, and awe struck him as he saw towers rising above him, clockwork churning away despite the test of time. Inside the towers windows he saw them as he climbed.

Thousands of bones scattered on the floors. It made his stomach churn to think of what their fates must have been. He was losing hope for finding the lock on the massive cage after what felt like hours of climbing, searching over the wrought metal windows, when he finally reached the top. Across a catwalk before him was another shrine, the lock on a wall not far behind it. He approached, and felt the familiar coil of fear in his stomach. He glanced back and thought of how many skeletons were in the cage. Could he do it?

He looked up, seeing the flock above him. Watching. He bit his lip and steeled himself. These creatures needed him, needed him to save them now, even though he was late. He had to. He drew upon his quirk and devoured the rubble around him. Power flooded through him and made his bones ache and creak like rotted wood. He reached out and pushed it into the lock.

The cage squealed open as lizbirds rushed out in a searing blaze of green. The sky turned from pale blue to bright neon green as they flew. He collapsed to his knees, exhausted, shivering, thirsty, and dragged himself the basin to drink. The pillars glowed softly as visions took his sight again.

He saw sprawling cities where before there had been forests, people marching along silently where there had been music and laughter. He saw no gardens or parks. Lizbirds captured and put into towers, the blue light pulled from their bodies to power buildings. The presence was beside him once more, closer now. He knew he would not see them. Even still, he turned, and found himself staring at All Might’s face on his wall.

He sat up with a grunt, going through his morning workout despite his body's protests. When he finished, he popped his medication and headed out for his morning run. Breakfast would be started by the time he got back and done when he showered. It was a familiar routine now. Comforting. He pulled out his phone, shooting his regular good morning text to All Might, fighting back his yawns to focus on his path. The cool air made his body ache worse, but he pushed through.

When he made it home he was grateful for hot water. His breakfast was a large bowl of rice, a side of vegetables, and omelettes. His mother dropped a few slices of fried pork into his rice with a smile as they settled to eat. Afterwards he gathered his materials and was ready to go.

"Are you sure you have everything?"

"Yes mom, now I have to go."

"Handkerchief? Socks? Pencil case?"

He grinned as he pulled his novelty pencil case out of his pocket, which looked like a photo realistic fish. Inko giggled and pulled him down for a kiss on the cheek.

"Izuku... I'm really proud of you. I always have been. I haven't always shown it right, and I said something terrible to you when you were so little... I just gave up on you. But I was wrong to, regardless of your quirk. So I'm gonna support you with all I have. Okay?"

He sniffled, holding back tears as his mother let hers slip free.

"Okay mom. Thank you."

With that, he left, and walked with a new determination. He could feel the warmth of his quirk rise in his chest. Today was gonna be good.

It wasn't. Izuku walked through the halls, barely stopping himself from jogging as he tried to find his way to class 1-A, panic fluttering in his stomach. Eventually, he had to cave. He had to ask an upperclassmen. He bit his lip as he approached a blond haired boy.

"Excuse me... Senpai?"

He turned around, a surprised look on his face, which melted into a smile when he caught sight of the smaller boy.

"What's up? You need help?" 

"Can you point me to 1-A?"

"Sure, you're pretty close! Back down, second left, straight down, Got it?"

"Yes, thank you!"

He bolted, praying he made it at least before the teacher did. Eventually he came upon the classroom. He braced himself when he heard shouting and opened the door.

And was greeted by the sight of Bakugou lounging in his desk, fighting with someone on the first day. God fucking dammit.

Chapter Text

"Please remove your feet from that desk immediately! That is extremely disrespectful to those who sat in that desk before you and the manufacturers of it!"

Bakugo sneered at the boy Izuku recognized from the entrance exam, the rude one who had gotten upset at him in particular. He had a feeling it was gonna be a tense year.
"I don't fucking care. Eh, what school did you come from, extra?"

"Somei Private Academy! I am Iida Tenya!"

"Somei? Shoulda guessed, some stuck up elitist. I oughta blast you to pieces!"

The blue haired boy reeled back, a horrified expression crossing his face.
"Bl-Blast me to...! Someone so horrible really aspires to be a hero?!"

Midoriya watched the exchange, stopping himself from jumping to Kacchan's defense. He moved to stand just inside the door, catching Iida's attention. He raced over, his expression turning somewhat friendlier. Midoriya swallowed his nerves, remembering their first encounter hadn't gone well.

"Hello, I am from Somei Private academy. I am Iida Tenya."

"Ah, I know, I heard you earlier. I'm Midoriya Izuku, pleasure to make your acquaintance..."

Realization flooded his face as he looked closer at Izuku. It then changed to a pensive look as he spoke, voice low and stiff like his posture.
"Ah, then you are... I must congratulate you! You excelled on the exams, and perceived the true nature when I didn't. I hate saying it, but you were a much better candidate than I despite my first impression of you!"

As he spoke, he mad chopping motions with his hands that set Izuku on edge. What is with this guy? Perceive the true nature of the exam?

"Well, it's almost time for class, we should sit-"

He was distracted by a chirpy voice behind him piping up. It almost covered the growl of 'Deku...' from across the room. "Hey, your that ghost looking boy from the exam! So you did get in, like Present Mic said! That punch really was awesome so I guess I should have expected it."

He flushed red, stutters pouring from his lips.

"W-Well, thanks... I should thank you though. In my letter, they talked about the impression I made on people and showed you speaking to Present Mic on my behalf... That was really nice, and you didn't have to so t-thank you so much! We should really get to our seats though..."

"I couldn't agree more. If you're here to socialize, get out."

The two turned, seeing a tired man in a sleeping bag lying on the ground just outside. They watched in vague horror and confusion as he shifted to lift a packet of something to his mouth, slurping the contents down in one go.
"This is the hero course."

He stood, unzipping the bag and stepping out to reveal his slovenly looks. He was wearing a black jacket and loose pants, a thin grey scarf wrapped around his neck and shoulders. A utility belt wrapped his waist.
"My name is Aizawa Shouta, your homeroom teacher. Nice to meet you all."

He then reached into the bag, pulling out a gym uniform which he thrust in Izuku's direction. He was surprised to see his name on the tag as he reached out, taking it.
"Put these on and head to the Alpha Training Grounds."

When everyone was outside, he lined them up, Izuku inevitably just a few spots from Bakugou.

"You'll all be undergoing a quirk evaluation."

Aizawa-sensei's announcement was met with surprised shouts and protests of 'What about the entrance ceremony?' and 'We haven't even talked about guidance sessions!' among them. He turned away with a heavy sigh, as if answering them was a chore.
"We don't have time to waste on that. Yuuei is known for it's freestyle education, which applies to teachers. The tests you will take are softball throwing, standing long jump, the 50 meter dash, endurance running, line jumps, grip strength, torso training, and the seated toe touch. These are all tests I'm sure you're familiar with, as they are standard in middle school no-quirk tests. For some reason quirk use in these tests is prohibited. The department of education is just procrastinating the only rational choice. Bakugou!" The blond perked up at being singled out "What was your most recent softball throw score?"

Bakugou stood confidently as he answered, head tilted back to look down his nose in an intimidation tactic Izuku was all too familiar with.
"67 meters."

Aizawa motioned for him to come forward, tossing him the ball when he reached the center of the circle in before them. He pulled out his phone.

"Great, try it with your quirk. Don't leave the circle, but anything beyond that goes. Give it everything you have."

At that, Bakugou gained a vicious expression, stretching his arms. He wound up for the pitch, then threw himself into the motion of launching the softball with an explosion.
"DIE!"

The ball went soaring high, but had too much of an arc to go very far. The shock wave blasted back everyone's hair behind him. The class watched in awe as it flew, bouncing to a stop at a fair distance away. Aizawa turned the phone, still looking bored as he spoke next, revealing the results to everyone waiting. 705.2 meters.
"It's important for us to know your limits. That's the most rational way to know your futures as heroes."

Excited murmuring broke out, every student excited to see what they could do here, but their attention was drawn to a pink girl with jagged horns.
"This is gonna be awesome!"

Aizawa whirled on them, a strange look that made Izuku queazy on his face.
"Awesome...? You think this is all fun and games? Fine. Whoever scores lowest on the test will be judged as having no potential for heroics and will be expelled."

The energy that had filled the air only seconds ago was gone, the students stunned by the declaration, and they were quick to protest. Uraraka's voice rose above the din, desperate as she shouted.
"But that's not fair!"

Izuku couldn't stop the scoff that flew past his lips. Aizawa focused on him now, drawing everyone else's eyes too

"Something to say to her, Midoriya?"

He almost backed down and apologized, but something in Aizawa's eyes said that would be the biggest mistake he could make. That would be the lynchpin in this interaction.

"Fair isn't how the world works. Are natural disasters that level cities fair? Are explosions that leave people buried under rubble fair? Are people fair? No. There are villains, and there are manipulators, and there are abusers, and as students training to become heroes, we can't be naive about that. Villains aren't going to play nice or go easy because the hero had a bad day. A mob isn't gonna back off because the hero is overwhelmed. Fair is an illusion heroes don't get the benefit of falling for."

The class was silent, staring at him as he finished his speech. There was a tenseness tainted by a somber mood. Aizawa turned away.
"Well said. Now we've wasted enough time. Let's begin."

Chapter Text

The tests were easy since everyone already knew what to do. He had never been more glad to have alphabetical order put him so far down the list of his classmates. Because of that, he could come up with ideas and plans for the tests.

The 50 meter dash came first, and Izuku was surprised by his classmates' ingenuity. Aoyama simply launched himself backwards with the force of his belly button laser. Izuku did fairly well, getting a score of 4.1 seconds.

He did better in the second event, grip strength. He couldn't help but be impressed by his classmates, who were achieving mostly scores higher than 100 kg. He focused on his machine, straining himself despite feeling something crack in his wrist from his quirk. He eased off, allowing his quirk to diffuse from his arm to the rest of his body. He had been pleased to find his quirk could be concentrated on singular limbs, although it was at the expense of bones. His score read out 620 kg, drawing shouts around him, and pushing his place up from 8th to 5th.

In the long jump, he stood on the platform and leapt forward, shifting as he used his quirk. He jumped forward twice, then lit up the symbols he'd drawn on his wrists to glide down. He landed softly with the fourth longest jump.

He didn't fair as well in the side jumps. His quirk was better suited for longer distances. He was certainly not in last place though.

The fifth event was the softball throw. Izuku stepped into the circle and took the ball. He wound back, threw, and the world seemed to go flat. He stumbled, shaking his head as the depth of his surroundings seemed to vanish. The warmth in his chest vanished, and with it, his strength. The ball landed a scant few meters away.

"W-What...? My quirk isn't..."

"I erased it."

He turned to Aizawa, seeing his hair floating wildly above his head, red eyes zeroed in on Izuku, looking vaguely angry. His scarf floated around him, turning him into a terrifying figure. Izuku's eyes caught on the golden goggles that had been hidden underneath.
"You're Eraserhead!..."

"That ridiculous entrance exam... I don't know how you managed to pass. You broke both your feet, your right hand and wrist, and fractured your arm in a completely unnecessary display of strength and ego. What good is a glass canon in the hero field?" Aizawa's scarf wrapped around Izuku, dragging him closer. "You would be left helpless, dragging down those around you. An inconvenience. There was a hero who saved over a thousand people in a disaster, made himself a legend. That recklessness is like his... But without control over a power that can destroy it's user? You'll never be a hero."

Izuku watched as he relaxed, cutting off his quirk. He was hit with a wave of heat crashing over his body, and the world swirled out of focus for a fraction of a second. That was when he noticed something. Aizawa seemed lit up from within like a lantern, a light that focused in his chest and behind his eyes.
"Go on, get it over with. You have your quirk back."

Izuku couldn't stop the anger writhing in his chest. He had been doing well on the tests, despite his fractured wrist. He had good control for someone who had just gotten his quirk a few weeks ago. He stepped back into the circle and picked up the ball. He wound up again, and pulled his quirk. Green tendrils of powers ate the grass around him, leaving a charred area behind as he took the miniscule amount of power. He threw, a shockwave forming as the ball left his hand, and he gave it a final push, his quirk concentrated heavily into his middle finger.

The delicate bones shattered, his finger a dark, angry purple. He stood tall and clenched his fist, ignoring the pain. He had broken bones before, and he'd had worse injuries. This was nothing. He turned to the teacher, who was staring at him in open shock.

"Hey Sensei..." He waited for the man to focus on him
"I can still move."

The pro hero grinned, barely audible as he spoke.

"This kid..."

Chapter Text

Izuku stared at his results, dumbfounded by them. He had thrown the ball 1642.1 meters. He had been catapulted from 6th place to 3rd, knocking Bakugou to 4th. He froze in terror when Said blond screamed in rage, rocketing towards him.

"What the hell, Deku?! Fucking explain right god damn now!"

He threw his arms up to shield his face, turning as Bakugou got close, throwing himself into a backwards roll. He landed in a crouch, searching for him frantically and prepared to bolt whatever direction was safest. He didn't expect to see Aizawa holding him in place, quirk activated as he glared at him.

"The fuck?! The fabric... Is so strong?!"

"It's a capture weapon of special alloy wires and carbon fibers. Now stop trying to use your quirk, I'm getting dry eye. We're wasting time anyway. Since your so eager to continue, break time between the ball throw and torso training is over. Get ready."

When the events were over, Aizawa stood at the front, holding up a projector.

"Now that we've finished slightly behind schedule, here's the results."

Izuku bit his lip. Someone was going home after this, being expelled before they could really show what they were made of, what they could be if given a chance. It was really cruel. But so was being a hero. Aizawa had a reputation among those who learned from him. He had apparently expelled an entire class in the first week. They were really lucky they were only losing one.

"Also, I was lying about expelling someone."

Silence.

"That was a logical ruse to make you all try as hard as you could."

Izuku felt his soul leaving his body. His grandparents were reaching to him from the light, calling him home into the beyond. His body sunk to it's knees as he ascended, and suddenly he was floating above his class. Uraraka was shaking him, and several of his classmates looked concerned. His head tilted back to reveal his eyes were greyed over like a dead fish. Aizawa dashed forward, laying Izuku on his back and checking his breathing. He dove back into his body, sitting up and nearly slamming into his teacher.

"Holy- what the- what the- oh my god!"

He patted his body down, relaxing when he determined he was properly attached to it.

"I didn't know I could do that..."

"Midoriya, look at me. How many fingers am I holding up?"

He turned to Aizawa, blinking in surprise. It had been a long time since a teacher had checked his well-being.

"Oh, uh... four."

"Good. Can you tell me what happened?"

Izuku went pink in embarrassment as he answered quietly.

"Well I guess I was so relieved it was a trick I just... had an out of body experience? One minute I was standing by Uraraka-chan, glad that no one was being expelled and then I was floating above the class, watching everyone freaking out over my limp body. It was really weird..."

"Well, let's get you to Recovery Girl. I'll walk you to her office."

Yaoyorozu spoke up as he moved to stand, looking concerned and guilty.

"If I had known anyone was THAT worried about it, I would have said something. I thought it was a pretty obvious trick."

Izuku chuckled as he stretched a bit, looking her in the face. A small, sad smile graced his face.

"I don't think it was actually a trick. Apparently Aizawa-sensei expelled an entire class last year before the second month. The choice not to expel someone seemed like a split second decision. I guess he decided we were worth his time."

He left them all staring in shock yet again as he raced to catch up to Aizawa, catching a glimpse of the results

1. Yaoyorozu Momo
2. Todoroki Shouto
3. Midoriya Izuku
4. Bakugo Katsuki
5. Iida Tenya
6. Tokoyami Fumikage
7. Shoji Mezo
8. Ojiro Mashirao
9. Kirishima Ejiro
10. Ashido Mina
11. Uraraka Ochako
12. Kouda Koji
13. Satou Rikido
14. Asui Tsuyu
15. Aoyama Yuga
16. Sero Hanta
17. Kaminari Denki
18. Jirou Kyoka
19. Shinsou Hitoshi
20. Hagakure Toru

He offered a small wave to All Might, who gave him an excited thumbs up and bolted. He missed the suspicious gaze of Aizawa observing the interaction.

Izuku felt exhausted as he exited the gates of Yuuei, his quirk and stamina running low. He jumped as a hand landed on his shoulder, a now familiar voice accompanying it.

"Midoria! How are you feeling? You certainly gave everyone a scare in class."

"Oh, Iida...! I'm fine, Recovery girl fixed me up and gave me the okay to go home and not to the hospital."

"I've been thinking a lot about what you said before you left. I find myself agreeing with you after looking at the evidence and doing my own research. It certainly left the rest of the class shaken, save a few."

Izuku found himself smiling at the taller boy. He wasn't purposefully rude or scary, he was just stiff and socially inept. Izuku definitely knew about that. Maybe they could figure out proper interactions together. They stopped, turning around to see the brunette once more.

"Hey! Are you two headed to the station too? Wait for me!"

"Ah! Infinity girl!"

Izuku's smile grew at the nickname 'infinity girl.' It made her sound like a comic book character. The New Adventures of Infinity Girl!

"I'm Uraraka Ochako, and you two are, uh, Iida Tenya and Midoriya... Deku right?"

"D-Deku?"

"Yeah, that's what that loud guy, Bakugou, called you."

He shook his head, looking at the ground.

"That's not my name. Kacchan calls me 'Deku' to be mean. My real name is Izuku."

She looked embarrassed at the correction, quick to speak back up.

"Gosh, I'm sorry, I didn't know!"

He heard Iida talking to himself quietly.
"A derogatory pet name? So he's a bully, as I suspected..."

"But you know, it's really similar to 'dekimasu,' like 'I can do it!' You know? I like it a lot!"

He felt warmth color his face. He had never heard it used like that, it was nice. He wanted to hear it more.

"Well, when you put it like that, I do too. So Deku it is I guess!"

They were interrupted by Iida bursting out.

"Didn't you just say it's an insult? Show some spine Midoriya, it's like the Copernican revolution..."

He laughed as he turned to walk towards the station.

"This is my show of spine Iida. I'm taking a term used to oppress me and stealing it from those who would torment me. I'm making it into something that'll make me stronger, instead of tear me down like they want. Like the LGBT revolution in America, when they took terms like 'queer' and 'gay' and started using them."

The two continued to debate for a while, and Izuku relaxed for the first time in what felt like forever. Maybe Yuuei would be his restart despite Bakugou's actions.

Chapter Text

Izuku groaned as he entered the cafe, clutching his arm. He had strained it and something popped, and now he would need to keep it in a sling for a day or two. He approached the counter, offering a smile to his friend, who was already filling his order. His eyes caught on Izuku's arm.

"Hey, mess up another catch?"

"Yeah, but I'll be fine. Just need to be careful for a while."

The boy nodded, handing Izuku his cup.

"Well, I need to close the seating area and shut down. You're welcome to stay until I'm done, just don't sit or walk where I mopped, okay?"

Izuku nodded, leaning against the counter as the barista cleaned the machines. Eventually he finished his drink, contemplating leaving now as he usually did, but he was tired, and needed a second to let the caffeine kick in to make the walk home. He had gone out early to get in extra practice, and stayed a little late as well. He stretched, rubbing his shoulder a bit to release the tension. The barista turned back, grabbing the mop. There was a brief second of surprise at seeing Midoriya still there. Then he moved on, mopping the cafe floor silently. It was cozy.

When he finished, He pulled off his hat and the scarf that had concealed his hair, revealing a mess of purple locks.

"Oh, I thought you looked familiar in class. I wasn't sure though, if I had known I would have said hi."

"It's cool, that guy cornered you before I could say hello, and then class started moving to fast to catch you. You got a lucky quirk."

Izuku flinched at that, unsure of how to have one of those talks. Shinsou noticed, giving him a cautious glance. They exited together as he locked up and sat in the outdoor area.

"Yeah, really lucky... I'm still surprised I can do anything with it, with how late I got it."

"Late?"

"Yeah it uh... It only manifested the day of the entrance exam. Registered it right after. Up until then I was diagnosed quirkless. I had a... bad day and a subsequent lifestyle change that my doctor said forced my body to adapt, so it took a dormant quirk gene in my DNA and turned it on."

Shinsou was quiet after that, eyes tracing Izuku's face, and his eyes caught on something near his neck. Izuku reached up, fingers finding the edge of a scar. He was familiar with all of his scars, but this one in particular was worse. He had been six when it happened. Kacchan had abandoned him at the park again, going looking for something. Izuku was cornered by an older kid with a water manipulation quirk. He had thrown boiling water, scalding Izuku's chest, neck, and arm. His shoulder and part of his neck had gotten the worst of it. He had passed out from the agony and woken up in the hospital to find he had been unconscious for two days in critical condition. The kid was sent to a detention center with a counselor and put on quirk suppressor pills for two years after that. Izuku never saw him again.

"Nah, it wasn't this one. It was this one, on my wrist."

He pulled back his sleeve, revealing a burn scar that was fading well. It hadn't been a bad burn, but it wasn't good. Shinsou looked at it, frowning.

"That's a hand print."

He yanked the cloth down, bringing his arm close. No one had been able to tell what it was before. It had happened when he grabbed Kacchan, who had latched onto his arm but couldn't deactivate his quirk amidst his panic. It was Izuku's fault for letting him grab on, but if Bakugou hadn't, he would have sunk into the slime and drowned. A necessary injury to save a life.

"Yeah, but it was an accident. He was really scared... I ran to help him like an idiot and got hurt, like I knew I would. I had to though. I knew the look in his eyes and no one else was stepping forward. I managed to help enough that a pro who could deal with the situation had time to show up and ended the fight, saved us both and stopped the villain. After that I made a decision and my whole life changed..." He raised a hand to his cheek, thinking about his life as he traced his lower lid. "There are things that I'll never have because of it, things I can't do anymore, and I'll spend the rest of my life wishing for them, but I wouldn't change my mind. It was the best choice I ever made and I picked the right option. Consequences be damned."

Shinsou was gaping, clearly unsure how to respond. Izuku started to shrink in on himself when the lilac-haired boy grabbed his hand. His mouth was closed, but there was a look in his eyes. A look Izuku recognized from photos of his childhood playing with Kacchan. Respect, awe, but this time directed at him. Izuku felt the burn of tears in his eyes. The dove at each other, crashing together in a hug, not needing to talk anymore. They split up at the sound of a car arriving. Shinsou spoke softly.

"That's my ride..."

Izuku nodded, clasping Shinsou's shoulder.

"Get home safe, okay? I'll see you at school tomorrow."

Shinsou nodded, walking away as Izuku turned to head home.

Chapter Text

Izuku found himself on a bridge, watching a sea of shifting sand on the slope below him. Lizbird skeletons still filled the sky overhead. He clambered over the edge, excitement coursing through his veins, and landed. The rippling grains sent him sliding forward as he found his balance. He grinned as he wove through broken buildings, the sun reflecting off the sand like the gold in his cloak. He rode the waves like he had done it for years.

He shrieked in joy as he surfed towards a flat piece of debris and used it like a ramp. He watched the stone around him whiz by as he approached the entrance of a tower, ducking under a falling stream of sand as he began to fall himself. He called his quirk and channeled it into his symbols to slow his descent. He looked around, studying the latest puzzle. High overhead, where the remains of stairs and upper floors sat, was a large gate.

He saw the old machines connected to it and figured he had to open it by powering them. He saw four metal objects among the ruins and headed for the closest. He pushed his energy into it, watching it flare to life and the gears began to turn. He released it when they stopped, completing their job, only to frown when they rewound to their original state. He had to run a constant stream of power to it to open the gate long enough to get through.

He grunted in frustration and powered it up. He headed for the next and powered it as well, but heard the scraping of of the first, drawing his attention. It had lost power, rewinding its gears. He clenched his jaw in focus as he tried to push his quirk back into it while running the second. He gasped as it felt like he was stretching a muscle wrong. So that wouldn’t work…

His eyes drifted upwards, and he reached out with that familiar heat, a group of lizbirds breaking away from the flock. He grinned, using the connection to direct them onto the machines, which lit up in response. The gate overhead opened as he cried out in victory. A hop, skip, and a jump later, he was through, falling back into the sand and surfing onward.

He laughed as he drifted, ducking through arches and doorways, the setting sun turning the red-orange sand to red-gold, rivaling his cloak’s stitching. He slid along what was left of a pillar, heading for the next ruins. He entered a tunnel, and silently thanked his lizbirds for lighting up the path ahead. His breath fled his lungs as he exited, and saw the remains of the massive city he was going by. It was the most intact set he had ever visited. His eyes watered from the glare, but he couldn’t look away. Buildings reaching high into the sky, all that was left of the people who had lived on this planet.

He skidded to a stop on a flat of the slope, panting. He looked into the sky and his face ached from his smile. He loved this world.

Then he threw himself forward, surfing into the city. What looked like aqueducts whizzed by overhead, walls forcing the sand to flow ever forward like a river. He moved around streams of sand falling from above, the sun getting harder to see as the ruins rose around him. Eventually, he surfed off of a cliff, the city all around him as he began to fall into the underbelly, and he slowed his fall. He coughed as sand kicked up into his face, a finer grain here. His eyes set upon the shrine not far away, and moved onward. He dipped his face in this time, relishing the coolness after what felt like, and probably was, hours in the sun. When he came up, his newest visions began.

The cities no longer glowed with energy, people screaming in the streets as war machines flew overhead, and soldiers marched through the streets, tearing buildings and civilians asunder. The machines turned deadly gazes upon them, a laser blasting a hole through their body before the energy within was sucked out into it. It seemed so wasteful. They were likely using more energy than they were gaining in this conquest.

The last thing he saw was a massive machine overhead, stealing the remaining energy from the city before sending out a blast, destroying a portion of the city. He turned the presence beside him as it sobbed, and found himself crying on the floor beside his bed.

He sat up, looked at his hands. His quirk drifted off his skin as he called to it, so similar to the blue of the world in his dreams. There were questions in his mind that he didn't think he'd find answers to, so he pushed them aside. He stood, and began his workout. With his shoulder injury, even though he could barely feel it now, he was careful, pacing himself. He took extra time washing his face when he returned from his run to hide his tears. He dressed and ate breakfast with his mother, then left.

School was rather normal. English, hero history, math, lunch, but then the class they had all been waiting for. Basic hero training with All Might and Aizawa. All Might was the lead teacher, and according to the schedule, would be the one teaching it most often. Aizawa was mainly listed in case All Might was specifically called for hero work or, though the rest of the class wouldn't know it, ran out of time. Izuku waited in anticipation. Sure, he had known All Might for almost a year, but the man was everything Midoriya wanted to be. The man who gave Izuku the opportunity to attain it. He was Izuku's hero.

Even in his true form, when he was Yagi Toshinori and not All Might, he was someone Izuku looked up to. He was weakened, but he stood strong against his injuries, stood strong against time, determined to make every second until One For All faded away count. He was incredible, and for him, for everyone who needed him, Izuku would be incredible too. Izuku was practically vibrating in his seat, and All Might burst through the doorway.

"I AM HERE! COMING THROUGH THE DOOR LIKE A NORMAL PERSON!"

Definitely not normal, but definitely funny. Izuku thought Toshinori could be such a dork sometimes, and it was just another great thing about him. A human thing.

"So, welcome to basic hero training! Here you will be taught various skills such as combat, rescue, and much more! You'll also earn a lot of school credits! For today though..." He whipped out a card with the word battle written in bold letters. "You'll be doing a short battle simulation! This will give a good idea of your control and what combat skills you need to work on. For that, you'll need something else though. With the quirk registry and design forms you all sent in; COSTUMES!"

Cheers erupted as costume cases slid out of the wall. Everyone rushed to grab theirs as All Might spoke up again.

"Go get changed, then come to training ground Beta!"

Izuku couldn't handle his excitement as he stripped his uniform. He had been the last one out yesterday because he couldn't get in, but he would do better today.

"Yo, dude, what happened to you?"

He looked up at the voice beside him, pausing in putting on his jumpsuit. Everyone's eyes turned to him, conversations petering out. Then he realized. His scars were on full display. Starbursts and lines of shiny pink and white skin from his bullying problem. He gulped and rushed on with changing without answering. He yanked on his mask and hood as he ran out the door. He reached the field, and saw several of the girls there mingling.

"Wow Deku! You look really cool!"

He turned to Uraraka in surprise. His costume was based on the cloak of his dreams. A pale cream, the border  covered in symbols etched in gold. They were wires rather than threads though, powering a thermoregulation system and camouflage. Underneath was a grey jumpsuit with silver wires monitoring his body, transmitting to the regulation system and the screen in his mask to warn him of injuries. His mask was a pair of goggles, that, when he pressed the buttons on the sides, shifted to heat vision, long range magnification, and gave him a basic work up of his health. Connected to them was a smile-shaped filter that covered his mouth and nose to filter smoke and such but left his cheeks exposed. Unlike his dream outfit, however, his arms were exposed through holes in the sides, covered by an overlay to hide them from view, attached to which was his hood.

"Thanks Uraraka! You look really cool tOO-!"

He choked as he took in the whole of her costume.

"Thank you. When I designed it I imagined it being less... Skintight though. I guess I should have been more clear in my notes that I wanted padding..."

He nodded, averting his eyes as he realized many of the girls had similar issues with their costumes. Eventually, everyone made it out onto the field, and All Might took charge. The blond with the black lightning bolt in his hair, the one who had called him out, kept sending him guilty glances.

"Is everyone ready? It's time for battle training!"

"Sir! This is the same cityscape simulation from the exam, correct? Will we be practicing similar maneuvers again today?"

Izuku looked at Iida's costume as he spoke, a sleek set of armor similar to Ingenium's.

"No, you'll be moving on! Step two, indoor anti-personnel battle training! Villain battles you see are usually outdoors, but more often, they happen inside. That's where the smartest, and potentially most dangerous, villains hide and conduct their business. So, I'm splitting you into groups of two, and you'll face off in teams of villains versus heroes in the surrounding buildings!"

"So no basic training?" Asui chirped, catching All Might by surprise.

He clenched his fist in a power stance, a big grin on his face.

"Practical experience will teach you the basics. The big difference this time is that you'll be fighting people, not robots that can be replaced. You'll need to be careful not to hurt each other too badly, and you'll need to strategize, because your opponents will too!"

At that, questions began to pour forth, and Izuku began to feel overwhelmed at the overlapping voices. He saw All Might was looking to be in a similar position.

"Now now, my quirk isn't super hearing! One at a time! Listen up. The scenario is that villains are hiding a nuclear weapon in their hideout. The heroes will be going in to capture the weapon, and capturing the villains will result in extra credit. The villains will be defending the weapon, and disabling the heroes will result in extra credit for them! Your teams will be decided by drawing lots!"

He put down his script, pulling out a box with pieces of paper inside. Iida balked at this.

"Lots? Is that really the best way?!"

Izuku saw All Might hesitate, unsure of how to answer. He spoke up to bail the pro out.

"It really makes sense. Lots of hero team ups between heroes happen on-the-spot during emergencies. They don't always get to choose who they work with and need to make it work. This is a good simulation of that."

"I see. My mistake, I was getting ahead of myself again. My apologies, sir!"

"That's quite alright, my boy! Now let's get started!"

Teams were quickly decided, ending with some odd pairs. Izuku turned to his partner Uraraka, already in a pan-panic attack. Of course he would get paired with a pretty girl he can barely talk to. All Might then dropped the team letters into a box, pulling out two.

"The villains are... Team D! Facing against team... A as the heroes!"

Izuku gulped. He was up first against Kacchan and Iida.

"The villains will enter the building first, and they will have five minutes to get their bearings and hide the weapon. Then the heroes will go in. Young Iida, Young Bakugou, remember, take this exercise seriously, but don't go too far. If you put anyone, including yourselves, in danger, I will declare the exercise over and victory will go to the heroes by default. The same goes for you, Young Midoriya and Uraraka, victory will go to the villains by default if I have to cut the exercise short because of your actions."

The duo stood in front of the building, going over the blueprints together.

"Well, Midoriya, you and Bakugou seem really familiar with each other, so I guess I'll be deferring to you for the planning."

He nodded, already having four plans forming in his head with backups and alternatives.

"Okay then. Kacchan's a jerk, but he's really strong, and smart. I'm... Familiar with his fighting style, and I got a chance to observe Iida a little during the exam, so here's my plan..."

Izuku and Uraraka entered the building slowly, using her quirk to muffle themselves and releasing when they were in. They rounded a corner, and Izuku's heat vision goggles alerted him to Kacchan approaching rapidly. He signaled to his teammate and she nodded, heading to the stairs to make a quick getaway to the next floor. Izuku ducked, rolling away as Bakugou came out of the next hall and dodged the resulting explosion. He turned off the goggles. 

"Stupid Deku... I'll mess you up just enough I won't get disqualified, but you won't even think of setting foot back in Yuuei!"

As expected, Bakugou had come right to him, and was leading with a right hook as always. Izuku twisted, latching onto the massive gauntlet and slinging him over his shoulder despite feeling last night's injury protest. Bakugou groaned as he got up, back to Izuku. Now to put the plan into action, rile him up to ensure he stayed on Izuku. Like aggro-ing a video game boss...

"You always come out of the gate with a right hook, your dominant hand. I've been here long enough to analyze your moves. I analyze a lot of heroes, in my notebook. The one YOU BLEW UP and CHUCKED OUT A WINDOW." Bakugou whirled on him. "You know, the day you said that to me? Well guess what...! I'm not useless Deku anymore. I'm not going to be anyone's punching bag anymore! Especially not yours!"

The explosive blond's face twisted with rage.

"You say that... While scared shitless? That really PISSES ME OFF!"

Bakugou rushed him, and Izuku raised his arms to shield his head from the oncoming kick. He pulled out his capture tape from his glove, hooking Bakugou's ankle. He went to pull it closed, but knew he wouldn't.

"Page 18 of Notebook 10! I'm glad I reviewed my notes on you. What's next? If I know you like I think I do, then I know exactly what!"

"You bastard!"

He dodged the right hook coming for his head, huffing a little. Time to give this his all. He bolted down the hallway Bakugou had hidden in, slow enough that he would follow, but fast enough to keep him engaged. Stall for time until Uraraka sends him the bomb location.

"Hey, get back here! I bet it was real fun, huh?! Tricking me for so long! Hiding your fucking quirk! Well, bring it the fuck on!! I'LL STILL CRUSH YOU!"

As he expected, Bakugou wasn't working with Iida at all, or Bakugou would have been the one with the weapon. The two would have made an incredible team and probably crushed Izuku and Uraraka in seconds. He grinned, his muttering rising in volume.

"It's all going according to plan!..."

His earpiece crackled to life.

"Izuku, the bomb is in the center room, fifth floor! The door is on the right wall, the bomb on the left. Iida already spotted me though, and there's no debris in the room. This means plan three, right?"

"Yeah, Uraraka, but keep me updated! I'm right below you. Stay away from the wall left of the door."

He turned to wear he could hear footsteps.

"Mocking me, shitty Deku? Not gonna use it? Fine. You probably know this in your stalker books, but my palms secrete something like nitroglycerin. If my requests were fulfilled, then these gauntlets? Have been gathering my sweat. When I pull this pin... Come on, HE WON'T DIE IF IT'S NOT HEAD ON!"

Izuku dashed at Bakugou as he aimed to the left of Izuku. He hesitated as Izuku closed in, eyes going wide.

"Uraraka! Against the wall! Plan three back up four!"

"Got it!"

The explosion pushed them both against the wall as Izuku pushed the gauntlet into a 45 degree angle. This caused Bakugou to accidentally pull the pin his finger was still hooked in. Pain erupted in his side and hand as the kickback slammed into him.

"Heh, you really are super smart Kacchan...! I knew the moment I saw those they weren't decorative!"

He got off the taller boy, leaping up a knocked over storage cabinet into the room above through the hole they'd made. Bakugou screamed in rage below him, likely having caught sight of the tape around his arm. Iida was on the wall holding the weapon, clearly weightless. Uraraka was on the ceiling in the corner farthest from the explosion. She pushed herself to the floor, deactivating her quirk. Iida fell, the weapon falling from his hands and rolling away. Izuku dashed forward, grabbing it.

"Heroes win!"

Uraraka cheered loudly, dashing over to help Iida stand.

All Might met them as they exited the building.

"You all did excellently! Now, does anyone need to go to Recovery Girl?"

Midoriya raised his hand, wincing with every step. He was loaded onto a cot and sent to her office.

Izuku sat on the bed he had been on since he'd gotten to Recovery Girl's office, awkwardly listening to her chew out All Might.

"Damn you, Yagi! His third time here and it hasn't even been a week into school! You should've stopped the exercise before anyone got hurt like this."

"I'm sorry, Recovery Girl..."

"You should be apologizing to him! I can't even heal his broken fingers, broken ribs, face burns, or his strained shoulder! He's too tired. I don't care if he's your favorite, or that you gave him that damned power, you need to stop indulging him."

"Keep it down! Only you, Nedzu, and Young Midoriya know about the quirk. But you're right. I was sympathizing with him too much, as I understand the need to confront a tormentor. I hesitated when I should have called the whole thing off.'

Izuku let out an offended huff, speaking before Recovery Girl could respond.

"Sounds more like you were projecting."

The two turned to him in surprise. Yeah, it was disrespectful, but he was tired, hurting, and worked up.

"I didn't need to confront Kacchan like that. Yes, I do need to eventually, but neither of us are ready for that at this point. We didn't even work on our issues today, if anything today made it worse! It was a violent meeting in which I openly antagonized him and egged on aggressive behavior. This was a disaster."

Toshinori looked suitably cowed, and Recovery Girl was glaring at the man.

"O-Oh... Well I... I'm sorry, my boy... But you did win V.I.P. in your match! Uraraka revealed that you had made and gone over four plans with her and contingencies for if something went wrong. Very impressive."

Izuku rubbed the portion of his face that wasn't bandaged, slightly embarrassed now that he had gotten that out of his system.

"Well, t-thanks. Sorry for going off, that was completely inappropriate."

"Well, the oaf certainly deserved it! Now, you can go back to class. Aizawa is handling the rest of the period since Toshinori's out of time."

With that, he was ushered out into the hall. He made his way back, dreading seeing his homeroom teacher. He was probably going to get expelled. He wasn't expecting to be mobbed by his peers as he entered the room, seeing Aizawa watching something on his computer with headphones.

"Midoriya's back! Welcome back bro! We were just talking about the battles. I don't know what you were saying, because All Might couldn't figure out how to unmute the speakers in the monitoring room, but your match was wild!!"

The pink girl scurried up, followed by a spiky haired brunette with large lips.

"Nice dodging!"

"We were all crazy excited for our battles after your fight with Bakugou!"

He backed up, bumping into the doorway. His breathing started to get shallow as a headache formed behind his eyes. He was starting to get overstimulated and needed them to back off.

"I'm Kirishima Eijiro."

"I'm Ashido Mina!"

"And I'm Satou."

The frog like girl popped up behind them, tongue poking out between her lips.

"I'm Asui Tsuyu, but please, call me Tsuyu."

He nodded, trying to force his breathing to slow down, but he was starting to gasp a little. Their faces shifted from excitement to concern, Kirishima reaching out to grab his shoulder.

"Hey, bro, you alright?"

"Y-Yeah, it's been an exciting day... I just need to calm down!"

He nodded, motioning for the other three to step back and leading him to his desk. Izuku pulled up his backpack, searching for his headphones. Where were they?? Shit, he must have forgot them at home. He'd just have to deal.

"Deku, your hand! Your face! Did you get them healed?"

He looked up, swallowing hard and offering a shaky smile.

"No, I was too tired for her to help me. She did everything she could though, and a good night's sleep should get me ready for healing.'

He saw Bakugou sitting in the back of the room, glaring at the lightning haired boy, and another boy with oddly shaped elbows as they talked to him. He had an empty, angry look on his face, the kind that meant he was thinking hard about something. It was a toss up between whether he was going to get beat up or not later. Hopefully walking to the station with Uraraka and Iida would hold him off for a while. He was drawn out of his thoughts by a tap on his desk. Shinsou stood beside him, a pair of headphones held out.

He hesitated, and they were pushed into his hands. He smiled gratefully, and plugged them in.

"Is there anything else I can help with?"

He blushed, looking down as he struggled to say what he needed.

"If you could just... Sort of lay across me, it would really help..."

He nodded in response, waiting for Izuku to settle down, kneeling in his chair and resting on his desk, before draping himself across the boy's back. They relaxed like that, Izuku calming down under the warm pressure and the deep bass of his favorite bands pounding in his ears. Eventually the bell rang, sending them home. When Izuku made to return the headphones, Shinsou insisted he keep them, saying he had a better pair he'd been waiting to unbox anyway. They parted ways, Shinsou leaving for after school training, and Izuku heading to the station with Uraraka and Iida by his sides.

Chapter Text

Izuku watched as the students ahead of him were questioned by the reporters just outside the gates of Yuuei, and gritted his teeth. He focused, remembering his middle school years, the tactics that made eyes slide over him. He began to weave between them, journalists not seeming to notice him, and saw Aizawa-sensei headed towards the group. He made it past the gate and let it slide off of him, and heard several reporters shouting after him when they spotted him. Aizawa looked at him, a strange expression on his face. They passed each other, and Aizawa spoke to the reporters. 

"All Might is off today. You're being disruptive, please leave and stop harassing the students."

He turned around without another word, ignoring their questions. Eventually, an irritated woman tried to follow him, triggering the gates to shut.

Izuku sat in his desk, watching as Aizawa-sensei pulled out a stack of papers.

"I've looked over yesterday's training exercise. Good work. Bakugou, during study hall last period, Nedzu wants to speak with you. Midoriya, he wants you there as well."

Midoriya didn't feel the need to tell him his schedule has him in Nedzu's office for study hall anyway.

"Now, a rather sudden announcement, sorry. You need to pick a class president and vice president."

Izuku winced as the class devolved into a chorus of children screaming 'Pick me, pick me!' In any other school, there would probably be fewer kids vying for the position, but at Yuuei it was a sign that you were going to be a great hero. He shakily raised his hand, secretly dreading the possibility of getting picked, but it would help hone him for being the next symbol of peace. Eventually, a voice spoke above the shouting, silencing them all.

"Everyone quiet! Being leader is a heavy responsibility that should be taken seriously, and ambition doesn't indicate ability! If this is to be democracy to decide such a position which demands the trust of others, I motion to put it for a vote!"

Everyone seemed to consider it.

"But we haven't known each other long enough to develop any trust."

"Everyone will just vote for themselves!"

"And that's why anyone to get multiple votes is clearly the best for the job! Sensei, is this acceptable?"

"Just make it quick, it doesn't matter how you decide."

So a box was passed around, the votes being collected inside

They were tallied up and Iida wrote them out on the board.

Midoriya was in the lead with five votes, Yaoyorozu in second place with three. Izuku made his way to the front with her, swallowing his heart.

"T-Thank you for putting your faith in me, I hope I'll be able to fill this position well."

With that, they went to their classes.

Izuku's stomach growled loudly as he went through the lunch line. He waved to Shinsou as he headed for his table with Uraraka and Iida, signalling him to follow. As they sat, Izuku smiled, glad to finally bring his friends together.

"Geez, I'm so nervous... Do you guys think I can actually be the class president?"

"Yeah, I wouldn't have voted for you otherwise!"

"Don't worry, Midoriya. I have complete faith in you. You were able to plan ahead well despite poor circumstances in your battle yesterday, and you were also able to adjust those plans in the moment and make split-second decisions. You will be an excellent leader, that's why I voted for you as well!"

"C'mon, Izuku, I know you pretty well by now. I voted for you because you can definitely do this."

Izuku was bright red, shuffling in his seat.

"Thanks guys, I really appreciate it."

Uraraka swallowed her rice and turned Iida.

"You voted for Midoriya too? But I thought you wanted to be president, you even had a vote!"

"Well, I said ambition and ability are two different things. I appreciate that someone voted for me, but I humbly made what I thought was the best decision."

Izuku smiled at him, cheeks still red from being flustered.

"Well, I still think my vote was well spent, even if you didn't get the position! Huh? Guys what's wrong?"

His friends were covering their eyes, making pained noises.

"So bright, so pure...!"

"Like looking into the sun!"

"How is he so... him?!"

There was a moment of pause as they went back to their food.

"Say Iida, the way you talk, are you a rich kid?"

"Ah! A rich kid? Well, I try to hide it because people usually act differently depending on whether they know but... The Iida family has seen several generations of heroes in our lineage. My brother Tensei is the Turbo Hero, Ingenuim! He leads people with his adherence to rules and regulations, saving lives every day! My admiration for him was one of the things that first inspired me to become a hero."

Iida had a proud smile on his face as he spoke about his brother, eyes shining.

"But I'm not ready for such responsibilities! As the superior candidate, it was only right that the presidency fall to you, Midoriya!"

"Wow, Iida, I've never seen you smile before!"

"Really? I do smile every now and then!"

Iida has a really nice smile, he's so lucky to have his brother. Like Izuku has All Might, Ingenium inspires Iida to work hard and sprint toward his goals. He-

VREEE VREEE VREEE VREEE

A LEVEL THREE SECURITY BREACH HAS OCCURRED, PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE EMERGENCY EXITS AND EVACUATE IN AN ORDERLY FASHION

The students around them began to scream and and shout, running for the exits and pushing each other. Iida turned to an upperclassmen as he raced by.

"What's a level three security breach?!"

"It means that someone has broken into the campus! This has never happened in my three years here! Just get going!!"

They were swept up in the rush, Izuku grabbing Shinsou and Uraraka's wrists. Uraraka grabbed Iida, and Midorya began pulling them towards the windows. He heard people beginning to shout in pain, being trampled by other students. Midoriya was pressed to the window, soon followed by the three he held.

"It's just the press! I don't know how they got passed the barrier, but everyone's over reacting. Uraraka! Make Iida weightless, we'll toss him over the crowd to the front. Iida, your voice carries well, I need you to get everyone's attention before someone gets hurt and tell them the trespassers are just reporters, not villains! Can we do this?"

The two nodded, and soon, Iida was flying over the crowd. He slammed into the wall, and accidentally ended up positioned like an outline on most exit signs.

"Everyone please listen! There is no need to panic! The press that have been hanging around outside managed to get into campus, nothing more! Please behave in a manner more befitting of Yuuei Academy!"

Eventually, the students left the cafeteria, embarrassed by their extreme reaction, and the four of them were praised for their quick thinking and flawless execution. After that, all too soon it was study hall. Time for a chat with Nedzu.

Chapter Text

Izuku fidgeted with his hands as he walked behind Bakugou, both headed for Principal Nedzu's office. As they approached the wooden door, it swung open by itself. Nedzu was seated at his desk, which was almost comically large for him. Seated in front of the desk was a man in a beige trench coat.

"Ah, there you are! I'd like Midoriya to come in first please, and Bakugou, if you would wait outside that would be wonderful."

Bakugou sat roughly in one of the chairs outside the office as Izuku passed to enter. The door swung shut behind him, and Izuku forced his hands to be still at his sides. Nedzu gestured to the second seat, separated from the other man by a couch between them. It gave Izuku a good view of him from the corner of his eye. The man gave a reassuring smile that did little for Izuku's nerves.

"Midoriya, I'd like you to meet Detective Tsukauchi Naomasa. He's an officer and a very good friend of mine and All Might's."

Izuku nodded, watching as the principal pulled out a tea set.

"Hello sir... Um, I'm sorry but... Have I done something wrong?"

"No, we're just investigating a concerning event that happened. Yesterday, you faced Bakugou Katsuki in a two on two battle simulation, correct?"

At that, the boy paled. He swallowed as his hands began to shake and he fought the urge to grab at his clothes.

"Yes, I did."

"And Bakugou Katsuki specifically targeted you?"

"To a degree, yes. Bakugou and I consider each other rivals, and as a result we seek competition together."

Izuku wasn't stupid. If this detective was here, that meant he could probably tell when he lied. He'd have to tell the truth, but he knew how to bend it. Years of practice bending the truth to teachers and his mom prepared him for this moment. He could only hope Bakugou could too.

"I see. During the exercise, you were recorded as saying 'I analyze a lot of heroes, in my notebook. The one you blew up and chucked out a window.' To what were you referring?"

"I have a hero, villain, and quirk analysis hobby. Kacch- Bakugou is one of the people I analyzed, which he found to be an invasion of privacy. At one point, he lashed out in anger after a rough day, and attempted to destroy one of my notebooks."

"Alright then. Why did he lash out at you?"

"Well, he'd had a really bad day, since his mom was in a bad mood and she tends to take it out on him... Then at school our classmates were refusing to leave him alone and got him really upset. I tried to talk to him at one point and... He started shouting and blew up my notebook. He tossed what was left out the classroom window."

"This happened in school?"

"Yes, but after hours. When the final bell rang, our teacher would immediately leave. I never reported the incident."

"Why not?"

"I had attempted to report incidents in the past to teachers, who didn't take it seriously. They insisted I had started any altercations, or that whatever had happened was an accident, or that it didn't happen at all. That I was just faking it for attention."

The two seemed especially troubled by this, so Izuku charged forth, hoping to draw the conversation away from Bakugou.

"The teachers enforced a hierarchy in school, giving preferential treatment to students based on their quirks. Certain students were given more leeway with their schoolwork or how they treated peers. They ignored instances of bullying all the time, and even encouraged it sometimes. If someone was seen as weak, then they had to get strong quickly or be shoved to the bottom. There was also a big stigma around certain quirks, like there was a girl who could control other peoples muscles if she made skin to skin contact, and she was constantly belittled and attacked for having a 'villainous quirk.'"

"And where did you fit in?"

"A-Ah, me?..."

The detective nodded, looking at Izuku with that pitying look lots of people gave him back when he was quirkless. Gods, how he hated that look.

"I was considered the worst of the worst, as at that point, my quirk hadn't visibly manifested. I was misdiagnosed quirkless, and for that I was... Not treated well. Especially by my teachers. My grades were manipulated, and my biology teacher even complained about having to rework her teaching plan to include a lesson on how quirks made someone more highly evolved because I was in her class."

"How did your peers treat you?"

"They took our teachers' behavior and ran with it. I was often tripped in the halls or in class, Paper balls, notes with derogatory terms or threats on them, pencils being thrown."

"Were you ever physically attacked?"

"Yes."

"With or without quirks?"

"Both."

"Has Bakugou Katsuki ever attacked you?"

He silently cursed himself. He didn't know how to get out of this. Or...

"Yes, but only to protect himself and me."

The two blinked in surprise at that. They glanced at each other, a silent communication happening between them. Hopefully that would work.

"How so?"

Bingo.

"Bakugou was considered to be higher in the hierarchy than most, due to being intelligent and having a strong offensive quirk. As such, he was put under a lot of pressure. People were constantly telling him what they expected of him and being vocal in their disappointment of him whenever he didn't meet those expectations. He was also denied things when he didn't. His mom is fond of the punishments 'bed without dinner, and no entertainment.' and physically striking him. He took on the role of my main tormentor, often lashing out verbally and using sparks in his palms. Any aggressive contact usually culminated in shoulder checking me, tripping me, or pushing me. He would sometimes break my writing utensils, but after a public encounter with him, most people in school would leave me alone. I'd get picked on less and our teachers would make fewer remarks about the benefits of quirks and stuff. He was also very against my aspirations to be a hero, due what he perceived as weakness from me, and would use these encounters to tell me not to try to be a hero."

"His mother would physically strike him?"

"Yes, and she isn't afraid to do it around other people. She's constantly shouting at Bakugou whenever she thinks something's not good enough, like his grades, or his control of his quirk, or how much he curses. She's very hypocritical, in that the rules she applies to him don't apply to her. She spouts curses about every other word. When she hits him, she usually hits the top of his head with the heel of her palm. He's not allowed to have privacy at home, he has to tell her everywhere he goes, who he spends time with, he didn't even have a bedroom door last time I visited. His dad just sort of... Lets it happen. He tries to diffuse situations by talking to them, but the moment any aggression is turned towards him, he backs down and lets them fight it out."

"So there have never been any encounters of a similar nature between you and Bakugou before yesterday?"

"No sir."

"Alright then, thank you for your cooperation and for telling the truth."

"Of course sir. Do you need anything else?"

Nedzu spoke up now, preparing a new cup of tea.

"No, Midoriya. That will be all. I'm sorry our first study hall together had to be over such a matter as this. And thank you for being so forthcoming."

He offered a nervous smile, fiddling with his sleeves.

"Well, I saw an opportunity to get help for someone I care about. I... I hope you can use what I told you to help him..."

"Of course. You can go to Aizawa's class for the remainder of the period, and send Bakugou in on your way out."

He nodded, and headed out. He pushed the heavy door open, seeing Bakugou looking bored. He felt bad for telling them what he had, but he needed to. He loved Aunt Mitsuki, but she was an abusive mom, and possibly wife. Both teens came from a toxic environment and suffered abuse there, and were products of that. Different products, but products nonetheless.

"They want you to go in, Kacchan."

The explosive blond growled at him, but entered. Izuku made his way back to class, hoping everything would work out for the better.

Chapter Text

Izuku sighed as he approached Yuuei's gates. It had been a rough few days, avoiding Kacchan, giving statements to the police about his treatment at Aldera Junior High and Aunt Mitsuki's treatment of Bakugou. Kacchan was being held on a leash in school now, too. Reviews of the security footage at Aldera revealed his history of bullying his peers. He was allowed to stay in the hero course on the condition that he saw a therapist twice a week and took anger management classes. He had also been removed from Mistuki's care and placed in the care of a rehabilitation center for abuse victims.

His mother was devastated to learn about Kacchan's new situation, and regularly visited him. Kacchan was constantly sending Izuku angry looks, and seemed angrier when Izuku was never paired with him as a sparring partner in basic hero training. He was in a dangerous state of mind right now. One that meant Izuku had to tread incredibly carefully. He sat in class, waiting for Aizawa-Sensei to enter.

"Hello everyone. For today's basic hero training, your teachers will be myself, All Might, and one other. You will be training to deal with disasters like floods, earthquakes, fires, and more."

He held up a card with the bold word 'RESCUE' on it, looking so incredibly done.

"Rescue... So it's going to be another rough day."

"Hey, I'm pumped! This is what being a hero is!!"

"I'll be at home in a flood, kero."

Aizawa silenced them with a glare.

"I'm not finished.You can choose whether to wear your costumes today, as some of them are not suited to this activity. Get ready, and we'll all head out to the bus taking us to the training site. That's all."

 Izuku changed, then directed everyone onto the bus. He was excited, because this was a big step in becoming a hero. When they were all boarded and on their way, Izuku was sat between Shinsou and Tsuyu.

"So, Midoriya, I generally say what's on my mind."

"Yeah? What is it, Asui?"

"Call me Tsuyu. You and All Might seem quite close."

"O-Oh, really? I don't see it, b-but if you say so!"

Kirishima nodded on Asui's other side

"Yeah, and your quirk is really cool too! You're really strong, and you have that cool glowing thing that happens, and so much more! Not like my hardening. It's good for fighting, but so boring."

"No, not at all! It's so cool, you could negate certain kinds of damage, or shield someone, and it makes you pretty distinctive. More than enough to go pro, plus you have really great people appeal!"

"My navel laser is perfect for a pro, eye catching and strong~"

"Yeah, until your stomach ulcers or explodes!"

"You wanna talk cool and strong quirks? Bakugou and Todoroki are prime examples."

Izuku nodded in agreement. The two had bright futures ahead, so long as they were properly guided.

"But Bakugou is unhinged, kero. He won't be very popular."

"The fuck did you say frog-face?!"

"See?"

Kaminari turned in his seat to stare at the fellow blond

"Yeah, it's been less than a month, and you've made sure we all know your personality is like a steamed turd!"

"Oh yeah?! How bout I yank out your tongue and use it for soup stock?!"

At that, Izuku balked. Kacchan was the one getting bullied now? That wouldn't end well, especially for Bakugou... Aizawa's voice rose above the din, cutting off the conversation.

"Everyone settle down, we're at the training site."

Everyone unloaded, and stepped out to the sight of Universal Studios Japan.

"Welcome to the USJ! As you can see below, we have the flood zone, landslide zone, fire zone, and more! Just about every disaster you can imagine! I actually built this facility myself. I call it the Unforeseen Simulation Joint!"

Uraraka was practically vibrating beside him as Thirteen spoke.

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe it's Thirteen! The space rescue hero, my favorite!"

Aizawa-sensei moved to Thirteen, having a quiet conversation. Thirteen held up three fingers, and Izuku understood. All Might had been called to deal with a hostage situation and strained himself. Aizawa looked annoyed.

"Whatever, let's get started."

"Actually, I do need to talk to the students first. Just one or two points. Or three... Or four... Anyway, As I'm sure you all know, my quirk is called Black Hole. It sucks in and tears apart anything caught in it's influence."

Uraraka was bouncing as she chirped out an enthusiastic response.

"You've used it to save so many people!"

"Yes, I have. But I could just as easily use it to kill. I'm certain there are those among you with similar situations. Quirks are heavily monitored nowadays, restricted and regulated. It seems stable enough on the surface, but one wrong move with an uncontrollable quirk and lives are lost. Aizawa taught you of your potential, All Might taught you of the dangers your quirks pose to others. Here you will learn that your quirks are not weapons, but tools. Yes, they can be weaponized, but ultimately, they are supposed to help you and others. Thank you for listening!"

He took a bow, and the class began to clap and cheer. Aizawa leaned against the railing on the far side of the balcony, relaxed.

"Great, first off-"

He was cut off as Izuku darted forward, looking for the sound nagging at him. In front of the fountain below, a portal was opening and a hand reached through. Aizawa stiffened as a face came into view, partially obscured by a hand. He threw Izuku back to the group.

"Huddle and stay still! Thirteen, keep the students safe!"

Everyone began to murmur, trying to get a better view while staying in place as Aizawa ordered.

"The heck, more bots like the exam?"

"Stay back!! Those are VILLAINS!"

Aizawa yanked his goggles on, standing between the growing crowd and the class. Soon, the lower area was brimming with people, and Izuku blanched. This was bad...

"Thirteen and Eraserhead? The staff schedule said All Might would be here..."

"So these are the scum responsible for the break-in..."

A strangely childlike voice reached them, despite its scratchy quality. It sent shivers down Izuku's spine. This was someone unhinged and dangerous. Everyone pushed closer together, scared of these villains who had interrupted their class, searching for All Might for some reason with a literal army.

"Where is he? We came all this way... With our playmates... All Might, the Symbol of Peace... Is he here?"

He stepped closer, lax pose hunched over as he tilted his head up at them.

"Will he come if we kill the kids...?"

Chapter Text

"Villains?! What kind of villains are dumb enough to attack Yuuei, let alone the hero course?"

"Sensei, aren't there intruder alarms?"

"Yes, of course...! Are they at the main building too?... Either way, if the sensors are inoperable, it must be one of their quirks!"

"This is a place far from campus, at a time when there aren't many people, so they aren't as dumb as they seem. This is a coordinated attack, they must have a goal."

Todoroki's calm words did nothing to calm anyone as the last of the villains emerged at the portals closed.

"Thirteen, begin evacuation and try to contact the school. If the sensors are jammed it's likely they have an electricity quirk with them. Kaminari, try to use your quirk to bolster communication efforts."

Izuku stepped closer to Aizawa, who was already climbing over the rail as he spoke.

"Sensei, you can't fight them on your own! Your fighting style is Erasure and quick capture! Against so many, you can't nullify all their quirks, not even counting those immune. Head-on fighting..."

"No good hero is a one trick pony. Thirteen, take care of them."

And with that, he leapt into the crowd below. The fight moved quickly, Eraserhead quickly taking down several villains. Thirteen began leading them to the exit, but they were cut off by a cloud of purple.

"Sorry, but I can't let you leave. Hello, we are the League of Villains. Forgive our audacity but we have come to Yuuei Academy, a bastion of heroism, to end All Might's life. We were under the impression he would be here. It seems his schedule has gone under revision. No matter, I still must fulfill the same role."

The smoke that made up the villain's body began to expand, but Bakugou and Kirishima jumped into action, blasting and punching away.

"Not if we get you first! Bet you didn't see that coming!"

"Indeed, that was close. Students you may yet be, but you are the best of the best."

"No! Both of you get back!"

Thirteen's shout was cut off by the villains expanding rapidly, his voice echoing all around them as they were swallowed in the mist.

"BEGONE. WRITHE IN TORMENT UNTIL YOUR FINAL BREATH."

And then Izuku was falling into the flood zone. He shrieked in fear as he hit the water. The smoke-man must have had a teleportation quirk, and there's a literal army of villains in the USJ searching for All Might with the plan to kill him. What is his life? What has he done to deserve this? And now there's a scuba-shark-man swimming towards him. This is the greatest day of Izuku's life. No really. It couldn't get better.

"Nothing personal, kid, hope you told those you love they're important!"

His charge was cut off by Asui slamming her foot into the side of his wide jaws, and Izuku winced as he saw it crack and bend under her. She wrapped her tongue around him, and he noticed Shinsou in her arms. She threw them both onto the boat, and Midoriya's thermoregulation kicked in, warming him up from the cold water. He reached over, pulling Asui on deck.

"Thanks Asui-chan..."

"Call me Tsuyu. But we seem to be in trouble here."

"They know our schedule... Like Aizawa-sensei said, they were probably the ones who got the press on campus to get info. Like Todoroki said, they waited and prepared well for this exact opportunity..."

Shinsou sat up, stretching.

"So what do we do? They've obviously got a plan, and All Might isn't here, so they're after us. We can't hold our own like this."

Izuku nodded, falling into mutters. They had to have come up with what they're sure is a way to kill All Might, as they said that's why they're here. But why? He's the symbol of peace and justice, he stands against evil... No, it has to be more specific. A real reason. It hit him like a truck as memories flitted through his mind. A reason. He turned to the two beside him, watching him. He could see the fear gleaming in their eyes despite their calm. They looked at him, waiting for a plan. Relying on him.

"If they even stand a chance of beating All Might, we have to fight to win. We have to make sure All Might doesn't need to worry about holding back for us."

They both nodded, standing up. MIdoriya turned to the railing, seeing the villains swimming below move away.

"These guys are suited to aquatic combat... So they knew about the USJ's zones."

"Yes, they must have recruited with that in mind, kero."

"But despite their clear planning... Something sticks out. As- Tsuyu-chan, they sent you to the flood zone! They must not know our quirks!"

She tapped her cheek, nodding in agreement.

"If they'd known my quirk was Frog, they'd have tossed me in the fire zone or something."

Shinsou stepped closer, shaking out his hair.

"So they went with divide and conquer. They've got us beat with numbers and experience. So we only have one advantage."

Midoriya looked back to the water, where the villains were growing impatient.

"We exploit that they don't know our quirks. See how they're still not trying to get on board? That helps prove it."

"But they also aren't underestimating us."

Izuku turned to them.

"Alright, what do we have?"

"Well, I can jump really high, stick to walls, my tongue can stretch to 20 meters and I can move it like an arm. I can spit up my stomach, and secret a fluid that causes skin irritation, kero."

"My quirk is... Brainwashing. I can control anyone who responds to me when I speak. I can control them for up to three hours, but I get a migraine, and any longer I get a nosebleed. They can be snapped out of it if they get hurt. Pretty useless here..."

"No, that's going to be great! I have increased strength and stamina, and I have these wisps of energy that I can send out. I can control their temperature and use them to absorb things. I can also step on them, but they don't hold my weight and other people can't use them. These symbols on my wrists, I can use to slow my falls. I can make specific parts of my body stronger, but that tends to break my bones..."

Suddenly, there was the sound of metal being ripped apart as the boat lurched. They watched in horror as water shot up between the two halves of the boat, ripping it apart.

"That boat's going under in less than a minute, and then you little shits are chum!"

The trio clung to the rail, trying to stay standing as the vessel shook and began to sink. Izuku grabbed Shinsou as he slipped, pulling him up.

"'When the enemy thinks they've won is your best chance to take them down.' Just like All Might said, this is the way we win!"

He began to whisper to Shinsou, who repeated the plan to Asui. Shinsou pulled himself onto the rail.

"Listen up, fuckers!! We're going to kick your asses!"

The villains began to call back, jeering, and then their faces went blank as Shinsou took control.

"Restrain each other. If you're restrained, don't fight."

They turned on each other, grabbing each other and holding them. Izuku Jumped out over the water as Shinsou climbed on Asui's back. As he fell to the water, he focused his quirk into his middle finger again, and flicked. The water roared as is split from the force. The villains were swept away by the waves as Midoriya went flying.

"TSUYU! SHINSOU!"

Asui leapt from the prow, wrapping her tongue around him. The wreckage from the ship became caught in the whirlpool forming, joining the villains. They began to slam into each other and the debris, screaming. It was all pulled into the center, which dipped low, piling them all together, and then launched them into the air. They landed back into the water, and Midoriya tried to ignore the red he saw in the foam, the pole embedded in someone's arm, the twisted, broken limbs and people struggling to swim. He bit his lip and focused on the pain of his shattered finger. The mangled digit was useless now.

"Well, looks like we won the first round, kero. Good job, you two."

They were really lucky. If there had been any out of range, they would be coming after them. It was a huge gamble... If the villains were smarter, they'd have known hiding under the water would have helped protect them...

"Midoriya, stop, that's scary. So what now?"

"Well, we should try to call for help, avoid the main battle at the plaza, and get to safety."

As they followed the shore, staying low in the water, they saw Aizawa drawing villains into the plaza center. He was holding his own, but there were hundreds. Izuku could see the shine of sweat on his skin, and it was clear he was having trouble holding onto his quirk. He had known he didn't stand a chance when he jumped, but Izuku couldn't help but wonder if he knew the students had been split and scattered. He stopped, and realized he had started silently moving closer.

"Midoriya, what are you doing?"

"We need to take some of them out. I don't mean jump into the fight, just that we see if we can spot an opening and maybe lighten his load."

They looked unsure, but stopped with him, and they moved down into the water. They watched as Aizawa charged the man covered in hands, who began to speak.

"So you're the boss?"

"Twenty-four seconds. Twenty seconds. Seventeen seconds. It's hard to tell when you're fighting..."

Aizawa went to slam his elbow into the mans stomach, he caught it in his hand and blocked it.

"But your hair falls sometimes, meaning you aren't using your quirk. The intervals between are getting longer, while your use time is getting shorter."

Izuku felt sick to his stomach as Aizawa's sleeve crumbled, and then his skin. The hand covered villain dug his fingers in, starting to disintegrate the exposed flesh as well.

"Don't overdo it now, Eraserhead."

Eraserhead punched him in the face with his other hand and leapt away, immediately getting jumped by other villains. Izuku snaked out his quirk, absorbing some stones that had been flying at the hero.

"You're quirk isn't good for drawn out group battles, is it? You specialize in sneak attacks, so this is different from your usual jobs. Yet you jumped right in here... Hoping to make the kids feel safe? You're so cool. So cool!~ By the way, HERO, I'm not the boss here. Noumu, take him down."

They watched, terrified, as the thing the villain called 'Noumu' slammed Eraserhead into the ground and grabbed his arm, yanking it back with a pop.

"Meet the Symbol of Chaos, the bio-engineered Noumu."

Chapter Text

The Noumu squeezed Aizawa's arm, and it snapped in his grip. He gritted his teeth, choking down a scream. Blood dripped from his wounds, falling in puddles to the ground. Izuku felt like the world was moving in slow motion. The smell of copper filled the air. The hand villain stood over the pinned hero, sounding smug.

"Cancelling out quirks is cool, but not special. Against someone strong, you might as well be quirkless."

He spat the world like something foul. Something bitter crawled up Izuku's throat, but was quelled as the noumu reached down and grabbed Aizawa's other arm, snapping it as well. Finally the scruffy man screamed. The noumu released his other arm, grabbing his head like a baseball and wrenching it back, only to slam it back down hard enough to crack the concrete. The light in Aizawa's chest that had always been a steady fire dimmed. Tears poured from Izuku's eyes as his mind blanked, unable to comprehend what he was seeing. A swirl of purple formed behind Hand villain, speaking in a calm baritone as it had before.

"Shigaraki Tomura."

"Kurogiri. Is Thirteen dead yet?"

"She has been incapacitated, but I was unable to warp all the students away. One of them has escaped."

Shigaraki was quiet, the reached up to his neck. He began to scratch at it, the skin quickly beginning to red.

"Huhh... Hhhuuuuuhhhhhhhggghhh... Kurogiri you...! If you weren't the getaway, I'd turn you to dust right here. We don't stand a chance against a team of pros. It's game over, man. Game over for now... We're leaving."

Izuku felt hope flare in his chest. If they were leaving, then everyone would be safe in just a second. Heroes would come apprehend the villains left behind and get everyone medical attention. But their goal was to Kill All Might, and that Noumu was the key. If they left, Yuuei would be in more danger. He looked to the side, where Tsuyu was holding up Shinsou, who was covering his mouth. He looked like a mess. Izuku went to signal them to leave, when the villain spoke up again, leaving Izuku stock still.

"But first. let's leave a few dead kids and wound All Might's Pride!"

Suddenly he was in front of the trio, hand reaching for Asui's face. The hand that disintegrated Eraserhead's elbow. His fingers closed on her head, but nothing happened. There was a beat of quiet surprise.

"You really are pretty cool... Eraserhead."

No. No no no no NO NO NO NONONONO.

"GET OFF HER!"

Izuku screamed as he swung as hard as he could. His fist connected, the rush of air kicking up dust. He heard Asui cry out as she and Shinsou were flung away by the blast. The air cleared, and Izuku's heart stuttered. His fist was buried in the noumu's gut. He had intercepted the blow so quickly. He had withstood the blow.

"Heh, you even shouted 'smash.' An All Might fan? No matter."

The noumu grabbed Izuku's arm, lifting him up. He swung him up, and slammed him into the ground. Izuku laid on the ground, watching his limp body be lifted above him. He looked down at himself, a see-through form of shimmering green. The noumu went to slam him down again when the doors above exploded open.

"Fear not. I... AM HERE."

The man's smile was gone, his expression warped with rage. It didn't fit him. He heard the classmates above crying in relief.

"I had a bad feeling, so I cut my meeting with the principal short and rushed over. I ran into Young Iida on the way and he told me what had happened here. Fear not, I am-!" He stopped dead when he saw the noumu holding Midoriya's limp body in the air.

"I've been waiting, hero. You're worthless trash just like this little wannabe."

Villains cried out as All Might dashed by, a blur of movement that hit them and left them unconscious on the ground. He picked up Aizawa, handing him off to Tsuyu and Shinsou, who carried him away. The noumu tossed Izuku aside, but before he hit the ground, All Might was holding him and dashing away.

"Young Midoriya... Oh god, please..."

The hero laid him down, and when he turned back to the villains, where Midoriya was watching, there was a bloodthirsty expression on his face. The bright light inside him was a blazing bonfire that almost looked out of control. The hand villain stumbled over to where the hand that had covered his face fell. He almost sounded ready to cry as he picked it up.

"Ahhhh... No good... I'm sorry father...!"

He put it back in place, careful to use four fingers.

"Throwing punches to save people. Hahaha, that's our state sponsored violence. You're too fast to pace, but not as fast as expected. Is it true? You're getting weaker...?"

All Might snarled, and dashed forward.

"Carolina SMASH!"

The noumu took the blow to the chest, not even flinching. He swung, forcing All Might to duck with a grunt, looking angrier. He twisted, punching it in the stomach. He started wailing on it, and Izuku felt cold. It was taking every hit.

"No effect. Because he's got shock absorption. If you want to hurt him... You'd be better off ripping him apart bit by bit. He won't give you the chance though."

All Might ducked behind it, wrapping his arms around it's torso and lifting upwards.

"Thanks for the info, I appreciate it!"

He slammed the noumu into the ground, an explosion rising around them. Then, the noumu fell through a portal forming underneath him, the exit under All Might. He grabbed the hero's sides, digging into him. Blood spilled from All Might's mouth as he growled in pain. Izuku wanted to scream. Wanted to rush over and pry the things hands off. He sat uselessly, separated from his body, unable to help. His body laid off to the side, covered in bruises, cuts dripping slowly. He could only hope the damage wasn't crippling or life threatening. 

"So you hoped to drive him into the concrete and stop him? It wouldn't work, he's as powerful as you. Good job, Kurogiri, that was great timing."

All Might let go of the Noumu, reaching down to pry its fingers out of his side.

"Impressive for first time offenders, but get ready!"

"I don't like the idea of gore in my gates, but for you, I'll put that aside. You see, the Noumu is supposed to hold you down. My job is to open a gate on top of you while you're immobilized, and close it with you inside, cutting you in-half."

Izuku dashed forward, leaping at the noumu. The light in it's chest was a dying campfire, a pile embers barely burning, glowing softly. Izuku went through its body, but felt a scorching pain on his chest and arms. He stopped on the other side, looking down to see his arms full of coals. He stared in shock, the pain taking a back seat as he looked at the noumu. The light was dimmer, and the noumu sagged. Izuku focused through the growing agony in his chest, and absorbed the coals. He felt stronger, and turned to the fight just in time to see Kacchan slam an explosion into Kurogiri's side. Ice raced along the ground, encasing the noumu's side. Bakugou pushed the man into the ground, roaring. Todoroki walked up calmly, speaking, but Izuku couldn't hear him over Kirishima's battle cry as he charged Shigaraki. He missed, grumbling in disappointment. All Might finally pulled himself loose, jumping to his feet to hold his wound.

"You've pinned our way out. Well... That's a problem..."

"You slipped up, you bastard! It's just like I thought, the parts you can turn into wispy warp gate bullshit are limited! You're using it to hide your real body, huh? If you were completely mist and physical attacks didn't work, you wouldn't have said 'that was close.' Don't move, or I blast you to Kingdom Come!"

"Not only have you beaten our level, but almost all of you are at full health. Kids these days are really something, our league should be ashamed...! Noumu, take out the explosive brat. We need our escape route back."

At Shigaraki's command, the noumu raised itself, the frozen parts of its body shattering as it moved. How the hell was it still moving as it fell apart?! Then, it screeched as the missing pieces began to regrow, blood spurting onto the ground as it formed bones, muscle, flesh, and finally skin spider webbing across.

"I never said Shock Absorption was all he had. What you're seeing is Hyper-Regeneration. Noumu is a living sand bag made to be your perfect opponent."

Then, the noumu became a blur, charging Bakugou. All Might disappeared, and Izuku raced after the noumu. Bakugou was gone. He looked around wildly, and saw All Might standing where he had been, Bakugou having been thrown next to his body. Kacchan seemed to go stiff when he saw Izuku, face unreadable as he stared at the prone form. All Might carved trenches in the stone as he was pushed back by the blow.

"Anything to save a comrade, right? Like that twerp in the cape. He came at me with everything he had. But violence in the name of others is admirable? Isn't it, HERO? You know what, All Might? That pisses me off! Heroes and villains both thrive on violence, yet we're still shoved into roles. 'Good' vs 'Evil.' Bullshit. Symbol of peace? Tch, just another weapon to oppress people. I'll kill you, and prove violence begets violence!"

All Might scoffed, unimpressed as he looked at the villain.

"Liar. Idealists have a different look to them. You're just having fun."

"Heheheheh.... HahahaHAHAHAHA! You got me! Saw right through it all!"

Kirishima stepped forward, arms turning to stone.

"These guys are brutal dudes... But with us helping All Might, we can win this!"

"NO. Get out of here!"

Izuku wanted to smack All Might over the head. He needed help, and his time was clearly up. He was going over his limit and it was starting to show.

"Things wouldn't have gone so well if we hadn't stepped in."

"Right you are, young Todoroki! Thank you for that, but please, stand back and watch a pro be serious!"

Shigaraki mumbled something, turning to where Bakugou was guarding Midoriya's body. He broke into a run at them.

"Let's clear the game and go home!"

"Get ready, here he comes!"

All Might charged the Noumu again, and their fists connected.

"You already saw... He has Shock Absorption..."

"True!"

All Might sped up, and shock waves spread further out with every blow as the noumu met him.

"It's 'absorption' not 'negation!' So he has a limit, no? Built to counter me, you say?! Made to stand my best?! I'll just have to do BETTER!"

Izuku ran into the fight, leaping through the noumu again and pulling out coals. He pulled them into himself, fueling him, and stood at his back to pull more. The noumu began to make pained noises as Izuku dug the embers out of its body while All Might exchanged blows with him. He was awed for the millionth time by the man's strength.

"A hero's always ready to smash through trouble! Tell me, villain, do you know the meaning of PLUS..."

His fist slammed into the noumu's chest and sent it flying.

"ULTRA!"

It crashed through the ceiling, a sound like an enormous shotgun following it. They all stared in wonder as the smoke cleared.

"It's like a comic book scene... The regeneration was too slow, and he just pushed through that absorption! The ultimate bruiser..."

"Yep, I'm slowing down. In my heyday, five of those punches would have been enough, but I am approaching my 50's after all! That was over 300 hits. Well, villain?"

He turned, his signature grin was vicious now as he turned to face Shigaraki.

"Ready to finish this?"

"You cheated...! That green thing helped you, didn't it?!"

All Might turned to Izuku in surprise, eyes widening. Izuku looked down at himself. He was more solid looking now, similar to the energy wisps of his quirk. He met All Might's eyes and tilted his head.

"Young Midoriya...?"

"You've weakened? Not that I can see... We're outmatched... Noumu too... How dare you! You cheaters!"

He began to convulse where he stood, scratching at his neck in a total breakdown.

"He's not weak at all!! Did they lie...?"

"Well? Coming to get me? What happened to clearing the game? If you can take me, then bring it on!"

Izuku stood silently at All Might's side, glad that in this form they couldn't see his fear. But mixed with the smoke and dust in the air was the steam of All Might's transforming. He was barely clinging to his shape, bluffing to scare the villains, who didn't know. If he could, he'd have charged and apprehended them already.

"Well?! WHAT'S KEEPING YOU?!"

"Ghhhhhhhhugh! If only we still had Noumu! If only...! He was taking the hits so well..."

The mist one spoke, but Izuku couldn't hear, but it was making Shigaraki excited.

"Yes yes yes...! The final boss is right there, we can still do this!..."

The three students were gathering, barely noticing as the two villains charged All Might together. They didn't know he was on the verge of collapsing. Izuku braced to jump at them, ready to take the steady candle of light in Kurogiri's form and the erratic acetone fire in Shigaraki's. A bullet pierced Shigaraki's hand as it reached out to try dissolving him. Nedzu's voice rang out over the area as two more shots were fired.

"Sorry everyone, we're late. We brought everyone we could."

Iida stood next to the heroes, face angry but proud. He had gotten help to them just in time.

"Ah, they're here... Game over. Guess we gotta try next time Kurogiri..."

He was cut-off by his own screams as a hail of bullets rained down on him and hit his body. Kurogiri formed a gate the Shigaraki was quick to limp into. Then his form began to twist and warp. Izuku saw Thirteen standing behind him, suit damaged beyond repair.

"It's me!"

"I may have failed here, Symbol of Peace! But our next meeting will be your last day!"

And with that, the two vanished in a swirl of purple. Izuku turned and began to float over to his body, Bakugou carrying it over to him. He sank into it, and was hit by a wave of pain. He stiffened, crying out in Kacchan's arms, trembling in agony. He felt the burns on his chest and arms forming on his skin, and his arm was definitely broken. He was pretty sure his pelvis was too.

"K-Kaccha... Kacchan..."

He whimpered, and the world faded to darkness

Izuku was under the city now, moonlight through the holes overhead turning the sand silver, and the grey of the walls a soft blue color in the dark. It was completely silent save for his footsteps. He couldn’t hear the wind, nor the creaking of bones, as he had grown accustomed to, only the quiet of this place which set him on edge.

He felt something in his gut twisting with fear, telling him to leave as soon as he could. He kept his steady pace despite this. As he walked, he saw metal chunks and hollow bodies of long machines. He looked closely as he found them, wondering what they had been. He eventually came to an empty clearing.

Below him, as he came to a cliff, he saw banners. Singed, threadbare, mismatched, thousands of banners, traces of blue gleaming between their stitches. Scattered about were more of the machine bodies, some connected to each other, and he saw them standing tall above. A transportation system like the subway. He calmed a bit at the familiarity, and leapt across the remaining tunnels to the next doorway to find more banners. Perhaps they had once recorded history. Maybe they were stolen from conquered cities. Maybe he would never know.

He continued forth, surprised to hear the silence break with the churning of gears. As he walked forward, he slowed, finally stopping in horror as he came to the source of a flickering light. The head of a war machine, nearly giving out from lack of power. He shuddered as he forced himself to pass it.

He struggled not to cry out as he saw rows of whole war machines, looking to be in near pristine condition. He bit his lip as he began to run, now knowing why he had felt scared of this place. He froze a second time, however, when he came close to a machine in the center of the path, and saw its eye turn blue. He screamed in terror as it burst upwards from the sand, sparks flying as the rusted pieces of its body scraped against each other. The hum of its mechanisms was deafening in the quiet. As it disappeared into the dark, he went back to running.

His heavy breathing and the crunch of the sand beneath him quickly became the only sounds again.

He bit back sobs as he saw it through the window grate of a wall, the groan eerily close to the call of a whale. The urge to cry worsened as he came to an open room, the machine passing in front of him. It swooped out of view and he raced forward. These things were for stealing energy. What if it got out, saw his lizbirds? Would it attack, burn their bones and steal the energy he gave them? Would it attack him if it saw him?

He entered the next room. More machines greeted him, the grinding of the first echoing through the cavernous room. He moved to walk behind them, seeing it coming down the path towards him. Better not to test it… As he walked forward, he was caught off guard by a second coming to life, rising up and sending him sprawling onto the ground with a shriek.  It too flew into the darkness, leaving him wondering if there would be more. Or if there already were more.

He finally began to whimper at the third room of machines, both awoken beasts patrolling the main path. He quickly made his way between the dormant ones and forced himself to continue. He needed to continue to get out. He made it through the doorway on the opposite end and wanted to collapse in anger.

A downward slope with no cover, the war machines flying back and forth overhead with search lights. At the bottom, a shrine. If he could get there without alerting them, he would be fine. He began to surf down.

With nowhere to hide, and almost unable to guide his path, Izuku was spotted quickly. The robots light turned red, zeroing in on him and calling the second over. He wove back and forth, hearing the whir he remembered from his vision of the laser powering up, and trying to avoid it. He wasn’t far.

The shrine lit up green as he threw himself forward and released a massive wave of his quirk. The barrier and the machines slammed into each other, sending them fleeing into the dark. Izuku broke down, crawling towards the basin to drink.

His visions overtook him, showing him thousands dead, bodies mutilated by machines still circling overhead, sometimes firing on each other and stealing their energy. Those still alive fled despite survivors being killed around them, some carrying children, some carrying belongings, others collapsing beside bodies they recognized or unable to continue carrying the corpses of their own. What was left of the planet began to die off and turn to the deserts he knew. Cities fell further apart and were swallowed by dust storms. He turned to the presence, seeing them in the corner of his eye, before he woke, face wet with tears and someone standing over him.

Chapter Text

The person standing above Izuku was wrapped in bandages, arms in casts. Out of the top, though, a mess of black hair draped over their head. Familiar hair.

"Aizawa-sensei?"

"You finally actually awake kid?"

"Finally awake? What? How long was I out?"

Aizawa sat in a chair by Izuku's bed, his mother asleep in the other and the third occupied by a sleeping blond man. When Izuku tried to recognize him, he spotted a very recognizable mustache, even without wax to shape it. Present Mic? He looked around, realizing he was in a hospital. He tried to shift, only to hiss in pain and settle back down. He couldn't see his legs under the blanket, but he had a feeling he wouldn't be walking for a bit. Then, a more terrifying thought he tried to reject, if he would walk at all. He bit his lip as he turned to his teacher.

"So... Is it bad?"

That seemed to flip as switch in the normally calm man.

"Is it...? Is it bad? Kid, any injury on you is bad! You were the only one of your classmates to get hurt! And it was completely avoidable! Even the two who were with you didn't get hurt because they focused on what they were supposed to focus on; getting away. Why the hell did you get involved? What were you thinking?!"

He flinched, trying not to cry as Aizawa yelled quietly at him, voice barely restrained to let the two sleeping rest.

"I didn't try to get involved... Our plan was to follow the shore, get to the exit, see if we could call for help. Avoid the plaza altogether. But we were passing by and I saw you... Watched what that villain Shigaraki did to your arm... I froze up. And then the noumu attacked you and Shigaraki came at us. It was all happening so fast!... We hadn't planned on fighting. That thing just grabbed me and slammed me into the ground when I tried to get that freak off of Tsuyu-chan. I fell into that weird out-of-body state and I couldn't do anything... I had to watch everything happening. I..."

He trailed off, blinking away tears. His hand was shaking in his lap, the other confined in a cast that reached up to his shoulder. Said arm was in a sling over his chest.

Aizawa sighed, putting a cast on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have lost my temper. You tried your best, and you did well. Freezing up in a first encounter with villains, especially in a situation like that after already going through trauma, is completely normal. The fact that you got away from the first group was impressive. Your injuries were pretty severe, but not as bad as it could have been. Your pelvis was cracked in several places, and one of your feet broke. Your right shoulder dislocated, and your forearm was broken in several places. Your nose was broken and your jaw dislocated too. There were third degree burns on your chest and arms, though no one can figure out how. Luckily there was no muscle damage and they were able to do some skin grafts. We'll have to wait and see for nerve damage. No internal or brain damage the showed up on scans, no spinal damage. All in all, you should make a complete recovery. You've been in and out for two days, every time you woke up you were screaming for me. Eventually they pulled me in here in hopes you would calm down and heal. You're almost healed now anyway, but you'll be sore for a while and need to take it easy."

Izuku couldn't help the relief that flooded through him. A complete recovery. All of his classmates are unharmed, the noumu was defeated by All Might, Aizawa Sensei was alive. All Might was still standing when Izuku passed out so he was probably okay too.

"School was cancelled for the days you were out, and now it's the weekend. Do you want me to call the doctor in, or go back to sleep? It is three a.m. after all."

He sighed, rubbing his face with the back of his hand.

"Well, honestly, I'd kind of just like a second to sit and sort of... Process everything. It's a lot to think about and something tells me reality hasn't hit yet."

Aizawa nodded and relaxed into his seat. Izuku stared at the ceiling above him, finding shapes in the patterns of the dappled tile as he thought over the USJ. He had nearly died several times. His classmates nearly died. His teachers nearly died. All Might nearly died. It wasn't his first near death experience, but for a lot of his classmates, it probably was. Or it was the first they were consciously aware of. Somehow, he felt completely calm about his own experience. He was fine with dying, so long as it meant something good came of it. If it meant someone got away, or a villain was apprehended, or someone was saved, he was okay with getting hurt or dying. He wasn't going to seek out death or let himself get killed but if it happened then that was just part of being a hero. Izuku took a deep breath and held it. When he released, he was calm. pulled himself to sit up, ignoring his body's protests as always, and cracked his neck. He concentrated on his breathing, and let the world fall away.

He was glad he had learned to meditate. It kept him balanced when everything seemed topsy turvy. He was bought out of his trance by the door opening, and saw light through the window. He smiled at the doctor as he entered.

"Oh, good morning Midoriya. I see you've finally joined the waking world! How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good, considering, but that may be the pain meds talking."

"Haha, that's wonderful, and well enough to joke too. Now then, there are a few things I want to go over with you about your health..."

The two discussed his injuries and treatment plan, and Izuku was given the okay to go home that night. Present Mic and Aizawa left when they woke up, leaving Izuku alone with his tired, teary mother to discuss what they needed to.

"Izuku, I'm not sure I should send you back to Yuuei."

"What?! Mom, if it weren't for Yuuei, I wouldn't have survived!"

"But if you hadn't been there, you wouldn't have been hurt at all."

"You can't guarantee that mom. I've been in villain attacks before. Yes, I got hurt. Badly. But my training saved my life. If I wasn't being taught by pro heroes who took the brunt of the attack, or if I had been less prepared, I wouldn't have made it. Yuuei is the best place for me to be because they can keep me safe and teach me to keep myself safe. They have the best security in Japan and it's already being improved. We're taught by pro heroes who have experience in dealing with villains. We have All Might on campus every day. Taking me out of Yuuei would put me in more danger."

His mother stood up and hugged him.

"And taking me out of Yuuei... Yuuei is all I have mom. I have friends now, and teachers who really care... And I'm happy. For the first time in what feels like forever, I'm really happy."

She began to sob, holding him tightly.

"Izuku... I'm so sorry... You can stay but... Just be careful."

"I will mom, I promise."

Chapter Text

Izuku stretched as he entered 1-A's classroom. His classmates were talking quietly, and he headed to his seat.

"Midoriya!"

Uraraka rushed to his desk, quickly followed by most of the class.

"Dude, are you okay?!"

"Tsuyu and Shinsou told us how you saved them, that was so manly, bro!"

"I'm glad to see you, kero."

"You haven't been by work in a while, I was worried about you."

"What was that ghosty thing you did at the end-"

"Everyone in your seats. You can question him at lunch."

They all turned, seeing Aizawa, still wrapped in layers of bandages concealing his body.

"Are you sure you should be walking around, Aizawa-sensei?"

"Glad to see you doing well, sensei!"

"You call that well...?"

"My health isn't important now. Because the war is far from over."

A tense atmosphere descended, fear raking its claws over their chests as they processed his words. What did he mean? More villains?

"The Yuuei Sports Festival is just around the corner."

"THAT'S TOO NORMAL!!"

"But the villain attack was so recent..."

It was clear everyone was uneasy about such an event. It was highly public, and after such a traumatic event, Izuku was sure his classmates would rather go through their routine schedule instead of something so high pressure. And what if the villains were watching? They could gather information on their quirks, be more ready to face them when they came back, especially since they declared intentions to do so.

"It's necessary, apparently, showing Yuuei's responses to disasters. Security will be five times that of previous years. Anyway, the festival will be your greatest opportunity. It isn't something that can be called off over some villains."

"'Some villains' yeah right... It's a festival not a world saving event..."

Aizawa's irritated voice rang out through the room. He hated being interrupted, and Izuku had a feeling his temper was going to be very short for a while. He had been more affected by the event than he was letting on, and his voice indicated he thought is was stupid too. It made Izuku feel better to know Aizawa-sensei wanted this as little as they did.

"Our sports festival is one of Japan's biggest events! It's on par with what the Olympics once were, which whipped the country into a frenzy. As far as Japan's concerned, the sports festival is what replaced the hollow shell of that old tradition."

"The top heroes will be scouting there, right?"

"They'll be looking to hire us as sidekicks once we graduate!"

"Yeah, the majority of which never go solo, like you, dummy."

 Aizawa, bound in bandages which concealed his expression, looked done. Izuku wouldn't have been surprised if he didn't give them more information. Izuku cast him an apologetic look, straightening his already perfect posture to be more attentive. It was all he could do without being more disruptive.

"Catching the eye of a higher ranked hero will gain you more popularity, obviously, but you'll only have so long to do so and in so many ways. You'll get three opportunities here in Yuuei to pave the way for your futures. As hero-hopefuls, it's not something you can afford to miss."

There was an excited atmosphere the rest of the day, and Izuku was glad his classmates were doing okay despite their recent experience. He didn't miss the relieved looks on their teachers either. It was a startlingly normal day. When the lunch bell rang, Izuku watched his classmates bunch up, chattering away about how they would prepare. He smiled at the sight, heading over to Shinsou with Iida trailing behind him. The older boy smiled down at him, eye bags darker than usual.

"Everyone sure is excited."

"Midoriya, are you not? This is how we will get our names among the ranks of the pros! Of course we're of high spirits!"

He nodded, seeing Uraraka come up behind them, a strange expression on her face. She looked almost dangerous. It was a look he expected from Bakugou. It sent shivers down his spine, even as she spoke up.

"Deku, Iida, Shinsou... Let's all do our very best, okay?"

She threw her fist into the air, drawing everyone's attention.

"Everyone! I'm gonna crush this!!"

Despite the out of character announcement, everyone broke into cheers, other declarations being made. It made Izuku feel warm. He tossed his fist in the air with a small chuckle. Then the four made their way to lunch, a question on Izuku's lips.

"You wanna be a hero for the money?!"

"Ah, I know it's... Especially compared to Iida's noble ideals... It's embarrassing."

"It's not wrong to seek a comfortable lifestyle! Why would you feel bad?"

She began nervously pulling at the hair behind her neck, looking distressed.

"My family runs a construction company but business is bad. We're poorer than scorched dirt, but don't tell anyone."

Shinsou, who had been quiet until now, spoke up with a low voice. Izuku couldn't help the idea his opinion of Uraraka had dipped.

"Couldn't you cut costs with your quirk?"

"Yeah, that's what I told my dad! But he said I should go for what I want to do. He won't let me work for the family, so I'm gonna be a hero, and give mom and dad the lives they deserve with the money I make."

Izuku gave her a proud, understanding look. Her intentions were noble in their own way. She wanted to help the people she loved. As he opened his mouth to respond, All Might leapt around the corner, holding a bento in a bunnies-and-carrots patterned cloth. Uraraka burst into snickers as he smiled at them.

"Young Midoriya! I've been looking for you, I was... Wanna... Eat lunch together?"

He nodded, concerned, and waved goodbye to his friends as he followed the massive man. He didn't know what the man wanted, as they hadn't been able to contact each other after the attack because Izuku's phone had been broken. They were silent in the hall, leaving the teen to stew in his thoughts. They reached the teacher's lounge and settled on the couches within. All Might released his form in a cloud of steam and started setting up tea for them both.

"Well, I called you here to discuss a few things. After fighting the Noumu, my injuries were highly aggravated. The loss of my abilities as such has accelerated. I can only hold my All Might form for fifty minutes a day."

"W-What?!"

If Izuku had been stronger, he could have taken the noumu himself. According to All Might, Izuku's peak will be stronger than All Might ever was because OFA increases with every user. If he had worked harder to build his strength, All Might would still have three hours.

"Don't think like that, my boy, we really are too much alike sometimes. Now, I really want to talk to you about the sports festival. You've been keeping up with your training and meal plan, right? And there's been no kickback from your quirk like the entrance exam?"

"Only when I concentrate it in a specific part of my body, or I try to use too much. Then it breaks the more fragile bones, like my toes or fingers."

"Good, you're progressing well. That's especially good considering my time as the Symbol of Peace is running out, and even faster now that you are One For All's wielder. There are those among the villains who realize that too. It's hard to hide."

He nodded in agreement. Shigaraki had mentioned that someone told him All Might was getting weaker. It was bad that it was becoming that apparent, but All Might's secret was safe as far as they knew. What was worse was the theories Izuku was working on. It was highly likely there was a traitor in Yuuei. The press incident was the best opportunity to sneak someone in, especially with a warp gate quirk like that 'Kurogiri' guy, but there was no evidence he had come across to suggest there was an infiltration. So most likely a distraction to let someone already inside go somewhere they don't belong. It was unlikely to be a staff member, as they were aware of All Might's dual form. The villains didn't seem aware of it. So it was probably a student. Who, he couldn't guess. He didn't know anyone well enough to point fingers.

"All of Japan is going to be watching the festival..."

Izuku was too absorbed in the speech to notice the door opening. Aizawa stopped at the sight of All Might in his true form sharing tea with Midoriya Izuku. A frown took over his face as he listened in.

"Which means you, my successor, the next Symbol, need to announce to the world that you are here!"

"No, he doesn't."

They both jumped, Yagi choking on blood in his shock. They turned, looking at Aizawa in horror.

"Aizawa-sensei-!"

"Aizawa! How long have you been standing there!?"

Yagi recovered, a serious expression taking over his face. If Aizawa heard about One For All, they risked being exposed.

"I only heard the tail end. Heaven only knows what else you said. You really have no idea what you're doing as a teacher, and now I find out you're grooming a 'successor'? You've talked about your work style, and I can only hope you haven't been teaching him that! He doesn't need to be the next Symbol, he needs to be his own hero, needs to not work like you. You worked alone and too hard, supporting the entire country on one person. You saved all of Japan and started the Golden Era, which was incredible, but times are changing. The hero system needs to change with them or the next heroes are going to not be ready for the world."

Chapter Text

Izuku had thought long and hard about what Aizawa said, and the conversation after. All Might had been quiet after the confrontation, seemingly stunned at the speech, letting Aizawa say what he wanted to. The boy was somewhat glad he had interrupted. Izuku had felt an enormous weight settle on his shoulders when Yagi had said he needed to announce himself. After the USJ, Izuku hadn't been sure if he even wanted to participate in the sports festival. He had felt uninspired and scared despite his calm acceptance. It was just easy to ignore, but he couldn't force the drive to return. Aizawa had listened, Yagi at his side, and they offered what they could to help him. Eventually the bell had rung, followed by the growl of Izuku's stomach, which made Aizawa angry again, chewing Yagi out for not feeding him or letting him get lunch before talking. He was given a late note and a lunch.

The rest of his day was thankfully uneventful, filling in his friends on what he could of his chat. He saw Present Mic sending him worried glances during English. A quick look back at his behavior revealed nothing to him about what he might be doing to concern him. The final bell rung, signalling for them to go home. He sighed as he stood from his seat, rubbing his shoulders and neck. Uraraka was frozen in front of the door, shaking like a leaf at what she saw. In the hall was a crowd of people murmuring. Her breathing sharpened as she took a step back. He moved between her and the door, seeing her eyes were glassy. She whispered something, backing away more. The whole class went on guard as they became aware of the crowd, drawing Cementoss' attention. Izuku realized his skin was glowing with One For All and tried to push it down. Uraraka was standing with Shinsou and Iida, all three approaching him. He blinked as the situation hit him. They were all expecting to be attacked. Cornered in a classroom, facing down a large group they were unfamiliar with, too similar to Thursday. He shoved harder on his quirk, deactivating it as he headed for the door.

"Why are they here...?"

"We survived a villain attack and are going to be in the sports festival. We're class 1-A. They're scoping out the competition, dumbass."

Izuku cast a look to Iida, who moved to intercept Bakugou before he could enter the crowd, and stepped into the doorway.

"Is there something we can help you with?"

There was quiet as they looked him over. He took a deep breath, wondering what he looked like to them. He was short, his uniform covering his muscles, making him look slight. He probably didn't look like a lot. A silver haired boy with incredible eyelashes stepped up to him.

"I'm from 1-B, next door. I heard you guys fought villains, wanted to see you guys for myself. Wondered what I'm up against."

A blond boy with purple eyes jumped up, a crazed, condescending look on his face.

"It doesn't look like stiff competition! I bet you all think you're so high and mighty because you saw a few bad guys, huh? Think you're all that? Well-!"

Izuku gritted his teeth, angry. He looked him dead in the eye, heat rising in his bones. Flames roared in his ears and his chest thrummed like a bass line.

"How dare you. How DARE you. We were attacked. We were attacked and separated, facing more than a hundred villains. Do you think we invited them in for a light spar? That we asked them to come? They broke in. We saw them brutalize two of our teachers. They wanted to kill us. They tried to. The only reason they failed was because All Might showed up and someone managed to get out and get help. We would be dead if they hadn't. I was put into a coma for two days! I got swung by the arm and slammed into the concrete hard enough to leave a crater! One of our classmates was nearly hit with a disintegration quirk to the face. Sure, a lot of us were barely hurt. We got lucky like that. I bet your family would be so proud of you, mocking people who were hurt and scared, who had to fight to survive."

He turned to the group, fists clenched. They were watching him, guilt and fear in their faces. It was silent all around him as he ranted.

"You come here, crowding our door, looking at us like some zoo exhibit. You sent someone into a flashback of those villains. Well, guess what. We won't hold back. We know what we can do now, and we're going to come at you with everything we have. So make sure you do too."

He felt a hand on his wrist and turned to see Shinsou at his side. He looked worried, and Izuku felt wetness on his cheeks. He looked at himself and saw he was glowing, wisps of energy whipping around him, forming under his feet to lift him off the ground. His hair was ruffled by its swirling mass around him and lines of power criss-crossed his body. Tears flowed freely down his face. He bit his lip, reigning himself in. He saw his classmates staring at him in shock. Guilt flooded him. He had said that where they could hear it, practically screamed for everyone to hear. Reminded them of everything they had been through in what should have been a safe space. His feet hit the tile and he pushed through. The students before him parted like fog before wind. He didn't look back even as he heard footsteps trailing after him. Shinsou, Iida, and Uraraka caught him as he exited the front doors. They didn't speak, looking at him with worry. He hated it.

"I'm sorry. I should have kept my cool, not lost control. I shouldn't have said any of-"

To his surprise, Iida grabbed his shoulders, a serious look on his face as he stopped them and turned Izuku to face him.

"Don't. You were right. Maybe there was a better way to handle it, but I can't think of it right now. We went through something terrible, and they couldn't respect that. You needed to say that. We needed to hear it. Thank you."

He was more surprised when Iida yanked him into a stiff hug. He was warm, his chest firm as he held Izuku tightly. Izuku brought his arms up to hug him back, and was held tighter in response. Uraraka and Shinsou pressed in from behind, and he turned in Iida's arms to hug them to, head resting on Shinsou's shoulder. He smiled sadly.

"Thanks guys. let's go home."

And they all headed to the station holding each others hands.

Chapter Text

The two weeks to the sports festival were tense, His classmates sending him odd looks. Izuku spent what time he wasn't training preparing his speech. He knew as the head of his class, he would be expected to have one. As the record setter in both tests, he was probably expected to wow the crowd. Time seemed to fly by faster than he could process it, and soon they were all dressed in gym uniforms to prepare for the first event.

"Midoriya."

He rose from his meditation to look up at Todoroki Shouto, the most mysterious member of class. He refused to be friendly with anyone, rejecting all socialization unless he was on a team. Even then, he simply took charge and did everything by himself. It frustrated Aizawa to no end, though it wasn't easy to tell.

"Ah, Todoroki. What do you need?"

The bi-colored boy frowned down at him, eyes calculating and cold like his right side. Izuku braced himself for whatever may come next.

"I'm stronger than you. My abilities are greater then yours."

He nodded. Todoroki had proven that several times, winning exercises and showing impressive control of his ice. He had never used his fire though, which left him with a liability. If he couldn't control them when he inevitably would need to use them, then someone would get hurt. Izuku didn't know why he would refuse them like he did, but the symptoms were concerning.

"I won't ask about why, but All Might is vying for you. Despite that, I will beat you."

Kirishima frowned, speaking up.

"Dude, we're about to go on, don't pick fights."

"I don't care, no one here is my friend, and I don't want them to be."

Izuku contemplated the declaration of war, biting his cheek. Todoroki was the strongest in class. He was second in grades, but not by much. He had exemplary control of his ice despite the weakness he created in his fire. His quirk was powerful. But Izuku had struggled and fought all his life. He was no stranger to challenges, and this was just one more.

"Todoroki, I don't know why you needed this. You are stronger. I can't measure up compared to a lot of the people here, you included. But... Everyone, even the other courses, are looking to come out on top. I won't let myself fall behind. I'm going to throw everything I have into this, because that's where I'm looking too."

The two stared at each other for a moment, and parted ways. Izuku went back to meditating, waiting for the class to be called out. When the announcement came, they gathered into their lines, Izuku leading the charge. He didn't listen to Present Mic crowing over the speakers, thunderous cheers threatening to drown him out. He saw the cameras focused on 1-A, despite the third years on the other side. The public had been calling for the festival to be cancelled this year. It was a huge controversy with them stuck dead in the center. He stood straight, determined to show they were standing strong against the tide. He glanced over, seeing the other classes looking discouraged at the sight of them and the lackluster announcements Present Mic gave them. They were basically only there to make the hero courses look better... The sound of Midnight cracking her whip drew his eyes to the stage.

"Now for the Athlete's oath! The first year representative, who set all new records which crushed the previous in the exams; Midoriya Izuku!"

He made his way towards the stage as she stepped back. He took a deep breath as he looked at the stands.

"We've all worked hard to be here. The Hero Course, General Studies, Support, no matter where we're coming from, that is one thing that holds true. We've trained hard, set our goals to be number 1, and now it's time to put all of that out and race towards that goal. I look at my competitors and I see I'm going to have give my all. I hope they'll do the same, because I look forward to seeing it."

The crowd roared, and he turned to join his class, seeing everyone pumped up. He nodded to the other classes, acknowledging them with respect. They all rose to the silent challenge, even throwing a few excited smiles. He stood proudly before his class as Midnight went over the first event. An obstacle course race between the classes. He directed them to the starting line, and focused. The starting gate was a funnel, and as such, the first obstacle. He grinned, stepping up into the air and dashing over everyone's heads. He watched as Todoroki broke through the front, freezing everyone behind him to the ground and propelling himself forward. He hit the ground, melting it into patterns his shoes caught on, giving him traction but still hindering those behind him. He heard shouts behind him and risked a glance back. A surprising amount of people had made it through. He jumped as a metal limb slammed into a general studies student.

He turned to see the robots from the exam, re-purposed for the race. He laughed as Present Mic called the second obstacle 'Robo Inferno', weaving his way between blows. Todoroki swept his hand out, encasing them in a thin layers of ice. He watched in horror as they groaned, shattering their prisons as they fell off balance. Todoroki made his way through easily. Izuku focused on his quirk, sending out a wave of it as a zero pointer crashed down on top of him. He absorbed part of it, pushing himself faster and gaining ground. He heard screams as they came crashing down behind him and turned. Everyone had stopped before the wreckage, and he couldn't spot injuries, so he turned back and continued. He grabbed a plate of armor that had fallen from a robot, swinging it to smash a robot nearly in half. He grinned as it held up. He saw the second obstacle approaching, a small ravine with intermittent platforms and wires linking them. He jumped, simply dashing across as the others slowed, trying to make their own ways across. Todoroki was still far ahead in the lead with Bakugou close behind.

They came to the final obstacle, a minefield. Explosions and clouds of pink rose ahead of him as students triggered them. He grinned, lifting his makeshift shield. He reached out with his quirk, devouring the dirt and racing to gather mines. He gripped the sheet metal and threw himself onto the pile, and he was sent flying. He saw the wide lead Kacchan and Todoroki had closing beneath him, and he overtook them. He didn't bother slowing his landing, throwing the metal at them and dropping into an air bomb. He hit the ground and broke into a run the second his feet were properly under him. He heard an explosion behind him an saw pink reflected on the ground as ice ceased to spread. They must have hit the mines, or the metal did, stalling them. He forced himself to go faster, and reached the finish line. He looked up in awe as Present Mic screamed.

"AND MIDORIYA IZUKU TAKES FIRST PLACE IN A SURPRISE TURN AROUND!"

He turned to watch the exit tunnel, congratulating his classmates as they joined him. Uraraka grabbed him, shaking him in excitement. He was bumped, and sent up into the air, watching the ground fall away. He flailed in panic. He was grabbed, and looked up to see the number 3 hero, Hawks.

"Sorry sir, she got over excited..."

"Ah, it's okay kid. Just be careful."

He was set down, and the man flew away. Shinsou ran up, grinning. He tackled him in a hug, and Izuku struggled to stay standing. Shinsou had gotten heavy over the course of his training, packing on muscle. The standings were announced, and Izuku pulled his friends close. They had all made it. They were sent to rest as the second and third years competed. The four stuck together, finding their table and resting silently. They were eventually called back out for the second event, eager. A cavalry battle in teams. Izuku felt the blood drain from his face soon enough.

"Our first place participant is worth ten million points!"

Every face turned to him as he forced his face to stay calm. He had a feeling it didn't quite work though. The eyes on him now were malicious, and it was clear no one wanted to be on his team immediately. He did have the advantage of not needing to factor in points when looking for his team. Bakugou was swarmed, but easily drove off some of his potential teammates. That's why Uraraka was a godsend, asking to team up with him. Iida was already in Todoroki's team, and Shinsou had a team of hypnotized slaves. He was approached by a girl with pink dreadlocks covered in support gear, begging him to team up with her to show off her inventions. He quickly grew uncomfortable with her use of the term 'babies' in reference to them, but pushed it aside. Almost everyone else was teamed up except one person. Their formation needed a power horse, since Izuku would be the rider. He sent a silent prayer up as he headed for (hopefully) his final teammate.

The cavalry battle began, and immediately two teams gunned it for Midoriya. He had his headband around his neck, guarding it. As the ground melted under them, Izuku activated his jet pack, raising them into the air. Dark Shadow swiped at Jirou's earjacks as she aimed for them, knocking them away. Tokoyami was really everything they needed, the defense they had lacked, but also a mid range attacker. As they landed, Shoji raced for them.

"A scramble? No, Present Mic, this is a one sided MASSACRE!"

Asui revealed herself on his back, tongue lashing out to grab them. Midoriya ducked, and she grabbed Tetsutetsu's headband across the way as their team bolted. Class B had apparently thrown the first event, almost the whole class in on the plan to take down class A. Todoroki cut them off as they raced to escape Shoji.

"We're coming for you, Midoriya."

Yaoyorozu wrapped their team in a thick sheet, and Kaminari let loose, shocking the teams around them. Dark Shadow guarded them, taking the volts headed their way, but the jet pack still went down. Todoroki reached out with a pole of ice and coated the ground like he had in the race. Dark Shadow went to swipe at them only to be held off by Yaoyorozu forming a haphazard sheet of metal and blocking him. An arena of ice formed around them, blocking the other teams out. It quickly became a game of cat and mouse, Midoriya's team desperately evading them at every turn, clinging to the headband. Suddenly, they braced themselves, and shot forward.

"OVER TORQUE! RECIPRO BURST!"

They swept by, Todoroki reaching out as they passed. Midoriya felt his fingers grab at the band, and pull it free. Todoroki was glaring at them, and everyone else seemed shocked at the brutal turnaround. Bakugou's team broke through the wall to race for them in tandem with their charge at the team. Izuku closed in, and saw flames flicker around Todoroki's arm. He snatched the top band, checking the count. 70 points. He growled, and directed them to charge again. The crowd screamed the countdown, and they reached the last second with Izuku swiping at air. Izuku let himself fall from their hold to the ground. Apologies spilled from his lips, but stopped short as Tokoyami held up two headbands. 560 points and 420 points.

"You're last charge got him to drop his guard, and Dark Shadow and I grabbed these. I came up short on the ten million though."

He sobbed in relief, Uraraka hugging Dark Show, who preened under the attention. Todoroki was in first, Bakugou in second. They were in third place, with Shinsou in fourth. Izuku congratulated his team, and headed into the building.

"Midoriya."

He paused, turning back to see Todoroki following him.

"We need to talk."

Chapter Text

Izuku stood silently against the wall, watching Todoroki. Said boy was leaned against the wall across from him, a pensive look on his face as he seemed to be getting his head in order. It was so different from a confrontation with Kacchan, who was explosive in personality and quirk. Todoroki was silent and still, a tundra. It set him on edge. People like this either had hairpin triggers ready to go off any second, or they were slow and methodical, getting revenge in the worst and most unexpected ways for an extended time.

"You said you wanted to talk?... If we don't hurry up the dining hall will be crowded."

The glare intensified, and Izuku felt like a cold hand had grabbed the base of his spine.

"You made me break my vow. You overwhelmed me and I didn't expect it."

Izuku was quiet, but his eyes drifted to Todoroki's left hand. He would have won if he had used it against Izuku. He would have won and left their team behind in the second round. But why wouldn't he? Why didn't he?

"None of them felt it. Iida, Yaoyorozu, Tokoyami, Uraraka, Kaminari... I was the only one who felt that pressure in that instant. I was up close, when All Might revealed his power. I felt it again. From you, when you used your quirk so close to me."

He gulped, his hands beginning to shake. He wasn't sure what it was, but Todoroki was making a connection here. A dangerous connection between Izuku and All Might that, even if wrong, could be a disaster for them or lead him to the right conclusion someday. Whatever it was, he had to shut it down. Fast.

"So what are you saying?..."

"Are you All Might's secret kid or something?"

Izuku stopped dead. He felt his eyes bug out of his head, watching the other teen. He was completely serious, and Izuku saw something in his eyes. A dim, flickering hope of something.

"Well, w-whether I deny it or not I won't be very convincing, even though I'm not! B-But that isn't how it is! Why would you...?"

There was no denying Todoroki's disappointment at his denials, though Izuku wasn't sure the other believed him.

"So you are hiding something. 'That isn't how it is', your phrasing proves it. My father, Endeavor, is the number two hero. If you have connections to All Might, then I have that many more reasons to take you down. Endeavor is a power hungry bastard that only thinks of how to get stronger. He's gone to great strides to become a powerful man, but he sees All Might as an obstacle. One he can't overcome by himself. He came up with another plan..."

Izuku felt his heart in his throat. He was terrified of what he would hear next, because it may confirm his worst suspicions. Anger lay in his chest like a snake waiting to strike at unsuspecting prey.

"Why tell me?"

"You've heard of quirk marriages, right?"

His heart turned to ice. This was worse. This was so much worse than he thought. 

"Around the second or third generation of quirks, powerful or strongly quirked people would seek out specific people and force them into marriages for their genetic potential. My father used his fortune and power to coerce my mother's family into marrying her off to him at 17 for her quirk. He created me, a tool for his ambitions, to surpass All Might. I hate that I remember my mother always crying, covered in burns and bruises."

Izuku watched in growing horror as Todoroki traced the rough, red skin over his left eye, an improperly treated wound that was too familiar.

"She once told me 'I can't stand to see your left side'... And poured boiling water on my face. A mental breakdown caused by years of abuse. My revenge, not using my left side to beat you, no... Not using my left side at all, rising to the top without his disgusting quirk to deny him everything."

The silence that prevailed shook Izuku to the core. He watched the usually low but wild flame in Todoroki's chest flare higher in his anger, unwavering in his determination. It hurt to watch. This boy who hated something about himself so much, who saw himself as someone else's property because he was told he was, putting himself and others at risk in a deluded mission of revenge that wouldn't even get him revenge on the person he hated most. Izuku knew what it was like to hate yourself. To wish for an aspect of yourself to change desperately and be willing to do anything to change it. To have family hate you for that aspect. He knew it all too well. Maybe in a different way, but he knew it. That was why he didn't pity Shouto, not in the least.

Pity wasn't what he needed.

He watched as Todoroki turned and walked away, hands in his pockets.

"Keep your connection to All Might secret if you want, but I'll beat you, right side alone."

"I've always had help, no matter what it was. I made it this far because other people were there to support me. Compared to you, my motivation to be like All Might, to be the strongest, might seem lame. But I won't lose to you. I'll repay everyone who helped me like that. So I'll return your challenge; I'm going to win!"

Izuku looked at the tournament proceedings, he was surprised by Ojiro glaring at Shinsou as he declared his intentions to drop out. A member of class B dropped out quickly after, both not remembering the cavalry battle and feeling it was wrong to participate. Izuku had an idea of what had happened, and bit his lip. Shinsou had confided in him that he faced a lot of quirk discrimination due to his brainwashing quirk when he was younger. He didn't talk about his quirk now, but it hadn't really gotten better., just less frequent. He could only imagine this would hurt him. He turned back to the board, seeing his first match up, against the subject of his concerns. Shinsou. His second match was set to be against Todoroki. This really wasn't his day.. Shinsou looked at him from his spot, and the two had a silent moment of communication. They would meet and talk before their match.

They headed in, and met in the dining hall. They sat in the empty room, across from each other like they would in the arena, rather than side by side like usual. He looked at the scars on his hands, wondering if Shinsou would speak first.

"So, this is a bad match up, huh? You're really powerful, but my quirk is unbeatable if it can get a hold. But you know my quirk and how it's used, so I'm at a disadvantage. I can't win this."

He looked at him, contemplative.

"And you have more sparring experience than me, better at hand-to-hand. Plus, we're good friends. Do you think this was planned?"

"Heh, of course it was. So what do we do about it?"

He felt his mouth twist into a grin.

"We don't meet their expectations. Here's how we should do this..."

Izuku stood in the hall to the arena, watching the ring quietly. This was going to be a match to remember. He turned at hearing footsteps behind him, seeing Yagi coming down the hall. He smiled and waved.

"Hello, Young Midoriya! I came to wish you luck! I have a feeling this will be a hard match, up against your best friend. I'm surprised you aren't more nervous, my boy."

"Well, it'll certainly be a fight no one will forget soon. We'll make sure to leave an impression."

All Might looked uncertain.

"Well, remember, I expect great things from you. You've come this far, so keep up the good work! And smile, show some bravado, even if it's fake! Especially if it's fake, because the moments you doubt or are scared are the moments when you need to smile the most."

He nodded, and turned back to the entrance as his mentor left. He exited as Present Mic announced him. He met Shinsou's eyes, offering a conspiratorial smile, which was returned in kind. They walked closer and their smiles turned to feral snarls. They broke into runs as the fight began, leaping at each others' throats. There would be no quirks, no trained fighting, just two boys going at it like dogs with no rules. Shinsou's hands pulled at his hair as Midoriya choked him out. He twisted his head, teeth digging into Midoriya's arm. Izuku cried out as blood welled from the wound, yanking back. A foot found it's way to his stomach, getting distance between them. They charged, scratching and punching in a whirl of movement. He roared as Shinsou grabbed at the bite, pulling with his nails.

He shoved his fingers into Shinsou's throat, making him gag and lose his grip. He lurched after him, teeth finding Shinsou's throat. They fell to the ground as he bit, Shinsou choking. He punched Izuku in the face, rolling on top of him. They growled at each other, teeth bared to show the blood on Shinsou's. Izuku brought his knee up, nailing him in the groin. He fell over with a cry. Izuku grabbed his shirt, dragging him closer to the border. Arms wrapped around his leg, pulling it from under him. Shinsou climbed back on top of him, grabbing his hair and slamming it into the concrete. His nose crunched, blood pouring down his face. He heard Aizawa and Mic shouting over the speakers as he twisted under the boy, punching him sloppily in the jaw twice. He fell, and Izuku punched him again. The boy gasped, spitting out a bloody tooth.

A swift kick to the stomach had him curling up, and Izuku  grabbed his legs this time, pulling him to the line. he turned, lifting him into a spin and throwing him over. Shinsou rolled to a stop outside the border, and pushed himself to stand. They let the tension leave their bodies, and Shinsou walked over. They clasped hands, Shinsou bending to one knee, submitting. Izuku pulled him back up and into a hug. They laughed as the med bots bustled over the escort them to Recovery Girl's office, pointing out they damage they did good naturedly. Shinsou walked awkwardly, and Izuku picked him up. They left the ring covered in their own and each other's blood.

Chapter Text

Izuku sat in the stands beside Uraraka and Iida, Shinsou having been dragged off by his parents for a few minutes. His classmates were commenting on the vicious fight, wondering why they didn't use quirks or their training from class. He brushed them off, simply saying they had an agreement. He looked to the ring as Sero and Shouto took their places, and the fight began. Sero lashed out immediately, tape wrapping Todoroki's legs and chest and moving to swing him out of the ring. For a moment, it looked like a win for Sero, but then it went cold as the sun was blocked out by ice. Their view of the ring was blocked out as well, a massive glacier hanging over half the stadium. Everyone behind it had to lean back or risk being hit. Sero was declared immobilized, the match lasting a measly 7 seconds.

Todoroki melted the glacier, and through the steam, Izuku looked at him closely. He seemed sad, despite his win. It had definitely been overkill. He thought back, trying to remember before the fight. Todoroki was irritated. He was probably upset he had lashed out like he had in his anger. It might have reminded him of Endeavor. Izuku sighed and pulled out his phone. He had set up a program since their talk, finding all information he could on Endeavor, compiling it for him to look through. He would postpone putting his plan into effect, after all, it could put Shouto in danger. He pulled out his notebook, updating it with what little information he had gotten from the match.

Shiozaki Ibara and Kaminari were next, which was over quickly too. He had sent out a wave of electricity, only for a wall of vines to block it, and he was captured. He had clearly panicked afterwords, sending out a massive wave of electricity. Shiozaki had been hurt, but he short circuited and lost the match. It was a little disappointing, but he had gained valuable information. Her quirk was close to Kamui Woods, a powerful binder, but easily weaponized with her thorns. Binding types were always hard to counter, the only real way to counter them usually being brute strength or a specific counter. A counter for her would likely be a fire quirk or something to dry out or dissolve her vines. Mina would be a poor opponent for her then, and Bakugou-

"Wow Midoriya, your match is over but you're already planning for who you might fight?"

He jumped, covering his mouth as he turned to Uraraka, who was smiling at him.

"N-No, not really... I guess it's a-a hobby?... We finally have a chance to see quirks outside of class A, so I decided to analyse them. I actually have all of our class in here too, like here's you, Zero Gravity!"

He excitedly flipped the book to her section, lifting it to show her before he could think it through. She paused, looking at the book for a second before an impressed smile crossed her face.

"Wow, Deku, I thought you were pretty cool sine the exam, but this is a whole new level!"

He blinked in surprise. He had been expecting backlash, like Bakugou. A lot of people thought his quirk analyses were creepy or stalker-like. He smiled, lowering it and turning to the right page as they waited for the next fight. He was surprised to see Iida covered in support gear like his opponent Hatsume. He bit his lip, watching him explain to the judges. Soon, the fight began, Iida allowed to continue with the gear on. He put in as much information as he could, but he was scared to skew his data thanks to the gear. Auto-balancers, leg support equipment, hydraulic auto-dodgers, and more were sold to the crowd as Hatsume gave a sales pitch, using the two of them as commercial demonstrations. In the end, Hatsume stepped out of the ring after nearly fifteen minutes of advertising. Iida roared in betrayal as she gave him the round. At least she was straightforward. He was drawn out of his thought as Uraraka got up to head to the prep room for her match with Bakugou. Mina and Aoyama took the ring.

Mina skated the ring on her acid, and he watched as she danced around Aoyama's blasts. It was clear how she integrated her break dancing skills to dodge, making her way closer to throw acid on his belt. It fell, taking his pants with it as she raced up and knocked him clean out with an uppercut. He eagerly recorded his observations, and Yaoyorozu took the ring with Tokoyami. It was over quickly as she struggled to use her objects against him, Dark Shadow eventually throwing her out of bounds and off the raised stage. He sighed as the next match started, a stalemate quickly occurring between Kirishima and Tetsutetsu. Two hardening quirks and what was clearly near equal sparring abilities. It offered little information about their quirks. He stood, heading to the prep room for competitors to find Iida and Uraraka talking.

"Izuku? I thought you would be watching the next match?"

"There's already been two matches, Mina took out Aoyama's belt and knocked him out, and Tokoyami took down Yaoyorozu too fast to use her quirk effectively. Kirishima is against that class b guy who can turn to steel, so they're sorta at an impasse."

She nodded, and took a steadying breath.

"So I'm up next."

Iida and Izuku stood silently for half a second, taking in the information. She'd be fighting Bakugou, someone who Izuku was very familiar with the fighting style of. He knew Uraraka well, and had sparred with her on teams and against each other enough to get a grasp of her abilities and style. He pulled out his notebook.

"I can't imagine Bakugou will fight too ruthlessly against a female oppone-"

"No, he absolutely will."

Izuku's tone stopped Iida dead in his tracks, staring at him in shock. They focused on him as he continued.

"We all are aiming for the first place spot, no one's holding back. Kacchan will go all out against every opponent. He'll show everyone his best, and he sees anyone holding back for any reason as insulting their opponent. Uraraka... You've helped me so much. I'd like to help you too. I have all my information on Kacchan here, I think you should look it over and come up with the best strategy you can."

He held out the object, looking her dead in the eye. He wouldn't tell her how to fight, but he would give her resources to take an advantage. She stood from the table.

"Deku... Thanks, but I'm okay. I thought I was teaming up with friends because it made sense in the cavalry battle, but Iida was right. I was putting faith in you to pull me through. You're always being incredible, doing amazing things. It's embarrassing, especially when Iida and Shinsou had come to their senses and challenged you. We're all competing like you said. So thanks but no. I'll see you in the finals!"

Her fire swelled, brightening her up like a sunrise. Pride swelled in his own chest, and he gave her a respectful nod, putting the book away. Sure, when she was a hero, she would need to take every advantage she could, but for now, this was okay. This was good. She was growing. They left her to prepare, heading back to the stands. Kirishima and Tetsutetsu passed out from quirk overuse, lack of air since their quirks restricted their breathing, and exertion. He couldn't help but be optimistic for Uraraka. She was a good fighter, smart, and her quirk was strong. She had good chances. Bakugou could maneuver in air, but he would still be at a disadvantage. The more mobility he was given the stronger he was, and he had virtually no visible weaknesses in combat beyond his temper getting the best of him at times.

She charged him, low to the ground. He swung a right hook as always, an explosion going off to cover her in smoke. He made a giddy noise as she ducked out of the cloud, jacket gone, to duck behind him. He saw the fabric floating in the smoke as Bakugou went to pin 'her'. She leapt at him, only for him to turn and send her flying. His eyes went wide as debris began to rise above their heads, Bakugou and Uraraka going for each other again. She was too slow to outpace his reaction times, but she didn't need to. She charged and dodged explosions, ripping up the stage and making floating debris. He heard people calling for the match to be called off, or for Bakugou to send her out of the ring already as Uraraka charged over and over. They didn't see it. Aizawa-sensei's voice come over the speakers, drowning out the voices.

"Is the one who said he's toying with her a pro? How many years? You should go home and troll job hunting sites if that's what you're seeing here. Leave, no point in watching. She's come this far, and his caution is him recognizing a worthy opponent. He knows she's strong. He wants to win, and knows there's no room for carelessness or giving less than 100%."

He grinned as the smoke cleared, showing her still on her feet. Aizawa was right, but it might just be over now. She touched her fingers together. A shower of debris fell on top of them, and Uraraka charged again, determined and bright. Bakugou raised his hands, a massive explosion going off and sending her far across the ring. They stared at each other for a moment, and she tried to rush him again, a desperate look on her face. She stumbled, falling to the ground. Midnight rushed over and crouched beside her. Midnight declared Uraraka unable to continue and sent her to Recovery Girl. Bakugou turned, a slight frown on his face. Izuku stared at the close-up of his face. He looked almost... disappointed, but not at her, really. It sent the air from his chest. Bakugou had been rooting for her.

He stood, and headed for the prep room.

He passed Bakugou, who stopped. He looked calculatingly at Izuku.

"What do you want, Deku, looking to die?"

"No, I-I'm just going to the prep room since my match is next... And congrats on winning..."

This seemed to raise his ire, and Bakugou marched closer. His words had Izuku freezing up, fear gone in an instant.

"You suggested that, didn't you? Your little self-sacrificing plan caused me a lot of trouble."

He turned, eyes locking with Bakugou's, and he stood tall. He was proud of Uraraka and he wouldn't let anyone underestimate her or diminish her efforts. She fought hard, and she fought alone.

"I didn't suggest any strategies to her. She came up with that by herself just to beat you. If you had trouble, it was her messing with you, not me. Don't you dare imply she's anything less than incredible."

He left Bakugou behind to think.

Izuku was surprised to find Uraraka in the prep room, eyes puffy and pink at the edges. She was wearing a clean tank top and sweatpants, gym uniform carefully put away in her bag.

"I guess I lost... I just got carried away when I thought I could win."

Izuku moved to stand by the table, eyes drifting over the bandages on her face. He sat on the edge of the table, wondering what she needed.

"You haven't been healed?"

"Ah, I'm doing it in increments so my stamina doesn't fall too fast. Just scrapes and bruises now. Rgh, dang! Bakugou doesn't have a single scratch! I'll have to try harder next time, he's just too strong."

He paused at her declaration, glance at the dim but high flame within. She was upset, but otherwise okay despite the match turnout. It helped him smile a little more genuinely.

"So, you're okay?"

She smiled back, pulling her bag close, and she looked him in the face

"Yeah, somehow I am. I have someone to look up to after all. You're always moving on, ready to face the next challenge whether you're prepared or not. I lost, but I want to make sure I win next time."

His face felt like it was on fire. Mic's voice drew them from their talk, announcing the tie breaker between Kirishima and Tetsutetsu was over. The second rounds were beginning. He gulped as he remembered who his opponent was. This was going to be bad, he wasn't ready at all.

"Ah! I'm sorry, I wasted all your prep time! Good luck out there, I'm rooting for you."

He left, wincing as he heard her start to cry. She was upset, of course, but sometimes you just needed to be alone to let it out. Besides, he saw the fire. She would recover, and get stronger, and next time the match would be even closer. His path was suddenly blocked by Endeavor.

"There you are."

His face was a mask of disgust and anger.

"I saw what you did, fighting that boy like an animal, not even using your quirks. You've barely used it at all, this whole festival. My boy, Shouto, has a duty to surpass All Might. You won't even make a good stepping stone, let alone obstacle."

Izuku rolled his eyes, moving around the blazing man. As Endeavor said, he hadn't shown everything he was capable of, just that he could fight dirty.

"But you've been holding back. You showed incredible strength, on par with All Might when you did use it. Give this your all, or don't bother stepping into the ring."

He remembered Shouto's words. 'My revenge... Not using my left side at all, rising to the top without his disgusting quirk to deny him everything.' The horrifying things this man had done to his family. This villain in the guise of a hero. Who dared pretend he could compare All Might. Rage burned in his bones, threatening to make him do something rash. He stopped.

"I'm not All Might."

He heard Endeavor stop. He sounded confused as he replied, caught off guard.

"Of course you a-"

"Of course I'm not, right?"

He wouldn't allow this monster to speak. He turned, face serene but anger making his eyes glow. He felt his clothes and hair rippling under his quirk. He stared down the 'hero' in disgust to mimic his.

"And Todoroki Shouto isn't you."

He saw the man's flames grow, and turned to walk away. He wouldn't let him say anything else to him. And he would help Shouto. That's what heroes do, after all. He stepped into the ring, and despite his fear, he stood tall and strong. Shouto had a relaxed posture, clearly expecting an easy win like Sero.

"Are you ready?"

He had the nerve to ask him that? A hysterical laugh clogged his throat, fear growing, but he wouldn't let it stop him. Todoroki was going to come out of the gate with another glacier, he had to stop that in it's tracks. He gritted his teeth as the ice raced at him, and flicked his pinky. It shattered, but so did the attack. He heard people crying out as cold air blew through the stadium. Todoroki sent another wave, and he sacrificed his other pinky. He didn't know much about how Todoroki really fought because he was always careful to end it in a few seconds. He saw a wall behind said boy, a countermeasure so he isn't blown away. He felt wisps of power bleeding from him, melting away the ice around him. He had to wait and find an opening, and he still had plenty of energy. He changed his focus, and the ice began to dissolve, and he eagerly absorbed it, the glow around him getting brighter.

"So, you want to stretch out the round, huh? I won't let you. I'll end this."

He sent out a wave of energy, absorbing the oncoming ice. He was close to his energy limit, but he could take more. Todoroki began to close the gap, following more ice, and leapt over as Midoriya blasted it, too afraid to absorb it this time in case he hit Shouto this time. He dodged backwards as Todoroki's ice coated fist hit the ground where he had been standing. He absorbed more ice, feeling his other ring finger crack. He had to bleed off his excess. Todoroki was more than his quirk, with mobility, strategy, split second judgement. He was strong in every sense. He saw frost coating Shouto's right side, and he was shivering. He gritted his teeth.

"Only dodging and defending is taking its toll on you. Sorry about this, but I appreciate your effort. The old man doesn't look to pleased, thanks to you. You can't fight like this, look at your fingers. It's over."

"WHO SAYS I'M DONE?!"

He slammed his hands to the ground, the symbols he had carved into the concrete glowing brightly as a massive wave of his quirk destroyed the glacier headed his way, and knocked Shouto back. He looked up, panting. The attack had taken a lot out of him, but he was already absorbing ice and bits of concrete, more symbols taking shape all around them. He let One For All drain from where it had been concentrated in his fingers, bleeding back into his whole body, and lines of power crossed him. He began absorbing faster and let his quirk thicken in the air like fog. Then he pulled it back into a cloud around him.

"You're shivering... Todoroki...Quirks are physical abilities. Strain a muscle, it'll tear. Run too long, lose your breath. You have a limit. But you could drive that back by using your left side. Everyone is giving their all. To win, to reach the top, to achieve their goals... And you want to win with HALF YOUR POWER?! I haven't gotten close to touching you. COME AT ME ALREADY! GIVE ME EVERYTHING YOU HAVE!"

Shouto looked mad now, Izuku clenching his broken fingers as he stared him down.

"What are you planning? What, did that bastard put you up to this? You piss me off!"

Shouto rushed him. He ducked as Shouto went for a kick to his side, and poured his reserves into OFA. He nailed him in the stomach, and sent him flying again. Another wave of ice came at him as Todoroki spoke, but he couldn't hear the words over the fire in his ears

"It's not just you that's slowing down. Your attacks are weak."

He kicked the ground, sending a wave through the concrete and breaking it. Todoroki fell back.

"Why go this far?"

He ran toward his opponent, easily making his way over the uneven surface, never more happy he had started free running. He wouldn't let Todoroki have an easy win.

"Because... I want to be a smiling, dependable hero... Someone people can rely on for whatever they need. That's why! THAT'S WHY I'M GIVING IT MY ALL! FOR EVERYONE! I don't know your experiences, your determination, I can't begin to imagine. If you become number one at half power... You aren't serious about denying him anything, let alone everything, are you?"

He saw something in Todoroki's expression change. Something snapped.

"Shut up..."

Izuku raced at him again, and punched him in the sternum.

"I'll show my father...-"

"YOUR POWER IS YOURS! IT ISN'T HIS!"

Realization flooded across Shouto's face, eyes going wide. He stopped, stock still, and Izuku watched in ecstasy as sparks flickered into soft red flames, growing into a blazing white inferno. He raised his arms to shield his face, but couldn't look away.

"I thought you wanted to win, dammit! Why are you trying to inspire me? Now who isn't taking this seriously?... I wanna be a hero too!..."

Izuku was so proud. This was a first step on a long journey. A hard journey, but worth every struggle, and he would ultimately be happier, stronger, so long as he stuck to it. Shouto was crying, but returned Izuku's smile. Endeavor was screaming in the stands, clinging to the rail with a crazed look, but Shouto's flames covered his voice. Shouto wiped his tears away.

"Smiling? With those wounds, here? Crazy boy, but what happens to you next isn't my problem."

Izuku devoured the ring and the oncoming ice, each step forward breaking the ground under him and giving him more debris. The remaining symbols glowed around them, boosting his strength, and he focused. He had to get in close and land a hit. Todoroki raised his arm, and despite the fire, he felt the air rapidly cooling. Walls of concrete rose between them, and he was dimly aware of more screams over the speakers. The walls shattered as the air ignited and Izuku threw a punch, smoke filling the air. He felt something cold against his back as he was launched, and he fell to his knees. He stood on the broken stage, and watched through the smoke for Todoroki to become visible. The air cleared, and he saw his competitor laying on the ground, unmoving. Fear filled him, his face twisting with horror. He ran, sliding to his knees beside the boy.

"Todoroki!"

He looked back and saw the crater where he had hit the wall, out of bounds, behind Midnight. He let the world drain away, his vision going dark around the edges, and he fell beside the bi-colored boy with warm wetness on his upper lip.

Chapter Text

 Izuku walked slowly, entering some kind of temple with a central pillar. He saw the walls lined with machinery, bones scattered on platforms. He ran his fingers along a bone as big around as his arm and longer than he was tall. He wondered what it used to be.

Looking above him revealed sand slowly pouring in from the surface above. The sight of the sky relieved him after being under the city with those things. He began to study the temple, trying to figure out how to power it when a flash of blue caught his eye. On the other side of the room, a glass orb with dim blue energy drifting within. He approached with caution and saw the mosaic behind it. A person in a blue robe pulling energy out of the ball and feeding it into the wall, the temple around him laced with blue. Below it was another picture of a cave full of blue spouting from a hole in the ground.

They must have found some soft of wellspring and capped it off the use it. Izuku just had to channel it.

Apparently that was easier said than done. Izuku had no idea how to work with the blue energy. Every time he reached for it, it slithered from his grasp like an eel. Trying to introduce his own energy was fruitless as well. The two pushed against each other like the same poles of a magnet. He hissed, trying to figure it out. Eventually, he began to push harder, trying to force the two together.

He heard a cracking noise, and the glass shattered. He gasped, stumbling back, and blue poured from the pillar the orb had sat upon, and when it touched the wall, the building came to life. He covered his ears at the deafening shriek and thud of the building, the light leaving him blind. He felt the cold blue swirl around him and lost balance as it pushed against him. He opened his eyes as he fell, and was cushioned by the energy. He floated like a drop of oil in water. Slowly, the bones began to come together as the room filled, and Izuku giggled. The massive bones rose from the sand, and became something Izuku couldn’t imagine flesh on. It looked like it should have been in the ocean. He pushed up, and found himself practically flying as though he’d been shot from a cannon.

He landed on the thing’s back, falling flat as he couldn’t keep his balance. Ever so slowly, it arched upwards, blue trailing after it like a shooting star. As they moved upwards, the room continued to fill.

He watched as they passed massive mosaics depicting forests and villages, oceans brimming with strange creatures, cities throwing festivals with bands and dancing, clouds of colour in the air. Rudimentary planes trailing banners. Farms with people tending livestock, gardens on the balconies of tall buildings. Then the color bled away. People working in grey factories, cities no longer brimming with life. People stood in lines.

Then there were pictures of burning cities. Mass funerals. Graveyards that slipped out of view, tiny people within to show how enormous they really were. War machines destroying struggling villages. Dead forests with the bodies of animals decaying on the ground.

The history of this world. Was it thousands of years? Millions? Was it a brief blip in time, barely there and then gone? Was there more than he was seeing? He was pulled from his thoughts as they crested over the pillar, a shrine coming into view below.

He dropped down, watching as the skeleton dove back down into the pool below, and turned to the basin. This was certainly more elaborate than the others he had come across. Perhaps it was more sacred due to the spring. He dipped his hands in, and drank. For a moment, it seemed like nothing was happening, but then, his sight was overtaken.

He was floating above the planet, watching as the machines burned every trace of life they found. Eventually, there was nothing left. They tried to return to their cities, but were left flying over the ruins until they ran out of power or were shot down in battle with other wandering robots. Slowly, they all collapsed into the deserts. He turned, catching a glimpse of the presence as it moved to stand close beside him, and opened his eyes to the sound of Uraraka, Shinsou, and Iida shouting his name.

"Guys? What are you... But the next match..."

"You and Todoroki destroyed the arena, so they're giving everyone a break while they repair it."

He looked around, seeing the other beds empty.

"Where is Todoroki?"

Recovery Girl began to push the three out, looking irritated.

"It's fine to worry, but Midoriya is about to go into surgery! And to answer your question, Todoroki is already mostly healed, he's in the bathroom."

Iida began to panic at the word 'surgery', the other two casting him worried looks over the short woman's head. He smiled and waved them away with a bandaged hand, but let it fall away when they were gone, only for Aizawa-sensei to come in, trailing after Recovery Girl. He couldn't look the man in the eye, feeling the glare aimed at him.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't do it... If I had just kept my mouth closed... But I had to say what I told Todoroki."

"You were trying to bring it out of him."

"Yes. Todoroki told me something... Awful. Something I couldn't leave alone. I thought maybe I should just leave it be but... I couldn't. It was like a knife digging between my ribs. I forgot why I was there, lost myself, because he needed help and I knew what I had to do. I'm so sorry..."

Yagi sat by his side, and Izuku stared at his lap.

"An unfortunate outcome. Calling you an idiot isn't going to help or change this-"

Aizawa sat on the edge of the bed, pushing Izuku's head up.

"But you are a fool. You nearly destroyed three of your fingers, broke a fourth, dislocated your shoulder again, got a concussion and restarted your nosebleed, and you were lucky not to get spinal damage, pelvic damage, or damage to your neck. You had second degree burns on the back of your right hand and knuckles. You drove yourself into the ground trying to help, and that won't work. If someone tells you something concerning, you go to the proper authorities and report it. That being said... You're gonna be a great hero kid. Just gotta get your head on straight."

He looked at the man in awe, tears slipping down his cheeks. It still didn't sound real, whenever someone said he could be a hero. He bit his tongue, trying to force down the spasms in his chest as he started to cry. He looked away, drawing his knees up, and felt a cast land on the back of his head. Eventually, Recovery Girl pushed the two out and sent him under to perform surgery on his hands. He was exhausted beyond comprehension when she finished and healed him. He said his thanks, and they were sent to the stands. As they walked, Izuku felt the need to ask some questions of his mentor.

"You decided to teach at Yuuei to find a successor, didn't you, All Might? Everyone here is giving everything they have, baring their unrelenting spirits, and I feel their strength, even watching them... I can't help thinking..."

He found himself unable to finish the thought, a knot in his throat. All Might filled the silence.

"I should still be looking for one?"

He flinched, eyes burning, and nodded. All Might sighed, putting his hands in his pockets. They slowed, and he felt All Might's searching gaze on the back of his neck.

"Every student here is exemplary, real heroes in the making. OFA is a lattice of strength, and if someone with a quirk got it, they would be a superhero, with super strength on top of their powers."

It stung to hear, because this meant All Might was considering it, had maybe been considering it for a while. He bit his lip as he listened.

"But... I was born quirkless too."

He turned in shock, eyes wide and disbelieving.

"Being quirkless, like today but too a lesser degree, was rare, and my master had a quirk. But... They still believed I could be a hero. Trained me to be one."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You never asked. I certainly expected you to!"

"You really were quirkless too?..."

When All Might nodded, Izuku felt an odd sense of betrayal. All Might had been quirkless, had known it was possible for him to be a hero with help, and still crushed his dreams. Yes, it was dangerous and he had probably been focused on trying to protect someone powerless in an increasingly dangerous world of quirks, but he could have done it in a much better way.

"At first, you reminded me almost too much of myself, but you've proven yourself over and over, and are much more than I could have ever thought anyone could be at your age. You have something special in you, Young Midoriya, something no one else has. Now then, the festival isn't over yet, shouldn't you get to your seat so you can watch?"

He nodded, turning and running away. He reached his seat, seeing it was Bakugou and Kirishima fighting, meaning he had missed two matches. He'd just have to watch a recording of it. He smiled at his friends as he sat among them, covering a yawn. They swarmed him, Uraraka and Iida with fluttering hands, Shinsou firmly looking him over for what was still damaged.

"Midoriya, I'm glad your surgery went well!"

He smiled at the blue haired boy. Shinsou was now practically molded to his side, and Uraraka was sitting closer than before. He pressed back, trying to reassure him, and put an arm around Uraraka's shoulders. She turned bright red. Shinsou relaxed against him and he asked Iida about his match.

"So, how did you beat Shiozaki-chan?"

Iida had a proud smile as he leaned over the back of Izuku's seat to speak with him.

"I knew my mobility likely wouldn't help me, so I threw her out of the ring with my recipro burst! I'm sure you'll be able to find a video for better details. Now I'm in the final four, and I must say, your match with Todoroki taught me quite a bit."

He looked at his lap, disappointment chewing on his heart. He had fought so hard and still lost. Sure, he had helped Todoroki, and he wouldn't change that for all the won matches in the world, but it still would have been nice to have his cake and eat it too.

"So, do you know if your brother is watching?"

"He called a bit ago, he has to work. I'm kind of glad, honestly. I've come far but I'm not number one yet."

They turned back to the ring as rapid explosions went off, revealing Bakugou wailing on Kirishima, and knocking him out with a final blow. The final four were chosen. Iida stood behind them, face turning serious once more.

"Well, I'd better get ready. I'll see you soon."

The remaining friends scooted closer together, Uraraka and Shinsou nearly on his lap. Iida and Todoroki took the stage. A wave of ice was neatly dodged, and Iida's engines released a plume of black smoke. He began moving around the ring faster than Izuku had ever seen him move, and he whipped his notebook out, not noticing he had to wrap his arms around his friend's waists to write in it. He landed a kick, nearly knocking Shouto over. He jumped over and grabbed the back of his shirt, making a break for the border, only to stumble. A glance down revealed one of his engines coated in ice, blocking his exhaust pipes. He must have forgotten Shouto can use his ice in delicate, careful ways with all the powerhouse attacks before. Todoroki encased him in ice, wobbling away, holding his head. Todoroki was announced the victor by trapping the speedster. The ice was melted, and Tokoyami and Bakugou were called out.

Dark Shadow was ready, taking explosions despite his weakness to their light, protecting Tokoyami. So long as he could hide the weakness, Tokoyami still stood a chance. Bakugou silenced these thoughts by using Dark Shadow as a spring board to get behind the bird headed boy, and gave off another huge explosion. When the dust cleared, Tokoyami was on the ground, Dark Shadow too weak to help, and he surrendered. Izuku looked around, wondering where Iida was. He should have been back by now unless something had happened. Present Mic announced the final match-up to be Todoroki and Bakugou. Izuku had a bad feeling about this match. It wouldn't be like his, but it wouldn't end well. Shouto wouldn't use his fire, and Bakugou wouldn't like that, but the wounds Izuku reopened were too fresh. They had been festering and he had been unable to heal for too long. It would be a lot longer before he was comfortable using his flames in any capacity.

Todoroki aimed his attack, sending a wave of ice out, but Bakugou blasted his way out. Bakugou flipped over him, dodging more ice, and grabbing him by the hair and shoulder. He threw Todoroki, who caught himself with another ice wall, which he continued in Bakugou's direction. Bakugou effortlessly moved out of the way, aiming a blow for Shouto's chest, who grabbed his arm and threw him to the side. Bakugou caught himself on the ice, looking furious.

He pushed off at Shouto, who fell to the ground to avoid him. Bakugou got angrier, leaping at him again. His screaming could be heard from the stands.

"THERE'S NO POINT IN WINNING AGAINST SOME HALF-ASSED PUNK! THERE'S NO POINT IF I CAN'T DO BETTER THAN DEKU!! EITHER TRY TO WIN OR GET THE HELL OUT OF MY WAY! WHY ARE YOU HERE, YOU BASTARD?!"

He jumped, using his explosions to launch himself forward, pushing himself into a spiral. Izuku dashed to the railings, desperately shouting.

"TODOROKI! PLEASE DON"T GIVE UP!"

Flames flashed out of his left side, red and cool, and quickly flickered out. Bakugou gave out a massive explosion like he did in Uraraka's fight, breaking the ice wall. Todoroki lay on the the pile, unconscious for the second time. Bakugou raced up, grabbing him by the collar, angry and desperate. Midnight unnecessarily used her quirk to knock him out, and Izuku felt a curl of worry. The blond was declared the winner, Todoroki being out of bounds. They were carried away for healing and to wait for them to wake up. He was going to be angry when he woke up...

Chapter Text

Izuku was familiar with Bakugou's temper. He knew he would be upset at his win, would demand a rematch, but it would quickly calm down if he was given a moment or two. That wasn't what happened. No, instead, they threw a wrench in Bakugou's career, raising him on the first place platform for everyone to see, covered in chains, in a straight jacket, wearing a muzzle and quirk cancelling cuffs, enraged and struggling. Izuku was mortified and enraged alongside him. He would give every official he could find a piece of his mind. The places were announced, and Bakugou's muzzle removed to get his medal. He turned his head, trying to reject it, but All Might Simply tried to force it on him, ending up accidentally stuffing it in his mouth like a bridle. He couldn't even listen to the speech he gave. When they were dismissed, Izuku raced off to make good on his promise, hoping Iida was okay in the back of his mind. He was nearly banned from next year's sports festival. When they arrived back at the school, they were given the next day off to allow them to rest and receive internship offers.

Izuku was grabbed by his mother, who was shouting her congratulations as she dragged him inside their apartment.

"Izukuuu!!! You did so well, I'm so proud! I was so scared, watching those battles."

She sat him at the table, busying herself with starting dinner. He reached up to rub his shoulders.

"Sorry I worried you mom. I tried my best not to get hurt, but I did the most damage to myself. I'm glad you were watching though. I felt like I could win knowing you were at my back cheering me on."

She gave him a tearful smile as she started the rice maker. She still felt guilty over not supporting him like she felt she should have when he was younger. He got up, moving to chop the vegetables despite her protests, and spoke softly.

"Even if I didn't win, I was glad to know you were proud of me."

She froze, and turned to him with a searching gaze.

"I've always been proud of you Izuku. No matter what happened, I was proud of you. You've always been the strongest person I knew. You never gave up on your dreams despite setbacks. You never turned cruel despite the cruelty of others. You stood for what you believed in no matter who tried to push you down or how many times. You did it all by yourself, even though you didn't have to... I wish you had felt you could come to me... But I understand why you didn't, and that was my fault. I failed you. But I'll do everything I can to make it right. I promise."

Tears spilled down her round cheeks, and she clasped her hands over her chest. He pulled her into a hug, and they were quiet for a moment. Eventually they parted and she wiped her face. They went back to preparing dinner, the silence peaceful and happy. Dinner was simple, eggs over rice with a side of vegetables and sausages.

"You know, I passed out seven times while watching the festival, isn't that something? The last two were from dehydration."

"Mom, that's really worrying. Shouldn't you go to the doctor? What if there's something wrong?"

She waved him off.

"I'm fine, I took my medication. It was just so stressful! I was worried about you. And that quirk... It's so dangerous... I almost wish it was... No. I'm happy for you, Izuku. Just be more careful... Okay?"

He nodded, looking at his bandaged hands. He had worried a lot of people since he had joined Yuuei. His quirk destroyed his body when he used it wrong and he did it on purpose rather than build up how much he could use. He was being too impatient with himself. He just needed to work harder and slower. He needed to focus more on building himself up to handle his power. He turned back to his meal as he thought. Tomorrow would be a resting day to let himself recover, and figure out how to bring down Endeavor.

Izuku woke slowly, popping his joints. Everything hurt, but he was clear to remove his bandages. He looked at his scarred, bent fingers, and silently cursed himself. Luckily he had no nerve damage and retained their functions. He got ready for the day, checking on his program. He had 100 terabytes of information to go through. Maybe he should have put together some better filters. He spent most of his morning going through it all with a fine toothed comb, gathering and expanding on every useful bit of information. He finally stopped when his fingers were twitching in pain from typing. The sun shone brightly through his window. He stretched, his back popping like a string of firecrackers, and headed out. He wandered around town for a few hours before realizing he had made his way to the abandoned section. The gate had a sold sign on it, and a notice alerting that the whole 12 by 14 blocks had been bought out by a company called Specter Corps. He frowned. Security would likely be upped now, making his parkour training harder. He pulled out his phone and searched the name. The company had a few different specialties, but was most famous for the development of stealth gear for heroes.

He sent an email with his information, asking for a way to receive permits to traverse the area. It was time to stop trespassing it seemed. He turned back, and made his way to the park. He sat under his tree and pulled out his journal. He came to regret coming to the park. His notebook was pulled from his hands and he came face to face with unfortunately familiar faces. Akahana Akem and Chinatsu Bashira, two girls from his middle school who had been prominent bullies. Akahana's quirk was the ability to turn her hair into pliable crystal strands and weave them together. After around 15 minutes, they would harden into whatever she made, but she had to be careful because they easily formed sharp edges. The better she maintained her hair, the higher quality the crystals. Chinatsu's was the ability to communicate with insects, similar to Kouda's Anivoice, communication with animals, but restricted to bugs alone. He felt nervousness flare up. They were sneering, holding his book high.

"Well well well! If it isn't Worthless Quirkless Deku!"

"What are you doing at the king's park? You know he doesn't like you hanging around here."

He couldn't believe they still called Bakugou 'The King' from his future hero name, King Explosion Murder. The duo snickered.

"I don't know how you got into Yuuei, you probably cheated or something."

"Have you seen the principal? He's like a rat or something. I bet Deku did something for him to get in. Huh, Deku? What, did you have sex with him or something? Suck his hairy rat dick?"

"Ewww! That's so gross Bash!"

"Yeah, it is. Bet it's-"

He used their distraction to stand up and take his notebook back, putting it away. He glared at them in disgust.

"I got into Yuuei on my own merit, like you two couldn't. The career counselor mentioned you two in particular when he congratulated Kacchan and I. Two of the lowest possible grades on both the written and physical? And how dare you imply something so disgusting about Principal Nedzu. He's a good man, and a great teacher. You both are disgusting, awful people, who need to mind their own business. This is pathetic."

They stared at him in shock before their faces twisted in anger. Chinatsu's voice was high pitched and rough as she shouted at him.

"So Worthless Quirkless Deku has a spine now! That just won't do. You need to be taught your place again. Just because you're in Yuuei doesn't mean anything. You'll always be the lowest, with us standing leagues above you and all other quirkless freaks."

Akahana whipped out a hand, and he felt a stinging sensation on his cheek, but he didn't even flinch. In her hand was several strands of crystal. He felt blood drip from his chin as he gave her a distasteful look.

"A couple bullies don't scare me anymore. I've faced real villains now, and you're nothing. I've met people better than me, you're not among them. You two need to grow up. Leave me alone."

He turned to leave, and heard a shriek of anger. He dodged Chinatsu trying to tackle him, but Akahana caught him. He fell, and she wrapped a few long strands of crystal around his neck when he pinned under her. He reached up and shoved her off. She went to jump at him again as he stood, but was grabbed by the arm. He carefully unwound the strands, nicking his fingers. The collar of his shirt was dotted with red. He blinked in surprise at seeing Present Mic holding the girls back by their arms.

"What is going on here?"

The girls looked between each other and back at him.

"We were showing this quirkless freak his place."

His jaw dropped in disgust, nose wrinkling, and he gathered their wrists in one hand. He pulled his phone out, making a call.

"Hey, I need a cop to come pick up two aggressive criminals at Musutafu public park. Two teenage girls who attacked and injured a civilian in a hate crime and have been apprehended. I will be on scene waiting for arrival. The civilian has a few minor cuts on the face and neck, probably some bruising, but nothing serious. Yeah, got it. Thanks."

He hung up, redirecting his attention to the girls, and pulled out the quirk cancelling cuffs all heroes carried. The two began to try to twist out of his grip.

"What the heck?! Let us go, we didn't do anything wrong!"

He cuffed them and began leading them to the park entrance.

"Assaulting a civilian, public quirk use without a licence, committing a hate crime, need I go on?"

They argued with him for another moment before he silenced them with a look, sitting them on a bench. He turned to Midoriya, signature smile in place.

"Hey, little listener! Gee, you just keep getting in rough spots. I saw what happened but the police will still need a statement from you. Well don't worry. Let's get those cuts bandaged up and wait for the cops to get here, huh?"

"Thanks, Present Mic-sensei... Sorry to have caused you trouble."

"Nah, kiddo! It's my job to protect people. You included. I'm just glad you didn't use your quirk on them. As a hero course student, you guys are held to a stricter standard than most civilians, although you probably wouldn't have faced repercussions since they attacked first. There, all patched up. You need anything else?"

"No, thank you again..."

The pro clapped him on the shoulder, and the two began to talk. Izuku's phone buzzed after a while to alert him to an email. Specter Corps. had gotten back to him about the permits and had apparently already approved him to receive them. They only needed some more information to fill them out and he would be mailed them at the earliest convenience. He filled out the forms and sent them back, happy. It had been a roller coaster day. He gave his statements to the police when he arrived, spelling out the situation. Eventually he was released, and headed home. So much for resting. He called his mom on his way to inform her of what happened, and got home in time for dinner. He was happy to collapse into bed that night, tired as usual. Hopefully school the next day would be fine.

Chapter Text

When Izuku woke up, he knew today would not be fine. There was a heaviness to his limbs he rarely felt anymore, and the world seemed washed out. A weary sigh slipped from his mouth as he dragged himself up to work out. His morning routine seemed to drag on longer than usual, and looking in the mirror sent him nearly reeling. He saw his body, and couldn't help but think of his classmates, or pros he had observed, so much stronger than him, their shapes nowhere close to as skinny and lean as him. His muscles could be so much more. He could be so much more. He needed to work harder. He added more weight to his barbells for the morning, lifting until his arms shook and threatened to drop it on his chest. He ran for an extra three blocks to push himself. His shower seemed to take hours and seconds as he drifted into a haze. Today would not be fine.

He sighed as he pulled out his phone on the train, going through his information. He was drawn away from the screen by a man's voice.

"Young man. Young man? You're Midoriya, from Yuuei's hero course, right? Great job in the sports festival! You got really close!"

Other train occupants turned to see him, calling out praises and compliments, and he became a stuttering mess. He made idle chat as best he could, tired as he was. He wished everyone would just leave him alone. This was the price of being a popular hero though. He would have to get used to it if he was going to be number 1, or even in the top 10. It was kind of nice to have made an impact though. To hear people acknowledging his hard work. The weight on his shoulders increased with every moment spent talking, and he was glad to finally get off the train at his stop. He unfolded his umbrella and headed off on his way. As the gate came into view, he heard hurried steps behind him.

"This is no time for a leisurely stroll! We're going to be late, good morning Midoriya!"

Iida passed by, not holding an umbrella, but wearing boots and a rain jacket. He picked up his pace in response, ignoring the aches it stirred.

"We still have time before the bell though...?"

"Yuuei students should arrive at least ten minutes before the bell rings!"

They were silent, Izuku finding he could almost keep up. Iida was probably slowing down for him. They entered the school, quickly switching out their shoes and gathering their belongings.

"I'm sure you've heard the news, but you don't need to worry about my brother. My apologies for any undue worry for us."

He left before Izuku could say anything to him. He watched the retreating back and felt a stab in his chest. Iida's fire was low and dim, but flickering wildly with suppressed anger and grief. Izuku didn't know what to say to help him... Another shortcoming of his. He never knew what to do when it truly mattered. As he entered the classroom he heard his classmates talking about their own morning commutes. He wasn't the only one accosted it seemed. He scratched at the edge of the bandages around his neck. Everyone seemed excited.

Suddenly the room fell quiet and everyone was in their seats in an instant as Aizawa-sensei entered the room. Izuku was relieved to see the man was no longer coated head to toe in his own bandages. He let the scene fall out of focus, flinching as the room suddenly erupted into cheers. Aizawa had a flicker of amusement in his eyes despite his annoyed expression as he waited for the class to calm down.

"Before that, though, we need to go over the draft picks I mentioned before the festival. As you remember, these are internships under pro heroes who would like you to work with them. Think of it like them investing in your future careers. But there's time for that interest to fade. It's often that these internships are revoked, and can be for any and all reasons. There's usually a decent spread of draft picks... But as you can see, the top two stole the spotlight."

On a screen at the front, the draft picks were displayed. Bakugou and Todoroki both had well over 3,000. Everyone else had less than four hundred. The two were congratulated among the complaints. He saw he hadn't received a single draft pick and felt the harsh sting of disappointment, but he wasn't surprised. He had barely used his quirk, and when he had shown off, he nearly destroyed the stadium, his opponent, and his hands. Of course they didn't want him. They'd have to be crazy if they did. He was glad to see Shinsou had gotten a few picks, having shown off his quirk a bit and garnering some attention and praise for it's usefulness. Izuku was just some glow-y kid who breaks his bones and breaks everything around him.

"You've all experience more than first years usually would, or should, but working with pros will be worthwhile."

"That's where our hero names come in!"

Oh, so that's what everyone was cheering about. They were supposed to pick their hero names. No wonder everyone was so excited. Soon enough, it became a blur again as Midnight entered. A name would begin to cement who he was as a hero, tell people who he wanted to be, tell himself who he wanted to be. It needed to be something that people would hear and think 'I'm saved'... He stared at the board while everyone announced their names. He couldn't use any of the names he picked as a kid like Asui did now that he's met All Might, inherited his power, and trained under him for nearly a year now. The gap is too massive to use the name of his hero like Kirishima for the same reasons. That and All Might wanted him to be his own hero, bound together by their power and kinship, but separate people.

Izuku didn't know if it was his masochism or his friends, but he knew exactly what to write. He stood and silently made his way to the front of the room. Everyone went silent as he slammed the edge down on the podium.

"Are you sure about that Midoriya?..."

"Yeah. This name used to be something that brought me a lot of pain. It was used as a weapon to knock me back ten step every time I took one forward. But then someone helped me, and I came to see it in a new light. I want to use it fight my way forward passed every obstacle. This will be my name."

He dragged a smile onto his face, proud of his decision. Uraraka looked seconds away from cheering, Shinsou looked worried, Bakugou looked ready to kick his ass, Iida was staring pensively at his board. The rest of the class simply nodded it away. Midnight sent him back to his seat, taking his board. He pulled out his notebook, marking down everyone's current hero names in their profiles.  When naming was done, Aizawa-sensei took over class again, revealing that those not drafted had a list of agencies willing to accept interns. They each received a list of forty agencies, each one with their own pros and cons. Each had a specialty of their own, and that combined with their incidents-since-debut reports would tell him about their hero persona, but what they do out of costume was what kind of person they were, which he felt was more important in the long run. They had an entire two days to decide their internships, so he could research fairly intensely.

He was dimly aware of his classmates discussing their own internships as he pulled out his phone and laptop to search and cross reference. Uraraka approached him, excited.

"Hey Deku, I figured out who I'll be interning under! I'm going for Gunhead! The Battle Hero!"

"Him? He would be a good choice... I had thought you would go for 13-sensei though."

"I'm glad you think so! My fight against Bakugou had me thinking, getting strong is going to open doors for me, and sticking to the same stuff will limit me a lot. Like Aizawa-sensei said, no hero is a one trick pony. I can't be either or I won't make it."

Kaminari stood beside her, rubbing the fading mark of a deep scratch on his cheek.

"Yeah, we should definitely keep that in mind. We saw it first-hand. We gotta make sure we're ready! So maybe..."

The boy turned back to the list, grinning confidently, and circled his choice.

"Thanks for the help guys!"

With that, everyone seemed to look at their lists with new faces. Izuku frowned at the paper in frustration. So far, none of the heroes on the list had anything he was looking for, but they were all valuable heroes. Maybe this would be harder than he thought...

It was a slow day, seemingly dragging on for hours when a glance at the clock revealed it was mere minutes, or worse, seconds. Finally it was lunch, and he could sit... Shit, he has friends now. As much as he loved spending time with them, and having friends, he needed some time to himself... A tap on his shoulder brought his attention to Aizawa. The teacher motioned for him to follow, and started walking away. He waved to the group, obediently trailing behind. They ended up in an empty faculty room, Izuku sat at the table with a bento in front of him. Aizawa hung something on the door, and crawled into his sleeping bag. The relief that flooded Izuku lifted some of the weight from him, and he eagerly started on the meal. When lunch was over, the two left, Izuku sending a grateful smile the teacher's way as they parted. The day seemed less hazy and slow after that...

At the end of the day, All Might pulled him aside as he opened the classroom door. 

"I A-A-AM HERE! Y-YOUNG MIDORIYA! Come with me, we must discuss something!"

All Might waved to the class, shooting a smile as they noticed him.

"Why are you so jumpy?..."

Izuku felt his nerves twist into knots. He knew All Might felt fear like any man, but for it to throw him off so visibly? After nearly thirty years as a pro perfecting his persona? It was something big. The man was practically sweating bullets as he lead him away.

"You received a last minute draft! His name is Gran Torino! He was a teacher here at Yuuei for just one year. He was my homeroom teacher..."

!!!!!

"He knows about OFA, which may be why he reached out to you."

Izuku couldn't stop the excitement bubbling in his chest despite his mood. This was All Might's homeroom teacher after all.

"Wow, someone like that... So that means there's someone in the loop you also didn't mention."

All Might was trembling where he stood, mumbling to himself. His leg started to jitter and he smacked it to make it stop. Geez, how scary is this guy? The pro wouldn't look at him. This guy had traumatized All Might...

"A-Anyway... It's really my duty t-to train you... But he's gone a bit of trouble so... I'd like to recommend you take his offer..."

He held out a slip of paper, which held the draft request on it. He pocketed it to fill out his internship later.  With this, he could focus on taking Endeavor down a few pegs.

"Thanks All Might, I will! I'll see you soon, okay?"

With that, the two split away, and he headed for the doors. He was surprised to see Shinsou waiting for him. Uraraka had texted him that she needed to get to the station early as she was taking a different train today, and Iida had left separate from the group. He smiled at the purple haired boy, and they headed out.

"So, you gonna be swinging by tonight?"

"Yeah, I planned on it. I got my permits to be in the Dark Blocks so I'm going to go practice there for a few hours. Why?"

"Because I was kinda hoping to hang out for a bit, there's a really nice park I go to sometimes after work where I just stargaze with my mom or my aunt or whoever picks me up. I wanted to invite you to tag along."

Izuku felt warmth color his cheeks and offered a small smile as excitement welled in his chest.

"Sure, that sounds great. I'll see you tonight then."

Shinsou headed to his after school lessons and Izuku left for the station, both unaware of the coming storm.

Chapter Text

Izuku finished his stretches, putting on his gear for the night. A dark green hoodie and black pants, with reflective tape stretched over them in case of vehicles. His mouth and nose were covered by a fabric mask with a rabbit snout on it, eyes concealed behind sunglasses. He headed out, smiling at the sunset, and made his way to the abandoned blocks. He made sure he had his permits secured in his pocket and unlocked the gate. He scaled the closest building and set off. He grinned at the air rushing by him. He always felt so free when he parkour'd, music dimly playing in his ears from his headphones, leaping and bounding across the blocks. After a few hours he sat on the edge of a roof, head upturned to look at they sky. He felt giddy when he remembered he was going to hang out with Shinsou and stargaze later. He stood, turning up his music, and began to sway his hips to the beat.

His head bobbed, and he started to bounce. Soon he was jumping around the roof, laughing quietly as he danced. He felt good. He didn't have to worry about being judged or attacked here. He sat back down after a few songs. He pulled his bento out of his bag. Snack time was upon him, and he was eager to see what his mother packed this time. Inside was a recipe they had found pretty recently, cabbage rolls, with a side of pickles, rice, and a fried egg. He tucked in, savoring it. He turned, tensing at the sound of footsteps, but relaxed at the familiar form of Eraserhead. He pulled out his permit folder and set the food aside and pulling up his mask. The man reached him.

"Not gonna run this time?"

He shook his head, brushing himself off as he stood.

"No, sorry. I didn't recognize you last time and obviously I'm going to run from a dark figure chasing me at night. I realized who you were later."

He sighed, looking a little frustrated.

"Alright. Look kid, this is private property. You need to leave."

He held out the folder, sitting on the raised roof edge.

"I have permits to be here all hours. Got them a bit ago."

Eraserhead examined them critically before handing them back. He held the air of professionalism, but the aggression was gone.

"Everything seems to check out. Sorry to bother you."

"Would you like a cabbage roll for the road? My mom packed me three, but I could only eat two. I'd rather not risk wasting it in case I forget to eat it later."

He seemed to pause at the offer, looking him over. Izuku could feel his suspicion. In response, he merely held up the bento. He had packed away everything but the last roll, which honestly he had room for, but he hated odd numbers. They rubbed him wrong in a way he couldn't explain. He brightened when the older man took it, and put the box away in his bag. He turned, watching the city lights not far off. He relaxed and let his eyes unfocus, hearing the pro breath behind him. Eventually, the boy stood and grabbed his bag.

"Well, I guess I better head off. Gotta be home before 12. See ya around!"

He waved without looking, leaping over to the next roof and setting off towards the gate he entered through. He exited, taking off the glasses and mask and stowing them away. He switched out his green hoodie for a dark blue one, and set off for the cafe. He arrived as Shinsou was finishing his order, and payed. He smiled, receiving one in kind, and watched him set about cleaning again. He finished up, and they left to sit outside.

"Hey, what this thing on your back?"

"Hm? Oh, I forgot that was there. It's the polyamory pride flag."

Shinsou made a noise of confusion. Izuku bit down on his growing fear, smiling patiently. Shinsou was his friend, and had been for a while, this probably wouldn't be an issue. If it was, he hoped their friendship was strong enough for him to change his mind...

"What's polya- Polyamory?"

"Polyamory is loving multiple people in a romantic fashion. Poly means multiple or many, amory means love. It doesn't mean polyamorous people are cheaters, or that they love particular people more than others, it just means they can fall in love with multiple people. I figured out I was poly in middle school pretty quick after I realized I was pansexual."

"But how would that work as a relationship?"

"Well, poly relationships consisting of more than two people can be different things. It can be one person dating multiple people, or it can be multiple people dating each other, it can be whole complicated webs or simply a triad, three people in love and dating, or even just an open relationship can sometimes be considered poly."

"But how is that not cheating?"

He sighed softly, cracking his neck. Setting his coffee down, he straightened up for a more serious conversation.

"The difference is consent. In a polyamorous relationship, all parties are aware and consenting to the relationship. They know who each member is and consent to them being added to the group, and everyone being added is aware and consenting before they join. I've never personally been part of one, I've never dated at all, but I've studied the experiences of those who have. They can be difficult to maintain and require a lot of effort and communication. But the successful ones... I think they're beautiful. This network of people in love all supporting everyone in their own ways... Helping and caring and so much more. It feels so right to me. Like it's just a fact that I am like the sun rises in the east or plants need water. Monogamy isn't wrong or repulsive though. It's beautiful in it's own ways and if I loved someone enough I could stick to them alone, but it wouldn't stop me from falling in love with other people. I would certainly come clean about it though, because my partner would deserve to know, and if they couldn't handle it, then it wasn't meant to be. It certainly would hurt though..."

Shinsou nodded along, a contemplative look on his face. His purple eyes drifted along the table.

"So it's normal then... I thought I was just weird."

Izuku perked up more, studying his best friend.

"Yes, It absolutely is. There's nothing wrong with it either."

He seemed relieved as an easy smile came over his face. A sleek car approached the sidewalk. It was a dark red, almost black. It was clearly a sports model, something expensive. A microphone was painted on the trunk. It looked incredible. He couldn't imagine how much it cost to buy let alone maintain. Shinsou's driver for the night was someone important.

"That's our ride."

Shinsou stood, Izuku trailing behind this time. Shinsou was conversing with the driver before turning to motion him into the back.

"Get in, Yamada agreed to give us a ride to the park."

Yamada, that explained it. Yamada Hizashi, the voice hero, with three jobs not counting his off-and-on modeling career. He nodded and slipped in. There was a giddy sensation, but he was pretty tired. And Yamada probably wouldn't appreciate a nerd-out session over him in his car. The seats were soft leather that felt like heaven to his sore limbs. He sighed with relief, taking in the sensation.

"Thank you, Mr. Yamada..."

"No problem little listener! My baby's a nice car, huh?"

He nodded, offering Present Mic a smile.

"Yes. The seating is great. It's been a while since I've felt this comfortable sitting. It usually hurts more..."

He trailed off, realizing he had said too much. The blond man looked concerned.

"Sorry, I forgot you probably don't know. It's nothing to worry about, promise."

The car started moving.

"Well, what did you mean it hurts?"

He shifted under the scrutiny, still unused to adults worrying about him, and the guilt of making someone worry. He didn't like it. Present Mic could be worrying about something more important, like pretty much everything.

"I just get sore really easily, the doctor thinks it's the strain my quirk puts on my body. Now that I'm getting stronger it isn't as bad as it was before because there's less strain."

The pro nodded at that, still looking a little concerned, but mollified for now. Shinsou reached over and turned on the radio. It turned to a a song he recognized, head bobbing to the beat. It was a pretty old song in English, so he was surprised to hear it. Lund's broken was one of the first English songs he had learned to sing. He saw Hizashi glance at him and the radio a few times. He probably wanted to change the song.

"You see anything interesting today, Shinsou?"

"Yeah, we had a tourist from come in today, he had some awesome tattoos. He said it was something called sick-cat-zation or something. It's got something to do with cuts and forming scar tissue in patterns. It looked really cool but it sounded painful. He said it was a historical thing for his family. Then he ordered our largest cup filled with as much espresso as we could put in it and paid exact change, but he gave me 40,000 yen for having an 'unreasonable order' and causing me trouble. He put in this cute little envelope with flowers and a bow." He pulled it out to show them. "I didn't know how to turn him down, so I took it. He then left, telling me 'One’s birth and blood are irrelevant. It is what one does with the gift of life and ability which signifies who you are.' unprompted. I watched him walk out the door, but someone passed in front of him and he was gone. So either he used some sort of warp quirk or I met a spirit."

Hizashi laughed, grinning.

"Oh man, that's cool! I wish I'd been there. Conversations with crazy people are always fun. What about you, Midoriya? Got any stories?"

He thought for a moment. He didn't have many stories of interactions because he generally doesn't seek out interactions anymore. He did have a story though...

"Well, I went to summer school once. It was something a museum was hosting for kids struggling certain school subjects, and I was awful at math. About five weeks in they had a sleep-in event where kids were invited to spend the night at the museum. We were in the planetarium. At... I wanna say 11:00 or so? I got up for some reason. I wandered into a room where a woman in a grey dress was singing. When she saw me, she said 'Children should be asleep, but one is awake. You must be looking for the stars. Don't worry, there's one in your heart. You just have to look hard enough to find it. You will one day, unlike most people. Now off to bed.' and she gave me a marble. I still have it in my room. It's really cool."

They nodded. After that, they dissolved into mindless chatter to the tune of the radio. It was nice to listen to them chatter quietly together. Izuku watched the city drift by as they got closer to the park, relaxing in the calm atmosphere. When they arrived, Hizashi pulled a blanket from the truck, and they headed for a hill. They sat together, watching the stars above them. Shinsou sat beside him, Hizashi on the opposite corner, hair down and brushing his hands as he leaned back. Izuku smiled, pointing out constellations. Shinsou listened closely as he spoke, telling him the stories of each image, taking and giving warmth in equal measure in the cool night. Shinsou laughed as he told one of the funnier legends. He turned to say something else and found himself fading out. Shinsou practically glowed in the moonlight, purple eyes shining as he looked to the sky. The wind ruffled his gravity defying hair. Izuku felt something soft curl up in his chest beside the ever present fire, a kitten before the hearth, and blood dyed his cheeks. Movement flickered in the corner of his eye, and he turned to see Present Mic watching him.

He had a soft smile on his face as he stared. Izuku let his face drop, looking away. As much as he wanted to, this was something he had given up when he decided to be a hero, and twice over when he accepted One For All. He glanced at Shinsou, before going back to the stars. Shinsou hadn't seemed to notice anything amiss. An alarm on Hizashi's phone phone went off, and they packed up. Shinsou was dropped off at his house.

"Midoriya, come sit up front."

He followed the command, biting the inside of his cheek.

"So... You like Shinsou?"

He nodded and picked at his sleeve hem.

"So why did you look like someone just shot your puppy tonight? Is something wrong?"

He squinted at his fingers, mouth drawn into a frown as he contemplated.

"No, nothing's wrong it's just... Relationships like that are... no longer an option."

"What do you mean, little listener?"

"I made a choice a long time ago. A choice to be a part of something good, something important, and I'm glad I did. I wouldn't change my mind for anything. But there are things I can't have anymore because of it. Romance is one of them. As much as I want to, I can't."

He glanced up to see the blond looking concerned. He put a hand on the teens shoulder, looking him over.

"Are you involved in something dangerous?"

He gnawed on his lip for a moment.

"Yes. It's dangerous, but not much more than being a hero is. It's not like I'm alone in my involvement either. I have someone to protect me if anything happens. I just... can't let someone get too close because it would be a safety risk. A security risk. If the wrong person gets in and talks about-... what I'm part of now, it could get me hurt. It could get someone I care a lot about hurt. Because I can't let someone get that close, that I can't trust them with that part of my life for both our safeties, it wouldn't be fair to them. If someone found out and used them to get to me, I... It's not something I could live with. So it's just easier to never let it get to that point."

He thought to the fact the Sir Nighteye and All Might don't speak because of their disagreement on his future and successor.

"Besides, I know what happened last time someone got that close. It ended on bad terms and neither person has recovered from the pain. I don't want to put someone through that. I care too much about Shinsou to hurt him like that. It just proves the right decisions are usually the hardest..."

He stared at the red of his sneakers, trying to lose himself in the color. Mic was silent beside him. Then, he was pulled into a tight hug. He was held by the shoulders and forced to look into vibrant green eyes with golden rings nearly hypnotizing him.

"Midoriya, whatever your part of, it sounds... bad for you. I'm not disputing whether it's good or not, but it's putting stress and decisions no one, let alone a teenager, should have to make. I get the feeling I can't do anything about that. But there are people you can trust. People you can turn to for help. I hope you learn to see them. I'm sorry you feel like there aren't. You aren't alone, and you never will be. Promise."

Izuku was trembling as tears raced down his cheeks, hiccuping silently. He wiped his face, struggling to force the sobs down. Hizashi hugged him again, and Izuku clung to his jacket, the leather feeling soft in his grip. They parted.

"I should get home... Mom will worry."

Yamada nodded, and they sped off to his apartment complex. They arrived, and Izuku took a moment to collect himself.

"Thanks for the ride... And thank you..."

He left before the man could respond and headed up the stairs to the apartment, and silently slipped into his room.

Chapter Text

The next two days passed quickly with him avoiding being alone with Aizawa-sensei or Mic-sensei and trying not to pine after Shinsou. They seemed worried, but neither called him out on what he had told the voice hero. Soon, they were being bused out to the subway to go to their respective internships. His classmates were all trying to find the appropriate trains, and Izuku saw Iida heading off. He had rarely spoken to anyone since the attack of his brother, Ingenium. He approached him from behind.

"Iida!"

The somber teen turned as Uraraka and Shinsou moved to flank him on either side, worried in their own rights. Izuku studied his face, seeing grim determination and barely held rage. His fire was leaping angrily like a cage animal being poked. He was headed to Manual's agency at Hosu city. Izuku didn't know what to say to him, because he didn't know what was going through his head.

"If it ever gets too much... We're all here for you. You matter to us, and we're ready to do whatever you need to help."

There was an almost cold look in his steely eyes as he smiled at Izuku. His fire was still out of control, sending a shiver of fear up Izuku's spine.

"Sure."

He turned without a goodbye and boarded his train. Izuku shared a look with his friends before they said their farewells and separated. It was a long ride, the boy restless. Something bad was going to happen. He was sure of it. He exited the train nearly an hour later. He walked slowly, his costume case hanging from one hand. Whoever Gran Torino is, he terrified All Might. He had to be someone interesting. Izuku checked the address he was given, watching for the building. He felt a wave of confusion as he came to a decrepit building. He went to knock, but stopped in silent giggles as his music changed, the lyrics 'Don't go in there, you'll become one' nearly making him burst into laughter as he turned it off. He knocked, the door creaking open when his knuckles met the surface. This had to be the wrong place. He slowly entered with his guard up, ready to defend himself.

"Hello? I'm here about the internship?... Is anyone-! O-Oh god...!"

Lying on the floor was an old man in a splatter of red, a fleshy pink trail looping under his abdomen. The fire in his chest was burning bright, but Izuku felt the wave of panic rising faster than he could stop it. Nightmares flickered behind his eyes. Tsuyu with half her head decayed floating in the water. Aizawa-sensei pinned under the Noumu with his skull split open, blood pouring from his wounds, arms at odd angles. Shinsou battered and ripped in half by the villains in the lake. Uraraka lying on the ground, bruised and broken necked. Kacchan being murdered by a villain he couldn't see. All Might's bluff failing-... He shook it off, clinging to the pain of his bit lip to ground himself. Instead of the scent of blood, he smelled... Ketchup. The fleshy trail his mind had confused for intestines was a rope of sausage links. The flame in the man's torso was strong, he had years left and he was uninjured. Izuku wiped his cheeks, stepping forward.

"S-Sir, are you c-c-conscious?"

"I'M ALIVE!"

He managed not to jump as the man looked up, reaching over for the walking stick on the floor beside him. Izuku glanced at the fire again, checking it for his state. He was perfectly healthy as far as his fire could tell him.

"I tripped carrying my lunch, how silly of me! Who are you?"

"I'm Midoriya Izuku, I'm here to see Gran Torino about an internship?"

"Hah?"

Izuku moved closer, speaking up louder.

"I'm from Yuuei academy, my name is Midoriya Izuku! I'm here about an internship!"

"Hah? Who are you?"

The man sent him an uncomprehending look. A third glance at his fire revealed nothing. Apparently he was poorly faking senility for some reason. His leg slipped out from underneath him and he sat in the ketchup with a squelching noise. Izuku didn't know why he was wasting time like this and it was irritating.

"I'd like to eat lunch... Toshinori!"

The man whipped to face him, seeing the unimpressed look on his face.

"I know your faking. It's part of my abilities. And that wasn't a very good prank. I nearly fell into a PTSD attack and I only didn't because I accidentally bit my lip and distracted myself. If you aren't going to take this seriously, I'll just call Aizawa-sensei and tell him the internship wasn't working out, so I need to go back. I don't have time to waste on games."

The man harrumphed, empty smile dropping into a disappointed frown. He opened Izuku's costume case.

"Alright, alright. You're no fun. Nice costume kid, put it on and fire off an attack. I want to see your control of One For All."

Izuku nodded, taking the costume into a separate room to change. When he came back, the man was braced above the doorway, looking smug.

"That justice obsessed fool is a novice when it comes to teaching. The way you used your quirk in the sports festival only proves it, destroying yourself and losing. He can't do it properly, so now I gotta do it. Shall we begin?"

Izuku realized something. Gran Torino had the same way of acting dopier than he was to trick people. They even talked the same. He was All Might's teacher through and through. Izuku took a ready stance, casting him a determined look towards the pro, and suddenly there was the sound of rushing air. He froze in shock, hearing thuds around him, and then there was a foot slamming into his left hip. He groaned in pain, stumbling. He should have researched this guy...

"Fire off an attack! Come on, boy!"

"I thought you just wanted a demonstration, not a fight!"

Izuku needed to distract him for a moment, think over what he had seen so far. He wasn't listening as he spoke, trying to focus. He had an air based quirk, based on the whistling sound when he jumped. Torino jumped off his destroyed microwave, and Izuku watched his hands. He positioned them for balance rather than propulsion like Kacchan would. He felt two fists land in the small of his back, sending him forward. So his quirk wasn't in his hands... He watched, and found he could see the fire in Torino without looking for it. Upper left corner, right wall, back wall, front wall, headed for him...!

He activated his quirks, the symbols of his costume lighting up as he dodged. Torino went flying by, trying to grab Izuku as he moved away. He dodged, then flared up as Torino got too close, blinding him. Izuku grabbed him, pushing him to be face down on the floor. One leg pressed into the backs of his knees, the other with the knee pressed into his elbow, trapping his arm. He pressed his own elbow into the back of his neck, and his hands held the other arm, one hand around his wrist, the other on his elbow. Torino struggled for a moment to get up, only stopping as Izuku pressed harder on his neck, point digging between his vertebrae.

"Alright, kid. You win. Get off me."

Izuku carefully shifted off him, not wanting to hurt him more. He kept a ready stance though. Aizawa would sometimes strike out even after a sparring match to test their guard and reflexes. That and years of torment had left Izuku paranoid of unexpected attacks. Torino looked at him.

"Looks like I was wrong about you. You're smart, although you lack self-preservation. If you could have done that earlier, why didn't you? Need to charge or something?"

"I realized something during the fight, an ability I didn't know I had before. I needed a moment to think about it, in combination with analyzing your movement and quirk."

"Hmph... Well, you did well today. But you're using your quirk and One For All as if they're different. It's slowing you down, making you stiff. You treat it like it's unique. That idol-worship you have for All Might? Shackles holding you back. You said you don't have time, and you're right, time ain't on your side. Your enemies won't wait for you to learn and get stronger."

He turned, headed for the door with his cane back in his hand.

"So what do I need to do?"

He looked over his shoulder without stopping as he left.

"I can't tell you that. A teacher's job is to tell a student where to look for an answer and if they found it, not give it to you on a silver platter. I'm going to get food, clean up while I'm out."

Izuku groaned softly as the door closed. He headed for the kitchen to sweep up the remains of the microwave. Gran Torino's words were running circles in his head. Using his quirks as if they're separate... But they are. One For All and his other quirk were different on a fundamental level. In the way they worked, the way they acted, even the way they felt.  Something about his quirk was too different for it to mesh with OFA the way Gran Torino seemed to imply it could. He finished throwing away the glass, lifting the mangled metal and taking it outside. He dumped it in the alleyway dumpster and headed back in. Too stiff, what could that mean? He was too stiff so he needed to loosen up? He contemplated it, thinking of how quirks similar to his worked, and it struck like lightning. He rushed to grab his notebook.

He had been thinking of his quirks like something separate from himself, but that was all wrong! He couldn't believe he had been thinking so wrong after all his time watching others and even saying it himself. Quirks were an extension of oneself like an arm or a leg. Maybe he should look into ninjutsu or weapons training to learn more about creating those extensions...

Hours later, when all that remained of the fight was the dents in the ceiling and walls, Gran Torino marched in bearing bags of groceries. The old man seemed surprised to find Izuku had also swept, mopped, and even cleared out the broken glass in the windows in every room.

"Heck, kid, you don't go half way, do you? Well, let's get this put away and have dinner. I got take-out."

They settled into a tense meal, neither talking. Torino glanced at him every now and then to see him as on edge as ever. Izuku couldn't find fault in this. This wasn't a safe place in neighborhood, company, or health. They finished and Izuku cleared the mess. Torino led him to a bedroom, clearing a space on the floor for a futon and taking the bed. Izuku started on his exercises as quietly as he could, then took his medicines and relaxer strips. He had switched out peppermint for eucalyptus, finding it less harsh on his nose, but he was considering lavender for a better smell. When he was sure Torino was asleep, he exited the room. When he had tried to research the old man, he had found almost nothing. He had an non-outstanding hero career, had been a teacher at Yuuei for one year, other than that he was a mystery.

Torino had only observed him today, not teaching him anything about heroics or how the hero world worked. Nothing about the law. He went outside, calling on his quirks again. For his classmates, their quirks came as naturally as blinking, but he thought of his quirk as being 'on' or 'off' like a light bulb. So he had to get used to them. He decided to focus on One For All first, only able to handle about 15% of it's power. He looked up, pulling on only 7%. He just needed to kick of the walls and reach the roof. He felt it spread through his body, and jumped. He hit the wall, and went to jump off, only to find his body not turning fast enough. Instead of kicking off the wall he slipped and fell to the ground. He landed in a crouch, remembering his parkour training. He pulled out his phone and searched. There.

He watched the wall climbing tutorial closely, seeing an example of wall to wall jumping. He put it away, looking at the buildings above him. He'd just have to keep trying until he got it right.

It had been 7 o'clock when Izuku started. When he finally reached the rooftop, it was 10:30. He was exhausted, and wanted to go to bed, but he couldn't. He still had something to figure out. With that in mind, he sat on the roof in the lotus pose and activated both his quirks at the same time. He pulled as much of OFA as he dared, feeling his body strain under it. He let the world fall away and moved within. He had never meditated with his quirks, and suddenly it was like nothing he had ever experienced before. Where there had been the inner peace and calm without them, suddenly he was falling into the depths of his being. When he opened his eyes he was sitting in an endless void. He looked around, and turned to look at himself. His body was the same see-through green shape as when he left his body, but it was laced with the glow of OFA. He looked around again, and pushed his hands into the dark.

The void burst into light spreading from him and he grinned. Stars burst into life in the distance, a galaxy with him at the center. Slowly, he became aware of the feeling of other presences. He turned and searched, finding the dim flickers of dying embers in shadowy figures laced with familiar colors. He felt a rush of fear. Who could the figures before him be? He was supposed to be in his own head, so there shouldn't be anyone here. He watched them for a moment, hearing whispers coming from them. His eyes traced the colors. Could... Could they be connected through OFA? He counted them, finding eight phantoms, one of which seemed less solid, but with a brighter fire. They had to be his predecessors, with the last being Yagi-san. He looked at them curiously, fear fading away.

He reached further into OFA, trying to reach them. Sure enough, as he strengthened his connection to the quirk, the figures became more distinct, but he felt his body starting to give under it, and pulled away. He focused on himself once more, leaving the thought for another time. He recentered himself and felt his quirks over. He raised his hands to his chest as he felt a pulling sensation in it. In his palms spilled a blinding light. He tried to calm his breathing as he looked at it. He was looking at something that stripped his mind of thought, leaving him in awe of what he held. This was the culmination of his being, everything he had ever been or will be, and he brushed it with his fingers. He felt a wave of warmth through him, and he pushed it back into his chest. It slotted back into place easily but something was different. He was aware of it's position in his chest. He pulled on it and found threads of flame spreading though him faster. His wisps of power seemed more solid now, and he felt more himself than he had in his entire life.

He took a deep breath, sitting back down. He measured his breathing and let himself become aware of the stone beneath him. He felt the chill of the night air on his skin. Crickets and night birds chirping in the dark. The light of the void faded into the shadows of night, and he came back to the world. He yawned in exhaustion, and checked the time. 1 am. Was sleep even worth it at this point? Yes, yes it was. With that final thought, he headed indoors to do his final stretches. As tired as he was, he didn't want the hell that was waking up stiff from exercise. He collapsed onto the futon with relief, dreading the sound of his alarm.

He woke up at six am to find Gran Torino with his phone in hand. He sat up to see the screen and saw him cancelling the alarm.

"W-What-" He broke into a yawn "Are you doing?... I have a strict schedule..."

"Christ kid, I was going to let you sleep in. The hell did you do? You weren't that dirty or bruised when we went to bed last night."

He grunted as he stood, seeing Gran Torino's eyes go wide as his joints popped. His began his stretches and more pops came from him. He hissed in pain, trying to be careful of his admittedly minor injuries.

"I had a realization yesterday, and decided to get in some training last night. I figured some stuff out. I- Ow, shoot... I lost track of time and fell asleep around one..."

He pulled out his pills and a canteen of water, swallowing them down. He finished up by placing the relaxer strips on. Torino looked over the box and bottles. Worry creased his face as he read label after label, turning to Izuku.

"Hell... You're on more medication than me... What's with all this?"

"Oh, the strain One For All puts on me causes my muscles to get really stiff and lock up, and my joints are the same. These help keep that from happening, but I have to switch up which ones I take so I don't develop an immunity. The others are depression and anxiety medications. The stretches help too, with the bonus of being part of my morning workout." He started setting up the weights he had brought with him. "I have to follow a strict diet and workout schedule or the strain gets too bad and I start breaking bones. My hope is to one day be strong enough I will finally complete my ascension and kill God for their crimes."

Torino sent him an incredulous look, putting the bottles away. Izuku felt the corners of his mouth twitching in amusement as he struggled not to laugh. Gran Torino noticed and chuckled.

"Kill God huh? Personal vendetta?"

"You heard me say depression and anxiety, right? God had to reduce my power somehow or I would have killed them years ago. Instead I was forced to make dark pacts with the medicine men and the beings beyond to unlock my strength. I was slowed down, but not stopped, and I never will be."

He turned to the old man, letting giggles slip between his teeth through his grin. He smiled back at him, looking at the weights.

"Forces beyond?"

"I preen for Satan."

He finally let himself burst into laughter, focusing on not dropping the dumb bell as he lifted it. Torino got up and stretched.

"I've still got a long way to go before I'm ready to be a hero though..."

"Every challenge starts like that. Just how it works. You'd have a hell of a time getting that thinking out of Toshinori, he could manage just fine from the beginning. He had to learn a totally different way. His physique was just about all he had, really."

Izuku looked at him. He was clearly talking about All Might's school years. He felt a tremor of excitement at learning anything new about his life-long idol. All Might seemed to hate talking about his past, although from some of the man's scars, Izuku could understand why. He'd always had it rough it seemed. He was truly number one for a reason.

"We sparred every day til he puked, and sometimes we kept going if he could still stand. His training was left to me by an incredible, departed friend... I couldn't half-ass it."

"So his predecessor had already passed away at that point?"

Torino looked surprised for some reason. Had he not expected Yagi-san to have shared that? Had he expected him to share more? They were interrupted by the doorbell buzzing. Izuku turned to answer the door, missing Gran Torino's grip tightening on his cane. He didn't catch the grim, disappointed, somber look on the man's face. An amazon delivery left him bringing in a heavy package. He left it on the coffee table and left to take his morning run. When he came back, the hero sent him to shower, and came back to open the delivery with him. He lifted a microwave out, carrying it to the kitchen when he realized what it was.

"A microwave?"

"Yep! Mine was somehow crushed yesterday so I got this one with next day delivery! Now let's have those frozen taiyaki I bought for breakfast! Go heat 'em up."

He gave the man a shocked look as he sat down at the table to wait. He had just told the man this morning he had to be strict with his diet and routine or he would collapse under One For All's weight.

"Taiyaki for breakfast?!"

He was given an indignant, almost childish pout at his exclamation.

"I like sweet things is all!"

He conceded, deciding to fix himself his own breakfast afterwards. He carefully arranged the taiyaki on the plate, singing quietly to himself in English.

"When I'm drinking whiskey, I know nothing can go wrong. When I'm drinking whiskey, only time my mind is strong. When I got my bottle, is when I'm standing tall. 'Cause when I'm drinking whiskey I don't feel nothing at all..."

He set the plate in and set the timer. The pro behind him began to fidget and drum on the table with his hands.

"Oh, when I'm good and drunken, can't nobody bring me down. I like to drink my whiskey when nobody is around. I know my empty bottle's the only one that understands. And when I'm drinking whiskey, I forget the man I am. When I'm drinking whiskey, my hands don't ever shake. When I'm drinking whiskey, I don't lie in bed awake. When I got my bottle, I don't care if I'm alive, cause when I'm drinking whiskey, I ain't afraid to die. Cause when I'm drinking whiskey, I ain't afraid to die..."

Izuku let his voice trail off into mumbled half-lyrics and humming as the song finished. The machine beeped after a while. He pulled the plate out, drifting into his thoughts. Making his powers as easy as blinking... Everyone else had around ten years more experience than him, and it will be years before he can use more than 15% of OFA, but he was well aware the world wouldn't wait for him. Steam and a pleasant smell wafted from the pastries and he set about making his breakfast.

"What are you doing, boy? You already made breakfast!"

"I told you, I have a diet and routine I have to stick to or my body will rip itself apart. I would love taiyaki for breakfast but I can't-"

"COLD!"

He turned to see Gran Torino put down a taiyaki, looking upset.

"What, I was sure a had them on defrost!"

Torino stood up, moving to the machine to look at it. He grumbled before whipping on him.

"You dummy, the plate was too big! If the plate is too big it doesn't turn and only one part heats up. Have you never used a microwave?"

He gained a sheepish expression.

"The model I have at home doesn't spin... Sorry... Lemme just-!"

He raised his hand, carefully reigning in the heat of his quirk and letting it roll over them. They sizzled quietly as they heated up and he flipped them to get the other side. He had a sudden realization as he stared at his hand, no longer giving off power. He hadn't thought twice about warming Torino's food.  Without letting himself think about it, he let One For All into his body, and his body lit up. He noticed instead of simply glowing, though, now there was green lightning flickering over him, branching out in clouds of green coming off his body.

"That's it...! I got it!"

He felt himself locking up under the effort, but forced himself to straighten up and put his fists at his sides.

"I just... Need to let go... Focus without thinking. The missing piece!"

He took deep breaths, curling and uncurling his toes, feeling it becoming easier every time. Soon he was rolling his ankles, and grinned as his knees began to move.

"Yes, I can do it! Gran Torino, I figured it out!"

Torino laughed, setting his cane aside.

"Good job kid, but can you fight like that?"

His fingers creaked as he forced them to move.

"I guess we better find out. Right?"

There was a gust of air, and he watched as a fire, brightened with pride and happiness, bounced off the walls.

Chapter Text

Izuku and Gran Torino had ended up sparring for hours rather than five minutes, taking breaks every time Izuku lost his grip on OFA. Instead of letting go when they finally finished, though, Izuku sat on the floor by a window, resting in a patch of sunlight as he prepared to meditate. Torino had started lunch as he left the world behind, diving back into the galaxy of his quirk. He looked around and admired the stars. This time there was something different again. The eight figures were encircling him, watching him as he turned to look at them. The whispers were louder now and he could hear words.

"Next... so close..."

"Sees... How?... What did... do?..."

"Related... may... why?..."

"Never... before... quirkless..."

"No... it..."

He pulled out his fire, and saw their's flaring up in response. They seemed to startle at that. He sat down while gently cradling it. The eight backed away and faded into the darkness between distant stars.He watched the flame for a moment, then pulled on the thrumming in his chest. He reached up, and found himself holding a colorful flame in either hand. He blinked at it before realizing something. He was holding One For All. He could see different colors blended together and a core at the center which looked like coals fused into a misshapen fuel source. He looked at the embers in his other hands, a ball of flames. There in the center, was a gap. An idea took shape slowly. He looked around, seeing the distant predecessors' fires. In each one was the same gap in their cores. He looked at One For All again. The gaps were missing pieces, and they sat in his grip. He pushed it back into place inside himself and wondered what he had discovered. He stood and began to walk.

Something about One For All seemed almost unstable, waiting to fall apart. Was there some way to stabilize it? Some way to bring the puzzle pieces together to make a picture. He couldn't connect the dots yet. He had too little information at the moment, frustrating as it was. He forced himself to relax and looked around. The void all looked the same, but there was a different feel to the air, like he was close to something he wanted to avoid. Izuku searched the dark and came across something that sent shivers down his spine. There was an empty patch, like a hole in reality. He moved closer against his better judgement. Radiating from it was an intense, hot feeling, familiar and unwelcome. It felt like all the rage and hate he never wanted to feel. This was the pit where he shoved it all. Where he stuffed his darkest impulses and the worst parts of himself. He turned and began to run, wanting to leave abandoned where it was on the edge of his galaxy. When he reached the center he collapsed to his knees and forced the world back into his senses.

Izuku stood as soon as he was out of his meditation only to stumble. He had come out of his trance too quickly and was disoriented. His heart felt like it was trying to claw it's way out of his chest, his vision swam, and he was hyperventilating. He felt hands on his arm, steadying him. He saw yellow and grey beside him. Gran Torino, his mentor for the week. He closed his eyes and tried to hear past the flames in his ears. He measured his breaths, counting out like he had learned. Eventually he opened his eyes and took a deep breath.

"You doing okay, kid?"

He nodded, not ready to speak yet. Torino led him to the table, setting a plate of food in front of him. Izuku didn't bother to look at it, fumbling with his chopsticks until he managed to start eating. He chewed slowly, not tasting anything. It was a silent affair, but Izuku slowly relaxed, and his overwhelmed mind came down. He gathered the dishes despite the old man's offers to take care of them, needing something to do now. When he finished, he went into his exercises. He decided to skip his run however. It would be a bad Idea while he was this out of it.

Izuku woke up nearly ten minutes before his alarm, feeling much better. His routine settled his remaining nerves, and when he got back from his run, Torino was pulling out his breakfast taiyaki.

"There you are! You should have waited for me to get up, what if I hadn't seen your note? What if something happened? You're not to go out before I'm awake, got it?"

"Yes sir, sorry..."

"Good, now heat these up and we'll spar for a bit."

Suitably scolded, the teen followed through, setting the plate before the eager elder. He munched away of the hot pastries as Izuku made his own breakfast. He did the dishes again and they ran straight into sparring as soon as they were in the drying rack. Izuku was quick to realize Gran Torino had been holding back before. The boy struggled to even track his movements, let alone land a hit on him. He was battered, a kick to the face making him cut the inside of his cheek on his teeth. When he finally lost his grip on OFA, he was launched into the wall.

"If you keep fighting me, you'll get some bad habits..."

He sat up from his spot on the floor.

"I'm not even used to this yet! Forget habits, let's keep going!"

"No, we're done for now. Time to start the real internship. Phase two: Patrol!"

Torino had him dress in his hero costume and they headed for the door with little else.

"Are you sure I'm ready for this? It seems a little soon..."

"I already told ya', if you keep fighting me will give you expectations of fighting. You need different opponents so you're ready to adapt."

Gran Torino turned to look at him. Izuku agreed with his his assessment in truth.

"I don't know if I can handle it."

Torino stopped and turned to him, his smile reassuring as he spoke.

"You've been through a lot and you're still here kid. You already faced some of the worst villains around. Patrolling with me won't come anywhere near how bad it was. Now, it's gonna be a bit of a journey. TAXI!!"

They headed to the train station to board the bullet train to Shibuya.

"The population around here is dropping fast, so there isn't much crime. Out in Shibuya, petty criminals are a dime a dozen. Denser population. That's why big cities tend to get hero agencies compared to smaller places."

"I'm not going to walk around that classy neighborhood in costume, am I?"

His heart leapt into his throat at the thought, his face burning in embarrassment. Sure, he didn't look terrible, but he definitely didn't look cool or heroic. Gran Torino scoffed at him and looked at his get-up.

"Yeah you're gonna strut your stuff in public. You only get to wear it out because you're with me. Be glad, you definitely look better than some of the first years I've seen. Some pros too!"

He nodded, offering a small thanks. According to the map, they would be passing through Hosu, so maybe he would get a chance to get into contact with Iida. Worryingly, he hadn't been responding to any messages. Before he left, he would always respond in at most three minutes. If he took longer, he always sent a message explaining it wasn't a good time to talk. Something was definitely wrong... He spent the whole ride to the station worrying over his friend. After all, grief can make even the steadiest of hands shake.

Once on the train, it would still be hours despite the speed. It would be well after dark when they arrived.

"Is it okay that it'll be night when we arrive?"

"It's perfect actually. More fun to be had with the higher crime rate sundown will give us. That's why, as pro hero Gran Torino, I'm giving you blanket permission to engage villains we come across."

He chuckled, giving him a nervous look. He pulled out his phone, looking at the last text he sent Iida.

'Passing through Hosu! How have you been?' -read ten minutes ago

No response to it even though he had read it. The sound of a distant explosion drew his eyes to the window as an emergency stop was announced. The passengers were thrown forward in their seats by the sudden loss of momentum. Then the side of the train blew open as a hero crashed into the car. Izuku stood up, voices around him overlapping. A long limbed person climbed into the car after him- No... That wasn't a person.

"A noumu!..."

Gran Torino growled in anger, jumping at the thing and sending it flying, his fists still buried in its stomach. He rushed to the hole, watching in terror.

"GRAN TORINO!"

He was cut off by more explosions going off, closer now. What was happening? Isn't this Hosu?! He felt fear lance his heart. Iida was here somewhere. There was at least one noumu loose in the city and the hero killer. Iida's eyes flashed in his mind. He knew then where Iida was going to direct his attention. He would go after the hero killer, taking advantage of the chaos. Izuku jumped, landing on the closest roof in a roll and sprinting as soon as his feet were under him. He looked down into the alleyways, watching for the flames to signal people. The civilians he came across were directed to the safety shelters, but he kept searching. Hopefully he was wrong and paranoid. That and the noumus he'd seen, in combination with the hero killer appearing in Hosu? Tremors wracked his hands from the terror the idea of Stain joining the League of Villains brought.

There was only circumstantial evidence, but it still set him on edge. Stain was probably still in the city if his killing patterns were anything to go by, which only lent him more evidence. He swallowed hard. What if he was too late? Iida hadn't been at the main scene so... He really had gone after the hero killer. He slowed as he approached three flames, one flickering wildly with instability, one dimmed from injuries, the third wild with emotion. He looked in. Bingo. He launched himself down at Stain. He landed a kick, sending the murderer flying, and he landed between him and Iida, who lay on the ground bleeding.

"Midoriya?! Why are you...?!"

Stain landed on his feet and skidded to a stop.

"60% of Stain's victims were found in alleyways and blind corners of slums. I knew you had gone after him when I didn't see you at the center of the trouble, so it was easy to narrow down where I would probably find you. Can you move? We need help!"

"I can't... It must be his quirk, because after he cut me!..."

Izuku nodded. That had been mentioned on the news, but there was little evidence until now. He checked the other flame, spotting the hero Native a good distance away. If it was only Iida he could just escape, but Native was still alive. He couldn't abandon him to save his friend. He gritted his teeth in anger.

"Midoriya, leave now. This has nothing to do for you."

He nearly made the mistake of looking back in horror at Iida's words. Iida was asking him to personally sign his death certificate. He took a fighting stance instead. The Hero Killer drew his sword from it's sheathe. His voice was smooth like coolant fluid, leaving him shaking as it clung to him.

"A friend arrives and says 'I'm here to save you!' A good line but... It is my humble duty to kill these two. If we fight, the weaker of us will be culled. So what shall it be?"

He remembered All Might saying idealistic criminals had a look to them. This man was ready to die for his ideals, unlike the criminals at the USJ. He was more dangerous for it. He wanted to run and never look back at those eyes. To cover his ears so he didn't hear that voice anymore. He should have convinced some pros to come with him even without evidence. He clenched his fists, forcing his legs to stay still as he typed on his phone under his cloak. He sent out his location to all contacts. He had to protect these two by himself. Buy time for help to reach him, or in the worst case scenario, drive him off on his own. He steadied his shaking breath. Stain may be willing to die for his ideals... But Izuku was willing to live.

"No! Run, this is none of your business!"

He growled in disgusted anger.

"What's a hero supposed to say to that crap? I've g-got a lot to s-s-say to you... But that has to wait. Like All Might said, giving help that isn't asked for is what makes a true hero."

He dragged a smile, kicking and screaming, onto his face, raising his fists. The hero killer grinned back, eyes crazed with joy. Midoriya dashed forward, activating his quirks. He had to move in close, to limit his effectiveness with the long distance weapon he bore.

"Trying to close the gap against my katana. Smart!"

The man's stance widened as he reached for a smaller blade. Perfect! He ducked, diving under him and jumping over him. Stain swiped low with his sword, eyes on the ground where he expected the hero-hopeful to be. He growled in rage as the killer's eyes widened.

"15%... Solar SMASH!!"

His fist met with Stain's head, a hot flash of green light emitted from the impact. He didn't know why he said solar, but he would roll with it. At least he could move like this. He was stopped short by his body freezing as he became aware of a stinging pain on his arm. Stain must have grazed him! No, the cut wasn't it... Stain's blood coated tongue retreated into his mouth, giving Midoriya the answer. Stain casually walked towards them.

"You're weak. You did track my movements though. Used my blind spot and tried to bring me down. There are so many worthless fools, all bark, but you?... You are worthy of keeping alive. Unlike these fake heroes."

He stood over Iida and raised his blade once again to deal the final blow. Izuku screamed, trying desperately to move his paralyzed body. Salvation came in the form of flames blooming from the alley entrance, flying above a sheet of ice which shimmered below. Stain jumped away and Izuku gasped in relief at the sight of Todoroki Shouto. Shouto put his phone away.

"Next time, Midoriya, send a more specific message. I nearly didn't make it in time."

Stain grumbled about interruptions, apparently worried about someone running out of time.

"Todoroki, you too?... But how? And your left...!"

"'How?' is my line. Meaningless messages aren't your style, Midoriya-kun, though it took me a few seconds to figure out. I realized it meant you were in trouble. Don't worry, the pros will be here soon."

He stepped forward, ice spreading out from his foot, and Izuku and Native were swept up. Shouto maneuvered them behind him and next to Iida. Their frozen bodies hit the ground with grunts of pain as he sent out a wave of fire.

"It's just like the reports... But you won't kill these people today, hero killer."

"Todoroki, don't let him cut you, he paralyzes by ingesting blood, that's how he got us!"

"So I need to keep my distance, got it. Also explains the knives."

He dodged a knife thrown at his face, scratching his cheek. Stain used the distraction to charge forward.

"You've got good friends Ingenium."

Shouto created a pillar of ice aimed at Stain, who glanced away and drawing Todoroki's eyes along to see the katana falling from above. He must have launched it the same time as he threw the knife. He leaned forward, tongue extended to catch the blood on Shouto's face. The boy exploded into flames, sending the killer reeling back. He was always set up to attack in several ways no matter what they did. Shouto raised his hand, cauterizing the cut and burning the blood away. Iida spoke up, sounding like he was barely not sobbing.

"Why?... Stop it, both of you! He's mine, I have to do this! I inherited my brother's name!"

Shouto's voice was calm as he sent out a massive iceberg that Stain easily jumped over.

"Inherited? Odd... The Ingenium I know never made faces like that. Guess my family isn't the only one with darker side."

Izuku's hand twitched and his eyes went wide. The quirk was wearing off...! Stain sliced the ice apart like it was nothing.

"To obstruct your own vision against a faster opponent? What a poor strategy..."

"You'd like to think so!"

Shouto went to unleash more flames, but two throwing knives were quickly embedded in his left arm and he stumbled in pain and shock. Stain was falling from above, katana in hand as he aimed for the bi-colored teen. Before Izuku realized it, he had jumped off the walls and grabbed the man by the back of his scarf and was pulling him to the ground.

"Midoriya!"

"I can move again! It must have some sort of limit!"

He zeroed in on a grumble beside him.

"Must be an O..."

He grunted as an elbow was buried in his kidney. He let go and fell to the ground, Stain skidding to a stop on his feet. He dashed to the side as a volley of ice shot passed him.

"Somehow I broke free first, despite being the last paralyzed. There are three possibilities that are most likely, but he all but confirmed one. It must be reliant on blood type. He mentioned I must be a type O, and he's right. Not that knowing will help us."

Stain grinned wider, licking his exposed teeth.

"That's right!... Haah! Blood types... You're the real deal!..."

"We need to get Native and Iida out of here. He's fast enough to react to my fire and ice, so I'm not getting any openings. Best bet is dodge and keep him at bay 'til the pros arrive."

"You have too much exposed blood. I'll aggro him and you provide rear, okay?"

"Risky, but it's all we have... Yeah. Us two... Will protect them."

Stain gave them a calculating look as he took a ready stance.

"Two on one? At least you aren't naive."

Izuku charged him, followed by a jet of flame. Stain was apparently taking this seriously now. He was moving even faster now, so Izuku began dissolving the debris around them, carving symbols into the walls and ground. He felt strength vibrating in every fiber of his being. The area lit up quickly as he took in the resulting energy. The hero killer's eyes narrowed in confusion, then irritation. A warbling voice spoke up.

"Stop... I can't take it..."

"IF YOU WANNA STOP THIS THEN STAND UP!"

Stain turned away from Izuku and broke through the wall of ice Shouto raised in an instant, tongue lashing wildly.

"NEVER FORGET WHO YOU WANT TO BE!"

Izuku hit the ground, staring at Todoroki in awe. A wave of fire shot from Shouto's left arm as Stain dodged, too close now for Shouto to do the same. He saw terror in his eyes as the katana moved to slash across his chest. Iida struggled to his feet and began to run forward.

"Recipro... BURST!!"

His foot hit the blade in a whirlwind kick, snapping it. He changed direction, slamming his other foot into Stain, who blocked it with his forearms. He was sent flying into the wall behind him. Izuku smiled in relief, ecstatic that his friend was moving again.

"Iida!"

"It wore off, so his quirk isn't that great after all."

"This had nothing to do with either of you... I'm so sorry... That's why I swear, I won't let you two shed any more blood here."

Stain scoffed in anger.

"Don't pretend, a person's nature is not so easily changed. You're a fake, prioritizing your own selfish desires. A cancer on this society warped by 'heroes!' Someone needs to fix it!"

Izuku stood again, screaming desperately.

"You're not wrong!"

Four stunned pairs of eyes snapped to him. He pulled himself to stand straight, walking towards them.

"You're not wrong Stain. But you aren't right either. The hero system, society as a whole, is flawed. There are few people who know that better than me. It needs to change. But you don't know what you've really done in your quest to do so. You didn't know any of those people you killed or crippled. You did a surface assessment and jumped to conclusions. Claimed they were selfish and false heroes. I know a girl who wants to be a hero because she knows the money she makes will support her struggling family. Do her personal reasons make her a false hero? There's a boy who wants to be a hero because a hero is the greatest thing you can be in his eyes. There's a boy who wants to be a hero because he wants to prove bloodlines and quirk types don't really mean anything. Every hero has a reason for being one that in the wrong light looks like the wrong reason. Yes, there are heroes who are terrible people who slipped through the cracks in the system.

"There are incredible people who would have made amazing heroes if given a chance, but they slipped through the cracks too. I've seen the results of this system first hand. Know others who have experienced it themselves. But you said it yourself. 'A person's nature is not so easily changed,' but it CAN change! You took that away from the people you hurt! Strangers you decided to be judge-jury-and-executioner for when you had no right. 'Humble duty' my ass. Sometimes someone needs a hand extended to them to be pulled to the right path. Sometimes they reject that help. Sometimes that's all they need to be pulled to the wrong one. Some need to work harder to stay on the right path than others, but that's what proves they're on it. That's what proves they're good. What's better, to be born good, or to overcome your evil nature through great struggle?”

He stood toe to toe with the monster, looking into his eyes. His face was slack with shock as he studied the teen before him. His head tilted back, though their eye contact never broke. Izuku tensed in preparation to dodge.

"You truly believe that?"

"Yes. I do."

Stain dropped his knife. He began pulling out blade after blade, dropping them to the ground. Izuku stepped back in surprise. Stain held his hands up in surrender and moved away from the pile.

"You've convinced me, little true hero. I will give you a chance to set the wheels of change in motion your own way. But if you disappoint me... You are who I will come for first."

He sank to his knees. Izuku grabbed a rope out of the debris and tied it around the man's wrists behind his back. He pinched the pressure point on his neck and knocked him out. Stain collapsed to the alley floor, and Izuku bound his arms to his torso, then tied his ankles with a different section. He looked at his friends. Native moved to stand, moving over to them.

"You kids are gonna get in trouble for this, you know that?"

Izuku shook his head.

"I had permission to engage all villains I encountered from my internship mentor."

Shouto and Iida blinked in surprise. Native sighed.

"I'm supposed to be a pro... But all I did was get in the way."

He caught Izuku as his legs gave out from pain and exhaustion. He pulled him onto his back and carried him out, Iida and Shouto dragging the hero killer out bound further in rope. Izuku coughed quietly.

"Anyone would get overwhelmed in a one-on-one fight with him. His quirk, combined with his strength and speed..."

"Even in a three-on-one battle, we only won because Izuku managed to talk him out of fighting us."

They were all silent as they continued to drag Stain towards the main road. A flash of yellow caught Izuku's attention as Gran Torino entered the street. His face turned to angry shock when he saw Midoriya.

"What are you doing here?! I thought you were still on the train!"

A boot hit his face as the man kicked him. Izuku slid off Native's back as Torino hit the ground on his feet. He stood shakily, rubbing the impact mark.

"Sorry... But it's not like I disobeyed orders. You didn't tell me to stay, and I tried to follow you like I was supposed to. I lost track of you, so I went searching for Iida, 'cause I knew he was getting himself into trouble... You gave me permission to engage villains, and he was going to kill both of them so..."

Gran Torino grumbled.

"Well, I can't argue with you. Whatever happened, I'm glad to see you're still alive."

He saw over his shoulder was an approaching group of heroes.

"Is this the alley he mentioned?"

"We got a back-up request from Endeavor but..."

"Kids?!"

"They're hurt, call an ambulance."

"Is that the freaking hero killer?! Quick, quirk suppressor cuffs!"

Shouto handed the bound man over without hesitation. He was untied and cuffed, then lugged over the woman's shoulder.

"So he's... Endeavor is still fighting, then?"

"Oh yeah, those noumus!"

"Yeah, those of us with ineffective quirks responded to the distress call so we weren't in the way of the people who were actually doing damage."

They were lead by the pros towards where an ambulance and police escort were meant to meet them. The trio walked behind, solemn from their near death experience. It was terrifying just how close the hero killer had gotten to killing them. Iida stopped them,, bowing when they turned to look at him. There was shame in his voice as he spoke to them.

"You were both wounded because of me... I'm so sorry. I was blinded, I lost sight of everything...!"

Izuku put a hand on his shoulder, gently tugging as if to pull him out of the bow.

"I'm sorry. I knew you were upset and in a dangerous state of mind. I'm supposed to be your friend, but I did nothing when I could, and should, have."

"Get it together. You're supposed to be a hero, right?"

Iida wiped his face, standing straight.

"Yes. I am."

That was when they found out the entire battle was only five or so minutes. When it was happening, it had felt like hours were passing. Then again, that was the effect of adrenaline, right? Now they were safe though-

"Get down!"

Izuku turned and saw a flying noumu with a missing eye swooping down. He screamed as it picked him up, claws digging into his sides. There was a flurry of movement below as he was carried into the air. Then the noumu stopped moving. They fell, and he was caught by a strong arm. Something warm and wet splashed his face, and he felt them land. He saw a familiar pair of boots and looked up. Stain held him, a knife in one hand, cuffs dangling from his wrist. His breath stuttered as he looked at the dead noumu beside them.

"This sham filled society and petty criminals who wield their power in the name of mischief... Were the targets of my purge... All for the sake of a better society!..."

Indistinct shouting piped up behind him as he stood up beside Stain. He looked the crazed man in the eyes, searching.

"You have to be alive to turn the wheels, little true hero. I won't let you die before you can even start."

Then, his eyes whipped to the side, and Izuku turned to see Endeavor. His scarf fell away, revealing a scarred face with a severed nose. A terrifying aura surrounded him, stopping the heroes in their tracks. Everyone stared at him in fear, even Endeavor dared not approach. The flaming man took a step back. Izuku took a step forward despite his chattering teeth. Tears streamed down his cheeks, and he pulled the man's arms behind him and snapped the cuffs back in place. Blood trickled from Stain's lips, but he still seemed ready to take on every hero before him. Izuku took him by the arm, tensing when the glare was turned on him, but the killer allowed himself to be lead by the trembling boy. Izuku walked passed the group staring in shock on shaky legs, feet stumbling, and lead Stain to the ambulance, where the aura finally dissipated. He was loaded up, Izuku not far behind. Iida and Todoroki were loaded into the second ambulance, and they were all taken to the hospital.

Chapter Text

Izuku sat beside Iida and Todoroki, all three wrapped in bandages. They were generally quiet, waiting for their parents to arrive. Both of Iida's arms were broken, one filled with torn and cut ligaments. Shouto had gotten lucky with his stab wounds not doing much damage. Izuku was the least hurt of all three. He had strained a few muscles, broke two toes and his tibia, and cracked his radius. Everything else was bruises and scrapes. He had texted his mom when he woke up but she hadn't responded yet. It was still early, so it was entirely possible she wasn't awake yet. They were all lucky to be alive.

"You know, what we did was... pretty incredible, looking back. And after that last ditch effort... We're, amazingly, alive."

Shouto nodded, flexing his hand and wincing.

"Yeah, he let us live."

"With my leg, he definitely could have killed us..."

Shouto turned to Iida, regret turning his lips downward.

"Even with Stain coming at you with all that... You stood against him. It was impressive. I had come to help, but I ended up needing to be saved instead. I'm sorry."

"No, it's not like that, I-"

He was cut off by the door opening. In came three men, Gran Torino, Manual, and a tall man in a suit with a dog-head mutation.

"Well, all the little wounded warriors are awake! I'm still gonna chew you out kid, but first... You got a visitor. This is Tsuragame Kenji, Hosu city's chief of police."

The three boys moved to stand and bow, but the man waved them off.

"Please, remain seated. Woof. So you're the Yuuei students who took down the hero killer. And you're the one he let arrest him..."

He zeroed in on Izuku. The teen looked him dead in the eye, knowing it was a challenge. The chief didn't back down as he continued to speak.

"As for the hero killer, he's being treated for a number of serious injuries including burns, broken bones, and frostbite on his extremities. Ruff."

They had done that much damage?... And Stain had been ready to keep fighting despite it all. Izuku didn't let the eye contact waver, and saw irritation in the man's gaze. His ears twitched, threatening to lay back. One step closer to winning.

"In the beginning of the quirked era, police forces prioritized leadership and the status quo. This led to quirks not being used as weapons by them. Heroes rose to fill the void this created. The authorization of quirk use... That which could kill more easily than most weapons... Was criticized heavily, but the public supported it. Because your predecessors acted in compliance with the law. Those without permission, inflicting great harm, without permission from higher ups, commit a stunning breach of those laws. Woof. You three, and your mentors, must be dealt with accordingly and impartially."

Izuku saw Shouto in the corner of his eye, and spoke before he could.

"Well, this confrontation is also a breach of those laws in accordance with the JCPA, paragraph six under section twelve; Police Interaction. You cannot legally negotiate with or interrogate us until we have spoken with either a lawyer or legal guardian because all three of us are under eighteen."

The chief's lips curled, baring sharp teeth. Gran Torino and Manual shared a look before Manual took out his phone. A moment of typing, he was apparently reading something over, which he shared with Torino.

"Well chief, it looks like he's right, not that you would have told us, hm? I think it's best you step out then. Their families will be arriving soon I'm sure. Good job on knowing the law, kid."

Torino moved to lead the chief to the door, but neither broke their gaze. It became apparent to everyone in the room that there was a stand off happening before them. Izuku watched as the man's throat tensed, ears finally going back as his lips finished curling. Then he backed down. He blinked first, letting his lips fall, though his ears stayed back. Izuku drew up his posture. He had won in many different ways in that moment.

"Woof."

He departed quietly, the two pros clearly on guard as they followed him to the door. As he stepped out, Aizawa-sensei entered, who looked ready to kill.

"Aizawa-sensei!"

"This is the second time you've wound up in the hospital Midoriya. I'm starting to think you're trying to get yourself killed."

"I-It's really not t-t-that bad, comparatively...!"

Aizawa-sensei tensed up at that, looking angry as all get out. He stalked over to stand between the three beds, eyes glowing, hair and scarf floating, giving each of them a furious glare.

"You're right, Midoriya. Compared to Stain's other victims, you three got off easy. Compared to each other, you have the least life altering injuries. But I want to know what the hell made you think going after the HERO KILLER was GOOD IDEA!?"

They all flinched, but Iida spoke up first.

"It was my fault. I chose Manual's agency because it was in Hosu, hoping I would be able to take on Stain. I was blinded by my need for revenge for my brother. Midoriya was caught in an attack on his way through the city and when he realized I wasn't with Manual at the scene, he realized I had taken the opportunity to search in the chaos. He saved my life by intercepting the Hero Killer before he could deal the final blow to me and sent a distress signal which drew Todoroki to the scene. They engaged Stain in order to buy time for pros to arrive on scene and protect myself and Native. Once the Hero Killer's quirk wore off on me, I joined the fight, as we had deduced he would not allow us to leave with Native. In the end, Midoriya spoke to him and convinced him to allow us to arrest him."

Aizawa turned to Midoriya.

"I-I-I was o-on my way to Shibuya by bullet train with Gran Torino. T-The train made an emergency stop in Hosu due to the attack, and a hero fighting one of the noumu came crashing through the side. Gran Torino engaged, and I tried to follow like I was supposed to. At that point, he had already given me permission to engage with villains. I checked the center of the attack, where I failed to see Iida with his mentor, Manual, who was on scene and looking for him. I stated my concern that Iida had gone after Stain due to the attack on his brother and the fact that he had been... Acting out of the ordinary. They didn't take me seriously, and instead of arguing with them, I chose to search on my own. N-Not... The correct choice, I know... When I found them, Iida and Native were down, paralyzed by his quirk. I sent out a distress signal as I attacked Stain, stopping him from killing Iida. We fought, I was paralyzed, and he attempted to kill Iida again, saying he would let me go because I proved myself a true hero. Todoroki stopped him that time after arriving to my aid. He fought, and Stain's quirk wore off on me, which was how we learned what it was. I rejoined the fight, and we held Stain off as best we could. The effect on Iida wore off and he engaged as well. He started spitting rhetoric about the flaws of society and fake heroes... So I turned it around. Argued with him. He agreed to stop killing heroes if I could prove I was right, and turned himself in. That was when back up arrived."

"You argued with a serial killer in the middle of combat?"

"W-Well, we weren't going to win the fight, so I tried to think of something else. He had been toying with us the whole time... That and what he was saying just... Made me angry. I spoke up without even meaning to. I convinced him to stop and let me try a different way of achieving his goal. Without killing people."

"And what goal is that?"

"Changing society and the hero system...?"

Aizawa rubbed his face, inhaling deeply. He gave Izuku a look that was hard to interpret. Izuku curled in on himself, glancing at his friends. The pro rubbed the back of his neck as he turned to Todoroki.

"I was with my father when the attack hit. We were patrolling in Hosu, though I don't know why he chose to do so. We were headed to the noumu attacks when I received Midoriya's text. I alerted my father to it, requested he send back up after me, and left to give aid as I was also cleared to engage villains. Izuku, Native, and Iida were paralyzed, with Stain preparing to off Iida. We fought, Izuku figured out Stain's quirk, Iida joined the fight, and we realized we were going to lose. There was no way we were going to win. Izuku began to argue with Stain when he revealed to us why he attacked heroes. Claiming it was because they were 'false heroes' only in the profession for money and glory rather than saving lives or helping people. Izuku refuted him and he gave up in the face of his arguments after he realized Izuku believed everything he said the same way Stain believed himself. He allowed us to restrain him and we left the alley. Then the heroes I requested my father send after me arrived."

Aizawa nodded and took a seat.

"God... Your class is going to kill me. Why are you like this? First problem child... Now the ones I thought would be the most reasonable and level headed. At least you're alive to yell at..."

He leaned back and put his arm over his eyes.

"I'm taking a nap, don't-"

"IZUKUUUUUU!!"

The door burst open and his mother came flying in. She swept him into a hug, tears streaming down her round cheeks. He stuttered and fell into his meek persona as he tried to assure he was okay. When he finally calmed her down enough to speak clearly, he convinced her to go clean up in the bathroom. He sighed softly in relief with a small smile. Iida spoke up, shoulders shifting as if to wave his arms in his usual chopping motions, but keeping them in their sling. His torso compensated.

"Your mother is certainly spirited!"

"Yeah, she's the greatest, but she's a hypochondriac when it comes to me. Still, I'm glad she cares so much. Our situation when I was little... Wasn't easy. We really only had each other for a long time so she worries. In the end, things got better, but she'll always worry. It's just who she is."

He let his smile grow as he reminisced. His phone rang, Defying Gravity blaring out in the small room.  He answered it quietly, trying not to disturb Aizawa-sensei even more.

"Hey, Uraraka-chan."

"Deku! I heard what happened at Hosu, and I saw your message. You were out there?"

"Ah, yeah. I'm fine though. Iida-kun and Todoroki kun are here too. We did run into some trouble, but it's all over now. We're all okay."

"Well, if you say so... We all got super worried when you sent out just an address."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you worry!"

"Of course I worried, you're one of my best friends. Ah, I gotta go! You all take it easy, okay? We can talk later."

She hung up. After that, the day was a whirlwind of doctors and nurses. They had meetings scheduled with lawyers so they could talk to the police. It was exhausting. Soon, night fell. Sleep evaded the teens in the silent hospital room. Eventually, Izuku sat up. The two followed suit. They still didn't talk until Iida piped up.

"I don't think I should get the nerve transplant for my left hand. When I found Stain, my head blanked out. I should have alerted a pro, alerted Manual, before doing anything. It's true, he wasn't wrong. This hand... Will serve as a reminder until I become a true hero, like you Midoriya."

Izuku should have acted sooner. Told a teacher his concerns about Iida. Made a better effort to talk to him. If he had, then maybe this wouldn't have happened. But Iida understands now, so apologizing again would just be an insult. He looked at his own bandaged, scarred up hand, and clenched his fist.

"I feel the same. Let's get stronger together."

"I'm sorry..."

He turned in shock to Shouto, who was looking at his hands.

"Why?..."

"When I get involved... People's hands just get messed up or something..."

He had an exaggeratedly serious expression. The two looking at him were stunned before breaking out into laughter. A smile twisted his mouth upwards.

"What are you- haha! What are you even talking about?"

"I suppose even Todoroki knows how to tell a joke!"

"No, I'm serious. Just call me... The Hand Crusher."

"The Hand Crusher!"

Their laughter faded, settling the room into an easier silence, but Izuku drew his knees up. His thoughts were running wild and he couldn't slow them down. He didn't notice Iida had moved until he had sat on the edge of his bed and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I just... I'm sort of on the verge of an existential crisis with all the near-death experiences."

"Would it help you to talk about it?"

He shrugged, moving so Iida could sit properly on the bed. Todoroki watched them from his own.

"So what's troubling you?"

“Do you think that there’s a point?”

He dove straight to the hardest question even though he knew there wasn't an answer to give. Iida blinked in surprise.

“What do you mean? A point to what?”

“I don’t know… Life? Existing?”

The clarification set Iida to his stern thinking face, hand cupping his chin. Eventually he turned to the smaller teen and looked at him with a calm gaze.

“Oh… Well, I'm unsure, but in reality probably not. But there are good things about it.”

Huh, he had somewhat expected something... More. Some point about the importance of life or the scientifically based 'Living is about propagation and evolution' explanation he had heard more frequently. It was nice to hear that maybe there wasn't, as odd as it seemed. There may be no greater purpose. No destiny he had to fulfill. It was almost relieving. He quirked his lips up into a smile.

“Yeah? What kind of things?”

Iida thought for another moment, a happy smile gracing his own features as he came up with a response.

“Warm, soft days where the sun is shining, cool nights spent watching the stars, the sound of wind through leaves.”

Izuku relaxed, finding he had, at some point, moved to lean against him. He remembered the night he realized his feelings for Shinsou. How amazing he had looked in that moment and every moment before and after.

“...Yeah, those are nice.”

“And you.”

“What?”

He looked up in shock, not expecting something like that from the stoic boy. Iida gave him a warm look.

“You’re a good part of existing too.”

Iida stood, and made his way back to his bed, leaving the stunned Midoriya watching after him.

"I hope I helped. Now we should all get some sleep. We have a troubling few days, possibly weeks, ahead of us."

They all laid down. Izuku stared up at the ceiling in contemplation as something fluttered in his gut. Oh dear...

They were held in the hospital for the next day before being released to go home. Izuku stopped by Gran Torino's place for his things.

"Thanks for everything, Gran Torino. It was short, but I learned a lot."

"Eh, I don't think I did that much, and then everything that happened."

"Well, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have made it. He was toying with us at first, but thanks to our sparring, I stood a chance when he started taking us seriously as a threat with Iida and Todoroki's help... Ouch!"

He jumped in pain as Gran Torino's cane met his ankle. He clutched his costume case to his chest, suitcase at his side.

"Dummy! You got lucky and you know it! If you done something stupid like fire off at 100% and missed he... Well... All's well that ends well I suppose. Hope the feds treat you right while you three are dealing with them. But you still broke your bones. You went over your limits, didn't you? You need to figure out how to calm your nerves under pressure, stop being careless and losing control. You still got a lot to learn if you're going to be the number one hero like All Might one day."

Izuku nodded, determined to take everything he had learned in stride and build on it. Torino bid him goodbye and turned for the door.

"Oh, wait, I have one last question! I meant to ask before but there never seemed to be a good time..."

"Spit it out, I have taiyaki to eat."

He looked at the ground, scuffing his feet.

"You're so strong, and you trained All Might of all people, but you're completely unknown. I was wondering of you had a reason for keeping out of the limelight?..."

"I never cared about being a hero in the first place is why."

His head whipped up, staring at the old man. Why was he a hero if he didn't care?

"You'd be better off asking Toshi but... I needed to use my quirk freely and legally once upon a time. That's why I got a licence. Stay strong, kid. We're done.

He bowed deeply, wondering just how much he needed to ask Toshinori about. He offered a final thanks and started to walk away. He had a long and hard journey ahead of him. Was he ready? Not in the least, but he had already started and was well on his way. He couldn't turn back if he wanted, and he didn't. He started in the direction of the station to head back to Musutafu. He shifted his bag and costume case, trying to find a comfortable way to carry them with his cracked radius. He turned in surprise when Gran Torino shouted after him.

"Hey kid! Who are you again?!"

SERIOUSLY?

"I've told you before, I'm Midoriya Izuku..."

"No, no, It was something else, I'm sure."

Torino smiled proudly, standing as tall as he could. A breeze caught his cape... Oh. Oh! Izuku's eyes sparkled as he realized what Gran Torino meant, awed by the acknowledgement.

"It's Deku!"

The old pro huffed with a grin, then waved as he finally went inside. Izuku was ready to go home and deal with the aftermath of his choices. So home he went.

Chapter Text

Izuku, Todoroki, and Iida sat in the back of the room, trying to continue remaining unnoticed by their classmates. They'd all arrived later than usual, slipping silently to Todoroki's desk without drawing attention. They weren't speaking as they hovered in place. Izuku heard everyone behind them speaking excitedly about their internships. The last few days they had spent fighting not to go to jail, and lucked out on loopholes and self defense laws.  They were being watched closely, but otherwise, they got off scot-free. Nedzu had certainly contributed, which Izuku was eternally grateful for, but he knew it left him in debt. He didn't know how the principal would cash in on it. He turned, watching Uraraka happily practicing some punches she had learned from Gunhead.

"...Now if you wanna talk about traumatic and trans-formative experiences, That would be you three!"

He turned, seeing Kaminari pointing at them.

"Oh yeah, the news said you guys took down the hero killer together and saved Native's life!"

"I was so worried..."

"I'm glad you're all still alive!"

Izuku shuffled uncomfortably. He had even worn a mask on his way to school and his mother and himself had to stay in a hotel because his address was leaked to the press, trying to keep from being bothered. Todoroki and Iida were silent beside him as the others approached them. 

"Yeah it... It was awful..."

He turned to look at the floor, remembering the fear of that sword poised to stab Iida in the head. Stain fighting them seriously. How close he came to seeing his friends die. If he had been alone, or just a few seconds slower, Iida would be dead. The same of Todoroki. If he hadn't argued with Stain they would probably be dead. Had almost seen a pro die. It left him cold. It was quiet for a moment as the class watched the three of them huddle together in common pain and shared trauma. Ojiro stepped forward.

"I heard on the news that the Hero Killer may be connected to the League of Villains. If he was one of the guys who had showed up at the the USJ?... The end of that may have been..."

"Yeah, if he joined Bad Touch and his Bad Man Squad, it would have been a lot worse. I'm glad he was caught. I didn't think any of us were on his level even now, let alone then."

Sero's quip was met with subdued laughter. Kaminari spoke up from his desk.

"Wait, he's scary, yeah, but did you see the video, Ojiro-kun? You can see his tenacity, the one-track mind, It's kind of cool, right?"

"KAMINARI!"

Said blond turned to the furious Shinsou in surprise, then to the trio.

"Ah... Sorry guys!..."

Iida frowned at the desk.

"No, it's... Fine. If people think he's cool because he's... A man of conviction... I get that. But his convictions were to believe society requires a purge. No matter the motive, that's wrong. So no one else comes and suffers my fate, I will change, and become a true hero, like Midoriya!"

Todoroki sat in his seat, not saying anything. Midoriya looked at the taller boy in awe. He took a deep breath and spoke softly.

"The Hero Killer... Stain... He was a monster and a murderer, who used his ideals as a reason to injure and kill, hiding behind a mask of 'righteous duty.' He believed in what he preached, but he was a narcissist who drove himself insane by believing he was above others for his beliefs. Thought he was unique for seeing the flaws in society and the hero system. Even then, it was easy to shake his beliefs. I presented one counter argument and he crumbled like sand. Gave up. He wasn't a man of conviction, he was a mentally unstable criminal with charisma. And that's the most dangerous kind of villain to be. Because those are the ones who get followers. The ones who present ideas that make just enough sense that people consider them, but still insane enough that they make an impact. Leave a mark. Shock people."

Everyone stared at him in a myriad of emotions in the silence. Izuku stiffly made his way to his seat.

"We should all sit, class is starting soon."

Their classes passed by slowly, the three of them followed by whispers in the halls. He was relieved when Present Mic came into English with his signature grin, rather than the worried looks they had all seen pointed at them before.

"Hello little listeners! Today, we'll be doing something a little different! To the Beta Training Grounds!"

They all filed out, changing into their gym uniforms, and met the teacher on the field. They were quickly arranged into lines.

"We're going to be working on English, obviously, but this time we'll be marching to an American song! We're going to sing the lyrics and make our way around the field. I'll lead, and get this started, eh? And we'll keep going until at LEAST half of you have sung with me. Don't worry about the song itself. I made sure to pick songs that are very popular here in Japan, so the majority of you probably know at least most of the lyrics, whether you understand them or not. Now, FORWARD MARCH!"

They set off, marching silently as they settled into an easy rhythm. Present Mic glanced back at them a few times to make sure there were no stragglers. Then, he took a deep breath, and;

"SOMEBODY ONCE TOLD ME THE WORLD WAS GONNA ROLL ME!"

Izuku didn't hesitate, quickly joined by Sero, Kirishima, Kaminari, and Ashido.

"I AIN'T THE SHARPEST TOOL IN THE SHED!"

He grinned, and heard Uraraka and Shinsou join in, and slowly, more members entered the song. Present Mic checked on them again, looking happier than ever. They made four laps around the track and started the next song, Barbie Girl, when Aizawa marched out onto the grounds and wrapped Present Mic in his capture weapon. Everyone stopped in place, many breaking down into laughter. Eraserhead began dragging the struggling, cackling blond into the building.

"Get back to the English room."

A chorus of 'Yes, sensei!' followed him, only broken by Izuku calling after them; "Thanks, Present Mic-sensei!" between laughs. Mic brightened more somehow, and Aizawa looked back. Izuku had a giant grin making his cheeks ache as he laughed from his belly. He was a sight to behold as he bent over, holding himself, eyes sparkling with joy. Aizawa felt tension bleed out of his shoulders, hiding his smile behind what he could of his scarf and hair. They all headed back inside and changed. Izuku felt lighter. All three of them would be okay. Maybe they weren't today, maybe they wouldn't be tomorrow, or even next month, but they would be eventually.

Izuku stood proudly among his peers as All Might marched out to greet them in their costumes.

"I AM HERE!"

"Such a lack-luster entrance..."

"Maybe he ran out of ideas?"

All Might posed.

"As a follow up on your internships, we're doing something a bit more playful today! A rescue race!"

Iida raised his hand, looking concerned. He was always looking out for them all, wanting to ensure their safety and that they were getting nothing less than the best. It was endearing, if slightly overbearing at times.

"Sir, shouldn't rescue training be conducted at the USJ?"

"The USJ is for disaster training, such as landslides or building fires. This is something meant to be a bit lighthearted. A race! Field Gamma, as you can all see, is a dense network of alleys, factories, and construction zones. I'm going to be hidden somewhere within the maze and send a distress signal, where five teams of four with start at the border and make their way in. First to reach and rescue me wins! But keep property damage to the absolute minimum of course!"

With that, teams were sectioned off and sent to their starting areas. He was joined by Sero, Iida, Ojiro, and Ashido for the exercise. They were a high mobility group, although Iida wasn't fully recovered. He probably should have just sat out, but All Might hadn't said anything. The start was called, and the four set out. Izuku jumped, overtaking everyone, and put everything he knew into practice. He sped along, carefully noting every foot or hand hold, every landing versus jump spot. He kept a close eye on his surroundings as well, noting what looked weak, what probably was weak, and what looked strong but could be weak. He was careful to avoid using pipes for that. He saw a slick flat, and moved away. All Might was waiting on top of a water tower. He heard a shriek of panic, risking a glance. Ashido had fallen. He refocused, noting Sero was catching up.

He boosted himself from 5% to 10%, and he made his way up. He landed on top of the water tower, greeting All Might and taking first place. The others joined the two, Sero in second, Ojiro in third, Ashido fourth, and Iida last. He panted, sitting to rest. He was used to shorter bursts of free-running. He groaned softly at the thought of reworking his training again, but acquiesced to himself. If that was what was necessary to continue the journey to heroism, so be it. Sero was pouting slightly for some reason, but All Might spoke before Izuku could say something.

"Good work, all of you! Midoriya took first place, but you have all found new, more dynamic ways of using your quirks since the beginning of the year. You're progressing quickly. Let's hope that good, hard work continues as you prepare for finals, eh?"

Right, finals are coming up soon. He began to stand shakily, legs aching. The other four had already made their way down, and All Might made to follow, whispering as he passed.

"PSST! Hey, you did incredibly. I barely recognized you! Now, meet me after class."

He gave a subtle thumbs up.

"Huh?.. About?..."

"We need to have an important talk about One For All, me, and history."

Izuku followed him down to the observation area where there was a quick discussion before he headed back out to hide. The next team was called out as Izuku pulled his notebook out to mark down observations. He was nervous about what All Might wanted to talk about, with how seriously he had said it. He nervously made his way to the break room where they usually met, sending his friends ahead with the message that he was speaking to All Might about some concerns he had. They left, casting him worried looks. The aura coming from the room was... Foreboding. Opening the door revealed All Might in his true form, hands locked as he looked at the floor. There was a cup of tea waiting for him.

"Please, have a seat."

He gulped, moving to his usual stool.

"You've been through a lot lately. I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you, I really should have taken you as an intern but the media..."

He waved his hands, fluttering nervously.

"No, no! You shouldn't apologize, you've always done your best, you don't need to apologize, really! I'm actually... Wondering what you wanted to tell me?..."

All Might looked pensive as he watched him.

"I heard that he took your blood."

"Yeah, he paralyzes whoever he ingests the blood of, that's how he got me. What does it matter?"

All Might shifted uneasily, looking worried.

"Do you remember what I said when-"

He was interrupted by the door opening and Aizawa striding in. They both stopped dead as he strode over to the coffee maker and began to brew a pot.

"Aizawa-sensei? Did you... wanna talk to me too?"

"No, this is just where I keep my coffee so that the other teachers don't steal it."

"Oh, o-okay..."

He waited by the pot as they sat awkwardly.

"Well, Young Midoriya, I wanted to share my concerns over you coming back from such a traumatic experience."

He blinked in surprise, but easily fell into the cover.

"Ah, t-thank you, but I'm okay, really-"

"I won't force you to share, but I think we both know that isn't true. I want you to know you can come to me if you need assistance, or even just someone to listen. I also have resources to offer, should you need them."

"... Thank you sir, I'll definitely think about it."

He blinked in a pattern.

'A-L-L. M-I-G-H-T.'

The man nodded, blinking in return as he spoke.

"Good. I also wanted to speak with you about..."

'G-O-O-D. W-O-R-K.'

'T-H-A-N-K. Y-O-U. I. T-H-I-N-K. W-E. S-H-O-U-L-D. T-R-Y. L-A-T-E-R.'

'A-G-R-E-E-D. A-F-T-E-R. S-C-H-O-O-L.'

"Well, I'm glad I got to touch base with you. I'll speak to Young Iida and Young Todoroki later, but I would appreciate you letting them now I'll speak to them as well. I won't hold you any longer so get to class."

He nodded, smiling tiredly and wiping his eyes, which had begun to tear up. He didn't know what they had said, but Aizawa-sensei seemed pacified for now. Izuku stepped out and headed to class. When the day was over, he headed back to the room, watching carefully for Aizawa-sensei. He offered Mic-sensei a wave, and went in.

"Ah, good evening, Young Midoriya. I'm sorry about our earlier interruption-"

"I figured you two were talking about something else."

They both shrieked as Aizawa popped out of an overhead cabinet, slipping out of his sleeping bag as he climbed out. The two glanced between each other before Midoriya went out on a limb.

"I... I think we should tell him."

All Might jolted in surprise.

"I think he deserves to know, and... I trust him. I trust him more than anyone else besides you."

Toshinori hesitated, but clasped his shoulder and offered a nervous smile.

"If you trust him that much, I agree. Worst case scenario, he says we're lying to make him leave. Then we can have our talk."

He took a deep breath and motioned to the couch. Toshinori sat in a stool he pulled up the the side of the table as Izuku took his own. Aizawa took the couch with an expectant face and his arms crossed. Izuku took the plunge.

"It started around ten months before the entrance exam..."

And he told him everything, with Toshinori interjecting every now and then. When he was done, Aizawa's brow was furrowed, and he was tense.

"So that's what's been going on."

The teen nodded, fidgeting with the hem of his jacket. He wanted to beg Aizawa to believe him, to not tell anyone, to do a million things, but he stayed silent now, letting him process. He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed.

"It certainly explains a few things... You're mother agreed to this?..."

They stiffened, giving each other a Look. Aizawa's voice was biting and cold as he spoke up again.

"You're mother agreed to this... RIGHT? You consulted his mother, All Might?"

Said hero was sweating bullets, and Izuku was tugging at his collar. Aizawa sat up on the couch with his hair and weapon rising as his eyes turned red. He turned a harsh glare on the skeleton. He wrung his hands, stuttering slightly.

"T-The more people know, the greater the risk. If it gets to the wrong person, it puts Young Midoriya in danger. His mother has no training for withholding of information under pressure-"

"And Midoriya does?"

His tone was dangerous. Time for Izuku to pull his attention.

"Well, uh... All Might, what were you gonna tell me about One For All, haha? That sounded really important!"

"Ah! Yes, we should definitely cover that, as it's to do with a serious situation. One I thought I had previously rectified..."

He watched the man go from nervous to somber, regretful, but there was a tense anger in his frame and voice. Aizawa seemed to relent, but he was still giving the hero dirty looks. Toshinori took a moment to gather his thoughts before he sighed quietly.

"One For All is transferred through DNA, how that DNA is ingested doesn't matter." He turned to Aizawa. "Izuku took One For All through a hair follicle."

"Wait, you're not saying Stain-!"

He waved a hand, dismissing the concern.

"No, but I had worried it might be a concern of yours because I hadn't fully explained the process yet. One For All can only be given willingly.  It can, however, be forcibly given to a recipient. That's part of why One For All is so unique, and has a unique backstory to accompany it. It's completely different now from how it started, created by the combination of two quirks. I don't know the whole story, details lost to history told by word of mouth."

He nodded, fighting the urge to pull out his notebook, fingers twitching to hold a pencil that wasn't in his hand.

"One For All was derived of a completely different quirk. It's the counter part to a quirk known as All For One, the ability to take quirks from their users and transfer them to new holders or keep for the user's self. These were created among the first generations of quirks, before society had adapted to the changes that came with the advent of the exceptional. Back then, the norms of being human collapsed and laws were thrown out the window."

"Yeah, didn't some important guy say if that hadn't happened, humanity would probably be in space by now?"

Toshinori huffed with laughter, giving him a patient, amused smile at the innocent question.

"Yes, and one man took advantage of that chaos and brought people together, though he did so in secret. I searched for years for even hints of him through history with nothing to show for it. He spread the influence of his organization through his power, stealing quirks along the way. He manipulated others into villainy, and before long, he was the shadow pulling the strings in Japan."

Izuku's eyes widened, going pale.

"I-I thought he was just a story... He's not in any official historical documents, so when I came across the rumors..."

They looked at him in curiosity, waiting for him to continue.

"There are hidden websites, and some of them described a powerful figure who led Japan for decades behind the scenes before he just... Disappeared. Some described him as a savior, or a demon, there were a few who even called him a god who could bestow and take blessings... I guess he was real then..."

" You should stay away from those websites, it's not safe. But historical documents and textbooks don't teach you about the yakuza's activities either, hm? When a person has power... They instinctively look for how to use it."

"But how does this all connect to One For All?"

"All For One could grant quirks, not just take them. With that, he could give a false sense of trust or force others to submit. He created minions, puppets who couldn't bear the strain from receiving those quirks. Like those Noumu."

He froze, staring at All Might in horror.

"But sometimes, granting quirks was successful, resulting in powerful people with new powers they couldn't control. Sometimes it resulted in pre-existing quirks and mutations twisting or fusing. Like his brother. His brother was a weak, sickly man that was thought to be quirkless, but he had a strong sense of justice. He hated what his brother had done and tried to face him. All For One forced a power stockpiling quirk onto him, though the motivations are forgotten, be it a twisted sense of kindness or an attempt to make him another minion... That was when they discovered his original quirk, the power to pass his own to others. The two quirks were fused by his brother's power, creating One For All. It's somewhat ironic, that justice is always born of evil..."

He was silent, fists clenching. It was a twisted story, with gaps that he wanted to fill. He felt One For All thrumming in his chest, trying to bleed into his bones. He almost wanted to let it go, but he didn't exactly feel like letting his body shatter and explode from the force. Aizawa was leaning on his elbows, perched on his knees. Izuku bit his cheek.

"So why tell me now? This was centuries ago, so..."

"Because All For One may still be alive. He survived through means I don't know, but he has a massive collection of stolen and gifted quirks. He became a near immortal Symbol of Evil. His younger brother, seeing his power and the state of Japan, the world, knew he couldn't defeat him. So he passed his quirk on, hoping it would one day be strong enough that someone could do what he couldn't through the amassed strength it would gather. Nearly six years ago now, he was thought to have finally been killed. But the recent attacks... The evidence gathered from the League of Villains... He clearly survived despite the injuries I gave him. It's been determined he is most likely the leader of the League. One For All was created and passed along for the purpose of defeating All For One. I'm afraid I may have unintentionally passed that quest on to you if our theories are correct, which means he may seek a confrontation with you if he realizes you are the current holder."

Aizawa made a derivative noise.

"You really are an incompetent mess, aren't you? You seem to have no idea what you're doing. Do you have any idea how to do anything about the situation you created?"

"I... No. I don't. I was sure he was dead, so I thought it was over."

"Well it isn't."

Chapter Text

Izuku looked between the men as they stared at each other, one resigned, the other angry. Aizawa had every right to be angry, Izuku was too, but there was nothing for it in the end.

"Well, the only thing to do is my best."

All Might turned a hopeless, regretful stare on him and opened his mouth to speak. He worked his jaw for a moment before covering his mouth and bowing his head.

"I know I don't stand a chance... I won't for a long time, but if you're right, he'll come after me. I'll have to step up to the challenge and hope my best is enough."

"You say that like you'll be alone."

He looked at the table.

"I might be. After all... It's a dangerous, cruel world. He sounds like a dangerous, cruel person."

All Might went stiff and was unable to look at Midoriya. The kid already knew All Might's life was going to be short, and with what he'd been told, it was clear he knew All Might wouldn't be beside him. Likely no one would be.

"I've said it before, All Might, the world doesn't need another you. He doesn't have to be alone. In fact, he won't be, whether it's you or not. I'll make sure of it."

All Might cast him a grateful look, but Izuku bore a resigned smile. He had always been alone. And with OFA he always would be. He'd known that after really going over the offer once he'd accepted it. Only his eventual successor and maybe a precious, precious few would know. Izuku stood, gathering his things. His voice was quiet when he addressed the two.

"I appreciate that, Aizawa-sensei. Thank you, Yagi-sensei, I'm glad you told me. I suppose I'd better get going... I'll see you tomorrow!"

He bowed in farewell and exited, leaving them behind as he headed out. When he got home, he eagerly checked the mail for his latest purchase. He had been saving up for weeks to afford cameras he could record on. He raced up the stairs two at a time and made a mad dash for his room. He sat at his desk, carefully pulling open the cardboard to reveal a set of four cameras, two tripods, and a helmet with a camera harness. In a separate  bag was a chest harness. He grinned, pulling them out to test for function and quality. It was exciting to think he was going to be recording tonight. He set about his evening routine, unable to stop glancing at the devices just to the side. It was to the point that he decided to head out early. He was practically giddy as he raced down the sidewalks in his gear, and he made his way into the Abandoned Quarter. He easily scaled an apartment building to scout for recording spots.

As he looked over the rooftops, a route formed in his head. He began setting up his cameras. When he was done, he turned them on and gathered his nerves. He held up his hands to the camera, balanced on a roof ledge, and signed as he spoke softly.

"Hey there! My name is Zu-Bunny! I'm just starting on HeroWatcher! I hope you guys like what I have in store, I can't wait to show you. In the mean time, let's get going."

He put the camera in its place on his chest and started running. He whooped and laughed, occasionally needing to set his cameras up again, and he smiled behind his mask. He settled down on a roof and pulled out his bento. He pulled off his chest camera again to talk into it while he ate. He carefully pulled his mask away to bite without revealing his face. He simply talked about his life in vague detail, trying to make sure no one would be able to identify him. After all, it would be embarrassing if one of his friends, or gods forbid, a stranger, come up to him at school or something and talk about his new channel. He stretched when he finished, sending the video to his laptop for editing and starting a new one. By the end, he had recorded four parkour videos and was ready to edit them when he got home. In the meantime, he had to meet with Shinsou at the cafe.

He groaned as he let himself down from the roof and changed. He was getting stiffer every day as he began to process greater levels of OFA's power. He stopped for a moment with a groan and popped his knees with a sigh of relief.

"Yo dude, you okay?"

He jumped, whirling around to face the alley in preparation for a fight. A tall figure held up hands in a placating gesture.

"Oh geez, sorry man! I didn't... Wait, Midoriya? Hero for all, Midoriya? Dude, it's me! Daiki Haruto!"

He blinked, posture relaxing.

"Daiki-senpai?"

He had been a third year in Midoriya's first year of middle school, one of the very few kids to ever stand up for him, and Izuku had mourned the loss of the upperclassmen who defended him every year they graduated. He was still ready to defend himself, but he dropped the blatant fighting pose.

"Yeah, little dude. It's been a while huh? I worried about you before I heard you got into Yuuei. That's incredible!"

"H-Heh, thanks. It was hard but I got lucky. It's been rough though."

"I kinda figured when I heard your knees. Sounds painful man..."

"Well... It gets... Hard to stand sometimes but it isn't too bad."

Daiki gave him a raised brow. Midoriya shrank back under the gaze.

"Uh-huh. And that's Midoriya speak for; I'm basically in agony 24/7, right? Are you at least taking care of yourself? Not just popping Advil every now and then?"

"Yeah! I've always been great at taking care of myself, remember? Have to be if I'm going to be a hero."

Daiki let his shoulders fall and grasped Midoriya's and jostled him.

"I remember. You shouldn't know as much as you do, but I'm glad you know it for when you need it. Bakugou still bothering you? I heard he actually got pulled from that abusive witch and Aldera got shut down, so I thought things were probably getting better. After all, the news said you were involved in that, among other things."

Izuku realized they were walking and blinked, but didn't stop. It was nice to catch up with him. After all, he had been one of Izuku's very few friends. He chuckled nervously.

"Little villain magnet, huh? Bakugou has calmed down for the most part, and yeah, I helped get Aldera gone from the map. He's getting help to change- Ah!"

He groaned in pain as his hip popped loudly and bent over as he had to stop. He stretched as much as he could to relieve the tension. Daiki supported him by his elbow with a worried look.

"Dude, please tell me you've been to a doctor about this."

"Well, it started near the beginning of school, so yeah, but I... I haven't been since..."

Daiki held out a little card. He took it as he stood straight again. It was a card to a doctor, a rhuematologist and orthopaedist. He looked at the boy beside him.

"This is the guy I see for my arthritis. He's really good, I think you should consider it. Oh! And before I forget..." He pulled out a pen and wrote a phone number on the blank back of the card. "Let's keep in touch little man. We could get the whole group together from the middle school days, you were the only one who didn't give us your number. I can add you to the group chat we have and the old tap troop can can reform! We missed you. But I need to get home to my little sister... It was awesome to see you Midoriya."

Izuku nodded with a smile.

"I'm glad I saw you again, Daiki-senpai. I look forward to hanging out again now that I can. Bye."

"See you later Midoriya. Don't forget to text me."

The two parted, Izuku pulling out his phone and sending a message to his old friend as he headed for the cafe. He was glad to have run into Daiki. He smiled at Shinsou as he entered the building, ready for his coffee.

Chapter Text

Izuku stood with a groan, feeling better than usual. It hurt less to get up and that left him in a better mood. His workout seemed to pass in the blink of an eye, and he left the doctor's card on the kitchen counter as he left for his run. When he returned, They ate quietly before he left, and he headed to the station to get to Yuuei. He sat happily on a bench as he waited for his train. He smiled at a little girl with solid blue eyes as she approached him.

"Hi there, do you need something?"

"I... Yes. My quirk is acting up and unless I use it, I'll get a really bad nosebleed and a headache... It's a foresight quirk, so I just need to look at you and say the future I see... Can you please help me?"

"Of course, but wouldn't one of your friends or family be better?"

She looked at the ground, wringing her hands.

"It only works on people that important events are about to happen to. It wouldn't work for someone else..."

He scooted to make extra room for her on the bench.

"Well, alright then. Sit down and use it, okay?"

She climbed up onto the bench and her eyes shifted to a brighter shade as they began to glow. She faced him silently before she started to speak softly. He pulled out his notebook to list down what she said.

“Stagnation poisons the water, the flow will be restored by the savior born of evil’s daughter, a Star born of the blood of a monster. False dreams and wishes when offered were taken, but no one asked with what price they were laden. The monster’s web holds tight and it’s threads are complex, the secrets it holds not what one expects. Lies will distract and warp minds, but to ignore them gives way for a new world to rise. The winds of change become a storm, pain and loss will come to form.Take gales as weapons to battle the squall, soon an end will come to the cabal. Tongues when held allow for atrocities, learn from what’s left of predecessors generosities. Time is limited but not to be rushed, or efforts to right wrongs will be crushed. For those who look the morning star will still light the darkness, even when the sky seems starless. When the weight is heaviest and times most dire, sleep despite the world’s blazing fire. Safety will come, despite the efforts of some. Waking from the long dream will show the burning out of great power, but what comes after need not be dour. Your fears will be realized but not how you think, embers can be brought back from the brink. Trust is fading whilst walls are built, then blades in backs will reach their hilts.”

He finished writing just as her eyes went dark. They turned into pitch black voids as she let herself fall limp.

"Are you okay? Does your quirk make you see things?"

"I'm okay, I promise. I don't see stuff, but I get super tired and my eyesight gets blurry when I'm done... I need to get back to my mom... Can you help me?"

He nodded, holding out a hand. She took it, blearily leading him through the crowd with squinty eyes. They met with a near frantic woman who was relieved to get her daughter back. She scolded her daughter lightly and thanked him for his help, which he waved off. He boarded the train with a good mood as he prepared himself for school and looked over the prophecy to try to decipher it. He couldn't even figure out who he was though... He didn't know how to figure it out. He needed some help. As Izuku entered Yuuei, he cracked his neck loudly. 1-A's classroom slowly filled up as he gathered a few to look at the paper.

"Hey guys, someone with a foresight quirk used their quirk on me this morning... Can someone help me figure this prophecy out? I don't know what any of this means."

"Huh, you got your fortune, Midoriya? Why?"

He shrugged.

"Well, her quirk causes adverse physical effects when it flares up and she doesn't use it. So I let her use it on me. Apparently she speaks in riddles though, and I have no idea what this all means. At first I thought Star could refer to me but I don't think either of my grandparents were monsters... Unless they hid it really well. None of this makes sense to me."

He passed the paper around, watching as his classmates struggled with the prophecy themselves. Every got so involved they didn't even notice Aizawa-sensei come in.

"I hope there's a good reason for everyone to ignore the rule of being in your seats when class starts."

In a fraction of a second everyone was in their seats, calling out apologies as the paper fluttered in the air behind them. Midoriya reached out and grabbed it, attempting to put it away.

"Midoriya, would you like to share with me what so thoroughly captured everyone else's attention?"

He went red in embarrassment as he stood and walked to the front of the room.

"I met someone with a foresight quirk and I asked for help deciphering what she told me... I guess we just... Got too into it."

He was silent as he read it, and a troubled expression passed over his face. Izuku grew worried. He was handed back the paper.

"Don't do it again. Get back to your seat, I have to go through announcements. Now then... Summer vacation is coming up, but it makes no sense to send you home for an entire month off from training. So you'll be doing a summer training camp in the woods."

The class broke out into cheers, and Midoriya watched fondly as Uraraka chattered excitedly with Ojiro next to her. Aizawa's quirk activated and the class quieted down.

"HOWEVER... Those who don't pass go through summer school hell here."

After that, it was weirdly normal. Classes, lunch, more classes... Izuku's head was on the chopping block but only he and Aizawa-sensei knew of those he met today. He had an unknown evil shadow looming over his head. For now he needed to prepare for finals. After all, he was third in the class, and Nedzu's personal student, so he had high expectations on him. In fact, the only reason he wasn't first was because he had a lesser memory compared to Yaoyorozu's near photographic memory, and Iida's excelling in mathematics and modern literature.

That's why he had no idea how to comfort his classmates who despaired over their grades in class the next day.

"C'mon, Ashido, Kaminari, let's do our best! After all, I don't want anyone to miss out on the camp... Going all together would be great!"

"Yes!"

Iida called his agreement from Midoriya's side, arms waving in their usual motions despite the braces on them. Todoroki made a comment that Izuku missed, but he heard Kaminari's shriek of despair in response.

"Hey, words can hurt!"

Yaoyorozu spoke up from her seat, looking nervous as she made an offer he knew no one would refuse the vice president. Partly because of her kindness, partly because she was top of the class.

"If academics are what trouble you, I can help if you would like. The practical is a different story though..."

He frowned in confusion.

"What do you mean? You're one of the top five combatant's in the class!"

She shook her head a bit.

"I'm not as bad off as those two. but could you help me out? Quadratic functions are dragging me down."

"I need help too! You're good with kanji, right?!"

More pleas for help came to her, and she went a soft pink. She tried and failed to cover her growing smile as she worked out schedules and materials for a study group before they were dismissed for their next class. At lunch, Izuku sat with his group, barely looking at his food, the same meal every day. A salad with meat, rice with an egg, a bottle of fruit juice, and a bottle of water. Out of his backpack came he 52 oz travel mug of Black Insomnia coffee. He practically lived on this stuff now that it was legal in Japan. He opened the lid and took a deep breath before offering his thanks for the meal. He saw Shinsou eyeing the mug.

"Oh, would you like some? I haven't drank any yet so you don't have to worry about germs or anything."

"Actually... Yeah, I would. That smells fantastic."

Izuku nodded and left to grab a cup for the boy, pushing the mug towards him. On his way back, he heard Iida in scolding mode. He was confused, but found out why when the table came into view. Shinsou was holding the mug, chugging the coffee much to the dismay of Uraraka and Iida. He chuckled as he came up behind them.

"I guess you couldn't wait huh? But you really shouldn't drink that much so quickly..."

Shinsou turned.

"Is that a challenge? Coffee is my life, Midoriya. I drink more than anyone I know. I only work at the cafe because I get free coffees."

"It's not a challenge! But it's a really strong coffee that was only just legalized... Even then barely..."

"Midoriya, are you implying it is contraband?!"

"No, it isn't! I swear!! It's just... Not really recommended for low caffeine tolerance people. I have a really high tolerance for it and I'm generally healthy so I drink it during the day, but I always cut myself off an hour or so before bed so I don't stay up all night. Shinsou, you really shouldn't drink so much..."

Sero and Kaminari came up to the table with Ashido and Satou in tow.

"Nah, it's just coffee! Come on Shinsou, chug! Chug chug chug chug!"

The other three joined the chant and Shinsou looked to him. He really shouldn't... But he took to long to answer. Shinsou apparently took his silence as agreeing to let him continue and began to guzzle the rest of the dark beverage. Izuku watched in horror as his throat worked, tipping the mug further and further back before he was done. The quartet cheered and congratulated him before leaving, and Midoriya sat down to eat.

"You're going to regret that Shinsou. Don't blame me when your stomach decides it's done with your choices. Here, drink a lot of water too."

The purple haired boy began to look uneasy, glancing between Midoriya and the mug.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that..."

"I'm not mad, just worried for your health. There's a lot of caffeine in this stuff, and you drank a lot of it. Be ready for a long, rough day, my friend."

He ate, and the table settled back into conversation. They were discussing what would be on the test and what the practical may consist of when something slammed into the back of Midoriya's head, rice spilling onto the table as he was sent forward. There was a loud pop from his neck, followed a quieter series that sounded almost like a crunch. Star floated across his vision as he carefully moved his head.

"Midoriya! Are you okay?! That sounded bad, you should probably go see Recovery Girl!"

"Sorry, I couldn't get my tray around that big head of yours!"

He turned to see the blond from the sports festival crowd. Monoma something... He saw the rest of his table tense up, ready for a fight, Iida especially. He sat straight and put his hand up, trying to signal to the group to calm down.

"I heard you took down the hero killer. I suppose the sports festival just wasn't enough then? Class A just keeps getting into one stunt after another. But I guess that attention isn't everything after all? It's starting to get dangerous. Fairly frightening. I find myself worried you're going to get everyone caught in your antics too- GAH!"

He fell to the ground as a red-head from class B smacked him at the base of his skull with an excellent chop.

"That's not funny. Didn't you hear what happened? Sorry, class A, This guy, his mind's... Well..."

She picked him up and bent down to clean the mess, but Izuku and Iida had already taken care of it, even going so far as to clean the floor up. She smiled gratefully.

"It's... Thank you, Kendo-chan. Your assistance is much appreciated."

"I heard you guys mention you were nervous about the practical... Well, I don't know myself but... There's a rumor going around that it's going to be robots like the entrance exam."

Izuku gaped in shock. No one was supposed to know anything about the exams before-hand.

"Who did you hear from?"

"An upperclassman I know. It's kind of unfair..."

He shook his head.

"No, preliminary intel gathering is an aspect of being a hero, so it's not unfair in any way. If anything, it might be part of the exam, what if there are multiple rumors, or upperclassmen have been instructed not to tell us anything about the exams. What if they expected first years to ask around and sewed false information, but then again it could be true...?"

He was cut off by Monoma rising from the floor.

"Foolish... We finally had an intel advantage over them! The opportunity to out-class and show detestable class A..."

She hit him again as she started to drag him away by his shirt.

"They aren't detestable, you're just dramatic. I was being considerate."

Upon returning to the classroom, Uraraka spread the rumor that they were fighting robots, though Izuku knew it wasn't true. After all, Nedzu was teaching him about exchange of information and direction of conversation. They would all be in for a nasty surprise on the day of finals. But he had more than school to worry about. He had to get stronger fast. He... He might even have to learn to kill. There may be no other way to stop All For One, after all, All Might at least tried to go that far and thought he had. Izuku shook his head. One step at a time. One step at a time.

"Hey! Deku!"

He looked up, surprised to see Bakugou talking to him.

"Seems like your moving up. Either way, stop pissing me off with these damn stunts."

"He must mean the exercise yesterday..."

"I'm not looking for a hollow victory like the festival. Our term grades... I'm going to crush you to dust! I'll widen the gulf between us so far it'll kill you. You too, Todoroki!"

He slammed his fist onto his desk and sat in his seat, aggressive as ever. But Izuku could see the differences in his actions. He was recognizing equals and he hadn't used his quirk. He hadn't approached them either. He smiled proudly.

"I haven't seen him that serious in a while..."

"Uneasiness? Or simply hatred?"

Izuku shook his head, approaching them to speak softly.

"Neither. He's issuing a challenge. He's made so much progress since he came to Yuuei, you probably don't see it since you haven't known him as long as I have. He's changed a lot."

They look at him for a moment before relenting, and they all sat down. At the end of the day, all of the students who were attending study group at Yaoyorozu's house sat together to finish ironing out details and confirm they would be able to attend. Izuku was surprised to be invited to help tutor. As they all sat together, Shinsou at his right and Uraraka at his left, Iida at hers, he felt warm. He'd never been part of a class before. He was in them, but he was always ostracized. This was new and he loved it. He pulled out his phone, texting his mom about the group. She granted him permission to go, which he relayed to the everyone else. The only one who wouldn't be attending were Hagakure, Aoyama, and Satou, who would be attending the next group in two days. In the end, it was Iida, Ashido, Uraraka, Sero, Shinsou, Kaminari, Izuku, and Jirou.

At the end of the day, a limo arrived at the front of the school, which Yaoyorozu urged them to enter.

"Wow, Yaoyorozu-chan! I've never even seen a limousine in person, let alone ridden in one!"

"Oh my gosh the seats are leather."

"Hey, there are sodas in here! And snacks!"

"Please, help yourself to them, there should be enough for everyone. When we arrive, we'll have a short tour of the house and part of the grounds, we can study in the library for a while, and during break we can do something before dinner. Then we go back to studying until you leave, but you're all free to stay the night if you wish!"

"Thank you for extending such courtesy to us, Yaoyorozu! If there is anything we can do to pay you back, please let us know if there is anything we can do to repay your kindness!"

"Ah, there's no need. I'm just happy to help my friends. I've never had visitors of my own before, so I admit I am very excited! Most of the people who come to the mansion are guests of my parents to discuss business, or family friends."

Uraraka handed Izuku a grape soda, holding a blueberry for herself. Shinsou pulled a melon smoothie as Iida grabbed a bottle of orange juice. He popped the tab before he spoke.

"I know how you feel. I didn't really have friends before Yuuei, so it's really exciting to hang out with everyone."

Kaminari turned to him.

"Dude, you really didn't have any friends? But you're awesome! I can't imagine no one liked you."

"Ah, w-well... I-I-I was bullied a l-lot so... But there were upperclassmen who would sometimes step in and we hung out some. But most of the time I was on my own."

They were quiet for a moment. Izuku struggled to salvage the situation

"So what should we start with? For studying?..."

"Ah, well, I suppose we should figure out which subject the most people are struggling with and go from there."

With that, they delved back into easy conversation. When they arrived, they were star struck by the massive mansion Yaoyorozu lived in. A butler greeted them at the door, and they were led through the front end of the building. There were three different sitting areas alone. They traveled briefly through the gardens, and then headed back in for studying. It was slow going, and Kaminari and Sero found themselves latching onto Midoriya's teaching methods.

"Geez, Midoriya, I can actually understand this. I should have been studying with you this whole time."

"Yeah, I might stand a chance like this. Thanks!"

He shook his head.

"I used to run an online study group at my middle school, but no one knew I ran it. I got a lot of experience tutoring and I learned how to work with different mindsets and learning styles. You guys are actually really easy to teach in my opinion because you want to learn. You are genuinely interested in the material, right?"

"Yeah, this stuff is really cool! I just don't get it when Cementoss-sensei teaches it. It's really confusing and he's so boring."

"Exactly. You just need to find the way you learn. Now then..."

Izuku lost track of time, happy to help the eager duo with their work. Eventually they were pulled away from the books by Shinsou.

"Hey, it's break time. Yaoyorozu wants to introduce us to her pets because Uraraka and Ashido got excited about them. We're going on an animal tour."

To their surprise, Kaminari protested.

"But I've got a good rhythm going! Can't I just get five more minutes?"

Iida approached.

"Kaminari! While it is refreshing to see your enthusiasm for learning, and I am ecstatic that you are doing so well, it is unhealthy to spend too long studying without a break. This will allow your brain to process the information you have learned. You will be more likely to remember it later when you need it. We will all briefly recap the material covered after dinner before moving on, okay?"

"Fine... Let's go then."

They headed outside towards a stable. Yaoyorozu provided them with... riding clothes? They entered to be greeted by the sound of whinnies and nickering, four horses reaching over stall doors to lip their clothes.

"These are my horses; Cygnus, Andromeda, Halley, and Malin. I usually take them for a ride after I get home. Would anyone like to ride them?"

Ashido and Kaminari raised their hands, Izuku hesitantly following suit with the others not far behind. She tacked up their rides and taught them how to mount. Izuku, after watching Yaoyorozu demonstrate a few times and one or two attempts himself, took to it like a fish to water. He was a bit small for a full size horse, diminishing his comfort, but he was having fun with Uraraka sat close behind him. Eventually his face stopped being firetruck red, and he was glad she couldn't see him. He followed his friends to the edge of a small pond dug into the yard, nearly the size of three swimming pools side to side. Momo brought her mount, Malin, to the edge.

"You probably need a drink, hm?"

Malin dipped his head down into the water, drinking deeply  before he lifted his head and started moving forward.

“No no no! Stop, stop, please. I just wanted to let you drink! Whoa, halt, don't!"

She laughed as she tried to make Malin stop. Slowly she and Jirou were submerged up to their waists, clothes soaked.

“AHH! It’s so cold! Nooohohohahaha! Cold cold cold cold!!”

Malin left the water with them shivering, but grinning. They made their way back to the stables after a few more minutes, where she finished caring for the horses. They made their way back into the mansion for dinner, which was just as elegant and extravagant as the rest of the day had been. Izuku had been sure to clarify his quirk-relegated diet to her, and the cooks had been happy to accommodate him. Everyone gorged themselves on the food, praises flying. When they headed back to the library, they were all warm, relaxed, and ready to continue. In the evening, everyone said their goodbyes, Shinsou, Izuku, Kaminari, and Sero escorted home in cars. Izuku went about his exercises, posted his first HeroWatcher video, scheduling the second for next week at the same time, and left to record more before bed. It was a good day, all in all. A very good day.

Chapter Text

The week before finals was passing quickly, and there were quite a few changes to go with it. Kaminari and Sero came to Midoriya for regular study sessions, and cheered with every rising grade. Aizawa-sensei even made an offhand comment while passing back papers about their sudden change in gears. Midoriya had gone bright red and stuttered protests when the two suddenly broke out into praises for how Izuku helped them before Aizawa silenced them. Midnight-sensei had straight out asked him after class what he was doing, to which he told her;

"They needed a much more individualized approach, mainly for reasons they aren't comfortable sharing and that I'm not comfortable sharing without permission. They'll probably come forward about their issues when they're more comfortable. They really just need things explained to them differently than most people."

He visited the doctor Daiki-senpai had recommended to good and bad news. His body was under less strain than he had thought, and it wasn't causing too much damage to him, but there was no real way to fix it because it was quirk based. He flat out refused any kind of suppressor. As such, he was prescribed a thc-cbd oil oral spray to mitigate the pain. It worked far better than the painkillers he had been using before. He slept better, he could exercise longer, he could even stand longer and he felt less discomfort sitting in chairs. Even his grades were affected, rising when he could think clearly without the pressing aches of his body in the back of his mind. He actually surpassed Iida and took second in the class.

He was actually on his way home from the doctor's office with his mother when they came upon Present Mic in casual wear. He was sitting on a bench strumming away on an acoustic guitar. Inko led him over to the music, and they stood for a moment to listen. Izuku took her hand when he noticed her swaying and pulled her into a dance. Mic grinned and began to sing quietly, voice surprisingly good for all it's screeching qualities while speaking.

"Fly me to the moon and let me play among the stars. Let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars. In other words, hold me. In other words, mama, hug me. Fill my heart with song and let me sing forevermore. You are all I need for, whom I wonder and adore. In other words, please stay with me. In other words, I love you. Fill my heart with song and let me sing forevermore. You are all I need for, whom I wonder and adore. In other words, please stay with me. In other words, in other words, I love you."

Izuku laughed as he realized other people had formed a crowd, some also dancing along with them. Mic put down the guitar, waving to the crowd. They dispersed, and Mic called out.

"Midoriya-kun!"

He turned to the blond, his mother at his side.

"It's good to see you kid. And it's nice to meet you, miss!"

"Ah, Mic-sensei, this is my mom."

She smiled, clearly becoming flustered.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, sir! Thank you so much for taking care of my son. He practically never stops talking about his teachers, how much he loves his classes and how he's very happy attending Yuuei. You're one of the more common topics, right after his homeroom teacher."

Izuku became a blushing mess, begging his mom to stop as he flailed in embarrassment.

"Aw! Thanks little listener, I'm glad to hear it, and I know Shouta will be happy to hear you like his classes too."

he quieted down, unable to look at him.

"Well of course, you guys are really good teachers and you guys were my first examples of what a good teacher is, and you literally risked your lives for us and..."

He trailed off, drawn from his mumbling by Hizashi patting his shoulder.

"It's alright kiddo, I'm glad you feel that way. We'd all do it again for you kids."

Inko sniffled and pulled Izuku into a tight hug.

"I should have known sooner... I'm glad you're doing better sweetie..."

He hugged her back, stroking her hair gently.

"It's okay mom, I didn't let you. We should save those talks for home though."

She wiped her face, nodding and looking slightly embarrassed.

"I'm sorry, Present Mic, sir..."

"No, it's alright. Midoriya is an excellent student, second in his class. He's even started tutoring some of his classmates and they've really improved with his help. He's also proved himself an incredible hero, much to our ire because he's a student who should not be putting himself in dangerous situations although the work he's done was very appreciated."

Izuku shrunk back at the hard look Yamada gave him, smile showing too many teeth. He mumbled something and tugged on his hair. The pro chuckled and backed off. He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by his phone beeping. He pulled it out and smiled at the screen and typed for a moment before putting it away.

"Sorry to cut this short, the husband wants me home for dinner. It was great to talk to you, and to meet you, Mrs. Midoriya."

"It was a pleasure. Have a safe trip home, dear."

"Bye sensei, say hi to Aizawa-sensei for me, yeah?"

"Will do little listener, but you'll have to tell us how you figured it out some time! See ya!"

They parted with a final wave, and the two headed home. It was a slow evening after that, the Midoriyas' having dinner before he started his exercises. Izuku added to his barbell and began to lift, not actually paying attention to the weight as he thought. He was absorbed in the memory of One For All's appearance. An ember made of multiple pieces, like lumps of play dough stuck together without mixing them. It had looked ready to fall apart if strained, but the center was different. It had been a mix of two colors but it was a single object. Perfectly mixed. Was there a way to blend the rest like that? Turn it into a solid quirk that could take pressure? How could he do it if it was possible at all? His arms started to shake, and he took that as his signal to stop, putting the barbell down and going into stretches again.

Maybe he could figure out how to talk to the predecessors. He seemed to connect with them more as he channeled more of One For All, so they may have ideas on what to do. He finished his routine and took a warm shower to relax his muscles before he gathered his equipment to head out. He jogged to the Abandoned Quarter and dressed before taking to the rooftops for the millionth time. Smiled behind his mask as he recorded his first intro of the night before setting out. No matter how many times he did this, it was still so exhilarating to race across the rooftops and just let loose. He had just started his second video when it happened. Someone was approaching him. He glanced over, thinking it was Eraserhead before realizing he didn't recognize the flame in their core. Not Eraserhead, and he didn't recognize their outline as any hero he knew, so he bolted, rounding back for his cameras as he ran, grabbing his bag as well.

He checked the distance between himself and his pursuer to find it closing and aimed a camera back. Maybe someone would recognize them in the video. He took a larger leap than anticipated and found himself falling. In his panic, he chucked his bag, breaking the window he was heading for, and angled himself to follow behind. He landed in a roll and grabbed his bag before searching for a hiding spot. He pulled a vent cover off and scrambled in feet first, using a shoelace to pull the cover back into place without using his fingers. The person entered the building silently and began to search. He held his breath and covered his face with a sleeve. They searched without calling out for several minutes, trying to fake him out three times before they finally assumed he had gotten away and left with a muttered curse. He checked for anyone else nearby before crawling out, shaken by the experience. He made his way own way out and carefully made his way through the empty streets. He made his way back up to the rooftops and saw Eraserhead moving toward him. He turned off his cameras with shaking hands as the man approached.

"Here again, huh?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm here every night. Gotta get my practice in..."

His brow furrowed.

"Something happen?"

"Ah, I got chased by someone. I didn't know who they were and I won't take chances that it's not just a hero I don't recognize. Not really looking to die if I'm honest."

"Yet you run across rooftops without any kind of safety gear or precautions."

He pouted, crossing his arms.

"Hey, I've got a helmet and padding and stuff, I even have emergency contacts at the ready in case something happens. Plus, it's not like no one knows where I am. My mom knows I come out here. If I'm not home by 12:30 without notice, she'll report me missing, but she can't stop me. She definitely tried though. And I have a friend I stop by before going home, and he knows that if I don't check in unless something happened, I might be in trouble. That and I have a distress text ready to be sent to all contacts that I'm in danger."

Eraserhead sighed and rubbed his neck.

"That's good and all, kid, but it's still not safe for you to be out here so late and pulling these stunts. The low visibility is an accident waiting to happen, and you already been chased down at least twice. Sure you got away, but what happens when that luck runs out? What happens when you're reported missing and the next time your mom sees you is in a hospital, or worse, a morgue or a casket? And you aren't allowed to use your quirk, whatever it is, so I have to report this."

"But I didn't use my quirk! I can prove it too."

"Oh?"

He nodded in confirmation.

"When I use my quirk, I glow. I can't use it without glowing, so I could never get away with using it in public without a licence. My cameras can prove it too."

The man nodded.

"If you say so. Look, I think you should just get home, kid. I'll escort you there."

He relented, letting the tired pro follow him down the nearest fire escape and headed down the street. As he opened the gate, he started putting his gear away.

"Problem Child? Of course it's you. Of course."

He sheepishly grinned as he put on his poly-pride jacket and started heading for the cafe.

"I have to check in with Shinsou, the friend I mentioned earlier, or he might call the cops..."

"Fine, we'll stop in and then it's homeward for you."

He was quiet after that, the tall man intimidating at his side as they made their way down the sidewalk together. He almost wanted to bolt, but that wouldn't end well. Finally the cafe came into view, and Izuku relaxed a little. Shinsou waved at him as he entered.

"Hey Midoriya. I got your coffee right here- Aizawa-san? What are you doing here?"

"I'm escorting Problem Child home. He wound up in yet another dangerous situation and I'm honestly wondering whether or not he should be monitored. If I didn't know his quirk I'd say it was villain attraction or some kind of bad luck quirk."

Shinsou cast Izuku a disappointed look as he rung up the drink.

"And you didn't send the alert text?" What's the point of having it if you don't use it?"

"I was fine! There was no need to send it."

He received two glares for his comment.

"You were chased across the rooftops of the Abandoned Quarter, and you were clearly distressed by the situation. That means you needed to send it."

He shrunk away, taking a gulp of his coffee so he didn't have to respond. They headed outside when Shinsou finished the floors and Izuku gnawed on his lip. He really should have sent the distress text... He bid Shinsou an early goodbye, and Aizawa continued escorting him home while Shinsou waited for his pick-up. When they arrived at his building, he looked up.

"Thanks for walking me home... I really appreciated it. I... I was kind of freaked out by the chase and... I'll be more careful. I promise."

"I suppose that's the best I'll get for now. Get to bed, Midoriya. You'll need all the rest you can get before finals."

He nodded, and headed upstairs to bed.

Chapter Text

It was the day Kaminari and Sero had been dreading. They had worked hard for the entire week up to the exam, Kaminari actually going up two ranks and Sero one. Their nerves were visible to everyone.

"Midoriya, do you really think I can do this? I just..."

He smiled at the blond and took his shoulders.

"I really do. You've been preparing for this, and you've even moved up in the class ranks! You can pass, and then all you'll need to worry about is the physical. Now, you ready?"

The electric teen nodded, looking determined and moving to his seat. Sero gave Izuku a nod as he took his own, and everyone followed suit. When Aizawa stepped in, he moved to his desk and picked up a stack of packets, and one extra packet that was separate.

"Today we will be taking the written portion of the final exam. You will have one hour to complete all portions of the test and there will be no time extensions or retakes. If you don't finish, tough luck, what's there will be graded and anything unfinished will be marked wrong. If you are caught taking the test after the hour is up, your entire test will be negated and you will automatically fail. Do not start until I give the okay to begin, or you will be automatically failed. If I hear you talking, you will be automatically failed. Read all instructions carefully and all the way though and don't rush."

He passed out the packets as he made his way down the aisle, handing Izuku the other packets, which was noticeably thicker than the packets the other students were receiving. He looked at it nervously. When Aizawa finished passing out the packets, he returned to the front and set a timer before crawling into his sleeping bag.

"You may begin."

He hit the timer, which began to count down. It was silent save for the scratching of pencils on paper. He focused on his test, filling it out to the best of his ability. He went through the motions. He went through and double checked his answers and the instructions. He turned in the packet when he was done, seeing he had an entire fifteen minutes left. He glanced at Kaminari, who gave him a thumbs up and Izuku put his head down. He didn't know how different his test was to the rest of the class, but he just needed to come down from the stress, and wait for the time to run out. When the timer ran out, everyone had finished. Aizawa put the tests on his desk and started to grade as quiet chatter rose. Kaminari was shaking in his seat, looking at the stack with a mix of hope and dread. Izuku smiled at him, which seemed to ease him slightly. They were released for their other classes, and at lunch, Izuku waited for everyone else to sit before visibly searching for and taking an empty table. He was drained. He was exhausted. He was ready to go home.

The others let him be for the rest of the day. He went home wishing he could take a nap but he had work to do. He had sent Todoroki the plan he had made over text and garnered his support. They were going to take Endeavor down. It would need to be systematic though. He had to be destroyed financially first. Then Izuku would send out the information he had gathered and a few of his middle school group would help him spread it, no questions asked, and spread allegations of their own. Hopefully this would start to lower the public's opinion of him and he would lose power. Then Shouto would work to convince his siblings to come forward about the abuse they suffered and take it to the police. Then he would go to jail and pay for his crimes.

He grinned, and they began to turn the gears to his downfall.

When homeroom began the next morning, Aizawa handed back their tests. They were all handed back face down to conceal their grade, and Izuku flipped his over to reveal a 97%. He sighed in relief and glanced at Sero and Kaminari. To pass, they needed a 75%. Sero held up a 78%. They turned to Kaminari, who hadn't flipped his yet. He bit his lip and turned it. He froze, staring at the paper with tears welling in his eyes. His breath shook as he bowed his head. While Aizawa had his back turned, he silently slipped from his seat and fled, leaving the door open behind him. Izuku raised his hand.

"Aizawa-sensei, I... Kaminari left."

He turned and a frown took over his face.

"Do you know where he went?"

"Well, there are at least two places in mind. The boys bathroom down the hall or the library."

"Thanks. Check the library, I'll check the restroom. Yaoyorozu, you're in charge until we get back. Midoriya, let's go."

The two left and split up. Izuku made his way to the library and checked in the sound proof study rooms. He saw Kaminari through the window, clutching his test and crying in the corner. He entered, leaving the door open enough that he could leave if Kaminari told him to.

"I tried so hard... Midoriya-kun..."

He closed the door and texted the class message board that he had found Kaminari in study room three. When he finished, he raced forward and pulled the teen into a hug. He held him close until the sobs turned into sniffles and he held up his paper. A 70%. It was almost cruel. Aizawa entered and took in the sight before him. Midoriya trying to calm the blond somewhat successfully but almost ready to cry himself. He closed the door and sat against the wall opposite them.

"So, why did you leave class without permission, Kaminari?"

He hiccuped.

"I didn't want to break down in front of everyone..."

Aizawa nodded, exhaling slowly and shifting into a more comfortable position.

"Makes sense. So what set you off?"

"I... I was finally doing better... I really thought..."

He bit his lip, tears streaking down his cheeks as he tried not to sob more. Izuku stroked his hair and the boy leaned into his touch.

"I know kid... I get it-"

"NO YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND AIZAWA-SENSEI! I REALLY TRIED THIS TIME! I really tried… I really am a failure…"

They both flinched back from the unexpected outburst, and Kaminari started to cry once more. Izuku cast Aizawa a panicked look as he pulled him close again. Kaminari clutched him as he began to hyperventilate. Izuku rubbed circles between his shoulder blades. Aizawa moved forward and gently turned Kaminari to him.

"You are not a failure. You have improved a lot in a short amount of time because someone finally stepped up and took the time to give you what you needed. You didn't pass, and that sucks, especially after all the effort you put in, but it's not the end of the world. It just feels like it. I really get it, Kaminari. I promise, it'll be okay. Now, I think it would be a good idea for you to get some water, then head to Recovery Girl, okay?"

He sniffled and nodded, coughing and wiping his face. Aizawa stood up and spoke calmly

"Can Midoriya or Sero come?..."

"Sure. Midoriya can walk you down, and I'll tell Sero you want to talk and where to find you. Now get going."

Kaminari pushed himself to stand, offering to help Midoriya up.

"Thanks sensei... I'm sorry to have caused trouble..."

"It's okay kid, sometimes we just need to get away from things. I'd prefer if you ask first, and try not to let it happen again."

He nodded, and they left. Midoriya lead him to Recovery Girl, who let Kaminari clean up and gave him a bottle of water. After a few minutes, Sero arrived and sat beside the distraught boy, who leaned into him and finally let himself fall limp. They didn't need to talk and simply took comfort in each other. Izuku looked at them, and Kaminari nodded. He smiled, and left the two alone to head back to class. Aizawa looked at him when he came back.

"Kaminari will be okay, he's just overwhelmed and needs a little time to calm down."

After that, the day simply continued, as it always had, and always would.

Chapter Text

Izuku slowly floated up into wakefulness, laid out on his stomach. He tried to turn over, but gasped in pain. Sharp, hot agony lanced through his back, and his legs tensed. Hand pressed his shoulders to the bed and he turned to look up at the person beside him. He was dizzy and his head hurt. A blob of black slowly took the shape of Aizawa-sensei. He groaned softly and stopped trying to turn and get up. He was released, and the man knelt beside him.

"Midoriya? Can you understand me?"

"Yes... What... Where am I? The last thing I remember is..."

He inhaled sharply, terror lancing through his heart.

"K-Kacchan! Is he okay?! I-"

The teacher raised a hand, stopping him.

"Bakugou is recovering. He strained himself quite a bit with his quirk and over used it, and he had some bad cuts and bruises, a few broken ribs. You should be more worried about you, kid..."

He swallowed.

"I... What happened? I remember All Might attacking and running away, but then... I started seeing things. Things that weren't real. Couldn't have been... Right? Please tell me they weren't real..."

Aizawa frowned in worry, leaning closer.

"What did you see?"

He took a deep breath and began to recount the horrors he saw. The monsters and the terror he felt. The familiar feeling in the air, like facing Stain all over again. He stumbled when he recounted how close he came to killing himself with his own quirk trying to save Bakugou and get away. His body collapsing under the strain of his powers but he couldn't just stop and give up because he wanted to protect Kacchan from the thing they were facing, wanted to live. He didn't even realized he had begun to cry until Aizawa was rubbing his back and wiping his cheeks. He was shaking. He looked up and saw rage burning in Aizawa's eyes behind his comforting expression and whimpered. It brightened for a moment before being stifled. He wanted to curl into a ball and forget the world, but shifting his legs caused pain to hit him once more. He looked down at his body. His left arm was in a cast, his right hand bound in bandages and splints. He felt the pull of stitches under the bandages. His back was in a brace, and both of his legs in casts from the waist down. He saw All Might's emaciated form in the doorway, looking sick with tears of his own coating his cheeks. Izuku watched him meet his eyes, cover his mouth, and leave. He reached out with one of his arms to the retreating back, unable to speak for a moment, but it was futile. He left. Izuku buried his face in his pillow and tried to stop crying. His body trembled in a mix of trauma and pain. He leaned into the gentle hand that rested on his shoulder.

"Kid... What you saw wasn't real. Now you need to get your face in the air so you can breath. C'mon..."

His head was turned and he gasped in the fresh air, sniffling. His phone rang from his pocket. He fumbled for it with his casted arm and saw it was a call from Musutafu General. He cleared his throat and answered, keeping his roughened voice steady.

"Hello, Midoriya Izuku speaking."

"Hello, this is Musutafu General hospital calling on behalf of Midoriya Inko? She was brought in a few minutes ago, having collapsed at work, and we are currently running tests. She has woken up and the doctors are questioning what happened, but we don't know what all's going on yet. We need a family member present in case of an emergency during which they will need to make medical decisions for her. Are you available to come, as her only listed next of kin?"

"W-What?... Oh my god.... I-I'd have to find out, I'm in school right now... Can you hold f-f-for just... Just one moment?..."

"Of course."

He pulled the phone away, pale and shaking harder. He looked at Aizawa-sensei.

"M-My mom... She's in the hospital. She collapsed at work and the doctor needs next of kin there to make medical decisions..."

Eraserhead released a harsh breath.

"You're awake now, so Recovery Girl can finish healing you. I'll take you down as soon as she says you can go."

He nodded and put the phone back to his ear.

"Are you still there?"

"Of course, hon. Everything arranged?"

"Y-Yeah. I'll be there soon."

"Okay, I'll let them know. If anything happens before you get here, I'll call back, okay?"

"Okay, thank you very much."

He hung up, and Aizawa left to inform Recovery Girl. The duo entered, looking worried. The old nurse planted a firm kiss on his cheek, and he felt tired. He could barely keep his eyes open, but the pain in his back and legs were gone. He quickly earned a snack on the head by using his quirk to eat the cast after Recovery Girl took the brace off.

"I healed the worst of it, but your arms will have to wait until the next time I see you. Eat these gummies to help bring your energy back up. You can go ahead, but be careful, got it? Don't strain yourself."

He nodded and forced himself to stand. His legs wobbled but he didn't let himself fall. His mom needed him. Aizawa led him out a familiar car with a microphone decal on it and covered his face.

"As pro hero Eraserhead, I'm taking temporary guardianship of you while your mother is in the hospital. Got it, Problem Child?"

He nodded, taking his seat. They began to drive to the hospital, which seemed to take hours when it was only a few minutes. They headed in and were directed to his mother's room. She was hooked up to an IV drip, a few monitors, one of which was strapped to her head, and she was asleep. She looked deathly pale with bruises under her eyes. He choked down a distressed noise, moving to sit beside her. He didn't want to wake her, but he needed to be near her. Today had been awful. One terrible thing after another. Eraserhead pulled out some paperwork, and the doctor came in as he was filling it out.

"Midoriya Izuku?"

He looked up and stood.

"Hi... I-Is... Is she gonna be okay?"

He pulled up her charts and shook his head.

"I'm so sorry but... I don't believe so. Her quirk, Attraction of Small Objects, is a telekinesis based quirk, as I'm sure you know. A common side effect of those quirks is over-activity in the brain which can lead to malfunctions of various kinds. In this case, her fainting spells, which caused negligible amounts of brain damage that could be healed through treatment. She recently reported that she had been seeing a dramatic increase in the number of these spells which was speculated to be a combination of an increase in stress and her aging. Due to this, the amount of damage her brain is taking from her quirk is also skyrocketing. It's a very real possibility that she will either lose some of her abilities to go about daily life, maybe her quirk, or... That at some point she may not wake up at all."

Izuku listened, shell shocked, and Aizawa glared at the man. This... This was his fault. If he had been more careful, or if he hadn't gone to Yuuei, hadn't clung so hard to his stupid dream of being a hero...! He nodded and sat back down in his chair.

"Thank you doctor. Is there anything else?"

"No. A nurse will be by in a few minutes to check her readouts. I'll leave you to process what I said."

He swallowed hard as the door shut. He looked at his mother's prone form. Sure, this may have been inevitable to a degree thanks to her quirk, but he accelerated it exponentially. He caused her medical issues to worsen and now she may be comatose for the rest of her life, and if she was, that wouldn't be long. Or she may be a vegetable, or confined to a life bound to restrictions. May lose her quirk. He rubbed his face and traced hers with his eyes. He curled up in his chair and hugged his knees. Aizawa ran his fingers through Izuku's hair

Chapter Text

Izuku had eventually fallen asleep at his mother's bedside, nightmares leaving him to twitch and mutter in his sleep. When Aizawa finally woke him to go get dinner, he regretted not doing at least his stretches or taking his medication since the test, and sat up slowly. His back popped loudly, followed by his hips and shoulders, and he cracked his neck with a winced. Standing proved a challenge when he tried. He fell back into his chair twice and had to wave off his teacher's help before he stood. He looked at Inko. She was still asleep in the bed. The purple under her eyes had faded at least. That was probably good... He brushed her hair out of her face and turned to the man at his side.

"We should get dinner, and pick up some stuff from your apartment. It's been arranged that you'll be staying at my house with myself and Present Mic until your mother is released. Because of your injuries and the circumstances of your family, you've been excused from school tomorrow to recover and you have the option of the next day off as well. I recommend you take it, kid. I'll explain household rules when we get there. Now what do you want to eat?"

He bit his lip.

"I'd just prefer to make my own dinner. I have a specific diet I need to adhere to. I really should have at least done my stretches before I let myself fall asleep... I'm definitely paying for it now. Gotta do my exercises."

"What are your exercises?"

He stretched uncomfortably as he pulled out his list.

"After dinner I do stretches and yoga for fifteen minutes. Then it's weight lifting. I've gotten up to 155 kg on my barbell, and I use 20 kg dumbbells now, I usually do forty reps each, but that's my minimum. The max I let myself do in one night is 55. Then another 5 to 10 minutes stretching before I go on a jog for around eight blocks. I stretch again and take a break before I head out for free running training and filming for a few hours. I get home around 11 most nights and if I'm later I text ahead whether I'm fine or not. Final stretches, more yoga, taking my medication and cleaning up before I head to bed."

"Jesus christ... What about other things? Homework, hanging out with friends?"

"I have allotted free times in my schedule for other things. Homework is done at school or before dinner. Before Yuuei I didn't have friends, I had people who pitied me. Saw me as a weak little tyke who needed to be protected. They weren't wrong either. I didn't spend time with them often and I haven't at all since the last of them graduated when I started my last year at Aldera. I recently got back into contact with them though, so that might change. My friends at Yuuei I hang out with at school and I see Shinsou most nights on my way home. The rest of my free time is spent studying, working on my analyses, meditation, training."

Aizawa nodded as they reached the car. They slowly made their way to the car, Izuku fumbling to inform All Might and his friends of the situation. With the texts sent, he dialed Bakugou. He would want to hear it rather than read it.

"What do you want, shitty nerd?"

"Hey Kacchan... I figured I should call you but... Mom's in the hospital."

"What?! What fucking happened?! If some asshole hurt her I'll kick his ass!"

He smiled softly. Kacchan always had adored Izuku's mom. The threat was no surprise.

"She passed out at work. Remember how her quirk makes her faint sometimes? Well it's getting worse... S-She... It's causing brain damage and... It might affect her now. They don't know how bad it is yet but she's going to be in the hospital for a while... The doctor said she... She m-might not wake up if it k-keeps going like this, Kacchan. She might go comatose. I... I don't know what to do!"

There was a moment of silence as he struggled not to break down for a second time. He glanced over to see Aizawa in the driver's seat of the car, waiting for him. He took a shaky breath and wiped his face.

"... You got somewhere to stay?"

"Yeah, Aizawa-sensei said he's taking temporary custody of me while she's at Musutafu General. He's waiting in his car while we talk so I can grab some of my stuff from home... I've been given tomorrow off and offered the next day off too... I just-... I don't know if I can handle this Kacchan. With everything that's happened just piling up one thing after another... It feels like I'm drowning. Drowning for nearly eleven years and... I don't know how much longer I can keep treading water... I don't know if I want to..."

He trailed off into a whisper, curling into himself.

"Maybe I should have listened to you..."

There was no response for a long moment. He bit his lip and sniffled.

"Sorry, I should have just-"

"Never say that again."

He jolted in surprise.

"Huh?"

"Never fucking say that again Deku. I'm going to be the number one fucking hero, and I'm going to win against half and half bastard, and all the extras, and I'm going to fucking win against you. And I'm going to make you watch every step of the god damn way, got it?! So you better fucking keep swimming because I know you still have energy left to, got that jackass?!"

He bit down a sob, gasping for air and clutching his chest.

"Yeah Kacchan. I got it... Thanks..."

"Good! Now are you still at the hospital?!"

"No, we're just leaving now that visitation is over..."

"That's fucking bullshit! Where are you going?!"

"Aizawa-sensei and I stopping at home to get my stuff for staying at his place."

"I'm meeting you there, shitty Deku. I'd better fucking see you there!"

"Okay... Bye Kacchan."

"Tch, bye... Mmmrmfnn..."

Before Izuku could ask about the mumble, Bakugou hung up. He could have sworn he said... But he hadn't called Izuku that since they were four. He sat in the passenger seat with Aizawa and rubbed at his face. It was itchy and tight from crying so much. It was silent as they made their way through Musutafu to his apartment. When they arrived, Izuku had a bad feeling. He was on guard from the moment they stepped out of the car.

"Problem child?"

He frowned up at his door from the parking lot.

"Something's off... I don't know, maybe it's just how today has gone but..."

Aizawa reached up and grabbed his capture weapon.

"Trust your instincts. You're familiar with this place, kid. You'd probably know if there's trouble faster than I would."

They headed up, ready to fight if they needed to, and Izuku opened the apartment. Aizawa headed in and checked, giving the all clear after ensuring the apartment was empty. Izuku stepped inside and knew that someone had been there earlier. Some of the pictures that had lined the shelf below the TV were gone, and the pictures of his father and grandparents from the memorial shrine were gone too, except for one of his grandfather, sitting alone in his armchair. Izuku began to search the rooms for more missing items. Two photo books were gone, but nothing else. He turned to Eraserhead.

"There's a bunch of photo's missing, but no valuables. Nothing broken, none of the rooms are mussed... Sensei I... I don't like the implications of this."

Aizawa shook his head.

"Me either kid. You're being targeted, and maybe your family too. Guess it's a good thing I'm taking you."

Chapter Text

Izuku had finished packing his suitcase with his clothes and supplies when Bakugou arrived. Aizawa had answered the door with a frown.

"Bakugou? What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to talk to the nerd. He told me what happened to Auntie Inko."

"Fine, but we won't be here long, and the police will be here soon. Don't touch anything."

He stepped aside, letting the explosive teen in. He marched in, hands in his pockets.

"Why the hell are the police coming? OI DEKU! WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?!"

Izuku stepped out of the kitchen to wave.

"In here, Kacchan, just finishing packing... And someone broke in, stole some photos and albums but nothing else. Come on, let's talk."

The blond followed him into the kitchen, and they were silent as Izuku went back to packing up his bentos and coffee. Bakugou leaned against the counter, head bowed. Izuku didn't know what to say, how to start. The two eventually looked up, and emerald nebulae met ruby fires and the need to talk disappeared in a moment that hadn't happened in nearly a decade. It left both of them surprised, and Bakugou stalked forward. They stood awkwardly, both wanting to reach out, but neither ready to. Izuku offered a smile, and shifted to make room for Bakugou at his side. With slight hesitation, he leaned against his counter with him.

"So... What exactly's going on with Auntie?"

He took a deep breath and zipped up his bag.

"She'd been passing out more often lately. I told her she should go to the doctor, but I didn't push when I knew I should've. She collapsed at work and was sent to the hospital. They figured out that her quirk was the primary cause. Telekinesis quirks usually have some form of side effect... With her getting older, it's been getting harder for her brain to handle. And then she's been really stressed lately... Thanks to me... Getting attacked all the time and hurting myself with my quirk... And it causes brain damage. It was minor enough that usually taking some medication and visiting a healing quirk every once in a while would be enough to help her. With it happening so much and getting more severe the brain damage has been getting worse. Until she wakes up for longer than a few minutes they don't know how much it's affecting her. She was still out when I had to leave and they're supposed to call me if anything happens. And I told you before, the damage... It may cause her to just... Not wake up anymore. She might lose her quirk, or some bodily functions or... No one knows yet. But hopefully I will soon. If... I can't lose her Kacchan. I don't... She was all I had until Yuuei..."

Bakugou clenched his fists as he crossed his arms, scowling at the floor.

"She isn't stressing about you, dumb ass, she's stressing over you about villains. And you had the old hag and the coward. She thought you hung the fucking moon and raised Japan from the god damn sea."

Izuku shook his head. He had loved them dearly, but Bakugou's parents hadn't been the best parents. Aunt Mitsuki had always scared him. Uncle Masaru had been too scared to stand up to her, too scared to protect Bakugou even though he wanted to. Too scared to leave or get help in case no one would. Izuku could understand that. He'd been to scared to leave Katsuki behind when the bullying began. He had been Izuku's best from from birth, although he had other reasons too. Still, it was good that Katsuki wasn't with either of them anymore. All of them could heal from their scars. Bakugou shrugged and kicked at the ground.

"I'll see you at school nerd. And remember, if you ever think something as stupid as what you said on the phone, I'll kick your ass."

"I can't stop it Kacchan, it's not like I want to. I don't get to choose. But... Thanks. I really appreciate you stopping by."

Bakugou nodded and left without another word. Aizawa settled them both down to wait on the police, who they had been waiting on for nearly twenty minutes. Finally they greeted an officer at the door and explained the situation. They gave their statements and Aizawa begrudgingly took his paperwork. When they were allowed to leave, Izuku pulled out his laptop to work. He was applying to online training for a Private Investigator licence, so he could hopefully make his first investigation End**vor. He frowned as he filled out the application. It was possible he might struggle from too heavy a workload, but he was prepared... Probably. If he couldn't, then he'd get help with his school work. He was drawn from his thoughts by a nudge on his shoulder, and looked up to see they had stopped in front of an apartment building. Aizawa went to grab Izuku's weights, but the teen beat him to it, easily lifting them up with his suitcase over his shoulder. This was quickly stopped. Aizawa leveled him with a heavy glare and a tapping foot.

"Problem child, your hands are still injured. I know that I can't exactly stop you, but I am not letting you carry everything up to my apartment, elevator or no. Put that down and we're waiting for Hizashi to come help. Then we have to head back to Yuuei for another healing session after dinner, so save your energy."

He conceded, setting the weights down and grimacing. He may have torn a stitch or two... He shifted anxiously, eyes watching every shadow for threats as they had since the bullying began. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Aizawa follow everywhere his gaze went before frowning. Had he seen something Izuku missed? The teen went on guard and searched more thoroughly. He held back a jump as Present Mic emerged from the building in his casual clothes.

"Hey little listener, you ready to get your stuff upstairs?"

"Yeah, I just need to get my weights. Can't skip on my exercises or my quirk goes out of control and hurts me."

"Well, you can't carry them with a broken hand and arm. I'm getting a dolly to carry those, Zashi, make sure he doesn't try to carry them again? He slipped by me before or I wouldn't have let him carry them before."

Hizashi stared at them.

"How heavy are those?! They look massive. What the heck is your pain tolerance?!"

Aizawa headed inside as Izuku answered with a shrug, sheepish.

"Higher than it should be... But I have a minor gravity altering field, so it literally weighs less to me than others. That's why I can lift so much compared to someone with a similar build."

Hizashi laughed a little, patting him on the arm.

"Not going to lie, kid, I've seen you work out at school and your more built than all your classmates except Shouji-kun, and even then you're physically stronger than him. Heck, you've beaten him in spars a few times! And apparently all that working out helped build the muscle in your skull if Nedzu took you as a personal student."

He chuckled a little, shrugging with a shake of his head. His phone pinged, alerting him to a notification. Apparently he had reached 5,000 subscribers on HeroWatcher. He still needed to do this week's vlog too so he could mention it then and thank them. He would take the main street route when he did and maybe he'd catch a hero or two for some extra views. And he'd get to expand their entry in his notebooks too, which is a bonus. He was drawn from his planning by the sound of footstep and squeaking wheels to see Aizawa opening the door of the complex, dolly in tow. He turned to lift the weights so they could be loaded up, but was stopped by Yamada, who gently pulled him away from the set. The two pros moved them together, grunting and straining from the effort. He looked at his feet in guilt. He could have just gotten them himself when his hands were healed. Now he was making them waste all this effort that he could've saved them.

He twitched, wanting to move forward and help them, but he remembered Aizawa's words. So he settled for carrying his suitcase and backpack, refusing to relinquish them when Hizashi offered to carry them in as he cast the dolly guilty glances. They all headed in. Izuku stared at the elevator with dread growing in the pit of his stomach. The adults didn't seem to notice as he walked a few steps behind them and they stepped in. He stood behind them, clinging to the rail on the wall as it began to rise. He wasn't scared, but he felt ill as it began to rise. His quirks writhed as if he was in danger as his body began to feel wrong, trying to lash out so he could defend himself from a threat that wasn't there. His heart began to race as he feared he would lose control. Hizashi turned with a smile, but it instantly vanished as he took in the teen's state.

"Midoriya, what's wrong? Are you feeling okay?"

Aizawa turned to see him, worry creasing his brow.

"Y-Yeah, it's just... Elevators make me feel sick. It's faster and less hard on me to take though, so I just deal with it, plus I didn't know your apartment... I haven't taken one recently... I guess I need to get used to it again."

He heard the screech of metal bending and realized he had begun to hyperventilate. Aizawa's eyes flared red, and he reached out.

"Midoriya, may I touch you?"

He nodded, and Aizawa gently grabbed his arms to lower him to sit on the dolly. Izuku pressed his hands to his stomach, and felt the elevator come to a stop. The doors opened with a ding and suddenly he was in the hallway, breathing a sigh of relief. He counted his breaths, stepping from side to work the adrenaline through his system. He shook his head to clear the fuzzy feeling that had been building up in it, and turned back to his teachers with a shaky smile.

"I'll be fine in a second, I just need a second to gather myself."

Aizawa moved the dolly toward him.

"Sit, you should rest after panicking like that."

He shook his head, adjusting his backpack strap.

"No, I know how to calm myself down from this. I'll be a little oversensitive for a bit, but walking will help. I'll be okay, I promise!"

The man relented, but he watched the teen carefully as Hizashi moved to lead the way. The trio walked silently down the hallway, Izuku slowly letting his body relax as his quirks came back under his control. It was scary that he had started to lose control so easily and his broken hands ached from the strain. He forced his breath to remain even despite his raised sensitivity. Soon he would just be setting up where he was going to sleep for the night and hopefully able to relax for a moment and put his music on. Hizashi came to a stop in front of a door, and Izuku made note of the number for when they came back. 

"We're here, listener. Let's get you in and settled, got it?"

Izuku nodded, and followed him into the apartment.

Chapter Text

Hizashi led him in and he wasn't sure how to react, so he didn't. The main room was rather open, a small coffee table with a small couch across from a tv. There was a white carpet on the wooden floor under them. A cat tree occupied one of the corners, a litter box nearby. In the other corner was a covered birdcage. Through a doorway was a modest kitchen. He could see plants scattered about and smiled a little. There were books and pictures everywhere too. It was homey and bright, but Aizawa didn't seem out of place despite his all black outfit. He spotted a cat watching warily from inside the hide away in the tree.

"That's Spectacle. We foster cats and he's our latest. He's been here almost two weeks but we haven't made much progress in socializing him."

Izuku nodded solemnly. The fire in the cat's chest was low but bright with apprehension and curiosity, and there was a glow behind his eyes. Some sort of vision based quirk. He was led into a short hallway with three doors.

"This room is mine and Sho's, knock if you need anything. I mean anything, I don't care if it's that you have a splinter you can't get out or that you had a nightmare you woke up screaming from. We're trained professionals and we care about you kiddo. This room is yours until further notice. Feel free to rearrange stuff, put up a poster or two, or a photo. You have an attached bathroom there and a closet on the other side. The last door in the hall is the cleaning supplies. Brooms, vacuum, some chemicals, check with us before getting stuff out of there, okay?"

He nodded as Aizawa pushed in the dolly and parked it. He looked at the room in greater detail now that it was quiet. A bed in the center of the wall, a bathroom on the left, the closet on the right. There were no windows. On the wall by the bathroom was an empty desk. The walls were a plain, almost grey, blue. There was a line of shelves across the walls with a few knick-knacks. It felt barren. Empty. Like no one had ever been in it since it was put together. It looked like a glorified cell. He stood his suitcase next to the bed and set his backpack beside it after removing the bentos. He could have a breakdown later, he had things to do. His crying time block wasn't for another few hours. Hizashi blinked in surprise at the packed meals.

"Oh, do you have an allergy or something?"

"I have a diet plan. I figured this was easier than making you two cater to it."

The voice hero made a noise of ascent.

"Well, I guess you've got dinner then. How many meals do you have covered?"

He shrugged and fiddled with the lid on one of the boxes. Aizawa took them, mumbling something about the fridge. Izuku thanked him quietly, rubbing his arms, and pulled out his laptop. Finally Yamada turned to head out the door.

"Let us know if if there's something we can help with, yeah? I'll leave you to get settled in for a bit and call you to dinner if you aren't already out."

"Thank you, sensei..."

"Out of school, little listener! Call me Yamada!"

"Yes, Yamada."

And it was quiet. It was an uncomfortable quiet that felt out of place. His own home was usually just as quiet due to his mom getting frequent migraines, but this just brought it further to his attention that there was something wrong. So he threw himself into helping Shouto destroy his father.

Yamada Hizashi took a deep breath as he entered the kitchen, where his husband was sitting at the counter.

"That boy has been through too much."

"Agreed."

He got a glass of water and sipped it silently for a moment, watching Shouta breath. Usually they'd be doing something but today felt... Fragile, like a crystalline champagne flute. Shouta leaned against the stone top and rubbed his neck, looking tired as always. He moved forward to rub his shoulders, eliciting a pleased sigh from the man that had the blond smiling.

"This isn't going to be easy despite all our time with teens, hm?"

Shouta nodded, making the muscles under Hizashi's fingers flex. Despite everything he had been through, Aizawa Shouta, Eraserhead, stood tall and strong. That was the reassurance Yamada needed to know that even if it would be hard, they could do this. It wouldn't be permanent anyway. Midoriya's mother would be released from the hospital in a few days and things would calm down. He leaned against his husband and wrapped his arms around the man's chest, who reached up to hold his hands in response.

"Did you see how his posture and the way he walked changed?"

He nodded. He always made it a point to notice things about his students, like when Todoroki went from doesn't speak often to traumatized silence at times. How Izuku had smiled less often after the Hosu incident, how few of his smiles since the beginning of the year were genuine compared to his other smiles. Aoyama's insecurity masked by his flashy-ness and exaggerated habits. It was important as a hero, as a teacher, as a guardian, to see things even when they didn't seem important.

"He was already really quiet, kid walks so lightly I'd think he wouldn't leave footprints in snow, but as soon as his shoes were off it was like a switch flipped. He went completely silent. I'd be concerned if about his home life but he talks about his mom like she could save the world with a hug and a plate of cookies. And when I met her in the park she was lovely. Polite, kind, easy to fluster. Kind of like Yagi-san..."

Aizawa nodded and was calm as he responded

"With his history of being bullied I felt it might be something to be concerned about. He probably just got into the habit because of his mother's quirk. Like Shinsou's gives him headaches, hers is probably similar as a mental based emitter. We're going to have to go over the rules at dinner, figure out a curfew... His previous curfew was 1am. I think we should have it much earlier."

Yamada paused and looked at Shouta with a confused frown.

"1am? That's way later than a 14 year old should be staying up any night let alone school nights."

Shouta nodded and pulled away. He moved over to the cabinets and began pulling out what they needed to make dinner. Hizashi watched, noting it was probably going to be a casserole night, which would have them set for a few meals. Bulk cooking was the most logical option in Shouta's mind. Use less, make more, lasts longer. He smiled softly, and saw a flicker of movement across the doorway. He caught a glimpse of Midoriya walk into the living room and to the window seat by the cat tree. Aizawa and Yamada had been carefully avoiding it to make Spectacle comfortable as they established a space for him while he grew more comfortable socializing. Before he could say anything, Midoriya was set up with his laptop, typing silently as Spectacle watched closely from the cat tree. He mrrp'ed, drawing the teen's eyes for a moment. He blinked before going back to work, turning slightly away. Spectacle flicked an ear before shifting from being ready to run to a sitting pose. Hizashi felt his jaw drop. He whispered to Shouta behind him.

"Sho. Sho! Come look at this!"

He was quickly joined by Shouta, who crossed his arms. Izuku, without raising his eyes from the computer, lifted a hand, stopping in midair well before Hizashi had picked up any signs of discomfort from the feline. Both figures were frozen before Izuku went back to typing one handed. Spectacle watched him before slowly reaching out and giving the hand two soft pats. Midoriya didn't even seem to realize it had happened. Spectacle watched him for another few moments before retreating into the hide. Midoriya nodded and slowly moved to stand before sitting in the chair furthest from the tree and turning away. Yamada glanced at Shouta, who was pouting a bit.

"Don't be jealous Sho, sometimes people just have connections with animals. Plus he already has that uncanny ability to tell what people are feeling, y'know? I wouldn't be surprised if that extended to animals."

He nodded, and they moved back to their previous positions. He reached out, flicking on the radio like he'd wanted to since they got home. It was too silent. He needed to bring some normalcy in or they would never adjust. Music slowly filled the air and he smiled before moving to help Shouta. He wasn't allowed to cook, but he could do prep without incident. Shouta relaxed with a pleased noise. He reached out and poked him, startling a snicker from the man before he was given a warning look. He lips curled from a smile to a teasing grin as he threatened him with wiggling fingers. Shouta jokingly brandished his knife, a smile finally gracing his own face. Hizashi cheered in silent victory as he held his hands up in surrender. Usually he would follow through on the threat but Shouta was uncomfortable with people hearing his laugh.

Soon dinner was popped in the oven and the duo made their way into the living room. Spectacle was still social-ed out for the moment and was asleep in his hide. Midoriya glanced up and shifted, moving his back away from them. It sent a stab of upset through Hizashi. This kid had been attacked, his mother put in the hospital, had his home violated, moved to a new place with people he was unfamiliar with out of a professional setting, so now he was on guard even with people he trusted. He forced it down and sat on the couch, pulling Shouta to his side. Izuku glanced up again before pulling out his notebook and writing as best he could with his injury. It was a dirty notebook, the pages curled and stained with water damage, the edges frayed and torn. The covers and some of the pages looked burned as well. It was very different from how he kept the rest of his belongings. Likely something to do with his bullies then. Hizashi couldn't figure it out. He was a kind boy with pleasant features for a kid, and apparently had always been adorable according to pictures in his files. He had an incredible quirk that would have been prized by the quirk discriminatory assholes he grew up with... But those girls in the park had called him quirkless. Bakugou had also apparently been surprised by the kid's quirk when he saw it... Something wasn't lining up here.

He bit his lip to hold back a huff. It left him frustrated, because figuring things out was one of the things he did best. He glanced at the teen in the corner of his eye. He was writing away in his journal, and Hizashi caught sight of the title; Analysis for the Future No. 13. It sent a wisp of curiosity curling around his brain before it tightened like a lasso. Izuku met his gaze.

"Oh! U-Um, did you w-want to see my journal? I'd be happy to show you!..."

He smiled and motioned for the boy to come closer. 

"Sure little listener! I thought it looked pretty interesting, sorry if I stared."

"I-It didn't bother me, I'm getting used to stares..."

Midoriya stood beside him and held out the book. He took it carefully, noticing just how dirty it really was, and marked the page Izuku had been working on. He was directed to the table of contents and saw a list of heroes and page numbers. He blinked in surprise at Shouta's name with the note "Latest Information" followed by his own name, with a pair of yellow circles interlocked beside them. He flipped to Shouta's page to find a startlingly realistic drawing of him staring out from the page. There was information organized around it pointing out the parts of his costume and explaining them. On the next page was an examination of his physicality and fighting techniques, with possible root techniques his style could be derived from. It was accurate, but at the same time, it was easy information to gather. Anyone could figure out he'd studied martial arts from seeing him fight. He turned it to see Shouta's quirk next, finding more information on it than Shouta would have given him. He felt the man stiffen beside him and checked to see him looking at the book with him. There was even a section on possible secondary quirks based on factors such as the levitation of his hair and scarf. He was right of course, Shouta was a chimera with a minor secondary levitation quirk. Next was a 'rudimentary psyche eval.' that listed some... intense information. It sent shivers up Mic's spine to see his husband picked apart like this.

His habits, his methods, even his posture and the way he spoke was examined. Then there was a section labelled 'counter measures' that was scary. Ways to manipulate his relationships with others, counter his moves, even to use himself against him like his injuries, and Mic turned the page to his own analysis. It was largely the same, but made note of his colorblindness, something he had never publicly mentioned. Izuku had figured out what brand his color seeing sunglasses were and made the connection. A terrifying thought crossed his mind of if a villain got their hands on something like this. He handed it back to the clearly nervous teen.

"That really impressive, Midoriya. But you should definitely be careful with it, if it got into the wrong hands it could be really dangerous."

He nodded solemnly in agreement.

"I know, Principal Nedzu said that too. I've been encoding all my journals into a different book and burning the originals. I've gotten to number 8 since I finally memorized and learned to read the code. It's just easier to keep new information with it's original notebook before it's transcribed. I've actually been using it to help Nedzu with dealing with students and school things."

Hizashi settled into his seat, holding Shouta close as he watched Izuku go back to his seat.

"You should keep honing that skill, though. It'll be really useful when you're a hero."

With that, they moved back into the slightly awkward silence as Izuku went back to working on his computer. Meanwhile, his mind was churning. If one person could get that information, it was possible others could get that information and put lives in danger. His eyes shifted to the black line tattooed around his finger, his only tattoo compared to the multiple Shouta bore on his form, including a matching band. They had wedding bands tucked away, but had tattoos because they couldn't be damaged or lost. If a villain got the information Izuku had it would be a death sentence for any hero. With the possibility of a traitor in their midst, it wasn't something he could relax about. He was drawn from his mind by the timer in the kitchen going off, and got up to go set the table as the casserole was pulled and retrieved Izuku's bento.

"Midoriya, dinner! Come and get it!"

Izuku bit his lip as he stood from his seat. He realized he had inadvertently upset Yamada at several points, including when he had shared his notebook. But the man had encouraged continuing it in a strange turnaround. He slowly made his way into the kitchen, noting the basil on the windowsill needed a little more water. He took his place, Yamada and Shouta taking theirs in turn. He didn't speak, unsure of what to do. Finally, Aizawa spoke up.

"So, we need to cover rules. I'll keep it simple, and I imagine it's just what other households do as well. Clean up after yourself, no loud music after 9pm, ask permission to use our things, and curfew is 10pm. Any questions?"

"What about my training? It's also kinda my job right now, since I'm working out monetization..."

Aizawa raised his eyebrow.

"You're 14, you shouldn't be staying up until 1am at all let alone every night. It's also extremely dangerous to be parkouring across rooftops in the dark with professional training, which you don't have. That and you have injuries that even after healing you should go easy on for a few days. That's should be about it unless Hizashi has anything to add."

Yamada shook his head and Izuku huffed in silent laughter.

"I guess no sex, drugs, drinks, and rock and roll then, heh..."

Yamada laughed and spoke plainly.

"Let us know if you're having anyone over, condoms are in the bathroom by your room. Drugs and alcohol, ask your mom first, but better under supervision than in an unknown alleyway. Rock and roll is highly encouraged, right Sho?"

The man nodded, but gave the blond a stern look.

"I'd prefer 'no drugs or alcohol' myself, but I agree. It would be a lengthy discussion first though, involving your mother."

Izuku stared at them in surprise, but he nodded and continued eating. It was quiet again as they finished eating, but Izuku felt more comfortable now. When they finished, Yamada took their dishes, and Izuku put the rest of his bento back in the fridge. Aizawa stood and put on his shoes.

"Alright, Problem Child, we need to go see Recovery girl. Let's get ready."

He joined him, and soon, they were heading out the door to the car.

Chapter Text

Izuku flexed his fingers gratefully, glad that he was finally free of his bandages. Aizawa was driving him back to the apartment, and Izuku remembered to text Shinsou.
Hey, not running tonight so I won't be stopping by -7:39 p.m.

He bit his lip as his knees twinged in an forewarning of pain. He wasn't looking forward to going to bed without exercising properly, but Aizawa wasn't giving him a choice. The ride was quiet, only the sound of wind and and the car filling his ears, but if he listened past it, he could hear Aizawa breathing. It was oddly calming. His phone beeped, a text from Shinsou confirming he received the last. He frowned as he realized he hadn't gotten any texts from All Might, so he sent him a selfie. It was a from a few nights ago, sitting on a rooftop with Musutafu shining below and the stars bright above. All the pro responded with was a thumbs up. He felt worry grasp his chest. Yagi always said something if he could respond. He chewed on his cheek, wondering if the man was okay. He had seemed pretty upset earlier, but Izuku had been too worried about his mom to think of it at the time. He put his phone away as Aizawa pulled into the parking lot.

"Alright, Problem Child, let's go."

"Yes, sensei..."

He followed the man in silently, and they headed for the stairs. They ascended quickly, and Izuku noticed they were moving quickly. It felt good to jog up the flights. As they approached the apartment, Izuku's phone rang. Kaminari's name crossed his screen much to his surprise. He stood in the hall as Aizawa entered the apartment, waving him ahead as he answered, and he was left alone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Midoriya! How are you doin dude?"

Midoriya frowned at the nervous tone of his voice, standing straight and ready to go to his teachers if he needed to.

"I'm doing okay, how are you?"

The blond took a deep breath before replying.

"Well, I'm kind of having a crisis? I figured I should ask you as your my only friend who's figured... this stuff out."

He blinked as he got an idea of where the conversation was about to go. He looked around. moving away from the door. His teachers would no doubt have no issues with it, but no one likes being outed before they're ready.

"What sort of stuff?"

"Well um... I have a boy problem. I didn't know I could have boy problems but apparently I can."

He smiled a little. Izuku could remember the confusion and some of the fear that came with exploring romance and sexuality. He didn't have much experience himself, but he had learned early on some of his identity. He was aware that it was also subject to change. They were teens, so they didn't need to have everything figured out yet, but he was happy to help his friend on the journey to figuring himself out. So he did what Kaminari did best, he pulled out some humor to ease the tension.

"Can't fit his body in a bag problem or you like him problem?"

There was a moment of silence before Kaminari laughed in relief.

"Oh man, I love that joke! I didn't know you meme'd. We're going to have to add you to the meme chat. But uh... The second one."

He nodded, and settled for the conversation

"I have less experience with that option, but I have some. What's the main issue and what do you need me to do? Listen, give advice?"

"Well, the issue is he's my best friend and I didn't know I felt this way about guys. It was… Not encouraged growing up, but not overtly considered wrong or bad or anything… It's part of why I was so sure I liked girls. And I do? But now I'm feeling like this and it's just so confusing."

Izuku braced to run for the apartment the moment he heard trouble on the line. He tried to make his voice as serious as possible to impress upon the lightning user how important this question was.

"Are you certain your in a safe place to discuss this then? No one to walk in and hear something to put you in danger? Your safety should take first priority here."

"Yeah, I'm sitting on my roof, by the edge. No one can hear me and I'll see anyone coming. I don't think anyone I know would react violently or anything but I get that you never really know..."

He sighed in relief.

"Good, so, how can I help?"

"I don't really know. I guess I just need someone to listen to me."

"Well, I can certainly do that. Just let me know if you need me to say anything."

And with that, Izuku listened. Kaminari began hesitantly, but soon he was practically rambling on about his crush and his feelings. It left Izuku smiling as his friend came to terms with himself, and Izuku offered resources to the teen when he asked about them. Information about the LGBTQ+ community, places he could go to get help about finding himself and in case anything happened. It was an experience he wished he'd had when he discovered that these things were a spectrum. Eventually they hung up, and Izuku headed inside. Spectacle crawled forward from his hide, and Izuku saw his eyes light up as he used his quirk. He wondered what it did. He carefully judged the flame in the cat's chest and moved closer. There was a flare of apprehension but it faded quickly. He made his way forward, and stopped when Spectacle was uncomfortable. He stood for a moment, then turned away and went to his room to start his exercises. He slowly put together the bench, and started stretching.

He settled down on the surface. and started lifting. His hands felt a little numb, so he kept to his minimum set of reps, and was careful when putting it away. He moved back into his stretches again, and dressed to go running. Then he realized he probably needed to get permission. He made his way into the living room and saw Yamada reading on the couch.

"Hey um... Y-Yamada?"

The man looked up from his book.

"Yeah?"

He shuffled uncomfortably.

"I uh... I was going to head out for my run but I figured... I should get permission... or something."

Yamada nodded and set his book down. He stood and stretched with a groan.

"Alrighty. Give me a few minutes, I'll go with you. I'll be right back.

The pro left towards the bedrooms, leaving Izuku alone. Spectacle crawled forward, quirk activated. Izuku looked around, trying to determine what it did, and found  no hints. The he followed the cat's gaze. His chest... Izuku got an idea, and focused on his fire, bringing threads of it out and watching the cat. His pupils flared a deep purple, and he bolted into his hide. Izuku nodded to himself and let go as Hizashi came back in.

"Ready! Let's go, listener!"

Chapter Text

When Izuku woke up the next morning, he was irritable and twitchy. He hadn't gone out running as Aizawa demanded. He'd simply come home and meditated after his run. He was starting to regret not pushing to go more. He felt stiff as he got up and started his stretches. His bones popped loudly as he got up, and he started his stretches. His body protested every move, and he forced himself to continue despite the pain.He finished later than usual, and made his way into the bathroom. A warm shower left him feeling better, but he was still more on edge than usual. He made his way out, seeing it was still dark out. The clock read 3 am. He sat on the couch, rubbing his face. Today the rest of the class would be getting the details of their physical exam results and the camping trip. Izuku only knew he and Bakugou had passed, and only barely. He blinked as he felt a weight land on the couch beside him.

A glance revealed Spectacle staring up at him, pupils blown wide in the dark, faintly glowing purple as he stared at the fire in Izuku's chest. It was unknown what the cat was really seeing, how it was different from what he saw, if he knew what it meant. He held out a hand, drawing his eyes. Izuku huffed silently as Spectacle sniffed his fingers and realized he didn't know what kind of cat he was. Spectacle backed away, and the door opened. As the light turned on, he blinked at the sudden brightness, surprised to see Aizawa. He was probably getting back from patrol, he realized. The teacher seemed equally surprised to see him awake.

"Problem Child? Something wrong?"

He shook his head, rubbing his eyes

"No, just can't sleep. I got a minor mutation from my mom so I don't need as much sleep as the average person. It's part of why I do the parkour. Going to sleep early messed up my schedule and I'm kinda out of it..."

Aizawa sighed and sat beside him.

"Well, is there any way I can help?"

"I was just going to meditate for a while. If you'd like to join me, I wouldn't mind..."

The man nodded and moved to get up, but Izuku only straightened and brought his legs close. He raised a brow, but copied the teens pose. Izuku took a deep breath, but paused as he was about to pull on his quirks.

"Ah, I almost forgot... I usually use my quirk while I meditate, but if you would prefer I didn't I won't."

It was shrugged off, and Izuku resumed, pulling his fire and spreading it through his body, One For All's lightning following close behind. Aizawa watched curiously as Izuku's body began to give off warm wisps of green light, and couldn't help but remember a video he had seen of solar flares. Then he settled into his own meditation.

When Aizawa had gotten home, he had expected to go straight to bed as he always did, but here he was, meditating with a 14 year old, exhausted and covered in sweat and dirt. He closed his eyes, and settled himself, focusing in the feeling of becoming aware of his body. He could feel his eyelids pressing against his eyes, each breath filling and emptying from his lungs, the now constant ache and numbness of where his elbow had been disintegrated. He had been lucky not to get muscle damage, only nerve damage and a massive scar. The stretch of his legs as he brought them under him. Then he released the focus and turned inward. He thought over everything he had been through. Everything he had seen. He was a pro hero, a teacher, a guardian. He was acutely aware of the teen beside him, not the first he had taken in, and certainly not the last, but one of the few he wouldn't be "keeping." He had taken in and housed several of his students before while they dealt with home troubles, but he didn't know what to do for Midoriya. Despite Hizashi's words, they hadn't dealt with anyone like him before and had no idea how to.

He took a deep breath and re-centered himself. Meditation was a time for self reflection. The sorting and easement of the mind and body. The connection to the world around you and, if you believed in it, the worlds or energies beyond. After a few more minutes, he rose out of his meditation and settled for watching Izuku. It was almost entrancing to watch the wisps arc through the air and fade away or seem to faze back into his skin. When the boy rose out of it, He seemed contemplative as he turned to the pro.

"Thank you, Aizawa-sensei. I really appreciate you joining me. I guess you should head to bed. I have stuff to work on so..."

"If you want me to stay, I will."

The boy blinked up at him in surprise, a painful reminder of how many adults had failed this kid over and over. How he'd only had one person at his back for years. He received a smile for his offer, and Midoriya responded quietly.

"I'm okay right now. I won't be able to go back to sleep, but I'm just going to go work on my notebooks. You should get some sleep though."

He decided not to push, taking note of his word choice, and relented.

"Okay. Hizashi doesn't have classes today, so he's going to be staying home with you. He'll bring you along when he picks me up from Yuuei and we'll stop by the hospital to check on your mom. Sound good?"

Izuku nodded, and they got up. Aizawa stretched with a groan, then headed into his bedroom. He silently entered the bathroom, glad the bedroom was soundproofed, and took a shower. The hot water cleared away the grime from his patrol, and he pulled on his sweatpants to sleep in. He crawled into bed, Hizashi pulling him into a cuddle. He tucked the taller blond into his chest, tangling their legs, and a nose found it's way under the corner of his jaw as they held each other. Hizashi mumbled in the sleep filled voice that Shouta loved to hear every time he got home, rough and deeper than his usual speaking voice.

"You're late... Have a rough time?"

"No, I only took care of a few muggings, broke up a drug deal. Nothing big or hard."

Hizashi snorted at the double entendre, and Shouta smirked a little and continued.

"Midoriya-kun was up in the living room when I got home. Turns out the kid doesn't need much sleep cause of a mutation. We sat for a while, meditated. It was good."

Hizashi nodded, and a yawn ruffled the gold strands below his chin. Sleep started to pull him into the bliss of unconsciousness. He relaxed into the tugging, and was pulled into his dreams, unaware that the downfall of the number two hero was being organized and finally put into motion just across the hall.

Chapter Text

Izuku felt satisfied with his work, glad that Endeavor's money would slowly be siphoned away by legal fees, repairing "training" damages to his house, and more. He and Shouto had carefully worked out an escalating drain plan for Endeavor's account. Then the loss of money and increase in publicized troublesome behavior would lead to his public status lowering. When it was low enough, Izuku would release a compilation of public documents listing the things Endeavor had done, explaining them in detail, and bringing that he had innocent victims of his carelessness and anger to light. Once that hopefully caused his reputation to tank, Shouto would convince his siblings to come forward about the monster's abuse or by himself. There would of course be backlash they would need to deal with but it would be worth it if Endeavor payed even a fraction of the price of his crimes. Izuku would make sure he did. If anything happened to End*avor in prison well... That was none of Izuku's business, deserved or not.

He made his way out of the room he was borrowing into the kitchen, where the smell of eggs and sausages made his stomach growl. Hizashi was standing at the stove, watching the food carefully. Izuku pulled one of his bentos from the fridge and sat. Within the bottom compartment was his own breakfast, unseasoned rice, rolled eggs, and low fat sausages. He had made all of these himself and he was starting to regret it. He hadn't understood the need for spices when cooking the foods as they weren't a priority in his diet, so all of his food had turned out almost bland. His sausages, while done, were almost grey instead of brown from lack of seasoning or additives, and unappealing. He settled down and grabbed his chopsticks with the resolve to learn how to spice food later. Hizashi took one look at the meal and frowned.

"No, not in my house. Breakfast is the one meal I can usually cook, and I will not let someone in my care have something as gross looking as that if I can help it. Tell me you diet requirements, I'm going to cook you something." Izuku looked at the man and back to his food, sorely tempted to take him up on the offer.

"I-I don't want to trouble you, I'm fine."

"Midoriya, it's no trouble. And even if it was, I would go the length needed to get you a good breakfast."

The teen smiled nervously, giving him a hesitant nod, and pulled out his self analysis notebook. He turned it to his exercise and meal plan and slid it to the pro. Hizashi picked it up and scanned the pages before moving to pull out ingredients, taking the bento on his way. Aizawa entered, moving straight to the coffee machine without a word. Izuku sipped from his own thermos, enjoying his brew of Black Insomnia. It was a lighter roast than he usually liked, and with unfortunately dry beans, but some coffee oil and powdered cocoa took care of the flavour issues he had with it. He looked up to see Aizawa looking at his bag of coffee and seeming intrigued.

"You can use it, if you want, but I really recommend using the recipe I wrote on the back. The company uses dried beans so it ends up with less flavor."

The man startled and turned to him before flipping the package over and reading it. He hummed and filled the machine before sitting down to wait. Hizashi set a plate down in front of him, sending Izuku a bright smile on his way back to the stove. Izuku nodded his head to the beat of the radio playing on the counter. It was a pop song he didn't like very much, but it was catchy even if it sounded like everything else on the radio. Hizashi began to sing along quietly. Soon, a plate of food was set in front of him, causing Aizawa to raise a brow, but he said nothing as the coffee machine beeped to signal it was done. He poured a mug and took a seat across from the boy. Hizashi sat down with his own plate and took a bite. Izuku followed suit and savored it. It was a weirdly normal and kinda boring morning for what had happened to him, what he started last night. Eventually they moved to the living room.

Aizawa began preparing for work, subtly moving closer to the cat tree. Spectacle peered out and spotted Izuku in the window seat, moving as if to jump down before retreating back into the hide. Aizawa sighed, vaguely disappointed, and moved away. Izuku frowned softly but said nothing as Aizawa turned to him.

"Remember the schedule, Problem Child?"

"Yes, Aizawa-sensei, I remember."

He nodded, pulling Hizashi in for a quick kiss before leaving. It left a small smile on Izuku's face. Something about the domesticity of their interactions was nice. Hizashi turned back to him, grinning in joy.

"Alright, little listener, what should we do today? We could go do something, or stay in, have some fun, whatever your heart desires!"

The teen turned sheepish, embarrassed by his original plans for the day.

"Well, I figured we would probably just be here... I just figured I'd work out, do my work on my computer, meditate... What I usually do on my days off."

Hizashi nodded, though Izuku caught concern in the flames in the man's chest. Was it really that odd? He went out sometimes, but most days he did stay in and work. It wasn't like he had much to do outside beyond exercising. Though from the group chat of former upperclassmen of Aldera he had been added to, that might be changing soon, and he had been invited to a few hangouts since the beginning of the year that he had turned down, Maybe it was time to get out more. He steeled his nerves and opened his mouth.

"But it would be nice to go out. I have been wanting to go do some sketches around town, and getting some errands done would be good."

Hizashi smiled.

"Then let's get ready to head out."

Izuku held his bag of new art supplies by his side. Hizashi had asked him questions about various art supplies when they had come to the shop, quality versus utility and such, Izuku not realizing he was buying him the best art supplies Izuku mentioned. He had also refused to let Izuku even partially pay for them. It left him feeling selfish and a little uncomfortable despite being grateful. Now they were walking to the park as the first destination for drawing. He was excited to try some of them out. He had never used supplies of such quality before, or even some of the supplies he now had. So they marched onward, into the park, and to a bench, where Izuku sat down and settled to begin as he pulled out his pad and pencils. He ran through a few warm up sketches. He was aware of Hizashi beside him, but let himself fall into drawing like he usually only let himself at home. Hizashi was here, so he was safe. It was nice. He barely noticed when Hizashi left for the bathroom until he saw a group of flames flickering with smug aggression approaching. Suddenly everything came rushing in as he looked up. More bullies from middle school, but not from Aldera. Some better off kids who would come around and make fun of people with less money.

"Hah, look at that one, he's wearing such ugly clothes! What, are they second hand?"

He didn't respond as he put his belongings behind him. They quickly grew frustrated with the silence.

"What, cat got your tongue? We saw you talking to that walking twig earlier, we know you can talk and hear just fine!"

"Oh please, he probably knows his place. Too far below us to speak to us."

He sat, staring at them and forcing himself to look bored. Apparently this was offensive in some way, because one of the girls stepped forward, raising a hand to slap him.

"Stop staring at us you creep!"

Her attempt was easy to block by raising his hand and catching her wrist. He let go before she could even pull back, seeing Hizashi's flame approaching from the side and feeling relief flood his system. These were kids whose parents had social power, so if he got in trouble with them, it wouldn't end well for either of them.

"Ugh, that creep touched me! How dare you, you think your worth anything? You don't even have money. If you did, you wouldn't be here with the rest of the trash."

With that, Izuku felt a stroke of realization. Why did it matter? Why did it matter if these kids saw worth in him or not when he had people who did? He had people who believed in him and encouraged him. These guys only cared about bank accounts and how much was packed in your wallet. He had real friends who would stand up for him. Warmth bloomed through him as he sat tall and proud in a rush of confidence. He smiled serenely, catching them off guard as he spoke up.

"You're right, I don't have much money. But that isn't what makes a person worth something. I don't know how much I'm worth to the universe, and my value doesn't depend on others, but I know I've made a few people happier than they would've been without me. Even for a short while, and that's all I need. With that, I'm richer than I ever thought I would be. I don't need six zeroes in my account for that."

He turned back to the park in front of him, calm and secure in the thought that he could protect himself this time, and he didn't need to be kicked down by their words this time. Maybe it would weigh on him later, he would certainly miss the feeling of the moment later, but for now everything was fine. They cleared out as Hizashi arrived.

"Hey kiddo, who were they?"

"Just some rich kids with nothing to do. I think I've got everything I'm gonna get for now. Wanna hang here for a few more minutes or should we head on to the next place?"

He smiled at the man, who blinked and sat down.

"I think we should stay a little longer. Sometimes taking the extra minute means getting the reward. Like the English saying goes; 'Early bird gets the worm, but second mouse gets the cheese!'"

Izuku huffed in amusement and relaxed.

"Yeah, that sounds nice."

When they set off for the next spot for Izuku to draw, he let a wave of nostalgia wash over him. He hadn't been back to Dagobah beach since the entrance exam, so a visit felt overdue.

Chapter Text

Hizashi and Izuku wandered the city, and Izuku found himself learning quite a bit about the voice hero. He liked manicures and writing his own songs, although his quirk left him with a rough and pitchy voice, so he was only good at bass with assistance from his quirk. It was nice to get to know him on a personal level. All the heroes he got to talk with since joining Yuuei had been so different to how he had imagined they'd be. He was grateful he got to, he was sure he wouldn't have if All Might hadn't changed his mind. They stopped by a food truck for lunch before heading back to the apartment, which was the second best curry he'd ever had, with only Bakugou Mitsuki's rivaling it. The thought put a sour taste in his mouth. She was a good person, she just needed better anger management. Hopefully she was getting help.

Izuku sighed as he entered his room, stretching as he sat at his desk.As he turned on his laptop a local news tab popped up. Endeavor was facing rising backlash from the public lately. He didn't have the money for cover ups anymore it seemed. What a shame. Emails from his teachers with his classwork. Messages from his friends on Earwig about hangouts and upcoming events. He hit 10,000 subscribers on HeroWatcher, so he would need to do a thank you video. His channel was picking up quickly. With that done, it was time for schoolwork. He still had to do it, unfortunately, on top of everything that had happened to him, but he was a little grateful for it. It gave him something to do while he recovered and waited for his mother to get out of the hospital. It was planned she would be home by tomorrow evening though. He couldn't wait to go home with her. He could go back to his schedule and work harder to make sure she was okay. Work harder to make sure she didn't have to worry about him. He shook the thought away, focusing on his assignments.

Izuku was interrupted a few hours later by a knock on his door, which then opened to reveal Aizawa.

"Midoriya, it's almost time to go. Get ready."

He left before the teen could respond, and he rushed to get dressed in clean clothes. He was done in record time and shoved his laptop into his bag as he entered the sitting room. Spectacle climbed from the tree to the shelf next to it, belly low as he crawled forward. The teen raised his hand up and was rewarded with a wet nose pressing against it. The cat backed away when he tried to pet him though. Izuku motioned for Aizawa to come over, reaching out to Spectacle with a thread of calm. He watched Aizawa warily, but didn't back away. Aizawa reached up calmly and offered a flat palm, which Spectacle tentatively sniffed before finally retreating into the cat tree. Izuku sent him a thread of pride and joy as they exited the apartment and headed to Mic's car. And off they went to Musutafu General with him practically vibrating in anticipation.

Izuku rushed through the halls as fast as he was allowed. His mother smiled at him as he burst through the door and pulled him into a hug as soon as he was close enough. Tears soaked the shoulder of her gown. Tension bled from his frame when she rubbed circles in his back, gently pressing knots out of the muscles. Her tone was admonishing as she pulled back to look at him.

"Izuku, you haven't been out running, have you? You know you need to. You're so stiff I'd think you'd ossified!"

He wiped his cheeks.

"My curfew while staying with Eraserhead has been 9pm, so I haven't been able to. It's okay though, I upped on my other exercises to make up for it."

"Well, when you get back to it, start slow, you're going to be out of practice."

He nodded, seeing Yamada and Aizawa come in. They sat down in the chairs against the wall. Yamada offered her a bright grin.

"It's nice to see you again, Mrs. Midoriya."

"And you too. This must be Mr. Aizawa then?"

He nodded, and they fell into easy conversation. It felt the most normal Izuku had since he had gotten into Yuuei. He wouldn't trade it for anything. His eyes turned to his mother beside him. Almost anything... He picked up the brush from the tray on her bed and started to clear the tangles from her hair. It was relaxing to do it again. he began to hum, the three adults lapsing into silence. Soon, the song he and his mother used to sing every time he brushed her hair spilled from his lips for the first time in years.

"Down by the bay..."

His mother easily pitched in for the harmony, swaying to the tune as it filled the air. It felt like he was 8 years old again. Helping her get ready for work or to go to dinner with Aunt Mitsuki and Kacchan for the millionth time.

"Where the watermelons grow... Back to my home, I dare not go! For if I do my mother would say; 'Have you ever seen a whale with a polka dot tail down by the bay?'"

He coughed slightly as they broke into laughter. It had been a long time since he had sung properly, although he was slowly getting back into it. He brushed out the last few tangles and quickly fixed it into her usual style, standing to stretch with a groan.

"I'm going to get a drink. Do any of you want me to grab you something?"

The two teachers waved him off. Inko turned and held out a few yen coins.

"Could you grab me a bottle of orange juice, dear?"

He took them and headed for the vending machine.

Inko watched her son leave, holding back her sniffling until he was out of earshot. Yamada turned to her with worry. He was such a kind man.

"Are you alright, Mrs. Midoriya?"

"Oh, Inko is fine. I'm alright, it's just that it's been so long since Izuku sang. He stopped just before he entered middle school. I knew something was wrong but I pushed it aside as him growing up. Lots of the neighborhood boys stopped doing things like that as they got older. I don't know when he got so good at hiding things from me... He slipped so many things by me. He heard that song on a children's show, watched it almost as much as the All Might cartoons. I used it to start teaching him English, although that song is about as much as I know anymore. I don't even remember enough for basic conversation. It's one of those songs you can loop forever though, with a different ending every time, so we would look for a new one every day and practice it together. He's fairly fluent now, and he's only gotten better since he entered high school. He's been studying Russian lately because of his father.

Aizawa cocked his head and leaned forward.

"He's never talked about his father. Although he talks about you as if you paint the sunset on the sky every night just for him.

She laughed and nodded.

"I would if I could. I suppose it's my fault though. Hisashi died when Izu was just two years old. It hurt so much for so long... I wanted so badly to be able to talk about him, but I couldn't handle it. Eventually Izuku stopped asking until this year."

"Why Russian though? Hisashi is a Japanese name."

"Hisashi was Russian by birth, but he was adopted by a Japanese couple. They were always open about his adoption. He loved learning about the culture and he looked forward to teaching Izuku all about it. Izuku and I thought it might be a good way to honor him and have a part of him in our lives. I wish I'd had the strength to do it years ago..."

Yamada put a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, I understand. Loss is hard, especially when it's someone you loved, and it can take forever to recover. I'm sure Izuku doesn't blame you or anything."

She wiped her face, nodding. She cleared her throat.

"Thank you... Ugh, listen to me, crying all over the place again, I'm sorry."

Yamada brushed it off as Izuku came in, handing his mother her drink and sitting down with his own water. They fell back into lighter topics as dinner approached. When they were asked to leave as visitation ended, they headed back to the apartment. Izuku felt lighter. A fear that had been weighing on him in the back of his mind of his mother not coming home eased away. He was preparing to start his exercises when there was another knock.

"Come in?"

Aizawa opened the door and held up Izuku's self analysis notebook.

"Why didn't you tell us you went free running because it helps you control your quirk? If you had said something, we could have worked it out."

The boy bit his cheek, shrugging.

"I figured I could make up for it with my other stuff. It's not a big deal..."

Aizawa shook his head.

"We'll talk about this in training when you get to school tomorrow. I'll take you for some light running tonight since I don't have patrol and you have permits for the area owned by Spectre Corps. Tell me when you're ready to go."

"Yes, sensei."

He left, and Izuku grinned at the thought of going back out. He had plenty of footage stockpiled for a hiatus on running, but it wouldn't last forever. Maybe he could convince Aizawa to let him do something special for the milestone while they were out.

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Izuku followed Aizawa as they jogged at an easy pace. Aizawa had conceded letting him film his run, and he was excited. He had a set of neon lights he could clip onto his clothes for it, and a new set of filters to draw out the lights. He loved the effect when he tested it out. They reached the gate, and Izuku unlocked it, leading Aizawa to the first building he'd climbed, pulling out his equipment and costume. The pro stood beside him.

"So, how do these cameras work? I've seen you go back for them and have to do a jump three times to set it up and continue your path, and it would just be easier and safer if I set up the shot to catch you do it once."

"Well, the focus and everything on these are already set up, so all you need to worry about is hitting record. Press this button to turn it on and off, and this one to record. Pressing it again stops it. It's pretty secure on the tripod, so it shouldn't fall out, and it swivels automatically to track my movement. If it does fall, it just sits on top, and this thing here tightens it. I have the same set up for all three of them. Hopefully I'll get a camera drone soon. It'll make filming a lot easier."

Aizawa nodded along. Izuku put on his head cam, which would film behind him, and started his intro.

"Hey guys, Zu-bunny here! I'm putting out an extra video this week because I hit 10,000 subs. That's crazy! I never thought my channel would get a lot of attention. I know compared to the bigger channels this isn't a lot, but it really is! There's a reason it's considered a milestone after all. I have something special planned for this one to celebrate, I hope you all like it. Ready to go? Then let's get started!"

He stopped it recording, and started getting his tripods set up. Soon he was racing across rooftops with the lights scattered across his form, pulling off a new set of tricks he had started practicing as he edged closer to the milestone. Aizawa followed closely, setting the cameras up where Izuku pointed and staying out of frame. It felt freeing to be out again. Eventually he settle on a roof to eat his snack, handing Aizawa the extra one he packed for him. He blathered on to the camera, careful of the details he shared. It left him refreshed. He filmed for a few more hours before he decided to pick up, and went through his cooldown stretches. He and Aizawa made their way to the cafe, where they each got a coffee and talked to Shinsou for a few minutes before finally heading back. Izuku sipped slowly on his drink, as relaxed as he could be.

"Hey sensei... This was a lot of fun, and I really appreciate you helping me with filming. Thanks."

A hand landed on his head and stayed there for a moment before being retracted into a pocket.

"It was only logical... You're welcome, Problem Child."

He smiled, eyes sparking with joy. When they reached the apartment, Aizawa headed to bed, and Izuku sat down to meditate. He drew his energy up, holding as much as he could. He sank down into himself, meeting the familiar sight of stars floating around him. He stared at them in the distance, and looked down at himself, a blazing light just like them. He looked back up as an idea took hold. He slowly reached out, a wisp of light curiously stretching toward the nearest star. The star flared. Then a rope of flame reached out to him, and they wrapped around each other. He could feel the mind of whatever this other star was. Millennia old and more powerful than he could imagine. It was gentle in seeking contact with him. It seemed as interested in him as he was it. It was hard to communicate with it, as he only grasped feelings, and the ones he received were sometimes overwhelming and unknowable, making his own feel like a drop of ink in an ocean. Through slow building, they began to drift closer to understanding. Then an image drifted into his head. A massive figure drifting in the shadows between stars, barely illuminated by their light as it made its way across the vast distances. Skin that shimmered like frost where it was touched by the light. A being that had seen the birth and death of a million worlds. It left him feeling breathless. Slowly, they released contact, and Izuku rose from his meditation stunned.

There was a lot to think about.

Chapter Text

Izuku braced himself as he approached the 1-A classroom door. He had arrived with Aizawa and Yamada, but had decided to be the last student to enter the room. Get it all over with at once. He pushed open the door as he chewed on his thumbnail. The chatter died down, and suddenly he was surrounded by his classmates.

"Izuku!"

"Bro, where were you?! Aizawa-sensei wouldn't tell us anything!"

"I'm glad you're okay, kero."

The words were lost in the rising din until and explosion cut them off.

"Back the fuck off the damn nerd! He just got back! It's not like he was dead."

Izuku looked at Bakugou, grateful as he made his way to his desk, passing brief greetings to everyone. He offered a whispered thanks to the explosive blond and settled into his seat. He wasn't likely to enjoy lunch with the way everyone kept glancing at him as they settled down. Aizawa came in, barely sparing him a glance as he began announcements. It was easy to settle back into routine. He'd be going back to the apartment for the last time after school to gather his things and finally go home. The thought of sitting down to breakfast with his mom again left him that much more eager for the day to end. He was pulled back to the present as Aizawa stepped beside the podium.

"And finally, the physical exam results. A majority of you passed, with only five of you failing. I'll be honest, This is better than I had hoped, although I knew if each of you applied yourselves and set aside some of the issues you were faced with, all of you would pass. As such..."

Satou, Ashido, Kaminari, and Kirishima's mood all visibly plummeted. Izuku swore he saw Kaminari crying, and Mina was openly crying and shaking as tears rolled down her face. Izuku turned to Aizawa with hope in his heart. Even if it was a last minute change he would have to say it was a logical ruse when he saw them. Kaminari had worked incredibly hard to pass, and ended up failing both the written and physical, and only just barely. Aizawa looked them over as Izuku silently pleaded with him. A leering, creepy smile overtook his face as he lifted it from his scarf.

"You're all going to summer camp!"

There was a moment of silence before Ashido openly wailed and fell sobbing on her desk, the other students who passed just staring at their teacher in shock.

"Everyone passed the written exams, once accommodations were made to students who needed them. As for who failed the physical, Sero, Kaminari, Ashido, Satou, and Kirishima, you will be attending the training camp, but you will be taking classes instead of participating in camp activities."

"We really get to go?"

Kaminari's voice was quiet, hand in the air as he spoke. Sympathy welled inside Izuku, It had to be intense whiplash on the roller coaster of emotions that was attending class 1-A. Aizawa continued without answering.

"As the villains in this exercise, we teachers tried to come up with strategies perfectly suited to you, although one teacher in particular failed this, and thus the pair he faced, although the two still managed to pass the exam. We gave opportunities for you to devise winning strategies. Otherwise you would have been crushed."

Izuku frowned. While it was a harsh truth, he could have been more tactful. He could see it darkening some of his classmates flames. Discouragement like that could really hurt someone.

"So when you said you guys would crush us?..."

"We were trying to motivate you, this is a training camp after all. Those who failed need this camp more than anyone else. In other words, another logical ruse."

Aizawa handed out a stack of papers.

"Here are the things you will need for camp. If there is anything you need help acquiring, let me know. You will be directed to it or it will be provided by the school. Please do not try to take unjust advantage of that generosity, as there is a limited supply of what the school can provide, and there are students who will need those resources. Any requests for those items must be made at least four days in advance to the trip."

Izuku looked over the list. His father had a survivalist kit in storage where he could probably find most if not all of the items on the admittedly extensive list. He had used them before as Aunt Mitsuki would take him and Bakugou on hikes and camping trips often when they were younger, and he had been on a few by himself as well, so he had basic camping and survival knowledge. He would need to check what he had first. Tooru called out, exaggerated body language helping to direct attention to her.

"Hey, since tests are over and we have tomorrow off, should we all go shopping together? As class 1-A?"

There were cheers of assent that had everyone getting excited. It seemed only Todoroki wouldn't be coming. He visited someone on his days off, though he wouldn't tell who. It was worrying at first, but he had assured Izuku he was really visiting someone and it wasn't to cover for his father's abuse. It was quickly planned out that They would all meet at Kiyashi Ward shopping mall around lunch to shop, which would grant him plenty of time to check storage. So the day continued, classes passing slowly until lunch.

Izuku was quickly cornered by his friends and dragged over to a table, where several of his other classmates joined them. He was surprised to Aoyama, Kouda, and Tokoyami in particular.

"Deku! We were so worried, you just disappeared after the physical exam, and All Might has been really out of it the past few days. Aizawa-sensei was really mad at him too, and Bakugou's been really quiet too. I didn't think that was possible."

"Indeed, Midoriya. We inquired to all three of them, but they withheld all information from us, and you weren't online very often other than telling us you were okay."

He scratched the back of his head.

"Ah... I got pretty banged up during the practical. All Might really went all out. I had to go through a couple healing sessions. Plus Bakugou and I didn't work together very well. He broke my nose and I fractured his. Then my mom ended up in the hospital for a few days, so I was given two days off while I recovered and she wasn't home."

There was a moment of silence as Izuku took off his uniform jacket and showed them where the railing went through.

"... How is he still a teacher?"

Izuku stopped, staring at Aoyama in surprise.

"What?"

"Well, you were hurt so bad you had to have more than one healing session. You were impaled. Through the arm. What if it had hit an artery?! What if you had lost complete use of your arm? Your career could have ended before it began. You're a teenager with almost no training as a hero, he should have been more careful."

"Well- He was coming from a mile away, he only hit my arm because I moved it, otherwise I would have only been pinned, not hurt! It's not like he was trying to hurt us. Plus we were doing a pretty good job of it ourselves. We argued most of the time and then I had a PTSD attack, on top of that my quirk's getting stronger and enhanced my senses and I've been adapting to that, so I started hallucinating and went insane briefly. It wasn't good and it wasn't All Might's fault. If anything it was the League and Stain's faults for giving me such intense trauma."

He trailed off, looking at their horrified faces. Maybe he had overshared...

"I've been getting help though, and it won't happen again! I made sure of it."

He really had. He'd shoved it as deep as he could in the pit where he shoved all his traumas and negative emotions and imprisoned them. It was awkwardly quiet for a few minutes before he forced a conversation and it slowly dispersed. The day crept by until training, where Izuku rushed into his gym uniform and out to the field. Aizawa and All Might were there, the older pro tense, and not speaking to each other. Izuku was ecstatic to see his mentor. So much so he flared up bright green for a moment as a smile split his face. He gave All Might an excited wave.

"Hi All Might-sensei! It's great to see you!"

"And you as well, Young Midoriya, I'm glad you're doing better."

Izuku glanced at his fire. It was low and dim, which was worrying. It was typically fairly bright and strong. He focused on it, watching the patterns in the light and colors. Guilt. A deep seeded guilt that was dragging him down. He didn't realize he was staring so intensely at his teacher until the man started to sweat and his smile looked strained. He didn't like sustained stares. Still, whatever it was concerned the teen. Izuku couldn't guess what it was over, so he sent a thread of his flame to him, happiness, calm, and forgiveness, and he swore he saw faint wisps of a different flame woven with his own. All Might inhaled sharply, and covered his mouth as he tried to suppress a coughing fit. Izuku winced and looked out over the field. His classmates trickled out, and they were sent off to their exercises. Izuku put himself directly in All Might's path, hoping for a moment or two to speak with him. Instead he seemed to be avoiding Izuku. He was going around to his classmates, helping them with their stretches and such, but all he gave the boy as he passed was a thumbs up and a comment on how he was doing great and had really improved. It really upset him. Eventually he was called over by Aizawa, who took him to the side of the field.

"We need to talk about your free running. I stay after school on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday to train students who stick around for it. I'll be having Cementoss set up a course for you, I expect you to stop by for training. If you won't stop, I can at least make sure you know what you're doing. If you decide not to, I'll be giving you detention and it will be your assignment while your there."

He nodded, casting All Might a look out of the corner of his eye. Aizawa sighed.

"I'll have a talk with him. I don't need him leaving you performing sub parley. On top of everything else..."

He gave Aizawa a confused look, and received a pointed look at his arm.

"Wait, that? That's all? That was an accident that wouldn't have happened if I hadn't-"

He was cut off by the man's quirk activating, looking livid. His fire flared brightly with anger in tandem. Izuku took a surprised step back.

"It wouldn't have happened if he was competent teacher. It wouldn't have happened if he were more careful, more aware of his own and your limits. He is at fault for what happened, and the only reason he is still here is that you haven't pressed charges and labelled it an accident. Otherwise he would be in jail, and should be. He's on thin fucking ice with everyone, including Nedzu. I hope you realize that you were not at fault in any capacity soon."

It was a shock to hear Aizawa curse. He'd never even cursed at his home, or where Izuku "couldn't hear". Izuku frowned at him. It was partially his own fault, he couldn't see how it wasn't. If he had dealt with his issues sooner, and kept level-headed, they would have all been fine. Then the intimidation tactic wouldn't have effected him the way it did. And if memory served, Izuku and Bakugou gave All Might a beating that aggravated his injuries quite a bit, and he may have fallen into a PTSD attack of his own. Aizawa forced himself to calm down, sending Izuku back to his area before starting spars. Izuku was not looking forward to study hall with Nedzu if he was upset.

Chapter Text

Izuku made his way up to Nedzu's office, he thought over what he met during meditation. The way it had felt to interact with it. He felt different for having met it, like his mind had been pried open with a crowbar. It reminded him of the sessions he has with Nedzu, working on the empathic part of his powers. Nedzu said it helped him understand people better on top of helping Izuku, but he would sometimes end up with migraines. Nedzu experienced the world much differently than a human did. Felt different things. Even humans with intense animal mutations had such different ways of processing life compared to others. But it had felt so similar to his own mind, if a little more primitive. No complex thought, just wandering in the void, looking for the next thing to catch its interest. Receiving a response to his communications was a new experience as well. It was still startlingly similar. Dimly, he wondered when his mind had become so different to the average person's.

He barely noticed the door opening on its own as always. He took his seat, offering Nedzu his usual greeting. He drifted through his lessons before Nedzu finally put his foot down.

"You seem very distracted, Midoriya. It is affecting your work. What's bothering you?"

"A-Ah... Sorry, Principal Nedzu. I was meditating last night, when I thought of something. I've told you what my meditation looks like, but I was looking at the 'stars' and I thought they looked a lot like the 'fires' I see in living things. My idea was that maybe they were aspects of myself or something. I was stupid and didn't think twice before I reached out. I know it was a bad idea to do without Aizawa or someone to watch me and help if something went wrong. My idea was off though. I was right that they were similar, because when I connected to it, It reached back. I met something. I don't exactly know what it was, but I think... I think it had abilities like mine. We could communicate, like I send emotions to you, but both ways. Towards the end I got an image. I don't know if I can do it too. But it showed me itself. Wandering around... I don't think it was sentient like us though. Feeling it's mind and comparing it to the minds I've felt of the people around me, it was like running my hand over a pane of glass versus a brick wall. Of course, I also got the sense that it- They? They were really old. So maybe they knew how to block off parts of their mind. Like how some people can develop a resistance to psychic or empath quirks but in reverse. I haven't been able to get it out of my head since training ended."

"You're right, Midoriya, this was very irresponsible of you. I'm glad you realize how dangerous this was, as you're old enough and have been around peers who have had their quirks much longer to know that you could have been hurt or worse. You're enrolled into the highest ranked school and hero academy in Japan. You should have brought this up to one of your instructors before attempting to explore your quirk in this way. However, it is natural for you to want to, and to expect you not to occasionally fall prey to that want as any other child exploring their new quirk would be unfair to you. Please be more careful about such exploration in the future. Now, this creature you established this connection with..."

The rest of the final period was spent hypothesizing, researching, and discussing what to do if something reached out to him now that he may have established himself in a possible community of alien creatures. Izuku was glad Nedzu didn't mention All Might.

Chapter Text

Izuku followed Aizawa to the car, Present Mic staying at the school to take over training Shinsou after school, to get his things. It felt weird to be so excited for something as normal as going home and seeing his mom. The drive to the building was silent as Izuku tried not to vibrate. He was going to need a massive workout to calm down when he settled back in his room. He took a deep breath, struggling to calm himself down. Aizawa flipped on the radio, switching stations around until he found a rock station. The teen fell into the beat like the arms of a friend after too long apart. He was glad one of his stims was music, it was usually easy to get access to it. He let his attention fall into the deep bass and pounding drums.

When they arrived, it hit Izuku differently. It was nice to come to the apartment and talk to his teachers. It was different to his mom. He couldn't tell her some things he could tell them. It hurt to think about even if it was true. He'd miss the natural quiet where at home it was quiet for his mom's benefit. But he still couldn't wait to go home. He headed up ahead of Aizawa to start packing while he grabbed a cart. Spectacle wandered close to him across the shelves. He raised his hand, smiling when he was allowed to scratch around his ears. A displeased meow followed him as he went to his room. It was quick to gather everything he had brought. It really wasn't a lot. The most trouble he would have would be his weights since Aizawa wouldn't let him carry them. 

He heard Aizawa enter, and Spectacle began to demand pets loudly. He bit his lip, thinking about the money he'd began to make on HeroWatcher. It would be feasible to adopt a cat with it, he'd just need to get his mom's permission. He knew how to care for a cat and what to expect from Spectacle now that he'd lived with him. He held the train of thought as he disassembled the weights and bench for transport. Aizawa knocked on the door, and he carefully lugged everything onto the cart, setting his bag on top. After that, it was a quick trip down to the parking lot to pack the trunk. He let out a satisfied huff as it closed, and sent his teacher a smile as he went to his seat.

The drive to the hospital was as silent as the drive to the apartments was, Izuku once again stimming to the radio. He watched the city pass through the window. People were wandering down the road, going about their own separate lives. Errands, families, friends, unaffected yet totally intertwined with the people around them. It was sobering to remember that no one really knew how much someone else's life mattered. Even villains'. But that was part of what it took to be a hero. Everyone was important, and everyone deserves to be saved. They have reasons for being who they are. But in the end, it comes down to them. You can reach out as much as you want but some times they don't want to be saved. Some times you don't have the strength to save them. Izuku would still reach out every time he could though. He just hoped he could handle not winning every time. Even All Might loses after all.

When they arrived to Musutafu General Hospital, Izuku forced himself to walk beside Aizawa as they entered the building. A quick chat with the receptionist revealed that Inko was finishing up her release and would meet them soon. She finally walked into the waiting room, and Izuku rushed forward. She met him in a warm, soft hug. He easily lifted her and slowly spun her around, making her laugh. Tears welled in their eyes as they pulled back to look at each other, giving each other a once over to make sure they were both okay. She pulled him down to kiss his forehead.

"Oh Izuku! I'm so glad you're alright, I've been so worried!"

"Haha, mom, you don't need to worry about me so much. I can take care of myself now. I was worried about you."

She sighed, patting his arm.

"I know, but I'm your mom, it's my job to worry about you. And Mr. Aizawa, Thank you so much. It's good to know my son has such good people in his life that he can rely on.

His teacher buried his face in his scarf, burying his hands in his jeans pockets. He stepped forward and ruffled Izuku's hair.

"It's my job as a hero and his teacher to be there for him. I've taken guardianship of my students before. It was only logical I extend it to him as well. Now, are you both ready to go?"

They nodded, and headed out to the car. The radio remained off this time. It was a shorter drive, and Izuku didn't need it. Izuku was sat in the back this time, his mother taking the front. When they arrived, Izuku let his mother go ahead to get the cart. He stayed back with Aizawa, ready to unpack. He turned to him and rubbed his neck.

"Aizawa-sensei, I know you brush it off a lot as logical or your job, but... You and Yamada-sensei really didn't have to do so much for me. And I really appreciate that you did. I would have been really lost without you guys in that situation. So... Thank you."

Before the man could say anything to him, he lugged his bench and weights over to the cart his mom was rolling over. He loaded everything up, and started rolling it inside the elevator. Inko followed close behind with his bag. Stepping into the apartment felt good for a moment, but then he saw them. The missing photos were back. And the albums were back on the bookshelf. Inko passed him and headed into the kitchen, dropping his bag on the couch.

"So Izuku, what should we have for dinner? I think we should have katsudon!"

He pulled out his phone, texting Aizawa a picture of the filled spaces.

"Yeah mom, that sounds great!"

Izuku decided not to go running that night, and as he sat on his bed, he fell into his meditation. But instead of heading within, he extended his awareness out over the apartment, carefully watching for intruders as he rested.

Chapter Text

Izuku sighed as he pulled out his shopping list. His father's kit had most of the items he would need, but he needed to replace a few, along with the equipment he did need to buy. He looked up to be met with the sight of his shopping group. Iida, Uraraka, Shinsou, Ashido, Jirou, Kirishima, and Tokoyami. Kiyashi Ward was advertised as the trendiest mall in the prefecture. It also boasted the most stores of any mall. He was startled by Shoji coming up behind him as a vendor started shouting advertisements from a clothes store. It was truly intriguing the variety the stores had to maintain to keep up with both trends and their customer's needs. However, they still needed to keep functionality and ease of access or else none of that would matter. They also needed to cater to all ages despite a large portion of the visitors being teens and young adults. It was a complicated process.

"Izuku, stop mumbling. You're frightening little kids."

He bit his lip and ducked his head in embarrassment. Yaoyorozu met up with them and decided to split off with Jirou to look for duffel bags. Kaminari and Tooru planned to split off as well when they met up, going shoe shopping. Kirishima took it as a signal to step up and be in charge.

"Hey, since we all need different stuff, which means a lot of different stores, we should figure out what we all need and make groups. Then we can all meet up at a time and spend the rest of the day having fun together!"

"That's a great idea Kirishima! I've never gone camping before, so I need pretty much everything..."

Iida nodded in ascent to Uraraka's statement, and Shinsou shrugged.

"Okay, let's met up in... An hour?"

Then, everyone was hurrying off. Leaving Izuku with his best friend and two crushes. He smiled as he turned to Uraraka.

"Well, of the four of us remaining, We should figure out what we're doing and if we'll be splitting up too. What do you guys need?"

As they converged over their lists to compare, he noticed Ochako's face getting red and turned to her.

"Uraraka? You're all red, are you okay? Do you need a drink?"

"Ah, I need bug spray... Bug... I need bug spray!"

She whipped around and sprinted away, leaving them stunned in her dust. Izuku blinked a few times before mumbling quietly to himself.

"Am... Am I the bug?..."

In the end, it turned out Izuku's list didn't line up with either Shinsou's or Iida's to his disappointment. So he headed off on his own. Nearly the whole class had come and he still ended up by himself. It felt too similar to Aldera. He shook the thought away, and started heading for a store to get a multi-tool. It wasn't technically allowed, but no smart camper was without one. He probably tape it to his back or something and sneak it in. He was interrupted as someone shouted after him.

"Woah, cool! You're from Yuuei right? Can you sign something for me?"

He paused nervously. It wasn't the first time someone had asked for one, but it was still weird. That was Yuuei for you. He began to panic when an arm was slung across his shoulders without warning.

"Hey, you're the one who got wrecked in the festival, right? And then you helped take down the hero killer in Hosu! You're really something, aren't you?"

Izuku forced himself to stay relaxed as he began to recognize the voice, and the same presence from the USJ rose into the air. He had to get away, or send an alert to someone. Something!

"I can't believe we'd meet again here of all places! Makes me think there's something special about you, huh?"

That fucking hand wrapped around his throat, one finger up. That fucking hand he used to nearly destroy Aizawa-sensei's arm.

"Destiny, or fate, or... But for you, we last met in that attack, remember?"

Shigaraki tilted the teen's head back to look him in the eye.

"Let's get some tea and chat, hm, Midoriya Izuku?"

He nodded, clenching his fists to stop them from shaking.

"Come on, take a deep breath and relax. We're just a couple of friends getting a drink, right? No scenes to be made. After all, I just want to talk to you about something. If you do... Well, let's just say it wouldn't matter how fast the heroes show up, hm?"

Izuku knew what he meant, and nodded. Shigaraki's quirk worked fast. It nearly disintegrated Aizawa's arm in half in a few seconds.

"Look around us. Any of these people could commit an atrocity at any second. And even if the heroes could catch me, I could take down anywhere between 20 or 40 of them, maybe more before they got here. So why do they mingle and smile? They think 'No one would ever do that!' because the laws are built on common morality."

"You're not making it easy to play along Shigaraki. I already agreed to talk to you. Let's go get a seat and something to drink, hm? I'm a little hungry too."

Shigaraki was sat beside him in a cafe, fingers dancing along the rim of his cup of cola. They were waiting on their takoyaki to arrive. Finally Shigaraki turned to him, hand delicately placed on the back of Izuku's neck with a finger curled.

"As you know, I hate pretty much everyone and everything, but that damn hero killer... Stain... Has caught my attention. You see, we were never really teamed up. although I'm absolutely taking advantage of the assumption we were. But that's also the problem!"

Izuku turned to him, watching his expression closely.

"People are watching him and not you?"

"EXACTLY! You get it! He's overshadowed everything we've done. USJ, the noumu in Hosu, no one really even noticed. Why? He can stand on his pillar as tall as he wants, but in the end, we're doing the same thing, right? Destroying what we hate through any means necessary. So, Midoriya, what makes us different?"

Izuku paused, thinking it over.

"Well, in the end, Stain was a public figure with a clear goal that people could relate to. Reinventing the hero system. It's common knowledge that it's a mess when you look under the surface. People get hurt in the crossfire and by careless heroes all the time who are rarely held accountable..."

His fist clenched as he thought of Endeavor, feeling his lip curl.

"But Stain proclaimed he wanted to get rid of 'fake' heroes. Everyone can think of at least one they consider fake, especially when he didn't share the criteria he used to judge them as real versus fake heroes. But he was also radical. He killed heroes directly and added shock factor and action to a commonly held belief. Charismatic but crazy enough to make an impact. People can relate to what he wanted. It helped normalize his actions in the public view. You don't have that relatability. You do seemingly random hit-and-run attacks with no clear goal. And not a lot either. So you're too aggressive and mysterious. No one wonders why the shark bites. It's also why All Might is so popular. He's presented by media as an impenetrable fortress in which we can all take shelter. But he presents himself as human. He smiles and laughs, he talks to people. Oh, that's another thing about Stain. He proclaimed All Might a true hero, which is another common sentiment."

Shigaraki shuddered, hand tensing on him. Izuku went stiff in fear.

"I see... It's like I've connected the dots... It all leads to All Might! Why Stain is so irritating, why you're so irritating... Why these idiots can wander around living their lives... That's it, right? Because All Might wears that disgusting grin."

Shigaraki's grip tightened, and Izuku took a sip of his melon soda, savoring the taste of his favorite soda in case it was the last thing he did.

"As if he was saying he'll save everyone. That he can't lose! Thanks, All Might fanboy-!"

"Ugh, please don't call me that."

Shigaraki stopped and turned to him. Izuku clenched his teeth, wondering if he had just fucked up.

"Why not, don't you like All Might anymore? Hm, Midoriya?"

He schooled his features into disgust through his fear. If he could convince him Izuku was an ally, he might get out of this.

"Are you kidding me? I liked him when I was little, but he's a careless, egotistical, jerk. You should see what he did to me!"

Shigaraki's eyes widened as he let go.

"Then show me."

Izuku took a deep breath and rolled up his sleeve to reveal the scar from the rail.

"He fucking stabbed me. And then he broke my hands, my arm, my legs, I had to have surgery on my already fucked limbs because he's an idiot. He nearly killed me. I'm glad I only meet him at school, I couldn't handle it if I saw him anywhere else."

Shigaraki gently grabbed his arms and looked over his scars. He began to giggle.

"Wow! You got messed up. Don't worry, kid. You'll be safe for now. This has been enlightening! Make sure you call me in, wouldn't want you getting in trouble for meeting me!"

"Deku?... Who's your frie-..."

Izuku turned, arms still in Shigaraki's grip. Uraraka, and Shinsou were standing, looking confused and worried. Realization sparked in their eyes.

"Ah... Could you... Please get off him?"

Shigaraki gave them a beaming smile, stretching the cracked skin of his face. A bead of blood welled on his top lip.

"Ah, I didn't realize you came with a group! Sorry about running off with him. I'll just be off."

He stood up, letting go of Izuku and stepping away.

"I'm sure you know what'll happen if you follow."

With that, he started to walk away into the crowd.

"Shigaraki, wait! What's he after?"

"Hn? Who?..."

"All For One."

The man turned back with a wild look.

"I'm honestly not sure. But you should be more worried about what he wants with you."

He disappeared, and Izuku took a deep breath, feeling tears begin to stream down his face. His chest heaved as he curled in on himself. He felt someone sit and lean against his side. He was dimly aware of Uraraka calling the police. Two plates of takoyaki was put on the table by a clearly uncomfortable waiter. He reached out and stuffed one in his mouth, happy he was alive. He blinked away the tears obscuring his vision. Uraraka was sitting on the side Shigaraki had sat just moments ago, Shinsou pressed to his other side.

"Okay, I g-get that this was really scary, but i-I'm really hungry, so before I talk to the police or anything, can I just eat and calm down?"

Shinsou huffed out a laugh and shoved another takoyaki into Izuku's mouth.

"Sure. I think we all need a moment to gather ourselves so we don't flip out when the cops arrive."

And so they settled down, eating the meal intended for Izuku's talk with a terrorist while they waited for whatever came next. Eventually they were called to the front of the mall to speak to a few officers and two heroes. They shut down the mall. He had just gotten done giving his statement when he heard shouts of his name and saw his classmates sprinting towards him. They had been quick to make sure he was okay before he was carted off to the police station to give his statement again. He was surprised to see Detective Tsukauchi was apparently the head of a special task force investigating the LOV. The bruises Shigaraki left of Izuku's neck were photographed. Now he was sitting with Tsukauchi, wrapping up what they needed to say. He looked at the table of the interview room.

"Well, It sounds like the League is more rag-tag than we thought. Whether that makes them more or less dangerous, we'll see. They are still after All Might after all... Anyway, thank you for you help Midoriya, the information you got will actually be a lot of help."

"That's great, I just... I wish I could've actually done something, you know? Stopped him, ended the whole thing right there is that mall."

Tsukauchi chuckled and motioned for him to stand with his note packet.

"Nonsense! You did amazingly well in that situation. He was threatening you and other people in a crowd your friends were in. Most people would have panicked. You kept level-headed and probably saved a lot of lives if he intended to go through with his threats."

Izuku nodded and followed the detective out of the building, texting All Might again, but this was a serious message.

'We need to talk' -8:23 PM Midoriya

'Okay' -8:24 PM Yagi

It was the first time All Might had texted back since the final exam. Hope flared in Izuku's chest as they left the building.

"Young Midoriya! Tsukauchi!"

He looked up, eyes wide as All Might emerged from the darkness.

"A- Yagi-sensei! You're here?"

"Yeah, he said he wanted to see you himself."

Izuku rushed forward, glad to see his mentor again. He extended it to the man, who seemed more prepared for it this time. Nedzu had said he explained it to him after All Might brought it up. All Might smiled at him and brushed the teen's hair back from his face and ending it with a gentle pat. The familiar greeting brought a smile to his own lips.

"Sorry I wasn't there to save you, kid."

"N-No! I had it handled, and probably the only person who could really stopped him effectively would be someone with an erasure quirk like Aizawa-sensei or something like that. And the things he talked about, he sounded like an immature sore-loser. But... The text... Tomorrow morning at Dagobah. Okay?"

All Might nodded, smile drooping slightly. Izuku sent him a wave of reassurance.

"Well, it's getting late. And there's your ride!"

Inko came out of the police waiting room, sobbing into a handkerchief. He rushed over and pulled her close.

"Izuku, no more...! Your old mother's heart can't take any more!"

"Oh mom, you're not old yet. And I wasn't hurt! No one else was either. Plus, the heroes and police have been keeping a good eye on me. Please don't cry."

He took the kerchief and wiped her cheeks, hearing the detective arranging a car for them. The Midoriya's bowed to the police and walked away. Izuku focused and listened to Toshinori and Tsukauchi talking behind him.

"This seems like a random meet. Security cameras picked up Shigaraki arriving just after the students and wandering around for a minute or two. He stopped when he spotted Midoriya and b-lined. But... Midoriya said Shigaraki had mentioned All For One has direct interest in him, and they definitely know he's your successor. He'll need to be monitored pretty much 24/7. I'd put him in protective custody but it wouldn't go through. I'm getting more sure of dirty cops by the damn day. Yuuei will need to go on high alert, same as the police. It's likely other students will be targeted if they aren't already. But the brighter the search light the darker the shadows around it. We don't have the resources or reach to watch all of them all the time. There will be gaps even with the assistance of heroes and other departments. This is going to be tricky to deal with."

"It's only three months into the school year. Three months into this teacher gig..."

"Heh, I told you it was the wrong job for you. Perfect hero, bad teacher. And hey, this time, let's get him. For sure."

"Yeah, we'll get All For One. We'll get him... Thanks for everything, Tsukauchi."

Izuku let the conversation fade away as the car arrived. He would be okay, and so would his classmates. They would...

When Izuku settled down to watch the apartment, he felt a fire he recognized on the edge of his awareness, but he couldn't tell who. He didn't rest that night.

Chapter Text

Izuku was watching the sun rise over the beach, having sent All Might a text to meet him whenever he wanted. It would have to be before school though. He still needed to go shopping for camping supplies. He heard the surprisingly soft footsteps of Yagi Toshinori walking down the sidewalk. He paused on the stairs, just as he often did when he watched Izuku train, before descending them onto the sand. Izuku took in the scent of the ocean. It was stronger, which meant it would either be muggy or rainy. The crunch of steps on the sand was nearly covered by the crashing of the waves. Izuku was drawn from his stalling thoughts by a hand on his shoulder, and he turned to his mentor. He looked him in the eye, deciding to let the man keep his emotions. After all, they were supposed to be private.

"Hey, All Might..."

"Hey kid. So, what do you want to talk about?"

Izuku took a deep breath and put his hands in his pockets.

"Ever since the final, whenever I talk about it, it comes out wrong. Even Aizawa-sensei thinks I blame myself for the whole... Incident. And yeah, there were things I could've and should've done to prevent it-"

"Midoriya, it wasn't your-"

"I'M NOT SAYING IT'S MY FAULT! It's the League's and Stain's, because you know what happened?! I had flash backs of the League and Stain! What I mean is I could have sought help for the issues I was dealing with. I could have gotten counseling, or even just talked about it with one of my teachers, like you. Yes, you should have held back more. Yes, you hurt me. It was negligent and dangerous to go all out against teens. Especially teens with powerful, barely regulated quirks. Regardless of your own strength, I could have killed you by my lack of control. I probably would have killed myself in the process, but you've only seen a fraction of what I'm capable of. And I'm getting stronger! I may not be able to go all out for years without hurting myself, if ever. I'm off topic. You're not solely to blame, and I don't hold it against you. It was a collection of oversights and and bad circumstances that culminated in a poor situation. I'm not absolving anyone of blame, but there's too many people to blame so everyone is pinning all of it on you. That's wrong. You're a member of the guilty party but I won't let them use you as the scapegoat. I refuse say you're the only one who messed up. And you certainly weren't the worst."

All Might was quiet as Izuku finished his rant. Izuku took a deep breath as he calmed down, realizing he begun to pant from yelling.

"You're right."

He blinked up at the old pro. He honestly hadn't expected All Might to say that. He'd expected another talk about 'Oh you're just a teenager, you don't understand." or "It's not you're fault, I know how you feel." He'd thought he'd be brushed aside again because he was too young and inexperienced to understand his own damned experiences. It felt good to be validated for once.

"It was a lot of different things. Do you know why you were paired with me? Because the other teachers knew you're strong enough to cause real damage to someone. I could take it. You were paired with Bakugou because you two are so at odds with each other. Not because you compliment each other, or you could reign each other in. You two fight and he attacks you and it was decided that exercise would get your heads on straight so you would push your differences and grudges aside to pass. Instead you broke each other's noses, mutilated yourself, nearly sent me to the hospital for emergency surgery, and disappeared onto the school grounds in the midst of a PTSD attack so bad you were hallucinating. Your mother should have sued Yuuei so hard the school shut down. She would have won."

Izuku laughed.

"I don't think she could have. Not at the time at least. But I'm glad we talked. The thing that was the worst about it was you wouldn't even look at me! All of a sudden I couldn't talk to you, we weren't texting, nothing. Totally ghosted me even though I tried reaching out. I get it though, it was traumatic."

All Might patted him, and Izuku had to hold himself back from lighting up. His phone beeped loudly.

"Ah! It's time for my run. I had to up how far I run to match my level, so I start earlier. I never thought I'd enjoy running."

"Well, let me grab my segway and I'll join you. We have a lot to catch up on."

He nodded, following All Might to his truck and helping him set up the scooter. He was excited to run with his mentor again. They hadn't run together since school started, after all.

Chapter Text

Izuku waved goodbye to Yagi as they entered the school and went on separate paths. It was truly amazing how much of All Might really was a persona Yagi Toshinori put on, but at the same time, All Might is part of who the man is. His retirement was going to be hard on him. Especially when the world would be left with a huge power vacuum in his stead, that Izuku and Shouto would have to make sure Todoroki Enji didn't even try to fill. So far, he was rapidly losing popularity, and people were even beginning to dredge up his past on their own to realize none of what was happening was new. Meanwhile what money wasn't going towards Enji's problems was being siphoned away at an unnoticeable trickle for the Todoroki children to save when he collapsed under the weight of his sins. Izuku checked a news article on his way to class and stuttered in his path. People were calling for his hero rank to be demoted. It was a lot sooner than planned. He put his phone away and rushed for the classroom. Shouto sat at his desk, Sero and Kaminari trying to convince him the help them with something. He caught the tail end of a rant about a flaming sword of ice dealing frost and burn damage.

Izuku made his way over and waited to catch Shouto's eye, and switching to their hand signals. They couldn't exactly talk about the plan publicly, so they had devised a language for themselves. It had escalated to being able to hold entire rudimentary conversations together,

"Are you okay?"

"Yes. Old Man getting dangerous. Need Fuyumi and Natsuo out ASAP. I deal with him."

"Found safe house. Convince them run, email you location when. You won't go?"

"No, need make sure he no catch. Natsuo going soon, may only need convince Fuyumi"

"Got. Tell if changes."

With that, Izuku made his way to Shinsou and Uraraka, who were talking about what camp may entail. It was interesting to think about what could happen. When the bell rung, everyone hit their seats in an instant just before Aizawa stepped in and up to the podium. He held up a paper that Izuku recognized as the summer camp information sheet

"Due to recent circumstances, there has been a change to the training camp. Yuuei is currently on high alert for villains, especially those who are associated with the so-called 'League of Villains.' We have thus been forced to cancel our usual accommodations and there will be three teacher's supervising the trip in combination with the camp supervisors, rather than two. The destination will not be revealed until we are en route."

He ripped the paper in half as the class began to talk.

"But I already told my parents!"

"Exactly, the school can't control who the information gets to or how they get it, This is a measure to keep us safe. We should be glad it wasn't cancelled all together."

Izuku looked down at his notebook, updating his psychoanalyses of his classmates. They way they were responding to this actually told him a lot.

"Damn Deku, broken bones or not, you should've killed him right there. Maybe we wouldn't have to do this shit."

Izuku's head snapped up to look at the back of Bakugou's. He could've. He could've killed Shigaraki in that moment. And taken out half the mall at the same time. He interrupted Tooru's protesting to speak lowly, so only Bakugou could hear.

"I couldn't, Kacchan. At least not without killing 100 odd civilians too. My control isn't refined enough for that yet. But it will be. I'll make sure of it."

He looked back down at his notebook, missing the empty shock on Bakugou's face or the dark anger and fear on Aizawa's. Unaware of the black hole he pushed his pain and mind's shadows into growing where he shoved it on the very edge of his being and forgot it. Unaware of what power laid locked away behind it.

The stars in the galaxy felt his light being pulled into it, and began to prepare.

Chapter Text

Izuku had seen a hero stationed outside his apartment building, and so he left, trusting his mother was in good hands. He made his way down the main streets to the abandoned blocks. When he reached the gate, a shiver went down his spine. Something wasn't right. There was an intruder in his space. He made his way past the gate silently, every fiber of his being on high alert. There were no fires of humans nearby, but there was a tugging on the edge of his senses, so he followed it from the rooftops. There. He slowly made his way to the edge of the building and peered down to see who had invaded his territory. Passing below on the sidewalk was...

Mt. Lady.

She was making her way along the street, looking nervous. He made his way down, starting his intro, and made to cross the street to his usual route. He spotted her following him but spared her no mind. She's an okay hero that he had quite a bit of data on. She was a gossiper who overshared herself, making it fairly easy to figure out who she really was. It would come back to bite her one day. He set up his cameras and began to practice, hearing her making her way up the fire escape. She was probably coming to see if he was a criminal and he'd need to re-shoot a few scenes, but oh well. It was an easy fix. Or he could leave it in and use her views, replacing this week's video with it.

She finally reached the top, and Izuku paused to look at her.

"Hey, this is private property, you need to leave!"

He motioned to his bag with a shrug.

"I have permits if you want to see him. I film here at night. I got a HeroWatcher if you want to see."

"Wait... Are you Zu-Bunny? Kid, I watch your videos! You're really good, do you do gymnastics or something?"

He laughed, shaking his head and turning on his chest camera to catch her. This was definitely going to get him views.

"No, I just picked it up around the beginning of the school year, although I was always good at climbing and balance. Athletically inclined, y'know?"

Before she could say anything, there was the sound of beeping, and she pulled out her phone to turn off an alarm.

"And that is my break! I was going to go get something to eat with Kamui Woods and Edgeshot. They're big fans of you too, wanna come? I know they'd love to meet you too. And we'll probably be hanging out with some other heroes and sidekicks, and it's pretty common for them to bring their siblings so you probably won't be the only teen there."

"Sure, let me just grab my cameras and pack up. I don't want to risk them getting stolen."

"Of course. Need any help?"

He shook his head and set off to grab his equipment. He knew that Mt. Lady was in part using him for positive PR, but he was using her not only to get information on her and two other heroes but for views as well, and maybe even free food if they were feeling generous. but her fire indicated that she was being genuinely nice. She was vain and clearly loved the spotlight being a hero got her, but she was also careful, and he was certain she took being a hero seriously. When he made his way back to her, packed his things, and they set off.

It was a short walk to a short apartment building. Mt. Lady was quick to explain heroes never strayed far from their patrol routes if at all during breaks, and gatherings like this were partially about making sure they kept up with the local information and other heroes, and for easing the stress of being a hero. Stress was a big factor in why heroes quit or became ill, and statistically led to higher rates of injury. It made sense to Izuku, although he knew there would be those who ragged on the heroes who did. He'd be sure to cut out the walk there in case this was a frequented building for heroes. They entered a door, and it was revealed the entire floor was a hangout spot. Several people made their way out as he entered, presumably back to their patrols. There weren't many heroes there but there was music bumping out of a speaker set that a few were dancing to. In the sitting area, some heroes were talking quietly over some maps before they set them aside.

All in all, it looked pretty boring.

Mt Lady pulled him over to a group of heroes and introduced him. He was surprised to find out his videos were actually well known among the smaller heroes. Eventually, he was pulled aside by the dancing hero; Silver Mist. Their quirk was they generated a thick mist from their mouth only they could see through, which their metallic costume blended into surprisingly well. Their fighting style was heavily inspired by hip-hop and ballet dancing. According to them, they had loved dancing as a child, and had combined their passion for helping people with their skills and came up with their combat techniques. Izuku stumbled through a few moves before he began to pick it up. Mt. Lady set up a camera and joined them, followed by a few others, and he was surprised to see Dr. Wasp, a man with a mutation that gave him a flexible but strong carapace and insect wings, was a good dancer. Eventually they changed gears, and began to try to pick up dances from the internet, often leaving them falling into laughter before Silver Mist spoke up.

"Hey, hey! We should do a group dance! Like a routine. It'll be a lot of fun."

"Yeah, that sounds like a great idea. Maybe it'll go viral on Zu-Bunny's channel."

"Alright, let's do it! We need a song first!"

After that, it was a slew of songs and dances, before they finally came up with something usable. Izuku set up a camera, and they were off. A dance circle formed as they all took their parts, haphazardly dancing what they had only spent a few minutes learning. When they made it through the synchronized part without anyone dying, it was a victory in Izuku's book. In the end they collapsed into a pile of guffaws and surprise friendship. Izuku spent a while longer there even after Mt. Lady left and actually ended up in six new chats. When he eventually left to go finish filming, it was with a back pack stuffed with free merch, fresh food, and a phone buzzing with messages. Looks like a good night to go out.

When Izuku got home, he decided to leave watching the apartment to the professionals and went through his routine, and went to sleep. They were in good hands so long as it wasn't Endeavor.

Chapter Text

Izuku was sitting at his desk, finishing up his homework when he got a text from Shouto. He picked up his phone and froze upon seeing the words flashing across the screen.

'ENDEAVOR KNOWS YOU'RE INVOLVED, COMING FOR YOU. FOUND YOUR ENDTHEWHORE BLOG AND TRACED IT BACK TO THE BEGINNING AND YOU' -5:40 PM Strawberries&Cream

Izuku stood up and grabbed his shoes, rushing out of the apartment and heading for the park.

'Does he know you're involved?' -5:42 PM MyCabbages!

'No, but idk if he's onto me. Convinced Fuyumi to leave, she's waiting for the safe house. Mom told her she wanted Fuyumi closer bc she can walk around outside with supervision. Where are you?' -5:43 PM Strawberries&Cream

Izuku sighed in relief and emailed him the address to give Rei to pass to Fuyumi. Shouto's grandmother was helping pay for it out of guilt for what Rei went through. He texted Aizawa that someone was following him and he was scared. Not moments later, he spotted Endeavor's bonfire of narcissism, rage, and superiority complex across the street. Izuku ducked into an alleyway and started to bolt up the steps of a fire escape when a hand yanked him back to the ground. He looked up in fear at the twisted face of Todoroki Enji. He pulled away and stepped back, ready to use his quirk if he needed it. behind his back, he sent his location to Aizawa with the simple request; help.

"What's going on? Why are you cornering me in an alley? I haven't done anything to warrant you assaulting me!"

Endeavor spat at him and growled lowly in his voice rough from smoke.

"You've been sabotaging me. I'm not going to let you take everything I've worked for from me. I won't let you stop my ascension to the number one hero! Stop that damn blog!"

Izuku reached out, and felt Aizawa enter his awareness, still two blocks away but closing in fast. He just needed to stall and hope Endeavor wasn't a bigger dumbass than Izuku knew.

"I'm sorry the public has started to figure out who you really are, but I don't know what that has to do with me."

He backed up as the man's flames grew hotter, raising himself to tower over the teen. A flash of honest terror flashed up Izuku's spine, but he smothered it. If it came down to it, he could use his barrier to shield himself, or just go upwards with his steps and escape.

"Don't lie to me, you little shit. I know you're responsible for this, and I'll make you pay!"

"Tch, bullying a teenager. I bet you think you're a big man, huh? But I know what you are. You're a sick man, who doesn't even know how to be a good man, and now everyone is figuring it out! Soon enough, you won't be able to get away with your crimes-!"

He was cut off as Endeavor swung his fist and sent Izuku to ground. As the man began to advance on him, the flames lighting up the alleyway suddenly went out and a familiar grey scarf wrapped around Endeavor and tightened. He began to roar in rage as Aizawa entered the alley proper, Kamui Woods following close behind with a pair of quirk suppressor cuffs.

"Damn you! Let me go! You'll pay, you worthless brat, you'll both pay!"

Aizawa motioned Kamui forward with the cuffs as he pulled Endeavor's arms behind his back Izuku muttered as he began to stand up.

"Thanks for making your fall from on high faster. It'll really help in getting criminals out of the hero system."

Enji thrashed in the bindings to get at Izuku, but only succeeded in making himself fall, Kamui snapped the cuffs into place on his hands, and Aizawa released his quirk. Kamui and Aizawa lugged the fighting Endeavor to his feet without releasing him, and two more heroes arrived with a police officer. People were recording as Endeavor was loaded into the officer's car, and the pro hero Lightning Racer lead him out of the alley. She gave him a hug as they made their way to the EMT who had arrived. She put a shock blanket around his shoulders and left to give her report to the police. Izuku sent the command to Shouto to destroy all evidence of the plan, activating the 'invisible ink' protocol he had programmed into his computer. It erased all files associated with it from the computer, but stored the data in the flash drive he kept connected to his computer in case he needed it. He texted his mom to pull it out of his computer and put it in his desk, telling her leaving it in could mess up the port.

He put his phone away as the paramedic gave him a cold pack for his cheek, seeing Aizawa making his way over.

"Well, Problem Child, are you ever going to give me a break? You're giving me gray hairs and stress wrinkles when I'm only 31. So what did you do that pissed off Endeavor?"

Izuku fiddled with the blanket in his free hand.

"He may have found out I run a blog called Endthewhore that's an Endeavor hate forum that's been getting really popular?... And it's mostly dedicated to pointing out Endeavor is a blatant criminal and listing his crimes, and has been used as a reference for campaigns to get him either reduced in rank or pulled from the hero scene completely..."

Aizawa stared at him for a moment, an eerie calm overtaking his flame before it flared with exhaustion and acceptance.

"Why am I not surprised you're the one who runs that blog. Hizashi follows that blog almost as close as his own work schedule. Well, I'm surprised he came after rather than try suing for defamation or something, although he would lose."

Izuku curled in on himself more.

"W-Well, I think he actually came t-to try intimidating me into shutting the blog down, but I played dumb for a minute or two before I called him a bully who puts people down to feel better about himself, and a sick man who doesn't know how to be good... And that he was a criminal who wouldn't get away with it forever... Or something like that..."

Aizawa put his face in his hands for a moment and took a deep breath before turning the the sky. He sat beside Izuku and clasped his hands.

"Why would you goad him like that. You knew he was dangerous and you could get hurt. You did get hurt. He could have broken your jaw when he punched you. He's strong enough for that. You should have tried to placate him until I arrived."

"I was trying, but he kept coming closer and it was getting hotter and he was getting angrier. I started to freak out and it slipped. I didn't mean to say it."

Aizawa nodded and looked him in the eye.

"Be more careful, kid. This will be handled pretty quickly, thanks to the camera on that shop. It caught the whole alley, so it definitely filmed the incident. You'll need to give your statement, and you'll probably be called to testify in court. The media is going to have a field day with this... You may want to go stay somewhere else instead of your apartment. They'll be hounding you and your mother for a while."

He nodded, and the familiar face of Officer Sansa approached.

"Geez, Midoriya, you get in too much trouble. You sure you don't have a bad luck quirk? Heheh, anyway, they sent me to get your statement. Endeavor will be interrogated later."

Izuku turned to him as Aizawa got up and headed over to give his report and leave. Kamui Woods approached and waited for Officer Sansa to leave.

"Hey, I saw you in the sports festival back in spring, pretty impressive. I wish I could have asked you to intern with me."

Izuku smiled.

"Ah thanks. It would have been a great opportunity. But we did meet before. Does the name Zu-Bunny ring a bell?"

Izuku pulled the hoodie out of his bag, lifting it up for the pro to see. He laughed patted Izuku's shoulder.

"I knew you had to be a hero student! Don't worry, I can keep your secret identity hidden. That night was a lot of fun! Maybe we'll hang out again sometime, and I look forward to this weeks video."

With that, Izuku was finally left to his own devices while the police and heroes held off the media. Inko arrived in tears, and they were escorted home.

Chapter Text

Izuku carried his bag towards the class A bus, ignoring Monoma shouting by the class B bus. He tossed his bag into the compartment, careful not to stretch too much and unsecure the multitool taped to his back. It was pretty easy to direct everyone onto the bus. They were eager to get on the road after all. Izuku smiled at Yamada as he boarded the bus, their extra protection as the high profile targets. Aizawa took the driver's seat, and they began the long drive began. An hour and a half on the road before, if Nedzu had told him the truth, they would be dropped into the wilderness to fight their way to camp. Izuku felt an unfair advantage at the knowledge. But he was under strict orders not to tell his classmates so... His hands were tied!

Eventually the chatter slowed down and then came to a stop as the novelty of the drive wore off and restlessness set in. Yamada apparently took this as his sign to step up and keep the energy high as he stood and turned to the class.

"It's going to be a long ride, listeners! So how about some road trip games?"

There were murmurs of interest, but Aizawa-sensei was quick to shut it down, much to Izuku's relief.

"No."

"Aw c'mon Eraserhead! It's going to be so boring if we do nothing!"

"We're not playing road trip games. especially not 'I Spy.'"

As Present Mic began to pout, Kaminari hopped in with his own idea.

"We should sing songs!"

It looked like Aizawa would object to that too, but Hizashi spoke up before their poor homeroom teacher could say no for a third time, forcing him to relent.

"That's a great idea, Kaminari! What should we start with?"

This time, it was Bakugou who jumped in, much to everyone's surprise. He peered over his seat with an annoyed face, but Izuku recognized the spark of mischief in his eye before he spoke.

"I know what we're gonna sing."

"Charging in head-first as always, Bakugou! What did you have in mind?"

Instead of answering their english teacher, he turned to Mina sat ahead of him and said a single word that seemed to confuse her before she lit up.

"Pop."

"Six!"

With that, the words scattered through the but as Kaminari began to imitate a trumpet quite impressively. Izuku watched as the class started to come together. Yaoyorozu had forced the class to come to her mansion for a movie night, and even Bakugou had gotten sucked in when she put on 'Chicago.' It may be pretty old, but good theater is timeless. Izuku pulled out his go pro. He needed to get this on film.

"Squish!"

"Uh-uh!"

"Cicero..."

"Lipschitz."

"He had it coming, he had it coming. He only had himself to blame! If you'd have been there, if you'd have seen it, I betcha you would have done the same!"

"Pop, Six, Squish, Uh Uh, Cicero, Lipschitz! Pop, Six, Squish, Uh Uh, Cicero, Lipschitz!"

It was another surprise when Bakugou took the first chorus.

"You know how people have these little habits that get you down? Like Bernie. Bernie liked to chew gum. No, not chew, pop. So, I came home this one day, and I'm really irritated and I'm looking for a little bit of sympathy. And there's Bernie, layin' on the couch, drinkin a beer, and chewin'. No, not chewin', poppin'! So, I said to him, I said; "You pop that gum one more time...", and he did... So, I took the shotgun off the wall, and I fired two warning shots. Into his head."

"He had it coming, he had it coming! He only had himself to blame. If you'd have been there, if you'd have heard it, I betcha you would have done the same! Pop, Six, Squish, Uh Uh, Cicero, Lipschitz. Pop, Six, Squish, Uh Uh, Cicero, Lipschitz."

It went quiet as Jirou took the the second chorus, everyone turning to her.

"I met Ezekiel Young from Salt Lake City about two years ago, and he told me he was single, and we hit it off right away. So, we started living together. He'd go to work, he'd come home, I'd fix him a drink, we'd have dinner. And then I found out... "Single", he told me! Single, my ass! Not only was he married, oh no, he had six wives. One of those Mormons, you know? So that night, when he came home from work, I fixed him his drink, as usual. You know, some guys just can't hold their arsenic."

"He had it coming, he had it coming! He took a flower in it's prime. And then he used it, and he abused it! It was a murder but not a crime!"

Mina took the third chorus, standing from her seat as she belted out the lyrics. Izuku realized his cheeks hurt from the grin he hadn't noticed sliding onto his face.

"Now, I'm standing in the kitchen, carving up the chicken for dinner, minding my own business. In storms my husband Wilbur in a jealous rage. "You been screwin' the milkman", he says. He was crazy! And he kept on screaming; "You been screwin the milkman!" And then he ran into my knife. He ran into my knife ten times."

"If you'd have been there, if you'd have seen it! I betcha you would have done the same."

Everyone turned to Momo expectantly. She was the only one who knew the Hungarian part, after all.

"Mit kersek, én itt? Azt mondják, hogy a hires lakóm lefogta a férjemet... én meg lecsaptam a fejét. De nem igaz, én ártatlan vagyok! Nem tudom miért mondja Uncle Sam, hogy én tettem! Probáltam a rendőrségen megmagyarázni, de nem értették meg."

"Yeah, but did you do it?"

"Uh uh, not guilty!"

"He had it coming..."

Kaminari took the next lyrics by nearly jumping over the back of his seat as he started, leaving Izuku to reign in his giggles at how extra he was.

"My sister, Veronica and I had this double act. And my husband, Charlie traveled around with us. Now, with the last number in our act we did these 20 acrobatic tricks in a row. One, two, three, four, five, splits, spread eagles, back flips, flip flops, one right after the other. So, this one night before the show we're down at the hotel in Cicero. The three of us, boozin', havin' a few laughs, and we ran out of ice. So, I go out to get some. I come back, open the door, and there's Veronica and Charlie... Doing number seventeen, the spread eagle! Well, I was in such a state of shock, I completely blacked out,  I can't remember a thing. It wasn't until later, when I was washing the blood off my hands, I even knew they were dead. They had it coming!"

With that, the two halves of the bus split, going back and forth, until Tooru took the final chorus. Her exaggerated body language gave her words emotion that her lack of a face would have otherwise prevented. Izuku wondered in the back of his mind how long it took her to perfect.

"They had it coming!"
"They had it coming!"
"They had it coming!"
"They had it coming all along!
"They had it coming all along!"
"'Cause if they used us, and they abused us..
"'Cause if they used us, and they abused us!"
"How could they tell us that we were wrong?"

"They had it coming!"
"They had it coming!"
"They had it coming!"
"They had it coming all along!
"They took a flower in it's prime!"
"I didn't do it!"
"And then they used it."
"But if I'd done it, How could you tell me that I was wrong?"

"I loved Al Lipschitz more than I can possibly say. He was a real artistic guy, sensitive, a painter. But he was always trying to find himself. He go out every night looking for himself, and on the way, he found Ruth, Gladys, Rosemary, and Irving. I guess you could say we broke up because of artistic differences... He saw himself as alive. And I saw him dead!"

It was hard not to join in, belting out the lyrics with his classmates, careful to pan over the class to catch everyone. He lingered on the apparently dumbfounded Yamada Hizashi, watching the class from his position at the front of the bus.

"The dirty bum, bum, bum, bum, bum! The dirty bum, bum, bum, bum, bum! They had it coming."

"He had it coming."

"He had it coming."

"He had it coming all along!"

"He only had himself to blame.'

"If you'd have been there, If you'd have seen it!"

"I betcha you would have done the same!"

"You pop that gum one more time... Single my ass! Ten times. Miert csukott Uncle Sam bortonbe. Number seventeen, the spread eagle. Artistic differences... Pop, Six, Squish, Uh Uh, Cicero, Lipschitz."

Chapter Text

Izuku had sped his class along faster than he had expected them to make progress, although he was trembling for the amount of power build up he felt. He was trying to bleed it off, but every time he started to make progress, a new living statue would show up and he'd be back where he started or worse. He was afraid he would start breaking bones if he didn't let loose soon, but he couldn't with his classmates near. it was 4:30 when they arrived, tired, hungry, dirty, and hurt. Uraraka had two broken fingers, Bakugou's hands were blasted so raw he had blisters and split skin, Iida had burns on his calves from overuse of his engines with almost no fuel, Kouda had a dislocated elbow, and Izuku's hurt arm had a massive purple bruise forming just under his outfit. The cut on his head was caked with dirt. Everyone else had scrapes and bruises.

Kaminari had burned himself out by accident when he had been punched in the head by one of the statues so hard he lost control. If it weren't for Yaoyorozu's quick thinking, he would have electrocuted everyone.  He was still kind of spacey nearly an hour later form how hard he surged.  As everyone stumbled out of the trees, dead-eyed and silent, it felt like the beginning of a zombie thriller. The teachers and Pussycats came forward to meet them, but no one responded, mindlessly continuing to march forward, waiting for the next enemy. Kirishima was the first to fall. After him, it was like dominoes. Each teen fell one after the other. Izuku made it the furthest, feeling his quirk begin to seep out. He forced it down and didn't even flinch when his rib broke. Simply letting his body go limp with the pain. The heroes rushed over and began to give them first aid.

It had been a nearly unending onslaught. Izuku's multitool had come in handy, and he'd managed to make a pair of very rudimentary crutches between fights for Iida using it and his quirk. Slowly, they began to get up, making their way to wherever they were being taken. Izuku curled up on the ground as he began to feel hot. It was like facing Shouto in the sports festival again, blazing fire singing the hair on his arms. Then he felt something in the back of his mind. He reached out carefully, and felt the mind of the creature he had met in Aizawa's apartment, the memory of the massive being floating in the shadows of the heavens. A flicker of concern flared through the connection. Then there was a feeling like a window opening, and suddenly the mind that had felt shallow as a bowl was a bottomless ocean. A name that left his ears ringing despite never hearing it drifted through his mind, unspeakable in the tongues of man save for feeble approximations, and then his overflow was draining away as it pressed it's own power into him.

He pressed thankfulness to Gruhbeshilder, and he relaxed. The unknowable horror lurking in the shadows between stars retreated from his mind, and Izuku opened his eyes as the heat dispersed. He was laying in a patch of ash and scorched dirt. He stood up and brushed himself, tired down to his reforged bones. Ragdoll came closer, and began checking him over.

"Well, I don't sense any broken bones anymore... You've got a severe deep tissue bruise though, and you need stitches over your temple. No concussion luckily. Follow Pixie Bob and you'll get to the med bay. Apparently Pixie's in the doghouse with Eraserhead and Present Mic for getting you guys this hurt. Don't worry, she'll get what's coming to her."

Izuku nodded, seeing an angry child watching them. He dimly remembered spotting him with Mandalay and Pixie when they stopped on the road. He turned to Mandalay as she stopped to make sure everyone was getting up.

"Hey, who's kid is that? Is it really a good idea for him to be at a quirk training camp with us?"

"That's my nephew. And don't worry, he'll be fine. And if he's not, well... I'll keep what'll happen a surprise."

Izuku shuddered as her face turned dark. She turned to the kid, waving him over.

"Hey Kouta! Come meet the trainees, you guys will be here together for a week, so might as well say hi now."

Izuku and Kouta walked towards each other, Izuku carefully watching the kid's flame. He was absolutely livid for some reason. Izuku bent over, offering his softest smile and a thread of calm.

"Hi, I'm Midoriya Izuku, it's nice to meet you!"

The kids fire flared, and Izuku saw his arm move. He moved his own arm to intercept, and the punch that would have got him in the groin instead nailed a bruise. Kouta turned and began to stalk away.

"Oi! Kouta, why'd you punch Izuku? You could have hurt him!"

"I can't abide but jerks who wanna be heroes."

Izuku had to say he was impressed by the Kouta's vocabulary for his age. He looked six or seven, so maybe he had an intelligence quirk. It wouldn't be a long shot, with Mandalay's telepathy quirk giving him a family history of mental quirks. Bakugou and Todoroki began to argue in the back of the group. Well, Bakugou argued, Todoroki was his same calm self. Finally he followed Pixie Bob to the medical bay, where Tiger was patching up his classmates. Uraraka's fingers looked completely healed as she passed him in the doorway with a smile that had heat rising to his cheeks. He smiled back, and headed in to get treated.

Izuku rejoined the group, seeing Sero talking to Mandalay.

"Three hours, yeah right."

"Sorry, that's how fast it is for us... We actually didn't expect you til after dinner!"

Pixie Bob came up behind her, mewling with laughter. She motioned to Izuku, Iida, Bakugou, and Shouto

"You dealt with my Earth Beasts pretty quickly! Especially you four, you're nearly on par with Pros already! No doubt you're past experiences, particularly you two," She said, pointing to Izuku and Todoroki. "allowed you to act without hesitation and and holding back. We're going to have fun in four years! I call Dibs!"

Izuku grimaced and put his hands in front of him as he stepped back. Aizawa made a remark about her behavior, looking irritated. Mandalay said something about spinsters, and Izuku turned to her.

"Spinster? You're that old? I wouldn't have guessed you were a cougar either..."

She started smacking his face gently with her paw glove.

"Old? Who's old? Not me! And I'm no cougar either!"

He looked to the pros for help. This was becoming very uncomfortable, and he didn't know how to deal with these situations yet. Mandalay yanked her away by the tail attached to her belt and she retreated inside the teacher's cabin. Aizawa stood in front of the student cabins and addressed the class.

"Put your things away in your rooms, then we'll get ready for dinner. You'll be cooking, and over campfires you have to start yourselves. Groups in charge of starting each fire cannot help another group. Then you'll be allowed into the bath house before bed. Now go."

The class eagerly followed his instructions. Izuku dimly wondered how close the creatures he shared a connection he didn't understand with were if they were still getting closer.

Chapter Text

When they were done putting their bags away, the students of 1-A were split into groups by drawing lots, and they were given a flint and steel with their cooking equipment and ingredients. Izuku's group was Shinsou, Kirishima, Bakugou, and himself. Izuku had spotted Aizawa coming towards their group and rushed them off to the fire pit marked for their group before he could reach them. This was something he could do with Bakugou. Camping and cooking were two of the things they did together most often in their childhoods. It seemed a million years ago but also yesterday that he was out gathering stones while Kacchan gathered wood for the fire Aunt Mitsuki would make dinner on. He was pulled from his musings as Kirishima spoke up.

"I... I've never built a fire before, Bakubro, would your quirk work?"

"Fuck no, Shitty Hair! I make explosions, not fire. That's IcyHot's department."

Speaking of, It looked like Todoroki's group with Sero, Kaminari, and Mina, was just dumping any wood they could find into their pit. Izuku sighed at the sight of wet and dirt caked wood. That wouldn't light easily, and it wouldn't burn well either. He looked to Shinsou, silently asking if he knew what he was doing, but only got a shake of the head in return.

"Okay, I can handle this, don't worry guys."

"Damn Deku, you can never stack the wood right! Why do think the hag always had you get the lining stones?! I'll get the wood! Worry about the fucking starter!"

Izuku nodded, grabbing an old stick and peeling off the fibrous bark. As he did, he began to mumble the song Mitsuki always made them sing because it kept them on task out of habit.

"I'm your only friend, I'm not your only friend but I'm a little glowing friend, but really I'm not actually your friend but I am..."

He rubbed it between his hands to make it powdery as Bakugou brought over wood and started arranging it, and then he started singing along, not even seeming to notice as their heads began to nod in unison to the beat.

"Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch, who watches over you! Make a little bird house in your soul."

Izuku grabbed the multi-tool out of his pocket, shaving strips off of a fresher piece of wood but not disconnecting them from the piece. It was almost therapeutic.

"Not to put too fine a point on it, say I'm the only bee in your bonnet, make a little birdhouse in your soul!"

As he placed it into the fire pit, he pulled out the flint and steel while Bakugou took a bag from their ingredients. Using his shoe lace, he attached it to some flat strips of bark to make a rudimentary bellow.

"I have a secret to tell, from me electrical well. It's a simple message and I'm leaving out the whistles and bells! So the room must listen to me, filibuster vigilantly, My name is blue canary, one note, spelled 'L-I-T-E.'"

Izuku struck the flint until the spark took to the fibers, putting them in with some twigs. Bakugou began to work the bellow gently.

"My story's infinite. Like the Longing's Symphonette, it doesn't rest. Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch, who watches over you! Make a little bird house in your soul... Not to put too fine a point on it, say I'm the only bee in your bonnet! Make a little birdhouse in your soul!"

Slowly, it grew into a small flame, and then Izuku and Bakugou rushed to keep it up long enough to catch the wood.

"I'm your only friend, I'm not your only friend but I'm a little glowing friend, but really I'm not actually your friend but I am- There's a picture opposite me, of my primitive ancestry, which stood on rocky shores and kept the beaches shipwreck free! Though I respect that a lot, Id be fired if that were my job after killing Jason off and countless screaming Argonauts."

Izuku backed off as the wood began to burn, Bakugou pulling back to sit beside him like they were supposed to to not bother the fire as it started really going.

"Bluebird of friendliness. Like a guardian angels, it's always near. Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch, who watches over you! Make a little bird house in your soul. Not to put too fine a point on it, say I'm the only bee in your bonnet, make a little birdhouse in your soul! While you're at it, leave the nightlight on inside the birdhouse in your soul..."

Bakugou began relacing his shoe lace, tossing the bark onto the fire as Izuku looked around. As expected, Todoroki's group was having trouble with their fire. If they got it burning at all it was low and cold, and went out quickly. Shouto would have to either hit it with an intense blast of fire for a bit, or they would need to start over completely. Tokoyami's group were well on their way to a fire, but seemed to be having trouble with actually starting it. The other two groups seemed to be having their own troubles. Shoji had shattered his groups flint, and Kouda was talking to a squirrel. Yaoyorozu finally seemed to give up on the flint and steel, making a bottle of clear fluid and handing it to Tokoyami. He poured it onto the wood and struck a few sparks. It lit, and started to burn, making them the second group to get a fire going.

"Not to put too fine a point on it; say I'm the only bee in your bonnet. Make a little birdhouse in your soul... While you're at it"
"Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch, who watches over you."
"keep the nightlight on inside the birdhouse in your soul."
"Make a little birdhouse in your soul..."

Izuku turned his eyes back to the fire. They had made it an oblong shape instead of round, a little trick they had picked up for cooking more than one thing at once. Finally it started climbing higher, so they could put the cooking stands up to hold the pans. They began to divy up what they would cook, silently adapting recipes to their supplies. Izuku was very glad that they had ended up with what looked like most of the rice and meat. With what was going on at the other fires. Bakugou took the rice over to one of the two pumps the Pussycats had given them leave to use for cooking water for the night, and started to rinse it. Izuku started heating up the pans, telling Shinsou to go to the other pump and start filling them to certain levels. His phone said they had an hour and a half until dinner, which meant he had time to boil vegetables for a weak stock for the rice before he pan fried them. Shinsou came back with the pot, and Izuku set it on the fire, then started cooking his portion of the meat. Bakugou came back with the rice.

"How long do we have of your boiling shit that's not rice?"

"A fucking hour and a half, we have time for it. It'll be weak, but it's goddamned rice. It doesn't need much."

"Fine, dumbass. Remember to season the bitch or it'll be garbage."

"I'm not the dumbass. Remember when you put the meat in the fire and burnt the hell out of it? Had to eat that fucking shit for dinner, asshole!"

They were bolting around the fire, using the racks to switch around the pans to various levels of heat. They tossed on more logs to keep it going and high. Cooking was something they both got worked up over, as Aunt Mitsuki taught them fire cooking. They always reigned it in with Izuku's mom, though. She'd have a heart attack if she heard them. She'd always told them only to curse when they meant it. Bakugou always meant it, but she hadn't taught him the repertoire of curses Izuku knew from her. Still, it was cathartic to let himself go for a little while.

"Piss off, I'll destroy you! Use the fucking spices!"

"I did you son of a bitch, and I only just got it boiling! I had to speed it up, but it's going!"

Iida looked at Midoriya, seeming scandalized.

"Midoriya, I expected this from Bakugou, but not you! And you should both calm down, cooking is-"

They turned to him, the fire reflected in the eyes as they snarled in unison.

"BACK THE HELL OFF!"

Iida went white and put his hands up in surrender, looking like his world just shattered. Izuku and Bakugou turned back to each other, now working harder. Izuku turned to Shinsou and pulled back his competitive anger for a moment.

"Hey, Shinsou, could you hold the strainer over the pot with the vegetables? They're done and I need to switch them to a pan to start the rice."

"O-Okay, sure..."

He followed the instruction, and Izuku carefully poured in the grains so as not to burn Shinsou. Then he put the vegetables down to fry. With that done, he sent his crush back to where Bakugou and Izuku had relegated them to and fell back into competition. The teachers were going around checking on the groups now, and Izuku swore, every time he looked in the box of ingredients, there were more than last time he checked. The he caught Present Mic slipping a leek in. He snatched it from the Pro's hand and set Kirishima to chopping it. The teachers must have been redistributing ingredients to the two groups who had gotten fires going. He glanced over and saw Todoroki's group had given up on the campfire altogether and were now using a shirtless Todoroki to cook with, him laying in the fire pit with the cooking stand over him. Black smoke was rising from two pans discarded to the side.

Eventually Bakugou spat a violent slew of curses and promises of retribution as he marched over and took the box of ingredients from them and brought it over. Kirishima and Shinsou were once again put on knife duty while the two monitored what was cooking. Eventually, they began to slowly fill the tables that had been set up for them with food. Izuku had only cooked this much twice before, and both times were for banquets. Tokoyami's group was slower to churn out dishes, and Shoji's still hadn't even gotten a fire despite Kouda's animal friends apparently leading him to some new flint. Aizawa gave Izuku's group their box too.

In the end, they did nearly all of the cooking, shouting and screaming at each other about flavors, spice measurements, and in general. The entire class sighed with relief when they put out the last platter and put out the fire. Todoroki's group was told they had to clean the pans they ruined before they could eat. Everyone sat at the tables and said their thanks, and there was a moment of silence as everyone hurried to out food on their plates. Then everyone erupted into shouts of awe. Izuku was too tired, hungry, and overheated to care, having slaved away over the fire while verbally sparring with Bakugou, who was shoveling food into his mouth so fast, Kirishima was telling him to be careful. Izuku turned to Iida, remembering what he had said to him.

"Hey Iida, I'm... I'm sorry about yelling at you earlier, Kacchan and I get really into it when we cook together... Pretty much the only person who can keep us in line at that point is my mom."

Iida waved it off.

"No, I understand that competition can truly get one's blood pumping, and everyone responds to it differently. It was startling, and I saw my life replay, but it's alright. Clearly the teachers saw nothing wrong with it. I must commend your group on getting your fire going first! How did you do it so quickly?"

"Ah, Bakugou and I used to go on hikes and survival training trips with his mom, and she taught us the basics. If we wanted to know anything advanced we had to look for it and practice it ourselves on the trips. My dad was apparently a survivalist as a hobby before he died, so he left me all his gear, and some books on it. It's actually most of the gear I brought with me to camp."

"That's really cool, Deku! What are some of the things you know?"

"Ah, I know how to make wooden fish hooks, how to weave rope, make canteens, leaf pots, and some other stuff. There is stuff I only know in theory too, like how to convert the inside of a tree into a shelter without killing it."

And so dinner passed, and then it was time to head to the baths, which were natural hot springs. It was easy to just have fun in the baths with the guys in his class. He heard someone shouting from the girl's side, and looked over in time to see Kouta falling from on top of the wall. There was a split second he was falling before Izuku jumped out of the water to catch him.

Chapter Text

Izuku was sitting in the med bay with Mandalay and Kouta. When she asked the girls what had happened, they said they had seen someone on top of the wall, but Kouta revealed that Mandalay had sent him to keep guard on top of the wall in case the boys tried something stupid and disgusting like climbing the wall. However, Kouta had stood up to say it, and seemed to lose his balance for some reason. He had then toppled over into the boy's side, unconscious.

"He must have passed out when he fell... probably fear. You sure got there quick though."

"I'm just glad no one's hurt."

He paused as he remembered what Kouta had said when they first got to camp. He was a five year old who hated heroes even though his relatives are heroes. It certainly wasn't the norm.

"Kouta... He seems pretty opposed to heroes..."

"Hm?"

"W-Well! All of my life, I've been surrounded by people who wanted to be heroes, and every kid I've ever met older and younger wanted to be heroes too... Isn't it kinda weird someone his age hates them so much? Especially considering his relation to you..."

Mandalay put a damp cloth on Kouta's forehead, sighing softly.

"Well, there are people who just don't like heroes. And if he was raised normally, he'd probably adore heroes like most kids."

Pixie Bob came in with a tea tray, and Izuku became acutely aware he had rushed Kouta to the med bay in nothing but a towel, desperately wishing he had at least worn shorts.

"Mandalay's cousins, Kouta's parents, were heores who died in the line of duty."

Izuku looked to the kid. He'd probably heard they're death on the news, or worse, maybe even saw it. He'd seen heroes die on the news before, and it was always awful, no matter how many times or how old he was, it left him shell shocked and crying. And then the praise they received for their sacrifice felt like slime in his ears and tasted like ash on his tongue. He couldn't imagine what it felt like when they were family.

"They were protecting civilians from a villain. No better way for a hero to die, noble and honorable. But he... He was just a little boy just starting to learn about the world, he couldn't understand that. To him, they were the world. From his perspective they abandoned him. And then everyone keeps praising them and lifting them on a pedestal. I don't think he likes us very much either, but as his only relatives, he cooperates. He thinks heroes are nasty people he can't understand... Anyway, you should go get dressed."

He nodded and left, mind coming together to think of a five year old cynic.

Izuku was sat on a tree stump at the edge of camp, silent, unable to meditate. His mind was a tangled string of thoughts he needed to get in order, and so he began talking to himself, trying to organize the mess.

"I don't get why anyone would tell him that. They're practically telling him his parents did a good thing and the right thing, which his line of thinking... Twists... And dying on duty… it's not shameful or weak but it's so over glorified too. Heroes go out and fight, and if they die it's called a 'gallant sacrifice'. And because of their sacrifice the good guys win, the survivors all cheer, and everyone lives happily ever after… But the hero doesn't see it. They're dead. And everyone acts like it's a good thing. Talks about how amazing they were. Forgets they have friends, family, people who are hurt because they're dead. Forget that it's a tragedy… And maybe that's part of the point."

"You're right."

He whipped around to see Present Mic approaching him. He was smiling, but he looked so tired, and sad. Like he was so much older than 30. He stopped by the stump and looked at Izuku. He shifted to make room for the teacher, who sat facing the opposite way. He slumped over, hands clasped between his knees.

"I've seen it all the time. Heard it everywhere. 'Hero dies in combat, let's proclaim their glory!' and no one talks about the person whose life just ended except the people who loved them. Even then, sometimes they follow the headline. It's part of being a hero, the risk. We accept it early on. We face it just about every fight. But we're humans too. Like everyone else, we have reasons to be afraid of death. Me and Shouta... We saw it ourselves back when we were still students. Watched one of our best friends die... Watched our third die. It nearly ruined us. But in the end, we had to push forward. We remember his sacrifice, because he died to save people. He always hated the thought of us crying if something happened to him because he wanted to be more than just someone who died. Lots of heroes are like that.They want to be remembered for the things they did. The people they saved. The love they felt and shared. Not for being a casualty. Yes, we should mourn them, we should be more sensitive to those who loved them, but to focus solely on that is just as disrespectful to their memory. One day, the kid might just understand that. But for now... He needs to feel what he feels. Learn and grow from it. Just like everyone else... Get to bed soon listener. It's almost curfew."

Yamada Hizashi got up, head bowed and hands in his pockets, and made his way to the teacher's cabin. Izuku watched him go without a word. And then he got up, and headed for bed.

Chapter Text

The bleary eyes of his classmates reminded him how different his lifestyle was from most teenagers. Even Bakugou was slumped over instead of aggressively hunched, while Izuku had been up for nearly an hour already, chugging his secret coffee supply hidden in his suitcase. It was hidden in a dubiously legal set of thermoses that had quirk-based alterations to keep whatever was inside fresh for months rather than hours. He didn't know Yuuei's stance on them so he kept them private. Aizawa stood in front of them, seeming just as awake as Izuku,

"Morning, kids. Today training begins for real. Villains are getting stronger and more organized nowadays, so ideally you'll leave camp stronger. Specifically strong enough to get your provisional licences. If you're unprepared to face the world, especially now that you're high profile targets, things won't go well for you. Through this, you'll become more ready. Prepare yourselves for the worst week of your lives. To start, Bakugou, throw this."

He tossed Bakugou the same ball from the strength trials at the start of the school year. Murmurs and words of encouragement spread through the class as Bakugou wound up to throw, and launched the ball. Once again, he threw it with too steep of an agle to go it's max distance, but it certainly reached a greater height than last time. If Bakugou had been more careful, he probably could have broken at least 800 meters. Instead, the readout merely said 709.6 meters. whispers of disbelief were cut off as Aizawa spoke once more.

"You've all certainly grown and improved, but you've mostly been working on techniques, academics, and bodily strength. As you can see, you're quirks haven't kept pace very well. Starting today, you will start working so hard to improve your quirks, you'll wish you were dead. So... Do your best to survive."

A shiver raced through the class as he grinned at them. They may never be on par with him, but one day they would master that smile, and use it against him. So far, Mina, Tsuyu, and Uraraka had mastered it, though his classmates swore he had it down pat too. His still needed some work in his opinion.

With that, they were each sent to their own exercises, and their own personal hell.

Izuku was in a bit of a gray area with Solaris and One For All, being both an enhancer and emitter, but right now he was working on building up his power levels, both stored and used. What All Might and Gran Torino gave him was what got him this far, he thought as Tiger called him into a sparring match, and moving forward was all on him. The more he tempered the vessel he was for OFA, the stronger both he and the quirk would get. Tiger landed a solid blow to Izuku's face and sent him to ground. He felt one of his molars was cracked with his tongue, but the same rush of power from yesterday hit him, and a line of a metallic tasting substance formed in the crack. Izuku took note of the feeling and wondered if there was a way he could channel the power himself. Could he heal himself or others? He stood up, and Tiger pushed him into a power stance.

"Alright, stretch that quirk until it rips you apart! If you're hurt, it can be healed! Muscle fibers are ripped by overworking, but heal thicker and stronger, that is what it is to be human! ADAPTION AND GROWTH!"

And so ho worked himself, running his quirk as hard as he dared until a bone broke, and then focusing on the feeling of his tooth healing. Soon he felt the cracks forging themselves closed as unbearable heat spread through his body. It hurt. It hurt so bad it made want to lay down and never use his quirk again. But this was what it took to become a hero and save people. To stop All For One.

At the end of the day, Izuku couldn't think through the agony in this body, and Ragdoll had forced him to stop. He had forced himself to get up for dinner despite her protests, and she relented, but was monitoring him closely. Apparently they had made curry for dinner, and Bakugou had forced the teachers to let him teach the class to make a proper fire. Izuku sat in his seat, hands shaking as he ate Bakugou's curry. It had been so long since he'd had it, he'd forgotten he was an even better cook than his mom. Izuku saw Kouta walking into the woods with no plate while Jirou was smacking Sero around. He frowned, and then loaded a fresh plate, waiting for a moment the teachers weren't watching to slip away.

He followed the little footprints through the trees and up to a cliff, where the child was staring out over the forest. His stomach growled loud enough for Izuku to hear from where he stood on the path, and he made his way toward him.

"Hey, figured you'd be hungry. Brought you some curry."

"Huh?!" Kouta jumped to his feet, fists clenched. "How'd you know I was here?!"

"I followed your footsteps. It's dinner time, so I thought you'd want some."

"No, I don't want it, just like I don't want to be around you people. Now get away from my secret base."

Izuku stepped closer, plate in his hands as he neared the little boy. It was a bad idea to impose on his safe space, but the kid needed to eat, and probably someone to listen to him.

"Secret base, huh?"

He saw water dripping from Kouta's hands, and an idea occured to him. A hero duo with a son who died in the line of combat, leaving behind a son with a water quirk...

"Hey... Your parents were the Water hose team, weren't they?"

"DID MANDALAY TELL YOU?!"

"No, she didn't just that an accident happened so she was taking care of you from now on. I remember it... It was awful..."

Kouta turned back to the cliff, whole body shaking with rage and pain that made his fire burn low but hot and bright. Children felt things so much stronger than anyone else. So much more freely too. It was easy to forget how much a kid could hurt from how easily they tended to bounce back, how strong and real their emotions were when they were so volatile and prone to change. But now Izuku could see them in real time and he was so astounded by their hearts. So fragile yet so quick to heal and grow stronger.

"Shut up. You're all crazy. Improving your quirks..." Kouta's voice broke and shook as he spoke. "Calling yourselves 'heroes, or 'villains' and going around killing each other like idiots. Talking about your quirks all the time. All of it just to show off and look better than you are!... What's your problem?! If you're done, get out of my base!"

Izuku looked at the plate. Kouta didn't just have a problem with heroes, it was with quirks, the society that glorifies them, and the people who misused them painting his view of all people with quirks. He took a deep breath.

"I knew someone who didn't have a quirk."

Kouta's face twisted with confusion.

"Sometimes people have a birth defect that means they don't have a quirk. It's pretty rare. Still, he admired heroes, wanted to be one, but the world said no. He couldn't become a hero without a quirk. So he worked. He tried pulling stuff with his mind, like his mom, or breathing fire like his dad, but nothing worked. Quirks... They're seen differently from person to person. Nothing about them is set in stone. But if you keep rejecting everything, you're only going to hurt yourself, like he did..."

"You should learn when to shut up! Go!"

Izuku nodded, setting the plate down on a rock. He turned and walked away, leaving Kouta to his anger and pain to process it. He could never learn to move past it if he never looked at the problem but never let it go.

He made his way back to camp, and headed to the boys room to meditate.

Izuku sat in the closet where the bags were shoved, sitting on his. He reached into himself, and when he reached his inner mind, he reached deeper, and he found One For All. He looked at the embers it was built of, felt the echoes of the holders who had contributed to it, saw the ember missing from himself that was tacked on with them. The first night, when he'd been watching the camp fire, he'd noticed something. Embers pressed together, fused. and if the right pressure could be applied, two embers became one. The quirk looked like it would fall apart any moment, but if he could just...

He pulled his hands back, hissing. Stinging pain coated his palms and fingers, throwing him from his meditation. He looked down at his hands, red and sore from trying to touch the fire of his quirk. The door swung open and he looked up into the stern, angry faces of Ragdoll and Aizawa.

"It was an accident..."

Chapter Text

Izuku had gotten a firm talking to from his teachers, and it was decided he wasn't to be left alone. Meditation now had to be done in the open where he would be monitored or not at all. He felt bad for making them worry so much over nothing, especially when the burns faded away fairly quickly. And it was reiterated to him that quirk training was to done only under supervision. Then he was put back to bed for the night.

In the morning, Tiger seemed to be going easier on him, pushing to be careful, as the body and mind had limits of the breakage it could handle, while the rest of class A and Class b who had arrived yesterday were being driven just as hard as before. Izuku watched the remedial group slowly start losing steam, and Aizawa was quick to reprimand them, looking unsurprised.

"I told you this would be difficult, we have to push some students even harder than others. Satou, Kaminari, your limits could mean life or death if you surpass them in a fight without training. Increasing your capacity is imperitave to become effective heroes. Repeated and extended quirk use is the only way for that to happen. Ashido, your skin needs to be stronger against your acid to prevent it from doing more harm to you than your enemies, which happens from exposure. Sero, your firing rate, strength, and supply of tape all need to be upped. Kirishima, you need to build you muscles and work on how hard your body can become, which will create a good synergy for you. Most important, this is the consequences of failing your exams so thoroughly. Aoyama! Uraraka! You too, you barely managed to pass at 35 points for a 30 point minimum! Think of that while everyone else is doing fine whilst you're dead on your feet."

He started to make his way between the students.

"Being aware of who you are is the key to improving. That's why you're being worked so hard, why I'm pushing you to and beyond the limits of your bodies and quirks. Keep that in mind."

Izuku nodded, and took a deep breath, reaching into himself and extending himself out at the same time. The world seemed to become brighter around him as his quirk flared. He felt the life all around him as he pushed himself, and threads of himself bridged the gap between Izuku and some of the life around him, but he was careful not to touch his fellow students. He inhaled, and then he pulled as hard as he could. The grass and trees started to wilt around him as he channeled their energy and turned it into power, and then he let go just before they lost too much. He didn't want to kill them after all. He was nearing the limit on his power anyway, which settled uncomfortably within him. Then Pixie Bob called everyone's attention.

"Hey everyone, we're giving you your reward for working so hard tonight! We'll be having Class A and B go head to head in a scare competition! A test of courage if you will."

There were various responses to this announcement, but Izuku was more focused on what Aizawa had said before. He had to be aware of who was to improve. And who he was began at All Might. He had been the boy's special interest since he was three after all. He was where his quirks came from. He was All Might's successor.

Izuku was helping with dinner, but he just couldn't get into competition with Bakugou this time, despite the teen trying to egg him into it multiple times. He had stuck himself into carting things around rather than cooking as a result, too lost in thought to risk it. He looked around, searching for Kouta.

"What are you looking for?"

He jumped, turning to see Todoroki.

"Ah, I was looking for Kouta, but he's not here."

"Kota? Who?"

"That kid we met the first day. He really doesn't like... Well, quirks and the way people perceive them really, especially when it results in particular kinds of occupations. I'm trying to figure out how to get him to come around, because he's really hurting himself the way he's going, and when someone jaded to the world is in pain because of it too long... Well, I don't think it... What would you say to him, Todoroki?"

"well, it all depends. Without knowing his background and and where he's coming from, a righteous speech from a stranger would probably be pretty annoying. Words have power, but they need to be really meaningful to move someone.The important part is what's done. Words need to be backed up by actions."

Izuku felt like Todoroki took a sledgehammer to the glass wall blocking Izuku from the answer. He had been close but couldn't reach it. He remembered what All Might said to him that day. 'It was you, timid and quirkless, who acted when even the pros wouldn't. You pushed me to, as well. You can be a hero.'

"You're right. I'm not the one who can reach him. He wouldn't care about anything I have to say. Besides, I guess if I went about it wrong, well, I'd probably do more harm than good."

"Yes, it's a very delicate situation. You have tendency to butt into those."

He bit his lip and nodded. He thought about what he'd said to Kouta that first night. It was definitely the wrong story to tell.

It was time for the test of courage.  His ears were still ringing for Ashido's scream of despair when being told none of the remedial group were participating. Groups of two were being sent into the forest where Class B was going to scare them. He was handed a card that would say the name of his partner for the courage test. Izuku was the odd man out of the 15 remaining Class A students, which meant he would be going in alone. He was also set to go in last, as 'team' 8. He was just about to go in when he saw it. Black smoke rising above the trees with the smell of burning wood and foliage.

"M-Mandalay, Pixie Bob! Look!!"

"What?"

"Oh gosh! There's a forest fire! We have to get the kids-!"

She was cut off by a villain appearing and slamming something into her head and knocking her unconscious. Izuku stared in horror as Tiger leapt between him and the villain, who was joined by another villain, who was dressed up as Stain. Despite all of the preparations of Yuuei, villains had still managed to find them, which sent a chilling thought echoing through Izuku's head. The traitor had to be in their group, because according to Aizawa, the only people who knew where they were was the classes, Nedzu, and attending heroes. Mandalay put a hand to her head as she sent out a message to the students about the villains, telling them to retreat to camp or hide, not engage unless the villains attack them first. Then the villain pinning Pixe Bob spoke up, deep voice obviously raised to a higher pitch.

"So nice to meet you, Yuuei student! Too bad we didn't get here soon enough to meet more of you guys, but were the League of Villains Vanguard Action Squad! Now then, should I crush this little ladies head? Should I? What do you think, hm?"

The villain ground the wooden... Club?... Into Pixie's head, tapping a finger against their cheek in an imitation of pensive thought. The lizard mutation spoke up in half-hearted protest.

"Not so fast, Big Sis Magne, power over a person's life is everything, or have you forgotten Stain's tenets?"

So these were followers of Stain. It figured that the rumor of Stain teaming up with the League would lead his followers to them.

"Oh, and I recognize you, Broccoli Head! You're one of the three who brought the end of Stain. Well, let me introduce myself. I'm Spinner..." He pulled out his weapon, dozens of blades jammed together. It was intimidating, but looked flimsy. Izuku could see several belts and a chain woven through it to keep it from falling to individual pieces. "And I'm here to make his dreams come true! Unfortunately, you're on our list, which means there's something special in store for you."

Tiger stepped forward, seeming completely calm.

"That's all nice, but that woman there... Pixie Bob, lately she's begun to worry about getting married, finding happiness. As a woman, and in this age... Trying very hard. How dare you scar her face like that and stand there yammering away like it's nothing."

"SO HEROES REALLY DO DREAM OF FINDING ORDINARY HAPPINESS!"

Spinner leapt forward and started to run at them.

"I've broadcast the order, Midoriya, get back to camp! We're going to hold them off here!"

"Mandalay, I know where he is!"

Midoriya raced through the woods, spotting Kouta's escape route blocked by someone wearing a cloak that covered him. Kouta screamed for his parents. Midoriya leaped, grabbing him, and twisted so he hit the ground first. He caught a glimpse of the man's face, and recognized him in an instant. The Water Hose duo's murderer. He wanted to scream as he realized his phone, his only hope of transmitting his location and getting backup, was broken a few feet away. And he hadn't told anyone his exact destination, because he hadn't known the coordinates. There was no one coming to save him this time, so he had to fight by himself while protecting Kouta.

"Now you, you were on our list. You're even a priority target! But if there was an accident, well, WHO CAN BLAME ME?!"

He glanced back at Kouta. He saw Kouta's fear, the tears streaming down his cheeks as he sobbed, terrified out of his mind. Midoriya Izuku had no choice. He had to save Kouta, and dying was not an option.

"It's going to be okay, Kouta. I'll save you."

He turned back to the monster before him, and remembered what his research had told him. His quirk was that he could switch around and enlarge the muscles of his whole body from the neck down, boosting one area for the sacrifice of strength in another and leaving his muscles exposed to the air.

"You're gonna save him? Hahahaha... A budding 'hero' would say that, Always spouting off about justice wherever you appear, but don't worry... We'll fix that. I'm going to torment you real bad, kid! NOW SHOW ME SOME BLOOD!"

Izuku powered up, watching as Muscular jumped at him, but suddenly he jumped again to the side and slammed an enlarged arm into Midoriya, sending him careening into the cliff wall.

"Oh wait, I should ask before you meet with your 'Accident.' Do you know where Bakugou Katsuki is? He's also a high priority target!"

Izuku snarled at him, lashing his quirk out and leaving charred flesh where wisps of green hit Muscular, who roared and hit Izuku with a sweeping hit that sent him flying again.

"I guess you don't know, then, so let's play!"

He was kicked in the gut and hit the wall a second time. He needed a gap to get his bearings so he could fight! He fell, and heard Muscular walking toward him, and he focused, healing his broken ribs in a flare of pain as he stood up. He raced toward the villain before him, remembering that he couldn't worry about Kacchan because he needed to worry about Kouta. He landed a punch on the blond and sent him sliding back a few inches, some of the muscle fibers bursting under his fist and began to bleed.

"What, was that supposed to be your quirk? Way too weak!"

He was swatted like a fly, the world spinning.

"My quirk is a muscle enhancer that can't be contained, not even by my own skin! They raise the standard of speed and strength! You're just a bargain brand version of ME! Get it?! It's hilarious! What was that earlier about saving him?" Muscular raised his fist slowly, grinning viciously as he prepared to kill Izuku. "Talk is cheap when all you say is the impossible, you gotta be honest with yourself-!"

He was interrupted by a sharp rock hitting his arm, shredding some of the muscles to hang loosely, Muscular apparently unable to control them in their damaged state, Now that Izuku looked with him was paused, the spot he punched had a cluster hanging as well.

"The Water Hose... My mom and dad... Did you torture them too? When you murdered them?!"

"Huh? You're their kid? Seriously? This must be fate. You see, the Water Hose gave me this glass eye."

Izuku began to forge his bones again, wishing he could heal his flesh wounds too. Kouta stood tall as Muscular slowly made his way towards the little boy.

"Because of you... You dumbasses who think you can do whatever you want... Things always end up like this!"

"Geez, you brats sure know how to blame shift. I really don't hold any grudges against them for my eye. I wanted to kill people, they wanted to stop me. We all tried our best and dealt with the consequences. What the problem is... Is when you can't put your money where your mouth is... JUST LIKE YOUR DEAR MOMMY AND DADDY!"

Izuku raced forward, drawing the monster's attention.

"I knew you'd attack me, you worthless trash!"

He reeled his fist back, simultaneously forging his bones as he devoured the cliff wall and the lush vegetation nearby, breaking them with the overload of power of both Solaris and One For All. He shoved his arm between the thick cords of muscle on the man's arm.

"The only one to blame is you! Now speed doesn't matter!"

"Pft, what are you gonna do? Hit me with that other weak arm of yours?"

"It doesn't matter whether I can or can't, because Heroes stake their lives to turn talk into action!"

Izuku pushed Solaris into Muscular's body, burning the flesh of his arm from the inside out and absorbing the charred remains to increase his power as he swung his fist into the bastard before him's face. There was an explosion of debris as Muscular screamed in agony. Izuku jumped, catching Kouta's shirt in his teeth as he nearly fell off the cliff, hurrying to reforge his arms. Muscular was still alive, and according to his fire, still in good enough condition to fight.

"Horry! Gnocked you away, didn't nean too." He dragged the kid up. "Let's go, we have to hurry, as fast as we can to camp!-"

"I don't think so!~"

Izuku turned around. Muscular was dragging his muscles back into his body, which was barely scratched despite the damage lingering underneath. He stumbled a little as he stood up, but then started making his way over with steady strides.

"You know, It's been real fun playing with you, but you're strong! Playtime's over, so..." He pulled the shattered glass eye from his socket, stuffing in a new one. "I'll be using my serious eye from now on!"

Izuku grabbed Kouta and jumped as Muscular slammed his fists down where they had stood, slinging him onto Izuku's back with his working arm. He looked back as an entire portion of the ledge crumbled down into the forest below. He really was playing before... Even with the damage Izuku did...! Muscular whipped around and punched the cliff wall. carving a deep crater into it. If Izuku could make it to camp where Aizawa-sensei was, he could erase the quirk. But could they make it with him on their tail? Izuku was hurt and exhausted- Don't back down, don't think. Here. Now! No option but to fight, because there was a life on the line. He set Kouta down and stood up.

"Kouta, get back, but not too far, or he'll chase you. If he gets me, run as fast as you can to camp."

"Gets you...? Come one, it's hopeless, we have to go! Your attack did nothing, and..."

Izuku stepped forward as Muscular rushed them, clenching his fist. He had to go all the way. His quirk spread out, eating the trees down to their roots, dissolving rocks and boulders, and then he went further, carving away the cliff and ground below. He reached out, desperately begging for help, and he felt it. Others reaching back and filling him with their power. Then something snaked out from within his own mind and consumed his fire. Suddenly the light around him shifted from vibrant neon green to a dark pink color, and he felt something snap within, but it wasn't his body. He pulled his fist back, ready.

"It's okay. It's- I'm okay! He won't get one step past me, so RUN! RUN KOUTA!"

His fist met with the wall of muscle, and he wrapped his light around Muscular, who quickly grew a barrier around himself.

"Wow kid I can see why they want you...! You're something else!"

Izuku growled, raising his other fist as power flowed into him.

"Shut up."

He punched a hole through the barrier, straight through to the foul creature's face. He devoured the muscles that started coming together to close the gap as he reached in. He slowly dug his fingers into the face below, feeling it burst under his fingers, and he clawed the remains of the brown eye out of the socket, listening to it scream and howl in rage as he blinded it completely. It began to push harder against him, using it's quirk faster and faster as it drove the teen into the ground and close the hole. He whispered softly to himself as his back met dirt.

"I'm sorry Mom... All Might... All Might...!"

There was the sound of rushing water, and in the corner of his eye, he saw Kouta with his arms raised.

"Wait you're damn turn, kid, I'll get you too when I'm good and ready!"

"S-STOP IT!! "

With that, Izuku's eyes snapped back it Its form over him. He needed to go further. Beyond the limits of not just his body, but One For All.

"As if I'd let you kill him!!"

"H-How are you getting stronger?!"

He pushed against Muscular, forcing him back, and throwing him. He went flying this time, buried in the cliff wall. Izuku had done quite a bit of damage this time, but it-he was already starting to come back from it despite being unconscious. He turned to Kouta with shattered and split arms hanging limp from his sides. He was covered in both his own blood and the villain's, bruised and scratched and gashed, but standing.

"Why?... You don't know me, you don't know anything about me, so why?!... Why would you go so far for me?!"

Izuku approached the wailing boy with a smile.

"Because being a hero isn't about showing off. It's about protecting people, especially from monsters. Now get on my back, we have to get to camp. I need to tell Aizawa-sensei and the Pussycats what's going on. If I can save anyone, I have to, but first, I have to save you."

"Huh?..."

"Well, there's something only you can do, you know? Every path is going to be blocked off by fire. I need your help again, just like you saved me before. Okay?"

Kouta nodded, clambering on.

"Can you even get back to camp like this though?..."

"Heh, this is why I saved my legs!"

Izuku ignored the agony of his broken ribs, and he began to run, leaving the blind man behind as they both began to heal as best they could.

Chapter Text

Izuku felt his bones slowly coming together, hands coming up to support Kouta, who sent out a blast of water to clear the path of flames. They were taking the straightest path they could, when Kouta tapped his shoulder.

"Hey, look!"

There, on the other side of some trees, was Aizawa, running the same way as them. Izuku skidded to a stop.

"Sensei!!"

"Midoriya!"

Aizawa's face dropped into disappointment.

"Look sensei, I was up against Muscular with Kouta there, please understand-"

"Wait, Muscular?!"

Aizawa's eyes flew to Kouta, who had buried his face in Izuku's neck. The teen grimaced and adjusted him to hold the boy to his chest.

"Yeah, him. It's really bad, and there's a lot to say, but the biggest thing is they're targeting specific students, Bakugou is one, but I don't know any other names." He rubbed Kouta's hair as he conveniently forgot that Muscular had said he was a priority target, and so had Spinner.

"Wait..."

"Now, there's something I need to tell Mandalay. Take Kouta with you, he has a water based quirk," He gave Kouta a pointed look and a smile as he set him down, and Kouta gave him a brave nod, wiping his face with a teary-eyed and scared but determined look. "So please protect him!"

"I said wait..."

"Please and thank you, BYE!!"

He went to dash away, but Aizawa's tone made him finally stop.

"I said WAIT MIDORIYA!"

He froze, hunching over as he turned to face his teacher, knowing he was going to be in a lot of trouble when this was over.

"Those wounds, you did it again didn't you?-"

"No, I'm fine-"

"As I was saying... Tell Mandalay by order of Eraserhead, students are given leave to engage villains as necessary, but their focus should be getting to camp as fast as possible."

"Yessir!"

With that, Izuku bolted into the trees once more, leaving the two to head back to camp.

Chapter Text

Izuku was running up on the fight between the two Pussycats and the villains where it continued. Spinner screamed something about Mandalay being a sham to purge, but as he swung his crappy 'sword' of knives, Izuku jumped. He braced himself and kicked it. It broke under his foot like pane of glass, much to Spinner's apparent surprise. He landed and took a fighting stance, throwing a punch into the air. The shock wave hit the man and he was sent rolling a few feet away.

"Mandalay, Kouta's safe! He's not hurt save for a few bruises!"

"You...! Thank you!"

"Eraserhead gave me a message for you! The students of Classes A and B are hereby given authorization to engage villains by order of Pro Hero Eraserhead, and he requests that you use your quirk to inform them!"

She nodded, kicking Spinner across the face.

"Alright, but get back to camp! Those injuries look bad!"

"I can't, I still have messages to relay! One more thing, one of the targets is Kacchan! He needs to be warned!"

He swept his leg out and released a wave that hit Magne, making her stumble and allowing Tiger to land a punch before the teen fled into the trees.

"Who the heck is Kacchan?! Hold up!"

He ignored the pro, leaping into the shadow despite the pain radiating through his whole body of reforging his bones and rebreaking them over and over, accompanied by the deep and dirty gashes and scrapes covering his torso and aforementioned limbs. He raced on, trying to get to his destination as fast as possible. Then he heard a sound that sent chills through him like a lance through his stomach. A gunshot. He had to get there. He had to, before anything worse happened. He couldn't be far from Kacchan, if they hadn't moved. They were the second team to enter the forest. There was something approaching him. Something not human, like h- What...? He shook it off, feeling whatever it was approach. It smashed through the trees, barely missing him.

Then he was grabbed by someone he recognized the fire of. Shoji. Which meant...

"Tokoyami... Oh no, Shoji, we have to-"

"You shouldn't be moving with wounds like that. Are there even bones left to break in your arms anymore? Running around trying to save everyone like this, you're full of surprises. Anyway, yeah, that was Tokoyami. We were surprise by an attack from a villain. I took the hit, but the surprise and trauma, paired with that he was already having a rough time controlling Dark Shadow, his hold slipped. We have to help him before we can pass."

Izuku bit his lip, drawing up his light, unsettled by the new color and the dark thoughts racing through his head. Dark Shadow screeched, whirling on them to reveal Tokoyami struggling inside the massive form of living darkness. The poor unknowing vessel of a being far beyond his control, used like a cocoon for the maturation of a being born in the void at the bottom a black hole in the center of the galaxy. Still, he had turned what should have been a parasite into a symbiotic relationship through the power in his own being for which he was likely chosen. And if Tokoyami could just get a better grasp of that power, he could save himself. For now, though, he needed help.

"GET AWAY FROM ME! IT'LL KILL YOU..."

"Shoji, what happened?"

Izuku wrapped them in his light, warding off Dark Shadow. Shoji took a step back as the beast writhed, overwhelmed by it's own power and lashing out.

"We went on high alert when Mandalay said not to fight, and I heard someone behind us. He had blades that morphed and changed. I lost an arm to protect Tokoyami, but we managed to hide. When he saw the wound and the arm, he lost it. He was already fighting Dark Shadow..."

"Uh... The wound looks bad but you still have an arm..."

"With Dupli-arms, I can make about as many duplicate body parts as I want. I lost one of the spares. In his panic, Dark Shadow went wild and started to rampage. Not to mention, his emotions affect his ability to control it too, and he definitely was in a bad way when he lost it." He moved to dodge, but Izuku made him stay in place as the quirk swung at them He flared brightly, making him screech and veer away. "Geez, that was scary... He attacks at the smallest noises and movements, indiscriminate... Hes turned-"

Izuku slapped a hand over the small mouth whispering to him.

"Don't make it worse. He's struggling, but not lost. He can be saved!"

Shoji went quiet, and then nodded, looking at Tokoyami in the center of the storm.

"Don't worry about me! URGH! Go find... The others, save them, not me! DARK SHADOW CALM DOWN!!"

"we need more light. Midoriya, can you go any brighter? Or do you know where Bakugou and Todoroki are?"

"I was looking for Kacchan when I found you guys. They're probably not far from here. And I can, but I need fuel. It'll take a second."

"Or, you can go for them, and I'll lure Dark Shadow to a clear path. No matter what I'm up against, I won't abandon my friends. That's why you're out here, right? All messed up like that? I wouldn't blame you for going."

"Wherever you go, you have too much ground to cover. You'll be caught and hurt, Tokoyami would probably never come back from that. Bakugou can handle himself, especially if he stuck with Todoroki."

"I know it's dangerous, being a hero is risky, and I knew that when I chose to be one. That's what being a hero is, taking the risk to help and protect. Make your choice. Help me save Tokoyami, or go save Bakugou."

Izuku bit his lip. Bakugou was a target, and in much higher danger than most of his classmates, despite his skill and power. And he couldn't be sure he'd stuck with Shouto after all. In addition they didn't know who was in the forest and how dangerous they were. He'd met Muscular after all, and the two villains facing the pussycats were holding their own. Clearly they were high grade. If Shouji could hide well enough between luring Dark Shadow, They were nearly guaranteed safety from villains because of Dark Shadow's power. But...Wait. Bakugou and Todoroki. Of course!

"Shouji, two birds, one stone, head that way!"

Shouji was panting from running and carrying Izuku, refusing to let him down to run on his own. Then, Izuku saw their saving grace.

"Ice! They must be fighting! Hurry!"

They burst into the small clearing Bakugou and Todoroki had made while fighting... Was that Moonfish?! The League was really trying to kill students. Moonfish was a death row convict with more than forty murders under his belt, 60 counts of grave robbing to eat corpses, and more than 100 counts of cannibalism. His quirk was similar to Shouji's dupli-arms, but centered on his teeth, being able to grow and shape them to his will. Shouji dashed around several branches of teeth that came at them, screaming at the teens they had come for.

"Bakugou, Todoroki, we need light!! A lot of it!"

Dark Shadow came crashing after them, pinning Moonfish to the ground and breaking his teeth, making the lunatic screech in agony. Their faces turned to shock As Tokoyami rose to the surface for a moment, reaching out past the shadows for a moment before being consumed again. Izuku lifted himself up to look at them.

"HURRY!"

"Shouji, Midoriya, and Tokoyami?!"

The two continued forward towards Kastuki and Shouto, dodging an attempted smash from Dark Shadow.

"Guys, come on! Tokoyami can't control Dark Shadow right now, he's rampaging! START SOME FUCKING FIRES AND SAVE US!"

"Wait, watch."

Moonfish was getting up, lifting himself with his teeth. He was mumbling about flesh, and then he began to scream.

"I will be the one to those boys' innards! Do not steal my prizes!"

Shoji lost another duplicated arm as Dark Shadow roared his way forward, but Moonfish stopped him by shooting spears of teeth through the massive form. Izuku's heart stopped for a moment as he gauged where the teeth went in. He had missed Tokoyami this time, but there might not be a next time if he wasn't taken down quickly. But he was a professional villain who had also killed several pros before he was caught by The Prevention Hero: Stop Gap, who was a hero with an eraser quirk like Aizawa-sensei. His line of thought was cut off by Dark Shadow slicing through the trees and shattering Moonfish's teeth down to the gums. He fell to the ground, landing on his head and getting knocked out, while Kacchan and Shouto dashed forward to subdue Dark Shadow.

Shouji finally set Izuku on the ground as Tokoyami wrestled his quirk back into his body. Izuku made his way forward to the bird teen as Bakugou spoke.

"I'm your worst match up, see?"

"Tokoyami, are you hurt? Good job following my instructions."

"Thanks... And no, I'm not. Physically at least... Seeing Shouji's arm get ripped off, and the attack despite everything we did...! I was so angry and scared that I unleashed Dark Shadow to his fullest extent and subsequently lost control of him. The darkness and my own turmoil spurred him into a frenzy that I continued to feed through my emotions. I should never have let him harm you, Shouji. I'm sorry."

"Save that for later. It's what you would sat too, right? And we have more important things to worry about."

Midoriya stepped forward.

"Right, we know that the league is targeting specific students. We have the names of two of them, one of which is Kacchan."

"Bakugou? They're after him? Why?"

"Who's the other student?"

"I don't know why they're after him, and the other student is uh... Is me. I'm pretty sure they're not trying to kill the two of us. The villain I met earlier said he wasn't supposed to, but he couldn't be blamed for a supposed accident. At any rate, Vlad King, Present Mic, and Eraserhead are at camp. That makes it the safest spot."

"I see, so our mission is to get you two to camp as fast and safe as possible."

"Last I saw, the Pussycats are fighting in the clearing, which means despite being the marked path, it's not safe to take. It would be faster to cut through anyway."

Tosoroki frowned and raised his hand.

"But villains could still pop up anywhere, since we don't know how many there are. You said you ran into one earlier, and we ran into one here. How many were the Pussycats fighting when you left?"

"Two."

"So that makes four, at least. But factoring in that the league has a member with a warp quirk, accounting them is pretty useless... They can come and go whenever they please."

Tokoyami nodded in agreement, but Izuku had planned for this.

"That's where Shouji's quirk and mine come in. With my enhanced senses and his ability to enhance his, paired with my ability to sense a person's life force, we can detect and avoid villains. With Bakugou's strength and explosions, Todorokis dual quirk, my own quirk, and, if it's alright with you Tokoyami, Dark Shadow since we have the ability to control him now, we stand a good chance if we do get in a fight."

"You are absolutely not fighting."

"There's more to my quirk than punching!"

Todoroki gave him a flat look, quickly joined by Shouji and Tokoyami. Izuku flared in anger, scorching the grass.

"You can't stop me from fighting. I will not be useless or defenseless. Never again."

They backed up, and seemed to silently acquiesce, shooting him odd looks as he pulled his quirk in. He bit his lip, feeling guilty for lashing out at them. So, time to lighten the mood.

"You know, a line up like this, we'd probably give even All Might reason to pause if we played our cards right."

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS ABOUT?!"

They turned to Bakugou when he screamed.

"Like it or not, you're in more danger than other students, especially since we don't know why they're after you, despite the apparent no kill order Izuku heard from his villain. Which they may or may not ignore according to his encounter. So you have to be protected and get to camp. Now stay in the middle. Shouji's going to carry Izuku."

"No one's protecting me, dweebs!"

They ignored him as the group moved into position, Izuku being scooped back up onto Shouji's back. And they set off.

Chapter Text

Their group exited the brush after an uneventful run through the trees, finally getting to a section of the path, where they would get their bearings and make sure they were still heading the right direction. Izuku tapped Shouji's shoulder to let him down, his legs starting to cramp up from holding onto him. He turned his head as he was let down to see what looked like a fight that just ended.

"Uraraka?!"

Tsuyu called out from where she was pinned to a tree by her hair, blood dripping from her lips.

"Shouji! Guys!"

The blonde girl Uraraka was pinning down threw her off, running a few steps away. Izuku took a fighting stance, lighting up as his lips curled into a vicious snarl.

"Boo... There are too many, I don't feel like dying yet... Bye-!"

She froze, looking at him, and her face turned pink. Her breath turned heavy, and then she bolted. Ochako tried to go after her, but Tsuyu grabbed her arm.

"Wait, we don't know her quirk. She may have just been going easy on us!"

Izuku rushed forward and grabbed her shoulder.

"She's right. They've got villains here that can hold their own against pro hero teams alone. We have no idea what that one was capable of."

She looked between them and sighed with a nod.

"Fine. That villain was insane..."

"Wait, Uraraka, you're hurt!"

She looked at her leg, and back to him.

"I can walk. Oh gosh, Deku, look at yourself?! What happened?!"

"I'll tell you when we get to camp. Come with us, we could always use some extra help, since the villains are targeting specific people."

"Huh? Who are they targeting?"

Todoroki stepped forward, getting them all moving toward camp.

"Midoriya and Bakugou. We're heading for camp because that's where Vlad King, Aizawa-sensei, and Present Mic-sensei are. That's probably the safest place to be right now, so we're guarding them on our way."

"Then... Where's Bakugou?..."

"Huh? He's right behind... Us..."

Izuku turned and froze. Kacchan was gone. They'd gotten careless because things were going so well. He had been right behind them just a moment ago, he'd heard him grumbling.

"Looking for him? Don't worry, he's fine! I just did a little magic trick and made him disappear!" Izuku turned to see a man in a yellow trench coat and some kind of patterned mask. "He's not a resource heroes should have, so we're going to put him on a stage he'll really shine on! And we'll put you right up there with him, Midoriya!"

Izuku burned with rage.

"GIVE HIM BACK!"

"Oh? 'Give him back?' What an odd thing to say, considering he doesn't belong to anyone! What an egotistical thing to say!"

Izuku reached out a thread, pressing the memory of feeling deep, soul chilling terror into the man as he walked forward. He felt a connection form in the back of his mind to something dark and malevolent. Something that craved death and destruction. Power flooded through the connection, a familiar feeling, but it was so much, and so filled with hate, that Izuku's body seemed to warp under it as it seeped into his own power. The villain's hand began to shake and he jumped to a different tree as a wave of ice raced past Izuku to coat the tree. Izuku followed easily, tracking the man's life force. And there, in the man's pocket, Bakugou's fire, seemingly frozen in time. And Tokoyami was right beside him. So his quirk was some sort of combination stasis and shrinking ability. It likely had something to do with the marbles he'd been holding earlier, which he made a show of putting in his bag as he fled. Izuku would not let this man steal his friends and get away, no matter the danger.

"Wait, Tokoyami's gone too!"

"We're just a little fanatical when it comes to our views. We want to show you two there are other options. You kids have your values chosen for you too often these days!"

"There was no need to confront us. He's mocking us..."

"A little bit. I needed a gap to take Midoriya, after all! Taking Tokoyami was just ad-libbing!"

Compress suddenly ducked under Izuku and pressed a hand to his stomach. Everything went blue, and Izuku was floating in an endless space, unable to move. In his mind he thrashed and roared, and he pulled on his power and the power that was lent to him with all his might, throwing One For All into it haphazardly, and lashing out as hard and fast as he could. And a crack formed. He paused, gathering up all of his strength, and pummeling the edges of the gap. The blue void shattered, and Izuku was falling through the air.

"

Chapter Text

Izuku used a step to launch himself at the villain just as Shouji, Todoroki, and Uraraka crashed into him as well. All five of them went crashing into the ground, right in front of three more villains, including the crazy girl girl from earlier. Izuku yanked the villain's mask off, reaching for his mouth, where he had apparently stashed Bakugou and Tokoyami. He must have been about to put Midoriya in too when he broke free. Izuku wished he had been a second or two later.

"I know those brats, who're they?!"

"Mister, get out of the way."

The villain seemed to disappear, leaving them jumping out of the way as a blast of blue fire came crackling towards them. Izuku pulled Shouto with him, and they shared a look. Fire quirks weren't uncommon across the world, but they were very rare among people of Japanese descent. It was part of what made End*avor so famous.

A villain in a skin tight black jumpsuit came up behind Todoroki.

"Some faces from Shigaraki's personal hit-list! You... Weren't on it!"

Shouto turned, throwing a wave of ice at the man before he could attack, and the man was forced back, screaming about how hot the ice was. Now that Izuku thought back, when the burnt chicken nugget used his quirk earlier, someone had been screaming about cold. So that guy said contradictions of the truth, which meant not only were there kidnapping targets, but there were murder targets too. Izuku wouldn't let them. He dodged as some sort of canister with a needle shot past him, and the crazy girl from before raced at him with a knife and a big smile, blushing profusely.

"Hi Izuku! I'm Toga! I was just thinking earlier... You looked so cool, but you'd look so much CUTER if you were covered in blood!"

She pinned him, digging her fingers into one of his wounds as she reared back to stab him. She was thrown off by Shouji as 'Mister' reappeared, stepping out of the crater they had made when they landed. He stood up, holding his ribs.

"That green haired boy is quite astounding! He broke free of my quirk on his own, I couldn't keep him compressed!"

"Well you better figure out how and quick. Our escape is coming soon. Do you still have Bakugou?"

"Of course, Dabi! Although that green one saw right through my deception, which is certainly disappointing. He's either very smart, or has some connection with them."

He lifted his mask, stretching out his tongue bearing two glowing blue marbles. Then, a swirling portal of black and purple smoke formed behind them.

"We can't leave without both targets. I can't believe you lost one. Hurry."

Izuku watched as Toga and the jumpsuited man walked left through two portals that closed behind them, Mister running towards them with Dabi in tow. They were intercepted by a blast of sparkling light. It hit Mister in the face, sending him backward into Dabi as his mask shattered. The marbles fell from his mouth, and Shouji, Todoroki, and Izuku all raced forward to catch them. Shouji caught one, but Dabi caught the other before Shouto could. Izuku raced as fast as he could, catching the scarred wrist and yanking him forward. Mister snapped his fingers, and Bakugou and Tokoyami were released. Tokoyami collapsed onto Shouji as he took shape. Bakugou slammed into Izuku, knocking him away from the villains.

"Kacchan!"

"Stay back Deku..."

"No can do, we need him as well!"

A portal formed in front of Izuku, Shigaraki's face coming through. He reached out, grabbing the teen and pulling him through the portal. A fist met the side of his head, sending him into unconsciousness.

Izuku woke up in a dark room, strapped down to a hospital bed. He couldn't move, and he couldn't feel One For All, but Solaris was roaring inside him. He took a deep breath, and reached inside to see if he could find out why OFA was cut off from him. He easily descended into his galaxy, and the stars were so close they nearly blinded him. But there was something wrong. His own light was darkened, and there was a tugging sensation. He turned towards it, and stared in horror. The patch of empty hatred, pain, fear, and trauma had grown massive, pulling away at who Izuku was, tainting everything inside his mind with it's grimy touch. He turned from it, reaching further in to be met with a wall. He was being influenced by some kind of quirk suppressant, he was sure of it. It was blocking him from the quirk All Might gave him, but not Solaris. It really wasn't a quirk then. That's why it didn't meld with the quirk then. He rose, not bothering to open his eyes again.

He assessed himself. There was pain radiating through his body, centered his arms, which he felt think bandages wrapped around, with an IV peeking out between them. All of his injuries were patched up it seemed. And there wasn't nearly as much pain as he would have expected considering how hurt he'd been. He sensed a fire approaching, and evened out his breathing to appear asleep. He'd unsuccessfully observed himself for sleep talking enough to know his rhythm of breath well. A door opened, and steps came close to him.

"Hm... Still asleep... The sedatives should have worn off by now. It'd be awful if he had brain damage, considering it would be hard to gauge how he'd react to the addition of a regeneration quirk to heal any that may have occurred. Maybe..."

He heard the steps walking away, and opened his eyes as he began to panic. He didn't want to know how the man would wake him up. He was more afraid of what may have been done to him already. How long had he been here already? Minutes, days, weeks? The steps started coming back, and Izuku began to pull at the straps in fear. The steps hurried up, and he came face to face with a man who looked very familiar.

"Doctor Tsubasa?..."

"Close! He's my twin, took his wife's name when he married. A shame, I'd've loved to have him at my side with everything that's happened in my life. The miracles I've wrought in flesh and blood with my master and friend's help. He was quite happy to see you'd been recovered during the mission as planned. Of course, Muscular will be facing the consequences of his actions, don't worry. He'll be so happy to see you again after all these years."

"W-What do you mean? Where am I?..."

"You're in my medical office at the hideout. Master and I have been working hard to heal you. Your bones were affected horribly by the attack, and your muscles were severely damaged by both the apparent exploding of your bones, but the heat of whatever caused your bones to heal. The worst was the ligaments. They were nearly wrecked. Fortunately, they have been completely repaired, although your muscles were neglected a bit in the process. You'll need a bit of physical therapy for that, but with His help, it won't be much. He plans to give you another healing session soon after he sees you. Unfortunately, he hasn't found anyone who can handle the quirk to use it on himself."

"... C-Can I sit up?..."

"Hahahah! Not yet. I need to run a few more tests and some x-rays, which will be easier if you can't move. I tried to get an x-ray of you before, but my generator broke down and needed replaced. It won't be anything terrible, some bloodwork. You've been unconscious for the past two days, which according to your medical records, is your third time falling into a short coma. We did our best to keep you in peak condition. We're not going to hurt you, so you have nothing to fear. We'd like you to simply hear us out."

He was shaking in terror, but it was in his best interest to play along. So he nodded, not resisting when the doctor worked.

"My my! This is incredible! It almost looks like your bones were soldered together. There seems to be metal between each piece that was broken. Truly fascinating. It's even in one of your teeth. Would you mind if I took a sample? I haven't gotten your bloodwork back yet, but if it's iron, it may have depleted the supply in your blood and you may need supplements."

He nodded, and opened his mouth. The doctor reached in and tapped at the fixed molar, trying to take a shaving from the metal. Eventually, all he ended up with was dulled tools, and Izuku, a sore jaw. He put them away and sighed.

"Well, I suppose the only way to test that metal would be to pull the tooth, but I won't. No unnecessary operations, especially on you."

An alarm went off, drawing the doctor away, who simply made pleased noises about whatever was holding his attention.

"Well, you seem to be the picture of health beyond your wounds. I'll tell Master, and He'll bring you in for a visit. I hope you won't be in for a visit again soon."

He walked away, seemingly for the last time, as his steps faded from Izuku's hearing, but his fire stayed in view. A portal appeared at the end of his bed, and he was pulled through by the large black hand of a noumu. The beast carefully undid the straps, picked him up, and set him down on his unsteady feet. Then, a voice he never thought he'd hear again rolled out, deep and smooth like he remembered, with that deep rumble that lulled him to sleep on cold nights in a warm lap. A voice that had sung lullabies to him after nightmares on visits to his house. Deep chested laughs that reverberated through the ground when Izuku told a joke or drew a funny picture. A voice that was supposed to be dead, a casualty of a villain attack that leveled an entire neighborhood.

"It's so good to see you again, little Izu. You've grown so much since I was forced to leave."

"... Grandpa?..."

Chapter Text

Izuku turned, looking at the figure in the shadows, sitting a few feet away.

"Indeed. I've missed you so much since circumstance took me from your lives."

"I... We thought you were dead. Mom spent months mourning you. We both did... And now I find out not only are you a villain, but you're one of the most prevalent, powerful villains in the history of villains and have been for nearly 300 years?! Are you even my grandfather?!"

"I am. Your mother is my favorite of my children. I've kept as close a watch on her as I could since I left. I remember when her quirk came in, it was an evolution of my quirk, All For One, but she struggled with it. It overwhelmed her. The wretched screams she made when it manifested... I was forced to take it from her. I was afraid it wouldn't work, because my own quirk cannot be copied or taken, although it can be given, much like my brother's. She readily gave it up though. I gave her that telekinesis quirk and convinced her it was merely a nightmare. I was also afraid you would end up with a variant of it, but you ended up quirkless like Inko's mother. I thought about giving you a quirk, especially when I saw how devastated you were when you didn't get one, but it was a risk I wouldn't take. I could've turned you into a noumu."

Izuku looked at the floor with clenched fists.

"Why did you leave?"

"All Might had discovered who I was, but as I never married your grandmother, Inko took her name. He didn't find out about her. So I fled to make sure she was untouched by my secret."

It was hard to believe. The man Inko and Izuku had loved, part of their family, was a monster. He thought back to the girl who told him his future. 'A savior born of evil's daughter' huh? Well, it's time to see if there's any truth to that.

"I... I can't... Why? Why, grandpa? I just don't understand."

"I know, dear boy. But you will. Now let's talk, like we used to, hm?"

He looked up, letting tears slide down his cheeks. He was genuinely upset. He was going to kill his grandfather, and mourn a man who never truly was yet again. And there was no way to protect his mom from it when it happened. He may really care about them, but he couldn't excuse what this bastard had done. He nodded. All For One motioned him closer, moving a seat from behind him for the teen to sit on. And he took a seat beside his grandfather for the first time since he was 8.

Izuku and All For One spent hours talking, and Izuku learned quite a bit about the stranger he sat beside. All For One was an egotistical man, but he was smart. He never tipped his hand too far, but he was lenient in what he let Izuku know. What he had done, what happened in his fight against All Might. The brother he had apparently loved so much, and was so angry about his betrayal, even centuries later. How happy he was that One For All was back in the family. It hurt to remember who sat with him. But he had to learn as much as he could. To be ready for anything. Eventually, a portal opened, and All For One ordered him through it. It was a small, windowless groom, the walls painted a soft purple. There was a desk against one wall, a bed against the other. A plate of food sat on the desk, steaming hot. Katsudon. His favorite. The portal closed behind him, revealing there was no door in the room. Kurogiri, or AFO, whichever was warping him, was his only escape. The quirk suppressing collar hung heavy around his neck. He sat down at his new desk, and began to eat.

He couldn't finish it.

When Izuku woke up, the bowl was gone, replaced by a tray with cut fruit, sausages, pickled fish, fermented beans, and a bowl of buttered rice, finished off by a cup of orange juice. He ate slowly, thinking over what he knew. It would be so much easier if he could write it down. He missed to vibrant reds, blues, and yellows that coated his room, covering the white paint, accented by the other colors of the hero merch he'd collected over the years. He finished, and moved back to sit on the bed, and he began to meditate, careful not to let Solaris show. He shivered at the darkness endlessly pulling away at him, but it was easy to ignore, just like he always had, on his way to One For All again. When he hit the wall, he spread his senses over it, looking for weak spots like the marble. He was interrupted by the hum of a portal forming and rose from his trance. He waited as he looked through it.

"Please join me, Izuku. I'd like to speak with you about your health, and then your uncle would like a few words with you."

He stepped through to the same dark room, but All For One was standing now. He stood in front of him, unsure what to do or say.

"You've been very good, Izuku, though part of that is undoubtedly and regrettably; fear. I have no intention of harming you, nor letting harm come to you. Now, onto more important matters. My brother's- Your. Your quirk has changed quite a bit since it's conception. I'm aware that it requires a level of physical strength to wield. I am, however, unaware of what exercises you perform, so I don't have equipment ready for you. I'd like to know what you do."

Izuku nodded and swallowed. There was a chance he'd be here long term, so he would need strength to not only keep One For All, but to take down All For One.

"I wake up, meditate and stretch, then I take my meds. Anti-inflammatories, over the counter pain killers, and a cbd thc oral spray. Then I go for a run, typically 10 blocks, if it's a good day, sometimes I'll add two. When I get back home I stretch again, and switch to weight lifting. I usually do 20kgs on my dumbbells, and 400kgs on the bench. After that I shower, get ready for school, and eat breakfast. I usually jog the two blocks from the train to the school as well. At school, we do stretches, practice fighting stances, sometimes light sparring. When I get home it's a third round of stretches before I go out free running."

All For One nodded.

"I'll have an area set up for you to exercise tomorrow. Now, your Uncle Tomura wants to properly meet you."

Another portal opened, and Izuku was sent through. He found himself in what appeared to be a sitting room, where Shigaraki was playing a first person shooter game. Kurogiri was standing at a sink, washing glasses, looking very relaxed. He was wearing was suit vest over a baggy dress shirt and tie, with black dress pants that were too short and a little too tight for his body. Izuku stood awkwardly where he'd stepped in from.

"Oi, brat, get over here already. We need to talk."

Izuku nodded, feeling stupid since Shigaraki couldn't see him. When he stood in front of the couch the man was lounging on, Tomura reached up and grabbed his shirt with a pinkie lifted and yanked him down to sit.

"So, you're my nephew. Sorry for attacking you before, Sensei didn't tell me or I'd have left you alone unless you interfered. Nice to actually meet you."

"Um... Nice to meet you too, I guess... Sorry, it's a little nerve wracking with the whole 'you tried to kill me and threatened to try again' thing..."

"I get it. It would be kind of hard to get past, huh? Pick up a controller, let's play a pvp."

Izuku grabbed a controller, and soon they were playing an online game against other players as both individuals and a team. Shigaraki was very skilled, but Izuku was a better strategist. Shigaraki was a tank player, where Izuku typically chose stealth or ranged characters. It made for interesting matches and a balanced team when they fought together. It made it easy to almost forget he was playing with a villain who tried to murder 40 teenagers and several pro heroes. Not quite though. They moved through several games before Kurogiri interrupted them.

"It is time for Midoriya to return to his room, by the schedule Sensei has dictated."

"Shit... Can he finish this round? It won't take long, we work pretty well together."

Izuku was uncomfortable with the implication, and a quick message to All For One apparently allowed for him to finish the last round, winning the game. Then he was sent through a portal back into the damned room. It gave him thoughts of Shinsou, however, with his fluffy violet locks. It was a small comfort. On his desk was a tray with what was probably his lunch. It was a simple beef and broccoli bowl with a side of egg drop soup, and a glass of water. It wasn't as good as the lunches Lunch Rush made. He ate slowly, wondering how long he'd be a hostage. He wondered if Bakugou was okay.

Chapter Text

Sitting in the room was boring as all hell, so when a portal opened and he was called through, Izuku was quick to step through. He was in another empty, windowless and door-less room. He looked around, suddenly afraid he had done something wrong somehow. What was going to happen here? Then, another portal opened, and All For One stepped through. He towered over Izuku, wearing some sort of helmet with various tubes on it. His breathing was slightly labored. It must be strenuous for him to be up and moving around with his injuries as they were.

"Izuku, today I will be showing you one of my quirks. It's nothing dangerous, it's just something to... Make a connection with you. Share things on a deeper level than speaking would. I'll start with something small, superficial for now. Come here, and take my hand."

Izuku froze. Was All For One like him? He couldn't be, down to the very aura he gives off, he felt like any other human. There was no sense of the power the stars in the creatures Izuku was connected to gave off. He chewed his cheek as he stepped forward on shaky legs, and took All For One's hand. His palm was warm and calloused. The hands of someone who did hard work. Then, All For One's mind opened to him. He had said superficial, so Izuku was expecting emotions or thoughts, but instead he was pulled into flashes of memories laden heavily with emotion, and thoughts worming their way between his own. his mom taking her first steps, the pride and joy and love of watching her stumble closer to All For One's outstretched hands. The fear, shame, and regret as she wailed in terror as her first quirk manifested, the relief when it was taken from her, and replaced with a telekinesis quirk she couldn't properly utilize, leaving her thinking it was weak. The protectiveness and anger of terrifying her first bully into never approaching her again.

He lost track of everything All For One shoved into his mind, and when he pulled their minds apart, Izuku was gasping and sweating bullets. It was so much. So much that wasn't his. He nearly fell to his knees, but steadied himself. His grandfather put a hand on his shoulder.

"Apologies, I hadn't meant to give you so much. I shared one thing, and then it was so easy to share more with you, grandson. To tell you more about my life, our lives as they're intertwined. You seem exhausted. Let's get you back to your room."

All For One Helped Izuku into his room, sitting him on the bed. It was hard to tell how long they'd been connected. He closed his eyes as a calloused hand wiped Izuku's forehead, brushing his hair back. His breath started to even out, and he was pushed to lay down. He looked up at the intimidating figure over him, weary from the overload.

"Rest, dear boy. You'll be woken up for dinner, and then we begin again."

He nodded, and he let himself fall into unconsciousness.

Izuku was woken by the smell of food, and saw on the desk was his dinner. A bowl of ramen, nigiri, and salad, with a bottle of cherry blossom soda. To the side was a small box, with several sticks of dango inside. He hated that he couldn't adhere to his diet here, but at least the food was healthy. The thought of his mom cooking dinner for one while he was trapped here sat heavy in his stomach. She must have been devastated when she heard the news of his kidnapping. It left the taste of sand in his mouth even as he ate. He struggled to calm himself when he imagined her hearing it. She teared when he fell and scraped his knees. He remembered what his mother had told him. 'I'm not sure I should send you back to Yuuei.' He'd have to fight hard to go back when he was rescued or he escaped.

A portal opened, and he obediently headed through when called. All For One extended his hand a second time, and Izuku took it. This time it was different. He was assaulted by memories of pain and betrayal, of working hard to build and empire. There were cut short memories of violence, All For One being attacked over and over his entire life, until finally he was the one attacking first. He desperately tried to break the connection and pull away. All For One held on. Izuku retreated into himself, but he couldn't escape the images. He made no sound as he screamed inside his mind, and suddenly the emptiness inside his mind swallowed him. He struggled in the inky void, feeling like he was drowning. He felt it seeping into his skin, but he struggled his way to the surface, clinging the last thread of light, and he let himself float there, too tired to pull himself out, but holding his head above the surface. He felt like he had fallen through a frozen lake and All For One was trying to pull him under by his feet.

When he woke up, he was laying on his bed again, but with All For One and Shigaraki standing over him. He sat up slowly and faced them.

"Good morning, my boy. Do you understand now? Can we trust you?"

It was go time. All For One thought he had convinced Izuku, broken his mind. This was his chance to start the fall  of the League.

"Yeah. I get it now."

"Will you join us as a member of our family? Despite everything you'll lose, despite that everyone will fear you? That it will be what you are known for?"

All For One moved closer as he spoke, until he stood directly in front of the teen. Shigaraki stepped forward and pulled the hand off his face to speak to him with a grin.

"Will you play the game?"

He smirked at them.

“Let it be fear, then. Let it be fear they know. I will burn them to embers, innocent or guilty, servant or lord, mortal or god. I will win the game in blood and fire for what they've done.”

With that, he allowed his deception to fall thick like smoke over them, praying they wouldn’t know the Game of Thrones reference. All For One grinned viciously with pride.

“Very good, dear grandson.”

Chapter Text

It seemed that Izuku was now given the freedom to leave the room permanently now that he was a 'villain.' So Shigaraki and Kurogiri had showed him around the building, though they'd avoided one room. In the end, he'd actually asked to go back to the room to meditate. He sat on the bed quietly, but then he heard explosions and shouting. That was Mount Lady's voice. He sent a text to Kurogiri to let his out of the room using the communicator he'd been given, but there was no response. He growled, reaching for Solaris, but the flames were beyond his reach. Cold fear seeped into his heart as he grabbed the quirk suppressor collar around his neck. Had it finally cut off Solaris like One For All? Was it... Was it because of the void that had swallowed him in his mind?

Then there was a massive explosion, and the building came crashing down around him. He curled into a ball on the ground, and with a sharp pain, he fell into darkness.

Izuku was standing in a mountain pass, snow crunching underfoot as he marched forward. It had been a long time since he had dreamed like this. He could feel in his bones that it was the same world, but there was snow everywhere, and he was hiking up a mountain. Steam rose from his mouth in the cold air. He began the slow trek upwards. He was glad to find a few hot springs at the base of the mountain, warming up in the hot air around them.

After a bit, he needed to move on. Hopefully there would be more higher up.

As he marched, the wind grew stronger, biting at his nose and cheeks. His cloak offered little protection, as it was meant to keep him cool and out of the sun in the desert. He hid behind a stone marker as a gale whipped the cloth around him. And so it continued, him jumping from hiding place to hiding place to avoid the harsh winds. Slowly making his way through the snow.

As the shivers set in, the pass opened onto a flat, headstones in neat rows before him. He bit his lips as he trudged, pulling his collar up to shield his face. He groaned as he heard metal creaking, looking up to see a familiar machine overhead. It’s blue eye glowed eerily through the falling snow as it flew by.

He hunched against the cold wind as the latest ruins came into view. He crooned in delight as a hotspring came into view, rushing to warm himself in the steamy alcove. As he flexed his fingers and waited for feeling to return to his extremities, he saw a mural. It seemed to be painted on rather than a mosaic, chipped with age. It depicted people living on the mountain, trading materials from the heights with people below for food. He braced himself, and headed back out into the cold.

As he came to a broken bridge, he called on his quirk, startled to find he could barely feel it. He made his way over, nearly falling as he almost didn’t reach the opposite edge. He shivered as the cold returned and he had to let it go. He couldn’t keep it in his grasp.

Frost began to take hold on his clothes, and he had to kick snow off his feet. He aching muscles screamed in the cold, his joints protesting every move. He forged on, hoping he could rest soon, or find another spring. It was more difficult to push himself here. He felt like a candle in a wind tunnel, sputtering and flickering as it clung to its flame.

He raced forward as he came to another plateau, the remains of a destroyed warmachine lying in the snow. Izuku clambered into its hollow shell as the active one flew by, searchlight illuminating the snow. Then he followed behind as it traced the path up the mountain.

Every step seemed to be harder than the last as he charged, ducking away from the searchlight as he approached the ruins clinging to the side of the mountain. As he made his way up a set of stairs, he slipped, throwing out a hand to catch himself. He screamed as his wrist bent awkwardly and he collapsed onto the stone. He felt it carefully, hissing in agony as he tried to move it. It was definitely broken.

Guess he wouldn’t be climbing anything. He forced himself to stand again, continuing into the ruins. He looked around at the half collapsed buildings as he marched, looking for anywhere he could rest. He nearly cried as he spotted a hot spring, running desperately to the warmth. He had to stop himself from jumping in, as that would lead to frostbite later. He warmed his hands and face, biting his cheek as they stung harshly. He knew it would only get worse as he went higher.

When he convinced himself to continue, he wanted to sob when he was forced to hide from the gales once more, wrist throbbing angrily at him. Tears streamed down his face, freezing to his skin. Ice hardened his eyelashes, nearly freezing them shut. The shivering made it hard to walk from how hard he was shaking. Still, he walked upward, finding shelter and watching hopelessly for another spring. Above, he could see the peak of the mountain.

Soon, he came to a field of snow with more headstones scattered about, being practically thrown from side to side by the winds. He couldn’t feel the familiar heat of his quirk anymore, his cloak so stiff from ice and frost it barely fluttered in the wind. Lightning flashed in the storm above, and he crashed into a headstone. He clung to it, then peeled off to head up the path. His body ached and burned, and he began to stumble, limping as his joints protested moving.

He wasn’t even shivering anymore. Pain flared in every nerve, and his pace slowed. He struggled to breathe in the thin, cold air, his chest feeling like it was being crushed. He looked up, searching for the mountain peak, but the snowfall was so thick he couldn’t find it. He couldn’t see anything, just white everywhere. He began to cry in earnest as his legs struggled to support his weight. His limp worsened, and he reached for his quirk. He scrambled for the heat that usually resided in his chest as he collapsed to his knees, and fell into the snow. The cold seeped into his bones as he searched. The world seemed to fade away…

And he caught onto a spark. He cradled it desperately, carefully trying to coax it into something bigger. He felt a stab of terror as it darkened for a moment, and brought to close. He forced his will into it as kindling, followed by his fear, his anger, and as it brightened, he reached for more. His joy, his sadness, his hope. It flared into a flame, and he held it gently. He then reached once more, and poured his determination like gasoline. It burst into a ball of flames, heating him. His surroundings lit up into vibrant colors as it grew, and he kept feeding it. He poured every bit of who he was into the fire.

Then, he saw a figure approach him. She cradled the fire in delicate but calloused hands, and smiled. She moved closer, and pushed the fire into his chest. It was like being brought back to life. He looked at her as she took his hands.

Her dark skin was starkly different from his own. She pressed their foreheads together, and her curls met his own. Her eyes were astounding swirls of color, shifting endlessly into new ones before he could name the last, pinpricks of light flaring in and out of view. She pulled him close, wrapping her cloak around him, and it was like coming home. She held him to her chest, the dark blue fabric accented in gold shimmering around them. Her green dress was softer than any fabric he’d ever felt before.

“I’m so proud of you, little star. I was so scared when I saw you flicker, but you held on. You held on with all your strength, and stood tall even when you doubted yourself. You did so well. And now it’s time to wake up.”

He pulled back to look at her, tears in his eyes. He smiled and nodded as her hand came up to wipe them away.

“You’ve grown so much. You’re so much more than I ever imagined you could be. You’re going to be so amazing, and you already are. When the time comes, we’ll meet again. Until then, know that you are so very loved. You will create, and destroy, and feel, and even in the darkest moments of your life, you will be loved and cared for. Now go on. You have someone to save. Open your eyes, little star.”

And he did.

He was in his galaxy, and he reached for Solaris within. He burned away the void, leaving the remains thick and clinging to him and his galaxy. He would never be truly free from the darkness within, but he could scrape away at the residue enough to burn brightly. He reached further in, and the wall met him. He gathered his strength, and pierced through it, and watched as it shattered. There, One For All lay on the other side. He reached out and ignored the pain that seared his hands and pressed. He felt the quirk solidifying under the pressure, fusing into one ember where he held it. The previous holders watched as he pulled his own fire from within, slotting One For All into the gap. A rush of power hit him, and he pulled away.

He was floating over his body, bruised and scraped but the room had held up in the collapse. Izuku rose, leaving his body safely cradled in the rubble, and burned it all away. The energy it left behind swirled around him as he flew towards the battle of All For One and All Might. They both turned to look at him as the devastated area lit up with his neon green light, and he absorbed the energy. The embers of One For All burst into flames within him, and he released a wave of power, the multicolored glow as bright as dawn. He raced downward to the pair, releasing another wave as he landed to emphasize his arrival.

All Might was bruised and bloodied, staring at Izuku in all his now multicolored glory. There was apprehension and hope in his eyes. All For One must have told him about the 'switching sides' ruse. He stared back, and began to laugh. His voice was warped and echo-y in this state. All Might's hope faded. Izuku pushed him back a few feet with a force field, and held it as lines of power reaching up and fading into the air formed, and the galaxy in his mind lent him more power than he could handle, but instead of collapsing under it, he began to grow into it. His form changed as he turned to All For One, and approached him.

"Hello, Grandson. You certainly seem to have changed quite a bit since you joined me. I'm sorry I couldn't warp you from the building, as I'm not well acquainted with you to be able too. I barely saved the blond boy earlier because he's such an open book."

He leaned down close to the helmeted man, and spoke quietly.

"Sorry grandpa, but it's only business. It wouldn't be very smart to go for the lesser deal, hm?"

All For One looked up at him, and there was a burst of pride as Izuku closed over him, and began to heat up. All Might began to beat on the wall, and quickly broke through. Izuku reached into All For One, and began to claw away at the fire within him. It was massive, bigger than even the noumu's fires with stolen embers. He absorbed them by the handful as All For One began to scream in pain, thrashing in Izuku's hold. Izuku didn't let him move, but he parted as All Might came running in, and punched All For One so hard they went flying. Izuku clung to All For One, weakening and distracting him as he fought with All Might.

"Heh, you still can't fight at full capacity, can you? There's oh so- Agh! Ugh... So much that heroes hold dear! Worth protecting! Well-"

"SHUT UP!"

All For One froze, and Izuku felt chills despite his form at the complete and utter rage on All Might's face. His fire burned brighter than Izuku had ever seen it, fueled purely by his anger and the remains of One For All.

"What you do... You toy with peoples lives! break them, STEAL FROM THEM!" All Might grabbed the man's arm, and the bones shattered under the powerful grip.

"YOU TAKE ADVANTAGE AND MANIPULATE THEM! YOU SNEER AND SCOFF AT THEM FOR TRYING TO LIVE THEIR EVERYDAY LIVES! SO FOR THAT, THERE IS NO FORGIVENESS FOR YOU, ESPECIALLY NOT FROM ME!! "

He slammed All For One into the ground, and drove his fist through the black helmet, panting. Izuku could see the strain in All Might's fire as One For All started to give out on him. But All For One was still going strong. Izuku began to dig harder, and finally a dent began to form.

All Might began to give out, but Izuku shifted around the pro and lent him strength. This battle would continue.

"You're getting emotional, hm, All Might? I remember your predecessor saying something a lot like that. Shimura Nana."

"... Never speak her sacred name from that filthy mouth."

Izuku's form began to grow smaller as he fed Toshinori his power, but he still had a lot to spare. He had to be careful though, or One For All Could crush Toshinori.

"That foolish woman put her Ideals first without the power to back them up. It was quite embarrassing, as the father of One For All, especially when she died such a pathetic death. Where to really begin?..."

All Might's rage flared dangerously, but Izuku quietly tugged on him, pressing a sliver of calm forth but no more.

"He's trying to rile you up, manipulate you too. You can't get sloppy, but you can use your anger to stop him. Once and for all. There's no prison he can't escape from with or without his quirks. There's only one way."

All Might redirected an air blast uselessly into the sky, just missing a helicopter, and using his other hand to punch All For One's chest. The villain coughed up blood, and Izuku sent a spear of heat through him, burning a hole through the man. It missed vital organs though, and he swatted All Might off of him. Izuku made a pillow of heat behind All Might's back, expanding rapidly enough the create a pocket of air that shielded him before he could hit a wall. Izuku poured more power in, struggling to keep up with the bleed. Then, he had an idea.

"Yagi, I can heal your bones, but it will hurt. It will feel like pouring molten metal into them. Can you handle it? It might help you keep fighting once the pain fades."

"... Do it, young Midoriya."

Izuku began to reforge All Might's bones, and the man collapsed to his knees as the process began. Izuku made it as fast as he could, and soon All Might was running for All For One.

"He's on a whole other level than before. His arsenal is completely different too. I need to go beyond one more time, or he'll kill me and win. I'll need you to give me as much as you can, Izuku. This is the end of me, but it's the end of him too!"

"Tomura has been working so diligently to carve away at the trust in heroes, it almost makes me feel bad to be the one putting the last nail in the coffin. And just as you hate, me, I truly and completely despise you, All Might. You nearly ruined everything I'd been working for, smashed so much of my empire I'd built for hundreds of years. So I may have killed your master, but I hope you see why I'm hoping to give you a truly painful death!"

Gran Torino fell into step beside Yagi.

"There's a big one coming. Dodge and counter!"

"Can you afford too?"

Izuku wouldn't have time to make a forcefield without the support of runes, so instead, he pushed every ounce of power into Toshinori as he reeled back and punched. His body collapsed under the strain, though he remained standing, steam mixing with dust. Izuku rushed to adsorb the debris. Toshinori was hemorrhaging power. There was no way he could win the fight like this. Izuku cried desperately into the stars, pleading with them to help, but all he got was a wave of sympathy and a depiction of humans collapsing under the weight of their power. They couldn't help Yagi. Izuku retreated and instead double timed, hoping it would be enough.

"I'll take everything you've come to protect. Your image you kept even with your wounds, then your damned pride, and I'll show the world you cherish what a pathetic wretch you are. Their 'Symbol of Peace!'"

Izuku struggled to get One For All going, but the remains of the quirk wasn't the problem. It was the frail body that couldn't support it any longer. He couldn't give up though. He had faith in All Might. In Toshinori. He grabbed those feelings and pushed them to the man. He could do this, despite all the odds. Despite everything he's lost.

"Look at you, sunken cheeks and eyes, looking a little worse for wear, Mr. Top-Hero! Don't be ashamed, this is your true form, isn't it?!"

Toshinori glared stern;y at the man, drawing himself up to his full height.

"You can expose me to the world. My body may wither, but my spirit is what makes me who I am. And you haven't even touched it."

All Might drew up his fist, and his body struggled as he channeled OFA, and Izuku delicately reforged the cracks forming in the man's bones.

"I see, that's wonderful! Just like a stubborn little kid. Maybe this will break it, hm? Tomura Shigaraki... Is Shimura Nana's grandson."

Yagi froze for a moment, staring at All For One.

"And he hates you even more than I do. He has his whole life. I engineered these encounters and you beat him, with a smile and ignorance, so soundly and completely. So proudly."

Yagi was silent, and he took a step forward.

"You know I'm telling the truth, it's exactly something I would do. Oh? Where's that winning smile, All Might? Upset about something?"

All For One put his thumbs to his cheeks.

He took another step forward as a memory flitted across his mind. A woman with her back turned, proudly looking into the sunset.

'When saving a person, they're usually really scared because of what's happening to them. A true hero doesn't just save the victim, but the victim's spirit... That's what I believe.'

She turned, using her fingers to pull her lips into a big smile.

'So no matter how scared they are, no matter how scared you are, give a big smile to tell them it's okay. The strongest people can bring themselves to smile no matter what!'

Izuku stole away some of Toshinori's rage and despair, knowing he'd be upset about it, but he couldn't afford to lose his head. All For One was playing him. And winning. But Izuku wouldn't let him, even if Yagi didn't forgive him. Then, the woman All Might had saved from the blast before spoke up from behind him.

"You... You can beat him! All Might, please... Save us!"

The teen lessened his hold, slowly letting All Might process his feelings as he got his own hold on his emotions.

"But of course, young lady. All For One... Indeed, there are many things a hero must protect. That why losing ISN'T AN OPTION! "

His right side swelled, and Izuku rushed to keep the bones from completely shattering under the force. In Toshinori's mind, he saw a campfire in a blizzard, the only source of light. In the flames was the flickering image of the same woman, her voice whispering just above the wind.

'You need to remember where you started from! Remember, so you can push yourself past your limits that much further!'

All Might's arm crackled with power as All For One started walking towards him.

"Well then... Let's put all we have into this last punch, got it? Wounded heroes are always the scariest."

All For One bent down to be face to face with Yagi.

"i admit I still have nightmares of your face charging at me after I ripped your guts out. You'll probably give me a few more desperate punches, so I should prepare."

All Might readied to dodge as the villain powered up his air cannon, but they were interrupted by a blast of white fire, which All For One blew away. They turned to see no one, but Izuku could sense Shouto a few meters away, and a crowd of heroes rushed onto the scene.

"All Might!"

Toshinori turned to them, and they all seemed to search him.

"What... What happened to you?..."

All For One glared at them despite his lack of eyes.

"If you're all here to cheer him on, then I'll need to ask you to be good audience members and SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP!"

Edgeshot came rushing forward, hitting All For One in the face as he condensed his body down into a whip and back.

"I don't think so, we're here to do some saving!"

The heroes rushed through, grabbing downed heroes and trapped civilians, and All Might watched. He turned to see Tiger grabbing the woman from behind.

"Even if this is all we can do, we'll ease your burden as much as we can. You aren't alone in this!"

The civilians began to scream from the holds of heroes as they were carted away.

"No matter how you look, you're still our #1 hero!"

"It's up to you, All Might!"

"You can beat that heartless monster!"

"Can you hear them, sensei? Our hopes... Everyone's hopes... We're all resting them on your victory. And you can win."

There was an explosion where All For one Hovered above then, and silence covered the battlefield.

"Oh please! Hope this, spirit that, wake the hell up! This is reality! In order to really kill you, I'll hit you with the ultimate combination of quirks..."

His arm suddenly expanded into a second grotesque limb, his real arm dangling limply under it. Swollen lumps of flesh and muscles, outcroppings of bone, rocks, metal, wood. As Izuku looked at it, he saw multiple other arms laying about on it.

"You've confirmed my suspicions, All Might, you no longer have it. You possess mere dregs of it! The embers left behind, and every time you use it, it gets dimmer. Midoriya Izuku was the one you gave it to, wasn't he? Well, maybe he didn't tell you... He's also the grandson of some one you know. ME."

Izuku didn't let All Might feel the emotions racing through him.

"You gave it to him, and unqualified teenage boy, who can't use it without hurting himself. A boy you cared for, loved, not knowing he was one of MINE. That you put One For All back in my family. You have a lot to regret as you die, because you also failed as a teacher and judge of successor!"

All Might drowned out the words as Izuku remembered everything All Might had done for him. Believed in him when no one else did. Helped him achieve his pipedream goals that everyone, even Izuku, thought were impossible. Who supported him despite the struggles they faced. Of the joy and pride he felt every time he made progress, every time he saw All Might smile at him in a way he only smiled at him. Of how grateful he was to All Might for everything he had given him.

"That's right. As a teacher, I've definitely fallen short! I willingly accept that truth!"

"I... See... Pathetic."

In All Might's mind, he curled over the campfire, tossing a few twigs in and sheltering it from the winds. His left arm swelled with power, as he struggled against All For One's own fist bearing down on All Might's right.

"I was wrong, it seems. That you would struggle so disgustingly, stooping so low."

All Might's left arm shattered as he transferred the quirk from his left arm to his right, boosting the power already there, and Izuku channeled Solaris into the blow, leaving a charred burn on All For One's face.

"Petty tricks are unlike you, All Might." He said as his arm bulged and released a blast of air cannon. "Too weak."

All Might switched arms again as Izuku reforged his bones again, making them more metal than bone like his.

"THAT'S BECAUSE I DIDN'T PUT MY BACK INTO IT!"

'So many have passed this power down to serve the greater good, to create hope. It's your turn now, so do your best, Toshinori.'

All Might roared as the words echoed across his memories, punching All For One in the face again.

"UNITED STATES OF SMASH!"

Izuku watched as All For One's flame stuttered in fear and started to go out from strain and injury, and he leapt into action, and he slammed into the fire. Embers erupted from All For One's back, burning through his suit and leaving nothing behind in the hollow shell. Toshinori stood over the corpse, panting and coughing up blood as Izuku cradled the last ember, and pushed a connection into it under the scover of smoke and dust.

"I'm sorry Grandpa, but you gave us no other choice. This is just the beginning of the story, but it's the end of your chapter... I'll miss you, despite everything, even if you were a monster."

“I was a monster, I deserve a monster’s death.”

Izuku pulled the connection away and let the dying man fade away. He let his form turn invisible as his energy drained, and the smoke cleared. The heroes stared at All Might as he became visible, and he slowly raised a bloody fist to the sky, and for a moment, he puffed into his hero form. Edgeshot tried to come forward and stop him, but Gran Torino held him back. He raised himself from his tired slump to stand tall one last time as steam swirled around him. A reporter arrived on the scene and began to talk. All Might let his form bleed away into his true form, and coughed loudly, drawing their attention. And he began to speak. Izuku knelt in front of him, knowing his body wouldn't be found until he led someone to it, and stared up at All Might, who dipped his head to look at Izuku. He looked at himself to check if he was visible, but when he looked back up, there was something different in Yagi Toshinori's eyes.

"Now It's your turn. I've used up everything I had, done my best until the very last moment. It's time for me to trust in who comes after the end of me, because I know, the world is in good hands." He turned to the heroes around him. "Now I have one last person to save, and I'd appreciate some help."

Chapter Text

Izuku led Toshinori to where he'd left his body, following the pull, and there it was. The grey frame of the room he'd left behind to protect it. It floated up over the wall to his body, and he grabbed the quirk suppressor collar. With a quick rise in temperature, the lock shorted out, and fell from his neck as he reentered the limp form. The wall crumbled as he sat up to reveal the rescue team. He stood up as Yagi moved forward, and they hugged tightly.

All Might gave Izuku a bright smile that sent the boy to tears.

"A-All Might... I-I-I-"

"Shh, my boy, it's alright now. You know why? Because you are here."

He drew the man into another careful hug and let loose, soaking the remains of the costumes with snot and tears.

"All Might, how did you know where he was?"

Izuku spoke up before All Might could.

"Part of my quirk. I have minor telepathic abilities and since I've been around All Might so much at Yuuei, it was pretty easy to find him when I regained consciousness."

"Well, I'm glad we found you, young Midoriya. Now I think it's time we go to the hospital, hm?"

The teen nodded, and they were lead away to the paramedics.

When Izuku woke up the next morning, every channel was being interrupted by news reports on the battle. Half of Kamino Ward was destroyed, casualties ranged in the hundreds as they were still pulling bodies and survivors from the wreckage. All For One was dead. All Might's true form was public knowledge. All Might retired and went full time teacher at Yuuei. The world was in chaos. But Izuku was more worried about the league escaping even though All For One was dead. Shigaraki was no doubt enraged, but he was smart too. He wouldn't be All For One's successor if he wasn't. Every defeat made him stronger because he learned from them. And now, worst of all, he has the clout and knowledge to expand his influence and recruit more people. This was the clear return of organized crime after All Might wiped it out. Or thought he did.

Izuku sighed, pulling out his new phone, a gift from All Might. He'd loaded all of his contacts into it, and texted his mom. She hadn't been there when he'd woken up, and she hadn't answered him, and she still hadn't been by even though it was noon. Something had happened. His head whipped to the door as it opened, but it was Aizawa and Yamada. Yamada looked at the floor, looking upset and like he wished he was anywhere else. Aizawa's face was blank, but his eyes looked like he was barely holding himself back from... Something. Their fires were low but tumultuous.

"... Hey Aizawa-sensei. Present Mic-sensei. It's good to see you two again."

"Hey listener. We uh... U-Um..."

"We're here to give you bad news."

Izuku took a shaky breath and looked at the phone in his lap.

"My... My mom's comatose or dead, isn't she? It's the only reason she wouldn't be here."

They were quiet, but Hizash came forward and sat on the bed. When he took Izuku's hand and squeezed it, Izuku choked on a sob, but didn't let it out.

"Yeah, kiddo. When she heard about the attack, she passed out and hit her head on a kitchen counter. She had a seizure and... She didn't make it. They asked me and Shou to take custody of you again. On paper, we have custody of you, but if you have any opposition, we'll give you to whoever you'd prefer."

He swallowed, biting his lip and taking deep breaths. He curled up as a sob broke through, and Hizashi hugged him, rubbing his back as he started to cry again. He leaned into the hold and struggled to pull himself together. He'd lost his grandpa all over again, lost his mom, he had no one left.

"I know it hurts, listener. It's okay to cry, especially about this. But you aren't alone, even if it feels like you are."

Izuku clung to the blond, who settled on the bed next to him, and pulled Izuku into his lap. When Izuku finally started to calm down, he clenched his teeth as shudders passed through his body. Yamada let him go. Izuku felt burnt out. He'd felt so much so quickly the past three days he's been awake. It left him exhausted and empty, and he leaned back against the bed where it was raised, and he stared at the phone, still open to the text he sent. He picked up his phone, and with shaking hands, deleted her number. It hit him again, but he beat down the feeling. There were important things going down. He could finish grieving later. He put the phone away, and looked to Aizawa.

"So what now?"

Aizawa buried his face in his scarf, hands clenching in his pockets.

"Now we deal with the fallout."

There was a rush of activity. Izuku gave his statement to the police, told them everything that happened, including that he'd actually planned for in case he was there against his will long term, which no one seemed to like but said nothing about. Izuku didn't like it either but the situation demanded it. And then he got to the indoctrination All For One had put him through. Izuku felt sick as he described All For One forcing his way into Izuku's mind, shoved memories and thoughts into it that overwhelmed him and made him pass out. How it felt when All For One nearly broke him. Drowning in his own head when he finally collapsed under everything. He didn't realize he'd pressed closer to Yamada-sensei until the man slung an arm around him and held him tightly.

He lied about the quirk collar, saying it must have broken when he was struck by debris and knocked out when the building was collapsing. After all, he didn't want to be a test subject for a new variant of quirk collar meant to contain him in particular. Describing the battle was much easier. How he'd realized he wouldn't be saved for probably hours unless the battle ended, so he'd burned AFO, given strength to All Might, how he'd struck the final blow by a direct attack on his very life force. A glance up revealed Aizawa was standing by the bed, face hard. Anger filled all three adults in the room, making their fires erratic and bright, which was a little unsettling. he tried his best to hide it, but it clearly failed as a forced calm took over the pros, though the officer merely finished up the statement and left.

This left Izuku alone with his new legal guardians. He fiddled with his phone, silent, thinking. He was an orphan now. He knew if he hadn't said anything about Bakugou's home life, he would have gone to to the Bakugous' as they were his god parents. But Mitsuki was still in anger management and deemed unfit for custody while Katsuki and Masaru were still in the abuse recovery center. Izuku swallowed hard as his eyes began to burn, but he blinked away the tears and opened his phone. He texted everyone he could that he was safe and recovering, though he found he couldn't lie and say he was okay this time. When he was done, he put it away, ignoring as it began to buzz with texts. Aizawa sighed and sat on Izuku's other side, pulling his legs up to stretch out on the bed, hands clasped in his lap.

"... The doctor is going to give you one last look over around dinner, but you'll be released today. We'll go get your things from your apartment and bring them to ours, and then we have some things to discuss when we get there. Okay?"

"Yeah, okay. I'll uh, I'll need to record something to let my fans know I won't be vlogging for a while, I don't want to just disappear on them too."

"Hey, you didn't disappear, you were taken. It isn't your fault."

He huffed, nodding.

"Yeah, I know. No one's fault but the villains."

When Izuku was released, it was with a letter from Kouta, and his class and friends from Aldera were waiting outside, but they didn't rush him like he'd expected when he spotted them. He took a halted step in their direction, but turned to look at the teachers flanking him. Aizawa patted him on the back and they went to the car, leaving Izuku to his friends. He walked over slowly, looking at his shoes.

"Hey dude. You feel okay?"

"Kaminari! It is clear he isn't please try to be more sensitive and read-!"

"It's fine Iida, haha. I appreciate the concern from both of you. No, I'm not okay, but... I will be. Are you guys okay?"

Uraraka stepped forward.

"Yeah, most of us weren't hurt very badly in the attack, and things were quiet until Kamino. We were all so worried about you... We actually got you something for your rescue and release!"

Shinsou came forward, a large melon in his hands.

"Everyone pitched in a little and we got the biggest one we could find at your favorite grocery."

Izuku took it, chuckling.

"Thanks guys. I love it."

Kaminari stepped forward, Sero at his side, and handed him something gift wrapped. He ripped it open, and burst into laughter.

"It's an avocado! Thanks!"

"Yeah, I figured you'd need something to laugh about."

He wiped his eyes and nodded.

"That was really great, guys. I love this too. I'm glad you're all here, I needed this. Is Bakugou okay? I haven't heard anything other than he escaped the league and was rescued by the police unharmed."

"Ah, we haven't heard anything from him since the attack. As far as we know, he's okay physically, and he's really strong, so I don't think he's too bad off, but it's hard to tell."

Izuku nodded, shifting his gifts in his arms.

"Well, he is really strong but... There's no telling what he went through there. That guy All Might fought, he had a sort of... Mind-melding ability. He could get into your head and mess with you. I... He showed me his memories, his thoughts. It was crazy. I think he looked at stuff while he was in my head too. But it's over now, at least."

Shinsou looked away, so Izuku stepped toward him.

"Hey, Shinsou... Can I hug you?"

"Wha- Huh? Uh... Okay?"

Izuku pulled him into a tight hug. Shinsou awkwardly held him into return. He was stiff in Izuku's hold until he pulled away.

"Sorry about that."

"No, It's fine. Happy to help."

"It did help, thanks. I uh, I'd actually like to talk to you privately sometime. There's something I need to tell you."

"Okay, just text me and I'll let you know when we can meet up?'

"Sure thing."

He smiled at Shinsou, and turned to go to the car.

"Oh wait, Midoriya, We almost forgot to tell you!"

He turned to Kaminari as he shouted.

"Remember when I called you? That thing you helped me with? I resolved my problem."

Kaminari bumped shoulders with Sero, and Izuku broke into a grin.

"That's amazing! Congrats! I hope to resolve mine soon too."

"Good luck!"

He finally made it to the car, fingers playing with the netting on the melon. Life goes on, no matter what happens. He needed to decide if he would keep pace or not. He took his seat, smiling at the two in front.

Chapter Text

When they arrived at the apartment, the landlord was waiting out front. Izuku sighed, knowing this wouldn't end well, as the landlord wasn't a nice woman. She crossed her arms and tapped her foot as he approached her.

"Hello Ms. Anka."

"Midoriya. I assume you're here for your things. My idiot son has asked me to inform you he's happy to help you pack, and has volunteered his truck for your use. As stated in your mother's lease, you have today and tomorrow to get out unless you can prove you can pay rent. Good riddance..."

She stomped away, looking like she'd eaten a lemon as always. No wonder her husband left her. Hizashi and Shouta glared after her in disgust, but Izuku went for the stairs. She'd always hated him and his mom, and would have kicked them out when he was diagnosed quirkless if she could've. Instead she made living there suck, hoping to drive them out. He saw a large stack of cardboard boxes by his door, and Ms. Anka's son, Anka Eichi, standing by the door. He'd been a lot nicer to Izuku growing up, as a lot of people had been cruel to him growing up too, because his quirk was to make his eyes glow and change colors, and he was seen as useless for it. He'd gotten into medical school on scholarship, training to become a surgeon.

"Hi Eichi!"

"Hey Izuku, it's good to see you. I heard what happened, I was worried, but I knew you'd come out the other side. Too strong not to. Need any help?"

"I'd appreciate it. It's good to see you too. How's college?"

"Ah, same old same old. I actually started an internship at a hospital recently, where I'm studying under a distinguished surgeon. It's going well. In other news, my fiance's due soon. Our daughter should be born just about any day now."

Izuku nodded, filling a box with books. It was good to hear Eichi ramble as if it was just any day. Made it easy to distract himself. He taped up the box, setting it aside, and pulling the bookshelf apart to pack it away. Almost all of the furniture was that easy to disassemble, and what wasn't came with the apartment. When the living room was empty, Izuku stood in the hallway with another empty box, staring at his mom's bedroom door. He took a deep breath, and headed past it to his room. He took down his nameplate, and headed in. He slowly took down the layers of posters on the walls, his figurines, all of his merch. Then it was his sheets and his blanket, and he sat on the bare mattress, panting softly as he struggled to keep his composure. He hugged himself.

This was real. It wasn't a nightmare. He wouldn't be coming back when he finished packing. He wouldn't see his mom again. He curled in on himself, mouth covered to muffle his sobs, hoping he wouldn't be heard, or if he was, he was allowed his privacy. Izuku grabbed his pillow, stuffing his face into the soft fabric as he choked on air. He trembled as he calmed down, looking around his room. Already his room was very bare. He didn't know what to do. Well, he knew what to do, he just didn't know how to keep himself going. His emotions were simultaneously boiling over and nonpresent at the same time, making him tired and confused.

He cleared his throat, putting his pillows in the box and unfolding the next. It was time to pack his clothes. So he began packing them, taking deep breathes to keep himself calm before he moved into the bathroom.

He took a moment to clean himself up before he started putting everything away. His medicine went into a bag before it was boxed, and his mother's was properly disposed of. Izuku left, pulling the boxes into the hallway, where Aizawa and Hizashi carted them out into Eichi's waiting truck. Izuku checked the time. It was nearing dinner time, and growing dark out. He moved to stand in the living room.

"A lot got done today, maybe we should save the rest for tomorrow, since it's getting late."

Aizawa nodded, and they gathered to last of the days boxes, locking the door behind them as they filled the truck. Eichi surrendered the keys to Hizashi, and the three of them started to drive to the apartments when Izuku got a text that had him bolting from his slouch to sit upright.

"Did something happen, Problem Child?"

"Ah, I need to stop by Dagobah beach if that's alright with you."

"Sure, use my phone to text Hizashi that we're taking a detour."

And with that, they turned to head to the beach.

When they arrived, Izuku bolted from the car and down to steps, seeing All Might looking out over the sea.

"All Might!"

"Hey, you're finally here! You're late!"

He started jogging towards Izuku, and Izuku had to dodge a punch All Might threw at him, lunging backwards to avoid it and almost losing balance.

"You just can't do as you're told, can you?! It was almost all for nothing. You're reckless just like-!"

Izuku looked down, eyes watering with guilt. He couldn't seem to stop messing up.

"Young Midoriya, I... I officially retired. I can't fight anymore, especially in this state..."

He poofed into his All Might form, startling Izuku and tossing a few weak punches into the air with his useable arm before he lost his hold on it, turning back into his true form with a coughing spray of blood from his mouth. Izuku took the moment to look at Toshinori. Assess him. He was covered in bandages, his left arm in a sling, there were scabbed over scrapes and bruises on his face and the little visible skin of his arms. He somehow looked just a little skinnier too. He was in bad condition and clearly not taking his retirement well. Izuku could understand that. Being a hero was Yagi's life. He was All Might before he was Yagi Toshinori now, it was easy to see when he was in his civilian form. It had probably been like this for years.

"The last spark of One For All is gone, and I can't maintain that form for more than a second or two. Yet you still run headfirst into danger like you have nothing to lose! Despite the warnings everyone gives you, the people who care about you, you go and get all beat up! Heroes can't save everyone! You know that! Hell, at the training camp, you weren't saved! Neither was young Bakugou! I..." All Might reached out, putting a hand on Izuku's shoulder as his head bowed. "I'm glad you weren't hurt this time. You were smart, realizing that you couldn't face All For One, and you kept yourself in the least danger you could. Id've preferred you didn't get involved at all, but I can't say I wasn't glad for your help. You kept me fighting, helped me keep a level head, you probably saved my life."

He pulled Izuku into a hug, voice husky with emotion as they both struggled not to cry.

"From now on I can focus on helping you. Training you right. Even though I'm reduced to this... Let's both do our best, okay?"

Izuku sniffled as his shoulders shook, crying yet again as he struggled to speak.

"All Might, I... I don't just admire you for being a hero. You believed. You helped me, when even I wanted to give up on myself. You aren't just my hero because you're All Might, you're my hero because you're Yagi Toshinori too, the man who saw potential in the quirkless kid with a pipedream. Who made sure I took breaks when I trained and brought snacks and water in case I forgot my lunch again. Who told me I could be a hero too despite what everyone else said to me for nearly 11 years. You saved me not just from villains, but from my own despair, and you didn't do that in your All Might form. You did that as the man here in front of me. You gave me the tools to bring that dream to life, and I'll never be able to thank you enough for that, Yagi-sensei."

Yagi's arm tightened around Izuku as his body began to shake, and Izuku pressed his face into his shoulder, whimpering until a cry broke free, and for the first time today, he let himself cry freely.

"Heh... You really can't do what y-you're told... Didn't I tell you to stop being such a cry baby?"

Izuku felt his own shoulder grow wet, and held the man tightly.

When Izuku finally returned to Aizawa with All Might at his side, standing at the top of the stairs, he felt a lot better for the moment. All Might ruffled his hair, and they split to their vehicles to go home for the night. Izuku wiped his face, and couldn't stop the small smile on his face. Despite everything, he would keep pace, even if he tripped and stumbled. Because he had people reaching out to pull him up.

Chapter Text

When they arrived home, Izuku decided to leave his things in the truck. They were all tired, he would count packing to move as his exercise for the night. He couldn't go out running for a while anyway since the league wasn't apprehended during Kamino. Now he needed to get cleaned up, record a video to say he wouldn't be vlogging for a while, and finally have something to eat. He marched up the stairs silently, his teachers at his sides. Yamada glanced at Izuku, and concern flashed through his fire. Izuku ignored it, too exhausted to want to deal with assuaging him. He stretched as Aizawa opened the apartment, and he set his laptop on the coffee table as they entered, taking a seat when Aizawa pointed to the chair.

"I mentioned in the hospital we have things to talk about. All Yuuei students and staff are being asked to move onto campus in a dormitory system. This is to put all students under 24 hour protection of pro heroes and the highest ranked security system in Japan. Students will be allowed to leave campus with supervision of at least one hero, or more depending on the size of the group. All moving expenses will be covered by the school, and there is an option that students will be able to go home on weekends."

Izuku nodded, and Aizawa sat across from him, looking at him with his hands clasped in his lap.

"However, Yuuei has failed on multiple occasions to protect students, and took the threat of a 'League of Villains' less seriously than we should have. The students of class A, and later B, were relentlessly and repeatedly attacked, resulting in injuries, many of them serious. You were directly targeted on multiple occasions, once resulting in your kidnapping and the kidnapping of a fellow student. It would be completely understandable if you have lost faith in Yuuei and its staff. If you would like, Hizashi and I would be willing and supportive of you if you decide you don't want to continue to attend Yuuei and would like to transfer to a different school."

Izuku opened his mouth to speak, decision already made, but Aizawa raised his hand to stop him. The teen stared at him in the moment of silence as Eraserhead took a deep breath.

"We don't need your answer yet. We won't until tomorrow. I'd like you to think this over thoroughly tonight and come to a decision later. You need to give this serious thought no matter the conclusion you have right now. So with that out of the way, is there anything you would like in particular for dinner?"

Izuku shook his head, looking at the table. Aizawa ruffled his hair as he got up and left. Izuku knew no matter how long he spent thinking it over, he would go to Yuuei. So he pulled out his laptop, and opened a chat.

Aldera was a Shit Show TM

Hey, anyone here?- Sun Boi

Who changed my name?- Sun Boi

I did, it fits. Your quirk is basically a star, and you bring people into your orbit. A sun. You can't change it- Fairy Feet

Plus you're fucking smile??? Could light up the entire universe!! Just accept this fact- Cherry

Anyway, how are you feeling Midoriya? I know things are pretty crazy right now with everything that's happened- Eat eyes like grapes

Yeah, things have been wild since school started!- Farmer's Market

I'll be fine. I'll probably be fucked up for a while, but I'll get through it. I owe it to her, and to myself.- Sun Boi

Hey. You're a tough guy. Don't forget you still have a fam in your friends. We're here for your ass, and so are those kids from Yuuei. They'd murk for you.- Fuckoff

Holy shit does Botan is soft????????- actual five year old

Fuck Off- Fuckoff

Oi that's rude- actual five year old

Aww Botan cares about us! He's so sweet when he's around ppl he cares about!!! Right?- Cherry

You're his girlfriend, of course he's sweet to you- Houseplant

Yeah, the rest of you I put up with bc she likes you- Fuckoff

Izuku chuckled as they bickered about Botan's emotions until he heard Yamada call him.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU SHIVED MY DAD?!- eel

I gotta go, dinner. I probably won't come back on until tomorrow since I have some filming to do.- Sun Boi

Alright, gn! You're going to have to tell us what your channel is sometime!- Cherry

He left them to their cacophony as he closed the computer, and headed to the table. His guardians were waiting patiently until he sat. He dished out his meal and looking at the food quietly. Izuku had a strange pulling feeling in the back of his head. Someone was trying to contact him. He gave them a brush of acknowledgment. He'd meet them later. For now, he had something to ask.

"So um... I was wondering if tomorrow I could meet up with Shinsou?"

Hizashi sent him a knowing look, lips curling into a smile. He nudged Shouta's shoulder, nodding emphatically.

"Well that depends on when, because Hizashi and I have to go into work. I have meetings all day from 10 to 5:30, and Hizashi has a day segment interview on his radio station. You'll be with Hizashi anyway, because you can't be left alone for your safety."

Hizashi turned to him, swallowing hard before speaking.

"You can meet up with Shinsou during or after the segment ends. I'll set you up in the break room. Tell Hitoshi he can stop by any time after 11, he knows where it is."

"Thank you, I really appreciate it."

"We're not going to stop you from meeting up with your friends, listener. Just ask first."

He nodded, and returned to his food. Hizashi seemed to take Izuku speaking up as clearance to to set off rambling. It was nice to listen to him talk, and Aizawa readily engaged his husband. He allowed himself to be drawn into the conversation every now and then. It was different from the first time he stayed here. It felt a lot more relaxed. He eased into the atmosphere, glad to not have to be wound up anymore. It was good. When he finished, he offered to do the dishes, but Yamada brushed him off, insisting he would do them. This left Izuku with the rest of the evening free.

He had no homework because Yuuei was closed for the four days Izuku was held hostage, his private investigator classes were online, and he had met the month's goal for work, so he had to wait until next month for more. It was frustrating, because he wanted to keep going in his courses. He grabbed his laptop and headed into his room, pulling his Zu-Bunny outfit from his suitcase. He needed to give his subscribers a notice he would be disappearing for a bit. Then he needed to tell Shinsou when to meet him and answer whoever kept trying to connect with him.

Pulling on the hoodie, mask, and sunglasses was a good feeling. The familiarity set his knee to bouncing, his body expecting to go free running, and disappointment settled in his gut as he remembered he wasn't allowed to. A run sounded really good after everything. He sighed as he turned on the camera.

"Hey Everybody! Zu-Bunny here... And this time I have a more serious video for you. There was recently a tragedy in my family, and before anyone asks or says anything, it wasn't the Kamino Ward Incident. They had a preexisting condition that caused their health to decline and ultimately... It killed them. My parkour videos will still be going up on their regular schedule, but my vlogs will be put on hiatus for a little while so I can... Have time. I'm physically fine, for anyone worried, but honestly it just... It doesn't feel real, y'know? I keep expecting a text from h- them, or a call. I just saw them a few days ago and... Now their just gone... Ah, sorry, I didn't mean to unload on you guys like that. Anyway, that's all for now. I look forward to coming back when I'm ready. See you later."

He sniffled as he turned the go pro off, and put it away with his Zu-Bunny equipment. Izuku wiped his eyes and pulled out his phone. A quick message about his schedule and meet-up times and he put it away. He wasn't sure it was really a good idea to tell Shinsou about his crush on the purple haired boy, but then he remembered the terror of not knowing when he'd escape the league. If he'd escape them. One For All or not, he was in so much danger, and he couldn't be in that position again without letting Shinsou know how he felt. Besides, it was unlikely Shinsou returned his feelings anyway.

Now then.

He sat on his bed, and slowly fell into his mind, feeling the heavy coating of grime left from burning away the oil-like empty pain and rage that threatened to drown who he was, and shuddering. It would take a long time to scrape it away. A long time to heal. His attention was pulled away as the connection reached out again. He looked at it and froze in awe. All of the stars were connected together in a massive constellation. Over it all, a massive star that lay unconnected drifted above them all, and the feeling hit him. The woman from his dream. He took the connection, forcing down the panic when he felt a mind connect with his. This wasn't All For One. He could work through this. He eased himself into it. Every second he bared more of his mind threatened to overwhelm him, but soft brushes of calm and encouragement kept him steady. Drowned it out. He relaxed into the familiar feeling. It was different to the telepathy quirk All For One had used, just different enough that he could bear it.

He felt other minds slowly coming forward, and pictures filled his mind. Creatures like Grubeshilder. Massive, ancient, powerful, but still like him. Among them all, he felt traces of that power from her. Nowhere near as strong, and stronger in some than others, but there. Then he heard them begin to whisper to each other. Words he couldn't make out, and barely understood, but as he listened, they became clearer and louder. Finally, a voice spoke directly to him. 

"Hello, it is nice to finally speak to you. You have grown so much too quickly, you are strong for it."

"Grubeshilder? What's going on? Who are... Why this big get together?"

"We are here to welcome you into the fold. The Family. Your powers are strong enough to handle meeting us now."

Izuku's thoughts stuttered at the word family. Was he related to them somehow? Was he... Was he not human?

"You are human, child, just as you were born, but you are more. Your parents were both human. Like us, you were chosen by Mother," Izuku felt an echo of a memory of the power hovering above them in the mind scape and shivered as it punctuated the word. "to become more. Something else."

"So... What will I become?"

"Well, that's up to you. When you reach maturity, you will face a choice. To remain in your form, or to complete your change and ascend to join us. You would remain until the end of your life, and then you would face the decision again. To ascend to us, and take your place in our Family, or to die. When you reach maturity, you will gain access to all of your powers, although your form likely will not be able to handle them. It is augmented by that 'quirk' as you call it though, so it is uncertain. As for what you would become if you ascended, that would also be your choice."

Izuku was unsure how to feel about this information. He was essentially being told he had an out for death. That he could decide not to be human whenever he wanted when he turned 18. And he was going to get even more powerful? He couldn't handle what he already had. It overwhelmed his body and threatened to break it because Solaris fed directly into One For All.

"Calm yourself, it is unknown what powers you will get as you grow, and if you won't be able to use them in your human form, but we would not allow you to break yourself irreparably. There are those of us with healing abilities, much like the reforging you have learned to use. And some have access to items that would also help to heal you. You are one of the Children, after all."

"The Children?"

"Beings chosen by Mother. Not all of us were chosen by her, some of us ascended by influence of her Children, like myself."

"How does that work? Why me?"

"For that, you must know who Mother is. She is one of four Mothers, The counterparts of four Fathers. They are the personification of different things, created by the first Mother when she ascended. The first Mother is the personification of Time, born at the end of Time, and she ascended beyond it, and became it. She traveled to the Beginning, before the clock began, and created the three  Mothers  and the four Fathers . We only know our Mother, the youngest of the four, and counterpart to the first Mother. She is Reality, The Universe, embodiment of it. She chooses the brightest souls that are born, and imbues them with an echo of her power. They grow and learn to harness that power. Over their lives, her Children have come to influence other beings, and we became the Family. You are the brightest soul to have ever been born, and she has gifted you with not an echo of her power, but fragments of herself, and the tools with which she was created. We do not know why, or what you will become, but you are something so special and dear to her. You have the makings to become something incredible."

Izuku pulled away for a moment, though he didn't break the connection. This was so much to take in. He had been picked by the literal embodiment of reality herself for the brightness of the fire within him? When he was born, quirkless, useless, no one special beyond that brightness. Granted powers he couldn't use until he was given One For All, because it gave him the strength he needed to wield them. Would he have come to be able to wield them later in life? Would he have been powerless until he hit 18? Or until he died? It just didn't make sense to him. Why would she give him this stuff? He didn't get it. Eventually, he pushed his frustration aside, taking the mental equivalent of a deep breath. If he wanted answers, he needed to stay calm. Think rationally. He opened himself back up to Grubeshilder.

"You said she gives echoes of her power, but she gave me fragments. How does that work?"

Grubeshilder greeted him again with relief and happiness before he answered.

"I'm not sure how she granted you these fragments, but the echoes are like when we interact with each other. It leaves an impression that changes one. Her power is so immense and incomprehensible, it causes the recipient to adapt. Eventually, the influenced becomes stronger, and can learn to feel the echo. By feeding their light, their essence, into the echo, they learn to use the echo as a weapon, developing powers. When they are strong enough, the echo begins to take shape into something new. They grow their own set of powers. Like cross pollination resulting in a new plant. Your powers are already strong enough that your telepathic abilities have begun to develop, and you've started to influence others into a transformation."

Izuku would've blanched if he could.

"Wait what? What do you mean?"

"They have not been influenced enough to begin a transformation, but it has begun to change them. The one who gave you the augmentation allowing you your powers early, and the one who has helped you hone your telepathy. They have adapted to the influence of your powers, and changed. The augmenter has become stronger, and he can now see Reality more clearly. His mind has also changed to hold the weight of his cleared sight on it. The teacher's mind has changed, become more stronger and more open. He can sense things, think faster and more complexly, elevated to a new level. If you continue, they will begin their own changes, like those us who were also influenced by the other Children. However, they, and we, cannot influence others. Attempts to do so drive the one we would insane. It breaks them. I do not know why, though."

Izuku couldn't believe it. He hadn't known that it would change who, or rather, what, Yagi and Nedzu were. If he had, he wouldn't have. Then a memory flitted across Izuku's mind. All Might facing All for One, the last spark of One For All dying inside him, losing strength and already injured from their fight before. Would he have won without help? Would he have survived? Izuku wasn't sure. He turned the thought over in his mind, and found he couldn't bring himself to answer the question when he remembered the monster All Might had faced. A brush of calm and sympathy met Izuku's troubled mind, like a hug from Grubeshilder.

"They are still themselves, you did not know, and the change has not begun in them. It cannot be reversed, but it does not need to cause you guilt. You have even extended the life of the augmenter. He is stronger thanks to your influence, remember? It isn't a bad thing. They adapted to the circumstances they were subjected to, like they would any other."

He sent a feeling of acceptance to Grubeshilder, and pushed it from his mind. He could tell them later, he could probably even just text All Might and set up a meeting. For now, there was more important business at hand.

"Good. Now, The others are upset I've held your attention to myself so long. They want to meet you."

"Oh, okay. Well, I'd be happy to meet them as well."

Grubeshilder pulled his mind away from Izuku, and drew  his mind to the web of connections Izuku had seen before. The whispers grew into clear voices, and he received greetings from the Family. It was like moving from a parlor into a packed party hall. He didn't know how long he spent learning about everyone there. It left him tired, and his mind aching for quiet after a while, and slowly, minds broke away from the connection, leaving Izuku with just one, who had been hanging on the outskirts. They seemed friendly, Izuku couldn't sense any ill intent from them, they just seemed to be waiting for him to be free to talk with.

"Alright, I know you're feeling a little overwhelmed, and you need rest, so I'll try to keep this lighter, okay?"

Izuku couldn't help but be surprised. Everyone he had met during the gathering had spoken very formally, it was a bit odd to hear someone so casual. It was very welcome though.

"Thank you. And you are?"

"Shulderkint, one of Children. I'm actually the second youngest in the Family, since you're the youngest now. Uncle Grubeshilder was a bit hesitant to let you meet me, but I convinced him. He's convinced I'm a degenerate who will corrupt you because I like to imbibe."

"Oh, really? You don't seem bad..."

"Heh, I'm not, that's what convinced Uncle Grube. I don't like hurting others, I'm a pacifist, y'know? I just like having a good time. Which is why I was very happy to develop my strongest power."

Izuku interest peaked, curiosity brimming in him.

"What is it?"

"I can sense the properties of things. Like the effect they have. For instance, if I look at a plant, and think of, say, an animal, I can sense the effects that plant will have on the animal."

"Oh wow, that would be so useful! You could tell whether something's poisonous, or food, or if it could cause a negative reaction! Does it work with more than plants? Like, can you tell if a liquid is safe to drink? Or if a material is an effective building material? Because if so, that would -!"

Izuku cut himself off, embarrassed to realize he had fallen into another ramble. He couldn't sense any irritation from Shulderkint, but that probably wasn't long coming.

"Woah, kid, I'm not upset. It was kinda cute. To answer you; Yes, it works with anything organic. I can't tell anything about the strength of a material or whatever though, just what happens if it comes into contact with something else organic or is ingested. Like I know a plant that if you ate it, it would let you see the water particles in your air, or there's a plant that has sap that would cause you a relaxed, dreamy, happy state if you drank it, but the plant it comes from would make you nauseous if you ate it. Then there's a stone that would cause cause your skin break out in a negative reaction if you touched it. And I know you were thinking of it in terms of helping others but... As much as I would love to, influencing beings, especially groups, tends to lead to religions about you. And I wouldn't really mind, although I wouldn't enjoy it, but a certain level of influence can... Well, you know that world Mother pulled your projection to when you were asleep? That world was heavily influenced by one of us, and they evolved to be able to sense that power lingering around them and use it, but when the Child who influenced them moved on, thinking they had set the world up for a long and prosperous life, they began using up the energy since it no longer had a source to come from. It wasn't renewable. When it started to dry up, they turned against each other, and destroyed their world and themselves. It wasn't the only one, nor the first, but it was the worst. We tend to hang back to avoid tragedies of the past repeating themselves, although we do watch worlds for entertainment, and sometimes we latch onto a particular inhabitant and influence them."

Izuku thought of that world, once lush jungles and thriving civilization. Now deserts with no life because of a world wide energy crisis caused by a member of the Family. It made sense, really. Like how in early history, civilizations interacting with each other in different stages of development changed the course of their developments and sometimes caused wars and collapses of nations. The tampering of a being of incredible power who cannot be seen without driving the unprepared insane would clearly cause a much worse version of that.

"Yeah. But if you want to have a good time, ask me, I'll get something that will turn you purple for a week if you want. Anytime, okay?"

"Okay! Thanks, Shulderkint... Actually... That sap you mentioned earlier... Can I get some of that? I think I'll need a time to feel like that."

"Of course, In fact, here, to let you know what to expect..."

Izuku felt his body relax even in his trance as a soft feeling of happy sleepiness overtook him, easing the ache in the back of his head from the gathering, and it left him feeling a refreshed as it faded.

"Wow... Thanks. How long will that last when I take the real thing?"

"Well that depends. A drop or two will last a few minutes, the whole dose I'll send you will last about half an earth day. Now, get some sleep kid, it'll be there in the morning."

Izuku sent him a wave of thankfulness, then pulled away, allowing himself to come back into his body. He was tired as all hell, but he pulled out his phone despite his drooping eyelids, squinting against the brightness. He sent a text to All Might that he needed to speak to the ex-pro and Nedzu sometime soon, and saw a text from Shinsou that he would be at the station around 12:30. He put the device away, and let himself fall into unconsciousness.

Chapter Text

Izuku woke up to a dark, windowless room, a desk in the corner of his eye, and a wave of freezing panic hit him. Had it all been a dream? Was he still in the League's hold? How long until that damned portal opens and he's pulled through to All For One for whatever he planned? How long until he was rescued from this fucking room? He curled up, trying to calm his breathing as his mind raced, recounting events. Had it been real, or something All For One planted in his head to give him hope to snatch away? He buried his face in his knees, feeling his pants become wet with tears. What ifs circled Izuku's thoughts, torturing him.

He heard a door open, and suddenly there was someone kneeling in front of him. Izuku focused on the fire, latching onto the familiar steady flame despite its bright, flickering worry. A voice mumbled soft words to him, smooth and calm, and he found himself breathing in rhythm with them. Izuku looked up, met with the perpetually tired face of Aizawa. It hadn't been a dream. He was out, All For One was dead, and he was safe. He pushed down a second round of sobs, choking on them as he uncurled. Aizawa reached up and ruffled Izuku's hair. The teen leaned into the touch, wiping his face. He looked at the man in front of him as the panic slowly eased away.

"Thanks Aizawa-sensei..."

"We're not at school, you don't need to call me sensei. Now, do you want to talk about what caused that?"

He looked down. He had been doing so well, he had always been fine after something happened before. Why was he breaking down now?

"Hey, Problem Child, there's nothing to be ashamed of. Would you judge someone who was bitten by a dog for flinching when they hear a bark?"

He blinked up at the man, and shook his head.

"Of course. It was a traumatic experience, and they're afraid they'll get bit again. You went through traumatic experience after experience. There's nothing wrong with being afraid, kid. It's part of what keeps you alive."

He nodded, looking at his knees, and he mumbled quietly.

"What? I couldn't hear you."

"The room... When I woke up... I thought I was back there. The room they kept me in had no windows, no door, just a bed and a desk. It was dark, and I thought... I thought maybe it wasn't real. The battle, getting rescued, everything. Or something All For One put in my head with everything else to... To break me. Make me think there was no escape or something."

Aizawa shifted from kneeling before Izuku to sitting beside him, looking upset. In his fire, there was the same concern, but there was anger, and some small part of Izuku whispered in his mind that Shouta was mad at him.

"Alright, so how can we help? We could put some things up on the walls or something."

Izuku thought of spending another night in here and bit his lip at the trepidation and panic lanced through him.

"T-That... That might... Help..."

Aizawa looked at him, searching, and Izuku couldn't meet his gaze.

"Lying won't help Midoriya. What you need is to tell me whether you actually can stay in here, because if you can't, we can figure something out."

He sighed and shook his head.

"I don't think I can. It just... It's too similar. It's too much like being All For One's prisoner. Because I wasn't the League's in the end. All For One may have been the leader, but he had plans for me. Plans that were separate from the League even if they intertwined."

Aizawa nodded.

"Alright. Thank you for telling me. We can set you up in the living room if you're okay with that. Spectacle has missed you since you left. He was at the vet last night."

"Heh, I missed him too. I had actually talked to my mom about adopting him before... We were getting the apartment ready..."

He looked at his hands, thinking. Remembering. He remembered how long it took for her to be able to talk about his father, and he prayed that he would be able to talk about her, because he couldn't bear the thought of not being able to. Aizawa stood up and offered him a hand. He smiled and took it, letting the man haul Izuku to his feet with a grunt.

"Christ kid, you're heavy. How much do you weigh?"

"Ah, last time I was weighed, I was closing in on 90 kilograms, although I might have fluctuated since then..."

Aizawa stared at him and shook his head, then grabbed Izuku's suitcase. Suddenly the teen was glad he hadn't gotten a chance to unpack it as he grabbed his laptop. It made it much easier to move out since that was something that was apparently happening. Aizawa closed the door behind him, and handed the luggage to him.

"Since that room triggers your PTSD, you can use, my and Hizashi's bathroom. Go get ready for the day. Breakfast will be ready when you're done."

"Oh, I can still just use that one, now that I've calmed down I-"

"No. Exposing yourself to a trigger like that after a panic attack is likely to throw you into another. If you want to work on handling triggers, fine, but you're gonna do it smart and healthy."

Izuku looked at the door, then sighed and nodded. Aizawa walked away, presumably to the kitchen as Hizashi began talking. Izuku hesitated before entering Aizawa and Hizashi's room, and was surprised at the interior. The walls were a soft yellow, and covered in pictures and posters, along with shelves lined with collectibles. They were all from various games and movies, most of which he recognized. The floor was covered in dark orange carpet. He made his way to the marked bathroom door, which was odd until he noticed the closet was marked too, and assumed it was for when they came back late and it was dark. His eyes caught on the bed, and he turned bright red. Attached to the headboard was handcuffs, and laying on the floor next to it was a paddle. He rushed to the bathroom, regretting being born into a world so cruel as to let him see this.

He pulled out his clothes and tried to shake it off. As embarrassing as it was, it was normal, and nothing to worry about. He still doubted he'd be able to look at either of them. It faded a bit as he stepped under the warm shower spray, feeling his muscles loosen. He ran through his stretches as he washed up, enjoying the smell of cherry blossoms and lavender, the soaps his mom used. It was comforting to have them with him. When he got dressed, he stared at himself in the mirror. Ever since he'd gotten his powers, his body had felt less and less like his own. Maybe that was truer than he'd known. After all, he was supposedly becoming less human the closer he came to adulthood.

He shook it off, shoving the thought into the back of his head as he left, refusing to look at the bed again. He was still human, Grubeshilder had told him so. He would be for years yet. It wasn't something he needed to worry about. He shook his head, and made his way into the kitchen where the two waited for him. They dished out their breakfasts and settled in.

"So, about our conversation last night, Aizawa... There's really only one thing that could change my decision at this point."

They both looked at him as he set down his utensils.

"And that's... Do you both trust in Yuuei's security, and the staff's ability to keep students safe and well cared for? Do you think my peers and I would be making the right choice to return to school and agree to the dorm system?"

They looked at each other, quiet for a long moment. It made Izuku nervous, but he watched them closely. Strong assuredness set their faces hard, and they turned back to the teen, eyes bright with determination. Aizawa looked him in the eyes, and spoke the words Izuku had been hoping to hear.

"Yes, I do."

He looked at Hizashi, who nodded. Izuku sighed in relief, and his lips curled upwards into a smile.

"Then I look forward to attending Yuuei."

Chapter Text

Izuku looked at the radio station as he headed toward it at Present Mic's side. It was a pretty bland building, white concrete and square, The only things of note being several ads, the station name in bright pink, and the antennae sticking off the roof. When they entered, it was quiet, and the elderly receptionist offered them a smile. They room was the same white concrete except the back wall which was grey. The side walls had a line of chairs each, and tables with magazines and a vase of false flowers. Hizashi approached the desk.

"Hey Grandma Ai! How are you today?"

"Oh I'm wonderful sweetie, and how are you?"

"I'm great now that I've seen your gorgeous face. I'd like you to meet Midoriya Izuku. He's currently in my care, and he'll be needing to take over one of the break rooms for the day. Hitoshi will be coming by later too, so I'd appreciate it if you could send him to Midoriya when he arrives."

"Of course, Hizashi. It's nice to meet you, hon. I'm Yoshikaze Ai, you can call me Grandma Ai if you like. Would you like a cookie?"

Yamada lit up, looking at her hopefully. Izuku nodded, and she handed them each a cookie from a flower print box on her desk. Izuku took his, looking at it. It was some sort of chocolate cookie with white chocolate chunks in it. It had a slight coffee smell to it, and a hint of vanilla. He took a bite, and it was perfect. It was soft, but crunchy on the outside. It was slightly warm, presumably fairly fresh or the box was heated. He didn't realize he was smiling until he heard Hizashi laughing.

"Yeah, Grandma Ai makes the best cookies! I'd think it was her quirk if I didn't know what it was."

He snickered, finishing the sweet, and nodding.

"That was really good. Thank you!"

"Not a problem dearie. Now, here's a reserved sign. Hizashi, he can sit in room 4 since you'll be in recording room 6. It's the closest one. The bathroom is the door right across, it's marked so you can't miss it. Have a good day you two!"

Hizashi lead him to a hallway, calling back to her as he stuffed the cookie in his mouth.

"We will! You have a good day too!"

They made their way through the studio, until Hizashi was finally able to swallow and talk again.

"Alright kiddo, break room 4 is right around the corner, still got that sign? Good. I'll be three doors down the hall if you need me. At around 12 I'll text you and ask if you want me to come sit with you while I'm on break. My intern Anzu Den will bring us lunch. He's a good guy, wants his own show one day, has the makings of a great host. Anywhere you'd like it from? Anything in particular? Hell, if you want ice cream cake you can have it."

He huffed in amusement as he shook his head.

"Something with chicken sounds really good. Maybe a chicken sandwich?"

"I know a great place for sandwiches. Doc's Delectables! You can look up the menu online and text me what you want. Here it is!"

He stopped, opening the door and showing Izuku into the room. The walls here were red instead of grey like the hall, and much more brightly lit. There was a big window with a view of a garden, and Izuku was delighted to see butterflies within. There were two leather couches and a recliner around a glass coffee table, a small planter of succulents in the middle. There were several magazines here too, and a bookshelf filled to the brim. Hanging on the wall was a flat screen, the remote sitting in some sort of holder hanging next to it. It was tuned in to a talk show with Mt. Lady and Midnight, but it seemed to be escalating. Under the tv was a mini fridge.

"Alright, remember to put the sign up, and I'll be back soon. If you need to charge your computer, there's an outlet on the floor under the table. Help yourself to the snacks and drinks in the mini fridge, but don't make a mess. See you later, okay?"

"Alright, bye. Thanks."

He put the sign on the door handle, closing it as the hero left. He sat down and set up his computer to wait. Shinsou would be here soon, and they could talk.

Izuku startled when he heard someone knock on the door, looking up at the wooden barrier. He made his way over and opened it, glad to see Shinsou on the other side.

"Hey, come in, I'm glad you could come!"

"Well, I figured what you needed to talk about was pretty important, and I would have come anyway since we don't really hangout outside of school or the cafe."

Izuku nodded, taking his seat again.

"Well uh, this is something that's been a thing for a while, but with everything that happened, I feel like I should say something. I owe it to myself to be honest."

Shinsou sat on the other end of the couch, looking concerned. He cracked a nervous smile and scratched the back of his neck.

"You're not breaking up with me, are you?"

Izuku snorted, covering his mouth. He shook his head and looked at his knees. He looked at Shinsou.

"I asked to talk to you because I have something to tell you. I realized this a long time ago, that night we went stargazing. Gods that sounds really cliche. After I was kidnapped, and I was rescued at Kamino, I decided I wanted to tell you... I have a crush on you. I hope this doesn't ruin our friendship, because I really value you as a friend. I felt like I had to tell you with everything that's happened. With everything that will happen in the future, whatever that may be."

He looked at Shinsou, who was staring at him silently, and he bit his thumbnail. He curled up, looking at his laptop on the table.

"I'm sorry. If you want to leave-"

A hand covered Izuku's mouth, and Shinsou was beside him, face bright red as he looked at Izuku, still seeming shell shocked.

"Don't- Just give me a sec, I'm processing."

Chapter Text

Shinsou pulled away, tapping on his thigh. Izuku stayed quiet to let the boy think. He just hoped they could stay friends despite this. The teen beside him took a breath and rubbed his cheeks.

"So I... I've never done this before? Had this kind of conversation..."

Izuku nodded, not interrupting him as he seemed to steady himself. This was a bad idea. He should have just kept quiet and not said anything, let it fade away like the crushes he's had before. Just let it go. He shuffled his feet on the edge of the couch.

"I uh... I feel the same way? I didn't plan to say anything about it but... If you're being serious then, I guess I should tell you. So where do we go from here?"

Izuku felt his mouth drop open. This wasn't the plan. Shinsou was supposed to reject him. He was supposed to say he didn't feel the same and they would move on. Izuku couldn't deny the warmth in his chest though, and he shrugged, unsure of what to do now.

"I-I-I've never confessed to someone before, let alone been in a position where those feelings were returned. I guess we should just hang out? Or go on a date? Yamada said he was having his intern drop off lunch. You could stay and we could talk about stuff. I can tell him to give us some privacy if you want it to just be the two of us."

Shinsou nodded, and shifted to sit beside him instead of kneeling on the leather. He cleared his throat and looked at his hands. Why was this so awkward?They were still friends, and if this didn't work out, they could still be friends. Izuku closed his laptop and turned to him.

"So, how have you been? I haven't seen you since camp."

"Well, it was kinda stressful the past six days. When you were kidnapped, my parents wanted to pull me out of Yuuei, but Aunt Nemuri stopped them. Aizawa took it really hard. Yamada did too, but he held together better. They always get hit hard when they don't save someone. Kirishima, Todoroki, Iida, and Yaoyorozu organized a rescue mission for you and Blasty, but they only got Bakugou out. They were pretty devastated when they didn't find you. We were all so relieved when we heard you had been found and taken to the hospital."

"I knew Todoroki was there, but not the rest. Gosh, I can't believe Iida and Todoroki did that after what happened in Hosu. Then again, if it was just Bakugou, I probably would have done the same. I- Wait, 'Aunt Nemuri?' Midnight is your aunt?"

Shinsou nodded, seeming to relax into the couch, finally.

"Yeah, she's my mom's sister. I used to call Aizawa and Yamada my uncles too. I don't know when I stopped. I know Yamada pouted about it for a while and would tease me back into it sometimes, but I guess I just grew out of it."

Izuku nodded, listening raptly. He and Shinsou don't really know much about each other, did they?

"I don't have any anyone but my mom. Well, didn't, before Yuuei. Not even friends. I was misdiagnosed quirkless as a kid because I have the extra toe joint, but There was an accident. I told you before that my quirk came in really late, but you wouldn't believe how late it actually came in."

The purple haired boy turned to him and frowned.

"How late?"

"I got my quirk the day of the entrance exam. About 10 months before the school year started I met someone who told me I could be a hero despite everything that was set against me. Despite what everyone had told me because I was quirkless worthless Deku. I got a mentor and started training like crazy. At the exam, when the zero pointer showed up, I saw Uraraka trapped under the rubble and my legs moved. It wasn't even a conscious choice. I was moving faster than I remember ever moving before, and I just jumped. It was... Surprising, to say the least. I guess I got lucky..."

Something bitter Izuku didn't like curled in his chest, but he pushed it away. He was lucky. He never would have made it if he hadn't gotten One For All. He picked at the hem of his pants and shook it off before he continued.

"I didn't tell anyone at my old school, which is why Kacchan freaked out about it the first day of school. My mom totally freaked out when I came home with a quirk when I left that morning with both of us thinking I didn't have one. She was... Happy for me. Aizawa wasn't happy when he found out though."

Izuku broke into a laugh, and Shinsou looked at him confusedly.

"Why not?"

He ran his fingers through his hair and leaned back.

"Ah, because I didn't tell him until a few days before the sports festival... It's not like none of the teachers knew though! All Might knew. He's uh, not the best teacher though. Even I have to admit that."

His phone pinged, and he opened it to a text from Yamada.

YH: Hey kiddo, about to send Anzu out for lunch. Need orders for you and Hito- 11:27PM

He opened his laptop and searched for Doc's Delicacies, quickly finding a website that looked like it had been designed in 2001. Sea Shanty2 of Old Runescape began to come from the speakers and Izuku burst into laughter. Shinsou looked at the website in confusion before he smile and started to dance in his seat.

"Heck yeah, this is my jam."

"Yamada needs us to tell him what we want off the menu, but we can stay on this website for a while. I love this song."

With that, it turned into a debate about foods, food content, and food quality versus taste and healthiness before they sent off their orders. It was good to just be able to joke with Shinsou after this had started so awkwardly. Izuku grinned as the song ended and a midi of All Star began in it's place. That truly sealed the deal.

"I'm never ordering food from another restaurant again. It's only Doc's now."

Shinsou turned with a blank expression.

"It's all ogre now."

Never mind. Izuku did not regret this at all.

Chapter Text

Izuku looked at his phone as it chimed again, holding it out for Shinsou to see.

YH: Lunch is here, I'm about to drop it off while Ansu takes the show for my break. Want me to stay for a bit?- 12:15

He looked to the boy beside him, pulling his phone back and opening the keyboard.

"What do you think? We could keep this just us or he could stop in if you want. It doesn't really matter to me, I'm having a good time."

Shinsou shrugged and nodded, so Izuku texted back that Hizashi could drop in if he wanted to. Then it was back to talking. So far, Izuku had learned a lot about Shinsou, including a shared love of memes and animals, although where Izuku didn't have a preference, Shinsou preferred cats above all else. Somehow that had lead them down a rabbit hole into talking about Arnold Schwarzenegger getting jump kicked from behind once. Now Izuku was pretty sure they had been talking about mythology and action movies but he forgot now that the text had distracted him.

"Where were we? I was trying to figure out what crazy track the train of thought behind this conversation took and I got lost."

"Honestly I don't really remember either. I think we were talking about how bear skeletons were confused for demigods and given warrior burials in ancient Greece? It doesn't matter. Is Yamada coming?"

"Yeah, I told him it was okay. He's bringing our food, thankfully. I've been craving chicken all day."

Shinsou nodded, and flopped onto the couch. Izuku huffed in amusement at the dramatic groan he released.

"He's taking so lonnngggg..."

"We'll it's a good thing I'm here then!"

They turned to look at the window, seeing Hizashi climb through it into the room carrying two bags and a box, presumably lunch. The pro closed the window, and placed them on the table with a flourish. He took the box for himself and fished out a carton of fries from the bag. He flopped into the recliner, reaching back and grabbing a green tea. Izuku got up, grabbing a water as he fished out his sandwiches. Shinsou grabbed his own meal, and they tucked in.

"So did you kids have fun? Talk about anything important?"

Izuku glanced at Shinsou, who nodded, so Izuku took that as a signal that is was okay to broach the topic, but he would let Shinsou choose to elaborate.

"Yeah, we settled some things, talked for a while. We've been jamming out to the Doc's Delicacies playlist. It's pretty good."

Shinsou nodded and set down his sandwich.

"We do have one last thing to settle though."

Izuku looked at him. They had talked about their feelings, gotten to know each other better, and had lunch. What else was there?

"Are we going to do this again, and does that make us boyfriends if we keep going?"

He paused and looked at his sandwich, swallowing his bite. That was a good question, one Izuku wasn't sure of the answer to. He had secrets, secrets he couldn't trust Shinsou with yet. Hell, Izuku wasn't going to be human forever. But he wanted to keep this going. He wanted to say yes, so he took a deep breath, and turned to the teen.

"I want to, so if you say yes, then I say yes to both of those questions."

Shinsou nodded, and picked up his food again, looking satisfied.

"Good, because I say yes too."

"Glad we settled that. We'll have to wait to learn more about dorm rules to do any date plans, and we've both already talked about our own preferences in romance," Izuku pointed proudly to the polyamory and bisexual flag patches on his shirt. "So I hope I'll be able to broach those subjects freely with you in the future."

Shinsou nodded, giving him the 'of course' look over a mouthful of food. Izuku nodded, and saw Hizashi grinning like a madman from his seat. He finished his sandwich and started the next. Hizashi blinked and looked at the wrapper.

"Wait you already finished that massive sandwich? You can really pack it away. I'll make sure to tell Doc how much you enjoyed your food next time I stop in."

He felt his ears heat up and pulled one of his knees to his chest to lean on. He stuffed his face as a guilty look overcame Hizashi's face.

"Crud, I didn't mean to make you feel bad, Midoriya. I'm sorry."

"Ah, it's fine, I just get a little embarrassed sometimes..."

Hizashi nodded.

"Yeah, but I still shouldn't have said it."

Izuku smiled at him and shook his head, taking a big bite. This seemed to settle the teacher. Shinsou turned to lay on the couch, throwing his feet in Izuku's lap. He let it happen, pleased to see Shinsou was wearing hot pink converse. They were cute. He hadn't noticed them until now, which wasn't very surprising honestly, he had been distracted. Hizashi pulled out his phone, and began to fiddle with it, dorky grin still present. It was so much easier to think of heroes as dorky at times now, easier to think of them as people rather than paragons. He'd been around them so often at school that as much as heroes still awed him, he wasn't rendered completely speechless. He was still a little embarrassed that he'd told All Might his autograph would become a treasured family heirloom even if he'd meant it at the time.

He took the last bite of his sandwich, and pulled his laptop into his lap. An alert greeted his eyes. A new assignment from his PI classes was waiting for him. He quickly pulled it up, but saw that it was just a crime puzzle. Every start of a month all students were given a crime to solve. Izuku began working through it, quickly going through the evidence provided. He bit his lip as he started to take notes, glaring at the screen. By the end of the day he'd have a preliminary conclusion, and then he'd send in his request to 'visit' the crime scene for pictures. He frowned as some of the evidence seemed to conflict with each other. It was common in the cases, but nearly half of it conflicted. There were always at least two or three red herrings, but Izuku was certain he had already tossed them aside. He sighed and decided to set the device aside, looking up to see Hizashi and Shinsou had finished their food. He stretched and set the device aside, rubbing his eyes.

"What were you working on?"

He turned to Yamada and shrugged.

"I got Nedzu's permission to take private investigator classes. I was working on an assignment but it's different from usual. I was having a hard time focusing too, so I'm just going to let what I know simmer on the back burner for a second. I had hoped to finish it today and get the second part tomorrow, but I might end up taking until tomorrow for the first part. Which isn't bad, I have a whole week to do this, but I like having it done quickly."

"Oh, that's cool. Have you been doing well?"

He shrugged and nodded, slumping into his seat.

"Yeah, in the top five of the class. It's been fun, but hard. It's actually easier than my work at Yuuei has been. That's mostly because I'm better at analysis than things like math and history though."

"You've been juggling it well though? Too much work is stressful."

"Says the man with three jobs."

"Hey, I plan my teaching at the beginning of the year, and I can call off whenever I want on the station. Anzu fills in for me. Sure, this year has been more stressful than expected, but that's because you're all villain magnets!"

Izuku snickered at the man's pout, conceding the point. He was smart about his schedule, so Izuku couldn't rag on him too much. He set Shinsou's legs on the couch, standing to throw away the trash from lunch. He stretched, hearing his back pop loudly, and gasping as a sharp pain arced through him. He groaned, pressing a hand to the spot it emanated from. He shifted, biting his cheek when it hit him again.

"Whoa, Midoriya, are you okay?"

He nodded, turning to the two, waving away Hizashi's question.

"I think I stretched wrong, pinched a nerve or something. It'll be fine in a few minutes. I forgot my medicine this morning after my panic attack."

He picked up Shinsou's feet and sat back down, putting them in his lap once more, and relaxed despite the burn of the pinched nerve.

"So, anything you can say about your interview? I can't get the show in here for some reason."

He smiled as Hizashi began to eagerly talk about his radio show and the guests he had for today. It was nice to listen to someone speak about things they loved, especially when they lit up like you held a match to gas. Apparently Dr. Wasp had agreed to be one of this week's interview, and had talked about how Zu-Bunny had stopped in when he'd been taking a break. It was nice to hear the man had remembered him. It was a good day so far.

When Izuku laid down for bed that night, his phone pinged with a reminder. He glanced at it, and his heart stuttered as his eyes began to burn. His dad's anniversary was this weekend. It would be his first time visiting the grave without her. It would be his first time visiting her grave. His covered his mouth and clutched the phone to his chest. He hadn't been there for her funeral. He buried his face in the couch cushion to muffle his sobs, feeling Spectacle come near and lay beside him. He took a shaky breath, running his fingers along the cat's back as he struggled not to break.

Chapter Text

Izuku stared up at the building that was to become the new home of his class. Heights Alliance, the 1-A dormitories. Izuku could feel the piercing gaze of Nedzu from his office. He glanced up at Yuuei, a 5 minute walk away, and frowned sadly. Nedzu had been outwardly calm when Izuku had told him what he'd learned from the Family. Internally he'd been very upset and frustrated. The teen knew that the principal came from a dark past, likely involving someone trying to change him somehow, but he didn't know the details. All Might had been much less upset, although both were very understanding. Still, Izuku was unsure how he would face Nedzu during study hall. Guilt was eating away at him.

He was distracted by Shinsou bumping shoulders with him, looking worried. He smiled at him, bumping back, and steadying himself. They moved to sit on the steps, watching their classmates arrive. It looked like everyone was given permission. That was good, Izuku would have been sad if anyone was left behind. He leaned against his boyfriend's shoulder as Uraraka and Iida approached them.

"Deku! It's so good to see you, I was worried when you got so quiet after you left the hospital."

"It is good to see you're alright, Midoriya."

"It's good to see you too, guys. It's been a little wild the past few days."

He glanced at the crowd, spotting Bakugou with the self-proclaimed 'Bakusquad' as they chattered around him. His fire was subdued, flickering with guilt and anger of his own. He wasn't even scowling. Izuku felt concern wrap around him and constrict his chest, like the the vines of a rosebush. He looked away as Bakugou glanced up. Shinsou spoke up, glancing between Izuku and and the two standing before them.

"So, do you guys have any plans this weekend? There's a new cat cafe opening up and I was going to see if I could get permission to go."

"I do not, that sounds like a wonderful idea!"

"Yeah, that sounds like a lot of fun, but I can't really afford it..."

"That would not be a problem, I would gladly cover you!"

"Aww, thank you Iida!"

Izuku bit his thumb, running a hand through his hair.

"Actually, this Saturday is the anniversary of my dad's death, and things have been so crazy since I got back I haven't been able to visit my mom's grave, so I was going to visit them..."

He swallowed at wiped his face with his uniform jacket. The mood turned somber in their little group, and Uraraka sat beside him. She wrapped her arms around her, Shinsou following her lead and squeezing him hard. A moment passed as Aizawa-sensei came into range, and soon after, Izuku was pulled to his feet by two sets of hands. He let them lead him to the crowd as Aizawa took their place at the bottom of the stairs. He noticed a wave of relief take over the class and wondered if something had happened regarding Aizawa while everything else was going on.

"Well, class 1-A, it's good to see you all."

Tsuyu stepped forward, face worried despite the relief in her own fire.

"We're happy to see you too, sensei. After the press conference, I was upset 'cause I was worried you wouldn't be back..."

He looked at her, confused.

"Press conference? What press conference?"

"It happened while you were gone, kero."

"You didn't see it yet, Midoribro?"

He shook his head, and saw Bakugou give him an odd look he couldn't interpret before he looked away. Kaminari wrapped an arm around the explosive teen's neck as he chimed in.

"Have you seen the news reports of the fighting or the witness accounts?"

"No, I haven't. I'll have to check them out later."

"AHEM."

They all turned to Aizawa, who was glaring at them all. The chatter died out quickly as the teacher looked them over.

"I'll give you an overview of the dorms, but I have an announcement first. The camp was supposed to be prepping to earn your provisional licenses."

Izuku blinked in surprise. Provisional licenses were usually only given to third years, and it was rare for second years to even take the test let alone first years, or pass it. He frowned as he thought of the past months. Crime rates had started to rise as All Might aged out, and apparently organized crime was making a resurgence too if the League was any indication. Trust in heroes took a blow with every attack, and Endeavor getting arrested had been another, worse blow. All Might's retirement left a void that the public didn't seem to think could be filled. Hawks, as the number 1 hero now, had a lot of pressure on him now to reassure the public.

All For One's death had left a power vacuum of it's own, one Shigaraki hadn't been ready to fill yet. The teen shuddered to think what the criminal world looked like right now, and who would try to fill that hole. No doubt Shigaraki was working towards it himself. Then Izuku remembered what he'd said to Shigaraki and All For One. Did he still think Izuku meant it? That he was just playing along because it was safer than running away to be a villain? Or did he know Izuku had tricked and betrayed them?

...Did Izuku just get a nemesis?

"That's still the plan despite setbacks. Also... Iida, Todoroki, Yaoyorozu, and Kirishima. Your 'rescue operation' did not go unnoticed, nor that Todoroki stuck around for a few minutes afterwords."

The whole class turned them in shock and anger, and all four went stiff.

"I'm sure you all understand the consequences, although in the wake of the Kamino Ward Incident and All Might's retirement, it was swept under the rug. In the chaos that is sure to ensue, it would be a bad idea to expel you, especially considering the targets painted on your backs. But be sure, I would have expelled all of you except Midoriya, Bakugou, Jirou, and Hagakure."

Everything seemed to go still as the looked at the teacher with horror and confusion.

"Not only the 4 who went, but the 11 who didn't stop them or report their plans to a hero or police officer. Regardless of why, you have betrayed and lost our trust. If you behave and follow the rules, you might just get it back."

Izuku put a hand on Iida's arm, but the taller boy didn't respond. It felt like the whole class was about to start crying. Aizawa turned and started up the steps.

"Now look lively, it's time to get going."

Izuku clenched his fist, angry, but he was distracted by Bakugou grabbing Kaminari and dragging him behind a bush. There was a moment of confused silence as everyone turned to watch. Then there was the buzz of electricity and the smell of ozone before Bakugou shoved a spaced out Kaminari out to them, leaving many snickering at him as Sero pulled him close, looking him over worriedly. Bakugou stomped over to Kirishima and held out a wad of cash.

"Eh?! Bakugou, what'd you do, shake him down?!"

"No I didn't shitty hair. I brought this. I couldn't stand it if anyone called me a damn cheapskate."

"Huh?... How'd you know?"

Bakugou slapped it into Kirishima's face and it fell into the boy's hands.

"Word get's around with you idiots."

Izuku heard Kaminari struggling to speak, sending Jirou into a fit of laughter as Bakugou walked away. Izuku looked at Aizawa as he turned back himself, face blank but his fire bright with sympathy. Izuku looked away as Kirishima spoke up again.

"Everyone...I'm sorry, and we can't make it up to you, but to start, this money's going to tonight's dinner! How does barbecue sound?"

There were cheers from everyone as they finally made their way up the steps and through the doors. Aizawa spoke up again, directing them around with his hands.

"Rooms on the right are the girls rooms, Rooms on the left are the boys. This is the common room leading into the dining hall and kitchen there. That way is the bathrooms on either side of the laundry room, once again, girls on the right, boys on the left. Through the back doors there is the courtyard. You all have the run of the grounds before curfew when you'll be expected to be inside. You are allowed to garden there so long as the plants are approved by whoever is in charge of the dorms that day. If a plant is not approved, the other teachers will be notified that it is an off limits plant. Follow me."

Uraraka made a comment about 'swanky living' and wobbled, nearly falling over as Iida caught her. Eraserhead lead them to an elevator, and everyone packed in. It was only just big enough. as he took them up a floor.

"Bedrooms start here on floor 2, each room is labelled. Four girls, four boys for each floor up to the 5th. One student per room, and each room is fully equipped with closets, air conditioning, heating, and a restroom. Your luggage is in your closets."

Izuku entered his room, and opened the sliding door in the back.

"Wow, we have verandas! This is amazing!"

Iida caught Uraraka as she nearly fell over again.

"My room is nicer than my previous apartment..."

"Today is set aside for settling in, and we'll have a chat about what's next tomorrow. Good luck."

He left, and Izuku started dragging the boxes out of his closet. He'd gotten permission from Nedzu to paint his room when he'd found out the walls would be white. He'd immediately thought of his many visits to the hospital and the room where All For One had forced Izuku to mind meld with him, so he'd gone out and bought the nicest paints he could find. He opened the balcony doors and pulled on a t-shirt and shorts, and got to work.

Izuku flopped on the floor, staring at the murals he had painted on his walls. Each wall was different. On the east wall was a forest, tall trees with sunlight filtering through their leaves, the door framed by a woven gate of branches. On the north was a city in the evening, buildings standing tall against the sunset, bathed in the glow but windows and streets bright in their own way from the people within living. The west wall was dominated by the glass door, so he'd painted it to look like obsidian from Minecraft so it looked like a portal. On the south wall he'd painted a mural of the class, but instead of his classmates as people, he'd turned them into animals. It was cute. Now that is was dry, he could get to decorating.

In the corner next to his desk, a set of stackable poster racks, proudly displaying all of his collection. At the foot of his bed went a small bookcase with all of his encoded notebooks, textbooks, and a memorabilia booklet full of autographs, cards, and photos. A full bookshelf went against the wall by his desk, packed with collectibles of various heroes. They also lined his desk, which was covered in sketch books, class notes, and his laptop. He sighed with satisfaction as he hung up his limited edition all Might curtains. He'd left the banner hanging in his closet and tucked the All Might rug mostly under the bed. He closed the doors despite the lingering smell of paint. It would air out over time.

He began to clean himself up a little, storing his toiletries in the bathroom when he saw it tucked in the bottom of his bag. The little jar Shulderkint had gifted him with, still full of orange sap. He pocketed it along with his cbd/thc meds, grabbing his water bottles from his suitcase. He'd try it after dinner with a drink. It would help him 'settle in.' With that in mind, he headed down to the common room, tired and hungry. A lot of the other guys were already there, so Izuku approached one of the couches. Tokoyami and Shinsou were chatting quietly with each other.

"Hey, is this seat taken?"

Tokoyami shook his head and motioned for Izuku to sit on his other side. He took the invitation and sighed as the plush furniture cradled him. Kaminari sat on the arm of the couch.

"Hey dude, you as psyched as I am? I know it's because of poor circumstance, but I'm excited for us all to be living together!"

He nodded, seeing Iida approach the couch.

"Communal living is yet another excellent way to strengthen our senses of law, order, justice, and teamwork!"

"Don't hurt yourself..."

The girls stepped out of the elevator as a group, chatting as they made their way to the boys in the common area.

"Hey, are you all finished with your rooms?"

"Yeah, taking a break now, you girls all done too?"

Ashido stepped forward, smiling eagerly.

"Yes, we were actually talking on our way down and we came up with an idea! We should look at each other's room and see who's the best decorator!"

Izuku went still. Look at each other's rooms. His room, which had a ton of hero merch in, including the limited edition figures of some of his classmates that were made after the sports festival. Before he could speak up, the rest of the boys except for him, Shinsou, and Tokoyami were agreeing. Shinsou made a noise of protest, but everyone was already heading to the elevator, and they were being dragged along.

"Oh no..."

Chapter Text

Izuku stood in front of his door, nervous about letting most of his class. He glanced at them, and Ashido's face fell.

"Midoriya, if you're really not comfortable with this, we won't force our way into your room. It was just supposed to be a fun design competition."

"A-Ah, it's okay, I'm just kinda embarrassed..."

He grabbed the knob, walking in to stand in front of the bookshelf, hoping no one would see the class figurines.

"Woah... It smells like paint still, Midoriya, did you paint these?"

"Ah, yeah. I had a meeting with Nedzu the day before yesterday and he let me in as he was finishing up a meeting about dorm designs. I heard them say the walls would just be white and uh, it brought back some... bad memories. Nedzu noticed and gave me permission to paint it so I wouldn't have any issues with staying here. It was really nice of him."

Kaminari stepped in, looking at the city mural.

"Holy crap, this is awesome! You have such a cool room dude. You might have just won the competition from the starting gate."

"I doubt that, it's not that good, and I'm sure you guys have way better designs. I-"

"Shut up Deku. No one wants to hear you self-deprecate about your art skills, and neither should you."

He turned to Bakugou in shock, who looked like he was trying to glare a hole in the wall. Uraraka came forward, eyes wide as she took it all in.

"Aww, Deku, what's this one? That black leopard looks like Aizawa-sensei, and the frog- Oh my gosh, is this our class as cute little animals?!"

He feels his face heat up, and it spread to his ears as everyone rushed in to try and pick out who was each animal. It was fairly easy as they were each given a signature color. He sat on his bed, face in his hands. He heard Shinsou laughing as he sat beside him.

"Thanks for drawing me as a little purple bobcat kitten. I love it."

He made a choked whining sound, but his lips curled upwards into a smile. Shinsou pulled him up.

"Come on, we're moving to the next room."

Izuku saw Bakugou staring at the wall, and watched him. He'd painted Bakugou as a young lion, eyes blazing red and claws out, but he was sat tall and strong, face smooth with pride but lips threatening to curl into a snarl. The explosive teen's eyes drifted over to the other lion in the painting. An old battle scarred lion that stared serenely out at the viewer, blue eyes glowing just like the inspiration for him, All Might. His head dipped, and he stalked out of the room silently.

Bakugou had decided to go to bed after seeing Izuku's room, and the rest of the class moved on, seeing all of the boys' rooms except for Shinsou's and Tokoyami's as they didn't want anyone in their rooms, and Bakugou's as they all agreed... It was a bad idea to wake him up. Apparently Tsuyu also wasn't feeling well, and had decided to go to bed early. They made their way down to the common area again, where everyone submitted their votes for best room.

"Alright, did everyone cast their vote? Remember, no voting for yourself, you have to vote for someone else!"

She grabbed the box and counted out the votes.

"Alright, the provisional monarch of rooms is... Satou, with 5 votes, and second place goes to Midoriya with four! Third goes to Sero with two."

Satou looked at them in surprise.

"What? But my room was so plain..."

"You got four out of five of the girls' votes because of that yummy cake!"

"But what about his room?! "

Izuku chuckled as Satou got teased for bribing the girls to vote for him, even though Midoriya voted for him because of the cake too, but no one needed to know that. Todoroki grumbled about going to bed, but Uraraka caught his sleeve.

"Wait, there's something important. Kirishima, Yaoyorozu, Iida, Deku, you guys too, out in the courtyard."

They all followed her, seeing Tsuyu standing on the grass, shuffling her feet.

"Tsuyu wants to talk to you all..."

The frog-quirked girl put a finger to her chin, looking upset.

"I don't hold my tongue often, but sometimes... I have a hard time finding the correct words. Do you four remember what I said at the hospital?"

Kirishima nodded, looking at his shoes. Whatever she had said, it was clearly upsetting for them, but for her too.

"I didn't hold back at all, I was really harsh to you, so hearing that you went anyway, it was really shocking. I was mostly shocked about how I tried to stop you from going and saving Bakugou and trying to save Midoriya... How worthless I am as a hero and a person... Especially knowing that it worked and you guys managed to save Bakugou and the heroes didn't save Midoriya, he had to save himself and he even helped All Might fight that guy... I didn't know what to say and all these awful feelings bubbled up like an overheated pot... It felt like there was no way I could go back to talking and laughing like everything was normal, as if nothing had happened."

She looked up, tears rolling down her cheeks as her hands began to shake.

"It broke my heart. So I decided even if I didn't have the words I needed to say something because I want to be able to hang out again."

Uraraka pet Tsuyu's hair, looking on the verge of tears herself. Izuku felt them rolling down his own face. He let them fall though. He didn't need to stop himself right now.

"It's not just you who feels like that Tsu... That's what games like Monarch of Rooms are. We were all uneasy about it and we want to start over, because we know how we're all feeling. We're not gonna be angry or something. It's kind of hard to explain... But we all... We all just want to go back. Back to when we could all smile together!"

Kirishima sniffled and dove forward.

"Thank you for sharing this with us, Tsuyu, I'm so sorry!"

He gather her into his arms, and pulled away to hold her hand. Yaoyorozu and Iida stepped forward, wiping her tears and holding her shoulders respectively, and Todoroki put a hand on her arm silently. He offered her a small, sympathetic smile. Izuku moved forward as they all moved to her sides, grabbing her hands in both of his. She looked up at him with a watery gaze and a trembling lip. He gave her a bright smile to let her know everything was okay now, and her pulled her in for a gentle hug.

Everyone was working to get everything back to the way they were. Aiming to be heroes, pushing each other forward, not only in their journey to become heroes, but to succeed in their everyday lives too. They were a team, a family, bonds forged in battle, peace, struggle, and pulling each other up when they fall. They would all become amazing heroes. Together.

Chapter Text

Izuku stared at the jar, holding a bottle of water. Now that he had it in front of him, he was having doubts. There were risks about taking it in the dorms where anyone could knock on the door, or if he wandered out and someone saw him, he could get in trouble, if he drank too much, he'd still be feeling the effects during the day. He doubted it would show on any drug tests but there was no guarantee. He'd decided to forego his medication for the night in case it reacted badly with it. He bit his lip and glanced at the water bottle before he twisted off the cap. He set it on his desk, and picked up the jar. He opened the lid and was met with a flowery, almost fruity smell. Pouring it into the water turned it a pinkish-orange color that reminded him of coral.

He scraped the sides to get as much in as he could before he closed the bottle and picked it up, taking it with him to his restroom. He silently rinsed out the jar, watching the orange water circle the drain as he cleaned the glass. He contemplated the concoction sitting by the sink and sat on the toilet. Izuku looked at his hands, eyes tracing the scars from surgeries, One For All ripping him apart, and from injuries during fighting for his life during camp, slowly going up his arms. He felt phantom aches as memories raced across his mind, his breath quickening as the rabbit hole seemed to drag him down before he shut his eyes tightly.

He shook his head and looked at the water bottle again before he grabbed it. He made his way back into his main room and put it into his desk drawer. Not tonight. He made his way down stairs to the common room and into the bathroom, opening up the medicine cabinet. As he took his pills, he heard the elevator ding and steps make their way past the laundry room. He swallowed them dry and grimaced at the taste lingering in his mouth and the back of his throat. As he made his way out, he saw Uraraka in the kitchen, a steaming mug in her hands. She glanced up and smiled, waving him over.

"Hey Uraraka, you okay?"

"Yeah... I had a nightmare about camp and Kamino, so I came downstairs for some tea. Do you want some? The water's still hot."

"If you don't mind. Do you... Do you want to talk about it?"

She looked at her cup, took a deep breath, and nodded. Izuku filled his cu[ with water and set his teabag in, giving her time to think over what she wanted to say. She scooted her chair closer as she opened her mouth, and hit him with a question he hadn't been ready for.

"Were you scared? When they attacked... And they took you?"

He blinked in surprise and looked at her.

"Of course I was. I'd have to be stupid not to be- Ah, sorry... I could have said that better..."

She giggled and shook her head.

"You seemed so confident at the time. Making plans and saving Kouta. How did you stop the fear from taking over? Making you freeze? I hesitated when the Toga girl appeared. Tsuyu saved me."

"I froze when I saw the fire. I couldn't move when the first villains I saw appeared. Then Mandalay said Kouta was out in the forest when we were doing the test of courage. None of the Pussycats knew where he was, but I did. They were stuck fighting, and he needed saved. Knowing that he was on the cliff while there were villains on the loose, villains that had killed people before and planned on doing it again while they attacked us, I had to get to him. I'd never be able to forgive myself if I stood by. So I told Mandalay I could get to him and she sent me to get him." He paused as he stirred his cup. "After that, it was adrenaline and determination to do everything I could to save the people I cared about. I was still scared though. Scared that I'd die. Scared that I'd fail and one of you guys would die... Being scared is what keeps you alive when you're in danger. Being brave is acting despite being scared.

"We're kids, Uraraka. We should never have been faced with what happened that night, but we were. And you know what? We were all scared out of our minds. But we pushed through and saved ourselves and each other. You saved Tsuyu because you pushed through that fear and took down Toga after she pinned Tsuyu to that tree and cut her tongue. We are all so brave for fighting back and doing everything we could to stay safe and neutralize the threat. You are so brave for using what Gunhead and Aizawa-sensei and All Might-sensei taught us to stop Toga."

Izuku blinked the blur away from his vision, feeling tears run down his cheeks. He turned when he heard Uraraka sob just in time to catch her as she lunged to hug him. She shook with sobs as tears soaked into his t-shirt. Izuku held her silently, letting her get it out. He threaded his fingers through her hair, running his hand through it. When she finally pulled back, he wiped the tears off her face, looking her in the eyes. She sniffled and coughed.

"Thanks, Deku..."

He nodded and gave her a smile.

"I'm here whenever you need me. And you know? I hope we don't have to be brave again for a long time."

"Me too. I feel a lot better. Sorry I ruined your shirt."

He shook his head, grabbing his no longer steaming tea. She followed suit and took a sip.

"It's just a shirt. It can be washed."

Chapter Text

Aizawa stood at the front of the class, looking them over. There was something solemn in his eyes, in the way he stood. He leaned forward and placed his hands on the edges of the podium. He seemed so tired, but not physically. Tired in the way Izuku saw in his classmates when their eyes went hazy with memories. It made Izuku worried about him. His attention turned, however, when the man spoke.

"To recap what I said yesterday, the primary goal was, and is, to get you your provisional licenses. They are what will allow you to save and help civilians without breaking the law, barring a few specific circumstances." He paused, giving Izuku and several other students a hard stare that had them shrinking in their seats. "This test will be hard. Harder than any other you will take this year and probably until you apply for your full licenses. Even for provisionals there's only an approximate 50% success rate, rounded up. So, starting today, you will all be working on, ridiculously termed so, ultimate Moves."

As Cementoss, Ectoplasm, and Midnight burst into the room, clearly excited, and there were a few cheers. It was a more subdued reaction than Izuku had expected, and clearly they had expected more too, as their smiles were strained. There was an air of seriousness despite the anticipation. Apparently camp had pressed the dangers of the real world into them deeply. Izuku mourned their collective lost innocence, but let it go as Ectoplasm stepped forward.

"Ultimate moves are finishers. Unique techniques that you use to end a fight."

He went quiet as Cementoss took the floor.

"These moves must me made with the intention of internalizing them and working to make them unparalleled!"

Midnight joined the line, posing dramatically as always.

"These moves will be one of the ways people recognize you when you become a hero, it's rarer and rarer to find heroes without one!"

Aizawa stepped forward, completing the line of four with a deadpan expression.

"Get your costumes and head to gym Gamma. We'll give a more detailed explanation and a practical demonstration there."

Izuku adjusted his costume, looking over the redesign he'd worked out and entrusted Hatsume to make and improve. The cape around his shoulders was shortened to expose his hands, and there were now sleeves around his arms. His entire outfit had been made fireproof up to 4.25 billion degrees. How she tested this, he was scared to ask. His mask had gone from two connected pieces to one solid mask, although they had all the same functions, with the addition of filtering more than smoke like the first version and a 360° camera. His cloak now had a chameleon function he could activate. The view recorded from his mask took colors and lighting from his environment and his cloak would shift to mimic them.

His bodysuit had been modified to be watertight, much to his delight after being soaked and cold after being dumped in the lake zone of the USJ despite his temperature regulation. There was new padding as well, and braces on his forearms and calves to take the strain of his quirk off them as much as possible and help prevent breaks in the future. His shoes were a modified version of the jet shoes she'd prototyped and tested during the sports festival, and wrapped around his arms was a set of ribbon-like weapons like Aizawa's capture weapon, runes covering their surface.

He'd tested them with her a few times before camp, although they hadn't been part of his costume yet. He was excited to use them for real now. Especially since there was calcium woven into the threads, after they discovered he could channel his quirk through through it. He looked around at his classmates. Some had received their own upgrades, like Uraraka's heels had a wider base than before, making her more stable. They were clearly still springed from the bouncy way she walked, but now they would do their job better and absorb more shock from jumps and landings like they were designed to.

His musings were interrupted when Cementoss stepped forward and clapped to draw their attention.

"Welcome, everyone, to the Training Kitchen Lab!"

There was a moment of silence at the awful name, which Cementoss pouted at, though it wasn't very effective due to his face shape. Izuku was very familiar with the gym, as it was where Aizawa trained him in freerunning. Most of the time, his attention was split between him and Shinsou, so typically Izuku was left to his own devices for the most part until Aizawa saw him mess up or decided he was ready to try something new. He'd always known it as gym Gamma though, not the TKL.

"This facility was my project, where I 'cook up' exercises and environments tailored to any requirements. That's why it's the Kitchen."

He knelt to demonstrate, lifting up a few chunks of the floor to create a raised spot that was slightly uneven. Everyone was quiet for a moment longer before Iida raised his hand.

"I have a question, if I may?"

He waited silently, hand up for a second before Aizawa nodded, letting him know he was clear to speak. Iida was practically vibrating from having to wait. Izuku thought it was really funny and cute, as he knew Iida experienced the world at a faster pace than most people because his quirk affected the rest of his body too.

"Why are 'Ultimate Moves' a requirement for a provisional license, and can you please explain the intent behind the decision to include such a requirement?"

"Calm down. We'll tell you soon."

He clapped his hands, silencing the soft chatter that had started in the back of the group about the TKL's name. When he had everyone's attention, he put his hands in he pockets, stepping up onto the spot on the floor Cementoss had used his quirk on.

"As heroes, it's our job, and will be yours too, to save people from accidents, disasters, and catastrophes both natural... and man made."

A somber air took hold for a moment. They were very familiar with man made catastrophes.

"Really, any dangerous situation you can imagine. The licensing exams are constructed to test your ability to handle and cope with these situations."

He stepped down, and Midnight took the stand.

"Intelligence gathering, decision making, mobility, combat prowess, communication, charisma, leadership skill. All these and more will be what you are graded on, and be sure that combat prowess will be heavily prioritized among potential heroes. These moves could have a big impact on how you're perceived, and help you pass."

She looked over them with a serious, stern gaze, little of the usual warmth she held when teaching. She let Cementoss take the stand, moving back to stand beside Aizawa-sensei.

"A high level of combat prowess includes things such as keeping a cool head in a fight, and acting stably and decisively. You all have active combat experience, and have seen heroes in action, so try to draw on what you know and have learned to improve on that."

He stepped down with a grin, and Ectoplasm grabbed their attention, though he didn't step onto the platform, so Cementoss flattened it out and walked away with the other three teachers as they began to set up areas for training.

"There's no real necessitation that your ultimate move must be an attack. For example, Iida's 'Recipro Burst' would be an excellent ultimate move due to the major speed boost it gives him and the intimidation factor it presents."

Iida seemed to glow under the assessment, and Izuku nodded in agreement. Satou put a hand to his chin in contemplation, thinking it over.

"So it's a move that would give us an edge in battle... I get it."

"Exactly!"

They looked to Midnight, who posed seductively, as they had all gotten used to. It put Izuku at ease to see her typical smile too.

"Another good example is what Kamui Woods showed us in his debut. His 'Lacquered Chain Prison is a cookie cutter ultimate, ending a fight before it can even begin, but it's also a risk, as it takes his full attention and can leave him open to attacks from opponents who aren't immediately taken out by it."

She was called over by Cementoss, and the two quickly began to talk, presumably about whatever was being set up, so Aizawa took charge again.

"Your summer camp was cut short, but the training there was part of the process to create your ultimates. So in other words, you have the remaining 10 days to enhance your quirks and come up with at least two moves. Then the second semester will begin."

There was a rumble as Cementoss and Ectoplasm activated there quirks, creating a horrifying landscape with a veritable army of clones looking down on them. Izuku gritted his teeth as a sadistic smile covered Aizawa-sensei's face.

"So prepare for some extra intense training. And as you cultivate your quirks and your moves, you'll have to think about your costumes, although a few of you already have. Use that Plus Ultra mentality. Ready? "

His class tensed, true excitement brewing in them as they all mentally prepared.

"This is gonna be good!"

Izuku stood beside the Ectoplasm clone assigned to him, and took a deep breath. He looked to the man for assurance and received a 'get on with it' motion from his hands. He nodded, and whipped out the whips from his arms as his quirk lit him up, multicolored light swirling around him. Ectoplasm took a fighting stance, and dashed at him. Izuku dodged and made a few attacks towards him, before his snapped the ribbon in the air.

"NOVA!"

As the tip made a cracking noise, it was accentuated by a ball of power that sent Ectoplasm flying. Before he could get too far away, Izuku leapt after him, binding him in the ribbons and securing him. After a moment, Izuku released him, and the teacher stood.

"Good job, that's quite impressive for a new weapon you haven't used before."

"Well, I did help Hatsume develop it, so I have some experience with them. Plus, a lot of what I can already do with them is inspired by Aizawa=sensei, so I have a good base to work off of."

Ectoplasm cast said man a glance, mouth curving as much as it could into a smile at the man's carefully blank expression. Izuku felt his face heat up in embarrassment, unable to continue looking at him. 

"So, is that one of your ultimate moves?"

"U-Uh, yeah, I think so... I don't know what to do for my second move, as my arms are basically a ticking time bomb. I've already done a lot of damage to the muscles, which thankfully has been healing, and it's only by the 'good grace' of All For One trying to recruit me that my ligaments are okay now..."

Izuku stared at his arms, frowning at them. Ectoplasm put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, pulling his attention back to what was happening.

"Hey, you did nothing wrong. And yeah, your quirk is about as far from stable as it gets, so maybe we should just work on that for a bit."

He nodded, seeing All Might arrive out of the corner of his eye. He cast another baleful glance at his arms before giving his mentor a smile and a wave before he moved to spar with Ectoplasm, using as much of his quirk as he dared.

As Izuku was taken down for the first round, he heard an explosion from Bakugou and looked up at him. He caught the remains of a clone disintegrating, and Bakugou screamed at Ectoplasm to make him a new one to fight. He looked around at his peers, who were scattered about, but he could hear them talking about their quirks and how they'd been thinking of their moves since they came in, years ahead of Izuku. He thought of All Might, remembering the high expectations on him. he glared at his feet as he stood, and was startled by Yagi-sensei speaking up from beside him.

"Hey, kid, I have a word of advice. You've come a long way, but you're still trying to emulate me in what you do."

He raised a clenched fist, and then walked away, heading to Kirishima to talk to him. Izuku looked at his hands, and thought about it as he moved back to sparring with Ectoplasm. What did he mean?

Izuku made his way down the hall to the development studio, still thinking about what All Might said. He sighed, pushing it off to wait until he had a clear head. In the mean time, his braces needed more tinkering, as did the jet boots, although he wasn't sure he would even keep them, as they didn't add much to his fighting. He could use them to boost his jumps and if he used them constantly, he could maneuver quickly, but it was too unstable a movement for him. He'd probably recommend them to Uraraka though. Speaking of, he could hear her and Iida making their way down the hall behind him as he reached the door.

"Hey Deku! We were wondering where you went, here for a costume mod too?"

"Oh, hey guys, yeah, I-"

He pulled the handle of the door and was cut off as an explosion sent him flying. Hatsume was back on her bullshit it seemed. Of course, when was she ever off it? Izuku groaned as he sat up, unable to see past the smoke and dust in the air. Through the ringing in his ears he heard Hatsume and Power Loader arguing. Suddenly said crepitomaniac was currently on top of him, tank top barely containing her bust, and Izuku quickly adjusted his stare to the ceiling as she got up off him.

"Good to see you again Midoriya, and you brought friends! You two are... What are your names again? Anyway, how did my babies dooooo?!"

"I'm Iida Tenya, the man you used as a walking billboard during the festival!"

Izuku glanced over at Uraraka, who had an odd expression on her face. He sensed out her fire, finding anger, shock, and jealousy burning hot within her. He could see why she was jealous, after all, Hatsume was an attractive girl. He'd support her if she chose to pursue the insane girl, although he felt something he didn't recognize twist a tiny bit in his stomach at the thought.

"Y-Y-Yo-your bab-bies did pretty good, although the braces didn't handle the heat of my quirk very well, and they warped a little under it in combination with the force. The jet boots did pretty okay, but I don't think they mesh well with my fighting style. I think they'd actually be a great tool for Uraraka here to experiment with though, as she's working on incorporating floating into her quirk, and it would give her a lot more mobility in the air."

She turned to the brunette, eyes twinkling.

"Ooh! I've been hoping for a new guinea pig! Come on!"

She rushed up to the clearly shocked girl, but was held back by Power Loader.

"Hatsume, it's fine that you practically live in the shop thanks to the new dorms, but if you keep wreaking havoc on school property and people, I'll have to ban you! Now then, Eraserhead said his kids would probably come looking for modifications and upgrades. Follow me."

He pulled them into the lab, Izuku barely noticing the smell of oil, sweat, and gunpowder. Hatsume must have been experimenting with actual explosives again.

"Now then, Midoriya, I appreciate you volunteering to test Hatsume's designs, but for permanent additions to your costume, you will have to submit the proper paperwork. I'll need the blueprints for all of your costumes, which will then be modified and sent to the agency Yuuei outsources costume creation to. It should have come in the case with your costumes. For small mods, we just have to report redesigns to the agency and they'll do all the paperwork and such, but for something big like the calcium whips Midoriya has been testing, you'll be required to submit a formal application and get it tested and approved by the government. With the agency we work with, the process usually takes three days, since it's one of the best."

Suddenly he was being groped by Hatsume for the thousandth time, although he still went stiff and blushy from the contact. He was unused to such intimate touches, although he knew Hatsume didn't mean anything by it.

"Hatsume... What are you doing?"

"I'm feeling his body, he's a lot more muscular than he looks. He works out so much he's more muscular every time he comes back and it makes my last measurements useless! I have something perfect for you, Midoriya. Come try my babies!"

Before Izuku knew what was happening, he was in some sort of armored body suit, Hatsume pushing buttons a few meters away.

"Hatsume I really just need improvements of what I already have so I can figure out what else I need."

"This high-tech baby is the power suit! It senses muscle contraction and aids movement, it's my 49 invention in Yuuei!"

He turned to her, finding the suit moving his body along with him.

"Woah, it's moving by itself... Uh oh, stop stop stop! Too far! OW OW OW HATSUME MY SPINE IS BREAKING HELP!"

She pressed a button and it moved back to it's original position, untwisting him from being turned around 180°, much to his relief. She then rushed forward, yanking it open and helping him out.

"Sorry, I guess the mobility software has a few bugs to work out. Thanks for helping me out though."

He knelt on the ground, trying to make his back stop hurting as he rubbed it, Uraraka hovering nearby with her hands fluttering over him.

"I just want to improve my costume... Instead you almost killed me again..."

He looked up and sighed, seeing her dragging Iida over to her workbench. She strapped his arms into something.

"How about this super cooler electric booster?! My 36th baby reduces heat output to a minimum, isn't it cute?"

"I don't need a booster, Hatsume, and why would it be on my arms? My engines are in my legs!"

"BOOSTER ON!"

There was a humming sound as they powered up, sending Iida to the ceiling. He lay flat against the surface in fear. Izuku could only hope they wouldn't explode like some of Hatsume's earlier models. The intense rush of air coming from them scattered papers across the room.

"MY QUIRK IS IN MY LEGS!"

"I know, I was just thinking, if you're legs are tired or too injured, then uo need a back up! So why not run with your arms? Like your brother!"

"That's enough outta you! Knock it off already."

Power Loader went to smack Hatsume upside the head, which she dodged using her incredible speed, shouting about child abuse. Izuku caught Iida as he fell to the floor when the boosters ran out of power. He turned to see her talking to Power Loader, and he realized what All Might had meant as he turned over Hatsume's words to Iida. 'Like your brother.' He was copying other heroes and holding himself back, rather than coming up with his own moves and ideas. He was too focused on being a powerhouse like Yagi-sensei rather than his own kind of hero. His lips curled into a smile as Power Loader turned to them again while Hatsume gathered her projects and grumbled to herself.

"Sorry about her, that ego is like a sickness, it knows no bounds."

Izuku wished he could defend her as his friends agreed with his assessment, but honestly, it wasn't too far from accurate. She was very confident and self-assured, and she didn't care about what was socially acceptable. Hatsume's life was her work.

"Still, you should learn to work with her, because when you go pro, she'll go pro too, and I guarantee she'll be one of the greatest support technicians in Japan. She'll be your support."

The two seemed to freeze at that, looking at the pink haired girl who was already in high spirits again as she worked. Sparks flew as she welded metal together, silhouette lit ominously by the welder.

"See that pile of junk over there? That's all hers. She started that pile at the beginning of the year, and now it's a veritable mountain. She's always here. Weekends, vacations, she'd sleep here if I let her, and I'm pretty sure she does anyway, because I've never seen her enter the shop, only leave. She just appears already at work when class starts. I've met a lot of support techs, taught a lot too, but Hatsume mei is in a league of her own."

Iida stared at the scrapped inventions in disbelief, Uraraka at his side. Even Izuku was staring at the pile in shock. He'd thought they were a collection of scraps from all of the students, mostly comprised of Hatsume's projects. He looked them over, and he swore he saw a Tesla coil projector, which showed him Hatsume had actually been listening when he'd told her of his favorite bands, among them being Steam Powered Giraffe. It was honestly touching. He felt his lips curl softly, wondering if her could get her to take the idea back up. Something like that would probably be really useful for Kaminari.

"She's made all of this in just four months?"

"Hatsume lives by one of Einstein's quotes; 'Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by 18.' She puts every idea to the test with no fear of failure. The greatest innovators never let themselves be constrained by convention."

The words drove themselves into Izuku's heal like a rail gun to his temple. He pressed his hands to his head in realization as the glass wall separating him from the answer shattered in his mind. He turned to Iida and caught his attention, eyes shining as he figured it out.

"Hey Iida, do you have some free time to help me train later? I was wondering if you could teach me some moves!"

"Well, I think we should focus on getting our costumes sorted out first! However, I would be happy to discuss training afterwards."

"Oh, right, I just had a crazy realization and got ahead of myself."

Uraraka moved to stand closer to him, a bright smile on her face.

"Wow, Deku, you have so much energy all of a sudden!"

He blushed, flapping his hands nervously as he hunched in embarrassment, biting back hysterical laughter as it swelled in his throat.

"Really? W-Well, how were you hoping to mod your costume, Uraraka?"

"Oh, well, I'm looking for something to reduce nausea if that's possible."

Suddenly Hatsume was gunning for them, some sort of bare bones exoskeleton and a book on anatomy in her hands.

"In that case, try this baby!!"

Uraraka bolted to the other side of the room as the crazed inventor hounded her, shouting about pressure points and temperature distribution. Izuku chuckled at the antics before gathering the blueprints for his costume and the mods he tested for Hatsume, going over them with the teacher on what he wanted and things that could be improved on what he had.

Chapter Text

Izuku sat on his veranda, eyes tracing the trees on the campus woods. He'd spent the past two days training with Iida one on one when he wasn't training by himself or spending time with his friends, although he still didn't know what his second ultimate would be. He'd gotten permission to go visit his mother's grave later, accompanied by Aizawa and Shinsou. He felt strangely numb at the idea, and he could only guess how he would react at seeing it. He used to cry every time he visited his dad as a kid, wondering what he could have had. This time he'd actually known what he'd lost, but it was so... He didn't know how he felt about it, and that made him feel so guilty. He'd been dealing with so much that he constantly felt burnt out.

He was interrupted by his alarm going of, letting him know it was time to take off his muscle relaxer pads. He rubbed the excess gel into his skin, the soft smell lavender in the air. After that, it was a short affair to get cleaned up enough to go out and run. It was early enough that no one would be out, hopefully. So he headed down to the kitchen for something quick to eat. It was blissfully empty. As he chowed down on a granola bar, he ran through some extra stretches before he went running, until he looked up and shrieked, falling back against the fridge and to the floor.

Aizawa shook with silent laughter, smiling amusedly.

"You alright, problem child?"

"I-I didn't think anyone would be up..."

"My room in the staff dorms is under reconstruction, there was an issue. My office is here, so I slept there. Most days I'll only be here after school. Up for your morning run?"

He nodded, getting up and cleaning up the mess of his granola. He tossed it in the trash and pulled out one of his water bottles.

"Mind if I join you? I'm having a restless morning."

He blinked in surprise at Aizawa, but nodded. It made sense. Everyone was restless after the past four months, as much as many of them seemed to deny it. The teacher grabbed a bottle of water himself, and they headed to the door for their shoes. It was still fairly dark outside, but Izuku could see the sky turning the soft grey-blue he loved. He adored seeing the sunrise and sunset, seeing the shifts of light and color. It was one of the things that inspired him to learn art. Capturing moments in time with his own skills.

It was quiet, only a few birds calling as they made their way across the grounds. At some point, Izuku saw Aizawa send a text, his eyes catching on the words 'go time,' but it wasn't his business. So he pushed his curiosity down and kept running. He felt good as his blood pumped. Aizawa kept pace with him easily, although there was a point at which he was clearly starting to get tired, sweating and puffing. Izuku decided to cut the run short, so they would head back sooner.

They stopped at the edge of the woods instead of going in, taking a break at the halfway mark. He started his stretches, seeing Aizawa on his phone again as he drank his water, eyes flicking to Izuku.

"You sure you don't want to go farther? You usually run a lot longer."

"Well, I haven't been able to exercise as much while my gear was in storage and waiting for the move, so I figured I should take it easy, especially with how intense training has been the past three days. I don't want to wear myself out."

Eraserhead nodded approvingly, going back to his phone before he put it away. They took another moment before they started heading back, Aizawa jogging slower this time. Izuku stayed a step or two ahead of him, but otherwise stayed with him. He spotted a hill and looked at the man, nodding at it. They changed course and made their way up. Izuku paused at the view, looking at the soft pinks, oranges, and blazing reds of the sunrise. Slowly the birds got louder as he watched it, Aizawa at his side.

"My mom always said sunrise was her favorite time of day..."

"Yeah? She tell you why?"

"She said it reminded her that there was another chance every day. That she could choose to get up and fight for a good day no matter what happened before. She also said that it reminded her of my dad's eyes because they were pink, but when he used his quirk, they turned bright blue and glowed. She would get up every morning, even if only for a few minutes, to watch it. It made her cry for years. I'd wake up and hear her sobbing, but whenever I went to check on her, she was always smiling."

He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to his teacher. The man offered him a sympathetic pat. Izuku smiled with a huff, wiping the tears off his face. They started running again, making their way down the hill and back to the dorms. It felt good to remember those mornings when he joined her, sitting on her lap as they watched the sky shift colors as the hours passed before they made breakfast, her petting his hair to make him purr, a mutation he'd gotten from his dad. The feeling of her tears landing on his head and shoulders. The smell of lavender cherry blossom soap, and the natural sweet smell she gave off that he could smell under even her strongest perfume.

When they arrived, Aizawa lead Izuku to the kitchen, where Kaminari was yelling at Mina, an empty cereal box laying on the counter.

"YOU ARE A LIAR OF THE MOST BLATANT KIND, WHOSE SINISTER FIGURE PERMEATES THE WHOLE OF THIS TRAGEDY, BUT WHOSE PURPOSE AND DESIGN ARE SHROUDED IN MYSTERY."

"Look, I didn't eat your cereal."

"Hey, quiet down. There are people sleeping and I'd prefer to be out of here before all of you troublemakers are awake. Midoriya, where's your coffee stuff?"

He chuckled and started to make a pot of his Black Insomnia, mixing coffee oil into the grounds rather than the coffee, as he'd learned he was supposed to, but putting the cocoa in the cups to mix in later, handing one to Aizawa. Then, Kaminari looked at Izuku more closely.

“IS THAT A TEAR I SEE ON YOUR FACE?! Well if you keep that up, I will FUCKING hug you, maybe even GODDAMN CUDDLE YOU, and remind you how FUCKING BEAUTIFUL, LOVED, and IMPORTANT you are!”

Mina pulled him back with a sigh.

"Sorry, he managed to get his hands on an energy drink earlier, and he's going wild between his energy and not being used to caffeine."

Izuku nodded, while Aizawa glared at said blond, who shrunk down under the gaze.

"Never. Again."

Kaminari nodded and grabbed a few granola bars in the absence of his favorite cereal. Izuku began to prepare his breakfast, and it was quiet for a few moments as tired teens made their way into the kitchen, making their breakfasts and heading into the dining hall, where chatter slowly started to rise. When the coffee pot beeped, Izuku dished out his breakfast, offering some to his homeroom teacher, who readily accepted. They sat together in the kitchen, quietly nursing coffees. When Aizawa was done, he headed to the elevator and headed up to the second floor. Izuku stayed in the kitchen, cleaning up and putting the remainder of the coffee in a thermos.

When he headed up to grab his uniform so he could go shower he sensed multiple people in the hallway near his room, and he recognized Aizawa, Midnight, and Yamada. There was a familiar fire in his room with Nedzu, but he was too far away to recognize it. As he got closer, his eyes widened. They didn't. They didn't, did they?

Hope started to curl in Izuku's chest, but he kept himself composed.

"Hey listener! How are you this morning?"

Izuku narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the blond.

"I'm good. Any reason you guys are here?"

"Well, we have a surprise for you. It's in your room!"

Midnight bounced excitedly, clapping her hands. Izuku reached for the knob but hesitated.

"What did you do?"

"Just go in, Problem Child. You'll like it."

He nodded and entered, grinning when Spectacle leapt into his arms with a loud yowl. The cat started rubbing his face against Izuku's shoulders, neck, and chin, making loud noises as happiness burned bright in him. His attention shifted to the cat tree that had taken the unoccupied corner of his room, giggling when Nedzu's head poked out of the hide.

"Good morning Midoriya! I see your friend is very happy to see you!"

"I'm happy to see him too. Thank you guys so much!"

Nedzu stepped to the floor and stood tall, hands clasped behind his back as always.

"Well, I had very little to do with it, but I did want to see your face. All I did was approve the pet request. Those three put quite a bit of effort into this, so take good care of him. They even put in a closed tunnel on your veranda to the common room with Cementoss' help. Your railing had to be altered to prevent him being able to escape from there, of course, but I think you'll both be just fine."

Izuku nodded, and promptly put his foot in his mouth, for this was a topsy-turvy world of anguish, shame, and self-torment.

"Thanks, dad-"

He froze on realizing what he'd called the principal, face flushing red. He curled up in the corner at the foot of his bed with a dying squeal, not seeing the wide, fond grin Nedzu bore before he turned to Aizawa with smug pride and tossing Nemuri an envelope of money.

"It's not often I lose a bet, but this is one I don't mind losing. I'm glad you think of me that way, Midoriya. Is this something I can look forward to being called often?"

He curled up tighter in embarrassment, feeling Spectacle pawing at his back.

"I will hunt you down and I will cry."

He heard laughter behind him and a paw ruffling his hair.

"I'll see you soon, son."

"Aww, Shou~ Don't pout! It won't be long, for sure! Now let's leave the kid to his emotions."

Chapter Text

Izuku sighed as he left gym Gamma, upset. Another day without coming up with a new ultimate, struggling with One For All and Solaris, struggling to think of a new way to use his quirk with Iida's help training, waiting for his official costume mods to come back while he worked with Hatsume's, it all built up and left him exhausted an frustrated. He only had 7 more days to come up with a second before the second semester began. 7 days to come up with a way to try to ensure he passed an exam less than half of takers passed on average, and even then, it was a risk.

He entered the dorms. grabbing his laptop off the common room coffee table. He had time to kill before he left for the cemetery, and he still hadn't seen the press conference or the news reports on the Kamino ward fight. Finding them was easy, but preparing himself to watch them was impossible.

Nedzu, Aizawa, and Vlad king sat at a table, facing a sea of press. They stood up and bowed, and Aizawa's voice rung out above the murmurs, and Izuku noted his face was shave, and his hair was up in a half-bun. He'd put effort into his appearance, and the teen had a feeling it hadn't been coerced.

"Our unpreparedness was regrettably responsible for putting our first year  hero students in danger, injuring 18 of them. Despite our precautions, and our purpose as a training facility for heroes, we were negligent in defending them and ourselves from villains. We understand there are many who are made uneasy by this. There is no excuse, and for this, we deeply apologize."

There was an uproar from the media as they straightened, which they ignored until the reporters settled down and raised their hands. Nedzu called on someone, who asked a rudely worded question on Yuuei's stance and villain preparations were, and the principal answered it.

"We cannot share every detail of our security measures, as that may give villains ideas on how to counter these measures, but we've increased surveillance, increased the presence of heroes at the school as guards to protect the children, and added... Security defenses to our boundaries on campus to prevent intruders in the future."

"Mr. Eraserhead! You have stated before, you care about the student's safety and well-being above all else, but according to your report, you authorized the students to engage the villains near the end of the attack. Can you explain why?"

"I sought to prevent the worst case scenario as we had no way of grasping the full scope of the situation. Thankfully, this succeeded."

"Succeeded?! What else would you call 18 injured students and two kidnapped?!"

"The worst case scenario was my students dying. By allowing them to defend themselves from villains, they saved themselves using their training, and even stopped several of the villains, allowing for their  capture."

Nedzu broke in, ears twitching.

"It was clear that the villain who caused the most harm was a villain who quirk was a non-deadly sleeping gas, from which all students recovered with no problems. They have all received psyche evaluations, and they have all been cleared by the best psychologists in the country as stable and healthy."

"Is that meant to make this better?"

"In truth, it is viewed as the worst has been avoided if the students still have futures."

Izuku saw the reporter's mouth twitch into a smirk for a split second, and rage welled up inside him.

"Can the same be said of the two abducted students? Of Young Bakugou Katsuki, he struggled valiantly against the slime quirked villain that attacked him nearly a year ago, he won the sports festival, but in his victory, he showed a rather violent side of his personality that persisted through the awards ceremony. So violent there was apparently need to restrain him. As for Young Midoriya Izuku, his quirk, according to statements made about him, only appeared this year. Volatile and dangerous, causing harm even to himself. He stepped forward when even heroes hesitated to save Bakugou Katsuki when the slime villain captured him, and saved another of his classmates and the hero Native when they were attacked by Stain, the hero killer. However, he brutalized and even went so far as to blind the villain Muscular in the attack on the training camp.

"They have presented good bases for becoming heroes, but they have also shown to be mentally unstable and aggressive. Midoriya Izuku has also shown a disregard for the law in engaging villains without a license, and faced such intense discrimination and bullying in the past that it got an entire school district shut down and several teachers arrested. What if it was for these traits and backstories that they were targeted by villains? If a skilled manipulator got to them, what if they were turned down the path of villainy? Can you provide proof that these boys still have a future?"

Izuku could see anger in Aizawa's eyes and the slight crinkle of his brow, even without his quirk as it didn't work on people in recordings. It was clear the reporter was hoping Eraserhead would lose his composure and become aggressive, but Izuku knew his teacher was better than that, and was proved right when the man stood and bowed, speaking calmly.

"Any doubts in those boy's characters is my failing. Bakugou's behavior at the sports festival was because he has strong convictions. Strong enough that he felt he didn't earn the number one spot in the sports festival and tried to reject his metal. His bindings were a failing by the owners of the stadium in which the festival was held, and his aggression in trying to escape was induced by post traumatic stress from the slime villain attack, for which Yuuei has cut ties with the stadium. Midoriya has faced incredible adversity in his life and come out stronger for it, holding to his ideals that he can be a hero despite everything that has happened to him. He had authorization to engage villains both times he faced them, saving lives both times, and even convincing Stain to let himself be captured by police with his convictions. More than anyone, they pursue becoming heroes with every fiber of their beings. If the villains that took them have mistaken that for weakness, then they are superficial in their judgement of character. I know this because every time I look at them, at their classmates, I know that the future will be safer with them in it.

"Because they are going to be two of the greatest heroes that have ever lived. Even greater than All Might."

There was silence reigned as Aizawa Shouta took his seat once more, and Izuku bit his lip, struggling to hold back his tears. He ultimately failed as they streamed down his cheeks. His breathing hitched and turned into sobs as he paused the recording. Aizawa had such faith in them. Faith that Izuku wasn't sure he could live up to, but he would try his damnedest. He took a deep breath to steady himself and pressed play, hearing the reporter speak uncertainly.

"Putting their emotions aside, as that is flimsy proof if at all, do you have a concrete counter-strategy to save them from the League of Villains?"

This question apparently caught both the teacher's attentions, but also security's as the all zeroed in on him.

"It has not been stated that the League of Villains took them, nor have they taken or been given credit for the attack or abductions. At this time, it is being treated as we do not know who is responsible for the attack. As for a counter-strategy, we are not reacting passively. Yuuei as a whole, and I myself personally, are working with the police in their ongoing investigation. Make no mistake, the students who were taken WILL be retrieved, and the villains dealt with accordingly."

Izuku saw the glint in Nedzu's eyes, and smiled. This had been aired during the raid, no doubt a distraction. And he'd been right, both he and Bakugou had been saved. They resolved the press conference quickly after that as the press began to receive notifications and shout about the raid that had begun on the villain hideouts. The last thing captured was Nedzu's phone going off, and a grin spreading across his snout as he checked it.

The recording ended, and Izuku switched over the the news report on Kamino Ward. They had arrived before Izuku had, but not long before. The first thing he saw was All Might pinning All For One and then being thrown at the helicopter. He was saved by Gran Torino, and they crashed. then the camera panned to green light streaking closer and going by. He barely paid attention to her words as the camera zoomed in on the green flare that was Izuku.

The helicopter was rocked slightly was Izuku burst with power, the camera shorting out. Checking other news sites, they all shorted out at the same time, but came back on at different points. He switched back to the first site, as it seemed to be the first one to come back in. The camera focused on a glowing All Might beating All For One, dodging him and meeting and switching his punches, bursts of light between them as they fought, culminating in a flare against All For One's torso with a cloud of smoke and steam, sending him limply to the ground where he died.

Even though he was there, Izuku found himself watching in horror, seeing All Might's wounds from a new perspective, seeing All For One attacking him. Seeing his mentor struggling even despite the help Izuku gave him. And then it was over. Even knowing that huge chunks of the fight were missing from the recordings, filled in from witness recordings, it seemed to happen in an instant. According to the news station, it lasted an hour and a half though. He watched as the smoke cleared, the glow of Izuku's power combined with One For All gone. He raised his fist in victory as his body regained it's muscle long enough to inspire awe in the civilians and fear in the villains before it cut off. The reports after that were about rescue efforts and All Might's retirement, and Izuku felt guilt spear him as he started at the image of his grandpa, dead at All Might's feet while he stood in victory.

If he'd been faster, stronger, if he'd tried harder to learn to use his powers, he could have prevented this. If he'd paid more attention, he could have stopped Mr. Compress from taking them. All Might would still have his powers, Bakugou wouldn't have been kidnapped, his mom would still be alive, Izuku wouldn't have killed his own grandfather-

A hand slammed Izuku's laptop closed, and Izuku looked up in shock. Aizawa was staring at him in worry. He realized he'd curled in on himself where he sat on the couch, hyperventilating as the weight of everything crashed down on him. He stretched out into a sitting position again, looking down in shame.

"Midoriya... Is it alright if I sit down?"

"Yeah, sensei. Sorry. I didn't know watching it would..."

The teacher sat down as Izuku opened the device again, but he turned to the man beside him.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Izuku was silent for a while, thinking it over as he turned back to the image, tracing his grandfather's deformed, slack face.

"I don't know where to start."

"How about the beginning?"

He nodded, pulling his feet up and crossing them. He played with a loose string on his pants before he forced the words on the tip of his tongue out.

"He was my grandpa. All For One, I mean. I didn't know until he kidnapped me. I just... He was always amazing when I was a kid. He would tell me stories, read me books. He encouraged me in my art and analyzing heroes. He was the first and only one to tell me that I could be anything I wanted after I was told I was quirkless. He let me sit in his lap like he had a thousand times before and I cried all night in his arms. He let me eat ice cream for breakfast the next morning even if it got him in trouble with mom. He helped me with homework and learning English until I was 8, and then he faked his death. Left us to mourn him while he went and tended to his criminal empire that he'd apparently been running for almost 300 years."

He waited for the backlash, tense. Waiting to hear what he'd been dreading since All Might found out. Those awful words he'd heard so many times when he was quirkless-

"And you feel guilty for not knowing?"

"... Yeah. But there's more than that. If I'd worked harder to figure out my quirk I wouldn't have been in as much danger. If I'd paid more attention to what was around me I'd have seen Compress before he attacked us. All Might would still-"

"Midoriya!"

He stopped, shoulders hunching as he looked up. Aizawa took his shoulders and gently turned him.

"Kid, you got your powers this year. I've met people who've had their quirks since birth unable to get control beyond not using it even as adults. You have incredible skill already, and I've seen you grow a lot since the beginning of the year. You couldn't have known your grandfather was a villain when you were a little kid. Couldn't have known he'd gone into hiding instead of dying. As for camp, you're a child. You were in a dangerous situation with people you care about knowing you were being targeted, that one of your peers was being targeted, severely injured. The fact that you were handling it so well in the moment was astonishing, amazing, and heart breaking. You shouldn't have been faced with that scenario at all. You were distracted by another villain who had hurt two of your classmates. A lapse in concentration affects even the most experienced pros. What, you think All Might's never gotten distracted while rescuing people? That I've never been caught off-guard by a villain while fighting another? Trained professionals screw up sometimes, let alone barely trained teens facing a threat way above what they should be able to handle."

Izuku's breath hitched as he rubbed at his eyes.

"I just... I could have done something... I was right there..."

"You gave them a run for their money, Problem Child. You saved Kouta, and Uraraka, and Tsuyu, and Todoroki, and several others of your class. You took out a mentally unstable murderer who killed a lot of heroes, and helped take out another. You saved All Might's life when you helped him during Kamino."

Izuku choked on his words before they came spilling out like a faucet.

"I look back at my life and… People tell me I should be proud of what I accomplished. I took down villains, saved lives… But it… I feel so empty and guilty. I saved people, but I was a stupid kid in over his head. I got through on the skin of my teeth by the grace of luck. I nearly died over and over, nearly watched my friends die. And there's so much pressure. All Might's successor, the media watching me at all hours, the public's expectations of me, the target on my back, the expectations the class has of me, Nedzu too. The constant weight of my quirk on my body that's literally trying to rip me apart from the inside. I've accomplished everything I ever dreamed of and more, everything I was told I could never, so why do I feel like I haven't done enough? Why do I feel like a fake, a lost cause with a messed up head?"

"You're not-"

" And… And I don't even know if I'm still really human. I'm starting to turn into something else along the way because of my powers beyond One For All… Am I broken? Too flawed to be repaired?. There's this dread underneath it all that no one can even help me anymore. That I've so thoroughly become my own nightmare that there's no waking me up... I can't help but wonder what was the straw that broke the camel's back."

He was suddenly drawn into a tight hug, and he clung to the strong form of Aizawa as he let himself weep. Izuku's weeping was not like his crying. It was quieter, softer. He cried often because he became overwhelmed by his emotions and his brain needed to balance itself. He saved his weeping for when he really needed it. He wept only when he was at his lowest and needed a moment like this. To be held and allowed to let it out until he calmed down. When he finally stilled, Aizawa looked him in the eye.

"You are not broken. You are not beyond help. You have done so much, too much. More than any child should ever have to do. I'm sorry that no one helped you get through it. I'm sorry the adults in your life failed you so badly and didn't step up when you needed to be saved. That they failed the kids you grew up with and taught them what they did to you and each other was okay. You are so strong and brave for being here. For trusting me enough to tell me. And every time you need to hear it, I'll tell you. And anytime you need to talk to me, you can. I'll listen."

He sniffled, nodding. Izuku slowly evened out his breathing. He smiled at Aizawa, and out of the corner of his eye he saw a shock of platinum blond hair by the doorway leaving. How long had Bakugou been listening?

"Thanks sensei... Are we still okay to go to the cemetery?"

"If you're up for it, but if you can't, I'll clear you to go some other time."

"No, I still want to go. I need to."

Chapter Text

Izuku smiled at Shinsou, holding his hand as they walked behind Aizawa. It was a bright day, which felt wrong, but good at the same time. Inko had always told Izuku she hoped it was sunny every time he visited her when she was gone because it was her favorite kind of day. That and nature didn't care if he was mourning. Nature only cared about survival, even at the expense of others. The bear felt no remorse for eating the fish, the deer cared not for eating the last flower of a kind. They still had mercy and kindness, the mother lion might adopt a new cub, but there was a balance the world would find no matter how much it changed, leaving behind that which could not adapt to the balance and creating something new to fill in the void.

As much as many dreaded being left behind in that balance, Izuku found it strangely comforting that despite that he could have an impact on that balance, the world would continue regardless of that impact. It was unlikely any one person could end the world. Shinsou bumped shoulders with him and he realized he had been mumbling. He ducked his head.

"Sorry..."

"Don't be, it's cute. I didn't mean to interrupt."

He blushed, stuttering for a moment before Shinsou laughed. The mood became solemn, however, as the wrought iron gate came into view. Musutafu cemetery. The resting place of Izuku's parents. They went silent as they approached, making him feel unsteady. Even the birds seemed quieter. He stopped at the gate, bringing the two to a stop with him. The bouquet of flowers in his other hand felt heavy.

"Well Midoriya... Are you ready?"

"No. But who is?"

He squeezed Shinsou's hand before he pushed open the gate, each washing their hands as they stepped in and gathering a pail of water, then leading them down the rows until he reached a large fairly empty space. Very few people were buried here, as it was the family plot. Apparently his grandfather had bought it when his brother died, and it had been reserved for only people he approved of. Now Izuku was in charge of it as the head of the family. He had elected to follow most of his grandfather's apparent plans for his death, placing him at the plot beside his brother. However, his tomb had been replaced with a simple headstone that read only "Shigaraki" and the day of his death. He hadn't gotten a funeral. No one had visited his grave, nor laid any flowers.

It was a little surprising, given Shigaraki's attachment to him, but then again, they didn't have Kurogiri anymore, so it would have been a risk. One they probably couldn't really afford right now. They made their way down to where Midoriya Hisashi and Midoriya Inko were buried side by side. Two simple headstones, his father's decorated with shooting stars and a telescope, his mother's had a tree with a few leaves falling from it. Izuku stared at the cold grey stone silently.

It felt unreal. Like in just a moment he would wake up and his mom would be in the kitchen making breakfast. He would get up and get ready for school, and she'd smile at him as he left to go running. He looked down at himself. His scarred hands, one clutching Shinsou's and the other the bouquet, crooked fingers wrapped tightly around them. Dressed in a grey button up shirt and black pants. He felt under dressed. His red shoes stood out starkly against the green grass.

He pulled his hand free and set the flowers and the pail down on her grave, kneeling beside it silently as he began to clean it. He looked up at the two standing a few steps away. Aizawa had his capture weapon, but rather than his jumpsuit, he was wearing a plain black button up similar to Izuku's, although he was wearing actual dress pants, and his hair was styled similarly to the conference. Shinsou was wearing a blue dress shirt and black pants, although all attempts to tame his hair had failed.

"I..."

He paused, looking back at the graves, unsure.

"Can I have a moment? I just... I need a second to myself to..."

"We can't go far, but we can give you a little privacy."

He nodded, and they walked away to the edge of the plot. He turned to her, eyes burning before he reached out and lit a stick of incense.

"Hey mom... I'm... I'm sorry, I should've... There's a lot I should've done. I can't believe I was so selfish. That I wanted what I have so badly that I was willing to risk your health. And look... Now... Now I lost you. I'm so sorry. I should have backed down. I should have listened to you. So I'm going to make it up to you the only way I can. I'm going to be the best hero. I'm going to save as many people as possible, but most of all, I'm going to live. I'm going to live, and I'll do everything I can to make every second worth something. I wanted to be a hero so badly, so bad that I kept going even though I knew it hurt you, so I won't let you down. I'll become number one, and I'll do right by you."

He bit his lips, staring hard at his shaking fists and letting the tears fall to the ground below him. His heart ached, an ache that spread to every part of him and turned to glass under his skin. He felt the weight of that promise on his shoulders. Another burden to his many, but one he gladly took up. A weight that, instead of dragging him down, would push him ever forward. He closed his eyes, and for a moment, he swore he smelled it, that smell she gave off. But it was gone as soon as he opened them again.

"Mom... There's so much I wanted to tell you. So much I still want to tell you. About my friends. About school. About the family I've found since coming to Yuuei. I got a boyfriend now. Shinsou. He's so kind, and smart. He makes me feel happy, even if we haven't been together long. We haven't even been on a real date yet. I'm going to fix that though. I've been pretty okay at Yuuei, my classmates have been an amazing support net. The biggest help has been Mr. Aizawa though. He went to bat for me and Kacchan when this reporter tried to say we were going to become villains. he talked about how we were going to be great heroes. Better than All Might. I think you would have really liked to know him. He's been so great at dealing with all the crap that has happened to me and everyone this year."

He settled more comfortably, smiling as he remembered everything his teacher had done for him.

"I accidentally called the principal dad today, and yeah, he's a good father figure, but I really think of Aizawa as more of a dad. All Might is another one, and Present Mic, heheh. Gosh, when I was little, if someone had told me I was going to start thinking of four pro heroes as my dads while becoming a hero myself, and All Might's successor on top of it? I'd have had a heart attack from joy. And with all the friends I've made... Things are really different now. And I'd like to think the good has outweighed the bad so far. Though, sitting here... I have my doubts about that."

He felt the breeze ruffle his hair, watching the grass sway. The sun was warm against his back. A glance up revealed his teacher looking at his phone, and he was sent an apologetic look with a wrist tap. They probably had to get back to school soon. He nodded, and turned back to the grave.

"I guess I gotta go mom... I wish I could stay longer. I miss you. I miss you so much, and I promise I'll visit often. Goodbye..."

Cleaning up after himself was a short affair. Izuku had to admit, although he was sure the pain would never go away, it would get easier to deal with. It would be agony for a while but he'd learn to bear it. And with that in mind, he headed to Aizawa and Shinsou, heading back towards the gate.

If he saw a wreath of tiny, carefully woven, white flowers on All For One's grave and didn't mention it, well, no one could say. And if he pulled a flower from his pocket and tossed it into the wreath with a silent prayer his teacher and boyfriend were engrossed in their conversation, that was his business.

Chapter Text

BLACK

LIVES

MATTER

These are trying times with the police attacking innocent people and blaming their victims. And before anyone says anything about "It's the protesters! They're just following orders!" Police have been caught on camera/video breaking their own cars and breaking into businesses which has been blamed on protesters. They have fire on peaceful protesters with tear gas, smoke bombs, and rubber bullets. For those that don't know, tear gas is LETHAL. If you consume too much, you die. They have been misusing their equipment as well. Rubber bullets are meant to be fired at the ground, but they are shooting them at people, breaking bones, blinding people, and worse. I have a friend who had to have fingers amputated for the damage done to them after being attacked at a PEACEFUL protest. The police attacked them first.

If you don't support BLM, then stop reading my story. I don't care if you contributed 1,000 hits by yourself, stop. I don't want you here.

If you believe any of the characters in BNHA wouldn't support BLM (Except Endeavor, I don't think he would, and I'm iffy about Mineta) then stop reading. They would be defending protesters from the police.

That being said, there is nothing wrong with not going to a protest, or not making a statement about what's going on, because some people just can't handle the stress. It's okay to need an escape, it's okay to not be able to watch videos or look at photos for whatever reasons, and if someone tells you it's not, they're wrong and I'm sorry.

If you want to help but can't protest or donate money for some reason or don't know where to, I'll leave some resources in the comments.

Chapter Text

As the cemetery gate closed behind them, Izuku took Shinsou's hand and started leading them down the road. It was time for an early dinner. He had paid ahead for the three of them to visit a buffet at a small, hidden restaurant that was well loved near his old apartment building. It was where he went every year before this for his birthday dinner, and he was excited to show it to them.

He pulled them down a winding path to The Black Magic Den. Food so good it must be forbidden spell work. It was a small building with an unobtrusive sign and windows painted with murals to partially obscure the view in. He smiled at the familiar sight of crane's flying over a marsh before he pushed open the door, the little bell tinkling to announce his arrival. Making his way up to the hostess was his next mistake, apparently, as he was pulled into a warm hug, feeling her lift him into the air.

"Mido-kun! We've been so worried about you! When we heard what happened at camp, and then your mom- Well, I'm glad you seem to be healing."

He huffed in relief as she released him. He'd been suffocating in her pecs.

"Yeah, it's been pretty crazy Ms. Ichika. Is our table ready?"

"Of course Mido-kun. Right this way. We were all super bummed when we heard you wouldn't be coming in for your birthday, but hearing that it was because you were at training camp made it better. We'll bring your stuff out to you, okay? We won't take no for an answer! Now, drinks?"

He laughed as he claimed his seat while she took their orders and walked away. Shinsou was staring at him.

"Um... Is everything okay?"

"Your birthday... Was during camp, and you didn't tell any of us? Not even me?"

He paused and looked at him before shrugging and taking his hand, pulling him to the buffet table, Aizawa close behind. Izuku could see people giving him second glances and even thirds as they passed. It was tiring, but he didn't say anything.

"Well, it wasn't very important at the time. We were busy. Plus birthdays have never been a big deal to me. My mom, grandpa, and Kacchan's parents were the only ones to ever celebrate it so it was never a huge thing for me? They made it pretty great though."

"So Bakugou knew?"

"He was at the hospital when I was born. Yes, he knew. He doesn't celebrate his own birthdays let alone anyone else's."

The unspoken 'especially mine' hung in the air as they filled their plates and headed back to their table where their cups sat. It felt good to be back somewhere familiar. Somewhere he loved with good food, good company, and good memories. It felt good to be making new ones too. So when Ms. Ichika dropped off a small menu at their table with a selection of treats labelled 'Birthday kid!' he eagerly passed it to Shinsou and Aizawa.

"They have the best desserts! Even better than what I've tried from Satou. Pick something and we can get it to go for later."

"Hn... What do you recommend?"

"What sort of deserts do you like?"

"I prefer soft stuff that is sweet, but not overpowering."

"You should get the flower powder cake then. It's really light and airy, with a powdered sugar dusting. They use pansies and begonias for the flavor so it's really mild and citrus-y too. What about you, Mr. Aizawa?"

"I'll probably get the strawberry shortcake, although the hibiscus ice cream cupcake sounds pretty good."

"I love that one. The hibiscus ice cream has a tart berry flavor to it, and it comes in a hollowed vanilla cupcake with a side of an ice cream sauce of your choosing, they should be listed under the ice cream section. I think the best sauce for it either the strawberry or the candied lilac flavors."

When she came back to refill their drinks, they placed their orders, and settled in to wait and finish their meals. Izuku went back for seconds and thirds, coming back to find their to go boxes waiting on the table for them. It smelled divine. For once, Izuku felt full as they went to settle the bill. When they reached the counter, Izuku passed his card to the cashier, who passed it back with his receipt, and his eyes went wide.

"Free? But-"

"No arguing! It was free. Mr. Hiroki's treat. And he told me to give you a belated happy birthday too."

"Well, tell him I said thanks, and I hope to see him again soon!"

"I will. Have a great evening."

"You too."

So they left with their bag of desserts for Yuuei. It was a short walk to the train station, thankfully. The hours had crept by, so they would need to hurry a bit to get back on time, but not much. He could always carry them back if Aizawa gave him permission-

"I'm not going to Problem Child. And when we're in private, I have something to ask you."

He hunched his shoulders in embarrassment and worry, nodding silently. As predicted, they had to jog a few blocks together and cut time close, but Aizawa silently fished out his cupcake and handed the teens their own deserts as they entered the dining hall of the dorms. Izuku sat down, opening the box to reveal a small strawberry cheesecake with lemon topping. It was a simple desert, but one he loved. Mr. Hiroki, the owner of The Black Magic Den, made them himself from scratch.

Desert was a quiet affair as they enjoyed their treats. It was little moments like this that made him feel like everything would be okay despite everything that had happened.

"Alright, now that we're done, it's been a long day, and you two need sleep. Midoriya, we'll have that chat tomorrow after training. Go to bed."

"Okay, sensei, see you tomorrow!"

"Night."

Chapter Text

Izuku glared at his hands as he heard his classmates working on their own ultimates, many of them already having two and working on perfecting them. He did have Nova, but he needed something else. He sighed as he unwrapped his capture whips and started practicing, hoping it would spark inspiration as he thought over what he'd been practicing with Iida and Ojiro, who had joined them when Izuku had expressed his concern over needing a more leg centered fighting style. He'd been helping Izuku with some martial arts moves, which Izuku was grateful for.

He flinched at the sound of an explosion, looking up at where Bakugou was working just in time to see a chunk of concrete begin to crumble and fall. Bakugou shouted a warning as it tumbled through the air, headed directly for All Might. Aizawa was getting his capture weapon ready, but Izuku was already overhead. He twisted in the air, leg sweeping out and and shattering the rock, landing in front of All Might and Aizawa, glaring at the rubble like it could answer for the crime of endangering his idol. A low rumble rose in his chest before he turned to All Might and looked him over. The man was grinning at him in pride and offered a thumbs up.

Izuku smiled and nodded, returning to where he had been practicing as ideas gathered in his head. Even with his efforts to build a wider range of moves, he'd been too focused on his arms. He only knew what All Might had done with One For All, as his fighting style was centered around punches, that he had trouble looking past it. Now he had a base to build off of after coming up with something. It left him in a much better mood as he went back to his training area and began to think over what he could do.

Soon, Izuku was practicing the same move, but quickly began to embellish it when Ectoplasm began to spar with him. It felt good to finally move forward again after he had stalled for so long. Maybe if he got shoes with calcium in the fibers like his capture weapon, he could add a concussive bast like Nova, or a blinding flare like a flash bang. He would need to tint his visor for that though. He winced as the clone fell apart after a particularly strong kick. He would definitely need to keep his strength in mind.

"Ectoplasm-sensei, I need a new clone!"

Izuku followed Aizawa to his office in the dorms, wondering what the man wanted to talk about. It was likely to do with training or his guardian-ship, considering recent events, but there were a lot of possibilities. His thoughts were cut off as Aizawa motioned him to a chair and sat across from him.

"Midoriya, yesterday... You said something concerning. You stated that you no longer think of yourself as fully human... What prompted this?"

"Oh! Um... That's because-... Well, it's kinda hard to explain, but my powers are literally changing me into something that isn't human anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it- I don't really know how to explain it... I could... show you? If that would be alright?"

Aizawa paused.

"Would it be safe? Should we head to a training field?"

"No, it would be telepathically. I'd be sharing ideas and sensation with you about what I am and... And others like me."

Aizawa seemed like he wanted to ask more questions, but settled back in his seat and nodded at the teen, who took a deep breath and reached out. Connecting to Aizawa's mind was easy, easier than any other person he'd connected to, actually, but that wasn't many people. His mind felt more open and flexible. Still, Izuku needed to be careful. Even a rubber band snaps under too much strain.

Slowly he pressed into Aizawa's mind the feeling of changing, of becoming something distinctly Other. He made a weak echo in his mind of the feeling of Mother Reality and the Family's presence and being connected to them, of togetherness in being like nothing and no one else. It was a stark reminder to Izuku of everything that had changed since he met All Might. He retreated quickly as he kept his emotions tamped down in his head.

Aizawa had emotions flitting through his flame too quickly for Izuku to determine before he looked up at the man's blank face.

"... Ah."

Izuku picked at the hem of his shirt while he let Eraserhead process what Izuku had given him to think over, gnawing on his lip.

"Well, are you receiving any guidance from the... Others like you?"

"I got some guidance before, but I haven't really been in contact with them since I moved into the dorms. It's not often that they get in touch with each other, and I'm a bit of a special case even among them, although I'm a little fuzzy on the details around that, so I'm not really sure what advice they could give me..."

"When are you going to get cut a break... And because of that I can't give you one either. Geez..."

Deku looked at the floor and chuckled.

"You wouldn't anyway because I'd be getting breaks, and eventually, they run out."

"Kid, from what I know about you, you've never gotten one period."

He resolutely kept his gaze down, not acknowledging it. He pretended he did not hear it. Hearing machine broke.

"Midoriya, you can't just ignore it. You need help. I can't force you to get it, I wouldn't if I could unless you or someone else was in immediate danger. I can't imagine how hard this is, and I know you're changing, but for now, you're a kid. A human child, who has been failed and hurt a lot. It leaves it's mark, and no one can deal with that alone. I know that from personal experience, although it was... Different circumstances."

"I know, it's just... I really don't believe someone can help me with this. None of the others were humans, so they don't know how we work or what the change is like, and by extension no human does either. I don't know what to do..."

There was a moment of silence before Aizawa got up and crouched in front of him, putting a hand on Izuku's head.

"You go to the people you trust, and you let them do whatever they can to help you."

He looked him in the eye and nodded.

"Okay. Sensei... I need help."

Chapter Text

Izuku sighed as he entered the support department with Uraraka and Iida, tired from his conversation with Aizawa and training. He needed to go speak with Hatsume again about adjustments to his leg braces because one had snapped while practicing his kicks. He might get some improvements to his shoes as well, as he had ripped a sole. Perhaps he could get them calcium-ed as well like his whips. He stepped aside as another jetpack prototype went flying at him and crashed into the wall. He ducked behind a table as it began to rattle and his. Sure enough it burst into a ball of fire and exploded. It was a much smaller blast than usual though, so he had to say it was an improvement, although Hatsume probably wouldn't.

"Ah, my favorite guinea pig returns! Come to test more of my babies?!"

"Actually, the braces on my legs didn't hold up today. I finally came up with a move focused on my legs and took them down. I need some stronger ones, and some new shoes."

"So you're using your legs because you wrecked your arms before, huh? I love ingenuity like that. Lemme get you some cute babies!"

He shook his head as he remembered the mech suit that nearly ripped him in half. He'd been sore for the rest of the day and the next because of it, and Recovery Girl had refused to clear him for training after Iida dragged him to her office and made him sit through an exam. He'd been lucky that she had allowed him his exercise routine.

"I don't want to change my costume base too much right now, it's important. I'm happy to go over ideas for it with you though."

"Oh, right, sorry... Anyway! I'm a flexible designer who can accomodate any request, regardless of reasonability or client bars! Sensei, get ready to sign off more designs!"

Power Loader turned to her with a warning in his posture, though he made no move to intervene in anything happening.

"IF it's good."

As he said nothing, Hatsume grabbed the three of them, pulling them over to her workbench. She began slamming down papers and parts. Uraraka moved to go towards Powerloader, but Hatsume pulled her back over and shoved an invention in her arm with a big yellow sticker that read: "Power Loader approved." That seemed to set her at ease as she opened the manual.

"So, you want your legs to be your selling point now to try sparing your arms, so you should adapt yourself to that completely, like Iida here!"

"Yeah, that makes sense. So what should I do?"

"Well, Iida is basically a tank with jet engine slapped on. To step up to someone like him, you'll need-"

"Oh, actually, I can spread my quirk to cover my whole body, giving me an all around boost. It's called Full Cowl."

"That's a big save of time! So next..."

Soon she was flitting between the three of them, flitting between designs as easily as a humming bird switches between flowers. It was honestly kind of scary.

His thoughts were interrupted by a text from Shinsou.

'Hey, I was going to ask to go to town today. Want to come? We can make it a date.' -12:14PM Cat, I'm a kittycat

'Sure! Let me know when we're leaving. I'm at support right now so I'll need time to clean up and get dressed.' -12:15PM Jolly Green Giant

'You changed my name again?' -12:15PM Jolly Green Giant

'Yes. We're leaving at 1:30. Meet me in the dorms.' -12:17PM Cat, I'm a kittycat

Izuku tucked his phone away with an amused huff and focused on editing a design for a new set of shoes.

When Izuku entered the dorm common area, Midnight and Shinsou were waiting for him. He grinned as Shinsou nearly doubled over in laughter when he caught sight of the green haired teen. Izuku had been saving this particular outfit for just such an occasion. He wore a yellow button up shirt decorated with bright red chili peppers (Gonzo Muppet merch), a pair of neon orange boot cut jeans, and slung over his shoulder, a zip up hoodie. Said hoodie was a mess of neon colors. Midnight turned to look at him and froze, staring as if he'd committed a crime. In her mind, he probably had.

"What are you wearing?"

"You say that like I don't look amazing. Step off, Midnight, I am a pansexual disaster and I will look the part.

"Oh sweetie no..."

Hitoshi stepped forward, smiling, and took Izuku's hand.

"Don't, he looks incredible."

She sighed and rubbed her face dramatically.

"Fiiiinnnne let's go. Are you both ready?"

Izuku pulled on his hoodie. listening to Midnight groan playfully.

"Yep! So Shinsou, what are we going to do?"

"You'll see."

He followed his boyfriend out the door with their chaperone trailing behind. They chatted quietly as they walked towards the train station. Izuku ignored the tickle at the back of his mind while he enjoyed the day. It was warm with a breeze, and in the sky, puffy clouds that looked like a factory setting computer background drifted by.

Izuku was having a good time. Shinsou had taken them to a cat cafe, and said purple haired boy had immediately been covered head to toe in cats the moment he sat down. Izuku laughed as a fuzzy face peeked out between gravity defying strands. Shinsou reached up and pulled them down to sit in his lap. Said cat cried unhappily before settling into her new spot and dozing as Hitoshi scratched her cheeks.

"So, we haven't been able to go on many dates, is this okay?"

Izuku blinked in surprise and smiled.

"Yeah, this is great. I'm having a lot of fun, and even if I wasn't, it's good to spend time with you. I've been so focused on training lately, I was worried you'd be upset. I'm gonna need to fix that."

"Well, it's a two way street. I guess we both need to work on that."

"We have plenty of time to figure it out."

"...Yeah. Yeah we do."

Izuku took Shinsou's hand in his.

"Then let's get started."

Chapter Text

Izuku spotted All Might entering the gym and waved, glad to see his mentor. All Might smiled and sent a thumbs up, assuring Izuku he was okay, but when Izuku turned, he saw All Might staring silently at his arm out of the corner of his eye. It left Izuku with a feeling like trepidation or regret sinking in him like a rock in a pool. He looked almost as upset as when Izuku told him cooking pasta in a microwave was Not Okay. He thought about going over when Aizawa declared a water break before Kaminari and Kirishima cornered him.

"Hey, Midori-bro! We wanted to talk to you yesterday, but you ran off after training. Where did you learn that kick? I thought you were all punches!"

"Plus that crazy power!"

He paused and looked at them.

"Oh, well, I've been training with Ojiro and Iida, because if I break my bones as badly as I was almost every fight, it'll end my career before it even starts. It's gotten a lot better as I gain real experience though. And leg bones are naturally stronger than arms, barring mutations. Still, I've also gotten a lot of costume mods. I see you guys got some too!"

"You noticed? You can tell?"

"Yeah, they're pretty cool. I had to update your analyses for them. I've actually had to update everyone's, certainly no one's slacking on their improvements!"

They took ready stances, posing proudly in their outfits.

"You're not the only one with a new style though! Mine's gonna blow yours out of the water, just you watch. This is gonna be awesome!!"

They were cut off by the door slamming open and a scowling Vlad King stomping in, eyes hard behind his visor. His voice was gruff and loud, easily carrying despite not yelling, although it wasn't quite as commanding as Aizawa's somehow.

"That's enough class 1-a, the TKL is supposed to be ours for the afternoon."

Class b made their way in, dressed in their own hero costumes. It wasn't often they saw each other to Izuku's dismay. In fact, he had never even seen many of their costumes, which he took his time to observe as Eraserhead and Vlad King spoke, Monoma taking yet another chance to mock them as he was largely ignored. His attention was caught by Aizawa and Vlad King talking about the test.

"No, classes A and B are assigned to different exam sites."

"The test is held in three different sites in June and September to not only allow for all participants to be tested as close together as possible, but to prevent direct competition within a single school's classes, so they're registered separately in either different locations or at different times by all schools."

Monoma let out a sigh with a relaxed smile before he went right back into his manic tirade, yelling something about unfortunately not being able to beat them himself as Izuku focused on the teachers. His attention was pulled by Sero, however, as he spoke up beside the teen.

"Heh... 'All schools'...? We usually don't pay attention to them, but I guess this means we'll be facing off against students from other hero academies."

A chill raced down Izuku's spine as realization struck him.

"And since we're ahead of schedule, because first years don't usually take the licensing exam..."

Aizawa hid his face in his scarf as he spoke up, and Izuku had the sense he was hiding either a very sadistic smile, or a very grim expression.

"Very few first years are given the opportunity gain their provisional licenses, and even fewer pass. Which means... You'll be facing students with advanced training, who have had the time to not only train their quirks and bodies, but polish them. Quirks you've never seen. And with the contents of the exam changing every year, I can safely assure you all it will be an uphill battle. Don't psyche yourselves out too much, but be aware of what you're facing."

Izuku felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see a pale and shaky looking Todoroki Shouto.

"Midoriya... My dad's being released. He's being given back his license."

Chapter Text

Izuku had made it back to his room, waiting for Shinsou to come in as he lay on his bed. He'd agreed to letting the boy into his room to sit together what had happened during training. He held the bottle in his hands, staring at the light filtering through the orange liquid. He set it down when a knock rang out in the quiet.

"Come in."

He sat up as the purple haired teen entered and grabbed the chair at his desk., setting down a box with the HeroWatcher logo on the front.

"Hey, feeling better?"

"Yeah, I am actually, and thanks for grabbing my mail, I forgot to. I was kind of out of it for a while. I did hear something about Kaminari eating a belt after I left though."

Shinsou sorted and nodded, scooting closer. Midoriya grinned at him and leaned forward onto his knees.

"Okay, so Sero mentioned he had beef jerky in the fridge from his aunt, who owns a company that makes hiking snacks like trail mixes and stuff, so Kaminari asked him what part of the cow jerky is actually made of, which sparked a conversation on what parts of the cow are edible. Yaoyorozu made the mistake of saying leather is actually edible, so Kaminari proclaimed he would eat his belt because it was leather. Yaoyorozu and Iida tried to stop him but Ashido said that since leather was edible, it would be fine. then pretty much everyone in class started telling him he should do it and he started gnawing away. He actually managed to eat the whole thing over the course of training despite Ectoplasm trying to physically wrestle it away from him during spars. He'll get no sympathy when he gets sick though."

Midoriya let himself fall back and laugh loudly before he pushed himself up, still giggling, and wiped his eyes.

"Ah, that's hilarious. I wish I'd seen it."

"Yeah, I do too. What... What happened?"

Izuku took a deep breath and let it go slowly.

"I remembered what happened at Kamino."

"Shit, that's... I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It wasn't your fault. I just... It was like I was back there. I could feel the burns on my hands and the dust in the air. It uh... It sucked."

"It makes me wish I hadn't had to give up weed to get into Yuuei. I'd give you some."

Izuku blinked and looked up at the other boy in surprise. He smirked and shifted to a more comfortable position, staring back. Midoriya picked up the water bottle and shook it.

"I've got something for that. Want some?"

Shinsou looked at the liquid suspiciously, rolling to the side of the bed.

"What is it?"

"Well, it's actually a present from a member of my Family, it's safe. It's sap from a plant that'll just leave us feeling floaty and warm and happy. After today, I'm hoping it'll help me sleep without nightmares. I have a cup in my bathroom if you aren't comfortable sharing the bottle. If you take it. I won't make you, that's be really bad, and I'd never want to put someone through that because-"

"Izuku, it's okay. You're not forcing me. I'm okay sharing too."

He pushed the chair away, sitting beside Izuku, who nodded and sighed in relief before twisting off the cap the bottle. The smell was strong, almost like peaches and flowers. He took a few gulps, handing it off to his boyfriend. The taste was sweet, almost too sugary tasting, and Izuku was glad he'd diluted it. When Shinsou passed it back, Izuku closed it and set it aside, grabbing his laptop and pulling up a movie. It was an old movie, from the pre-quirk era. Legend of the Guardians; The Owls of Ga'Hoole was a movie that Izuku felt went underappreciated at it's time.

Slowly, the feeling crept up on them and Izuku found himself with a lap full of insomniac and his arms wrapped around him. He watched Shinsou's face as he stared at the screen, apparently enraptured as the owls made their way through the plot, eyes widening and body tensing with he conflict reaching it's height, and Midoriya hugged him tighter. It felt nice.

Izuku woke up in a daze, feeling like he was tied up in a heated blanket. He rubbed his eyes and looked to the side, only to be met with a mop of purple hair, and realized he and Shinsou had apparently fallen asleep during the movie. Izuku pressed closer for a moment before he pulled back, trying to untangle their legs without waking the other up. Eventually he was free, and he made his way out of bed to the closet, where he pulled out his Zu-bunny costume and his camera before moving to the desk and turning it on.

"Hello everyone, it's been a few weeks. Sorry, I have to be quiet right now, but I have big news! I reached 100,000 Watchers! Thank you guys so much for following my content. I really enjoy making it, and I hope you guys continue to enjoy watching it. So tonight we'll be unboxing a little package HeroWatcherOfficial sent me!"

He slowly opened the box, pulling out the box containing the statuette and the certificate, then the letter.

"This is a letter of congratulations, I'll read that on my own time. Now, in here... Ah yes! Here it is guys, my silver Cursor Award! And my certificate, which comes pre-framed that is so nice. It's going to look so great on my wall, and my award is going right here on my desk. To celebrate getting 100,000, I'm going to be starting up vlogs again, and my first is going to be a q&a. So ask me some questions down in the comments and next video I'll answer some of them. Don't get too personal please, as I don't want to reveal who I am to the public. This channel is supposed to be free of the drama my personal life is riddled with. So, now woth that out of the way, let's chat for a while, huh?"

Izuku spent the next few minutes rambling to the camera, knowing he would edit it later to pick out any details that were too revealing. It felt good to record again, and Izuku wondered if after the test, he could finally take Aizawa up on setting up a parkour course for him after school to free run in.

Chapter Text

I'm going to rewrite this. I love this fic and where it's going, but I keep forgetting stuff in the story! It needs so much work that a rewrite is really what's best. I'll add a link to the new one when I post the first chapter. I hope you follow me over, bc I'd really miss anyone who didn't!

Chapter Text

The rewrite has officially been posted, and the first chapter can be found here!: Starchild (REWRITE)

Chapter Text

So you guys know there's going to be eldritch monsters and near omnipotent extra-dimensional beings (who have been decided on)
I wanted to ask your help with monster names, and powers. I'll put the list of Family members already decided on in here so you can make power recommendations if you want! Remember, we shoot for the moon, and end up in the nightmare vortex!

Grubeshildr

Shulderkint

Mother Time

Father Void

Mother Death

Father Life

Mother Song

Father Beauty

Mother Reality

Father Thought