Chapter 1: Prologue~Arguing
Chapter Text
“I got you now, villain,” a little Emiko jumped out. She was 6 years old and playing with her best friend. A term used very loosely as she grabbed his ankles with her Quirk and threw him across the playground ruthlessly.
Kakashi groaned, not moving. “Why do I have to keep being a villain?”
“Because I always win, and if I were the villain, this city would be destroyed.” Emiko grinned as Kakashi glared at her.
“You suck.”
She snorted. “Says you. You’ve won a match.”
Kakashi pushed himself up. “Have too!”
“Have not!”
“Have too!”
“Have not”
“Midoriya, Masami!” The kids were interrupted by the teacher calling them over. Emiko pulled Kakashi out of the dirt before rushing towards the school.
“Mummy,” Emiko ran up to Inko, hugging her legs as Inko sighed tiredly. Inko put on a week smile, patting Emiko’s head.
“Hey, sweetie. Have a good day?”
Emiko nodded, babbling on about whatever she had learnt in classes and everything else that came to mind.
Inko only paid half attention, frowning as she looked around the playground. “Where are the others?”
The teacher opened and closed their mouth before they started searching. Izuku and his friends were nowhere to be found.
Inko rushed home, dragging Emiko and Kakashi behind her. Their home was empty too. They called the police.
~~~
Kakashi placed a hand on Emiko’s shoulder as they waited at the police station. “He’ll be okay. It’s Izu we’re talking about. I’m sure they’ve just wandered off to that stupid forest.”
“Where they could fall and die or get eaten by bears and die.”
Kakashi paused. “Sorry.”
Emiko stared at the floor, a crawling guilt squeezing her. “I should have been watching him. How could I not have noticed him sneaking out of school?”
“He’s not your responsibility. If anyone, the teacher should have noticed.” Kakashi glared at the teacher who was talking to the police.
“Inko,” Mitsuki shouted, getting attention from everyone in the room. “What’s going on? Where’s Katsuki? Is he hurt?”
Inko looked down ashamedly. “We don’t know. He and the boys have gone missing.”
“Then why are we here? We should be out there looking!”
“Mrs Bakugo, we have already searched all of the boys' normal hangout spots,” a police officer tried to soothe, only for Mitsuki to snap at him.
“Then do a sweep. Search the entire city for all I fucking care.”
“Mitsuki,” Inko tried to speak, but Mitsuki snapped at her.
“Don’t. I don’t want to hear you talk right now. You don’t think we know you’ve been collecting the boys later and later. God's sake, Inko, they complain about it every week. Kakashi practically begs me to take over your day- you only have to collect them once!”
“I’ve been working.”
“So have the rest of us.”
“Mitsuki-” Inko snapped her mouth closed, a pained look on her face. “I have to work. Hizashi left us.”
“And whose fault is that?”
Emiko gasped as Inko stepped back weekly. Kakashi took his friend’s hand as she sniffled.
“Alright, ladies, let’s take a breath. The whole city is already looking for your boys. Now, is there anywhere else you can think of that they might have gone?”
Inko shook her head. Mitsuki took a deep breath. “Have you checked the Kodamas two doors down from Inko’s place? Inko leaves the kids there whenever she doesn’t have time for them.”
Inko looked more ashamed as a police officer stepped back to radio out the news.
~~~
There was no sign of them. As the clock struck 8, Inko cursed under her breath, taking out her phone and leaving the office.
Mitsuki watched Inko go with a few choice words on her own breath.
“Mitsuki, I got you some coffee,” Masaru said quietly, handing his wife the can as she sighed heavily. “It’ll be okay. We’ve got great police and heroes in this city. They’ll find our boys.”
“I don’t want Inko near him again.”
“Mitsuki, it was a single mistake.”
“It’s not. This isn’t a single mistake. This is her 30th mistake, and this isn’t one that can be brushed off.”
Emiko stood up cautiously, taking slow steps to Mitsuki’s side. “Auntie Mitsuki?” Mitsuki snapped her mouth shut before looking at Emiko. “Did my daddy really leave?”
Mitsuki sighed, kneeling down to Emiko’s height. “Sorry, kid. I shouldn’t have said that with you in the room.”
“Why is he gone? He loves Izu and me.”
Masura knelt down as well. “Sometimes with grown-ups, things get complicated.”
“How?”
Masura was about to say something, but Mitsuki beat him to it. “Listen, you mum betrayed him.”
“Mitsuki,” Masura hissed as Mitsuki gave him a sharp look.
“What? It’s not like this is a secret. She’s the one who had the affair. I don’t care if Hizashi was working in America, she made the choice to raise Emiko and Izuku in Japan, and she made the choice to sle-”
“Mitsuki!” Masura sighed. “Listen, none of this matters right now. Your brother is what matters.”
Emiko frowned, staring at the ground. Inko walked back into the room as Emiko snapped around. “How could you?!”
Inko blinked in surprise, opening and closing her mouth. “Miko?”
“Don’t call me that! Only dad gets to call me that!”
“Emiko, sweetheart-”
“Shut up! You said Daddy was coming back, but he’s not. It’s your fault. You’ve destroyed my family and tried to hide it.” Emiko blinked rapidly as tears fell down her face. “I hate you! I hate you! I hate-” She stopped as Kakashi pulled her into a hug.
She started to sob.
The police chief walked into the room. “Mrs Midoriya, I think it’s best you call your husband. He has the right to know his son is missing, and I would rather not let you leave with your daughter.”
“What? I’m a good mother- I,” Inko stumbled over her words as the police chief held up a hand.
“Please don’t misunderstand me, Mrs Midoriya. I am concerned that your daughter will try looking for her brother, especially if she’s angry at you. We don’t want another missing kid.”
Inko sank to the floor. She looked absolutely pathetic. “Okay. Can you do it? He won’t pick up if I call him.”
~~~
Two days later, Izuku was still missing. Kakashi’s parents had taken in Inko and Emiko. Every morning, Emiko and Kakashi would search each of the places Izuku would hide, hoping for any sign of him. Every morning, they would return defeated.
“Miko?”
Emiko looked up as she smiled watery. “Dad!” She rushed forward as her dad picked her up. He held her close, letting her cry.
Kakashi left them alone. Inside his house, his parents printed off more posters showing each of the missing boys; some posters had each one alone, and others showed the full group. They had over 5 phones lying about on a table, waiting for calls, but none had rung.
“Where’s Mrs Midoriya?” Kakashi climbed onto a chair, as his mum sighed.
“Hasn’t left her room again. It almost feels like she doesn’t actually want to look for her son.”
“Don’t be so harsh,” Kakashi’s dad warned sternly. “She’s clearly depressed.
“I don’t care. If my son were missing, you wouldn’t ever get me to bed.”
Kakashi looked at the door to the guest room, a deep frown on his face. He said nothing.
~~~
With Inko and Hizashi in the same building, the fighting started. Almost every hour was full of shouting. Within a week, everyone, including Kakashi’s neighbours, knew what happened between Inko and Hizashi.
Most of the arguments focused on cheating, Hizashi never being around, and how Hizashi wanted to take Emiko and Izuku, but Inko wouldn’t let him.
Kakashi’s parents only tried to intervene if Emiko was actually crying or if they were trying to sleep. Emiko stayed out most of the day, searching every place Izuku could be. Every so often, they would spot the police and the other parents.
A week passed, and there was no sighting. The children’s faces were plastered everywhere in the city, on every news station, and every police officer and hero was looking.
Two weeks, no sighting. The story was becoming rarer. Posters were being trampled under people’s feet with no care for the children plastered on them.
A month, no sighting. No one talked about the missing children. The parents returned to work. Heroes had new crimes to solve, and the kids were forced back to school.
It took all of Emiko’s willpower to not throw that teacher through the wall every time she saw them. She punched a kid instead.
~~~
The phone rang as Kakashi’s dad yawned, putting down his morning coffee. “Hello?” The man gasped, suddenly shooting up. “Right, I’ll bring them immediately. Emiko! Inko! Hizashi! They found the boys. They’re at the hospital.”
They took two cars. Inko was driven over by Kakashi’s mum while the rest piled into Kakashi’s dad’s car. The hospital had sectioned off a ward. Countless kids lie on beds. None of the kids had anything in common other than the haunted look in their eyes.
“Izuku,” Emiko ran past her parents, spotting Izuku on a bed. He smiled as Emiko tackled him into a hug.
“Hey, Emi.”
Kakashi and his family stayed back as the family was reunited. It was the only time Kakashi had witnessed Inko and Hizashi not arguing, but what he took note of was how tired Izuku looked.
Kakashi looked around the other beds. He could see the Bakugos in a separate room alongside the parents of two of Izuku’s friends. Kakashi wondered where the third family was. His family left the children alone.
Kakashi would later hear the story or what the children told the police. They were kidnapped by a sound ground or a man who held them prisoner, but one of the kids helped them escape with their Quirk.
He knew the details sounded reduced; nothing about that statement explained why the kids were taken or what happened to them, but it’s all he had.
He got the feeling that whatever happened wasn’t going to go away quietly, no matter how much the media tried to move on from it.
~~~
Emiko hadn’t left Izuku’s side since he returned. Izuku didn’t seem to mind, staying tucked into Emiko’s side.
The arguments had gotten worse. Hizashi was refusing to leave without his kids.
“How can I trust you to take care of them when you clearly haven’t been?” Hizashi screamed as Inko scoffed.
“Maybe if you paid child support, I wouldn’t have to work all the time. Besides, what are you expecting? They can’t go to America, they can’t even speak English! They’ll be outcasts.”
“Better than being kidnapped like you let them be.”
And so the circle went. Back in their home, there was no Mr Masami or Mrs Masami to stop the arguing.
Emiko sighed, looking out her window, when she froze. Someone was staring at her. “What the-” Emiko let out a scream as the person suddenly appeared at her window. The scream wasn’t heard over her parents screaming.
“Hello,” the person greeted, walking through the window like it wasn’t there. The person was a child, maybe the same age as Izuku, with fading brown hair and odd blue eyes.
“Charlie,” Izuku shouted with a smile. “Emiko! This is Charlie. She helped us escape.”
“Hi?” Emiko looked at Charlie oddly as the girl grinned. “Can we help you?”
Charlie smirked. “I hope so.”
Chapter 2: Dormitories
Chapter Text
Emiko sighed as she woke up. “Fucking dreams,” she muttered. She blamed what happened at Kamino for bringing those memories back. Walking out of her room, she stopped, hearing voices in the kitchen.
“I’m telling you, it’s going to be fun.”
“I don’t see why you think that. Just seems like we’re going to be watched 24/7.”
“Like you’re not watched like that now,” Emiko interrupted as the boys jumped.
“Morning,” Izuku and Shoto greeted Emiko as she started grabbing her breakfast. “Are you both ready?”
Izuku grinned happily, jumping up. “Yeah! All packed.”
Emiko chuckled before turning to Shoto. “Did Endeavour agree to spend the stuff?”
Shoto nodded cautiously. “He said he sent it all and then said he wanted to talk to me. I think he wanted to address everything going on in the media.”
Izuku scoffed. “You know more about that incident than he does.”
Shoto nodded. “According to Fuyumi, he’s particularly upset about the fact that the police are refusing to tell him why he has to keep up the performance.”
Emiko snorted at that. “Sounds about right. The Detective has always been protective of Charlie and the rest of us. And he doesn’t particularly like Endeavour.”
Emiko stopped. “Shit, we've got to go. Eat eat. Go go.”
Izuku and Shoto jumped up, rushing off.
~~~
Emiko split off from the boys to find her own dorm. It didn’t take long for Izuku and Shoto to catch up with the rest of their class.
“Kacchan, morning,” Izuku laughed as Katsuki turned.
“Morning.”
“Have you told Nezu yet?”
Katsuki shook his head. “I’ll talk to them tomorrow.”
“You procrastinating cause you’re worried you’ll throw you out for being extremely brainwashable?"
Katsuki laughed nervously. “Yeah.”
Izuku rolled his eyes and spotted Hitoshi walking behind Shota. He almost looked ashamed, staring at the floor.
The group stopped outside a large building as Shota walked to the front. “Given everything that has happened, I’m glad we were able to bring Class A back together.”
“So we all got the go-ahead to move on campus,” Sero cheered as Hagakure sighed.
“It took a lot of convincing for my parents.”
Jiro laughed, scratching her cheek. “I was pretty concerned about mine.”
“It makes sense,” Ojiro glanced at Jiro. “You and Yaoyorozu received the worst injuries.”
“We’re glad to see the teachers got to come back, too,” Tsu sighed in relief. “I was afraid you wouldn’t be allowed. The people at the press conference seemed pretty upset with you guys.”
“I was surprised as well,” Aizawa stated bluntly. “But circumstances have changed. Now then, I’ll explain how your dorm assignments will work shortly. Firstly, however, we haven’t forgotten about the provisional hero licences you were supposed to get during the training camp.”
The class muttered, having completely forgotten the purpose of the training camp.
“This is important. Listen well. Kirishima. Yaoyorozu. Himura. Midoriya. Iida. Shinso.” Aizawa gave his son a pointed look as Hitoshi lowered his head. “You six are the ones who broke the rules and went to rescue Bakugo that night.”
The class gasped, a disappointed look on their faces.
“Based on your reactions, I assume the rest of you were at least aware of their plan. I’m going to set aside a number of issues and just say this. If it weren’t for All Might’s retirement from the Hero scene and Endeavour's recent revelations, I would expel everyone here except Bakugo, Jiro and Hagakure. The six of you who went, of course. But also the remaining 11 who didn’t stop them. You betrayed our trust. Even if it was to keep your friends from getting into trouble. In order to regain our confidence, you’ll need to obey every rule to the letter and live as model students. That’s all. Now look alive. Enjoy your new home.”
The class was not alive in the slightest sense of the word. They all stared at the ground gloomily.
Izuku paused, looking up and jabbing Katsuki in the side. He sighed, grabbing Kaminari. “Come with me.”
“Should we be worried?” Shoto questioned as Izuku shrugged.
In a flash, Kaminari popped back out, completely braindead. Jiro laughed as the class started talking amongst themselves.
“Kirishima,” Katsuki called out, holding out a wad of cash.
“Whoa, did you shake him down for cash?!”
“What? No!” Katsuki sighed in frustration. “This is my money. To replace what you spent.”
“How’d you know I brought night vision goggles?”
Katsuki rolled his eyes. “You took three of the most gossipy nerds with you.” Izuku let out a little cry as Katsuki scoffed fondly. “Nothing you did that night was a secret.” Katsuki started walking away as Izuku turned his attention to Hitoshi.”
“You okay?”
Hitoshi sighed. “Yeah. They weren’t too happy.”
“Probably happier considering you weren’t actually involved in the rescue.”
Hitoshi chuckled. “I don’t think they noticed.”
Kirishima took in a breath before he screamed at the class. “Sorry, guys! I know this won’t make up for it, but let’s all go out to eat tonight on me!”
The students cheered before they followed Aizawa inside the large building. “Each student dormitory holds one class. Girls are on the right and boys are on the left. The entire first floor is a common area. That’s where you’ll find your kitchen, baths and laundry rooms.”
The students started looking around. Izuku whistled. “This place is nice.”
Shoto smiled. “It’ll be nice to live somewhere so open.”
“Your house cramped?”
Shoto thought for a moment. “It was a big house, but most of the space was dedicated to training, so it felt small.”
Izuku hummed softly, taking Shoto’s hand. “Well, you really don’t have to go back there now.”
Kyoka grinned excitedly, linking her arm with Momo. “It’s going to be great living together.”
Momo nodded happily, but it was a short-lived experience as Aizawa started glaring at them. “Yaoyorozu, Jiro, Midoriya and Himura. It goes without saying that if we catch any of you doing anything that is not school-appropriate, you’ll be separated.”
Kyoka hung her head. “Yes, sir.” Momo just looked confused for a moment before she realised and blushed redder than Kirishima’s hair.
Izuku rolled his eyes. “You have no trust.”
“No. I don’t.” Aizawa continued the tour. “Living quarters start on the next floor. A few boys and girls on each level. Everyone gets their own room. You should be comfortable. You’ve got your own AC, toilets, fridges and closets.”
Izuku squealed as he jumped onto the balcony. “We’re so high up.”
Shoto hummed. “Please don’t jump.”
Izuku let out a dismissive sound. “Don’t worry, I’m not Charlie.”
“Yeah, you can fly,” Katsuki muttered as Izuku laughed.
Hitoshi glanced over the edge. “I’m surprised they let us have balconies.”
“Well, it’s not like we can sneak anywhere. The school will know if we use our pass to get into any building or if we leave the campus,” Izuku stated as Katsuki gave him a look.
“Been planning something?”
Izuku rolled his eyes. “Hardly. I just told you we’ve got nowhere to go.”
Aizawa held out a chart of the different floors and rooms. “These are your form assignments. The belongings you sent ahead have already been placed in your new rooms, so spend the day unpacking and getting settled. I’ll tell you more about your next few lessons tomorrow. For now, get to work.”
“Yes, Mr. Aizawa!”
~~~
Night fell as Izuku walked back to the living room. Izuku hopped onto the couch, one of the first ones downstairs.
“Are you done already?” Iida asked as Izuku hummed.
“I don’t have much stuff. Practically everything I own is clothes and textbooks. Are you done?”
Iida puffed out his chest. “I am a fast and diligent worker.”
Izuku chuckled a little, pulling out his phone. ‘Heya, Charlie.’
It didn’t take long for Charlie to respond. ‘Heya. Aren’t you meant to be moving in today?’
‘I’m all done.’
‘Because you own nothing.’
‘Literally nothing.’ Izuku laughed to himself. ‘Emiko should have moved in by now, too.’
‘You guys are so efficient. Kakashi’s still unpacking, and we moved in a week ago.’
‘Kakashi’s just slow. You told your friends about everything yet.’
‘Not yet. You?’
‘Nope. You gonna do it?’
Charlie typed her message a few times. ‘I want to, but I’m nervous.’
‘You’re a good hero, Charlie. And a great friend. I doubt it’ll change much.’
‘It’s not that.’ Charlie paused. ‘I don’t want them to think I’m Endeavour’s sister.’
Izuku burst out laughing. ‘Damn, who knew that cover story was going to come bite you in the ass.’
‘It sucks. Seeing him go around in the media. He is besmirching our family.’
‘Your family, including the mass murderer.’
‘Endeavour is worse than that guy.’
Izuku grinned. ‘Far worse.’
Students started gathering downstairs, each taking a spot in the living room.
“Evening, Izuku,” Shoto interrupted as Izuku put away his phone.
“Shoto. Come.” Izuku pulled Shoto next to him. “Charlie’s sent a bunch of memes involving your father.”
Shoto smiled, leaning into Izuku’s side as he looked at the pictures.
“Ah, I’m so beat,” Kirishima complained, collapsing on the sofa.
“You and me both,” Sero laughed. “You done unpacking?”
“I think so.”
“I know we could’ve died, but it’s kind of exciting to be living here,” Kaminari shouted from the sofa armrest.
“A unified class. It’s the perfect way to increase our cooperation and discipline. How smart,” Iida screamed as Kirishima sighed.
“So you never relax, do you?”
“Hiya, boys,” Mina cheered, bouncing over. “All done with your rooms?”
“Yup. We’re just unwinding now.”
“Well, the girls and I have been talking and-”
“We have a great idea,” Hagakure finished.
“Let’s go around and see who has the coolest room!”
Chapter 3: Rooms
Chapter Text
Izuku wasn’t sure why his room was first. The girls walked in as he sighed, shaking his head.
“It’s so plain,” Mina complained as Izuku shot her a glare.
“Sorry, I don’t own much.” Izuku hopped onto his bed, crossing his legs under him. The room was fairly plain. He had bookshelves of notebooks and had installed a locked cabinet to keep his medication, but otherwise, the room was the same as it was before.
The main feature was a pinboard of photos he had hung up. They mostly depicted themselves, Emiko, Kakashi and Charlie, but there were a number of newer ones showing Aizawa, Present Mic, Hitoshi, Shoto and Katsuki.
“Is this really all you've brought?” Kyoka questioned as Izuku rolled his eyes.
“I spent a good portion of my childhood homeless, so I didn’t really collect souvenirs. Emiko tries to buy me stuff, but I don’t want her to use her hero money on me, and most of the family income goes to paying for my treatments. Normally, if I let people buy me stuff, I just ask for new clothes or a notebook, so I don’t have much else.”
Izuku could feel the pitying looks some of the boys were giving him.
“I forgot about your condition,” Kaminari muttered. “You haven’t had many flare-ups in class.”
Izuku shrugged. “Nezu’s got me on stronger stuff. Most of my attacks happen at night or first thing in the morning now.”
“Or if you forget to take them again,” Shoto added as Izuku scoffed.
“I never forget.”
All of Izuku’s friends gave him a look as he smiled innocently.
Hitoshi chuckled a little as his eyes caught something on Izuku’s bed. “Hey, that’s the sphinx my pa got you.”
Izuku grinned, holding it up. “He thought it looked like me.”
“It does,” Shoto gasped as Izuku laughed sweetly. They moved onto the next room. Tokoyami tried to guard his door protectively, but was pushed out the way by Mina and Hagakure.
Inside the room was dark, only lit up by a few purple accessories.
“So dark and scary!”
Izuku’s eyes landed on a sword to the side as he gasped. “A sword! I haven’t been allowed near one of these since I accidentally stabbed that villain.” Tokoyami gave him a look. “May I?”
He hesitantly nodded as Izuku lifted the sword out of its sheath. “Charlie used to make us swords so we could defend ourselves against some of the villains that were trying to attack us.” Izuku swung the sword a couple of times. “It’s like riding a bike.”
“It is?” Shoto tilted his head as Izuku put the sword back.
Momo looked at the sword before looking at Izuku. “I’m surprised you were allowed to wield such dangerous things.”
“They couldn’t really stop us cause Charlie can make swords faster than the police could confiscate. She proved it once after getting petty at this one guy. They had so many swords they auditioned them off and were able to fund the rebuilding work for that school Charlie had destroyed, causing her to get arrested.”
“Every time you say something, your childhood sounds just that little bit worse,” Katsuki muttered.
The students moved on. Aoyama’s almost blinded them, but it was exactly what they expected. The last room on the floor was Hitoshi’s.
Uraraka grinned excitedly as they walked into the room. Hitoshi’s room was fairly standard as well. He had repainted the walls to a dark purple but left the rest the same. His shelves were full of textbooks and martial arts books, and he had a neat study space. He had training gear put neatly in the corner, and a single guitar was put beside his bed. Similar to Izuku, he had a pinboard of photos. Most of his pictures showed him and his dads. A couple had Izuku and Emiko in, and more recently, his growing list of friends.
“You can play?” Kyoka looked at Hitoshi in excitement as he fidgeted.
“My pa plays. He wanted to teach me, but I’m not good at it.”
“No. You are, but Hizashi is insane,” Izuku corrected as Hitoshi laughed.
“You have the same boards,” Shoto observed as Hitoshi nodded.
“My dad brought us those. He got one for Emiko, too.”
Hitoshi paused, seeing Kyoka still eyeing up his guitar. “You can try if you want.”
Kyoka stood up nervously. “I-I’d prefer if we could play together. You know, since you can play.”
Different expressions seemed to cross Momo’s face before she stepped forward. “I can play! Well, I can play piano.”
Kyoka grinned. “That’s amazing! We could play together sometime.” She linked her arm with Momo, completely forgetting about Hitoshi.
“I shouldn’t feel insulted, but it feels like I just got replaced,” Hitoshi muttered as Izuku patted his shoulder.
~~~
Ojiro, Iida and Kaminari’s rooms passed quickly. The students stopped in Koda’s place.
“He has a rabbit! It’s so cute,” Mina and Ochaco shouted together as Kaminari frowned.
“Hey, no fair, we don’t get pets.”
Izuku laughed. “Must be a service animal.” Izuku kneeled down, giving the rabbit a soft pet.
“I’m surprised you like rabbits,” Uraraka questioned as Izuku grinned.
“I like to eat them.” Koda let out a high-pitched scream, picking his rabbit up. Izuku quickly jumped away. “Kidding.”
Shoto tilted his head. “Didn’t you tell me once that you used to hunt birds to eat?” Shoto questioned as Izuku hummed.
“Yeah. It was easier than stealing.”
~~~
Izuku leaned against the wall, laying his head on Shoto’s shoulder as he listened to some of the boys complaining.
“That’s because the boys are the only ones who are getting picked on,” Kaminari announced. “They said it was a contest to see who had the coolest dorm room. Well, what about them?” Kaminari pointed at the girls. “We have to see the girls’ rooms to tell which one’s best. Their interior design skills should be held at the same level as ours. Show us those forms.”
Mina grinned, clapping her hands together. “I’m into it!”
Izuku frowned, glancing at Shoto. “Did they ever say they were exempt from this?”
Shoto shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t see why they weren’t included.”
Katsuki rolled his eyes. “There’s a reason for that.”
Chapter 4: Regrets
Chapter Text
“Okay, so, like what are the rules? Are we figuring out who has the best taste in the class, or just the overall coolest?” Mina held up her finger as Kyoka jumped.
“We’re doing this? This doesn’t have to be a contest.”
Mina refused to listen to that.
“Let’s see, who else is on the fourth floor?” Uraraka paused. “It’s Bakugo, Kirishima and Shoji, isn’t it?”
Kirishima grinned. “Great- wait, where’s Bakugo?”
Izuku chuckled. “It’s 8:30. He’s gone to bed.”
“He goes to bed that early?” Uraraka blinked as Izuku laughed.
“Katsuki does. He wakes up at like 5 every morning, so it evens out.”
Hitoshi sighed. “Remember when dad tried to do that to us?”
Izuku shivered as Mina and Hagakure rushed on. “Then we’ll do Kirishima’s room next.”
Kirishima paused outside his room. “Not that I care, but you might not get what I’m going for,” Kirishima warned before he let the class in. “A den of manliness!”
Hagakure paused. “If I found out my boyfriend had a room that looked like this, I’d dump him.”
Kirishima winced, lowering his head. Uraraka grinned, jumping up and down. “So bold! Makes me wanna work out!”
“You get it.”
Izuku looked around the room. “This feels like a room Emiko would like.”
“You think?” Kirishima glanced at Izuku as he nodded.
“She likes this stuff. Kakashi could be horrified, though.”
~~~
Shoji and Sero’s rooms passed without much interest before they reached Shoto’s place.
“Let’s get this over with. It’s late.” He opened the room to a very traditional japanese room. He had redone the walls and floor, replacing the door with traditional doors. He had a small potted bamboo plant in the corner and wooden furniture.
“So Japanese,” Mina and Uraraka screamed.
“It was even built differently.”
“We’ve got these kinds of floor mats at my home,” Shoto muttered self-consciously. “They’re much more comfortable than hardwood.”
“How did you remodel this in just one day?” Kaminari stared at Shoto in horror as Shoto paused.
“With hard work.”
Izuku snorted, wrapping an arm around Shoto. “I’m just glad Endeavour actually sent the stuff.”
The group left the room slowly, inspecting Sato’s room. Izuku stayed back, taking Shoto’s hand. “Are you okay?”
Shoto frowned. “It feels weird. It’s nice to be in something that feels familiar, but it also reminds me of my father.”
Izuku hummed, pulling Shoto into a hug. “You can make new memories here.”
Shoto sighed, leaning into Izuku’s touch. Izuku cupped Shoto’s cheek, pulling him in for a kiss.
~~~
Hitoshi stepped away from Shoto’s room. “Yeah, we’re continuing without those two.”
“You think they’re doing something inappropriate,” Kaminari questioned sharply as Kyoka huffed.
“Better not be. Mr Aizawa just threatened us today.”
Kyoka stopped in front of her room, blushing lightly. “It’s kind of embarrassing.” She let them in. The room was covered in checkered patterns, mostly designed in a red, black and white colour scheme. Around the room, musical instruments cluttered up the space, and a large band poster hung behind her bed.
“Whoa, you’ve got so many instruments,” Kaminari gasped.
Kyoka tapped her earphone jacks together nervously as the class looked around. She kept glancing at Momo, who was looking at everything in awe.
“Can you play all these?” Uraraka asked as Kyoka ducked down.
“Yeah, at least a little.”
Momo paused, looking at Kyoka’s vinyl collection.
Kyoka walked over nervously. “What’s wrong?”
“We don’t share any of the same music.”
Kyoka paused. “Well, we can spend time listening to each other’s music.”
Momo smiled excitedly. “I would love that.”
~~~
The group went through Hagakure and Mina’s fairly pink rooms and Uraraka’s plain room before they stopped.
Tsu was meant to be next.
“Where is Tsu?” Sero looked around in confusion as Urarka walked over.
“Oh, she wasn’t feeling too good. So she's in her room.”
“Well, we shouldn’t bother her,” Kaminari decided as Momo frowned.
“I hope she’s okay.”
Kyoka linked her arm with Momo. “We can check on her tomorrow.”
“Then the last one up is Yaoyorozu,” Sero announced as Momo walked to her door.
“The thing is, I… maybe miscalculated a few things. My room’s a little bit more cramped than I intended. And maybe not as creative as some of yours.” Momo let them in.
Her bed took up most of the room, leaving not much walking space.
“It’s my furniture from home, so I thought it fit. I had no idea how small these dorm rooms would end up being.”
Kyoka stared at the bed, whispering under her breath. “Stupid school-appropriate rules.”
“What?” Momo blushed, staring at Kyoka as she jumped.
“Did I say that out loud?”
~~~
Uraraka pulled Hitoshi, Izuku, Shoto, Iida, Momo and Kirishima outside.
“Where are we going?” Kirishima questioned before he froze.
Tsu stood outside, her head lowered. Uraraka walked to Tsu’s side. “Tsu said she had something she wanted to tell everyone.”
“You guys know I’m pretty straightforward, and I always speak what’s on my mind. I don’t know. I’m at a loss. Remember what I said back at the hospital when you were talking about the rescue?”
“Yeah, every word.”
“My heart was hurting. And the things I said must’ve upset you.” Tsu lowered her head as Uraraka placed a hand on Tsu’s back.
“It’s okay, Tsu.”
“Despite my warning, you still went and saved Bakugo. I didn’t know that until this morning. I thought I’d stopped you, but it turns out I was worthless. A complete failure. And suddenly I had no idea what to say. I didn’t think I deserved to joke around and have fun with everyone like usual. But it made me so sad to be without you.” Teas streamed down from Tsu’s face as she hiccuped. “That’s why I wanted to talk to you. Even if I’m still not sure how I’m supposed to be feeling. I wanted you to know so we can hang out and talk and have a good time again.”
“It’s not just you who thinks that,” Uraraka tried to soothe as Uraraka lowered her head. “Everyone felt pretty bad and wanted things back the way they used to be before. That’s why we did the room contest. To bring us closer together and make us feel like a class again. It’s all we could come up with, so please don’t think we were trying to trick you or anything.” Uraraka took in a deep breath. “Look, what I’m saying is, let’s all work hard at our training and be good friends again, okay?” Uraraka put a smile on her face.
“Tsu,” Kirishima walked over, with small tears in the corners of his eyes. “I’m sorry! Thanks for telling us how you feel!”
“It’s okay,” Momo rushed in as Iida bowed.
“I apologise!”
“You shouldn’t feel bad,” Shoto tried to soothe as Izuku nodded.
“It’s not your fault.”
Hitoshi nodded. “Really, Tsu, it’s okay.”
“Listen. I won’t make you sad again,” Kirishima promised.
“Me either,” Momo stated, patting Tsu’s head.
“We promise!”
Chapter 5: Ultimate Move
Chapter Text
The classes gathered at their seats, a level of relief surrounding them to be back in the classroom again.
“I believe I mentioned this already, but your main focus this summer is obtaining provisional hero licences.” Aizawa glanced over his students. “Do not take this lightly. A hero licence means that you’re responsible for human lives. You can imagine that the exam to receive one is very difficult. Only 50 percent of students pass the tests required for these permits each year.”
“I had no idea it was that hard to get a hero licence,” Mina muttered as Aizawa narrowed his eyes.
“In order to prepare, today you’ll concentrate on creating something new.” The door slid open as Midnight, Cementoss, and Ectopalsm walked in. “Two ultimate moves.”
Ectoplasm walked to the front as the students continued to cheer loudly. “When we say ‘ultimate,’ we mean a move that will ensure you win against your opponent.”
“An action so unique to your identity that no other person can hope to copy it. Simply put, you must learn to lean into your strengths,” Cementoss added as Midnight smirked.
“Your moves represent who you are. These days, most pro heroes have an ultimate move. Those who don’t are fools.”
“This may sound abstract, but we’ll explain more as the day goes on. For now, change into your costumes and meet in Gym Gamma,” Aizawa ordered as the students disbanded.
~~~
“This is going to be so fun,” Kaminari cheered as he pulled on his hero costume.
“This could be problematic,” Izuku muttered as Katsuki rolled his eyes.
“Isn’t most of your life?”
“What I mean is I’m fairly sure I’m still banned from the licensing exam.” The changing room stopped, staring at him. “What?”
“How are you banned from that?”
“Charlie,” Izuku, Katsuki and Shoto answered together. Izuku laughed as Shoto smiled. “I’m sure it’ll be fine. Besides, we’ve got our talk with Nezu later anyway.” Izuku nodded at Katsuki, who muttered something under his breath.
Hitoshi scoffed. “Will you all hurry up, or Dad is going to kill us?!”
“Someone’s got a sudden respect for punctuality,” Katsuki scoffed as Izuku smirked.
“It’s cause Shota scolded him so badly after the rescue. He’s terrified of upsetting him now.”
“I am not!”
~~~
“Gym Gamma, also known at the Academy as the ‘Training Dining Land,’ or TDL,” Aizawa explained as Cementoss crouched on the ground.
Cementoss moved the concrete, showing the entire ground was malleable for him. “This facility was my idea. We can prepare unique terrains and obstacles for each student here. Here you will learn to serve up justice, hence the name.”
Iida threw up his hand. “Please allow me a question. What is the advantage of having ultimate moves for our provisional exam? May we know your reasoning?”
“That’s two questions. Calm down,” Aizawa ordered tiredly. “The job of a hero is to save people from all sorts of dangers. Crime, accidents, and natural or man-made disasters. Of course, the licensing exam analyses how well you’re able to deal with such things. It won’t just be fighting. Your ability to gather information and make quick decisions will be judged. In addition to how well you communicate, cooperate, and lead others. Every year, a new test is used to evaluate these qualities.”
“One thing is especially important,” Midnight stated, walking forward. “If you want to be a pro hero, you must be able to prevail in battle. If you’re prepared, you won’t have to worry. And those of you with an ultimate move will have stronger results.”
“Your circumstances should not dictate the results of your future battles. Learn to be consistent and you will be a great asset on the front lines,” Cementoss added before Elctoplasm took over.
“Your ultimate move doesn’t necessarily have to be an attack. Take Iida’s Reciproburst, for example.” Iida gasped. “This sort of temporary boost in speed is valuable enough that it falls into the category of excellence we’re looking for.”
“You mean I’ve been doing an ultimate move all along?” Iida shook, getting judged by the rest of the class.
“So, it’s basically our secret weapon. Something that gives us the edge so we can win no matter who or what we’re facing,” Sato summed up as Midnight grinned.
“There’s a smart boy. For example, how Kamui Woods is able to use his Lacquered Chain Prison to capture opponents in an instant. That’s exactly what we want to see.”
“The training camp was interrupted, but the practice you did get into to develop your Quirks was part of the process needed to create these defining abilities,” Aizawa finished.
Cemntoss walked back, placing both his hands on the floor as it started glowing green. “Now that you’re caught up, you’ll be working hard to develop powerful moves of your own for the next ten days or so. This is how you will spend the remainder of our summer vacation. Prepare for intensive training.”
Pillars appeared around the arena. Ectosplam put clones on each pillar.
“In addition, you should think about how you can improve your costumes, especially now that you have a better understanding of your Quirks. I expect each of you to go Plus Ultra. Do you have it in you?” Aizawa asked meaningfully.
The students cheered, charging off.
Izuku stayed behind, looking at Aizawa. “Why didn’t you tell them about the UA takedown?”
Aizawa narrowed his eyes. “How do you know about that?”
“I once took part in one.”
Aizawa paused, staring at Izuku in shock.
“Charlie almost burnt down the centre.”
“I fucking knew that was you.”
Izuku grinned. “Well?”
“Stop worrying about it and get to training.”
“Fine. You’re no fun.” Izuku walked off, going to a free pillar.
~~~
The arena became full of chaos quickly. Every student was making steps to make their moves, exploring their abilities.
Izuku took in a deep breath. His body started changing, black scales stretching across his skin. Feathered wings grew out of his back, and sphinx ears grew on top of his head. He paused, gritting his teeth slightly before finally, gills grew on his neck.
No wasting any time, Izuku gathered the elements around him. “Elemental Crash.” The four shot forward, blasting into the rock. He dropped his Quirk as Ectoplasm appeared behind him. “Be gentle, you have no idea how much work it took to be able to do that.”
Ectoplasm hummed. “Using all the elements in a large explosion is not a bad idea; however, you should work on your accuracy to have each element hit the same spot.”
Izuku paused, taking in a frustrated breath. “Fine.”
Chapter 6: Truth
Chapter Text
Izuku grinned, waiting for Katsuki outside Nezu’s office.
“Are you ready for this?” Shoto gently took Izuku’s hand as Izuku hummed, laying his head on Shoto’s shoulder.
“I don’t really care about the outcome. If we get kicked out of here, we can always go to Charlie.”
“Shinjestu would take you?”
Izuku shrugged. “More than they haven’t expelled Charlie and Kakashi yet, so they won’t instantly turn us away.”
“Planning a backup, already? We haven’t even talked to the principal yet,” Katsuki grumbled as Izuku smirked.
“It’s always best to go in prepared for the worst. Besides, you’re in a lot more risk than I am.”
Shoto tilted his head. “I am?”
“Of course you are. I applied to this school with all the information about my past included. The school already knows I’m involved with villains and that I can be trusted. You’re an unknown. They didn’t know you were involved with villains or any of this stuff. They might try to take you out simply for keeping secrets.”
“It was hardly a secret. I was four and blocked it out until you started reminding me.”
Izuku just grinned. Before he said anything, the door opened.
Most of the teachers looked at the trio of students in confusion, walking on after their meeting. And then there was Aizawa. “Don’t tell me you’ve been caught fighting again,” he grumbled as Izuku.
“Not recently.”
“Yes, we did not get caught,” Shoto answered as Izuku gave him a fond but dumbfounded look.
Katsuki just sighed. “We’re here to talk to Nezu about something.”
Aizawa raised an eyebrow as Izuku patted Katsuki’s back. “Nothing but just something Katsuki thought the principal should know.”
Aizawa still didn’t look convinced.
“Midoriya, Bakugo, come on,” Nezu interrupted.
Izuku turned to Shoto. “Be here when we’re done?”
Shoto nodded. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Katsuki and Izuku walked into the office. Nezu sat back on his chair as Izuku and Katsuki took their own seats.
“So, what is this all about?” Nezu smiled as Katsuki and Izuku shared a look. Izuku motioned for Katsuki to go. Izuku was only going to tell Nezu what Katsuki wanted him to know. Anything else was going to remain secret.
Katsuki sighed. “It’s about my time with the league.”
Nezu frowned. “Oh dear, I hope this isn’t a resignation. You have a lot of potential.”
Katsuki held up a hand. “No. It’s not. I have no intention of leaving UA- if I’m allowed to stay. But while I was there, I remembered details about my past that until that point I had forgotten. Things that could come to haunt me in the future.”
“And what details are these?”
Katsuki didn’t immediately respond. Izuku thought for a moment that he was going to back out. So he gave him a helping hand. “We were turned into Nomu.”
Nezu blinked, slowly. “And by that you mean-”
“Full transformation and Quirk integration.” Izuku reached into his pockets, revealing two pictures.
Katsuki gave Izuku a look. “Where did you get those?”
Izuku just smirked. “Charlie.”
Nezu looked at the photos, and something unreadable was in his eyes. “This is troubling. How did you turn back?”
Izuku and Katsuki shared a look. “The child of AFO reverted us.”
“You mean the Endeavour impersonator.” They nodded. “So someone has that level of power. Do you know where they are?”
Katsuki said nothing as Izuku grinned. “Trying to track down that person is a nightmare. I swear half the time they go to England in a flash just to buy a very specific packet of crisps because it’s supposedly better.”
“You are still in contact with them?”
Izuku shrugged. “I know how to summon them, but there’s like a 2% chance they actually show up for me. They did when Katsuki was in danger, though.”
Katsuki nodded. “Which brings us to the second part of this. While the league had me, AFO, turn me into a nomu again. It’s thanks to the child I’m still here and sentient. But I believe AFO may target Izuku and me in the future.”
Nezu nodded. “Does anyone else know this information?”
Katsuki pulled a face as Izuku hummed. “The same people who knew about AFO prior to the fight- oh, and Jiro and Shoto. They fell under the partner clause.”
Nezu didn’t respond for a moment. “Keep this a secret on a need-to-know basis. The more people are aware of your connection to AFO, the more danger you will be in.”
Both nodded.
“Are we still welcome at UA?” Katsuki leaned forward as Nezu smiled.
“Of course you are. So long as you still wish to attend our academy, you will always be welcome within these walls.”
~~~
Izuku, Katsuki and Shoto walked back to the dorms.
“How did it go?” Hitoshi glanced at them as Izuku grinned.
“We’re getting to stay at UA.”
Hitoshi let out a low enthusiasm cheer as Izuku collapsed on the couch. Shoto immediately walked over, collapsing into Izuku’s chest as Izuku hugged him.
Hitoshi stuck out his tongue. “Stop it. I’m sitting on this couch too.”
Izuku just laughed.
“You alright, Katsuki?” Momo gently touched Katsuki’s shoulder as he sighed.
“I’m fine. The meeting went well.”
“Glad to have that all off your chest,” Kyoka laughed, jabbing Katsuki’s side as he chuckled.
“More, I’m just glad it’s over. I know it’ll likely come up again, but it's over for now.”
“We have curry,” Mina shouted as the dorm let out a small cheer.
~~~
Time seemed to fly, and before they knew it, they were standing in front of the licence exam building.
Aizawa stepped out front. “If you can pass this test and get your provisional licence, then your novice eggs will hatch into chicks. You’ll be semi-pros. I expect your best.”
The class started vibrating with excitement.
Izuku grinned, holding Shoto’s hand. “We got this.”
He nodded. Then, without warning, a large scream echoed throughout the arena. “Izuku!”
Izuku barely got to brace before Charlie tackled him into a hug.
“Charlie?” Izuku wheezed as she grinned.
“Hello!”
There was a moment, the rescue squad from Camino all staring at Charlie in dawning horror. “Oh no. If she’s in our exam,” Hitoshi drifted off as Katsuki sighed.
“We’re doomed.”
Chapter 7: First Test
Chapter Text
The class got changed and gathered in the packed building.
“Oh wow, there are so many,” Izuku muttered as Charlie laughed.
“Reminds me of last time we were here.”
Izuku gave Charlie a look. “I’m surprised they let you back in the building.”
“Well,” Charlie giggled, “they never caught me.”
Izuku gave her a look as she wandered off to join the rest of her school.
“So, how worried should we be about her?” Shoto questioned quietly, as Izuku sighed.
“Very.”
“Okay then,” Mera interrupted, sitting up. “Let’s do this exam thing. I’m from the Heroes Public Safety Commission. Name’s Mera. My Circadian Rhythm is so screwed up. Ah, man,” Mera lowered his head depressingly. “I’ve been swamped lately, and I haven’t gotten much rest. We’re too short-staffed. I’m so tired. With that confession, I’ll now begin orientation.”
“It’s you,” Izuku joked to Hitoshi as he received a glare.
“So, about the content of this licence thing. Basically, 1,540 examinees compete in a free-for-all exercise or whatever we’re calling it this year. See, we’ve got a lot of pros around, and since Stain was arrested, many people’ve expressed doubts about the status of heroes in society. But when you really think about it, getting paid makes sense. If you’re going to risk your life to save someone, why shouldn’t you ask for a reward, huh? That’s just the way the world works. God, I could use a coffee. Anyway, whether they’re in it for compensation or out of a sense of duty, we’ve got too many heroes working together in the streets these days to keep villains at bay.
Honestly, the time between when an incident begins and when it’s resolved is ridiculously short. You are all here trying to receive your provisional licences, so you’ll be swept up in this tiresome mess yourselves pretty soon. Those of you who don’t have the speed, frankly, just won’t cut it. That is why you’ll be tested on it. The first 100 students to fulfil the requirements will pass today.”
The class stared in shock.
“There are over 1,500 people taking this test. I thought they said that about half of us would be passing,” Momo gasped as Kyoka took her hand.
“This means it’s actually less than ten per cent who’ll get a licence,” Tsu muttered as Kyoka shook her head.
“Oh man, I’m getting way more nervous.”
“Well, the world can be pretty crappy,” Mera continued. “I suppose I should say something about luck. So anyway, here are the basic rules. The examinee will put three of these targets on their body. They can go anywhere you want as long as it’s an exposed area. So no soles of the feet are armpits. Each of you will also have six of these balls. The targets are programmed to light up whenever they’ve been touched by the balls. If all three targets light up, you’re out. Oh, and the person who lights up your third target will get credit for your defeat. You get through this round by taking down two people. Got it? Good.”
Employees started handing out the equipment.
“What else? I guess we’ll start passing out the targets and balls. Then you’ll have a few minutes to get situated after we open.”
“‘Open’?” Shoto questioned as Izuku grinned.
“Oh, I remember this.”
The building started to rumble, splitting into parts and falling to the ground, revealing a large area full of different terrains.
“I’m sure each of you has different terrains that you like or want to avoid. Use your Quirks well and do your best. Or not. Whatever. Yes, I know, it makes for a great reveal, doesn’t it? And for what? So much sleep lost for this. Hopefully, some of these kids are fast, and we can get this over with. Until then, I’m going to rest my eyes.”
The students rushed out.
“If the first people to finish win, then no one will go after their classmates. The best way to win is to team up with people whose powers you already know,” Hitoshi explained.
“Sorry, but I’m going on my own,” Shoto muttered awkwardly as Izuku sighed.
“I knew you would, but it's still disappointing. Stay away from the city, that’s where Charlie will go.”
Shoto nodded as the group sighed.
“One down isn’t that bad,” Hitoshi muttered before looking at Katsuki, who blinked.
“What? I’m not going anywhere!”
“Hey, Midoriya, are you about to get an instant disqualification?” Kyoka gave Izuku a look as he blinked.
“I don’t think so?”
“Well, when you transform, all your clothes merge into you, right? Won’t it take the targets too?”
“Oh no. I can choose what gets absorbed. Normally, I don’t leave anything because the department has met to make a mask that is comfortable before and after the transformation.”
“Guys, we should keep moving,” Uraraka shouted as the group continued on.
“I should give you a warning now we’re here,” Izuku shouted as the class glanced at him. “We’re about to be targeted.”
“What?!”
“It’s called the UA Crush; it happens every year. Because UA is so public with the sports festival, everyone already knows what our Quirks are, and they begin targeting us.”
“Why didn’t you warn us beforehand?” Kirishima cried out as Izuku shrugged.
“It doesn’t change anything. If you can’t handle this, you probably shouldn’t be a hero anyway.”
The group let out an annoyed sigh.
A beep echoed around the stadium. “The first test will now begin.”
Immediately, students jumped out of the hidden ledges in the mountain peaks.
“Here it comes,” Izuku screamed as the balls started raining down.
Izuku shifted immediately, becoming a sphinx as the ground shot up. It began as a spike before bursting out into a spiky ball, piercing through and throwing aside the balls.
Tokoyami summoned Dark Shadow, grabbing the balls from the sky. Uraraka lifted herself off the floor, floating above the ball’s reach. Sero whipped out his tape, capturing it and weighing it down.
Hitoshi used the capture gear, whacking the ball out of his way as Katsuki blasted himself up, exploding each ball that went near him. Mina melted the balls as Momo made a protective shield for Tsu and Hagakure. She reached through the gaps, sniping down balls with a wind force shot.
“Where did you learn that?” Hagakure gaped as Momo grinned.
“Don’t worry. None will get in here.” Momo glanced around the class. “Stay together. We will turn this around.”
The class cheered as they forced a tight formation together.
Chapter 8: Separation
Chapter Text
Charlie grinned as she stood atop a building. She touched the ball as it began to glow. She then dropped it off the side of the building. The ball shot around, hitting into target after target after target.
There were funner ways to win, but she didn’t want to get banned… again. She stood up, jumping off the building herself as wings grew out of her back. She flew over the city, her ball returning to her hand. She had already won.
Mera let out a startled sound over the comm system. “50 students have been eliminated, the first student has passed.”
~~~
“None of our attacks are landing,” Makabe, one of Ms. Joke’s students, shouted to Shindo, who just hummed.
“I guess we shouldn’t be surprised UA won’t go down without a fight.”
“Maybe not. But we have a plan.” Makabe squashed the balls as they became rigid. He turned, throwing the ball to Toteki, who caught it easily. “All done.”
“I’ll take it from here. Just try not to be jealous when I end up finishing ahead of the rest of our class. But I’m sure you won’t mind since I’ll be reducing enemy numbers with this elegant attack. Target, Lock-On. Boomerang. Crescent Moon Trajectory.”
Toteki threw the balls up as they glowed purple. They buried themselves in the ground, growing closer to the UA students.
“My aim is always true. And since these projectiles are coming at them from underground, no one will have time to dodge.”
Izuku frowned as he sensed the balls moving through the ground. “I can’t stop them.”
Kyoka stepped forward, plugging her earphone jacks into her gloves. “Get back, I’ll handle this. Sound Amplification. Amplifier Jack! Heartbeat Distortion!” Kyoka put her hands on the ground, a shock wave blasting from her.
The ground broke apart, throwing the arena into chaos. The balls burst from the ground, but it didn’t change anything. The balls twisted in the air, heading straight for Hagakure.
Mina jumped forward, acid sliding off her arm. “Maximum strength and viscosity.” Mina dissolved the balls quickly as Hagakure gaped.
“Thanks, Mina. That’s such a great move!”
“It’s my defensive special that creates a melty wall.”
“Interesting,” Shindo muttered as he smirked. “This isn’t the Class A from the Sports Festival. It’s obvious their training is making them better fighters.”
Izuku shifted back to human, bouncing to Momo’s side. “You got a plan, great strategist?”
“People are going to focus on protecting their weak points. It’ll be hard to hit them by accident. We’ll have to aim well and break through their defences, even if we don’t know their powers-” Momo stopped, spinning on her heel and kicking the air, throwing back a number of balls aimed at her. “The real fight hasn’t begun yet.”
Izuku was about to ask when he stopped.
Shindo grinned, putting his hands together. “All right. Outta the way.” Shindo put his palms on the ground as his classmates jumped out of the way. “Their defences are too strong right now. I’ll fix that. Maximum force. Tremoring Earth.”
A wave of vibrations burst out of Shindo.
Izuku quickly shifted into a sphinx, digging his claws into the ground. “Earth Shift, Maximum Defence. Earthbind!” The rocks stabilised as Izuku gritted his teeth. “This won’t hold for long! Teamup!”
The class nodded, quickly running to their nearest classmate and grabbing hold tightly. Izuku let out a cry as his grip loosened and the vibrations destroyed the arena completely.
“Izuku,” Momo called out, but Izuku fell, shifting back to human as he crashed to the ground.
~~~
Charlie watched the screen, shifting from one foot to the other when the ground trembled. “What the- how is that fair, but I get banned for creating one small fire.” Charlie waved to the mountain area, a disappointed and annoyed look on her face.
She jumped as she heard a loud laugh from the side. “Because he is doing it with permission.”
Charlie grinned. “Isona! ‘Bout time you showed up! I was getting lonely.” Charlie cheerfully punched Isona’s side as he chuckled.
“How are your friends doing?”
Charlie shrugged. “They haven’t shown up. Fucking rude of them. What’s taking so long?” Charlie suddenly grinned. “Wanna watch them?”
“You can do that?”
Charlie smirked. “I can do anything.” She looked around before waving Isona to a metal plate on the walls surrounding the arena. She touched the reflection as it rippled before showing Izuku, groaning and sitting up in the rubble, completely alone.
~~~
“Well, that wasn’t fun.” Izuku rubbed his head as he pulled himself up. Izuku glanced around him. The others were gone. He hoped they had stuck together.
He spread out a pair of dragon wings, about to take off, when he saw something move in the dust. Izuku turned to face the figure, his body tensing sharply. “What the fuck.”
“Hello, Izuku,” a familiar voice drawled as Izuku cursed.
That wasn’t real. Izuku took off, reaching into his back pocket. “Well, shit.” He was out of pills. He needed to find someone else. He couldn’t be alone.
He suddenly turned, avoiding the ball that was aimed at him. He wasn’t even sure it was real, but he took no chances. Izuku froze as a person jumped at him.
She wrapped her arms around him, grabbed his wings and jumped off just before they crashed into the ground. Was she real? One of Izuku’s targets glowed red. Was that real?
Shit. He couldn’t worry about this right now.
“Not smart. Staring off into space. But what’s really weird is that you’re in trouble and still smiling.”
Izuku frowned. She smelled familiar. Where did he know that scent from? Izuku shifted to his sphinx form, glaring at the girl. “Who are you?”
“You couldn’t be cooler.”
Izuku suddenly narrowed his eyes. He remembered that scent, from the training camp. That means, she’s not real. With a flick of his wrist, the ground erupted at the girl, spikes forming and risking piercing her heart.
Izuku then took off, pulling back his dragon wings as he took off.
The girl watched him go, a disappointed look on her face.
Chapter 9: Attack
Chapter Text
A few nights earlier, Shoto and Izuku lay in Izuku’s darkroom together. It was peaceful, calm.
“What are they like?” It had been on his mind for a while, since they had talked about it on move-in day.
“What are what like?” Izuku tilted his head. Cute.
“The hallucinations? You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to” Shoto was backtracking, making Izuku laugh.
“It’s okay. I don’t mind. Most people think it’s rude to ask and make assumptions.” Izuku paused. “There’s bad- normally. The doctors said it’s probably cause they were made by a villain, so I don’t really have good hallucinations. They take over every sense. My sight, hearing, touch, even sense of smell and taste all agree on what is before me, but it’s not like I can never work out what’s real.”
Izuku paused. “I can figure out what logically isn’t real. I know if I’m in a locked room and suddenly have a murderer before me that they’re probably not real, but it hurts like they are, and if I start panicking- well then I don’t think logically.”
Shoto nodded. “Have you ever had a good hallucination?”
Izuku shrugged. “Maybe once or twice. Sometimes I’ll be in my house and I’ll suddenly see my dad.”
Shoto blinked. “I didn’t know you missed him.”
Izuku shrugged again. “He left. I resent him for doing that, but I still wish I had a normal family.”
Shoto frowned, pulling Izuku closer. “We can be a family with him.”
IZuku laughed sweetly. “Your father can be kicked out, too.” They laughed, relaxing.
It still tugged at the back of Shoto’s mind, but he ignored it. He wasn’t going to push. Izuku had the right to reveal what he wanted to.
~~~
Izuku frowned as he landed in a crater. Students surrounded the walls. He couldn’t work out which ones were real. He needed someone he could trust as real- he needed Charlie. But Charlie had already passed the exam.
Deku let out a startled scream as a sharp knife tore through his back. “Well, whoever that was wasn’t real. No hero student would dare harm another- it didn’t stop the pain.
“What’s wrong with him?” Nakagame questioned as Shindo frowned.
“No idea.”
It didn’t matter. People started attacking.
Izuku jumped up, dodging everything. He weaved and danced through the air. Every so often, he would turn sharply to avoid something that wasn’t there. Every so often, he would cry out in pain as if hit by something, but nothing touched him.
“Are you okay?” Uraraka shouted as Deku turned to face her. He frowned again. She smelled wrong, like that girl from the training camp. Was this another vision? Maybe only his nose was being manipulated, but that made no sense.
INH was a nerve condition. What happens when someone’s entire brain is rewired by force? All visions were infallible. Every sense said it was real, so why would this one be wrong?
Regardless of its reality, Izuku knew that Uraraka wasn’t real. Shifting into a gryphon, Deku clapped his wings, creating a strong wind current that threw the balls and attacks back. The fake Uraraka was thrown from the ledge.
Izuku shot up, trying to get higher and higher. He weaved through the attacks before making a decision. He needed someone who could tell the difference between reality and not reality.
He let out a loud screech. A distress call.
~~~
Shoto hid behind the metal beams of the industrial estate when he heard the cry. He turned, glancing to the mountain.
Izuku was flying high in the sky. He moved rapidly, dodging everything, but something felt wrong. Shoto wanted to get to his side. He shouldn’t have left Izuku alone. Only slight problem. A school of odd-dressed ninjas stood in his way.
~~~
Uraraka looked up as she heard the scream. “Sero, it’s Midoriya.”
Sero nodded. “Looks like he’s in trouble.”
Uraraka walked towards Izuku, sticking to the ground. “He can’t last much longer.” Izuku dived, weaving around the onslaught of attacks.
“It’s kinda wild he’s managed to hold out that long. He’s only had one target hit.”
“He’s skilled.” Far more skilled at acrobatics than Uraraka had anticipated. It was impressive.
Before she could get any closer, a sudden loud explosion echoed from the side. Katsuki shot across the air before he exploded the air around Izuku. Katsuki grabbed onto a few of Izuku’s feathers, gripping onto the side.
“Katsuki?” Izuku panted, levelling out before he suddenly jolted up.
“Hey, careful! What are you doing?”
Izuku blinked. “That wasn’t real.”
That was all Katsuki needed to hear to understand what was happening. “Shit. No more pills?”
Izuku shook his head. “Aizawa has some, but I’ll forfeit if I leave the arena.” Once more, Izuku jolted to the side, almost throwing Katsuki off.
“Okay! Okay. Let me onto your back.” Katsuki climbed up, trying to settle down. Riding a mythical beast was not a comfortable thing, and Izuku was no exception. The students below were recovering, and their attacks were building back up. “Don’t suppose you’ve seen anyone else?”
Izuku shook his head. “Only the visions in my head.”
“Great.”
Izuku started weaving around as Katsuki tightened his grip. He barely hung on as Izuku shot through the air. He really needed to work on his grip strength. Katsuki forced himself ot look down, trying to figure out a plan when he noticed Uraraka, running through the students, tapping them and lifting them in the air.
When the students floated, Sero taped them up.
“They’re fucking using us as a decoy,” Katsuki muttered. He probably shouldn’t be so insulted, but he was insulted.
Suddenly, Izuku shifted. He dived, almost lifting Katsuki off his back.
“What are you doing?!” Then Izuku pulled out the dive, landing behind a rock. Katsuki looked up, finding Hitoshi and Iida hiding with them. “Oh, that makes more sense.”
Katsuki slid off Izuku as Izuku shifted back to human and doubled over himself. He was almost run out. Then, without warning, Izuku let out a cry of pain, gripping his shoulder.
Hitoshi and Iida’s eyes widened in horror and confusion, but Izuku just held up his hand. “Toshi! Use your Quirk on me.”
“What?”
“I’m having an attack. If I have any hope of passing this exam, I can’t be in control of my own body.”
“Will that even count?” Hitoshi muttered worriedly.
“You can wake me up to finish the people off, but right now I’m useless. Please, Toshi.”
Hitoshi hesitated before he nodded. “What’s your name?”
Izuku grinned. “Izuku.” And his control was gone. It didn’t get rid of the visions; they had learnt that years ago. He still felt the pain, saw the visions, but it no longer affected his body.
“So, what now?”
Frosted_Annie on Chapter 5 Wed 20 Aug 2025 09:04PM UTC
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