Goo, with his small childlike stature, approached with the calmness of someone who had already seen too much.
He placed his hand on Izuku's head, as if marking territory, a protective yet confident gesture, and pushed him slightly away from the line of fire.
Then, he turned his gaze toward Katsuki.
"Easy there, pet," he murmured, never taking his eyes off the blond boy in front of him.
His eyes scanned Katsuki from head to toe, without a trace of fear—rather with the curiosity of someone who had just found something rare and valuable.
"An interesting specimen…" he thought, tilting his head ever so slightly.
In front of him, Katsuki clenched his fists, small explosions sparking in his palms.
That temper, that confidence, and that Quirk… Goo couldn't help but smile broadly, as if he had just discovered a diamond in the rough.
"Nice trick…" he finally said, in a tone between challenge and approval. "I think I like you."
Katsuki narrowed his eyes, a mix of distrust and defiance.
"And who exactly are you supposed to be?" he asked, his voice full of arrogance as he crossed his arms.
Goo didn't move from his spot, still keeping his hand on Izuku's head, giving him a couple of pats as if he were his personal protégé.
Then, he slightly tilted his head toward Katsuki, adjusting his glasses with two fingers, letting a wide, mocking smile spread across his face.
"Oh…" he said in an amused tone, as if he were observing a curiosity in a lab, "so you're the explosive kid everyone's talking about."
Denki, who was standing to the side, raised an eyebrow and smiled mischievously.
"Explosive, huh? That sounds… interesting."
Izuku swallowed hard, looking at Katsuki nervously.
"Kacchan… this is Goo. And this is Denki. They're my friends…"
Goo, without taking his eyes off Bakugo, let out a small nasal chuckle.
"Don't worry, little firecracker, I'm not here to steal your territory…" he said playfully, though his gaze said otherwise.
Goo lowered his hand from Izuku's head and slowly crouched down to pick up a stick from the ground. He held it as if it were a sword, spinning it in his hand a couple of times to test its weight.
"With this… I'm going to beat you," he said with dangerous calm, pointing the stick directly at Katsuki.
Bakugo blinked for a second and then burst into a loud, mocking laugh.
"With a little twig? Not in your dreams, idiot!"
But at the very moment Katsuki's laughter filled the air, Goo was no longer in his place.
His feet pounded the ground, kicking up dust, as he ran straight toward him with a broad smile and eyes gleaming with that yellow streak that spelled trouble.
Katsuki stopped laughing the moment he realized Goo was on him in a matter of seconds.
"Hey, wait—!" he managed to say, instinctively stepping back.
But to Goo, every one of his movements was slow, predictable. In his eyes, the yellow streak shone brighter, tracing the exact path Bakugo was going to take before he even made it.
"Too open on the left flank…" Goo thought calmly, as if he were analyzing a professional fight and not just a childish game.
With a swift turn, he dodged the first spark Bakugo reflexively threw and slipped right into his blind spot. The stick stopped just inches from Katsuki's nose.
"Dead," Goo said with a confident smile, adjusting his glasses with his free hand as if nothing had happened.
Katsuki reacted late, still laughing, but managed to lift a hand and set off a small explosion in front of me. The hot air and dust rose, but my feet didn't stop.
[Ohhh, now this I like.]
Katsuki fired another explosion, this one stronger, forcing me to step back.
"Don't underestimate me, four-eyes!"
I adjusted my glasses with two fingers and took a step forward.
"Don't worry… underestimating you isn't the plan."
My lips curved even more. "I think I'm really going to enjoy training with you."
Five years later.
[Current age: 13 years old. Physical level: above average. Mental level: just as unbearable as always.]
"How sweet you are, Kuro."
[Don't call me sweet. I'm offended.]
The fresh air of Musutafu hit my face as I walked down the sidewalk.
Although technically my body was thirteen years old, more than one person had mistaken me for someone sixteen. I suppose training every day, eating well, and not being lazy pays off.
[Or maybe your smug adult face trapped in a child's body helps with the illusion.]
"I'll take that as a compliment."
The mid-afternoon sun lit up the street, bathing everything in a warm glow. Shadows were short, and the murmur of the city mixed with the smell of freshly baked bread and fried food from some nearby stand.
[Such a motivation, worthy of an elite martial artist.]
"Every warrior needs their reward… and today, my reward is chocolate."
People went back and forth carrying bags, talking on the phone, or chasing after their children. I, on the other hand, had only one clear goal. And as I walked, I couldn't help but notice how the eyes of some boys my age followed me. Not out of admiration… but because physically I was already a head taller than them.
[Enjoy the advantage while it lasts, giant. Someday they'll grow too, and then you'll have to rely on your technique again instead of your physique.]
"Relax, Kuro… I've got plenty of technique."
"Besides, you already know I have my second Quirk, although I rarely use it since it's not necessary."
[Yeah, sure, it's not like 13-year-old kids give you much trouble in a fight.]
"Exactly… and I'd rather keep it that way. Fewer witnesses, fewer problems."
I pushed open the glass door of the shop and a bell chimed with a sharp ding. The air conditioning hit my face, contrasting with the warm heat outside. The scent of sugar and cocoa filled the entire place.
[Ah, a sanctuary for your strict diet… very strict.]
"It's mental training, Kuro. Discipline."
[Discipline… until you see chocolate. Then you're just a mere mortal.]
I rolled my eyes, walking down the central aisle. Rows of perfectly aligned sweets, shiny wrappers seeming to compete for my attention. I grabbed a bar of dark chocolate and spun it between my fingers.
In the corner of the shop, an elderly lady was arguing with the cashier over the change.
Further back, a couple of boys were leafing through a sports magazine.
Nothing out of the ordinary… until I noticed a guy in a hooded sweatshirt, standing far too still next to the gum display.
My eyes caught the slight tremor of his right hand, the tension in his neck. That yellow streak appeared, bright, showing me the next move before he even made it.
[Oh, looks like you'll have some entertainment today.]
"Damn villains… how I hate them. More of them show up every day, ever since that All Might guy cut back his work hours."
[So are you going to stop him? Do you remember the last time they took you to the station for using your Quirk without a license?]
"Damn it… don't remind me of that again. I was just trying to get a cat down for a little girl."
[Hahaha… and they almost booked you as a criminal.]
At that moment, my attention drifted for just a second. The idiot in front of the register had pulled out a gun, aiming it straight at the cashier.
"Hurry up, give me everything you've got!" the hooded man roared, firing into the air and at the walls.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
"W-wait, don't hurt me!! I'll do it!!" the cashier screamed, while the rest of the people ran as if their lives depended on it.
I, on the other hand, didn't even move.
"What an idiot…" I muttered, with a barely perceptible grimace.
[Goo, if you beat him, maybe they'll give you the chocolate bar for free.]
Without changing the pace of my steps, I walked toward the register. The villain shouted something at me, but his voice was lost in my own thoughts. I set the bar down on the counter, completely ignoring the gun barrel trembling a few meters from me.
"Here you go, sir. I'd like to take this. How much would it be?" I asked, flashing a big smile, as if the only thing that mattered in that store was my chocolate.
The villain clenched his teeth.
"Hey, brat! Aren't you listening to me? I'm pointing a gun at you!"
I didn't answer him. I just looked at the cashier, waiting for him to tell me the price of the bar.
"…Are you ignoring me?" he growled.
[Uh-oh… I think you just triggered his 'rabid dog' mode.]
The sound of the gunshot tore through the air.
BANG!
I felt the projectile pass through me… or rather, not feel it at all. The bullet went through my body as if it were smoke, leaving a yellow flash at the entry and exit points, which faded slowly like a dying spark.
The cashier stood frozen, eyes wide like saucers.
I simply raised an eyebrow.
"So… how much was it?"
The villain couldn't take it anymore. He started shooting over and over.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
Each bullet passed through my body, leaving that same yellow glow, as if my flesh were nothing more than a mirage. The floor behind me was littered with shells, and the air filled with smoke and gunpowder.
When the trigger clicked for the last time, the silence was sepulchral.
The hooded man stepped back, tripped over a candy display, and nearly fell on his backside, his hands trembling.
The gun slipped slightly from his fingers, as if he wasn't even sure he wanted to hold it anymore.
I gave the faintest smile, adjusting my glasses with two fingers.
"If you're done with your tantrum… I'm buying something."
[Even I have to admit, that looked incredible.]
"I don't want to use my Quirk… I'm not in the mood to get taken to the station again, you know? I've had enough of that the last time…"
I placed a hand on my chest, looking at the villain as if he'd just broken my heart.
"It was a cat, man… a damn cat! Small, gray, adorable… and still they handcuffed me like I had kidnapped the president. Three whole days in juvenile detention… three. Do you know what that's like for an innocent man like me?" I said as if narrating a Greek tragedy.
I took a step closer, ignoring the barrel still trying to aim at me.
"Can you imagine? Me there, politely greeting the officer, while they treated me like I was the villain… like you."
[Please, someone bring him a tissue, I think he's about to cry from how hurt he feels.]
I let out a deep sigh, shaking my head.
I paused for just a moment, letting the silence stretch.
"But anyway… shoot if you want. I'm not going to judge you."
Another moment. A slight shrug.
"Although… I'll admit… it hurts to see you've sunk this low."