Chapter 15
"Well, that was certainly an intense first round," began All Might, looking more than a little pale as he turned to the majority of his class. Most of them stood in front of him with worried looks on their faces. Even Todoroki, who normally held a stoic expression, seemed disturbed by the end results. Off to the side stood three out of the four heroes who had returned. Their heads were downcast, none of them feeling happy about how the exercise had ended. Young Ida had taken his helmet off, shoulders slumped as he looked like he was mentally berating himself. That their team's victory was in sight and he had fumbled in the last minute resulting in their loss. Meanwhile, Young Bakugo looked like he was lost and didn't know how to feel.
As for Young Uraraka, the girl had wrapped her arms across her chest, looking ready to cry at any moment. Just like she had when she had seen Young Midoriya's body. The poor boy was rushed out of the area by a pair of medical robots who were in emergency mode, moving faster than they normally would. All Might knew that they had already signaled to Recovery Girl, alerting her so she could be fully prepped when the lad arrived in her office. No doubt she would be screaming at him for this when she was done.
Something the pro hero knew he deserved as he was already chastising himself for his blunder. The fight between Young Midoriya and Young Bakugo had him all hyped up, watching it with a giddiness that infected most of the students there. But that had all but died when they saw Young Bakugo use his support equipment on his opponent. The entire hallway had been destroyed, with large chunks of the wall half collapsed, the ceiling looking ready to fall down, and flames still dancing on the floor. But the pro hero only sighed in relief when he saw that Midoriya seemed fine. Sure he had fallen over, but there was no sign that his costume was damaged. He had figured that the young hero in training had just phased through the brunt of the attack.
Then, he felt a prick of panic when he noticed Young Midoriya bleeding through the mouth. Something that grew worse as the match continued. He could also see just how much the young lad had been struggling to move about as well as the obvious signs of pain he was in. The longer he went on, the more All Might began to believe he should step in to call the fight. But he didn't. Partly because he thought that the boy could handle it a bit longer and partly because he wanted to see what the lad could do. Now, because of his foolishness, he had let down Young Midoriya for a second time.
"Before I comment on the match, I would like to say that what happened to Young Midoriya was a blunder on my part," began All Might, lowering his head a bit. "I should have gone over the inventory reports for all of your costumes to see if any of you had support gear that could threaten the lives of your fellow students. I also should have contacted Young Midoriya sooner to check on his condition. Moving forward, I will be checking on everyone's support gear. Should I see anything that could potentially cause similar damage as was done to Young Midoriya, I shall either restrict you from using it directly against your fellow classmates or ban it outright."
"All Might," began Uraraka, her voice quiet and shaky. Still, he heard it as if she had shouted at the top of her lungs. "Will…Will Deku be ok?"
"I have confidence in the work of Recovery Girl," replied All Might. "She is the best healing hero the school has ever employed." Hearing that, the girl seemed to relax a bit.
"Good. Now then, I want your opinion on who should be the MVP of this round?" asked All Might, doing his best to keep the class moving. While he wanted to give them more time to adjust to what they had witnessed, his time limit was still a factor that he couldn't ignore. Thankfully, not too much time was wasted as Yaoyorozu quickly raised her hand.
"I believe that Ida should be considered the MVP of this round," she stated firmly. This got mixed reactions from the three remaining students who participated in the exercise. All Might could see Young Bakugo's shoulders tense, gritting his teeth as he looked away. At the same time, Young Uraraka, who had looked hopeful when the mention of MVP had been brought up, suddenly looked downcast. No doubt she had been hoping that their efforts would have been recognized and she could inform her teammate when he woke up. Young Ida, meanwhile, had the opposite reaction as he looked up with hope and tears in his eyes.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," exclaimed Yoarashi loudly. "You can't be serious! No disrespect to Ida, but MVP should go to the hero team!" He took a few steps forward until he was in front of the whole class before turning to look at them with All Might right behind him. Something that All Might took as the mark of someone who was willing to stand by what they believed in, ready to rally others to their side. "The hero team won this match because they actually worked together! It was clear that they had worked out a plan beforehand. Then, when things were looking bad for them, did they give up? No! Uraraka and Midoriya kept fighting even when the odds looked against them! Especially Midoriya when he was hurt that bad!"
"Haha! A passionate response!" declared All Might as he stepped forward, placing a hand on Yoarashi's shoulder. "And you are correct. Both our young heroes created a plan based on how Young Midoriya predicted they would act. And he was correct." The pro hero then turned to look at Yaoyorozu. "Tell me, does knowing this change your opinion on who is deserving of the MVP spot?"
The dark-haired girl stood there for a moment, a hand going to her chin as she thought about it. "While this does add some light onto the actions of the heroes, I stand by my previous statement," she said, with complete conviction. Yoarashi looked ready to argue, but stopped when All Might nodded and gestured for her to explain. "Starting with the heroes, while they had a plan going in, it would have been more efficient if they had gone in together. While I understand that time was a factor and they could cover more ground efficiently by splitting up, scouting the area window by window was a good plan that would have allowed them to do more safely with lower risks of engaging with the villains. Given what I have seen, I can only speculate that Midoriya and Bakugo have a history in which they used this exercise as a means to settle some personal issue. There were also a number of other ways that they could have scouted the building. And while I agree with Yoarashi that it was impressive that Midoriya continued while in that state, it would have been wiser for him to forfeit. By staying there, he made himself a distraction for his teammate and further divided her attention during a critical moment. As for Uraraka, while her plan to enter the building was correct, she still took the exercise too lightly and should have argued with Midoriya more to get him to take the most effective means to get to the bomb. It was because of this that she allowed Ida to get the drop on her.
"As for the villain team, Bakugo was reckless. He refused to work with his teammate or offer up any means of protecting his top priority: the bomb. Instead, he rushed forward into what could have been an ambush with an unknown number of heroes. He then allowed his guard to drop, using a skewed perspective of his opponent to color his opinions on his abilities. Had he not done that, he wouldn't have been led around the building by the nose. Nor would he be in the shape he is in now. Most importantly, that explosive move he used to actually injure Midoriya was beyond reckless. Not only did he run the risk of getting more heroes' attention, but he could have also caused the entire building to collapse. An act that would have not only put the lives of his team at risk but also the safety of the payday. In contrast, Ida remained focused on the objective. He thought ahead, preparing the room to the best of his ability, and only lost due to a last-minute usage of a device Uraraka had on her. If it weren't for that, the villain team would have won. In the end, he treated this with the seriousness that the exercise deserves as if it were the real thing."
As the rest of the class looked at Yaoyorozu in awe at how well she analyzed the situation, All Might felt conflicted. On the whole, he agreed with what she had said. Especially considering Young Ida. Yet, he still wanted to give credit to the hero team. Maybe it was due to his guilt. It was because he hadn't explained everything to the hero team that had led them towards their course of action. It was because he didn't prevent Young Bakugo from using his support device and failed to note the seriousness of Young Midoriya's injury. Maybe he was still feeling guilty over what had happened to Young Midoriya with the sludge villain. So…
"Those are excellent points," laughed All Might before bringing a hand to his chin. "And, for the most part, I agree with you. However, there are some flaws in your logic due to a lack of information." The muscular hero then turned to look at the lone hero of the exercise. "Young Uraraka, Young Yaoyorozu brought up a good point. You could have simply had Young Midoriya phase through everything in order to reach the bomb. Or you both could have gone through a window. Care to share with the class why you didn't?"
"Oh," exclaimed the girl, jumping at suddenly being put on the spot. "Well, to start, Deku didn't know if he could phase us both. Right now wasn't the best time to try and test it. He could have gone alone, but he was worried that I might get marked down for not participating. That as well as, if something went wrong, then he would be captured and I wouldn't know anything until it was announced." Upon hearing that, there was a murmur running through the room. One of better understanding about the situation. That as well as a worry towards their own future performance. If one person did all the work, would the other be penalized? That was something no one else had thought of. Not even Young Yaoyorozu who looked like she was rethinking the situation.
"As for why we split up, we wanted to go for a perfect victory," continued Uraraka, looking ashamed of herself. "If this were real, then just touching the bomb wouldn't be enough. So we wanted to capture both the villains while at least knowing where the bomb was. That way we could secure everything. Deku knew that Bakugo would go after him, so he went to meet him head on and capture him while I went for Ida. Deku also wanted to make sure that we did a full check on the building in case the bomb wasn't near a window."
"I-I see," stammered Yaoyorozu.
All Might then let out a hearty laugh. "A perfect victory. That is the correct mindset any hero should have going into an exercise like this," he proclaimed before turning his attention to the rest of the class. "As you can see, the hero team did their best to treat this exercise with the seriousness it deserved. Had this been real and they just captured the bomb, there was a good chance that the villains would have made their escape in order to continue plotting future evil deeds. Perhaps even killing more people along the way. However, when it looked like that wasn't possible, Young Midoriya did tell Young Uraraka to get the bomb as that was their top priority. In the end, the hero team wanted to go above and beyond but fell short."
The great hero then paused for a moment, his smile vanishing. "As for Young Midoriya," he said in a very serious tone that even caused Bakugo to look at the man. "For this exercise, I do not condone what he did. The young hero risked his health, putting his life in danger all to win a simple exercise. In the future, if any of you find yourself in that situation and you don't hear from me, please do not take it as me believing that you are ok to continue. Inform me immediately of any serious health issues. But, with all that said, had this been real then his actions would have been correct. In real life, there is a chance that you will get hurt badly while protecting our society. Both the threat of a nuclear weapon and villains cunning enough to steal one, as well as being evil enough to sell it, are threats that could have devastating effects on our society. As such, we would need to do everything in our power to stop it. And when working in a team, had Young Midoriya just allowed himself to be captured, then both villains would have ganged up on Young Uraraka when she was close to the bomb. A dangerous situation for her to be in."
"So…am I wrong?" asked Young Yaoyorozu hesitantly.
At that, All Might's smile returned. "Not at all," he said with a laugh. "While it was true that you missed some things, in the end everyone made a mistake. However, Young Ida's was the least egregious as he could have loosened up a little. Please remember that you are all here to learn. Whether you win or lose, there is always something you can take away from the experience. As long as you are willing to learn, that is. Now, on to the next bout!"
-x-
When Midoriya began to regain consciousness, he found himself in a sadly familiar setting. Even before he opened his eyes, he was aware that he was on a mattress that was only slightly worse than his own bed, and the last time he had been on it hadn't been long enough to forget about it. As he then opened his eyes, the orange light of the setting sun flooded his vision, causing him to quickly close them again. The second time he tried, Izuku was more prepared and was better able to adjust to the light. The teen then looked around the nurse's office, looking to see if Ryoko would be here again.
Glancing in the direction of the window, Izuku spotted Kyo. His cabbit was curled up into a ball, napping on the mattress close to his pillow. Glad to see that his partner was not only safe but stayed by his side, the teen reached out a hand to stroke Kyo's fur. While the space bunny remained asleep, he did let out a soft meow of contentment. And just beyond that, lying sprawled out on an empty chair, was his hero costume.
"Seems you're feeling better," came Mr. Aizawa's voice suddenly, surprising Izuku so much that he nearly flew off the bed. Literally! Turning around, the teen found his homeroom teacher sitting on a chair next to his bed. He sat there, arms crossed over his chest while looking down at his student with his scarf obscuring his mouth.
"Mr. Aizawa, how long have you been there?" asked Izuku, somewhat surprised to see the tired-looking hero.
"I arrived here shortly after I got the message from Recovery Girl that you were brought to her in critical condition," replied the man simply. "Though I had to wait outside until she said you were stable. I've been in constant contact with your mother, keeping her up to date with your condition. Thankfully, no one else was sent here due to that oaf's negligence." He then let out a sigh. "Naturally, I haven't been sitting idly by. Multiple times now I've gone over the footage of the exercise. So, care to share with me why you continued when you were obviously in such poor condition?"
"I…I thought it wasn't as bad as it felt," answered Izuku honestly, looking down at his sheets as he could no longer meet Mr. Aizawa's gaze. "I mean, I knew I was hurt. Like really badly. But I never heard that All Might said I was unable to continue. Or even ask if I was ok. So…I thought maybe I was expected to push through it? Or something like that?"
Mr. Aizawa's expression didn't change when he heard that. Instead, he took a deep breath while pinching the bridge of his nose. But before he could do anything else, the sound of a sliding door filled the room. A sound that awoke Kyo who looked with the other two towards Recovery Girl as she made her way to the bed with a folder in one hand.
"When I get my hands on that blockhead," grumbled the elder woman. "He sees what happened to that hallway and doesn't even consider asking if Midoriya was hurt! As reckless as the day when he first stepped into this school. I have half a mind to call up Torino!" The old woman then shook her head, pulling over a rolling chair next to Midoriya's bed. Once she had crawled onto it, she opened the folder to reveal an X-ray. "This, young man, was what your insides looked like when you came in."
Izuku stared at the image as a wave of fear came crashing through him. He had seen pictures of what the inside of the human body looked like dozens of times before in his science classes. Heck, he had even seen them on medical shows and specials about how certain quirks give people additional organs. But what he was looking at right now didn't even resemble how the insides of a human should look like. Everything there just looked…warped and out of place. And he wasn't the only one who noticed just how wrong everything looked. Mr. Aizawa suddenly placed a hand on Izuku's shoulder, the teen feeling the pro hero tremble a bit as he did so.
"Do…do you know how this was possible?" asked Mr. Aizawa, pausing briefly to gulp. "I saw Midoriya when he came in. I didn't notice any burn marks or obvious injuries. Even his hero costume was in prime condition."
"It is puzzling, isn't it," replied the elder hero, her face softening as she looked over at Midoriya. "When I last examined you after the practical exam, I didn't see anything similar to this type of damage, so I doubt this is a side effect of quirk overuse. Young man, would you mind telling me what was happening before you began to hurt?"
"I," began Izuku as he began recalling memories of the event. "I remember Kacchan getting madder than usual and preparing to use his quirk. But something felt off about it. I sort of have some experience with his blasts, so I know how powerful he can make them and how fast they can travel. At the time, my plan was to phase through the ground and then teleport behind him right after the blast or something like that. But just as I activated that ability, the explosion went off. It…It was so much faster and more powerful than…" Izuku's words trailed off, shuddering at the phantom pains brought on by the memory of the event. At the same time, Kyo jumped onto his lap before placing a paw on his master's stomach.
"I see," murmured the nurse while Mr. Aizawa made an agitated sound. "Our school houses another young hero whose quirk also lets him phase through objects. Could you tell me what it's like when you use that facet of your quirk? Can you see? Are you able to feel anything or interact with other objects?"
When he heard that, Izuku was a little confused. How did his ability to see anything matter while phasing through an object? Especially in this situation. Or his ability to feel things? Still, she was the expert here so if there was anyone who could help explain what had happened it would be her. Even if what he had wasn't really a quirk. So, after a moment, the teen explained things the best he could. Some of it was a little hard, forcing him to use an analogy to better describe the sensation. If this confused or bewildered the woman, her face never seemed to show it as she just took in every word with a nod.
"Hmm, I see," she said when Izuku had finished. "Based on what you have told me, you're not as intangible as Togata in that state. That's very interesting. Now, I believe I have a good theory on how this happened. But first, one more question. Tell me young man: have you ever phased through an explosion or a really intense flame?"
"No," said Izuku, giving the question a little thought. "I've mostly worked with stuff like doors and walls. Only recently did I begin practicing on thicker masses like the earth beneath our feet."
Hearing that, Recovery Girl let out a final hum before placing the X-ray back into the folder. "Well, to start, keep in mind that this is mostly speculation," she began. "We know that Midoriya's quirk allows him to use his energy to manipulate his body in a number of ways. When he phases through an object, it's likely being done in a similar manner to how Togata does by manipulating his molecules. How he is doing it, I have no clue at the moment. Either he vibrates them in a certain manner so that they slip past the mass of another object or spreading them to their limits so that they, again, move past the molecules of another object. However, I believe that Midoriya doesn't do it to the same extent as Togata, giving him completely different strengths and weaknesses."
As the older woman spoke, Izuku reached over quickly to his hero costume. With practiced ease, he reached into the dimensional pocket to pull out one of his notebooks and pens to begin taking notes. After all, this was his quirk they were talking about, so he needed to have as much information on hand. Though he did notice that both the nurse and Mr. Aizawa blinked at him in surprise, as if wondering where he got the notebook from.
Thankfully, Recovery Girl did not pause to question the boy about the notebook and instead continued. Though she did clear her throat. "Now, when an object is heated, its molecules begin to move and vibrate faster in a more unpredictable manner. So, I am theorizing that, when Midoriya here phased through the explosion, those heated molecules randomly collided with his own or interact in a manner that disrupted his own biological reconfiguration. Sadly, it looks like the damage was focused on his internal system."
Izuku stopped writing as he looked up at the elder hero in alarm. "So you're suggesting that I take more damage from explosions when I'm intangible than when I'm not?" he asked. Instantly, he began recalling all the times Bakugo blasted him with an explosion. From all the way back to when he was a little kid back in the park, trying to help a kid who was being bullied, to when he was in middle school, when Bakugo would just blast him with enough force that it knocked him against the wall.
What was even more alarming was that Recovery Girl made a 'so-so' gesture with her hand. "I'm going to be frank with you, based on what I have read, that explosion would have done serious damage to you no matter what," she said. "If you had taken it head-on, there is a good chance that it would have ignited the fat cells in your body, lighting you up and cooking you from the inside as well as out. Even with my quirk, you would have to spend half of the semester in recovery as we graft new skin onto your body. You might have also lost your hearing and eyesight for good, along with a number of other things. Of course, that's the worst-case scenario. The best case is that you would have lost a good chunk of your hair along with heavily damaged skin and lung problems." As Izuku paled, the old healing hero took on a more thoughtful look. "Though, now that I think about it, I'm surprised your internal damage wasn't worse."
As Recovery Girl continued to ponder this, Izuku shot a glance over to his costume. The one his mother had gone out into space to show her support, as well as making sure he was safe. Perhaps it was that or some other feature that was slowly trying to heal him that had kept him alive. And now that he knew all of this, he shuddered to think what he would be like if he had worn anything else during that fight.
"The good news is that we are now aware of this weakness," finished Recovery Girl. "Still, we don't know what else will affect you when you are phasing. For right now, I'd say be on the lookout for fire and high-density energy-based quirks like those that can produce lasers. If you're using your quirks energy to make yourself intangible, then there is a high chance that other forms of energy can disrupt your hold or cause other issues."
"That's something," grumbled Mr. Aizawa, speaking for the first time in a while, his head downcast. He stayed like that for a while, seeming to mull something over in his head. Then, he stood up and gave Izuku his full attention. "Seeing as how you didn't know about this weakness, never intended to take it on, and that All Might never checked in to see if you were ok, I will excuse your poor judgement after the fact as you being in too much pain to think logically. However, if I see that sort of suicidal behavior again, I will have you removed from the hero program." The darkly dressed man then turned slightly, though he kept his eyes locked on Midoriya's. "You can't be a hero if you're willing to throw your life away so casually. Especially during a training exercise."
When he heard this, Izuku's first instinct was to argue with the man. To point out that the school's model was to 'Go Beyond Plus Ultra'. That it was not only his first hero lesson with All Might but it was also his first team-up. They needed to make a good impression to show everyone what they could do. But, most importantly, it was a hero's duty to save others at the cost of themselves! Even if it was a mock exercise, shouldn't he treat it like it was the real thing and act accordingly?
However, Izuku never got the chance to voice any of this. As soon as those thoughts entered his head, Kyo began to cry so loudly that it caused everyone to look at the cabbit. Kyo was pressed up against the hospital gown that Izuku had been wearing, his tiny claws digging into the material as it looked like he was hugging his owner with all his might. But the scene that really surprised Izuku was the tears in the space bunny's eyes. They were large, much like the Midoriya family's, which spilled down Kyo's face as he meowed loudly while shaking his head.
As Izuku listened, tears began to form in his own eyes while a lump grew in his throat. Kyo was wailing about how worried and scared he had been. That he didn't want to see Izuku looking like that. That they just became partners and didn't want it to end due to Izuku throwing his life away for a training exercise! And what was he going to tell Ryo-Ohki and Ryoko after this?
"I understand," Izuku managed to say, the lump in his throat making everything difficult. As he spoke, his hands reached down to wrap Kyo in his embrace.
As he sat there, he began to think more about what the cabbit had said. About how he would have to tell Ryo-Ohki about his 'death'. As he thought about it, he wondered how they would have reacted. While it was far rarer nowadays, there were times when a hero did give their life to protect others. One that came to mind was the husband and wife duo, 'Water Hose' heroes. But, how would they react when they found out he had died in a training exercise? Dying for nothing? How would his mom take it that he had thrown away everything when he could have just walked away? Then he thought of Uraraka. How would she have reacted when the exercise ended, finding out he had died pushing himself just so they could win?
Then, the words that Recovery Girl had told him the last time he was in this very room returned to him. Was that really what he wanted? To make them live with that for the rest of their lives? No! He wanted to be more like All Might, someone who could reassure people just by knowing he was out there. He wanted to bring smiles and hope to others.
"That's good to hear," said Mr. Aizawa, sounding relieved that Izuku wasn't going to argue with him. "Tomorrow, a good portion of the class will be dedicated towards going over the mistakes you made, along with what could have been done in hindsight. Midoriya, I want you to focus on what you should have done after your injury." The man then looked over at the clock. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to prepare for a house call." With that, the man turned to leave. However, just as he was about to reach for the door, a thought occurred to Izuku.
"Mr. Aizawa," called out the teen, causing the man to pause at the door. For a moment, Izuku sat there waiting as his homeroom teacher turned around once more to give him his attention. "I was wondering, since we're going to be discussing the battle trails in class, is it possible for me to get a recording of the matches?" As he finished speaking, Izuku was almost positive that he noticed a gleam of approval in his teacher's gaze.
"I'll have the recordings copied and emailed to you before I leave," he said. With that, the man exited the room. Though as he did, his expression shifted from approval to grim determination.
-x-
A short while later and Recovery Girl gave the green light for Izuku to be discharged from her care. When she announced this, she brought out the silver case that normally held the Hero Student's costumes, this one having his student number on it. Apparently, after Recovery Girl was sure he was stable, she had sent out a few of the school's robots to retrieve it as well as his uniform. So, after getting dressed and placing his costume into storage, the teen bid the healing hero goodbye as he left to put the case away and collect the rest of his things.
As Izuku made his way towards his homeroom, he pulled out his phone to send his mother a quick text saying he was fine. Unsurprisingly, she replied almost instantly, stating she would have rushed out of her job and gone over to the school had Ryoko not stopped her. Izuku would have chuckled at the image of the most dangerous space pirate doing her best to pacify his mother, even going as far as using her body to block the door, when a single sentence sent a way of terror through his body. One that all teens feared: We'll talk more when you get home.
Yeah, it was going to be one of those nights.
Not that he, in retrospect, didn't deserve the lecture he was going to be getting tonight.
"Hey, it's Midoriy-bro," came Kirishima's voice as Izuku opened the door to his homeroom, snapping him out of his thoughts. Blinking in surprise, the teen looked around to see that, despite the lateness of the hour, nearly everyone in the class was still there! Even Kyo seemed surprised as he stuck his head out from Midoriya's hair just in time as several of Izuku's classmates approached them. "Oh man! When the fight first started, I thought you were a goner! But man, you really held your own out there!"
"Yeah," agreed another of Izuku's classmates: Sero. "Not an easy feat, man. We all know just how strong Bakugo is. But you really held your own out there!"
"The way you kept sliding through the walls was just crazy!" exclaimed Mina as she began jumping up and down.
"You're match in the first round really set the bar high, so we all gave it our all! No way we could hold back seeing what you guys did," added Yoarashi, a wide grin on his face. Then, just as quickly, he scratched his chin in a thoughtful manner. "Well, I guess we didn't go as extreme as you all did."
"Though with far more grace and elegance," added in Aoyama as he seemed to rise out from the ground. Or, at least, that's how it appeared from Izuku's field of vision.
"We've all been going over our results," said Kirishima. "Thought it would be a great way to bounce ideas off of each other. Though for some of us it's a bit harder. I mean, take this guy over here." At that moment, Kirishima pointed his thumb at Yoarashi. "Dude just sent an air current out of the building the moment the hero team stepped through the door! Nothing much for me to do other than stand there and guard the window."
"Hey now," laughed Yoarashi as he slapped Kirishima on the back. "I needed someone watching my back."
As a few more people came over to Izuku to reintroduce themselves, like the frog girl Tsu, Izuku couldn't help but feel a bubble of happiness growing within him. Yesterday had been nice as he had made some good friends like Yoarashi and Shinso. But today, well, he felt like, for the first time, he was actually a part of a class. No one was cruelly mocking him or laughing at him for being taken to the nurse's office. Instead, they were talking to him, including him in their conversation. It was a weird and surreal experience that he had never had back in elementary or middle school.
But, just as a smile was about to appear on his face, Izuku noticed that something was missing. There were no screams of rage, no grinding of teeth, or even an aura of death hanging in the room. And not feeling any of that somehow made the teen more afraid. Slowly, the green-haired teen levitated himself in the hair just to he could see over everyone else's shoulders. He spotted Ida, seeming to be in the middle of having a conversation with Tokoyami over him sitting on his desk with Jiro and Ojiro telling the bespectacled teen he needed to chill. Something Izuku knew was not likely to happen.
That's when he noticed that a few of his classmates were missing. The first two he realized were Uraraka and Kaminari, though he doubted that either of them had left, as both of their bags were still at their seats. After that was Todoroki. Then, finally, he noticed that Bakugo had left.
Just as he was about to voice this, the door at the other end of the room slid open. "So, if you're not busy, would you like to get something to eat? What kind of foods do you like?" asked Kaminari as he entered the room holding a stack of books. And besides him was Uraraka, also holding a similar stack.
"I guess anything sweet," answered Uraraka, her words causing Izuku to forget about the absence of anger as a different type of dread filled him. But before he had a chance to really examine or question why he felt like this, his new neighbor turned her head to look at him. In an instant, a look that was an even mix of worry and relief appeared on her pretty face as she called out his nickname. Then, without missing a beat, she set the stack she had been carrying on a desk before rushing over to him and leaving behind a now dejected Kaminari.
"Deku, are you ok?" she asked once she had pushed through the crowd. Then, without thinking, she began to pat him down as if just making sure he really was all there. That or checking to see where he would wince or make some noise of pain. Instead, her touch caused his face to turn a bright shade of red while a certain pink-skinned girl looked on the scene with a sparkle in her eyes.
"I-I'm fine," he managed to say while Kyo nodded. "Recovery Girl gave me a clean bill of health. But, ah, has anyone seen Kacchan?"
"Bakugo?" echoed Uraraka before shooting a look over at the desk, a frown appearing on her face. "I think he left."
"Yeah, he did," agreed Yoarashi, folding his arms across his chest as a deeper frown appeared on his face. "We invited him to stay for our discussion, but the guy just told us to…ah…."
"He told us to 'fuck off'. Ribbit," said Tsu, finishing the statement for the wind user.
"That guy's blood just runs too hot sometimes, I swear," grunted Yoarashi while shaking his head. And it wasn't just him. Several of the others in the class also had annoyed or otherwise displeased expressions on their faces. Still, Yoarashi continued. "Anyways, as he was heading out, I asked him if he didn't want to at least wait until we heard about your condition. Just to make sure you were ok. He said something along the lines of 'Why should I wait around for that worthless nerd to pull his ass out of some damned hospital bed?'."
Before Yoarashi finished explaining what had happened, Izuku found himself frowning as he looked back over at Bakugo's empty seat. It wasn't like Bakugo to pass up a chance to brag about how well he had done nor to tell everyone else around him how much they suck when compared to him. After all, how many times in just the last year had Bakugo put down an entire class while leaning back in his seat? So, knowing that he left…
"I'll be right back," said Izuku as he teleported out of the classroom, wanting to get to Bakugo right away. Instantly, he found himself at the entrance of the school, and thankfully, Bakugo was outside and heading towards the school gate past the statues of former notable students. But, as Izuku moved to the door and opened it, he noticed something about the blonde. His head was lowered, and his stride wasn't as confident as it had been.
"Kacchan!" Izuku called out, causing the other teen to halt. As they stared there in that moment, with Bakugo's back towards him, Izuku began to recall the words his former childhood friend had been screaming. About him hiding his power, laughing about it behind his back. Just thinking about those accusations caused Izuku's muscles to tighten while anger stirred beneath the surface.
Then, Bakugo turned his head to give Izuku a sideways glance. "What?" he growled, his red eyes sparking with anger. Seeing that look in his eyes nearly caused Izuku to lower his head. To just forget about the things that were irritating him, to avoid anything that would cause further escalation, and just ask if he was ok. Ask why he was leaving. But the feelings inside Izuku Midoriya would not be pushed down. Not this time.
"I," began Izuku, pausing only for a moment to take a breath in order to steady his nerves. He could now banter with the most fearsome pirate in the known galaxy. If he could do that, he could finally stand up to his bully. "I just wanted to say, what you were saying during the exercise was wrong. I wasn't hiding my quirk from you. It only awakened about a year ago."
Somehow, Bakugo's eyes filled with even more rage as he spun around. "Don't you dare spew any of that shit at me!" roared Bakugo, his voice carrying on the wind while his backpack fell to the ground. "Quirks don't just suddenly appear out of the blue like that. The only explanation is that you were hiding that quirk. Bet you were getting a laugh, going on and on all those years about being a quirkless hero and never doing a damn thing when really you were looking down on me!"
"A laugh?" echoed Izuku, his voice hollow for a moment. Then, his hands balled into fists as his legs began moving on their own until he was mere inches from the other student. Maybe it was because he was tired from Recovery Girl using her quirk on him. Maybe it was because he was just getting tired of Bakugo yelling at him. Perhaps it was because of what he had just said. Could it be a combination of all three? Whatever the reason, Izuku could no longer hold back his frustration. "You think I enjoyed all that? You really think I was laughing when you and your friends ganged up on me, pinning me to the ground, and beat me up? That I was chuckling whenever I was left alone or when people complained they were 'stuck with the Deku' when we were put in groups? Or how about when you blew me across the classroom? Or how about the time when you told me to take a swan dive off a roof? Did I ever look like I was having a laugh?" Small tears were now in Izuku's eyes as he looked right into those belonging to his former friend. "Believe me, I never laughed at anything that happened! It was painful! Every. Single. Day. It was painful!"
"Oh yeah?" barked Bakugo as he then suddenly grabbed Izuku's jacket, new veins appearing around his forehead. "Then tell me this: when this quirk suddenly appeared, why didn't you tell us?" To that, Izuku just let out a laugh that surprised Bakugo so much that he let him go.
"What? So you would have something new to mock me with?" asked Izuku, fully unloading his feelings. He then held up his index finger, which began to spark with electricity. "When it finally showed up, this was all I could manage was a single beam. If I had come into class and shown any of you this…what? You would stop calling me Deku? You would stop mocking me all of a sudden? No, you would have laughed at it. Most likely calling it a worthless quirk for a worthless Deku. Right?" At that, Bakugo averted his eyes, pretty much signaling to Izuku that he had scored a bullseye. Perhaps there was even a part of Bakugo that knew that, if their situations were reversed, he might have held back on showing everyone his skills until they were something to be proud of.
"I had to train for months-" continued Izuku, but was then interrupted by Bakugo.
"Is that why you're here?" spat the blond, anger renewed while his body trembled. "Just to rub salt in the wound? I lost. And to make matters worse, it was to you! The fucking crybaby who just sat there, doing nothing for years while I trained my body until it hurt. I spent years putting in the work, studying like crazy so I could ace the exam and training my quirk so that I could get the highest score ever in the practical! Then what? You train for a tenth of the time I put in and manage to get close to my score? Do you even understand how humiliating that feels?!"
New anger surged through Izuku. "You think I never tried?" snapped Izuku, his words removing some of the wind in Bakugo's sails. "I tried. I really did. But every gym turned me away. All because of my quirkless status. We couldn't afford a personal trainer or the equipment to properly work out."
"Tch," was Bakugo's reply, clicking his tongue. Though as he spoke, much of the previous anger he felt had vanished. Though there was some still there, only it felt muted. "Sorry you're so worthless you needed someone to hold your hand. Save your lame excuses for someone who gives a damn."
"Not everyone is like you," said Izuku with narrowed eyes while Kyo let out a hiss from inside Izuku's hair. The teen could feel the cabbit's nails digging into his scalp, ready to lunge at the blond at any moment. But Izuku ignored the pain as he glared at Bakugo. "Not everyone can do all that on their own. And I'm grateful for all the help I've been given because I wouldn't be where I am without their help! That's why I'm here. That's why we're both here! So we can keep getting better. Which is what I'm going to do! I'm going to take this power I've been given, learn everything there is to know about it, and become strong enough to surpass you!" By the time he finished saying this, Izuku was panting. The teen had unloaded a lot on his former friend, more so than even he believed was possible. But he had done it and, honestly, it felt really good to do. Even more so when he saw Bakugo just staring back at him wide wide-eyed.
"What the fuck did you just say?" growled Bakugo, his trembling returning as he lowered his head. "Didn't you listen to a single god damned word I said? You already beat me! And do you know what's worse? That dark-haired girl called me out for underestimating you! Something I fucking agreed with her! I even agreed with her when she talked about me potentially destroying the building and the bomb! Damnit! Damnit! Damnit! Damnit! Damnit! I was so fucking stupid I knew you could use more powerful attacks than that! I knew you could teleport! But I let you lead me around like a fucking idiot! Then there was that Icey Bastard! Watching him single-handedly win his match, I knew I couldn't beat him in a one-on-one fight!"
As Bakugo spoke, it sounded more and more like he was about to have a breakdown. This, in turn, caused Izuku to ponder something. Ever since the day Bakugo had gotten his quirk, he had been praised. The very first thing the people running the kindergarten had told him was that he would become a great hero with that flashy quirk. Something that everyone, including Izuku, agreed with. And with no one else around him who had a quirk that could even come close to comparing with the amount of power he held no doubt reinforced that. Not helped as no one ever seemed to criticize him, told him he made a mistake, or anything of that nature. But over the last two days, it was made painfully clear to him that that was no longer the case. The quirk apprehension tests had shown that there were people who were far more capable than he was. The battle trails had shown him, by Bakugo's own admission, that there were people out there whom he couldn't defeat as he was right now. And, again by his own admission, there were people out there who would say he was wrong.
Then, Bakugo lifted his head and Izuku saw a sight that nearly made him do a double-take. "Enjoy that win Deku," said Bakugo with actual tears in his eyes. "Because you won't be getting another! I'm just getting started! You got that?! I'm going to end up the number one hero. And there's nothing that shitty sister of yours can show you that will stop me!"
With that, Bakugo turned and stormed off towards the exit, leaving Izuku alone for the moment. Both teens had unloaded on each other, meaning every word they said. Izuku knew that his journey was still just getting started, that there was still more out there for him to learn. And, if someone here was willing to help him, he would accept it. He would use every chance to grow stronger, using the power that Ryoko had given him. He also knew that Bakugo would also keep getting stronger as he aimed for the top.
Then, a figure appeared at the gate whose appearance caused Izuku to freeze in place. It was Ryoko! She stood there, leaning a little on the gate while giving him an annoyed expression. At the same time, Ryo-Ohki was looking at the teen with clear disapproval in her cabbit eyes. Both of them kept their gazes on Izuku, even as Bakugo stormed past them while shooting them the briefest of dirty looks.
Knowing he had to face the music sooner or later, Izuku approached the space pirate.
"So, I had an interesting day today," said Ryoko slowly once Izuku was close enough, her voice oddly monotone. "I had to use my body to block the doorway to keep Mama Midoriya from rushing over here. It wasn't pleasant."
"Yeah," agreed Izuku as he turned around. "Better head home and let her know I'm ok. Just let me get my stuff and-" The teen was cut off as Ryoko grabbed the back of his school blazer, stopping him in his tracks. Slowly, the teen turned his head to see that now both Ryoko and Ryo-Ohki had murderous glints in their eyes.
"Oh no, no, no," said the pirate as she began to drag Izuku off the school grounds. "It seems I wasn't thorough enough when I was trying to pound safety into that thick skull of yours by every means possible. Looks like we're going to have to start from scratch and work on it until the lesson sticks. Kyo, get his stuff and take it home." Due to the dark tone that Ryoko was using, Kyo let out a terrified meow before hopping out of Izuku's hair. When the male cabbit landed on the ground, he pulled out a hankie, waving at Izuku before running away while the sister/brother pair vanished from sight.
-x-
Later that night, Mitsuki Bakugo was grumbling to herself as she set the table for dinner. The reason for her grumbling was the same as all the other times she had felt like this: her son. Katsuki had come home in another one of his foul moods, slamming the door when he entered and swearing up a storm. This, in turn, set her off and led to a fight between them.
Honestly, she had no idea what was wrong with that boy. He had gotten into one of the best hero schools in the country, gotten the top score, and was even being taught by his hero All Might. But despite all that, he was obsessed with the little things. Namely, that he wasn't the only one from their middle school to get into the school. That Inko's boy had also managed to get in.
As she thought about that, her anger momentarily vanished as a smile appeared on her face. She could still remember when both Izuku and Katsuki were little, playing heroes together and both declaring to become ones when they grew up. Finding out he was quirkless had been a devastating blow to the family, with Inko stress eating and losing her figure while Izuku looked like he was suffering from severe depression every time she saw him after that. But now? It looked like things had taken a turn for the better with that family. She was proud that little Izuku had managed to somehow get a quirk so late in life and, now that he had an actual chance, worked hard to make his dream a reality. Not to mention how happy she was that Inko looked far healthier, like she had suddenly traded places with herself from ten years ago. Perhaps this was due to that spunky young woman the Midoriyas were housing?
But then the moment passed, and Mitsuki's irritation returned as she recalled the moment she saw that Izuku had gotten into U.A. His villain score was, let's be honest, not great, but certainly better than what it would have been if he were still quirkless. But she was happy to see that the school for heroes offered rescue points, allowing the teen to get in. And her son still managed to get the highest number of villain points, so there should have been no issue. At least, that's what she had hoped. Right after Katsuki saw Izuku's name right under his, almost tying for first place, it set the teen off. It didn't matter that he still won, getting higher scores in the written exam and practical; all that mattered to him was that Izuku also got in.
Suddenly, Mitsuki was pulled out of her mental musing when there was a sudden knock on the door.
"Hey brat!" she shouted. "Answer the door, will ya!"
"Get it yourself, you old hag!" shouted Katsuki from upstairs. Grinding her teeth, Mitsuki exited the kitchen. As much as she wanted to drag that snot-nosed brat from out of his room and force him to open the door, it would take a while. More likely, whoever it was would either leave in fear, hearing them shouting at each other, or call the police. And she would rather not have to deal with that…again.
So, after taking a breath, Mitsuki opened the door and blinked in surprise. Standing in the doorway was a tired-looking man. He wore a suit that looked like it hadn't been used in a while, wrinkled in various spots yet still clean. His long, dark, messy hair was tied up in the back, and there was stubble on his chin.
"Can I help you?" asked Mitsuki. The man nodded, quickly pulling out his card.
"Apologies for this unannounced visitation," he said as Mitsuki took the card, her eyes widening as she realized where this man was from. "My name is Shota Aizawa, your son's homeroom teacher. There is something urgent we need to discuss."