The Burning Soul of a Hero

by BHN2810

Summary:

Midoriya Izuku's quirk spoke to him sometimes. It whispered to him stories of fire, of whole races being burnt to ash, of the power sleeping within his soul. It whispered its name, inaudible over the roar of flame, and called him to take up his position as its wielder. After years of being told of his quirklessness, of being counselled for the voice, and being told to ignore it, what happens when he truly begins to listen?

Notes:

Hello, this is my first ever fanfic, I really wanted to try writing something like this for a while, so I figured I'd try and see how it went, not really sure about the overall plot right now so I might leave some plot holes but idk.

Chapter 1: The Hero's Burning Origins

Musutafu, Japan.

Year 2205, August 25th.

Midoriya Izuku didn’t think he’d ever been this excited. Sitting in the car on the way to the clinic, he was almost jumping up and down in his seat, desperate to arrive at the clinic. His friends had all gotten their quirks by now, and Izuku was impatient, itching for the chance to start training and become a hero, just like All Might! His fourth birthday had come and gone, and with no sign of a quirk by his sixth, his mother had decided to take him to the clinic to see what could be done.

“Izuku! Calm down and sit still before I turn this car around!” Midoriya Inko spoke in an exasperated tone, trying to be strict, but not quite able to keep the laughter out of her voice. She was a little on the younger end to have a child, but she loved the boy, despite his headstrong tendencies. Izuku was instantly still, the mock threat enough to quell the nervous energy coursing through his body, his six-year-old self unable to hear the joking in her voice.

 

“I’m trying, Mom, but I’m so-so-” His brow furrowed as he combed through his limited, albeit advanced for his age, vocabulary, searching for a word to express the emotions running through him at the moment.

 

“Excited? Nervous?” Inko suggested, trying not to laugh at her son’s expression, with big emerald eyes narrowed to a slit and lips turned into the closest approximation a child could have of a scowl. As she spoke, however, his eyes widened and his face brightened into a wide smile, now able to put a name to his emotions.

“Yeah! Both of those! I can’t wait to be a hero, I’m gonna save everyone!” The family of two continued to laugh and joke as they neared the clinic, eager to see what the boy would be able to do.

 

“Not gonna happen, kid.” The doctor spoke bluntly. Izuku’s smile froze on his face as he sat in the doctor’s office.

“Wh-What do you mean?” His mother said from his side, “All of his friends have gotten their quirk and Izuku has been waiting for his-”

 

The doctor cut her off, “He’s quirkless.” Holding up an X-ray, he continued to speak, “This joint in his pinky toe, it’s something that all quirked people have outgrown; those with quirks have no second joint since their bodies have evolved further, and deemed them unnecessary. Your son here has the second joint, meaning that he will not develop a quirk. He should give up his hero dreams before he gets hurt.”

 

Izuku couldn’t understand some of the words the doctor was saying, but he didn’t need to. The only thing he heard as his ears began to fill with the sound of a thousand bees heading his way, an impossibly loud buzzing, was the word “Quirkless”. It seemed to echo in his head, the word bouncing around his brain and starting to destroy his dreams. He wasn’t paying attention to Inko’s angry words towards the doctor and his insensitivity, or the questions she asked about a possible quirk in the future; he just sat there, tears beginning to fall down his face and onto his still smiling jaw.

 

As Inko and Izuku left the office, the doctor stood up, and strolled to his personal office. As he entered, his unhurried gait and bored gaze evaporated, as he rushed past his landline and towards a phone hidden behind a shelf, and called the man he had dedicated his life to.

 

“Izou.” A deep, haunting voice spoke on the other end. The Voice of a ruler. The now named Izou shivered and almost dropped to his knees instinctively, the Voice demanding not respect, but absolute obedience, and causing fear in the hearts of those who heard it. “This is an unexpected call. Tell me why you have disturbed me.” The Voice commanded. Izou continued to shiver, adrenaline, fear and giddy joy flowing through him all at once.

“M-My Lord, I’ve found you a gift! A boy came to my clinic today, he is missing the toe joint, but hasn’t manifested a Quirk at the age of six! It must be powerful, powerful enough to not wish to harm the boy upon its awakening. This could be the Quirk that tips the scales against All Might!” Izou had made a mistake. He felt it in his bones as the Voice showed anger.

 

“Do you believe I need a child’s quirk to kill All Might?” The Voice spoke. Despite keeping a reasonable volume, the question was asked through clenched teeth, anger and disgust hissing through his tone. “Do you believe I am not enough already to defeat that smiling oaf?” This time, the Voice raised slightly, and at the slightest increase of volume, Izou was unable to breathe, his throat closing from simply the voice of the most dangerous man on the planet. “Do you believe that I need a new, powerful Quirk to destroy him? I am All For One! I am the strongest force on Earth! I have toppled governments, destroyed countries, decimated populations, and you believe I NEED MORE?” The Voice was even louder now, not at the volume of a yell, or far above a regular timbre, but the violence it promised leaked through the phone, the aura of death and despair that the Voice carried, its presence forcing Izou to the ground, kowtowing to the monster that once threatened the world.

“N-No, My Lord, I-I meant no insult! I simply w-want the safest outcome f-for your unmatched self!” Izou managed to choke out. “P-Please, Lord, forgive my impudence!”

The pressure vanished. Izou inhaled air desperately, his body trembling at the force it had been subjected to. As he recovered, the Voice of All For One spoke again,

“Be careful of your insinuations, doctor, ” the Voice spoke his title mockingly. “You are not invaluable, nor are you invincible to be insulting me like this.”

“Yes, yes, Lord, thank you for your graciousness, Lord,” Izou spoke haltingly, not believing his luck after making so monumental an error. “I will remember your might for the future.”

All For One laughed. The sound was akin to the rumbling of the very earth, deep and grating, Izou began to feel faint, and felt something warm drip down his lips.

“Oh, you will remember my power,” The Voice cooed. “But rather than the future, you should take it with you to the afterlife.” At that, Izou felt his body freeze, as a purple mist began to form under his body, and a portal opened up and took him into a bar. There was a boy there, no older than 12, lanky and thin, he looked malnourished at first glance, but a deeper look showed a wiry frame, built for speed rather than power. He sat at the counter of a bar, head lowered as he began to turn towards the poor doctor. His hair was a light grayish-blue, and his eyes were a menacing red, glinting with malicious joy and sadistic pleasure as he took in the sight of the cowardly man before him.

 

“Kill him, Tomura.” The voice spoke in a pleasant tone, like he had just bought the boy a gift for his birthday, the gracious voice at odds with the threatening words. The boy, Tomura, began to smile as his head lifted, showing Izou the marks on his neck and the skin that seemed to stretch unnaturally around his lips. He looked like his skin had been fastened to his body after he was born, stretched out and taut against his thin frame.

“Sensei,” the boy crowed, “You’re too kind, I wasn’t expecting a gift so soon after the last.” As he spoke, Tomura stood and moved closer to Izou, his hand stretching out as Izou tried frantically and unsuccessfully to scramble away from the hand coming towards him, covered in peeling skin and calluses. As the hand grabbed his face, Izou’s last sight was the boy smiling wider than ever, and his eyes glimmering like a bloody lake before he turned to dust.

 

“ HAHAHAHA, NEVER FEAR CITIZENS, I AM HERE!” The voice of the number one hero blared through the speakers of Izuku’s father’s desktop. The boy sat and watched it idly, the word still ricocheting around his mind, “Quirkless, Quirkless, Quirkless.” he felt the words like they were a physical force, like a weight in his stomach and brain. Through the sound of the echoing word, he heard his mother enter the room, and looked to her, tears already spilling down his face and a wobbly grin still in place.

 

“Mom, c-can I still be a hero like All Might?” Izuke was desperately hoping his mother would help him, would remove the weight of the Word from his mind.

‘ Please, Mom, please, I need to hear it from you, I need you to-’ his thoughts were cut off by his mother's sobs as she ran towards him, unable to watch her baby despair any further.

“I’m so sorry, Izuku!” she cried. “I’m so, so sorry!”

His smile finally fell as his last hope was snuffed out.
‘

No, Mom, what I wanted to hear was-’

As his hope was extinguished, a new fire began to burn in his soul, small at the moment, but intense, raging with all the strength it could muster. As Izuku went to sleep that night, he thought he heard a voice, ringing through the chambers of his soul, ‘rest, child. Your power is not ready to be unleashed, but soon, child, soon, your flames will burn all of creation to ash, in the name of #$_@##@$$-!’

The voice cut out as Izuku fell asleep, hoping for a better tomorrow.

 

Two years later, Aldera Elementary School, the Year 2209.

 

The years had not treated Izuku kindly. The under-evolved boy was not given the better tomorrow he had hoped for; in fact, his life seemed to continue to slide downhill, as those close to him began to hate him. At first, it was stares and whispers behind his back, then they gained courage, and it turned into snide comments to his face and insults. When insults failed to incite the teacher’s intervention, it became physical, pushing and shoving Izuku out of line for playground rides and excluding him from playing hero with the other kids. Until now, however, there was still one boy he could count on, his friend from birth, and his cousin-in-spirit, Bakugo Katsuki, the son of his mother’s best friend. At the moment, Bakugo was leading them down through a small portion of the forest, the boys walking together as they trooped through the greenery until they came upon a small creek, with a log placed over it.

 

“Kacchan, m-maybe we should turn around, this doesn’t look very safe to cross,” Izuku suggested, gazing cautiously at the narrow and wet log that stretched over the water. “Or maybe we could look for a way further down and cross when the water is thinner.” Bakugo sneered at him before scoffing and turning away in disgust.

 

“Stupid Deku, I knew you were useless, but now you’re a damn coward too? Stop dreaming about being a Hero if you can’t even walk over a stupid log.” Izuku flinched at the venom in his friend's voice, and at the cruel nickname he had been saddled with two years ago, when Bakugo had learned of his quirklessness.

“You’re as useless as a doll!” He had laughed when Izuku told him. “I know, I’ll call you Deku, short for Dekunobou, how about that?” Despite Izuku’s protests, the name had stuck, and soon all of the students began to mock him with the name.

Izuku hated the name. It began to echo through his mind along with “Quirkless” and “I’m sorry, Izuku” from the day he had been named Quirkless, the worst day of his life so far. The words came to him every time he dared to dream. When he dreamed of being a Hero or just being useful , of being somebody someday, the words would return, echoing louder and louder until his ego was crushed, and his hopes were destroyed once more. He hated the feelings that the name Deku created in him, hated the way it so easily connected to him, hated how he had begun to connect the insult to himself.

 

He was snapped out of his thoughts as Bakugo shoved him aside, striding towards the log with purpose in his steps, and began to cross the creek. As he made it past the halfway point, he looked back, grinning widely and began to mock Izuku. While normally, he would listen closely to his friend and hope for the teasing to stop, he couldn’t help but zone out once he noticed the log beginning to move. As it started to roll in place, Bakugo slipped and fell off the makeshift bridge into the water below. When Izuku snapped back to reality, his body had already moved; he had jumped down towards his friend, and as soon as he landed, he held out his hand in concern.

“Are you okay, Kacchan? That could’ve been bad if you landed on your head.” 

Izuku looked into Bakugo’s eyes as he spoke, seeing the surprise and relief turn to confusion, then to rage as he saw Izuku try to help.

“Stupid Deku! I don’t NEED your help, you useless fucking loser!” Bakugou snapped, his hands beginning to smoke and spark in his anger, the smell of burnt caramel wafting through the air. Izuku stumbled back in fear upon seeing his friend so angry, the harsh words echoing in his head once more, as Bakugo began to march towards him.

“You wanna play Hero so bad, Deku?” Bakugo snarled. “I’ll show you what Heroes do to people who get in the way of them like you! Everyone, for today’s game, Deku is the villain!”

At those words, the boys all smiled, their target for the day clear in their minds. As the boys converged on Izuku, he closed his eyes and covered his head.

 

‘ Please, please, please, someone help me! I don’t wanna get hit, I don’t wanna be the villain! Someone stop this!’ 

He cried in his head, knowing it was futile, that no one would want to help Deku of all people. As the hits rained down and his ‘friends’ continued beating him, he began to think. ‘ What did I do to deserve this? Does my being born mean that I deserve to get beaten like this? I’m not a mistake, or a monster, or a villain, I’m human too!... Right?’ 

 

As the beating continued, his thoughts turned darker, turned towards anger, and he felt a fire in his body, somewhere deep within him. He fed it his rage, fed it his sadness, and watched it grow bigger and bigger before something began to form from the core of the flames. Before he could take a closer look, he was knocked unconscious. As he fell asleep, he heard a voice, gentle yet strict, kind yet strong, and he listened as it began to tell him stories of great flames, stories of races turned to ash, and stories of a man so great he ruled for millennia. Izuku listened, and when he awoke, the voice was gone, but the stories it told were there, etched in his memory.

 

Six Years Later, Izuku age 14, Year 2213, Aldera Junior High.

 

Izuku had started to hear voices. Well, only one voice but it was still something to take note of.

He had just gotten back from a school day and opened his notebook, eager to watch and write notes on the latest Hero news, when he saw his previous pages. The pages were full to the brim of the stories the voice told him about, stories of a civilization in the clouds, of monsters and the warriors who hunted them down to purify them, of fire hotter than Endeavor’s and stronger than Bakugo’s explosions.

 

“I wonder what that fire is,” Izuku mumbled as he read over the stories the voice told him. “I wonder how it got so strong, if it was a quirk.”

‘That fire is of me, Child.’ The voice sounded in his head, as if on cue. ‘I embody the power of the flames.’ It sounded almost wistful now, but Izuku had had enough. When he first heard the voice while awake, almost two years ago now, he mused, he had been excited, he had dared to hope that Dr. Izou had been wrong, and then the new doctor saw his X-ray and dashed his dreams once again.

 

“No one with the second joint can have a Quirk,” He had explained, kinder than the last doctor, “And based on these X-rays, you have that joint.” While Izuku dealt with his world collapsing again, the doctor began speaking to Inko.

“I’ll refer him to a psychiatrist and a Quirk specialist. If he’s hearing voices, he could have a mental illness, or he could be under the effects of a Quirk. They can help him now, I can’t.”
The Quirk specialist determined no evidence of a Quirk being used, but the psychiatrist, however, had some ideas.

 

“I think little Izuku here has developed an Id.” She had said. “He’s bottling up his negative emotions and his desperate want for a Quirk, and it’s starting to form another, darker personality, hence why it wants to burn everything around it down. Izuku’s ‘dark side’ wants to harm the society that created it.” She had told him to ignore the voice and its stories. Izuku hadn't felt crazy, but no matter what he said, he had no choice.

Izuku had listened for the most part; he ignored the voice and didn’t try to communicate with it, but the stories had a grasp on him that he couldn’t ignore. The voice spoke with such passion, such fire behind its voice, that he couldn’t help but be captivated. He had to write them, had to remember them, or he felt like his world would collapse. Shaking himself out of the past, Izuku began to write and eventually fell asleep at his desk. So passed a normal day in Izuku’s life, and, unknown to him, one of the last normal days of his life.

 

The next day began as usual, he left his house with a hurried goodbye to his mother, and began walking to school. What was unusual, however, was the giant villain rampaging through the city. As Izuku got lost in the crowd, he watched with awe as a Hero arrived and saved a group of civilians from a piece of rubble.

 

“Oh my God, that’s Kamui Woods!” He squealed before his voice lowered to a mutter. “He’s a shooting star in the hero rankings, he just debuted a few months back, and he’s already in the top 100!”

“Villain! Stop what you’re doing now before I have to use force!” The Hero declared, confidently and with the strength Izuku wished he had. “If you won’t stop then-” Kamui cut off as a boulder was thrown his way by the villain, who roared unintelligibly. “Very well then, Villain, prepare yourself!” As Izuku watched, the hero threw his arms forward, wood beginning to branch off of his arms and grow at a rapid rate.

 

“This is it!” Izuku squealed again as he matched his voice with the hero’s in preparation for the move.

“ Special Move: Lacquered Chain Pri-”

“Canyon Cannon!” A loud, female voice yelled out, as a giant tan blur rocketed into the villain foot first. As the Villain fell and shrank, the new Hero raised her head.

 

“My name’s Mt. Lady and this is my Debut!” she yelled. “Pleased to make your ass-quaitance” she ended her sentence with a sly, teasing tone. As cameras began to surround her, a man clapped Izuku on the shoulder.

 

“That was some analysis, kid! You tryna be a hero?” Izuku smiled at the man and answered with as much confidence as he could muster,

“Yes, sir, I am!”

 

Izuku ran into the school, panting for breath and hoping he hadn’t been late. He reached his class and opened the door-

 

“Mr. Midoriya, you’re late. Sit down quietly and do not disturb your classmates.” The teacher briefly looked at him upon his entrance, and briefly scolded him before putting his attention back to the board. As Izuku began to walk to his desk, his classmates snickered at him and put their legs out in an attempt to trip him, as per the usual. He walked to his desk, marked by the words “Deku”, “useless”, and “loser” on the top in permanent marker, and sat down, pulling out his books and preparing for class.

 

“Today is our last day of classes, everyone. As you know, last week you all handed in your forms for which high school you would be attending, as well as your future career hopes and dreams. Now, normally, we would go over these 1-on-1 and discuss the viability of them, but” he stretched out the last word and then threw the forms all over the front half of the classroom, “You all wanna be Heroes anyways!” he shouted. As he did so, the class erupted in cheers and yells as the students went wild for their dreams, before a loud ‘BANG’ got everyone to turn to the culprit.

Bakugo stood with one foot on the desk and one on his chair, his quirk exploding into the air and forcing the attention onto him.

“What are you talking about, Teach?” he drawled in his classic, arrogant tone. “I’m the only one out of these fucking extras who’s gonna be a hero!” As he made his declaration, he let out an even louder burst from his palm, causing Izuku to flinch back from his seat beside him. “I’m gonna finish high school in this dead-end neighbourhood, and then I’m going straight to U.A. University to be a hero!” The teacher smiled, with what Izuku thought looked to be pride in his expression.

 

“You’ve got high hopes, Bakugo. U.A.U. only accepts 8% of all applicants!” A student from the front said, awe in their voice. “I’m sure someone here will join you, though.” Bakugo scoffed.

 

“Fat fucking chance, extras, I’m gonna be the only one from this shithole to be a real hero!”

 

“Oh yes, Midoriya, you put U.A.U. down for your future hopes too, didn’t you?” The teacher interrupted Bakugo’s spiel. Izuku sat straight up and looked to the front in shock, as everyone’s eyes turned to him, before the classroom burst into laughter.

“What are you gonna do, Deku? Gonna ask the Villains nicely to give up, or throw a notebook at them?” A student mocked.

“You’re gonna get yourself killed, Deku, not that anyone would miss you anyway!” Another said through their laughs.

 

Izuku looked down at his desk and tried to ignore the words of those around him. ‘ I’ve been told I’m useless since I was 6 years old, I can deal with this.’ He thought to himself before a hand that seemed to be hotter than usual gripped his shoulder tightly. He looked up to see Bakugo staring down at him with a smile, his eyes closed tightly. There was no trace of happiness or joy in his smile, only menace and rage, and as he inhaled to begin talking, the teacher called out for everyone to sit down.

 

“Tch.” Bakugo growled, “This isn’t over, shitty Deku. We’ll be having words about this, you’d best believe that.” Izuku froze in terror, his body trembling as his tormentor for 6 years loomed over him.

Despite his fear, the day went smoothly until the bell rang to end class. Izuku began frantically packing up, desperate to escape, when a hand, this time definitely hotter than normal, gripped his shoulder again.

“Where you tryna go, Deku?” Bakugo hissed from behind his teeth, mouth still warped into that frightening smile from earlier, “Didn’t I tell you we had to talk?” Bakugo forced him back into his chair before he could begin to speak, staring up at him and his group of friends.

“What’s this?” He asked, grabbing Izuku’s notebook. “Hero Analysis for the Future #13?”

Bakugo laughed loudly before putting the book between his hands.

 

“Wait, Kacchan, don’t!-” Before Izuku could get the sentence out, Bakugo blew the book to pieces, before throwing it out the window. Izuku stared as months of work and analysis went to ash right in front of him, sadness and anger warring inside of him, before Bakugo began to talk again. 

 

“See, I have my whole life planned out. I’m gonna spend three years in this shitty school for High School, and then I’m gonna move on to greener pastures, go to U.A.U., the first from this fuckass neighbourhood, like an underdog story!” Bakugo seemed to preen in the light of his future glory, before snapping back to Izuku, his hand heating up even more. “But when a Quirkless nobody tries to compete with me, tries to upstage me, I can’t help but get angry, you understand, right?” As Bakugo leaned in, no longer smiling, but instead glaring at Izuku, Izuku felt truly afraid. 

‘What if he kills me right here?’ Izuku thought, fear overtaking his rational thought and the anger from earlier as he trembled in his bully’s grasp, sweat pooling on his forehead at the sight of his personal demon glaring at him.

“K-Kacchan I, I don’t want to upstage or compete with you, I j-just thought there was no h-harm in t-trying!” He managed to squeak out, his voice barely overcoming the fear in his throat. The hand on his shoulder started to smoke, as Bakugo burned through the fabric of his uniform and into his skin, Izuku started trying to wriggle his way out of the burning grip.
“K-Kacchan, please, it h-hurts!” He cried out as the cronies grabbed onto him at Bakugo’s signal.

 

“Good! Maybe now you’ll give up on your fucking pipe dreams!” Bakugo snarled, all pretenses of a ‘chat’ dropped as he gripped even harder. Izuku cried out, pain taking over his mind from fear as he began to smell his skin burning. “I’m the only one from this school who’s gonna be a fucking hero, get that through your head before I kill you!”

After what seemed like hours, Bakugo let go of his shoulder, the smell of burnt flesh and caramel wafting through the air, and patted him on the back as Izuku shivered and writhed from the pain he had been dealt.
“Without a Quirk, you can’t be a Hero, Deku,” He spat out before smiling again. “But hey, if you want an easy way to be one, I’ll help my old pal!”

Izuke looked up, wondering what he meant, trying to fight through the pain.
“Take a swan dive off the roof and hope for a Quirk in your next life!” Bakugo said, distubringly happily, “Maybe God will take pity on your useless self and let you be an extra instead of a pebble in your reincarnation.” He laughed as he walked away. Izuku knelt on the floor, tears welling up in his eyes as the words joined the rest in his head, destroying whatever self-confidence the man who complimented his analysis gave him in the morning. He stood up slowly, wincing at the pain in his shoulder and trying not to move it before limping out of the class to find his notebook.

 

He found the remains in the fountain, with a fish trying to get dinner from them.

 

“Stupid fish, that’s not lunch.” He muttered, grabbing it out of the fountain and shaking it out, hoping something survived. As he walked, he thought about his day. “Stupid Kacchan, what if I did kill myself? That would go on your record and then you’d never be a hero.” He continued muttering about the pain he felt both mentally and physically as he walked, before the voice sounded in his head. 

‘Why not burn the boy to ash?’ it suggested. ‘He wouldn’t be so violent as a burnt corpse.’ Izuku tried to ignore the voice but answered back, accidentally aloud.

“I can’t be a hero if I kill someone.” He looked up as he spoke, taking in the beautiful summer sky. 

 

“Well said, kid, now how about you be a good little boy and come save me?” a voice spoke out, sounding like a man talking underwater. Izuku looked straight and saw a giant sludge man rushing towards him before engulfing him in his body. “You’re a real hero, kid. I just need to take your body so I can get away from HIM.” The Villain spoke with panic in its voice as Izuku scrambled to escape. He felt the slime ooze up his nose and into his ears before he had to open his mouth to breathe, and he was immediately drowning in slime. ‘Is this how it ends?’ He thought bitterly as he choked on the slime. ‘Am I never going to be a hero? Am I going to die in this alley with no one knowing my name?’ Unbeknownst to him, his body began to heat up, as the fire in his soul burned brighter and brighter until-

 

“HAHAHA!” Both Izuku and the slime froze, Izuku in hope and the slime in fear, and watched as a manhole cover in front of them burst from the ground and All Might burst up.

“Have no fear, citizen, for I AM HERE! Texaaasss.” He drew his arm back and inhaled before shouting “ SMASSHHHHH!” And Izuku lost consciousness.

 

“Wake up. Young man, wake up.” Izuku awoke to the feeling of being lightly smacked by a cast-iron skillet. As he tried to remember what happened, he shot up and opened his eyes wide. 

 

“ALL MIGHT!” He screamed, looking in front of him at the behemoth of a man, at the symbol of peace.

“HAHAHA! Yes, it is I!” All Might boomed. “ Now I must take this Villain to the police station. Thank you for supporting me, young man!” 

 

“Wait, All Might! I need to ask you something” Izuku scrambled to his feet desperately, he needed to ask him, he needed the symbol of hope to support his hopeless dream.

 

“Unfortunately, the work of a hero never stops, young man! I must leave you now!”

As All Might prepared to jump, Izuku felt the desperation of his situation settle in, and before he could think, he had already grabbed All Might's leg, and now he was hanging on for life as All Might jumped higher than the buildings around them. As he snapped to reality, he started screaming.

 

“What the- Hey! Young man, what are you doing?” All Might exclaimed, “This is incredibly dangerous, you must let go!” Even with the wind blasting past his face, Izuku managed to respond with what he thought was reasonable given the situation.

“I CAN’T, IF I LET GO I’LL DIE!” He screamed, hoping All Might could hear him over the rushing wind.

 

“That’s…I suppose that’s right, let me land.” As All Might landed on the roof of a high-rise office building, Izuku slumped off of his leg and began gasping for breath. “Young man, that was incredibly dangerous! What if you fell or if the Villain got away?”

 

“I-I needed to know,” Izuku wheezed. “I needed to know if you thought that a Quirkless person like me could be a Hero like you!” As he asked, Izuku shut his eyes and bowed, fear of rejection and nerves running through him as he rambled. “I was born Quirkless, but all I’ve ever wanted to do since I was a boy was save people with a smile! I want to help people, that’s all I’ve ever wanted! So, can I be a hero like you?” Izuku ended his question and stood up before taking a deep breath and opening his eyes. In front of him was a skinny blond skeleton of a man.
“WHOA HOLY SHIT!” Izuku screamed. “WHO THE HELL ARE YOU? AN ALL MIGHT IMPOSTOR?” The skeleton took a deep breath before letting out a sigh.

 

“I am All Might.” He said, resignedly.

 

“Liar!” Izuku yelled, his heart thumping incredibly fast. “All Might is 7’3 and 600 pounds of pure muscle! You are a skeleton without muscle!”
The skeleton sighed again, this time with irritation, before lifting up his shirt. Izuku paled and almost vomited at the sight of his stomach. Where his lung would be, there was a giant purple crater that seemed to carve off half of his lower body. It looked like a bullet launched out of a cannon had hit him, and then he had sewn the two halves of his body together.

 

“I obtained this injury 5 years ago, a Villain blew a hole through my body and I lost a lung and half of my stomach. I can only be in my Hero form for 3 hours a day now.”

“5 years ago?” Izuku muttered. “No way Toxic Chainsaw did this to you!”

 

The man chuckled. “You know your Heroes! But you’re right, this wasn’t Toxic Chainsaw, it was a Villain so evil, I wiped his name out of history after our fight. But, back to your question.”
Izuku straightened up, the hope for the number one hero to affirm his desire pushing back the despair of the day, temporarily making him forget the words Bakugo had spoken, but before he could get too hopeful, All Might opened his mouth and spoke the words he would never forget.

 

“Be realistic, young man.”
Izuku’s jaw dropped, and it felt like his stomach had fallen out of his body, tears falling down his face with reckless abandon.

 

“Even with the power I have, I have to force myself to smile, to remind people that I AM HERE, but my smile can be empty. It’s a symbol of reassurance, but it’s also a symbol of weakness to me. I can only smile for 3 hours a day, without a Quirk of your own, you would be a liability in the field.”

Izuku collapsed, his world shattering as his idol crushed his dreams mercilessly; his hope was gone, and all he could hear was the words of his past echoing in his head.

“Take a swan dive, Deku, you can’t be a hero,” and now “Be realistic, young man.” He felt like his head was going to pop, like he was going to throw up and pass out at the same time. His shoulder was hurting, and the world was closing around him, and everything was too much, and he just wanted it all to-.

‘Stop.’ The voice was firm in his head, steady and calming to his damaged psyche. ‘Stop these thoughts, Young Izuku.’

He couldn’t stop his response in his state, unable to control himself, he screamed out, unaware of All Might’s departure from the roof.

“What do you know!? You’re a voice in my head that wants me to burn things, burn PEOPLE!” He caught his breath. “You’ve never helped me with anything! You WANT me to kill my frie-” His voice caught on the last word. He couldn’t call them his friends, not after what they had said. “Kill my classmates.” His voice quieted; he was spent. The voice was silent for a while before he heard it again.

 

‘When you feed me only negative emotions, I will respond with negative thoughts,’ The voice said. ‘I am a representation of your soul, of the fire that burns within you. When you feed the flame anger and sadness, that is all I can output back to you.’ The voice sounded sad now, but Izuku was too busy thinking of what the voice had said.

 

“Are-” he paused, taking a breath, “Are you my Quirk?” He asked.

The voice spoke once more, with more strength than it had ever spoken with before. 

 

‘I am the embodiment of fire! I am the strength behind the sun! I am the saviour of humanity and MY NAME IS _________’ The voice cut off. ‘It seems that you aren’t ready to hear my name yet, child.’ 

Izuku gasped, feeling the heat within himself grow and grow; he felt fire burst into life in his soul and grasped a handful of it, grabbing the handle of something within him.

“What does that mean? And why am I so hot?” His breaths came out in gasps of hot air, his lungs burning and sweat gathering on his body like he had run a marathon.

Before the voice could speak, he heard an explosion from nearby. Turning wildly, he caught what looked like the smoke from a fire. ‘A Villain attack? Let’s go check it out!’ He thought, as he began running towards the fire, the voice continued to speak.

 

‘I am the representation of your soul, child. Your desire to burn creation to ash was born before me; I am just your vision of it. Your inability to hear my name means you can only handle a fraction of my power.’ 

Lost in listening to the voice, he almost ran past the fire, stopping quickly, he pushed his way to the front, hearing whispers about the villain.

“He’s got hold of a hostage, poor kid, the heroes can’t do anything in case they hit him.”

Izuku recognized the heroes at the sight, Kamui Woods, Death Arms and Mt. Lady. He was about to being his usual muttering spree when his body froze at the sight of the villain.
‘The slime Villain from earlier!’ He screamed in his mind. ‘How did it get away from All Might?!’ His blood rushed away from his face as he remembered grabbing onto All Might’s leg, the same leg that had the bottle of sludge villain it it. ‘This is my fault! I stopped All Might from putting this villain away!’  As Izuke scolded himself, he could hear the heroes yelling,

 

“My arms would burn and get blown away by the fire the hostage made!” Kamui yelled, “I can’t get any closer!”

 

“My punches won’t do anything against a liquid opponent! We have to wait for someone with a better quirk!”

“I can’t transform into my full size in this crowd, I’d kill someone!”

 

As Izuku heard this, his body unconsciously moved to the front of the crowd, needing to see who he was making suffer. He froze as he recognized ash-blonde hair and ruby-red eyes, normally shining sadistically and now wide in fear. For the umpteenth time in his life, Izuku’s body moved without thinking, as he shoved the crowd and heroes aside to get to his childhood friend.

 

‘What the fuck am I doing!’ He wailed in his head. ‘I’m going to be a liability like All Might said I would, why am I running?’ 

 

As he ran, the voice came back to his head. You’ve already grasped it once, child, now you must unsheathe it, release the fire of your soul!

When he came close enough, the slime villain noticed him and laughed.

 

“You again? Too late, kid, you missed your chance! This guy’s gonna be my meat suit to beat All Might now!” As the villain fantasized about his future victory, he raised Bakugo’s hand and made it spark.

 

Izuku closed his eyes as he ran, searching for the ever-burning blaze within what he now knew was his soul. He hesitated for a split second upon finding it, and then stuck his hand into the fire and grasped the materialization of his soul, screaming with effort and pulling with all his might, he opened his eyes and saw the slime villain directly in front of him, with Bakugo looking at him in recognition. As he looked to his side, it felt like time slowed down. In his hand was a beautiful sword, covered by a royal purple sheath. He pulled at the handle, revealing the prize within. A katana, he realized slowly. It was a simple sword, the steel forged in such a way as to make a pattern of flames down the blade, leading to a golden tsuba and a handle wrapped in the same purple fabric as the sheath, with a diamond pattern going down the sides. He stared at it for a second before snapping his eyes up and glaring at the sludge villain. His body began to heat up, and a visible haze settled over the edge of his new sword. Now strike, child! The voice roared Strike with all the anger in your soul and save the boy in front of you!

 

Izuku let out a guttural howl and focused his anger at Bakugo into the edge of his blade, fire igniting around him as he struck slightly above Bakugo’s head. As he struck, a wave of fire leaped off of his blade, slicing through the explosion the villain was planning on sending towards him, through the villain, and evaporating parts of the sludge above Bakugo’s head, and continuing until it hit the back end of the alley, leaving a deep scorched gash in the concrete. He willed the sword away before running towards the remaining slime and pulling Bakugo out.

“What the fuck are you doing here, Deku?” The blonde sputtered, trying to eject sludge from his 

mouth. “And what the fuck was that?!”

 

Izuku looked at him and smiled, tears of fear running down his cheeks. “You-you looked like you needed help!”

When Izuku looked away, however, the remaining sludge regathered its shape and loomed above them.

 

“You Fucking Brats!” He roared, “I was gonna be nice and let you be my disguise, but I’ll kill you both and escape instead now!”

The slime reared up and created a massive tendril that looked ready to smash into them. Izuku scrambled frantically to get a hold of his fire again, but he wasn’t able to get a hand on it in time. He closed his eyes as the sludge came down on them, bracing for impact. Impact that didn’t come. Instead, he heard what may as well have been the laughter of God as All Might burst onto the scene, protecting the boys from the sewage arm.

 

“I told you that you couldn’t be a hero, that you’d be a liability, and here you are proving me WRONG, young man! You did good, now watch how a HERO takes care of business! DETROIIIIITTTTT” All Might pulled his arm back, muscles like suspension cords tensing as he prepared to take the villain out. “SMAAAAAAASSSSSHHHHHH!” As he punched, the air around him seemed to collect before blasting outwards with a deafening ‘BOOM’. 

 

‘He broke the sound barrier,’ Izuku dimly realized. ‘He punched so hard his fist broke the sound barrier.’ 

The pressure from the attack blasted the Villain to pieces, unconscious and weak, before the visibly air-rending attack pushed through the clouds and continued out of eyesight. In front of the stunned crowd of civilians, victims, and heroes, it began to rain from the pressure of All Might’s attack. While rain started to fall, the crowd recovered and began cheering for their Symbol of Peace.

 

“He changed the weather with a single punch!”

 

“He saved the day again, that’s All Might for you!”

 

“I wonder what the heroes were going to do if All Might or that kid weren’t here.”

 

As topics began to change, and people began to swarm All Might to get his autograph, the three heroes on scene were taking care of Izuku and Bakugo. Izuku was staring at his hands. 

 

‘My Quirk gives me a fire sword? Wait, I HAVE a Quirk??’ 

Before he could panic and stress himself out too much, Kamui Woods grabbed his shoulders.

 

“Kid, that was a real brave thing for you to do there, you bought the blonde enough time for All Might to come. But I need you to realize that was illegal, you can’t use your Quirk willy-nilly like that.”
Izuku stared at him numbly before looking back at his hands and muttering something Kamui couldn’t hear.

 

“What did you say?” The hero said facing his ear towards the boy to hear him better.

 

“I didn’t know I had a Quirk,” Izuku said, still staring at his hands, “That’s the first time I’ve ever done anything like having a Quirk.”
Kamui stared at him, shocked into silence by the admission. Izuku stared back, equally shocked.

 

“I have a Quirk.” He said, numbness wearing off and slowly being replaced with excitement. “I-I have a Quirk.” He repeated, with more energy now. “I can be a Hero.”

Kamui looked at him and laughed, partly out of happiness for the kid and partly out of absurdity.

 

“You have a Quirk,” He agreed, “And a damn good one at that. I’d be happy to have you as my intern if you’re planning on being a Hero.”

Izuku’s eyes shone as they looked at him, disbelief and joy fighting for the top spot in his body. Before they could continue, the police, who had arrived a short time ago, called Kamui to ask for his statement. He patted Izuku on the back as he left, “I wasn’t kidding, kid, look me up when you graduate.”

Izuku stood up and began to walk home before he proceeded to pinch himself.

 

“This isn’t a dream.” He stated, astonished. “I have a Quirk.”

 

Before he could get home, his walking was stopped by a hand grabbing his shoulder and spinning him around. He found himself facing Bakugo, who looked sick and angrier than ever before. Before he could open his mouth, Bakugo started talking, or rather, yelling in his face.

 

“I didn’t need your help, Deku!” He roared. “I was doing perfectly fine on my own! I had that fucker right where I wanted him, you useless sack of shit! What makes you think a worthless shitbag like you could help ME, of all people? I don’t owe you anything, and you’re still just a pebble on my road to being number one!”

Izuku was once again forced into silence, and before he could come up with something to say, Bakugo stormed off, leaving Izuku in the middle of the street, staring at where he used to be, before turning his gaze back to his hands.

 

…” I have a Quirk.” He said to himself one more time, before deciding to go home and show his mother. As he turned to walk, he was interrupted again, this time by a massive shape jumping in front of him. He jumped back and was about to run when he recognized the form.

“I AM HERE, To speak to-BLERGH.” All Might had jumped in front of Izuku, deflated into his skeleton form, and coughed up blood all in a very small timeframe, the surprise resetting Izuku to his usual nerdy self.

“OH MY GOD ALL MIGHT ARE YOU OKAY DO YOU NEED A TISSUE I CAN GIVE YOU MY JACKET-”
All Might held up his hand to stop Izuku’s rambling, and Izuku felt his jaw click together as he forced himself to be quiet, vibrating in place at the sight of his former icon dripping blood from his mouth. At the reminder of what All Might had said to him, Izuku stopped vibrating out of excitement and started shaking. 

 

‘If All Might scolds me for jumping in, I don’t know what I’ll do, I can’t be a hero if ALL MIGHT says I can’t. Honestly, what was I thinking even jumping in to begin with, now I proved that I was a liability that needed to be saved and-’ before Izuku could continue, All Might chopped him on the head.

“Seriously, kid, you’ve got some real self-confidence issues.” All Might chuckled. “I wasn’t planning on scolding you for jumping in, I came to ask you a question.”

 

Izuku slapped his hands over his mouth. “I said that out loud?” He squeeked, face turning red in embarrassment. “Wait, never mind that, what do you want to ask someone like me?”

 

“What was going through your head when you ran at that boy? Why did you want to save him?”

Izuku blinked. “I didn’t think of anything, I blinked, and I was already running at him, it’s like my body moved on its own.”
All Might grinned, somehow matching his smile’s size to that of his muscle form, which was a little freaky in Izuku’s eyes.

“That, young man, is what makes a TRUE HERO!”

Izuku heard the words, then processed them, and then felt his body react, he fell to his knees as hope surged through him, the fire within him burning brighter and hotter than even when he was fighting the slime Villain, he waited with baited breath to hear the words that he had been denied his whole life, starting with his mother at 6 years old.

Mom, what I needed to hear was-

“You, Young Man, YOU CAN BE A HERO!”

As Izuku heard the words he had craved for 8 long years, and took them in, he began to cry for the third time today, this time, out of pure happiness.

Notes:

Izou is an oc I made, his name has the kanji for "fearful" or "awe" in it, so I made him the doctor who pledged loyalty out of fear, and died to it. All for One was vicious here, because this is pre-injury, Garaki-having All for One, he DOES NOT need a random doctor who implied he would lose to All Might and would need a kids power to beat him in the end. You might have noticed though, All for One didn't get which kid the doctor had found, his overconfidence getting the better of him there.

Chapter 2: A Hero's Burning Training Montage! Part 1, Dagobah Beach!

Summary:

Izuku couldn't have come up with this in his wildest dreams! A Quirk of his own, and a meeting with All Might! But what does All Might want, and what will Izuku do now that he has 3 years to train before his entrance exams?

Notes:

Hello, new chapter here. I honestly kind of sped through Dagobah, this is a bit of an explanation chapter more than anything, as we learn about Izuku's Quirk and what makes it different. Lemme know what you think!

‘Is this really not a dream?’ Izuku thought to himself. ‘Developing a Quirk, saving Bakugo, All Might telling me I can be a hero, this is something out of my fantasies’  

 

This is no dream, child. Izuku perked up as the voice spoke into his head again. It had been quiet since the sludge villain, and Izuku could feel his curiosity burning a hole in his mind.

Izuku took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. “What ARE you really? You said you were the embodiment of fire, but you said you were the materialization of my soul, too, so how can you be both, and, with that in mind, why have you only activated now, instead of ten years ago when Quirks normally activate? Are you even a Quirk? Rather, are you MY Quirk, or are you the effect of someone else’s? I mean Quirks are supposed to activate at 6 and mumble mumble mumble-”

 

The voice chuckled. Slow down, child, we have time yet for you to get your answers

Izuku snapped his head up, feeling embarrassed yet put at ease by the voice’s comforting tone. 

 

Tonight, while your body rests, I will grant you audience, and I will answer your questions then. For now, I must sleep, child, the day’s events have taken a toll on me.

Izuku was about to acquiesce before he remembered something important.

 

“Wait!” Izuku cried, “C-can I still access the fire when you’re asleep? And what do I call you?” He waited, heart beating out of his chest, for an answer. He needed the fire, not just as proof for his mom, but proof for himself  that he wasn’t worthless, that he wasn’t a liability.

I sense your conflict, child, but you need not be worried. The flames may originally be mine, but the body I and the flames reside in is yours, therefore, the flames are yours. As for my name, for now, you may refer to me as whatever you wish; you are not ready for my true name, nor the power it brings.

 

Izuku nearly fell over in relief, he had been fighting the voice and the instincts it brought for years now, unknowingly fighting against himself.

‘I wonder what else I can do,’ Izuku mused. ‘ The fire the voice told me about was stronger than Endeavor’s. Will I reach that height, one day?’ He imagined himself about 2 feet taller, with a beard made out of fire and shuddered. ‘Maybe model myself after a different fire hero’

Lost in thought, Izuku almost walked past his house. Walking up the steps, he reached to grab the handle when he stopped. ‘What am I gonna tell Mom?’ He worried ‘I can’t just walk in and pull my sword out of the air, I’ll give her a heart attack! What do I do what do I do whatdoidowhatdoi-’ Izuku’s spiralling was cut off by the door opening to show his mother on the other side, looking like she was going to throw out the trash before she saw him. He froze, standing in front of her with his hand raised to open the door. His brain shorted out, and, in lieu of a better idea, he decided to do what came naturally.

 

“Oh, hey, honey, do you mind throwing this-”
He pulled the sword out of midair.

His mother fainted.

 

After carrying his mother inside(and throwing out the trash), Izuku waited for her to wake up. “Oh man, what did I do that for? I was supposed to bring it up calmly and show her carefully, not pull a fire sword out of thin air! What if I scared her too badly and she doesn’t wake up? Did I kill Mom? Am I a murderer? I can’t go to jail!”

As Izuku questioned his actions, he saw his mom begin to wake up, and rushed to her side, feeling a mix of relief and fear. Relief that he had not, in fact, killed her, and fear over her reaction to his new sword.

“Izuku? When did you get home? You know, I just had the strangest dream, you came in and pulled a sword out of the air! I mean what kind of-” As she turned to face her son, she realized he was, in fact, holding the sword she thought she had dreamed about.

She fainted again.

Izuku continued his murder spiral.

 

“So, the voice in your head is actually your Quirk.”

“Mhm”

“And that Quirk is also the ‘embodiment of fire’, which allows you to summon a sword?”

“Mhm”

“And that sword lets you create and control fire?”

“Mhm”

“And you used it to save Katsuki from a villain made of slime?”
“Mhm”

“And All Might saw you do that and said you could be a hero?”

“Mhm”

“...”

Izuku wasn’t sure how to feel. He knew his mother believed him most of the time, but he couldn’t help the fear that was rising up within him. What if she took him back to the psychiatrist, but to get medicated this time? What if he was hallucinating the sword right now? He felt tears prick at the back of his eyes as worst-case after worst-case flashed through his mind before he felt hands on his face.

He looked up through teary eyes to see his mother looking back at him with an equally teary gaze, regret and sadness flashing through her eyes.
“I’m so sorry, Izuku.” He felt a pang of…something in his stomach. Those words had echoed in his head for so long, but something felt different this time; he didn’t know what, but the sense of anticipation he felt was almost unbearable.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t support you or believe you.” She apologized again, tears falling freely now. Izuku felt terrible. What kind of son was he to make his mother cry? He opened his mouth to console her, but before he could speak, she raised her hand, halting his speech before it could start.
“I should’ve supported you that day, Izuku. I should’ve believed you when you said the voice wasn’t yours. I should never have told you what you could and couldn’t do. I was a terrible mother to you, Izuku. I never believed in you. I should’ve trusted you from day one, and instead I chose others over you again and again, I let my worry for you control me.” Her voice was wobbly now, Izuku noticed, as tears fell down his face.

He curled up, starting to sob as his mother apologized, but something was missing, something was wrong, and he couldn’t help but think back and remember-

“So let me try again.”
He looked up, past the tears to see her give the biggest smile she could, and his sobs redoubled at the sight and at the sound of what she said next.

“You CAN be a hero, Izuku.”
He couldn’t hold it anymore, his voice breaking and the volume of his sobs increasing as he rushed towards his mother and held her closer, all he could do was repeat thank you’s into her ear as mother and son bridged the gap created 8 years ago.

 

Izuku lay in his room, eyes tracing the ridiculous amount of All Might merchandise. He wanted to forgive his mother, at least, he thought he did, but if he really wanted to forgive her, why couldn’t he get rid of the pit in his stomach when he thought about accepting her back into his life, back into his dreams ?

‘After all,’ He thought, uncharacteristically darkly, ‘the last time I trusted her, she sent me to a shrink.’

His thoughts stopped, unsure of the darker path his memories had taken, but shook his head to clear it out.

‘Enough of that, Izuku!’ He slapped his face to clear his mind ‘Mom changed her mind! She says I can be a hero now! And so did All Might!’ He paused, a smile forming on his face as he recalled his Hero’s encouragement, and the task he had been given.

 

FLASHBACK

“You CAN BE A HERO, YOUNG MAN!”

As Izuku took in the words and sobbed, All Might deflated again, wiping the blood off of his chin as he stood in front of Izuku, who looked up at his idol, eyes glimmering with tears as the man, larger than life yet more fragile than glass, turned to leave.

“Meet me at Dagobah Beach tomorrow at 6 AM, Young man, I’ll make a hero out of you!”

With those parting words, All Might walked away, Izuku’s eyes following the man’s path before he turned to leave as well, trying in vain to wipe the tears that flooded his eyes.

END FLASHBACK

 

Izuku smiled at the memory, before a sobering thought flashed through his mind,

‘He only told you you could be a hero because you have a Quirk now,’ what sounded like a twisted version of his own voice sneered. ‘If you hadn’t followed Bakugo’s advice and tried to kill yourself via Villain, you’d still be a worthless Deku, a liability.’ He shook his head again, trying to rebuke the words as he settled in to a fitful sleep.

 

Izuku’s eyes opened to what looked like the ceiling of a boiler room. As he sat up, he took in his surroundings and saw he was in some sort of hallway, brightened slightly by a dim yellow light. A maze of pipes stretched along the walls and ceiling of the passage he found himself in, some dripping a strange orange coloured liquid. The hallway seemed to stretch forward with no other passage to turn or retreat into, an unending path towards a heat that tried to pull him in.

“Where am I?” He mumbled groggily, still sitting on the damp floor. “Did Kacchan and his friends throw me into a sewage tunnel?”

As he regained his bearings, he shot up, eyes widening as he remembered what the voice had told him, 

I will grant you audience.

“This must be where the voice resides.” Izuku guessed, “Which means this is…my soul?”
As he looked around, Izuku felt decidedly unimpressed by the state of his maybe-soul, ‘a sewer? Really? Does this mean my mind is dirty? Am I a pervert?’ The sound of a water droplet hitting the ground drew his attention, knocking him out of his thoughts. He looked towards the pipes, and walked towards them, his eyes focused on the orange liquid that dripped from them constantly, his thoughts filled with curiosity about what the liquid could be. He reached the wall and tentatively placed his hand directly under where the liquid was dripping from, waiting for the next drop. He watched a drop form as the liquid collected directly over where Izuku’s hand waited, and he watched in fear and anticipation as it fell onto his hand, marvelling at the sight of the strange liquid, until it began to burn.
Izuku yelped, shaking his palm to get the drop of burning liquid off of him, before frantically blowing on his palm to soothe the burn. He hissed, grabbing the wrist of his hand, feeling like he had put his palm on a branding iron, but when he looked at his palm he noticed the lack of reddened or burnt skin.

He looked back at the pipe, palm stinging with pain, and felt his interest in the oddity rise.

“Liquid fire? Or maybe Lava? It’s orange, so it can’t be water, but what’s making this…flame ooze flow through my body?”

Izuku debated the properties of the mystery liquid for a little longer before facing the outstretched passage once more. He gulped, feeling the heat radiating from in front of him dry his skin and throat of all moisture, before steeling himself and moving forward, to the center of his soul.

 

Izuku walked forward, the heat continuing to increase until he felt like he was being steamed alive by the fiery pressure. He stopped in his tracks, doubt rising in his throat as he looked at the seemingly infinite path before him.

‘I can’t do this.’ He thought despairingly. ‘What was I thinking? Deku can’t be a Hero. I’m better off giving up and turning around before I get myself killed.’

He started to turn, pivoting halfway around before he froze, remembering the voice’s declaration.

“I am the strength behind the Sun!”

Izuku gritted his teeth and faced forward once again, drawing strength from the power of the voice. ‘It believes in me!’ He thought desperately, ‘It thinks I can be strong, that I can be more than Deku!’

He moved forward, eyes fixed on the floor as he forced his feet to move, one in front of the other, trudging through the heat that settled over his body like he was being burned alive.

“ You CAN be a Hero, Young Man!”

‘All Might believes in me! He thinks I can be a hero like him!’ Izuku was forced down by a new wave of pressure, his body folding until he was hunched over, shaking as he tried to keep moving. Taking a deep breath, clenching his teeth and glaring forwards, he pushed his body past it’s limits as he continued to walk forward. He could feel his muscles screaming, his bones rattling, and his brain warning him to stop, to take a break, but still, he marched forward, overcoming the oppressive climate. He walked while the heat continued to increase, and the pressure pushed down on his already crooked posture. He walked until the heat felt like a million little knives pushing into every inch of his skin like he was being burned alive, and the pressure was what he thought being at the bottom of the ocean would feel like, and he was forced to stop, his body unwilling to put itself through more pain. Izuku glared at his treacherous limbs, willing them to move, but not even All Might could make his body undergo this torture, he gritted his teeth and dug deep, forcing his body to take just one more step until-

“ DEKU”
He froze, involuntarily letting the air hiss out of his locked jaw, as the word seemed to echo around him, he felt the name like a physical weight atop the already immense pressure on his body, still, he remained standing, legs shaking as the weight grew until-

“Not gonna happen, kid.”
This time, the words were whispered into his ears, he could feel them like a pressure in his mind, like his head was going to pop, explode like Kacchan’s Quirk. He was forced to remember the day his dreams died, the day he was diagnosed as lesser, as subhuman. Now, he was forced onto a knee, the pressure on his body and in his mind growing until-

“Take a swan dive off the roof and pray for a Quirk in your next life.”

The words surrounded him, blanketing him in the rage they caused and increasing the heat until he could resist no longer, falling to his hands and knees as tears welled up and evaporated instantly in the blaze that surrounded him, he was being consumed by the flames it burned, bur ned BURNED-

 

“You CAN be a Hero, Izuku.”

 

His mother’s voice felt like a cool breeze in the heat around him, lightening his burden and lowering the heat around him. His eyes widened, tearing up once again before they sharpened in determination. 

 

‘One more.’ He gritted his teeth. ‘I can do this one more time! Stand up, Izuku! Stand up and make your mother Proud !’

 

A vicious cry ripped its way from his throat, resounding in the air around him as he stood up and forced his unwilling body forward.

 

“Move, damnit!” He screamed at himself. “Move Deku, Move!”

The sounds of his footsteps echoed as he stomped his way forward, his body straightening as he recalled his mother’s words and drew as much courage as he could from them. Soon he was walking again, slowly and painfully, but with his back straight and his head held high, resisting the pressure of the words as he started to increase his pace. He sped up, as much as he could, until he was running through the halls, the words of his Quirk, his idol, and his mother propelling him forward until he collapsed as he ran past the exit and collapsed as the heat and pressure vanished.

 

He staggered as he stood, body aching and stinging, his skin feeling like he had been burned at the stake, and felt like an ant in front of the spectacle he beheld. He saw a grand chamber, with golden pillars surrounding him and brilliant, blue flames upon rows and rows of torches. He saw walls plated with gold and artwork, a ceiling bejewelled and shiny, and, in the very center, a blindingly bright and gargantuan flame, almost reaching the ceiling of the equally large chamber. Behind the fire was a throne, golden and covered with jewels, amethyst, ruby, sapphire, a purple sword sheath resting against one of the armrests. Before he could continue to lose himself to the room, Izuku’s attention was drawn back to the fire when it started to speak.

 

Congratulations on passing my first test, Child.

 

Izuku blinked. “First test? That was a test? There's gonna be more tests? Are they gonna be worse than this one? I don’t think I can handle worse than this one! Oh man, what if the next test is to light myself on fire Ican’tdothatmomwouldhaveaheartattackan-”

 

  Enough, Child. Izuku gulped, his jaw clicking shut as he stared at the fire ahead of him.

 

The voice was stern now, almost disappointed.

 

I do not mind your inane speech, but I will not suffer a coward as my wielder, if there is another test, you will undergo it, or you will lose the flames. Do not make me withhold them from you, Child.

 

Izuku was sweating now, his mind overtaken by the fear of losing his newfound powers, of being Deku again, of being worthless again- “NO” Izuku slapped his face with both hands. “No, I will not be afraid again, I will be a Hero, and I will not fail!” He glared at the fire ahead of him before taking a deep breath and letting it out, straightening his back, pulling his shoulders back and lifting his chin.

 

“I have questions for you, Voice, and I would like it if you would answer them.” His voice was alien to his ears, steady, not confident but not stuttering or mumbling either. Voice was silent for a time, allowing Izuku to stew in his thoughts, and while the exterior was still in his most upright and confident posture, his thoughts were not.

‘Oh my god, that was so rude, what if Voice decides to just get rid of my fire for talking to it like that? Am I going to die?!’

The voice broke its silence with a laugh, deep and throaty, its amusement clear through its tone.

Good, Child! My wielder must be strong, both in body and in spirit! I might listen to a brat, but I won’t listen to a spineless one!

 

Izuku nearly sagged in relief, but caught himself before he could relax too much, the voice seemed to have a volatile temper, and he didn’t feel like antagonizing it further.

 

“F-First of all,” He cleared his throat as his words started to catch, his throat still recovering from the intense heat he had placed on his body.

“First of all, are you really my Quirk, and if you are, why did you show up so late?” This was the question Izuku had been desperate to ask, he needed to know what this power was and, if it was his, why it had taken so long to manifest, why it hadn’t saved him earlier.

The voice hummed, apparently pleased by the question, before it answered.

 

Let me start by putting you at ease, Child. I am what you would call your Quirk. If it noticed Izuku collapse in relief, it didn’t show it, continuing to talk. I was born of your soul’s desire to change the world. You prayed for a Quirk that would let you be seen as normal, yet you despised that a Quirk is what would make you normal. I am formed of that hatred of the system, of that desire to destroy and rebuild.

Izuku swallowed hard, it felt like a jagged ball of glass was forcing its way down his throat as he processed the words spoken to him. “Destroy and rebuild” felt awfully like something a Villain would say, but as he opened his mouth to refute the voice, he paused and thought back to his childhood. 

 

‘Would I want another Quirkless child to go through what I did?’ He questioned himself. ‘Do I want more “Deku’s” in this world?’ He shut his mouth and swallowed his argument, as he realized that the voice was right; he did want the world to change, and he was willing to be the one to do it.

The voice continued, ignoring Izuku’s aborted attempt to argue.

 

As for why I manifested so late, here, the voice paused, apparently considering something. Why don’t you try and guess? It suggested, based on the test today, why did I not awaken sooner?

Izuku felt his anger rise, but shrugged it off and thought about the question instead.

‘It said based on the test today, but what could that have to do with a late manifestation?’ Izuku brainstormed for a little longer before an idea flashed into his brain. 

 

“The test was PAINFUL!” He exclaimed. “If I had gone through this test at a younger age, I would’ve failed!”

The voice hummed, not quite satisfied.

 

That’s partially right. You might have failed this test at a young age, but at the same time, you hadn’t suffered as much at a young age, so the test might also have been easier then.”

 

Izuku blinked. “But then, why-?”

 

The fire would have cremated you.

Izuku rocked back as the words hit him like a truck.

 

“W-what?”

 

Your body would not have survived the fires of your soul. The voice continued, mercifully patient. Until yesterday morning, the fires were too strong for your body to handle; you would have been immolated almost immediately.

Izuku stared at the ground, searching for the question that was itching in the back of his brain.

 

“What changed? Why can I use the fire now?”

 

Your vessel has matured. The voice answered, simply. You have reached an age where the fires will no longer harm you.

Izuku focused on breathing as he struggled to understand, before drawing himself up and exhaling.

 

“When you spoke to me before the sludge villain, your voice was more…coaxing then it is now. It’s like your attitude changed overnight, and speaking of, why do you call me ‘Child’ anyways? Wouldn’t you have been created at the same time as me?”

The voice huffed, slightly amused.

 

I was nicer to you before because I needed you to talk to me, now that you’re here and listening to me, who do I need to persuade?

Izuku hung his head and sighed

 

 “So, you’re going to keep acting like this?”

 

The voice chuckled

This is my true self, after all. For the second part of your question, I call you a child because, compared to me, that is what you are. I am much older than you child.

Izuku’s brow furrowed as he considered the words, turning them over in his head.

 

“But you said you were born of my hatred, if anything, you should be younger than me!”

That would normally be right, but time flows differently here, child. In your mindscape, your soul, five hours have passed, including your test and our conversation so far, but in the outside world, only one hour has gone by. For every minute you are alive, it has been 5 minutes for me. The eight years between my waking and now have been 40 years for me. I am effectively almost triple your age, child.

Izuku’s jaw dropped. His quirk had been growing five times faster than him! If that was true, it was no wonder the voice called him child, it’d been forced into self-reflection for 40 years because of his actions. Izuku couldn’t imagine it, having only one person able to hear his voice, and then having that person ignore him the whole time, it sounded like torture.

‘Though,’ He mused, ‘it does answer the question of how it knows its abilities so well. 40 years stuck in this space? It must have trained itself to its limits out of sheer boredom!’

Izuku was overrun by guilt, he had forced the voice into solitude out of ignorance, detained it in isolation out of fear. He bowed to the fire, arms trembling as he struggled to find the words to apologize.

I forgive you, Child. He looked up, confused. I know what you’re thinking, I know your actions were born of ignorance, not of malice. Ask your next question before I lose patience.

Izuku straightened, taking a moment to recenter himself after what he had learned.

“Alright, next question. Where am I, and what was the liquid leaking down those pipes?”

 

This room that we are in now is the root of your power . The voice explained. This is where your fire is generated, and the room closest to your soul. The hallway you arrived in is your mindscape, a reflection of your mental state.

 

“Talk about down in the dumps.” Izuku joked weakly, his mind running a thousand miles an hour as he tried connecting the dots. “So the pipes, I’m guessing they carry the fire from here to the rest of my body?”

The voice laughed again, delighted.

 

Correct, Child! The pipes carry the flames through your body. Once your body awakens, your very blood will run with the power of the blaze.

Izuku felt a smile come to his lips at the sound of laughter, but schooled himself to ask his last question.

 

“You said earlier that the fire is of you, and that you can control how it acts in my body, but now you say it’s mine, so how are you the fire, yet the fire is mine at the same time?”

The voice was silent for a minute or two before speaking again.

 

The fire is mine, that is true, but I am yours to wield. I hold the power of fire, and I am your weapon; therefore, you hold my power as yours.

Izuku tilted his head to the side, confused at the answer.

 

“But, I thought you were the fire?”

The voice ‘tsked’ in disapproval, causing Izuku to look at the ground in shame.

 

The fire is of me, not part of me. You are a smart boy, I know that, so think back and recall what allowed you to wield my flames.

Izuku, afraid of disappointing his Quirk again, racked his brain trying to recall the moment he had used the flames for the first time, unconsciously looking down as he thought.

‘My body heated up, and then I shot a wave of fire from the edge of the-!’

He snapped his fingers together and rocketed his head up, gazing at the fire with confidence in his eyes before walking forward and reaching into the core of the blaze, his fingers touching and then grasping the handle of the sword, pulling it free of the inferno and holding it above his head. The voice laughed, the sword vibrating as it did so,

 

Good! You understood quicker than even I was expecting! I will be your blade, Child, and I will grant you permission to wield me!

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When Izuku woke up the next day, it was in confusion. It was a weekend, so why was his alarm going off? He thought about the question as he opened his eyes and saw his usual All Might posters staring back at him. He squinted at the posters, dissatisfied. After all, they couldn’t match the real thing.

‘Wait, the real thing?’ He thought for a second before he remembered his promise to meet All Might. Jumping out of bed, he scrambled to get dressed before rushing out of his house, pausing to gaze at himself in the mirror for a second before he bolted. He paused, staring at his reflection and was disappointed in what he saw. He wasn’t awfully short, at an alright 5’4, but he wasn’t as tall as a lot of his classmates, and he was scrawnier than a noodle. He rolled up his sleeve and tried to flex, staring embarrassed at the visible lack of muscle present despite his strain as he tried to make anything pop out of his arm. He sighed, putting his arm down and preparing to leave before he could discourage himself further, but before he could, a now familiar voice rang out in his head.

 

Now that we have opened dialogue, the voice began You must begin to develop this twig of a body. At present, if you tried to swing me more than once, you would be liable to dislocate both of your shoulders from the weight of my blade.

Izuku put his head down in shame for a moment before recovering and lifting his head with determination shining through his eyes.

 

“I will make myself worthy of wielding you, I swear!” He declared, before deflating as the voice snorted.

 

Didn’t I make myself clear, child? Currently, I am only allowing you to wield me; I am permitting you to borrow my power, but you have a long way to go before I acknowledge you as my wielder and give you reign over me.

Izuku nodded again, determined once more. 

 

“I know, but I will make it happen, I swear it on my soul!”

The voice hummed, approval radiating from it before it spoke again, a teasing lilt now present in its tone.

 

Don’t you have to go? There are only 10 minutes until your promised meeting time, after all.

Izuku’s eyes bulged as he confirmed the time, before resuming his wild dash out the door and down to the trash beach that was Dagobah Municipal Park.

 

By the time he got there, Izuku was panting like he had run for an hour rather than the mere eight minutes he had managed, but he wasn’t late! As he looked around, searching for the sight of All Might, a hand clapped on his back. Startled, he jumped up and turned around to see All Might in his skinny form, grinning down at him.

 

“ALL MIGHT!” He shouted before All Might’s hand grabbed his mouth while the man looked around furtively to make sure no one was nearby to hear his slip-up.

 

“Keep it down, young man! Do you want the whole city to surround us?” Izuku shook his head sheepishly before peeling All Might’s hand off his face.

“All Might,” He said, quieter this time, “Can I ask what you called me here for?” The hero grinned again, wider this time.

 

“Firstly, when I’m in this form, you can call me Yagi.” He paused as Izuku almost squealed in excitement, vibrating as he listened.

“I know All Might’s name!” He crowed, before realizing something important. “Ah, my name is Midoriya Izuku, Mr. Yagi!” He beamed up at his idol, feeling joy well up in him at the previously impossible situation.

The man chuckled, ruffling Izuku’s hair as he did (with Izuku barely holding in a squeal at his idol touching his hair), before continuing.

 

“I asked you to come here to ask you a question, Young Midoriya.” He paused as Izuku nodded vigorously, waiting for him to continue. “To be a Hero is not just to beat Villains, it is to keep your community satisfied and happy with your presence.” Izuku nodded slowly, wondering where this was going.

Yagi’s grin widened, a hint of malice present now, before pointing behind him at the piles of trash.

“Don’t you think all of this is stopping your community from being happy?” Izuku paled at the insinuation, Yagi letting out a booming laugh that failed to provide him the comfort he normally derived from it. “A true Hero is one who helps on every level of society! Let’s start you off with some community service! Your task is to clean this beach up before you finish your first year of High School. We have three years to make a Hero out of you, and it’s going to start here!”
Izuku swallowed as he stared at the monumental heaps of trash that surrounded him, as far as the eye could see. He inhaled sharply before squaring his shoulders and turning back to his new mentor. 

 

“I’ll do it!” He spoke earnestly and with all the goodwill he could manage, hoping that Yagi would see his determination.

 

“Amazing!” Yagi’s smile stretched out before dimming slightly. “Before that, however, Young Midoriya, I must ask you something important.” The serious tone the conversation took shook Izuku out of his starstruck state, looking nervously as the Number One Hero put a hand on his shoulder.

“Where did that sword come from in the slime villain attack?”

Izuku relaxed as relief washed over him.

“Funny story, actually!” He laughed. “Turns out the voice in my head was a Quirk!” Yagi paused for a second before taking a deep breath.

 

“What does that mean, Young Midoriya?”

One long, convoluted explanation later.

Izuku watched as tension seemed to drain out of the Symbol of Peace’s body, confused about what had worried him so much. Before he could ask, however, the man clapped his hands together with a smile back in place.

 

“Well, Young Midoriya, I think we’ve dilly-dallied enough! It’s time for us to get to work! And by ‘us’ I mean you! With this “Become a Hero American Dream Plan”, you’ll be a hero in no time!”

Looking over the booklet, he saw not only hours of training, but eating and sleeping times along with time to study neatly mushed into a schedule for him to follow, moved over how much time this must have taken his now-mentor, Izuku felt his body heat up as he gathered his determination.

Izuku gulped as the trash began to look even bigger as he imagined cleaning it, but before he could panic over the logistics of cleaning a whole beach, the voice spoke out once again.

 

When you finish cleaning this, I will teach you how to use the powers of the fire and how to use a sword skillfully. Don’t waste time here, lest you be clumsy with your flames.

 

Izuku perked up as he heard that, his determination renewed as he imagined himself, taller, more muscular and swinging his sword to save people, providing people with hope and reassurance that He would be there, and walked towards the first pile of trash, grabbing the first thing he could see.

Month One, April, 2213

“The first month will be the hardest.” All Might had warned. “You’re going from almost no physical activity to heavy lifting basically immediately, you MUST follow the plan unless you want your muscles to tear and your body to break.”
Izuku nodded, feeling like he had understood, but now, with the month almost over, he felt like Yagi had understated the difficulty, if anything. His body was in pain almost constantly, and while he was managing to keep his grades high so far, it was still the beginning of his third middle school year, and things were only going to get harder. Izuku steeled himself, ‘This is what it takes to be a hero!’ He reminded himself. ‘This is only the beginning, I have to keep going, I have to be a Hero!’ His determination renewed, Izuku continued to clean the trash, ignoring his body’s pain.

 

Month Five, August, 2213

Young Midoriya was overworking himself, Yagi noticed, frowning as we watched the boy struggle to stay focused. He had almost collapsed the other day, and Yagi was beginning to worry that the boy would permanently damage himself. After watching him flinch while carrying a microwave, Yagi decided enough was enough.

“Young Midoriya.” The man’s voice stopping the boy in his tracks. “You haven’t been sticking to the schedule, have you.” It wasn’t a question. “I made that schedule as the ideal way for you to develop, Young Midoriya. If you work too much, then you will only harm yourself in the long run.” Moving towards the boy, he put his hands on his shoulders and kneeled, looking the boy in his teary eyes. “Why aren’t you following the plan?”

Izuku took a second before explaining. “I-I was a late bloomer. Everyone else has been working to be a hero their whole lives, and I’ve only just started taking it seriously! I need to finish this training so I can learn to use my Quirk like they can, and to learn all the other skills that they already have! I can’t fall behind anymore than I already have!” The boy was heaving now, his words having spewed out of his mouth with a fiery passion. Yagi was moved almost to tears. The boy knew his shortcomings and was determined to overcome them, how could he not be proud? Buffing up, he enveloped the boy in a hug.

 

“YOUNG MIDORIYA! YOUR PASSION HAS INSPIRED ME, I TOO WILL WORK TO BE A GREATER HERO THAN I WAS YESTERDAY!” Yagi held the boy close as he shouted out his encouragement before deflating again, now holding the boy like a kitten from his shoulders.

“But seriously, follow the plan. You’ll cripple yourself like this.”
Izuku nodded fearfully as the possible consequences of his actions sank in. Yagi could only hope the boy continued to listen.

 

Month Nine, December, 2213.

It had been a long nine months, Izuku thought as he stared out over the clean expanse of sand from the road above the beach. Not only had he cleaned the beach ahead of schedule, he had done it perfectly, not a single speck of trash remained on the now pristine sand, and the water glimmered in the cool winter air, free of the junk that had once floated on its surface. The beach was beautiful when it was clean, Izuku had realized, white sand and azure waters, it could’ve be a resort location had it not been for the piles of trash. Staring out into the ocean and lost in pride for his work, he was startled by his mentor’s voice from behind him.

 

“Oh my, oh m y GOODNESS!” Came a shout from a buffed All Might, astonishment, pride and awe present in his voice as he took in the work his pupil had put in. “ This is beyond any expectation I had, Young Midoriya!”

Izuku smiled wearily, it had been a long morning of him cleaning the beach before school started, but still, pride surged within him at the words from All Might.

 

“I went Plus Ultra, Mr. Yagi!” He replied, beaming up at his mentor. “I wanted to get it done before the New Year so I could bring Mom here to celebrate!” All Might laughed heartily.

 

“I couldn’t have given you any motivation greater than a mother’s love, Young Midoriya! But what I CAN give you is my blessing upon you, in the hopes that you become a Hero even greater than I one day!” Izuku felt tears sting his eyes as the words of the man sunk in, before pride and awe turned to worry as he saw the time.

“Oh shit, I’m gonna be late for school!” He screamed as he checked his phone. “Sorry, Yagi-sensei, I have to run!”

Yagi watched the boy sprint to his school, noticing his broadened back and shoulders, the new cords of muscle that bulged out of his arms as he gathered his belongings and smiled fondly, before his expression morphed into a more pensive one.

 

“I can’t offer you my power yet, Young Midoriya.” He muttered, taking a page from his apprentice’s book. “But maybe if you get into U.A. I can keep an eye on you, make sure you continue to uphold the ideals of a Hero.” He smiled at the thought, imagining a bright future, before walking back to his truck. A hero’s job never stopped!

 

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Izuku wasn’t completely out of breath, surprising, he thought, given he had been running at a steady pace for almost 15 minutes now, hoping to make it to his class on time. He had taken his uniform jacket off and was running with it slung over his shoulder on top of his bag, leaving him in a tight, black undershirt that he had worn to clean up the beach. Arriving at the gates, he slowed and took a tentative sniff of his shirt, hoping desperately he didn’t stink too much, sighing in relief as he couldn’t pick up any unbearable smells coming off of him. He checked his phone for the time and blanched. ‘I only have two minutes before class starts!’ He screamed internally, picking up speed as he ran through the halls, bursting through his classroom door before the bell rang, and bending at the waist slightly to catch his breath. As he straightened up and began to walk to his desk, he was confused as the usual jeers didn’t follow him as he proceeded, most of the class staring at him quietly. He was confused further as one or two girls near his seat blushed as he approached them before sitting down. ‘Why are they looking at me like that?’ He wondered, ‘Do I have something on my face?’ Looking down in an attempt to understand what had caused everyone to forgo their usual insults, he blushed, mortified, as he realized his jacket was still off, revealing the tight black shirt underneath, clinging to his newly developed muscles. As he fumbled with his jacket, trying to put it back on, he missed the ruby-red eyes glaring at him from across the class under a cloud of ash-blonde hair, and the sound of teeth gritting from a familiar face.

 

Izuku nearly jumped with joy at the sound of the bell, eager to wash the grime of his early morning training off of his body and crash for the rest of the day. Swinging his backpack over one shoulder and walking towards the door, he made it halfway to the door before a hand gripped his shoulder, and the voice of his nightmares cut through his hopes of rest and relaxation.

 

“Deku,” Bakugo growled. “I thought I told you to give up on your bullshit dreams, did you miss the fucking message?” Izuku shivered, starting to sweat as he recalled the numerous times Bakugo had tormented him, his body freezing as an instinctual response to his tormentor.

“I’ve been watching you, you know” He continued. “Ever since that FUCKING sludge villain, you started acting differently, acting like you forgot your place again.” A grin spread across Bakugo’s face as he raised his hand, sparks and smoke emanating from his hand as he readied himself to ruin another of Izuku’s school uniforms. “Lemme remind you, Deku, just how useless you really are!” Izuku watched the hand descend towards him like it was in slow motion, still frozen in fear, he closed his eyes, awaiting impact.

 

Move boy! His Quirk roared. I told you I would not suffer a coward as my wielder!

Izuku’s eyes swung open at the reminder that he was different, the reminder that he wasn’t useless anymore before they narrowed as he felt heat run through his body and reached for the fire in his soul, grasping and pulling the sword out of his mindscape and, his body moving before he could think, leveling it at the blonde’s face, heat rising off the blade in a visible haze. Bakugo froze, sweat dripping down his face as the tip of the sword's scabbard rested in between his eyes, his hand inches away from Izuku’s face, still sparking as he looked at the sword, confusion and fear running through his face.

 

“I’m not ‘Deku’ anymore, Bakugo.” Bakugo’s eyes snapped to him at the name, confusion flitting across his expression at the lack of the usual ‘Kacchan’. “I awakened my Quirk late, the day I saved you from the sludge villain. I’m going to U.A.U., and I’m going to be a hero. Nothing you can do will stop me.”
Izuku’s eyes glowed with confidence in the words he spoke, far removed from the stuttering boy he had been almost a year ago. Izuku blinked as the heat filtered from his body, his eyes raced across the room as he struggled to understand what he had gotten himself into, taking in the sight of his bully in front of him, eyes still focused on the blade pointed at his head. His face blanched, realizing what he had done, stumbling away from Bakugo, the sword disappearing as he did so, he ran through the door before Bakugo decided to kill him, his mind racing at the unforeseen situation. 

 

‘What did I just do?!’ He wailed in his head. ‘I just threatened Bakugo! He’s gonna kill me! Oh God, where did that come from! I could’ve sworn my body was frozen!’

His Quirk preened within him, he could feel the fire going larger as if it was puffing its chest out.

 

I gave you a little boost. It boasted. No wielder of mine will cower before trash like that!

Izuku stopped in his tracks as he thought about that.

 

“You can affect my emotions?!” He shouted aloud, drawing strange looks from the students in the hallway around him. He blushed before continuing his run out of the building. “I mean,” He continued at a whisper. “You can affect my emotions?”

The voice snorted, as if offended

 

What I can do is not as simple as ‘affecting’ your emotions; I effectively burned the fear you felt towards that boy out of you, leaving the anger you felt towards him as the main emotion you felt towards him. The fear, as you noticed, came back, that is because I cannot burn away your feelings permanently so recklessly, it would almost certainly destroy your psyche. What I did instead was let the fire ‘toast’ it a little, before pulling it back.

 

Izuku hummed, entranced by the explanation. “So, whatever you burn is replaced by the next strongest emotion I feel towards them? And you aren’t actually ‘boosting’ me, you’re just removing my strongest emotion towards things, right?”

 

That is correct, child. Now, rest for the day, tomorrow I will begin teaching you how to wield me!

Izuku almost hollered in excitement before remembering his surroundings. He contained the sound, but was unable to stop the mile-wide smile that spread across his face.

“Yes, sir!”

 

Unfortunately for Izuku, he would not have time to rest, his mother ushering him out of his room only an hour after he had gotten home.

 

“We have to get you checked by the doctor again, there’s no way you’re missing the toe joint if you developed a Quirk!”

 

Izuku was reluctant to go to the doctor again, he had been diagnosed as mentally ill the last time he had hoped for a change after all, but he steeled himself and followed his mother into the car. As they approached the clinic, Izuku fought with the words that seemed to be stuck in his throat, his voice choking as he tried to express his worries to his mother.

 

“Mom.” He managed to croak out as they parked. She looked at him curiously, halfway out of the car already. He licked his lips, struggling to shape the words through them.

“You, uh, you’ll believe me this time, r-right?” He hated how desperate his voice had gotten. “You won’t, won’t take me to another psychiatrist, right?” His mother softened.

 

“Oh, honey, didn’t I tell you? I should’ve believed you from the start, I’m not going to break that promise now.” She cupped his cheek as she spoke, wiping the unshed tears from his eyes. “Now come on, I’m going to rip that doctor a new one.” A shocked laugh burst its way from Izuku at his mother’s statement. As his worries were assuaged, he felt like he was deflating like All Might did, stress leaking out of him like a broken pipe. He followed his mother into the clinic, a small part of him wishing he would see his mother talk down to a doctor.

Izuku received his wish, and then some, as the doctor cowered under his mother's wrath after it was revealed he had simply looked at Izuku’s old X-rays from when he was six, not taken new ones after her son described a voice in his head. After Izuku pulled his sword out and made it emanate heat, and the doctor pulled his jaw off the floor, new X-rays finally confirmed Izuku’s hopes; he only had one joint in his pinky toe, he was Deku no more. The physical confirmation of his newfound Quirk eased Izuku’s heart more than he thought it would. He felt like his body fit him, like he was at peace with himself. He wondered if it was ridiculous to feel like that over a single joint, but threw it aside for the joy he was bursting with at the moment.

 

In the comfort of his room, Izuku was still riding the high of his newly registered Quirk, and as he slept, he smiled, mumbling the newly named Quirk in his sleep.

 

Burning Soul, the voice mumbled quietly, hoping not to wake its wielder. Not a terrible name, but it’s nothing compared to my true name. I’ll accept it for now, boy, but you had better become worthy fast, before I run out of patience.

 

Chapter 3: A Hero's Burning Training Montage! Part 2, Forge Your Body Into a Weapon!

Summary:

Izuku was pumped, he just finished cleaning the beach, stood up to his bully (With a little help), and gotten his Quirk registered! Now he was going to learn how to use his Quirk!....Right?

Notes:

Hello, new chapter, took a little longer to write this one, you'll see why in the end notes. This is my first ever time writing any sort of fighting like this, PLEASE let me know what you thought about the fight scenes im desperate for feedback!

Wake up, boy. Izuku woke up slowly, his body protesting the early rising. He groaned, looking at his clock to see the numbers 4:00 AM blinking back at him. He blinked groggily, before turning around and putting his covers back up, no reason to wake up this early on a weekend after all. I said wake up! He jumped up, his heart pounding in his chest. We have work to do, boy! It’s time for you to learn the proper way to use a sword. Izuku’s weariness faded instantly, his chest warming up in his excitement.

“Right, I’ll get ready now!” He jumped out of bed, tripping over his sheets in his rush, before running into the bathroom and running out again in record time, anticipation overflowing from his body. Running out the door while yanking his jacket on, he started walking to Dagobah. ‘ I wonder what I’m gonna learn today’ Izuku thought as he walked. ‘ Maybe I’ll learn how to do that fire wave thing I did against the sludge villain, or how to summon full fire instead of just heat from my sword, what if I learn how to burn away my emotions like Soul can do!’

Izuku’s daydreaming was cut short by the feeling of sand under his shoes. Looking up and seeing the pristine beach, he was still amazed by the work he’d put in to clean his new training area. ‘ It looked so…impossible the first month .’ He remembered the fear and nerves that had flooded his body when he was first tasked with cleaning the beach. ‘ This is what hard work can accomplish. This is what I can do when I truly try my best. Now let’s get started on my Quirk!'  He felt his body heat up again, his determination stoking his soul and filling his body.

“What are we going to do today, Soul?”
First, summon me to your hand. Izuku complied, the wonder at the simple act of using his Quirk as strong as ever as he did. Now, swing downwards, using both hands. Just swing, don’t try to call any heat forward. Izuku felt his eagerness dwindle at the simple instructions, but he knew better than to get on Soul’s bad side; he still shivered at the reprimand he had been given when he panicked about future tests. Slightly dismayed, Izuku grabbed the handle anyway, awkwardly fumbling with the sheath as he pulled out the blade, and, gripping it firmly with both hands, he swung down as hard as he could. He yelped in confusion and slight alarm as he stumbled forwards with the weight of the blade, his feet searching for purchase on the sand before he fell forwards and on his face, the blade sticking up from the sand beside him. He moaned as he stood, tasting and feeling sand in his mouth. Spitting it out viciously, he rubbed his mouth before he was fully recovered. As he stood, he noticed something, or, more specifically, a lack of something. He couldn’t hear Soul. ‘ Knowing Soul, it’s either laughing at me, or super upset with me for falling, but I can’t hear it. Is it because I’m not holding the sword?’

He looked over at the sword sticking out of the sand and noticed a slight vibration around it. Cringing in anticipation, he reached out and grabbed the handle. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Soul was laughing harder than Izuku had ever heard him, the boy noticed. I-I thought you would stumble a bit, maybe fall on your knees, Soul wheezed through the laughter. I didn’t think you’d eat the sand BAHAHAHA!
Izuku could feel his face fall until he was staring at the sword in his hand with a perfectly deadpan expression, unimpressed with the sword’s continued mocking. Eyebrow twitching, he cleared his throat, feeling his anger rise as the sword continued to laugh. Eventually, the laughter tapered off as his Quirk calmed down, a small giggle escaping every now and then.

Well, the Quirk caught its breath. You gave me a real good laugh, kid, but you can’t do that in a fight, so I’m going to be teaching you the basics before we get to any fire stuff.

Izuku’s ire faded, his attention focusing on his Quirk as it continued to speak.

First things first, you have to learn to unsheathe me properly. You can’t fight anyone if it takes you 10 seconds to get your weapon ready, you’ll get killed instantly.

Izuku winced, partially at how blunt his Quirk was, and partially at the realization that the sword was correct; his lack of skill would get them both killed.

Luckily, I’m here to help. The sword said. Your mindscape, fortunately for us, keeps a record of everything you’ve ever even skimmed over. That book you read on martial arts when you were 10? I’ve gone over it and learned it. Izuku knew what book Soul was talking about. He had picked it up, hoping he could use it to be a Hero, but hadn’t been able to understand the words in it at the time. He gave up on it then, and had forgotten all about it until now, when Soul brought it up.

The videos of Heroes fighting Villains? I’ve learned them. I’ve analyzed every fight you’ve seen 5 times longer than you did.

Get ready, kid, I’m going to run you into the ground. Before you can learn how to use a sword, we have to make your body a weapon. We’ll start with barehanded martial arts!

 

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Izuku vomited into the sand for the second time that day. His lungs felt like they were about to pop out of his throat, chest aching as he sucked in the cold morning air, his heart was pounding wildly against his rib cage, and his legs were twitching, barely able to handle his weight as he stood hunched over, trying to catch his breath.

Straighten up! Soul snapped, his tone strict and unyielding. Hands behind your head and take deep breaths, you have two minutes before you have to run again.

Izuku straightened slowly, flinching as his legs and back protested the further strain, and inhaled deeply, savouring the small break he could get from his relentless torturer. He had, true to his Quirk’s word, been put to work immediately. Your stamina and strength are high, Soul had said, giving Izuku a little time to preen before cutting him down. But your speed and flexibility are absolutely terrible! You can barely touch your toes, and you run like a turtle trying to die! Izuku huffed a small laugh as he recalled the 15-minute lecture the Quirk had given him on the state of his body, and immediately regretted it as his throat seized and he coughed uncontrollably, expelling all the air he’d been breathing in one violent wheeze. Run up and down this beach, Soul had demanded. It’s about 5 kilometres round trip, and the sand will give you two of the things you need most: balance and speed. Izuku had been confident when he started, surely running wouldn’t be worse than the multiple tonnes of trash he had cleaned off of the beach! That confidence had lasted until the end of his first round trip. What are you stopping for? Soul had asked sharply. I didn’t say stop, boy. Do it again. After the third round trip, Izuku had vomited, the strain of running 15 kilometres at the highest speed he could muster, all while trying not to trip on the sand or slow down pushing his breakfast out of his body.

Break over, boy. Soul’s voice pushed him into action, his body starting to move as he ran to finish the last stretch of his fourth loop. His speed had dropped drastically by this point, he was jogging more than anything, but he continued. ‘A Hero doesn’t give up,’ Izuku thought, his eyes blurring as he approached the end of the beach. ‘A Hero fights with everything they have to save everyone they can. I’m gonna be…’ As he reached the finish, his body swayed, falling as he lost control of his limb. ‘A Hero too!’

He couldn’t stop panting, his chest tight as he tried to breathe. He squirmed, his body unwilling to listen to his brain as he tried to stand. Gotta get up, he urged himself. Soul’s gonna be upset, I gotta get up and run again. Tensing his core, he prepared to try to stand again. Enough. Soul’s voice rang out. Izuku let his head fall to the ground, disappointment filling his heart. ‘I couldn’t do it,’ He thought despondently. ‘I wasn’t strong enough.’

That…was better than I expected, kid. Izuku struggled to lift his head out of the sand again, confused at the sudden compliment. I thought you would collapse after 15 kilometres, or ask for a break after you vomited the first time, but you just kept going. Izuku heard a tinge of…pride? In his Quirk’s voice. That drive, that willpower to keep going? That’s what you need to be a Hero, and you? You have it in spades, kid. Izuku grinned at the sky and forced his arm up and into a fist, his body protesting his actions. “Of course I do,” His voice came out lower than usual and shaky from the work he had put himself through, but he still tried to force out as much confidence as he could. “I’m gonna be the number one, after all.” His arm fell to the side as his body gave out. He stared at the sky, listening to Soul laugh uproariously in his mind.

Good! We must reach the peak before we can implement true change!

Izuku stayed silent.

“What else is on the list for today, Soul?”

‘Well, nothing?’ Soul coughed awkwardly in his head. Izuku nearly faceplanted at the sudden change of attitude.

“What do you mean nothing?” He asked, incredulity colouring his voice. “There’s gotta be something else!”
I mean, yeah, but you’re not exactly in the condition to be trying it right now, kid. You can barely stand!

“I can keep going!” Izuku protested, “I’m not finished yet!”

Yes, you are. Soul’s brief bout of immaturity evaporated. Your body must be pushed, hammered like the steel of a blade, but if you hammer steel too hard, work it too long? It shatters irreparably. You need to stop here, you’re going to kill yourself.

Izuku tamped down the urge to argue rapidly rising in his stomach. He knew Soul was right, that he had to pace himself lest he destroy his body and his future, but he needed to work harder. Izuku didn’t just want to be a Hero, he needed to be one. The desire to be a Hero was woven into his very being, there was nothing else he could settle for. The faster he could grow, the stronger he could get, the more people he could save. ‘But who can I save if I end my career before it even starts?’ The question rose in his mind. He needed to listen, he decided, despite the feelings of inadequacy burning in him.

“Fine,” He grumbled. “But is this really all I’m going to do for the foreseeable future? Just running up and down the beach?”
Of course not! From now on, we’ll split your running up instead of making you do it all at once. 10 KM at the start of our training, footwork drills and stretching to make you more flexible, and another 10 KM at the end!

Izuku blanched, his earlier bravado leaving his body as he became keenly aware of the pain in his legs. Adding more work on top of that, and the thought of even more being added in the future sounded like a death sentence! ‘A death sentence would be a child dying in his parents' arms because the Hero who came to save them couldn’t get there fast enough, or was too tired to help and got himself killed.’ He paled further as that thought crossed his mind, imagining running to help only to see the aftermath, helpless and useless as he watched a family die. He steeled himself, no one had helped him, he had to be stronger. He would be the one who helped, not the one who needed help, he decided.

“I’ll do it.” He stated. “I’ll do whatever you tell me to do,  but you better make me the best Hero this world has ever seen.”

You’ll shine brighter than the sun, kid.

 

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Izuku could feel sweat trailing up his forehead and his arms burning as he tried to hold the position his Quirk had put him in.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1, anddd done. Take a break.

Izuku let his arms collapse and fell out of the bridge, his aching back hitting the ground and forcing the air out of his lungs. He lay there panting for a second, feeling the blood leaving his head now that he wasn’t upside down anymore, before sitting up and taking a deep breath.

You can hold the bridge for 30 seconds now. Soul noted. Your core flexibility is quickly reaching standard, now we need to maintain that along with hip flexion and shoulder mobility. You need to be able to block attacks from any direction, and if you want to learn the fighting style I have lined up for you, you’re gonna need a lot more hip and leg movement.

Izuku listened, still catching his breath, as his sword outlined future steps to both increase and maintain flexibility.

If you don’t use it, you lose it. Soul lectured. This is especially true for flexibility, your joints will reset if you don’t keep stretching them out, and then we’ll be back to doing this again. Do you want that?

Izuku imagined having to redo the past month of training, memories of his body contorting as Soul watched and demanded more flashing through his mind, jumping in and out of a ladder on the sand and sprinting through the beach. He shook his head furiously, sweat dripping down his forehead.

Good. Now, you should be flexible enough to start learning how to throw a hit. Unfortunately, while I can teach you how to strike, punching the air won’t do anything to help you prepare to fight Villains.

Izuku cocked his head to the side. “So what are we going to do?”
We’re going to a gym. Izuku’s stomach felt like it was climbing his rib cage.

“A-are you sure we need to do that?” His voice came out choked. “Can’t you just teach me with like a-a punching bag or something?” He hated how desperate his voice had become. He had a Quirk now, no one was going to beat him up anymore!...right? But what if they found out he had been Quirkless? There’s no way they would be kind or even apathetic towards him after that, they’d treat him like the people at school did! He couldn’t do this, he didn’t want to do this.

Breathe, child. Soul’s voice was strangely gentle, Izuku noted, his breaths coming out faster and faster as he continued to panic. Breathe! Izuku sucked in a breath, snapping out of his anxiety at the sharpened tone his Quirk took.

“I-I’m sorry.” He gasped out. “I didn’t-I didn’t mean to-”
It’s alright, child. You’ve been dealt a difficult hand in life. But you must overcome this fear of others if you want to be a Hero.

“I don’t have a fear of others!” Izuku protested, still catching his breath. “I-I’m just nervous about what’ll happen if they find out.”
That is what fear is, child. Soul’s voice was gentle again, like it had been before his first time entering the chamber. That will be your biggest obstacle to achieving our goal. Not villains, or bullies, but yourself. You have to face the demons inside you before you fight the ones that walk the streets.

“Ok.” Izuku let the breath shudder out of him. “Ok, I’ll do what-I’ll do what you tell me to. You haven’t led me wrong yet.” He managed a weak smile.

And I will do my best not to in the future. Now get up, it’s time you learn how to hit someone properly.

Izuku stood. He wasn’t happy about his new training schedule, but he needed to learn if he wanted to be a Hero.
“So, what gym should I go to?” Soul snorted.

What makes you think I know? You haven’t exactly looked into them before.”
Izuku blushed. He forgot how limited Soul’s knowledge actually was when he acted so all-knowing every time they spoke.

“Well, let’s go look at some together then.” He sighed. “If we’re lucky, we can find one sooner rather than later.”

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‘ I didn’t mean like this!’ Izuku screamed internally, his face and mind equally blank as he looked down at an orange-haired girl with teal eyes, eyes that were currently glaring up at him as he frantically searched for a way to appease her. His thoughts drifted to how he had gotten himself into this situation. He had been talking under his breath to Soul when they spotted a gym on the side of the street they were walking on. Calling the gym “shady” was an understatement. Its signboard was hanging crookedly, the building walls were cracking and peeling from age, and it overall looked like it was on its last legs. Soul, in his now typical fashion, had pointed it out with a laugh, calling it the “rattiest gym he’d ever seen”, and Izuku, in his typical fashion, had defended it with a mutter a bit louder than he had intended. The girl had heard him say the words “ratty” and “gym” and had marched out, demanding an explanation.

“Well?” She demanded. “What were you saying about my grandpa’s gym?”

‘T-t-t-TOO CLOSE!’ Izuku’s brain shorted out, not used to girls, or anyone, for that matter, being this close to him other than for the express purpose of beating him up. ‘Though,’ He thought idly, ‘I might not mind if it was her.’ His eyes involuntarily fell down to her crossed arms, taking note of the muscle cording her forearms and biceps before snapping back to her eyes.

HAHAHAHAHAHA! Soul was cackling in his head, incredibly unhelpfully, Izuku thought.

Izuku felt the heat rushing to his face increase at Soul’s laughter and at the unintentional look before he rushed to answer.

“I-I said that it w-was probably less ratty on the in-inside than it looked on the outside!” He sputtered out, heat overwhelming his cheeks. The girl raised her eyebrow, clearly unimpressed.

“Uh-huh, and who were you talking with about our gym?” She took an over-dramatic look around, craning her neck and shielding her eyes from the non-existent sun. “I sure don’t see anyone!” Soul’s laughter only grew in volume.

“M-m-My Quirk!” He yelled out in his panic. Wincing and lowering his volume, he tried again. “My Quirk is sen-sentient, it talks to me in my h-head. It said that the gym looked ratty, and I think it’s r-rude to judge things off of just a look.” The girl’s face showed zero belief in him.

“Uh-huh, and is your ‘sentient Quirk’ telling you what to say right now too?” She asked sarcastically.

‘Actually it’s laughing in my head.’ He thought sardonically, Soul’s continuing wheezing a backdrop for all of his thoughts.

“I-Im being serious!” Izuku insisted. “I-I’m sure your grandfather’s gym is incredible!” Her face brightened as she heard him.
“Then, you’ll sign a membership here, right?”

“U-uh I’m not sure about that but-” He was cut off as her face inched closer to his, the smile turning deadly as she did.

“You WILL become a member of our gym.” It wasn’t a question anymore.

“Y-Yep!” He squeaked out, face hotter than ever as he tried desperately to lean away from her.

“Great! Come on in!” As she dragged him into the gym. Izuku could only hope that he was right about the gym being better than it looked.

Entering the gym, Izuku felt his hopes rise. The gym was definitely more roomy than he had thought, the ring in the middle taking up about half of the available space and surrounded by three punching bags and some workout equipment on its sides. Izuku’s observation was cut short by a gruff voice calling out.

“Itsuka.” The owner of the voice emerged from a small office that Izuku hadn’t noticed. A tall, muscular man walked out, ducking underneath the door sill and looking towards them. He was older, probably around his late 60’s if Izuku had to guess, his red hair streaked with grey and pulled back into a ponytail, exposing the tribal-looking markings on the corner of his V-shaped hairline, the lines running down the sides of his face. He was wearing a black kimono, the white under-robe peeking out from the collar and the sleeves, along with tabi socks and black sandals. The top of his kimono was loose, showing the corners of the tattoos as they continued down onto his chest. Izuku started sweating seeing the man approach them, he had no idea who ‘Itsuka’ was, but the man walking towards him was giving off an incredibly dangerous aura, his body clearly well-trained and used, judging by the scars on his arms made visible as he lifted his hand to cover his yawn. Izuku’s mind screamed at him to run, and he was finding it hard to resist, his feet shifting back involuntarily.

Child. Soul’s voice was deadly serious. Izuku felt whiplash from the sudden stop in laughter, but still listened to the Quirk. This man is the real deal. You have to try your best to learn from him, he will increase your training far more than I could even hope to.

Izuku had to agree. Despite the fear the man’s presence caused him, he could see the proof of his strength in his muscles and scars. As he scanned the red-haired man, he noted the posture he took even in the guise of being relaxed. His arms were slightly raised, palms open as if to block or catch a hit, and his left leg was slightly ahead of his right, ready to block a strike to his lower body. Izuku nearly jumped as the man vanished and appeared in front of him, his body lowered to look him in the eyes.

The man hummed as he eyed Izuku up and down, before grinning.

“You’ve bought a good one, Itsuka!”
The orange-haired girl, or Itsuka, he supposed, spoke up incredulously.

“This chump?” She asked, her voice a mixture of ridicule and disbelief. “I bought him in here to make him pay for a membership, and you’re telling me he’s something special? No way, Grandpa Renji!”

The man, ‘ Renji’ Izuku noted, huffed in slight disappointment, turning to his granddaughter.

“You’ve got a long way to go if you really think that, Itsuka.” Renji turned back to him, the hair on Izuku’s arms raising as he did. “Tell me, kid, what’s your name?”
“M-Midoriya Izuku, sir.” He replied, tacking on sir in the hopes of appeasing whatever this man thought of him.

“I’m Abarai Renji, but you can call me Renji-sensei from now on.” He pushed forward, ignoring both Izuku and Itsuka’s protests. “Tell me, Izuku, what did you notice about me in those few seconds you were analyzing me?”
Izuku blanched, fearful of having antagonized the menacing man. “Y-you caught that, sir, I mean, Renji–sensei?” He corrected the title as the man raised an eyebrow at him.

“I did. Your answer?”
“U-Uh, right. Um, I noticed your, uh, body first?” He cringed as Itsuka snorted in disbelief. Before she could say anything, Renji lifted his hand up, the girl falling silent as he did. He rolled his hand at Izuku, motioning him to continue.

‘Fuck it’ Izuku thought, his fear driving adrenaline through his body. ‘I’ll give him what he wants.’

“Your body is very muscled,” Izuku began, heart racing. “It might not look like you have that much muscle since your clothes fit loosely, but the brief moments it clings to your chest as you walk shows the muscle present, and your arm does the same when you lift it. You have scars all over your arms, and there’s some peeking over your kimono top too, meaning you must have fought often, and most likely lethally looking at some of these scars.” He motioned to the corner of a deep gash at the top of Renji’s collarbone. “A strike that deep and that close to your neck had to have been on purpose, meaning you probably fought illegally, either in underground tournaments or cage fights. You’re still here, and old, so you must’ve survived all of those, meaning you’re incredibly dangerous.” Izuku could faintly hear Itsuka’s disbelief, a gasp this time, but was too zoned in to pay it any attention. “Your posture when I walked in was defensive, you covered your vitals with your hakama sleeves to make sure no one could get them definitively, and your palms were open and towards me like you were preparing to catch a swing. Your leg was forward and raised slightly on its toes, meaning you were ready to block a hit to your lower body, and/or kick back. Lastly, the tattoos on your chest and face are incredibly noticeable, meaning you’re either a current yakuza or an ex one who isn’t ashamed of your past. So, in conclusion, you were an illegal fighter for the Yakuza, a dangerous one at that, and they probably have a strong presence here for you to be unashamed of your tattoos.”
Izuku gasped as he came back to his senses. He looked wildly around him, worrying he was about to get killed for his disrespect, until Renji laughed in amazement. Izuku stared at him in disbelief, not noticing Itsuka giving him the same look, until the man stopped laughing, a stray chuckle escaping him still.

“Man, kid, I didn’t think you’d figure out all of that from that small glance! I thought you just noticed I was dangerous, not all the rest!” Renji wiped a small tear from his eyes. “You’re a bit wrong, though. I was a Yakuza, but more recently, I was a Vigilante. I got roped into a Vigilante group after their leader beat me in a fight, and before that, I did fight for the Yakuza. The tattoos are out because I helped take the group down, not because I’m proud of them or because they’re still around.”
Izuku nodded faintly, still wondering why he wasn’t dead.

“I like you, kid, tell you what, what’s your goal for the future?”
Izuku’s eyes zeroed in on the man, his fire stoked by the question.
“I’m going to be a Hero, Renji-sensei, and I’m gonna change the system while I do it.”
Renji laughed again, a deep laugh that erupted from his stomach.

“That’s good, kid! That determination will drive you a long way!”
Izuku smiled slightly, “I’ve heard that before, sensei.”

His new mentor nodded, his laughs dying down. “I’m sure you have kid, I’m sure you have.” He said, before clapping his hands together.

“So, how can I help you? What are you trying to learn?”
Izuku smiled, more confident this time as he started explaining his needs to the man, both men accidentally ignoring the orange-haired girl on the side, who looked between them in shock before huffing in anger and leaving, slamming the door behind her.

 

Once Izuku had finished explaining what he wanted to learn and the basics of his Quirk, Renji started to think, now sitting down ringside, he cupped his hands over his face as he did. Izuku watched eagerly, waiting for his surprise sensei to guide him. Izuku felt his anticipation continue to rise as the man sat, jumping up as the man snapped his fingers.

“Muay Thai.” The man said, a smile spreading across his face. “You’re gonna learn Muay Thai, specifically a subset of it called Muay Tae.”
Izuku smiled, but was slightly confused. “I’ve heard of Muay Thai before, but what do you mean a ‘subset’?”

“Muay Thai has seven different types of fighters, from heavy punchers who eat hits on the way to punch you out, to Muay Plum, a grappling and clinching-based fighter who eats hits before pulling you to the ground. Muay Tae is a style based around kicking, the fighter uses push kicks called ‘teeps’ to maintain distance before shooting off a round of kicks.’ Renji explained. “The point of the style is to make people suffer for even trying to get near you. The second someone comes at you, you throw out as many kicks as you can, and if you do it right, you’ll at least slow them down, if not completely debilitate them with the kicks.” Izuku was listening intently. The style sounded good, but he wasn’t quite sure why it was suited for him. His legs weren’t especially long or muscular compared to the rest of his body, and he couldn’t help but be disappointed, he had always imagined himself punching when he thought of being a Hero, emulating All Might.

“The reason you’re going to be focusing on kicks,” Renji continued, oblivious to Izuku’s struggle. “Is because of one big, sharp reason.” Izuku felt his eyes widen as comprehension dawned on him. “That’s right kid,” Renji seemed to have noticed his understanding. “You have a sword, your hands have to be the least involved in your fighting style unless you don’t wanna use it. Muay Tae will let you keep your hands a bit safer, and help you keep range in case you decide to pull it out in a fight. It’s the best option for you and your Quirk that won’t result in you neglecting your body or your Quirk.”
Izuku was nearly jumping in place now, he couldn’t wait to get started!

“How are we gonna start?” Izuku asked, his impatience leaking through into his voice. Renji grinned before pointing to one of the bags lining the side of the gym.

“You see that?” Izuku nodded, slightly confused. “Go kick it.” Izuku suddenly wasn’t quite so impatient. Sighing, he moved to the bag, touching it with his hand before squaring his body into the best imitation of a fighter's stance he could manage.

“Let me guess,” He grumbled. “Only stop when you say I can.” Renji raised an eyebrow at him, confused.

“No?” Izuku felt his hopes rise, “200 on each leg should be good!” and then felt them fall. Renji moved towards him, his eyes scanning Izuku’s form.

“This isn’t a terrible boxing stance, but you’re not doing boxing. Stand like this.” Izuku looked closely as Renji took up his stance, arms raised to a little below elbow height with his hands open, palms facing outwards. His left leg was forward, raised slightly onto its toes as he let it bounce, and his right leg was back and steadier but still able to move. He was leaning slightly forward, his chin tucked. “Are you left or right-handed?” Renji asked, returning to his normal posture.

“Left.” Izuku responded.

“Then put your right leg forward as your lead leg instead of the left like me. Your lead leg is the one that you’ll use for lighter, faster hits, while your back leg is going to be your weapon of choice for heavy hits. For fast hits, push off with your back leg, and turn your shoulder slightly into the direction of the kick, or to the left for you. The power of your kicks comes from the torsion you can generate with your hips and abdominals, so really focus on those when you hit.” Renji kicked the bag, once at what Izuku assumed was fighting speed, and once slower to demonstrate. Izuku was taking furious mental notes, his hands twitching as he itched for his notebook and pencil to write it all down. “For heavier, more powerful kicks,” Renji continued to explain. “Push forwards with your right leg, switch your legs with a little shuffle-step, and then turn your upper body about 45 degrees to the right. As you throw your leg forwards, you’re gonna throw your left arm down and keep your right hand at your face for defence, that’ll help you generate some extra force in your kicks.” He demonstrated again, once fast and once slowly, before turning to Izuku.

“Now you try.” He motioned at the bag. “I’ll be right here watching every one of your 400, and I’ll let you know if your form slips.”
Izuku prepared himself, jumping up and down to loosen himself up before squaring himself with the bag and throwing his first of many kicks.

 

Izuku limped into his house, his shins were numb with pain, and his legs could barely hold up his weight, but his sense of accomplishment wasn’t diminished by the aches in his body. He hobbled his way into the kitchen, his mom nowhere to be seen, but a plate of food covered with a note attached sat on the counter.

Working late today, left some food for you. Make sure you eat it all, my little Hero needs to get his protein in!

Izuku wasn’t sure he’d ever stop feeling the giddiness that rose in him when his mom supported his dream. He had fantasized about it for so long, and now it was a reality. Part of him still couldn’t believe he had reached this point. He considered as he heated up the plate of food, it had been just over a year since the days he had feared Bakugo’s retaliation too much to train properly, and now he was learning how to fight? It just felt so…unreal to him. As he finished his meal and put it in the sink, he wrote his Mom a little note of appreciation before crawling his way up the stairs and into bed, falling asleep almost instantly.

Inko walked into her home a few hours later, noting with relief that the food she left had been eaten. She walked over and saw a new note on top of hers, reading it, she smiled and let out a watery laugh as tears formed in her eyes.

Thanks for the food, Mom! I’m training hard to be your number one Hero and son, I’ll make you proud.

Signed, Your Little Hero.

“You already have, honey.” She mumbled happily, “You already have.”

 

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Izuku longed for the days when he could wake up without his body aching. He remembered his beach cleaning days fondly, when his biggest worry was the next piece of trash and not the risk of his shins breaking clean in half. Three months into his Muay Tae training and his body was expressing its dissatisfaction every waking moment since he’d started. ‘Still,’ Izuku considered, stretching as he left his bed. ‘At least I’m improving.’ His training had been going more than smoothly, according to Renji-sensei, he was above the level of most amateur fighters by now, and could probably “Absolutely destroy” an untrained thug on the streets. Izuku wasn’t as sure about his skills. While his time with Renji-sensei had started melting the cold block of fear in his mind, he was still scared that he wouldn’t be enough to keep those people. Bakugo had left him when he was determined to be useless, his Mom, while kind now, hadn’t supported him then, and he had grown up being ostracized for his uselessness. The people in his life now, like Renji-sensei, All Might, and his Mom, wouldn’t they leave him too if he couldn’t keep up? ‘Mom only started supporting me when I got a Quirk.’ He remembered, his face souring as the now familiar thought came to mind. ‘Same with All Might. And Renji-sensei doesn’t even know how useless I used to be, but he’d leave for sure if he did.’

Izuku’s thoughts continued to spiral lower and lower as he left his house, his face stormy as he tried and failed to expel the negativity from his head. As he entered the gym, he started fumbling with his key card, seeing the orange-haired girl ‘Itsuka’ He remembered, standing in the ring with her gloves on, seemingly warming up. She turned towards him at his entrance and smiled viciously underneath her helmet, sending shivers up Izuku’s spine. His feet shuffled immediately, ready to run before Renji-sensei popped out from behind one of the ring posts, smiling at his pupil.

“Hey, kid!” He greeted cheerfully, failing to disperse Izuku’s nervousness. “We’re gonna be doing something a bit different today, you,” He pointed at Izuku. “Are gonna be fighting my granddaughter over there!” His finger moved to Itsuka, who clenched her teeth and pounded her fists together. Izuku gulped, it was like he could feel the anticipation pouring off of her body in waves, it was bearing down on him like the air had become heavier around him. He shuffled again, his legs starting to tremble a bit as images of Bakugo flashed through his mind, the oppressive aura surrounding the girl reminding him of the same aura that emanated from his childhood friend. He startled as he felt an impact against his chest. Looking down, he saw shin pads, a helmet, gloves and a mouth guard being pushed into him by Renji-sensei’s arm. He looked up again to see the man smiling at him.

“Get in there, kid. I believe in you.” The words did nothing to help Izuku feel better, if anything, they made him feel even worse. He was about to get pummeled and let his sensei down at the same time. He was frozen, the pressure of the situation freezing his legs to the ground before he forced them to move. Slowly, jerkily, he made his way to the other side of the ring, beginning to strap his equipment on.

“Soul, what do I do?” He muttered, his breath quickening. “She’s gonna kill me!” He waited for the familiar, soothing voice of his Quirk to call back to him, but felt and heard nothing. “Soul?” He asked again, panic mounting. Before he had time to ask again, he was dragged to his feet by Renji-sensei and was led to the middle of the ring. He looked around frantically, begging anyone to help him out, get him away from the inevitable loss and the cruelty that would follow it.

“Alright, kids, touch gloves.” And just like that, Izuku’s fate was sealed. The world faded out. He could hear his breath whistling through his ears, his heart pounding in his chest, and he could feel sweat dripping down his forehead. He tried his best to enter his stance as he reached out and touched her gloves, but his legs were shaky, and his arms wouldn’t move right and he couldn’t breathe and they were gonna hate him-

A fist connected with his jaw, he hadn’t tucked his chin in his panic and it cost him. He wheeled back, forgoing his stance completely, and tried his best to dodge or block hits. He felt like the world was closing in around him, the hits were connecting but the fists were starting to look smaller and smaller in his eyes, until they resembled the ones that beat him that day at the creek. He had only wanted to help, why were they hitting him? He curled up, his head coming down and his arms going further up, trying to protect his head. He hadn’t meant anything by the gesture, his body just moved on its own, so why was Kacchan beating him up? Why were his friends helping? Wasn’t he their friend, too? The punches stopped. Izuku looked up, the visions of Bakugo and his friends fading as he saw the girl he was supposed to be fighting, tears in her eyes as she glared at him.

“Why aren’t you hitting me back!” She cried out, her fists clenched the best they could be around her gloves. “Do you think that you’ll hit me too hard, or that I’m ‘too pretty’ to get hit?!” She marched towards him, and he scrambled back as she got closer until his back hit the post. “Well, I’m not! You won’t win! I don’t care if Grandpa is teaching you instead of me, or if you do want to be a Hero! I want to be one too! I’m not fragile !” Her voice cracked at the last syllable before dropping to a whisper. “I-I’m not useless. ” Izuku’s world cleared at the last sentence. What had he done? In his panic, his fear, he had subjected this girl to the same treatment he had gotten, he had ignored her feelings. She must’ve been suffering, Izuku realized. A random boy coming in and taking her grandfather’s attention. It must’ve felt like a slight against her for being born ‘wrong’, and now that same boy was in front of her, and he wasn’t even trying to hit her? She probably felt ten times worse.

‘If I can’t help her,’ Izuku felt his determination rise as his body did, his feet squaring towards her in his practiced stance, his body no longer shaking. ‘What kind of Hero will I be?’

“You’re right.” He said, his voice calmer now. “You’re not useless. And I’m sorry. Let’s try again.”
She scoffed but put her hands up, desperation leaking from her like water from a pipe.
“Don’t try to act all confident now, rookie.” She sneered. “I don’t care if Grandpa trained you, I’ve been training way longer than you.”
Izuku shoved the fear that rose in him down at the words, burying it, no, burning it away as he smiled.
“I don’t know about that,” He teased, adrenaline pumping through him. “He said I was pretty damn good.”

She scowled before darting forward, her hands close to her body, and swayed. She was a boxer, Izuku realized, meaning her Quirk probably focused on her hands. His thoughts drifted for a brief second before he pushed himself back to the present. He watched her approach closely, and still almost missed the moment she pushed forward. She ducked as her back foot rocketed her forward, almost disappearing from his vision. He managed to look down before she threw an uppercut, and leaned back, throwing his right arm down to gain momentum. 

‘This is my chance!’ She was slightly off balance, not having expected him to dodge. He hesitated for a split second, not sure about hitting her, before remembering her words, the raw emotions that had poured out of her. Steeling his heart, he squared his feet to her, turned his torso 45 degrees to the right, threw his right hand down, and launched a kick at her with his right leg, holding back slightly. It was still sparring, he reasoned, no one goes all out when sparring, right? He watched her eyes widen, surprised at the retaliation, before they sharpened, the desperation leaking from her seeming to ebb as she saw him fighting. She raised her arm to her face, blocking the kick from connecting with her head, but the block was too hastily made, his kick slammed through, forcing her elbow to connect with her head and shaking her up. She stood up quickly, but swayed slightly, her left arm rising slightly too high.

‘Chance!’ This time, Izuku didn’t hesitate; his body moved with the memory of the tens of thousands of kicks he had done over the past month, and he rocketed his leg into her ribs. Her body contorted around his leg, and she let out a quiet ‘oomf’ as the air was forced out of her lungs. She staggered back, looking up at him. First, it was disbelief, then it was satisfaction, and finally, she smiled ferociously. He had proven himself.

‘Now I gotta survive the aftermath.’ He prepared himself as she lunged towards him. The same way she had done at the start of the fight, this time, he wouldn’t lose himself in the past, he would fight to save Itsuka from hers and overcome his here and now! He launched another kick, preparing for either a dodge or a hit, but was surprised when she caught it, cradling it between her arms and her ribs.

“I’m a kickboxer, ” She said, grinning up at him. “Don’t get too caught up in my arms, rookie.” She yanked on his leg, cocking her other arm back as she waited for him to get in range.

‘Gotchu.’ Izuku thought, his mind uncharacteristically vicious. He waited for her to throw the punch before ducking under it, his palms hitting the ground and supporting his weight in a semi-handstand as he threw his other leg up and forwards towards her head. ‘ Manji kick!’

She hadn’t seen it coming, but managed to lean back just enough so his foot clipped her chin rather than connect fully with the side of her head, but kept hold of his leg. Izuku cursed. He had hoped to make her let go of his leg with his earlier move, but she had just barely dodged. He twisted his body slightly more, his caught leg aching at the decision, until he was facing the opposite direction from her before throwing his foot back in a flurry of mule kicks. This time, she was forced to let go, stumbling back to avoid the storm of hits. The two regained their balance, Izuku favouring his right leg as the pain of his ankle and knee twisting in her grip made its presence known, and Itsuka stumbling slightly from the two connecting head kicks. They both took a slight break, circling each other as they eyed each other up. They rushed back in, trading hits and grapples. Izuku could feel his stamina drain as they continued to exchange blows; he hadn’t trained as much as her, after all, and while kickboxing didn’t suit itself particularly well against Muay Thai, she had obviously supplemented her learning with some sort of grappling technique, one that made his kicks much more dangerous to throw. Izuku saw her smiling, and an answering smile rose to his face as he launched a front kick into her stomach, forcing her away.

‘This…’ Izuku thought, catching a punch on his arm before swinging an elbow back. ‘This is so much fun!’ Izuku couldn’t recall the last time he had had this much fun, his blood pumping and sweat flowing, adrenaline rushing through him as he gave his all against someone who was doing the same. ‘It feels so-so good!’ He cocked his arm back, throwing a cross. When she dodged, he let the momentum carry his body forwards, nearly flipping over before catching himself with his hands and his left leg. ‘One more time!’ He threw his right leg forward, his other leg on the ground, adding that much more power to his strike. ‘Manji Kick!’ Itsuka leaned away, his leg brushing past her face as she dodged. “I’ve seen that one already, I won’t fall for it again!” She cried out as she prepared to throw her fist down at his head. Izuku knew he would be out if she got him now, he had no defence, his arms were both still on the ground, and his leg was still in the air, but-

‘I don’t want this to end yet!’ He snarled as he put all his weight onto his arms, ignoring how they screamed in pain, lifting his grounded leg to follow his earlier kick, catching himself on the toes of his left leg as he swung the heel of his right towards her with all the strength his core could eke out.

“Bet you haven’t seen this one yet!” His face contorting into a victorious grin, he had aimed at her ribs, and with her leaning forwards for her punch, there was no way she could dodge this now! Even as the thought crossed his mind, she smiled back, victory in her eyes.

“I did, though?” She fell back into a bridge. The punch had been a feint! He realized as the second leg swiped just over her body. He fell over, his arms unable to maintain the position in the face of his leg’s momentum, and she took the opportunity, rolling him over and pinning him to the mat with his arm in one hand and her palm on the back of his head, shoving his face into the ground. He felt her yank his hand back, torquing his shoulder until it was just slightly painful. He squirmed for a moment, but fell limp soon after, his body too tired to muster up the energy to even try escaping. He let his left hand, pinned under her knee, tap the ground three times, and she rolled off of him, falling onto the mat herself if the sound she let out was any indication. He rolled over, facing the ceiling. He could feel the pain all over his body, from blocked and landed hits, could feel the sweat caking his body and cooling, could feel the exhaustion rush over him, but, more than anything, he could feel the exhilaration of the fight coursing through his veins. He let out a laugh as he stared at the ceiling of the gym.

“That was fucking awesome.” He breathed out, still panting from the exertion. “God, I should’ve done that sooner!”
Itsuka snorted next to him, turning his head towards her.

“Yeah, you should’ve. Wanna tell me why you had that weird 180 mood switch?” She had said it sarcastically, not really expecting an answer, but Izuku, running on the high of his fight, answered anyway.

“I used to get beat up as a kid. Like a lot. When you started punching, I had a bit of a flashback or something to one of the worse days. You said you weren't useless, that's why I had to fight back.” He turned to her, his eyes shining with grit. “They bullied me for not having a Quirk, I developed it late. Neither of us are useless just because of the way we were born, and if anyone says you are, then just hit them like you did to me.” Itsuka’s eyes widened, before she turned her eyes to the side.
“I know that, idiot.” Her voice was quieter, and slightly wet. Izuku pretended he hadn’t noticed. 

 

When the two of them got up, they were greeted by Renji-sensei, who was ecstatic about their fight.

“Itsuka, your grappling has improved so much! And I’ve never seen you fall into a bridge that smoothly before either!” Izuku snickered as the tough-as-nails girl who had just beaten him blushed and pulled her ponytail in front of her mouth, hiding from her grandpa’s compliments. His snickering was quickly cut off by Renji-sensei moving on to him.

“And Izuku! What a performance! The start was a bit rough, but man, you really got it together! That cartwheel kick was something else, I don’t think I showed that to you!”
It was Izuku’s time to blush as Itsuka laughed.

“W-well, I kinda just…moved?” He said, unsure himself of why he had done it. “I couldn’t think of anything else that wouldn’t leave me completely wiped, I mean, she had my leg in a lock, I had to go for something big to make her let go. The Manji kick was just the first thing that came to mind.” Renji-sensei laughed enthusiastically.

“Great! Keep practicing that, what did you call it? Manji kick? Yeah, keep practicing that. Itsuka here,” He ruffled her hair, her face growing redder. “Has been practicing since she was a kid, and you nearly took her head off!” Itsuka scowled at that, the effect ruined by her bright red face.

“You’ve still got a long way to go before you beat me, rookie, don’t get the wrong idea!” She glanced over at him, her eyes softening. “But, you, you weren’t that bad.” She said quietly, her face still bright red. He smiled back at her, reaching his hand out for her to shake.

“You were pretty good too, Itsuka.” He said as she shook his hand, ignoring the small ‘eh’ she let out at hearing him say her name. “But,” His smile turned competitive, and he gripped her hand a bit tighter. “I’ll be trying my best from the start, next time. I’m gonna beat you!”

She smiled, her hand gripping his back just as tight, if not tighter. “You can try! But uh, why are you calling me Itsuka?” Izuku looked back at her, his head cocked slightly to the side.

“Well, that is your name, isn’t it?”

She laughed, her mind apparently connecting dots that he hadn’t known existed.

“Ohhh, yeah, that’s what grandpa calls me, but my full name is Kendou Itsuka.”
She laughed even harder as Izuku felt blood rush to his head. “You look like a strawberry!” She cackled.

“I-I called you your first name? Oh my god, I’ve been calling a girl by her first name in my head for months!” He continued to mutter about impropriety and disrespect, Kendou laughing by his side while Renji-sensei watched them with a sweatdrop forming on his forehead.

“What am I gonna do with you two?” He smiled, exasperation replaced by fondness. He clapped his hands together. “Alright, enough of that! You two still have exercises to do!”
The two groaned, but rose, albeit unsteadily, and got to work. This time, however, they worked together, not on opposite sides of the gym, or on different days; they laughed and joked with one another, encouraging each other and working harder than ever.

 

When Izuku got home, he had to wave off his Mom’s concern over the bruises all over his arms, explaining a sparring session to her had taken a while, and by the time he had managed to peel her crying body off of his, the exhaustion of the day crashed into him like a car. He barely managed a shower before he collapsed in bed, out like a light.

He opened his eyes. It didn’t feel like he had been asleep for long, he thought, still groggy. He yawned, reaching over to his bedside table to check the time, freezing as he touched stone instead of wood. He shot up, tensing and then relaxing slightly as he recognized the pipe hallway from his first test; he was in his mindscape. He followed the pipes, luckily no heat or pressure bearing down on him this time, walking until he reached the chamber of his soul. The bonfire in the middle of the room burned bright, brighter than when he had last seen it, and he walked towards it, entranced by the light.

We have much to talk about, child. Soul’s voice rang out.

“Yeah, we do.” Izuku’s voice was cold, he could remember the panic he felt before his fight with Kendou, the overwhelming fear and the desperate attempts, the pleas to speak with Soul. He had begged the Quirk to speak with him, and had been left wanting.

“Let’s talk, Soul.”

Notes:

Welp, a long chapter there. This one took a bit longer to write. I didn't want to make the fight scenes super unrealistic, so I spent HOURS searching up Muay Thai fights and got dragged into a bit of a rabbit hole, but I hope it made the fic a bit better! Renji has made a cameo, and his "vigilante group" is here too, wonder who that could be /s. Unfortunately, he and his group won't have a huge impact on the story. I have plans, and they are not a huge part of it. I was originally going to make Izuku accidentally use his Quirk and hurt Kendou, resulting in Renji being super upset and kicking him out, and making a bunch of angst, but that would be just way too much work later, and I went with him and Kendou fighting it out instead. I know Muay Thai is a little cliche, but really it's one of the best ways to fight, and a kicking variant of it is perfect for our little swordsman. Thanks for reading!

Chapter 4: A Hero's Burning Training Montage! Part 3, Shocking Revelations!

Summary:

Izuku was ready for an unpleasant conversation, but what is the true nature of his Quirk anyway?

Notes:

Hello! Another new chapter here, pretty sure it's my longest yet clocking in at just below 9000, hope you enjoy!

Izuku took a trembling breath, his exhale loud and echoing in the vast chamber of his soul.

“Why-” His breath caught, cursing himself in his head, he cleared his throat and tried again. “Why didn’t you answer me when I called, Soul?”

You needed to overcome that trial yourself. Soul’s voice was infuriatingly calm. Why did it get to be so calm when it had made him so anxious just a few hours ago?

“No.” Izuku channelled his anger, remembering the panic he had been in, wondering why a part of him had gone missing, whether it would ever return. “No, there were other ways to DO THAT!” His voice rose at the end, his anger forcing its way into his voice. “You could’ve just-just told me I had to figure it out! I wasn’t dealing with the panic of fighting her when I couldn’t hear you, Soul! I was dealing with wondering if you were gone, if I was going to be worthless again! You-your little lesson didn’t work. If it wasn’t for Itsuka telling me her problems, I would’ve just gotten beat up!”

You needed to learn to work around and fight others, you can’t fight villains if you’re too scared to-

“I wasn’t scared about fighting her, Soul, I just said that! I was scared about losing you!” Izuku was near incandescent with rage. His Quirk had left him to dry, causing all sorts of mental issues to rise to the surface without a care in the world! “I was scared that I would be DEKU again, Soul! I just needed some sort of-of confirmation that I wasn’t alone again!” He was panting now, his anger rushing out of him with each breath. It was replaced with a new feeling, one he couldn’t quite put a name to. He felt like a part of him had been ripped away, and there was a void in his chest, a hollow spot that stretched over a part of him that had been whole and warm earlier. ‘Oh,’ Izuku realized, tears building in his eyes. ‘This is loss.’

“I can’t trust you like I used to, Soul.” He rasped, wiping tears from his eyes with the heels of his palms. “I thought you had the best for me in mind, but you left me hanging, Soul. I just needed some reassurance, reassurance from someone I thought would always be there, someone I trusted to always be there.”

I do, child, I just… Soul hesitated, the fire dimming down. It was the first time Izuku had heard Soul sound anything other than certain. I made a mistake . Soul admitted. I thought that, if you could fight without me, then it was a guarantee we could fight better together. I didn’t-I didn’t want any of what happened in the beginning to happen. Soul paused again, his voice unsure and soft. I understand you’ve lost trust, but please, I-I’m sorry, child. I didn’t think you would have a flashback like that, I thought you’d take a hit and realize the situation, not get whaled on for nearly five minutes.

Izuku could feel the hole in his chest mending at the apology. He knew Soul had only had the best intentions for his training, but still…

“Just,” He sighed, folding his head into his hands. “Just tell me from now on, okay?”

I will, child. Soul’s voice was solemn, and Izuku hated that, despite everything, he couldn’t help but trust it.

 

Year 2214, Izuku age 16, Time until U.A. Entrance Exams: 10 Months.

Soul had been more forthcoming since their confrontation in the chamber of his soul, not hiding details about why he was learning things or why he had to do things a certain way. Izuku appreciated the insight, especially as he learned more about the Quirk.

“What do you mean my hand-to-hand training was just going to be me kicking a tree until my legs stopped hurting and then trying to challenge a gym?” Izuku asked incredulously. Something that he had learned about Soul once the Quirk opened up more was how much, or how little, in this case, the Quirk actually knew. Sure, he knew the basics, how to throw a punch without breaking your thumb, or kicking without breaking either you or your opponent's leg, but the Quirk didn’t actually know much about fighting. It wasn’t omnipotent, Izuku supposed, but why had it tried to hide so much when it knew so little? Either way, Quirk and user had gotten closer after they cleared the air, so much so that Izuku felt he trusted him more now than he had before the incident. So, when Soul shouted Duck! While he was on his way to the gym, Izuku didn’t hesitate like he once might have, immediately throwing himself into a forward roll and shooting up, turning around and taking in the sight of a boy stumbling forward, his fist still outstretched.

“How dare you dodge my punch, Deku?”Izuku raised his eyebrow at the boy before him. He looked vaguely familiar, but no one he knew off the top of his head.
“Who’re you?” Izuku asked bluntly, his hands settling into his pockets. He watched as the boy pulled himself back up from his near fall, before rubbing underneath his nose as if trying to act confident.

“You must have a death wish, Deku! We told you not to apply to U.A., but it looks like you haven’t given up!” Izuku cocked his head to the side at that. He had no idea where this guy had come from, but he didn’t seem like any of his past bullies. ‘ Probably someone trying to get in favour with Bakugo.’ He reasoned. There were always people in the past who helped hold him down or trip him when he was trying to run from Bakugo. They always wanted the same thing, for the kid with the powerful Quirk to hang out with them, like they could leech off of his strength. He sighed, dismissing his wannabe-bully.

“Look, man, you can barely throw a punch. Bakugo won’t help you or anything even if you do manage to beat me up, so let’s just leave it be, yeah?”
Izuku couldn’t have imagined speaking like this to his classmates five months ago, but training with Itsuka and her relentless confidence really forced a guy to get with it or get beaten up. He winced at the reminder, checking his watch to see how much time he had left before his usual gym time. His…assailant? Izuku guessed that would be the word, lunged towards him as he looked down at his wrist, Izuku dodging effortlessly to the side, unimpressed as he watched him fall to the floor. The tackle had been much slower than even one of Renji-sensei’s demonstrations, the guy had no chance of hitting him. Izuku sighed again, aggravated.

“Look, dude, I really gotta get going, I got some people waiting for me and they’ll kick my ass if I’m late. Let’s just let this go, and there won’t be any problems, alright?”
He stood up, foaming at the mouth.

“Yeah? What a joke! No one would be waiting for a Deku like you!” Izuku rolled his eyes, but he could feel the name getting to him, his annoyance rising. First, this guy got in his way, trying to punch him, then he had the nerve to call him Deku twice, and now, he was just insulting him to his face! He squeezed out what little patience he had left as the idiot ran towards him again to the same result.

“Right, I’m a liar, now can we please get this over with? My mom’s gonna be upset if I get in trouble for a fight.” Izuku’s stomach turned as the boy grinned.

“Lying again, huh, Deku? Everyone knows your parents hate you!” Izuku felt his patience thin even further, his control hanging by the thinnest of margins as the creature in front of him belittled his relationship with his Mom.

Izuku… Soul warned. Keep control, Izuku. A fight here could end your chances at getting into U.A.I

Izuku took a deep breath and tightened the reins he kept on his patience, his Quirk acting rationally as always. He turned around and walked away, no reason to entertain this clown anymore, he reasoned. Still, his anger was simmering under the brief veneer of control he kept, and if the kid opened his mouth one more time-

“Coward!” He cried out. Izuku continued to walk; that wasn’t enough of an insult to someone like him. “I wonder if your Mom will leave like your Dad did!” Izuku stopped. His heart was thumping in his chest; he could feel the blood thrumming through his veins, and anger was climbing up and up, trying to breach his barrier of self-control. Calm down, Izuku. Soul’s voice was calm, as usual, it helped, but only a little, and, unfortunately, that would not be enough for what the poor boy said next.

“Honestly, your Mom is so unlucky! It’s a miracle she hasn’t killed herself yet!” He kept talking, but Izuku was far past the point of listening. He marched forward, the buzz of the anger ringing in his ears drowning out Soul’s panicked voice as he grabbed the idiot by the collar of his uniform.

“What’d you just say?” His voice was soft, but edged with the sharpness of steel. The boy sputtered in his grasp, trying to squirm out of his grip. He threw punches at Izuku’s face, but he didn’t react. Itsuka punched harder than that in her sleep, and even without that, Muay Thai fighters had to be tough. This fool couldn’t hurt him more than a pillow could. “I asked you what you just said, you fucking bastard!” He was yelling now, the buzzing in his ears reaching a fever pitch. He dimly noticed his body burning. It felt like magma was running through his veins. “I’ll fucking kill you if you say that shit again, you hear me? I’ll kill you!” He shook the boy around, his grip tightening around his collar, cutting off his airways. He kept the boy there, uncaring of the multitude of hands that suddenly tried to pull his hands away from the boy’s throat, or of the multiple voices screaming at him to let go, until an explosion rocked his ears enough for him to slightly loosen his grip on the maggot, the hands managing to pull him away. He swung his head around, looking at the insect that had escaped his grasp, and roared, the sound tearing its way through his throat, lunging forward to finish the job. An arm wrapped around his neck, and he flailed, fighting for purchase.

“Tell my Mom to kill herself again, you little shit! I’ll crush your vocal cords, how about that?! That way you won’t be able to say shit like that again! Let me go, I’m gonna kill him!” He screamed, first at the target of his ire, then at the people holding him back, reinforcements coming after the first set of hands had proven lacking. A slap rocketed across his face, bringing him to his senses as he blinked up at whoever had hit him. A familiar face was in his vision, orange hair and teal eyes.

“Itsuka?” He questioned, shock momentarily overwriting his anger before it came shooting back. “Itsuka, let me go or I swear to god-” She slapped him again, clearly unimpressed with his words.

“Look at yourself.” She shook her head. “I thought you wanted to be a Hero.” He lunged forward, stopped by the hands still wrapped around his torso and throat, ready to argue. His words stuck in his throat when he took in the scene around him. There was the thing that had instigated this, crying on the floor and heaving out breaths, his face slowly turning back to a normal colour instead of the blue tinge it had taken on. Noticeable was a burn around his neck, shaped like a handprint. ‘My handprint.’ Izuku realized in horror. Around him, there were several people, his friends, probably, all glaring at him. Anger and fear were almost dripping out of their eyes, like the tears that were falling from their faces as they checked over their friend. His mind caught up to the situation at hand, and he froze, finally understanding what his anger had made him do.

‘No.’ Izuku looked down at his hand, it was shaking. ‘No, what I allowed my anger to make me do.’ He cursed himself in his mind. He was supposed to be helping people, not-not shoving them into walls and trying to kill them! Tears appeared in his vision, his body trembling nonstop as his actions caught up to him. He didn’t resist being told to go to the office, staggering there numbly as he considered what he had done. The looks directed at him were familiar and yet not at the same time, like he had seen them before, but not directed at him. Just what was it, he wondered, before realization came to mind. It was the same look they all gave Bakugo, without any of the respect. This was just fear. Izuku felt his sense of self collapse as he realized it. He was just like Bakugo, just like his tormentor of 16 years.

 

Izuku still felt numb by the time his Mom walked into the office. It looked like she had come straight from work, he noticed, guilt now joining the negative emotions in his chest, taking in her rushed and dishevelled appearance. He zoned out as the principal and his Mom began talking about what had happened. Why had he done that? Why had he let his anger control him, and in such a-a vicious way! He couldn’t be a Hero like this!

“Izuku?” He was cut out of his thoughts by his Mom’s voice. He looked towards her, his heart breaking at the look in her eyes. “Is-is it true, honey? Did you really almost kill that boy?” Izuku could see the hope in her eyes, he knew she was praying he would refute the statement, say something about how Heroes wouldn’t do that, but he couldn’t answer her prayers. Unable to look her in the eyes anymore, he turned away, shattering her hopes.

“I see.” Her tone changed, hopefulness fading and replaced by what seemed like resignation. “What are the next steps, principal?”
The man, a literal walrus due to his Quirk, twirled the whiskers on his face. Izuku knew he was happy about this, knew he had been waiting for a reason to kick the Quirkless kid out of his “top-level” school, and he had still delivered him that reason on a silver platter.

“Well, Mrs. Midoriya.” He leaned forward, hands covering what was no doubt a gleeful expression. “I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do here. The only option is expulsi-”
“Hold it!” A familiar voice rang out. “Stop right there!”
Itsuka barged into the room, panting for breath and holding a phone out towards them.

The principal stood, whiskers straightening in outrage.

“Young lady, I don't know where you think you are, but-”
“You can’t expel Izuku.” She said triumphantly. Izuku wondered what made her so confident, especially when she had been so disappointed earlier. The principal chuckled at that.

“Oh? I can’t you say?” He walked towards her. “And what makes you think that, dear?” Itsuka pointed at the phone, everyone looking at it as she hit play. Izuku’s heart stuttered. It was the beginning of the altercation he had had with the other boy. The video showed the boy trying to sneak-attack him, before trying to tackle him, and finally captured the moment the boy opened his mouth and said the words that had caused Izuku to snap.

“If you expel him, I’ll release this video,” Itsuka said, her voice awash with pride. “I’ll send it to every news company this side of Japan! Who do you think the media will think is the bad guy? The guy who tried to hit someone in the back of the head, tackle him multiple times, and who told that person’s mom to kill herself, or the guy who snapped after all of that and fought back?”
The walrus had started to deflate noticeably as the video played, his whiskers drooping as he realized the magnitude of the statement. He sat back in his desk, the seat creaking as he did, before seeming to think.

“I can’t keep him in the school.” The principal replied, his tone serious. “The other students will never be able to learn with him around.” And oh, if Izuku could’ve hit him then and there, he would’ve. HE was the problem?? What about Bakugo, who regularly launched explosions through the halls, or burned people he thought did better than him! He managed to keep his anger in check this time, the memories of his fight a mere few moments ago calming him down.

“My son will withdraw from your school,” Inko stated, her voice stiff. “I’ll enroll him in an online curriculum for the remaining few months of school. In exchange, nothing goes on his record.”

The principal considered it for a few seconds before agreeing, and, just like that, the trio were released. Inko turned to Itsuka.

“I’m incredibly grateful for your help.” She said to the girl with a smile, before her expression turned apologetic. “But I need to talk with my son about this. You guys can catch up tomorrow.” Itsuka looked like she wanted to protest, but gave in, nodding to Izuku as she walked away. Izuku followed his Mom to the car. He wasn’t sure how to feel. On one hand, he had acted against how a Hero should, and had almost killed a boy, but on the other, the boy had said something truly irredeemable, and he wouldn’t be facing any massive consequences for his actions. He fretted as his Mom began driving home. He wished she would just yell at him already, get it over with so he could stop feeling so anxious about it. Contrary to his wishes, the car was silent until they reached their home and entered the living room.

“I’m not angry, Izuku.” Izuku felt equal amounts of confusion and relief rush through him. “I’m not angry you what you did, that boy had it coming.” Ok, Izuku was definitely more confused than relieved now. He had done something completely unheroic, why wasn’t she mad at him for it?

“I am upset, however.” This was it. Izuku squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for the words he would hear. “That you didn’t tell me about any of this before.” His eyes flicked open, and he felt his Mom’s hands on his cheeks. Tears rose to his eyes as he looked into his Mom’s compassionate eyes, and as she embraced him, his head buried in her hair, he bawled like a baby as he realized the depth of his Mother’s love.

He could feel her tears soaking his shirt, but he couldn’t have cared less, nothing could make him pull away from the warmth his Mom emanated. It was much gentler than the fire that burned through him when he got angry, Izuku thought. This was a protective fire, one shaped by love and care, not anger and hatred. ‘This is the fire I need.’ Izuku realized. ‘This is the fire I can use to help, not harm.’ Izuku ignored the sense of wrongness that the thought had brought to him, it made him feel queasy just thinking about it.

 

He eventually backed away. He had so many questions to ask, why wasn’t she upset? What were they going to do now that he didn’t have a school to go to? Other questions zoomed around in his head, but his mother seemed to notice and put her hand across his mouth.

“I have to go back to work, sweetie.” She said gently. “Why don’t you go take a shower and cool off. There’s some food in the fridge like usual, so make yourself comfy and we can talk when I get back.”
Izuku’s brief bout of joy burst. Here was his mother, working as a single mother, putting food on the table, cooking for him, and how had he repaid her? By getting into a fight and nearly killing someone over words. Sure, the words were harsh, but he should have controlled himself, especially because of the way his Quirk seemed to have leaked out of him in the moment.

Come to the mindscape tonight. Soul’s voice was, surprisingly, not full of anger. Izuku had half-expected the Quirk to be upset at him; he had almost ended their dreams before they could even begin, after all.

“You aren’t angry?” He asked.

We will talk about it tonight. Soul’s voice was still calm, but now it was stern. Rest, boy.

Izuku shrugged. There wasn’t much he could do to change Soul’s mind, so he might as well listen.

In the shower, Izuku recalled how it had felt to wrap his hands around the boy's throat. His body trembled as he slowly accepted the feelings that came with it. Even now, if the boy were put in front of him again, Izuku was worried he would try to kill him again. Even more worrying was the fact that Izuku had liked the feeling of holding a life in his hands. He liked how it had felt to feel the pulse slowly dwindle, the rush of blood slow, and breath run short. Confusing, however, was the fact that he didn’t want to actually kill the boy; he just wanted that power over him. Izuku wanted power; he wanted strength, and it scared him. He wasn’t that kind of person, he just wanted to save people! How was he supposed to be a Hero when all he wanted was-was strength! He went through the rest of his shower robotically, unwilling to accept the conflicting feelings that ran through him, before sitting at his table and staring at the plate of food. The note was similar to what his Mom normally wrote, she was proud of him, and wished him luck in training, calling him her little Hero. As he raised a spoonful of food to his mouth, his vision blurred, tears gathering in his eyes. This meal wasn’t meant for him. He wasn’t her little Hero.

 

By the time his Mom had come home, Izuku hadn’t resolved any of his issues. He waited, anxious, for his Mom to start the conversation, but also wishing it wouldn’t happen.

She sat next to him.

“Izuku,” Her voice was soft. “How long have people been talking to you like that in school?” That was it. He couldn’t hold it back anymore, couldn’t keep Bakugo’s actions hidden anymore. He had wanted Kacchan to be a Hero alongside him, but it looked like that person was strictly buried in the past.

He told his Mom everything, from the burned notebooks and clothes, to the beatings for whatever slight he had committed, and finally, he told her about the day in Middle School when Bakugo had said the words that had finally started to fade from his mind. She teared up halfway through, and Izuku could feel his eyes doing the same, but he had to keep going. He had to tell her everything now, or he would never be able to tell her anything. By the time he stopped talking about the past and started talking about the present, she was sobbing, large, heaving gulps escaping her as she heard him talk.

“It-it hasn’t been that bad recently.” He said. “They’ve been ignoring me since High School started, mostly just calling me names and stuff. I think it’s because now is where they can’t afford to mess up, but even if they kept going, I don’t think any of the teachers would care.” He stared glumly at the floor. He had to tell her what he had felt, had to tell her what a monster her son was. 

“Mom, I-” He almost stopped, before steeling himself. “Mom, I enjoyed hurting that kid.” He heard her gasp but soldiered forward. “I enjoyed having control over him, Mom. I-I don’t think I would’ve killed him, but I just felt so good having power like that over him. It felt like I was on top of the world, Mom.” He squeezed his eyes shut and looked in her general direction. “Am I-Am I a monster, Mom?” He waited for…something. Honestly, he wasn’t sure what he was waiting for. Her to agree with his words, say he was a monster, or to-to kick him out. He just wasn’t sure. He flinched as her hands came to rest on his shoulder.

“Open your eyes, Izuku.” Her voice was still gentle. Why was it gentle? She should hate something like him, someone who enjoyed causing pain! “I said, open your eyes.”
He let out a mix between a groan and a whimper through his mouth, shaking his head as fear set in. “Let me see my baby’s eyes?” She asked. Izuku nearly sobbed. He was still her’s, even after this? He opened his eyes, slowly, blinking tears out of his vision as he did, and saw his Mom, smiling down at him. “You aren’t a monster, Izuku.” She said it like it was a fact, and that surety, that confidence in him, was what broke him down in the end. He lunged forwards, wrapping his arms around her and sobbing, deep, guttural sobs that shook his body as he did. “You aren’t a monster.” She continued, her hand stroking his hair gently, combing through his curls. “You’re just a boy, Izuku. A boy who was tormented and lonely for most of his life.” His sobs redoubled. How could she be defending him?! “What you’re feeling is just the result of what they did to you. Oh, my poor boy, look at what they did to you.” Her voice cracked at the end, tears finally falling from her eyes once more as she looked down at her sobbing son. “Anger is what should be expected of you, Izuku. The joy you took out of hurting him is the result of years of hatred; you didn’t enjoy hurting them so much as you did having control of the situation.” Something about that sentence gave Izuku hope. He clung to it desperately. As his Mom continued to console him, Izuku’s sobs slowly stopped, exhaustion overtaking him from the day.

“Thank you.” His voice shuddered. “Thank you so, so much, Mom.” She put her hand on his cheek and smiled again.

“The day you were born, I promised to love you no matter what, Izuku, and you haven’t given me much reason to question that love.” He nearly broke down again. How could she have so much trust in him? He mustered up a smile to match hers.
“And I’ll try my best to keep doing that.” He yawned, his tiredness making itself known again. “I think I’m going to go to sleep, Mom.” She hesitated, but nodded.

“We’re going to keep talking about this tomorrow.” She warned. “Don’t think you can get out of it so easily!”
He laughed as he made his way to bed, washing his face of the tears that streaked it before burying himself in his covers, falling asleep almost instantly.

His eyes opened as he felt a drop of burning liquid fall on his forehead. He stood up quickly and began making his way to the chamber. What did Soul want to talk about? Was he angry? Izuku asked himself. As he crossed the threshold into the chamber, he noticed that the fire had grown again, but this time it seemed to have grown hotter too, its core a slight blue.

“Soul?” He called out, walking further into the chamber. “What’s going on here? Why did you call me? Are you upset with me?” Why was his soul burning so brightly? He thought it would’ve diminished if anything, due to how upset he had been, but it was stronger than he had ever seen it.

Child. Soul’s voice was heavy, Izuku noticed, filling with dread. I seem to have…overlooked something. Something important.

Izuku was pale despite the roaring fire inches away from him, nervous sweat joining the sweat from the heat.

“What do you mean, Soul? You’re kinda scaring me here!” He tried for a joke at the end, but his voice wouldn’t reach the tone needed for it, coming out concerned instead. Soul was quiet for a moment, collecting its thoughts.

Do you remember, Soul began. When I told you that I was singeing your fear, just to give you a confidence boost?

Izuku was confused. What did that have to do with what was going on now?
“Yeah, you said you were getting rid of it temporarily so that I could feel a bit braver. What about it?”

Well, it turns out that my burning away the fear, it wasn’t as temporary as we thought.

“What does that mean, Soul?” Izuku was struggling to stay calm, his mind running through the possibilities.

Think of lighting a paper on fire, then blowing it out.

“Soul, I swear to god, if you don’t get to the point-” Izuku was definitely panicking now. What was the Quirk trying to say?
I’m getting there, just let me finish. Izuku nodded, rolling his wrist in a “go on” gesture.

When you burn a piece of paper, even for a second, you lose some material in the form of ash, or smoke. The same principle is applied to your fear, when I ‘singed’ it, some was still irreversibly lost. Izuku understood that, but what did that have to do with the events of the day? Before he could vocalize that thought, Soul continued.

Now, the first thing you need to understand is this: the fire magnifies emotions, all of them, but magnifies whatever you’re feeling the strongest the most. It continues down the line like that, so let’s say you feel mostly fear, then anger, and then joy. The fire amplifies fear by a factor of 10, anger by a factor of 8, and joy by a factor of 6, and so on and so forth. When you fought Kendou, you overcame your fear, and as a result, you’ve been more confident recently. The fire is now, instead of buffing your fear the most, buffing your anger the most, followed by your excitement.

Izuku understood the implications; the fire’s magnifying effect had been what allowed him to snap against the boy in the hallway, but there was one thing he didn’t understand.

“What joy are you talking about?” He didn’t get what the Quirk was trying to say about his excitement, what had he even been joyful about? The only things he’d been excited for recently were the U.A. entrance exams, seeing his Mom and sparring with-

His jaw dropped in realization.

That’s right, child. Soul had apparently noticed his recognition. The joy that you take from fighting, that specific feeling has been amplified by a factor of 8.

“So,” Izuku said, his tongue numb. “The reason I felt…happy with that kid’s life in my hand, that’s because of you?”

Not because of me. There is one more thing that I was unable to realize. Izuku groaned, pushing the heels of his palms into his eyelids.

“What next?” He asked sarcastically. “Am I gonna explode or something?”

I don’t think so?

Izuku blinked, his attitude gone.

“What.”
Do you remember when I said the fire was mine?

“Yep.”

Well, what I didn’t realize was, as time progresses and the fire blazes away at your emotions in your soul, it’s slowly becoming yours, adapting to you.

Izuku could feel a headache coming on.

“Please, try to explain a little better.”
Fine. The fire was under my control because I was the only presence that acknowledged it while you ignored it. I mistook this as it being mine, as I said when we met. The truth is, the ‘fire’ isn’t really fire. It’s an energy that runs through your body and takes the form OF fire.

Izuku was having a hard time wrapping his head around this, but tried his best.
“So…for all intents and purposes, it’s fire?”
Soul was clearly exasperated now, as it let out a sharp sigh.

Yeah, sure, whatever. Now, the reason that’s important is because the energy couldn’t run through your body until you opened your soul chamber, meaning it was stuck in here with me, which led me to believe it was mine. Now that the energy is running through YOUR body and adapting to YOU, it’s amplifying YOUR emotions, and I can no longer fully control it. The energy seems to have some form of awareness, nothing like me, but it can tell when your emotions spike, and it reacts accordingly, hoping to get a little snack from it. That’s why you burned that boy, because the energy ran through you and heated up your whole body.

“What does this have to do with me killing people if I explode??”

The energy running through you is literally in your veins; it has a physical and mental presence in your body. I don’t know what it could do to you.

Izuku let out a weak groan, his mind running circles as he tried to understand.

“Alright, sure, maybe I explode, what are the chances of that happening?”

Slim. The fire seems to want to keep you alive.

Izuku steepled his hands together over his nose. “What do we call this energy? Does it have a name like you do?”
No. Soul replied. I haven’t come up with one, and it hasn’t told me one, so it looks like you can come up with one.

Izuku hummed, considering a name. ‘Liquid flame? No, too boring. Magma blood? Ugh, too dramatic.’ He thought a bit more before a name came to mind.

“How about Reiryoku?”

Spiritual Power, huh? Izuku nodded energetically.

“Yep! It’s produced by my soul, and it’s basically raw power, so, Spiritual Power!”
I like it! Soul seemed happy about the name at least. Thinking of names brought Izuku to another question.

“What about the whole 'learn your name and I can use your full power' thing? Is that also wrong? Can I use the full power right now?”

No. The energy becomes yours at the pace you can handle it. For now, you’ve reached the maximum amount of energy you can hold, and I’m still in charge of the rest. Once you can hear my name, then you’ll be able to use more.

“What does your name have to do with the amount of energy I can handle?” Izuku felt the whine in his voice, but he thought it was justified given the amount of life-changing info dumped onto him.

Because until I decide you’re worthy of it, you can’t have that amount of power. Soul ditched the exasperated tone, switching to a deadly serious one. Your Quirk is actually the energy within you, it created me as a guardian of the power you possess.

Izuku couldn’t tell if the sword was being serious.

“That’s crazy! I mean, how much power can I really have?”

Enough to deter nations.

Izuku was shocked into silence. What did Soul mean? There was no way Izuku was that strong!

I thought that I was your Quirk, and I apologize for misleading you, but now that you’ve opened your soul chamber and started unconsciously using it, the energy has revealed itself as the true Quirk. I was given life by that energy. My sword form is a solidification of that energy; I exist as a part of that energy. Until I decide you are able and worthy to use the power, my name will stay locked to you, along with the massive amount of power that I keep from you.

Izuku’s chest burned. His Quirk wasn’t Soul? Soul had been created by his Quirk?

“I-I’m sorry.” He rasped. “If I’d listened sooner, maybe-maybe you would’ve known sooner. You’ve been sitting here, alone, and your entire life has been turned around!”

There is nothing to forgive, child. Soul’s voice was soothing. You were a boy, barely able to form your own thoughts. You listened to those who were wiser than you; there is no harm in that.

Izuku nodded, stifling tears as he bowed to the fire in thanks.

Now, there is one last thing we need to talk about. Izuku snapped to attention, ready for another life-altering statement.

You need to learn how to use a sword. Izuku faceplanted.

Zanjutsu, the art of swordwielding, is what you’re gonna learn. The sooner you learn how to wield me in sword form, the sooner you get to use your energy. Once you can use me reliably without any extra powers, we can get into how and when to use it.

Izuku nodded, his attention back on Soul as he thought about what to do next.

“How am I gonna learn how to use a sword? Are you going to teach me?”

Nope.

“...Then how?”

No clue. Izuku faceplanted again. Ask Renji if he knows anyone who uses a sword. He said he used to run with a vigilante gang, right? He might be able to help.

Izuku nodded with determination.

“Right!”

 

“Sorry, but I can’t help you, kid.” Izuku slumped, his hopes dashed.

“Right, shouldn’t have assumed you would know someone who can use a sword just because you’re an ex-vigilante.”
Renji-sensei laughed good-naturedly, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Now, I didn’t say that! I can’t help you until you apologize to Itsuka. She came back in a real slump yesterday, said something about you and then stormed off. She didn’t even train!”

His hand tightened on Izuku’s shoulder.

“I don’t know what happened, but if you hurt Itsuka by doing something stupid…”
“That’s not it at all, sensei!” Izuku shouted out, ignoring the pain in his shoulder. “Itsuka, she saw something that…something that probably really freaked her out. I’ll explain to you later, I promise, but where is she? I needed to talk to her anyway!”

Renji raised an eyebrow, his grip loosening, much to Izuku’s relief.

“Well, good thing you won’t have to explain later.” Izuku was confused until he connected the dots. Turning around slowly, he was met with Itsuka standing behind him, arms crossed and glaring at him. She marched towards him, her eyes alight with anger comparable to the first time they had met. Izuku gulped and tried to step back, just to bump into Renji-sensei.

“Why don’t you get to explaining?” Renji-sensei was smiling at him, eyes closed as he bared his teeth. Izuku got to explaining.

 

Once he had finished and everyone had recomposed themselves (with no shortage of tears), Renji-sensei cleared his throat, drawing Izuku and Itsuka’s attention. His face was unusually serious.

“Izuku, if what you’re saying is true and you need help controlling your emotions, I know who can teach you.”
Izuku was confused at why that was something Renji-sensei needed to be so serious about, wasn’t he just a teacher? Itsuka had no such confusion.

“Grandpa, you can’t!” She gasped. “He’ll kill him!”
Now Izuku was confused and scared.

“What do you mean he’ll kill me?!” His voice squeaked out.

He felt a bit offended when they both ignored him. This was his life they were talking about! Hello??

“He won’t kill him, Itsuka. He trained me, your grandmother, and your granduncle, and none of us died!”
Itsuka glared back at him, ready to continue arguing before Izuku decided it was probably time for him to weigh in.

“Can this guy help me learn how to use a sword and control my anger?” Itsuka opened her mouth, but Renji-sensei beat her to the punch.

“He can. He helped me learn how to fight and taught Itsuka’s granduncle how to use a sword. He helped both of us with our anger.”
“But he put you both in the hospital!” Itsuka couldn’t handle it anymore. “You guys both had more broken bones than not!”

Renji-sensei sighed and massaged his temple, like this was a fight they rehashed often.

“I told you, that was our fault! If Izuku follows his rules, there won’t be any issues!”

“Then, I’ll go.” Itsuka’s glare swung to Izuku, but he could see the panic behind them, the worry. He moved closer, wrapping her in a hug. “I have to go, Itsuka. If I make another mistake like that, I’ll never be a Hero.”
She stiffened at first, before relaxing and eventually wrapping her arms back around him.
“You’d better come back.” She muttered. He pulled away and smiled at her, making sure to infuse it with reassurance, just like All Might.

“I promise!”

“Not that this isn’t adorable.” Renji-sensei coughed. “But you still don’t know who this guy is, so maybe figure that out before you try making out with my granddaughter.

Izuku expected to feel a rush of embarrassment at that, but he honestly just felt a bit weirded out. Looking at Itsuka, he saw the same feelings mirrored on her face, which relieved him a bit.

“I don’t think,” He started slowly. “That either of us thinks of the other like that.” He was gratified when Itsuka nodded vehemently.

“It’s like thinking of dating my brother.” She shuddered. “It just feels…wrong.” Izuku nodded enthusiastically. Renji-sensei looked a bit surprised, before he shrugged and grinned.

“Well, at least I don’t have to worry about great-grandchildren just yet!” That did cause Izuku to light up like a strawberry and Itsuka to start sputtering about boundaries.

Renji-sensei laughed as Izuku and Itsuka recollected themselves before turning back to Izuku.

“Now, you’re real lucky I know this guy. He has a teaching license, meaning he can teach you instead of you going to online school, and he can help you with your swordsmanship and Quirk. He is, literally, an all-in-one package.” Izuku was about to celebrate his luck, but Renji-sensei continued before he could.
“The problem is, he lives in a different city, Karakura town.” Izuku’s enthusiasm faded. Karakura town was a long train ride away, and there was no way he could go there and back while having time for school and Quirk training!

“Your only option,” Renji-sensei said, his voice sad. “Is to go live with him until the U.A. exams, like me and Itsuka’s granduncle did. You would have to stay there until you gain control, too, no visits home until he deems you worthy of it.”

There was no way Izuku’s Mom would accept that. She would be happier if he burned another kid if it meant keeping him home!... But he had to convince her. Somehow, he had to convince her that this was for the best. He waved distracted goodbyes to Itsuka and Renji-sensei, his mind going over ways to convince his Mom to let him go. He continued thinking as he walked home, his brow furrowed and eyes pointed downward as he pondered what his options were. He could either ask her straight-out, or sneak out and deal with her wrath later. He was still considering it by the time he reached his home, and continued until he saw his food on the table, the usual note attached. His mind was made up instantly. He couldn’t hide something this big from his Mom again, or cause her to worry when she discovered his departure. His choice made, he waited for her to come home, determined to ask her face-to-face, and to convince her that this was the right choice. He couldn’t take no for an answer.

 

“I’ll allow it.” Izuku blinked. That needed way less convincing than he thought it did.

“I thought that you would need more convincing.” He cursed his mouth for moving before he finished thinking. It wasn’t supposed to talk unless he wanted it to!

His Mom turned to her, amusement and sadness dancing equally in her eyes.

“Izuku, this solves almost all of the problems you have right now. I’d be a fool not to let you.” The amusement faded, overtaken completely by sadness. “That isn’t to say I won’t miss you, because I will, but I realize that this is what you need, Izuku.” Izuku could only watch as his Mother wiped tears from her face. The idea of losing her son, even if it was only for less than a year, overwhelmed her. “I-you’ve lived here your whole life, Son, and it hasn’t been going too well for you.” She let out a wet giggle. “This is a chance for you to discover yourself, away from outside influences like Bakugo or anyone else at school. Take the chance to really find out what you want to be, ok, my little Hero?” And if any of their neighbours heard the Midoriya family have another crying fest so soon after the last, none of them said anything.

 

Renji-sensei had called the mysterious man immediately after Izuku gave him the affirmative, and had been told to send Izuku down in a week. The time moved faster than he had expected, his time spent between packing up his whole life and spending time with his Mom and Kendou and Renji-sensei. There was only a day left until he left, and he wanted to leave with a bang, so he had invited his Mom to watch his last spar with Kendou, and, despite his better judgement, promised he would win. Now that he was in the ring with her, he was much less confident. ‘Still,’ He thought, pounding his fists together and hopping from side to side as he prepared himself. ‘I think I can do it today!’

As Renji-sensei commenced the match, he immediately ducked underneath a jab, feeling the wind rush over his head as Itsuka’s fist whisked by, he felt at home, revelling in the adrenaline that poured into him. He clenched his fist and threw it at her stomach, satisfaction rushing in as he felt his fist sink into her guts, before her elbow came down at the side of his face. He took the hit, grinning at the pain, before charging in. ‘Hook.’ He could see her preparing a cross, but that was way too obvious; she wouldn’t telegraph such a predictable move. His gaze flickered over her body, cataloguing every possible attack and calculating the odds of each one being thrown, before settling on her left leg, she had slid it behind her slightly, just enough to prepare a feint. Izuku’s grin sharpened. That was the real attack! He drew his arm back, an obvious feint, or so she would think! ‘Line.’ He saw her eyes flicker to his arm, and took his chance, coming to an abrupt stop just out of her range and watched in glee as she swung out her leg, surprise filling her face as she felt the lack of contact. ‘Sinker!’

He jumped forward, fast and low, before catching himself on his arms and scything his left leg out, sweeping her remaining leg off the ground and sending her tumbling to the ground. This was it, his one chance to finish her off! He regained his footing quickly and threw his leg perfectly vertically into the air. ‘Thank you for the flexibility training, Soul!’ He swung his leg down in a vicious axe kick, outright laughing as she rolled out of the way and onto a knee.

“Let’s keep it up, Itsuka!” He couldn’t hold his joy back anymore. “I’m having so much fun! ” She grunted, standing up again.

“I’m glad one of us is.” She grumbled out, betrayed by the smile on her face, as she lunged forward, the two continuing to fight. As Izuku felt bruises form on his skin, he couldn’t help but smile even wider, his body overflowing with excitement and joy. He leaned away from a jab, lifting his right leg off the ground and twisting his left sharply until he was on her other side. He let his leg fly, aiming at the leg he had swept earlier, shuddering as the ‘thwack’ of his leg connecting filled his ears like music. She stumbled back, favouring her other leg, but Izuku wouldn’t let her go so easily! He chased after her, only to be met by her fist connecting solidly with his jaw. She had faked her injury! ‘But!’ He grabbed her wrist and pulled her into a clothesline. “That won’t be enough!” He finished aloud, his voice a roar of delight as he followed Itsuka to the floor. He grappled with her on the ring floor, trying to get a grip on her as she squirmed away. ‘Thank you, Renji-sensei, for teaching me how to fight!’ He slipped, his foot sliding out, and Itsuka took advantage immediately, straddling his chest as she prepared a hammer fist to knock him out. He growled and, in a show of his core strength and flexibility, bucked up and lifted his legs until they were high enough, and wrapped them around her throat before snapping them back down, her head connecting solidly with the ring. ‘And thank you, Itsuka,’ He thought fondly, rolling until he was lying on her back and tightening the grip of his legs around her throat. ‘For being my first real friend.’ Izuku let his legs relax as he felt Itsuka tap out. He rolled off of her and stared at the roof before laughing in disbelief.

“I did it!” He cried out. “I beat you! For the first time ever, I beat you!” He laughed even louder, turning to Itsuka in glee, before it faded as she tried smiling back at him, unable to cover her sadness.

“What’s wrong?!” He asked, panicking. “Did-did I celebrate too much? I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to-” He was cut off by her lunging at him and wrapping him in a hug.

“I’m sad because I won’t get a rematch for so long.” She said, her words muffled by his shoulder. “You did great.” He looked at her, shocked, before he laughed again, amplified excitement still running through him.

“Don’t worry, you’ll get your chance at U.A.!” Izuku said, his smile contagious. “After all, we are both going to be Heroes, right?”

Itsuka pulled away from him, tears beginning to form in her eyes before she wiped them away. She held out her fist and smiled back at him. “Right!” He connected his fist to hers, and then turned and ran to his Mom, unable to stop hollering at his (first ever!) win.

The rest of the day went by smoothly, and all too suddenly Izuku was at the train station, and all too soon he was waving goodbye to his crying Mother, and to Itsuka and Renji-sensei, and all too quickly he found himself standing outside of what looked to be a convenience store, a large sign hanging off the front labeled

URAHARA SHOP .

Izuku’s observation was cut off by a hand slapping his back. He looked up, ready to tear a new one into whoever had just hit him, before he was cut off by their voice.

“Hey there!” The man said brightly. He was dressed somewhat similarly to Renji-sensei in that he was wearing a kimono, but that was where the similarities stopped. The man’s kimono was green and incredibly loose, showing off the upper half of his chest and sloping down to show his defined abdomen. He wore a black robe on top of it, embroidered with a white diamond pattern at the bottom. He was wearing a green and white striped bucket hat, along with geta sandals. His face was shadowed slightly by the bucket hat, but strands of sandy blonde hair poked through, along with some stubble on his chin. Most noticeably, he was carrying a cane, despite the fact that he seemed perfectly fine walking without it. It also looked slightly…thicker than a usual cane? Before Izuku could look too much into it, the man spoke up again. “You must be the kid Renji sent me, Midoriya Izuku, right?” Izuku nodded slowly. He couldn’t quite put a name to it, but the aura the man gave off was…disquieting. It wasn’t of pure danger like Renji-sensei, or of fear like Bakugo, no, instead it was slightly sickening, like someone was watching every inch of him. The hairs on his arms rose as he nodded, unable to voice his agreement.

“Good!” The man said brightly. If he found Izuku’s lack of speech odd, he didn’t show it. “My name is Urahara Kisuke, but you can call me Urahara-sensei. I’ll be taking care of you for the next nine and a half months. Welcome to my shop, and your new home!” Izuku’s feeling of discomfort only grew at the man-Urahara’s words, but nodded his head anyway, taking a deep breath and grinning at the strange man.

“I’ll be in your care, Urahara-sensei!”

Notes:

Welp, that's a lot of info! As a brief summary in case anyone is confused;
1. Soul IS NOT Izuku's Quirk; he's a byproduct of it. The real Quirk is the energy, Reiryoku, or, in English, spiritual power. Soul was WRONG in the earlier chapters, It thought It knew what was going on based on assumptions of what was around him, and only realized It was wrong once Izuku used the Quirk more and it started to adapt to him instead of to Soul.
2. Izuku is angry because the Reiryoku amplifies emotions, it's an energy with the properties of fire running through his veins, it makes his emotions stronger because it likes it when Izuku burns emotions, and it thinks that if the emotions are stronger Izuku will feed it more.
3. Izuku's emotional change is because he is finally in a position of power. He was bullied for years, and now that he has the power to do something about it, it's just human nature for him to want to use it.
I know some people expected to see some sword teaching here, but honestly I thought this was the best way to intro a new character to teach him swordfighting, and get him out of school since I was kinda wasting that background. I'm debating either sending him straight to the entrance exam and showing his training as the series unfolds, or writing out his training and entrance exam as one chapter and then the 1A Aizawa test and the first Heroics exercise together, please let me know what you think is better!

Chapter 5: A Hero's Burning Training Montage! Part 4, The Blade and Me!

Summary:

Izuku is ready to start training with Urahara, but what happens when the strange man is more dangerous than he appears?

Notes:

WHOO longest chapter yet! This one is a whopping 11k words, and it honestly was a lot of fun to write! Urahara's method of training Ichigo is so barbaric but so effective I had to include it here! Hope you enjoy!

Izuku followed the odd-looking man into his shop. It didn’t look like there was much room for him to live there, but he supposed it was better than nothing. The store was stocked with candy and not much else, but Izuku had never seen the candies that were on sale. They were white and round, which was fine, but the logo was what threw him off. It looked like a skull lit on fire. The fire was a dark blue, with lines of red going through it, and a white outline. Izuku was trying to remember if he had ever seen a candy with that logo before when Urahara pushed his cane into a door, which opened into a modest-sized room.

“This is where you’ll be staying,” Urahara said. “For now, unpack your things. I’ll come by in about two hours, then I’ll introduce you to your coworkers, and we can start our training.” Izuku was ready to agree, if only to get away from the strange presence the man held, before one of his words caught his attention.

“Sorry,” He began, stopping Urahara from walking out the door. “My coworkers ?” Urahara looked genuinely surprised at his comment.

“Well, yes? You don’t think I’m hosting you for free, do you?” He laughed heartily, a sentiment Izuku didn’t share. This was his first job! What if he messed up? Was Urahara going to kick him out? What about if someone came in to steal things, should he fight?
“Woah woah woah, kid, hold your horses!” Urahara put a hand on his shoulder. Izuku had to fight not to shudder at the feeling. “It’s alright if you mess up, don’t worry too much about it, we don’t get too many customers down here!” Izuku realized, mortified, that he had muttered his thoughts aloud. He thought he had gotten rid of that! Before he could embarrass himself more, he bowed and thanked Urahara before beginning to unpack everything. Izuku hadn’t brought much with him; he didn’t want to impose on the man after already moving in with him, and so had only bought two All Might posters, his laptop and notebooks, and a few pictures from home along with his clothes. As he unpacked, he could remember his room back home, and almost cried when he realized he wouldn’t be back there for almost a whole year! What was his Mom going to do without him? Scratch that, what was HE going to do without his Mom?

 

True to his word, Urahara showed up exactly two hours later.

“You ready to meet everyone?” Izuku nodded, curiosity overtaking his nerves. Just who were the type of people who worked here? He imagined a bunch of teens who just wanted some money, but nothing could have prepared him for the truth. His jaw dropped as he saw two kids, a boy with red hair and a girl with black hair that had a slight purple tint to it. They couldn’t have been older than 12!
He turned to Urahara, his thumb pointing at the two children now at his back.

“Is this legal?” He asked incredulously. “There’s no way you can just have kids working in your shop, right?!” Urahara chuckled.

“Of course I can, they’re made by my Quirk after all!”

Izuku was getting more confused by the minute.

“What does that mean? Just what is your Quirk, and how does it allow you to make people?!”
Before Urahara could answer, Izuku heard Soul shout out in his head. JUMP! Izuku jumped and saw a huge metal kanabo fly under his legs. He turned around to see the red-haired boy staring at him in shock, holding the kanabo seemingly with ease.
“How’d you dodge that, you moocher?”

“M-Moocher?!” Izuku didn’t know if he was more confused at the name or the attempted attack, but he was saved from further assault by Urahara’s intervention.

“Now, now, Jinta! I thought I said not to hit guests with your bat!” The boy, apparently named Jinta, scoffed and crossed his arms, turning away from the man.

“Yeah, right, and why would I listen to a weirdo like you?” Izuku was severely lost. First, there were children working in a store, then, it turned out that those kids were apparently made by Urahara’s Quirk, and now, after attempting to crippled him, the kid wasn’t even listening to his apparent creator! Izuku could feel his brain smoking as he tried to figure all of this out, but felt his body straighten up as a man walked through the shop doors. He was gigantic, at least 200 centimetres, and tanned. He was wearing a white t-shirt and blue apron, neither of which did anything to hide his muscular frame. He had cornrows and a large handlebar mustache. His eyes were hidden under a thin pair of glasses. Izuku gaped at the man. There were not many men that large in Japan, especially not without an incredibly noticeable Quirk, but this man didn’t show any signs of a heteromorphic Quirk, meaning his stature was likely natural! Izuku was envious; he had grown since Middle School, nearing 180 centimetres, but he was nowhere near as big as this guy! Izuku wasn’t surprised when Jinta and Urahara both stopped talking; the man seemed to draw all attention to him even before he spoke, and when he did, his voice was deep and gravelly.

“Jinta.” The addressed boy shot into a military salute. Was this some sort of boot camp training?! “I thought I told you to take out the trash.” Izuku felt his fantasies fade at the boring task, but Jinta seemed to take it as seriously as if the man had said his Mom was in the hospital.

“Yes, sir! I will go take it out immediately, sir!” Jinta ran off to do as requested, the girl following him, leaving Izuku, Urahara, and the new man in the shop.

“Tessai!” Urahara walked over to the man, and Izuku felt some tension fade as he realized Urahara knew the man. “How come Jinta only listens to you? I’m the one who made him!” Izuku could feel his hopes for his training dwindle a bit as Urahara collapsed to the floor in front of Tessai, whining about Jinta.

“Mr. Urahara.” The man interrupted softly. “We should get to training the boy soon.” Urahara stood up so fast that Izuku wondered if he’d even been on the floor in the first place and snapped his fingers.
“You’re right, of course. Let’s get started!” He turned to Izuku, his back straightening involuntarily as Urahara’s attitude seemed to shift drastically. Where he had once been laid back, he now seemed like a true drill sergeant. “Follow me, my new student, we have some work to do.” Izuku wondered if the man was bipolar, but followed him nonetheless, eager to learn how to harness his power.

 

Izuku followed the two men down a set of stairs that he could’ve sworn weren’t there earlier into an underground hallway, ending in a set of large iron doors, bigger than Tessai twice over. Izuku was struggling to keep his mouth shut. He had so many questions, but the air was so serious, he couldn’t bring himself to ask them. His hands clenched around an imaginary pencil in his hand, wishing for his notebook.

“Tessai.” Urahara said. Tessai seemed to take that as a cue, bracing his shoulder against the door and his legs against the ground, he started to push. Izuku’s brain shorted out at the impossible sight before him.

“Man, Tessai!” Urahara seemed just as surprised as him. “You really outdid yourself here!”
“I made it to your specifications, sir.”

Izuku stopped paying attention to their conversation; instead, he took in the desert that surrounded him. He was in a multi-mile-wide complex, the ground covered in sand to resemble the dunes of a desert. There were tall, craggly mountains that poked out of the sand, and dead trees littered the area. A bright, sunny sky was somehow present in the underground chamber, the clouds seeming to move around the walls. Though looking closer, Izuku could see the sky seemed to be…painted? He could see the corners of the room intersecting, breaking up the illusion of a complete chamber. (A/N: Google Urahara shop training room if you want a better description of what it looks like!

“What-What is this?!” Izuku asked, his tone reverent. “How is this possible?” Urahara just laughed.

“Our friend Tessai over there,” He pointed at the man over his back. “His Quirk lets him project images into as wide an area as he wants. Furthermore, do you feel anything…different down here?” Izuku knew what Urahara was saying. The air was sweltering, and the sun was beaming down on him like it was a real desert, he could feel his skin heating up and sweat forming all over him.

“How is that possible?” Izuku asked again. “It-it’s like he projected an actual desert here!”
“Bingo!” Urahara cheered. “His Quirk also lets him choose the properties for the area he projects! If he wanted to, he could make this desert as cold as ice!” Izuku was taken away by the possibilities of such a Quirk. The man could change the Heroics scene easily! Burning building? Project a safe building on top of it. Hostage situation? Change the scenery and take advantage of the villain’s subsequent confusion. He could save whole cities from natural disasters! Urahara tapped him on the head with his cane, breaking him out of his mental gymnastics.

“Let’s get started, shall we?” Izuku nodded. It was time to show Urahara what he could do.

“Renji already told me all about your Quirk, new developments and all. For now, how about you summon that sword you had on the slime villain attack.” Izuku nodded again, eager to finally use his sword after such a long time. The last time he had attacked anything with the sword had been back at the slime villain attack, he reminisced. It felt like a lifetime ago; he couldn’t believe how much time had passed since then. Refocusing, Izuku felt for the hilt in his subconscious and yanked it out, the familiar purple sheath materializing in his grasp. He pulled the sword out, already feeling the difference that his martial arts training had made. His balance was much better, and his motions were smoother now. This time, his feet planted firmly and his balance improved, he didn’t fumble with the blade, pulling it out of its sheath smoothly and revelling in the feeling of holding power in his hands once again. No! He couldn’t think like that! Thoughts like that were what led to him attacking that boy; he had to control himself, that was what he was here for after all. Urahara whistled, his gaze running over Izuku’s sword.

“That’s a mighty fine blade you’ve got there.” He said, approval shining in his eyes. “How about I show you mine?” Izuku felt his heart skip a beat. Was there someone else with a Quirk like his? Urahara seemed to notice his thoughts, preemptively ending them.

“Don’t worry, kid, I’m not taking your style, but there are some similarities between our powers.” Izuku listened attentively. This could be exactly what he needed!
“My Quirk,” Urahara continued. “Must never leave this room. I’m trusting you since Renji vouched for you, but trust me, I’ll know if you tell anyone, understand?”

“Yes, sir!” Izuku responded, filling his voice with as much solemnity as he could muster.

“Good. My Quirk is similar to yours in that it has to do with souls, but the difference is that it doesn’t affect MY soul like yours does.” Izuku forced his mouth shut. He could ask questions after the explanation.

“My Quirk, simply put, lets me create souls.” Izuku’s breath left his body.

“I can create a soul, I won’t tell you how, that is something even Renji doesn’t know, and infuse it into different objects. Currently, I have three creations, or ModSouls, as I like to call them, out and about. Two of them are the pair of children you met earlier, Jinta and Ururu. Those two have been there since Renji and his friend were here to train, meaning they’re actually older than you.” Izuku couldn’t keep his mouth shut anymore; he needed to ask a question.

“But, if they’re your creations, why don’t they listen to you?” Urahara looked taken aback at his question.

“You know a lot less than I thought you did, kid.” Before Izuku could ask what he meant by that, slightly pissed off, Urahara kept talking. “I might have created them, but they’re still souls. They have their own personalities and beliefs, I have no real control over them once they’ve been created. Any more questions?” He raised his eyebrow, and Izuku felt like, despite the words, further questions would not be welcome. Accordingly, he shut his mouth and shook his head.

“Good. Now let me continue. The third object I have my soul in is why Renji sent you to me to begin with.” Urahara lifted his cane and grabbed onto the handle before pulling at it and revealing a sword attached to the cane handle. “I’ve put a soul into this here sword, and she’s allowed me to access her power, even gave herself a name. You wanna hear it?” Izuku felt he wouldn’t get the response he wanted, but nodded eagerly anyway, always ready to see Quirks in action.

“Well, too bad!” Izuku fell over dramatically, his hopes dashed. “You can learn her name once you can actually swing a sword properly! For now, I’ll teach you the basics of Iaido and Kendo, and, once you’ve gotten the hang of that, we can work on getting a handle of your firepower.” Izuku grabbed the handle of his sword and held it in front of him.

“Yes, sir!” Urahara grinned.

“Good! Let’s start with the very basic movements. Hold your sword in front of you, both hands on the hilt.” Izuku obliged, putting his right hand underneath his left and standing with his legs shoulder width apart, shoulders squared back and back straight.

Urahara hummed, walking around him and making minor adjustments, putting his legs closer together and moving his hands lower before moving back in front of him.

“Good, now swing downwards.” Izuku cringed, remembering the shitshow that had taken place when he last tried swinging his sword down, but complied, hoping that his martial arts training would help him keep his balance this time. He lifted the sword up before tensing his core and swinging downwards. He made sure to keep his feet planted firmly and managed not to fall over, relief filling him at the properly fulfilled action. Urahara nodded, his eyes firm.

“Good enough. The downward cut is the simplest and most effective move a swordsman can have. It can be used to break through a block, pressure an opponent, or as a finishing move. Before the day is up, you will swing that sword straight down 1000 times.” Izuku blanched at the ridiculous number; his arms were going to fall off! Then he remembered the handprint he had left around the boy’s throat, and his resolve reaffirmed itself. He raised the sword again, but before he could swing down, Urahara stopped him.
“I didn’t say start yet.” He seemed amused.

“We’ve got a few more swings to go through, don’t get too antsy just yet.” Izuku let his arms come back down, getting back in the base stance, waiting for Urahara to continue.

“Next up is the diagonal cut. Don’t move your sword up or down, just twist your arms until the blade is almost perpendicular to your body, but keep it a little less tilted than that. While you’re moving your arms, take a single step forward, and then slice diagonally downwards.”
Izuku did as he said, wincing at the unfamiliar strain on his forearms. The sword seemed to want to slip out of his hands.

“The diagonal cut is the one most important for setting up a combo. The downward momentum is less than that of the downward cut, so you can recover and swing it back almost immediately after using it. You will be doing 1000 of these as well.” Izuku didn’t let the number sway him at all this time, just prepared himself for more.

“The last for today is the sideways cut, similar to the diagonal cut, but sideways this time. Try your best.”
Izuku swung again, Urahara’s face giving him no idea if he was doing it right or wrong.

“The sideways cut is used to take advantage of an opponent’s guard being too high, or to take advantage of a downward cut. You will swing your sword in this way 1000 times. I will be watching each of your repetitions and correcting any mistakes. Start with the downward cut.”
Izuku took a deep breath and stretched his muscles out for a few minutes before beginning. He lifted his sword high into the air and swung down. That was 1, he thought, time for 999 more.

 

Two Months Later, Year 2214, Izuku age 16. Time until U.A. entrance exam: 8 Months.

 

Izuku sheathed his sword, the movement finally feeling natural after months of practice. ‘ That was 1000 , ’ he thought with satisfaction. It had been two months of nothing but swinging his sword. While Izuku had hated the monotony at first, after about a month of the same training, he had started to take comfort in the practice. It felt almost meditative, swinging the sword the same way so many times, he felt like he was keeping control of his emotions. He and Soul had spoken often throughout the two months. Izuku felt like he needed to make up for the long amounts of time he had ignored his Quirk, and spoke to him about the boring things going on, and about how he missed home. And oh, how he missed home. He missed his Mom’s little notes and her warm hugs. He missed Renji-sensei’s smile and teachings, and he missed his friend, Itsuka, the most. He missed fighting her every day, missed the adrenaline rush that came with it, and missed the joy he derived from their sparring sessions, except he couldn’t feel that way! He had to control himself, master his feelings. He wasn’t some maniac who only wanted to fight! He only liked sparring because it was with his friend, not because he wanted to hurt people, after all, no Hero liked hurting people. He ignored the niggling voice in the back of his head telling him he was lying to himself. This was why he liked to swing his sword, he thought resignedly. When he was training, all he could focus on was making sure his form was perfect, making sure he was putting everything he had into his strikes. He dematerialized his sword and stretched, getting ready to get some rest. Work was done for the day, and he badly needed a shower after practicing for so long in the desert heat.

“Stop.” Izuku whirled around to see Urahara leaning by the door, his voice uncharacteristically serious. Izuku was used to his unsettling aura after spending two months with the man, and had gotten relatively close with him by now, but it wasn’t often he saw him this serious.

“What’s going on, sensei?” Izuku asked, worry littering his tone.

“You’ve learned enough on how to swing your sword around,” Urahara said, his tone firm and uncompromising. “It’s time we have a bit of a test. If you can knock my hat off, I’ll declare your training over, let you go home to your Mom and Renji. If you can’t,” Urahara lifted his head, glaring at Izuku, whose body froze at the deadly determination that lingered there. “I’ll kill you.” Izuku’s heart fell through his stomach. He mustered up a weak laugh. Urahara-sensei sure was strange sometimes.

“Sensei, that’s not a very good joke, I mean-”
“I’m not joking.” Izuku was scared. What was going on? Why was his sensei threatening to kill him all of a sudden?

“Sensei. What are you-” Izuku tried again to get some sort of explanation, but was cut off again.

“Do you remember when I told you I could borrow my sword’s power?” He said, his voice flat as he unsheathed his sword from the cane.

“I think if I show you her power now, you might realize what’s going on. Be careful, though. She’s not as nice as I am.” He held the blade firmly and pointed it directly at Izuku, his clothes beginning to float as a blood-red energy flared around him.

“Wake up, Benihime.” With those words, Urahara’s sword seemed to transform, the cane handle reforming into a more normal sword handle, save for the bend at the bottom, and the red tassel that dangled from it. The blade thickened, becoming a straight-edged chokuto. There was no cross guard, the blade connecting to the hilt with only a slight U-shaped bracket hiding their connection. It leaked a crimson energy, the blade seeming to vibrate as it sang its joy at being used. Izuku jumped back, his own sword coming to his hand at the bloodthirsty aura that coated the air around him, emanating from Urahara. His hands shook as he accepted reality; his sensei was going to kill him if he didn’t fight back. Izuku felt the giddiness that always erupted within him during a fight peak its head out, but forced it away. He couldn’t be excited, damnit, someone was trying to kill him, how could he be excited about that! His rational thoughts told him to run, get away from this madman and get help, but his instincts wanted him to fight. His body itched to fight again, itched to feel the euphoria that a fight brought him. He shoved the itch down; he wasn’t some sort of addict, he would control himself!

Before Izuku could think of a plan of action, Urahara swung his sword, the crimson energy seeming to coagulate on its edge before flying towards him.

“Sing, Benihime.” The wave of energy rushed towards Izuku. He forgot everything he had learned, felt his instincts drown in a wave of panic as the bloody crescent raced towards him.

DEATH .

Izuku could feel it in his bones. There wasn’t any playfulness behind this attack, no other intent. If the wave hit him, he would die. He forgot everything he had learned, felt his instincts drown in a wave of panic as certain death raced towards him. He dove underneath it, rolling to the side and watching it pass over his head and fly towards a nearby rock mountain. His body shook as he watched the wave slice straight through the rocks and continue towards the ceiling, petering out as it made a deep gouge in the concrete. Izuku couldn’t do this. He had to go home, go back to his Mom and Renji-sensei and Itsuka, he didn’t want to die! He turned to run, but Urahara appeared in front of him, like he had teleported.

“Where do you think you’re going?” He asked, his voice frigid and disappointed. “I thought you wanted to be a Hero, who are you going to save when you’re such a coward?” He swung his sword, a sideways cut at Izuku’s torso. He raised Soul, desperate to block it, but was shocked when Urahara’s sword seemed to cut into Soul, the Quirk letting out a pained howl in his head. Izuku was sent flying back by the force, only slowing when he hit one of the rock pillars, slamming through it and tumbling over the ground before he stopped. He stood up shakily and cursed, seeing Urahara leaping through the dust cloud that his body had created as he hit the rocks, his sword raised high in the air. Izuku put his sword up to block Urahara again, the impact forming a crater underneath his feet.

“You blocked Benihime with that half-broken lump of metal? Very courageous of you,” Urahara seemed impressed, but Izuku was more focused on what he had said. ‘Half-broken?’ His eyes drifted to his sword, then widened in horror as he saw the deep groove Urahara had cut into Soul, cracks branching off from the pit in his sword.
“Soul!” Izuku cried out, his voice a mixture of disbelief and panic. Urahara ignored him.

“It’s very courageous, but very stupid.” Urahara looked Izuku in the eyes, his eyes glinting red. “Your half-baked resolve and fear are what manifest in your sword, and that manifestation isn’t nearly enough to stop Benihime. Watch.”

Izuku could only watch and listen as Urahara seemed to effortlessly slice through his partner and into his shoulder, hitting his bone. He couldn’t feel the pain anymore, though, he was much too focused on the voice that had stayed with him since he was in elementary school. The voice that had gotten him on track to be a Hero, gotten him so far into his training. That voice was gone.

“You haven’t even accepted yourself.” Urahara’s voice was harsh now, angry. “Renji told me about the amplified emotions. I was ready to deal with them, but you-you absolute fool, you ignored it! You pushed those emotions down, refused to acknowledge them! Your soul is composed of your desires, your emotions, so how are you supposed to use it properly when you won’t acknowledge your desires or your emotions! By pushing down your desires, you are actively limiting your Quirk! How are you supposed to be a Hero when you can’t live with yourself?! ” He took a deep breath. “It’s best to kill you now, before you get a civilian killed by being too scared of yourself.” He sneered out the last few words. Izuku heard the words, felt them settle within him, but he was preoccupied.

“Soul?” Izuku asked weakly, his mind shaking at the loss of his…What was Soul to him? His Quirk, yes, but he had spent so long with that voice at the back of his head, mocking him and helping him in equal amounts. Desperation filling him at the lack of an answer, Izuku grabbed onto the energy running through his body and yanked, pulling himself in rather than pulling it out. He found himself in his mindscape, but didn’t take any time to take in the view, instead choosing to sprint down into the soul chamber. The fire was burning as merrily as ever, but he couldn’t feel Soul within it, no matter how far he reached. He started to hyperventilate, his body numbing in his fear.

What was he going to do? Urahara was going to kill him any minute now, and he didn’t even have a sword! Izuku looked at the fire, the energy that was supposed to be his Quirk, and felt a surge of anger. He almost tamped it down, but felt the words Urahara had spat at him earlier like a gut punch with him before he could. He thought of Urahara’s words, how he was refusing to accept the desires that had created his Quirk, how he would get someone killed, and realized something. Urahara was right. It made him sick, agreeing with the bastard, but he was right. Izuku needed to accept his emotions, acknowledge his desires, and stop repressing his Quirk. He turned to the fire and, without hesitation, walked into it, his whole body entering the flames.

 

The fire didn’t burn. That was the first thing Izuku noticed. It was warm, sure, but it didn’t hurt him at all; it seemed to welcome him instead, curling around his body like an over-eager pet. He continued walking until he reached a glowing orb, its surface a deep red, like a metal ball heated to its melting point, and reached out to it. When he put his hand on the orb, the fire roared around him, coalescing into the shape of a majestic bird. It was a phoenix, he realized.

What…want…you? The voice wasn’t stable; it sounded like a jet engine was talking, but Izuku could get the gist of the question.

“Bring Soul back.” Izuku demanded, his voice firm like iron.

Why…I…do…that? The energy seemed almost amused, like he was a toddler asking for a million dollars.

“I need him to kill that bastard. I need him to fulfill my desires.” Izuku gritted his teeth. He had fought against what he knew he wanted for so long now, fought against his instinctual desire. Now was the time for him to lay it all out. “I’m angry, mostly at myself. I could’ve saved us this whole hassle if I’d just accepted myself, but here we are. I want Soul back, and in exchange, I’ll stop holding back. I’ll get my friend back, and you get a nice little snack every now and then, how about that?”
What…if…not…enough?

Izuku laughed without humour. “Then let’s call it rent. You owe me for staying in my body, after all.”

The voice laughed back at him. It sounded like explosions echoing across an empty plain, like food sizzling on a hot pan, and like the crackling of wood all at once.

I…agree.

The bird disappeared, and Izuku saw a handle form in front of him. He grabbed the hilt, a grin spreading across his face as he did, and felt himself return to the real world. 

 

A plume of his Reiryoku exploded from him, forcing Urahara back and creating a huge cloud of dust. Izuku stood up, taking in the sight of his new sword. The sword still looked the same as it did in his mind, just like how it used to, with the exception of the plain white bandage that now covered it. The bandage hung from the end of the hilt, around 5 inches of extra length that blew in the wind. The blade looked the same as it did before, but it was slightly blackened, as if it had been scorched by something.

“Soul?” Izuku called out, his voice hopeful.

If you can, Izuku felt a smile break across his face as the familiar voice responded, sounding tired. I would avoid dying. It’s not a great time.

Izuku felt a laugh bubble in his chest, and let it out. He had promised his Reiryoku to be more open, after all.

Everything alright, Izuku?

“Never been better, partner.” He grinned, his heart racing as he turned towards Urahara, who was looking at him with a pleased expression on his face. “What do you think, should I go for it?”
Hit him with every ounce of power you can muster, kid.

Izuku smiled. He had missed Soul’s voice, even in the brief period it was gone.

“Urahara.” He called out, letting his anger rush through him. It felt so good to let it all out, to let his anger rampage through his body instead of blocking it out, but there was something other than anger too, something that sent his blood pumping in a frenzy. He was so happy to be fighting again, so happy to let himself feel the adrenaline rush through him without tamping it down, embracing the high.

“Fuuuccckkk, that’s the stuff.” He nearly moaned out, eyes closing as his normal attitude fell back as he accepted his desires. He opened his eyes again and stared at Urahara, his face splitting open even wider.

“Urahara.” He repeated. “I’m pretty sure you just wanted to help me out here, get me to use my power, am I right?” Urahara looked back at him, a wondrous curiosity alight in his eyes, and answered back.

“Yeah, but don’t mistake it, if you hadn’t gone through with this at the last second, I would’ve killed you. Someone who’s scared of their power wouldn’t survive as a Hero.”

Izuku nodded.

“See, normally, I’d say something like ‘I forgive you, thanks for helping!’ but I’m-” He took in a deep breath, exhaling a plume of fire. “Really sick of holding back. I would dodge this if I were you.”
Urahara laughed, half mockingly and half curiously.

“Why would I need to dodge an attack from you? I almost just killed you!” Izuku let his grin fade a bit as he focused, condensing his energy from around him in an instant, the plume of fire that surrounded him vanishing and collecting onto the edge of his sword, like Urahara had done earlier.

“I can’t control this!” He yelled out, joy surpassing his anger as he swung his sword forward, the fire burning a blinding white, and he watched, exhilarated, as the flames formed a large crescent, reminiscent of the moon, and raced towards Urahara, tearing through the ground. Urahara’s eyes widened, and he quickly swung his sword forward, swinging it in a circle around his wrist.

“Cry, Benihime!” He shouted out, a blood-red mist forming around him and solidifying into a shield from Izuku’s attack. The shield had barely finished forming when the fire impacted him, it seemed to curve around his shield slightly before exploding, a huge burst of fire erupting into the sky. Izuku stared at the mushroom cloud of fire that loomed over the training ground and burst out laughing, his body alight with glee. Was that the kind of power he had been holding back this whole time?! He felt his legs give out, and collapsed to his knees, planting Soul in the ground and leaning against it.

“How was that, Soul?” He panted out, he could see steam wafting off of his body as the cost of expending that ridiculous amount of Reiryoku caught up to him, his sweat evaporating from the heat that pulsed in his veins. He could feel his skin tightening against his muscles as the heat started to get to him, and his muscles shook as he gave out, unable to stay conscious.

The last thing he saw was the giant crater of molten glass he had created in the sand, and Urahara’s hat floating high in the air, no trace of its wearer to be found.

 

When Izuku woke up, the first thing he saw was the ice. He was surrounded by it, his body submerged in a tub of cold water. He looked around, noticing how heavy his body felt, and noticed he was in an unfamiliar bathroom. He…didn’t feel all that cold, surprising given his surroundings, but couldn’t put too much thought into it, the steam in the room was making him sleepy again, and he allowed his head to fall back, and his consciousness to fade.

 

The next time Izuku woke up, he was more aware of what was around him. He was back in his room, and his body didn’t feel weak like it did the last time he woke up. He sat up gingerly, wincing and grabbing his shoulder when it let out a sharp protest at his movement. Why did his shoulder hurt? Had he gone too far in training yester… Izuku remembered. He remembered the panic and the fear. Remembered the grief, the demand, and the subsequent gain. But mostly, he remembered the euphoria that had run through him while he fought, the way the world had faded away and his desires and instincts had worked together to let him fight back, and he remembered the giant glass impact zone he had made. He grinned a little at that before letting himself fall back into bed, relaxing. There was no sense in hurting himself now that he’d earned a bit of rest after all.

 

When Izuku woke up again, it was to a much more unpleasant sight than the first two times. Urahara was sitting next to his bed, changing the bandages on his shoulder.

“You did good, kid.” The man said conversationally, like he hadn’t tried to kill Izuku only-! Izuku didn’t know how long it had been since their “training session”, but still! “I’ll keep my promise, you’re good to go home after your shoulder heals.” Izuku waited for the usual rush of expectation and happiness to fill him at the thought of going home, but was hit with a sense of…dissatisfaction instead.

“No.” He croaked out, his voice hoarse. Urahara looked at him, eyebrows high in shock.

“No?” He asked.

“No.” Izuku replied, firmer this time. “I’m gonna stay here for another 7 months, I’m gonna learn how to use my powers against other people, and I’m gonna learn how to regulate my emotions while accepting them.” Urahara looked shocked for a little longer before he smiled down at Izuku and ruffled his hair.

“Whatever you say, kid, but you’re gonna be stuck in bed for at least 3 more days.”
Izuku groaned and flopped back, his head bouncing against the pillow. He didn’t think he could even survive three days!

 

When Urahara left again, Izuku thought about his Quirk, specifically, how he had misused it. He closed his eyes and poked at the fire that flowed through his veins, feeling it jump and sputter at the contact. Soul hadn’t spoken to him since the fight with Urahara, no matter how much Izuku tried to contact him, but his presence was strong in Izuku’s soul. He played with the fire for a little longer before grabbing onto the source of his flames firmly, yanking himself into his mindscape. 

The mental space looked... cleaner than it had before. The dingy yellow lighting was gone, replaced by a soft white glow that lit up the hallway, the walls were cleaner and smoother than they had ever been, and the floor was dry. The biggest difference was the pipes that ferried his Reiryoku around his body. They no longer dripped the energy onto the floor; instead, the pipes throbbed with the beat of his heart, a dull orange glow emanating with every thump. If he had to guess, Izuku would say this was the result of him accepting his desires, but he wasn’t sure what his desire really was yet. He knew the energy was amplifying his emotions, including the joy he took from fighting, but what was the desire that pushed him to fight? He knew he wanted to be a Hero, to save people. That was all he had wanted to do since he was a kid, but why did that feel so awkward in his thoughts now, so wrong? Was it power or strength that he desired? Did he want to be stronger than everyone around him, until he was the greatest, just like All Might? But that didn’t feel right either! Izuku had never wanted people to look up to him; he wanted them to look at him, as a saviour, a Hero! Not, not some tyrant! No, it wasn’t strength or power, it wasn’t to save people, so why did Izuku want to be a Hero? He knew the reason, deep in his heart, had known the reason since the day he had met his Quirk, but he hadn’t wanted to accept it then. Things had changed since then, however, and he felt…at peace with his desire now. Urahara had helped him come to terms with it in their fight, forcing him to look within and accept that he wasn’t the selfless paragon that All Might was, that his emotions weren’t focused on helping others or saving lives. He took a sick pleasure out of fighting others, out of feeling himself grow and measuring himself against others. That pleasure was part of his desire; it wasn’t something Heroic, no, it was intrinsically selfish, something he wanted to do no matter who it hurt.

He entered the soul chamber and pulled Soul out of the fire.

“I’m going to destroy the current system.” He said quietly.

I thought we already agreed on that? Soul was radiating confusion.

“No.” Izuku was done hiding. His fear could not be allowed to hold him back anymore! “I said I agreed with you because I was scared you wouldn’t let me use your power if I didn’t, scared that I was a villain for wanting that. I wanted to disagree, to fight against your words, but that fear wouldn’t let me go. There was a part of me that agreed with your words, that knew that I couldn’t allow society to continue as it had, but another part of me wanted to keep the system going. I wanted to be the symbol of peace, and I couldn’t do that if I dismantled the system that has been put in place. So, I lied to you, lied to myself, tried to use my power with conflicting thoughts and desires, but I’ve decided to change that.” Izuku felt fire pulse through his veins, his Quirk responding to his acceptance. “I want to change it all, Soul, and to do that, I need to burn it down and rebuild it from the ashes. I wanted to be like All Might, a perfect Hero, the light of society, but I’m not like him, Soul. I want to save those who the light doesn’t reach, the people like me who society didn’t help. Not just the Quirkless, but those with heteromorphic Quirks and villainous Quirks too.”

Soul was quiet for a moment. Izuku waited, not taking a breath, hoping his partner would stay with him after his confession.

Izuku, you’re an idiot.

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” Izuku asked, surprised and slightly irritated.

It means that your whole “my desires are villainous” nonsense was just that, nonsense! Izuku sputtered at the unexpected insults.

“Well, I mean, I know that now ! I was just struggling a bit back then! Plus, no Hero ever says anything like ‘oh, I like fighting, it makes me feel good.’ I was nervous!”
So you decided to try being a Hero without a finished resolve?! We could’ve talked about this kid! Izuku flinched. He really could’ve been more open with Soul, especially after they argued about this exact thing after his first spar with Itsuka.

“I-I know, Soul. I made a mistake.” He sighed. “I should’ve told you about my doubts, especially when it came to our dream. I’m sorry. Can you keep helping me?”
Soul snorted, voice incredulous.

What, did you think I was going to tell you to fuck off? Of course we’re going to keep working together! Especially since you’ve managed to pull your shit together! I told you what your desire was on day 1, I tried to make it easy for you, and you still managed to mess up!

Izuku smiled wide and bowed to the fire.

“I won’t let us down!”

 

3 Months Later, Izuku age 17, Time Until U.A. Entrance Exams: 5 Months

 

Izuku was only allowed to get out of bed two weeks after the fight, and it was nonstop sparring with Urahara after that. Izuku had been desperate to replicate his feat of power from the first fight, but…

He coughed violently as he rocketed through another rock pillar, his body flailing as he slammed into the ground. Pulling himself up with his sword, he glared at the approaching Urahara, looking like he was out for a light stroll and glaring back at him in disappointment.

“Is this really all you can do, kid? You showed so much potential last time, and you can’t do it again?” Izuku growled, trying fruitlessly to pull at his Reiryoku and force it onto his blade like he had done so long ago. He glared at the pathetic wisps of energy that danced off of Soul, kicking himself over his failure. Urahara sighed and swung his sword down. Izuku leapt out of the way, watching in horror as the sword dug a huge trench into the ground. Urahara smacked himself on the forehead, frustration evident in his body language.

“Why are you dodging?!”
“What the fuck do you mean ‘why am I dodging’?!” Izuku shouted back, hoping the anger would hide the fear in his voice. “That would’ve killed me if I hadn’t, I thought we were done with the idle threats!”
Urahara stomped on the ground like a toddler; the sight would’ve been funny if Izuku didn’t know the power the man possessed.

“That’s the point! How are you supposed to fight villains who are trying to kill you if you can’t resolve yourself to kill them!”
“Heroes don’t kill villains!” Izuku protested. Urahara ignored him.

“You managed to pull off that attack before, and now you can’t resolve yourself to do it again! I thought we were done with this ‘will I, won’t I’ bullshit!” Urahara motioned to the glass crater as he spoke, a truly huge blemish in the otherwise pristine landscape. Izuku gritted his teeth, feeling frustration well up.

“That was just luck!” He shouted out, letting his frustrations loose. “I can’t do that shit whenever I feel like it!”
“Well, that’s what you need to be able to do!” Urahara yelled back, just as upset. He sighed and dragged his hand down his face.

“Look, kid.” He began, his tone softer. “You have talent, that’s true, but at this point? You’re barely on par with an amateur Hero! Any villain worth their salt would kill you before you could stop shaking! That attack,” He motioned to the crater again. “Shows that you’re near the level of strength needed, but if you can’t do it again, you’re just going to get killed!”
“I know that, damnit! But I can’t even remember what it took to use it last time, I was near the end of my rope before I used it!”
“That’s why I’m doing this again!” Urahara shouted, straightening out again and drawing his sword back. “If I remind you of that situation again, maybe you’ll get it together!” He lunged forwards, smashing his sword into Izuku’s hastily made block, and sending him flying back again. Izuku was starting to get really sick of hitting those rock pillars; he swore Urahara was doing it on purpose! His anger was put to rest by Urahara appearing above him, smashing his sword down onto Soul, who Izuku had raised above his head reflexively.

“Look at yourself! You can barely stand after being hit a couple of times! Where is your resolve?” He pointed at Benihime, vibrating in his hand. “Benihime is resonating with my resolve to kill you, and nothing else, but your sword shakes with fear! People die in Heroics, Izuku, maybe you or maybe the person you’re trying to save. Your one and only job is to make sure that it’s either you or the person you’re fighting! If you can’t shake your fear of death, you’ll never be a Hero.”
Izuku felt like the world slowed down for a minute, Benihime coming down on him again, the dust clouds drifting in the wind, and his own clothes dancing in the breeze, all of it felt like it was going slower.

Remember our promise, Izuku. Soul’s voice echoed in his mind, reminding him of the oath he had made with the sword.

‘Yeah,’ he thought, his mind roaring to life. ‘If I want to be a symbol for the darker side of society, if I want to be a Hero and save people, if I want to remodel society…!

He swung his sword and knocked Benihime off course. Urahara raised an eyebrow before grinning at him, jumping back onto a different rock pillar.

“So, you’ve got some resolve after all!” Izuku pulled his sword back, and the fire collected on the edge of his blade. It felt so much easier, Izuku marvelled, now that he had firmed his resolve in the face of death. He looked at Urahara, the man mirroring his pose as blood red energy formed on Benihime.

You know what it’s called, Izuku. Shout out its name, from the depths of your Soul!

“TAIMATSU!”

Izuku roared out, swinging his sword down and releasing the crescent wave of condensed fire at Urahara, who countered with Benihime’s similar attack. The attacks clashed, and the world lit up, the shockwave sending Izuku flying off of the pillar and into the wall next to the steel door, his consciousness fading as he saw the devastation wrought by him and Urahara.

 

Five Months Later, Izuku Aged 17, Time Until U.A. Entrance Exams: 30 Minutes.

 

Izuku couldn’t believe he was here. Staring up at the entrance to the most prestigious Hero University in Japan, and the massive campus that sprawled behind it. This was where Heroes like All Might, Endeavour, and Best Jeanist were made, and now he would join their ranks. There was no room for doubt; he would pass this exam, and he would fulfill his dreams! A shoulder knocked into his, a familiar brash voice sounding out.

“Get out of the way, fuckin’ Deku.” Bakugo Katsuki stood before him. He had grown. The last Izuku had seen of him, he was about 170 cm, he seemed about 180 now, and his shoulders had broadened into a wide plane of muscle, probably to withstand his Quirk’s kickback. What hadn’t changed was his attitude, sneer still seemingly permanently affixed to his face. Izuku allowed his face to fall into a matching glare, but walked past him for now. He had a test to get to. His Quirk flared up at his refusal to fight, the energy pulsing a bit more energetically in his veins, but he soothed it with the knowledge that he would do better than Bakugo in the exams. Actions spoke louder than words, after all.

 

The auditorium for the practical exam to be explained was huge, the size matching the area under Urahara’s shop, and packed full of student hopefuls, each one finding their assigned seating. To his chagrin, Izuku found himself sitting next to Bakugo, the explosive blond giving him a mean side-eye and a glare, but nothing else. Izuku shrugged. If Bakugo wasn’t going to start something, then neither would he. He watched as what looked like thousands of students poured into the room, they would be his competition for this test. Each student was wearing practical and normal exercise gear, some had a little extra, like a tall, blue-haired boy who had knee and elbow pads, and a tailed blonde who had fighting gloves, but overall, most were dressed pretty similarly, except for him, that is. Izuku was wearing an outfit identical to Renji’s: white undergarments with a black robe and black hakama pants, along with tabi sandals. He had been given the outfit by Urahara, apparently it was a type of ritual among his students, each wore the outfit to symbolize their training with him, and their survival of that training. He wasn’t the biggest fan of Urahara after the numerous times the man had tried to kill him, but the clothes were nice, allowing a wide range of movement and some protection against targeted attacks, given how baggy they were.

Lost in his memories of receiving the outfit, Izuku almost missed the moment Present Mic entered center stage, and almost laughed at the comically dressed Hero. His hair looked even more ridiculous in person; it was almost double his height! He tried to control his excitement when the Hero started talking, but it was so hard when his hair wobbled with every movement he made!
“Hello listeners! Thanks for tuning in to my live performance!” All conversation in the room stopped as Present Mic’s voice shouted over them. “Let me hear you all say 'Hey!'” Izuku almost felt bad for the man when his shout resulted in pure silence, no one in the crowd feeling up to his challenge.

“Man, tough crowd!” Somehow, he managed to keep smiling. “I’m here to give you guys a rundown of the practical exam! Are you ready?!” The silence was deafening.

“As it says on your pamphlets, you’ll be doing a battle test for 30 minutes in our mock cities! You may bring anything you like. Please check your cards for the exam site you’ll be taking your exam in!”

Izuku looked at his card to see the letter B highlighted under ‘practice center’. Bakugo spoke up from behind him.

“Looks like they’re not letting people from the same schools work together.” He said, eyeing Izuku’s card. “Too bad, I was looking forward to crushing you.”
Izuku scoffed.

“You’re lucky we aren’t; they would’ve had to shovel your ashes off the streets.” Living with Urahara and Jinta for ten months had completely annihilated any confidence issues he might have had. It was hard to be shy when two idiots were trying to kill him all the time.
“What’d you say to me, Deku?!” Their spat might have continued if Present Mic hadn’t decided then was the time to keep explaining.

“Each site will have three types of villains, worth one, two, and three points respectively! Your task is to destroy those villains with your individual Quirks, without doing anything anti-heroic, of course!” Izuku saw the blue-haired boy he had noticed earlier stand up completely straight and raise his hand, his posture perfectly rigid.

“May I ask a question?” He called out, a spotlight shining on him from the ceiling.

“Go ahead, little listener!” Present Mic pointed at him with finger guns.

“On the printout we were given, there are four types of villains, but you’ve only explained three! This is an oversight that is very shameful from a top university like U.A.! Additionally!” He whirled around and pointed at Izuku and Bakugo. “You two, your endless talking is incredibly disruptive! If you’re only here to have fun, you should leave now!” Izuku knew what Bakugo would do and was more than happy to let him handle it.

“Shut up! I’m here to be the number one, not pander to some shithead extra like you!” Yep, there it was, Bakugo’s classic superiority complex. It was almost funny when it wasn’t aimed at him.

The blue-haired boy sputtered, the wind taken out of his sails by the extremely rude retort, but was stopped by Present Mic before the argument could continue.

“Ok, ok, that’s enough! To answer your question, Examinee 7111, the fourth villain is worth zero points; they’re just obstacles that will be causing problems in the exam center! You can take them out, but there’s not much point! I advise you guys to avoid these things! Now, if there are no further questions, let’s get going!”

Izuku stood in front of the gate to exam center B. ‘This is insane!’ He thought, eyes blown wide. ‘A whole city just for an exam?! How big is their budget?! No wait, not the time to think about that.’ He shook his head. ‘If there’s a gate, then part of the obstacle is getting in there before anyone else. I need to be fast enough to start destroying robots before anyone else.’ Luckily, Izuku had managed to learn something other than sword techniques from Urahara. He took off his shoes and closed his eyes, focusing on the fire that circulated through his body. He materialized Soul, his partner quiet for now, and began focusing his energy into his feet, condensing it around his toes and heels. A hand grabbed his shoulder, the impact startling him almost into releasing the fire preemptively, but he managed to keep it under control. He opened his eyes and glared at the blue-haired teen from the exam hall, who had called him and Bakugo out. He seemed to be in the middle of some sort of speech.

“And another thing, what is this outfit? Do you think this is a costume party? I told you, if you aren’t going to take this seriously, then-”
“Shut the fuck up, four-eyes.” Izuku bit out, sneering at the man. “If I didn’t have as good of a handle on my Quirk as I do, you would’ve been incinerated right there.” He ignored the man’s sputtered words about ‘threats’ and ‘villainous’. “And if I wasn’t serious about taking this test, I wouldn’t fucking be here. Stay in your lane, and stop acting like you’re some sort of boss of mine, yeah?” He didn’t bother listening for an answer, instead focusing back on the fire condensed at his feet.

Wasn’t that a little harsh, Izuku? Soul’s voice rang out in his head. You could’ve just told him to leave you alone.

“It’s better he gets me being harsh than my Reiryoku exploding because he startled me,” Izuku muttered bitterly. “But I guess you’re right. I’ll apologize once the exam is over.”

Good. Soul sounded happy. You should try to make friends with your possible classmates, after all.

Before Izuku could respond, Present Mic’s voice rang out.

“And, GO!”
Izuku moved, his body jerking forward as he let the Reiryoku at his feet explode, pushing him forward so fast it looked like he teleported. ‘Shunpo!’

He rocketed into the exam site, his speed dropping as the fire at his feet was expended, and came across a green robot, a bright ‘1’ spray painted onto its body. He grinned, allowing his excitement to take control of his emotions, and ran towards it. He raised Soul above his head and, remembering his training with Urahara, sliced straight down, splitting the robot in half.

“That’s 1!” He shouted out, his face awash with glee. “This is gonna be way easier than I thought!” He continued to run forward, managing to cut down another 1-pointer and a 2-pointer before his competitors managed to catch up. ‘Gotta get further into the city.’ He thought as he sliced through another 2-pointer. If I stay here, all the robots will get taken by these guys. I can get into the middle quick with Shunpo, and then farm all the robots that haven’t made it out here yet!’

He paused, focusing his energy back into his heels, and then exploded towards the city center, slashing through every robot in his path.

 

Observation Room, At the same time.

 

“In this practical exam, the number of villains and their locations are not disclosed to the students.” A cheery and slightly high-pitched voice said to a group of teachers surrounding an array of screens, multiple smaller ones surrounding one large display, that each showed different students taking the exam. “The time limit and large field help us determine a number of things, such as: The ability to quickly gather information!” The main screen flickered to show a large man with multiple arms connected to each other by the webbing of his skin. One arm on each side had an ear, an eye, and a regular hand. He was on a rooftop, scouting for robots before jumping onto them from above and destroying them.

“The mobility to respond to changing situations!” The screen switched to a tall, bulky, blue-haired man, engines in his calves shooting out flames as he kicked through a villain and slid to a stop before dashing off to the next one.

“The discernment to stay calm under any circumstance!” The screen changed again, highlighting a strange blonde-haired boy who seemed to be looking directly at the camera and winking.

“And pure combat ability!” This time, the screen split and showed two examinees, one with ash-blonde hair standing atop a pile of destroyed robots, his shoulders heaving and his hands sparking. There was a wild grin spread across his face. He looked like destruction incarnate, the embodiment of Hachiman standing over his enemies.

The second figure was a wildly laughing green-haired boy, his eyes flitting from target to target in glee, his movements a discordant dance of fire and ruination. His method of demolition changed with each robot, sometimes it was a sword, alight with flames and slicing through everything he touched, in others it was fire, reducing all it touched to ash, and finally he used his legs to great effect. It seemed he was compressing fire onto his shins until it was barely visible, then letting it explode on impact, vaporizing whatever he hit.

The two boys both looked like they were enjoying themselves, but the difference was their attitude towards other examinees.

The blonde one snapped at anyone coming near him, but it seemed like he was telling them to get away because of how strong his explosions were rather than anything else, and was pointing them paths he hadn’t gone down.

The green one switched from wild swings to stabs and kicks once others surrounded him, but his spatial awareness was to be applauded, perhaps even more than his combat skills. He stopped every swing before it got near other examinees, and helped multiple other competitors out of danger, cutting rubble in half before it could hit one girl and smashing a collection of robots that were surrounding a purple-haired boy on the floor.

“These basic qualities for a Hero are measured under our point system!” The speaker was revealed, a rodent-like being with white fur and a scar over his left eye. He was dressed sharply, wearing a suit and vest along with dress shoes.

“The examinees this year look quite promising .” Midnight said, her voice low and breathy.

“Too early to tell just yet,” Cementoss said, sounding as rough as the rocks that made up his body.

“The real test begins now!” All Might said, sitting among the teachers in his skinny form. “May I do the honours, Principal Nezu?” The man-like mouse nodded his head, whiskers twitching.

All Might reached over and flipped the case off of a bright red button labelled ‘Zero point switch!’ and pressed it firmly.

 

Back in the Exam Site

Izuku was panting heavily. His heat resistance was high, but condensing his flames for Shunpo and Ikkotsu took a lot out of him, the condensed flames testing his resilience to their heat. He looked around; there weren’t many robots left, and by his count, he was well over 90 points. From what others were saying, he was well above the cut. He let his Reiryoku settle down, lowering the heat around him and allowing those closest to him to sigh in relief. He took deep, measured breaths, assuming control over his Quirk-amplified anger and thirst for battle, before a loud crash echoed throughout the exam area, buildings falling over, and huge smoke clouds formed as a giant robot bigger than the buildings that surrounded it rolled out of its containment chamber.

“That must be the zero pointer!” Somebody screamed.

“Everybody run!” Another test-taker shouted.

All examinees in the area began evacuating, fear overcoming them as they ran from the threat. Izuku stared up at it, considering whether or not it was worth it.

Don’t do it, kid. Soul warned. With how big it is, the power necessary would put you out of commission. That’s not what you want to show the supervisors.

Izuku reluctantly agreed. If he collapsed after destroying a worthless obstacle, all it would show is his recklessness and lack of control. He turned to follow the rest of his competitors before he froze, a cry reaching his ears.

“Help, please!”

Izuku! Soul hadn’t needed to speak; the second Izuku heard the scream, he was already running, boosting his steps slightly with his Reiryoku. He ran past multiple examinees, all of them running away from the screams for help.

‘Disgusting!’ He couldn’t help but think, a grimace coming across his features. ‘They’re here to be Heroes, so why are they all running away from a victim?!’

Unbeknownst to him, a certain blue-haired man saw him running towards the scream and paused, considering, before following him.

Izuku reached the area where he had heard the scream and looked around wildly, trying to find whoever needed help before the robot was on top of them. His head snapped to the left as he heard a pained shout, and he ran in that direction, hoping he would find them soon. ‘C’mon, c’mon, c’mon! Where are you?!’

He skidded to a stop, finally finding the screamer. It was a brown haired girl, trying futilely to reach the concrete slab that rested on her legs. He ran up to her and, eyeing the slab carefully, prepared his sword.

“Wait, what are you doing?” She shouted out, but he didn’t have time to explain, the robot would be on them any second now!

“Close your eyes, and don’t move.” The girl, obviously frightened by the man with a sword, obliged, screwing her eyes shut. Izuku slammed the hilt onto the stone, shattering it into pieces, and sheathed his sword, his new robe having a spot for his sheath.

“Can you run?” He asked urgently, cursing when she shook her head.
“I overused my Quirk,” She said. “I might vomit any second now, and the rubble crushed one of my ankles, I can’t put any weight on it!”

The robot appeared above them, its titanic head peering down at them.

“Fuck!” Izuku couldn’t help but shout. He wouldn’t be able to outrun the robot while carrying her without burning her if he used Shunpo, and he couldn’t kill the robot without burning her either!

“I just need someone to get you out of the way!” He griped, ignoring the offended look the girl threw at him at his comment about her being in the way.

“Then, I’m glad I came this way!” Izuku whipped around and grinned widely at the man standing before him.

“Four eyes!” He shouted out, relief colouring his tone.

“That’s not my name! I am-”
“No time! You have a speed Quirk, right, engines in your legs?” The man nodded and grabbed onto Uraraka, lifting her into his arms bridal style. She squeaked, turning red as the man held her close.

“I’ll get her out of here, but what are you going to do?” Izuku looked at him and let his battlelust run free again.

“I’m gonna kill that thing!” Before the man could argue, Izuku turned around. “Get out of here, now! If I fire off my attack with you guys here, I’ll cremate you!” The man clicked his jaw shut and ran off, engines releasing plumes of smoke and jets of fire as he bounded over the landscape. Izuku watched as they ran before turning around and facing the zero pointer.

“If I kill you, no one else is at any risk, right?” He smiled and pulled his sword out, holding it in an upward and diagonal stance. He closed his eyes and remembered Urahara’s training, the desperation to survive and the resolve he had gained. He flared his Reiryoku out, the energy circling around him before coalescing around his blade. Then, he swung. 

“Taimatsu!”

And the top half of the zero pointer was immolated.

Izuku panted. He had been fighting at near full power for 30 minutes, and then used the most devastating move he had in his arsenal. His sweat was evaporating, and his muscles gave up at the heat exhaustion he had subjected himself to.

He lay there, letting his emotions fade down to more usual levels and his body cool down a bit, before an elderly lady walked over to him, followed by four eyes.

She looked him over and ‘tsked.

“Looks like you overdid it, don’t worry, I should be able to fix you right up!” Even in his exhaustion, Izuku was able to recognize this Heroine.

“You’re Recovery Girl!” He said, his voice hoarse and grating after he had evaporated almost all of the saliva in his throat. “You’re one of my favourite Heroes! But you can’t heal me.”
She looked confused at his statement.

“Why not, sonny? I can heal almost everything, you know.”
“My skin will be too hot for you to touch.” He managed to drag out. “You see the steam around me? That’s my sweat evaporating from the heat I’m exuding right now. If you try to kiss my wound away, you’ll burn yourself, badly.”

She hummed, taking his words into consideration.

“Then, how should we help you?” Izuku thought for a second before an idea came to mind.

“I need an ice bath.” He said. “As much ice as you can manage.”

 

One Week Later, Midoriya Household.

“I-I-I-I-IZUKU!” His Mom’s voice cried throughout the house. He was on his feet in an instant, worried at how loud she had yelled, and ran downstairs.
“Are you okay?!” She looked up, holding a letter out to him.

“Your letter from U.A.! It’s here!” He sighed in relief, relaxing as he realized his Mom was in no trouble, before he comprehended her latter words.

“My letter!” He grabbed it, ripping it open.

“Izuku!” His mom smacked his head. “You ripped the letter!”

Before he could panic over that, a metal disk fell out of the half in his right hand, clattering to the table. They both looked at it and saw a bright red button labelled ‘Press Me!’ Shrugging, Izuku placed it on the table and pressed it, jumping as a hologram appeared.

“HAHAHA! I AM HERE! To give you your results, Young Midoriya!”

“ALL MIGHT!” He and his mother both screamed out. Why was All Might on a U.A. letter?

“I’m sure you’re wondering why I’m giving you your results! It’s because this semester, I will be teaching your Heroics class! I can’t wait to watch you grow!-What do you mean I’m taking too long? I have to do HOW many of these?! Alright, Alright! Young Midoriya! On your application, your grades were exemplary! You have been granted access to the General Studies course! But, you were aiming to be a Hero!”

Izuku was clenching the dining table, struggling not to set it alight as All Might continued to tease his scores.

“In the practical exam, you received a total of 98 points! Just shy of 100, but enough to net you first place!”

Izuku nearly cheered in delight, but All Might kept talking.

“At least, that’s if that was everything! Watch this!”

Izuku watched, worried at first, and then stunned as a video played of the brown haired girl he had saved asking Present Mic to give her points to him, and the voice Hero brushing her worries aside. The video switched to the scene of him saving the girl. He saw himself, grinning, launch a colossal wave of fire at the zero pointer, and then collapse, panting.

“How could we, as a Hero School, not reward such Heroic acts!” All Might reappeared, grinning wider than before. “It’s just another criterion we look for! Midoriya Izuku, awarded a total of 65 rescue points! That brings your total to 163 points! Congratulations, Young Midoriya! This is YOUR HERO ACADEMIA!

Taimatsu=Torch Ikkoku=One Strike Shunpo=Flash Step

Notes:

Lots of points! Don't worry, Izuku won't be miles and miles ahead of everyone. I will be upping the power level of everyone in this story, ESPECIALLY Bakugo, because he was exposed to Izuku growing stronger earlier than in canon, meaning he trained way harder than before.
I hope I made the progression of Izuku's attitude properly, it was hard to think of ways to make him more like kenpachi just naturally that quickly, but living with Urahara for that long really drove him crazy.
In case anyone's confused, Izuku knew that Soul said his desire was to burn everything down and rebuild it, but he didn't want to accept that because of his own determination to be like All Might, he was afraid of it being villainous. By refusing to accept the desires of his soul when his Quirk is a reflection of his soul, he was limiting himself extremely, he might as well have been fighting people with one arm tied behind his back. Urahara pushed him to accept his emotions and desires through a fear of death, and that led to his attitude changing fast, because his emotions are amped and he's fully accepting them now.
Let me know if there's anything you don't understand!

Chapter 6: The Hero's Burning First Day!

Summary:

It was finally time for Izuku to move into the U.A. dorms, but who was that beautiful girl, and why was their homeroom teacher homeless?

Notes:

Hello! sorry for the late chapter, I was super sick, but we are all good now! The romance starts in this chapter, or at least my best attempt at romance, and we get to see simpzuku go crazy! hope you all enjoy!

Izuku stared at the boxes in front of him. It was hard to believe that he’d be leaving home again so soon after coming back, but U.A. demanded its Hero course students live in their dormitories. “A matter of protection” was what they called it when it was first announced. He stared at the ridiculous amount of Hero merch his Mom had bought him over the years, and felt the urge to cry welling up in him. He understood it was necessary, but he hated having to leave his Mom behind again. She had done so much for him, and he was going off to his dream school and leaving her alone in their house. He’d never be looking forward to a home-cooked meal with a little note on it, or a family breakfast on weekends; instead, he’d be living with total strangers for four years. He just hoped the people would be nice, they probably would be, being Hero hopefuls and all, but Bakugo was one too, so who really knew. Eventually, his mind trailed back to the stack of luggage. It was his whole life packed into a few suitcases, everything that represented him packaged away in neat bundles to be relocated.

His Mom was waiting at the door by the time he exited his room, closing the door softly behind him. She looked so proud of him, so happy, but so upset at the same time. The car ride to U.A. was silent. His lips trembled as they approached the giant campus, the gate was as far as she could take him. They pulled up to the gate, Izuku wiping his eyes furiously, hoping to hide the tears blooming in his eyes. Mom ignored his tears, grabbing his jacket collar and fixing it a bit with shaking hands. Feeling the quivering palms on his shoulders, he lifted his forearm off of his eyes and looked directly into his Mom’s, seeing the tears of joy and sadness welling up in front of her irises.

“You look so cool, Izuku.” She whispered, her voice quivering. “My little Hero is off to school one last time!” She managed a weak smile at that, and Izuku threw any inhibitions away and wrapped her in the tightest hug he could muster.

“I’m really gonna miss you, Mom.” He spat through his tears. “I’m gonna make you proud, gonna be your little Hero until the end.”

Izuku wasn’t sure how long the hug lasted, but it wasn’t long enough. All too soon, his Mom was pulling away from him and getting back into her car with a final wave goodbye. All too soon, he was making his way to the dorm rooms.

 

The rooms were spacious, almost double the size of his room back home, and came with some basic furniture, a bed and a nightstand, a closet, and a lamp. Izuku set his boxes down, rolled up his sleeves, and got to work.
Over the course of about an hour and a half, Izuku had managed to decorate his room more to his liking. He set up a desk and connected his laptop there, put up a shelf on top of the desk for his notebooks and a bigger shelf for books and figurines by the wall. He went light on the Hero merch, opting for a varied mix of Heroes rather than the shrine to All Might his room at home was. His room was still covered wall to wall, the Hero otaku that he was, but he now had posters and figures of Heroes like Edgeshot, Miruko, Gang Orca, and Kamui Woods. He looked around and nodded to the empty room, satisfied with the results. Izuku checked his phone, ‘Still only 12:30,’ He thought. ‘Well, might as well pass the time productively.’

Pulling out a steel pan from his desk, he placed three candles on its surface, tall, narrow candles that looked like they belonged on an old movie set. Opening his window, he then snapped his fingers and allowed his Reiryoku to surge, creating a small fire on the tip of his index finger and lit the candles, the scent drifting pleasantly throughout his room. Closing his eyes, Izuku reached out for the familiar warmth that ran through his veins and upon feeling it, he focused, his brow furrowing unconsciously. Pushing his senses outward, he felt for the fire he had lit just a bit ago, searching for the heat that had come from his body. ‘There!’ He grabbed onto the energy, feeling the strain as the energy rebelled against his control. Fire did not like being contained; it wanted to spread and grow, and once outside of his body, Izuku’s Reiryoku was no different; it wanted to burn free of his rules. He tightened his hold on the energy, his brow slowly unfurrowing as the energy seemed to acquiesce to his rules. Keeping a hold on the energy, Izuku took a deep breath in, drawing the energy back into his body through his mouth, and a slow breath out, pushing the Reiryoku back into the candle flames. It was an exercise Urahara had taught him, both to test his control over the fire once it had left his body and to test whether he could reabsorb the energy and expel it again. The candles were the latest of many fires he had breathed in, starting with a campfire and progressively getting smaller and smaller flames as his control increased. He smirked, proud of his achievements as he opened his eyes and saw the candle’s flames burning higher as he pushed more energy into the preexisting flames. He continued his breathing, the process continuing to strain his control more and more until he stopped, letting out a final exhale and wiping his forehead of the sweat that had yet to evaporate from his skin. Releasing complete control over the candles, Izuku blew them out, frowning as his limitations reared their head. It was impossible for him to absorb his energy without releasing it almost immediately, his body couldn’t contain the energy once it had been released, it was like the energy was tainted or corrupted from its brief stint outside of his body, and it would actively attack his body if he tried to keep hold of it for too long. He sighed. It wasn’t something he could fix with training or practice; he and Soul both agreed on that, it was just a part of the limits that were built into his Quirk, a wall he couldn’t overcome, like the lack of control he held over fire that wasn’t his.

Thoughts about overcoming limits and weaknesses were interrupted by a knock at the door. Izuku raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t heard anyone move in, so who could it be? Checking his phone, his eyes bulged out. ‘4:30?! I was practicing for 5 hours?!’ He shook his head, no wonder he hadn’t heard anyone move in, he hadn’t even realized how much time had passed in his focus! Another knock snapped him out of his reverie.

“Yeah, coming!” He called out, walking to the door and opening it wide.

“Hi! My name’s Ashido Mina!” A brightly smiling girl was on the other side. She had curly pink hair and two horns that poked out of her skull, along with yellow eyes with black sclera. Most noticeably, her skin was pink. “I’m gathering everyone up to come and introduce themselves in the main room, wanna join?”

“Sure, sounds like fun!”
It was a testament to his growth how quickly he accepted. The old Izuku would’ve had a panic attack at the thought of meeting new people, he thought, amused.

“Cool! Go down to the common room and I’ll meet you there once I’ve gotten the rest!”

He walked down the stairs to the common room and was greeted by a wall of unfamiliar faces, probably about 10-15 people, all gathered on the couches. Bowing politely, he made his way to an unoccupied seat and waited. Three more people trickled in, probably sent by Ashido like he was, before the organizer herself walked in, but Izuku was more focused on the woman she had walked in with . Beautiful was an understatement; the girl was almost ethereal in her grace and looks. Long white and red hair styled in a high ponytail, full lips that tilted downwards, and a face so gorgeous he couldn’t believe he was looking at a mortal. Her arms were at her side, but the relaxed pose did nothing to hide the obvious muscles that sculpted her forearms and biceps, filling the loose sleeve of the T-shirt she wore. The right side of her face was currently facing him, and when she turned fully, he was struck even harder by just how stunning she was. There was a large scar that marred the left side of her face, right over her eye, but to Izuku, that was just another point in her favour, scars showed resilience and bravery, strength and resolve. His hand unconsciously drifted to his shoulder, where the giant wound Urahara inflicted on him refused to heal. His Quirk had burned the wound shut as he activated it, leaving a gnarly, blackened divot of missing flesh and scar tissue. Their eyes met, green meeting with one golden brown and one crystalline blue, and Izuku almost lit the couch on fire. The person next to him, an incredibly short boy with purple balls for hair, yelped and scooted away.

“What the hell, man!” His voice was nasally, like he had a permanent stuffy nose. Izuku controlled his energy, embarrassed at his lack of control. He was lucky he couldn’t blush anymore, the blood rush unable to overcome his heat resistance.

“Sorry.” He apologized with a bow. “My Quirk is…a bit hard to control sometimes.”

The boy scoffed, but seemed to accept that answer, nodding and turning to Ashido, who clapped to garner their attention.

“Alright, everyone! We are all here, except for one grouchy dude on the second floor, and now it’s time to introduce ourselves!” Her enthusiasm was infectious, Izuku could feel his excitement ramp up, and saw others in the class start smiling as well.

“I’ll go first!” She declared. “My name is Ashido Mina, I’m 17, and my Quirk is Acid!” She let a drop of liquid form from her finger and let it land on her sleeve, the material disintegrating as the acid hissed. “It lets me secrete any acid I want from any part of my body! One fun fact about me, I like to breakdance!” She sat down, her introduction apparently done. Izuku was writing furiously in his notebook; his classmates must all have such cool Quirks! The person next to her stood up, a man with yellow hair with a black bolt of lightning appearing on the right side of his bangs.

“What’s up guys, my name is Kaminari Denki, I’m 17 too, and my Quirk is Electricity!” He held up his hands and showed the class electricity dancing between his fingers. “It lets me absorb and emit electricity however I want, but I short-circuit when I let out too much, like an overcharged battery. One interesting thing about me, I play guitar!” Izuku’s notes stopped at the last bit, his head tilting as he considered what the man meant by ‘short-circuiting’, but pushed it out of his mind as the next person stood up. This time, it was a familiar face.

“Greetings, fellow students!” Four-eyes barked out like a military commander. “My name is Iida Tenya, and I am 17 years old as well! My Quirk is Engines, it gives me engines in my calves! One interesting thing about me is that I enjoy studying!” He sat back down, stiff as a board. Izuku almost laughed out loud at the looks he saw some students directing towards Iida, confusion and horror among them. He had to disguise his laugh as a cough when a girl next to him muttered out, “Is he an undercover teacher or something?”

The fourth student was another recognizable face, the girl he had saved at the entrance exam!
“My name is Uraraka Ochako, I’m 17, and my Quirk is Zero Gravity!” She touched a pillow, and with a light pink glow, it began floating. “I can remove gravity from any object I touch with all five of my fingers, and release them like this! One interesting thing about me is that I absolutely love mochi!” She touched her fingertips together, padded like a cat's, Izuku noticed, and the pillow dropped. ‘That’s an incredible Quirk!’ Izuku shouted mentally. ‘She could be a perfect hybrid between rescue and combat!’

Izuku’s mind was still considering possibilities when the next student rose.

“My name’s Ojiro Mashirao, I’m 17, and my Quirk is Tail, which gives me a tail that I use when I’m fighting. One interesting thing about me is that I’ve been learning how to use Kyokushin Karate since I was 12 years old.” Izuku, initially a little let down by the plain Quirk, felt his interest rise at the last bit, a fellow martial artist was always fun to fight against!

Izuku was stunned by the next student, a veritable giant as tall, if not taller than Tessai, with a mask and multiple arms, one of which formed a mouth.

“My name is Shoji Mezo, I’m 18 years old, and my Quirk is Dupli-arms.” The mouth at the end of his arm spoke, intriguing Izuku immensely. “It allows me to grow tentacles like these and change the organs at the end of them to eyes, mouths, ears and more. One interesting thing about me is that I love takoyaki.”

As the introductions continued, Izuku took notes on each of the students, Kirishima’s hardening Quirk, Satou’s sugar Quirk, Hagakure’s invisibility, and Asui’s frog Quirk until the short guy next to him stood up.

“Hello ladies!” Izuku felt a shudder travel up his spine in disgust. The boy’s voice carried a smug undertone that was almost drowned out by the lechery in his tone. “The name’s Mineta Minoru, 17 years old, and my Quirk is Pop-off.” He gestured to his hair. “Each of these balls can stick to anything for a predetermined time. One interesting thing about me is that I love the ladies!” Izuku’s disgust slowly shifted to anger as he saw purple boy eyeing up all the girls, his eyes wandering all over the clueless woman’s bodies. Izuku felt his Reiryoku circulate faster in his bloodstream, looking for its favourite emotional snacks, and stood up before he could burn something down, ignoring Mineta’s squawk as Izuku “accidentally” kicked his legs from under him.

“Hello, my name is Midoriya Izuku, I’m 17 and my Quirk is Reiryoku.” He’d gotten it renamed after he found out its true properties. Burning Soul was a bit too…extra for his tastes nowadays anyway. “It’s a sort of energy that circulates in my body alongside my blood, and it allows me to create and control fire. The energy is semi-sentient and likes to rile me up, meaning it amplifies my emotions. I’m working on controlling that, but in the meantime, if I snap at you because of that, I apologize. One interesting thing about me is that I’ve been training Muay Thai for the past 2 years.”

There was an expected and an unexpected reaction to his introduction. The expected reaction was Ojiro perking up at the mention of his martial arts training like Izuku had done earlier. The unexpected reaction was the beautiful split-haired woman, who had just barely flinched at the mention of him controlling fire, before her face went back to its impassive state. Izuku was trying to figure out why she had reacted like that when her turn to introduce herself came around. He focused his eyes on her, looking for any sort of hint as to why she had flinched, before smacking his forehead mentally.

‘She has a burn scar, idiot! Obviously, she wouldn’t like fire!’

“My name is Todoroki Ruka.” Izuku shivered again, this time in abject delight at the tone of her voice. She sounded like snow falling, gentle and vicious all at the same time. Her tone was flat, but Izuku couldn’t care less; her attitude wasn’t an issue, she could treat him like a dog, and he’d run right back just to hear that voice again. “My Quirk is Half-Hot, Half-Cold, it allows me to produce ice from my right side and heat myself up using my left. One interesting thing about me…” She paused there, as if there was nothing interesting she could think of, which was ridiculous; everything about her was interesting. “I can ice skate.” She sat down before standing back up, as if she had forgotten something. “Oh, and I’m going to be the Number One Hero.”

Izuku continued to keep at least one of his eyes on her after she sat down, his attention fading from the other students as his mind was overcome with longing.

 

One look at the girl and you’re in love! Soul cackled in his mind. Izuku stared up at his ceiling, eyes wide.

“She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, Soul.” Soul just laughed harder at the awe in his voice. “I’m gonna ask her out next chance I get.”

Woah, buddy. Soul was serious now, the chuckles dissipating. You’ve barely met this girl, give it some time, at least!

“You know that’s not my thing, Soul.” Izuku laughed. “She wants to be number one, right? I’ll have to prove myself to her first!”

Don’t be stupid, kid. Soul’s voice was harsh now. You have to prove yourself as boyfriend material, not as Hero material!

The next day, Izuku was determined to make the best first impression he could, both on his homeroom teacher and on Ruka. He couldn’t be completely certain of his feelings just yet, but there was something, a spark within himself he couldn’t control, he had to at least try. He arrived to class ten minutes early, walked in the door, and immediately considered suicide.

“Take your feet off of that desk!” Iida was shouting, his arm chopping in a perfect 90-degree motion at his elbow. “This way of sitting is shameful to both the students who once used that desk, and the very prestige of U.A.!”

Bakugo, because of course they were in the same class, sneered back at him, his hand popping.

“Who the fuck are you, extra? Where do you get off thinking you can tell me what to do, huh!?”

Iida sputtered for a second. Regaining his composure, he stuck his hand out in an offer to shake.

“I believe we started off on the wrong foot! My name is Iida Tenya, I’m from Somei Academy!”
“Somei huh? No wonder you’ve got such a huge stick up your ass!”
“How did a crude student like you get admitted into U.A. to begin with?!” He turned around, apparently writing Bakugo off as a lost cause, and sat in his seat, Izuku having taken advantage of their argument to sit next to Todoroki. This was his chance to strike up a conversation!

Ask her what she thinks of U.A. so far! Soul urged. He leaned towards her, his eyes locked onto her face as he prepared himself.

“So, are you enjoying U.A. so far?” ‘I did it!’ He cheered in his head. ‘I managed to talk without stuttering!’

She moved her head slightly to look back at him, her eyes scrutinizing his as she stared at him. This is a test, Izuku! Don’t avert your eyes! Soul coached. Look her straight in the eyes and smile! Izuku cringed mentally. His once sunshine-esque smile had faded, stress and heightened emotions drawing a more violent grin out of him instead. Still, Soul hadn’t led him astray yet! He held eye contact with her and grinned, the corners of his lips rising to show a jagged smirk.

“You gonna leave me hanging, Princess?” No reaction. His grin faded slightly as she turned her ice-cold expression towards him.

“I’m not here to make friends. Don’t try to get all buddy-buddy with me, I hate it.” Her voice was the same as last night, and Izuku couldn’t help the little shiver her icy voice gave him. His grin widened as he revelled in her voice.

“I’m sure I’ll get through your icy exterior soon, Princess.” She scoffed, annoyance flaring in her eyes, and opened her mouth to respond until a monotone, borderline zombie-like voice spoke from the front, Izuku reluctantly tearing his eyes away from Todoroki.

“None of you noticed me despite the ample amount of time I gave you. I’m disappointed.” The speaker was a shaggy, homeless-looking man, black shoulder-length hair fell in front of his face as he yawned. He crawled out of a musty yellow sleeping bag, pressing a button and releasing a shelf of briefcases from the wall, each with a student’s name on it.

“My name is Aizawa Shouta. I will be your homeroom teacher. You can call me Aizawa-sensei or Professor. These are your gym uniforms. Put them on and meet me outside at the training field. You have 5 minutes.” The man gave off an aura similar to Renji and Urahara, a sense of danger that Izuku came to associate with resolve.
Izuku had been exposed to enough of Urahara’s games to be wary of the implied “or-else” that hung in the air, and rushed to the front. Grabbing his uniform, he hurried to the locker room and quickly shucked his clothes off before throwing the gym clothes on. He had just finished putting his shirt on by the time the rest of the boys flooded into the changing room, chattering as if they had no care in the world. He booked it out of the room, ignoring their questions, and found his way to the training field, bowing to Aizawa-sensei as he slowed down.

The next person to arrive was Ruka, her face as dispassionate as ever, followed by Iida and Yaoyorozu. As the rest of the class trickled in, Izuku noticed the anger growing on his sensei’s face with a wince. 5 minutes had come and gone, and there were still students missing from the field. They arrived after 7 minutes, chattering among each other like they were in some sort of playground. Izuku was disappointed too; he had prepared himself to go against the best of the best, not some waddling teens who weren’t able to take instructions seriously!

“Almost half of you were late.” Aizawa’s voice was terse. “I hope that doesn’t become a habit. For now, we’ll be doing a Quirk Assessment Test.” Uraraka piped up, Izuku tensing beside her as he remembered Urahara’s tendency to punish him for asking questions.

“What about orientation, or introductions to the staff?” Aizawa turned around, glaring at the class.

“If you want to be a Hero, you don’t have time for those useless niceties. U.A. is known for its hands-off style of education, it allows you students to have benefits no other school would allow, but that applies to us staff as well.” The glare lightened back into the deadpan, half-asleep face, Izuku slowly relaxing as Aizawa did. The class was completely silent, nobody dared to break the sombre mood.

“You guys have been doing these exercises since Junior High, right? Physical fitness tests without your Quirk?” He projected a display of exercises to the class from a device on his wrist. “The ministry of education wants to make sure students are healthy and fit while in school, a logical idea, but you are all here to learn how to use your Quirk, not just your bodies.” He pointed at Bakugo. “You, Bakugo. You had the most villain points out of everyone in this class. Come up to the circle here.” Bakugo did as he was told. Even he wasn’t crazy enough to run wild on the U.A. campus. Aizawa handed him a ball. “What was your throw in High School?”
“73 meters.” Bakugo grunted out.

“Now throw it with your Quirk. You can do whatever you want within the circle, just throw the ball as far as you can.”
Bakugo’s sullen face immediately lit up in glee; he loved any excuse to use his Quirk, after all, Izuku thought bitterly, watching his torturer wind up and launch the ball.

“DIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!” A huge explosion rocked the students standing on the sidelines, Izuku managing to withstand the shockwave and watching the ball fly higher and higher until it was out of sight.

“923 meters.” Aizawa’s dull voice echoed throughout the clearing.”You must first learn your maximum before you can build on it. It’s the logical thing to do.”

The crowd of students let out a shocked gasp, chattering to each other as if Aizawa hadn’t just told them they were here for business.

“No way, 923 meters?! That guy is insane!” Kaminari said, his eyebrow raised in worry.

“This looks like fun!” Izuku froze as the words rang out. He knew whatever came next would be, at best, terrible. ‘Fucking demon senseis!’ He cursed. ' Why am I so unlucky!?’

“Fun, huh?” Aizawa was glaring down at them again, his eyes gleaming with malice. “You want to be a Hero, to risk your life with that kind of attitude? Alright, I get it. How about this, the person who scores the lowest overall in these eight tests, I’ll expel them.” The class was silent for a minute before it erupted into noise.

“What do you mean ‘expel’ us!? We got here fair and square!”
“Yeah, no matter how open-minded U.A. is, there’s gotta be a limit somewhere!”
The crowd continued to shout, but Izuku wanted no part of it. There was nothing in this world that could convince him that yelling at his sensei for the next four years was worth it.

“Enough!” Aizawa yelled, his baritone voice cutting through the clamour. “I decide who I teach. If you can’t even prove worthy in this little test, you don’t deserve to be here! People die in the field, I’m sure you all know that, but what you need to understand is that your death is the best-case scenario !”

Izuku knew this lesson. It had been beaten into his head for months while he stayed with Urahara after all. A Hero had to be ready to sacrifice themselves constantly, and if they died, then at least they wouldn’t be living with the guilt of having gotten someone killed. The shouting had stopped instantly, the class pale and shocked as Aizawa’s words sank in.

“Any more questions?” He swept a glare across the students. “Good, we’re moving to the 50-yard dash. Midoriya, Bakugo, you’re up first. Give it all you have.”

Izuku took his shoes off before he started preparing. ‘No reason to waste a good pair of sneakers.’ He reasoned, stretching, before standing next to the blocks. Bakugo was glaring at him, but that wasn’t anything new. He tuned it out, focusing on himself and the energy running through his veins, compressing it to his feet without even bothering to get into a running stance. He opened his eyes, sparks dancing from under his soles, and waited for the bot to start counting down.

“3, 2, 1, and, GO!”

Izuku released the compression and felt the familiar sense of the world bending around him as the flames launched him forward. The surrounding area distorted at his speed, until it all snapped back into place at the end of the track. He halted his acceleration, inhaling the fire from his feet before blowing it back into the sky, and turned to face Aizawa.

“0.51 seconds.” The class erupted in awe as Izuku walked to his sneakers, ignoring the sting of pain that came with compressing the fire’s force so close to his skin.

“3.02 seconds.”

‘Sounds like Bakugo’s finished too.’ Izuku thought offhandedly, his focus already on the next test.

 

Test two, grip strength!

Izuku focused his Quirk on his muscles, circulating the energy faster in order to bring some extra power into his arms, and clenched as hard as he could, his arm trembling. 

“153.2 Kg.” He was happy about that; there wasn’t much he could do to this thing without burning it after all.

“Holy shit dude, are you a gorilla?!” A shout caught Izuku’s attention, his eyes landing on Shoji and Sero on the other side of the field. “635 Kg is crazy!”

‘Point taken, world.’ He thought glumly.

 

Test 3, standing long jump!

 

Izuku watched his classmates jump one at a time, some using raw power and others being more creative with their attempts. Aoyama launched himself over the sandpit with his laser, while Bakugo leaped over with his explosions before landing past Aoyama’s marker. Yaoyorozu created a pole vault and cleared the pit that way, while Asui jumped over with pure leg strength. Finally, it was his turn, and he had an idea. He positioned his hands behind him, fire beginning to spark in both palms as he compressed it. ‘Less than for Shunpo and Ikkoku!’ He reminded himself, his concentration solely on not blowing his wrists off. ‘Just enough to give me a boost!’ He released the fire and felt himself launch at a near-perfect 45-degree angle, easily clearing the sand pit. He pumped his fist as he landed, unaware of the glare Aizawa sent his way.

 

The rest of the tests continued to go that way, Izuku nearing the top in almost all of them except for repeating side-steps, until it was time for everyone to do the ball throw. Uraraka stood in the circle, looking like the cat that caught the canary, and simply released the ball, allowing it to float into the stratosphere. Aizawa sighed and raised the measuring device, showing a pink infinity symbol in the middle of it.

“Midoriya, you’re up.” Izuku nodded distractedly, mind already running through the possibilities of what he could do as he grabbed the ball from Aizawa. ‘Probably best to compress my fire again, use it as an explosion.’ He decided. ‘Anything other than that might vaporize the ball, or drain my energy completely.’ He nodded to himself and prepared, flames gathering in his palm as his classmates gushed.

“I wonder what he’s going to do now! Maybe he’ll hit it with a giant flame laser!” That had to have been Ashido, he decided, a smile forming on his face at the ridiculous idea.

“No way, he’s going to hit it with the same explosion thing he’s been doing.” Sero was right, it was the safest option. ‘Whoever got anywhere by being safe!?’ He grinned and prepared, closing his eyes and forcing the flame to compress more than he ever had before, ‘More, until it’s enough to get at least a kilometre!’ He drew his hand back, just about to launch the ball, when he felt it; his control over the fire faded completely as the large amount of compressed fire in his palm exploded, sending him flying backwards until he was wrapped up and caught by a piece of…was that cloth? He was dragged in front of an unimpressed Aizawa, his eyes glowing red and his hair floating in the air.

“Why aren’t you using your full power?” Izuku blinked, taken aback.

“What do you mean? I’m giving it all I got!” Aizawa glared at him.

“The sword from the entrance exam, the firepower that you managed then, why aren’t you using it?”

“Because using that much power puts me out of commission, if I use it recklessly, I’ll end up a liability!”

Aizawa nodded, a flash of approval in his eyes that vanished as quickly as it came.

“That’s good, shows you have restraint and you know what your limits are, but that won’t cut it here.” Izuku felt the dots connect in his head, and Aizawa kept talking. “This is your last test of the day. The rest of your classes are academic, meaning your first day is going to be a blur of introductions and niceties, nothing physical or demanding, but you still won’t go all out. To be a Hero, you have to be willing to go past your limits.” Aizawa’s hair fell back down as he blinked, but he lifted it up with his hand and offered a truly terrifying smile. “Go Beyond, Plus Ultra! That’s our motto, right?” Izuku’s hair stood on end, a truly unsettling aura emanating from his teacher. “You have one more chance, don’t blow it.” The cloth released Izuku, falling neatly onto Aizawa’s shoulders as the teacher stepped back in line. Izuku thought for a moment before coming to a conclusion.

‘He’s right.’ Izuku thought grimly. ‘I should’ve been using full power for this test from the start, instead, I was gonna half-ass it, do the same thing over and over instead of developing anything new.’

He took a deep breath, his determination renewed, and held his hand out to the side, open-palmed.

“Soul.” He called out, his voice cutting through the silent air. He heard some confused mumblings until Soul appeared in his hand, the purple scabbard fitting perfectly in his palm.

A bit dramatic, don’t you think? Soul joked, before his tone became stern. Your teacher was right, you know. You’ve been looking down on half of your classmates and slacking off because of it, thinking that since you were better than them, you weren’t in any danger. What happened to number one?

“I know, Soul, I made a mistake.” Izuku could feel the confusion emanating from his classmates as he spoke to his sword.

Yes, you did. Soul spoke bluntly. There’s no coasting on the path to number one. You should always be pushing yourself to do better, be better, but here you are, trying to take the easy way out instead of surpassing your limits.

“I said I know, Soul,” Izuku replied, his voice equally as serious. “That was a mistake, I’m going to give it my all this time, are you gonna help or keep lecturing me?”

Ha! Soul scoffed. You couldn’t wrestle your way out of a paper bag without me, of course, I’m gonna help!

Izuku grinned, letting his competitive urge rush through his body.

“Then, let’s blow ‘em out of the water, partner!” Soul’s cooperation confirmed, he started stretching, getting his body ready for the throw. ‘No sense in wasting a good uniform.’ He figured, taking his shirt off and letting the skin below free. At first, the rest of the class was confused, then horrified at the sight of the wound that stretched from his shoulder to his stomach in a straight line, a hideous thing, blackened by his own fire. He ignored the rest of his class; instead, he, in an act of pure adrenaline, zeroed in on Ruka and grinned, winking at her.

‘Why the fuck did I do that!?’ He screamed internally.

Why the fuck did you do that!? Soul screamed alongside him.

Izuku felt his Reiryoku pump up as the embarrassment caught up to him, and let it grow stronger, drawing it out into a cloud of fire that burst into existence around him, wisps of flame dancing around his body. He unsheathed Soul, the steel ringing against the sheath as he did, and concentrated once more. He grabbed the fire around him, the giant plume that he had summoned, and focused. He forced it around his sword, compressing it to a point where the ball should survive without being ashed, but enough that the force should send it flying. When he was ready, he threw the ball high into the air, pulled his sword back and waited.

‘Now!’ He swung the sword forward, the broad side connecting flush with the ball and erupting immediately, launching the ball hundreds of meters.

‘Not yet!’ He closed his eyes and felt for the fire enveloping the ball, sensing his energy, he waited, fire gathering once again around his upper body. The ball started falling, and Izuku knew it was time. He threw his fist out, a giant plume of fire following it and hitting the ball partway through its descent, propelling it forward again. He did this for as long as he could, pushing the limits of his range of control and his timing, pulling more and more energy out of his bloodstream, until the ball left his range. He fell to his knees, steam wafting from his body as he panted, his blood cooling down as his Reiryoku slowed its circulation. He looked at his teacher and forced himself to his feet, swaying unsteadily in the cloud of steam that was pouring out of him.

“That was all I could do.” He breathed out, taking in deep puffs of cool air. “I put all I had into that. Was that Plus Ultra enough for you?” He grinned, ignoring the gasps of affront his classmates let out as he sassed his teacher. Aizawa grinned back, holding out the measuring tool.

“You tell me, kid.”

“1850 METERS?!” The class shouted out in unison. He supposed it was expected; he had the highest number out of his class other than Uraraka’s infinity, and a near two-kilometre throw was much farther than even he had expected. Grabbing his shirt off the floor, he smacked the dust off of it and swung it over his shoulder, the class parting around him as steam continued to stream from him. He ignored all of it, his attention focused only on Ruka as he walked towards her. She looked at him with narrowed eyes, and he tried his best to ignore the thrill that ran through him as he noticed just how tall she was before he stopped right in front of her.

“You think you can cool me off a little bit?” His voice was hoarse and gravelly, the result of his overexertion. “I’m not a big fan of steaming like this.” She studied him for a second, her eyes inevitably drifting to the prominent scar on his chest. Izuku felt another surge of pleasure as her eyes stayed fixed on his body, but pushed it aside to keep talking.

“Is that a no, Princess?” He grinned as she glared at him again.

Good work, kid! Any emotion is better than no emotion! Soul cheered from within him.

She held her glare for a moment before reaching her hand out, inches away from his chest.

‘Come on, just a little closer!’ Izuku hoped she would reach out just a little more, he wanted desperately to feel her hand on his skin, but she stopped centimetres short, ice pouring from her palm and engulfing him.

Maybe no emotion is better than anger. Soul muttered in his mind.

Izuku was already cycling his Reiryoku slightly faster, the ice block melting almost instantly from that, added to the residual heat from the ball throw.

“That was perfect, Princess.” He sighed in relief. “We make a pretty good team. What do you say we get to know each other a little bit better?” He kept the grin on his face despite the nerves that were going haywire in his body at the moment. She huffed, an icy mist following her breath.

“I thought I told you I wasn’t here to make friends. Get lost.”
“Aww, don’t be like that! I just wanna get to know you!” Izuku whined, his hopes crushed.

Before she could respond, Aizawa cut them off again.

“Gather around me. It’s time we learn who’s going home.” The class surged together, huddling around Aizawa as the man poked at the device on his wrist for a few seconds before a screen popped up.

 

 

• Yaoyorozu Momo

• Midoriya Izuku

• Todoroki Ruka

• Bakugo Katsuki

• Iida Tenya

• Tokoyami Fumikage

• Shoji Mezo

• Mashirao Ojiro

• Kirishima Eijiro

• Ashido Mina

• Tsuyu Asui

• Uraraka Ochako

• Sato Rikido

• Koda Koji

• Sero Hanta

• Yuga Aoyama

• Jiro Kyoka

• Kaminari Denki

• Hagakure Tooru

• Mineta Minoru

 

Izuku clicked his teeth together in dissatisfaction. He could’ve been first if he’d put his all into it from the very beginning, but he’d started getting prideful, arrogant. There were people in this class who could and would do better than him if he slipped, and he’d have to step up his game if he wanted to keep ahead of them.

‘Speaking of which,’ He turned to face Ruka, the girl scowling at the list like it had killed her family. ‘She doesn’t look too happy.’ She caught him staring at her, and her scowl deepened.

Izuku heard loud sobbing and turned to see a disgusting sight: Mineta on the ground, sobbing as tears and snot poured from his face.

“I can’t get expelled, I haven’t even seen any of the girls in their Hero costumes yet!” Izuku felt his anger rise, but satisfaction calmed him as he remembered Aizawa’s words about expulsion.

“And no one’s going home. It was a logical ruse to get you to use your Quirk to the max.” Aizawa’s statement brought the anger all the way back. The students all shouted in shock and surprise, aside from Yaoyorozu.

“It was a pretty obvious lie, I thought you all would’ve noticed!” She said, her hands on her hips as she stared at the rest of the class freaking out.

‘I couldn’t tell at all!’ The thought collectively ran through the class’s minds.

“That’s it for homeroom. All of you get changed and head to your next class.” The students dispersed amongst each other and started talking, friend groups already forming among the class as they made their way to the changing rooms. Izuku kept to himself, brainstorming ways he could’ve done better in the test, different things he could’ve done with his Quirk, until a finger tapped his shoulder.

“Man, Midoriya, you really showed up, huh!” It was Kirishima, the redhead smiling at him brightly with sharp teeth. Izuku blinked. He still wasn’t used to people talking to him so directly. “Second place is nothing to scoff at!”

“It’s not bad, but it isn’t good enough,” Izuku said, his shoulders slumping. “I could’ve done better, but I guess I’ll just have to channel that energy into the next test!” He said, his energy rising at the end.

Kirishima looked at him like he was God on earth, eyes shining with awe and respect.

“So manly…” He whispered. “You’re right, we should all aim to do even better next time!” A small group of boys, including Izuku, Kaminari, and Sero, cheered at the redheads' words.

“By the way, Midoriya,” Kaminari spoke, drawing Izuku’s eyes to him. “What’s with that huge scar on your shoulder? You look like you lost a fight with a lightsaber!” Izuku was in the middle of putting his uniform back on, but held off as he readied his answer.

“Well, I learned how to use my sword in some town on the other side of Japan.” His story was interrupted by Sero this time, the man poking his neck out like a giraffe.

“Why were you all the way over there? Didn’t you have school or something?” Izuku winced; his attack on the boy a year ago was still a sore spot in his memory.

“Well, there was a little…incident at my school, and I had to switch somewhere else. My Muay Thai instructor knew a guy who could help me out with my sword and my Quirk, so I went to him for both school and training.” Izuku waited for the sound of understanding to die down around him as more of the boys tuned in to his story. “Well, he was a super strict teacher, had me doing thousands of swings with my sword a day in order to train my body, and one day, after I was done practicing, he walked up to me and told me we were going to spar.” Kaminari interrupted this time, his voice tinged with confusion.

“What does that have to do with your scar?”
“I’m getting there, just give me a minute.” Izuku put his hands out in a calming gesture. “The guy pulls out his sword and tells me that if I don’t fight back seriously, he’d kill me. I thought he was joking, until he sliced through my sword and into my shoulder, before he ripped it down my chest.” He pointed at the wound. “At that point, I’d only used my Quirk on purpose once, and I had no idea what it really did, so when I pushed out all of my energy for the first time, it burned the injury shut, leaving me with this scar.” The locker room was silent as Izuku pulled his shirt on fully, closing his locker.

“Don’t you hate him now?” The question came, surprisingly, from Shoji. “He permanently disfigured you in the name of training, you have to feel some sort of resentment.”
Izuku laughed.

“I trained with him for another 9 months after that, actually.” He laughed again at the assorted sounds of disbelief that rang out. “And as for the scar,” He grabbed his shoulder with his hand as he spoke. “It’s a sign of my resolve, it means I didn’t give in to fear, and that I fought with all I had. How could I hate a symbol like that?” He walked out of the door, followed by Kirishima shouting “Manly!” and Kaminari, who still looked starstruck. Behind him, Bakugo glared at his locker door, slamming it shut with much more force than he needed to. Gritting his teeth, he stomped out of the room, his thoughts whirling in his head.

‘Fucking Deku.’ He shoved his hands in his pockets. ‘He thinks he’s fucking better than me! All that bullshit about second not being enough when I came in fucking fourth, he’s mocking me, I know it!’ His anger grew at the thought, violent thoughts surging through his mind. ‘I’ll kill that stupid nerd, I swear! Him, Icy bitch and rich bitch, all of them are dead!’

 

The next day was a blur. Classes were depressingly normal, the excitement of having a Pro-Hero teacher fading when said Pro-Hero started lecturing them about calculus or history. Each Hero student was allowed to choose between two set timetables. Depending on which one you chose, you would be put in either class 1-A or 1-B, and Izuku’s timetable told him that next up was the class he had been excited for since he’d gotten his acceptance letter.

“It’s finally time for our Heroics class!” Ashido shouted out from her seat. “I wonder who our teacher’s going to be?”

“It’s gotta be Best Jeanist, right?” Kaminari said, looking thoughtful. “I mean, a high-ranked Hero based in this area? There aren’t many others.”
“Nah, no way!” Kirishima refuted. “Best Jeanist is way too busy for something like this! I bet it’s someone a little lower on the list, like Kamui Woods, or Death Arms.”
The discussion continued until a familiar laugh boomed through the room.

“No way!” Jiro shouted, her jacks rising to cheek height.

“I AM HERE! Coming through the door like a normal person!” All Might burst through the door, his cape fluttering in the wind he created.

“It’s really All Might!” Kaminari said, his voice full of awe.

“That’s his silver age costume, gero ” Tsuyu croaked, her normally bland tone slightly more expressive.

“He’s so impressive, I’m getting goosebumps just being in front of him!” Ojiro said.

“I will be your Hero Basics teacher!” All Might said, his smile firmly on his face. “To lay the foundations for you young ones, we’ll be doing all types of training. Subsequently, this course has the most units out of the rest. Today, we’ll be jumping right in!” He twirled around, his cape covering him for a moment before he thrust his arm out, holding a card with the word “BATTLE” printed on it. “With some battle training!”

Notes:

Not a super long chapter this time, but I figured it would be best to end it on a bit of a cliffhanger lol.
First, Ruka is Shouto in this verse, Ruka for Lapis and Fire in it, a bit of a tease there, and I didn't really wanna go for the generic Shouko so I made a new one.
Second, Izuku spent so long training so seriously to be a hero that when he see's people slacking off or joking around he gets a bit angry! And he realized he was arrogant, thinking "oh these people aren't taking this as seriously as me, so they must be weaker." And as a result, he got second instead of first.
Third, the intro's were a bit rushed. You guys know the students and you know what Quirks they have, I'm not really going to change any of that.
Finally, the Dekusquad will be changing this time around. I'm not really going to push Uraraka or Tenya into it too much; instead, I think I'll do some Kirishima, some Kaminari, some Mina and maybe some Jiro. This is because in this fic, Izuku is more confident; he's not afraid to talk or show off, and that attracts Kirishima more than Bakugo's brash and rude confidence. Mina and Kirishima both hang out, so that brings her over, and I have some plans for Kaminari. Lmk if you think I should add other people into the Dekusquad!
Let me know what you think about Pining Izuku and Soul's absolutely terrible advice, and if there's anything you think should be done to get the romance going a bit smoother.

Chapter 7: A Hero's Burning Battle Training!

Summary:

It was finally time for battle training! Izuku couldn't wait to see his classmate's Quirks in action, but who is he going to fight?

Notes:

Another long chapter, I was super pumped writing this because next chapter is going to be the USJ!! Hope you enjoy this one, we got training session and cafeteria alarm!

The class erupted, excitement rising in the air. Izuku grinned wide, his heart beginning to thump aggressively. ‘Battle training! This is what I’ve been preparing for!’ All Might raised his hand, the class falling silent at the gesture from their symbol of peace.

“Calm down, students.” He said. “Before we get going, you guys need these!” He threw his arm to the side, the wall ejecting briefcases like it had for Aizawa’s test. “These are the costumes made for you based on your requests! Once you’re all changed, meet me at Ground Beta!”

“Yes, sensei!” The class shouted, rushing to their suitcases.

Izuku was in and out of the locker room first again, his costume was easy to put on with no fancy additions, after all. It was similar to what he had worn to the entrance exam, a black short-sleeved kimono and black hakama pants, but he had added a sleeveless white cloak over top it all, the back embroidered with the kanji for ‘fire’ in the middle. There was a flame pattern on the bottom of the white cloak, and he had geta sandals instead of tabi, but overall it was similar to what Urahara had gifted him. He left the kimono almost wide open, exposing his chest and abs along with his scar. Walking towards Ground Beta, he spotted All Might and rushed toward him, remembering the months he had spent training with him.

“All Might!” He shouted out, waving his hand as he approached the titan. All Might turned to face him, his smile somehow growing and waved back.

“Young Midoriya! It’s good to see you again! I’m glad you managed to make it here.” Izuku slowed and stood before the man, nearly jumping with joy and anticipation.

“I couldn’t just let you down after you helped me so much!” Izuku replied, beaming up at him.

Before All Might could respond, the rest of the class started trickling in, the sound of their conversations filling the air.

“Midoriya, looking cool bro!” Kirishima walked over to him, his shoulder guards clanking with each step he took. “We’re matching!” Izuku was confused for a moment before it dawned on him, Kirishima and him both had their chests exposed.

“What a coincidence!” He laughed. “My fire normally surrounds me whenever I use it, so I figured I might as well leave some ventilation in there instead of cinching it up tight, you know!”

Kirishima nodded emphatically.

“I feel you, bro! My skin always gets caught on fabric, even when I’m not hardened, so I ditched the shirt entirely!” Izuku was about to ask why his skin caught on fabric when someone poked his back. Turning around, he realized it was Ashido, moving to Kirishima’s side.

“Ashido, what’s up?” He asked.

“First of all, call me Mina!” She smiled. “Any friend of Kiri’s is a friend of mine, after all!”

“Kiri?” Izuku echoed. “So you and Kirishima know each other already?”

“Yeah, me and Mina have been friends for as long as I can remember!” Kirishima hopped in. “She’s my inspiration to be a Hero!”
“Really? How’d that happen?” Izuku was intrigued; most people were inspired by Pro Heroes.

“All I did was give some creepy guy directions.” Mina waved it off, obviously, Kirishima had told this story a few too many times. “But enough about us!” She jumped in front of him, eyes sparkling with mischief. “What’s up with you and our resident ice Queen?” Izuku sighed and slumped over, depressed at the reminder of his less-than-successful attempts at winning over Ruka.

“I tried asking her to go out, and she just told me that she wasn’t here to make friends.” He slumped even further at the responding ‘yikes’ from Mina. “And then, during the ball throw, I overheated myself and lost control of my emotions, and I ended up winking at her before I threw it!” Kirishima sucked air in through his teeth and patted his back.

“Is that why she froze you?” He asked sympathetically.

“No, I asked her to do that!” Izuku wailed, embarrassment overtaking him as the air around him heated up slightly. “I asked her to cool me down while I was shirtless, and I called her Princess! She probably hates me!” Mina joined Kirishima in patting his back.

“There, there.” She said consolingly. “Mistakes happen. But, if she said no, you should respect that no.” Her voice was stern. “Don’t chase after her unless she responds; otherwise, you might just be making her uncomfortable.” Izuku nodded, standing up straight, freshly determined.

“Right, I’ll keep trying to make her respond, without trying to ask her out!”

“Well, close enough.” Mina sighed. “Just, don’t make her uncomfortable, or else you’ll never have a chance.”

That’s right, Izuku! Soul spoke. For now, she’s your rival for the number one spot, not just your love interest! Don’t mock her determination by demeaning her wishes!

Izuku felt his ire grow.

“Huh?! You’re the one who told me any reaction was better than no reaction!” He said angrily, ignoring Kirishima and Mina’s surprised faces. “Don’t change up your advice so suddenly!” He waited for a response, only growing more agitated when none came. “Stupid sword.” He muttered, turning back to his friends. “Woah!” He jumped back, avoiding their hands reaching for his forehead. “What the hell!”

“Midoriya, you seem to have a head injury.” Mina stated, reaching for him again.

“Yeah,” Kirishima agreed. “You’re talking to the air!”

“Wait, wait, wait!” Izuku backtracked, waving his hands frantically at the pair approaching him. “I told you my Quirk was sentient! I was talking to it!” The pair stopped and looked at each other, considering, before continuing their march towards him.

“Aizawa-sensei must’ve done a number on you, poor thing.” Mina held her hands up like he was a rabid animal.

“It’s okay, dude.” Kirishima copied her actions. “We’re gonna take you to Recovery Girl.”
“Gah!” Izuku shouted in frustration. “Soul, come out and help me deal with them!” He shot his hand to the side and grabbed onto the familiar hilt, Soul appearing in a shower of golden sparks.

You called? Izuku clenched his eyes shut and breathed deeply, trying to control himself.

“What do you mean ‘you called?’! You son of a bitch, I should throw you into a furnace!” He failed. Before Izuku could continue screaming at his sword, or Mina and Kirishima could take him to the doctor’s office, All Might clapped his hands once, the simple gesture sending out a shockwave.

“Looking good, everyone!” He gave the crowd a thumbs up, his smile glinting in the sun. “We’ll be starting our basic training now!”

An armoured hand rose into the air, the mask making it impossible for Izuku to tell who it was.

“Sensei, this is one of the exam sites. Would it be right to assume this is going to be another city test?” Iida was the one behind the mask, his strict voice impossible to hide. ‘He’s got a nice costume.’ Izuku thought. ‘Good balance between protective and stylish!’

“Not quite! In this Hero society, most fights you see are outdoors and public.” All Might waved his arm at the city behind them. “But the truth of the matter is that most villain encounters happen behind closed doors! Backroom deals, hostage situations, trafficking, while some villains are public, the most dangerous ones,” His smile seemed to dim slightly as he spoke. “Are the ones in the dark. I’ll be separating you into teams of two, one team will be Heroes, the other will be Villains, and you'll fight each other.”

Tsuyu raised her finger to her mouth, tilting her head.

“We won’t be getting any basic training?”

“This is your basic training!” All Might clenched his fist and held it in front of his face. “Aizawa showed you your maximum performance. My job is to show you control. Remember that this exercise is indoors, don’t try to pull anything stupid.”

“How are the winners determined?” Yaoyorozu spoke up. Izuku looked over at her and would’ve blushed if he still could. Her costume wasn’t ridiculously open or anything, but there was a sizable window above her sizable chest, and cutouts on either side of her thighs. Izuku resolved to just keep his eyes away from her; it wouldn’t be good manners to stare, and he wasn’t sure where a safe place to look was.

“How badly can we hurt our opponent?” Izuku had to hold back a scoff. Of course, Bakugo would be the one to ask that. Izuku couldn’t look at his costume without angering himself. ‘Fucker tortured me for years, and then he uses MY design?!’ The gauntlets Bakugo were wearing were straight from the notebook the man had blown up all those years ago, as was the explosive headpiece, but the bandolier of small grenades he was carrying was new.

“Will you expel us, like Aizawa-sensei?” Uraraka spoke out next, her hands wrung out nervously in front of her chest. Izuku liked the simplicity of her costume, nothing too fancy, but not stupidly bare either. She had big gauntlets on both arms, as well as what looked to be cartridges of gas on both sides of her hips. Her boots were puffy, but the soles looked a bit springier than normal.

“How will teams be decided?” Iida’s muffled voice came next, his hand still raised at a perfect 90-degree angle.

“Isn’t my cape super stylish?” Aoyama’s accented voice rang out. He was holding a sparkly cape in front of his face, showing it off to their teacher.

“Young Yaoyorozu, the winners will be determined based on the team you are on. If you are a Hero, your goal is to secure the objective; if you are a Villain, your goal is to stop the Heroes from doing that. The time limit is 10 minutes, and the objective will be hidden by the Villains before the Heroes get to go into the building. Young Bakugo, I believe I already said that this was an exercise in control. I will tell you if an attack is too much; however, I trust all of your judgments. Young Uraraka, worry not, I will not be doing anything of the sort! Young Aoyama, your cape is very stylish, but be careful of it getting caught in things, like a plane or a car! Finally, young Iida!” All Might paused and pulled a box labelled ‘LOTS’ out of what seemed to be thin air. “Teams will be chosen by lots!”

‘Man, he handled all of those questions perfectly!’ Izuku thought, awestruck. ‘So being the number one means being socially perfect as well as heroically perfect!’

“Aren’t randomly picked teammates a bit risky?” Mina said, her voice a bit hesitant.

“Lots of Heroes have to work with different agencies on the fly, it’s probably for the best that we work with a variety of skills.” Izuku replied, patting her on the shoulder.

“Exactly right, young Midoriya!” All Might shot him a thumbs-up. “Now, everyone, come and pull your lots!”

 

• Koda and Ojiro, A
• Kaminari and Midoriya, B
• Aoyama and Jirou, C
• Sero and Kirishima, D
• Mineta and Tokoyami, E
• Hagakure and Asui, F
• Ashido and Iida, G
• Shoji and Yaoyorozu. H
• Todoroki and Sato, I
• Uraraka and Bakugo, J

 

Izuku grinned, partnered with someone he knew, lucky! He found Kaminari and dragged him to the front, waiting for All Might to pick teams.

“Match one will be between…” All Might reached into the box and shook his hands around before yanking them out. “Team I as the Heroes and Team G as the Villains!”  

‘Damnit!’ Izuku whined in his head. ‘I wanted to go first!’ He looked around, finding the teams and felt his heart jump as he realized Ruka would be fighting.

‘Let’s see how strong our aspiring number one is!’ Izuku thought excitedly, watching Mina’s team enter the building from the control room.

“Who do you think’s gonna win, Midoriya?” Kaminari asked.

Izuku hummed, his hand rising to his mouth instinctively.

“It’s a little hard to tell.” He muttered, mind racing. “If Mina keeps her head, she should be able to burn straight through Princess’ ice with her acid, but if she panics, Todoroki will lock her down.” He watched eagerly, time ticking down as the Villain team prepared their strategy.

“Heroes, you may enter the building!” All Might’s voice rumbled over the class. Izuku’s eyes snapped to Ruka. This was his first time seeing her in costume, and it was... unique, to say the least. A baggy cream coloured jumpsuit that had no other decoration on it was the base, but the main piece was the giant fake ice that covered her left side, a red 'eye' allowing her to see through it. Despite the less-than-flattering costume, Izuku took immense pleasure in watching her wave off Shoji and walk up to the building. His jaw fell open as she flash-froze the entire structure, frost creeping up the sides and the interior of the building. His eyes jumped to the other screen, watching Mina and Iida struggle to free themselves from the ice. Mina tried using acid to melt through the ice climbing steadily up her legs, but it continued to grow thicker and thicker, fighting back. Iida’s engines sputtered, clicking wildly but unable to ignite in the freezing environment Ruka had created. He watched, frozen in awe, as Ruka floated through the floors like a ghostly myth of old, Shoji directing her through the earpiece, his limbs floating around him like he was an octopus. She stepped into the room and placed her hand on the objective, a giant white cartoonish bomb, icy mist floating out of her mouth. He continued staring as the camera zoomed in on her face, a cheesy ‘victory’ screen appearing under her chin, watching the way her lips parted to exhale frost and how unbothered she looked, like this was just another day for her. He watched her saunter towards Mina and Iida, putting her left hand on the ground and slowly melting their icy constraints, and felt his heart stutter at the way her hair fell around her face, highlighting her mismatched eyes. She was a real snow white, colder than ice and just as beautiful.

‘I can’t think like this!’ He shook his head violently, drawing an odd look from Kaminari. ‘If I’m just staring at her all the time, I’m just as bad as that purple freak!

“Excellent job, students!” All Might boomed out, clapping as Ruka exited, lending a shoulder to Mina, followed by Shoji, who was doing the same for Iida. “The Hero team has won this time, but who was the MVP of this exercise?” He looked over the class expectedly, obviously waiting for a response.

“Well, it’s definitely Todoroki, isn’t it?” Sero said, scratching the back of his head. The rest of the class murmured out agreements, but All Might looked slightly disappointed. Izuku raised his hand, eager to sing the praises of the icy ghost that had taken over his thoughts.

“It was Todoroki, but not just because of how quickly she won.” He started. “It’s because of how she won. There was zero collateral damage to the building that couldn’t be fixed quickly, and both of the villains were captured with minimal damage to them as well. She kept her eyes on the goal, utilizing her teammates' skills in order to scout out the objective, and kept him out of the line of fire. All in all, it was a perfectly efficient method of capturing villains while keeping control of the situation.”

“Yes!” All Might gave him a thumbs-up. “That’s exactly right, Young Midoriya! The real commendable thing here is not Young Todoroki’s obvious power, though that is praise-worthy, the most impressive thing is her incredible control!” He turned to Ruka, his smile wide as always. “An impressive performance to be sure! As for the other team,” He turned towards Mina and Iida. “You two did your best in an unfortunate scenario, don’t linger on this loss for too long, just make sure you think of ways to overcome this gap.” His tone was softer now, consoling. The pair nodded, a fire reignited within them.

“Good!” All Might snapped his fingers, a light breeze forming from the small action. “Now it’s time for match 2, which will be between…” He rummaged through the box. “Team B as the Heroes and Team J as the Villains!”

Izuku felt his heart jump. ‘I-I’m fighting Bakugo?’ He turned slowly to see the blonde grinning viciously at him, palms sparking. ‘I’m fighting Bakugo.’ His mind settled, and then started running again. ‘I’m fighting Bakugo!’ He returned the grin with his own, bloodthirsty smile, and sped up his Reiryoku’s circulation. ‘I’m gonna beat the fuck out of Bakugo!’

 

Izuku and Kaminari stood outside of the building, staring up at the multiple floors as they waited for the villain’s prep time to end.

“So, what’s the plan?” Kaminari asked, fidgeting with his headset.

“Bakugo is going to come after me,” Izuku said bluntly. “We have a bit of a history.”

“Yikes.” Kaminari winced. “That dude feels a screw loose, you know? Anyway, where does that leave me?”
“Bakugo won’t wait for me, he’ll rush right for me.” Izuku put his hand to his mouth as he thought. “When he comes for me, you run for the objective, start from the second floor and move up from there. Uraraka needs to get close in order to remove your gravity, and you can shock her before that, so you’re the best match-up for her.”

“But, when I shock her, I won’t be able to move after that.” Kaminari rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed. “I can’t control my power properly yet, I’ll just short-circuit after I attack once.”

“Well, what you can try is…”

 

“Heroes, you have 15 seconds before entry!” All Might’s voice echoed over the intercoms.

“You ready, Kaminari?” Izuku said as he stretched out his legs.

“Well, I don’t have much of a choice!” Kaminari responded shakily, a weak grin resting on his face.

“Begin!” Izuku and Kaminari shot off, the pair sprinting into the building and towards the stairs.

Duck! Izuku dove to the left, dragging Kaminari with him. An explosion struck the ground they had just vacated, cratering the concrete as the sound of stomping boots echoed throughout the hallway, and a figure emerged from the smoke.

“Deku,” Bakugo growled, swiping the smoke out of his face. “No running away this time!” Izuku could feel years of repressed emotions toward the blonde in front of him rush into his brain, amplified by the fire of his soul. He allowed them entry into his body, let the emotions rush through him and feed the fire, took a deep breath and grinned wildly, his heart now thumping with his usual thirst for a fight.

“Kaminari.” His voice was hoarser now, the heat cycling within him burning away at his throat. “Go.” Kaminari shot him a concerned glance that he ignored, focused on the foe in front of him, and ran to the stairs. Bakugo let him go without a glance, continuing to glare at Izuku.

“I’m not gonna kill you.” Bakugo huffed out, his face morphing into a feral smile. “But I’m gonna at least put you in the hospital!” Bakugo rushed forward, his right arm drawn back, explosions forming in his palm.

Izuku exhaled, a ribbon of fire exiting his mouth, and entered his usual stance, the same stance he had trained for the past two years of his life, all for this moment. He waited, keeping an eye on all of Bakugo’s movements as the blonde charged in, flicking his vision over all possible attacks.

‘Right hook,’ He decided, waiting until the last minute to dodge to the right,

“Huh?” Bakugo looked like a fish as his punch hit nothing, until his face contorted into a mask of pain, Izuku’s fiery fist connecting directly with his rib cage.

“Ikkotsu!” Izuku shouted out, the fire decompressing rapidly and sending Bakugo flying into the far wall, an imprint of his body formed in the stone.

 

In the viewing room:

“Get him, Midori!” Mina cheered, pumping her fist into the air at the sight of her friend winning.

“Such a manly attack.” Kirishima pounded his fist into his chest, eyes watering.

All Might cringed a little on the inside, making sure the students wouldn’t see. ‘Young Midoriya, wasn’t that a bit much?’ The compressed fire his student wielded seemed to be incredibly volatile, and it was worrying just how hard Bakugo had been hit. His worries were alleviated by Bakugo lurching to his feet. He leaned over to the intercom, clearing his throat.

 

Back in the building:

“Remember, boys, be careful how much damage you inflict on each other!” Izuku took little notice of the announcement; he knew Bakugo could handle that much, his Quirk made him resistant to both impact and burns, a truly Heroic Quirk.

‘Now if only the man using it lived up to his Quirk.’ Izuku thought bitterly, his shoulder tingling slightly at the reminder of its injury. He watched as Bakugo stumbled to his feet, shaking his head from side to side vigorously.

“No way.” He mumbled, his head stopping. “No way I’m gonna let you beat me, Deku!” His head shot up as he positioned his arms behind him, rocketing himself towards Izuku with his Quirk. Izuku watched carefully, dodging at the last second again, only to be blasted to the side as Bakugo turned his palms outwards, releasing a wide explosion on both sides of his body. He rolled into a crouch and glared at Bakugo, who was standing hunched over, smoke running from his palms.

“Don’t you dare look down on me!” Bakugo roared, foaming at the mouth. “Where’s your little sword, you fucking nerd!” Izuku scoffed, regaining his posture.

“Why would I use that on someone like you?” He loosened his posture and yawned, covering his mouth with one hand, secretly compressing flames at the soles of his feet. “You aren’t worth it, after all.” He smiled as Bakugo roared unintelligibly and rocketed toward him much faster than before, looking like a true demon in the light of his explosions.

‘Doesn’t matter.’ He thought viciously, decompressing his flames and letting the familiar distortion of the world wash over him, appearing behind Bakugo and inhaling the remaining fire around him and still on his feet. He cocked both of his fists back, exhaling the fire and compressing it around them while stimulating his Reiryoku in order to get more flames into his fists. He waited until Bakugo turned around and launched both fists into Bakugo’s body, one connecting with his cheek and one landing straight into his sternum.

“Sokotsu!”

Bakugo flew into and through the wall, his body hanging limply in the hole as Izuku panted, a wisp of steam escaping his skin. He examined it, looking for any more steam to erupt from his body and sighed in relief when he saw none.

‘Looks like I haven’t gone over my limit.’ He thought, rolling his shoulders. ‘Sokotsu right after Shunpo takes its toll on my body, I’m lucky the compression didn’t fail.’

 

In the viewing room, same time:

“Man, Midoriya really kicked ass!” Sero said, awe colouring his tone.

“For real, he only got hit once, and he just waved that off anyway!” Jiro looked at the screen with widened eyes. The speed at which Midoriya had moved was ridiculous!

“Since when could Kaminari move like that?!” Mina shouted out, drawing everyone’s attention to the second screen.

 

In the building, Third Floor:

Kaminari panted, hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. His eyes darted across the halls, looking for any sign of the objective or Uraraka.

‘There!’ A door was slightly open, it had to be a clue! He ran towards it, opening it without hesitation and was met with a room full of obstacles. There were crates and rubble everywhere, and in the middle of it all, sitting on a crate in front of a large white cartoon-ish looking bomb, was Uraraka.

“So, you’ve arrived, Hero.” Kaminari knew she was trying to be intimidating, but coming from someone dressed in bright pink with their face hidden behind a bubblegum pink visor, he couldn’t help but bust out laughing.

“U-Uraraka, you’re taking this really seriously, huh?!” He managed to calm himself down, giggling a little, until the girl looked at him, straight in the eyes. He shivered, where before she looked like a cheap imitation, her face was deadset and vicious.

‘Scary!’ Kaminari squeaked, his throat closing up at the malice in the woman’s eyes. ‘No!’ He slapped himself, shaking his head furiously. ‘Izuku’s counting on me!’ He met Uraraka’s eyes, this time determined to complete his objective.

“Are you ready, villain?” He tried his best to inject some confidence into his voice. “I’m gonna take you down!” Uraraka snorted, tapping herself on the chest and extending her arms towards the pillars on either side of the room.

“You’re welcome to try!” She clenched her fists and a grappling hook launched from each hand, Kaminari whirling around to see them digging deep into the concrete. He spun back to face her, just to see her jump in the air and gas fly from the canisters on her hips, launching her toward him at a ridiculous speed. He yelped and dove to the side, just barely dodging her initial dropkick. Rolling into a crouch, he ran forward, ready to press the advantage he knew he should have after such a dedicated attack, only…

‘Where is she?!’ Uraraka was nowhere to be seen. He looked around the room frantically, but he couldn’t catch even a glimpse of her until the hiss of gas gave her away. He snapped his head up, cursed, and dove again, her heel crashing into the ground where his head had been,

‘It’s those grappling hooks!’ Realization crashed into his mind like a wave. ‘Once she uses them, her movements and her speed make you focus on the gas, but her turning is controlled completely by those grappling hooks!’ He ran toward the visible line, desperation pushing him forward. ‘If I can just get a hold of those wires…! The wire detached immediately, and Kaminari felt a leg land solidly on his back, sending him rolling forward. Catching himself, he threw himself behind a pillar, peeking his head out to get a peek at the flashes of pink and black that were rocketing around the room.

‘Think, Kaminari!’ He scolded himself. ‘How do I beat her?!’ He thought for a couple of seconds before inspiration struck him. ' During the QATs, she went green after a few minutes of using her power on herself! I have to make this a battle of attrition, but how do I dodge her speed?’ He stared at his palms, remembering Izuku’s advice. ‘Condense my electricity around me instead of trying to shoot it into the air, huh?’ He closed his eyes and focused, grabbing the familiar source of power inside of him, and drawing it to the surface before pushing it into his body, and repeating until he felt his limit approach. He opened his eyes and saw sparks jumping across his skin, power arcing around his body.

‘I feel…good!’ He marvelled, clenching his fist. His eyes moved to the side as his enhanced eyes managed to spot Uraraka speeding towards him. ‘Now’s my chance to try it out!’ He moved, his body going faster than it ever had, and dodged Uraraka cleanly, tagging her with an arc of electricity as she passed by. She looked at him for a moment, shocked, before a competitive grin flashed onto her face. ‘With this!’ Kaminari squared himself, determination flooding him. ‘I can win!’ The duo prepared to face off again when the building shook.

 

Viewing room, 5 minutes earlier.

“ Kero, what’s Bakugo doing now?” Jiro’s eyes darted to the other side of the screen, where Bakugo had managed to get up and was now aiming his gauntlet at the unsuspecting greenette.

She jumped as All Might’s loud voice raided her sensitive ears, griping at the sound before she could process the words, her eyes widening in terror now as she looked back at the screen.

“Stop, young Bakugo! You’ll kill him!”

And then the cameras cut off.

 

In the building:

Behind you! Izuku whirled around to see Bakugo, blood dripping down his face and clutching his ribs, free of the wall and grinning maniacally.

“Deku.” He rasped. “I’ll kill you!” Izuku raised an eyebrow.

“And just how are you going to do that?” He asked, his tone condescending. “Are you gonna glare me to death?”
Bakugo raised his arm and pointed the gauntlet on his wrist at him, Izuku paled in understanding.

“You remember these?” Bakugo asked, his grin widening. “They store up my sweat, prime it for one big blast, and if I’ve calculated it right, they should be ready right about now. ” The gauntlet glowed a menacing red, and Bakugo made to pull the pin.

“Stop, young Bakugo! You’ll kill him!”

“He’ll be fine if he dodges!” Bakugo roared, pulling the pin. Izuku summoned Soul and erected a wall of fire around him. It wasn’t likely to protect him from much, but even just a little! His world erupted in fire and smoke as he was sent flying backwards, his back impacting the wall with a loud *THUD* as he fell to the ground. He could hear Bakugo laughing, something about his place, but his mind was more focused on something else.

‘He knew it could kill me.’ Izuku thought, his mind numb. ‘He knew it could kill me, and he still launched it right at me, didn’t even hesitate.’ He stood up, memories from his childhood flashing through his eyes as his Reiryoku spiked, fire beginning to peel off of his skin. ‘He tried to kill me with MY design!’ He felt the pain across his body, the feeling of death that had just barely scraped by him, and laughed. It started off as a chuckle, barely audible over the roar of fire, but it grew in volume and in anger, until he was howling out laughs as he stalked through the smoke, the fire around him growing larger and larger until it was a physical presence.

Be careful, Izuku. Soul warned, deadly serious. Your Reiryoku is keeping you going for now, but you only have so much time before you crash. Your injuries are serious, so don’t stall this out. He acknowledged Soul’s words, but couldn’t make himself stop cackling. He felt blood drip down his face and realized he couldn’t open his left eye, but the new pain just fed his bloodlust more. He continued laughing until he saw it, the blonde hair of his opponent.

“Bakugo!” He roared, his Reiryoku rushing out of his body and condensing in the air around him, a great heat permeating his surroundings. He saw Bakugo stumble slightly, the heat and pressure forcing him to one knee for a moment before he forced himself back up.

“How are you still standing?!” Bakugo screamed at him, exhaustion and desperation filling his voice.

“Because we aren’t done yet!” Izuku responded gleefully, his joy growing stronger and stronger. “We haven’t found out who’s stronger yet!” He continued walking towards Bakugo, Soul raised high in the air.

“Get away from me!” Bakugo scrambled with his left gauntlet and pointed it at Izuku, his finger on the pin. Izuku swung down, splitting the tank in half while somehow missing Bakugo’s arm. The blonde cursed and backtracked, tripping over the rubble and landing flat on his ass.

“Not much left in the tank, huh?!” Izuku laughed. It felt so good standing over Bakugo like this! He sheathed Soul and crouched, grabbing Bakugo by his collar and lifting him high into the sky. “That’s alright, I’ve got enough for both of us!” Bakugo grabbed his wrist and let off multiple explosions, but Izuku wouldn’t let go, not when he had him like this!
“Put me down!” Bakugo struggled, trying to get a hand on Izuku’s face, his arms, his chest, anywhere he could reach, but Izuku let it roll off of him; he couldn’t be bothered to defend, not now.

“Sure!” Izuku cackled, lifting Bakugo higher for a second before slamming him straight back into the ground, and then through it putting the blonde’s body into the dirt underneath the building. He lifted Bakugo out of the gaping hole in the ground, wrapped capture tape around his arm, and tossed him to the side unceremoniously.

“Bakugo Katsuki has been captured. Two minutes left!”

Izuku ran his fingers up his face and through his hair, it came back covered in blood. He stared at his hand for a second, took in the sight of his blood, and laughed.

“What a fight!” He cheered. “Talk about lives on the line!” He looked down at his costume, his pants had miraculously stayed intact, but his kimono and cloak were completely ashed, exposing the large number of burns his body had sustained in the fight with Bakugo. He shrugged. Recovery Girl could heal him later, for now, he had a game to win. As he thought that, however, All Might’s voice rang out again.

“Uraraka Ochako is incapacitated, Kaminari Denki has captured the objective, Hero team wins!”

“Woah, good on Kaminari! I knew he had it in him!” Izuku cheered again, turning around and preparing to leave the building, until he saw Bakugo’s unconscious body. He sighed.

 

Back with the class:

The class watched anxiously for any sign of movement, perking up as they heard a combination of someone walking and someone being dragged. Out walked Izuku, the top half of his kimono completely gone, his body burned and badly wounded. There were burns all over his chest, chunks of sizzling flesh, and a piece of rubble embedded in his stomach, but that paled compared to the giant cut that now ran down his left eye from his forehead. It seemed perfectly straight as opposed to the forceful impact wounds on the rest of his body, which was strange, but not as strange as what he was bringing with him, or rather, who. Bakugo was being dragged by his ankle, his body hitting every bump and divot in the road, until Izuku reached the class, where he let his leg drop.

“He needs Recovery Girl.” His voice sounded like he had chain-smoked for years, gravelly and raspy.

“WHAT ABOUT YOU?” Almost the entire class shouted back at him. He blinked, taken aback.

“Oh, nah, I’m fine. Just need one thing.” He walked forward until he was right in front of his target. “Yo, Princess.” Ruka was glaring up at him, but there seemed to be a hint of worry in her eyes this time, directed at the cut going down his eye. “You think you can ice me again? I’m gonna go crazy if I have to deal with the heat anymore.” Her eyebrows rose in slight confusion.

“What do you mean?” Her voice really was the best, he thought, shivers running down his spine. “You aren’t even steaming this time.” He nodded seriously.

“Yep, I already evaporated all of my sweat, now my blood is starting to boil.” He wasn’t joking. His blood was starting to run through him way too fast, its circulation speed increased by the heat of his body, and his heart was starting to strain under the heavy load. “Whaddya say, wanna help me out?” She was already reaching her right hand out, stopping just short of touching him again, much to his disappointment. A thin sheet of ice enveloped his body, melting immediately under the heat of his skin.

“Again?” He asked, hoping he could continue feeling her Quirk on his body. She complied, freezing him again and again until he felt his blood settle down.

“Man, that feels nice.” He moaned out, stretching his arms over his head. “You’re the best, Princess.” She continued glaring at him, her eyes encompassing a frozen wasteland and a desolate hellscape at the same time, it excited him. There was something different this time, though, he noticed, looking deeper into her eyes. There was a slight…dare he call it fondness in her eyes now, but it looked distant, like she was seeing someone else instead of him. Before he could think too far into it, he felt his body shut down.

“Ah, looks like that’s it, then.” He fell to the ground, his head slamming into the concrete right next to Ruka’s feet. He remembered large arms encircling him before his world went black.

 

When he woke up, he was in Recovery Girl’s office.

“Damn.” He said aloud, hoping Soul could hear him. “Second day and I’m already in the infirmary. Must be a new record.” He yelped as a cane struck his head. Recovery Girl was walking out of her office with an incredibly angry look in her eyes. He cowered under her gaze, waiting for her to hit him again, until she sighed, the menacing aura that surrounded her vanishing.

“It is a new record.” She said tiredly. “But the record isn’t ‘earliest day in the infirmary’, it’s ‘most damaged first-year I’ve ever helped’!” Izuku blanched.

“Was I really hurt that badly?!” He asked. “I felt fine until right before I collapsed!”

She sighed, her earlier aggravation returning with a vengeance.

“That’s part of the problem!” Her cane whacked his shin. “Why didn’t you tell anyone your Quirk let you partially negate pain!?”

“Eh?” Izuku was shocked; this was news to him! “What do you mean!? My Quirk doesn’t do anything like that!” Recovery Girl paused, her anger temporarily soothed once again.

“You mean, you didn’t know? This has never happened to you before?”

“Isn’t that what I just said? I’ve never had my Quirk negate pain!” She mulled over that for a little longer before she snapped her fingers.

“Don’t you have a sentient Quirk?” She asked triumphantly. Izuku wished he understood what she was so happy about.

“Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?”
“Your Quirk must have changed.” She declared. “Since you’ve been taking more and more damage while training and then took a large amount in the rescue situation, your Quirk probably changed to try to help you.” Izuku wasn’t so sure about that. Sure, it seemed plausible enough, but his Quirk wasn’t helpful like that; it must have had its own reasons for doing something like this out of the blue. ‘There’s nothing I can do about it right now.’ He thought. ‘I’ll have to ask Soul about it later.’ He looked back at Recovery Girl, who was still going over his chart.

“Well, what’s the diagnosis, doc?” He joked. She glanced over at him and scowled, taking her glasses off to massage the bridge of her nose.

“Honestly, you shouldn’t even be awake right now.” She was awfully blunt. “You had multiple wounds from that Bakugo boy’s explosion over your torso, including some that are going to permanently scar, the worst of which is a large burnt impact crater in your chest. You had a piece of stone embedded in your stomach, not a large piece, but it was still decently deep. Worst of all, you had a large cut down your eye. It looks like when you tried to block the explosion, your sword turned itself on you and left a long, thin scar right down the middle of your eye. You’ll be able to see out of it, but it won’t be as good as it was before. Eventually, you may need contacts for it.”

Izuku processed everything, every wound and injury that he had received, before coming to a conclusion.

“So, I’m fine, right?”

“Did you hear any of what I just said?!” Izuku yawned, covering his mouth with his hand.

“Yeah, yeah, but none of it is going to permanently disable me other than the eye, and that’s a future thing anyway, right?”

“Well, yes, but-”
“Then I’m fine.” Izuku cut her off. “Just let me know when I can get out of here, doc.” She whacked his shin with the cane again, muttering something about disobedient teenagers.

“Well, you’ve already mostly been healed, so just come back tomorrow before class so I can finish it up, and you should be fine. For now, you can head back to your dorms, but don’t take any of your bandages off.” She pointed at his wrapped-up chest with her cane.

Izuku nodded and got dressed. He didn’t feel super injured or anything, just a little tender if anything. Looking in the mirror, he ran his hand over the angry red line that now ran down the left side of his face and smiled. It was another sign of his resilience, a mark of his victory.

 

His return to the dorms was loud> Almost everyone was gathered in the common room, either playing games, watching TV, or eating, and when he walked in, his friends immediately surrounded him.

“Midori!” Mina was the first one to reach him, grabbing his head and tilting it side to side. “Are you okay?! Recovery Girl said you’d be out until tomorrow at least!” He grabbed her wrists and pried her fingers off his face.

“I’m fine, Mina.” Her face was skeptical. “I’m serious! Recovery Girl said I should see her tomorrow before classes to finish healing, but I don’t even feel that hurt.” Kirishima slung his arm around Izuku’s shoulders, cheering loudly.

“That was the manliest thing I’ve ever seen, Midoribro!” He stepped back and launched a combo of punches into the air. “You sent him flying twice, and then that gauntlet went off, and I was super worried, but then you got back out there and put him through the ground!” Kirishima put his hand on his chest. “It felt like I was on a roller coaster of emotions, man!”

“Speaking of,” Jiro interjected. “What was with that crazy laughing fit? You looked insane!” Izuku rubbed the back of his head self-consciously.

“Do you remember when I said my Quirk amplifies my emotions?” He waited for everyone to confirm. “It enhances everything, and I really, really like fighting.”
“So whatever happiness you take out of fighting gets amplified.” Mina summarized.

“Basically.” Izuku nodded.

“Then why didn’t you act like that earlier in the fight?” Jiro asked, her eyes searching his.

“The longer a fight goes on and the more I get hurt, the more excitement I get from it.” He explained. “I love fighting, but what that includes is proving my strength. The better a fight, the better proof it is of my power.” Izuku cringed, waiting for the recrimination he was bound to receive. He had long since accepted his desires, but he enjoyed hanging out and talking with his new friends, and it wasn’t a good look for a Hero to be some sort of battle maniac.

“So, are you a Hero because you want to fight people?” Kirishima asked, a little taken aback.

“What? No!” Izuku objected hastily. “If that was what I wanted, I would just do cage fighting or something! No, I want to be a Hero to save people, especially the ones society lets slip through, like the Quirkless, or those with ‘villainous’ Quirks. I want to light the way for those people to integrate into a better, more accepting society.” His voice was proud and determined.

“So manly!” Kirishima shouted suddenly, smashing his hardened fists together.

“Huh?” Izuku blinked, askance.

“Midori, you have a real soft side, don’t you?” Mina teased, a large smile across her face. “That’s a great reason to be a Hero!” Izuku cleared his throat, emotion welling up as his friends supported him.

“Thanks, guys.” He sniffled slightly. “I’m kinda tired, so I think I’m gonna go pass out.” His friends let him go, Mina poking his side teasingly.

“Are you leaving ‘cause you’re tired or ‘cause you’re shy?” She drew out the last word, her eyebrows wiggling.

“Tired!” Izuku responded hastily, marching to the elevator. As he stepped into his room and got into bed, he couldn’t help but smile. A group of friends who didn’t wanna beat him up for his dreams was a nice change of pace.

The next day, Izuku was finally free of all of the bandages he had been wrapped in.

“Thank God.” He sighed, stretching. “I felt like a mummy!” Recovery Girl smacked him lightly with her cane.

“Be careful with those injuries, Midoriya. If you feel any pain in your wounds, come and see me, don’t try to push through it!” He nodded hastily, eager to get out of her office. “Good. You can go.” He was gone before she could finish talking

 

Stepping back into class was a surreal experience. Kirishima, Mina, and Jiro all acted like nothing had changed, while the other students either shied away from him or acted like he was made of glass. After Kaminari asked him for the fifth time if he was okay, Izuku snapped.
“Yes, I’m fine, Kaminari!” He hadn’t meant to say that as loudly as he had. Sighing, he tried again. “I’m not some sort of glass doll, I’m training to be a Hero. Besides, I won, didn’t I?” His attempt at adding levity to the conversation fell flat, Kaminari just looking at the floor, fists clenched.

“I just.” Kaminari sighed, the tension leaving his body. “I just feel like I could’ve done more to help you!” Izuku stared at him, incredulous.

“Kaminari.” He started slowly. “You did exactly what I asked you to do, and you did that perfectly!”

“I could’ve done it faster, that way you wouldn’t have gotten hurt so badly!” Kaminari lifted his head up, staring at Izuku.

“That’s what you’re worried about?” Izuku laughed. “Kaminari, I liked fighting like that, it was the most fun I’ve had since the entrance exam!” Kaminari stared at him, dumbfounded, along with most students within hearing range. Izuku ignored them.

“Look, if you had failed at getting the bomb, and I had to come help you, then maybe I would’ve been a little upset.” Izuku soothed, putting his hand on Kaminari’s shoulder. “But you did your job perfectly, Bakugo just got a lucky hit on me. And!” Izuku pointed dramatically at himself. “I won! I put his ass in the ground!” This time, Kaminari let out a slight chuckle, but their conversation was interrupted by Bakugo throwing the door open. The explosive teen’s signature scowl was affixed to his face, but the effect was slightly ruined by the copious amount of bandages that were wrapped around his neck and the huge bruise that stretched across his cheek. The class fell silent, staring at the blonde as he stalked to his desk and sat down, setting his legs on top of the desk.

“Man, what a tool.” Kaminari mumbled.

“Tell me about it.” Izuku agreed. He took a peek at the clock and frowned.

“Hey, isn’t Aizawa-sensei a little late?” He asked, his friends looking at the clock and agreeing.

“That’s strange,” Mina muttered, her hand rising to her chin in consideration. “He doesn’t seem like the kind of teacher to ever be late.” Izuku agreed, but before he could voice it, the subject of their conversation walked through the door, looking angrier than ever.

“Sorry, I’m late, class.” He drawled out. “There’s a large gathering of reporters out by the main gate, and I was asked by Principal Nezu to send them away. On that note, please refrain from leaving school property for the next little while unless you want to be accosted by those vultures.” Aizawa grabbed a stack of papers and straightened them out on the table. “Now then, let’s get into our subject for today, your performance in yesterday’s Heroics class.” The class stiffened. Aizawa’s voice was completely neutral; they had no idea if he was happy or upset at their showing.

“First, Bakugo and Uraraka vs. Kaminari and Midoriya.” The mentioned students all sat a little straighter in their seats as Aizawa’s eyes landed on each of them one by one.

“Uraraka.” The girl squeaked slightly before she caught herself and sat silently. “Good job setting up a situation advantageous for you. You used your mobility to your advantage and gave yourself plenty of objects to work with, things to throw and things to increase your speed. The gear you requested from the support course was well thought out and fits well with your Quirk.” Uraraka looked shocked, her jaw hanging for a moment before she recomposed herself and preened in Aizawa’s praise. “However.” She slumped, a depressive cloud forming over her head. “You gave up on using anything other than your mobility far too quickly. After Kaminari showed he could keep up with you, you should’ve gone long and used projectile attacks instead of wearing yourself out using your mobility gear.” He turned his attention to the next student.

“Kaminari.” The boy stood up, trembling. “Sit down.” He sat down, trembling. “All Might had you named the MVP, and I’m inclined to agree. You used your strengths to your advantage, came up with a new way to use your Quirk on the fly, and you had a good strategy to fight Uraraka, lure her into a mobility battle and wear her out. You didn’t lose focus of the objective, and you didn’t cause any collateral damage, but next time you should work on some long-range attacks instead of just your new close-range usage.”
“Thank you, sir!” Kaminari responded, upbeat and cheery. Aizawa nodded approvingly.

“Now, onto the real highlight of the day.” Izuku gulped. Something told him Aizawa was being sarcastic. “Midoriya.”

“Yes, sir!” He responded, his back straightening into perfect military posture. Aizawa studied him for a second and sighed.

“You actually weren’t the problem here.” Izuku fell out of his chair in surprise. Scrambling back into his seat, he continued gaping at his teacher.

“Don’t look so surprised. You didn’t do anything incredibly damaging until the end; your attacks were clean and precise, and you baited Bakugo into attacking you before hitting him with a strong, non-lethal attack. The only problem is how you acted before you slammed him into the ground.” Aizawa fixed a glare at him. “Mainly, you could’ve ended that fight before it escalated by wrapping capture tape around him after you sent him through a wall. Besides that, you need to learn how to control yourself. I understand your Quirk heightens your emotions, but if you had slammed him two inches to the left, he would’ve been impaled.” Izuku paled at the implications, realizing what he could’ve done.

“Yes, sir.” He responded, shaken but firm. “I’ll make sure I have more control over myself next time.” Aizawa scrutinized him for a second before nodding, apparently satisfied.

“Now, for you.” He scowled at Bakugo, who scowled right back. “Just what were you thinking?”

“I was thinking that I could win right then and there!” Bakugo growled out.

“No, you weren’t thinking at all!” Aizawa matched his attitude. “If you were thinking, you would realize that using those gauntlets was a terrible idea! You could’ve killed Midoriya!” Bakugo grumbled out something inaudible. “What was that?”

“Fucking, Deku has fire resistance!” Bakugo shouted out, standing up suddenly. “I knew the fire wouldn’t burn him too badly, and based on the giant scar on his shoulder, he’s had worse than the impact it would make! I didn’t think he would stand there all stupid like, I thought he’d use his fancy warp bullshit to dodge!” Aizawa considered this for a moment, staring at Bakugo pensively.

“Fine, I can see your thought process.” Bakugo sat back down, a hint of relief showing in his eyes. “But you’re still getting two weeks of detention.”
“Fucking why?!” Bakugo shouted.

“Because even if Midoriya could and did survive that hit, the building almost didn’t.” Aizawa’s voice was severe. “If you two had kept fighting for another minute, the whole thing would’ve collapsed, and that would definitely have killed everyone inside.” Bakugo grumbled out a token complaint, but his ashen face seemed to indicate his understanding.

Aizawa continued to critique the class’s performances.

“Kirishima, you aren’t a brick wall just because you can be as hard as one.” He said, fixing his gaze on the redhead. “You have legs, move them!” Kirishima bowed his head in embarrassment as Izuku snickered slightly at the description.

“Todoroki, as All Might said, your control is impressive, but you should’ve been more careful about the method you used. Specifically, the bomb could have been either trapped or temperature sensitive. You had a partner who was perfectly able to give you exact locations, use that to your advantage before attacking next time.” Ruka nodded slightly, her expression unchanging.

“Ashido, your acid should have been able to melt through that ice. Work on your power.” Mina nodded, her eyes lowcast.

His lecture continued until time was almost up, at which point he put the papers aside and looked over the class.

“All in all, you guys did alright. Now, onto some class business, I want you guys to do something incredibly important for your futures as Heroes.” The class stiffened, everyone leaning forward in anticipation. “Choose a class president.” They all leaned back, relaxing for a moment.

“Choose me! I’ll be a great class president!” Kirishima shot out of his chair, hand raised to the sky.

“I’ll be the leader!” Mina joined in.

“I wanna do it!” Kaminari threw his hat in the ring.

“Me too.” Jiro seemed a bit unenthusiastic.

“If I’m president, I’ll make sure every girl shows at least 30 centimetres of thigh!” Izuku glared down at Mineta for that one, the grape freak shrinking away as the air around him heated up.

“Everyone, calm down!” Iida’s voice rang out throughout the class. “This position is a test of our leadership skills, and it should be decided on democratically!” He pushed his glasses up his nose. “Which is why we should do this with a vote!”

“Your hand is raised the highest, gero .” Asui pointed out, her tongue hanging out of her mouth. “And how would we even vote properly? We just met, there’s no trust between us.”

“All the more reason we should have a vote!” Iida refuted, his hand still high in the air. “Whoever receives even one more vote than the others will have shown that they can develop trust between their group!” Iida turned to face Aizawa, who was zipping himself into his sleeping bag.

“Isn’t that right, Aizawa-sensei?”

“As long as you decide before class is over, I couldn’t care less.” He replied bluntly, falling over.

“Then, it’s decided!” Iida declared. “Let’s do a vote!”

 

Izuku stared at the board in shock. “I got three votes?!” Bakugo stood up violently.

“Who the hell voted for Deku?!”

“Better than voting for you, dude.” Sero remarked from beside him.

“Not even one vote!” Iida griped, his whole body shaking.

“Why didn’t you vote for yourself? You really wanted this!” Uraraka questioned from behind him, rubbing his shoulder consolingly. 

“Midoriya, Yaoyorozu, come to the front.” Aizawa drawled out. “Midoriya will be president, Yaoyorouzu is your vice. The two of you are to report any issues in the class to me or another teacher. Any requests should be put by you two, and you have the authority to reject them before it reaches me.” He fixed them with an ominous stare. “Don’t abuse that authority, I have no issues taking it away. On top of that, you’re in charge of making sure your class doesn’t antagonize or harm other classes in any way, you are to keep them in line.”

“Yes, sensei!” Izuku and Yaoyorozu responded in sync.

“Good.” He nodded as a timer rang. “Now off you go.”

 

Izuku found himself in the cafeteria, following Mina and Kirishima into the lunchroom. The trio found an empty table and took a seat, each carrying trays of food.

“Man, what a lecture!” Kirishima let out a loud exhale as he sat. “Aizawa-sensei really doesn’t hold back when it comes to advice!” Izuku chuckled, breaking his chopsticks in half.

“To be fair, you probably should’ve moved a bit more.” He grinned. “Or just remembered that you had legs!” Mina joined him in laughing at the depressed redhead. A tray clunked beside them, the owner settling in next to Izuku.

“Hope I’m not interrupting!” Kaminari said, cheerful until he saw Izuku’s tray. “Holy shit, Midoriya! That’s a ton of food!” Mina and Kirishima both took a look.

“I didn’t even notice!” Kirishima said in awe. “Are you really gonna eat all of that?!”

“Yeah!” Mina agreed. “Aren’t you worried about your fitness?” Izuku rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed.

“My Quirk burns through my calories like nothing.” He explained. “I have to eat upwards of 5000 a day in order to maintain my shape, and more than 8000 after days where I overexert myself.” The trio made varying noises of understanding as he spoke.

“So, who did you guys vote for?” Mina asked, smiling widely and leaning in as if she was sharing a top secret. “I voted for Midoriya!”

“Me too,” Kirishima said. “His manliness is too much!”

“Hey, what do you know?” Kaminari grinned. “He helped me figure out my Quirk, of course, I voted for him!” Izuku stared at each of them in shock.

“You guys voted for me?! I voted for Yaoyorozu!” He said, slightly louder than he had meant to.

“Of course I voted for you!” Mina said, looking at him like he had just said he was an alien. “You totally carried that rescue exercise, and you seem like the kind of guy to keep us in check!”

“Yeah, and you guessed the winner in the first match perfectly!” Kirishima agreed.

“You guys are crazy!” Izuku said, laughing slightly. “I’ll do my best to live up to your expectations, then!”

“You better!” Kirishima cheered before leaning in much like Mina had. “Now, what was that stunt near the end with our resident snow globe?” Izuku choked on his rice, Kirishima and Mina laughing at him while Kaminari just looked confused.

“Snow globe? You mean Todoroki?” He asked. “What did Midoriya do to Todoroki?”

Kirishima grabbed his shoulder and whispered in his ear, a devious smile on his face.

“You didn’t!” Kaminari shouted out, whirling to face Izuku, who was probably ten seconds away from lighting himself on fire. “You called her Princess ?! And asked her to ice you twice ?!” Izuku buried his head in his hands, little wisps of fire escaping from his neck.

“I told you, my brain gets cooked after I overuse my Quirk!” He cried out. “It just goes by base instincts! ‘Oh, pretty girl! Me want look cool for pretty girl!’ and then I end up doing shit like that!” The explanation only made his friends laugh at him even harder, each of them struggling to stay standing. Their laughter was cut off by a piercing alarm and red lights beginning to circle through the room.

“Security three has been broken. All students, please evacuate to the rooftop. This is not a drill. Security three has been broken. All students, please evacuate to the rooftop. This is not a drill.”

Izuku clapped his hands over his ears. The alarm was way too loud! He grabbed a student running by by the wrist.

“What does security three mean!?” He shouted, hoping his voice could be heard over the alarm.
“It means somebody broke onto campus!” The boy shouted, wrenching his arm away. “Get to the roof!” Izuku cursed as the student ran away. There was no way anyone could make it to the rooftop; the cafeteria was a mob pit! He stood on top of his table, looking around for anyone he knew, and noticed Jiro kneeling on the floor two tables down, her hands clenching around her ears. He took a closer look and saw, was that blood? Welling through her hands. Before the crowd cut his view of her off, he saw her get shoved down onto the ground, another student running into her. He felt anger course through him. What were these people doing?! They were supposed to be U.A. students, and here they were trampling their fellow students! He took a deep breath and looked down towards Kirishima, Kaminari, and Mina.

“I’m gonna fly!” He shouted, making a wings sign with his hands. “Get down!” He pointed at them and then made a diving gesture. Thankfully, it seemed like Mina understood, grabbing Kaminari and Kirishima and pulling them to the ground with her. He looked towards the ceiling and pooled his energy into his palms, angling them straight down. He let out a shout of effort and released the flames, his Reiryoku propelling him into the sky, where he grabbed a pipe on the roof. He looked around again, cursing as he realized that the spectacle had only drawn the attention of the people near him, not the surrounding area. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, before snapping them open and breathing out a ring of fire, twisting himself with his other hand and sending out a wave of fire in every direction. The crowd went silent as he breathed in, before he started shouting.

“Hey! You’re all U.A. students, aren’t you!” He screamed, hoping everyone could hear him. “You’re fucking trampling on people, dickheads! Walk normally, and carefully, to the rooftop like the organized people you SHOULD be!” Iida floated up on the other end of the cafeteria, his glasses missing.

“It’s just the press!” He shouted, just as loudly. “Everything is alright, so please organize yourselves and evacuate slowly!”

Izuku considered Iida’s appearance, a bold and reassuring first statement that calmed rather than insulted, and a measured explanation of what was happening. ‘Yeah.’ He thought, thinking carefully. ‘That’s how a leader should act.’

 

Outside of the school, Aizawa stood. His eyes were glowing a malicious red, and his hair and scarf were orbiting around him.

“Should I blow their ears out?” Mic muttered from beside him, his usually cheery attitude gone and replaced by a scornful tone.

The two stared out into the sea of reporters who had somehow gotten past their barrier, each one clamouring about All Might and interviews.

“Not yet,” Aizawa said reluctantly. “But keep it in mind.” He jumped down from his post, feeling the rush of the wind flying past him as he fell, and landed in front of the crowd. The reporter in front, a woman with short brunette hair, stumbled and fell backwards as he landed inches away from her.

“You guys are trespassing.” He said. “Please leave before the police arrive.”
“We have the right to interview you, and the public has the right to know!” One particularly brave reporter spoke up. “Just give us one interview with All Might!”

“He’s off for the day.” Aizawa lied casually. “Now, if you don’t vacate the premises, I will be forced to act as a Pro Hero and vacate you myself.”

“You can’t threaten us!”

“Yeah, and who do you think you are, anyway? You can’t beat all of us before we get in there!”

Aizawa grinned, a truly eerie thing that he had practiced back when he was a student himself.

“You wanna bet?”

 

Back in class, Izuku stood in front of the assembled students.

“Class president,” Yaoyorozu nudged him. “It’s time to pick the other officials.”
“Oh, yeah.” He nodded. “Before that, though, I’d like to resign.”
“WHAT!?” The class shouted back at him. He raised his hands in a calming motion.

“Calm down!” He shouted, silencing them. “Look, I don’t really want to do this, and it’s obvious Yaoyorozu is more into this than I am.” He sighed, rubbing his forehead. “Having to do all of that extra work, and be responsible for all of you? Count me out.”

“Wait, but then who’s going to replace Yaoyorozu as the vice?” Mina asked, her voice eager. “Are we gonna have another vote?!”

“No way.” Izuku put his arms in an ‘x’ in front of his chest. “Just give it to Iida, our resident exit sign.” He smiled at the blue-haired teen’s shocked look. “What are you so surprised for? You got up there right after I did, and you calmed them down instead of insulting them like me. You deserve a leadership position.” Iida looked around in shocked awe, seeing his classmates' approving expressions and stood up.

“I-I accept!” He shouted, walking to the front. “This is a great honour!”

“Yeah, yeah.” Izuku waved him off as he walked back to his seat. “Don’t go making a huge speech about it, vice-rep.”

“That’s all good and well.” Aizawa’s sudden emergence from the corner of the room made more than a few people scream in shock. “But today is a very important lesson. It’s been decided that today’s Heroics lesson will be run by me, All Might, and a very important guest.”
Sero raised his hand.

“What will we be doing?” Aizawa held out a flashcard, similar to the one All Might had shown them for their battle training.

“From natural disasters to shipwrecks.” He droned. “Rescue training,”

The class erupted in noise.

“Hey.” Aizawa’s voice was sharper now. “I’m still talking.”
The class was dead silent.

“The place we’ll be holding this training is a bit further away, so we’re going to get there by bus. You can choose to wear your Hero costume or not, but meet outside in 10 minutes.”

 

At the same time, Musutafu Streets.

Kamui Woods cursed himself. This villain was supposed to be an easy takedown, but he’d injected himself with something, and now he was going crazy!

“Let me out of here, or I’ll kill this entire family!” The people in the car he was holding screamed in terror, tears streaming down their faces.
“Wait!” Kamui yelled desperately. “Let them go, I promise no one will follow you!”
“That’s more like it!” The villain grinned cruelly. “But I think I’ll take one with me, just to make sure, I’m sure you understand!”

“A hostage situation, huh?” Kamui whirled around only to be met with the brilliant blue of the Number One Hero’s costume. “Don’t worry, for I Am Here!” The brightly coloured man seemed to vanish, a *Boom* following his departure like thunder, and suddenly the villain was gone, and the car was safely on the ground. “I must depart, citizens, stay safe!” The titan of a man reappeared briefly before vanishing again. Kamui could only watch in awe as the Symbol of Peace solved his problems instantly.

 

All Might sighed as he sailed through the air. ‘My time is running out faster and faster these days.’ He complained mentally. ‘I can’t believe it’ll only get worse once I get a successor.’ His thoughts drifted as he remembered his constant quest to find a worthy inheritor. ‘I thought it could’ve been Young Midoriya, back in the day, but…’ His smile shifted slightly into a frown as he remembered the vicious smile his student had taken on his face during the rescue training, and the wildness with which he had fought. ‘He doesn’t seem like the same boy I met all those years ago.’ He sighed again, stress pushing down on him. An explosion caught his attention, an alert coming over his earpiece. “All Might, we need you down at 7th street! There’s a man threatening to blow up an office building with a bomb vest, and no other Heroes are fast enough to respond!” He put his finger up to his ear and prepared himself, puffing his chest out and affixing his smile.

“I’m on my way!”

 

U.A., bus zone.

 

Izuku waited outside the school, anticipation warring with unease in his chest. Rescue was one thing every Hero had to excel in, and he had been confident in his abilities before, but what if his emotions got the better of him again? He steeled himself; no matter what, he wouldn’t harm a citizen, he was sure about that!

“Midoribro!” Kirishima ran up to him, waving wildly in the sky. “Are you ready for rescue training?” Izuku smiled at his friend, anticipation winning the fight.

“I’m pumped up!” He replied. “Let’s get going already!”

Notes:

Hope you liked it! Now, just before i get any questions about how they're in Uni and don't have a set lunch time, you're right. My thought process is that this is like engineering in uni where I'm from, where they make you a schedule and you have to follow it instead of you choosing your classes. So everyone who chose a certain schedule was put in 1-A and anyone who chose the other one was put in 1-B, that's the same for support classes. Older year students get to choose their schedules, but they have to have a a specific few courses in them, much like a regular Uni, and that's why there's so many people in the cafeteria.
About Bakugo going overboard, people really need to understand that this is a Hero school, they are teaching kids with massive amounts of power how to use them against each other, people will get hurt, and Bakugo didn't think of collateral damage because he's never trained like this before. You can't expect perfection out of a first time fighter like these students. Bakugo, in this story, genuinely thought Izuku could teleport out of the way, because he doesn't know how Shunpo works, he thinks Izuku can just whip it out whenever, and in the case he DIDN'T teleport, Izuku would've been fine anyways.
Uraraka has the ODM gear from AOT! I thought it fit perfectly with her powers, and I just couldn't help myself. Kaminari has the lightning armour from Naruto, but his version barely enhances his body at the moment, Izuku, Bakugo, Todoroki, Mina, and Aoyama's Quirks still outspeed him. Think of it like he's going at 2% OFA speed.
Yaoyorozu's costume changed, Here's the link:
https://myheroacademia.fandom.com/f/p/4400000000005757665/r/4400000000026469181
It's still revealing, which is kind of inevitable with her Quirk, but it's a bit better.

Chapter 8: A Hero's Burning Disaster!

Summary:

Izuku was amped up for rescue training, but who's going to be getting rescued in the end?

Notes:

I loved writing this chapter so much, I'm praying you all love reading it just as much. As always, let me know if you liked it!

“Everybody, line up in rows of two!” Iida shouted. “The bus will be here soon, and we should have everything figured out before its arrival!”
Yaoyorozu put a hand on his shoulder and whispered something in his ear. Iida nodded seriously, turning back to the students.

“Never mind, everyone! Please enjoy yourselves while we wait for the bus!”
Izuku watched, a mixture of bemused and amused as Yaoyorozu seemed to set the hierarchy between the pair.

“Midoribro,” Kirishima’s voice grabbed his attention. “What happened to your costume?”
Izuku looked down at himself. He was wearing the black kimono that had gotten him through the entrance exam, but the white cloak was missing.

“Bakugo incinerated my Hero costume.” He said bluntly. “This is my training outfit, the same one I wore into the entrance exam.”
“Why not wear your gym outfit?” Mina jumped in. “Isn’t that better for this kind of thing?”
“I just like this more.” Izuku shrugged. “My teacher gave it to me after I finished learning with him, said it was a rite of passage or something.” Kirishima looked at him and cocked his head.

“Is that the same teacher who gave you that scar?” Pointing at Izuku’s gnarled mess of a shoulder. Izuku nodded and opened his mouth to respond.

“Wait, what?!” Mina cut him off. “Your teacher gave you that scar?!” Izuku winced, her voice was loud, loud enough to get most of the class to look over at him, including the girls who he hadn’t told yet.

“Yeah,” Izuku sighed, cat was out of the bag now. “I was having a hard time with my Quirk, couldn’t get it to work properly. He said if I couldn’t even manage to touch him, he would make sure I’d never be a Hero. It worked in the end, but man, did it suck at the time.” Mina looked dumbfounded, but before she could formulate a response, the bus pulled up. The students filed in, noticing the open format.

“I almost made an unforgivable mistake!” Iida declared. “Thank you, Yaoyorozu, for alerting me to the bus’s layout!” Yaoyorozu just shook her head, sighing something about overenthusiastic people. Once everyone was settled in, the bus started moving.

“ Gero, I tend to say whatever is on my mind,” Asui said, turning to him. “Midoriya.” He faced her, wiggling in his seat.

“What’s up, Asui?”

“Call me Tsuyu.

“Oh, yeah, sure, Tsuyu, what’s up?”
“Your Quirk is pretty similar to Endeavor’s, but it’s pretty weird.” Izuku turned his full attention to Tsuyu, missing the slight twitch Ruka allowed to escape at the mention of Endeavor.

“You think so?” He wondered. “I don’t know, I’ve never seen him do a lot of the stuff I can.”

“Yeah, Endeavor doesn’t have a sword!” Kirishima piped in. “But what do you mean Midoribro’s Quirk is weird, Tsuyu?”

“ Gero , you seem like you can teleport, and that move you used on Bakugo in the battle training didn’t look like anything I’ve seen from a fire Quirk before.” She said, tilting her head back as if trying to remember.

“Oh!” Izuku smacked his fist into his palm. “Yeah, my teacher told me I’d get some weird looks for that.” He summoned a small flame to his palm, his Reiryoku poking its head up and looking around before going dormant again. “What I do when I teleport, I call it Shunpo, is condense my flames to their absolute limit on the soles of my feet.” He concentrated, forcing the flames to shrink in size without diminishing their power, until it was a small disk over his palm. “When I’m finished condensing the fire, I let it go suddenly.” He demonstrated, the disk snapping up in a roar of fire. “That pressure lets me move super fast, but it takes about 5 seconds to condense them to that point.” He let the fire dissipate into the air. “The reason most fire Quirks can’t do that is because my Quirk isn’t really a fire Quirk.” The people around him stared at him in bewilderment. “What I mean is,” He hastened to explain. “That my Quirk is an energy in my body, I said that in introductions on day one, and that energy is a lot more malleable than fire is, so my control is a lot higher than most fire users.” He finished.

Tsuyu put her finger up to her lips; it seemed to be a sort of tick for her.

“So, gero , you’re saying your Quirk lets you have more control over fire than most pyrokinetic Quirks?” Izuku nodded. “Overpowered, gero .” He laughed in surprise, caught off guard.

“I mean, sure.” He nodded, wiping his eyes. “But what you don’t know is that compressing the fire like that really takes me to my limits, I mean blood boiling, insides burning to ash, a bunch of horrible shit.”

“Still,” Kirishima spoke up. “It must be nice having such a flashy Quirk. Hardening is good for close combat, but it isn’t flashy enough for the big leagues.”

“I think it’s more than enough for a Pro, Kirishima.” Izuku said, his eyes glimmering as he watched his friend’s arm turn to stone.

“Sure, but you need flashiness as well as function to reach the top!” Kirishima laughed it off.

“My naval laser is both flashy and functional.” Aoyama said. Izuku shuddered looking at his face. Something about the Frenchman really creeped him out.

“Too bad you get a stomach ache after 5 seconds!” Mina laughed, patting him on the shoulder.

“In terms of flashiness, it’s gotta be Midoriya, Bakugo and Todoroki!” Kirishima said loudly, drawing Bakugo’s attention. Midoriya looked past the blonde to see Ruka sound asleep against the window.

“ Gero, yeah, but Bakugo’s always in a bad mood, so he’ll never be popular.” Tsuyu spoke fearlessly.

“Huh?!” Bakugo jumped up in his seat, glaring down at Tsuyu. “What the hell did you just say?!” She ignored him, turning towards Izuku and Kirishima while pointing at his face.

“See?”

“It’s crazy that we’ve just met you, and we already know your attitude is like shit that’s been swimming in sewage.” Kaminari added in, a smug grin across his face.

“What the fuck is up with that vocabulary, Pikachu?!”

Aizawa stood up from the front, drawing everyone’s attention with a clap of his hands.

“That’s enough, we’re almost there.”

 

“Everybody, file out in an orderly manner!” Yaoyorozu called out. Izuku could hear gasps of awe from his classmates outside. ‘I wonder what the fuss is?’ He wondered. Stepping outside, he understood immediately.

“That’s Number 13!” He cried out. “They’re a chivalrous Hero who focuses on disaster relief!” Surprisingly, he was joined in his introduction by Uraraka, who seemed to be bouncing higher and higher in excitement.

“Number 13 is my absolute favourite Hero!” She squealed out, her heels tapping together as she got more air.

“Why don’t you all come inside?” 13 said, their voice muffled behind their helmet.

The class filtered into the giant dome, their voices echoing in the huge space.

“This place is huge!” Sero shouted out.

“What is this, Universal Studios Japan?” Kaminari was incredulous.

“Shipwrecks, landslides, fire rescue, storms, and more! I built this area in order to train all of you students in disaster rescue!” Thirteen spread their arms wide. “I call it the Unforeseen Simulation Joint, or the USJ for short!”

‘So it really is USJ!’

Izuku ignored his classmates for a moment, watching Aizawa walk up to their guest instructor and ask a question, met with a shaking head and three raised fingers.

‘They must be talking about All Might’s time limit.’ Izuku deduced, watching Aizawa shake his head in frustration before turning to the class.

“Enough.” The class was silent.

“Before we get started,” 13 spoke. “There’s a couple of things I want to say.”

‘A couple?’ Izuku wondered.

“As you may know, my Quirk is Black Hole. It allows me to suck in anything I choose and turn it to ash.” Uraraka bobbed her head up and down violently.

“Yes! With it, you’ve saved people from so many disasters!” She cheered.

“That’s right! But.” 13’s voice became sombre. “It can also be used to kill just as easily.” Uraraka’s nodding stopped, shock spreading throughout the class. Izuku gripped his shoulder, remembering the lesson Urahara had imprinted onto his body.

“In this superhuman society,” 13 continued. “Quirks are regulated and registered, strictly monitored, so that things seem safe. But, please remember that each of you have Quirks that can kill people with the slightest mistake. In Aizawa’s test, you learned how much power you have. In All Might’s, you learned how to use those powers on other people. This training is different, it’s how to use those powers for the good of others, to save them.” 13 took a theatrical bow. “That will be all, thank you for listening!”

The students erupted into cheers, Izuku clapping along politely, but something was messing with him, like there was something in the air, suffocating him.

“Alright then, first off-”

Izuku! The plaza!

Soul’s voice had never been so loud, nor so urgent. He looked at the plaza and blanched. A dark mist was filling the air around the fountain. As he watched, the lights around him all shorted out, and a man stepped out of the mist. “Sensei!” Izuku shouted out, panic clear in his voice. “The plaza, what is that?!”

Aizawa took one look and cursed.

“13, take care of the students! All of you, stay together, and don’t move!” His voice was urgent and alarmed, but he still spoke calmly to the students.

“What’s going on?” Kirishima said, squinting to see further down. “Is this like the entrance exam? Are we going to start right away?”
“No!” Aizawa shouted. “Those are real villains.” His tone became grim. 

The man Izuku figured was the leader stepped forward, with teal hair and a black jumpsuit.

“Where is All Might?” Izuku shivered at the sound of his voice, a grating sound. “We came all this way here to kill him, and he doesn’t even grant us audience?” He started scratching his neck violently, grabbing his own wrist and forcing it down after a second.

“Will he show up if I kill a few precious children?”

“13!” Aizawa barked. “What about the intruder sensors?”

13 was fiddling urgently with their wrist.
“They’re all down!” 13 shouted back. “I can’t call the main campus, something is blocking the signal!”

Ruka stepped forward, her body already emanating a cold energy.

“They must have a Quirk that’s blocking their signal.” Izuku felt the effects of the leader’s voice leave his body as Ruka’s icy pipes sang. “They might be foolish for trespassing here, but they aren’t stupid. They have a clear motive and method.” Aizawa cursed.

“Those are the worst kind.” He grumbled, reaching into his scarf. “Everyone, evacuate immediately!” Izuku turned to leave, stopping upon catching sight of his teacher strapping his goggles to his face.
“Aizawa-sensei, what are you going to do?” He said, his worry encroaching into his voice. “Eraserhead isn’t a mob fighter! You’re known for one-on-one confrontations; this is beyond you!”
Aizawa turned around and spared Izuku a tight smile.

“No good Hero is a one-trick pony, Midoriya.” With that, the Hero jumped into battle.

Izuku watched him dismantle opponent after opponent, smashing them into each other with his scarf or beating them in pure close-combat skill.

“Now isn’t the time to analyze, Midori!” Mina grabbed his wrist and dragged him towards the entrance, Izuku turning and running with her. He stumbled, clutching his chest as his Reiryoku reared up in offence.

Why are you running?! He could hear it in his head, a different voice from Soul. Stand and fight, child! Be a true warrior! Izuku cursed, stumbling to his feet and continuing to move towards the door, ignoring Mina’s concerned shouts. Their escape was thwarted by the black mist appearing in front of them, covering the entrance.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” The black mist was oddly polite. “We are the League of Villains. Please forgive the intrusion, but we decided to visit this haven of society without an invitation. We’ve come to bring down the Symbol of Peace, and what better place than the birthplace of Heroes?” The mist didn’t seem to take any pleasure out of this, but still, he stood in their way. “It seems there was an unforeseen change in plans. All Might isn’t here. No matter, I still have my role to play.” Izuku could only watch as the mist spread wider, incapacitated by his own Quirk. 13 pointed her fingers at the mist, but was forced to stop as Bakugo and Kirishima lunged forward and attacked.

“Did you think about us attacking you first?” Kirishima grinned, but that grin faded as the smoke cleared.

“Indeed, you may be barely adults, but you are still golden eggs learning to be Heroes.” The mist mused. “My name is Kurogiri, children, and I will scatter and torture you to death!” The mist exploded outward, enveloping most of the students, including Izuku, who watched as the shadows wrapped around him, before all he could see was rock moving toward him at an alarming pace.

 

He gritted his teeth and pushed his wrists down, producing a violent jet of flames that slowed his descent. He landed roughly, clutching his head as his Reiryoku rebelled against him in his mind.

“Alright!” He yelled in frustration. “I’ll stay and fight, just get out of my head!” The energy’s protest was quelled instantly, the energy retreating back into his veins and circulating faster and faster in excitement. “Soul!” He shouted to the air, his trusty sword appearing in his arms once again.

Are you ready, Izuku? Soul was deadly serious. You’re going to be fighting for your life here.

Izuku grinned through the anger rushing through him. “Just like Urahara, yeah?” Soul chuckled in his head.

Yeah. He agreed. Just like Urahara.

Izuku looked around him, noticing the large peaks of stone that surrounded him, and shivered.

“Fuck, this is way too much like Urahara’s training ground.” He grumbled. He spotted the plaza and started walking, stopping as he spotted a crowd of villains moving toward him.

“There he is!” One of them shouted, pointing him out to raucous cheers from his group.

Izuku felt his heart beat faster and faster, he could hear his breath hissing through his lungs, he felt more sensitive than he ever had before, but the thing he was most conscious of was the involuntary grin that now spread completely over his face.

‘Yeah,’ He thought, feeling his excitement amp up even further as the crowd of villains rushed towards him. ‘This is the feeling I’ve been waiting for!’ He ran towards them, unsheathing Soul and lifting the katana high into the air, an explosion of fire bursting around him, and then onto his sword.

He swung down, revelling in the fear that was running through him.

‘That’s right!’ He watched in glee as fire coursed through his sword. ‘It’s not a real fight unless I’m scared for my life!’

“TAIMATSU!”

Afterwards, he stood in the ruins of his creation, watching the fire burn merrily around him and hearing the groans of dozens of burnt villains.

That was better. He startled at the voice from earlier again. Remember your origins, child, remember your desires.

Izuku fixed his gaze on the flames, watching them burn everything around them to ash.

“I will.” He muttered, his eyes dancing with fire. “I must.”

 

Flood Zone.

Ruka heard a loud crack and turned swiftly, just barely catching the giant wave of fire that enveloped, and then destroyed, half of the landslide zone, her eyes widening at the giant mushroom cloud that rose into the air.

“ Gero, was that Midoriya?” Asui said from beside her, Ruka noticed how wide her eyes were, even more than normal, and the slight shocked inflection in her voice. “I didn’t know he could do that.”

Ruka agreed mentally. That seemed like a feat of power even her father couldn’t lay claim to, but she would be damned if she complimented that fool aloud. ‘Still,’ She thought, considering. ‘He isn’t the worst, I suppose.’ She remembered how he had looked after his match with Bakugo, burnt and torn to shreds, blood dripping from his face, but still grinning viciously, begging her to cool him down. ‘I wouldn’t mind him begging a bit more.’ She felt her left side heat up at the thought and shook it out of her head viciously. Those thoughts weren’t like her, but she hadn’t had to deal with anyone so insistent before. She could remember a similar figure, bulkier and taller, red-haired and smiling like he had won the lottery. ‘Ruka, do you want to cool Dad down after training?’ Her right side spiked at the memory, and she threw it out of her head. There was no point reminiscing on better times, not after what HE had done.

“Who cares what Midoriya’s doing!?” Her face twisted into a scowl, uncommon for her, but she couldn’t help it. Dealing with this purple…thing was even worse than dealing with Midoriya’s incessant attempts to romance her. “We need to find out how to last until All Might shows up and pounds these guys!” He wailed, great, ugly sobs falling from his tiny body.

“ Gero, Mineta, if these guys came all the way here with this much of a plan, it could be possible they have a way to kill All Might as well.” Ruka approved of the frog girl, blunt and decisive, much like herself. She snapped her head to face the water, watching a group of villains rush to surround their boat.

“Fresh meat!” A shark-man salivated on the left side.

“Come on down, little Hero’s! The water’s all nice, I promise!” A man with gills and fins spoke up jeeringly.

“V-v-v-v-VILLAINS!” Mineta screamed, his sobs restarting at the sight of the villains surrounding them. “What are we gonna do?! I don’t wanna die next to Scarface and Froggy!”

Ruka considered freezing the small man, stopped only by the fact that there were cameras around. Asui had no such qualms, slapping him with her tongue and sending him careening into the floor.

“Todoroki, do you have any ideas?” She said, gaze firmly fixed on Ruka’s. Ruka nodded, putting her hand on the side of the boat and calling on the comforting chill that permeated her right side constantly. She pulled the ice towards her hand and forced it outwards, a creeping trail of frost that expanded rapidly upon reaching the water, until the entire flood zone resembled an ice skating rink. She stumbled back, peeling her hand and some dead skin off of the ice, and landed heavily on her butt. She scowled. ‘What an undignified act.’ Standing up quickly, she brushed herself off and looked towards her partners-in-disaster and blinked in surprise at the sight of Asui huddling around herself. She rushed over and put her left arm around her, reluctantly calling lightly on the painful heat that spread through her left side, allowing it to heat up her body slightly. She hated how much the fire completed her, how good it felt to let go.

“Asui, are you alright?” She put as much care as she could into her voice, which wasn’t much.

“I’m a frog, gero. ” She croaked weakly. “The cold makes me hibernate.” Ruka continued heating her up, a slight bit of guilt gnawing at her. “Don’t worry about it, gero. ” She looked down, startled, as Asui comforted her. “That was the best option we had available. We can rest here for a bit before going to regroup with our classmates. And call me Tsuyu” Ruka nodded silently, her eyes involuntarily drifting over to the heavily smoking landslide zone, and the green-haired man who she knew was responsible.

 

Mountain Zone.

Denki slammed his brass knuckles into another villain's stomach, allowing the current that was surrounding him to flow into them. He didn’t bother watching them shake at the voltage, he had done enough of that earlier on, just moved on to the next in a methodical way he’d never thought himself capable of. He was dimly aware of Jiro and Yaoyorozu fighting beside him, Jiro using her hand speakers to blow out eardrums and vibrate bones, Yaoyorozu had made a beanbag gun, knocking villains out with a perfectly aimed blow to the head. The trio moved like a well-oiled machine, decimating any villains that came into their path, until they reached the path towards the plaza, and no more villains were in their way. Denki let go of his electricity, bracing himself for the buzzing in his brain to start and hunching over as it did.

“Kaminari?” Jiro asked, walking over to him. “Are you alright?” He took a deep breath and breathed in, forcing a grin to his face.

“Yep, just peachy!” And looking at Jiro’s face looking over him concernedly, he could say that everything was more than alright. Yaoyorozu’s yelp caught their attention, the pair whirling around to see her being held by the neck by a skull-masked villain, his hands sparking alarmingly.

“You two, drop your weapons or I'll electrocute her to death.” His voice was resolute, no hesitation at all. Denki caught Jiro looking at him and nodded slightly, taking the knuckles off of his hands and dropping them to the ground, Jiro following suit and dropping her sword.

“Good, now then-” He was cut off by Yaoyorozu creating a staff out of her back, pushing him far away from her, at which point she spun around and headshot him with the beanbag gun.

“Nice, Yaomomo!” Jiro cheered, rushing in and giving her a big hug. Denki settled for a high-five; he didn’t feel like being on the receiving end of that gun

“We should regroup with the others,” Yaoyorozu suggested. “Head back to the entrance and take a headcount.”
“Sure.” Denki agreed. “I don’t have a brain for strategy, I’m more than happy to listen to you! Although” His eyes drifted over to the land on the other side of them, the mushroom cloud from the earlier wave of fire just now starting to dissipate. “I hope Midoriya is okay.”

 

Ruins Zone.

Eijiro allowed another blade to bounce off of his hardened back, swinging around and catching the offender with a hardened fist to the temple. He wiped his forehead of sweat.

“Whoo,” He exhaled softly. “Looks like we’re almost done!” He grinned over at Bakugo, his smile slightly fading at the grunt he got in response. “Should we go find the others and regroup?”
Bakugo scoffed.

“You can do that if you want to, I’m gonna go destroy that warp gate bastard!” Kirishima frowned.
“We already got in the way of 13 earlier!” He protested. “The manly thing to do is to make it up to our classmates and help them!” Bakugo sighed, shaking his head.

“The warp gate is these guys’ way in and out.” He explained. “If we pin him down, then they have to stay here until All Might gets here.”
Eijiro’s eyes widened as a previously invisible man with the head of a chameleon rushed towards them, screaming.

“You let your guards down, stupid Hero brats!”
Before he could warn Bakugo, the blonde already had his hand wrapped around the villain's head, grunting as he blew him up.

“Besides.” He continued, holding the villain up. “If the rest of the guys in here are small fries like these ones,” He threw the chameleon away and gestured to the scattered bodies around them. “Our classmates should be able to handle them no problem.” Eijiro thought about it and realized Bakugo was right.

“I guess you’re right.” He admitted reluctantly. “But since when were you so calm? Normally you’re all ‘DIE DIE DIE!’”

“Huh?!” Bakugo turned to him. “I’m always rational, shitty haired loser!”

Kirishima laughed. “Yeah, that’s more like it! Let’s go find that warp gate!” Bakugo turned back around with a scoff, marching towards the exit.

“Do what you want, Shitty Hair.”

 

Conflagration Zone.

Mashirao used his tail to curl up above a light pole, jumping down and landing feet first on a villain’s head once he saw one. He dove behind another building, prepared to land as many sneak attacks as necessary to get out of this alive. He heard a loud thump behind him and spun around, faced with a floating pair of gloves and a downed villain.

“Hagakure?” He asked, just in case.

“It’s good to see you, Ojiro!” She cried out, bounding towards and hugging him. He blushed heavily for a minute before he realized there was fabric between them. He looked at her, shocked, just for her to put a finger over his lips.

“Don’t tell anyone! I have money on who breaks first.” He nodded, dumbstruck, and the duo continued to take out villains as sneakily as possible.

 

Downpour Zone.

Fumikage stood in the rain, glaring at the dome that surrounded him.

“Fumi!” He turned his gaze downwards, finding Dark Shadow holding two villains above her head. “Watch this!” He watched, undeniably amused, as Dark Shadow slammed them into each other before rocketing them into the ground.

“Enough, Dark Shadow.” He called out, calling his Quirk back to his side. “We must escort our classmate away from the foul evil that surrounds us.” He turned to face Koji, the animal-loving man, shaking slightly. “Come, Koji. We will walk out of here together, or not at all.” Koji nodded, determination stopping his shaking, and the trio continued their destruction of all enemies nearby, a true banquet of darkness.

 

Entrance.

Tenya could only watch as his classmates, his responsibility was taken away from him, scattered, God-knows-where. He took a hesitant step back and immediately hated himself for it.

‘You are a member of the Iida family!’ He scolded himself. ‘Face villainy with the same courage your lineage did!’ He thought of his brother, the kindness that emanated from his smile, and squared his shoulders, ready to fight.

“Iida!” 13’s distress was conveyed even through her mask. “You need to get out of here, run back to campus and call for help! You’re the fastest student here!”

“What?!” Tenya balked. “I can’t just leave you all here!”

“Please, Vice-Rep!” Sato grabbed his shoulders and forced him to face the doors. “If we don’t get more Heroes, we might all be toast!” Tenya gulped, swallowing the guilt and shame in his throat.

“Still!” He could hear the desperation in his own voice. “I-I can’t abandon you!”

“It’s awfully foolish of you to plan in front of the enemy.” The mist, Kurogiri was how he had introduced himself, Tenya had to remember that, it would be important for when they made it out. “Needless to say, I have no thoughts of letting you escape here alive.” The villain’s voice was infuriatingly mild, a complete juxtaposition to his actions.

“It won’t matter if you hear or not!” 13 declared, lifting their arm and allowing a cap to pop off their finger. “Since I’ll be keeping you right here! Black Hole! ”

13’s Quirk sounded like a vacuum cleaner if it were on steroids. Tenya flinched away from the deafening sound of air being sucked into his teacher’s body.

“Now, Iida!” 13 shouted over the sound of their Quirk. “Run now!”

But Tenya couldn’t run. His legs wouldn’t move, his engines wouldn’t start, it was like being frozen by Todoroki all over again, but this time it was out of fear!

“So.” Kurogiri mused, his voice still calm. “This is Black Hole, said to turn everything it ingests into dust.” A distortion appeared in front of the villain’s body, a slight swirl in the air. “But, 13, you specialize in Rescue.” Tenya was frozen to the floor, trying desperately to make his body move, but his legs just wouldn’t MOVE! “You just aren’t on par with a regular Hero in terms of fighting!” A portal appeared behind 13 in sync with one that appeared in front of the villain. Tenya gasped in horror as he watched his teacher get torn apart by their own Quirk. “You turned yourself to dust.” Kurogiri remarked, a slight satisfaction edging into his voice.

“H-he got me,” 13 groaned, their voice no longer muffled. “Students, you have to…run.” With that, they collapsed, half of their suit torn to shreds, blood leaking out of the jagged edges.

“Sensei!” Mina screamed, her usual exuberance replaced by fear. Sato slapped him on the back, pushing him forward.

“Iida, run! NOW!” Sato screamed, rushing at the mist.

‘You are a proud member of the Ingenium line!’ Tenya screamed at himself, his engines revving to life. ‘Move! Prove yourself! Be worthy of that name!’ His engines screamed at him, begging him to let their power loose, but he couldn’t, not yet!

“Foolish child, I will not let you escape!” Tenya stared in anger and horror as Kurogiri rushed at him.

‘I just need a few more seconds,’ He thought desperately, the mist enveloping him. ‘Please!’ Shoji barrelled past him, running straight into Kurogiri and tackling him to the side.

“Go, Iida!” Tenya stared at him, eyes wide before they sharpened with determination.

“I won’t let you down!” He shouted, finally feeling his engines extend out of his legs. “ Engine Boost! ” A brilliant blue flame shot out of his legs, and his body went flying forward, everything turning into a blur of colour.

“I won’t let you!” Kurogiri materialized in front of him again, the ominous mist spreading.

“I am the next Ingenium!” Tenya screamed, his emotions flying loose. “You will not stop me!” He tensed his legs and jumped, remembering the cafeteria and how he had flown. Uraraka wasn’t here to help anymore, but if he could just get some height…!

“What?!” Kurogiri gasped from underneath him, Tenya soaring high and free above his mist.

He stumbled on the landing, his temporary boost ending. He ran towards the doors, engines firing on all cylinders and pried his hands into the crack between the two frames

“Come on!” He grunted, feeling his back and arms protest at the massive weight he was attempting to pull. “Just a little more!” He could hear his friends fighting behind him, but he wouldn’t waste their sacrifice by turning around now! The door opened, and Tenya squeezed himself out. He wasted no time, ignoring the strained noises his engines were making.

“ Engine Boost! ” He blasted down the track, his legs pumping furiously.

‘Hang on, everyone!’ He thought, sweat pouring out of his forehead and mixing with his shameful tears. ‘I’ll bring help as fast as I can, so just hold on!’

 

Entrance.

Ochako watched Iida leave and turned to the mist, hoping her fear wasn’t showing on her face.

“Damnable children!” The mist howled, its gentlemanly conduct destroyed. “I will destroy you!” Ochako steeled herself. This was the time to overcome her fears! She tapped herself on the chest and embraced the weightlessness her Quirk granted her, floating slightly before pulling the trigger hidden in her gauntlets, sending out her grappling hooks on either side of the mist.

“What was that supposed to do, child?” The mist asked, its polite persona back in place.

She gritted her teeth and pulled the second trigger, the hiss of gas filling her ears as she rocketed forwards.

“It was supposed to set me up for this!” She screamed, crossing the distance in a split second, shooting into him and swinging her palms wildly, desperate to find something she could touch.

‘There!’ Her finger brushed against something solid, and she reached for it and touched it with all five fingers.

“What did you do?!” The mist shrieked, its body floating away towards the ceiling.

“I removed your gravity!” Ochako replied, giddy at her success. “Now you just stay up there, alright, big guy?” Her confidence lasted until the mist vanished and reappeared in front of her, its eyes narrowed in annoyance.

“I think I will stay down here.” It hissed. Ochako backpeddled furiously, trying to shoot her grappling hooks behind her, but the mist was already enveloping her!
“Over here!” Sero shouted, the mist peeling off of her a second after his voice reached her. She looked up and saw Sato swinging a piece of Sero’s tape around like he was doing a hammer throw, and looked up to see the mist attached to the tape, spinning like he was in a blender.

“Stop this!” The mist shouted, its voice distorted by the movement. “Let me go!”
“As you wish!” Sato grunted, swinging downward. The mist followed suit, slamming into the ground with enough impact to make a crater. As the dust cleared, Ochako found no sight of the creature, and looked around furiously, sighing in relief when she saw it back in the courtyard, only to pale in fright and horror at what was under them.

“Ochako!” She whirled around to see Mina and Sero tending to 13. “Come help us!” She couldn’t tell them what she had seen; they would panic or charge in, and that would make everything worse, if that was even possible. She ran over, keeping her face in check, and started helping out, praying they wouldn’t notice her ashen face.

 

Flood Zone.

Ruka was annoyed. After Asui, or Tsuyu, as she preferred to be called, had regained mobility, the trio started making their way across the frozen wasteland she had made of the flood zone, but now there was a slight discrepancy in beliefs.

“These villains were low-level pawns at best,” Ruka said, for what seemed like the hundredth time. “We should go help Aizawa-sensei before he gets worn out.”
“He’s a Pro-Hero!” Mineta squealed, sobbing again. “We would just get in the way!”
“As much as I hate to agree with him, gero ,” Tsuyu started. “We probably shouldn’t intrude; we might just make it worse.” Ruka almost growled in frustration, catching herself and letting out a light sigh instead.

“I won’t jump in immediately.” She said, knowing that was a lie. “But if Midoriya was right about sensei normally doing stealth takedowns, he might be in trouble right now. We should at least check on him and make sure he isn’t in a pinch.”
“No way!” Mineta shrieked. Tsuyu thought a bit more about it, ribbiting slightly.

“Fine.” She decided. “But if sensei isn’t in trouble, we will leave and rejoin our classmates, alright?” Ruka nodded reluctantly. If Tsuyu tried to drag her away from the fight, there wasn’t anything she could do to stop her short of putting her in hibernation again, and Ruka wasn’t cold enough to do that and leave her with Mineta.

“You guys are crazy!” He whimpered, following them nonetheless. The group crossed over towards the plaza, ignoring the whimpers and groans that followed from the villains encased in ice.

“Everyone, get as low as possible.” Ruka ordered, crouching and crawling forward, approaching the edge of the water and the start of the plaza. Tsuyu and Mineta followed her. Thankfully, Tsuyu was forcing Mineta to look downward and not at Ruka. The trio lined up next to each other and peered over the ledge. Ruka was swinging her eyes around when she saw it. Their teacher was cleaning up the mess, kicking one villain away before slamming another into the ground, sometimes smacking groups of them together using his scarf.

“See!” Mineta hissed. “He’s fine, now let’s go!”

“Wait,” Ruka ordered. “Something’s happening.”
She watched as the teal-haired man with disembodied hands covering his face and gripping onto his arms rushed forward, entering a slight skirmish with their teacher, straining her ears to hear what was being said.

“-Nothing worse than a Hero who lives up to the hype.” The man was saying, jumping over a low kick and sending a front kick back in return. “You’re really so cool, Eraserhead!” Aizawa went for an elbow, a loud *thud* ringing out as it connected. Ruka heard Tsuyu and Mineta cheer quietly beside her, but something was wrong; the man had caught the elbow just before it connected fully.

“It’s hard to tell when you’re moving around so fast,” The man said, looming over Aizawa. “But there’s a moment when your hair falls and you switch to using your scarf more than your fists. That’s you hitting your time limit, isn’t it?” Ruka watched Aizawa try to wrench his elbow away, but the villain kept a tight grip. “If I’m right, then it should be right about…now.” Aizawa’s hair fell back to his shoulders. It started with his jumpsuit, the black material graying and blowing into the wind as dust. Next, it was his skin, the pallid tone of his arm turning the same sickly gray colour and disappearing. “You shouldn’t force yourself, Eraserhead.” The fake concern the man spoke with disgusted Ruka, her skin crawling at his voice. Aizawa reactivated his Quirk and swung out with a leg, connecting with the villain and forcing him to jump back, but before he could do anything else, he was surrounded by three more. Ruka couldn’t help him, something was telling her that she would die instantly if she moved to assist, a warning in the air.

“This isn’t what you’re used to, is it, Eraserhead?” The man cooed as he stood back up. “You like to go for a sneak attack and end it quickly, right?” Aizawa crushed the three villains around him, panting and wheezing for breath, clutching the skin above his decayed elbow. “You jumped in just to keep your students safe, very brave of you, Eraserhead!” The villain spread his arms wide, acting like there was a large crowd watching his performance, and then let them down slowly.

“By the way,” He said casually. “I’m not the final boss.”

Aizawa vanished from view. Ruka looked around wildly, wondering what had happened, freezing as her eyes landed on the horrible sight. Aizawa was on the ground, blood pouring from his head, a giant, indigo-skinned creature sitting on top of him. The creature had the beak of a bird, but sharp, dagger-like teeth jutted out from its maw. There were red scars all over its body, clean, surgical in nature. She watched as the creature, bigger than even All Might, grabbed Aizawa’s head and slammed it into the ground repeatedly, the pool of blood growing larger and larger.

“I bet you’re wondering just what’s happening right now, huh, Eraserhead?” The villain giggled, his hands once again splayed out. “Let me introduce you to our secret weapon, the Anti-Symbol of Peace, and bioengineered human, Nomu!” The artificial human roared, a high-pitched keening sound that reverberated through Ruka’s bones, shaking her to the core. She watched, her body as cold as the ice she produced, as the creature grabbed Aizawa’s arm and snapped it like a twig, her teacher screaming and writhing in agony. He looked up, apparently activating his Quirk again, and the creature stomped on his other arm, causing him to scream again.

“You can’t erase Nomu’s Quirk, Eraserhead.” The man said gleefully. “He’s bioengineered; this is all natural strength.” 

“Please tell me you’ve changed your mind, Todoroki!” Mineta whisper-screamed. Tsuyu croaked in worry. Ruka had no answer, her body trembling as she watched her teacher get systematically destroyed.

Before he could continue torturing Aizawa, the purple mist appeared beside him, bowing in subservience.

“Shigaraki Tomura.” It said, its voice slow.

“Kurogiri.” The man, Shigaraki, she noted, drawled, his enjoyment fading. “Did you kill Number 13?”

“13 is incapacitated.” Ruka felt a spike of fear at that. Both Pro-Heroes were down. “But, there was a problem. One of the students escaped, a boy with a speed Quirk. I estimate less than 20 minutes before the Pro’s arrive.”

Shigaraki growled, scratching his neck aggressively, blood welling up where his nails passed over, the ominous aura he seemed to exude intensifying.

“Kurogiri…” His voice was low and gravelly, dangerous. “If you weren’t the warp gate, I’d dust you right here!” He straightened up suddenly, the menacing aura that rolled off of him dissipating as well.

“Well, I guess it’s game over then.” Shigaraki sighed. “There’s no way we can win against a dozen Pros, after all.” He threw his hands into the air. “Aw, man. It’s really game over this time, let’s go home, Kurogiri.”
“D-did he just say ‘let’s go home’?” Mineta asked, his voice as shocked as Ruka felt. “He did, didn’t he? That means we’re saved!” He launched himself into Ruka’s side, hugging her. “We’re really saved!” Ruka felt his hand groping for her breast, reaching and kneading in a way that almost made her vomit. How could anyone think about sex in a time like this? Much less act on those thoughts! Her skin was crawling with anger and disgust, she felt like screaming and icing Mineta, but she froze those emotions, just like always. She was more than grateful when Tsuyu grabbed him and shoved him underwater, but it was still truly disgusting having him anywhere near her. “Mineta.” Her voice was even frostier than normal, her rage getting the better of her. “If you ever try something like that again, I’ll freeze you dead.”

She focused back in on the conversation between Shigaraki and Kurogiri. ‘There’s no way they’re going to leave that quickly.’ She thought, trying to catch their words. ‘After coming all this way with such a clear goal, it would be asinine to expect them to leave peacefully.’

“Before we go,” Shigaraki said, turning slightly towards them. “We should break the Symbol of Peace’s reputation.” Ruka blinked, and he was in front of them. “How will he react when he sees three dead students, I wonder.” Shigaraki hissed, his hand already reaching for Tsuyu’s head. “I can’t wait to see it!” Ruka remembered Aizawa’s elbow and imagined Tsuyu disintegrating just like that. She pulled on her ice desperately, but his hand was already just millimetres away; there was no way she could get there in time! Shigaraki’s hand was placed on Tsuyu’s head, and nothing happened. He scoffed, turning around.

“You really are so cool, Eraserhead.” Ruka saw her teacher get slammed into the ground again, but there was no time to dwell on that!
“Get your hands away!” She screamed as a spike of ice erupted from her and raced towards the man, a huge dust cloud forming at impact. Ruka frowned. That wasn’t what happened when ice hit a man. Her eyes widened in realization. ‘Something got in the way, I didn’t get him!’ Before she could do anything, a large black hand reached out and grabbed her forearm, the grip tightening as it lifted her off of the ground effortlessly. She was soon face to face with the creature that had been tormenting her teacher just a second ago, its knife-like teeth just inches away from her face.

“That wasn’t so bad.” Shigaraki mused from behind the bulky creature. “‘Get your hands away’, huh? You’re a real wannabe Hero.” He turned back towards Tsuyu and Mineta, reaching his hands out again. “Well, I don’t care about you, dusted or crushed, you’ll all be dead anyway. Nomu, kill her.” The way he said that command rattled Ruka; it was like he was asking it to throw out the trash, the same tone her father used when he would throw her around like a ragdoll.

‘Where are the teachers?!’ She screamed mentally, All Might should’ve gotten here by now! The creature raised its hand, and Ruka closed her eyes, only for them to snap open as the familiar sound and heat of a roaring fire rushed in front of her face, followed by the Nomu’s scream. She dropped to the ground, the hand still connected to her arm, but its grip loosened. She tore it off and looked ahead of her to see Midoriya standing directly in front of her, Tsuyu, and Mineta, fire pouring off of him like a demon, his sword steaming in his hand, blotches of blood evaporating off of its surface. Nomu was screaming, staggering backwards and clutching where his hand used to be. Midoriya had cut off its hand clean at the forearm, the wound burned shut instantly from the pure heat his sword was emanating. Shigaraki was patting out cinders from his jumpsuit, obviously annoyed at the second interruption.

“M-Midoriya?!” She hated herself for the stutter, but there was no helping it with how shocked she was.

“Hey, Princess.” He spared her a glance and grinned widely, her heart skipping a beat at the sight of his sharp features illuminated in his fire. “Hope I made it on time.”

 

U.A., Principal’s Office.

“And another thing, All Might.” Toshinori groaned quietly. Nezu had been lecturing him about time management and responsibilities since he’d arrived and told him how he wouldn’t be able to teach today. “You should really trust your fellow Heroes more, I mean, you didn’t have to go solve every issue by yourself!” Toshinori blinked at that.

“What do you mean?” He expressed his confusion. Nezu looked back at him, equally confused.

“You could’ve let the other Heroes handle it,” Nezu said again. “After all, it’s not like every crisis call is an All Might-level villain attack!” He laughed at that, but Toshinori didn’t think it was as funny.

“They were, though?” He asked, confusion rising. “Each call I got from the Hero Network said that the Heroes on sight needed immediate help, and I was the closest Hero nearby.” Nezu stopped laughing, his fur standing on end.
“You were the closest to every single call?” He whispered. Toshinori nodded, still confused as to why that mattered.

“I mean, this city must have a lot of crime!” He tried laughing it off, but Nezu wasn’t playing along.

“Yagi, we don’t have that much crime,” Nezu said, his tail swinging frantically. “If you were close to every villain attack on your way to school, that means somebody must have planned attacks on your route to school.”

“Nezu, isn’t that a bit much?” He tried. “What reason would somebody possibly have to go that far?”

The door burst open and Iida Tenya barrelled through, tripping over a chair and skidding on his face to the desk. He scrambled to his feet, but not before Toshinori caught a glimpse of his destroyed engines. Each pipe was blown out, they looked like they’d been put through an apple cutter. Toshinori stood, but Nezu was faster.

“Mr. Iida, what on earth-”

“Villains!” Iida screamed, clutching his legs as he hobbled desperately towards Nezu.

“There are villains attacking the USJ! 13 is down, and Aizawa-sensei is fighting a large crowd of villains! They have a warp gate named Kurogiri, he’s the one who got 13, and he scattered the students around the facility!” Iida collapsed, panting as soon as his information was out. 

Nezu slammed his paw on the intercom.

“All staff report to the office, I repeat, all staff report to the office. We have a code Red, I repeat we have a code Red.” He took his paw off the button and turned to him.

“Yagi, you’re out of time, you’ll ride with us.” Toshinori tried to protest, but the blood he coughed out instead proved Nezu’s point.

“Mr. Iida,” Nezu stopped. The boy was unconscious. He turned to Toshinori instead.

“Can you transform?” Toshinori grimaced.

“I can make it to the USJ, but any longer than that and I’ll deflate.” Nezu nodded, his mind running a thousand miles a minute.

“Aizawa can handle himself, he should be able to handle the main bulk of the villains. The students should also be able to either hide or handle themselves until we arrive.”

 

USJ, Plaza.

Izuku knew he was near his limit. He could tell that the steam pouring off of him was nearing peak intensity, knew that if he pushed any further, he might burn himself up, but there was nothing else he could do. He risked a glance behind him. Ruka was still staring at him, shellshocked, and Tsuyu and Mineta weren’t any better. He cursed mentally, he couldn’t fight to his max with them so close to him!

“Ruka.” He called out, keeping an eye on the writhing indigo beast. “You need to take Tsuyu and Mineta and leave right now.”

“I can’t just leave you to fight that thing.” Her voice was its usual song that tickled his brain, but there was concern and panic mixed into it as well. “It almost killed Aizawa-sensei, it’s bioengineered to defeat All Might!” He gritted his teeth.

“Either way,” He said, holding his sword at the ready. “While you guys are here, I can’t even try fighting this thing without hurting you. You need to leave right now.” He couldn’t risk another glance back, but he prayed Ruka would listen. The man patted out the last small fire on his outfit, the purple mist from earlier materializing beside him.

“Shigaraki Tomura, are you alright?” It asked. The man, apparently named Shigaraki, steadied himself.

“Kurogiri.” He whined. “Why didn’t you get the fire away from me?” Izuku furrowed his brows in confusion. ‘Why is he acting like a kid?’ He looked back at the indigo creature. ‘And why doesn’t he care about that thing's injuries?’

Before Kurogiri could respond, a guttural yell sounded out, and Bakugo appeared out of nowhere, landing on top of the warp gate, one palm on its neck.

“Take another step, and I blow his head off!” Bakugo growled, his face turned into a vicious snarl.

“Woah, there!” Kirishima ran down, taking a stance in front of him. “Not very Heroic of you, dude!” Shigaraki ignored the interaction.

“C’mon, Kurogiri!” He groaned. “First, you let a student go, and now you’re gonna get captured like that? What good are you?!”
“I apologize, young master.” He grunted out, wincing as Bakugo’s grip tightened. “He caught me off guard.”

Shigaraki sighed, hanging his head and shaking it side to side like a disappointed parent.

“If you’re pinned down and can’t move, how are we going to win?” Shigaraki spoke like he was the host of a children’s TV show, asking a question like ‘Which hole does the square go in?’

“Oh!” Shigaraki snapped his fingers. “I know!”

“Nomu,” Shigaraki called out, the monster on the floor looking up. “Tear your arm off.” Izuku balked, confused at the ridiculous order, and could only watch as the thing tore its arm off at the shoulder.

“I don’t know who you think you are, little Hero wannabes.” Shigaraki crowed. “But Nomu here is built to beat All Might, we’ve kitted him out with every Quirk he needs. That includes-” He gestured to Nomu, Izuku following his hand. His eyes almost popped out of his skull as he saw the thing’s arm healing, red muscle and flesh bulging out of the tattered flesh that remained and reshaping into an arm, indigo skin appearing soon after to cover up the flesh. “Regeneration!” Shigaraki finished his sentence giddily. “Now then, time for you to learn what it means to interrupt me!” Shigaraki shouted, scratching his neck. “Nomu!” It stood up, unaffected once again. “Kill him!” Izuku blinked, and Nomu was standing in front of him, fist raised high in the air. He cursed and jumped back, his face turning pale as he saw the crater created by its fist impacting the floor.

“Deku!” Bakugo yelled, lifting himself slightly. That small movement gave Kurogiri all the leverage he needed to escape, his body growing again.

“That’s quite enough out of you two!” The mist growled, enveloping Bakugo and Kirishima. “Go meet some of our other friends, will you?”

Izuku ignored the happenings around him; he needed to focus on the incredibly fast creature that was trying to kill him.

“Soul!” He shouted, raising his sword one more time. “I need warnings!”

I- Soul stammered slightly, something he had never done before. I didn’t see him move!

Izuku watched the creature stand up. “Well fuck.” He muttered.

Nomu swivelled its head around, jumping towards him as soon as it caught sight of his body and raising another fist. Izuku dodged by the skin of his teeth, but the creature caught itself this time, launching another blow right after the last. Shigaraki laughed as Izuku rolled under another blow.

“You can’t beat All Might, little Hero!” He jeered. “And that means you can’t beat Nomu, either!” It continued like this, Izuku frantically dodging as his margins became smaller and smaller, until Nomu clipped his arm, sending Izuku flying. He groaned, rolling his shoulder around and ducking under a nearby boulder, trying to buy himself some time.

“Soul!” He whispered. “How the hell do I beat this guy?! There’s no room for a counterattack, he’s way too fast!”

I can give you warnings. Soul said, determined. I’ll tell you where to move, but it’s up to you to dodge them in time.

“Didn’t you just say you couldn’t see him?!” Izuku demanded, his patience wearing thin.

Trust me, Izuku. Soul had never been so serious. I’ll warn you.

“There you are, little Hero!” Shigaraki’s voice crooned from the middle of the plaza. Izuku stared, goggle-eyed, as the huge boulder he was behind rumbled and groaned as it was lifted into the air, revealing the Nomu’s purple skin behind it. He cursed and dove backwards, stumbling as the Nomu dropped the rock, and swung. He watched his sword slice through the air and into Nomu’s chest, grinning as he managed to bisect the creature.

“That’s not enough, little Hero!” Shigaraki’s voice invaded his ears. “Nomu, get up and try again.” Izuku stared, brain running frantically, at Nomu’s body reattaching before it could fully disconnect, strands of flesh and skin oozing out and grasping each other, until the creature was standing again. Duck! Izuku ducked, his knees slamming into his chin, as a car-sized fist flew over his head. He took advantage and swung, cutting its leg off and bounding away. 

“Good work, Soul!” Izuku grinned, his fighting instinct growing again. “Now let’s do this!”

The game of cat and aggressive mouse continued for what felt like hours, but was probably only 30 seconds, Izuku’s ire and worry growing in equal amounts as the beast continued to heal from everything he did to it, but there was another, familiar feeling there as well.

“This is fucking awesome!” Izuku cried out, laughing as he disarmed the Nomu again. “A training doll that fights back!” Left! He dove to dodge another annihilating fist and struck out with his own, his Reiryoku listening to him like never before.

“Ikkotsu!” The rapidly decompressing fire blew a hole straight through Nomu's chest. He knew Nomu would claw the wound open to heal from it in a matter of seconds, but it was a few seconds for him to breathe.

Izuku, you can’t keep this up! Soul shouted. Your body is barely hanging in there, a few more hits and you’ll burn yourself alive!

“I don’t have a choice, Soul,” Izuku said, his grin still on his face. “I need to protect them, and so far, it looks like we’re the only ones who can even try to fight against this thing.”

“Kurogiri.” Shigaraki’s voice caught his attention. “Do you think we gave the Heroling enough hope?”

“I believe so, young master.” The respectful timbre of Kurogiri replied, but Izuku was more focused on Shigaraki’s words. ‘Gave me enough hope? What does he mean?’

“Nomu.”

Izuku stiffened up, his senses telling him that he was about to find out, and it wasn’t going to be anything good for him.

“Act like he’s All Might.” Izuku felt a rush of wind, and an onslaught of pain, and then he felt nothing.

 

His eyes snapped open. The recognizable ceiling of his mindscape greeted him. He scrambled to his feet, lurching around.

“Soul!” He shouted. “I don’t have time for this! That thing is going to kill all of my friends!” His voice broke as he remembered a split-haired beauty. “I can’t lose her before I even have the chance, Soul! Send me back!” There was no response, no matter how long he waited. Izuku cursed, running through his mindscape as fast as he could. He needed to get out and help, before-! He imagined Kirishima, his hardened skin shattered and broken around him, Nomu standing above him, fist raised. He imagined Mina, horns broken and lifeless eyes staring at him, a group of villains moving in on her. He imagined Kaminari, sparking uselessly as Kurogiri warped him into the air, his body splattering all over the ground. Finally, he imagined Ruka, her eyes wide and staring at him accusingly as Shigaraki grabbed her beautiful face and turned her into dust. ‘Why didn’t you help me?’ Her eyes seemed to be saying. ‘I trusted you and left, so why didn’t you help me?’ He burst into the Soul Chamber, chest heaving, and ran towards the fire, reaching in for his partner. There was nothing there.

“God fucking damnit!” He screamed, yanking at his hair out of pure frustration. “Let me out of here! I need to go!”

Do you want to live? The voice from the USJ spoke, its voice emanating from the fire.

“Yes!” Izuku cried out.

Why do you want to live?

“What kind of fucking question is that?!” Izuku roared in frustration. “I want to be a Hero, I want to save my friends, I want to help people!”

Is that all? It probed.

“Fuck no!” Izuku allowed his anger, his fear and his joy to course through him. “I want to tear that son of a bitch to shreds, I want to run away and find All Might, I want to kill that stupid Nomu thing for trying to fight me to begin with, and, most of all, I want to go save Ruka, and get a date with her!” He hunched over, gathering his breath, his energy spent.

“Let me go back.” He wheezed, standing up straight. “Let me go back and live .”

The voice laughed.

That’s good, that’s good! It cheered for him. I will send you back, and when you awake, when you feel your blood run with the fire of your desire, scream out, from the depths of your soul!

 

Ruka watched Midoriya clash with the Nomu, watched it send him flying and watched him get up and start fighting before Tsuyu could get her to move. She ran, her body and mind numb, and helped Tsuyu evacuate Aizawa, Shigaraki’s attention firmly fixed on Midoriya and Nomu. Her mind started working again halfway up the stairs.

‘What the hell am I doing!?’ Her feet slowed before stopping. Tsuyu looked at her, alarmed.

“ Gero, what’s wrong, Todoroki?! We need to move!” Ruka glanced at her before turning back to the clouds of dust that were rising from Nomu and Midoriya’s fight.

“You guys take him to the rest.” She demanded. “I’m going to help Midoriya.” She didn’t wait for a response before running towards the fight, ignoring Tsuyu’s panicked yell and Mineta’s loud wailing.

‘I am going to be a Hero!’ She gritted her teeth, spawning ice underneath her feet and starting to skate. ‘I am going to be a better Hero than HIM !’ She approached the fight, her steps lightening as she crouched behind the fountain. ‘And to do that!’ She called on her ice, building it up within her and holding it behind her thin barrier of control. ‘I can’t run away!’ She was about to jump up when something flew past her. She felt a liquid splatter on her face as it did, and, reaching a shaking hand up to her face, felt her stomach fall into a pit. ‘Blood!’ She spun around, looking in the direction the thing had flown by, and her heart dropped. Midoriya Izuku lay motionless on the ground, his body surrounded by a slowly growing pool of the same crimson liquid that now decorated her face. She stared, uncomprehending, at the man who had, not even a full two days ago, asked her to ice him with a cocky smile on his face. The man who had destroyed her records in the QATs. The man who had slammed Bakugo through the floor, laughing all the while. The man who incessantly attempted to get closer to her, who she had started feeling a modicum of respect for.

The man whose green eyes now stared at her lifelessly, whose verdant hair now soaked up his own blood, whose chest was eerily still.

“You shouldn’t have interrupted, little Hero.” Shigaraki stalked towards him, talking in a sing-song manner. “If you hadn’t, you might be alive right now.” He knelt over Midoriya’s corpse, humming thoughtfully. “Should I dust you, or let All Might find you like this?” Ruka felt her stomach turn at the thought of this man defiling Midoriya’s body. Enough was enough. She stepped out, her foot touching the ground and a glacier erupting from her body. She could feel the drawbacks, feel her skin burn at the cold and could see her fingertips turn blue, but that had to have been enough. Without Shigaraki to give it commands, the Nomu should be pacified. She allowed the heat from her left side to flow through her again, sighing at the relief it provided.

“That was a close one.” She froze, Shigaraki’s raspy voice somehow still speaking. “You almost got me, little girl.” She saw him, a cloud of dust raining around him, walk through her glacier, his hands destroying everything they touched.

“If I hadn’t had my hands up, then I might’ve been trapped.” He continued, his voice mild but containing a mountain’s worth of anger. “Too bad for you. Nomu.” Ruka couldn’t see its movements, just like earlier. The first thing she felt was a shattering pain in her abdomen, before she could only feel its hands wrap around her arms, lifting her high into the sky. She wheezed, unable to breathe through her probably destroyed ribs, and was met with Nomu shaking her from side to side, the pain making her scream silently. Her panic getting the better of her, she allowed the fire from her left side to burst out, a truly powerful display of her power that would’ve had her father in tears. Nomu screamed in pain, letting go of one arm, but the other stayed latched on, gripping tighter and tighter until her forearm snapped in its grip. She screamed out, her voice breaking in pain, and the fire that poured out of her shut off as she lost focus.

“You’ve been hiding things, little girl.” Shigaraki was walking towards her now, his hand stretching out. “But it isn’t enough.” Nomu grabbed her other hand, its body healed already, and held her up like she was a kitten. No matter how much she struggled, the beast wouldn’t let her free, ice and fire attacking it didn’t seem to make it any less obedient to its master. Shigaraki got closer and closer, and her struggles got more and more frantic until he was just inches away from her.
“Say goodnight, little girl!” He cooed, his gnarled fingers moving in, and then, 

The sun descended.

 

Izuku felt the pain first, a deep, sharp ache in his chest and back that seemed to diffuse into the rest of his body. Then, he felt his limbs start to respond to his commands, his fingers digging into the dirt and his knees dragging in as he struggled to stand. The last thing he felt was pure, unfiltered rage as a familiar, beautiful voice cried out in agony. He stood, swaying precariously. His vision was blurry, he was dizzy, and his body begged him to stop with every step he took, but he forced a smile to his face and drew Soul once again.

Izuku! He cried out. You need to rest. I don’t know how you’re walking right now, but you died for a second there! You-are you listening to me?!
“Sorry, Soul.” His voice was gravelly, barely audible. “I need to do this.” His vision slowly returned, and he was able to see his surroundings, and what he saw only made him angrier.

Ruka was being held up by Nomu, struggling violently to get away, one arm twisted and snapped. Shigaraki was walking towards her, his arm outstretched, mocking her as he loomed over her defenceless body. Izuku remembered the vision he had seen in his head, Ruka turning to dust and glaring at him while she did.

“I won’t allow it.” He whispered. “I won’t allow it!” His voice grew stronger. “I would rather burn it all down than see that happen!” He was howling now, his body incandescent with rage and fear. Fire grew around him, stronger and bigger, brighter and brighter, until he summoned all the strength he had left and lifted Soul, no, that wasn’t his name, high into the air.

“Burn all of creation to ash! Ryujin Jakka!”

The shout that left his mouth didn’t sound like his voice. It sounded like a volcano erupting, like a jet engine and like a roaring flame all at the same time. Fire erupted around him, a veritable inferno that spanned the entire zone he was in, burning the world down around him. The fire didn’t care what it touched, stone, metal, or the dirt beneath his feet, everything burned. Izuku’s steps continued, each one causing an explosion of fire to form underneath him, until he found himself in front of the sight that had lit such rage in him.

“M-Midoriya?” His heart constricted at how hoarse her voice was. “How-how did you-?”

“How are you alive?!” Shigaraki was foaming at the mouth, his fingers digging deep into his neck. “Nomu killed you, I saw your chest caved in, so how are you walking right now!?”

“Fuck if I know.” Izuku shrugged, his face sharpening into a deadly grin. “But I’m not complaining, means I can fuck you up now.” Shigaraki barked out a laugh, shrill and lacking any humour.

“Don’t you remember what happened last time?” He cried. “Nomu, act like he’s All Might.” Izuku still couldn’t see the creature’s movements, but he didn’t need to anymore. He condensed the fire into a wall around him, the fire immediately burning Nomu’s fists to ash. The creature stumbled back, screaming in agony as its hands ceased to exist.

“You can’t hit me anymore!” Izuku mimicked the sing-song voice Shigaraki had used earlier. “I would dodge this, if I were you!” Izuku shouted, laughter creeping into his voice. He raised his sword high into the air, the fire coalescing around it with just a thought. He was about to swing when he heard a shout of pain behind him. Whirling around, he saw Shigaraki kneeling on the floor and Ruka grabbing his ankle with a flaming palm.
“You aren’t interrupting this time!” She snarled, increasing the heat of her hand. “We’re staying right here!”

Izuku’s heart skipped a beat.

You chose a real spitfire, Izuku. Soul, no, Izuku supposed he could at least call him Ryujin now, spoke up. Now show her how the Number One should act! He grinned and swung his sword down one last time.

“TAIMATSU!”

The attack launched forward, incinerating everything in its path. Shigaraki shouted something, but Izuku couldn’t hear him over the roar of the flames. Once the attack was launched, Izuku fell to his knees, the fire blinking out of existence like it had never been there. There was nothing he could do anymore, he thought grimly, his body was completely out of commission. He could feel his blood bubbling up underneath his skin, feel his muscles shrivel up and shrink from the heat that poured through him, and he could feel his veins almost bursting from the pressure. He startled, and then relaxed as a deep, cooling sensation filled his body. Ruka had decided to help him. He turned to her, meeting her worried, half-senseless eyes.

“Hey, Princess.” He coughed out a cloud of ash. “Nice meeting you here.” She swatted his shoulder with her non-broken hand.

“Don’t-” She coughed. “Don’t try to be all cool right now.” She met his eyes again. “I saw you dead.” He winced, probably not a great impression.

“Yeah, sorry about that.” She continued freezing him over, his body slowly returning to a normal state of being. “I’m better now!” She laughed at that, a little wheeze that threw her into another coughing fit, before getting serious again.

“Why did-” She took a slight breath in, cringing as it aggravated her wounds. “Why did you help me, even when you could’ve died for it?” Izuku looked at her incredulously, his vision dimming.

“Well,” He started, fighting to stay awake. “The easy reason is because I want to be a Hero, throwing myself into harm's way is part of the job.”

“I see.” She looked away, seeming slightly disappointed.

“The real reason,” He continued, turning her head back towards him with his hand on her chin. “Is because you’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen, and you could tell me to burn this entire world to ash, and I would listen.” The right side of her face blushed a bright pink, and her eyes widened, showing the glimmering tears that started welling up. “You could tell me to stop being a Hero, and as much as it would hurt, I would agree.” He was telling the truth, he knew. Everything he had ever wanted, everything he once was, he would give up to be hers. “The only thing you couldn’t tell me to do,” He forced himself to keep going, looking at her half-blushing face and parted lips. “Is to stay away from you, because that would kill me.” He let her go and fell back, his body finally giving in.

The last thing he heard was the doors boom open and All Might’s signature catchphrase before he faded to black, dreaming about a beautiful princess locked away in a tower far from his reach.

Notes:

SO.
Izuku kills Nomu. Honestly, I was really debating if he should, but it would seem really cheap if he unlocked this power and then immediately lost, you know? So, instead, I'm going to make this clear right here. NOMU IS BRAINLESS. So when Izuku surrounds him in super loud roaring fires, and Shigaraki can't be heard, he's just gonna stay still. If Shigaraki could direct him, or if Nomu had a brain, or if All Might had been there in place of Nomu, the end result would've been a couple of very hard punches/claps, air pressure clears out some of the fire, and if that doesn't work, jump real high out of the fire. Nomu lost here because of how he can't do anything without instructions.
All Might running completely out of power and being unable to transform will be explained next chapter, I promise I have a good reason for it, but it was just something I needed for Izuku to grow in this case.
Izuku burns creation to ash! I hope that scene hyped you up, and if it didn't I'm sorry, I really tried my best, please forgive me.
I don't think there's much else to talk about, but please feel free to ask questions in the comments!

Chapter 9: A Hero's Burning Recovery!

Summary:

Izuku recovers after the USJ, and prepares for a certain school festival.

Notes:

I wrote this listening to copious amounts of lana del rey, hope you see the influence it had on me.

Kamino Ward, Unknown Bar.

“That fucking ice bitch!” Tomura screamed, writhing in agony. “She burned my ankle to the bone! I’ll kill her, I swear to God I’ll kill her!”

“Young master, please calm down.” Kurogiri attempted to allay his leader’s pain, but it only made things worse.

“Shut the fuck up, Kurogiri!” Tomura snarled. “You’re the one who got caught twice to begin with! If it wasn’t for your fuck-ups, I wouldn’t have had to get Nomu involved that early to begin with!”

“Now, now, Tomura.” Sensei’s voice emanated from the TV, carrying with it the physical presence of his power. “Why don’t you calm down and tell me what happened, hm?”

Tomura’s heart swelled. He knew he could count on Sensei!

“At the start, everything was already going wrong. All Might wasn’t even there!”

“He wasn’t? I thought the schedule you captured said he would be there?” Sensei seemed intrigued.

“He only showed up later.” Tomura grumbled. “I-I don’t mean to question you, Sensei, but…” He hesitated, knowing what Sensei did to those who disobeyed him.

“Speak, Tomura.” Sensei probed gently. “You are my dearest creation. I will not harm you like the other riff-raff on the streets.”
Really, Sensei was too kind!

“I think that your estimate of All Might’s power might have been off. I think he’s actually weaker than we believed.”

“Nonsense!” A different voice spoke from the TV. “I calculated All Might’s power as precisely as possible; his strength has decreased 50% from its peak five years ago!”

“I don’t doubt your calculations, Doctor!” Tomura hastened to soothe the man’s ego. “But, if he was truly as injured as Sensei says he was, there might be an alternative solution.”

Sensei hummed with curiosity.
“Continue, Tomura.”

“Yes, Sensei. My thought process is simple:” Tomura tried pacing the room, giving up as his leg screamed its disapproval. “There’s simply no way All Might should be able to fight with such a small decrease in power after being injured like that. 50% might seem like a lot, but Sensei is even further than that from his max levels. So, what if, instead of a decrease in power, he sacrifices time in order to continue fighting at that level of strength?” He limped toward the bar counter, pouring himself a drink. “If he wanted to continue pushing the image of the indomitable Symbol of Peace, he couldn’t be seen struggling with any villain, not a single one. He, in my opinion, weighed strength greater than time in order to protect society from losing its pillar.”

There was silence on the other end of the TV for a moment, filling Tomura with anxiety, before Sensei spoke again.

“You’re suggesting,” His voice was quiet, almost menacing. “That my plan to cover his path in villain attacks in order to tire him out took too long, that it resulted in his time running out?”

“Yes, Sensei.” Tomura bowed toward the screen, his heart beating intensely. “That is what I believe.”

Sensei let out a loud booming laugh, the sudden volume making Tomura flinch back.

“Very good, Tomura!” He crowed, clapping his hands. “Very good indeed. Didn’t I tell you he would figure it out, Doctor?” The doctor grumbled, evidently unhappy with being proven wrong.

“Anyone with a semblance of a brain could figure that out, my Lord. Please don’t praise him too much.”
“Yes, yes, I am more than aware of your distaste towards my chosen, but please let it go for now.”
Tomura was more than confused. Did his Sensei know about this before? If so, why did he allow the plan to take place?

“Tomura.” He snapped to attention, his mind focused solely on his Master. “I know what you’re thinking, why didn’t I tell you this if I already knew?”

“Yes, Sensei.” He said, his head dipping low again. “I’m afraid I don’t quite understand.”
“Hmmm.” Sensei considered his words. “Try and make a guess. If you want to grow, to enact your goals, you will need the intelligence to do so. Consider this a test; you have one minute to think of your answer. Fail, and I’ll withdraw Kurogiri for a month. Succeed, and I’ll allow you the chance to obtain more Nomu.”

Tomura’s mind was running a mile a minute. If Sensei knew about All Might’s lack of time, knew he wouldn’t be able to come to the USJ, then what was the point of allowing him to go through with the plan?

“30 seconds left, Tomura.” He cursed, what could the reason be?! It couldn’t have been to humble him, Tomura knew he alone had no chance against a titan like All Might, that’s what the Nomu was for!

“15 seconds, you’re cutting it close.”

It had to be…!

“You wanted to show me failure.” Tomura guessed, deciding on an answer. “You wanted to show me that no plan is perfect, that variables can exist on any axis, even the ones I can’t see.”
He waited with baited breath for Sensei’s voice to reemerge.

“Is that all?” Normally, this would’ve made Tomura panic, but something told him he was on the right track; he just needed a little more!

“Even without All Might there,” He realized, his mind clicking. “I could’ve done some real damage to Hero society by killing the students, but my grunts weren’t strong enough. I need to recruit high-level adventurers instead of level one scrubs!”

“Good!” Sensei clapped again. “Never underestimate the power of strong comrades. Even I have had my fair share of allies, and they gave me options I never would have thought of or considered without them.”
“Thank you for your teachings, Sensei!” Tomura prostrated before the screen, his leg crying out in discomfort.

“There’s no need for that, my boy, stand up and keep your head high, a failure is only a failure if you allow it to define you.” Sensei was so forgiving, so kind! How could a man like him be considered a villain when people like All Might were going around punching heads off?!

“Now, tell me what happened with the Nomu, it should’ve done more than enough damage to the students without All Might being there.”

Tomura felt his ire resurge as he told his Sensei all about the weird battle-mage who’d fought Nomu, and how he had come back to life to finish it all off.

“I saw his chest stop moving!” Tomura vented, scratching furiously at his neck. “I watched his blood pour out of his body, and just as I was about to kill his little girlfriend, he got back up!”

“Calm down, Tomura.” Sensei soothed. “You couldn’t have anticipated something like that happening. Was there anything else notable about him?”

Tomura thought back, snapping his finger as a thought came to him.

“He was talking to his sword!” He shouted. “He said something about it warning him about Nomu’s attacks!”

“A sentient Quirk, then.” Sensei sounded disappointed, Tomura was worried.

“Is something wrong, Sensei?” He questioned.

“Nothing to do with you, my boy. It’s just a shame I can’t take the boy’s Quirk without it fighting back, and in my weakened state, I’d better not risk it. Rest now, Tomura. Next time you must apply these lessons to your plans. I’m expecting great things, child.”
“I won’t let you down, Sensei!”

 

U.A., Recovery Girl’s Office.

All Might sighed in frustration and regret, his mind welling up with guilt. He stood up quickly as Recovery Girl walked out of her operating room, stripping blood-stained gloves off of her hands.

“How are they?” He asked quickly, following her while she walked around the room, clearing things up. She paused and looked up at him, a sad glint in her eyes.

“Toshinori.” He felt fear explode inside of him at the sombre tone she spoke with. “The girl had almost her entire rib cage pulverized, her lungs were both slightly perforated, and her heart barely avoided damage. Her ulna and radius were both shattered under the pressure of whatever hit her, the same injury as Aizawa. She’ll make a full recovery, however, scars will cover her torso and arm, and that may be more damaging for her than the injuries. The boy,” At this, she sighed and took her glasses off, wiping them on her coat.

“What about the boy?” Toshinori asked urgently, wondering why she had taken such a long pause.

“The boy shouldn’t be alive.” She said bluntly, leafing through a clipboard of his injuries. “He has similar injuries to the girl, but worse. His shoulder was demolished, his sternum was turned to dust, his heart should’ve been pulped, and he overstrained his Quirk. We have evidence that his blood started evaporating at the heat he was putting out, and his bones were blackened in some parts of his body. Even if he lived, he should’ve been crippled for life.”
“Should’ve?” Toshinori probed, his heart filling with hope at the single word.

“Yes, somehow, his body wasn’t damaged beyond the Quirk-related injuries, and even those are fading rapidly, but that isn’t even the craziest part.” She slumped into a chair, massaging her temple out of what Toshinori suspected was pure confusion.

“Whatever damage fades away is replaced by stronger, more durable material. The muscles that burned away are back and denser, the parts of his bones that were charred or brittle flaked off of his body and were regrown to be harder.”
“What are you saying?” Toshinori asked, astonished.

“I’m saying that not only will he have a full recovery, he’ll be even stronger than before when he heals! It’s like he’s a sword that got reforged with a better material!”

 

Izuku. He groaned, his eyes opening slightly before he closed them again. Izuku! His eyes snapped open, and he immediately sat up.

“Fuck!”

And immediately regretted it. He cringed, feeling his body contorting of its own accord, spasming wildly.

Izuku, you need to settle down!

“Soul? Is that you?” Izuku pushed through gritted teeth

Yep, but shouldn’t you be calling me my real name by now?

“Real name? What do you-” The memories of his last waking moments rushed through him, arriving at the USJ, 13’s speech, the intruders, Shigaraki and Kurogiri and…

“Nomu!” He shouted out, trying to stand up, but his body was forcing him to stay still. “What happened to the Nomu!?”

You got it, kid. Everyone survived, even you and your little girlfriend. Izuku was grateful for the calmness in Ryujin’s voice; it grounded him, brought him back to reality. He took a deep breath and lay back down, trying his hardest to ignore the massive waves of pain that were rolling over him.

“What’s happening to me?”

You died back at the USJ, Izuku. Your body was almost unsalvageable, but thanks to you learning my true name, the fire is remaking you anew.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Izuku put the ‘you died’ part out of his mind for now; that was a can of worms he would open later.

Your Reiryoku is currently surging through your body, burning away the destroyed muscle and bone and then building them back, stronger than they were before. The pain you’re feeling is your body being used as fuel for your Quirk, burning up and being remade.

Izuku sat in silence for a minute, thoughts racing through his head.

“So,” He started hesitantly. “I’m, what, immortal or something?” Ryujin scoffed.

No, not at all. This is a one-time thing, kid. This is happening because of the extreme amount of energy that was locked away. That much Reiryoku rushing through you is forcing your body to acclimate to it. Once the process is done, you’ll be tougher, bulkier, and overall built completely different compared to how you were before, and only then can you wake up and leave the mindscape.

“How long am I gonna be locked in here? I gotta let my Mom know I’m okay!” Izuku asked frantically.

It could be an hour, it could be a week. I honestly couldn’t tell you, but what I can say is that when you wake up, you’re going to be a different person entirely.

 

Ruka’s first waking thought was a memory.

‘You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen, and I’d burn the whole world down to ashes for you.’

Her eyes opened slowly, blinking rapidly to adjust to the bright light she was under. The room was unfamiliar, but as she looked around and took in her surroundings, she realized what it was.

‘A hospital? No, too small, a clinic of some sort, or an office.’

She turned her head to the side, and her heart stopped. Lying in the bed, unmoving and still,

his chest wasn’t moving, green hair splayed out over a white stone floor, blood pooling around him, was Midoriya Izuku, his green eyes closed, open and lifeless, glaring at her accusingly.

“Young Todoroki!” Large, weathered hands wrapped around her shoulder, large, calloused hands pushed her to the floor, balling up and landing on her arms over and over and over, and she was screaming, begging him to stop…!

“Ruka!” She stilled. That wasn’t her father. She turned her head slowly, mindful of the sharp ache in her torso, and locked eyes with the black irises of the Number One Hero.

“All…Might?” Her voice was raspy and weak, and she coughed, trying to get even two words out.

‘How pathetic.’ She thought bitterly. ‘Can’t even speak after a little fight like that.’

He handed her a glass of water, which she accepted and drank, making sure she was graceful and polite, just like she’d been taught, beaten into accepting.

“Where am I?” She asked, her throat finally allowing her to speak normally.

“You’re in Recovery Girl’s office.” He spoke kindly. His attitude nearly gave her whiplash. How was the man at the peak so different from the man at his tail?

“Midoriya?” Her mouth moved of its own accord, asking about the man she couldn’t look at again, lest she see his body dying in front of her once more.

“He’ll be alright, just needs a little rest.”

“I saw him-saw him die.” She hated herself in that moment, hated the weakness she couldn’t help but expose.

“He was…grievously wounded.” It was obvious the man was choosing his words wisely. “However, Recovery Girl has done her best work, and he will be alright. How about we talk about you?”

Ruka blinked.

“What about me?” All Might fidgeted slightly for a moment before standing up.

“I’ll let the doctor tell you what’s going on; she can probably explain it much better than I can.”

He left, and Ruka tried her best to suppress the pang of loss in her heart. Just being around the man for 20 seconds impressed his charisma onto her; it was like he emanated an aura of peace and safety, like nothing could go wrong as long as He Was Here.

‘But why wasn’t he there?’ She couldn’t help but think uncharitably. ‘Why did Midoriya and I have to get hurt so badly because he couldn’t be bothered to show up?’

The door opened, and Recovery Girl walked in, her cane clicking lightly against the floor.

“Hello, dear! I heard you finally woke up for good. How are you feeling?”

“Everything hurts.” She admitted. “Like someone hit me with a car.” Recovery Girl let out a small hiss.

“Well, that would probably have been better than the truth. Let’s start with the basics. Your ribs, sternum, arm, and lungs were all heavily damaged. I was able to heal it all over the time you’ve been here, but there will be moderate scarring across the most injured areas, namely, your arm and your chest.” Instinctively, Ruka looked at her broken left arm and was almost grateful to see it covered up in a cast.

‘Good. My left side was already hideous, I don’t need to see just how much worse it is now.’ Despite the thought, she couldn’t help but lift her hand to cover the patch of scar tissue that covered the left side of her face. ‘Maybe scar tissue can wipe away his traces.’

“Are you alright, dear?” Recovery Girl sounded worried.

“I’m fine.” She lied. “How much longer will I have to stay here?” The Healing Heroine hummed in consideration.

“For a full recovery, about three more days.” She made a seesaw motion with her hand.

“How long have I spent here already? Did I miss class?” She couldn’t have missed classes; if she had, then he would know, and it would only be a matter of time before he called her back for his ‘special training’.

“Only two days, and classes were cancelled for the week, so don’t worry about that.” Recovery Girl patted her unburdened arm and kissed her cheek. Instantly, Ruka felt drowsiness overcome her as her wounds knit themselves together.

“Go to sleep for now, dear. When you wake up, I’ll get you something to eat.”

 

Izuku’s first waking thought was a memory. Red and white hair, a half-red face and a scarred eye, alabaster skin and blue and brown eyes looking up at him. He opened his eyes slowly and looked around.

‘I’m in Recovery Girl’s office.’ He realized, taking in the familiar surroundings.

Then he remembered indigo skin, sharp, jagged teeth and a dry, flaky hand that turned all it touched to dust. He looked beside him and saw Ruka, her face asleep and turning to dust, her eyes locked onto his. Why didn’t you save me, why didn’t you SAVE ME-

He sat up, ignoring how high the hospital gown sat on him and how long his hair had gotten, and forced his hand to lift towards her, ignoring the shooting pain in his shoulder. His fingers brushed her face, and relief filled his mind. He sat back down, allowing his body to rest.

‘She’s alive. I saved her. She’s alive. I saved her.’ He repeated the thought in his mind until he was able to relax, to forget the image of her turning to ash in front of him.

“Young Midoriya, you’re awake!” Toshinori walked up to him, his face sporting a slight smile before it contorted into a confused frown. “And much…taller?” Izuku looked down and almost screamed in embarrassment. His gown was way too small!

Once Izuku was dressed in a properly fitted gown, Recovery Girl entered the room.

“Hello, dear. I must say, I’m not pleased to find you here again.” Izuku quirked an eyebrow.

“Yeah? Well, I must say I’m not pleased to be here again either. Wasn’t much of a choice, Recovery Girl.” She stared at him wide-eyed for a moment.

“Yes, well.” She cleared her throat and straightened up. “Please take better care of yourself in the future. By all accounts, you shouldn’t have lived through whatever happened to you in the USJ.” Izuku smiled, finally, something he could explain! He told her everything Ryujin had told him, from the release of his energy to the remodelling of his body, before finally giving in to his urges.

“How’s Ruka? And what about everyone from class, are they alright?”

“Ms.Todoroki will be just fine by tomorrow, and your classmates sustained no serious injuries, aside from Iida. Your teachers, however, were not so lucky.” Izuku cringed, remembering the state he had last seen Aizawa in. “Aizawa is lucky, he’ll be able to walk and move around by the end of your impromptu break, and he’ll regain full mobility in about a week. 13 will have to be kept for much longer, however, as she managed to turn all of the skin on her back into dust.”

“What happened to Iida?” Izuku asked.

“He blew up his engines trying to get here as fast as he could.” Recovery Girl sighed and shook her head. “He’ll be fine, according to his family’s physician; the pipes will regrow, but it’s an excruciating process from what I’ve heard.”

Izuku processed the information slowly. Ruka was alive and well, as was everyone else; no one had gotten crippled or killed, and no one was hurt too badly. He covered his eyes with his forearm and lay back. Everything was going to be just fine.

“Then, can I go back to sleep?” His body ached, and his eyes were heavy again.

“No one was ever stopping you, dear.” Recovery Girl laughed. “I’ll have food for you when you wake up again!”

‘Food would be great. I wonder if Ruka will go out for dinner with me now?’

 

Toshinori sat with the rest of the staff, Aizawa’s seat noticeably empty. He swallowed the pang of guilt that hit him when he remembered his coworker's condition, all because he hadn’t been there to help! He absorbed the guilt and took a deep breath. He would have to be better next time, faster, stronger, more responsible. Nezu clapped once, the noise stopping all idle chatter in the room.

“We are here to watch the footage from the USJ.” The chimera's voice was unusually serious; the usual giggle that followed his tone was absent.

“How do we even have any footage? Didn’t everything turn off when the villains attacked?” Midnight asked, her hands raised.

“The cameras are protected. We were supposed to do the same to the rest of the equipment in the USJ, but we never got around to it.” Power Loader spoke up, his helmet noticeably missing, showing his shadowed eyes.

“Indeed.” Nezu didn’t seem too pleased. “Snipe, if you would-”

Nezu was interrupted by the door swinging open, revealing…a mummy in a wheelchair?

“Shouta, you need to rest!” Present Mic’s voice rang with exasperation and worry.

‘That’s Aizawa?’ Toshinori couldn’t recognize the man under his copious bandages.

“I need to know what happened to my students.” He growled out, pulling his wheelchair forward with his legs.

“Shouta, go back to Recovery Girl!” Midnight was the next to stand up with her worries.

“Aizawa, you can get filled in later, this is too much!” Vlad King declared.

Toshinori stayed silent. He was not one to criticize anyone for overdoing it, after all.

“Aizawa, are you fit enough for this?” Nezu’s voice ended all objections as he asked his most trusted teacher a simple question.

“I have to be.” Was the simple response. Nezu simply nodded and pressed play on the recording. The teachers watched the desperate struggle of their students and their colleagues, watched each and every injury occur and its cause. No one was spared the gruesome sight of Young Midoriya and Young Todoroki fighting without hope against the beast that was created to defeat him, the sight of their bodies breaking as they pushed further and further. He watched in horror and awe as the boy he had once thought could succeed him boiled his own blood and bones to save his friend, a thin red mist mixing with the steam that poured out of him, then watched him get demolished by the creature’s fist. He listened to Young Todoroki’s screams of pain as the creature shattered her arm, and almost leaped out of his chair seeing the leader inch toward her with his disintegrating palm. The sight of his green-haired student standing back up drew an equal amount of joy and worry from him, was this how Nighteye felt watching him go back into the world only half-healed? He felt awe rise up in his chest as Young Midoriya obliterated the beast, only for his heart to fall out of his chest as the leader managed to get his fingers on Young Todoroki’s arm, forcing her to let go, her body simply refusing to listen to her commands. He watched with despair as the leader teleported away to God-knows-where.

The video stopped with audio finally getting picked up after the flames disappeared, and Midnight squealed something about young love at Young Midoriya’s heartfelt words, but Toshinori’s mind was elsewhere.

‘That creature had multiple Quirks. That means I failed. I failed in my duty to kill him, and now my students are suffering for my mistakes! I must finish this before more people are hurt. I must end this cycle of hate, All for One!’

“Why weren’t you there?” Aizawa’s hoarse voice cut through the chatter in the room. Toshinori felt his heart constrict with guilt, but he had to answer with the truth.

“I was tricked.” He started simply. “I was called into multiple villain attacks on my way to school, each one lowering my time until I simply could not transform anymore.”
“Why didn’t you leave them up to the Heroes in the area? Do you think yourself so far above them?” Aizawa’s tone was scathing now, but All Might had to answer, despite how much it felt like he was making excuses.

“No, never that. Each one was a distress call from the top Heroes already on the scene, the likes of Kamui Woods and Mt. Lady. I arrived at each attack with the knowledge that the Heroes on the scene had already been defeated, or were in an unmanageable situation, each one required my attention.” Aizawa sat silent for a minute before huffing out a sigh.

“That is a logical reason.” He muttered reluctantly.

“I will be here next time. The villain's trap was a success due to each incident involving Trigger, overwhelming the Heroes on scene, but Trigger is not so easily obtained; they will have to recuperate losses for a long time.” He buffed up, a declaration to his fellow staff as much as it was a promise to himself. “All Might will not be fooled again, this I swear on the blood of my students!”

 

Izuku wasn’t sure what was worse: having to remodel his entire closet, dealing with his new hair, or trying to find Ruka. Normally, that would be an easy answer; Ruka all the way, but now that none of his clothes were fitting him and his shampoo was running out at an alarming rate, he was going to have to make the dreaded choice. He stood outside the room, his hand shakily rising and pausing just before knocking. He knew what he had to do, but he didn’t know if he had the strength to do it. He steeled himself and knocked on the door.

“Midori? What’s going on?” Out walked Mina, her attire making it clear she had just woken up. Izuku spared an irritated glance at her scantily clad body and grunted.

“Put some clothes on, and I have a favour I need to ask.” She looked down at herself and rubbed the back of her head.

“Whoops! Gimme a minute!” She slammed the door in his face. Izuku stood there, stewing in his irritation and fear for at least five minutes before she opened the door again, this time dressed normally.

“Well, lay it on me!” She exclaimed cheerfully, leaning in close. “What can I do for the big, bad, Midoriya Izuku?” This was it, his last chance to back out!

“I need to go shopping and I need to style my hair.”

“...”
He had been prepared for anything, but Mina was a whole different beast; nothing could be prepared for her. He’d expected to spend maybe two hours max on his trip, so when he stumbled in nearly four hours later, there was little left in him but defeat. He made his way to his room, exhausted and hauling a closet’s worth of clothes, lamenting the death of his budget, when he saw her.

‘Looks like all three of my problems are getting solved today!’ Izuku cheered mentally. Ruka was making her way toward him, her eyes fixed directly on his. He waited until she was nearby and raised his hand casually.

“Yo, Princess!” She slowed and glared at him.

‘It’s just like day one, huh?’ A drop of sweat travelled down his forehead.

“I told you not to act so close to me. Don’t think us fighting together was anything other than convenient for me.” Izuku chuckled, heading for his door.

“Alright, alright, I hear you, Princess. I’ll stop acting like we’re buddy-buddy for now, but I’ll get through to you eventually.” He put his hand on the doorknob, but she grabbed his hand before he could open it.

“I came to say thank you.” Her tone hadn’t shifted at all, still the glacial bells that made his body ring. “For saving my life at the USJ.” Izuku sucked air between his teeth as her icy hand connected with his. He turned toward her, his body heating up slightly.

“I told you, didn’t I?” He murmured, eyes locked on her own mesmerizing pair. “I would burn the world to ash if you asked me to.” She scoffed and pulled away, walking briskly towards the elevator.

“I don’t need any platitudes from you, Midoriya.” She hissed, mist working its way through her teeth. “I just need to be Number One, and right now, you’re just another obstacle in my path.” He sighed, finally managing to enter his room, and flopped on his bed.

“How do I get her to give me a chance?” He wondered, his brain working overtime.

By the time classes rolled back around, Izuku was finally completely finished healing, his body had stopped the rebuilding process, and he was ready for more training, but there was a slight problem.

“Fuck!” He cursed, crushing his dumbbell handle for the hundredth time. His strength was completely out of his control after he finished healing! He groaned, tossing out the now destroyed weight, and decided to just go take a shower. Gingerly, he eased the door open and stepped in, making sure to take the lightest steps he could and grab everything as carefully as possible, but an involuntary slip and an instinctive clench later, he was holding an obliterated shampoo bottle.

“I just bought that one too.” He whined, covering his face in exasperation and irritation. “Enough is enough.” He decided. “I’ve got to talk to Aizawa-sensei about this; maybe he can give me some tips on how to get it together.” Unfortunately, Aizawa was probably still out of commission after the beating he’d taken, so he might have to ask someone else instead. He let out a sharp ‘tsk’ of annoyance. Aizawa would probably be the only teacher who’d let him train so suddenly without telling him to ‘take it easy’, or lecture him about how hard it must’ve been. He scowled at the thought of being coddled. He knew what he was getting into the moment he signed up to attend this school, and he wasn’t about to slow down just because of a stupid villain attack!

 

“Have you guys seen the news?!” Mina asked excitedly, hopping up and down in her seat.

“What about it?” Izuku responded, his body slumped onto his desk.

“We’re all they’re talking about, bro!” Kirishima cried out, just as excited as Mina. Izuku sat up, yawning.

“I mean, it makes sense, doesn’t it?” He mumbled, rubbing his eyes. “It wasn’t just a school that got attacked, it was THE Heroics school, and their first-years were attacked. Since we beat them back, the news is obviously going to be on the ‘brave and selfless first-years’.” Mina pouted, her exuberance dimming slightly.

“No need to get all excited about it, Midori.” She grumbled, crossing her arms and turning away.

“You’re right, there isn’t.” He agreed, before letting a grin spread across his face. “Because we’re gonna take down a lot more of them before the year is up, ain’t that right?” Mina and Kirishima lit up, cheering wildly.

“I’m gonna be the greatest!” He proclaimed, raising a fist to the sky. “One villain attack ain’t shit for the future Number One!”

“You’re so manly, Midoribro!” Kirishima wiped tears of joy from his face, a clenched fist by his side.

The door swinging open revealed Iida, newly grown engine pipes growing thicker and longer out of his calves.

“Everyone, please sit down and get ready for class!” He announced, sweeping his arms out toward them.

“You’re the only one standing, Iida,” Mina remarked, her eyes alight with mischief. “How could you be so uncouth, Vice-rep?!” Iida crumpled into his seat, holding his head in his hands like his whole world was just shattered.

“How could I have made such an unforgivable mistake?!” Uraraka pat his back sympathetically.

“I don’t think it was all that unforgivable, Iida.”

“Anyways, Tsuyu! I wonder who’ll be the homeroom teacher today?” Mina leaned back in her chair to talk to Tsuyu, Izuku watching with a slight chuckle as she almost fell back.

“I’m not sure, since Aizawa-sensei was hurt really bad.” Tsuyu responded, her tongue lolling out of her mouth.

The door swung open to reveal a mummy with incredibly familiar hair.

“Morning.” Aizawa’s unmistakable voice rang out.

“Aizawa-sensei, aren’t you back too soon?!” Half of the class chorused.

“He’s too much of a Pro!” Kaminari leaned back in his chair, shivering slightly. Iida raised his hand high.

“Aizawa-sensei, are you all right?”
“My well-being is none of your concern. More importantly, your battle isn’t over.” Izuku stiffened in his seat, images of Nomu and Shigaraki flashing through his head.

“More villains!?” Mineta cried out, clutching his head.

“The U.A. Sports Festival is coming up.”
“Finally, a normal school event!” Kirishima stood up and shouted, but Kaminari’s hand in his face cut off his cries.

“Wait, wait, wait, is it really a good idea to hold this festival so soon after we were attacked?” He asked anxiously. Jiro snorted from beside him.

“I didn’t think you would be the one to think that far ahead, charge-dolt.” Kaminari deflated in his seat, crushed.

“I don’t even short-circuit anymore!” He whined.

“Holding the festival will prove that U.A. is unaffected by the recent events.” Aizawa droned out, obviously tired of the discourse already. “More than that, it’s a very important chance for you guys to get out there and show your worth to Pros. There will be millions in attendance, from civilians to some of the top 10, and our security will be increased by five times this year. Let me be the one to assure you, nothing untoward will happen at the Sports Festival unless one of you causes it.” Some of the class relaxed, put at ease by their teacher's words, but Izuku wasn’t so sure.

‘Oh well.’ He shrugged mentally. ‘Even if more show up, I can get a good fight out of them!’

“The festival only happens once every three years, so this is the first of your three chances to attract top-level attention. Don’t waste it, and come to me or another teacher if you want extra practice. Class dismissed.”

“Midori, are you coming with us for lunch?” Mina asked, swinging her bag around her shoulder. Izuku shook his head, smiling sheepishly at his friends.

“Sorry, guys, I have something I need to ask Aizawa-sensei.” She blew him a raspberry and left with Kirishima and Kaminari, the trio saying something about music. Izuku packed up his bag and walked over to his teacher, the mummified man struggling with his sleeping bag.

“Aizawa-sensei.” He called out, standing in front of him.

“What is it, Midoriya? Can’t you see I’m not in any position to help you out right now?” He grumbled back. Izuku raised an eyebrow.

“If you weren’t in a condition to help, you shouldn’t have shown up to begin with. This is your own fault.” They stared each other down for a minute, or at least Izuku thought they did, but it was hard to tell over the tiny slit in his bandages. Eventually, Aizawa sighed and nodded.

“I’m not sure if you’re aware, but my body’s physical strength and composition have changed dramatically after the USJ,” Izuku explained. “I’m having trouble controlling the new strength. I keep crushing doorknobs and exploding shampoo bottles, or cracking the floor when I walk without meaning to. Do you think you can help me out?” Aizawa straightened up, intrigued.
“Is your body physically stronger, or is it that your energy is leaking out of you and causing you issues that way?” Izuku went to answer, obviously, it was the former, but paused, taking his time to think about it.

“I’m…not sure.” He said instead, his voice slow and measured. Aizawa gave him a scrutinizing look and sighed.

“For someone who shows such creative uses of your Quirk, you sure don’t show it sometimes. Whenever you use your compressed flames, your body is definitely being enhanced by your energy rushing into that spot; otherwise, you’d shatter your bones every time you use your ‘Ikkoku’ or ‘Shunpo’, whatever they’re called. You probably subconsciously reinforce your body when you do those attacks, and now your body is constantly strengthening itself without your direction. You need to figure out how to control your energy’s excessive circulation, or else you’ll keep destroying things.” Izuku’s eyes were wide with awe. He thought that he was pretty good at analysis, but here was his homeroom teacher absolutely demolishing his pride.

“Well, there’s an issue with that, too.” Aizawa mused, Izuku instantly focusing in.

“W-what do you mean?” He stuttered slightly, still in awe.

“Based on what you told Recovery Girl and what she told me, your Quirk allowed you to access a much larger amount of energy during the USJ.” Aizawa pointed to a water bottle with one of his wrapped-up hands. “Imagine your body is that water bottle. Before the USJ, you were able to hold and control the water inside without any issues, even to an impressive degree, but now that your Quirk’s energy pool has grown, you’ve had to become a bigger water bottle.” He gestured at Izuku’s changed body. “That’s the reason your body was forced to grow like it has. However, your body probably wasn’t able to change to a perfect vessel so quickly; it’ll need time to settle down and go back to normal, time you don’t have according to Recovery Girl’s estimates.”
“What does that mean?” He felt a bit like a broken record, but what else was there to say?

“Under normal conditions, I wouldn’t be allowing you to participate in the Sports Festival due to your lack of control.” He steamrolled over Izuku’s noise of protest. “However, since you are not at fault here, I will allow you to use a bit of a loophole.” He handed Izuku a messily-written note. “Take that to the support department after school, I’ll get everything else sorted for you.” Izuku looked at the note and froze.

“A power-dampening device?” He asked incredulously. “You’re asking me to participate with a handicap?”

“It’s either with the handicap, or not at all,” Aizawa responded coolly. “But I will give you an opportunity. Just once, throughout the entire festival, you can take off the device in order to survive, but the minute that round is over, you’re gonna have to put it back on.”
“What is this supposed to prove?” Izuku protested. “I could just train to gain control instead of doing something like this!” Aizawa shrugged, the movement looking painful in his body cast.

“If you think you can get your control to the level required in the next week, you’re welcome to try, but I will be testing you to make sure of it, and if you fail, that’s it. The power-dampening device is a one-time thing; if you decide to train for it, this chance goes out the window. What’s your choice?”
Izuku couldn’t answer, his tongue stiff with disbelief and anger.

Take the offer, Izuku. Ryujin spoke. I should’ve told you earlier, but the man is right, you will not be able to gain control until the energy settles down again.

He grit his teeth.

“Fine. I’ll take the stupid device.” He spat out, yanking the note from the desk. “But why can I only take it off once?”

“You need to learn restraint. In both the battle trials and the USJ incident, you rushed into a disadvantageous situation and got injured because of it. If you can only fight at full power once, then you can’t rush into things without thinking anymore.” Reluctantly, Izuku had to admit that it was a fair course of action. He had run in thoughtlessly in both of those incidents, but still, this was awful. How was he supposed to enjoy a fight where he couldn’t even try his hardest?!

“Now, you should go; it looks like you have a guest.” Perplexed, Izuku turned to the door.

“Young Midoriya! Would you like to have lunch with me?” All Might’s chiselled face poked just over the entrance of the door.

‘Is he an otome game character or something?!’

He nodded in agreement despite the ridiculousness of the situation and followed the goliath among men to the break room, missing the strange look a certain split-haired girl gave him as she spotted him walking. He deflated as soon as the door was shut, his clothes falling loosely against him, and coughed out a spray of blood.

“All Might! Are you okay?!” Izuku fretted, rushing over and trying to help him to a seat. Even after Izuku realized the man’s failures, he was still his idol, still the Symbol of Peace.

“Of course I am Young Midoriya!” Toshinori waved him off. “After all, I wasn’t the one to fight an anti-Symbol of Peace, now was I?” Izuku turned his head to the side slightly, embarrassed at his idol’s praise.

“Whatever, what did you call me here for?” He asked, his mind turning back to important things.

“About that,” Toshinori hesitated before letting out a deep breath. “I want you to inherit my Quirk.” Izuku froze.

“What?”

“I want you to be my successor. My Quirk is a…special case, even among the rarest ones out there.” Toshinori clenched his fist in front of his face. “It’s been passed down, generation to generation, as a crystallization of Heroic desire. I am the eighth user, and I’d like you to be the ninth, and act as the Symbol of Peace once I am dead and gone.” Izuku’s brain short-circuited, but his mouth moved on its own.

“I can’t do it, All Might.” Toshinori spat out what had to be a litre of blood in surprise.

“W-what? Why not?!” He sounded genuinely distressed. Luckily, Izuku’s mind started working again.

“I don’t want to be a Hero like you anymore.” The quiet admission hurt to say, especially to the man who had shaped so much of his life, but it had to happen.

“I-Young Midoriya, if this is about my no-show at the USJ, I promise-” Izuku was quick to deny that, waving his hands frantically.

“No, no! Not at all! It’s just, you’re the Symbol of Peace, that’s for sure, the greatest Hero to ever live, but…” He hesitated.
“But?” All Might probed gently.

“But you left so much in your shadow!” Izuku burst out, feelings he had long since buried coming to light. “When you brushed through society, you did it at a surface level; everything else got pushed underground. When villains see you in their area, they hide because they know you’re there, then they resurface, and the Heroes can’t handle it because your very presence makes them complacent. When Heroes get into trouble nowadays, they don’t think ‘How can I use my skills to find a way to fix this?’, They think ‘How can I get All Might over here to help me?’, don’t you see that when you’re on patrol?! On the day the USJ was attacked, you were called in for multiple villain attacks, each one too strong for the Hero on the scene to deal with, but they would’ve had to if you weren’t there! I’m not saying any of this is your fault; you did exactly what you set out to do, but you did it too well! Nobody can fill your shoes once you retire, not even someone you give your Quirk to, because you created this Hero society, it’s placed on your shoulders, you’re not just a pillar, you’re the only pillar!” Izuku panted, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he ran out of breath. “You left so much behind when you cleansed the streets, because now instead of people being paranoid of everyone, they’re only paranoid of people who look different. Heteromorphic Quirk users have been discriminated against since the dawn of Quirks, but now people have the luxury to hate only them, because they don’t look the same. People with blood or manipulation Quirks are discriminated against out of fear. People who are-who are Quirkless might as well be nothing. You didn’t cause this, but you didn’t speak out! For all the times you said anyone could be a Hero, another heteromorphic kid was being called a mutant, for all the time you said stop bullying, another vampire Quirk was being called a villain, and for all you said that everyone belongs, every Quirkless child in this world knows that isn’t true! I don’t want to be a Hero like you, All Might, I want to be a Hero for the people you’ve left behind!”

Toshinori looked stunned, his eyes opened wide, and his mouth hung open.

“I-I didn’t mean-” He stopped, looking genuinely distraught. Izuku felt a pang of guilt, but he knew it was the truth.

“I know you didn’t mean it,” Izuku said quietly, his anger spent. “I know you didn’t mean it, but you didn’t even try! You never talked about hatred of any kind against anyone in any of your press conferences, just ‘A Hero’s duty never stops!’ and whoosh, you were gone again. You were so focused on saving people from villains, you never stopped to consider saving the villains.”

“I see.” Toshinori managed to get out. He looked like everything he had ever believed was just shattered in front of him, and Izuku figured that was probably close to the truth. Toshinori sighed, steepling his fingers over his face.

“I’ve failed as the Symbol of Peace.” He said quietly, like it was a fact, but Izuku couldn’t let that be what he took away from this.

“No, you succeeded as the Symbol of Peace, you reshaped society, built the modern Hero system almost singlehandedly, cut down crime rates and put away the worst villains in history, but you aren’t a Symbol of Hope, not for the people who get pushed into your shadow. That’s why I can’t take your Quirk, why I can’t be your successor, because I want to light the way for the people in the darkness of society, to be the torch that paves their way.” Toshinori stayed silent for a few moments before chuckling slightly.

“When I received this Quirk from my master, I told her I wanted to build a world where everyone could smile in peace, where the cycle could end. I wanted to put on a display of power so great that no one would act out while I Was There.”
“You did, but hatred persists no matter the peace of the era. I don’t want to be kind, I want to burn down the status quo that you created, destroy what has been in place for so long. I will be a light for the people like me, the people who couldn’t even dream without being put down like a dog.”

Toshinori looked at Izuku, a serious glint in his eyes.

“Can you do it?” He asked quietly. “Can you save those who don’t want to be? Succeed where I, the one you proclaim to be the greatest Hero to ever live, failed?” Izuku grinned, full of confidence.

“Of course I can, old man! I’m gonna be the greatest there ever was, is, and will be!”

Toshinori nodded firmly and smiled, the grin looking grotesque and yet comforting on his skeletal face.

“Then I’ll train a symbol for the rest of the world to rely on, one who can support you and be supported by you!”

 

“Good work today, everybody!” All Might clapped his hands together in a show of support. “No fails in today’s rescue exercise, and you’ve all grown much stronger since the USJ! I can’t wait to watch you demolish the Sports Festival. I’ll be looking out for you!” With that, he leaped away in his usual fashion, a cloud of dust swirling around where he’d last stood. Izuku stretched his hands over his head, his body aching even more than usual with the effort he’d put in trying to hold back. He made his way to the changing room leisurely, mingling and chatting with Kirishima and Kaminari as they entered the rooms. He’d just taken his costume’s top off when he heard it, an infuriating, nasally voice shouting over the hubbub.

“So, who do you all think is the hottest girl in 1-A?” Mineta asked, standing on the bench like he was some sort of pioneer. “After all, there are so many babes in our class!” Mostly, everyone just groaned or shook their heads, used to Mineta’s antics by now, but the man just kept going. “If I had to rank them, I’d definitely put Yaoyorozu up top, her body is just perfect!”

“Mineta, this isn’t very manly of you!” Kirishima stood up in protest. “There’s no reason to comment on people’s bodies like that!”

“Agreed, Mineta!” Iida’s signature hand chops sliced through the air.

“You guys are just a buncha killjoys!” Mineta scoffed, turning to the other students. “What about you, Kaminari? Are you gonna be a pansy too?” Kaminari looked hesitant for a second before he sighed in exasperation.
“Look, Mineta, talking about pretty Pros is one thing, talking about our classmates like that is just a bit weird, you should cool it a bit.”

“Fine, I’ll just keep going with my list!” Izuku tuned him out, methodically folding his outfit and putting it back in his suitcase.

“Fifth place is Todoroki, for sure!” Izuku stiffened up, immediately, his anger reared up.

‘Fifth place?! Does this fucker have eyes or buttons?!’ Still, it was probably best to just leave before his rampaging emotions got the better of him. He reached out to close his locker door.

“She’d be higher up if she didn’t have that huge scar, but she has a surprisingly nice body!” He made groping motions into the air, leering into the distance. “I got a nice little squeeze in back at the USJ, and man, she’s got some melons on her!” Izuku crushed his locker, the metal making a horrific screeching sound. Everyone left in the rooms turned to face him in shock, but Izuku couldn’t care less anymore. He stomped towards Mineta, his anger forcing him to forgo his control; each step made a small crater in the floor until he was looming over the boy.

“You did what?” He seethed, allowing fire to hiss out of his mouth.

“M-Midoriya? It-it’s just normal guy stuff, right? Ahaha…” Mineta tried laughing it off, but Izuku didn’t feel like anything was all that funny. He grabbed Mineta’s shirt collar and lifted him handily off the ground.

“Let me get this straight.” Each word was spat out and followed by slowly growing tongues of fire. “You, while we were in a life-or-death situation, decided to grope one of our classmates, specifically the one who carried you through the flood zone and saved my life?” Mineta paled, as if realizing now that he’d done something wrong.

“Look, man, calm down, I was just tryna have some fun, you know?” Izuku growled; each attempt the man made to identify himself with Izuku made him want to throw up.

“No, I don’t know, because apparently, while you were groping your classmates, we were all fighting villains! And now that we’re safe, after me and Todoroki almost died fighting that thing, after she saved my life, you wanna brag about it?!” Izuku yanked him closer until his head was at Mineta’s ear. “If I catch wind of you doing some shit like this again, I’ll fucking kill you, and no one can trace ashes, you catch my drift?” Mineta nodded rapidly, but Izuku still just wanted to kill him, not like anyone would miss him, right?

Izuku. Ryujin said warningly. He sighed and let the boy go, collecting his things and leaving the room in complete silence. Control regained, he no longer made craters in the floors as he walked. He made his way past the girls’ changing room, still stewing in anger, and nearly collapsed as a pink blur rocketed into him, sending him stumbling backwards in an attempt to regain control of his body.

“What the-Mina?!” She looked up at him, eyes glinting with mischief and gratefulness.

“We heard you, Midori!” She sang softly.

“How did you, no, wait, dumb question. Jiro was listening in? Why?” Mina pouted a little bit, her fun apparently ruined.

“I was gonna hold that over your head, but whatever.” She groaned out. “We don’t know what that little freak Mineta is gonna do, so we just have Jiro listen in in case he decides to try anything. When he started talking about the hottest girls, she plugged her earjack into her phone to let us listen.” He dragged his palm down his face, exasperated.

“Of course she did.” He grumbled. “Who else was in there, and how much did you hear?”

“Every girl in the class, and just about all of it!” She giggled. Before he could ask her what ‘just about all of it’ entailed, the door swung open and out rushed Ruka. She was moving unusually fast, and Izuku swore he could see a slight tinge of red on her right side, but she was already gone before he could say anything.

“Don’t look so down, champ! You’ll get there eventually!” Mina nudged him with her elbow as Kirshima joined them.

The trio walked together back towards their homeroom, ready to listen to Aizawa’s usual breakdown of their Heroics exercise.

 

“Remember everyone, the Sports Festival tomorrow requires you to arrive at school 15 minutes early in order to get classes lined up properly for display. You aren’t allowed support items or wear your costumes unless you’ve received special permission. Aoyama, your request has been accepted. Class dismissed.” Midoriya was more than ready to go back to his dorm and just lie down for the rest of the day, but felt the note like a weight in his pocket.

“Midori, where are you going?” Mina asked, seeing him head out of the classroom faster than usual.

“Gotta head to the support department, Quirk thing.” He replied, opening the door and nearly ran into someone. He stepped back and looked over the heads of everyone who stood in his path.

“What’s with all of these people?!” Uraraka shouted, overwhelmed by the huge crowd.

“They’re inspecting us, since we’re the class who beat back the villains, you scum.” Bakugo stepped forward, slamming his shoulder into Izuku’s as he passed him. He sneered at the gathered crowd, his body exuding arrogance.

“Ain’t no point in doing all of this, you’re all gonna lose anyway. Get out of my way, extras.” He glared down at them, waiting for them to part for him.

“Man, this is really disillusioning.”

‘Aizawa-sensei?’ Izuku couldn’t help but think, the dead tone instantly reminding him of his teacher. A purple-haired boy made his way to the front, weaving through the crowd like it wasn’t there, until he was standing face to face with Izuku and Bakugo.

“I came here to see the illustrious class 1-A, but are you guys all like this? How arrogant.” He ignored the vehement disapproval of the students around Bakugo and looked around the inside of the class. “There are a lot of students in the gen-ed and other courses who couldn’t get past the Entrance Exam. Did you know the school offers them a second chance? If we perform well in the Sports Festival, we can get ‘promoted’ for lack of a better term. The reverse is also true; if you guys fail to meet expectations, you can get removed. I’m not sure about the other guys, but I’m here to declare war against you. If any of you slip, I’ll be there to stand in your place.” Izuku couldn’t take it anymore. He was already just so irritated, and now this fucker was standing in front of him, talking about some ‘declaring war’ bullshit?! He stepped forward until he was right in front of the boy, towering over him.

“I don’t care what you’re here for.” Izuku sneered. “All you’re saying is what my class already knows: be number one or be left behind.” Bakugo grunted in reluctant agreement from behind him, but Kaminari spoke up from behind him.

“Don’t antagonize the other classes! I don’t want more competition!”

“It doesn’t matter.” Bakugo and Izuku said at the same time, glaring at each other as they realized. Izuku turned aside, letting Bakugo take the lead this time.

“It doesn’t matter,” He repeated. “As long as you’re at the top, the opinions of the people below you don’t matter.” Bakugo shoved his way out of the crowd and made his way to the dorms, Izuku following before splitting off to head to the support wing. He pulled out the note and double-checked the room he was supposed to go to.

“242, huh?” He looked up, a drop of sweat forming on his neck as he looked at the huge steel door that had the number ‘242’ inscribed on it. “How the fuck am I supposed to get in here?” Luckily, it didn’t look like he had to figure it out, because the door exploded. He went flying, his body propelled backwards by the door and something…softer? He landed on the floor with an “oomph!” as the air left his body, and looked down, there was a girl with pink dreadlocks lying on his chest, coughing out smoke.

“Hey, are you okay?” He asked, standing up and setting her on her feet.

“I’m perfectly fine!” She declared, a bright smile spreading across her face. “Failure is the spring of innovation, after all!” She ran back into the room, a man with a yellow excavator helmet stepping out to replace her.

“You’re Power Loader!” Izuku realized, his Hero knowledge coming into play again.

“Yep, that’s me. What can I do for you?” The man responded wearily.

“My homeroom teacher, Aizawa-sensei, sent me here and told me to bring this to you, told me I needed it before the Sports Festival.” Izuku said, handing him the note. Power Loader studied the note for a moment before snapping his fingers.

“That’s right, the power dampener! Give me a minute to fetch it for you real quick, then you can get going.”

‘Was it that obvious?’ He wondered, waiting for the human excavator to return. When he did, Izuku thought Aizawa was playing a pretty cruel trick.
“An eyepatch?! Really?!” He asked incredulously, holding up the piece of fabric to the light. Power Loader nodded, equally as confused.

“I thought you had an eye injury, and that’s why he asked me to make it one of these, but it looks like you’re fine?”

“I am fine.” Izuku grumbled and then sighed in acceptance.

“Well, thanks for your hard work, I’ll…put it to good use.” He walked away, more than ready to just sleep until the Sports Festival, and this time, he got his wish, collapsing into his mattress and falling asleep instantly.

 

The next day was a blur of preparations and anticipation, but nothing had him more amped up than a phone call.

“I’ll be watching you, my little Hero! I’ll be recording in 4K, I promise!” His mom sobbed through the phone.

“I’ll do my best, Mom, I promise I’ll make you proud!” Izuku sobbed back.

After the phone call, he found himself in his gym costume, standing among his class as they chattered about the festival.

“I really wanted to wear my costume!” Mina groaned, picking at her gym clothes. Ojiro shrugged from beside her, stretching his tail out.

“We have to be fair to the other courses, after all.”

“Speaking of, Midoriya!” He turned to face Mina, who was looking at him curiously.

“What’s with that eye patch?” He nearly growled in annoyance, picking at the irritating fabric that covered his eye; he was just lucky it was see-through.

“Don’t even ask. Aizawa made me.” He groaned out.

“Is everyone ready?” Yaoyorozu asked, clapping her hands together from the front of the room.

“It’s almost time for us to go!” Iida finished, striking the air with his hand.

Izuku let out a deep breath tinged with fire, his anticipation rising in his chest as he prepared to fight for the world to watch.

“Midoriya.” A frozen song struck his ears, startling him. He turned to see Ruka looking at him apathetically.

“Yes, Todoroki?” It was still a struggle to say her name properly instead of the nickname he’d christened her with, but she had told him to act more polite.

“Objectively, I think I’m stronger than you.” Izuku felt a grin rise to his face in competition.

“Whatever you say, Todoroki.” He replied.

“But All Might has some sort of relationship with you.” She continued, ignoring his words. “I don’t care about the details, but I will defeat you here.” Izuku barked out a laugh, fire wisping around his shoulders at the declaration.

“I’m aiming for the top, Princess, so if you wanna beat me, you’ll have to get there first.” He couldn’t help it that time; the name just slipped out. She glared at him for it, mist flying from her mouth.

“That’s enough of that, right, guys?” Kirishima slipped between them, laughing awkwardly. “We’re all friends here, right?” Ruka grunted and turned away, walking towards the exit.

“I already told you, I’m here to be Number One, not make friends with you.”

With that, the group exited.

 

“Welcome, viewers! Are you all ready for the Sports Festival!? Let me hear you!” Present Mic’s voice boomed through the tunnels, each class ready for their cue. Izuku stood ready, tuning out the Voice Hero as he breathed in deep, feeling and stoking his Reiryoku.

“First, the class who’s already been put through the fire, and come out stronger than ever! Let’s all give a grand welcome to Hero Class 1-A!” He snapped his eyes open and marched out, following his class. He looked around in awe as he exited, hearing the roaring crowd reverberate through his bones and seeing the sea of people.

“Man, this is nerve-racking!” Kaminari’s voice was trembling. Kirishima jumped in from beside him.
“Seriously, it’s making me nervous! How about you, Midoribro?” Izuku savoured the attention, letting the crowd's cheers fill his body.

“I’m more excited than ever!”

“Next up, they haven’t been tested just yet, but they’re no less impressive, Hero Class 1-B!”

Izuku watched students pour out of the tunnels as Mic called them, the introductions getting less and less elaborate until he was just saying course names.

“And here’s our General Education Course, Classes C, D, and E! Followed by our Support Course, Classes F, G, and H! Coming in last is our Management Course, Classes I, J, and K! Please welcome our first-year students!” The crowd cheered wildly, but Izuku could see the dissatisfaction in the eyes of the Gen ed students.

“And now, please welcome our announcer for the night, the Beautiful Ms. Midnight!”

The crowd managed to cheer even louder than before; this time, the students joined in on the cheering for their beautiful teacher.

“Silence!” She said, snapping her whip. “It’s time for the student pledge! The first-year rep is: Class 1-A, Midoriya Izuku!” Izuku blinked in surprise, but managed to make his way to the stage.

“Makes sense, he was first place in the entrance exam.” Sero remarked, met with a scoff from a gen ed girl.

“Only in the Hero Course.”

“Oh… yeah.” Sero replied awkwardly. That was the last Izuku heard of his class before he was out of hearing range, climbing the stairs towards the mic.

“I pledge…to have a lot of fun beating each of you down.” He grinned at the outcry of hate he received from the crowd. “If you have a problem with that, then you can come and try to beat me at any point, just give me a good fight, will you?” He sauntered down the stairs, basking in the glares he was receiving.

“Midoribro, why did you say that?!” Kirishima grabbed his shoulder, tears running down his face.

“Now everyone’s gonna be targeting us!” Kaminari gripped onto his other arm, crying just as much.

“Didn’t I tell you guys? I love fighting, the more people who come and try to beat me, the better!” He laughed at the looks they gave him, feeling his competitive nature rear up. “I want a good, hard fight, and getting people angry gets them to fight me harder, so I figured I’d irritate them all!” Midnight snapped her whip again, shutting everyone up.

“Let's get started right away with the first event! This is the event where most of you will be disqualified, so let’s hope it’s good! Spin the wheel!” A screen appeared behind her, a wheel spinning rapidly. “This year, it’s going to be the…” She stretched out her words as the wheel slowed and then stopped. “Obstacle race! Contestants will line up and go on a four-kilometre race around the stadium, but beware of the obstacles in your path! Freedom is U.A.’s motto, so as long as you stay on the course, do whatever you want!” Izuku laughed again, even louder this time, ignoring the hateful looks he was receiving.

‘An obstacle race, it’s like they made this for me!’ He grinned, lining up at the back of the group.

“Are you already giving up, Hero course?” A support student sneered at him as he walked past him, metallic boots clanking. Izuku grinned at him and ran his tongue over his teeth.

“Just watch me.” His voice dropped low as he focused, concentrating fire into his heels.

“In 3, 2, 1, Begin!” He released the fire and blasted through the crowd, laughing in the distorted wind as he flew over the huge bottleneck of students.

“I said I was going to have fun winning, didn’t I!?” He howled at the top of his lungs, constantly pushing his Reiryoku into his feet. The increased control he had received after unlocking Ryujin had been a godsend; he was now able to use Shunpo consecutively.

“What’s this!?” Present Mic screamed over the speakers. “Class 1-A’s Midoriya Izuku is flashing through the course, it’s like he can teleport!”

“Midoriya Izuku has the perfect move for this course.” A familiar tired voice rang out over the intercom. “He calls it ‘shunpo’, and it allows him to move at extreme speeds over short distances. Though it looks like he’s increased his control over it since the USJ.”

“Whatever he calls it, or however he’s done it, Midoriya Izuku is already at the second obstacle; he was too fast for the first to even activate! This feels unfair!”

“It was a perfectly logical and reasonable way for him to use his powers; his competitors should do better.”

“So cold!”

Izuku slowed for a second as he approached a chasm, far above his classmates. A cold wind blowing from behind him made him think it wouldn’t stay that way for long, however, so he’d better keep it up! He observed the obstacle in front of him, a deep pit with small pillars spaced throughout it.

“Midoriya Izuku is at ‘The Fall’! How will he get past this?”

Izuku concentrated even more fire into his heels, building it up until it was just below what Ikkoku would do, and released it, the concussive force sending him flying over the entire pit in one fell swoop.

“Oh my goodness! Just how did he do it? Midoriya Izuku is already past The Fall, and he’s speeding towards obstacle three!”

He laughed viciously in the air, revelling in the feeling of his strength being proven, and landed with his jets already turned on, continuing to flash over the ground. He grinned as he approached the third obstacle, and his grin turned downright ferocious as he saw the giant signs on either side of the otherwise plain field.

“How will Midoriya deal with our competition-friendly and completely safe mines?!” Present Mic screeched over the intercom.

“Wait, why isn’t he slowing down?”

Izuku rocketed over the field, the explosions tickling his back as he sped past them before they could fully impact him. He kept going, faster and faster, pushing his control and his energy output to their absolute limit with the eyepatch on, until he saw a huge tunnel, a white ribbon across it. He waited until he was just behind it and inhaled his fire, coming to a stop before slowly walking over the line and breaking the ribbon to raucous cheers from the crowd.

“The winner of our first event, with no trouble at all, is Midoriya Izuku!”

Notes:

Honestly, this is mostly filler, but I'm really just trying to get past the first two events as quickly as possible, and shunpo makes the first event ridiculously easy for Izuku, and I'm not about to nerf him.
Let me know what you think!

Chapter 10: A Hero's Burning Sports Festival!

Summary:

The first round of the sports festival is over, but what'll happen in the next two?!

Notes:

Absolutely way too long of a chapter, a whopping 15k words, I hope you enjoy the fight we were all looking forward too!

Izuku spread his arms wide in front of the crowd, tilted his head back and closed his eyes, bathing in the adoration of the crowd.
“He said he’d beat them all down, and so far he’s living up to it! An unmatched performance by our first-year rep!” Present Mic hyped him up even more over the intercom. Izuku opened his eyes and looked towards the announcer's booth, locking eyes with Aizawa.

He grinned and pointed at his eyepatch before throwing his finger into the sky to an even bigger pop from the audience.

“Midoriya Izuku is the man to watch in this competition so far, but let’s not forget about our other competitors! Racing towards the third obstacle, Todoroki Ruka and Bakugo Katsuki are neck and neck!” Izuku turned towards the tunnel, watching eagerly to see who would take second.

“What a maneuver by Todoroki Ruka! She freezes the minefield over and skates her way to second overall!” Izuku grinned, overjoyed to see his self-declared rival glide her way into second place. He marched his way over to her, waiting for her to straighten up.

“What happened to being objectively stronger?” He taunted, grin widening as she scowled, before dropping completely into a frown. “You have another side of your Quirk, a fire half.” She startled slightly before glaring up at him.

“That’s none of your business.” She growled and marched away. Izuku watched her leave, irritated and curious. Why was she holding back? More and more finalists trickled in, every 1-A student managing to cross the line.

“And, in 42nd place, we have Mineta Minoru!” Izuku scowled, watching the purple pervert crawl his way over the finish line, his body bruised and battered. 

Midnight sauntered onto the podium, catching everyone's eyes as she strutted her way above them.

“The 42 of you have made it through the preliminary!” She cheered, raising her whip high into the air. “As for the ones who didn’t make it this time, don’t worry, there will still be chances to shine! Now, it’s time for the real game to begin!” She flourished her whip to her side, the same blue screen appearing beside her and spinning rapidly.
“That’s because it’s time for the Cavalry Battle!” She declared, licking her lips in excitement.

“A cavalry battle?! I’m terrible at those!” Kaminari bemoaned, yanking at his hair.

“The rules are simple! Each student must get into a group of 2-4 people, and will be assigned a point value based on their placement in the obstacle course! Your combined points will be placed on a headband, which your rider will wear, and if that rider loses the headband, say goodbye to your points! However, if you do lose them, keep fighting! All teams can stay on the field as long as the rider doesn’t touch the ground! Assigned points start at five for 42nd place, 10 for 41st, and so on, except!” She snapped her whip and pushed her glasses over her eyes. “For 1st place! Midoriya Izuku, your assigned points are 10 million!” Izuku felt the gazes of all the students surrounding him lock onto him, greed shining in their eyes.

‘10 million, huh.’ He thought, a slight haze of heat starting to surround him. ‘That means everyone’s gonna be coming after me!’ He grinned, the heat around him intensifying, and swept his eyes over the crowd.

“I already told you to bring your best, didn’t I?” He taunted. “Don’t go acting like this is much better motivation than me!”

“That’s right!” Midnight shouted, apparently not hearing his words. “This is a simulation of the Pro Hero life, where everyone wants to be Number One! You have 15 minutes to negotiate your teams, starting now!”

The crowd immediately made distance from Izuku, sending glances his way as they planned with each other. ‘I do need at least one teammate, I guess.’ Izuku sighed mentally, glancing around him and catching sight of a familiar redhead.

“Kirishima, how about it?” The man winced, rubbing his neck sheepishly.

“I normally would, Midoriya, but this is my chance to show off, and that means beating Number One, not joining him!” Izuku nodded in acceptance, waving off his apologies, and continued walking around bored, waiting for just about anyone to approach him.

“Midoriya!” Uraraka ran over to him, her face determined. “It’s finally my chance to pay you back for the entrance exam!” Izuku blinked, before a smile dashed across his face.
“Great! Now we just need two more teammates!”

“I’m pretty sure basically everyone from our class is taken, so how about-”

“Ten Million!” The girl from the support room dashed towards him, her eyes sparkling. “My name is Hatsume Mei! Let me be on your team!”

“...What?” Izuku replied, dumbfounded.

“What!?” Uraraka was a bit more animated than he was.

“Everyone’s eyes are going to be on you, which means you’re the perfect person to advertise my babies!” Her words didn’t help to reduce any of his confusion.
“Your babies?!” He asked again, even more lost this time.

“Yes, my babies! Like this backpack and my hover boots! Keep up!” She motioned to her back and feet, each covered in mechanical gear that she must have built herself, an unwavering smile stretched across her face.

“Oh, you mean your inventions!” He smacked his fist into his palm. “I wouldn’t mind, Hatsume, but how fireproof are they? I tend to run a little hot, you see?”

“There’s no issue with that! I tested them thoroughly!” She really couldn’t stop shouting.

“That’s fine and all, but my plan is, in all honesty, probably not going to show off your inventions much, unless you have a way to make this work.” He told her his plan, watching her smile fade slightly as she considered the logistics of it.

“You’re right, you aren’t who I’m looking for! But every other team is already full, so I guess I’m stuck with you!” Her smile really contradicted her words, Izuku thought, already exasperated by this girl.

“Man, she’s super blunt! She’s like Tsuyu!” Uraraka muttered to herself, looking at the girl in amazement.

“Now, we just need one more, as you guys know, anyone can do, they just need to join us!”

“How about him?” Uraraka pointed at a classmate of theirs who was lurking in the shadows. Izuku shrugged.

“He’ll do good enough, I guess?”

“Is everyone ready?” Midnight called out, her hand raised into the air. 

“Hatsume, we good?” Hatsume, seated on his shoulders, raised her thumb high into the air.

“Everything’s ready, Ten Million!”

“I already told you it was Midoriya!” He grumbled, stepping backwards slightly until he was inches from the stadium wall. “What about you, Uraraka?”

“I’m perfectly fine!” The girl shot him a thumbs-up. He nodded approvingly before turning to their final team member.

“Tokoyami, how are you feeling?” The man with a bird’s head sighed grimly.

“I will strive to live up to your expectations, my friend.” A shadowy figure burst out of his cloak.

“He means he’s good to go!” Dark Shadow exclaimed, throwing its fist in the air.

“Alright then! Let’s do this!” Izuku grinned.

“Then, start!”

Immediately, everyone rushed towards Izuku, and immediately, he summoned Ryujin and unsheathed him, his rider jumping off of him, and her boots lifting her into the sky as Izuku heated up in a split second.

“Jokaku Enjo!” He shouted, fire immediately bursting from his sword and surrounding him and his partner, a huge dome of flames bursting into existence around him. Hatsume hovered slightly above his head, her boots sputtering slightly before the cooling system kicked in.

“Man, this is gonna be so boring!” She whined, floating around him. Izuku shrugged, ignoring the effort it took to maintain the dense heat surrounding them.
“You should get your cooling gear ready; fifteen minutes is a long time in a dome like this.” Izuku advised, plopping onto the ground as his rider hovered away. 

“Midoriya? Don’t we need to stay together as a horse or something!?” Uraraka squeaked, knocked off balance by his sudden fall.

“Nah, it’s fine. She just said the rider couldn’t hit the ground, nothing about the horse sitting down.” He waved her off. Tokoyami dropped next to him, sitting in a meditative pose and chanting something under his breath. Izuku sweatdropped, his team was really full of some characters, huh? He gazed at the oppressive flames around him, burning merrily and high above the ground, and his mind wandered, remembering how he had come up with the idea for this move.

‘The USJ was terrible, but it gave me a good new ability!’ He recalled the blaze that had covered him and Ruka when he called out Ryujin’s name, the shield of fire that even Nomu couldn’t get through. ‘It’s not as strong as back then, but it should be good enough for now!’

“What’s this!? Midoriya Izuku has completely hidden his team away in a shield of fire! Is this legal?!”

“It’s the logical thing to do. With this, he can fight to his fullest in the third round, and he won’t have to worry about anyone stealing his points; it’s almost a guaranteed pass.”

Izuku scowled as Present Mic called him out on his hiding.

“It’s not like I like it either!” He grumbled angrily, standing up and kicking rocks around aimlessly. “I don’t even like team battles to begin with! This shit was annoying from the start, I’m just tryna end it so I can get into the more fun stuff quicker!” Tokoyami cracked an eye open and observed for a second before going back to his meditation.

“Talking to yourself is a sign of mental instability, Ten Million!” Hatsume called, still floating away in the sky above him. “You should get that checked out!” Izuku scowled up at her as Uraraka giggled from where she was now floating alongside her, the girls apparently striking up a conversation. Time continued to pass, announcements from Present Mic and Midnight the only connection he had to whatever was going on outside of his self-created Hell.

“And Bakugo Katsuki has his points stolen by Team Monoma from 1-B, how embarrassing!” He perked up at the words. ‘Bakugo lost his headband? Feels bad for whoever took it from him, they might as well be dead.’ He frowned slightly, there was no love lost between him and Bakugo, but even he could see the pure combat ability the blonde exuded in spades. The man was more than talented. Sure enough, within a minute, Present Mic screamed out another update.

“Team Monoma has been taken out by Bakugo Katsuki, the one-man demolition crew himself! Five minutes left, everyone, make sure that every second counts!” Izuku flopped onto his back, crossing his legs and staring up at the ceiling of fire.

“I wanna fight, I wanna fight, I wanna fight!” He chanted, the mantra only increasing his boredom. “Goddamn it, can’t someone just break through already!” Like on cue, a giant iceberg speared through the wall of fire. Izuku grinned widely. That could only be one person!

“Hatsume, float as high as you can! The rest of you, stay out of my way!” He shouted, drawing Ryujin from his sheath once again. “I’m gonna take care of our guests here.”

“Aye-aye, captain!” Hatsume responded, flying higher until she was just slightly under his fire.

“You got it!” Uraraka giggled, twisting merrily in the sky. Tokoyami didn’t even bother responding, just hummed gloomily.

“I’m going to take those 10 million points from you, Midoriya.” Ruka’s team marched through the opening created by her slowly melting glacier.

‘Iida, Kaminari and Yaoyorozu, huh?’ He took in the team composition idly, his mind focused on the upcoming fight. ‘Doesn’t matter, I’ll crush 'em anyway!’ Ruka launched another iceberg at his head, but Izuku just laughed.

“Can’t get me with something that easy, Todoroki!” He jeered, slicing through the attack with ease.

“I know.” She responded, a thick white sheet originating from Yaoyorozu covering her team, except for Kaminari. Izuku’s senses exploded in alarm, his mind telling him something big was about to happen.

“Indiscriminate shock, 2.5 million volts!” The blonde screamed, electricity jumping off of his body in a huge wave, rushing towards Izuku at a speed he couldn’t dodge. He grunted, feeling his muscles seize and stiffen up as the electricity hit him. He stumbled, almost fell, and caught himself, slamming his leg into the ground. He panted heavily, his body forced into a hunch from the sudden attack.

“Midoriya!” Uraraka shouted, dropping her Quirk and trying to get to him. He forced his hand up, telling her to stay away. He didn’t need help for this, not against someone who wasn’t even completely trying!

“You let your guard down, Midoriya. I would normally try to beat you fairly, but you didn’t exactly give me a chance by hiding away like this.” Todoroki’s normally emotionless voice contained a trace of mocking, and Izuku couldn’t accept that.

He screamed out, plunging Ryujin into the ground and letting the current flow from his body into the earth, shooting up and forwards with a quick application of Shunpo.

“I told you, it wouldn’t be that easy, didn’t I?” He growled, appearing beside her team, his sword already mid swing. “Don’t underestimate me like that, Princess!” He spat out the nickname, feeling his ire at the woman who was normally the apple of his eye. His sword connected, the broad side slamming deep into Yaoyorozu’s ribs, the woman letting out a deep sigh as the air was forced out of her lungs, her eyes going wide. He took advantage of her slight stumble and jumped, clearing the lower part of Ruka’s horse, stretching his hand out.

“I didn’t want to get you out like this,” He hissed, his voice a twisted imitation of her earlier tone. Ruka’s eyes widened, and a slight wisp of fire broke out of her left arm. Izuku grinned for a minute, but she immediately extinguished it, looking at her arm like it was her biggest betrayer. Izuku’s scowl and his ire returned. “But you let your guard down!” He reached out and grabbed…nothing? He blinked, looking around wildly, just to see the team suddenly halfway across the arena, Iida’s engine pipes sputtering out smoke. ‘Should I go after them?’ He considered, his hand twitching at the loss of his fight, but he decided against it. He turned around to see Hatsume falling to the ground. He gaped, surprise overtaking his body for a minute before he rushed forward.

‘I’m not gonna make it!’ He cursed, his arms outstretched as he dove to catch his teammate. ‘Please…!’

“And that is time!” Midnight’s voice rang out just as Hatsume collided with Dark Shadow’s claw, Izuku’s face sliding across the floor as he dove past her.

“One must always keep their guard up, Midoriya.” Tokoyami intoned, standing slowly. “I shudder to think what might have occurred had I not been here.” Izuku sat up, spitting dirt and grass out of his mouth, and glared at Hatsume, who was currently giggling in Dark Shadow’s palm like nothing had happened.

“You feel much more solid than you look!” She told the Quirk.

“Why’d you gear malfunction, Hatsume?” Izuku marched over to her, already angry enough.

“Probably the extreme temperature change!” She shrugged, hopping off of Dark Shadow’s claw. “Nice working with you, Ten Million! I’d like to never do it again!”

“In first place, our unbeatable representative, Team Midoriya!” Izuku growled as his team celebrated around him. The cheers of the crowd calmed him down a bit, but still, what a terrible round!

“In second place, Team Bakugo!” Izuku looked over, anticipating a meltdown of nuclear proportions, but was left disappointed when Bakugo just scoffed and turned away from his team’s celebrations.

“In third place, Team Todoroki!” Izuku didn’t even bother peeking this time; he already knew he was gonna be disappointed. He growled in frustration. What was the point of a fight if it was all half-assed?!

“And, in fourth place, Team Tetsu-No! Team Shinso! When did you guys catch up!?”

‘The gen-ed kid?’ Izuku recognized the purple hair and the eye bags. ‘Maybe he’s better than I gave him credit for, has to be to make it this far!’ He yawned, feeling the backlash of keeping his fire going for that long hit him in the form of a huge hunger, but before he could make his way to the food court, an icy hand grabbed his forearm. He turned to see Ruka, and he couldn’t stop a sneer from forming on his face, the touch of the icy girl for once not enough to calm him down.

“What do you want?” He growled, wrenching his arm away. She raised an eyebrow at his unusual vehemence, but that was her only reaction.

“Follow me.” She demanded, and hating himself for every step he took, he followed her down into the competitor tunnels, glaring at the walls like they were the reason he was listening to the woman who had done so much to disrespect him.

“What is it?” He asked roughly, watching her turn around once they’d passed the entrance. She stared at him silently, refusing to answer and agitating him further. “Spit it out already! I’ve gotta get ready to try my best in the finals.”

“You overwhelmed me in the Cavalry Battle, to the point where I broke my promise.” Her voice was flat, but there was a slight edge of…something in it. He barked out a laugh.

“Yeah, that’s what I promised after all, to give it my all.” She ignored his rebuttal, staring at her left arm. He noticed, for the first time, the long, jagged lines that ran down her forearm, a remnant of Nomu's strength, as well as the slight crookedness on the right side of it. He pushed aside the following pang of guilt and empathy; someone like her, someone who could crush his joy like she had, she didn’t deserve that!

“Those attacks of yours, the waves of fire that erupt from you, the way they overwhelmed me, they’re all familiar to me. People like Yaoyorozu, Iida, Kaminari, and the girl on your team, they couldn’t feel it; I was the only one who was overpowered. Only I, who has seen my father’s full power, has felt the power of his flames firsthand.”
“What’s that gotta do with me?” He sneered, but inwardly he was more than a little concerned about her last comment. What did she mean by ‘feeling’ Endeavor’s flames?

“You have a similar power, a similar oppressive heat. What I’m asking here is simple: are you my father’s secret love child or something?”

‘...WHAT?!’ Izuku’s brain stuttered to a stop, the sheer absurdity of the question freezing his mind.

“W-where the fuck did that idea come from?!” He asked incredulously. She looked at him like he was stupid.

“There aren’t many fire Quirks in the world as strong as my father’s, and certainly none who hold the last name ‘Midoriya’; it’s a logical conclusion.”
“No, it’s not! My father is a worker for a steel company in the USA, not-not some Hero!” He was getting angrier, he could tell, but there was nothing he could do to slow down now. “Why the hell would you ask about something like that?!” She regarded him coolly for a moment, her eyes calculating, before closing them and sighing.

“My father is a very ambitious man, always striving, Endeavoring to be the best. He made a name for himself using exceptional and controlled power, honed to his utmost limit. However, when a man who wielded and handled power stronger than that of any mortal, the living deity All Might, appeared and became the unshakable Number One, he had a realization, that he couldn’t beat All Might himself, no matter what he did.”
“What is this heading towards, Todoroki?” Izuku groaned. He was sure this was going to be some interesting story, but there wasn’t much the daughter of the Number Two would do to make him feel bad for her. “Hurry up and tell me what you want to say!”

“Have you ever heard of Quirk Marriages?” And just like that, Izuku knew he was wrong, that there was something that could make him fold for her all over again.

“My father bought my mother, who had an ice Quirk, and forced her to have children, over and over again, until the perfect result came out.” She lifted her slightly shaking hand and pointed at her hair. “Half Ice and Half Fire, able to moderate both temperatures perfectly, the perfect tool to become Number One.” She lowered her hand until it was in front of her face, glaring at it like it was her father. “In all the memories I have of my mother, there isn’t a single one where she isn’t crying.” She let out a bitter laugh. “Can you believe that? Six years of her being my mother, and all I can remember is how she looked when she cried, and how she looked when she poured boiling water all over the left side of my face. ‘Your left side is unsightly.’ That’s what she said as she did it, as she disfigured me for life and made my face look like a leather purse! My father pushed her to the breaking point again and again until she snapped and took it out on me, and I’ll never forgive him for that. I’ll never be a tool for him to use, never be his legacy, and I will never, ever, use his Quirk to be a Hero! I’ll be number one with only my ice, my mother’s ice, and I’ll never even mention him again. He will be the forever Number Two, both now and in whatever memory of him remains in the future, I’ll make sure of it!”

“So what?” Izuku felt like his tongue was ten times larger than normal; it was clogging up his throat, making it hard to breathe, but he needed to say this, needed to get her angry enough at him, for her own good. “Daddy’s a little mean, boohoo!” She looked shocked, almost hurt for a second before it faded and was replaced by hatred.
“How dare you-!”
“I dare because you’ll get someone killed!” It felt like deja vu, having this horrible conversation with someone else. “When a civilian needs help, when lives are on the line and your ice isn’t enough, will you let them die, Todoroki?” He was pleading for her to think more about it, to face what could happen. “Will you watch a family die, watch children die, just to spite your father? Do you think your mother is happy, watching her daughter harm herself over and over?” She hesitated for a moment, and her eyes froze over. Izuku felt his heart sink because he knew her answer just from her gaze.

“My ice will be enough.” She spoke quietly, shouldering past him. “I’ll show you that it will be, and you’ll regret going against me.” He watched her leave. There was nothing else he could do anymore.

You know what we’re going to have to do, right, Izuku? Ryujin spoke softly inside his mind.

“I’ll beat her fire out of her if I have to, Ryujin,” Izuku said quietly, his thoughts still jumbled into a knotted mess. “But oh, how I wish I didn’t have to.” He ambled off, unaware of the blonde man hiding just a foot away behind a pillar, eyes wide at what he’d heard.

 

“Alright, everybody, are we ready for the final round!” Izuku stood in the crowd of students in front of Midnight, his mind far away. “This year, we’ll be having a One-on-One tournament between the students from the top four winning teams! Let me hear you get excited!”

The crowd roared in response, screaming their hearts out at the display that was about to get put on. “Then, I’ll turn it over to Miss. Midnight to explain the rules!” The aforementioned Heroine snapped her whip and looked over the crowd sternly.

“What rules!? It’s a slugfest until one person gives up, is tossed out of bounds, or I decide they can’t fight! Everything else is fair game!” She cheered, throwing her stern countenance away. “The fights will be determined through lots, each fight will be randomly picked until we have a winner! Are you all ready!” The students started cheering, but it was cut off by Ojiro raising his hand hesitantly.
“I’d like to withdraw.” He said slowly, but firmly. Everyone near him erupted in shock. Kirishima grabbed his shoulder.

“Why are you withdrawing? This is our chance for the world to see what we can do!” He shook the tailed boy's shoulders.

“I don’t remember anything from the last round; it just doesn’t feel right knowing that I got carried here through no merit of my own! I can’t accept it!” 

A short and stout blue-haired boy stepped forward as well, glaring at his fist.

“I’d like to withdraw for the same reason, please. It just doesn’t feel right going forward knowing some of my class fought so hard to advance!”

Midnight looked at the boys thoughtfully before smiling.

“That sort of youthful determination turns me on! I accept it!” A deep silence spread through the crowd at her words.

‘Did she just say the 17-year-olds turn her on?!’

“Well, then, we know who should move up, right?” Izuku’s head snapped up at a familiar voice.

“Itsuka!” He shouted out, rushing over to the orange-haired girl.

“Izuku!” She shouted back, running at him. Izuku prepared himself for a tackle, but was instead greeted by a judo throw over her shoulder.

“You fucking jerk! You didn't say hi to me at all?!” The girl glared down at him angrily. “I was waiting for some sort of acknowledgement, but suddenly you’re just too good for me, is that it?!”

“No, no, Itsuka, you’ve got it all wrong!” Izuku waved his hands frantically from the floor. “I just had a lot of stuff happen, and it didn’t even cross my mind to check up on you after I left!” She grunted, still unhappy, but pulled him to his feet.

“I’m gonna kick your ass after this, you hear me?! Then, I can finally get Gramps to stop teasing me about losing to you!” Izuku laughed heartily, feeling his anger flood out of his body as he reconnected with his friend.

“Same old Renji-sensei, huh?!” He asked, wiping a tear from his eye. “Man, I missed you guys while I was at Urahara’s shop!” Midnight cleared her throat before Itsuka could answer, reminding the duo that they were, in fact, in front of an international audience.

“If you two are done?” She glared at the now stock-still pair. “Good, as I was saying, since two students have withdrawn, we need two more students!” Itsuka stepped forward, bold as always.

“Team Tetsutetsu had the highest points out of our class from the start, before losing them right in the end. They deserve the chance to move on instead of us, who never even entered the leaderboard.” Two girls standing next to her, one with green and one with grey hair, both nodded in agreement. ‘Probably her teammates’ His brain supplied.

“Kendo, are-are you sure?!” A silver-haired man with huge eyelashes ran over to her, tears welling up in his eyes.

“Yeah, Itsuka, this is a big chance, do you wanna give it up just like that?” Izuku asked, turning towards his friend.

“Yeah, that’s just how it should’ve been.” Itsuka shrugged.

“You guys-!” Tetsutetsu cried out, tears jetting from his eyes like fountains. “You’re all so manly!” Izuku nearly collapsed in disbelief.

“You guys have one too?!” He cried out, twisting to face Itsuka, who looked at him like he was crazy.

“What does that mean?”

“That’s so manly!” Kirishima sobbed out from beside Bakugo, and didn’t it hurt to see his first U.A. friend next to his bully. ‘Still, I’m not one to dictate things like that.’ Izuku reasoned, trying to push his hurt aside. ‘If he wants to hang out with him, he can do that.’

“Ah, so that’s what you meant.” Itsuka said, her tone static. Izuku nodded solemnly, the pair watching their respective manly men cry their hearts out.

“Enough about that, let’s go get lunch and catch up!” He snapped out of his daze and grabbed his friend's wrist, dragging her to the cafeteria as she laughed.

“Alright, alright, calm down, Izuku!” The happily laughing partners missed Ruka watching them in shock, her hands clenched into fists by her side.

‘Why do I feel like this?’ She thought, gripping her chest. ‘He doesn’t mean anything to me, he’s just another step on the road! But why does it hurt seeing him laugh with her like that!?’ She glared at the retreating greenette, her face freezing over. ‘It doesn’t matter. I have to win!’

 

“Alright, it’s time for the first match of the day! Midoriya Izuku, Shinso Hitoshi, come on down to the arena!”

“Midoriya has been our first-place rep so far, taking gold in both the first and second events, but can his fire burn out our dark horse from the gen-ed course, Shinso Hitoshi? Let’s find out!”

Izuku warmed up a little, hopping up and down and pumping his arms to the side, before cracking his neck and making his way towards the arena to the strident crowd. Emerging from a tunnel on the other end was the purple-haired boy he’d snarked at when he’d approached his class. ‘Fuck, that’s embarrassing!’ Izuku thought in his head. The man had come up and told them straight up that he’d be coming for them, exactly the kind of thing Izuku appreciated, and he’d repaid him by yelling at him! ‘I’ll apologize before the match starts.’ He decided, stepping into the ring.

“Hey, Shinso, right?” He called over. The man’s eyes widened as Izuku addressed him, either surprised or happy.

“Yeah, that’s me.” He replied, his tone still similar to Aizawa’s.

“Hey, I just wanted to say sorry for yelling at you back in front of my class. I’d been having a pretty shitty day before that, and then you showed up while I was tryna get this bad boy.” He pointed to his eyepatch. “I’m not tryna excuse myself or anything, but I did want to apologize at the least. Your whole ‘declaring war’ thing was just the thing I normally appreciate!”

Shinso’s eyes got progressively wider and wider as Izuku spoke, until he was damn near popping them out of his skull.

“Yeah, uh, yeah. That’s uh, that’s cool, man. No problems.” He coughed out, regaining his composure. “Thanks for the apology, you’re a pretty chill dude.” Izuku gave him a thumbs up, and Midnight snapped her whip between them.

“Are both fighters ready?” Midnight called out.

“Yes/yep.” The two responded, locking eyes.

“Then, let the fight begin!” Izuku tensed his legs, preparing to launch forward.

“Let’s have a good fight, yeah?” He smiled, baring his teeth to the competition.

“Yeah!” And he was looking at his mindscape.

“Huh?” He looked around frantically. “How the hell did I get here?!” He thought about it for a moment before shrugging.

“If I’m in here, I must be unconscious, I gotta get out of here before the match gets called!”

He sprinted down the hallway, running past the lines of fire and light that led him forward, and entered the soul chamber.

Izuku! Hurry up, jump into the fire, you’re about to lose! Ryujin’s voice rang out, and Izuku wasted no time, not even responding before diving into the bonfire in his mind.

His eyes snapped open, and he took a deep breath, his surroundings returning to the crowd of spectators. He looked down and saw his foot inches away from the line, and immediately jumped backwards.

“And Midoriya snaps out of whatever trance he was in! How did he do that!?”

“How-how did you get out of that?!” Shinso looked at him, shaken. “That’s impossible!”

Izuku stayed silent, running through earlier events in his head. ‘Something must have taken control of me, and from the way he looks, it was Shinso, not a villain. But what was the trigger?’ He stayed silent, glaring down at the purple-haired man, until a thought struck his brain. ‘The last thing I remember doing is talking to him; his power must trigger when someone responds!’ He grinned again, mimicking a zipper across his lips to taunt his opponent.

“Midoriya’s Quirk is semi-sentient; it holds his power back from harming him and allows him to create a sword from his energy. It seems like that energy must have snapped him out of Shinso’s Brainwashing.” Aizawa’s sleep-deprived voice came out again.

The shaken man tried to laugh it off, the chuckle coming out bitter and defeated.

“Man, some people have all the luck in the world. Strong Quirk, tall, ripped, and you can’t even lose to me? That’s sort of unfair, don’t you think?” Izuku stayed silent, walking up to the man slowly.

“Don’t you think that orange-haired girl you were hanging out with is a bit above your league? I mean, you’re covered in scars, and you’re missing an eye, you might as well be some sort of cartoon pirate!” His voice was becoming increasingly desperate. Izuku continued to march.

“C’mon, say something! Anything! Is my villainous Quirk not even worth a word from the great Hero course?!” Izuku stopped the circulation of his Reiryoku, keeping only the bare minimum in his body going. He ran forward, launching a push kick into the gut of the man who could only put up a weak guard against it. His foot slammed past it and into his chest, shoving him back until he was right behind the line, teetering dangerously. Izuku charged again, feinting a right cross before throwing his left leg out and into the man’s ribs, contorting his body wildly and sending him flying out of bounds.

“And the winner, in a show of martial arts skill, is Midoriya Izuku!”

Izuku ignored the loudspeakers and walked down to Shinso, extending his hand for the man to grab.

“I don’t think your Quirk is villainous.” Izuku said, looking down at him.

“W-what?” Shinso looked completely bewildered.

“I don’t think your Quirk is villainous,” Izuku repeated. “But you also haven’t put in enough work to be a Hero just yet.” Shinso sat up, glaring at him.

“What do you know? You’re just another kid with a Heroic Quirk!”
“One of my classmates is invisible,” Izuku said, watching the man go still in front of him. “That’s all there is to her Quirk; another one can harden his body, and he passed too. I was Quirkless until High School. I’ve had three years to train my Quirk and my body, and I’m still here. Do you know what the difference is?” Shinso looked at him, confusion, anger, and hope running through his eyes.

“They trained. They broke their bodies again and again until they were strong enough to fight, because that’s what it takes to be a Hero. You talked so much about Quirks, but you aren’t even close to the physical shape you need to be in to be a Hero. Build a good foundation first, and anything built on top of that will be stable.” Izuku pointed to the sky, his gaze fixed on the stunned boy, tears welling up in Shinso’s eyes.

“The sky’s the limit, so are you going to be a one-story apartment, or are you gonna be a skyscraper?” Shinso let the tears flow, but smiled through them, reaching for his hand. Izuku smiled back, gripping it firmly and pulling the boy up, to much applause from the crowd.

“What sportsmanly behaviour from Midoriya Izuku! I wonder what he said to Shinso to make him cry like that?!”

Izuku walked the boy over to the gen-ed stands, and Shinso watched in amazement as the group cheered for him, calling him the gen-ed Hero. Izuku laughed and threw him into the stands, laughing even harder as the group tossed him up and down while cheering. He turned around and started walking back to the Hero course side, but a shout stopped him.

“I’m gonna be a skyscraper!” Shinso shouted, clutching his side. “I’m gonna be a skyscraper, and nothing’s gonna stop me again!” Izuku shot him a thumbs up and a smile before turning back to his class, watching Kirishima, Mina, and Kaminari cheer for him brought an even brighter smile to his lips.

“Good job, Midori!” Mina cheered, glomping him as soon as he sat down.

“What happened at the start, Midoribro? It’s like you were paralyzed!” Kirishima poked his head over from behind the pink woman.

“It’s exactly what Aizawa-sensei said,” Izuku said, peeling Mina off of his body. “He brainwashed me for a few seconds before I snapped out of it, thanks to my Quirk. Then, I had to show him that Quirks weren’t everything, so I fought him barehanded.”

“So manly!” Kirishima whispered.

“Thanks for waiting, everyone! In the second round, we have our very own tape-slinger, the man who can fix any tear, Sero Hanta!” Izuku watched the man step into the ring, stretching his circular elbows.

“Oh, looks like it’s time for round two!” Mina said excitedly. Kaminari nodded from beside her, his expression glum.

“I think my buddy Sero is gonna lose this one.” Izuku looked over, confused.

“Huh? Why, who’s he fighting?” The trio looked at him in shock and confusion for a minute before Present Mic answered the question.

“And he’s up against the Icy-hot woman who placed second and third in the last two events; she’s more than making up for her recommendation, Todoroki Ruka!”

Izuku choked on his own spit at the introduction, watching Ruka walk up to the stage, her eyes shadowed by her hair.

“He’s fighting Todoroki?” He sputtered out, watching the tape-man warm up. “Who okayed this match?”

 

Ruka shuffled to the arena, her steps echoing through the tunnel as she prepared to go out for what should be a quick, easy, clean fight. Her steps slowed in horror and anger at the sight of a familiar, flaming red-haired man, his lips pulled into his usual scowl and his eyes, so similar to the colour of her left, were glaring over at her.

“Ruka. You’ve disappointed me so far.” He grumbled, his voice low and threatening. She kept walking, unable to bring herself to respond to the monster that had plagued her life for so long. He grabbed her arm tightly, his hand starting to heat up.

“You could’ve dominated the first two events by now if you’d just used your fire. How long do you intend to keep up this childish rebellion of yours?” As horrified as she was, as rageful as she was, as sad as she was, there was nothing she could say to the monster in front of her, nothing she could push past her frozen tongue, and how she hated herself for it.

“You have the duty to surpass All Might, the duty to overcome both I and him, that’s what you were made for. ” He hissed out, his grip tightening ever so slightly. She stood, frozen in fear, her breath coming out quickly and panicked, and her Quirk spilled out of her in response. Her father raised an eyebrow at the ice creeping up his arm, before turning the heat up and melting it instantly.

“Don’t forget who made you, Ruka. I can bring you out of this world as easily as I brought the woman who brought you into it.” Her world exploded in anger at the casual mention of the way he had married her mother, like she was some sort of-of cattle that he owned. She wrenched her arm away and found her tongue unfrozen in her rage.

“I won’t ever use your left side in battle. I’ll win with just my mother’s ice, that’s all I need.” She spat out, stomping onto the field. He watched her go; she could feel the heat of his gaze on her.

“Maybe for now, you’ll be fine, but eventually you’ll reach your limit by relying on it, and someone will have to die to cover up your mistakes.” Her anger was only stoked further at the way her father’s words seemed to overlap with Midoriya’s, and when she made it to the stage, she was burning cold in her wrath.

“Let the match begin!” Tape wrapped around her waist, her opponent was saying something, but all she could hear was Endeavor’s voice, the words he said so casually.

‘...just like I bought the woman who brought you into it.’

And an ice age exploded from her left side.

 

Izuku stood over his friends, a cloak of fire surrounding them to protect them from the glacier that pushed into the stands. He ignored their surprised commentary and instead looked down to the arena worriedly.

‘Ruka…How can I help you when you don’t even want it?’

“Sorry, I was angry.” Her voice rang out into the silent arena.

“Sero, can you move?” Midnight asked, shivering from the ice coating half of her body.

“Of course I can’t!” He replied, frozen in the direct middle of the iceberg Ruka had summoned.

“Todoroki Ruka moves on to the next round!”

“Midoribro, are you…gonna be okay?” Kirishima asked hesitantly, Mina nodding emphatically by his side.

“Okay?” He responded slowly, before a smile stretched across his face.

“I’ll be ecstatic if she brings out that much against me.” He walked away, intent on getting some more food before his next match.

He was walking along the stands, looking for a vendor or something to get food from, when he heard a familiar voice shouting out above him.

“Candy! Get your candy here! Urahara shop’s custom candy!” His head snapped up, stunned, to meet the gaze of his former mentor.

“Urahara?!” He asked incredulously, the bucket hat-wearing man looking down at him in surprise, then in joy.

“Izuku! My old pupil, how long has it been?!” The man bounded towards him, uncaring of the looks he was getting.

“Not long enough.” Izuku grumbled, dodging his attempt at a hug, leading to Urahara sprawling onto the floor.

“How mean! Don’t the months we spent together mean anything to you? I can always give you a reminder if you want!” Izuku broke into a cold sweat, remembering the numerous times the man in front of him had kicked his ass.

“No-no! That’s perfectly fine, Urahara-sensei!” He waved his hands frantically in front of him.

“I’ve had more than enough teaching from you!” Urahara laughed heartily before grabbing him by his shoulders and patting them off.

“Look at how you’ve grown! Have you learned your sword’s name yet?” Izuku broke into a smile, summoning Ryujin to his hands.

“Of course I have! Meet Ryujin Jakka, I think he could stand up to Benihime one of these days!” Urahara’s cane started humming, a familiar, ominous tune. Izuku’s face paled.

“Well, maybe in like, a couple of years, when her wielder is too old to fight properly!” He corrected hastily. He had no intention of provoking Benihime into another fight, not after she’d split Ryujin in half back in the day. He sighed in relief, slumping slightly as the sword’s humming quieted, before perking back up as an idea hit him.

“Urahara-sensei, I need your help with something.” Urahara turned to him, looking surprised by his pupil’s shift to seriousness.

“Well, sure! Anything for my precious disciple!” Izuku chuckled lightly before locking back in.

“I have a classmate, the girl who just fought, Todoroki Ruka, and she has a bit of a problem…” Izuku explained the circumstances, highlighting both her refusal to fight at full power and the reason she refused to do it, Urahara nodding solemnly as he listened.

“...So, what should I do?” Izuku asked, his explanation finishing. Urahara hummed for a minute and then looked at him with full sincerity.

“Try to kill her!” Izuku gaped as his mentor smiled, like that was the easiest thing in the world.

“I don’t want to kill her!” Izuku protested, watching his mentor’s face fall into a confused frown.

“Well, I didn’t say to kill her!” Izuku sputtered, but Urahara spoke over him.

“I said, try to kill her, just like I tried to kill you ! That way, you can really beat it into her, just how hard it is to be a Hero using only half of your power, you have experience with that, after all.” Izuku’s hand drifted alongside Urahara’s eyes, reaching his shoulder and gripping tightly.

“But…Isn’t her reason understandable?” Now, Izuku had reached the crux of his question.

“Is it Heroic to force someone to embrace trauma like that?” Urahara looked at him like he was an idiot.

“That is exactly what I did to you, and it’s not like your reason wasn’t understandable either, Izuku. Fear is what Todoroki and the you of the past felt, but you overcame it, while Todoroki is defined by it. She’s afraid, not of her father, but of becoming him.” Izuku felt like a burst of fresh air had hit him in the face, like everything made sense now.

“Thanks, sensei. I think I get it now.” He bowed toward his mentor, filled with gratitude.

“No problem, Izuku! Come visit sometime, Jinta misses his target practice!” Izuku looked to the side guiltily and shuffled away.

“Ah, yeah…sure!” He sprinted to join his friends again, his teacher starting his selling once more behind him. Izuku was determined now. There was one way to make Ruka listen, and if that meant being the villain in her story, then he would fucking do it, for her, and for him.

 

When Izuku rejoined his friends, they were consoling a slouching Kaminari, the boy having buried his face in his hands.
“What happened?” He asked, plopping down next to them. Mina glanced his way before continuing to console the yellow-haired man, her face serious but her lip quivering.

“He lost his fight against Shiozaki, the vine Quirk girl from 1-B.” Kirishima answered, his face unusually serious. Izuku was taken aback, Kaminari was one of the fastest students in their class while he was empowered, and even failing that, his indiscriminate shock should take out most of the students there.

“How’d he lose?” Izuku asked, disbelief shining through his tone.

“I asked her on a date and she said yes!” Kaminari shouted through his hands, lifting his face to show that he wasn’t crying; he was bright red in embarrassment. Mina couldn’t hold her serious face anymore and broke down laughing, positively howling at the embarrassed electric blonde.

“It’s not funny!” Kaminari wailed, burying his face again.

“I’m supposed to be the suave, cool guy, not the ‘freezes in embarrassment’ over a date guy!”
Izuku connected the dots and almost immediately bust into laughter.

“You asked her out, she said yes, and you, in all of your flirting, almost broke down when she accepted?” Izuku said between guffaws, heaving for breath. Kaminari whined into his hands in response, confirming Izuku’s theory and renewing the laughter between the group, Kirishima joining in from the sidelines. When it had all calmed down, Izuku remembered something else.

“Wait, what about you and Jiro? I swear you guys had something going!” Izuku asked. The pair were almost always together, and now it was hard to find one without the other behind them.

“I wasn’t actually going to go on a date with her! She seemed like a super religious girl, so I thought she’d be offended when I asked, but then she said yes!” Izuku started laughing again, this time in huge wheezes.

“You asked her out to make her mess up, and then you fucked up instead!” He laughed, tears coming to his eyes. Mina and Kirishima were clutching each other by the shoulder, holding themselves up and laughing just as hard as him.

“My-my stomach!” Kirishima coughed out, his lungs catching and sending him into a coughing fit. Izuku laughed even harder as Kirishima broke down, pointing at him before he tripped over a chair and landed on the back of his head. Now it was Kaminari’s turn to join in, his face still traffic light-red, but joining in nonetheless. ‘Is this what it’s like to have real friends?’ Izuku thought, still basking in the warmth of being with his friends. ‘It doesn’t hurt when they laugh at me, not like it did back then.’ Izuku realized one thing as he and his friends collapsed in a pile of laughing limbs: that the difference between now and then was that he was laughing with his friends, no one was laughing at him, and that made all the difference.

The matches moved on, the group had another good laugh as Hatsume used Iida as an advertising board, and cheered wildly as Mina beat Aoyama handily, skating around the Frenchman like she was on ice. She skipped back up to the stands, her grin infectious, to hoots and hollers from her friends, exchanging high-fives with her classmates before jumping into a group hug with Izuku, Kirishima, and Kaminari, the trio tossing her up into the air as she squealed in surprise and joy. When they let her down, it was already time for the next match.

“Yaomomo and Tokoyami, huh?” Mina considered, watching the two walk onto the stadium floor.

“I wonder who’s gonna win this!” Izuku thought for a minute, but really, there should only be one option.

“It’s gotta be Yaoyorozu/Yaoyorozu’s got this!” Kaminari and him spoke at the same time, looking at each other in shock as they did.

“I mean, she can create anything, and it’s pretty obvious Dark Shadow is weak to lights, so she should have this in the bag!” Izuku said, explaining his reasoning.

“Yeah, I watched her headshot a shit ton of villains at the USJ, she’s got this in the bag!” Kaminari cheered from beside him, watching the black-haired woman stand on stage.

“Begin!” Midnight called for the start of the match, and both participants moved instantly, Dark Shadow shooting out from Tokoyami’s midsection, and Yaoyorozu creating…a shield?

“Why is she only making a shield?” Izuku wondered aloud, receiving a sharp jab to his side from Kirishima.

“Ow! What was that for?!” He asked, only to see Kirishima pointing further down the stands, where Jiro was now glaring at him. He waved at her hesitantly, quickly whirling back around and patting Kirishima on the back in thanks.

“But, I mean, she could make anything! Why a shield?” He couldn’t help but ask, ignoring Kirishima’s warning gaze.
“I’m not sure.” Kaminari chimed in, watching his friend anxiously.

“She made a cannon back at the QAT, and a beanbag gun at the USJ, so why isn’t she making another one now? Tokoyami is at a huge disadvantage against projectiles.” Izuku muttered, his thoughts running through his head and out his mouth. The group watched in dismay as Yaoyorozu was tossed out of the arena, Dark Shadow finally getting a grip on her. Kaminari rose out of his seat, his face shocked and hesitant.

“I should go…” Izuku slapped him on the back and pushed him forward.

“Get going already, Jiro’s got a head start on you!” He urged, pushing the man forward to follow the punk girl. Kaminari nodded and went running, his footsteps fading as he followed Jiro to find Yaoyorozu. Kirishima stood up, dusting off his pants.

“Looks like it’s my turn!” He lifted a leg above the railing, grinning back at them. Izuku and Mina shot him a thumbs-up each and smiled back at him.

“Go make an entrance, Hero!” Izuku encouraged.

“Show them what you can do, Kiri!” Mina cheered, the pair shouting out support as Kirishima jumped out of their seating and landed with a crash on the ground below them, his body completely hardened. The match was a slugfest, both hardening teens slamming blows into each other for five, then ten minutes, the crowd slowly losing interest.

Izuku and Mina, however, both screamed until their voices were hoarse as Kirishima ducked a right and used it to suplex the steel teen over the line, smashing his head deep into the ground and standing victorious in the center of the ring. The crowd cheered halfheartedly, but Izuku made sure he and Mina were roaring with all of their might as their friend rejoined them. Kirishima wobbled his way up the steps, collapsing into his seat with a loud exhale of exhaustion.

“Good fight, Kiri!” Mina held up a hand for a high five, the redhead lifting his hand up with a tired smile and connecting. Izuku stood to the side, arms crossed and considered his friend.

“I should introduce you to my Muay Thai teacher.” He said suddenly, the idea making almost too much sense in his head.

“What?” Kirishima looked befuddled.

“You should learn Muay Thai.” Izuku nodded in satisfaction, ignoring his friend’s surprise.

“Why? I’ve never thought I needed a style, I mean, getting hit by me is like getting hit by a rock! One hit and you’re…out.” His voice teetered off at the end, remembering his fight, no doubt.

“Muay Thai is all about tanking hits and launching them back, eating hits and returning them as hard as you can. You’d be absolutely perfect for it, if you checked a kick, you’d probably break someone’s leg!” Kirishima looked excited, but even more confused than earlier.

“‘Check a kick’? What does that mean?” He asked. Izuku sighed, looks like he needs more work than he thought. Before he could start explaining anything, Kaminari rushed over, looking like he’d run a marathon.

“What’d I miss?” He huffed out, his chest rapidly rising. Izuku couldn’t answer, too shocked by the stain on his lips. Mina squeaked out a light laugh before gesturing to her lips, turning bright purple in her struggle not to break.

“Uh…Kaminari, you uh, you have a little something on your lips.” She turned aside, her shoulders shaking. Kaminari looked confused and wiped his lips with the back of his hand, turning a bright red as the purple lipstick stained all over his face rubbed onto his hand. Soon enough, they were in a repeat of the earlier situation, Kaminari with his head buried in his hands while his three friends howled in laughter around him.

“Congratulations, buddy!” Izuku shouted, hunched over Kirishima in laughter.

“How’d it happen!” Mina asked, eager for details as always.

Kaminari groaned into his hands.

“I don’t know! I ran into Yaomomo and Kyoka, and I asked what was wrong, and Yaomomo said it felt like she was falling behind! Now, obviously, coming from Yaomomo, that’s crazy! So I said that, and then I told her she was probably the strongest student in the class, she just has to think a bit quicker, and she’ll be home free to Number One in academics and practicals! After I said that, they both kinda looked at me funny, and then Yaomomo looked at Kyoka, and she said something like “If you don’t, I will.” And then walked away and then-and then-and then!”

“And then Kyoka kissed you!” Mina finished, her tone turning leery at the way Kaminari said their classmates' names.

“She told me to keep it a secret!” Kaminari whimpered, his face bright red and snow pale at the same time.

“Yes, I did!” Jiro marched over, her face exploding in red, and grabbed the blonde by his ear, herding him away with jabs from her earjacks, before turning around and bowing to the group.

“Please keep this a secret! I don’t really want many people knowing just yet!” Mina walked over and hugged the punk girl comfortingly, patting her on the back lightly as she pulled away.

“Don’t worry about that, Jiro, I promise we’ll keep quiet about it! Right, boys!” She turned to Izuku and Kirishima, her face sickly sweet. Kirishima nodded rapidly, and Izuku laughed a little.

“Who am I gonna tell anyway? Bakugo?” He chuckled out, shooting Jiro a thumbs up. She nodded, her face still as red as a fire truck, and dragged Kaminari away with her. Kirishima and Izuku shared a glance and fist bumped.

“Another bro taken to the promised lands.” Kirishima intoned softly, his hands cupped as he looked to the sky.

“Amen.” Izuku nodded, his hands pressed together in a praying motion. Mina smacked the both of them across the head, laughing heavily.

“For the last match of the first round, coming out first is the Gravity Girl, the Floating Wonder herself, Uraraka Ochako!” The three of them immediately looked down towards the stadium, watching their friend stride into the center, her face incredibly determined.

“Coming out second, the TNTeen, the Walking Destroyer, Mr. Breathing Bomb himself, Bakugo Katsuki!” Izuku gritted his teeth, his eyes fixed on his tormentor.

“Are both fighters ready?” Midnight asked, looking between both of them. “Then, start!” Immediately, Uraraka rushed forward, and the usually loud trio were completely silent as they watched the woman get blasted back, again and again, getting thrown back and into the ground.

“Bakugo’s gotta stop.” Kirishima mumbled, horrified.

“No.” Izuku said, his tongue ash in his mouth. Kirishima and Mina both looked at him like he was crazy.

“What do you mean, no?” Mina asked, her voice high with disbelief. “He’s tearing her apart out there! Doesn’t he care that she’s a girl at all?!” Izuku fixed them both with a glare, stopping them in their tracks.

“Bakugo can’t rush in randomly; he has to be careful and wait for her to attack, or he risks getting floated in close quarters. No matter how good he is, one touch and he’s out. So, he blasts once she’s close, depending on his incredible reflexes, but if he blasts any lighter, she’ll get up before he can recharge, and if he blasts any harder in an attempt to get her out of the ring, he might do real damage. Believe it or not, he’s not really harming her that badly, besides the landings she’s taking, the initial impacts are like getting hit by a shockwave, not the actual explosion. He’s actually being incredibly careful with her right now.” Kirishima and Mina gaped at him for a second before they looked back down, seeing the pure concentration in Bakugo’s eyes, the way his shoulders were trembling and his arms were shaking with exertion.

“Besides, why don’t you look up?” Izuku continued, grinning at how his friends nearly screamed in shock at the veritable meteor storm above their heads.
“Don’t count her out just yet, and don’t discredit either of them by telling them to hold back, because if someone held back against me? I’d be even angrier than if they’d just beaten me fair and square, and I’m sure they both feel the same.” The crowd around them didn’t seem to pick up on the memo, booing the blonde angrily, Pro-Hero’s standing up and beginning to decry the man’s actions, until Aizawa took control of the mic.

“Whoever said that he should go easy on her, are you a Pro? If so, how many years of service? And how many people have died because you ‘went easy’ on a female villain?! There is no going easy in the field; there is no going easy here. This is the stage where every student is willing to throw it all on the line! IF, and I repeat, IF Uraraka wanted to quit, then she could; there is nothing keeping her in that ring but sheer willpower, and anyone asking Bakugo to ‘go easy’ on her is shaming not only themselves, but her in the process!”

Izuku nodded, satisfied, as his teacher scolded the stands, watching Uraraka get up and stand without rushing in for the first time in this fight. She called something out before tapping her hands together, the massive amount of rubble above her beginning to fall as she rushed forward.

“She’s got this in the bag now!” Kirishima cheered, Mina agreeing from Izuku’s other side.
“There’s no way Bakugo can get out of this one!”
“No, you’re both wrong.” Izuku said grimly, his shoulder twinging with pain as he watched Bakugo square his feet and lift his hand to the air, gripping his wrist to brace, before a titanic explosion filled the skies, taking out every piece of rubble and sending Uraraka flying backwards, where she lay, unmoving on the ground. Bakugo let his arm down, panting wildly and clutching his arm at the kickback, and Uraraka, somehow, someway, stood up, her body swaying in the wind, and then collapsing again, this time completely unconscious. Izuku watched, tense at first, and then in complete confusion as Bakugo walked towards his opponent and lifted her up, wrapping her arm around his shoulder and carrying her to the robot stretchers, laying her down and walking away. Thinking back, Bakugo had been incredibly quiet for the past few weeks, not exploding at Izuku for things that weren’t his fault, or even really talking to him at all. Was it possible that he had…changed? That he had bettered himself and grown as a person since arriving at U.A.? Izuku remembered his voice, ringing in his head whenever he felt low.

‘Take a swan dive off the roof, Deku . ’  

No, it wasn’t possible that he had changed that quickly. Izuku couldn’t accept it, not unless the man came up to him and apologized personally. Kirishima nudged him.

“Shouldn’t you be getting ready, dude? You’re up next!” Izuku startled slightly at the realization that the first round was over, and hopped up, grinning at Kirishima and Mina as he left.
“I’ll come back after winning again!” They cheered for him as he walked away, and he felt better than he had in years, knowing he had friends who would cheer for him over Bakugo. He sauntered through the tunnels, whistling idly, until he turned a corner and ended up face to face with someone he’d never even expected to meet, and now, he wasn’t sure he could control himself around him either.

“Hello, Midoriya, was it?” Endeavor turned the corner at the same time as he did, almost bumping into the teen. “I’ve been looking for you.” Izuku looked up at the man, a rare occurrence since his growth spurt after the USJ, and reigned in his glare. It wouldn’t end well if he got into a fight with the number two Hero right now, after all.

“Endeavor, sir. Why are you here?” He answered, as cordially as he could, trying to keep his voice even against the flood of rage that washed over his mind.

“Your firepower, it reminds me of my own.” The Hero responded, and Izuku almost threw up at being compared to a man like that. ‘Hold it in, Izuku! You have to hold it in!’ He coached himself, struggling to keep himself steady.

“Ah, is that so? That’s high praise from you, sir, but if you’ll excuse me, I have to get ready for my next fight.” He turned swiftly, his voice alien to his ears, when Endeavor opened his fucking mouth again.
“My Ruka, she was born to defeat All Might, and to overcome my own strength. Fighting you will be a good step to see if she can manage even the second of those outcomes. Make sure you put up a good fight, hm?” Izuku couldn’t hold it back anymore; his anger overwhelmed his sense, and he let out a huge sigh of frustration, the Hero turning to him in confusion.

“Hey, isn’t that enough of your bullshit?” He asked, anger colouring his voice. Endeavor looked at him, shocked and then angry.

“What did you-”
“It’s time for the next fight!” Present Mic’s voice exploded over the speakers, and Izuku took his cue.

“I’ll be leaving now, Endeavor, but remember this one thing: If Ruka beats All Might, you won’t become the man who beat All Might, you’ll be the man who lost to All Might and your own daughter, forever number three.” Izuku spun on his wheel and walked out, the Hero unexpectedly quiet behind him.

“Introducing first, the Man of Fire, the Samurai of U.A., it’s Midoriya Izuku!” Izuku stomped out of the tunnel, his feet smouldering beneath him and burning the grass below his toes. He stood on his side of the stage, watching his beautiful opponent walk into his view.

“Versus! U.A.’s Ice Princess, the Glacial Gladiatrix, it’s Todoroki Ruka!” She stood before him, her face as icy cold as ever, and glared at him, mist already falling from her mouth. Izuku stood lax. There was one thing he had to do in this fight, and it was to show Ruka that her ice would never be enough again. He allowed his Reiryoku to cycle violently in his body, feeling it beg to burst out of him, but that was something he couldn’t allow, not just yet.

“Are both competitors ready?” Midnight asked, and Izuku nodded, unwilling to test how secure the containment of his energy was. “Then, begin!”

Immediately, another glacier of ice washed over Izuku, and as he stood frozen for a moment, he felt relief. And then, he let go of the fire that was now compressed all over his entire upper body, and his vision went white.

“Todoroki Ruka freezes her competition! Is this the end of Midoriya’s dream run?!”

Ruka breathed out a cloud of mist. It had taken a lot out of her to produce that much ice, but not that he was buried there shouldn’t be anything he could do. She turned to Midnight, who was shivering in her skintight costume.

“He won’t be able to get out of that. Call the-” A pillar of white hot flames exploded from the mountain of ice she’d unleashed, burning away all of the water in the surrounding area. Ruka immediately felt her throat dry up out of fear and from the heat that now swirled around her opponent as he walked out of her evaporated glacier, fire swirling around his now shirtless body, looking more like a demon than a man.

“And Midoriya Izuku explodes in a burst of flames! He’s escaped the initial iceberg, but what will he do now!?”

Izuku let out a deep breath, expelling fire and ash from his lungs, and walked to the center of the ring, where he stood still, hands by his side as Ruka watched, stunned. He shoved his hands into his pockets, aware of the gaze of his friends, but he had to do this.

“Midoriya Izuku is…putting his hands in his pockets?! What’s he planning here?!”

Ruka watched, first in shock, and then all she could feel was anger.

“Why are you doing this?” She growled, all pretenses of a calm exterior dropped.

“Why are you mocking me like this?!” Izuku scowled over at her, and it still hurt to see the smiling face she had learned to know glare at her with such anger.

“You’re the one who’s mocking me, Todoroki!” He shouted back. “You’re only gonna use half of your power to fight me?! I’ll show you the impossibility of that, I’ll show you that you need more!” Her anger spiked, and she launched another titanic wave of ice at his body, watching in horror as his face vanished underneath the ice. He wouldn’t be able to breathe like that, the fight had to end, quickly-! And fire exploded again.

“Todoroki tries again, and Midoriya responds in the exact same way, how long can these two keep this up!?”

Izuku took in a long exhale. He could feel his body starting to overheat, but luckily, Ruka’s ice was helping moderate his temperature for now. He needed to get through to her before his firepower overcame the cooling effect of her ice, or the delicate balance he established would collapse.

“Are you going to fight me seriously anytime soon, or should I just get you out of this ring already?” He sneered, unleashing Shunpo and grabbing her by the collar, dragging her to the edge of the ring just to toss her back in.

“Midoriya keeps his opponent in?! What kind of sick power play is this?! Somebody end this fight before someone gets hurt!”

Ruka looked at the green-haired devil that she was fighting against, standing tall and making light of her promise, and anger rushed through her body.

“Did my father put you up to this?!” She screamed, feeling anger, sadness, and fear all run through her as he shook his head, glaring at her with disgust in his eyes.

“Why are you doing this? What purpose could you possibly have?!”

“You can’t be a Hero like this.” His words shook her to the core. What did he mean? She was more than strong enough!
“If you don’t use your fire, right here, right now, I’ll kill you, end of story.” She froze.

“What–what the hell are you saying right now, Midoriya!?” She shouted, incredulous. Izuku raised his hand, and the familiar sword appeared, the weapon that had destroyed Nomu, along with a quarter of the USJ.

“Midoriya takes out his sword! Is he finally going to take this seriously?!”

Izuku prepared himself for what he was about to do, knowing that it would take a lot to get out of this with his reputation still intact. He rushed towards her, putting all of his resolve into his blade, making sure that he kept that resolve strong, kept it steady; it had to be the resolve to kill. He swung forwards, knowing full well that if this connected, he would kill the woman he’d said he would do anything for, and hit the ground, Ruka dodging at the last second. He watched her scramble to her feet, masking the guilt in his heart with disappointment.

“That-that could’ve killed me!” She cried, incredulous.

“That’s all a Hero who won’t give their all deserves.” Izuku replied, trying his hardest to keep up the mask.

“If you won’t try your best, I’ll end your Hero career before it starts, before you get a civilian killed by being afraid of your own power.” Ruka looked shocked, afraid, and angry all at the same time, ice flowing down her right and sparks starting to fly from her right.

“I won’t use my left side, no matter what!” Now, Izuku really was angry, really did feel insulted. He remembered Urahara’s words, that everyone had a reason, and allowed his anger to grow.

“Fight me seriously, damn it!” He howled, his voice reaching the stands.

“I know you want to fight me with your fire! I saw you at the USJ, just admit it, you enjoy fighting just as much as I do! You enjoy using your fire; you like how it makes you feel! You crave power just like I do, power to control your own life! And anyone who truly loves power, craves strength; they love to test that power in battle! It’s a simple fact, human nature at its finest! You can’t deny that urge, just like I can’t, because we were born this way! You can’t change the way you’re born; that fire is a part of you, just as mine is a part of me! You have always wanted to use it, and you always will, fuck, you do it instinctively! You have no choice but to use your fire, because you need the power it gives you! If you want to use that power, control it, then fight! Use your power, take down your enemies, and fight with everything that you have! Use all of your power that you have at your disposal, and stop mocking me!”

“Midoriya gives an impassioned speech, desperate to fight Todoroki at full power. How will she respond!?”

Ruka stood still; she could hear his words ringing in his ears, combating the words that Endeavor had wormed in through the years.

“It’s your duty to become number one.” His voice whispered in her ears.

“It’s a part of you, just as mine is!” She recalled how good it had felt at the USJ, even in the hands of Nomu, to use the full power of her fire, and remembered how good it had felt before that, when she was just a child, staring in awe at the fire and ice she could summon on either side of her body. Remembered how happy both her mother and her father had been back then, when her father wasn’t a monster, and remembered how he had turned into one because of her fire.

“Don’t look at the failures, Ruka, you must begin training immediately!”

Ruka vomited onto the floor, her body racked with pain and fear as her father stood above her, his fist raised.

“Get up! No child of mine would give up so easily!” A flaming fist landed on her back; she could feel the skin shrivelling up and cracking as she screamed, squirming under her father’s weight.

Her mother sobbed as she rubbed burn cream onto her back, whimpering at the sight of her daughter’s scarred back.

“Don’t worry, mama! I’ll make sure he doesn’t hurt you anymore!”

“I don’t know what to do anymore! Her left side looks like his more and more each day, I can’t control myself sometimes!”

“Mama?” Ruka stood behind her mother, wondering what she was talking about.

“What’s going on?” There was a clang of metal, and then all Ruka could feel was pain, pain and betrayal. Why had Mama poured the water on her face? Mama wasn’t like that! She remembered the words her mama had spoken, ‘she looks more and more like him’. It must have been their father!

“I will never use his fire.” She whispered, the words barely reaching Midoriya over the crackling fire. “I will never be like him!” Midoriya looked at her like she was an idiot.

“Who the fuck am I fighting right now? 'Cause it sure isn’t Endeavor! I’m fighting you, not your mother, not your father, you, Ruka! It’s your Quirk, not theirs, your life, not theirs!”

“Ruka, what do you want to be when you grow up?”

“I want to be a Hero, mama!”
“Oh, my little snowflake wants to be a Hero? What kind of Hero?”

“One who puts the bad guys away and beats them up!”
“What about saving people?”
“Well, obviously that too! That’s what being a Hero is!”

“Will you watch a family die, watch children die, just to spite your father?”

“I’ll end your Hero career before it begins, before you get someone killed for being afraid of your own power.”

Her breath caught in her throat. When did she forget what a Hero was? When did she start equating being a Hero to being her father? When did she forget her mother’s smile? A tear slid down her face as sparks flew wildly from her left side.

“Thank you, Midoriya!” She smiled. She knew it was wobbly and probably stiff, but it was the best she could muster at the moment. “For reminding me of what a Hero was!” She allowed the blaze to envelop her left side, relaxing at the blissful feeling of completion it gave her.

“Todoroki lights up! It looks like Midoriya has melted the Ice Queen’s walls!

Izuku looked at the lightshow in awe, watching the unfamiliar fire dance across the stadium walls as ice tangoed alongside it in a dance of elements.

“Beautiful.” He breathed out, watching Ruka in the middle of it all, her eyes closed and her body swaying gracefully from side to side, as if in a trance. Her eyes snapped open at his voice, and she smiled at him, a truly gorgeous thing that knocked all the breath out of his lungs.

“I don’t know why you decided to help me, but now that you have, you’d better prepare to lose!” Izuku laughed delightedly, more than happy to fight now that everything was even.

He rushed forwards, Ryujin coming down in an arc that she dodged, putting her right arm on his left and freezing it solid, before dancing to the right until she was behind him and blasting him forward with fire. He took it, collecting his Reiryoku at the bottom of his feet and unleashing Shunpo, his sword raised high above her.

“You know, since I’ve been letting my body run cold from my ice without balancing it properly, I’ve been pretty sluggish for a few years.” She dodged his blow, swaying to the left and blasting a pillar of fire at his feet, forcing him to jump away. “What I’m trying to say is, my reflexes and physical state are all going to be improved from now on!” She swept her hand across the ground, and a pillar of ice followed, slamming into his stomach and sending him rolling across the ground. He stood up shakily, feeling his body’s heat resistance reach its limits as Ruka hit him with more and more fire, the ice no longer cooling him down. He knew that if this kept going, he’d lose, and that feeling delighted him. He smiled wide and planted Ryujin into the floor.

“I haven’t been completely fair to you, Princess.” He grabbed the back of his eyepatch and yanked it off, feeling a surge of Reiryoku and power return to his body.

“This eye patch here? It restricted my powers, forced my Reiryoku to circulate slower so that I didn’t lose control in any of the other matches, but Aizawa said I could use it just once in this festival.” He allowed the energy to run rampant, the fires bursting from his body like he was a volcano.

He coalesced his flames once more, relishing in the regained power, and blitzed forward, time distorting as a loud boom echoed throughout the arena, the crack of his fire decompressing.

“That means, that I’m faster than you once again!” He said, appearing behind her and slamming his forearm into her collarbone.

“Lariat!” He followed through, forcing his arm forward until Ruka was sent flying towards the edge of the arena. He nearly relaxed, watching her flailing body near the edge, when she managed to get her left arm behind her and her right under her, creating a slide of ice that she skated on, propelling herself back towards him using her fire.

“I can go even faster!” She shouted, slamming into him in return, her right side coated with ice, crashing into his body. He dug his feet and Ryujin into the ground, slowing his departure, just barely managing to catch himself in front of the line. The two grinned at each other competitively, preparing to launch themselves into the fray one more time, when-

“Ruka!” Endeavor’s loud voice echoed through the stands, the people near him shying away as he emanated heat.

“Finally, you have accepted your fate! Come, join me and walk the path of the strong! I will-” A wave of fire cut him off, blasting into the ground in front of him. Izuku scowled viciously, his sword drawn and swung in Endeavor’s direction, making it clear who the culprit was.

“I thought I told you to cut the bullshit already!” He snarled, turning back to Ruka.
“Let’s get back to it, shall we, Princess?” She smiled at him, softly this time, in what he thought might have been appreciation.

“We shall!” She created a trail of ice around the arena and skated her way around him, blasting herself forward with her flames and slowly coming closer.

You know, Ryujin’s voice spoke mildly in his head. You might lose this if you don’t get serious. Izuku bared his teeth in response, eyes flickering wildly as he tried capturing Ruka’s form, her body blurring at the speed she was travelling at.

“I know, but I don’t actually want to kill her.” He growled, earning a strange look from Midnight.

Your energy won’t burn what you don’t want it to, you idiot. Didn’t you see that back at the USJ? Izuku nearly slapped himself, but settled for hitting his leg with his sword instead.

“Is that so? In that case…!” Ruka appeared beside him, her arm extended, but it was too late.

“Reduce All Of Creation To Ash, Ryujin Jakka!”

Flames exploded from his body, like Amaterasu herself had descended onto the world.

“Midoriya turns up the heat even more! How is he doing this?!”

“Midoriya Izuku was the sole reason any student survived the USJ incident; it’s only logical to expect greater results from him.”

Ruka should’ve felt insulted at Eraserhead’s last few words there, but she couldn’t take the time to be. She watched as Izuku rose from the flames, his body enshrouded in an inferno like he was a mythical creature of old. She allowed her eyes to drift, as she had been wanting to for quite a while, and take in her opponent’s body, the thick, almost bulging arms that led to a barrel chest and a slim waist, culminating in a v-taper that made him look cut out of marble. Ignoring all of that, her eyes focused on the gruesome scar that took up most of the real estate on the right side of her chest, the deep trench of burned flesh reminding her of her very own scar, and on the newer crater in the middle of his chest, where the Nomu had punched him. She had a similar one on her own body, but she wasn’t about to show him that now. Her eyes rose back to his face, a sharp jawline that was framed by the green locks that escaped his new ponytail and vibrant green eyes. She smiled because such a man would do anything for her; hell, even the phrase he used to unleash this power was based on his desire for her. ’Well, it’s not like I don’t feel similarly.’ She recalled how empty she’d felt seeing him lying so still on the USJ floor, how relieved she’d been when he saved her, and how happy it had made her to have him devote himself to her like he had. She recalled how she could see glimmers of guilt and hurt in his eyes even now, trying to help her. She recalled how angry she had felt watching him talk and laugh with the other girl, and she knew what she felt. She took a deep breath and accepted the new feeling; it was time to prove herself a worthy contender for the battle-hungry maniac that she felt such desire for. She took a deep breath and delved deep into the source of her power, calling on more and more of it, until her body was overcome with pain, ice forming on her right side and covering the ground in a 10-metre radius around her, and fire shooting off of her left side, rising high into the air in a show of brute strength. She looked over to see Izuku concentrating similarly, the fire raging around him growing smaller as he condensed more and more of it around his sword. She knew what was next, the same move that had obliterated Nomu. She wasn’t sure if she should feel happy or insulted, happy he was trying his hardest, or insulted because he was trying to kill her, but she settled on happy. ‘After all, I’m trying to kill him too!’ And she was, the attack she was preparing was based on one she’d seen her father use so many times when she was a child, but with her own little twist! Izuku’s eyes snapped open and locked with hers, and she could see the message in them as if he were speaking words to her. He was ready to attack, but he would wait for her if she needed it. She smiled in response, throwing her left fist forward and stomping her right foot as he swung his sword down.

“Flashfire Fist, Ice Age!/Taimatsu Jujisho!”

Her left fist released a concentrated deluge of flames that washed forward, incinerating the concrete walls Cementoss had raised, and her right foot sent forth a wave of ice, low to the ground and sharp, a pincer attack that she’d only dreamed of before this. Izuku swung his sword down and then quickly swung it upwards again, diagonally to create a cross of flames. The world went alight, a massive ‘X’ of fire, tinged white and blue, eating up her own fire and bulging outwards before exploding into a massive conflagration, destroying everything around her. The last thing she could see was the grass rushing to meet her as she was sent flying, and Izuku standing tall in the ring, his left arm burnt to a crisp and his right leg frozen completely solid. She smiled as she passed out, knowing she had done more than enough to prove herself, to show just how hard she’d be trying from now on.

“After a truly massive explosion, our winner is The Shogun of Flames, Midoriya Izuku!”

Izuku could do nothing to acknowledge his victory. His body was steaming vindictively, punishing him for his transgression in going above his limits, and Ruka had both burned and frozen parts of his body.

Good fight, partner! Show the crowd you’re still standing, make a show out of it!

Izuku chuckled painfully at his partner’s words before forcing his left hand, holding Ryujin, high into the air, brandishing his sword for all to see, renewing the crowd’s already incredible cheering. He allowed Ryujin to dissipate and pulsed his Reiroku in his right leg, shattering the ice around it and exposing the darkened skin. He ignored the pain of moving and marched over towards Ruka, lifting her up by her arm and draping her over his back, he walked over to the tunnels, setting her down on a stretcher before finally collapsing himself, his final thoughts were of having finally climbed the Princess’ tower, whisking her away to a better future, before everything faded to black.

Jokaku Enjo=Blazing Fortress

Tamatsu Jujisho=Cross Piercing Torch

Notes:

Izuku vs TodorokI! If any of you can guess where the little speech Izuku hit's in the middle of that is from I'll give you a cookie or sth!
I hope I cooked with that fight, because ngl Todoroki's cold flame bs never made sense to me and I wanted him to actually use her fire and ice together without just making a steam explosion
Bakugo is still an asshole! but Uraraka is genuinely the most dangerous one there in close combat, anyone who says he can just blast her out of the ring is crazy bc that would do more damage to her than what he did to begin with!
Endeavor is irredeemable ngl, I can't do it at all!
Please leave a comment if you enjoyed!

Chapter 11: A Hero's Burning Past!

Summary:

It's the conclusion of the sports festival! Who will win at the end? Will Izuku fulfill his words, or will someone overthrow him?

Notes:

I love makeout reef so much oml they helped me write this.

Izuku’s eyes opened slowly, fluttering at the bright light that greeted him. He blinked a few times, confusion rising, until memories came rushing back.

A wave of ice rushing towards him, fire bursting from his skin and a deep resolve filling his bones.

“If you don’t use your fire, right here, right now, I’ll kill you.”

A scarred face glaring up at him, so similar to his own.

“I won’t use my left side, no matter what!”

A beautiful smile, fire and ice entangled in a blinding dance.

“Thank you, Midoriya.”

A collision of force, his fire enveloping Ruka and sending her flying out of the ring.

“Our winner is the Shogun of Flames, Midoriya Izuku!”

He grinned sluggishly.

“I won.” He muttered, his body refusing to move.

Yes you did, partner! Ryujin cheered. And what a fight that was! Sucks what’s about to happen though. Izuku’s smile faded in confusion.

“What do you mean ‘what’s about to-” He screamed in agony, his body convulsing in pain as his energy tried to burst through his skin. He shut his mouth with a ‘click’ and groaned, writhing silently in the hospital bed.

“What the hell is happening!?” He grunted out, trying not to scream again.

Taking off that eyepatch and then immediately going full power had its consequences. Your body wasn’t ready to handle your full power, and you pushed through anyway, this is just the result. With the eyepatch on, your body was like a hose with the end blocked off; it just kept building and building pressure until you let it out. However, instead of that energy releasing into that final attack you used, almost a quarter of it rushed into your body. Now, it’s running rampant in there, trying to get out, but it can’t find a way to escape. Izuku growled, a wave of pain hitting him.

“How long is this going to last?” He ground his teeth together.

Until your energy gets back under control, you’ll have to deal with this. In other words-

Recovery Girl entered the room, a slight scowl showing on her face as she saw him.

“I thought I said to try and stay out of my infirmary?” She said, displeasure evident in her voice.

“I said that I’d try!” Izuku grinned, trying to hide the pain. Her eyes locked onto his twitching body, and he knew he’d tried in vain.

“So, you’re feeling the after-effects now?” Izuku let his jaw drop, not even bothering to hide his surprise.

“How did you know-?” She scoffed, cutting him off.

“I’ve been a doctor for longer than you’ve been alive, sonny, you’ll have to go through something really crazy for me to not know. The pain you’re going through right now can be categorized into two types: the first is because of you unblocking your power and amping it up so quickly, and the second is a type of withdrawal pain.”

“Withdrawal pain?” He quoted, Ryujin hadn’t said anything about that. Recovery Girl nodded, her expression grim.

“When we put the eyepatch back on you, it was to stop your power from further destroying your body.” She motioned to his freshly-healed arm and leg.

“You and that girl did a number on each other, but your Quirk was determined to keep going; it was rampaging everywhere until we put the eyepatch back on. Because of that, your body is suffering from the sudden gain and loss of its power so quickly, it’s craving your energy to come back in the massive amounts it was during your fight, and it’s trying to tell you to give it more.”
“So, I should take the eyepatch off?” Izuku reached for the strap, but Recovery Girl whacked his undamaged shin with her cane, scowling fiercely.

“Didn’t you hear a word of what I just said? If you take off that eyepatch, your body will explode in flames like it was earlier! Not to mention, you’ve done enough damage to your body already, I’ve half a mind to take you out of the tournament!” Izuku blanched, his body rocketing up instinctively.

“You can’t do that!” He protested, ignoring the twinges of pain running through him. She looked at him like he was stupid.

“Of course I can! The only reason I’m not is because-”

“I’ll take it from here.” Aizawa’s perpetually tired voice echoed as the man limped into his infirmary room, still looking like a mummy. His teacher hobbled in front of Izuku’s bed, looking down at his confined form.

“The only reason I’m allowing you to continue is because the HPSC wants you to advance, and they’re putting a lot of pressure on U.A. to make it happen.” Izuku felt like a bear on the moon. What was going on now?!
“What does the HPSC have to do with me?” He asked, trying and failing to keep his voice steady. Aizawa raised his eyebrow like Izuku was stupid, and Izuku was starting to get really sick of people looking at him like that!

“You just beat the Number Two Hero’s daughter on live television. If you quit now, people will think that she, and by extension her father, are weaker than the public believed.” Izuku almost laughed, but Aizawa’s expression told him that would be a terrible idea. Seriously, how could anyone call Ruka weak after that fight? That would be like calling Izuku weak for struggling with her, and he didn’t like that at all!

“In other words, you’ve now been demanded by the HPSC to at least make it to the finals, and, short of winning the whole thing, put up a damn good show in the finals.” Izuku grinned, allowing his frustration to shine through his teeth.

“That was already the plan, sensei.” Aizawa regarded him with an unreadable expression, his face practically covered by bandages.

“If you feel like your Quirk is out of control, you must forfeit, and one more thing.” Aizawa walked towards him, lifting one hand and grabbing the strap of his eyepatch.

“You can’t use this anymore, not after the HSPC and the world saw you take it off in the quarter-finals.” He yanked the eyepatch off, and Izuku’s eyes rolled into the back of his head, Reiryoku rolling in waves from his core. Recovery Girl screamed something, but Izuku couldn’t hear it, lost in the euphoria of having his power back unhindered. A hand touched his shoulder, and Izuku opened his eyes to see the eyes of his teacher looking straight into his.

“Get this under control before I have to.” The command was simple, and Izuku listened, yanking on his Reiryoku and forcing it under his reins.

‘You’re my Quirk! You’ll listen to me!’ His Quirk reared up in protest, but Izuku was resolute in his desire. ‘You told me to remember who I was, remember my desire, and here I am! I’m gonna use you to do what I want, because I’m in control!’ He gritted his teeth, feeling the energy fight for another split second before calming like it had never been resisting to begin with. He released the breath he’d been holding in, clutching his rapidly beating heart as sweat poured down his face. Still, his body was no longer aching in pain; it felt like he had returned to his regular state.

“I did it!” He rasped, his throat dry. Aizawa nodded, a slight hint of approval in the man’s usually unreadable body language.

“Congrats, now go out and fight before we have to declare your forfeit.”

“What?”

“You’ve got about 30 seconds until they call your match, better get outta here, champ.” Izuku couldn’t see Aizawa’s face under his bandages, but he knew the bastard was smiling like he’d just won a million yen. He cursed and jumped out of the hospital bed, his body calming down as it got its fix of energy, and grabbed a fresh set of gym clothes before running into the bathroom.

 

When he made it to the stadium, it was to a fresh wave of cheers and applause, the audience immediately picking up on his entrance and reacting accordingly.

“It looks like the Flame Emperor made it on time! How will he handle his opponent, the Blue Flash’s legacy of speed! It’s Midoriya Izuku vs. Iida Tenya, I hope you’re all excited!”

Izuku focused on the man in front of him, blue hair and glasses framing a steely face, determined to win.

“Midoriya, I’m glad to see you’re in good shape after your fight with Todoroki!” Iida adjusted his glasses and settled into a runner’s stance. Izuku grinned and summoned Ryujin in response, getting ready to intercept.

“Just had to spend a little bit in the infirmary, nothing too bad!” Iida grinned back, a rare expression from the robotic teen.

“Well then, I hope you enjoy getting put back in there!” Izuku was stunned for a minute before he laughed.
“When did you learn how to trash-talk, Iida!?”

“My brother told me it would be a good way to boost my confidence, and so far, so good!” Midnight snapped her whip, ending the conversation.

“Are both fighters ready?” Izuku nodded, and Iida did the same.

“Then, begin!”

“Recipro Burst!”

In the blink of an eye, Iida was in front of him, having covered the distance between them in a split second. With the next blink, Izuku was moving backwards, a hand gripping his collar and another grabbing his wrist.

“Apologies for the trick, Midoriya, but I must take you out as fast as I can!” Izuku bared his teeth. He knew they were nearing the edge of the ring; he had to do something, now! He pushed his energy into his throat, feeling it burn, and spat out a deluge of fire, forcing Iida to let go and track back. Izuku rubbed his throat, hacking up ash and spit, but his grin stayed firm on his face, stained black from the residue in his mouth.

“That was good, Iida.” He stood up, wiping his chin.

“Yes, well. Not good enough.” Iida looked resigned, his engines puffing out smoke, but still, he settled into his stance once again.

“No, not really.” Izuku agreed, destroying his shoes with a Shunpo as Iida’s engines revved, sparking blue. Time distorted as Izuku blasted himself forward, finding Iida moving even faster than he was, but clearly less accustomed to the speed. Iida blitzed towards him and lifted his leg off the ground, nearly doing the splits vertically as he went for an engine-propelled axe kick. Izuku used his fire to blast to the side before using Shunpo again to appear next to Iida’s body, successfully connecting with a hard right hand into his abdomen. Iida cringed and backed away, but Izuku followed, swaying slightly and launching a hard, blazing kick at his face. Iida ducked underneath and went for a leg sweep, his calf whistling through the air. Izuku jumped backwards, but before he could land, Iida rocketed up to meet him, slamming his shin into Izuku’s hastily raised guard. Izuku flipped with the impact, barely landing on his feet, but Iida persisted, speeding towards him again. Izuku raised his arms to block again. He could counterattack right after this!

Izuku, the boundary! Ryujin barked in his head. Izuku’s head snapped to look down, and he paled in horror.

‘I’m right in front of the line! If I block this, I’ll get thrown out, but I don’t have the time to…!’

Desperation filling him, he forced his fire into his palms and flew upwards, flailing in the air at the unfamiliar maneuver and landing in a heap behind the speedster, who was now strafing back around to get at him. Izuku stood up frantically, throwing a sloppy right cross. Iida dodged to the side, but he moved slightly too far, his counter missing by inches. ‘This must be a new move he learned after the USJ! He doesn’t know his own speed yet!’ Izuku realized, his smile widening as he picked up on the crucial detail. He launched himself into the man and went for an axe kick of his own, satisfaction flooding his body as Iida took the bait, rocketing to the side just a bit too far again. He feinted a charge, but opened his palm to release a jet of fire instead, blasting Iida out of the high-speed battle they were having, and onto his knees in front of the crowd. The crowd roared as someone finally came out the victor of the incredibly high-speed battle they’d just watched; all they could see were flashes of blue and orange, and occasionally a jet of fire, blasting around the arena.

Izuku got back into his stance, his eyes now focused on the man and the environment, but before he could attack, Iida ran to him, engines no longer bursting with flames. Izuku cocked his head in shock, but noticed the smoke drifting from his legs and understood. He loosened the grip he had over his Reiryoku, allowing it to settle back to its passive state, and breathed in deep for his first real Quirkless fight in almost 6 months. Iida rushed in, going for a roundhouse that Izuku ducked under, responding with a leg sweep. Iida hopped back and dived in, feinting with a left knee and shooting out his right hand in a cross instead, nearly taking Izuku’s head off.

‘I forgot he could use his fucking arms! I’m as dumb as Kirishima!’

Izuku ducked under the cross and went for an uppercut to the stomach, blocked by Iida’s leg lifting up and connecting with his knee instead. He backed up, hissing at the pain in his hand, but dove back in, going low for a takedown and being met with a knee to the jaw. Izuku powered through the pain and wrapped his arms around the man’s waist, lifting him up and over his head into a grapple. They struggled on the ground, Iida clawing for a way to get out and Izuku refusing to let him, until Izuku got him in a leg-lock, pulling aggressively at his knee. Iida struggled a bit more, but a stronger yank forced him into submission, tapping out on the ground. Midnight snapped her whip as confirmation, and the crowd roared in approval of the close and dirty fight. Izuku ignored Present Mic’s hollering and stood up, releasing Iida and offering him a hand, which the man gratefully accepted, wincing as he stood on his locked leg.

“Thank you, Midoriya, but might I ask why you didn’t use your Quirk near the end there?” Iida asked, shaking his leg out. Izuku yawned, stretching his arms high above his head.

“Your engines stalled, didn’t they?” Iida’s jaw opened slightly, but Izuku was already turning away, heading back to the infirmary.

“I wasn’t about to squash you once you were weak when you came at me so earnestly, I like that kind of thing!”

 

Walking down towards the infirmary, Izuku realized he hadn’t checked on his friends since his match with Ruka.

‘Oh well, they can wait a bit.’ He kicked the door open, running high on endorphins.

“Hey, Granny! Where’s Ruka? I gotta talk to-” He clicked his mouth together, nearly biting his tongue off, taking in the sight he was being presented with.

Ruka was staring at him, the right side of her face bright red, and currently halfway through putting her shirt on.

‘If she’s putting her shirt on, then what’s she wearing?’ His eyes drifted lower, catching a glimpse of her semi-clad upper body before a glacier’s worth of ice slammed into him, pinning him against the wall. He didn’t even try to fight back, his Reiryoku naturally circulating through his veins faster and faster as the image replayed in his head.

‘....abs.’ He thought, a trickle of blood escaping his nose, the sight of Ruka’s carved lower abdomen flashing through his head. His control slipped, and his energy spiked, melting him out of the ice, leaving him in a heap on the floor. She marched out of the infirmary in a huff, stomping her way out of the room and into the stands, but Izuku stayed there, the melted ice soaking into his clothes and a haze of heat surrounding his body, distorting the air around him.

He lay there for a while, just letting the water pool around him, stunned senseless.

“I didn’t think women could get abs like that.” He mumbled, astonished and more than a little hot as the image continued to fill his head.

Kid, you gotta get up. Ryujin sounded like he was struggling not to laugh. The final match is gonna be anytime now; you can’t just lie here forever.

“...Ryujin, have you ever seen abs like that?”

Get the fuck up!

Izuku snapped out of it, the heat around him increasing as he realized what he’d been doing, and ran for the tunnels, where he could hear Present Mic introducing the second of the semi-final matches.

By the time he made it up to the stands, huffing and puffing from the wild sprint he’d undertaken, the fight was over. He watched as Bakugo made short work of his second teammate from the cavalry round, Tokoyami completely routed by the lights from Bakugo’s explosions. His hands clenched tightly, realizing that this would be a real fight with Bakugo, nobody holding back or trying to insult the other, an honest-to-goodness fight, both of them putting their all into every attack. His lips tightened into a vicious smile, anticipation filling his mind.

‘I’ll finally prove it, in front of the whole world, that I’m not Deku anymore, that I’m not useless or a liability!’

Izuku watched as Bakugo ended the fight, blasting Tokoyami out of the ring, and gripped his shoulder, where a small, almost unnoticeable burn scar lingered after three years, where Bakugo had gripped and burned him. It wasn’t the worst wound he’d ever gotten, but it was the one that he couldn’t get over, not because it hurt or because it was from when he couldn’t fight back, but because of the words associated with it.

“Take a swan dive off the roof and pray you get a Quirk in the next life, Deku!”

His grip tightened, anger rushing through his body.

‘It’s time for me to play Hero, Bakugo!’

He marched back down, catching a glimpse of Mina and Kirishima chatting to each other on the stands, looking around worriedly, presumably for him. He raised his hand, laughing when Kirishima nearly fell out of his chair seeing him, and shot them a thumbs-up. He could hear them cheering all the way across the stands, waving at him wildly, and he smiled widely, filled with joy before turning around and heading back into the competitor tunnels.

 

“Introducing first, the man aiming for the undisputed first place, he’s burned everyone who came his way down, and he’s lived up to his own words, The Ruler of Fire, The Burning Follower of Bushido, alight like a part of Amaterasu herself, Midoriya Izuku!”

Izuku walked into the ring, his gaze laser-focused on the opposing tunnel. He let a burst of fire escape his mouth upon seeing the familiar ash-blonde hair appear out of the darkness.

“And, coming out second, the man on his tail for the whole competition, he’s exploded every opponent he’s faced to bits, The Destroyer Himself, The Baron of Explosives, The Walking, Talking Disaster, it’s Bakugo Katsuki!”

Izuku took a deep breath, readying himself for the violence that was no doubt about to occur. Unlike his previous fights, there was no conversation before this one, just crimson eyes boring into his own emerald orbs.

“Are both fighters ready?” Izuku nodded, keeping his eyes fixed on the man in front of him, watching him do the same.

“Then, begin!”

Izuku exploded forward, Shunpo allowing him to cross the distance in a single step, but was only met with an explosion that sent him flying back, tumbling almost out of the ring. He clawed his fingers into the ground, slowing his momentum, and looked back up, snarling. Bakugo stood, both hands outstretched in a cupping motion, smoking.

“If you’re gonna make it that obvious, I’m gonna react, dumbass!” He snarled, putting his hands behind his back and bursting forward. Izuku cursed, rolling clumsily out of the way and watching Bakugo narrowly miss him, shooting up as he neared the ring’s edge. Izuku watched in unmasked awe as the blonde rocket curved in the air like a ballistic missile, homing in on his position with unerring accuracy. His scowl deepened for a second before he allowed it to transform into a grin, his Reiryoku expanding into a physical presence around him. He gathered his energy, watching carefully as the blonde got closer and closer, until-

‘Now!’

He slammed his palms into the ground, each one erupting with flames, and concrete and dirt flew everywhere, blocking Bakugo’s vision. Izuku closed his eyes and focused on his hearing, listening for the signature blasts that followed Bakugo’s movements, and ate a punch to the stomach for his troubles. He almost gagged, but swallowed the spit and swung a backfist, grunting in satisfaction as he felt hair and skin ripple as it landed flush with Bakugo’s ear. The man cursed under his breath and stumbled back, his steps slowly leaving Izuku’s range of hearing, and Izuku took the moment to regather his thoughts.

‘He used my own smokescreen against me!’ Izuku fumed, realizing how he’d been tricked.

‘He knew his explosions would be too loud, so he instantly turned them off! Seriously, his battle sense is ridiculous!’ He took a deep breath, the familiar taste of ash and smoke calming him slightly.

‘I have to be more strategic. He’s obviously learned a lot from our last fight. He knows in pure firepower, I win almost every time, but if he gets enough hits on me, I’ll be out of commission. I should be playing this a bit safer, but…’ He bared his teeth, dissatisfied. ‘I’d rather lose than act all flighty like that!’ He focused his energy and clapped his hands, the force dissipating the smoke around him. He zeroed in instantly on the blonde and rushed back in. ‘Shunpo!’

Bakugo grunted and pushed his hands back in front of him, sparks already beginning to form.

“I thought I told you-!” A massive explosion exited his hands, a cloud of smoke and fire preempting a huge shockwave. Bakugo put his hands down, panting, and Izuku pounced. He launched out of the explosion, the dome of fire he’d constructed around himself flickering under the force, and tackled Bakugo, pinning his arms to the ground with his knees and smashing his fists into the man’s face.

“I heard you the first time, fucker!” Izuku snarled, slamming down, left, right, left, right, left- Bakugo’s hands sparked, and another huge explosion sent him flying into the air, the breath knocked out of his lungs from the impact. He flipped around, feeling the wind rush around his body, and pointed his head at the blonde he could see trying to dig out of the ground. He summoned Ryujin to his hands, the blade already pulled above his head.

You’re finally taking this more seriously? I thought you were going to be stupid for the rest of the fight!

“Shut up and help me win.” Izuku growled, Reiryoku gathering onto his sword as he swung down at his former friend. He twisted around frantically, his feet landing on the ground with a jarring impact that rattled the bones throughout his body, and cursed. He didn’t have the time to gather enough energy for a proper Taimatsu, and the lack of power showed. Bakugo was already staggering to his feet from the small crater in the ground, a manic grin across his face as blood dripped down his forehead.

“So you’re finally taking me seriously?! I’ve been waiting for this, for the opportunity to put you back in your place!” Izuku flinched at the reminder of his past, remembering just how the man in front of him had ‘put him in his place’ as a child. He was smacked out of his past, literally, as Bakugo rushed in, palming his face and slamming his head into the ground.

“You’ve been going around recently, thinking you’re better than me just because you beat me once!” He hissed, his breath coiling around Izuku’s ear. With a grunt of effort, Bakugo tossed him into the air, rocketing up to meet him and blasting him back into the ground. Izuku gasped in pain, the concrete arena splintering under the force he hit it with, but before he could do anything else, Bakugo was already on top of him, a mirror of the position Izuku had had him in just seconds ago. As fists slammed into his face, his head turning with each impact, Izuku remembered a similar feeling, a similar position, from almost a decade ago now.

‘Time really flows, huh?’ He thought, feeling his Reiryoku speed up, protesting the beating he was taking, but Izuku calmed it with a single thought.

‘All those years ago, I couldn’t have done anything except sit here and take it.’ It felt like he was spectating his past, watching his 10-year-old self get pummelled viciously by Bakugo and his cronies, crying and begging for them to stop.

‘Back then, all I could feel was confusion and sadness. I couldn’t understand why I was less compared to them.’ He caught the next fist, grinning up through bloodied lips at the now astonished blonde.

‘But now…’

“How did you-?”

“Your punches don’t hurt anymore, Kacchan. Try something else next time.” He sneered, fire erupting from his chest in a brilliant show of force. Izuku could hear Bakugo scream as the fire attacked him viciously, and Izuku laughed as he was forced to retreat, blasting himself backwards. He stumbled to his feet, wiping blood off his lips and face, and used it to push his hair out of his face, the long locks ripped out of their ponytail and getting in his eyes. He hummed for a second, looking up at the Sun, relishing the feeling of its rays hitting his skin, before locking his vision back onto the blonde, who had just regained his footing.

“My punches don’t hurt anymore, Deku? I call bullshit!” He snarled, stumbling slightly. 

“You don’t have to believe me, you can just try punching me again if you want!” He spat out a thick wad of blood. Bakugo roared, spit flying from his mouth and charged in. Izuku put his hands up in a high guard, but Bakugo stopped his acceleration at the last second and blasted him with an explosion instead. Izuku ate it, allowing the fire to singe away at his clothing and skin, before launching out and throwing a clean right hook, connecting with Bakugo’s jaw.

‘Thanks, Renji-sensei, for teaching me how to fight when everyone thought I was a lost cause.’

Bakugo stumbled back but recovered quickly, launching his body directly into Izuku’s midsection, taking him to the ground. Izuku took an explosion to the chest, once, twice, before lifting his palm directly into Bakugo’s face, releasing his energy in a bright flash, blinding him. Bakugo stumbled off of him, and Izuku took the opportunity, scrambling to his feet and closing in, landing a solid kick that was then caught under Bakugo’s right arm, his feet leaving trenches in the ground as his body moved with the force. Bakugo lifted his left arm and stabbed down with it, but Izuku twisted, forcing his body to turn around until his hands were on the ground and he was looking up through his legs at the man, his elbow connecting with the soft part of Izuku’s calf. He cocked his right leg back and sent it out in a vicious storm of blows, forcing Bakugo to release him.

‘Thanks, Itsuka, for helping me understand how to really fight, not just forms, but improvisation too.’

Izuku tensed his core, using his arms to flip back over onto his feet, locking eyes with Bakugo, whose lips were curled back in a feral snarl; he was almost foaming at the mouth. Izuku took in the sight of his past bully, the sight of the monster that had overtaken his youth, and felt clarity rush through him.

‘We can’t reconcile; rather, there was never anything to reconcile.’ The rabid man before him bore no resemblance to the boy he’d known as a child, and he didn’t think he could ever return to that time either. They were both just too different, too set in their ways for any real change to occur, and Izuku thought that was going to be just fine. The clarity gave way to anger, Izuku channelling every instance he could remember, every beating, every sneer, every time he’d been called Deku, and he dove into the hatred, embraced it, and allowed it to enter his soul.

‘It’s alright for me to hate him, because we can’t return to the good old days.’

An image of the two boys, walking hand in hand to a card shop, giggling and laughing at each other, on the way to buy a new All Might trading card pack on the day of its release, flashed into his mind. He latched onto it tenderly, taking in the memories it showed for the last time, before he burned it to ash and fed it to the flames. He breathed out a deep sigh of relief, of release, and opened his eyes to see Bakugo nearly foaming at the mouth out of rage, his hands sparking over his head.

“I’m not even worth a response anymore, is that how it is, Deku?! I’ll show you, I’ll show everyone! I am the strongest, I have to be the strongest!” There was a desperation in his voice, like if he lost this fight, he would lose himself, but Izuku wasn’t as kind as he once was; there would be no mercy on his end. He watched Bakugo rocket into the sky and start spinning, explosions dancing around him as he spun faster and faster, until he resembled a massive tank shell, smoke and sparks clouding his form. Izuku turned his eyes to the his hands, pockmarked and calloused from the years of fighting and wielding his sword, then to the crowd, where he picked out Kirishima and Mina, the two of them jumping around wildly and cheering for him, and then, finally, they connected with Ruka’s the woman looking straight back at him. She mouthed only two words, and Izuku grinned, giving a slight bow in her direction. He’d said he would do anything she asked, after all, and who was he to disobey? 

“Finish it.”

‘Thank you, my friends, for showing me just what a friend should be.’

Finally, he looked down at his sword, the partner he’d had since he was six, unknowingly or not.

‘And thank you, Ryujin, for setting me on this path of success to begin with.’

“Reduce all Creation to Ash, Ryujin Jakka!”

He looked up at Bakugo, and then past him, his eyes landing on the brilliance of the sun. Unbidden, the words Ryujin had spoken to him so, so long ago came to mind.

‘I am the embodiment of fire, I am the strength behind the sun!’

‘Can I…shine that brightly too?’

He raised Ryujin high into the sky, the blade glinting in the sunlight, and focused every ounce of power running through his body into it, first through the edge, and then to the very tip of it.

‘If I were the sun, could I connect with the world so intimately, illuminate it so kindly, and yet overlook what happens underneath my light so cruelly?’

Fire gathered, and then grew, tighter and tighter, brighter and brighter, until the world bore witness to the birth of a second sun, hitting the crowd with its blinding light.

‘I don’t think I could, so I resolved to be a torch, one to lead people down the right path, but what if they don’t want to be helped? Is it okay to be cruel then?’

Bakugo screamed wordlessly, the mass of smog and pure force launching directly at him. Izuku pointed his sword at the man, and he couldn’t even muster up a scowl.

‘Is it cruel to be uncaring?’

“Howitzer Impact!”

Time seemed to slow down. Izuku could see Bakugo’s face, filled with desperation, anger, and a hint of sadness. He gazed at it a little longer, seeing the mix of longing and rage in his eyes, and closed his own, allowing his energy to expand.

“Manzen Yuhi.”

The world stopped for a second, the two attacks colliding with each other in a brilliant show of force and lights, until one beat out the other, the arena rattling with the force of the blows. Izuku felt his body fly away. He forced Ryujin into the ground, the blade screeching against concrete as he clung to it desperately. When the wind faded, and the light dimmed, there was a destroyed stadium, chunks of rock and dirt littering the entire arena, there was a devastated section of the wall, smoke pouring from a gaping hole in the foundation, and there was a clear winner.

Izuku inhaled the smoke surrounding him and swung Ryujin to clear it out, lifting it high into the sky to show the world his victory. The crowd went ballistic, screaming and cheering as the sun glinted off of his body. He stood, barely inside the arena but still within the lines, and Bakugo lay unconscious, smoking in the wall. Izuku looked up at Ryujin and the sun shining past him, and grinned tiredly, his body finally deciding enough was enough.

“Did I shine, Ryujin?”

As bright as the Sun ever did, Izuku.

“It’s all over! Midoriya Izuku has proved himself and his words beyond argument! He is The Sun Come to Earth, and The Strongest First Year of U.A., everyone, please let out your biggest cheers for Midoriya Izuku!”
He looked around in awe as the crowd somehow gained even more volume, cheering deafeningly loud, all for him, but there was only a few people who really mattered right now. His eyes flicked over to his friends, Kirishima and Mina, crying and hugging each other, jumping around in glee as they watched him fulfill his own prophecy, but Ruka was the real highlight. She was smiling down at him, a smile just like the one she’d worn at the end of their match, one that was truly happy.

Izuku beamed then, a smile free of all of the pain he’d accumulated over the years, free of his fear and of his worry, a true Hero-worthy smile that seemed to light up the area near him.

“That’s…amazing.” He swooned, his body steaming dangerously. “I think…I’m gonna take a nap.” He collapsed, the last thing he could remember was Ryujin chuckling in his head, and a warm hand running through his hair.

That’s good, Izuku. You’ve done quite a lot today. Thank you for your hard work.

 

His eyes filled with the brilliant shine of the infirmary light, and he groaned, rubbing his irritated irises.

“I gotta stop ending up here.” A cane smacked his shin lightly.

“I quite agree, young man, but I’ll cut you some slack this time.” He looked down to see Recover Girl smiling softly up at him, her cane for once not waving threateningly in the air.

“What’s the big deal? Normally, you’d say something like ‘oh, your body can't handle this!’ or ‘oh, I told you to stop coming here!’” He yelped as she smacked him again, this time harder.

“I was being nice to our new First Year Champion.” She hissed through her gritted teeth. “But maybe I should put you back under before the medal ceremony!” He yelped, crawling away from her.

“No, wait, I’m sorry!” He yelped again, this time because he’d managed to fall off the hospital bed, and was now lying in an undignified heap on the ground. He stood up, massaging his head, and realized, with no small amount of gratitude, that he was still wearing his gym clothes.

“You have to wear the same outfit so that people see how much struggle you went through, especially with Endeavor’s daughter.” Izuku winced at how she called Todoroki, realizing just how hard it was to escape from the shadow of a man who truly followed you everywhere you went.

“You should just call her Todoroki, I’m sure she doesn’t like being compared to her father all the time. Besides that, when’s the medal ceremony?” He ignored her questioning look and bulldozed ahead, ready to receive his prize. She checked her watch and smirked, a look that put Izuku’s hair on end.

“In about…30 seconds?” He spared a split second to glare at her, but then rushed out of the infirmary.

‘That fucking hag! Her and Aizawa, I swear to God they have it out for me!’ He cursed out the nurse in his head, his legs pumping furiously to get to the arena floor on time. He nearly sighed in relief as he saw the light of the tunnel, and skidded to a stop just before bursting through, taking in the sights. The crowd was tittering in anticipation, each member visibly on the edge of their seats as they waited for their champions. In the center of the arena, the ring where he had fought was now gone, and Midnight was pacing anxiously.

‘Wonder what’s got her all stressed out?’ He walked over and tapped her on the shoulder, flinching back as she jumped nearly over his head in shock.

“Uhh, Midnight-sensei, what’s going on?” She grabbed his shoulders, her eyes filling with glee.

“We’ve been waiting for you! Come on, follow me, we’re running out of time!” She flew off, dragging him by the wrist to the center of the stage, where there was a pit in the ground. She pushed him forward, stumbling, until he was right on the edge. He rubbed his wrist and glared back, but before he could say anything, she gestured violently to the hole with her whip, and he decided not to risk it, sweat forming on his back. He jumped in and noticed Bakugo was there too, looking off to the side with glazed-over eyes like he was comatose, and Tokoyami was too, looking over at him in what Izuku assumed was shock; it was hard to tell with the beak. Looking between the lost Bakugo and the seemingly sane Tokoyami, although that wasn’t a guarantee either, he figured the best bet would be Tokoyami.

“Tokoyami!” He called out, raising his hand for a high-five. The boy just stared at him, his eyes soulless, but before he could retract the offer, Dark Shadow appeared and clapped their hands together, giggling joyfully.

“Yay! Don’t worry about Fumi, he’s just a little upset he couldn’t do any better!”

“Dark Shadow!” Tokoyami called her back, his feathers visibly ruffled. He took a deep breath, his feathers settling and bowed slightly to Izuku.

“It’s good to see you, Midoriya. I’m glad to see that our merged souls help, as slight as it was, aided you in defeating the darkness and reach your goals.”

Izuku rubbed the back of his head and chuckled awkwardly. Who the hell still talked like that at university!?

“Don’t count yourself out. Without you, we wouldn’t even have made it past the second round!” Tokoyami cleared his throat, a slight hint of red poking through his obsidian feathers, but before he could speak, Cementoss peeked over the edge of the pit.

“Everyone, get to the red squares marked with your placement. It’s time for the ceremony!” He called out, his voice like rumbling gravel. Izuku waved goodbye to Tokoyami, who simply nodded back, and stood on the red square labelled with the number ‘1’. He looked down for a second.

‘How is this going to work?’

And then the ground started rising, higher and higher, until they were above ground. Izuku stumbled a little, but regained his balance before the crowd could see them. He looked around, taking in the thunderous crowd, and his gaze lit up as it went downwards and caught sight of his classmates. Kirishima and Mina were waving at him, and he waved back, grinning hard. Ruka offered him a tiny wave, and he gave her a dramatic bow in response, the woman scoffing and turning away as he did, but he could see her lips sliding upwards even as she turned.

“All events for the first-year sports festival have been completed, now let’s move on to the awards ceremony!” Midnight called out, gesturing out to the crowd, fireworks exploding above and around them, and confetti raining down around the victor's podium, showering Izuku in rainbow sparkles. He grinned, waving at the assorted camera crews that surrounded them, and cupped his hands over his mouth.

“Hi, Mom!” He shouted, waving recklessly as the cameras panned to him, when Midnight shot him a deathly glare. He turned aside, clearing his throat awkwardly.

“Tokoyami and Iida were supposed to fight it out for third place, but Iida had a family emergency, so it went straight to Tokoyami!”

Izuku’s lips curled in confusion. That was news to him!

“This year, we’ve got a special guest to hand out the medals, please welcome with All of your Might…!”

“HAHAHAHA!” A familiar, booming laugh echoed over the arena, the crowd and media immediately gasping in surprise and turning towards his voice, where All Might stood atop the arena, before he jumped, flipping at least 5 times in the air, and landing in a superhero stance right out of comic books.

“I Am Here! With the medals!”

The crowd broke into tumultuous applause, roaring and crying as the beloved number one made an appearance. All Might strode towards them, first stepping to Tokoyami.

“Young Tokoyami! You’re quite strong for your age, and even above it, but to overcome your limits, you must train not only your Quirk, but your own body as well. Work to gain balance between you and your Quirk, and you will grow exponentially!” Tokoyami bowed, accepting the bronze medal and a hug, looking at the man with stars in his normally gloomy eyes.

“Thank you, All Might!”

Next, the Hero made his way over to second place. Izuku cringed. This wasn’t going to end well.

“Young Bakugo! You have talent, firepower, and your body is trained to an impressive degree! The reason you lost today is not because you are lacking in any of those categories, but because you continued to rush in without having the ability to endure hits like that. If you could see past your arrogance and adapt to a more optimized fighting style, you’ll be Number One, of that, I have little doubt.”

Contrary to Izuku’s belief, Bakugo didn’t explode, just accepted the medal and sat back, before saying something Izuku wasn’t expecting.

“I-I always wanted to be like you, can I still do that now that I’ve lost?” All Might gave the boy a considering look, Izuku could almost see the thoughts running through his mind, and then placed his hand on his shoulder.

“Young Bakugo, I’m not sure what you think of me, but I have lost before, and I will lose again.” He held up his hand, seeing Bakugo’s face snap up in shock. “Victories are not a measure of worth; the way you handle your losses is. If I’d given up when I first lost, I would be dead by now. The thing you should be asking isn’t if you can be like me, because I am far from perfect; instead, you should be asking how to be more like yourself, and how to become what you want to be.” With that, All Might patted Bakugo on the head, ruffling his hair slightly, and finally moved on to Izuku. Izuku was nearly vibrating in excitement. Getting a medal from his idol was a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

“And, last but certainly not least, Young Midoriya! Your firepower and control are at a level where some low-level Pros would struggle to handle you, and your body and martial arts are honed to the utmost degree! If I had any recommendations for you, it would be to be more careful about where your attacks are going; your situational awareness outside of your fight is low enough that you almost hit the crowd twice.” All Might gave him a reproachful look, and Izuku accepted the criticism with a slight wince. He really hadn’t realized how close he’d come to hitting the audience until now. His cringing face was dispelled almost immediately as All Might lifted the gold medal up and dropped it around his craned neck, before giving him a hug.

“You’ve done an incredible job, Young Midoriya. It’s hard to connect the young boy from the beach with the man you’ve become!” Tears welled up in Izuku’s eyes, and he buried them into the titan’s shoulder with a choked ‘Thank you!’.

Later, they all gathered in their homeroom, exhausted and injured, to listen to the last announcement of the day.

“You guys have the next two days off, enjoy them. You’ll be getting offers from Pro-Heroes sent in over the next two days, and when you return, we will have them all organized and ready for you to choose from. Wait in expectation as you rest, dismissed.”

 

The next day, almost all of the 1-A students went to visit their homes.Visiting felt like heaven. Seeing his mom again and feeling her hug him was like a warmth he’d never experienced before.

 

On the same day, Ruka visited her mother in the hospital Endeavor had placed her in. Her smile was just as brilliant as it was in her memories, and feeling her embrace was a luxury she wasn’t sure she could get enough of.

 

Not everything was sun and rainbows, however. Iida went to see his brother, and the cold of his announcement left his heart frozen and burning at the same time. He would avenge his brother!

 

“Bye, Mom! I’ll come back the next break I have!” He waved goodbye to his tearful mother, reluctant to leave her behind after the time they’d spent together seemed like Hell, but he had to do it anyway. She waved goodbye, mustering up a watery smile.

“Bye-bye, my little Hero! You make me so proud every day!” He beamed back, finally able to release a smile that wasn’t tainted by his fighting spirit, and started going for the train. He started off at a walk, but it evolved into a sprint, excitement filling him at the thought of choosing a Pro to intern under! Hopping on the train, he pushed his wind-swept hair out of his face and got comfortable, more than happy to stand up. A small hand grabbed his jacket, and Izuku looked down to see a little boy, no older than five, with a reptilian face. Izuku kneeled down, looking at the boy with a touch of worry.

“What’s up, little dude?” The boy fidgeted for a second before procuring a piece of paper and a pen from seemingly nowhere.

“I-I’d like your autograph, please!” Izuku froze at the request. He hadn’t expected anything like this today! Automatically grabbing the paper, he wrote down his signature, while the boy continued over his mental panic, staring at his own shoes. “I-I saw you breathe fire on the TV yesterday, and I can do that too! Do-do you think I can be a Hero like you?” Izuku chuckled and rubbed the boy’s head. It felt so surreal, having someone ask him this question, but he knew what answer he should give.

“Nah, you’ll be even better than me! I don’t got the cool teeth, see?” Izuku pulled up one side of his lip to show his unchanged teeth and smiled down at the boy, who now had tears in his eyes. He handed back the paper, where he had written down what he’d been told earlier.

“Anyone can be a Hero!”

He watched the boy run back to what Izuku assumed was his father, another man with reptilian skin and purple hair, and show him the autograph excitedly, mimicking the conversation they’d just had. The man looked up toward him, and Izuku waved back, smiling. The man looked shocked. He patted the kid's head and seemed to congratulate him, but before Izuku could tell for sure, he was surrounded by a crowd of fans, each one eager to get an autograph or a picture.

By the time he stumbled off the bus, his wrist was aching, and he wasn’t all that sure if he could be a limelight Hero anymore, not with that much attention! His attention was snatched by a green blur running past him, and then stopping and turning around to reveal Iida, covered in a green parka and rain boots.

“Midoriya, you must hurry! We are late!”

“Late?!” Izuku panicked, breaking into a run beside the glasses-wearing man. When they reached the school, Izuku checked his phone, hoping that they weren’t late, and his eyes nearly bugged out when he realized they were still five minutes early!
“Iida, you said we were late, there’s still five minutes!” He complained, shaking off his umbrella.

“A U.A. student should aspire to be 10 minutes early at the latest!” He declared, putting the raincoat into his locker. Izuku hesitated, debating whether to ask about the article he’d seen about Ingenium over the weekend, before deciding to just do it.

“Iida. are-?”

“If it’s about my brother, please don’t worry, I’m perfectly fine!” Iida turned to smile at him before walking briskly to class, but Izuku stayed behind, wondering just what about the smile had felt so…off.

“Man, being aired on TV makes such a difference! I got stopped so many times on the way here!” Mina squealed, spinning around on top of the desk she was perched on.

“Me too! I got asked to sign an autograph on the bus!” Kirishima said, grinning widely.

“I got that stupid ‘don’t mind’ chant my entire train ride!” Sero moaned, gripping his head.

“ Gero, don’t mind!” Tsuyu croaked out a laugh as Sero wailed in despair.

“What about you, Midoriya? I bet you got asked to do a bunch!” Kirishima asked eagerly, Izuku turning around at the conversation.

“Well, yeah. I mean, the entire train asked me for my autograph, my wrists were starting to ache!” He whined, massaging his still sore joints.

“First-place problems, so far out of the realm of us mortals!” Mina whispered dramatically.

The door swung open, and magically, everyone was in their seats.

“Good morning.” Aizawa said, his voice finally not being muffled by the bandages covering his body. He walked to the front of the class, no longer limping or wrapped up at all, but there was a new scar under his right eye.

“Aizawa-sensei, your bandages came off, I’m glad.” Tsuyu said, lifting her finger up to her mouth.

“The old lady’s overdramatic.” Aizawa said, scratching his new scar. Izuku nodded solemnly from his seat, Kaminari snickering at his sombre face.

“Besides that, today is going to be a special Hero Informatics course.”

‘Please don’t be a pop quiz!’ Izuku clenched his fists together. ‘I didn’t study at all over the break!’

“You’ll be choosing your Hero names.” Izuku slumped over in relief, his cheek touching the cold wood of his desk as his class celebrated around him.

“Finally, the exciting stuff!” Aizawa’s eyes glowed red, and the class settled down instantly. Izuku knew he was more than happy to use his Quirk instead of his voice to quiet them down again.

“This is for the Hero internship experience, you need a street name that people can call you when you’re in costume, otherwise you’ll expose your identity. The requests you get show how many Heroes are interested in you. If you show your good side, they might call you back for work studies in your second and later years, so don’t let them down. Now, I’ll show you the numbers.” He clicked a remote, and a screen appeared over the blackboard, filling with names and numbers. He went from the bottom, going through names like Tokoyami, Kirishima, Tsuyu, and Uraraka until he reached the top three. In third was Bakugo with 2956 offers. Izuku saw the blonde stiffen at his placement, but he didn’t go any further. Izuku’s eyes went to second, which was Ruka with 3556 offers. She didn’t look too surprised; instead, she looked almost resigned? Shaking it off, he moved to number one and grinned.

First, Midoriya Izuku, 4456 offers.

“Usually, they’re more spread out, but these three took the brunt of the attention this year.”
“They’re on a different level!” Kaminari whined from beside Jiro, but she was more focused on the placement.

“Third is Bakugo, and second is Todoroki? Isn’t that a bit backwards?”

“Most of the Pros are probably scared of him!” Sero snickered, laughing harder as Bakugo exploded.

“Pros shouldn’t be scared, damnit!”

“Most of my offers probably came from Heroes who want to get closer to my dad, rather than people actually interested in me.” Ruka spoke from the back, providing her own explanation.

“Midori, you got way too many!” Mina stared at him in mock anger.

“Yeah, hand some over to the rest of us!” Kaminari joined in, jamming his fist into the air.

“Enough.” The class fell into perfect order.

“You can change these names at any time, but if you choose something awful just because-”

“Then your lives will go to Hell!” Midnight strutted in, swaying as she usually did up to the podium.

“Midnight will be evaluating your Hero names. I’m no good at that kind of thing.” Midnight snorted.

“That’s an understatement, you just went with the first thing Yamada suggested!”

“A name that projects your desires will bring you closer to it; that’s what they mean by the saying ‘names and nature often agree’. Choose a name that will represent your ideal as a Hero, like All Might.” Papers were handed back, and Izuku wondered about his name.

‘What do I name myself? I want to guide the underprivileged to the light, but I should have a catchy name too, so I can’t just choose torch!’

He agonized for a few more seconds before the perfect idea came to mind. He scribbled it down on his whiteboard and capped his marker, satisfied.

“Come up front to present when you’re ready!” Izuku almost threw up in shock.

‘We have to present this!?’ Someone strutted past him, and he looked up to see the brilliant Frenchman, Aoyama, walk to the front of the class.

“I will go first. The Shining Hero, I Cannot Stop Twinkling!” Izuku held in a laugh.

‘No way that gets accepted, it’s a sentence!’

“Let’s change it a bit, get rid of the ‘I’ and change ‘cannot’ to ‘can’t’, so now you’re the Hero, Can’t Stop Twinkling!” Aoyama accepted the changes gracefully, but Izuku nearly broke his whiteboard.

‘That got accepted!?’

Mina hopped up and ran to the front, excited.

“I wanna be the acid hero, Alien Queen!” Midnight turned her nose up.

“You can’t cultivate an image like that as a soon-to-be Hero, choose something else!”

‘Another silly name! Should I have made mine funny too?!’ His marker edged closer and closer to his paper.

“ Gero, I’ll go next.” Izuku paused as Tsuyu hopped to the front.

“I’ve been thinking about this since I was a kid, and my siblings loved it. I’ll be the Rainy Season Hero, Froppy!”
“A perfect name! So personable, and adorable too!” Midnight squealed.

‘Thank God, a normal name! Tsuyu fixed the whole atmosphere!’

Kirishima was next, presenting Red Riot and gaining a round of applause at his declaration that he would take on the burden of the name. The names continued, going from boring;

“Tailman!” Declared Ojiro.

“It’s who you are!” Midnight offered.

To punny;

“Uravity!” Uraraka beamed at the class.

“How nice! Perfect for kids and for adults!” Midnight gave her a high-five

To downright absurd;

“King Explosion Murder!”

“No way.” Midnight shot it down immediately.

“What!? Why not?!” Bakugo snapped.

“You can’t have that in your Hero name! Try again.” He went back to his seat, grumbling, and Izuku stood up next, making his way to the front.

“I want to be a Hero for people who aren’t as lucky as I am, a sort of light for the shadows, so my Hero name will be: The Daybreak Hero, Eclipse! I’m using Eclipse as a sort of double entendre, obviously, the moon covering the sun, but also to mean overcoming or surpassing! It’s a declaration of my intent to be Number One!” The class cheered.

“Amazing! You’ve captured your desire and your future in one fell swoop, I approve!” Midnight gave him a high-five, too, and he smiled widely, walking back to his seat. Ruka was up next, and Izuku couldn’t help but notice her eyes dancing over to him as she stood up, her face apathetic once again.

“Shouto.” She said simply. Izuku couldn’t help but feel a little let down. The name fit with her Quirk, but couldn’t she have gone for something more dramatic?

Midnight approved, and next up was Iida.

“I wish to go by Tenya for now.” He said, his voice smooth.

“Are you sure you want to go by your name? It could go badly for you.” Midnight warned.

“I’m sure.” Iida was steadfast, his eyes unwavering.

“I’m unable to take on the name I wish right now, but I will change it once I feel I am worthy.” Midnight acquiesced, but it was clear she was worried.

“Lord Explosion Murder!” Bakugo tried again, and Izuku really did laugh this time.
“You can’t have Murder in your Hero name!” Midnight said, exasperated. “Just try again later, we’re out of time.” Bakugo grumbled all the way back to his seat, but gave in.

At lunch break, Izuku wasn’t sure who to go with. There was an obvious answer, but he just couldn’t bring himself to choose it!

“Ruka, have you chosen anyone yet?” He asked, walking over to her. She looked up at him, and half of the class almost collapsed in surprise. It made sense, he supposed, so far their interactions had only been fights.

“I’ll be going with my father.” She declared monotonously. He saw through her tone, seeing the slight shake of her shoulders and the nervousness in her eyes.

“Are you sure?!” He asked, worry entering his tone just slightly.

“He’s the only one who can teach me about my fire; it has to be him. Besides, I can’t let him dictate my future as a Hero, so I’ll have to work with him eventually, right?” She tried for a smile, and Izuku sent one back, regardless of how weak hers was. He sat at his table and filled in his form, more than certain of his choice now that he knew hers, and prepared for a week of what would surely be hell.

 

“You normally aren’t allowed to take these in public; make sure you treat them with care.” Aizawa warned, his tone strict. They were at the train station, each student either training or getting picked up from this location.

“Yessir!” Mina cheered, lifting her suitcase high above her head.

“It’s ‘yes, sir.’! Don’t shorten it!” Aizawa barked.

“Yes, sir.” Mina slumped over, her face in a severe pout. Izuku patted her on the back, trying not to laugh at her expression

“You guys are representing our University when you go out there, don’t make us look bad! Dismissed.”
“Yes, sir!” The class chorused. Izuku broke free of the crowd and walked over to Ruka, waving goodbye to his friends as they boarded the train. She looked up at him in confusion, and he just smiled back, providing no answer. She shrugged, and the two waited in silence until a limousine pulled up next to them, the driver exiting with a white placard that read ‘Endeavor’s agency interns.’. Ruka pushed off of the wall, heading towards the car.

“This is my ride. I hope you have a good internship, Midoriya.” Izuku smiled cheekily and walked next to her up to the limo. The driver took notice of them and brightened up.

“Ah, you must be our two new interns for the week!” Ruka immediately made a noise like a strangled cat and turned towards him.

“You-!” Izuku grinned back, giving her jazz hands.

“Surprise! I’m going to the Endeavor Agency!”

 

Manzen Yuhi=Careless Sunset

Notes:

I hope you guys liked the fateful conclusion!
Yes Izuku beats Bakugo, Bakugo needed that lowkey.
Iida's brother is in fact crippled.
Ruka's Hero name is Shouto! I'll give some background for that next chapter, but his name literally means 'burnfreeze' in english, so like it was kinda perfect.
To Endeavor's agency we go! Two teenagers in one agency together, who knows what'll happen???
As always, let me know if you liked it!

Chapter 12: A Hero's Burning Internship!

Summary:

It's time for internships! What is Endeavor going to teach him, and why is Ruka so upset?

Notes:

This took a long time to write, mostly because uni is starting soon, and because this was entirely non-canon, so it was a bit tough to think of. Let me know what you think!

Chapter 12, A Hero’s Burning Internships!

Izuku stared out the window, taking in the skyline. The buildings in Tokyo were all so much taller than the ones in Musutafu; it was like being in a different dimension of wealth. He stared at the buildings steadily, intent on ignoring the icy glare boring into him from just a few inches away. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and he had to resist the urge to shiver as the glare got more intense, like she knew he was thinking about her. He risked a quick peek at her side of the car, only to end up looking directly into her eyes, Ruka not taking her gaze off of him for even a second. He whipped his head back around, but the damage was already done, the air was starting to fill with a cold mist, and he could feel her anger on his skin like needles dancing over his body. He nearly jumped out of his seat as she rapped her knuckles on the driver’s seat in front of her, still keeping her eyes on him.

“Driver, roll up the partition, and make sure it’s soundproof, please.” His hands were clammy, fidgeting in his lap.

“Yes, Ma’am.” The driver responded, the tinted screen already coming up to separate Ruka and him from his view. Izuku shivered slightly, fear building up in his chest.

“Midoriya.” Her voice was ice cold, Izuku noticed, cringing slightly. Slowly, almost robotically, he turned his head over to her, smiling shakily.

“What’s up, Ruka?” She glared harder.

“Why did you not think it prudent to tell me we would be interning together?” She asked a question, but she said it like a demand. Not that Izuku was thinking about ducking the question anyway, he liked having his limbs firmly attached, thank you very much!
“Well, I mean, I thought it would be a fun surprise?” He said weakly, his voice rising into a squeak at the end of his sentence. She let out an irritated sigh, mist escaping her parted lips.

“And what, pray tell, made you think I wanted a surprise like this? I was looking forward to getting away from you for a while, especially after the stunt you pulled in the infirmary!” Izuku winced, the air around him starting to heat up as he recalled the memory. A sharp clearing of Ruka’s throat brought him back to reality, looking into her icy two-toned eyes.

“That-that was an accident!” He protested, his blood pumping. She looked at him skeptically, but made a ‘go on’ gesture with her wrist. He stumbled over his words for a bit; he couldn’t just tell her ‘Oh, I was scared your dad would beat you up.’! Panicked, he blurted the first thing that came to mind.

“I chose this internship because Endeavor is the strongest fire user in Japan, if not the world, and it would be dumb for me not to take his help when he’s offering it.” She studied him for a moment, like she was discerning the hidden truth, but just turned aside with a scoff. Izuku cursed himself mentally. Of course, that wouldn’t be a good answer! She told him her dad was an abuser, and the first thing he did was say it would be stupid not to work with him! He opened his mouth to do damage control when his door swung open.

“We’ve arrived, Ma’am, Sir.” Izuku got out of the car, nodding awkwardly at the bowing driver, and took in the agency. It was the tallest building around, almost obscenely tall, and connected to a wide base. The front door was guarded, three Heroes standing in front of it, and was decorated with a giant, golden, ‘E’ overtop the door, gleaming in the sunlight. Izuku stood, slack-jawed, for a few seconds until an icy hand slapped his shoulder. He stumbled forward, taken off guard, and Ruka walked past him, beckoning for him to follow.

“We should hurry, he’s not a fan of people being late.” Izuku’s lips curled into a slight sneer, but he cleared it up before anyone could see. Ruka was obviously trying her best to keep up the stoic demeanour, but the slightest shake in her voice told him exactly what he needed to know. Just what had Endeavor done to Ruka, the girl who could face villains down without a hint of fear, to make her so terrified of him?! He followed behind, stewing in his anger, when they entered the building. Immediately, Izuku felt like he was inside his mindscape. He took in his surroundings in awe. Giant golden columns and velvet upholstery decorated the area, along with a maroon coat of paint covering the walls. He was stunned for a second, but despite its majesty, this agency had nothing on his Soul Chamber. He recovered quickly and followed Ruka to the elevator, getting ready to rein in his anger when he met the bastard who was her father. The elevator ride was silent, and the number of floors before they could make it to Endeavor’s office made sure that it was long as well, dozens of floors passing by on the display above the doors. He stood quietly, taking deep breaths in preparation. He might’ve gotten away with his little display at the sports festival, but another showing like that would net him real consequences now, and he couldn’t allow that. No, this time he would stay in control of himself, barring any horrible, but anticipated, scenarios. Ruka’s breath caught as they got higher up, and he looked over, unable to ignore her when she was so obviously distressed. She met his gaze, and he saw the doubt in her irises reflecting onto his own. He gave his best reassuring smile, but before he could say anything, the doors opened with a slight hiss and beep, having reached its destination. The pair filed out silently, each preparing in their own ways for the upcoming meeting. Immediately after exiting the elevator doors, they were greeted by a brightly smiling woman with…was that green, flaming hair? She strode over to them, confidence exuding from her body in a disturbingly similar display.

“You two must be the fresh meat boss signed on for the week! My name’s Kamiji Moe, but you’ll be calling me Burnin’ from here on out, understood?”
“Yes, Burnin’!” Izuku called out, Ruka simply nodding from behind him. She glanced over at him, a flash of confusion in her eyes that was soon mirrored in Izuku’s.

“Good! Now, I’m here to lead you to the boss’s room. After that, it’s all on him! Follow me, quickly, boss hates when we’re late!” She took off at a brisk trot, Izuku and Ruka falling in line behind her. As they walked, Izuku realized Burnin’s exuberance was the exception, rather than the norm. Everyone they walked by kept their heads down or focused on their work without even taking a glance at them, like they were absorbed into their screens or papers; it sent a shiver down his back. None of them looked like they felt any sort of…excitement or flair; it looked like they were office workers instead of Sidekicks! The lack of any brightness in the fire Hero agency in Japan filled Izuku with a profound sense of wrongness . He couldn’t quite place it, but it was like the Sun didn’t shine in this building, like it was under the shadow of the man who ran it. Lost in his thoughts, Izuku almost ran into Burnin’s back, the woman stopping suddenly as they reached what appeared to be Endeavor’s office, a large mahogany door with a polished gold trim and a golden nameplate in the center which read ‘Endeavor’ in simple, blockish letters. Burnin’ turned to face them, Izuku barely managing to recover before she could see his slip, her smile gone, replaced by a slight frown.

“The boss has been in a pretty good mood recently, but that doesn’t give you any excuse to show even the slightest amount of disrespect. I understand how good it can feel to come out with an offer from someone at the peak of Heroics, but boss won’t tolerate any fooling around or joking. You are expected to be on your best professional behaviour, and if you can’t manage that, neither he nor I will have any qualms about kicking you out. Am I understood?” Her voice was stern and unyielding, a far cry from the brightness she’d shown just seconds ago.

“Yes, Burnin’!” Izuku said again, determined not to let his emotions get the better of him. She nodded, satisfied, and then turned to Ruka, her voice softening slightly.

“I may not be aware of the specifics, but I know you and your father have issues. Despite that, you chose to come here, which means you will be held to the same standards. Do you understand?” Ruka looked to the floor briefly before taking a deep breath.

“I understand, Burnin’.” Her voice was quieter than Izuku’s, but lacked none of the determination his had held. Izuku felt his heart lift slightly, her voice was no longer shaking at all, instead it was firm with confidence.

“Good.” Burnin’ nodded again, turning back towards the giant door and knocking on it three times sharply.

“Yes?” Endeavor’s gruff voice rang out, oddly polite, yet still carrying the authority he had built up over many long decades.

“It’s Burnin’, sir. I’m here with the interns for this year.” Burnin’s voice was controlled and steady, showing nothing but respect.

“Good, let them in and get out to your patrol, you have the evening shift today, correct?” Burnin’ let out a soft, almost imperceptible sight, her lips twitching upwards.

“Always keeping track of us, boss.” Her tone was still respectful, but now it carried the slightest bit of fond respectfulness instead of the subservience she’d shown earlier. She opened the door and stood to the side, allowing Izuku and Ruka into the room before bowing shallowly and leaving immediately after, the door swinging shut with a soft click behind her. Endeavor sat behind his desk, a truly mammoth-sized slab of dark wood that still barely managed to contain his massive bulk or the large amounts of paperwork neatly organized across its surface. The man was wearing his Hero costume, but the unique orange highlights and the fiery facial hair were noticeably absent. He clicked his pen shut and lifted his head, piercing blue eyes so similar to Ruka’s left digging into him. Izuku could barely hold back a shiver. Without the adrenaline of a fight Endeavor’s presence was uniquely threatening, a controlled power seemed to emanate from his body like a dormant volcano, and his quiet confidence was like a physical weight on his shoulders, forcing him to acknowledge the man’s power. If he hadn’t seen All Might as many times as he had, Izuku mused, it would’ve seemed inconceivable that there was a human being who could overcome the man before them. Endeavor seemed content to sit in the silence that echoed in the room, merely staring at them for a few seconds longer, before he deigned to talk

“As both of you know, my name is Endeavor. I will be your teacher, direct supervisor, and boss for the next week. I know your names already, so we won’t be wasting time on introductions. Instead, starting off simply, I’ll ask each of you why you decided to work with me instead of any of the other offers you no doubt received. If your answer is not to my satisfaction, you will be sent back to U.A. right now. Midoriya, you may go first.”
Izuku stepped forward, swallowing to soothe his suddenly dry throat. He inhaled slightly, summoning all of the knowledge he had on the Hero in front of him.

“You have the strongest firepower of any Hero with a similar Quirk to me, but you also have the highest control. In terms of collateral damage, you do less than Heroes with less than half of your power, your rescues are generally considered the safest, only behind All Might, and almost no one rescued by you has ever complained of any sort of injuries, save for the few who wanted a few quick bucks.” He paused to take a breath, the man’s gaze boring into him.

“Is that all?” Endeavor probed, not showing any hints of emotion.

“No,” Izuku hurried to continue, aware he was starting to ramble. “The main reason I chose to intern with you despite our less-than-stellar interactions in the sports festival is because you have the highest awareness of two things: the first being your surroundings. I tend to launch attacks recklessly, and learning from someone who can output more power than my max how to control and direct that power with care is worth more than any strength I could gain from a different internship right now. The second thing is…” Here, Izuku hesitated, wondering if he was about to go out of line.

“Is…?” Endeavor asked, his patience waning.

“You know how it feels to overheat like I do.” Izuku blurted, his voice coming out almost desperate. “I don’t know how your Quirk works, but mine runs through my veins. Every time I use my Quirk it makes me overheat until I can feel my blood boiling inside of me. I need help in overcoming that limitation, I have no idea how to increase my heat tolerance by any meaningful amount.”

Endeavor stared at him a little longer, Izuku trying his best not to fidget too much under his gaze, before nodding approvingly.

“Your reasoning is sound, and it provides context beyond me being a high-ranking Hero. I’ll allow you to learn under me, but let me make one thing clear.” The air got uncomfortably warm, even for Izuku and Endeavor’s gaze sharpened. “If you ever act how you did during the sports festival, I’ll drop you then and there. Your behaviour was unacceptable and ill-mannered at best, and criminally offensive at worst.” Izuku winced, knowing he hadn’t made the best first impression.

“I understand, it won’t happen again. My Quirk heightens all of my emotions, especially during a fight, which resulted in me lashing out as I did. I will strive to keep it under control for the future.” Endeavor grunted in acceptance and turned to his daughter, raising one eyebrow.

“What is your reason for joining me, Ruka?” He asked, talking like she was a regular intern instead of his daughter. Ruka stayed quiet for a moment, looking down at her left hand thoughtfully.

“When I used my fire in the festival, I felt like I was freer than I’d ever been. I was stronger, not just in firepower, but also physically. My movements were faster, my drawbacks were gone, and I felt like I could control my own life. I want to feel like that again, I want to do what I want to do, and for now, that’s to be the Number One Hero.” She squared her shoulders and looked Endeavor in the eye, determined to succeed. Endeavor allowed a small grin to break onto his face, an unsettling gleam in his eye.

“Good, I’ll allow you to learn here as well. We’ll get started immediately. Follow me to the 50th floor and get your workout clothes on. I’ll be testing your skills myself.” Izuku watched the behemoth stand up, his body growing and growing as he stepped out from behind his desk, fire sprouting into life around his face and orange lines of fire flowing through his navy blue jumpsuit. The heat in the room rose incrementally as more and more fire surged through his costume, and Izuku, much to his consternation, took a slight step back as Endeavor marched past them and opened the door, beckoning them forward. Izuku hurried to follow, making sure his case was secure, and exited the room, excitement blossoming at the thought of training despite his reservations when it came to the monstrous Number Two Hero.

 

The 50th floor was completely barren of anything but training equipment. The walls were dark grey and scorched, evidence of extensive training found in the craters and impact marks otherwise dotting the area. It was wide, probably over 20 meters in width and length, and separated into four distinct sections in the corners and a square ring in the middle, reminiscent of the ring back at Renji-sensei’s gym. Before he could take in everything else, Endeavor led them to the top left corner, where a row of dummies were hooked up to a series of monitors.

“This is the first step all of my Sidekicks and interns take when they join my agency, no matter how long they plan on staying.” He gestured to the monitors, currently blank but evidently important to what they were about to do. “These dummies are made of my agency's custom fireproof material, it’s rated as a 7 on the Hero material index, meaning it’s one of the few materials that I won’t burn even going full strength.” Izuku gaped at the info. A seven on the Hero material index was unheard of! Even All Might’s costume only rated a six, but that probably spoke to just how hot Endeavor’s fire burned. Still, the index was made by the HPSC back before All Might burst onto the scene; it was used to determine how much funding should go into each Hero's costume. In essence, it was made to outfit only the strongest Heroes in materials that could withstand their power, thereby reducing the funding needed on Heroes who didn’t need the best of the best when it came to costumes. Until now, Izuku had only heard of it going up to 6, 7 must be ridiculously tough! Did he get his costume made out of it? How was it made? Was it a naturally occurring material or was it synthetic? Did someone use their Quirk to create it? And, most importantly, how did he get the HPSC to allow him to use the obviously expensive material on dummies like this? A sharply clearing throat caught his attention, and he snapped his head to a half-annoyed, half-intrigued Endeavor.

“Your performance at the sports festival didn’t leave me with the impression of someone who talked so much.” Endeavor’s voice was dry, and Izuku almost lit up with embarrassment as he realized he’d been muttering. He stammered to apologize, but Endeavor steamrolled over him.

“To answer your questions, yes, my costume’s material is, in some ways, tougher than All Might’s. His costume is made to resist the force with which he throws his punches; it just needs to stretch without breaking, whereas mine needs to do that, as well as be extremely fireproof. My costume is made entirely out of it, it’s made by an employee of mine, his Quirk is used extensively in the procedure. The HPSC has no jurisdiction over my employee’s Quirk use beyond licensing him to use it, so I can use it for whatever I deem necessary. Any other questions?” For what felt like the tenth time today, Izuku’s jaw fell open. Was this what the peak of Heroics looked like? No one else was able to keep up with his muttering, and here was Endeavor who’d answered everything flawlessly and even asked if there was anything else! Clicking his jaw shut, Izuku shook his head no, allowing Endeavor to continue. He didn’t notice Ruka gazing at him out of the side of her eye, confusion glimmering in her hazel iris.

“Good, let’s get to what I want you to do for now. As I was saying, these dummies are made out of a material that even I can’t burn, and the sensors attached to the dummies will allow us to measure your firepower accurately, both how hot it can burn and how much force is behind it. Starting off with Midoriya, I’d like both of you to unleash your strongest fire-based attacks on the dummies so I can get a baseline for you. After that, we’ll move into physical testing before ending the day with a spar. I won’t accept any complacency. I expect you to give your all in every single exercise of the day. Is that understood?” He fixed the pair with a glare, both of them stiffening in response. Izuku nodded firmly, his jaw fixed with resolve. Endeavor nodded back, satisfied, and motioned him towards the dummy, switching places with him as Izuku approached. Izuku took a deep breath, summoning Ryujin to his hand in a shower of sparks, taking his stance and preparing to unleash his Reiryoku, when a thought hit him.

“What would you expect from a potential Sidekick?” He asked, turning around. Endeavor raised an eyebrow.

“1,000 degrees Celsius is the bare minimum to be my Sidekick in terms of heat. In terms of force, I would expect at least 1000 newtons. To be clear, I don’t expect you to reach those numbers quite yet, but if you do, I certainly won’t be disappointed.” Izuku nodded.

‘It’s time to see if I can stand beside a Pro-Hero!’ He thought, pumping Reiryoku through his body at a ferocious pace.

Show them what you can do, partner! Izuku smiled at Ryujin’s words, a sharp baring of his teeth, and called out to the sky.

“Reduce All of Creation To Ash, Ryujin Jakka!”

The now-familiar plume of fire erupted around him, heat bursting out from his body and distorting the air. Izuku paused for a second, basking in the rush of euphoria that always hit when he accessed this much power. Even last year, the idea of having this much power was like a pipe dream, but here he was, still getting stronger, still building his way towards his dream! His resolve fresh in his mind, he breathed out, grabbing hold of the flame around him and stoking it higher and higher, increasing its heat and size until he deemed it was enough. By this point, the tongues of fire were reaching the ceiling, and the ground around him was scorched, but this was just the beginning! A curtain of fire similar to what he’d created in the sports festival surfaced as he drew more Reiryoku from his body, pumping out as much fire as he could. He concentrated, drawing it first into his sword and then further up until it balled up at the tip, forming a sphere of flames that burned a bright white with a pale blue core, the air around it wavering in the heat. He continued feeding it his energy, the miniature sun growing larger and larger until it was about the size of his head, and pointed it at the dummy. Sweat beaded on his forehead and immediately evaporated from the heat pouring from his body, creating steam that joined the fire in the air. He breathed out slowly and allowed the fire to burst forward, sliding back from the force of the attack. 

“Manzen Yuhi.”

A huge cone of flames erupted from the tip of his sword like a jet engine blast and impacted harshly with the dummy, fighting against the material for a few seconds before expanding with a flash of bright light. Izuku watched as the dummy split his attack, flames rocketing around it and impacting the walls with a loud boom, cratering it further. When the smoke cleared, Izuku allowed his Reiryoku to fade back into his body, the fire vanishing and leaving only devastation in its wake.

“That was stronger than I’d expected.” He nearly jumped out of his skin, Endeavor’s bass-filled tone sounding out from beside him, but he managed to hold it in. Turning to face his mentor for the week, he noticed that, despite his words, Endeavor’s face remained as stoic as before, not a single trace of emotion breaking through.

“What are the numbers?” He demanded, panting lightly. Manzen Yuhi was a step beyond Taimatsu in terms of force and heat, but it took way more out of him. Not only was it just summoning more fire to the physical world, it was also that much more fire to compress and control, resulting in a hard limit.

‘Two of them, that’s all I can manage right now.’ He thought to himself, catching his breath. Endeavor spared him a sideways glance but otherwise focused on the monitor, which was currently showing rapidly climbing numbers. With a ding, it finished its calculations and showed off the results to the crowd of three.

“1,550 degrees Celsius and 4,400 newtons of force, far beyond my expectations for a beginner Sidekick.” Endeavor eyed him consideringly, Izuku shifted awkwardly under his gaze. It felt like the man was watching something inside of him instead of looking at Izuku himself, and it gave him the creeps. Luckily, before he had to say something, Endeavor turned to his daughter and walked toward her instead, Izuku following behind from a safe distance.

“Ruka, it’s your turn.” Endeavor said, but something was different. Something was peaking through Endeavor’s voice, almost manic in its desire. Izuku shivered from the tone, but Ruka looked like she was perfectly fine, walking up to the dummy without any hesitation. She stood there for a moment, like she was debating something, before fire erupted from her left side, followed by a few spikes of ice from her right. No matter how many times he saw it, the dancing elements were always just so beautiful to him, fire and icy mist battling around Ruka’s body. He watched her slide into a more balanced stance, her body lowering to brace herself, and the fire around her spiked into motion, condensing around her fist as ice tried climbing over her body.

“Flashfire Fist, Jet Impact!”

She threw her left hand forward, and a storm of fire burst outwards, slamming into the dummy with a resounding boom, smoke erupting out and hiding her from his vision. Izuku whistled in appreciation. The force behind that was no joke. Even if it didn’t quite match up to his own firepower, even her rivalling it was seriously impressive with how long she’d been suppressing it. Quirks were like muscles after all, and she’d essentially allowed half of her body to atrophy. The smoke cleared after a few more moments, Ruka’s panting form made visible to them again. With a ding, the monitor settled on its measurements.

“1,300 degrees Celsius and 1,650 newtons of force.” Much to Izuku’s surprise, Endeavor’s gruff voice hadn’t changed. There wasn’t a hint of disappointment in his tone, and looking over Izuku almost burst into flames out of surprise. Endeavor’s face was split into a disgusting grin, desire running rampant across his eyes, and fire rushing across his upper body. Izuku took an involuntary step back, trying to just get away from that horrific smile, but Endeavor seemed to notice, his face smoothing over almost instantly.

“Good, Ruka. Your fire could be hotter, but our Quirks don’t lend themselves to force like Midoriya’s does. Our training will be to increase temperature over impact until you can consistently throw out white flames without concentration like I can.” Ruka’s eye twitched slightly at the words ‘our Quirks’, but she nodded nonetheless, holding herself back admirably.

“Midoriya, your temperature is very high for someone your age, indeed it would be impressive for a fresh graduate to match you in terms of pure firepower, but I noticed you started steaming after the attack. I’ll assume that that is your body overheating from the exertion of your Quirk, am I right?”
“Yes, my Quirk’s drawbacks come in stages. The first is steam from my sweat evaporating instantly, the second is my blood pumping dangerously fast from the heat it’s under, the third is my blood beginning to boil, and the final stage is my bones and muscles burning up from the heat my energy puts out.” Izuku explained, shuddering slightly at the memory of just how much pain he’d been in after the fight with Nomu, his muscles and bones turning to ash under his skin. Endeavor looked over at him, eyes flickering up to the steam that was still pouring from his skin.

“Your tolerance is, to put it bluntly, abysmal compared to your output.” Izuku clenched his fists.

‘I should be able to handle this by now, why can’t I up my resistance anymore?!’

“Luckily for you, I had the same problem when I was around your age, and I found out how to overcome my limits on my own.” Izuku looked up, excited, but something in Endeavor’s expression stopped him cold. It was an almost sadistic glee. “I’ll warn you now, this method almost killed me when I first tried it; that won’t be any different for you, in fact, it might even be worse. I will push your body to its limits, and then shatter through them like they didn’t exist to begin with. Do you still want to do this?” The hair across his body rose on end; it was like Endeavor was begging him to say yes.

“I do, Endeavor.” He looked the man in the eye, determined to get stronger. With a nod, Endeavor turned and started walking towards the ring. When all he could see was the man’s back, Izuku allowed his body to relax with a sigh, but a shudder went through him at the same time. There was something in Endeavor’s eyes, a burning need to grow stronger without regard for anything around him, but what really bothered Izuku was just how familiar his eyes looked. He knew that somewhere along the line, he’d seen those eyes, seen the desire in them, but where was it? With a sinking heart, he realized just where he’d seen them before. It hadn’t been in another person or in a show, but in his own reflection, verdant eyes blazing with the wish to gain more power. Bile rising into his mouth, he followed Endeavor’s form into the ring, where the Hero turned back to face him.

“Before we work on increasing your tolerance, I need to know where you stand in terms of combat prowess. For the next five minutes, you must attack me with all of the power you can muster. I will only be using one hand to retaliate. You may begin whenever you’re ready.” Izuku bristled, his unease not forgotten but buried for the moment.

Be careful, Izuku. He might be arrogant, but he has a reason for it; you wouldn’t stand a chance even if he only used his legs. Ryujin warned. Izuku grit his teeth. Even if he knew that, knew Endeavor could probably beat him like a dog, he hated being underestimated! With a roar, he launched forward, Ryujin drawn by his side as he attacked. He held his sword out, feinting a horizontal cut just to leap into the air and swing straight down. His grin widened for a second, Endeavor hadn’t reacted at all!

‘Gotcha!’

A fist smashed into his stomach like a small sedan, his body folding around it like laundry as he was launched back from where he’d come. Izuku coughed violently, spit flying from his lips, and landed roughly, rolling into the corner where he managed to regain his balance. He looked up, wiping spit from his lips, to see a thoroughly disappointed Endeavor.

“I thought I told you to bring your best. That wasn’t even half of the power you used against my daughter.” Endeavor crossed his arms, not even bothering with a basic stance anymore. “Don’t waste my time, Midoriya Izuku. I am not a patient man.” Izuku growled deep in his throat, anger filling his chest. He brandished his sword once more, this time taking a stance much lower to the ground.

“Reduce All Of Creation To Ash, Ryujin Jakka!” For the second time today, Izuku unleashed his power, and he could immediately feel the side effects worsen. His blood started pumping faster and faster, his heart and lungs going into overdrive from the heat, pain rocketing up his torso. He coughed again, this time ash and smoke flying from his chest, but smiled through the pain, his teeth stained black. It didn’t matter how much pain he was in, or how dangerous this was; no one got away with treating him like a kid, not anymore! He pushed an absurd amount of fire into his heels, compressing his Reiryoku to its absolute limit, trusting his body’s sturdiness, and unleashed it all at once. His body blasted forwards at such a high speed he could barely keep his arms in front of him, but he had to hold them out, had to keep the sword in front of him because if it fell back, he wouldn’t be able to draw it again. The space around him bent wildly, and before he could realize it, his sword was already connecting with Endeavor’s raised arm. He blinked, trying to figure out what just happened, and then grinned as his brain finally caught up to his mind. This time, he’d got him for sure! There hadn’t been anything Ryujin couldn’t cut through up until now, not even Nomu could resist it! His celebration was short-lived. A wave of fire exploded from Endeavor’s block and sent him flying back again, but this time, he was able to keep on his feet. He looked up, snarling, just to freeze out of pure shock at what he saw. Ryujin slipped out of his hands and landed with a clang on the floor, its blade rattling.

“Is that all?” Endeavor asked, shaking his unmarked arm out like Izuku had given him a little nudge on the wrist. There wasn’t a hint of blood on the man’s costume, not even a scratch in the fabric.

“How-how did you-?” A single glance from Endeavor forced his lips together, the man’s eyes looking straight into his soul.

“You were fast, but that’s all you were. If you’re attempting such a basic attack, you should be certain your speed is greater than your opponents.” Izuku stumbled his way up, gripping the ropes to give him some balance, and managed to get back to his feet. His body ached, and he could feel his blood heating up even more in his body, but still, a smile stayed on his face, twisted and almost demonic, but still a smile.

“I’m not done yet!” He cried, his voice guttural. He picked Ryujin back up before letting it dissipate back into sparks, his flames unaffected.

Izuku? Ryujin asked, confused.

“I can’t use a sword as unpredictably as I can use my body. He’s faster than me, stronger than me, and he can read my moves like a book. I have to try to fake him out!” Izuku mumbled back, keeping an eye on his newest teacher. He started walking, ignoring how hot he felt keeping Ryujin Jakka active this long, and circled around the man, simultaneously looking for openings and thinking frantically of a way to survive.

“You’ve only lasted a minute and a half so far, and you already look like you’re about to pass out. How about we call it quits here?” Endeavor suggested, bored. Izuku felt anger rise up even further, but refrained from charging in recklessly again. Instead, he grabbed the fire from around him and tried something new. Out of the three moves he could use before arriving at U.A., Ikkotsu was the one that gave him the most trouble. Shunpo was hard to use, but once you got the hang of it, it became like second nature, and Taimatsu felt like it was already part of him after Urahara’s training, but Ikkotsu was like playing russian roulette with a stick of dynamite. Sure, you got lucky sometimes, but what about when you didn’t? Ikkotsu never got easier to use, never felt like second nature or reliable. His arms couldn’t handle the Reiryoku that his legs could, but Ikkotsu demanded just as much, if not more, than Shunpo. As a result, he could only use Ikkotsu once or twice before his body overheated, forcing him to stop using the move entirely after the USJ. Now, however…!

‘If I reduce how much fire I’m releasing on each hit, I can launch a barrage of hits instead of one that puts me out of commission!’

 He kept the blackened grin on his face as he started compressing fire around his fists, folding them like steel over and over again, straining to make his Reiryoku listen to him.

‘Just a bit more…! I can do this!’ He pushed even further, until the only visible sign of its presence was a white sheen overtop his fists, like light had bent around his hands. He ignored the burning pain in his hands and swayed in, switching his stance to something between boxing and his usual Muay Thai. He feinted left and went right, launching a jab with his left fist that connected with Endeavor’s guard with a concussive boom, actually staggering the man. Endeavor’s face morphed into something resembling shock, and Izuku grinned triumphantly.

‘Now’s my chance!’ He dove forward, flitting in and out of Endeavor’s range and peppering him with jabs, occasionally throwing a cross when he could manage it.

Izuku kept the hits going, trying desperately to stay out of Endeavor’s reach, just for a massive hand to reach for him. He bent backwards, just barely dodging the man’s reaching hand, and then brought his body back up to the left and threw an uppercut at the man’s chin, only for it to be caught by his elbow, the impact sending Izuku stumbling back slightly while Endeavor stood, his arm now engulfed in flame.

“Two can play that game, Midoriya.” He said, his tone more intrigued now. Izuku bared his teeth and ran back in. There wasn’t much time left, and he needed to play this right! He let out one more jab, right at the bridge of his nose, and almost cried in relief seeing the Hero move his hand in front of his face to block it.

‘I have to do it now!’ He pulled his jab back and went low instead, ducking under the Hero’s legs and standing up behind him. He cocked his right arm back and launched it forward, every ounce of his strength behind it, aiming right for Endeavor’s head. He watched as the fist inched closer and closer, like Izuku was in slow motion, until it was just centimetres away, and Endeavor turned and grabbed his wrist like lightning.

“A good effort, but if you aren’t in front of me or in the air, you must be behind me.” Endeavor said, his grip tightening. Izuku grinned, relishing in the mistake, and opened his free palm.

“Ryujin!” He shouted. As soon as he felt the familiar grip of twine, he gripped tightly and swung, aiming directly at his left eye.

‘I’m pretty sure he can dodge the worst of this, but even if he can’t, he can match Ruka.’ Izuku thought vindictively, watching in glee as, despite Endeavor’s last-second attempt to dodge, Ryujin sliced a thin line under his cheek, the blade slipping free just below his eye. Endeavor stumbled back, feeling the freshly opened and immediately cauterized wound tenderly, and looked at Izuku in shock. Izuku grinned back. With ash and spit around his maw and smoke pouring from his body, he looked like a demon come to life. Endeavor wiped the blood off his cheek and stared at the stain on his fingerprints. Five seconds passed, then ten, then thirty, until a full minute had passed with Endeavor just staring at the drop of blood Izuku had managed to draw from him. Suddenly, the Hero burst into deep, excited laughter, the air around him, rising and flowing with heat, pressed on Izuku’s shoulders like the man was physically grabbing him.

“Very, very good, Midoriya! I haven’t bled since the Dark Years!” Endeavor walked over, the oppressive aura vanishing, and clapped his hand onto Izuku’s shoulder. Izuku sat, stunned into silence for a moment, before reconnecting his brain and his mouth.

“Ah, um, yes, thank you.” He stammered, trying not to collapse under the strain of his own power.

“Ruka, cool him off, then it’s your turn.” Izuku twisted his neck to see his classmate, the split-haired woman walking toward him with ice already bursting from her palm. She placed her hand on his shoulder, and he sighed in blissful satisfaction, the cooling sensation running over his overheated body.

“You’re a lifesaver, Ruka.” He groaned, stretching out his sore arms. Endeavor started walking to the ring, but Ruka ignored him for a bit, instead focusing on Izuku.

“What was that move you used near the end?” Izuku blinked, thinking back on the fight, before snapping his fingers.

“Oh, you mean the punches?” She nodded, her eyes digging into his.

“Were you holding back on me at the sports festival?” She asked, hesitant but blunt all the same. He spat out a glob of fire, choking on his Quirk.

“What?! I’d like you to remember just what state I was in after that fight, thank you very much!” He huffed, but her gaze didn’t waver; rather, it deepened. “I just came up with that now, I’ll have you know! It’s not even a new move, just repurposing one of my older ones.” She seemed to settle down at that, nodding and joining her father in the ring. Izuku watched the two start to spar, Ruka sending icicles and blasts of fire one after the other, trying to either extinguish his fire or overheat him, but her strategy had a fatal flaw. He grit his teeth, watching the fight end just as he thought it would, Ruka on a knee with Endeavor’s flaming fist over her face.

‘Come on, Princess!’ He growled internally, his leg bouncing in agitation. He saw her shoulders relax, and sighed out in disappointment, she’d given in. He started walking over, but before he could take more than a step, she suddenly slammed her hand into the ground, and screamed.

“Hibashira!”

A huge pillar of fire erupted from under her palm and engulfed her father’s looming form. Izuku gaped at the display of power. The sheer volume of fire was beyond what he could do without unsealing Ryujin, and even then, he would’ve been hard-pressed to set it up without a long match beforehand! Endeavor cleared the pillar with a wave of his hand, but Ruka was already onto her next attack, skating behind him on a newly made wave of ice until she was zooming in circles.

‘It’s what she did to me at the sports festival!’ Izuku realized, his grin widening at Ruka’s perseverance. She broke out of the circle, skidding to a stop behind Endeavor with her right hand already on the floor.

“Hissatsu Hyoso!”

A wave of sharp icicles surged away from her and slammed directly into Endeavor’s guard, not a single one making it through.

‘It’s not over yet!’ Izuku cheered, fists clenched in excitement. Ruka rose into the air above her own attack, a pillar of ice carrying her high into the sky, where she formed an ice spear in her right hand and cocked her left hand back, flaming viciously.

“Hiken!”

She cried out, punching the air with her left hand. As soon as her fist was fully extended, a simulacrum of it, made out of fire, burst forward towards her father, and while he was blinded by the light, she threw the spear of ice just behind the fiery fist. Endeavor, unaware of the icicle, blocked the fire with his fist, lowering it slightly once the fire stopped washing over him, just for the icicle to slice into his shoulder, the Hero unable to reinforce his body with flames in time. Endeavor signalled the end of the spar and walked over to his panting daughter, patting her on the back and helping her back to where Izuku was now recovered.

“Brilliant, both of you!” Endeavor…cheered? Izuku had to struggle not to make a face at the switch-up.

“Thank you, Endeavor.” The two of them chorused, Ruka fighting to speak through her gasps. Endeavor spared her a glance, eyes narrowing in thought.

“Ruka, you stay here for a bit and recover while I tell Midoriya what he’ll be doing. Once I’m done, I’ll be teaching you instead, understood?” Ruka nodded, and Endeavor turned to Izuku, motioning for him to follow. Izuku walked with the Hero, past the ring and into the bottom right, where a small, white box stood. Endeavor tapped the door, and it swung open, releasing a burst of heated air that immediately drew sweat from Izuku’s eyes. Endeavor walked in, holding the door open for Izuku, who followed behind and gaped at the area he was now in. The room was full of steam, fires burning brightly on one half with buckets of water directly over top of them, and the other half was filled with training equipment. The dummies from their earlier test were there, along with weights, gym equipment, and a punching bag.

“This is where you’ll be spending all of your training time, Midoriya.” Endeavor looked around in satisfaction and what looked like pride.

“What-what is this?” Izuku asked, awestruck.

“This is how I overcame my heat limitations, and where you will do the same.” Endeavor looked at him sternly, piercing blue eyes boring into him. Izuku nodded slowly, but what was he supposed to do in here? It wasn’t like the steam was that bad!

“From now on, I want you to activate that full power form of yours, however that chant works, and train in here with it active.” Izuku blanched.
“That’s impossible!” He protested, but Endeavor just raised an eyebrow at him.
“I thought you said you’d do anything? This is how I trained, boy, and I survived it. If you don’t, oh well, you weren’t cut out for this job.” Endeavor shrugged, like Izuku was a little toy he’d taken pity on. Izuku grit his teeth and called Ryujin into the physical world, his body still straining from his spar, and held it in front of him, turning his back to Endeavor.

“Ryujin Jakka!”

The overwhelming sea of flames poured from his body again, and Izuku started walking towards the workout equipment, just for Endeavor to grab his shoulder from behind.

“What is it?” Izuku asked, already at his patience’s end. Endeavor raised both eyebrows at his tone, but seemed to let it slide, pointing with his thumb at the fire pouring out from Izuku’s body..

“Don’t let any fire dissipate, I want you in constant control of your power, whether that’s keeping it close to you and enhancing your body, or letting it circle around you. Whatever you choose, the fire must remain constant in this room, if it fades out, that’s another hour in the room.” Izuku nodded begrudgingly, turning around again.

“And another thing.” Endeavor called out from behind him. Izuku almost slapped himself in annoyance. Endeavor had to have been doing this on purpose! He turned around to see the man taking a tablet from his back pocket.

“This device has your workout schedule in it. I expect you to follow it to a tee, and trust me, I’ll know if you don’t.”
Izuku took it gingerly and started looking through it, his face growing more and more resigned as he went over it.

“This feels like deja vu.” He muttered, putting the tablet to the side. “Why does every teacher I have want 1000 reps of whatever I’m doing? Are they in cahoots?” He continued to grumble to himself as he moved towards the gym equipment. The plan was to work out his upper body with weights for his usual sets, then move towards the dummies and practice his martial arts on them, before finally practicing all three of his supermoves until his blood started simmering, at which point he was to meditate in the heat until his body cooled down enough for him to restart. Upon starting again, he was to switch his upper and lower body workouts, practicing punches and throws on the dummies while doing weighted leg exercises. The cycle would continue until Endeavor decided it was enough. It was a ridiculously gruelling schedule, but if anyone could do it, it would be Midoriya Izuku! Determined, he grabbed the bar and started stacking weight onto it, cursing with every plate while being careful to keep Ryujin Jakka flowing around him, lest he stay in the Hell room for even longer. With a huff, he started his workout, already regretting his internship choice.

 

A total of four hours later, Izuku heard the door open with a hiss, heated air escaping from the boiling room and blissfully cool air taking its place. He paused in his attack, a half-formed Taimatsu dissipating from around his sword, and looked over to see Endeavor carrying an unconscious Ruka over his shoulder. Worry surged through him, and he found himself in front of the Hero in a matter of milliseconds, glaring up at him.

“Is Ruka alright?” He asked, his voice like gravel on the roads. Endeavor waved him off, but not before eyeing him like he’d been doing all day, as if something inside him was what he was looking at.

“Ruka will be fine, her Quirk ties directly to stamina, and she overused it, that’s all. Rather, I should be the one asking you that.” Endeavor gestured at the currently lobster-red Izuku, who let out a hoarse chuckle in response.

“I’ll be just fine, just need a little nap and I’ll be back at it!” Izuku tried to puff his chest out and almost blew out his lungs instead, coughing violently as smoke and steam both came rushing out of his pores. Endeavor studied him for a little longer.

“Can you walk?” He finally grunted, shifting Ruka higher onto his shoulder.

“I can.” Izuku responded, forcing his legs to stop swaying. Endeavor nodded and walked out of the sauna. Izuku followed and nearly collapsed in sheer relief, cool air finally rushing over his body after hours of being subjected to greater and greater levels of heat.

‘Still.’ He thought, staggering behind the Pro. ‘It’s working out even better than I thought it would. I think I’ve increased my usable amount of Manzen Yuhi’s, I might even be able to use a third by the end of this week!’ Indeed, despite the pain it caused, there was nothing Izuku could do to discredit the benefits of the hellish training. After his third cycle, he was able to launch all three of his special moves consecutively, his body giving up before he could try Ikkotsu again. After the fifth, he was testing Sokkotsu, and by the seventh, he was recreating the move he’d used against Endeavor, coating his upper limbs in fire that stuck to his skin like a second layer, amplifying the force and damage behind his punches exponentially without forcing him to overheat as quickly as Ikkotsu did. Too busy patting his own back to pay attention, Izuku was forced back into reality when he walked straight into Endeavor’s back, his nose colliding harshly with the behemoth's dense frame. Endeavor didn’t even seem to notice. Izuku wasn’t sure whether to feel jealous or grateful for that, instead opening the door to a large room with two beds. Izuku peeked in and whistled lowly in appreciation. The room was huge, bigger than his dorm room back at U.A., and incredibly neat, like room service had come by just seconds ago. There was a bathroom visible from the entrance, and on each bed there was a pair of fluffy red slippers and red towels, clearly meant for the shower, along with red sheets and black duvets. Each bed was at least queen-sized, yet both fit comfortably in the room without feeling cramped at all. That was all great, but there was one thing that was confusing him.

“Endeavor, sir?” He questioned, fighting to stay up.

“Yes?” The man asked, suddenly in the room.

“I see that my luggage has found its way here, thanks for that, by the way, but, uh…” He motioned at the silver suitcase that was at the foot of the other bed, the nametag unreadable from where he currently was. “Whose bag is that?” He finished, confusion only rising as Endeavor pulled the duvet back, and panic spiking as he dropped Ruka onto the mattress.

“Ruka’s, of course.” The man responded, not a hint of a joke in his tone. Izuku stammered wildly for a moment before he could regain control of his tongue.

“You-you must be joking!” He cried in a panic. Endeavor cocked his head to the side, like the statement was confusing somehow.

“Why, what’s wrong with you two sleeping in the same room?” The man asked.

“She’s-she’s your daughter!” Izuku sputtered, disbelief dripping from his voice.

“And? Do you have some sort of nefarious intentions with her?” Endeavor asked, amused.

“No, but-!” He sighed, frustrated and decided he couldn’t be bothered to deal with it. He simply bowed sharply and turned to march into the bathroom, missing the slight smirk that danced across Endeavor’s face as he did, greed flickering in turquoise eyes. Stalking into the bathroom, Izuku peeled his sweat-soaked T-shirt off his body, the fabric clinging to his grimy skin. He hissed lightly, the fabric was caught on the scar that stretched across his chest, evidence of Nomu’s attack, and was pulling at the skin. Gently detaching the shirt from his chest, he pulled it all the way off and caught his reflection in the mirror. Turning to face the glass, he traced over the mass of scar tissue that was his torso. A huge trench of burned flesh on his right shoulder, small lines from where he’d cut himself training, and the newest addition, a mess of wide, raised patches of skin from where his ribs had exploded outwards. He traced each one, remembering where they’d come from and what he’d done to earn them, and grinned at himself in the mirror.

“I’d have a million more scars if I could save even one more person.” He whispered in the mirror. Endeavor was an evil person, but Izuku had to learn whatever he could from him, and whenever Ruka decided to escape, Izuku would be more than willing to help. Determination flared into his eyes, each one taking on an orange hue. Harsh training was nothing compared to someone dying because he wasn’t strong enough!

When he walked out of the bathroom, fully dressed but still drying his hair with a towel, Ruka was awake. She looked at him, wide-eyed for a second, before realization crossed her face.

“Did my father put us here together?” She asked quietly, like she’d known about this beforehand.

“If you knew he'd pull something like this, you could’ve told me!” Izuku fumed, crossing his arms over his chest. She pulled her gaze away from her mattress and looked over at him, a flash of indignation swallowed up by resignation.

“I didn’t know he would, but I’m not surprised that he has.” She said woodenly. Izuku felt a rising worry crawl into his throat and started taking slow steps over to her.

“Are you okay?” He asked, cringing at himself. He didn’t know how to console people, sue him! She gave him a dry look, but the corners of her lips twitched just a little bit, so he must’ve done something right.

“I’ll survive, somehow. Aren’t you curious about why my father left us here?” She asked, shuffling to look at him from a more front-on angle.

“Well, yeah, but if you don’t wanna tell me, I’m not gonna make you.” He shrugged. “Of course I’m curious, who wouldn’t be? But there’s a limit to how much I can push, and this seems firmly on the ‘your business, not mine’ side of the line.” Her lips definitely twitched at that.

“It’s okay, you already know most of the sordid details about my family life, what’s one more? But, I do want something in return.” She patted the side of her bed, and Izuku froze in place. Robotically, he forced his legs to move until he was standing above her mattress, and plopped down awkwardly, almost falling over from how stiff he was.

‘I’m sitting next to Ruka! On her bed! This is way more steps than I thought I’d take this week!’ He thought, trying to keep his Reiryoku from burning her or the sheets. She laughed a little, and Izuku almost melted at the sound, like ice crackling underfoot.
“What’s so funny?” He pouted, hoping his voice wasn’t shaking. From the look she sent him, it definitely was.

“You’re normally so bold with whatever you’re doing, but ask you to sit next to me, and you act like a high-schooler!” She said, chuckling lightly. Izuku pouted a little longer before joining in with her soft laughter, the pair’s voices echoing around the room for a bit before a comfortable silence descended. They stayed sitting on her bed, looking at each other like they were entranced.

“So, what do you want in exchange for telling me the reason?” Izuku asked, breaking away from her bewitching gaze. Ruka looked confused for a second before it dawned on her.

“Oh, right, I want to know what you meant back on the bus to USJ.” Izuku cocked his head to the side, lost.

“You’re gonna have to be a bit more specific.” He coaxed, now more curious about this than her story. She paused for a second, uncharacteristic of her, but continued.

“When you said your teacher gave you that scar.” She pointed at his right shoulder, voice low. Izuku gripped his arm instinctively, feeling the rush of pain that had gone through it like it was yesterday and the smell of burning flesh in his nose just as fresh in his mind.

“What about it?” He asked, his voice as quiet as hers now.

“How did it happen?” Izuku relaxed. He’d already told this story before; what was one more time? He told her everything: the incident at school, how he needed to gain control of his Quirk and learn how to fight with his sword, how Urahara had trained and then fought him, how the scar had happened, and finally, his decision to continue training with the man. She listened intently, nodding or asking questions throughout, but was silent for the most part. When he finished, she looked at him, really looked at him, as if seeing him for the first time.

“You…you didn’t care about him scarring you?” She whispered, her voice much smaller than he’d heard since the USJ. Izuku thought for a moment, gripping his shoulder tighter and humming in consideration.

“Of course, I care about him leaving this mark on my body.” He said at last, choosing his words carefully.

“But…?” She probed.

“But, I don’t see the scar as something negative, or something to be ashamed of. To me, it’s a reminder to keep my resolve and always do what I believe is right. Every scar I get is a lesson to me, a badge of survival and of honour.” He touched the line below his eye almost unthinkingly. Ruka looked down at her own hands, her left coming up to touch the patch of red, wrinkled skin on the left side of her face.

“I’ve never thought of it like that.” She whispered, a smile dancing onto her lips. She looked up and smiled at him, and Izuku lost his breath. “Thank you, Midoriya.” She said, her eyes shining with sincerity.

“It’s uh, it’s no problem, but you-you can call me Izuku, if you’d like.” He said, rubbing the back of his head and looking away. When there was no response, he turned back around to see her eyes welling up with tears, and panicked immediately. “Or not! I just thought, since I already call you Ruka instead of Todorki, it might be more comfy for you to call me Izuku! You don’t have to if you don’t want to, I swear!” She laughed, and Izuku snapped his rambling mouth shut. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she sniffled wetly.

“I don’t mind calling you Izuku, it’s just that I haven’t been able to talk to anyone other than him in so long. I don’t think anyone’s ever asked me to call them by their first name before; my father scared everyone away.” She said, and Izuku’s heart squeezed tightly at the sadness in her voice. 

“What do you mean, scared them away?” He asked, more than a little curious. She dried her eyes and took a deep breath.

“I was homeschooled until high school, my only companions before that were my father and the people he hired to make sure I was eating right.” She recounted, eyes growing misty. “I wasn’t allowed to talk to my siblings, he said I was a being on a higher level than them, and I couldn’t let them dirty me with their presence, or some nonsense along those lines. I complained over and over, desperate to make some sort of relationship with my family, and when he gave in, I felt hope for the first time since my mother was sent away. This was my chance to reconnect! Except, my siblings weren’t what I imagined.” She looked down, glaring at the sheets bitterly.

“What do you mean?” Izuku asked. This was his opportunity to learn more about Ruka, and his chance to help.

“Natsuo thought I avoided them willingly, that I really did think that I was better than them. No matter how much I begged and pleaded, he wouldn’t listen to me, called me our father’s ‘favourite’ and said I was ‘the lucky one’. I gave up on him after that. Fuyumi was somehow worse; she didn’t think I was lucky, or that I made any sort of choice, but she still wanted us to act like a perfect little family, Endeavor included.” She spat out, her glare hardening. “Then, when high school started, and I was told I’d be attending real school for the first time, I dared to hope again. Maybe this time, I could actually talk to people, be friends with someone, anything, anything at all that didn’t involve my father.” She laughed again, but this time it was bitter and haunting. “I should’ve known better. All of my fellow students were made more than aware of who my father was, and he made sure they wouldn’t lay a single glance my way. He put out a press conference at the Hero rankings event, talking about how I was his ‘treasured daughter’ and that he would do anything to keep me unharmed. Needless to say, when the parents and the school heard about that, it became a bit of an unspoken rule to ignore me. It’s better to be accused of negligence than of abuse, after all. Those three years were just as bad as everything that preceded them. I was still alone, ever the ‘untouched masterpiece’.” She shuddered, her voice breaking slightly before she recomposed herself. “Even at U.A., what hope did I have of making friends? You see how they acted on the first day, it was all ‘that’s Endeavor’s daughter!’ and ‘She must be just as strong as her dad, right?’. I couldn’t deal with that again, I couldn’t live under his shadow again!” Tears welled up in her eyes again, and she locked eyes with him. “Everyone leaves eventually, Midoriya, even my siblings gave up on me in fear of him. How can I expect anyone else to stay?” Izuku sat for a moment, stunned, watching her try vigorously to wipe tears out of her eyes.

‘How do I help her?’ He thought, watching her break down. Led by instinct, he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her in for a hug, the opposing temperatures of her body a real interesting experience. She stiffened for a moment, but relaxed slowly as Izuku allowed his body to heat up just a little bit, the embarrassment of the situation helping him out.

“Didn’t I already tell you back at the USJ? I’d listen to anything you said like it was God speaking to me. I’ll stay with you, Ruka, unless you tell me to leave, I’ll stay with you, and your father couldn’t do anything to me to change that.” He murmured, keeping his hands completely still on her back, well aware of how precarious his situation was. She locked eyes with him, wide turquoise and brown meeting with forest green, and tears welled up again to replace the ones she’d just wiped away. She buried her head in his shoulder, and if he felt it get a bit wet or felt her body shaking with sobs, he didn’t say a single thing about it. They stayed like that for a while, Izuku’s earlier exhaustion seeming to evaporate as he stayed in contact with her, until eventually she pulled away, eyes red. She jumped off of him like he had the plague. He wasn’t sure whether to feel offended or not, but a glimpse of red on her cheek put that conflict to rest.

“Not a word of this to anyone else.” She demanded, the effect ruined by her voice cracking. Izuku chuckled lightly.

“As you wish.” He agreed, more than happy to do what she wanted. She glared at him through the side of her eye.

“And don’t think this is going to happen again anytime soon. You were just around when I needed some companionship.” She warned.
“Whatever you say.” He said mildly, shrugging.

“Good. Now, go to your own bed instead of dirtying mine.” Izuku got up, just to be pulled back down, Ruka’s warm hand yanking on his arm. He looked at her, seeing the slight hint of red still on her face.

“And, thank you for your help.” She muttered, releasing him.

“I’d do anything for you.” He replied as easily as breathing. She spun around, burying herself in the covers, which probably meant she was done for the day. Izuku let out the tiniest of laughs and turned off the light, more than ready to call it a day himself.

 

The next day was a repeat of the last in terms of training, but the morning was an incredibly awkward experience. Since waking up, Ruka hadn’t looked him in the eyes; as a matter of fact, she did her utmost to stay completely out of his sight. It hurt a little, being ignored after she’d poured out her feelings like that, but he figured she was more than a little traumatized, and it would take more than one night of empathy to get through to her. Training was the same, arrive, spar, sauna room, back to bedroom, but there was something that’d stuck out, Endeavor had decided to give him a little advice. Izuku looked down at his workout uniform, the same one that Renji-sensei wore, and considered the Number Two Hero’s advice.

Flashback

“Hero work doesn’t suit itself to Muay Thai.” Izuku blinked, taken aback.

“What do you mean? It’s one of the best martial arts out there!” He protested. Endeavor looked down at him, the pair just outside the sauna room.

“I agree. However, villain attacks rarely occur in close combat, and when they do, Muay Thai simply doesn’t have the knockout power that your special moves do.”
“Muay thai has plenty of knockout attacks!” He protested again, he wouldn’t give up his years of practice just because of this one man! Endeavor sighed, frustrated.

“I think you’re misunderstanding me, Midoriya. I’m not telling you to give up your Muay Thai skills or change up your style; I’m telling you to come up with attacks that are guaranteed to land you a takedown in the quickest time possible. If you’re fighting someone who’s going crazy in a crowd, a strike might not be enough to knock them out, especially at your level of strength.” Izuku calmed down considerably, taking the advice in hand.
“That move you used against my daughter in the sports festival, the Lariat, that’s a good start, it’s a strong attack that can be used at will, it’s not damaging to people around you, and it’s strong enough that you can take down a villain easily.” Endeavor told him, turning around to go help Ruka again, leaving Izuku to stew in his thoughts.

Flashback end.

He grabbed the outfit and raised it to the sky.

‘It’s time to adapt.’ He thought sadly, folding it back up and stowing it away. ‘I can’t risk people’s lives because of nostalgia!’ It was time to expand his moveset, and he was determined to find something perfect for what he needed! He hopped into bed, but before he could turn off the light, Ruka’s hesitant voice rang out.

“Good night, Izuku.” He smiled, flicking the switch.

“Good night, Ruka.”

 

The next morning, Endeavor told them to meet him on the first floor instead of the 50th. When they arrived, he was waiting for them with the car they’d arrived in, dressed in his Hero costume.

“We’re going to be doing something a little different today.” He announced, waiting for the pair to stand in front of him.

“What is it, Endeavor?” Ruka asked, now able to at least act polite around him.

“It’s time to show you how a real Hero works. We’re going on patrol.” Endeavor declared, his mustache flaring up slightly. Izuku blinked in confusion.

“What do we need the car for?” He asked. Endeavor grinned back at him, flames dancing wildly.

“We aren’t going to patrol here. No, we’re going to Hosu city.” Ruka and Izuku blanched.

“Isn’t that where the Hero Killer was?!” Ruka asked, all politeness lost.

“Yeah, isn’t that a bit much for us right now?!” Izuku backed her up. As much as he wanted a good fight, he also wanted to see his mother again! Endeavor smiled down at them, but it wasn’t reassuring like All Might’s; instead, it was arrogant and wrathful.

“ I’m going to hunt down the Hero Killer, you two are going to watch and learn how to be a true Hero!” And with that, he stepped into the car, cutting off all further protests. Izuku looked over to Ruka, panic written across his face, but she was already stepping into the car. With a sigh of resignation, he shuffled in to follow. With the rumble of the engine, they were headed to Hosu, where the Hero Killer was presumed to be, and where Iida’s brother had been crippled. Izuku watched the skyline pass by, just like he did on the way to the agency, but he took no joy out of it this time. Instead, he took the view in somberly, it might be the last time he was able to see it, after all.

 

Manzen Yuhi=Careless Sunset

Hibashira=Fire Pillar

Hissatsu Hyoso=Certain-Kill Ice Spears

Hiken=Fire Fist.

Notes:

I hope you liked it! This chapter has:
1. Izuku going to the Endeavor agency
2. Testing and a spar against Endeavor
3. Training
4. Angst
Endeavor is much, much more imposing here than in canon. I understand that there's a wide gap between first and second, but the gap between second and third is EVEN LARGER, hawks would get OBLITERATED by Endeavor, honestly the entire top ten after All Might would, he's ridiculous!
Ruka spills a bit of her past, Izuku comforts her, and they're off to Hosu!
Let me know what you think, criticisms, concerns, and compliments are more than welcome!