a light in the void

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/16623611.

Rating: Not Rated

Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Category: F/M, Gen, M/M
Fandom: 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero
Academia
Relationship: Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead & Midoriya Izuku, Midoriya Izuku & Yagi
Toshinori | All Might, Midoriya Izuku & Shinsou Hitoshi, Midoriya Izuku
& Todoroki Shouto, Kirishima Eijirou & Midoriya Izuku, Bakugou Katsuki
& Midoriya Izuku, Midoriya Izuku & Uraraka Ochako, Iida Tenya &
Midoriya Izuku, Midoriya Inko & Midoriya Izuku
Character: Class 1-A (My Hero Academia), Shinsou Hitoshi, Midoriya Inko, Aizawa
Shouta | Eraserhead, Yagi Toshinori | All Might, Todoroki Shouto,
Uraraka Ochako, Bakugou Katsuki, Kirishima Eijirou, Iida Tenya,
Sensei | All For One, Shigaraki Tomura | Shimura Tenko
Additional Tags: Depressed Midoriya Izuku, Midoriya Izuku Has One for All Quirk,
Todoroki Enji | Endeavor's Bad Parenting, Shinsou Hitoshi Needs a
Hug, Parental Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead, Parental Yagi Toshinori |
All Might, Suicidal Midoriya Izuku, Midoriya Izuku Needs A Hug,
midoriya inko A+ parent, Panic Attacks, Dadzawa, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff
and Angst, Torture, Kidnapping, Abused Midoriya Izuku, Tortured
Midoriya Izuku, Abusive Midoriya Inko, Dadzawa - An Aizawa Shota
Zine, Sad Midoriya Izuku
Stats: Published: 2018-11-14 Completed: 2020-08-07 Chapters: 40/40 Words:
131162

a light in the void

by kira18

Summary

Life was unfair. Izuku found out just how unfair it was at the tender age of four. quirkless,
abused and looked down upon by society and his own mother. this is the story of how he
became the greatest hero in the world

Or a fic in which izuku is abused and we get to see the ripples that it creates through the
universe of ky hero academia and the characters themselves

Notes
See the end of the work for notes
 Chapter 1: Darkness
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

He looked down from the roof he was standing on. Contemplating what just happened mere
moments ago. It was getting dark; his mom would get mad if he came home late.

Actually, she'd get angry either way but he didn't have it in him to care anymore.

Today could be described as the best and worst day of his life.

He got to meet his idol, the man he looked up to his whole life. The only person he thought would
look at him and see more than a fragile quirkless boy.

Life wasn't fair, he had come to terms with that a long time ago. In a world where 80% of the
population have special powers called quirks, Izuku was one of that 20 % that didn't. That 20 %
were considered to be at the bottom of society, treated worse than villains for being born different
than the majority.

Yeah… Izuku found out that life was unfair, a long time ago.

All might had saved him from the sludge villain, only to later crush his dreams in a way that caused
Izuku to wish he wasn't saved in the first place. Maybe he should follow Kacchan's advice. His old
childhood friend had cornered him at school that day. As usual, Izuku could only ride it out and
hope he wouldn't add more bruises to the ones he knew he would have to tend to when he got
home. But this time was different. It didn't end with the beating, Kacchan had gone as far as to give
him some friendly advice as to "take a swan dive off the roof and hope you'll get a quirk in your
next life" today couldn't get any better right?

Having his idol stand in front of him, Izuku couldn't help but ask the question he was yearning to
ask ever since he was diagnosed as quirk less. However, the answer he got stung more then he
wanted to admit.

"You can't be a hero "The number one hero had said. After that, any other words exchanged had
gone on deaf ears. This sentence playing in a constant loop in his head. Of course, he couldn't be a
hero. He was just that little quirkless, worthless, Izuku after all.

In fact, he couldn't believe he had hoped to hear otherwise, even for a second. All his life he was
never more than a burden to others, looked down upon and bullied by everyone, even by his own
best friend. Could he still call him that? No, that title was taken away a long time ago, 10 years ago
to be precise. The moment he turned four and everyone got their quirks. Humanity evolved and he
was left behind.

From that moment, his life took a turn for the worst. His dad left home claiming to have nothing to
do with the abomination that his wife has given birth to. "I can't have a quirk less son, Inko. It's a
disgrace to my family name and society…" While delicate wisps of smoke curled from his lips. "…
and so, is the woman who birthed something, so useless." He snarled, his eyes never leaving Izuku,
as if, each word dripping with disgust was meant for him and him only.

With that sentence hanging in space, Izuku woke up the next day. One person less in his house and
one more broken heart. None the less, life didn't stop there! Did it? Because of course, it won't, life
was funny in a peculiar way.

Inko Midoriya loved her son. She really did. Her son was declared quirk less and therefore, took
away both, her respectful reputation and her husband.

Hisashi left the house and left Inko to deal with the aberration that she had given birth too.

She tried at first, she really did try to act like nothing was wrong, as if this status wouldn't change
the way she looked at her son. Meanwhile, every time she saw him she was reminded of what she
had lost. She'd see her son smiling and she'd want to wipe that expression of his features. Because,
what right did he have to smile when she was suffering? She would see him laughing and she
would want to just snuff it out. How dare he laugh when she feels so miserable.

Inko Midoriya really did love her son. So much, that she showed him her love, by teaching him the
ways of the world. Because life wasn't fair and she would teach him that, she would teach him that
life was hard and he needed to be prepared right? He needed to be taught and if that lesson needed
to be beaten into him, she would do it because what kind of a mother would she be, if she let her
son go out into this world, unprepared.

Standing there on the roof Izuku couldn't help but consider it.

Ending it all.

He would normally push that train of thoughts out of his mind but in this particular moment, he
didn't see the point: Because who would miss him? Who would miss the worthless loser?
As his mind went down in an endless self-deprecating spiral, he was snapped out of it by an
explosion coming from a distance.

He decided it would be worth investigating, even though he was already late and already
anticipating the harsh beating he would get. Either way, he opted to run towards it.

Once he arrived and made his way through the crowd, what he saw made his blood run cold. In
front of him was none other than the sludge monster that had tried to kill him earlier that day. Did
the bottle fall from All Might when he was hanging onto him? Was it his fault? He couldn't think
clearly anymore because the sludge monster had a hostage. His eyes squinted to get a look at the
person's face and were met with familiar spiky blond hair peeking out of the green sludge. The
villain had Kacchan. The villain had kacchan and it was all his fault. Scorching red eyes filled with
fear met emerald green and before he even realized what he was doing Izuku was running at full
speed towards the monster. Remembering his analyses on hero fights he opted to look for a weak
point. Quickly taking advantage of the villain's vulnerable eyes and swinging his book bag at it.
Everything that happened after that, went by in a blur.

All Might had shown up again and rescued the day as Izuku was about to be crushed. He got
reprimanded for his reckless and stupid behavior. Because, obviously, a fragile quirk less kid like
him, can't just run into a villain's fight! It's a job for the heroes. After a harsh lecture, Izuku left the
scene as quickly as he could.
His mom would have seen the news. His stomach twisted at the thought of what awaited him back
home. Never the less, he had to get there, just get it over with so he could finally sleep after this
exhausting day.

He entered the house hesitantly, making sure to avoid making his presence known. Years of tip
toeing around the house, acting as invisible as he could have insured his survival on most days.
Especially when Inko felt particularly pissed off and would be set off, by any action her son made.

He would normally manage to get to his room without any unpleasant encounters.

Apparently, this day was just going to get worse. As soon as, he slipped off his shoes he was met
with his mothers' glare.

She was standing at the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest and the frown on her face
promising nothing but pain.

Izuku's shoulder tensed as he tried to read his mom's mood, trying to prepare himself for the
inevitable punishment he would face, trying to find out the severity of it. On normal days, she
would greet him with the usual flurries of swear words and snide comments. If she was particularly
in her moods, things would get violent. Today, he could practically feel the annoyance radiating off
of her. She must have seen the news, he concluded.

"Out playing hero again? "The hiss was soft but sharper than a knife, digging and slicing away at
his flesh until his panicking heart was exposed. "I thought I got it through that thick skull of yours
that you would never be a hero."

The painful silence was his only response. The only thing that could be heard was the newscaster's
voice coming from the living room TV.

"What? Got nothing to say brat?" The same angry tone met his ears as his mother took a step closer
in his direction.

Izuku backed away slightly and spoke knowing that neither staying silent nor talking back would
get him out of this.

"I'm sorry. kacchan was in trouble… "His mumbled words were cut off by a sharp slap to the face.

"Oh! Was he in trouble now? And what? You thought a useless piece of shit like you could have
done something to change that?" She snarled, her tone making izuku tense even further.

"N- No" he replied slowly, making sure his voice had no trace of defiance in it.

"You know you were a bad boy today Izu. And you know what happens to bad boys right? "She
smirked that ugly smile that had no place on a face that once held nothing but love towards him. It
has been ten years since he'd seen any trace of fondness in his mother's expression, he sometimes
doubts it was there in the first place.

"T- They g- get pun- punished" He mumbled, fear blooming in his forest green eyes, taking him
over. Flight instinct screaming at him to run while he still can. But he couldn't. Running or fighting
back never meant less pain. He had learned that, the hard way

"What will it be I wonder? "She says cheerfully as if talking about a Christmas present she's about
to open. "You did something really bad today Izu-kun! Not only did you come home late but you
also managed to do the one thing I tell you to give up on! Maybe it's time for something else. It's
been a while since you've been left alone to contemplate on your mistakes."

His eyes widened as he realized what she had meant. "P-please don't! I-I promise I won't do it
again! J-Just please don't-!" A vicious blow to his stomach sent him gasping for air, "Please, not
again." he whispered, knowing full well that it was fruitless.

She trailed him down the stairs to the basement, each step one step closer to the hellhole she was
dragging him to. When he was seven his mom had decided that normal punishments just weren't
enough for him to learn his lessons, so she got him the dark box. It consisted of an old refrigerator
that she had installed in the basement. Every time she would get particularly pissed off at his hero-
worshiping behavior she would drag him there and lock him inside until she deemed it enough for
him to have learned his lesson. It once lasted three days. Izuku wished he'd die by the second day.
He couldn't take the emptiness and darkness that he was being subjected to. Left alone to wallow in
his self-deprecating thoughts, stomach empty and mouth dry as his tears never seemed to run out. It
had been quite some time since he got locked up down there. Seeming as if he learned to hide his
hero analyses hobbies from his mother, a long time ago.

His heart rate sped up, chest constricting painfully as less and less air made its way into his
heaving lungs. The sound of a metal bolt unlatching followed by the low creak of old hinges filled
the basement.
"Get in, brat" She hissed. Tone leaving no space for discussion.

"P-please…" It was barely a whisper, almost hidden by his heaving sobs. He didn't fight back,
having learned long ago that struggling only led to more anger, to more pain.

"Now Izuku. I'm only doing this because you deserve it. You disobeyed me and went against my
wishes, we can't have that now, can we?" She pushed him inside, not caring about the way his head
banged against the metal frame - He looked up watching as the light faded, as the door closed
slowly. Hearing the locks clicking, he was stuck in this endless void for who knows how long.

----------

Darkness. That's all he knew. It was like all of his senses were shut down. As he laid there, blind to
everything around him and deaf to the sounds around him. Except for his own ragged breathing.
He had no sense of time in the black box; he didn't know if it had been hours or days. He just
wished it would end. If he was talking about this or his life he himself did not know nor did he
care. He just wished it would end. One way or the other.

Izuku closed his eyes. Praying he would find sleep. Praying he would find any kind of escape.

"Izu? Have you learned your lesson yet? "He didn't have the strengths to answer. What had it been
2 days? 3? It felt like a lifetime. A bright light accosted his sight as the refrigerator door was
opened slowly. A gasp of clean air finally! A welcome blessing from the rancid air he'd had to
breathe. Inko took one look at her son. Satisfied with the miserable state he was in. His mother
quickly spun on her heel and left.

He got up with a tremendous effort, trying not to collapse from dehydration and the lack of food.
He went up the stairs slowly making a beeline for his room afraid of trespassing once more, ending
up getting punished again. He stopped noticing his mother pulling up a chair at the table where she
had made food for herself.

God, how Izuku just wanted to devour every item in sight. Just looking at the dishes sent his mouth
watering, stomach growling at the tempting view. But he knew that even touching a single plate
would mean being forced to go back in there. That was something he wanted to avoid at all costs.

Gathering up whatever remained of his self-control, he painfully walked away to the bathroom for
a shower he desperately needed.
His body moved on autopilot, mind barely registering his movements as he tried to regain some
composure after this horrific experience. He barely noticed the tears slipping down his cheeks as
he thought about not spending another moment in this godforsaken house.

He woke up the next morning to a note saying that Inko would have friends over this weekend and
that he would be smart to make himself useful and disappear for a couple of days. For the first time
in what felt like a lifetime Izuku smiled. Sleeping alone in an empty park wasn't that bad. He had a
whole weekend without the looming figure of his mother. A whole weekend without the constant
fear of being beaten up at every little thing he did.

Izuku gingerly packs a small backpack with a couple of cloth, he quickly stashed some food from
the fridge- The food he'd been longing for and ran outside before his mother came back and
changed her mind. He walked the entire day, enjoying his freedom while he could.

He walked through the park, watching as parents watched their child's play and enjoyed
themselves. He knew parents didn't treat their children like his mother treated him. The day's he
used to spend at the Bakugo's showed him that. Even though they yelled a lot, he could see the
respect and love they had for each other. Kacchan had come close many times to finding out about
the secrets that were kept behind their closed doors. For the many bruises and cuts were enough
proof of that, but Izuku always shrugged it off. Creating some sort of excuses that led him to be
called not only quirk less and worthless but clumsy too. He eventually learned to hide his scars
under long sleeves and his mother got better at hitting at discreet places where it would be hard to
notice. After one particularly concerning call from the neighbors saying that they had run into
Izuku and that he seemed to be hurt.

Distracted by his thoughts he bumped into someone, sending them both tumbling to the ground.
When he looked up green eyes met electric blue and his eyes widened as he realized he had just
bumped into All Might, well the skeleton version of the number one hero.
He hastily got up and helped the taller man, a spiral of apologies flowing from his mouths as he
panicked for what he just did.
"It's okay my boy! I'm glad I finally found you! I've been searching for you everywhere, I wanted
to talk to you the other day but you ran off so fast I couldn't find you! "The tall man said voice
booming in excitement "Can we talk privately?"

"O- Okay." Izuku squeaked not knowing how to turn down his idol

All Might, steered him to a secluded bench at an isolated part of the park. They both sat down,
anxiety growing in Izuku's gut as the silence between them stretched.

"I'm sorry!" he blurted, knowing he couldn't stand it anymore, he had to get it off his chest

"What? What could you be sorry for my boy? "All Might asked with brows furrowing in confusion
 "It was my fault the villain escaped. If I had just left you alone none of this would have happened!"
he stood up and bowed as low as he could manage.

All might raised his hand to the boy's shoulder, missing the way Izuku flinched at his movement

"My boy, you are wrong. It was my fault the villain managed to escape, I was careless, I actually
wanted to thank you Midorya-kun. Your brave and selfless actions that day pushed me to go
beyond and save that boy. You showed me how a true hero needed to act! You! A quirk less boy
ran into the fray with no regard to your own safety to save another person's life. Many stories are
told about heroes who saved the day but do you know what they all had in common? Their legs
moved on their own."

Izuku's breath caught in his throat as he heard the next words

"You Midoriya Izuku can be a hero "

Chapter End Notes

first fan fiction! penny for your thoughts? should i continue this story?
 hope?
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

“You, Midoriya Izuku can be a hero “

The silence stretched as the words began to sink in. He could be a hero? How could All Might say
that? Was he playing some kind of sick joke on him? Then again, he was the symbol of peace. He
wouldn't do that… would he? Before he knew it, panic bubbled in his throat. Were these words
nothing more than a cruel joke? One more way for the universe to bring him down?

After all, how could someone as useless as him possibly become a hero.

His ears were ringing, dark spots forming at the edge of his vision. Yet, he was stopped from
having a full-blown panic attack by All Might’s booming voice. The sound cutting through the
static filling his ears.

"My boy, my quirk has been the subject of countless interviews and questioning but I always try to
redirect the media and deflect their questions, because, until this day, my quirk is one of the most
guarded secrets in my life.” The hero began. “My quirk, known as One for all is a stockpiling
quirk, a power passed on every new generation to the next to only those worthy of wielding its
power” Wait what? Izuku could only stare with wide eyes as he gazed upon the older, taller hero
standing in front of him. It didn’t make any sense! quirks were supposed to be hereditary! Ever
since their appearance, not a single one had been passed on from a person to another. It was
impossible!

All Might smiled softly at the mumbling teenager in front of him. “I’m being completely honest
with you kid. I too was quirkless once. Until my predecessor saw potential in me and gave me this
power, turning me into its eight’s holder.”

Izuku didn’t know what to think anymore. All Might, quirk less? But why was he telling him about
his power? "Wait… what are you trying to say?" Izuku didn't want to get his hopes up. For all he
knew, All Might just wanted to ask him about Kacchan or if he knew someone worthy of such an
honor because it sure wasn't plain old useless Deku.

"I've grown weak and old my boy, after the incident five years ago I don't know how much time I
have left as the symbol of peace before I'll be forced to retire" Electric blue met emerald eyes and
held them for a few seconds " The world needs a new pillar of justice and I think that you my boy
would be the perfect candidate. I know this is sudden, but accepting this would mean taking on a
huge responsibility and burden too… However, I believe that you, young Midoriya will make a
great hero."

How was he supposed to respond to that? How could he possibly decline such an offer? But wasn’t
it selfish for someone as unworthy as him to take this kind of power? And what if his mom found
out? His guts twisted at the thought and a shiver ran through his spine. No. he would make sure to
hide this from her at all cost.

He felt something wet dripping down his cheek. Suddenly, he was very aware of the fact that he
was crying.

He felt so overwhelmed. These dangerous feelings bubbling up inside of him. The fear of his
mother finding out, the dark thoughts at the back of his mind telling him, yelling: No! A useless kid
like him could never be worthy of this kind of honor but at the front of those feelings, he could feel
excitement and hopefulness rising to the surface. And weren’t these feeling dangerous indeed.
Izuku looked up, gathering as much courage as he could muster. His eyes brimmed with
determination as he uttered the words that would change his life forever. “I accept.” A small smile
threatened to overtake his expression he could finally become a hero! Maybe life would finally be
in his favor.

---------------------------------

Well, it was good while it lasted.

Izuku's good mood somehow lasted half an hour after All Might had left. He eventually realized
that he was still technically homeless for the weekend. After all, he would need to find somewhere
to sleep.

After a little while he finally settled in an old kid's playhouse, at an isolated part of the park.
Curling up on himself, sleep threatened to overtake him. His thoughts a whirl of possibilities for
the days to come. He thought about what kind of training he would do with All Might tomorrow. It
was a good thing he had packed some running cloth and sneakers.

He just hoped that tomorrow, he would wake up, and it wouldn’t all be just a dream.
The next morning izuku was woken up by the sounds of children giggling as they peeked inside the
small playhouse. They were probably laughing at the way the greenette was lying face down on
the dirt.

He hastily got up and ran to one of the public bathrooms, of the gas station, near the park.

After changing out of his current cloth and into his somewhat acceptable work out cloth he made
his way down the trash-filled beach. All Might had asked to meet him there yesterday.

Now that he thought about it… Why was he meeting the number one hero there? He was too
much in shock yesterday to question it. However, now his mind was racing with the possible
reasons for this specific meeting.

He arrived there, faster than he realized, the beach is just a couple block away.

Surely, waiting for him there was none other than the skinny skeleton figure of the symbol of
peace. Once he noticed him the man quickly made his way towards him.

"Ah, young Midoriya! Right on time!" All Might's booming voice greeting him, it was way too
early for this tone. "You might be wondering why I asked you to meet me here right? "He
continued, a smirk blooming in his features as he gestured to the piles of trash consuming the beach
around them

“h-hey all Might, yeah I was kind of wondering actually…” The greenette replied hesitantly as if
expecting to be scolded for his curiosity

“Well you see my boy, although I do feel as though you are worthy of One for All, I fear that you
are still not ready to take it on” Ready? Ready for what? Some kind of requirement to be able to
handle the quirk maybe?

Looking up into the frail man’s eyes, Izuku searched for some kind of answer to his question. The
eyes of the man before him were nothing like the hateful glare his mother graced him with. This
man’s eyes were soft and had some kind of respect and sternness to them. Izuku felt a little more at
ease looking into those eyes.

"we need to train that fragile body of yours, at your current state you wouldn't be able to handle the
backlash of my quirk. We have ten months before UA's entrance exam and I plan to turn you into a
proper vessel by then my boy!" Ah yes. UA the best hero academy in Japan and even the world. Its
entrance exam was nearly impossible to path with a weak quirk, let alone quirk less. Maybe Izuku
would finally have a chance.

"Oh okay… but what are we doing here exactly?" The boy asked. Eyes scanning the area around
them.

"Well you see Midoriya-kun, a hero's job doesn't depend on just beating up the bad guys. A hero
needs to contribute to even the smallest things in society, like looking after the environment and
general health of the public.” The taller man answered "In these ten months I'd be restricting you to
a tight schedule to help get you get in shape and clearing this beach will just be your first act as a
future hero! But the question here is my boy, if you are willing to pour your all to improve and earn
that power of mine!"

“You can count on me All Might” The boy replied, eyes lit with a fiery determination and glint that
wasn’t there the first time they had met. All Might couldn’t be more satisfied in his choice of
successor.

---------------------------

Therefore, began ten months of pure hell. Izuku woke up every day at the crack of dawn, in order
to avoid running into his mother and having to explain where he’s going and why. Her finding it
would be a living nightmare.

His guts twisted at the mere thought of this scenario and what it meant for him.

All Might, on the other hand, was working him to the bone.

Every day he would go out on a run around the city and then they’d meet at the beach where he
would try to clear some part of the trash that was consuming it.

To say that Izuku was tired was an understatement but the feeling he got every day at the end of his
work out was worth it. With every step he took, with every section he cleared he was one step
closer to accomplishing his dream. It all made it worth it, a new feeling making its way into his
heart. A feeling he was scared to he’d lose one day, hope.

Izuku had just come back from his morning training with All Might. It was nearly two months after
that day at the park. Planning to sneak into his room before his mother woke up, he slowly opened
the front door. However, he was met by his mother’s piercing glare instead. It threatened to burn
holes inside of him. His blood ran cold, shivers going down his spine.
How could he possibly think that he could get away with this without her noticing?

Of course, she would find out and now all that was to be done is stand there.

Stand there and wait for whatever punishment she had in store for him.

A sheep waiting to be slaughtered.

His mother’s gaze was narrowed and calculating his every move. “Where were you brat?” She
hissed, her posture relaxed but her expression promising nothing but pain.

“I- I went out on a r- run” He answered nervously knowing that silence would aggravate her
mood. He looked at her, finally noticing the half-empty bottle she held in her hand and the way her
feet swayed as she stepped closer.

Inko had woken up to an empty house, opting to drown her misery in red wine. Even her useless
son had left her, the irony.

Izuku eyed the bottle warily, with his mother’s current state there was no chance that this would
end well.

She took a step closer, eyes looking at him but not really seeing. Her mind was somewhere else,
looking at him but seeing nothing but misery and pain.

Her face twitched in disgust as she gazed upon her worst creation. Her biggest regret really, was not
leaving while she had the chance. Maybe she should have gone with Hisashi.

The Greenette backed away slowly, his mind screaming at him to run, his flight instincts taking
over.

This was nothing like the usual drunk episodes his mother had. This wasn’t the screaming and
crying state she would usually be in. This calm and threatening aura that surrounded her made the
hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

Inko raised the bottle to her mouth and drank the rest of its content in one go.
She turned around to throw it in the trash near the hallway but seemed to think better of it.

Izuku could see the exact moment she seemed to decide her next course of action.

The malicious intent pouring out of her as she lifted the bottle into the air with her minor telekinesis
quirk and slammed it against the wall next to his face, some of the shards straying off course and
embedding themselves into his cheeks. Evidently, she had used her quirk to change the direction of
the small shards of glass that had shattered.

Years of abuse had risen his pain tolerance but the shock had still sent him tumbling to the ground.
Hand raised to cup his cheek as he could feel dampness begin to spread.

His mind vaguely registered what had happened. Merely noting the fact that this dampness was a
somewhat mix of both his blood and the tears that had started to roll without his consent.

Did his mother hate him that much?

Still, after all, it's been this way for years, he didn't know why he was still surprised at this point.
Her actions and hatred towards him should be familiar by now. Maybe part of him still liked to
think that things could get better between them.

With shaky movements, he tried to get back up but a harsh kick to his stomach and one to his hip
sent him toppling over again

“Stay down brat, I’m leaving for the weekend, make yourself useful and clean this mess up, you
worthless piece of shit” She sidestepped him making her way out the door, picking up the suitcase
that he had failed to notice in all the commotion.

The door clicked shut behind her but Izuku didn’t have it in him to try and get up anymore. He
curled up on himself and cried.

How much time had passed while he just sat there, Izuku didn't know.

He must have fallen asleep at some point because the light coming out of the shaded window was
dimmer than when he had gotten home.
With uncertain movements, he made his way to the bathroom taking the first aid kit- or what was
left of it- from under the counter.

He hissed as he took out one of the bigger and deeper shards that were embedded in his cheeks,
body moving on autopilot, as he patched himself up. Once finished, he looked at his handy work
and decided it was enough for now.

He made his way downstairs, determined to take advantage of most of the Inko free time he had.

Maybe enjoy some fresh air to get his mind of things. He walked a couple of blocks from his
neighborhood, passing multiple allies and storefronts.

As he passed one of the alleys he normally used as a shortcut to get to the beach he heard voices
talking, laughing at something.

He peeked from behind a dumpster, curiosity overtaking him and was met by three teenagers,
probably his age cornering someone at the back of the alley. They were laughing and taunting him.

Said boy was backed against a wall. He had wild purple hair that somewhat defied gravity. His
shoulders were tense but he seemed resigned to his fate. His eyes having some kind of blankness
and void in them. The void that Izuku was so familiar with when he looked in the mirror on his bad
days.

“Hey now! Just admit it already, you were born to be nothing more than a villain!” One of the
teenagers taunted.

"Don't talk to him, you idiot! He'll brainwash you!" A boy shorter then Izuku but with a bigger
built continued.

“I’d like to see him try that after I’m done beating his jaw in” The teen kicked the purple haired
boy in the guts sending him toppling on the ground, bent over and wheezing.

The third boy, had some kind of mutated quirk that made him look like a lizard. Scales formed on
his neck and hands, sharpened his retractable claws. He swiped at the kid’s arm creating a deep
gash there. The boy hissed in pain but still didn’t respond.
 The lizard boy prepared himself to kick the helpless kid again but Izuku couldn’t just stand there
anymore. He moved without thinking, running at the group and stepping between the purple haired
boy and his tormentors.

At the time only one thought was going inside his mind

I’m not going to let anyone suffer the way I did. Never.

Chapter End Notes

another chapter! i hope you enjoyed it! please comment your thoughts on this story so
far
 Eat this.
Chapter Notes

Another chapter! hope you like it, waiting for your feedback

Shinsou wasn't having the best day.

School went as it usually would. People avoiding him like the plague, whispers, and rumors being
passed around about his latest accomplishment as a future villain.

Why do you ask? Well, his quirk was brainwashing. With a quirk like that surely you would end up
as a villain, right? It didn't help that Shinsou's only wish in life, the only thing he truly longed for,
was to become a hero.

After school, as he was making his way back home, a couple of boys from his school decided that
now was the right time to confront him.

Probably a bet, to see who had enough guts to take down the future villain. And that’s how
Shinsou ended up cornered in a dark alley by his three classmates.

The tallest one, Derek. His memory provided. Had a quirk that could turn part of his leg’s skin to
lead and oh how it hurt to be kicked by said person’s leg. However, Shinsou was determined to
tough it out. He wouldn’t use his quirk on them, that would just prove their point.

He would just get through this and maybe survive another day of this hell he was living.

He hissed in pain as the boy next to Derek, some third-year middle schooler he didn’t know, used
his claws to cut his arm.

He vaguely noticed Derek moving his leg and braced himself for the inevitable pain to come but
oddly enough nothing happened. He opened his eyes hesitantly- now only realizing he had closed
them in the first place –only to see a short kid with green curly hair standing between him and his
tormentors.

“Hey! What the heck do you think you are doing? Stay away from him! “The boy spoke up. Tone
determined but the waver in his voice betraying his resolve.
Derek’s eyes studied the boy for a couple of seconds looking surprised before hiding it behind a
face of cold indifference.

The boy with the lizard mutation spoke up “What’s it to you? All we are doing is making sure this
future villain doesn’t try anything stupid.”

Izuku let out a snarl, “Who are you to judge someone on whether or not they will become a
villain?”

The third guy- who has been quiet till now- flinched back at the rage in his voice prompting the
lizard kid to speak up, “What the hell dude? What’s your problem?”

Izuku snapped back, “My problem is that you are bullying someone who clearly isn’t doing
anything to harm you! That you are judging him because of his quirk. What the hell is your
problem?”

“Do you even know what this bastard’s quirk is? It’s a quirk that only a villain would have! Yet
he thinks he can become a hero with it? What a fucking- “

The teen was cut off as Izuku pushed him away from the purple haired teen. He was just so mad.
All he could think about is what happened to him growing up, how people judged his worth based
on his quirk or lack of one that is.

Izuku swore that he would prevent someone feeling the pain he felt when everyone told him he
would never be a hero. He swore he would never stand idly by as someone was in pain. If he
could do something to prevent it, he sure as hell will try.

Izuku let out a shout of rage, “That is no excuse for bullying someone! Why the hell should you
care! It is his quirk, not yours! You can’t decide how he will wield it, only he can! It is not the
quirk that determines if someone is evil or not, but it is how they use it! So, get out of here,
because the last time I checked, quirk usage on another person was illegal and I would love to tell
the cops how you guys were having fun with yours” Izuku knew he was bluffing but he needed to
get them to run, he had to try.

The other teen looked at him with disdain and a hint of shock but were quick to begin moving.
Smart.

“Tsk. Suite yourself idiot, don’t come crying when he brainwashes you”

A minute later, they were gone. Izuku let out a sigh of relief. He was glad that it was over. Now it’s
time to check on the other teen.

Izuku turned to the other boy and asked, “Are you okay? I’m sorry for jumping in like that. I just
can’t stand seeing anyone bullied, no matter what the reason is.”

Shinsou blinked at the green haired teen that stood in front of him but was quick to get over his
initial shock. He tried to get up so that they’d speak properly but pain quickly erupted on his
abdomen. He found himself failing to the ground again.

"Oh, you’re hurt! Here let me help you! I'm sorry I should've stepped in sooner. The tall guy's
quirk must have really hurt, I could see his feet turning to some kind of metal, and the other guys-
"Izuku dissolved into his usual fit of muttering but was cut off by the purple haired kid

“Why.” The kid asked, voice barely audible

“Why what?” Izuku’s brows scrunched in confusion.

“Why did you help me? Aren't you scared?" The kid asked, voice low and hesitant. As if Izuku's
actions were unheard of as if the boy couldn’t comprehend why on earth someone would help
someone like him of all people. Izuku couldn’t have that. His eyes brimmed with determination as
he decided that he would make this kid believe in himself again.

“I couldn’t just stand there and watch someone get hurt while I could do something about it, and I
am not afraid of you. I know you won’t hurt me. You had plenty of chances to hurt those kids but
you decided against it and I can’t help but respect you for that. I believe you will be a great hero
purple-kun”

Izuku’s face went red as he realized what he had just called the other teen “I’m- I’m sorry, I just
kept calling you that in my head and it just kind of slipped out” He blushed as the kid’s eyes met
his

“It’s okay… I guess. Thank you for helping me, my name is Shinsou Hitoshi “The purple-Shinsou
said with a small hesitant smile on his face. He got up and winced when a wave of pain erupted
again from his abdomen

“Here Shinsou-kun, let me help you” Izuku offered as he lifted the boy up to his feet, steadying
him by the shoulders “You're pretty beaten up, my house is a couple of blocks from here, I can
help you get patched up… I mean if-if you want to, that is"

Shinsou blinked owlishly at the timid teen helping him up, gone was the kid who had just shouted
at his tormentors and before him stood a shy and timid green haired boy.

“Sure… but I don’t want to intrude”

“No don’t worry about it, my mom will be out of town for a couple of days, it’s no bother“

They strolled in silence as the boy helped him walk, he realized that he still didn’t know his name
even after he had provided his own, he was about to ask when the boy spoke up

“We’re here. Just let me get my keys” Izuku went up the steps and fished a keychain from under
the doormat, gingerly unlocking the front door and gesturing for the other to come in.

As Shinsou walked in he couldn’t help but notice the broken shards of glass that were scattered on
the floor near the entrance. Was that the reason for the greenette’s bandaged face?

"Oh, don’t mind that, I had a little… accident earlier don’t worry about it. Let’s go to my room I
have a first aid kit in my closet.” He followed the teen up the stairs and into a room that was quite
bland, except for a few books and some work out material, it lacked any personal touch.

“The room’s quite boring isn’t it?” A sad look flashed in his expression. Izuku had always wanted
to decorate his room with hero merchandise and put of his favorite All Might posters, but his mum
would always get angry if she saw him having anything hero related, the countless beatings over
his analyses notebooks were proof of that. She even burned his old all Might posters once. He
quickly erased these thoughts from his mind while focusing on the task at hand.

“Wait here a minute.” Izuku quickly ran into the bathroom and came back with some gauze,
alcohol and some bandages. Having recently patched himself up, he didn’t have a lot left in the kit.
He ushered Shinsou onto his bed and began working on the boy’s arm. Rolling up his sleeve and
applying alcohol on the cut. With practiced ease, he patched up the wound. He had spent most of
his life tending to his own wounds after all. Tending to someone else was easier.

Shinsou could only stare at the boy knelt before him. The teen was focused on bandaging his arm.
He couldn’t help but notice the small scars that adorned the boy’s face and the bruises that were
barely visible under his collar. Why was he hurt? Did something happen to him? How come he was
so good at bandaging his wounds?

Many questions swirled in his head but was promptly interrupted from his musing by the sound of
a door opening downstairs, the bang resounding through the house.

He could feel the boy before him tense, eyes going wide in… fear? Why was he afraid? The boy
quickly got up, body stiff and expression urgent. He was terrified.

“You need to go.” The boy whispered “Please, before she sees you.” He added voice panicked and
breathing speeding up.

“What? Why?” Shinsou asked, “What’s happening, why are you so afraid?” His eyebrows were
scrunched in worry and confusion, why was this boy so scared? Who was this newcomer?

“Please just go, I can’t explain” The boy urged him to get up “Please, trust me I’ll be okay but you
need to leave. There’s a fire escape near the window, get out from there before she comes”
Footsteps resounded through the house as someone made their way upstairs

“Okay- okay but first, are you sure you’re okay?” The boy nodded vigorously but he was in no way
okay and Hitoshi could see that.

"YOU BRAT! I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO CLEAN UP YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF

SHIT, ARE YOU THAT EAGER FOR ANOTHER PUNISHMENT" A women shouted, her voice
harsh and stern.

“Please just leave!” The boy whispered as he hastily began to usher the purple haired teen towards
the window.

Like a puzzle, all the pieces seemed to fall into pace. It all made sense now, the cuts, the bruises,
the broken glass, this woman was hurting him. This boy, the nicest and most genuine person he’s
met was being abused by who he guessed was his own mother. No way he was going to leave now.

"Please if she finds you here I don't know what she'll do, I'd end up back there again. Please, I need
you to leave" The boy urged him out, expression alarmed and on the verge of tears.

Shinsou half-heartedly went out the window and onto the fire escape as the other teen closed the
window behind him.

Shinsou’s heart clenched at the thought of this kid. One of the nicest and bravest people he’d met.
The only person to ever look at him and see something more than just a future villain. This
amazing person was being abused and hurt.

He went down the fire escape. Making a promise to save this kid as he saved him that night. He
would find a way to get this woman away from him, he would find a way to repay him, he would
work hard that one day he’d be his hero.
 ------------------------

Six months had passed since the day he met the boy, and he had given up trying to go to the
authorities about what he found out that day. Some had just outright ignored him, given the way
they were wary of his quirk. The ones that did listen told him that they couldn't do anything about
it without proper evidence.

Shinsou's frustration began to rise as he realized how hopeless the whole situation was. How could
he ever be a hero if he couldn't save the one person that was nice to him?

UA entrance exam would be in two months and he had to get ready, maybe he could ask a hero to
help him there? He hoped the boy would be okay until then.

----------------------------

Bit by bit, the beach horizon clears. Trash and junk and litter gave way to the white sand beneath,
and for every heavy bag of garbage and broken appliance, Izuku hauls away, the next gets lighter.
He can barely remember how it feels to wake up in the morning without sore muscles, but it gets
easier.

Now nearly eight months since Izuku began his training, Izuku is standing on one of the loading
trucks, staring at the now cleared beach, the training all might had put him through had paid off,
his body was now made of pure muscle and strengths, his abdomen where he once could see his
ribs were now made of firm abs, his whole form had become more defined and bulkier, the small
protein lunches that All Might had him eat every day also did wonders for his health given he
wasn’t being borderline starved anymore. he screamed his lungs out trying to vent the frustration
that had been welling up inside of him. He did it. He actually did it! It didn’t even take him ten
months! His feet swayed as his body caught up on the exhaustion he was feeling. His legs gave out
and he fell but was promptly caught by two strong arms.

“All Might!”

"You did it, my boy! You actually cleared the beach in eight months no less! You exceeded my
expectation young Midoriya. I can proudly say that you have earned this power." He set Izuku
down on the sand and gingerly plucked out one of his own hairs “Now, eat this.”

“Huh?”

Izuku woke up the next morning feeling slightly different, the only thing that had changed was this
feeling he had, faintly, beneath the surface of his skin, he could feel a quiet thrum of something.
Power. Energy.

All Might had warned him that using his power now might cause him to injure himself, his body
wasn’t supposed to be ready for the backlash of One for all.
 This was different than what the taller man had said, Izuku could feel the energy coursing through
him constantly.

He got up from where he sat on his bed and tried to make his way to the bathroom, his legs seemed
to have other plans if the way he basically ran there at impossible speed was any indication, the
rush he felt left him speechless. Is that what it felt to be powerful. He couldn’t help but think that
maybe this was all a dream, that he’d wake up and find himself back to being useless quirk less
Deku.

He shook away those thoughts in order to marvel at the green lightning his body was emitting
when he tried activating his quirk. His quirk. This was even weirder to admit.

He quickly got dressed and ran to the beach as soon as he made sure his mother was still asleep, he
sure as hell won’t let her ruin his day, he finally had a quirk, he couldn't stop himself from
wondering if maybe she would love him now. He shook away the thought. Of course, she
wouldn't. What was he even thinking?

He arrived at the beach, having already texted his mentor to meet him there. As soon as the tall
figure came into his field of vision, Izuku ran towards him at full speed, but with his excitement
over his new-found ability, he forgot the fact that he didn't know how to stop. The end result was
his full-on collision with the unsuspecting symbol of peace.

He scrambled to his feet, apologizing profusely for his unprompted actions but was cut off by his
mentor’s booming voice.

“I can’t believe this!” Midoriya flinched back at the loudness, he knew All Might wouldn’t hurt
him but years of abuse made him on edge whenever he made a mistake or did something wrong.
His mother made sure of that “How is this even possible!” the older man continued, eyes shining
with something that keenly resembled pride.

"I don't know All Might but I just woke up with this feeling, it felt like power was just constantly
flowing through me, but you said that I should experience some sort of backlash… I even have
these weird green lights that appear on my body, like lightning bolts surrounding me, whenever I
used it." Izuku quickly dissolved into one of his signature mumbles fits about what this outcome
would mean for his future training and so on.

“Well I don’t know how you’re doing it my boy but this saves us from quite some troublesome
experiences." The hero stated, looking rather pleased with the thought. “ know we have time to get
into the practical part of training. Teaching you some fighting skills and helping you learn how to
utilize that quirk of yours. The exam is in two months, my boy. you're going to show them what
you're made of."
Izuku’s eyes lit up at the thought of finally being able to prove himself, the exam was in two
months and he was going to make the most of this time, by studying hard, training even harder and
make sure he would not let this chance slip away from him.

He was going to show the world he could be a hero.

 SMASH
Chapter Notes

this chapter was kind of rushed. i'm sorry for that, i hope you like this story so far.
please be sure to write what you think in the comment!

All Might was standing in the middle of the cleared beach, waiting for his successor to arrive for
their afternoon training.

It's been one month since they had started hand to hand combat. Their time was being split
between simple sparring and quirk training. Today they will start testing the limits to Izuku's
control. Past tests had shown that at this moment Izuku had little over a 5% control over one for all,
which was pretty impressive considering he shouldn't have any control.

All Might, checked his watch again. Izuku was late. He was usually always on time. this particular
thought worried the hero. Izuku would always show up on his training sessions, even if it was
raining, even if he was tired. He would always show up. All Might, once, had to send the boy back
home, on a day when the kid showed up pale and shivering, he had later given him a lecture on
taking care of his health and knowing when he had reached his limit. So Izuku being late now was
quite alarming, to say the least.

His mind swirled with the possibilities. What if something happened to the boy? What if he was
hurt? His was cut off from his speculating by a green tuft of hair showing up in his field of vision,
he turned around fully towards the direction the boy was coming from, smiling in relief.

That smile was abruptly whipped off his face as he took in his successors state. The boy was
limping, he had a black eye forming on the right side of his face, the bruise still fresh and standing
out against the paler of his skin. To say the kid looked tired was an understatement. He looked
nothing short of exhausted. His eyes were looking directly at the hero but not quite seeing him. The
usual light All Might would see in them was gone. Dull green replaced his once bright emerald
eyes.

"My boy, what happened to you?" He asked, voice soft and tinged with concern.
The boy seemed to just notice the hero, shaking his head and looking at his mentor, he smiled, the
anomaly not quite reaching his eyes.

"Oh, no- nothing really All Might. I'm f- fine, just fell down some stairs. You know me, I'm always
clumsy" He stuttered, tone light. The clear lie sending a red flag to his mentor but the urgency in
Izuku's voice pleading the hero to let it go did not go unnoticed. All Might knew that this was not
something he could easily overlook, he opened his mouth ready to push on, but the look he saw in
Izuku's eyes made him think better of it. it was a look of utter defeat.

"What do you say we skip the training today and go out for ice cream, it's a nice day today and I
know this great place near the park that sells hero themed cones." The older man offered.

Izuku beamed at his mentor, tension leaving his shoulder in relief. He was glad the symbol of
peace didn't ask any questions. This wasn't something he could explain without getting in trouble
and complicating things.
He was in his room, getting ready for his afternoon training workout with All Might when his
mother suddenly burst into the room, looking furious, animosity and rage pouring out of her like a
river. In her hand she held a paper, one Izuku recognized as his high school application for UA, he
had sent it about two months ago but kept a copy of the application anyway for good measures.

This was by far the stupidest thing he could have done. Since Inko seemed to have gone through
his stuff. His heart rate spiked and the air was abruptly knocked out of him as he realized the
trouble he was in. His mother had found the application, she had found out about his aim to still be
a hero. No matter how many time it had happened, Izuku couldn't be ready for what happened
next.

Inko needed to teach him a lesson. He should know by now that someone as pathetic as him could
never dream of being a hero. This particular lesson had Izuku limping to the beach sporting a black
eye, some burns from his mother's favorite punishment for him and many other bruises; most of
them probably future scars to add to the list of the endless scars adorning his body.

Even with a quirk, Izuku was still nothing but a weakling. His mother had raised one hand and all
he could do at the time was freeze and wait for the inevitable pain to come. What a hero right?
How could he ever save anyone when he couldn't even protect himself.

The woman had pushed him to the ground, her figure towering over him despite her relatively
small frame. Her glare piercing through him, cutting away at every ounce of confidence he had
gathered over his time training with the number one hero. He tried getting back up but that seemed
to anger her even more, so he opted to stay where he was, but even that didn't seem to appease her,
since she proceeded to kick him right in the face with her heel and drag him out into the kitchen
with strengths that shouldn't have been possible for someone her size.

This next part, made Izuku's skin crawl just at the thought of the experience, phantom pain making
its way to the old scars he had gathered from the particular punishment over the years, his mother
would go towards the kitchen's drawers and pull out a fork, she would then proceed to heat the
utensil and abruptly press it against Izuku back. Just between the shoulder blades. The pain was
excruciating. One of the most painful he felt throughout the years of abuse. The slow-burning
sensation and the smell of burned flesh forever engraved in his memories. His mother finally
relents and tell him that maybe if he becomes a hero he would finally die and relieve her from her
misery. That though follows him, gnawing at the back of his mind for the rest of the walk towards
the beach

All might lead him to a small coffee shop near the neighborhood's park. It was a nice change of
scenery for the boy. That day, they had spent the afternoon in a blissful silence. Pleased to just sit
there and enjoy each other's company, occasionally making small talk and unimportant chit-chat.
An unspoken understanding dawned between them as neither of them brought up Izuku's injuries.
Unknown to the boy, the hero was starting to form some conclusions.

The entrance exam came quicker then Izuku expected. Before he even realized it, the fateful day
had arrived and Izuku was now standing in front of the towering gates of the
School of his dreams. Here he was, making his first step towards his future. As he walked, he
missed the slight bump on the ground and tripped. He closed his eyes waiting for the inevitable
humiliation and pain to arrive but after a moment or two, nothing happened. He opened his eyes
and found that he was floating, suspended in mid-air.
"Hey, you alright?" A female voice called out to him in a tone more cheerful than any he'd ever
heard directed at him before. "Sorry about, uh, using my Quirk on you without your permission!"
Steady hands gently righted him, before the tug of gravity pulled him back onto his own feet. He
stared up with bulging eyes at the sweetly smiling girl in front of him, she had brown short hair,
resting just above her shoulder. "I just figured you wouldn't mind not hitting the ground."

Izuku stared at her in a sort of dazed wonder, no one was ever nice to him in the past without a
catch or without it being some kind of prank. He quickly snapped himself out of it, realizing he
hadn't actually said anything yet. "A-ah, sorry, uhm, thank you very much!" he didn't know what
kind of smile his face was making but he hoped it didn't show the fear that bubbled in his chest.

"No problem!" She soothed, her genuine grin making him feel both inadequate and strangely warm
inside. "Hey, good luck on the exam! See you inside!" She performed a cutesy little wave and
bounced away, leaving him awestruck in place. He made a strangled noise when she was already
twenty feet away and managed to make his legs move about five seconds after.

The written exam went fairly well, Izuku having studied for it thoroughly had a feeling that he had
aced it. The practical exam on the other hand…
Present Mic, the voice hero, introduced the exercise, Izuku gushing over the hero the whole time
until one of the students called him out for mumbling out loud and disrupting the explanation, they
would be fighting robots, three types of mechanical faux villains are stationed in each arena. You
earn different amounts of points for each one you destroy based on their level of difficulty

Basically, the participant had to destroy as many robots as they could to wrap up points and pass.
Standing in front of the massive gates of Battle Arena B, Izuku tries to gain some semblance of
calmness. This was the moment of truth. That girl from the morning is being assigned to the same
arena he's in. So is that loud boy from the presentation who called him out for mumbling. Said boy
was going around shushing anyone who would dare engage in casual conversation.

Present Mic's energetic voice comes through the speakers hung up at the sides of the gates,
"OKAY START!" Yells the man from the top of his lungs

Everyone is stunned - they'd been expecting a countdown, or a signal, any sort of warning before
the actual exam.

Izuku, however, having been used to reacting instantly, whether it is from training of the years of
having to react lest he gets seriously hurt from his mother's very well thought out quirk use.
Doesn't hesitate to run at full speed into the arena. strengthened legs pumping furiously as he runs
over gravel. Behind him, it seems like the others are only just starting to realize that the practical
exam has indeed commenced.

"What's wrong, what's wrong?" Present Mic laughs gleefully, as the other students begin to run in
after Izuku. "There are no countdowns in real fights! Run, run! Examinee Number 18091 has the
right idea!"

Even with the rest of the examinees running in after him, Izuku still has a massive head start.
As he runs, he notices the mechanical whirring that's heading his way.
He spots a three-pointer running towards him, followed by two two-pointers. Quickly a plan
begins forming in his mind. He rushes towards it, fist forming, 5% of One for all's energy begins
coursing through him as he retracts his hand and throws a punch. Like what happened with the
trash at the beach, and the countless dummies he's trained with. A small shockwave resounds
through the arena and promptly destroys the three robots in its wake.

Izuku stands there, eyes wide and grin forming as he looked at the wreckage before him. He did
that. He destroyed these robots. With renewed confidence and resolve, choosing to ignore the
shocked stares he gets from the other examinees as they gape at the destruction he caused. He
rushes in taking out as many robots as he can, left and right. Gaining many points by the second.

Until now, he doesn't know how many points he's got. he'd lost count after having to save a couple
of reckless examinees from getting crushed by debris or injured by someone's irresponsible quirk
use. As he runs ahead, trying to make up for the time he lost. Hoping that he's somehow managing
to get enough to pass. A whirring sound resounded through the arena, making Izuku turn around to
see a gigantic metal abomination lumbering towards them. Black steel glinting menacingly in the
light. All the examinees collectively drawback, the exam forgotten as they gape at this mechanical
monster slowly approaching them. It's the zero-pointer Present Mic talked about, it apparently
didn't have any purpose in the exam, destroying it doesn't get you any points.

The robot crushes a building in its wake and that seems to get the examinees to start running.

Izuku think that maybe 5% wouldn't be enough to destroy the robot, he turns around to try and
follow the others but a girl's voice reaches his ears. He whirls around looking for the source, only
to find the girl that helped him that morning. She's stuck under some rubble, directly in the rapidly
approaching zero pointer's path.

His legs move before he even realizes what he was doing.

He channels One for all and leaps through the air, using as much energy as he could muster with
his level of control, knowing that a 5% hit won't be enough. He tries using more power into his
punch. He draws his fist back, willing one for all to course through his body but focuses more on
the energy in his hand. yelling at the top of his longs the phrase his idol was known for the most.
"SMASH"
He punches the robot and promptly destroys it, sending a chain reaction of explosions through its
metal frame. He thinks he got away with the amount of energy he used but quickly pain erupt from
his arm as he falls rapidly towards the ground.

The power he used must have broken his hand.

As he nears the ground, Izuku braces his body with energy to absorb the impact or somehow
cushion his fall but he suddenly feels a sharp smack on his cheek and a familiar feeling of
weightlessness.

"Thank goodness," the girl says breathlessly, her arm still outstretched towards him. Somehow,
she's actually managed to free her ankle from the debris and limp towards him, even as her foot
twists painfully. Her face abruptly turns green, and she covers her mouth for all of two seconds
before emptying the contents of her stomach. Meanwhile, Izuku is still floating, grimacing in
sympathy as she tries to clean herself up. Around them, the other students begin to approach, many
staring in awe at the ruins of the zero-pointer.

Face scrunched up, she recovers gradually. "Oh, right, hold on!" she says once she's done, before
clapping her hands together. Izuku slowly sinks onto the ground as his gravity is restored.

He feels consciousness beginning to escape him as the exertion from the whole day finally catches
up on him and the pain in his arms begins to make itself more pronounced. He thinks he hears
someone calling the nurse before his consciousness fades and his world turns dark.

Izuku wakes up to the omnipresent smell of antiseptics and is faced with a bright light coming from
the ceiling lights above him. looking around, taking in his surroundings, he concludes that he must
be in the school's infirmary, seeing as the last thing he remembers was being saved from his fall by
the girl at the entrance exam.

The entrance exam. He doesn't know how many points he got, he hopes it was enough. Anxiety
starts pooling in his stomach at the thought of failing and disappointing All Might, the one person
that put his faith in him and trusted him with his most precious secret and honored him with is
power.

Izuku starts as the Curtin around him suddenly retracts and a small elderly woman approaches him,
his mind instantly recognizes her as the youthful heroine: recovery girl, the retired hero now
working as the school's nurse. His mind instantly fills with questions he's had about her quirk and
he ultimately begins gushing over her awesome powers. Her quirk allows her to heal people by
kissing them, effectively using the patient's own stamina to accelerate the healing rate, but could
she heal already healed wounds? Could she reduce scarring tissue?

"I'll answer all the questions you have kiddo but let me check on you first dearie" He abruptly
clams his mouths shut, not realizing he had been thinking out loud. He had to do something about
his mumbling habits.

"I - I'm sorry" he smiles sheepishly.

"Oh, don't be, I like the enthusiasm but please in the future refrain from acting so recklessly, the
stunt you pulled was dangerous young man. Thankfully you didn't suffer any more damage than
your arm. It should heal nicely but keep away from any heavy activity for the next two days. The
exam ended a couple of hours ago, you should probably be going home now dear." The elder says
as she ushers him outside with her cane.

That night Izuku submerges in restless sleep, thinking about the exam and All Might and finally
about the girl he saved. He saved this girl. Maybe he had hope after all.

Weeks past and he still haven't heard from either UA or All Might, he tries to distract himself from
it all by training, and soon enough as he's walking home from one of his morning runs, he sees the
mailman deposing some letters in their mailbox. He thanks whatever twist of fate that prevented
his mother from getting the letter before him and promptly runs to his room to read it in privacy.

Izuku ripped open the letter with trembling fingers, a little round device clattering onto the surface
of his desk. He flinched when it burst into light and color, illuminating his bedroom with All
Might's imposing figure.

"I AM HERE, IN HOLOGRAPHIC VIDEO FORM!" It was a pre-recorded video, depicting All
Might in front of some yellow background. The hero glanced off-screen, perhaps receiving
instructions from someone else. "AHEM, WELL. Young Izuku Midoriya, you passed the U.A.'s
written exam with flying colors! Congratulations! But not only that. You also exceeded my
expectations, you earned fifty combat points in the practical exam. young Midoriya! With these
points, you could already get in having one of the top 10 scores! But that is not all. There's
something I think you'd like to see!"

Another video burst to life in the corner, depicting the same girl he had saved, she appeared rosy-
cheeked and lively again, approaching Present Mic with a sheepish look on her face. relief flooded
his system, she was okay.

"Uhm, excuse me, Mr. Present Mic? Sorry to interrupt, but... do you remember the boy with messy
green hair" She gestured at her head, " Had lots of freckles and a blue tracksuit? I wanted to ask if
it'd be alright if... I maybe gave him some of my points from the exam? He gave up on his chance
to earn points to save me! And it wouldn't be fair if he didn't pass and I did even though he was the
one who saved me." She pleaded looking down, her hand clenching into a fist.

The video paused, nothing more than a smear of color due to the sheen of tears that blurred Izuku's
vision. He twisted one hand in the fabric of his shirt, the tactile sensation just barely keeping him in
one piece. He'd never- no one had ever spoken up like that for him before, had ever cared enough
to ask after him, to want to help him. He swallowed down a sob when All Might began speaking
again.

"Seems you made quite the impression, does it not? You, young Midoriya! Chose the safety of
others first, going around helping other examinees and saving that girl even though those actions
weren't demanded in the exam, even though you had nothing to gain." All Might turned to face the
camera directly, his face pulled into a shining grin. "For you see, the practical exam was not
graded on combat points alone! A second factor was voted on by a panel of judges. And for that
reason, I am proud to say you passed with EIGHTY RESCUE POINTS!" All Might flashed a
thumbs up, beaming at the screen.

"You passed the exam my boy, 130 points! Highest score in the history of UA!. Your heroic
actions, bravery, and selflessness are now there for the whole world to see! Welcome Izuku
Midoriya to your hero academia"
 friends
Chapter Notes

please leave your feedback in the comments!

To say that Izuku was nervous would be an understatement. Today would be his first day in high
school. Not just any high school, the school of his dreams.

UA was the best school in the country and had the best heroics program. If someone came to him a
few months ago and told him that he would, not only get in but also earn the highest score on the
entrance exam. He would probably think they were crazy.

He got up that morning, having spent another restless night, anxiety pooling in his guts in
anticipation of the fateful day. He quickly got dressed in his new uniform, giving up on trying to
wear his tie properly, he almost decided to go without it. Alas, that would be a mistake since it was
his first day, therefore he needed to make a good impression on his teachers and classmates. he
concluded that a crooked tie would have to do.

He took one last look in the mirror; his curly hair was as untamable as usual. Satisfied with his
appearance he quickly made his way downstairs and ran outside before his mother wakes up. He
needed to avoid that confrontation for as long as possible. Going to his first day of school with a
black eye would probably make people suspicious. Let alone going to a school filled with heroes.
His mother must have realized that. She has avoided him for the past few days. Izuku was not
complaining.

He arrived at UA roughly five minutes before the first bell, the walk there was slightly longer then
he had anticipated. He stood before the massive door of class 1-A, preparing himself mentally for
what he was about to face. He vaguely wondered if Kacchan would be in his class again this year,
he really hoped not. He needed his high school years to be different from what he had endured for
most of his life. He was going to be a hero, he wouldn't let Kacchan walk all over him anymore. He
gathered all the resolve he could muster and with renowned determination, he slid the door open
and crossed the threshold.

"Put your feet on the ground this instant! How disrespectful can you be, treating the property of
this prestigious school like trash on your first day?!" A voice that rang with authority slammed into
Izuku the moment he opened the door, and he paled at the sight of the tall boy from the exam
attempting to lecture a smug looking Kacchan.

"Hey, I'm only giving it what it deserves; must be a trash school after all, if they let screaming
idiots like you apply." Kacchan pointedly scuffed the heel of his shoe across the top of the desk,
his grin toothy and intimidating.

The boy in front of him sighed "...I believe we've gotten off on the wrong foot. My name is Tenya
Iida. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He stiffly extended a hand, only to have Bakugou
bark out a laugh.
"Can't even stick to your guns? Katsuki Bakugou-it'll be a pleasure to wipe the floor with your
shitty face." Bakugou leaned his chair back on two legs, gaze wandering elsewhere as if Iida wasn't
even worth paying attention to anymore.

Iida recoiled in shock, an exaggerated motion that seemed entirely genuine if the clear
bewilderment on his face was any indication. "A-A threat?! We're supposed to be classmates, you
can't just-!"

Bakugou's gaze wandered around, flickering over to the door only to lock eyes with a quivering
Izuku. Furious red eyes narrowed into slits, but he had no chance to speak up before Iida followed
the turn of his head.

"Ah, it's you!" Tenya's loud voice was enough to have every in the room turn in Izuku's direction,
his social invisibility ripped to shreds in an instant. He raised a hand in greeting. "Hello, my name
is Tenya-"

"I-I um, I heard," Izuku interrupted, waving his hands in a placating manner to halt Iida's
intimidating march in his direction, as well as whatever extensive introduction that may or may not
have followed it. "I-I'm Izuku Midoriya. It's... r-really nice to meet you!" He stared cautiously at
the silvery sheen of Iida's glasses, rendering his gaze unreadable. before the dark-haired boy
nodded respectfully towards him.

"A pleasure to meet you as well, Midoriya. I'm pleased to have another chance to speak with you,
after the exam. I must apologize for my behavior towards you-your selfless actions that day proved
beyond a shadow of a doubt that I had deeply misjudged you." Iida bowed a perfect ninety-degree
angle.

"Hey, it's you! from the entrance exam! " A bright, bubbly voice exclaimed from directly behind
him, Midoriya's heart picking up its pace at having been sneaked up on. He jolted around to spy the
same round, rosy face of the girl he'd saved "You're the boy that helped me! I wanted to thank you
for saving me that day! You looked so cool when you destroyed those robots! You were all like
whoosh! and paw! Then you destroyed that zero pointer! " Her every word being emphasized by
exaggerated and excited hand gestures.

Izuku opened his mouths to respond but was abruptly cut off by a gruff voice coming from the
doorway. Effectively startling the three teens with his sudden appearance. They were an adult so
Izuku figured they must be the teacher. The guy looked like he needed 12 more coffees and was
dragging a big yellow sleeping bag behind him.
"If you're here to make friends and have fun then you should look elsewhere, this is the hero
course. You better take it seriously or leave." He stated bluntly. Walking towards the podium at the
front of the class.

"I'm Shota Aizawa. I'll be your homeroom teacher. I'd take roll but all the seats are filled so I'm
going to assume everyone is here. Now put on these and head outside." His teacher had long black
hair that reached his shoulders and a scarf wrapped around his neck, covering most of his face and
shoulders. It seemed to be made of some weird material, izuku thought it looked familiar but he
couldn't remember where he saw it before.

Aizawa produced a bunch of gym uniforms from his sleeping bag. Everyone got their gym
uniforms and headed towards the changing rooms. Izuku waited back looking at his uniform
unhappily. He wanted to ask Aizawa a question but he wasn't sure if that was allowed.

Aizawa looked at this year's new batch of students, he hoped that this year he wouldn't have to
expel the whole class again. He sighed, making his way towards the door. His attention was drawn
to one of his new students. The only one left in class. What was he waiting for? He studied the
student, he vaguely remembered him, it was the reckless kid from the entrance exam, Izuku
Midoriya. Powerful quirk and a self-sacrificing hero complex. He would have to keep an eye on
that one. The boy looked conflicted about something.

"Is something wrong Midoriya?" His usually stoic and neutral expression softening a bit. The kid
looked anxious enough without him adding to the mix.

"Ah Aizawa-sensei, it's just- my uniform… I kind of asked for long sleeves. I guess they forgot."
The boy replied, voice small and tone wavering as if he thought he would be reprimanded or
scolded for asking for something.

"Oh, I think there are some in the boy's locker room, you should be able to find some in locker 23,
it's usually stocked so that students can wear them in winter. I guess you could take one now." He
handed the kid his keychain "May I ask why?" He eyed the boy suspiciously. In this heat, nobody
would willingly wear long sleeves. It would mean that either Midoriya had some kind of quirk that
made his body's temperature regulation unstable. Which Aizawa knew was very unlikely, since he
was sure the boy's quirk was some kind of strengths augmentation type. Or that the kid was hiding
something. He would find out either way.

"Well, it's rather complicated to- to explain" Izuku stuttered, twirling his fingers in some kind of a
nervous habit. his eyes pleading the older man to drop the subject. Aizawa decided he would get
his answer later. This kid's behavior was raising some flags in the teacher's mind.

After thanking his teacher, Izuku quickly made his way towards the locker room. He grabbed the
first longed-sleeved uniform he found and hastily got dressed. He didn't want any of his new
classmates noticing the countless scars that adorned his body.

Once done he ran outside to meet the others at the training ground. When he arrived, they were all
waiting for him, gathered in front of their homeroom teacher.
Few students shot him questioning looks about his uniform. He tried his best to avoid making eye
contact with any of them.

"Now that you are all here, we can finally get started." The man announced, his voice devoid of
any emotion or intonation. "Today we will be having a quirk assessment test, this test will help
determine where you're at in terms of control and ability. You will be doing various tests, ranging
from a 50 meters dash, sidesteps, push-ups to many other physical tests. You will be permitted the
use of your quirk in all of them and in whatever way you'd like as long as you don't interfere with
your classmate's performance." Their homeroom teacher informed, gaze wondering over each
student until his eyes narrowed on a particular green haired boy. "Midoriya, you scored the highest
on the entrance exam, do you remember your results in PE at the ball throw at your previous
school?"

"I - I think it was 45 meters, "Izuku answered with uncertainty, face heating up at the sudden
attention and whispers that irrupted from his classmates after hearing about his ranking at the
entrance exam.

"At your previous schools, quirk usage wasn't allowed in these tests in order to give students an
equal chance at succeeding. But you're in the hero course now. Our goal is to hone your abilities
and improve your control over your powers. Midoriya take this" He handed Izuku a ball, it was a
normal throwing ball but the only difference was the small black dot attached to it, it was made to
measure the distance the ball would make.

"Step into the circle and throw it as far away as you can, you can use your quirk in whatever way
you see fit." He urged the boy to step forward.

Izuku shyly made his way towards the center of the circle that was drawn on the ground. He
stepped into it and readied his stance. This was his chance to show his peers and his teacher his
potential. He wouldn't miss it.

He activated One for all, feeling the energy flowing through his whole body. The familiar feeling
of power coursing through him never failed to make him feel over the moon. Reminding him of
how far he'd come. However, he couldn't let it get to him. After all, he still had a long way to go.

He retracted his hand and threw the ball as hard as he could within his 5% limited control. he
watched in awe as the ball promptly flew into the stratosphere, creating a shockwave in its wake.

Complete silence followed his actions. Only broken once Aizawa held the measuring device for
everyone to see. 1250 meters. Impressed gasped and whispers were exchanged by the students.
Until they were all cut off by a flurry of explosions.

Izuku froze. Limbs locking up and heart rate increasing. Of course, this would happen. How could
he forget? Kacchan was here too. He probably thought Izuku was hiding his quirk the whole time.

"DEKU! WHAT THE HELL YOU SHITTY NERD! WHAT WAS THAT!" Izuku couldn't stop
himself from flinching at the harsh tone directed at him. He could hear the angry steps his ex-best
friend was making as he stomped his way towards him. Fury and rage burning in his scorching red
eyes. Izuku closed his eyes in anticipation of the burns to come but was met with utter silence
instead. He hesitantly opened his eyes, coming face to face with a tied up Kacchan. Aizawa sensei's
scarf- capture weapon, he corrected himself- effectively restraining the volatile teen. His teacher's
hair was floating upwards, his eyes glowing red as he glared at the angry blond.

Izuku couldn't help but freak out about the sudden realization that hit him. Capture weapon and
glowing red eyes. his homeroom teacher was the underground pro hero Eraserhead. His quirk:
erasure, had the ability to erase his opponents quirk temporarily as long as he maintained
unblinking eye contact. He was known for his extremely impressive fighting style and his unique
control over his capture weapon. Although underground heroes weren't known to the public, Izuku
had done enough research to know a lot about his homeroom teacher. Aizawa having a none
offensive quirk essentially fought quirkless. That made the boy's interest in him spike and his
respect for the hero rise.

"Hey kid, that's pretty impressive considering obtaining any information at all about me is nearly
impossible but now isn't the time" Izuku immediately closed his mouth shut, only now realizing
that he was muttering out loud. He could feel his face heating up in embarrassment.

"I'm going to release my quirk now. Stop making me use it, I get dry eye." He waited for the blond
to nod before he released him. "one more miss-step out of you and you're going to the principal's
office Bakugou" The hero warned before walking away towards the group of gathered students. "as
I was saying, this is your opportunity to rise towards your true potential. Either rise to the challenge
or be expelled. In fact, the student ranking last will be expelled."

Afterward, the test went by in a similar fashion. Izuku coming either second or third in most of the
tests, his control over One for all, giving him a boost over most of the physical test. He also tried to
ignore the way Kacchan was glaring daggers at him the whole time.

He was fairly proud of his results. His classmates only surpassing him in test particularly well
suited for their quirks. lida owned the 50 meters dash with his quirk. he had engines on his leg that
gave him super speed. he was only bested by Yaoyorozu. A dark-haired girl. One of the students
that got in on a recommendation. Her quirk, creation, was the ability to create anything she wanted
as long as she knew the chemical composition to the object. Let's just say the super motorcycle she
created for this particular test was pretty fast.

Of course, other student's abilities got to shine in other tests. The gravity girl from the exam made
the ball float into space. Promptly making the measuring device announce in bold writing the word
INFINITY on the screen.

All of his classmates had very impressive quirks. making him itch to have his notebook. He wanted
to write all the information he managed to gather on their quirks. His analyses hobby never really
came to a stop. Despite his mother's effort, Izuku was always and would always be a hero nerd at
heart.
Soon enough the quirk assessment test was over. They stood in front of a digital board, preparing
for Aizawa to display their results. To his surprise, Izuku was ranked third, one rank higher than
Kacchan.

To say that the blond was fuming would be an understatement. His features were twisted into a
deep scowl, he was glaring at the ground, knuckles white and clenched into a fist at his side. The
recommendation students, Yaoyorozu Momo coming second and Todoroki Shouto, son of the
number two hero Endeavor coming first.
Todoroki was relatively tall for his age. He has longish hair, evenly split between white on his
right-side and crimson on his left, visibly reflecting his Quirk. Half-cold half-hot. He could
produce ice from his right side and fire from his left. Oddly enough he only used his ice in the
assessment test. Nonetheless Making it in the first place.
He has a burn scar over his left eye, Izuku couldn't help but wonder how he got it.

Luckily for the purple haired short kid. Mineta Minoru, he thinks was his name. Aizawa wasn't
serious about expelling the student who ranked last.

After that particular dramatic revelation, the students were dismissed, everyone making their way
towards the changing room to change back into their uniforms and meet up back in class. Izuku
changed in one of the bathroom stalls. Not wanting his scars to be on display. After that, He
quickly made his way back to class. he was walking through the halls when the use of his
'nickname' made him stop dead in his tracks.

"Hey, Deku!" Izuku froze, thought process spinning as a kind, bubbly voice uttered the poisonous
nickname meant only to torment him. He jerked around to see look at the gravity girl from the
exam. He remained frozen until the kind girl bounced up to him, her smile sunny and oblivious.
"you were awesome back there!"

"W-what-why were you... w-waiting for me?" Izuku's gaze darted back and forth, and he couldn't
imagine such a sweet girl had planned to corner him but the possibility was still there, maybe she -

"I wanted to talk to you! I'm totally sorry, I realized I haven't even introduced myself yet! I'm
Ochako Uraraka! And you're... Deku Midoriya, right?" her smile was blinding. Confusing him
with the use of his horrible nickname.

"I-It's... Izuku, actually. Deku is Kacchan's nickname for me. It's what he calls me to make fun of
me." He winced the moment the words left him, so sour and glum and mood-killing-

Uraraka's eyes widened in shock, guilt splitting across her face. "Oh my gosh I'm sorry, I had no
idea! I just heard it because Bakugou was yelling about you when the assessment ended. That's a
shame; it's a really cute nickname! It has a 'you can do it' vibe "

"I never tough about it that way" he murmured, most of his focus taken up by trying to figure out
how the heck he was supposed to talk to someone that didn't want to make fun of him and wasn't
an authority figure. "we should probably go, we'll be late for class if we d-don't hurry."

"Yeah, you're probably right about that!" Uraraka agreed easily and turned to bounce back towards
1-A "we can meet up at lunch if you want, I talked to Iida and he's all for it too!"
"Oh uh, sure." the thought of not only having people willing to speak with him but welcoming him
to sit with them, made his heart clench. He couldn't even remember eating a meal with someone
that actually wanted him there, "I-I'm-that's really nice of you, thank you."

Uraraka beamed at him. "C'mon, let's go! I can't wait to meet the rest of our teachers!" She took his
hand with soft, gentle fingers and tugged him along.
Maybe Izuku could finally have real friends. For once it didn't seem as impossible.
 Cruel intentions

They made it to the classroom just in time for the bell to ring. They quickly found their seats and
waited in anticipation for their teacher to arrive.

The class whirred in excitement, rumors and whispers roaming across the room. Their teacher for
hero studies was said to be All might. The classroom door suddenly flung open. The sound making
Izuku jump in his seat. All eyes turned to the front of the room.

"I AM HERE, OPENING THE DOOR LIKE A NORMAL PERSON!" All Might's booming voice
greets them, the hero stepped through the door, his long strides and straight posture emanating
nothing but confidence. His signature smile leaving the students in complete awe and reassurance.
The concealed excitement in the room erupted in a sea of exclamations, further bolstered by the
Number One Hero's choice of Silver Age costume.

"Oh man, All Might's our hero study teacher! So lucky!"

"This year is going to be so crazy, I can't wait!"

"Oh my god, he's wearing his silver age costume! That's so retro!"

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to your most important class here at U.A. High! Here you will
learn the essence of heroism." He grinned, eyes looking over every student in the room. "And
today, we'll be doing." He paused for dramatics "Combat training!" An explosion of noise
answered him. "But before we can get to the good stuff, we have to look the part, don't we?" He
pulled a remote, seemingly out of nowhere and activated it, twenty steel containers came out from
the classroom wall. "Come on now future heroes! It's time to suit up! When you are all ready, meet
me at training ground Beta!"

The students quickly scrambled to retrieve their costumes, every one of them jumping in
excitement at the thought of their costumes. Izuku sent his costume design to the support
department a few weeks ago. All his original ideas were based on his favorite hero's costume. Now
it would be too obvious to use those, nobody can know about his connection with the number one
hero. He hoped the sketch he sent the support department would be enough for them to make him a
costume that would both fit him and be practical for his quirk.

--

Izuku nervously walked through the tunnel leading into the testing grounds. It was a simple dark
green jumpsuit with a sturdy white mask covering his lower face, a red belt attached to his waist to
keep his support items. completed by a hood with two appendages sticking straight up.

It was a small tribute to the number one hero's blond tuft of hair. His overall appearance made him
look like an overgrown rabbit.

He stepped out into the burning sunlight, absolutely stunned by the sight of his fellow classmates,
their costumes were flashy and looking so cool! They already looked like pros.
"Now that's what I'm talking about! You, young ladies and gentlemen, are the physical
embodiment of young heroes-to-be! they say the costume makes the hero! Stand tall and announce
to the world that YOU ARE HERE!" All Might's booming voice encouraged the young students,
his exclamation being met by cheers and whoops.

"Oh my gosh, Izuku you look so cool! That costume totally suits you!" Uraraka squeaked as she
looked Izuku over.

Izuku flushed, partially from the sight of Uraraka's form-fitting black bodysuit with pink pieces
resembling the design of an astronaut's equipment around her calves and forearms, with a similar
collar at her neck. Her appearance vaguely reminded him of the costume the space hero: ‘thirteen'
wore.

"I just told them to work on putting pressure on my pressure points to keep the nausea down…but I
didn't specify anything else…this is so tight!" she squeaked, her cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

"I- I think you look really cool Uraraka!" he stuttered as he tried reassuring the bubbly girl.

"Now that we're all suited up and ready to go, let's get this show on the road!" All Might's voice
cut through the air, immediately grabbing the attention of the assembled students.

Iida immediately raised his hand. "Sir! Considering the fact that this is the same testing grounds
where the entrance exam was held, does that mean this will be an urban combat simulation?"

"Not quite, young man! While the majority of villain battles broadcast on television happen
outside, they are quite uncommon compared to indoor battles! The truly intelligent criminals don't
put themselves out in the open so easily! For this exercise, I'll be dividing you all up into teams of
two and pitting you against one another in the roles of heroes and villains!"

All Might pulled a folded piece of paper out of his costume- was that a script? – and began
glancing down at it intently. "Here's the scenario we've come up for you all: A pair of villains stole
a nuclear bomb! The heroes, must head indoors and neutralize the danger! The heroes will be
victorious if they either retrieve the weapon or subdue the villains. However, the villains will
succeed if they defend their bomb until the time runs out, or they take out the heroes. Now, in the
interest of saving time, we'll be deciding teams by drawing names" he gestured at the small box he
held in his hands.

Iida's hand shot up instantly in protest. "Sir, isn't there a more professional manner in which we can
choose teams?"

"heroes don't have the luxury to choose who they are teamed up within the heat of battle. They
often end up improvising on the spot in order to defeat the villain they encounter." Izuku stuttered
out, his cheeks already heating up at the sudden attention he was getting.

"I suppose that makes sense," Iida mused before his voice straightened out into an iron bar of
surety. "Yes, as expected from UA! Excuse my interruption."
--

Izuku sighed in relief when his name appeared next to Uraraka's. This feeling quickly morphing
into dread when All might announced that they'd be going up against none other than Kacchan and
lida.

Izuku looked over to where Bakugou was standing. The other boy is already looking at him, red
eyes burning holes into his head. He quickly turned away trying to ignore the anxiety and fear that
started to pool in his guts. This wasn't going to end well.

Izuku and Kacchan's relationship wasn't always this bad. Believe it or not, they were once
inseparable. They were a constant presence in each other's lives. Their mothers being friends since
high school, their earliest memories consisted of playdates and fun games they created. Kacchan
and Izuku considered each other family.

Everything changed when Kacchan developed his quirk and Izuku simply didn't.

Izuku is four. He's standing in the middle of his classroom. His peers are all gathering around
Kacchan. Bakugou turned out to be quite fond of showing off his flashy quirk, it had manifested
about two weeks ago. Explosion, his quirk allowed him to excrete sweat similar to nitroglycerin
from his palms and ignite it at will to create various explosions.

Through either one of his palms, he created fiery shock waves that were highly powerful and
destructive, often burning and or shattering whatever they hit. Izuku often found himself on the
receiving end of these explosions. Whether it was because of his quirkless status, making him a
weak target for Kacchan's tormenting or his presence simply getting on the angry blonde's nerves.
He always ended up burned and bruised at the end of their encounters.

Izuku is six now, his relationship with Kacchan has been steadily declining ever since the day he
was diagnosed as quirkless.

It started with simple teasing, slowly evolving into harsh taunts and cruel beatings.

Kacchan grew up being praised and applauded for his powerful quirk and his amazing leadership.
His confidence grew with every praise and his ego expanded with every pat on the back.

In a society where people put those with powerful quirks on pedestals, destined only for greatness.
Kacchan strived of the attention. He looked down on those weaker than him and made sure to
remain at the top. He would show the world his strengths and become the best. The number one
hero.

So, when a weak, useless kid like Izuku declared he still wanted to be a hero, despite his
quirklessness. Kacchan couldn't understand it. How could a worthless kid like Izuku ever dream of
standing next to him? ever dream of surpassing HIM. He was going to make sure Deku knew his
place. He would make sure Deku understood that a quirlkless weakling like him could never stand
on the same level as him.

He and Uraraka are waiting for the signal to start the exercise. They decided to take this time and
come up with some sort of strategy.

Izuku knew Bakugou would most likely go directly for him as soon as the exercise started. He'd
spent years analyzing Kacchan's behavior. There was absolutely no doubt in his mind that the fiery
blond would go after him.

"Uraraka, I think I have a plan." He says quietly, waiting for the girl's undivided attention.

"OH, let's hear it!" she beams at him. her excitement refreshing and her smile encouraging him to
continue.

"Bakugou is going to come after me. I can try to lead him away from you. So, you can find the
nuke in the meantime, are you okay with that?"

Uraraka looks uncertain so he decides to elaborate further.

"if we take them both on, we will be at a disadvantage. Lida's quirk gives him speed, and Kacchan
has the brute power. Together we won't be able to win. Lida would keep the bomb out of our reach
and Kacchan would defend it with everything he has. The best course of action would be to take
them on separately. I'll distract Kacchan while you go find lida and I'll meet you afterward. This is
how we win."

Uraraka blinks at him. her eyes look thoughtful for a moment before she decides to speak up.
"You're really cool Deku you know, that right?"

"Wh- what-?"

"I mean, you came up with this whole strategy and we've barely started. Anyway, you can count on
me! I'll do my best to find the bomb." She says cheerfully as she raises her fist in determination.

Izuku smiles back at her, he hopes this plan will work. Either way, he's not going to let Kacchan
win so easily.

The timer is up, and Izuku and Uraraka sneak into the building. Uraraka's quirk lets them float
through the windows of the third floor. Uraraka takes the stairs as Izuku goes to the opposite
direction.

Not too long after, he hears bakugou's heavy footsteps approaching. Despite the boy's effort in
stealth, Izuku can hear him coming. It looks like Bakugou has been probably planning to ambush
them.

Unfortunately for him, Izuku was planning on that, years of being on the receiving end of
Kacchan's beatings, izuku knows what his first move will be.

So, when Bakugou rushes at him with his signature right hook, Izuku grabs the blonde, flips him
over his head, and throws him over his shoulder. Bakugou hits the ground wheezing, the air being
knocked out of him in the process.

"DEKUU!!" Bakugou roars as he gets to his feet. "How'd you do it huh? How'd you cheat this
school into accepting a useless piece of shit like you? were you hiding your quirk this whole time?
Making fun of me and looking down on me! I'll show you which one of us is the strongest DEKU"
He spits, venom pouring out of every word. Izuku mentally prepares himself for the retaliation.

So, when Bakugou rushes towards him he's ready. Bakugou tries to throw a quirk powered punch
at him, a roundhouse kick aimed for his head and fires off multiple blasts at him. However, years
of avoiding his mother's hits and his training with all might made his reflexes evolve greatly, and
that's not taking into account his quirk. which promptly makes him faster and stronger. Izuku easily
dodges every blow and kick aimed at him. he's steadily and slowly leading Kacchan away from the
staircase Uraraka took a few minutes ago.

"You shitty nerd, stop being a useless Deku and fight me!" He snaps, breathing heavily and eyes
glaring wholes into Izuku's entire being.

"That's where you wrong Kacchan! I'm not a useless Deku anymore! I'm the Deku who can do it!
I'm the Deku that's not going to take your bullshit anymore! From now on Deku is the name of a
hero!" He shouts back, voice cracking with emotions and eyes beaming in determination.

Uraraka's voice comes in through his earpiece, she tells him the exact position of the bomb and
urges him to meet her. lida had already noticed her and apparently had devised a plan to keep the
bomb out of her reach.

Bakugou is already rushing towards him again, using his quirk to jump over Izuku aiming his
hands at him, Izuku's training kicks in and he easily sidesteps him. however, Kacchan's remarkable
control over his power is nothing short of astonishing as he swiftly redirects his trajectory and
manages to hit Deku with an explosion to the back.

He hisses, forced to retreat. But as he steps back he promptly shoots his leg up, kicking Kacchan
with a 3% powered kick to the stomach, however, he doesn't let the blonde have breathing room as
he immediately punches him in the face afterward with a 4% powered fist. That makes the blond
fall over onto his back, wheezing as he clutches his stomach.
Izuku decides that this has gone long enough, he abruptly punches the boy as he tries to get up. His
movement is brutal and specific. It effectively knocks Kacchan out.

"Villain Bakugou subdued." A mechanical voice rings out.

Izuku straightens up and takes a moment to breathe. Did he just do that? Did he just win against
Kacchan? He stops himself from getting too excited. The mission is not over.

"Uraraka," Izuku calls. "Are you still in the same place?"

"Deku!" a relieved voice comes over his earpiece. "Oh thank god, yes, but Iida keeps moving the
nuke out of my grasp! I don't know what to do, and we're running out of time!"

Izuku looks up at the ceiling. He could join Uraraka against Iida as he had originally planned, but
there's not enough time. So, he does the first thing that comes to mind. It might be reckless but let's
face it. this whole plan was wild since the very beginning.

"Keep close to a wall and tell me where Iida is. When you see the signal, float yourself and go for
the nuke."

"What's the signal?"

"You'll know it when you see it."

Izuku then proceeds to settle himself in position. Izuku then proceeds to draw back his arm and
punches the air using 10% of one for all.

The ceiling is blasted apart, and Izuku thinks he hears a startled yell from Iida. His focus is drawn
instead to the thunderous voice of his mentor coming through the coms.

"Hero team wins!"

His hand hurts a little, but it's a sprain at worst. He grins as he looks at the destruction he caused.
He's not useless worthless Deku anymore. Today proved that.

He turns around to head towards the exit but a blinding light assaults his senses, followed by
soaring heat that erupts on his shoulder and it burns. He screams as he finally realizes what had
happened. Kacchan woke up. He forgot to tie him up. Stupid.

Still, the training exercise is over, why did Bakugou do that? He doesn't have time to contemplate
on that though. The burning pain he's feeling catches up to him and before he knows it everything
around him turns black.
 accidents happen
Chapter Notes

New chapter! hope you guys like it.

All Might stood in the viewing room with the rest of his students. They watched in anticipation as
Midoriya and Uraraka made their way to the third floor using young Uraraka’s quirk. He was
unsure at first of his pupil’s plan when he saw Bakugou approach the pair. However, his doubts
were quickly erased as he witnessed his successor’s actions. Young Midoriya countered Bakugou’s
moves before the boy could even react. His movements were fast and swift. All Might could see
that their training had paid off. Midoriya dodged and hit with purpose, effectively leading his
opponent away from his partner. The hero felt pride flutter in his chest. Still, he needed to be
unbiased and school his features into remaining neutral.

Yet, this didn’t apply to the students that were either cheering at the monitors or starring in shock
as the shy and timid boy they met beforehand thoroughly defeated one of the top students in the
class. Midoriya's movements were brutal and specific. Going straight for the win, he knocked
Bakugou unconscious and proceeded to swiftly destroy the building’s higher floors in a show of
incredible power.

The room went dangerously quiet as they took in the destruction the short boy initiated with a
single punch. They understood now how this boy earned his placement in the entrance exam.

Their awe quickly twisted to dread as they watched helplessly as the screen monitoring the
exercise suddenly emitted a blinding light and turned to static.

--

“Hero team wins!” All Might’s booming voice came through her communicator.

They won. Deku’s plan worked! She released her quirk and slid to her feet. Iida was kneeling on
the floor, head down in defeat. However, as soon as the exercise was declared over he quickly
made his way towards her and congratulated her on her well-earned victory. Any response she was
about to say was cut out by a sudden explosion resounding from the floors below them. The
exercise was over. Were Midoriya and Bakugou still fighting? Worry began pooling in her guts as
she remembered the animosity the blonde held towards her friend.

"Iida, I think something's wrong. The exercise is over. They shouldn’t be fighting anymore. We
need to stop whatever is happening downstairs."
Iida nodded in approval, concern clear in his voice when he spoke next. "We should go check it
out”

"We need to get there before they really hurt each other-" She cut herself off as Iida suddenly
raised a hand to his communicator, listening to whatever was said on the other end of the line.

“Yes sir, we’ll investigate at once” Iida looked up and met her eyes, his gaze urgent and serious as
he turned his communicator off again. “He wants us to go check on Bakugou and Midoriya, the
video feed on the third floor was cut off.”

Uraraka guts twisted in worry. “Okay, but you’re faster. I’ll catch up to you, so go on ahead," she
stated, determination finally settling in and taking over the anxiety and worry she felt. She hoped
Izuku was okay.

She wasted no time in rushing for the nearest staircase. Iida's Quirk sent him barraging past her in
breakneck speed. She cut around the edge of the stairwell, using her quirk to leap over multiple
steps at once.

She tried to ignore the nausea that threatened to set in. She didn’t know if it was from her quirk
overuse or the dread filling her stomach.

She stumbled on the last step leading to the third floor when she heard Iida’s voice, filled with
panic and urgency. "-I found them, sir, Midoriya received wounds to the neck and shoulder and is
bleeding heavily. I’m applying pressure on his wounds sir. Please hurry!"

She skidded into the hallway to her next left, her eyes misty and burning as a cry of shock ripped
from her throat at the sight before her.

Iida was knelt down. Izuku’s body; limp and unconscious, was sprawled on his knees. Iida was
trying to apply pressure on the boy’s wounds using a ripped piece of cloth. He had ripped it from
Izuku’s already tattered costume. Blood was trickling from the burns on her friend’s shoulder and
neck.

The sight alone made the bile rise in her throat.

Her friend's shoulder was charred, burns and splinters going all the way up to his neck. Second-
degree burns and borderline third were highlighted by the paler of his skin. Her friend was just
unconscious, she had to remind herself. He wasn’t dead. He just… seemed that way. She couldn’t
help the tears that pooled down from her eyes as these thoughts went through her head.
Bakugou stood a couple of feet away, completely still and silent. Except for the shaking in his
hands.

This wasn’t supposed to happen. He just felt so angry at the time. All he saw was red. He woke up
and found the nerd starring at a hole in the ceiling. When did that happen? He didn’t have time to
think about it though. All he was thinking about was defeating the worthless nerd in front of him.
He needed to put him in his place. How dare he think he could win against him. he swayed on his
feet as he got up. He probably had a concussion. However, he didn’t care, he had a more pressing
matter at hand. he checked his gauntlets. He asked the support department to create them in a way
that made them store his sweat throughout the fight to be able to produce a highly destructive and
powerful blast.

Now was the perfect chance to test them. Izuku had his guard down. It was now or never.

Now, as he stared at the motionless and charred figure of his old friend. All he felt was regret.
What was he thinking? He knew the explosion would be powerful. But this? This was horrific to
see. He caused this. He wanted to be a hero. Tsk, his actions were nothing short of villainous.

Guilt immediately swept through Katsuki as All Might arrived at the scene, cell phone already in
his hand as he called for help.

As Izuku was taken away on a stretcher to be healed by Recovery Girl, Katsuki couldn’t help but
feel ashamed at his actions.

--

Izuku must have woken up several times, everything was a blur. He was lying on a soft bed, a
smell of antiseptic attacking his senses and a bright light accosting his eyes as he opened them. He
tilted his head to the right, he recognized the room. It was UA’s infirmary. He remembered the
training exercise. He won his fight against Kacchan, so why was he here?

All at once, the pieces seemed to fall into place. Kacchan attacked him after the exercise. He fired
his gauntlet at him. Did he hate him that much?

He tried lifting himself up and of the bed but instantly regretted it as a sharp pain in his shoulder
made itself known.

A voice startled him into opening his eyes. He hadn’t noticed closing them again.

"Don't get up dear! You sustained quite some serious injuries. I'm surprised you're even awake."
The short body of Recovery Girl stepped into his line of sight. "How are you feeling? Any pain?"

“Y- Yes, my shoulder hurts a little but it's manageable. W-what happened?" He asked tentatively,
trying to suppress the dread pooling in his stomach at the thought of the day’s events.
"You sustained a few first degree burns to your neck. Those healed up quick. Your right shoulder,
on the other hand, was severely damaged. You lost forty percent of the tissue present and received
second-degree burns around it. Your burns should be mostly healed, and your tissue should be all
recovered, but you're going to have serious scarring once it's finished closing. Luckily there was no
permanent nerve damage. You should resume full function in a week "

Izuku released the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding his breath. He looks down at the
bandages sticking out of his torn shirt. He finds comfort in finding that he’s still wearing his
costume. It would be problematic if Recovery Girl saw his scars. This was a close call.

“What happened to Ka- Bakugou?” He asked, voice low trying to hide the concern in his voice.

“He was taken to the principal’s office and will most likely be expelled for his actions.” The retired
hero stated.

His face paled at that. “Ex- Expelled?” He straightened up his position. “He can’t be expelled! He
didn’t mean to do it!” He argued weakly, trying to convince himself in the process.

The door to the infirmary opened. An exasperated-looking Aizawa walking in, the bags under his
eyes more pronounced and looking even more tired than before… if that was possible.

“Aizawa-sensei! Please don’t expel Kacchan! It wasn’t his fault!” Izuku pleaded as he tried to get
up from the bed. His knees buckled from under him as a sudden wave of nausea hit him. He was
saved from his fall by his teacher’s quick reflexes.

Aizawa steadied Izuku by the shoulders. Making sure he wouldn’t fall again he finally let go.

“Midoriya you should be in bed.” This kid would be the death of him. “What happens to Bakugou
is entirely up to the principle.”

“B- but sensei, it’s okay- I’m okay. Please don’t punish Kacchan! Nothing bad happened!” Izuku
insisted, his word sincere an earnest. He actually believed that it was okay. That being permanently
scarred and almost dying at the hands of a friend and a classmate, was okay. His own mother
scarred him, every day, after all! It wasn't a big deal. Except that it was.

“Midoriya… You were attacked after the end of the exercise. Not only that, Bakugou used lethal
force and permanently scarred you. it was a good thing Iida acted when he did or you’d have more
than a scar on the shoulder. You almost died Midoriya. What he did was not acceptable.” His
teacher spoke, his eyes never leaving his, as he tried to convey the sincerity and urgency behind his
every word.

“I’m sure he didn’t mean to. He was unconscious, he didn’t know the exercise had ended! Please
give him another chance Sensei!” He argued persistently, the determination in his eyes amplifying
at his every word.

This kid is amazing! He wakes up after being attacked and the first thing he wants is to help his
attacker. Problem child. Aizawa let out an exasperated huff as relented to the stubborn teen. “I’ll
talk to Nezu and see what I can do. But you need to know one thing Midoriya. What bakugou did
was NOT okay. Get it problem child?”

The teen nodded his head hastily. “I- I know.”

“We tried contacting your mother but there was no response” The dark-haired man inquired. “Be
sure to tell her about what happened when you get home.”

Izuku’s guts twisted at that. His mother probably didn’t care what the school had to say. She was
probably pissed off, now. She made her feelings towards his choice of education crystal clear.
Izuku gulped at the thought of facing her tonight.

The reaction didn’t go unnoticed by his teacher.

Nezu took another sip from his second cup of green tea. Eyes never leaving the blonde teen seated
in front of him. They had been sitting like that for about thirty minutes. Katsuki’s nerves were
about to explode. He stared at the rat? Bear? Principle and tried to calm down in fear of losing his
temper in front of the rodent.

Nezu set his cup down. Finally breaking the silence that had settled in the room.

"What do you have to say for yourself young man," The small rodent asked

“I- I don’t know what got over me. I have nothing to say. Just expel me and get it over with.” His
fist was clenched, his knuckles white. As he tried his best to keep his voice steady and unwavering.

"Oh, we were planning on it actually. But it seems that Midoriya specifically requested that you'd
get another chance." He leveled Bakugou with a look. It sent shivered down the blonde's spine
despite the principles small size.

He couldn't believe it. Deku defended him? After what he did to him? "Yes, Bakugou. The boy you
scarred for life, the boy you almost killed, asked that you'd be exempted from any punishment."
The rodent continued as if reading his line of thought. "Unfortunately, it isn't completely up to him.
You see, his opinion will surely be taken into consideration. However, I do not allow this sort of
behavior at my school. Your actions were unacceptable Bakugou Katsuki. You will be suspended
for a week, effective immediately! We spoke to your parent's and they agreed to have you take
anger management therapy sessions. Moreover, you will be forced to stay away from Midoriya and
avoid interacting with him unless asked specifically by the boy in question." Nezu pressed a button
on his desk, this action resulted in the door to his office opening wide.

Bakugou recognized the dismissal and walked away quietly. His shoulders were hunched down,
his usual confident demeanor was gone.
Izuku walked through the halls, recovery had cleared him to go home. Warning him not to do any
strenuous activity and advising him to take a long night of rest, requesting he come back in the
morning to get his bandages changed. it was three o’clock. He had missed the rest of his hero
fundamental training. He was excited to finally get to see what his classmates were capable of. He
was cut off from his musing when a slim figure knocked into him. Luckily, he didn’t fall down.
Avoiding aggravating his wounds even more. Recovery girl would kill him.

He looked up at the person he had bumped into, apologies already slipping out as he hastily
gathered the person’s fallen belongings. His emerald eyes met the shining blue of his mentor’s.

“Midoriya! My boy! I’m glad to see that you’re okay! You had me worried back there, young man!
I was actually going to see you now.”

“All Might! I’m- I’m fine! I’m sorry for worrying you.” He replied nervously, playing at the hem
of his sleeve. Recovery girl had given him a new long-sleeved shirt to wear.

"I wanted to apologize to you, my boy. My shortcomings as a teacher led to your injury. If I had
been wiser I would have recognized the animosity Bakugou held towards you. We would have
avoided this whole mess." The number one hero bowed deeply.

“N- No All Might! It wasn’t your fault! It was an accident! You don’t have to blame yourself!” He
waved his hands around, trying to get the man to straighten up.

“I was in charge of your safety young Izuku. It was my responsibility to keep you safe. Please
accept my apologies.” The hero insisted.

"O- Okay," Izuku replied weakly, he figured arguing with his mentor was a lost cause at this point.

Izuku entered the house tentatively. He needed to go up to his room and maybe take a nap.
Recovery girl’s quirk has drained his energy away. Her quirk required stamina in order to
accelerate the healing rate of the wounds. It was quite fascinating actually. He was so cut up on his
mumbling that he didn’t notice the shadowed figure waiting for him on the kitchen counter.

His mom cleared her throat, making her presence known and effectively startling her son. His heart
rate instantly speeding up. How could he forget about his mom? She must be mad about the phone
call. Stupid. He let his guard down, he let himself believe that he was safe.

Inko studied her son for a moment. The school had disturbed her afternoon shopping outing. It
wasn’t enough her son had the gall to attend the school despite her wishes but they had the
audacity to contact her.

Her eyes narrowed, spotting the bandages peeking out of her son’s shirt. So that’s why they call
her. He got injured on his first day. Pathetic

Izuku watched warily as his mother looked him over. He was frozen still, making himself as small
as possible. Waiting to see what would happen next. He watched as his mother’s eyes widened in
realization and a grin made itself known on her features.
He hissed in pain as he felt pressure on his shoulder. Was she? No, she couldn’t be that cruel. A
pained cry escaped his throat, the pressure on his shoulder increasing slightly. He could feel the
dampness spread on his shirt. Blood. She was using her quirk to aggravate his wounds by pressing
on it.

The pressure abruptly stopped. He dropped to his knees in relief. His mother gingerly crossed the
room and made her way upstairs to her bedroom. A satisfactory grin plastered on her face as she
toddled passed him.

He couldn’t stop the tears that flowed freely from his eyes as the stressful events of the day finally
caught up to him. His breathing was hard. The air in the room seemed to vanish. He began
hyperventilating. His panic attack was long overdue. He curled up on himself, trying to calm his
breathing and steady his throbbing heart.

He just wanted it all to stop.

 Lost in the void.
Chapter Notes

Hope you like this chapter! So I'm going to try and make some sort of update
schedule, I'm sorry if I'm not updating frequently enough! I'm swamped with college
apps and exams.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"I thought I told you to take care of yourself! How on earth did you manage to worsen your
wounds Midoriya?! You were supposed to rest! Now they're going to take twice as long to heal."
Recovery girl scolded as she fussed over him. She changed the bloodied bandages and cleaned his
wounds, applying new dressings once she was done.

"I'm- I'm sorry" He apologized weakly, voice low and tinged with guilt. He gave no explanation as
to why he came this morning with additional injuries and bruises worse than the previous day. He'd
been too tired and in too much pain yesterday to change his bandages, he hopes coming here
wouldn't prove to be a mistake.

Recovery girl seemed to look him over suspiciously. Deciding that she had scolded him enough,
she finished wrapping up his injuries and gave him a quick peck on the forehead. The aching he'd
been feeling seemed to lessen. Leaving in its place a bone-deep sense of tiredness and drowsiness.
His energy instantly seeping away. He gets up from his seated position on the infirmary bed and
makes his way towards the door. He lingers by the exit, looking back sheepishly, he thanks the
heroine for her healing and hopes that he managed to show her the sincerity of his gratitude.

The elder woman waits a couple of moments after he left and promptly takes out her phone to
make a phone call.

Izuku walked up the hall to his classroom. His visit to Recovery girl's office took more time than he
had anticipated, he ended up missing his morning class. He could already hear the buzzing of his
classmate's voices through the door, their excited and happy chatter probably louder than they'd
intended. Gathering whatever resolve he had left he opens the abnormally large door to his
classroom. As soon as he walks in, all eyes turn his way. You could have heard a pin drop as a
deafening silence falls on the room. However, as abrupt as it came it was quickly interrupted by an
outburst of exclamations from many of his classmates all at once. They all gathered around him,
rapidly bombarding him with questions and expressing different emotions, varying from worry to
praise.

"Midoriya! You're back!" A girl with pink skin and horns on her head exclaims. He thinks her
name was Mina Ashido, she had a quirk that could let her produce acid from her body.

He doesn't have time to actually respond as a series of different greetings interrupt him.

"We were worried about you dude! One moment you were fine and the next thing we knew the
screens went dark!" A blonde guy with black, lightning shaped strands in his hair yelled." My
name is Kaminari Denki by the way!"
"Kirishima Eijirou! A boy with spiky red hair called out, he recalled him to be the guy with the
hardening quirk, he had the ability to harden his body into a sturdy rock-like material. "You were
so manly out there! You took out Bakugou and destroyed that building like it was nothing!" He
grins up at him. His teeth, despite their sharpness and originally intimidating appearance, radiate
nothing but kindness and friendliness.

"Ahh…" He tries to form some kind of response but his mind seemed to have short-circuited at all
the positive emotions directed at him. It's stunning, to say the least. He's come to be used to the
constant negative emotions and malicious intent directed towards him. He can't help it now but feel
overwhelmed. He's just so confused. All his life he'd been raised to believe that he's nothing more
than a burden. Worthless and useless to those around him, he didn't deserve any kindness. So why
were they being so nice to him now? Didn't they know how pathetic he was? What made them
believe that he was worth anything. His mother was right. He was nothing more than a nuisance.
His heart rate spikes up at the thoughts going through his head, the rest of the chatter turning to
static in the background as he slowly worked himself into a panic attack.

Thankfully Iida seemed to notice his predicament and decided to step in. "Give him some room.
You need to be considerate of your classmate's personal space!" He shouted, his posture stiff and
hands moving in a shopping motion.

His classmates realized their mistake and quickly stepped back, guilty expressions on their faces.
Izuku took a deep breath trying to calm his nerves and internally scolding himself for his reaction.
"I- It's nice to meet you guys, s- sorry for ruining the exercise for you." His voice barely a whisper
amongst the uproars around him.

"Deku!" his posture stiffened, his body tensing up automatically at the nickname. He had to remind
himself that Kacchan wasn't here." You're okay! oh my god Deku. You can't believe how scared I
was!" Uraraka called out as she ran towards him. He barely had the chance to react before the
brunette engulfed him in a bear hug, her arms tightening around him as if she couldn't believe he
was actually here.

"Indeed Midoriya. I must apologize for not coming to your aid sooner. You gave us quite a scare."
Iida continued, his voice firm but his eyes swirling with many emotions. Recovery girl mentioned
that they were the ones that found him, Apparently, Iida had stayed with him through it all.

"N-No Iida, I should be thanking you. They told me you were the one that helped me when I was
injured." He bowed as much as his wounds let him, trying to convey his gratefulness.

Iida accepted his thanks and wished him a speedy recovery. Of course, he then prompted the rest of
the students to take their seats and wait for Aizawa-Sensei to get here.

Homeroom went fairly smooth after that, Aizawa announced that they were going to elect the class
president and to everyone's delight and Izuku's surprise and discomfort. He had four votes. Coming
up first next to Yaoyorozu, the girl with the creation quirk, who had three votes.
His classmates had chosen to elect him? why would they do that? Was it some kind of joke? He
couldn't dwell on it though, as the class bell rung and they had to go to lunch.

The cafeteria was bursting with noise and motion, groups of people scrambling around trying to get
their food and find someplace to eat with their friends. Izuku froze at the entrance, his anxiety
acting out at the thought of being in a crowd. He didn't like feeling trapped. It reminded him too
much of the dark box. He panicked internally when a voice called out to him from one of the
nearby tables.
It was Uraraka, she was waving at him, her excited and bubbly demeanor making it impossible for
him to ignore her.
"Hey Deku! Come sit with us!" she shouted from across the room.
He nervously walked over to her table. Iida, Kirishima, and Asui were also there. Asui was a very
straightforward girl until now. She, like him, had green long hair. Her quirk giving her the
characteristics of a frog. She seemed like a very nice person.

"Hey Midoriya!" they greeted in unison. "congratulation on the position class pres.!" Kirishima
added with a smirk.

"H- hey guys… about that, I actually don't think I'm suited for the job. I don't know who in their
right mind voted for me." He laughed nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

"None sense! As one of the people who voted for you, I can assure you that I think you all perfect
for the job. You have very good analyses and from my experience at the battle exercise, I believe
you are capable of acting graciously under pressure." Iida spoke up, his tone firm, leaving no space
for doubt or discussion.

"Yeah man, you'd be a great class president! That's why we voted for you" Kirishima continued,
gesturing at the rest of the table's occupants. The ones in question giving affirmative nods in
response.

Izuku's eyes widened in disbelief. Were they serious? Did they really all vote for him? Even Asui?

"What-I- I don't know what to say, you guys." He teared up, what did he do to make them believe
in him so much.

"I think you'd make a very Good class president Midoriya-chan, you were pretty cool yesterday.
Ribbit." Asui stated, her face neutral of any expression.

"T- Thank you Asui" He hoped the smile on his face reflected the emotions he felt.

"You don't have to thank us Midoriya-chan. We did what we thought would benefit the class best.
call me Tsuyu by the way, were friends, now aren't we?" She replied bluntly.

"Okay, Tsuyu" His face heated up at the informal greeting but he thought it was worth it if it meant
he had a new friend. His giddiness grew at the thought.

The conversation continued, they discussed normal topics, variating from favorite foods to hobbies
but they were interrupted by the deafening sound of the school's alarm.

"INTRUDER ALERT! BREACH OF SECURITY ON LEVEL THREE. PLEASE REMAIN

CALM." A mechanical voice rung out of the speakers distributed around the room.

Of course, the first thing people do when they're warned to remain calm is simply the opposite. In
a matter of seconds, the whole cafeteria is found scrambling towards the door, people pushing each
other and knocking into one another. Izuku and the rest of his tables occupants are no better, Iida
urges everyone around him to remain calm but his voice is swallowed by the cacophony of the
bursting noises that surrounds them. They are immediately separated from the group as people
begin to push them.

He feels trapped, his body's being knocked around by the students around him trying to force their
way through the crowd. His vision blurs and his breathing quicken. He's hyperventilating now.
IT'S JUST TOO MUCH. He feels like he's back there again like he's still trapped in the void. He's
not standing in the middle of the cafeteria anymore but he's trapped inside the dark box again.
 Clawing his way out, his nails dig in the refrigerator's metal frame, fingers bleeding from the
strain. He needs to get out of here. He's suffocating. He needs to breathe.
Suddenly a familiar voice is heard. It grounds him and reminds him that he's not in there anymore.
He's not trapped. He's at school, surrounded by his new classmates. Friends he reminds himself.
Iida's voice gets him back to reality. He follows it and finds his friend floating by the cafeteria's
door, probably a product of Uraraka's quirk. He's in a weird position, trying to right himself with
the doorframe. His figure vaguely reminding him of the emergency sign.

"Calm down! The intruders are simple reporters! There is no reason to panic! We are UA students!
Behave like the elites you are! Some of you are future heroes! You need to live up to that. Now
please exit in a fashionable order!" He calls out to the students.
The people in the cafeteria finally quiet down at the mention of the press and the evacuation goes
smoothly afterward.

Izuku stands in front of his classmates. They're in class now, having settled down after the chaos
that went on in the cafeteria. Izuku asked Aizawa if he could make an announcement.

Now, standing in front of twenty pairs of eyes, all looking directly at him with curiosity. He thinks
that it may have been a mistake. A miscalculation on his part. However, he needs to do this. It's
only right after all. With renewed resolve and determination, he looks ahead and speaks up.

"I- I t- truly appreciate that some of you thought I'd make a good class president, but after what
happened in the cafeteria today. I believe that someone else is better suited for the job." His eyes
sweep across the classroom and lands on Iida. They make eye contact as he says the rest of his
announcement. "I think Iida is the right person, he not only remained calm in today's chaos but he
also managed to assure the rest of the students and organize the evacuation. I believe he should
take my place." His voice begins small and uncertain but the more he talked the firmer it got.

The class seems to agree and they back up his statement, they somehow gave Iida the nickname
exit sign Iida. turns out he wasn't the only one that saw the resemblance. Iida thanks him profusely
and accepts the position, promising to live up to the class's expectation.

Unknown to them, it wasn't the reporters that managed to turn the front gates to dust. Somewhere
out there, a dark and shadowed figure is sitting on a bar stool, speaking to an unknown figure
through a monitor. They're planning something. They managed to get the information they needed
today, using the press as a diversion. Soon the symbol of peace shall fall.

Chapter End Notes

Next up... Bakugou comes back and USJ attack!!!

 Hero.
Chapter Notes

This chapter took longer to write! here's hoping I did well by the USJ ark! hope you
like it! waiting for your feedback!

Izuku went home that day, an unfamiliar feeling blooming in his chest. For the first time in forever,
he didn't feel so alone anymore.
He'd used to dream about this, about actually enjoying going to school, having friends. People that
genuinely cared for him.
For once, life didn't seem so bad. He came home to an empty house. A note taped on the fridge.
Inko would be away for the next three days, it didn't say where. She never tells him where she
goes. She just disappears for a couple of days every now and then.

He didn't care though, he learned not to look a gift horse in the mouth. That night he watched some
movies in the living room, enjoying these rare moments of freedom. He's usually forced to remain
in his room, his mother didn't appreciate him interrupting her peace and quiet.

The next morning, he woke up feeling safe. A welcome change from the constant state of alert and
nervousness; not knowing when the next beating will be, the next lesson, the next punishment. He
gets dressed, for once enjoying a small breakfast and taking his time doing his morning routine. It
all felt surreal. Like life was just waiting for the right moment to pull the rug from under him.

He arrived early at school. As he was entering the classroom, his stomach dropped. Of course, his
luck would run out.
He feels stupid now, thinking it would last. Thinking that maybe this time was different. Yet here
he was, standing right in front of none other than Bakugou Katsuki. His suspension must be over.

Kacchan isn't sitting at his usual desk. He recalls it to be Kirishima's desk. Aizawa must have made
them switch. He seems distracted by something. The only other people in the class are Uraraka and
Iida. They're both glaring daggers at the blonde sitting in front of them.

Izuku freezes at the doorway, body tensing up and a phantom ache making itself known in his
shoulder.

Bakugou finally notices him and they make eye contact. "Deku," Bakugou whispers in a low voice.
It's the quietest, Izuku has ever heard him speak. He gets up and marches towards him in long
strides. Unfortunately for him but mercifully for Izuku, Iida decides to step in between them,
effectively blocking Kacchan's path.

"I believe you should stay away Bakugou. You've done enough." Iida's voice is firm, leaving no
room for argument. However, Kacchan doesn't seem deterred. The latter scoffs and speaks up.

"Get out of the way four eyes, I just want to talk to him." He's not yelling, Izuku notes. Kacchan's
whole demeanor is different than usual, he's quieter, more subdued.

"It's O- Okay Iida, Ka- Bakugou won't do anything to me." Kacchan flinches at the lack of
nickname. It seems his shoulder drop even more.
"Are you sure about this Deku?" Uraraka, who has been quiet until now speaks up. Her voice is
tinged with worry but her eyes are focused on him. Trying to convey some sort of message to
Izuku. It's okay if you're not. Her gaze says it all.

Izuku nods and Iida relents, he steps aside but his and Uraraka's eyes are still narrowed on
Bakugou. Their glare is piercing and their bodies are tense, ready to intervene at any moment.

"Deku I'm only going to say this once and you better listen up." His voice rises a little and he falters
at the beginning but his eyes are burning with emotions, Izuku has never seen him like this. "I'm
sorry." He says it like it physically pains him but he says it nonetheless. The fire in his eyes shows
the sincerity behind those two simple words. Before Izuku has time to reply or react in any way,
Bakugou turns around and heads back to his seat. No other words are exchanged between them.

The rest of the class trickles in, all of them eyeing Bakugou warily. However, seeing the lack of
animosity between the blonde and their green friend. They move on.
Aizawa arrives, he glances around and seems satisfied with seeing Bakugou sitting quietly in his
new seat. He announces that they'll be having a small field trip today.

"This time, All Might, myself and one other will supervise."

"Uhm what are we doing exactly?" A student calls out raising his hand. Izuku remembers him as
Sero Hanta, a tall, lean boy, his dark hair has spiked ends. His eyes are almond-shaped and are as
black as his hair. His most prominent features are his large teeth that seem to dominate his grin and
his cylindrical shaped elbows taking the form of tape dispensers, from which he fires his Tape
quirk.

"We're preparing you for disaster relief, from fires to flood." Aizawa raises a hand, a card in his
grip reveals that they'll be having rescue training today.

The classroom erupts in exciting cheers. Aizawa's eyes flash red and his hair floats up, promptly
intimidating the students into silence as he continued his explanations.
"Quiet down, I'm not done. It's up to you whether or not you wear your costumes"
He pulls out a small remote from his scarf, pressing it and presenting them their costumes for the
second time. "Get ready, we'll be going by bus. So, meet me at the front gates once you're all suited
up"

Soon enough, they're all sitting in the bus, Izuku sits between Tsuyu and Uraraka, on the opposite
side of them are Iida and Kirishima. They dissolve into comfortable and excited chatter. Izuku isn't
wearing his costume, it's still being repaired by the Support Department. He opted to just take his
support items with him and wearing his usual long-sleeved gym cloth.
He sits between his classmates, content to just sit there and listen to their interactions.

Tsuyu nudges him a little to gain his attention. Once she has it she speaks up.

"I generally say what I'm thinking Midoriya." She turns fully towards him, making eye contact.

"Oh, what is it Tsuyu?" He asked hesitantly, there it goes. Maybe they finally realized he wasn't
worth their friendship. His stomach drops at the thought. He clenches his fist, anticipating the
inevitable humiliation to come.

"You're quirk really reminds me of All Might." What?! That wasn't what he expected. Then again
this is Tsuyu. He doesn't know why he thought she'd be mean to him. He really should stop
overthinking and doubting his friends. However, the anxiety that pools in his stomach doesn't calm
down as he's called out for his connection to All Might. How did they notice so soon?
"R- Really? N- No I don't- "He stutters out, his nervousness palpable to everyone listening in.
Thankfully Kirishima speaks up and shifts the attention away from him

"I think you have a really cool quirk Midoriya, you can do a lot of things with it, unlike my
hardening quirk." He hardens a part of his hands to emphasize his point. "I'm good in a fight but it's
really boring."

"I think you're wrong Kirishima. Your quirk is awesome. You could easily go pro with it. Saving
people and acting as their shield, not to mention the potential you have in fights!" Izuku quickly
dissolves to his usual muttering habits, scaring some of his classmates.

"Woah Midoriya, slow down. Thank you bro, it's really nice coming from you!" Kirishima beams
at him, his sharp and toothy grin shining ever so brightly.

Throughout the entire conversation, Bakugou stayed uncharacteristic quiet, even when Kaminari,
the blonde guy with the electric quirk, called him out for his brash and harsh behavior.

Soon the bus slows to a stop and Aizawa announces their arrival.

"Welcome to the unforeseen simulation joint!" A deep voice greets them on their arrival. In front
of them stands A pro Hero dressed in an astronaut suit. He gestures behind him to the huge dome-
shaped building.

"OHH it's the space hero Thirteen!" Izuku exclaims before he can stop himself, his Hero nerd side
controlling his reactions.

"The gentleman hero who does his best work in rescue scenarios! I love thirteen!" Uraraka gushes
next to him, her presence reassuring him that he's not alone in his feeling towards the hero.

The hero leads them inside, they all stare in awe at the massive space inside the dome. Thirteen
informs them that the room is divided into multiple sections, each one representing a disaster
scenario. There's a flood zone, a landslide zone, a conflagration zone and so on… pretty much
every disaster and accident you can imagine.

Aizawa walks towards the Hero and they exchange a few hushed words, Izuku sees thirteen holds
up three fingers. He assumes she's talking about All Might. The number one hero isn't here, he
probably passed his three-hour time limit. Izuku had checked the hero news this morning and saw
that All Might had stopped two robberies and one car crash. It must have taken a lot out of him. It
explains his absence.

Their conversation ends and they both turn to proceed in addressing the students.
"Before we get started I'd like to make one or two points." The hero says. "As you may already
know, my quirk is called Blackhole. It can suck in and tear apart anything."

"And you've used it to save people from all sorts of disasters!" Izuku interrupts the hero in his
gushing, Uraraka nods frivolously next to him in agreement.

"Indeed…However, my power is deadly. I've no doubt that some of you have similar abilities. In
our superpowered society, the use of quirks is heavily monitored and restricted. It is easy to forget
that the system we live in isn't a stable one. One wrong move from an uncontrollable quirk and
people can die. In your quirk assessment test with Aizawa you came to learn some of your quirks
hidden potential and with your battle exercise with All Might, you saw the danger your quirks
impose on the people around you." Bakugou visibly stiffens at that and his hands clench into a fist.
"Today, our goal is to show you a new perspective. Your quirks aren't meant to harm people. You
have within you the potential to save lives, you will learn in this class that being a hero doesn't
mean fighting villains and hurting others. Being a hero means saving and helping others."
Thirteen's features are hidden by their astronaut mask but just from their tone of voice, Izuku could
hear the pure determination and sincerity behind their words. "That's it. Thank you for listening."
The whole class claps and cheers at Thirteen's motivating speech. Every one of them is fired up
and ready to face their next step in their journey towards becoming heroes.

"Great, now first of- "Aizawa speaks but izuku tunes him out as something else catches his
attention.
Across the room, down in the central field near the fountain. A swirl of black mist suddenly
appears. It's getting bigger by the second and a deep feeling of dread consumes Izuku.
Aizawa must have noticed something wrong because he's suddenly addressing him.
"Midoriya is everything okay?" His tone is flat but Izuku senses some concern behind the question.
He wordlessly points at the black mist and his doubts are confirmed when Aizawa stiffened and
begins shouting at thirteen.

From the swirling black mist emerges dozens of people, all dressed in combat attires and holding
heavy weapons.

"Hurdle up together! Thirteen get the students out of here!" he urges "Those are villains!"

A man speaks up. His quirk covers all of his features by a dark swirling mist. "Thirteen and Eraser
head now is it? According to the schedule we received a few days ago. All Might should be here."
His voice is deep and threatening but oddly respectful. The oddity making shivers run down the
student's spine.

"Where is he? We've come all this way. And brought so many playmates. All Might the symbol of
peace. Is he here?" A man speaks up from his place near the fountain. His hair is a pale shade of
blue and his body is covered by amputated hands. The sight makes the bile rise in Izuku's throat.
Next to him stands a massive figure, it's more monster than human. The creature's brain is exposed
and its eyes look around frantically like it's not even conscious.

"So, it was you, behind the intrusion the other day." Aizawa mutters to himself.

This is it, he thinks. This is what it means to take on the job of a hero. This is what pros are up
against. What they face in the field. Izuku stared at the hundreds of villains they were about to face
and thinks that this is what it means to face evil. The malicious intent flowing from these people
reminds him of his mother. However, this is different. He knows his mother would never hurt him
to the point of fatal injuries. Yet this doesn't apply here. These villains are out for blood. They're
out to kill.

"I wonder if some dead kids will bring him here?" The blue haired man continues.

"Thirteen evacuate the students and try calling the school! One of the villains must be jamming the
sensors if the alarm didn't go off. There's a chance one of their electric types are causing the
interference!" Aizawa- no Eraser Head readies his capture weapons in his hands, his usual tired and
sleepy demeanor gone. Leaving in its place a cautious and experienced pro hero. He marches ahead
in confidence, reassuring the students that everything will be okay. "Kaminari! Try using your
quirk to signal for help." He urges the blonde boy.

"But Sensei! You can't fight them alone!" Izuku calls out to his teacher. "Against that many
opponents… your quirk can't nullify them all! You're fighting style revolves around stealth and the
element of surprise! You can't fight them head on!" He voices his concern, trying to convince his
teacher to think of a better plan.
"You can't be a pro and be a one trick pony Midroriya. Don't worry, I got this." He reassures as he
calmly puts on his goggles and leaps head first to the central field. Aizawa dodges a bullet coming
his way and glares at a villain with gun heads as fingers, the villain tries shooting again but his
quirk doesn't work. Eraser Head promptly knock him out with a swift roundhouse kick to the head,
he then moves on to the two villains running towards him and closing in on him. He leaps over
them, the action resulting in knocking them both into each other. He then proceeds to render a
villain immobile with his capture tape and knocks him out using a force that shows the pure
strengths he had honed in his body. That's how it goes for the many more villains he encounters.
They don't attack all at once, Aizawa's goggles make it impossible for them to know which one of
their quirks will be erased and therefore Aizawa has an advantage. They don't stand a chance. His
amazing and impressive hand to hand fighting style and the strategic use of his quirk shows years
of experience. It makes Izuku and the rest students watching, sigh in relief. However, Izuku knows
that He won't last long like this. He's bound to get tired.

He's interrupted in his musing by Thirteen, they tell him to follow them towards the exit, their path
is then blocked by the sudden appearance of the man with the black mist. He seems to have a wrap
quirk. Izuku notes that from what he'd seen, the man's quirk must consist of the ability to form a
wrap gate in order to teleport himself and the people that step inside it.

"Greetings, we are the league of villains. Forgive our audacity, but…Today, we come here to end
the symbol of peace life. We were under the impression that All Might would be here. Was his
schedule revised? No matter, my objective remains intact. I must prevent you from escaping-" His
speech is interrupted by Thirteen's voice.

"You will do nothing. I will not let you hurt anyone today." Thirteen aims their palm at the wrap
villain. Their quirks activate and a black hole begins absorbing the wrap gate villain. Izuku sees it
first, their mistake. He's too late though. Before he has time to call out to them, a wrap gate appears
behind the hero and their quirk is turned against them. Thirteen's body is heavily injured before
he's able to stop his quirk again. He falls to the ground, suit heavily damaged and body shuddering.

"Well, it makes my job easier." The villain comments as he turns towards the shocked and scared
students. Before any of them has a chance to react, wrap grates appear all around them. Iida and
Shoji- the kid with the mutation quirk that lets him replicated body parts on the tip of his tentacles.
- They both manage to get some of the students out of the way of the warp gate. Iida pushes
Uraraka and Ashido out of the way and Shoji gets Aoyama and Sero. The rest of them aren't as
lucky.

Suffocating darkness envelops izuku and suddenly he's falling.

He hits the water hard, it's cold and his support items makes it hard for him to swim. He reaches
the surface but the first thing he sees is a shark-like figure rapidly closing in on him. the villain
opens his mouth to bite him. Izuku panics and tries to swim away but he's too slow. The villain has
a shark mutation, this is his turf. He closes his eyes and braces himself for the inevitable pain but
nothing comes and he's suddenly out of the water, yanked by something and soaring in the sky.

His mind registers that he's being lifted by Tsuyu's tongue. The frog quirked girl deposits him on a
wrecked ship. He's not the only one she saved it seems since Mineta is here too. The short purple
haired boy is too busy sobbing to notice him though.
He takes a moment to calm himself before turning towards his savior.

"Thank you Tsuyu. You save me!" He hopes she sees the sincerity in his gratitude.

She nods in acknowledgment before turning and checking the water for the villains. He follows her
gaze and gulps. Under them, swimming in the water, are at least a dozen villains. They all have
some kind of water-related quirk, Izuku notes.

He thinks about where they are for a moment and speaks up. "I don't think they know about our
quirks."

Tsuyu tilts her head to the side "Why do you think that Midoriya?" Her brows furrow in confusion.

"If they knew about our powers, they wouldn't have put you in the flood zone. It's exactly because
they don't know about our quirks that their strategy was to scatter us and overwhelm us with their
numbers. They got us beat in power and numbers so our best chance to win would be to exploit the
fact that they don't know about our quirks! Look!" He gestures at the villain swimming beneath
them "They're not trying to get on board, that supports my theory" It also means that they won't
underestimate us.

"You're pretty smart Midoriya," Tsuyu states bluntly, promptly ignoring the way Izuku's face turn
bright red and the stuttering mess she'd reduced him to. She continues her statement. "Do you have
a plan?"

Izuku regains his composure and straightens up again. His focuses on the task at hand. "I need to
know both of your quirks first. If we want to get out of this safe we need to look into every
possibility." He looks over to Mineta who somehow calmed down and has been listening to their
exchange." My quirk is strength enhancement, it gives me heightened reflexes and speed and super
strengths. But I can't control it fully yet. What about you guys?" He enquires, His gaze serious and
urgent, given their limited planning time.

"I can jump really high and stick to walls. My tongue also can extend to about twenty meters. I can
do pretty much anything a frog can do." She explains the rest of her quirks details and then gives
the spotlight to Mineta.

"I have these purple balls on my head that I can remove and throw, their pretty sticky and we get
stuck to anything for a long period of time. Except they bounce right off of me." Izuku and Tsuyu
pause and stare at him for a few moments. How did he defeat robots with that quirk… Mineta
seems to catch on their train of thoughts and dissolves back into his previous crying state.
Meanwhile, the villains seem to have gotten bored and one of them uses its quirk and splits the
boat in half. Now, standing on a rapidly sinking ship, Izuku calms his nerves and tunes them out in
order to think of a plan. He looks back at the two in front of him and explains their next course of
action.

Izuku gets up on the ships ledge and launches himself from the boat, taking a page from Kacchan's
book he yells at the top of his lungs at the villains." GO TO HELL!" and with a One for all
powered flick of his finger, he sends a shockwave of force straight at the surface of the water. The
villains go tumbling helplessly as the water surface rapidly spreads apart from the point of impact;
those that aren't knocked out by the initial strike are left flailing in the current and fighting just to
keep their heads above the water. He yells for his classmates. Tsuyu performs a stunning leap and
catches him around the waist with her tongue. Hanging from her arms, Mineta screams in fear and
defiance as he hurls sticky balls into the water until blood runs down his face.
The water converges again, bringing villains and sticky orbs with it. In a matter of moments, the
menacing force is trapped in a struggling pile, stuck fast to each other as they bob in the still
heaving water. Tsuyu carries them clear of the villains. They hit the surface at a safe distance and
swim the rest of the way to shore.
They take a moment to catch their breath, his plan worked. Izuku knows it was a reckless plan but
he's glad they managed to get out of there safely.
Their happiness is short-lived as they witness their teacher fighting with the hands' villain. Aizawa
is holding up his own, he seemed tired and cuts and bruises adorn his body. Nevertheless, he's still
kicking and jumping around the villain with swift and calculated moves. He doesn't know what the
villain's quirk is. His best bet is to keep his distance and erase their quirk constantly. However, this
is easier said than done. His quirk's weakness is that it deactivates when he blinks. Having dry eye
doesn't help easier. He has to blink at some point and the villain knows that too. He waits and for
the right moment, just as Aizawa blinks for the first time in five minutes. He makes his move.

He kicks and punches the hero and promptly grabs his elbows. The skin peels and disintegrates at
the touch. Muscle fiber and bone becoming visible. Aizawa retracts his now useless hand with a
barely contained hiss of pain.
The pain is sidetracking him. His movements are getting slower by the moment and the exhaustion
from his constant fighting is finally catching up to him. he doesn't know if he can keep this up for
much longer.

"I'm getting tired of this." The creepy guy with the amputated hands says. "Nomu" He calls out to
the creature who, up until now, remained still and inactive. "Break him." It happens in a blur. One
moment the Nomu is standing to the side, completely motionless and unresponsive and the next
thing they know. It's standing over Aizawa, pinning the hero to the ground with a death grip. It
moved so fast they didn't even see it moving. The creatures speed could rival All Might's. It
suddenly all makes sense. The villains came here believing they could kill All Might. They came
here with this creature, this unbelievably fast and strong massive creature.
He doesn't have time to think about it though. His more urgent thought right now is his homerooms
teacher.

Mineta, Tsuyu and Izuku can only watch, frozen in horror as the Nomu snaps Aizawa's arm. The
appendage going limp and hitting the ground with a thud. Static roars in his ears as every instinct in
him yells at him to move. To do something. ANYTHING. To save his teacher. His body seems to
think differently as all he can do is stand there. Frozen with fear. Pathetic.

The wrap gate villain suddenly appears next to the hand villain and Izuku hears him talking about a
student that managed to escape. That gives him hope. If one of his classmates managed to escape,
it means it's only a matter of time before helps arrives. Shigaraki, the guy with the wrap quirk
called the hand villain.

He needs to stall, he needs to create some sort of diversion. The villains don't know about their
presence yet. He can take advantage of that.

Shigaraki seems to read his thoughts though, because as soon as he's done talking with the mist
villain. He turns towards them. In a second, the villain's hand is outstretched towards Tsuyu's face.

Izuku remembers Aizawa's elbow, he remembers the sight of the disintegrating skin, the hiss of
pain. He imagines Tsuyu's face disintegrating, her whole body turning to dust. The pain and the
screams. He remembers his body freezing. He thinks NO. NOT AGAIN. His body moves but he's
too slow. Shigaraki's hand makes contact with Tsuyu's face and Izuku's blood runs cold.

A moment passes and nothing happens. Shigaraki retracts his hand and grins. "You're so cool
Eraser Head. But you've been nothing but a thorn at my side. Nomu Kil- The rest of his order is cut
off as he's suddenly tackled to the ground.

Izuku believes that this time, he will not stand by and watch as another person he cares about gets
hurt. He's not going to freeze up anymore. This time, he moves on instincts and tackles the hand
villain to the ground. Making sure that the latter's hands are pinned to the ground in the process.
The villain struggles under his grip but the sheer amount of strengths Izuku puts in his grip is
impossible to get out of.

Izuku hears it before he sees it and quickly leaps out of the way. A wrap gate appears right where
he was standing seconds ago. Shigaraki stands up, his features aren't visible because of the
disembodied hand he has on his face. Izuku swears he can feel him glaring at him.

"Shigaraki Tomura. Do you want me to take care of this? "The wrap gate villain asks. His gaze
never leaving Izuku's.

"NO! He's mine!" The villain yells back. It vaguely reminds Izuku of a child throwing a tantrum
over a toy. "You think your strong hero. Come at me with everything you've got."

He rushes towards Izuku with a surprising speed. Izuku sidesteps him and dodges the outstretched
hand. His relentless training had made his reflexes sharper and his responses faster. He swiftly
grabs Shigaraki by the wrist and twists until he hears a snap. The villain hisses and backs up. It
doesn't deter him for long though, not a moment later he's rushing Izuku again. His movements are
more erratic, frustration and anger fueling his every action.

"Shigaraki- "

"NO!" Shigaraki yells at the mist villain in anger. "I TOLD YOU TO STAY OUT OF THIS." He
turns back to Izuku and addresses him again. "You think you're so strong brat, but we came here
today to kill the final boss and win the game. The symbol of peace. You seem to be the mini-boss,
I'll gladly disintegrate you."

"You seriously believe you can kill All Might?" Izuku's voice comes out steady and calm, despite
his pounding heart and fear that's threatening to take over him. "How much of an idiot can you
possibly be!" He spoke before he could stop himself and did he just call the guy with the
disintegrating quirk an idiot?! At least he's doing what he tried to do originally. Stalling for time.

"Shut it brat. I can and I will kill him. we've finally managed to create the perfect soldier. Standing
over your dear teacher is the Nomu, the perfect Anti-Symbol of peace.
His strengths, speed, and multiple quirks will easily match your all mighty Symbol Hero's powers."
Multiple quirks? Anti-symbol?

Izuku schools his features to hide his surprise. He needs to stay focused and stay alive.

They circle around each other, Shigaraki holds his broken wrist with his other hand and Izuku
decides that he won't wait for him to make the first move anymore. He promptly leaps at him,
green lightning envelops his body as he kicks the villain in the stomach, the force behind his hit
sends the villain, flying into a wall, hard. The latter wheezes as he clutches his stomach and tries to
get back up.

This seems to make him snap. His frustration and anger morphing into blinded rage and fury. Izuku
realizes his mistake then. He's been taunting and beating the villain that had access to an extremely
strong and massive monster.
"Nomu Attack."

His last thought is 'Oh shit' before he's suddenly held up by the throat by the hulking figure of the
Nomu. He didn't even see it coming. At least it's off of Aizawa now, he thinks. He managed to save
someone. The Nomu tightens its grip on him, enough to suffocate him without killing him.

He catches movement at the corner of his eye. Tsuyu and Mineta are trying to get to Aizawa.
Probably going to try and help him up so that he could fight. He must have passed out from the
blood loss, at some point. He needs to distract the villains enough for them to get away.

"SH- SHIGARAKI!" He manages to get out, the grip on his throat barely letting him get a word
out. "FIGHT ME YOURSELF YOU COWARD" Tears are gathering in his eyes as his visions blur
and darkens. He can't pass out. He still has people to protect. He can't let anything happen to them.

"You won't be so arrogant once Nomu is done with you Brat." The villain taunts, Izuku notes that
he's still clutching his stomach. That thought strangely satisfies him.
Nomu releases his grip on Izuku's throat. He coughs violently and shudders rack his body as he
tries to savor the precious air he's getting. His relief is short-lived as the Nomu proceeds to pin him
to the ground and snap his arm like he did Aizawa. The pain is excruciating but years of abuse have
made his pain tolerance skyrocket. He stifles a scream and glares at Shigaraki.

"Still acting tough, are we?" Shigaraki calls out, slowly approaching them, the glee in his voice
ever so present.

Nomu releases him and opts to lift him off the ground by his broken limb. This time Izuku screams,
the pain is blinding. He opens his eyes, now only realizing he closed them in the first place. The
first thing he sees is the ground rumbling. He grins up at Shigaraki and laughs. It comes out sharp
and hysterical.

"Are you an idiot or just suicidal? Why the hell are you laughing? "Shirataki's frustration is
palpable from a mile away.

"It's over Shigaraki. Do you know why? Because he is here." As soon as he says those words the
entrance to the USJ blows up, from the dust and rubble emerges the hulking figure of the Symbol
of peace. He's not smiling.
 I AM HERE!
Chapter Notes

sorry I haven't updated in a while. Hope you like this chapter. my next update will be
in two days.

All Might had a bad feeling about this. His instincts, which led him to win countless fights in the
past, were screaming at him that something was wrong. He tried calling Aizawa to apologize for
his absence but the man didn't pick up. The call didn't even go through. He was probably just
overreacting but he had to be sure. He was on his way to the USJ when he ran into young Iida.

The boy was hysterical. Iida was drenched in sweat, he was panting, his breathing ragged as if he'd
run all the way here. He kept rambling about a villain attack and mentioned a warp gate and
escaping and it finally clicked in All Might's mind, The USJ, his students and colleagues were
under attack.

Despite his time limit being up, he ran as fast as he could. Telling Iida to inform the principle of
the incident before taking off in what seemed to be the fastest distance he'd run in his life.

He arrived at the USJ at lightning speed, slamming into the entrance door and creating a huge
cloud of dust and rubble in his wake. Once the dust cleared, he could finally see what was
happening around him.

A couple of feet away, laid the injured and motionless body of Thirteen. The rescue hero was in
bad shape but was thankfully still breathing. He rushed to their side, informing the students
gathered there that everything would be alright.

He then proceeded to look for the rest of the students. His worry spiked at the thought of his
successor. He hoped the boy was okay. Iida had mentioned that the students were scattered. He
wondered where Izuku ended up.

He didn't have to wonder for long though as he looked down to the central area. To his horror,
Izuku was being lifted up by a massive creature. The abomination's brain was exposed, its skin was
dark and covered in scars. Its body was huge and muscular and its mouth was in the shape of a
bird's beak that had large teeth. Its overall appearance was terrifying, to say the least.

Seeing his successor, the boy he'd come to love like a son, being lifted in the air, hanging by a
purple, bruised and broken arm by this creature made his blood boil. His signature smile was wiped
off his face. In its place a scowl that was known to intimidate the deadliest of villains.

He didn't have much time left in his hero form. He needed to get this over with, fast. He glanced
around and found some of his students- Asui Tsuyu and Mineta- struggling to hold up an
unconscious Aizawa. He quickly ran towards them, lifting them up in the gentlest way possible and
depositing them at a safe distance. Knocking many smalltime villains on his way, he quickly made
his way back to save Izuku.

The boy looked up at him, the relief in his eyes clear as day. Running as fast as he could, he
snatched the boy from the monster's grip, quickly placing him next to the others he rescued.
He looked back at the creature, the guy that seemed to be made out of mist and the blue haired
man standing next to them, he assumed he was the ringleader. He needed to take care of them.
Nobody hurts his students and gets away with it.

Aizawa swore internally when the problem child tackled the villain to the ground. His vision was
getting darker by the second but he could still make out what was happening around him. The self-
sacrificing idiot was fighting the villain and actually winning. Nevertheless, Aizawa would have to
reprimand him later. Later. Aizawa sure as hell hoped there would be a later. He tried to move but
the hulking body and suffocating weight of the Nomu was keeping him pinned to the ground. Both
his arms were useless. Shigaraki had disintegrated his left elbow, Nomu had snapped his right hand
and he was sure he had a concussion from one of his previous fights with the villains. Still, he had
to do something. What kind of Teacher, what kind of Hero would he be if he let his students fight
for their lives on their own. He needed to do something. ANYTHING.

Midoriya seemed to be talking to the villain now, Stalling, his mind provided. Smart but reckless.
His train of thought was cut off by the sudden absence of the weight pinning him down. His relief
was quickly turned to horror when he realized the reason. The Nomu was heading for Midoriya.

Dark spots were forming in his vision as he tried to hang onto consciousness, desperately trying to
keep himself grounded and urging his body to move. He could only watch helplessly as the Nomu
strangled his student, lifting him off the ground in the process.

It didn't end there though, Life wasn't so kind. The Nomu then proceeded to crush Midoriya's arm,
the hand villain exchanging words with his reckless student. Midoriya for the life of him was
adamant on giving him a heart attack. Not only did he taunt the villain and insult him, but he also
began to straight up laugh at his face.

The USJ entrance exploded and relief flooded his system as he saw who had arrived. Darkness
enveloped him as he finally let the void overcome him.

At the USJ's entrance, from the billowing dust and smoke, stepped All Might in all his glory.
Izuku could have cried in relief. All Might's timing was just...impeccable. There was no better
moment for the hero to arrive than this.
He didn't know how he'd stayed calm this whole time. His time spent in the dark box made him
developed a coping mechanism of the sort. He'd disassociate with himself, he'd close himself off,
suppressing the unwanted emotions that made him feel miserable, scared and lonely and learned to
stay strong in the face of fear. In hindsight, it was probably the most useful thing he learned from
his mother's punishments.

He tried to form some kind of plan in order to escape the Nomu's death grip. To his surprise, he
didn't have to since he was suddenly being carried at breakneck speed towards the entrance. All
Might wasn't the number one hero for nothing.

The hero set him down with gentle and calculated movements, mindful of his injuries. He couldn't
help but feel grateful towards his mentor. The throbbing pain in his arm was overwhelming, his
whole limb was crushed, skin turning purple and blood pouring out of multiple gashes. Not to
mention the aching soreness in his throat, Nomu's grip on him was suffocating.

His vision was dimming, the exhaustion and pain beginning to overtake him. he was grounded by
Tsuyu's voice as she appeared in his line of vision.
"Midoriya-chan are you okay?" Her voice was tinged with worry as she looked him over, taking in
the severity of his injuries.

He straightened up and with strengths he didn't know he had, he lifted himself off the ground. It
wasn't over yet, he had to be strong.

"I- 'm fine, don't worry about me Tsuyu." His voice was hoarse, the pain in his throat making it
hard to speak. He looked at the unconscious form of his teacher laying on the ground next to them.
"How's Aizawa-sensei? Weren't you able to wake him up?"

She gave him a look, her eyes scanning him, probably detecting his obvious lie. Her hands were
reaching towards him as though she was bracing herself to catch him if he fell. She glanced at their
teacher and spoke firmly. "Sensei should be okay, his breathing is labored but I think it's because of
the blood loss, his arms were seriously injured."

"MIDORIYA! ARE YOU CRAZY? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? DO YOU HAVE A
DEATHWISH?!" Izuku suddenly noticed the purple haired boy's presence. Mineta was shouting at
him, tears streaming down his face.

"I- I wasn't… I just had to do something, I couldn't let you guys get hurt. They were about to kill
Aizawa, I couldn't just stand there when I could have done something." His voice was laced with
shame and guilt but his eyes were shining in determination. Mineta's mouth clicked shut at his
words.

"Your actions were stupid Midoriya." Tsuyu stated bluntly. "But brave nonetheless. Thank you for
saving us." The sincerity in her voice made his eyes tear up.

They looked back to the central area, Nomu and All Might were engrossed in a heated battle, the
Symbol of peace was holding his own against the creature, for every hit he retaliated with the same
amount of fierceness and power. He seemed to be winning… but for how long? Izuku knew his
mentor wouldn't last long. His time limit was sure to be over and the Nomu seemed to have been
created specifically to counter his power at its strongest. He needed to help him should the need
arise. For now, the hero seemed to be doing fine.

"We- we need to get Aizawa-sensei to the main entrance; the heroes should be arriving soon. I
heard the mist villain talk about a student that managed to escape." His throat protested at the use
but he had to get his point across. "I'll take his legs and you guys help me lift his arms."

"But your arm is all messed up!" Mineta shouted, his hands gesturing wildly in disbelief.

"I'll be fine. If I get tired I'll let you know."

They were making their way towards the stairs when a shockwave coming from the central area
got their attention. All Might had defeated the Nomu, sending him flying right through the USJ
dome and into the stratosphere. His shout of the school's motto "PLUS ULTRA" resounding
through the whole place. It wasn't over though. All Might was standing in front of Shigaraki and
the mist villain, smoke was pouring out of him. A clear sign that his time limit was up. However,
the villains were still here and he couldn't transform back to his normal form, he couldn't reveal his
secret.

If he didn't act now his mentor was going to die. His body moved on autopilot as he slowly handed
Aizawa's legs to Mineta and ran at full speed towards his hero. Every footfall sent a spike of pain is
his arm, but he didn't care. He needed to do this. He needed to save him.
He passed Todoroki, Kirishima, and Kacchan on his way, he could hear their gasps as they saw his
injuries and their shouts urging him to come back. He couldn't- he wouldn't. All Might needs him
and he'd be damned if he just stood by as his hero died to save them.

He rushed towards the villains, hand clenched into a fist, despite the soaring pain erupting from the
appendage. He leaped off the ground, power surging through his whole body as he aimed for
Shigaraki.
Shigaraki and All Might noticed him. Izuku heard the hero and his friends shout his name, saw the
Villain flinch back in surprise. And then, purple and black swirled in front of Izuku.
Izuku's eyed widened in realization. The Mist-Villain. It was the Mist-Villain. The Warp-Gate.
How could he forget? Shigaraki's hand appeared through the Warp-Gate, inches away from Izuku's
face. He closed his eyes in anticipation of the inevitable pain.

Suddenly a bullet came of nowhere, embedding itself in Shigaraki's outstretched hand, making the
villain recoil in pain. The Warp-Gate disappeared from in front of Izuku; more bullets flew, hitting
Shirataki's legs, arms and shoulders. Quickly the villains retreated, the warp gate teleporting them
away. Shigaraki threatening that this wouldn't be the last they heard of them.

The heroes had finally arrived, snipe's bullets had saved him. The rest of the heroes quickly taking
out the remaining villains and tending to the wounded.

Izuku hit the ground with a thud, hissing as pain erupted from his arm. The adrenaline and energy
from the battle quickly seeping out of him. Fear, pain, and terror finally setting in. He'd been
suppressing these feelings long enough. His vision dimmed as the darkness finally overtook him.

Consciousness slowly came back to him. He opened his eyes and blinked sluggishly, trying to get
rid of the haze. He'd been here enough times to know exactly where he was. He'd spent more time
in UA's infirmary than his own classroom. Light was coming from the windows, telling him it was
still mid-afternoon. He felt a weight on his chest, looking down he realized his arm was pinned to
his chest by a cast. Probably to prevent him from moving and aggravating his wounds.

He heard a small cough and let his gaze follow the sound. The source was none other than his
mentor. All Might was sitting in the armchair next to his bed.

"My boy! you're awake! How are you feeling? You were injured quite badly there!" The hero's
booming voice making his headache sting even more.

The memories of the previous hours seemed to suddenly flood his thoughts. He shot upright. The
panic he'd been suppressing finally setting in as the events he'd been through finally caught up to
him.

He felt two firm hands grip his shoulders, not too hard to hurt but firm enough to ground him back
to reality and out of his own panicked state.

He sucked in a deep breath and asked the question he's been yearning to ask since he woke up.

"A-Are o- okay? Ai- za- wa-? The- o- others?" his voice was hoarse and barely above a whisper.
The pain preventing him from formulating a proper sentence. He could feel the thick bandages
wrapping his neck.

"Yes, my boy, the only ones seriously injured were you, Aizawa and thirteen and they are both
okay and on their way to a full recovery. Please, my boy, refrain from speaking, your throat
suffered severe trauma." He replied with a smile, handing Izuku a small notebook and a pen.
Thankfully the hand the Nomu broke wasn't his dominant hand.

All Might smiled softly at the visible relief his successor was showing. Of course, the first thing
his protégé would ask was if the others were okay. He just woke up after being attacked for god's
sake and the first thing he's worried about is his friend's wellbeing. Pride blossomed in his chest,
he'd chosen the right successor.

He was interrupted from his musing by the infirmary's door opening, Recovery girl stepped in,
quickly fussing over Izuku once she noticed he was awake.

It was now that Izuku realized he wasn't wearing his gym shirt anymore. His new shirt is a white
long-sleeved top. That means Recovery girl probably saw his scars. he looked down and found
comfort in finding he was still wearing his gym pants, that means she'd seen him shirtless. His heart
skipped a beat. She'd probably seen the ones on his back and arms, he had gathered many scars
over the years. Although the most prominent one was on his torso, a long and jagged scar sat
across his chest. He didn't like to think about how he got that one. He swallowed his panic and
decided to deal with it later. She hadn't called him out on them, that was probably a good sign.

He hadn't realized that someone else had walked in until he heard All Might's voice call out to him,
snapping him back to reality.

"This is detective Tsukauchi Naomosa" The hero gestured at the tall dark-haired man standing next
to him. The latter waved at Izuku, a small smile adorning his features. "He wants to ask you a
couple questions."

"I'm sorry to bother you while you're recovering Midoriya-kun, we can always do it another time."

Midoriya shook his head, allowing the man to proceed in his questioning.

"So, I got most of the witness reports from the rest of your teachers and classmates. Your two
classmates, Asui and Mineta, told me about the events in the flood zone and Aizawa recounted
your encounter with the ringleader from what he remembered but we still don't have the full story.
Can you disclose your interactions with the villains? It would be a great help."

Izuku took the notebook he'd been handed and wrote everything he could recall. He wrote about
Shigaraki, their conversation, his attempts at stalling and everything that had happened from their
fight to the Nomu's attack. His hands were shaking and tears threatened to spill by the time he was
done.
The detective took the notebook, nodding at the event's he'd mentioned. Quickly thanking him for
his cooperation as he handed him back the notebook and exited the infirmary.

To say Izuku was exhausted would be an understatement. As soon as the detective walked out,
recovery girl approached him.

"I'd like you to stay here overnight. The swelling in your throat might increase and I'd like to
monitor your healing." She informed him, her eyes never leaving his as she continued." We tried
contacting your mother but there was no response."

She's out of town, supposed to come back the day after tomorrow. He wrote down and handed her
the notebook.

"Well, I guess we'll talk to her when she gets back. Anyways, we have everything you need here
for one night and tomorrow, the principal decided to close the school, to give the student's time to
recover. You can go home then." Her voice held no room for argument, as small and short as she
was, the elderly woman had an aura of pure authority flowing off, of her. Izuku could only nod in
response.

She kissed him on the forehead once more, advising him to get some sleep, her quirk's effect
rendering him even more exhausted then he initially was. The relief from the nagging pain in his
arm and throat were worth it.

He woke up a couple of hours later, light wasn't seeping through the window anymore, instead, the
source was a small lamp placed near his bedside.
He straightened himself, planning on going to the bathroom to relieve himself. Feeling a little light-
headed he wobbled on his feet but quickly steadied himself. Taking small steps at a time, he made
his way through the school's corridors. It was weird being here at night, the silence was both
jarring and peaceful. The halls that were usually bursting with motion and noise were now dark and
silent.

He found the bathroom and quickly finished his business, struggling a few moments with his cast
but he managed at the end. He exited the bathroom, heading back to the infirmary.

He turned the next corner and unexpectedly knocked into another figure, he flailed on his feet but
managed to right himself at the last second.

Izuku looked up to find none other than his homeroom teacher. His shoulders dropped in relief. A
weight he hadn't realized he was lifting finally leaving him. His teacher was really okay. Aizawa
looked worse for sure, the bags under his eyes seemed more prominent and his arms were both
held in casts but he was here and He was okay.

Aizawa's usual stoic and neutral expression looked back at him. In his eyes, multiple emotions
passed, too quick for Izuku to decipher.

"A- Aiz- a- w- a S- en- "He tried to get out, hid throat quickly protesting.

"Don't talk problem child. Why are you even up- Never mind don't answer that, come with me!"

They walked in silence until they reached Recovery girl's office. Aizawa stepped in, Izuku trailing
behind him. Recovery girl scolded him for leaving without informing her first or asking for help.
Once she left, Aizawa waited for Izuku to settle himself back on the bed before speaking. His next
action leaving Izuku speechless in mild shock.

As soon as he looked up Aizawa was bowing, his back arched as much as the casts on his arms
allowed him.

"I apologize Midoriya. My shortcomings as both a pro-hero and your teacher lead you to be
injured." Izuku's eye widened as he realized what was happening.
Did Aizawa feel like it was his fault? Before he could voice his objection, his teacher continued.

"Nonetheless, your actions at the USJ, while brave; and although you saved both my life and your
classmates, were reckless and stupid. You cannot go on like this. Your self-sacrificing behavior is
going to get you killed." His voice was stern but tinged with sincere and intense worry, his eyes
focused on Izuku as he continued his lecture. "Mido- Izuku, you need to learn that your life isn't
something you can just throw away, your life is worth protecting Izuku. You are worth protecting."

Izuku couldn't help the tears that pooled from his eyes as he heard his teacher's words. Worth
protecting? Him? No one had ever given his life any worth. No one had ever cared about him until
he'd come to UA. Then and there, Izuku let the walls he'd build up crumble as he let all the
emotions he'd suppressed for so long take over him. He barely noticed when the bed dipped next to
him and he was suddenly clutching at his teacher's shirt, his forehead resting on the man's
shoulder. Sobbing and sniveling, Izuku cried himself to sleep.

Aizawa settled his student back on the bed, his shirt was wet with tears but he didn't care. Izuku
needed someone and he'd be damned if he let his student down again.

Aizawa quietly walked out of the infirmary, Recovery girl seemed to be waiting for him outside.

"Aizawa, I'm afraid something is happening to the boy." She stated, her tone serious and
unwavering.

"Are you talking about the other day? When you called me? I've already talked to him about taking
care of himself- "

"No, I believe that this incident wasn't from the lack of taking care of himself Aizawa." She
interrupted him.

"What do you mean?" he asked warily, mind already making connections.

"When I healed him today, I saw his body Aizawa. His arms and back are littered with scars, all
severe and ranging from burn to knife wounds and other injuries. Some are whip marks Shouta.
Whip marks." She insisted. "Some are older than ten years too. Who would do this to a child? Not
to mention the massive scar on his Torso. A wound like that was meant to kill him Aizawa, it was
the same as his wound the other day. It was caused by the use of a quirk. I'm afraid of what this
could mean." She urged, her worry obvious on her expression.

Aizawa cursed himself internally. The nervous attitude, the long sleeves, the flinching at every
sound and sudden movement and the recklessness. It all added up. How couldn't he have noticed
before?

How was he supposed to go about this? If his student was in trouble he needed proof. A
circumstantial accusation like that would never hold in court. They needed to be smart about this.
They wouldn't talk to Midoriya about it just now but he would watch and investigate for any proof
and maybe get the boy to open up. However, he'd be damned if he let anything else happen to him.
The question still stood. How did Izuku get all those scars, and who would do that to a child. If the
boy was in an abusive home they needed to get him out of there as soon as possible. Although as
far as he knew, the boy was being raised by his mother. A mother wouldn't do that to her own son.
So, who?
That night Aizawa swore he'd protect his problem child with his life.
 UNO!
Chapter Notes

hope you like this one! Some calm before the storm.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Izuku woke up the next day feeling completely drained and exhausted. The last thing he
remembered was talking to Aizawa. He must have fallen asleep, he made a mental note to
apologize to his teacher later.

He groggily lifted himself into a seating position, today he would have to go home. At least his
mother would be away for another day. He got up and stretched his legs. Recovery girl had done
wonders in her healing, the only thing that still hurt was his throat.

The door to the infirmary opened, Recovery girl stepping in.

"OH, you're awake. How are feeling today dearie? Any pain?" She enquired as fussed over him.
She hummed in satisfaction as she checked his blood pressure and his breathing. She then
proceeded to remove his cast and change the wrapping around his now freshly healed hand. though
he would have to refrain from any strenuous activities.

"J- Just my Thro- throat." His throat caught at his attempt to speak, he was promptly thrown into a
coughing fit.

Recovery quickly handed him a glass of water, rubbing circles on his back as he tried to regain his
composure.

"You shouldn't be speaking, the swelling in your throat, despite my healing, is still excessive. For
the next three days, use this to communicate with your friends. "She handed him a small notebook,
similar to the one he used last night and a pen. "If you don't give your vocal cords a rest, you'll end
up aggravating the swelling. This is an order mister!" She scolded.

He took the notebook from her hands and began writing the question he was meaning to ask.

'Do I have to go home?'

She read the small and meek handwriting and frowned. Was the boy afraid to go home?

"Well, you can…" Recovery girl replied hesitantly. She watched as the boy's shoulders seemed to
drop even further, he sighed and got up, seemingly resigned to his fate. "Still, some of your
classmates volunteered to take you home. They wanted to come to check on you yesterday but I
told them to give you some time to rest. They insisted they come today. They're outside waiting for
you." The way his face lighted up made her heartache. Such a sweet boy.

Izuku practically ran out of the infirmary at the mention of his classmates waiting outside for him.
He wanted to make sure they were all okay and apparently, they wanted to check on him too. This
thought made his chest warm up.

He made his way towards the front gates, his notebook clenched tightly in his hand. Four figures
were waiting patiently for his arrival. Uraraka, Iida, Tsuyu, and Kirishima waved at him. Uraraka
met him halfway and instantly engulfed him in a light hug. The girl was afraid of aggravating his
wounds. They looked him over, their eyes shining with worry as they took in his cuts and bruises.
Recovery girl healed his arm but the bruises on his now bandage free throat were worrying. They
were purple and in the shape of one massive hand. To say they looked bad was an understatement.

"Deku! You're okay!! I can't believe you! when we saw the medics take you out- You looked dead.
Don't you ever do that again!" She had tears in her eyes, her usual bubbly demeanor gone. She
hugged him once again and stepped away to let the rest of his friends have a turn in scolding him.

"Midoriya! We saw you running towards the hand villain and Tsuyu told us about how you fought
him! I can't decide if what you did was the manliest or dumbest thing I've ever seen."

Izuku rubbed his neck sheepishly and mouthed his apology. He couldn't talk yet and his friends
quickly realized that as they seemed content to just do the talking themselves.

After a rather long lecture from Iida about recklessness and a hug from Tsuyu, they finally decided
to get going. They walked him all the way to his doorstep, telling him about the rest of their
classmates and where everyone ended up at the USJ. Uraraka stayed with Ashido by the entrance
with Thirteen and Kirishima got teleported with Bakugou to a wrecked building. Surprisingly, it
turned out Iida was the student that escape and with his speed, he managed to alert All Might and
the teachers about the attack. They owed him their lives.

They lingered by the doorway, Izuku looked back at them uncertainly. The last time he brought
someone to his house, he ended up kicking them out to save them from his mother's wrath. Purple
hair and tired eyes flashed in his memories. He quickly shoved these thoughts away, he wasn't
going to dwell on that day. It was a mistake back then, to invite someone to his house. He didn't
want to think of what would happen if his new friends found out. They'd probably realize he was
just a coward. Just plain old worthless, useless Izuku.

Despite his self-deprecating thoughts, he still lingered by the doorway. His mind screamed at him
to bid them goodbye and have them be one their way. Away from him and his useless life.
However, his heart, the lonely, friendless child inside of him screamed at him to let them in. to let
anyone in. to finally enjoy something for once in his miserable life.

Without realizing it, he'd stepped aside. Urging his friends to come in, despite the uncertainty and
dread that filled his stomach.

Kirishima sat gingerly in Midoriya's living room, Izuku and Uraraka had gone to the kitchen. He
didn't know what to think of Midoriya at first. The boy had come first in the entrance exam, his
score and the buzz spread about his heroic act against the zero-pointer made him out to be a
confident and bold person. He didn't expect the kid to be a stuttering mess, shying away from any
and all attention he got and flinching at every sudden movement. Nevertheless, when he saw that
same shy and timid boy, run headfirst towards a villain, the leader of the assault no less and attack
him head-on. He found out just how much he had misjudged him. Midoriya may have been an
anxious and nervous guy but the fire he saw in him that day, showed him how heroic and brave
Midoriya truly was. Tsuyu had informed them about the fight between Izuku and the hand villain,
she told them about the swift moves he'd pulled and the strengths he showed, how he stood up to
the villain and defended their teacher. How'd he only been hurt when the Nomu intervened. The
creature was designed to match All Might and even then, he didn't waver.

They all sat around a small coffee table in front of a television set. The apartment was small and
quite simple. Pictures of a thin and small green haired woman were hung up on the walls,
Kirishima assumed this was Izuku's mother. The resemblance was uncanny. However, the more he
looked at the pictures the more one thing stood out. There weren't any pictures of Midoriya here.
No childhood pictures, no middle schooler standing in front of the school gates for his first day. No
first outing, no family photos. The house was empty of any evidence proving that another person
lived here. It was strange, to say the least.

He didn't linger on that though, as Izuku stepped back into the living room followed by Uraraka.
The girl had a tray with five teacups on it. Probably didn't want to let Midoriya do any of the work.
He was supposed to be resting after all.

They sat in a circle, drinking their respective drinks and chatting. It was peaceful. A welcome
change from the chaos they had lived through the day before. Soon enough they found themselves
playing a game of Uno. Strangely it was Tsuyu who was the constant winner. She had played it
countless times with her siblings before. Her parents were always out of town, she'd babysit them
constantly.

Izuku looked around his living room, committing every detail to memory. This was the first time
since the day he was diagnosed that he got to hang out with people his age. let alone his friends.
Was this a dream? He was startled out of his revery by Kirishima screaming 'Uno!' with
enthusiasm fit for a five-year-old as he set down his last two cards on the deck. If this was a dream,
he'd gladly stay asleep.

The day passed in a flash. Soon enough, they were bidding the green haired boy goodbye and
wishing him a fast recovery. Ordering him to take it easy and thanking him for his hospitality. The
door clicked shut behind them and Izuku's shoulder dropped, a heavy weight lifted off his chest.
For once, he'd been completely content and happy. He'd had a blast with his friends. Listening to
their constant banter and enjoying a peaceful afternoon with them was refreshing. A welcome
change from his lonely and dreadful afternoons. Yet, the never-ending paranoia and constant
looking over his shoulder for any sign of his mother's arrival had made his afternoon quite
stressful. It was all worth it though.

The next day, Izuku wakes up to find the door to his mother's room closed. She's back. At this
revelation, he can't be quick enough to finish getting ready and practically runs out of the house.
He arrives at school just as the bell rings and quickly makes his way to his seat. Just as he sets his
bag down, his classmates all swarm him.

"Midori! You're okay!" Ashido practically shouts. The nickname takes him off guard but he
quickly regains his bearing and musters what he hopes is a smile despite his embarrassment.
Her exclamation is followed by a series of other questions and inquiries about his health and well-
being. Despite the swelling has gone down exceedingly with the help of Recovery girl's quirk, the
bruises are still visible. Izuku tugs at his collar subconsciously as he catches some of his classmates
looking. He's saved from the overwhelming interactions by Aizawa's arrival.

The attention shifts off of Izuku and onto the new arrival. The questions now being directed at the
newly recovered teacher, to everyone's relief he still has bandages on his hands but other than that
he's okay.

Izuku couldn't help but notice how everyone seemed more comfortable around each other. The
frightening and traumatic experience have, despite all the bad things that happened, brought them
closer.
Soon enough, with the help of Aizawa's glare and constant assuring that yes, he was okay and no
he's not going home to rest. The class settles back to their usual routine until Aizawa says he has an
announcement to make.

"The school decided that they are going to go through with the sports festival this year."

"Even after the villain attack! Are you sure about this Sensei?" Shoji, the guy with the Dupli arms
and tentacle quirk says.

"It's necessary to demonstrate that UA's crises management protocols are sound…That's the
thinking apparently. Compared to past years, they'll be five times the police presence. Anyhow, the
sports festival is… The greatest opportunity you'll get." Aizawa replied with a small huff.

"All this for a sports festival?" Mineta shouted in indignation, his hands thrown up to emphasize
his point.

"Mineta, our sports festival is one of Japan's biggest events. The Olympics were once the worlds
sports festival, the whole country would be whipped into a frenzy over them. But as you know that
tradition has shrunk in scale to a shell of its former self. And as far as Japan's concerned, what's
taken the place of the Olympics is… UA's sports festival." The teachers replied calmly, his voice
neutral as he stated nothing but pure facts.

"The nation's top heroes will all be watching, they'll be there as scouts!" The creation quirk user,
Yaoyorozu exclaimed, making Mineta shake in his seat in nervousness.

"They'll be looking to hire us as sidekicks after graduation!" Kaminari exclaimed, small electric
charges running between his clenched fists. His determination reflected in each and every one of
their classmate's expression, except Mineta who still looked scared.

"A lot of those sidekicks never manage to go solo. That'll be you Kaminari." Jiro, the girl with the
earphone jacks on her ears teased Kaminari, their time in the landslide zone had brought them
closer

"Naturally, you'll gain valuable experience and popularity if you're picked by a well-known hero."
Aizawa continued, unaffected by his students exclaims and chit-chat. "But your time is limited,
show the pros what you're made of here and you'll make futures for yourselves. This happens once
a year, so you've got three chances. Make them count." His statement left the class in complete
chaos and uproar, the excitement and determination palpable from a mile away.

Iida, Uraraka, Izuku, and Kirishima were walking to the cafeteria when All might's hulking figure
stopped them, asking Izuku if they could have lunch together. Izuku waved off his classmates and
promised to meet them later as he followed All Might to the teacher's lounge.

They sat there for a few minutes in silence. All Might clearly has something to tell Midoriya.

'What did you want to talk about All Might?' Izuku wrote on his notebook, shooting a questioning
look at his mentor.

"My boy, back at the USJ I overexerted myself. My time limit is getting shorter by the day, I can
barely maintain my muscle form for an hour."

'I'm sorry' Izuku looked down, tears glistening in his downcast eyes.

"Don't apologize, my boy, I'd be dead if it wasn't for you. Anyway, what I really wanted to talk
about was the sports festival. Because in all honesty, my time as the symbol of peace is running
out. Among those with villainous intent, there are some who have started to realize that. I granted
you my power so that you could succeed me."

Izuku's breath caught in his throat as he heard the next words.

"This year at the sports festival, the whole world will be watching. This is your chance young
Midoriya to go up there, You. the next symbol of peace, the next All Might and announce to the
world that YOU ARE HERE"

Izuku spent the rest of the day with a new sense of determination burning in his eyes and a new
kind of weight on his shoulders. He'd do his best to not let All Might down. He'd do his best to
win.

They had just finished English with Present Mic when their path out of class was blocked by a
massive group of students.

"What's going on?!" Uraraka shouts pointing at the group of students' blocking the door, they seem
to be from different classes, some were from class 1-B and some from general studies 1-C.

"No way out! What they're here for?" Mineta's voice sounded through the class. His panic barely
contained.

"Scoping out the competition because we're the kids who survived the villain attack. Makes sense
they'd want a look before the sports festival." Kacchan says coolly as he walked towards the
crowd, hands in his pocket and demeanor ever so careless. "No point though, move aside extras."
He addressed the crowd. His statement urging Iida to step in and lecture him for calling the other
students extras.

"It's true we came here to get a look, but you sure are modest." A tall figure called out from the
crowd, people parting for him to pass. Izuku's breath caught in his throat at the familiar voice "Are
all hero kids that arrogant? This sports festival is the perfect chance for us general education
students to knock you off your pedestals, there's a rule here at UA that allows general education
students to transfer into the hero course if we perform well enough at the sports festival. Consider
this a declaration of war." The figure finally came fully into view, Izuku's eyes grow wide as he
stares at the boy before him. His lavender hair hard to miss along with the bags under his eyes. He
recognizes him immediately, eyes never straying from the tall boy as he made a declaration of war
against his class.
And then purple eyes land on him and his heart stop. For a fleeting moment, he thinks he forgets to
breathe. His heart hammers in his chest as he remembers the last time he saw the boy. Suddenly it
feels like all the air in his lungs had been sucked out, the room was slowly closing in on him as he
lost himself in another panic attack. He quickly runs out of the class, pushing and knocking people
out of the way. Unaware of his classmate's shock and worried calls for him to come back, unaware
of the frozen purple haired boy he'd left behind.
Chapter End Notes

REUNION! NEXT TIME!

 Plus ultra!
Chapter Notes

Hope you like this chapter! be sure to leave what you think in the comments!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Consider this a declaration of war!" Shinsou says. Satisfied with the bewildered and slightly
impressed expressions he has left on the hero course students faces. His eyes roam around the
classroom, finally landing on a short kid with green hair. He feels like he'd been hit by a truck. He
could only stand frozen on the spot as the boy that hasn't left his thoughts for months dissolved
into a state of panic and runs off, out of the classroom and out of Shinsou's reach once again.

He mentally curses himself for letting the boy run off, he wasn't going to let him go again. It's been
months since he last saw him. Months since, he left him with his abusive mother, alone to suffer.
Months of him trying to get an adult to listen to him. He was the kid with the villain's quirk that
nobody dared to even talk to him. He applied for UA and as expected failed the hero courses
entrance exam; his quirk wasn't suited to deal with robots after all. Luckily, he already applied for
the general course. His homeroom teacher, Snipe, had patiently listened to him as he recounted his
story, he told him that all they could do was watch the house and see if there was anything wrong
or weird going on. They couldn't arrest someone without proper evidence after all and the lack of
name and information made it even harder to start an investigation.
However, the boy was now right in front of him, in the hero course no less. This was the last place
he thought he would find him in. He quickly ran after him, he needed to see him, talk to him,
apologize for leaving him alone all this time, apologize for not being there for him and saving him
like the boy had saved him that night.

He ran through the halls, his attention drawn by a small whimper coming from the boy's bathroom.
He hesitantly stepped in, a small figure was hunched over the sink. The green haired male was
shaking, his whole-body shuddering at every breath he took. His hands were holding onto the sink
with a death grip, knuckles white and trembling.

Shinsou took a step towards him cautiously. It feels surreal seeing the boy now. He imagined their
reunion a million times, hoping it would be, under better circumstances. Somehow, the next time
he will see him, the boy will be already saved from his cruel mother. Life wasn't fair though.

"Hey, are- are you okay?" He asked, mentally cursing himself for his stupid question. Of course,
the boy wasn't okay.

The boy jumps, visibly startled, only now did he realize that someone else had walked in. He looks
up at him with dull eyes, widening slightly in recognition but otherwise blank.

The smaller boy smiles at him, the smile not quite reaching his eyes like it was physically
challenging for him to pull such an expression. Despite his attempts at hiding his discomfort, he
was still trembling. His breath was heavy and unsteady as if he had just run a marathon.

"Do you- do you remember me?" Shinsou asked voice low and tentative. The boy clearly
remembered him as the way he ran off was a clear indication. He has to be sure though.
Izuku nodded slowly.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for abandoning you that night, for not helping you sooner, for not doing
anything while you suffered at the hands of that woman." Tears had gathered in his eyes as he
looked down, unable to meet the green haired boy's gaze. The frustration and guilt he pent up all
this time finally taking over him. He was a failure; how could he ever be a hero?

A gentle hand interrupted his train of thoughts. The boy slowly lifted his chin, making him look up
at him. Green emerald eyes met lavender and the boy beamed at him. This smile wasn't fake or
forced. This was a real genuine smile; the boy despite his quivering, still smiled up at him. The
light had returned slightly in his previously void and empty eyes, no longer blank but full of
swirling emotions.

The boy gestured at his throat and then at his mouth, Shinsou was suddenly very aware of the
bruises on the kid's throat. Anger boiled inside of him, did his mother do his? Was it from the
villain attack? His questions were quickly answered by a note the smaller boy passed to him. Did
he write it while he was distracted?

'I can't really talk yet. The villains did a number on my throat. You have nothing to apologize for,
I'm sorry you had to see all that.' Was written in small and meek handwriting on this slip of paper.

Shinsou looked at the shorter boy and asked the question he's been yearning to ask all this time.
"What's your name?" he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I mean, I told you mine back then
but you never told me yours."

The kid looked sheepish and slowly wrote a new note, quickly handing it back to Shinsou.

'I'm Midoriya Izuku, it's nice to meet you Shinsou-kun'

Shinsou read the note, a small smile making its way on his features. Izuku Midoriya, so that was
the name of his mysterious savior. He quickly remembered the reason for being so angry and
worried.

"Midoriya, you need to tell someone about your mother." His voice was firm and unwavering. He
hated to interrupt the peaceful moment they were having, but this needed to be done. Shinsou has
let it, to go on, long enough.
The boy's smile fell, tears once again threatening to spill from his eyes and his breathing becoming
more and more ragged. Shinsou quickly did the only thing he could think of to calm the boy. He
hugged him.

-------------------------

Izuku didn't know how he was supposed to react to seeing Shinsou again. They barely knew each
other but he somehow felt calm around him, his panic slowly fading away. The taller male had
followed him to the bathroom, apologizing for leaving that night. Izuku felt his chest warm up.
Nobody had cared about him that much in his life. To actually, worry for his well-being and to feel
guilty for leaving him. It left him speechless.
All his life, whoever suspected that there was something wrong with the way his mother treated
him had just turned a blind eye. Who would care about what happened to the quirkless kid after
all? They would just chalk the bruises to kids being a little rough while playing or the small
quirkless kid being a klutz, it was just useless little Izuku after all, always troubling people with his
problems and accidents.
However, the calmness was promptly interrupted by the purple haired boy's next words. Izuku was
abruptly reminded why he was panicking in the first place. If someone found out about his mother,
they would take him away, put him in some foster home where he couldn't attend UA anymore.
They would prevent him from accomplishing his dreams. How could a coward ever hope to
become a hero anyway? He was stopped from having a full-scale panic attack by the sudden hug
the taller boy pulled him into. The grip he had on him was firm but gentle at the same time, the
contact grounding Izuku and preventing him from dissolving further into a rattled state. His panic
slowly died down as he finally let go of the tension in his body. Maybe if he asked Shinsou, the
boy could keep this, as a secret between them.

They stayed like this for a little while, neither one of them ready to let go yet. Shinsou had spent
months thinking and worrying about the smaller boy and now that he had him in his reach he
would never let anything else happen to the greenette.

Izuku pulled away, wiping his tears with his sleeves. He looked Shinsou for a solid moment before
tentatively speaking, his voice was rough from the lack of use and the remaining swelling that
adorned his vocal cords. However, this wasn't something he wanted to be written on paper.

"Sh- Shinsou I- I need you t- to keep this a se- secret." He faltered a little but his voice came out as
steady as it could, in his situation.

"But she's hurting you, you can't let her get away with it! She's abusing you and it's wrong. It's all
wrong! How could you ask me that! I can't just sit here and do nothing! You don't deserve this!"
His voice was desperate and insistent, the bewilderment and pure confusion barely contained.

"You- You Don't Understand. I- I can't- she will- No. this is not your decision to make. I'm sorry- I
don't- No. Nobody can know." The tears were running freely now, he didn't have the strengths to
hold them back anymore.

Shinsou wavered, should he just keep this quite for his friend? He couldn't do that! Not if he really
wanted his well-being! What was he supposed to do? Just sit back and watch as that woman abuse
one of the only people that truly showed him kindness? What kind of aspiring hero would do that?
Maybe, until he gets evidence of some kind and if he waits for the right moment, he'd stay quiet for
now. He knew his name now. Maybe he could get a hero to investigate. He knew just the right
person for the job.

"I don't understand why you're doing this but okay I'll stay quiet… for now" That last part was
barely a whisper, Izuku engulfed him in another hug.

-------------------------

Weeks went by in a flash, UA had given them two weeks of training periods. Everyone was busy
with their individual training; some focusing on their strengths and some on their mobility. They
were all neck deep in preparations. This would be their chance to prove their potential to the world.
For Izuku, this was his chance to prove to everyone that he wasn't useless, worthless Izuku,
anymore. He was the Deku that could do it. He was a hero and will announce it to the world. 'I am
here!'
-------------------------

The anticipated day finally arrived, everyone, despite their anxiousness were all hyped and excited
for the next events they will participate in.

They were all waiting in one of the break rooms. Everyone distracting themselves with one thing or
another to keep their nervousness under control.

"Midoriya."

Izuku was in the middle of writing in his notebook when someone called out to him. effectively
gaining his attention and drawing the stares of the rest of the room's occupants. What Izuku wasn't
expecting was Todoroki, the boy he'd barely spoken a word to, to be the one calling out to him.

He stood up, meeting the other halfway.

"What is it Todoroki-kun" The fire and ice user looked at him, his heterochromatic eyes piercing.

"Midoriya, I think it's fairly safe to say that in term of power I'm stronger than you." He stated
bluntly as if just stating a fact. His expression ever so neutral and blank.

"Hum- "This wasn't what Izuku expected from his first ever interaction with his classmate. Years
of people shutting him down and mocking him for his inferiority flashed before his eyes. His
anger, one he hadn't even known existed, bubbled to the surface. Before he could react, Todoroki
continued his speech.

"All Might got his eyes on you, doesn't he? Now I'm not going to pry into why that is… But I will
beat you."

Before he could say anything else, Kirishima promptly stepped in, effectively shielding him from
Todoroki's sight.

"Hey man, what's wrong with you. You can't just pick a fight right before we go out there.
Midoriya has been nothing but nice to you." The red head defended, his chest puffed up in
protectiveness.

"I don't care, I am not here to make friends." Todoroki interrupted, his voice still nonchalant as
ever. He turned to leave but Izuku couldn't just let him walk away like that.

"Objectively speaking, you are stronger. Most of the students here have more experience and skill.
But I worked hard to get here. Everyone, even the students from the other courses are aiming for
the top" He remembered Shinsou, the determination he had that day as he declared war on their
class. "And I'm not going to fall behind. I'm going to go for it too. With everything, I've got! I'm
going to win." His voice was firm and unwavering, the fire in his eyes hyping his classmates and
sending them into a chorus of cheers.

They heard the familiar voice of Present mic, announcing the start of this year's sports festival.
This is it, he was going to show the world what he was made of.
------------------------------

"IT'S UA'S SPORTS FESTIVAL! THE ONE TIME EACH YEAR WHEN OUR FLEDGING
HEROES COMPETE IN A RUTHLESS GRAND BATTLE!! FIRST UP…YOU KNOW WHO
IM TALKING ABOUT!! THE MIRACULOUS RISING STARS WHO BRUSHED OFF A
VILLAIN ATTACK WITH THEIR WILLPOWER!! THE FIRST YEARS OF THE HERO
COURSE!! IT'S CLASS 1A"

Present Mic's voice came booming from every speaker in the arena, his quirk amplifying his voice
even more.

They walked out of the tunnels leading into the arena, the sunlight blinding them and shielding
their view. The crowd roared at the new arrivals, cheering and whooping for the villain attack
survivors as they waved to the crowd. Izuku looked around, feeling exposed under all these stares.
That's the life of a hero, he told himself. He needed to get used to it sooner or later.

Present Mic announced the arrival of the rest of the classes, the hero course students from 1B, the
general education students 1C, 1D and 1E, and the business course 1F, 1G and 1H.

They all watched in anticipation and excitement as the R- Rated Hero Midnight made her way on
the stage in the center of the arena, right in front of them. She was wearing a black leotard over a
white bodysuit, which emphasizes her chest, body, and legs along with black thigh-high stockings
and black knee-boots, a small mask outlining her eyes.

As soon as she came into view, most of the people in the stadium found themselves blushing
furiously. Izuku, on the other hand, was busier gushing over the pro hero's quirk. Midnight had the
ability to exclude a sleep-inducing aroma from her body, Izuku has dedicated a few pages for her
and her quirk in his hero analyses notebook.

"Now for the athlete's oath! The student representative of this year is…. From class 1-A
MIDORIYA IZUKU!!" She announced, drawing everyone's attention to the short green haired boy
who was trying really hard to turn invisible.

Izuku paled at the announcement. He had forgotten about the speech. How could he forget! He
was first on the entrance exam after all! Of course, he would have to do the speech. He mentally
faced palmed as he hesitantly stepped up on the stage. Thousands of eyes stared back at him,
judging and looking at his every move. He hoped his mom wasn't watching this.

He stepped up and took the microphone from Midnight, thanking her in the process as he headed
towards the center of the stage.

His hands shook, a visible proof of the nervousness, he was feeling. This was the perfect chance to
leave an impression on the crowd and he was going to take it.

He held the microphone tightly in his hand, wincing at the screeching noise that came out as soon
as he tried to speak into it.

"H- Hello, this year, like all the years before, aspiring heroes have walked those same steps and
had competed in this same arena. Today, I, Midoriya Izuku of class 1A pledge to do my best and to
give it everything I have in order to live up to these hero's legacies and in order to win. I, like my
fellow classmates and peers, pledge to give it my all. In order to go beyond. PLUS, ULTRA!"
Izuku shouted with confidence he didn't know he had. Raising a clenched fist into the air and
 receiving an uproar of cheers from the crowd in response, excited and fired up exclamations from
the students.

"YEAH! YOU GO MIDORIYA!" Shouted Kaminari, his exclamation followed by multiple cheers
from his classmates. All encouraging him and congratulating him on his well-done motivational
speech.

"That was so manly Midoriya!" Kirishima whooped and bounced up to him, followed by Uraraka
and Iida. Both of them Congratulating him.

"Now, without any delay, let's get the first event started!" Midnight gestured to the screen behind
the stage. "These are the qualifiers, it's in this stage that so many are sent home crying every year!
And the fateful first event of this year is… This!!!" She pointed at the previously white screen,
now displaying in bold black letter 'OBSTACLE COURSE RACE'

"It's a race between every member of the eleven classes! The course is a 4-kilometer lap around the
stadium itself! Our school preaches in all things!" The pro hero chuckled darkly. "So as long as you
don't go off the course everything is fair game! Racers! In position!"

Izuku looks ahead to the narrow gate that leads to the course, his eyes focused and brimming in
pure and unfiltered fiery resolve and determination. He can do this. He will show the world that he
is here. He will win.

Chapter End Notes

Sports festival!!!
 READY! SET! GO!
Chapter Notes

The changes here aren't many but the outcome will change a lot. Kind of like the
butterfly effect.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Racers in position!" Midnight says, pointing at the entrance of the stadium. They follow the
direction she's gesturing to, eyes widening when they see how narrow the exit is. Izuku
immediately realizes the reason behind the narrow gate. It's the first obstacle. Quickly, he makes
his way to the front of the group.

Three flashing lights appear on the top of the entryway, signaling the countdown. Izuku crouches
slightly, letting One for All run through his body. Whatever the obstacles are, his main strategy
will be to blast through them, with speed, power and, most importantly his analytical thinking. He'll
overcome anything they throw at him.
Present Mic's voice erupts from the speakers, the hero announces the beginning of the obstacle
race.

"3, 2, 1 START!" He screams, his quirk magnifying his voice, making it ring across the stadium.

Izuku leaps forward, bolting straight through the exit before being crowded by the bodies of the
student's all straining to get through. As he predicted, the exit, being as narrow as it was, was made
to test the response of the students when faced with their first challenge. He could hear the shouts
of the students behind him as they clamored to get through.

He runs ahead, knowing full well that his lead won't last for long, some of the students were
already getting through.

"COME BACK HERE DEKU!" A familiar voice called out to him, Bakugou quickly catching up
to him. Izuku looked behind him and saw that most of his classmates were already catching up.

He felt the air around them drop in temperature, his instincts screaming at him to act as dread
pooled in his stomach. He was too late though, as ice suddenly encased his legs, promptly freezing
him in place. The other students were enduring a similar fate. Most of them trapped except for the
half-ice half-fire quirk user. Todoroki ran passed him, smirking as he saw the result of his quirk
usage.

Having learned not to underestimate Todoroki's quirk, most of class 1-A's members had evaded the
ice. All of them running after the boy.

"You won't get away that easily half and half bastard!" Bakugou hollered, quickly passing Izuku
and closing in on the ice and fire manipulator.

Izuku had to act, it was now or never. With a 2% one for all use of energy, he kicked the ice
encasing his leg and promptly set himself free. Not wasting any more time and immediately
dashing after his classmates.
The ground rumbled beneath him as the second obstacle came into view. The familiar sound of
metal whirring reaching his ears before he even saw the robots. This time, not one but dozens of
zero pointers blocked his path.

"Every obstacle course needs obstacles! For our first barrier. ROBO INFERNO!" Present Mic
announces excitedly through the coms.

Thinking on his feet, Izuku leaps at one of the robots, punching the mindless chunk of metal with a
powered-up fist. The impact causing the abomination to blow up in many pieces of rubble.

Landing gracefully on his feet, he proceeded to pick up one of the metal chunks he found. He used
it as a sort of shield against the rest of the robots as he went through the opening he's made himself
by destroying the first one. His instincts told him it may help him, in the long run, to hang onto the
metal sheet.

Izuku reaches the third obstacle, slightly panting from his previous challenges. He looks ahead to
the next task; Present Mic announces it to be the fall. It's a canyon that must be crossed by rope.
Todoroki having already taken the lead is already well on his way towards the end of the obstacle.
Izuku ties the metal shield he'd picked up to his back, he makes his way across, using a small
amount of one for all to boost his rapidity.

Many other students are quickly catching up, some students with particularly well-suited quirks for
the task completed it with ease.

As soon as Izuku's feet touch the ground again, he takes off running at full speed. He can hear
Present Mic announcing the next task, the minefield. Todoroki and Bakugou are running ahead of
him, neck to neck in a battle for first place.

He couldn't leap over the minefield with his current range of control over One for all and he
couldn't run across it either, his speed not nearly fast enough yet. He needed to think outside of the
box. He needed to find another way. The extra weight on his back seemed worth it now. He had a
plan.

He quickly began digging up some of the landmines surrounding him, ignoring the curious looks
the other competitors gave him.

Izuku holds the metal sheet as a shield and sharply jumps on the small pile of landmines he'd
gathered. The explosion and shockwave causing him to blast across the field, he soars right past
Todoroki and Bakugou. The two boys too busy fighting each other to notice him, until he has
already passed them.

Present Mic's voice booms across the stadium as he narrates Izuku's actions to the crowd.

"WHO WOULD HAVE SEEN THIS COMING! IZUKU MIDORIYA HAS BLASTED
HIMSELF ACROSS THE MINEFIELD AND INTO THE LEAD! USING THE LANDMINES AS
A BOOST! THAT'S INGENUITY!" The hero shouts from the top of his lungs into the
microphone. His excitement hyping up the rest of the crowd as they all roar in enthusiasm.

Once Todoroki and Bakugou realize what happened, they stopped what they're doing and hastily
run trying to catch up to him.
"OUR FORMER LEADERS HAVE CALLED A CEASE FIRE TO CHASE MIDORIYA! WHEN
PEOPLE HAVE A COMMON ENEMY THEY STOP FIGHTING! ACTUALLY, THEY'RE
STILL FIGHTING, JUST NOT EACH OTHER!" The voice hero comments loudly.

Izuku looks down at the rapidly approaching ground, he's losing momentum fast. If he loses time
on this landing, passing them will be impossible. He looks at the two figures who are currently
catching up to him and quickly forms a plan.

While he's still ahead, this is his one chance. If passing them again is impossible, then he's going to
stay in the lead. He waits for the perfect moment and when Todoroki and Bakugou are directly
under him, he spins in the air, calling one for all's power to flow through his whole body as he
flicks two of his fingers. The shockwave he creates sets off the landmines on the ground beneath
him and sends both Bakugou and Todoroki tumbling to the ground. Effectively giving himself an
additional boost and blocking the rest of the students way with the dust and debris from the
explosions.

"MIDORIYA BLOWS OFF THE COMPETITION WITH NO TIME TO LOSE! WHAT POWER!
YOUR CLASS IS SOMETHING ELSE ERASERHEAD! WHAT ARE YOU TEACHING
THEM?" Mic questions Aizawa excitedly.

"This isn't my doing… They've been spurring each other on their own. Class A knows there's no
time to hesitate, each has grown from the experience and have forgotten to hesitate." Aizawa
replied quietly from his place next to Present mic in the viewing booth.

Izuku hits the ground, rolling and ducking just like All Might had taught him. He swiftly pulls
himself back up and dashes towards the tunnel, leading to the finish line. He distantly hears the
crackles of explosions and the telling temperature drop of one ice user but he's too focused on his
goal right now to give it much thought. The finish line is right there, he could do this. He runs with
all his might. He runs as he thinks about the years of abuse he endured, running, thinking about the
years of despair and crushed hopes. Running and thinking about his dreams of becoming a hero;
his mind wonders to the recent events of his life, going to UA, making friends and finally being so
close to achieving these dreams. He wasn't going to let this opportunity go. He wouldn't settle for
anything less than first place. He'd show the world he wasn't useless. He'd show them who he was.

"THE ONE WHO MAKES IT BACK TO THE STADIUM FIRST… IS NONE OTHER THAN
IZUKU MIDORIYA!!"

-----------------------------

Izuku runs out of the tunnel, past the finish line and into the arena. The sun is scorching, sweat
drenches his clothes and trickles down his forehead. All his limbs are aching and throbbing but it's
all worth it. Around him, the crowd roars. People are shouting and calling out his name, cheering
for the winner of the first event. Cheering for him. He can't help the tears that spill from his eyes
freely. Staring at the uproar coming from the spectators, it's just so awe-inspiring and
overwhelming and he just feels so alive.

He looks around, his eyes scanning the crowd for the only person that ever saw in him something
more than just a quirkless, useless kid. His gaze finally settles on his mentor. All Might is standing
in the teacher's booth, clapping for him, a smile adorning his features. His whole demeanor
screams pride and happiness. Izuku can't believe it's directed at him.

He hears familiar voices calling out his names and turns around. In an instant, he's slammed by two
figures. They all tumble to the ground in a mess of sweat and tangled limbs. He regains his
bearings and looks up. The smiling faces of Uraraka and Kirishima greet him. They both seem as
tired as him, Kirishima's shirt is torn at the shoulder and Uraraka has a gash on her forearm and
elbow but there both beaming and gushing over his performance.

"Deku! That was awesome!" Uraraka squeaks from her place on the ground next to him.

"Yeah, bro! that was so cool! The way you flew across the field! And then you went POW! And
Todoroki and Bakugou went flying back! It was so manly! It got me pumped up to run faster!"
Kirishima gushes as he stands back up, offering both him and Uraraka a hand.

He stares at the stretched-out hand for a moment before happily accepting it and standing back up.
Laughing nervously at the extra attention he's getting.
"I- I Just got lucky… I'm just glad I made it past the first round…" He replies softly.

"Are you kidding me!" They both shout in unison.

"I must agree with them Midoriya. Your performance was astonishing, to say the least. Even with
my speed, I couldn't catch up to you guys." Iida, who seemingly appeared out of nowhere says, his
fist is clenched, clearly not pleased with his ranking but congratulating Izuku nonetheless.

"The first round is officially over! The top 42 from the qualifying round will move on!! And now
the main selection really begins!" Midnights declares as she steps back onto the stage.

She announces the next challenge; a smirk adorns her features as her eyes scan the forty-two
contestants.

"Now onto the next event! I already know what is it of course…Dying in suspense? Next is… THE
CAVALRY BATTLE!" She reveals smugly.

Her voice resounds again across the stadium as she explains the next event. "Participants will, on
their own, form teams of two to four members each and get into a horse-and-rider formation. The
rules are essentially the same of an ordinary cavalry battle- Snag your opponent's headbands while
guarding your own but with one exception…" She looks at them and her smirk grows wider if
that's even possible." Each one of you gets a point value based on your ranking in the last event!
Your individual point values start at five, so the 42nd contestant has five and the 41st has ten…Get
it? but our first-place participant gets ten million points!!" She declares happily, a grin etched on
her features as she points directly at him.

The stadium goes deadly silent, all of them are thinking the same thing. The highest ranked
students are the ones to aim for, this survival game is a chance at a comeback. It's anyone's game.
Everyone will be out for blood and having the ten million headband is like having a giant bullseye
on the forehead. Everyone will be gunning to take him down.

Izuku gulped as he stared around at the smirks directed at him from the other contestants. The eyes
on him were different now, even his friends will be going for the kill in this round.

"The match will last 15 minutes, each team points are determined by its members. The rider will
wear a headband displaying the total number of points. Until the match ends, you'll all compete to
grab each other's points and maintain the ones you have! Most importantly, even if your headband
is taken and your horse formation is broken, it's not over 'till it's over! "Midnight continues her
explanation, oblivious to the inner turmoil she caused Midoriya. "Quirks are allowed so it's going
to be a brutal battle! But this is still a cavalry battle so attacking the other contestants with the
intent to make them fall will disqualify you! You have 15 minutes to form teams! Go!" She snaps
her whip between her hand, grinning mischievously before stepping off the stage.

----------------------------

Ten minutes later, the teams are all mostly formed. Although at first, Izuku thought he'd end up
alone. No one wanted to be on the targeted team after all.

To his surprise, Uraraka had approached him, asking to be on his team and a girl from the support
department. Hatsume Mei, a girl with bubblegum pink hair and round yellow eyes, had sought him
out too. She offered the gadgets she made in exchange for the spotlight she'll get from being on his
team, the ten million points team. Both of the girls eagerly joining his team. He still needed one
more person though. He had mobility with the help of Hatsume's inventions and Uraraka's quirk
but he still needed someone to handle the defense.

Luck seemed to be on his side though, Tokoyami Fumikage, the boy with the birds head, in his
class agreed to join his team.

The boy's quirk, dark shadow, a sentient shadow beast who can contract to and from his body
freely, thus giving Tokoyami the ability to defend himself and attack at the same time. It was
exactly what Izuku needed for his plan to work.

The others teams had also been formed by the time the buzzer went off. Bakugou's team consisted
of Mina, Kirishima, and Sero. While Todoroki's team had Kaminari, Iida, and Yaoyorozu.

Years of observing on the sidelines and analyzing hero fights and villain tactics had paid off. Izuku
could see right through their strategies.

Izuku was pretty confident with his plan. Tokoyami and Dark Shadow would be an incredible form
of defense, capable of warding off Todoroki's ice if the need arose. Uraraka could watch their right
and use her quirk on them whenever they required a quick escape. And Hatsume's provided
support items and speed boosting boots were an incredible addition to the team's mobility and he
would serve as their main offensive front, with his position on top he could attack easily the other
teams if need be, using the jetpack Mei happily provided to aide him in his movements. It wasn't
guaranteed, but it was the best he could come up with for now.

He tied the ten million headband around his forehead with trembling fingers. He'd positioned
himself above Hatsume, Uraraka, and Tokoyami as he focused on the ticking countdown timer,
trying to ignore the hammering of his heart in his chest.

"You ready?" Hatsume asked, voice high, her excitement palpable from a mile away.

"Hell yes!" Uraraka's responded excitedly, her competitive streak having lit a fire under her.

"This conquest shall be ours!" Tokoyami spoke resolutely, his calm and collected demeanor taking
on an edgy tone.

"Let's do this!" Izuku called out, eyes blazing with fiery determination.

"START!" Present Mic's enthusiastic countdown rang out alongside the buzz of the starting sound,
every team immediately bursting into motion as the cavalry battle began.

Instantly, Izuku's team was being rushed at by four different groups at the same time. Izuku waited
for the right moment, as the four teams were closing in on them. He decided it was a time.

"Uraraka now!" He shouted at the top of his voice, hoping the girl remembered the plan. Uraraka
quickly activated her quirk on their whole team, in an instant they found themselves lighter. Izuku
promptly turned the jetpack on, they swiftly rose up in the air, effectively dodging the other team's
attack and evading their trap. They stayed in the air for a few more moments before setting back
down again, they only had so much fuel and Uraraka's quirk couldn't handle this for long.

They kept going like this for the next few minutes, dodging and evading attacks from every side,
the fuel would soon run out, Izuku hoped the battle would be over by then.

Luck wasn't on his side this time though, soon enough the jetpack malfunctioned, running on fumes
now, they quickly made their way back to the ground. 5 minutes left.
A lot can happen in five minutes.

Their evading one of class b's teams when ice suddenly surrounds them, closing them off from the
rest and trapping them with Todoroki's group.

Midoriya looks at Todoroki, the boy seems frustrated, angry even. He has at least three headbands
wrapped around his throat, which explains where they've been for the past ten minutes.

They're trapped here. They can easily evade them and hope for the timer to go off or attack and
hope for the best. knowing Todoroki's strengths and his teammate's quirk. Neither option will be
easy. Izuku won't go down without a fight though. He's worked too hard to give up now.

Todoroki's team rushes them head on, Yaoyorozu creates some sort of net, trying to trap them in it.
Izuku sees right through their plan though.

When people look at Izuku, all they see is a meek and shy hero nerd. Always scribbling on his
notebook and muttering incoherently to himself. However, what they always overlook is the boy's
observant side. His analytical mind working on overload, analyzing and deciphering villains and
heroes quirk from just one look. From just a couple of video's online, he'd find the villain's quirk
and weakness, effectively coming up with some kind of counter-attack against them.

Let's just say that when he was spending his time training alongside his classmates, weaknesses,
and counter-measures came to him as easily as breathing.

He observed Todoroki, he noticed the way the bicolored boy favored his right side, how, despite
possessing both fire and ice, always opted to use his ice quirk, only using his left side to get rid of
the ice once done.

So, when Todoroki comes rushing at him, Izuku knows that by staying on his left side, he's
effectively defending his team from any attack. This way, Todoroki's only route towards freezing
them would be by hitting Iida too.

They're desperate now, Todoroki seems even more agitated. His usual calm behavior wavering
with every passing second.

Iida shouts something to Todoroki, the sound muffled by the noises surrounding them. Suddenly,
blue fire erupts from Iida's engine and Todoroki's team comes charging at them at an unbelievable
speed.
Izuku quickly summons One for all, the power coursing through his whole body as he jumps in the
air, high fiving Uraraka in the process. Todoroki's group comes hurling past his team and
fortunately for them, the headband is still secure around Izuku's forehead as he floats at a safe
distance.

The buzzer goes off, signaling the end of the cavalry battle. Uraraka finally releases her quirk
before Izuku could float farther away. He lands swiftly on the ground with a roll and instantly gets
back on his feet.

Present mic announces the top four teams.

They won. They actually managed to hold onto the ten million points for the whole cavalry battle.

"IN FIRST PLACE, WITH CLEVER STRATEGIES AND THINKING IS TEAM MIDORIYA!
THEY ACTUALLY MANAGED TO HOLD ONTO THEIR POINTS!" Uraraka slams into Izuku
hard, engulfing him in a bear hug. They're soon joined by an overexcited Hatsume and a muttering
Tokoyami.

Izuku's eye tears up as he realizes that his plan had worked. He didn't let his team down. He'd won
for the second time today.

"We did it Izuku! We won! Your plan worked!" The bubbly brunette squeaks as she jumps
excitedly.

"AND IN SECOND PLACE WE HAVE TEAM BAKUGOU WITH 1350 POINTS" Bakugou
shouts and kicks at the floor in frustration, clearly unhappy with his second-place position.

"THIRD PLACE IS NONE OTHER THAN TEAM TODOROKI WITH 1150 POINTS! AND IN
FOURTH PLACE WE HAVE TEAM TETSUTETSU- HUH?! TEAM SHINSOU? WHO SAW
THAT TURNAROUND COMING? WHO EVEN SAW IT HAPPEN?!" Present mic shouts in
shock, clearly not having witnessed the way Shinsou stole the headbands unnoticed, successfully
using his quirk on unsuspecting contestants.

Just as the contestants make their way for the lunch break, Todoroki calls out for Midoriya, asking
if they could have a few words in private.

Izuku apologizes to his friends and reassures them that he'd be meeting them later. He follows
Todoroki quietly to one of the more secluded hallways of the arena. His nervousness growing with
the heavy silence that settles between them.

-----------------------------

They stood there, staring at each other for a few minutes. The awkward silence makes Izuku's
anxiousness grow by the second.

"Uhm Todoroki, if this is about the cavalry battle- "

"No… It's not about that. I wanted to apologize to you, I underestimated you and as a result, ended
up in third place." His expression is serious and his voice is firm, calm. Nothing like their battle.

"Don't apologize! I was lucky that's all. You were right when you said you were stronger. It's only
the truth. Your quirk is super cool Todoroki."
"You should stop doubting yourself Midoriya. It's insulting. You won. Own up to it." Izuku stutters
out a response but is immediately interrupted by Todoroki speaking again. "My quirk was a result
of a quirk marriage. My father, as you probably already know, is the number two Hero; Endeavor."
Of course, he knows Endeavor, he's one of the few heroes Izuku actually doesn't gush over." He's a
man who's obsessed with power, he does whatever he has to do to maintain his position in the
ranking but he was never able to surpass All Might. He's spent a long time in his Shadow."
Todoroki seems lost in thought for a few moments, he snaps out of it quickly though and continues
his speech. "You've heard of quirk marriages, right? Strong individuals would choose a partner and
force them into marriage for the sole purpose of creating the perfect version of their own quirk."
Dread filled Izuku's stomach as he realized what the other boy was saying. "Endeavor couldn't beat
All Might on his own. So, he came up with another plan. With his wealth and fame, he made my
mother's family agree to the marriage. All to get his hands on her quirk. Raising me as a hero who
will exceed All Might. Just to fulfill his own ambitions, I hate it. Being no more than a tool for that
human garbage. He'd train me every day, beating me to a pulp and working me to the bone." He
looked down, his hands clenching, knuckles white from the pressure.

Izuku didn't know what he was supposed to say. To his horror, Todoroki's story didn't end here.

"As I remember it, Mom was always crying… 'I can't stand to see that left side of yours' She said
before pouring boiling water on my face." Todoroki brought his hand up, grazing the scared skin
that adorned the left side of his face.

Izuku never gave that scar much thought, immediately thinking it must have been an accident.
What kind of hero doesn't notice other people's pain? Pathetic.
Todoroki, unaware of Izuku's inner turmoil continues his story.

"In short, I'm going to rise to the top and show him that I can win without using that damned power
of his. I'll win using my ice. I'll have denied him everything."
Izuku thinks about this for a second. He thinks about Todoroki's pledge and thinks about all that
the boy must have gone through. He understands it. He's been through it.
The boy before him was like him in so many ways but different altogether. They shared a similar
past, one full of misery and abuse. Both of them hurt by their own families. Izuku wanted to be a
hero. He wanted to make people smile and bring them hope. He'd vowed never to let anyone else
go through what he lived. Standing here and looking at Todoroki, he realized what he has to do.

Said boy was turning to leave, seemingly done with the conversation.

"Todoroki." His voice was firm and unwavering, the change in attitude made the taller boy look
back at him in apprehension." I… I know what you're going through. I- I know what it's like to be
in pain. To be hurt by someone you considered to be the safest person in the world. To be hurt by
your own-"Izuku find himself rubbing his arm absentmindedly, reminiscing over the phantom pain
by his scars. He can feel the air in his lungs slowly restricting his breathing. He turns to leave but a
hand stops him. Todoroki has a different look in his eyes now. His gaze somewhat more
understanding. Before Izuku could even react, his sleeve has been pulled up. Scars exposed to the
 world. Something flashes in Todoroki's eyes. Anger? Sympathy? It's gone before Izuku has the
chance to decipher it. He snatches his hand away from the taller boy's grip. His previous resolution
and determination completely dissipate as he realizes what he just revealed.

His vision darkens and his heart starts beating faster in his chest. He stutters out an apology and
runs out of the hallway.

Oblivious to the way Todoroki was standing there, frozen and shell-shocked as his mind wrapped
around the implications of Izuku's declaration.

Chapter End Notes

Hope you liked this chapter! next up SHINSOU VS IZUKU!!!

 Show her. Show the world.
Chapter Notes

hope you enjoy this chapter!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Izuku found himself wondering the halls of the stadium aimlessly. He just needed to get away from
everything. To be by himself for a little while in order to process the newly acquired information.

Todoroki was like him. He was being hurt and abused just like him. He didn't know how it made
him feel. He wasn't alone, someone understood him. However, he didn't want that predicament on
anyone. He had sworn to never let anyone go through what he is going through. Never let anyone
get hurt like him.

Yet, just coming close to admitting what was happening to him was hard enough. How could he
save someone else if he couldn't even save himself?

He could feel the hammering of his heart in his chest, the walls were closing in on him. The air in
his lungs getting more and more restricted. He could feel the panic attack that was threatening to
overtake him.

He leaned against a wall and slid to the floor. Squeezing his eyes shut, He tried to suppress the
tears that threatened to fall. He failed miserably. The tears were flowing freely, it hurts. It hurts so
much to think about it. What about actually almost saying it out loud for once?

With Shinsou, he didn't have to actually say it. The boy already knew about it. However, Todoroki
had seen his scars and was witness to Izuku's momentary slip up about his past. He came so close
to admitting it. He couldn't though, could he?

He was nothing more than a pathetic coward, he couldn't even gather the nerves to actually say it
out loud. How could he possibly help Todoroki? Izuku took deep shuddering breaths as he sobbed.

He was so engrossed in his own thoughts that he didn't hear the telling sound of somebody's
footsteps approaching.

"Midoriya… What's wrong? Are you okay? Are you hurt?" A familiar voice startled him. "Come
on man, tell me what's wrong. Should I call recovery girl?" Kirishima crouched down next to his
sobbing friend, hands hovering, reaching out but not quite knowing what to do.

Izuku hastily wiped his tears on his sleeve but Kirishima had already seen him if the barely
contained concern in his voice was any indication.

He pulled up the most convincing smile he could muster and looked up towards his red-haired
friend.
The look of sincere and earnest concern in his friend's eyes was overwhelming, to say the least.
He tried not to cry again as he looked at him. He was going to make up an excuse but whatever he
was going to say never made it out. His speech promptly cut off by the sudden embrace he found
himself in. Kirishima pulled him into a crushing hug.
Warm and safe. These were the words he would use to describe this particular sensation his friend
was emitting. He couldn't help but feel disappointed when he pulled away.

"I'm sorry about that." The redhead said, his hand coming up to rub the back of his neck in a
nervous gesture. "It looked like you needed it." He beamed at him, his smile sharp and toothy.

"Th- thank you Kirishima. I really did." Izuku's voice cracked with emotion.

"Do you want to uh... do you want to talk about it? Kirishima asked hesitantly, not wanting to make
the smaller boy uncomfortable.

"I- not- Not really… I uh- thank you. You already helped me there." His eyes drooped, the
exhaustion from his previous challenges and the tiring confrontation with Todoroki finally catching
up to him.

Kirishima seemed to realize that. His next words proved that.

"You know if you want to… You can take a small nap, you look really tired and I'm sure it will
help. So you feel a bit more relaxed in your upcoming match! I can sit here and make sure to wake
you up when the times come for you to get ready." The redhead offered brightly.

Usually, Izuku would be wary of leaving himself open and vulnerable like that. The years of
waking up to his mother's harsh beatings a testament to the feeling of unease and restlessness when
it came to sleeping. However, looking at Kirishima now, he couldn't help but feel the
overwhelming sense of safety from the amount of protectiveness that radiated off of his sharp-
toothed friend.

He wordlessly relaxed his body. Resting his head on the taller boy's shoulder. Sleep overtook him
as he finally surrendered his consciousness.

Izuku woke up to a light touch shaking his shoulder, he felt a lot more rested and calm than before.
Safe. He doesn't know how much time went by. However, he does know that at some point he
must have moved because he's now lying on top of Kirishima's knees. His face heats up as he flings
himself upright. A spiral of apologizies escaping his mouth as he tried to regain any semblance of
composure. Kirishima laughs and waved him off.

"It's okay! Don't apologize! You just kind of fell while you were sleeping and you looked so
peaceful so I didn't move you. I'm glad you got some rest. Feeling better?" The redhead grinned at
him. "Your match is up in ten minutes, they said you'll be going against some guy in the general
education course. I think his name was Shinsou. Some of our classmates, Ojiro and a guy from
class b withdrew from the competition. They said it had something to do with the guy's quirk."
"Shinsou? I'm up against Shinsou?" His voice was barely a whisper, his previous calmness gone
and a familiar sense of anxiousness threatened to take over. He was going to go against Shinsou?
Why was fate out to get him? His first match just had to be against the one person who actually
knew about his home life and still somehow didn't judge him.

"Yeah… You should go to the waiting room and wait for them to call your name." Kirishima
responded with the same amount of excitement.

"You're- yeah… you're right. Thank you, Kirishima. For everything. It really helped." He smiled at
the redhead. This time his smile genuine despite the raging emotions he was feeling.
"YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH HELL TO GET HERE! BUT NOW IT'S TIME FOR THE ONE VS
ONE TOURNAMENT!" Present mics booming voice resonates through the whole stadium as he
introduces the next and final part of the sports festival. Next will be a series of one on one battles
that will determine the winner by slowly sorting through the sixteen winning competitors from the
previous task. "COMING ON TOP AT EVERY TASK UNTIL NOW THROUGH HIS
EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE, IT'S IZUKU MIDORIYA FROM THE HERO COURSE!"
Izuku steps hesitantly into the arena, the crowd going wild, cheering for the boy who's done
nothing but impress until now. "VERSUS… THE UNDERDOG THAT NO ONE EVEN NOTICE
BUT STILL WON HIMSELF FOURTH PLACE IN THE SECOND TASK, IT'S SHINSOU
HITOSHI FROM THE GENERAL STUDIES!" Shinsou walks into the arena, his posture
confident and determination is written all over his features.

Midnight steps on the stage that was set near the main field and informs them about the rule of the
battle. Win by knocking your opponent out of bounds or immobilize them. Anything goes as long
as it's not fatal.

Shinsou nods at Izuku. A gesture meant to reassure the boy that despite the circumstances,
everything will remain the same between them.

Izuku knows that in this fight Shinsou is at a disadvantage. From what Izuku gathered from that
night all those months ago, was that Shinsou's quirk required a verbal response for it to activate.
Knowing that gave him the upper hand. if he stayed quiet, the boy in front of him would be as good
as quirkless. Even then, he would have the upper hand, he, unlike Shinsou had been trained and
had a concrete fighting style. To keep this fight fair, he would have to refrain from using his quirk.
He needed to give Shinsou a chance to show the teacher and UA what he was made of. He needed
to get them to transfer him to the hero course where he belonged.

That, however, didn't mean Izuku wouldn't put up a fight.

"START" Midnight yelled, flinging her whip with a resounding clang.

"May the best man win Midoriya." Shinsou needed to get the boy to talk, knowing what he knew
about his opponent. Maybe being nice would get a response from him.

Midoriya closed his mouth shut. He wasn't going to go down that easily. He walked towards
Shinsou, each step he took followed by a slightly faster one until he was full-on sprinting towards
the purple haired boy.

He punched Shinsou in the gut, effectively sending him back a few steps. He wasn't using his quirk
but the months spent clearing the beach had made his body's strengths evolve considerably.

Shinsou moved to cuff him, his fist aimed for his face. However, Izuku's reflexes were sharper and
he saw the hit coming from a mile away, quickly ducking under it and striking the boy with a
roundhouse kick to the head.

The latter was effectively thrown to the side, his hand clutching the side of his head as he hissed in
pain. "Ok… That hurt…" Shinsou heaved between his gasping breath.

"Sorry…" Just like that, he felt his body go lax, his mind foggy as his body was overtaken by
Shinsou's control. So that's what it felt like. Izuku cursed his desperate need to apologize for
everything.
"MIDORIYA IS FROZEN IN PLACE! HE'S NOT EVEN TWITCHING! COULD THIS BE
SHINSOU'S QUIRK? WE BARELY KNEW THIS GUY EVEN EXISTED BUT NOW…HE
SURE IS ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON!" Present mic called out through the speakers.

"Like I said the entrance exam was completely irrational. Shinsou despite his extraordinarily
powerful quirk, he failed the hero course exam and got into general studies. Given the format of
the exam… His ability didn't help him out." Aizawa who had kept quiet for most of the sports
festival spoke up, his voice calm and collected, ringing through the speakers.

"Ah… I'm sorry Midoriya but this is my only chance to get into the hero course. Now please walk
out of bounds." Shinsou ordered sheepishly, his gaze apologetic but resolute.

Izuku panicked at the sudden involuntary movements his body was making. His legs were moving
on their own, slowly taking him out of bounds. He tried to gain back any semblance of control, to
move, to do anything to get out of this.

Suddenly his vision went dark as he saw eight shadowy figures appear in his line of sight. One of
the figures seemed to be a woman, she had her arm wrapped around a man's shoulder. The man's
silhouette reminded him of his mentor. He didn't have time to think about it though. He felt a tiny
bit of control slip back into his fingers. Using a small amount of One for all, he let a small
shockwave go from a flick of his index with his thumb and just like that the control Shinsou had
over him was gone.

"MIDORIYA! HE STOPPED! IS SHINSOU'S POWER NOT ABSOLUTE AFTER ALL?

MIDORIYA MANAGED TO BREAK THROUGH HIS CONTROL!"

He turned around slowly, Shinsou's eyes were wide and disbelieving. How could someone break
his control? Nothing like that had ever happened before.

It was just like Midoriya to be the exception though. He couldn't help but smile at that.
Izuku needed to get this match over with. This was a close call. He dashed at the still shell-shocked
teen and dropped low, kicking the boy's feet from under him. Shinsou didn't go down though, he
regained his balance and dived in for his own hit. However, Izuku had months of sparring and
training up his sleeves and promptly caught the boy's wrist, twisting it into a painful hold and
twisting the boy so that his own back would face the bounds.

He started pressing and hitting the boy, slowly herding him towards the bounds. When he deemed
the distance acceptable, he twisted the boy's hand and promptly threw him over his shoulder.
Shinsou's back hit the ground hard, the breath getting knocked out of him in the process.

"Shinsou is out of the ring. Midoriya moves to the next round." Midnight announces as they replay
the finishing moves on the screens. Shinsou's legs had landed out of bounds.

Izuku holds out his hands, the other boy accepting his offer instantly. A shout of 'what
sportsmanship' can be heard in the background but Izuku is more focused on Shinsou right now.
The boy has a bruise forming on his left cheek and looks worse for wear but he's smiling.

He looks at Izuku for a solid moment before speaking up. "Show her Midoriya. Show her- Show
the world what you're made of. You're going to be a great hero." His voice is steady and
unwavering, the sincerity behind his statement is intense and genuine. As if he's just stating a fact.

That alone makes Izuku's eyes shine with unshed tears as he stares at his new friend- could he call
him that? He really hoped so.

"I won't let you down Shinsou!"

Izuku goes back to the stands. He finds that Uraraka and Iida saved him a seat in the third row. The
next match is Sero versus Todoroki. The one that wins will go against Izuku in the second round.
Izuku has a pretty good idea who's going to win. Of course, Sero is pretty strong too, his quirk is
very versatile, it gives him both offensive powers and mobility. However, Todoroki, who has been
trained his entire life by none other than the number too hero, that and his overwhelmingly
powerful quirk. Let's just say, this fight will most likely be short.

He's proved right when Todoroki steps into the arena. As soon as Present mic calls the start of the
fight. A huge wave of ice comes rushing at the tape quirk user and thoroughly encases him.
Instantly rendering him immobile and therefore winning Todoroki the chance to move on to the
next round. The crowd is left speechless at the incredible show of power. Izuku stares at Todoroki's
stiff movements. The boy seems to be going through many emotions as he slowly thaws through
the ice shards he created. Todoroki, Izuku notes, seems above all else really sad.
Izuku looked at him, for once really taking in the past few hours revelations. He'll help Todoroki,
he'll make him accept himself. Even if it's going to take all he's got.

The matches go by in a blur. Up next is Uraraka and Bakugou's match. Izuku tried to give Uraraka
some of the notes he'd gathered on Bakugou throughout their childhood and the time he'd spent
witnessing the explosive boy's quirk in action. However, she had politely declined. She wanted to
win this fight on her own.

Uraraka stood in the waiting room. Her fist was clenched, her nails digging into her palms. Her
match was in a couple of minutes. She was going up against Bakugou.

She didn't know much about the blonde. All she knew was that the boy had a complicated past
with Midoriya. She'd come really close to hating the boy when he had attacked her green-haired
friend. Izuku had asked them to give Bakugou a rest. If Midoriya had forgiven him, maybe she
could try too. However, that didn't stop her from glaring at the blonde from across the classroom.

She had kept an eye on him through their training, she would step in at any wrong move on his
part. All this observing had given her insight on the boy's powers. The explosive boy had an
incredibly powerful quirk, not only this but he also had exceptionally good control over it. The
more he fights, the more he sweats and the stronger he gets. However, despite his close-range
offensive ability and his capacity to manoeuver mid-air, if she could touch him, she'd have the
advantage.

Uraraka had spent most of the festival counting on Deku to get her to the top. This would stop now.
She'd seen the fiery determination in her friend's eyes, he was giving it his all. She would do the
same. She would try to win with everything she had.

"A CELEBRITY SINCE HIS MIDDLE SCHOOL DAYS, AN EXPLOSIVE QUIRK FOR AN
EXPLOSIVE BOY! IT'S BAKUGOU KATISUKI FROM THE HERO COURSE!!" Present mic
introduced from his previous place in the viewing booth.

Bakugou stepped into the arena, his whole demeanor threatening. Radiating confidence and
conviction.

"VERSUS… MY PERSONAL PICK! OCHACKO URARAKA FROM THE HERO COURSE!"

Uraraka marched into the field, looking at her opponent head-on. Her gaze, despite her usually
bubbly attitude screamed defiance and fortitude.

"CONTESTANTS IN POSITION. START!" Midnight snapped her whip, the instant it hit the
ground Uraraka was already dashing towards Bakugou, her stance low and swift. She managed to
cross half the distance before the blond used his quirk to blow her away.

Despite the abrupt and violent explosion, the girl got back up instantly. Foregoing any rest and
promptly rushing at the blond again.

"SHE KEEPS CHARGING RELENTLESSLY!"

They kept their dance for a few more minutes. Uraraka doing everything in her power to try and
close in on the explosive teen.

She was bruised, scratches and minor burns littering her previously soft skin. However, she was
not going to give up. She kept getting back up. Kept powering through the pain and exhaustion.
Kept rushing and running at her target. Her every try blown away and deflected.

"Shouldn't you stop this fight!" Screams a man from the crowd.

"YEAH! Stop toying with that girl! Just end the fight already!" Continues another pro hero from
the crowd infuriated by Bakugou's treatment towards the sweet and frail girl.

What they failed to notice though was the plan Uraraka was slowly but surely setting into motion.
With every attack, with every confrontation, she would stay low, close to the ground. Every
explosion would create rubble, would destroy the field. Effectively giving her the ammunition, she
needed.

She was leading Bakugou by the nose this whole time, using his own quirk to her advantage,
operating under the cover of the smoke screens he created in order to use her quirk unnoticed and
exploiting his own destructive powers against him.

The crowd could only stare in awe as they finally noticed the hundreds of boulders and rocks that
were floating above the two students. Uraraka brought her hands together, releasing her quirk and
creating a meteor shower of rubble and rocks coming hurling down on her opponent.

"IT'S A METEOR SHOWER!!" The disbelieving voice hero called out.

She had fought hard for this, she had struggled and scrapped and bruised herself to get this one
chance. Whether he dodges or intercepts, in that instant, she'll close the gap. This was how she
would win.

Bakugou stared at the fast approaching meteor shower headed towards him. Uraraka had brought
him to his limit. Every quirk had some kind of boundary. She had forced him to use his quirk, over
 and over again. The throbbing in his wrists was greater with every explosion. He wasn't going to
give up though. He wasn't going to lose. He lifted his aching arms, mustering one last huge
explosion. The power behind the blow decimated all the rubble, despite their numbers, he had
spent years developing his quirk. He was going to be number one damn it!

"WHAT AN EXPLOSION! URARAKA'S SECRET PLAN WENT INTO SMOKE!" Present Mic
hollers through the speakers.

"That was close…" Too close for comfort, Bakugou thinks as he regains his breath. He stares at
the girl responsible for his exhaustion. He was right not to underestimate her. She was stronger
than she looked.

The girl is panting hard, every breath sending shudders down her body. She wipes the sweat from
her forehead. This was the best she could do, but it wasn't enough.

Still, she was still standing, she will not give up. She takes one step, determined to win, despite the
aching in her body and the throbbing in her limbs. She had worked too hard for this, she wouldn't
give up. Her foot touches the ground and her legs give up from under her. Exhaustion and fatigue
overpowering her and sending her collapsing to the ground.

No…my body, it won't move. She had reached her limit a long time ago.
She tries to get up, to urge her body to react, to fight on. Darkness envelops her field of vision.
Consciousness finally leaving her. Her last thought pleading for her to fight. To win.

"Uraraka is unable to move. Bakugou moves to the next round."

Chapter End Notes

NEXT UP... TODOROKI VS MIDORIYA

 IT'S YOURS!
Chapter Notes

hope you like this!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Izuku walks into the waiting room before his match. He expects it to be empty. What he doesn't
expect is to find Uraraka sitting on one of the chairs. She seems lost in thought.

He clears his throat in order to get her attention.

"Ah! Deku-kun! I guess I lost." She says, rubbing her neck sheepishly, seemingly back to her old
bubbly attitude. It's a huge difference from the fierceness the world witnessed not long ago. "I just
got carried away at the end when I thought I could actually win. But I'm okay! Recovery girl
healed me!" It's fake though. Her smile… Izuku has seen that smile too many times in the past.
Every time he stared in the mirror after a particularly bad day. He'd always wear that smile to hide
the pain he was feeling; his mother would get annoyed otherwise. "I just have to try harder next
time- "

"Uraraka…" He approaches her wordlessly before she gets to finish her sentence. He wraps his
arms around her. Pulling her into a firm embrace, he gives her just enough space to feel
comfortable but his hold is firm. She needs to know that she doesn't have to put up an act with him.

Uraraka stills at first. Izuku thought he's done something wrong. However, as soon as her initial
shock is over, she melts into his hold and sobs on his shoulder. Uraraka's whole body shudders as
she cries in his arms.

"I- I gave it everything I had- Still it wasn't enough." Her voice is raw with emotions, she falters at
some of the words in order to catch her breath.

"It's okay. You were amazing out there! You gave Kacchan a run for his money! You need to give
yourself a break!" He reassures her, rubbing circles on her back.

He pulls away, holding her by the shoulders at arms lengths. He needs to look at her when he's
saying this.

"Uraraka, you're going to be an amazing hero. I believe in you." His voice is steady and
unwavering as he tried to convey the sincerity behind his statement.

It seems she got the message, as she only sobs harder and jumps at him, arms wrapping around his
shoulders as she thanks him over and over again.

Afterward, they sit down and discuss her strategy and how she might improve next time. Before
long, Present mic announces the beginning of the next round. It's time for his match with Todoroki.

"I- I have to go…" He says quietly, dread filling his stomach as he thinks of the battle ahead of
him.

"Thanks for being here for me Deku, good luck out there I'm rooting for you!" She replies her
smile back to being genuine and her demeanor returning to her old bubbly self.

------------------------------------------

He walks towards the arena, going over the strategies he'd come up with to fight Todoroki. He
rounds the corner and abruptly bumps into someone.

He feels like he's burning up when he makes contact, the feeling is gone as soon as it came through
and he finds himself face to face with none other than the number two hero; Endeavor.

The flame hero stares down at him. His hulking figure towers over him, his posture intimidating
and his presence dominating the whole space.

"There you are! I saw what you did out there, that's an amazing quirk. I'd say it's on par with All
Might's. However, my boy Shoto has a duty to surpass All Might. His match against you will prove
a valuable test. You may have won the other tasks but don't let it get to your head." The hero says,
his voice low and threatening. It sends chills down his spine.

Izuku feels the anger boiling inside of him. How could a father, talk about his own son as if he was
just a tool? A means to an end. Although knowing his own mother and his absent father, it's not
that strange.

The flaming hero turns to leave but stops when Izuku speaks up.

"I'm not All Might," Izuku states seriously.

"Well, of course, you're not- "

"And Todoroki isn't you either."

The hero stares at him for a moment. Taking in his words. He goes to speak but Izuku cuts him off
once again.

"Don't you realize what an idiot you are. You're only pushing your son away. What you're doing is
wrong, you call yourself a hero but your actions are that of a villain. Heroes are supposed to save
people, comfort them. Not hurt them." Izuku tried to reign in his fury but the words seem to just
spill from his mouth.

"How dare you speak- "His shouting is interrupted once again by Izuku's blunt march passed him.

"I don't care about what you have to say. Now, goodbye. I have a match to get to." With that, Izuku
takes his leave. Marching angrily into the arena, ignoring the dumbstruck expression he left on the
number two hero's face.

----------------------------

"Both of these competitors have shown great power in the previous matches. Midoriya's winning
streak hasn't faltered until now, what will happen when faced with the number two heroes' son!
THIS ROUND WE HAVE… IZUKU MIDORIYA VERSUS TODOROKI SHOTO!" The crowd
roars as Present mic announce the beginning of the second round.

Izuku stares at Todoroki, the boy looks like his usual expressionless self. His features remaining
neutral and stoic. However, Izuku doesn't fail to notice the barely visible flinch the boy has when
his father is mentioned.

"START!"

Instantly, Izuku is attacked by a rapidly approaching wave of ice. He fires up one for all through
his body and swiftly dodges the attack, ducking and rolling to the side.

He barely has time to straighten up before another wave of ice comes rushing at him once again.
This time, he doesn't have enough time to dodge. He lifts his arm and flicks two fingers in the
direction of the coming shards. The shockwave he creates thoroughly destroys the glaciers.

"WOAH! HE SMASHED RIGHT THROUGH! WHAT POWER!" Present mic exclaims excitedly
as the crowd cheer in amazement.

He feels a small throbbing in his fingers, it's not broken but it's not unharmed either. It will take
more than his current level of control over One for all to win against Todoroki.

He realizes that Todoroki still isn't using his left side. The boy still adamant on only using his ice.

They keep at it for a couple of minutes, Todoroki firing off rounds of ice, one after the other and
Izuku swiftly dodging them or destroying them.

From an outsider's point of view, they match each other in terms of power.

However, Izuku can see the way Todoroki's right side is slowly icing over, his whole body
shivering slightly. He can even feel the way the ice is slowing down, not quite as powerful as they
initially were.
Every quirk has its limit. Izuku thinks he knows Todoroki's.

"You're planning on stretching out the match. Not happening I'll end this quickly." The ice user
says, voice low and cold as he fires off another round of ice towards him. He uses it as a distraction
and rushes at Midoriya.

"TODOROKI IS UNDAUNTED BY MIDORIYA'S POWERS! HE MOVES IN TO CLOSE THE

GAP!"

Midoriya sees the way Todoroki leaps at him and effectively dodges as he jumps backward using a
small amount of One for all. He needs to make sure not to get over his limit.

"CLOSE ONE! BUT MIDORIYA DODGES IN AN INCREDIBLE SHOW OF REFLEXES!"

He's not even on the ground yet and another wave of ice comes barreling towards him. He has no
choice but to power up his fist with all for one, surprisingly the backlash is minimal, only a dull
throbbing makes itself known, it isn't broken but he can't keep this up much longer.

He smashes the glaciers coming his way, the power now, much stronger than his previous
shockwaves. The outburst sends Todoroki flying a couple of meters back but he manages to catch
himself with ice to stop himself from crossing the boundary line.

Todoroki is way more than just his quirk, Izuku realizes. He's got an excellent judgment, execution
and, mobility. Everything about him is strong.

"Why are you going so far to win this!?" Todoroki shouts from across the arena, his breathing is
ragged and he keeps glancing at the stands. Probably looking for Endeavor.
"You're shivering Todoroki." Izuku's control may be slipping but until now, Todoroki hasn't put a
single scratch on him. "Quirks are just physical abilities, you must have a limit to how much of that
cold you bear! But then…You can always use your left side to thaw yourself out, right?" he
clenches his throbbing fist, frustration, and anger radiating off his every movement. "Everyone is
giving it there all!" He remembers Uraraka's fight "To win.", he remembers Shinsou's
determination. "To achieve their goals." He thinks about Bakugou." To reach the top! And you're
only using half your power?!" He screams, his voice raw with pure and unfiltered emotions.

Izuku waits for Todoroki to come rushing at him again. As soon as his foot is lifted in the air to
move, Midoriya takes it's his opportunity to go on the offensive. He dashed towards the half and
half quirk user and lands a punch to his abdomen. The force sends the teen tumbling backward.
However, Todoroki quickly gets back to his feet. "COME AT ME WITH EVERYTHING
YOU'VE GOT!" Izuku shouts trying to convey his intentions.

"What are you saying! I thought you of all people would understand!" Todoroki's voice loses its
usual cold and neutral tone, he's angry and it's palpable from a mile away.

"I DO UNDERSTAND! OUR PARENT'S DON'T DETERMINE WHO WE ARE! I WANT TO

BE A HERO AND NO ONE WILL STOP ME! DON'T LET YOUR FATHER'S ACTIONS
INFLUENCE YOUR'S! DON'T YOU SEE! YOU'RE LETTING HIM WIN!" Izuku doesn't care
anymore about the repercussion that will follow after he admits this to Todoroki. Right now, all he
cares about is helping him. "MY MOTHER WILL NOT DETERMINE WHAT I AM! NEITHER
WILL YOURS! I WANT TO BE A HERO TO HELP THOSE LIKE ME! TO SMILE IN THE
FACE OF DESPAIR. THAT'S WHY I'M GIVING IT MY ALL! TO BECOME A HERO
PEOPLE WILL LOOK UP TO. A HERO THAT WILL PREVENT PEOPLE LIKE ME AND
YOU FROM HURTING ANYMORE!" Todoroki doesn't know how he forgot. However, now, as
Midoriya screams at him, he remembers it like it was yesterday. He remembers his mother
showing him All Might on the television. He remembers wanting to become a hero just like him.
He remembers his mother's smile, as she hugs him and reassures him that if he wants to. he could
be a hero. "IT'S YOUR POWER TODOROKI! NOT HIS!"

Just like that, as if a switch had been turned on. Todoroki's left side erupts in bright and scorching
hot flames. The magnitude and intensity of the fire blinding the crowd and leaving them speechless
at the incredible show of power the boy is showing. The ice that had gathered on his right side
slowly thaws out as he regains some of his strengths.

"I want to be a hero too!" Todoroki screams at the top of his lungs. The sounds muffled by the
crackles of the flames around him.

Izuku can't help the smile that stretches across his features as he stares at the beautiful scorching
red fire that dances in front of him.

"Incredible…You must be crazy Midoriya. To help your opponent in a match like this." Todoroki's
features reflect Izuku's own smile as he forgets for once in his life everything about his father.

It's like, at this moment. The whole arena is gone. The only people present are him and Midoriya.
Nothing else matters. They tune out the crowd's uproar and focus solely on their fight.

"Midoriya! Give me everything you've got!" Todoroki shouts with all his might.

Midoriya dashes towards him, green sparks dance around his whole body as he rushes straight at
him. Todoroki extends his left hand, directing the flames at Midoriya.

In the background, Midnight shouts something intangible. Something about the fight. Their too
occupied though, to give it much attention.

"Thank you Izuku," Todoroki whispers just as Midoriya's fist connects with his left cheek.
Cementos, the concrete hero decides to step in then. Creating multiple walls of concrete to separate
the two opponents.

It all happens in an instant. The stadium erupts. A shockwave blowing both heated wind and cold
air at the spectators as they hold on in order to not get blown away.

People stare in awe and shock at the destruction left behind the two opponents. Smoke covers the
arena, nobody knows what happened yet.

"WHAT THE- WHAT'S WITH YOUR CLASS ERASERHEAD!" Present Mic shouts from his
place on the floor, where he'd been promptly blown away.

"All the chilled air was heated in an instant, making it expand. That and the shockwave created by
Midoriya's punch." Aizawa explains calmly, his voice somewhat betraying his indifference and
showing his shock.

"WHAT A BLAST! AND WHAT HEAT! CAN'T SEE A THING THOUGH. HAS THE MATCH
BEEN DECIDED?" The voice hero asks through the speakers, his curiosity mirroring the thoughts
of everyone in the arena.

The smoke clears ever so slowly and from the dust two figures are visible. Todoroki and Midoriya
are both still standing. However, Todoroki has one foot out bounds whereas Midoriya is still
inside.

"TODOROKI IS OUT OF BOUNDS! MIDORIYA ADVANCES TO THE NEXT ROUND!"

Midnight announces, her voice wavering as she tries to get over her shock from the fight she'd just
witnessed.

As soon as she pronounces those words. Midoriya wobbles on his feet but manages to catch
himself before he falls. Todoroki isn't so lucky though.

Darkness consumes the fire and ice user as he hits the ground with a thud.

-------------------------------------

Izuku feels the adrenaline slowly fade away as he stares at the onslaught of cheers and the uproar
coming from the crowd.

He can feel his whole-body aching, his arm is throbbing, probably fractured or in the least severely
bruised. However, he can't bring himself to care about it right now. He helped Todoroki. He was
able to free the boy from his father's cruel expectations, finally making him use his fire and accept
himself fully and unleash all those year's pent-up emotions. Todoroki is currently being carted
away by some medical robots, probably to Recovery girl's office.

Izuku follows the bots into the hallway, glad to get out of the spotlight. As soon as he steps into the
infirmary he gets whacked on the head with a cane.

"Young man! You almost gave me a heart attack! Stop being so reckless!" She huffs and turns to
face the bots carrying the still unconscious Todoroki. She checks on him, writing things down on
the small notepad she's clutching in her hands. She nods to herself seemingly satisfied before
turning her attention back to Izuku. "He has a concussion and a few cracked ribs. He should be
okay after a round of healing." She says it and Izuku feels a weight being lifted from his shoulders.
He was afraid he might have gone overboard in this battle.

Recovery girl looks him over, checking for any kind of serious wound. When she finds none in
need of immediate attention, she quickly kisses his forehead in precaution and goes back to helping
the slowly waking boy on the stretcher.

Todoroki's eyes flutter open. He looks around sluggishly, his eyes widen comically as he seems to
realize where he was. He's stopped from shooting upright by Recovery girl's small arms holding
his shoulders down. She scolds him for his reckless behavior and informs him about his injuries.
The boy calms down and finally notice Izuku.

He looks at him for a moment then looks back at recovery girl. The elderly woman seems to get
the message. She steps out in order to give them a chance to talk.

"Todoroki… I- I'm sorry- "His apology is promptly interrupted by Todoroki's raspy voice peaking
up.

"Thank you Midoriya." His voice is soft, tone serious. Todoroki looks at him, heterochromatic
eyes seem to be gazing into his very soul as he tries to convey his gratitude. "You made me realize
my mistakes and helped me remember something I have long since forgotten." He smiles at him, a
genuine smile. A huge difference from the ever-present scowl he had in the past weeks they've
known each other.

Izuku stutters out a response but whatever he says is overlapped by Present Mic's announcement of
the next match. He's going to be fighting Iida.

He bids the Fire and ice user goodbye and once again apologizes before scurrying towards the
arena's entrance.

Going against Iida won't be easy, the boy has been surrounded by heroes for most of his childhood.
His brother, Ingenium, the turbo hero is known for respectable hero work. Training his whole life
with the help of his older brother. Izuku's going to have to give it his all once again. Not that he
was ever planning on doing anything else.

Unbeknown to him, just as he steps into the arena. A green haired woman is turning the television
off in her apartment. She gets into her car. Her hands are clenched and digging into the steering
wheel. She seems to be seizing with anger.

-----------------------------------------

"AFTER AN AMAZING BATTLE THAT GOT BAKUGOU TO MOVE TO THE FINALS. IT'S
TIME TO SEE WHO HE WILL GO AGAINST!! WITHOUT FURTHER ADO… IT'S TENYA
IIDA VERSUS IZUKU MIDORIYA!!" Present Mic's shouting shakes the very foundation of the
stadium. The crowd cheers and applaud for the two hero course students.

Midoriya steps into the arena, a strange feeling welling up in his chest. This was it, he was so close
to the final. Iida looks at him head on. Gaze serious and challenging.
"BOTH OF THESE COMPETITORS HAVE PROVEN THEMSELVES TO BE TOUGH
OPPONENTS! IIDA'S FAMILLY'S BACKGROUND IN HEROICS AND MIDORIYA'S
UNDETTERED WINNING STREAK. IT'S GOING TO BE AN INTERESTING FIGHT!
OPPONENTS IN POSITION…START!!" The voice hero booms through the speakers.

As soon as Present Mic announces the start of the fight, Iida is already rushing towards Midoriya.
He's fast. Too fast, Izuku thinks. However, if he plays this right. He'll get the opening he needs to
finish this.

Iida retracts his leg at an unbelievable speed and uses his engines to enhance the power behind the
hit. His leg collides with Izuku's guarded arm, the latter had put it up in a mock defense attempt.
The hit is painful, a loud crack can be heard.

"WOW! THAT KICK WAS INSANELY FAST! HE LANDED A REALLY SOLID HIT!" The
voice hero comments.

Iida seems to real back, clearly not expecting Izuku to take the blow head on. Izuku takes this brief
moment of hesitation and powers up his body, he powers through the pain in his arm. One for All
flows through his veins as he swipes his opponent's legs from under him.

Iida tumbles forward, avoiding crossing the boundary by a few meters only. He regains his
composure and instantly goes in for another kick, this time he's planning on using his special move,
Recipro burst. Izuku sees right through the move though. He waits for the perfect moment. Just as
Iida's leg lift of the ground, he rushes forward, sliding right into the Hero student's path.

Said student loses his bearings and having used the gears on his leg to their full potential, his
engines stalls. This sends him running straight into the wall outside the ring.

Midnight announces Izuku as the winner. He just wished he could have done it without hurting his
friend.
He runs towards Iida, apologies quickly threatening to spill from his mouth. However, he
remembers what Todoroki had told him. He doesn't want his friend's effort to be overlooked. So,
he wordlessly offers his hand to the fallen teen and waits patiently for the taller boy's response. Iida
looks up at him, his frustration is palpable but he accepts his outstretched hand without missing a
beat.

"I can honestly say that you have beaten fair and square. You used my own special move against
me. Despite my frustration at winning, I am glad it was against such a formidable opponent
Midoriya." Iida says sternly, his fist is clenched but, in his eyes, Izuku spots a new fire. One that
screams determination. He sure that Iida will take this loss at a stride and will improve and work
hard to win next time. Izuku doesn't expect anything less from his friend.

-------------------------------------------

Izuku walks back to the waiting lounge. He just needs to clear his head for a little while. He'll be
fighting Kacchan next. They have roughly, a twenty-minute break before the fight.

He walks into the break room and freezes. His blood ran cold, shivers running down his spine as
his eyes meet a similar set of emerald irises. His mother stares back at him, the look in her eyes
promising nothing but pure and unadulterated pain.
 -------------------------------------------

"LADIES AND GENTLEMAN! AT LAST WE'VE ARRIVED! THE BEST OF THE BEST
AMONG UA'S FIRST YEAR'S WILL BE DECIDED! IT'S THE FINAL MATCH MIDORIYA
VERSUS BAKUGOU!!!!! WAIT! WHAT?" low whispering can be heard through the
microphone, too quiet to decipher. "MIDORIYA HAS WITHDRAWN DUE TO FAMILY
CIRCUMSTANCE. THE WINNER OF THIS YEAR'S SPORTS FESTIVAL IS NONE OTHER
THAN BAKUGOU KATISUKI!"

The crowd boos and shout in indignation. Bakugou stairs straight at the empty place where the
useless nerd should have been. He can feel the anger building up in his chest. This isn't a win. It's
not even close.

Meanwhile, at another place in the stadium, a purple-haired teenager is running at full speed
towards the announcement stand. His expression serious and urgent as he slams the door to the
viewing room open. Visibly startling the two occupants.

"Eraserhead. You need to save him. He's in danger."

Chapter End Notes

I don't know how much time it's going to take me to write the next chapter. I want it to
be perfect.

Things are about to get pretty serious!

Also, I made a new Tumblr account! I'm going to be posting art for this fanfic and
bnha in general.
and some other original artworks!

http://kira18091.tumblr.com/
 forgive me.
Chapter Notes

i'll try to update more regularly from now on! Happy holidays

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Aizawa was going to the vender's machine in the hallway to buy himself a cup of coffee when he
was met with a rather slim woman. She had olive green hair wrapped in a small ponytail. Her green
eyes looked vaguely familiar. The familiarity was explained when another tuff of green hair
appeared in his line of vision.

Oh, it was Midoriya. That explains the familiarity. The resemblance was uncanny, except he's
never seen that look in Midoriya's eyes, it was unsettling, to say the least. The woman was
scowling but as soon as she spotted him, her features contorted themselves into a smile. It didn't
quite reach her eyes though.

On the other hand, Izuku had his head down. He seemed to be trying to make himself as small as
possible.

The woman spoke, her tone serious and unwavering. "Hello, I'm Inko Midoriya. You must be one
of the teachers of UA".

"Hello, Yes, I'm Aizawa Shouta. I'm actually your son's homeroom teacher." He replied slowly, his
tone neutral despite the feelings of unease he was experiencing.

"Well, if you would be kind enough, we have a family emergency and I'd like for him to be able to
come with me." She half ordered. He could tell she was in a hurry.

"Mrs. Midoriya, your son has a match next. He's going to have to stay put and compete in the
finals. What's the emergency, may I ask?" He questioned cautiously. Something didn't feel right
about this.

"It is a personal matter I'm afraid. However, I'm his mother and I believe I have the right to retrieve
the brat- my- my son anytime I want." Aizawa didn't miss the way she faltered as she tried to
address her son. He responded nonetheless, she was right after all.
"Very well, I hope any problem you have will be sorted soon." He stepped aside, clearing the way
for the family of two. The boy seemed to suddenly look up at him. In his eyes, Aizawa swore he
saw a light getting dimmer. The feeling of unease only increased.

She nodded towards him and made her way towards the exit.

Aizawa looked at the woman as she marched passed him over to the stadium door. She had a hand
placed on Midoriya's shoulder, the boy's whole body seemed stiff and uncomfortable. He tried to
make eye contact with his student, only succeeding to catch a small glimpse of his expression.
Something didn't feel right. Something was wrong. The boy's face was blank but solemn as if he
was being marched towards his own demise.

Maybe he was just upset for having missed the final despite having come so far. However, deep
down, Aizawa knew there was something greater at work. He would make sure to find out what.

He walked back to the viewing room in order to inform the other teachers of the newest
development.

-------------------

"LADIES AND GENTLEMAN! AT LAST WE'VE ARRIVED! THE BEST OF THE BEST
AMONG UA'S FIRST YEAR'S WILL BE DECIDED! IT'S THE FINAL MATCH MIDORIYA
VERSUS BAKUGOU!!!!! WAIT! WHAT?" Low whispering can be heard through the
microphone, too quiet to decipher. "MIDORIYA HAS WITHDRAWN DUE TO FAMILY
CIRCUMSTANCES. THE WINNER OF THIS YEAR'S SPORTS FESTIVAL IS NONE OTHER
THAN BAKUGOU KATISUKI!"

Mic turns the mic off and turns toward his colleague. Aizawa slumped on his chair, he looks
thoughtful, worried.

"I'm sure everything will be fine. It's not the first time someone withdraws from the competition.
At least his mother is with him, whatever happened, he's not alone." He tries to comfort his friend
but the scowl on the latter's face only deepens.

"It's just- That woman… Something felt wrong. She had this vibe. I could just tell she was lying.
Something is wrong Yamada. She felt wrong- fake." Mic is left speechless. It's the first time he's
seen his best friend so blatantly concerned and worried. If he thinks there's something wrong, then
surely something must be.

"We can check on them later if you want. Maybe give young Midoriya a call? We can't just jump
to conclusions though. It's a shame the boy couldn't go through the final battle. Bakugou is sure to
be pissed off."
"Yeah… Knowing him, he probably won't take this as a win." Aizawa stated with an exasperated
sigh.

They both turn towards their desks, ready to proceed with the awarding ceremony.

Their actions are interrupted by the door to the viewing room being slammed open. Walks in the
general educations kid. Shinsou Hitoshi, if Aizawa remembers correctly. His fight with Midoriya
proved just how wrong the entrance exam was to let this kind of power slip through the cracks.
He'd make sure to correct that. This kid deserves a chance.

What the boy says makes the unease he's been experiencing increase. The dread pools in his
stomach at the implications.

"Eraserhead. You need to save him. He's in danger." The purple haired teen says urgently, his gaze
is pleading and desperate. Aizawa knows instantly who the boy is talking about. However, he just
needs to make sure.

"What's going on Shinsou, what's wrong?" He asks cautiously, ignoring the way Mic's gaze keep
switching between them, trying to get his attention. Trying to see if what they're both thinking is
true.

"Midoriya. He's in trouble. You said he had to withdraw for family reasons. Did he go with his
mother?" The boy's hands are shaking, his whole-body twitches as though he's prepared to bolt at
any moment. As if he's ready to go after Midoriya instantly.

"Calm down. Yes, his mother came to pick him up, says it's a personal matter. Do you know
anything we don't?" He asks calmly despite the growing fear that's threatening to bubble to the
surface. He needs to stay focused for his students. For Midoriya.

"She's bad. His mother- she hurts him. You need to do something! We can't let her get away with
this! She's going to kill him!" Shinsou's voice rises with every word. The anger and fear evident in
his tone.

"What do you mean she's going to kill him. she's his mother." The voice hero says, disbelief clear
in his tone. How can a mother hurt her own son?

"I've seen it happen! She hurts him- uses her quirk against him. She's abusing him, been doing it
for years. I've seen it with my own eyes." Shinsou yells in frustration. Why won't anyone believe
me!

"He's right. I've seen his scars." Another voice interjects. The room's three occupants turn towards
it. There, by the door, stands none other than Todoroki Shouto. He has white gauze wrapped
around his face and his arm in a sling but he's standing. "Before our match- he told me. His scars
aren't normal either. I've only seen his arm and it's mostly scar tissue."

"Todoroki you-"Aizawa begins but is interrupted by the fire and ice's user speaking up once again.

"I'm sorry for just coming here. However, I was worried. I heard your conversation and Shinsou is
right. We need to help him. He- Midoriya helped me. It's- We need to help him."

Aizawa curses himself. How could he have been so stupid? Izuku was right there. He could have
prevented him from going. He knew that the boy was being subjected by some kind of abuse but he
let him go anyway. How could he be so naïve? Not all parent's love their children. His own harsh
parents were a testament to that. But to go to such length to hurt your own child. Anger and guilt
bubbled in his chest. He needed to go after them. Stop this at once.

He rose from his chair. Startling the other occupants of the small room. He'd been lost in thoughts
there.

"Come on. I believe you. We need to stop before- "Before it's too late goes unsaid, however, they
all got the message loud and clear. This has been going on for long enough, they wouldn't let
Midoriya get hurt more than he already was. They hope he would hang in there until they arrive.

---------------------

Don't let her. Help me. Don't let us leave. He repeated the mantra over and over again in his head
as he listened to the short interaction between his homeroom teacher and his mother.

All of his internal pleas proved to be feeble as his homeroom teacher allowed them to leave. Of
course, he would. Why wouldn't he? He didn't know what he was permitting.

His mother hadn't uttered a single word since she met him in the break room. Her silence was even
scarier than when she would yell at him. The tension in her movements could be seen from a mile
away. She was clearly angry at him. Did she watch the sports festival? Oh god… Did she see him
using his quirk?

The grip she had on his shoulder was painful. She's mad at him. Furious even. Izuku gulped as he
thought of the punishment he would have to face once they got home.

His arm hurt, his mother didn't give him the chance to get checked by recovery girl yet. Iida's kick
probably fractured the bones in his forearm from the sheer force of the hit. He didn't blame him
though; it was a fight, after all, He's won even. He wasn't going to be able to fight in the final
though, was he? His mom made sure of that.

It wasn't important now though. Shivers ran down his spine at the thought of what was in store for
him, a phantom pain made itself known in his chest. A reminder of the last time his mom was this
mad at him. The scar she left on his torso was a testament to that, particularly terrifying and painful
experience.

They got into the car, the suffocating silence still hung between them, the tension could be cut with
a knife. Izuku hated this. He could deal with his mother's normal shouting and screaming but this.
This silent, deadly behavior was making his skin crawl.

The drive wasn't long, soon enough they were already stepping into their apartment. Inko opened
the door with her keys and stepped aside, wordlessly gesturing for him to enter. He obeyed quietly,
not wanting to provoke her.

He was making his way into his room, secretly hoping he would get away from this unscathed.
However, he knew better than to get his hopes up. He heard the distinct noise of the door being
shut and locked behind him.

"Where do you think you're going." Her voice came out as a low hiss, venom pooling from every
syllable. Slicing and tearing at the silence, successfully making the blood in his veins run cold, he
froze mid-step as dread started pooling in his stomach.

He slowly turns around to face her. "No- Nowhere- " Izuku curses himself internally, the shaking
of his voice exposing the fear that was creeping into his heart, ever so slowly eating away at his
nerves.

She took slow steps towards him, her movements reminiscing of that of a snake, slowly making its
way towards its prey. Ready to strike at any moment.

"Did you think you could hide this from me?" Her voice was light and uncaring. However, the
look in her eyes betrayed the doll-like smile on her face. Despite her somewhat cheerful and light
behavior, her gaze showed nothing but malicious intent and volatile hatred directed towards him.

"Hide… Mom no… I wasn't hiding- "He tried to argue but was cut off by the sound of shattering
glass. Inko's anger had made her quirk act up, effectively rattling the cupboards in the kitchen and
shattering the crystal cups there. This wasn't a good sign, she was furious. Her behavior would be
unpredictable and impulsive.

"SHUT UP! YOU BRAT! I SUFFERED YEARS BECAUSE OF YOU! DO YOU KNOW WHAT
IT FEELS LIKE TO HAVE SUCH A USELESS IDIOT AS A CHILD! I SPENT YEARS ALONE
BECAUSE OF YOU! AND HOW DO YOU REPAY ME? YOU UNGRATEFUL PIECE OF
SHIT! YOU HIDE THIS FROM ME! HOW DARE YOU?" The house is visibly shaking by now,
utensils are flying everywhere, zipping around them, creating a small tornado. His mother's quirk
has gotten stronger over the years. The woman not only being able to attract object towards her but
also manipulate their general movements, effectively giving their trajectory speed and force. A
knife flew passed him, grazing his cheek. A warning.

The pain is bearable, if not minimal. He's just glad it didn't hit his eye.

Chaos, pure unadulterated disarray surrounds them. His mother's gaze is borderline hysterical as
she marches towards him. She seems unhinged like this was the final straw. A pan hits his injured
arm and he hisses in pain. This was his first mistake. His mother's eyes widen comically in
realization as an atrocious laugh escapes her throat.

"THAT'S WHAT YOU GET BRAT! PLAYING HERO WITH THAT QUIRK OF YOURS!" She
stretches her arm forward and a knife comes flying towards her. She catches it with ease and lifts it
to his throat. "WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO NOW MIGHTY HERO." The knife lifts into the
air and hangs right in front of his eye. Threatening to stab him at any moment. He gulps and tries to
step backward but a hand grips his wounded arm painfully, efficiently stopping his escape.

He barely manages to stifle the cry of pain that almost escapes his mouth. Resolute to remain
strong in the face of his mother's abuse. She squeezes harder and this time it's too much to bear. He
cries in pain and leans over, snatching his arm from her grip with a little use of One for All. Her
eyes widen at the sight of the green lightning that surrounded his body for a moment. Her features
split into a manically wide grin

"So, this is it huh? The oh so powerful quirk of yours." She coo's darkly as she steps back. The
knife still hangs in front of his face, barely inches away from his eyelid, so close it almost grazes
his eyelashes.

She sighs and the knife hits the ground instantly. Clattering to the ground with a resounded clang.
His momentary relief is crushed by a searing pain coming from his torso. It burns. It feels like he's
being stabbed over and over again by a million knives. Right where his scar resided, he feels
dampness spread. He looks down at his shirt and sees the rapidly spreading red stain. He's
bleeding. It hurts. He feels like he's being torn apart. Which is probably what's happening.

He thinks he hears someone screaming. The sound is agonizing, it's only when he feels his throat
throb painfully that he registers that it's actually him that's making that sound.

His mind flashes to the day he got that scar. His mother was furious, uncontrollable. He's being
ripped apart, it burns. He's being torn in shreds from the inside out. The pain brings him back to
reality before he can recall the past events.

He crumbles onto the floor, his arms wrapped around his torso, hands digging and clutching at his
damp t-shirt; the aching is too much to handle. There's static rings in his ears and it's getting harder
to breathe by the second, the struggle leaves him gasping for air. Tears roll freely from his eyes as
he tries to hang onto consciousness. The pain is excruciating. Distantly he can hear his mother's
laugh. Bile rises in his throat, his sight is blurring, dark spots slowly forming in his field of vision.

He feels disconnected, like he's here but not fully. It's been a long time since pain had affected him
this much. He just wants it to stop. He wants it to end. He can feel the fast forming red puddle
under him. The last thing he sees is his mother's shoes as she walks past him with a huff.

Is this it? is this where it ends. Is this how he dies? The excruciating pain on his torso becomes
overwhelming. Maybe he can finally rest now.

I'm sorry All might…

He remembers the months of training with his mentor, the feeling of finally being useful.

I'm sorry Aizawa...

He remembers the only time he felt like someone actually cared for his well-being. Cared about
him.

Uraraka... Iida… Kirishima…

He remembers the only time he felt normal. An ordinary teenager, the feeling of belonging
somewhere.
 Shinsou…

The first person to accept him despite his past and his cowardliness. Despite knowing the truth
about his mother.

Everyone.

Forgive me.

Chapter End Notes

I don't know if I'm the one apologizing in the title or if it's izuku...
 Chased the darkness away.
Chapter Notes

Hope you like this new chapter!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Toshinori didn't know what to think. He was watching the sports festival from the teachers viewing
room. Pride bloomed in his chest as he witnessed the incredible performance his protégé was
putting up. Not only, did he win all of the events until now, he also has qualified for the finals!
Young Midoriya has not only kept his promise but he also exceeded his expectations.

However, when Present Mic announced his withdrawal due to family reasons, he couldn't help but
worry. Midoriya never talked about his family. From what he gathered, the boy was living with his
mother and his father was clearly out of the picture. He hoped that everything was alright. He will
call him later to make sure.

Not long after, the sports festival came to an end. Young Bakugou was declared the winner, the
boy was furious. Despite everyone's reassurance that he has indeed deserved first place since he
made it to the finals. He wouldn't accept the win, opting to scream and thrash, when they made
him go up to the podium. Leaving the teachers, no option but to tie him up to the stand. It was one
hell of a show, to say the least.

As All Might walked out of the stadium, unnoticed in his skeleton form. His phone vibrated in his
pocket. It wasn't his civilian phone either. The screen lit up in his hand, in bold letters he could
read 'Detective Naomasa'

"Hello? Tsukauchi? What's the emergency, you never call me on this phone unless it's urgent." He
asked worriedly.

"All Might… it's about Midoriya. We got a call from Present Mic some time ago. He said he had
reasons to believe that Midoriya was in danger. We're sending a patrol now to his house and I'm
going to go personally. Mic said Aizawa was already on his way there. I thought you should know.
I'll keep you updated, though knowing you, you're probably on your way there right now." His
voice was soft and low. Toshinori could tell that he was worried too.

"Wait, Tsukauchi. Why would he be in danger? What did Mic say?" He asked Urgently, barely
hiding the panic in his voice.

"I can't say anything for sure yet Toshinori. He didn't go into details. However, given his tone on
the phone, he seemed distressed. I have a bad feeling about this."

"I'm on my way." Like that, the line clicked shut. All Might had passed his time limit today, but
he'd be damned if he let that stop him from being there for his successor when he needed him.
-----------------------------

Aizawa got into his car and drove as fast as he could. Yamada has already called the police. He just
hoped they won't be too late. He hopes he won't be too late.

Shinsou has given him Midoriya's apartment's location. He pulled up in front of the house. His
heart hammered in his chest as his mind went through the endless possible scenarios that he would
have to face once he crossed the threshold.

Izuku could be okay, maybe they were overreacting. However, the look in both Shinsou and
Todoroki's eyes as they told him what they had witnessed gave him proof enough. Not mentioning
the scars Recovery girl had seen on the boy's body.

He went up the small set of stairs that led to the Midoriya's front door. To his surprise, the door
was open, it was barely a crack. As if someone had left in a hurry.

He pushed it further cautiously and froze. No amount of thinking could have prepared him for what
he saw when he entered. Right there, near the small kitchen laid a small figure. The body was
surrounded by a pool of dark liquid. Blood, his mind gloomily provided. He would've thought the
person was dead if not for the barely visible rise of the person's chest. He made quick work of
calling for an ambulance. Quickly putting his phone away in order to aid the victim.

He approached the figure; his blood ran cold as he finally caught a glimpse of the boy's face.
Midoriya. It was Midoriya. He rushed towards the boy, a spiral of curses spilling from his mouth.
He was too late. No no no. This couldn't be happening.

He looked at the trembling form of his student. Trying to assess his current state. The amount of
blood surrounding the boy made the bile in his throat rise. He was a pro-hero damn it. He shouldn't
be this affected. So why was he! He needed to focus and calm down. His student's life rested in his
hands.

He gently placed the boy's head on his knees, his skin was just so cold to the touch. It sent shivers
running down his spine. The blood was most prominent near his torso so he gradually lifted his
student's shirt up in order to assess the wound. To his horror, Izuku's chest was split, blood was
oozing from a deep gash on his chest. The wound looked abnormal, no weapon could have caused
it. Was it a result of his mother's quirk? The wound looked excruciatingly painful. Not to mention
the countless other scars that adorned the boy's body. How could he have not known? He saw the
signs; The flinching at every sudden movement and the stuttering. He'd seen the fear in his
student's eye every time he was being addressed or interacted with. Recovery girl had even told
him about the scars. Why didn't he do something earlier?

He ripped a piece of cloth from his costume and pressed it on the boy's chest. Terror overtook him
for a moment when the boy whimpered under his touch. Was he still conscious? Through all that?

"It's going to be okay kid." He didn't know if the reassurance was meant for Izuku or for his own
panicked nerves.

"S- Sensei" Izuku wheezed as he tried to breathe. The attempt made him cough violently. Blood
splattering on the ground. "I- I'm sorry- I- "Aizawa's heart clenched at the evident pain in his
student's broken voice. This was bad. This was really bad. Where were the medics! They needed to
get here now.
"Kid- Kid don't speak, save your strength. Help will be here soon. You're going to be okay." Dread
filled his entire being as the boy suddenly fell limp in his arms. He suddenly was very aware of the
boy's breathing, or in this case lack thereof.

He placed the boy down, trying to suppress the rapidly increasing panic that threatened to overtake
him. He was glad for his medical training. He titled Midoriya's head back and began making chest
compressions. He winced every time he touched the wound on the boy's torso. Never once in his
life, he thought he'd be administering CPR on one of his own students.

Horrific thoughts crept to the back of his mind. Telling him that he was too late, that he had failed.
He'd slowly lose hope at every second that passed and his student still didn't react to the treatment.
Come on. Why isn't it working? "Come on Midoriya! Come one! Stay with me! Breathe!" He
repeated urgently, begging the boy to somehow react to anything he was doing or saying. "Come
on kid! Breathe! Izuku! Breathe! Your stronger than this, kid!" He pleaded desperately. This
couldn't be happening. Why? Why was this happening to this sweet boy?

Finally, the boy woke up, he gasped and coughed. His whole body shuddered vehemently as he
took in deep breaths of air. Aizawa couldn't help but hug the boy at that moment. He made sure not
to move him too much, so it was a light hug but desperate all the same. He gently lifted the boy
into his arms, making sure not to aggravate any of his wounds as he carried his student bridal style.
He needed to get him to the hospital. The medics were sure to be on their way. Maybe if he met
them outside, halfway. Izuku's breathing was getting shallow again, he was going into shock. They
were wasting time.

Sirens were heard in the distance, as an ambulance emerged from the end of the road, followed by
two cop cars. Medics rushed towards them carrying a stretcher. They quickly fussed around the
two of them. They took the kid from his arms, he struggled at first. Forgetting what was
happening, forgetting himself for a moment. His protective instincts were taking over but he was
soon snapped out of his delirium by a firm hand on his shoulder.

He relented his hold on the boy, the medics quickly carting Izuku onto the ambulance.
He turned around to see that the hand on his shoulder belonged to none other than Detective
Tsukauchi Naomasa.

"Eraserhead, we came as soon as we could. I'm sorry we're late." He apologized solemnly. "How
did you know the boy was in trouble?"

"I've had my doubts about his home life for some time now. Recovery girl had reported seeing
some alarming number of scars on the boy's body and finally today, I met with his mother and
something wasn't right with her behavior. Our doubts were proved when Shinsou, a student from
the general studies course, reported having witnessed the abuse. "He replied mechanically, giving
the report as he usually would despite the raging emotions he was feeling.

"I see… well, you can go with the boy to the hospital, we'll take it from here. But first, did you see
the mother at all?" The detective asked seriously.

"No. From what I could tell, Izuku was the only one in the house."

"Alright, either way, my men are already searching the house for anything that could help in the
investigation."
--------------------------------

Izuku barely opens his eyes before he's squeezing them shut again, He tries it once more and
somehow, it's more bearable now although the blinding light in the room makes his head hurt. He
thinks he's in some kind of hospital room. The telling smell of antiseptics and the rhythmic beeping
of a heart monitor kind of gives it away. Not to mention the oxygen mask on his face. At first, he's
confused but then the memories hit him all at once. His lungs feel constricted and a lump form in
his throat as he tries to hold back the tears that are threatening to fall. He can hear the heart monitor
beeping speed up slightly. His mother's harsh laughter stills ring in his ears. He remembers being
torn apart from the inside out. He recalls wanting it all to just stop. To end.

He looks blankly at the white ceiling for a few moments, following the motion of the fan turning in
circles above him. He remembers the pain. The pure and unadulterated agony he was experiencing.

The last thing he felt was solitude. His mother had left him there, in the dark, in a pool of his own
blood. He just felt so cold and so scared but then he wasn't alone anymore. He remembers someone
there, next to him. Talking to him, telling him that everything will be alright. That person somehow
seemed to chase the darkness away. A light in the void.

When he did Izuku wasn't as scared anymore.

Soft breathing next to him alerts him of another presence in the room, the even breathing tells him
that the individual is asleep. He tries to get up to get a better look but a white-hot pain erupts from
his chest. He wheezes and falls back on his back. The action only increases the pain, a small moan
escapes his lips. The commotion seems to startle the person awake. He doesn't pay it much
attention though, too busy trying to ride out the pain.

He hears shifting next to him and then a gruff voice speaks out.

"Izuku? Oh, thank god. Are- are you awake?" The voice is low and hesitant, somehow it feels
familiar. It's the same voice that helped him through the darkness.

Dark black eyes look at him from above. His vision is too blurry to distinguish the person yet, but
he can see the slight crease in their eyebrows. Are they worried about him?

His eyes finally focus on the figure and to his surprise, it's none other than his teacher. It's the first
time he's seen him so distraught. The dark circles on his eyes are more prominent and his clothes
are disheveled. He seems tired, not his usual fatigue but this seems to be bone-deep exhaustion like
he's been worn out for days.

"Aizawa- "He tries to speak but it comes out as a low grumble, barely distinguishable with the
oxygen mask on his face. He lifts his hand up to remove it but is interrupted by his teacher's hand
settling on his own.

"Hey, kid- don't- I'll call the doctor- "His teacher barely finishes his sentence before a tall man in a
white lab coat steps into the room, two young women following him close behind.

"I see you're finally awake. You gave us quite a scare young man." The man says with a smile.
"My name is Shurui Ishi, call me doctor Shurui." He speaks gently, his tone is soft as if he knows
about the headache Izuku is currently suffering from. "How are you feeling Midoriya?"

Izuku wordlessly gestures to the oxygen mask on his face and the doctor seems to realize what he
meant.
"Oh, my bad. You can remove it now if you want." He informs curtly. Izuku goes through the
motions of pulling the string from behind his ears but the pain makes it difficult to complete the
task. Aizawa notices his hesitance and immediately helps him up and takes the mask off.

"T- thank you s- sensei." His voice is rough from under-use but Aizawa nods at him. Message
received.

"You've been out for three days. That wound you sustained was tricky to heal, we had to bring in
Recovery girl to speed up the healing process."

"Th- Three days…" He whispers to himself but it looks like the others heard him because the
doctor elaborates even more.

"Aizawa-san found you. You had lost too much blood and your heart had given up multiple times
on your way to the hospital. Luckily, we were able to reanimate you in time. I must say, young
man, you are quite a fighter." Izuku is silent for a moment, trying to let the information sink in.
The doctor says a few more things about his recovery but It all goes on deaf ears. At some point,
he left, but Izuku was too engulfed in his own thoughts to notice it.

The heart monitor beeps faster, the sound rises with his panic. There's static in his ears again, he
thinks he hears his mother's laugh again, taunting him. fighter? Him? He'd done absolutely nothing
to stop her. He just stood there! Pathetic.

He regrets taking the oxygen mask off now because he feels like he's suffocating.
He squeezes his eyes shut, trying to tune it out. To just make it all stop.

Two hands squeeze his shoulders. The grip is firm, just strong enough to anchor him back to
reality.

"Izuku look at me. You need to breathe. Follow my lead." It's the softest he's ever heard his teacher
speak. Somehow, he opens his eyes again and follows the rhythmic breathing of his teacher.
Slowly but surely gaining back some semblance of calmness. "Good, you did good kid." Aizawa
sighs and runs a hand through his hair. He gets up from his crouching position in front of him and
pushes him back gently onto the bed again. "You need to rest. You've been through enough." His
world slowly fades to black, too emotionally and physically exhausted to argue.

-------------------------------

Dread filled Toshinori's stomach as he finally arrived at Midoriya's neighborhood. Police cars and
yellow tape were stationed outside one of the houses. He immediately recognized it as young
Midoriya's apartment. He steps through the tape quickly gesturing to Tsukauchi to let him pass. In
his skeleton form, he couldn't show his hero badge.

Tsukauchi finally notices him and beckons him over with a quick hand motion. He walks toward
him, his fear increasing with every step.

"What happened Naomasa? Where's Midoriya?" He asks urgently, panic quickly overtaking him.

"Calm down Toshinori, he's okay now. The medics took him and we somehow managed to save
him in time. He was badly hurt, we still don't have the details but it looks like it was some kind of
quirk. It says here that his mother's quirk is a weak form of Telekinesis. We'll have to talk to
Midoriya about that once he wakes up and recovers." The detective informs professionally.
Toshinori doesn't need emotional right now. He needs the truth. He's glad Tsukauchi isn't looking
to sugar coat it.

"You think his mother did this?" He asks in disbelief, his brows furrowing at the mere thought of
such things.

"We have a witness who can testify to seeing the abuse first hand and Recovery girl has seen the
boy's scars. However, in the light of tonight's events, we believe Midoriya might finally talk about
it." Naomosa replies seriously, his tone firm and resolute.

"How could I have not seen this. I've been training him for months; how could I have not realized
this. There were so many signs. God!" He laments himself, guilt clawing at his very being. He was
a failure.

"Toshinori, don't beat yourself up for this. The boy was hiding it, it wasn't your fault. You can't
save everyone." He states solemnly.

"I've seen him come to training with bruises and black eyes Tsukauchi but I never pushed him to
talk. I could have- I should have done something!" His hand goes through his hair in frustration.
He feels so useless. What kind of hero doesn't notice his own successor's suffering?

"Look Toshi, I don't want to make this worse but there's something you need to see. It will help in
the long run with the boy's recovery." Tsukauchi interrupts his degrading train of thought. He's
right, he needs to focus on Izuku right now. Not his own failures but how he could help the boy
instead. He wasn't there for him then but he will sure as hell be there for him now.

He nods at his old friend and silently follows him into the house. As soon as he walks in, he notices
the mess in the household. It's like a small tornado erupted in here, bringing chaos and disorder to
everything in its path.

The second thing he notices makes his stomach turn as bile rises in his throat. There's so much
blood. It's disturbing, to say the least. A voice in his head screams at him to go check on his
student, to see if he's okay. His protective instincts taking over and shouting at him to go find him.
However, the more rational part of him knows he has to do this. In order to help young Midoriya,
they need to have some idea of what he's been through. So, he powers through his urges and makes
his way down the stairs behind Tsukauchi.

The man leads him to the basement, it's dark and dirty and so far, an ordinary basement. Except it
isn't. There, in the corner of the room is a wall, it looks like one of those tool holders. Hooks hang
on either side of a closet. Each hook has something, a tool hanging of it. There's a whip that hangs
on the first one, the second has a short cold steal hunting knife and Toshinori doesn't have the heart
to look at the rest of the items. They all have different uses but all of them have something in
common. They all cause immense pain and his guts churn at the mere thought of Izuku going
through such agony.

It doesn't end there. Tsukauchi leads him to a refrigerator on the other side of the dusty room. It
looks like an average old refrigerator. Like the ones people store away in case they need additional
space. However, there's a lock on it and as soon as the detective open the lock Toshinori's heart
almost stops. Inside the old fridge are claw marks, like someone was trying to claw there way from
the inside out. At first, there are small ones, the distance between the nail marks are small. As if a
toddler made them but they seem to grow ever so slowly. A testament of years of being locked in
there.
 He feels like he's going to throw up. Because not only the thought of a child having to suffer
through this at the hands of their own mother makes his blood boil. But it's Izuku. the kindest and
most caring person he knows! This teenager, this kid has been subjected to such abuse for years.

"I know this is a lot to take in but we still have something to discuss. Midoriya's mother hasn't been
found yet. It's like she disappeared. A good portion of her clothes is missing too. We have reasons
to believe that she fled after realizing the extent of the damage she did to her son." He talks and the
more he spoke the more anger builds up in Toshinori's heart. "We'll have to talk to Midoriya. We
need to know everything if we want to find her. it's going to be hard on him Toshinori. He's going
to need you and his teachers now more than ever."

Chapter End Notes

Happy holidays everyone! I'll update as soon as possible! Hope you like my writing so
far!
 You are not alone.
Chapter Notes

This chapter is slightly longer than the rest and will focus more on recovery and the
emotional state of our green-haired friend.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Izuku gulped as he stared at the four occupants of his hospital room.

All might, Detective Naomasa and Principal Nedzu, are here today to talk about… well,
everything.

Aizawa, whom barely left his side since he woke up, was a comforting presence through it all. The
man was currently sitting on the chair at his bedside.

Izuku fiddled with the end of his shirt. A nervous habit he usually did when he was anxious. Is he
really about to do this? Is he going to tell them? What if they don't believe him? What if All Might
wants his quirk back after this? That's probably what's going to happen, given he'll probably going
to be sent to some foster home across the country.

Speaking of his mentor. All Might hasn't looked him in the eye since he got here. Despite his best
effort, the man just didn't meet his gaze, once. Maybe, he finally realized his mistake. He probably
regrets ever making Izuku his successor. After all, who would want a weak, useless coward as his
successor?

Izuku took a deep breath. He needed to do this. The truth was out! They probably found the
basement and found out about Inko's 'creative' punishments.

"What-What do you want to know?" He asked softly, his head was down. He suddenly found the
fabric of his hospital pants really interesting.

"You can tell us anything that you are comfortable with Midoriya. You should know that you can
stop at any moment. It's of the utmost importance that you feel safe and calm through all of this.
We will not force you to talk about something you are not willing to tell." The detective spoke
calmly, his voice soothing and assuring Izuku that somehow, he was telling the truth.

"Uhm, I don't think I'm ever going to be comfortable talking about this. Mind as well, tell you
everything…" Izuku mumbled to himself quietly. "It- uh- it all started when I was four… Everyone
was getting their quirks but I was- uhm- I was declared quirkless…" He went on, talking about how
from that day, his life took a turn for the worst. He felt vaguely disassociated, disconnected
somehow, as he recalled the events of his life with a blankness he didn't know he could have while
talking about such painful memories. "I lost all my friends; my best friend became one of my
bullies and even dad couldn't handle having a quirkless kid. He left and uhm…my mom didn't take
it so well.

He told them about his father's abandonment. He talked about his mother's change of attitude, the
way everyone acted differently. From the pitiful stares to the disgusted gazes directed at him.
"When you're quirkless, you're not considered human anymore. They see you as a lesser version of
themselves. In the eyes of the world, even my own mother. I was nothing but a weak, useless
burden." The more he talked the more he felt the void growing in his heart. He just felt so empty.
He talked about his childhood, about the bullying and the slow escalating hatred his mother
garnered against him. "It started with simple yelling, every time I did something wrong or just
reminded her of my father. She'd get mad and punish me." He talked and told them about the
punishments, the dark box, the starvation, the torture. He spoke about the abuse, unaware of the
anger that was boiling in the hearts of the four Adults.

He told them about his dreams, the way he tried to hide them from his mother. The way she acted
when she found out about his UA application. All Might visibly flinched at that part. He talked
about the constant shunning and torment he was being subjected to throughout his life.

"Why- why didn't you tell anyone kid?" Aizawa asked hesitantly. All Might had told him about the
things he'd found in the Midoriya household. How could a kid go through such suffering and
remain silent?

"I- I don't- I told someone once… I knew mom was angry at me one day, I had uhm- left my
analyses notebook in the living room and she just hated it when I did anything that was related to
heroes. I ran away that day, went to school as fast as I could. She was just so mad and I- I was
scared of-of going back there." There, was the dark box. He didn't say it but they all understood.
Shivers ran through Aizawa's spine at the thought. "I just- I couldn't go through it again so I ran
and I- I went to my homeroom teacher. I was nine I think. I told her about mom, I knew that the
punishments weren't normal and I thought that if she knew, she would stop it. But uhm, she-she
just laughed at me. She didn't believe me- she called me a liar. Said I was just an ungrateful child
for telling such unbelievable nonsense. She called my mom that day and uhm… I never told
anyone after that." His hand subconsciously went to the still healing wound on his torso.

Silence followed his response, all of them were letting the information sink in. A deep hatred
brewed inside them. How could so much happen to just one person? This boy, this kid sitting in
front of them. Has survived so much on his own. He's been suffering and enduring abuse and
torment for years and still wanted to help others. He still wants to save the world. This cruel place
that has been nothing but painful and unkind to him.

He continued speaking, he told them everything up until that day after the sports festival.
Izuku looked up, his vision blurry from the tears he didn't even realize shedding.

Aizawa was glaring at his feet, his expression mirrored by the other occupants in the room. They
all had an angry aura that surrounded them. He would be afraid if not for the overwhelming feeling
of protectiveness that was radiating off, of them. Their anger, strangely enough, wasn't directed at
him.

Nedzu cleared his throat and that seemed to snap the others back to reality. There demeanor
quickly changing as they regained their composure.

"Well, Midoriya. I believe we owe you an apology. We are supposed to be heroes. We are
supposed to protect you and we weren't there when you needed us the most. Not to mention the
other adult figures in your life. You have gone through so much. You've experienced things no
child- no person should experience in their lifetime." The short mouth? Bear? Bowed deeply, his
expression was serious. A huge change from his usual cheerful demeanor. "I believe we should
discuss you're new living conditions and of course we'll need to set you up an appointment with
one of our best therapists. For you to become a hero while having gone through such traumatic
experiences- "His once again excited attitude gave the green-haired teen whiplash. However,
whatever the rodent said next went on deaf ears as Izuku tried to let the information sink in.

Normally he wouldn't interrupt the principle but he just didn't have it in him to care.

"W- wait. Are you? I'm not going to be expelled?" He asked in disbelief. Were they going to let
someone as broken as him become a hero?

"Expelled? What? Of course not, dear child! We'd be idiots to let someone as kind and talented as
you to just walk away." The small creature exclaimed in outrage, throwing his arms up to
emphasize his feelings.

"But- but I'm broken- how-how could you possibly want someone as useless as me?" He whispered
quietly, his desperation and confusion were palpable from a mile away.

It was none other than Toshinori who stepped in next.

Finally, the man looked up at his successor. Izuku expected to see disappointment and regret
shining in his mentor's blue eyes. However, he was met with something completely different. In his
idol's gaze held nothing but extreme sadness and guilt. Despite these emotions, he could see pride
shining through his mentor's stare.

"Young Midoriya, since I met you, you have shown nothing but bravery and kindness in the face of
darkness. You've done nothing but impress us since the beginning. You, a quirkless kid, had
jumped into the fray, putting your life in danger to save a friend. I have failed you Midoriya." His
mentor's hands were clenched into fists, his guilt, and frustration obvious to everyone. "Even when
I didn't know you, I told you that you could never be a hero without a quirk and I regret it every
moment. You showed me, young Midoriya, what it meant to be a hero. You saved me, your
teachers and your friends at the USJ and you showed the world at the sports festival what you were
made of. You, young Midoriya, you're on your way to becoming a great hero and UA would be
honored to have you as our student. I'm sorry young Izuku, for not realizing sooner what was
happening to you. I'm sorry for not saving you when you needed me, I'm sorry for not being your
hero when it mattered the most." Aizawa watched as All Might, the symbol of peace, for all his
braveness and strength broke down crying in front of them. He couldn't help but relate to the hero.
He too had failed Midoriya.

"No- No All Might… Don't- Don't say that. I-I don't know where I'd be right now if it wasn't for
you. You gave me hope when I was so close to ending it all. I-I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for
you." He sobbed, not able to hold back anymore. Years of sadness and agony finally bubbling to
the surface. Walls he'd spent years putting up were all crumbling around him, leaving him exposed
and vulnerable and finally free of the burden he's been holding. Finally, he could see a light at the
end of the tunnel.

"Well, there's one more thing we need to talk about." Detective Naomasa exclaimed with a sigh.
"We're currently trying to find your mother but for all intent and purposes, it's like she disappeared
out of the face of the earth. Do you know anywhere that she might be hiding in?" He really didn't
want to bring this up but It was necessary for the investigation.

"No-No I- she always goes away for a couple of days but she never tells me where she goes and I
never a-asked, she'd always get mad when I- uhm talked to her… I'm sorry but uhm… what's going
to happen to me now?" His mother, despite her treatment always came back. Unlike his father, she
never left him. That has somehow given him hope that maybe, deep down she cared about him. If
only a little. However, like everyone in his life she had left. Like his best friend who turned his
back on him and his father who couldn't handle his useless, quirkless son.

"Ah! I'm glad you asked Young Midoriya! Mister Aizawa here-" the Rodent gestured to the tired
looking man on the chair next to his bed eagerly."- Has volunteered to take you in for the time
being. UA is currently planning on building a dorm system. Soon all of the hero course students
will be living in the dorms if their parents agree of course. Until then, you can stay with him!"

Izuku looked at his teacher in disbelief. Aizawa wanted to take him in? him? why? He'd be nothing
but a burden. However, a nod from his teacher reassured him that maybe this will work out for the
best. Aizawa has been a constant source of comfort through all of this.

------------------------------------

The doctor cleared Midoriya to go home the next day, instructing him to take it easy and
demanding that he refrains from any strenuous activity.

Aizawa and Izuku were currently walking into Aizawa's apartment building. Aizawa had driven
them here, the ride was quiet and peaceful, the silence between them was only interrupted by the
low tune that played on the radio. It was calming somehow. Izuku found himself feeling content
and safe. However, his nervous and anxious behavior acted up as soon as they entered the building.
He was going to live with Aizawa, what if the man didn't want him? He was just an inconvenience
after all. What if he left? Like everyone before him? He followed Aizawa into the apartment, his
moves mechanical and slightly disconnected. Millions of doubts and worries swam through Izuku's
mind as he slowly got lost in his train of thought. He was anchored back to reality by a sudden
weight on his foot. He looked down, visibly startling at the small ball of fur that was currently
using his foot as a cushion.

It was a cat… He crouched down, slowly picking the small animal into his arms. The cat made a
small sound, clearly annoyed at being lifted from her previous comfortable position but not enough
to get angry at the new house guest.

---------------------------------

Aizawa looked at his student, concern shining in his usually stoic expression. The kid was clearly
anxious. Did he not want to be here? Did Aizawa make the wrong call? All of his worries were
dissuaded, however, when all of the tension seemed to leave Izuku's body as he met Aizawa's cat
for the first time.

"Her name is Grey," Aizawa informed quietly, not wanting to disturb the interaction between the
two. Grey was a snow white main coon, she was relatively small despite her age. She had blue
turquoise eyes that seemed to shine in the light. "She likes you. She's not usually comfortable
around new people."

"R-really… I'm glad." The teen responded quietly. Petting the white fluff ball in his arms, a small
smile adorned his features. Aizawa felt some of the weight in his heart clear, the boy smiled, it
wasn't his usual bright smile but it was something.

"Come on, let me show you to your room, it's down the hall." At this, Izuku finally took the time to
look around the apartment. It was relatively simple; however, it was bigger than his own house.
There was a small living room, the furniture looked worn but extremely comfortable and to the
side of the apartment, was a kitchen and a dining table. A long corridor could be seen from there,
probably leading to the bedrooms.

They walked through the corridor, three rooms could be seen. The first one was a traditional
Japanese bathroom and the other two were the bedrooms.

"This is your room, it's not much as you can see but you need to know that this will be yours to do
anything with. Decorate it as much as you please. I'm right down the hall if you need anything
alright? Make yourself at home kid." His teacher stated before walking off to his own room.

Izuku looked at his new room and couldn't help but feel out of place. What should he do? His
mother never allowed him to decorate his room. He promptly plopped himself onto the medium
sized bed, nearly knocking his head on the bedside table. The room was slightly bigger than his old
one. Despite the horrible memories he has of his old home he can't help but miss it.

He grew up there, he'd survived and gone through so much in the privacy of their old apartment.
Hidden away from the world.

Maybe it was a good thing to finally get away from there.

The exhaustion from the past couple of days was ever so slowly catching up to him, the emotional
and physical strain finally overtaking him. He drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

---------------------------------

When he woke up, the light that was previously drifting into the room from the window was gone.
In its stead, the only lighting was coming from a crack in the door. At some point, Aizawa must
have come to check on him, for the blanket; he was currently draped in, was a clear indication.

Suddenly, a light aroma entered the room, causing his stomach to growl. He sniffed the air
frowning. Was Aizawa cooking something? He rubbed his eyes, standing up from the bed, he
slowly made his way to the living room. Aizawa was setting the table.

Izuku looked at his teacher for a moment, he was just so hungry. However, he remembered how
his mother would react if he ever asked for food while she cooked for herself. He gulped
nervously. Would Aizawa do that? He wouldn't, would he?

His teacher finally seemed to notice him, quickly gesturing for him to come.

"Ah, you're awake! I hope you like Katsudon kid. Come on, time for dinner."

Izuku froze for a moment, Katsudon was actually his favorite meal but was this a trick? Still, it was
rude to disobey an order like that, right? He hesitantly took a step forward, then another, until he
found himself sitting at the dining table.

Aizawa sat across from him and began eating. Cautiously, Izuku picked the chopsticks up. He
checked to see if the action somehow offended his teacher but Aizawa didn't even seem to notice it.
So, taking a slight risk, he took his first bite. Every now and then he would shoot wary glances
towards his teacher, ready at any moment to bolt if need be.

Apparently, his actions weren't as subtle as he thought they were. Aizawa noticed the signs, the kid
clearly thought that the food was some kind of trick.

The night went in a similar fashion. Izuku was tiptoeing around the house, his steps were cautious
and calculated. Almost like he thought that at any small mistake he would be punished.

Anger bubbled in his chest at the thought of how the kid has come to expect the worst of people.
He would make sure Inko got what she deserved once they find her.

Aizawa was going to let it go at first, the boy was in a new place and it was normal to act
differently in these circumstances, however, he needed Izuku to know that he was safe here. The
kid needed to know that the way his mother treated him was wrong.

Midoriya was helping with the dishes when he accidentally dropped one of the plates. The boy's
eyes widened in fear, tears began to slip from his eyes as he frantically tried to pick up the broken
shards. Despite the painful cuts he was getting and his bloodied hands he kept at it.

"I'm sorry, no please no, I'm sorry. I won't do it again."

His movements getting more frantic as he apologized over and over again. Aizawa made his way
towards the boy. His steps were cautious and calculated as if he was approaching a wild animal. He
crouched down in front of the quivering boy and slowly took his hands away from the broken
glass. He gently helps him up and leads him towards the bathroom to clean up. He didn't miss the
way the boy flinched at the contact. Like he expected to be hit or punished for a simple accident.

He made him sit on the bathroom stool as he rummaged through the cabinet for the first aid kit.
Once he found it he squatted in front of his trembling student and got to work. He wrapped the
boy's hands with practiced ease. Being an underground hero wasn't fun and games, he's had more
injuries than he'd care to count. Once done, he backed away and admired his handy work for a
moment, before going back to focusing on the problem child.

The boy was still crying, his sobs unnaturally quiet. As if Izuku was trying his best to stifle them.

"I'm sorry." Izuku whispered in a weak voice. He tried. He tried so hard to act normal but he just
couldn't. He'd grown up used to having to walk on eggshells around the house, in fear of doing
anything wrong in the slightest and being punished as a result.

"Midoriya, look at me." Izuku looks up slowly, Aizawa's tone was pleading. "You've done
absolutely nothing wrong. The way your mother treated you was wrong. She hurt you and no one
should ever suffer through that. I need you to understand that I would never do that to you. I would
never hurt you. okay? You are allowed to make mistakes, you're only human after all." He looked
into his eyes sternly as he tried to convey his point across. "Nod if you understand."

Aizawa's voice was laced with emotions, Izuku could see that he wasn't lying. Was he not in
trouble?

He nodded shakily as he let his homerooms teacher's words sink in. Is this what it felt to be cared
for? He looked at his teacher as the man gently wrapped his hands in gauze.
"There you go. Now, you're probably still tired, we can watch some of those hero movies if you
want. It will help you get your mind off of things." Aizawa had heard Izuku talk about his love for
these movies with his friends.
The kid might not want to be alone right now.

"That would be great Sensei, I- I'm sorry f-for the way I reacted earlier..."

"Don't apologize, kid, it wasn't your fault." The teacher ruffled his problem child's hair in a gesture
he hoped would be comforting.
The fact that Izuku didn't flinch from the contact showed that he must have done something right
along the way.

They spent the rest of the night watching some old cheesy All might movie, which the kid watched
with enthusiasm despite having probably seen them all already.

Izuku looks up at the now sleeping form of his teacher. A new feeling wells up in his chest. For the
first time, he thinks he might be actually safe. With that thought in mind, he slowly drifts off to
sleep. This feeling may be new but he could probably get used to it.

--------------------------------------

Aizawa doesn't know what wakes him up. However, he knows that there's something wrong
instantly. The air in the apartment is cold, he must have left open the window before he fell asleep.
He looks around and finds that, yes. He had fallen asleep while watching a movie with Izuku. He
looks at the sleeping form on the couch next to him. At first glance, he thinks the kid is sleeping
peacefully. However, the light coming from the forgotten television illuminates his feature enough
for Aizawa to see his expression. The kid has his eyebrows scrunched up like he's in pain and when
he looks close enough he thinks he see tear tracks down the boy's face.

It makes his heartache. Izuku seems to be crying in his sleep, it's so quiet and meek that it
somehow breaks something inside him. He slowly approaches the sleeping form of his charge.
Careful to not make any sudden moves as to not startle him awake.

He crouches down in front of him carefully and takes a moment to really take in the state of his
students. It's painfully obvious that the kid is having some kind of nightmare. It's only normal after
what he's been through.

"Midoriya" He begins softly, his voice quiet and low. "Midoriya, wake up. It's okay, it's just a
dream."

The boy still doesn't react and Aizawa considers letting him sleep. The thought comes as quickly as
It goes. He can't leave him like this, whatever the boy is dreaming about must be really scary for
him to be crying in his sleep. So, he opts to the only option left and slowly shakes the boy's
shoulder. His touch is gentle but somehow firm. As soon as his hand makes contact, the boy's eye
snap open and he's on him. Both of them are tumbling to the floor in an instant. Aizawa looks at
his student's face, Izuku's eyes are blank, unseeing. As if he's not really recognizing Aizawa yet,
it's like he's still dreaming. His movement are purely on instincts.
------------------------------------

Izuku sleeps and in his dreams, he burns.

At first, his dream starts off as ordinary and peaceful. He dreams and he sees his friends, he dreams
of UA, of the sports festival. He dreams of his hopes of being a hero and his achievements in doing
so. However, it doesn't last long because ever so slowly, the dream morphs into something else. He
thinks he can hear someone laughing maniacally in the background. Suddenly he's back at home,
his mom towers over him. The wretched sound she makes rings in his ears as she mocks his hopes
and stomps on his dreams.

Pain overtakes his senses and he's dying again, being torn apart from the inside out. Flashes of his
life appear around him, surrounding him, suffocating him. The white-hot pain is blinding and he
can't- he can't breathe.

He's trapped, he's imprisoned in his own mind, forced to relive every last moment of abuse he'd
gone through at the hand of his mother and his bullies. All he hears is the constant static ringing in
his ears as the taunts and mockery play in his head over and over again like a broken record.

"You could never be a hero, Deku"

"What could a worthless piece of shit like you ever accomplish?"

"Playing hero, are we?"

"Take a swan dive off the roof and hope you'll get a quirk in your next life"

"I'm sorry, young man but you can't be a hero."

He's too engulfed in his own mind to hear the soft voice of his teacher calling out for him until he
feels reality snap into place as a weight settles on his shoulder.

-------------------------------------------

"Midoriya. kid, it's me. It's Aizawa, you're okay, you're fine."

Ever so slowly the boy seems to snap from whatever haze he was going through. He can see the
exact moment realization dawns on the boy, as his eyes widen in horror and fear. He scrambles off
of him, backing away until his back hits the couch. Once again apologies spill from his mouth in
an endless loop.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry I- I didn't mean to- I- don't know what got over me. I'm sorry" His voice is
getting quieter with every word and he's slowly closing in on himself, his legs are drawn up to his
chest and his face is buried in his arms as his whole-body trembles.

Aizawa quickly gets over his shock and approaches the boy.

"Midoriya, it's not your fault. I shouldn't have touched you. I should have known better. I'm the one
who needs to apologize to you." The only response he gets is the boy's head shaking hastily.
"Midoriya" He needs to get his message across, the last thing he needs is the kid blaming himself
for his own mistake. "Look at me, Izuku." The sudden use of his given name makes the boy finally
raise his head. His eyes are bloodshot from the crying and puffy and Aizawa's heart clenches at the
sight. "You were having a nightmare. I'm sorry, it wasn't your fault."

The boy's shoulders drop slightly, the tension finally leaving his body as he actually takes in
Aizawa's words. "I'm sorry for disturbing you…" He says quietly, it's barely a whisper but Aizawa
hears it nonetheless. "I'm just a burden."

"No, no kid you're not. You need to understand that you're not disturbing me, you're never going to
be a burden. I chose to take you in Izuku because I care about you. You need to understand that.
You need to understand that I'm here for you. Whenever you need me." For once Aizawa lets his
guard drop and sheds the façade he put up constantly. He needs Izuku to believe him. For once,
letting the emotions he's feeling show on his features.

Izuku looks at his teacher and he's surprised to see nothing but sincere and earnest fondness and
caring through those dark eyes. It's the first time someone actually looked at him this way. It
reminds him of a time when his mother actually loved him. This look, his teacher is giving him is
one of a loving parent. Pure and caring, his teacher is worried about him and he can see the
sincerity behind the gaze. Maybe he can actually have a home here, maybe he can finally have a
real family.

"Now, do you want to talk about your nightmare? Aizawa says slowly, his every word comes out
as a soft whisper. He wants the boy to feel calm, he doesn't want him to constantly keep his
feelings in. The boy needs a release.

The problem child shakes his head slowly, Aizawa understands this. The kid doesn't want to go
through it again.

"Okay but you need to talk about it. If not to me, at least talk to someone. We can set you up an
appointment with the school's therapist- "Surprisingly enough the boy interrupts him.

"It was about mom… It was like I was there again, I felt trapped. Like I was living it all over again.
I- I was scared." His voice breaks and cracks as he recalls his nightmare, his tone is laced with
sadness and shame? Why would he be ashamed?

"Izuku, you do know that there's nothing wrong with being scared right? You have been so brave.
You've already survived so much and you've already overcome so much."

"I'm not brave. I'm weak! What kind of hero freezes every time their own mother looks at them,
what kind of hero does nothing to defend themselves huh? I'm nothing but a useless coward." His
voice rises with every sentence and tears roll freely down his face. "I just let her- I did nothing! All
these years, even after I got my quirk. I still wasn't strong enough!" His whole form shook as sobs
racked his entire body. "How can I be a hero Aizawa sensei if I can't even save myself?" He
wailed, the pure emotions coming out from this sentence shook Aizawa to the core. Has he been
keeping those thoughts bottled up for this long?

"Izuku. You need to listen to me. You are, in no means, a coward. You are one of the bravest and
toughest people I know. Do you think heroes don't get scared? I know for one thing that I do. I get
scared every time Izuku. A hero isn't someone who never gets scared. A hero is someone who,
despite their fear, manages to power through it and survive. Survive in order to save not only
 themselves but others. You have been doing it for years. Any other person would have given up
long ago. Yet, here you are. You persisted despite everything. Even when it seemed that the world
was against you, you never gave up." He pulled the boy into a tight hug, trying to convey the
sincerity and honesty behind his every word. You Izuku Midoriya are going to be a great hero
someday. You need to know that you are not alone anymore. You have friends and people that care
about you and that are going to stand beside you every step of the way. I'll be with you every step
of the way."

Izuku sobbed, clutching at his teacher's shirt like a lifeline. Years of pent-up emotions bursting to
the surface as a weight finally lifted itself from his shoulders. Aizawa was right, he wasn't alone
anymore. He has people who loved him and cared about him and he was going to try his best not to
let them down.

Chapter End Notes

Hope you liked this chapter. Make sure to let me know what you think in the
comments.

and Yes. I named the white cat Grey!!!

 DEKU!
Chapter Notes

Sorry for making you guys wait this long! I've had finals all week and I barely had
time to breathe!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Aizawa wakes up first, there's a slight aching in his back. Probably from his current position on the
floor. They must have fallen asleep at some point during everything that happened last night. Given
that, the boy in question is currently sprawled over him, hands clutching his side tightly. A strange
clicking sound startles him. He looks up only to be blinded by a flash of light. He tenses in
anticipation only to relax once he sees the source of the disturbance. Who else but his annoying
best friend. He curses himself internally for giving Mic spare keys to his apartment.

The voice hero has his phone clutched between his hands, a satisfied grin adorns his features as he
scrolls through the pictures he just took.

"What are you doing here?" Aizawa hisses in a low voice, he doesn't want to wake up the problem
child after all.

"Came to check on the little listener! You two, just looked so cute. I couldn't help it." He justifies,
as he tries to take one last picture. However, the death glare Aizawa is currently shooting him
makes him think twice about it. "I brought some of his cloth from his house, he's going to be
staying here right? Nedzu also asked me to see if the kid was up, to going back to school."

Aizawa hummed in response, slowly untangling himself from the boy as he rises to his feet. Izuku
shifts a little but ultimately settles back. The boy must have been exhausted if he's comfortable in
this position.

The two heroes make their way towards the kitchen. Yamada promptly climbs on the counter as if
it's completely natural, he swings his legs, content with his seat and watches as his best friends sigh
loudly in exasperation before going to make himself a cup of coffee. "This is going to be a long
morning," Aizawa mumbles to himself.

"So, how is he doing? I still can't get my mind wrapped around everything we learned." Mic asks
quietly, his voice uncharacteristically quiet.

"He's as fine as he can be, given the circumstances, I guess… He's having nightmares. His nervous
behavior makes much more sense now!" He begins quietly," Hizashi, the kid's first reaction is to
flinch at everything as if he's expecting to be hit for every little mistake. He freaked out yesterday,
thought I was going to punish him for breaking a plate by accident."

"I guess it's expected Shouta, he's been living like this his whole life… What kind of a mother does
this to her own child. It's just so- it's wrong." Yamada's hands are clutched, his frustration and
anger bubbling to the surface.
Aizawa knows that the voice hero is sensitive to these kinds of situation, although he can't really
blame him. He'd like to find Inko Midoriya and make her pay for all the suffering she put Izuku
through.

----------------------------

Izuku wakes up to a sweet smell coming from the kitchen. He straightens up and looks around.
Last night events playing back in his mind as he face-palms internally. However, although he slept
on the floor, he feels strangely rested.

He gets up and follows the strange aroma. He walks into the kitchen and freezes. Aizawa has his
back turned towards the counter and is apparently making pancakes. A man is setting the table
next to him, the blonde hair and glasses gave his identity away. Present mic, his English teacher
suddenly notices his presence and beams up at him, Izuku responds with a shy wave.

"HELLO, little listener!" The blonde's voice starts out really loud but his shouting is reduced to
normal talking, the reason makes itself known. Aizawa glares at the voice hero, his eyes are red
and his hair is floating. A tell-tale sign of his quirk in action. Izuku really likes Present Mic but he
can't help but feel grateful for his homeroom's teachers action. It's too early for this kind of
shouting.

"Good morning" The boy mumbles as he makes his way towards his two teachers.

"Hey kid, Mic here decided to drop you some of your cloth," Aizawa states quietly as he takes a sip
from a cup of coffee. He puts the cup down and stares straight at Izuku. "How are you feeling?"

"Oh okay. Thank you, Mic-sensei." Mic's smile increases tenfold but before he gets to say anything
izuku continues. "I'm as fine as I can be I guess." The boy answers truthfully. "I've had worse…"
That last part is muttered but the two adults hear it nonetheless. A deep frown replaces Mic's
previous cheerful expression, the voice hero opens his mouth to say something but a glare from
Aizawa shuts him up. Getting angry won't help the kid.

They're both angry, they both want to go out there and make that woman pay for everything she's
done but Izuku comes first.

"Well, come on then. Breakfast is going to get cold." Izuku looks up at his teacher and nods as he
slowly makes his way towards the table. The food looks absolutely delicious and this time he
doesn't hesitate to dig in. Their meal goes by in peaceful silence. That is until Izuku musters enough
courage to ask the one thing he's been wanting to ask.

"Aizawa-sensei?"

"Call me Aizawa at home kid."

Izuku is quiet for a second.

"Aizawa… Uhm, do the others know?" Izuku's voice comes out weaker than he meant to. He
doesn't elaborate on what but the adults understand the question nonetheless.
Izuku doesn't want his friends to find out, he doesn't want them to look at him differently. Like he'll
break. Like he was weak. They probably won't want anything to do with him after they find out.

"Nedzu has given the students a couple of free days. Todoroki and Shinsou know, they were the
ones that warned us. However, the rest of the students probably think you are home."

Izuku sighs in relief. Todoroki and Shinsou already know, yet, they didn't treat him any differently.
They had told Aizawa? He'd probably be dead if they hadn't…

"Oh… okay. Wh- When will I go back to class then?" A gleam of hope appears in the boy's eyes.

"Whenever you feel up to it. However, the doctor said to refrain from any tiring activities so you
won't be participating in any practical's. Luckily though, Nedzu decided to postpone the
internships. So, you should be fine to go on the internships with the others." Aizawa responds
calmly, Izuku feels it's safe to ask more questions.

"Internships?"

"After the sports festival, Heroes are able to take on a couple of students as interns for a couple of
days, when you get back to school Aizawa will explain it to you and your classmates. Normally it
happens sooner but Nezdu saw it fit to postpone it for a couple of days, let the students rest." It's
the voice hero that answers this time.

They eat their food quietly after that, Aizawa and Izuku deciding that it would be okay for him to
go back to class as soon as the break ends. He missed his friends.

------------------------------

THE DAY OF THE SPORTS FESTIVAL

Bakugou marches home, his whole demeanor is radiating nothing but fury. How dare that nerd
walk out on their fight? Was he that much of a coward! This wasn't a win, this was nothing but a
joke. How could they give him first place if he didn't even get to fight in the finals? It was all
shitty Deku's fault.

He grumbles more under his breath as he steps out to cross the road. However, as soon as he
prepares to take a step forward, a racing ambulance nearly hit's him. He curses loudly and shouts at
the vehicle.

Tsk. Shitty driver. Fucking shitty Deku.

All of the anger and built up frustration seeps away as he crosses and his eyes land on Izuku's
apartment. Police cars are parked outside, the blaring siren of the ambulance sends red flags in his
mind. Dread fills his stomach as he sees medics carting a figure away, a green tuft of hair makes
his blood run cold.
Deku.

------------------------------

The weekend passes with little fanfare, Aizawa, and Izuku slowly get accustomed to each other's
company. The boy gets more comfortable around Aizawa every day and the apartment is starting
to feel more like home than his house ever did. Izuku can't help but feel hope bubble in his chest.
Maybe, he could finally have a real home.

The next day, the duo are walking together towards campus. Aizawa's apartment is just a few
blocks away from UA.

Aizawa looks at his ward, Izuku still hasn't smiled but he couldn't blame him. The boy has been
through so much.

A soft smile grazes his normally stoic features as he looks at the kid that has grown to be
something akin of a son to him. The boy stands quietly next to him as they walk in tandem. The
silence between them is peaceful, a blatant change from the originally awkward silence that was
held between them at first. He vows he's going to try his best to make his problem child smile
again.

Soon enough, they are walking through the school gates. Luckily, Aizawa had thought to come
extra early to avoid any reporters. They reach the building's hallway and each go their separate
ways. Izuku to his classroom and Aizawa towards the teacher's breakroom to prepare for
homeroom.

Izuku walks into the classroom, he expects it to be empty. Given how early they got here.
However, what he doesn't expect to find is an exhausted-looking Bakugou, deep bags adorn his
face, a clear contrast against his pale skin. His shoulders are hunched and his posture slumped as
he appears to be lost in thought.

Izuku thinks he can get away with backing away, however, his hopes are shattered as crimson eyes
land on him. Many emotions flit across the Blonde's expression, too fast for Izuku to decipher.
Kacchan stands up abruptly, his movements stiff and alarming. He approaches Izuku, his steps
harsh against the tiled floor. Izuku backs away slightly as his childhood bully marches towards
him. He flinches when the boy raises his arm and places it on his shoulder, his eyes clamming shut
automatically. After a second, when no pain seems to come, Izuku hesitantly opens his eyes.

"K-Kachan what- "He doesn't get to finish his sentence before he finds himself crushed between
Bakugou's arm. The boy holds onto him like a lifeline.

"Deku! You shitty nerd! What the fuck is wrong with you? I thought you were fucking dead!"
Bakugou's words come out as loud and harsh but somehow Izuku sees the intention behind them.

Izuku can only stand there speechless. Was Bakugou actually worried? About him?

"I was walking home when I saw the police cars and you were being carted by the medics and
when I ran home, police officers were questioning my parents and… Why didn't you tell me? All
this time? Your mom was hurting you. All those injuries you'd say you got by accident… the
broken bones, the bruises. Why didn't you tell someone?"

This was the first time Izuku saw the blonde express an emotion other than anger. Was that worry
and guilt he saw in those scorching red eyes?

"I- Kacchan, do you think this is your fault?" Why was the blonde feeling guilty now? After
everything?

"Of course, it's my fault! I've been tormenting you for years, bullying you every day and I even told
you to fucking kill yourself! I've been nothing but cruel to you for most of your life and now I find
out that even at home you were being abused! It's my fault you didn't tell anyone! I remember
when you would come to school all bruised and banged up and I would hit you even more. Shit
Izuku. I'm sorry. All this time I thought you were looking down on me, always hiding something
from me. I thought It was your quirk. How could I have not realized sooner?" The blonde's words
were getting louder and more frantic as he dissolved into a crying mess.

Izuku stood there and watched frozen as the walls his childhood friend had built up all those years
crumbled. Leaving nothing but his most bare emotions, in the open, for all to see.

"Kacchan… You didn't find out because I didn't want you to. I didn't want you to see me as even
weaker than I was. You were right though…" He laughs, it comes out as broken and filled with
self-hatred, "I'm just a useless, weak Deku."

"Don't you dare say that! I was wrong you hear me? You are not weak! You are the strongest
person I know. Despite everything you went through, despite everything I put you through, you
kept getting back up. You kept fighting and working to reach your dreams. You are not a useless
Deku. You said it yourself. You are the Deku who can do it."

Izuku looks up at his childhood friend through blurry eyes, tears he didn't even realize shedding
had started to fall down his cheeks like a river.

He never thought he'd hear those words, let alone from Kacchan.

They stay like this, crying into each other's shoulders for a while. Izuku thinks that finally, they
might get to be friends again.

Soon enough the bell rings and the rest of the students trickle in. All of them seeing the duo,
worried glances exchanged as they see their bloodshot eyes. However, as soon as they realize the
lack of animosity between the two they seem to relax.

Iida seems off, Izuku notes. He had expected him to be the first in class but the boy had arrived
nearly last, closely followed by Todoroki who nods at Izuku as soon as he walks in. Izuku thinks he
sees relief in the heterochromatic eyes of the fire and ice user. He needs to thank him later.

------------------------------

Aizawa sighs as he walks away from the classroom door. He'd come to class to check on Izuku,
what he wasn't expecting was to find his problem child in the middle of a confrontation with the
classes one and only explosive teen. He'd known that the history between the two went way back
and the battle exercise only served to prove the animosity between the two but he never thought it
was this serious. At least they seemed to finally make up. He'd have to talk to Izuku later about the
 bullying, even Bakugou needed to be set straight. He'd make sure to talk to Nedzu about therapy
sessions for the both of them.

------------------------------

Homeroom goes on without a hitch, Aizawa announces that they'll be picking out hero names and
soon enough most of the students have already decided. Midnight helps them pick it out though,
Aizawa may be a great teacher but this wasn't his strong suit. His own hero name was picked out
by Present Mic when they were both first years.

Uraraka decides to go with URAVITY, the name, a mix between Uraraka and zero gravity, while
Tsuyuu decides to call herself FROPPY. Many of his classmates have really interesting names.
Kirishima decides to go with RED RIOT as an homage to Crimson Riot. Even Bakugou ends up
with a decent name. Although it took many tries, his first choices being King explosion murder. He
finally decides to go with GROUND ZERO.

The only people left without Hero names are Izuku, Iida, and Todoroki.

Iida and Todoroki both decided to go with their first names. Both of them seem hesitant and
thoughtful.

The worry in Izuku's chest is increasing by the second because he's never seen Iida look so…
distraught. He wonders what happened to make the boy have that look in his eyes.

He's cut off from his musing when Midnight calls for him to show the class his hero name.

He walks up to the podium, hands sweating as he twiddles with his fingers in a nervous gesture.
Finally, when he musters enough courage, he flips the white chalkboard to reveal his hero name.

There, in black, slightly messy hiragana is written DEKU

"Are you sure about this Midoriya?" Midnight asks carefully. She knows about his past; all the
teachers have been informed. Knowing that this name used to be an insult doesn't dissuade her
worries.

His classmates all voice some kind of concern but what he says next convinces them.

"I used to hate this name. It used to make me feel like I couldn't achieve anything. Like my dreams
were unattainable. Yet, someone made me see it in a different light." He looks at Uraraka briefly
and then at Kacchan. They both smile, although Kacchan hides it with a scuff. "I'm DEKU. The
hero who never gives up!"

Chapter End Notes

I hope you like this chapter! We finally got to see some bakugou redemption ark

next up will be the internships! STAIN ARC! I don't know how much time it's going
to take for me to write the next chapter! I'll try my best to update as soon as I can!
Hope you like this fic so far!
 Who are you?
Chapter Notes

So these past few weeks have been hectic.

I got really sick for a couple of days and to top it all off my mac's harddisk got fried.
I'm sorry for not posting in a while, I'm trying my best!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The bell rang, signaling the end of homeroom, Aizawa had just informed the class about the
internships. Following the events of the sports festival, most of the students had a decent amount of
offers. Bakugou, Todoroki, and Midoriya had the most out of the rest given their ranking and the
power they displayed in the battles.

However, what caught Izuku off guard was what All Might asked him to choose. All Might have
stopped him on his way out of class and told him about a particular offer that he had. Gran Torino,
a retired pro hero, and All Might's own teacher. No pressure.

The day passed in an ordinary matter, Izuku spent his lunch break with Uraraka and Iida. Uraraka
kept glancing at Iida through it all with a somewhat concerned gaze. It felt as though she wanted to
say something but didn't know what.

Later, when Izuku asked her about it she informed him that Iida too had withdrawn from the
tournament. His brother, the pro Hero Ingenium, has been attacked by the hero killer. Of course,
Izuku had seen the news. He'd known about the villain. Stain, the hero killer has killed many
heroes in cold blood in the past months. To find out that Iida's own brother was attacked was
shocking. Ingenium barely survived the assault. The hero ended up paralyzed from the waist down.
Worry gnawed at Izuku's inside, his friend was in pain and he couldn't do anything about it. No
wonder Iida was acting off. The only thing Izuku could do now, was being there for his friend.

____________________________________________

The day of the internships arrived at last, and Aizawa took the Class 1-A students to the train
station to send them off.
"Remember not to put on your costumes unless you're accompanied by a hero," Aizawa told them;
The man had made sure Izuku had everything he needed, also giving him his number in case he
needed anything at all.

'Call me anytime you need kid, okay? Even if it's just to talk and if you feel like it's too much, call
me and I'll come to pick you up.' Aizawa had urged back at the apartment, his eyes held a
seriousness that made Izuku tear up.
"Yessir!" chimed Mina happily. She looked way too excited about all this.

"Well, I'll leave you to it, then," Aizawa said, already turning and heading off. "Good luck."

Izuku took in a deep breath, then let it out. He'd be meeting Gran Torino today, and to say he was
nervous...well, it's an understatement. He was both nervous and excited in a terrifying sense.
Mainly because he was about to meet the man that trained his Idol. The man that trained the
symbol of peace.

The students waved at each other goodbye and soon enough, set off to catch their train.

Todoroki was already on the other side of the station, preparing to board. He met eyes with Izuku
and nodded. Izuku, responded with a shy wave, Todoroki had yet to talk to him about well…
everything. However, he seemed content with just knowing that he was okay.

Todoroki boarded his train, and Izuku spun around once again, ready to set off.

And then, Iida walked past him, head down, shoulders hunched.
Izuku paused, just for a moment -- and then, he grabbed his belongings and rushed forward,
suitcase rolling behind him. Across from him, Ochako seemed to be thinking the same thing, and
she, too, charged over.

"Iida! Wait up!" Ochako hollered; she had a duffel bag in one hand and the case of her hero
costume in the other.

Iida stopped and turned; Ochako and Izuku both stopped just before him, both thinking the same
thing.

"Are...are you really okay?" Ochako asked worriedly. "You've been avoiding us since...since…"
Since Iida's brother was hospitalized. That's what she meant but didn't have the heart to say.

"You know, we're here for you Iida if you need to talk. That's what friends are for, right?" Izuku
chimed in a low voice.

Iida looked down for a moment. He seemed to be taking a deep breath before he raised his head.
His eyes met there's head on, offering them a little smile. It seemed sad more than anything.

"Yes," Iida said. "Thank you, Midoriya. If I need someone to talk to, I'll let you know."
And Iida turned and started off again. Izuku and Ochako watched him go until he was swallowed
up by the crowd.

"Well…" Ochako looked away. "I'm glad he's...he's okay, at least. If he needs someone to talk to,
he'll come to us."

Izuku nodded, but he had this horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach.

He'd seen that look before, he didn't want to think of what it meant.

_____________________________________________

Izuku looked down at the slip of paper he held between his fingers, this was supposed to be the
right place. The building in front of him appeared to be old and run down. The structure didn't
seem that stable, making Izuku doubt that anyone actually lived here.

Honestly, Izuku had no idea if this was the right place. Steeling himself, he took the case holding
his Hero costume in one hand and headed up to the front door.

He hesitated for just a moment before knocking. The instant his knuckles made contact with the
wooden door, it creaked open, letting some light into the room before him.

Izuku swallowed thickly, this whole situation reminded him of a cliché horror movie where the
protagonist would die a slow agonizing death as soon as he stepped into the mysterious house.

He stood there for a long, long moment, thinking it over. Maybe, he should just go in and announce
his presence. Gran Torino surely must know that he's coming right?

Summoning what courage, he could, he pushed the door open and peered inside.

The interior of the house looked just as bad as the exterior, if not worse. The main room was
completely dark; the only light at all was that of the sunlight streaming through the open door.

Izuku didn't know how someone, let alone a pro-hero could live here.

His thought was halted as soon as he looked down to the floor. There, lying face- down in a pool of
a strange red liquid in front of him was an unmoving figure. This must be Gran Torino he thought
grimly.

Now, Izuku has seen enough blood in his lifetime to know that this wasn't the case. The liquid
seemed thick and the smell- Was that ketchup? He crouched down in front of the figure and slowly
pocked the man's cheek.

"You know that won't work right? At least make it more convincing next time." Izuku said while
giving his best Aizawa impression. If his teacher was here he'd be proud of the way Izuku's voice
came out as monotone and uncaring.

The man on the floor huffed and got up, his features twisted in slight disappointment but overall
fascination.

"I'm impressed kid, you managed to see right through my prank. Although, I was looking forward
to seeing you jump or something. Shame…" He muttered that last part as he cleaned the Ketchup
from the floor.

Suddenly, Gran Torino seemed to freeze in place, his eyes ever so slowly going up to meet his.
"Wait, who are you?"

"Ah- I'm Midoriya Izuku from the hero course in U.A."

After a moment, Gran Torino still looked puzzled.

"Well, that's wonderful," Gran Torino said, "but who are you?"

"Uhm… Izuku Midoriya sir." Izuku replayed calmly, maybe the man just didn't hear him.

Izuku, getting slightly irritated, tried to repeat his words but Gran beat him to it.

"Toshinori?" Gran Torino guessed, then smiled, like he was a genius.

Izuku gave him the most deadpan glare he could muster, making sure to not break eye contact as he
thought of all the possible agencies he could have gone to. That would preferably not be with senile
old men.

"You already have decent control over One for all right?" The man finally broke the silence,
maybe he'd realized that whatever he was up to wasn't going to affect the boy

His statement, however, piqued Izuku's interest. Gran Torino wasn't looking at him anymore, but
rather, at the silver briefcase containing Izuku's hero costume.

"Get suited up," Gran Torino told him. "I want to see how well you can handle your power so we
know what we will have to work on."

Izuku blinked. The man in front of him went from incoherent old man to serious mentor in second.
The change of behavior gave him whiplash.

"Sorry, but who are you again?" Or not…

Izuku was about to say something but suddenly, Gran Torino kicked off the ground, shot forward,
and embedded his feet in the wall over the door. Izuku actually stumbled backward in shock, not
expecting it.

"Wha- "

Gran Torino grinned at him, almost wickedly, he leaped off the wall and hit the ground, just in
front of the door. He straightened up, met eyes with Izuku, and smirked.

"Fire up One For All," Gran Torino said, "…And fight me."

Izuku's eyes widened.

And then, recovering from his initial shock, he nodded.

Gran Torino gave him some time to put on his costume, which had been long-since repaired since
the incident at the USJ. The support department had done wonders with his upgrades, he would
have to thank Hatsume, the girl left a small note explaining the updates and such.
He finished putting on his gear and got up to join Gran Torino in the living room.

I'm ready. Let's do this.

_____________________________________________

He did not have this.

Gran Torino had literally wiped the floor with him. He'd barely seen him coming, the man moved
in an unnaturally fast speed. One second, he was preparing to dodge an attack, the next he was
sprawled face first on the floor, breathing heavily as he tried to regain some semblance of
awareness.

"You got a good grasp of your power kid; however, we need to work on your reflexes and your
fighting style. It's already well developed but we need to work harder for you to be able to handle
the real world."
Izuku nodded his head as he slowly got up, his eyes shown with renowned determination as he
prepared himself mentally for the rest of the training.

_____________________________________________

Torino spent the rest of the weekend training Midoriya, they went through many fighting
techniques. Izuku's whole body ached with the strain of the past few days of training. At the end of
each day, he'd feel like he was hit by a truck. However, with the strain came the satisfaction of
actually doing something productive. A welcome distraction from the thoughts that constantly
plagued his mind. His mother hadn't left his mind, his anxiousness acting up each time his mind
reminded him that she was still out there and that she could still hurt him. He just needed
everything to be over.

Torino must have caught onto his strange behavior because on the third night he decided to
confront him about it.

They were just finished with some light sparring. Izuku was getting closer each time to beating the
older hero, however, each time he'd get close to landing a hit or completing one of his plans he'd
lose focus and end up right back where they started. At around 4 in the evening, Torino called for a
break. He pulled up two chairs at the dinner table, gesturing for the teen to take up one of them.

With some hesitation, Izuku complied. Up until now, the two hadn't had a proper conversation
outside of their training discussion and some pleasantries. So, to be called to sit down and to
actually talk was strange, to say the least.

"You've been distracted boy. Now, All Might has informed me of your past-" Izuku's breath
hitched. Did All Might tell him about his mom? "I Know you've gone through a lot kid, the things
you've experienced are hard to forget, you won't actually. They will always be there, the memories
and the hardships. However, your tough kid. You've survived hell and I can see that you're going to
be a great hero." Did Torino really mean that? "But you've got to get out of your own head boy,
distractions will only get you killed. Villains will take advantage of your weakness, they're going to
take that second of hesitation and use it against you." Now, this Izuku knew, he needed to stop
associating everything around him with his mother. He needed to get better, be stronger. He needed
to work harder to become the hero he wants to be. The hero that saves people. The hero who never
gives up.

Torino looked at Midoriya, witnessing how his expression changed from scared to a pure look of
determination in just a few seconds.
You chose one hell of a successor Toshinori, I'll give you that.

_____________________________________________

The day passed, The resumed their training and Izuku was finally able to focus. That is until
Torino said that they'd be going out for patrol tonight, their root would take them near Hosu city,
where Iida would be interning. The blue haired teen had decided to take up his internship with the
normal hero: Manual.
Despite having many offers to choose from, Iida decided to go with the hero that worked in Hosu.
The city in which his brother was attacked by the hero killer. This didn't sit well in Izuku's mind.
Maybe he'd get Gran to agree to check on his friend.

_____________________________________________

"You kids and your smartphones these days, I swear," Gran Torino sighed, crossing his arms;
they'd boarded the bullet train a little over an hour ago and were speeding on. It was dark now, the
lights of the city passing by outside the windows.
Izuku didn't respond, choosing to refresh his messenger once more. He'd sent Iida a message,
informing him that he'd be nearby and asking if everything was okay with the taller boy.

The boy still hasn't responded, worry gnawed at Izuku's insides. He hoped his friend was okay.

He was about to text him again when the train jerked to a screeching halt.
Izuku found himself being nearly thrown out of his seat, only managing to stay in place thanks to
the metal bar next to his seat.

A voice boomed over the intercom "We are experiencing an emergency stop. Please remain in
your seats. We apologize for the inconvenience."

The voice had barely finished before a creature smashed through the wall of the bullet train.
Izuku put up his arms to shield himself. Dust, smoke, and debris went everywhere. Someone
screamed, loud and long.

A large creature with long talons and an exposed brain.

Izuku was on his feet in an instant. His heart sprung into his throat. His eyes widened in realization.
This was a Nomu, were the league attacking Hosu? Many unpleasant memories surged forwards,
his hand instinctively reaching up to rub his throat. No! He had to stay focused, he couldn't let the
memories take over.

"Stay here, kid!" Gran Torino demanded as he launched himself at the creature. In seconds, they
had both disappeared out the blown-out wall of the train.

Izuku snapped out of his thoughts and charged over, standing and looking out of the gaping wall.
He saw Gran Torino ram the Nomu into a building; and then, they disappeared with an explosion
and a cloud of smoke.
Izuku gritted his teeth, he didn't want to disobey his mentor but he couldn't just sit there and do
nothing.

Without thinking, and without heeding Gran Torino's words, Izuku lept from the gaping hole in the
side of the train, into the city. Many people called out to him, screaming at him to stay there but he
didn't listen.

He landed on the rooftop of a nearby building, channeling One for All throughout his entire body,
he ran. If he could help people, he would.

The city was in flames, he could see smoke from a short distant, hear the shouts and the screaming.

He got down from the roof and saw the groups of running civilians, all of them running away from
something. Aizawa and Torino would later shew him out for it but Izuku could never turn away
from danger, not when it meant turning away from people he could save.
He ran in the opposite direction of the civilians, towards the heart of the fight.

Two figures rushed passed him and it took him a second to realize that this was another Nomu. Did
the league make more than one? The monster was currently fighting one of Hosu's heroes.

The hero was handling the situation so Izuku decided it would be smarter to look for something
he'd be suited for.

He heard someone shouting and his mind caught onto a familiar name.

"Tenya! Tenya, where are you!?"

Izuku whirled around; one of the pros was yelling for Iida.

Izuku recognized him instantly, this was the hero Iida was interning with. Iida was nowhere to be
found and Izuku found this especially strange. Iida would never run away when people needed
him, why wasn't he here? Helping his mentor?

Then, Izuku froze. His train of thought screeched to a halt; his blood ran cold; his heart pounded
viciously against his chest.

Did- Did Iida choose Hosu to find the hero killer? Did Iida think he could take the vigilante on?
Avenge his brother?

How could he be so stupid! How could he have not seen the signs! Iida has been closed off for
some time now, that loo in his eyes that day, that look wasn't sadness as Izuku initial thought it
was. It was a look he'd seen on his mother' feature countless times. Izuku thought it was sadness
but no. It was a look of pure anger, a look that demanded revenge. He spun around and charged in
the opposite direction.

One For All burned through his veins as he hoped he'd find Iida before his friend did something
he'd later regret.

From what he'd seen in the news, the hero killer's victims were all found in secluded alleys, maybe
that's where he'd look first.

He needed to find Iida, he needed to make sure he was okay.

That thought burned through him as he ran faster and faster.

His blood went cold when he heard something from the alley in front of him, a low voice,
threatening and imposing. He turned the corner.

There, on the ground, in a pool of his own blood was Iida. The hero killer was standing over him,
sword raised in the air ready to strike the teen.

His legs moved before his mind could catch up. His only need at the moment was the need to act.
To save. He charged forwards, feet kicking off the ground as he leaped at the vigilante.

At that moment, Izuku didn't care if what he was doing was reckless. The only thing on his mind
right now was his friend. He knew winning this on his own would be impossible, the hero killer
had killed Pro heroes, with more power and experience than some first-year student.

He didn't care though. His friend came first.

Pulling his fist back, he powered One for all and hit the hero killer in the face.
 The hit sent the man a couple of feet back. Having been caught off guard he didn't have time to
react. However, now that he knew of Izuku's presence. He won't get lucky another time.

Izuku calmed his nerves and tried to look as threatening as he could. Straightening up his posture,
positioning himself directly between his friend and the vigilante. He looked at the man head-on,
his eyes never leaving the others as he addressed his friend.

Iida was breathing heavily, the sound music to Izuku's ears. Proof that his friend was alive. That
his friend was okay, as okay as he could be at least.

"Don't worry Iida. I'm going to save you"

Chapter End Notes

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Nest up stain vs Izuku!!!

 A TRUE HERO
Chapter Notes

New chapter! Hope you like this version of the stain ark!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Don't worry Iida, I'm going to save you"

Adrenaline burned like fire through his veins. The frantic drumming of his heart threatening to
pierce his chest. A couple of meters away from him, stood the one and only Hero killer, known for
being a ruthless assassin. Stain killed dozens of pro heroes, spreading his ideology and making his
statement loud and clear. All fake heroes must die. That seemed to be the only thing the media
could get as information on him. His name, quirk, and origins were all a mystery. Everything they
knew was that he went after whatever hero he deemed unworthy to call a true hero. It didn't matter
if the hero was powerful or not. Nobody survives the hero killer unless he wants them too. Tensei
Iida, also known as the turbo hero Ingenium, was nothing more than a message to the Hero world.
A warning.

Now, standing before the murderer, Izuku couldn't help but feel intimidated. However, he needed
to work past it. His friend's life was on the line. Stain was still somewhat shocked from his sudden
appearance. Izuku took the chance to look over to his friend. Iida was lying face down, blood was
pooling from a somewhat deep gash on his shoulder. Guilt gnawed at him. If only he was faster,
then perhaps Iida wouldn't have been hurt.

His classmate was looking at him with a confused and angry look. His gaze was different from the
soft yet stern look the class president usually had on. This was the same look he has seen at the
train station. This look screamed Rage.

"Midoriya… Why?"

"Can you move? Make for the main road and get some pros to come and help us!"

"I can't- I can't move. He cut me, I think it's his quirk…" Iida's voice was hoarse, his words came
out as gritted, pain evident in his tone.

"So, he needs to cut you for the quirk to work?" Movement caught Izuku's attention as he tried to
figure out the vigilante's quirk. There, slumped against the ally's wall was another pro hero. Izuku
recognized him as Native. This isn't good, if it was only Iida and him, he might have been able to
carry him and run but now he'd have to stay and save the other incapacitated hero.

"Midoriya, don't…interfere." Every word was laced with pure fury, every syllable dripping with
venom. "This doesn't concern you."

"Iida..."

His words were cut off by a knife flying past by his face, grazing his cheek. The cut deep enough
to draw blood. His head whipped back to the killer.

"You want to help your friend huh? 'I'm going to save you' Nice line, but it's my duty to kill these
two. Society must be purged of all the fakes and if it comes to it, then naturally, the weaker of us
will go down." His voice echoed through the dark alley. His words sending shivers down his spine.

The hero killer's eyes bore through Izuku, threatening and deadly.

Izuku couldn't win this alone. He needed backup, he needs to alert someone. Making sure none of
his movements were visible, he slowly reached for his phone. Going through the familiar motions
behind his back, he sent what he hoped was his location to all his contacts. Hopefully, someone
would realize that something was wrong. He hoped so. Until then he will have to drive off the hero
killer on his own. People's lives depended on him. He couldn't screw this up.

"Midoriya! Run! This has nothing to do with you!" He heard Iida shout as he strained to lift his
head off the ground.

"Iida… I have a lot of things, I need to tell you but it'll have to be later. Because it's like a great hero
once said. Helping people, getting involved, even when not asked for is the essence of being a true
hero." Izuku raised his fist, his stance offensive and protective. He wasn't going to go down without
a fight.

Stain grinned at him, the smile unsettling and straight up creepy. "You! I understand now why
Shigaraki was so adamant on getting his hands on you. At first, I thought you were just another
hero wannabe, trying to be something you weren't. But you are different, aren't you? That look in
your eyes, you've seen the worst in life, haven't you? You may just be worthy enough for me to let
you live."

With that, the villain charged. The action barely giving Izuku the time to register the things that
were said to him. With one swift motion, the teen dodged the blade coming towards him. Using the
training he gained from Torino, he launched himself at the wall, simultaneously jumping above the
vigilante. Effectively dodging another cut. If what he gathered was right, Stain needed to cut his
opponent for his quirk to take action, however, he'd already cut him but Izuku could still move.
Did that mean that a cut wasn't the condition? He barely got to think before another blade was
thrust his way. The hero killer was fast, agile and his movement was expertly calculated. His
experience and skills outmatched Izuku in every way. However, Izuku had strengths and analyses
on his side. If he could just figure out the man's quirk, maybe he stands a chance against him.

______________________________________________

Meanwhile, Izuku's message was received by his contacts. Most of them shrugging at the message
or just assuming something different. However, two people realized the implications of the
mysterious location. Back at UA, a certain black-haired teacher was surprised to hear his phone
ding. Surprise quickly morphed into worry when he read the sender's name.

Message from 'Problem child '

It was a location, Hosu city to be precise. Why was Izuku in Hosu? Gran Torino's place wasn't
even near the prefecture… Hosu… The news said it was under attack. Without a second thought,
the hero quickly geared up and headed out the door.

______________________________________________

They've been going at it for a little while now, it was probably just a few minutes but It felt like a
lifetime for the green-haired teen. He was panting hard, exhausted from the constant dodging and
jumping.

Stain didn't even seem to break a sweat. The grin from earlier was still stretched on his face.

"You're not bad kid, I'll give you that. Not many people can escape my blades for this long." The
hero killer was actually enjoying this.

Izuku was fighting tooth and nails to win and the vigilante was having fun. With one swift move,
taking advantage of his momentary distraction, Stain kicked him. Effectively sending him crashing
into the opposite wall. He hit the bricks hard with a thud, wheezing as the breath got knocked out
of his lungs. In a split of a second, the hero killer was closing in on him.

"I'd hate to put an end to this kid, but I need to do this. Society has been infested by fakes, people
posing as heroes for nothing more than fame and fortune. This world needs to be purged, all fakes
must die." Ever so slowly, the hero killer licked the blood from the cut on his cheek. The motion
nearly making the boy throw up. He tried to move but his body wouldn't respond. So, this is how
he does it…
He needs to ingest the person's blood in order for his quirk to work.

This is bad. I need to move before he gets to Iida. I need to do something!

To his horror, Stain was already above a still incapacitated Iida, his blade raised in preparation for
the final blow. The move that would cost Izuku his friend's life.

"NO! GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

Before he could even finish his cry a wave of fire rushed at the hero killer.

The flames were low enough to be a threat, but also high enough not to hit Iida.

Stain was therefore forced to dodge and spring backward before getting burned.

Both Iida's and Izuku's expression mirrored each other. Their eyes widened as realization slowly
dawned on them.

They have seen these flames before.

Stain's voice was strained, frustration and anger bubbling to the surface, past his calm and
collected demeanor.

"Someone else to get in my way."

"You need to be more specific in situations like this, Midoriya..." From the shadows, stepped a
familiar head of white and red hair. Half his body was still in flames.

"…Todoroki…" Izuku breathed in relief.

"Y-You too, Todoroki!?" Iida said, looking horrified. "W-What are you doing here?"

Todoroki answered slowly. His eyes were trained on the Hero Killer. "I knew something was
wrong as soon as I received your message, Midoriya. You aren't really the type to send cryptic
messages like that. Not unless something's wrong."

Todoroki broke into a run, towards the Hero Killer.

"Everything's okay now!" Todoroki hollered so that everyone in the alley heard him. "The pros
will be here soon!"

He sent another burst of flames at the Hero Killer, and Stain dodged, leaping backward. Todoroki
skidded to a halt and slammed his right foot into the ground; immediately, ice surged across the
alley floor; Stain dodged it once again.

Todoroki took off again, this time stopping just in front of Izuku. "I knew it was bad when I got
your message," Todoroki said, "But I didn't expect it to be the Hero Killer."

Stain was running back at them, and Todoroki shifted his right foot; a mountain of ice formed just
in front of them, blocking out the killer and positioning both Iida and Native against the alley's
wall, away from the lines of fire.

A second later, the ice shattered to pieces, and Stain was there once again, swords poised. Stain
charged forward, throwing two swords in the process.

It was a trap.

Todoroki couldn't dodge both swords without giving stain a direct path towards Iida.

Izuku struggled, trying to break free of Stain's Quirk. It didn't seem to be doing anything, but...he
couldn't just sit there and do nothing. Not when Todoroki was putting his life on the line like this.
Todoroki dodged as predicted. His expression quickly twisting into one of horror as he realized his
mistake.

Thinking quickly, he made another wall of ice. However, Stain was faster. A knife was already
flying towards the spot where Iida was propped up against the wall. Everything seemed to move in
slow motion, the knife turned mid-air, gleaming under the moonlight as it made its way towards
the target. One moment Izuku was paralyzed and the next he could move.

Summoning his power, One for All flowed through his veins as he leaped forward. He couldn't let
Iida get hurt, he couldn't let his friends get hurt. He needed to save them. Without any hesitation,
Izuku threw himself between the knife and his classmates.

"Midoriya!" Both Iida and Todoroki screamed in unison. Their voices were pleading and desperate.

The blade plunged between his shoulder blade as he tumbled onto the ground ungracefully. The
pain was hindering but nothing he hasn't felt before. His mother went through a knife phase after
all. Panting hard, he slowly got back up. Hand reaching up to his back as he broke the knife's
handle. He couldn't let it get in his way, after all.

"I will not let you hurt them Stain. I swore I'd never let anyone get hurt if I could prevent it. I said I
would save them and I meant it." He was slightly taken aback by his own tone. It was strange,
how; when faced with life or death situation. Izuku's attitude would change completely. He's no
longer be a stuttering mess, his demeanor quickly turning from frightened to threatening.

Stain's grin returned to his features at full force. The anomaly was borderline hysterical as the
killer seemed to realize something.
"You… You're prepared to go to such length to save someone. To sacrifice yourself, in order to
save. You…You're a true hero."

Todoroki, not letting the killer continue his speech sent another wave of ice his way.

"Midoriya, Todoroki...stop this! You can't get any more hurt because of me" Iida cried out from
behind him, voice still strained. "I inherited my brother's name! I'm the one who should stop
him…!"

"You're Ingenium now?" Todoroki questioned. "Strange! The Ingenium, I knew, never had that
look on his face!" Silence met his shout.

Midoriya met Todoroki's eyes, both nodding to one another before charging forward. They worked
in synchronicity.

Izuku will distract Stain long enough for him to barely be able to dodge Todoroki's attacks.
However, they were both tired. Izuku's head was spinning, the pain in his limbs and back slowly
becoming unbearable. He'd overused his quirk and lost a lot of blood. This was bad.

"T-Todoroki...Midoriya...please…" Iida's voice was completely different than before, laced with
pain. "I- I can't...watch this…"

"You want to make your brother proud!?" Izuku yelled, narrowing his eyes at the Hero Killer.
"You want to stop this, Iida!?"

"Then stand up!" Todoroki continued, swinging his left arm and sending a burst of flames at the
Hero Killer. "Stand up and fight! Stand up and be a hero! Never forget who you want to become!"
Todoroki's voice was laced with so many emotions, Izuku remembered a time where the fire and
Ice user didn't know how to express those emotions.

_______________________________________________

Izuku realized two things as flames were being thrown at the vigilante.

One, the hero killer's movements were getting sloppier, Stain was getting desperate. He wanted to
finish the job before the heroes got here.

Two, a desperate killer wasn't a good thing. It was quite the opposite. A desperate killer was even
more dangerous.
The blood oozing from the knife in his back was beginning to drip, soon enough stain had plenty to
take advantage of. Izuku found himself, once again, unable to move. He was stuck here, bleeding
heavily and slowly losing hope.

Todoroki was on his own now. His friend's life was in danger and t was all because of him. He
could only stare in horror as one of Stain's knives flew straight at Todoroki. The teen wouldn't have
enough time to dodge or deflect it.

Izuku still couldn't move. He wanted to scream. And then, suddenly, Iida intervened. Iida swung
his leg, Quirk activated as he deflected the sword with his armor.

"Todoroki...Midoriya…" Iida said, voice strained; blood ran and dripped off his arms, and he was
breathing heavily, but he didn't seem to care. "I'm sorry for getting the two of you involved with
this. You shouldn't be here."

"Iida--" Izuku started.

"No, I mean, this shouldn't have happened at all," Iida clarified, straightening up. The look in his
eyes was completely different than before. The bitter, murderous rage was gone, replaced with
determination and... sadness. "This is my doing, and I'm sorry. I won't let either of you shed any
more blood on my behalf."

"Fool!" Stain snapped, charging at them again, more menacing than ever. "No matter what you say
now, I've seen your true colors. A person's true nature can never be changed!"

Izuku wanted to scream. He wanted to move, to help. To do anything. Anything at all.

"Todoroki!" Iida shouted. "Can you regulate your temperatures!?"

"Not well with my left," Todoroki answered, eyes on Stain and left hand outstretched and ablaze,
"but yes, I can!"

"You have to freeze my leg for me!" Iida said, sounding desperate. "Without plugging up the
exhaust!"

Todoroki looked at Iida and nodded, choosing to trust the teen.

Another burst of flames; another round of ice; another knife to dodge. When he had a free moment
between attacks, Todoroki bent down and set his right hand on Iida's leg. Ice ran across the length
of Iida's calf, weaving between exhaust pipes.
Izuku prayed and pleaded with all his might for his body to move. To do something! His mind
flashed to his mother's words

You'll never be a hero!

You pathetic brat.

Done playing hero, are we?

But then he remembers the things his friends and teachers said.

The encouragement and support they provided. He thinks about all the things he's overcome over
the years, the things he's achieved. He's Deku. The hero who never gives up! The hero who always
gets back up.

It's then that he feels his body finally moving. He Izuku pushes himself to his feet, the aching in
his back is killing him. He's lost a lot of blood and his vision was blurring. Yet, he couldn't give
up, his friends needed him. He needed to help them. Pushing past the pain, he ran. Izuku fired up
One For All. He met Iida's gaze as he ran, the teen nodded and fired up his own quirk. Both of
them rushed at the hero killer.

"Todoroki! Cover us!" Iida shouted, instantly understanding Izuku's intentions.

Izuku landed the punch to Stain's face as Iida landed his kick in the Hero Killer's ribs. Todoroki
quickly following up with an attack of fire once they were both out of the way.

"Don't back down!" Todoroki hollered, pulling back his left hand, the flames dissipating. "He's
still--!"

He froze. So did Iida and Izuku. The Hero Killer was completely motionless, limp, sprawled on
one of Todoroki's heaps of ice.

Izuku's breath caught in his throat. His eyes went wide. They all sighed in relief.

They did it. they won.

They took down the hero killer.

_______________________________________________
They all worked in tandem. Native and Izuku searched stain for any weapon he held, after finding
about two dozen knives hidden in his clothes, they tied him up. It would be a problem if the hero
killer woke up and managed to escape.

Todoroki was wrapping Iida's arm in gauze, the gash he had wasn't bleeding anymore but it was
better to be safe than sorry. As Izuku leaned against the alley's wall for support, Todoroki and Iida
came up to him.

"Midoriya…" Iida began. His eyes racked over Izuku's body, taken in the multiple injuries, his
eyes lingering on the blood still dripping from the knife in his back.

"Come on we need to get you to a hospital," Todoroki stated, his tone as blunt as ever.

"I'm fine guys" They looked at him with unreadable expressions. "I'm serious! Our first priority is
Stain. We need to get him to the pro heroes."

He didn't even finish his sentence before the familiar voice of his new mentor resounded through
the alley.

"Kid! Where did you go you brat!" He looked at all of them.

"I was-"He seemed to do a double take. "Is that- "

"The hero killer." A gruff voice finished grimly. That voice… A man emerged from behind the
retired hero. The familiar silhouette of Aizawa making itself known."Izuku."

Iida and Todoroki moved out of the way. A sharp intake of air could be heard from both Aizawa
and Torino. It was now, that the heroes finally saw the extent to Izuku's injuries.

"Kid, we need to take you to the hospital! You can explain later." Torino urged, his tone unusually
stranger. Was that concern?

Suddenly, a huge winged creature emerged from the buildings above them. It was a Nomu and It
was headed straight for them. Izuku on instinct pushed both Iida and Todoroki out of the way.

"MIDORIYA!"

Before any of them could react, the Nomu had taken Midoriya between its talons, its claws digging
into his shoulders. His vision was blurring, the fight took away all his energy and the loss of blood
wasn't helping.

Multiple shouts were heard, all of them screaming his name and he thinks he heard something
about Stain.
 It felt as if he was underwater, everything around him sounded like background noise. However,
one moment they were in the air and the next they were falling. Stain managed to escape his
bounds, he leaped at the creature with incredible speed and plunged his sword inside its exposed
brain. The Nomu plummeted to the ground, sending Izuku tumbling as it broke his fall.

"Both this shame-filled society and the criminals who wield their power in the name of petty
mischief are targets of my purge." His words rang in all of their minds, his voice echoed through
their spirits, the pure determination and conviction behind them making their blood run cold. "All
for the sake of a better society."

Izuku could only stare helplessly as stain slowly got up, standing right in front of him, he continued
his speech. "Come on! Just try me you fake!" he challenged the heroes present. His shouts making
them all take a step back in fright. "The only ones allowed to kill me is All Might!" He shouted,
raising a pointed finger, he directed it at the bleeding boy on the ground. "…And HIM."

Complete silence followed his declaration. They learned later that one of the hero Killer's broken
ribs had punctured a lung. He didn't manage to lick anyones blood but at that moment, they were
all frozen, paralyzed.

The world slowly turned dark as consciousness escaped Izuku's grasp.

Chapter End Notes

Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments!

 Symbol of peace
Chapter Notes

This one is a shorter chapter but it felt right to stop there. Hope you like it.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Aizawa decided that the world was planning against him.

_____________________________________

At first, when he saw the text Izuku sent, he thought that the kid probably wasn't feeling well and
wanted to come home. However, when the location said Hosu city, alarms rang in his head. Hosu
was under attack and his problem child managed to get involved despite his internship being
nowhere near Hosu. Was the world out to get Midoriya?

Half an hour later, most probably with a couple of speeding tickets, Aizawa found himself in
Hosu's alleyways. Oddly enough, to his luck, he ran into Gran Torino and a couple of Endeavor's
sidekicks. Todoroki apparently ran off on his father after receiving a text. A coincidence? He
thought the hell not. Those damn kids.

Aizawa expected to see Izuku caught up in some fight with Nomu's, perhaps saving some civilians.
What he didn't expect was to find that the kid had fought the freaking hero killer and actually won.
He would have to reprimand and thoroughly punish Iida for thinking revenge was the way to go.
However, now they had more pressing matters at hand.

Todoroki and Iida were relatively fine. Iida had an injury to the arm but thankfully the bleeding
seemed to have stopped.

Izuku, on the other hand, wasn't in the best shape. Many scratches littered his body, his costume
was torn in multiple places and he was drenched in sweat, probably exhausted from the whole
ordeal. However, the most prominent and worrying wound was the knife still embedded in his
back. It was bleeding heavily and he seemed to have broken the handle in order to fight. Smart but
reckless. The kid is definitely going to be the reason for his early death.

Aizawa couldn't help the relief that flooded his system though. His kids were fine. Considering
who they were up against, it's a miracle they are still alive. Aizawa knew he needed to count his
blessings. This could have gone a lot worse.

Yet, life always has a way to fuck things up. Right?

One moment everything was fine and then all hell broke loose.

A winged Nomu came straight for them, the creature was blinding from its arm, the blood dripping
into one of the sidekick's clothes. It's eyes wild and its demeanor unstable. It seemed with no
particular target in mind, despite having dove for Todoroki.

Izuku, being the self-sacrificing problem child, he is. Ceremonially shoved Todoroki out of harm
and was taken himself. Aizawa cursed as no one managed to react in time. Everyone watched
helplessly as Izuku got taken away.

However, that's when something truly unexpected happened. In a blink of an eye, the hero killer
had licked the blood off the poor sidekick. Effectively paralyzing the Nomu, bringing it low
enough for him to jump on it and stab it in the brain.

Aizawa couldn't even be relieved after that, because as soon as they were on the ground, stain got
up and declared his new-found epiphany to the world. Painting a blaring red target on the kid.
There just had to be a news reporter recording at that particular moment.

Aizawa really thinks that the world is plotting against them.

_____________________________________

Izuku opens his eyes slowly, this scene is becoming unnaturally familiar to him.

He somehow managed to land himself back in a hospital room. The memories from their fight
against the hero killer slowly creeping into his thoughts, he instantly shoots up. Where were
Todoroki and Iida? Were they okay?

Pain flares on his back but he ignores it in order to look for his friends. He sighs in relief when he
realizes that both Iida and Todoroki are in the room with him. Both of them freeze when they saw
him, their heads snapping towards him, in an instant.

"Midoriya!" They call out in unison.

"G- Guys! Are you okay?" Both of them have confused and slightly exasperated looks on their
faces, however, it's Todoroki that speaks up next.

"You wake up after being stabbed and taken by a Nomu and the first you do is ask if we're okay?
Why am I not surprise Midoriya?" The fire and Ice user says with a huff.

"Midoriya! I must say, you had us worried, however, since you are awake. I must apologize to both
of you. My actions were rash and unbecoming of a hero. I should have never gone after Stain. My
actions brought shame to my family and most importantly got you two in harm's way." Iida
somehow manages to bow his head enough to convey his apology, his voice is low and serious,
regret and shame clear in his tone.
"Iida, what you did was wrong and reckless. But I should be apologizing too. I'm supposed to be
your friend and I couldn't help you when you needed me the most. I knew that you weren't acting
like yourself but I chose to ignore it and I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for Midoriya. You are a good friend. You saved my life, in fact, you
both- "He gestures at Todoroki "- you both helped me see the light. You both helped me escape the
darkness that was consuming my thoughts. Thank you, truly."

Todoroki nods in response, and Izuku gives Iida his most genuine smile. They may have nearly
died but at least they were brought closer because of it.

The moment, however, is broken by the gust of wind that blows through the open window. The
cold air, a cruel reminder that Izuku currently isn't wearing any shirt, his back has a bandage that
wraps his shoulder blades and upper chest but nothing more. The realization hits him hard, His
front is uncovered. His scars are on display.

His eyes widen as he hastily tries to cover up his body with the bed's sheets, however, his actions
are stopped when a hand suddenly rests on his own.

Green panicked eyes meet heterochromatic ones and he lets out a breath he wasn't aware of
holding. When did he get up?

"Midoriya, It's okay. I talked to Iida and he's willing to let you explain on your own terms."
Todoroki's voice is calm and reassuring, but Izuku can't help but look over at Iida for confirmation.

Iida meets his eyes, a serious and concerned look flashing in his gaze. However, does nothing more
than nod.

"You know Midoriya, friendship, goes both ways. I hope you know that I too, will always be there
for you if you ever need me."

The tension in his limbs drop as he sighs in relief. What did he do to ever deserve such good
friends?

_____________________________________

The afternoon passes in an uneventful matter. The chief of the police force comes by and informs
them that they will be let off the hook this time. Their unlicensed quirk usage would normally
cause them many problems. Yet, they decided to let them off with a warning. Having Endeavor,
much to Todoroki's dismay, take the credit for apprehending Stain.

The media, however, wasn't as merciful. Every news channel was centered around stain's arrest, all
of them obsessing over the fact that a UA student, a first year no less, was declared to be on the
same level as All Might. Luckily, they hadn't exposed his identity yet, but the people would sooner
or later put two and two together.

Stain's ideology was spreading like wildfire. His followers growing by the hours. People were
noticing the faults in the system, no longer satisfied with how things were going.

Stain had started something that night. All the evil scattered around out there... we're all drawn to
him, to his ideas and to the organization he was working with… The league of villains.

____________________________________

On the other side of the hospital, Torino talks to All might on a pay phone.

"That damned successor Toshinori. Where did you manage to find someone like him? He acts
before he thinks! Just like you! But he's something else that boy… you chose well."

"I'm- yes. I did… didn't I?" Toshinori replies with a fond smile.

"I didn't call to talk about this though. The hero killer, I was only around the guy for a few minutes
but it was more than enough to scare the crap out of me. He had this overwhelming pressure, his
ideals intimidating and intense to a point where we were all frozen in place…The investigation will
continue and his ideals and opinions will get out there… The age we live in, for better or for worse,
is one of suppression. Mark my words, people are going to be influenced by this. The media is
already making a connection with the league. The league of villains will go from this gang that
attacked UA to something much more dangerous."

Torino takes a long breath and continues. His tone taking a darker tone.

"Shimura was my friend and your predecessor, the last user of One for all. And the man that killed
her, the man that injured you five years ago… I think we can assume that One for all is still alive
and behind all of this."

Toshinori who had been silent through Torino's speech finally speaks up.

"To think that he survived after all those wounds… I don't want to believe it."

"Midoriya's admiration for you is no joke. You need to tell him. The boy has the right to know
what he's up against. He is One for all's current user after all. You need to tell him everything about
One for all."

____________________________________

Izuku is walking through the hospital's halls when he runs into a familiar figure. They stare at each
other for a moment. Who made the first move? They couldn't tell. However, the next thing they
knew, they were both hugging each other. Izuku latching onto his homeroom teacher like a lifeline.
The man basking in the comfort that his kid was indeed okay.

"Izuku. What you did was reckless and rash. You worried the hell out of me and don't you ever do
that again. Do you understand?" Aizawa says, his voice firm, leaving no space for argument.

Once they separate from each other, Izuku being the reckless child that he is, decides to argue
anyway.

"Y-yes Sensei. But I couldn't just leave Iida to die… I had to do something." Izuku hangs his head
low, prepared for any kind of punishment.
 "Problem child…" Aizawa mutters into his capture gear as he pulls the kid in for another hug.

"I- I'm sorry… I understand if you are upset." Izuku replies quietly.

"I am not mad at you. I was just worried." Aizawa notes that the boy hasn't flinched once during
their interaction. His heart swells at the thought. Izuku really trusts him. "Let's go. We'll go by
Torino's place to get your stuff and then we can head home alright?"

Home. Izuku thinks he'll never get used to having one.

___________________________________

"Thank you for everything you've taught me!" Izuku says giving a ninety-degree bow to his
mentor. "I'm sorry for the trouble I caused you Gran Torino"

"You acted despite my orders but you did so to save a friend. However, you have a long way to go
and a lot to learn if you really want to become the greatest hero."

"Yes, sir!"

"Well. Off you go now. I have food to get to."

"Oh okay! Thanks for everything!"

Torino watches as the kid walks down the steps, towards the car waiting for him. He may not act
or talk like All might. But he still can see the man in him. He sees the influence and hope. This
kid… This kid is going to change the world.

"Kid! One last thing."

Izuku turns around, slightly confused.

"Who are you?"

Gran watches as confusion turns to realization and morphs into pure determination. His mind
flashes back to the end of his conversation with Toshinori.

'My friend chose you and you chose this boy… So, let's both help him Toshinori. So that by the time
you're past your prime, this kid… his name…'

"It's DEKU!" Midoriya replies eagerly.

'will be hailed as THE SYMBOL OF PEACE.'

Chapter End Notes

Just, thank you for all the support and comments! and all the kudos! I can't believe
people are actually liking m work. It really means a lot to me and it makes me so
happy to read all of your comments! They make me smile every single time!
Just...thank you.
 All for one
Chapter Notes

Fluff and a little bit of angst to come!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

With the internships over, they still had the weekend to get some rest before school started up
again. On Monday, they will go back to their routine. However, before that, Aizawa and Izuku had
the weekend to do whatever the hell they wanted.

Friday night, Aizawa suggested they watch a couple of movies. Despite their obvious differences
in taste, they eventually settled on an old movie. It was made before the development of quirks.
The movie told the story of a young man, who after his parent's murder decided to take justice into
his own hands and become a vigilante. The story was interesting enough and the protagonist, who
didn't have powers made it easier for Izuku to relate.

After that, they discussed the movie. Izuku going on a tangent about the movie’s ‘quirkless hero’
and how he used his support items.

In this society, heroes didn't always have useful quirks. Most of them had a quirk that was activated
given a certain circumstance that wasn't always met. Some of them had glaring weaknesses that
made them useless in some fights. For example, Kamui Woods wouldn’t last seconds against a fire
quirk. On the other hand, Heroes like Eraserhead, Aizawa himself fought essentially quirkless.
Aizawa’s quirk only served to level the playing field. The rest depended on his own quirkless
fighting abilities and years of hard work. Not to mention his support items, his capture weapon
was essential in his hero work, after all.

The night went by, Izuku was finally coming out of his shell, he wasn’t afraid to speak up and
didn’t expect to be punished for every little thing anymore.

It was getting late but despite already being exhausted from his internship and even though he was
still recovering from his fight with stain, couldn’t get some sleep. Aizawa, on the other hand, was
out like a light.

Aizawa was acting strange, Izuku noted the way the older man would open his mouth, only to
close it again. Whatever words he wanted to say were failing to come out. It was worrying, to say
the least. Did his teacher have something to tell him? Was Aizawa afraid of his reaction? Did he do
something wrong? Was he in trouble?

Shaking the thoughts out of his mind, Izuku slowly rose from his seated position on the couch.
Making sure he made no sound, he turned off the television and walked past Aizawa’s sleeping
form making sure to cover up his teacher with the blanket that was now discarded on the floor.

Pausing for a moment, he took in the peaceful look that adorned his teacher’s face. This man has
already done so much for him. He will always be grateful to him. After all, Aizawa has given him
something he’s never dreamed of having.

________________________________

The next day went by in a similar fashion, they watched the morning news together, both of them
enjoying the peaceful silence that had settled between them.

However, Izuku, who, in order to survive his mother's wrath, has grown accustomed to noticing the
small shifts of behavior, knew that something was up with his teacher. He spent years observing
his mother and learning how to guess her moods. He saved himself from countless beatings by
doing so. It has become a sort of habit of his, watching people, analyzing their personalities and
acting accordingly.

So, when Aizawa’s attitude changed slightly, he knew something was wrong. His teacher has
something to tell him but was nervous? No… why would Aizawa be nervous?

Dark thoughts swirled in his head, did Aizawa get sick of his presence? Did he want to get rid of
him already? Of course, he did. His own mother couldn’t handle it. Why did he expect Aizawa to
be any different?

Politely excusing himself, he retreated back to his room. The guest room. After all, that was all that
he was right? A stranger. An intruder in this man’s home.

________________________________
Aizawa didn’t know how to do this. This was uncharted territory for the man and he didn’t know
how he was supposed to cross it.

He was contemplating on ways to tell Midoriya but the boy had locked himself in his room all
afternoon.

Should he just knock on his door and ask for them to talk? Or was he supposed to wait for the boy
to adjust more?

This was beginning to be really frustrating, and Izuku’s closed off behavior did not help settle his
nerves in the least.

Was he making the kid uncomfortable? He wanted Izuku to trust him. He thought that he was
getting through the kid’s thick walls but was he just oblivious? Over the past few weeks, Aizawa
has grown to love this kid as his own. Was he wrong in wanting to make it official?

The decision seemed to make itself for him because soon enough soft footsteps could be heard as
Izuku hesitantly stepped into the living room.

They looked at each other for a second before they both spoke. Their voices overlapping each
other.

"Look, kid, we should talk!"

“Mr. Aizawa I-”

They stopped, not having heard each other over their own voice.

“You go first kid.” Aizawa offered with a nod. His eyes never leaving Izuku’s as he straightened
up from his slumped position on the couch. If Izuku has something to say, he would give him his
full attention.

“I- I’ve noticed that I’ve been bothering you lately and I don’t want to be a burden anymore and
I’m sorry if I did anything wrong and I didn’t mean to overstep any boundaries.” Izuku was talking
faster and faster by the second, his words were rushed and his voice was getting quieter as he went
on. “You’ve been so good to me and all I’ve done is intrude on your everyday life and I know you
never asked for this and I’m sorry. I just- I can go… I can take care of myself, I’m sure I can find
some kind of job and pay rent for a small apartment near campus and you wouldn’t have to worry
about me anymore and I- “He was cut off from his rambling by a crushing hug coming from his
teacher. The actions promptly shut him up, his words getting caught in his throat at the unexpected
reaction.

“Izuku. Don't you ever think that you are in any way a burden. You haven't bothered me in the
least. I know I've been out of it lately but I need you to believe me when I say that it's for reasons
that have nothing to do with you being a burden. I was scared of how you would take it because...
Look I'm not good at this. At all of the emotional stuff, I don't know how to act on them. But, what
I do know is that you have grown to be like a son to me and I… I talked to Tsukauchi and he
managed to pull some strings and the papers and legalities are all ready…” For once in his life, it
was Aizawa who was rambling.

Realization dawned on Izuku, his eyes grew wide as he grasped the implication behind Aizawa’s
words.

“Do you mean…” Izuku breathed out, disbelief in his tone.

“Yes. I want you, Izuku Midoriya to become my son. If you’re willing… that is.” Although that
last part was mumbled, Aizawa’s nervousness bubbling to the surface. The hope and fondness
behind his words were apparent.

Izuku was speechless. How was he supposed to respond to that? Aizawa wanted to adopt him. He
wanted to be his father! Tears welled up in the teen’s eyes as he felt loved for the first time in his
life.

“I- Are- Are you sure?” He answered hesitantly, his voice barely above a whisper as he prayed for
this to not be some kind of cruel dream.

"Yes, Izuku. If you accept, I’d like you to become an Aizawa.”

“O-Okay… I’d love to.”

Aizawa would deny anyone who said that he cried in that particular moment. No sir. He did not
cry. He just had something in his eyes.

________________________________

Monday arrived without a hitch after that. The duo had spent the weekend putting up posters In
Izuku’s room. The boy, for once, was able to make the room his own. His mother never allowed
him to keep anything hero related. Aizawa’s house was slowly beginning to become a home. In
every sense of the word. The man was his family now.

They arrived at school, walking side by side as they passed the gates. As soon as they passed the
teacher's lounge, All Might, in his hero form popped up from around the corner.

“Aizawa! Young Midoriya! I was waiting for you! How are you feeling my boy! Gran told me
about the Hosu incident! I’m sure Aizawa already scolded you for your recklessness. I'm glad that
you're safe." His booming voice echoed through the hallway. Izuku barely contained his laughter
when he felt Aizawa sink deeper into his capture weapon in order to escape the hero’s loud
demeanor, this early in the morning.

"Hi, All Might! Yeah… We were lucky. W-Why were you waiting for us?" He replied cheerfully
despite his confusion.

“I wanted to talk to you about something my boy! If Aizawa will allow it, I’d like to take up a
couple of minutes of your time before homeroom.” Aizawa seemed to contemplate it before he
nodded his head in approval.

"Just don't be late to class problem child." With that, the dark-haired man walked away.

________________________________
All Might led him to the teacher’s lounge.

“Take a seat…” Izuku gulped at the sudden tenseness in his mentor’s demeanor. He had to remind
himself that All might could never hurt him.

They sat across from each other, All might taking a seat on the couch and Izuku on the seat in front
of him.

“You’ve been through a lot lately and I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help…” The hero started
solemnly.

“N-No that’s okay you don’t have to apologize All Might. Is that what you wanted to talk about?
The fight with stain?” Izuku was being impatient, he knew that. However, he couldn’t help the
growing sense of unease in his guts.

“I brought you here today, to talk about One for all.” The hero began slowly “One for all, as you
already know, is a unique quirk. Although it can’t be forcibly taken, it can be transferred to another
user if the current user wills it to.” There was a pause, it felt as though All Might was steeling
himself to say something important.

After a moment, the hero continued.

“One for All was once upon a time derived from another quirk altogether. All For One… A quirk
that lets the user steal other quirks as well as grant quirks to others.”

“All for One…” Izuku breathed out in disbelief “Everything was for this guy to take?”

“This was back at the advent of the exceptional. A time where society still hadn’t managed to
adapt to the changes. Back then, the norms of what it meant to be human suddenly collapsed and
with that, laws became meaningless. Social progress halted, it was catastrophic. Humans with
quirks were shunned and treated as monsters and in that age of confusion and chaos… One man
took the initiative and brought people together. You may have heard about this… He would steal
quirks and with his overwhelming power, spread the influence of his organization. He was
responsible for manipulating so many others into committing the unthinkable. Before long, he had
taken over Japan. A true lord of evil.” Shivers ran Izuku’s spine at the thought.

“I- I’ve seen rumors about this on the internet, but I… I thought it was all made up! They don’t talk
about it in the textbooks!” Izuku asked, comprehension apparent in his tone.

“The textbooks don’t tell you what the Yakuza is up to either, do they? When a person has power,
they instinctively seek a way to use it.”

“But how is this all connected to One for all?” The boy inquired.

“I mentioned that All for One had the ability to grant quirk too. With that power, he instilled trust
in people… Or at least he got them to submit. However, the human body couldn’t handle the
burden it took. Many would become mere puppets, inhuman creatures, like those Nomu…”

“You mean those Nomu- Th- They were people?!” Izuku couldn't believe it, all these creatures
were once normal human beings, just like them, they used to have families, lives...

“I’m afraid so my boy. On the other hand, there were cases where his granting of a quirk would
result in a mutation, a blending of the sort. You see... All for One had a quirkless younger brother.”
A gasp escaped Izuku’s throat before he could stop himself. Quirkless. “The brother, despite being
small and fragile, had a strong sense of justice and couldn’t stand the deeds done by his sibling…
So, he opposed the tyrant. However, the eldest brother gave the younger one a power stocking
quirk by force. Whether it was to reward him or punish him, we still don’t know.”

“Wait… so-“

“Yes, it turns out, the younger brother was never actually quirkless. He just had a dormant quirk. A
quirk, so passive that he was never going to be able to use it. It was the power to pass on a quirk to
others. Then the stockpile quirk and the Transferring quirk were fused." All might brought both of
his hands together to emphasize the fact." And that, my boy, is how One for All came to be. Ironic
isn't it? Justice always seems to be born from evil." That Izuku could understand. In the world they
lived in, darkness lurks at every corner. However, with the darkness, within the void, there is a
light. That light is held by the heroes, the symbols of their society.

“Wait… why are you telling me this now?”

 “One for all, a man with the power to steal other’s quirk, acquired a quirk that would stop his
aging, henceforth making him a near immortal, an everlasting symbol of evil. His defeated younger
brother decided then to pass on his power to the next generation. In hopes that one day, his brother
may be defeated. Though it was but a shadow of what it is today… the power grew and grew as it
was passed on. Finally, it was my generation that managed to defeat the villain, or so we thought…
He survived and now, he's on the move again as the brains behind the league of villains." He
looked up, for once meeting Izuku's eyes through his whole speech." One for All is a quirk that
was created for the sole purpose of one day defeating All For One. Which means that someday, it
will be up to you to take on the world greatest evil. I'm sorry my boy, when I gave you this power,
I thought that All for one was dead. I didn't want my successor to hold the burden of such a
responsibility. You've already been through so much and all I've done is put more weight on your
shoulders." He lowered his head in apology.

Izuku couldn’t lie. This was terrifying. A villain, so strong that he was able to hurt All Might and
survive?

Generation after generation of heroes have tried and failed to take down All for One and it was up
to him now. It was his responsibility.

However, he reminded himself of everything he managed to accomplish with the help of his
mentor and the people around him.

He was not alone anymore. He could do this… He would do this.

"I'll do my best All Might! I'll step up to the challenge! With you by my side, I can do anything! At
least, that’s how I feel!" Determination burned like fire in Izuku’s emerald eyes as he clenched his
fist, ready to take on the world. However, his resolve dissipated as soon as he met his mentor’s
eyes. “Wh- what’s wrong All Might?” He asked, worry and fear boiling in his stomach.

"I- It's nothing, my boy. I'm just proud of you." All might saw the tension in his student's shoulders
dissipate. The boy was oblivious to his interior monologue.

‘I’m sorry Midoriya. But, probably when that day comes… I won’t be here for you anymore.”

Chapter End Notes

Chapter End Notes

Dadzawa is officially legit!!! Hope you liked this chapter! Be sure to let me know
what you think in the comments!
They make me smile every single time!
 Going in for the win
Chapter Notes

This is my poor attempt on some humor. I hope you enjoy this chapter! I'm in the
middle of finals now but I couldn't help but write this!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Walking back from the teacher’s lounge, Izuku couldn’t help but think about everything that All
Might just told him.

The history of his own quirk and the destiny it sets for him is mind-blowing, to say the least. Izuku
knew that being All Might's successor wasn't going to be easy. Today, he was reminded of that. He
realized now the long road he had ahead of him. If he wanted to live up to All Might's expectations,
he needed to do better, be better.

Enraptured in his own swirling train of thought, he didn’t notice when someone called him out
from behind. Nor did he hear, when the same person started yelling out to him.

Izuku stilled as a hand suddenly grabbed his shoulder. Acting on instinct, before his mind could
even catch up, he promptly flipped the person over his shoulder.

It was only a moment later, after hearing a small groan behind him that he realized what he had
done.

Ever so slowly, he turned around only to be startled again, as he saw, who it was, that he slammed
on the ground.

“Oh my god…” Izuku whispered in mortification “Are you okay?!” His voice was louder now, as
worry and guilt started pooling in his stomach.

“Holy shit.” The purple haired teen spoke, bewilderment clear on his expression. He was still
sprawled on the floor. “You’re strong!” He laughed, sounding more like a wheeze.

“I’m so sorry! Shinsou, are- are you- oh my god- I’m so sorry!” The greenette rambled as he
looked the teen over for any injury. “I- it was an accident, I-I’m so sorry!”

“S’…fine Midoriya” The teen slurred “I shouldn’t have done that, it’s just, I was calling out to you
and you weren’t- it was stupid, sorry” The purple haired teen mumbled that last bit quietly. Guilt
flashing over his expression.

“No, it’s just you surprised me, that's all… I get stuck inside my head sometime.” Izuku replied
bashfully, his hand rubbing at the back of his neck in a nervous gesture.

A couple of minutes passed by, as both of them remained silent. Izuku crouched down above the
teen.

“...So… Are you going to stay on the floor all day?” Izuku asked as he tilted his head slightly, a
small grin plastered on his features.

"Yup," Shinsou replied, making a small pop noise as he said the ‘p'.

This earned him a small giggle from the greenette.

“Come on Shinsou-kun we have class in a few minutes!” Izuku didn’t know why he was so
comfortable around him. Up until now, the only person he was so relaxed around was Aizawa. It
was strange and really calming to be able to act like himself without fear of the consequences.

With a groan, Shinsou lifted himself off the ground, accepting Izuku’s outstretched hand as he got
up.

They looked at each other for a moment. Only now realizing that the last time they saw each other
was at the sports festival

“I’m- “

"Look, Shin- "

They spoke at the same time, their voices overlapping each other’s.
“You go first, take it as an apology for flipping you back there.” Izuku offered nervously.

“I- Uhm- I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry for telling the teachers despite promising you I
wouldn’t but I just…I couldn’t let her hurt you anymore. I- I’m glad you’re okay…” Shinsou
apologized sincerely despite knowing that he’d do it again in an instant.

"Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about…" Taking a deep breath, Izuku lifted his eyes
up to meet the teen's. Emerald burned into deep purple as he tried to convey his emotions. "That
day… You- you saved me Shinsou. If you hadn’t told Aizawa I- I wouldn't be here right now. So…
Please, don’t apologize and let me thank you. You- I guess I can say that you are my hero, in a
way, I mean...” He stated, surprised at the firmness in his tone.

“Hero…” Shinsou whispered in awe. “I- I’m not- “

Izuku didn’t let him finish, cutting him off with a huff.

“You are Shinsou and believe me when I say that you’re going to be a great hero someday.”
Izuku’s eyes burned with admiration and sincerity as if he was just stating an obvious fact.

Shinsou didn’t know what to say. He felt overwhelmed. This was the first time someone not only
encouraged his dream but actually called him a hero. Him, the kid with the villain’s quirk.
Someone- Izuku had called him his hero.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by an outstretched hand held up towards him.

“So, let’s become heroes together, Shinsou-kun!” If Izuku saw the way his breath hitched he didn’t
mention it. Slowly, tentatively, Shinsou accepted the hand offered to him. Promising to make his
friend proud no matter what.

________________________

Weeks past and the final exams had finally arrived. Izuku thought he did relatively well on the
written part of the exams. Practical’s were a whole other experience though.

The test, despite the rumors of it consisting of a fight against robots, ended up being a fight against
the teachers instead. They either, have to escape the city or capture the teacher.

Every pair of students were paired with a teacher. Each one was chosen specifically to challenge
their own weaknesses.

For instance, Uraraka and Aoyama were pitted against Thirteen. While students that were less
prone to strategizing like Kaminari and Ashido were put up against Principal Nedzu. Kirishima and
Sato against Cementos, Jirou, and Kouda against Present Mic. Todoroki and Yaoyorozu against
Eraserhead and so on.

However, Izuku was teamed up with none other than Kacchan. Their opponent being the Symbol
of peace himself. Oh boy! Were they screwed…

Now, Kacchan has mellowed down over the past few weeks. He’s still his usual brash, explosive
self. People don’t change that easily but he’s… He’s trying. And Izuku can see that. It makes him
hope that maybe, someday, things could go well between them. Maybe they’d even become friends
again.

The buzzer sounds off and both teens step into the training ground.

Izuku tries to make up a plan with his teammate and strangely enough, Kacchan actually listens.

Izuku, having grown to cherish the man, believes that they should avoid a fight at all cost. It's All
Might, after all, he'd crush them in an instant.

However, Kacchan has other thoughts. Knowing fully well, that even if they choose to make a run
for the gates, All Might would easily catch up to them.

They end up deciding on a compromise.

 __________________________

Bursting into the training ground at an unbelievable speed, All Might laugh as he destroys
everything in his path. It's not his usual laughter either. Izuku and Bakugou look at his smile and
shivers run down their spines. Because this is not the hero's reassuring smile, the smile that makes
people feel safe and protected. No, this smile is… wrong. It's strange to see their idol in this light.
All Might smile is intimidating, even scary. It's the smile he gives villains before he promptly
destroys them.

“WHO CARES ABOUT KEEPING THE STREETS INTACT!” All Might’s booming voice
resounds through the city.” I AM HERE TO DESTROY YOU HEROES” His catchphrase is used
in such a wrong way, it makes Izuku feel sick. “SO, GIVE ME YOUR BEST SHOT!”

With that, All Might charges at them. His moves, so fast, that they could barely react before the
force of the blow flung them both backward.

“Kacchan! NOW!”

Bakugou doesn’t even need to be told twice before he’s rushing towards the older hero. Using that
as a distraction. Izuku runs towards the opposite side of the street.

“NOT SO FAST HERO!” All Might shout’s as he easily dodges Bakugou’s attacks. The ones that
do hit him don’t even phase him “IT WON’T BE THAT EASY TO GET PAST ME!" With one
swift motion, All Might, grabs Bakugou by the wrist and hurls him at Izuku. The boys slam into
each other, making both of them tumble ungracefully to the ground.

Quickly regaining their bearings, they both get up.

Nodding to each other, they go forth with phase two of their plan.
 ___________________________

All Might thought, that the kid would at least know not to underestimate him. Young Izuku, despite
knowing full well that All Might was faster, decided to make a run for it.

Although, given that the strategy was a sound one.

While using Bakugou as a distraction would have granted Izuku the chance to reach the gates and
win the test for both of them.

It was clearly not the right thing to do here. Given that he was there opponent.

Before he could mull things over, he realized the street around him was strangely quiet. Looking
around him, All Might realized that in his moment of distraction, both boys had vanished. At least
they were working together.

Looking at the exit gate, they were nowhere in sight. Now, where could they have gone if not for
the exit? His thoughts were caught off by a beeping sound coming from one of his pockets.
Slipping his hand inside, he realized all too late that the beeping was indeed a grenade. Before he
could do anything though, the bomb exploded in his palm, effectively blinding him and
disorienting him.

__________________________

Bakugou wouldn’t admit it out loud but that damn nerd has the craziest ideas sometimes. At first,
Bakugou wanted to just straight up fight All Might head on. However, after Izuku explained to him
his plan, he couldn’t help the mad grin that made its way on his face.

This was going to be fun.

At first, they decided to use Izuku as a distraction in order for him to be able to slip a couple of
flash grenades in All Might’s pockets. The hero wouldn’t expect the distraction to actually turn out
to be the one escaping and not the one attacking.

Now that the first phase of their plan was over, they had to go through the second part.

They knew that the grenades weren’t going to stall the number one hero for long, so they needed to
act fast.

Quickly, as they had previously decided, Izuku took on of Bakugou's gauntlets. Having already
stored it with his nitroglycerine, Izuku now had additional firepower.

As soon as that was done, they both charged towards the symbol of peace, closing in on the hero
from both sides, the front and the back.

Bakugou charges forward at All might, His speed only rivaled by Izuku’s as the other zips through
the clearing, green electricity sparking throughout his body.

Using his momentum, the blond jumps up, dozens of explosions compiling against each other as he
turns himself into a living, breathing, detonation tornado.

“HOWITZER IMPACT” Bakugou screams as he performs one of his special moves.

At the same time, Izuku rushes forwards, going for a powered-up kick to the man back, quickly
following the motions by detonation Kacchan's gauntlet directly as the man's back.

A normal opponent would have already been overwhelmed by Balugou's attack, however, given
that this was All Might, the number one hero, it was expected to have a minimal impact. Yet,
combined with the overwhelming strengths of both Midoriya, Bakugou's gauntlet, and his special
move. Let’s just say, the attack did what it was meant to do.

Using the opening they made themselves, Izuku quickly takes the quirk canceling handcuffs and
places them on the hero’s hands. Like that, the alarm rings, the exam.
MIDORIYA .A. IZUKU AND BAKUGOU KATSUKI HAVE PASSED THE FINAL EXAM.

The Speakers declare and Izuku hopes that no one is going to ask about the additional initial to his
last name.

“We did it Kacchan!” Izuku yells as he pumps his fist into the air excitedly.

Bakugou can’t help but feel excitement and pride bubble up in his chest. He looks at Dek- Izuku.
His childhood best friend, the boy he relentlessly bullied and tormented for most of his life and
finally sees how wrong he was about him. This boy, standing in front of him, is sure to go places.
However, despite his train of thought, his only reaction is a huff and a grunted reply.

"Well, of course, we did nerd. What did you expect when you got teamed with me. We did a good
job." The last part makes the greenette tear up, only increasing the blond's huffing.

_________________________

They walk out the training area, All Might congratulate them both on their good work. None of
them were seriously injured aside from a few scratches here and there. Given Izuku’s history, that
was a feat in itself.

"You did good kid," Aizawa says as they walk into the observation room. His hand coming up to
ruffle his ward's hair.

"Thanks, dad." It takes a moment for Izuku to realize what he just said, he freezes like a deer in the
headlights. Mortification and embarrassment overwhelming his sense. His cheeks heat up, his face
becomes redder than Kirishima's hair as he covers his face, stammering multiple apologies before
scurrying off to recovery girl's office.

Izuku is so caught up in escaping that he doesn’t see the way Aizawa’s eyes widen, only to settle a
 moment later in a fond gaze. As his expression softens and his eyes shine in a new light. Nor does
he see the smile that grazes his features for the rest of the evening.

Chapter End Notes

Next up comes the arks I've been waiting to write since the beginning of this story!

Follow my drawing account on insta! I drew some scenes from this fanfic and a couple
of drawings from my the story I'm currently planning on posting!

@light_1801

I've been working on a new fanfiction, vigilante Izuku with a dark and tragic past! it
seems lame now but I'm pretty excited about it! just throwing that out there.
 See you soon, Hero.
Chapter Notes

Hope you like this chapter!

I was initially planning on starting with the training camp arc but the mall scene was
longer than expected!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

“You need to come to the mall with us tomorrow Deku! We’re going to get what we’re missing for
the training camp!” The soft yet excited voice of Uraraka resounds through the classroom. Aizawa
hears his ward mumble something under his breath but doesn’t really hear the answer he gives his
friends.

The teacher watches silently as the expression on Uraraka’s face falters and she walks away
disappointedly, a sad smile adorning her features.

That night he decides to ask the problem child about it. Because why would he decline a day out
with his friends. They are only teenagers after all, and as much as Aizawa likes for them to stay at
home and watch a movie together. Izuku deserved some kind of a break. A chance to have fun and
hang out with his friends and for once, to be a kid again.

So, as they sit quietly around the dining table, he decides to bring up the subject.

“So, are you going to go with your friends to the mall tomorrow?” He asks carefully, making sure
to keep his features into his usual blank look.

"A-ah, did you hear about that?" The kid answers nervously, his stuttering sending warning bells in
Shouta’s mind. It's been so long since the kid actually stuttered while talking to him. They were
making progress. Izuku was finally getting comfortable around him. So, why was he nervous now?

“Your classmates aren’t the quietest bunch…” Aizawa replied, a hint of amusement in his tone as
he recalled the way everyone was practically yelling in excitement about it. It was the first time
they were going out as a class. “Well, are you going to go?” He couldn’t help but ask.
“I- uh- no I don’t think so. I’m kind of tired and I don’t really need to buy anything…” The kid
squeaked out, a hand coming to rub the back of his neck. A motion that Aizawa recognized as a
nervous gesture. The boy was lying… But why?

"Last time I checked, we didn't have sunscreen here or an extra sleeping bag." He offered, hoping it
was a good enough of a push to get the kid talking about what was wrong.

“Oh- uh no it’s okay, you don’t have to worry about it.” Izuku was avoiding eye contact now, he
seemed particularly interested in the floor tiles.

“Seriously kid, what’s going on? Why don’t you want to go?”

“I-uh...” It didn’t look like Izuku was going to say anything, so he tried to guess.

“Did something happen with your friends?” It would explain why he was avoiding going with
them.

A shake to the head was his only answer.

"Okay, so, is it the mall? Are you nervous about going to such a public place?"

Another shake.

Aizawa was getting worried now. More than he already was. If it wasn’t for these reasons. What
was wrong?

“Is it the money?”

A flinch.

Ah, it made sense. They still hadn’t discussed anything about their new arrangement. Izuku was
his kid now. The boy needed to learn to rely on him for these things.

“Look Izuku, we’re family now. I’m responsible for you. That means that anything you need, I
need to provide for you. I need you to know that whenever you need anything, you can come to me
okay?” He asked tentatively.

The boy seemed shocked. His expression varying from confused to plain awe. Did the kid really
think it was such a big deal?

“Izuku, didn’t your mom let you buy yourself the things you needed?” He was walking on a thin
line and he knew it. The kid was still recovering, he didn’t want to send him into some kind of
panic attack.

Izuku took a deep breath and met his eyes head on. In his eyes, some sort of sadness no kid should
ever have.

“M-mom was- She didn’t let me ask for- for anything really. She- uhm- she used to buy herself
stuff and she’d bring me what she thought I deserved. Honestly, it depended on whatever mood she
was in. If she was particularly in a good mood, she’d bring me some take out, or the appliance that
I needed. Whether it was school books or clothes or whatever. She just, was never in a good mood I
guess.”

Anger and unadulterated fury welled up in Aizawa’s guts. Who would do that to their own child?
Yet, he tried his best to remain calm. He needed to stay composed for his kid. Izuku deserves so
much better.

“What did you do then? When you needed something and she didn’t give it to you?” He knew he
was being blunt, but he needed to know.

“I- I used to help around the neighborhood, help people with their chores in exchange for pocket
money. I didn’t know what else to do really…” Izuku’s voice was solemn, a sad smile adorning his
features as he remembered his childhood.

Every time he learned something new about the kid, his respect amplified. This kid has been
through so much, yet, he kept going on and working hard, to survive and to move forward.
“Well, those days are over kid. You’re my son now. Whatever you need you can always come to
me. You’ve worked so hard. Now, let me take over for you. You deserve it.” Let no one say that
Aizawa was cold. He may seem like an unemotional person on the surface but when he cares about
someone he will do anything for them.

__________________________

The next day, Izuku noticed the small enveloped that was left on his bedside. On further
inspection, he realized that Aizawa had left him some money for him to go to the mall. A small
note was left beside it.

Take it, problem child. Families take care of each other. I'll be giving you a weekly allowance from
now on anyway. Be safe.

- Aizawa

If the cashier at the camping store noticed the wet stains on the money, he didn’t comment on it.
Izuku was known to be an emotional crier after all.

_____________________

The shopping trip started out being the most fun Izuku has had in a long time. It was the first time
he went to a mall. He gasped as he looked around the massive building.

It baffled him how so many people could be in the same place and still be able to go out and about
without disturbing each other. The stores were huge, each attracting numerous customer with their
impressive display of products and merchandise.
“Midoriya! you came!” Shouted an excited voice from behind him. He turned around only to be
slammed by someone’s body. His whole body stilled for a moment, fear overtaking him. However,
he relaxed as soon as his eyes caught on the familiar locks of red hair.

Kirishima let go of him after a moment, jumping up and down excitedly as he called the rest of
their classmates over.

“H- hey Kirishima.” Izuku greeted in a low voice. Praying that the redhead didn't notice his
moment of fear.

He greeted the rest of his friends, explaining that he changed his mind at the last second and that he
decided to come.

They seemed satisfied with his explanation, as they soon moved on to planning what they were
going to do for the day.

They quickly decided that they will be splitting up in groups. They will separate depending on
what they needed to buy and where.

In the end, Izuku found himself alone with Uraraka. Yet, the girl soon left too. Worrying him
slightly with the way she suddenly ran away screaming something about bug spray. He decided not
to question it. He was used to being alone, after all.

It seemed that life wasn't going to give him a break anytime soon though. Did he upset some kind
of goddess in his past life or something? Because as soon as Uraraka left, he felt someone’s hand
settle on his shoulder. Shivers ran down his spine as the person whispered something in his ear.

“Hey there, aren’t you that kid that almost won the sports festival?" The man said in a painfully
fake cheerful tone. His voice rang in Izuku’s ears even after he was quiet. Because that voice… It
wasn’t a voice he could easily forget. It was the voice that constantly plagued his dreams after all.
He’d wake up at night with flashes of that day. The day his classmates and his life were put on the
line. The USJ attack.

“Shigaraki.” He mentally congratulated himself for the lack of stutter.

“Oh, so you remember me. This makes it easier. So, here’s the deal Izuku Midoriya.” The man’s
arm moved away from his shoulder. Yet, the relief he felt was short-lived as four calloused fingers
wrapped around his throat. Squeezing menacingly, reminding him that one more finger and he’d be
dead. Turned to ashes in an instant. “Let’s have a little chat.” The man grinned from under his
hoodie. The anomaly making the hair on his back stand on end.

Shigaraki ushered him towards one of the benches that out-looked the center of the mall. People
were passing by them, none of them realizing the danger that they were in, nor the evil that walked
among them.

As soon as they sat down, Shigaraki resumed talking. His hand never leaving Izuku’s throat.

The teen's mind raised as he tried to come up with any plan to escape. To get help or call the
police.

“Easy now, you’re going to stay calm and act like this is just some hanging out between old pals. I
just want to talk so don’t try anything funny okay?” Shigaraki’s hand tightened around his throat
“You already know what my quirk can do…” He drummed his fingers around Izuku’s trembling
skin. Making the threat to his life painfully clear. “Now, giving the way you acted at the USJ, I’m
not going to mention the danger this poses on your own life.” The man scuffed in irritation. “But,
look around brat. One wrong move and they're dead. In the time it will take for a hero to show up
and catch me, I could take twenty- no thirty of these people out. All it’ll take is one touch of a
hand, and they’ll crumble to the ground, turning to dust in seconds.” Shigaraki laughed manically
as he resumed the drumming of his fingers.

He was right. Izuku admitted bitterly to himself. If he wanted to save these people, the only option
here for him was to comply and play along with the villain. It wasn’t just his life that was on the
line. All these people… He needed to be strong, he needed to face this, head on.

“Talk about what?” He asked, applauding himself internally for the way his voice didn’t waver.

Shigaraki smirked as he saw the determination blazing in the hero brat’s eyes. “Smart move. Now,
I want your opinion. The hero killer, he makes me mad.”
“Wasn’t he working with you?” Izuku asks, His voice a damn good impression of Aizawa’s bored
tone. His teacher would be proud.

“I never really agreed to that, even though everyone thinks so…” The villain spat out bitterly.
“That’s the problem. Everyone has their eye on the damnedHero killer, the attack on U.A, the
Nomu I released in Hosu… it’s all being overshadowed by him.No one's noticing me. Why? He
can grandstand all he wants but in the end, all he's doing is destroying what he hates. So, what
makes us any different?" Shigaraki’s hand was tightening more and more around his throat the
more he talked. His frustration was painfully evident.

“I think” Izuku paused for a moment, pondering on what he was about to say. He had to trod lightly
if he wanted to survive this. He didn’t want to anger the man any further. “I think that while I can’t
accept what Stain does, I can at least understand him. For both of us, it all started with All Might.
Back at Hosu, he saved me from the Nomu. So, at the very least, he’s destructive but he’s doing it
for a reason. It’s not just for fun, not at all. His methods may be wrong… But I think he’s at least,
trying to live by his ideals.” He feels Shigaraki’s finger hover dangerously close to the other four.
But as soon as it closes in, the man releases his hand.

Izuku’s whole body shudders as he tries to regain his regular breathing. He can’t help the coughing
fit he goes into as his lungs finally get the amount of air they need.

“Ahh! It all makes so much sense now.” The villain crackles, his demeanor changing to something
different. Unsettling and unstable. “It’s all so clear now! Feels like I’ve connected the dots. About
why the Hero killer pisses me off so much, and why you’re so damned irritating.” Shigaraki’s
laugh is unnatural. Strained. The grin etched on his face makes shivers run down Izuku’s spine.
“It’s all because of All Might.”

Izuku doesn’t even know why he tried to make sense of this. He just wants to get up and scream at
the man sitting next to him. Yet, he doesn’t feel like turning to dust anytime soon. So, he thinks
better of it.

Shigaraki abruptly stands up. Lifting Izuku up with him, making the boy freeze all over again. Was
he going to kill him now?

“It’s been fun, Izuku Midoriya.” The man coos darkly, singing his name in childish glee. “The next
time we’ll meet I won’t be so kind. See you soon, HERO.” His tone takes on a serious tone and just
like that, a dark warp gate turns up from out of nowhere. Engulfing the villain and swallowing him
into the void.
As soon as he’s gone. Izuku drops to his knees. He can feel his breath catching in his throat as the
panic attack he’s been holding off finally burst to the surface. Not able to contain it anymore.

He thinks he hears a familiar voice next to him. Asking him what happened and if he’s alright. But
he can’t breathe, he can’t- he’s trapped. His vision is getting darker and he claws at his chest to
cooperate. Pleading his body to do anything. To breathe.

Arms wrap around his shoulder and his body stiffens under them. Yet, it’s not the death grip that
Shigaraki held him in, mere moments ago. This one’s different. He looks up and suddenly all he
sees are hazel brown eyes, staring intently at him. Whispering reassuring words as she calms him
down.

Uraraka acts like an anchor, she grounds him and helps him take a hold of the reality around him
again. With stuttering, shaky words, he explains what happened and soon enough he’s being
ushered to the police station by a couple of officers.

He expects to be interrogated and questioned for a long time. However, it all goes smoothly and
unnaturally fast. The officers lead him into an office in the corner of the station. As soon as he
walks in, Detective Tsukauchi and All Might are there. They ask him about the day’s events,
making sure he feels comfortable and at ease.

He tells them everything, taking in some peace at having his mentor next to him as he recalls the
conversation he had with the villain.

“My boy, I’m glad you’re okay.” All Might says as soon as he finished repeating his story.

“I-I’m sorry I couldn’t catch him All Might.” He mumbles, head bowed in shame and guilt.

Strangely it’s Tsukauchi who speaks up next. “On the contrary kid. You did good kid. You acted
calmly and rationally under pressure. Managed to keep a level head and prevent the worst outcome
from happening. You saved lives today, Midoriya! Those people have you to thank for their
safety.”

His shoulder slump in relief. At least he did something right.

Izuku opens his mouth to answer but just as he’s about to speak, the door to the office burst open.
In walks in a disheveled looking Aizawa. The man’s eyes scan the room and as soon as his eyes
land on Izuku. He rushes forward.

Arms wrap around him and this time the contact is welcomed. Aizawa has always managed to calm
him down and make him feel safe.

"I told you to be safe, problem child." The man mumbles into his hair. Adamant on keeping the
contact.

“I’m sorry.” Izuku can feel the tension seeping out of his limps as he finally relaxes after today’s
stressful events.

They break away and Izuku tells Shouta a fast version of the story. Both of them oblivious to the
soft smiles that are directed at them by the Detective and the symbol of peace.

That night, Izuku found himself unable to sleep. He twists and turns, his head unable to shut off the
thoughts that are plaguing his mind.

Shigaraki’s voice plays in his thoughts in an endless loop.

‘The next time we’ll meet, I won’t be so kind. See you soon Hero.’

The next time… See you soon.

Dread fills his guts and he hopes that whatever Shigaraki is planning, that it will work out okay for
them in the end. Sleep overtakes him finally that night. He dreamt of the USJ, of calloused fingers
squeezing and squeezing until he can’t even take his final breath.

Izuku dreamt and in his dreams, he drowns.

Chapter End Notes

Really excited to write what happens next!

Next up: Training camp Arc!

 Trust
Chapter Notes

New chapter! We're getting closer to the action!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The next few days passed by in a blur. Aizawa kept hovering and fretting over him, all weekend. It
was strange, yet endearing, to see that side of his homeroom teacher’s personality. Clearly, the mall
incident worried him. Izuku was lucky to have him as his guardian. They even spent the day
packing together for the training camp.

Soon enough, they were all standing in front of the bus. Ready to go on the summer camping trip.

Looking around, Izuku noticed the way his classmates were practically vibrating in their places.
Each one of them showing various signs of excitement. Uraraka, Kirishima and Kaminari were
jumping around, yelling and shouting about the fun they were going to have, while others showed
subtle signs. Like the light tapping of Yaoyorozu’s foot against the asphalt as she talked quietly to
Jirou, or the slightly more enthusiastic shop of Iida’s hand as he organized the class’s seats on the
bus.

Izuku realized, he really enjoyed watching his friend’s antics, with a fond smile on his face.
They’ve been through so much together. It served to bring them closer to one another. They were
family.

As they clambered onto their seats, it came as a pleasant surprise to see that Shinsou was on the
bus too. Apparently, he was going to participate in the training camp in hopes to later join the hero
course when the next semester starts. It made him really happy to see that his friend’s dreams were
being set into place.

Izuku settles on taking the seat next to Uraraka. They had grown closer since the start of school.
He enjoys the light conversation they have and ever has always found great comfort in being
around her upbeat demeanor.
The bus starts up and Izuku finds himself slowly falling asleep as he listened to the soft chatter
coming from his classmates.

The next time he woke up, it was to a gentle hand shaking him awake. Groggily, he opened his
eyes to find a slightly amused Sero staring back at him.

“Hey man, the bus stopped, Aizawa said it was for a small break. I guessed that you’d want to take
a break and maybe stretch your legs for a bit?” The dark-haired teen explained sheepishly as he
waited to see Izuku’s reaction.

Although slightly disappointed at getting woken up, Izuku was grateful for the thoughtfulness
shown by his classmate. Slowly he got up and followed the other teen out into the field.

His classmates were all gathered in front of Aizawa. The teacher seemed to be waiting for
something. The glint in his eyes made him swallow in morbid anticipation. He’d learned to know
Aizawa’s moods and this was the: ‘I have logical ruse planned look’. What did Aizawa have in
store for them?

His questions were answered when two figures emerged, seemingly, out of nowhere.

“Heya, Eraser!” One of the figures exclaimed loudly, once she got closer, Izuku immediately
recognized her as one of the Wild- wild pussy cats, Pixie Bob. Behind her, stood Mandalay, the
second member of the hero team.

“Rock on with these sparkling gazes” Mandalay singsongs as she strikes a dramatic pose.

“Stingingly cute and catlike!” Pixie Bob continued only for them to exclaim the end together.
“We’re the Wild-wild Pussy cats!”

"Class, these are the heroes that will be helping us this time. The Pussycats."

Izuku’s eyes shown with excitement and anticipation. He remembered the section in his hero
analyses book that he reserved for the Pussycats. They’re a four-member hero team who all work
under the same agency. They specialize in mountain rescue operations, they’ve been in business for
twelve years now- He was cut off by a hand ruffling his hair. He looked up to see Shinsou. The
latter had a knowing smile on his face. Izuku’s face heated up as he realized that he was muttering.

“Hey! We’re 18 at heart kid!” Mandalay exclaimed incredulity with a huff. The pout on her face
gave her a look even more similar to that of a cat.

“This whole area here is our territory.” Pixie Bob continued, undeterred by Izuku’s previous
muttering. “Your lodging is at the foot of the mountain over there” She pointed at a mountain that
seemed to be too far to be able to reach.

“So, why did we stop here if it’s all the way over there?” Uraraka asked the question that was on
everyone’s mind.

“It’s 9:35 now, I’m thinking… around noon, at the earliest.”

Izuku’s eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen.

He thinks, he heard Aizawa mutter a quiet “Sorry kid” Before the mountain collapsed from under
them and they were all falling down the hill.

The training has already begun.

______________________

Trying to ignore the ringing in his ears, Izuku shakily lifted himself off the ground. Around him,
his classmates were in a similar predicament. Once they were all on their feet, they realized what
they had to do.

Apparently, the start of their training consisted of trying to get to camp. It would be tiring since it
was so far away but easy in hindsight. However, the rumbling in the trees made it painfully clear
that it wasn’t going to be easy.
Just as he finished his line of thought, huge monsters emerged from the forest. On closer
inspection, he realized that they were a product of Pixie bob's quirk; Earth flow. The hero had the
ability to create a variety of golem-like creatures out of the ground since her quirk allowed her to
manipulate earth freely.

Gathering himself, he called out to his classmates. “Guys, these creatures are strong but if we work
together, we can get passed them!”

He caught Iida’s eye and the teen nodded in his direction. Looking back, he got similar reactions
from his classmates. Just like that, they were off.

Izuku rushed at one of the creatures, One for All flowed through his veins as he smashed the earth
monster clean through, providing an opening for the rest of his friends.

Iida sped past him and rammed his leg into on the other monster’s head as Todoroki froze the other
with his ice. The creatures were strong but so were they. Even people whose quirks didn’t work on
the monsters, like Kouda or Shinsou, were able to hold their own.

They worked in tandem, like a well-oiled machine. Even Bakugou seemed to be hanging back and
helping others if they faced any difficulty.

_______________________

It wasn’t until 5 that they reached the camp. By then, the whole class was trying not to collapse
where they stood. They were all soaked from head to toe in sweat and dirt. All of them breathing
heavily and wanting to just curl up on themselves and fall asleep.

“Oh! You’re here! We actually thought that it would take you longer!” Mandalay exclaimed
excitedly, her upbeat attitude only initiating groans from the class.

“And you dealt with my earth beasts pretty easily, too. Not bad… Especially you four.” She
pointed at the four who made it back first. The group consisting of Midoriya, Todoroki, Bakugou,
and Iida.

Ignoring the way Pixie-bob was currently jumping around them, Izuku’s eyes wandered to the
small boy that seemed to be standing aside. He was on the cliff too, he remembered seeing him just
before everything went to hell.

“Hey, the boy. Who is he?” He asked curiously, wanting to know why they had brought a kid here.

“Oh!” Mandalay seemed to perk up at that. “This is actually my nephew!” She turned to face the
kid before calling out for him. “Kota, come over and say hello, you’ll be spending a week with
these guys after all!”

The boy scuffed and glared at them, not bothering to do anything. It was, however, Kaminari’s
brilliant idea to approach the boy instead. He got a kick to the crotch as a response. The boys all
winced in sympathy as Iida went on a tangent about the disrespect of such actions.

“I can’t abide jerks who want to become heroes.” The kid muttered as he walked away. Not even
glancing back at the chaos he ensued.

The commotion was only stopped when Aizawa decided to step in "Enough of this. Go get your
luggage from the bus, drop your things off in your rooms, then come to dinner in the mess hall.
After that, you'll bathe. Then it's bedtime. The real training starts tomorrow." His voice was
steeled, no space for argument. "Hurry up." That got the class moving in a pace that seemed
impossible for how tired they were.

___________________________
Dinner was relatively uneventful, everyone was too busy eating. However, it wasn’t until they
found out that the bath was an actual hot spring that Izuku was faced with a rather worrying
dilemma.

He watched as his classmates undressed in the boy’s locker room. Each one of them not even
thinking twice about going to the hot springs in just the towel wrapped around their waists

Izuku, on the other hand, was trying to work himself down from a panic attack. How was he
supposed to bath in front of everyone without them finding out about the scars that littered his
body?

One look at him and everyone would know. They would all see the truth, the painful and gruesome
truth that was carved on his body. Scars that spoke of years of misery and torment. Years of torture
and abuse. Scars that were a horrible testament of how broken he really was.

Izuku feared the looks they would give him. The looks of pity and sadness that would cross their
features. The glint in their eyes that meant that they’d never look at him the same way again.

He didn’t even realize that he had started hyperventilating until a hand clasped his shoulder.

A soft voice whispering in his ear to calm down, to breathe. He looked up to see heterochromatic
eyes staring intently back at him. Worry evident in the usual blank eyes of the fire and ice user.

“Midoriya, what’s wrong?”

Most of the other students had left for the springs by now. It was only him and Todoroki now. On
a second glance, he could see Shinsou lingering by the door. A similar look of concern adorned his
features.

“Midoriya?” Todoroki called out again.

By now, Izuku’s breathing had come to a semi-normal pace. Moderate enough for him to stutter
out a response.
“T- the hot springs… we’ll be in nothing but t-towels r-right?”

“If anything, Midoriya, I think you are the last person that should be ashamed of their body. If the
way you flipped me the other day was any proof of how strong you are.” Shinsou muttered quietly.
A smirk gracing his features.

It was Todoroki that responded instead. With a slight shake to the head, the half and half user
spoke. "That's not it Midoriya, is it?" His voice was soft, holding no judgment whatsoever.

The greenette shook his head in response.

“Is it because of the scars?” Shinsou’s eyes widened in realization at Todoroki’s words. His mouth
contorting into an ‘o’.

Izuku nodded slowly, his head bowed down in shame. He was being pathetic, what hero couldn’t
even be brave enough to do something so simple as bathing in front of others.

“Hey, Midoriya.” Todoroki’s voice didn’t waver as he called out for him. “Look at me.” His eyes
lifted up to see a look of sad understanding on the teens face. “It’s okay, you can wrap a towel
around your shoulders, I can ask Aizawa to give us one of the big ones. We can sit with you and
prevent the others from getting too close too.” Shinsou nodded from his position near the exit.

“T-Thank you guys.”

He didn’t know what he did to have such good friends. He promised he’d make it up to them later.

__________________________

His friends ignored him for the most part, only shooting him curious glances for the most part.
They seemed to understand his need for privacy as he practically used Shinsou and Todoroki's
bodies as human shields against the other's stares.
It was all going relatively well, calming of the sort. His body relaxed as the heat coming from the
water seeped into his aching muscles. His peace, however, was interrupted when Mineta decided it
was a great idea to peep at the girls that were bathing on the other side of the wall that separated
the two springs.

“We’re here to overcome those walls! Plus Ultra!” The grape haired boy exclaimed as he started
scaling the wall.

Iida was shouting at the shorter teen to behave himself, screaming at him to respect his female
classmates while the other boys were either shouting too or just shaking their heads in disgust and
disappointment.

Mineta had almost reached the top when the small fist of Kota connected with his forehead.

"A hero, really?! Try being a basic human being first!" The boy shouted before ramming his fist
into the teens head. Effectively knocking him backward.

The boy was previously stationed up there in order to keep an eye on the boys. Aizawa having
already warned the pussy cats about Mineta’s pervert tendencies.

Mineta fell. However, this wasn’t what made Izuku move. He watched as Kota seemed to lose his
balance too. The boy falling down too.

Izuku’s feet moved before he could think twice about it. He dashed out of the water and leaped up
to catch the falling boy before he could injure himself on the rocks below.

He heard quiet gasps from the students behind him as soon as he landed safely back on the ground,
a passed-out Kota in his arms.

Turning around slowly, he was met with the distressed looks of his friends. All of them speechless
as they stared at his now barred upper body. The towel that was previously shielding his scars
from the rest had been discarded at some point when he was busy saving Kota. Various looks of
fear and worry were etched on their features. A pregnant quiet settling between them.

The quiet only broken by Kirishima’s horrified whisper. “Midoriya…” His tone was sad, his gaze
looking at Izuku with a mixture of anger and gloom.
Without another word, Izuku ran out of the room. Quickly grabbing a jacket before hurrying to take
Kota to the heroes.

________________________

“Must have passed out from fear of falling… thanks for bringing him here.” Mandalay thanked
him quietly as she helped him lay the still unconscious Kota on the couch in the middle of the
lounge. “We put him up there on guard because Eraserhead had warned us about one of your
classmates.”

"I'm just glad that no one was hurt," Izuku replied quietly, his mind still reeling from the constant
images that plagued his mind. The looks he got from his classmates. Strangely enough, they
weren't looks of pity. He could've sworn he saw anger practically ooze from his friend’s
demeanors. He hoped that they wouldn’t ask too many questions.

“You sure did act fast though” Mandalay continued quietly, unaware of Izuku’s internal
monologue.

Looking at the boy before him, he remembers what he said when they arrived. ‘I can’t abide jerks
who want to become heroes’

“Kota… He seemed really opposed to heroes.” Mandalay hummed in response, urging him to
continue “All my life, I’ve been surrounded by people who practically worship heroes and want to
become one themselves. I can’t imagine a kid his age not wanting to be one too…”

"Right. In our society, there are few people who don't look up to heroes. He'd probably look up to
heroes too if he was raised normally."

“…Normally? Wh-“He was cut off by Pixie bob’s voice as she entered the room.

“Mandalay’s cousins… were Kota’s parents. They were heroes who died in the line of duty.” She
replied solemnly. “Two years ago, they were protecting civilians from a villain. There’s no better
way for heroes to meet their end. An honorable death.”

It was Mandalay who spoke now, her voice was soft as she wiped the boy’s forehead with a wet
cloth. “For a boy who’d only just started learning about the world he couldn’t understand that…”
She let out a small breath. “His parents were his entire world. To him, it was like they had left him
all alone. But society just kept praising them… Saying that what they did was great and noble. To
Kota, Heroes are nasty people that he can’t understand. He only agreed to let us raise him because
he didn’t have any other living relatives.”

The room settled in silence as the information sank in.

“Now, you need to go rest young man.” Pixie Bob said after a moment, her tone somehow strained
despite her upbeat demeanor. “Thank you again for saving him!”

_____________________

He walked back to the boy’s lounge, contemplating what he had just learned. Maybe, he could try
to change Kota’s view on heroes. In his life, he met so many different viewpoints. They were all
valid. Yet, he couldn’t help but want to help Kota see the importance of the hero’s roles in society.

He stopped just as he reached the doors that led to their rooms. Almost had forgotten about the
events form the last few hours.

Todoroki and Shinsou were both waiting for him there. Todoroki was sitting, his back against the
wall, while Shinsou was leaning against the opposite wall. As soon as they saw him, they both got
to their feet, straitening up and meeting him halfway.

“Midoriya!” They greeted in unison.

“Look, I’m okay, just… tired.” Let’s get this over with.” He mumbled as he walked passed them.
However, before he reached the door Shinsou spoke again.
 “If you’re worried about them asking questions, don’t. We already talked to them. They agreed to
respect your privacy.”

Izuku’s eyes widened in disbelief. Did they really do that? For him?

“I- I don’t- “

“Don’t worry, they were all pretty shaken up. Mostly worried and angry for you. But, they all
understand your wish for them to not talk about it.” The purple haired teen continued.

“Thank you, guys… For everything.” They both nodded their heads in response.

Izuku pushed open the door, and just like Shinsou had said, nobody asked any unwanted questions.
Everyone treated him as if nothing had happened. He could feel a couple of eyes watching him but
they weren't unwelcome. That night, he realized just how much his friends cared about him.

Maybe, someday he would be comfortable enough to tell them everything.

Chapter End Notes

Soooooooo plz let me know what you think about this chapter! I'm currently writing
the next! Pretty excited to get to the villain attack! Thank you for everyone who has
been supporting me through this!
 My hero
Chapter Notes

Okay, so first of all. There aren't many changes to canon in this chapter but believe me
when I say that the outcome with change drastically!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Izuku wakes up to the sound of clanking metal. It serves as an annoying yet, efficient way to get
them up. Soon enough, all the boys were wide awake and searching for the source of the noise.

His eyes land on the very tired looking form of his teacher. Aizawa is hitting two frying pans
together as he circles the room. The man is wearing pink sweatpants instead of his usual black
jumpsuit and has his hair in a braid. It's only when he seems satisfied enough, with the end result,
that he retreats back out of the boy’s lounge. Without a second glance to the awestruck teens he left
behind.

Deafening silence takes over the room for a couple of seconds before it's broken by none other
than Kaminari. The latter whispers a quiet “What the fuck” in a mix of confusion and shock.

It feels like a pin dropped and suddenly, the calm is replaced with utter chaos as the boys try to
make sense of what they just witnessed. They make a collective decision to not bring it up again.

Izuku is proud of the way he managed to act just as surprised as the others. Given that he’s already
seen Aizawa-sensei like that and has grown used to his guardian’s antics. He barely manages to
stifle his laughter, at his classmate’s reactions.

Once fully dressed, they walk out into the main field. All of them are still groggy and tired from
the lack of sleep following yesterday’s events. Yet, the girls seemed much sleepier than the guys.
Given the way the boys were woken up though, it’s only natural.

“Today, the real training camp begins.” Aizawa says as soon as they are within hearing range.
Their teacher appears back to his usual clad in black self. “Ideally you will all emerge stronger.
Strong enough to acquire your provisional licenses. More specifically, there’s a growing hostile
force out there, through this, we will prepare you to face it. So, stay sharp and work hard.” His
eyes sweeping the field, leveling each and every one of them with a stern stare. He’s making sure
we know the severity of the situation, Izuku notes.

Aizawa then beckons Bakugou over, tossing him the same ball they used in the quirk apprehension
test.

“Last time, when school started, your record was 705.2 meters… How much have you grown since
then?” Sensei enquires.

Bakugou scuffs as he prepares himself to throw the ball. His stance is confident and his demeanor
unwavering. He retracts his arm and fires off an explosion that rattles the ground around them.
Yelling his usual “Die!!” As he watches the ball sore through the sky.

Yet, when the meter beeps, the screen lights up posting the barely changed number of 709.6.

Bakugou visibly stiffens as the rest of the class deflates. All of them expecting a somewhat bigger
change.

Izuku now realizes the purpose of this demonstration.

“You have been through a lot these past few months… Undoubtedly you all have grown. But it’s
only your techniques and mind that have matured. Well, and your bodies a bit too.” He adds as an
afterthought. “But as you have just seen, your quirks haven’t kept up with the pace.” He walking
closer to them. His eyes staring at them with an intensity even bigger than before. “Starting today,
you will improve on your quirks. This will be harsh and grueling… So, do your best. Plus, ultra!”

Looking around at his class, Aizawa can see the newly lit fire under each one of his kids. He sees
the blazing determination in their eyes. He knew they’d take it to heart.

Just like that, they dive into their individual training. Each one working on improving and
strengthening their quirks while working on their weaknesses.

Izuku knows that to strengthen his quirk, he’ll need to improve his physical abilities. Work on
building more muscle and working on his fighting style. He came a long way with the help of his
teachers and mentors. Now, his improvement depends on his own hard work.

The day passes in a mess of sweaty and strenuous work. By the time lunch comes by, they can
barely stand on their feet. Exhaustion weighs them down as they try to move their aching limbs.

Yet, they manage to prepare their meals and soon enough, they are all sitting in the cafeteria,
enjoying their semi-edible meal. The teachers have already decided that making their food would
be their own responsibility.

Izuku notices Mandalay’s nephew slip off to the woods. Making an attempt to connect with the kid,
he takes an extra bowl of food and follows the kid into the forest.

Somehow, they find themselves on a cliff a couple of blocks from camp.

Izuku makes his presence known by calling out to the boy. Kota seems startled a bit, however, his
surprise turns to anger as soon as he realizes who followed him.

“You! How’d you know where I was?” The kid shouts indignantly.

“I thought you might be hungry… so, I followed your footsteps here. Here’s a plate. It’s curry…”
Izuku replies bashfully, rubbing his neck nervously as he sets the bowl next to Kota.

“Nope, don’t want it. Like I already said, I don’t feel like fraternizing with that sort of you people.
So, get away from my secret base!” He seems to get angrier the more he kept talking.

“Look, Kota, I know about your parents…” Before the kid could shout some more, Izuku raises his
hand up. A motion for the boy to wait. Strangely enough, he does. “They were the water hose
heroes, weren’t they. It’s really unfortunate what happened to them and society is pretty messed up
for praising something like that.”

The kid seems to be speechless so, Izuku continues and pushes on.

“But, you need to know that they aren’t just going out there playing heroes and villains. Heroes are
out there because they help the people who need saving. Your parents didn't die for nothing. They
died because they were helping someone.” There’s a pause, as he gathers his bearing to say what
he wants to say. “I- I needed a hero once and they didn’t show up right away…but they eventually
did. They might have been late but they were there in the end when I needed them the most. And
without them, I wouldn’t be here right now…” He lifts his gaze, meeting the shocked stare of the
smaller boy. “My words may not seem like much right now. But one day, maybe, you’ll
understand.”

The kid seems to snap out of his confused daze.

“You don’t know just when to shut up don’t you? Just go away!” His eyes shine with frustrated
tears as he yells at Izuku to just leave him alone. Izuku understands that his words are nothing more
of a stranger’s words to the kid. He can at least see that. He walks away, promising that he’ll help
this kid. After all, giving help that’s not asked for is what makes a true hero.

_____________________

Later that day, as the sun began to set, they were gathering in front of the forest. The trees are
shrouded in darkness, making the next test, they’ll endure, even harder.

They’re having a test of courage. Each pair of students will go venture the forest. The students are
supposed to retrieve their individual name tags. The opposite team, in this case, class 1-b is
supposed to make it hard for them by scaring them or as Tiger, the third member of the pussycats
refers to it, they’re supposed to “Make them piss themselves”. This allowed a versatile use of each
of their quirks and a strengthening in courage for the opposing team.

They drew lots and strangely enough, Izuku ended up paired with Shinsou.

The test starts, the first to go into the forest are Uraraka and Tsuyu. They are quickly followed by
Bakugou and Todoroki though. They sit there, each team waiting for their respective turns.

Yet, something feels off… There’s some kind of tingling sensation just under his skin. It feels like
there are a thousand ants crawling up his spine. Like they’re being watched. It's the same feeling
he got that day back at the USJ. However, Izuku just shrugs it off, thinking It must just be the
courage test getting to him. After all, the forest can be creepy at night.

This was his first mistake.

It’s just a couple of minutes later, that he thinks he smells something burning. At first, they think it
must be the result of one of the student’s quirks. Knowing that Todoroki and Bakugou both have
fire-based abilities.

Their doubts are proven wrong when the flames turned out to be blue. The flames were dancing
and flickering from within the forest. Burning brighter by the minute.

He can only stand there, frozen as Pixie-Bob is suddenly flung across the clearing. Her head
colliding with some kind of metal weapon. The remaining pussy cats, Mandalay and Tiger can only
watch in horror as their third member falls limp to the ground. Blood trickling from a gash to her
head.

Ever so slowly, two dark figures emerge from the flames. They walk with purpose as a threatening
aura practically oozes from their every move. One of them has a lizard mutation, he’s wearing a
poor imitation of Stains costume as he swings a weapon made of multiple swords. Next to him,
walks another villain. They hold the same weapon that hit Mandalay in their hand. The hero lays
motionless at their feet.

Izuku’s blood runs cold as he realizes what’s happening. The league of villains is attacking the
camp.

He looks around him, taking note of the remaining students.

The only students left are Shinsou, Iida, and a couple of others. Still, most of the class has already
gone out to the forest. His gaze flickers to the Pussy Cats. All of them are already in fighting
stances. Their posture tense, ready for anything at any moment.

He startles as he hears Mandalay’s voice in his head. ‘WE ARE UNDER ATTACK BY TWO
VILLAINS! THERE MIGHT BE MORE OUT THERE! ALL THOSE, WHO CAN, SHOULD GET
BACK TO CAMP AT ONCE! IF YOU ENCOUNTER AN ENEMY, DON’T ENGAGE! JUST
RETREAT!’
“Get going, everyone! And remember, now fighting! Lead them back class president!” Mandalay
hollers from her position, not even glancing back at them, her eyes are trained on the incoming
threat.

“Understood! Let’s go!” Iida shouts back, his tone serious as he eyes the villain warily. Izuku is
certain that it must be unsettling for him to see one of Stain’s followers here.

As he prepares himself to follow his classmates back to camp, he remembers Kota. The last time he
saw the kid, he was going to his secret hideout.

He can’t leave him alone out there. The pussy cats will be too busy to even get to him in time.
What if he gets attacked by one of the villains.

“Midoriya! Let’s go!” Shinsou urges from behind him.

Before he can even think twice about it, he’s already speaking up. “Go on without me guys!”

“What do you mean Midoriya!?” Iida shouts back incredulously.

“Mandalay! I know where he is!” He ignores his friend’s shouts, knowing that they wouldn’t let
him go unless Mandalay agrees to it.

The hero’s eyes flicker towards him, her expression turns from shock to understanding as she
realizes who he’s talking about.

“Be careful! Get him and go straight back to camp!” She finally turns towards him; her eyes held
an air of authority. He has never really felt it before, coming from her. She looks at him and he
feels the seriousness and weight of the situation settle on his shoulders. With a nod to his friends,
he runs off. Ignoring the distance shouts for him to stop, to wait for at least one of them to go with
him.

Meanwhile, back at the camp, Aizawa and the remedial kids hear Mandalay’s broadcast. Each and
everyone one of them prays for their friend’s safety. Aizawa already moving to help the others.
 ______________________

“Damn Idiot! What makes him think he understands how I’m feeling!” Kota scuffs under his
breath as he recalls the conversation he had with the green haired boy.

However, before he can even continue his line of thought, a voice rings in his head. Mandalay’s
voice is panicked and distressed as she addresses him directly. It’s the first time he’s heard her this
distraught. “Kota! Do you hear me? Get back to camp!”She orders, her tone desperate “I’m sorry I
don’t- I don’t know where you’re always running off to! I’m sorry, I won’t be able to come for you!
You need to go back now!”

He can’t help the fear and confusion that engulfs his senses. He looks around and finally sees the
blue fire that’s quickly spreading through the forest.

His fear turns into horror as he hears a voice from behind him. The voice is foreign, unfamiliar. “I
didn’t expect to find anyone here, never mind a child! I’m going to have fun with you kid!” Shivers
run down his spine at the sheer amount of malice oozing from every syllable the man utters. Ever
so slowly, he turns around. In front of him stood a cloaked figure. The man is tall and his built is
imposing.

The villain steps closer and as soon as Kota sees his face his blood runs cold. It feels as if the
world comes crashing down around him as he comes face to face with the man that has been
plaguing his nightmares ever since his parents died. Ever since his parents were murdered.
Because, right in front of him, stands none other than his parent’s killer.

His eyes are as red as he remembers seeing them on the news. He has one of them missing, he
notes. Kota remembers hearing that his parents were the ones that caused it, so long ago.

The villain raises his fist in the air, his whole stance changing. Kota remembers seeing his aunt
move like that while training. It’s a posture for when they’re about to charge. To fight.

His mind screams at him to move, to run, to do anything. He doesn’t. His feet feel like they’re
made of lead as he stays frozen in his spot. He can’t move, he can breathe.
The man laughs as he inches closer, a manically wide grin can be seen from just under his hood. It
makes him feel sick. Kota squeezes his eyes shut in anticipation of the blow. Yet, it never comes.
He feels his body being shoved back, strong arms wrap around his midsection as he’s being carried
away. He expects pain but it never comes. Instead, he’s gently let down to the ground.

Hesitantly, he opens his eyes. There, standing in front of him, like some kind of shield is none other
than the green haired boy.

“It’s going to be okay Kota! I’m going to save you!”

________________________

One for All flows through Izuku’s veins as he races through the forest, his surroundings blur
together as he runs faster and faster. He needs to get to Kota before any of the villains get to him.
He just hopes that the kid is safe.

He finally sees the clearing, he can’t help the curse that escapes his mouth as he sees the figure
towering over the smaller boy.

He prays he won’t be too late as he dashes between them. Scooping the kid in his arms as he leaps
to the other side of the clearing, noting the way the kid shivers in his hold. He was almost too late.
He sets Kota down gently behind him. Making it clear for the villain that if he wants to get to the
kid, he’ll have to go through him.

“Hey! What- Oh! I know you! You’re on the list! You and the Bakugou kid!” The villain exclaims,
his voice shows excitement albeit slight disappointment.

List? What do they want with Bakugou? He needs to find a way to warn him. Still, he needs to
focus on the more pressing matter right now.

Izuku ignores the man in favor of addressing the kid behind him.

“It’s going to be okay Kota! I’m going to save you!” His heart pounds in his chest and his ears fill
with static. Nonetheless, he knows that he needs to remain calm. For both himself and Kota. He
needs to assess the situation and come up with a consequent plan. His phone got crushed when he
jumped, and no one knows where he went so he can’t expect backup any time soon. Somehow,
he’s going to have to face this villain alone.

He recognizes the man before him as ‘Muscular’, he’s seen him on the news before. His gaze lands
on the man’s missing eye and he can’t help the way his eyes widen at the horrible realization. This
man is the villain that took down the Water hose heroes. Kota’s parents.

He puts the information at the back of his mind as he tries to focus on the task at hand.

From the information he has on the villain, the man has a muscle augmentation quirk. It allows
him to augment the muscle fibers that are beneath his skin, effectively increasing the power and
speed behind his movements.

“You’re going to save him?” The villain bellows loudly as he laughs hysterically, the sound wicked
and mocking. “A hero would say that… Always spouting bullshit about justice and all that
nonsense” Pink, raw muscle starts to form on his arm as he powers up his quirk “You’re Midoriya
right? This is perfect! You’re our priority on the list! Bossman wants you alive though, what a
shame.” He sighs in annoyance; However, his features are soon overtaken by a sickly grin that
makes Izuku’s gut churn in dread “They didn’t say you had to be in one piece though…”

With that, the villain charges. Izuku barely has time to push Kota out of the way before he’s being
flung in the air. His back hit the mountain-side, hard. His breath getting knocked out of him in the
process as he hears a sickening crack in his ribs. He wheezes as he tries to get back up, only to be
kicked again.

“What was that again? You’re going to save him, right? So, why are you just sitting there? That’s a
weird way to save someone!”

His head hits the rocks and he feels dampness spread down his forehead. Yet, he doesn’t hesitate to
stand back up.

“Oh, so you do have some fight in you! That makes it even better!” The villain charges again.
Izuku manages to lift his hand up to counter just in time for the blow to come. It proves to be the
wrong move when he feels his bones shatter under the power of the hit. He swallows down the
urge to scream as he’s thrown back again. Barely managing to contain the hiss of pain that
threatens to escape his lips.

He feels the strengths leave his limbs as pain overtakes him. Yet, he remembers the crying and
shivering form of Kota’s body in his arms. It spurs him into action as he gathers whatever resolve
he has and gets back up again. He doesn’t miss a beat as he rushes at the villain, powering
whatever percentage of One for all he can handle and pouring it into one hit.

Nevertheless, the villain seems completely unfazed as his smile grows larger.

“So weak! Is this your quirk! You’re like an inferior version of me! Still, think you can save the
kid? You really ought to be honest with yourself!” He raises his arm ready to deal the finishing
blow. Izuku doesn’t think he’s going to be able to dodge.

A voice rings out from behind them. Making the villain pause as he’s about to move.

“Water Hose… My parents. Did you torment them like this when you killed them!?” Kota cries
out, his voice wavers and cracks as fresh tears roll down his cheeks. He’s shaking in his boots and
yet, he’s standing up to the man who cost him so much.

Izuku curses himself for letting this happen. Muscular turns fully towards the boy, he marches
towards him as he replies.

“Whoa, you’re their kid? This must be fate or something! Water Hose! They’re the ones that gave
me this glass eye!” He declares, pointing at the glass eye taking the place of his missing one. “I
don’t really hold a grudge against them though, I killed people just like I wanted to and they tried to
stop me. We all did our best and had to live with the consequences. What’s bad is when you can’t
put your money where your mouth is! Just like your mom and dad!” Izuku watches as the villain
towers over the child. He moves before his mind registers it. A plan quickly forming in his mind.

He can’t match him in speed and he can’t damage him. Which means he has to look for a loophole.
A way around Muscular’s powers.

Izuku leaps in the air, fully expecting it when the man turns around to face him. “AHA I KNEW
YOU WOULD ATTACK ME YOU BRAT!” The man brags as his eyes meet his own, only to
widen as he realizes his plan. Izuku jams his broken arms into the man’s muscle, effectively
stopping further augmentation. “So? Going to hit me with that weak arm of yours?” Muscular
mocks him with a scuff

“Doesn’t matter if I can or can’t…because heroes…” He retracts his remaining arm, Powering up
his fist. He feels One for all pulse through his veins, prepares himself for the impending pain
“Heroes risk their lives! Turning talk into action is what we do!” He screams, his voice raw
with emotion as he summons one hundred percent of his powers and finally hits his target.

The resulting pain is piercing as he feels all the bones in his arm shatter simultaneously. The
shockwave sends both, him and Kota flying backward. Izuku barely manages to catch the kid
before he topples over the cliff.

Kota can only stare in awe and horror as Midoriya, despite his alarming injuries, stands back up.
“Let’s get back to camp… it’s not far from- “Izuku’s voice slowly fades away as the ground
behind them rumbles. From the dust emerges the villain. Muscular seems relatively unharmed, if
only slightly disgruntled and tired.

“No way… no freaking way… that was at 100%” Izuku whispered in shock, the same crippling
fear overtaking him once again. Even with All might’s power, Muscular was still standing.

“S- STAY BACK!” Izuku shouts, his tone desperate despite knowing fully well that the villain
won’t stop. Won’t back down.

“No way, that power of yours! I’m not going to be playing around anymore. I’m coming at you
with everything I have!” The villain retorts, the same manically wide grin etched on his features.

“Kota! GRAB ON!” The boy scrambles onto his shoulders just as muscular charges at them. They
dodge just in time for the hit to miss them. Their landing is rough but it’s Izuku who takes the brunt
of it for Kota’s sake.

Quickly positioning himself in front of the boy, he prepares for whatever the villain has in store for
them next.

“I thought you wanted me alive!” He shouts, trying to stall as much as he can in order to form some
kind of plan.

“Oh! I did but now… Now I’m excited! I want to see just how strong you really are Izuku
Midoriya!” The man’s tone sends chills down his spine as he realizes just how much stronger
Muscular got. The man was really just playing with them before.

“Get back Kota! I’m going to charge at him now and when I do I’m going to need you to run. As
fast as you can! Run back to camp! Okay?” He whispers to the shaking form behind him, his eyes
trained on the threat facing him.

“Run? No! What about you? Don’t do it! It’s hopeless! Let’s just run!” The kid pleads, his voice
shakes and cracks with every syllable. “You saw… your attack didn’t even put a scratch on him!
And your arms… They’re both broken- “

“IT'S OKAY!” He interrupts the child, his voice unwavering as he positions himself into a fighting
stance. “Trust me Kota!” He doesn’t miss a beat as he leaps at the villain, his fist powered up to the
maximum as he meets the man halfway. “DETROIT SMASH” He yells as he pours all his
strengths in one final stand. One more leap of faith. “I WON’T LET HIM GET PAST ME KOTA!
SO… RUN!” He screams at the top of his lungs; his legs dig into the concrete and his arms ache
with every pulse of energy. Yet, he stands his ground.

“DAMN KID! YOU’RE SOMETHING ELSE!” Muscular exclaims, his voice strained as he
counters Izuku’s hit with his own.

“RUN KOTA! RUN!” He feels his body giving out as Muscular overpowers him. Darkness begins
to engulf his vision as he thinks that maybe this is it. Maybe, that’s how he dies.

A small gush of water splashes Muscular’s back, making the villain pause and look behind him.
With lidded eyes, Izuku sees the way Kota trembles, his arms raised as he addresses the villain.

“Stop it!” Kota screams desperately. Izuku curses himself internally for ever thinking about giving
up. Because, what was he thinking? Kota was still counting on him and what was he doing? Giving
up?

He has people who are counting on him. He has people who care about him. He’ll fight even if it’s
the last thing he does.

“Wait your turn okay kid? I’ll kill you after I’m done with this brat!” Muscular replies smugly,
barely noticing the way Izuku’s eyes shoot open. Nor the electricity that pulses all over his body.

“I won’t- I won’t let you hurt him!” Izuku grits out as he gathers whatever strengths he has left in
one final blow. “ONE FOR ALL! ONE MILLION PERCENT!” Power, pure unadulterated power
surges through him “DELAWARE DETROIT SMASH!” The shockwave is even bigger than the
previous one, excruciating pain takes over him but he’s still standing. Adrenaline courses through
 his veins as he can finally breathe. Muscular lays motionless in a pile of rubble. Izuku’s powers
finally having overwhelmed him.

Kota stares in shock as Midoriya risks his life for him. Kota can’t- for the life of him- understand.
This guy… The boy he’s done nothing but insult and yell at since the beginningH has put
everything on the line for a person he doesn’t even know.

‘…Why…’

He remembers what his aunt told him all those years ago. A hero stakes their lives to save others.
His parents gave up their lives... He didn’t understand it before…

‘…Why go so far… for me...?’

‘You’ll understand one day…You’re going to meet someone and then you’ll get it. Someone who
will stake their lives to save yours… To you, that person will be...’

“My hero.” He whispers in awe. Finally understanding what Mandalay meant that day.

Chapter End Notes

*DROPS THE MIC* *Moonwalks away*

Hope you like this chapter! the battle between muscular and Izuku took longer than
expected!
on an unrelated note! check out my new fanfiction! 'Before my heart gives out'
featuring vigilante Izuku! I've been working on it for a while now!

Next up will be a major turning point in the story.

 For a friend

Izuku wobbles on his feet as his body threatens to give up on him. Yet, he stands his ground.

Kota stands next to him, his hand hovering near him as if ready to catch him if he falls over. He
can’t help but smile at the thought.

“Hey…Are you okay?” Kota asks hesitantly, his voice quiet and his eyes trained on Izuku’s body.

With a jolt, Izuku realizes that his shirt was discarded during the fight. His scars and injuries are all
on display. It's not a good sight to see, especially not for a child.

“Don’t worry, I’m okay. But there’s still something I have to do…” He takes a moment to catch his
breath.

“What could you possibly do right now! You’re hurt!” Kota asks, worry and fear tinges his every
word.

“I gave it everything I had… It still wasn’t good enough.” He continues on despite the confusion
clear on the boy’s features. “If all the villains attacking tonight are this strong, then everyone is in
trouble. Aizawa… The Pussycats… I have to warn them. The villains are after me and my friends."
He looks up, meeting the smaller boy's gaze. "First and foremost, I've got to protect you. So, hop
on… I have to get you back to camp"

“Are- are you sure you can move with those injuries?”

“This is why I saved my legs for…” Izuku reassures as he feels one for all course through his body
once more. His movements are strained but he can still move.

They take off into the forest once more. Izuku prays to whatever force out there that they won’t
encounter any more villains.
Just as they round the clearing, he spots a figure running through the trees

“Sensei!” Relief floods his system as he finds himself face to face with his guardian.

The man’s eyes widen as his eyes rack over his body. Izuku cringes as he imagines what he must
look like right now.

“Izuku…” Aizawa whispers, his words laced with worry and anger.

“I’m glad I found you! It’s bad! The villains want Kacchan! There’s a lot I have to tell you but first
of all… There’s something I have to tell Mandalay!” He rambles as he shifts from one foot to the
other. Knowing full well that he’s on a time limit and sooner than later, the adrenaline is going to
wear off.

“Izuku- “

“Take Kota with you! His quirk can help with the fires! Please protect him!” He’s about to take off
when a capture weapon wraps around his leg. Not tight enough to trip him but tight enough to
make him stop.

“Izuku!” Aizawa’s words make him pause. He turns around expecting to be scolds but he's met
with a sad look "With those injuries you won't make it!" The man's usual monotone voice is gone.
"I know you won't listen if I tell you to stay behind… so, tell Mandalay the following message. In
the name of the pro Hero Eraserhead, the students are allowed to fight back!” just Izuku nods his
head in understanding. As he’s about to go, the man speaks again. “Make it back alive problem
child.”

Izuku can only nod silently. His eyes harden in determination as he races through the forest again.
His mind going a mile a minute as he tries to think of the possible reasons for the villains to want
Kacchan.

_______________________________________________

He reaches the clearing he left in what felt like hours ago. Yet, it couldn’t have been more than
fifty minutes.
 Mandalay and Tiger are still there fending off the villains; Pixie-bob is unconscious on the
ground, unmoving with a streak of blood through her hair.

“Kota is safe!” Izuku shouts; Mandalay’s eyes flicker over to him for a moment before she lands
another punch to the villain’s face. “And I have a message from Aizawa-sensei!”

“Make it fast!” Mandalay strains through gritted teeth. “And then get out of here, Midoriya! Those
injuries aren’t natural!”

"No! Sorry, Mandalay! I mean, I can't!" He shouts back, not registering the fact that he's going
against orders. "There's still one more message I have to relay! One of the villain's targets is
Kacchan! Use your telepathy please!” He hopes she heard him as he continues his race through the
trees. He has to find Bakugou. He has to make sure he’s safe.

He’s so focused on his goal that he doesn’t hear it when Mandalay speaks up next. “One of…
Wait! Who’s the other!”

Aizawa carries Kota and runs. Smoke fills the air and clouds the sky above them. The smoke burns
his nostrils and his eyes water as the winds hit his eyes. Still, he keeps his head down and runs.

“Mister, I…” Kota is clinging to him, arms wrapped tightly around his neck. His voice is thick with
tears. “I don’t want him to die,” Kota chokes, and his voice breaks. “He saved me… If- if he dies
now, it’ll be my fault-”

“Midoriya isn’t going to die today,” Aizawa cuts in firmly. "That kid… he's stubborn as hell and
when he puts his head into something, there's nothing that can stop him. Next time you see him
when all this madness is over, make sure to tell him. Just focus on a nice big ‘Thank you’.”

“B-but…what if the villains get to him first?” Shouta stops running at that. He lifts Kota, getting
the boy to look at him directly.

“What do you mean?” He asks, dread pools in his stomach

“M- muscular, he s-said that they wanted to take Midoriya too.” The boy whimpers, surely feeling
the way Shouta stiffens at the implication.
Midoriya went off, knowing that the villains were also after him. Aizawa curses himself for ever
letting the self-sacrificing problem child go off on his own.

He takes off running, this time faster as he tries to get to camp. He needs to make sure Kota is safe
first. Then he can go make sure his kid is safe. He just hopes he won't be too late.

________________________________________

Izuku feels his energy slowly dissipate. The only thing that’s keeping him going right now is the
need to save his friend. He thinks he sees something out of the corner of his eye and dives out of
the way not a second too soon.

He sees something shifting in the shadows, something massive and dark and it's heading right for
him. He tries to dodge but a searing pain erupts in his arms as he moves. He braces himself for the
impact. Yet, it never comes.

Instead, he’s being carried by someone at an unbelievable speed as they both duck behind some
bushes.

“Don’t say anything, Midoriya,” A familiar voice hisses close to his ear. “He’s attacking anything
that moves, you can’t make a sound.”

“Shoji…”

“Those wounds… You shouldn’t be moving in that state. Yet, here you are trying to save
everyone… You’re full of surprises.”

“Just now…was that?” Izuku asks instead. This shadow… it looked like…

“Yup… it was a sneak attack from a villain. I took the hit for us.” Shoji raises one of his tentacles
and to Izuku’s horror, one of his hands are missing. “Tokayami got mad, he couldn’t control Dark
Shadow anymore, the darkness and his unfiltered emotions made him lose control.”
Izuku nods. He remembers Tokoyami telling him about Dark Shadow and how, in dark, lightless
places, Dark Shadow becomes restless and harder to control. Dark Shadow must have overpowered
Tokoyami and taken the reigns, it’s the only explanation.

“I heard the announcement,” Shouji murmurs, barely loud enough for Izuku to hear. “The villains
are after Bakugou, right?”

“Yes… they are.” Izuku whispers back. After a moment of hesitation, he decides against telling
Shouji about the rest. “That’s why we need to find Bakugou. If we stick together, we’ll be safe.”

“So… we find ourselves at a crossroad. Will you help me save Tokoyami, or will you rush in to
save Bakugou?”

“I think I have an idea that’s going to take care of both of our problems… You’re not going to like
it though.”

___________________________

“Dammit!” Bakugou fires off another blast, one that the villain dodges with ease. “What’s with
this guy!?”

The villain’s literal teeth, strong like metal and long like ribbons, shoot from the villain’s mouth;
Todoroki barely has time to throw up a wall of ice before they reach him. The teeth sink into the
ice harmlessly, and the villain retracts them and shoots them at Bakugou instead.

“You need to stop attacking,” Shouto says, swinging out an arm in Bakugou’s direction. “Your
explosions are blocking our fields of vision! We need to stop and come up with a plan!”

“I get it, IcyHot!” Bakugou snaps, but he fires off another blast at the villain anyway, one that is
again dodged easily. “Dammit, it’s hard enough just keeping him back! How the hell are we
supposed to come up with a plan, huh!?”

Before Todoroki can even come up with a reply, the trees behind them rustle and he hears a
familiar voice shouting his name.
“Todoroki! Bakugou! One of you please! Give us some light!” Midoriya cries out.

Midoriya and Shouji are sprinting towards them from the nearby forest. Their eyes dart around
frantically, they seemed to be scared of whatever is chasing them.

The trees behind Midoriya and Shouji splinter and crack and topple to the ground, and then
emerges the roaring, gigantic form of Dark Shadow.

Todoroki is about to use his fire when Bakugou motions for him to stop. He stares at him
incredulously for a second before understanding dawns on him.

They wait with bated breath as Izuku and Shoji dive out of the way. As a result, Dark Shadow goes
in for the only visible enemy in the vicinity. The villain.

In a matter of seconds, the villain is thrown up against the side of a tree, and he slides to the ground
and lays there in an unmoving heap.

“Bakugou, now!” Shouto yells, leaping from his position with his left hand ablaze. Bakugou
flanks Dark Shadow on the opposite side, hands crackling with explosions.

Dark Shadow shrieks and writhes, but it’s over quickly. Moments later, Tokoyami sits on the
ground, gasping, and Shouto and Bakugou stand on either side of him doing the same.

“I’m sorry,” Tokoyami pants, shaking his head. “That was my fault for losing control…”

"You single-handedly took out the villain Bakugou and I had been struggling with since the start of
this whole thing,” Shouto says, turning to him. “It worked out in the end, I think.”

Midoriya hums in agreement and that’s when Todoroki and Bakugou finally get to look at the
greenette. Their eyes widen comically as they take in the extent to the shorter boy's injuries.

“What the hell happened to you!” Comes a less than tactful inquiry from the fiery blond.
“It’s kind of a long story…”

“We have time.” Todoroki ships in. Izuku can’t help but groan at the pair. The one time they agree
on something and it has to be this!

“Well, Kota was being attacked by a villain so… you probably can guess what happened next.” He
answered sheepishly, trying to ignore the way the world seemed to sway as he tried to keep his
balance.

His friends seemed to notice this as they all harden their gazes, Shoji offers him once again a
piggyback ride. Izuku didn’t protest.

“Right, so we know that one of the villain’s targets is you Kacchan! So, we need to make sure your
safe while we go back to camp.”

"I can protect myself nerd, worry about yourself for a change," Bakugou mutters in irritation, not
actual bite in his tone.

They eventually decided on walking in a pairing formation. Bakugou and Izuku in the middle,
while Shoji, Tokoyami, and Todoroki flank them.

They hear a commotion going on nearby. In fear that one of their classmates might be in trouble,
they go check it out.

Right as they step out of the main path, a knife whizzes past Todoroki’s face, missing him by mere
centimeters.

“OH, looks like we have company!” A girl’s voice resounds through the area, quickly followed by
a small whimper. They sprint in the direction of the voice.

There, standing over the fallen form of Uraraka is a girl. She seems to be about their age. Dressed
in a school-girl uniform as she holds a knife to the gravity girl’s throat.
Shoji has to physically hold Midoriya back.

A couple of feet away, also stands Tsuyu, she’s stuck to the tree by her hair, probably the work of
the villain.

Taking their arrival as her distraction, Uraraka flips the girl onto her back and disarms her. The
knife clatters to the ground with a resounding clang. Izuku can’t help the pride that swells in his
chest as he watches how much his friend has grown.

However, she doesn't have the upper hand for long as the girl suddenly stabs her with a needle. The
action startles Urarka into letting go of her hold. Long enough for the villain to get to her feet.

“Oh poo, there are too many now and I don’t feel like dying… see ya!” A hysterical giggle
resounds through the trees as the girl runs away and into the darkness.

A moment passes as they’re all on edge.

It's only broken as Tsuyu whimpers from her position. Tokoyami and Shoji move to help her while
Midoriya and Todoroki check on Uraraka.

“Are you guys okay?!” Izuku asks as he checks his friends for any obvious injuries.

“Yes, we’re good! That girl was crazy” Uraraka exclaims as she tries to regain her breath. The
whole ordeal must have taken away from her energy.

“Midoriya, those injuries…" Tsuyu asks worriedly.

“Don’t worry about that right now. We need to keep moving. Come with us, we’re guarding
Kacchan and heading for camp- “

“Bakugou…?” Uraraka interrupts, confusion clear on her features. “But, if that’s the case… where
is he?”
“What do you mean he’s right behind… us…” Terror strikes him as he realizes that, while they
were distracted, someone managed to take Bakugou.

Izuku knows they were careless. They got distracted. Bakugou paid the price.

A figure suddenly surfaces from the trees, the man is dressed in a long cloak, coupled with a
magician's hat and a cane. In his hand, he holds a small marble. "Ah… I was hoping I'd take the
priority target before I went… anyways, I've taken your friend with my magic." He holds out the
marble in his hand, making it clear that Bakugou is most likely trapped in it. “He’s not a resource
that belongs on the heroes’ side…We’re going to put him on a stage where he can truly shine.”

“Give him back!” Todoroki yells as he shoots a wave of ice towards the villain.

"You're talking like he's some kind of property! Tsk, heroes today…" The man scuffs as he dodges
the ice easily. "Lucky for me, deception and escape is my specialty so… Bye heroes." He moves to
go but stops at the last second "Although, if our main target would be so kind to come to the main
clearing… We may find ourselves making a deal." He winks at them and disappears back into the
trees. No one notices the way his eyes were directed at on particular green haired boy.

“What did he mean by that!?” Uraraka exclaims, her expression mirroring the confusion in
everyone’s faces. All but one, at least. “What was he talking about? What priority target?”

Izuku avoids the others gazes as he tries to calm down his racing mind. The villains, they know he
knows. They’re willing to make a trade.

Izuku doesn’t want to give up that easily, but if that’s what it will take to get his friend back. Then
so be it.

“We need to move! Quick! Uraraka can you make me and Todoroki weightless?” She nods but
opens her mouth to question it. Izuku doesn’t give her the chance though. They’re running out of
time. “Tokoyami can you make Dark Shadow propel us forward towards the villain’s direction?”
They finally seem to catch on to his plan. Soon enough, they’re all in position. Izuku can’t help the
guilt he feels at the amount of blind trust they have in him.

_________________________
“Now!” Just like that, Dark Shadow lifts them up and throws them in the direction the villain ran
off to. Uraraka’s powers, coupled with Tsuyu’s tongue for a more precise trajectory makes their
target easier to reach. They find themselves mere meters away from the retreating villains.

Todoroki throws a wall of ice in front of the villain, effectively blocking his way. It’s not a really
smart move though… They ram into the villain and collide with the ice at full force. The wall
shatters as they rocket straight for the ground.

“Compress… What the hell! I thought you said you had the target!” A man’s voice calls out from
in front of them. The villain has scars all over his body, even more than Izuku himself.

“I got- uhh- little sidetracked.” The villain- compress- wheezes out from under them.

They all scramble to their feet, Izuku a little slower than the rest. His eyes dart around the clearing,
taking in the villains surrounding them.

There are about three, the scarred one, Compress and the girl from before. He barely manages to
suppress the urge to shiver as her eyes rack over his body.

“Ohh! It’s you!” She exclaims, her voice overly excited and enthusiastic. “You’re on the list too!”

All eyes turn to him, looks varying between shock and morbid understanding. His friends look so
confused but they seem to make the connection. Their eyes widen as they look back and forth
between Izuku and the villains. Izuku can’t get himself to meet their gazes.

“So, you are the famous Izuku Midoriya” The scarred villain scuffs as he takes a step forward.

“Dabi, master wants us back with the target as soon as possible.” Kurogiri’s distorted voice calls
out from seemingly out of nowhere. His voice is an unwanted reminder of the USJ incident. The
warp gate villain must be close.
“I was just getting to that.” The villain, now known as Dabi replies, his features contort into a
smirk as he locks eyes once again with the green haired hero in training. “I’m guessing you want
your friend back?” He doesn’t even wait for a response as he motions for Compress to step towards
him.

They watch with bated breath as Compress passes over the marble to him. It shines under the
moonlight as he holds it up for all of them to see.

“This can go in either of two ways. You give yourself up and we give back your precious
classmate.” His eyes glimmer with an edge, Izuku can only describe it as prideful and smug “Or we
can take you both by force… Your choice, Hero.”His every word drip with malice and it makes
Izuku want to scream. Because there isn't really any choice here. There never was a choice.

He knows it. His friends seem to know it too if the way they all scream at him to stop is any
indication. They're begging him not to go. Telling him that theirs another way.

There's no choice though if Izuku can save someone if he can manage to free his friend, no matter
the cost. He'll do it.

Their voices are all static in his mind. He feels like he's underwater, he's drowning and he's not
getting out anytime soon.

He takes a step forward and feels ice creep at the soles of his feet. He powers up a small portion of
One for all in his legs and the ice shatters to the ground like heaps of broken glass.

He doesn’t know how he got his body to move, he feels like he’s moving on autopilot as he steps
towards the villains. Just a few meters in front of Dabi, he stops short. He looks the man in the
eyes and nods.

Just like that, the villain throws the marble at Todoroki. The latter scrambles a little, caught off
guard but catches it in the end. He looks at it in disbelief as if he wasn't expecting the villain to
give up their hostage.

“I am a man of my word.” Dabi says curtly "The marble will change once we're gone, it will
remain like this if you try anything before we leave." He steps forward, his hand wraps around
Izuku’s throat.
Izuku barely manages to suppress a flinch. The situation reminds him all too well of the mall
incident, too close to his liking. He feels his body shut down like it's giving up before he even has
to.

He doesn’t struggle, doesn’t fight back as a wrap gate opens up behind them. He looks up, finally
meeting his friend’s gazes. They all have desperation etched on their features, all of them look like
they want to do something, anything to stop them. To move. To save him. They can’t though, they
know it. If they do, Izuku’s sacrifice will be for nothing and they’d lose both him and Bakugou.

As he feels himself sink into the void, the never-ending darkness of the warp gate, he thinks he
sees the trees rustle. From the forest, emerges none other than his guardian. Aizawa looks frantic
as he looks around. Izuku thinks he sees the exact moment when his teacher realizes what’s
happening. Desperation and fear flashes over his usual neutral expression, he’s running towards
them, his hand outstretched and his eyes flashing red.

Yet, it’s too late. The warp gate closes in around them and Aizawa tumbles to the ground where his
ward stood just moments before.

He can still see the look on his kid’s face as all light left his eyes. He remembers the way, blank
eyes stared at him, expression hard but resolute. The kid knew it was hopeless. He knew they
wouldn’t save him.

He failed. He was too late. He swore he’d never let anyone hurt his kid and he failed. He failed
him.

Izuku was taken and it was his fault.

He hears Todoroki scream behind him in frustration and anger, he hears some kind of popping
sound and thinks he hears small crackles of explosions. Yet, he doesn’t move, doesn’t react.

His kid was gone and it was his fault.

 __________________________

The world spins around him for what feels like an eternity. However, it's a few moments later that
he feels himself fall to the ground. The wooden floor under him is cold and from the brief look at
the place they landed in, they’re in some kind of a bar. He hears someone footsteps approach him
and the villains around him scatter.

He feels his vision dim as his body gives up on him. He’s just so tired. His arms throb as his mind
finally registers the pain of the countless bones he’s broken in his fight.

He’s fighting against his own consciousness and he knows he’s losing.

A figure crouches in front of him, however, his vision is too blurry to make out the person’s
features.

“Missed me Izuku-kun?”

This has to be a nightmare, right? This can’t be real, right?

The last thing he hears before his world turns dark is his mother’s hysterical laugh.

"Oh, honey… It's going to be okay. I'm here."

 Family reunions
Chapter Notes

Thank you for all the feedback i got on the previous chapter! your reactions were
everything i hoped to get as a writer! thank you and sorry if i wasn't able to respond to
all of you!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Todoroki never thought he’d have friends. His father always warned him about getting distracted.
He didn’t care though. He was glad to meet them. They are more, his family than his father ever
was. They gave him a place to belong to, making him feel wanted, making him feel loved. He
wouldn’t trade that for the world.

The fire and ice user didn’t know what the villain was talking about. Nonetheless, he didn’t like it.
Because, if they were talking about some priority target, it meant that Bakugou wasn’t the only one
they were after. It meant one of his friends were in danger.

He thought he knew fear. He thought he knew what it felt like to be scared. Yet, nothing he ever
experienced made his blood run cold the way it did when Midoriya stepped up towards the villain.
Nothing he ever saw made his limbs freeze up. His heart racing, as he was begging his body to
move, to do something, anythingto help his friend. To stop him!

He could only stand there, watching helplessly as Midoriya willingly gave himself up in order to
save Bakugou. He couldn’t even be surprised, because this was such a Midoriya way of doing.
Because of course, His self-sacrificing idiot of a friend would trade himself for another.

It doesn’t mean that it didn’t hurt. It hurt like hell, seeing him taken away. He could feel his heart
clench as Izuku’s eyes met his, for a split second before he vanished into thin air. He Could feel
the anger that was bubbling inside of him rise to the surface. He wanted to scream, to shout and
curse at himself and at the villains. And he did. He screamed, he screamed until his throat felt raw
and his voice cracked under the pressure. Why didn’t he move? Why didn’t he stop him? He let his
friend be taken away and he just stood there.

How could he ever be a hero if he couldn’t even save the people he loved.
 ______________________

Shinsou didn’t like this, he didn’t like one bit. He knew, the moment that Midoriya went alone that
it was a bad idea. Villains were attacking the camp for god’s sake and he let his friend go out there
alone?

He followed the others back to camp, his mind racing with possible outcomes to the situation. He
regretted not following Midoriya out into the forest. He wanted to, he was going to. However, Iida,
ever the voice of reason, told him not to. Shinsou didn’t know where Midoriya was off to and they
couldn’t have another student wandering the forest alone.

It wasn’t until later that night, that he found out just how wrong he was not to follow Midoriya out
into the woods.

It was hours later when the students started to trickle back in, that he got the news.

He watched as one by one, his new classmates, made it back. Thankfully, No one was hurt really
bad. Some of them looked worse for wear but none of them seemed to be seriously injured.

The only ones that were still missing were Aizawa, Midoriya, Todoroki, Shoji, Tokoyami, and
Bakugou.

He waited, his eyes trained on the woods ahead of them as he looked for any sign of their arrival.
His anxiety was beginning to overwhelm him as his mind wandered to the never-ending possible
reasons for his friends and teacher to be still out there.

The others weren’t fairing any different, all of them were showing different signs of nervousness
and anxiety. Iida was switching between calming the others or giving some of them reassuring
speeches. Shinsou wasn’t sure if they were meant for them or for the boy himself. Uraraka, on the
other hand, was pacing back and forth, all the while mumbling under her breath.
She was the last one to see the missing group. From what he gathers, they were trying to get back
Bakugou from the villains. He hopes that they succeeded. He didn’t particularly like the blonde’s
explosive personality but he didn’t want the teen to be taken either.

His eyes caught onto the rustle of a nearby tree and he called out to the others as he saw the telling
form of Shoji’s tentacles and Tokoyami’s bird head.

He stepped closer only to freeze as he looked at the defeated form of the boys, both of them were
frowning. Behind them, appeared the rest of the group. Todoroki had his head bowed, his
expression dark and angry as he followed his classmates quietly. Next to him was none other than
their teacher.

Aizawa had an even more distressed expression adorning his features. His usual blank appearance
was twisted into a somewhat mix of both anger and concern.

He knew what it meant. Something happened out there. Whatever it was, it wasn’t good.

His heart stuttered as his eyes landed on the fiery blonde, behind him, no sign of the green haired
boy. Red flags blared in his mind. He knew what it meant. He knew it the moment he saw
Bakugou’s eyes. His once, vibrant red eyes were now dull, lifeless as he walked into the clearing.
His shoulders hunched and his head bowed as he appeared to be walking on autopilot.

He knew it was futile, yet, he couldn’t help but ask. He wanted to be sure, wanted that last
shimmer of hope to grasp. He wished, with all his heart that he was wrong. He looked at the empty
space behind the new arrivals. Pleading, begging whatever force out there, that his friend was
alright. That he was going to walk out here any moment now.

He waited and watched for what felt like an eternity.

He never came. Izuku never showed up.

The villains took him, Aizawa said. He informed them about the night's event. Told them about the
villain's targets, the trade. Izuku gave himself up.

He felt his heart race as his mind tried to process the information. His friend was missing. He was
taken. His friend was gone.
He watched as Uraraka began to cry, her wails echoing through his mind. A reminder of ever-
present darkness that was looming over them.

He watches as the world seem to crumble around him. As that last shimmer of hope was snuffed
out.

He just hoped that wherever Izuku was taken, whatever the villains wanted to do to him, that he’d
make it back alive.

______________________________

Pain, that’s the first thing his mind registered as he woke up with a jolt. Searing pain runs down his
spine as he feels his body convulse under the violent electrical current that’s pulsing through him.
His hands and feet straining against the metal cuffs that are holding him down.

“Ah, you’re finally awake.” Came the impatient voice of Shigaraki as the man stepped into his
field of vision. “I was wondering if we’d have to increase the voltage a little. You’ve been out for a
while now.” The man continued nonchalantly.

Izuku looked around frantically, his eyes taking in his surroundings. Looking for any way out of
this. His arms and legs are strapped to a chair by metal cuffs. From the pain he felt just a few
moments ago, he guessed that they were charged with an electric current. Strangely enough, his
previously broken hands were now neatly wrapped up. He could still feel them throbbing but it was
a dull version of the agonizing pain he felt before.

Before…

The last thing he remembers before waking up is his mother’s all too familiar voice.
He thought he’d gotten over the unadulterated fear that takes over him when he hears her laugh. He
was wrong. It still rings in his ears, looping in his mind like a broken record.

He remembers the way his breath caught in his throat, the way his heart seemed to clench in his
chest as his eyes met his mother’s cold gaze.

Why was she here? He knew his mother was a bad person, but a villain? He’d spent countless
nights wondering where she could have possibly gone. Never for a million years did he imagine
seeing her with villains. The league of villains no less.

"It's rude not to answer when being addressed Midoriya. Didn’t your mother teach you any better?”
Ah… he spaced out. Somehow, while he was distracted, Shigaraki pulled up a chair in front of
him.

“Why would I answer to anything you tell me.” Izuku snarls back before he can stop himself. He
knows it’s crazy to antagonize his capturer, but he wants information. He knows that whoever was
behind his kidnapping, Shigaraki isn’t the one who’s going to give him the answers he wanted.

“You brat. If it was up to me, you’d already be, six feet under.” Shigaraki looks agitated like he'll
attack at any moment. He doesn’t want to be there when the man finally snaps. He tries
summoning his quirk but nothing happens. Why wasn’t his quirk working now? He needs to get
out of here. He needs to escape.

“Don’t even try it. You’ve got enough quirk suppressants in your system to stop even All Might.”
Shigaraki looks like mentioning the hero left a bad taste in his mouth. His face is scrunched up in
disgust.

“Why is my mother here? “He decides to avert the conversation to something else. He’s afraid of
the answer he’ll get but asks anyway.

“Well” Shigaraki looks like he’s trying not to kill someone. “You’ll find out soon enough,
wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise now, would we?” The response barely registers in his brain as
he’s too busy trying to find a way out of this. they’re in some kind of bar, no windows in the
vicinity and the only apparent exit is a door on the opposite side of the room.
Shigaraki apparently noticed what he was doing, the way his face contorted into a frown and he
stood up abruptly, as any indication. "You think you can ignore me, brat?" The man snarls, his
hand reaching up to touch Izuku’s arm.

Mirages flashes in his mind, images of disintegrated flesh, Tsuyu turning to dust, Aizawa’s elbow
disintegrating-Blood, so much blood.

“Tomura. That’s enough.” A voice calls out, the sound distorted and filled with static. Izuku opens
his eyes, only now realizing he had closed them in the first place.

“But Sensei. He was- “

“Get the rest, I need to have a little chat with our new guest here.” Shigaraki looks like he wants to
protest but reluctantly stalks away and out the door.

Izuku is left alone, addressing an obscured figure through a computer screen. Shigaraki called the
man sensei, did that mean…

"Hello, Izuku Midoriya.” The voice greets as the screen flickers to life. The voice is deep, tone
gruff and strangely polite. “I don’t believe I’ve introduced myself yet.” If Izuku’s suspicions are
right, he's in much more trouble than he previously thought. "My name is All for One, but you can
call me Sensei." The man pauses as if expecting some kind of reaction "But you already knew that,
didn't you?"

“Why did you bring me here? What do you want from me?” Izuku asks instead, trying to ignore
the rising fear that threatening to overtake him at any moment. because, here he is, trapped in the
league of villain’s lair, being held captive by none other than All Might’s greatest enemy, the most
powerful villain in the world. His mother’s presence looming over him isn’t helping his nerves
either.

“Ah, straight to the point I see…” All for One sighs as if he expected it. “All right, so be it.” The
villain pushes some kind of button and the door swings open.

It’s barely a few seconds later that villains start to trickle into the room. None of them giving him
more than a second glance. Kurogiri is the first one to enter, he’s followed by the Lizard guy,
Compress and Dabi. Finally, the last one to enter is Shigaraki. The villain stops a few meters short
from the entrance, his face is contorted into a smirk, the anomaly makes his skin crawl. The man
takes a step to the size and from behind him emerges a woman. She’s as tall as he remembers her to
be. If only slightly thinner. She has the same glint in her eye. A shine that screams malice and ill-
intent. She smiles at him; the thing feels so wrongas she walks towards him.

He barely suppresses the urge to flinch as she draws in close, her eyes raking over his body as her
mouth contorts in distaste.

"Long time no see, son." She greets off handily as if she didn't try to kill him the last time they
were together. He shakes his head, willing his mind not to wander to that awful night. He can still
remember the hopelessness he felt that day. Like a monster, the darkness ate away at every last bit
of fight he had in him. Aizawa got him through it then, he doesn’t think he’ll be here this time.

He was quiet for too long it appears. If the stinging sensation on his cheek was of any indication.
He thinks he can taste iron in his mouth. His mother's slaps always left a mark.

“Is that a way to greet your mother brat.” She snarls. Although she straightens up a second later,
regaining her composure. Izuku looks at the villains surrounding them, he thinks he sees something
flash over Dabi’s expression.

“Well” All for One clears his throat “Now that the warm reunions are over…I believe you must be
confused, young Midoriya.” The honorific makes his skin crawl, only All Might calls him that.

“You see, we were initially planning on just kidnapping one of your classmates, Bakugou Katsuki,
I believe was his name. After the sports festival, we knew he might have what it would take to
become one of ours. However, when we happened to run into your mother only a short time after.
She was kind enough to give us some information." The way he says it makes it seem like it was a
coincidence. Izuku knows not to believe it though. “We decided it would be in our favor to take
you instead, given the- how should I say this… Peculiar nature of your quirk.” Although the man’s
features aren’t discernable through the screen, Izuku can feel the smirk in the man’s voice. “She
was more than happy to make a deal with us.” A deal? What could she possibly have to offer
them?

“Anyway…” The villain continued “It brings us to why you are here now.” Izuku gulped as he
prepared for what was in store for him next.

“Sensei, do I get to do it now?” Shigaraki cut in gingerly, shifting from foot to foot in a seemingly
excited demeanor. The action reminiscing of that of a child waiting for his Christmas present. It
made Izuku feel sick.
“Go ahead Tomura”

He didn’t even get a warning, not a moment even to prepare himself for the impending pain. His
limps locked up as he felt the electricity course through every inch of his body. His mind blanched
as pain overtook his senses, making it hard for him to even make out one clear thought. He
distantly heard someone’s screams. The sound raw and agonizing. His throat throbbed and he
distantly realized that he was making that sound. He was the one screaming. After what felt like an
eternity, although he was sure it was barely a couple of minutes, the pain stopped. It didn’t go
away completely, it was still there. Yet, it was dulled, a tingling sensation just under his skin.

“Why- Why are you doing this?” He gritted out in between pants, it was getting harder and harder
to breathe. He vaguely noticed that the only ones left in the room were his mother and Shigaraki.

“Oh, young Midoriya… I thought you were smarter than this." All for one's voice drawled from
the monitor. He could imagine the man shaking his head. “You see… Your mother told us about
your previous state. The miraculous way you acquired your quirk.” The man chuckled, the sound
sending shivers down his spine. “After the sports festival, I made the connection. It wasn’t hard,
your mentor didn’t really try to hide it.” Izuku gulped as he realized what was happening. “You’re
the current holder of One For all aren’t you?” The man didn’t even wait for him to respond.
“Although it saddens me to see such potential go to waste… your fate was decided the moment you
accepted All Might’s offer.” He sighed before continuing “Your mother, in return for the precious
information she gave us, gets to have her son back… It just so happens that she preferred you when
you were quirkless.” His quirk? That’s what he was after? Didn’t he know that One for All
couldn’t be forcibly taken?

He cursed himself for the way his heart clenched at the man’s words. He knew his mother hated
him. It still hurt though, to know that his own mother would do this. Did she want to have her weak
quirkless son back that desperately? Did she enjoy holding some kind of power over him? He knew
the answers to these questions, he just hoped he was wrong.

Before the man could resume his monologue, his speech was interrupted by Izuku’s laughter. It
wasn’t the care-free laugh he’d make whenever he was hanging out with his friends, nor was it the
light-hearted sound he’d make whenever he spent time with his guardian. No, this laugh was
different. It was hollow, lifeless.

The room seemed to drop in temperature as none of the occupants knew what was going on.

“You think that I’m going to give you my quirk?” Izuku laughed, the sound is broken. "I'd rather
die." He snarled, knowing full well that he'd never betray his mentor's trust. All Might believed in
him when no one else did. He’d give up his life before he gave up One for All.
It wasn’t All for One who answered though.

“Izuku-kun… What did we say happens when you disobey?” His mother cooed darkly. Her
sentence was one all too familiar to him. It was what she always said before she gave him a
particularly bad punishment. A few months ago, that sentence was all it would take to make him
cower in fear. Not anymore though. He wasn’t the same weak, useless boy he was back then. The
time spent with Aizawa and his friends had given him a new view of the world. He knew people
were counting on him now. He wasn't going to let them down. He wasn't going to let his mother
walk all over him anymore.

“Give it your worst, mom.” If Inko was shocked, she didn't show it. Instead, she just took a deep
breath and held out her hand. Izuku knew what was coming. It didn't mean, however, that it made
it any less painful. He watched helplessly, trying as best as he could not show any sign of fear, as
Shigaraki handed the remote to his mother.

The world blurred around him as it was bathed once again with nothing but pain.

They must have increased the voltage though. The pain was overwhelming, it was getting harder
and harder to breathe and his teeth were clenched so tightly that he feared they would break.

His world was once again plunged into darkness as the pain was more than his body could handle.

His last thoughts the only thing that would keep him going through all this.

Make it back alive, problem child.

Chapter End Notes

Inko wants her quirkless, weak son back. She wants to have power over him again.
What happens when she finally snaps?

Izuku's suffering may not be over just yet.

 Broken Glass
Chapter Notes

Sorry for the long wait, the school year is ending and exams are closer than ever!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Waking up wasn’t like you would expect it to be. It wasn’t fast, nor was it sudden. Regaining
consciousness was painfully slow. It came in waves. He’d go in and out of it, each time relatively
easier than the last. He felt his head sway as his eyes fluttered open, finally focusing on his
surroundings.

His body felt like it was on fire, his nerves lit with a constant agonizing ache. He thought he knew
pain, thought he'd gotten used to it by now. Oh, how wrong he was.

Somehow, while he was unconscious, they moved his body to some kind of cell. He was no longer
tied to a chair, instead, he was chained to the ceiling. His feet barely touching the ground as he
forced himself to stand on his tip-toes in order to relieve the pressure from his shoulders.

He cringed as he realized that these chains too were equipped with a shock system. Or at least
that’s what he assumed they were. They were bulkier than normal shackles. And had a red dot
blinking every few seconds.

His face scrunched up in disgust as the scent of the room hit him at full force. An omnipresent
scent of blood hanging in the air. He didn’t want to know the events that conspired here for that to
happen.

He tried summoning One for All. To his dismay and fear, the quirk was still unresponsive to his
calls. They must have given him another dose. Knowing All for One, it was logical. He wasn’t
even sure he could do anything even if he had his powers right now. He was just so tired and his
arms still throbbed from the fresh breaks.

Footsteps could be heard through the cell door. A clicking sound, that he associated with his
mother’s heels. His pulse rose with each step she took, the closer she got the louder the ringing in
his ears sounded. His mind screamed at him to move, to fight, to run. Yet, he remained perfectly
still. A deer caught in the headlights.

The lock clicks with a resounding clang and door opens with a hiss. His mom walks into the room,
her posture is relaxed as if there's nothing wrong with the situation he's in.

He keeps his expression neutral, at least he hopes it is. On the outside, he seemed calm, a great
contrast to the inner turmoil he’s feeling. Showing signs of fear now would only serve to egg her
on.

They make eye contact, and her eyes narrow dangerously. “Think you can obey me now, Izuku?”
Her tone is disgustingly sweet. It’s the voice of someone talking to a child.

Silence follows her question and her face briefly twists into a sneer. Although she quickly regains
her bearings, he knows he’s on a thin line. “hmm, it looks like you still haven’t learned your
lesson. Oh well, you will soon. Let’s have some fun first, shall we?” She sighs in fake
disappointment as her features twist into a sickly wide grin.

The pain hits him at full force, it’s the worst he’s felt, yet. The shock lasted longer than the
previous ones. His vision turns white as all his mind registers, is the pain- PAIN- PAIN.

It ends after what feels like a lifetime, yet he's sure that it wasn't more than a couple of minutes at
most. His throat feels raw, no doubt from the gut-wrenching scream that spilled unwillingly from
his mouth. His shoulders ache from the pressure he pressed into them while his body convulsed.

“Don’t look so pale, Izu… We’re barely getting started.” There it is. That grin again. It makes him
want to throw up.

She presses the remote in her hand again.

He doesn’t know how long he can last. He hopes it will end soon.
 ________________________

He doesn’t know what happened, he doesn’t remember most of it. Yet, he can’t seem to erase the
image from his mind. Deku, being taken away by the warp gate. His mind flashes back to the exact
moment he knew that everything was over. The exact moment he realized what was happening.
The moment the world seemed to come crashing down around them.

It wasn’t until a little while later that he found out what Deku did. The nerd sacrificed himself to
save him. Him. Bakugou Katsuki, the guy that spent most of his life actively making his life a
living hell.

He didn’t understand. He couldn’t understand why Izuku would go to such lengths to save him.
They’d talked things out, yes. However, it didn’t mean that everything that happened between them
was going to vanish into thin air. Bakugou still needed to redeem himself.

He was supposed to start looking out for him. He scoffs at himself. Number one hero… He
couldn’t even save himself. It was his fault that Deku was gone. He’d be damned if he didn’t do
everything in his power to get him back.

It was later on, when Kirishima and Shinsou came to his room, that he found out that maybe, it
wasn’t just wishful thinking.

_____________________________

“What’s the plan shitty hair” Bakugou knew that it was going to be risky, going after the league.
Yet he didn’t care.

Here he stood, Yaoyorozu, Kirishima, Todoroki, Iida, and Shinsou standing in front of him. Turns
out, Yaoyorozu managed to put a tracker on the Nomu back at the camp. They had a location and
they were going to check it out. It was risky and stupid, but if it meant that they’d save Midoriya it
was worth it.

Iida was opposed to the idea at first, it was against the rules and straight up illegal for them to do
this. However, in the end, he decided that he’d go with them. Bakugou guessed that for all his talk
about his class president duties, he wanted Midoriya to be safe just as much as the rest of them.

“Remember guys, we can’t fight. We go in, get Midoriya and get out as fast as we can.” Kirishima
responded, shuffling from foot to foot. A nervous gesture that was getting on his nerves. “We need
to go tonight, it’s already been two days since they took him.” The redhead finished grimly.

“How are we supposed to infiltrate a villain’s hideout without having to fight?” The kid from the
general education class asked. Shinsou, if he remembered correctly. He feels guilty for letting
Midoriya get kidnapped that night. He can see it in his eyes. After all, he's seen that look too many
times in his own reflection.

Todoroki who has been quiet this whole time, finally speaks up.

“We don’t have a choice. We need to be stealthy. The teachers are having a press conference
tonight, and if it all goes well… we’ll have the distraction we need.” His tone was colder than
usual. Bakugou still remembers the piercing scream he let out that night.

They decided to take the train to Kamino, the tracking device Yaoyorozu made points to the
location.

Silence settles on the group as they prepare themselves for whatever they’re going to face.

Bakugou just hopes they won’t be too late.

 _____________________________

“I- I am n-not going t-to listen to y-you a-anymore” He panted heavily through gritted teeth. His
eyes burned with tears he tried so hard to hold back. His whole body ached, the pain no longer
located in a specific area. It felt as though every inch of his body was on fire.

"Oh, honey…" His mother cooed darkly, her voice sending shivers running down his spine. "You
think you have a choice?" She laughed dryly, the sound echoing through the cell. "I guess this isn't
working… Electricity isn't enough." She looked thoughtful, her voice light as if she wasn't talking
about the torture of her own son. “Maybe we need to go back to our old ways, don’t you think so
Izuku-kun?” She leaned towards him, her eyes boring into him. Her gaze making his skin crawl.

Izuku gulped at the memory of her old punishments. There was a reason he had nightmares every
time he tried to close his eyes.

Too caught up in his past, he didn’t notice his mother leaving until the cell’s door clicked shut with
a thud.

He couldn’t even be relieved because not a moment later the door swung open again. This time, she
wasn’t alone. Just a few steps behind her stood two villains. He recognized them from the camp
attack. The taller one was Compress, if he remembered correctly. He was the one who took
Bakugou. Right next to him, stood the lizard guy.

"Sensei wants to talk to him first." The man stated quietly, ignoring him and opting to address his
mother instead. His tone was less boisterous from what he remembered it to be. He supposes that
it’s part of the act they put up.

The lizard guy did quick work of freeing him of the chains that were previously suspending him.
The moment his hands were free, he felt his legs give out from under him. He crumbled to the
ground, his body too tired and in pain to respond to his mind. His shoulders throbbed agonizingly
as he moved them for the first time in a while. He was sure they were going to be ripped out of
their sockets if he stayed chained up for a longer time.
The villain didn’t seem perturbed in the least, as if he was expecting it. He lifted him up, his
movement gentler then he expected them to be. “Come on Spinner we don’t have all day.”
Compress seemed much more comfortable in practically dragging his body down the hall with
him.

To his surprise, the lizard guy- Spinner, his mind corrected- didn’t stay quiet.

“Hey, this kid was praised and recognized as a true hero by Stain himself! Show some respect! We
need to keep him alive.” He didn’t know how to feel about the guy.

They reach a door at the end of the dark corridor before Compress could answer.

Crossing the threshold, they were greeted by the bar he was previously tied up in. The room had
more people than the previous time he was there. Multiple pairs of eyes turned towards him, some
of them threatening and some of them seemed indifferent. Compress and Spinner motioned for
him to stand in the middle of the room, he was too tired to argue.

Shigaraki sat at the bar, Dabi and Kurogiri just a few steps next to him.

Sighing loudly, Shigaraki pressed the screen to his right. It lit up in just a few seconds, the monitor
coming to life in a display of bright and shimmering light. The static once again resounding
through the room.

“Young Midoriya” All for One greeted “I hope your stay here wasn’t too unpleasant.” He
continued lightly, there was smugness in his tone. “Did you perhaps change your mind about our
proposal?” Izuku internally debated if it was worth it to just smash the monitor to pieces and be
done with the conversation.

Straightening up to the best of his abilities, he faced the villains head on. "I think you know my
answer. I think you've known from the start." He couldn't help but feel proud of the way his voice
didn't waver despite the bone-deep pain and exhaustion that has settled on his body. His eyes shone
with resolution and grim acceptance.

“Very well, I knew it was going to be hard to persuade you. Nonetheless, nothing is impossible
Midoriya, you are living proof of that. You, a quirkless nobody, was chosen to wield this power. It
intrigues me…” He was quiet for a few seconds, yet, when he spoke, his voice was darker, his
tone serious and grave. “Yet, know this. No matter how strong you may think you are, you can
only bend so far before you break and believe me when I say this… I will break you.”The villain’s
words seemed to echo through the room.

All for one seemed to have more to say. Still, Izuku didn’t let him finish. The villain’s words were
cut off by an icy laugh, the sound broken and so wrong. “You see All for one… You’re wrong” He
chuckled to himself again, his tone was dark and held a heavy sadness to it.

“How dare you!” Shigaraki seethed from his place near the bar, Kurogiri instantly moving to hold
him back from attacking. The rest of the villains looked shell-shocked. After all, here he was,
powerless, standing in front of the greatest villain of all time and laughing.

“How so” The villain scuffed unperturbed by Tomura’s outburst, his voice was laced with sarcasm
and disinterest.

"You say you're going to break me..." Izuku doubted the villain could see him through the screen,
nonetheless, he mustered the biggest smile he had. It didn’t reach his eyes. “but even you can’t
break what’s already broken.”

A heavy silence settled over the room, the quiet could be broken by the sound of a needle falling to
the ground.

It was a few moments later that All for One spoke again, he wasn’t addressing Izuku this time.

“You know what to do, Compress.”

Izuku expected many things, he expected pain, he expected suffering. Yet, what he didn’t expect
was to suddenly be taken to a dark room. The space was cramped and it felt as if the oxygen was
being sucked out of his lungs. The space around him was painfully similar to the dark room his
mother used to put him in. The refrigerator she used to lock him up inside. He was stuck in what
felt like an endless back hole. His whole world was shrouded in darkness and misery. Was this
compress’s quirk? Was he being held in one of those marbles he saw back at camp? He could feel
his heart hammering against his chest and no matter how many times he tried to convince himself
that this wasn’t the dark room, he couldn’t help but let the panic rise within him. It was getting
harder and harder to breathe. He wanted to get out of this, wanted to escape. He wanted to scream
but no sound would come out, wanted to cry but no tears would flow.

He didn’t know how much time passed, how long he stayed there, curled up on himself and
praying for it to stop. It couldn’t have been more than a few minutes but it felt like an eternity
before they let him out.

The world spun around him and he found himself once again at the bar. He panted heavily as he
tried to regain his bearing, finally able to breathe again.

“I see that you were right Mrs. Midoriya. This does seem to work.” The villain’s voice cut through
his thoughts, a brutal reminder of his situation. “What a shame Young Midoriya, you should have
agreed when you had the chance… Do it again Compress.”

“No…” Izuku whispered, desperation and fear tinged his voice. Darkness once again enveloped
him. It was eating away at him, as though every ounce of life and determination was being sucked
away from him.

It took longer this time for them to let him out, he crumbled to the floor again. His heart threatening
to jump right out of his chest. He was borderline hyperventilating right now, the panic attack he
was trying to suppress throughout this whole experience finally bursting to the surface. The world
around him was muted as if he was being plunged under water.

He could barely make out the voices of people arguing.

“You can’t do this to him! Stain deemed him worthy! You’re going to kill him!” A voice
exclaimed.

“Shut up Spinner! Don’t you dare mention that Idiot here.” Shigaraki retorted, distaste evident in
his tone.

“Idiot?! Stain wasn’t- “

“Stop this at once!” The now familiar voice of All for one cut through the fight. The villains
instantly stopping their arguing. “Midoriya…” He began addressing him once again. “You can stop
this you know? You can put an end to your suffering. All you need to do is give me One for All.”
His voice was sweet, inviting. It made his guts churn. “Give it to me and I can make all the pain go
away.” His mind screamed at him to agree, to just make it stop. Make the pain end. But this was
what they wanted right? This was what All for one wanted from him all along. To make him give
up. He wouldn’t do that. He wasn’t going to let All might down.

...Even if it meant dying in the process.

 As if All for One could read his line of thought, he sighed loudly. "Let him stay a while longer this
time Compress"

Izuku doesn't know how much more of this he could take.

Chapter End Notes

I am made of glass, beautiful I once was, no longer I am.

Everyone has there breaking point... Will Izuku reach his? or is he already too broken
to be fixed?

~drama~

I'm sorry ^_^

 slipping away
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

“I will not stand down while you go out there.” Aizawa’s voice cut through the room. A dangerous
edge to his tone that suggested that he wasn’t going to change his mind anytime soon.

They were in the middle of a meeting. Nedzu, detective Tsukauchi, and All Might were discussing
their plans. They wanted to check out the location they got from a witness while Aizawa distracted
and mislead the villains with a press conference.

“Aizawa, you need to understand that even if you’ll be doing the press conference, you’ll be a
crucial part of the plan.” Nedzu countered him calmly, having expected the latter’s outburst.

“I don’t care!” The underground hero slammed his fist on the table, the objects laying on it rattling
with the resulting tremors. “Izuku is out there right now! My son is out there! He might be dead
for all we know and I will not stay here and do nothing if I can be out there helping with his
rescue!” The room’s occupants all showed various signs of shock. After all, it was the first time
they’d seen Aizawa be so worked up. Usually, the man didn't show any emotions, his feelings
hidden behind a carefully crafted blank facade.

All Might’s clenched his fists in frustration, knuckles white, blood trickled to the ground as his
nails pierced his palm.

He was useless, his successor was fighting for his life while he did absolutely nothing. His guilt
was eating away at him. He couldn't imagine what Aizawa was going through. The underground
hero was there, after all.

“What do you suggest we do then, we need someone at that press conference. How are we going to
explain the absence of Class 1-A’s own homeroom teacher?” Tsukauchi asked in retort.

“They don’t know what I look like. For all they know, Eraserhead could be anyone.” Aizawa
responded calmly, his features contorting back to their natural blankness. “I need to be there!”

He couldn’t just stay here, knowing that he could help Izuku. It was his own shortcomings that
allowed the boy to be taken. He once swore to keep his kid safe no matter what and he failed once
again. He wasn’t going to make that mistake another time.

"Very well, you may go with All might to the raid. However, your role will be solely focused on
the rescue. I don't trust you to hold back if you got your hands on any of the league's members."
The rat relented, he knew that the hero wasn’t going to back down anytime soon. Time was
running out, they couldn’t afford to wait anymore.

After all, Izuku Midoriya’s life was on the line.

______________________________

The world spun as consciousness slowly seeped back into him. He found himself back in the
holding cell. He wasn’t chained like last time though; his knees were touching the ground this time.
A great relief to his abused shoulders.

The grey walls trapping him were a strange, yet welcomed change from the constant darkness he
was previously held in.

He didn't know at which point he passed out. It was most likely after the seventh time All for one
banished him to the dark orb. The last time, they let him stay there for what felt like an eternity.

His body involuntarily shuddered at the mere memory. The darkness, that void, made him wish for
any kind of escape. He’d stand there, bathed in complete utter obscurity, crying, begging for any
force out there to just make it stop. The pain, the despair, putting an end to it all!

These dark thoughts haunted his mind through it all, the sweet pull and luring invitation of relief
tempting him to give in. Yet, he didn’t. He stood his ground, steeling himself and enduring the
agonizing experience. He needed to hold on, he needed to persist and bear the suffering. The
heroes would come, right? They’d come and save him… Right? Some part of him whispered that
they weren’t coming. That he will die here, all alone.
The cell door opened, the creaking and hissing sound ominous. Izuku gulped in anticipation,
hoping with every inch of his life that it wouldn’t be Compress who would step through the
threshold.

To his confusion and slight relief. It was Spinner. The lizard villain entered the cell hesitantly, a
deep scowl adorning his features as he inched closer. His frown deepening as his eyes took in
Izuku’s beaten and battered form.

"Boss wants you back at the bar." The villain seemed to be avoiding his gaze now. His eyes
focused on removing the chains from Izuku’s hands. “But first…” Spinner pauses for a moment,
digging up something from his pocket. The needle gleams under the light. Was this the quirk
suppressants they were giving him?

To his surprise, the villain didn’t inject him with it. Instead, the man opted to just empty the
syringe on the floor. “Stain deemed you worthy. If you really are a true hero, prove yourself kid.
Don’t give in and fight!”

Soon enough, the chains were discarded and his body was being lifted up. His weight leaning on
the scaled man.

He wanted desperately to thank the man but their journey was cut short. The bar’s door appearing
in his line of sight as Spinner ushered him into the room.

“Ah, Young Midoriya. It’s nice to have you back in the land of the living.” All for One chuckled
darkly. “Your mother is growing impatient, you know?” His voice took on a serious tone again.
“And so am I.” Despite the screen that was separating them, Izuku could feel the man’s piercing
gaze.

“Izuku-kun” His mother was next to speak up. “This is your last chance darling.” The label made
his skin crawl. “Give it up, this struggle you’re putting up is useless.” She practically spat the
words out, disgust and anger evident in her tone.

“Listen to your mother brat” Shigaraki’s voice sounded from behind him. Startling him as he didn’t
notice the man’s presence.

Shigaraki proceeded to put his hand on Izuku’s shoulder. His pinky just barely hovering over his
exposed skin. His shirt long ago shredded beyond repair. “You won’t like the alternative!” The
man whispered into his ear. His breath making his entire body shudder in disgust.

Steeling himself and gathering whatever strengths he had left, he spoke up. Knowing full well the
inevitable pain he was about to suffer. “D-don’t H-hold your breath!”

Despite having expected it, he was in no way ready for the pain that came next. Shigaraki’s finger
settled on his shoulder and within seconds blinding pain erupted through his body. The intensity
instantly bringing him to his knees.

He bit his tongue, willing himself no to let out the shrill scream that was threatening to escape his
throat. He could feel his nerves burning as they were slowly being disintegrated. His vision turned
white and his senses were accosted by the heavy sent of dead flesh and gore.

Shigaraki removed his hand but the pain was still as strong as ever. The open wound on his
shoulder pulsing and aching. Blood trickled down his torso, a great contrast to his already white
pale skin. Although, the bruises and scars painting his body like a canvas made it as though the
blood wasn’t really out of place.

“Playing tough guy, are we now?” Shigaraki hissed under his breath as he inched closer to the
fallen boy. “Fucking. BRAT!” Each word was accompanied by a kick to the back and stomach.
The blows were hard enough to leave him sprawled on the ground, clutching his abused limbs
tightly. He was just so tired. The torture he suffered during the last days drained his body from its
energy and strengths.

His senses were overwhelmed by the onslaught of pain he was feeling, yet, a new feeling was
starting to burn in his veins. He couldn’t help but smile as he felt the familiar sensation of One for
all burning through his veins once again. Spinner didn’t give him the quirk suppressants and the
last dose was finally wearing off.

This was his chance. He couldn’t afford to waste it.

Shigaraki retracted his leg for another blow…. It never landed. Izuku blocked it at the last second,
quickly swinging his leg and tripping Shigaraki in the process.

The villain cursed loudly as he flailed on the ground, hands outstretched and ready to disintegrate
the hero in training at any given moment. However, Izuku wasn’t going to stand there and take it
idly. Using the room’s occupant’s surprise to his advantage, he summoned as much of One for All
as his body could handle right now and made a run for it.
He doesn’t know if it’s the adrenaline scorching through his veins or pure determination but he
somehow made it out of the room. He found himself back in the corridor, running blindly through
the hall, cursing himself for not memorizing the pass beforehand. He didn’t care though, he kept
running, his feet pounding on the wooden floor tiles, the sound rhythmic and constant despite his
erratic heartbeat.

He could hear the other’s behind him catch up, he couldn’t run forever. For all he knew, he was
running straight back into his cell. He needed a plan, he needed a way to get out of here.

He ducked into another pass and yelped as his body was pulled into a corner. He kicked and
struggled, the actions useless against the stronghold his captor had on him.

“KID, kid you need to calm down. I’m not here to hurt you.” The man holding him spoke, his
voice unfamiliar. He felt the stranger’s hold slack and quickly turned around to face him. To his
disbelief and immense confusion, the man in front of him was none other than Dabi.

“What- why are you- “

“We don’t have time. You need to trust me, I didn’t know what they were going to do to you. I
thought they wanted to recruit you. Not fucking torture, you!”

“Why should I trust you? You were the one that kidnapped me!” Izuku couldn’t help but ask. Why
was this villain helping him?

“I may be a villain but I do not condone child abuse. That mother of yours is worse than my own
bastard of a father.” Before Izuku could ask any other question, Dabi continued. “Go this way than
go left. There’s a door that will lead you outside from here.” They could hear rattling coming from
behind them. Time was running out.

Izuku studied the other’s features for a moment. Looking for any sign of deceit. He found none.

Giving a quick nod as thanks, Izuku ran. He could feel his body giving up on him. His limbs
aching for rest and his wound throbbing with each move he made. He kept running though, he had
people who were counting on him to make it out alive.
Stay alive Izuku repeats like a mantra as he forces his feet to move forward.

He finally sees the exit after following Dabi’s instructions. His hand grips the handle like a lifeline
as he opens the door. Relief floods his system as he finds himself outside. The fresh air a huge
contrast to the restricted and omnipresent smell of rot and flesh.

It was short-lived. The sweet sense of relief was abruptly morphed into a deep sense of dread as his
vision turned dark and he found himself warped back into the bar.

How could he forget about Kurogiri?

The first thing he was greeted with was a punch to the guts. The hit made him tumble to the
ground, wheezing for breath.

"YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD ESCAPE YOU INSOLENT BRAT!" Shigaraki wailed, fury and
rage dripping from every syllable.

His arm stung and he looked up to see Kurogiri shooting him with another dose of quirk
suppressants. “It seems one dose isn’t enough.” The man stated calmly.

“If we can’t have your power, you are of no use to us. You’ll die here Izuku Midoriya.” All for
One’s spoke calmly. Unperturbed by the tantrum Shigaraki was currently throwing. “It’s time
Tomura!”

Shigaraki approached him menacingly, his hand stretched barely a few inches from Izuku’s face.

A knock interrupted his movement.

“Kamino Pizza delivery!”

“Who the hell ordered- “

With that, the world dissolved into utter and complete chaos. The bar entrance blew up in a display
of debris and smoke. From the smoldering dust emerged the hulking figure of the symbol of peace.
A pure and unadulterated sense of safety washed over Izuku as he caught sight of his mentor.

Multiple heroes trickled into the bar next. Izuku recognized Kamui Woods and Gran Torino
amongst them. Swiftly the heroes restrained most of the villains present. Izuku’s breath catches in
his throat as his eyes land on the last hero to enter.

His guardian enters the bar, a murderous look adorning his features as his eyes drift across the
room.

_________________________

Aizawa enters the bar, praying with every inch of his being that his kid is still alive and safe.

His eyes flit through the room, taking in his surroundings. Finally, his eyes land on a tuft of green
hair. It’s not Izuku’s.

With a sense of deep anger and disgust, he realizes that Inko Midoriya joined the league of
villains. Worry and dread fill his guts as the implications sink in. Izuku has been trapped for days
with his mother and the villains.

He ignores her for the moment, his job is solely focused on rescuing his kid. Inko Midoriya’s fate
can wait.

Relief floods his system as he sees Izuku from across the room. However, his heart sinks as he
takes in the beaten and battered form of his kid. Izuku’s face is covered in blood and soot, his body
is worst though. He sees old and poorly wrapped bandages on the kid's arms and notices the way
all of his uncovered skin appears to be black and purple. Not to mention the blood and gore
appearing on his shoulder where the skin is supposed to be. The kid looks bad. Really bad. As if a
small gust of wind can blow him to pieces.

Their eyes meet for merely a second and it’s all it took to get him moving.

He races across the room, intent to get to him as soon as possible.

 ___________________________

Izuku’s gaze meets Aizawa’s. He sees the worry and fear in his guardian's eyes. He's about to call
out to him. However, a suffocating sensation erupts in his throat. It feels like he's drowning from
the inside out. He can't breathe and his vision slowly turns dark.

Aizawa is a couple of steps away from Izuku now, his outstretched hand falters as he takes note of
the muddy substance oozing from his ward’s throat. He sees Izuku cough up that liquid and
watches helplessly as the substance covers his body rapidly. He lounges at the boy, his hands
grasping at the liquid and coming up empty. The substance incases the kid completely and just like
that… Izuku is gone.

Aizawa crumbles to the ground, the material slipping between his fingers. Just like his chance at
getting Izuku back.

Chapter End Notes

Izuku can't seem to catch a break.

I'm sorry for the wait guys but don't worry the next chapter isn't going to take as long!

BTW quick question, is it too weird to ask if fan art is in the picture?

And thank you for everyone who has been reading my book to this point! It really
means a lot to me and I hope you guys are enjoying my writing as much as I am
enjoying reading all of your comments!
 rescue?
Chapter Notes

So, new chapter! I hope you guys like it!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

“It’s this way guys” Yaoyorozu raises a hand and points towards an obscured building. “That
warehouse there. That’s where the device leads.”

Shinsou, Uraraka, and Iida are in the back, they look around dreading each sound that comes from
the dark night.

The area is completely silent, and the anticipation is torture. Even Bakugou is quieter than usual,
Todoroki notices.

They make their way around the building slowly but quickly, and once they get there, they don’t
find a door, but they do find several small windows, just barely out of reach.

"Someone must go on my shoulder, we need to look inside," Shinsou speaks up, he’s the tallest
here.

“I’ll do it” Uraraka declares as she slips off her shoes with little hesitation and climbs on the purple
haired teen’s shoulders.

“Here take this” Yaoyorozu calls out as she hands Uraraka some sort of camera. “It has night
vision, you’ll see better with it.” Uraraka nods her head in gratitude and proceeds to look inside, but
the dust filled windows.

“So, Uraraka, how is it?” Iida asks from below. “Do you see anything ye—”

Uraraka reels back unexpectedly with a sharp cry, almost dropping the camera. Shinsou almost
loses his grip on her but shifts her feet in time to catch her balance.
“What did you see?” They watched her features contort into horror as she finally gains the courage
to speak up.

“N-Nomus” She stutters out “T- there are so many of them” She whispers in terror.

“Move, let me see” Bakugou orders, impatience clear in his voice.

Uraraka looks almost relieved to get down.

Bakugou climbs on Todoroki’s back instead, giving Shinsou a break.

He takes the camera, they see him squint suspiciously as he moves it around and focuses the
picture. Bile rises in his throat as his gaze lands on the tanks.

“There are people here” He grits out, his teeth are locked tight in distaste and fear.

“What?” Shinsou’s heart leaps to his throat at the implication.

“It’s- it’s not Deku. But there are people in the tanks. It's like they're draining them.

They don’t even have time to let the information sink in.

The ground shakes and Bakugou scrambles off from Todoroki’s shoulders.

"Get down!" Iida hollers, and that's about all the time anyone has to say anything before
shockwave blasts them all back.
 ______________________________

The roof of the warehouse is blown clear off. Rubble flies everywhere and dust fills the clearing.
Ochako and the others managed to somehow not be in the direct line of the debris. They crouch
behind a fallen slab of concrete. Watching as heroes fly into the warehouse.

“The heroes got here,” Kirishima says, wide-eyed.

“They’re taking the Nomu’s out. Do you think they already have Midoriya?” Shinsou asks as he
watches Mount Lady pick up the Nomus one by one.

Iida is already shaking his head. “Unlikely,” he says. “He wasn’t in the warehouse, correct?”

Bakugou shakes his head. “He fucking wasn’t. He has to be somewhere else.”

"Let's go, we'll just be in the heroes' way if we stay here," Iida says as he starts to walk away.

They move to follow him but something happens. An overwhelming sense of DANGER takes over
their minds. It freezes them all in place. It feels like blaring alarms have gone off in their heads.
Warnings of imminent death and danger. Everything around them, from the crushing pressure in
the air to the oppressing dark aura surrounding them and the heavy atmosphere screams at them to
run.

It feels like someone dumped a bucket of ice water down their backs. The whole thing feels
WRONG.

They all watch thunderstruck, as a man emerges from the shadows, his stature screams control and
confidence. They come to the horrible realization that he’s the one responsible for this feeling.

"We need to get out of here." The blond hissed between gritted teeth as he tries to ground himself.

The urgency behind his words snaps them from the trancelike state they were plunged in.
One by one, they manage to find it in themselves to get their bodies moving.

“Wait” Kirishima raises his hand, and they all stop. “Look.”

They follow his gaze and watch as a muddy substance appears out of thin air. From the liquid
emerges villains. One by one, they filter into the clearing. All of them coughing and hacking up the
dark material.

One of the villains stands out. It's a woman, she has familiar green hair.

“Bloody hell.” Shinsou curses as his eyes land on Inko.

“Is that…?” Todoroki asks hesitantly. Praying that he’s wrong and that’s not who he thinks it is.

“That bitch is with the league.” Bakugou hisses angrily. Shinsou feels like he’s going to throw up.

“Who are you talking about?” Uraraka’s confusion is mirrored by the rest of the group.

“That woman there…” Shinsou points towards the clearing. “Is Izuku’s mother!”

Before they have time to ask their questions, another figure appears. Their hearts skip a beat as they
see the green haired teen.

“Is that…” Yaoyorozu looks paler than usual.

“Izuku” Shinsou whispers, worry and horror evident in his tone.

“B-but his hair…” Uraraka’s whisper goes unheard by the rest as they watch the boy crumble to
his knees as soon as his feet touch the ground.
Shinsou’s heart hammers against his chest. Midoriya is here. He’s right there, they can get to him.
If they go now, they can reach him in time-

A hand settles on his shoulders and he feels someone holding him back. It's only now that he
realizes that he'd been moving forward.

“We can’t go without a plan. It’s suicide.” Iida whispers sternly, trying not to bring attention to
their position.

“But he’s right there!” Shinsou hisses in retort.

“We need a strategy,” Kirishima says, glancing back at the battlefield. The villains are surrounding
Midoriya “And we need one soon.”

They watch as the green haired lady approaches the fallen teen.

All of them stand there frozen as they watch the scene unfold.

They watch helplessly as the woman lifts her hand in the air. At first, nothing happens. However,
it’s only a few seconds later that they see Izuku’s body being lifted in the air.

“W-what is she doing!” Kirishima asks worry and fear evident in the way his voice cracks.

“Her quirk is supposed to be a weak Telekinesis power. She’s been training it.” Bakugou replies,
his tone seemingly devoid of any emotion. Yet, they can see the fury that’s brewing in his eyes.

They watch with bated breath as Midoriya flails and struggles uselessly. His feat kicking at empty
air.

“She’s suffocating him!” Uraraka cries out, tears forming in her eyes as she takes in the state her
friend. “We need to do something!”
“His own mother…” Yaoyorozu’s whole body shakes, her hand comes up to her mouth, her eyes
widening in disbelief.

“We need to stop this.” They all nod simultaneously. Not daring to shift their gaze from the scene
before them.

“His scars… how did- Was she the reason?!” Iida shouts suddenly, his voice strong and
incredulous. His eyes burn with rage, reminiscing of the night they fought Stain.

“Yes.” It’s Shinsou who answers “She’s been abusing him for years. It’s only recently that people
found out.”

“We can talk about this later.” Bakugou interrupts sternly. “Right now, we need to come up with a
plan!”

“He’s right. Now is not the time for this. Midoriya can tell us later if he wishes to." Yaoyorozu
states, ever the voice of reason. “We need to focus on getting him out of here.”

“But how?” Kirishima can’t help but ask.

“I have an idea” Bakugou proceeds to tell them his plans.

They may have a chance of getting Midoriya out, after all.

____________________________

The world spins around him, it feels as if he’s trapped in a never-ending carnival carriage.

Was he teleported here? Was this one of All for One quirks?

Never mind that, there are more pressing things at hand.

He looks up through blurry lidded eyes and finds himself cornered again.

The villains are closing in on him, his mother leads the charge.

Dread fills his stomach as she raises her arm in the air. He knows what happens next, he’s been
through it countless times before. Yet, it doesn’t feel that way. It feels like this time is different.
Maybe, it’s because he knows he’s not getting out of this one alive.

It starts slow, his body begins to hover in the air, his feet lift off the ground. He’s being suspended
in the air by an invisible force. A force he’s come to familiarize with his mother’s quirk.

His throat begins to throb as she squeezes harder and harder his airways. She’s strangling him as
she slowly pulls him towards her. Black spots form in his field of vision and he thinks that maybe,
this is it.

This is how it ends.

This is how he dies.

However, it’s merely a second later that he’s ceremonially dropped to the ground. Wheezing for
breath as he’s offered the sweet relief of air. He hacks and coughs but manages to look up. It’s not
in his mother’s nature to be merciful. He finds her talking with Dabi, the latter was probably the
reason behind her sudden show of restraint. He must have convinced her to stop.

His ears pick up some sort of fighting coming from behind him. He turns around and freezes. Right
there, only a few meters away from him stands All for One in all his glory. He’s tall and wears a
black suit. Izuku shivers as he takes note of the aura surrounding the villain. Through the screen,
the villain emitted an aura of authority. Yet, it was nothing compared to this oppressing sense of
danger and fear he was feeling now.

The villain’s features were covered by some sort of wired medical mask. His face consisted mostly
of scar tissue though. All Might wasn’t the only one injured in their fight, five years ago.

Speaking of, said number one hero was standing just a couple of steps in front of All for One. His
mentor kept shooting him glances. His blood ran cold as he realized their predicament.

All Might is fighting All for One, but Izuku was in the way. As long as he was here, the hero
couldn’t give it his all. He was holding him back.

He was just so tired, he doubted his body could move too much right now. He could feel his
consciousness slowly escape him. He couldn’t though, he needed to get out of here, he needed to
help All Might in any way he could.

Taking Inko’s distraction to his advantage, he slowly climbed back on his feet. Trying his best to
ignore his aching wounds. Izuku needed to block out the pain, for now, he's done it in the past,
never to this extent… but at least he can ignore it for a while.

He needs to act fast, he looks around him, rubble and wreckage surround them completely and he
can barely see through the thick cloud of smoke and dust. There is a building near them that looks
like it’s about to collapse.

His heart pounds in his chest, his breath becoming more and more uneven as he finds himself
trapped. The only way out is through the group of villains and it would be a suicide mission.
Especially given that All for One teleported more than just the bar’s villains here. He thinks that
Toga winked at him when she saw him, he shudders at the thought.

His best chance was running towards the building, using the smoke as cover. Yet, it seems too
unstable to cross through.

Ah, fuck it. He needs to get out of All Might's way. Consequences be damned.

He’s about to make a run for it, but a cold gust of wind makes him pause. He’s sensed this before.
The last time he felt this cold was... No, it can’t be. He looks up and to his surprise he sees it.
Todoroki, Bakugou, Iida, and Shinsou are sliding on a pillar of ice, using Bakugou’s explosions to
direct their path and Iida’s engines to control their speed. Shinsou’s carrying some kind of rope in
his hands.

He can’t help the myriad of emotions that assault him all at once. Worry ensnares his senses as he
witnesses his friends risking their lives to rescue him. Yet, he can’t but feel relieved. He’s not alone
in this. He never was.
“IZUKU!”

His eyes meet Shinsou’s and he knows what he's supposed to do instantly. He runs, his feet pound
on the concrete, the ground rattles with every step he takes. He knows he's treading on a thin line,
his body can't take much more of this. However, he doesn't think about this now. All his thoughts
are plagued by one thing only. Survive!

He sees the rope up ahead and stretches his arms, despair fueled his every movement as he wills
his body to comply. His fingers graze the fabric, merely inches away from fully grasping it.

Yet, it’s not enough. He’s not enough.He feels an invisible force pulling him backward, tugging at
his limbs. He tumbles to the ground, missing his chance of rescue and therefore renders his
classmate’s efforts useless.

He moves to get up but he can’t find it in himself anymore.

"How many times does this have to happen for you to get it through that thick skull of yours." His
mother snickers as she approaches him. A predator closing in on its prey. "You will never get away
from me Izuku-kun” She purrs sinisterly as she crouches in front of him.

For once in his life, Izuku thinks it's okay to give up.

____________________________

“Fucking Hell!” Bakugou howls as explosions erupt uncontrollably from his hands.

His anger and frustration are mirrored in each and every one of the students as they watch
helplessly as Midoriya falls once again into the clutches of the villains.
“It didn’t work…” Uraraka murmurs, her voice broken by the stray tears rolling down her cheeks.

“What do we do now?” Kirishima’s usual cheery demeanor is nowhere to be seen. Instead, his
behavior is that reminiscing of a kicked puppy.

“You let me handle this.” A gruff voice resonates behind them, effectively startling them.

“Mr. Aizawa!” Their teacher looks angry. His features are twisted into a prominent scowl, his
eyebrows are furrowed and his teeth are barred.

They can’t help the shivers that run down their spines as they feel the furious aura that surrounds
their teacher.

“Go back to the main road, we’ll talk about this later. For now, do as I say.” His tone leaves no
room for argument.

“But how- “Uraraka’s brave exclaim gets shut down immediately. Aizawa’s glare is enough to
send them on their way. Albeit reluctantly.

___________________________

“Get up brat” Inko barks as she digs her heels into Izuku’s injured shoulder. “The heroes are here,
we wouldn’t want them to take you away now, would we?” She presses harder until she pries a cry
of pain out of him.

The heroes are here and she’s running out of time. If she doesn’t get him out of here it's all over.
She looks around, searching their surrounding for any escape.

Anger fills her insides as she sees Dabi and the rest of the league get into a portal. She thinks
Shigaraki is shouting for them to leave her. She doesn’t realize the pressure she is putting on to her
son’s shoulder until she hears the whimpers that escape his mouth.

Now, it may be cruel but she can’t help the satisfaction she feels afterward.

She knew she couldn’t count on the villains forever. Her stubborn idiot of a son couldn’t just give
up his stupid quirk.

Looking around once more, she finds a wrecked warehouse. It’s risky but she can’t let the heroes
find them.

Her eyes shift to the fallen form of her disgrace. He's a bloody mess and she can't help the
giddiness that fills her at that particular display. With school and the constant suspicion, they were
put under, she never got the opportunity to truly let loose.

Shaking her head, she focused on her upcoming task. The brat wasn’t going to move anytime soon.
She needed to drag him with her. At least her quirk would help.

Using as much power as she could muster, she lifted him off the ground. Her hand wrapped around
his upper arm in a secure hold and she began making her way to the crumbled building.

“S-stop please.” Came the pathetically broken sound of Izuku’s voice.

“Shut it.” She didn’t have the energy to deal with his useless pleas right now. She had to get away.

____________________________

He felt his body being dragged forward. His limbs painfully moving without his consent. Gazing
through blurry eyes, he saw the wreck his mother was heading towards. The warehouse’s structure
looked highly unstable, red-blue flames engulfed the place. The smoke making his eyes sting and
his chest throb. The beams looked seconds away from giving out.
The chances of making it out alive were deteriorating.

Glass and rubbles cracked from under their feet as they entered the wreckage. The air getting more
and more constricted, the farther they made it into the building.

A crack came from behind them, his mother must have heard it too, if the way she swiveled around
was of any indication.

His wounds ached at the sudden motion, his eyes closing on instinct as he willed the pain to go
away. His mother was holding him close to her chest, her arm wrapping around him in an almost
protective manner. He scoffed internally at the thought.

Finally opening his eyes, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

Right in front of them, stood none other than his guardian. His heart swelled as a heap of emotions
accosted him all at once.

“Let him go Midoriya. It’s over.” Aizawa’s voice was dangerously low. His tone coming more like
a bark than anything. His body unconsciously shivering at the coldness in his teacher’s voice.
“Izuku belongs with us”

“Over huh? Are you sure about that?” The grip on his shoulder tightened, pain spiking in his
wounds. “You’re Aizawa, right? You really care about my son, don't you?" The man's silence was
all the confirmation she needed. "Well, if you really do then you will let me go. Or else… you
won’t like the outcome.”

That was all the warning Aizawa had before Inko’s hand shot up in the air. He watched helplessly
as his ward screamed in pain, the sound shrill and broken. Despite having lasted just a few seconds
before he activated his quirk, the sound would be forever engraved in his memories. Haunting him
eternally, a proof of his failures.

This was a warning. The message was painfully clear. Let her go or Izuku dies.

“This won’t work. It’s over Inko. You don’t have to do this. We can get you help!” The woman
was backing up into the building, her movements reminiscing of a cornered wild animal. They
were going dangerously close to the blazing fires that surrounded them. His eyes couldn’t help but
flicker to the beams that were threatening to crumble on top of them at any moment.

“Help?” She laughed hysterically, her demeanor shifting to borderline desperate as she found
herself cornered. “I don’t need your help! All of you must think I’m crazy. You don’t know what
I’ve been through! You don’t know what it’s like, to be abandoned like this! I never asked for this!
I never wanted a worthless son!” Her gaze kept shifting around, her eyes wondering her
surrounding frantically as she tried to find an escape. “Do you have any idea how it feels like? To
be looked down upon! Left by the one person you thought would stand by you? And for what?!
THIS! THIS WORTHLESS PIECE OF TRASH! AND THEN HE DARES GO OUT AND MAKE
HIMSELF USEFUL! IF I CAN’T BE HAPPY I WILL MAKE DAMN SURE HE ISN’T TOO!”
Her back was pressing into the battered structure, termers wracked the place as the building
threatened to cave in on itself. They were running out of time.

“Miss Midoriya, you need to calm down." He tried, a last-ditch attempt at getting his kid to safety.
He knew his attempt would be feeble, however, he couldn't help but try. If putting aside his anger,
meant getting his kid back, he'd do it.

“CALM DOWN!” She cried out, “DON’T YOU DARE TELL ME TO CALM DOWN. I KNOW
HOW THIS ENDS. BUT IF IM GOING DOWN, THEN HE'S GOING DOWN WITH ME." She
let go of her hold on the boy, the teenager instantly swaying on his feet. His body menacing to give
out on him at any second. Now, with both arms free, she raised her arms into the air.

The whole structure trembled around them as the building shook from the pressure the woman was
applying to it. Rubble and stray metal spikes rose into the air, effectively trapping them. The wind
picked up and soon enough, they could feel the ground rumble and crack from under their feet.
Blood was trickling down from Inko’s eyes and nose. Her image, one that would haunt their
nightmares. Quirk overuse was finally getting to her as she pushed herself over the limit.

Aizawa curses his luck, for his quirk was useless here. The dust and smoke surrounding them
make it impossible for him to maintain eye contact. He needed to stop her on his own.

He doesn't know how it happened. However, he remembered the exact moment his blood ran cold
and his heart seemed to come to a halt. The precise instance in which the world appeared to have
slowed to a stop. Time seemed irrelevant as he saw the metal spike rush towards the boy.

His body acted before his mind had a chance to register it. The world moved as if he was nothing
but an onlooker. Watching the events unfold before him. He doesn’t know how he does it. He
doesn’t know how it happens.
 He just sees his ward, his boyand nothing else. He lungs at him at a speed he never knew himself
capable of going at before. The last time he did that flares in his mind, flashes of his hand, reaching
for his kid but coming up empty. Outstretched but always in vain. However, this time... This time
it's different. He feels the boy's body against him as he tackles him out of the way. The wind blows
by them as they tumble to the ground in a mess of limbs. Dust fills the air and the ringing in his
ears subside.

He looks the boy over and can’t help the indescribable, overwhelming feeling of relief that takes
over him. It’s at that moment that nothing else mattered.

That feeling shatters into a million pieces as he looks into his child's eyes. Izuku’s face is twisted in
pure horror. His eyes brows are knitted together and his eyes are blown wide open.

Following his wards gaze, he sees something, no one, let alone a sixteen-year-old should face in
their entire life.

There, just a few feet away from them. Stands the hung and frozen corpse of Midoriya Inko.

The metal spike that was meant to pierce her son's body, instead, embedded itself in her own chest.
Pinning her to the structural beam behind her. Blood and gore trickle down her torso as her lifeless,
empty eyes stared straight at them.

“Izuku.” Aizawa begins, desperately hoping that his ward is listening to him “I need you to look at
me. Only me. Do you understand?” At first, the boy shows no sign of understanding. His gaze
remains fixated on the still form of his mother. “Son, I need you to look at me”Those worlds seem
to incite a reaction out of him as his once vibrant green eyes flicker towards Aizawa’s own.

“A-Aizawa” Comes the smallest, most vulnerable whisper out of his wards mouth. He can only sit
there, completely motionless as Izuku’s eyes roll to the back of his head. As his body surrenders to
the sweet lull of consciousness.

Chapter End Notes

I hope Inko's death was satisfactory enough! Izuku's road to recovery starts now!
so, I may not be updating for a while. The next month will be packed with my final
exams before summer and I won't be able to focus on much of anything else! I will try
my best though! Let's just hope I'll make it through my exams unscathed!
 As the world stops
Chapter Notes

Finals are over! freaking finally! I am now all yours! Let's just hope prom and grad
don't take away too much of my time! I'm sorry for the long hiatus! hope you like this
chapter!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Time should be slowing down. It should feel like the world in itself, was coming to a standstill. As
if the entire universe was frozen. Yet, reality was far from what you would expect.

Their surroundings blurred together, a chaotic mess of blaring sirens, too bright red and blue lights
and the buzzing of countless instructions and orders being screamed around them.

Aizawa found Izuku and saved him. Yet, looking at Izuku’s beaten and battered figure, it felt as if
he has done nothing but fail his ward miserably.

He looked down at the unmoving form of his student. The kid was motionless, too still and his hair
too white. His mind didn’t seem to catch up to that last piece of information as he sat there, frozen.

The sirens were getting louder, the lights more blinding and yet; he couldn’t get his body to move.

He felt someone nudge him, felt a hand squeezing his shoulder. Still, he did not budge. He couldn’t
and wouldn’t leave Izuku. He could vaguely hear his name being called out, feel Izuku’s body
being moved from his lap.

As if a switch has been clicked and the world around him proceeded its natural order. Sounds were
finally being registered in his mind, sirens officially belonged to the ambulance waiting for them
nearby, the parade of lights fitting to the police officer’s vehicles parked all around them.

He had to snap out of this, this wasn’t the time for him to break. Izuku was right there, he was
finally within his reach and the boy needed him now more than ever.

Gathering whatever strengths, he had left in him, he stood up and followed the paramedics to the
ambulance.
 __________________________

A wise man once said; he who can have patience can have what he wills. Shinsou wanted nothing
more than to punch that man in the face. By the looks on the rest of his schoolmate's faces, they
weren’t fairing any better.

Waiting to find Izuku was torture for them. However, knowing he was right there but not being
able to do anything about it was absolute hell.

Aizawa ordered them not to get involved under any circumstance. Then, the man promptly
disappeared into the fray afterward.

Shortly after, despite feeling like an eternity had passed, the ground began to shake. Rubble raining
down and dust filling the air. To their horror, the building in front of them looked on the verge of
collapsing and they still couldn’t see any sign of their missing teacher or classmate.

Todoroki was the first to move. His eyes bore into their own. Dark determination shining through
the surface and urging them to take action. They couldn’t just stand here while their friend needed
their help. However, just as they were about to move. The shaking stopped and the dust settled.
Pure, chilling silence overtook the area. Their minds reeling with both relief and panic. The
intensity of these emotions creating a whirlwind of emotions in each one of their hearts.

This meant the fight was over. Yet, it also meant one of two things. Either Aizawa won… Or…
They couldn’t bring themselves to think about the other possibility.

Iida, ever the voice of reason, decided to take that particular moment to step up. They needed to
have faith in their teacher, they needed to trust his ability to handle whatever was going on in there.

Bakugou wasn’t a particular fan of this idea. However, they all ended up relenting in the end.
Albeit some more reluctantly than others.
They stood there, waiting. They waited eagerly for Aizawa and Izuku to emerge from the building.
Waited for their friend to be okay. They waited for any sign or indication that Izuku was in fact,
safe and sound.

Yet, nothing happened. They stood there as the sirens came closer. They stood there as the
paramedics entered the building. Empty stretcher in tow. Witnessing in mute horror as their
classmate's body was wheeled out from the fray. Frantic paramedics working and shuffling around
him in order to help him. In order to keep him alive.

It was at that moment, that it hit them. A horrifying realization that knocked the air out of them
simultaneously. The situation was suddenly far too real. Far too scary. Izuku was hurt, he could be
seriously injured. Their friend could be dead.

That thought alone made Shinsou’s skin crawl. Bile rising to the surface as his mind reeled at the
mere notion.

What did they think would happen when they came out here? Their plan to save Midoriya failed
miserably. Their attempts were proven to be feeble and pathetic. How could they possibly think
that It was going to work? They weren't heroes. Shinsou wasn't even the hero course yet for god's
sake. How could they have been so naïve?

Never mind that now, this wasn’t the time to be berating themselves. What was important now was
seeing if Izuku was going to be okay. That his friend was alive.

They needed to follow that ambulance.

____________________________

The ambulance swerved around a corner, cars making way for it as they went. Aizawa sat there, a
little to the side as he let the medics work on his student. Izuku was unconscious and from the
panicked expressions, the medics were sporting, his kid wasn't in the clear yet.
“He’s not breathing sir!” Came the frantic yell from one of the medics. Aizawa thinks he may be
new to the job, given how young he looks.

“His heart’s giving out! Tilt his head back and start compressions immediately!” Came the order
from one of the more experienced medics. They guy was calm and collected. His orders clear and
to the point.

"He's not responding to compressions, sir!" The man didn't answer, too busy setting up what
looked like a defibrillator.

Aizawa’s job meant that he was far from inexperienced when it came to these kinds of situations.
Yet, seeing one of his own kids going through it was a completely different experience. It was
jarring, to say the least.

The monitor on the opposite side of where he was sitting flatlined. The high pitch sound quickly
became the worst thing he ever heard. He couldn't get himself to stop staring at the green neon
light. It kept going for what felt like an eternity. The constant sound becoming the only thing his
mind was registering, his consciousness zeroing on that one, dreadful sound.

“Administering shock at 200 volts now” Came the almost robotic call. “Clear!” Fear and worry ate
at his insides as the seconds ticked by. Dark spots were rapidly forming in his field of vision.
Izuku’s heart stopped. His kid was dying, his body wasn’t responding to the shock. The thought
played on a constant loop in his mind, his breathing becoming more and more restricted. This
wasn’t happening, no! how could it be!

“Time of death- “Came the soft, hesitant voice of the paramedic.

“Do it again.” Aizawa couldn’t let this happen. He wouldn’t admit defeat.

“But sir- “The younger kid exclaimed.

“Do. It. again.” He threatened darkly. He knew what he was doing. This was the voice he used on
criminals. Maybe, he shouldn’t be doing this. These men were only doing their jobs. Yet, he
couldn’t bring himself to care.

“Sir…”
“Do it.” The older medic ordered instead. They were wasting time.

The younger medic cleared his throat. “Administering shock at 500 volts.” Aizawa heard the
distinct sound of electricity being charged “Clear!”

For a moment, the world slowed to a complete stop. Everyone stood frozen as they waited with
bated breath for a response.

Nothing happened.

Was this… was this it?

"I'm sorry sir…" The medic whispered lowly, his hand reaching for the still flat lining monitor.
Intending to turn it off.

“W-wait” Aizawa hated how his voice wobbled. Emotions threatening to overwhelm him.

The man complied. Quickly stepping to the side to give him space.

Aizawa bent down, crouching near the still form of his kid. Taking his cold, too cold, hand into
his own.

"Izuku." He whispered softly, his voice meant for his ward only. "Izuku I need you to help me out
here kid." He exhaled softly. "I know you're tired… I know you want this to be over. B-but…" He
took in a deep breath, trying to will away the burning in his eyes. "I need you to hold on for me. I
need you to keep fighting kid.” Come on Izuku. Breathe.

Silence met his request. Sorrow crept into his very being as he was faced with this cruel reality.
His eyes closed as frustration and anger welled up inside him. Anger at the world that had taken
away the most precious thing in his life. He couldn’t handle it. He couldn’t handle this.

Izuku was dead. His kid was gone.

As his breath speeded up and the panic attack threatened to burst, coming to the surface at full
force, slowly drowning deeper and deeper into misery he felt a small tug on his hand.

His head shot up, almost giving him whiplash.

A beat.

Then another, followed by a third…

Aizawa never knew how amazing it would feel to hear that rhythmic sound coming from the heart
monitor. To see the fluctuation of the green neon light.

Pure, unadulterated relief accosted his senses. Disbelief and raw happiness overtook his heart as he
looked at the medics for confirmation. He needed to make sure that he wasn’t imagining this. He
needed to see if this was real.

The two men’s features mirrored his own. Both sporting identical expressions of shock and
disbelief as they stared blankly at the heart monitor.

Just like that, the spell was broken as the medics moved into action. Making sure they didn’t lose
the kid again. Miracles don’t happen twice, after all.

________________________________

Uraraka hated hospitals. She hated their cold, white interior. Hated the gloomy aura that always
surrounded its halls. Uraraka despised the sadness that always followed her here. Ever since she
had to watch her grandmother waste away in here.
Yet, what she hated most of all, was the fact that Midoriya, her friend, her incredibly sweet and
kind classmate ended up here.

Now, here she was. Once again, waiting here for news, any news to come out about her friend.

They were sitting in the waiting area, near the emergency room. Yaoyorozu, Kirishima, Iida,
herself and Shinsou, all in unnerving silence.

Strangely enough, the usually calm and collected Todoroki was the one pacing back and forth in
the room. While the usually loud and brash Bakugou was uncharacteristically quiet as he sat to the
side.

It was unexpected, to say the least when he came asking for her to go with them on their
impromptu rescue mission.

She hesitated at first, given the possible repercussions to their actions. Yet, she relented in the end.
This was Izuku. The boy who had saved her countless times in the past. She’d be damned if she
didn’t try and help him herself.

They had arrived just after the ambulance. Only glimpsing a flash of their classmate before he was
carted away into the intensive area. Intensive… Her friend needed intensive care. Her friend was
still in danger.

They briefly encountered Aizawa as he was coming out of the emergency room. Their teacher
looked exhausted. His expression as his gaze landed on them was the definition of done. They
braced themselves for the yelling and punishment to come. Yet, it never came. Aizawa just looked
at them for a couple of seconds and walked away. Their teacher slumping in one of the chairs on
the opposite side of the room.

This was worse than the anger they were expecting and prepared for. This was a blatant
disappointment and somehow it felt worse. If the growing pit in their stomach was anything to go
by.

Uraraka supposed that their punishment would come later. Now wasn’t the time.

She just hoped that they hadn’t lost their teacher’s trust completely.
Speaking of teachers. Apparently, All Might was hiding from them his true appearance all this
time. They had all watched, shocked, as the man’s skeleton form was exposed to the world.

Nonetheless, it didn’t change the fact that the number one hero was strong. They watched
impatiently as he fought and actually defeated the villain from Kamino Ward.

They should have been happy, even excited to see their teacher’s accomplishment. Yet, in the face
of Izuku’s kidnapping and All might’s battle. It felt as if this was the end of an era. The end of
something more, something bigger than all of them. If it was a good thing. Uraraka couldn’t tell
yet.

It was a couple of hours later before the doctor stepped out into the waiting room. His expression
was pained, his eyes searching the room for someone.

Uraraka watched in silent anticipation as the doctor spoke to their homeroom teacher. She tried
gauging Aizawa's reaction if only to get some sort of hint about the news. Yet, her teacher's
expression remained unchanged. Features blank and unemotional.

They were all on the edge of their seats. By the way, Shinsou's leg was bouncing up and down on
the floor and the constant drumming of Kirishima's fingers. They were all feeling just as stressed
and worried as she was.

Finally, as if sensing their impatience, Aizawa gestured for the doctor to talk to them. In turn, the
doctor made his way towards them.

“Hello. I’m doctor Collins. You must be Midoriya’s friends.” The grey-haired man greeted them,
earning a couple of nods from Iida and Yaoyorozu. “I know you must be worried so I’ll get right to
the point. Your friend came in here in a highly critical state. The medics had to resuscitate him on
the way here, for his heart kept giving out." He paused for a moment, giving them time for the
information to sink in. "However, we managed to get his body to a semi-stable state. His injuries
overall weren't life-threatening. He came in with a couple of fractured bones, some extensive
bruising and a concussion. But the most worrying injury was the laceration he’d suffered to his
heart.” Uraraka could feel the pressure building in her chest.

"At first, we thought that they were caused by the shock administered to him on his way here.
However, on further inspection, we have come to a certain conclusion." The man in front of them
looked unsure, turning to Aizawa for confirmation before deciding that they had the right to know.
"The laceration he suffered seems to have been caused by a higher voltage, to put it simply, they
came from electrocution on an extended period of time." Did that mean he was… “Now, I have to
ask, has any of you ever heard of the Marie Antoinette Syndrome?”
“Does that mean….” Iida was first to react, his expression twisting into one of pure horror.

“I’m afraid so young man.” The doctor nodded seriously.

“What does it mean? What is Marie Antoinette Syndrome ?” Shinsou was next to voice their
apprehension.

Iida seemed to be at a loss for words. His reaction making their collective hearts speed up in
`worry.

“Speak up damn it!” Bakugou shouted in frustration. For once, Uraraka didn’t blame him.

"Bakugou." Aizawa scolded lowly, his voice was stern and unwavering. "You need to calm down
if we are going to deal with this.”

“What’s this! Can someone explain it to us already!” it was now Kirishima’s turn to speak up.

Clearing his throat, the doctor proceeded in his explanation. “Marie Antoinette syndrome refers to
the situation when a person’s hair turns white.” Uraraka’s mind flashed to Kamino, Izuku’s hair…
“If the body goes through enough emotional and physical stress, the person’s hair pigment begins
to lose their abilities. Your friend’s hair… I believe it used to be green?” Used to be…

Does that mean he was being…?

"Tortured" Todoroki whispered in mute horror. Earning a strangled gasp from both Yaoyorozu and
Kirishima.

“Your friend has been through a lot. More than anyone should. Let alone someone his age. He will
need support and patience in his recovery. It will be long and hard if he ever wants to live a normal
life again. In fact, you should all be prepared for this. The friend you found tonight, may not be the
same one you lost. Experiences like that change people." The doctor's words hit them hard.
Showing them just how serious and dire the situation was.
 “C-can we see him?” Uraraka finally asked what she’s been meaning to.

“I’m afraid not. Not yet, at least. He’s currently in a medically induced sleep. Both his body and
mind need time to catch up to all the trauma he suffered. He may not wake up for a while. You
need to know that your friend isn’t out of the woods yet and until he is one hundred percent stable,
we cannot let him have any visitors.”

With that, the doctor walked away. Leaving them to stew in the new onslaught of information.

“You kids should go home for now. I’ll stay here and call you if anything happens.” Aizawa
began, his voice piercing through the silence that had settled between them. “We will talk about
your actions later. For now, go home and rest. Midoriya’s going to need us to be at our best once he
wakes up.”

All of them nodded, determination brewing in their eyes. Yet, none of them made a move to go.

Sighing loudly, their teacher addressed them once more.

“Fine, if you must, you can stay. Just, make sure to tell your parent’s where you are.”

Sighing in relief, they all went back to their original spots.

All of them had a new fire burning within them. They may not have been able to save Midoriya
back at Kamino. However, they were here now and they were going to help him as much as they
could during his recovery.

Now, they just needed for their friend to wake up.

Chapter End Notes

I don't know if Marie Antoinette syndrome is real, but I saw a youtube video about it
and found the concept really interesting!

I also made a discord channel! be sure to join if you want!

https://discord.gg/FYEPC2

check out my Instagram page for art for this chapter!

 A spark of hope
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

The world shook, the concrete beneath his feet trembled as his mother’s wrath enveloped the place.
As her powers burst into the open and rose past their limits. The sheer force overwhelming the
building’s structure. The building that was currently threatening to give out and collapse on itself.

Izuku couldn’t say how he knew that this was the end. If you’d ask him, he’d say it was a primal
instinct. A strong yet familiar dreadful feeling in his guts. Whose end was it, he didn’t know. Yet,
he felt that no matter what, one of them wasn’t going to make it out of here alive.

It didn’t make it any easier though. Seeing her like that, her corpse hanging by the metal spike
embedded in her torso. The blood and gore oozing from her wounds, fast and spreading as it
dripped onto the dusty floor beneath her.

It didn’t hurt any less as he watched the light dim and fade from her eyes. Witnessing as she rasped
out her final cold, shuddering breath.

He couldn’t take his eyes off of her, even as static filled his mind and his heart rocketed against his
chest, making it hard for him to breathe. His mind involuntarily taking in every last detail of the
scene before him. However, in the midst of all this chaos, he could vaguely hear someone calling
out for him…Aizawa…

His eyes snapped to meet dark onyx orbs. His guardian made sure all his focus was on him, even as
the world dimmed around them and dark spots filled his vision entirely.

Yet, it was at that moment that he realized that he probably won’t make it out of here alive.

_______________________________
 His eyes were unresponsive as he fell in and out of consciousness. Barely processing what was
happening around him. He felt as if his body was floating, although he reckons that he was being
moved and carried by someone.

He heard shouts being called out, but his brain couldn’t make out what was being said. The voices
blurred together and turned into a constant maddening buzz in the back of his mind.

He felt as if every nerve in his body was being lit on fire. As if they were going to burst at any
moment by the amount of pain he was feeling.

Everything stilled as a blinding pain wrapped and overtook his chest, effectively making it
impossible for him to breathe.

A blinding light accosted his senses and the next thing he knew, he was in complete darkness.

Panic spiked in his mind, his heart rate skyrocketing, thinking he was back under compress’s quirk.

Yet, this wasn’t the suffocating darkness that surrounded him and engulfed him.

This wasn’t the darkness that robbed him of his senses and replaced them with a striking,
paralyzing fear.

This was different.

He just knew it. Felt it.

This darkness, surrounding him, didn’t feel imprisoning. This was the darkness you’d see just
before the sunrise, just before the red hues of light filled the sky at dawn.

This was the darkness you’d feel just before you fall asleep, just before you surrender your
consciousness to the sweet pull of slumber. It was quiet, almost… serene.

Somehow, he felt calm. A strange, yet tranquil atmosphere surrounded him, making it easier to just
breathe. in and out.

He looked around and found that the obscurity, was, in fact, some sort of a tunnel.

It was as if he was being given a choice. On one side, the tunnel was pitch black, a never-ending
void. Yet, on the other side, he could just barely make out a light. It was so far, yet so bright.
Almost inviting.

Warmth radiated from the distant opening as if calling out to him. Taking a hesitant step forward,
he found himself being drawn to it. Each step he took, the calmness increased and for a moment,
maybe for just a fraction of a second, he felt as if he had nothing to lose by entering it. The light
was shining brighter, tendrils floated into the tunnel, encircling his wrist, binding him. Pulling him
forward, lulling him into an easy sense of relief and pure bliss.

He didn’t know what would be at the end of this tunnel. He didn’t know- couldn’t know, what was
waiting for him on the other side of that light. However, what he knew without the shred of doubt
was, that he would be safe. That the pain and suffering would stop. That he’d finally be free.

Everything inside of him told him- screamed at him to just walk into it. To just… let go.

He felt his body resume its action unconsciously. Felt his limbs move, his mind surrendering to the
calmness, accepting it with open arms.

Yet, as he was taking his final step, as his arm was finally within grasping distance. As his fingers
just barely grazed the rays, bathing in the light. He felt his body freeze.

A crushing sense of sadness encased his heart as he felt something calling out to him.

At first, the voice was muffled, barely audible. Static in what seemed to be an endless hole. Yet it
pushed him back. Whatever it was, his heart was being tugged towards it.

It echoed through the tunnel. Soft and familiar. It's source seemingly coming from the other end of
the tunnel.
“Izuku- -need to- -kid-“ That voice… “ - hold on- -me” He could recognize it
anywhere… “ -keep fighting.”

He’s never heard his guardian sound so… broken before.

Suddenly, the weight of his actions came crashing down on him. What was he doing? Just, letting
go. Just giving up, when he knew people were counting on him. When he knew his friends, his
family were counting on him to fight. If not for himself than for them. Aizawa was counting on
him to pull through. To fight. To survive.

Make it back alive problem child.

He let out a breath he didn’t know he’d even been holding in.

The tunnel shifted around him and he found the light in front of him dimming.

The opening was closing in on itself, shutting down for good.

He didn’t belong there. Not yet, at least.

Turning around he found the other side of the tunnel was no longer empty. Instead, in the midst of
all the darkness. In the heart of all that void, was a small flickering ray of light.

It wasn’t as calming as the previous one. Nor was it as inviting. Yet, he knew that he needed to
follow it.

In his mind, in his very heart, he knew that by going in there, he’d be safe. His family, Aizawa
would keep him safe.

And so, he walked, his slow steps quickly morphing into a jog. His movement rapidly turning into
a full-on sprint as he finally reached his own little light.

His own spark of hope.

Hope that although life was hard. Although it was tough and tiring, there was still a better future
ahead of him.

Maybe, just maybe, that tiny spark of hope would be enough. He would give life one more chance.
One more try.

__________________________

Beep. Beep. Beep…

Came the rhythmic sound from the heart monitor. The sound was almost comforting, grounding.

A constant reminder that his kid was still there. That Izuku was alive.

That his heart was still beating.

It didn’t hurt any less. Didn’t make it more bearable for Aizawa, seeing him like that.

Lying there, so fragile in his hospital bed.

He looked so small. So young at that moment.

Aizawa’s heart clenched as he took in the dark bruises that blossomed on his student’s skin. A huge
contrast to his too pale complexion.

His head was wrapped in gauze, along with his shoulder and multiple other body parts. Too many
injuries, his mind supplied. Too much pain for one person to handle. Yet, Izuku did.
His all too white hair was a testament to the pain he had endured.

His kid had suffered and he wasn’t there to stop it. His kid was hurt and he wasn’t there to keep
him safe.

_______________________________

It’s been three days and Midoriya has yet to show any sign of waking up.

Class 1-A had taken it upon themselves to camp out the hospital waiting room. All of them.
Including Shinsou and even Kota had come.

However, despite the huge number of people gathered in one room, it was eerily silent.

Everyone kept for themselves, trying, willing their nerves to settle.

All of them were on edge. Waiting impatiently for their friend to wake up.

For Izuku to just, be okay.

~~~~~~~~~

It was on the fourth day of their newly acquired routine that it happened.

Aizawa was scrolling through his phone, looking for any new news on the league.

However, all the news was being flooded with All Might’s fight. All for One had gone down, and
All Might’s hero days had gone with him. Yet, this battle, despite its revelations gave hope to the
people.
Gave them a reason to keep their trust in heroes.

It was then that he heard it.

Rushing footsteps echoing through the halls. The sound getting louder and louder as whoever it
was burst through the room.

A nurse, probably in her twenties rushed in, her eyes searching frantically for someone.

Finally, her gaze settled on the doctor. Doctor Collins, who was currently in the middle of a
conversation with another nurse.

“Doctor Collins! He’s awake! But he won’t respond! He kept thrashing and fighting against
anything and anyone that got close to him!” Her tone was rushed, urgent as she urged the doctor to
follow her, Aizawa hot on their tail.

______________________________

Aizawa hears his heart pounding against his ears, feels the blood flowing through his veins as he
rushes towards Izuku’s hospital room.

He’s awake. His kid was awake.

He doesn't know why, but as he rounds the corner that leads into Izuku's bedroom, his mind
flashes back to the doctor's words, on the first night they came here.

The Izuku you found may not be the same kid you lost.

The hall seemed to go on forever before he finally reached the room.

The nurses are scattered by the door, hesitant on what actions they should take.

“Sir, you can’t go in there” One of the nurses called out to him.

He ignored her, promptly pushing through the rest and making his way towards his ward.

Izuku was curled in on himself, rocketing back and forth in his hospital bed. His arms wrapped
protectively around himself despite the bandages and the cast.

Aizawa grimaced at the sight. Izuku shouldn’t be moving with those injuries.

The kid was mumbling, sobs breaking through his incoherent words.

This was bad. Izuku didn’t even seem to be aware of his presence yet.

Taking slow, projected movements, as if he was approaching a small wounded animal, he made his
way near his kid's bedside.

“Izuku” He spoke tentatively, making sure his voice was low but audible nonetheless.

The kid kept rocketing, however, his mumbles were getting louder, turning in shouts.

“Stop, please! No, no no” Another gut-wrenching sob escaped his student’s lips as his thrashing
became stronger. “Stop! Don’t do this!”

"Izuku, it's me. Please, kid, listen to me" He crouched down, finally on the same level as the seated
child. “Izuku, look at me.”

“This- this isn’t real! Stop doing this!” The kid wailed, his movements getting more and more
erratic.
 This was bad if this was going to last much longer, Izuku was going to hurt himself.

Taking a chance, he did the only thing he thought would calm the kid down.

He wrapped his arms around the boy, cradling his head to his chest, protecting him from the world.

The boy froze in his arms, Aizawa worried he’d stopped breathing.

"It's okay, you're safe." He whispered, "You're okay, your safe, I’m here.” He didn’t know if the
words were meant to reassure the child or himself.

Either way, they seemed to have the desired impact. For, a moment later, the kid seemed to melt
into the embrace. His arms tightening their hold around his shirt, hands clutching onto him as if his
life depended on it.

He could feel dampness spread on his shirt, yet he couldn’t get himself to care.

The only thing that mattered right now was Izuku’s safety. His kid was right there. His kid was
home.

They stayed like that, for what felt like an eternity, yet it wasn’t enough.

They stayed like that until the child fell asleep, already exhausted and in too much pain to stay
awake.

This was going to be a long and painful recovery. Yet, he'd do everything in his power to help his
kid along the way.

“It’s okay” He whispered, his voice echoing through the quiet room. His words going on deaf ears.
“I’m going to keep you safe.”

Chapter End Notes

Chapter End Notes

Hope you liked this chapter!

 It's okay
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Shinsou was expecting excitement. He expected his heart to be fluttering at the mere thought of
seeing his friend.

Izuku was awake. His friend was back, he was safe and alive. Yet… yet it didn’t feel right. Why
didn’t he feel right?

Why were his guts shunning? Why was his mind swirling with a hundred possible ways this could
go wrong?

This was Midoriya, the boy who came into his life like a storm. Entering and invading his life like
a force of nature. Abolishing the resolve that he spent years accumulating, destroying the walls he
fought so hard to put up and finally opening his heart to the world.

This was the kid that stood up for him when no one else did. The boy who defended him and
stood by him even though he was facing his worst problems.

The boy who gave him hope when he was drowning in his sorrow. When he was losing faith in the
world itself.

So, why wasn’t he happy? Why was he so… so scared?

Looking around, he realized that he probably wasn’t the only one harboring these feelings.

The class decided that going all at once would be too overwhelming for the boy. They split
themselves into small groups. The first group, consisting of Iida, Uraraka, Todoroki and himself.

They were all walking, painfully slow. All of them dreading what they were going to find on the
other end of that corridor.
Were they going to find the same green-haired boy they had come to know and love so much? Or
were they going to find a broken, shattered version of their friend?

Either way, they were going to stand by him. Just as he did when they were the ones in need of a
friend.

____________________

Now, standing in front of the white hospital door, it was easier said than done.

Decisively, Uraraka- the bravest of them all- lifted her hand up and knocked gently on the door.
Each knock resonating through the deserted hallway.

A soft voice called out for them. The tone so quiet and meek that they’d almost missed it.

Tentatively opening the door, they stepped in, one by one. Shinsou’s eyes scanned his
surroundings, as he followed Uraraka into the room.

The room was bathing in natural sunlight, the curtains having been drawn open. Finally, his eyes
landed on the small figure sitting up on the hospital bed.

He couldn’t blame Uraraka for the quiet gasp that escaped her throat as he too was trying to come
to terms with Izuku’s appearance.

Izuku’s once green effervescent hair was now a pure, snowy shade of white. A great contrast to the
few green locks he still had left.

“H-hey guys.” The boy in question greeted hesitantly, snapping them out of the shocked silence
that had settled over the room.
“Deku!” Uraraka was the first to react. Quickly charging at the boy, encasing him in a bear hug.
The gravity wielder having missed the subtle flinch that overtook her friend at her actions and her
loudness. Shinsou, however, took note of this too late. “We’re glad you’re okay! You scared the
living hell out of me!” She rambled on “I just- We were so scared! And then we saw you being
taken away by the medics and- and w-we thought you- “She faltered at the end, her eyes tearing
up, as her emotions became too overwhelming for her to finish her sentence. Yet, she didn’t have
to. They knew all too well the risk he was in.

“Midoriya." Iida was next to announce his greetings. "I am relieved to see you up and awake! I
must say, you gave us quite a scare!" Despite his formal nature, they could all sense the concern
and immense relief in Iida's tone.

“Yeah… we’re glad you’re safe.” Todoroki added quietly. His demeanor no longer as cold and
distant as it was in the past few days.

“I- I’m sorry for worrying you guys… but It’s okay! I’m back now!” Izuku replied, a smile
adorning his features. Yet, it didn’t quite reach his eyes. It felt… wrong.

“Are you okay Izuku?” Having kept quiet until now, his question made everyone turn towards him
at once.

Izuku looked up at him, finally meeting his eyes ever since he’d walked into the room. His arms
twitched and Shinsou noticed that. If they weren’t wrapped in bandages and put in a cast, Shinsou
thought that Izuku would have been fidgeting. A nervous gesture he’d come to associate with the
green- Oh…

“I- I’m fine.” Lie! Izuku was lying to him.

“Are you su-“

“I’m fine.” He cut him off abruptly.

Tension filled the air, enveloping the room like a thick blanket as an awkward silence settled
between them. All of them exchanging worried glances at each other.
Uraraka ever the social butterfly, took over the conversation and diverted their attention to other,
lighter subjects. Quickly diving into an explanation on the new dorm system and the eagerness of
the class to see Izuku. The others shimming in with occasional comments and news.

As they were about to leave, Izuku asked them to tell their classmates that he’ll be seeing them at
the dorms in a few days. Stating that he was tired and couldn’t take any more visitors.

Shinsou’s gut churned as he recognized the other boy’s behavior. Izuku was shutting himself off.
Trying his hardest to keep everyone out and keep his emotions in check.

_____________________

Aizawa watched as Shinsou, Uraraka, Iida, and Todoroki exited the room. All of them wearing a
similar dejected look on their faces.

He hoped that Izuku would open up after seeing them. However, given the desperate look on their
faces, things didn’t go as planned.

After initially waking up in a storm of emotions and chaos, Izuku had reverted back to an almost
completely indifferent state. It was as if he had formed a wall around him. Keeping away his true
emotions from the world around him and shutting himself off from everyone close to him.

When he looked into his eyes. He couldn’t find the vibrant, lively eyes of his ward anymore.
Instead, he was greeted with dull green eyes. Eyes that seemed to be constantly glazed over, as if
Izuku wasn’t even there most of the time.

It was worrying. Seeing his son go through all of this alone. He shouldn’t have to. Izuku shouldn't
even feel the need to. Yet, somehow, he did. His kid was willingly isolating himself. It made his
heartache.

Gathering his resolve, he entered the kid’s room.

He expected to find the kid in his bed. Instead, he was greeted with an empty hospital room.

Fear and worry spiked in his heart. However, it was then that he took note of the slightly ajar
bathroom door.

Taking fast but tentative steps, he made his way towards the small opening.

There, stood Izuku. Slightly hunched over the sink, his one unbandage arm holding onto its side
with a death grip, knuckles white and shaking as he looked in the mirror.

Through the reflection, their eyes met.

“What’s wrong with me” It was muttered in nothing more than a mere whisper. Yet, it struck
Aizawa like an arrow through his heart.

His kid sounded so miserable, so… sad.

Izuku turned around to face him, it was then that Aizawa noticed his eyes. They were red-rimmed,
yet Izuku wasn’t crying. It looked like he wanted to with everything he had, but he wasn’t.

“Nothing is wrong with you Izuku-”

“Then why am I like this! Why am I so weak! S-so BROKEN” He cried out abruptly. His tone
desperate as his breath caught in his throat.

“Izuku come here please," Aizawa asked quietly as he sat back down in the chair next to Izuku’s
bed. Wanting nothing more than to comfort his kid and shield him from the world.

The kid hesitated at first. His eyes narrowing in a dangerous manner. Aizawa ignored the sad, hurt
voice in his head, saying that his kid was afraid of him.

Finally, Izuku moved closer, taking a seat in front of him on the bed.
“You are not weak. You are not broken.” He began softly, making sure his tone was firm and
resolute. “You are the strongest person I know. You are brave and kind and oh so strong.

The world is a cruel place. It is full of sadness and hatred and you learned that the hard way. Yet,
here you are. You didn't give up, you didn't stop fighting, even when it seemed like all the odds
were stacked against you. Even when it seemed like all the hope in the world had vanished. You
are by no means weak.”

"T-then why am I like this. Why can't I just be okay? Why- why can't I get over it already."

He paused for a moment, taking in a deep breath and debating how he was going to convey his next
words. “The thing is Izuku… it’s okay not to be strong all the time. You don’t have to get over
it...but learn to live with it. You can rely on others. You are not alone anymore. You have people
who love you and care about you. People who are willing to take on the world with you.” Izuku’s
eyes looked even redder now. However, his ward was looking at him head on now. He took it as
his opportunity to continue, making sure to convey the genuine truthfulness behind his words.
“You need to know that sometimes It’s okay not to be okay.”

As if a switch had been flicked, tears started pooling from his eyes like a river. A flood that was
finally unleashed. His kid sobbed as he threw his arms around Aizawa, clutching onto him like a
lifeline.

“You need to talk to someone, it doesn’t have to be me. It can be your friends or your teachers or
anyone you trust.” He whispered silently into Midoriya’s hair “You can’t keep it all locked up
inside of you. You’ll end up bursting.”

A small nod was his only response as they once again stayed like this.

____________________________

The next day came faster than expected. After his request, the class had finally agreed to go home.
All of them leaving some kind of gift for him before they went. Whether it was small cards or
sweets. It warmed his heart. He tried to ignore the guilt gnawing at his insides for having asked
them to leave. He just… wasn’t ready to talk yet.

He’d promised Aizawa that he would and he intended to keep that promise. However, he wasn’t
ready yet.

Right now, he was contemplating whether or not he had it in him to face All Might. He’d spent all
morning watching and rewashing the news feed from that night at Kamino. Skipping over the part
that included him and focusing on the fight between All Might and All for One.

All Might had won. But… at what cost. The number one hero had shown the world his true form.

Addressing everyone in his final statement. A bold ‘You’re next.’ Aimed at the world.

Everyone saw his final declaration as a threat to the villains. Yet, Izuku knew the truth.

This was the end of the symbol of peace. All Might had wasted his last bit of power in that fight.
He had lost his strengths forever.

The legacy was now passed onto Izuku himself. A torch handed down to him to carry on.

The weight of the legacy finally settling on his shoulders, threatening to suffocate him. To crush
him.

Yet, he’d made a promise. He made a commitment and he sure as hell was going to live up to it.

This quirk. This power he’d fought so hard to protect back at Kamino. It was finally his. In every
meaning of the word.

That, however, didn’t mean he felt worthy. It didn’t make the guilt go away. Didn’t make the
doubts disappear.

His choice was taken away from him, when All might, in all his skeletal glory, walked into the
room.
They looked at each other for a moment. Each one of them taking in the state of the other.

His mentor was looking worse in truth. The fight having taken its toll on the man. And if All Might
was shocked at his appearance, he didn’t comment on it.

“Izuku, my boy.” All Might began. Oh! How it felt right to finally hear those words coming from
his mouth. He'd missed them. He'd missed him. "I'm happy to see you awake. You gave me quite a
scare."

“H-hi All might.”

"How are you! The doctors wouldn't let me get out of bed to visit you in the first few days!"

“It’s okay. I’m ok- I’m getting better” He corrected himself, mentally applauding himself for the
honesty.

“I wanted to ask you about Kamino… The detective said you'll have to talk to him but that you
could take your time and do it when you're ready-“

“I still have it. You don’t have to worry.” Izuku interrupted suddenly, his eyes holding a tense
seriousness.

“Wh-what…” confusion clear in the older hero’s features.

“I didn’t let them take it. I didn’t let them have One for All” Understanding flickered in the hero’s
eyes as he finally understood what his student meant.

“Izuku my boy…” He started gently. Sadness, evident in his tone. "I wasn't asking about that. How
could you think that this was what I was concerned about?” He started, tone firm and earnest. "I
couldn't care less about One for All when it was your life that was on the line. That power is all it
is. A tool. It's you. Your life that matters. It's you I was worried about Izuku.”

“Oh…” Izuku answered quietly as if not expecting someone to be genuinely concerned for his
well-being. He knew it was irrational, knew that he had a lot of people that loved him and cared
about him now. Yet, it still came as a shock to him. “I’m sorry… for assuming.”

“It’s okay my boy.” All Might have reassured him softly “You’ve been through a lot. I just want
you to know that I’m proud of you. That you can talk to me, whenever you want to or need to.”

All Might suddenly stood up, startling Izuku for a moment.

Izuku was about to question his actions. However, the next thing that happened, made him at a loss
of words.

All Might was bowing. The symbol of peace was bowing to him.

“I’m sorry young Midoriya. I’m sorry that I allowed you to get hurt. It was my job to protect you,
not only as a hero and a teacher but also, as a mentor.”

“N-no All Might it wasn’t- “

“I don’t need to make any more excuses. I just hope that you’ll forgive me and that from now on,
you’ll let me dedicate my whole time for your upbringing. That you will let me teach you and help
you become the next symbol of peace.”

“I- I- Thank you All Might. I forgive you.”

That night, Izuku slept slightly better. A weight having been lifted off his shoulders. He still had
nightmares, and his thoughts were constantly plagued by flashbacks and dark thoughts. Yet, hope
bloomed in his mind and heart.

Hope that things would get better.

Chapter End Notes

Tell me what you think in the comments! the next few chapters are going to have so
much angst/comfort and fluff! Hope you guys liked this chapter!

Join my discord if you guys want!

https://discord.gg/MqjUgZQ
 Homecoming
Chapter Notes

Hey guys! i'm really really really sorry for this long hiatus! i'm sorry for all of those
who i kept waiting and who i frustrated! it's been a hard couple of months! i recently
moved to Brussels for college and it's been really hard to leave everything behind and
move away! also with all the technicalities and my uni entrance exam and setting up
my apartment and taking care of everything else! It's honestly been too long since i
worked on this and i missed this so much! Hope you did too!

Here's a chapter i just finished now, first time in weeks that I've had a break long
enough to write.
Love you all and hope you will enjoy this chapter! thanks for all the support i got and
everyone that stuck by me during all of this!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Soft hues of light flit through the curtains of Izuku’s hospital room. A cacophony of gold, bright
red amidst blue and yellow rays. It was nearly six-thirty in the morning and the young hero was
finally getting out of there.

Two weeks had passed since he was admitted to the hospital.

The nurse had just finished removing the cast from his arm and the bandages around his scarred
shoulder. Apparently, his exposure to a constant flow of electrical current had given him slight
cardiac arrhythmia. The doctor cleared him for release on strict instructions to take it easy and
avoid any strenuous activities for a while.

He was finally allowed to go back home.

Although, new home would be a better word for it. Aizawa having already explained to him that
UA adopted a dorm system. Most likely as a precaution against any future kidnapping mishaps.

He was currently packing the last of his things into his backpack.

Izuku wanted nothing more than to go back to his routine. See his classmates, attend his classes.
Just… Just go back to being normal.
He tried to ignore the harsh whisper in his mind.

You’ll never be normal again.

That sound is nothing more than a mere hiss in the midst of his thoughts. A small reminder at the
core of his mind. However, despite the thought barely flashing in his mind. It still had an impact.
Like a pebble being dropped in the water, it generated ripples. Ripples that spread outwards until
they enveloped the whole space.

It still made his breath stutter and his heart thunder against his rib-cage.

He couldn’t help it though…The anxiety that rose up inside him every time he thought about it.
The dread that filled his guts every time he thought about the looks his friends were surely going to
give him.

Ever since he was rescued, every single person who visited him had one thing in common. All the
nurses, the doctors, even some of his friends. They would all have this special look in their eyes.

They’d even trade these anxious looks when they thought he wasn’t looking.

He feared the mere thought of getting these looks from his classmates. People that were supposed
to accept him no matter what. He never wanted his friends to direct these looks towards him. Gazes
that spoke of pity and sadness. Pity for a boy too broken and too damaged to ever be the same
again.

He never wanted anyone to look at him that way.

Never wanted anyone to look at him and see right through the metaphorical duct tape he had
wrapped himself in all his life. The invisible barrier he’d put up, the walls he’d built to keep
himself safe. To protect his fragile and far too broken heart. To keep himself sane. To survive.

Yet, all it took was to be back with his mother for these walls to shatter. To crumble at his feet like
the ashes of a fire. The day he’d been taken, broke whatever shield he’s put up against the
darkness and the fear in his mind. It destroyed his defenses and let the doubts, the terror slither
through the cracks.

He didn’t know if he could take seeing these looks from the very people that he’d come to love
and trust so much.

“Are you ready?” Aizawa asked softly from his position by the door. The man haven’t left his side
during his entire stay. A strong, unyielding pillar.

His sheer presence reassured Izuku that he was safe. The boy knew he could always fall back on
Shouta. Rely on him to always be there when he needed him. The longest they've been apart
consisted of the few times the man had gone home to get cleaned up and maybe bring Izuku a few
things he needed.

However, the man wasn’t infallible. The hospital stay exhausted him too. His teacher was tired
beyond his usual limits. The proof evident for everyone to see on the man’s features. The
prominent bags under his eyes, purple and bluish looking almost like bruises, were a great contrast
to the pallor of his guardian’s skin.

Making sure he had everything packed, he nodded towards the older man. Silently following him
to the car parked outside. However, he did make sure to pull up his hoodie over his hair. Covering
the most prominent proof of how truly damaged he was.

To Izuku’s surprise and slight apprehension, inside the dark-tinted vehicle, sat a rather enthusiastic
Present Mic.

The man was here to get them to UA's campus. Height alliance has finally opened its doors. The
dorms were finally able to welcome the students into its quarters.

“Hey there little listener! I see you’re looking better!” The voice hero exclaimed rather loudly as he
looked him over. “Are you excited to see your friends!” A one-thousand-watt smile adorned the
hero’s features as he asked the question.

Izuku couldn’t help the slight flinch that overtook him at the man’s questioning.

Present Mic must have caught onto his actions, if the way his smile wavered and his eyes flashed
was of any indication. He and Aizawa shared a knowing look and to Izuku’s relief the hero
changed the subject. Directing the rest of the conversation towards Aizawa.
The latter, although not the talkative type, took the small talk with stride. A gesture that didn’t
escape Izuku’s attention.

Izuku couldn’t help but feel thankful to have such understanding adults taking care of him.

_____________________________

Anxiety pooled in his stomach as Height Alliance finally came in sight. The dorm building was
huge, built in a similar U-shaped form as Yueii.

The car pulled up by the entrance. Right next to the group of 19 teenagers who were waiting
impatiently by the doors.

Taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly. He finally gathered up enough nerve to step out of
the car.

As soon as his feet hit the concrete. The previously loud chatter heard from his classmates was
snuffed out completely.

A deafening silence overtaking the area as nineteen pairs of eyes whipped towards him. He
watched as his classmate's eyes widened in recognition and surprise.

“H-hi guys” Izuku spoke quietly, giving them the brightest smile, he could muster at the moment.
Which wasn't a smile at all. However, given the way some of them relaxed instantly, the smile had
its desired effect.

As if a button was clicked, the world around him erupted in a mess of greetings and worried
exclamations. Ranging from wishing him well to exclaiming their excitement at seeing him.
“Oh my god! Midori! You’re okay!”

“Bro! you’re back!”

“Deku!”

Voices overlapped each other, making his heartbeat slightly faster at being overwhelmed.

However, he couldn’t help the warmness that washed over him as he looked at each one of his
classmates.

“Alright brats. Give Midoriya some space. You can talk to him later” His guardian shimmed in
casually as he made his way into the building.

His classmates waved at him one last time before turning and following their teacher inside.

Making a mental note to thank Aizawa later, Izuku slowly made his way towards the front doors.

_____________________________

Aizawa explained the dorm’s schematics, making sure everyone knew the location of their room
and the rules of the place.

Nedzu had taken his time planning the layout of the rooms. Making sure that everything was
perfect for when the kids got there.

However, as soon he looked over at Izuku. He knew that a mistake was made.

What mistake, he knew not. However, there stood Izuku, the boy frozen in place, a shocked
expression adorning his features. Yet, on a closer inspection, he noticed the raw fear that resided in
his ward's wide eyes. A look that screams terror to anyone who knew him well enough.
What made him so scared? Did they overlook something?

He looked back at the pan-flip he’d handed to the students.

Nedzu placed Izuku on the second floor. The floor consisted of four rooms and a common
bathroom at the end of the hallway.

Izuku shared the floor with none other than Todoroki, Kirishima, and Kaminari. The last room
having been kept empty. Knowing that soon, they’d have an addition to the class.

Midoriya, is a friend to these kids, they were close… What made him so scared?

It was then that it hit him. The realization slamming into him like a ton of bricks, effectively
knocking the air out of his lungs.

How could they have overlooked something so important ? So obvious and clear.

Nedzu should have known better. Hell, Aizawa himself should have double-checked the layout and
made sure a mistake like this wasn't made.

The boy standing in front of him had suffered through unspeakable things. Trauma and torture that
would make anyone crack.

This boy, this kid had been tortured for days! He’d been the victim of unimaginable horror. And
yet, here they were, making it harder for him to recover.

The doctor had made it clear that day in the emergency room. Even if Izuku didn’t talk about it yet.
The doctor told them about the extensive electrical exposure that Midoriya’s body had gone
through.

The kid had been tortured by electrocution. He’d been shocked repeatedly and for long periods.

Nevertheless, here they were, placing his room right next to Kaminari, of all people. A classmate
whose quirk was electrification.

The horror present in the kid's eyes wasn't so surprising it seemed.

He had to do something about this and he had to do it now.

Looking at the group of excited and rambling kids surrounding the frozen boy. He cleared his
throat, an action that obtained the other’s attention instantly.

“One more thing though” He paused making sure that everyone was listening. “There’s been a
mistake on the layout in the second floor. I’m afraid one of you will have to switch with the other.”
The three in question raised their heads slightly “Kaminari, you’ll be switching with Sero.” The
relief that flooded through the kid’s body was noticeable as his shoulders slumped forward, losing
some of the tension in them.

He finally seemed to be breathing again.

An understanding looks flashed over some of the student’s faces. Specifically, the ones that were
present when the doctor was giving them his diagnostic. However, they made no reaction beyond
a couple of meaningful looks that were exchanged between them.

The others took the changes in stride. Not even questioning the sudden alteration.

He’d have to talk to them later about some of the things they had to look out for. Maybe get
Midoriya to tell them some of the things that he was comfortable with. They had to watch out for
triggers and make sure a mistake like this wasn’t made again.

Midoriya should be recovering and the ignorance of his own classmates wasn’t going to help him.

_________________________
Later that afternoon, most of the class were hauled up in their rooms. Either finishing up on
decorating their rooms or just getting some rest after the work they did.

The only kids outside their rooms were a familiar set of students. The group having spent a lot of
time together lately appeared closer to each other than before.

Todoroki, Kirishima and Iida sat next to each other on the common room couch. In front of them,
sat Uraraka and Yaoyorozu. Even Shinsou was here. Given that his dorm was on the other side of
the campus, he was last to arrive.

The purple-haired boy stood to the far side of the room, leaning against the wall, one of his feet
propped up behind him.

“Why are we here again?” Shinsou was the first to speak up. Voicing the question that was
currently on everyone’s mind.

“We don’t know. Aizawa just asked me to tell you guys to come down here once we were done
unpacking.” Iida answered almost immediately, as if he was expecting Shinsou to ask this. Maybe
because he had been asked this by all four of the room’s occupants.

“It’s about Midoriya. It has to be.” Todoroki, having kept quiet until now, voiced out. “What
happened earlier…?”

“Earlier?” The confusion and worry in Shinsou’s tone betrayed his bored expression.

“When Aizawa was assigning our rooms. He placed Kaminari’s room right next to Izuku’s”
Uraraka was the one to ease his inquiry.

“Kaminari? What does that have-“His eyes widened in horror as the weight of the situation set in.
“Oh.” He uttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Yeah, oh. How could the school make such a horrible mistake?” Yaoyorozu exclaimed in a
strange display of anger.
“It was a mistake, and it won’t happen again.” A voice replied before any of them could. “I’ll
make sure it doesn’t.” Aizawa continued as he stepped into the room. “That’s why I called you all
out here. I’m going to need your help.”

Absolute quiet met his request. The students knowing completely well the seriousness of the
situation. Therefore giving their full attention to their homeroom teacher. Or in Shinsou’s case-
future Homeroom teacher.

Satisfied with this, Aizawa proceeded with his request.

“I realize that some of you may have questions. What you saw… What you witnessed back in
Kamino had to have been hard for you.” He paused for a moment “However, only Izuku can
answer them. I, nor anyone else have the right to take this away from him. His past. His story isn’t
a happy one. His scars run deep and heavy. It’s our job to lighten the load.”

“But Sensei, how are we supposed to help him if we don’t know what happened?” Kirishima
asked, the desperation to help clear in his voice.

“I don’t know the full extent of the event that transpired during his capture. Izuku hasn’t spoken
about it. Even the detective doesn’t have his testimony yet. Your classmate has been through a lot.
I’m sure I don’t need to explain it to you. Since you were there too when the doctor spoke to me.
However, our job isn’t to interrogate him. It’s not to push him away further by making him talk
about things he isn’t ready to talk about yet. It’s up to us to make him feel safe. To make him feel
comfortable and loved. So that hopefully, he will come to us on his own when he’s ready. Can I
count on all of you to be there for him? I’m his guardian, I have a responsibility to uphold. A role
to fill in.” This was the first time they saw so much emotion in their teacher’s eyes. “Izuku may not
trust adults anymore. He’s been hurt by too many of them before. He won’t open up to me alone.
Maybe, just maybe, he’ll open up with the help of his friends.”

By now, most of them had tears in their eyes. Specifically, Uraraka, Yaoyorozu and a certain red-
headed teen. Although, all of them had a look on their face. A look that screamed determination
and resolve.

“You didn’t even have to ask Sensei. We were going to do it either way.” Multiple voices
resounded through the room as all of them nodded their agreement.
 They would be there for their friend. They would help him get through this.

Chapter End Notes

Tell me your thoughts on this chapter and this story so far! and be sure to join my
discord! it's been a while since you guys really talked on there!
 Human
Chapter Notes

Hey guys! I'm back! Sorry for the hiatus! I was busy with collage at first and then the
whole corona thing happened and I had to go back to my home country and I was also
trying to focus on my other books and my art! I even started to make Animatics and
working on some projects!
I've been planning this chapter for a while though! Hope you guys like it!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Kirishima liked to think he was a fairly heavy sleeper. His sister would jump on his bed about
twenty times in the morning and he would still sleep through it.

So, when he woke up at who knows what hour at night- or was it morning now? He knew
something was wrong.

Straightening up on his futon, he tried to listen to whatever was the reason behind his impromptu
wake up call.

Banging could be heard coming from the room next to his. Noise, that sounded vaguely like a
scuffle, or perhaps stuff behind thrown around.

Racking his brain for a moment, he came to a horrible realization.

Midoriya’s room was next to his.

He felt stupid for not making the connection sooner.

However, this still didn’t explain what was happening.

Knowing he had taken enough time thinking about it, he quickly made his way out of his dorm
room.

__________________________

Gratitude swelled in Izuku’s heart as he stepped into his room. The school having taken the no-
work rule to heart. Effectively making the chore of unpacking easier for him. Thus, an exact copy
of his room at Aizawa’s stood in front of him.

However, as the daylight faded away and the darkness of the night slowly set in. He wished for
any kind of chores. Any kind of distraction to keep his mind busy and off the suffocating thoughts
that plagued it.

The only escape being the tiny nightlight that Aizawa had bought him. It's light the only beacon
keeping him sane in the solitude of his small dorm room.

He missed his guardian already.

This was the first time since his rescue that he found himself alone.

Of course, Aizawa had offered him a room in his own apartment on campus. However, Izuku
didn’t want to burden the man more than he had in the past few months.

Sucking it up, he did the only rational thing he could think of. He slept with lights on. Of course,
this wasn’t a permanent solution, or really, a solution at all.

He just hoped that maybe, just maybe, the light would help keep the terrors away. Keep his
consciousness from wandering into the deepest depth of his mind. Keeping his all too vulnerable
heart from getting crushed under the fear and hopelessness that came with the darkness.

It didn’t.

_______________________________

“Midoriya, it’s Kirishima. Are you awake?” He spoke through the wooden barrier separating them.
Silence, the only response to his question, if not for the ongoing sound of the scuffle “Hey dude, is
everything okay in there?” Knowing that no response would assuage his worry, he tried opening
the door on his own. Surprisingly, it was unlocked.

The lights were on… Did that mean that Midoriya was awake? The noise was gone…

Stepping in further, his eyes caught onto the sleeping form of his classmate.

At first glance, someone would think that Izuku was sleeping peacefully. However, the sweat
covering his forehead and the slight tremor of his shoulders suggested otherwise. On further notice,
he spotted a couple of tear tracks staining the teen’s face.

Midoriya looked so small at that moment. His white hair only accenting the pallor of his skin.

A nightmare.

Yet, it didn’t explain the noise he heard…

His decision to step closer was interrupted by the most gut-wrenching sound he had ever
encountered. The teen in front of him having cried out as soon as Kirishima moved closer. As if…
As if sensing the intrusion. Expecting it.

Izuku had green tendrils surrounding his body, his quirk activating even while he was resting. The
energy emitted effectively making the content of the room vibrate in their place.

That explains it.

Midoriya’s nightmare must have triggered his body’s defenses. He didn’t want to find out what
kind of horrors his friend must be seeing for this to happen. He just wished he could make it stop.

He knew that he wasn’t the best person to be doing this. However, he couldn’t forgive himself if he
allowed his friend to go through this alone.

He needed to wake him up.

In hindsight, Kirishima really should have called Aizawa.

As soon as he stepped closer, his foot caught onto one of the many objects in the room that had
crashed onto the floor under the energy the teen was emitting in his sleep. The plastic bottle, at
least that’s what he thought it was, cracked under the weight and was sent rolling into the far side
of the room.

The silence that followed was deafening.

Slowly he lifted his eyes back up to Midoriya’s sleeping form. However, the teen wasn’t asleep
anymore.

From the glazed sheen in his eyes, he wasn’t fully awake either.

Izuku had shoved himself against the wall, his whole body shivering as he seemed to try and make
himself as small as possible.

“No no no no no please” The boy repeated over and over again, his features overcome with terror.
All that fear directed straight at the redhead. Although, it seemed the teen was looking right
through him. Not really taking in the fact that he wasn’t a threat. “Not again, p-please, d-don’t”

It broke something in him. Seeing his friend drown in his own fears. See him living his nightmares
right before his eyes.

“Midoriya i-it’s okay! It’s just me!” At first, it seemed like Midoriya wasn’t hearing him.
However, as he repeated the phrase, he seemed to be breaking through whatever haze had taken
over his friend. “It’s okay, it’s just me”

“Kiri- Kirishima?” The teen’s voice was so small. It reminded him just how young they were. Just
how unfair life really was.

He could see it, the fear slowly residing in those forest green eyes. Relief and awareness taking
over as the teen dropped back into reality.

“Yeah… it’s me, you’re safe.”

“I-I’m sorry…” Embarrassment and shame rose to the surface as Izuku looked at the wreckage in
his room. At the sadness in his classmate’s eyes.
"Don't worry man! You have nothing to be sorry for!" The redhead assured hurriedly. "Do- do you
want me to call someone? Aizawa or Shinsou maybe? I could call Sensei-“

“No!” Izuku couldn’t help but raise his voice slightly, although he regained his composure a
second later. “I- I mean- I- it’s not necessary, I wouldn’t want to disturb them.” The last thing he
wanted was Aizawa to worry more than he already did. The man had done so much for him. He
deserved some rest.

“I don’t think he’d mind man, he cares a lot about you!” The red-head argued softly.

“I-I’m fine. Don’t worry… I’m used to nightmares by now.” The last sentence was mumbled, not
really meant for anyone to hear. Yet, the teen heard him nonetheless. A frown forming on his
features at the words.

"If you want to talk about them, you know I'm here for you man… We all are." The sheer
determination in those fiery red eyes was almost enough to convince Midoriya. Almost being the
keyword.

“Thanks but I don’t really want to… M-maybe l-later?”

“Sure! I just want you to feel better! Are you okay to go back to sleep now?”

Izuku nodded his head in response, silently hoping that Kirishima would leave without further
inquiries.

“I…uh…I’ll be just next door Midoriya. So, if you need anything, anything at all, my door is
always open.”

It seems the red-head got the hint after that. For, a few minutes later, Izuku was once again alone in
his room.

He didn’t sleep after that.

___________________________

Light shines through 1-A's classroom windows. A calm atmosphere surrounding the students as
each one of them slowly shed the remnants of their sleepiness. It was their first official class ever
since before the training camp. The principal didn't want to postpone it anymore. Now, that Izuku
was up and about.

The boy in question was currently trying to keep his eyes open and his head off his desk. Making
sure to lower his hat as much as possible. Trying to cover all his hair inside it.

The last couple of nights were taking their toll on him. His nightmares were getting worse. The
oppressing darkness that came with nightfall didn’t help in his quest for a good night’s sleep.

Aizawa had tried to get him to stay at the dorms for a few more days.

He didn't want to, though. He didn't want to be left alone with his thoughts for long. Besides, he
didn't want to fall behind.
On top of all of that. Kirishima kept sending him worried glances throughout the weekend. He’d
even catch him whispering about him to Uraraka and the others.

A part of him wanted to be grateful. Grateful for his friends and the fact that they were worried
about him. It brought warmth to his heart and hope.

Although, there was this other part. A smaller voice in his head. It whispered and judged. Telling
him how much of a burden he was. Turning his friend's worry into something else. Something
entirely different.

He was just a burden, after all. Just annoying and disturbing his friends. Kirishima kept waking up
because of him. He probably was just getting frustrated with him.

He found himself believing that voice. With every glance from his friends. With every whisper, he
heard.

The door to the room opened suddenly, Aizawa shuffling into the room tiredly a moment later.
Trying to calm his racing heart, Izuku lifted his eyes towards his guardian’s form.

It felt weird not seeing Aizawa as much anymore. The man checked in on him many times during
the weekend. It was still different though. Not being able to watch movies at night with him or just
sit and talk when he wanted to. He supposed it was for the best. He wasn’t the best company to
keep at the moment.

He tries. It’s not that he’s not trying. It’s just hard. Hard to go back as if nothing happened. Hard to
ignore the nightmares, the dread that fills him every time he walks into a dark room or hears a
strange noise. Every time he looks at Kaminari. Or looks into Dark shadow’s body.

Aizawa meets his gaze with a strange look. The man’s eyes seem to ask a question. As if he were
speaking to him out loud. Are you good? They ask. Are you okay?

With a slight nod, the teacher takes it as his cue to start.

They don’t really learn anything new. Izuku tries to focus on the lesson, but his mind keeps
wandering. Not to anything specific, but mostly just blankness.

In the end, Aizawa just announces a rundown of their new schedule and the plans for their
upcoming training. The provisional license exam was just around the corner.

The bell rings soon enough and the students are back in motion. Izuku feels himself getting up on
autopilot. He feels disassociated with the world around him. Uraraka, Iida, Kirishima, and
Todoroki are walking beside him. If they try to talk to him he doesn’t know. He just feels their
eyes on him from time to time.

Shinsou joins them at some point as they make their way to the cafeteria.

He can vaguely hear the sound of the other students as they get closer to the food court. The noise
gets louder with every step he takes. Soon enough they are all he hears as he stops in front of the
doors.

His body freezing as his mind screams at him to get away. He’s not ready for that many people.
He’s not prepared.

He feels a hand on his shoulder and he can’t help but step back. Shinsou’s eyes meet his. Worry
and sadness swimming in his purple orbs.

His feet move before his mind catches up. Without realizing it, he’s already running back towards
the classrooms. Ignoring the calls behind him.

He wants to just get away from it all.

Get away from the worried stares filled with pity and sadness.

Broken. They call him.

His face meets something hard and he’s toppling onto the ground before he can do anything about
it.

It breaks his spiraling mind and he finds himself focusing back on reality.

"Look what we have here!" A voice calls from above him. It's not anyone he's familiar with. "1-A's
star kidnapee!” Looking up his eyes meet Monoma’s excited gaze. He vaguely remembers him
from the sport festival and the training camp. He’s never actually spoken to him though. There’s a
girl beside him, Her hand is on her classmate’s shoulder, as if she’s holding him back. “So, the
villains finally get tired of you?”

He hears footsteps behind him and thinks that it’s probably his friends. Although he can’t be sure.

“Monoma, stop bothering him." Kendo- he's pretty sure it's her name- says in a low voice. Her
expression is apologetic as she looks at him. She moves as if to help him get up, but he's up before
she reaches him.

He doesn’t want anyone touching him at the moment.

"Oh, don't be such a buzzkill Kendo! We're just joking around! Right Midoriya?” He smiles at
him, a slightly hysterical look flitting over his expression. Without meaning to, Izuku’s mind flits
back to Shigaraki’s face. It fazes in and out of his field of vision. Blurring the lines between the 1-
B student and his previous tormentor.

“Hey! Leave him alone!” Comes an angry voice from behind him. The higher pitch giving away
Uraraka’s identity.

“Yeah! Not cool dude!” That’s Kirishima.

Monoma doesn’t seem fazed though. His eyes are still trained on Izuku. His eyes flitting up to his
hat covered hair. “Nice hat, man.” Before Izuku can think to step away, Monoma is already
reaching for his hair. His hand encircles the cap’s fabric and promptly takes it off his head. The
moment the hat is off, silence fills the corridor they are standing in.

His hair fall. Exposing his white locks to the other's watchful eyes. He feels himself instantly
shrinking back. Looking for an escape route around the two students blocking his way.

The silence is only broken by the laughter coming from the teen in front of him. The sound creates
a chain reaction as the others behind him begin to shout at the teen and Kendo tries to make him
stop.

“Hey, hey! I’m sorry! I wasn’t expecting that! Wasn’t your hair green!” His laughter gets harder
and he gets a dangerous gleam in his eyes. “Did the villains give you a makeover or something?”

Izuku uses his distraction to bolt into the opposite hallway. Quickly taking the stairs leading up to
the roof.

“Izuku! Wait!” Uraraka calls out to no avail.

He just needs to be alone right now.

"I'll go after him," Shinsou tells the group as he starts to walk in the direction of the roof. “You
guys go tell Aizawa about what happened.”

______________________

The roof is quiet when he steps out onto it. A slight breeze goes by, a welcome change amidst the
hot rays of sun bearing down onto the concrete space.

He doesn’t spot him immediately. It’s after he steps away from the doors and turns slightly to the
right that he sees him.

Izuku is sitting on the ground. Hands on the rails and feet slightly dangling from the building. It
brings dark thought to his mind. Flashes of a situation he hopes he will never come across.
Especially not with his friend.

He approaches slowly. Making sure his movements are loud and clear. Not wanting to startle the
teen in front of him.

It seems his actions are successful when Midoriya looks back and up at him slowly.

“Hey.” He says. Not really knowing what to start with. Izuku looks at him with blank eyes. No
emotion showing through the barrier he’s built up around himself. “Don’t listen to Monoma. He’s
just a childish jerk.” Izuku’s only response is to turn his gaze back towards the horizon. His eyes
looking at the building and fields surrounding the campus. “Are you okay?”

Silence stretches between them and Shinsou thinks that maybe Izuku is just going to ignore him.
Although it’s a few seconds later that he hears the teen respond.

His voice is low. Barely above a whisper and he has to strain to make out the words.

He hears them nonetheless.

"Am I a bad person, Shinsou?”

It takes him a moment to realize that he should probably say something.

“What- Why would you even ask that.” The question is not what he expected. Why would Izuku.
Selfless, heroic Izuku think he’s a bad person.
"Did they tell you how she died?" The teen says, ignoring him once again. He knows who she is
without having to ask.

“I only saw… H-how did she-“

“It was supposed to be me.” The statement cuts through his words like a knife. The meaning
behind it is wrong. So blatantly and obviously wrong. “It was meant to kill me.”

“Izuku.” His voice comes out firm. Maybe even louder than he intended. “Izuku, look at me.” It
catches the teen’s attention instantly. Emerald eyes turning towards him. Not really meeting his
own though. “You can’t possibly think that this was your fault right? She was trying to kill you!
She did it to herself!” His voice rises with every word and he feels tears of frustration well up in his
eyes.

Because why. Why is this world so wrong that the victim has to feel guilty for merely surviving?

“B-but Shinsou. I-I was just so relieved.” Tears pool in Midoriya’s eyes as he finally makes eye
contact with him. The emotions he's been keeping hidden burst to the surface. They create a
whirlwind of expressions flitting through the teen's face. "What kind of hero- What kind of person
feels relieved when their own mother dies?!" He's shouting too now. "WHAT'S WRONG WITH
ME? WHO WATCHES THEIR MOTHERS DIE AND FEEL RELIEVED? I'm NO HERO! I'M
NOT EVEN A GOOD PERSON!"

Before he gets to continue his rant. Shinsou’s arms are already around him. The purple-haired teen
envelopes him in a hug that makes his entire world stop. His mind screeching to a halt as the
warmth and for the first time in so long, safety, washes over him. “Don’t you dare speak like that
ever again.” He whispers firmly into his ear. His words crack with emotion as he squeezes him
harder. “You. Are. Not. A bad person. You are the furthest thing from it. You are the most selfless
and brave person I know. These feelings you are experience only help to prove that to me. That
women tormented and abused you for years. She tried to kill you and you proceed to blame
yourself for it!" He's crying too now. "You have every right to feel relieved."

“B-but Shinsou-“

“Izuku. Look at me.” He draws the teen by his shoulders so they are face to face once again.
Wanting the boy to realize how honest and serious he is. “I need you to believe me when I tell you
this.” He begins intently. “You are not a bad person Izuku. You’re just human.”

A visible weight seems to lift itself from the boy’s shoulders and he seems to slump against him in
exhaustion.

“Thank you Shinsou.” The boy mumbles sleepily as they furrow into the shade of the building.

A small smile adorns the teen’s face. The smile is the first he’s seen in weeks. It’s not a real smile.
Far from the blinding one he used to give. But it’s there. It’s small and tentative, but it’s real and its
improvement and Shinsou couldn’t be happier.

He hopes he will see that smile more often from now on. He’s going to try his damn best to bring it
back anyway.
Chapter End Notes

Sorry again for the long writing gap!

Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Let me know!

Heres the link if anyone of you is interested in seeing my new Alexander Hamilton
Animatic!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BzdTqNIlwQ&feature=youtu.be

There are more in the making too!

 Opening up
Chapter Notes

New chapter!!! Tried to write soon since i made you guys wait a long time for the
previous one!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The sun is almost setting when Midoriya and Shinsou make it back to the dorms. They don’t speak
a word throughout the whole way. Both of them comfortable in the amicable silence that has
settled between them.

For once, the quiet doesn't seem so loud anymore.

As they arrive at Heights Alliance, they see Aizawa waiting for them in front of the doors.
He doesn’t spot them right away, but when he does, they can see his back straightening slightly. A
slight crease forming between his eyebrows as he notices their bloodshot eyes.

They stop in front of him at arms lengths. Izuku’s body longs to erase the distance between them.
He wants to feel the safety of his guardian again. Ever since he came back from the hospital, he
barely sees him anymore.

Aizawa looks at both of them for a second, his eyes scanning them for something. Izuku can't be
sure what it is though. Finally, his gaze settles on him. His teacher's eyes seem to convey an
unspoken question.

Despite the silence, Izuku nods his head slowly. ‘I’m okay’ He tries to answer.

“Monoma will be attending two months of detention with Vlad, starting immediately during his
two weeks suspension. He’ll be on house arrest through it all.” Aizawa says, barely concealed
anger in his tone.

Izuku wants to protest at this. Monoma may have said some mean things, but did he really deserve
to be suspended? “But Ai-“

“No. You will not defend him. He is a hero in training. He was there during the training camp. He
should know better. What he did is unacceptable. He’s lucky Vlad vouched for him. Otherwise,
he'd be expelled." The man left no space for argument. Leaving Izuku to just nod in response,
albeit hesitantly.

Sighing heavily, Aizawa spoke again. “Now, are you up to sleeping in your dorm room tonight or
would you prefer spending the night in the apartment at the teacher’s section?”

“Y-you’re a-apartment please.” Aizawa’s gaze softens at that. The anger from before seems to
shimmer away.

Shinsou excuses himself at that. Squeezing Izuku’s shoulder one last time before he makes his way
back to his dorm room.
 ______________________________

They are a few minutes away from the teacher’s building when Aizawa finally speaks.

“So, you’ve been having more nightmares?” Izuku’s about to play it off, if not for the knowing
look in his guardian’s eyes.

“Y-yeah.” He admits quietly.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“It’s fine, really… You know I used to have them before too.” Izuku’s gaze shifts to the ground at
that.

"It's not the same now, though, is it?" Sometimes, he really hates how perceptive the man is.

A few minutes pass and Aizawa thinks that maybe the kid was just going to ignore his question.
However, the teen’s voice comes out a moment later. Voice soft, his words hanging in the cold
night’s air.

“It’s still her. She’s always there.” His gaze seems miles away as he finally looks up and ahead of
him. “Although she’s not alone anymore. They are there too.” Aizawa doesn't need to ask to know
who they are. “It’s mostly hazy though. I wake up feeling this- this heaviness. This weight that
settles in my chest. But I don’t actually remember what they were doing. I just know that it’s bad
and that I don’t want it to happen again. Other times-Other times they’re not hazy. They’re real. I- I
mean they feel real. Like memories. It’s these dreams that are the worst. Because when they
happen. I forget that I’m out. I forget that I’m supposed to be safe now. A-And suddenly it’s like
I’m back there again. Like it’s real and it’s never going to end.”

He knows he said too much when he sees the anger in his teacher’s gaze. Back at full force. He
quietly reminds himself that it’s not directed at him.

Aizawa would do anything to protect him.

“You can’t keep doing this alone, Izuku.” Aizawa catches his eyes with his own as he says this.
“You can’t keep shutting people out. When you have these nightmares, you come to me. Or to your
friends. I know for a fact that none of them would think twice before helping you. These things…
They're hard to get through. What you've faced, what you've been through. You need to let it out.
I'm glad you told me about the nightmares tonight. However, you waited for me to come to you. I
won't always be able to and I need to know that, when I don't, you will come to me." The man tries
to convey how genuine and serious he is. "We're family. And that's what families do. They are
there for each other."

“I know…” And he really does. “But it’s hard.”

“It’s going to take time, but trust me when I say this. The more you talk about it. The better you
will feel.”

_______________________________
Once in the apartment. Izuku sits in the living room while Aizawa prepares dinner for both of
them.

A short while after, they eat in silence. Katsudon. It makes Izuku realize just how much he missed
this.

“Tsukauchi called today," Aizawa says suddenly.

“Yeah?” He tries to seem casual, but he doesn’t think it works.

“He wanted to know if you’d be okay to give your testimony tomorrow morning.” His guardian
begins slowly. “After today, I think it would be okay if you want me to push it back to another
day.”

Aizawa watches carefully as Izuku seems to think about it for a moment. Looking for any sign of
discomfort.

The kid seems to come to a decision after a few minutes of contemplation.

“No. I’ll do it.” Aizawa can see a flash of the determination his ward keeps in his heart. “Maybe
you were right. Maybe it will help if someone knows what happened. Might as well get it over
with, right?”

“If you’re not ready, we don’t want to push you.” He replies carefully. “It’s okay if you need more
time.”

“I want to. And this way, maybe it will help in their investigation right?”

Pride swells in his heart at his kid’s bravery and selflessness. He can’t help the small smile that
forms on his features.

“Okay. I’ll tell him later. Although it’s your choice of who you want to be there when he does.”

“C-can you come? I mean- I understand if you can’t, you probably have better things-“

Before he can spiral into an apology spree, Aizawa cuts him off.

“Nothing is more important kid. I’ll be there if you want me to be.” The smile he sees on his
ward’s face is worth it. “Do you want to tell some of your friends too?”

That makes Izuku pause. Does he? Does he want his friends to know what happened?

Would they pity him more? Would they look at him differently? They already do though…

“Stop it.” Aizawa’s voice cuts through his thoughts. Stopping his doubts at once. “I know that
look. Your friends care about you. I think it’ll be good to have at least one of them there for
support. Maybe it will make it easier for you if you want to talk to them about everything
someday.”

He tries to find some kind of protest. But the more he thinks about it the more he knows that
Aizawa is right.

“Shinsou… I’ll ask Shinsou." The teen proved to him just how caring and understanding he could
be many times, after all.
And that’s that. They spend the rest of the night watching random movies on the Tv. Izuku
snuggled up under a blanket, Grey curled up in his lap as they sit there in peaceful silence.

Eventually, without even meaning to. He falls asleep. His head rested against Aizawa’s shoulder.

He doesn’t dream that night.

___________________________________

The next morning comes sooner than expected. He wakes up later than usual. It’s the first time in
forever that he feels like he’s actually rested.

He notices Aizawa watching him from his place at the kitchen counter. A coffee mug rests
between his hands. A fond smile adorns his features.

“Good morning kid.” He says as he goes in for a sip of the hot beverage. “Sleep well?”

"Hmm, Morning," Izuku mumbles back. Hazy sleepiness still consuming some of his thoughts.
“What time is it?”

“It’s nearly ten o’clock” His teacher responds with a smirk.

Suddenly Iuzku feels wide awake. “Don’t we have class?” He nearly shouts if not for the years of
learning to keep his voice down.

“We have to go to the police station, remember?” Ah. Yes, he forgot about that. Aizawa seems to
notice his hesitation though. "Only if you're still up to it though."

"No- no. I am. I just forgot about it." His hand comes up to rub his neck. "Sorry."

“It’s okay. Although you do need to get dressed. I already talked to Shinsou. I thought I’d make it
easier for you. They both agreed immediately.”

Gratitude swells inside him. Aizawa really knows him, doesn’t he…?

__________________________

Shinsou gets the call really early in the morning. At first, he thinks there’s something wrong.
Because why would Aizawa call him for anything else at this hour? It’s not like they had any
training scheduled for today. However, it turns out that it’s not something bad.

It's stressful though. That's another thing on its own. He feels honored that his friend has that much
trust in him.
He also feels unworthy of that trust.

Because, what did he do when his friend was in danger?

Nothing. Although they tried. In the end, they couldn’t help him at all.

Determination swells inside of him as he comes to a decision.

He wasn’t able to be there for his friend back then. But maybe, he can be there for him now.

____________________________

They are waiting by the car for him when he arrives. He greets them both.

Izuku immediately goes into a tangent about how he doesn’t need to come if he doesn’t want to.
How it’s okay if he can’t. He promptly stops him with a raised hand and a shake of his head. Not
even looking back as he settles himself in the back seat. Aizawa and Izuku sitting next to each
other at the front.

The ride goes smoothly. Aizawa talks to Shinsou about training and the transfer papers that are in
his future if he stays on this track. The giddiness he feels is welcomed with open arms. Izuku even
turns around to give him an excited smile despite the stress he must be feeling.

They all knew that the testimony is going to be hard on him most of all.

They arrive on time. Tsukauchi immediately meeting them in the lobby and leading them to a small
room near his office.

“I’m glad to see you’re doing better Midoriya.” He says genuinely as soon as he sees Midoriya.
"I'm sorry we have to do this now. I wish we didn't have to, but it will be really helpful to the
investigation."

Izuku smiles back at him. Nodding his head in agreement. “It’s good to see you too Tsukauchi-san.
I want to help in any way I can.”

The room they walk into doesn’t look like an interrogation room. It’s more of a lounge. There’s a
small couch and a coffee table. With a small plant in the corner.

It helps to quell some of the anxiousness that Izuku's feeling.

“Okay, so first. I wanted to talk to you about your options.” Tsukauchi says as he gestures for them
to take a seat. He, himself sits in a chair right across from them.

“Options?” Aizawa questions.

Tsuakuchi seems to expect the question, if the way he immediately replies is of any indication. “In
terms of how are we going to go about this.” The next words are directed at Izuku. “You can either
have a normal testimony, where I'll be asking you questions and you will try to respond to the best
of your abilities. Of course, keeping in mind that you can stop at any given moment. Whenever
you feel like it's too much. You just say so and it's over." He reassures softly. Showing just how
much he has experience in this kind of situation.

Izuku nods his head slowly. “What’s the second option?” He asks carefully.

"The second option is usually what most people go for. It's kind of unconventional since we are the
only department with this quirk specialist, but it's effective and easier for the witnesses." His
fingers are hooked together as he speaks. His gaze still focused on Izuku.

“You still haven’t told us what it is…” Aizawa says gruffly. A hint of frustration in his tone.

“Ah yes.” Tuskauchi laughs bashfully as he rubs his neck. ”Like the first one. You can stop at any
moment in this too. However, the questioning would be done via a quirk specialist.” He makes a
gesture for someone outside of the room and a few seconds later, a man enters the room. Wearing
similar clothes to the staff members they saw down in the lobby. "Tom here," He gestures towards
the man. "Has a quirk that lets him show people's memories depending on the specific question
that we ask. Like a projection, if you will. He'll be unconscious through it all though. So he won't
actually be seeing your memories." He explains slowly. The man in question giving a small wave
when mentioned.

“How does it work, exactly?” Izuku asks hesitantly.

Tom is the one who answers this time.

"Well, think of me as a DVD player if you will. With skin contact, at will, I'll be able to go into a
controlled sleep-induced state. Basically. By holding your hand and willing my quirk to work, I'll
be able to project your memories like you'd project a movie. Although, Tsukauchi is going to have
to ask you questions for the memories to be triggered. It's not going to always be continuous
scenes. Sometimes it’s just small clips of what comes to your mind when hearing the questions."

“Some witnesses find it easier than talking about it. Because this way, you can show us without
having to put the experience into words.” Tsukauchi continues.

“How do I stop if I want to?” Izuku’s clenches the hem of his shirt tightly as he speaks. Nerves
once again getting the best of him.

“You can stop whenever you want by breaking contact with Tom. Just remove your hand from
his.”

“Won’t it be harder though?” Shinsou speaks up for the first time. “Reliving it, I mean…” The
teen voicing Izuku’s fears perfectly.

“I won’t sugar coat it for you. It will be hard. Watching what you’ve been through like that.” His
voice is louder now. Tone earnest and serious. “Although, I can tell you that it’s not any harder
than trying to describe it and explain it. Both of the testimonies consist of you remembering the
things you went through while you were with the villains”

Izuku looks at Aizawa for a moment. Wanting some kind of advice or prompt from the man.

“Do whatever makes you feel more comfortable kid. This isn’t an interrogation. You can choose
neither if you want to. However, I’ll be there for whatever you decide to go with.”

Looking in Shinsou’s direction, the purple-haired teen nods at him reassuringly.

“Okay. I’ll do it. T-the second option I mean.”

______________________________

While Tsukauchi and Tom were preparing, Izuku took it as an opportunity to call All Might. If they
were going to see his memories, they were going to find out about his quirk.

The man was apprehensive at first, but finally, he conceded that it was probably for the best.
Aizawa was his guardian, after all. And Shinsou proved himself to be worthy enough of this kind
of trust.

Promising to see him later, Izuku ended the call. Feeling slightly better about what he was about to
do.

Having seen him talking to someone on the phone, both teacher and student were looking
questionably at him when he walked back towards them.

“I- uh need to tell you both something before we do this…” His nervousness was palpable. Causing
both listeners to stand straighter, giving him their full attention.

“What is it?” Shinsou prompted.

“Whatever it is, you don’t have to look so nervous kid. We won’t be mad.” Aizawa continued,
noticing Izuku’s behavior.

“I- It’s not that. It’s more like… What I’m about to tell you should remain a secret no matter what.”
Was he really going to do this?

Both of them nodded seriously. Knowing that if Izuku wouldn’t ask this if it wasn’t necessary.

“Aizawa, you already know this, but I was quirkless before coming to UA.” Shinsou’s breath
seemed to hitch at that. Aizawa only nodding in response.

“Is that why your mother-“Shinsou asked, anger and shock evident in his voice.

“Yes, more or less.”Izuku didn’t let him finish. He couldn’t defer from the subject now. He needed
to tell them before doing the testimony. He took in a deep breath, thinking about how he would
phrase this. “I never told you how exactly I got my quirk though.”

Something flashed in Aizawa’s eyes, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise. “Don’t tell me that the
villain that All Might fought gave you-“

“No!” Izuku shouted, only realizing that he did a moment later. Nervously checking around if
anyone was listening, he continued. “No. Of course not. But I did get it from someone else…” He
mumbled finally.

Aizawa seemed to relax a little at that, but tension could still be seen in his shoulders.

“Elaborate problem child.” He said after a moment. His eyes gentle despite the shock he's feeling.
 And so he does. He tells them everything. He tells them about his quirk’s origin. About All for
One and One for All. He tells them about meeting Toshinori and training and getting into UA.

By the time he's done, his throat feels scratchy from all the talking. His heart hammers in his chest
as he waits for any sort of response from the two standing in front of him.

Aizawa has an unreadable expression adorning his features. Shinsou on the other hand looks shell-
shocked. His eyes are as wide as saucers as he looks at Izuku. As if seeing him for the first time.

“Well, are you going to say something?” He asks after a minute. The silence that has settled
between them is starting to get to him. He can feel himself starting to sweat under Aizawa’s blank
stare.

This gets a reaction out of them. Shinsou seems to blink a couple of times before straightening up
and smiling at him. “This makes so much more sense now.” He says. Izuku would smile back if
he wasn’t so afraid of what Aizawa was going to say.

The latter is still staring at him intently. Eyes as indecipherable and intense as ever. The man raises
his hand after a moment and Izuku’s body reacts instinctively. Immediately tensing and flinching
under the sudden movement. His shoulders rising, hands almost following to shield himself.

He waits for the impending pain, but nothing happens. Instead, he feels something ruffling his hair.
Opening his eyes, only now realizing he’d closed them in the first place, he realizes that Aizawa
was just patting his head.

Guilt swirls inside him as he realizes the reaction he had. This was Aizawa. He would never hurt
him.

“I’m not mad, Problem child.” His voice is soft. No trace of deception in his tone. “I knew there
was something between you and All Might. I just wish that you told me earlier. We’ll have to talk
about this in more detail later, with All Might present. But for now, let’s take one thing at a time,
okay?”

Izuku can only nod at that. Relief flooding his system. His body loses some of its previous tension.

With Aizawa and Shinsou at his side. Maybe this whole memory thing wasn’t going to be as hard.

As if knowing that the conversation was over, Tsukauchi’s head pops through the door to the
designated room.

“Everything is ready if you’d like to start?”

Chapter End Notes

Okay so, they are going to go over the whole quirk thing in more detail later!
Although Aizawa already had a vague idea about the whole hting after the events of
the sport festival and all that.
Hope you liked this chapter! It was sort of a transition. A way for Izuku to start
trusting more and opening up! Nest chapter will be the actual memory replay. Hope
you liked this! Mkae sure to tell me your thoughts in the comments!
 Walking down memory lane
Chapter Notes

Okay, so, the dialogue from the memories should all be in bold and the description of
what they are seeing will either be in italic or bold italic depending on the description!
There are also instances where the description is in normal fonts because it's from the
viewpoint of one of the characters! Hope I didn't confuse you guys too much!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

His heart pounds against his rib cage, the frantic beating, a great contrast to the steady, almost
painfully slow steps he takes towards the interrogation room.

He supposes that given that it’s not literally an interrogation room, he should feel better.

Yet… Izuku can't help the overwhelming sense of dread that pools in his stomach. Making it hard
for him to calm down his agitated heart, to relax, and just breathe.

His mind screams at him to turn around. To just stop and avoid it all. Avoid the incoming pain, the
inevitable hurt he’s going to feel. However, despite his screeching thoughts, his body moves. His
eyes involuntarily catch Aizawa’s eyes. His guardian meets his gaze with a comforting nod. So, he
puts one foot in front of the other, knowing that no matter what, he has someone there for him. A
constant structure to rely on.

Narrowing his eyes in determination, he walks in.

The furniture in the room has been moved so that there a couch is in the middle of the room. Four
chairs are placed around it. Making at so two chairs sit on each side of the sofa.

The quirk specialist is already lying on his back on it. Tsukauchi stands right next to him.

“Tom already began his preparations. All you have to do is sit next to him and take a hold of his
hand.” The detective says, his hand gesturing to the seat right next to the seemingly, sleeping man.

Glancing one last time at both Shinsou and Aizawa, Izuku complies. The others also sit down.
Tsukauchi sits on the chair directly in front of Izuku while Aizawa and Shinsou sit on the other two
chairs.

"I'm going to ask you some questions, okay?" Naomosa says slowly, opening the notebook in his
hands and clicking the pen in his grip. “Whenever you’re ready.” He encourages, eyes gesturing
for Izuku’s hand.

Taking in a deep breath and steadying his erratic heart, he raises his hand. Fingers hesitantly
reaching for Tom’s hand.

The man’s hand is cold in his grip. The contact sends chills running down his spine. Involuntarily
making his whole body shudder.

Almost immediately, a black projection appears in front of them. Floating a couple of feet away
from the couch. Static erupts from the screen, creating a constant hum in the silence that surrounds
them.

Closing his eyes, he readies himself for the first question.

"Okay. So, I'm going to ask you to ease us in. What is the first thing you remember happening after
the villains warped you away from the campsite?"

For the first time since his rescue, Izuku consciously wills himself to recall the horrifying events.
His mind reaches for the memories. Summoning the images to the forefront of his mind, as if
freeing them from the locked space he’s forced them into.

The static on the projection falters and hazy images flicker across the screen. Snips and flashes of
that fateful night. The dark forest, the purple warp gate. As if the footage is coming right from
Izuku’s eyes.

Through the projection, they hear his erratic breathing. His panting echo throughout the room. A
sense of unease quickly enveloping its occupants.

Willing his eyes to look at the projection, he focuses on the memory. He feels vaguely
disassociated as he watches the scene shown before him. As if they weren’t his own recollections
being displayed to the world around him. As if this wasn’t his absolute worst experience being
projected in front of him.

___________________________

Pride wells in Aizawa’s chest as he watches his ward’s courage. Watches the sheer amount of
determination and bravery in those emerald green orbs as his son readies himself for the
questioning.

Tsukauchi asks his first question and the projection erupts to life. No longer an empty display of
static but instead, it shows a series of flashing images. Until, finally, the screen settles on one
constant footage.

They watch as the world seems to spin before finally, Izuku is dropped in a bar. The screen
flickers, a testament to the dizziness and exhaustion the boy must have been feeling at the time.
He’s on the floor, head rested on the tiles as people move around him.

A lone figure approaches the fallen boy, crouching until they’re facing the kid.

Aizawa can hear Izuku’s breath hitch from the seat next to him.

Aizawa immediately recognizes her. The crazed, gleeful sheen in her eye shines as she stares at
Izuku. The projection making it as though the woman is looking straight at them.

Abruptly, Aizawa is hit with regret. The realization of just how hard and painful this was going to
be, hits him at full force. Suddenly, all he wants to do is wrap his boy in his arms and protect him
from it all.

He can’t though, because this was Izuku’s choice. He, alone, could decide when he needed to stop.
So, he does the next best thing. He take the kid’s other hand in his grip. Trying to convey his
feelings. Trying to show the teen that he wasn’t alone in this. Not anymore.

“Missed me, Izuku-kun?” Her voice is sickeningly sweet as she speaks. “Oh, honey...It’s going
to be okay. I’m here.” She coos darkly, a morbid satisfaction resides in her eyes. The screen
goes back to its static haze after that. The first memory coming to an end.

He thinks he hears Shinsou hiss at the scene, he doesn’t pay it any mind though. He’s too focused
on the steadily paling face of his ward. All the while, he tries to keep the bile from rising to his
throat. The hatred he holds towards this woman beyond any feeling he’s ever harbored for any
human being before.

“She’s gone. She can’t hurt you anymore.” He whispers to his kid, squeezing the hand in his hold
harder.

_________________________________

The static hums, a constant flickering noise in the room. The first question made it clear that this
was only going to get harder.

Coughing lightly, the detective is the first one to interrupt the quiet. “Are you okay to continue
Midoriya?” He asks tentatively, waiting for a confirmation from the teen.

Izuku doesn’t react at first. His eyes are still trained on the projection. His gaze seems to be miles
away. A small nudge from Shinsou gets his attention. His whole body tenses before he meets the
detective’s stare and nods resolutely.

“Okay, can you show us what they wanted from you? I mean, did they tell you why you were the
target?” The cautiousness is palpable in the detective’s wording. However, with a knowing gaze,
the man seems to understand that it’s safe to bring up this particular subject.

“Y-yeah. All for one talked to me twice.” Izuku stammers quietly, closing his eyes again and
focusing on the memory.

The projection lights up once again, a myriad of images flashing. However, the footage settles
faster this time. Izuku’s mind having already focused on the events of his time there.

All of the room’s occupants seem to stiffen at the sight before them.

This time, Izuku seem to be tied to a chair. His breathing uneven as electricity surges through
his body. They see his whole body flinch and stiffen under the shock. Watch as the cuffs scrape
against his raw skin as his body convulses in their hold.

“Ah, you’re finally awake.” Shigaraki’s voice is cold as he steps into their collective view. “I
was wondering if we’d have to increase the voltage a little. You’ve been out for a while now.”

Anger bubbles in Shinsou’s heart. It barely suppressed the utter helplessness he’s feeling right
now. His friend was getting tortured. They were hurting him and there was no one there to save
him. Aizawa’s knuckles are white as he squeezes the chair’s handle with his free hand. Mirroring
Shinsou’s feelings.
The screen flickers once again, as Izuku focuses on the specific conversation he’s had with All
For One. It settles after a moment, showing a furious Shigaraki. The villain looks like he’s
about to use his quirk on Izuku.

“Tomura. That’s enough." A voice calls out. The sheer authority that his tone emits is enough to
send chills running down Tsukauchi’s back. Horror creeping into his mind as he realizes that the
man speaking was his friend’s greatest nemesis.

“But Sensei. He was- “

“Get the rest, I need to have a little chat with our new guest here.” Shigaraki looks like he
wants to protest but reluctantly stalks away and out the door.

"Hello, Izuku Midoriya. I don’t believe I’ve introduced myself yet. My name is All for One,
but you can call me Sensei." The man pauses as if expecting some kind of reaction "But you
already knew that, didn't you?"

“Why did you bring me here? What do you want from me?” A new sense of pride wells in
Shinsou’s chest as he hears the steadiness in his friend’s voice. He doesn’t know if he could’ve
been this level headed if he was faced with one of the world’s worst villains.

“Ah, straight to the point I see… All right, so be it.” The villain pushes some kind of button and
the door swings open. Villains trickle into the room a moment later. Inko Midoriya is the last one
to enter. The smile on her face makes Shinsou’s skin crawl.

"Long time no see, son.” When Izuku doesn’t deem her with a response, they watch as she
slaps him hard on the face. A red-ish bruise already forming at the place of contact. Without
even realizing it, Shinsou finds himself moving to stand up. For a moment, forgetting that they
were watching the past. That he couldn't do anything to stop his best friend from getting hurt.
Tsukauchi nudges him, effectively making him calm down. The man isn't sporting a kind
expression anymore. He's scowling at the screen. As angry as the rest of them. “Is that a way to
greet your mother brat?” Inko's voice is shrill as it echoes through the room. Izuku’s body
trembles slightly under Aizawa’s grip.

“Well” All for One clears his throat. “Now that the warm reunions are over…I believe you
must be confused, young Midoriya.” For once Aizawa is glad for the interruption. The villain
then proceeds to explain his plans, telling his captive how he came into contact with his mother.
How they struck a deal. As he called it. Through his monologue, Tsukauchi is writing down
everything on his notepad. The scratching serves to distract Izuku from the man’s voice. Calming
down his racing thoughts. A welcome distraction. “Anyway…” The villain continued “It brings
us to why you are here now.”

“Sensei, do I get to do it now?” The excitement in Shigaraki’s tone only serves to increase the
dread pooling in Shinsou’s stomach. He wants to ask, wants to know what he means by that. Yet,
deep down, he thinks he knows. It doesn’t make it easier though.

“Go ahead Tomura.”

It doesn’t ease the anger and uselessness he feels as he watches Izuku’s body tremble and
convulse under the shock. As he hears his hitching breath and watches the electricity course
through the boy’s body one again.

Doesn’t make it any easier to hear his friend’s screams, the sound shaking him to the very core. He
wants to close his eyes. Want to erase the haunting images that he knows are going to plague his
dreams for a long time to come. He stops himself though. His friend went through all of that. The
least he could do was get a hold of himself.

Looking at Izuku now, he can't help the sudden urge to just get him away from this. If he's shaken
by just watching this. He can't imagine having to relive it. Wasn't going through it once enough?
Why were they putting him through this again?

“Why- Why are you doing this?” Aizawa’s heart squeezes in his chest as he hears his ward
speak. As he hears the pain in his tone. The sheer effort it takes for him to utter these few words.

“Oh, young Midoriya… I thought you were smarter than this." Aizawa wants to go in there
and strangle the man. “You see… Your mother told us about your previous state. The
miraculous way you acquired your quirk.” The man's laughter makes the bile rise in his throat.
“After the sports festival, I made the connection. It wasn’t hard, your mentor didn’t really
try to hide it. You’re the current holder of One For all aren’t you?” The villain doesn’t even
wait for a response. “Although it saddens me to see such potential go to waste… your fate was
decided the moment you accepted All Might’s offer. Your mother, in return for the precious
information she gave us, gets to have her son back… It just so happens that she preferred
you when you were quirkless.”

"They were after your quirk…" Tsukauchi whispers from his seat. His hands hold his notebook in a
tight grip. Creasing the papers in his hold.

“He didn’t get it.” Izuku speaks for the first time since the second memory started. His voice is
quiet, with no emotion in his tone.

Aizawa’s about to ask him to elaborate when he hears it. Laughter erupts from the projection.
Izuku. The sound is so utterly wrong that it makes the hair on his arms stand on end. He’s never
heard Izuku laugh like that. The sound is so- so empty. No trace of joy in it.

“You think that I’m going to give you my quirk?” Aizawa didn't know if he should be proud of
his son or mad at him for his recklessness. "I'd rather die." The room’s temperature seems to
drop as soon as they hear Izuku say those words.

Shinsou’s breath hitch in his throat as he hears it. The resolution and resistance in Izuku’s voice. In
that moment, his friend was ready to give up his life for this. He was ready to die to protect this
quirk from getting into the wrong hands.

Tsukauchi’s respect for the boy increases tenfold despite the sudden urge he has to punch
Toshinori. Aizawa must be thinking the same thing, is the angry scowl on his features is anything
to go by.

“Izuku-kun… What did we say happens when you disobey?” Tsukauchi thinks he knows what
the woman’s sentence implies. Given the evidence he found in the Midoriya’s house. He doesn’t
like where this was going at all.
“Give it your worst, mom.” Dread pools in Aizawa's stomach as he hears his ward challenge his
captors. Inko Midoriya doesn't do anything immediately and it only serves to increase his fears. His
mind subconsciously preparing himself for what was about to come next. He knows it's going to
happen. Watches as she moves, her hands gripping onto what seems to be a remote. The electricity
is back at full force, he waits for the screams but, to his surprise, they don’t come.

Instead, he sees Izuku’s body freeze, as if he's willing every fiber of his body not to react. He
watches morbidly as his ward suffers through the pain in silence. They can hear his labored
breathing. Practically see the way his teeth clench painfully in his jaw. As he wills himself not to
utter a single sound.

The screen flickers on and off. Izuku’s vision dimming as the pain must have been becoming
unbearable. Before finally, it turns back to static. The memory over. The boy finally losing
consciousness.

“Midoriya, I’m going to have you show us what happened next later but first… You said you spoke
to All for One twice?” Tsukauchi asks, voice holding an unidentifiable tone to it.

His sentence is barely over when another memory flickers to life on the projection.

“I- I am n-not going t-to listen to y-you a-anymore” The image is blurry, it’s a testament to the
kid’s mindset at that moment. His gaze is fixed to the ground. Body probably too tired to hold itself
up. He’s not strapped to a chair anymore. Instead, this time, it’s as if his body is hanging from the
ceiling. Arms chalked above his head. They can hear the teen’s panting.

Shinsou doesn’t want to think about the pain he must’ve gone through to reach this point. His eyes
burn as he hears the sheer agony in his friend’s voice.

"Oh, honey… think you have a choice?" Izuku’s mother laughs, her voice resounds through the
interrogation, the sound is revolting. "I guess this isn't working… Electricity isn't enough." She
looked thoughtful, her voice light as if she wasn't talking about the torture of her own son. “Maybe
we need to go back to our old ways, don’t you think so Izuku-kun?”

Izuku hears her voice. The voice that haunts his nightmares and echoes in his mind every second of
every day. He feels his whole body tense at her words. Mind subconsciously going back to the
years of torment and abuse he’s suffered by her hands. He doesn’t even realize when the projection
flickers and his memories flash across the screen. Showing Aizawa, Shinsou and Tsukauchi the
dark box he’s spent most of his childhood trapped in, the abuse he’s suffered at that women’s
hands. He squeezes his eyes shut, only opening them again when he feels the pressure on his right
hand increase. Aizawa squeezing his hand in comfort.

Looking up, he sees similar expressions of both anger and sadness looking back at him. It’s only
when he looks to the screen that he realizes what he’s done. The screen flickers back to darkness as
he wills the memories to dissipate.

Vaguely, he notes that the anger isn’t aimed at him. “I’m sorry…” He whispers.

"It's not your fault," Aizawa reassures with a sad smile.

“I’m sorry we didn’t save you back then Midoriya.” Tsukauchi says, remorse and guilt practically
dripping from his tone.
Izuku doesn't know what to say to that. So, instead, he focuses back on his second talk with All for
One. Willing his heart to calm down, his body to relax. He's safe. He's not there anymore.

The villains interrupt whatever Inko had in mind. Instead, they take him to the bar again.

“Young Midoriya” All for One greets curtly “I hope your stay here wasn’t too unpleasant.
Did you perhaps change your mind about our proposal?”

“I think you know my answer. I think you've known from the start." Izuku’s voice doesn’t
waver despite the exhaustion and pain Tsukauchi knows he must be feeling.

“Very well, I knew it was going to be hard to persuade you. Nonetheless, nothing is
impossible Midoriya, you are living proof of that. You, a quirkless nobody, was chosen to
wield this power. It intrigues me…” All for One is quiet for a few minutes after that. Aizawa
almost thinks it’s over. It’s not that easy though. It never is. “Yet, know this. No matter how
strong you may think you are, you can only bend so far before you break and believe me
when I say this… I will break you.”

Raw, instinctual fear envelops Shinsou’s body. The villain’s intimidating aura, gets him even
through the screen. He remembers the oppressing sense of terror he felt that night at Kamino. It
was exactly the same. He doesn’t know how Izuku could just take it and challenge that man
through it all.

All for One goes to speak but his words are once again interrupted by laughter. The same laughter
they’d heard before. Shinsou doesn’t think he’ll ever get used to hearing it. That wrong, lifeless
sound, erupting from his friend’s throat. It scares him more than the villain.

“You see All For One… You’re wrong.”

“How dare you!” Shigaraki seethed from his place near the bar, Kurogiri instantly moving
to hold him back from attacking. The rest of the villains looked shell-shocked. After all, here
he was, powerless, standing in front of the greatest villain of all time and laughing.

“How so” The villain scuffed unperturbed by Tomura’s outburst, his voice was laced with
sarcasm and disinterest.

"You say you're going to break me..." Izuku’s voice is cold as rings through the room.
Empty. “But even you can’t break what’s already broken.”

A heavy silence settled over the room, the quiet could be broken by the sound of a needle falling to
the ground.

“You know what to do, Compress.”

 The projection flickers back to its empty state. Static breaking the silence. Aizawa immediately
turns towards Izuku.

There’s an urgency in his voice when he speaks. “What did he do?” He asks, worry evident in his
tone. “What did he do to you Izuku?”

Izuku doesn’t answer, instead electing to stare at the ground resolutely.

“Compress… That’s the guy with the marble quirk right?” Shinsou asks carefully, knowing the
tension in the room could be cut with a knife.

“That’s what your mother meant.” Tsukauchi breathes, realization dawning on him as his eyes
widen.

Shinsou and Aizawa both seem to come to the same conclusion. Their mind flashing to the
memories they saw earlier.

“She told them about the dark box. They recreated it.” Izuku admits quietly, voice barely above a
whisper. His eyes are still trained on the floor tiles.

“Did they hurt you in any other way?” Tsukauchi doesn’t realize his mistake until the screen
flickers back to life. The projection whirling with a myriad of new memories.

They’re not complete this time. In fact, it’s as if someone compiled a series of videos and put them
together.

They watch in growing horror as Izuku gets tortured over and over again. In the first videos he’s
still chained to the ceiling. Electricity surging through the shackles that hold him up as his whole
body shudders and convulses under the power. Screams erupting from his throat, the sound shrill
and horrifying. The next memory comes before they’re ready and they watch once again as the
child is subjected to a new kind of pain over and over again. They can only sit there, completely
useless and helpless as Izuku is thrown into the marble. Complete darkness enveloping him as he
screams for release. As he begs to be let free. His sobs echoing through the room.

Shinsou doesn’t realize he’s crying until the tears drop onto his arm. Making his whole body
flinch.

With every memory they watch, Izuku’s hair loses its color more and more.

Slowly but surely, the green gives space to snow-white strands. The torture and pain too much for
his body to bear. With every beating, every punishment. His hair grows whiter.

Looking towards the other occupants of the room. They all wear different expression of pain and
sadness on their features. However, it’s Izuku that worries Shinsou the most. The boy doesn’t
visibly react. In fact, he’s completely frozen and emotionless when he looks at him. As if the boy
isn’t registering what he’s watching. As if his mind is miles away. Despite his memories being
displayed in front of them.

He's trembling. As if he wants to move but-

“S-Stop.” He finds himself whispering before he can stop himself. “STOP!” Shinsou shouts this
time. Gaining the attention of both Aizawa and Tsukauchi. “Make it stop!” He’s moving before he
can stop himself. Yanking Midoriya’s hand away from the quirk specialist. Effectively putting an
end to the memories.
As if a switch has been flicked. Izuku’s body seems to come back to life. The tension in his body
seeps away, his head shooting up to look around the room as if coming out of a trance. Tears
spilling from his eyes as he meets Shinsou’s gaze. Gratitude and relief evident in his emerald orbs.

“Wha-“ Tsukauchi starts to ask but Shinsou interrupts him. Already knowing what the man was
going to say.

"He wanted to stop it. He couldn't move..." At that, Aizawa nods in understanding. The man must
have also noticed the way Izuku’s body seemed to tremble, as if he was trying to stop it but was too
caught up in his mind to do so.

“T-Thank you.” Izuku’s voice breaks and Tsukauchi thinks that he may have failed this kid again.

He should have known that this would happen. Shouldn’t have let it get this far.

“I’m sorry Midoriya.” He says sincerely, trying to convey his remorse. “We’ll stop. You won’t
have to go through that again.”

“I-I’m sorry. I- I tried b-but I-“

“No.” Aizawa cuts him off before he can finish his apology. “You did amazing.” He says
earnestly, wanting the kid to know how brave and strong he’s been. “You have nothing to
apologize for.”

"I can answer more questions if you want." Izuku offers, turning once again to the detective. “Just
not with the q-quirk.”

“We’ve already got more than enough Midoriya. You don’t have to continue. You’ve already done
wonderfully.” The man says kindly. Knowing just how much the kid in front of him has been
through and survived.

Nodding his head in acceptance, Izuku moves to get up. His mind still reeling with the storm of
feelings and memories he’s been overwhelmed with just a few minutes earlier.

He hears Aizawa talking to the detective quietly. Feels Shinsou’s hand on his shoulder, carefully
guiding him to the exit.

It's as if everything comes down on him all at once. As if the emotions he's been trying to suppress
hits him at full force. His body moves on autopilot and suddenly they're in the car.

He knows he's disassociating. He's familiar with it enough by now to recognize it. That faraway
feeling that overtakes his mind. Distancing himself from everything around him. As if he's trapping
himself away from the emotions. The pain.

He vaguely hears both Aizawa and Shinsou trying to talk to him but he can’t make out the words.
Their voices sound too far away. It’s as if he’s underwater and the only thing he hears is the eerie
quiet that surrounds him.

He thinks it’s overdue.

He's been trying to keep it together throughout the whole interrogation. Willing his mind and body
to push through the overwhelming need to just shut down. To stop it all.

So, he sits there, head pressed against the car window as he watches the scenery move with the
vehicle.
 It’s only when they pull up to Height Alliance’s dorm building that he starts to feel the world
around him again. As if he’s being anchored back to reality. Shinsou’s hand is clutching his own.
He doesn't know when that happened but he's nonetheless, thankful for it. The contact grounds him
somehow.

They walk to the dorm and with each step, he feels pieces of himself settle back in place. Finally
gaining back his awareness. Sounds and sensations registering in his mind normally again.

“Are you okay to go inside?” Aizawa asks, voice soft, understanding. There’s no trace of judgment
in his tone.

Izuku doesn’t trust his voice to work right now, so he only nods.

Gathering his wits, he pushes the doors open.

Art i made for the hospital scene

Art i made for the ambulance scene!

Chapter End Notes

Hope you guys like this chapter! Tell me what you think!
 Closure
Chapter Notes

LAST TIME : witness testemony with aizawa tsukaushi and shinsou

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The walk back to the dorms is quiet. The anxiety pooling in his guts subsides slightly the moment
he enters the building.

Instead of the crowded, overwhelming mass of teenagers he expected, he finds the common room
devoid of any of his classmates. Except for a certain invisible girl.

He wouldn’t have noticed her if not for the floating book, held by a pair of gloves. Just hovering
above the couch. Yes, definitely Hagakure.

Izuku can’t help the relief he feels washing over him. He doesn’t know what he would’ve done if
he was faced with all his classmates at once. He gives the girl a nod in greeting. The way the
gloves move in the air tells him that she noticed him too.

Glancing at Shinsou in question, the other teen just shrugs. It seems he too, didn’t know where was
the rest of Class 1-A.

Izuku won’t look a gift horse in the mouth though. Making a hasty retreat towards the elevator, he
prays that his luck will hold.

The elevator dings, the doors sliding open slowly. Closing his eyes, he waits for a moment, hoping
for it to be empty. However, his luck didn't last for long.

A deep voice interrupts his train of thought.

“Midoriya, you’re back.” Opening his eyes, he’s met with the intimidating form of Shoji Mezo.
The teen looks at him, barely concealed worry in his eyes. "It's good to see you." The teen boy
after a moment, saving Izuku the embarrassment of finding something to say in response.

He steps into the elevator just as the taller teen disappears down the hallway. If he’d been paying
more attention, he would’ve noticed the boy’s hair. The pale gray color, now streaked with a few
strands of white.

Awkward situation averted, he prays to every god out there for the elevator to take him straight to
the second floor.

The doors slide open earlier than expected and he curses his luck once again as the electronic sign
above the door reads 1rst floor in bold red letters.

“Midori! When did you get here?” The horned hero in training squeals the moment she sees him.

“Bro! We’ve been waiting for you forever!” Kirishima exclaims from his place next to the pink-
skinned girl.

He doesn’t hear a word of what they say though, his mind too focused on the white strands they're
both sporting, the white bangs bounce with every move Ashido makes and the white horned
strands of hair stand out especially well on the redhead next to her.

“Y-your hair!” The words slip from his throat before he can stop himself. The bewilderment and
slight horror evident in his tone.

"Ah! Do you like it? We just loved the color and thought it would go well with pink and red!" She
exclaims excitedly, oblivious to the mounting anxiety pooling in his stomach.

The doors to the elevator saves him from actually giving her an answer. His feet immediately
move to get away from the situation. His heart thundering in his ears as he tries to make sense of
what he just saw.

Why would they do that? Were they making fun of him? They wouldn’t, would they…?

Lifting his hoodie to cover the white abomination on his head, he shoves his hands in his pockets
and makes his way towards his destination. Head hung low, staring at the tiles as his feet take him
to his dorm.

Soon enough, a pair of white and red shoes appear in his line of vision. He barely stops himself
from barreling into the person. Head still bent down, he refuses to look up, intent on hiding the
tears that were surely forming in his eyes. The shoes immediately give away the person’s identity.
However, he still jumps when he hears the teen speaks up. Voice infuriatingly calm and composed
as he addresses him.

“Are you okay Midoriya?” Todoroki asks quietly, body moving even closer to look at him.

“I- I’m fine, just want to get to my room.” Izuku grunts out, still stubbornly looking at the ground
as if it holds the world’s greatest secrets.

“Look at me.” It’s more a question than a statement. A request, said gently, concern evident in the
usual neutral fire and ice user’s voice.

His eyes move to meet heterochromatic ones without his consent. Body going rigid the moment he
looks up, tremors once again beginning to rack his form as he gazes onto the pure white adorning
the boy’s once half and half hair. There’s no trace of red there at all.

"W-why are you doing this?" He asks, desperate for some kind of answer. Was his hair that
hideous? Was he this much of a freak for them to want to throw it back, right in his face?

“Midoriya-”

“D-Do you think I-it’s funny? M-making fun of m-me?” His cheeks feel damp as the tears roll
uncontrollably down his face. “G-good job.” He says before the shell-shocked teen in front of him
has any time to respond. Moving to step around the boy, shuddering breath racking his body as he
tries to regain some sort of control over his emotions. He should be used to this by now. Used to
this horrible feeling.

“Izuku, stop.” The desperation in Todoroki’s voice makes him pause, despite the screaming voice
in his mind, telling him to run. To hide away in the comfort of his room.
“W-what do you want?” He hates the way his voice breaks, hate how vulnerable he feels.

“Can you come with me please? You’ll understand when you see it.”

“Fine.”

He follows the teen into the elevator once again. Moving without even meaning to, wanting some
sort of explanation to all of this.

They walk into the common room, but Izuku notices the difference instantly.

Instead of the previously empty space, he’s met with all of his classmates standing a couple of feet
away from them. It seems none of them noticed them yet.

They’re all crowding around someone, moving as if they’re watching something happening.

Stepping closer, he takes in a sharp breath as he sees what they’re all looking at.

In the middle of the makeshift circle, sits Shinsou. His back to Uraraka and Yaoyorozu. The two
girls are both wearing gloves and in their hands are brushes and a white paste.

They’re dying his hair. Izuku’s mind provides quietly.

Vaguely, he starts to notice the state of his other classmate's hair. Every one of them has some sort
of white in their hair. Whether it's a couple of strands or a whole side or even in Kaminari’s case, a
white lightning bolt. He barely suppresses the urge to shudder at that one.

Shinsou was joining in on this, and Shinsou wouldn't make fun of him. The boy would never hurt
him, he knew this, believed it down to his very core. So, what was happening?

If they weren’t doing it to make fun of him… Did that mean they were doing it for him?

Todoroki clears his throat and 18 pair of eyes simultaneously turn towards him. Uraraka freezes
immediately, hair brush falling to the ground with a soft thud, caught red-handed. Or in this case,
white.

“W-what going on?” He utters out, knowing what he must look like now, eyes red-rimmed and
face contorted in shock, trying his hardest to hide the growing sense of hope in his guts.

"Deku-kun! Surprise?" The gravity wielder says feebly. Some of the others mimic jazz hands as if
trying to bring back the cheer of the whole situation.

“We wanted to do this for you Midoriya," Todoroki explains quietly, a hand resting on his
shoulder. Surprisingly, the touch doesn’t make him flinch. “We weren’t trying to make fun of
you.”

The statement makes some of them gasp in horror, some of them hastily going to reject the mere
idea.

“Oh no! Of course not Deku-kun!”

"Never bro! Never!"

“We just wanted to show you that you weren’t alone. That we’re in this together.” Tsuyu chimes in
with a quiet ribbit.

“Yeah Midori! We wanted to show you that, that Monoma kid was being an idiot. You’re
awesome, white hair and all!” Mina says with more conviction than he’s ever heard her express.

All of them look at him with respect and unconditional support and he can’t help the tears that once
again spill from his eyes. An overwhelming feeling of safety and love erupting from his heart as he
chokes out a quiet ‘sorry’. Hastily wiping the tears from his eyes, he barely sees Uraraka advance
towards him. Only stopping a couple of steps short in front of him. Hands held out in an unspoken
question.

He’s barely able to nod before he’s being engulfed in a bear hug. Her arms wrapping around him,
the contact warm and caring. It’s the first time in a long time that his skin doesn’t crawl at this
amount of contact.

"T-thank you." He whispers softly. Although they hear him nonetheless. "Thank you so much."

And if the next day, the teachers walk into the classroom with matching strands of white hair, no
one mentions it.

_______________________________________

The days pass and Izuku slowly gets used to the flow of things again. Soon enough, days turn to
weeks and for once, the stress he's feeling is mostly generated from the impending provisional
license exam.

He still has his nightmares, but he finds that there’s always someone there for him. Someone to
shine a light when the darkness in his mind grows too crushing. Someone to calm his racing heart
and quell his mounting fears.

He’s never been more grateful for his friends. For their support and their patience.

The provisional license comes sooner than he wants it to. Sooner than he thinks he’s ready for,
despite Aizawa’s and All Might’s reassurance.

He’s discovered a new fighting style though, and this new shooting style helps in the long run,
given the worrying state of his arms. Although, it could’ve been worst, Recovery girl informs him
solemnly one day.

Sure enough, it’s the day of the provisional license exam.

The bus rolls down to a stop just in front of the designated building in Takoba.

His anxiety is through the roof and the thundering of his heart barely quells the rising excitement
he’s feeling. Because this is it. This is what he’s been waiting for his whole life. What he’s been
thriving to accomplish, fighting to gain. His hero license. This was the moment he’d prove to
everyone who ever doubted him that he could be a hero. And more importantly, this was the
moment he’d get to prove it to himself.

The moment they're on the grounds, they're accosted by a flurry of students from different schools.
Some greet them with extreme excitement while others do it with a fake sense of respect. All
though, they all feel it, the rising anticipation in the air as they walk into the large structure.

The first exercise proves to be a tag game, reminiscing of laser tag but with three targets on each of
their bodies and actual balls as ammunition.

It doesn’t take long for him to realize the situation they found themselves in. UA having
broadcasted their quirks across the country. They were bound to become the target for all the
participants.

Their opponents, however, failed to consider two things though. The first, being Class 1-A's
overwhelming progress compared to their performance at the sports festival, and the second being
their class's solidarity. The bond between them that had grown with every obstacle they've faced
together.

Yet, even with all their combined effort, Izuku does find himself separated from the pack at some
point in the chaos and disorder of it all. He finds himself trying to get his targets alone. Jumping
across the rubble, keeping low to the ground, instincts, and awareness on high alert. There's a
horribly familiar feeling of dread that pools in his guts. Making the hair on the back of his neck
stand on end, sending shivers down his spine. He knows he's being watched, knows he's being
followed, he just doesn't know who it is.

Getting into a fighting stance, he turns to observe his surroundings. Waiting for something to
move, someone to charge at him. Surely, the moment he finishes his train of thought he barely
manages to stop a ball from hitting him. The offending object bounces away with a swift kick.

Looking to the direction it originated from, he can’t help but freeze in place. His whole body
growing tense with terror as he spots the person.

At first, the only feature he sees is the green hair. That in itself is enough to put him on high alert.
However, the person steps out from behind a boulder, a horrifyingly familiar grin plastered on her
features.

Toxic green eyes stare back at him, a maniac smile aimed his way. “Miss me Izuku-kun?” A
constant torrent of No, no no echoes in his mind, his thought spiraling out of control as he tries to
make sense of what he's seeing.

Because this couldn’t be possible. This wasn’t real. This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be.

He pinches his arm, expecting the specter, wraith, or whatever the hell it is to just go away.
Disappear and leave him the hell alone. Yet, it doesn't. He closes and opens his eyes multiple times
but he's met with the same feral grin on each try.

She was dead. He saw her, he watched her take her last breath. This couldn’t be real.

He remembers it, clear and vivid in his mind, the life leaving her eyes as she hung there. Lifeless
and still.

“W-who are you?” He whispers, the terror dripping from his every word.

“Oh, don’t you remember your own mother honey?” She coos in fake hurt, “It’s me, its mommy”
His whole body shudders at her words. So, so very wrong to his ears.

"N-no, no. This isn't real.”

“Oh it’s real alright.” The next thing he knows, she’s running straight at him, it’s only now that he
notices the knife held in her hand.

He barely dodges the first swipe, the shock of it all making it hard for him to think. The second jab
gets him right across the cheek. A shallow cut that stings painfully. The sensation grounding him
to reality as he finally wills his body to react. To fight back.

Because this wasn’t his mother right? This wasn’t the cruel telekinesis wielder he’s been stuck with
all his life. Things weren’t like they used to be. He was going to fight back this time.

Dropping to the ground, he swipes her feet from under her. Making her jump to regain her balance,
barely giving her any time to respond, he goes in for a 5% powered fist to the gut, the hit sends her
careening back, hitting a boulder. She doesn’t stay down though, the moment her feet touch the
ground, she already charging at him once again. A maniac look in her eyes that promises nothing
but pain.

The breath gets knocked out of him as she manages to tackle him to the ground. His chest
constricting under the added pressure of her knee to his back as she holds him down. The asphalt
beneath him scrapping painfully at the cut on his cheek.

He doesn't see the knife aimed at his back, but he feels it nonetheless, coming down to stab him at
an incredible speed.

"Say goodbye Izu."

Powering up into full-cowling he barely manages to push her away, fighting to regain his breathing
as he dodges another flurry of jabs aimed at him.

He’s hyperventilating and he knows it. The rising panic slowly but surely overwhelming his sense.
This wasn’t her damnit, it couldn’t be.

However, despite the logical part of his brain informing him of this, he can’t help the doubt he
feels gnawing at his heart. The doubt that screams at him to run. To hide. To scream.

He squashes these thoughts away. No, he won’t be afraid anymore.

“You can’t hurt me anymore.” The words spill from his mouth unsolicited. “You won’t hurt me
anymore.”

The woman only laughs at that, charging at him once again.

"Get away from him!" Pure relief washes over him as he hears the newcomer. He doesn't see her
right away though, not until she's flying right at the imposter. The gravity wielder barrels into the
Inko lookalike, sending them both crashing to the ground in a heap of limbs.
He’s running before his mind even registers it, kicking the knife away from the women’s hand.
Dropping his knee down onto her back to hold her in place.

A glance at Uraraka tells him she’s okay, but the widening look of surprise in her eyes makes him
nervous. He follows her gaze back onto the no longer struggling women under him.

The shock is enough to make him let go.

There, rising from the ground she’d previously been held on, is Toga Himiko. Body oozing some
kind of white sludge. All traces of her previous appearance slowly dissipating the longer she stands
there.

All traces of Midoriya Inko disappearing from existence once more.

"Ah. You guys are no fun." She admonishes with a childish pout. The crazy look in her eyes never
subsiding. "I guess its game over for today." With that, she takes off running. Not noticing the
effect this all had on him.

A hand on his shoulder startles him so much he jumps, feet skidding a few steps away from the
offending hand. His mind screaming at him to run.

“A-are you okay Deku-kun?”

Her voice sounds far away as if there are leagues between them. As if his head has been plunged
underwater. Mind foggy with chaotic thoughts. Terrible, horrible thoughts.

His mother, the league, his mother, the league. His mother. The league.

He drops to his hands and knees, chest heaving with every breath he takes, trying his damn hardest
to regain some semblance of control over his racing thoughts.

“W-was that who I think it was?” She asks quietly after a moment, when she’s sure he won’t
respond to her first question. Although, given his current position, he’s pretty sure the answer was
crystal clear.

It takes him a lot of effort but he manages to nod his head, confirming her suspicions.

“But why?” She asks helplessly, her eyes shining with concern. “Haven’t they done enough?” He’s
not sure she’s even talking to him anymore, seemingly lost in her own thoughts.

Taking a moment to regulate his breathing, he straightens up once more, pushing his feelings to the
back of his mind for now. This wasn’t the time for this.

“We need to keep going, we need to pass this exercise.” Uraraka only stares at him at that, as if
looking for something in his eyes. Although, she seems to be satisfied with whatever she finds, for
she only nods firmly after a moment. Walking determinedly next to him.

The rest of the exam pass in a blur.

They fight their hardest and they stick together. Working like a well-oiled machine.

Soon enough, they pass the first test.

 ______________________________________

“Are you sure it was her?” Aizawa asks in between the exercises, phone already in hand as he texts
whoever is in charge of any league activity sightings. Uraraka nods and recounts what she
witnessed in detail.

The teacher only nods, occasionally shooting the white-haired teen, sitting a couple of feet away
from them a few concerned glances. The boy in question sits in the corner of the room, feet pulled
up to his chest, hands fidgeting as they link around the appendages. His eyes have a worrying
faraway look in them.

“Is deku-kun going to be okay?" She can't help but ask. Seeing the boy so scared and sad made her
chest constrict painfully. She remembers the pure hatred that rose in her heart the moment she saw
the green-haired women. The boy's mother standing over him. She knows now, that it wasn't really
her. Nonetheless, it doesn't stop the dread that fills her insides, the worry she feels gnawing at her
heart.

The fact that the league was still after her friend wasn’t helping either.

She also remembers the determination she saw in those gleaming greens. The unending strength
she witnessed manifesting right in front of her eyes.

This boy, who's been through so much, who's survived so many horrible things. Despite all that,
the boy still had the strength and bravery to fight back. To stand up to what he believed in.

She’s proud to call him her friend.

“He’s in shock, but he’s going to be okay. He’s strong.”

And that… she couldn’t argue with that.

______________________________

The next exercise is far easier than the first. They’re in their element in this one. Saving civilians
and fighting off villains. It’s what he’s been thriving for all this time. Saving people.

He goes through the given protocols, reassures worried civilians, and takes care of the injured
parties.

His body moves on autopilot the whole time. Reacting to everything he encounters with the perfect
response without actually thinking about it.

He knows he’s in shock. Knows that the previous events haven’t really registered in his mind yet.

Nonetheless, he can’t help but be proud of himself. He fought back. He faced that women without
cowering in fear, despite his every instinct compelling him to do it.

It's the first time, in what feels like forever, that he thinks he might be moving on from all this.
Move on from the heavy pressure that was built in his very heart. A deeply rooted sense of
incompetence and cowardice dissipating slowly with every civilian he saves, with every point he
knows he’s getting. Every step he knows he’s taking towards his goal.

With renewed vigor, he continues the exercise. Later, even the fight that erupts between Todoroki
and the Shiketsu student isn’t enough to deter him from his task.

____________________________

The evening sun casts long shadows on the ground. The slanting rays of the setting sun gives a
warm orange tinge to the sky, shining across the card he’s holding in his hands, almost reverently.

The card reads Deku in bold letters. His provisional license, his mind whispers excitedly.

This. This was everything.

"Congrats, kid," Aizawa says as he steps to stand next to him. “You deserve it.”

Izuku smiles warmly as the man who’s grown to be his family. “I couldn’t have done it alone.”

They stand there for a while longer before the bus finally arrives. Students already filing in to sit,
courtesy of the ever so formal class president.

“Let’s go home.”

"C-can we stop somewhere first?" He asks tentatively, averting his eyes to stop his growing
nervousness.

“Sure, Mic brought his car with him, he’d be happy to take us wherever you want after we escort
your classmates to the dorms.” He responds calmly, a knowing look in his eyes boring into Izuku’s
form. “As long as we get back before curfew, that is.”

“I-It won’t take long, I promise.”

________________________________

It’s half an hour later, when they’re on their way to their destination, that Izuku starts to have
doubts.

“If you’re not ready, we can come back another time.” And of course, Aizawa sees right through
him, his eyes shining with understanding as he looks at him. Waiting for him to make a decision.

“N-No. No. I need to do this.” With renewed resolve, he walks into the cemetery, the two adults
wait for him at the entrance.
 "We'll be right here if you need us kid." Mic nods in agreement to the black-haired man, giving
Izuku the last push he needs to continue on his way.

Only stopping once he spots the grave.

Her grave.

The white marble shines under the setting light. New and barely touched. No flowers and no
candles rest around it.

The words Inko Midoriya are carved into the structure, along with her date of birth and death. Yet,
no words of endearment are posted under the text.

It’s sad really. Inko Midoriya was not a beloved mother. Nor was she a kind soul. And yet, Izuku
can’t help the tears that slip unbidden down his cheeks. Staining the marble under him with
escaped droplets of water.

He doesn’t sit, doesn’t kneel in prayer.

Instead, he just stands there. Looking at his mother’s final resting place.

Willing his mind to make peace with it all.

"I did it you know." He whispers, the words hanging in the silent air around him. "I proved you
wrong, Mother." The provisional license is a new, reassuring weight in his back pocket. Proof of
what he accomplished today. "I'm not your useless son anymore." He chokes out, breathing
increasing with every heaved breath he takes in and out. "I'm a hero. I'm going to help people like
me. Help them, and stop people like you." A hand clutches desperately at his chest as he settles his
beating heart. "I'm going to be the best hero I can be." He says determinately. "A-and I hope you
find the peace that I'm beginning to find."

He crouches down and places one single white flower on the cold stone beneath him. "Goodbye."

When he gets back up, he feels a new presence behind him.

“Ready to go, kid?”

“Yeah.” Wiping the last remnant of tears from his face, he gives the man a relieved smile. “Let's go
home.”

Chapter End Notes

 The end! Thank you for all the support you guys gave me through all this! I know I
haven't been the most reliable updater but it's been really fun to write this! I hope you
guys enjoyed it just as much as I did!
Tell me what you think! I know most of you thought this was going to last longer, but I
felt as if this was the perfect way to end the book. Izuku has finally escaped the void
he used to call a life!

Check out my newest fanfiction too if you want! just posted it now, it's called (
Shattered minds ) and it's a forced military izuku au

End Notes

You can find me on Instagram kira_1801

twitter @kira_18091
and check out, if you want, my new fanfiction! 'Before my heart gives out'. (Blind vigilante
izu)
And blurred line (Izuku is kirito AU)
Also just started a new forced military izuku fic called (Shattered minds)

Made a new discord

https://discord.gg/gCY4r5t

First hamilton animatic!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=3BzdTqNIlwQ&list=PLrr1wSCwp3nhO17C3F7xuPqEuzHh9UP7j
And my second hamilton animatic on youtube
Aaron burr sir
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfDNOkJhdSc

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