Endgame - Monsieur Otter (Grayashura) - 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia (2024)

Chapter 1: A booster a day keeps the slime away

Chapter Text

Chapter 1: A booster per day keeps the slime away.

‘Pollen... Urgh... with the lung I have left, I should not take more risk than I should. I have not yet found a good successor...’

Just a little thought. Just this one little thought and the universe went sideways. Nobody would know the story of “Deku”, the new modern All Might, the Hero who would have become the new Symbol of Peace.

Still, Yagi preserved his lung today, thinking about the slime criminal that was on the run. According to the police, it was hiding in the sewer. What were the odds that it went outside to hide? Quite low. He would let a hero with an accordingly adapted body go there. Did you see how bulked up he was? He could not move down there!

--------

‘Kacchan may have burned up my notebook again today... But at least I got some good cards!’

As his absent father used to say, before going to America (swearing it was not because his son was quirkless), you should always look at the bright side of the day. After all, his day could be worse: he could look like the blond skeleton guy who seemed so frail that he could die by tripping over a rock! Coincidentally, his father tripped on a carpet before getting on the plane to America, falling headfirst over the railing.

Izuku could swear he saw his mom watching with an icy stare... But she was his mommy and she always protected him. Hell, even Kacchan knew better than to annoy Izuku when Auntie Inko was there. So, Izuku was going to forget that awkward fact in the box for inconvenient memories in the back of his mind.

So, with the money he had left from his meals, Izuku had just enough to buy a new booster for the popular “HERO! The Official Card Collecting Game!“. It was one of the various games owned by the Yaoyorozu conglomerate. Hell, as far as Izuku knew, they even owned some old occidental company and Nintendo as of now.

Still, while not as exceptional as the day he and Kacchan got the PU All Might Argent Era, presently the rarest in the world, it was a good haul: Endeavor (UA Student) (SR), The Hauler (Vigilante Era) (R), and Ingenium (Common), Backdraft (Common) and Nezu (Ultra Common). He always laughed at the idea that a Vigilante who became a sidekick was rarer than the Hero he worked for. Still, Izuku liked the card, and by association, the man that was printed on it.

At least, it put a smile on his face, despite the tears he was still trying to hold in. Not before he could get to his bedroom...

“Perfect. A medium-sized skinsuit!”

The card still in his hand, Izuku didn’t have the time to register what was happening, before the slime was already on him, trying to suffocate him. Could it wear him like a suit?! That would be wrong on so many levels! Would it kill him or was he trying to use him as a meat suit?! So many disturbing questions that would not stop popping up.

The young boy tried to speak, to call for help! Someone, somebody, had to come! Maybe a hero with a smile, saying, “Don’t worry, because I AM HERE!”

But nobody came. As always.

Izuku was slowly giving up. Why did he think he would get help? He was only Deku. The Useless Deku. If people came to help Quirkless, maybe he would have gotten some help. Except for his mother, he knew the world was not merciful to his kind. Even the teachers at school never came to defend him. It was only Kacchan when he said he had priority to bully Izuku before readily letting him go.

“If it makes you feel better, know that you are my hero. So don’t worry, when I get to your home... Your family will have a painless death," The slime with a smile, as Izuku felt his consciousness fading away.

Maybe… maybe it will be like Katsuki said? Maybe he would get a better quirk in his next life? But… his mom would cry so much…

Mom… MOM!

And then something happened.

The second toe-joint. The famous extra-joint was the proof that the quirkless were less “evolved”. A study that had ruined Izuku’s life. Well, few people in the world knew it was quite wrong: it could mean sometimes that the child was a late-bloomer. The problem was that the quirk was often too powerful for the kid, and their brain would collapse, trying to reign in a quirk they could not control.

Therefore, late-bloomers were not well-documented, either that or the kid had a weak quirk but nothing in between. Still, better than being quirkless.

What the slime and Izuku did not know was that the brain of the young man was just relaxed enough from the oxygen deprivation to withstand the strain of manifesting a quirk, and the outlet in his hand glowed. The pressure was just enough for the quirk to manifest, but not enough to collapse his brain. Something disappeared from Izuku’s hand and…

“WATER STRIKE!”

Something, or someone, washed away from Izuku the slime before his victim gasped for oxygen. Did... Did someone save him? It was so strange as if something just appeared and... When Izuku looked, he saw the Hero Backdraft, a second before he decayed into a burnt card. Oh. What the hell? I mean, it was not normal for a hero to disappear just like that!

Before Izuku could understand what happened, the slime started a new attempt at attacking the middle schooler. It lunged at him, ready to engulf him with its green slime once again.

“AND YOU HAVE A GOOD QUIRK TOO! Perfect!”

A good what now?

Izuku’s eyes widened. It was too late to react now. He would- A hand touched the slime from the bridge above them, and the slime disappeared, leaving only a small blue marble in its place.

Still coughing, Izuku tried to look at the one who saved him... Only to see a strange man, with a costume and a mask, elegantly dropping from above his cane, hitting the ground with a quiet yet audible sound.

“... What a lack of elegance, attacking a child...” The utter contempt in the voice was as distinct as the disgust.

A few seconds passed before our favorite hero nerd recognized his savior, as the magician grabbed the marble and kicked it as hard as possible, throwing it extremely far and above.

“... Mr. Compress?!”

Mr. Compress. One of the most known vigilantes in all of Japan, a villain according to the official news, but most forums put him in the vigilante category. Why? Solely because he was a thief who liked to steal from the rich villains, expose corruption, and on the internet.

A few people linked his heist with a mysterious donation for the quirkless, the villainous quirk, or the mutant quirk foundations. It was quite difficult to take the money from the charities, especially All Might often being one donor... And the number 1 Hero had clarified that he would not allow such generosity to go to waste, even if it came from a ‘villain’.

Izuku was one of those who linked all of this and he thought about how often the villain had dodged All Might and how many times the N°1 Hero found a reason to not take care of the current heist by the mysterious thief. Therefore he theorized Mr. Compress perhaps had the respect of the N°1 Hero, which also explained why Endeavor had so much hatred against the magician.

The man was possibly one of the young boy’s favorite “heroes” in the entire world.

Mr. Compress, as flamboyant as ever, laughed a bit before offering him a hand and helping him to his feet.

“Hello, young boy! Quite the nice job you did there with your quirk.” The man said with warmth in his voice. As if he recognized him or something.

Izuku froze when he heard these words.

A Quirk? But... He was Quirkless?! Besides, the hero Backdraft was just there! How could he have done anything?! But wait- Backdraft’s area was nowhere near here!

Izuku could feel himself slipping into a panic attack, presumably caused by his brain trying to process the near-death experience and the apparition of the new quirk.

He crumbled entirely and directly on the ground, breath quickening.

The strange magician did what anyone would have, and patted Izuku’s back, helping the kid regulate his breathing. He might be a vigilante, but all he wanted to do was to help people.

“It is going to be okay. You were outstanding, kiddo.” The masked man told the boy, as Izuku tried to speak again, his breathing heavier than before.

“Quirkless... I’m- I’m quirkless,”

Mr. Compress did not stop. He continued speaking and sat down on the ground beside Izuku.

“Because you didn’t manifest a quirk when you were young? The extra toe joint, etc, etc?”

Izuku nodded as the man spoke with a soft voice, with none of the disgust or pity Izuku was used to hearing. Oh god, he was being consoled by a famous vigilante! Why did it feel… way more personal? Like there was a connection between them?

“Congrats!” Mr. Compress boomed with joy. You could hear his smile in his voice, clapping his hands for him. The famous thief was happy for him? How? Why?! “You are lucky. Well, not so lucky with the fact that you only manifested your quirk now, but, hey, it happens. It happened to me as an example!”

Was it necessary to say that Izuku stared at his savior with obvious disbelief and shock?

“What?” summed up quite what Izuku was thinking at this instant.

“Why do you think no one knows my name? It is because my quirk came in late, just like yours. It allowed me to not register my quirk. Therefore, most people would pass my name over when checking who I could be. However, unlike yours, it was way too late for me to be a hero. I was like… Twenty years old, I think? So, I became the next best thing. Plus, a good friend of mine threw the Robin Hood legend at me after too much teasing.” He added with some chuckles. Let’s not mention his ancestry with the famous thief, Oji Harima, for VERY OBVIOUS REASONS. You don’t tell your biggest secret to a kid even if he is adorable and one of your fans!

That the young boy had the same hair, though way fluffier than his old friend, was also a nostalgia factor to him. He wanted to pat his head and this green hair! Instead, Mr. Compress stood up, helping Izuku up as well once again.

“I am sorry kiddo, but I can not stay in one place for too long, unless I want the likes of Endeavor or Hawks after me, trying to capture me. However, remember! This. Is. Your. Power,” The magician explained, his finger tapping on Izuku’s forehead. “It is your choice to use it. To make it grow. Will you use it? Become a hero, a vigilante, or a simple barista... I don’t know what your dream is. But here is some advice, as you used the card. As a magician, I know way too well how a deception is a tool just as strong as your quirk itself. You should learn a bit about magic tricks and learn about your limits. Most late bloomers should explore their limit with patience, though. Otherwise, they could die. I cannot stress this enough.”

It is not like he saw that happen a few times. Still, he had to hop and go now!

Izuku was still too shocked to react, and when he was ready to speak, Mr. Compress had already disappeared. He wanted to thank him, but as Mr. Compress once said in one of his interviews:

“I do not expect thanks. I just expect a smile on your face.”

Imagining that his new favorite idol was still watching over him, he put the biggest smile he could on his face and looked at his cards. Well... Maybe he could try one more time? Thought not with Endeavor. If it was like when he summoned Backdraft... The situation hit Izuku hard as he realized the possible consequence and he was not stupid.

Burning a park was not the best way to test his new quirk. Not to mention what Mr. Compress said at the end. He could die if he used too much of his power. Maybe… maybe he could try with some lesser card? Maybe a normal card with a hero that wasn’t too strong?

Despite the risk, a genuine smile grew on his face. After years of analyzing quirks, being called creepy and all other things… he could analyze his own quirk.

—-

As for the slime, it was found two weeks later. Supposedly, it hit a certain Yakuza with a bird mask. Overhaul reassembled the slime body into a more solid form before letting Rappa use it as a punching bag.

—-

That evening, at Midoriya’s home, Mitsuki Bakugou was forced to call to be sure if it was them crying too much or if they had a localized flood. Yes, the mistake has already happened.

Inko could not believe what had happened at first. Then, Izuku used the Nezu card in front of her… and a small version of the UA’s principal made a few movements before burning… leaving a charred card. Also, a very exhausted Izuku, who laid down in the saloon as he went to sleep.

Inko was beaming with pride and joy about the situation. She did not care for him being quirkless or with a quirk. He was her son, and she was going to tear down anyone who would try to hurt her boy. She had already, though no one could prove anything about Hisashi’s death.

However, she knew how much it meant for her son, and how it affected his dream of being a hero.

Maybe she could help? She knew what a late bloomer was. She was the childhood friend of one of them and maybe… maybe she could ask him for some help? After all, Izuku could not show his power at school. However, he needed to train for it. So, he needed a teacher who knew what he was going through.

Therefore, she did what every mother would have done: she grabbed her phone and dialed an old number that she hadn’t called in years. What a shame she did not call him earlier… But he was happier thinking she did not know his “activities”.

“Atsuhiro-san? It’s Inko! Are you free tomorrow?” Her voice was saying, ‘Atsuhiro, you are coming to dinner.’ Always fear the quiet one…

—---

The next day at school, Izuku was uncommonly happy. He had a quirk. True, his mother made him promise he would not use it as long as he was not sure of his limit. She said she found a mentor for him; he was coming to dinner.

He was also with a deck of cards. Izuku was still thinking about his meeting with the Magician and how card tricks could prove useful. Mr. Compress was facing dangerous and/or powerful people like Miruko or Endeavor daily and won every single encounter, getting away while avoiding capture.

Mr. Compress was not strong or had a powerful quirk that could help him fight. Well, Compress had a powerful quirk, but you needed to get close to your opponent to use it. Every fan knew he needed to touch you to activate the quirk.

So Izuku was thinking. Maybe he should hide his quirk. It was only a tool, after all. Maybe he could learn other tricks? Some magic tricks? If he needed to use his cards, magic tricks were useful: hiding cards in his sleeves and other things like that. So… he better start now.

Meanwhile, Katsuki Bakugou was looking at Deku with a… weird feeling. For once, the nerd was not annoying him and was playing with some cards. No weird notebook, no gushing to him about how his quirk was awesome or All Might’s latest fight… Not getting into trouble, he had to bail him out like the weak Deku he was.

It was weird.

So for once, Katsuki sat down with force in front of Izuku and looked at him.

“... What are you doing, sh*tty Deku?”

Saying that Izuku was startled would be like saying that the water was wet. Katsuki was talking to him on his own terms? It was strange, but… maybe he could-

“I asked a question!” The angry teen with the explosive temper interrupted his thoughts.

“Magic tricks! I mean… I am trying to learn some… magic tricks? I thought it would be nice and less weird to others than taking notes and… well… I am not good enough to do it while walking. So I was training on my own.”

Katsuki was looking at him… before nodding.

"it was about time you put some backbone into something!” Katsuki said with a ferocious smile, to Izuku’s surprise.

Soon after that, he got back up and that was that.

The greenette was a bit confused. Almost no insults. He was… almost kind of nice for once? Huh. weird. Still, Izuku appreciated the silence for once. So… the video showed the finger trick like that…

—---

Atsuhiro was smiling. He had not seen Inko in years! The last time was when that dumbass husband of hers was leaving without divorcing. And if Atsuhiro left a marble at his feet to shift his equilibrium and let him fall to his death, no one had to know.

There was no proof, after all. Just because he did not like killing, that did not mean he was not capable of murder.

So he was happy to see her and eat her delicious cooking again. Being a famous thief was taking up so much of his time, after all… he did not have many connections, except for Giran and that strange fellow barman, Kurogiri. He made such a wonderful Manhattan. Oh, and let’s not forget Magne and Chisome.

However, seeing normal people was nice! Just like that green kid yesterday!

Atsuhiro hoped that the kid would grow into something nice. Hell, it would have been fun to mentor him, but he was right to leave as soon as he did. He had seen hawks in the area, most likely because he stole some files from the HPSC~~.

Who would have guessed it would piss the HPSC enough to send their prized hero after him? Oh well. Time to give them to that agreeable fellow without a nose. Quite crazy, but a deal was a deal, even if he bet it over a round of poker.

So it was with a smile that the man went for a stroll in the city… and stole the wallet of Mt Lady. Simply because he could and honestly, it was too much fun to watch her trying to comprehend how someone stole it from her chest.

—---

“Inkoooooo-chaaaaaan!” An excited voice squealed from below as Izuku was still in his room, doing his homework and practicing his skills. Their guest, most likely, and he was positively happy to see his mom.

“Atsuhiro-san! You should call more, you know?” said his mother with a tone that plainly said, “if you don’t call me more, you will have some issues with me.” Nobody wanted to have issues with Inko…

Still, it was obviously their guest. Izuku smiled once again, like the sunshine he was before going downstairs. There he saw a tall man, who seemed… quite ordinary. Brown short hair, brown eyes, a face neither ugly nor beautiful… Hell, if he was a wanted man, most people would have trouble describing him. Nonetheless, Izuku smiled at the silent man.

“Good evening mister Sako!” The sweetest bean in the world beamed to his (unknowingly) idol.

Inko laughed a bit at her friend, undoubtedly stunned by the cinnamon roll that was her son. Even she was sometimes not immune to that smile. So Atsuhiro with no defense against it? Yep. Full effect guaranteed.

Though she could not guess the part they already met. Izuku had hidden the “almost got killed by a villain” from her.

“Izuku? Let me introduce you to Atsuhiro-san. You saw him once or twice when you were much younger. He is a late-bloomer, just like you.”

Izuku went full-on quirk nerd instantaneously, and he assaulted Mr. Compress with so many questions he considered marbling the kid to calm him down before thinking about how Inko would gut him soon after that, not to mention the fact it would oust him as Mr. Compress.

“Calm down, kiddo. Yes, I am a late bloomer, and no, I do not have health issues. Principally because I had your mother to help me deal with it when we were young.”

Inko laughed a bit, as she remembered the old time, directing her friend and her son toward the living room.

“Yes, I remember. You could create these tiny blue marbles at school. They were so beautiful. We never knew if it was made of lapis-lazulis or a blue marble.”

Izuku looked at Atsuhiro. Atsuhiro stared back, his smile becoming strained. He could see the gears working in the child's head. The kid had Inko’s brain.

“Oh? And what else did you do?” The boy not-so-naively asked…. While Mr. Compress was screaming inwardly. ‘Please, Inko, don’t talk about the book!’

“Well, we were in the reading club. I remember I used to throw books at him when he was teasing me too much. He especially loved that old Robin Hood novel.”

… sh*t. Well, at least it was not like Inko knew his job as a vigilante/villain. So while the mom went to get the drink, he looked at Izuku.

Atsuhiro feared only a few things in the world. All for One was one of them. Endeavor was another. Nedzu when he was without (or with too much) tea…. And Inko. Especially when she was mad. If she knew what he was doing daily, she would maim him for endangering himself so often.

“Private lessons if you don’t tell your mom.”

Izuku smirked.

“You’ll also teach me how to fight if I don’t tell her that Mr. Compress stole from the HPSC yesterday.”

“You drive a hard bargain,” The vigilante gasped before Izuku inhaled as if he was going to speak aloud… Oh god. “You have a deal! Please say nothing to her!”

Izuku smiled at the magician with a smile, evidently contrasting the fact that he just blackmailed one of the most powerful thieves in the world. If he was not the target of said blackmail, it would impress Compress.

When Inko heard her boy threaten her childhood friend, she had mixed feelings. Should she tell him it was bad or be proud of him for standing his ground? In the end, she chose pride, as it was better for Izuku. Who knows? Maybe he would finally fight for himself at school!

Also, she was almost certain that Atsuhiro would use her former “Hell training for skinny man” on her son (Atsuhiro said he was going to be an athlete. It was funny how he thought he had her fooled for a second). It would do some good for her boy, and she feared that if she trained him herself, she was going to be too soft.

This evening, Atsuhiro got a disciple and the best meal he had in years. Also, Inko made him promise he would come one evening per week for dinner and tell her how much Izuku progressed.

—---

“So… Atsuhiro-sensei…” Mr. Compress loved that name. “... Why are we in this dump?”

The Dagobah Beach. Former dating spot of the year, back when he was a young man.

A few years before Inko got married. Everyone makes mistakes, okay? And he absolutely did not miss his chance with Inko because of that damn playboy, Hisashi. If only he could again make him fall…

Uh. Maybe he had a few unresolved issues. Well, let’s not delve into the past. Instead, let’s train a hero!

“Well, first, because nobody comes here. Second, it is very nice to test your power and not hurting anything and there is a nice hospital for quirkless that owes me a favor or two close to here. Since I wish to stay as a male, I prefer to transport you there immediately to not have your mom coming at me.” Atsuhiro explained, while doing some stretching. “Also, you will learn how to fight even on uneven ground. Not to mention, of course, some physical training.…”

Izuku had a feeling of dread, as his mentor pulled out from a marble, an old diary with written cutely “Road to be the best <3”.

Mr. Compress had a terrifying smile. One saying obviously, “You can pray to God. But spoiler alert: I won’t be listening”.

“Did mom approve this training?” The scared teenager asked.

“She wrote it.” For Atsuhiro, but that went unsaid, as he wanted to torture Izuku. The teenager wondered for a second if he did the right thing by blackmailing an S-rank villain.

At the end of the week, our Izuku, who could not move any part of his body thought…

Yes. It was worth it.

—---

At the Aldera Middle School, Izuku’s change did not go unnoticed. First, Izuku continued training his magic tricks: Atsuhiro told him it was an excellent idea, as card tricks and misdirections were quite useful in battle. Also, for pick-pocketing. Hell, people began to think that making cards disappear and reappear was his quirk. A weak quirk but a quirk… Well, at least until Izuku explained it was not a quirk.

His body, becoming leaner and well-toned, also grabbed the attention of some girls and Bakugou. Noticeably, the blond boy saw Izuku running in the morning with a strange man, he did not know. The angry boy told Inko and Auntie explained to him that Izuku was finally taking the hero thing earnestly and training hard.

Bakugou was at first angry…

And then became angrier. It was out of the question that Deku was going ahead of him!

Therefore, young Bakugou trained even harder after school, having less contact with some boys at school. After all, Deku was training every day. How could Bakugou do less than Deku?!

—---

“A bit more tea, Mitsuki-san?” Inko asked, her pot of tea ready for her best friend.

Boom.

“With pleasure, Inko! So, how is Atsuhiro-san as of now?” The explosion just outside fazed none of the women.

“Oh, you know. He tries to be there as much as possible for Izuku, but he is quite busy himself. However, he trains my young boy very hard. Do you want me to ask if he can train Katsuki?” This was quite true, as Mr. Compress could not disappear for too long. He had people to leave as destitute and criminals to punish.

“BIG BANG ATTACK!” The two women could hear the loud noise in the background, as Katsuki trained hard.

“Oh, Inko, you’re too kind. However, I do not think that Katsuki would be compatible with his training” Indeed, as much as Mitsuki loved her boy, he was anything but subtle. It was better to leave that to a more sensible person, such as Izuku. He was so adorable. He made a coin appear from her ear!

“You have a point.”

“Also, I think you prefer when you dine with only Izuku and Atsuhiro, right? ~~” Mitsuki teased a bit. She knew about Atsuhiro’s childhood crush. Also, she was against Inko’s relationship with Hisashi… When asked, she stated that she did not use her power to make that one passage slippy in the airport. Nothing suspicious there at all.

“... What does that mean?” the chubby mother said strongly to her friend, her eyes narrowing.

“Nothing!” Mitsuki answered with a face, not unlike her son when he had a wonderful opportunity to embarrass Izuku.

‘My dear Atsuhiro, don’t worry, I am rooting for you.’ Thought the blonde woman.

—---

During his day off, Izuku decided to learn more about the different cards. Be it “Hero” cards or another game. It would allow him to learn more about his limitations, and he needed as much edge as possible on his sleeve.

So, he tried to do the most sensible thing and go to a game shop so he could buy cards and play with them.

That was the first time that Izuku faced a neckbeard, a fearsome creature that lived in their mother’s basem*nt. They are huge jerks, trolls, goblins, and basem*nt-dweller. Especially when the newcomer is a living sunshine way too pure for this world.

While most people would just try to protect Izuku, the neckbeard cannot stand purity and wants to corrupt it. So, when Izuku asked for a game, all players redirected him toward a certain someone in the back of the shop.

The player in question was… Something that the usual inhabitants of the shop could not deal with. He was too creepy (even according to their low standard) and they could not kick him out of the shop because:

1. their survival instinct told them it was a bad idea.
2. He was one of the biggest spenders in the shop.
3. Even his smiles were saying, “I am going to kill you, eat your corpse and use your remains for a satanic ritual.”

Yes; all players send Izuku toward…

Tomura Shigaraki.

The young man was here in his Sensei’s order to learn some social skills. So he tried to give his best smile. His best Tomura smile.

“Welcome to the game, Hero…”

Chapter 2: What boys do together

Chapter Text

Chapter 2: What happens between boys.

Let us roll back a bit in time.

A few weeks ago,

“Young master, if you don’t go outside to meet people, I am going to throw you outside.”

Despite being a bio-engineered nanny for the man-child we all know and love, Kurogiri was done. Tomura somehow stayed 5 days without sleeping and washing, playing games alone in his room.

“I DON’T NEED TO MEET NPCs! I NEED TO KEEP PLAYING!!”

The last edition of the monster of Frankenstein narrowed his non-existent eyebrows and did the most logical thing to do. He took Shigaraki’s console and threw it in a portal. Shigaraki was looking with stupefaction at his caretaker.

“My… Video Games…” said the boy, who didn’t quite handle his own rage yet.

Then Kurogiri threw Tomura through another portal, toward a hot bath. Yes, Tomura still wore his clothes, but the Noumu was quite done with the smell and just wanted it to be done.

“You will get your video games back only when I get a receipt proving you bought something in a store and at least tried to meet people!” Said the black mist man, still angry at the boy for being such a living pile of waste. Tomura having a decaying power wasn’t an excuse to rot, especially if his smell was propagating in the bar. It was a respectable establishment and the only thing his former personality liked in this life.

“But Kurogiriiiiiii” Tomura tried to plead weakly to Kurogiri before the cloud looked angrily at his charge.

“No buts. If you don’t wash and do what I just said to do, I will directly report to Sensei.” The ultimate threat. The ultimate one. Even Tomura became livid at those words and washed quickly.

Then Kurogiri made the Decay boy clean himself a second time as he forgot to take off his clothes the first time. Oh well, at least the clothes were cleaner.

He still had to clean Tomura’s room now. Kurogiri wistfully reflected upon the misery of his own existence as he co*cked his guns and made sure that the flamethrower was ready. Yes, it was something that Tomura was supposed to be doing. However, Kurogiri was now sure that indigenous life-forms were born from his protegee’s trash and now he had a clean-up to do.

“SSSSSSSSShhhh” made a certain creature, looking like a certain alien from a famous franchise.

“Well, as they say, it is time for a tidy-up. Also, I never liked Prometheus.” said the battle butler before beginning the purge.

It is said that the battle ended after 5 quite intense days. Yes, Kurogiri took some breaks to make sure Tomura went out as expected, but still. All for One found the footage hilarious to see. He also asked Kurogiri to burn all the corpses, just to be sure that they wouldn’t come back. After all, All for One was an evil genius, and he saw the Alien Saga. No way he was going to experiment on that.

Now, back to Tomura.

First, the blue-haired criminal found a place with games, not too sunny and without too many kids running around. This excluded most cybercafes, as they were often the noisiest places in the world. It also excluded him from the possibility of just hanging out in a video game store. Besides, they have banned him from most because of his decaying habits.

It was not his fault if sometimes he couldn’t remember to not put his five fingers on something, dammit.

The second thing that was right now maddening him, is the fact he had to hang out in a mall. Kurogiri restrained him inside and took his ID, so he couldn’t even try to get wasted. Once again, he had to be reminded of what happened the last time he was drunk: Supposedly, he may have decayed the support beam for a railing at an airport and some dumbass fell to their death.

He was also way younger and his former caretaker before Kurogiri, someone he named “Random NPC n°2”, did not know the difference between an apple juice and an apple liquor. That could have happened to anyone!

Still, the young man with the same hygienic habit as a Nurgling had to find a den to restore himself and at least technically complete his task.

The answer appeared. A store that had better days, with a former stylish front but now just tacky, with a wyvern nesting on a pile of goods made of cards and books. The Den of the Drake. Card games were a kind of game, after all. Also, even if he couldn’t get drunk, he could still buy a lot of things with Sensei’s money.

“Hello, young man. What are you searching for?” Asked an old vendor, with a beard well taken care of. Maybe it had something to do with the fact he was using it to work on his computer? Tomura pondered the thought a moment before answering.

“Game. Villains Vs Hero. I want a Villain Starter pack.”

His demand caused snickering in the shop from the old ‘patrons’ of the shop… Except they must pay their share, as the shopkeeper, despite their attitude, did nothing. Thus they did what they did best. They snickered.

“Well, there is the “Hero!” game. Nobody plays Villains and most people play different teams of heroes against each other. We recommend the “UA Starter” for beginners.”

Either Tomura wasn’t terrifying and horrible enough or the shopkeeper was used to seeing creepy guys like him. Even as the criminal stared at him, the man quietly took out an old package with the UA symbol and the Special “Endeavor Valedictorian” edition. Not the rarest as they included it in the package, but most people choose to keep it as it is often their first “Super Rare” card.

Tomura looked at the deck and thought a bit. Pitting heroes against heroes? Tempting. He should see if it was funny.

“No Villains?”

“They have their separate editions, but the HSPC asked for them to be not as “powerful” as the heroes. The Yaoyorozus circumvented it: Either you have an powerful villain unit but they are rare or cost a hefty penny… Or you can play swarm tactics with typical cannon fodder. I recommend a mix of both: one powerful villain such as The Architect, especially as he has passive boosting minions with his type and minions to wear out the heroes. Though I recommend not playing such a deck against an Endeavor/Burnin composition.”

Tomura gave a confused look at the man, before looking better at the UA deck and the second villain deck. Indeed, it was minions and villains’ bosses were only obtainable via booster. So you needed luck or money before you could use that kind of deck.

“How high are the odds of finding a villain boss in the booster?” Tomura asked, while his game-geared mind calculated things beyond anyone else’s comprehension.

“Around 1 in 100 packages, explaining why they aren’t popular.” Then, the shopkeeper heard the words that made Tomura nearly untouchable in his shop.

“How many villain booster packs do you have?” Yes, our favorite villain had taken out the black card. The bearded man’s eyes turned into yens and took every villain booster he had. It was a hefty quantity.

Tomura continued to get affection points from this charming NPC by telling him he was going to buy often.

That day, Tomura got the UA Deck, as it was the cheaper deck with the rules for it and around ninety villain boosters.

He got his first boss, “Muscular Bloodbath edition” (SSR); he was one of those Villains’ bosses without a gang. In fact, his apparition wiped out the field, including allies. However, his strength was equal to the number of units destroyed that way.

That day, Tomura’s smile killed five puppies.

That’s how the villain gained his place in the shop. The weirdo who would spend a fortune only to play with Villains. If, at first, the other clients laughed at his antics, Tomura taught them to fear, because he used tactics that were just myths before. Minions swarming, boss summoning… He kept improving himself, almost with every game he played.

He became known as “That cheating munchkin with too much money”. A name feared in Musutafu’s playing community. The Villain domination had begun…

And then, one player arrived. A green-haired guy with a smile just as pure as the blue-haired guy was rotten. One who had just a custom deck, with no logic behind it, like, for example, the Miruko Deck (one of the most recent and, according to a lot, one of the few counters to Tomura Madness Destruction Murder Deck).

“Go easy on me. It’s my first time!” Asked Izuku.

Tomura smiled, and the game began. As if mercy existed.

—

Tomure annihilated Izuku. It was pure humiliation. A player receiving such an embarrassing defeat was bound to disappear. Except…

Except that the green bean beamed at his partner.

“Oh my god! That combo was amazing! Was it you being nice?! I can’t wait to see what you can do when you play!”

Izuku was so used to being beaten up that losing in a children’s card game did not affect his morale in the least. In fact, he loved to make his brain work as much as he was enjoying his daily work-out with Mr. Compress. As the man said, in the show, you need both brains and brawn.

Tomura did not expect such a reaction, but prepared his deck again to face his opponent.

“Well, you’re lucky then. I can’t go back home until this evening, so I have the time for a few more games if you are up to it.”

Izuku was not an opponent within the same league as him, but since all other NPCs were too afraid to continue to grind against him, well… He had to take his fun where he could after all. It was a fun challenge!

Even though Tomura would deny it, that is how he became friends with a kid young enough to be his little brother.

When Kurogiri heard his charge talk about needing a new tactic to fight Zuzu, the Cloud Noumu thought he was speaking of a new boss. He was surprised and cried some tears after learning that Tomura was speaking about another human being.

—---

“They are quite cute.”

As they couldn’t keep burning expensive heroes cards (not to mention that it would kill Izuku by mistake), Mr. Compress had the simple idea to use a tarot card for Izuku.

A normal one, that you could find in pretty much all markets. So, to start, they used the weakest card on the deck, and now faceless humanoids surrounded both of them.

The only thing differentiating them was the number on their face and a mark on their white torso. Izuku could summon around all 3’s cards and all 4’s before his nose bled. Which was a good way to measure his limits.

Yes, Atsuhiro made Izuku do a brain scan when the nose bled for the first time. Best way to see if his marvelous brain was affected. According to the test, the bleeding was the signal to not push more than what he had already done.

So they did not. Instead, Atsuhiro took a malicious pleasure in making Izuku work his body to his utter limit. He brought him on his back more than once. The fact he was seeing Inko during those moments was a plus, yes. No, he was not expecting her kind smile every time he arrived at her house. He also asked Mitsuki for Inko’s favorite flowers only as a reward for her kindness and her delicious cooking. She even made him a few meals in a bento for the week, so he did not have to cook.

Mitsuki, for her help, got some rare fabrics that Mr. Compress found for her. It was not a bribe to avoid the constant teasing.

It was quite fun to make Izuku more flexible. The boy was so nervous that he was quite rigid. Inko’s regimen could do wonders in a situation like that. The magician remembered his old P.E. teacher telling him he had never seen someone that straight.

Atsuhiro smiled while he was reading the various exercises described inside of it, how it had been fun to practice with her… And how she stopped coming because she found someone.

Stop. That was a bad spiral. Instead, it was funnier to torture/train Izuku. Also, it was pleasant to just speak with her again when Izuku went to sleep.

“Kiddo! If you aren’t able to touch your toes with your hands, you’re gonna lift that dishwasher to the truck!”

The threat was quite effective as the boy was even more inspired to complete the exercise: touching his feet, while being suspended in the air, head upside down. Flexibility and abs with the little addition of endurance. Aaaah. Being a teacher was quite fun.

“Atsuhiro-sensei! I did it!” said a happy Izuku, before seeing his teacher grabbing a paintball gun. The modified kind with a lot of bullets.

“Good! Now, run! It’s time for the painball!”

Izuku almost asked for details before seeing the smile of his teacher. The greenette promised himself to ask his mother what the hell was in the notebook, as he ran into the junkyard as fast as he could.

Short answer: Inko wanted to create the most dangerous yet safe condition to train while making you fear for your life. Add to that, her minor telekinesis and Mr. Compress learned how to dodge bullets in front of him.

Also, yes. She called this specific training “the painball” because she removed the “T”.

Meanwhile, Inko was preparing dinner for three at home, making special katsudon for her son as she knew what he was going through with his trigger-happy/traumatized teacher, who had an outlet. Boys… It was so fun. Now all she had to do was to get Atsuhiro to stay to sleep… just one night. Then he would belong to her.

Izuku wondered a bit why his mom had an evil laugh.

—---

It had been three months since Atsuhiro began Izuku’s training.

Katsuki was running in the morning alongside Deku while wearing weight on his ankles. To be fair, he did that after seeing Izuku doing the same and even keeping them at school. While the blonde explosive living boy would never admit it to his friend, he had a begrudging respect for the hellish training Izuku went through.

Respect, because the nerd understood that a big brain alone would never make him a hero. Well, it could, but Izuku was analysis smart, not mad-science mad. Even then, Katsuki would have not been as hard on him as he had been if the broccoli had said he would become a support/analyst hero.

Hell, Katsuki would have even encouraged him and asked him to be his sidekick. Izuku was quite crazy in his analysis despite what everyone thought.

But no, Midoriya insisted on being a fighting hero. The kind that FIGHT VILLAINS. Auntie would have never forgiven him if villains killed Izuku on the field. So yeah. Sometimes he went heavy on Deku, such as that time with the “swan dive”. Not his proudest moment. As for the notebook… well, it was harsh but necessary… Right?

Deku may have found a letter on his windows with an SSR “Ryukyu” with his apologies.

Katsuki would deny it in public.

Still, Deku went through an even harder training than what Kacchan could imagine himself. Despite what everyone thought of him, Katsuki wasn’t just talented, he also put in a lot of effort, trying new moves and failing head-on.

This, in retrospect, may have been the second reason he was hard on Deku.

Katsuki made a lot of effort to become a hero. Deku seemed to wait for it to come from Heaven as if All-Might would descend from it, offering Izuku training and a quirk.

Who the hell did he think he was, to look down on Katsuki’s effort despite not having a quirk? He could have become a quirkless hero! Sure, someone like that didn’t exist in Japan, but he was fairly sure that the n°1 Hero French team had a quirkless fighter specialized in surprise takedowns like Eraserhead!

You could do that quirkless.

However, now? Well, even Katsuki had to admit that Izuku was training harder than him hoping to realize their dream. Which was quite necessary, as Izuku had a lot to catch up with. At least he knew he had to work harder to have a chance.

At least that was his thought as he saw Deku sprint in front of him and the usual bullets from his insane coach were coming from behind with insane accuracy. Running and dodging. Katsuki felt almost bad for him. However, he would lie if he did not find it funny as hell, too.

Also, he did not miss the part where Izuku was still training his hand with a deck of cards. Even while running and dodging.

Something was up with that. The explosive boy was sure of it and will ask him about it later that day. Notably, Katsuki paid more attention to what people thought and noticed an important thing.

The deck that Deku was using was also incomplete. Deku would never allow that.

—---

Katsuki was searching for his “not-friend”, in the middle of the afternoon break, when he heard the usual sound of something being hit. Well, the sound of someone being hit, should he say?

Another reason he was angry. The adults in Aldera were useless and Katsuki had to make the law instead of them. The boy was also pretty sure of who was hit.

Grumbling that Deku was a pain in the ass, Katsuki sprinted to see… an unexpected spectacle.

Deku, standing above two bullies (Kacchan knew them as Extra 3 and Extra 4), and a girl with snake hair. Katsuki was already pretty sure of what happened but had trouble processing certain parts. The part where Deku won a fight against someone who had a minor telekinesis quirk and the other had an excellent leg strength thanks to his sprung legs.

“... Deku? The f*ck?”

The dumbass looked at him with that damn bright smile and he even had the gall to look ashamed. HE HAD WON THE SMILE FOR f*ck’S SAKE. IZUKU HAD THE VICTOR’S BRAGGING RIGHTS!

“Well… How to explain…”

—---

A month ago

“Today Izuku, no strength training!” Sako-san said with happiness in his tone. He was now coming to the Midoriya house at least three days per week. Mitsuki was having the time of her life teasing Inko about the fact that her childhood celibate friend was already a step-dad for Izuku. Inko was blushing more and more at the idea and Atsuhiro wasn’t sure if she should tell Mitsuki to stop embarrassing her or thank her for doing that.

“Oh, thank god!” Said an overjoyed kid, with way too many bruises on his body and the narrator swears, it was not only the beating his bullies gave him… Well depending if you choose or not to call Mr. Compress’ training bullying.

“Instead, it will be battle training!” Said the man, cracking his hands with a certain delight.

“OH FUDGE ‘’ cried our hero, feeling the pain to come… and also a bit of excitement.

“We will also work on your vocabulary.” Because, it was an important point to address. If Deku was to become a hero, he had to have sass.

“We will learn today how to dislocate, as it is one of the most important parts of the Fabulous Compress Style!” said the Magician before putting his hand on his own arm… and dislocating with a menacing sound. The spectacle was shocking to the greenette student who almost fainted before Compress put it back in place. The limp arm was quite the thing to see, and it looked terrible at first.

“See your reaction? This is why dislocating is an effective move. Let’s be honest, Izuku.” said Mr. Compress, with a gentle smile. “Neither of us are power-house. While I am quite agile and you become faster and more flexible, you aren’t as strong as the weakest mutant quirk. To be fair, most of them would be stronger than me. So how do we fight? By being smart and technical. The right push in the wrong place. We will break kneecaps, we will break joints, and we will f*ck up their shoulders.”

The warmth in the voice of Compress was alarming and Izuku stared at him, trying to plan a question. “Yes, it is your mother who created it this way for me. However, I spent years honing my skills. I am also going to teach you how to dislocate your own limb. Why? Because it will save your life if you ever get captured and when we will get into the “vanishing act” part of your training.”

“So… it is going to hurt, right?” Said Izuku. He was resigned to his fate now, while still thinking he shouldn’t have blackmailed his teacher.

“... Yes. But see it this way: if you had not asked, I wouldn’t have to teach you that. Another lesson: Karma is a bitch.” So he was still salty about being “blackmailed by a kid young enough to be his son.”… Who he wanted as his son. Well, it was not a reason to hold back, right?

A few moments later,

“The hell is your problem?! I never saw someone popping their bones like that without even crying!”

“... My school?” Offered with a timid smile our favorite broccoli.

“... I am putting it on my personal sh*tlist.” The heir of the king of thieves answered. His ancestor wouldn’t have tolerated such a thing and he wouldn’t either. He was the thief of justice, after all!

Why did he think that? Izuku just dislocated his own left arm, with way too much ease for it to be pure talent, before putting it back on for his first time. Same thing for his leg. While it hurt the young man, Izuku never cried during the process.

It was the pain tolerance Mr. Compress expected to have to build inside him. For Izuku to have it… Atsuhiro felt his teeth grinding. He spent so much time as “Mr. Compress”, that he had almost forgotten how it was to be quirkless.

The exhilarating sensation of having the world in his palm, the fact he was feared and admired, his fame.

That almost made him forget why he was donating so much. Seeing Izuku be like this… It made him beyond angry. Maybe his next action should be to bring some light on the Quirkless issues?

Izuku seemed to have felt his pain too, and he gave a sad smile to his teacher.

“Hey, don’t worry. This isn’t as bad as it seems. It’s bad only when Kacchan isn’t there to “punish” me.”

Kacchan. Atsuhiro groaned at his name. He could see why Izuku still thought of him as a friend, but the boy was way too abrasive. And there were better ways to protect people than being an angry ball of spite. It was an Endeavor 2.0 in the making.

Still. He was indeed making sure that Izuku wasn’t being hurt too much when he could and giving Izuku protection, overt protection, would just paint against his back for those wanting to hurt Katsuki through him.

“Izuku? I will give you an assignment. In the next two months, I want you to put the fear of you inside at least two bullies. Don’t worry about the consequences. I can guarantee you the UA won’t look at it.” Nedzu owed him a few favors for some jobs against the HPSC. Time to cash them.

“How can you be so sure?” Izuku was suspicious before his master reminded him of the first rule of any good magician.

“Ah ah ah. A good magician…”

“Never reveal their secrets, yes, I know. Rule number 1.”

There were other rules, but Izuku was a slow learner of some of them. Like Mr. Compress’s favorite: “Sanity is boring. Embrace the truth and free yourself of normality”. Izuku still had a problem with this one. It also showed this in his analysis, as he was too straight-laced. Mr. Compress was extremely looking forward to what ideas a mad Izuku could unleash.

The magician thought Nedzu would look the other way about the violence Atsuhiro just asked Izuku to commit and will put Izuku on the stoat’s watch list. Yes, he was one of the few knowing what Nedzu was, because he helped him take back his file from the HPSC and left behind a nasty virus.

However, if the young man wanted to be a hero, he needed to learn what Katsuki had understood (maybe a bit too well). A hero should put the fear of him into the criminal so they don’t act… However, he had a singular feeling about that.

“Yes… Well… Master? Atsuhiro? I know I will have to be violent. However, I don’t want to be that kind of hero.”

“Oh? Then, please. Tell me, what kind of hero you want to be?”

“I… I don’t know. I often discuss heroics with a friend. He is… Well… It is very interesting because he hates heroes, but he has arguments about that, even if he needs help to say it.

The fame, the money… I get a hero will get those, but he is right when he says that too many of them are only in it because they want that. They are violent and they get to be icons.

Not to mention all those who are just looking for a badge and the right to be violent. I mean, it isn’t like you don’t expose some of them each week.” His teacher nodded as Izuku spoke. He continued his job like the one exposing corruption, though it was not enough.

The lack of reaction from the HPSC was the reason that this fellow Stain was becoming ruthless, advocating for a more permanent way of disabling fakes.

Mr. Compress had cut ties with him, but he could understand the frustration the Hero Killer got. At least, he was only using the list Atsuhiro found, and he was letting some of them live.

Meaning it was not killing for killing yet. If it ever came to that, Atsuhiro made it clear to Stain that when they would meet again, only one would walk out of the alley.

Izuku then continued.

“I don’t think I can become a new All-Might. He is just… too much. No one can live up to him… but he said something a while ago. That an authentic hero should find a cause, a reason to fight. So… I don’t want it to be as petty as scaring my bullies.” This is an actual good point.

Still. It was interesting to see that Izuku was, while still a ball of sunshine, asking himself some good questions.

“Kiddo? You have years in front of you to decide what kind of hero you want to be. As long as you don’t become a destructive hero or a corrupt one, you know I will be proud of you.” Said his mentor with a little smile, helping his almost-stepson to get back up. “But now let’s help you focus on the present!”

It is said that during the month, they could hear a green ghost crying. Well, harder than usual, that is. If the Izuku from the main universe could see what his counterpart had to suffer, maybe he would have found All-Might training easy, because if OG Izuku followed the American Dream… Here, it was more the Highway to Hell. Either you become strong or you abandon all hope and become strong.

His teacher actually beat into him our dear Izuku, how to fight.

Now, let us go back almost to the present. As in, a few minutes before, Katsuki arrives to see Izuku apologetic for the unconscious body of his bullies.

See, there were more than a few theories that Aldera as part of the Meta Liberation Army or at least a Destro sympathizer.

It was just stupidity and ignorance.

Yet, in the social pyramid, if Izuku, as a quirkless, was quite at the bottom of the school, people with villainous quirks were a close second. Ophidia, the girl with the snake hair, was the daughter of a Lamia mutant Quirk and her father could manipulate hair and be making a killing in hairdressing. However, the young girl was still someone who had hair and would hiss at you and try to bite you. As for why her name is not Japanese, it was because she had origins in Europe and not because the author is lazy and liked the name.

Despite having a loving family, she was a close second to Izuku on the social ladder. Since Izuku also avoided more and more of his bullies, he was agile enough to just outrun them.

On this day, Izuku also learned a lesson Atsuhiro couldn’t have taught him: You can run away from your problem. The issue is they become the problem of someone else.

“Don’t look us in the eyes, monster!”

“Yes, she is going to turn us into stone!”

“Shut up! That isn’t how my quirk works, and you all know it!”

Now, two things kids learn quickly are those who say that explaining why you aren’t okay with things people say or just ignore them… Well, those who say that are very tall and strong or liars.

The girl was now being held in a corner by the pyro and the spring boy, Izuku, just above them as he was going down for the next period. Our green boy heard everything, and as he felt for one instant, his shoes became steel. As if they were lead, heavy.

—---

“All-Might, what do you think makes a great hero?”

“Well, as far as I know, every hero I respect had a similar story. One day, they heard someone asking for help and they bolted. That attitude? The fact of just moving to help others? This is the fabric of a true hero.”

—---

Izuku was mid-drop kicking the telekinetic boy when he stopped to think about All-Might’s interview.

To the merit of the spring-legged boy, he tried to attack Izuku the moment he knocked out his friend. Unfortunately for him, his attacks were quite previsible for an Izuku who just spent an entire month in a battle against an S Rank Villain with a sad*stic streak.

So, when the first high kick came, Izuku referenced a cult scene from Matrix by dodging the kick by falling almost against the ground. Almost being the keyword. The hit went into the wall as Izuku got back up.

“Oh sh*t! That must have hurt!”

“Oh f*ck you, man!”

He then got bitten several times by Ophidia on his back because, well… She could and she was clearly not alone. Also, it was nice to have an outlet and let her snakes bite some dumbass. She did not have any venom (yet), but it was quite nasty. It was when the bitten boy tried to punch her again that Izuku caught his arm, before popping it out of his joint, making the bully cry before Kacchan arrived.

Izuku then panicked and dislocated his good leg when Spring boy tried to kick him. Only then did the shock make him pass out, too.

—---

Kacchan was pinching his nose as Izuku stopped his tales, and Ophidia was nodding beside him.

“And so that is why I need you to help me hide them, Kacchan!”

“GODDAMNIT IZU… NO, DEKU. YOU DID NOT LEVEL UP FROM DEKU.” Katsuki screamed in his rage at his idiotic friend.

Chapter 3: Boys talk. Men play.

Chapter Text

Chapter 3: Boys talk. Men play.

Katsuki thought. He had a Deku and a girl with snake hair and two unconscious dumbasses. If he let them be, Izuku would be in trouble. Teachers wouldn’t care that Izuku helped someone. It would be proof that Izuku was attacking “normal” students. Same for Snake Hair. She was a younger girl, as she was smaller than him or Izuku.

“If only you beat them with a quirk, that would have been easier to explain.” Katsuki sighed as he knew the teacher would invent some bullsh*t to annoy the green bean… Who seemed uncomfortable. His feet did the thing when he had something to hide. Note to self. Kick Izuku in the face later to have the full story on that later.

Let’s prioritize for now. If they found it was Izuku who was responsible, it would be bad. Deku’s idea to hide them was not bad but if they did that, the bullies would wake up and cry to the teacher.

A small smile appeared on Katsuki’s face.

“Well, I guess the solution is even more violence”

He said as the explosion came through his hand as he punched the two extras down in the face, hard, several times each.

“Now, if the teachers want to have a word with sh*tty De… sh*tty Green Hair and you, Snake hair, they will also have to punish me.”

“... You don’t fear that they will punish you? Also, that’s quirkist, asshole.” Ophidia responded, as some of her hair hissed at the angry blond boy, who flipped the bird.

“I have done worse and gotten praise for it. Also, I say that to everyone, not just you Snake hair.”

“The sad thing is that he is right. And don’t worry about him. He’s bad with names and things like that. Also,” Izuku pointed to the two cringing boys on the ground, “ they will say that Katsuki beat them down. Saying it was me or you would destroy their rep. By letting Kacchan take credit…”

“YOU TAKE TOO LONG TO EXPLAIN. BASICALLY, THEY ARE BITCHES, AND THEY’LL SUCK IT UP. So either they try to say Deku did it alone, but the burn will give away I was here… Not to mention I’m going to tell people I beat them like bitches.” Katsuki said, having found a foolproof plan to protect the two others.

“Kacchan! Language! Otherwise, I’ll tell Aunty!” The green-haired boy warned his friend.

“... Deku, do that and I tell Aunty you broke arms.” Katsuki threatened back with a somehow proud smile, as if approving.

“They aren’t broken, just dislocated!” Izuku tried to justify himself, failing to understand he was just digging his tomb.

“That… Is darn cool.” Dammit. Katsuki found that even cooler. Wait, was it bad or good? Izuku was quite in a conundrum, muttering more than usual his process of thought, which wore on the already thin nerves of his “friend”.

“... Are you a friend or what?” Asked the young bystander, feeling almost like an intruder between the both of them… Despite being the first at the scene, being, you know, the victim.

“YES!” “NO!” said at the same time the two boys, who then glared at each other.

“Boys are weird” Concluded Ophidia while letting the two aspiring heroes argue with each other about their friendship.

—---

However, their plan was not perfect: while Ophidia was indeed off the hook, many people stared at Izuku and Katsuki, all while the green bean was trying to calm his nerves with his card tricks in his hands… Katsuki was still trying to understand how he could make them dance just like that in his fingers.

Well, while he tried to understand that, the word had passed. Katsuki was not cool anymore with bullying Izuku. Sure, no teacher was after them, but Katsuki could feel all his privileges being revoked one by one.

No more missing classes, his teachers warned. It annoyed him a bit, but somehow, Katsuki felt it was worth it. They were all extras, and it was his last year here.

Also, now that Izuku was less spineless, he was almost worth being a sidekick. His sidekick. He just needed a few more pushes, and he also owed Katsuki a few explanations, too.

As for Izuku, well, he was eyed differently, not with fear, as the two first extra downplayed their defeat by saying it was Katsuki who beat them. However, Katsuki was more feared than loved and if Izuku was his friend, then he was a weak point, too. The angry Pomeranian knew that, as it was one of his reasons to distance himself from Izuku with the others.

Now, Izuku would have to watch his back.

“I will not protect you,” Katsuki said as they went back home together, for the first time in years, “You need to get them off your back, by yourself.”

“You are making them not attack me by being here, you know?”

“So, that is how you see yourself? As my sidekick, helping me, but under my protection?” Katsuki replied to him, but it was a turning point. By winning against those two dumbasses alone, Izuku was not useless. His analyzes were always on point and now he knew how to defend himself a bit. In short, Katsuki will let him be his sidekick. However, he had to listen to Deku saying so much he wanted to be a hero, not a sidekick, that he wanted the green bean to say it himself..

His point for once got across Izuku. Under his hair, the young man thought a lot. His quirk was impractical… For now. And somehow he felt something. If he said yes, right here, right now, Kacchan would protect him. Izuku would help him, without a doubt, to be the next n°1. Izuku could be the next Nighteye. That was his first dream when Katsuki got his quirk after all.

But a little voice in the back of his mind made him remember the discussion with Mr. Compress. What kind of hero did he want to be? Did he want to be just a sidekick?

While they walked back home, Izuku knew, his choice, here and now, would shape him.

“No. I want to stand by myself.” said Izuku with more pride than he had the day before, invigorated by his fight.

Katsuki stopped in an instant, before groaning, preparing for an explosion to make his point across, when Izuku continued.

“You are right. I can’t continue to just say I want to be a hero doing nothing.” The blonde boy did not expect that… and for once, he let his friend speak, his sparks disappearing.

“... Is that why you were that angry at me?” Asked Izuku, as his friend tsseked at his friend, avoiding his stare. Saying that Katsuki had trouble making his point come across as saying that the water was wet and it was also somehow amusing that someone so direct was sometimes so ambiguous.

“Try to guess, Deku”. It made Izuku think more. He then smiled at his friend with that damn smile, his big sunny smile. One reason he would have liked to have him at his side.

“Thank you, Kacchan. Don’t worry, I’ll get them off my back. Alone, I mean.”

“Without a Quirk? That is going to be fun.” Katsuki snarked a bit… But his smile showed he thought Izuku could do that. When he wanted to, Deku was quite scary and Katsuki knew how he could be feared enough that no one would mess with him.

It was then that he saw Izuku squirm a bit and Katsuki pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Deeeekuuuuuuuuu….” He groaned, an explosion appearing in his free hand…

“I only got it recently! And if I use it too much, it can really hurt my brain!” Izuku spilled out to his friend, who then stopped his explosions and thought about it. Izuku would never lie about something that was important to him, hell, Katsuki helped him when they were young to put him in a “dangerous” situation so he could awaken his quirk. If Izuku said he had a quirk but it hurt his brain then it was most likely true.

“... You have to use cards to use it, I guess? That is why you keep playing with them?” Bakugou speculated a bit, as you could say whatever you wanted about his temper, but Bakugou was at the top of the class with Izuku for a good reason. He was not dumb and could connect dots when he saw them. Especially now he had figured the missing part of a puzzle bothering him for a few months now.

“I can summon what they print on cards, but it destroys them and since I developed it very late, it can hurt me if I use it too much.”

“So, you can summon an Endeavor with your cards?”

“That would knock me out and I would need medical attention.” Izuku did not deny the possibility of Katsuki’s frustration.

“... f*ck, that’d be pretty useful if you kept training it. That is why your step-dad teaches you to fight without quirk, so you don’t die?”

“Wait my…” Izuku said, then trailed off, not wanting to think about such a possibility yet, especially knowing the secret identity of Atsuhiro.

“Deku, my mom is preparing designs for your mom’s wedding dress when that will happen and he comes to see Aunty with flowers.” Bakugou had a point and his face showed he had no f*cks to give about his friend’s sensibilities. His friend, who needed a reboot that Katsuki applied by hitting the back of his head, as Izuku noticed something else.

“Wait, you know he teaches me how to fight quirkless?”

“Izuku. Your mom told my mother that you had a teacher. I saw you with him, and I know when someone throws a good punch. You never learned to do it before, so he taught you.”

“I don’t punch” Izuku tried to tell what he did.

“Still super damn cool. You saw how his arm was limp? I am surprised you had the guts to do that.”

Katsuki thought he couldn’t be surprised anymore. He thought that Izuku would almost vomit when realizing what he did. Instead, he had an Izuku who laughed. A lot. With a tiny part of nervosity, the exploding boy asked,

“You are alright?”

“Katsuki. My teacher’s idea of breaking my idea of not hurting others had been to disjoint my bone and borderline torture. I also learned he knew French because he made a terrible pun with it and the Deku nickname you gave me.”

“... What?” A reasonable reaction.

“You are called Deku? That is perfect, because “C’est exactement ce que tu vas recevoir”” Said a flat-faced Izuku. (For those wondering, we pronounce in French Deku as “Des coups” [Some hit]. Compress said that Deku was going to get hit because of his nickname.)

“... I am going to take that one just for the reference,” laughed Katsuki, after understanding the joke and being able to appreciate that kind of violent humor.

“Kacchan… Well. Still. To go back to what we were saying. I want to be a hero and I understand why my teacher told me I had one month to make them scared straight. I think he thought violence was my solution, but we both know that…”

“Teachers are going to bitch about it and those extras will never fight you with less than three people. If I understand correctly, you only won because you had that surprise kick in.”

Izuku nodded. Kacchan was good in a fight and in analyzing one. It was a good idea.

“It is going to be fun. Because I know a way to terrify all the extras.”

“But you will not tell me because you want me to suffer.” Deadpanned Izuku, looking at his friend who had this smug smile.

Seeing Katsuki less angry and smiling at him just like old times… Well, it was nice. Nice to see he could be trusted, if only a bit. Katsuki being delicate was not possible according to the law of the universe. Izuku would settle for his childhood friend, not being an asshole. He still surprised Katsuki a bit with his knowing smile.

“That isn’t a problem. I know someone who can teach me how to scare people straight.”

—---

“... So that is why you’re asking ME, to teach you how to scare people?” Tomura was pinching the bridge of his nose while Izuku told him about his school situation. ‘At least the kid’s standing up for himself.’ the older man-child thought. It proved he wasn’t an NPC. More like a character he wanted for his team, with the proper effort.

“Tomura. You are in the top 3 of the scariest people I know. It includes actual supervillains like Moonfish.” Said Izuku semi-seriously, who was pretty conscious that his… Sort of friend? Wasn’t the nicest guy around, though he was a lot of fun and a skilful player.

“It’s nice to know that I am on par with a freaking cannibal with only my smile,” Tomura said as he chuckled, amused by the fact Izuku did not know his past or his plans. “You know what? Beat me once today and I will help you work on it. Deal?”

The trick here is that in all the time they knew each other and the dozens of games they’ve played, Izuku won only two times. Mostly by luck and the fact that Tomura used handicaps.

“That’s fine by me!” Said Izuku with his usual smile. Saturday was his day off training. Mr. Compress said that too much training was a thing and seeing people would help him have more confidence. It was… quite true. Staying over one afternoon playing with a Tomura glaring and smiling at you was an exceptional training to ignore his fear.

Izuku was good at judging character and knew more about Tomura than what he let slip.

For starters, Tomura’s habit of keeping a pinkie on his card was a sign that his quirk was a five-point activation one. One that’s annoying or powerful.

Second thing. Tomura was a rich sheltered kid with a nanny. He deduced that purely from his clothes and his spending habits. Izuku had to tell him it was not normal to buy over four thousand yens worth of cards each week. Hell, most people couldn’t afford that budget as a monthly one.

Third, his nanny and his parents sheltered him and lived in their own world. Seriously, otherwise, they would have made him clean his act and his appearance way earlier. Were they blind?!

Fourth, Tomura thought he had everything he needed and did not go outside shopping.

Fifth, while smarter and more intelligent than most people credited him for, Tomura primarily sought fun.

Sixth, he was way too prideful.

Seventh and last point, I swear.

Tomura did not play well when he got emotional.

So, at first, Tomura was… Well, winning, as usual. He refined his tactics against Izuku, who did not have the same money as him to improve his deck drastically. So, while he knew that theoretically, Izuku could manage a win, Tomura knew it was more of an error on his part than anything else.

If a secondary character wanted his help for his side quest, he better had to win his approval and prove that he was useful. As of now… Well, Izuku was fun. He was not dumb too, being able to understand Tomura when he spoke video games. He also advised Tomura a few times on old video games.

However, despite Izuku putting up a valiant fight with his Vigilante Deck, one of the few capable of denting his Villain Deck around Destro, Tomura knew he almost finished his win conditions for his final combo. All he needed was a last card.

That was at that moment, however, that Izuku truly attacked.

“Oh, that made me think, Tomura. I have a gift for you.” Said Izuku with his big gentle innocent smile. Tomura could tank it, being… Well, Tomura, but was not prepared when Izuku pulled something from his backpack. It was… Gloves? Why was it missing three fingers?

“... NPC? The f*ck is that?”

“Artist gloves. Just… Believe me, ok? Put them on.”

Half thinking of dusting Izuku if it was as dumb as Tomura thought, he did it. Izuku was too… Well, Izuku, to be a danger. At most, he was an idiot.

Now, Tomura had equipped the strange gloves. He looked with blood in his eyes Izuku… who grabbed his hand in his own with his innocent smile!

sh*t! Tomura was only half-serious about dusting the kid! He had to make it stop before…

Tomura looked at Izuku’s hand, which did not decay. Izuku was fine and smiling.

“See? I am fine!” told the young hero to the aspiring villain.

“... You know about my quirk?” Tomura never told him for obvious reasons, as his quirk was deadly as hell. Most people would categorize him as a villain and not think twice about it.

“That it is most likely a five-point touch-activated quirk and certainly a destructive one? Easily! But it seemed rude to ask you about it!”

“Can you stop grabbing my hand and explain, Izuku?” Said Tomura, as Izuku was still hand to hand with him. Not that he didn’t reassure him about… Wait. Was he caring about someone else’s well-being? Definitely not. He just did not want to be kicked out of his favorite store for accidental death. Yes. Definitely that.

Still, Izuku, like a good follower who entered forcefully his party, explained.

“Those are artist gloves. If just one finger is covered, you don’t risk activating by mistake your quirk! It seems like you can’t deactivate your quirk, so if you use that, you don’t have to worry about it!”

“... Izuku, you know you could have just given me that to max my affection and I would have trained you in the way of villainy?” Stated Tomura, seriously… while testing the effectiveness of Izuku’s gift by grabbing with all his five fingers a card. Izuku did not stop to smile. Also, the blue-haired villain couldn’t stop thinking about it. How the hell did Izuku deduce all that?

“... No, that isn’t the same.” Said the young man, while playing his turn, and Tomura distractedly answered in kind. “It has to be fair, not a bribe.” Playing mind games was fair in Izuku’s book.

—---

Somewhere, as Mr. Compress was stealing incriminating documents from a corrupt CEO, he also felt pride in his heart. He knew Izuku made his first step in the way of craziness.

—--

Missing three turns by being able to hold things for the first time in his life without having to worry about dusting them proved to be fatal for the game.

As in “Izuku summoning his Eraserhead on the field, neutralizing his Boss and killing him by doing a nasty Crawler/Celebrity combo.” An excessively hard-to-do combo that Izuku barely did because Tomura was too disturbed to stop it.

Tomura stared nastily at Izuku… Before doing his creepy smile. Except Izuku could, somehow, feel a sense of pride in it?

“Izuku? Why do you even need my help?”

What?

“You guessed my… weakness. You made a plan to work with it then executed it with a freaking smile on your face. If you wanted to be a feared villain, all you needed to do was do it while explaining it clearly. Like, no muttering. Speak up clearly.” Explained Tomura calmly. “There isn’t a thing scarier than a high-level player explaining to you your weaknesses while acting on them and you know you can’t do anything to stop him. Even worse: if he is really good at it, you also understand he can do that whenever he wants.”

Izuku tilted his head adorably with his puppy eyes. “... But… People find my muttering creepy, not scary?”

“Because they can’t understand the things you deduced from them. Hell, just for fun. What do you know about me?”

“Tomura Shigaraki, nearly 20 years old. Homeschooled. Very sheltered. Somehow have access to video games older than both of us, from the pre-Quirk era. His guardian must be some kind of really rich nerd.”

—---

Somewhere, AfO somehow felt like someone dissed him. Oh well. Time to re-watch (and by re-watch, he means re-listen) Star Wars, Episode IV of course…

—---

‘Has a rich guardian and a nanny. Has been mistreated by the hero system. Very smart, but I feel like he isn’t as educated as he should be. Does not have many friends aside from me and no girlfriend. He uses shampoo made locally around the Kamino Ward. Excellent one, but since he doesn’t care about his face, it’s probably his guardian who has some great taste.”

—---

Somewhere, Kurogiri nodded.

—----

“Ok, stop right there. You deduced that in how much time?!” Tomura was dumbfounded.

“... Ten minutes?” said a sheepish Izuku. Wasn’t it good enough?

Holy crap. Izuku was a high-potential secondary character. A Heroic one, but what did Sensei say? “The best kind of help a hero can bring you is the help he doesn’t know he gave to a Villain. As a bonus, you can always corrupt him later when you reveal to him how your plan couldn’t have worked without him!”

Tomura smiled. Yes… The plan was foolproof! He was going to get a second strategist on his team and it would be Izuku! Nothing could go wrong with that plan!

—---

Everything went wrong with that plan, Tomura would think way later, as he studied in UA, wondering how the hell that happened.

Chapter 4: How to avoid death but also to get a date.

Chapter Text

Chapter 4 : How to avoid death but also to get a date.

Flowers? Check. Suit? Check. Having made sure that a clone of Mr. Compress will be seen in Hokkaido? Check too.

Hey. He was a professional. Atsuhiro made a training plan for Izuku and sent him more than one video so the young boy could train while he was away. He also taught that Katsuki boy how to chase Izuku around to make him faster at running and avoiding attacks. The exploding blond was astonishingly good at the job and Mr. Compress was thinking of doing that permanently.

Still. He had to throw some fake trails for all the heroes chasing him around… And more than a few villains too.

Now, he had to prepare for something he both looked for and dreaded. The evening at Midoriya’s house.

Inko said he had to come to their home for dinner twice a week. She said that with that voice, that voice that could chill your bones to the core. The voice of the nurse who needed to make the patient listen to her. The voice of an ice queen domineering people.

Somehow, Atsuhiro still loved when she spoke to him like that. Because it meant she still cared for him.

People seemed to see just a chubby woman who was a kind nurse and seemed to be an angel too good for this world.

Atsuhiro had a different opinion: She was only threatening when she cared. Be it for her son or him. She threatened you when it was important and maybe it was her way of caring for him. At least, he hoped.

He was the first to admit that his eating habits were not the best during the last decade. He kept traveling and had little time to cook. However, he was pretty sure he was as fit as possible, thanks to his work, too. Atsuhiro hoped that his body was good enough for her, as he knew that otherwise, he was pretty plain. It had helped him a lot to escape the police, but still; it was annoying and worrying to him.

Now all he had to do was to ring the door and not screw up the meal. It was going to be fine. He did that more than a few times already. Sure, the first time it was awkward. He had to create a fake story about how he was a trainer for a few athletes and had to travel the country to meet his different clients. Atsuhiro couldn’t tell her he was one of the few S-rank Villain and the only one that still had a secret identity. Mainly because, unlike the others, he was extremely careful with it and Izuku only deduced it because he knew the right thing and Inko told the good thing, too.

He just had to continue as the other time with his dear chubby friend he had not a crush on. Just a delightful meal with her and her son.

So, our dear favorite magician was inspired and rang at the door. Soon after, Inko, with the sunniest smile he had ever seen (except on Izuku but that did not count), opened the door for him. Apron and everything. Like every other time.

She was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Hey, yes, she was chubby. It just means there was more of her to love.

Also, it was truly worth it to not work for a better world that evening, because that smile, simply by existing, made the world a better place.

“Atsuhiro! Finally here! Come inside, it will be better than outside!”

He nodded before eagerly entering and appreciating the small house. It was not much. Hisashi died and left some money behind, but not much.

Inko did not finish university and could not become a doctor. She could take an exam to get a true license, but with Izuku to take care of, she simply did not have the time for it. Which was, in Atsuhiro’s mind, a waste. Inko was excellent as a nurse, but she would have been an amazing doctor for all. Certainly, a better one than the quack that told her Izuku was quirkless.

Note to self: Making up a story so he could help financially Inko and help her become a doctor.

A small voice in his mind told him to directly do the straightforward solution: `Finally, tell her your feelings and become her new husband. If you are with her, there would be no need to invent an excuse to make a joint account.`

Mr. Compress shut that voice down.

Instead, he put a smile on his face and, for once, took back his mental mask of Mr. Compress. This evening, he was just Atsuhiro Sako. The Childhood friend. Still, it was nice to be in the house. However, he noticed something quickly.

“Izuku isn’t there? I mean, unless he has homework but I thought…” Atsuhiro was pretty much certain of it. Mens sana in corpore sano. Izuku had to keep his grade high despite the work-out if he wanted to enter the school of his dream.

“No, he’s over at Mitsuki’s house. Katsuki and he are now better friends than before. Did you know that he somehow got into trouble yesterday?” Said Inko, who giggled a bit when remembering what happened.

Atsuhiro was now curious and had to ask. He knew what happened and was curious why Inko was just smiling and not low-key, threatening to pull his eyes out with her quirk.

“How so? I guess it was not violent, since you are happy.”

“Oh no. There was a violent incident last Friday. He and Bakugou put down some bullies and Izuku dislocated some arms. The staff was angry, but since their star pupil was also implicated and on my son’s side… They called Mitsuki and me to take them home, as both of them were suspended for a week. Nothing on their record, though.”

Atsuhiro smirked. That was a good idea to have someone more popular break the rule. It also meant he was finally making Izuku crazier, in a good way. However, Inko’s smile was a bit less happy.

“So what did they call you for?” He had to know exactly what Izuku did. Did he break too many bullies? Nah. He was not that strong yet. Atsuhiro hoped he had been smart enough to get the drop on them one by one if he beat bullies up.

“He terrorized all the students of his age.”

What? Also, why was she smiling with so much pride and joy?

“He enlisted the help of Bakugou in exchange for some favors. He did not tell me what exactly, and broke into the control room and took control of the intercom.”

—---

“Katsuki, what did that person do to make you want to do that?”

“He insulted my mom.”

“Katsuki, it is Call of Duty. That is…”

“Are you saying you’re going back on what you promised?”

Izuku grumbled as he proceeded to use some admin command to identify the IP of a player on a forum before banning him from a community that he and Kacchan were part of and renaming him from “Toxic_cloud666” to “ILoveAnimeGirls”. With the appropriate picture, because Izuku was nothing if thorough.

—---

It quite surprised a certain student with a gas quirk when everyone laughed at his pseudo… AND WHY DID SOMEONE PUT SOME WILD WILD puss*CAT AS HIS PICTURE?

—---

“... I can see why he got punished, but not why that terrified people…”

“Then he explained everyone’s quirks and weaknesses and a few very personal things. Very personal. He was not supposed to know everything he said, and now everyone thinks Izuku has a murder plan for everyone at school. They just don’t have proof.”

—---

“And that is what Saito did Saturday instead of studying with a friend like he told his mother, Sakura. By the way, it is quite sad as her cookies are delicious. Not to mention that the school Saito wants to go to because he likes Hinasa from the other classroom and she will most likely go there… Well, that school has an emphasis on math and he needs the tutoring. However, since Hinasa is crushing on Katsuki… By the way, I don’t know why she would do that…”

“f*ck YOU DEKU!”

—---

Atsuhiro was stunned and proud. He asked him to scare a few bullies. Not his entire school. Inko finally looked at him with that scary smile while he felt a pull on his necktie.

“Now, can you tell me why, when I was alone with him at home, he told me it was his homework?”

“I told him to scare only his bullies. Not everyone.”

“Atsuhiro. He did that for three hours. The teachers stopped him when he was only in the middle of analyzing his teacher.”

Now, Atsuhiro was just proud. That was his student.

—---

“So, nerd. Why did you scare the complete school?” Asked a Bakugou, still wondering what the hell happened that day. He just thought that Izuku would blackmail people. However, he loved what Izuku did. He was also preparing against his friend his favorite “Endeavor N°2” Plus Ultra Extermination Murder EXPLOSION combo against his friend.

“Remember U.A’s motto?” As Izuku innocently played a Midnight on the field, delaying the turn and forcing Bakugou to grumble as he couldn’t play the ultimate turn yet, he could finally summon his death incarnate card on the field.

“Plus Ultra?” At least the game will finish soon… Wait. What was the card Izuku sneaked on the field? Eraserhead?

“Plus Ultra.” Said Izuku as he exterminated Bakugou’s field with a smile and took Katsuki’s last life point with a Nedzu. He had to troll him, who was on the verge of being more Katsuki than usual during this evening.

“Neat. Also, stop spamming ERASERHEAD!” The most explosive boy on the block flipped the board upside down.

“NEVER” Izuku screeched as he cackled, as it was Kacchan’s way of losing against him. Interrupting the game, and said he did not lose. However, since Izuku was weaker than him, he had to give him his dessert that evening so he could grow stronger. That it was the same dessert he bet with his friend before the game had nothing to do with his action.

He did that a lot as he won one more time against Bakugou, as they just did a few rounds on his console on Mortal Kombat CI. Yes, Izuku lost and they switched because Katsuki thought he could beat “Deku” in any game.

Currently, Izuku showed him why he was not even close to his league… It was also pleasant for once to not play against someone with an insane strategy and deck like Tomura.

—---

Mitsuki and her husband smiled as they listened to the two boys playing loudly above. It was better like that. Also, they could bet on this evening’s outcome quietly.

—---

“You get to live another day, Atsuhiro.” Said Inko, as she put his necktie on his suit. Hey, he did know how to dress up nicely.

“Still. I feel sorry to make you come here so often. I mean, maybe your girlfriend is upset about it?” Asked kindly Inko, with a pure smile and certainly no afterthought.

“Oh no, don’t worry. I’m not with anyone.” Said Atsuhiro almost immediately and without a second thought as he walked towards the living room, missing an Inko who did a victory pose. She then joined him, as she pulled toward them two glasses and a bottle of red wine.

“You mean no girl has seduced you? That or maybe… No man?” Hey, you had to be sure before finding a wonderful father figure for your son and to be sure she did not misremember some of her past and how Atsuhiro seemed to act around her… How he always came around for dinner.

This made Atsuhiro laugh, still thinking he had no chance in hell to seduce Inko, as she poured wine so they could drink together, perfectly purring as he answered.

“Oh no. I simply don’t have time, and nobody had the right chemistry, you know? I don’t have many friends… Those at work, they are mainly men.”

Hard to tell that his closest friends were a trans woman who’s still looking for the right doctor for her therapy, a strange cloud barman, a man without a nose who killed people not worthy of being a hero, and that nice old man who made the best tea in the town. Oh, and technically Nedzu could count, but it was mostly someone he liked to work with more than a friend, though he trusted the stoat to a certain extent.

“MmmmHmmm….” Said knowingly Inko, perfectly purring at the news she did not have any competition on the market. She couldn’t remember why she did not go on a proper date with Atsuhiro when they were younger. Yes, she met Hisashi, but honestly, Atsuhiro was kinder and still the man who loved to read pre-quirk literature just like her.

Thought for another time. She was going to enjoy that evening. Mitsuki helped her with it, after all. Yes, the stylist was right about what she wanted, and she had a good plan to help her advance her cause. Now, Atsuhiro did not know it yet, but she trapped him in her web.

—---

They enjoyed a very nice evening. Nothing saucy or torrid. Just a delightful meal between two adults, catching up on time spent apart, without having to worry about a certain kid. It also allowed them to make plans for a date together on the weekend, for a little shopping. Just as a friend, Mr. Compress thought naively. Or was it he did not dare to hope for more? Oh well. It was Inko’s job now.

Izuku was also quite happy to see his mother finally having someone other than him or the Bakugous, making her smile. Especially a smile he couldn’t see her have. It was clear, as the days passed, that Mr. Sako, or rather Atsuhiro, as she loved to call him, was more than welcome in their home. She was preparing special dishes when he came over and she always found an excuse now and then so he would sleep on the sofa at home… And sometimes, he would just stay the Saturday, while Izuku went out. As Katsuki said, it was quite obvious that the two were in love and that Inko was gradually wearing Mr. Atsuhiro down.

The green bean tried to not think a lot that his future step-dad was also an S-rank villain/vigilante. He just hoped that somehow the U.A. wouldn’t catch on to that.

However, he had to remember to fake his surprise when her mom told him she went out with his trainer and that he was most probably going to sleep at home more often from now.

—---

The months went on. Izuku continued his training, becoming sufficiently nimble that Mr. Compress was proud of the result. Izuku also got a better grip on his quirk. The tarot deck was a good idea, as it gave the young boy a cheap and cost-effective way to use his power. He could even reasonably use some of the higher cards if he was careful of their use. Still, powerful heroes were a no, as his new dad was rather cautious to not kill his stepson by mistake.

Sure, Inko and he were not married (yet, as Mitsuki was saying and constantly making sure she would have the dress ready). However, it was now easier to count the days when he was not at home rather than the contrary. He still gets some heists by traveling, sometimes for a week, two.

Still, Izuku was, sometimes, thought that being attacked by the sludge villain was the best thing that happened in his life. Sure, the training was hard and there had been over one evening where he couldn’t move at all once he slumped onto his bed.

Sure, Katsuki was still yelling at him and exploding… But it was Katsuki. If he was one day calm, Izuku would freak out and instantly know that something was wrong. It was normal and he and Kacchan had a more friendly rivalry than before… Especially since they talked about well… Everything. Kacchan apologized by not apologizing like he was used to.

Sure, Tomura was… Well… Tomura. He was creepy. He had rants that could go on and on about why he hated heroes. Izuku liked the discussion he had with him. It made him think. When he told the reason he had to defend himself at school, Tomura simply nodded. Many people would have outright denied the bullying existed. Tomura accepted it was part of the darker part of the society.

It was, however, reciprocated by Izuku, who pointed out to Tomura how often villains made little sense. He was happy when Tomura asked how, according to Izuku, a villain had to be. A second identity, a costume, minions… It was fun for Izuku to think about it.

Oh, and let’s not forget Tomura’s second reaction when he learned of Izuku’s past. Asking names so he could have a “friendly” chat with the bullies. Somehow, it was like having an older cousin.

—----

When most of the teachers in Aldera middle school found their car properly dusted, no one dared to call the police. All they could say when people asked, in private, was the fact that the culprit had the creepiest smile they had ever seen. They were not crossing that.

Tomura would deny it was because he appreciated Izuku and he was angry people would try to hurt his future teammate. Sure, it was an excellent backstory for a villain, still. As a future leader, he had to protect and avenge his party if necessary. He was simply doing it preemptively. Not because Izuku was like that annoying younger sibling that could call on your bullsh*t.

—----

But most importantly? Izuku had an idol who made sure he could realize his dream of being a hero and trained him for the exam.

So life was pretty fun and awesome now. He understood why Atsuhiro told him sanity was just something limiting people’s true potential. Like that time when Atsuhiro showed him how you could dislocate your body to get the cuff off your hands. Sure, it hurt, but it was effective. In the same way, Atsuhiro showed how he could (and had) often transformed himself into marble to be slingshot into a museum or some secure place. Crazy? Yes. Effective? Oh yes.

That was the reason he was learning even more about obscure heroes. Using weaker heroes but with special power was a good idea to play with the “strength” limitation quirk. Sure, summoning an Endeavor would probably be too much. Using the sidekick “Burnin”? It was still hard, but possible. Did he want to open a path? Sure, using a strength hero could be the solution. Using a hero who could just create a ladder or a way to go around the obstacle was less tiring.

Izuku was happy, confident even. He was still, however, according to both Tomura and Katsuki, “a nerd who was way too excited for his good”.

Katsuki feared the day Izuku would discover coffee. Mainly because if Katsuki had anything to say, he would only allow this in a doomsday scenario, where they would need the craziest idea.

Then came the day. The exam.

—---

“OI, GET READY YOU DAMN NERD.”

The explosion was loud enough to almost shatter the windows. It was certainly loud enough that Atsuhiro woke up, and made sure to not wake Inko, who was still snoozing happily. He then took one of his marbles that he kept for a rainy day and launched it on Bakugou. Then he returned to cuddle.

When Izuku finally got outside, the sun was still rising. Katsuki had a good idea to go to the U.A. with hours in spare.

Then the green bean looked at Katsuki, who was stunned. He was not moving, livid and incapable of moving.

That was probably because he had an octopus on his face. Uh. Who would have guessed he would see that this morning? Even if it was the third time, it was still hilarious to see what his step-father would throw in the morning at Katsuki.

“Kacchan, Atsuhiro told you he disliked being woken up in the morning.”

“I’m still going to make you fatherless again after the exam, Izuku!”

“... Again?”

—---

Hisashi couldn’t see it, but about 300 meters from him, a determined and angry Katsuki (So a normal Katsuki, though angrier than usual) watched Izuku crying as his bastard father was leaving. Katsuki took his favorite marble, given to him by his best quirkless friend. One of his only friends who never gave him sh*t for not being able to see faces. Prosopagnosia was a bitch.

He took the marble and launched it with his quirk, yelling, “DIE”

—---

“... You heard nothing,” Katsuki stated seriously, though he researched a bit about his good deed and knew there wasn’t no warrant out for the death of that bastard, so he was safe.

Hey, he was angry and impulsive. Not an idiot.

“I knew you cared~,” quipped an Izuku, who did not believe his friend had a hand in his father’s death. His dominant theory was still his mother and/or Atsuhiro. “Despite yelling a lot.”

“Izuku, get ready to meet your biological father before the exam.” Katsuki warned “jokingly”, happy to have avoided this particular threat. Still, Izuku was way more confident than at the beginning of the year.

“Nah, not even you are that cruel.”

“... You’re lucky.”

“Kacchan. I am adorable. Also, let me take off the octopus.” Said Izuku with his trademark smile, as Katsuki let him begrudgingly.

“You are lucky I need to present properly for the exam. Otherwise, I would have cooked that octopus myself. Also, your step-dad’s quirk is bullsh*t.”

“No, it’s “random bullsh*t”.”

Yes. The cover for Atsuhiro’s quirk in public with the Bakugous was “Random Bullsh*t”. The ability to throw random things. It was various marbles containing random things. Including an octopus, apparently. The blond thought the power was an idiot when he got a newspaper for the first time. Now, it was less funny, indeed.

—---

“This school is HUGE!” Izuku was way too hyped, but Kacchan could understand. Even he was flipping excitedly as they grabbed their number of entries for the exam.

“Hey, nerd,” Katsuki said in an uncharacteristically calm tone. Despite hearing it several times at that point, it never failed to unnerve Izuku.

“Yes, Kacchan?”

“If you don’t pass, I am going to make you an astronaut.”

“What?” A logical reaction to being fair.

“I’m going to launch you into space with my explosion,” Katsuki said calmly, as both went towards the hall

“Don’t worry, nothing wrong can happen to me!” Said Izuku. Sadly, this is one of the most dangerous things to say. Therefore, he tripped on his own feet, to Katsuki’s incredulity. Seriously, how?

However, luckily, a certain girl saved him. Yes, we all know the scene. Before you ask, no. Izuku was not that confident yet he could answer Uraraka’s positivity with anything other than him being red and thinking he somehow talked to a girl.

Katsuki must have the power to read his mind as he shouted,

“You know you said nothing to Round face?” The blond boy was smug as he could see Izuku turning redder as a cherry. Sure, he had trouble seeing faces, but he could still see skin tone, and in his opinion, it was pretty f*cking hilarious when the nerd turned red.

“Shut up Kacchan.” Izuku squeaked out weakly as he was way too embarrassed. They then went on to the room where they would take the written test.

Chapter 5: To bluff or not to bluff? That is the question.

Chapter Text

Izuku knew he got the written test rather nicely. Most questions had tricks, sure, but nothing he couldn’t do. Honestly, he knew most people would have trouble, but it was a good way to make people remember that UA was not only a hero school… But also a prestigious school, with a business course and a support course.

Even if you did not get into one of the two heroics classes, you could always be in Gen Ed or something. After his talk with Katsuki, Green bean actually contemplated going into the Support Course, as an analyst. However, he discovered it was an option for business or in second year in heroic. Not everyone had an analytical mind after all.

Still, it had been a wonderful exercise and an excellent reminder that brain and brawn were required for a wonderful hero. Sure, a good quirk was important and often more useful, but as some international teams proved, having an analyst and a strategist was even more important. Everyone could remember the disaster that happened when the Russian team tried to apprehend the SS-rank villain that conquered the North pole. It had not been pretty. So many candy canes in so many heads.

Brrr. Let’s think about something else.

So… they were all sitting in an immense amphitheater, where Present Mic presented the practical exam.

Trying to relax himself a bit, Izuku took out his tarot deck and shuffled it. One year of daily and intensive practice made him very good at different card tricks. He also discovered that doing them calmed him a lot. Playing with coins, too. Truth be told, as long as they were sleight of hand, it calmed him down.
Sure, sometimes it looked like he was a show-off, Katsuki told him that a lot. However, it worked well, so why stop?

Therefore, cards seemed to fly from one hand to another. There was a reason Tenko made sure someone else shuffled Izuku’s deck every game or two. He couldn’t prove it, but certain combos Izuku pulled were way too perfect.

Nonetheless, Present Mic’s presentation was quite interesting. 1, 2, 3 points robots. There was a fourth kind of robot but if he was right, Present Mic was going to present it when some tall idiot stood up and berated Present Mic.

“Excuse me? On the handout, there are clearly four types of villains listed! Such an error would be the height of embarrassment for a top-tier national academy of U.A. ‘s caliber! The reason we’re here today is that we seek guidance on the path to becoming model heroes!”

Then, to Izuku’s surprise, he then turned toward him. What did that guy was looking at him with such an intense look?

“Moreover, can’t you sit still for a second? You’re distracting the surrounding people! If you think U.A. is a school for silly tricks, you can go somewhere else!”

Izuku stayed silent for a second… Before the result of rekindling his friendship with Bakugou and some training with Mr Compress kicked him. Daily banter trained him with Katsuki who had a tongue as wild and dangerous as his explosion and someone who cracked a bunny joke to Miruko and made her smile before she tried to decapitate him.

“Well, at least we know what you can do if your quirk has problems.” Izuku shot back quietly, as all cards seemingly magically came back in his hand. He was perfectly calm as he looked back at Iida. Present Mic did nothing because he was a showman at heart and recognized a good roasting when it was coming.

“What?” The tall glassy examinee was clearly not expecting Izuku to retort… Then again, what did he expect? Someone who was taking the U.A. ‘s Hero Course exam and doesn’t have any self esteem? Izuku had little of it, but he was a master at faking it until he made it.

“Well, you can pull out the stick shoved up your ass and use it as a weapon against the different robots!” Said the green bean with a smile so pure and innocent, that it made what he said even more effective than it should’ve been.

Katsuki laughed at Izuku, who snapped. It was rare, but it was always funny. Thank god Atsuhiro taught him a few liners to improve his sass. Even Present Mic snorted a bit. However, Izuku was not done.

“Also, if you were kind enough to let the TEACHER who is a PRO HERO finish, that would allow you to still appear smarter. Since the speed of light is faster than sound, you seemed intelligent before opening your mouth.” Once again, with that big sunshine smile of his, Izuku finished his attack, leaving a thunderstruck Iida looking like an idiot in front of everyone. Though, to be fair, he brought it upon himself.

“... While his language is quite foul, the green bean is right, examinee 7111. I was going to address that point. The arena traps, also known as the zero pointer. They don’t bring points and you should run away from them. We made them to study your situational awareness.” Which was something Iida seemingly did not have, as he was redder than a tomato. Maybe his outburst was not his best idea, as he quietly sat back down and avoided eye contact.

Nonetheless, all students went to the exam arena. An immense fake city. Well, cities to be fair, and Izuku sighed as they separated him and Kacchan. Not of sadness to not be with his friend, but of happiness. He knew Katsuki’s competitive streak, and Izuku knew that he would doubtless destroy pretty much every robot in his arena. Therefore, being not with him increased his odds significantly.

Not that he was weak either, as he took two 10 from his deck. Yes, his shuffling from earlier was not for nothing, either. Knowing where his cards where was essential for the exam.
Still, our young magician saw “Round face”, as Kacchan called her. Sure, he could have actually flipped on his feet, but it had been nice that she helped him. He was about to approach her to wish her good luck, but then…

“I see, you’re here to test this girl’s concentration power…” Oh goddamnit.

“... No, I just wanted to wish her good luck since she helped me earlier. Dude, I know we’re all stressed out, but, stop thinking everyone is out for you. Otherwise, they will be.” deadpanned a way too done with him Izuku. Iida did not know what to do or how to answer, since it was that particular moment that Present Mic announced the start of the examination.

The first to bolt was an Izuku who trained for one year with the painball training. Atsuhiro did not give a countdown either for the same reason Present Mic did. Life did not have one.

Still, people were quite surprised by the speed Izuku showed. Once again, painball training. It gave Izuku quite the speed to run away from his bloodthirsty mentor. Yes, he loved his (soon to be) step-father. However, both agreed that during training, they wouldn’t let love interfere.

Some people might have wondered why Izuku threw the cards in his hand. Some were expecting an explosion. They definitely did not expect two pillar men rising up in front of Izuku and dismembering three one-pointers in front of him as if they were sheets of papers in a few seconds, and in perfect sync no less.

A smile appeared on his face. Izuku then ordered his card men to search and destroy robots.

“GO MY PRETTIES. DESTROY THEM ALL!” Uh. Maybe Kacchan was rubbing off him after all. Still, it was going to be fun!

—---

Shinso was not having fun. Robots. Freaking. Robots. How was he supposed to use his quirk to fight for ROBOTS?

Then he saw a burly monster, white as the milk except for the heart on his face with a white ten on it, who just ripped apart a one pointer in front of him.

“HEY THAT WAS MY PREY!”

A smile creeped on Purple hair’s face. He reached and used his quirk. The strange monster stood still for a second and Shinso ordered him, with a loud voice so the examiners could hear him.

—---

Izuku groaned. He felt when his card men disappeared. Other students destroyed some, making him summon a few others in replacement. He had lost one of the ten and all cards from 2 to 6. What was strange was that one of his cards was still there. He could feel the (small) strain. Moreover, he could feel it working differently from what he ordered. A hijacking quirk? That… was very interesting and Izuku hoped he would meet the guy who did that. However, it was still a strain for him.

So, while Green boi accepted to let the ten alive to help the hijacker… Hey, he could easily understand if the power did not work on robots and with the “no attacking fellow examinees” rule, then that examinee was in trouble… So while he accepted that, he would not sabotage himself for this mysterious student.

All hijacked cards except one disappeared.

Izuku inhaled some fresh air, as a blonde guy winked at him before firing his laser at a robot who was going to attack on Izuku’s blind side. Izuku answered by summoning a Knight right behind and smashing a robot, who was silently creeping behind the twinkling student. Both gauged each other… Before nodding and saying nothing else as they went in different directions.

Hum… Izuku racked his brain as he hopped behind his Knight. Yes, he was not summoning anyone else for now, as he rode on the large back of his summon who suspiciously looked like an armored knight from manga, closer to a mech than a human.

Was there more to the exam than just points?

—---

Accidentally, Izuku didn’t see it, but Shinsho clearly used the summon he had left to destroy as many robots as he could. More often than not, he naturally did the smart thing, to not let his “slave” get destroyed: he picked almost destroyed or trapped robots. One kid with purple balls on his head was actually yelling, as Shinsho destroyed the fifth robot he had trapped.

—---

In the control room, teachers were looking happily at the situation. Eraserhead was the one to point out Shinso’s hijacking. He knew firsthand how the exam was discriminatory against people like them so that the kid turned backed the situation was something he wouldn’t let ignored. It was rational to reward being smart.

However, it was time to spice the game.

They let the zero-pointers out. Bets switched between hands. It was time for fun.

And before people asked: They actually unleashed them because they had on hand a janitor with the particular quirk of warping everyone on the verge of being hit by a very tall robot to safety. It was an incredibly specific quirk and Nedzu actually had to find it in Poland. With over 5 billion people, yes, you were bound to find incredibly specific quirks. Still. They were not irresponsible.

Well. At least not too much, as the rat god took the bets like the impartial god he was. He also made sure that the loser would also have to write the name of the janitor: Grzegorz Brzęczyszczykiewicz

—---

“Oh. So this is a zero pointer.” Said an Izuku who was way too close to be actually safe from the death robot of doom in front of him. Seriously, where did the U.A. found the budget for those?

—---

Nedzu was meanwhile looking at his benefits from owning part in different stock companies, including some owned by the sentient animals of the Amazonian fauna. Yep, still rich.

—---

Still, Izuku was counting on his hand his points as his knight yeeted him outside of the zero-pointer trajectory. It was time to fold it and stay back and relax.

With an uncanny grace, Izuku landed on his feet. He was right; he was at roughly forty points. It was quite nice. With his written test, Izuku was clearly in the good place to be put in heroics.

Still, he was happy to see he was not the only one out of the way of the robots. He actually landed near an exhausted “Round face”.

“Hey! Hello there! Happy to see you! Everything went well on your side?” He asked, this time way chillier than at the entrance. Mainly because he was quite sure to get into U.A.

The girl answered by rising a thumb toward him, still too tired to do anything else. She almost went under some rocks, but a purple-haired dude got her out before anything dangerous happened or she hurt herself. So all in all, she was fine.

“PLEASE SOMEONE! HELP!”

Izuku stopped everything that he was doing, to see who asked for help… While running, without even thinking about it while his Knight just valiantly died to slow less than a second the zero-pointer.

It took ten seconds to see who asked for help. He would have missed the girl who yelled for help if she did not yell again.

Why? Simply because she was invisible. Well, she had a uniform, and it was funny to see a floating uniform who clearly had nice curbs… But it was not the time to think about that.

Also, Izuku groaned when he saw the zero-pointer going toward them. Because, of course, the thing targeted students. Of course.

He ran even faster.

—---

Meanwhile, a young Toru was not believing her eyes. She did great on the exam. Written test? It went as well as she hoped. Good, but not enough. She could completely rely on it.

At first the practical exam looked like it would be her death, but she found a weak point in the robot’s armor. So, she took her courage and a heavy lead pipe and ambushed as many robots as she could, especially if other students were in danger. It was an exam, but still! People could get hurt! And it was her time to shine!

Except it went all sideways when the giant robot appeared. At first, she thought she was safe… unless she tripped. Yes. She tripped and then some rubble almost crushed her leg. Almost. Still, she was trapped and all she could do was yell for help…

Except she knew she wouldn’t get it. Toru was invisible. Even if someone heard her, who would see the invisible girl?

She could almost cry as she knew her rescues were probably not seen by anyone. She cried when she knew that maybe the teachers would miss her being crushed. She did not want to go out like this! She was still young, she still had so much to do, like hang out with friends and meet with cute boys!!

Maybe… Just maybe, the teachers would save her?

—---

“So! Everyone! Time to bet! Will the boy try to save the girl? Run away? Destroy the zero-pointer? TIME TO PLACE YOUR BET!”

Let it be known that Nemuri Kayama put her bet in half as a joke and half because she was a romantic on the last option. She was the only one, as all the other teachers grinned. Aizawa put his bet on running away, as the boy seemed smart and would know when to run. All Might of course put him on trying to save the girl, but the green kid did not have the firepower to destroy a zero-pointer.

—---

Still, the girl looked at the boy who was quickly surrounded by three minions who lifted out all the rubble trapping her, as the Zero pointer was raising its foot about them… And her savior (well, he was trying at least) smiled at her.

“Hey, can you grab me before I fall and take me to safety?”

Uh?”

Then Toru saw Izuku take a card from a deck and yeeting it just below the robot before yelling.

“SIXTEENTH ARCANA!”

The earth started to rumble.

Izuku felt the pressure on his brain, as all the cards he summoned before vanished. He summoned only one arcana before now and it left him pretty sluggish for a few days. He also knew that the exam took a lot of his energy earlier, especially with maintaining the 10 he lent to an unknown student.

Still, the green bean was determined. There was someone behind him. Someone to protect. So, he did the only thing he could as he mustered every ounce of strength he had; the air sparking madly around him.

Toru could even see some blood dripping from his nose.

“PLUUUUS… ULTRA!”

—---

“The f*ck?”

All the teachers were looking at the same screen, not believing their eyes. A Zero-pointer, a machine capable of taking down villains and no student before the second year were supposed to take down as a team and individually in the third, was currently impaled in front of them by what looked like a small Babylonian tower.

The only one not freaking out was Nedzu, sipping his tea as he held out a sheet. Izuku Midoriya. Extremely late-bloomer. Despite his relationship with Atsuhiro Sako, this one assured him the kid was not his biological son. However, he firmly recommended him to Nedzu, promising the boy was fun, despite what his school might say.

The rat was elated. Sure, the boy came recommended, but he wanted to see for himself what he was made of. Smart but heroic. Smiling in front of adversity and… Powerful enough to prove he could own up to his choice. Therefore, Nedzu thoroughly ignored every piece of slander Aldera wrote about Izuku as a scary student capable of blackmailing everyone, including the teachers. Or rather… He read them. He read the incident report and cackled madly.

Oh yes. He was going to have so much fun with this boy.

—---

Then suddenly, All Might. Uh… She did a double check. The one with her was a boy with bushy green hair (she wanted, instinctively, to fluff it) who did an uncanny impersonation of All Might, which stopped her cries.

One moment later, as she also saw the legs falling toward them, the boy seemed confident and asked her to… catch him?

Before she could ask for details, he acted. If she didn’t have a front-row seat to this spectacle, she wouldn’t have believed it. At first, she had thought her savior could summon beings to help him. Then he just summoned a spike that pierced through and destroyed the robot, saving both of them in the process whilst yelling “PLUS ULTRA”.

She had to admit; it was more than impressive, especially as he smiled toward her… Just before falling unconscious. Uh…

At least, her hero of the day was safe in her arms as she began to take him away safety. Hey, he was kind of cute and saved. He deserved a little rest in her arms.

—---

Meanwhile, a certain glasses-wearing student who was seriously thinking that Izuku was crazy or someone who had no place in the U.A.

Then, with everyone else, he saw Izuku rush toward someone crying for help. Cries that were supposedly around the zero pointer. It was probably a trap! After all, Present Mic said it was to evaluate their situational awareness. Therefore, Izuku was definitely going to get him eliminated.

Then he saw a girl with plug-like earphone jacks hanging from each of her earlobes at the end of two thin cords running after him.

“There is actually someone there!”

Iida took a second… And decided to not move. After all, the rules never said they got points for saving people.

… Wait. The rules… Why did he feel like he missed something important?

Then, Present Mic yelled the end of the examination. Oh well. All was going to be well. After all, he did not even need Recovery Girl.

—---

“Uuuuurgh…”

Izuku had the biggest headache he’s ever had. It was as if Mr Compress played the saxophone in his brain. Before you asked how Izuku knew how that sounded, Mr Compress described himself as a man of many talents and the saxophone was an excellent way to troll opponents. Also, a very good improvised weapon.

“So, sleeping beauty finally woke up?”

Nice. Izuku knew exactly who was that sarcastic and only could flip him the finger. Once again, Katsuki’s laughter resonated in his head.

“Seriously Kacchan. My head hurts a lot.” Our hero pleaded meekly to his friend.

“Serve you right, trying to play the hero.” Katsuki replied, looking more like a villain than a hero at that moment..

“And what are we going to be?” snapped an Izuku who was still in pain and not opening his eyes.

“Never said you were wrong.” Approved Kacchan, but once again without saying the truth. “Though, did you do it because the girl was cute?”

“Don’t know. She was invisible but needed help.” Said an Izuku who was still collecting everything he could remember… Oh. Right. The robot. “Did I get the robot?”

“... I didn’t even try to do something that crazy. And I’m me.” Said Katsuki proudly, who prepared a glass of water for his friend. “I’m still going to beat your score. It was still worth 0 points.”

“Sure, but we will both know I beat the giant robot~.” This once again managed to make Katsuki chuckle.

“Uh… Sorry. Is the green guy awake?” said a girly voice as the door opened to reveal a floating uniform. Katsuki looked at that and made a gesture.

“Hey, guess what Izuku? Apparently, the girl you saved is here.” Yes. Katsuki said the name of his friend on purpose in front of the girl.

Toru studied both boys as she advanced in the room and both boys continued to banter.

“Hmm? You sure?”

“Unless they have another girl as invisible as you’re dumb, yes.” It made the girl laugh bitterly. Yes, she was invisible but saving her was not dumb but incredibly brave.

That is why she stuck her tongue at Katsuki, happy for her quirk. Hey. She was invisible. What was there to lose? It wasn’t dangerous after all, and Katsuki seemed like the friendly kind of jerk toward Izuku.

Izuku grumbled as he opened his eyes and just smiled at the girl he managed to help.

“Hi there. I hope everything’s alright?”

“Yes. Thank you. I just wanted to say… Hmmm… My name is Toru Hagakure. I wanted to thank you and give you… hmm... my number. You know, so we could tell each other when we get our admission to U.A.? Also, to thank you for saving me when it got dangerous?”

Izuku was at that moment too tired to properly register what happened and he simply nodded before the girl wrote a number on a sheet of paper and then promptly left.

“Don’t forget to send a message with your name!”

Katsuki did what every friend should do in such a situation, knowing how Izuku would react if he let him process what happened. He took Izuku’s phone and sent the message from it, registering the number under “Toru the cutie”. All the while cackling madly. Izuku’s face was going to be priceless. Hey, Katsuki was excellent at making things explode and he was proud to include Izuku on the list.

Oh god. He never hoped for everyone to get in the U.A. Not even himself (he knew he would get there). Not even Izuku (that would insult his training). But this girl? If she was there too, as apparently she hoped? Katsuki would have unlimited material for teasing Izuku. So many possibilities…

“Now, you know what is going to be fun?” said a little troll with blond hair. “You’re going to have to explain to your mom how you got sent to the infirmary.”

Izuku paled significantly as Kacchan helped him to his feet. Was it still too late to get killed by the zero-pointer?

Chapter 6: It's time to panic !

Chapter Text

Saying Inko went nuclear when she learned what happened to her son was an understatement . It took Atsuhiro and Izuku hugging her to stop her from going to the U.A. and teaching the concept of neutering to a certain stoat principal. Mr Compress wondered if Nedzu ever knew how close it was, seriously.

At first Izuku was all for keeping it under the rug. The problem was Katsuki. Since they started being friends again, Izuku re-discovered the whole jerkass downside that was part of his friend: if he could embarrass or annoy Izuku in a fun way, he would.

So guess what happened when his mom had the great idea of inviting the Bakugou’s over for dinner after the exam?

Of course Katsuki waited for the perfect moment to drop the bomb by asking how Izuku was since the exam, as Katsuki had to wait for him at the infirmary.

Mitsuki was mixed with pride, worry and laughter at the news. She knew that if Katsuki did that, Izuku was most likely fine. However, she was extremely proud of Katsuki, learningabbout how timing can be used to maximize his effect. She was going to teach him with Masaru how to make a perfect innocent smile. Seriously, her son had a perfect villain face. It completely ruined the innocent side of the prank.

However, Mitsuki was filled with only pride when Katsuki followed by the end of the story, as Inko was finally calming her nerves. As her chubby friend was sitting back, still hugged by her boyfriend. Atsuhiro was glaring daggers with his eyes at Katsuki who apparently wanted vengeance for the squid.

“Oh and Izuku, did you think to send a text to Toru to tell her that you were fine?”Adding oil to Inko’s metaphorical gas fire, what a move.

“Katsuki? You know you will pay for that later?”

Inko instantly went giddy while squealing in delight.. Atsuhiro stared at Katsuki… And raised his thumb in approval. The explosive boy noted and nodded. Teasing Izuku about his love life was ok but not when it was life threatening. Duly noted.

“... A girl?” Inko squeaked out, while her son tried to switch the subject. However, Katsuki wanted revenge for the fact that Izuku got to destroy a Zero pointer when he hadn't. He was a bit spiteful after all and he had prepared beforehand for the whole situation.

“Oh yes. She was definitely a girl and let’s just say she gave her number to Izuku because…”

“Katsuki, end that sentence and I will end your life sooner than expected” Izuku squeaked out, wanting to sound threatening but failing.

“Because our favorite Greenie actually got in the infirmary as a result of saving her, and in the process destroying the most dangerous robot in the field. All in one hit..” Katsuki actually had trouble saying that, as he was admitting that for one instant, Izuku had more firepower than him. However, practicality won over. He could always perfect a super move later but Izuku's terrified face was priceless.

Everyone looked at Izuku with a knowing smile, as he was wondering if he could use his quirk to disappear into a hole. He somehow became so red that everyone couldn’t help but laugh. He was the perfect tomato as he couldn't stand everyone’s staring.

“I swear Kacchan. You will pay.”

“Was she cute though?” Asked Atsuhiro, not wanting to let his surrogate son have any peace. Izuku was showing a weak point and as a mentor, it was his duty to torture him so he would never fall into the enemy’s trick.

Ok, that was the official reason. Mr Compress wanted just to tease the hell out of him.

“Well let’s say you’d have a hard time knowing where to look.” Said Katsuki, while counting on his finger for his friend's reaction… 3, 2, 1…

“KATSUKI! You know she had an invisibility mutation quirk! Though I still don’t know if she can control the light by adjusting her cells or if it is an imperceptibility quirk. Wait no, she did not have a shadow so she has a living camo skin…”

As Izuku began to mutter about a certain see through girl, Katsuki had the biggest sh*t eating grin ever. Inko knew as well as him that Izuku loved quirks above all. So a girl with an interesting quirk? Of course it was going to interest him plenty and occupy his thoughts. So as his mother? She was purely ecstatic and noted in her mental notebook the name of Tooru. Finally, her boy could finally start talking to a girl!

Not that she would have minded if he was not attracted to girls. However as a mother, she was happy that he was finally breaking out of his shell.

“And I'm wondering, does it still count as a complex mutant quirk? If yes, does that mean she could actually bypass most anti-quirk Quirks? That would be an excellent test to determine her nature…”

Still muttering, unsurprisingly to everyone. So, when Izuku finally noticed the silence and how everyone looked at him, Izuku did the smart thing.

He ran back to his bedroom to be safe. Then he proceeded to swear vengeance against Katsuki, as hard as he could, while screaming inside a pillow. It was surprisingly cathartic.

“Well, all I have to hope as a mother is that the girl ends up in U.A. too. Katsuki, would you be a dear and…”

“Tell you if Deku and Invisi-Girl are in the same classroom? Aunty, I was the one adding the girl’s number in his phone and who sent the first message because I knew he wouldn't dare to start the conversation.” Announced Katsuki proudly i. He was certainly not a wingman for his friend. He was just doing it to embarrass him so much he would hide under a rock.

However both moms took it as Katsuki forcing Izuku’s hand so that he would move forward. What a good friend to help him fight his shyness! Her son was sometimes…Well often, a sparkling pile of trash but it was this kind of sparkling that made her remember he was nice deep inside. After all, he did want to be a Hero. No one who wanted to become a hero was a bad person, right?

Still, our favorite pomeranian almost regretted what he did, as he was subject to Inko’s infamous bone crushing hug. One of the few reasons he had a sane fear of her… Well that and the fact he did remember what she did to the one guy who tried to kidnap Izuku because of his apparent lack of quirk… And the fact she then asked his mother for help to do the usual.

He truly did not want to dwell on how both mothers met and what they did in their “eclectic youth” or who was this “dear old Kendo” they sometimes spoke of and how it was fun to see him terrified of them.

Katsuki did ask his father about that when he was seven. The only answer he got from his dad was that there was probably a reason why Hisashi’s ambulance was late in arriving at the hospital because of several fights between villains and various vigilantes. He confided to his son that he was not sure of who was there because of a “favor'' and he prefered not to know, so that he could still sleep well at night.

That day, Katsuki thought his dad was a coward. Now, he knew his dad was a sage and when he spoke, you better listen.

Still, Inko’s cooking was as usual (really delicious) and it had been a fun evening. Bakugou’s family went home happily and Atsuhiro joined Inko in a nice hug, while he was still thinking about what Nedzu told him, passing onto him what Recovery Girl found about Izuku.

All jokes aside, Izuku’s exploit almost went badly for him. If he had not been trained by him, his brain would have exploded exactly like in “Scanner”. Instead, he “just” bled a lot. Recovery Girl expected him to be tired for a few days. He was going to talk to Inko about it. Out of question he left something like that unsaid. Izuku was her son before he was his disciple… And she deserved to know that Izuku’s Quirk had not yet stabilized.

Both of them had theorized that the longer a late-blooming quirk took to be mastered, the stronger. Atsuhiro had to train one year and a half to use it without any side-effects. Still, he was stronger in his use than his favorite green haired kid.

Still. It was worrying. Either his training was not effective enough or Izuku’s power was going to be off the chart when fully formed… And it was somewhat bad. Yes, he heard about the legendary fight between All Might and All for One. As one of the heirs of the big three of the Dawn of the Quirk, he needed to check on all the others…

However, as Oji Harima said himself “That bastard All for One always has plans in his plans. If you think he's dead, he's probably somewhere else drinking bourbon.” Apparently, his ancestor managed to “kill” AfO more than a few times by teaming up with various people and managing to help some “nice fellows” to steal one of the few things the immortal ever loved. Oji did not write a lot about it, except it was probably what wiped out North Korea as AfO went full berserk that day.

It also served to illustrate how powerful the man was to wipe out single handedly a country and then manag to cover it up.

So. Unless the literal god of death assured him that Satan was back on his Throne in Hell, Atsuhiro was going to be worried. That kind of quirk was something that AfO would love to have.

Oh well. Nedzu promised him that the U.A. would certainly have the facilities to protect his boy.

Yes, the magician already had the results. He simply did not want to spoil the surprise to the boys and everyone else. That and all the embarrassing questions he didn't have an answer ready for such as “how the hell you're on a speaking terms with Nedzu if you simply train some sportspeople?”

In hindsight he had to find a better story. Quick.

When he almost wondered why he tried so hard, Inko nudged herself a bit more against him. Sure, she did not have the svelte figure she had before. However, she was still the kind, caring, intelligent and terrifying woman he had always known and loved since… Well, quite a long time.

Having her in his arms, her heat and love against him… Honestly, he couldn't have asked for more.

Therefore he decided to sleep happily.

—---

One week later.

As Recovery Girl expected, while her quirk did heal whatever little brain damage Izuku had (according to her, she still couldn't cure stupidity), the boy was heavily exhausted. All his training had been for dexterity and flexibility. The good doctor explicitly prohibited the kid from using his quirk in any circ*mstance.

Atsuhiro had a talk with Bakugou who did not accept explicitly to make sure Izuku did not use his quirk but rather, and he quoted to Inko: “I don't want my rival to not be accepted because he broke some dumbass’s arms”.

It was the closest they could get from him, he knew.

Recovery Girl also told Atsuhiro (who then told Inko) that Izuku was to move as little as possible during the weekend. Therefore, Izuku missed for the first time in almost a year his weekly meeting with a certain villain. What could go wrong?

—---

“So, this is the Bar with no name, right?”

Kurogiri sighed, as the delivery men brought everything. A new bar, the replacement for his collection of various priceless alcohol, new furniture… Pretty much everything.

The reason why? Tomura had been in an extremely murderous mood. So murderous in fact that he actually went for a very enthusiastic walk around the neighborhood . Oh well, at least, with his quirk, there would be no need to dispose of the corpse. Also, the “Murder place” did not get its name by being somewhere with people with a big heart and a good chance to go to Heaven.

Kurogiri was at least happy that Tomura did not kill off some random civils. He chose and attacked only people no one would miss or cry over.

Moreover, the name of Decay was slowly creeping his name in the Underground as a particularly efficient killer for hire for now… His specialty? Killing heroes who corrupted the society. Not for the same reason as Stain, as the killer wanted to clean the system. Tomura wanted to destroy it. However, for now, their methods were aligned and he had asked his Sensei and Kurogiri to prepare a meeting with the man.

Talking and playing with Izuku helped him a lot in thinking about his plans. He, however, was still going to try the Noumu against All Might one. He just needed a good opportunity to do that. However, Tomura was thinking more and more about Sensei’s words. Noumu was fabricated. Which meant reproducible.

Where were the prototypes? Where was the test result? Which heroes were used in order to be sure it could kill All Might? Tomura had none of that. All he had was a tall dumb black muscular thing with its brain on the outside.

Tomura loved his Sensei and would kill for him. However, he also knew one important thing.

Sensei was a troll of the highest order. He would be proud if Tomura won but he certainly did not expect him to.

After all, if killing All Might was that easy, his master wouldn't look like he’d be able to do the casting as the next Mr Potato in Toy Story 34. The only reason he didn’t? According to his master, only one thing was more evil than him and it was Disney.

Still. Tomura was a bit stressed since he was not able to play with … No, Izuku was not his friend. Clearly not. He was just an excellent potential teammate with an interesting background and a fun design.

Oh god. He was interested in a character's backstory.

Kurogiri was just signing off the delivery when Tomura managed to break the glasses with the sound of his realization.

His calm and love for his protege was immense. Immense was not infinite.

The following week, all Tomura had to eat was broccoli. Kurogiri’s reason? Budget restriction.

—---

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!”

Mitsuki was working on the hero suit for Izuku when she heard the scream. The panicked usual scream she learned to not panic from when it was heard.

“Katsuki! Izuku just received his letter!”

“BOOOOOOOOOOM”

And there was the answer she expected.

—-----

“Thanks for the pillow, dear.” Inko said confidently, as her son was taking his precious envelope with the final result, as if it could break. Why was she so sure? Because she trusted her soon-to-be new fiancee and believed in her son.

The son who was promptly hit in the head by a sharp pillow launched by Atsuhiro, thanks to his magnificent “Random Bullsh*t”. Yes, she still did not tell him she knew he was Mr Compress. She was waiting for him to finally notice that his costume was cleaner and ironed correctly.

“Always a pleasure” Said an ever smiling Atsuhiro, as Izuku was finally starting to beath again and was ready to rend their ears useless with his screaming once more. “Izuku, if your next scream isn't because of the result, I swear I will throw a pan at you. I'm in the kitchen and while I miss you both lots when I'm away, I assure you my aim is excellent.”

He got hit for his joke by the pillow that Inko grabbed before throwing it at him.

Nonetheless, it helped Izuku calm down by a lot. Finally, “The” letter. He couldn't wait to tell his friends (well, a version with less U.A. to Tomura but still)But… What if he failed because he passed out in the end?

As Izuku was almost screaming, he felt Atsuhiro pat him softly on his back, as he was now used to during their training session. His… Well, paternal figure. Sure, Green Bean still loved All-Might, but even he noticed the shift in his own fan-fiction. Before, it was the story of a quirkless boy meeting All-Might and becoming his Robin. Now? Well… Some of his readers were half jokingly telling him to change his pseudo to All Might-gician. He actually was thinking of doing that as now, Mr Compress was often the hero in some of his stories, saving both him and All-Might before disappearing in the night.

The difference between All-Might and Atsuhiro? Well, aside from his catchphrase, the one who was there was Atsuhiro. His teacher.

With renewed confidence, Izuku ripped open the envelope and from it fell a small disk… Before a hologram went out of it.

Holy… Now he understood the first explosion in the morning!

ALL-MIGHT. IN HOLOGRAM IN FRONT OF HIM. EVEN IF IT WAS A REJECTION LETTER, HE WAS GOING TO KEEP IT… If only so he could look on the Internet how to make it work as a veryyy big poster. It was bound to be a really rare collector item in the future!

—---

Somewhere, in a certain hero agency, Nighteye raised his head.

“Someone got a piece of limited All-Might merchandise before me.”

“... How do you even know that, sir ?”

“It’s my quirk!”

Even Mirio did not know what to answer to that… And decided to promptly ignore that. They had bad guys to catch. Like those villains who took, when no one was looking, forty cakes. 40 Cakes. That was as many as four tens and Mirio was not letting such a crime go unpunished.

—---

“I AM HERE! As a projection… BUT STILL

Now you might be wondering why it is I, who is delivering you this message? Well fear not! It is because, as of next year, I will be teaching at U.A. ACADEMY”

Izuku almost fainted, as now he understood the second explosion in the morning. Still, he was supported by his mother too, and he could do it.

“First of all, congratulations on getting the fifth best score at the written test this year! Quite excellent, especially the Quirk Analysis part.

But unless you seek to become a support Hero such as Power Loader, a big brain isn't enough… Not that Power Loader is weak, of course.

So. Let’s speak about the practical test. The way you fought, conservatively and by dividing your summonings according to their strength was indeed efficient. You managed to win a solid 37 points! We had to deduce points since one of your summons was hijacked by another student.”

Izuku nodded impatiently, as he was now happy to know he helped someone for his exam.

“However, it brings us to another set of points!”

What?

“Because when you want to become a hero, do people expect you to simply punch the bad guy? OF COURSE NOT! Well, at least that isn't the kind of hero we seek to form at U.A.!

We all saw you when the zero-pointer arrived. We knew there was a girl there and we were ready to intervene if necessary.

I mean, we're heroes and pros at that.

HOWEVER. When you saw someone was helpless, we all saw you turn around without hesitation.

Maybe it is cheesy, but that is something I like, kid!

So, a whole forty points for rescuing the girl, reassuring her efficiently and also for the nice homage. I almost as if I WAS THERE.”

Said All Might while pose, as Izuku was overhyped, overjoyed and crying a lot, with Inko, while Atsuhiro opened the door to let the water flow outside. The neighbors looked at the familiar spectacle and smiled.

“SO! YOUNG MIDORIYA, I AM PROUD TO TELL YOU THAT YOU MANAGED TO GET THE BEST PRACTICAL SCORE THIS YEAR… TYING ONLY WITH ONE OTHER PERSON!.”

Oh. So that was why there was an explosion powerful enough they actually mistook it for a small earthquake.

Because everyone could see two names on the top of the list. Katsuki and Izuku.

“My BOY, I AM HAPPY TO WELCOME YOU TO U.A.! WELCOME TO YOUR HERO ACADEMIA!”

That was when the hologram finally cut and Atsuhiro looked at Izuku, with a knowing smile. Inko was still crying tears of joy too, when Izuku rushed at Atsuhiro and tackled him into a hug.

Mr Compress almost fell, as the boy almost broke his spine and said…

“I DID IT! I DID IT DAD, I DID IT WITH YOUR TRAINING!”

Atsuhiro and Inko had a moment of silence, as they both realized what Izuku just said… before he did too, becoming paler than a sheet of paper.

“Herm… I mean… I know you aren't married to mom but…”

Before his surrogate son could put his foot in his mouth again, the magician vigilante lifted him into the air and locked him in a powerful hug.

“I don't care who your father is… But I'm proud to think of you as my disciple and son, Izuku.”

Even him, Mr Compress, who did not cry when he took a hit from Fatgum in the face, did cry that night, Izuku against him.

Inko looked at the spectacle and smiled. What a shame that Hisashi’s father was not alive. While his son was a bad memory, the man had been really nice and had been angry when he learned his son was running away because of Izuku’s Quirklessness. As in really angry and apologizing to Inko and Izuku. His little Rey as he used to call Izuku. She remembered him, when he explained that his mother was spanish and nobody expected him to speak spanish. Even he chuckled that nobody expected him when he was inquisitive.

Sadly, the man died of anger and sadness a few day after his son. He had been kind enough to leave them a bit more money. It was the only reason Inko still went each year to the Midoryia’s shrine…

—---

Katsuki got his earlier and he already knew his result and the nerd… Explaining why the hell he was pouting in his bedroom. Zero-pointers that did not bring any points, his ass! Sure, the reason that All-Might gave made sense but seriously? NOW HE WAS TIED WITH IZUKU. TIED. Well, at least he had been third in the written exam but still. It means Izuku was really shoulder against shoulder.

Mitsuki smiled as her son cackling maniacally as a villain. Finally he stopped mopping. Katsuki had many qualities and one of the best was truly his capacity to rebound as long as he could get back at whoever he bet. It truly helped him to go above everyone and she had truly feared for a long time he couldn't have a rival that would make him work even harder.

Apparently the problem was now over.

—---

“Geez, Tomura. I'm sorry, I told you that five times. If you had a cellphone, it would have been easier, you know?”

Right now, two young men were drinking smoothies in front of the store, since it had a no food policy. The blue haired manchild had asked Izuku to pay him a smoothie to compensate for his absence for his meeting. Sure, he could vaguely understand that Izuku would need to work… But he truly needed to find a way to tempt Izuku into the dark side. Hmmmm… He needed to step up his game. To gain some fame.

A Character such as Izuku would need fame to be interested in a group. But first, he needed to play his card to not make Izuku afraid and run. After all, he was also as nervous as a bunny and would run away if the predator was not friendly enough.

So, a Tomura still drinking an ice cold smoothie got a brain freeze as he thought more of his evil plan than anything else, making Izuku laugh.

Also, he needed to buy a cellphone.

“Izuku, when you stop laughing. We’re going out to buy phones.”

“We?”

“I saw the thing you use. It is closer to a walkie talkie than a freaking phone.”

“Tomura, you don't even have one.”

“But I have money and I refuse to let one of my favorite minions have something subpar!”

Izuku chose to interpret that as “I'm rewarding you for doing well”.

Let’s just say Tomura was not amused by Izuku taking a normal phone but with an All Might skin. As for him, well… He bought a Pear phone 22. According to the vendor it was the best in town.

Good thing he couldn't dust it anymore, right?

—---

Now, dear readers, let’s skip ahead in time a bit. The day the two boys were going to their new school. Both were totally aware they were in the same class but well…

“I'm not going to your home in the morning ever again, YOUR STEP DAD THREW A SQUID AT ME. WHAT’S HE GOING TO DO NEXT TIME?”

Mr Compress had prepared a cream pie with a clown he knew.

Izuku approved of Kacchan's fear and so decided to go separately… Not to mention that his mom was checking everything before he left. Actually, Kacchan did not risk anything, as Atsuhiro was working today. By working, he had explained to his son, he was going to steal some criminals' funds of war and a few pieces of evidence for Underground heroes. Therefore, he was going to be absent for a few days.

Hey, communication was important in a family and Atsuhiro had enough problems because he did not say things clearly before. He learned from his mistakes.

Also he did not tell Inko or Izuku he was going to steal a diamond to make a special ring for a special woman of his heart.

Still, it was with a smile, cards in one pocket and a coin dancing in his finger that Izuku went to his school.

—---

While his coins were dancing (yes. Coins.) between his fingers, Izuku knew the day was going to be long as he entered the room, hearing a small explosion.

“Don’t put your legs on your desk! This is disrespectful toward your school and the upperclassmen who used the desk before you! “

“Tell me more about it, extra!” Oh sweet. Apparently Glasses was now officially an extra in Katsuki’s eyes… Though Izuku could see why. “I don't think it annoys anyone!”

“Personally I don't care about it.” Said Izuku helpfully, gathering attention on him… Especially with the way Katsuki smiled at him. Like a shark who found a bleeding dolphin.

Glasses stared at him before bending at ninety degrees.

“Oh you! I remember you. I apologize for being disrespectful towards you during the exam since you understood the true secret of the…”

“First of all, no problem. If I can be friends with Kacchan, I can be friends with anyone. Second, my name is Izuku Midoriya. Thirdly, someone simply needed help…”

“Izuku?” Said a feminine voice that Izuku immediately recognized… As he slowly turned and saw both the girl who helped him not fall on his face and more importantly…

A floating uniform. Tooru.

“Before you ask, Deku, I already messaged Auntie.”

“f*ck you Kacchan.”

Chapter 7: Time to do or die !

Chapter Text

Before anyone else had the time to say anything else, a yellow caterpillar hobo entered the classroom.

Everyone had a short moment while they wondered what was going on, when suddenly Izuku bellowed with a loud voice, copying a girl he knew who was a Class President…

“RAISE, BOW, SIT”

Atsuhiro told him people were most likely to obey when issued a simple order in a situation where they had no idea how to react.

In Izuku’s case, it was because his brain managed to register the Hobo in front of him. After all, his friends who played the “Hero” card game with him knew him as “The Eraser Spammer”. Izuku knew who the man in front of them was and how he was known for his no-nonsense attitude.

Hell, if his research were correct, the man was known to be quite trigger-happy with his expulsions… Or rather demotion to Gen Ed. Still. It was a threat.

Aizawa did not smile when he saw the students obeying the green haired kid. One of them seemed to have some brains and understood the situation quicker than most.

“5 seconds. In the real world, a villain could have easily killed you in those five seconds.”

Harsh words. True, yes, but harsh seeing they were literally on their first day at school. Nonetheless, everyone stayed silent, including an almost exploding Katsuki who wanted to yell at the hobo. However, if Izuku had been ordering them and was doing his best statue impression, it meant the man was the real deal. sh*t.

“Now,take out the gym uniform from inside your desk. We will do a physical aptitude test.”

Izuku gulped. He had a good idea of what he could expect from the strange man who was apparently their homeroom teacher.

—----

“DIIIIIIIIIIE”

753.3 meters. Yep, Katsuki was indeed even stronger than before. Not wanting to let Deku get ahead of him, he actually went full power on that ball, sweating a bit before his friend handed him a towel.

It was useful to avoid incidents and Izuku always packed a few in case Katsuki needed one. If Katsuki tried to yell that he did not need Deku to care for him, his friend would smile and simply say “It is auntie Mitsuki who asked”.

That was a good enough reason. Even Katsuki knew better than to argue with his mother.

Still, everyone was now looking at the test excitedly and when a certain pink girl tried to speak…

“OH IT SEEMS SO FU…”

A wild Izuku intercepted Mina’s mouth with a card and stopped her mid-sentence, as Aizawa locked them in with his stare.

“It seems what?”

“Nothing, sir! She was clearly not saying it was a fun activity to do. Clearly not.”

The temperature seemed to freeze, as Izuku tried his best innocent smile, the one he used once on Tomura to win a card game. It was that effective.

Aizawa did not give a sh*t. However, since a student clearly knew what to expect, unless someone said something dumb… Well…

“Hmm… The denial is absolutely not specific but I guess I will let it pass…

And then “Mr. Can’t read the room to save his life” Denki said…

“Oh well, at least it’s going to be super fun!”

Izuku looked at Denki as if he just said that Endeavor was leagues better than All-Might.

Izuku had the patience of a saint. His step-dad was a prankster who loved to tease him. His best friend was most of the time a jerk and the rest of it, he was a troll. His other friend was a crusty man who had a smile that even Freddy Kruegger would find gruesome and he had the temper to go with it…

And yet, Denki managed to make him yell at him with a furious shout:

“YOU DUMBASS! WE ALMOST MANAGED TO AVOID THE THREAT!”

Everyone looked, not understanding anything, at Izuku who took his hand off Mina’s face, while Aizawa was grinning like the cat who caught the canary.

“I see someone did his research. Well, since apparently your class, minus one, takes this class as one for funsies…” Izuku was clearly making the same sound as a dog who was sad, as the teacher followed. “So, the student who made it dead last in the class will get expelled!”

Everyone began to yell, as they all wanted to stay in the class… And especially as it was the first day at school of course. Izuku smiled like a sad child. He pointed at the teacher, completely defeated.

“Shota Aizawa, underground hero : Eraserhead. He isn't in the top 100 heroes because he doesn’t want fame. He is also known for having the highest expulsion rate in Japan.”

Everyone seemed scared, especially as they saw Katsuki, the foul mouthed guy who clearly knew Izuku well, becoming paler. Apparently, he trusted his friend’s info.

“So before anyone thinks he isn’t serious… Last year he demoted his entire class down to Gen Ed and a few of them actually dropped out. Many got back at the end of the year, but he's dead serious.”

Shouta Aizawa was grinning with a smile not unlike Tomura’s. Maybe a distant cousin? Still, Shouta appreciated that the problem child of the exam actually did his presentation for him. So, the kid had “the heart of a hero” as All-Might said (Shouta wanted to say the heart of an idiot) but at least he had some brains. Maybe he wasn’t hopeless.

—---

Currently, the two most panicky people in the class were Tooru and Hitoshi. Why? Because their quirk was clearly not flashy or capable of helping them in athletics. So, while Tooru actually practiced at the gym, Hitoshi was… Well, he was a nerd.

Sure, it did not show well. However, he did not get the bags under his eyes by not finishing Darker Bloodborne Soul 3 this week. So, yes. The tall purple haired guy was actually under a minor freakout of his own. Unless he was really lucky and that the summoner he stole from during the exam was there.

Then, for the second time in his life, Lady Luck smiled at Hitoshi with her brightest smile.

Izuku just threw a King of Hearts card on the ground, before asking Kacchan to give him a ball for the throwing exercise.

“Well. Best of luck guys!”

Said the smiling sunshine boy, as he tried to not use too much of his power. He was still recovering after all, and one King was the best he could do right now. However, having the really buff King next to him would clearly allow him to do well enough.

“... Is that not going to make you pass out, after the stunt you pulled last week?” Asked Aizawa that was so close to activating his quirk but could see Izuku was looking as if he ran a lap around the stadium already.

“No, sir!” Said a dead tired Izuku, raising his fist nonetheless.

“Him and his step-dad did lots of exercises to make sure Izuku didn’t pass out. Also, he knows that if he passes out, his mom will give me the right to send him back home.” Explained Katsuki for him, cracking the joints of his hands. Apparently, he was ready to make good on that promise.

Kirishima then raised an eyebrow, just like Aizawa. It seemed quite tame.

“That doesn’t seem too bad…”

“BY KICKING HIM SO HARD THAT HE WILL BE AIRBORNE MOST OF THE TIME!” He shouted out, his hands letting out a loud bang at the end of the sentence..

Aizawa looked at the strange duo, pinching the bridge of his nose. Yup. He had already found the problem children duo of the year… And of course it had to be the two valedictorians of the entrance exam. Especially as apparently Izuku took Katsuki's words seriously, if his face was any indication.

“No violence in my class. Also, Midoriya, if I see you're on the verge of collapsing, I will deactivate your quirk and send you home.”

Aizawa would have questioned what kind of person had a friendship like that, then he remembered his relationship with Hizashi.

Izuku nodded, before asking the King to throw the ball the harder it could.

The ball flew clearly higher than what a human could have done, before landing. 350m. A good score. Even if it makes Katsuki grin like a dumbass. Hitoshi went next and asked the King…

“Hey, card man, how does it feel to be a servant?” Said Purple Man before smacking the King’s back.

Apparently, having a foul tongue was a secondary mutation quirk as the card began to curse Hitoshi before he used his brainwashing on him, thus repeating Izuku’s score. Everyone seemed a bit surprised.

“Ooooh, so you were the one who hijacked some of my cards, right?” Said a surprisingly excited Izuku, who seemed to have his stamina restored suddenly. Jiro could have sworn she heard Katsuki mutter “Damn quirk nerd”. Huh. Strange.

Oh right. Villainous quirk, remembered Hitoshi. Time to see everyone get far away from him and the summon disappear…

Or to see the bushy haired boy getting excited, while Katsuki looked at everyone, giving them the PSA about Izuku.

“Ok, guys? Listen up. Izuku is someone who is smart but honestly, if Sherlock Holmes was real, I would have thought Auntie Inko did the wise thing and left his father for him.

His passion? Quirks. Nothing is villainous or bad to him. You can ask him for tips but be prepared : He will break down your whole life doing it. His tips ARE useful. However he can be scary when he does that. As in “Whole school avoided him because he broke into the School radio room and began to reveal everyone’s secrets”.”

Mina raised her hand, smiling maliciously. For one moment, everyone seemed to have forgotten the threat, as Izuku was speaking excitedly with Hitoshi, enumerating all the ways his power would be useful for rescue or negotiating.

“Any idea about his type of girl? It can make for some fun teasing! Or guy if he swings that way…”

Katsuki looked at Mina… And gave her the same smile, giving her a thumbs up.

“Izuku loves quirks. The more interesting like Invisi-girl, the better, Panda eyes.”

Tooru wanted to be the center of attention, but right now it was quite embarrassing… And somehow, it was Aizawa who saved her. By coughing and making his students remember they had to prove their worth.

At least, Aizawa was reassured about Izuku. Honestly, what kind of kid doesn't test their limits about their Quirk? He had been scared about the whole tower killing robot but apparently, Izuku had been properly drilled on the importance of being moderated in the use of his power.

His previous mentor was a good teacher. Indeed, Aizawa was pretty sure the kid had been mentored by some kind of pro or something indeed. While the Bakugou boy was the talented type and someone who worked hard to increase his capacity despite his burning personality… Izuku was the one who had to work hard to grow. It was nice that the pair found each other: Clearly Izuku served as the brains and words while Katsuki was the guts and the muscle… Not that they were limited in their roles.

Honestly speaking, Aizawa had a list of students who could have been expelled today if they did not do well enough:

-Izuku Midoriya if he had been dumb enough to show off.

-Katsuki Bakugou if he tried to be violent. He was just a troll with a brash personality but was not a bad guy. Every circle of friends needed a guy like him to tell the hard truths.

-Hitoshi Shinso if the kid did not find a way to use his quirk for the exam. Yes he did use the same trick that he used during the entrance exam but good enough. Hopefully, Midoriya breaking down his power and apparently with the clear intention of making him work on it, would help the boy improve.

All the others? If they had the right attitude and were serious about their efforts, they would be safe. However he simply wanted to mess with the kids a bit.

It was good to be a teacher.

At that moment, Aizawa’s smile would have made a certain spud-faced villain proud.

Nonetheless Aizawa almost did a spit-take when the flexibility exam came. Both Tooru and Mina got a fairly good score, doing good poses and showcasing very well why it was important to be flexible, though most of the boys, except the most mature ones such as Izuku or Bakugou, were more interested in the “flexibility” of the girls. Young people… Why did humans have to have hormones?

However, he was not prepared to see Izuku smiling while dislocating his own arm. Pretty much everyone had the same reaction when the boy took his limping arm and used it to break the girls previous record. Aizawa was pretty sure a human arm should not bend that much naturally. Then again, Izuku did disjoint himself by doing that.

The only one not surprised was apparently the exploding boy, who seemed just jaded at the sight. Apparently something he was used to.

“Yeah, I forgot that Izuku could do that. He is also very good at doing that to other people's bodies.” He warned with his shark-like smile. Seriously, Aizawa had serious doubts about his previous assessment of the boys' dynamic.Was Katsuki the sane one? What did he mean by “to others”?

Aizawa almost sent Izuku back home, expelled and with the order to see Recovery Girl when he saw him popped his arm back in place like it was an usual thing for him. No sign of pain or anything.

“His teacher taught him that?” Asked an unsure Aizawa to Katsuki.

“Yep”

“That man is insane.”

“One word of advice. Never say that in front of him, he's a master in fighting with random bullsh*t.” Said Katsuki seriously, remembering his own experiences with the man.

Aizawa was not sure if Katsuki was just kidding or if he was serious. Considering Izuku’s abilities, it was most likely the truth.

“And I thought All-Might was nuts…” Thought the coffee-deprived teacher. Suddenly he was happy to not meet that man.

—---

Meanwhile, a certain see through girl was thinking about how she could improve her score. It was not bad for now, but honestly, she knew she was just above average for a human. That is when Izuku came to her, smiling.

“So… How are you doing?” He said, as the King broke the machine to measure grip strength .

“Eeeh… I'm doing my best but honestly, I'm worried. Hard for me to use my quirk to improve my score like you or everyone else.”

“You know, I was thinking about something. You need a high score, right?”

Tooru nodded, while it was not truly visible. Nonetheless, Izuku seemed to see it and smiled at her, while he made a coin appear from his fingers. It was not there before… And hemade it dance, the coin appearing and disappearing, as if it was a living and cowardly creature that went in and out.

“Why don’t you make it as if you had a big score? You’re invisible after all. Nobody can say that you didn’t do it… Or at least prove it. It is like when I do magic. Is it magic or is it simply you can't prove my trick?”

The invisible girl got hit by that thought. Oh. Ooooh. Tooru liked the idea. Izuku couldn't see her smile but it felt good.

Deciding to have some fun and to thank him for his help, she kissed him on the cheek.

“Hey, thanks Izuku. Now, I still have a few scores I can try to improve.”

She left a redder than a tomato Izuku behind her, as she began to take off her clothes. Time to be truly invisible ~~

Oh well, at least Izuku was thankful Kacchan did not have his phone to immortalize the moment.

—---

Aizawa was thinking hard. Should he expel Izuku for giving strange ideas to other students for his test?

Technically speaking, he just proved his willingness to work with others. However, he had now a naked invisible girl who somehow managed to break the olympics record for the long jump… Simply because he couldn't prove she did not do the jump and not simply jumped sideways in the sand. God, he was just happy he could make a bullsh*t scoreboard for the class. He wouldn't have to explain his method of calculus.

Still, he had been surprised by the idea. Let’s allow it. Though he was going to ask the support team to make her a stealth suit akin to the Emperor’s clothes. Because, seriously, being naked is a liability of the highest degree, though he could see her potential as an underground hero or a high grade sidekick. Maybe with her hair? He heard that it was now more viable as a tech than before.

Especially as she indeed had a mutant quirk. He tried to erase it while she had her uniform on to no avail..

However he was now bothered by the students who looked at him with fear in their eyes. Apparently, they took at least a bit seriously what Midoriya said. Good.

So, when the board appeared with various scores and that Kaminari was somehow last… The blonde boy was sweating bullets before suddenly Aizawa put on his best grin and said…

“IT WAS A RATIONAL DECEPTION!”

Or rather everyone did well enough and/or smart enough so he doesn’t have to yeet anyone out of the U.A yet. Oh well. He had the rest of the year to throw someone out.

Still, he liked the sound of all his students suddenly collapsing in relief. Especially a certain electric boy who was almost expelled.

—---

“Deku? Why the f*ck you did not warn me about him?” Asked Kacchan, as he continued to wipe his sweat for his body. A heads up would’ve been f*cking Appreciated.

“Kacchan, I thought he was supposed to teach the 2nd and 3rd years only. I don't have that much info, you know?” Izuku tried to defend himself, since U.A. was good at keeping information about what went on inside.

“Hmmf. So. Was he serious?” Asked Iida, curious too.

“I counted 150 expulsions. Only ninety-ish of his students managed to get back in his classroom. The others were effectively excluded from heroics. However, his students tend to be among the rising side-kicks/heroes on the field after graduation AND they have the lowest rate of casualties.” Izuku explained.

Harsh but fair, as described by Mr Compress. Honestly speaking, he prefered to fight Endeavor (easier to run away from) than Eraserhead, as he could and had managed to ambush him several times. He only managed to escape because he keeps gadgets on him like smoke pepper fog bombs. Still, his capture weapon was also extremely dangerous and Compress complimented Izuku for trying to learn a bit of how Aizawa fought. Finding footage of Eraserhead’s fights was a bitch to do though. Atsuhiro had to ask Nedzu.

“That is why I consider Izuku as my personal information broker. Leave him alone with someone for ten minutes and he will know everything about them.” Katsuki said proudly, while giving a light punch in Izuku’s shoulder, both boys smiling.

“Everything?” Asked curiously Uraraka, not truly believing Katsuki… Who tapped Izuku’s shoulder.

“Do your thing, Izuku. On Round Face.” Said with determination Bakugou, pointing Izuku towards Uraraka.

“I thought you said it was creepy and…” Izuku was a bit afraid to do that suddenly and to appear weird…

“Now now. This time, you have permission and I will hit you if you go too far.” Somehow that managed to calm Izuku down… When he raised his head again, a strange light was in his eyes.

Izuku looked a bit at Ochako and…

“Uraraka Ochako, birthday around Christmas, most likely a bit after. Born in the countryside from parents working in the construction field. Likes finger and fried foods. Has practiced guitar a long time ago but stopped, maybe because of financial trouble.” Uraraka was clearly not expecting that and paling. Izuku did not seem to notice this and continued.

“Quirk: five point touch gravity nullification, but not the mass nor inertia, which has a really interesting application. Does the object keep the speed if she launches them and then cancels her quirk? To test later.

Weakness: Internal balance. Too much use of her quirk makes her balance go wrong internally, making her nauseous. Training can help attenuate the problem but I recommend support items to help the body find its center of gravity and…”

“And stop.” Said Katsuki, making Izuku pause his muttering. As Tomura, Atsuhiro and Katsuki said, either Izuku had to say clearly what he was thinking or he kept it in his mind. Muttering was just indecisiveness. Speaking loudly and decisively was scarier for most people but now his analysis was on demand.

Everyone applauded while Ochako turned a nice shade of red.

“So, convinced now, Round face?” Katsuki was clearly looking proud as he was once again right.

“I'm Ochako and you just heard it!” Protested the said round faced girl as she waved her arms about, as if to dispel the nickname out of the air.

Before Katsuki could say anything, Izuku answered.

“He likes nicknames. If he gives you one, it means you're interesting to him. Otherwise, you're just an extra.”

Everyone looked at Iida who grumbled “But rules are important!” but nobody truly listened as they all went to change for the rest of the day.

Still, The question on most of the students of 1-A’s minds after all that was whether to ask Izuku for his analysis or not.

—---

“So, Katsuki, right? Why did you call Izuku Deku earlier?” Asked a certain rock hard boy, walking by Izuku and Katsuki (and a few others students).

“When he does something stupid and/or useless, he's Deku, sh*tty Hair.” growled Katsuki who was still gauging everyone in class. sh*tty Hair laughing to his nickname earned him a few points.

“And you're both childhood friends who help each other become heroes? Manly!” Said as enthusiastic as ever Kirishima.

“Tss… I just make sure he doesn’t become braindead!” Katsuki let slip, after thinking about his unwilling role as a nanny.

It was Kaminari who perked up at this. It was not often he met someone who had a side-effect like his.

“Oh? His quirk can short circuit his brain too?”

“No, I mean his quirk is…” Tried to explain Katsuki before being stopped by Izuku who was tired and clearly not well.

“Kacchan? I'm not okay yet to explain… Everything about my quirk.”

Since Izuku’s quirk seemed powerful, most of the boys except Koda, Ojiro and Todoroki (thought it was mainly because his face did not express any emotion or care for the discussion) wondered why he was not comfortable explaining how it worked, especially when Izuku was playing the showman just earlier. It was quite jarring to have him one moment trying to be social before suddenly being meek.

—---

The second period was fun. Ectoplasm was teaching mathematics and the break allowed the different students to present themselves.

Once again, it was Mina who insisted on that.

“Hoy, everyone! Now that we can finally rest a bit, how about everyone introduce themselves?”

Most people agreed either loudly or silently… While Izuku was preparing something on his phone.

“Je suis Yuga Aoyama, Français par ma mère” said with a beautiful french accent the eccentric blond. He then winked at Izuku, both boys recognizing the other from the exam and how they briefly teamed up. “My quirk is Navel Laser! It allows me to shoot a laser from my navel. Simple but brilliant and powerful, tout comme moi! Muahahaha!”

“Mina Ashido and I'm a minor mutant as you can see, though my quirk is Acid. It allows me, well… To produce acid through my skin. I love chatting and gossiping so be sure I will learn all of your secrets~” The horny girl said playfully, watching everyone carefully with a big smile. Interesting quirk nonetheless to Izuku.

“Tsuyu Asui, ribbit. I'm a frog mutant, ribbit.” Izuku almost raised his hand when he heard that before Katsuki slammed it back onto the desk. He would have to ask for details later. “I like watching things, swimming and practicing, ribbit. And good food.” Said the frog girl with as much emotion as Todoroki..

“TENYA IIDA!” He announced out loud, proudly presenting himself as he stuck out his chest rigidly. . “My quirk is a simple mutant quirk called Engine, which is normal in my family.”

Yep. Lined up perfectly with Izuku’s analysis. He was most likely Ingenium’s brother. Hum… Maybe he could ask him for Ingenium’s autograph? “I like running, heroes and rules!”

“Ochako Uraraka and… Well… Izuku pretty much said everything about me.” Said a girl who wanted to hide in a hole for a bit.

“Mashirao Ojiro.” Said the boy with a massive and clearly powerful tail. “I like to train, martial arts and French comics, especially old ones about Marsupilami.” Yuga clearly smiled at him. “My family has them all! I’ll lend some of the oldest ones if you want!” Which was answered by a thumb raised to the french. Also, Izuku noted his interest in martial arts. Maybe they could train together?

“Denki Kaminari, AND I HAVE THE POWER OF THUNDER!” Said the loud boy while showing a bit of his quirk to everyone. “And I like music, girls and of course fun!” Most of the girls looked at him a bit warily but since he did not insist and sat back quietly it was just for a few seconds.

“Eijiro Kirishima! My quirk allows me to become as hard as a rock and to BE MANLY!” Said “sh*tty Hair” as Katsuki called him, liking more and more of the man. “I love to train and I want to be a hero like Crimson Riot!” Ok, now it was official. Katsuki liked that guy and tried to write the name in his notebook. In it, he also had Ochako and Mina’s in there. The first because she seemed a bit fun and also beat his score for the throwing and Mina because he felt a fellow kinship for trolling. But Kirishima? The man knew Crimson Riot, one of his favorite heroes.

“I'm Koji Koda and I like animals. I can talk to them.” Said the golem, clearly intimidated by the classroom and how boisterous people were… Just before petting a rabbit who looked at everyone with anger. No one was to bully the only one who managed to tame the beast of Caerbannog.

“Rikido Sato! I can turn sugar into POWER! And on a related note, I like to bake sweets. I actually thought of becoming a baker if I did not succeed in entering U.A.” Many girls perked up at the idea of free sweets.

“Mezo Shoji. I can change and manipulate my appendages freely, creating organs too. I like ninjutsu, manga and practicing zen.” Said another of the calm men in the classroom, quietly and simply. Meanwhile, Katsuki had pulled the cuff of Izuku’s uniform, locking his hand under the desk. He knew it would only slow his friend.

“Kyoka Jiro.'' said the punkette, toying with her ear jack. “I'm a simple mutant with excellent hearing and I can amplify my sound. Therefore I can actually hear everything Izuku has been mumbling about everyone’s quirks between his teeth.

Everything Katsuki said about him seems right, especially the part about what seems to be his type. He muttered a lot more about them.”

Oh, apparently it was a surprise uppercut from the punkette who went into Katsuki’s notebook, cackling madly. He needed to talk with her and Mina for a complete report to auntie. Meanwhile Izuku was trying to knock himself out by smashing his head against the desk.

“Hanta Sero, master of the duct tape! My motto is ‘There's Nothing I can't put duct tape on !’ Also, I really like old comics like Spiderman. Not going to lie, I got inspired from the comics for how I use my quirk.” Said the man, with a carefree smile.

“Fumikage Tokoyami. I'm inhabited by a creature of darkness named Dark Shadow and…”

“He is a huge nerd who needs players for his DnD campaign. He is actually pretty good and I play too.” Said his Quirk, emerging from his chest while his master grumbled.

“HE IS ALIVE?! Can we have details? Do you have…” Suddenly, Izuku was stopped by Katsuki who slapped the back of his head, shutting the quirk fanatic up… And most of the girls wondered if they should count Tokoyami in Izuku’s radar…

“I'm Shoto Todoroki. I can use ice.” Said simply the coldest boy before Izuku added. “And fire.” Everyone looked at Izuku, especially Todoroki with a bit of… Venom? In his eyes. “What? It is pretty obvious. HE WAS LITERALLY STEAMING DURING THE EXERCISE.” Todoroki sighed and corrected himself. “I can use Ice and will only use ice, not my fire. And I'm going to be the best hero.” Suddenly, Todoroki managed to be on the sh*t lists of both Katsuki and Izuku.

Was he saying he would bet them with a handicap? When they trained with all their hearts? When, in Izuku’s case, his quirk could kill him? He had a perfect quirk,even the blind could see that, and he wanted it to go to waste?

For Izuku who lived most of his life Quirkless, it did not sit well. He wanted to teach the boy a lesson about life, seriously. Katsuki and him looked at each other and nodded. It was one of the moments when both friends agreed.

“I'm Tooru Hagakure and I'm a mutant who is fully invisible! Nice to meet you all!”

“And you're the most obvious crush for Izuku right now. We all saw how you looked at him.” Surprisingly, it was not Katsuki who teased her, but Mina, with a smile.

“Hey, you can’t prove that!”

“I can see you, ribbit.” Suddenly, everyone looked at Tsuyu, who was returning the same kind of stare. “Frogs have thermal visions, ribbit. I can actually see Tooru.” Oh. Tooru blessed the fact no one could see her becoming redder than Midoriya.

“Well, stop teasing the Nerd, because I AM HERE! I AM KATSUKI BAKUGOU AND I WILL BECOME THE NEXT NUMBER 1! I LOVE EXPLODING THINGS AND TRAINING!”

“And knitting.” Added Izuku helpfully with a smile, happy to get back at his friend for once, who stopped his show for a second.

“Dekuuuu”

“And I have pictures. He is surprisingly good at it.” Katsuki thought about deleting Mina from his notebook as she asked for them.

“Erm… My turn then. I'm Izuku Midoriya” “Soon Sako” “Shut it Kacchan, even if I hope it is true. As you all have seen, I like analysis, card games and magic tricks. My quirk is named Endgame and I can summon what is printed on cards. However as I'm a veryyyyy late bloomer, my quirk isn't fully formed yet and using too much of it can… be bad for me.”

Surprisingly, it was Yuga who once again nodded his head, and people looked weirdly at him. He looked away. “I had a cousin like Izuku.” Oh. Izuku felt bad for the french man and smiled sadly at him. He knew the number thanks to Atsuhiko.

“Herm… To make it better, I'm Hitoshi Shinso. I love video games, reading and I'm pretty interested in Tokoyami’s DnD campaign. I can brainwash people with simple commands but don't worry, I won’t use it unless it’s for good.” Everyone simply nodded at Hitoshi, who appreciated that apparently, weirder had been seen and therefore his “villainous quirk” was not… Well… The most interesting thing in class.

“And finally, I'm Momo Yaoyoruzu, I like tea, studying and painting. Herm… My quirk is called “Creation” and I can use lipids from my body to create anything I know the blueprint from my skin.”

This time, Katsuki simply gagged Izuku before he could ask anything.

“Sorry but if I didn’t do that, we would be here until tomorrow before he ended his question. We’re still working on that. But I think our class isn't full of extras… Maybe.”

Said Katsuki with a smile. This evening was going to be fun though. Auntie Inko would love the report…

Chapter 8: Might and Magic

Chapter Text

Chapter 8 : Might and Magic.

Inko was surfing the web for Katsuki’s next birthday gift. As she hoped, Izuku’s crush was in their class and apparently she was a nice girl.

On a side note, Katsuki decided to try to remember the names of more than three people. That was thrice the usual number… And for once, not one of those people was Izuku.

As far as she knew, Mitsuki was also overjoyed to know that. Now, all she wanted was to have her man at home to let him know about everything and how Izuku might have a girlfriend before the end of his first year.

However, Inko was wondering where Atsuhiro was. Oh, she knew him. He was probably doing something funny and not too dangerous.

—---

Well, currently, Mr Compress was in a necklace. More exactly, he managed to replace a pearl with one of his marbles in a necklace worn by the girlfriend of the leaderone of the largest drug trafficking rings in Japan: Mizunaka Tabi. Gang Orca’s Arch Nemesis, as the man had a similar quirk and often fought him to a stand-still.

Their main difference was that Gang Orca was… Well, an orca while Mizunaka was apparently a mako shark mutant. As tall as Orca was and somehow more muscular, he was one of the most feared mutants and a firm supporter of the Mutant Association of Supreme Hegemony. The name was dumb. The members? Well, they wanted to make Mutant Quirked the rulers of the new society and to make a more darwinist society. They often indulged in kidnapping and murder not to mention hate crimes. So, yes. The name was dumb, the men behind it dangerous.

To add salt to the injury, the problem was that thanks to Mizunaka, they also had one of the biggest underground (or rather underwater) smuggling rings in Japan, if not the biggest in the whole world. How did they do it?

They actually mapped a lot of the deep seas and swam. They had underwater lairs all along the way and while it took time, they had the reputation of always delivering what they were asked to deliver.

Mizunaka always made sure to not get linked back to M.A.S.H as it would hurt his image as a powerful trafficker, therefore upgrading his vilain ranking from a solid A to a small S. Therefore he would be someone who would be on a serious watchlist, with heroes like Selkie helping Gang Orca locating him for sure before they called the heavy like Endeavor or even All Might.

If Mizunaka was strong enough to fight Orca to a stand still, he also knew his limits and was very good in muddying his support to the MASH.

So, when the evil had brains and brawn, when he knew how to hide and avoid the spotlight… Only he could bring it down.

All those who fought Mr Compress thought you were necessarily unconscious when you were in one of his marbles. It was untrue. He could choose if you were or were not capable of seeing and hearing what was outside.

So, if he managed to place himself into one and to land where he needed to infiltrate a place, he had a nice head start.

Right now, Atsuhiro was sitting in his marble, watching everything the girl was doing:

Mizunaka owned a nightclub in the port. To enter it, you needed to be a mutant and to be invited by someone on the checklist. In other words, a regular in the club for more than three months and having willingly consumed some of the drugs inside it… Or some of the lesser known but nonetheless illegal products.

However, the inner circle, where Mizunaka was, was once again something else. Only those who had his trust could enter it: Two shark mutants guarded the door and both of them actually had a minor quirk that allowed them to smell hostility or fear.

Both times the police tried to get one of Mizunaka’s inner circle to betray him, it was made known to him days, even hours after the betrayal.

Then came the second part where Mako was a genius. He did not kill the mole. He took them to a room where he could be alone with his former friend. If the mole was truthful and did it for reasons like protecting his family or avoiding jail, Mizunaka forgave them and helped them escape the police. They often became his contacts in South America or China.

If they were traitors, however, for money or to take his place, they were left alive but in a state so pitiful that killing them was a mercy.

He had to do that only once. Since then, no more operations were made and no warrant was given to raid his nightclub.

But now, Mizunaka had to face something new and devious. Someone, who was not afraid to be part of a necklace on the neck of a moray girl for twenty hours in the hope she would decide to make a surprise for her fabulous boyfriend.

If Mizunaka was not someone promoting the supremacy of a race above all others, he would have been actually a criminal Mr Compress would have totally overlooked. Well, that and a certain something he wanted to get.

That was why the operation “Enter the “Subnautica”” happened.

The first step had been to tail Mizunaka and identify his weak point. It turned out to be a girl he apparently saved from people racist against mutants, especially the not beautiful kind like Ryukyu or Miruko. In this case, a moray girl named Utsubi. A sweet librarian who enjoyed coffee in her free time. Apparently, she thought her boyfriend was simply a club-owner after he saved her by punching the hell out of her aggressors. It was then quite the love story between them.

The second step had been to break into her apartment and switch places with a pearl on her necklace or otherwise to simply hide in her bag. However, it was inconvenient as it did not allow him to see what was going on around him. In a quiet place like a museum, it was okay, Atsuhiro could use what he was hearing to tell what was going on. In a nightclub? Not so much.

Then, he had to follow, with a book in his marble to pass time, as he waited for the end of Utsubi’s day. Seriously, the moray girl was such a sweetie, she even rearranged children's books to allow kids to more easily reach those of their age.

It was quite jarring to see her put on make-up in the evening, before she went to the “Subnautica”. Apparently, it was named after a great game from before the quirk era and the giant fish trying to eat some poor schmuck were fake ones called Leviathans. Huh. That’s not going to be his fate, Right?...

The inside was… Loud. Urgh, Atsuhiro detested the kind of music that was played. Too loud, the sounds were not coherent and the light was hurting his eyes. Apparently, it was the same for his means of locomotion, as she rushed deeply inside, clearly knowing her way.

So, as Utsubi went in front of the shark guards, Compress tensed himself a bit. Technically speaking, if they could sense him inside the marble, the mission would be highly more difficult but still doable. However, the magician would clearly prefer he could do the job cleanly. No one hurt, a perfect job.

So, as he looked in the eyes, inside the marble the guard… He sighed with delight as Utsubi was invited further inside. The vigilante had used this tactic more than once but he preferred to be careful. No one could say if one day, one of the guards wouldn't be able to smell or sense him. Quirks were weird after all.

The second level of the nightclub was the polar opposite. The luminosity was low and you had a hard time seeing anything. It was actually quite logical since most of the people of the inner circle were deep sea fish mutants. All of them had various senses allowing them to “see” in the darkness.

Also, Mr Compress was surprised to hear the music : it was a whale song. Contrary to everyone's belief in the pre Quirk era, they actually managed to survive and now they were protected. They were not a lot but they were slowly getting back to a good level of population.

But this narrator digresses. What you really want is the story.

Quickly enough, Mr Compress meets for the first time the Mako, the trafficker. He was indeed powerfully built, and he wore golden chains and various jewels of wealth but not any of taste.

His teeths were highly sharpened and he smiled like Bakugou when he saw an opportunity to embarrass Izuku. All in all, he was the stereotypical bad boy… Until Utsubi began to hug him, seemingly making him happy. He quickly went from “Criminal mastermind” to “Smitten boyfriend”.

Mr Compress hated that kind of happy bad guy. It always made them harder to destroy when they weren’t cackling maniacs.

“And Utsubi? Can you get ready? I have something to ask of you, please.” Said the shark while softly smiling to the love of his life who then went to the restroom to freshen up. Oh god. Now, Atsuhiro actually almost felt bad if the man was going to propose.

It was time to move.

—---

Now at the same time, on the building just in front of the Subnautica… Two shadows stand in the night. Before one of them began pouring tea. He apparently forgot it was quite windy, as the tea flew away in the night.

Not one to care for such a trivial thing, he asked his sweetheart.

“My dear La Brava, is that here?”

“Yes Gentle! It is here! This nightclub doesn’t respect the sanitary protocol for the food and the various liquors inside. It made some people sick and the owner just threw money at the sanitary inspection! Also, they might be quirkist.”

“Well… I hope the camera is on. Because now… It’s SHOW TIME!”

When the guardian saw an old man in a dandy suit, he first thought the old guy was lost and was going to tell him to f*ck off.

He clearly did not expect Gentle to destroy the wall by using him. To be fair, he was a hammerhead Shark, so it was actually logical.

—---

Since he was busy tying up Utsubi, Compress did not hear the commotion immediately. The loud music helped mask most of it. Still, if he remembered the building’s blueprints correctly… If he put his hand just there, he could compress the wall and get into the Shark’s room. He then just had to get out of the place quickly by simply… Flushing himself in the toilet. Not the most elegant escape, he knew. But if people did not know how the hell you escaped, it was always better.

Not to mention, they would have to first understand his objectives there since he would replace the wall.

So, as Mr Compress was quietly rummaging through Mizunaki’s desk and cupboard, the noise outside began to grow louder and louder. Compress corrected himself. It was the sound of people fighting. They were either crazy or strong enough to attack the stronghold of the mutant.

Nonetheless, it meant he had a diversion to get out but also he had to speed up his search.

He sighed, He would have preferred to make both his escape and his search as clean as possible, but he wanted to make sure he took everything.

So, that’s what he did.

And that was when he stole the last library that Atsuhiro discovered the proof that Mizunaka was indeed a member of MASH. Not just a supporter.

Mr Compress cracked his neck. Usually, he had a no-kill policy for his escapades, but that didn't mean he was incapable of doing it.

That also didn't mean he had anything against maiming.

So, as Mr Compress was going to use the battle outside as a diversion to loot from the aforementioned criminal. He saw a squid break the wall, apparently propelled by an insane strength heading towards him.

—---

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA” Katsuki roared out in laughter, incredibly happy for some reason.

“Kacchan?” Asked a puzzled Izuku, wondering what the hell was going on, since it was Midnight’s class and she actually disliked unneeded noise.

“Nothing, just… I felt karma doing a good thing.” Explained the blonde, before taking notes again. Aaah…

—---

Actually, Atsuhiro dodged the barman from the first floor with his usual grace. Well. It was settled, the people attacking the place were strong.

“MUAHAHAHA, MISTER MIZUNAKA, YOU ARE BEING JUDGED LIVE FOR THE SAD STATE OF YOUR BAR AND THE FACT BUGS WERE FOUND IN THE PEANUTS!”

… Atsuhiro actually thought of just going through the flush. Then he remembered what he found and walked through the hole. So. It was vigilantes with a stream? He could use that.

—---

Danjuro Tobita was not the sharpest tool, he knew that. Otherwise, his results when he was in a heroic course would have been better. As for his strength… Well, it was the power of despair and because he had literally nothing else to do. So he trained his quirk and his fighting skill to the best of his abilities.

Nonetheless, he knew people tended to think he was just an useless grandpa simply because he liked good clothes and he had gray hair. The only one taking him seriously was La Brava. So…

Yes, quite hilariously, he was capable of trashing a lot of people. However, his name was Gentle Criminal. Not Brutal Criminal, unless of course he was against bad guys. It helped him ease his conscience and he had the impression of almost being a hero.

However, Gentle knew when he was fighting something stronger than him. Like, way stronger than him.

He gulped after he finished trashing live the two sharks inside the building. They actually had a good footage of the insect between the bottles of beer and some of the good wine. Something that would have angered a certain tall, dark and cloudy barman.

However, as they went deeper into the building, they were expecting a normal owner for the nightclub, hence Gentle calling Mizunaka loudly at first… Then, they saw the giant. The Shark was almost three meters tall and he was certainly just as large. Mizunaka’s arms were almost as big as Gentle himself and it was pure muscle.

La Brava behind him also knew the man clearly meant business and tugged on Gentle’s shirt.

“We need to run. Now. He is a class A villain Gentle!” She was the brains and she memorized the whole list. If she said that, they needed to run. Actually, they should’ve never gone there in the first place.

Oh. Ooooh. Danjiro was quite proud of his barriers now but he also knew they were not all powerful. Still, he instantly built three of them in front of him. Maximum elasticity, size minimal for more resistance, perfectly calculating the trajectory of the Shark heavy punch.

Why? Simply because he knew a thing people tended to forget about mutants, especially the big ones.

He was right to do that, as Danjiro was not happy to be right. Most mutants are as powerful as they were quick. Mizunaka had blasted through his barriers quite easily, and it barely slowed him.

Barely was good enough, as Danjiro had the time to catch La Brava in his arms. Barriers were already made on the ground, allowing him to jump and to find refuge a brief instant on the ceiling.

“La Brava, we run. End the…”

Schtak.

A simple sound.

Just as Mizunaka was smiling like the predator he was, ready to attack the two fools who trashed his bar before he had his grand evening with his sweet Utsubi… A sound, like a cane tapping the ground. Not like, actually. It was a cane and everyone still in the inner cercle looked at the origin of the sound.

La Brava and Gentle Criminal were then shocked, frightened and excited by the sight. One might even say they squealed with delight. Just from the hole they made with the barman from before, emerged a legend among vigilantes. A lone wolf and it was a very popular theory that the man in front of them was the descendant of one of the big criminals from the Dawn of Quirk era.

Mr Compress who was wearing his “angry mask”.

“Don’t end your stream. If you will excuse me, right now, I'll hijack your show.” Said the man while he was readjusting his gloves.

“Oh? The Magician in person? That is strange, I don't remember doing anything that…”

“I saw your secret room, you sick bastard.” That statement cut short the affable Mizunaka who had the decency to look a bit regretful.

“... Oh well. That isn't a problem, if none of you stay alive… However, to be fair, I'm doing it for others. I myself find it tasteless.” Mr Compress believed him. He knew human flesh was really disgusting to sharks. He probably did not like it either.

Suddenly, as Mr Compress expected the two streamers to run away while he was speaking with the Shark, he saw the one who was a bit styled after himself, clearly a fan… Well, he saw Gentle Criminal mimicking a bow and suddenly the couch he was next to hit Mizunaka on the head. Not that it actually damages the Shark, but points for the effort.

After all, Mizunaka was used to fighting Orca at his full power… And now he was growling, ready to throw something at them.

“LA BRAVA!” Said with a smile the oldest, taking his stance against.

“ON IT, GENTLE!” The apparently young girl jumped and rolled herself as a ball before being launched across the room. When the shark tried to intercept her, both higher class fighters were surprised to see her changed trajectory mid-air. Clearly, the duo was trained and worked well together.

Why the hell Compress never heard of them? Especially as they were his fans. These two were the kind of people he was looking for.

He did not even need to tell the girl to run behind him to film the room. The camerawoman clearly knew what she needed to film.

The Magician just hoped she had a strong stomach. He put on his angry mask for a good reason…

—---

Mizunaka was massaging his neck. He had a good idea of the quirk of the fool who attacked him. However, Mr Compress was another thing. A power that was basically a one hit kill, the user was used to close combat and for once Compress was serious. Every high class criminal like him knew Compress doesn’t like to kill. However, his angry mask meant he was not just going to reveal the skeletons in your closet. He was going to beat the hell out of you with them.

So, it was going to be mainly a fight between him and Compress… Because Compress was in the same situation as him. If he hit him, there was no doubt of what would happen. He had the power to destroy all bones inside of him. All he needed was an edge.

An edge like what he had right in his vial. His personal brand of Trigger mixed with blood. Trigger made by a lab he knew in South America who perfected the original drug. Blood, well…

Everyone knew about a shark’s frenzy, right?

However, Mr Compress was not going to let him take the drug. In fact, the magician just threw a marble at him. To counter it, Mizunaka threw at him a piece of the defunct couch. Well, the bigger half who was still intact.

Still. As Atsuhiro began to dodge, he had the pleasant surprise to see his marble and the couch slow in a somewhat invisible elastic shield who then hit full power Mizunaka, while Gentle Criminal fell from the ceiling.

“Muahahah! Fear my mighty quirk! I may have failed heroics, but I'm still quite good.”

Note to self, Atsuhiro thought. Find whoever expelled that man. He had the spirit. He had the power. He had the style!

“Gentle, if I heard right? When we manage to take Mizunaka down, consider yourself and your assistant hired as my assistants.”

“ROOOOAAAAAR” Bellowed out a drugged up Mizunaka who took the chance to take his drug. Mr Compress took a stance. Danjiro did too.

“I can slow him down, even in that state.” Told Gentle, before saying his code phrase to a livid La Brava who got back to them. “Because I have the power of L…”

Before he had the time to say anything he was already radiating with La Brava’s Quirk, as she was almost crying, her face buried in his pants.

“Gentle. I know you aren’t violent… But that man. Beat him please… .”

Gentle did not ask what La Brava saw. She was the strongest woman he knew, and Mizunaka made her sad.

The triggered Shark and Mr Compress had a hard time understanding how Gentle embedded him into the ceiling. Usually, when the Mako charged something into that mode, unless it was Orca himself, the target was dead.

So how the hell the dandy went from barely blocking one of his hit to suddenly empowered by pink fumes and fighting him to a standstill in his second form.

The beast inside him roared even louder, as he destroyed the ceiling to propulse himself toward his target with all his might.

The impact was hard. However he did not hit anything, as Danjiro was actually already in the air, dodging easily.

“Sorry. But I have the most beautiful woman by my side. I can't lose.” Said Gentle, while Mr Compress took La Brava with him aside and asked the girl…

“... The f*ck is happening?”

“Oh? That? It’s my quirk. I can boost as much as I love my target.”

Seeing as the man was now beginning to fracture the walls with the club owner, hurting him bit by bit… Atsuhiro openly applauded.

“Well. That is quite the love you have for him. He isn't too…”

“I'm actually 25 and he's 31. We have known each other for three years now.” Said the woman with a blank stare. Apparently, it was not the first time it had been asked and it was tiring.

“... Well, you're a cute couple.” Approved Mr Compress, letting Danjiro have his big fight. “How the hell did I never hear of you before? I mean. You are clearly not your average vigilante. Far from it.”

La Brava sighed, as Mizunaka had managed to throw Gentle against a wall by using a sound shockwave made by his hand… Before the gentleman used the rebound to hit him in the nose, the weakest point for a shark.

It could have been dangerous for him if Mr Compress from earlier did not explode at that moment into an armed flashbang, who promptly exploded.

As Mr Compress told Izuku, in a fight, everything was fair. Glorious and epic move? Sure, nice to have one. But he was pragmatic.

While Mizunaka was still a bit knocked out by the grenade, Mr Compress stole his kneecaps, literally.

And his elbows. Less than two seconds for all of them. If Atsuhiro had fought immediately with Danjiro, the fight would have indeed been shorter. However, apparently, the duo needed content and… Well… With him as a guest star and saving Gentle against a powerful criminal? Oh boy, it should get them some views.

“Urgh… I knew I should have refused that job… “

Said Mizunaka who then fell face first on the floor. Seriously. Last time he got a job like that.

“Human meat, seriously?”

“They paid well.” Said the Shark boss in a matter of factly manner while he lied on the floor, currently incapacitated due to the lack of kneecaps. Oh, he would heal. Not the first time it happened. Apparently sharks had a really good minor healing factor. If anything he would have a thicker skin later. “However, can I ask for a favor? Since you probably looted my office?”

Atsuhiro had a good idea of what Mizunaka wanted and threw a small box at him. “Seriously, she's wasted on you.” The boss was beaten. Both knew it and Mizunaka had enough chill, even post-trigger to not rage around with his limbs that were not broken but not functional. “Also, are you sure she will, you know. Run away with you? Or wait until you end your sentence in jail? Because, you're clearly going to Tartarus.”

The Shark laughed. Of course he wouldn't say anything incriminating as long as the cam was on. Oh well…

Then he got tackled as Mr Compress got shuffled to the side. Oh. Apparently morays can escape ties. It was to be noted for after.

“So… I will leave you there. Ma’am, I would advise you…” Utsubi tried to punch Atsuhiro, who blocked it easily, as Danjiro suddenly fell next to him, completely exhausted. Apparently, La Brava’s boost was indeed a powerful weapon and apparently the man knew when to unleash it. He would have probably used it to run away if Mr Compress had not been here.

Atsuhiro smiled behind his mask, as he marbled both his new sidekicks. Both had access to sound as he put them in his pocket.

“Best of luck for both of you. Oh, and by the way, dear Utsubi. It was Maki who stole your sandwich. Ta ta~~”

Police were going to come and check the bar soon enough. They were going to be corrupt cops in the pocket of the Shark, but he will have to relocate all his operations.

He had to run away, and he had to do it the easiest way he had. Thankfully, La Brava wouldn't capture it for the stream.

The hard part would be to take a shower before going home.

After all, he had everything he wanted : Proof of Mizunaka’s crimes who would force him to stop everything and more importantly…

A green diamond a criminal sold on the black market. It had a particular shade of green. Exactly like Inko’s eyes.

Hey, she deserved the most beautiful ring.

—---

“And that is how I got the ring.” Atsuhiro finished explaining after taking a shower at Magne’s apartment, while Gentle and La Brava were sleeping on the couch.

“So basically, you kicked the biggest smuggling business in Japan in the nuts and crippled a rank A villain just to steal a diamond because you thought it would look good on your girlfriend’s engagement ring?” Deadpanned Chizome Akaguro who was also laying around. “You are, what the kids these days call ,a simp.”

While Mr Compress excluded him from his poker night, Chizome was still on good terms with Magne. Magne who was currently busy making the ring for her friend. Hey, every girl needs a hobby. Hers was crafting jewelry. She could have been a professional at it, you know.

However, you almost kill someone who was trying to kill you for being different, that someone being a hero, and then you get branded as a villain. It happened only thrice! The fourth time, Stain was there. It is self explanatory.

“Hey, she deserved it! Never had a woman who could make me feel like that except her.”

“Had you met the Night nurses, you would.” Said matter of factly Magne, as she continued her work. She wanted it to be a masterpiece and the fact Atsuhiro was also paying was nice. Being friends did not mean not paying them.

“Yes, yes, you talked about them already and how they disappeared years ago. Still, I maintain my opinion that my wife is better.” Said Atsuhiro, as he got out of the shower before drying himself. Thank God he did not smell like an open sewer anymore. Now, he just had to drop the evidence at Nighteyes’ office. Surely he could make some use of it.

“Compress. When the Night Nurse looked at me when I went to her because I cut my nose, I shat myself. Literally. Then, she threatened me that if I even went to them once more for a dumb wound, the coroner would have trouble determining if my death was due to exsanguination by the amputation of my junior or suffocation due to said amputated member obstrucating my throat.” Explained Stain, cleaning one of his knives. He was clearly still remembering it vividly.

“What.” both Vigilantes looked at the Hero Killer, while La Brava was editing from her computer the stream and making a nicer video answer.

“She told him she would castrate him and make him choke on it. She seemed nice.” Danjiro nodded, knowing better than having a different opinion than his woman on the subject.

“... Ok, she seemed like a fun woman, but I prefer the one I have.” Laughed Atsuhiro.

—---

Inko sneezed a bit. Someone was probably talking about her crazy past with Mitsuki. Fun times. However, they had to stop when Katsuki got his quirk and Hisashi died.

—---

“Yeah, I still remember the day they retired. I made a guy that I mistook for the Heart Thief fall off the boarding staircase of his plane..” Said Magne, quite sad at the fact

“The… The information thief? Damn girl. You know how to pick your targets.”

“Yeah. Turned out it was just some asshole leaving his wife and kid because the son was quirkless.”

Atsuhiro stopped for a moment before laughing. Nah. It had nothing to do with Hisashi, right?

Stain stopped for a second, and thought back. They were not talking about Hisashi Midoriya, right? Because while the man survived his fall, Atsuhiro did help f*ck up the first aid by stopping his heart during defibriliation. That man had insulted All-Might!

La Brava thought for a bit about that time she wanted to try her hacking skill for a bit and caused a car crash with an ambulance with an automated car.

Gentle Criminal halted for a time and tried to think if they still had leaves of tea.

He was the only man in the room who was actually clueless about the discussion.

—---

OMAKE TIME :

Suddenly a yellow caterpillar hobo entered the room.

Before anyone could do anything, Katsuki packed back his bag.

“Nope. f*ck it. I'm out of this.”

Aizawa was used to provoke this reaction in some criminals and alumnis. Not a kid he never saw…

“I'm not taking classes with GODDAMN ERASERHEAD!” Yelled a way too done Katsuki.

A kid who apparently knew him and his identity. That was… A new one. He was going to start asking questions before he got interrupted by the green kid laughing. The blonde boy looked at his “friend”. If looks could kill, the class would be the crime scene for mass murder on Izuku.

“OF COURSE YOU KNEW f*ckIN ERASERSPAMMER!”

“Eraser… Spammer?”

Momo was actually the first to understand what was about and was overjoyed.

“Oh, you both play “Heroes”?! I play an I-Island deck!”

“So the rich kid plays a pay to win deck, of f*ckin course! THIS GUY RIGHT HERE IS SOMEONE WHO ONLY KNOWS TO PLAY ERASERHEAD. But not only does he play him every time, but he created the whole deck centered on him getting back up everytime. He also had every team-up power-up with him. Including the special “Fake Wedding” cards with him and Miss Joke!”

“You are just mad I just beat you two hundred times.”

Bad choice of words. Katsuki promptly yeeted Izuku out of the window. Luckily they were on the ground floor but still.

All Aizawa could suddenly realize was…

“Wait. People made cards of me? They know about my marriage? WHY THE f*ck DON’T I HAVE ROYALTIES?! YOU, YAOYOROZU, CALL YOUR FATHER. NOW!”

Momo was at that moment terrified enough that she actually called. After a few rings, the phone clicked and her dad’s voice rang out on speaker “Hi sweetheart, It’s odd that you’d call me today of all days. How’s school goi-”. He gets cut off as Aizawa snatches her cellphone and shouts into the microphone.

“I KNOW YOU’RE THERE, YAOYORUZU, YOU BIG f*ckIN NERD. WHERE’S MY GODDAMN MONEY?!”

Chapter 9: When you need help, call for it

Chapter Text

The rest of the week was fun but frustrating for Izuku. Fun, because U.A. was everything he dreamed it was in his childhood dream:

-First off, Eraserhead as a teacher. Their homeroom teacher was quite the troll. He often did some logical ruse of his own, like pulling a surprise test for something they just saw 10 minutes earlier in another class and canceling at the last minute a planned one. However, it helped them to learn to guess more when he was serious and when he was not.

However, no one expected him to be angered by the “Heroes!” game they did. A small tournament with Momo (because surprisingly, the heir of the firm owning the game played it), Katsuki, Iida (who had of course an “Ingenium and sidekick” deck), Tokoyami with a “Quetzacoalt” the Mexican “hero” of blood and terror and Denki who had a “Crimson Riot and the Old Guard” deck.

However, Aizawa went ballistic when he saw Izuku’s deck when he entered the classroom, especially the “Fake wedding” combo with him and Joke. Aizawa seemed to die inside, when Izuku asked him if he should have used the “Bromance” combo with him and Present Mic, Beach edition. It was true that tactically speaking it would have been better.

-Secondly, Cementoss class. Learning about Murakami’s greatest writings had been a pleasure and Izuku had been happy they could talk about one of his favorite authors. He also liked that they took the time to speak about a few others and not necessarily the Japanese one, such as Terry Pratchett and his “Discworld”, quite a fascinating series.

-Third, he had a good chance to roast Katsuki during Midnight’s lesson, as he did listen during Auntie Mitsuki’s lesson. Being able to participate a lot during Modern Hero Art. Learning how to design efficiently a costume had been marvelous and once again, Izuku had been thankful for his all but blood aunt to have helped his mother with his costume.

-Fourth, THEY HAD FREAKING ALL MIGHT IN THE LAST DAY OF THE WEEK TO TEACH THEM HEROIC. Let’s just say that Izuku’s hype could have powered a small nuclear reactor. He was that excited and he almost exploded when he learned the fifth point.

-Atsuhiro had proposed to his mother.

—---

“YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!”

“Old hag! You can prepare Auntie Inko’s wedding dress! I can see them drowning their apartment of happiness from my room!”

“ABOUT DAMN TIME. Though, the sound Izuku made was a dead giveaway.”

—---

Mitsuki was of course Inko’s bridesmaid. Atsuhiro’s best man had been a strange fellow of the name of Danjuro Tobita. Inko had some real doubt on him before Manami Aiba showed her ID, proving she was just small and child-like looking. It did indeed reassure her a lot during the early preparations (the wedding was not for now but they wanted to prepare for everything).

Nedzu, because of course the rat knew everything, sent Atsuhiro a reservation for a small church, discreetly, with the rat’s promise that no hero would be there if he wanted to invite a few vigilantes and lesser moral characters. Hey, he couldn't understand marriage very well, but he knew it was a thing to do, to treat humans well so they were happier to help.

Still, it had been a really nice event, happier to Izuku than All-Might’s classroom. Even his friends (having to think of that word in plural was potentially a good sixth to be fair) noticed that the hyped boy was more hyper that day. Notably because he made a few magic tricks for everyone, even pulling out some plastic flowers for the girls.

The fact he pulled a red rose for Tooru was purely random but nobody believed him.

However, as said before, not everything had been sunshine, rainbows and flowers for cute girls.

Shouto Todoroki.

The teen often brought Izuku’s inner Katsuki to light. When our favorite magician was out of school, he actually went on a rant that Katsuki thought was a bit mild but a good try.

Where to begin. While the heterochromatic teen was indeed a top student, seemingly acing every class, he was just so unemotional about everything it was seriously jarring for everyone. Even Koda, who was not the most expressive kid as he was shyer than Izuku a year before, showed much more enthusiasm in the classroom.

However, Todoroki seemed at best bored. At worst he seemed to wonder what he was doing there, like in Cementoss’ class and Mignight’s. Which was something that seriously irked Izuku and Bakugou’s enthusiasm. They worked hard to get there and Mister Icye Hot did not put any effort into classes.

Even Aizawa was often grumbling as Todoroki was doing good enough but not the best he could. Especially as everyone knew now he had fire but did not use it.

In other words, he was a brilliant student who was not putting everything he could and did not seem to notice he was actually angering most of the class.

As a contrast, Momo, the other recommendation student, was often trying to help her fellow students by making stuff for the class and making them discover tea and a few other things. She was the top of the class but everyone understood why: she worked hard. Even Katsuki was impressed by her notebook and actually had to concede the point… Before saying he would be the top of the class soon enough, working even harder, to Momo’s embarrassment.

As for the class, well, soon enough, except for Todoroki who seemingly excluded himself from the group, everyone began to speak and form various groups. However, the permeability was high, and while Tooru, Mina, Jiro and Kamina were often plotting various weird things, sometimes they would enlist Izuku’s help.

Aizawa never managed to prove how they managed to use helium on Present Mic but asked for the how. He had years of vengeance to plot and he was not above such warfare.

So, let’s say when word got out that All-Might’s various classes tended to be battles among students, Izuku and Katsuki were seriously praying that one of them would get Todoroki… who proceeded to tell them, instantly that it did not matter whoever got him, they would lose.

That did not help.

—---

Meanwhile, Tomura was still planning more and more of his attack. He had to think how he could attack All-Might and still make Izuku support his ideals afterward on the off chance he did kill All-Might.

That thought made him laugh a bit. A year ago, he would have rushed into the fight himself with only Kurogiri in tow. Now? Now, he was seeing the hidden lesson Sensei tried to impart to him.

Did Sensei fight his own fights? He did not. He had pawns for that, to be sacrificed if necessary. Pawns he treated otherwise well to make them subservient to him. No, he was certain he was not one, because Sensei loved him as a son. If Tomura had lost, he would certainly break him out just like that Shark guy who had paid insurance to Sensei.

No, the fight was to be lost. Noumu was strong, it was a fact. However, it was a prototype on a test run, Tomura understood that now.

Tomura’s future raid was a test from Sensei on multiple fronts : could Tomura plan an attack? Could he learn to work with what he had? And finally…

How does one win by losing?

Kurogiri was serving his charge a strawberry milk as he began to laugh maniacally and finished writing a few things. The barman was happy. He had decided that if he could, he would pay back this… Izuku. Tomura did not decay anything except when he truly wanted thanks to his gloves. He actually began to shower on a semi-daily basis (Kurogiri took his victory where he could)... And most importantly, as the cloudy noumu noted, Tomura was less nihilistic.

Did he want to destroy society and heroes? Yes. That was something central to him, thanks Sensei. However, after befriending Izuku, Tomura had a goal beyond simply… well destroying for the sake of destroying. Izuku was weak and bullied by society. That gave him one more reason to destroy it but then what?

It had been Izuku who pointed it to him. Let’s say that Tomura destroyed everything. Then what? What would happen to Izuku as an example afterward, with villains running rampant and no one to protect him?

Tomura had then answered that no one was to hurt his… friend. A strange word, with a stranger taste.

He liked it.

Still, he had seen that even Sensei couldn't always protect every asset he wanted to protect. That he had to cut some of his closest ones because of that.

So, could Tomura, weaker than his Sensei, be sure he would be able to protect his younger teammate?

Tomura was finishing to play cards against himself. He was determined.

He had to level up.

—---

Then, the day finally came. The sun was rising, as Izuku threw a rock into Katsuki's room.

“WAKE UP KATSUKI!”

Bakugou’s door slammed violently onto the wall as Katsuki exited it. He was angry and happy, which was not a sight for the weak of the heart.

“I’M ALREADY AWAKE! NOW LET’S GO.”

And damn, both were more than ready. Izuku was fairly certain he had everything planned if he fought Todoroki. Something to bring down the golden frosty student.

No one thought however how the day would have ended.

—---

“I AM HERE, ENTERING COMPLETELY NORMALLY.”

Said the larger than life All-Might. Yagi Toshinori was a man of many talents. He was smart. He had talent in how to use his quirk (something hilarious when knowing his secret). He had the dramatic flair that too many heroes lacked. It was something you could learn to a degree, as Endeavor did learn. However, either you had it or you would always lack something. He had also an excellent situational awareness, which was always useful in his work.

But most importantly, Yagi knew his flaws. His limits.

And he knew that he sucked at teaching. So, what could he do to be the best teacher he could? Well, he could always emulate his old teacher. To a lesser degree of course.

Mentoring was a difficult job and All-Might was taking classes on the side to learn how to teach better. With way less hits and scariness.

So, he did the best thing he knew. He organized fights in a controlled environment. Point out flaws in strategy. Let the students gather some experience in a friendly yet intense fight. By pairing them randomly he also let them discover some people they wouldn't have tried to work with. Expect the unexpected.

Yagi knew he sucked at teaching and putting what he wanted to teach into words. So, he made them experience what he wanted them to experience. Fight and learn. Grow.

It was just a week but Yagi hoped that this way, even after One for All’s transmission, he could create more than one Pillar of Peace. More Heroes to support the society he helped to build… And make it better.

He was just a man after all. How does one man make a whole society?

He doesn’t. It crumbles after him, except if he notices it and tries to make it last after him, by acknowledging he was mortal.

It also put a smile on his face, when students wore their hero uniforms for the first time. The kids had them simplistic, yet you could see their intent to be iconic. What kind of hero they would become :

Young Uraraka? She was all in simplicity and agility. Not very offensive, for now. Rescue hero. The same for young Tsuyu. The Yaoyorozu heir? The girl probably did not know it yet but she destined herself as a strategist, not a front line hero. Bakugou, clearly the most ambitious and driven? He clearly understood that both his quirk and personality wouldn't make him someone that would reassure the public by his smile. However, just like Miruko, his confidence, his pride exuded from his skin. He was there and his enemies should watch out.

Yagi could also see what kind of hero the kids were inspired by. Kirishima clearly loved Crimson Riot. Yagi loved that man too, especially after he died taking down the Ashen King. If people called Endeavor the strongest fire hero, people preferred to forget Atilla, the one of two people who managed to awaken too much and who became more quirk than human. Good thing the other one is a hero.

Then came Izuku Midoriya. If the boy was not a fan of Mr Compress, Yagi was willing to destroy his left lung. A hat who was classy and a suit that was clearly made for him. On measure, with talent. Probably by Bakugou’s mother, if Yagi was right. White gloves and All Might could see how he could make the cards go into his hands. The right was the tarot deck. The number at least. If he was right, the kid had already prepared what he needed. The left was most likely Izuku’s nuclear solution. The Arcana… And finally, in his pouch, the last deck. The hero deck.

But his most important edge? It was this smile. His shining smile. When Izuku finally put on his suit, gone was the shy boy who was too excited for his own good. Gone was the kid who would be flustered by the girls talking to him.

The one who said the suit did not make the man was wrong.

All-Might wondered if he should send Atsuhiro a congratulation card. Oh, yes. He did know who the vigilante was in reality… Because he could think outside of the box… And also because he could relate to him. To Izuku too, to a great extent.

The boy was splendid. If only Yagi did not meet Mirio, he would have clearly tried to make Izuku his own apprentice. The boy knew what it meant to be meek, to be weak. Still, he had the smile. He had the heart of a hero too.

Yagi knew that when Izuku would finish his growth, he was going to be an awesome hero.

Maybe he could propose an internship?

Still, for now, Yagi had to do another thing as a teacher. It was helping the students. With no kid to take care of above another and not having to pick an heir allowed him to pay more attention to his class.

Contrary to what Aizawa thought, Yagi did not think of Midoriya and Bakugou as problem children, far from it. There was another, bigger time bomb in the classroom. Someone, somehow, all teachers failed to spot.

As a hero and teacher, All Might couldn't allow himself to fail a student… But he also knew, as he remembered himself when he was a quirkless boy, what it means to have an adult coming to try to help you when you were not ready for it. No.

Yagi looked at the not so random battles upcoming. He had a big smile on his face and he knew he did something that was probably crazy but likely to produce results. Worst case scenario, he would have confirmation or denial of the feeling in hiss guts. Best case, His problem would be solved.

—---

“So, let me explain the exercise. One team will play the villains who have to protect a bomb. Another team is going to be the heroes who have to locate the bomb and touch it to win.

If the bomb explode because of the time limit, villains win. If a team is fully neutralized, the other wins. Damage has to be kept at the minimum, for both sides.

Indeed, the context is the villains have gotten a nuclear device that has been retrofitted as an EMP device.Damage it too much before it is done however, and boom. Nuclear explosion.”

Explained All-Might, as he presented the terrain. Old and decrepit buildings. So, if a student decided to go plus ultra, everything would still be fine.

Yagi, in his buffy form, was clearly certain it was going to be the case. However, kids had to learn to restrict their fight.

“So, here are the different teams.”

Midoriya and Sero, Team A, villains. The two kids nodded to each other, Sero deciding that leaving Midoriya in charge of a plan was the best idea.

Bakugou and Koda, Team B, heroes. Koda almost fainted, seeing Bakugou’s smile at the idea of beating the crap of Izuku who was clearly whining.

Yaoyorozu and Shinso, Team C, villains. “Of course, I'm a villain” sighed a certain tired teen, as he began to adjust his apparatus to mimic Iida’s voice.

Iida and Shoji, Team D, heroes. Both looked happy to be heroes… Well, Iida looked happy. Hard to say with Shoji’s mask.

Mina and Tokoyami, Team E , villains. “A mad banquet of darkness” said the bird boy, while the pink girl tried to do an evil laugh.

Todoroki and Kaminari, Team F, heroes. Kaminari tried to high-five Todoroki, happy to have an easy mark while Todoroki gave him the cold shoulder, Quite literally.

Jiro and Hagakure, Team G, villains. The duo of villains high-fived clearly together, happy to be with a friend.

Sato and Uraraka, Team H, heroes. Clearly a power house duo, with Uraraka who was going to act as the support and control of the mission.

Aoyama and Kirishima, Team I, villains. Kirishima whined a bit that the villains were not manly… Until Aoyama took him by the shoulders, explaining to him that they were not villains. They were freedom fighters, seeking to overthrow their despotic king and decapitate him. That somehow cheered the red haired teen to the max.

Tsuyu and Ojiro, Team J, heroes. The two mutants simply acknowledged their duo.

“Oh oh oh. My dear students. It isn't going to be as simple as Team A against B. It is going to be Team A against F, B against G, etc etc.”

The classroom went silent for a second before it exploded in various reactions.

“YES” “f*ck” “Ribbit” “Interesting…” “OH GOD IT’S BAKUGOU!” “HOLD ME”...

Todoroki was simply unimpressed by the whole thing and having to go in first. If anything, it would simply mean it was going to be done earlier. Cleanly. Properly.

There was no way he was going to lose against Duct Tape Man and his fabulous assistant… Cardman. Kaminari was vaguely an asset, though he wouldn't be tremendously useful. After all, Todoroki was going to finish it in one hit, as usual.

—---

“Hanta” Midoriya approached the usually smiling boy who was right now, highly nervous. To be fair, he had every right to feel nervous : He was going against the power house number one of the class who was helped by mister thunder. His acolyte, though he was highly smart, had trouble using his quirk without bleeding from the nose and he had not used it since the first day and the implication his quirk was a tad too powerful for his body.

Still.

Hanta tried to put up a smile on his face. Fake it till you make it.

“What, partner? Do you have a plan to win?” sh*t. His smile was wavering… and suddenly, he saw Izuku’s smile. It was not fake. It was a very confident one. A Cheshire one.

“I don't just have a plan to win. I have several, and Hanta? You are going to be the most important part of them.”

—---

“Why do i hear boss music when i look at this building” Kaminari remarked, as it loomed over them spookily, looking creepier than it should since it was still sunny.

“Mainly because I saw Midoriya pull a radio from his hat” said Todoroki coldly. Most of his comrades did not inspire him. At most indifference and some did anger him a little.

One of them was Midoriya.

Why? Simply because the greenie seemed to treat the school as simply a place to study quirks and combine them to make them stronger. Just like his father.

He was also constantly doing tricks and sleight of hand during the breaks, gathering attention on him. A glory seeker according to him and his meek act, when his quirk could apparently be powerful was something that irked him.

“What?” The boy was clearly wondering how the hell Midoriya did that and how he did link his radio to whatever made sound in this building.

Basically, the music was “Soul of Cinder” from Dark Souls. This kind of showmanship irked Todoroki to his core. They were here to be heroes, not to play games and tricks.

So the heterochromatic boy inspired a lot and from his icy side began to accumulate power…

And a few seconds later, the whole building was encased beautifully in ice, like an eternal flower. The whole temperature dropped around them.

In the control room, everyone was baffled, including All-Might, though excluding a certain someone.

“Oh my…”

“The first match and it has already ended?”

“I guess there is something such as a too powerful quirk."

“HOW ABOUT Y’ALL SHUT THE sh*tHOLE THAT SERVES AS YOUR MOUTH!” Katsuki violently interrupted, making everyone who were nervously muttering look at him.

He was calm and serene except for his outburst.

“I could have tanked that attack.” Katsuki explained calmly, as if it was enough of an explanation. That made Shinso laugh.

“Yeah sure, mister exploding man. But what about…”

“Izuku is my rival, you purple asshat,” Katsuki said calmly, with a hint of fire in his eyes. “Do you think that someone I consider my rival would be done in that easily? We are talking about Izuku there. He’s smart, he's a showman at heart but there is something that makes him one of the most dangerous people here.”

Everyone looked at Katsuki, who was doing his signature shark smile, having smelled the future fight.

“Given the right circ*mstances, He can pull off some insane sh*t.”

—---

“Why did the music not stop?”Kaminari wondered aloud as he carefully entered the building behind Todoroki. The golden student was too busy power walking to answer to his teammate…

At least until he opened a door toward the stair and a bucket full of water fell onto his face.

A wet Todoroki was groaning as he took the bucket off his head… Just before Kaminari took him down to the ground, a previously duct taped desk almost fell on him after that.

“THE HELL WAS THAT?”

“... I would say that they booby-trapped the building with Hanta’s quirk. After all, cold makes duct tape weaker.”

So between the two villains, they had a working brain…

"MWAHA HAHA, WELCOME INTO OUR EVIL LAIR, HEROES! NOW, I HOPE YOU CAN REACH US IN TIME TO SAVE THE CITY!”

Scratch that, they were idiots, both of them, treating this as a game. Todoroki was pissed and when he got up, he instantly made a pillar of ice under him, propelling him towards the top floor as quickly as possible.

He just forgot to bring his teammate with him, who was looking at the stairs and whining. What were the odds it was booby trapped too?

—---

“They… booby trapped the building?”

“Izuku isn't one for a fair fight when he can. He will troll, trap, and redirect your attention whenever he can.” Katsuki muttered under his breath as he looked at the camera, where Izuku was waiting for his enemy with cards in his hands.

He had dodged the initial trapping of ice by being in the air thanks to Hanta’s quirk. Some would say that his quirk was great at more than just trapping villains.

—---

For Izuku, it meant he had a teammate that could give the best material for traps and bridges almost in endless supply. Of course he was going to use what he had.

To be honest, he actually had a plan for everyone in class to destroy Todoroki. The best ones were of course with Bakugou, as they already knew how to work together and with Tooru.

No. It was not because he was often thinking about how her quirk worked and how anything she ate became invisible, implying that all of her body was also invisible.

Wait.. how was Hagakure not blind?

Still, now, he had to wait for Todoroki to fall for his taunt. Izuku respected only one thing about Icy Hot. He wanted to be a hero and treated it really seriously. However, everything that was not like him, it seemed to utterly bore him.

“Finally, hero.. YOU ARE HERE FOR OUR BATTLE!” Izuku crowed, with a smile as Shouto finally entered the room, and proceeded instantly to throw icy spiked at him.

This sight made Izuku smile. Everything was according to plan B. Todoroki was not using his full power again. Either because he did not have the energy for that…

Or because he refused to use his fire quirk. Sure, his body had an ice resistance built into him. However, clearly, it was not ice immunity.

Now? Now, Todoroki was wet. It meant all of his body was slowly even colder. Too much of his own power and he would be down.

The bucket of water. Todoroki’s worst enemy.

Still, the attack was way too forward and we were talking about an Izuku who had been trained to dodge bullets by Mr Compress.

—---

“Wow. I did not know you could dodge by dancing like that.” Admired Mina, Tooru vigorously nodded with her.

“Yes, he's a bit of a show off.”

—---

“Is that all, Todoroki? Because I have one more thing to say to you.” Izuku said with a smile as he stood still between a heavily duct taped door and Todoroki.

“What? Another dumb quip?” Shouto snapped back, before noticing a small light erupting from below his foot..

“Landmine.” Izuku stated as Shouto dodged a Four summon from under the ice. “And another landmine. Oh, be careful, I think it may be a jack there.”

Everywhere Todoroki tried to find a footing, Izuku’s summons appeared as their master stood in the background, quietly resting. Meanwhile, Todoroki had to dodge the six creatures that came from under his own ice.

“I think you should give up honestly. This fight is hardly fair.” Said Izuku matter of factly. He was still sportly after all, and tried to let Todoroki have a chance to save some face.

His answer was not something Izuku expected.

Suddenly not caring anymore, Todoroki simply unleashed his ice again. Izuku barely had the time to hide between a Ten he kept in his hand, avoiding being frozen only by a hair breath…

Todoroki, in all his frozen, rage filled glory, was now standing above the disappearing Cardmen… And glaring at him.

“Finally. Some emotion," Izuku remarked while adjusting his hat, as Todoroki shook a bit of the ice off his body. “Though if you continue to not use your fire, you're going to lose. Such a powerful and balanced quirk… Shame it’s wasted on you.”

“How about you shut up, Midoriya. You’re just another teen playing hero, happy with his quirk. I HAVE BEEN BRED FOR THIS.” Todoroki, as he kneeled, seemingly out of energy… Before looking furiously at his opponent. “AND I REFUSE TO USE MY FATHER’S QUIRK. YOU DO NOT KNOW HARDSHIP OR WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE A CURSED POWER. TO BE HURT BECAUSE OF IT. SO NOW… GET OUT!”

The ice covered floor exploded once more.

—---

“Oh god.” For the first time, Katsuki was not calm anymore. If until now he had seemed sure of the outcome, he was now clearly panicking.

“Yes, I think it should be a good moment to tell Todoroki to chill… Herm… I mean, he's dangerous, I hope Midoriya is okay!” Said Iida, as the camera went back again… Until Katsuki interrupted him.

“No, you misunderstand. The one who is in danger right now is Todoroki!”

“Wait. What?”

—---

Todoroki was exhausted. But now, Midoriya was going to be a nice ice statue and he would be able to touch the bomb while Kaminari tried to take down Hanta.

Even if he failed, as long as he could stop him from bothering and stop Todoroki, Kaminari would have done enough.

Suddenly, once again, Midoria’s voice echoed in the room.

“You know, it is fun. Against anyone else in the class, you would have a f*cking valid point.”

Suddenly the room became hotter. Way hotter. As in ice melting hotter.

“Nineteenth Arcana. The Sun”

Suddenly, the ceiling seemingly became the sun, fiery like an inferno. The ice became a hot mist, the air burning Todoroki’s lungs… Before he got hit by a right hook in his jaw.

In front of him a pissed off Izuku without either a hat nor a smile. In fact he seemed angry. Blood was dripping from his nose in a certain quantity but he did not seem to care.

“But unlike the rest of you, I’m a late bloomer. IF I OVERUSE MY QUIRK, I CAN f*ckING DIE.”

—---

Aoyama nodded, while everyone looked at him.

“I talked of my cousin in past tense for a reason. He died with a smile ten seconds after his quirk activated at 18 years old.” The usually smiling Frenchman was not smiling anymore.

—---

“IT ALSO MEANT I LIVED ALL MY LIFE QUIRKLESS. Do you even have an idea how hard it is to grow up like that? Why do you think I can pop in and out my bones with a f*cking smile, Todoroki? There was not a f*cking day where I was not beaten, insulted or worse! I was a target for most kids with a powerful quirk! Katsuki was the only decent human being of my age with me!”

Which was sad enough in itself, even Todoroki had to admit… Before he threw himself a punch in Izuku’s nose, bloodying it even further.

“Oh, so you had a difficult childhood? Well, at least you still have loving parents! Mine is a f*cking asshole who did A f*ckING QUIRK MARRIAGE TO PRODUCE ME, MY BROTHERS AND MY SISTER”

—---

“Did Todoroki lose his cool?” Shinso asked, before getting hit in the back of the head.

All-Might however was purely inexpressive, and did not stop the fight because he had to learn more. What had Endeavor done?

—---

“AND MINE f*ckING RAN AWAY BECAUSE I WAS QUIRKLESS. YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY KID WITH A sh*t FATHER THAT WANTED A STRONG CHILD!”

Retorted Izuku, who then grabbed his right arm and dislocated it with expertise. In fact, he hit it thrice in a brief instant, taking Todoroki’s left hook in the face.

“SO WHY ARE YOU ANGRY? YOU FINALLY GOT A QUIRK NOW! WHY ARE YOU TREATING LIKE A SHOW!”

“BECAUSE I WANT TO BE A HERO THAT BRING A f*ckING SMILE TO EVERYONE’S FACE!”Izuku screamed, as a bit of blood came out of his mouth, Todoroki’s punch were really good. Good thing he had dislocated his right arm in his shoulder, elbow and hand. Good luck moving it.

Todoroki seemed to stop, for a second.

“I know, Todoroki, what it means to be alone. To be beaten. I want to protect the weak. I want, when a quirkless kid or an abused kid looks at me, he knows he's going to be alright. Because… I'm here.

I want to tell them, I know what it means to be weak but that they're still protected. That if they need help, I WILL BE THERE. And it f*cking PISSES THE HELL OUT OF ME WHEN SOMEONE WITH A QUIRK WITH BASICALLY NO DRAWBACK DECIDE TO SPITE OUT PEOPLE WHO DO NOT HAVE HIS STRENGTH, BY NOT USING HALF OF IT.”

Todoroki had the decency to be taken aback, as Izuku got up, and the sun was quietly disappearing.

“YOU ARE SAYING I AM TREATING IT LIKE A GAME? I NEED MY TRICKS, TODOROKI. I AM NOT AS STRONG AS YOU OR BAKUGOU. I NEED THEM TO LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD.

And you know what? If it means saving an idiot like you, I will still be ready to put my life in line. BECAUSE THAT IS HOW MUCH I AM DETERMINED. DON’T YOU f*ckING DARE YOU ARE GOING TO SURPASS ME, WHO IS BETTING MY LIFE EVERYTIME I GO ALL-OUT, BY USING HALF YOUR POWER!”

Todoroki was at a loss of what to say for an instant, before he got tackled by Midoriya… who was clearly deadly tired by all the summon and the Sun. God, he was going to be out all this week-end, wasn't he?

“Also, you're an idiot. When you're in danger, you have to call heroes for help.”

“Oh? and please tell, who would help me, against the f*ckin number 2?” Todoroki replied sarcastically, before he got slammed in the ground once again.

“f*ckIN ALL MIGHT, WHO IS OUR TEACHER! MIRUKO WHO NOTORIOUSLY HATES YOUR FATHER. SIR NIGHTEYE, WHO CAN SEE THE f*ckIN FUTUR AND COULD HAVE CHECKED YOUR STORY AND WARN ALL MIGHT.”

Izuku screamed, while his throat hurt him.

He couldn't even try to dodge the punch he took in the face... From Kaminari. Beaten, bruised, but still standing, to Todoroki’s surprise.

“Kami… Nari?”

“You, Shouto. You can call me Denki, you know? We are teammates!” said the electric man, before he grabbed Todoroki’s workingarm, helping him to walk.

When Izuku still stood in front of them, clearly helped only by determination… But now once again with a smile on his face.

“... Seriously ? Even beaten up, you still think you have what it takes to stop us ?”

“Yep.” Izuku smiled, before hitting the ground: it was not the cement, but apparently an hole covered by duct tape by which he escaped, laughing.

Suddenly, Todoroki had a horrible doubt. A horrible and terrible doubt.

“... Kaminari? OPEN THE DOOR”

“Wait, what? Normally, the bomb should be here, no? Also, I said Denki.” Said Kaminari, as he opened the sealed door, Shouto sweating a lot. Oh god.

The room was empty. They had fought for nothing.

“Shouto! Not all is lost! Hanta is down, downstairs. If we catch Izuku, we can beat him, especially with your fire!”

“But… It is my father’s…”

“Dude. That is your quirk. Your sick and awesome quirk. Not someone else. So, now, let’s be heroes, together!”

Todoroki looked optimistic… friend? His… quirk? Not his father? A power with no drawback… To save people.

Denki who was injured but still smiling. Still trying to win. That was… That was heroic.

Shouto gritted his teeth. f*ck. Izuku had a point. How did he dare look down on them?

“Yes, let’s capture Midoriya!” Tried to say with motivation Todoroki… Before falling, out of energy.

“AND TIME OUT ! TEAM A WON!”

All Might’s voiced boomed out throughout the building.

Then suddenly, Todoroki became painfully aware he just told his whole tragic backstory in front of everyone. Oh.

The debrief was going to be something.

Chapter 10: Fun Weekend makes for fun times.

Chapter Text

Chapter 10: Fun weekend makes for fun times.

—Just after the Time Out—

Izuku face-planted on the ground. To be fair, he was panting since he used one arcana he was not sure he had been unsure he could use for real and he had also used a lot of energy by doing his remote summoning technique. Which was indeed very useful.

Still, he couldn't feel his body and he knew that if he wanted to keep what happened a secret from his mom and dad, he would have to pay a hefty bribe to Katsuki. Oh, he just hoped Katsuki had another toxic troll to punish.

—

“Tooru? Are you free tomorrow?” aske Katsuki asked, way too nicely.

Katsuki, being nice, often hid something, as the class was now used to. Especially if Izuku was involved. This explained clearly why even though no one could see Tooru’s face was not visible, you could see her suspecting his motive.

Meanwhile, Katsuki was doing behind his back a sign to Mina and Kyoka. Both understood his plan and grinned a lot. If it worked, they must find cameras. And disguise. Maybe enlisting Momo for the plot?

—

Afterward, it was a battered Izuku and Hanta who entered the control room first. They were followed by a Todoroki who was leaning a bit on Kaminari who was the one in the best state of all the four boys.

It had been an extenuating fight and Izuku would have a hard time pointing out where he was the most hurt.

Momo had the kindness of making him a tissue, so he could get the blood out of his face. Thank god, the warm liquid was not a pleasurable sensation.

Still, Izuku had a strange sensation of dread, as Katsuki hit in a brotherly fashion over Izuku’s shoulder.

“I'm going to reward you for beating Icy-Hot, Izuku. You did well.” Katsuki told him, while he looked at the girls, nodding to them.

He had promised them to be “kind” for a definition of kind, according to Katsuki, if Tooru agreed to go on a date on Saturday. The date was going to be with Izuku. Katsuki did not even try to hide the fact and girls quickly learned he respected women. Well, as much as anyone. If you truly wanted his respect, you offered a good fight.

None of the girls wanted to try a true fight against someone that could produce an explosion, wanted to specialize himself as a fighter hero and, according to Izuku, “had already caught flies who were flying with an uncanny accuracy before exploding it”.

All-Might sighed while pinching the bridge of his nose. He was understanding a lot about Aizawa and it was worrying on its own. He also had to check with Nedzu about how to deal with the Todoroki problem. Nonetheless, he was happy that his shock therapy brought a lot to light… And somehow, Todoroki had a friend, Kaminari.the extrovert had adopted the introvert and was trying to make him react now. All in all, a wonderful thing.

However, he also knew Recovery Girl would probably try to kill him soon after the kids went to see her.

Nonetheless, he ignored his soon-to-be-doom and looked at the class.

“So, which one of you can tell me who was the MVP in this…”

“Izuku” “Izuku” “Ribbit” “Green bean” “Deku” “That insane guy” “Is that a trick question and the answer is the friends we made along with the fight?”

Pretty much everyone in the classroom chooses Midoriya… Who pointed out Kaminari and Hanta.

“Hey. Both of them were the most important, you know? Had Hanta failed to stop enough Kaminari and deplete him, I would have lost. In the same way, if Todoroki had brought Kaminari…”

“You would have used plan E and made him electrocute Todoroki after making the ice melt,” Said Momo, while trying to think more about Izuku’s actions… Who had the decency to look away? “Also, you used Todoroki’s thought of you to make him rush ahead, checking nothing. No, you had the fight planned before it had even begun. It required a lot of strategic thinking.”

Katsuki whistled a bit when Momo noticed that and was thankful they did not know his own plans. Most people thought he resumed his plans in “MAKE EVERYTHING EXPLODE”.

They were not wrong.

“Well… I was mad at Todoroki for saying he would beat us at half strength when my quirk, well…” Izuku pointed to his nose. “I won’t be able to use it for the entire weekend to be on the safe side.”

“To be fair, you turned the ceiling into a small sun.” Iida pointed out, impressed and still trying to make sense of Izuku’s quirk. He thought he just manifested a card.

“The first time I used my power, I created a fake hero from a card, Iida. If it exists as a card, I can use it. However, the more powerful it is… Well, let’s say there is a reason I use a Tarot deck rather than my collection of “Hero!” Cards.”

“My family is soooo going to sponsor you,” Momo then explained as her friends were staring, curious. “A Hero who needs our products to use his quirk? Who is smart, presents well, and has a flair for drama? Yes, if Izuku does well for the next tournaments, I'm certain we will sponsor him.”

People forget she was the heir of a conglomerate. She was not a business student, but she could have very well been one. She certainly did not forge a document from her parent’s signature to switch her recommendation exam from Business course to Heroic Course.

No one could prove it.

All-Might nodded and approved everything with his trademark smile.

“New rules, since apparently your class is the first one who apparently forgot to restrain himself. I mean. If Midoriya did not put the bomb behind a door with the written ‘No bomb here’ post-it on the second floor, I would have failed Todoroki and Kaminari. If you make an attack that can blow more than two walls, you're out.

On a side note, Kaminari, why did you not check the door?”

“There was a post-it saying there was no bomb. Then I got attacked by duct tape.”

It seemed oddly logical and Jiro looked with sympathy All-Might and quickly earjacked Kaminari out of idiocy.

After that, the fight was… Something.

To start, Jiro and Hagakure made a big mistake. While Bakugou upheld his promise and went nicely at them (no too colossal explosion and no attack of an area that could destroy the floor) everyone else forgot about Koda.

—Later that day, in Nedzu’s office.---

“NEDZU, WHY THE HELL THERE IS A TOWN OF RATS IN THE EXERCISE ZONE!?”

“Well, you know how it is with family. You can't leave them homeless.”

“Nedzu. You are neither a mouse nor a rat. I know when you're f*cking with me.”

“... They are my dealers in cheese.”

This time, Yagi was not sure Nedzu was trolling since he looked away in shame.

—

“So, what can we conclude from this fight?”

“Never anger Koda.”

“Respect the rat.”

“Bakugou is someone sensible when you think about it.”

“Yeah, he even tried to help the girl when the rats began to…”

Meanwhile, Izuku and Kaminari were trying to comfort respectively Tooru and Kyoka, who did not deserve the suffering. Hugs were required.

Koda was smiling while petting a rat with his rabbit. Everyone was worried about their staring contest, who ended when both decided the other was a worthy opponent.

“I… Just want a normal match.” All-Might sighed, as he didn't sign for this madness. He signed to form the new generation. Not having to storm an army of rat that were hunting for blood.

The next match was… Well, vanilla. No mass destruction. No people with a tragic backstory. Shinso had tried to hint at one, but Kyoka, between two sobs, told him:

“Cut your crap, remember, I know your parents”. The mind controller grumbled while everyone wondered how his family was.

“Maybe his family is with cheerful people who like to hug and sing ‘Kumbaya’” Todoroki theorized, during the match and cooler than earlier. Fighting that way and yelling all he had on his heart allowed him to let off a lot of steam.

Unlike before, it was not emotionlessness on his face, but just peace. Peace of mind because he had finally lashed out. Something he did not do often since it could summon his fire.

People wondered if Todoroki did not touch a nerve, since Hitoshi shuddered at the thought. Kyoka too. Somehow, Katsuki made a notebook appear from nowhere and noted something. Izuku was not the only one with this skill.

Nonetheless, Momo and Hitoshi lost for a very simple reason. Uraraka launched Sato at them, full force. Turned out that none of them were good enough in close combat against someone with a strength-enhancing quirk.

As for Iida and Shoji against Kirishima and Aoyama, no one could have seen the result coming. Iida and Shoji seemed like an excellent hero team, with a scout and a fighter, while Kirishima and Aoyama seemed to have only one brain cell for two.

Except Aoyama planned the whole fight and made Iida go straight in a certain corridor while Kirishima dropped from above Shoji to knock him down.

As for the last fight, everyone nicknamed Ojiro and Tsuyu the Ninja duo. They even avoided the camera on the field and disarmed the bomb without everyone seeing them.

Except for the first two fights, All-Might had appreciated the whole exercise. However, deep down, he had to wonder: How much of the calm was because he ordered them to not destroy too many walls?

Yagi decided wisely that the answer was not worth his sanity and his sleep.

—

“By the way, Izuku, how was it to hug Tooru?” Ojiro asked for once, not Bakugou, though he was listening.

“Ahem… Nice? I mean, she just needed a hug, nothing else.” Izuku, exhaling tranquility of mind and body while taking off his mask and revealing a little smile on his lips, clearly remembering fondly the moment.

Yes, she had been terrified, but knowing she had trusted him enough to let him close had been nice enough for the magician.

“Because I have heard it takes at least three weeks to make a costume with people’s hair.” Ojiro explained afterward, with no special perverted thought. Well, not much more than any boy their age. Every boy did a double-take.

“So, what you're saying is…” Oh god, Izuku was so dead, thought Katsuki… “Mister pure cinnamon went full second base before even the first date? Damn it, Izuku. I knew you wanted the whole Gentleman magician persona, but this is a whole other level.”

Izuku sighed, “Katsuki. We both know how that ends. What is your price for not telling my mom? Especially as I did not think of that.”

“Well, I have an idea…”

Izuku winced when Katsuki explained his idea.

—

“Well, congratulations Tooru. You found a perfect boy in the first week of class.” Jiro shared, with a little jealousy in her voice but wanting to tease the invisible girl.

“Eeeeeh?!”

“I was listening to the boys in the other room. He did not notice or did not care that you were technically costumeless for the exercise. He only cared for you.” Explaine Earjack explained, smiling to the other girls, who were all ready to tease. “And, since Izuku’s mom and stepdad would never stop teasing him about you, Katsuki had enough blackmail to force him to go to the mall tomorrow.”

“Wait. So… Is Katsuki trolling or helping Izuku?” Uraraka asked, a bit curious and wondering a lot about the angry boy who was often seen helping people in a roundabout way. “Because I get the whole embarrass your friend. But we all know and saw how Izuku was keeping notes on everyone, and especially Tooru.”

“He isn't!”

“Girl, I have seen him making theories on how you can see and why we can't see what you eat and how someone could practice surgery if necessary to save you. That is some level of dedication.”

While nobody could see her, everyone knew Tooru was blushing redder than an invisible tomato.

“And what does he do now?”

“Confirm he's way too nice, and it is his first date. Still, Tooru is going to have a good time from what I'm hearing and no, I'm not spoiling it.” Jiro answered, while doing a little sign to Mina who confirmed she would get the camera ready.

The two girls, Kaminari and Kirishima had become quick friends around their favorite activity: teasing the hell out of people, to hide the fact they were quite vulnerable to it themselves.

Then again, someone trying to tease Katsuki would be ballsy or Izuku.

—

“We will give around 10.000 yen tomorrow to Izuku, Atsuhiro.” Inko said, as she was picking up the groceries as if she was saying a fact such as “Sky is blue”.

“Oh?” Wondered our favorite vigilante.

“I have a delightful feeling”. Somehow, a mother always knew.

—

Izuku was waiting at the mall, just under the clock. He was actually wearing good clothes and not something dumb like a T-shirt with written on it “Pants”. No, Katsuki did not force him to take some of his clothes and make him do an entire show to make him wear the best clothes possible for his first date.

… Who Izuku was kidding? Of course he did. This, of course, meant auntie Mitsuki knew and that meant his mom knew too. Or at the very least, will know before the end of the day. Auntie Mitsuki was not someone you could trust with a secret. At least, he preferred that gentle teasing to the whole angriness he would get if he told her the truth.

Nonetheless, he was still wondering. Katsuki had promised someone would be here and he would know he had set up for him a date.

To be fair, Izuku had a good idea of a girl he wanted to invite on a date: A certain invisible girl… Not only because her quirk was interesting but also because she seemed nice and loved to talk about magic tricks and what made a true hero. Like the fact she wanted to become an underground hero to protect people while unseen. Sure, she would like more attention, but she had been a bit resigned to the idea no one would see her.

“Herm… You did not wait too much?”

The voice of a certain girl echoed to Jiro's ears while in the background, Katsuki did a pose that looked a lot like Gendo. All according to his plan to set up Izuku with a girl nice enough for him so he could tease him to the end of the world!

“Ah… Not at all!”

He was there one hour early to make sure he had the right places for the whole date.

Nonetheless, Tooru loved the fact that Izuku seemed purely stunned when seeing her. Well, at least her clothes. A nice skirt and a casual top went a long way to please the eyes.

Still, he had a way of somehow looking into her eyes, and it was nice. Especially as everyone would look first somewhere else.

“So… I heard you had planned for a few things?” Told Tooru.

“Yeah… I know an excellent crepe shop around there if you want to eat a bite. I thought we could too… You know… Try a bit of shopping? I also know a place where they sell some old underground heroes’ goodies. This doesn’t hurt them since they retired a long time ago.”

And just like that, she knew she was going to have a good time.

Meanwhile, Izuku had another thought. Was holding hands considered second or first base? Damn, that whole thing was confusing.

He had tried to ask Atsuhiro for help… Who laughed sadly for a few minutes. Then he explained to Izuku that he had only one woman in his life. It was Inko, and he had failed his first chance to date her years ago because he was too indecisive. So…

Don’t be like him. It had been the only advice Atsuhiro could give him. It was the only time Izuku regretted Hisashi was not alive since, apparently, he was a playboy before Inko.

So… Yes. Izuku hoped he could hold hands with Tooru today.

However, did he forget something today? He couldn't stop feeling like he had.

—In the den of the drake. ---

“Grdmfff… Izuku better have a good reason to miss our FABLED BATTLE!”

“Tomura. It is just the weekly tournament in your own bracket.” One of the few neckbeards dared, not that afraid of the blue-haired man who was grumpy… Before sighing.

“Well, I guess I better call him…”

Tomura was taking his phone out when suddenly…

“Hey, Tomura, do you know Izuku’s quirk?”

One of the biggest and smelliest guys in the store interrupted.

“I… don’t know his quirk. We have this unspoken rule between us..."

Tomura, who had tried to ask Izuku a lot about it, didn't know anything about it. All he knew was that Izuku got it late and suffered the quirkless discrimination before that.

“Because either he's lonely and has strong telekinesis power or he's on a date with an invisible girl. Or cross-dressing guy. Not judging if…”

Tomura inhaled before getting up and looking through the window. Izuku had a girlfriend?!

—

Soon after that, Izuku sat for a second, while Tooru was going to get some ice cream for the both of them, when suddenly he heard a raspy voice beside him.

“So… We are missing the tournament, Izuku?” A certain man child with a few skin problems, the natural predator for unsuspecting Izuku. Well them and the wild Bakugou.

Oh right. That was what he had forgotten, as Tomura pulled him under his arm.

“Tomura, I know I should have called but…”

“But what? You are blackmailed into a date at the very least moment with an invisible girl?” Said Tomura with sarcasm in his voice, before he saw the look in Izuku’s eye. The look showed he was way too done.

“Yes. In fact, if you have advice…”

“Izuku. Have you seen my face?” Tomura was conscious now about his look. “The only girls I have ever dated are in a video game, and I doubt they're an excellent source of advice. Try to hold hands with her at least.” Said in a big brotherly way Tomura when they heard the voice of a cute girl who was worried..

“Hem… Izuku? Is that one of your friends?” Truth to be told, anyone seeing Tomura with Izuku would have thought he was harassing them.

“Oh yes, Tooru, meet Tomura. He is a friend from a card game. Tomura, Tooru. A classmate that is… very nice and cute.”

In another universe, Izuku needed to switch pants. In this one, he was just red and wondering how it would go.

“Oh. I was wondering since I thought Bakugou seemed like your only friend. Don’t worry, Tomura. I don't judge on the face. I mean, imagine if I did.”

“... Cute and gutsy. I like her, Izuku. You should come to the shop. People are taking bets on either if your quirk is telekinesis or if she's real. You know, they have never met a real girl before. Except for their mom.”

Tomura was getting up… And Tooru seemed interested.

“Card shop, uh?” Tooru asked to Izuku’s ear, who was smiling at the joyful tone of the girl. And curious.

“I learned strategy with Tomura. He is actually smart.”

“Well, Tomura seems… Not too bad.”

“Don’t worry, he jokes about how he looks villainous himself. You can say it. He finds it funny. In fact, he's a villain fan. We have… Passionate debate.”

It was useless to say that to the local fauna of the game shop, even an invisible girl like Tooru was something absolutely mythical. As in “That should not exist and if it does, the legend about it will exist for years to come.”

So, while she was looking at the shop, Tomura was shooing every neckbeard back in the backroom to leave Izuku and his girl a little space. He remembered his lesson with Kurogiri about it. It was called the “Brocode”, written by someone called Barney. Kurogiri tolerated Tomura had almost no rules, but he had to follow them.

He was evil, not an asshole.

Still, Izuku looked at the shopkeeper and muttered. “Tomura will fit the bill. Tell him I call him my favor. I need a card.”

The shopkeeper, with his quirk allowing him to grab any card his clients could think of in the vicinity (hence why he was banned from all tournaments)... Yes, it was a quirk that sucked a bit but he liked it and had managed to live from it. Hey, nobody could say this quirk was dangerous at all.

It was perfect. Izuku took the card while nodding to the shopkeeper, while Tooru simply took a small figurine and brought it to the clerk. Izuku paid for it quickly. He wanted to surprise Tooru afterward, hence why he did not want her to know he just found a certain card.

Meanwhile, the shopkeeper was humming because he had found and given a premium collector card to Izuku. Hey, he had to live and Tomura was an endless pocket of money.

—

Soon after that, both of them were out. Buying stuff like keychains of Manbat, an underground hero who was now for being quite broody and using an iron bat to strike down criminals. He had a more famous sidekick, the Wing of the Night, who actually operated in the day. He was an angel quirked mutant who was known for his smile.

So, now they were retired, they actually thought of marketing their old adventure and lived from their action figures or other goodies. Tooru adored them and Izuku too.

“My little brother loves them. He has the quirk to project light from his eyes. Nothing like a laser eye, hu, but honestly, this is exceptional for animating a birthday,” She explained to him while eating the ice creams she was going to take before meeting Tomura. “As for my parents, one of them can produce light and my mother can bend things.”

“Wait. She has the strength to bend things or…”

“Nope, if she can grab it and it is under two hundred kilos, she can bend it as if it is a noodle. Very useful as a worker.”

“So… You inherited their quirk who mutated into a mutant one? That is incredible!”

“Aha… Thank you. I don't have to tell you how hard it has been for them. They used to make me wear a bell on a necklace when I was a baby.”

Mentally, Izuku was, of course, taking note, as Tooru, in the sound of her voice, seemed to remember the necklace fondly. He had to find one.

“And for you? Where did you find your passion for quirks or magic tricks?”

“Hmmm… I think I began to love quirks when I was young. Mom said someone taught me a bit of analysis, but I don't remember him very well. No, I truly loved them because… Well…”

“Late-bloomer?”

“Extremely. I had mine for a year now, and I still can’t use it too much.”

“Ouch. Must not have been nice.”

Izuku sighed. Oh boy.

“Yes. But now? It is way better. I mean. My friends are with me. I have a good new dad and I had a wonderful day with you. I also know perfectly how to end it.” Izuku said, while pulling out his phone for a selfie.

“Is that a way to take my bra in the picture from above, Zuku~?” Tooru said playfully, who knew now that it probably did not even cross his mind. Still, hearing him cooing was adorable, just like the shade of red and green his face was. When Izuku asked her how she was seeing if light could just pass through, she explained her body bends the light. Slightly different, and she was learning.

“... I was thinking of a picture with the both of us.”

Izuku knew that she was staring at him, wondering if he was serious or not, but saw he was serious.

Deciding to humor him on this date, Tooru pressed herself a bit against him. Also, Izuku had been nothing but cute the whole date. Asking her question, taking her to a place she would like (she was not dumb and knew few places sold her favorite flavor. Where the hell did he find that info?), the Aquarium, and finally, making sure she had a good time, never losing her despite being invisible.

You could say whatever you wanted, but being in the spotlight for a day was nice. She was almost visible.

Then, Izuku did something. As he took the picture, a funny-looking lens appeared in front of the camera. A Zelda card apparently...

When Izuku showed the picture to Tooru, she promptly grabbed the phone before crying as the lens was already disappearing in ashes, as Izuku’s summons did when he was out of energy. Still, you could see on Izuku’s face it was worth it.

On the phone, the picture revealed two teens with two different shades of green for their hair. Izuku had way darker hair and the girl with him had greenish, very light green hair. She had a cute smile and was currently crying on the phone.

To be fair, it was the correct reaction if you saw your face for the first time.

“What… What did you do? How?!”

“I used a card that can reveal the invisible. I'm not limited to tarot, you know? I thought about using the Hermit, but Arcana always takes a lot, and…” He couldn't finish his explanation as he felt lips on his.

The kiss lasted for a few seconds and tasted like strawberry.

“Ok. That is it. I'm calling dibs. Now you're mine.” The invisible girl of the 1A announced seriously.

White knight saving? Check. Nice? Check. Actually, a nice body with nice abs? Check. Smart? Check. Not quirkist? EVEN MORE CHECK.

Sensible, and who thought of the most beautiful gift for her? Triple check. Izuku was a pearl, and she was not losing him.

Meanwhile, Izuku could understand why Atsuhiro liked a woman who had a bit of authority over him.

—

“Well, Tooru is calling dibs and has claimed Izuku as her boyfriend. From what I can hear… He somehow took a picture of her. We can all agree we all need it, right?”

“Earjack. I need it for my auntie. She's probably going to smother him.”

Katsuki was laughing, as he was with Denji, Mina, and Jiro. It seemed a lot like a double date now that he thought about it… Not like it was that, right?

“Damn. Smooth. And nice clothes.”

“Thanks.” Katsuki said, proud of a job well done.

“... You decided on his clothing?”

“My parents are designers, raccoon eyes. My mom hinted she helped a few heroines make them but never told names. I know a lot about clothes. Should have seen the first design of Izuku’s hero suit. He had rabbit EARS. Because he tried and failed to honor All-Might!” Katsuki said, while drinking a soda with his bunch of friends.

“Shame Todoroki failed to show. Guess the U.A. talked to him and his father.” Denki had thought of inviting him to make him socialize as it was made apparent Shouto lacked that. Katsuki had said nothing about it. It made him remember Izuku’s situation way too much.

“I trust All-Might to take the proper actions. He is f*cking All-Might. On a side and unrelated note, does anyone know where I can buy a new deck of cards? My last one had an acute case of combustion.”

“Endeavor?” Jirou teased.

“Endeavor, Jack Ear.” Katsuki groaned with displeasure in his voice.

“The shop with the green front. Izuku is a regular there.”

The exploding boy nodded simply. He would go there the next day. Today… Well… He had something else to do. Still, he had been happy to do his good action of the week.

“Wait. Does that mean Izuku has gotten his girlfriend before Katsuki?” Denki constated, to the horror of the two girls.

“MOTHERFU…”

Chapter 11: Remember that some demons are fallen angels.

Chapter Text

Chapter 11: Remember that every demon is a fallen angel.

—Two days after All Might’s Heroes Exercise—

Hell, it was freaking hell. Everything around them was burning down, the flame eating their surroundings as voraciously as possible.

Meanwhile, a teenage boy was trying to run.

Todoroki was trying to lose his pursuer. Who? A primal terror, inscribed into him. His father was following him, burning everything around him with just a touch while laughing. His father was laughing as he continued to torch everything around them to cinders.

“You can run, boy, but you can't run from who you are!”

“No! I will never be what you made me to be!”

“That isn't a choice you have, boy . The moment you were born with this quirk, I knew you would be the one.”

His father’s deep voice resonated around them, when suddenly, Todoroki’s brother emerged from the flame, the fires burning around them. His fire, as intense as ever, shoots out to try to hurt their father.

The flames got absorbed into him, amplifying the power of their genitor. The temperature was making the airburn around them.

Looking at his eldest son, the monster of flame barely gave him a look before grabbing his head and cremating him in front of Todoroki. Ashes were all around them. The teen knew his brother’s death was going to be long, as their father was anything but merciful. That and the fact he actually took some delight in killing his unsuccessful spawn. Adding their fire to his. They were not the first and not the last if Todoroki did not manage to reach his goal.

The boy ran away even faster than before, as the forest around them turned into death and charcoal. His brother ran to protect him from their father’s insanity. He couldn't waste it.

“See him? He was weak. Not hot enough to burn me. Not resistant enough to withstand me, even after all his training. But you… You have the potential for both!”

His father sounded happy. He never liked that because it meant someone or something was burning.

Soon, it would be him, if he did not progress fast enough.

“No one will save you from me. You are mine, now and forever! If only you could understand I'm doing that for your good, boy!”

Liar. He was lying. All he wanted was an heir for his madness, his dream. Todoroki refused to do that. To be that.

Still, he ran as fast as he could. Suddenly, he heard another attempt to stop their father. A woman, probably his mother. He had loved her and her kindness in their madhouse of darkness and ashes, even if all she was, was to be a slave to his father’s wishes.

Her scream was now ringing in the air, as the boy projected himself into the wall of fire. He was resistant to the fire of their father, to an extent. It was one of the only ways he could continue to run and not look back.

Then he felt the incandescent heat on his back and the hand of his dear father on him.

“Oh… My dear son. You have the potential to be such a great heir that I can't see what else you can be! Embrace your true nature!”

“I WANT TO BE A HERO!”

“Because you think the heroes want you to be one of them after today? They are probably speaking about culling our line as we speak! No, boy. You will follow and obey me, as you should have always.”

Todoroki braced himself, before his father once again put his mark on him, on his back. The fire fingers slowly penetrated his skin, and his father began to tattoo him with his fire.

“What kind of king would I be if I did not have a Prince?” Said the Ashen King to his son’s ear.

Behind them, the Harajuku temple and most of Tokyo were burning…

And Todoroki promised himself to never be his father. To be the greatest hero just to spite him.

----

Then Enji woke up in his bed, gasping for air. His bedsheets were burning… And the bottle of whisky he had drunk did not manage to be enough to let him sleep dreamlessly.

Absorbing the heat into him, Enji looked at himself in the mirror. He had bags under his eyes. He looked miserable and villainous.

Why… Or rather when did he become so close to being his father?

How did he fail his children so much?

“Finally waking up, boss?”

Oh right. He had been sleeping at his office for the past few days. Right now, Burnin was not smiling at him with her witty one. Instead, she looked at him with pity.

“You have been trying to kill yourself with these bottles since you came back from the U.A. What did the mouse say to make you want to try to do that?”

Enji looked at the window, wondering if running through it would be a viable alternative.

“I have to remind you that you asked for a reinforced glass to avoid an assassination attempt.”

f*ck.

Nonetheless, Burnin sat by her boss.

“Boss, you know what you have done for me. I know what you have done for me. You know I'm there to help you.”

Endeavor looked at the mirror and took another bottle. Burnin was going to say something but Endeavor managed to stop her with his depressed look.

“The man I respect the most in this world told me with proof that I was becoming someone my father would be proud of.”

“And that is a problem because?”

“Let me put it that way: If Purity, Beast and my father were in a room with a quirk suppressing cuff and I had two bullets…

I would shoot him twice and piss on the remains.

<i>I would get a f*ckin medal</i>”

Endeavor said seriously this, while pouring a drink for his sidekick. He trusted her. Maybe he could tell her.

“That… Is it a joke? Right?”

When Enji told her who his father was, Burnin was horrified and drunk with her boss. The other sidekicks took it as protocol #5 “If neither Endeavor nor Burnin is in a state to patrol, take their shift.”

----

The day before

----

Endeavor was not happy. Not only did he hear that his son lost in his first battle but adding to that, he was still not using the quirk Rei bestowed on him. Could he not see the potential he had? To not rely only on one quirk when some people did not even have one? When would people sell their souls to get even half close to Shouto’s power?

Adding to that, he was now missing his meeting with the assigned HSPC psychologist. Why? Because of the one person he respected more than anything in this goddamn world and who was still alive. That was the reason Endeavor stood, though a bit nostalgic in the front of the U.A. His… Old home.

Nostalgically, Endeavor passed his hand on the gate, before opening it. He inspired the air he was smelling before letting out some of his flame of contentment. Yes, truly. It felt like home. (A small voice inside of him was asking him why home did not feel like home. It was then squished).

Most of the academy was empty as they were on the weekend. Had it been anyone else, Endeavor would have told them to get lost because he had a job to do.

However, a son could never refuse something his dad asked of him.

When he stood in front of Nezu’s door, Endeavor allowed himself one of his biggest smiles, before opening the door, as passionate as ever.

“HELLO NEZU, HOW ARE YO…”

“Sit down, <i>boy</i>.”

Something that was maybe a bear, maybe a mouse but most certainly the principal of the U.A. spoke coldly to the #2.

Nedzu had a look, Enji knew it, that means he was frankly pissed and that the someone who would get it would get his life ruined in the next few minutes.

When the steel door closed behind him, Enji knew. It was going to be him.

Many people forgot, but Nezu’s quirk did not give him only high intelligence. It also gave him a life expectancy higher than most animals and Endeavor suspected the stoat did something (or suffered, both were as probable) to extend even more his life.

When he called Endeavor “boy”, he had every right. However, he often refrained from doing it because he knew how traumatic it was for him.

Therefore, Endeavor found himself on the chair quicker than he thought he could, as the principal served both of them a cup of tea. Oh f*ck. It was chrysanthemum tea. Nezu was more pissed than the time when Enji stole his cheese.

“I have found proof of your educational style, Boy. Why did you become someone your father would approve of?”

Endeavor was trying to drink his tea when Nezu spoke these words. The cup went crashing down and Enji looked furiously at Nezu’s. His flames were roaring all around them and the mouse was not afraid.

“Nezu. You are the closest thing I have to a dad and that is the only reason you'ren't getting punched in the face.”

“If I'm a dad, then I clearly failed to make a good man of you. I wonder what Crimson Riot would say.”

Before Endeavor could indeed try to punch Nezu, his flames went down and a hand, firm and unbelievably strong, was put on his shoulder.

Oh, right. Situational awareness. Did they manage to hide All-Might behind the couch and Eraserhead on the ceiling?

Apparently, he did.

Enji was put down in his seat and the look Nezu gave him… It reminded him why he had been terrified of being called there all. Then, once the rage subsided, Endeavor looked at All-Might. No sign of a smile or of courtesy he had before. He was pissed off.

The man who was the most powerful in the world was pissed off at him.

While Endeavor wanted to be N°1, he also understood sharply and painfully the difference between him and All-Might. His psy actually helped him understand that and that the only way his dream could ever be achieved would be by his children.

Then Nezu took several pictures from a file. He showed them to Endeavor. All of them, he knew them. He had worked on them. The fire hero looked at them and said immediately.

“Abused children, yes? Aku, Sakura, Araki…”

A pinch of pain clenched in his heart. Children police ignored at first because they were villains’ kids.

So he took the matter in his hand and protected them. It was not well known, as it was not something the media was noteworthy but Nedzu, when he could detect such a case, would always send Endeavor.

Then, Nezu nodded and took another set of files, and Enji’s blood became colder than what Rei could freeze. The teen he was looking at had his body battered.

Scars of burning. Bruise. Clearly some old broken bones.

“... Is that a case I ignored?”

Oh god, did he fail a kid? Did he ignore one of Nedzu’s requests?! Did his secretary do that!?! Because of these burned marks… They were too familiar. Did… Did they fail to find another spawn of “Him”?

“It is Shouto.”

All-Might explained with his grave and booming voice behind him.

Enji’s world began to crack. Because he was smart. Those wounds. It couldn't have been from Touya… Or Rei. Anyone else in his household.

“It… It was…”

Nedzu activated the TV next to them. On it…

A clearly younger Endeavor, clearly shaken and with the smile of an abused kid who did not want anyone to worry about them.

“<i>Do not worry, mister bear. It was just training. I'm sure my father did not mean to hurt me!</i>”

Had Nezu pulled a gun and shot him in his heart, it would have hurt less than what Enji was seeing. In fact, he was trying to see if he could activate his flame to blast off his own head. Nope, Eraser was still working.

“How did you manage to save all of these kids but fail yours that much? I'm ashamed that one day you called me dad because that was certainly not the way I educated you.”

All-Might was a tad bit surprised by how much Nedzu had managed to destroy the man in front of him. He had known the N°2 for a good while now and he had respect (until now) for his mental fortitude.

“I mean. I even helped you find Rei because you wanted to avoid becoming your FATHER OR YOUR CHILDREN TO BECOME HIM, FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE”

The animal lost his temper and was spilling the tea nervously around them, when this time, it was both Aizawa and Yagi who looked at Nedzu.

Wait, what?

Nedzu was suddenly conscious of their stare and sighed.

“All of what I'm going to disclose will stay in these walls. But it is important to understand everything.”

The nine people listening nodded.

“Rei and Enji Todoroki were indeed a form of Quirk Marriage, through a lot of Omiai. It was also love at first sight for both of them.”

That was… New for most of them.

“To avoid making any child Enji had to have a fire quirk and a heat resistance above him. Because, otherwise, the risk the child would have reached the Singularity would have been above 90%”.

Nedzu explained, suddenly tired, even though he was prepared.

“I thought… The Singularity was a theory?”

“It is a secret not many people know about it. We hid it with nice words, but we have already seen two cases of people managing to awaken more than once and as a result of favorable awakenings… Become something that could only be described as Living Quirks. Functionally immortal”

“And the point with Endeavor being?”

Shouta asked, descending from the ceiling, while Endeavor was sobbing. Actually sobbing. What the hell was going on.

“... Endeavor is the son of one of them.”

For a moment, Shouta refused to see the connection. The Living Quirks. People who underwent freak accidents and evolved.

“So… He is french? That is a good reason for sobbing.”

Aizawa joked because the alternative was far, far worse. he seriously hoped that Nedzu would confirm this.

“No. My father… Is the other one.”

Endeavor who was breaking down emotionally in front of them, chose to explain the situation.

“My father is the Ashen King, burner of Tokyo and the Imperial Family. The genocider of China. The living cataclysm.”

Suddenly, for many people, it became clear why the hell, Endeavor of all people, hid his family tree.

—

The Ashen King. No one really knew his origins. However, if Endeavor was the strongest hero fire user, all specialists agreed to say he did not even reach half of the level of the Living Cataclysm.

However, he became in a decade a legend among supervillains. Even All For One, in all of his madness, had tried to take him down but not to steal his quirk, fearing it would still try to consume him down.

He failed to even approach the Living Fire.

The man appeared one day in Beijing. One hour later, nothing was left of the Forbidden City.

Then, the blue giant of fire turned his sick smile and stare to the rest of China. In a rare moment of clarity, mafia, supervillains, and heroes banded together to try and stop what was obviously a monster.

His whole body was actually made of fire.

No heating problem like Endeavor or what the few fire users in the world could meet. He was the fire and had embraced it. The more he burned down, the stronger he became. Wherever he went, only ashes were left. Hence his name.

He burned 75% of the whole country. What was left was because everyone united against him. So, The King walked into India and a few more countries. Nuclear fire had been used. Somehow, it made him disappear after a few months.

Then, Florida got burned to a tenth of its initial size by nuclear fire.

Then, he came to Japan. That is where he had been destroyed twenty years ago, by a joint task force of a young All-Might, Crimson Riot, Nedzu, and many other top 10 heroes from all around the globe… Including the other Living Quirk, though he was way weaker than their enemy, for he was… a living pile of trash.

Yes, one of the French top heroes was composed of junk and part found in a junkyard. You could laugh but the man was a hero at the core and was always putting his body in the line of the fight. Even some supervillains were recruited for the operations, such as the Amazonian Queen (though some called her more a Nature fighter. One of the strongest water users in the world). An actual ash user who joined for personal reasons.

What All-Might and many people did not know about the operation, was how Nedzu found the location of the Ashen King and his plans for that day, the Great Burning of Tokyo.

It had been because he had found a young kid in the street and shared cheese with the crying boy. He had consoled him and promised to protect him.

That kid had been Enji, one of the many spawns of the Ashen King. Well, many… As long as you show progress and potential, you lived. Otherwise, you were sacrificed to him. No one wanted to know how that worked for a man who was more energy than a human and no one truly wanted to understand.

The only one who actually knew was Dr. Garaki, since unbeknown to anyone, including All For One, he had been the doctor for the King. Why? Simply because that way he could collect more information about the Singularity and the fact HE WAS RIGHT.

All-Might remembered the fight. Even David had been baffled by the firepower of the villain, as he had almost killed All-Might when he began to use his power in a concentrated manner. However, it had not been All-Might who managed to bring down the monster.

It had been the Crimson Riot. To this day, the only explanation of what happened was that Crimson underwent because of the stress and the fact he was protecting the last member of the Japanese Imperial family (who had the rare power to actually strengthen their protector) a succession of awakening. However, he did not manage to become like the other two, his quirk evolving not to protect its user but to protect everyone else.

The man punched fire. As in somehow, he made the fire corporeal and he punched it a lot. David’s theory was he had obtained the power to harden immaterial things. Still. The former N°1 had managed to kill the fire user before saving the last kid of the Imperial family. He then died of exhaustion.

“But I don’t remember the part where Endeavor was here. In fact, no offense Endeavor, I'm surprised you did not get shot in the head.”

Shouta, who was used to conspiracy now, had no time for tact.

“None taken. When the higher-ups discovered my existence, Nedzu defended me. Saying he would make me a hero. Someone who would do anything to stop the second coming of my father. That is how the U.A. ward program actually began.”

“And they just followed Nedzu’s advice? Because I'm pretty sure you don't have, even now, that much political clout.”

All-Might was in disbelief. Though, had he been there, he would have tried to protect the kid. Yes, even if he knew what he had become now. Why? Because he was a hero. You don't save people because it is easy or simple. You don't condemn a kid for his father’s fault too.

“Of course not! In fact, they were already aiming at me when Crimson Riot asked for me to live.”

Endeavor said before crumbling. Nedzu continued, for everyone in the room.

“Crimson Riot patted his head and told him to be the best hero in the world. That he was proud to die if it was to protect even one more person. The Emperor, a child around the same age as Enji at that time, mind you, actually ordered the soldiers to stand down and listen to the hero.”

Enji nodded. He had devoted his entire life to these words. All of his f*ckin life to become a hero that would be the best in the world. Because of his father’s sin and because he cost the life of one of the greatest heroes that ever lived.

“And now, I'm not sure I was worth that sacrifice.”

Enji tried to continue before getting bitchslap by All-Might.

Which to be fair, surprised pretty much everyone in the room.

“AND THAT IS WHY YOU WANTED TO BECOME NUMBER ONE? FOR f*ck SAKE, ENDEAVOR. THE RANKING IS A f*ckIN MADE-UP POPULARITY CONTEST. I WIN BECAUSE OF SHEER CHARISMA.”

All-Might seemed both sad and angry before pulling up the man.

“Did you ever check the stats? I'm no slouch, I admit it. But I'm growing old. Even I don't resist the passage of time. But you're already surpassing me on so many things. And I don't even care about the ranking.”

This punched Endeavor in the gut.

“Enji. Kid. There is a reason why I often give you so many cases of child kidnapping. It is because I trust your brain and your investigation skill. Did you know that if people preferred if it is All-Might saving them, most parents would prefer to know you were on the case rather than All-Might?”

Endeavor cracked a bit more at those words. He… Has he already reached his dream? Then… Then…

“Then why have I done everything ?”

—

The meeting went for quite a bit after that. Mainly because Nedzu wanted to make sure of many things, such as asking if he took pleasure in beating his kids or if he had anything to do with Touya’s death personally.

Enji actually managed to gather enough rage to punch Aizawa in the face for thinking he could kill one of his children.

There was the issue of Rei’s commitment. This was actually one of the few good moves of Endeavor who explained he had been worried it would aggravate. Now, he had to live with the fact he was the cause for the one woman he would burn a forest for, to hate him.

Nonetheless, the Endeavor that went out of the building that evening was someone destroyed and who went out to his agency to get wasted and try to sleep a bit before getting back home to try to start fixing what could be fixed. Which he was pretty sure was not much left.

His punishment had been to open his eyes to what he had done… And honestly, it had been only that because Nedzu told him he would pactize with Necromancer if Endeavor even dared to think of doing the final measure.

Oh and losing parental rights of his kids, for very obvious reasons.

Now, Nedzu was sipping tea in front of the three Todoroki left in front of him with All Might and the detective Naomasa. Aizawa had been sent to make sure Enji did not try a funny business.

Nedzu had required the presence of the detective to be sure of what Enji had said before. Learning that one of your adoptive sons had become abusive despite coming from a similar home had been hard. Learning he did that without noticing it was even harder but gave hope he could change.

“The f*ck have we learned?!”

An angry and disturbed Natsuo said that. Seriously? Seriously, all they had to do was to ignore that one asshole from the HSPC they tried to talk to and just ask Nedzu, and their father would have crumbled like a little bitch?

Fuyumi was even more hurt as suddenly, everything made more sense, as to why their father never raised his hand against them (her and Natsuo). No training, no hurting. He was just ignoring them most of the time…

Well, except that time, when she thought about it, when she had cried about a teacher that had been excessively harsh toward her students once. That teacher had been way more considerate afterward and seemed scared quite a lot after. Maybe…

As for Natsuo, it was a rage that was icing his tea. His power had never been enough to be a hero or a vigilante. However, he was good at cooling liquid. Nonetheless, it had been the realization they could have been saved earlier.

Finally, Shouto. His father did not know he was there for everything that had been said. Now? Now he was having his world destroyed. His father was still an abusive asshole and the cause of his mother's breakdown.

However, apparently, while his father did engage in a quirk marriage, he had loved Rei and the meaning of the marriage was to avoid another living cataclysm. Nedzu confirmed there was an actual imperial edict about who Enji could marry. So, yes.

That explained why Endeavor did not simply marry someone with either a salamander mutant quirk or a fire-resistance quirk. Or someone with a dragon quirk like Ryukyu.

So, to say he had various feelings was… a euphemism.

“So. Let’s talk about your lodging. Natsuo, Fuyumi, I will provide for your lodging. Just tell me if you prefer a home together or separately. As for Shouto, I'm bringing him as a U.A. ward. He will be under my personal care. Question?”

“I just asked what the f*ck we learned.”

“That your father was an idiot and that sometimes, asking the right person for help was essential.”

“But we did ask for help! Like the HPSC!”

Natsuo protested, who was remembering his father spiraling from a loving father to… Now, during and after Touya’s death. The fact Touya apparently took Trigger before his death. Something that made Endeavor take a personal vendetta against any Trigger case after that.

“I said… Right. People.”

Let’s add that to his grievances against the HPSC. All three children (well, that’s how they were to him) were staring, surprised.

“The HPSC isn't full of them.”

Which was now raising more questions to Nedzu. He would have to ask Mr. Compress for a service or two. He would probably pay him by making sure his wedding was undisturbed.

Nedzu wondered when Atsuhiro would notice that his wife was a former vigilant-ish doctor. Hell, even Eraserhead had been terrified of her.

Still, it was going to be a long debrief for them too.

—

Finally, Nedzu was meeting the last person he had to meet today. The one who was going to determine how much he was going to destroy the country.

A man with a pharaonic mask. Technically a villain, as he was a known weapon dealer and thief around the world. The Architect himself, genius and probably someone who reached singularity but never abused it.

Nedzu had paid him in advance with the authentic Yata No Kagami, as the man was one with an intellect on par with Nedzu but more years of experience.

One of the few true immortals in the world.

“What did your machines register?”

Nedzu had to require his service in an emergency. Thankfully the man was highly competent and various machines in the room next to Nedzu’s office were set to monitor everyone's thoughts and memories.

“The person who tampered with him is an expert of the highest degree. Actual psychology, mental manipulation, gaslighting and carefully applied quirk to tamper with his emotion and his ability to judge what he was doing.

What you did to him today was incredibly harsh but necessary. Let’s just say I would recommend you to make sure he only meets people you trust for... Since he's especially stubborn, three weeks.

However, you did well. A bit more and he would have been highly susceptible to suggestion. In fact, he's already susceptible to them, to a degree. You can't ask him to ignore a murder… But you can convince him to let someone else do the investigation.”

The “man” in front of them, while a hologram detailing Enji’s brain appeared in his hands, explained the whole situation.

The Architect was… someone unique. He disliked appearing in person (the thing in front of Nedzu was nothing more than an incredibly advanced android) but he was honest to a fault when he was hired for a job. Nedzu was also sure this conversation would never get out or be used against him.

After all, the Architect’s own great great great granddaughter was studying at the U.A. She was also already making Power Loader crazy.

“So, you're telling me…”

“That it isn't provable except by my technology or if you managed to get Mindraper to check on him. Or the Heart Stealer, if that man was alive. In fact, the process was quite close to what I have seen on some of his victims. If given enough time, the “true” Endeavor should re-emerge.”

Technology that was not usable in court. Either it or Mindraper in fact. Both were criminals of the highest degree and Mindraper only worked with Misery, someone Nedzu found highly detestable. Not to mention both of them had disappeared a few years ago.

Now, Nedzu was going to war.

Chapter 12: The worst enemy is the media (and ourselves).

Chapter Text

Izuku was enjoying his walk back home as much as possible when he came back from the mall. Using the card of the Lens of truth, Izuku took a picture of a visible Tooru. He hoped for something like hand-holding. Maybe a kiss on the cheek again. He was red only by thinking again of what had happened: Tooru kissing him on his lips. Now he had a picture of her. He could imagine her better doing that. Did she have her eyes closed too? Izuku could remember her hands on him when she grabbed him for the kiss, their moment together next to the fountain.

He imagined her greenish hair flowing and mixing a bit with his. Apparently, when a girl could not do her hair, she had them messy. Who could have known? Well, now, Izuku did.

However, he had been a bit surprised by what she had said next, claiming him as her boyfriend and saying dibs. He couldn't have been the subject of a discussion among girls… Right?

“Well, it is nice to have that memory of us.” said Izuku, looking at his phone before he felt a strange force taking the phone from him.
It was Inko who had activated her quirk full force.

“I KNOW EVERYTHING AND I NEED THE PICTURE!” cackled his mom, happy to know his son had his first girlfriend. Behind her was, of course, Atsuhiro, with a smile on his face. It appeared his advice had not been useless!

Izuku winced, knowing what was coming, and tried to tackle his parents.

“Noooo! It is mine! Mom, who told y…” Izuku realized the answer and, between his teeth, cursed a single name. “Katsuki, you will pay…” swore the green boy, as he heard his mom gush about how cute Tooru was. Though she was cute with her knowing smile, thinking Izuku was trying to make her like a normal girl and tried to make a simple picture of them.

“Oh my god, our Izuku is finally growing up.” said Atsuhiro with a fake tear. He swiped it off his eye.

“Izuku, when do you think you can present her to us?” asked Inko, overjoyed by the prospect.

“Mom, it has been less than a day since… since…” Izuku stopped when he remembered that, he did not confess and it was Tooru who did everything. Uh. Right. “It has not been a full day!”

“Still, it is my duty as your mom to know more about her. So, you will tell me or I will use my informant."

Izuku did a sound quite reminiscing about a sad dog while his step-dad excused himself for a moment.

Indeed, Atsuhiro’s phone had rung, and he had to take it. Especially as it was Nedzu who was calling.
As soon as he was in a room with no one who could eavesdrop on him.

“Mr. Compress, thief extraordinary, what can I do for you?”
“I need you to steal some top-secret files from the HPSC.”

Somehow, the tone in Nedzu’s voice told him it was more serious than he could think. Someone had angered the stoat big time if he was that sullen. No joke, no special presentation. The only time he had been like that was when Mr. Compress, as a joke, stole his tea.

“Who is the target this time?”
“I need everything the HPSC has on Endeavor. No matter how small it is.”

Atsuhiro sighed. He had learned that apparently, fire-quirked men were bad fathers. It was probably genetic.

“What is in for me?” Not that he would not do it. However, now, he had a family to take care of.
“Your marriage with Inko Midoriya will stay a secret for everyone. Thought All-Might guessed who you were but is ready to make as if he did not know about you and help you with your backstory. Something like you are one of his coaches who helps him stay on top despite his age. Of course, as you are a professional, you never talk about All-Might or anything.”

sh*t, the offer was good. Fantastic.

“I will begin as soon as I can. I have helpers who will help.”

“Good. They went too far this time.”

Nedzu talked little about what he suspected of the Commission. After all, they were by phone. It was better to leave things unsaid. This way, Atsuhiro would also explore venues Nedzu would not try.

—

Meanwhile, Tomura planned his attack in the U.A. He had to attack All-Might with the Noumu. It was his assignment by Sensei. However, since such an attack would bring the attention of the media, it also meant Izuku would learn about it. Therefore, he had to do his duty while not locking Izuku’s route.

It was relaxing for him to think about his plan and tactics while playing cards solo. The combo, the possibilities, the randomness he had to compose with.
Heroes. Villains. Sidekicks and minions. Events.

Tomura looked at the “Journalists” card which gives more points to the person who will win the next battle. What he had to compose with during this fight, knowing he would certainly lose.

Tomura then had a smile. All he needed to do was to do something before the fight. Such as deciding on the fight and the field. Well… How about using them? After all, the media were everyone's enemies.

“Kurogiri? I would need a lot of stupid reporters in the front of the U.A. Monday if possible. Can you do it, please?”

Kurogiri could have cried of joy, as Tomura had been polite, if his eyes were not somehow some kind of cloud that could pass through reality to teleport people across Japan as long as he had coordinates.

“Of course, young Tomura, with pleasure. Do you need anything else for your attack, maybe some cannon fodder?”

“Not yet, Kurogiri. I will plan my attack once I have discovered when the students have classes with him. I want to be sure when and where we will strike. However, I would like disposable minions for a starter. I do not want to lose people who have a good backstory and excellent power yet.”

The blue-haired man looked at the booster he got recently.

The house of madness, a criminal syndicate that worked as a family. Not powerful, but with a fan base for their crime who were often artistic and their contestations of the norm of the society.

Tomura thought they were just assholes who were refusing to admit what they were.

“Then how will you enter the school?”

“By the door.” Tomura had a strange smile as he knew something Kurogiri did not.

“And why you do not use the traitor we have among them?”

“That would be idiotic to use and probably delete an asset we had so much trouble to get. Unlike the Noumu, it will not be easy to replace. Am I right, Kurogiri?”

The cloud man nodded simply before he kept washing glasses automatically. Well, now, he had to prepare a few things to enter the school, didn't he?

—

Tuesday, as journalists were sleeping on Monday, Tomura was in front of the UA, in a third-year General Course uniform.

The blue-haired man dyed his hair black and wore lenses to change his eye color. No quirk was involved in his disguise as there was a high number of quirks who could detect and discover quirk-based illusion or cover.

The only people who could use them for villainy were very strong or to work together to complement their weaknesses. Not everyone could do that so you better learn how to apply make-up if you wanted to hide your identity. Either that or you did not care in the first place about it, such as Muscular did not give a flying f*ck about it.

However, Tomura cared about his civilian identity, hence his disguise. He even worked on a special suit should he ever do the villain in public, so no one would know his true identity.

The villain in training smiled when he saw the journalists, who were pressing themselves around them. All he had to do now was to enter the flow of students as they entered the school.

It was fairly simple, and the robots did not have the time to scan every student for their cards and ID. However, the robots were certainly going to scan them later, meaning Tomura was on a time-based mission.

Still, he had an advantage. The blue-haired man could not endanger the spy, but he could use his information to know beforehand the whole place and not lose time by wandering around the place and wondering where he was. He just had to go straight to his aim and ignore everything else. Such as this girl with blue hair who was wandering kind of aimlessly in the air before crashing into him.

As she was grumbling a bit, Nejire got up a bit and gave her hand to a Tomura who was not happy. He had little time to lose.

“Ooopsie, sorry. Herm… This is not the way to the classroom 3A, I guess.”

“… It is on a whole other floor and in a whole different corridor.”

Tomura had the map memorized. Hard to beat a FromSoftware game if you could not remember the map yourselves. The cute girl was smiling at him and he gave her his hand to get up. Wait, why did he think she was cute? She was most likely a hero. He was a villain. Tomura could not think like that.

He had to make her go away as soon as he could. He explained to her the path she had to take when he noticed something very quickly.

“You are an airhead, aren’t you?”

“Hehehehe. Yes, as you can see, I fly around a bit, yes.”

“Ksss. I don’t like people like you, a hero who doesn’t even know her right from wrong.”

“You meant left, right? You are funny, you know?”

“I didn't mean to be funny. I tried to say you are spineless!”

This was the moment Tomura noticed the girl was spinning on herself, smiling cluelessly.

“Oh, for Sensei’s sake.” They did not pay the boy enough for this sh*t. Yes, technically, he was not paid at all. “If I guide you to your classroom, will you leave me alone?”

“Hmmm? Sure, that would be nice!”

The girl was way too bubbly to Tomura’s taste. 2D girls were quiet and you could always silence the BGM if it was annoying to you. This one? Tomura had the feeling no one could turn her off. So, the best way to make the annoying NPC leave was to accomplish her side-quest.

“Come on, follow me. I will guide you to the right place. It should not take too much time.”

—

If Tomura could travel back in time, he would punch himself in the face. Not too much time, right? Well, he did not consider one thing.

He had to do a f*ckING ESCORT MISSION. Which, of course, meant the NPC was going sideways every time he thought it was going to be a straight line!

“Oh, did you see that bird?”

“Continue like that and I WILL FLIP YOU THE BIRD!”

“Oh, there, it is a dog!”

“IT IS THE THERAPIST.”

“Oh, there! It is a bear!”

“It is the goddamn principal!”

“Oh look, here, it is Prince Zuko!”

“I… Ok, I am giving you that one. He looks like Prince Zuko." Beat "Wait, you watched Avatar, the Last Airbender?! It is one of the oldest shows! It is… It is pre Dawn of Quirk old!”

“Of course! I am like an Airbender too, floating around and just appreciating life as it is! So when I learned there was a show like that, I had to watch it!”

She just scored some f*cking points for Tomura, who was this close to ditching her and going straight to the teacher’s room. Seemed like the one who designed the mission remembered that the NPC had to be endearing if they did not want the player to shoot them.

“At least, you have good taste in show, hero.”

“Oh, by the way, stranger, my name is Nejire Hado, not miss or you, you know?”

Tomura almost froze when the girl called him a stranger with a smile as she passed by him, humming. Did… Did she understand he was an intruder and was going to alert the authorities? Did he have to silence one of the few people he ever met to have watched his favorite show?

“Don’t worry, you are not the first hero fan who entered the school grounds. We often like to meet them, it helps the staff to make better security. You are nice too! So do not worry, you won’t have a problem. I will wait… Hmmm, until the end of my two next classes, so you can take a stroll, okay? By the way, nice dye!”

“Oh… Herm… Thanks. I am a…” Tomura shuddered at what he was going to do. He was going to pretend he was an Izuku. “A huge hero fan, you know. I do not have a quirk adapted for heroics, and I have to constantly monitor myself, you see? So, I wanted to see the school that helped others to become heroes and save guys like me! After all, they formed guys like All-Might or Endeavor!”

Tomura was trying to smile kindly, something Izuku had fun trying to teach him during some games. Apparently, the result made a few people faint but not Nejire who took the smile as a sad one. The smile of a person whose life broke piece by piece, especially if Tomura had to constantly monitor themselves.

“Is that why you wear artist gloves? I know they do wonders for five-point quirk.” You could say whatever you want about Nejire. She was smart, and she noticed the unimportant details. She noticed the pain about Tomura’s quirk.

“Yes. Mine is really destructive otherwise. It… I killed a dog by mistake once, trying to pet it.” If the enemy were pitying him, who was he to refuse to use this opportunity? Also… Why did he feel like a weight in his chest was being lifted?

His next question was one he did not expect to have.

Why did he have his head between boobs?

Indeed, Nejire grabbed him, hugging him tightly against him… Patting his head against her.

“Hey, you know, big guy… It is okay to cry sometimes, you know?”

They were really simple words. Tomura was used to them and their constant emptiness. People only cared about themselves. That was what Sensei taught him about how to manipulate people.

Then why the f*ck was he feeling warmth and kindness in her voice and gesture? Why did she make him remember *her*?

Tomura felt a valve slowly cranking open somewhere in his heart. For all his kindness, Izuku was just a little brother with his own share of problems. However, he prepared Tomura for this moment in a way. Because of him, Tomura was not as alone as before, making him more knowledgeable about emotions, and caring about someone else than himself.

He did not cry too much. Just a bit. He was a grown man, right? He could not appear weak in front of a girl, a younger girl.

“So… Sorry. I didn't mean to break like that. It's just… I learned about the gloves only a few months back then. I did not know how much I missed human contact, I guess?” Let’s not tell her she made him remember the sister he killed inadvertently with his quirk.
Nejire’s smile was super effective against Tomura’s darkness.

“Do not worry. I am just happy to make you happy. What’s your name?”

“I am To… Tenko. I am Tenko.” All-Might attack. You had to keep it in mind. If they asked her your name, you would be toast instantly. “I mean, my friends call me that.”Tomura began to intensively think of how he could have got All-Might planning.

“Oh, and… I think we are in front of my classroom, Tenko.” Oh, right. His side-quest had been to bring the NPC back to her spawn point. His reward was the hug, guessed Tomura.

“It was nothing, Nejire. Hmmm, you… You would not know how to spot All-Might by pure coincidence? I am sure he probably doesn’t like to be bothered for an autograph, but I am sure it would be nice to see him from closer, you know?”

“Hmm? That? That is fairly easy. You should know his fan club in the school has established his planning, and it is easily accessible, you know?” It did not bother Nejire, as Mirio was part of it and he often spoke about it.

Tomura suddenly felt dumb to not have checked the student groups on the internet for information: they were accurate. His exasperation fueled his facepalm with the strength of a thousand exploding suns, making Nejire laugh a little.

“Well, I have to go. However, if I were you, I would make my way to the exit. I am pretty sure the systems will soon spot you.”
This… Was not untrue.

“I… huh… I hope we will meet again, Nejire. It was a pleasure.” said Tomura with a little smile, fueled by a new emotion and awkwardness.

“Hey, you know this smile is not bad right now. I hope you will watch me for the next Festival!”

This is how Tomura’s big adventure in the U.A. ended.

—

When Tomura was back at the bar, Kurogiri quickly noticed something was wrong with his charge. He seemed a bit more at peace, exactly as if he had been to the card shop to meet his friend Izuku.

“Young Tomura? Everything is fine?”

“Yes, yes. Got All-Might planning. We are going to attack Friday, most likely. We should have the time to amass enough small fries for it.” Still, Tomura seemed to have something to ask, being suddenly awkward in front of his guardian.

“Young Tomura, I am here to help you, whatever is eating you.”

“Ok… How to ask that… There was this girl, and she hugged me, making me feel weird and somehow I did not want to hurt or destroy anything around me.”

Kurogiri suddenly stopped what he was doing, looking at his charge, who was indeed a bit red now that he looked at him closer.

“Well, I would recommend you to look at the correct walkthrough to get her road correctly…” Kurogiri dodged the chair thrown by Tomura.

“I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT A 2D GIRL!”

“You… are not talking about a cute girl in a visual novel who tells you she loves you when she tumbled on you?” Tomura stumped Kurogiri. In his dead heart, which was moving only thanks to some unholy machinery and drugs, he felt pride. His boy was finally grown up! The zombie cloud broke out an old book and made Tomura sit in front of him.

“Then it is finally time, young Tomura, that I teach you something about the bird and the flowers…”

“Kurogiri. I am nineteen and you do not want to know my internet history. Hell, I found Sensei’s, and I wished I did not. How can he watch things when he doesn’t have…”

“Quirk that allows one to have a mental projection of any screen in his vicinity,” answered Kurogiri, who was putting back his book. “So. What is your problem, then?”

“Do you think I may need a therapist?”

Kurogiri's nervous laugh ended three hours later. Then, Oboro’s part in his mind, who cared for Tomura, stopped him from recommending him to any therapist, because he knew who was All for One’s therapist.

You did not want to go to them for very obvious reasons, such as them being an evil therapist.

—

Earlier that day.

Tooru clapped her hand when she entered the classroom, as Aizawa was not there yet, sleeping like an ugly caterpillar. He was actually messaging Emi while being tired of what was supposed to happen today.

“I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT, so that way Katsuki won’t be able to blackmail Izuku. As of Saturday, Izuku is my boyfriend. Too late, girls!”

“… Wait, what?” “WOW MANLY” “Ribbit” “Why are the good ones always taken fast?” “f*ckin normies, die.”

The day began and Izuku was already hiding his face in his arms as his girlfriend patted his head kindly. Katsuki was fuming close to them, as he had planned to drop the bomb later that day.

“HEY INVISI BI…” The look in Izuku's eyes made Katsuki change his words. That and the card in his hand. He had it bad. “Invisi Girl. I was supposed to tease him about that!”

“Sorry, Bob-omb, but I have to protect him from you. Now, making him blush is my privilege!” She said with a burst of hearty laughter…

—

NowYouSeeMe has entered the chat.
NowYouSeeMe: Before anyone asks me anything, evidence that Izuku is perfect.
NowYouSeeMe partaged BestPicture.png
Gravity:… Who is the girl who is smiling with green beans?
RichGirl: I have to admit she is present nicely, but doesn’t she wear the clothes you were panicking about on Friday evening?
Earjack: So that’s why you claimed him…
NowYouSeeMe: Wait. You were there? I mean, I heard Katsuki.
Earjack: Pinky, Kirishima and I accompanied him on his duty to spy on you.
Froppy: ribbit.
Pinky: Almost felt like a double date.
NowYouSeeMe: I even learned he had other friends aside from Katsuki.
NowYouSeeMe: Just they look f*ckin villainous.
EarJack: He is friends with Katsuki. Maybe he has a second quirk that brings villains to him?
NowYouSeeMee: …
Gravity: …
RichGirl: …
Froppy: Ribbit. Nah just kidding. Happy for you Tooru!
NowYouSeeMe: Quick question though about the double date. Jiro/Katsuki and Mina/Shima or the boys and the girls together? Or Mina/Tsuki and Jiro/Shima?
Pinky: Oh girl, don’t even try to…
EarJack: I am more interested in what your parent thought.

—

“So, Tooru… How was your day at the mall? Was your new friend nice? Do I need to prepare a place at work to hide a corpse after I bent him?”

If some people had an overprotective dad, Tooru had an overprotective mom, especially as her quirk allowed her to bend anything she could grip. As for her father, he was helping his son do his homework though he was listening to the debrief of Tooru’s date.

“Mom, Dad. I have a boyfriend. His name is Izuku, and he is extremely kind. On a side but related note, I have a picture to show everyone here!”

Tooru quickly showed her phone to her mom, happy to show the picture that made her so happy.

“Well… At least he has a delightful shade of red and green… Also, he is not bad at all! Quite cute indeed, you got yourselves a good one, girl.”

The photo was a selfie Tooru tried to take soon after the “good picture” as Izuku was still red from her kiss. To be fair, now she was thinking about it… Had she appeared in this picture too, she would have been as red as him.

“It is the wrong pic, mom, please. The red boy is… Well, certainly really fun to see, but seriously, you will see why he is an absolute perfect boy.”

Her mom wondered what he could have done for Tooru to be this excited as she could hear it in her voice. She was overjoyed, and it was rather simple to hear it in her tone.

When her mom realized who the girl in the picture was, she almost made the phone fall. The girl in it was almost the perfect image of her husband’s sister, but with her pale green hair. She had intense eyebrows and big emerald eyes.

She was her daughter and she could see her daughter for the first time. Sure, sometimes with the right spectrum from her brother, they could see Tooru, at least the shape of her.

However, this was the first time she could see her daughter’s true eyes, see how she was smiling for real. It was as beautiful as she hoped and she could now picture even better than before her daughter beaming.

“Under the right circ*mstance, he can nullify my quirk for a slight moment. That is how he surprised me with this selfie.”

The Hagakure decided that day, Izuku was going to be elected the sweetest cinnamon, and they decided to find a way to thank him for the picture.

—

Meanwhile, on the boy side, aside from Izuku, everyone noticed Todoroki, who was wearing a pin based on Nedzu.

“Midoriya?” asked the heterochromatic boy with his usual icy demeanor. However, people noticed it was the first time he went to someone to speak with him. “I would need advice if it is okay with you.”

“I listen, however, I do not think I will be able to help you unless you seek heroes’ goodies.” Izuku just wanted to warn him, not knowing what Todoroki would ask.

“Actually, it is exactly what I wanted to ask. Do you know how to make a bedroom themed around Nedzu and All-Might?”

Katsuki paled when he heard Todoroki say that, as he did not have enough cuff to stop Izuku today.
Another All-Might fanboy was born and educated in the way.

“See? SEE? I TOLD YOU ALL MIGHT WOULD HELP.”

“Actually, it was more Nedzu, but yes, All-Might did the right thing.”

“Want some Nedzu goodies? I have some of his posters from his earlier in stock at home.”
Todoroki nodded, before being grabbed by Kaminari and Kirishima.

“So what happened? If it is not indiscreet.”

“I cannot go into how it happened, but my father went from happy to angry to crying on the floor.” Todoroki was inspired, as everyone thought there had been an epic fight against who should have destroyed the school. “Nedzu did that simply by talking, making my father realize he sucked, and decided to go see a therapist. They are Shinsoo’s parents.”

“Oh f*ck, that is why they seemed chirped than usual. Money.”

“Yes, apparently, his family often has voice and emotion-based quirk. His dad can make people explain what they feel by singing Kumbaya.”

Todoroki seemed happy to see his theory proven right, while Katsuki was laughing a bit at Hitoshi’s dismay.

“Do you have other crazy theories? I may need them as a probable source of blackmail.”

“I think Izuku is the secret love child of Mr. Compress” Izuku almost sweated when Todoroki said that, before Katsuki sighed.

“No, I knew his sh*tstain of a father and I was not far when he died. Tragic accident before he took his plane to run away in the USA because his son was quirkless.”

Everyone looked at Izuku, who was sighing before getting an invisible hug. It is always a good thing, you might say...

“When I said I knew what it means to have a terrible father with a fire quirk, I was not kidding. Hisashi could breathe flame.”

“Wait, an accident with a plane? I remember one time when my parents almost got into a problem because one of their fan stampedes ran over a man who just fell over a railing.” Jiro remembered suddenly that tidbit, even though it was probably a coincidence.

“Worst-case scenario, it has been over ten years. Prescription is due,” said Katsuki, with assurance. People narrowed their eyes, including Izuku at that peticular tidbits of knowledge…

Koda signed quickly to ask if it had a link with the time he brought back his rabbit from Ireland eleven years ago and the rabbit had high kicked a man he did not like.

“… Everyone, stop. If you have something about my father’s death, I will thank you.”

Todoroki nodded, even though he was still thinking about what he learned about his father, but it was not time yet to speak about it.

“Still. I live now in the U.A. and Nedzu decided he is my grandfather. I have also an appointment with Hound Dog, so I will avoid my father for the time being. Father who accepted everything. Seriously, I was there and I am still not sure how Nedzu did it.”

The students took note: If needed, the staff would help the students, even against the N°2.

“Silence, kids.” It was a wild Aizawa with a smile on his face.

“Now, we have a new trial for you kids. You have to… choose a class president.”

“Not it,” said immediately Izuku, before anyone could react. “I would hate the job. Also, I would have less time for other stuff.”

Tokoyami nodded. “Indeed. Between the sessions of DnD, Tooru, and the rest, it would be a mad banquet of madness.”

“By the way, Tokoyami, can I join the table, to test it?” asked Tooru, who was a bit curious about it since before Izuku and Tokoyami seemingly had an interesting campaign.

“Kids… Focus.” Tried Aizawa, before sleeping in his bag, proud of Midoriya. Always dodge the job with the most things to do, kid. Always.

—

Soon afterward, the result came to the surprise of absolutely no one since Izuku asked to not be a choice: Momo was first and she took Iida as her vice-president.

A day quite ordinary if you forgot the intrusion of the media.
Oh, well. Not like it was linked to a sinister plot.

Chapter 13: The Cursed and Dreaded Chapter of the USJ Attack

Chapter Text

Chapter 13 : The Cursed and Dreaded Chapter of the USJ Attack

“So, I was thinking Tooru,” Jirou said, while the girls changed themselves for the next class. Finally, another heroics class. “How do you see invisible clothing?”

While the support company didn’t finish her suit yet, they outdid themselves to protect her modesty. They made a pair of shorts and a small crop top for her. However, things like pouches and places to store knives would have to wait.
She had some knuckles braces, gifted to her by Izuku. If she had to punch something, it would be better that way.

“Lot of practice. As for my suit, I use a small marker. I know what to spot, but others don't. That's why Izuku's picture of me is... Let's say it was a beautiful gift.”

Tooru was way more pragmatic than her boyfriend on this, though she did like his rambling and how Izuku loved quirks. It was always funny to tease him by asking Izuku if he knew what was hugging him. The blushing was nice to see, though she would defuse the situation by fluffing his hair.

“On a side note, Izuku’s hair. Is it that soft? Because we often see you ruffling it.” Well, something is going through his hair.

“You have no idea. His mom makes killer shampoo. I asked for some, and apparently, she was thrilled at the idea. I am pretty sure she already wants to meet me… And I am worried: what if I don’t look good enough for him?!”

“If what I heard from Katsuki is correct, you don’t have to worry on that side. The worst would be her trying to plan your wedding.” Mina had a small discussion with the exploding man on that subject and Inko seemed like a fun mom to be fair.

“I hope you are right. Izuku planned for us to go on a date near Dagobah Beach. Some people cleaned it, and it was there his new father asked for his mom’s hand.”

All of the girls could picture the romantic scene perfectly.

“And how did you talk about Izuku’s mom and new dad, ribbit?”

“I asked him if Izuku’s father had been sent to Aldera General Hospital when he had his accident. Because I remember my quirk activating for the first time while we were there. I had a lot of fun sliding on acid when I bumped into a guy who seemed like he was having a rough day and who had the same mushy hair as Izuku, sending him flying down some stairs. Twice.”

Everyone stared at Mina, who felt her cheeks turning red.

“I was FOUR. It was an accident, honest! And it is not related, right?”

“… It is probably as not related as Katsuki knowing the prescription period. Ribbit.”

—

While the girls suited up, the boys were also talking.

“So, nerd, what cards did you bring this time?”

“This time? Because he has more than his tarot deck?”

“He began a freaking collection. He has as many cards as All-Might goodies.”

“Hey, you know that isn’t true, Kacchan!”

“… You are right. You have enough All-Might goodies to turn your bedroom into a museum for All-Might’s glory. I am also certain you reactivated the hologram to have it in your room by asking that crazy girl in support.”

“Mei is not that bad, you know. Just a bit eccentric and crazy, but she has a lot of ideas and her stuff is top-notch.”

Kaminari couldn’t stop the next comment from coming out of his mouth with a playful little smile.

“I admit her stuff is… Top-notch. Does Tooru know you check other girls’ goods~?”

“Kaminari, I have a Katsuki who owes me something. Don’t make me use him.”

The blond man thought it was a joke at first until he saw Katsuki, who had his make-up on and the biggest smile on his face, looking like he was ready to leap.

“… You have some very interesting arguments there, Izuku. You have to admit she is a tiny bit explosive.”

“Maybe she is related to Katsuki? I mean, crazy, no common-sense, explosive…” Kirishima was one of the few bold enough to banter with him. Being explosion-proof was also a big factor in his confidence that Katsuki wouldn’t hurt him.

The kids had fun and had forgotten about Aizawa’s first lesson.
It was easy to forget that being a hero was not always sunshine and smiles. Assistant instructor Tomura was going to do a reminder about real-life heroics.

—

Aizawa was tired, as usual. Since he was a teacher at the U.A., he had way less time for sleeping if he wanted to assist the police in local cases. Not to mention because of Todoroki’s case, he had to do a whole background check on all of the students in his classroom. Thankfully, except for a bit of bullying in Izuku’s past and his father, who wasn’t a nice person, the class was clear of problems.

You didn’t reach his age and have generally good health (except for not sleeping enough) if you don’t learn to trust your gut instincts.

The children were playing in the background, as most teenagers do. It made him remember the old times, with Mic, Oboro, and Midnight. That made him sigh heavily. Most people didn’t know, but hero therapists were a thing. It was a highly confidential profession and most of them worked for the HPSC, sadly. It often meant they yeeted through the window any patient confidentiality once you learned more about their business. That is why his therapist was Hound Dog, so he knew who knew about his activities, which meant Nedzu.

Aizawa was still on alert, as his guts told him something would happen. Though, to be fair, while he did not agree with All-Might's method of teaching and he would have words with the former mentor of the #1 hero since he was emulating him but, well, Aizawa was reassured to know All-Might would be there. The man, though aging and with a time limit, was still someone reliable.

He changed his mind when Thirteen welcomed them. Alone, without the giant blond oaf who was supposed to be waiting for them to arrive. What the hell was he doing instead of being here?!

—

“TEXAS SMASH!” Yelled All-Might, punching the ground in a very controlled way, making the ground shake enough to destabilize the villain just before drop-kicking him. He promptly threw the villain at the police officers before jumping away, knowing he was going to have a problem with Nedzu for being late.

—

“All-Might excused himself. He will join us later.”

Thirteen was a nice person but seriously, it was annoying to have to take up his place for this course. Especially as All-Might was indeed good at rescues. Aizawa was not a slouch either, but his knowledge was mainly first-aid and correctly redirecting people to the real helpers. All-Might knew about how you should lift, destroy or maintain a structure to allow evacuation, for example. Knowledge Aizawa did not have on the same level due to the difference in experience.
Aizawa knew the old man had to get his priorities straight if he wanted to form the Pillars of peace.

It was now time to form groups.

“Well, we will do without him for the…”

And at that moment, the lights went out except for the natural light around them.

——

Tomura had a complete suit and a mask that had his father’s hand magnetized to it. Now that he thought about it, just having it on his face was asking for it to fall. Seriously, why didn’t he think of that earlier?
Annoyed, Tomura stepped out of the black cloud while having a blue and black suit, to honor Sensei as a classy villain. He was not here to fight personally today, after all.

“Pay attention, children. Today, you have a special course! Let’s see if you can save yourselves!”

He rehearsed it with Kurogiri during the week. Just as he finished his sentences, villains poured out from the cloud. Most of them were petty thugs who knew how this would end. They would most likely lose but those who got out would get a good chunk of money and better jobs from Giran. To them, it was a giant job interview, and they intended to rock it.

“We are here to teach something to All-Might, but he is not here. Instead, we will teach you a bit about the real world.”

Tomura was grandiloquent, but he had every right to do that: It was his premiere and he had to leave an impression.
To their credit, the teachers reacted quickly to his threats and when the villains attacked, Eraserhead quickly taught some mutants what the difference was between a hero who was used to fighting and a petty thug harassing citizens. Thirteen, not suited for battle, made the students retreat in a calm and orderly fashion.

“Not bad. At least there might be hope for the next generation if you have teachers like that. However… I said it was a lesson, and students should do their practical test.

“THEN HOW ABOUT YOU SHUT YOUR f*ckING TRAP!”

An angry blond man threw himself at Tomura who looked at him for an instant… Just before Kurogiri’s fog covered him and threw him into one of the special zones. Another red-haired man threw himself at Tomura, before also disappearing.

“Yes, the first part of the lesson. f*cking SPATIAL AWARENESS. I am a villain with a suit who infiltrated one of your buildings. I am above your level. That is why I prepared villains for your teachers and some for you.”

“And what about All-Might? Since he was supposed to be here, you know?” Taunted Kaminari, with bravado.

“Noumu.” As he spoke, a giant black thing emerged from the fog behind him, muscle bulging.

“Noumu, protect me. If anyone tries to attack me, you smash. Oh, by the way, Thirteen, is that right? You should prepare to block the villains on the right.”

The casual tone of Tomura was off-setting while Thirteen, with her quirk, wasn’t suited to block people. Not to mention she didn’t like killing if possible. So when various thugs with emitter-type quirks threw objects at the student, she tried to protect them. In hindsight, she should have seen it was likely a ploy to distract her from the true peril.

“TOORU!” “ZUKU!”

The real threat was the black cloud that surrounded the students from all sides, engulfing them.

She diverged a part of her attention to absorb as much of the cloud as possible with her quirk, but it was hard. First, they limited her hands by attacking one side. The second thing was the fact the cloud attacked the student, engulfing them, which limited how much she could safely suck up with her quirk, which is why most of the students got warped somewhere else.

“STUDENT! I AUTHORIZE YOU TO DEFEND YOURSELF!”

This was the cue for most of the villains to attack Eraserhead or Thirteen. Students had the choice between being there and being attacked or getting taken away and having villains who were waiting for them and ready to attack.
Tomura had explicitly forbidden murder, to most of the thugs’ comfort. Killing heroes and cops while working is a risk and something you would try to avoid. Killing Children on purpose? That was the best way to ask to get shot in the head “by mistake”. Not to mention only crazy assholes from the Creature Rejection Clan or the S.M.A.S.H. would do something like that, and you did not want to be associated with them. Between those wanting to burn Mutants and those sometimes eating people…

“If I can make it better for you, I don’t plan on killing anyone today, except by mistake or All-Might. See, I am here today to prove the qualities of professional heroes. Being a hero shouldn’t be a line of work, but a passion.”

Tomura had been a bit influenced by what Izuku thought and how much they debated about it. After a year, even Tomura had time to think about what he thought and about cases like his or Izuku’s. People should not fight for the Good because we paid them, but because they truly believed in it.
However, Tomura paid little attention to the students who were warped, as he had an Eraserhead who was fighting near him. Yes, Noumu was protecting him, but the self-dubbed “Assistant teacher” had to be careful with his actions. It would be dumb to get caught now.

This may be why he missed the whole “Zuku” earlier.

—

“So we got a magician to fight? Arf, I almost feel bad. Hey kid, how about you stand still so we can break your arms and legs! You will miss school for a year. It’s cool, no?”

Izuku was in a perilous situation. He was alone and thanks to the warping quirk on the enemy’s side, five villains were waiting for him: A big gorilla, a guy with a scythe for hands, a girl without limbs but with floating hands and a floating torso. Uh. Interesting. A man who looked a bit like a bull accompanied her. The last villain was a villain who had a baseball bat. When he tapped the ground, it produced a small purple shock wave.

“How about I balance the fight?” Said the young magician.

Izuku smiled as some cards appeared in his hand, making the villains ready themselves because of the playful tone in his voice… When a piece of loud music and a voice filled the room as he threw his first card and a face of the old-time attacked with a Lariat the Gorilla man to the surprise of everyone.

“AND HIS NAME IS JOHN CENA!”

It even had the air horn sound effect, noted Izuku. It surprised him as well, as he had a few humanoids cards ready to complement his tarot cards such as old WWE.

Scythe-man began his attack on Izuku, who entered inside the range of attack of the villain as most people forgot that bladed weapons had an effective range and someone inside of it had less to worry about. It was especially true with a cool-looking bladed weapon like a scythe. However, Izuku had no such limitation on how he could break a kneecap or dislocate shoulders.

“Knock knock.” said another voice behind Bat-boy, who turned around.

“Who is there?” A fist hit him in his chin. A fist which had the strength of a girl who worked out and was wearing knuckle braces. She quickly upgraded with a baseball and angrily attacked the other villains.

“IT IS AN ANGRY GIRLFRIEND!”

Suddenly, Izuku could somehow understand why Atsuhiro loved a terrifying but caring woman, while John Cena suplexed a gorilla in the background. Because when you have a girlfriend who could knock out villains with you, you had it all. Now, more than ever, he wanted to be her partner to protect everyone.

“Tooru, please, just break bones that are easy to heal.”

“Yes, I know, but nobody hurts you in my presence.”

Villains were hurting, but even they found it strange when they saw the magician take off his mask for a minute to kiss the air. Even now, as they got their ass kicked earlier, they found it weird and Izuku noticed their stares, as he put the mask back on his face.

“My girlfriend has an Invisibility quirk.”

“Oh, nice, happy for you.” “Daw, that’s cute. Plan on making a duo?” “God, I thought you just had a powerful telekinesis, and you were weird.” “Wait, does that mean she is…”

“DNA suit. Get your mind out of the gutter or the wrestler breaks the other leg.”

Even the other villains threw daggers with their eyes at the villain who dared to say this and approved of Izuku’s threat.

“Still, I think we should try to get back to the others.”

Tooru nodded, though no one could see her and that is how people saw a man and a floating bat running toward the main plaza of the ruined city biome.

—

“Uh. Water biome.”

Todoroki was as cold as usual about his situation as he appeared above the water and promptly made a platform of ice, so as to not fall into it. The villains present in the water thought about their chances to take on a student who could freeze the whole lake.

“We avoid him, right?”

“Right.”

“We aren’t suicidal.”

“Grrooooooooar.”

“Dude, was that you?”

The poor villains looked at each other before looking below them and saw tentacles swirling around them, trying to attack them.

If that was bad enough, suddenly, they were being hit in the face with the fins of the fish. One fiend had the idea of tempting fates by asking out loud …

“Oh f*ck me, what is going to happen then? A predator?”

“Ribbit.”

Frogs are predators. Human-sized frogs are even more terrifying and as predatory as the smaller version.

“WHERE DID THEY EVEN FIND A KRAKEN?!” Asked a villain, before he got attacked by a rabid frog who was hunting them in the water.

Above the surface, Koda was on a boat, smiling quietly as he continued to speak to his new friends.

—

50 years ago, in a certain lab owned by a certain Dr. Garaki.

“Alert code red. Alert code red. A specimen has broken out. A specimen has broken OH GOD HE IS dlsfkdflsjkj”

The guard in the control room died, as something that was maybe a bear, maybe a mouse, or a stoat, but not yet the U.A. Principal ripped his throat with a mad grin.

He had with him a small jar with a cute little squid in it.

“Don’t worry, little brother, we are almost out.”

On the jar was written, “Squid with an unlimited growth quirk.”

—

Back in the present, Nedzu wondered how Krazoku was doing, as the now giant squid was adorable and living rent-free within the vast pipes of UA, which were even connected to the ocean. They liked to see their brother once in a while.

As Nedzu always said, PLUS ULTRA.

—

“Now, Eraserhead, I hope you are worried for your students, as you cannot help them! Alone and surrounded by villains!”

Tomura was cackling a bit as he was not aware of what was going on in the other parts of the USJ.

“Honestly, I am more worried about the villains. I am sure Thirteen has gotten out and help is already coming!”

“I have my doubts. My right hand is there.”

Tomura was quiet as he seemed to wait for something. Something that came soon enough.

—

“CHILDREN! YOU HAVE TO GET READY TO RUN WHILE I KEEP HIM BUSY”

With the help of the students, Thirteen had been able to take down the various emitters on the field. However, the last survivor was excellent at fighting, she had to admit. The fog man was playing around them, but he did not seem too threatening either. The masked man was most likely telling the truth when he said that he wasn’t aiming to kill them. However, they were villains, and they were at the very least trying to hurt the students.

Therefore, it was hard, but she used her quirk to immobilize Kurogiri. Too late, she noticed her enemie’s strategy, her destruction turned back on her suit when…

The door opened. They felt a breeze all around the students and Thirteen, as her suit was destroyed progressively by her own quirk but not yet her skin… Now? The rescue hero was safe in big, heavy, and powerful arms.

“EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE FINE! BECAUSE… I AM HERE !”

Kurogiri noticed All-Might and disappeared to rejoin his charge, as All-Might sped to the main plaza to support Aizawa. The tired underground hero did not smile when that happened, because All-Might had been there earlier, they would have handled the situation already. With a quick sign, he asked how much time All-Might had left.

The big blond oaf made the sign for half an hour. More than enough for the situation…

“NOUMU. Attack All-Might. All the others continue to attack Eraserhead. He is down to ten seconds per usage of his quirk.”

Finally, the big black muscle moved, as Shigaraki was waiting. His aim? Hurting Eraserhead, since Izuku used him to beat him at the shop semi-regularly.But also to test All-Might’s current limit. Sensei told him he had weakened him, so it was true, however, he did not know how much power All-Might had lost.

So, Tomura was testing All-Might, his limits, and the true strength of Noumu, as his Sensei told him more were being created. Therefore, it meant he would need them, proving to Tomura that he was not supposed to win. Seriously, he wondered if he had been that dumb before.

Because the old oaf was fighting pretty much as an equal against the Noumu. After all, the big guy was relying on what instinct they left in him and All-Might knew how to fight after all. Tomura noted they were roughly equal as the regeneration allowed the Noumu to follow the rhythm. However, calling Nomu alone an All-Might killer was a stretch. Tomura began to stretch.

If All-Might had trouble with simply Noumu and if Aizawa was too occupied to focus on him, who was he to waste such an opportunity?

However, Tomura was suddenly hit in the back of the head, to everyone's surprise… By a now disappearing John Cena.

Izuku, in his full masked magician suit, was staring at an angry Tomura. Ok, he had been nice with the students until then, but this one was going to get his ass kicked.

“IN THE NAME OF THE JUSTICE, YOU ARE GOING TO GET PUNISHED!”

—

A little earlier, prior to this scene.

Izuku was running with his girlfriend, taking down villains as they went. Apparently, according to the explosions they could feel from their position, Kirishima and Katsuki had a few villains to fight, and it was difficult for them, because they were in the icy zone. Katsuki would have a harder time sweating and they needed Kirishima to take down the most powerful physical villains.

Since the door violently opened, Izuku deduced All-Might probably arrived and was kicking asses. However, something was strange. The villains knew they were here, as they brought low level thugs students could defeat. Aizawa could have set up the whole thing, but the magician had his doubts about this option, when he saw how panicked their teachers looked when the attack began.

So, they knew All-Might was supposed to be there. They were also certainly planning to make the students go somewhere else despite his presence. It was most likely this Noumu thing that was protecting Suit-man, but he could not certain.

When he explained his reasoning to Tooru, he was happy to see her finish his thoughts. Nice. Apparently she was thinking the same, and both agreed they needed to speed up, if only to throw a spanner in the works of the enemies.

When they arrived at the plaza, they could easily see All-Might was exchanging blows with Noumu, who was taking the hits without problems but who also had trouble landing blows on All-Might. They were evenly matched, and it was also clear that Aizawa was going to be exhausted soon.

His movements were more and more sluggish and if he did not receive help quickly, the villains would overwhelm him.

Tooru prepared her knuckles and looked at her Izuku.

“I am going to help Aizawa-sensei. Quick and silent takedown are my specialities. You think you can get the villain’s attention?”

Izuku gave her, behind his mask, his greatest smile. It was show time.

“I have everything ready!”

—

“For this reference, I am going to kick your ass, f*cking Joker. Who are you?” Before a flying bat almost hit Tomura but got intercepted by Kurogiri.

Izuku could almost hear Tooru laughing when he did his presentation. She probably launched the bat, so it would be harder to notice her.

“… I was going to use All-Smile but I think Joker might be a better name! Thank you.”

Something in the tone of his voice was both frustrating and familiar.

“How about you come closer, so I can beat the sh*t out of you?”

“I was thinking of running away instead of approaching you.”

Tomura was going to say something… Before he narrowed his eyes, looking at Joker in front of you.

“Is that…”

“It’s a reverse JOJO REFERENCE!” said the Magician, doing the Dio pose. Yes, that one.

“I am going to punch you. I don’t know if I will stop. Fog, the bat please.”

“Not your quirk, Boss?”

“I don’t want to kill him. I want to beat the hell out of him.”

He was evil, not a monster. Wait. No. He was both, he just didn’t want to be acknowledged as a murderer yet.

The fog gave him the bat with a smile before approaching Joker, who was sweating bullets…

Izuku was happy to have his eyes focused on the Boss, since he was apparently extremely fast. Did that guy use training weights or something? He almost closed the distance in the blink of an eye.

Well, time for magic. Izuku dodged the bat, which almost hit him, by falling under it. The sound it made assured Izuku that if Boss connected a hit, he would, without a doubt, not appreciate it.

Still, he now had cards in his hand and Tomura barely had time to block with his weapon when suddenly a giant in regal clothes spawned from below him.

The villain in training almost sighed as he jumped in the air and hit the summon as hard as he could.

To Izuku’s great surprise, it had been enough to break the King’s scepter and split his head too. Still, the bat was also bent in a way it shouldn’t be. When its bearer noticed it, Tomura threw his useless weapon at his opponent before attacking without giving him a chance to breathe.

People forgot Tomura was a five-point fighter. He needed to connect his hand with his target. Of course, he asked for hand to hand training. So, when the magician tried to grab his hands, he quickly suspected something was fishy.

He punched Izuku faster than lightning in the stomach, making him go flying.

“Lesson two for the one who got close. Sometimes, the villain trained. Get good, bitch. Learn the pattern before you die, because I doubt you have a spawn point nearby.”

“Yes, touché… But you know what?”

“Landmine?” said a Tomura who saw the card Izuku left at his feet, dodging it easily. A simple ten who got promptly smashed by Tomura. “You know, Joker. Despite being a wildcard, you need more strength if you want to win.”

Izuku did not like the Boss, because that man had a point. This was not the average thug you could meet pretty much anywhere. It was an honest-to-goodness supervillain. One who had smarts and strength. Usually, when he was playing, Izuku either had superior tactics or the element of surprise. He had neither right here and now…

He had to take risks if he didn’t want to be useless.

“I guess you planned everything, right? I mean, where the hell did you find that thing?”

“Noumu? We made it. That is why it can withstand so many blows. Regeneration, shock absorption, strength… A perfect warrior.”

Tomura was calm, as he controlled the situation, his enemy being down in front of him. He would make a perfect hostage against All-Might.

“Put your hands where I can see them.”

sh*t, the villain knew about Izuku needing to touch his cards to activate his quirk.

It was just when Izuku was about to get grabbed when a wild Katsuki launched himself with a violent bang.

“HEY HANDJOB, ROUND TWO!”

Tomura actually had to block with his glow the blond man’s attack, who quickly mixed kicks, punches and, of course, explosions, before another voice was heard.

“TIMBER!”

Katsuki promptly retreated, as Kirishima threw trees at Tomura, who dodged them quickly, needing to get away from them.

Tomura instantly knew the fight shifted, as Katsuki was clearly ready to stop him if he tried to rush in without using his quirk again. Between the exploding boy who had good moves, the one in the back throwing trees and Joker in middle range attack, their composition was balanced.

“Well, apparently more challengers are coming. It means I should take the gloves off! Also, let me call my own teammate. FOG!”

Kurogiri sighed, but to be fair, Tomura had tried to show restraint. Now his quirk was needed. His gloves had this sweet function that allowed his finger to be exposed with a quick wrist movement.

The three students quickly realized things would not be easy, as the Cloud man and the Boss approached.

However, it was at this moment that everyone could feel a shock wave and a good old yelling from a Shonen protagonist.

“IF THIS BEAST IS EQUAL TO ME… I JUST HAVE TO BE EVEN STRONGER! PLUS UUUUUULTRA!”

The wind pressure blew away everyone around them, including some poor villains.

Tomura grumbled as he watched enough anime to know how it was going to end… Aizawa was still busy enough with the small fries, beating them faster than expected, as if he was not alone in his task. Once he was done, Kurogiri would not allow them to escape.

“Joker, Explodo-man and Red Riot, one day, I am going to make you pay! Or my name is not Boss!”

Tomura yelled at his now nemesis who was… Gesturing bye to him… Before being hit by his blond friend who had lost his footing by trying to push against the air pressure, before losing.

Also, he called Kirishima Red Riot because he was red and had the same suit as the famous Crimson Riot.

His objectives technically accomplished, Tomura ordered his henchman.

“Fog, we leave.”

They had a wonderful chance to run. You win some; you lose some. Just like Dark souls.

“However, we showed you heroes, THAT THE CURRENT ERA IS ENDING SOON, WITH THE AGING ALL-MIGHT! SO BE BETTER HEROES! Because we are better villains, too.”

The black fog enveloped Shigaraki as Aizawa was just finally finished with his enemies. Damn it. The ringleader was gone. Retreating is not the same as defeat.

When everyone was back at the main plaza, most students brought with them villains who had been beaten down properly.

Somehow, the ones who were treated the worst were the ones brought by Koda, Tsuyu, and Todoroki.

Everyone found Koda’s smile as concerning as the situation.

To the fighters of the main plaza, it still didn’t feel like a victory.

Chapter 14: The world is a stage

Chapter Text

Chapter 14: The World's a stage and we must entertain it.

In the bar with no name, Tomura laid peacefully, a pad in his hands. His current aim? To kill time while Kurogiri brought a candidate Giran chose for him, as a congratulation. The USJ was a success. Sure, a lot of small fries got caught. No one with much information, because of something called preparations and making sure everyone knew only what he had to know. Giran found out who tried to rattle what they knew (fake leads) and now had a list of people who would, shortly, be free and in his papers as potential minions to recommend to bigger groups and syndicates.

The broker wanted to thank Tomura for his input and this plan and therefore promised him a top-notch lieutenant.

Which explained why Tomura almost dusted his controllers despite his gloves when he saw the candidate: It was a cartoonish female rabbit. Somehow, she looked as if her skin was drawn and was not real. Quiet smile, a little giggle, and a small frame.

“Giran? Kurogiri told nothing but good about you and honestly, the minions you provided were excellent. Therefore, you have 30 seconds to explain everything before I punch you in the face.” Tomura warned the broker, knowing that sometimes, a minor threat was enough to make people talk.

Giran did not truly seem bothered and smiled.

“My dear Shigaraki… I present to you Loony Tunes. She is an excellent thief and a competent warrior. As her resume, I would simply say the media will be all over her and the fact she killed Thunderbolt.”

Tomura was looking bored at first, until Giran said the last word, the last name.

“By Thunderbolt, you mean Thunderbolt, Thunderbolt? The #5?”

Thunderbolt, unofficial leader of the heroes closest to the HPSC. They also nicknamed him the fastest man alive, for good reasons: He was the only speedster with the reflexes that allowed him to fully use his speed. He also had several skeletons in his closets and Villains knew him for playing with his targets, breaking as many bones as he could without killing… If something happened, well, he had enough friends to make it disappear, after all.

“I confirm. She killed him two hours ago, hence why nobody knows yet. She owes me for making some evidence pointing in her direction disappear, such as some witness who lost memories of what exactly happened.” Tomura and Kurogiri could see why. While most villains would reveal what happened, Loony seemed to be a thief, someone who prided in being discreet and under the radar. Being able to kill a Top Ten would put her in a difficult position. Quite easy to understand and Tomura appreciated that she was not an idiot.

“Yes, Loony doesn’t want to fight too powerful people yet. Loony wants to kill Miruko to prove she is the strongest rabbit but later… When Loony will be even stronger.”

Tomura scratched what he had just thought of her. She was clearly crazy, and he was not the sanest of the bunch. Internally, Kurogiri thought either Tomura would learn his pain of dealing with Tomura’s crazy antics or destroy the toon. In both cases, it was a win for the black cloud who was humming with joy over the counter.

“And… How did she kill Thunderbolt, because, sorry, but she doesn’t look really intimidating?” Kurogiri asked as he had doubts, too, as the loonie girl didn’t seem like a power-house after all.

Giran smiled as he drank his glass of wine. Kurogiri, despite being a delightful fellow, did not have any whisky, sadly.

“Well, it is a funny story.”

—

“Quick, everyone, pass through the rabbit hole, go!”

Loony was standing still, her ears up in the air in case any threat was incoming into their position. They broke into an important jewelry store and they were taking all the money they could.

She had indeed created a rabbit hole in the hole next to her teammate with some paint and also made another mark on the ground with what was left. They only secured part of the loot when they saw the crazy girl tensed up. They knew the girl was crazy and a prankster, but she was nothing but serious when working.

“What is incoming, girl?”

“Something fast. I can barely track it!”

She was not the best tracker in the field, and the job defaulted to her because she was better than nothing.

And it was Thunderbolt, the fastest man alive.

It did not surprise her when she heard a loud crack and a gush of wind soon after.

“Oops. Note to self, apparently a simple punch at mach one breaks the chitin of an insect mutant. Did you know they were rare? sh*t, I might get in trouble for killing an endangered species.” Thunderbolt had the biggest killing in action record, many hostage situations where he had to make a decision in the split of a second.

Loony inhaled, as Thunderbolt had clearly killed the other sentinel on the other end of the alley. Of course, it was because the chief refused her idea to go to the next alley, a dead end, which would have been a child play to protect with her power. Oh well, no use crying for idiot dumbass, as her crew was doing the smart thing and leaving her behind. If she lived, she would get her share at the exact point or by contacting Giran, since he had a cut on her part.

“Well, if it is not the fastest man alive! I am a big fan, y’know?”

Loony said the truth with a smile, as she adored how he was doused in blood… Well, as much blood appeared on an already red suit. Thunderbolt smiled before he left the head of the humanoid mantis to fall onto the floor, watching his fan stepping back from him. Shame he was not into furry, he would have probably proposed to her to let her live in exchange for something otherwise…

Thunderbolt did not truly understand how he died, as it happened too fast. One second he was sprinting just under mach 1 and the next he was falling in a hole before exiting in front of a building… And he could not stop since he was still having the momentum from the fall and his feets were not on the ground. No way to slow down, and Thunderbolt could only protect himself with his arms.

Astonishingly, he was still alive, even if he felt he was in a world of pain, when he heard a voice near him.

“Ah, the classy hole in the floor. It never failed me, but you know what they say, right? That’s all, Folks!”

She smashed his head with a comically big hammer just after that, smiling before joining the hole her teammates were erasing.

“Hey, you f*cker, don’t you dare block my hole, otherwise I’m going to smash you! Also, I get the dead guy’s share!”

—

“And then she asked me for some help to erase everything. So, here is your own short range warper, with decent hand-to-hand skills and the basics about reconnaissance.”

“Happy to meet ya, Boss! As long as I get to smash things, get money and potentially wasted, I will be happy to work for ya!”

Tomura nodded, before grabbing a drink and pouring it for her. She took it with her four fingers and smiled at her new chief.

“Loony, I promise you all of this. Welcome, as the first member of the League Of Villain!”

—

Meanwhile, in another location which was definitely not Gentle’s basem*nt, Mr Compress held his first team meeting for their first heist.

Behind him was a white screen and in front of him, La Brava, Gentle who was bringing tea for everyone and a smiling young woman in her early twenties, as ginger as possible.

“Hello, everyone! Today is the first meeting for the Levellers.” Atsuhiro took the name as it meant they levelled the game for everyone, striking the powerful and the rich to help the poor and the weak. “From the left to the right. I am Mister Compress, master thief and your glorious leader. On my left…”

“I am La Brava. I won’t do much on the field, but you can count on me with a computer.”

Gentle nodded quietly before looking at the love of his life.

“Indeed, she even broke into U.A. record for a whole ten minutes. Nedzu has never found her.” Gentle never missed an occasion to gush about her now official girlfriend since Atsuhiro yelled at them to either stop beating around the bush or spend ten minutes together in a marble.

He wisely chose to de-marble them one hour later instead, and he insisted on not knowing what happened.

“As for me, I am your humble host, Gentle Criminal, a former hero student.”

Mr. Compress saw the look given by the ginger girl and nodded.

“They don’t look much like that, but they actually took on Mizunaka and held their own very well.”

“Well, in this case, I shall present myself: I am Sophie Deveraux and my speciality is fake identity, making fake papers and charming my target. Nice to meet you. As you might have doubted, it is a fake name.”

“Sophie is someone who was part of various groups of vigilantes, be they retired, disbanded, or killed. She is quite the legend about the number of things she survived. Some Yakuzas thought they killed her and then three weeks later, they found her on a beach, drinking martinis with their money. Then, some heroes busted them thanks to a local tip.” Mr. Compress explained as both amateurs clapped at this introduction.

“Therefore, we have now a complete team for our first heist: Stealing records from the HPSC. A source of mine got recent intel. They did shady things in the dark, big surprise, but gave us a name specifically. Endeavor, the #2.”

La Brava and Gentle almost spitted their tea out, while Sophie seemed fine with the revelation and the idea. Apparently, the duo did not expect that joining Mr. Compress would involve such crazy things… Or rather, that fast.

“I can understand if some of you are getting cold feet, but honestly, from what I gathered, it might be dark. We need to help.”

“My only question is, we are attacking the physical files, right? I thought they had a heavy security around them, between the guards, the system and everything they did not bother explaining to the public. I tried to go there and failed.” Sophie had her own doubt, though she was highly more professional about this than the two on her right.

Mr. Compress nodded and hit the white screen with his cane.

“Indeed! However, we have something you did not have that time, Sophie. Someone who already infiltrated and got out of that place. Me.”

The board changed, with various information appearing on it. Access points, ventilation, guards and some profiles were on display suddenly.

“Also, we have the perfect balanced team for this. A face, a hacker, a hitter and a thief/mastermind. Let it be our first show.”

—

“Our target is on the twentieth floor. Too many people have a burrowing quirk nowadays. They use an A.I. system who learns of every attempt made against it. I cracked it once, alone. It was ten years ago… But I am sure they did not fully lock what I did.”

Everyone was on a rooftop, drinking while looking at the HPSC.

“They recently lost Thunderbolt, which is making a big hole in their security. Sophie, you will enter the building with La Brava. You will attack the A.I.

Currently, they are making a big audit to make sure they can hide what happened, really. Probably something embarrassing.”

Sophie nodded, with a smile, as she was covered on that side.

“I have some fake ID that might be useful. However, I will need to disguise La Brava quickly. How do you like blue hair, little lady?”

La Brava groaned…

“Oh, and don’t worry. I am ready to die if it means saving a teammate.”

“She is not kidding. She often takes crazy risks for her teammates.”

It didn’t reassure them a lot, but it was good enough to proceed.

“However, they will jam our communications with a quirk. Gentle is our emergency exit. Worst-case scenario, you are to use your full power on the building to bend it. It won’t kill anyone, but it will give me the time to evacuate the girls if needed. However, your true purpose, Gentle… Will be to make me enter a building taller than 30 floors and with no one noticing it.”

Gentle gulped.

—

“Gimei Ise, and this is my IT, Gejiu Inturi” Sophie showed to the guards at the entrance her governmental card, implying she was doing an audit for the sake of the JSDF. After all, since the JSDF was, after the Ashen King, an honor guard, with heavy hitters and a quality equipment well above average, they were often at odds with the HPSC. Then, the army taking a chance to audit their enemy after losing their second best hero, was likely. In fact, they would worry more about the army not trying to send a team to discover things about them.

“Of course, everything to help our dear and respected army helps us!” The lady at the reception desk said with so much honey in her voice the trap was obvious, before she checked their ID of course.

La Brava was with blue hair now, covering her eyes and wearing a burner laptop she prepared for such an occasion. She hated the disguise and only managed to wear it because Gentle thought she was still cute in it.

While Sophie did her charm operations to the guards so they could have an isolated room for interrogations purposes, they brought the duo of girls and then assigned them an empty office, with little points of interest. However, all La Brava needed was a connection, and she had it.

“f*ck… An Gamaran VI as a defense system… It is heavy. Honestly, I cannot hack this with just a laptop. Not completely.” said the little girl, with blue hair Sophie set as chignons. No one could recognize her because of that. However, she thrilled Sophie when she saw La Brava in action. The girl only had a laptop and was against an VI developed by various scientists on I-island.

She still hacked, with no one noticing, a few systems, like the heating on certain floors.

Suddenly, the 26th, the 27th and the 28th floor had their temperature set to 33°C.

—

“You think she will be able to open us a way, Gentle?”

“Sir, with all due respect, La Brava is the brain between us. Yes, I often made our plan, but she is the one who irons the kinks. Even if there were difficulties, I know she would find a weakness in their system.”

“It seemed so. I hope she does…”

They were on another roof, with a sniper, further than 300m. Gentle was in position and ready to shoot the marble Mr. Compress was in.

“How did you learn the art of sniping?”

“They refused me into the special units of the JSDF because I was too noticeable, not because of my skills.” Gentle was awfully casual about what he said, while his boss was in a small marble, in his trusty rifle.

“… What.”

“Hey, I needed a job, and the army seemed like a good idea. I did not mesh well with my hierarchy too and maybe I exposed a lieutenant for sexual harassment. Oh, a window is open. Godspeed, boss.”

Gentle took a few seconds for his aim before he shot. Mr. Compress was still processing what was happening when his marble landed in a pot of flowers. Roses, pleasant choice.

It was less nice when he got out of the pot wet, a few minutes later.

Mr. Compress was now in the place, at the… 28th floor. So the one above where his target was. The master thief looked at a small plan he had as a memo. So two rooms on the left, one below. He was currently in an office, where the man who was working there left a few moments before. Hey, if someone opened the window, they were in the room. Of course, Mr. Compress had a timetable. He had to make sure they did not see him, or at the very least, after he did everything he came to do.

The thief kneeled, hand on the floor. Vibrations quickly told him everything he needed to know, that the room below was occupied, probably a meeting. If he was correct, the room next to his was not good either. Apparently, and the second reason the man before him in this office get out, was that someone was really busy with someone else in the other room… preparing someone's retirement party. So, the HPSC was cutting some people off in case Thunderbolt had a few files on them, in case they cut their losses with him.

He should try to get them later this week.

Still, one thing after the other, trying to do too many things at once would accomplish nothing. However, the master chief had an idea, and he needed to tell La Brava.

So, he did, by trying to open the computer left on the desk.

—

La Brava, on the first floor, was doing what the HPSC expected of her : She was noisy, asked for a lot of water and complained about the quality of the network and how so many files were missing from the database. As for Sophie, she had fun auditing members of the commission and asking about their “official” process, about how they made sure heroes were properly monitored. Why were there no agents there to help coordinate Thunderbolt’s efforts with the police? The answer was probably because they could not bring the police in this case, as the jeweler was paying extra protection to the HPSC.

Watching them squirm was totally worth dating this lieutenant in the JSDF back in the day for her paper. Her fake identities were real. She had the picture on it changed, however, for this situation.

Sophie had a lot of them if needed for her infiltration and search.

When La Brava, who was sharing the same sensor as the Gamaran VI, detected a failed connection on the 28 floor with the ID “Imperial Golden Tea” she knew who that was. It was quickly followed by a second try, “Bio attack”.

The little miss Hacker smiled, before she did as her boss asked, before letting herself and Sophie a few minutes to run away.

—

Mr. Compress hummed a bit while he waited. Soon enough…

“ALERT BLACK. ALERT BLACK. EVERYONE SHOULD LOCATE THEMSELVES ACCORDING TO THE PROCEDURE. A DECONTAMINATION TEAM HAS BEEN WARNED. EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE.”

Soon enough, people moved with panic all around, while he stayed calm, as he knew there was no menace except the fake one La Brava created.

It also meant the VI used its resources to locate the origin of the virus. Mr. Compress, without a noise, marbled part of the wall to pass through like butter.

The second room after that was the room of the server, to Mr. Compress surprise, as he entered the cold room with a lot of things with a lot of light and electronics stuff way above his level, protected by over one password. Uh. So they switched their place, since the last time he came.

However, a quick check showed they also did their homework about when he erased Nedzu and the rat’s family files. Also, La Brava laughed when he asked if a USB key would be enough to hack them, before noticing he was serious. She then slapped him, explaining to him she did not have that kind of thing ready in just one week. She needed months to create things like that. If he wanted a hacking of quality, he needed to bring her with her own laptop of war that she made herself.

It was quite the problem that he could not steal everything right here and now: Atsuhiro was not dumb and knew it would alert more hero than he could count. It was not worth the risk, since the HPSC IT, if they were smart, had put enough trackers in their machines that Atsuhiro needed to get out if he wanted to make a relative for Izuku with Inko.

However, he could right now steal their paper records just below.

Putting the wall back in place with extra care, he wanted the crime to be noticed, if possible, after he left the compound.

—

Mr. Compress was now on the 27th floor of a tower in a lockdown and a quarantine procedure was made to be sure no virus could get out of it. Various security teams were moving towards his floor to secure everyone, and if he did not have a badge, he would get shot without warning.

However, Mr. Compress was an escape artist and knew exactly where to hide to exit the stage, with no one knowing what happened.

—

“So you hid in a bubble tea. Within a smaller than usual marble.”

“Yep.”

“And you got drunk.”

“Yep.”

“And then you got flushed a few hours later”

“That’s about right.”

“So you once again came to take a shower at my apartment?”

“You can be one of the bridesmaids, Magne.”

“You perfectly know how to bribe me.”

—

A few hours later, in Gentle’s basem*nt.

“What do you mean we have nothing about Endeavor?”

“Well, except that apparently his therapist clearly made him channel his grief into his job, which is not a bad idea if done well, and it is not right there. I see nothing especially wrong. Except maybe the fact they had a file on Touya’s, but apparently they did the investigation on his death.”

La Brava was doing the work of a small team by separating various stakes of papers, all about various arrests or reports of investigations done for heroes. All clean.

“I mean, Touya Todoroki. Corpse found, and the identification done, thanks to his perfect teeth. Trace of Trigger in the bones, so he was probably using it for a while…”

Meanwhile, Sophie was looking for something on her own. It was her own condition for joining Compress’ team. She was to be free to pursue a target of her own, something about finding someone specific who disappeared a long time ago. Right now, she was checking juvenile cases done during the last year. Harana, Marumi, Otoko, Himiko, Tanko, Himura… Names that brought nothing to her or to Compress’ job.

“So we are useless on this front? Is Endeavor clean?”

“There is even a report showing their frustration Endeavor does not need them for a 'clean-up' since he has one of the best controls they have ever seen of his Quirk. Apparently, it is quite the problem since it may stop the program 'Imperial Fire'. No mention of what that is though .”

Atsuhiro sighed. It meant only one thing. They had just stolen “public” records, already heavily edited. Records that showed little to no information that were useful. Compress had his doubts that it was what Nedzu needed. Well, the bit about the therapist being an incompetent bastard would, but honestly, that was not enough.

It was Gentle, who brought a new idea and tea on the table, like a dignified butler for the team, making sure they were properly nourished and had plenty of tea.

“How about checking Endeavor’s own agency? I mean, I seriously doubt he did not investigate the death of his own son, even if it was forbidden.”

—

Endeavor sighed. It had been two weeks since his discussion with Nedzu. He switched therapists, as his rat father recommended. Endeavor learned they had badly advised him on how to deal with his son’s death, to his great surprise. He honestly thought his decision about spending his sadness and anger on his work was the correct solution.

The same with how he treated his family, trying to switch their regret to ambition, no matter the cost and the price. In hindsight, Endeavor had been an idiot of the highest order. When he came home, something he hated more and more, the silence only greeted him. Not even his daughter’s meek salutations were there. Nothing but him and the weight of his mistake.

As a result, he decided to live in his agency. Oh, sure, for the media, he acted like he went home, but in reality, he used a backdoor to get inside quietly, no one seeing him. The only people in the known were his sidekicks and all of them knew it was actually for the better. Like this, Endeavor had something to do instead of just thinking of the past. His nightmares were enough to haunt him, especially now Burnin burned every bottle in the office.

So, now, Endeavor was now spending his evenings working on cases, connecting dots and various cases to help the police and planning more intervention where they needed him, while he was eating some noodles, his hand quietly cooking them. One of the few uses of a fire quirk after all.

He did not expect Mr. Compress to appear in his office, after various noises in his ventilation system. Endeavor thought a bit about the situation and quickly understood the most likely scenario: the thief compressed himself as a marble and went through his ventilation. That was an interesting use of his power and explained a lot of his heists and infiltrations.

Endeavor cracked his knuckles, before he saw Compress not stealing anything but going through his files quietly. Fat chances, his important ones were in his personal desk. The #2 had a smile, as well as an idea.

Mr. Compress, meanwhile, was searching for the letter “T” for either Touya or Todoroki. Nothing.

That was frustrating, when in one day you managed every infiltration you did, but bore no results. Of course, no files in the main office, but he wanted to be effective in his work. The magician had to check Enji’s office if he wanted to finish everything he had to do today. He missed his home and his family’s warmth.

After picking the lock of the door with the effectiveness of a master thief, Compress entered the room humming and began to search it. Was Enji brainwashed and he did not check the death of his own son? If something happened to Izuku or Inko, Compress was pretty sure he would destroy the city in a week in the search of the responsible.

“Now, can the thief explain to me what he is doing in my office with… With…”

Mr. Compress sweated bullets as he felt something hot in his back and Endeavor took the files the thief consulted a few times just before. Touya’s death report.

Endeavor inhaled before exhaling a small flame.

“What. Are. You. Doing… WITH THIS.”

Intense but calm, Compress knew he better not press his luck with Endeavor. He was the #2 and the few times they fought, Compress had the edge because he attacked first or from afar. Endeavor, in his back, finger already against him? Nope, it was not a fight he will take.

“I am currently investigating every hero who has a strong link with the HPSC. Since the file seemed too clean, I wanted to compare it with your note.”

Endeavor felt it was not everything but accepted for now, while he took the file. Touya. His… His first-born. Not one day went by without him remembering his son, too driven for his good. Too driven because of him.

“I… Have not even read the file.”

Compress felt a bit of compassion for the man in front of him. He had, thanks to Izuku, an idea of what had happened to the man recently.

“Sorry. It is just… You know. They identified him very well and analyzed the body effectively for a charred corpse.”

“They have some talented investigators, you know? And a lot of forensics with quirks really adapted for the job, like Chu, who can see the last memories of the dead by eating part of them.”

Still, Enji went by the files, quietly, with a lot of sadness and a bit of curiosity. Suddenly something caught his eye.

“AIE ! f*ck!”

“Compress. Where. Did. You. Get. This.”

“You burned me!”

“WHERE DID YOU GET THIS?”

This time, Endeavor had lost every control he had of his temper, flames blazing through his face, as he pulled Compress toward him. Even with his mask, Atsuhiro could feel the heat and the desperation in the face of Endeavor. It was terrifying to see him mad with anger, the fire dancing with anger in his eyes.

“I stole them this afternoon! In the HPSC headquarter!”

Endeavor released him before grabbing his phone, calling a number.

“Nedzu? If you need someone to fire a Prominence Burn at the HPSC HEADQUARTERS, I WILL f*ckING DO IT.”

Compress thought Endeavor’s phone was probably fire resistant, as his flame was verging on the blue.

“Euh… I guess something is wrong, but what happened?”

“… The morning Touya died, we… We had a fight.” Endeavor was trying to regain his composure, as he put the phone on the desk. “He broke my nose. I punched two molars out of him.”

Mr. Compress understood immediately. Oh. Oh f*ck.

“Oh. Euh… When I was there, I took a few files, too. One of them mentioned something about an Imperial Fire they wanted you to be. Does that mean any…”

The window, supposed to take even Nagant’s bullet with ease, melted soon after that.

Compress was now scared sh*tless and was happy he brought his brown pants.

“Compress? Now… You will work with me.” Endeavor said, now with the blue flame of anger on his face, about to begin his personal crusade.

Atsuhiro was not sure what to think about that, so he put a smile behind his mask.

“With pleasure, my dear Enji!”

“Don’t push it.”

——

Saturday Morning.

The crisis reunion had been intense, thought Midnight as she relaxed finally in the teacher’s room. She was not alone, as Shota and Hizashi were with her.

“So… We got attacked by someone we do not know, with apparently correct skill in strategy, according to Nedzu’s standard, and who has some growth potential.”

“Yep.”

“And All-Might think his old nemesis did artificially this black thing he beat?”

“You got that right, girl.” Hizashi confirmed, too destroyed to joke about it.

They all avoided speaking about the actual issue. The bombs All-Might dropped.

—

“My quirk is the only thing that can end All for One and it is waning. I need to transfer it, but after doing the test with a potential successor… Sir Nighteye and I discovered I cannot transfer it. The thing… Just did not connect.”

Everyone looked at Yagi, horrified.

“It was both a blessing and a curse in retrospect. Blessing, because thanks to that I could actually join in time the USJ.” Yagi continued to explain to everyone’s horror. “My guess is the quirk mutated weirdly, since I was quirkless. Maybe I can pass it on someone quirkless too, but honestly, the only quirkless with the right body-build I know is Knuckle Duster, and he is too old.”

“How about, I don’t know… Artificial organs? I mean, David Shield and all that…” Hizashi tried to give some ideas.

“Oh, we tried. One for All busts them out when I buff up.”

“So…”

“We are on a time-limit to find where the hell is All for One, who is probably in a state worse than me. Also, we need to identify this young Boss before he grows under All for One tutelage. Who knows what kind of insane mind he has?”

——

“Izuku, I swear to god, if you use once again EraserHead…”

“All-Might Argent Era with a David Shield as a support.”

“… I f*cking hate you sometimes.”

——

“And why did you think he was dead if you didn’t find his body?!”

“Well, usually, people are dead when they are missing the upper half of their head.” Yagi deadpanned, as he was not incompetent and remembered clearly the brain parts on his fist.

“So… I guess we are mobilizing our resources on that?”

“Aizawa, if we do not find him quickly, this thing is going to end very badly for everyone.”

“And why is Nedzu at his tenth cup of tea?”

“He discovered the HPSC might have faked his grandson’s death and what seemed like incompetence who f*cked up Endeavor's mind was maybe not incompetence but an actual plan. So… When All for One is gone…” Yagi tried to explain the situation, but Nedzu cut, with a terrifying cackle that ended everyone's idea it would end well. Nedzu was extremely protective of anyone he thought of as a family.

“Oh f*ck.”

——

“Suddenly, I think teaching is honestly easier than the hero's work.”

“Aye.”.

Chapter 15: Strange Saturdays Sometimes Seems Simply Satisfying

Chapter Text

Chapter 15 : Strange Saturdays sometimes seem simply satisfying.

Izuku felt tired and depressed, as he woke up early in the morning. They were attacked the day before and he felt like he should have done more. Sure, he was still a first-year student, but he had hoped for a fight against the evil bad guy. An epic fight, where the evil bad guy would have cackled madly and Izuku would have saved people.

Wait, was it correct to hope people would be in danger, to save them afterwards?

He was still pondering the question when he exited the house in his track suit. Katsuki was waiting outside for their morning run. Katsuki was apparently in the same mood as Izuku since he had increased weights he wore for their training three times.
It was clear Katsuki took their loss against the evil villains as badly as Izuku. They didn’t even say the name of their group!
Still, if the villain’s aim was to make them remember the realities of being heroes, it was a success.

So, how did the two friends deal with it? They trained harder! Both of them had their weights and both of them ran even further that morning.

PLUS ULTRA!

——

A few things made Toru happy. One of them was making her first arrests yesterday. Punching and smashing villains was cathartic and the police congratulated her.

As someone who sometimes cursed her invisibility, being in the spotlight was something she liked. However, when the journalist took a picture of nothing as a picture of her, she pouted a lot.

It took a lot of hugs from her boyfriend for her to stop being moody along with the promise they would spend their Saturday together. God, she loved how easy it was to get Izuku to do things for her. She also loved their private lessons together. Well… More like she will love them this afternoon. Hehehe. It would also allow her to meet the famous “Inko”. Someone, even Katsuki, dared not to cross.

However, for the morning, she would do a bit of shopping with Izuku and a brief visit to the card shop. Who knew? Maybe they would have another card allowing them to have a moment together? Thought it was nice to hug and hold hands with Izuku, especially when they went on a date or at school when they ate together. They enjoyed having a bit of alone time too, with Toru gossiping with her friends about everything she heard around the school.
As for Izuku, he enjoyed talking to Tokoyami and Katsuki and his band. Somehow, Shouto found his place among Katsuki’s circle of friends: Kaminari and Kirishima adopted the young introvert.

For now, she was waiting by the fountain where they took their first picture together, wearing a long dress for a change, and a small hat.

She heard the snap of a picture taken and she smiled at her boyfriend, who was using the water behind her and the angle of the sun to take a picture of her silhouette in the light.

“And another one in our collection, I guess.” Izuku beamed as he wore a shirt that hid very little of his toned body, something even more apparent after his early morning working-out session. Toru silently thanked any god who granted her such a feast for her eyes.

“As if you didn’t use any opportunity you had at school.”

“And I always share with you. Also, we both know you take as many of me.”

Both laughed before Izuku gave her his hand for their little date.

—

The shopkeeper smiled as he saw the young couple entering the shop and took a few cards out from his stock. They came from various games and were all, according to Izuku’s request: magic canceling or seeing the invisible. The merchant had a decent idea of what Izuku’s quirk was but he respected his choice to not speak about it. Some people were shy about it and he was not speaking a lot about himself. He was also old enough to remember the day when quirkless people were more common. It was still an awkward moment when you talked about quirks.

“Izuku… Cards! I WANT A CHALLENGE AND NONE OF THESE LOSERS CAN GIVE ME ONE!”

“HOW ABOUT f*ck YOU TOMURA!” One of the neckbeard in the back said playfully. Everyone knew Tomura now and was used to him.

“Tomura… I am on a date.” Izuku tried to explain, not wanting to cut his time short with the invisible girl, who laughed at them.

“Hey, Zuzu, you can play with him. That way, I can learn a bit about it, so I can understand when you play with Momo and Katsuki!”

Tomura stared at her with a radiant smile. One that was not totally creepy.

“Yes! I like you Invisigirl! You know what? Take a deck, whichever you like.” Tomura was happy and, as Sensei told him, he should do what he likes. Right now, he felt generous, so he would be generous!

“Tomura is one of the rich kids, like Momo. However, he knows he is richer than everyone and just doesn’t care. Though you seem to be in a good mood.”

“Well… I had an enjoyable week to be fair. I met a few people, and my first serious work for my dad went nicely. So… Yes, quite happy.”

“What did you do for him?”

“My first offensive on a target, to get intel and assess the resources he gave me. I did better than expected and he was happy about it!”

Izuku thought, like everyone else in the room, that Tomura was talking about mergers and buy-back, as finance can be quite cut-throat.

Honestly, it would be the best for him, as he had the cunning and the threatening aura of a great future CEO.

However, Tomura noticed during his game that something was wrong with Izuku and Toru. Something that depressed them, despite them being together and having fun.

“… Ok, what’s wrong Izuku? Someone bullied you? Are there kneecaps to break?”

“No, it’s… There was an incident yesterday at my school. And I felt useless during it since we couldn’t do much, and the teachers ended up doing most of the work.”

“Then it isn’t you being bad, but your teachers being good adults and doing their job properly. Also, an incident?”

“… Toru and I, we attend a prestigious school, Tomura. We have an NDA and all that sh*t. We cannot talk about it.” Izuku wasn’t lying, they signed an NDA with Nedzu and the police to not say anything during the investigation.
Tomura growled a bit.

“Fine. But I will learn what happened.”

Not once did he consider that he was the culprit for the circ*mstances.

———

They didn’t stay long in the store, as Izuku just wanted to get the cards he wanted and humor Tomura for once. None of them would believe what would happen later.

———

“It was nice meeting Tomura again. He seemed…”

“Totally too much into the game. He has a nasty competitive streak. I think it might be helpful for his job though, as he does anything he can.”

“Yes, I almost thought you got him with your All Might during your match. I didn’t expect him to be purposely holding back during your match and taking some losses, only to get you there.”

“Yes, as he said, he learned recently you sometimes have to make concessions, losing a bit to have a greater reward. That’s an interesting philosophy.”

Izuku nodded, hand in hand with his invisible girlfriend. It was nice to just feel the warmth of her close to him, and he guessed her smile. It made his grin grow bigger, too.

“So.. What did you get at the store, Zuku?” Toru was curious, as Zuku hummed, pleased.

“Well, I wanted to see if I could find more cards like the other time, to turn off your invisibility. It costs me a bit but honestly, it’s worth it!”

“… Just for me? You shouldn’t do that!” Izuku didn’t have that much money on hand and Tomura wasn’t buying all his cards. It must have cost a small fortune.

“Well, if it makes you feel better, it probably means I can do things like Aizawa-sensei, by nullifying someone’s quirk.” She could always count on Izuku to find justification and answers to everything… One day he would probably creatively redefine orders to save people, going against the actual intent.

“Hmm hmm. You’d better or I will tell your mom. I can’t wait to see her!”

“To be fair, she can’t wait to see you too!”

“…”

“You know what I mean, and I know you aren’t pouting.” It didn’t fool Izuku for a second, since he learned to read her body language through her clothes.

Toru won the argument by using her forbidden weapon, kissing the cheek of her boyfriend to shut him up.

———

“I already apologized, Inko!” Atsuhiro whined, as she locked him outside of the house. Apparently, she didn’t take him cancelling their plans at the last minute well and she took her vengeance by locking him outside for the night and the following morning.

“You can enter when Izuku and Toru get here, not before! If you like spending the night outside, you better lie in your bed outside! OR YOU USE A CELLPHONE AND WARN ME.”

“But sugar…” Atsuhiro couldn’t say Endeavor made him look at every file he got from the HPSC, looking for information about his son. You could say whatever you wanted about Endeavor's personality, but he wore his name well and he put his all in his search for his missing son.

It took a lot of begging and Mr. Compress formally promising to help him before he lets him go. Still, he didn’t have time to call his future-wife and now she was torturing him.

“… Dad? Why are you outside of the house?”

Finally, Atsuhiro’s savior was here. Yes, technically he could have picked the lock, but nobody sane would disobey Inko. His best bet had been to wait for Izuku and… Well the floating dress.

“Uh. So, you are Toru, the girl Izuku cannot stop talking about at home? Did you know he was often mdfskdj…” Izuku made his father shut up by clapping his hand against his talkative stepfather’s mouth.

Suddenly the door opened with a bang, startling both boys and letting the queen of the house make an entrance, beaming in an apron.

“Oh my~ I can finally meet you!”

Before Toru could say anything, she was being hugged by Inko Midoriya.

“Oh, and boys, once you are done playing on the ground, you can go inside. Yes, including you Atsuhiro. Behave for lunch, or you are going to sleep on the sofa tonight.”

“Yes, darling.”

———

Toru had heard a few things about Inko. The fact Bakugou respected her was enough for everyone in the class to respect and fear Inko. What mad woman could make Bakugou be reasonable and raise Izuku to be a perfect gentleman? What kind of woman could, according to Katsuki, stop a kidnapper that sought out an apparently quirkless Izuku because teeth are small objects and she pulled them without mercy?

Katsuki explained she was actually merciful that day: eyes and other organs also counted as small objects and Katsuki was 75% sure their mothers were vigilantes when they were younger.

It is safe to say Toru was not expecting a small and a bit chubby (she exercised now that she had Atsuhiro helping her at home) woman smiling at her. She radiated joy and Toru knew where Izuku got his smile and sunshine outlook.

However, Toru quickly noticed the woman asked questions about herself and her eyes were… playful and appraising her son’s girlfriend.

“And… Can I ask what you plan on doing this afternoon?”

Toru glimmered a bit at the idea, making Izuku think about the answer while hinting about what the girl expected to happen.

“Oh, well, I asked Izuku for a study session. I mean, he is one of the top students, and I think I might need some… Tutoring.”

“Tutoring?” It didn’t fool Inko for a second, but her smile reassured Toru. Clearly, the mom knew what she planned and approved… Probably as long as it stayed relatively pure.

“Yes. Tutoring.”

It was at that moment Izuku noticed a grain of rice on Toru’s face, and removed it from her face with his finger, before eating it.

“Sorry Toru, it’s just you had something on your face.”

Somehow it made her even more dazzling.Inko and Atsuhiro guessed it was her way of blushing. If she wanted to be a star, she had to stay with Izuku and she would shine brighter than the sun.

“…Thanks Izuku”

Was he a natural at this? Sometimes, Toru was wondering as Izuku went from doing cute and flirty things like taking her picture with him, to cluelessly doing things like that and sometimes ignoring her flirting with him. Anyway.

Soon, it will be something else that was going to be on her face.

Inko was happy to have prepared snacks for the afternoon already.

———

Invisigirl has entered the chat.

Invisigirl: sdkfklsmjflqkj

Alien_queen: Weren’t you supposed to “study” with Izuku?

Froppy: “Study” being the operative word.

Invisigirl: Oh we are studying. We have actually completed the homework for the week.

Gravity_girl: Is that a code for something and you went far with him?

Invisigirl: NO I AM f*ckING LITTERAL HERE. WE ARE ACTUALLY STUDYING. AND I AM DYING AS I WANT TO “STUDY”.

Froppy: Then why you don’t? Ribbit.

Invisigirl: You have a point.

———

“You want to continue with the break, Toru?” Izuku took more notes, happy to tutor his girlfriend and helping her when she had trouble.

“Nah, I’m okay, though I would like to study more anatomy with you.” Toru, had a different idea in mind… Especially as she was now leaning a bit more against him.

“Mmh? I don’t remember an assignment on anatomy, though?”

“I am pretty sure Izuku, we have some homework to do on fluid mechanics.” Toru hoped she was getting through his thick skull.

“Isn’t that physics, though?”

Izuku said to the girl sitting next to him, her legs on his under the table. If the green boy had been flustered at first, he was fine now. A bit too fine. So now, she was clearly pushing her body against Izuku.

“… Izuku, you aren’t pure enough to think a girlfriend and a boyfriend just study during a study session, are you?”

“They… Don’t?” Finally, Izuku blushed. He missed some texts on his phone, as Toru pushed him down, climbing on top of him.

“Euh To…” Before he could say anything, she interrupted him with her lips against his, and began tutoring Izuku about various methods on how their tongues could work.

Izuku, as was always the case when there was something to learn, was a quick study and cuddled with her happily, their bodies pressed against each other.

As if on cue, Atsuhiro entered the room. Maybe a superpower possessed by embarrassing parents?

“Are you winning, son?”

“Eeep” Izuku went redder than a tomato to redder than a strawberry. However, Toru almost blinded everyone in the room, happy to have a fellow master of memes.

“I think I’m winning here, sir.”

“And I thought Izuku stood a chance. Well, then carry on! Thought don’t go too far. I am not sure he can handle too much.”

While Izuku stopped whining instead of winning, thanks to Toru, Mr. Compress happily closed the door. Yep, his son definitely found someone good.
They missed the three missed calls from Tomura and his text with an “Urgent” written in it. When Izuku read it later, he answered, not believing what he saw.

———

The day before.

“ I need your help.” Shouto spoke, interrupting the others, during lunch. When Kirishima and Denki brought him to their group, he was not necessarily the most social person, and they took this as an opportunity to help him.

“What do you want?”

“Teach me how to be angry.” Shouto asked in his usual serious tone.

Had it been anyone other than Shouto, Katsuki would have thought it was a prank. However, he was almost certain Shouto didn’t know the word.

“…Explain, Icyhot?”

“My therapist told me I should learn how to be angry. You are always angry. I need you to teach me how to… externalize my anger?”

“I am not sure Katsuki is the most…” Kirishima tried to speak, before Katsuki cut him.

“… Tomorrow afternoon. My house.” Most of the students still had trouble grasping a key element of Katsuki’s personality: Never tell him he can’t do something, otherwise he will do it out of spite.

This time, though, he also did it out of a sense of duty: Someone needed to yell his anger but didn’t know how? It was his job to make sure he learned how.

———

Kirishima, Kaminari and Todoroki arrived at Katsuki’s house the next day. They expected a middle-class house. They were right, though they didn’t expect the zen garden to be full of craters.

They didn’t expect Katsuki’s mom in a gardening suit who smiled at them, as she finished putting protection around the bamboo.

“Damn, I knew Katsuki was explosive, but his mom is…”

“If you value your life, Dunce Face, you know how to finish that sentence.” Katsuki interrupted the perverted living electric generator as he appeared behind his back.

“… probably as nice as he is explosive.” Kaminari valued his life and quickly changed what he was going to say.

“Good, you live another day.” Nobody was sure if Katsuki was serious or not. Then they recalled Katsuki, who knew the reason behind Izuku’s father’s death and decided against tempting the bomber man.

“Hello Katsuki. Hello Ma’am.” The other remaining boys spoke together, as they properly greeted their host of the day.

“Oh, hello kids! It is nice to have Katsuki bring other friends than Izuku, y’know?”

“It must be because he is always angry.” Shouto spoke without thinking, or knowing, if it was appropriate. Bakugou interrupted his mom before she could speak.

“He is actually here to learn how to channel his anger. So… Yes, good job, old hag, protecting the garden.”

“Call me old hag again, and I will show you I can take your life as easily as I gave it!”

“Is she also going to teach me? She looks nice. Like my mom before she burned my face.” Shouto casually dropped his bomb, before he almost got hugged to death by Mitsuki.

“My poor boy! Are you okay?”

“Yes. It was years ago. The burn doesn't hurt anymore.”

“That’s rough, buddy.” Katsuki confirmed, while Kirishima put his hand on Todoroki’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry, bro, we are here for you.”

It warmed up Todoroki’s heart, to have people who cared, be it friends or Mitsuki, who ran into the house to look for some old cream for burn scars. She swore it did miracles on more than one friend back in the days.

“What does she mean by that?” Kaminari wondered what that was about.

“Dude. I don’t want to know. My dad doesn’t want to know and I’m pretty sure the only person who truly does is Izuku’s mom. The one who terrifies me.”

The boys wisely decided not to push the issue further, when Mitsuki came back and put some cream on Todoroki, while she whispered to herself she would really like to meet Todoroki’s parents one day. Just for a small chat.

———

Nose buried in paper, trailing various arson cases across Japan, Enji felt something cold running down his back.

A woman in a hospice also wondered why she was shuddering.

———

“Now, Shouto, I am going to teach you how to swear.”

“How to swear?”

“Yes, because swearing is the best way to quickly release a small part of your rage. When you stub your toe, what do you do?”

“… I say nothing?”

“… NO, FOR f*ck’s sake. You scream, man. It’s normal to scream, because that’s what your body wants to do. You scream, because pain IS. NOT. NORMAL. Anger, Shouto, anger allows you to relieve your pain.”

“So… When I am feeling bad, I can just scream?”

“Yes, and no. It has to be done properly. You cannot scream randomly. Canalize it properly. Say after me: f*ck.”

“f*ck?”

“NO. WITH GUTS. You don't have to interrogate yourself. You have to feel it.”

“f*ck.” Shouto was being Shouto

“I SAID. WITH. GUTS. IMAGINE SOMEONE HITTING YOU.”

Shouto seemed puzzled at the idea, until Katsuki had an idea.

“Remember how Izuku was showing off during the exercise?”

“Oh yes. It was irritating, even though I now know it was all a strat…”

“THAT IS NOT MY POINT. It pissed you off.”

Suddenly, realization showed on Shouto’s face.

“f*ck!”

“THAT WAS WEAK. HOW DID YOU FEEL, AGAINST SOMEONE WHO WAS JUST SHOWING OFF HOW AWESOME HE WAS?”

“f*ck, IT WAS IRRITATING! I TRAIN MYSELF, HOW DARE HE TAKE IT AS A GAME.”

“On a side note, that is actually what we thought of you during your introduction. Him and I actually train a lot every day. Twice as much for him, since he has to exercise his quirk.”

“Oh. I pissed you off? Sorry about that.”

“Don’t worry, I just blew up part of the beach, further down the road. It was soothing.”

———

In the house, Kaminari, Kirishima and the two adults in Bakugou’s family were watching the lesson with tea and cookies.

“Are you sure it is necessary for us to stay inside the house for protection?”

“Wait till he teaches him to destroy things to unleash everything kept inside.” Katsuki’s father knew better.

“Point.” Kirishima approved, as he loved to train with Bakugou, who never pulled his punches against his rocky friend. He knew what he was capable of and he estimated Shouto to be pretty much on par with him.

———

“f*ck ENDEAVOR!”

“YES. HARDER.”

“f*ck ENDEAVOR!”

“ONCE AGAIN, BUT THIS TIME, WITH YOUR QUIRK!”

Usually, Shouto used his quirk with calm and composure. His ice power was easier to use that way. Being excited was more his father's way of doing things. However, for the first time he was unleashing his anger against his father. It felt good. It was awesome and, more importantly; he knew he was right.

———

Izuku and Toru stopped kissing and cuddling when they saw a giant flame.

“Oh, Shouto must have a lot to scream about.”

“Yes. Wait, is that an iceberg now?”

“… Did that iceberg explode because of a fireball?”

“… Hold me, Tooru, because I established a rivalry with him. And Katsuki.”

Then they resumed what teenagers often do with their significant other, with Katsuki and Shouto’s quirks looming over them in the background.

———

“… 7.5/10. Honestly, for a first try, Icyhot, it’s a really good one.”

Shouto was currently on the ground, out of breath because of all the yelling… and smiling, as if a lot of weight just disappeared.

“Thanks… Katsuki…”

“Always a pleasure, Icybitch.”

“f*ck you, Katsuki.” Shouto flipped the bird to Katsuki, who smiled happily.

“Hey, see, you figured out the third step by yourself. You flip the bird or you hit them in the balls. You should try that on your old man, if All-Might or Eraserhead is there.”

Katsuki offered his hand to Shouto, who took it, getting up.

“… So, I just have to yell f*ck and just act? … Why did nobody tell me before?”

“Well, you can actually vary. f*ck, die, go to hell… If you want some ideas, try Yuga. The French are good at finding some very long rants when they want to. I asked him once for fun. He is good when he wants to be.”

“… Does that mean I have to call you Katsuki-sensei? How can I thank you?”

“Don’t mention it. Seriously. I have a reputation to uphold.”

————

Meanwhile, at a certain mall.

Our favorite crusty man was enjoying his ice-cream alone. Sure, he looked like a junkie out of his rehab center and when he smiled; he sent children crying and made security guards wonder if they could throw him out. However, he was also someone who was technically just enjoying a delicacy.

“Oh, Tenko! Can I have an ice cream too?”

Suddenly, the only weakness against the Dark-type that was Tomura appeared: The Fairy-type Nejire, who suddenly appeared.

“Waaaah!”

Tomura actually fell on the ground, his ice-cream hitting his face, causing Nejire to laugh.

“I knew I recognized your hair from somewhere!”

“Euh.. I amn’t who you think I…”

“Tenko. You are smart, of course you changed your hair and your eyes' color. You still have a unique face.”

Tomura whined a bit. He knew he should have worn a mask and pretend he was sick, but he feared the IV inside U.A. would have picked him up faster.

Also, people often forgot Nejire was smart because she was also an airhead.

“Don’t worry. I just saw you and decided to see how you were doing!”

“I am… fine. Except for the ice cream.”

Nejire giggled a bit, something that caught Tomura’s eyes, before she pulled him up easily. Once again, reminding him that she was top 3 of the best students in U.A.

“Here, here. I will buy you another one, okay?”

“No, it’s ok. I can do that. Euh…”

———

“Remember, young master. If you are with someone, propose that they eat with you, otherwise you are being impolite.”

———

When in doubt, listen to Kurogiri. It did wonders for him so far.

“Want an ice-cream too?”

“With pleasure! Heu… How many can I have?”

“Honestly, go crazy.” Tomura had the cheatcode “unlimited money” activated. He should use it.

He regretted it five minutes later when Nejire was looking at an ice cream actually larger than herself, while Tomura’s was more reasonable.

“Are you sure you are going to eat all of that?”

“My quirk takes a lot of energy and I need to eat a lot for it to work well.”

“Oh, I see. One of my best friends would have a field day analyzing your quirk, but today he has a date so…”

“Oh, so you were alone and still trying to have a good day out?”

“You know, when you say it like that, it makes me look pathetic and friendless.”

“But you have a friend, since I’m here, spending time with you!”

Tomura screams internally, as he realized what was happening and he was talking with a cute girl. His free hand began furiously typing on his phone, messaging the only person he knew who could help him, outside of Kurogiri or Sensei.

Wait, he never saw Kurogiri with anyone and he lived at the bar unless they went for groceries.

He could always count on Izuku for advice.

———

“So, is Zuku winning Atsuhiro?”

“I would say Toru is, but honestly, they were both happy.”

The phone in Izuku’s bedroom stayed desperately unanswered.

———

Note to self, put Izuku under the Joker in my sh*t-list, Tomura thought as he walked with Nejire through the mall while she was happily eating her ice cream.

“So, why are you here by yourself, Nejire, since you seemed quite euh… How to say… popular?”

“Well, I was supposed to come here with a friend, but he cancelled for extra training. He was particularly excited about it, so I think it might have something to do with the agency he is interning at.”

“And where are you interning if I may ask?”

“Oh, I am interning with Ryukyu, the dragon hero!”

Tomura was now sweating bullets under his clothes as Nejire continued to explain how awesome her sensei was. He was on a date with what was a smart, strong and cute girl who was a hugger and worked with one of the Top Heros. What was he, a romcom protagonist?! He was supposed to be the heir of the former lord of crime/mastermind in Japan, and he couldn’t be seen with her.

“So, how are you feeling now, Tenko? I mean, you know a lot about me, but all I know about you is you’re someone who knows a lot about heroes, and a bit about your past. I don’t even know your real name or if Tenko is just a nickname.”

“I work for my guardian, and my job is to perform hostile takeovers. Apparently, I am quite good with strategy. I have a chaperon/butler and I like strategy games, like video games or card games.”

Why couldn’t he stop his damn mouth?! Was it because he thought of Hana? Stupid, stupid Tenko. He was pretty sure Toru was interested in the game simply because Izuku was, there was no chance she could like it!

“Card game? Oh, like Tarot or things like that?”

“Actually, one based on heroes and villains…”

“Is there a Ryukyu deck?”

“Euh… I they do. I have a friend who even has a special edition of her.”

“YEY! I need it! Where can I buy one?”

‘Roll with it Tomura’

“Well, there is this shop I know, where I am a regular. Maybe I can teach you there?”

———

The local population of the shop couldn’t believe their eyes. First of all, Izuku’s girlfriend was there in the morning. They knew it would probably happen again, but it was still a rare occurrence and it caused a huge discussion between them about how he could have found someone.

Tomura, bringing a girl who wasn’t under duress and who was smiling as she asked for a Ryukyu deck, was pretty much at the top of the unexpected things to happen. Tomura’s face showed he was just as panicked as they were, and he was trying to avoid doing something dumb.

Tomura getting wrecked by a newbie wasn’t even on the list. Their first game? Tomura won despite giving himself a handicap and teaching her how to play. The second? Tomura’s smile clearly showed he was done with the training wheels and he tried to crush her and make her understand his might.… But somehow, the blue-haired girl won with ease. He wasn’t able to use his combo.

“A last one, Tenko? Or Tomura? What do you want me to call you, hmm?”

“Tenko. I would really prefer it if you kept calling me like that.” Tomura wondered how many issues he had and why Sensei never made him see a therapist, now that he was thinking about it.

———

Meanwhile, the part of Kurogiri that was still Oboro quietly sleeping in his subconscious felt thrilled that he was able to convince his master why brainwashing his designated vessel was a bad idea, and could cause problems once AFO took control of his body.

———

“So… Should we tell Izuku to call you Tenko? He’s pretty much your best friend.”

“… Maybe next time, I will tell him.”

“Hey, Tenkooo, how about a bet for the last game?”

Tomura was upset about his consecutive defeats and groaned.

“What?”

“If I win, you have to come to U.A. festival! If I loose… Hmmm… How about I owe you something?”

Tomura thought about it and knew he could ask her to stop bothering him.

“Deal. NOW PREPARE TO DIE, I WON’T HOLD BACK ANYTHING.”

“Yes! More fun!”

On a good day, Izuku, who had a few decks and strategies made to counter Tomura, could win twice. A newbie who had a vanilla deck and only two games under her belt? She was going down.

Nejire won.

———

“So… are you asking me for dating tips?”

“I AM NOT DATING HER.”

“Yes, sure. So, you are telling me a cute fairy girl is trying to breach your inner darkness and somehow you got ice cream yadda yadda. Don’t forget to save and tell me what game this is from. It seems like a nice one.”

“SHE IS REAL. You can ask pretty much anyone at the shop.”

“… Ok, wait a second, I’ll ask a professional.”

Izuku stopped talking through his phone, still in shock.

“Toru, how do you talk to a girl you like?”

Izuku felt the silent stares from pretty much everyone in the room.

“Zuku...”

Realization dawned on his face before he blushed like the green tomato he is.

"It is for a friend, I swear!"

Tomura sighed, of course Izuku was useless.

Oh well, he lost on purpose against Nejire. That way, he could infiltrate the school festival and find out more about the heroes, their weaknesses and maybe even find out who Joker is. Of course, he didn’t tell that to Izuku, so that he could make him green with jealousy afterward.

When Kurogiri got the story from his charge, he simply said...

“I call bullsh*t.”

"About me speaking with a girl or me losing on purpose?"

"Yes"

Chapter 16: Schools days and adult manipulations.

Chapter Text

Chapter 16: School days and adult manipulations.

Monday. The most dreaded day of the week, the end of the weekend, and the bringer of school.

Most people hated Mondays with a passion, but Izuku loved school. Why wouldn’t he? It was the place where he could meet his friends again.

So, when the alarm went on, with his usual All-Might greeting, Izuku got up with haste, before cleaning up himself and taking his breakfast in the company of his stepdad and his mom. Atsuhiro fluffed, as he did often now, through Izuku’s hair. His mom hummed happily as she gave him his bento for the day.

On the road, he met Katsuki, and to his great surprise, Todoroki. Weird.

“Didn’t you say you live at school now?”

“Oh, I do. I asked my grandpa if I could sleep at Katsuki’s house to know how a true family felt. It somehow involved as much screaming and yelling as at my home, but it was different. Also, no hit and no one saying you were a disappointment. It was… Nice.” Shouto was always in a mood, but honestly, Izuku could see where he came from and forgave.

“You should come to my house one day. Less yelling and more movie night. Last night, we watched an old super-heroes flick. Endgame.”

“That might be fun, thank you.”

“Hey, any friend of Katsuki is also one of my friends. Besides, we can probably form a ‘sh*tty dad with a fire quirk’ club.”

“I asked Iida, and you need over three members to make a club.”

“He is serious, Izuku, and you should really speak with Shouto about his theories. I have never heard so much rambling since I asked you about my quirk.”

“Oh?”

“I just shared with Katsuki some of my theories about everyone’s family, including you, possibly a cousin of mine since… Well… There haven’t been many fire quirk users since the Burning of Tokyo.”

“Don’t say the only one who makes sense, Shouto. Tell the real fun ones, like Kyouka being Eraser Head and Present Mic’s daughter!”

“That one is half cursed since there is actually no registered quirk allowing male impregnation and I am pretty sure Aizawa-sensei is only in his thirties… Not to mention, most likely married to Miss Joke… However, if we go on that road, it might have been a shotgun marriage but seeing them…”

“You know what? Have fun, you two, discussing crazy theories, instead of using Occam’s razor and thinking Kyouka is her parents’ daughter.”

“He has a point if you think about it. That aside, I have several theories about your father Izuku, one of them being that Atsuhiro, your true father, killed your fake father to reclaim his son.”

“Sadly, I remember Hisashi, and believe me, the similarities are there.”

“Then how about the fact All-Might might have helped in his ultimate demise? I got the date pretty exactly thanks to a few people, and I am sure he fought…”

“The Mole Queen, 3 Km from the airport and it caused a shock-wave so powerful it flipped a few cars.”

“Izuku, you seem fairly knowledgeable about your father’s death.”

“No, that one is because he is a huge All-Might nerd. Seriously, he has a room for all his goodies, and the only missing piece in that collection is the legendary poster which was never put to sell.”

“I WILL ROB A DEADMAN’S GRAVE IF NEEDED FOR THAT ONE.”

“He is pretty upset about it and will do a lot of things for it. I’m not even sure he is kidding about the graverobbing.”

The boys, laughing loudly for Katsuki and quieter in Todoroki’s case, went on to U.A. They were teenagers, on the way to becoming heroes, among the greatest, and even so, they wanted to have fun.

————

“Impressive Toru, you learned very well for your English lesson! Did someone help you with the pronunciation?” Present Mic was surprised but pleased. Toru, while technically in the student’s top in Japan, was not really among the best in 1-A. He didn’t know what happened during the weekend, but it was effective.

“Oh yes, Izuku helped me a lot.” Toru said happily, while Izuku tried to look away a bit.

It got some snickering from the boys before they saw Izuku’s light shade of red. Then they were jealous of the only man among them who got a girlfriend and had wonderful dates with her.

As for the girls, well, most of them knew what happened. Toru loved to gossip and make them jealous, though to be fair, when you grabbed someone like Izuku as your boyfriend, you had various reasons to be happy.

What was the point of grabbing the best boy in the classroom if she couldn’t explain how adorable and pure he was?

“Well, you should continue studying with him, as it works well for you.” Toru hummed happily as an answer before sitting back.

Todoroki nudged Bakugou, before asking something that was on his mind.

“Is that one moment where we can say f*ck?”

“Not during classes unless it is an exercise with All-Might/Aizawa.”

“Oh…”

————

“I saw something weird.” Momo was shocked as she spoke to the other girls during the break. “I saw Todoroki who laughed, really, with Katsuki.”

“Todoroki… Laughing? Are you sure? I mean, no offense to him, and I think I speak for pretty much everyone when I say he is nice to look at, but he pretty much has the emotional range of a teaspoon.” Mina had doubts but Kyouka corrected her.

“No, she is right. I spoke about it with the boys. Apparently, this weekend, Katsuki taught Shouto how to say f*ck and definitely adopted him in the Bakusquad. It is therapeutic for him.”

“I mean… It makes sense when you think about it. Shouto must have a lot of anger bottled up and who better to teach him how to get angry than Katsuki? Especially if Kirishima, Kaminari, or Izuku are there to make sure we don’t have an angry mad boy 2.0?” Ochako made her point and every other girl nodded. However, most of them kind of wanted to see Shouto smile now, as it should look like an eclipse: something rare but beautiful.

Momo, meanwhile, thought about the fact the classroom had more to offer if they cooperated. Katsuki and Todoroki were examples, but Izuku and Toru too, to a degree.

“Do you think we should begin to organize group study during the weekend? I mean, with me, Katsuki and Izuku, we could form three groups. I don’t count Todoroki because… Well…”

“He is learning how to be social and doesn’t probably know how to teach anything except with the Endeavor Method?”

“And what about Katsuki? Do you think he knows how to teach properly? I doubt he can do that.”

“MY HOME, SATURDAY, EARJACK”

“… Isn’t he supposed to be at the cafeteria, on the other side of the building?”

“He has a loud voice and a very good hearing actually, especially when someone doubts he can do anything. Izuku told me once he explicitly said he doubted Katsuki could clean his room. Katsuki finished Izuku’s bedroom before realizing he got caught.” Toru giggled a bit about it while the other girls noted this tidbit.

“Does he know how to play any instruments?”

“Drums, according to Inko. By the way, Izuku’s mom looks awesome and nice. She is adorable and honestly, you can clearly see from who he got his kindness. However… There is something about her I cannot place exactly. Like, if someone hurt Izuku, there would be no place on Earth. She would hunt the one who did that. I can understand why Izuku doesn’t search for who killed her father. However, his stepdad is hilarious, knowing old memes and teaching him magic tricks. Apparently, he is some kind of physical coach, though he is very confidential about his job. I think he takes heroes as clients.”

Toru was very into Izuku and honestly, it wasn’t just because he was cute or because he helped her grade. He was kind, loved to speak with her, and was caring. Listening to him was one moment to get to know him better, just as he loved to hear about her.

“… So, Toru is clearly as in love with Izuku as he is with her. Katsuki, despite being very loud, has a lot of qualities. Once Shouto becomes more human and less Terminator, he will be high in the ranking of the best boys in the class. Who else should we put on the list?” Jiro had fun animating the discussion.

Mina raised her hand before she added her own opinion.

“Kirishima. He has changed a lot since last years, like his hair. However, he is one of the kindest boys I know and honestly, you can always count on him if you have a problem.”

“And he likes to show off. I mean, my parents would love him at their construction company, and clearly, he works out.”

Ochako loved this discussion between girls, as they each added their tidbits about each boy in the class. Iida? Caring about the others, even though he was too rigid. Hanta? A funny guy and duct tape were always useful. Each one had its strong and weak points, and honestly, it was nice.

Even Momo joined in the discussion, despite it being most uncouth… But it was to make sure everything stayed within reasonable limits, not because she wanted to gossip among girls her age.

The study sessions were not to allow girls to know more personally about each boy so they could potentially make their choice.

————

“So, you work out here after school? That’s pretty neat. I guess having the principal as your new legal guardian and your grandfather is useful.” Katsuki was happy, as they had a full city to train after school. The Bakusquad, Izuku, and Toru were here to train as well, as they got the authorization.

“To be fair, I was thinking of doing more of Bakugou’s therapy.” Todoroki explained before gathering some of his powers and creating a glacier while yelling his rage against his paternal, while Katsuki glared at him.

“Yes, I know, you told me to use my fire because it is kick-ass and there is no better f*ck you to my dad than become even better than him. When I asked Nedzu, he told me to avoid it because there is no sprinkler here to avoid the fire becoming too big. Unless Izuku has a card for that…”

“Nope, still trying to find some old Pokemon, but damn, they became rare and pricey.”

“Give me a list. I can still use my father’s credit card.” Todoroki had a lot to evacuate and having Izuku exercise his damage control was a pleasant bonus. Izuku took a page from his notebook (everyone still wondered where it came from) and gave it immediately.

Also, his father should pay for his therapy, goddamnit.

“Meanwhile, I am going to test a few Arcanas. I am going to try the Fool and the Lover. After that… Well…”

“Kirishima will lift you, and Round face will negate your weight, so you are not too much of a deadweight.” Katsuki was way too used to his friend’s tendency to be dead tired after testing cards. It was quite fun with Izuku’s power, how cards like that could have various effects.

“As for me, I would like to test one of Zuku’s theories. According to him, if I train a bit I could redirect light and maybe do a flashbang attack. If I can do that and follow by a right hook, it would be super effective!” Toru was as excited as one might be, even though she knew it would be hard to do that.

“I propose we do three zones of training: One for the heavy destruction,” Kirishima, who wanted to train his body, Katsuki and Shouto high fived after Kirishima explained the concept to the latter. “One for the middle ranged destruction, so, Kaminari, Mina and maybe Kyouka… And self-improvement like me and Toru. And Kyouka possibly.” Izuku simply wanted to avoid being in the splash zone of the attacks.

Everyone approved, however, and the Quirk-practicing club began their first session, supervised by a Midnight who had a free period at that time. She could also make any boy fall asleep if one of them went overkill.

Izuku surprised her when, in the self-improvement zone, a Kirishima miniature appeared and began to throw around parts of houses to everyone's surprise. Then, Izuku took out another card, before using it and creating a miniature Katsuki which exploded shortly after. Weirdly, for an Arcana, it didn’t seem to use that much energy. Either that, or he got better at using his power? Small testings were vital, after all.

——

“So… You are sure, Kirishima, you want to stay in the center of our attack?”

“Yes, sure Todoman! Don’t worry, I can take both your and Bakubro’s attacks! Or rather… I must if I want to be a hero as awesome as Crimson Riot.”

“Did you know he saved my father’s life when he was a kid?”

“Nope, but Crimson Riot is the best hero who ever existed, no offense to All-Might!”

“He punched fire. Barehanded. It makes no f*cking sense, but I love that.” Katsuki was as much a fan of Crimson Riot as of All Might, to Kirishima’s joy and Todoroki’s wonder.

“I should probably speak about other heroes than my father, and learn about them.”

“Endeavor, aside from how he treated you, is an excellent hero. However, you should know he isn’t the only hero in the world. Like Miruko, the Rabbit hero who can destroy steel with her kick! Wash, the water hero who stopped the emblem of Madness a few years ago! Seriously, there are plenty of heroes to model yourself after. Or even vigilantes, look at Izuku who took a note from Mr. Compress after all.” Kirishima, after all, modeled himself after Crimson Riot and knew what he was talking about.

“Theory #3 about Atsuhiro. He is Mr. Compress and Random Bullsh*t is just a fake quirk.”

“I saw the man getting on his knees to be forgiven by Auntie Inko because he didn’t remember to get out the trash. It would be the same Mr. Compress who stole all the archives of the HPSC? The same who fought once your father and a few other heroes in the top 10 to a standstill?” Katsuki respected the man, but damn, he was also totally under his wife's thumb.

“Maybe Izuku’s mom is really strong and could beat my father?”

“… Ok, you know what? That one is plausible. However, Icyhot, think about it. If, and it is a big if, Atsuhiro is Mr. Compress, it means if his secret is out, Izuku will lose his stepdad and he will be sad.” Kirishima had met Inko that weekend at Katsuk’s house and he met Atsuhiro too. Now, it was time to make Shouto learn a bit about empathy.

“Oh… Ooooh…”

“… One emotion at a time, Bitchy Hot. We will turn you into a real boy.”

“Does that mean I can call you the Blue Fairy, Katsuki?”

“f*ck YOU ICYHOT!”

———

“Just throwing this idea like this, Kaminari, but have you ever learned martial arts?” Jiro worked on her soundwave, but it didn’t stop her from also speaking with her friend.

“Euh… No? Not really, why?”

“Because you can generate a lot of electricity but cannot direct it, and it makes you dumb. If the villains were serious back in the USJ, it could have been dangerous! However, you can use electricity as you want in close contact. We are all charging our phones on your arms during break and you didn’t destroy any of them.”

“… I could use some support tools, yes. And some training. Because let’s be honest, when I discharge my Giga attack, I am a liability afterward.” Kaminari knew when someone had a point and honestly it was not half a bad idea.

“At least you are aware of that. As for me… Well, I am a scout, so I should focus on spying, but I wonder if I shouldn’t focus on some ranged weapons?”

“How about a guitar that amplifies your amplification to rock the enemy?” Mina, while she projected acid on various targets, added her own ideas to the discussion.

“… That would be awesome!” Kaminari said.

“You know what? This is actually a good idea. Helping my teammate and saving people with music? That would make me…”

“The Rockstar Hero.” Kaminari nodded in approbation.

“And you Mina? How do you improve?”

“Oh? I am trying to strengthen my acid or more liquid, so I can run on it. I had the idea after seeing how Todoroki used his ice.”

“Seems nice. And you think you can give me some tips to train my body?” Kaminari did want to work on that if he was to learn close combat. Mina was also the most athletic of them.

“Of course!”

————

“They are cute, don’t you think? How do you think your card works?”

“My opinion is… It takes someone I trust randomly, and it creates a weaker clone of them. If I ever pick you, can I call it my stand?” Izuku laughed a bit at his joke.

“Sure! Though I don’t have the reference…”

“Old mangas, from the pre-Quirk era. An inheritance from my gramps.”

“That seems nice. And what do you think… The Lovers do as a card? Make us kiss again, maybe?” Midnight swore she could hear the grin of the invisible girl.

“Toru! Stop teasing me!”

“Never, your blushing is too cute! More seriously, though, I think you should try if you aren’t tired yet.”

“Yep. After that, I will help you with the flash attack. I think I know how you can do it.”

“Oh? I wonder~”

“You will see. Meanwhile… SIXTH ARCANA, THE LOVERS.” It would be time for payback soon enough.

Izuku disappeared just after that and… Could see Toru, just like she could apparently notice something weird happened to his appearance.

“Izuku, can you tell me why you turned invisible?”

“Oh, Midnight Sensei! I tried to use the Lovers card, and…” Izuku tried to explain the situation, but Nemuri nodded, smiling as she observed both of them.

“So, your card allows you to use the quirk of someone you love, hence the invisibility, and that is so adorable!” Midnight was a romantic at heart and that kind of love power was what she liked to observe. The two blushing teenagers (yes, they were invisible, but it was easy to guess) were a bonus she appreciated.

The silhouette of Izuku, trying to hide himself despite being invisible, was also quite fun.

They discovered the power had a time limit on it, around 30 secs. Either that or it used Izuku’s own energy quickly, as blood dripped quietly from his nose, a sign he was close to his daily limit.

“Urgh… I hate it. At least I can still move correctly, so there is no need for Kacchan to help me.”

“So… What about the flash attack?” Toru was happy her boyfriend was okay, but she also needed to work on her technique.

“Oh, right, I promised to help with that.”

And then, out of nowhere, Izuku hugged her. Quickly, Toru emitted enough light to blind Midnight, who was close to them, and she yelled.

“TOO PURE, IT HURTS!”

It made Izuku laugh as he released Toru from her hug, still dazzling people.

“Izuku, It’s not that I don’t like it but why did you do it?!”

“I noticed this weekend you were shining when Mom complimented you, and you were always more noticeable when you were thrilled. So I thought if I could make you blush with joy, you would most likely be shining!”

“So, you used a hug instead of a kiss? That is…” Midnight tried to add her idea, as it was her specialty after all… LOVE.

“Chht, ma’am. I am teaching him, but I love him as a pure cinnamon roll, too.”

“Fair enough, girl.”

“… You think a kiss would have worked better?”

Izuku, always one for an experiment, kissed Toru on the cheek. He was used to her now, and could safely guess something like that.

Then came the light.

———

“So you're telling me half the testing site is encased in ice, exploded, all-electric circuits down, and with structural damage thanks to noise and acid because… Of a kiss that terrified everyone?”

“That’s what happened. On the bright side, pun not intended, we are now sure Toru can flash pretty hard when she is properly motivated.”

“Midnight, you were supposed to avoid that! Did we even get Kirishima from the ice?”

“Majima called one of his problem students to help. Her solution to everything includes fire and explosion but she is very good at solving problems. Kirishima should be out any minute now.”

“Also, can we agree that her being able to blind everyone is actually amazing? Imagine what she can do as a limelight hero? Infiltration, sabotage, and during a fight, sabotage the enemy… I’m thinking I might teach her a bit for her internship.”

“That… Is a wonderful idea and I support it with all my whole heart. Still, the damages are quite high. Maybe another teacher might be a good idea to help supervise the students. I am thinking of Cementoss, to repair what the heavy hitter destroys, Mic, for those who call himself the mid-range and Midnight, keeps her role as a mentor for self-improvement. Any questions?”

“No, sir!”

“Good. Also, you might want to tell Vlad about it and how it can be useful. Good day!”

“And who will cover the cost for the repair?”

“I will. My grandson is partly responsible, no? It is logical that I do that and honestly, it is not as close as the damage Endeavor did when he was a student here and didn’t have the control he has now.”

“Yes, we all know why the mountain behind the academy doesn’t have vegetation anymore. I can’t believe he caused a fire because of a pollen allergy.”

“It took a lot of work to convince him to get out of his room afterward. Still, get to work!”

———

After the incident got out, pretty much everyone in the class voted to join in, to help each other with their quirk. Yes, Izuku was the quirk nerd resident. It didn’t mean he had a solution for everyone or that no one else had one.

As an example, no one had a solution to Koda, as it was technically not heroic to summon once again all the rats in the city, especially before asking Shoji to teach them ninjutsu. When Iida tried to say anything, a horde of rats looked at him. He retracted anything he was going to say with the wisdom of almost facing death.

It scared him almost like the time he thought he killed a man in a hospital after using his quirk for fun and kicking him in the face as he fell through the stairs. Hard to remember the date, though, even if the man had the same hair as Izuku.

———

“So, it is our fated meeting, oh class 1-A!”

No one in class 1-A knew who Monoma was, and he lost Izuku as to why he talked to him instead of Momo, the class rep, Todoroki, the son of one of the most famous heroes in Japan, or Bakugou, the angriest person on earth.

“… Hello, random person I have never seen before?”

“I came here to declare war on 1-A during the Sport Festi…”

“I am sure it is interesting, but see, I am going to join my girlfriend for lunch. Can you… Do that another time?” Izuku had many things on his mind. Monoma wasn’t one of them.

“What, are you saying that a girl is more important than a rival?!”

“My rival is Katsuki. If you want to take this spot, talk to him.” In doubt, always point to Katsuki.

Katsuki, who waved with his “happy” smile at Monoma. The student thought furiously about how he could escape his current predicament.

“I meant as a quirk specialist?”

“The closest then is Todoroki. He has a lot of theories and I heard Nedzu is teaching him.”

Todoroki, who decided Katsuki probably knew what he was doing and imitated him, with less emotion but it was as creepy.

“… As an outstanding student?”

“I point you to Momo, Todoroki, and Katsuki, who are all above me in grade.”

Momo created a fan to cool herself a bit while the boys smiled (well, Katsuki smiled, Shouto simply had a little smirk).

“… I just wanted to pick with a weak quirk and the same skills like me, as a rival, okay? Because of the joint-toe, you know? I read on the internet either they had a powerful as hell quirk but died quickly or had a weak quirk. Since you are alive, I bet you are the latter.”

Izuku inhaled.

“What did you say?”

He knew it was partly his fault because he asked everyone to not speak about his quirk, just like Hitoshi did. As a result, a rumor went around that he was quirkless and won his place because he saved many people during the exam, which was not untrue. Also, he knew pretty much anyone who went to the infirmary at the same time they treated him, be it post-USJ, after Aizawa’s test the first day, or even after he was sent to the infirmary on the day of the exam.

So many opportunities for someone to read his files.

“I said I wanted an easy opponent because you might as well be a quirk…”

Itsuka shut up the idiot with her trademark chop on his head.

“Sorry about this idiot, he’s not bad, just a bit…”

“Completely insensitive. Tell him I accept his declaration of war when he wakes up and he will deserve everything he will get.” Izuku had a dead cold store, his voice making the temperature drop in the room.

“Same for me, the only one who can pick on Izuku because he is weaker than me, IS ME!” It was certainly not because he didn’t like someone underestimating Izuku’s effort to be a hero.

“I just don’t like how he talks, so I guess I will join them.” Shouto joined too.

“Si je le vois reparler de ce sujet, je vais le savater tellement fort que son visage ressemblera à son cul, comme ça il aura une bonne raison de dire de la merde.”

Everyone turned to the French resident student, while the horned girl in class 1-B was shocked, knowing a bit about French. She didn’t expect someone usually so shiny to have such a foul vocabulary.

“Sensitive topic for me as well.” Yuga said as if speaking of weather, before cracking his knuckle, his trademark smile gone.

“… So, Monoma pissed almost a quarter of your class. That is better than I expected.”

“Better?”

“If I didn’t stop him, your entire class would have ganged up on him. He isn’t bad. He is just way way too much into the supposed rivalry between 1-A and 1-B. Please, don’t put us in the same basket.”

“Don’t worry ma chère, I only want to break his bone a little if I can.”

“… Honestly, that seems fair.”

“We have a deal, then. Tell Monoma he wanted a rivalry, and he got four of them. Five if we count Toru, as she is very protective of Izuku.”

Some people almost felt something like pity for Monoma. Most thought it was deserved.

————

In a dark alley, in the evening.

“Seems we arrived just in time, ma’am. No one is there yet.” In the alley, in front of the tall man in a dark suit, a costumed corpse laid.

“Is Flathead alive or possible to save?” A feminine cold voice emerged from his cellphone, as he looked at the body.

“Depend, do we have someone that can heal a decapitation?”

“Sad, he was useful to help up the local S.MA.S.H. The Hero Killer?”

“Not here. However, Foxtails found something interesting. Flathead fought better than the others and drew blood, from what I can see. A fair amount.” He said, looking at his charge who was excitingly sniffing the corpse and lapping his blood.

“Oh? Interesting. Enough for…”

“She estimates she can take his appearance for a few hours. Enough for one usage. Maybe two if we are quick.” He knew better than anyone the limit of their best assassin.

“Just enough to destroy any credit the Hero Killer has.”

“Can I recommend a target, ma’am? I think using Foxtails against Ingenium might be interesting. It would show the Hero Killer is just a killer, doesn’t hesitate to strike someone helping former vigilantes, and also put a stop to the Iida family’s investment in the zone, which stopped the support for the local criminal and the use of our heroes there.”

“That is an interesting idea. I want a draft with the potential effects and how to deal with the fallout afterward to serve our narrative.”

“Yes Ma’am”

The HSPC agent smiled at the prospect of his future promotion. He disliked a lot to be the handler of some of the weapons of the HPSC, especially when they were half maniacs like this one.

“FOXTAILS, stop drinking the blood on the corpse, and collect the hero killer’s blood, please!”

“… Does that mean I will become Mr. Stainy?! Will I kill him?!” Said the assassin, as she began to work.

“If you are a useful and obedient girl, yes.”

A certain blond girl with two buns jumped happily at the idea while she used an item and her nose to smell the right blood to collect, for her support item.

“I can’t wait to kill someone like Mr. Stainy, and get their blood!”

“Fox Tails, please, calm yourself, otherwise I might ask for more sessions with Miss Seijin Nomin.”

Fox Tails immediately froze, while shivering. It wasn’t something she wanted to repeat. She had to be a good girl until they released her. Good girl. She was a good girl.

The agent smoked quietly as the silence set in.

Everything was going all according to the HPSC’s prediction, after all, to cement its position now All for One was gone.

————

In the private sanatorium Tamashi No Nokori, later that week.

“Rei Todoroki? There is a visitor for you, so can you come please, in room 6?”

Rei wasn’t a stranger to the proper procedure in the place. There were seven rooms for a visit. It was when, for some reason, they had to be private and couldn’t be in the resident’s bedroom.

Room 1 to 4 was when the police needed to interrogate someone. 5 was for a conjugal visit.

6 was for when you wanted to avoid seeing the face of your visitor or the resident.

There was only one person for whom she asked to use room 6.

“So, he finally came… Thank you Sakura, it is nice to warn me. I will… Come.”

The nurse helped Rei stand, as it was obvious the woman was taking it upon herself to move. The #2’s wife recovered a lot in the years she spent here, and many people here wanted to help her. Some tried to speak to the journalists, but every time it had been silenced.

It was pretty much why everyone gave Enji a freezing stare, even if the #2 seemed less passionate than on T.V.

Alone, on a small chair, all Endeavor could do was wait with a stack of paper, and hope Rei accepted to speak. She had every right to refuse, and even now, he didn’t know if he could tell her about Touya. Something was fishy about his death, it was now confirmed. However, it was not as if he had proof their boy was still alive. It was a possibility, but he didn’t count too much on it. He didn’t want to give her false hope.

“So. You finally came.”

An icy voice came through the speaker, as Enji took his microphone to speak.

“Yes.”

“So, what happened? Did one of our kids finally follow their grandfather’s path?”

“Technically speaking, yes. Nedzu took them, and they are safe.”

The silence set in between the couple, separated by a wall. Enji could picture her angered at him with good reasons. As she processed what he was saying, he continued.

“You were right, all these years. I was… Becoming a new him. Differently, yes, as I wasn’t burning people left and right.”

“And?”

“And I am sorry. Shouto found good people at U.A. and they protected him from me. Nedzu… Nedzu told me I wasn’t his son anymore.”

A pin dropped as Rei tried to comprehend what had happened during the last weeks. Nedzu repudiated Endeavor as his adoptive son in all but name? He then took their children and took them somewhere safe?

“So, he took all the kids and dressed you down? You didn’t punch him?”

“I tried. All Might bitchslapped me. I brought you the video if you want to watch it. It might make you laugh.”

“I might, thank you, Enji. So, you came here for what? To apologize and be forgiven?”

To the cold voice, a small chuckle answered.

“As if any apologies could repair what I have done, Rei. I learned from the doctor all you needed to get out was my signature, and I already gave it.

No, my real motive is to bring you divorce papers. You will have 95% of my assets, a new house as I am thinking of burning the old one, and the custody of the children, once the therapist and they think they are ready to see you… Though only Shouto is still a kid.”

When Enji stopped talking, Rei took her time thinking. It was not what she was expecting. Was it… Was it a trap? After all these years, Enji finally came back to his senses? Did the man she loves…

She then remembered her therapy. She should stop thinking she could fix him. Even if he remembered her favorite flower, she should stop thinking he was a good husband.

“And you hope for forgiveness, then?”

“No. I don’t hope nor deserve forgiveness from you and the children. I am… Just finally doing something right, I guess.” His tone, as soft as an ember dying, almost convinced Rei of his sincerity. Then, she remembered something really important.

“Even after you silenced anyone from the sanatorium who tried to speak to the journalists? Three of them received menace, Enji. Their children, taken in pictures.”

Enji felt the anger rise in him. He couldn’t blame her for thinking of him as someone capable of doing that. However, it was horrible the HPSC did that to cover everything.

“I am NOT responsible for that. However, I am tracking the culprits.”

“… Are seriously implying someone was responsible for your fu…” Rei tried to yell at him, as there were more believable lies when Enji interrupted her.

“Rei, the HPSC tried to make me their personal Ashen King.”

It was enough for the room to drop below 0°C. Rei tried to hate and use it to cool her head and think Endeavor was manipulating her, but she knew. She knew it was the only thing he would never use in a lie, and her stupor stopped the ice from emanating from her for a second.

“What?”

“I… I cannot give you all the details here. But… Rei? I am not hoping for you to forgive me or anything. I am hoping to fix, as much as I can, your life. You won’t have to see me again once I’m done.”

He felt the words dying on his lips when he wanted to say he still loved her. He would always, despite everything.

It wasn’t as if he still had the right to.

“Enji? What are you thinking of doing? What is going on?”

“… All I can tell you now, Rei… Is that Touya didn’t die because of Trigger that day. And for all that is worth… I am sorry. For being a bad husband and ruining your life.”

“… Enji, that is NOT an answer and you will tell ME.”

“REI IT IS DANGEROUS AND I CAN NOT ALLOW YOU TO GET HURT.” The only moment Enji dared to raise his voice this time and it was to protect her? Who was he kidding?

“NO MORE THAN YOU HURT ME?”

It hit like an uppercut. He also knew she was right, which still didn’t make him wrong.

“Yes, Rei. Exactly. Now, stop the ice. I don’t think the wall will support more of your frost.”

Just as he said that the wall exploded, and he saw Rei, his wife, while the room was full of ice. Uh, maybe she froze the camera and everyone thought everything was still fine. Or they were just too stunned to do anything.

Was it normal he could feel his heart clenched when he saw her that angry against him?

When Rei smacked him with a giant ice hand against the wall, he asked himself the same question as all these years ago.

Why didn’t she become a hero?

She was him, but with ice. The fact they had a sparring battle during one of the prearranged dates of the Omai was one of the reasons he fell hard for her, especially as she beat him with so much grace.

Sure, he could technically free himself and beat her easily now, but if she wanted to hurt him, who was he to refuse her wish? She had the right to.

“Enji TODOROKI. ARE YOU SERIOUSLY TRYING TO IMPLY THERE WAS SOMETHING FISHY WITH MY SON’S DEATH AND I AM NOT ALLOWED TO KNOW?”

“… Well, I feared some micro and spying device, but seeing how you destroyed the room…”

“TELL ME EVERYTHING!”

Endeavor had to use his fire to cool the room, as Rei went full mama bear and forgot she was not that immune to her own ice. Her anger stopped her to feel the flame of Endeavor, not motivated by pride but remorse. All she wanted was the truth.

Then, he told her everything, as the ice destroyed the papers.

————

“Doctor, do we agree we should destroy any record of what just happened?”

“Oh definitely. Especially if Endeavor said the truth, and he is not responsible for the silence about his abuse.”

“At least, it is… Nice to see him properly taking action. Also, aren’t we in trouble? I mean, are we not in a lot of trouble to hear about the Ashen King?”

“Yes, yes, you are,” Nedzu said, as he entered the room, with a small silver object in his hand. Everyone had barely the time to register what happened. Nedzu pulled up some sunglasses, and a flash went into the room.

“However, all you heard was Rei and Enji having a really heated conversation, and Rei standing up to a very sad Enji. There was no secret talk whatsoever.”

“There was no secret talk whatsoever.” The personnel in the room repeated, without any emotion.

“Seriously, when will that boy ever make me stop worrying about him?”

Nedzu sighed as he exited the room and stole the video records and replaced them with fake ones.

————

Meanwhile, in once again another place…

All for One was thinking, as all his agents reported to him what they discovered. Everything was falling into place, just as expected. Tomura was doing better than expected and learned valuable lessons. The HPSC was also doing its job to worsen the society and the other things were fine. He even had the pleasure of discovering that one of his side projects resurrected from the ground. Having a plan C was always nice, after all.

Drinking some high-quality wine, he also looked forward to the dinner next week.

After all… It was always nice to see some family, no?

Chapter 17: Villains and villainy

Chapter Text

“So, you’re the Hero Killer? Nice to meet you. People call me Boss.”

Tomura wore his villain suit, which meant a mask with his father’s hand on it and an Armani suit. Either you got style or you didn’t.

For example, Tomura’s interlocutor wasn’t the classy type, but the young villain knew instinctively to not mess with him. Stain, the Hero Killer, with his trademark red scarf and armed with a variety of knives, swords… Seriously, he had weapons for days to hunt and kill his prey with.

“Boss… We’ll see if you deserve that title, young one. I came here because Kurogiri promised to erase my tab if I listened to your speech.”

Stain loved a good Bloody Mary and Kurogiri made a killer one, especially if you paid a little extra and he used your enemy’s blood (you had to supply the blood though).

For the moment, the tone was civil, as he knew about the Boss from his attack on U.A., with his goal of ensuring the students remembered what it meant to be a hero early on. It was something Stain could agree with, even if it meant Boss had to fight All-Might. However, he had his suspicions and wanted to meet the man himself to learn the truth of the matter.

“To begin with, let’s start with an easy one…” Stain said that with his rough voice, as he played with a knife… “What do you want to do?”

“Do you know what it means to be Quirkless?” A question for a question? An interesting response, especially since it was a rhetorical question. “Did you know they can’t count on heroes to save them because they represent such a small percentage of the population and aren’t worth the effort?”

Stain knew that tidbit, because of his old friendship with Atsuhiro. Of course, since Stain killed while the magician had a no-kill rule, they rarely spoke, only when they met at Magne’s safe house.

“I know that, yes, and they often resort to vigilantism to defend themselves. Except the whole ‘a quirkless person managed to beat a criminal with his wits and intelligence’ doesn’t happen often: not enough training, not enough equipment, not enough people, and of course not enough experience before being killed.”

It was a sad truth, but only in comics could you pull through with just grits and guts. Knuckle Duster was an exception because the man was a goddamn hero before losing his quirk in a mysterious incident. He had the build and the wits to match his foes and he had a team.

“Exactly. Then you can say the same thing about complex mutants not being sexy or manly enough like Miruko or Orca is, or even people with a destructive quirk that they have almost no control over.”

To prove his point, Tomura took off his blue, red, and yellow gloves and grabbed a bottle. He grabbed an empty one, of course, otherwise, Kurogiri would have been sad. He dusted it in an instant in front of Stain who was reevaluating the young man. He had a strong quirk and was reminded of someone else. The Hero Killer knew he had to test the mettle of the man in front of him.

Tomura used his free hand to grab the knife Stain threw at him. The vigilante aimed for his shoulder. Nothing lethal. It was a test.

“Explain, mister Stain. Otherwise, and Kurogiri will agree, we will have words.”

“It was a test. I wanted to see if you tried sparing the children during your attack or if it was just a convenient truth that you used to lure me there.”

Tomura thought about it a second before returning the knife to Stain. Once again, he had to thank Izuku. Learning to lose, to accept he didn’t always have the upper hand. Sometimes, when an NPC wanted to know more about you and gave you choices, you had to take certain actions before they rewarded you.

“I want to destroy society, Stain. I will do whatever it takes and maybe, just maybe, that means I have to kill a child. However, I know my cause is just, and I will do whatever it takes.”

Stain was notoriously an All-Might fanboy and Tomura was deliberately hiding that he would kill him at some point. Maybe he could hide the murder as a part of a controlled war between the new Symbol of Evil and the new Symbol of Peace?

Anyway, Stain smiled like the creep he was as he finished his drink and gave his hand to Tomura.

“It seems like your League might be interesting, especially with the little advantages you provide. I have already paid Kurogiri for the special insurance in case you get caught. I hope you can follow through on your promises, but I can trust another All-Might fan.”

Tomura was happy to have his mask on, as it allowed him to hide his disbelief and hate. What did Stain say?

“I mean, those are special 25th-anniversary artist gloves there. They’re quite rare, you know? I’d like to know where you’d found them since I know this damn Small Might got two pairs of them.”

————

Somewhere, while helping his friends with their training, Izuku sneezed. Someone might be jealous of his All-Might collection!

————

“It is a gift from a friend… He is one of the reasons I thought a lot about how to do what I plan to do. I hope to one day introduce you to him since he is also an All-Might fan and shares his ideas on what it means to be a hero.”

Stain nodded before stretching. One of the reasons he also accepted the League’s offer was the freedom they gave to their members and the warping provided by Kurogiri.

Now, he had some work to do, and he should get to it!

“I know a hero who should get his sentence. Thanks to the HPSC, he is tightly linked with the police force. I discovered he stopped some investigations that interest me and an old coworker of mine. Maybe the Boss would be interested in a little team up to torture him a bit and do some holy justice?”

Tomura thought about it before accepting, not hiding his enthusiasm for the idea. Even if their ideas diverged, as long as their actions converged, the Hero Killer seemed like an interesting person!

“My pleasure. So, who is this old teammate? I am curious after all…”

“She changes her identity frequently. I don’t even know her real name. Our paths separated two years ago after we determined she sucked at combat missions. I mean, defeating a petty thug? Sure, no problem. But nothing more than that, and I don’t have time to protect someone else when on a mission.”

“Mood. People need to pull their weight in battle.”

“… That is a strange way of speaking, but… Anyway. Let’s deliver some justice to this corrupted world! If they are heroes, then it is right that we call ourselves… Villains.”

“Hence why I called it the League of Villains.”

Both men went on their merry way to kill a Hero. Both missed the fact the media never covered the murder because Tomura completely dusted the body after they killed the poor hero.

Stain sighed since he didn’t get more information on the HPSC’s plans. Two in particular: Mockingbird and Imperial Flame. He was almost certain that the latter had to do with Endeavor, slowly becoming a puppet for the corrupted leaders of the HPSC while the former… Stain found it extremely strange that some minor villains with rare quirks disappeared, based on the data he retrieved when he infiltrated the police station. He knew what was happening, but he needed more proof if he wanted to call in reinforcements. Hilariously, he might have not gotten the information, if one member of the HPSC didn’t try to buy his freedom.

However, he knew he could count on Sophie to relay his findings to Compress if something happened to him. After all… This crazy bitch survived getting stabbed three times in the heart when they fought against a criminal together.

Even if she sucked at fighting, she was one of the best meat shields he ever had.

Shame it was such a f*cking mess to clean after she used her quirk.

————

Meanwhile, during Tomura’s fun mission,

A car arrived in front of a dentist’s office. Two people stepped out of it. One of them was angry and had the firepower to destroy a building, and the other was Enji Todoroki.

In front of them was the office of the doctor Hano Sugomono. A dentist who operated on heroes and their families, since he offered discretion so the paparazzi could be kept at bay.

However, in this case, the good doctor saw the two people outside of the car and sighed. Had the day finally come?

“Sakura? Send our two visitors directly to my office. Don’t make them wait or try to make them go away. Then get out. Take your day off and take Hara to the family park.”

It was useless to stop them and Hano wanted to preserve his office as much as possible. However, he would have to report this as soon as possible, if he were still alive after the meeting. Also, that way Sakura could report to her superior. It was time to see if their daughter was more important to her than the HPSC.

As soon as Enji and his wife came through, he greeted them with his biggest smile.

“Ah, sir, I am sorry, I didn’t know you had an appointment but…”

“Hano, we need to talk.”

sh*t.They were as pissed as he thought. However, the dentist survived worse, such as his family dinner and he knew how to lie like… Well, like a dentist when he was told people it wouldn’t hurt.

“… Can we sit down and not destroy my office? Then we can talk like adults.”

“That depends if you can explain to me why you had a hand in covering up my son’s death?”

Rei’s voice was as cold as Hano’s father’s voice when he was angry. Nothing he couldn’t fend off, he thought as he closed the curtains on his windows. It was important to give everyone what they wanted.

“… Mister and madam Todoroki, what exactly did you discover about Touya’s death?”

“You couldn’t know, but Touya lost two teeth the day he died.” When Endeavor was the calm one, you knew it was bad.

f*ck. It meant many things, and none of them were good for him. It was going to be hard to escape this situation. A good point, though: he didn’t have to pretend to be scared sh*tless.

“… You… You understand that if I tell you what they forced me to do… I will most likely disappear, right?”

First step, establishing a few things. He knew how the heroes would react, but the real danger was Rei. The woman was breathing ice on his neck, literally.

“Hano… Hano, Hano. You took care of my family for many years, so let me be clear. If you don’t speak, you will disappear.”

Enji sighed before he breathed some fire to heat the room. Good cop and bad cop, the usual tactic.

“She is not joking. If needed, I will burn every piece of evidence that you ever existed. I would prefer to avoid that, as I hate the smell of burned humans.”

Hano swallowed his saliva before he sat in his chair.

“Do… Do any of you remember my quirk?”

One of the reasons the dentist charged so much? He was a doctor for heroes and he had a quirk that allowed him to save someone’s teeth. After that, the good doctor could produce the teeth in the same state. Impossible to distinguish from the original. It… Explained a lot to Enji about why the HPSC might be interested in the dentist. It was a godsend to make someone disappear.

“So, you helped make some fake teeth to hide what happened to my child.”

“… If it helps, I know it was a real body on site. They burned it afterward in front of me after I activated my quirk.”

It was technically the truth since that was what happened. He had his own theories, but as his dad said, knowledge was power but also a Sword of Damocles.

“And the body…” Rei put her hand around his neck, snow budding on him.

“Was some blond kid, with roughly the same build as Touya. I always disliked switching teeth for them, but… It’s hard to say no when Thunderbolt explains what he can do to you.”

Gallow humor. It helps control your bladder. He knew that better than anyone.

Rei took her hand off the dentist’s neck, but it didn’t calm him. If the temperature was higher, he would be sweating. Instead, ice was crawling up his back. His explanation was good enough for the mother, but now the problem was…

Enji Todoroki.

A man who had nothing to lose, if Sugomono was correct, and with enough experience to tell if someone was hiding things from him.

A small blade of fire erupted from Endeavor’s finger as he joined Rei.

“I… Dislike torture. It makes me want to puke simply thinking about it. However, I was trained by one of the smartest beings alive on earth. I know when someone isn’t telling me the full story.”

Hano knew that perfectly, as Endeavor was often called in as back-up for investigation. Fire-power and brains. Honestly, it was mainly because the man didn’t have the charisma All Might possessed that Endeavor wasn’t number 1. That and, of course, because it was helping the HPSC to create an inferiority complex inside of him.

“… Very well. My power can’t save dead people’s teeth.”

While he was saying that, the good doctor created a tooth in front of him, one Endeavor, and Rei never forgot.

The first time they brought Touya to the doctor, to do a small check-up after their kid lost his first teeth, to make sure he didn’t need rectification.

“That’s all I know. That’s a part of my power nobody knows, except my family. Even the HPSC doesn’t know about that limitation. But you never heard it from me. And… I hope you can forgive me. Or at least them.”

He took one of the two pictures on his desk, one of him, his wife, and their first-born daughter. The couple looked at the picture, and their hands seemed to get close together… Before, Endeavor and Rei pulled them back simultaneously. One with shame and the other with anger.

“… Thank you, Hano. But you should leave. Also, if we find out that you lied to us…”

The dentist chuckled.

“Don’t worry. I am not mad enough to make the most dangerous people on earth my enemies.”

The couple returned to their car soon afterward, with the tooth.

They never saw Hano Sugomono again, as his office disappeared in blue flame the same evening.

Apparently, Sakura was very thorough in his report to the HPSC during the meeting.

Everyone missed the picture of Hano and his old mentor, signed by a certain Kyudai.

————

At the HPSC Headquarter, 13th floor.

Head of the therapist department of the HPSC, Seijin Nomin’s office.

The old white-haired therapist had a kind smile, as she was currently talking to her patient. Oh, she sincerely loved them. You couldn’t understand them if you didn’t love them and care about them. You had to know their limits, what you could do, say to them, and how to push their buttons.

“Now, now. Your name is…”

“Dabi.”

The old lady chuckled a bit playfully. The boy was so cute, hiding his name like this. Oh, sure, he wasn’t a boy anymore, but it was funny seeing him doing this. She could just pinch his burned cheeks.

“Very well Dabi. Can you tell me about how you feel?”

“You mean aside from the excruciating pain?”

Oh right, she almost forgot this. Seijin gently took Dabi’s hand and took his pain away, before bottling it inside a specially made jar.

The boy sighed with delight, as the old woman just took his ability to feel pain for a moment: if the HPSC’s favorite cleaner continued to have his sessions, it was because painkillers didn’t work with his burned body and only her Quirk allowed him to feel relief.

“Yes, except the pain, my boy. You know you can tell me everything, don’t you?”

Dabi closed his eyes, as he knew it was the truth: Seijin was probably the most influential person in the building, as pretty much every underground agent in the building had sessions with her and needed her to various degrees.

Nobody wanted to cross her and everyone in the building knew she had torn a new one to the new president when she tried to reduce Seijin’s program. No one knew exactly what happened that day, but they all heard the president of the commission apologize to the old therapist and promised the Commission would never hurt one of her patients.

“It’s just… I feel trapped. I know I do what I do to purify society, by burning its impurities… But I feel like I could do so much more. Like punishing false heroes, or eradicating criminals.”

“You mean, like that one time, when we asked you to eliminate all but three people at the QLF hideout we found and you burned everyone?”

“… I TOLD YOU I WAS SORRY. Also, I was right, wasn’t I? They all deserved death! This f*cking society is corrupted and…”

Seijin grabbed his hand again, pressing it softly.

“Dabi. Calm down. We both know why you feel like that. The real reason.”

“f*cking Endeavor.”

Seijin smiled sadly at the boy. He had such deeply rooted anger toward everything. All he needed was direction and comprehension. Honestly, if she didn’t know about Enji’s life and past, she would have been furious.

However, seeing as she was the one who f*cked up his mind in the first place, maybe it was also a tad bit hypocritical.

Especially now that she was channeling all of Dabi’s repressed hatred toward himself, all his guilt and doubt, changing it into anger toward his father…

Daddy issues. As her father taught her very early in her life, there was nothing better to manipulate people than using their issues with their parents.

To avoid being manipulated herself, she may have forced her mom to… Retire from life early?

“Exactly. You might not know this, but apparently, your father is working with… unsavory individuals. He even made somebody the HPSC kept locked up free again!”

“… Why don’t I have the right to free my family then?!” The boy erupted in flame before the auto-extinguishers activated and did their work. Seijin laughed again, seeing the poor boy drenched in jello.

“Because making the #2 disappear while All-Might is so close to retiring would disrupt the whole societal order. The necessary evil. But, you know what, Dabi?”

“… Yes Ma’am?”

“I will convince the president to put you on a mission with Foxtail. If you carry out, you will be rewarded, greatly. I can promise you that.”

Dabi inhaled before locking his deep blue eyes on her.

“… How?”

“Well, if you succeed in your mission, society will be stable enough for… an incident to happen to Endeavor.”

“An incident?”

“Overheating, making his body disappear in blue flames kind of incident.”

This brought Dabi a sinister smile on his face.

Now, she couldn’t resist it. She pinched his cheek.

“Seijiiiiin! Stop it! I am over 20 now!”

“NEVER! You are one of my kids!”

Then they both laughed, as Dabi didn’t notice the warmth he was supposed to feel for his family shifting to another person. Her.

—————

At the Exegol ward, there was a house.

This house was older than most parts of the city, and many thought it was probably dating back to the Dawn of Quirk era.

It was older than that.

A lonely old man who never had visitors occupied the old mansion, except once in a while when his eccentric family had dinners there, such as for Christmas or Halloween. He gave the best treats ever, despite looking positively terrifying with his old geeky disguise. Darth Vader, he once explained, was one of his favorite villains, as he was a complex character and all he wanted was to rule the galaxy with his family.

A crazy old man, but not a dangerous one, they all thought, and a sad one as his family shrank over the years. His sadness, before his accident, was noticeable. Now, he had to spend his time with a heavy apparatus to breathe properly.

Seikyo Shigaraki, also known as All for One by his enemies and his allies, loved this old neighborhood. It also served him as a reminder that One for All didn’t pass on the memories of previous holders, otherwise his brother might have thought of checking their old family’s house.

It is a peaceful ward now. Every villain knew it was a heavily patrolled ward and any crime there would bring someone like Crust down on them. If a powerful villain tried to use that as a way to fight a ranked hero…

Well, Seikyo was happy to add a new quirk to his collection.

Currently, though, he was busy setting up the table for his dinner night.

People like All Might seemed to think he didn’t have feelings, emotions, or thoughts other than being an evil overlord.

It was untrue. Seikyo was also very much a family man. Today was the anniversary of the disappearance of his favorite son. He spared nothing to learn what happened to Racky Dorobou and his wife. Well, he found her, but she had chosen to unalive herself, to put it politely. It was this action that made Seikyo make sure that his son, despite whatever happened to him, was dead.

Even today, Giran was still searching for the truth for him. If AfO didn’t have a lie-detector quirk, he would have thought Giran was using him.

Still, as tradition dictated, AfO put a set for Racky, as he had been a filial son, unlike his first. Oh well, at the very least, his daughter was coming. Seikyo was ecstatic about that!

Then the door rang. AfO, smiling, went to it.

“Grandpa!”

Seikyo saw his granddaughter, barely 8, who hugged his leg. She was so adorable he could lock her in a vault all for himself!

“Hara! My cutest little one!”

Hara was happy as her grandfather hugged her back. Sure, he was scary and looked like a monster. However, he was still her grandpa! When everyone said it was weird her quirk didn’t come, he grabbed her hand and suddenly she could control enamel! No one dared to laugh at her after that!

“Dad.” Hano smiled at his father, as the doting grandfather put his granddaughter back on the ground, before enveloping his last living son in a bear hug. Unlike his big brother, he refused to join the criminal empire, but he was happy as he was and he was an excellent dentist.

“Son. I have prepared for…”

“I know. Thank you, dad.”

Both smiled at each other.

Hano immediately called after meeting with Endeavor and explained everything to his father. Had it been anyone else, All for One would have erased them from the world, them, and their family. However, Hano had been honest, loyal, and competent. He was a dutiful son who knew his position. All he had asked was for his family to be taken care of.

Also, if Hano disappeared, it meant never seeing his cute Hara again.

“And how is Sakura?” After all, it was time for his son to do what they needed to do about his wife/secretary and spy for the HPSC.

“She met Shiroi Kiba for a drink.” Moonfish was an excellent option and Hano and he was friends since they shared the same passion: teeth.

So, when Hano asked him to take care of a little problem for him, Moonfish happily did it.

All for One laughed, as his son brought Hara inside. They just had to wait… for his daughter.

“DADDY!”

All for One almost fell, as he felt his daughter, despite not being young anymore, throwing herself onto him like Hara.

“Seijin! You shouldn’t do that! I keep telling you to let Kyudai at least give you some gene therapy! We even used some of my pawns to perfect the research and the process!”

“… How about you give me that as a Christmas Gift? I have been a very good girl!”

“Finally? Good lord, I want to keep my family, you know?”

“And let me guess, it’s therapy or the vault, right?”

It was half a joke. She knew All For One had a vault where he kept the cryogenic bodies of all her siblings from before her generation, the disobedient children, and of course, the wives that became too old.

The smile on her daddy’s face told her everything she needed to know, and she had been right to accept this time.

“Now, come in, Kurogiri made a killer dinner! Some french cooking, one of your favorite. And…”

“I know Dad. I miss him too.”

Racky, also known as Misery. He disappeared 3 years ago, only a few years after Heart Stealer. He… He was one of the nicest guys around. Sure, he was a killer, an excellent one at that. He had his wife create an illusion so his target would hug him… And he would suck their luck. Once he had enough, he simply stopped and left. Only a few people knew exactly how his quirk worked, and AfO had been so proud of him.

He never missed a birthday and his favorite gift was giving someone the luck he stole.

“… He wouldn’t want us to mope around. Let’s go.”

“Still no news about his daughter?”

“We are still looking for her, but… nobody knows anything.”

“Once you find something…”

“Dad. She is my niece as well. If I find her, I will call everyone.”

Both smiled at each other before they began dining.

“Oh, and what about the pawn?”

“Hey, he still thinks he is a bishop.”

This made Seijin laugh before they sat down.

“Tonight, we honor our dead, and we say goodbye until the time is right. Hano, I prepared you and Hara for a nice place in a city I loved when I was younger. Dublin.”

Hano smiled, and Hara, too young to understand, clapped her hands.

After all, they were family and grandpa loved them, as long as they remained obedient.

Otherwise, they died like wicked uncle Heart Stealer.

Chapter 18: Sports Festival : Takeshi's Castle 2

Chapter Text

“HEY HEY HEY! IS EVERYBODY ON FIIIIIIRE?”

“YES!”

“GOOOOOOD! Today is the first day of the… SPORT FESTIVAL! As usual, we will see young heroes compete against each other, hoping to become heroes when they finish their course at U.A.!”

“Either that, or business executives, politicians, support heroes… Don’t forget about them, Mic.”

“AND OF COURSE WITH ME, I HAVE MY DEAR FRIEND ERASERHEAD!”

“You roped me into this. Literally. I am restrained against my will here.”

“Hahaha! Eraser, such a joker. Anyway, We will begin the first day of the festival with the first-year’s tournament!”

The mood was good, despite the USJ’s attack. No one signaled the League of Villain or the nefarious Boss, but the security was high and no one here would miss the Handy-man that attacked their students.

However, it didn’t reassure Nedzu, as an invisible hand was more dangerous than the visible dagger.

What sort of dangerous plot could he be plotting?

—————

“I swear, Kurogiri, it isn’t a date! It is…”

“Just you and a girl, going to a festival and spending more or less three days together, alone and without your parents.”

“EXACTLY, thank you Loony!”

“My pleasure.”

As Tomura disappeared into the portal, Kurogiri, and Loony smiled at each other.

“They grow up so fast. Do you have a picture book?”

“Only after I picked him up when he was 9. Before that, he had another caretaker. However, he messed up and…”

“Yeah, I heard Boss’ boss isn’t the man who tolerates failures.”

“Actually, he is, as long as you provide the truth and it doesn’t make you incompetent.”

“Oh. So, anyway… I have a training session with Stain. He wants to know how I killed Thunderbolt.”

“Be careful, both. While I have some medical knowledge, I can’t bring back the dead!”

“Pfff… Yes dad!”

————

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH”

Izuku was currently evacuating stress before the tournament, yelling as hard as he could.

Shouto, who discovered he loved to yell when he could, joined him in this endeavor. He wasn’t anxious about the tournament, as Nedzu and Hound-Dog’s session allowed him to not care about being the #1 if he didn’t want to be it. His mindset was to enjoy the competition and have fun.

Kirishima and Denki joined the scream, as it was manly, and fired up their spirit.

Bakugou joined because he was Bakugou.

It wasn’t worrying for most people. As for Inko, she couldn’t do well then there were too much people, so she and Atsuhiro stayed at home. It wasn’t a ploy from his stepfather to have cuddle time.

However, if the situation stressed Izuku, it wasn’t only because of the competition:

As one of the two valedictorians of the practical exam, they expected a speech from Bakugou and him!

Of course, they already knew what Bakugou was going to say: “I am the next #1, good luck beating me, it won’t be enough.”

Izuku, however, had pretty much no idea. What was he going to say? What was he supposed to say? Plus Ultra? Talk about original.

“Toru to Izuku. Toru to Izuku. Do you copy?”

Suddenly, Izuku snapped, as Toru sighed. Yep, Izuku was once again locked in one of his mental loops on what he was supposed to do. He needed someone to snap him out of it. Often Katsuki, sometimes here and one time, Hitoshi, who used his quirk, so the green-haired boy took a second to refresh himself in the bathroom.

“… Sorry, just a bit stressed.”

“Izuku, if we put a dynamo under your leg, we could power the entire city. You are that jumpy.”

“You are right. It's just I don’t know what to say, to be inspiring enough and be good en…”

Toru bonked him.

“Izuku. We are teenagers. The world is going to be a mess if they already expected us to be the one saving it! Just be yourself and tell everyone why you want to be a hero.”

Izuku felt the familiar pressure of Toru’s invisible hug.

“I know that when you explained to me, it made me happy and warm. You are good enough, as you are Izu-kun.”

People found their couple strange sometimes, as she was the typical over energetic girl and he was the very definition of the dork. However, both completed each other very well, Izuku helping Toru to focus all her buzzing energy towards her goal and her letting him relax as he should when otherwise he would be almost breaking himself.

At this precise moment? It worked wonderfully.

————

“Hoooyyyyy! Teeeeenko!”

Sweet. Tomura, who wanted to avoid grabbing the attention, was suddenly thrown into the spotlight: Nejire just called him by his real name in public. Nejire was many things, but discreet was not one of them, especially if she decided that levitating was the best option to spot ‘Tenko’.

The young man was in an unconscious sweat, the hood almost on his head, until he remembered he needed the blue-haired girl to help him go through the front door.

If you weren’t a +1 from someone already in U.A. (as a student or a staff) or if you didn’t go through a lot of background-checks, you wouldn’t be able to enter the school.

Well, at least that’s what he was going to say if anyone asked him, and certainly not because he appreciated the moment as she landed near him and grabbed his hand so they could shortcut the line by flying a bit. Being dangling in the air was also not in Tomura’s plan, but damn, the view was nice, as Nejire wore one of her long floaty robes, and her smile was something to behold.

“You know that asking is nice, too?”

“Yep! But this is faster that way and you don’t like the crowd, anyway!”

Two meetings only, but she already noticed that about him? Talk about being perceptive. Seriously, Tomura was now thinking she might have crafted her whole bubbly persona to make people lower their guard before she hugged them.

“So… What is the first event today?”

“Oh, it is the first year’s day! From what I have heard, initially, it was just supposed to be a race, but the principal found an old issue after spending some time with his grandchild.”

Tomura, suddenly, felt a pleasing feeling in his spine. He didn’t know how or why, but he was almost certain that damn Joker, the exploding dumbass, and the gargoyle would not have a good time.

“That seems nice!”

“Also, for the first time apparently, we have two valedictorians who have to make an entrance speech!”

Tomura nodded, while still in the air, before they finally arrived at their destination. A high class lounge where two people were already waiting. One of them looked like… Flipping Tintin, but on steroids apparently and as for the other, Tomura and as for the other… Tamaki and Tomura looked at each other and instantly, they knew.

“You too you got kidnapped by an over social person and they somehow constantly keep you by their side?”

The nod provided all the answers both needed and they accepted each other as mood kindred.

“… Nice to see you both are friendly with each other! Tenko, these are my two best friends in the world! Mirio and Tamaki!”

“I was going to call them Tintin and Tamaki.”

“You can call me Tintin only if I can call you Crusty.”

This bite made Tomura smile, as it showed the hero wasn’t a pushover.

“Nice to meet you all. I am Tenko and I am not a hero. Let’s just say I am among the quirks that have to keep them constantly sealed.”

Tomura pointed at the All-Might gloves. He was too used to them by now and it wasn’t as if he had many other options. Also, they would be perfect as a camo in U.A. He just looked like an Izuku.

“Ouch. Hard.” They kindly decided to not pursue the issue, to his great pleasure, as he sat beside Nejire. They could perfectly see the stadium in front of them and now, they were just waiting for the principal attraction. Oh, it was going to be so fun!

Wait, who was that green-haired boy on the podium?

“IZUKU?!”

“… You know him?”

“We play cards together!”

“Oh right, the little cousin you spoke about once or twice!”

“He isn’t my cousin, he is just a good friend!”

Nejire wondered why then she had the same pulsion to just fluff both their hair to check who had the fluffiest one.

————

“I am going to be the next #1. So good luck, and give it your all: I don’t want to be the best because you suck. I want to be the best because I am better than all of you.”

Surprisingly, Bakugou’s speech was not as spiteful as he could have been. In fact, it was even a bit encouraging, in a very Katsuki way. However, now, it was time for a dorky boy to speak in public. Izuku took as much air as he could, before remembering all the stage lessons Atsuhiro gave him. Now, he just has to pull his mask on his face… And this time, his mask was his smile.

“GOOD MORNING EVERYONE! So, after Katsuki, it's hard to do something even more competitive, right? So, I won’t. I just hope everyone has a fun day! Also, sorry Katsuki, but I think the audience would like it if I win, right? But anyway, TODAY LET’S BE HEROES! FOR EVERYONE’S SMILE!”

If Katsuki got the boos, Izuku got the applause as he bowed toward the audience. It was not the time to explain, yet he would avoid using his quirk for the first round. The answer was simple: the final round always had a fight in them… Though he had obviously another motive to do so.

————

“He has some spirits, this one. I like him. What did you say his name was?”

“Izuku Midoriya. I knew he was a hero fan, but I didn’t know he wanted to go to U.A.!”

Tomura was pale. The way of speaking, half jokingly, the fact he was in the 1A and, of course, the NDA about the incident. Oh god, did that day he almost dusted Izuku?! He needed to breathe…

Or at least that was his thought before Nejire patted his head, kindly and like a big sister… Which was ironic since Tomura was older. A part of him, that he promptly punched, regretted it was not a hug like the first time.

Anyway, it helped him focus on something else. Like… Nejire and her merry friends.

“So… Sorry. I lost people in a villain incident and knowing… that Izuku was involved in an incident with a villain…”

“Oh. Well, I admit it is unfortunate they had to face their first villain that early.” Mirio seemed to understand Tomura’s worries, and explained a few things. “I mean, usually, you don’t face them until the first week of an internship after the tournament.” Wait. WHAT. WHAT DID HE MEAN BY THAT? “Also, this time, the villains didn’t seem that bad. Even if that Boss had a motive quite like the Hero Killer, at the very least he was coherent about it and didn’t kill anyone.”

Oh. Oh right, he had used that persona to seduce more people and reduce the attention on him. Oh god, that was a close one. Note to self: Adopt constantly the “Don’t kill child” persona.

Nejire nodded vigorously her head, while puffing her cheeks.

“I won’t forgive anyone who hurt my kouhai, though!”

Tomura couldn’t stop himself and pushed one of her cheeks, while Mirio did the same on the opposite side. Tamaki, him, tried to do his best Aizawa impression.

————

“So, my dear Eraserhead, what do you think of the first trial?”

“Nedzu is most likely insane, but if any students survive that, they deserve to be here.”

In front of them was a fully revamped race track, one that seemed to come from an old show. It had mud, ropes, various traps you would expect to find in a dungeon…

“EVERYONE, LET ME INTRODUCE YOU THE FIRST TRIAL! THE STUDENTS HAVE TO GO THROUGH…

THE NEDZU’S CASTLE RACE!”

“Yes, he totally changed the name, even though it is in the public domain now, but it is exactly what you think it is.”

Meanwhile, Cementoss, who had to build the whole thing with Power Loader, was sipping his tea.

—————

Endeavor, in his office, chuckled as he watched the TV. He was working alone today, but he knew his presence wasn’t needed, wanted, nor he deserved to go there. Instead, he was working on a side investigation and… And…

Suddenly, as much as he would have wanted to see Shouto run against his friends, Endeavor had a gut feeling.

It was a case closed years ago, and he opened it up only because of a little thing Nedzu told him.

After the Ashen King went into Japan, a lot of fire users died, as he liked to eat them. Their number wasn’t that high and many chose to live in another country because of the stigma Endeavor had to fight against.

The death of Hisashi Midoriya was a special interest for him.

————

"ATCHIE."

“A cold, Recovery Girl?” Cementoss was sitting in the teacher’s booth, with Midnight and various other members of the staff.

“More like worry, as I will have extra work today. Do I have all their quirks listed?”

“Yes, yes, there. Still thinking about that incident?”

“Urrrrgh. THEY f*ckING SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME THAT DUMBASS HAD A FIRE QUIRK, BEFORE I PUT HIM UNDER OXYGEN!”

Midnight coughed a bit. She remembered the incident as that man, soon after waking up, had tried to flirt with her heavily despite being clearly married, as the ring he wore attested. Midnight knew who she was and what image she gave, but she was not a home wrecker and she made him breathe a bit of her gas.

Gas who was, unknown to many people, highly inflammatory if the person had to breathe pure oxygen afterward.

————

Izuku thanked Atsuhiro for all his training. After all this time being chased by a crazy man and having to dodge attacks upon attack while a trap activated to stop him, Izuku was in a familiar environment. With his speed and agility, Izuku seemed to dance across the various contraptions Nedzu made for them. Most students, of course, used their quirks. The leads were currently Shouto, who iced the trap just enough to pass through, Katsuki, who was blasting what needed to be blasted out of his path, Mei, his friend from the support group (most likely because she helped for the traps and knew them better than anyone else) and him. He lost Toru in the frantic beginning, but he had faith in her gymnastic abilities, only second to Mina and his in the class.

Meanwhile, Toru was indeed doing well: Sure, people tried to push her around, but she had the common sense to be near Kirishima and Sato. For obvious reasons, people avoided bumping into them. Their trio was working well, between their strengths and her mind, analyzing the various traps. She had been vital for the trio, when they had to jump from rock to rock in an instant-death trial. More than a few people fell into the mud that way though, such as several Gen-Course. Their deaths were useful though, as it allowed her to notice the trick sign on the booby-trapped stones.

Still, she liked this race, as the faster ones were not the most effective. You need brain, skill and power.

“What do you think of our students that team-up in such an event, my dear friend!”

“First off, I reconsider our friendship on the basis you took my fruit pouches. Second, they are simply doing the logical thing: Alone, they would lose but together they stand a chance. For the Hero Course, it allows them to show to the pros they can cooperate well on the fly and for the Gen-Ed that they are extremely motivated about it. Finally, they can make sure of who they bring in at a later stage, if they are really vicious about it.”

“Oh? Some memories to share?” After all, Hizashi was interested by the story.

“Well, back in my second year, I managed to bring with me a loud guy. Best meat shield I ever had.” Aizawa had the biggest grin possible saying that, while realization dawned on his friend’s face.

“... Wait a minute. YOU SAID YOU DIDN’T DO THAT ON PURPOSE WHEN YOU USED ME TO BLOCK THE ARROWS!”

“IT WAS A LOGICAL RUSE!”

Even though both of them knew they were friends. Hell, Aizawa even helped Hizashi for a possible alibi during that time when one of his sonic booms missed a villain and hit an ambulance, years ago.

—————

“Your teachers are insane, you know that ?”

“They are good at what they do though.”

Mirio sighed, as he thought back on how hard Aizawa had been on him earlier. The number of evening courses he had to take to train his quirk properly.

In the same breath, Tamaki was thinking about how Hizashi kept making him talk during his English class despite hating being in the spotlight.

Nejire sighed as she didn’t have ice cream, as the vendor passed by them... And before Tomura bought her a medium-sized one, and one for the other boys. It was the good way to not raise suspicion, right?

It was totally not because he wanted to make Nejire smile.

——————

The last part of the race, after the trapped ropes you had to guess correctly to not fall, was an apparently empty field. It was suspicious enough to make Mei and Shouto stop a second, who wondered what was the trap.

Then, Katsuki tried to rush ahead with his explosion yelling “CIAO, EXTRAS!” and getting zapped by various lasers. Uh, it was an unexpected one. Did Nedzu have problems with using explosives this year? Instead, he used a laser that sent electrical discharge.

However, Katsuki allowed for the dust to rise and the lasers were kind of visible. Izuku cracked his neck and showed off his gymnastic skills as he progressed forward. Once or twice, he even showed how flexible he was, his legs bending behind his ears. Then, he heard Katsuki, who shot a blast against the ground to create small walls to protect himself. Shouto, him, tried to use his ice, but the laser kept melting it, forcing him to use his quirk a lot. As for Hanta, Izuku saw what he tried to do and admired his mental fortitude. If he was right, they were going to see a human slingshot soon, even though he would likely get burned a lot.

Izuku had a thought, as he theorized a bit about the lasers.

What would happen to Toru and her bending light body?

—————

“UNLIMITED POWEEEER” Toru was having the time of her life, as she redirected the laser against the others contestants, letting it through her. Of course, she also protected like a powerful turret Kirishima and Sato but she was the queen of the race! Now, she kept redirecting the tasing laser toward her enemy, while laughing like an invisible demon queen.

Oh? Was it Bakugou who was trying to catch up with Izuku?

It would be a shame if someone protected their boyfriend by shooting Katsuki in the back...

Then Toru thought again.

What would happen once Katsuki discovered she was the one who shot him in a race against his rival in the back?

As she preferred to let that question unanswered, she shot at a grape-haired kid who was trying to ride on Momo’s back. Girls powa!

———-

Katsuki, Izuku and Shouto were running at the top of their lungs toward the finishing race. The cameras, all on them, showed the same thing: the biggest grin on their face. Shouto, someone who had fun, legitimately. Katsuki? Joy, as he had proud rivals to fight against, and Izuku... Izuku had a determined grin.

Strangely, all three of them decided silently to not use their quirk, and instead relied on their body. All three of them were toes to toes with their abilities... Until they heard a mad laugh behind them, bordering on the crazy scientist cackling.

It was Mei, with some spider legs, that was catching up on them.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

They somehow sped up even more at that sight.

————

To everyone’s surprise, the winner was Hatsume Mei, who took the top spot from the golden trio of the class A. Everyone was stomped, as she did her show, to sell her inventions and gadgets. Izuku smiled as he saw her do that. Unlike most people, he went to Mei willingly early in the year: He had some ideas of gears he wanted, and also knew it was far above what he could do.

Some people had a mind for investigation, some for tactics and others, like Mei, for crazy inventions. She didn’t give you what you asked, but she always gave you what you needed.

Soon after them came Sato and Kirishima, each supporting a Toru laughing on their shoulder. Soon came others like Mina, most of the 1B and of the class 1A, with some lucky gen-ed and the grape boy Toru shot before.

However, for now, it was time for them to have a slight break.

————

Going to the restroom to get some drinks, Nedzu met the golden trio. The Principal congratulated everyone, and showed three journalists that could ask questions to the students if they were calm enough.

“So, first question, why did you not use your quirk in the last segment of the race? Or at all for you, young Midoriya?”

“We all wanted to keep our strengths for the rest of the day.” Izuku explained to the journalist.

It had been fun, as the journalists asked them various things, like, where they came from, how was it to have All-Might as a teacher, how did they feel to have lost to Mei…

“That girl is crazy and awesome. IT ALSO MEANS I HAVE TO DESTROY HER NEXT ROUND!” Katsuki was in a mood that seemed to mix happiness to find another rival to surpass and destroy, and anger to lose to someone else.

“Mei is a good friend and honestly, I am happy they gave her an opportunity to shine.” The cameraman wondered if they should switch the lens as Izuku’s smile was that bright.

“I now have arachnophobia.” Shouto stated that, refused to elaborate, and left the room. Kaminari couldn’t stop himself from commenting “Sigma Shouto” when he did that. Jirou sighed, though she then wondered why she heard a scream from Shouto from the door as he went by.

More importantly, the interview continued and the reasons Izuku and Bakugou wanted to be heroes.

“BECAUSE I AM STRONG! POWERFUL! And it is my duty to break those that break the law! No one will commit crimes in my presence, AS I AM THE BEST!”

Most people had to admit Katsuki had a lot of ambition, and probably anger to deal with. However, this small interview didn’t go into the wrong ears and someone grinned as they thought they found the perfect intern for their style… If he had the strength to back it up, of course.

And, as for Izuku…

“Actually, mine is longer. It isn’t really a secret, but I am what they call a late-bloomer. I don’t speak about “I got my quirk at 8” bloomer. I got it last year. Until then, they deemed me quirkless… And I know firsthand how it hurts. How we are forgotten.”

“We? You still consider yourself as a Quirkless?”

“I have been effectively one for the most of my life. I know that while the discriminations aren’t high enough for us to have some kind of Quirkless Liberation Front or something, I wouldn’t be surprised if it is the case.”

————

Somewhere else, a blue man sneezed.

————

“And it isn’t simply quirkless. Villainous quirk, mutants…”

Hitoshi, Tsuyu, and Mina nodded in the back, approving Izuku’s speech.

“I don’t want to be the next #1. I want to be the hero that can bring them a smile on their face too. That when I am here, they will be okay, as someone is there for them.”

————

Tomura looked at his friend’s face, as he wondered if he knew it was live or not. Probably not, as otherwise he would die of embarrassment.

“OH MY GOD HE IS ADORABLE!”

“Eh, it seems like he is an All Might fan too.”

“Too… Bright…”

“Yes, Izuku is always like that…”

‘It will be harder to recruit him than expected… But if one of the most promising heroes joins me, I will be unstoppable!’

Tomura seemed to forget something: When you stare at the abyss, the abyss stares back. When he tried to corrupt Izuku… Maybe he was actually purified?

————

At the Midoriya’s (soon Sako’s) house, Atsuhiro had to open the door once again. The lady below used the contraption device the building made to use Inko’s tears to water the plants in the building. This year too, the building would win the prize of the greenest of the town!

“I am so prouuuuuuuuuud! Mom would have been so happy!”

Atsuhiro nodded, as he knew how much she had counted for Inko. He even had expected Inko to be a vigilante or a rescue hero in the same way Recovery Girl is as an homage to her mom.

“I guess heroism is in the blood, right?”

“Yes… Totally.”

“You are something to let him pursue that career after all.”

“Atsuhiro, let’s be honest. If I hadn’t, he would have become a Vigilante. Imagine if he had joined Compress and the others?”

For a moment, Atsuhiro considered the idea. It might have been fun… But having an angry Inko after them wasn’t a risk he was willing to take, especially as they were cuddling.

————

In the teacher’s booth, hidden from the press and the public thanks to the height and a special window, Yagi nodded to Izuku’s speech. Had One For All not been dangerous to transfer to someone with a quirk, Izuku would have made an heir as fine as Mirio. It also reminded him he had to contact Gran Torino soon, if he didn’t want to be high-kicked in the face.

————

Meanwhile, for Shouto, in his personal restroom.

Being the principal’s grandson was useful for a few perks, after all. However, Shouto was now in a big turmoil, as in front of him stood in front of him the second least expected person, aside from Touya (since he was dead) and his father.

After all, despite the reassurance from Nedzu and everyone else, he wouldn’t have to see his father if he didn’t want to, he knew it wasn’t impossible. However, he was ready to give him a chance for the internship: his dad, for all his fault, was incredibly competent. He could learn a lot from how he worked and if Nedzu and the rest were right, he followed a therapy and all the rest, well… It might be worth it.

Especially now that he knew All Might would german-suplex Endeavor if needed.

No, in front of Shouto was a lady with white hair, a kind smile and who played with an ice flower.

“… It has been a long time, Shouto.”

“Mom…”

Chapter 19: Sports Festival : SHOOT THE HORSE TO SMASH THE LEADER

Chapter Text

Chapter 19: Shoot the horse to smash the leader.

“It has been a long time… Shouto.”

Rei was scared that Shouto would run away and avoid her completely for the rest of the day… And by that she meant she turned him into Prince Zuko 2.0… Though she was in far less danger and weaker than Ursa and calling Endeavor an Ozai was a big stretch since one was redeemable and the other wasn’t.

She also expected Shouto to freeze in front of her, as he probably wasn’t aware that she was out yet.

She was filled with overwhelming warmth when instead, Shouto got closer and calmly hugged her. Even when he was young, Shouto had been a quiet kid. To feel him hug her tightly like that, she almost thought that she was dreaming, before she put her arms around him.

“So… You ran away from the mental ward? I am sure Nedzu can help if you ask.”

“Actually, your father came.”

As she expected, Shouto frowned upon the mention of his genitor. Rei sighed. She wouldn’t try to defend Enji for his actions, as he deserved a lot of the blame. However, she wanted to give him credit where it was due.

“What do you mean, mother?”

“Your father came, apologized and basically offered me pretty much everything he owned and all parental rights. Also, divorce. He even gave his approval before we met for my release.”

“No mind game or conditions or anything like protecting his reputation?”

“He actually offered to speak to the press if it could help me.”

This time, Shouto blinked, as his mother sat by his side, gesturing to him to join her with a kind smile.

“It surprised me to learn Nedzu took you in. He doesn’t often do something like that.”

“He… He is a really kind grandfather. Nedzu often eats dinner with me, despite not liking the food.” Shouto smiled a bit as he thought about the past weeks. “He likes to hear me out when I try to make some theories about things… It makes me happy, since, according to him, I got a few right, because I consider things that aren’t usually normal.”

She missed him, how he grew up and how she should have protected him, as a mother should. Seeing him smiling was something she didn’t hope to see yet.

“That’s nice. Did you make friends with your classmates?”

“I have two rivals and many friends. One of my rivals is also teaching me how to feel emotions, to express myself.”

That was good to know. She, to her shame, had been so caught up in her investigation with Enji that she missed learning about how her other children were doing.. However, it was nice to see him having fun and being happy for the first time in his life.

“And what about Natsuo and Fuyumi?”

“Oh, they opted for their own apartments, one for each of them. They refused to go back home…”

“Yes, about that… I may have destroyed our old house.”

This sentence got Shouto to shut up instantly.

“While I spend a lot of time with Enji for… reasons… I didn’t want to go there again. So I kind of encased it in ice?”

For the first time, Shouto began to realize how strong his mother was..

“Oh… I kind of hoped to do it myself, but… Mood. Oh, and mother…” Shouto seemed bashful, before asking his mother the question that weighed on his mind for a long time. “Would it… Bother you if I used Endeavor’s fire?”

Shouto felt Rei’s hand in his hair, carefully patting him on the head. It was relaxing, and he felt his worries disappear. It was like that when Mitsuki hugged him back at the Bakugou’s house… Or when Inko did the same for him.

“Oh… My poor Shouto… It isn’t his fire or someone else’s fire, but yours. You don’t have to ask me for it, and honestly, I should have never said that to you or burned you…”

In the same way Enji wasn’t the Ashen King, none of their sons were like him or her. Shouto especially lacked the boisterousness Enji had, and while you could see the same passion in his eyes, it rarely showed on his face. How could she have seen Enji in her son that day? She was filled with so much fear and irrationality… so much meekness toward her husband. In their younger years, she used to stand up to Enji. Sure, their therapist was right when she said that Touya’s death was hard on both of them and they needed to support and help each other… But it wasn’t a valid reason for her to react like that.

“Oh. That’s funny. That’s what everyone keeps saying to me. I guess they were right then.”

Alleluia! Her son had good friends who were trying to fix her and Enji’s bad parenting.

“So… What about the rest of the family?”

“Oh, right. Fuyumi is doing fine as a teacher, helping Nedzu with some schools that are not up to his standards. Rather than destroying them and moving the students, which is a lengthy process according to him, he’d prefer to send his granddaughter there to see how they teach. Suddenly, people behave.”

——————

“So… Why are students allowed to use quirks in the classroom?”

“Well, they are children and children play…”

“Oh. I guess I should ask my father Endeavor if there is a jurisprudence for children using their quirks on public grounds?”

“Heeeermm”

“I mean, that is also impressive of you. As their teacher, you understand that you take full responsibility for them, and probably would be getting multiple cases of illegal use of…”

“STOP, NOBODY IS USING THEIR QUIRKS ANYMORE.”

——————

“She told me over the phone that she is having a lot of fun and loves teaching young kids. Apparently, they often call her mommy by mistake. I think they just love her a lot.”

Rei beamed with a mother’s happiness, learning that Fuyumi had a fulfilling job, and kids loved her. Maybe they wouldn’t turn out like she and Enji did?

“And what about Natsuo?”

“Apparently, his studies to become a doctor are going well. His new mentor is someone well respected at the hospital he is interning at.”

—————

The day before.

“And this is how you make a cast for an insect mutant, new guy.”

Inko was beaming as she put a cast on the mantis mutant who had just tried to escape from the hospital. A small-time thug, suspected of being linked with S.M.A.S.H. Nothing big, but not something they could let slide.

As a result, because heroes and police officers couldn’t stay at the hospital 24/7, the doctors had a special quirk license they could obtain, giving them permission to defend the hospital. People in the medical field knew that Inko in the Musufatu Area was their most terrifying combatant. It was also an open secret that Inko was likely a vigilante doctor in the past.

Natsuo could see why, as she was the one who broke the insect mutant’s arm by locking his wrist with her Attraction, and then drop-kicking him, with surprising grace, in the back. He was admiring Inko, as she switched from fighter to kind nurse, as if she wasn’t the one who harmed the criminal.

“… Will you teach me how to do that?”

“You mean the cast?”

“No, the whole… Fighting thing.”

“Oh sure. Drop by over the weekend. Shouto will be happy to see his brother, I guess.”

“Wait… You know Shouto?! He comes by your home on the weekend?!”

“Actually, he goes to my best friend’s home, but yes, he is a delightful child.”

Just like that, Natsuo knew he had found a wonderful mentor and someone who would defend Shouto if anything happened.

——————

“I think I know her, but she and her friend want to speak with you about the whole boiling water on the face thing. I am not sure it is a good idea to meet them yet, even if I told them it was all father’s fault.”

Rei suddenly noticed something about Shouto’s speech pattern. He didn’t call her mom but mother, kind of the same way he called Endeavor Father… Or when Endeavor talked about his genitor. Even if Shouto had rationalized her action as reaching her breaking point because of abuse, it made sense that he still had some deep unresolved anger in his heart.

“That is nice to hear… And for the tournament, what’s your goal?”

“Oh, just having fun. After everything with Father, the fact I can finally relax and learn how to be me… I want to take it easy yet seriously. I mean, it is just a tournament, and as my friends said, everyone already knows how strong I am. I want to have fun and a good time. I have no stake in it. I wanted to know about the whole fire thing because Katsuki would bitch a lot if I didn’t fight him at 100%.”

“He seems… passionate?”

“I chose him as my teacher because of that. He taught me how to say ‘f*ck’.”

Rei was concerned by the smile he had after he swore, but took it as him slowly becoming a normal child.

“Also, what did you mean by, ‘I work with your father’?”

f*ck.

“Well… Your father actually needs help on an investigation and I am the best person for the job. Don’t worry, I can take care of myself.”

Technical truth is the best truth.

“That doesn’t mean I have to be happy about it, especially with the whole prearranged marriage…”

“Oh. That. Shouto… I know you will have a hard time believing it, but… Until Touya’s death, Enji was a good father and a good husband.”

Shouto’s eyes told her that he didn’t believe her for one second.

“Also, my father was actually trying to sell me… And I don’t think it would have been for marriage.”

——————

A certain Dr Garaki sighed a bit. The new noumus were coming along, but he still regretted that he had to scrap that Ice based Noumu mixed with a sensory disabling quirk. He had a lot of love for classic youkai and a Yuki-Onna would have been great for his collection.

——————

“Hmm. I agree to disagree and I am still kicking him in the nuts next time I see him.”

He will obviously ask for this internship now, just to make sure his father doesn’t hurt his mom again and if he does… He literally has All-Might on speed dial.

“Also, I want to apologize for scalding you…”

“Nah, I understand, you thought I was becoming like Father…”

“Actually…”

“The second part of the festival is about to begin! Everyone gather on the field!”

“Seems I have to go, mom. See you later? Or call me maybe?”

“With pleasure, Shouto.”

That day, Shouto decided that he really liked his mom’s hugs.

Rei didn’t have the heart to tell him she poured the water because she feared he would become just like Touya.

—————

Meanwhile, Enji stood in front of three giant boards, covered in strings and various photos of people from his database, as a giant map established the route taken by the ambulance that brought Hisashi to the hospital appeared. A lot of heroes and villains were on it, including him and Rei, much to his surprise. If he was right, and he was almost certain that he was, it was the beginning of their breakdown. That day was just before their therapist told Rei to not use her quirk against her husband because her aim was bad.

In the scenario he had laid out, it was likely that Rei’s Ice Ball actually smashed into the side of the ambulance, since she was aiming at Endeavor (not really abusive or dangerous for him, but it would have made him soaking wet).

He actually had to ask for help from his sidekicks and they were becoming progressively more scared of the vast network of events that happened that day.

Hell, he was not sure, but even Snipe may have been there that day as they found a bullet quite similar to his in the victim’s butt.

“Holy sh*t, that is crazy.”

“Yes, I can see why the cops dropped the case: too many suspects to investigate and honestly, if they tried to prosecute even half of the people on the board…”

Burnin came with more files at this moment.

“I have found proof Wash was in the area and Captain Celebrity too!”

“Oh god, them too?! Hell, I am pretty sure the only top 10 Hero currently missing is Best Jeanist!”

“Actually… I found out he was at the hospital, sir. Apparently, he filed for an incident when he used his power for sick children, and he apparently accidentally hit the spinal cord of an unknown man, and paralyzed him.”

Enji was going to have a long day… but he was going to watch the recording at the airport.

—————

When Mei learned she was the prime target for everyone because of her headband, she had just one thing to say with a Cheshire grin.

“BRING IT ON EVERYONE, AND MAKE MY BABIES SHINE!”

“GAME ON, PINK BITCH!”

A fight between Mei and Bakugou? Most people decided it was wise to stay away from the ensuing explosions, since they liked their limbs still attached to their body.

“NOW, NOW, DEAR LISTENERS, THIS PART OF THE TOURNAMENT IS TO SHOW OUR STUDENTS CONTROL OVER THEIR QUIRKS! So, attacking the leader to make him fall on purpose is grounds for elimination, too.”

“He isn’t joking. That’s our actual rule. You are supposed to only steal the headband, and the headband must be visible on your body. Also, if you fall off your teammates, you are eliminated the moment you touch the ground.”

“ALSO THIS TIME IT’S A TEAM EFFOOOOOORT! MAKE TEAMS OF FOUR PEOPLE, EVERYONE!”

“It also shows pros that you know how to work with others and choose your teammates to complement your abilities. For example, using a leader that can erase quirks while his horse blasted them apart worked very well.”

“Yes, and having a certain green-haired woman supporting you was nice too, no?”

“Miiiiiiic…”

However, Izuku and Toru weren’t like most people. Mei was Izuku’s friend and if Toru wanted time in the spotlight and to make a name for herself, she needed to take some risks. Even if the risk was an explosion, but, hey. It happened.

Now for the last member of the team… Well, she came to them.

“Let me help your team, everyone!”

It was the always dependable and reliable class president of the 1A, Momo Yaoyorozu.

“Not that we are against it, but… Why us?”

“Izuku? Remember when I said that my company might sponsor you?” In the background, Mei’s eyes changed into yen symbols. “My parents loved your interview and asked me to do my best to help you reach the third round.”

“So sponsorship and visibility?… Wait, you mean that interview was LIVE?!”

“Yep. You are apparently trending a bit. Turns out that the public likes that kind of underdog story and you are also the most ‘classic’ hero between yourself, Katsuki, and Shouto.”

Izuku blushed at that revelation.

——————

“I knew it. He didn’t know it wasn’t something that was going to be edited.”

Tomura smiled, as he was focusing his attention on his unofficial cousin, enjoying his distress. He should also note his team is technically a full female team and like a small harem.

“You can see him from here?”

It impressed the big 3, as Izuku was pretty far away and Tomura was still able to see him clearly.

“If I can annoy him, believe me, I will take any opportunity.”

“You seem to have a good relationship with him, don’t you?”

“If he wasn’t attending this school, I would do my best to recruit him for my father’s corporation for gifted youths.”

“Well, from what I learned from my sources, he is at the top of his class in the most elite school in Japan. You could say he is smart.”

“Hey, he is the only person who can beat me in strategy games.”

“Hmmm?”

“… Until Nejire came. She wrecked me a few times and I still don’t know what happened.”

Tamaki smirked at that.

“Let me guess. “Hero” card game? Nejire is a…”

“A total novice who’s never played that game before, but just so happens to be very lucky, right Tamaki?”

Nejire had her smile, the one that told you that you should follow her lead for your own safety. Also, it was fun having Tenko underestimating her, while she was a reigning champion back home.

Hey, being nice and often airheaded didn’t mean she wasn’t smart and cunning. What most people mistook for coincidence, luck or anything in between, was actually the scary amount of intelligence Nejire could display. Tamaki himself discovered that after she found him every time he tried to brood alone.

Tamaki chose wisely to nod furiously at Nejire’s suggestion, while she happily hummed, enjoying her ice cream. Mirio, meanwhile, watched the beginning of the match and winced.

“Ouch. I feel sad for your friend. Did you see the team in front of him?”

Tomura stopped smiling at Izuku’s minor misfortune to look at his new major one. That was to say, the Katsuki, Mina, Jiro and… Shouto team.

Oh boy.

“Oh good, that is going to be a bloodbath.”

“Don’t you mean ‘oh God’?”

Tomura smiled at Mirio knowingly.

“I know what I said.”

——————

Since Mei was at the center of their formation, getting her headband would not be an easy task and Izuku, as their leader, allowed their team the ability to easily steal others.

Honestly, they kind of needed every advantage, since Katsuki was being propelled by his quirk, while Shouto froze Mina’s acid and Jiro was tracking their movement and using some ranged attack to stop them.

“GO AFTER SOMEONE ELSE KATSUKI!”

“NEVER!”

Meanwhile, Monoma’s team was sitting behind the front lines. Or rather, observing the Tom & Jerry chase happening in front of them.

“So… Monoma, how does it feel knowing you antagonized them and their allies despite the fact that they are all good friends?”

“Listen, everything is going according to plan. All we need to do is learn what their quirks are so we know how to counter them later on.”

“Monoma, you f*cked up and you know it. Oh well, let’s successfully get into the next round so you can get your ass kicked by them.”

——————

Since Katsuki wasn’t a dumbass, he quickly noticed several things. First, Izuku kept dodging his attacks. That wasn’t that surprising, as they both knew what kind of training Atsuhiro did to Izuku. However, he also noticed the many headbands Izuku snatched. Mostly from teams that tried to block his team’s path… Before taking a hit from Katsuki, as Izuku redirected him toward other teams.

“Katsuki, I am wondering. Isn’t Izuku using us to secure points for himself, that way if we steal Mei’s headband, he will still have enough to carry his team to the final round?”

Shouto speculated out loud while Izuku waved at them and gave them a thumbs-up. To everyone’s surprise, or not, It didn’t calm Katsuki down.

“IZUKU, YOU ARE GOING TO PAY FOR USING ME LIKE THAT!”

Katsuki, while often as driven as a bull against a red cape, knew when to fold them. He also knew he had a responsibility toward his team to take them to the finals. So, he did something he never thought he had to do.

“Izuku, if you don’t give me your headband now, I will email to everyone in the class your fanfics. All of them.”

That made the other team stop in their tracks, as pretty much all the girls were very interested in what Katsuki had to say.

“… Izu-kun write fanfiction?”

“I am pretty sure I have seen a…”

Katsuki got interrupted by Izuku’s headband suddenly landing on his head.

“Don’t you dare say anything else, Kacchan. Seriously, otherwise I will hunt you down.”

“That’s fair.”

Katsuki smiled at his victory and was a graceful winner.

“Good Deku.”

“Kacchan, I will f*cking punch you next round. I have a card with your name on it.”

“Is it a superhero? Tell me you picked someone strong to face me with!”

Izuku grumbled and looked at the girls.

“Hey, it’s not like we aren’t in the lead, once again, thanks to Mei, that we’re going to stop.”

“Wait. Mei’s…”

“BYE KACCHAN. DON’T FORGET TO UPHOLD YOUR WORD!”

“… Katsuki, did you seriously forget that it was Mei who had the 1-million headband point? I pointed it out just before...”

“Shut up Icy bitch.”

“I’m just saying you take that rival thing a bit too seriously.”

Everyone stared at Shouto.

“What? It isn’t like I declared you were both my rivals and I was planning to remove you from school or something.”

——————

“Wonderful memories, right Mic?”

“Shut up.”

“No, no, you asked me to be your co-speaker. Do you remember how you were forced to surrender in our third…”

“CONTINUE LIKE THAT AND THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES.”

“THEN f*ckING UNTIE ME!”

Midnight had the time of her life with the other teachers, who were all wondering what happened between the two teachers.

“Before anyone asks, Aizawa knew about Mic’s crush on someone and made him abandon their fight via blackmail.”

“How the hell are they friends again?”

“Because if you hurt one of them, the other will relentlessly hunt you down. Before you ask, I’d prefer to be chased by Aizawa. Mic can be quite violent if he is angry.”

——————

“So… We have more than enough points. Honestly, I think we’re in the clear, even if we lose Mei’s headband. I wonder why people didn’t attack us more.”

“BOMB INCOMING!”

Momo discovered she had a common interest with Mei. They liked explosions. When Mei used her spider legs to make them taller, Momo took that opportunity to throw as many pepper bombs as she could. Real bombs would have been a bit too much (and honestly, it would have hurt Me’s spider legs too). Mei gave her a rocket launcher to propel her bombs further and Momo actually squealed in delight.

“That’s a funny duo, don’t you think?”

“Quite.”

Izuku was happy to sit on the robotic legs, holding hands with Toru as they passed the remaining time peacefully, letting the two chaos gremlins beside them have their fun.

—————

Meanwhile, elsewhere a fourth team was also doing well. Some students from 1B and 1A worked together to ensure they would reach the next round, mainly Hanta as the rider, Kirishima as one of his horses, Tokoyami as the second support and Yui helping Hanta by making his duct-tape bigger.

After their heroic exercises with Izuku, Hanta noticed that his power wasn’t as offensive as the heavy hitters in the class, but it was incredibly useful to stop and restrain the enemy. With Yui’s help, he could now control the size of his attacks, and he took full advantage of that. They didn’t need to get close. He just needed to hit the bullseye with his quirk. They also had a solid defense, thanks to Tokoyami and Dark Shadow. Kirishima also made the structure almost unshakeable.

“FOR VICTORY!”

“FOR THE DARKNESS THAT CONSUME US!”

“FOR MANLINESS!”

“FOR VICTORY!”

“We seriously need to work on our team war cry.”

Yui nodded as Hanta sighed and they continued to work together to get as many headbands as they could.

—————

Meanwhile, Mineta and the teammates that got him were seething. It was his chance to get noticed, and he was missing it! Sure, he had easily constructed an almost impregnable defense thanks to Shoji, but they missed their precision strike that would have allowed them to get a second headband and maybe get onto the leaderboard!

He was technically one of the top students if Gen Ed, and he couldn’t and wouldn’t lose here.

At first, he had wanted to be a hero because he thought that would make him cool and make the ladies interested in him. Now, however, he wanted to be part of the heroic because he felt he should have made the cut If it wasn’t for that purple-haired dude, who even had the gall to surrender his headband with his team. Apparently, none of the hero students wanted to shine! What was the point of being a hero if you didn’t shine and shape society?

“sh*t… We need to score one good win! Or eliminate the leader!”

Mineta was smarter than most people expected. In fact, he was actually the student that had the top score on the written portion of the entrance exam. What his partner said was actually right, as their team was most likely fifth. The Katsuki team had such a destructive power that trying to fight them was almost impossible, the Monoma team were almost an ally as they helped them get quite a few points from 1A and finally the mixed-team had one of the strongest defenses aside from his team.

However, team Izuku, with the leader openly flirting with his girl, was a sight that enraged him and the fact he had temporarily lost focus was an opportunity.

“Well, you know what they say: shoot the horse to kill the leader.”

It surprised most of his team seeing how determined he was, but Mineta clearly had a plan. So they followed his lead when he told them to charge the mad bombers… And didn’t go for their headband. Instead, he grabbed one of his sticky balls, and with a well-trained aim, threw it just under one of the spider legs.

Suddenly, the structure became shaky, and despite Toru grabbing him, Izuku saw the legs were getting ready to collapse. If Momo, Mei, or Toru fell on the ground, it wasn’t important. However, if he did, then the team would be eliminated.

——————

“Oh? Apparently, one of the students noticed the loophole.”

“What do you mean, Eraser?”

“We forbade them from attacking the leader. We said nothing about their teammates. It’s a smart move: sometimes, you need to aim for the weak point.”

“You mean like that time Joke brought you to a cat café to seduce you?”

“… How do you know that?!”

“WHO DO YOU THINK FEEDS HER INTEL?”

——————

Izuku was in a pickle, as he was dangerously close to the ground. Desperate times called for desperate measures and Izuku reached his right hand up his other sleeve, to touch the cards inside of it.

The green boy prayed for luck, for once.

And then something weird happened when he touch a card from the Old Guard deck.

——————

Up in the stand, Yagi felt something stirring inside of One for All, coursing through his body and blood. A warm feeling, something that protected him, despite him coughing up blood… But no one in the booth missed what appeared to be a bright light appearing on the field, unlike anything else Izuku had summoned.

When the light disappeared, only a silhouette was visible, one that Yagi could never forget.

“That’s… that is impossible….”

—————

As Izuku felt his grip slipping through Toru’s hands, as Mei and Momo tried to get out to form a new structure to help Izuku, he felt another hand grabbing him. A hand that easily grabbed the other girls as well, before putting them on the ground first, and Izuku on top of them.

In front of them, floating in the air, was a woman with chiseled musculature, and a smile beaming as much as Izuku on a bright day… Whom patted his head, quickly, with a somewhat maternal look.

She then looked up towards the stands, and in a supersonic boom, reached it in an instant.

“What the f*ck was that?!”

“I DON’T KNOW”

“YOUR QUIRK IS WEIRD!”

“I KNOW!”

—————

In front of All Might, in his skeletal form, stood a figure he never dreamed of seeing again… at least, until his eventual demise.

“Nana…”

“Hey, boyo. Long time, right? Sorry, I don’t have much time and I’m not sure there will be another chance. I just wanted to tell you…”

Yagi felt her powerful arms as they pulled him towards her, while the other teachers watched the scene, understanding nothing that was happening.

“I am proud of you, Yagi. You are the best student I could ever have, and you went above and beyond everything I thought you would accomplish.”

No one would have expected to see All Might crying in someone’s arms, but they could see it right then and there… as Nana began crumbling, her legs turning into dust.

“Ah, sh*t. Time to go. Remember though. I am with you, always.”

Nana was smiling, as she usually was, when the situation was dire… And then only ashes remain on the ground. All Might was left bewildered. What… what just happened?

—————

“Inko, are you okay?!”

Atsuhiro saw his loving (to-be) wife dropping one of her favorite tea sets on the ground, as she saw a ghost on the TV.

He had an idea of the reason and clearly understood why. Hell, if Harima just came back to life to save him, he would be quite puzzled, too.

“Yes… No… I don’t know. I don’t know. Do you think Izuku has her card on purpose or…”

“I don’t think he knows, Inko. But maybe, just maybe, you should try to talk to him about it?”

“Yes… Sorry. I just need a bit more time. But… she was smiling, like when I was a kid…”

On her TV screen is an image of the hero Floaty, not the most powerful or the most popular hero, but still a fairly known member of the Old Guard, the generation before All Might.

“Mom…”

——————

“Nedzu? I need a meeting. Soon.”

Looking at the record, Endeavor knew his hunch was right, while he reached for a file with Izuku’s photo on it. He was going to need it.

“Oh? What did you find?”

“I can’t speak about it on the phone, dad. But it is of the utmost importance. Bring All Might too, we might need him. Because I found out who killed Hisashi Midoriya… And it means we should put Izuku Midoriya under high surveillance as of now.”

“… Come immediately.”

On the screen, Enji could see the silhouette of one of his former nemesis… As he looked at Izuku’s file, he wondered, what might he be?

Chapter 20: Sports Festival : Like father, like son : ASK FOR HELP WHEN YOU NEED IT.

Chapter Text

Chapter 20 : Like father, like son : ASK FOR HELP WHEN YOU NEED IT.

“TIME’S UP! NOW, DEAR LISTENERS, LET’S SEE WHO ADVANCED TO THE FINAL ROUND!”

“FIRST PLACE, SINCE THEY MANAGED TO KEEP THE 10 MILLION POINT HEADBAND… TEAM HATSUME MEI!

IN SECOND PLACE, WE HAVE THE TEAM WITH THE MOST EXPLOSIVE CANDIDATE, TEAM BAKUGOU!

THIRD PLACE, PEOPLE WHO DECIDED SLOW BUT STEADY WINS THE RACE, TEAM HANTA!

AND FINALLY, IN OUR FOURTH SLOT, TEAM MONOMA REPRESENTING CLASS 1-B!

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU!”

“I am going to buy you more tea with honey.”

“Oh god thank you, I can’t speak for a few days after the festival and…”

“Actually, no tea for you. I’ll enjoy the silence.”

“TRAITOR!”

While the two of them amused the public with their antics, all of the other teachers except Cementoss and Midnight took their leave.

Everyone was still thinking about what happened with All Might, and then? Nedzu called for an emergency meeting, while informing the teachers that Endeavor, despite a previous order that he was banned from the school’s grounds, was going to be there.

What happened between the two of them that changed Nedzu’s mind?

While everyone present had their reasons for why they dislike the #2, that doesn’t change the fact that he was one of the best investigators and fighters in the country.

So, when they all arrived at the meeting room, they weren’t surprised to see Endeavor, who was cooling down by drinking water as much as humanly possible, while Nedzu was setting up the presentation.

No one dared to make snide remarks, as Enji was clearly disturbed by what he had discovered.

“Everyone, you have been called here, because I discovered something very important about one of your students… Izuku Midoriya. But to explain, we are going to have start by talking about his father first: Hisashi Midoriya.”

As Enji spoke, the presentation displayed the map in his office, displaying all of the pro heroes and students that were implicated in the incident.

Surprising everyone, they were all on the board.

“And more importantly, who killed him?”

—————

“HEY HEY! I HOPE YOU HAD A CHANCE TO RELAX! BECAUSE NOW IT’S TIME FOR…A GOOD OL’ TOURNAMENT!”

“Yes, it’s not like all our third trials are always some kind of tournament.”

“AHAHAH. STILL SALTY ABOUT OUR THIRD YEAR?”

“WHO THE f*ck REMEMBERS A TOURNAMENT WHERE YOU SLAP YOUR OPPONENT WITH A FISH!”

“Dear listeners, Eraserhead is still angry because he was the first to lose that year. Slapped with a catfish by your truly.”

“YOU LITTLE…”

“Anyway! THE RULES ARE SIMPLE! You win by ring-out or incapacitating your opponent. Be careful though, we don’t want anyone going to the morgue.”

“They should have read their contracts better: U.A. isn’t responsible for death or loss of limbs.”

“… Anyway, we have Cementoss and Midnight as the referees, and they will step in if you go too far.”

“Indeed. So. The first match is…”

On the giant screen, two faces appeared. Izuku Midoriya and his trademark smile, and Eijiro Kirishima.

Our hero, who was stretching in the candidate area, offered a high-five to Kirishima, who returned it. Both of them smiled for the camera and everyone saw the friendly rivalry between two young teenagers.

“I hope this fight will be manly!”

“I will do my best! If I lose to someone that isn’t him, I think Katsuki might try to find out if he can kick me hard enough to send me into orbit.”

Katsuki thought about the scenario and nodded, agreeing with Izuku’s hypothesis.

“IZU-KUN! WIN THIS!”

Toru cheered with all her might for him, while Mina joined in.

“HEY EIJIRO, YOU BETTER WIN THIS!”

Jirou smiled, before she asked Momo for her opinion on the situation.

“Do you think she and Eijiro…”

“Very likely, but they aren’t dating yet, and honestly, they are kind of cute together?”

“I ship it.”

In the ring, though, it was going to be a tough fight for both of the participants: They knew, because of their after-school training, what the other was capable of. Kirishima was fairly certain he could beat all of the tarot summons Izuku could do, and they both knew it.

So, that meant Izuku had to use other cards, and that was what made Izuku’s quirk scary; it’s versatility.

Both fighters stood in front of the other, and Izuku had already chosen a card.

Unlike his teacher, he didn’t have enough training to let him dislocate the arm of someone like Kirishima, who was both hard and strong.

Unlike his teacher, though, he also had time to prepare for a wide range of opponents and bought cards specifically to counter them.

Kirishima, while not the brightest in the classroom (which wasn’t really that bad considering that simply being at U.A. means he was in the top 5% of the students in Japan), was still one of the most competent students during their heroics lessons and was an excellent fighter, which made him good enough for Katsuki.

Izuku would have been an idiot to think he wouldn’t make it to the final round and bought a card specifically for fighting him.

To Kirishima’s surprise, he saw Izuku drop into a combat stance, while holding only one card.

“Only one card, Izuku? Aren’t you underestimating my manliness?”

“To be fair, this card cost me 8 000 yens, Kirishima.”

The Sturdy Hero was surprised when a strange light enveloped Izuku, before he went on the attack. Kirishima, proud of his defenses, let the first strike land… and to his surprise, it hurt.

“What?!”

The attack hadn’t been that strong, since Izuku still had a good posture and his hands didn’t seem to be hurting from the punch he just threw. However, Kirishima was happy to see his friend was taking their fight seriously.

“Let me guess, a card that allows you to pierce defense, or something like that?”

“Old card from a game named Yu-Gi-Oh, Big Bang Shot. It took a few weeks for the shop to find it.”

Magic cards were… random in their cost to Izuku. However, the cards you could categorize as equipment were easier for him to gauge their cost: The greater the effect, and the longer he wore them, the more effort it took to maintain. That was a reason why Izuku was happy to have increased his stamina, allowing him to fight opponents like Kirishima.

The card also had a second purpose: Not only did it let him fight efficiently, but also allowed Kirishima to have the match he wanted: A MANLY ONE.

Izuku also had a slight advantage over Kirishima: while the red-haired boy’s attacks were strong (hell, each of his punches or kicks that hit the ground broke it), but they weren’t very fast. At least not as fast as Katsuki or Compress’ attacks. Either he could dodge them by being careful, or he could divert them. Without telling Kirishima, Izuku was also using another card, a defensive one to keep him from breaking any bones.

The fight was going to be a difficult one, despite the cheering of the crowds and Toru.

—————

“Hmmm, interesting.” Mirio said as he was keenly observing the fight.

“The fighting style? Yes, I wonder when and where he learned that.”

Tomura knew he was right about what interested the other three people with him, as they all nodded.

“Yes. Since you’re the one who knows the most about him, do you have any ideas?”

“Well, he said his step-father helped train heroes or something like that. He may have had additional training on the side?”

“Hmm… Anyway, his training must have been quite intensive to move like that.”

“However, he needs to improve the strength behind his strikes. He hit his opponent several times, but none of the blows hit a vital location.”

Everyone began eyeing Tomura supiciously. Unphased, he returned their stare.

“Hey, I like martial arts on the side. I am not just a huge nerd.”

“Well, you seem muscular under that shirt, aren’t you?”

“I… think? I regularly train alone, so I don’t know if I count as muscular or not.”

Nejire wondered about her question before poking Tomura on the side with a sly smile on her face.

“Poke poke!”

“Hey! Ask before you touch!”

“Yep! The muscles are there. Above Tamaki but below Mirio, I would say.”

“To be fair, he is a very buff Tintin.”

“So you are a muscular Krusty?”

Both of them locked their eyes on each other… Before laughing.

For a moment, Tomura forgot that they were heroes and that he was a villain. He was simply having a good time, and it was enough to make him stand.

“IZUKU, KICK HIS ASS!”

“Wait. Does that mean Nejire may touch your body if she asks first?”

It was Tamaki who noticed that slip-up. Meanwhile Mirio and Nejire had sh*t-eating grins on their faces.

“Wait, no, that’s not what I meant!”

However, it was already too late.

——————

“Still… still not done, Kirishima?”

Izuku was pretty sure he'd managed to hit his friend quite a few times by now, but damn. Kirishima sure had spirit and guts. So sure, while he'd managed to pierce his rocky armor, it was clearly not enough to win the fight just yet.

“You know my answer Izuku! FIGHT ME!”

Izuku sighed as he felt his stamina diminish. He needed to be careful, since he didn’t know how the others' fights would pan out. That’s why he'd summoned a King to flank Kirishima with. By playing too defensively, he would lose. He needed to attack more if he wanted a chance to rest between fights…. And hope the other fights would take some time to give him a chance to recuperate.

As the muscular king of hearts, with a mustache not unlike a certain Gentle Criminal, smashed his scepter into Kirishima’s side, the latter blocked the attack by using both of his hands. Even he had to admit that despite his guts and bravado, Izuku had worn him down. That might have been why, in retrospect, he wasn’t able to dodge or block Izuku’s sneaky uppercut.

No matter how strong or hard you were, any attack that directly connects to your brain will stop you even for a moment. That was all Izuku needed to make his King attack Kirishima a second time, the hit sent the boy flying just out of the ring.

“f*ck! And… Well played Izuku. That was a mean hook.”

Kirishima fell backwards, before returning to normal. He was exhausted, but the fight was fun. So when Izuku came back to offer him his hand, and helped him up, Kirishima took it with a big smile. Hey, maybe he had lost, but he'd lost in a manly fashion against one of the strongest members of 1A.

“THAT WAS A MANLY FIGHT!”

“Not going to lie, you were one of my most feared match-ups. I am afraid of what will happen if you learn martial arts or something!”

Kirishima pondered the advice for a second, before nodding.

“Hey, that’s not a bad idea! Next year, I WILL WIN!”

“HEY HEY HEY; WHAT A NICE FIGHT, MY DEAR LISTENERS, WITH A BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP!”

“Friendship aside, this fight showed that both of them have a lot of progress to make: while Kirishima had the superior quirk, he lacked the finesse and technique required to fight Midoriya. Meanwhile, the latter had trouble placing a clean hit, and he wore himself out more than he should have.”

“So… You are saying they are two diamonds in the rough? DAMN MY FELLOW PRO HEROES! YOU BETTER PREPARE THE INTERNSHIP FORMS! PRAISE FROM ERASER IS EVEN RARER THAN HIS SMILE!”

After all, let’s remember the tournament was also a major opportunity for students to shine, hoping that a pro would notice them and take them under their wing. It was part of their duty, as teachers, to advertise them…

But also, it was the duty of Mic and Eraser to make everyone focus on the students and not why every other member of the staff was missing.

———————

“I’m sorry, but why is his death that suspicious? I mean, it can’t be…” Ectoplasm wondered aloud, as it seemed kind of weird to call all of them.

“I have found no less than 30 different people who could have killed him that day. Each one of them hit him, intentionally or not, with deadly force. Including all the top 10.”

“Even I?”

All Might, in his buff form, was legitimately surprised… Endeavor pointed to All Might’s face on the screen, showing the result of his fight that day and how it affected the ambulance. It almost made him vomit blood.

“That… wow. Now, I see why the case may have been dropped. Imagine the scandal if such a case got out? The HPSC may have helped.”

“They shouldn’t have. Because this was an assassination.” Enji put on his professional face, as everyone waited for him to follow-up on that revelation.

“Don’t you mean a murder? After all, it was just a very unlucky incident, no?”

“I know what I said, and I know who the killer is.”

With a serious look, Enji activated a recording, which showed Hisashi at the airport. He smiled at someone, and then hugged them… Before looking horrified, as if he suddenly realized something. Hisashi tried to run… But before reaching his plane, he collapsed in front of everyone.

Enji then pointed at the smiling man, who was walking away, ignoring the scene that happened behind him, along with a woman happily smiling at him, kissing him.

“I present to you two of the most dangerous hit-men I have ever failed to track. Misery and his wife, Mindraper. I have only ever found the civil record for her, after the police found her body a few years ago. A suicide.”

As the picture zoomed on him, All Might visibly paled, as the man had white hair and red eyes, like HIM.

“The only recorded quirk that could affect luck. The more he touches you, the more luck he steals. He worked with his wife, who could make hallucinations of people if she knew their name, date of birth, and favorite hobby. I suspect she had also telepathic component as part of her quirk, since she created perfect illusions for her targets. She stunned the victim, while he then hugged them like an old friend. Afterward, they just let them walk away, to their death.”

The revelation stunned everyone, while also taking away their guilt of having killed a man… It wasn’t truly their fault after all, if circ*mstances kept causing him to be hurt? Endeavor, however, continued.

“If you never heard about them, it’s normal. They were the private killers of the second worst criminal I had the displeasure to know. A criminal so secretive, I don’t think any of you are aware of his existence.”

Behind Enji, a slide appeared, showing… All For One, in his business suit, and his undamaged face, drinking a glass of wine in a restaurant in France, as evidenced by the Eiffel Tower in the background.

“I haven’t found his name despite fighting him for years after graduation, but I present to you the secret overlord of crime in Japan…”

“HOW THE HELL DO YOU KNOW ALL FOR ONE?!”

It was All Might who yelled.e worked to keep the identity of his nemesis a secret, to avoid him going full out on civilians or to turn into a full-on demon lord… That and to avoid putting his allies in danger. Even among his team, the existence of All for One was a secret for many people. Now, he learned Endeavor was also at war with him?! HE COULD HAVE USED THE FIREPOWER OF THE #2 EARLIER?!

“THAT IS MY f*ckING LINE! OF COURSE I KNEW HIM, MY FATHER KEPT TALKING ABOUT HIM, AND HOW HE WOULD f*ck UP JAPAN IF…”

Enji stopped himself, before saying he was the Ashen King’s son, and looked at Nedzu, who was also stunned by the revelation, and the #2 knew, from his dad’s face, that he also knew him. Dawning realization set in as he learned that HE COULD HAVE FOUGHT THAT WAR WITH ALLIES!

“Don’t tell me that you two were also at war with him, when I went to great lengths to avoid pulling strangers into my secret war with him! I had to obfuscate his idiocy and make it look like I destroyed part of his operations by ‘mistake’! To make it look like it was merely collateral damage!”

Snipe couldn’t help himself, but he laughed, along with most of the staff as Nedzu and All Might were screaming at each other about how it was irresponsible to keep secrets from each other, and how they could have worked together long ago.

Hell, All Might could have avoided his injury if he had known that Enji was aware of All for One earlier.

However, order needed to be restored, and it was Hound Dog’s job to do that.

“WOOOOOOOOOFF STOP. You need to discuss all of it later. But we are missing the actual issue. Why did All for One send his prized killer after one ordinary salaryman?”

Endeavor, who had Nedzu in his face screaming at him, took his dad away from his face.

“Oh, that one is easy. Because Hisashi Midoriya wasn’t an ordinary salaryman. That’s also the reason why we need to put Izuku Midoriya under high surveillance.”

——————

“Oh, oh oh! Next fight is one that everyone is waiting for! The first match pairing a member of class 1A against a member of 1B!”

“I never understood the rivalry between the two classes, as we randomly divide the students who are accepted into UA, but if it amuses Vlad… After all, if more 1A students keep qualifying in the sport festival each year, it just means they have better teachers.”

“But you and Vlad are the only teachers that are different between the two classes?”

“Anyway, the next match is interesting: Mina Ashido facing off against Neito Monoma!”

—————

The pink mutant hugged Kirishima, as he went back to the contestants’ zone.

“Hey, it was a good fight. You just had a bad match-up.”

“The teacher is right, though. I was relying on my quirk too much, and not enough on my moves. Against an enemy that can penetrate my armor, it wasn’t enough.”

Mina thought about it for a moment, since her match was approaching.

“How about we train together? I have good moves and I can teach you!”

“You would?!”

“Of course! We’re friends, after all!”

Further away, the rest of 1A’s girls looked at each other.

“It is going to be full of awkward moments between the two of them since they don’t realise they have a crush on each other, right?”

“Is your quirk being captain obvious in addition to good hearing, ribbit?”

“HEY!”

Toru gave a well-deserved kiss to her boyfriend for his win.

“Give me the same once I win my fight!”

Resting with his girlfriend was a good way to recover, after all. However, he had to watch the next match closely, as he didn’t know Monoma’s quirk and wanted to be ready for his next fight…

—————

“AHAHAH! FINALLY IT IS TIME FOR YOUR CLASS TO KNOW THEIR REAL PLACE AND LOSE BEAUTIFULLY AGAINST THE MIGHTY 1B!”

“… You sure love to talk, don’t you?”

“Hey, Midoriya had his show too. I have every right to do the same.”

“The difference being, Midoriya is nice and fun to be around. You’re just an ass.” Mina was not amused, despite her smile and she cracked her knuckles, ready to go whenever the teachers gave the signal.

Clearly, this fight was going to be less civil than the last one, and Mina, despite having a cheerful smile, clearly burned with a fire of passion. Meanwhile, Monoma was openly laughing like a bad guy, and Izuku found that actually weird. It was almost like a show…

Oh god.

“sh*t, he is actually smart.”

Hearing Izuku saying a swear was rare and everyone turned their head towards him.

“He is doing that on purpose, to piss her off. He must know that Mina has a very intense personality, and by doing that… She will most likely try to rush to beat him down quickly.”

“And your point is?”

“It’s a trap.”

Indeed, when Mina sped up on her acid, as soon as Midnight told them to start, something strange happened. Without warning, Monoma turned into steel, as Mina tried to uppercut him. Sadly, unlike Izuku, she didn’t have an armor piercing buff and hit a man of steel at her full strength. Something that isn’t really advised to do, unless you wanted a broken hand or, at the very least, a swollen wrist. Monoma knew he had the advantage of surprise, and he promptly grabbed and threw her outside of the ring. It wasn’t time for a show, but for a quick and efficient elimination.

“And done! Victory secured! Mwahahahah!”

Mina was still wondering what the hell had happened.

This time, the winner didn’t help the loser up.

—————

“Izuku is going to beat that blonde guy next match.”

Nejire, her cheeks puffed out in anger, stared viciously at Monoma.

“Because you want him to, or because you analyzed his odds against someone that can copy quirks?”

Everyone stared at Tomura, who had bought some popcorn and coffee.

“What?”

“How do you know that?”

“This kid has used three different quirks since the beginning of the festival! I saw him use vines hair, making people trip with mushrooms and now he turned into steel. It is clearly not a random power and the three of them don’t make thematic sense together. Therefore, it is most likely a stockpile/copy quirk.”

Mirio was deep in thought, before asking Tomura.

“Would you, by any chance, be interested in working for a hero agency?”

Tomura, who was drinking his coffee, suddenly spit it out.

“WHAT? I mean, what?”

“You are clearly highly intelligent, you know your hero stuff and you have excellent investigation skills. I know that my boss always needs more support from people like you.”

Nejire whispered to Tomura’s ear, the latter totally not appreciating her doing that.

“His boss is All-Might’s former sidekick!”

Oh f*ck. Sir Nighteye, one of the most inquisitive and intelligent men in Japan, according to Sensei. Tomura just had to get the attention of his intern, apparently.

“Thank you, but I am not sure your chief would accept a new sidekick without references and without a heroic background. After all, what if I were a villain in disguise?”

Sensei’s rule 12: Say the truth in the most absurd way possible. People will think it is a lie.

Tamaki, under his breath, whispered more for himself than anyone else…

“Yes, but one who is falling hard for someone…”

“Did you say something, Tamaki?”

“Nothing, Nejire.”

Mirio sighed, as Tomura rejected his offer. Oh well, not everyone dreamed of becoming a hero after all, and if Nejire was right, this guy had his dream crushed early because of his quirk.

“Arf, that would have been nice…”

“Hmmf! If Tenko works for a hero agency, it will be mine! I said it first!”

It managed to get a chuckle from everyone, though, unbeknown to all of them, Nejire was serious, as she had become more and more determined to make Tenko her analyst! And it wasn’t because the guy was sarcastic yet still possessed a shy streak she found a hell of a lot of fun to tease… That and, of course, in card games Tenko was an epic challenge and she loved that he could match wits against her... Though Nejire wasn’t dumb, and unlike Mirio, wondered what did Tenko truly hid underneath everything…

Because, while claiming that he wasn’t going to a hero school, he was highly knowledgeable and competent about quirks, strategy and analyzing, to a degree she found suspicious.

It was going to be a fun investigation, and totally not just a good way to get dates and treats.

—————

“What do you mean, he wasn’t an ordinary salaryman?”

Endeavor nodded before he presented the big picture of Hisashi Midoriya.

“His fire breathing quirk was most likely given to him by All for One, as a cover for his real quirk and maybe to provide self-defense, if I had to guess.”

“Then what is his real quirk…?”

“Among my agency, we have two names for it. The proper one, Heart Stealer and the other.”

Suddenly, still on the field, Midnight felt as if she missed a splendid opportunity for a joke.

“The other one?”

“The Hentai Protagonist.”

Everyone was going to ask if Endeavor was serious, but they saw his face as he sighed.

“He is the whole reason I never brought Rei on my crusade: his power was one of the most terrible I can think of. He could steal relationships.”

“… Relationship? How is that dangerous?”

“Let’s say he knew I considered Nedzu my father. If he managed to touch both of our shoulders, suddenly, I would have considered him my father, while Nedzu would simply be a figure of authority.”

Suddenly, everyone knew why that power was to be feared, as did Enji.

“Hence why I worked alone too. I discovered his most likely identity only recently, by connecting the dots today: I saw that Heart Stealer stopped all activity ten years ago, though I didn’t know the reason why All for One’s #1 spy disappeared. However, when I saw Hisashi’s death, I recognized the pattern of a Misery Assassination. I compared the date of death and I knew, most likely, that he had been executed by All For One. However, I don’t know the reason, the motive.”

Suddenly, Nedzu had a thought.

“… Wait, a second. What about Inko Midoriya then? Is she part of All for One’s network? Is Midoriya a sleeper agent?”

Endeavor looked at the staff, who were suddenly worried that one of their top students may be a mole.

“No. They are clean. Please, I am a professional, of course I checked that possibility, dad.”

He was more annoyed than anything that his dad didn’t think he would check something so obvious.

“Inko Midoriya, born Shimura…” This time, All Might coughed blood in front of everyone, for a reason that only Nedzu understood.

“… SHE IS NANA’S DAUGHTER?!”

“… We are speaking of Floaty, Nana Shimura? Yes. Yes, she is. I found little information on her, but I know Nedzu held her in high respect…”

“She was… My mentor…”

Endeavor pinched the bridge of his nose.“For f*ck's sake, is there any other secret I should know before continuing this presentation? What is next, you are coughing blood because you tried to solo All for One?”

A long moment of silence took place. Endeavor inhaled as much air as possible before looking at Nedzu.

“Of course you did… Because… Because…”

Suddenly, Endeavor had a crazy thought, as he looked at a sheepish All Might.

“… Your quirk. It’s special. That is why All For One was so focused on you, and not me. Something that had a link with Nana Shimura, explaining why he would have asked Heart Stealer to seduce her daughter. Your age and Nana could have indicated a relationship, but Inko looked too much like her father and not enough like you. Besides, that would have made you a father at what… 8 years olds? Unlikely.”

Everyone, in the know about One for All since the USJ debrief, looked away sheepishly.

“You are not Nana’s son, but you are her heir and, for some reasons, she must have been the reason for you to fight against All for One. And…”

At that moment, realization dawned on Endeavor’s face. He had memorized All Might’s career with the intent to surpass him, to a degree only surpassed by Izuku and Nighteye.

“You developed your quirk extremely late. Except when you developed it, it was already fully formed, and it didn’t kill you on the spot. You aren’t a late bloomer like Izuku is. You got your quirk through another method. Nana Shimura gave you a quirk, a quirk that All For One wants so badly that he is ready to ignore mine despite… things about it. Am I wrong?”

Nedzu beamed with paternal pride at seeing Enji practically deciphering the secret of One for All, all by himself.

“… My quirk might be a special one that can be transferred and originated from his brother, who might be the only person he genuinely loved? Nana Shimura was the previous holder.”

“Interesting… Anyway, though, nice clarification and it explains why All for One wanted to monitor her, as she is the only Shimura, besides Izuku, who is still alive. That, and also her past as a vigilante.”

“Wait. What?”

“Inko Midoriya who, alongside Mitsuki Bakugou, was one of the two vigilantes known as the Night Nurses.”

Pretty much everyone looked at each other.

“Oh, god. When Mic, Eraser and Midnight find out that they're teaching their idols’ sons…”

“FOCUS. Also, I also checked upon Atsuhiro Sako, to make sure that he is not an agent for All for One and… He is clear. No need to focus on him.”

It was absolutely not because Endeavor found out that he was Mr Compress during this investigation and needed the man for the Touya’s investigation. He was a bit surprised to see Nedzu and All Might nod in approval. So, both of them knew. Interesting.

“Any other questions?”

The air around all of them suddenly cooled down as the door exploded with an angry Rei standing behind the shattered frame.

“Yes. WHY DID YOU NEVER TELL ME ABOUT ALL OF THIS?!”

Nedzu whispered to All Might, as Endeavor ran for his life, chased by his wife.

“Did you tell her to come?”

“Well, no. I thought she was supposed to watch her son?”

Meanwhile, Snipe was drinking his coffee, smiling under his mask, as he may have phoned the whole reunion to Rei, who asked him why they were all leaving. Since she was Endeavor’s wife, he'd thought she had a right to know.

Not to mention the fact that it was just really fun to watch.

——————

“AAAAAAAAH!”

“… Now that we've managed to extinguish the fire, we would like to ask Miss Mei to not use flamethrowers for the remaining fights.”

If the last match had been short, thanks to Mei’s weaponry, the next one would be more arduous. Toru knew it. However she had a thought for Hanta, who was against Mei. She was going to be as feared as Katsuki.

Because she was going up against Itsuka Kendo, a known martial arts expert and one of the top students of their year.

It was going to be hard, wasn’t it?

Chapter 21: Sports Festival : even more kids fight

Chapter Text

Chapter 21: Even more kids fight!

Toru was ready for her fight, but she knew it wasn’t going to be an easy win: She had her invisibility, Yay! Her opponent was rumored to train in a dojo since her youngest age, while she was equal to Momo in smarts, and her quirk allowed her to do large area attacks, yeah she's screwed.

Despite her previous bravado about how Izuku should kiss her for winning her fight, Toru knew it was… Quite the unlikely outcome.Then Toru cheered up, with a giant smile on her face and fist pumped to the air. It wasn’t because something was hard and unlikely that it was impossible, and she had to do her best!

“Hey nice to meet you! Let’s have a good match together!” Toru says bounding up to the stage, only known to be there from the floating pair of gym clothes.

The ginger fighter had one of her biggest smiles on her face, a kind and friendly one that Toru answered it in kind with one of her own, though no one could see it.

“Thanks! Though, if you face the blonde dude…” The redhead stops half way trying to find her wording.

“I will kick his ass thoroughly. It is not because we are in different classes he has to be a dick about it! You must be a saint if he is like that every day!” Toru had a plan brewing, even if it will take some embarrassment.

“Thanks!” The redhead bows before dropping into a defensive stance.

Midnight advanced on the field, taking her spot as ref only to explain the rules once again,and then gave the signal.

“GO!”

Immediately, Toru began running while trying to think again about Izuku’s arms around her. Usually, you aren’t encouraged to daydream about your boyfriend, but in this case, Toru knew what it did to her, especially with a sun that was beautifully high in the sky.

Meanwhile, Itsuka focused herself on Toru’s uniform, as it was clearly the easiest way to locate her. Itsuka didn’t know what was the invisible girl’s plan, but she guessed she was trying something to beat her, most likely to restrain how Itsuka could punch her.

Itsuka completely understood what she was thinking, as the girl seemed… Well Itsuka didn’t know how Toru looked, but if she was smart, she would have likely heard about Itsuka as one of the top students in heroics and probably one of the favorites in the whole tournament. Had she been against Monoma, Itsuka thinks she would have had better odds to win.

“TORU! YOU CAN DO IT!”

At least she seemed to be lucky enough to have someone who noticed her, as the 1B president heard Izuku cheering for Toru, loudly. Itsuka, in the meantime… Well… Her crush was as dense as steel. Literally. Itsuka sighed, as she caught back Toru and readied her punch for a body blow. She was an expert in martial arts; she didn’t have to hurt her opponent more than necessary.

Her feet firmly planted in the ground, and her fist moved with her shoulder to bring strength in her hit. Her eyes were on her target, and she was pretty sure to connect with the invisible girl's stomach.

She missed as she didn’t lose Toru from her sight, when she turned into a living flashbang.

“AAAAAAH!”With a scream, Itsuka felt her attack connecting in the void, as Toru kicked her legs with a low kick. Not a bad idea if she wanted to do a hit-and-run tactic.

“Sorry Kendo, but I will make you work for that victory!”

The invisible girl’s grit and determination made the ginger smile, despite her eyes hurting. That was a good attack, and she felt the hit in her knee. However… However, she also felt the lack of proper striking power inside Toru’s hit. Probably someone who was used to the item to increase her hit, and clearly hadn’t learned how to hit her opponent cleanly yet.

Her eyes closed, Itsuka forced herself to calm down with a breathing technique and proper kata, proper stance. When Toru tried to kick again Itsuka, the latter surprised her by grabbing fast as lightning. Itsuka loved to train, and while her costume had protection for her eyes, she knew she shouldn’t count on that. Therefore, she trained herself with some friends fighting blind: She would take the hit, but react quick enough to go grappling with her opponent.

In other words, as Toru would discover soon, there was a notable difference in combat experience between them, since once Itsuka grabbed someone, her quirk giant hand gave her enough strength to keep them inside it. After all, if one took time to study her hands, they would notice how hurt they were, as she trained every day by hitting steel. Which could or not be Tetsutetsu’s abs and an opportunity for her to flirt, who could say?

Anyway, Itsuka trapped Toru in her hands, before simply tightening her grasp.

“Surrender, now! Otherwise, I will keep pressing you more in my hand!”

Toru tried her best, but the difference in strength was absurd. Could Itsuka break steel or somthingwith her bare hands or is Toru just that far out of her league?

“I AM NOT DONE YET!” Toru squirms in the redheads grip.

“Oh yes? Because I just have to not look at you and throw you out of the ring to win!” Itsuka says while holding Toru up into the air so she can't get any footing.

“THEN WHY DONT YOU?!” Toru yelled as she tried and failed to kick the redhead's wrist.

“Because I don’t want to hurt you more than necessary and that such a throw could make you land badly!”

—————

“See that, little listeners? It is a reminder that heros don’t have to be more brutal than necessary. There is such a thing as over-violence and we don’t encourage that here in U.A.”

“I totally agree with Mic on that one. Yes, sometimes you have to be violent to take down a criminal. It happened to me more than once. However, it doesn’t have to always be this way.”

“As an example, sometimes, when you meet a young quirkless vigilante, we know some heroes punch first and ask questions never. We, with Eraser, prefer to restrain them if necessary, but more often than not, their existence is the sign something bigger is there. Asking them why is the best option to root out the problem and avoid new ones from popping up.”

“On a side note: Vigilantism is a crime, and no, not using quirk doesn’t make you immune to the law against vigilantism. It is still an obstruction to heroes and police force and therefore a prosecutable offense.”

Too many quirkless vigilantes tried that one. Never ended well for them… And they were purposefully not speaking about the other usual outcome.

—————

Despite Itsuka's fair warning, Toru tried to worm her way out of her grasp. However, the ginger student knew her job and, as she said, threw her outside the ring.

The flying Toru got caught by a Midnight who sighed. She would truly need to teach this young girl how to fight better. She clearly relied upon surprise and her brass knuckles.

As Itsuka proved with her throw, it also meant that without it, Toru wasn’t effective enough to be a hero in solo and should either stick to the underground as a spy or as a side-kick…

Unless, of course, Midnight trained her in the same way she had been trained when she was a young, dreaming girl, meaning lots of whips and chains! How fun!.

It was a shame, really; she didn’t know the name and identity of the Night Nurses. Having them as co-teachers would have been wonderful, and it would have lessened Recovery Girl’s burden.

Oh well, for once this year, it seemed like they didn’t pit the powerhouse against each other in the first round!

——————

“NEXT ROUND! SHOUTO, THE MASTER OF ICE AND FIRE, VERSUS TOKOYAMI, THE BIRD OF DARKNESS!”

Meanwhile, as they announced the fight, all the teachers that were summoned for the emergency meeting came back to their booth. All of them were stunned by what they had learnt and needed time to process all of it.

The only missing person was All Might, as he was busy yelling with Rei at Enji. His lone wolf behavior caused even more problems and now, he would have to learn how to work in a team, said team being with most of the current top five, plus Rei herself.

Shouto might have wondered where his mom was for his fight, but thought she was just really busy about something. He wasn’t wrong, technically speaking.

Anyhow, Shouto entered the ring, while cracking the ice around his fingers. He was truly not used to using his fire for his fights and should be careful about it.

Meanwhile, his opponent was done with his mental preparation, as he stepped onto the ring, facing 1A’s top student. However, while Izuku with his personality, Katsuki with his attitude, Momo with her smarts and Todoroki with his talents over everyone else, overshadowed everyone, it didn’t mean the rest of the class wasn’t powerful. It was his time to show it.

“FIGHTERS, BE READY!”

Midnight continued her job as the main referee, before launching the signal.

“GO!”

Instantly, Todoroki went full no-nonsense fight, as despite his failing as a father, Endeavor taught him well how to fight, and how you should never drag on a fight as that itself can be the end of it.

Raising his hand, he waved it with a powerful swing, creating instantly a giant glacier, spiky and powerful. Spending time with the class made him appreciate his classmates more and knew they were all strong in their way. Since his fire was dangerous (despite what everyone was saying it was still fire), it was better to go with the ice, as he knew how to use it well. His fire could and would be used to avoid frostbite, thought.

“WOW, IT SEEMS TODOROKI WENT FOR THE BIG MOVE IMMEDIATELY!”

“Yes, that is something I have trouble understanding: Why do people never use their most powerful attack first?”

“… Did you finally play Undertale?”

“Not the point. However, it seems to me that Todoroki used the wrong move this time.”

“What do you mean…”

Interrupting Mic, everyone could see the ice crack before something giant and dark emerged from it with a loud sound.

“I RISE AGAIN!”

It was Dark Shadow, who was now throwing himself to Todoroki. Suddenly, the Ice student had to face a problem he didn’t expect: Why was the living-quirk a few times bigger than usual?!

Shouto had to keep moving and creating shields of ice to fend off the relentless barrage of attacks Dark Shadow did. The Darkness Bird seemed fired up and his giant claw smashed Todoroki’sdefenses multiple times as if it was cardboard: Almost instantly, as he kept the pressure on him.

Why was Dark Shadow so powerful? The answer was simple: Because Todoroki’s ice was too powerful.

Tokoyami, as everyone seemed to forgot the quiet kid, was someone smart and creative, as Izuku could confirm after playing DnD with him: when the situation seemed lost, Tokoyami often managed to went through his notes taken across various sessions to find the information needed to counter the bad guy. It wasn’t as fast as what Izuku could do, but it wasn’t bad either. Tokoyami learned how Todoroki fought to counter him.

In the past two weeks, when everyone was learning how to use their quirks in a more offensive way, Tokoyami spent his time training his quirk defensively. He knew that if he managed to fend off Todoroki's first giant attack; he had good odds of winning:

Ice didn’t let light get through well, with the majority of light being reflected off the surface. If Tokoyami could stay hidden in the shadow created by resting deep inside of the icey shell of his newfound bunker, it would give an important boost to Dark Shadow. Tokoyami discovered during the training session a weakness in Shouto’s ice.

Once created, he couldn’t manipulate it, therefore, it also made a good shield for Tokoyami, who simply had to endure the cold…

Shouto was in an unexpected pickle. As he kept running away on the ring, he tried to counterattack the shadow, who simply seemed to disappear or absorb his attack. It was logical, as it was a living shadow, and therefore an element. Attacking being like that was always hard, unless you managed to get your hand on his primordial opposite, and one of the reason the Ashen King had been so hard to stop: No one was capable to manipulate air to the point they could extinguish him or use cold enough water for the same purpose. Yes, after learning who was Endeavor’s father, he found as much information as possible on that man.

Still, Shouto couldn’t continue to stay on the run, as the Shadow seemed to get closer and closer to him each time, and soon, the heterochromatic kid would run-out of field to run.

At that moment, Shouto had an idea, a spur of the moment thinking. If he lacked a place to run away, he could always create more.

Another swing, another block of ice, as Shouto ran on it, and created as fast as he could fresh places to run on it.

“See, people? Therefore sometimes, innovation and improvisation can get you killed.”

“Oh? What do you mean?”

“Well, while Todoroki’s ice is indeed strong enough to hold his weight and stay structurally sound, Shouto forgot something important.”

“What?”

“Support beams.”

Pretty much as soon as Aizawa said that, Shouto, who had created stairs to not burn himself out too quickly, saw Dark Shadow coiling around his ice structure and break it. What happens then when you are on a structure that lost its footing?

Well, you learned that gravity was a bitch.

The ice cracked, and Shouto felt the fall beginning. As he sighed, thinking he had been outsmarted and could totally accept this loss… He heard something.

“YOU DAMN ICY BITCH! YOU BETTER WIN SO I CAN KICK YOUR ASS!” An angry pomeranian yells into the air.

Todoroki smiled; thinking about Katsuki, who taught him to accept his emotions to express them… And he remembered one lesson they had together, just once.

Suddenly, Shouto felt another emotion swell inside him, as Dark Shadow went for the kill, to be sure his opponent wouldn’t create a last ice trick to save himself. This emotion, this desire…

It was the desire to make someone proud of him. Pride.

“DON’T THINK I AM DONE YET!”

Just as Shouto was nearing the ice, and that Dark Shadow prepared his smash, a beautiful orange fire emanated from Shouto.

“FIRE PILLAR!”

While the name was unoriginal, everyone had to admit that seeing Shouto creating with his feet and his fists two columns of fire was impressive. Yes, unlike Endeavor, he wasn’t strong enough to fly in the sky, however it was more than enough to break his fall, allowing him to melt his ice under him.

As for Dark Shadow, he had barely the time to avoid the attack, as Shouto’s fire was indeed a bit too lighty to his taste.

An important part of Tokoyami’s plan was to use Shouto’s unwillingness to use his fire, as unlike Katsuki or Izuku, Tokoyami was more on the pragmatism spectrum. Having an opponent who would use his fire was a fundamental change… But what was a DnD player if not someone who had to adapt against overwhelming odds?

Tokoyami inhaled, before ordering Dark Shadow to attack again, but in a new way.

Todoroki, on the other hand, was now sliding on his glacier, trying to locate Tokoyami. If he couldn’t beat the quirk into submission, he should beat the user. However, it was kind of hard, because of course, Shouto had the great idea of making A LOT OF SPIKES. Now, he understood why his father criticized this move, describing it as too flashy and giving cover to his enemy. It was kind of humiliating to concede a point to Endeavor, thought Todoroki, while jumping from one icy spike to another … Before a Dark Shadow once again tried to attack; hurling itself at him from the shadow by the various structures.

Instantly, Todoroki responded in kind, using his hand to create a fireball. However, the bird came prepared and when he saw the attack, used one of the spikes as a shield to protect himself from the light and stop the fireball. Shouto clenched his teeth as the bird smashed him into the ice below, his dark fist pressuring him against the ice.

“SURRENDER!”

For a moment, Todoroki thought about an instant, before an old memory came back to his mind. One of his happiest memories ever, one with friendship and laughter… He intensified his fire, compensating the heat with his ice, as he was always supposed to.

“HOW ABOUT… f*ck YOU!”

————

In the student area, Izuku stared at an emotional Bakugou.

“They grow up so fast, right?”

“f*ck YOU, GREEN BEAN. Don’t you have a girlfriend to console?”

“She wants a moment for herself. We will cuddle later. So… Proud of your student?”

“… Yes.”

Both friends smiled, as they saw Todoroki using his flame, even more than just before, enveloping himself in an armor of fire, both of them analyzing the technique.

“… That isn’t bad.”

“It won’t be enough thought.”

“Nope, not enough.”

————-

Rei and Enji, who stopped the yelling when All Might pointed out that on screen, it was Shouto’s fight, cheered for their son.

“I think he needs to work on his ice, though.”

“… I have heard from Nedzu that he plans to intern with me. Do you want me to… You know… Give you a temporary contract as a sidekick so you can spend time with him? I think he might like it better than if he was with me.”

“You can’t continue to avoid him, you know?”

“I am supposed to see him only if he wants to see me. If he prefers to learn from his mother and my sidekick, it is his right.”

Rei sighed before cheering once again, as Shouto went into the offensive.

—————

When you were a semi-material being made of pure darkness (which is strange, as Darkness is the absence of an element, and not something concrete), getting punched was a strange and unpleasing experiment. Getting punched by a fire-powered fist was even worse, as Shouto used his flame to attack even faster, the flame going from his elbow.

The bird of darkness tried once again to do his trick by grabbing more ice to protect himself, but it was too late: The light Shouto emitted was stronger than his darkness, and he was losing a good chunk of his powered strength. In addition, unlike Shouto, who was warming up despite them on a glacier, Tokoyami could only use some exercise to produce body heat, and it was less and less effective.

Still, he didn’t want to give up, and asked Dark Shadow to come back to him. His other option was to tire out Todoroki: Quirks are like muscle, and not using one for a long time made it weaker… Or it could become quickly tiring to use it too much. Hence why, despite being Endeavor’s son, Shouto couldn’t instantly melt his own glacier.

“Sorry Toko… I would have wanted to finish him but…”

“Don’t worry, the match isn’t done yet. We can outlast him… I think.”

After all, the bird boy was shivering from the cold, despite his friend trying to heat him up by acting like a giant feathery coat.

Then, the wall exploded, revealing a Todoroki with fire emanating from one of his arm, looking at Tokoyami who had perfectly parried the attack.

“So… How did you find me?”

“I simply remembered where you were when I attacked first and followed the hole in the ice made by Dark Shadow.”

Todoroki took a battle stance, as did Tokoyami, both facing each other, as the glacier crumbled around them under the hit and the heat.

Then both tried to punch each other, Shouto with his fire as it was the only thing he could use to hit Tokoyami, recovered by the darkness, and Tokoyami having to restrain his darkness armor, as he couldn’t hit Shouto with it.

Blows and parry were exchanged, with Shouto slowly taking the advantage as he could use his ice to protect himself from Tokoyami’s punches.

Then the underdog of the match decided in a desperate move, seeing his opponent holding his own despite his apparent fatigue, to kick him.

However, Shouto saw the hit coming and using the water under their feet, created a smaller block of ice, and made Tokoyami fall. The latter managed barely to catch himself, but… He had to contemplate Shouto’s fiery fist in front of his face.

“… f*ck.”

——————

“Your opinion on this fight, Eraser?”

“Todoroki won by growing past his previous weaknesses. However, he still has to learn a lot before using his fire quirk in combat. By opposition, Tokoyami didn’t manage to do that, but honestly, learning to fight in close combat is often hard and he should seek a mentor that could help him shape more his quirk. Honestly, I think this fight was the best one in the first round so far.”

“So you heard, little listeners?! IT WAS AN AWESOME FIGHT! LET’S GIVE AN APPLAUSE TO TOKOYAMI AND TODOROKI!”

——————

Tokoyami was dejected, but he saw Todoroki with a faint smile on his face.

“At least I managed to make you sweat for that victory, didn’t I?”

“Well… Honestly, if my mom didn’t talk to me today to tell me it was okay to use my fire, you would have won.”

The bird mutant sighed.

“Sweat. It means that I am only better than half your strength. Yey.”

“That’s not what I meant to…”

“I know, Shouto. I know. It also means I have to put in twice the effort to compete against you. At least, thank you for going all out against me.”

As both of them went into the contestant area, Shouto felt drained of his energy. He had won only barely, despite using all of his quirk. All of it. Was he truly strong? Or did it mean that Tokoyami was that close to him?

———————

“Seems like you were both wrong, Izu-kun and Katsuki!”

Toru, who had finished to cry her rage to have lost so easily, was cheering herself up by being spoiled by Izuku. Izuku and Katsuki stared at the invisible girl.

“Look at Shouto. Honestly, he will probably lose in his next fight, as he probably expended a lot of his energy.”

“To be fair, the lazy f*cker didn’t train his fire despite us telling him to do it multiple times!”

“Mood. However, he is seriously using it, and in a good way, too.”

“I just hope I am the next to go, so I can kick his ass! I mean, what could go wrong for my fight?”

Katsuki would come to regret those words, because as if the universe was trying to spite him, his opponent would just jump out of the ring, too afraid of the prospect of fighting against him.

“NEXT MATCH: JIROU THE ROCK HERO VS TETSUTETSU THE IRON MAN!”

“f*ck I WANT TO FIGHT ALREADY!”

——————

“… I am honestly kind of sorry.”

Tetsutetsu was standing there in front of Jirou, as he realized she was just like him; trying to make history in this tournament.

However, no one was to judge the right or wrong of a tournament made randomly.

But in the end, it had to be this way.

While Jirou tried to use her sonic blast at first, strong enough to shatter rock with a small seism, Tetsutetsu, like Kirishima, was actually strong and sturdy enough to withstand all the attacks she sent to him.

Trying to fist fight him would also end poorly. Her only options to harm him was the classic jack in the eyes, but seeing how he looked at her ears, he expected that one, and the other option was sending sound directly inside of him, but…

But the man had a body identical to Kirishima and clearly knew better than her how to fight in close combat.

Jirou sighed as she advanced toward him. If she didn’t try, she couldn’t know!

——————

In the end, Tetsutetsu, as she was very insistent on not surrendering, had to fight Jirou, but the fight wasn’t really fair. Though, to be honest, Jirou had the worst match up for her skillset. Hardly something that could make her appeal to heroes… Until the commenters spoke.

“Props to Jirou to have tried. I know many people who would have surrendered, because their quirk aren’t useful for the situation.”

——————

Somewhere, Death Arms and Mt Lady felt as if they got attacked for an event that didn’t even happen in their universe.

——————

“Indeed, Eraser. Also, she tried to work out a plan by attacking his eyes and his mouth… Or trying to hit him with sound-wave directly, or to temper his balance.”

“Yes. Honestly, that’s what I would do, too. It shows a lot of ingenuity from her to try attacks like that. Sometimes, it is just bad luck.

“Sadly, he could tank her hits and, unlike Izuku, she didn’t have any piercing attack yet.”

“To be fair, this is the stuff you try to create when you are in an internship.”

“True, that’s what I did with my Bang Voice, when I was younger.”

“Did you finally pay off all the glasses you broke that day?”

“… f*ck you Eraser.”

——————

Jirou sighed as she got up.

“Well. At least I can see the bright side of everything.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, you are the one who will fight Todoroki next round, and I am pretty sure he will see your body as the sign ‘I can work out my issue by attacking you as strong as I can’, and will create some kind of explosion.”

“… You’re just kidding right? Please tell me you’re just kidding.”

“You will see~~.”

Jirou’s cackle didn’t reassure him at all, the young man panicked as they went back to the rest area.

—————

Meanwhile, in the restroom, Katsuki was tapping the tile with his feet, having trouble waiting for his round. The minor explosions he kept producing didn’t help the three remaining girls feel better… Well, Ibara was praying even faster, and Momo was currently checking with Mei how she could stop Katsuki’s explosion. As for Yui… No emotion appeared on her face, be as calm as possible.

Then the before-last match was announced.

“THE PRESIDENT OF THE 1A, YAOYOROZU AGAINST THE DIV…”

“No joke about religions, we can get into trouble.”

“Oh right. The… Euh… The Plant Hero?”

“Close enough. Yaoyorozu is against Ibara. This fight is going to be interesting.”

Interesting, as except Support Students like Mei, the others didn’t have the right to enter with special equipment, unless pre-approved and necessary for their quirk. The wording, however, excluded Momo from bringing equipment made by her quirk. As a result, she needed to make her stuff as fast as she could, otherwise Ibara would throw her out of bound quickly.

Both women knew it, as they stood in front of each other, one praying, as she prepared her hair attacks, and the other being ready to create a weapon as soon as she could.

Midnight and Cementoss sipped their tea before launching the signal.

“BEGIN!”

At that instant, Ibara planted her hair on the ground. That way, she could still summon them as a shield and as an invisible attack.

As a result, Momo created a flaming sword, as Mei had… Interesting ideas, to say the least. She wasn’t confident enough on the making of a gas grenade or soporific dart. Close combat was her best option. She, however, had to be careful of the attack that was likely coming from the ground and she knew she had the strength to cut even vines the size of Ibara’s hair..

—————

“Is it wrong if I say I have seen enough hentai to know how this battle will turn out?”

Everyone stared at Kaminari and Jirou ear jacked him, as the world ordered it.

She, of course, didn’t say she had thought the same but knew to not say that aloud.

“Have more faith, and less lust, in your comrade.”

——————

“It is over YAOYOROZU! I HAVE THE HIGH GROUND!”

Ibara had indeed the high ground, as she lifted herself with her hair, who quickly continued their web underneath the ring… Ready to attack whenever Momo would try.

“I just have to cut you down! If I do that, I win!”

“But can you do it? BECAUSE THE LORD IS WITH ME!”

“To be fair, I am more of a Shintoist, so…”

“… Will you attack, yes or no?”

Just as she said that, Momo launched her attack and Ibara attacked with… A giant vine composed of many other smaller vines. Monoma had helped her to train, as they knew that in real life, if she had met anyone with a sharp object, she would have a lot of trouble.

By combining them together, she increased their durability, though it costed her speed and needed time to set up. However, her opponent needed some too to create her items.

Finally, while nanoblade sounded outstanding on the paper, the technology and blueprint for it didn’t exist yet and there was a limit to what the class president could invent on the moment to defend herself.

“THE LORD’S WHIP!”

Ibara yelled, as her attack broke through Momo’s offensive and hit her in the stomach… Before properly throwing her on the ground, outside of the ring.

Higher ground, better strength, better durability and a plan to circumvent her weakness.

It was sad for the 1A, but Monoma was indeed their strategist and planned all of their wins for the tournament.

It was time to make the 1B the new kings of UA!

However, Ibara had a small thought for Yui. After all, the christian girl knew the next match-up.

Yui Vs Katsuki.

There was no way it would end well.

———————

“… That is impressive, I am just sad Izuku’s girlfriend lost.”

“Hmm? Who was that? The creation-quirk girl? The Rock girl?”

“No, the invisible one. They are quite cute together.”

“Oh? Any idea of what they do on a date?”

“Well, they like going to the mall, going to the cinema, training together… Why are you looking at me like that, Nejire?”

Mirio and Tamaki watched with a smile, as Tomura didn’t know he was trapped yet.

“Because, since you know martial arts, aaaannd I want to learn some more… YOU ARE GOING TO HELP ME!”

Tomura was looking at Mirio and Tamaki for help, and both answered.

“My style is based on power moves and a power stance.”

“Mine on various foods I eat, so not something easy to teach.”

Suddenly, Tomura felt himself in a crisis, as Nejire had an idea in mind. As part of her training with Ryukyu, she had to learn to recognize various martial art styles and to deduce what it means.

It was going to be really helpful to know who was really Tenko, all she had to do was track his art style back to their origin!

Chapter 22: Sports Festival : let's get dangerous

Chapter Text

Chapter 22: Let’s get dangerous.

“This will be okay, Yui. We know you can do it!”

For all his faults, such as his tactlessness, his arrogance, his ability to be kind of a dick and loving to show-off, Monoma was also a good friend. Sure, he got a lot more than his comrades in this rivalry stuff, but he also prepared a lot of plans for his team to improve and have winning odds against their enemy.

Here he was with Itsuka, trying to cheer up Yui. The emotionless girl didn’t seem worried but her friends knew her better, and to be fair, she had reasons to fear the fight: Katsuki was one of the valedictorian, and unlike Izuku, who had an endurance weakness, didn’t truly have one. He was also supposed to be incredibly talented at fighting, trained openly a lot, and was a top student. In short, he was the second coming of Endeavor or Miruko, or he was something to fear if you had over two brain cells and saw him becoming a mix of the two ravenous heroes.

“Yes, I know. Don’t worry so much, I won’t be the only member of 1B to fail her assignment.”

Yui stated her aim coldly, but inside her eyes there was a passion, one that could easily equal her opponent.

——————

In the ring, the two fighters faced off against each other, Katsuki with his shark smile, and Yui looking as emotionless as ever. Fiery passion vs a weeping angel.

“Hey, y’know, if you want to surrender, no one would blame you.” Katsuki says with a small wave of his hand.

While some people might take it as pure arrogance and him looking down on his opponent (which was it, to be fair), it was also a way for him to be kind to his enemy, letting her know she had a way out of this fight before it even started.

“No. Thank you.” She nods to him with her expressionless face before fiddling with her gym uniform.

“Begin!”

At that instant, Katsuki rushed toward Yui, who simply took a button from her uniform. After all, it was technically support gear, right?

When the giant button hit Katsuki in the face, he was surprised, as just as quickly, the button took back its normal size and the girl used the string as some kind of whip.

While a giant button was weaker than what he was used to destroying, Katsuki had to jump to dodge the attack, as he didn’t have the time to stop the attack.

“WHAT?!”

“… I like to train.”

Yui simply stated her answer, to Katsuki’s surprise, before taking her hair pin, launching it with an expert hand to him, and making it as big as him when it was close to him.

Suddenly, Katsuki was forced to defend himself in midair, sacrificing his left hand to destroy the giant hairpin that flew toward him. A colossal explosion tore into the ground as the pin was shattered, small pebbles and a few larger rocks were blasted from the stage, much to Cementoss’s dismay, it was his hardest construct!

—————

Meanwhile, in the commentary booth…

“Did you see that coming?!”

“… Absolutely not, but that is superb use of her quirk.”

—————

As his explosion created smoke, Katsuki managed to land safely, still processing what was happening. Sure, all the 1B proved themselves to be dangerous fighters, but this one was part of Hanta’s team! Hanta! How the hell was she that dangerous?

“Here I come.”

The coldness in her voice made a shiver of excitement run through Katsuki, who funneled all his passion in this fight. Oh boy, he expected little from this match, but he was so goddamn f*cking wrong.

As soon he managed to get into a defensive position, Yui resumed her onslaught, as a pencil pierced the smoke, at high speed like a crossbow bolt. It passed Katsuki as he sidesteps it, and it embedded itself into the wall far behind him, which said a lot about her strength and accuracy.

“I f*ckING LOVE THAT! KEEP THIS FIGHT INTERESTING!” Katsuki screams as he blasts the smoke away with his left hand.

“Great. Because there are more coming up!”

—————

“… Monoma? Did you give her advice on how to fight?!” Izuku says over the wall that separates the two classes.

“I tried, but she told me she had her plans. I… didn’t expect that. sh*t, I might have to rework all of my plans to include this level of skill now!”

Izuku didn’t feel better to know that even the 1B didn’t know that side of their friend. After all, Katsuki was his friend/rival, and he also wanted to fight him properly.

“Kacchan, you better not f*ck this one up.” Izuku says as he slides off of the wall and into his seat.

—————

Meanwhile, Yui was testing Katsuki with her attacks, alternating between using furniture and her special whip to attack from various angles. She was also happy to see she had caused him to have a bloody nose, though her enemy was now blocking her attack with even more explosions, punching his way through her attacks.

He still had a smile on his face, but it wasn’t arrogant anymore… It was a genuinely radiant smile, as he enjoyed himself, and that stare…

At that moment, Yui knew that in Katsuki’s eye, she was the only one. Good. Because she felt the same way: she had someone to take down, and dammit, she didn’t care about the rest. She had an enemy, an obstacle to destroy and she would give it all of her heart.

Her mouth moved by a micro movement on her lips as they twitched up only a millimeter, as she hummed, pleased. Yes, it was a good fight coming up.

“HEY, GIRL. WHAT IS YOUR NAME AGAIN?” Katsuki said before she tossed another random object. Funny, her style is something akin to his new uncle. Still, he could win if he moved fast enough to get in close combat.

“Yui.” No last name needed, at the end of this fight they will know each other better than most in each other’s classes. First name is all that’s needed.

Impact after impact, Katsuki was punching his way through the onslaught of objects. He had to admit; he didn’t expect her to have changed her button from plastic to tungsten, way harder. Changing the size of things while conserving their momentum… What a dangerous quirk! And her fighting skill…

The wind coming from his left told him that another blow from the button, pretty much as big as him, was coming up. Meanwhile, he was sweating more and more. Each of his movements was a reaction to each of her latest set of attacks. Truly, someone who didn’t want to make a show, a spectacle, prove something or sh*t like that. He was an enemy to destroy, and she was trying her best to do that efficiently.

“CONTINUE YUI! THAT’S WHAT I CALL A GODDAMN FIGHT!”

At that moment, Katsuki didn’t expect Yui herself to appear from his smoke, with some of the debris in hand, that she threw as a grape shot at him.

The debris actually hit his face, as she didn’t use her quirk on it. It made him close his eyes for a second before he felt a fist slam into his gut. She was strong, even in close combat. Sure, Izuku hit harder than her, but it was a close comparison, he had to admit.

She kicked the back of his knee hard enough that he fell backwards; she knelt down to him with one hand on his collar and the other co*cked back ready to punch his nose.

“Good. Because I plan to win.”

Cerulean eyes look into lava red with so much determination that they practically glow as the waterfall of onyx hair frames her porcelain face.

Katsuki gritted his teeth, and answered with an explosion powered punch to her face that staggered her enough that his feet were quickly brought up to his chest before slamming into her stomach, the force sending her flying away.

“Well, fat chance! I am going to win this!” He said, as he jumped to his feet in one motion.

If Yui was thrown a few meters back, she managed to stop her fall with a gummy bear that she turned into a soft cushion. However, she had to spit a tooth out, as Katsuki didn’t hold back. Good, it meant he took her seriously. Proof #2 being him rushing for another attack, as she would have trouble defending herself.

“GRENADE BUSTER!”

Oh, that was cute, he named it. Yui managed to use a small toy-key, looking like a famous shield of a Nintendo franchise, to stop Katsuki’s attack. It barely slowed the explosion, which cracked the barrier, just in time to burn the gummy bear, leaving a disturbing smell of burned sugar.

As he landed, Katsuki tried to see Yui’s face. As usual, his prosopagnosia stopped him from making any sense of the details he could see on her face. Just the general look, black hair, pale skin and a little bit of red that he thinks is blood. Good, he was doing damage.

However, she exuded the same fighting aura as him. Someone to not trifle with, as they would f*ck you up otherwise.

“Hey, Yui, I apologize for not taking you seriously at first.”

It seemed like a good thing to do, as he saw the girl grabbing more and more rocks from her pocket.

“Apologies accepted. Thank you for taking me seriously and not treating me like a weak girl.”

“Bitch, you ain’t weak! I haven’t had a fight this awesome since a god damn f*cking long time!” his grin turns manic as his eyes hardened into a glare of determination.

“Good. Now, how about I win now?”

“AS I SAY, YOU ARE WELCOME TO TRY!”

Both actually needed the break they took to banter, to catch their breath. After that, in a movement that clearly showed that Yui played baseball, she threw a handful of rocks at Katsuki, who once again, thought of destroying them… Before he had a different idea, and performed an explosion-assisted jump into the air, higher than ever before, then full sending into a dive kick toward Yui.

The 1B’s last fighter was currently running out of defensive gear, and it was a problem she needed to solve. Thankfully, she wasn’t out of resources and spat something at Katsuki… Her secret weapon.

As the exploding ash blond boy almost hit the girl, he suddenly saw a giant pink gum ball stopping him, before sticking to him. Not enough to get her a win, or stop Katsuki for more than a handful of seconds, but it was enough for her to retrieve one of the pencils she had thrown earlier.

As such, the ice queen dashed to her ultimate weapon. As she heard an explosion from behind her, she knew she might have been optimistic. However, she didn’t turn back to retrieve the pencil once more, and threw it at Katsuki again.

Bakugou was already on her, as she tried to do that, and instead of letting her throw the projectile at him, he grabbed her by the wrist, before getting her on the ground. While another girl like Mina would have said something like “Kinky~~” as Katsuki had no experience with girls, Yui was still in combat mode and instead of throwing the pen, used it to stab in the leg Katsuki who screamed in pain… Before answering with an explosive fist in the face of Yui.

——————

“Is that legal?”

“… Technically, it is Cementoss’ fault for not taking all of her stuff beforehand, and failing to notice the button.”

“You aren’t worried by the violence used by your student?”

“Bitch, Vlad’s student is as violent as him, and both of them seem to enjoy the fight a bit too much. Also, if you say what I think you are going to say, I am telling Nemuri you have a new crush and I will tell her the name.”

“… Stop killing my joke.”

“NEVER!”

——————

If Katsuki was on top of Yui, she wasn't defenceless and gave back as much as she took, though the difference of frame and musculature wasn’t in her favor. Each hit made the blood beat in her head until she had the idea to stop stabbing and try to use her pen as a Bő. It was at that moment that Katsuki blew it from her hands, however, leaving a burn with his bang.

Yui still managed to get enough movement to give a headbutt to Katsuki, who answered in kind, their forefront hitting each other full force, making her head slam into the ground…

——————

“… Doesn’t it look like they are going to kiss?”

It was Mina who dared to say that, and Itsuka looked relieved.

“Thank god, I am not the only one who thought that. She never showed that much emotion in the classroom, nor this tendency to be such a… Blood knight.”

“NO 1B SHALL DATE 1A!”

Monoma took his role as a leader seriously, but got hit sadly by his own attack when a Momo, under the brilliant advice of Mina, said with an actress’ talent:

“Sad, I thought I would invite you to drink tea and discuss quirks, but since you want to create such a wall…”

Monoma looked at the girl, trying to find his words at first, while Izuku and Toru just laughed at the spectacle. All Izuku hoped, though, was for Katsuki to win.

—————

In the end, Katsuki won, as just after the headbutt, he managed to violently slap Yui with an explosion. The kuudere of 1B lost consciousness, despite trying with all of her grit to stay conscious… Mainly because Katsuki was nothing but thorough and gave her three other explosion powered slaps.

When the referees joined them, Katsuki was bleeding from his fist, his legs, his nose, his uniform was in ruins and he had the biggest smile his mom had ever seen.

“Don’t you think you went hard against her, young Bakugou?”

Katsuki looked at Cementoss as if he had two heads.

“SHE WAS JUST THAT STRONG AND DETERMINED TO BEAT MY OWN ASS! DON’T YOU DARE SAY SHE DIDN’T DESERVE THAT MUCH! If I had given less, she would have definitely won! Now, if you are done being stupid, I am going to bring this strong bitch to the infirmary because we both need stitches.”

He may have been battered, but damn it if he would not honor this fighter. Yui, right? He would remember the name. He never had such a determined sparring partner.

—————

“You know, I almost feel bad for you, Ibara.”

Momo was drinking her tea, peacefully, while the Christian looked at her.

“Why? She clearly weakened him down!”

“Because if you don’t fight with the same drive as her, Katsuki is going to be extremely pissed, and she made him sweat quite a lot. So… enjoy the super powered, angry, explosive man for your next fight.”

Ibara paled before praying twice as fast.

“However, I am surprised by Yui.”

“You know what they say, it is always the quiet ones that are the most dangerous.”

——————

Koda sneezed while petting his rabbit.

——————

“Tsss, anyway. It will be time to fight against each other, my fated rival!”

Izuku looked at Monoma while drinking a smoothie with Toru. He was always wondering how the food seemed to disappear inside of her.

“Yes, sure, if you say so.”

“… WHY DON’T YOU TAKE ME SERIOUSLY?!”

“For a simple reason, really.”

Izuku had a knowing smirk, as Monoma, red, looked at him, waiting for the answer.

“Because you want me to take you seriously, and honestly, you bore me. So… Yes, no, I don’t consider you as my rival. That is Katsuki’s role.”

Monoma screamed in rage, and someone almost punished Katsuki until they saw he was sleeping after Recovery Girl’s kiss.

Hell, in fact, Katsuki and Yui were probably the two most hurt students beside Kirishima and Izuku, though they had mostly bruised themselves and no broken bones had to be healed.

——————

The two analysts of the opposite classroom faced each other on the ring, once Cementoss had, once again, managed to repair it. Once it had been dried, the students stepped onto it, but the mood each had was very different.

One side we had Monoma, angry, serious and who didn’t plan to show off for the gallery. On the other side was Izuku, who was beaming and playing with his cards in his hand.

“WHY DON’T YOU TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY?! IT IS THE FINAL STAGE OF U.A.’S SPORT FESTIVAL!”

“Because I am just appreciating the moment. Too much stress is bad, y’know. Besides, we are already in the second round of the final in our first year. We technically already showed our ability to the heroes that might want to offer us an internship.”

Izuku grinned before taking a deck with blue cards and a strange red and white sphere on their back out of his pocket.

“Also, it is f*cking funny to annoy you.”

Monoma inhaled before cracking the ground, turning into steel before smashing the ground in front of him.

“I know you are trying to trigger me, so that I rush you without thinking. That will not work on me, and I am going to beat you! For my fallen comrade!”

“Technically, shouldn’t I be more legitimate than you then, since 1B only lost one fight?”

“… YOU JUST ADMITTED YOU LOST MORE MATCHES! NOW…”

“Bored now. Blaziken, Mach-Punch.”

Monoma, with all his analytical mind, could understand what happened soon after that. First off, Izuku had picked a card, and threw it while speaking. Then, a big humanoid red and white chicken appeared. The second after that, it darted in front of him and its fist (?), claws (?) hit him in his steel face.

Monoma actually felt the skin cracking under the powerful fist, before Izuku, afar, added with joy…

“STRATOPERCUT”

—————

“Nejire, we agree that was clearly a Shoryuken?”

“It is a Shoryuken… It’s so bad the old versions of that game disappeared long ago…”

Hey, she loved to play old fighting games with Mirio and Tamaki. Also, it was a test to see how Tenko would react, since he supposedly knew the series, but strangely, didn’t seem to want to invite them to his home. Why? Embarrassing parents/guardians? Or something else?

“I know… An old arcade that has some of the old games?”

That was also a good option, and Tenko just won a few points.

“That might be fun. Let’s go there later, okay?”

“Sure! Wait. Is this a friend date?”

Tenko seemed unsure of what was happening, as Nejire only answered with a knowing smile while Tamaki and Mirio quietly laughed. They too had been on a friendly date with Nejire more than once, and no one seemed to understand how Nejire just managed to get down to her final life, only to turn it around.

Romance was inevitable, and Tenko had no way to avoid it.

—————

Meanwhile, Monoma was in a pickle. With his steel form, he barely managed to stand his ground against the monster Izuku summoned while he seemed to look at his cards, standing in the same place as the beginning of the fight.

“Hmm, who should be the next…”

Apparently, he was expecting Monoma to best his beast, but it also meant he only had one of them. Good, that was a good thing for him. Another one, and Monoma would have been toast. It also showed that Izuku had an endurance limit that prevented him from summoning too many monsters at the same time.

In other words… If Monoma beat down that monster, as their hands clenched against each other, he would have an excellent shot at winning! Or at least, he would face Itsuka and most likely lose.

“BLAZI!”

However, the fire chicken was still pumped up, and Monoma needed to deal with that first. He groaned, as he didn’t want to use that quirk now, as it was one of the few that could have won against Itsuka, but it was necessary.

Monoma grew several sizes in one instant, ripping apart his top, and stopping being encased in steel. Instead, he was a giant bigfoot-like monster who still had the Blaziken’s fist in his, and he promptly used that opportunity to crush the chicken that beat his face earlier, with a pleasured smile.

“Found my new card!”

To Monoma’s surprise, Izuku didn’t seem worried by his card being crushed to dust, or by the giant beast that was rushing against him.

“I SUMMON THEE! LUTRI!”

Suddenly, an otter appeared. That actually managed to stop Monoma in his tracks, as he saw the cute critter looking at him, and Izuku seemingly proud of using such a cute creature against him. This was followed by Monoma screaming at the summon, who slapped his face.

What?

While the slap was not powerful, something strange happened, as the otter then touched Izuku… Who grew up in the same way as Monoma, in a similar creature form.

“Lutri the Spellchaser. A quirk copying creature.”

Monoma barely managed to dodge the attack, but he felt the power behind it and the fact that… Well… While Izuku was clearly no Itsuka, he clearly learned to fight more than Monoma, who was relying on quirks.

“Thanks for destroying Blaziken. It showed me how you solve your problem by using the required tools for your skills. The issue is apparently that you are the guy who never thinks of using a screwdriver to nail something if they don’t have a hammer, right?”

Monoma, who was panting because of his previous fight with Blaziken, who got a few hits against him, took this opportunity to breathe… And elected to not answer, simply rushing Izuku. He couldn’t be better than him in this form! Monoma had trained besides his friend to master it, and he had the power and the pride of his classroom with it!

Izuku had one year of training with Mr Compress, and he was excellent in analysis. His opponent was readying themselves to support with their right foot, apparently. However, when Monoma threw Mina, it was with his left hand. Feint.

Izuku, when the first fake punch was thrown, simply dodged it with minimal movements. He didn’t need to know how to hurry in this new form, if he could move efficiently instead.

Then, while Monoma went for a real and powerful right hook, he felt the palm of Izuku’s giant hand hitting his chin. He didn’t see the counter coming, and he clearly saw the difference in fighting skills with him.

The 1A strategist wasn’t that powerful physically, nor did he have an excellent technique. However, he had a few moves he had practiced a lot and then apparently trained to use in various situations.

“Here is my point, Monoma. Sometimes, you don’t get to choose your tools. So you learn to improvise, adapt and overcome.”

“I AM NOT DONE YE… Why is it spinning around me?”

“Direct hit in the brain. Fight efficiently, not strongly. By the way, do you write with the left or right hand?”

“… Right hand, why?”

Izuku grabbed his left arm and promptly threw him on the ground, slamming him with his newfound strength. Then, Giant Izuku hit expertly once again, hitting his weakened opponent on his left arm.

Monoma, still not beaten or broken despite the pain, though he was mainly powering through sheer grit and determination, managed to gather enough strength to strike Izuku, right under the belt.

All the men watching the match winced from the sight.

“… Isn’t that against the rule, Eraser?”

“If it is not, it should be. However, I think Izuku is still going to win.”

“Oh, why do you say that?”

“Because I am pretty sure an arm shouldn’t look like a disarticulated puppet.”

It was true, as Monoma’s left arm had been dislocated in a few places… And Izuku, who felt the pain, remembered how hard his step-dad had trained him against pain, besides living as a bullied kid in a sh*t school.

So, Izuku did as always when that happened. He gritted his teeth hard and took Monoma’s arm, while still smiling, and used it to immobilize his opponent on the ground. Sure, Izuku could, and many people in the same position would have hit Monoma back, even harder. However, Izuku wanted it to be a heroic fight. Not a bully, a street fight. Izuku wanted it to be proper. If his opponent didn’t play fair, then he would beat him within the rules, just to make the win better.

It was at this instant Monoma noticed that he couldn’t use his arms and still tried to move to fight.

That’s when Monoma noticed the other thing he forgot.

Lutri the otter was in front of his face, claws out.

Monoma then learned why otters are often considered apex predators, despite being mainly known for cuddling and cuteness.

With Izuku perfectly holding Monoma on the ground, who was still suffering from the otter’s attack, the blond man took a bet and switched once again of quirk, choosing… Setsuna’s. He didn’t want to burn all of his aces now, but it was that or losing.

With Setsuna’s quirk, he could heal his arms, and then he could beat Izuku and his summons!

Sadly for him, this time, Izuku didn’t give him the time to use it. The moment Monoma switched form, Izuku grabbed his head and slammed it on the ground. Twice. Paradoxically, had Monoma thought of switching to Kendo’s quirk or Tetsutetsu’s and tried to endure the pain, he could have won.

However, as Midoriya said earlier, Monoma was the type of person who thought of using only the right tool for the job.

Meanwhile, Izuku didn’t exactly plan for what Monoma would do, just what he could do, and how he could turn the tables in his favor. It had been a new unknown opponent, so he adapted, learned and overcame.

That was why Izuku was standing, and Monoma was on the ground, unconscious.

—————

“Hey ginger girl!”

“Mmmh? Hatsume, that’s right?”

“You can call me Mei! Hey, give it your all! The more I force you to be serious, the better I can sell my babies!”

“With pleasure. On a side note… Do you know how to make gear that grows with you? I might need gloves now that I think about it…”

Mei smiled, as she walked with the person she was going to exchange blows soon enough.

“Hey, how about a bet? Beat me, and I make you awesome stuff. Loose, and you are going to use my stuff and my brand!”

Itsuka looked at Mei, and gave her back the same smile.

“With pleasure! Let’s have a fun match!”

Chapter 23: Sports Festival : Brawn and Brains

Chapter Text

Chapter 23: Brawn and Brains

Hatsume, with her exo-skeleton, was ready for the fight. At first, she had thought about trapping a student of the Heroic Course in one of her babies, before she and Izuku had a discussion about it.

————

A bit earlier, before Hanta’s fight.

“I amn’t sure it is a good idea, Mei.”

“Mmmh? Why that?”

“Well… It doesn’t prove their strength or utility. It just proves you make good traps and can convince people to do dumb things.”

“Oh… Oh, you might have a point there.”

Mei had tried to measure closely, but a growl coming from an invisible girl convinced her otherwise. It would not be easy to get exact measurements for the costume… Until Izuku told Mei his aunt had his measurements. Neat. However, it didn’t solve her current dilemma.

“So… How should I advertise them?”

“Win.”

Izuku explained the straightforward solution to her, since Compress often said that geniuses always had the same problem: they over complicated things.

“Win?”

“Win. You are a support student and that means you probably don’t have combat training. Therefore, if you manage to score a few wins with your gear, you are going to show their power! A student who is effectively quirkless, since, let’s be honest, your eyes won’t help there, who beat students from the heroic course with solely her gadget? Now you are selling something!”

“If I might add, it also shows your determination, personal ingenuity, and ambitions to your sponsors, no? I mean, outside of Momo.”

“… Why? Is she rich?”

“MOMO! CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO MEI WHY YOUR PARENTS MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN A CRAZY GENIUS WHO DO WELL IN THE TOURNAMENT?”

——————

Power Loader, during the meeting, felt something like liquid doom that was crawling up his back, as if someone was giving Mei unlimited resources.

No one was that crazy, right?

——————

Because of that, spider-legged Mei was now standing in front of Itsuka, with various contraptions ready, and she wanted only one thing, victory.

The ginger president of the 1B smiled, since she loved a good fight. Maybe not as much as her uncle or the duo of Katsuki and Yui, but she loved when she could use both brawn and brains. The moment where she could be herself, fully.

So, Itsuka took a battle stance, a Kung-fu one, ready to jump when the signal was given.

“Ready girls? Go!”

Midnight was having the time of her life, watching the fights in this tournament. They were usually meeker than this and having students showcasing themselves was intense.

Mei opened, as Itsuka expected her to, with her flamethrower. She had the intensity checked beforehand, to avoid causing burned skin and death, for obvious reasons. However, you would feel worse than hell if the flame reached you.

“HELLO SPONSORS! HERE IS A FAN FAVORITE: MEI’S BURNER! VARIOUS INTENSITY, DEPENDING IF YOU NEED TO NEUTRALIZE A VILLAIN OR MELT DEBRIS FOR RESCUE!” The dreadlocked girl yelled into a mic that is hooked up to speakers on her back.

Itsuka had to admit the idea was nice, especially if Mei could control the form of the flame, but now wasn’t the time to think about that. Instead, Itsuka grabbed one of the tiles of the ring to throw to obscure Mei’s vision. However, unlike what one might think, she didn’t rush in for a follow-up attack.

Good idea, as the spider legged abomination exploded the tiles, as Mei explained her babies.

“THE SPIDER ARMOR! USEFUL FOR HEROS WHO NEED MORE MOBILITY, AND AS SHOWN EARLIER, USEFUL TO CARRY CIVILIANS TO SAFETY! It even detects threats automatically!”

Mei was having the time of her life, as she grabbed a few round things in her back to throw them at Itsuka, who was still thinking about how to attack her.

Gracefully, Itsuka dodged the slime explosions with a rondo, as Mei ordered the legs to get closer, to attack her with them.

The martial artist had to admit it was fun to think about what Mei could use for their fight. Also, her personality was fun, and Itsuka had trouble understanding why she was feared across the campus.

“NOW! SPIDER KICK!”

Itsuka seemed apparently defenseless from the incoming attack, until she smiled and activated her quirk. People had trouble grasping how strong she was, since she appeared to be built for agility and flexibility.

Her quirk seemed to make her hands big and nothing else. A side-effect most people overlooked was the extra strength it gave her overall, her whole body was coiled muscle fibers! Did they think that growing gigantic hands made them lighter or something? They were the size of her body and somehow, she could still move her arms. She could lift several times her own weight, and she trained with Tetsutetsu for a reason: he was the only one who could lift as much as her.

When the steel crashed against her hand, Itsuka stood her ground, cracking the tiles with her sheer might. It surprised Mei that Itsuka was that strong!

——————

“Remember, dear listeners: More and more quirks have what is called secondary required mutations to work. Not everyone has them, but simply having them might bump your quirk to a higher class. As an example, let’s take the Hero Ingenium and the late Thunderbolt. Theoretically, their quirk functions in the same way. However, Thunderbolt’s strength came from the fact that he could also react lightning fast.”

“However, training might allow you to control and lessen your weakness. It is also important to know that some quirks can be dangerous to yourself. That is why Quirk Counselors are a thing and help you learn your limitations.”

“Still, what a show of strength!”

“To be fair, according to the result I have under my eyes, Kendo was fourth on the practical exam, only 9 points behind Midoriya and Bakugou. I guess Vlad taught her correctly.”

———————

Mei was surprised, but she had learned from the cavalry fight, and had already loosened her harness, to avoid being crushed under her own armor. Also, she still had her flamethrower and dammit if she wasn’t going down with a fight.

“BRING IT ON!”

Mei carefully torched the surrounding area to give herself breathing room. As her gramps said, her brain was a weapon, but she needed the time to create a plan.

Resources: none. Her enemy was smart, strong, and skilled.

Armament : down to her flamethrower. They limited her arsenal under the pretense it would give her too many options to counter her opponent.

Why was Izuku allowed to have his decks then? Or Yui her weapons? Maybe because they hid them better? Hmmm… It was probably that, now that she thought about it. Anyway, her enemy had… Many advantages over her.

——————

“Doesn’t it look like Mei is a badass Helen Ripley versus Itsuka the Alien?”

Everyone looked at Mina, who stared at them, and Izuku nodded.

“I thought the same, but I am not sure everyone would get the reference.”

“I did because my mom loved the series.”

Both nodded, concentrating on the match… That ended quickly after that.

Why? Because Itsuka threw another tile.

——————

When the tile came toward her, Mei knew she wouldn’t be able to dodge it. So, she braced herself and blocked it with her arms. People often forgot how strong she was and it was clearly not enough to beat her down. However, it was strong and heavy enough to send her into the ground.

As soon as Mei opened her eyes and tried to get up, she felt Itsuka’s foot against her neck. Her tone was serious, just like her blue eyes.

“Do you yield?”

Mei thought once again of her gramps.

——————

The Architect, the most wanted weapon dealer in the world, who happened to also be an art thief on the side, was playing his grandchild’s favorite game with her: “how to disarm a bomb”. He wasn’t dumb, and the bomb was only Chantilly cream, Mei’s favorite.

Well, one of his bodies did that. It had been a long time since he transcended his mortal shell to become more of an AI than an organic being. However, he still loved his family dearly.

So, while one of his subject bodies was playing with Mei, the others were watching a fight he had in Paris, in the Louvre Museum.

“Grampy! Why did you stop fighting heroes? Weren’t you strong enough to win?”

The Architect was pleased to see she had already eaten her cream, and put her on his knees.

“I was, but here is something many people never learn. The cost/reward balance. For example, in this fight, Capitaine Baguette, Le Chevalier Ch’ti and le Vieux managed to best my men. I could have pushed through by joining the engagement directly, with my arsenal… But, then I would have destroyed the Louvre and I cannot do that. Instead, I preferred to strike a deal to lower my losses. Know this, Mei. There is no shame in losing, if the only consequence is you learning from your mistakes.”

Mei looked at the screen, nodding.

Even if she wanted to be a hero and knew that she would probably clash with him, she loved her Grampy who always let her have fun with toys! How he was always making her think of harder, better, faster and stronger things.

As for him, the Architect knew he was more or less impossible to contain, as he was more virtual than physical. If being a hero pleased Mei, he would support her, even if it means having to make a deal with Nedzu.

Their chess games were always fun, though.

—————

“I yield!”

Mei had no way of winning this, not in this position. She was pretty certain Itsuka could react faster than she could use the flamethrower. It was pointless to get beat down further.

Itsuka took her foot off of her opponent and smiled at Mei.

“You owe me stuff now!”

“I will love making equipment for you!”

—————

“Daw, too bad little Mei lost there, boss.”

“Yes, yes, I know. However, she put up a good fight. I wonder if I should send her some schematics to improve her exo-skeleton, though…”

“Boss! Don’t make the heroes too powerful!”

The Architect was busy watching the TV in his air fortress with his men. One reason he could never stand All For One? That asshole felt nothing. Meanwhile, he knew the name of all his henchmen and was friends with them.

He never regretted that one day where he gave some of his tech to the heroes in Paris, if it meant his gang was safe.

It also appeared that Mei understood that sometimes a loss was an excellent opportunity for friendship.

“I can’t wait for the day we have to fight her!”

“Yes, it is going to be fun to make her deal with all your stuff, boss!”

“I can’t wait for an enjoyable challenge!”

And that is how they watched the rest of the tournament, while enjoying excellent beer.

—————

Enji, locked in a teacher's office with Rei, was forced to stop his investigation for the day.

“You are going to watch your son’s fight!”

“But, Rei, I can do that from my office and I am half thinking he would have a panic attack if he knew I am on the campus when I shouldn’t be.”

“… I think you being trapped by me is an excellent reason, don’t you think, Enji?”

Currently, Enji was restrained by ice. Nothing he couldn’t melt if he wanted, but his wife’s smile let him know her decision was final. In some sort of way, he wondered if her spending time with him was another form of torture and punishment, as she knew he wouldn’t dare to think that it had any meaning behind it. If he was alone, however, he would have been able to ignore the fact, if only for a moment, that they weren’t together anymore.

It was a likely reason, and he knew it.

“I also think Shouto would prefer his mother cheering for him somewhere he could see her. If I tried to say “SHOUUUUTOOOOO” from the sidelines… I am fairly certain he would try to smash me with an icicle.”

Rei grumbled, as Enji had a point.

“I will do that for his fight.”

“Oh? You’re certain he’ll win?”

“For all your faults, you were a decent instructor with Touya before his incident and I am pretty sure you put a lot more effort into our boy since then.”

Silence followed, as both adults didn’t know what to say after that. The only thing still speaking was the TV as the festival continued…

———————

“AND NOW, ON ONE SIDE THE PRODIGY TODOROKI VERSUS… IRON MAN TETSUTETSU!”

“Seriously, you missed your calling as a WWE announcer.”

“… I actually got a contract with them for the next Japanese season.”

“WHAT!?”

“…”

“So… Ice and fire?”

“Yep.”

“… Do you…”

“My father once told me how he beat Metallica, the giant of Metal, by heating with his flame and when he proved to be fireproof, he made him fall into water to cool it instantly.”

Shouto had both halves already activated, and the fight had already started.

“Yes, but you wouldn’t do that in a friendly fight, right?”

“My teacher is Bakugou.”

Tetsutetsu took the last argument in stride and nodded.

“Mood. Nonetheless, I SHALL FIGHT LIKE A MAN!”

“Duly noted.”

When Tetsutetsu tried to grab a tile, akin to Itsuka, to block Todoroki’s subsequent attack, he failed. Mainly because this time, instead of making a glacier, he made a single pillar of ice that hit Tetsutetsu in the face as he kneeled down.

Usually, Tetsutetsu could have withstood the attack pretty well. This time, since he was crouching, he stood perfectly still. So still that his whole body was encased in ice, except for his head, and he couldn’t move even a finger.

“HEY! Not manly!”

“… Sorry, but I don’t think it is manly to fight someone way stronger than me on his favorite domain. I preferred to end it quickly.”

Yes, it had been a brief fight. Not all of them could be epic. Shouto is pretty sure that in another universe where he had to face Hanta, that would have ended quickly too.

——————

As Bakugou woke up, he looked at Yui.

“You better win. A loss feels more acceptable if it is against the champion.”

“AH! Of course I’m going to win this! Just so you know, I think only two others dudes would have the f*ckin possibilty to make me doubt my victory. You’re now the third one.”

Yui looked at him and nodded. Katsuki was stating a fact. Not something meant to make her feel better, and somehow, it was what she needed to hear.

“Also, Yui… Do you want to join us in our after-school training? I could use another sparring partner, one who isn’t afraid to bring the big guns!”

“… My pleasure.”

“Perfect! Now, excuse me, I have to show my respects to the Christian Girl.”

“Oh?”

“EXACTLY AS THE ROMANS DID AT FIRST!”

“Show her the Greek fire” Yui muses.

“HA! Maybe I should make it my hero name at this point!”

That almost made Yui cackle, and when Katsuki left, she just sighed quietly. At the very least, she did her best and her opponent was one of the best fighters of the tournament… And it allowed her to establish herself as a fighter, too.

She hoped Ibara would love her fight as much as she loved the one she had with Katsuki.

—————

Ibara hoped and prayed that Katsuki’s injuries from the last fight didn’t have time to heal, so she could have a small head start.

Sadly for her, Katsuki had a lot of energy, as he was mainly powered by spite, anger and determination.

“GIMME A GOOD FIGHT, BITCH! A GOOD DEUS VULT!”

“… The Lord is love?”

“Well, I love to fight, so… FIGHT ME!”

Most people in the stadium felt bad for her, as unlike Momo, Katsuki had the means to attack quickly and had the area of effect needed to fend off Ibara’s vines.

So, Ibara tried her best to use her hair to attack Katsuki from various angles, but this time, the tactic didn’t work: For something like that to work, she would need to attack quicker than the opponent, to restrain his movements before finishing him. Here, she was facing Katsuki, who could simulate flight and move almost as fast as Iida with his explosions. In short, a highly mobile and offensive opponent. Meanwhile, despite the strength in her quirk, Ibara was more of a crowd controller. While she was very useful against mobs, and as part of a team team, but alone, she would quickly become a target for an opponent who knew her attacks.

It was not a reason to stop fighting, however, and Katsuki noticed a quick increase of her prayers… and of her attacks. Interesting, she knew she couldn’t outrun him, so she decided to just concentrate on her quirk to increase her abilities? Now, that was an idea! A powerful one!

Now, the plants were looking more like vicious snakes than simple vines he could side-step. He launched himself into the air as hydras formed and started to attack him from every direction. He fell into a rhythm of exploding a vine, twisting to dodge another two and landing an explosion on each as it passed before slamming a larger explosion into a new vine coming for his face only to repeat from the start. The dodges and maneuvers pulled more and more smoke around him with the scent of burnt cinnamon. The vine’s spikes didn’t help his already battered uniform, though for now he managed to avoid being grabbed and hurt as he landed on the stage that looks more like a graveyard of plant matter.

The thing that was saving him was that Ibara didn’t have Yui’s vicious blood lust.

It felt more like he was fighting an upgraded mob rather than a full-blown boss. Yui was that damn boss in Dark Souls and Ibara was an elite mook.

Katsuki also learned from Momo’s fight that the longer he took to defeat her, the stronger she would become. That was the reason Katsuki grabbed his finger with his other hand and a concentrated spray of mist turned into an explosion. This way, he could aim a powerful explosion with precision. Sadly for Ibara, while she had created an automatic defense technique, there was a problem with it. It was not nearly as fast as it needed to be to block Katsuki’s incoming shot.

People thought of him as a medium/close range fighter. In reality, he was suited for all ranges, as he aimed to be the best combat hero there ever was. It meant fulfilling any role at any moment, and damn right if he didn’t train with Izuku to improve his arsenal of attacks!

The second mistake Ibara made was not training herself to build up a pain tolerance, to avoid being broken out of her concentration easily. As a result, when the explosion burned her legs, she winced, yelping for a second and stopping her prayer, her concentration broken.

A second was all that was needed for a genius like Katsuki to close the distance with a large explosion and use the increased speed to hammer her in her face. One second when he threw himself forward at maximum speed with his explosions, destroying his shoes in the process.

Ibara felt the shock of his fist resonating in her skull and before she could try to summon her vines to defend herself, his palm was on her face and he smashed her into the ground.

Knocked out, Ibara didn’t move. Katsuki got up and took his victory pose, before looking at the public.

“AS I SAID EARLIER, GOOD LUCK, BUT IT WON’T BE ENOUGH AGAINST ME!”

This time, everyone could see it wasn’t bravado or arrogance. Well, not fully that. It was also pure and unadulterated pride, the one you had by working for it and establishing your dominance.

——————

Somewhere else, a certain bunny hero prepared an internship form. Well, more like she ordered her overworked secretary to do it for her, but it was the same thing, really. She had found a mini-her and oh boy; the training was going to be extremely fun!

——————

Meanwhile, somewhere else…

“Precinct 78, do any heroes copy?”

“Ingenium here, I copy. What do you need, officer?”

A hero’s work was never done, and even at the Iidaten Agency, the demand was constant. While some heroes ran their company as if it was some kind of private security company (which was actually kind of accurate, now that Ingenium thought about it), Ingenium didn’t like that way of doing things. He loved being on the field to help as many people as possible. He also had big shoes to fill, with the recent tragedy of Thunderbolt’s demise.

As a result, he worked ten times harder, and he had rounded up several small-time criminals affiliated to criminal organizations. It caused the police to call his agency more and more, and while the cash flow was appreciated, the work kept increasing.

Thankfully, he had sidekicks like Koichi to ease his burden.

“An attack has been reported in a dark alley nearby the Ichiraku Ramen restaurant. Can you go check on that?”

“I’m nearby, it should be done quickly.”

Smiling under his helmet, Ingenium was once again on the road to protect the innocent.

When he arrived at the location, the elder son of the Iida family double checked if he had the right coordinates. It was at that moment he knew something was fishy. It was the right place, but something, some feeling on the back of his neck, made him dive to the ground. Live long enough as a pro-hero and you learned to trust your gut feeling a lot. The number of times an investigation began because Ingenium saw a man beat his dog to death, and when asked why, answered “It is mine, I do what I want”… Well, the number was two.

There were already two horrible cases.

Nonetheless, back to the issue at hand. Ingenium was able to dodge knives that ended up in the wall.

“TODAY, ANOTHER FAKE HERO SHALL MEET HIS PENANCE!”

What a coarse voice, coming from above him. Still, Ingenium had managed to get away from the first attack. It was going to be a fight, and he knew it: the hero killer didn’t have a reputation for listening to reason.

However, something disturbed the hero. According to Koichi, who knew the man from his past, and if he understood his ideology correctly, technically speaking, he shouldn’t even be on his radar. Or under investigation, but as he was clean, he doubted the Hero Killer had anything against him.

“SURRENDER NOW!”

Still, proper procedure should be followed, and Ingenium was already pressing the emergency button when Stain jumped on him. He quickly felt the sword tearing through his armor, and was suddenly sure that Stain probably stole a sword from a museum or someplace like that for it to be of that high quality.

—————

However, the hero couldn’t know that a certain agent was activating his jamming quirk. On paper, it wasn’t even a real jamming quirk. It simply allowed him to phone people without a phone. However, thanks to the HPSC’s training, he learned how to fill all lines at the same time. No trace of jamming would be found.

All he had to do, now, was to check upon Foxtail and make sure she did the job. Though he did have a backup plan, just in case.

His promotion was on the line, after all.

—————

Ingenium was winning, and he knew it: while Stain was clearly experienced, strong and fast, he seemed more determined to draw blood rather than kill him. Unless it was part of his quirk? No one had discovered it before now, and it could be important.

However, unlike many heroes who used ablative armor to protect themselves from emitter quirks, Ingenium preferred a heavier and thicker armor, with an ablative suit underneath. It offered less protection against emitters and bullets, but at the very least, it blocked blades and mutant attacks well.

On the other hand, while Stain failed to find a problem in his armor, Ingenium had punched him a few times in the face. Taking Muay-Thaï lessons was one of his best ideas, and it showed, as the Hero Killer suddenly had to face a competent hero who didn’t rely that much on his quirk.

He totally didn’t do that after spotting one or two of his analyst support heroes with an “analysis” quirk had a “villainous quirk” that they couldn’t use or in one case, a quirkless person who managed to pass his muscles as a quirk.

“THERE WILL BE BLOOD SHED!”

Meanwhile, Toga was on an exhilarating trip. Might have she gone insane, finally? Somewhere in her mind, she could almost feel the old her nodding sadly. Who cared? All that mattered in the present was that only one of the two fighters could walk away from this fight.

The taste of the blood in her mouth, and the blood still in Ingenium’s body… It was the only thing she knew was real.

Taking two knives, she suddenly abandoned her sword. Something the real Mr Stainy would never do, but she wasn’t him, not yet.

Ingenium must have felt that the flow of the fight changed, as he suddenly adopted a more defensive posture.

It was not enough, as Toga got closer to stab him, not slash him. There was a fundamental difference now. Before, Toga was like a matador trying to slash a bull who was rushing him. If you didn’t have the build and a sword for that, you were going to be in a world of pain quickly.

However, right now, Toga was a matador, trying to stab her opponent in heropening. Well, that would have been accurate if the matador was crazy enough to rush the bull to stab him, but honestly, she managed that. After all, the HPSC’s training was nothing if thorough, and they knew how to make someone go above their limits without breaking them.

So when Ingenium raised an arm, she shifted her attack angle to stab him under the shoulder. Her attacks were serpentine, and faster than him. Or maybe, just maybe, it was also the combat drugs kicking in. He still managed to punch her with enough force to give her a black eye. She was going to be in a world of sweet pain after all of this.

————

Seijin wondered if she had done well to rewire Toga to mistake pain and pleasure? Oh well. Not her problem. It was Ingenium who should be worried.

————

As a result, Ingenium had the sense that Stain was a crazed maniac so high he couldn’t feel pain and would not fall unconscious easily. In other words, the Motorized Hero would have to take some risks if he wanted to win this and bring the Hero Killer to justice.

Toga didn’t expect him to block her arms by locking them, while she had a knife stabbing him in the shoulder. Clearly, it couldn’t feel good for him, and why did he stop punching her? It was so much fun!

Wait, was he lifting her by overclocking his motors? Oh craps basket! In a posture that was commonly called a german suplex, more than in a world of pain, Toga was suddenly on the verge of losing consciousness…At the very least, just before she felt Ingenium’s powerful arms beginning a blood strangulation.Yes. It exists. The principle is to make the target lose consciousness by cutting off their blood to the brain for a few seconds. It is a very common move in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Her last words before losing consciousness were…

“Harder…”

Before going limp in his arms, sleeping peacefully, with a demented smile on Stain’s face. Ingenium was breathing heavily because of the fight and the blood loss. Oh f*ck, it hurt like a bitch. Why did he have so many knives?

Relaxing because of his win, Ingenium noticed the second Stain in the alley too late, when he high-kicked him in the jaw.

Before he could process what was happening, he was pummeled into the ground.

—————

Agent K was finishing his smoke, when a man wearing a white and black mask brought to him the unconscious body of Toga.

“Thank you, Tanuki. I take it that Foxtail almost messed up?”

“No, she was close to beat him alone./ f*ck THAT NOISE, WE HAD TO FINISH THE JOB!”

“… Well, I will schedule her for more training, and that should be it. As for Ingenium?”

“Right. The problem was he was disturbing the organized crime in this area too much. They were channeling their resources into place we couldn’t reach in response, and we cannot allow that. Also, this way, we will have a chance to de-legitimize even more vigilantes. If citizens freely use their power to make their own justice, it will be a second dawn of the quirk era.”

Honestly, it was a messy job, one which left a bad taste in his mouth. However, sometimes what was right wasn’t what was good, and Ingenium didn’t understand the principle of necessary evil. So, yes, the HPSC might do evil things on the side, but they were all for the name of stability

“Let’s call the ambulance. He is still a selfless hero, and who knows? Maybe the outrage will be great enough to change things thoroughly.”

Chapter 24: Sports Festival : the final countdown

Chapter Text

Chapter 24: The final countdown.

Izuku felt restless, as Toru gave him a smoothie to calm him down. She managed to get two free smoothies, as long as she said that they were Izuku’s favorite on her way. Uraraka approved, as there was no such thing as too much free stuff.

However, Izuku was now under the pressure of being in the top 4 of the first year. Top 4. Oh, he expected to do well, and like anyone, he hoped for a climatic battle with Katsuki in final, but it was only now that he realized that. He had a shot for the final, and to get a medal delivered by All-Might himself.

“… Izuku, I think most people would feel restless not because they get All-Might goodies, but because they are on the spot in front of everyone else.”

Izuku looked at his girlfriend, who ruffled his hair peacefully. Sure, she had lost, but Itsuka had proven against Mei that she was highly capable in the fighting area. If you got in close combat against her, you were down, and she was smart enough to create opportunities so she could close the distance gap.

Izuku was a decent fighter in close combat, but he was nowhere near her level, and he knew it. The only person who had a decent shot at a pure technical fight with Itsuka was Ojiro, and even he admitted he would be the underdog.

“Oh, I also feel restless, because I will avenge my girlfriend’s loss.”

Not that Toru was feeling any wrath or resentment toward Itsuka. However, Izuku knew she would like the attention, and she would continue to ruffle his hair while he leaned back on her. It had tremendous effect to calm him down, and damn if he would not take it. Hell, he thought that this kind of moment was for something to regenerate his stamina, so he could continue to fight well.

However, he was also damn conflicted, as he truly saw the difference in the way Katsuki fought and the way he fought:

Katsuki didn’t seem to look for the fight after the one he was in, giving every time his all. Meanwhile, Izuku had to, because his quirk was still growing and as such, had to be careful to not explode his brain, quite literally. He… He also had something planned for his potential fight with Katsuki. He wasn’t kidding when he said he had a card with Katsuki’s name on it. It was really something he had planned for their epic fight.

However, as Izuku heard his name, he had to get up and win this fight. He also knew that if he lost because he didn’t give his all against Itsuka, Katsuki would most likely kick him in low orbit. The fact Katsuki had apparently done the math to do it right was highly worrying. However, it was in character to make the nerd take everything seriously.

“Wish me luck!”

“Good luck, Izu-kun! And if you win, I will let you treat me to a date!”

Another excellent motivation to win, right?

——————

“Popcorn?”

“Thank you Mirio.”

It was weird to speak so casually with heroes, but… The big three really had something in them, Tomura had to admit. Tamaki was a mood kindred and both of them seemed to almost telepathically speak their thoughts about the ambient noise. Mirio was so smiling and beaming it was actually hard to not smile too with him. Tomura actually had to wear a mask after his smile made a child cry in front of them. No, he wasn’t jealous at all that people feared his smile. He was a villain, he should be scary! Except he had trouble remembering that when Nejire was laughing next to him. It was… a bit mesmerizing.

Somehow, Tomura had a thought. What if his life had been a little bit different, such as Sensei not finding him? Would have he become a hero?

Suddenly, his brooding ended when Nejire poked his cheek. It was hard to stay somber when she smiled at you like that.

“Hey, you should cheer for your cousin!”

“… He isn’t my cousin, I said I consider him as my cousin! That’s different!”

Nejire noted he didn’t refute the cheering part, though. Especially as when Izuku got in the ring, Tomura rise up and yelled.

“KICK THIS NPC’S ASS; IZUKU!”

——————

For a second, Izuku could have sworn to have heard Tomura. However, it was highly unlikely as Tomura hated crowds and heroes. Izuku should truly tell him, though, about the whole student at U.A… Especially as it will be hard to hide that after today. Hell, the shopkeeper of the card store was probably yelling he was the one who supplied Izuku’s cards.

In front of him, Itsuka Kendo, who was all smiles and sunshine, but Izuku knew she was ready to kick his ass, at a moment’s notice.

He would have to play his cards fast, if he didn’t want to take one of her punches.

“ARE YOU READY, TO FIGHT FOR THE RIGHT OF BEING IN THE FINAL ROUND?”

“Yes!” “Yes!”

“Then… Let’s begin!”

As Izuku expected, Itsuka blitzed, to not let him have time to do a summon. It was logical, and if he wanted to fight correctly, he had to create his own opportunity to fight right, especially as Itsuka had learned from Monoma’s fight. So he did something highly illogical and ran toward her.

While it made Itsuka pauses for a fraction of a second, she was enough of a seasoned fighter, thanks to her uncle, to react promptly to the attack, with a good old right hook to the face.

Izuku managed to avoid the hit only barely by sliding to his left, and almost squealed when he saw the ground under him break apart and chunks of concrete shift under the weight of her fist. Oh boy, it would have hurt. Thankfully, since the rise of the quirks, humans were notoriously sturdier. He wouldn’t have died, but he wouldn’t have liked it either.

However, between him dodging her hit, and her infinitesimal pause, Izuku had the time to let a card drop next to her. A card that should allow him to buy time for a concrete strategy.

“MACHOMP!”

A Machomp, simple, powerful and highly motivated to fight strong opponents. Why did Pokemon lose its fans again? Oh right. It was because no one could remember every Pokemon past the 14th generation and the rise up to 2000 different pokemons, not counting the alternative’s, shinies, fusions, boosters and radioactive versions.

However, while Machomp was powerful, its speed wasn’t necessarily up to the task, especially as it was an apparently rather common card. Izuku had discovered the power of a card was also tied to its rarity. Which would explain why even Kings in his tarot deck were only on the level of a strength enhancer quirk user.

As a result, Izuku could see Itsuka methodically cross-countering every punch Machomp tried to do. Agile, strong, fast and smart. It was just like fighting a Katsuki, but with less explosion. If he wanted to beat her, he needed something equally strong and fast. So…

As a result, Izuku grabbed his “Hero” deck, before taking a card in it. Marking his cards was a good idea to find each one he needs quickly and efficiently. Each deck had its own symbol, heroes, villains, tarot, pokemon, items are all grouped together and there is also a few videogame characters all with one symbol, : along with marks for the, commons, rares, epics, legends and lastly Ultimates, the heroes… And this time, he pulled his only rare villain card so far.

“I SUMMON… THE KING OF UNDERGROUND BATTLE! RAPPA!”

Rappa was known as a high C-tier/low B-tier villain, and he wasn’t a priority for most heroes, as he allowed the underground rings to be highly moderated and he wasn’t interested in anything else than that. Honestly, all that was needed to turn him into a star was a legalization of his fights. However, it wasn’t the case.

Anyway, Rappa was a low-tier villain because of the lack of danger he represented. However, there were rumors floating around that he used to fight against Miruko and the latter said nothing about it when journalists asked about it. To be fair, Miruko never said much to journalists.

However, it also caused Rappa to be one of the few cheap villains Izuku had.

One that surprised Itsuka for a second, as she saw the hulking villains cracking his fists before delivering a barrage of punches.It wasn’t nearly as powerful as the real Rappa, but it should stop and weaken a bit Itsuka, while Izuku was catching back his breath.

Itsuka, on the opposite side, was freaked out for another reason. WHY DID HE HAVE TO PICK THIS CARD? WHY DID HE PICK HER UNCLE?!

Her family had broken ties with him when his activities became known… And also because he used to bring Itsuka to watch a fight in his club every now and then. She remembered that time fondly, as the local barman brought her cherry milkshake and she could see people beating others up! She actually had a Miruko’s autograph, thanks to that!

It was also her uncle who taught her how to beat people up! Correctly so as every movement and stance she had was due to her uncle beating it into her mind and soul, her body was just beaten into the padded ring in the process.

Then, as soon as the initial onslaught died out, as she had kept her guard up, Itsuka exhaled her breath with a fire in her eyes. If her uncle was watching this, she would be a deception to him, being beaten up by a fake him.

“FIST OF THE NORTH STAR!”

At first, Izuku was going to ask if she was going to do some Hokuto technique, before he saw her taking a karate stance. Instinctively, Izuku ran out of dodge.

“GENBU!”

As the Rappa summon was done cooling down, Itsuka gave only one punch. However, it was a punch done with her whole body, and her quirk was activated. The fake Rappa fell into pieces as her enlarged fist twisted in the furx villain's gut, as the breaker punch destroyed him in one hit, and the card turned into cinder soon after. Izuku was actually blown away by the punch, he looked up only to see Itsuka with a bit of anger burning in her eyes, walking toward him slowly but methodically.

Crap basket.

———————

In a certain Yakuza stronghold, a battle master was enjoying the fight on a small portable TV, and cheered up quietly for Itsuka. After all, Overhaul forbade them to watch it at work, but… They were Yakuza, they broke rules anyway, right? He just needed a good excuse. research on the next generation's quirks? That should work if he is caught, Overhaul is always paranoid, Rappa giving him time to plan countermeasures on strong quirks might give him a good scapegoat.

———————

It wasn’t time for witty banter or small talk, for once. The old “Make the enemy mad to trap them” only worked if the enemy wasn’t superior to you physically and only if you had a plan, a strategy, to work upon their anger.

It was a stupid idea to do that when you were cornered and didn’t have the mobility to get out.

Therefore, it was for a good reason that a pale Izuku wasn’t speaking, as Itsuka was marching toward him, carefully for his next move. Good.

Being scared didn’t mean not having a plan, though. Izuku always had a plan, especially now he had seen Itsuka fight twice, too.

While she used punches, she always finished her fight with throws to avoid hurting her opponent. Despite her strange angriness at the situation, something he would probably look to fix after the fight, he had no reason to expect her to act differently: even during pain and being blinded by Toru; she acted like that.

Besides that, he was also exactly where he wanted to be: cornered by the ring.

——————

“… Your cousin is in a dangerous situation, it seems.”

Tomura was too tired to yell and instead, simply threw a handful of popcorn at Tamaki for his observation.

“You dummy, Izuku is in a rough spot, but so is the girl, the difference is she doesn't know it… yet. I know him. See his smile, a bit forced, but still there? And the fire in his eyes? He still has a plan.”

“How do you know that?” Nejire asked with a tilted head and a sparkle in her eyes.

“He is always like that when I am dominating him in our games.”

“Oh?” the blue fairy asks to help her latest interesting person continue his thoughts.

“He does manage to win sometimes. Like one battle out of every ten? Something like that.”

“You do know it isn’t a lot?” This time it’s buff Tintin that speaks.

“Yes, but I also know that this girl isn’t me. The guy that knows Izuku’s every card and play style, it's not that he only wins due to only being that good. He wins only so much because even when I always have a newer stronger deck and a new set of moves he will always get me close to defeat before I pull out something new. It's when I don't have something new that I lose. That girl… he just watched her fight three times.”

In opposition to The Big 3, Tomura had faith in his friend. He knew he had a plan, an ace up his sleeve, probably literally. It was going to be interesting to see an Izu gambit in real time.

——————

Itsuka was fairly sure of her victory. She knew about Izuku having a power-limit on what he could summon. According to the punch of the Machomp, the Blaziken and the fake Rappa, Itsuka had a fair understanding of the limit.

Izuku, most likely, couldn’t summon anything stronger than that and didn’t have that many cards as powerful as them. It also explained why he didn’t summon them earlier, if they burned away after only one use.

As for the others, weaker cards… She was now certain she could punch them away easily.

Having intimidated Izuku enough, the ginger girl decided to end the battle. She rushed him, to end him with a grab and throw.

Then, in front of her, Izuku smirked before disappearing.

What?

As she darted her arms in front of her, she felt a pressure on her belly and something catching her arms. Something that was clearly using her own strength against herself, and she was going to be thrown out! The surprise was gone, Itsuka managed to grab whatever was trying to throw her out. Wait. Oh… She could see where Izuku should be, a floating uniform. That was right. If he could copy Monoma’s own copy, why couldn’t he copy other’s quirks? Still. All she had to do now was a counter-counter grab. As she was vastly stronger than him, she could simply throw him first on the ground, and she would qualify!

At that moment, Itsuka made a fatal mistake.

She forgot whose quirk Izuku took and how well he knew it.

Izuku simply thought about getting hugged by Toru for his win, just before Itsuka managed to grab him the light burst out in a sparking ray. Then, unlike his girlfriend, Izuku used all of his strength and technique to throw his opponent out of the ring. Grabbing one of her arms as they instinctively flew up to her face, the one he had gave him a focal point. spinning on his heel he spun her off the stage and into the grass in a roundabout toss that sent her rolling.

———————

“MY EYES! OH GOD THE PAIN!” The only time you could hear Eraserhead yell out of anything but anger or teaching a lesson, his eyes are more sensitive to them most due to his quirk.

“… And dear people, blinded by that problem child, is why I have sunglasses all the time. Don’t worry, your sight should be back in a few seconds.” Permanent damage only happens if you see it for days on end, which can happen to heros or UA teachers. Mic, being both, adopted the shaded prescription glasses into his costume after his first week as a teacher.

———————

Itsuka was on her back, stumped. She had been countered, because she forgot something about her opponent. THAT WAS f*ckING IDIOTIC OF HERSELF.

Of course, if he knew about Toru’s quirk and special attack, he probably also knew the trigger! sh*t!

All she could hear was Izuku, clearly panting because of the effort. The result was because of a gambit and he did his best. However, it had also been because Itsuka went easy on him, and they both knew it. If she had been serious, and had just smashed him or slapped him with her giant hands, she would have won. Sure, Izuku would have most likely had a few broken bones.

However, she would have won.

By not taking him seriously, Itsuka had forgotten a part of his ability, and he exploited that kindness… Or was it truly kindness? Wasn’t it more like pity? sh*t.

She could almost hear her uncle disgruntle and swear because of that stupid defeat.

For once, Izuku wasn’t in a state to be a fair play gentleman, as his last actions took a lot of energy inside of him. He knew he had the strength for… Well, still a few summons, but clearly, it had truly taken its toll on him to act like that.

Honestly, he could only hope that Katsuki’s fight against Todoroki would wear him down just as much as him.

———————

“WAAAAAAH OUR BOY IS IN FINAL!”

“Indeed, he is!”

Seriously, Compress wanted to check if Backdraft wasn’t linked to the Shimura’s family one way or the other, and ask Inko to be classified as a double quirk person.

“However, you need to cry less Inko, otherwise we will get flooded by complaints and litteral water… again.”

“BUT I AM SO PROUUUUUUUUD”

It was going to be a long evening, right? Still, having an Inko all over him was really nice, and he would not trade that for anything in the world. Especially if it leads to more cuddling later on.

————————

“See? Told you he would figure out something. Izuku is resourceful.” Tomura beamed with pride as Izuku won his fight. He knew he had it in him!

“Impressive… Now, we know the last fight is going to be really interesting.”

“Nejire, once you finish your… Isn’t that your third ice cream?”

“Yes, it is!”

“… You are lucky your power needs a lot of calories. Anyway… So, what's your prognostic on the winner?”

“I like the ice guy!”

Mirio nodded, while Tamaki grunted.

“I prefer the explosive man. Yes, he is loud, but he clearly takes the tournament more seriously.”

The ashen bluenette says with a glare at the stage.

"How about a bet then?"

"Another one ?"

"Yep! If Todoroki wins, you owe me another favor. If Bakugou does, I owe you!"

"If Bakugou wins, I need a rematch against you!"

"Deal!"

Mirio leaned on Tamaki to ask.

"Do you think he know he just locked himself again in another date with Nejire?"

That made chuckle Sun-eater.

———————

Once again, two people stood there, against each other. One with a maniac smile and the other being Todoroki, who simply smiled quietly.

“Hey, Blue Fairy! I need to thank you for this trimester.”

Bakugou, hearing his… Well, yes, he could call him that. Shouto was his friend and his disciple. Hearing Shouto taunting him and thanking him made him smile even more.

“So… How do you intend to thank me? By giving up?”

This actually made Shouto chuckle.

“AH! As if! You would kill me if I did something like that!”

Once the chuckle stopped in his body, both halves of his quirk activated.

“No, I will thank you by beating you! Not for my father, not for my mother, or not even for you. I will do it for me!”

Katsuki smiled as a warm feeling was growing inside of him. Pride in someone else? That was a new one, and he liked that. Finally, Shouto was growing a spine and standing up for himself! Huh, it was Izuku all over again, just with complete social exile rather than anxiety.

“GOOD! YOU BETTER USE BOTH QUIRKS, BITCHY BOY, OTHERWISE IT WON'T BE AS AWESOME AS IT SHOULD!”

Midnight and Cementoss had the proper flair for the dramatic scenes, and as such let the kids have their moments, ready to fight.

“Are you ready? GO!” she called quickly.

At that instant, Shouto used his gliding technique, though this time, he added himself being propelled by his flame, increasing drastically his speed compared to the initial race. However, the speed was apparently something new for him, as he wasn’t able to dodge Katsuki’s fist crashing down into his stomach, the right hook stuned the dual eyed boy. . The exploding man had thrown himself toward the Genius of the 1A, correctly guessing he would try out his full power during their fight. However, it was not enough for Shouto, who was used to getting worse from his father on a daily basis. He just didn't expect Katsuki to intercept him.

He took that opportunity to let out a large burst of ice right up to Katsuki’s neck from point blank range, but Katsuki took his distance immediately. While the sarcophagus of ice appeared where Katsuki stood just before, Katsuki was already in a safe area, preparing his next attack. Unlike Shouto who had a fairly constant and powerful quirk, the blond knew his specialty was more about bursting and charging in varying moves. Against someone like Shouto, staying in close range was a bad idea, especially now he was okay with using his fire.

The real question was ‘Did he already work out some attacks with it?’. Simply by increasing his mobility, Shouto was even more dangerous than before, and Katsuki had to admit his mastery on ice was impressive.

On the other side, Shouto took the brief respite as an opportunity to get back his breath. Good. He could take on Katsuki’s punch and continue to attack. So, what should he do?

“When your enemy has a biological component in their quirk, neutralize it.”

… sh*t, once again, Endeavor’s old advice and teaching were on point and useful. It would be easier to hate on his father if he was an incompetent corrupted hero. Sadly, Enji Todoroki was competent in everything else besides family matters, apparently.

Still, his first fight with Tokoyami took a lot of his strength. Had he fought with his fire from the beginning, he would have been in a better shape. He could still do a big move only once or twice, but he needed them to be decisive, and not waste them.

As Shouto was still thinking about his next move, he suddenly felt an impact on his guts. In front of him, Katsuki was aiming at him with his finger, shooting explosions all around him. Shouto’s guess was he had fine tuned his control over his explosion to propel his own sweat as a bullet. That was actually really impressive.

——————

Meanwhile, an actually still frozen Endeavor was watching the fight with Rei. He couldn’t bring himself to think “his wife” despite still being married to her, because… Well, the “still” was the operative word.

However, even if it was just for an instant, he forgot about all of that, and melted the ice, while yelling…

“SHOUUUTOOOOO!!!!”

Then Rei iced his head, by reflex, icing his mustache and his eyebrows, giving him a funny face.

“Calm down, or you will activate the fire alarms!”

“… Actually, Nedzu set the alarms so I don’t activate them before I actually burn something.”

She totally knew it, according to her smile, though. She just cooled him down for fun, and that made him chuckle.

“You think Shouto will win?”

“He will, now that he is finally using both halves of his quirk and stops hurting himself… and if he doesn't then you will be there for him after the fight.” Enji said with a more genuine smile on his face.

“… You know he never used it as a rebellion against you, you know?” Rei said with a brittle spite mixed into her voice.

“And I pushed him even harder to avoid a second Touya…”

A pang ran through both of their hearts, a mix of sadness and anger at the thought of Touya and what had happened to him.

Endeavor had more than enough time to do his introspection. Hindsight, being 20/20, the hero himself was his harshest critic.

“But now, our youngest son is doing his best.”

Ironically, all it took was to get Endeavor out of the picture for Shouto to not become his brother… And the irony was not lost on both adults in the room.

———————

Shouto decided to compromise and slammed his icy feet against the ground, creating a sudden wall of stalagmites toward his opponent. That way, he would create a wall and an attack against him. As a result, Katsuki flipped a tile in the sky with his explosions. It was a good idea, as clearly Shouto had memorized his move and used a wave of flame to hit him. Sadly for the genius, Katsuki was gifted for battle, and he shared to a degree Izuku’s passion for quirk. He loved to study their battle application, and boy, did he think a lot about a serious fight with Shouto before. Now, he has finally gotten one!

Katsuki, once again ruining his shoes, redirected with violence the tile, aiming at Shouto. The Icy-Hot boy had to move sideways to dodge it… Or he might create an ice structure to deviate the attack, while he pointed his finger from his fire-side as a gun. Katsuki grinned as he saw his friend aiming carefully, before shooting at him. Not a bad move, but he clearly needed more work! As a result, as Shouto was using the tile as cover from Katsuki’s explosion, he didn’t expect him to use a projectile.

The projectile being Katsuki himself of course, who used his explosion to drop full force on the “roof” above Shouto’s head. However, it wasn’t enough, to Katsuki’s surprise, to make it crash on Shouto, while he did hurt his feet from the impact.

“I took the teacher’s advice about proper support for my ice constructions.”

Shouto explained quietly from under Katsuki, before encasing the area above him in ice, to restrict Katsuki’s mobility in the best case, and in the worst case, cool him down enough to stop him from sweating.

Honestly, no one saw Katsuki’s counter coming. As he felt the incoming cold, the angry, proud boy did something he saw once in an old game with a good story.

He flexed against the cold, propelling as much sweat in the process, and producing even more heat that way. In addition, it weakened, and cracked Shouto’s pillar, while the explosion was blinding him.

Still, as the tile was finally coming down on him, Shouto smiled, and he lifted it, to everyone’s surprise, before throwing it and Katsuki away.

His quirk wasn’t the only thing strong about him, his body was also trained by the number two hero.

“Not bad, Shouto.”

“Thanks… Katsuki.”

Name. The ultimate sign of respect from Katsuki, as a nickname was simply friendship.

Both boys were panting heavily, as that much quirk use in one day was bound to tire one. It was even more visible in Shouto’s case, as he worked out his fire quirk, something he didn’t truly do before that day. As a result, his control, his power over it took a lot of energy. Now, he understood why his father always insisted on him learning how to control it.

However, now was the time to go all out. Both Katsuki and he were set apart on the ring. Katsuki took damage from his failed kick, and would have a hard time dodging his next attack. In fact, Shouto could probably move, but he wasn’t sure he could capitalize enough on his speed to win. However, he knew how to create a situation where no dodge would be involved.

“Katsuki? Block.”

Katsuki felt his blood boil intensively when Shouto’s body flared up in his quirks. Heat and frost coming together in one final, giant and big attack.

“Because I will use all of me.”

The same cold voice, but his face and his smile showed his fun. His happiness, the fact he was having the time of his life.

Somehow, he could feel cheers all around him vibrating the air, while his attack continued in its preparation.

Then, he heard the sparkles, going crazy on Katsuki’s body. Explosions at the end of each hand, getting bigger and bigger, while taking a cross-like posture. Of course, he took the challenge in a fight for power as Shouto expected of him. It was going to be a battle between both of their powers, and all of it will be decided here and now..

Cementoss and Midnight, finally noticing the danger, prepared to intervene to stop both students, but it was a bit too late.

“BIG BANG….”

“THERMODYNAMIC…”

Both students felt the power of the others, while walls of cement rose from the ground, and a strange smoke on the ring. As said earlier, too late.

“ATTACK!”

“CANNON!”

Shouto’s attack was vastly bigger than Katsuki’s. It wasn’t a match on that aspect, as it showed the strength Shouto had, destroying everything in his way. Large spikes rip through the concrete while fire rides the top of the spikes making waving currents of air that propel bursts of fire ever farther as the duelist attack rages on as a beam of twisting air rappidly cooling and heating in a spiral while being supported on all sides by his fire and ice working in tandem. The air rushed to the only place uncovered from the tunnel, right where Katsuki was standing.

However, beside a fiery temper, pride and a maniacal smile when happy, Katsuki had another common quality with Endeavor: an absurd control over his quirk, thanks to an even more absurd training. For him, it was useless to have a big beam, all he needed to have was a powerful one.

So, while Shouto’s air beam was indeed the most powerful of the two attacks, its wide area made it lose efficiency. With the precision of a scalpel, Katsuki’s attack pierced the dual elemental super move pushing the twisted beam back into its cocoon, ice cracks and fire sputters causing the attack to collapse in on itself and blow away the air in the stadium for everyone. More than one hat and fake hairs were lost that day.

When the concentrated explosion finally arrived in front of Shouto, it exploded once more, violently enough to project him outside the ring. In fact, he rolled across the grass for only a moment as he felt his back against the wall; the shock-wave being so powerful that his body didn't even register pain yet..

Still standing in the ring was the winner of the match, who had a smile on his face. He was… The best. He fell on his knees, having lost a lot of his strength with that attack. Shouto had fought him at the best of what he was capable of, and Katsuki sliced it apart like it was nothing.

“SEE PEOPLE?! THAT IS WHY I AM SAYING I AM GOING TO BE THE NEXT #1! SO WATCH ME!”

What was bravado at the beginning suddenly turned into a declaration in front of everyone, with Katsuki looking… Like a shonen protagonist, blasting away his opposition again and again with each match showing a burst of strategy and strength that they never thought he had..

“And if you want to prove me wrong… GET BETTER. BECAUSE I DEFINITELY WILL BE EVEN BETTER TOMORROW!”

The applause was deafening, and Katsuki rose up again, walking slowly and with some pain toward Shouto, and looking at him.

“So, how does it feel, Shouto?”

“… Is it weird to be sad and happy?”

“I don’t know, I never lost.”

Both cackled a bit, before Katsuki helped him on his feet again, his friend's arm was pulled over his shoulder as the two stumbled out of the arena together leaving the hyped crowd behind.

“More seriously, yes. You had your fun, and you finally noticed you would have liked to be the best. That feeling? It is your pride. Never forget it. Because you are one of my rivals with Yui and Izuku.”

“… Should they get a penalty for the destruction they just caused, Mic?”

“Well, to quote Nedzu “I said ‘Plus Ultra’ to my grandson, and I TOTALLY ASSUME”.”

———————

Rei and Enji blow up a wall together. Nedzu could bill them later, they didn’t care. Their son… He had been so close to win, and failed so close to the goal.

“That attack… I told him to not do wide area attack! Smaller and stronger!”

“It looked quite cool though. Hmm…”

Rei seemed pensive, and Enji noticed her look.

“You have an idea?”

“Well, I just thought. Let’s say we discover the HPSC did in fact hold Touya. Instead of letting you do a Prominence Burn… Would be interested in…”

“… Combine our quirk in a heat/frost intense combination, enough to blow apart their building and most of the block in one shot?”

He finished his wife's sentence.

Rei, nodding with a smile, was a spectacle Enji had missed.

“Does that count as a date?” He says with a cheeky smirk.

“Don’t push your luck Enji.” She replied coldly, but not as much as he thought she would.

Dammit.

———————

Meanwhile, Izuku was resting in meditation. He took a card, that was until then wrapped in a protective sleeve. It had indeed written “Katsuki” on it, and it was also going to be an important experimentation for Izuku.

Sure, his opponent was a person of mass destruction, but it would not deter Izuku now. He was too far to fail now.

It was time to use his Endgame Strategy against Katsuki.

Chapter 25: Sports Festival : The ultimate showdown of ultimate destiny

Chapter Text

Chapter 25: Ultimate showdown of ultimate destiny !

“HEY! EVERYONE, WE ARE BACK FOR OUR FINAL FIGHT!” Mic yells into his mic.

“Indeed. This fight can be interesting, though Katsuki knows well his opponent and his weaknesses. Unless he lets Izuku summon cards, he should win.”

“Rooting for one student, Eraser? that's very unlike you.”

“I am just being logical, Mic.”

Izuku sighed as he entered the ring. The referee had decreed a 30 min recess so they could reconstruct the ring, as the last fight blew it. He took that time to rest as much as he could, but he also knew that Kacchan took it to heal. Katsuki’s stamina should be down after everything he suffered, but honestly, Izuku was now reassured more than ever that he worked through sheer determination.

As a result, and as Eraser said, Izuku knew that his friend would try to beat him seriously. In other words, getting ready for his win condition and his biggest weapon against Katsuki would be hard.

Still, Katsuki shouldn't be able to put out , at least from the start, a Big Bang Attack or anything like that. So he would try to get to Izuku in close combat, something Izuku wasn’t bad at. Not as good as Katsuki, sure, but if Yui could put him in such a bad state, so could he!

“Hoy! Nerd! Make it good!” The ash burned blonde demanded.

Katsuki had the biggest smile on his face Izuku ever saw on it. After all, it was logical. Katsuki’s favorite quote came from a french drama, “The Cid”. “A vaincre sans péril, on triomphe sans gloire.” “To win without risk is to triumph without glory.”This tournament? All of his fights were awesome, and he had to work through them with all of his might and grit.

He had Yui’s blood-thirst to quench, Shouto’s new passion lightened in him and Ibara’s faith to carry on even knowing that she was doomed. Each enemy beat down was part of him. He couldn’t afford to lose, by respect for them, and show to the world that they weren’t weak. He was just too damn strong.

Katsuki also knew that Izuku totally got how he thought. So… It was high time to see what his friend had in store for him.

No word was needed for both of them, as Izuku began to play with his cards in front of Katsuki, making them fly. Truly, Izuku had mastered his craft over a year of training. He wasn’t a nerd now. He was… He was his rival. His number one rival. His best friend…

When the “FIGHT” was announced, Katsuki darted toward Izuku with all the speed he could muster. As strange as it could appear, while several cards burned away from Izuku, nothing was summoned. Self-buff? It wouldn’t be enough to fight him, and Izuku knew it, probably.

Even with his stepdad, Izuku was nowhere near his level of close combat. On both technique and pure strength, Izuku was indeed frightening, just behind the likes of Ojiro or Itsuka, but on strength and combat instinct, he wasn’t there yet.

Still, Katsuki was surprised to see Izuku take his arm, eyes almost closed, as if he already knew what he was going to do. Prescience-card?! The nerd found sh*t like that?

Izuku flipped Katsuki away with a smile, while he continued to burn madly cards away. It was strange, as before, the master of cards seemed highly conservative of them… And why did nothing appear from them?

Katsuki had the feeling inside his guts that it was some kind of countdown before he was done. What was Izuku doing?

It was time to attack, and he wouldn’t stop there. Katsuki rushed again to attack Izuku in close range, but Izuku seemed highly intent on only dodging. Even the openings Katsuki left him by wildly swinging were ignored. Sure, if Izuku was to fall for that one, he wouldn’t have gotten up so easily from the counter.

Still… What was Izuku muttering?

“8 land of fire, 5 colorless… I should begin to tap in the Pokemon cards…”

Still, Katsuki was moving faster now that he began to sweat properly.

“IZUKU, STOP IGNORING ME!”

This time, the hit connected with Izuku’s face. He even heard his nose break under his fist.

Somehow, it didn’t stop Izuku from burning even more cards. Katsuki had the gut feeling something was coming.

“8 normal energy, 8 of fire…”

His smile. The nerd’s smile that is now tainted with blood from his nose, it looks wrong. He's setting up something.

Katsuki prepared from his position one of his biggest single cell explosion he could do from his current state.

“POWER GRENADE!”

The explosive ball of energy rushed toward Izuku and exploded, leaving a cloud of dust where Izuku should be.

Katsuki, panting, wondered if he had stopped the attack… Before a gust of wind blew everything away and a silhouette stood aside Izuku, like a mighty protector.

Oh. That’s what he meant by “I have a card with your name on it.”

————————

“Did I ever say I think your cousin has great taste but that I also want to punch him like… real hard?”

Tomura was a bit surprised by how fired up Nejire was, by seeing her observing the fight.

“What? Why?”

“BECAUSE THAT GODDAMN CARD IS f*ckING AWESOME AND RARE! AND APPARENTLY HIS QUIRK DESTROYED WHAT HE USED AND…”

“Weren’t you supposed to be a novice at the game, Nejire?”

Tomura was many things. Stupid wasn’t one, and he knew someone wouldn’t get that fired up unless they were in the hobby since a long time. So… It meant he got played by Nejire who was apparently a card nerd too.

“… I am just a real fan of Ryukyu’s cards?”

All of her friends looked at her who blew up her cover. She wasn’t that credible.

“That’s why you somehow managed to land all of those combos. You already knew how to play the game!”

“Three times regional champion, actually.”

The meek expression she had was highly adorable, and when she went close to his face, asking if he forgave her little prank, Tomura learned even more why girls held more power than men. Even a hardened villain couldn’t say no! However, he did have an idea. Championships were recorded, and he could watch them at the bar to learn her patterns.

His vengeance would be perfect!

——————

On the field stood the mighty heroine Ryukyu, the Dragon, in what was clearly a dragon themed Chinese robe. Her wings seemed to be made of jade, and the power exuded from her in waves.

The SSR, limited edition, Ryukyu, Year of the Dragon.

The card that Katsuki gave to Izuku as an apology for the day he told him to jump.

“Hoy, Katsuki. I have wanted to say something to you ever since that moment all that time ago.”

Izuku smiled as Ryukyu flew to Katsuki, punching him with an insane right hook.

“I forgive you.”

Katsuki gritted his teeth, as he had barely managed to block the fist of the top ten hero, his heels dug into the concrete and it took both hands to stop the blow. It almost made him fly away from sheer force, and even by blocking it, he certainly felt some of his bones cracking as he held on.

sh*t, the nerd had summoned something that powerful? It explained why he was so conservative during the tournament… And why Izuku was now sitting, resting, as his nose bled a little.

Damn. He grew up strong since their start in U.A.… That or he found a way to highly lessen the cost of his summon.

The second punch of the summoned heroine broke two of Katsuki’s teeth under the impact, before a kick sent Katsuki flying in the sky. Was… Was that the strength of a top hero? What he was aspiring to be?

——————

“You. Earjack girl. You can amplify sound right?”

Jiro was a bit surprised when the beaten up girl from the first round reached up to her.

“Yes? You want to cheer?”

“Yes.”

Jiro, at first, thought she was going to cheer up on Izuku, as he was facing the one who defeated her. She didn’t expect her to yell,

“GO BAKUGOU! EXPLODE HER!”

Everyone looked at Yui, who seemed satisfied with that small outburst, before she began to eat a tomato like an apple.

——————

“GO BAKUGOU! EXPLODE HER!”

Katsuki was middair when he heard that one. Yui’s voice. It made him smile, before he grabbed the leg of the summoned being, and used his explosions to project her on the ground… Or rather tried, since her wings weren’t for nothing.

“I AM THE NEXT #1!”

Fired up, Katsuki collided foot first in Ryukyu’s stomach. The summoned being clearly had a sour face because of that, and answered to that attack with a breath of fire directed point blank toward.

“I WON’T LOSE HERE!”Just as before with his fight with Shouto, Katsuki concentrated his explosion, but this time at the tips of his finger, before firing it. Once again, it divided the flame, but the scorching heat wasn’t nice.

It was that time that the dragon chose to morph suddenly into… Well, her dragon form. A giant jade dragon and Katsuki was in its proximity. Even for him, it didn’t spell ‘well’ out in any form.

It grabbed him in its talons before dive bombing into the stage below. There, it smashed him in the ground below them a few times before raising him up above her head and pushed down one last time.

Then, just before the impact, the jade claw exploded into an inferno of green shards and Katsuki got out of the attack at the last moment… but bloodied, and his left arm battered but not yet broken.

Izuku was still resting, meditating, but his hands were moving. Apparently, the player hadn't finished his turn yet, and Katsuki knew him enough to know that Izuku was clearly thriving for the victory too.

“I WILL WIN, KATSUKI! YOU WON’T BEAT ME EASILY!” The scream took the blonde off guard but it only took a moment before his mouth split into a manic grin.

Izuku once again began to burn cards away.

Katsuki was against one of the strongest heroes in Japan, though without her real battle style and probably not as strong yet, and Izuku was going to add more and more to this being.

“MOUAHAHAHAHA! THIS IS THE BEST!”

Katsuki was in pain, bloodied and probably with one broken rib, and his rival planned for more. He wouldn’t have it any other way.

————————

All For One was observing the fight with a high interest. After all, it wasn’t often he could see one of his grandchildren fight on screen tv! His bloodline produced strong quirk users but also, often, quirkless people. For late-bloomers like Izuku, he typically couldn’t detect that before they were 8 or 9, hence why he missed him.

Oh, he would not throw him away, anyway. In fact, had he not joined U.A, AFO had planned to make a hero kill Inko by “mistake”, before arranging through Seijin an obvious cover-up by the HPSC. Enough to break any positive sentiment he had for heroes, and make him join him. After that, AFO would have made him a member and supporter of Tomura, probably giving him an analysis quirk in the process. If Izuku had refused…

Well, he was sure that Garaki would have loved to have a quirkless yet with AFO compatibility to make a High End Noumu of extreme proportion.

Anyway, he was rooting for his grandson… for now.

————————

“THAT IS OUR BOY!”

“BEAT DOWN THAT BITCH, SON!”

“Mitsuki, are you speaking about the dragon or Izuku?”

“YES!”

————————

“Nejire, that is still a treason, from your side, as I bought you some cards, thinking you were a beginner and you didn’t even take me seriously…”

While they were still observing the fight, Tomura was ranting to Nejire about how hiding they did have a shared passion and using him to get some rare cards wasn’t heroic and a treason. Tamaki and Mirio found it low-key amusing, once Tomura managed to get enough immunity against Nejire’s cute face.

“Tomura, I am sorry, okay?”

“This is still betrayal and I demand—”

Nejire managed to shut him up by kissing him on the cheek, chastely.

“…. Tomura.exe has stopped running. Please, reboot him.”

It was Mirio who said that, smirking, as Tomura had indeed stopped working.

Another boom made them look at the fight again.

———————

The other boom was Katsuki who was on his knee, his left hand almost broken by his last attack, leaving him panting.

“Ok… Note to self… Charging a Big Bang attack one handed is f*cking stupid…”

Though the result was promising. The dragon had prepared another breath attack, and Katsuki remembered an old boss in some video games he played. As a result, he used one hand to stabilize his arm and his shot and managed to throw his attack in the mouth of the giant jade dragon, just as it was going to attack. It did manage to blow all of its teeth, but honestly, it would not be enough if he wanted to win.

“I know I said I wanted a hero, but damn, you surpassed yourself, Izuku!”

“And wait for the second summon!!”

… The what now?

Just as Katsuki processed what Izuku said, a good chunk of his deck had disappeared in ashes.

Izuku was a quirk nerd. He loved to theorize about them and how they worked. As a result, he was often helping and fine tuning ideas his comrades had about them. It also meant he was experimenting with him, and especially when card games had a cost system, like Magic the Gathering with the mana. As a result, Izuku tried what was happening when he gained mana from a card, or energy points and things like that. The result was he could highly lessen the price of summoning powerful cards, and technically summon things he shouldn’t be able to use yet. He knew that even with all the sacrifice he did, the next big card he would summon could be the last.

Honestly, Izuku was proud of his plan: Either Katsuki would have lost against Ryukyu, either he won but would be most likely too tired and injured to fight the second card he had readied for him.

Memories flooded the boys, as the truth goes unspoken between them, that they were friends and they would fight to the bitter end if need be. Even if it was for a moment, they forgot their name, or the reason why they stood there.

Katsuki was holding his good arm with his almost broken one, as the ring was becoming a more and more desolate place, with the dragon and him leaving the traces of concrete bricks into nothing but rubble..

All he could feel was the cold wind on his body, his sweat exploding and cracking the injured monster more and more. As he stood up and fought, Katsuki knew that there would be bloodshed, as Izuku was looking at him as if he was his reflection in the mirror.

So when Katsuki finally managed to break the SSR card representing all of his remorse for his past, he felt free. Free, as his exploding fist cracked a few fingers upon the dragon’s back as the jade dragon fell into oblivion. Panting and smiling, Katsuki was now walking towards Izuku, to end their fight.

“So, NERD, I AM CALLING YOUR BLUFF!”

Izuku groaned, while getting up, as he faced his friend… Before throwing a card at Katsuki. The exploding man caught him with one hand, before noticing it was an arcana.

The Fool.

Getting punched in the gut by a mini-him with his own quirk wasn’t something he expected when he got up in the morning. Apparently, Izuku wasn’t bluffing, though if he was right about the blood coming out of his nose, it was definitely the last big card nerd would, and could, summon for a few days.

Katsuki dispatched the small arcana with a simple kick though. That small opening allowed Izuku to enter inside his vital space. Both kids exchanged a punch in the face with each other, both of them dead tired.

Izuku took that opportunity to hit his injured arm. The loud crack made everyone wince, before Katsuki answered to that with a kick in the gut. Sadly for him, despite the energy consumed by the card, Izuku was still fresher than him. After all, unlike Katsuki, he didn’t have to be healed after each fight, and Recovery Girl’s quirk drained away the endurance of the one she healed.

The blond boy exhaled before his axe kick went to Izuku’s head. The green boy dodged it by a breath. Katsuki’s feet exploded above Izuku’s head before slamming right into his collarbone.

“Explosive Brazilian kick!”

Izuku could probably move his arm, but the kick almost put him down to his knees. Especially as Katsuki seemed to find a second wind and punched Izuku again in the face. His nose was definitely broken after that one, and Katsuki’s fist was bloodied. As a result, Izuku did what he always did; he used his head.

Except this time, he was literal about it.

On the bright side, now Katsuki had the same nose as him. However, on the less bright side, Katsuki roared in rage before grabbing the dummy’s face and slamming it into the ground.

“SHOW ME A GOOD TIME, IZUKU!”

His best friend’s answer to that was by rolling on the destroyed ground. The punch colliding where he was, was proof enough he had been right to do that, despite his collar bone cracking in the process. However, he took that opportunity to pivot on himself, and grab Katsuki’s uninjured arm with his whole body, and disjointed it. The sound, close to a breaking one, was audible and even more people winced, while wondering if the two of them were really friends.

The close-up on their smiling faces showed that yes, they are friends, just morbid ones.

———————

“IZU-KUN! YOU CAN WIN!”

“BAKU BRO, DO IT!”

“PUNCH HIM IN HIS PUNCHABLE FACE, BLUE FAIRY!”

———————

The excitation in the stadium was palpable, and both of them were not done. Then Katsuki did something that actually impressed Izuku. He slammed the disjointed arm in the ground… And somehow put his arm back into place in the process.

“AH! JOKES ON YOU! WHEN I LEARNED YOU COULD DO THAT, OF COURSE I LEARNED HOW TO POP BACK MY BONES!”

In hindsight, it was indeed obvious.

Izuku took another card. It was an Ace. His last big card. In fact, it was a gamble if he could summon it or not. Did he grow enough to do that ?

Before Katsuki could add anything, he threw it expertly on his face…

And Katsuki burned it before it could reach him. with over half the card burned and a good chunk just gone it fell to the ground with no effect.

Izuku smiled, as he felt his last strength leaving him.

“Ah f*ck… So… Close…”

He heard Katsuki running, calling his name…

And then Izuku opened his eyes again in a respite, to grab Katsuki by his hair and bring him to the ground.

“I WON’T LOSE HERE!”

Katsuki answered that by an explosion from his broken arm another loud crack can be heard from it, which was just against Izuku’s ribs.

It ejected Izuku, and when the fighter tried to get up once more… He lost his equilibrium, and he felt the ground once more. His strength was still draining from him, rapidly like something was sucking his soul from his body. Oh, and Katsuki was about to send a drop kick on his back too, to make sure he stayed on the ground, for good this time.

Right before Katsuki landed on Izuku, a pure white hand grabbed the explosive blond by the back of the neck and tossed him into the rubble with a puff of dust.

The blonde crawled his way back up and met face to face with the ace he burned. Its left arm was gone with a charred stump in its place.

It punched him again and he went rocketing back, each inch he rolled across the rubble cutted into Katsuki more and more as he left a trail of blood behind him.

Katsuki picked himself back up, his knees shaking and his arms feeling like lead but he NEEDED to win. He HAS to win. HE WILL WIN!

Katsuki slammed his hand down onto his chest, letting the small explosion hit his sweat covered body. His skin sizzled and popped but he paid it no mind as he charged his friend’s final summon. Sweat came out more vigorously and his explosion ripped through the ruined Ace’s defenses burning every crappy scrap in its wake.

His hand broken, he doesn't have the strength to care. His skin was splitting open and blood mixed with his sparks as red wisps of flame danced across his body.

Each step brought him agony. Each step getting him closer to victory, and another explosion blew away the smoke and dust, followed with another step, another spray of his own blood, both arms are broken now. His left eye went dark a few steps back. He kept walking as his body was engulfed in flame and sparks.

He was now two steps from Izuku, his arms definitely useless. His legs are unsteady but his fight ends here. Izuku threw up something around ten defensive cards Katsuki couldn't tell, they burned to ash but not from his explosions. Most likely from Izuku who was also low on energy.

Good he will need his explosion.

The blood now pouring from Izuku's nose like a dam has just opened and the river is running free. The green haired boy stood his ground, his arms weakly holding a X block.

The bloodied blonde raised his broken arms wide and copied the very basics of his quirk, his father making sparks by slamming his hands together.

"Germa Nova"

His words were soft, barely above a whisper from his still burning throat, but everyone in the stadium heard them clearly before he slammed his hands together and his skin charred as his entire body let off a blast akin to a solar flash.

It was the third time that day everyone was blinded.

When the light dimmed and the smoke cleared, the audience saw that Izuku was embedded into the wall behind him by a large spider web of cracks formed from his impact.

Medical bots were already pulling him out and his eyelids were falling as his hand reached for Katsuki, a thumbs up was not what anyone was expecting. Izuku passed out a moment later.

As for Katsuki, he stood in the crater of his own making. No more sparks, no more blood. just cracked porcelain skin rippled with blackened burns closing up each wound he had. His right arm rises to the air...and he manages three raspy words.

“I… am… next.”

Katsuki Bakugo won the first year sports festival with an explosive finish

————————

The silence was eerie in the stadium, before it died under the applause.

Katsuki was at his center, his defeated final foe in recovery.

He screamed his joy, primal, bloody and battered, but he had won. For himself and all those he defeated. HE WON!

They didn’t lose because they were weak. He won because he was strong, because he was better, now he must work to keep that advantage.

It was really different, and honestly… Honestly, there were so many close calls that Katsuki knew of, what about the ones he never saw, or if a different match led to his fall by him fighting someone else, he needed to learn from this to stay ahead.

Next year, it was going to be even more awesome and difficult.

He would win again.

Then, he joined Izuku in the land of the unconscious, falling forward into the rubble.

————————

The uproar in the stadium was deafening. Both kids went above and beyond their abilities, and everyone saw them fighting each other like finalists should do.

“Tsssk. I shall make Izuku train a bit with me, if he is going to lose like that.”

Tomura, on the other hand, was upset by the loss, though not that much. He bet with Nejire that Izuku would be the winner, and if Katsuki won, he would have to treat her at the mall. Still, Tomura looked forward to the next two days, and promised himself to cheer as much as possible for his… New friends? He couldn’t wait to tell Kurogiri about them! … Or not, seeing as they were heroes, and he was technically still a villain bent to destroy the society and fake heroes.

Wait. They were true heroes. So they wouldn’t be destroyed.

The logic was totally sound. No killing kids or true heros!

What made a true hero though?

That was something to discuss with Stain.

—————————

“Torino?”

“Yagi? Finally, you decided to call me?”

“I have found Nana’s grandson. He is the kid that ranked second in the UA festival.”

“Wait. Wait. Does that mean that the Nana we saw was…”

“She told me she was proud of us.”

It almost caused an infarctus to the old man.

“… Am I still eligible to take him for one internship? Not sure if my bones can take more, but…”

“Yes, you are. Since All For One is to remain hidden, I will recommend him later to compensate for your lack of notoriety.”

“I shall not kick you in the face next time we see, thanks to this favor.”

“Make it “Not kick me at all” and we have a deal.”

Both men laughed, but not for the same reason. Yagi, because he reconnected with his old master and had the opportunity to make him connect with Nana’s heir.

Torino, because All Might forgot to include "Punch" in the deal.

He would have so much fun, trauma… training another hero.

———————————

Loony was bleeding on the ground, paralysed.

“Ouch… You do hit hard.”

Stain was faring better than her, mainly because he didn’t underestimate her, unlike most of her opponents. He was still bleeding from one arm and was fairly sure he might have taken some hit in the head.

“Well, you are supposed to be an experienced fighter. Of course, I was going to be careful about your black spot and that hammer.”

People described Stain as a coward for specializing in ambushes and surprise attacks. They forgot that Stain’s quirk didn’t enhance his strength, and he needed to do that to beat people stronger than him.

It didn’t mean he couldn’t beat them one on one. He was seeking effectiveness, and that was all.

He put the rabbit on his shoulder, as he brought her back to the bar.

“By the way, do the others know?”

“… About what?”

“About what you really are?”

It made chuckle Loony.

“Absolutely not! But I don’t see the point. How did you guess?”

“The way you hop is too perfectly close to a rabbit.”

Loony had to admit he had a point.

“I don’t like your aim to kill Miruko, as she is a good hero, but…”

“SHE ISN’T A f*ckING RABBIT!”

Who was Stain to judge another species thought process?

In a way, Loony's anger was true and justified.

——————

Iida was next to his brother. Tensei was still comatose because of his wounds, and no one knew when he would wake up. All because of that damn Hero Killer.

On his brother’s bed, Iida knew he would seek him and demolish him for what he did to his precious older brother.

————————

“GENTLE! The boss called!”

“Oh? What did he say?”

“Apparently, he found a new target for us! We will do a good old robbery apparently this time!”

“Can you both be a little less louder please?”

Sophie slept in Gentle’s surprisingly large house (apparently, bought with most of his savings and inheritance) and she appreciated their hospitality, though their eccentricity was annoying sometimes.

“Also, what is the target, this time?”

“We shall rob a support company! Apparently, things are afoot about the quality of their goods, and Compress thinks it could have a link with some disappearances in that neighborhood. According to my hacking, some special gears for dangerous quirk disappear at the same time people with said related quirk disappear.”

It instantly interested Sophie, who was suddenly awake.

“This one is going to be useful… And what is Compress' suspect? Human trafficker? Some quirk supremacists thinking they are the new Destro?”

“Human trafficker. But honestly, it shouldn’t be too dangerous.”

Optimism was such a beautiful thing to have.

———————

Meanwhile, at U.A.’s infirmary, Katsuki was slowly waking up.

“Finally, the lady is up?”

An emotionless tone, and a stoic face was looking at him. Her name was… Yui.

“Hey bitch.”

“Hmmf. At least, you won.”

“Hey, I promised you I would win, no? Couldn’t make you appear as a weak girl.”

The girl nodded, sitting next to him.

“If you had lost, I would have kicked your ass during the next sparring.”

“And now that I won?”

“I am still going to kick it.”

It made Katsuki laugh a bit, before he yelped in pain. Yep, probably a few things broken still, and from the tightness in his skin the burns are not yet gone. Yui sighed, before patting the blonde teen’s head.

“Still a good fight. I really hope we get to do more things like that together!”

While both of them were smiling (well, Katsuki was smiling, Yui was more smirking than anything), both missed a certain Izuku, also awake, who was taking a picture of the scene, and send it to Mitsuki with the comment “He actually remembers her name and plans to spend time with her after school.”

Sweet vengeance. If Katsuki thought of using Inko as a weapon of mass teasing, oh boy, he would not be prepared for what Mitsuki had in store for him.

The hardest thing was holding back the ominous laughing.

————————

On the Podium, once everyone was healed enough, stood a proud Katsuki still burned to sh*t but neck up, seemed fine due to Recovery girl wanting him to be presentable, and he wore long sleeves to hide most injuries; a smiling Izuku, proud of his performance despite his condition being near catatonic; and a Shouto doing a small victory sign with a smirk so small you wouldnt know if it was there if you didn't look..

Each of them got their medal from All Might himself, who was absolutely beaming at the result and how the tournament went. For a second he thought about how, if Todoroki’s issue weren’t discovered, it could have gone badly, with Izuku almost dying to reach him out, and Shouto being so much less at ease with his quirk that he might have not used it against Katsuki who wouldn’t have taken such a win.

The picture of a restrained Katsuki on the podium floated in his mind for a second, but then decided no one would be dumb enough to do that, right?

————————

It was a grumbling Monoma, grabbed by the collar by a smiling Itsuka who was coming to Momo, full speed.

“Hey! We heard that 1A had a club to train themselves with their quirk afterschool, is that right?”

Momo was at a tea booth, and clearly appreciating it, before making a sign to invite them to join her.

“Yes, we do. Actually, at first, it was simply Bakugou, Izuku and their friends, but it quickly became the whole classroom. Why?”

“Well… We would appreciate it if we could join it and…”

Momo began to produce a stack of paper for the 1B president.

“Here is the application form. We had to create the club to continue to use the training ground appropriately. We might ask your homeroom teacher to come help supervise the training though. It would be nice to observe how Mr. Vlad teaches.”

“Don’t worry, I will convince him. Now, Monoma, what do you say to the kind 1A?”

For the record, Itsuka was using her insane grip strength to pinch Monoma around the neck.

“Thank you!” He choked out his response.

“Manners are a work in progress. Now, if you let me… I have someone who owes me some food.”

Itsuka left afterward, though she exchanged numbers with Momo, leaving Monoma with her…

“So, should I leave too, to not bother you?”

“Oh, you can stay. I said we could drink tea once.”

Noblesse obliged, and Momo wasn’t someone to hold a grudge. Besides, it was always better to drink tea with people.

Monoma nodded, before beginning to sip the tea and wondering what they could discuss.

“… Can I ask you a question about your quirk? Because seriously, it is a shame they didn’t allow you to make stuff before entering the ring.”

“Of course! Though we might have to wait for the friend that was going to join me.”

“HEY MOMO! READY TO PLAN SOME BABIES?”

Monoma, looking at Mei, thought for a second about running, but decided against it. Maybe the discussion would be fun?

“So, I was wondering if you could…”

——————

“I feel a disturbance in the force… Like a million Nedzu cackling, and then… silence.”

Power Loader was seriously terrified, and worst of all, he knew who he had to blame for that.

——————

Finally, when Izuku went out of the infirmary, he was waited for by… quite a lot of people. Namely Toru, who jumped into him to attack him with a standing cuddle. Sure, he was still hurting a bit, but it was quite enjoyable. However, it is the four next people he didn’t expect.

Namely the Big Three and… and…

“IZUKU. WHY DID YOU NOT TELL ME YOU WERE A GODDAMN HERO?”

He instantly wanted to both run away from Tomura, but also get an explanation of how the asocial young adult managed to apparently befriend the Big Three of the school.

Also…

“Wait. So when you said you had a date today, it wasn’t in a visual novel?”

Luckily for Izuku, Nejire, Mirio and Tamaki managed to restrain Tomura while Izuku ran away with Toru, laughing.

Though, they would have a debrief about the whole situation later, maybe during another day of the festival?

For now, though, Izuku was going to have fun with Toru, trying all the food and enjoying the mood.

——————

“Mother?”

“Shouto… I thought it would be nice if we spent the afternoon together. Oh, and I am so proud of you for the tournament!”

“Thanks, Mother!”

With binoculars, Endeavor observed the scene from afar, while Nedzu sat beside him.

“Looking at something?”

“Just my broken dream.”

Both of them sat together, as Endeavor knew he would probably not be productive enough to be useful if he went back at the agency now. It was probably Rei’s plot all along. To make him take a day off, as she often did when they were happier.

He pictured himself when he was younger, bringing Touya, Natsuo and Fuyumi. How they would enjoy the festival as a family.

Then he remembered that he never let Shouto know such a thing.

“That sounds rough, buddy.”

It made Endeavor chuckle, before he looked at the U.A., the sun setting with him and his rat dad next to him. Nedzu was always an Iroh's fan.

“I allow you to call me dad again, Enji. You showed quite an…”

“Make that pun, and there is no All Might stopping me from tickling you.”

Both beings looked at each other, before laughing, sitting on the building’s edge.

Maybe the day wasn’t a total disaster after all.

“By the way, your son is interning under you to make sure you don’t do anything wrong with his mom. He also plans to kick you in the balls.”

“Thanks for the warning.”

——————

“Just as you expected, All For One, according to the data acquired through the television, it seems his quirk isn’t fully developed yet. However, it does indicate a class 5 quirk, at the very least.”

All For One, on his throne, smiled at Garaki's report.

Everything was going according to his plan. Well…

One of them.