Ticked Off

by Xenolis

Summary:

Midoriya Izuku attracted trouble. It was just a fact of life – the sky was blue, the grass was green, and Izuku constantly found himself in an absurd number of deadly situations.

He was okay with that. Mortal peril was an average Tuesday afternoon for a Pro Hero like him. Being kidnapped was practically a holiday. Saving civilians as a building collapsed around him was easier than facing his worried mum later. He had dealt with All Might's disappointed dad stare and only cried for two hours afterwards.

A serial killing villain with an unknown Quirk would be no problem!

...but even Izuku had to admit that being sent back in time to his first day at UA wasn't on the agenda. Still, there was no-one more spitefully determined than him – he was going to make the most of it.

Yeah, good luck, heroes and villains alike! Deku was here to cause mischief and love his friends!

 

(Reposting gradually! Sorry for the inconvenience <3)

Chapter 1: PROLOGUE: BANISHER

Summary:

Izuku has a mid-life crisis and regresses back in time to his teenage self.

Notes:

(reposted!! originally posted October 2018 - also i haven't checked this for formatting or other errors so,, sorry & good luck! & nearly everything is of the period it was posted, aka years ago, so some things may be answered or inaccurate - don't worry about it haha. i wanted to copy over and repost all at once but that was,, a lot. when did i write so many chapters?? i'll repost chapters as & when i can! thanks to all of you for your patience <3)
[this fic was deleted by ao3 bc i accidentally violated ToS (super sorry, ao3 😭) & wasn't online in the 7 days i had to fix it,,,,, rip to the 320k+ hits, 10.5k+ kudos, 5.2k+ comments, and 2.6k+ bookmarks, press F to pay respects 😔]

 

Rewritten: Jan 2020
This story actually has a plot now so I figured it was about time I rewrote this prologue, lmao.

This is also posted on Wattpad under the same username and title!

Blades flashed silver as they spun. Banana, milk, and protein powder mixed together under watchful, if sleepy, green eyes. The thick shake was poured into a large glass, and a scarred hand grasped it gently. Condensation printed around crooked fingers.

Izuku was up a little later than usual, but that was okay - it was his day off. After passing out one too many times in the past ten years due to over-exerting himself to save other people, his therapist and his loved ones had finally got it through his thick skull that he needed to take a break once in a while: heroics was no easy career path, after all.

He smiled privately to himself against the rim of the glass. God knows it was a miracle he was still alive, and he was lucky to have such great friends and mentors to help him along.

The protein shake was cold against his tongue. His gaze flitted down to the dirty mixer, and after he rinsed out the worst of the residue in the sink, he placed it in the dish-washer and padded over to the living room. Izuku settled on the sofa and turned on the TV, slumping back against the cushions and sipping his drink as he got up-to-date on the morning's news.

Since he and his friends had graduated, crime levels in Japan had dropped significantly, and he couldn't be prouder of all of them. Despite the lower activity, there was always something to do, even if it was something simple like helping someone carry their shopping bags. Despite probably being the most powerful hero of all time, it wasn't rare for Deku to be seen soothing children and rescuing animals, and that was what made him consistently top the popularity rankings.

He just loved helping people. He loved it so, so much. No amount of money or fame could top a grateful smile, in his opinion.

Izuku's jaw abruptly tightened, and he turned up the volume on the TV. Another grieving civilian crying through a broadcast that begged heroes to do something about the latest serial killer villain. His heart clenched and he blinked against the warmth in his eyes. She was the wife of the most recent victim.

“How many more innocent lives have to be ended before someone will stop that evil man?” She cried, voice thick with emotion and hands visibly trembling. “It's been four weeks, and he's still out there! We're all living in fear that we'll be the next victim... The Pro Heroes made a promise to protect us, so why... why is nothing being done?! Please... Please... Just stop Banisher before anyone else has to lose someone they love!”

He wasn't on the case, but he knew that lots of people were doing their utmost to bring Banisher down. His best friend, Ochako, was one of the main heroes on-call for any situations when the police needed some extra muscle. Aizawa had been on the team right away, since underground heroes were the best bet for uncovering impossible information, but he... The assignment came to an abrupt end after only two weeks due to unforeseen circumstances. Any leads he might've found hadn't been reported in time, so it was... it was all a waste, and Izuku was frustrated.

Although Banisher was infuriatingly elusive and unpredictable, the police had managed to collate enough blurry photos and fleeting footage of him to work out his vague appearance: mid-thirties, taller than average, thin physique, and short, dark hair. A few of the clearer clips played on the screen, along with a couple of artists' recreations to give civilians a better idea of who to be cautious around. Blank eyes stared out from a plain face, and Izuku exhaled sharply through his nose, glaring right back.

As if having barely any physical descriptions was bad enough, they had no idea what the villain's Quirk was, if he even had one. All of his hits left behind only a splash of blood, meaning there was no body to examine for potential leads. Whether the victims were being dumped somewhere and remained undiscovered, or whether there was some kind of transportation or destruction Quirk involved, no-one had any idea.

Then there was the issue of how he hadn't been caught yet. It wasn't for lack of trying on the heroes' side – he just seemed to appear at random and then disappear without a single trace, no matter how many people with tracking Quirks they hired. The only repeating trend after five victims seemed to be that all attacks were in and around Tokyo. Maybe he had a teleportation Quirk, or had unknown allies who warped him around, or...

Izuku shook his head. He'd been through the same thought processes a thousand times in his desperation to uncover the truth, but with no new information, the chances of him analysing the situation well enough to miraculously stumble upon a solution were incredibly slim, and thinking about the same miserable thing so much was wearing him down.

All in all, the whole thing was a mess, and he just wished it could be over already so no more innocents got killed.

His phone buzzed, and he silenced the TV.

Bestie Uravity <3
im cashing in that favour
i want you here to help capture banisher

Izuku blinked. Huh. Was fate really being kind enough to grant him his wish?

He downed the rest of his shake in one, turning off the TV and dashing towards his room. Izuku tugged on his forest-green hero costume, clicking the buttons on his wristbands to activate his supportive gauntlets made by Melissa. He dropped his personal phone on the nightstand next to his teenage diary he'd been reading the previous night, then grabbed his sturdier work phone and equipped an earpiece. After a quick appraisal of his reflection in a mirror as he passed, the hero was out the door. It was such a familiar routine that it barely lasted a minute.

Few things compared to the exhilarating freedom of leaping into the sky and feeling the wind tear past him as he launched across the city. Some people caught sight of him shooting far above, and he offered them a wave and a bright grin. The lively streets and homely buildings graduated into sharper edges and decrepit walls as he grew closer to his destination on the very outskirts of Musutafu. It was already a poorer region, but a recent villain attack had rendered a lot of the place too dangerous to live in any longer.

Izuku had donated a significant sum towards the relocation of those who were forced to leave their homes. Not to be outdone, Kacchan had donated just a little bit more. That sort of pettiness between them had replaced the needless violence and poisonous words of their teenage years, and now their rivalry was iconic in the hero industry.

His green gaze skimmed the skyline. Criminals always flooded towards abandoned sections of the city to avoid being caught, so it made sense Banisher had been cornered there. He spotted a few look-outs stationed on roofs around an intimidating concrete building. Izuku let his Quirk sparkle brighter for a moment as he honed in on where most of the police were gathered outside the front. Ochako's pale pink hero costume was easy to spot amongst the bustle of dark uniforms.

He landed lightly, bending his knees to soften the impact a little. A single dead leaf skittered around his ankles in the tiny air currents he disturbed.

Some of the officers straightened up when they noticed him, blatant relief casting across their faces: it always warmed his heart to see people soothed by his mere presence. Izuku raised himself to his full height, ruffling his short curls from his face and fully melting into his confident Deku persona. Ochako remained oblivious to his presence, too busy staring down at her notebook and muttering to herself. She tensed when he stepped closer, snapping around and immediately startling at the sight of him so close.

Izuku took one look at her shocked expression and couldn't help but laugh, nose crinkling and eyes squeezing shut. His friend grumbled and lightly shoved his hand off her shoulder, but when he opened his eyes again there was the start of a faint smile quirking up the corner of her lips, no matter how hard she tried to act offended.

“I told you not to scare me like that!” She whined, handing him the notebook. “I'm already nervous enough about this mission without you giving me a heart attack, Deku-kun. Next time you spook me, I might accidentally end up punting you into the sun!”

He flashed an apologetic grin, sobering slightly as his sharp gaze analysed the information on the page, although his demeanour remained teasing. “Sorry, Uravity-chan. That offer about spacial awareness lessons is still open if you're interested.”

“You're the only one who can sneak up on me - my spacial awareness is fine! It's just you're freakily quiet when you want to be!” She complained, twisting around to grab some blueprints and present them to him. “We've got Banisher cornered in this building, and I refuse to let him escape again. I figured if anyone could catch him, it'd be you.” Ochako paused, looking thoughtful. “Hm, maybe I could put a bell on you – then you can't take me by surprise.”

“I'm not a cat,” he responded through laughter. “Still no clues about Banisher's Quirk?”

The person he presumed to be the lead officer on the case didn't meet his eyes when he handed over Ochako's information notebook and the blueprints. Their body language looked tense and awkward, but- ah. A red flush covered their face. Izuku shared a bemused glance with his best friend, then turned back around to retrieve a pair of Quirk-suppressing cuffs from the table, attaching them to his red utility belt.

“Thank you for letting me assist you,” he said warmly, getting a flustered nod from the officer before they pretended to busy themselves with some documents.

Both heroes padded away from the make-shift operation centre, pausing a few paces outside the doorway to the looming building. It was five storeys high and nothing more than the barest bones of a structure, made of cold concrete with no doors fitted or any glass in the windows. Whether it had been lived in at some point or not was impossible to tell.

Ochako lightly elbowed him in the ribs, keeping her doe-brown eyes on the building. “You're such a jerk, Deku-kun.”

“Wh-”

“You always tease people who have crushes on you,” she whispered exasperatedly.

“I don't!” He denied, staring at her with as much innocence as he could muster. “I'm just being nice!”

She raised her eyebrows with an unimpressed face. “Oh, yeah? Thank you for letting me assist you,” she imitated with an exaggeratedly flirtatious tone, resting her chin on her knuckles as she fluttered her lashes up at him.

Izuku choked back a laugh, lightly shoving her. “Stop it! I don't act like that!”

“But you admit you act,” she shot back smugly.

“Perimeter set,” a voice crackled through his earpiece. “Uravity, Deku – are you ready?”

“Ready,” Ochako responded, firm and determined, fire in her eyes and steel in her posture.

“Ready,” Izuku confirmed, drawing back his shoulders and releasing a calming breath.

“Good luck,” the voice added.

Both heroes shared a single glance, and that was enough. Ochako pressed her fingertips to her chest, removing gravity from herself and silently leaping upwards towards the roof. Izuku strode towards the doorway, refraining from using his Quirk to avoid being seen too soon.

The corridors were blank and eerily empty. Pieces of rubbish and plant husks had collected at the base of the grey walls. A doorway drew closer as he crept along, and he hopped into the room on high alert. He scanned the empty space with a pounding heart, relaxing only a little when there was nothing obvious. Izuku returned to to the hallway, ears straining for any sound and eyes flitting around for any inconsistencies – camouflage and concealment Quirks weren't unheard of.

One for All buzzed under his skin, ready to be utilised in any form the second danger arose. Fourteen years of being the ninth holder meant his Quirk was second nature to him, keeping him safe and helping him save others. It was a far cry from when All Might first gave it to him and his entire body would shatter under the strain – but that wasn't to say he had perfect control over it, even at twenty-eight. The Quirk had far more energy than any one person could handle, so he always had to be immensely cautious with his power output unless he wanted to break his arms again and render them completely unusable.

There was rarely a moment that he needed to go above 50%, anyway. Only in dire situations did he dare to raise it past 90%, and if he ever did need the full 100%, he couldn't do it alone.

A soft 'clear' came from his earpiece. Ochako had searched the top floor. Izuku headed towards the stairwell, remaining on guard in preparation for an ambush. His iconic red boots – long since made mechanical by the combined efforts of Mei and Melissa – let him ascend each step silently. He ran a gloved hand over the wall and stayed cautious in case the building had been trapped.

“Clear,” he breathed upon reaching the next floor – and the routine repeated.

It was starting to remind him of the very first battle trial at UA: he was half-expecting a rabid Kacchan to round the corner. The building remained quiet.

A few walls had cracks bridging across them. He eyed them cautiously, but moved on when nothing happened. Sections of graffiti brightened the dull interior. Izuku entered another room, analysing the weathered concrete around the window before continuing on his way. Every exhale sounded stressfully loud, and his heart was pounding so hard it was a wonder it wasn't echoing off the walls.

Another empty floor. He headed up to the next level and examined his immediate surroundings. Nothing leapt out at him, so he resumed his patrol, pausing at each corner to listen. Wind howled ominously through the hallway, hissing over litter and leaves and ruffling through Izuku's green curls. His paces remained light and careful, whole body lowered slightly for better balance if he were to be attacked.

Izuku crept up to the next doorway, peeking inside to assess it for obvious threats before cautiously stepping in and peering around. There was a sofa pushed towards the other side of the room, back facing the wall, covered in a white sheet – possibly something left behind by previous residents, or something deliberately placed by villains. By the layer of dust, it was clear it hadn't been disturbed for a while.

Unless there was such a thing as a dust redistribution Quirk...?

No, focus.

His muscles tensed tighter as he approached the innocuous piece of furniture. As far as he could hear, there was no-one behind it, but he wasn't going to take that risk and leave it unchecked. Izuku leapt aside, Quirk briefly glittering over his skin before sinking back down as he took stock of the blank floor. He hesitantly moved so he stood in the narrow space between the back of the sofa and the wall, leaning down and peeling the sheet off one corner.

The wall groaned faintly, and he whipped around to stare at it, heart pounding. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Chills tingled down his spine and he felt goosebumps trickle over his arms. He was probably just being paranoid, but still, it was better to be safe than-

A shuffle from the doorway had him spinning to face it, only for his vision to be filled with glowing crimson. One for All crackled over his body and he planted a boot into the back of the sofa, launching it across the room and taking the red with it. He blinked rapidly against the after-image burnt into his retinas until he could focus on the human figure hopping over the sofa, teeth gritted in an eerie smile.

Plain, dark hair, average stature – shit!

“Third floor!” Izuku exclaimed, not daring to make the first move. “Second room on the right!”

“Copy! On my way!” Ochako responded rapidly. “Hold on, Deku-kun!”

Banisher stood before him, pausing in the centre of the room. His face was twisted into a manic expression, and his body looked hunched uncomfortably, as if in a permanent wince. Both his palms, held out in front of him, glowed scarlet with an inner light. Okay, so, touch-activated Quirk – don't let him get close. It hadn't felt warm or cold near his face, but it had given off a weird aura.

The villain lunged, and Izuku leapt to one side, startled by the speed generated by such a skinny frame. His green eyes were sharp and analytical as his brain worked to unveil the machinations of the dangerous Quirk. He ducked under a swipe, feeling that familiar-but-foreign energy phase over his head – it was like... like having a word on the tip of his tongue. Something he definitely knew, but could never quite remember.

Izuku backed up, standing in front of the bare window and staring down the villain, but the more he looked, the more an unpleasant feeling settled heavy in his gut. It really looked like Banisher was in pain, and he couldn't shake the guilt of not helping him. Despite his unexpected speed and athleticism, every time the villain moved, his face would crumple and his body didn't seem to be able to handle the rapid motion. Maybe it was forcefully enhanced by drugs, or a Quirk...

Banisher came to another halt as the hero swiftly dodged once more, repositioning deeper into the room. His glowing fingers flexed – his hands were trembling. Izuku's face fell as the realisation hit him.

The villain's Quirk was hurting him. If it was hurting him, that likely meant he couldn't control it – and, god, no-one could sympathise with that more than Izuku himself.

“Your Quirk,” he began softly, letting as much hostility fade from his demeanour as he dared, “it hurts you when you use it, right?”

Banisher froze. The shaking grew more apparent. His face remained ferocious.

“There's probably more side-effects, too...” Izuku continued, taking a slow step forward. “I don't want you to feel like this life is all there is for you. There are lots of people who can help you.”

He couldn't stop thinking about what it would be like if their fortunes were reversed. A Quirk powerful enough to destroy an entire human was bound to have horrible repercussions on the user. What if he couldn't even control it? What if the Quirk was controlling him, and he didn't want to be doing any of this?

Izuku dared another step closer. “If you're okay with it... Could you tell me more about your Quirk?”

“You really want to know?” Banisher said lowly, head dipped.

“Please,” he said earnestly. “I want to help you.”

There was a pause. The villain – or victim? – stayed still for a moment, letting Izuku get an even better look at him. Despite the mindlessly manic air, his clothes were clean, and his hair didn't look greasy. Was there someone else helping to look after him?

Banisher suddenly jolted forwards, hands outstretched. Izuku went to hop backwards, but his foot somehow caught on something and he thudded to the ground, quick to get back up. The vi- enemy surged in close with a bark of laughter, and Izuku pressed himself back against the wall, nervously eyeing the red glow.

A wider grin split Banisher's face. “I call it-” Izuku tried to move, but something stopped him- “Obliterate.”

The hero raised an arm to shield his face. Fingers clamped around his forearm, and that foreign feeling sparked against his skin, and for a moment everything was completely still. Wide brown eyes met startled green, the red glow reflecting in both. Over Banisher's shoulder, he could see Ochako burst into the room, moving as if in slow motion, and she gradually turned her head to face the scene, gaze locking with her best friend and-

Izuku screamed. It was ragged and guttural, involuntarily tearing free from his throat and spilling over his lips as his senses were overridden by sheer, crushing agony, feeling every organ shriek as his body seemed to be dragged through a shredder, with pain enough for him to have died ten times over, and yet it still wasn't over and he felt everything and nothing, nerves on fire and brain completely blank to everything but anguish and he just wished for it all to just-

He blinked open his eyes to bright sunlight. A baseball dropped from his raised hand. It bounced onto the grass a few feet ahead. Fresh air filled his lungs as he took a shuddering breath. Tears blurred his vision before he stubbornly blinked them away.

The whole scene felt familiar... but foreign.

Slowly, Izuku turned around, palm moving to clasp over his forearm. His stomach gave a sickening wrench as a flurry of emotions rushed over him.

Aizawa stood there. His capture gear swirled around his head, revealing barred yellow goggles glinting at the base of his neck. Unkempt black hair had risen upwards and his glowing red eyes were glaring towards the boy. Izuku swallowed, mouth feeling dry.

“I Erased your Quirk,” the man stated flatly.

It definitely looked like him... kind of. He was in his all-black hero costume, with ragged cuffs on the long sleeves and loose trousers tucked into his shin-high boots. His piercing eyes were inhumanly bloodshot, even more terrifying up close. Except... A few things weren't quite the same. The dark stubble along his jaw was messily trimmed, the wrinkles around his mouth and eyes were barely visible, and, most obviously, he was lacking the jagged cheekbone scar below his right eye.

But... how did any of this make sense? Last time he'd seen Aizawa, the man had been...

Actually, it was better to consider when Aizawa had last looked like... this. There was only one point in time the whole situation recalled from, and Izuku wasn't quite ready to leap to that conclusion just yet.

Not able to focus on Aizawa's speech, Izuku instead turned his attention on himself, wrapped up within the capture gear and held on his tip-toes in front of the teacher. One arm was locked in place across his torso beneath grey ribbons, still pressed to his other forearm that he now realised was lightly thrumming with pain. He lifted his other hand awkwardly, feeling his stomach drop in dread. The pale skin wasn't marred with scars, and his fingers were small and not crooked. His gaze slipped further down, skimming over his chest and taking in the dark blue fabric emblazoned with a white design – the old UA gym uniform.

Izuku was shorter, too, with slighter muscles, and a body that didn't constantly ache in reminder of old wounds. He lifted his gaze, glancing to the right and determinedly suppressing the expression of alarm. Class A were grouped up across the field, all wearing the same uniform as him and looking so frighteningly small and young. None of them gazed at him with the warmth and affection he'd grown used to. Spotting Kacchan was most jarring of all: he'd forgotten what it was like to have that murderous glare aimed at him.

“Do you intend to become incapacitated again and have someone save you?” Aizawa continued, blissfully ignorant to Izuku's turmoil, and for a moment he closed his green eyes to just listen to the comfortingly deep timbre of his teacher's tone. “Midoriya Izuku, with your power, you can't become a hero.”

A high-pitched giggle spilled from his mouth before he could stop it. His eyes snapped open and he pressed his lips together cautiously, staring with doleful eyes up at his teacher. The crowd of his friends – they were just children – whispered in shock to each other at the harsh words, and the sickening déjà vu grew even more overwhelming.

He distinctly remembered being attacked by Banisher, so whatever this situation was, it was caused by a Quirk. There were three likely conclusions he could draw from his analysis:

Banisher had killed him, and this was some sort of afterlife.

Banisher's Quirk created incredibly realistic illusions, possibly based upon the victim's memories.

Or...

Izuku's gaze flitted over to the building. Toshinori had confessed to him years after the fact that he'd secretly observed the assessment. At the time, Izuku hadn't noticed him at all, too wrapped up – both literally and figuratively – with trying to keep his hard-earned place in the heroics course. And yet... there he was, peeking out from behind a wall. He wore a bright yellow pinstripe suit that strained against his absurdly large muscles. Even if he was standing in the shadow of the building, there was no mistaking his iconic silhouette.

So... Did that mean... Time travel...?

No. No way. There couldn't be a Quirk that powerful... could there? Quirks were growing stronger with each generation, and One for All was a testament to the proof of the impossible... No bodies were ever left behind, and powerful Quirks often included great sacrifices, so it wasn't implausible to assume that, with the destruction of the body, the mind could be sent back in time with Banisher's unknown Quirk.

But then – what about the other victims?!

“I've returned your Quirk,” Aizawa's voice cut through his thoughts, and the capture weapon loosened and slipped free, settling back around the man's shoulders. He blinked, and glinting red faded back into black coffee eyes. “You have two turns for the ball throw. Hurry up and get it over with.”

Izuku stared sideways at him for a moment longer as he slowly settled onto the flats of his feet, pushing back the instinct to run and panic. His gaze remained on his red shoes as he mindlessly trudged back to the plate. If it really was time travel, he had to be cautious, because who knew what the consequences would be for changing an event, no matter how small. He didn't even know if just him being there would alter anything. Even with the possibility of another explanation that didn't involve time travel, it would be smart to pretend he wasn't aware of anything, just in case it gave him an advantage later on.

All he had to do was play along.

He tossed the ball up and caught it, testing the weight. Alright. A ball throw was simple. Izuku didn't even need to think about it as he drew back an arm, fired up his Quirk, and then flung the ball forwards. Air pressure exploded from his palm, the force tearing up a dust cloud that whirled around him, and he instinctively shifted his stance a little to compensate, as well as raise a hand to shield his eyes. His focus remained on the ball as it launched through the sky, tearing through several clouds and promptly shooting out of sight into the blue.

A familiar ache arose in his bones, and Izuku winced. He glanced down at his forearm, blinking in surprise at the sight of a shallow wound. It was in the same spot Banisher had grabbed him, seemingly leaving behind a vague hand-print with blood trailing from it. Some was smeared across his skin, and a look at his other hand confirmed the culprit. He'd had much worse injuries, and even though it was a Quirk-induced injury, it didn't seem as if it was causing anything out of the ordinary.

The thing that worried him more was the way his bones had rattled when he used his Quirk. It wasn't like he had even used much, not even 50%, and yet it hurt his body in a way it hadn't since he was-

Oh. Oh no.

Izuku gradually turned to face his teacher. Aizawa's face was split into a maniacal grin. The screen he held up displayed an infinity symbol, far beyond the score he had intended to replicate. Instead of being careful, he had just punted the ball into the sun with fifty times the power he was supposed to use.

Congratulations, Izuku, he thought to himself sarcastically, not even ten minutes into this mess and you've already screwed up. That's a new record!

He hid his burning face in his hands, wishing the ground had a quicksand Quirk to swallow him up. The other students weren't making a secret of muttering about his awe-inspiring feat, gushing over the casual display of immense power. Footsteps pounded heavily against the earth and Izuku automatically raised his head, shifting his stance cautiously until he saw the crimson scowl of his childhood friend. Kacchan was blasting his way over with murder in his expression, every explosion making the kids flinch, but Izuku himself merely stood still and resisted the urge to smile fondly. Reels of capture gear looped around the volatile boy and yanked him to an abrupt halt.

Well, he considered hopefully, at least this experience promises to be entertaining.

*

Izuku brushed past his mother with a hasty greeting. He felt a little bad for being so short with her, but he was two seconds from a breakdown and he didn't need another familiar-but-foreign face to freak out over. With the door closed behind him, he felt like he could breathe a little easier in the small space of his childhood bedroom.

But... wow, that really was a lot of All Mights looking at him. Izuku uncomfortably avoided making eye contact with any of them as he dropped his yellow backpack on the floor and immediately started rummaging around for a spare notebook. There was a green one in a drawer, and he snatched it away, throwing himself down on his bed with a pencil in his hand and a plan in his mind.

Time was a delicate thing. It wouldn't do to make the same mistakes he made today: he needed to be much more cautious. Caution required careful planning, which, thankfully, was something an ever-anxious Izuku had become very good at.

Since there were bound to be two concurrent timelines running through his head as the weeks past – presuming he was going to be stuck there for a while, but he'd find a way out, he was sure – then he knew it was important to note everything down to the best of his ability. Despite the bad events that had prompted him to do so, Izuku was now infinitely grateful that he had been re-reading through his old UA diaries for a couple of weeks, and even more relieved that he'd been so thorough in documenting everything, even if that was borne of his worry that the whole experience was all a dream at the time. Everything was still fairly fresh in his memory, with vivid scenes springing to the forefront of his mind as he wrote it all down in his own personal code.

Izuku added precise dates and times as accurately as possible, painstakingly chronicling his whole journey to become a hero and taking special care to include more detail on everything relating to the most dangerous events – which, now that he looked at it, was an awful lot...

After hours of frantically scribbling away, everything he could recall about his school years was safely written down. There wasn't enough time that evening to cover everything after graduating, and even despite his fear of forgetting something important, his hand hurt too much to continue. Instead, he went back through the notebook and added coloured post-it notes to separate the events, making it easier to flip through to the relevant page if he was in a hurry.

Izuku closed it with a sigh and stared at the cover for a moment before reaching over and grabbing another notebook. He hesitated for a moment before starting to write out everything that had happened that exhausting day, still in a disbelieving haze about the whole absurd situation. Apparently he hadn't come to terms with it yet, after all. Why did these things always happen to him?

He carefully stapled the two notebooks together, flipping through them one last time before tucking them away in a drawer. Izuku slumped down in the bed, staring at the ceiling and finally letting the tears fall.

He knew he would be okay: he always was, eventually. It was such a huge change, and just when he was getting used to being somebody, he was nobody once again. But, maybe... that wasn't such a bad thing. If he kept a low profile, then no-one would know if he changed things for the better.

However, that would be dangerous. He couldn't risk making huge changes in case it messed up the timeline and he could no longer predict events and respond accordingly. His mere presence already meant things had changed, but even with his mess-ups throughout the day, overall nothing had been significantly affected.

People always pondered over what they would do if they were given the option to go back in time, and now that Izuku had the chance, he wasn't going to waste it. There were so many horrible events that he and his loved ones were put through, but now he had the opportunity to support and protect them. He knew he couldn't do everything, or even save everyone, but he could do something.

He wanted to lessen the damage of the USJ. He wanted to help his friends at the Sports Festival. He wanted to bring an end to Stain's reign. He wanted to stop Wolfram. He wanted to prevent Kacchan's capture, and he wanted to fight with All Might so the battle between him and his nemesis wasn't so deathly close, and he wanted-

Well, there were lots of things he wanted. He wanted good, not evil.

Izuku rubbed his knuckles over his forehead, taking a deep, steadying breath. There was a lot to think about, but the serious plans could wait for tomorrow: he couldn't do anything if he was dead tired.

He hastily rushed through his nightly routine on autopilot, then flopped back down onto his bed, smiling to himself at the familiar scent of home.

It was a lot of pressure, but, hey... Plus Ultra, right?

Notes:

doodles!

 

 

New and old readers alike, welcome to Ticked Off!!

This fic is 90% dumb fluff and stupid shenanigans. I write this to make me happy, so I hope it makes you happy, too!

1. Constructive criticism and corrections are welcomed, but please be gentle or else I'll cry (:
2. I love answering questions – don't hesitate to ask me something if you're ever curious or confused!
3. You wanna make fanart?? Please god gimme it I love it i'll love you forever thank you-
4. Wanna write something inspired by this fic?? Run it by me first just in case but I'll likely say yes bc I love inspiring people uwu

Anyway, uh...

I never really vibed with the old prologue, but since I was originally writing this fic as a way to feel productive without putting much effort in, I didn't really mind. But a year passed and the story grew far beyond what I had intended, and the more it evolved, the more dissatisfied I was with the lazy prologue. It didn't cross my mind that I could rewrite it, because that's not something I've ever really done.

Then someone critiqued the prologue, and mid-response I was like “,,wait a fuckin second. I can just... rewrite this to be better?? thats a thing I can do???” And then I Did.

(Tbh tho I only got on with it so hastily bc some scenes in the third/season 4 arc mirror the prologue, and it's easier to fix it now than when the chapters are published, haha.)

The only trouble is, now I'm thinking about how dissatisfied I am with the whole first arc... My writing's improved a bunch since I wrote it, and there are a lot of things I'd like to change, but... Dang that's a lot of effort idk man. Oh well. For now, I'll stick with just editing bits of it.

Okay I think that's everything... ily have fun <33

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Chapter 2: USJ

Summary:

The USJ incident occurs, things go better than before, and Izuku reluctantly shares his secret.

Notes:

(the rest of these chapters were written 2018-2020)

On the morning of the day Izuku knew they'd visit the USJ, he made sure to text All Might to meet up with him at Dagoba Municipal Beach Park before school. They stood on the clean sand, staring out over the glittering waves in a content silence. It had been a while since he had last met up with his mentor in his timeline, and seeing him looking a decade younger brought a smile to his face.

“Not that I don't enjoy spending time with you, Young Midoriya, but might I ask what we're doing here?” Toshinori asked, glancing down at his successor, still looming over the boy even in his emaciated form, with gangly limbs, hollow cheeks, and his blond hair a scraggly mess.

Izuku looked up, stuck with the sudden reminder of how small he used to be as a teenager. “O-oh, um... I just wanted to... uh... Everyone needs some time to relax, don't they? And the beach is always a nice place to go, so- um... I thought it would be... peaceful...”

The Pro Hero was clearly trying not to grin, his mouth twitching and his blue gaze alight with mirth. “Well, you're certainly right about that. You really restored this place to its former glory, my boy.”

Although the beach clean was both a distant memory and a recent event, he could still feel a phantom ache in his muscles as he recalled the gruelling training he went through to get to where he was, lugging along tyres and dragging fridges through the sand. “I'm glad. People seem to like it here.”

“Hm.” Toshinori was silent for a moment, crossing his skinny arms over his baggy white t-shirt. “The way you use your power has changed a lot since the entrance exam: it's remarkable. How did you learn to harness it so quickly?”

“I- I guess, I just, I- well,” he stumbled over his words again, making a complete fool of himself, as usual. “Aizawa-sensei got me thinking about things differently, and I guess... I guess something just clicked, and, uh... I just really want to prove to everyone that I can be great, so...”

His mentor's eyes glimmered a proud blue. “You don't need to prove anything to me, my boy.”

Tears sprung to Izuku's emerald eyes at the overwhelmingly genuine words that took him off guard. He buried his face in the crook of his elbow, frantically wiping at his damp cheeks with the sleeve of his grey school blazer. Toshinori chuckled lowly, muttering something about a crybaby, before he tangled his fingers in the boy's hair and gently ruffled the curly locks. Izuku found himself leaning into the touch, peeking over his damp sleeve to stare happily up at his idol. It was only a short-lived moment of sweetness, but he already knew he was going to cherish it for as long as he could remember.

On impulse, he slipped his phone from his pocket, leaning against his mentor's bony side and raising the device to take a picture. Toshinori looked confused for a moment before grinning, lifting a skinny hand behind Izuku's head to give him bunny ears, causing the boy to laugh just as he took the picture. He continued to giggle even as they pulled apart, allowing him to skim through his gallery and immediately set the photo as his phone wallpaper.

“Ah, we should go,” the man said suddenly, upon seeing the time. “I doubt Aizawa will appreciate you being late.”

“Right.” Izuku reluctantly nodded in agreement, his smile falling as his tone grew more serious. “Um... All Might-san...” Oh boy, am I really doing this? “Sometimes I might... say or do something strange...” Yep, oh, okay, here we go- “And I just... even if you don't understand why, I'm asking you to just trust me.” Wow, that wasn't creepy or ominous at all, way to go.

Toshinori frowned, already appearing immensely concerned. “Are you alright? Did something happen?”

He hesitated, crushing a piece of paper in his fist. “Something... is going to happen. Probably. Unless things have changed, but...” Izuku loosened his fingers, holding out the folded note. “Could you give this to Principal Nedzu-san, please? Tell him not to open it until... 11am.”

“I... Of course, but...” His expression was conflicted as he took the crumpled paper. “I trust you, Young Midoriya, but please... Are you in any danger?”

“No,” he paused, wincing. “Not yet. Sorry to be so cryptic, but I'm not sure... I'm not sure how this will affect things, so I have to be cautious. I can tell you that we'll be fine, if things go to plan.”

“Alright, I believe you. Stay safe, my boy.”

*

Izuku could barely focus on Thirteen's inspiring speech, no matter how much he adored the astronaut-themed Pro Hero. It was the same as last time, even though All Might was standing behind them, beaming widely with his hands on his hips and his muscles bulging against his red, white and blue hero costume. The boy kept his gaze locked on to the fountain at the bottom of the expansive stairs, knowing that a purple portal would likely spin into existence and spew out a crowd of villains. On cue, once Thirteen had quieted down, the ring of lights around the massive rescue-training simulation dome fizzed and sparked out, dimming the area a little. Aizawa tensed, glancing over his shoulder, and Izuku stepped forwards, spotting the expected arrival of their enemies.

In some weird way, it was actually relieving.

“Thirteen, protect the students,” the teacher ordered, pulling up his yellow goggles.

“All Might-san,” Izuku called before he could help himself. “Be careful.”

The hero smiled wider, putting up a reassuring thumb. “I will, my-”

“No, I mean it.” For a moment, it was the twenty-eight-year-old Pro Hero Deku speaking, his tone assertive and deceptively calm as he stared down his mentor. “Be careful.”

His expression changed minutely as he seemed to get the message, clearly wanting to know more but turning and leaping into battle with Eraserhead nonetheless. All of the kids looked terrified, and Izuku wondered if he made the right choice to inform Nedzu so late.

He'd specified 11am deliberately. Although he could've just requested help straight away, he made the decision to leave it for a bit, even though the villains would've separated them to attack. He remembered how important the experience had been for the class, and he didn't want to take that away just in case it led to their downfall later on. It would also be unwise to bring back-up in immediately, since that would alert the villains and possibly cause some issues in the future.

Yes, it was definitely for the best.

Izuku kept telling himself that, even as he watched Aizawa's elbow disintegrate under Shigaraki's touch. He could dive in and help, but that would mean revealing he was a whole lot more powerful than he let on. The Noumu smashed the man's face into the ground with a monstrous, dark hand, shattering his goggles and spilling blood across the dirt.

Tsu and Mineta were both cowering, looking horrified. Izuku reached over to gently squeeze the girl's shoulder, offering a shaky smile that he hoped wouldn't be misinterpreted as him enjoying the grim show. Her dark eyes were wide with horror but her large mouth smoothed into something less of a grimace as she acknowledged his comfort, despite looking almost as green as her costume.

Before it could get any worse, All Might leapt in, tackling the Noumu and aggressively pummelling its bulky torso. Shigaraki was laughing and gloating about how powerful the creature was, lamenting its Quirks as they were revealed. While the villain was distracted, Izuku took his chance, darting forwards as fast as he dared towards his teacher. He wrapped his arms around Eraserhead's torso, leaning him over one shoulder in a fireman's lift before darting back to the water and laying him down on the shoreline.

“Y-you need to-” The man rasped, squinting against the blood coating his pale face.

Izuku placed a gentle hand on his chest, keeping him from moving, and he drew up his courage as Deku to give a bright, reassuring grin. “The Pro Heroes will be here any minute. Don't use your Quirk, I don't know what the damage is.”

“M-Midoriya, aren't you scared?” Mineta whimpered, staring in horror as the intense fight progressed.

“Yes, but true courage is pushing past that fear to help and protect,” he responded confidently, lightly tapping the teacher's ribs. “Try to stay awake, sensei.”

Watching All Might fight the Noumu for the second time was nerve-wracking, but he could breathe a little easier knowing the hero wasn't straining himself beyond his transformation time limit. There wasn't any way to know for sure how long they had left, and knowing what happened last time, Izuku was keeping his eyes on Shigaraki as the impatient villain suddenly realised that Eraserhead was gone. He looked around him, tearing irritated lines across his throat with his nails, only to still when his gaze behind the hand locked onto the small group at the water's edge. It was clear he underestimated them, as he lunged forwards while All Might was occupied, raising one hand with the intention of grabbing Tsu's face-

Izuku waited as long as he dared before snapping a hand around the attacker's wrist, grabbing the other arm to be safe, and then shoved him backwards, only to raise him into the air and throw him over his shoulder and into the water without even needing to activate his Quirk. The villain tumbled, one second away from hitting the surface before a dark portal opened up and dumped him back on land next to Kurogiri. Shigaraki picked himself back up slowly, faintly shaking with irritation as he threw a blazing glare over to the kids with wild, crimson eyes. Izuku puffed up his chest, standing protectively in front of his friends and staring down the villain with his teeth bared in a threatening smile.

A sheet of ice froze half the Noumu, allowing All Might to slip out of its grasp. Kirishima leapt in, attempting to swipe at Shigaraki as Kacchan held down Kurogiri. The three students took defensive stances, ready to assist their teacher.

The Noumu was battered beyond repair, and another powerful punch from All Might sent it shooting through the side of the dome. He stood confidently, raising a large fist to wipe away a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. A moment later, the front doors burst open, revealing a horde of angry teachers who barely spared a moment to assess the situation before diving in to help.

“Game over,” Izuku whispered triumphantly, watching as they stepped back through the purple warp gate and vanished.

He let the stress fade from his shoulders, turning back to look at those he protected. Tsu was blatantly relieved at the victory, while Mineta bounced around excitedly. Aizawa was giving Izuku a look he couldn't quite decipher, but considering the circumstances he presumed it was probably suspicion. He ignored it and lifted up his teacher once more, careful not to aggravate any injuries as he stepped out of the water, heading towards the entrance where most of the class were gathered at the top of the many stairs.

All Might was still standing tensely, wisps of steam writhing skyward. While he hadn't pushed beyond his limit this time, the fight had definitely still put a strain on his form, likely knocking off a fair few minutes off his transformation.

“Todoroki-kun! Kirishima-kun! Kacchan!” He called over, deliberately stealing their attention from the teacher. “Aizawa-sensei is injured! Can you help me carry him?”

There wasn't much complaint as they approached with varying levels of enthusiasm. All Might shot him a thankful look through shadowed eyes which he grinned at before focusing on his classmates. Aizawa was barely conscious, but still managed to give a few mumbles of argument as he was jostled between hands.

Izuku exhaled shakily. He had dared to change a few things, yet it hadn't altered the overall outcome, which he figured was a good thing. Knowing the future gave him a valuable advantage he didn't plan on wasting.

*

“Midoriya-kun, could you tell us how you knew this attack was going to happen?” Nedzu asked lightly, a faint smile on his white, furry face as he interlocked his paws over his desk.

Ah, consequences... How he hated them.

Izuku shifted in his seat uncomfortably, sitting between a heavily-bandaged Aizawa and a pallid-looking Toshinori and feeling like he was in a parent-teacher conference. The thought made him choke back a snort of laughter, barely covered with a ragged cough before he regained his composure.

“Oh, um... There are a lot of things I... can't really explain,” he began, crossing his arms and leaning back in the chair.

“Can't or won't?” Aizawa cut in gruffly, muffled by the fabric wrapped around his face.

He hesitated. “Shouldn't.”

“What can you tell us?” Nedzu seemed unfazed, his tone just as pleasant as ever.

“It's to do with... time,” he said finally, tensing his fingers around his biceps. “I know some things... because of something that happened to me... and I'm not sure how much I can change before the future is entirely different, so I'm trying to be careful about it.”

“Is that your Quirk? Future-vision?” Nedzu inquired as innocently as a mysterious mouse-bear-creature in a waistcoat could, which is to say, surprisingly so.

Izuku shook his head. “No, it's a result of someone else's Quirk. I'd tell you more, but...”

“Time is a tricky thing.” The principal nodded serenely, placing his paws flat on the desk. “I understand your caution with revealing details of things yet to happen, so how about you explain events that are in the past?”

It was weird to think about that question too hard, since the future for them was technically the past for him. He frowned, raising a hand to his face as he quietly muttered his thoughts out, running through the possibilities of doing so. Toshinori observed in amusement while Aizawa merely slumped lower in his chair.

“Right... right, okay. I... returned here on the first day of UA, during the ball throw. It was confusing. There weren't many differences to the original timeline, except last time I focused my Quirk in one finger after Aizawa-sensei stopped me, meaning I only broke the one and I could still move. You were impressed,” he added with a short giggle, practically beaming at his homeroom teacher. “This time, I also noticed All Might-san observing the test, and since I knew Kacchan was going to be angry and run at me, I didn't bother moving, because I also knew Aizawa-sensei would restrain him.”

“That's why you suddenly improved with your Quirk,” Toshinori said with realisation dawning across his gaunt face.

Aizawa barely turned his head. “If that's your power, why aren't you using it to it's full potential?”

“It might change things too much. I want to keep it a secret for as long as possible to have the upper hand against the villains.” He exhaled heavily, recalling the events of his previous life. “In the original USJ incident, All Might-san had used up all his time before the lesson, so he wasn't there when the villains attacked. Aizawa-sensei got permanent damage from the Noumu that affected his Quirk. Teny- uh, Iida-kun managed to get past Kurogiri and inform the teachers. All Might-san arrived first and took down the Noumu, but he pushed himself too far over his limit and lost a lot of time for his other form. The teachers came and the villains left, just like this time.”

“I presume there was a reason why you didn't inform us sooner?” Nedzu asked; Izuku nodded. “And I also assume you'll continue to meddle with events to give us a better outcome?” Another nod. “Very well. If I may, Midoriya-kun... Would you mind telling us some things that are secrets to most, just to be sure you had nothing to do with the villain attack?”

“That's fine,” he said absent-mindedly, glancing around the room for inspiration before settling on his teacher. “Aizawa-sensei likes cats and tends to adopt strays. He went to UA when he was a teenager and Present Mic gave him the name Eraserhead. And... the threat of expulsion he gave us on the first day wasn't a logical ruse, but no-one got expelled because we all have potential.”

Eyes turned to Aizawa, who shrugged stiffly. “Alright. None of that would've been too hard to find out.”

Izuku grinned, swivelling in his seat to face his mentor instead. “Your name is Yagi Toshinori-san. I know you used to be... be like me, before we met. I know about All for One and Shimura Nana-san. Gran Torino-san mentored you in her stead.” He looked away briefly, looking mischievous. “You're afraid of him.”

“I- I-” Toshinori shrank in on himself slightly, giving up on trying to defend himself and otherwise appearing a little spooked by his student's sudden omniscience. “Well, you aren't wrong, my boy.”

“Principal... Honestly, I don't really know much about you, but I do know that humans experimented on you,” Izuku admitted apologetically, dipping his head.

Nedzu's expression flickered momentarily, but it was back to the peaceful smile too quickly to know for sure. “What you've shared with us is sufficient. I suppose that you'll want this secret kept between the four of us, yes? If there is any way we can help you, please feel free to ask.”

“Of course.” The boy bowed a little in his seat. “Thank you.”

Notes:

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Chapter 3: SPORTS FESTIVAL: SHINSOU

Summary:

Izuku faces off against Shinsou, and he's determined to comfort his future-friend.

“Wh- wh-what's going on?!” Uraraka exclaimed, round brown eyes staring in surprise at the crowds of students gathered outside the large classroom door.

Izuku paused, just about managing to recall what happened last time as he saw Kacchan stomping towards them, his posture slouched and his features set into a characteristic glower. The boy hastily dashed into the doorway, waving his hands a little awkwardly and offering a grin he hoped didn't betray his nerves.

“It's, um... It's good to see everyone is so enthusiastic about the Sports Festival. I'm looking forward to help show off what UA has to offer! So, um... Let's all do our best!” It wasn't his best speech, but the amount of eyes staring him down made him uneasy, even if he was used to being in the spotlight due to being a popular hero in the alternate timeline.

“I came to see what the famous Class 1-A was like.” A familiar voice easily cut over the chatter, deep and drawling, as the owner slipped through the crowd, standing at the front with his hands in his pockets. “You don't look like much. I almost don't believe you won against villains.”

“Oh, Hito- you're Shinsou-kun, aren't you? Your Quirk is so cool! Imagine how helpful it could be in a hostage situation, or-” Izuku cut himself off with another sheepish smile, bowing his apologies. “A-ah, sorry! That was rude of me. I'm Midoriya Izuku.”

Shinsou raised a slim purple eyebrow, staring down at the other boy with vague interest in his exhausted eyes. “Since you somehow know my Quirk, wouldn't it be fair if I knew yours?”

“Don't you fuckin' dare, Deku.” Kacchan growled from somewhere inside the room.

Izuku merely nodded amicably. “You're right. It's strength enhancement!”

The tired student's lips curved up in a faint hint of a smile as he tilted his head, the messy shock of lavender-hued hair shifting with gravity. “You'd better make it to the finals, Midoriya-kun; you seem like a worthy opponent I'd like to beat.”

“You too, Shinsou-kun!”

Only when Kacchan started yelling at the crowd did the people start to disperse. Izuku comfortably settled into step besides Uraraka and Iida, happy that he'd been able to make a good first impression on everyone – especially Shinsou.

*

Following the footsteps of the other timeline served him well, keeping the audience and some students curious about his Quirk in the first race. He put on a good show by collecting up mines and soaring through the air in a blast of pink smoke, falling with style and sailing smoothly into first place. The temptation to use his Quirk grew stronger with every passing minute, because he knew that he could easily sprint towards or away from anything he wanted without anyone being able to stop him.

Few things changed when it came to the cavalry battle and his one million points bounty, but it was mostly just apologetic glances from other students when he caught their eye with the hope of teaming up since he'd made a good impression on many of them. Shinsou looked like he was tempted to approach the boy, but stopped at the last second. Izuku partially wanted to warn Ojiro about the purple-haired student's Quirk beforehand, however it didn't really feel fair to force Shinsou to lose the element of surprise, even if it was entirely justified to tell his classmates.

Afterwards, during the break, Todoroki pulled Izuku aside, just as expected. He tried to keep his face neutral throughout the regaling of his friend's tragic backstory about his abusive father, who was the Number Two Hero Endeavour, and how he drove his wife mad enough to spill boiling water on their child's face, and although it was probably a safe bet to keep things the same, he couldn't help but meddle a bit. In the other timeline, he'd learnt how to read people who were usually more stoic, like Aizawa, Todoroki, and Shinsou, which meant he picked up on the suppressed misery coming from his classmate better than before.

“Todoroki-kun, I- I just want to say...” Izuku paused, clenching his fists by his sides. “You aren't your father. What he's done to your family is unforgivable, and I don't believe he deserves the title of hero if that's how he treats people.” His voice shook with his intense conviction, desperate to get through to his friend. “If, um... If you ever want anyone to talk to, or rant to... Just know that I'm always willing to listen and help. But for now, let's do our best in the Sports Festival – show people that you are your own person.”

Todoroki was entirely still, eyebrows raised just a little more than usual to hint at his surprise, blue eye a little wider through the burn scar on the right side of his face. “...okay. Sorry for wasting your time.”

He pivoted on one foot and left the tunnel, trudging away with slightly hunched shoulders. Izuku waited for a beat or two before stepping out of the tunnel after him.

“I- I've always been supported by others,” he said loudly, coming to a stop a few feet behind his friend. “I'm here because of the people who have supported me. I want to be like All Might-san. In order to do that, I have to be strong enough to become number one.” Todoroki turned a little, glancing over his shoulder; Izuku kept his gaze on his raised hand as he continued to speak. “My motivation might seem trivial to yours, but I can't lose either.” He looked up, freckled face a picture of utter determination. “That declaration of war you gave earlier – I'll return that. I will beat you, too!”

They stared at each other in silence for a few more moments, wind tugging at their hair and rippling past their gym uniforms. A flash of thoughtfulness passed through Todoroki's expression before he turned and soundlessly continued walking away. Izuku let his hand drop back to his side as a relieved smile tugged at his lips, glad that his friend hadn't reacted negatively to his responses. He let out a breath he didn't realise he was holding before heading in the direction of the cafeteria.

After lunch, while he was mentally steeling himself against his nerves for the first match against Shinsou, the familiar voice of All Might called out to him. The man himself approached down the tunnel leading to the centre of the large arena, stopping a short distance from his successor, wearing a black suit that was several sizes too big for his skeletal form. His uncertain expression faded quickly as Izuku beamed at him, always overjoyed to see his favourite hero.

“Sorry I'm late, but... you're still not going to use One for All at its strongest, are you?” Toshinori's voice was gruff and friendly, gaunt face softened with a smile.

Izuku shifted guiltily, dropping his green gaze to the floor. “N-no. I don't feel like it would be fair.”

“Right. You have to remember though, my boy; these students have had their Quirks for most of their lives, so they already have years of experience. To me, you've only had the power for a little while, but I suppose you've had plenty of practice in the other timeline, right?” His brow unfurrowed a little in an imitation of raised eyebrows.

“Yeah...” The boy said slowly, mulling it over for a moment before shaking his head stubbornly. “No, it still isn't fair, since I've already gone through UA once before, and I've probably got a lot more experience than all of them combined.”

Toshinori tilted his head fondly. “You're always thinking of everyone else. It's okay to be a little selfish from time to time, Young Midoriya.”

Izuku nodded sheepishly, his cheeks flushing.

“Well,” All Might puffed up in a hiss of steam, straining the suit with his sudden size, grinning and raising a hand in a thumbs-up. “Smile, and stand proud. Don't forget I have high hopes for you, so do as much as you can, my boy!”

His successor smiled again, reassured by the comforting warmth in his chest that his mentor's words always offered. He turned around, striding out of the tunnel and onto the concrete pitch on cue as Present Mic introduced the match.

“That monkey was going on about his pride...” Shinsou muttered, posture perfectly relaxed. “...but don't you think he was dumb for throwing away his chance?”

In the alternate timeline, Izuku had been under the influence of his friend's Quirk many times, partially to help the tired boy practice, and partially to train his own brain just in case there was a villain with a similar ability. He knew the strengths and weaknesses of Brainwashing, probably better than Shinsou himself, which meant he knew exactly how to carefully avoid being controlled.

“If I was talking to Shinsou-kun,” he said coolly, shifting his gaze to Cementoss, who sat next to the ring on a concrete throne of his own making. “Then I would remind him that I know how his Quirk works.”

Izuku glanced up at the stands, seeking out his friends and trying not to laugh at Ojiro's astounded expression. Present Mic was loudly commentating the match from a room up high, easily broadcast across the entire stadium without a microphone thanks to his Quirk, lamenting his confusion at such a dull start to the round. The boy lowered his gaze again, crossing his arms and staring down his friend across the pitch.

“I'd almost forgotten,” Shinsou laughed drily, making no attempt to move either. “Guess that means I've lost, huh? You're lucky that you've been blessed, Midoriya Izuku. Thanks to my Quirk, I've been behind from the start.” He raised a thumb to his chest, teeth bared in a sardonic smile. “Someone who's been blessed like you can't understand, can you? Someone like you who was born with the ideal Quirk.”

That still hurt, over ten years down the line, because of course he understood exactly what that was like when he was bullied for being Quirkless for fourteen years, until All Might saw the hero in him and passed on his unique Quirk and trained him well enough to get him into UA. Izuku started forwards, walking with purpose. Shinsou tensed up, moving into an amateur's defensive stance as his smile fell into a frustrated grimace.

“I've tried so hard to get here, and you're not even using your Quirk to beat me. I thought you were a good person earlier on, Midoriya-san, but you're just taunting me with your superiority.” He sighed, clutching at his sides and dropping his head until his wild mane of purple hair concealed his face, his voice growing quieter with every word. “Are you really that conceited that you think I'm not worth your almighty strength? Am I really so pathetic and insignificant that you won't even bother to give me a proper chance?”

Don't do it, Izuku, don't you dare say a word, even if he looks like a sad, abandoned kitten-

His jaws snapped open and he burst into a sprint. “I think you're amazing, Shinsou-kun!”

Izuku stilled, face vacant. Everything sounded fuzzy, like his ears had been stuffed with cotton. The world buzzed with static, but Shinsou was as clear as day, a rueful smile curving his lips up as he lifted his head.

“You're too kind, Midoriya-kun. It's going to get you killed one day.” His voice cut sharply through the haze, expression morphed into one of mingled guilt and pity. “I hope this won't change your opinion of me... Turn around and walk out of bounds.”

Present Mic was screaming something excitedly, but it was too distorted to work out what he was saying. All Izuku could focus on was placing one foot in front of the other, gradually approaching the white line around the edge of the ring. As he drew closer, he could just about work out the vague shape of Toshinori peeking out from the tunnel, mouth moving as he frantically hissed something indecipherable.

Okay, calm down. He thought to himself, mentally wading through the heavy fog of Brainwashing to summon up all he could recall about the Quirk. Don't let all that future-training go to waste.

Last time, the presence of the previous holders had been enough to let him move his fingers and shock himself out of Shinsou's control, but now he had a solid understanding of his Quirk, he doubted that would happen again. His most effective method of escaping hold was to analyse the order given to him, which was easily vague enough for him to find many loopholes to exploit with enough willpower.

It was only specified for him to walk out of bounds; he was never told how he should do that.

Izuku shoved against the oppressive Quirk, forcing himself to a level of lucidity that was clear enough for him to first twitch a finger, then slowly, haltingly, raise an arm in front of him. His feet kept moving at a constant pace as he managed to curve a finger into a flick, aiming right at a shocked-looking Toshinori. It took two more steps before he was able to call upon One for All, feeling the power burn in his veins and focus in his hand.

“I have my own dream,” Shinsou said softly, almost regretfully; he wasn't even watching. “Now, lose for me.”

His toes passed above the boundary line and his sole approached the concrete. In a final, desperate push, he flicked his fingers.

Power exploded in a rush of air. Dust tore around his form as he was flung backwards, hitting the ground inside the ring with enough force to jolt him from his stupor. He rolled to a stop, taking a moment to regain his bearings while his senses got used to the sudden influx of information and the cloud settled.

“Th- this is... Midoriya's stopped!” Present Mic yelled, clearly excited by the unexpected change of events.

Izuku picked himself back up, breathing heavily and glancing down at his finger. It was a little bruised and ached uncomfortably, but didn't hurt enough to be broken. He hadn't used his power in a self-destructive way in a long time, so he was somewhat glad that he was still able to do it.

“What the hell?” Shinsou whispered, almost sounding awed. “Why?”

The boy started rapidly approaching his competitor, face set with determination.

“You shouldn't be able to move freely!” He snapped, anger roughening his tone as he clenched a hand into a fist. “What did you do?

Izuku rushed into Shinsou, raising his arms and pushing against the tired boy's torso to shove him back, forcing him backwards despite the struggling. A punch to his face didn't deter him, and in his desperation, Shinsou landed a hit on his enemy's injured finger, causing Izuku to wince enough for Shinsou to whip around, slamming a palm into the other student's face and tilt him off-balance. Izuku grabbed his forearm and the front of his shirt, skidding to a halt and pivoting on one foot before flicking Shinsou over his shoulder and throwing him over the line.

The winner was announced and the two competitors met back up in the middle of the court, facing each other in silence, before the Gen Ed student twisted on one foot and started across the pitch towards the steps.

“Shinsou-kun... why do you want to be a hero?” He asked quietly, blood running from his nose.

Shinsou turned and paused, face carefully blanked, but not enough to hide his crushing disappointment. “You can't help the things you long for.”

Izuku stepped forward, clasping a hand on his future-friend's shoulder and staring him down. “You're really cool, you know? I know you're going to be a hero one day.” He tapped a finger against a slim bicep, raising his eyebrows. “You do need to train your body as well as your Quirk, though, and if you ever need someone to spar with...” He trailed off, letting the offer hang unsaid between them.

Shinsou blinked his purple eyes in acknowledgement before continuing on his way. His classmates called down to him gleefully from the stands, motioning towards Pro Heroes who were commenting on the usefulness of his Quirk.

“Depending on our results, they'll consider our transfer into the hero course. Remember that,” Shinsou drawled, not looking back. “Even if it didn't work this time, I definitely won't give up. I'll get into the hero course, get certified, and I'll definitely become a better hero than you guys!”

Notes:

If One for All can't be forcibly taken, does that mean Monoma can't copy it? That's been bothering me for a while...

Anyway, hope you enjoyed, please validate my existence with your comments, thanks ily

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Chapter 4: SPORTS FESTIVAL: TODOROKI

Summary:

All Might struggles to accept that he's a dad, and Izuku meddles in the life of his classmate.

Iida's match against Hatsume Mei didn't seem as amusing as he remembered, even though nothing had changed and she was still using his talents and Engine Quirk to show off her inventions to the Pro Support Heroes. A cold stone of guilt had settled in Izuku's stomach as he recalled what would happen shortly after.

He knew Ingenium would be attacked by Stain, the Hero Killer, in Hosu city, but he couldn't interfere without causing a massive ripple through time. In the future, the young hero had come to terms with his waist-down paralysis, and usually seemed content to watch his younger brother rise up through the ranks and prove himself truly worthy of inheriting the name.

But... Izuku remembered a time when Tensei had admitted that he hated feeling so useless. He should've had a whole career ahead of him, but it was cut short by Stain's selfish attack. It should've been him and his brother, following in their parents' footsteps together.

As the matches continued, he scribbled away in his Hero Analysis notebook, only marginally frustrated that all his work in the previous timeline had been undone and he had to rewrite everything he remembered about the Quirks of his fellow students. He kept muttering to himself, keeping up the guise of a student excited for a fun event, while internally he was a Pro Hero stressing out over an inevitable attack. Izuku glanced sideways, noticing a drink abandoned on Uraraka's chair, and immediately getting to his feet to check on her in the waiting rooms.

The noise of the crowd faded as he navigated the empty corridors, deep in thought. Even if he hated to do so, he had to let Tensei get attacked. Although...

He slipped his phone from his pocket, scrolling to a certain contact and calling. “All Might-san?”

“Is there something you needed, my boy?” Toshinori responded, and the background noise died down, indicating he'd moved elsewhere.

“Ah, yes, um... Would it be possible to, uh... get some extra Pro Heroes patrolling in Hosu today?” Izuku asked softly, coming to a halt and leaning a shoulder against the wall.

There was a long pause. “I'll ask some friends, see if they're free. Something bad is going to happen, isn't it?”

The boy squeezed his eyes shut, his hand tensing around his phone. “Yeah.” His voice broke. “I- I really want to stop it, but...” He let out a shaky whimper, trying to hold back the tears. “It's too important to prevent, and I hate that. I should do something – I want to do something, but I can't.”

“Breathe, Izuku,” Toshinori said gently, his tone low and soothing. “I'm glad you came to me with this, my boy. I can't hope to ever understand what you're going through, but my old sidekick, Nighteye... There were times when he caught glimpses of the future and he couldn't do anything to change it, no matter what he did. Sometimes, no action is the wisest action, regardless of how helpless you feel. If you believe that it's for the best, then I believe so too, and I'll always be here if you need me.”

“Thank you,” he choked out, sniffling and wiping away the traitorous tears that spilled down his cheeks. “I'm- I'm really glad you're here, All Might-san.”

Another lull in the conversation arose as Izuku tried to get the waterworks under control. A brief, delirious thought about how powerful he'd be if he had a water-manipulating Quirk made him let out a harsh huff of ragged laughter, a wobbly smile on his face.

“...you called me Izuku.” He realised suddenly, pressing a hand to his mouth to try and prevent him from chuckling at the flustered noises on the other end of the line.

“S-sorry, young Midoriya!” Toshinori bumbled. “I apologise, that was-”

“It's fine,” he dismissed with a stifled giggle. “You can call me Izuku if you want.”

“Oh. Then, I suppose it would be fair for you to call me Toshinori,” the man muttered, sounding so far beyond the realms of common awkwardness that there wasn't even a word to describe it.

It would've been polite to change the subject to save him some humiliation, but Izuku could count on one hand how many times he'd heard the All Might sound immensely embarrassed, and he wasn't about to end his suffering just yet. He took a deep breath, using a decade of hero experience just to blank his expression and force his voice to sound nonchalant.

“Oh, yeah, I just remembered...” Izuku hummed thoughtfully, biting his lip to stop himself from grinning like a maniac. “Todoroki-kun thinks I'm your illegitimate son.”

There was a sudden, hacking cough on the other side as the man spluttered out some blood between incoherent words. “He- I'm- you- what?!”

The boy burst out laughing, fumbling with his phone to hastily end the call as he snorted and wheezed, already feeling the tight knot of guilt loosen after the chat. He pocketed the device and straightened up, snickering to himself as he walked the rest of the way to the waiting rooms. Iida glanced at him when he entered, an indecipherable expression on his face before he turned back to the girl as the three of them conversed.

“You've helped me so much, Och- Uraraka-san. That's why I thought I could maybe help you a little.” He raised his Hero Analysis notebook forwards. “I've made a plan on how to use your Quirk against Kacchan's, if you want it.”

“Oh, isn't that great, Uraraka-kun?” Iida was clearly feeling the tension the most, over-exaggerating his already robotic movements as he offered a thumbs up and a smile.

“Thanks, Deku-kun,” Uraraka turned to face them, pressing her pointer fingers together. “But, it's fine.”

The tall boy was visibly taken aback by the blunt refusal, raising a hand to shift his rectangular glasses as if that would reveal what she really meant. Izuku merely tilted his head, expression wholly amicable as he stared at his friend. Uraraka looked down at the metal table, folding her hands together.

“You're amazing Deku-kun. I keep seeing more and more amazing sides to you.” She pressed her palms against the desk, pushing herself to her feet. “When Iida-kun said he'd challenge you, it actually made me feel a little embarrassed.” She strode by them, heading for the door, pausing just in front of it. “That's why it's fine. Everyone's facing the future and trying their hardest. That means we're all rivals, right? That's why...” Uraraka turned to the side, offering them a trembling thumbs-up with a wobbly, but determined, smile. “Let's meet in the finals!”

Izuku grinned back at her, tucking his notebook under one arm and reaching out to clasp her outstretched hand within both of his, stilling the shaking. “You'll do great, Uraraka-san! I'm sure of it.”

As expected, she did indeed do wonderfully, surprising the viewers with her tenacity and unrelenting attacks, even if she did lose in the end. He went to go and check on her after the match, remembering her reaction last time so easily because sadness should never be present in her expression. She was still putting on a brave face, downplaying how gutted she felt and claiming that it was no big deal.

“Are you... alright?” Izuku asked nervously.

“I'm fine!” She insisted brightly, one hand still clenched in a fist. “Better than expected!”

Her phone buzzed and she brought it to her chest, looking down with a more genuine smile. “I mean, you immediately started looking ahead, Deku-kun, and just because I lost doesn't mean I can lose.”

“That's...” He was cut off from a loud shriek of excitement from Present Mic. “Ah... Uraraka-san... Do you, um... want a hug?”

She stared up at him, surprise flickering across her features. Izuku opened his arms questioningly, and she beamed, leaping up from her seat and pressing herself against his chest. He lightly rested his hands on her back, tracing soothing patterns with his fingers as she trembled faintly, a choked sob muffled in the fabric of his gym uniform. Kirishima was announced as the winner of the tie-breaker, and the sound of the teacher's voice was enough to make the girl jolt away suddenly, meeting Izuku's eyes with a guilty look as she stepped away.

“Oh, sorry, Deku-kun!” She exclaimed, desperation in her tone. “You weren't able to prepare at all since I was here...”

He paused at the door, fingers clasped around the handle as he glanced over his shoulder with a reassuring smile. “No, I'm fine.”

She loosened up a little, tilting her head and raising a hand in a jaunty wave of farewell that displayed the round pads on her fingertips used for her Quirk. “I'll be watching, 'kay? Good luck!”

He nodded his thanks at her, leaving the room and closing the door behind him. Tears sprung to his eyes as he was reminded, yet again, that she was a wonderful person, but he raised an arm to wipe them away.

A large, hulking figure stepped around a corner, right in front of him. He squeaked in surprise, jumping back before recovering himself and smoothing his features into something vaguely neutral, realising that it was Endeavour stood before him in his hero costume, flames wreathing around his torso and casting across his face like a glowing beard. The man looked down with an expression of unimpressed disgust, flaming eyebrows furrowed and a scowl carved into his face.

“Oh, there you are,” he said with blatant distaste.

“Endeavour...” Izuku struggled to keep his tone to one of surprise. “What are you doing here...?”

He stepped forward, fire blazing over his face and torso as he pointed accusingly. “I watched your fight. You have a wonderful Quirk. You created so much wind pressure just by flicking your fingers. If we're talking about power alone, yours is comparable to All Might's.”

The boy tried to fight a smile at the memory of Toshinori's embarrassment, but it was easily countered by remembering what the hero before him had done. “Wh-what are you... What are you trying to say? I must go.”

Oh, how he wanted to roast that man into charcoal, tearing him a new one that he most certainly deserved – but he didn't. He clenched his fists at his sides and strode away, keeping his head lowered as if in submission.

“It is my Shouto's duty to surpass All Might,” Endeavour stated; Izuku stilled, face twisting into something bitter. “His match with you will be a very instructive test bed. Please don't disgrace yourself in it. That was all I wanted to say. I apologise for bothering you right before the match.”

By the footsteps, he presumed the man was walking away. Izuku's shoulders squared as his teeth gritted into an echo of an aggressive smile. He could remember exactly what he said last time, and for once, he had no desire to change a thing.

“I...” He paused for effect, taking a breath before straightening up to give the illusion of confidence. “...am not All Might-san.”

Endeavour stopped, glancing at the boy with a suspicious glare. “That's o-”

“That's obvious, right?” He cut the hero off, finding himself grinning unsettlingly at the opposite wall before he dropped it in favour of a glower, staring over his shoulder. “Todoroki-kun isn't you, either.”

A few more moments of silence passed as the two held eye contact. Izuku turned his head and continued walking, getting a twisted sort of glee from speaking out in such a subtly threatening manner.

It wasn't long before he was standing opposite Todoroki, the victory against his terrible father still burning in his chest and solidifying his resolve to mimic the previous timeline and help out a friend, even at the cost of himself. Izuku readied his hand as his competitor stepped forward. The moment the match started, a rush of spiked ice surged towards him. He waited until the last second before flicking a finger, shattering the attack into glittering shards and sending a tornado of chilled wind through the entire arena. His finger was bruised and ached unpleasantly, looking a pretty picture of inky hues, but it was still movable.

“Todoroki-kun,” he called out beneath Present Mic's announcements. “Let's make this a good fight!”

The boy merely sent another frozen wave across the cement, which Izuku countered once more, followed by a brief pause that was chased by a third cold attack which was once again stopped. He bruised all the fingers on his right hand and Todoroki sent a pathway of ice stretching above, which he was quick to sprint up to attack from above, but another explosive blast of air pressure broke the ice between them. Todoroki dropped down with a clenched fist, ice shooting up from the ground where Izuku stood after he had leapt backwards to dodge, only to get one foot frozen from a successive attack.

He drew back his left arm arm, calling on One for All as he threw a punch forwards, strong enough to both obliterate the ice and fling Todoroki to the other side of the pitch. The sleeve of Izuku's uniform had torn off from the sheer power of the attack, and he glanced at the mottled skin for a moment before staring over at the other boy as he picked himself back up.

“That's a lot more powerful than before,” he said coolly, standing still. “Are you trying to tell me... to stay away...?”

Izuku could see frost clinging to the cold side of his form. The boy let out a huff of breath that twinkled with tiny ice crystals as his body tried to deal with the low temperatures without igniting his hot half.

“Sorry...” He muttered, tilting a head to glance up at the stands with another chilled exhale. “Thanks, Midoriya. That guy's face is clouded over thanks to you.”

“That's great, but...” Izuku easily ignored the faint pain in his limbs, used to far worse. “This isn't the best way to get back at him, you know?”

Todoroki merely blinked languidly. “With your arms like that, you shouldn't be fighting anymore, should you? Let's finish this.”

A wave of powerful, jagged ice darted across the pitch, clearly intended as a final blow. Izuku watched it approach, head lowered to conceal his expression with his messy green curls, only to raise an arm and flick an injured finger to destroy the attempt, much to everyone's surprise. Todoroki barely caught himself at the boundary, standing unsteadily in front of glimmering spikes.

Izuku wiggled his blotchy fingers experimentally before shrugging, a grin tugging at his lips. “I've had much worse.”

“Why...” The boy whispered.

“You're trembling, Todoroki-kun.” He hissed back. “Quirks are physical abilities, too. There's a limit to how much cold your body can take... and isn't that something you can solve by using the heat from your left side? Everyone's fighting with all they've got... you want to win with just half your strength?” Izuku grinned, clenching a hand into a fist despite the broken finger – that was an insignificant injury. “You haven't put a single scratch on me yet, you know! Come at me with everything you've got!”

“Did my damn old man buy you off or something?” Todoroki leaned forwards and broke into a sprint; it was slower than usual as the frost inhibited his movements. “Now I'm angry!”

“You think I'd side with him after everything you told me?!” Izuku snapped right back, staying in place and preparing to counter. “I know you're smarter than that, Todoroki-kun!”

He shoved a fist into his competitor's gut, flinging him across the field. Ice crept over his bruised arm. Since he was trying to avoid revealing his full power, One for All had been focused mainly in his hand, causing his already-bruised fingers to break with a familiar explosion of agony. He bit back a cry of pain, struggling a little with the extra weight of his frozen arm that hung limply at his side. The ice attacks came more slowly, making them easy to avoid even with his injuries, retaliating with more powerful flicks and consequently breaking more fingers. Todoroki would only wholly pay attention and listen if Izuku made a big statement, so he had to go all out, just like last time.

Their fight degraded into exhausted swipes and clumsy dodges, keeping in close contact in the centre of the ring. Neither was backing down despite both of them clearly needing a break.

“When I look at you, as you use your ice, I don't see your mother,” Izuku ground out, sidestepping another hit and swinging an arm to counter.

“Why would you? You don't even know her,” Todoroki hissed back, smoothly ducking and throwing out a frozen wave.

“I do know Endeavour, though.” He blasted the ice away, choking in a breath. “And you're not like him at all. You're so much better.”

There was a brief lull in the attacks as the boy paused, clearly taken aback by the unexpectedly bold statement. He shook his head, shooting another wall of glinting spikes. Izuku shoved a thumb in his cheek and flicked, successfully stopping the impact but wincing as the shock of his own power rattled in his skull.

Todoroki stayed hunched over for a few moments, shoulders heaving as he wheezed. “Why are you going so far?”

“I want to live up to everyone's expectations; to make them proud. I want to be a cool hero... That's why-” He launched himself forwards, headbutting the other boy. “Everyone's giving it their all!”

They both stayed still, standing, slumped over, a few feet from one another. It was impossible to tell whether the crowd was silent or whether Izuku had messed up his hearing at some point, but it didn't matter because all of his intense focus was on the other boy, determined to make him understand once more.

“For you to become number one without giving it your all... to completely reject your father... Right now, I think you should stop screwing around!” Izuku slammed a fist into the other student, simultaneously disintegrating the frost and shattering the ice on his own arm.

Todoroki flew backwards, hitting the concrete roughly. He shifted onto one knee, palm pressed onto the ground as he trembled, head lowered and bi-coloured hair knotted with dust and damp with sweat.

“I will reject...” He forced out, pain lacing his tone. “...my old man's power...”

“I don't give a fuck about Endeavour!” Izuku furiously screamed back at him, face contorted with a frustrated rage, teeth bared in a feral snarl and eyebrows gnarled together in the centre of his forehead. “It's your power, isn't it?!”

Todoroki exhaled heavily, steam rising from his left side as he stared astoundedly at the other boy. His breathing became ragged and rough, bordering on a growl, eyes wide and mouth ajar in shock.

Then... there was an inferno.

Izuku was to dazed to do anything but stand there and grin maniacally, feeling the heat scorch his skin and make his eyes water. The flames whipped around wildly, swirling outwards from the source, blindingly bright and painfully hot. He let out an excited whoop that was drowned out by the roar of the blaze, mad gaze glimmering with firelight as he witnessed the incredible spectacle.

“Even though you want to win... Damn it...” The fire eased up enough to reveal Todoroki once more, the ice melting off his right hand as his left side burned with dancing amber hues, charring half his uniform. “To help your enemy... Which one of us is screwing around now?” His eyes were practically glowing with life. “I want... to be a hero, too..!”

Izuku dipped his head, lowering his stance as a shaky grin pulled at his lips once more, the crease between his eyebrows smoothing into one of determination rather than fury – and it was one that Todoroki mirrored, smiling genuinely for the first time in too long, tears pooling in his left eye and spilling over his scar before evaporating in the searing heat.

It was just as awe-inspiring as the first time, if not more so.

“Why are you smiling?” Todoroki muttered, wiping a hand over his face to subtly rub away any stubborn tears. “With those injuries... in this situation... You're crazy. Don't blame me for what happens next.”

Fire and ice swirled in harmony around the boy. Izuku shifted a foot, charging up One for All in his leg and tearing away the fabric of his uniform with the sheer power. He could see a massive wall of solid ice, and he leapt over it, shooting towards his target as frozen shards rained down. There was a glowing blast, wreathed in thick steam as Todoroki ignited his flames, reaching forward against the air pressure that tore at his hair. Izuku called upon his Quirk, feeling it rush through his arm as he reeled it back for a punch-

The walls Cementoss threw up at the last second stood no chance against such incredible strength. Chunks of concrete sprayed throughout the arena, whipped around by the crushing winds that tore dust from the ground and flung it skyward in a great, grey plume. The mist gradually dissipated, and the crowd was stunned silent.

Izuku had his back against the wall, far out of bounds. Steam whispered from his scorched skin as he slowly slid down, slumping sideways, only to break out of his stupor at the last second and put a foot forward to catch himself. He spluttered out some dust and wheezed in a deep breath, steeling himself against the pain he couldn't quite feel yet and straightening up, pushing back his shoulders and raising his chin in a way that should be associated with victory, not a crushing defeat.

“M-Midoriya is out of bounds...” Midnight announced after a moment, sounding faintly spooked.

Although his legs were burnt and bruised, he started forwards, moving haltingly without dropping his gaze from his classmate. He ignored the calls for him to stay still, swaying his way up the stairs to the destroyed field and only stopping when he was face-to-face with the boy once more. Todoroki looked shell-shocked, staring ahead vacantly and barely reacting when Izuku held out a maimed hand between them.

“That was an amazing match,” he said softly, smile morphing into something gentle and genuine. “You're so cool, Todoroki-kun.”

The boy seemed to only move on instinct, automatically raising his own hand to cautiously clasp them together, keeping them still. His lips quirked up at the edges as he finally regained his composure, nodding his thanks at his friend.

“Good luck in your next match,” Izuku added, the usual spark of tenacity returning to his gaze even if his voice was hoarse and tired. “I'll be cheering you on – but don't tell anyone I said that, they'll think I'm playing favourites.”

Todoroki let out a faint huff of laughter, letting his hand fall back to his side, brushing against loose threads from his ruined gym uniform. “Thank you, Midoriya. I'll... I'll do my best.”

Notes:

I have another Quirk query...
Birds don't have teeth. Tokoyami has a bird head. Tokoyami (probably?) doesn't have teeth. However, he has a human body, which means the food he eats will possibly be a struggle to digest? Unless his body has also adapted internally to function like a bird's??

Also... That means Tokoyami can't brush his teeth. Does... Does that mean he has terrible breath all the time? Does he just... munch on mints 24/7? Oh no. I instantly regret thinking about this-

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Chapter 5: QUIRK TEST: ALL MIGHT

Summary:

Izuku bullies his dad and beats him up, but it's not as bad as it sounds, I swear.

Izuku leaned heavily back against the plush pillows of the hospital bed as his friends were ushered from the room. He exhaled slowly, a smile playing on his lips despite the pain in his cheek.

“I don't regret it,” he said softly, glancing at his mentor who was at his bedside. “And believe it or not, last time was worse.”

“...holy shit,” Toshinori muttered in English, yelping when Recovery Girl smacked him. “You're going to have scars for the rest of your life, my- uh, Young Mid- um, Izuku are you sure it was worth it?”

“Hopefully fewer scars than last time.” He beamed, glancing down at his mummified arms. “A friend needed help: that's not something I'll ever regret.”

“Meddling when you don't need to is the essence of being a hero.” The man shook his head, something like pride flickering across his features.

“You're too much like each other,” Recovery Girl tutted with exasperation. “Go on, out you go, All Might. The boy needs his rest, and he can't get that with you here.”

Toshinori heaved his skeletal form to his feet, offering a wave with one, large hand as he turned to leave. “Take care, my boy- uh...”

Izuku snorted, a pained laugh rattling in his chest. “Bye, dad.”

His response was so worth it. Toshinori's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he instantly turned his face away, coughing into a fist and speed-walking to the door. It closed abruptly behind him, leaving Izuku giggling and Recovery Girl observing with amusement.

“If you keep teasing him like that, I fear he's never going to act normally around you again.” She chuckled a little, eyes crinkled at the corners with mirth. “I've known him since he was young, and yet I've never seen him so flustered.”

“Thank you, it's a gift.” Izuku flashed a smile, an echo of the Pro Hero Deku.

She chortled again, shaking her head fondly. “Honestly...”

*

Izuku couldn't meet Iida's eyes when he got back to the stands. The guilt was eating away at him, but at least he could play it off as exhaustion from Recovery Girl's Quirk. He sat quietly most of the time, staring at the pitch as Iida went up against Todoroki, forcing himself to focus on how well his tall friend dodged, sprinting around the court with steam blasting out from the engine exhausts in his calves as he tried to analyse his competitor's next move. The loss was obvious to Izuku, but he was still impressed by how well they both fought, showing off their battle prowess against one another.

At the end of the match, reality set heavy upon Izuku's shoulders as he realised that Tensei was likely lying in a pool of his own blood in Hosu. He bit down on his tongue, trying to combat the rising flood of guilt and hoping desperately that the extra Pro Heroes All Might contacted would find him sooner than last time, possibly even lessening the extent of Tensei's injuries if he got medical care sooner, and maybe... Maybe he won't be paralysed from the waist down, if things go well.

Iida returned to the stands, and Izuku offered a weak smile, hoping he didn't look as sick as he felt as his friend left again to take the fateful call. Uraraka glanced at the boy, her brow furrowed with concern.

“Are you okay, Deku-kun? You look a bit pale...” She asked worriedly, moving closer and placing her palm on his forehead.

“I-I'm okay,” he reassured, lying through his teeth. “Sorry to worry you.”

Todoroki versus Kacchan played out the same way as last time. Izuku was a little disappointed that he hadn't made enough of a difference to encourage his new friend to use his fire Quirk, even with his shouted support from the stands, but that just meant he had to try harder in the future. Tokoyami and Todoroki stood calmly on their respective podiums, while Kacchan was furiously writhing against his restraints in first place and Iida was already gone, rushing to the hospital to see his brother.

“That's too bad. Iida was really into it,” Tsu commented, finger pressed against her chin.

“Yeah...” Izuku agreed softly, glancing at the ground regretfully.

The award ceremony passed, and 1-A returned to their homeroom. Everyone got up to leave at the end, buzzing with excited chatter about the eventful day and already making plans for their two days off.

“Midoriya, a word,” Aizawa said.

Izuku waved his friends off and closed the classroom door, facing his teacher. “Yes, sensei?”

“I hope what you did in the Sports Festival isn't reflective of your Quirk,” he drawled, slightly muffled through the bandages wrapped around his face.

“It's not. I want the villains to underestimate me so I can take them by surprise when it counts the most,” he assured, clenching his healed hand into a fist.

“Villains?” Aizawa hummed lowly as Izuku squeaked in panic. “I won't ask.”

“Thank you...” The boy breathed, hiding his face in embarrassment over the fact that he'd been so careless and accidentally revealed something.

“I called you here to tell you about an assessment,” he informed, his tired voice giving away nothing. “Since we don't know what you can really do, Nedzu suggested that we put you to the test. You being in this school without pushing your power is unfair on the other students; I don't care about the circumstances. Depending on the results of this examination, we'll formulate some extra lessons outside of school hours to help you train your Quirk in secret. All Might has volunteered to take most of the responsibility for mentoring you, but I'll also assist where necessary.”

“Really? Thank you!” Izuku flashed a wide grin, emerald eyes sparkling with excitement. “When's the exam?”

“Two days,” Aizawa responded, as dull as ever, even in the face of unbridled joy. “Recovery Girl insisted you needed a day to recover from your injuries.”

“Right.” He nodded. “I'll be there, sensei!”

*

Despite the early hour, Izuku was bright-eyed and ready to prove himself. He waved cheerily at All Might and grinned at Aizawa, who looked a little more awake than usual – although that might've been because he probably didn't get to sleep in the fist place. Nedzu and Recovery Girl were also waiting for him, one looking distinctly more concerned than the other.

“Good morning!” Izuku chirped, coming to a stop in front of the gathered audience.

“Good morning, Midoriya-kun!” Nedzu responded brightly, clapping his paws together. “I'm glad you could make it. Before we begin, Recovery Girl would like to check you've healed enough to participate.”

The elderly hero stepped forward, fussing over his arms and turning over his hands for a few minutes before backing up and nodding once. “He could still do with more rest, but... as long as you don't overdo it, you won't injure yourself further.”

“Wonderful!” The principal beamed beneath his short snout. “If you're warmed up, how about we get right into this – Aizawa-kun?”

Aizawa made a grunt of acknowledgement, motioning to the field with one slightly-less-bandaged arm. “I'm sure you remember the fitness test on your first day. This is a retake to work out where we stand.”

Izuku stood on the starting line of the sprint, staring determinedly ahead before hesitating and looking over his shoulder. “You, um... You might want to brace yourselves.”

He dug one foot back into the dirt, waiting for the whistle before blasting forwards in a glitter of green, shooting across the finish line within the blink of an eye. Wind whipped around the area and a good chunk of grass had been kicked up in his sudden acceleration.

“0.14 seconds.” Aizawa muttered, lifting his head and suddenly appearing ten times more interested.

“Incredible!” Nedzu praised excitedly.

The next tests all went similarly, with Izuku getting almost inhuman results that were infinitely better than his first ones. Toshinori was looking more and more awed by the second, pride shamelessly glowing in his blue gaze. When all the data had been collated, they moved on to an area off-campus, deciding to test him in a more abstract manner within an urban environment.

“I'll fight you first, Young M- Izuku,” All Might said with his classic grin, before darting off and finding a good spot within the fake city before his successor entered.

Izuku fired up his Quirk as he walked down the silent street, glancing down every alleyway with paranoia thrumming in his veins. He remembered the few times in the other timeline when he'd gone against his mentor, thinking up effective strategies that wouldn't involve taking advantage of the man's permanent injury on his side, because that would be an awful thing to do. His toes pressed against the concrete as he crouched down, taking a moment to focus his power before launching into the air, giving him the advantage of wide vision and allowing him some time to consider.

Their skills were roughly parallel, which meant that a battle of strength would be tiring and likely end in a draw. All Might had more years of experience, but that didn't mean Izuku was any amateur. The boy had memorised every move and technique of his hero over the years, able to mimic them almost perfectly, meaning he could probably predict every response to any opponent. He also had the bonus of his hidden Shoot Style that no-one would expect, since he was yet to show any ability to fight with his legs.

However, the man had mentioned 'first,' suggesting that the others would possibly fight him afterwards, and he didn't want to spill all his secrets at once...

A rush of air thundered down the main street, tearing up the walls and shattering windows. Izuku dropped onto the closest roof and pressed himself down, peeking over the edge as he worked out where it had come from. He stealthily hopped from building to building, sneaking down the street and easily noticing the bright costume of the hero – his enemy.

All Might stood tall and proud, not giving any indication that he was at all concerned. Of course, the boy knew better, noticing the subtle way his blue eyes skimmed over his surroundings and his stance was steady, ready to retaliate to a hit from any angle. Izuku grabbed a couple of rocks from the roof, waiting for the perfect moment before leaping off the edge towards the other side of the street. While he was directly behind the hero, he flung one of the stones, immediately shooting back onto a rooftop, staying unnoticed. The man turned only slightly as he heard something, cautiously stepping back to avoid the projectile and squinting suspiciously down the street, falling for the ruse of his enemy being somewhere he was not.

“Was that intended as a distraction, my boy? That was clever.” All Might started walking in the direction the rock was thrown from, shoulders tense. “It didn't work though, I'm afraid.”

Izuku flung the other stone high into the air, waiting until it landed before dropping down into the street and landing a hefty punch to the man's spine as he was distracted. It was strong enough to make him stumble forwards, but not falter, and he didn't miss a beat as he whipped around with the intention of returning the hit. The boy was faster than him and had the added advantage of being so small, allowing him to duck under fists and smoothly leap over shoulders, getting in rapid jabs whenever he dared. An unexpected punch to his gut had Izuku reeling back, breathless, but he quickly regained his bearings and sprung off the side of a building like a pinball, much to the man's shock.

“You move just like... Oh. Don't tell me you've trained with Gran Torino?” All Might asked, his voice uncharacteristically small and nervous.

“There wasn't really much training,” he admitted. “It, uh... got interrupted about halfway through.”

“I see.” Relief was palpable in his tone, even as he swung back around with another hit. “Perhaps things will go more smoothly, this time.”

“Perhaps,” Izuku agreed doubtfully, quickly breaking into a smile as he noticed the strain starting to show on his mentor. “Don't give up now, you zygote!”

“Oh my god.” All Might whispered in English, a mere three words enough to betray his immense internal panic at the phrase of his old mentor coming from the mouth of his new student. “My boy, please don't ever do that again...”

Izuku grinned widely, too widely, his eyes alight with mischief as he dropped in front of the hero. “Sorry, dad.”

“Young Izuku, ple-” The man's spluttered words were cut off with a powerful punch to the face, causing his head to jolt to one side and the rest of his body to crumple downwards.

He stayed on the ground, conceding defeat just to hide his red face in the dust, laughing almost hysterically into his hands. Izuku knelt next to him, one hand hovering uncertainly over his mentor's back, muttering up a storm as he panicked over whether he'd accidentally caused some serious harm.

“'m fine, my boy,” All Might assured when he stopped acting like an emu, getting to his feet. “That punch would've easily been powerful enough to take out any villain. Were you a Pro Hero, in your time?”

“Yeah,” he responded, a rueful smile playing on his lips as he reminisced. “I don't know how things work with time travel, but... I really hope they don't miss me. I know Oc- a good friend will feel guilty because, as far as she knows, she couldn't save me. And my mum... oh, I really, really hope things are okay...”

The man hesitated before wrapping a large arm around Izuku's shoulders, squeezing him in a side-hug. “I'm sure they'll all be fine, my boy. I know it's difficult when you can't save everyone, so... try your best to help out as much as you can in this timeline, just like you've been doing. You've already helped me keep more time on my transformation, you've stopped Aizawa-kun from getting permanent damage to his Quirk, and you've given Ingenium a better chance to recover – you're doing great things, Young Izuku, and I know you're going to continue achieving incredible feats, because you're an amazing hero.”

Izuku blinked up at his mentor with big eyes, then promptly burst into tears.

Notes:

Okay okay Quirk Query time-

If Aizawa erases Yaoyorozu's Quirk while she's in the middle of creating something, what happens? Does the half-formed item just fall out of her body? Does it just disintegrate? Does it get absorbed back into her skin?? Does it get stuck in her body until her Quirk is returned???

(i've come to the realisation that i'd be like midoriya and have notebooks full of analysis on Quirks if i was in the BNHA universe, oh no i'm a massive nerd-)

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Chapter 6: QUIRK TEST: NEDZU & AIZAWA

Summary:

Izuku abuses an animal, beats up an injured man, and concerns Aizawa with his suppressed trauma - but seriously, it's better than it sounds.

“You did well against All Might - using your words to get into his head and distract him was very cunning!” Nedzu praised the boy, beady black eyes glinting. “If you don't mind – and, of course, Recovery Girl willing – I'd like to go against you next, Midoriya.”

“The fight stops the moment you're injured,” she warned.

Izuku nodded, following the principal back into the battlegrounds. He knew Nedzu's Quirk relied on probabilities, and he remembered watching the final exams in his first year, where Kaminari and Ashido had been paired up with the ferocious, furry creature and stood no chance against his impressive intelligence with their close-range electric and acid Quirks. It was likely that the principal didn't pack much of a punch, due to being so small with no visible muscle mass, so he was probably going to cause some mischief another way and try to indirectly take down the student.

Izuku paced down the street, ears alert for any signs of collapsing walls or things out of the ordinary. All he had to do was find the ambiguous animal, and he would win – but finding him was most of the struggle. There was a rumble, and his stomach dropped with dread. Slowly, hesitantly, he turned around, staring down the road as the concrete vibrated under his feet.

And, oh, of course Nedzu had somehow discovered a literal bulldozer that most definitely wasn't in the city before.

It was ploughing down the road at a frankly alarming speed, tracks cracking concrete and kicking up dust in its wake. The principal sat in the too-big seat, sipping from a cup of tea as he calmly drove towards the boy, who could only stare in wide-eyed shock as it approached. Metal railings whined and warped as the blade pushed against them, inevitably being broken and crushed, guided along the ground with a horrible screech. Debris from the previous fight had also been collected, leading to a disconcertingly large pile of stones being shoved closer, gaining in height and gradually looking like it was about to topple over at any second.

Izuku finally gave into his instincts, leaping up at the last second and landing behind the vehicle, only to spot a multi-shank ripper attached to the back of the bulldozer. Nedzu was already backing up, and the dangerous tool almost nudged against the boy's ankles as he hopped backwards before shooting to the side, wall-jumping his way to a roof to collect his thoughts as they started to form a vague plan. The building shook as the bulldozer careened into it, collapsing part of the lower wall before reversing, only to come in for a second blow.

Realistically, if he was just thinking about himself, then all he needed to do was bounce around the city until the vehicle ran out of fuel and he could incapacitate the enemy. However, he wanted to keep property destruction to a minimum, and if it was a real scenario then he needed to be wary of civilians in the area, not to mention it would be best to take down the villain as quickly as possible to give people peace of mind.

Another slam rattled the city, and Izuku gripped onto the edge of the roof for support until the tremors passed. It clearly wasn't an average bulldozer if the speed and manoeuvrability were anything to go by, and he was willing to bet that the front blade would raise up to protect the cabin the moment Izuku showed signs of attacking, regardless of the angle he came from. Although his punches were strong, he would likely break a fist if he tried to hit the vehicle, and it was too sturdy to be knocked over.

He'd shown that he was smart enough to create a distraction when fighting All Might. He'd also revealed a lot of his power and ability. Anyone would've been able to analyse his fighting style and predict what his next logical move was going to be, but with a Quirk that heightened that presumption into almost certainty? That would be difficult to tackle.

So, really, when faced with the probabilities, the only logical thing to do was to be illogical.

The building leaned forwards, finally crumpling under the damage. Izuku let out a yelp, playing up his fear as he tumbled down with it, seeming to regain himself enough to dart out the way at the last second and stand in the middle of the street, leaning crookedly and holding a hand to his dipped head as if he was injured in the fall. He wrinkled his nose in a wince and gritted his teeth, firing up his Quirk with wild eyes and facing the bulldozer head on, fists glowing and hair fluttering in the fluctuating air currents caused by his power.

Izuku waited for a few moments, forcing his expression to appear increasingly desperate, before rushing forwards, feeling the thrum of machinery rattle in his ribcage. The blade started to raise the moment he bent his knees, acting as if he was about to leap towards the cabin, but at the last second he let his eyes flutter shut. His body crumpled over the pile of debris, his Quirk dissipating in a fizz of green sparks. He rolled down the side of the rubble closest to the machine, peeking through his lashes and feeling his heart beat in his ears as the massive tracks rolled closer, unable to stop in time.

The wheeze of machinery indicated the blade lowering back down, and he put his plan into action, powering up One for All to tear apart some of his gym uniform and simultaneously kick off a red shoe as he clung to the bars between the treads of the vehicle, completely concealed. Izuku watched as shreds of blue fabric fluttered down, getting crushed under the bulldozer and hopefully being enough to briefly panic Nedzu before realisation kicked in, which would be the boy's window of opportunity. His ride finally slowed to a stop, shutting down and leaving an overwhelming silence in the absence of the loud engine. A faint click sounded, followed by a patter of frantic, small footsteps.

“...Midoriya-kun?” Nedzu called, worry in his usually serene tone as he moved to check the front of the vehicle. “M... Midoriya-kun?”

He padded around to the back of the bulldozer, choking in a sharp inhale as he noticed the items of clothing, crushed, dirtied, and scattered on the ground. Izuku felt a stab of guilt, but wasn't about to give up his one opportunity that he'd worked hard for. The boy let go of the bars, swinging himself up onto one of the tracks, igniting his Quirk in a triumphant flash and leaping forwards.

Nedzu glanced over his shoulder, but couldn't react in time before he was pressed, face-down, on the concrete. Izuku raised a threatening fist, breathing heavily and grinning.

“I concede defeat,” the principal whispered shakily, getting to his feet and brushing off his suit when he was let up. “That was... ingenious, Midoriya-kun. Very cruel, but I can't deny the effectiveness. Once again, you've proved your wits to me. I'm quite impressed.”

Izuku found himself bowing briefly, rubbing at the back of his neck when he straightened back up. “A-ah, sorry about that. I couldn't think of a better way to beat you, so I just...”

“No, no, I understand! It was grim and brilliant of you, thinking of a specific way to draw me out. However, I must say it was a rather reckless move that you definitely shouldn't attempt in a real battle,” Nedzu admonished, tilting his head and scratching at the scar over his right eye. “Well, we'd better be heading back – I'd imagine Aizawa-kun is impatient for your fight.”

They made their way back to the viewing room in a thoughtful sort of silence. The moment Izuku entered, All Might stepped over and lightly smacked his skinny hands down on the top of the boy's head and under his chin, causing his teeth to clack together unpleasantly. Izuku stuck out his painful tongue, rubbing at his hair and squinting up at his mentor with something akin to betrayal in his gaze.

“That was for making us think you'd been crushed,” he grumbled, turning around sulkily, leaning over the desk.

“Sorry, Toshi-san,” the boy muttered, sounding distinctly less apologetic and a little more bitter than previously.

Aizawa raised his eyebrows, glancing between them. “You're on a first-name basis?”

“Todoroki-kun thinks I'm All Might-san's illegitimate son and Toshi-san is embarrassed about it,” Izuku said cheekily, as if that explained everything, standing confidently in a way that gave them a glimpse of the Pro Hero he had been and would be in the future.

“Interesting.” The teacher's lips twitched in the ghost of a smile.

Toshinori had his forehead on the desk, his bony arms caged around his head as if to block out the embarrassment. “You're grounded, Izuku.”

“Oh no,” The student whispered like it was a real threat. “All Might-san...”

“Face the consequences of your actions, my boy.” He tilted his head, his face framed with a bent elbow, blue eyes bright and teeth glinting in a smile sharp with vengeance.

“Midoriya, time is ticking,” Aizawa called from the doorway, unravelling the bandages from his arms and pulling the patch off his cheekbone, unveiling a familiar scar that wasn't quite as prominent as in the other timeline.

“Right! S-sorry, sensei!”

Even if the grounds were partially collapsed along the main road, they returned once more. It was good practice for a different sort of terrain, anyway. At some point, the bulldozer had been removed, although the miniature mountain of mess remained. Izuku blinked at it for a moment before reaching down and grabbing a crooked section of metal fencing that had been broken off in the previous fight, feeling like it could be useful but not entirely sure what for. He turned to the nearest building that wasn't in danger of crumbling and snuck inside, pressing himself into a dusty corner with his gaze on the door.

Aizawa was strong, but not strong enough to break down walls. If he wanted to fight the boy, he'd have no chance of a surprise attack, which would be impractical. Of course, Izuku couldn't hide inside forever, but he only needed a brief interlude to gather his thoughts.

He'd seen the way the man fought many times and knew exactly how his Quirk worked. Aizawa primarily relied on stealth, sticking to rooftops and excelling in initiating unexpected combat which meant he usually won, since most villains had a tendency to focus on their Quirks, rather than physical skills. Izuku was no stranger to sneaking, but there was no denying that he was better at fighting than hiding.

The student glanced down at the twisted metal in his grasp, frowning thoughtfully. Aizawa was also proficient with his capture gear, but that couldn't be used very intricately. If Izuku held the fence in front of him and got wrapped up, there would be a little extra space for him to move that could be exploited. Or he could throw it as a distraction and possibly cause his enemy to flinch enough to blink, giving another chance to win. Or maybe... He got to his feet, a plan solidified in his mind as he darted back out onto the street, sticking to the shadows and keeping One for All surging throughout his form so he'd anticipate an attempted attack.

His breaths were slow and shallow as he padded along, scanning the skies for any sign of his teacher. There was a rush of air as his Quirk sputtered out, significantly slowing his dodge but not hindering him enough to get caught. He whipped around, hopping onto the wall and digging his fingers into a small crack before leaping up higher, narrowly avoiding the strips of solid fabric as they swung for him. Aizawa jumped up onto the roof, causing Izuku to take a cautious step back, raising the fence like a shield as he surveyed his enemy's defence.

“It's good to see you're not useless without your Quirk,” the man commented drily, snatching a handful of capture gear and letting the rest swirl around his head.

“You learn a lot when you're Quirkless for fourteen years,” he quipped with a sardonic smile that rapidly shifted into something more playful. “Plus, you were pretty insistent on training our class without allowing us to use our Quirks to make sure we were prepared for any situation. Honestly, sensei, if I didn't know any better I'd say you actually like us.”

“I don't want any of you to die,” he deadpanned, black hair suddenly falling back to his shoulders as he blinked.

Izuku rushed forwards, raising a fist as if to punch, only to feint at the last second and spin, doing some fancy footwork to build up momentum before raising a powered up leg and slamming a heel down on the back of his teacher's neck, right on his vertebrate. He twisted out of the way before his limb could be wrapped up, dropping down as he felt his Quirk fade once more but being swift to roll to one side and immediately hop back to his feet.

“And you don't just punch, either. You're full of surprises,” Aizawa stated dully, but the boy could hear that faint shift in his tone that indicated actual pride.

“Thanks, sensei. It came about after I shattered all the bones in my arms too many times and permanently injured my hands.” He grinned, a bright sparkle in comparison to his dark words.

“...what the hell did you even go through, kid?” The teacher sighed, launching forwards and sending ribbons shooting ahead.

Izuku's expression morphed into one of barely-concealed suffering as he flipped to the side. “...a lot.”

He adjusted his foot, lowering his stance to stoop under a swipe and retaliate with another kick, hitting the side of Aizawa's knees and causing him to stumble with a hiss of pain. Even without his Quirk his attacks were brutal and swift, moving like a river and flowing from one fighting style to the next, shifting from defensive to offensive in a split-second and barely pausing for breath. He was a formidable machine when he put his mind to something: truly, a force to be reckoned with.

Aizawa started backing up, realising he couldn't win in close quarters. In a moment of foolish overconfidence, Izuku let his guard down, and in a second his arm was seized, restricted within a reel of capture gear. The teacher tugged, trying to knock his student off balance and break his defence, but the kid wouldn't budge, muscles flexing and teeth grinding together as he pressed his shoes against the ground. He slid forward an inch, hastily sliding the fence over his shoulder like a bag strap in order to free up his other hand and press it against his straining forearm, hoping to regain the upper hand.

Another twist of grey fabric shot out with the intention of immobilising him entirely. Aizawa blinked, and in an instant Izuku had broken free, kicking off the ground and grabbing the fence, threading it through the capture gear as he arced upside-down before slamming the metal spikes into the concrete, pinning down his teacher's weapon and immediately appearing behind him to land another solid kick to his back. The man overbalanced, encumbered by the tight link, stumbling a few steps forwards with flailing arms before steadying and rapidly shedding his capture gear, raising his fists for a fight.

“Smart,” Aizawa muttered with a heavy breath, taking slow steps around to mimic the boy and try to gauge his next move.

Izuku could see many weaknesses, but the majority of them were the man's mostly-healed injuries, and even if he did have the inclination to hurt his teacher, Recovery Girl would have his head. He paced cautiously, keeping a smile locked in place despite the ache in his freckled cheeks, scanning both his opponent and his surroundings for an inkling of inspiration. An idea struck him across the face and the moment Aizawa blinked, he was off, tearing the fence from the ground and flinging it at the man before scooping up the reels of stiff fabric and shoving them over his head, recalling the lessons he'd been given on how to use it and internally thanking his alternate self for asking the man to teach him.

When Aizawa raised his arms to block and moved to dodge the fence, Izuku sent forward a wall of dangerous ribbons, successfully restraining the teacher who struggled for a moment before resigning himself to his fate.

“You win,” the man said, a smile pulling at his lips that he didn't bother to hide. “Nice job, Problem Child.”

Notes:

Quirk Query-
So Satou gets dumber the more sweets he eats and the more muscle mass he gains. Is there a point of no return, where he becomes braindead? Does he have to consciously activate his Quirk? He must, right? Otherwise he'd just be randomly beefing up whenever he ate something...
Wait. Wait a second. H... How did he discover his Quirk?
Did he... Oh my god. Imagine a tiny child eating a bunch of sweets and then becoming a muscular menace. His poor parents.

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Chapter 7: HALLOWEEN SPECIAL: CHOKE

Summary:

A bonus chapter for Halloween! Ochako finds herself in a spooky situation...

Ochako tried to stop trembling, but to no avail. She crouched down with her back against the cold, stone wall, peeking around the corner and trying to see through the shadows that filled the building like tar. A single light flickered in the ceiling, fading in and out of existence in almost perfect synchronicity with her pounding heart that beat against the inside of her ribcage like a trapped animal. Adrenaline coursed through her system, shortening her breaths into nervous pants that she tried to muffle with a hand for fear of being heard. Every warm exhale fogged up the visor of her helmet in the unnatural chill of the building, forcing her to take it off in order to have a clear view of her surroundings.

It felt as if she was being hunted, and her paranoia was through the roof, twisting at her insides and crushing her heart in an icy fist. She fought against the anxiety and pushed herself back to her feet, taking a single step before wincing and staring down at her boots as the unnecessary high-heels clacked loudly against the solid floor. Ochako pressed her shoulder against the wall, lifting one leg and tugging a pink boot off before shifting to the other and then placing both shoes on the ground, shivering at the sudden rush of cold air that hit her shins. Her feet were clad in thick socks with extra padding on the toes and heel, successfully silencing every footstep as she continued to sneak along.

The costume didn't matter: her priority was to escape without being caught. She tucked her chestnut hair behind her ears to keep it from her nervous eyes, the usual flush of her cheeks fading to a fearful pallor as she moved quietly through the building, getting only hints of sound from the others inside. Another empty corridor should've been reassuring, but her mind kept insisting that she could see figures in the darkness, and she couldn't help but wish Deku was there to chase away her fears with his powerful, reassuring presence, but-

But, he wasn't. She couldn't rely on him. She was on her own in this nightmare, with only her frantic thoughts and blind panic to accompany her.

There were no memorised blueprints of the layout to help her navigate through. The path branched off in two directions, with the right passage being narrower but brighter, and the left one wider and dark enough to look like a portal into the void. Ochako heaved in an unsteady breath, trying to keep her cool as she followed her intuition and turned right, feeling a little more at ease when she could at least clearly see where she was heading under the unsettling red lights.

Faint sounds grew louder, and she stuck close to the wall, continuing on at a steady pace despite her overwhelming desire to turn tail and sprint away. The righteous timbre of Iida's voice reached her ears, and she instinctively relaxed, thankful to have found her friend and hoping to meet up with him so they could escape together. Her shoulders tensed back up and her breath caught in her throat as she heard a higher voice, an unsettling tremble to his tone that was comforting before, but terrifying now. She hesitated for a moment longer before continuing to creep closer, following her hero's spirit that urged her to save her friend from D- from the villain.

They were visible now, as she turned another corner. Her fingers clasped delicately around the rotting wood of the doorframe, and she dared a peek into the room after a moment of cautious listening. Iida was kneeling on the cold, stone floor, his white armour glinting in the eerie half-light and his helmet tossed to one side, revealing his expression of utmost distress. His navy blue hair was messy and awry, curling over his forehead and dipping behind the lenses of his cracked glasses. He sat in the shadow of the villain who loomed above him, edges sharp where they should've been soft and his relaxed form emanating a contradictorily chilling aura that caused Ochako's anxiety to spike once more, because that was so, so wrong.

But she couldn't stop - not when she was so close. She needed to save her friend before it was too late.

The girl peeled herself away from the wall, overly conscious of the way her own shadow cast across the room, and consequently doing her best to keep low so as not to alert the villain while his back was turned. She moved silently, barely daring to breathe. Iida's eyes flickered briefly to her before locking back onto the villain, setting his square jaw and starting a conversation that was a little louder than usual in order to help cover for his teammate. A low chuckle rumbled dangerously in the enemy's chest like distant thunder, promising a deadly storm that hung heavy on the horizon, and the voice that followed was an uncharacteristic drawl, words layered with a childish squeak that seemed to only enhance the horror of the situation.

He was within reach. Ochako slowly stretched out an arm, extending her fingers towards the back muscles visible against the dark green costume, ready to activate her Quirk and give them the advantage. Her fingertips brushed the fabric, and a feeling of triumph surged in her chest as she allowed herself to smile, and-

The villain whipped around, gloved hands snapping around her wrists. She could only stare with wide, terrified eyes, frozen under the murky gaze that used to promise laughter, but now only glittered with malice. He boyishly tilted his head to one side, causing his green curls to bounce innocently around his fair face, tickling fawny freckles that dusted across his skin like constellations, far too beautiful for the knife-blade smile cutting across his features.

“Oh, that was a nice try, Uraraka-san,” he chirped, fingers clamping down harder as he let out another icy giggle. “Unfortunately, it wasn't enough.”

“Deku-kun,” she whispered, tone bordering on a fearful whine as she flexed her hands. “You're hurting me...”

His green gaze crinkled with sinister mirth as he made a big show of loosening his grip, teeth glinting like exposed bone in a deep wound. “I'm so sorry. Perhaps you'd like a blanket as well, your highness?”

Ochako leaned back as far as she could, shuddering breaths forming misty pools in front of her face. She was trembling again, and she couldn't help glancing around the small room, desperately searching for something, anything, that could help her escape his cruel clutches, refusing to accept the loss. Her eyes locked with Iida's for a moment, and she blinked in surprise, because the villain hadn't tied her teammate up, which meant...

She dug her incisors into her bottom lip, clenching her hands into fists and using all her strength to tug the enemy towards her with a loud yell of exertion. He might've only stumbled a few paces, but it was enough of a distraction for Iida to jump to his feet, twisting on one foot and flaring up the engines on his calves to slam a leg into the villain's ribs. Deku – he wasn't Deku, he was Midoriya, he was a bad guy - relinquished his grip as he tumbled aside, a huff of air forced from his lungs and spilling from his lips like smoke.

Iida's large hand on Ochako's shoulder jolted her into action, the two of them twisting in tandem and sprinting from the room like the hounds of hell were on their heels. Footsteps pounded against the ground, and her soles were starting to hurt, but she kept going because she wasn't about to let their opportunity go to waste. He was clearly running more slowly so he didn't leave her behind, his faced pinched with concern as he watched her stumble and hiss in pain once more.

Ghostly laughter echoed through the halls, breathy and manic, soft and chilling. It ricocheted off walls and warped reality, tearing through her mind and dropping the temperature of the building drastically. The villain was giggling intensely, his voice duplicated and multiplied down the labyrinthine corridors, dancing in the shadows the young heroes dashed through and lurking around every turn, threatening to pounce like a puma.

Time held no meaning in the darkness they traversed. All Ochako knew was her rasping breaths that shuddered in her chest and the burning in her legs as the routes stretched onwards, winding and branching so frequently it felt as if every room was taunting her. Neither she nor Iida knew where they were headed, and the best they could do was exchange a glance at each intersection and choose a path to shoot down, hoping for the best. Some ceilings had lights, varying in colour and efficiency, while other halls were bathed in inky hues, forcing them to slow their pace for fear of crashing into something.

Her heart leapt into her throat as she saw a promising doorway, beaming with sunlight that may as well have been the glow of heaven, promising their solace. She pushed past her limits, her relief lending itself to renewed vigour that her friend seemed to share as they both bolted towards the exit.

A black silhouette lazily stepped into view, reaching up to run a gloved hand through unruly curls before casually leaning against the doorframe with crossed arms. Iida and Ochako barely managed to skid to a halt in time, automatically backing up a few steps as the tension rose to a suffocating level.

They were in his domain, and he wasn't done with them yet.

“That was a valiant effort, but did you really think I'd let you go that easily?” His tone was as smooth and sweet as caramel, yet the words dripped off his tongue like a death sentence.

“We're not losing this, Midoriya-kun. Surrender now, or we'll be forced to fight you,” Iida warned, posture perfectly straight and his face entirely stony, but his trembling voice betrayed his fear.

“Surrender?” He laughed again, tilting his head back towards the ceiling, letting a shaft of sunlight cut across his features and ignite the emerald hues of one eye with an ethereal glow. “I thought you were smarter than that, Iida-kun... Let's hope you're better at fighting!”

His gaze was toxic and his movements were swift and predatory. He rushed them before they could react, muscles rippling under his costume as elegantly as a tiger's. The villain reached out a hand, gracefully sidestepping an attempted kick from Iida and grabbing Ochako in the same motion, pushing her into the line of fire and causing two teammates to clash unintentionally.

She doubled over in pain as her friend's foot shoved into her gut, but he was quick to draw back and help her up, expression torn with guilt even as she waved him off. Midoriya was outlined in a golden glow that juxtaposed his sinister smile, his hair illuminated around the edges like a halo he no longer deserved to possess. Iida initiated another round of combat, jolting forwards at an impressive speed, ready to bring a knee up into the enemy's gut since the boy looked wholly unprepared for such a swift attack.

Impossibly, the villain moved aside at the last second, angling his hips so the hit merely brushed past his abdomen. He grinned wider, his teeth pressed together and his lips pulled back in something that was almost feral, and in less than a second he'd grabbed the young hero's armoured leg and flung him into the wall. Iida choked out a pained noise as his shoulder awkwardly collided with the concrete before he slumped to the ground, eyes squeezed shut for a moment as he pressed his other hand to his head

Ochako stepped in before any more damage could be done, summoning up everything she could remember about close-quarters fighting from the few spars they'd done so far in class. She threw forward a punch, but even she could see how weak and inexperienced she was, and a condescending smirk was the last thing she saw before her vision was replaced with the grimy ceiling. Agony thrummed through her back and hot pain spilled over her skull, bringing involuntary tears to her brown eyes as she forced her body to move. The worst part about it all was the fact that the villain wasn't even trying to knock them out: he was just staring down at them with that unfairly innocent smile.

She pressed her palms into the cold ground, twisting her torso and swinging around a leg with the intention of catching him off-guard and tripping him up, but the infuriating boy just brought his heel down on her ankle, cracking her joint against the concrete and locking her extended leg in an awkward position. He wasn't even using his Quirk and it seemed as if he was infinitely better than both of them combined, like he had decades more experience in fighting despite being the same age.

Iida kicked off the wall, fuelled by desperation to ignite his Recipro Burst, flashing forwards with electric blue streaming from his calves as he shifted his stance and successfully landed a kick to the villain's knees, causing him to falter enough to plant a foot firmly into his stomach and send the boy careening down the corridor. Ochako pulled herself back up, wincing whenever she put weight on her right leg, and her friend wrapped his arm around her torso to hurry them both towards the exit before his engines stalled.

The shrill chuckling started up again, sounding entirely unfazed by being flung ten feet into a solid wall. She couldn't help the shiver that trickled down her spine, and she resisted the urge to look over her shoulder to check on the source of her fears, because the doorway was right there, and they just had to take a few more steps before they were free of the torment and-

A tug on her bad ankle caused her to collapse with a yelp. Iida almost crumpled with her but held strong, his fingers digging firmly into her waist as he tried to hoist her back up, but the pain lancing through her leg wouldn't let her put any weight on it without folding. Black smoke spluttered from the exhaust pipes in his calves, and he dropped to one knee, head dipped and teeth gritted regretfully. Both of them simultaneously realised that they were done for as the villain calmly stepped over their interlocked arms, a taunting hum swirling through the air like a fateful lullaby, all light and lilting, clashing with the triumphant, discordant giggles that spilled from his mouth between enchanting notes.

He paused a couple of paces in front of them, just a few inches out of reach. His weight shifted to one leg and he placed a hand on his jutted hip, continuing to stare outside. The enemy finally fell silent, and that should've been a relief, but the absolute quiet that followed in the absence of song made Ochako's gut twist with sickening anxiety.

Midoriya slid a foot back and half-turned to peer down at them over a shoulder, a smug smirk quirking one corner of his lips up as his eyes glittered ominously. He leisurely lowered himself into a crouch, tilting his head in a way that was reminiscent of a cat that had finally cornered its prey, and he bared his teeth in a wild smile. Ochako's heart stuttered in her chest and she pressed herself tighter against her friend for comfort, getting the suffocating feeling that she was staring down Death who wore the face of her classmate as a cruel disguise.

“Nice try,” he said softly, tauntingly, mercilessly, before reaching out and wrapping something around her constricted throat, and-

“Villain wins. Come back to the viewing room for feedback if you can walk,” Aizawa's voice commanded through the speakers, shattering the illusion, and she could breathe again.

Their Deku melted back into his gentle self, carefully pulling the capture tape off them and already fussing guiltily over their injuries. “S-sorry, I think I went a b-bit overboard... You're not too hurt, are you?”

“That...” Iida cleared his throat when his voice faded uncertainly. “That was incredible acting, Midoriya-kun. You really played the part well!”

“Yeah,” Ochako agreed after a beat of nervous silence. “You were really scary! I almost forgot you weren't a real villain...”

“I got a little too into it,” he admitted sheepishly as he rubbed at his face. “Uraraka-san, could you use your Quirk on Iida-kun?”

*

The little group was bombarded with chatter the moment they entered the room. Everyone was exclaiming how terrifying Deku had seemed, and that they had been scared just to watch him. Recovery Girl was already there, steering the trio aside and checking over their injuries and patching them up where necessary before kissing Ochako on her forehead to heal her ankle. A wave of sleepiness crashed over her and she found herself slumping against Deku's side, letting the last of her fear rush away under the warm weight of his arm across her shoulders and the nervous giggle he breathed out at the sudden close contact.

“Who did best in that exercise?” Aizawa asked dully, glancing across his students before nodding at one.

Yao-Momo stepped forward, daintily coughing before beginning her analysis, “Iida-san didn't do very well because got himself cornered immediately, since he didn't follow the 'stealth' part of the exercise. Uraraka-san did quite well in adapting and sneaking around, however her fighting wasn't very good. The two of them made a good team, but they didn't have the skills to pull it off. This means that Midoriya-san was the best out of the three of them, since he played the part of villain admirably and managed to use the heroes' attacks against them to win the fight.”

“Correct,” the teacher confirmed, turning his tired gaze to where the trio sat on a bench against the wall. “Iida, you inadvertently gave away your ally's position when you looked away from Midoriya, but you were quite efficient with all of your attacks. Uraraka, you need to work on your fighting skills, but you do have good instincts. Midoriya...” He paused, heaving a heavy sigh. “I don't think I want to know why you're so good at pretending to be a villain. You were very good at fighting and navigating the halls by memory, but you need to be able to use your Quirk to gain an advantage against real enemies who are more experienced than you. Next up, Todoroki versus Kirishima and Ashido...”

Notes:

So on Sunday I realised that Halloween falls on a Wednesday (aka a chapter-post day) and then I was hit with the urge to write a sort-of spooky-ish chapter. I hastily threw this together, and there's probably a few mistakes I missed in my quick editing? Point them out if you notice them, thank you (':

As for the chapter itself - oh man, I love writing scenes that seem dire but in reality it's just an average day over-dramatised to trick the reader. It probably takes place sometime before the Sports Festival? Maybe? Idk. And since I literally just wrote this over the past couple of days, and I can't be bothered to edit in acknowledgements to it in later chapters, as far as the story is concerned it basically never happened.

But yeah, uhhh... happy Halloween, and I hope you enjoyed this cheeky chapter!! :D

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Chapter 8: INTERNSHIP

Summary:

Izuku worries about his friend, scares an old man, and saves a cat on a patrol, like a true hero.

The rain poured down heavily, splashing off the pavement and flicking onto Izuku's trousers with every step. He trudged up the hill towards school, fingers clasped around the curved handle of a black umbrella, mostly sheltered from the rain.

“Good morning, Midoriya-kun!” Iida called, sprinting towards him with all the energy in the world, wearing a pea-green poncho with the hood cinched tightly around his angular face. “Why are you walking so slowly? You're going to be late!”

Izuku picked up the pace, jogging after him and only slowing when they entered the school. That twist of guilt returned with a vengeance in his gut, even if All Might himself had mentioned that Tensei had a chance of recovering - he'd still been attacked, and that was awful. Iida was quick to place his rainboots into his locker, unzipping his coat.

“Iida-kun, um...”

“If it's about my brother, there is no need to worry.” His tone was a little sharper than usual, tersely polite, and his expression was carefully neutral as he glanced over his shoulder, pulling the hood from his head. “I apologise for worrying you needlessly.”

Izuku swallowed, then nodded uncertainly. The taller boy hurried off to homeroom without another word.

Everyone was relieved to see Aizawa without bandages when he entered the classroom, brushing a thumb absent-mindedly over the new scar before informing the students that they would be picking their hero names. Izuku wasn't surprised that he had no internship offers, since all he had shown was a terrifyingly self-destructive fighting style; he just hoped that Gran Torino would choose to extend an invitation a little late, just like last time. Midnight dramatically sauntered into the classroom, hands behind her head and her hips swaying a little more than necessary. The class happily presented all their hero names, although Izuku felt a little bizarre since he already was Deku, technically.

“Actually, I've already decided!” Uraraka announced her internship choice to the little group gathered around the boy's desk. “Battle Hero: Gunhead's agency!”

“Gunhead-san... Oh, that's a really good idea, Uraraka-san!” Izuku praised, giving a bright smile. “Even if you want to be a hero like Thirteen-san, having extra fighting experience is always helpful!”

“Exactly!” She pointed at him, hopping a couple of times excitedly, causing her pleated skirt to sway around her thighs. “Fighting Bakugou-kun at the Sports Festival made me think – the stronger I get the more possibilities I'll have! If I only do what I want, I'll have a narrower perspective!”

The boy glanced across the classroom, watching as Iida placed down his paper and wrote something on it. His glasses had turned opaque under the lights, but his eyebrows were drawn together and his jaw was set tensely. Even though he knew it would happen, Izuku still felt a cold wave of dread crash over his head, knowing what such a seemingly insignificant decision would lead to. He clenched a hand into a fist on his desk, digging his fingernails into his palm and resolving to help his friend once more.

Late afternoon arrived, and Izuku opened the door to the classroom, intending to walk home with Uraraka after Iida had vanished. All Might skidded down the corridor, coming to a screeching halt in the doorway, doubled over with his fists pressed against his chest and his blue tie fluttering wildly. The girl squeaked in surprise at the man's sudden appearance, staring with wide eyes.

Izuku merely blinked, surveying his mentor and noticing the shaking, coming to a conclusion that brought a faint smirk to his face. “Gran Torino-san?”

A brief look of shock crossed the hero's face before he nodded sheepishly, looking away. “Gran Torino.”

The boy patted his muscular shoulder comfortingly, waving goodbye to his friend and heading down the corridor.

*

“Make sure you mind your manners with the heroes at your internships,” Aizawa stated with his thousand-yard stare going strong. “Off with you, now. Except Midoriya.”

Izuku's classmates stared at him for a moment before going on their way, heading towards the trains they needed to catch. He glanced at his teacher before holding up a finger and bolting after Iida, Uraraka easily falling into step by his side. The class rep stopped, posture pristine.

“If you ever feel hopeless, make sure you let us know,” Izuku said softly, eyebrows drawn together with concern. “We'll be there whenever you need us – that's a promise, okay? Because friends always support one another.”

Iida's shoulders briefly tensed before he turned around, face set in a scary imitation of a reassuring smile. “Yeah.” Without another word, he shifted back towards his train, walking off in silence.

Uraraka and the boy exchanged worried looks before parting ways. He rushed back to his teacher, who raised an impatient eyebrow. The man reached into the piled loops of capture gear over his shoulders, rummaging for a moment before pulling out a sealed envelope and handing it to his student, who took it with a perplexed blink before tearing it open. He skim-read through the contents of the letter, his eyes growing wider by the second. A small rectangle sat in the bottom of the envelope, and he carefully picked it up, handling it like it was a precious artefact.

“A temporary provisional hero license?!” Izuku choked out, his voice high with mingled disbelief and excitement. “Wh-what... I don't...”

“The footage from your fights the other day was reviewed by the board, and while you also needed to show prowess with rescuing, All Might put in a good word, and I mentioned how sufficiently you responded during the USJ incident.” Aizawa didn't even react as the boy's eyes welled up with tears at the news. “However, since you're technically underage, it will come with some restrictions. Don't seek out any fights, don't kill anyone, and only pick fights if you're defending someone. Also, don't go flaunting it around, because I'd imagine there would be some severe backlash.”

“You vouched for me?” Izuku whispered, still crying uncontrollably.

Aizawa lightly tugged on the boy's scrunched tie, keeping a passive expression on his face. “You have this license so you can occasionally help myself and All Might out with hero work as a way to continue improving your Quirk while supporting the community. We won't involve you in severe fights, because having you die on our watch would be bad PR.”

“You vouched for me...” Izuku mumbled again, wiping at his face, only for more tears to fall.

“To keep your identity a secret, we'll have a separate hero costume made for you that you'll receive after your internship,” Aizawa continued as if there had been no interruptions. “Since this is temporary, you'll still have to take the exam later in your academic career to get an actual license, which will replace this one. Depending on how things go, we'll start taking you on higher level patrols against bigger villains – you were a Pro Hero, right? What rank were you?”

The boy shook himself out of his daze, humming thoughtfully. “Last time I checked, I was about tenth.”

“So, you are experienced. That's good; I didn't want to babysit you.” Aizawa said, and it would've seemed mischievous if he was capable of outwardly expressing his emotions.

“I beat you, sensei,” Izuku reminded the teacher, faking a glare.

“You beat an injured man, well done,” he deadpanned, reaching out to gently shove at the kid's shoulder. “Go on, leave, before you miss your train – I'm not driving you.”

*

The building was run-down, with grey paint peeling away to reveal red brick walls, and black bars over all the windows. Izuku came to a halt in front of the cracked steps, staring up at the broken neon welcome sign that hung crookedly above the wooden doors. He shoved the note with directions on it into his pocket, placed the suitcase with his hero costume on the ground, and then swung his yellow backpack over one shoulder to unzip it and look inside. His hand clasped around something cool and smooth, and he withdrew it with an unexpectedly wicked grin.

It was a small pouch of fake blood. Izuku parted his jaws and tucked it against his cheek, getting used to the feeling as he picked up his belongings once more before knocking on one door and cautiously pushing it open.

“I'm here from UA High. My name is Midoriya Izuku... Nice to meet yo-” He trailed off with a faint squeak, morphing his expression into one of forced terror.

There was a small body on the floor, clad in yellow and lying in a pool of red. Some sausages trailed out from underneath his sprawled form like intestines and the shattered remains of a pale plate were scattered on the black-and-white tiles.

“He's dead!” He exclaimed loudly, struggling to keep a straight face.

Torino lifted his head with a vacant smile. “I'm alive!”

He screeched again, “he's alive!”

The elderly hero got to his feet, standing on trembling legs with one gloved hand resting on a wooden cane. “Man... When I was carrying a string of sausages with ketchup poured over them, I fell!”

Izuku bit down on the pouch in his mouth, standing frozen, as if completely catatonic from shock. He made a faint choking noise, causing some of the fake blood to spill over his lips and trickle down his chin. Torino looked up, and his eyes widened comically behind his black mask, all pretences forgotten as he dropped the cane and stepped forwards, raising his hands in a nervous attempt to help.

“Hey, whoa, kid, what-”

The student raised his head, a cheeky, bloodstained grin on his face as he spat out the pouch. “Gotcha.”

Torino didn't miss a beat, swiping up his cane and slamming it into the side of the boy's leg. “Did Toshinori ruin the surprise?”

“No,” Izuku snickered through the stinging pain, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket and wiping away the rest of the blood.

“So, you just have packets of fake blood in your mouth, waiting to scare an unsuspecting old man?!” He huffed, opening up the boy's suitcase to rifle through the outfit. “Toshinori told me you were special, but after watching you in the Sports Festival, I think he's gone mad. Fire off a One for All at me. This is a good costume... Wear it, and fire!”

Izuku pulled on version beta of his hero costume. The jumpsuit was a darker green with charcoal-grey stripes framing his arms and torso. There were supportive braces over his legs and elbows and the face mask had been altered, now made of a grey metal, but he let it rest around his neck instead of putting it on. He shifted into a fighting stance, eyeing the old man and mumbling his doubts about the ethics of the practice.

Torino grumbled in irritation, taking in a deep breath before shooting off, bouncing between walls and whipping past the boy in rushes of air. “I'm losing patience!”

He zipped behind, kicking out a leg and intending to hit the student. Izuku paused before firing up his Quirk, nipping aside too quickly for the elderly man to realign himself and consequently causing him to land heavily on the floor that cracked under the impact.

“Oh, that's different!” Torino exclaimed, removing a foot from the shattered tile before shooting off once more. “But can you do it again?”

Izuku stayed still, barely altering his stance in subtle avoidances before watching as the old man headed for the microwave. He surged forwards in a flash of green, grabbing onto the yellow cape and leaping backwards to stop the old hero from crushing the device. The boy lowered him back to the floor, frowning in confusion.

“Did Toshi-san not tell you?” He asked, blinking in bewilderment.

“That man tells me nothing,” Torino snorted, crossing his arms and tapping a foot.

“Oh... Well, I can actually safely control my Quirk up to about 50% of its power. I'm just pretending to be useless to keep up the disguise so the villains underestimate me when they try to attack again, so-”

The man raised a hand, brow furrowed. “You've lost me, kid.”

Izuku wrung his hands together for a moment, sighing heavily, before launching into the whole story, as ridiculous as it seemed. Once or twice he dissolved into mumble-storming, but the elderly hero was quick to put him back on track. He pulled out his notebook from his bag, turning it carefully to the pages of time that had already occurred, pointing at the entries on both sides and going into more detail, hoping that he didn't sound completely insane. There was silence after his secrets had been spilled, and he kept his gaze on the ground.

“Alright... So, you don't need help learning how to control your Quirk,” Torino commented finally; Izuku winced guiltily and opened his mouth to apologise, but he was cut off. “But you do need my help improving your Quirk.”

“I... Yeah, I do. That would be great, thank you.” Izuku loosened up, a relieved smile gracing his features.

“Let's talk over taiyaki.”

*

Later in the day, they went out on patrol, stopping the occasional petty crime but otherwise having an entirely uneventful walk. A couple of times during the route, they took a break by benches, letting Torino sit down and instruct the boy to throw some punches. He was criticised and altered his movement accordingly, becoming more acclimated with his smaller, slimmer form and trying not to miss the strength of his future self too much.

When afternoon was edging on evening, they started to head back. Izuku hummed softly to fill the silence, his red shoes light against the pavement, stepping with the grace of a dancer. He paused suddenly, tilting his head before abruptly turning a corner, ignoring the confused questioning of the elderly hero.

There was a young woman standing outside a building, tearing her hands through her hair as she stared upwards. Izuku approached her, following her gaze and noticing a fat feline stuck on a window-ledge a few storeys up.

“Need help getting your cat down?” He asked gently, offering a friendly smile with a tilt of his head.

“O-oh, yes, please! She climbed up there earlier and refused to come down.” The woman laughed shakily, running her hands over her biceps. “She's always been so stubborn...”

Izuku scanned the terrain, mentally pre-constructing a route before leaping up, hopping onto a low wall and jumping onto the side of the building. He caught himself on a lower ledge before shooting up in a glitter of green, carefully scooping up the bundle of long fur before kicking off the bricks and landing smoothly next to the woman. She gratefully took the cat, burying her face in the fur as a few, relieved tears spilled down her cheeks.

“What's her name?” Izuku inquired, reaching out to lightly pat the animal's head and giggling when he got nudged affectionately.

“Moekasu-chan,” she responded with a wet laugh. “We named her that because she got stuck in the chimney when she was a kitten, and came out covered in cinders.”

The boy chuckled along with her, grinning at the troublesome cat. “Well, I hope she doesn't get stuck anywhere else.”

“Thank you for saving her,” the woman said suddenly, raising her head from the fluff. “You're a hero-in-training, aren't you? What's your hero name?”

“I'm Deku,” he stated confidently, a note of fond nostalgia woven into his tone as he recalled all the times he'd had to introduce himself before people started to recognise him.

She beamed at him. “Do your best, Deku! I'll be cheering for you all the way.”

Notes:

i did some doodles for this chapter (:

 

 

Quirk Query-
I have,, so many questions about Aizawa's Quirk, but I made Midoriya ramble most of them in a future chapter, so... Can he erase his own Quirk if he looks in a mirror? Probably not, but like... If he could, would it get erased forever, or would it be constantly sputtering between on and off while he's looking at himself?

And another thing. His Quirk relies on sight. Do clothes affect it? Maybe a certain thickness of clothes stops his ability? Just imagine a villain grabbing a blanket and walking around like a cheap ghost to counter Aizawa's Quirk, haha-

And finally, since Erasure relies on sight... Okay, picture this: Aizawa's in a pitch black room with some villains. He can't see a thing, but he happens to glance at one of the villains while his Quirk is activated. He technically can't see, but he's still looking, so does the Quirk get erased? Can he sense when he erased a Quirk?

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Chapter 9: HERO KILLER

Summary:

Izuku saves his friends, unnerves a murderer, and is compared with All Might.

On the evening of the second day, Gran Torino announced that they'd be catching a train to Tokyo in order to get some practical experience with bigger villains because it was more fun. Izuku messaged Iida while they sat on the train, hoping that, perhaps, things would have changed, but his texts were left unanswered. Twilight oozed over the landscape as they passed near Hosu city, and the boy couldn't help but grow more tense by the second, fiddling with his gloves and glancing out the window repeatedly and scanning the buildings as they zoomed past.

“What's up with you?” Torino asked gruffly.

“Hey, look at that!” Another passenger hissed, gaining the attention of everyone in the carriage. “That building just exploded!”

Izuku pressed himself back into his seat, looking vaguely ill as he focused on breathing.

“Kid...? Oh no, don't tell me...”

The train screeched to a halt that threw them forwards, and at the same time a Pro Hero was slammed through the side of the train, landing in the middle of the aisle and trying to get back up. A large hand shoved through the hole torn through the metal, grabbing his face and shoving the hero into the floor. Fingers curved around the edge of the gap, folding back more of the train as easily as if it were tin foil, and a Noumu with four eyes set in its exposed brain peered inside.

“Sit down!” Torino shot up from his seat, kicking the beast in the head and freeing the hero.

“You know I can't do that!” Izuku snapped back, already standing as he spoke.

“Alright, just... Don't die, got it?” The elderly man didn't wait for an answer, slamming his palms into the Noumu's torso and sending them both careening out of the car.

Izuku dashed to the tear, gripping the edge of it and gasping in a breath at the fire glowing in the centre of Hosu, wreathed with thick, black smoke. He hesitated for a moment longer before igniting One for All and launching himself out the moving carriage, not wasting a single moment as he dropped down onto the street and started sprinting the moment his boots hit the ground. The Pro Heroes could handle the Noumus, even if they got injured in the process – but that was all part of the job. It was his task to stop his stubborn friend and the hero Native from getting killed by Stain.

He took a few wrong turns but was quick to realign himself, remembering the alley's location almost perfectly since he'd had so many nightmares about the place. As he was within range of the street, already hearing the Hero Killer's haunting voice taunting his friend, he grabbed his phone and sent his location to Todoroki, who was interning with his father in the city. Izuku heard a choked cry of pain from his classmate, and he threw himself around the corner at top speed, springing off a wall and jamming his feet into the villain's ribs, sending him flying backwards. The sword fell from his grasp, clattering against the ground.

“Mi-Midoriya-kun...” Iida ground out, his tone etched with disbelief.

“I told you I'd be there when you needed me,” Izuku quipped, glancing over his shoulder at where his friend was, sprawled out on his front with hot blood pooling under his left shoulder.

“Don't get involved, Midoriya-kun...” The boy muttered, squeezing his eyes shut. “This has nothing to do with you!”

“Tenya-kun, I'm saying this as your friend – don't be stupid.” Izuku darted forwards, gently lifting Native and placing him next to his classmate. “You okay, Native-san?”

“I- I'm fine... But, his Quirk, you need to be careful...” The Pro Hero whispered.

“Don't let him cut you, or else you'll be paralysed,” Iida added quietly, his brow furrowed and his face pale with panic and pain. “Just run, Midoriya. You can't win this fight. Please, go.”

Izuku probably could've managed to carry both people and dart away to the main street, but fighting the Hero Killer had brought him, Iida, and Todoroki so much closer, and taught them a lot about facing a powerful villain, so he had to stay in place while keeping up the ruse of being a mere student who could barely use his Quirk. Stain picked himself up at the other end of the alley, looking vaguely interested behind his mask.

“Your friend came to save you...” He said lowly. “But I have a duty to kill him. If we clash, of course, the weaker will be culled. Now... what will you do?”

The fear from last time settled heavily upon the boy, crushing down on his lungs. Izuku pushed it back, because he'd been through far worse, and at this point Stain was a little more than an annoyance – or at least, that's what he repeated to himself to fabricate some courage. He shifted one foot back, flaring up 5% of his Quirk and standing protectively in front of the two paralysed heroes, his face set into a threatening smile as his eyes glimmered a radioactive green.

“Stop it! Run away!” Iida snarled, fury undermined by blatant fear. “I told you, didn't I? It has nothing to do with you!”

“You're my friend, Tenya-kun, which means it has everything to do with me,” Izuku shot back heatedly. “And if you weren't, I'd still fight, because it's a hero's job to protect people! It's like All Might-san said... Meddling when you don't need to is the essence of being a hero.”

Stain's expression flickered into surprise before he let out a rasp of a laugh, mouth open wide and displaying both rows of teeth and a rough tongue. Izuku rushed forwards, lightning crackling over his body, and the villain unsheathed another sword, also leaping ahead with an unsettling smile. The boy feinted a punch and dodged a knife, sliding between the Hero Killer's legs and leaping back up in one smooth motion, whipping around with a brutal kick to the side of Stain's skull that knocked him to the ground.

Last time, he'd been paralysed because he wasn't fast enough, but this time he knew the villain's tricks and moved too fast to be hit. He grinned wider, eyes narrowing as he watched Stain pick himself back up, glancing at his blade as if he expected blood to be there.

“You're powerful and fast... You left my field of vision and manoeuvred so that you'd definitely be able to bring me down...” The villain mused quietly. “People who are all talk are a dime a dozen, but you are worth letting live. You're different from these guys.”

“I can't let you kill them,” Izuku stated firmly, an almost terrifying amount of determined confidence spilling into his stance and speech, revealing a ghost of the Pro Hero Deku.

“I thought that would be the case...” He said, sounding a little disappointed. “It's a shame to kill you, but I do what I must.”

Stain surged forwards again, but the boy merely ducked, letting a concentrated twist of scorching flames soar over his head. The villain only just dodged, landing in a crouch with one knee on the ground and sharp weapons in both hands.

“One after another...” He grumbled. “There are a lot of people getting in my way today.”

“Welcome to the party, Shouto-kun!” Izuku exclaimed with a brightness that didn't quite match his intense look, not even needing to glance back to know who had arrived.

There was a pause. “Midoriya. You need to give more details in times like this. You made me late.”

“T-Todoroki-kun, you too?” Iida whispered frustratedly. “Why are you here...?”

“It took me a few moments to work out what you meant, since you sent just your location info.” The street darkened a few shades as he extinguished his fire. “You're not really one to send that for no reason.”

Izuku hopped to one side, anticipating the boy's next move without even having to see him place his foot down. A sheet of ice slid across the concrete, forcing the Hero Killer to jump up and back away.

“You meant that you were in trouble and to call for help, right?” Todoroki rushed to his classmate's side, a sphere of flames writhing in his palm. “Don't worry. The Pros will also get here in a few minutes.” He flung the fire forward, knocking Stain off a wall and putting the man on full defensive as he moved further away. “I won't let you kill these guys, Hero Killer.”

“Sho- uh, Todoroki-kun, don't let this guy cut you,” Izuku informed, his voice a few tones lower than usual. “If he tastes your blood, you'll be paralysed.”

“I'll keep my distance and-” He cut himself off with a faint gasp of shock as he was yanked to one side by the green-haired boy, safely out of the path of a throwing knife.

Stain was inches from them in an instant, in the air with a blade in one hand and his blood-red scarf rippling with the movement. “You have good friends, Ingenium!”

Todoroki threw up a spike of ice to block the knife aiming for his face, his gaze trailing upwards as he saw a katana spinning down towards him. The Hero Killer grabbed the front of the boy's shirt, pulling him in close and swiping another dagger towards the kid. A flash of emerald sparkled in the air for a moment as Izuku launched skyward, snatching the sword and landing behind the villain. He slashed it against the wall, causing a horrible scraping noise before the metal gave and shattered into pieces from the sheer force behind the hit. Todoroki sparked up his left side, forcing Stain back before any injuries occurred.

Izuku was back by his friends in a blink, growing careless with his power moderation as his fierce desire to protect his friends overcame logic. It wouldn't matter too much, as long as they defeated the villain once more and got him locked up, meaning no other enemies could catch wind of the terrifyingly powerful kid.

Stain growled animalistically, cutting out with his knife and breaking through ice with ease. Todoroki flicked a hand, sending forth a huge wave of frozen spikes that blocked them from view and allowed them a few moments to recuperate.

“Why are you two... Why... Please, stop!” Iida hissed, sweat dripping down his stressed face. “I've inherited my brother's name. I have to do it... That guy's mine!”

“You inherited it? That's strange.” Todoroki's flaming hand extinguished once the final remnants of his wall had melted, rapidly switching to his other side to slam down an even more impressive barricade that glinted in the moonlight, forcing Stain to retreat further. “The Ingenium I saw before didn't have that look on his face, though. You've got a lot going on behind the scenes in your family, too, huh?”

In a quick succession of violent slashes, the ice was torn to shreds like paper, revealing Stain in the air once more, his head lowered. Izuku stepped in front of those paralysed, parrying any shards that his friend couldn't quite melt in time.

“To block your own view against an opponent faster than you... What a foolish plan,” The Hero Killer snarled.

“I wonder about that.” Todoroki flared up his left side, throwing out an arm.

Izuku reached through the flames, jolting down his friend's arm just enough to make the knives only cut lightly across his skin, as opposed to biting deep into his flesh. His gloves scorched and flaked away, but the fire died down before any real damage could be caused, feeling his friend's alarmed gaze on him even as he leapt forward, snatching a handful of the Hero Killer's clothes as the villain descended. He tugged him off course, slamming him into a wall and dragging him along the concrete until the momentum of his jump wore off, planting his feet on the surface and kicking himself sideways to avoid a punch aimed for his face.

Todoroki shoved another trail of ice forwards, stalling for time as Izuku leapt back. After a few moments of standing tensely, he squinted in confusion, wondering why another attack wasn't coming. The Hero Killer stood in the shadows, shredded cloths floating behind him as his eyes seemed to glow faintly with his murderous intent. A smile, slow and deliberate, crawled across his face like a spider as he slowly raised a knife to his mouth.

There was a splatter of blood was smeared across the serrated edge, and Izuku found himself looking down at his abdomen, finally noticing a sharp sting of pain. Tearing across his torso was a long cut, digging an inch deep at his side and tapering off into a scratch across his stomach. Stain ran his tongue along the blade, and the boy crumpled down at his friend's side, letting out a choked gasp of shock as he was suddenly on the cold concrete.

“Midoriya!” Todoroki exclaimed, fueled by terror to build another thick barrier of ice that curved a little over their heads, protecting them from the villain.

“I-I'm okay!” He reassured, despite his insides twisting with fear and the feeling of hot blood slick against his skin, every instinct telling him to press his hands to the injury but finding himself totally catatonic.

Izuku waded through his memories of the previous incident. At the time, it felt like he was paralysed for hours because he was so useless, but realistically it was likely only minutes. Iida had been immobile for a while, and it would be a little bit longer before he could move again.

“I don't know how long I can stall for,” Todoroki admitted in little more than a whisper, his tone tight and his hands tensed by his sides. “He can react so fast and avoid ice and fire. The best option is to hold out until Pros get here.”

“I know you can do it, Todoroki-kun." The boy dropped his voice, keeping quiet so only his allies could hear his next words. “His Quirk works differently depending on blood type. I'll be able to move again within a few minutes because I'm blood type O. I think Iida-kun will be up soon after. Just keep Stain away until we're back in the fight so we can support you again.”

“Alright. I'll... I can do it.”

Todoroki kicked it up a gear, pushing through on sheer desperation. He flung up lines of jagged ice to force the Hero Killer back, swiftly switching to his left side and sending out a blistering blast that filled half the alley. The seconds ticked by agonisingly slowly, each moment stretching out into a lifetime whenever there was a close call, but eventually Izuku could twitch his fingers, feeling the numbness in his limbs gradually recede until he could struggle back to his feet, pressing his charred gloves against his wound and watching grimly as the white fabric became dyed with red.

“Todoroki-kun, you're not as fast as me. We've both shed blood, but I think I can avoid him quickly enough that I won't get paralysed again,” the boy said with a ferocious grin as he called upon One for All. “I'll distract him, so you support me from behind!”

His classmate stared at him for a moment before turning back to the enemy. “That's a pretty big risk, but yeah... The two of us will protect him.”

“Two against one, huh? It won't be easy.” Stain lowered his stance, with bloodshot, red eyes glaring at them from behind the folds of the pale mask.

An inferno surged forward from one hand, the heat disturbing the air and tousling Todoroki's hair as he gritted his teeth, resolve steeled. Izuku darted behind, taking the villain's attention. He twisted mid-air to avoid a glinting blade, pulling off his soaked gloves and flinging them back towards his allies to remove another chance of paralysis. The Hero Killer was moving rapidly, every attack calculatedly brutal and every dodge crushingly effective as he unveiled why he was such a feared criminal, with a blazing gaze and his wide mouth pulled into an open smile.

“Please stop...” Iida whispered, tears gathering. “I'm ...already...”

Todoroki huffed through his teeth, firelight bathing his features in hot hues. “If you want us to stop, then stand up!” He yelled, shifting to cold as the enemy approached and kicking up a trail of spears. “The only words I can say to you are: look properly at who you want to be!”

Izuku grabbed a ripple of crimson fabric, tugging on it to force the villain to stop and swinging it around before releasing, sending him flying down the alleyway and crashing into the concrete. It barely seemed to faze Stain as he leapt right back up, a crazed expression on his visible face and knives sparkling with deceptive innocence. Just a little longer... Any second now...

Iida was back in action, a blast of blue light coming from the exhaust pipes on his calves as he darted forwards, swinging up a leg to counter a swipe and completely knocking the knife from the villain's grasp. He didn't waste a single second, already twisting around with another Recipro Burst kick that Stain attempted to block with his bandaged forearms, but he was quickly overpowered and sent skidding backwards, unsheathing another dagger and stabbing it into the concrete to slow his acceleration.

“Todoroki-kun, Midoriya-kun, this has nothing to do with you two, and I apologise.” He raised his torso back up from the solemn bow, his face set into something violently fierce. “That's why I can't allow you two to bleed any more than this!”

“It's no use trying to be reformed for appearance's sake,” Stain said, his voice hoarse and edging on something dangerous. “A person's essence does not change so easily. You will never be anything but a fake who-”

“Ignorance is not intelligence, Akaguro,” Izuku stated sharply, ignoring the pain in his abdomen as he straightened up to his full height, taking a confident step forwards and glaring down at the villain, who gritted his teeth, making as if to talk again before being cut off. “Only a fool believes that people stay the same their whole lives. Humans are always learning and growing, making mistakes and finding ways to fix them. We're lots of things... We can be stupid and stubborn, but we can also be intelligent and understanding – however, we never stay the same.” The boy paused for breath, exhaling slowly and letting his tone warm with affection. “Tenya-kun is my friend, and he's admitted his mistakes and is willing to make up for them, and that's... That makes him so, so incredible.”

Admittedly, most of the speech hadn't been off the top of his head: he'd spent years reminiscing about this day and contemplating how he would've done things differently. Now he got the chance to, and it was indescribably satisfying, bringing a tight smile to his lips. Stain was completely still, half his face wreathed in shadow that concealed most of his expression. Behind him, his classmates and Native were dead silent, barely even breathing.

For a brief, exhilarating moment, Izuku thought he might've inspired the villain to change his ways.

“Hero...” Stain rasped. “Are you not afraid?”

He hesitated, smile briefly shifting into a frown before being fixed back in place. “No, I'm not afraid, because my friends are here with me and we're going to beat you.”

“No, no... That's not right.” He barked out a scratchy laugh, wild eyes glinting in a flash of moonlight as he stepped closer, expression fascinated and calculating. “You're not afraid because you're the frightening one. You're very similar to All Might – I respect you, hero. What is your name?”

“Don't,” Todoroki muttered, reaching forwards as if to pull his friend back before terminating the action and instead staying still.

“My name is Deku.” Izuku whispered, tilting his head a little and staring down the villain with such intensity he seemed to dwarf everything around him, illuminated in emerald with hair catching in a breeze.

“Deku... You're a true hero, but I know you won't stop protecting these fakes until you're dead.” Stain heaved a breath similar to a sigh, dashing forwards in a blink and slashing out with a dagger.

The boy jumped backwards, heart pounding in his chest as the adrenaline kicked back in, blocking out everything but the need to survive. He dodged and avoided, green sparks coiling around his limbs as he leapt and punched, landing a brutal jab to the Hero Killer's stomach before backing up. Todoroki stepped in, pushing out a wave of ice that the villain was quick to sidestep, coming in too close for comfort only to be blasted back with a blaze to fire to his face. The student obliged his friend's muttered request, reaching down with his other hand to cast Iida's calves in ice, cooling his engines after they'd sputtered out following Recipro Burst.

He called upon another one, electric azure fire spewing from the vents as he shot into the air. Izuku fired up One for All, springing off the ground. Stain couldn't move fast enough as a glittering fist slammed into his cheek and an armour-clad leg ploughed into his ribs on the opposite side. He started to fall, dazed for a moment before his crimson eyes snapped open and he snatched a falling knife, whipping it around to slam the handle on Izuku's head before he could move.

Iida twisted in the air, pale steam hissing from his engines as he turned around for another overpowering kick to the villain's back. Todoroki flung out a hand, putting his whole bodyweight behind the blaze that shot from his palm, encompassing the Hero Killer in glowing flames. Izuku grabbed Iida as his engines stalled once more, bringing them safely back to the ground as their other classmate stamped down a tower of ice, hoisting up Stain. The three of them stayed vigilant for a moment longer before blinking with the realisation that the villain was unconscious, sprawled forwards over a frozen ledge.

Izuku returned to his senses first. He and Todoroki collected up all the weapons, laying them neatly on the concrete and finding a length of rope in a nearby bin to restrain Stain. Native walked with them once he had regained his mobility, and they dragged the Hero Killer to the entrance of the alleyway.

Gran Torino shot onto the scene, looking as if he was planning on scolding his student before thinking better of it. Multiple other Pro Heroes rushed down the street, coming to a stop in front of them and gasping with shock once they realised who had been captured. Everyone but the elderly hero were too preoccupied with phone calls or medical care to notice the winged beast swooping down from the sky.

The Noumu skimmed the ground, wrapping one taloned foot around Izuku who choked back a cry of pain as the claws dug directly into the slash across his torso, briefly blinding him with white-hot agony as a fresh spurt of blood spilled through the air. He was lifted into the sky, hanging limply from the creature's grasp in a daze. It suddenly stopped flapping its leathery wings, plunging downwards. Stain sprinted forwards, grabbing Izuku's costume and stabbing a knife into the Noumu's brain, sending it crashing to the ground with a sickening thud.

He twisted the blade before pulling it out, spraying blood over the pavement below as he wheezed for breath, mouth open with drool spilling over his teeth. The mask flaked off his burnt face as he haltingly straightened up, glaring at Endeavour as the man arrived.

“You fake...” He snarled like a wild animal, saliva trailing down his chin. “I must make things right...”

Izuku dragged himself back to his feet, placing a palm gingerly over his injury. He glanced over the crowd of heroes, noticing that all of them were frozen with looks of utter horror marring their features. The boy shifted his weight to one foot, raising his chin and pushing back his shoulders, embracing his unexpected fearlessness as he realised what was going to happen.

“Someone must be dyed in blood...” Stain continued, dragging one foot after the other in a hauntingly crooked hobble. “I must take back what it means to be a hero.” He slammed down a spiked boot, hunched over with bared teeth and glowing eyes. “Come! Try and get me, you fakes!”

Endeavour instinctively took a step back, flames around his face flickering. Izuku felt the bizarre urge to smile at the sight, finding a grim sort of satisfaction from seeing the man flinch away in fear.

“The only ones I'll let kill me are the true heroes...” His voice was frantic and crazed, face torn in two by a wicked, open-mouthed grin. “All Might...” He moved a shaking arm behind him, using the point of the bloodied knife to highlight the boy as Stain snapped his head to one side, peering over his shoulder with one, eerie eye. “...and Deku!”

The intensity of his conviction was almost overwhelming. One of the Pro Heroes fell back, grazing her palms on the concrete, but she was unable to move further or take her gaze off the villain. Izuku gritted his teeth to prevent himself from blurting out comfort to his friends, narrowing his eyes at Stain.

As if on cue, the knife slipped from his grasp, clinking against the ground. The Hero Killer's gaze blanked and he froze in place, passed out from a broken rib puncturing his lung.

Todoroki and Iida both collapsed onto the ground, faces pallid with fear. Izuku blinked suspiciously at the unmoving statue of his enemy for a moment before darting over to his friends, placing hands lightly on their shoulders and letting out a breath.

“It's okay, now,” he muttered, dropping to one knee and sparing a glance at the catatonic Hero Killer. “It's okay...”

Notes:

Quirk Query-
Kendou. Big hands gal. First off, are there only two sizes of hands she can manage, or can she have sizes in between? Secondly, let's say she shoved her hand in a small box and used her Quirk - would the box break, or would her hand get crushed? Since she fights with her hands, the skin is probably kinda leathery and tough...
And finally, on a darker note to the box thing - if she had the inclination to do so, what would happen if she shoved her fist in someone's mouth and used her Quirk...? Would the head just... pop off? Oh god.

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Chapter 10: HERO KILLER: AFTERMATH

Summary:

Izuku's secret unravels further and he discovers that near-death experiences tend to bring people closer.

Notes:

Thank you for all the kudos, comments and bookmarks!!! I,, wasn't expecting such a good response so quickly,,, i luv u.... i hope you're taking care of yourself. go grab a snack and a drink right now, you deserve it!! and don't forget to take your meds!!
okay have a good day and enjoy the chapter, ily xx

(but anyway i'm calling all of you out for getting far too into that morbid suggestion of kendou shoving her fist in someone's mouth to kill them. we all need therapy.)

Daylight gleamed through the large windows of their hospital room. Iida sat in his loose hospital gown, cross-legged, on the edge of his bed, staring at the sleek tiled floor. One of his arms was bandaged and in a sling across his chest. Todoroki had his feet tucked into his slippers on the ground, leaning slightly forwards with his palms resting on his knees. He only had a small patch on his forearm where the knives had grazed him. Izuku was laying on his back on his bed, bandages wrapped beneath his curly hair and strapped tightly around his abdomen under his pale blue hospital clothes.

The atmosphere was tense, barely broken by soft-spoken questions passed between them as they mulled over their near-death experience. Izuku was growing more restless by the second as his friends kept glancing at him as if to speak, only to shut their mouths at the last second and look away the moment they noticed he caught them staring.

He sighed, lightly brushing his hand across his side where the stitches over his injury remained. “You're scared of me, aren't you?”

Both had the decency to appear a little guilty now that the subject was out in the open. He continued to gaze vacantly at the ceiling, tapping his fingers on his abdomen as he waited patiently for them to finally speak their mind.

“After the USJ incident,” Iida began quietly, not moving an inch. “Asui-san and Mineta both told us how cool you were. They said you were entirely unafraid, not hesitating to save Aizawa-sensei and courageously facing the villains with a smile, as if you'd been fighting your entire life. I thought they were just exaggerating, but seeing you last night, facing down Stain without flinching... I couldn't help but feel afraid, Midoriya-kun. I... I know we're friends, but...”

“You almost gave off the same, intense vibe as the Hero Killer, Midoriya,” Todoroki cut in, shifting to clasp his hands together in his lap as he blinked at his friend. “For some reason, I found myself imagining what it would be like if you were against us, and that thought was... terrifying. Stain put you on a pedestal at the same height as All Might himself, which should seem ridiculous, but somehow I understand.”

“You seemed a lot older,” Iida added, voice rising as he regained his confidence. “And the way you moved and fought was awe-inspiring. I felt as if you could've easily taken down Stain on your own, and I was just a burden to you. It's only been two days on the internships, but you seem to have improved your Quirk so much in such a short time.”

“That's what I thought, too, but then I remembered the Quirk apprehension test on the first day. You avoided using your Quirk in all the tests, but then it came to the ball throw...” Todoroki paused, his tone growing stern. “Tell me, Midoriya... Have you been suppressing your potential this entire time?”

Izuku slowly turned his head, pressing his cheek against the pillow as he peered at his friends. Both of them wore subtle frowns as they gazed at him like he was an enigma.

“Before you answer, Midoriya-kun, there's something else that's been bothering me,” Iida admitted with his tone drenched in suspicion. “I overheard a little of your phone call to All Might-san at the Sports Festival... You told him to send some Pro Heroes to Hosu. I didn't think anything of it, but later on...” His voice cracked, but he just straightened his back and hardened his gaze into a glare. “Later on, my brother was attacked. The doctors said if he had been found a few minutes later, then he might've been permanently paralysed from the waist down.”

“He's going to be okay, then?” Izuku blurted out suddenly, sitting up and leaning back on his arms with hopeful eyes.

“...yes, it's likely he'll make a full recovery with the help of physiotherapy, although his hours of hero work will be more limited than before to avoid straining his spine,” the boy informed automatically, a brief smile flashing across his face before he shook his head. “Just that incident on its own could've been a coincidence, since I know you're good at analysis, and you could've worked out when the Hero Killer would strike next. But, Midoriya-kun, later on at the train station you said you'd be there when I needed you, and, while innocuous at the time, I realise now that it sounded as if you knew what was going to happen.”

Todoroki dipped his head in thought. “During the fight, you occasionally called us by our first names, as if we'd known each other for years. You knew that Stain's Quirk worked by blood type, and even though you didn't know Iida's, you still predicted that he would be free next.” He paused, his voice becoming hushed. “And you knew Stain's real name. How could you know that?”

“And in the USJ incident, you told All Might-san to be careful before he jumped in, as if you were relaying a secret message,” Iida pointed out, his navy blue eyes widening behind his glasses as all the pieces started to fall into place. “Aizawa-sensei has kept you behind several times to tell you something important enough to be private. And sometimes... Sometimes, you act like an entirely different person. You become more confident and intimidating, and you get this look in your eye, like... like...” He moved his uninjured hand as he tried to find the right word for it.

“Like you've seen the worst the world has to offer,” Todoroki finished. “Midoriya, there's no way you're not keeping secrets. Please, tell us.”

Izuku swallowed nervously. Listening to all his mistakes be laid out on the table felt like he was being gutted. In some cases, acting a little suspicious couldn't be avoided, but he hadn't realised just how careless he'd become. He had allowed himself to get caught up in the fun of UA and forget what his original plans had been.

But... Really, what part of his plan remained? His intentions to lay low and remain deceptively unimpressive had been obliterated by Stain announcing him to be as great as All Might himself, and he'd already shared his time travel secret with five people who had also called him out on his odd behaviour. All he was succeeding in was preventing those he cared about from getting permanent injuries, which was always a good thing, but...

“We feel like this secret of yours could be cause for concern, and if you're unwilling to share then we'll be forced to go to the teachers.” Iida's stern tone broke through his thoughts.

Izuku sat up properly, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and glancing between his friends with a carefully neutral expression. “I understand, Iida-kun, Todoroki-kun, and I'll tell you... some other time.” He paused, giving his friends silencing looks when they went to speak. “I know I can trust you both. It's just... Well, it's not really something to be shared in, um... in a very public hospital room, or over the phone. So... Is it okay to tell you when we're back at school?”

The two boys exchanged a questioning glance before they reluctantly nodded.

“Besides,” he added with a mischievous grin, looking over his shoulder just before the door to their room slid open. “We have visitors.”

Gran Torino and Manual entered, followed by Hosu's chief of police, Tsuragamae. The person was tall, with broad shoulders, and he wore a formal suit – the only peculiar thing about him was the fact that he had the head of a dog, with dark-furred ears drooping at the sides of his head and his brown eyes looking tired. All three boys got to their feet, and the man started to talk, seemingly scolding them about taking down the Hero Killer as he kept his tone perfectly steady and calm. Izuku's expression didn't change, both because he knew what was coming and because of his license that meant his actions were entirely acceptable. They bowed respectfully as the chief praised them for their efforts.

*

Back at school, everyone in the class was excitedly sharing what they'd done over the week, though it quickly became clear that some had experienced more excitement than others. They were quick to gather around Todoroki's desk where Izuku and Iida were standing, all commenting on how terrifying the Hero Killer was.

“He is scary, but did you see the video, Ojirou?” Kaminari cut in, looking mostly smug, but with a hint of nerves flitting across his features.

“Video? You mean of the Hero Killer?” Ojirou muttered.

Tsu placed a thoughtful finger on her chin, turning her gaze to the green-haired boy. “Oh, yeah, he called Midoriya-kun out by name, didn't he?”

“Scary. What did you do to gain his attention, Midoriya?” Hagakure asked, her uniform trembling as she turned to face him.

“A-ah, I'm not sure,” he stammered, like a liar. “I'm not sure I want to know, either...”

“Were you scared? You didn't look scared in the video, although it was kinda hard to see your face...” Kaminari squinted at him curiously.

“I-I don't really remember... It was kind of all a blur, really,” Izuku admitted sheepishly, rubbing a palm on the back of his neck.

Ashido bounced over to them, blinking her fully black eyes at him. “You were injured, weren't you? Did you get a scar like Iida-kun? Can we see it?”

He shook his head nervously, poking at his stomach through his clothes as his cheeks burned. “U-um, I don't think it would be very appropriate...”

The subject passed as Iida loudly took control of the classroom. Izuku gave him a thankful look.

Later on, they gathered outside of Field Gamma for a rescue training race. All Might stood in front of them, hands on his hips in a power pose as he addressed the kids. At one point, he caught Izuku's eye, faltering for a moment when the boy beamed and waved, looking the picture of innocence. A few people stared at the odd interaction suspiciously, but the Pro Hero hastily got back into his explanation.

The first five students entered the grounds, the group consisting of Ojirou, Izuku, Iida, Sero and Ashido. Izuku shifted his stance, leaning from side to side as he stretched out his legs. He couldn't really remember much about the version in the previous timeline, but he did remember losing focus, slamming his face into a metal pipe and then coming in dead last, much to his chagrin. It was so tempting to blast forward with the full extent of his power to claim first place within a few seconds, but he made sure to keep it capped at a minuscule 5%.

All Might announced the start of the race, and everyone was off. Izuku leapt from his podium, flashing past a surprised Sero in a glitter of green. The moment his red boots touched down on a pipe, he kicked off again, soaring through the air with speed impressive to everyone who didn't know his secret. Even as he darted through the course in first place, paying extra attention to each landing so he didn't humiliate himself once more, he felt a little disappointed since he'd forgotten how slow 5% was in comparison to his top speed.

He flipped in mid-air, pressing his gloves onto a pipe and pushing himself forwards in a frog-like leap before twisting to one side to avoid a faceful of metal and quickly dropping into a slide across a short pathway. Izuku didn't lose a single ounce of momentum as he hopped onto a fence bordering a roof, flinging himself off in a way that might've been misconstrued as dangerous. He grabbed a pole with one hand and spun around it, capitalising upon his speed and shooting even higher before landing smoothly on the centre tower where All Might was waiting. The boy stayed in a crouch for a moment, catching his breath, then stood up and flashed a thumbs-up at his mentor who returned it proudly.

“Come and meet me after class,” the hero said lowly.

Time passed, and Izuku hesitantly knocked on the door to the teacher's lounge before pulling it open. He choked back a tiny squeak of fear as he saw his mentor in skeletal form, sitting on the olive-green sofa in an oversized yellow suit. Aizawa was settled on the other end of the sofa, looking as gloomy as ever, and Nedzu was between them, a cup of tea clasped in his paws.

“Please, please, help yourself to some tea,” the principal said cheerfully.

Izuku did so, however hesitantly, before moving to the other side of the short table and lowering himself onto a small, wooden stool. He took a sip of his beverage, immediately wincing at the scalding temperature, only to try again a second later as if that would've changed anything.

“You went through a lot, huh?” Toshinori muttered, his head dipped and his fingers interlocked.

“We have much to talk about,” Nedzu added. “Going up against the Hero Killer was dangerous, but I assume it was also necessary, correct?”

The boy nodded, watching the liquid in his cup swirl in a mesmerising manner. “Some things changed, though. I managed to stop Todoroki-kun and Iida-kun from being as badly injured.”

“That's good, well done!” The principal praised.

“But, in the process I accidentally drew attention to myself, and now people know I'm more than I seem.” He shifted his position on the stool, tapping his fingers against the ceramic mug. “My friends said they were almost terrified of me because of my confidence when facing off against Stain, and it was because of my passion that he decided I was a true hero, on par with All Might-san.”

“Well, I don't believe he's entirely wrong about that: you are, indeed, quite the prodigy.” Nedzu nodded, a hum of consideration following his words. “It isn't ideal for you to be called out by name by such an influential villain, although maybe it isn't all bad. There are bound to be those who support Stain's ideology who will leave you be, and perhaps even protect you from those less opinionated.”

“But it also makes you a bigger target, which always brings danger,” Aizawa stated, brushing a few strands of black hair from his eyes to glare more intensely at the kid. “Which means we'll need to start training you a lot sooner, and a lot more frequently.”

“I understand. When do we start?”

*

Izuku wasn't expecting his two friends to be waiting by the gate by the time he'd left the meeting, but both Todoroki and Iida had kept their word, standing patiently in place. He hurried over to them, rapidly spewing out apologies and explanations with every step until he came to a halt. The light cast a long shadow across the brick pavement, spilling his dark, spectral form across his friends.

“Okay,” he breathed, clenching his hands into fists. “This is all going to sound insane, but I promise you, every word is true.”

The boy didn't wait for a response, immediately diving into his tale once more. He shifted nervously on his feet and struggled to meet their eyes as he spoke, even as he slipped his time-journal from his blazer and opened it to a safe page, pointing out all the discrepancies between the timelines and justifying all his actions vehemently. A long, stunned silence followed his story as both boys tried to process the jumble of information that had just been thrown in their faces.

“You're right, you do sound insane,” Todoroki said finally, before shrugging. “But, I know it's not like you to lie about something so intricate. I take it we're still friends in the future?” Izuku nodded frantically. “I'm... I'm glad. If it makes things easier, you can call me Shouto. Thank you for protecting us.”

Iida nodded his agreements. “You can call me Tenya. Thank you for all you've done. While I wish my brother wasn't injured at all, I'm relieved that it's not as bad as it could've been.”

Izuku held his breath for a moment, trying to stop himself from crying, but inevitably failing. Tears spilled down his cheeks, sparkling gold in the evening light. The weight on his shoulders became a little lighter as he gained two more people who understood him.

He grinned at them, palming his face to wipe away the dampness. “Call me Izuku.”

Notes:

Quirk Query-
Shigaraki. My dude. My man. Can he disintegrate the air, or does the object have to be a certain density to be destroyed? Are there some materials he can't use his Quirk on? Can he use Decay on himself? I mean, probably not, but... What about using it on Kurogiri's warp-gate body? Can he use his Quirk on the dust that remains of something he already destroyed? What about using Decay on water? The more I think about it, the more questions I have...

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Chapter 11: SPARRING & ONI

Summary:

Izuku fights his friends and Aizawa gives him a present.

It had taken a little while to line up their schedules, but Izuku finally managed to find a date and time where he, Shinsou, and Shouto would be free to spar. He'd even gone to Aizawa to ask if they could practise on school grounds, which allowed the use of Quirks, and the teacher had begrudgingly agreed after blankly waiting out the mumble-storm of explanation that followed the request.

Izuku bustled around the gym, pulling out mats and equipment with the enthusiasm of a madman as he waited for his friends to arrive. Shouto turned up first with flawless time regulation, walking uncertainly through the doors on the exact minute they had delegated to meet. Shinsou appeared ten minutes later, tired eyes half-closed as he yawned, brushing a hand back through his shock of purple hair. The two boys stared at each other awkwardly for a moment, not sure how to interact since they'd never really spoken before.

“He involve himself with your problems, too?” Shouto finally asked with an impassive face.

Shinsou arched an eyebrow, a tiny grin playing on his lips. “Something like that.”

“Solving problems is easier with help!” Izuku said brightly, clapping his hands together as he came to a stop in front of them, ten times more cheerful than both the other students combined. “Today I figured we'd spend most of our time sparring so we can see what needs to be improved upon, but if we have time at the end then we can work on Quirks!”

“I have a feeling I'm at a disadvantage,” Shinsou stated dryly, staring pointedly at the muscular forms of the other boys in comparison to his lean body.

“Not for long,” the student assured enthusiastically. “We're going to improve together and learn from each other until we're the best we can be.”

Everyone was wearing casual work-out clothes in colours that represented them, which meant that Shinsou was wearing mostly dark colours, while their temporary-teacher was wearing a mint green tracksuit. They ran through some basic warm-up exercises, jogging around the room and stretching out their limbs. Izuku stepped onto a mat, motioning for Shouto to stand opposite him.

“We'll fight first, okay? Shinsou-kun, watch carefully,” he said with a lazy point, offering a flash of a smile before shifting into a fighting stance.

Shouto moved to attack first, stepping to one side and rushing forwards, swinging out a right hook only to alter his form at the last second and dart into close quarters and slam a punch towards his opponent's gut. A brief look of surprise crossed the boy's face before he pivoted on one foot to avoid the hit, reaching out to grab onto his friend's wrist and pull him forwards, using his momentum against him. Izuku went to press a hand into the back of his classmate's head, only for Shouto to drop into a forward roll, picking himself back up and twisting around with an unexpected kick that was blocked with a forearm. He retracted his leg rapidly, steadying his stance and staring down his opponent.

“In spars like these, it's a good opportunity to analyse your enemy in a situation that isn't dire. You can learn a lot just by looking, but in real battles, villains probably won't give you a chance to think, which is when you need to rely more on muscle memory,” Izuku explained calmly, making the most of the short distraction to dart forwards, wrapping his arms around Shouto's waist and bringing him to the ground with an aggressive tackle.

The boy let out a huff of air as his back connected with the mat, but he was swift to lash out with a punch, using the opportunity to rapidly raise his knees and hit his opponent in the gut hard enough to encourage him to let go. Shouto was back on his toes within a second, bouncing forward with several jabs in rapid succession, slowly forcing his friend backwards with every narrow dodge until he finally got in a light punch to his opponent's cheek. Izuku blinked, not given a chance to recover as a foot was planted on his stomach, shoving him away and causing him to overbalance, tumbling down onto the mat. He rolled onto his front, curving an arm around his head to hide his face as he let out a soft noise of pain.

“...you okay?” Shouto's voice was tinged with guilt as he paused, staring down at his friend worriedly.

In the tiny interlude of hesitation, Izuku had shot back up, keeping his stance low as he rushed by the other boy, swinging an elbow into the back of his opponent's knees to nudge him off balance, then straightening up and grabbing Shouto's arm and twisting it behind his back. He gently pushed his bodyweight against his friend, forcing him into the mat but allowing him the freedom of using his other hand to cushion the blow. Izuku contentedly knelt above his classmate, keeping him lightly pressed against the ground until he relaxed and gave up.

“And since we'll be fighting villains, don't be afraid to use underhanded techniques, because physical fighting is only half the battle. You won't always be able to find a way to manipulate your enemies, but faking severe injury is sometimes a good way to make them overconfident and allow you to take them by surprise,” he informed, getting up and offering a hand to pull his friend back to his feet. “You did amazing, by the way, Shouto-kun. Your reactions are incredible.”

The boy blinked, as if taken aback. “...thanks.”

“Now,” Izuku turned to their fellow student, who looked a little out of his depth. “You next.”

Shinsou blanched in fear.

*

“Your costume,” Aizawa said dully, holding out a small case. “All Might got into contact with some of the best support companies and they let us use some experimental technology.”

Izuku glanced down at the tiny case before cautiously reaching out and taking it. The object barely fit across his palms, which perplexed him – how could his entire hero costume be inside?

“Don't just stare it it,” his teacher sounded vaguely irritated. “You do know how to open a case, right?”

The boy glared up at him before snickering under his breath and unclipping the clasps and peering at the interior, which was padded with separate sections, with shapes moulded in the packing foam that perfectly matched the odd pieces of tech inside. There were four circles that looked like very plain bracelets, plus a slightly larger one in the centre of the box. Two small, curved rectangles made of the same glossy, black material sat in the corners. Along the bottom edge lay a long, dark strip, about the same length as a sheet of A4 paper, dotted with white circles linked up with faint ridges that indicated wires underneath the surface.

“I don't think I understand, sensei... What do these do?” Izuku finally asked after an age of bewildered mumbling and poking at the objects.

Aizawa gave an impatient huff, reaching forwards to pick up one of the rings and grab the boy's wrist, keeping him still as he slipped it on. A faint white light illuminated in pinpricks through the black material, like a starry sky, and it shifted and compressed until it was snug against his skin. Izuku blinked in surprise before hurrying to shove on the other one, looking to his teacher for guidance before slotting the larger one around his throat and two more around his ankles. All had the same response when they came into contact with his body, and they never tightened to the point of being uncomfortable, indicating that the designers either implemented his measurements, or the technology had been taught to automatically adjust to the wearer.

“Took you long enough to work that out,” Aizawa snorted; the boy realised he'd been muttering and slammed a palm over his mouth. “These go behind your ears.”

Izuku plucked the tiny objects from the box, tucking a few curls out of the way before pressing the tech against his skin, feeling a faint, momentary hum thrum through his ears as the devices acclimated. He let his hair fall back into place, realising that the earpieces were totally concealed thanks to his constant bedhead, which meant he could wear these all the time without anyone noticing.

“And this goes down your spine.” He held up the long strip, offering it and clearly expecting his student to take it.

The boy merely tugged off his shirt and turned around, blinking over his shoulder at his teacher, who looked marginally more bitter.

“You're expecting me to do this for you?” Aizawa asked with subtle annoyance in his tone. “I'm not your father, you know.”

“Once you grounded Kacchan and me for fighting,” Izuku deadpanned, wincing when the tech was slapped roughly against his back before wheezing and giggling. “Ow, ow, okay. Sorry, sensei.”

“You insinuate I'm your father again and I'm expelling you.” He paused, running a hand over the device to smooth it down. “All Might will cry if he thinks you've replaced him, and that's not something I have the patience to deal with.”

Izuku twisted his torso and did his best to peer at the machine as it settled into place along his spine. The wider end was pressed against his lower back while the thinner end stopped between his shoulder blades.

“So, what is all this, anyway?” He inquired, letting his shirt rest in the crook of his elbow as he went back to inspecting the new additions with an earnest fascination.

“Press here.” The man pointed at one of the bracelets, and Izuku did as he said, discovering a secret button that made the white pinpricks flash a little brighter.

Black material rolled out from the rings, casting smoothly over his form until almost his entire body was concealed in an onyx suit. It stopped at each of the bracelets, leaving his feet, hands, and head free. A thick white line curved across his chest, shoulder to shoulder, twisting into an abstract hourglass over his heart. Hesitantly, Izuku pushed through his astounded haze and raised a hand to his head, lightly touching the earpiece and freezing in surprise as he felt a cool sensation wash over his skull as the black material folded out on both sides, temporarily blacking out his vision as it closed over his face as a helmet. A second later, a display melted through the darkness, taking a few moments to properly initiate before he could see his teacher once more, as if there was nothing blocking his eyes.

He was silent for a few more moments before the shock wore off and he was babbling excitedly about how cool and ingenuitive the whole thing was, running his palms over the surface and moving experimentally to see how it all responded. Aizawa waited with surprising patience, a tiny smirk pulling at one side of his mouth as he observed his student freak out over technology.

“They haven't quite worked out how to get it to move intricately, so you'll have to wear these.” The teacher grabbed another case and handed it over.

Izuku eagerly opened it, a little disappointed to see some basic black boots and gloves, but pulled them on nonetheless. He looked up to see Aizawa holding a full-length mirror that he got from who-knows-where, and he could finally see how awesome his helmet was. It wasn't entirely dissimilar to a motorcycle helmet, sleek and black in colour, aside from an oval display over his face which was a lighter grey with bright white eyes, almond-shaped and glowing, and it instantly reminded him of Thirteen's costume, much to his glee. He quickly realised that the eyes loosely mirrored his own facial expressions and entertained himself by squinting and frowning, utterly captivated by the different movements.

“It should be able to conceal and withstand your Quirk up to 50% power. There's a voice-changer in the helmet so your voice can't be identified. The only thing you need to do is act differently so people don't make the connection. Think you can manage that, Problem Child?” Aizawa said with a minuscule note of teasing in his voice.

The boy narrowed his eyes, backing up a couple of steps in the empty classroom before leaping up and crouching on the edge of a desk, balancing there for a moment before hopping down, twisting and spinning through a sequence of attacks as he mimicked Eraserhead's fighting style almost perfectly. He then shifted his weight onto one foot, moving more lithely and slowly as he morphed into Midnight's techniques, stopping himself with an All Might-esque bellow of laughter that was modulated by the helmet to sound deeper and more robotic before throwing heavy, confident punches. Izuku aimed some hyperactive finger guns at his teacher, sliding into a fighting style with more cautious hits and more dodging as he replicated Present Mic.

“I didn't ask for a presentation,” Aizawa commented dryly, although he did appear faintly impressed. “I think you have too much time on your hands. Are you ready to go?”

“Ready to...” Izuku almost fell over in excitement. “We're going to fight? This is so cool! I can't wait! Oh no, hold on, I need a hero name, um – Onyx Fist! No, no, that's... What about... Justice Void! No, wait, I can do better – Night Samurai! Uh, Timestep? No, um... Sundial... Or, maybe-”

“Oni,” his teacher suggested, although with his bland tone it sounded more like a fact.

The boy stopped his frantic mutterings as he mulled over the name. “Isn't that a little... scary?”

“You're not Deku right now,” he reminded.

Izuku finally nodded in understanding and acceptance, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes in a way he hoped was threatening. “Right. Oni. I am Oni. Yeah. That's me. Oni.”

“Kid...”

“Sorry! Let's go!”

Notes:

Quirk Query-
Back to Monoma's Copy Quirk, because it fascinates me. What if he tries to copy another copy Quirk? It'll probably just be redundant, but if it does work... Will it double the effects and make it stronger? Will he be able to copy two Quirks at once? What if it becomes a sort of All for One, where he ends up permanently copying the Quirks?

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Chapter 12: FINAL EXAMS

Summary:

All Might beats up some small children.

The class was panicking over what the practical part of the final exam would be. Ashido was pretty convinced they were fighting robots, which she was overjoyed about. Shouto caught Izuku's eye and raised a questioning eyebrow, to which he grinned subtly and shook his head. Both shared a private smile across the classroom before tuning back into the conversation.

“Hey, Deku,” Kacchan growled, his lip curled and his eyebrows twisted into a frown. “I don't know if you figured out how to use your Quirk a little or what, but you seriously keep rubbing me the wrong way.” His head was tilted down, glaring across the classroom. “I don't need another half-assed result like at the Sports Festival. At the upcoming finals, we'll get individual scores, so we'll see who is better, whether you like it or not.” He threw an arm forward, pointing aggressively. “I'll beat you with an indisputable difference! I'll kill you!”

It was tempting to say 'not if I kill you first,' but after being told how terrifying he could be, Izuku decided to remain vaguely amicable. “We'll see, Kacchan.”

The boy snarled before snapping his head to the side, glowering at the back of the classroom. “Todoroki! You, too!” He stomped away and slammed the door shut after him.

Uraraka stared after him for a moment before bouncing over to her friend, lightly clasping his hand to get a better look at his wrist. “I love your bracelets, Deku-kun! They're really cool. Oh, and you've got a matching choker!”

Izuku tried not to look too suspicious as he chuckled, gently withdrawing his arm because it would've been a difficult thing to explain if he was suddenly encased in Oni's armour. “T-thanks, Uraraka-san!”

Days passed in a blur of stressed studying and scribbling, and finally the written exams were over, and the relief was palpable in the air. They went to the practical exam area, off campus, faced with a group of teachers who stood outside the building. Kaminari confidently exclaimed that they'd be fighting robots, but that idea was quickly shot down by Principal Nedzu, who squirmed his way out of Aizawa's capture gear. Izuku had to slap a hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing at his teacher's utterly done expression as he got a paw to the face. The small, sudden movement was enough to gain Aizawa's attention, and he fixed Izuku under his patented dead-eyed stare with the intention of intimidating him into quieting down, but it only made the boy snort into his palm and hide his face behind his arms until he was calm once more.

He listened carefully as his teacher announced the match-ups, somewhat relieved to find nothing had changed from the alternate timeline. All Might presented the weights made by the support course as all the teachers strapped them to their wrists and ankles, weighing them down enough to give the students a better chance at victory. Before everyone split up, Izuku glanced between Kacchan and Shouto before heading over to the latter, pulling him aside.

“Shouto-kun, some words of advice...” He muttered to his friend, who looked more attentive. “Listen to Yao-Momo-san. The Sports Festival was rough for her confidence. She thinks you're better than her, so please, try to reassure her.”

“I see...” Shouto glanced over at his teammate, who was busy talking with some friends. “Thank you, Izuku. I'll do my best. Good luck.”

“You too,” he said with a wave before turning and heading to the viewing room.

Izuku and Uraraka observed the fights together. He could guess the outcome of each match before they even began, and so kept his focus on analysing every move of both students and teachers, committing their techniques to memory and already thinking of ways he could incorporate it into his own fighting style. It was a relief to see Shouto take his advice to heart, initiating conversation with his teammate before they got into the fight, and Izuku could see the self-assurance return to Yaoyorozu's posture. Uraraka did well in her match, using Thirteen's Quirk to get in close and slap on the cuffs. Seeing Kouda overcome his fear of insects in order to win the fight was just as inspiring as last time.

Soon enough, it was Izuku's turn, and he walked up to the front gates next to his childhood friend. The other boy clenched his gloved hands into fists, glaring sideways through narrowed eyes at Izuku, who paused before staring right back at him.

“Kacchan, I know you don't want to listen to me, but-”

“Then shut the hell up. I don't fuckin' need your help to win. I can beat All Might on my own, stupid Deku.”

Izuku gave him a withering look, so unexpected that his classmate was silent for once. He thought back to the way he'd been acting when he was fighting the Hero Killer, knowing that intimidation would be the only way to get through to Kacchan. Green sparks glittered over his form as he straightened up, raising his chin to stare at his friend with radioactive eyes.

“You can't win against All Might-san,” he said lowly, crossing his arms. “I know you don't want to run away to win, either. So, let's compromise. You're stronger than me, and if we keep fighting long enough, then you can fill up your gauntlets with sweat.”

Kacchan found his voice, squaring his shoulders aggressively. “No shit. The fuck did you think I was gonna do?”

“Just making sure.” He shrugged, dropping his threatening facade now that he had his friend's attention. “We were put together because Aizawa-sensei knows we don't get along, and he's hoping this will force us to change.”

“Fuckin' dumb.”

“Exactly – but, we should keep up the act and pretend we're not temporarily coordinating, so All Might-san underestimates us and we can take him by surprise when your gauntlets are charged. His first attack will be a punch so powerful it'll kick up the wind pressure and break buildings down the main street, so we should keep close to side alleys to avoid that.” Izuku let his arms drop back to his sides as he smiled cheekily. “If you ever want to make an opportunity for yourself against All Might-san, call him dad. He gets flustered and lets down his guard.”

“That's fuckin' weird, I'm not doing that, Deku. How'd you even know that, anyway?!” Kacchan wrinkled his nose, drawing away from his classmate with a look of disgust.

“Wh- Kacchan, no, not like that!” Izuku squeaked out, waving his hands. “You know what, nevermind. I do have one final thing to say before we start, and I have a feeling you might like it.” He grinned. “The moment we enter, punch me. As hard as you want.”

The boy bared his teeth wickedly, turning to the gate as it opened and they stepped inside. After a few more paces with Izuku rambling nervously about a fake plan, Kacchan whipped around and slammed his gauntlet into the student's face, hitting hard enough to knock him to the ground.

“Stop following me!” Kacchan snarled, continuing to stomp down the road. “We're not running away. I'm going to beat up All Might.”

Izuku put on a troubled expression, clutching his cheek with one hand as he picked himself back up. “Who do you think All Might-san is?!”

They continued on like that for a few more moments, looking the picture of complete and total failure. Izuku fell silent mid-sentence as he glanced down the street, seeing a cloud of dust rapidly heading towards them. He fired up One for All and bounced backwards, darting off the main street and tucking himself into an alley, hiding his face in his arm as the storm rolled past. It howled in his ears and tore through his hair, getting into his throat when he dared gasp in a breath.

The dust started to settle, and he glanced across the street, seeing Kacchan glowering right back at him from another alleyway, grit spraying out from his spiky blond hair as he shook his head violently. He pressed himself against the wall as he heard heavy footsteps, knowing All Might was approaching.

“Who gives a damn about damaging the city?” Their opponent said roughly, his voice devoid of warmth. “If you think of this as an exam, you'll be sorry.”

He stamped down a foot hard enough to generate another gale that cleared the rest of the dust. One blue eye glimmered through the shadows on his face, striking fear into the hearts of both boys.

“I am a villain, heroes. Come at me with everything you've got!” All Might exclaimed, steering his piercing gaze from one side to the other as he searched for the pair.

“We can't fight him head on. Let's run!” Izuku choked out, shaking his head subtly even as he did so.

“Don't tell me what to do!” Kacchan yelled right back, his grin easily misunderstood as a frown.

He slipped out from the alleyway, immediately raising an arm and stabilising it with the other hand to fire off a Stun Grenade at All Might. The hero rushed forwards and grabbed the kid's face, but the explosions just kept stubbornly coming. Izuku leapt out of his hiding place, dropping into a slide and jamming a foot into the back of the man's knees to make him teeter unsteadily, consequently dropping the student in favour of keeping his cautious gaze on the other one. The boy froze up, pretending to be intimidated as he stumbled backwards a few paces.

“Is that all you've got? That was pathetic!” Kacchan snapped, shooting in close and letting off an explosion against the hero's ribs. “I thought you were supposed to be stronger th-”

His words were cut off as All Might moved so suddenly he seemed to vanish, appearing behind the volatile student and grabbing the back of his costume to slam him into the ground so hard the concrete cracked. Kacchan made a strained noise of pain upon impact, and within a moment the hero was back next to Izuku, who fired up 5% of his power and leapt backwards into the air, only to be snatched from the sky by a large hand and thrown into the side of a building.

“This is no good,” All Might boomed, smug enough to let both students recover.

Izuku dropped back to the pavement, his face grazed and dusty. Kacchan pulled himself to his feet, sweat trickling down his neck. He dipped his head so his blond hair obscured his black mask, gritting his teeth and stomping towards their opponent, who stood as unmoving as a statue.

“Kacchan!”

“Move.”

“I told you, there's no way you can win facing him head on!” Izuku raised a fist, his tone pleading but something in his blank gaze giving away his true intentions.

“Shut up,” Kacchan rasped, continuing to move. “I'll win.”

The green-haired boy reached out a hand to his classmate, only to be roughly shrugged off. He looked skyward with widening eyes at the words of All Might, suddenly pinned against the ground with a torn fence. The hero hopped away, launching forwards and slamming a brutal fist into the other student's gut, causing him to vomit, tumbling backwards through the air before crashing back down onto the street, face-first in the dirt. Izuku pushed his spine against the warped metal bar as All Might walked over to stand beside his friend, offering some words of advice in a low tone.

He fired up his Quirk, flinging the fence off him and darting forwards, violently tackling Kacchan to the ground to stop him from getting knocked out by the hero. Izuku screamed out whatever words were on his mind, watching as his friend rolled through the dust and came to a stop at the edge of the pavement before shooting forwards and picking him up, sprinting into a alleyway. The volatile boy struggled until he was unceremoniously dropped, the two of them slumping against opposite walls to catch their breath and try to recover.

“He won't even budge with half-assed power, I figured that out earlier with those consecutive hits.” Kacchan growled quietly, raising his head a little and holding out an arm. “They're charged.”

“It isn't strong enough to wipe him out, but it'll definitely hurt him a lot,” Izuku muttered.

The boy slipped one off his arm, glaring to one side as he offered it. “If we fight him on both sides, we'll have the advantage.”

He nodded, taking the grenade-shaped gauntlet and placing it on his forearm. They dared spend a few more moments to recuperate before they split up. Izuku waited until he heard the explosion before jumping out behind All Might, steadying both his stance and his arm as he pulled the pin. The blast pushed him backwards, and he glanced up, watching his friend soar over his head for a second before firing up One for All and darting after him, making the most of their gained time even though he had a feeling it wouldn't be enough, just like last time.

Even though he expected it, seeing the muscular hero suddenly appear between them was a surprise. Kacchan immediately moved to set off a blast, only for a fist to shatter his gauntlet. Izuku dropped his Quirk to come to a sudden stop, preventing the other one from getting destroyed as he cradled it in his grasp. It was just dead weight on him now that he'd set off the explosion, but it was important to get it back to his friend so he could use his Quirk without straining his muscles. He moved it behind his back, wincing as he watched his classmate get punched into the side of a building and plummet back down into the dirt.

All Might placed a boot down on the boy's spine, glancing to the side to stare down Izuku with an unsettling grin. “What will you do? Will you save your friend, hero? Or will you run to the escape gate?”

The student analysed the situation, making sure to keep the gauntlet hidden under the pretence of holding a hand to his back, as if still in pain from the fence crushed over his body. He made a tactical decision to set off his waterworks, allowing his expression to crumple as he let a soft sob, fat tears rolling down his freckled cheeks.

“What kind of face is that, Young Izuku?” All Might taunted, but there was a faint waver in his tone.

His head dipped and his shoulders sagged. He took an unsteady step backwards, shakes racking his form.

“All Might-san... I...” Izuku choked out, making sure to back up far enough that the hero would need to move off his friend, before collapsing to his knees. “I-I'm sorry, please, d-don't-”

“It's over,” The man said lowly, pressing his foot down until Kacchan fell onto his stomach before leaping forwards, raising a fist to hit the other student.

Wind whipped around his form, tugging at the boy's clothes as he stayed still, looking defeated. He waited patiently, listening to the hero's approach. When All Might was less than a foot in front of him, his head snapped up, a wickedly wide grin splitting his face for a moment before he ignited One for All, vanishing within a split-second. He skidded to a halt next to his friend, forcefully pulling him up and handing over the gauntlet, which Kacchan was hasty to shove on, despite his trembling hands.

“I didn't need your help,” he ground out, swaying slightly on his feet.

“I needed yours,” Izuku said simply.

Kacchan was silent for a moment before he grabbed the metal mouth-guard around the boy's neck, drawing back his arm before flinging Izuku forwards with the help of an explosion. He tried to stabilise himself in the air, spreading out his arms and keeping his legs tucked up to his body. All Might yelled something the boy couldn't hear over the rush of air in his ears, but a second later something solid slammed into his spine, the pain making him let out a cry that was quickly cut off when he plummeted into the ground so hard he bounced, tumbling into the side of a coach before crashing back down. He dug his fingers into the concrete, squinting through the haze in his blurry vision and watching as Kacchan blasted his way over, aiming another massive explosion at All Might.

Izuku picked himself back up, flinching with every spark of agony that shot down his spine. He inhaled slowly, reaching his arms into the air before bending over and touching his toes, hoping that stretching would ease up the injury a little.

All Might emerged from the smoke, only to take a huge blast to the face. The size was awe-inspiring, but that meant it was also taking a toll on Kacchan's arms, even with the assistance of the gauntlet. He leapt between his classmate and the hero, palms glowing with his Quirk, but All Might easily dodged to the side, grabbing him and hurling him back to earth. Dust swirled around the scene as Izuku stared in horror, his eyes widening as the cloud cleared, displaying the hero crouching over the student, one hand pressed into the kid's face to keep him in the dirt.

“Sorry, but as a teacher, I'm a little traumatised when you destroy your own body to fight,” the man admitted, looking taken aback as the boy reached up, clasping his hand weakly around All Might's wrist and setting off pathetic little firecracker explosions.

“Hurry up... go... damn nerd...!” Kacchan wheezed out, only to freeze and narrow his eyes, letting his hand drop and his body go limp. “Let go... You're hurting me... dad.”

The effect was immediate. All Might tensed up, flinching away as if he'd been struck, his smile faltering. Izuku fired up One for All, blinking forwards with what was definitely more than 5% of his power. He hoisted his friend up, twisted his body to slam a foot into the hero's head, then dashed back towards the escape gate. The boy let Kacchan go just before they crossed through, allowing him to walk on his own, despite his injuries.

Izuku let out a huff of air, running a gloved hand through his sweaty hair to comb it from his eyes. He glanced at his friend, who stared right back at him, and for a moment the two of them were silent, unsure how to interact after the distinct lack of animosity between them during the exam. Izuku closed his eyes for a moment before holding out a hand, tilting his head with a determined smile.

“Be my rival, Kacchan,” he stated expectantly, tone heavy with hope.

Kacchan clicked his tongue, standing up straighter and slamming his palm against the other boy's, shaking hands with needless ferocity. “I'll be the number one hero, Deku – don't think this changes anything.”

Izuku's grin merely widened. Things were going well.

Notes:

Quirk Query-
One for All! Is there a sort of cooldown period between transferences? Does the power need to be cultivated over time in order to get stronger, or does it happen automatically with every new holder? Can it be passed to the same person more than once? Could it just get passed back and forth between two people to rapidly power it up? Would they have to re-adjust every time they receive it? Since the power doesn't immediately vanish from the original holder after transference, could two heroes work in tandem with the same Quirk without it ever fading from one if they continue to switch One for All between them?

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Chapter 13: PATROL

Summary:

Izuku and Aizawa bicker. That's it. That's the chapter.

Between school, training, and patrolling, Izuku was feeling strained. He'd almost forgotten how stressful it was to be a Pro Hero, but it was also exhilarating to be back in the saddle, able to beat up villains in his downtime, even if they were mostly petty criminals since Aizawa didn't trust him to not die just yet. Apparently, he was going to stick with his teacher until he was older or more experienced, which is when he'd join All Might fighting a higher calibre of villain.

“Eraserhead, duck!” Izuku – as Oni – called through his helmet, flinging a large chunk of concrete towards the tiny villain.

They were currently fighting a man barely a foot tall, dressed like a literal garden gnome and aptly named Gnomen. From what they'd experienced so far, it seemed as if his Quirk was some kind of sixth sense that allowed him to pre-empt attacks, which meant he was proving to be a massive annoyance to the pair as they attempted to take him down. He kept darting behind things to avoid Eraserhead's gaze, catching enough time to be able to predict what they would try next. It felt stupid to be bumbling around in a rundown part of town, unable to beat a toddler-sized human wearing a bright crimson pointed hat.

“Nice job,” Eraserhead responded exasperatedly as the villain slipped away once more.

“Thanks,” Oni shot back sarcastically, jumping up onto a wall and rapidly turning a corner as he tailed his target.

He dropped down in front of Gnomen – he hated how the name simultaneously made him want to keel over laughing and want to punch something – and swiped out to try and catch him, only for the villain to step on his hands, stomp down on his helmet, then jump down over his back. Oni whipped around, practically throwing himself forwards with a boost from One for All, leaning forwards to press his palms into the ground and do a backflip over Gnomen, who skidded to a halt when the hero landed in a crouch in front of him. Aizawa twisted around the corner into the alley, a whirl of light grey capture gear and black hair with eyes that undoubtedly glinted red behind his yellow goggles.

“Time's up,” Oni said lowly, his modulated voice dark and intimidating.

The villain nervously backed up a step, glancing over his shoulder at the underground Pro Hero. He looked back at Oni, who was glaring at him with slitted eyes. Gnomen suddenly pitched forwards, lowering his head and stabbing his pointed hat towards Oni, who just about managed to angle his torso to the side so it brushed past his suit. Ribbons lashed out and snapped around the tiny body, locking his arms to his sides and keeping him in one place despite his frantically wiggling legs.

“What took you so long to capture him?” Oni growled, raising a hand to tentatively rub at his side as he thought about how humiliating it would be to die from being impaled on a garden gnome hat.

“I was too busy feeling embarrassed for you – time's up, really, Oni?” Aizawa countered with his lips curved into a disappointed frown.

“You're telling me that's not a cool catchphrase?!” He cried indignantly, crossing his arms over the hourglass insignia on his chest and glowering at his partner.

“It's a terrible pun,” the teacher deadpanned, grabbing the squirming villain and turning to leave. “It's time to take this idiot to the police. Come on.”

Oni muttered with irritation under his breath, reluctantly trudging along like a petulant child behind his father. He raised a gloved hand to his mouth as if to muffle his short laugh, forgetting the helmet, and consequently gaining a suspicions look from Aizawa.

“Something funny?” The man inquired with barely-concealed danger in his tone.

“Absolutely nothing, Eraserhead. Don't even worry about it.” Oni waved a hand dismissively, a wicked grin hidden inside his costume. “Just your resident demon having a little giggle.”

Aizawa looked as if he was going to dig further, but someone fell out of the sky in front of him, tumbling across the tarmac. Oni came to a stop next to his partner, slowly raising his eyebrows as he recognised the leather jacket and curved spike of vibrant yellow hair. Present Mic picked himself up, adjusting the broken glasses over his nose and suddenly breaking out in a bright grin at the sight of his friend, as if he hadn't just plummeted from an unknown location.

“Eraser!” The man exclaimed happily, offering some finger guns, only to wince and cradle one hand. “My friend, my buddy, my pal... Midnight and I were just fighting some villains, and we were totally winning, and-”

“You need my help,” Aizawa said shortly, already tying Gnomen to a nearby lamppost and calling the police.

“As observant as ever!” Mic beamed with a slightly pained laugh, before his gaze strayed to the shorter figure next to his friend. “Ah, is this a sidekick of yours? I never knew you were one for sidekicks! 1-A really has changed you for the better, huh?”

“He's not a sidekick. Where's the villain?” The teacher looked around himself, adamantly ignoring the mischievously squinted gaze of his partner.

“A friend, then? That's a miracle! Everyone's usually driven away by your personality. I don't see the problem, I think your blunt words and death glares are very endearing.” The man chuckled jubilantly again when he was stared down with bloodshot eyes. “That's exactly what I mean! So, he's a friend?”

Aizawa paused, glancing sideways at Oni before starting to walk in a random direction. “He's not a friend.”

“That's not very nice, Eraserhead. I really thought we were bonding lately. I was going to invite you over for tea and everything,” Oni snarked back, jogging to catch up as his teacher quickened his pace.

“I'm going to make the next few years of your life hell, kid,” his teacher warned in a threatening tone, flashing his Quirk for effect.

“Well, I've already made the next ten years of your life hell, so I think I'm the winner here.” The boy grinned secretly, thoroughly enjoying being able to talk back to his teacher in such a casual manner.

Aizawa reached back to flick the boy's chest, merely eliciting laughter that sounded a little terrifying through the voice-changer. Mic was stumbling over his own feet as he looked between the two heroes, observing their interactions with an open mouth. They moved in silence for a few more paces as the Pro Hero tried to make sense of what he'd just seen and heard.

“Is your Quirk to do with time, then?” The man asked loudly, clearly managing to put two and two together.

Oni eyes narrowed in a way that could possibly be considered amused. “Perhaps,” he said mysteriously.

Mic was unperturbed, continuing to bounce along. “What's your name?”

“Oni,” he responded coolly, tensing up when he heard some crashing noises.

A moment later, another person came flying down the street towards them, thudding heavily against the ground before picking herself up and brushing her long, black hair from her eyes. Midnight briefly took her eyes off the end of the street, noticing the trio and licking her lips at the stranger, who tried not to shift uncomfortably on his feet under her heated gaze.

“What's the situation?” Aizawa inquired blandly, stepping a little to the side and – wait, did he just block Oni from Midnight's view?

“Five villains,” she informed eventually. “They're either resistant to my Quirk or have masks to counter it.”

“Two with mutant-type Quirks. One who can create smokescreens. Another who has some kind of thermal vision. The final can make shields,” Mic added, moving forwards and taking in a deep breath before bellowing out a yell.

The soundwaves were enough to clear away the smoke at the end of the street, but there was no-one there. Immediately, the heroes shifted into a loose circle, scanning their surroundings for the missing villains. Oni yelped out a noise that was a mingled warning and exclamation of surprise as several quills suddenly shot towards him. He dodged out the way, already staring at the villain who stood in the shadows of a building, more quills covering his back like he was some kind of giant porcupine.

Igniting One for All, the boy darted forwards in a blur of black, getting behind his enemy in less than a second and landing a few surprise jabs on the areas that weren't covered in spikes. He pivoted aside to avoid another thin spear, ducking low and grabbing the sides of the man's face to slam a knee into his nose, hard enough to cause him to crumple to the ground, unconscious. Oni grasped the front of the villain's shirt and pulled him into the main street before turning and automatically leaping in to help Aizawa, who was struggling with the other mutant-type villain.

They easily moved in tandem, having grown used to one another's movements over the weeks of patrols and classes. Oni would get in close to land some heavy hits, then Aizawa would take advantage of the distraction to wrap up the enemy and force them out of commission. The second villain was dumped next to the first, quickly joined by two others as the Pro Heroes quickly dispatched their opponents. One coughed up a feeble smokescreen that was simple enough to clear with a wave of a hand. There was only one last villain, and-

Something hard slammed into the side of Oni's helmet, knocking him off balance and causing the visual display to fizzle for a moment, flickering in and out of existence. He gritted his teeth, making the most of what he could see in the snippets of video and working out that the shield-Quirk villain had ambushed them. Midnight had somehow been wrapped up in her own whip, leaving her struggling on the ground. Mic seemed to have been hit over the head as well, but it seemed like he wasn't as lucky and there was a trickle of blood sliding down his temple as he swayed slightly in place. Aizawa was on high alert, Quirk activated and capture weapon levitating over his shoulders.

The video feed in his helmet gave up the ghost, fading to black and leaving him dangerously vulnerable. He had the option of removing the headgear, but he doubted that would be a great idea with so many people present. Oni took in a breath and closed his eyes, widening his stance so he was steady and straining his ears for any noises.

All three Pro Heroes were exchanging words with a faintly frustrated undertone. He understood how they felt, really, since they shouldn't be struggling so much with just the one villain. There was a soft, buzzing thrum of energy to his right, higher than ground level, and he frowned for a moment before taking a stupid risk and literally running blindly into potential danger. He could recall the layout of the street, and he hoped that he hadn't made a horrible mistake as he activated his Quirk and leapt upwards. His feet touched down on solid ground a little sooner than he expected, making the landing a little clumsy, but he didn't have time to critique himself as he heard the villain yell angrily and rush towards him.

Heavy footsteps pounded closer over the concrete. Huffs of breath grew louder as the girl got in close proximity. He moved to counter a hit, but something ended up slamming down on his arm. Oni winced and backed up a step, in danger of falling off the roof in any second. Another hit to his side left him feeling more irritated and disoriented, stumbling over his own feet as he attempted to work out what was going on. It felt like a lifetime, when in reality it was probably only a few seconds.

Finally, he noticed a pattern, staying still and allowing her to approach for a fourth time before twisting his torso and shoving a palm into her chest, winding her and forcing her to stop, before he swung around and grabbed onto her shoulder, pushing her down onto the floor and holding her in place. A rush of air signified someone else landing nearby, and he froze up for a moment before recognising the light and lazy footsteps of his teacher.

“Your helmet's cracked,” Aizawa commented, something faintly resembling concern in his tone.

“Yeah, I can't see anything,” he muttered, patting around him to work out the ground before getting off the villain and hearing the fwip of fabric as she was constricted.

“Nothing at all?”

“That's generally what can't see anything means, yeah.” He cautiously got to his feet, automatically raising his hands in case there was something nearby.

A palm rested reassuringly on his shoulder and he automatically reached up to touch it, sidling a little closer to the man for some form of comfort since it was, frankly, terrifying to suddenly go blind.

Aizawa made a noise of consideration, one foot scraping against the concrete as he turned. “We'll need to get that fixed as soon as possible.”

If anyone asked, it was pure coincidence that one of the practical lessons the next week involved sensory deprivation fights. And, in fact, Izuku did ask, his expression and tone conveying nothing but absolute innocence as he blinked amicably up at his teacher, who huffed and shoved the student out the door without a word.

Notes:

Quirk Query -
Stain. So he slurps up some blood to paralyse people, right? Does it work on animals, too? Does the blood have to be fresh, or could he just... go to a blood bank and lick all the samples and then there's this epidemic of people randomly collapsing across Japan? What if he licked his own blood?

Okay, yeah, it probably wouldn't work, but hear me out - imagine Midoriya works out Stain's Quirk, subtly draws blood from the villain, and then very obviously smears some of Stain's blood on his own cheeks. Stain, of course, thinks he sees an opportunity to paralyse the little git, but then he's the one who can't move and he's just like ??!!
Honestly that would be funny as hell. Maybe I'm just easily amused. Maybe both? Both is good.

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Chapter 14: SHIGARAKI

Summary:

Izuku meets some dude with a hand fetish at the mall.

The boy watched Uraraka sprint away from him, off to get some bug spray. He tilted his head with fond amusement, grasping the straps of his yellow backpack as he glanced around him at the mall. There were people everywhere, and the building was filled with humming chatter as they enjoyed the pleasant day. Izuku stared around him, ignoring the twist of dread in his stomach and trying to act happily oblivious.

“Oh, it's someone from UA, cool!” Someone in a black hoodie approached him. “Let me have your autogra-”

Izuku's expression didn't change as he blinked innocently up at the newcomer, a hint of venom in his tone. “Shigaraki-san! Let's talk.”

The stranger stiffened, clearly not expecting that kind of response. He raised an arm with the intention of slinging a casual arm over the kid's shoulders, but faltered when Izuku lifted his phone, his thumb hovering over the call button.

“Touch me, and the police will be here in a flash,” he said cheerfully.

“You think you're in any place to threaten me? One touch and you'll turn to dust in less than a minute. Even if you try something, before I'm caught I could crumble twenty – no, thirty people...” Shigaraki drawled, chuckling airily. “Since we've got this chance, why don't we sit down and have a chat?”

Izuku shrugged nonchalantly, constantly reminding himself that he could easily take down the villain without any casualties if he needed to and remembering that the Hero Killer himself called him scary. He settled down comfortably, patting the space next to him with a snarky smile. Shigaraki twitched, a hand going to his neck as if to scratch before he forcefully shoved it back in the pocket of his hoodie. He sat down, hunched over so his face was mostly hidden from view, ragged locks of pale blue hair curling out from beneath his hood.

“Anyway, I hate everything, but what pisses me off the most right now is the Hero Killer,” he mumbled, narrowing his eyes.

“Yeah, he's all over the news,” Izuku hummed thoughtfully. “You sent all those Noumus to wreak havoc, and there wasn't a single mention of you.”

“That's the problem. The media think the League of Villains is working with Stain, but almost everyone is looking at the Hero Killer. Everything was upstaged by him...” He spat bitterly. “No-one's looking at me. Why is that? No matter how much he boasts, in the end he just destroyed what he didn't like, right?” Shigaraki turned his head, leering down at the boy. “What do you think the difference is between me and him, Midoriya? What's the difference between me and you? The Hero Killer noticed you, and respected you... He compared you with All Might. What do you have that I don't, huh?”

“What's the difference?” Izuku mused in a whisper, acting as if he needed a few moments to collect his thoughts. “I don't agree with Stain, but I understand him... At that time, I was saved. At the very least, he wasn't destroying just because he wanted to. He didn't just abandon it it vain, like you did. Even if the way he did it was wrong, he was trying to live up to his ideals, I think. So... it's conviction. Both the Hero Killer and All Might-san have known values – Stain wants to return to the old ideas of heroes, and All Might-san wants people to feel safe. That's why Stain respected me, probably, because I want to be like All Might-san.”

Shigaraki sighed heavily, a twisted smile tearing at his dry lips. “It's like a weight off my chest. I feel like I've connected the dots. Why the Hero Killer pisses me off, and why you irritate me... I feel like I understand, now...” He wheezed out a grating laugh, red eyes squinted and teeth bared. “Everything's because of All Might. Yeah, that's it... When all's said and done, that's where I ended up.” He faced forward again with another strained chuckle, grinning wildly. “What was I worrying so much about? These guys are smiling thoughtlessly because All Might is smiling thoughtlessly. Even you, when you're in danger... You don't seem afraid of me at all, because you have so much blind faith in heroes who will only let you down.”

“That's when you become your own hero,” Izuku responded quietly, clenching his hands on his knees.

“What?” Shigaraki said, almost dazedly, his horribly gleeful expression faltering.

“You can't always rely on everyone else, because – you're right – there are people heroes can't save. There won't always be someone there when you, or someone else, needs it most. And when that time comes...” The boy paused, sitting up straighter and daring to place a hand on his companion's shoulder, digging his fingers into the black fabric, both to be threatening and to capture his entire attention. “You have to take a look at yourself and realise that you have the capability to help, too.”

There was a long silence where the two of them stared at each other. Shigaraki's face was twitching, contorting into a snarl, and his pale hand snapped out of his pocket to press against Izuku's ribs challengingly, three fingers and a thumb pressing through his thin t-shirt and stabbing into his skin. The boy barely reacted, letting his hand crackle with a dangerous green energy, not loosening his grip even as the other's grasp grew painful, glaring at each other with hatred. Shigaraki let his final finger drop, curling into the white fabric until a patch of it turned a rusted brown and disintegrated, turning to dust that crumpled over the bench.

“Deku-kun?” Uraraka mumbled uncertainly. “A friend...? No...” Her brown eyes widened as her face paled. “Get your hands off him...”

After a tense pause, both the villain and the future hero let go of each other. Izuku placed a palm over his exposed side protectively, relieved to find the only marks on his skin were red crescent moons from the other's nails. Shigaraki returned to his civilian persona, raising his hands in a playful apology as he closed his eyes, smiling.

“Oh, you had a friend with you? Sorry 'bout that,” he said cheerfully, turning his head to glance at the boy. “I'm off, then.” He dropped his voice to a dark murmur, “If you try following me, I'll get angry.”

The villain stood up, head dipped and hands safely tucked back in his pockets. Uraraka stared at him cautiously for a moment before rushing to her friend, crouching before the bench and reaching out a nervous hand as if to help.

“Deku-kun!” She exclaimed frantically, brushing her fingers over his wrist until he moved his hand, revealing his unharmed side. “T-that was...”

“Wait, Shigaraki Tomura,” Izuku called sharply, placing a comforting palm on his friend's back as she tensed up again. “I wish we'd met before he'd convinced you life is war – we might've been friends. Maybe... maybe we still can be.”

The villain paused. “You should be careful. The next time we meet will likely be when I have decided to kill you.”

Uraraka shot to her feet, posture defensive as she stared after the retreating figure of Shigaraki before he was lost in the crowds. She gazed tensely for a few more seconds before slowly turning back to her friend, cautiously sitting down next to him.

“A-are you okay?” She asked, glancing down at the bench before brushing off the dusted remains of his shirt.

“Yeah, I'm alright,” he said lowly, lifting the edge of his top to reveal more of his ribs to emphasise his point when he noticed her shaken look. “See? He didn't hurt me.”

“I-I'll... I'll call the police.”

Later on, Izuku walked out a side door of the police station with Tsukauchi, whose face was angular and friendly, with gentle, brown eyes that had glowed with reassurance the entire time the boy was being interviewed. It was dark outside, and he blinked a few times, trying to get used to the sudden change after being in a brightly lit room for a while.

“Young Izuku! Tsukauchi-kun!” Toshinori called, trudging down the alley with a hand raised in greeting. His shadowed blue eyes were wide with concern and his bright blond hair was more dishevelled than usual, as if he'd run his fingers through it more than once.

“Toshi-san? Why...?” He mumbled, rushing up to the tall man.

There was a faint chuckle of disbelief from the officer at the informal referral, but he otherwise didn't comment on it. “I had some personal business to talk with him about.”

His mentor lifted an arm, patting the boy on the head and leaving his hand there a few moments longer than necessary, a relieved smile smoothing out his stressed features. “Oh, good, I'm glad you're okay. I'm sorry I couldn't save you.”

“It's okay,” he assured warmly, eyes big and bright with earnest. “You can't save everyone on your own, and that's okay.”

The man was taken aback for a second before he relaxed, cracking a fond grin as he reached out and pulled his successor into a loose hug. Izuku pressed his face contentedly into Toshinori's chest, carefully wrapping his arms around his hero's torso. Blessedly, Tsukauchi had the decency to stay quiet, letting them have their moment of comfort that they both clearly needed.

“Izuku!” A woman called, her voice high and frantic.

He pulled out of the embrace, turning to watch in surprise as his mother jogged over to him, stumbling once but never faltering. She stopped in front of him, one arm raised to her chest with a handkerchief clutched in a fist. Her cheeks were red and tears pooled in her green gaze, her expression one of utmost distress. Inko stepped forward, lightly grabbing the boy's forearm.

“Izuku, I can't take this anymore. My heart can't take it,” she whispered to him miserably.

His heart broke over her tone, and it took all his willpower to not burst into tears. He leaned into her, slinging an arm over her shoulders to pull her close, rubbing her back as she cried into her handkerchief.

“Sorry. It's fine. I'm fine. Don't cry,” he told her softly. “The heroes and police were taking good care of me.”

On the car ride home, Izuku sat close to her in the back seat, linking their arms together and interlacing their fingers. She seemed to have run out of tears, looking troubled as she gazed at her feet in silence. He rested his head on her shoulder, humming a low, soothing tune, trying to remind her as much as possible that he really was okay. After a few minutes, she squeezed his hand lightly, lifting her other arm across her body to affectionately comb her fingers through his wild, green curls.

A lot happened in his first term at UA, but it was finally over, and the summer holidays were soon to arrive.

Somehow, that thought wasn't as comforting as it should've been.

*

Izuku stood in the doorway of the teacher's lounge. Aizawa looked up upon their entrance, staring blandly as Kaminari questioned whether they had permission to use the pool. The teacher informed them that the school had granted their request, looking faintly amused as the three of them bowed sincerely. His classmates were quick to leave, eager to get to the pool, but Izuku paused.

“Something you need, Midoriya?” Aizawa inquired, lowering the sheets of paper in his grasp to give his student his full attention.

“Uh.” Truthfully, he wasn't sure why he had stopped, since he couldn't give away the awful events that would unfold during summer camp. “You, um... I hope you're not overworking yourself planning this trip, sensei.”

The man raised his eyebrows slightly. “What makes you say that?”

Izuku shrugged sheepishly, dropping his gaze and fiddling with his fingers. “You just seemed a little more tired and stressed than usual. Please take care of yourself.”

Vlad King grinned, baring his sharp fangs and huffing with laughter. “I can see why you like this kid, Eraserhead.”

Aizawa shot the man a dangerous look, his eyes flashing red, but it was too late. Izuku's face was graced with a grin that seemed to light up the room, happy tears welling up in his eyes that may have been slightly exaggerated for the sake of subtly teasing his stoic teacher, not that he'd ever admit that.

“You care about me, Aizawa-sensei?!” He whispered, voice breaking.

“This is your fault.” The man glared pointedly at his fellow staff member, who just bellowed with laughter. “Run along, problem child. Your friends are waiting for you.”

“Oh, right!” Izuku rapidly spun, only to hesitate once more with his hand on the doorframe. “Um... Sensei...”

“What now?” Aizawa huffed, fixing his student with a withering stare that might've been a tiny bit fond.

“If you have some spare time... You're welcome to join us down at the pool,” he offered amicably. “You too, Vlad King.”

“Midoriya...” The teacher grumbled exasperatedly.

Izuku snickered at his face, motioning his hands in a lazy surrender. “Alright, okay. See you later!”

Notes:

Quirk Query -
So I was messaging my friend about our love for Tokoyami, and I came to a horrible realisation. Did he hatch out of an egg? Or was he born, mammalian style? If he did hatch, there are... so many things I don't want to think about. I hate this??? I love my bird boy, but the concept of his existence is, quite frankly, petrifying.

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Chapter 15: TRAINING CAMP

Summary:

Izuku uses his smarts and has an unfair advantage.

Notes:

You guys are really going "Plus Ultra" with the comments, oh my goodness. Thank you for your support, you're all such lovely, wonderful people!! Uhh I hope you're having a good day, but if you're not... this chapter is pretty lighthearted and cute, so maybe it'll lift your spirits a little? If that doesn't work umm...

What does a clock do when it's hungry?
It goes back four seconds!!!
*finger-guns* YEAAAAAHHHHH-

Anyway, don't forget to take care of yourselves!! Take your meds and drink lots and sleep well!!! I love you!!!!

Izuku was the last off the coach, yawning and stretching with a little noise of contentment when his back clicked. He sleepily trudged over to Aizawa, who stared down at him vacantly.

“I take it you slept on the ride here?” The man inquired, although with his bland tone it sounded more like a statement.

“Not going to get much sleep while we're here,” he said tiredly in response, offering a drawn smile.

“Almost forgot you were omniscient,” Aizawa huffed, glancing down at the boy's tie. “Are you ever going to fix that thing?”

Izuku looked at his chest, lifting up the crumpled red fabric with a curious blink. “I never... I never really got a chance to learn.”

“Hm.” The teacher surveyed the horizon, shifting his stance and putting his weight on one leg. “When we get a moment, remind me.”

“Remind you what?”

Aizawa turned his head with a faintly amused expression. “I thought you were smart, kid. Remind me to teach you how to tie a tie. I think it's a waste of time, but some idiots will take you more seriously if you don't have that mess wrapped around your throat.”

“It's not that bad,” Izuku muttered with a subtle pout, smoothing down the rumpled folds of his tie.

“Yes, it is,” he deadpanned. “Go chat with your classmates. And no using too much of your power.”

The boy mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like 'okay, dad,' before obeying, offering a friendly wave to Kouta, who just sneered and turned his face away. It wasn't long before they were thrown over the cliff in a wave of dirt, and only he was prepared, lighting up his Quirk and leaping up before he could get dragged over. He beamed over his shoulder at his teacher and the Pussycats, then dropped out of sight, landing lightly next to his friends, who stared at him with something akin to confusion.

When the first beast arose from the soil, it caused a panic, but was quickly dealt with. Many more creatures in the image of the supernatural were formed from earth and stone, feeling no pain and focusing only on attacking the students. Somewhere near the midway point, when everyone was starting to show signs of exhaustion, Izuku had an epiphany that made him grin with mischief. He hopped over to Tenya, helping him take down a monster to give them an interlude to interact.

“I have an idea that might make this easier for everyone,” he said excitedly. “Do you think the class can deal with this without me for a little while?”

Tenya glanced around, surveying the situation before nodding. “Do what you need to, Izuku-kun. We can handle ourselves.”

Izuku gave a cheerful thumbs-up, smiling through the dirt and grazes on his face, before firing up his Quirk and launching off a tree. He knew that Ragdoll would likely notice him breaking off from the group at a rapid pace and tell her teammate, and sure enough, moments later the earth writhed beneath him and another beast sprung forth, but he just jumped into the air and leapt on its head, using it to gain height. It didn't take long for him to see the building he was aiming for, and he kept up the pace with 5% of his power, completing some impressive feats of athleticism as he rocketed through the forest with the finesse of a gymnast.

He burst into the clearing, stumbling a few paces as he slowed down on the even terrain. Izuku raised his head, seeing his teacher and the two Pussycats waiting for him on the front steps, staring with mingled amazement and confusion. As much as he wanted to put his plan into action straight away, using so little of his power and doing so much sprinting had worn him out, so he spent a few moments just wheezing for breath, trudging around in messy circles to stop his legs from seizing up.

“You have impressive speed, little one, but teamwork is important. You shouldn't have just left your classmates to fight alone,” Mandalay scolded him lightly.

“Unless,” he gasped out, standing up straighter with a sly smile. “You have a better plan.” He swiped a glove across his forehead to clear some sweat, turning his burning gaze on his teacher. “Sometimes, heroes need to retreat and fetch back-up if the situation calls for it. Aizawa-sensei, can you use your Quirk on Pixie-Bob-san?”

Aizawa suddenly tucked his head lower into his capture gear until the bottom half of his face was concealed, but the corners of his eyes crinkled and gave away the fact that he was actually smiling. Izuku almost passed out from shock – or maybe it was the exhaustion – and found himself grinning dazedly back at him.

“Is... is that allowed?” Mandalay glanced between the other adults, who seemed just as perplexed.

“He made a valid point, and his plan is effective,” Aizawa pointed out with a shrug, tugging a strip of his weapon loose as he activated his Quirk on the young woman, loosely wrapping up her torso in a gentle imitation of an actual fight.

Pixie-Bob blinked in confusion for a moment before breaking into a tiny, astounded smile. “Okay, you win. You're smart for such a little one. Do you want to come inside while we wait for your friends to arrive?”

He shook his head. “No, thank you. I'll go back and help them get here if they're too tired to walk.”

Izuku turned around and flung himself back into the forest, swinging off branches to propel himself forwards until he found his classmates once more. Most of them were standing around piles of unmoving dirt, staring at it suspiciously, as if they were expecting it to leap back up at them at any moment. Tenya and a few others joined the group, and the class rep looked curiously at his friend.

“I take it your plan worked, Izuku-kun?” He commented, causing several heads to turn to stare at their classmate. “Might I ask what it was you did?”

“I went to Aizawa-sensei and got him to use his Quirk on Pixie-Bob,” he said with short laugh. “They agreed that it was allowed, even if it was a unique way of tackling the problem.”

“I'd never have even thought of that!” Uraraka exclaimed with a bubbly laugh, looking in awe at her friend.

“Does that mean we can go and have lunch now?” Ashido said hopefully, rubbing at one of her pale yellow horns to wipe off some dirt.

Izuku nodded with a grin. “Yeah, we're free to go. Does anyone need – or, um, want – to be carried back?”

Jirou rapped her knuckles against the side of Kaminari's head. “This idiot fried his brain. Mind taking him?”

The boy withheld a snicker at his classmate's vacantly content face, walking over and easily picking him up, bridal style. “I can probably take one more person if they're okay with a piggyback.”

Shouto glanced sideways at Yaoyorozu, who had her arm wrapped around her abdomen. “I think Yaoyorozu should.”

“No, no - I'm alright!” She insisted weakly, but her stomach grumbled loudly, completely contradicting her.

“Shouto-kun is correct,” Tenya stated with an authoritative chop. “You've used up the most energy due to fighting and utilising your Quirk. It would be bad for you to collapse from exhaustion on the way back.”

“Well... If you're sure it's okay, Midoriya-kun,” she said uncertainly, stepping over to him.

“It's fine!” He insisted. “You'll have to hold on yourself, though, since, uh... Yeah. Sorry.”

She hesitated for a moment before settling herself on his back, legs wrapped tightly around his torso and arms loosely around his neck. He didn't even falter under the added weight, merely flaring up green and starting to hop over gnarled roots as if he didn't have two extra people burdening him. It wasn't long before the rest of the class were following in his footsteps, energy renewed at the thought of food.

Izuku greeted Kouta pleasantly, even though he knew of the pain it would bring to his crotch when the kid punched him right where it hurt. Tenya was as great a friend as ever, rushing over to catch him when he collapsed and verbally attempting to defend his honour.

Everyone was overjoyed by the bountiful food, wolfing it down like they'd never eaten anything before in their lives. It was a miracle that Kirishima and Kaminari didn't choke and die with the rate they shovelled rice into their mouths, not even taking a second to breathe.

Since it was only mid afternoon, they sparred after their meal. A few students complained but were quickly shut down by Aizawa's death glare. Izuku was content to fight against anyone, usually winning rapidly due to his understanding of their Quirks and techniques, even if the battle seemed entirely against him.

“Midoriya, how are you so good at this? It's not fair!” Ashida whined after being immobilised for the third time in a row.

“Aren't you even tired?” Kaminari added, sitting slumped over in the grass as he observed his friend get beaten into the ground.

“I've just had lots of practice, I guess.” Izuku shrugged sheepishly, folding his arms behind his head to loosen up the muscles a little more.

“Oh, how about you go against Bakugou or Todoroki? I bet they could hold their own against you!” Kirishima butted in, turning his hardened head away from an explosion from his friend.

Shouto glanced over from where he was thawing out Hagakure. “I couldn't beat Izuku.”

“Why, you too scared?” Kacchan taunted with a rough laugh, punching a fist into his palm as he glared over at his rival. “I could beat you any day, Deku.”

Aizawa raised his head from where he was dozing against a tree trunk. “No using Quirks. If you cause any extreme damage, you'll be the ones to clear it away.”

Izuku squinted suspiciously over at his teacher, internally questioning why he added that sudden rule when Kacchan had been blasting away at anything he could reach for the past few hours. The man stared right back at him blankly, his arms crossed as if he dared the kid to say something.

“Fine,” Kacchan snarled, stepping in front of his rival as everyone else paused to gather around. “Let's do this, Deku.”

He rushed forwards, reaching out with a right arm that was clearly going to be a feint due to the way he'd angled his body. Izuku stayed still, green eyes observant as he scanned over his friend, seeking out all the possible weaknesses and running through the moves he'd likely pull. Kacchan twisted his torso and withdrew his hand at the last second, bringing up a sweeping palm with the intention of hitting the other boy in the face.

Izuku suddenly dropped into a crouch, stretching up one arm to grab his opponent's wrist before looping his other hand around Kacchan's ankle, sweeping him off the ground and letting go so he collapsed into the dust on his back. He darted to the other side of their small arena, fueled by the cheers and comments of his friends as they all gushed over his awesome moves. Kacchan wasn't deterred, getting back to his feet with a growl and running once more, hands raised to deliver a volley of quick hits that Izuku was even swifter at countering, catching fists, dodging blows and returning punches whenever there was a window of opportunity.

The two of them moved almost too fast to see clearly, a blur of limbs and bared teeth as the fight devolved into something more desperate and archaic, with foul hits below the belt and violent jabs to the throat. Izuku let his guard slip and gained a bloody nose for his mistake, but he just grinned through it and whipped around with a kick to Kacchan's cheek that was sure to leave a bruise. He followed it up with a fist to his opponent's ribs that knocked him further off balance, before swiping out a leg and tripping him up. Izuku shifted his stance to drive an elbow into his rival's back, forcing him into the grass, then pressed a knee against his spine and wrapped a palm around the back of Kacchan's neck, holding his head in the dirt. The boy squirmed and snapped angrily, almost successfully dislodging the weight, but Aizawa called for the end of the fight.

Izuku sat back on the ground and his friend scrambled into a kneeling position the moment he was free, scowling with mud smeared across his face. They were both silent as they regained their breath and assessed their injuries, none of which were much worse than bruises and scrapes that ached uncomfortably.

“You got me good, Kacchan. I didn't expect that hit at all,” Izuku said thickly as he gingerly poked at his nose, spitting out some blood that had trickled into his mouth.

“That was such a manly fight,” Kirishima whispered with wide, red eyes.

“It was kind of scary,” Sero admitted in a low tone, his smile nervous. “But so impressive, too.”

“That fight reminded me of how much I need to improve before I can become a Pro Hero,” Tenya stated seriously, hand on his chin as he stared down with a thoughtful expression. “Izuku-kun, would you be willing to tutor me so I can advance my own combat skills?”

“Izuku occasionally teaches Shinsou and myself. You could join us,” Shouto offered calmly, glancing at his friend.

“Yes, that would be very helpful.” He nodded contemplatively.

“Sparring time is over. Take a bath and then go to bed. It'll be another long day tomorrow,” Aizawa said, briefly examining his class before turning to leave. “If any of you are badly injured, go to the Pussycats.”

“Night, sensei!” Izuku called lightly, offering a wave at the man's back. “Sleep well!”

He got a faint snort in response.

Notes:

Quirk Query -
I should really change that to Quirk Queries but,, hhh. Anyway, several things:
Was Iida born with engines on his calves? (if so, poor mama Iida-) If they appeared as he grew older, did he get, like... teething pains, but for his legs?? Was Sero born with his tape dispenser elbows?? You know how some baby animals "grow into" their body parts? Imagine baby Iida has these massive engines on his calves and baby Sero has chunky elbows that weigh him down- And Ashido, was she born with her horns, too? Were they always that size, or did they grow after she was born, and if so, will they continue to grow??? That'd be so cool!

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Chapter 16: TRAINING CAMP: VILLAIN ATTACK

Summary:

Izuku almost dies saving a precocious brat.

Being up at 5:30am left everyone exhausted, and the day only got worse from there. The training was gruelling and brutal. Izuku hated that he had to retrain his body in order to get to the strength he was at before, but it was also good motivation to continue, despite the aching in his body and the tiredness weighing heavy on his limbs.

Evening spilled over the landscape with soft, caramel hues. The class sat around a few tables, eating the curry they'd made themselves and chatting contentedly. Izuku stepped outside, glancing towards the forest as he noticed Kouta trudging off into the darkness. He was quick to grab a bowl of curry before walking after the child, only occasionally looking down to check for footprints when his memory failed him.

The student approached Kouta timidly, trying to keep his smile friendly even as the kid yelled at him with so much aggression Kacchan would be proud. It hurt to see someone so young harbour such anguish, despite attempting to cover it up with a rough facade. Izuku wondered for a moment if that's how Aizawa and All Might saw him when he casually brought up the trauma he'd experienced over the years. He gazed skyward, awed by the sprawling tapestry of stars that glimmered through the inky expanse.

“A secret hideout, huh? It's really cool...” He muttered absentmindedly, shifting his fingers around the bowl when the heat started to burn.

“Getting all into trying to improve your Quirk. It's gross.” Kouta had his head lowered, hiding his face with his red cap. “You want to show off your power that badly?”

Izuku paused as he considered his next words. “I was Quirkless for fourteen years. People bullied me. Told me I couldn't be a hero. I couldn't accept that, so I kept practising... Trying to draw objects to me and attempting to breathe fire...”

Kouta blinked up, glaring. “Why should I care? You've got a Quirk, and now you're making a big deal out of how cool you think you are, just like everyone else does.”

“Well, it's just... People who have Quirks tend to take them for granted. I don't think I'll ever get used to mine,” he said contemplatively, raising one hand and letting a brief green sparkle dance across his fingers. “I always wanted to be a hero, like All Might, and now I've got a Quirk I have a chance. I want to be able to save people with a smile, to reassure them that it's going to be okay, even when everything seems hopeless...”

“But you can't save everyone. People will die, and it will be your fault because you didn't do enough. What kind of hero lets people die?” The kid snapped, kicking at the ground.

“I know. That's what I ask myself, sometimes, too.” His gaze grew distant as his shoulders squared with a lifetime of mistakes bearing down on him. “Civilians get killed... Heroes get killed... It never gets any easier to deal with, really. It's horrible, and shouldn't ever happen to anyone, but... It does happen. It happens, and people are left alone to grieve their loved ones. I think... I think that's when heroes are most important, really.”

“That doesn't make any sense,” Kouta grumbled, but his voice was a little strained.

“When people go through something terrible, it becomes difficult to support themselves, and that's why heroes are so useful, because they're a reminder that, no matter how bleak things seem, someone will always rise up to protect those who can't protect themselves. That's the sort of hero I want to be.” He broke from his reverie with a shaky exhale. “And that's why I train so hard, because I want people to be able to see me and feel reassured that they're going to be okay.”

“Shut up.” The kid turned away, glowering down the cliffside. “It's all so stupid. Everyone thinks they're so great... that they can solve every problem... Calling each other stupid names like 'hero' and 'villain'...”

Izuku softened his tone, not moving an inch. “What happened to your parents was awful... but in making their choice, they saved other people and let them go home to their families. It's an unfair trade, I know, but...”

“Just shut up! Get out of here!” Kouta yelled, stomping forwards in an aggressive stance.

“Sorry, I'm just rambling... I'll leave the curry here,” he said quietly, crouching down to place the bowl on the rocks before turning and walking away, a heavy stone of guilt in his stomach.

The third day arrived, and he tried to keep his countenance calm and collected as the day drew on. As much as he wanted to, he didn't dare tell Aizawa about the upcoming attack so soon, because that would mean they'd likely all hop on a coach right back to UA, and as awful as the ambush was, it caused an important sequence of events that led to the take-down of All for One.

Darkness fell over the camp and the Test of Courage was announced. Izuku paced around the clearing, wearing a circle into the grass as he tried to ease off his anxiety. Uraraka and Tsu entered the forest. He waited for a moment before backing up a step behind his fellow classmates, keeping his gaze on the three Pussycats, and when they didn't turn around he bolted for the main building at top speed, bursting through the front door and skidding around a corner before slamming open the classroom door.

“Aizawa-sensei!” He gasped out, teeth gritted in a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

“Midoriya? What-” Aizawa went silent, a dark realisation flitting across his features. “You're a trouble-magnet, aren't you?”

“I need you to tell something to Mandalay,” he ground out, already half-turned in the doorway, desperate to leave.

The teacher rushed out of the room after his student, leaving the other kids to Vlad King, much to his confusion. Izuku darted through the corridors, practically bounding off the walls in his haste. He glanced at his teacher with a frown, before making a split-second decision to dart over to him, picking the tall man up as best he could so they were able to appear next to the Pussycats almost instantly. Aizawa stumbled when he was dropped back down, and if it were any other situation he likely would've threatened to expel the kid who dared snatch him. As it was, he just stared down at the student expectantly, entirely ignoring the rest of the class who were stunned by their sudden arrival.

“Get Mandalay-san to tell everyone this,” Izuku hissed. “Don't breathe in the gas. And... Sensei, we need your permission to fight. There are villains here. Tell them to come back to camp if they can. They're after Kacchan.”

Aizawa hesitated before reluctantly nodding, rapidly telling the fellow Pro Hero to broadcast the message. Izuku darted forwards, delicately picking up Pixie-Bob who squeaked in surprise as he leapt backwards, landing next to the other Pussycats. They looked ready to scold him, but a second later two villains dropped from the sky. A rectangular object covered in a sheet slammed into the earth where the Pro Hero had just been. Everyone looked ready to fight, tensed up in battle stances.

“I know where Kouta-kun is,” Izuku hurriedly informed Mandalay.

She glanced to him nervously as Spinner rambled about his ideologies. The lizard-man suddenly went silent, staring at the students.

“Hey, aren't you that kid – Deku?” Spinner asked, squinting through his imitation Stain mask.

“That's right.” Izuku stepped forward threateningly.

“Shigaraki wants him dead,” Magne muttered to her companion, staring uncertainly.

“I refuse to kill someone Stain has acknowledged as great.” The lizard-man shook his head, dropping his hand from the hilt of the sword strapped to his back. “No matter what Shigaraki says. Don't you remember what Stain said? This kid is on the same level as All Might.”

“Spinner, Magne.” The boy darted around Tiger, raising his head and hoping that he was just as intimidating as before; both of them flinched as he mentioned them, visibly concerned that he knew their names. “You're both outnumbered. You can either surrender now, or get taken down with force.”

“Y-yeah? I think I p-prefer the third option, where we beat you.” Spinner reached back and unsheathed the massive, impractical weapon, an amalgamation of various blades strapped together. “Step aside, D-Deku. I respect you, but I don't respect them. Especially that kid with glasses – not after what he did.”

Izuku moved sideways, stepping in front of Tenya to block him from view. He tilted his head and grinned darkly, firing up One for All and internally celebrating the way the villains recoiled, faces twisted with fear. His gaze flicked sideways to the Pussycats, who stared at him with mingled horror and awe, then looked over to Aizawa, who blinked with vague surprise as he was faced with the crushingly terrifying aura of his usually easygoing and light-hearted student. The boy pressed his teeth tighter together, uncomfortably aware of how quickly time was running out to go and save Kouta.

“Mandalay-san, Tiger-san, Pixie-Bob-san... Can you handle these villains?” He asked lowly. “I have a feeling Kouta-kun's in danger, and I really need to get to him.”

Mandalay's expression hardened at the mention of her nephew, and she turned back to the nervous duo. “Go help him. We'll take it from here.”

Izuku nodded, pivoting on one foot and shooting off. “I'll bring him back safe, I promise!”

He ignored the shouts of alarm from his peers as he darted away, keeping to 5% of his power until he was out of sight, which is when he amped it right up and launched himself up the cliffside. Muscular was reeling back a powered-up arm, a manic grin on his face. Izuku didn't even hesitate as he threw himself between them, wrapping his arms around Kouta and leaping out of the way of the hit. A massive fist crashed down into the stone, shattering a small crater on the ground.

“Hm? You were on the list...” Muscular commented, staring down at the boy with sudden interest.

Izuku moved himself so he was shielding the child, keeping his stubborn smile in place as he tried to think of the best way to deal with the situation. He could just grab the kid and sprint back to camp so he was out of danger, but that would leave Muscular at large and Kouta would never realise that not all heroes are bad, and Quirks can be useful things. A small part of his brain reminded him of the agony he went through last time when fighting the villain for his life, but he shoved it down before any fear could spark, knowing that he would take his own pain over someone else getting hurt any day.

“It's okay, Kouta-kun. I won't let him hurt you,” Izuku said firmly, softening his expression into something comforting as he glanced back at the kid.

The villain was slowly approaching, a confident smirk on his face. “You won't let me hurt him? That sounds just like what someone who wants to be a hero would say. Your kind show up everywhere, talking about justice.” He let the strips of muscle retract back into his left arm, holding out his right as the gleaming flesh snaked over his skin before he flung off his black cloak. “You're the one called Midoriya, right? Or would you prefer Deku? This is great. We were told to take the initiative and kill you. I'll make sure to torment you thoroughly, so show me your blood!”

He suddenly shot forwards, and Izuku just about managed to raise his arms and block the punch, only for him to be overpowered and flung backwards into the cliff face. The boy allowed himself a quiet hiss of pain before he was back on his feet, flexing his fingers against the ache in his arm, only to be forced to leap to once side again as another punch slammed into the rocks, sending out a cloud of dust and debris. Izuku hopped over an enhanced leg, putting down his palms and flipping forwards to right himself, only for an sweeping arm to crash into the side of his skull, dazing him enough to stop him from avoiding the knee to his stomach that threw him against the stone wall once again.

Pain burned in his head and hot blood spilled down from his hairline. The world swam as he got back up, too stubborn to give up so easily. He got back into a fighting stance, knowing that he needed to fight on his own terms rather than wait for the enemy to attack first.

“This is great! It's what I wanted! This is so much fun!” Muscular jeered, laughter in his tone. “I'm starting to see why Stain thought so highly of you. But come on, this can't be all there is to you – give me a good fight before I kill you!”

Izuku widened his unsettling smile before charging up his Quirk to an unsteady 50% and vanishing in a blur of emerald, appearing behind him and swinging around with a kick to the side of the enemy's face. He dropped back down with a jab to the villain's ribs before slamming a heel into the back of Muscular's ankles, not daring to hold back with his power because he knew how strong this murderer was, and he wasn't about to take any chances. The man toppled, choking out a startled breath that morphed into amused snickering.

“You're fast and strong, but not nearly enough to beat me!” He exclaimed with a harsh bark of laughter, bulking up both of his arms to the point where loose fibres fluttered freely. “You're a completely inferior version of me!”

Muscular crashed down with another punch that Izuku dodged. Dust gritted up his eyes forced him to blink, causing him to miss a chunk of rock that came flying forwards, knocking into the side of his skull. He winced, twisting in mid-air, only for hard knuckles to jam into his spine and force him to plummet back to the ground. Izuku lay there for a moment, limbs sprawled and head pounding, before he pressed his palms to the stone and launched himself upwards with a green sparkle, struggling to work through the haze in his mind.

Kouta threw a rock at the villain, tears in his eyes. “Water Hose... Papa... Mama... Did you torment them like that, too, before you killed them?”

“Huh? Seriously? Your parents were heroes? This must be fate!” Muscular chuckled jubilantly again, spreading his arms and looking entirely unfazed as the boy landed next to the child.

“It's your fault... It's because of guys like you... That it always, always turns out like this!” Kouta screamed, his hands balled into fists at his sides.

“Kids are always shifting the blame like that...” The villain muttered slyly.

Izuku's grin briefly twisted into something dark and filled with hatred, and in that short moment the killer actually faltered, taking an involuntary step back. The boy reached out to lightly squeeze Kouta's shoulder in a motion of silent comfort before he leapt forwards, pressing his boots on the wall and whipping around to kick Muscular in the face with such speed the villain couldn't react. He placed a palm on top of the man's head, following through with the momentum of his attack as his body arced upside-down, manoeuvring around to plant his soles on the back of his enemy's skull and pushing off with a blast of air. The force had him tumbling backwards through the gales, but he landed in a smooth crouch, sliding a couple of inches before coming to a stop.

“Oh... That was nice,” Muscular said quietly, down on one knee with his back curved and a hand pressed over his face.

“Villains like you are the worst,” Izuku snarled out through his grin. “All you want to do is kill and gloat about it... That's pathetic. You have no values or morals. It's not even satisfying to beat you because you're such scum.”

“You talk all high and mighty. What does a kid like you know?” The villain rasped, pulling himself back up and glancing over his shoulder, revealing blood streaming down his face.

“A lot more than you ever will.” Izuku lowered his stance, loosening his shoulders and moving slowly and lithely, like a predator stalking prey. “I know all your weaknesses. I know your limits. I know that you can't win this fight, because you've already lost to me.”

He flashed forwards, drawing back a fist and slamming it into the villain's gut with enough force to push him backwards, even despite the flesh absorbing a lot of the power. In the same movement, he flipped backwards, digging his heels in the same area and launching off, causing a massive blast. Dust burst up in a writhing cloud, hindering his vision but not completely blinding him. He shot towards the edge of the cliff, reaching out an arm and grabbing a fistful of Kouta's shirt before he could get flung off the precipice, waiting for the wind to settle down before placing the child back on solid ground.

Izuku turned back around to the scene of impact, knowing it wasn't enough to take the villain down. The dust cleared enough to unveil a squirming mass of muscles as the killer got back to his feet, pushing his arms out through the flesh and letting it withdraw back inside him, revealing a cocky smile and a body barely grazed, aside from his missing eye. Muscular wrapped himself back up, jumping forwards and plunging a fist into the stone where Izuku and Kouta had been a moment before. A whole segment of the cliff crumbled and collapsed, falling away in chunks down towards the forest below. Muscular attempted another attack, missing and managing to get his fist stuck in the rock wall.

“Get back, Kouta-kun. I don't want you to get caught in this,” Izuku muttered quietly.

“Caught...? Wait, don't tell me... You can't! Let's run!” Kouta cried in response, desperation and sheer panic laced in his tone.

“It's okay,” he assured, forcing himself to have confidence with the knowledge that he'd done this before, and succeeded. “He may have been playing... but so was I.”

“Midoriya!” Muscular yelled, launching himself forward with a crazy grin, wrapped almost entirely in overgrown muscles.

Izuku clenched a hand into a fist, drawing back his arm as lines of glowing magenta coiled around his limb, tearing apart half of his shirt from the sheer intensity. He steeled himself against any inhibitions, tears pooling in his radioactive eyes as he smiled wildly, wreathed in green lightning as he brought his fist forwards, plunging it into the mass of flesh before him. It pushed back against him even as he screamed, feeling agony ignite in his shoulder from the overwhelming strength of the villain. Rock broke under his feet as he desperately dug them down to keep himself in place, wind whipping through his hair and pain lancing through every inch of his body.

He could do this. Muscles were bearing down upon him, swallowing his arms and forcing him lower. He could do this. Tears flooded from his eyes, both from pain and crushing panic. He could do this. Blood spurted from his fingers as something broke, but the adrenaline was drowning almost everything out. He had to do this, he had to, if he failed then-

His back was pressed against the ground. Rocks dug into his spine. His glowing fist was the only thing stopping him from getting destroyed.

He had to, he had to-

It was getting hard to breathe. His vision briefly blanked white as his head was shoved against a sharp point.

He had to, hehadto-

The edges of his vision swirled with black. His arm was shaking, ready to give out at any moment.

No, no-no, he couldn't- why couldn't he- he was supposed to be better- it wasn't enough- he had to- please-!

He lifted his other arm as best he could in the cramped space, digging his fingers deep into the flesh, curling his hand into a frantic claw even as the muscles pressed against his face, forcing him to turn his head to the side as he gasped for breath, crying and pleading and hoping, and he felt One for All pool in his fingertips, giving him enough strength to push against the mass and snap his fingers apart and-

There was a greasy tearing noise as his power sliced through the muscles from within, pulling apart the fibres, and it was lighter now, and he could breathe better, and he surged upwards, pressing a foot into the shattered ground and pushing his body to the limit, forcing his arm to keep going as brighter sparks crackled dangerously in the air and his eyes were bright once more, burning with a ferocity that coursed throughout his veins. Grit whipped around them as the wind pressure picked up, guiding rocks into the air and splintering the ground, blasting back anything in its path as One for All rose up to save him, and he shredded his hand free from the flesh, reeling back his other arm and shoving it deep within the villain's chest, ripping open muscles faster than they could form until his knuckles slammed into the murderer's face, flinging him back into the cliff side in a massive, smoking crater and-

Izuku had never felt more alive.

He staggered back a step, body thrumming with energy as an exhilarated grin tugged at his lips, shining brightly though the blood and grime. The boy glanced down at his body, inspecting the mottled bruises along his arm and a few fingers that were a little too crooked to be alright, but... It wasn't as bad as he expected after using at least 80% of his power. In the panic of the situation, perhaps the adrenaline and determination had been enough to prevent him from completely destroying himself. He took a moment to regain his breath, wheezing as sweat poured down his scratched form, before remembering the task at hand and slowly turning to face Kouta.

“It's alright,” he assured in a voice rough from screaming. “Let's get you back to camp. There's something you need to do; we need that Quirk of yours to douse the fire before anyone gets hurt. Please, save us.”

Izuku crouched down, allowing the child to climb onto his back, and he cautiously folded his arms back under the kid's legs to keep him secure. He fired up his Quirk and leapt off the cliff, darting along the trees at full speed to get back as quickly as possible, seeking out the clearing. The Pussycats had succeeded in taking down the two villains and stood atop them victoriously. Some of his classmates were still observing nervously, while Aizawa kept glancing around with subtle anxiety.

His legs were starting to feel like jelly as he ran over the treetops. He reached the edge of the forest, lightly tugging Kouta off his back as he leapt up, wrapping the kid safely in his arms as his feet gave way upon landing, causing him to tumble roughly and roll along the grass until he finally skidded to a halt. Izuku kept his eyes closed for a few more moments, almost giving in to the urge to pass out, but approaching footsteps encouraged him to loosen his grip on the child and let Mandalay scoop him up with tears in her eyes. Aizawa leaned over his student, and the worry on his face was enough motivation for Izuku to turn over and push himself back to his feet, however shakily.

“Midoriya, you need medical attention. What happened?” The teacher asked in a hushed tone, reaching out a hand as if to help stabilise his student before letting it drop.

Izuku gave a delirious sort of laugh, brushing a hand back through his hair, only to find it matted with blood. “It's fine. I'm fine. It was actually worse last time, can you believe it? Maybe I really do have a death wish or something. Wow. Oh, Kouta-kun has a water Quirk – I think he's willing to help douse the fires, if you need him. Please take care of him! ”

“Hey-”

“There are nine villains and a Noumu – oh, but we've already defeated three, so there are six villains left. Dabi caused the forest fire and Mustard caused the gas, but I think some Class 1-B students are taking care of that sometime soon, if I remember correctly. Anyway, I need to go help out Shouji-kun with Dark Shadow and take out Moonfish to protect Kacchan and Shouto-kun, and this time I'll be on alert since I know what happens so I can stop it!” He nodded rapidly, ignoring every word of those around him as he pivoted on one foot and sprinted away into the dark forest.

Notes:

Quirk Query -
Shiozaki in 1-B. Was she born with her hair? (ouch, i hope not) If she wasn't, did it grow in as vines straight away, or was it normal human hair to begin with? Does it hurt for her to spew thorny whips from her skull to fight?? Can she control her hair length and hairstyle? Or does she need to get haircuts, somehow?? Does she have to water her hair? Can she grow flowers??!! Is she affected by the seasons???? Is it comfortable to sleep on her vines? Do the thorns shred her pillows???

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Chapter 17: CAPTURED

Summary:

Izuku flirts with a killer and the boys get snatched.

Izuku was furious. He knew about Compress' Quirk to trap people inside marbles, and he took subtle precautions against it, but his friends had still been captured, just a little later down the path. Uraraka and Tsu worked together to fling Shouji, Shouto, and Izuku through the air, soaring over the treetops and crashing into the villain, bringing all four of them to the ground in a small clearing. Toga looked utterly delighted, bringing her fists up to her flushed cheeks as she bared her fangs in a smitten smile.

Izuku raised his head, grabbing his friends and darting to the side to avoid a sudden flood of bright azure flames. He glared at Dabi, only taking his gaze away when Twice leapt at Todoroki and Toga jumped towards him.

“I'm Toga, Izuku-kun!” She squealed, sprinting forwards with malicious intent in her yellow eyes.

The girl was fast, but he was faster, hopping to one side and twisting to avoid a knife as it slashed towards him. Even if he didn't already know of her infatuation with him due to his injuries, it would've been easy to guess as she happily gushed over the blood spilling down his face. He pushed down his inhibitions and knocked her to the ground, pinning her and leaning down, arranging his face into something he hoped seemed flirtatious rather than disgusted.

“You're super cute, Toga-chan,” he whispered to her lowly.

“You'd be cooler if you bled more,” she responded in a rapid, hushed tone, a manic note woven into her voice, trying to get her hands free to hurt him.

“We can't waste all my blood on the first date, can we? That's no fun,” he practically purred, pressing a foot down harder on her wrist. “How about next time? I need to save my friends first.”

There was a puff of smoke from a crater as Compress reappeared. He moved over to Dabi and rummaged in his pockets, only for Shouji to triumphantly reveal the marbles he'd stolen. Izuku froze up, remembering the trick that was pulled last time and was already back on his feet to sprint towards the entertainer. He whipped around with a kick, successfully knocking off the ceramic mask and causing him to spit out the real marbles.

The boy reached out a hand, but his arm was batted off course, causing him to hit one of the turquoise pearls away from them. Compress slammed his cane into Izuku's ribs, causing him to double over with a wheeze of pain. A scorch of heat passed over his bent back, forcing him to lower himself even further.

Purple portals of swirling mist opened up and a Noumu lumbered into the clearing. The villains stepped inside one by one, waving their taunting goodbyes. Compress clicked his fingers, revealing the ice shards that were inside the fake marbles and freeing Tokoyami, who was curled on the ground near Shouji and Shouto, and Bakugou, who was already getting half-swallowed by the portal with Dabi's hand clasped around his throat.

Izuku choked out a cry, forcing himself to straighten up against the agony lancing through his chest and launch himself forwards in a flash of green. He reached out a hand, not entirely sure what he was going to do, fingertips inches from Dabi's chest-

Something slammed into the side of his skull and he became dead weight, crumpling through the portal.

He returned to some semblance of consciousness when he felt his body crash down upon a solid floor. Izuku could do nothing but lie there, face pressed against the ground with his eyes barely open, staring dazedly at nothing as sounds wavered in and out of focus. Someone kicked at his side, rolling him onto his back, and several hazy figures loomed over him, presumably talking. It smelt vaguely of alcohol and dust.

His vision blurred to black, and the next thing he knew, Toga was strapping him to some kind of chair. He blinked, already feeling a headache pounding through his entire body, even under the dim lights in what looked to be some kind of bar. The walls were made of a red brick and there was an old All Might poster tacked up, three long scratches tearing across it.

“Who knew we'd have a second date so soon?” He said groggily, voice like gravel in his throat.

Toga lit up with a delighted giggle, pausing in her action to cup his face and force him to look at her. “Oh, I know, aren't we so lucky? I couldn't believe it when they told me you'd come through the portal. Did you want to see me, Izuku-kun?”

“Couldn't bear to be away from you,” he agreed with a crooked grin, feeling dry blood crack over his skin with the movement.

“What the fuck is wrong with you, Deku?” Kacchan snapped, tugging against his restraints like a wild animal. “She's a fuckin' villain! Did you hit your head so hard you became dumb as shit?”

“Oh, Bakugou-kun.” He tilted his head, spotting his friend wrapped up in another chair next to him. “I didn't realise you were here...”

“The fuck? You never call m-”

“Bakugou-kun,” Izuku flashed his eyes at his friend, hoping he'd get the message. “It's rude to swear in front of a lady.”

Kacchan narrowed his gaze and curled up a lip before realising that his classmate was up to something. “Who fuckin' cares... Midoriya-kun.”

“Ah, Toga-chan, please excuse him,” he apologised bashfully, twisting a wrist against the restraint and noticing with relief that all his Oni suit pieces were still in place over his body. “You know... As much as I love to be chained up... I feel like we could have so much more fun together if I could move.”

She giggled again, leaning in uncomfortably close. “Oh, I shouldn't... Shigaraki-kun wouldn't be very happy with me.”

“You could easily beat him! I've seen you fight – you're so cool! All he can do is disintegrate things he touches – what's the use of that against knives?” Izuku insisted, smiling boyishly despite the pain across his entire body. “Go on... You know you want to.”

“You're so naughty, Izuku-kun,” she whispered gleefully to him, slotting a blade under each restraint and cutting the ties.

He waited patiently for her to free him completely, keeping his flirtatious expression in place even though he was starting to feel sick. The only thing keeping him going was the desperation to save Kacchan and get out of there, resolutely ignoring the part of his mind that highlighted the importance of leaving the timeline relatively unscathed. She pressed the tip of a knife against his arm teasingly, pupils blowing wide as a crimson droplet spilled over his pale skin, before gripping his shoulder and pulling him to his feet. He chuckled along with her, reaching out to cradle her face in his hands, gently running his thumbs across her flushed cheeks in a fake display of affection. Izuku leaned in close, brushing their noses together, and when she closed her eyes expectantly he ignited One for All and slammed a fist against the side of her head.

It wasn't enough to knock her out immediately and she gasped, lashing out and embedding the knife in his side. He gritted his teeth, pulling out the weapon and swiftly bashing the handle against her temple, finally managing to make her fall unconscious. Izuku stepped back, letting her body slump to the floor and staring for a moment before spinning around and moving to cut his friend free.

“Why'd you call me Bakugou-kun? It was fuckin' weird,” Kacchan grumbled, waiting impatiently.

“Toga's Quirk allows her to change into people if she has their blood. On the off-chance she changes into me and manages to act convincingly, she'll probably call you that.” He dug the blade into the thick leather, hands trembling with adrenaline.

Both of them froze when they heard approaching footsteps. Izuku went to stab more aggressively at the restraints, only for his friend to shove at his chest with a freed hand, glaring at him aggressively. He hesitated before screwing his eyes shut and nodding, darting to the door, pulling it open and then sprinting outside.

Leaving Kacchan behind left a sour taste in his mouth, even if he knew it would be for the best eventually. Izuku waited until he was far enough away from the building before tapping behind his ear and letting his armour slide over his form as he suddenly changed direction, heading for Kamino Ward. It was some kind of miracle that the villains hadn't seen the strip down his spine, since his shirt had been partially shredded, but perhaps they just didn't realise how important it was.

The soft, warm hues of the sky suggested it was about dawn, meaning he'd been gone for the entire night. He leapt through the streets, cautiously landing in front of a large, concrete warehouse. There was no-one around, so he found a side door and slipped inside, immediately unsettled by the vats of liquid with incubating Noumus sitting inside, their brains above the surface. Izuku glanced around frantically, keeping his steps as light as possible in case there was something he'd missed, but relaxing with relief as he noticed who he'd been looking for.

Ragdoll looked distinctly worse for wear, with dried blood over her body, a pallid complexion and tired, sunken eyes, but she still glared up at him as he approached. “L-leave me alone.”

He raised his hands in gentle surrender, kneeling before her and lightly grasping the chains. “I'm Oni. I'm here to save you.”

“H-how do I k-kno-” She suddenly paused, blinking at him as he worked away at the links. “You're... Midoriya-kun. What... You shouldn't be here, it's dangerous!”

His heart stuttered in panic before he realised that her Quirk had given him away, and he reached up to disable his helmet, offering a smile that was probably more pained than friendly. “Can't leave you here. Bad things will happen.”

Izuku finally gave up trying to twist the chains apart with a knife, instead opting to flare up his Quirk and clench an aching fist down on the metal with enough force for it to shatter. She was free in a matter of moments, already pulling herself back up and standing unsteadily. Her gaze was worried as she looked at him, but she steeled herself and turned towards the door. He put his helmet back on as they cautiously exited the building, and he glanced around for a moment before turning his back to her. She paused before climbing on, keeping her arms loosely around his neck, only to tighten her grip when he suddenly launched into the air and flashed across rooftops, crossing the city at an almost impossible pace.

His Quirk thrummed at 35% - any higher jostled his injuries too much to be safe, but it was easily fast enough, and he soon landed outside Musutafu police station. He nudged open the door with a shoulder and stepped inside, startling the poor receptionist who was hasty to call in the new arrivals. Tsukauchi walked in with a mug of coffee, looking drawn and exhausted. The man blinked tiredly, but it suddenly seemed to hit him as his eyes widened comically and he rushed over.

“Ragdoll!” He exclaimed, slamming his mug on a nearby desk to help her down. “This is such a relief. I'll ring your teammates and tell them you're okay. Uh... You're Oni, right? You sometimes help out Eraserhead.”

“Yeah, Oni-san saved me,” the young woman said after a moment's consideration, and he tried not to sag in relief that she was keeping his identity a secret.

Izuku nodded, placing a hand over his side when the stab wound gave a particularly painful twinge. “That's right. I trust you'll look after Ragdoll?” He got a nod in response and turned to leave. “Thank you for your hard work.”

There was a shout after him as he dashed away, already feeling the adrenaline fade, but he was nearly back. Every breath rattled in his ribcage and tore out his throat. His feet landed heavily with each step, jarring his wounds horribly. He didn't dare pause to recover, fearing that he'd pass out somewhere and never wake up.

The front gate of UA was like a beacon welcoming him home, but it was blocked by crowds of yelling press reporters. He almost cried with frustration, but instead slipped around the side of the walls, jumping over the top unnoticed and raising a hand to make his armour retract.

Izuku sprinted inside the school, lucky to find the doors were unlocked despite the school being closed, and he pounded down the empty corridors, listening for any signs of life. He turned a corner too rapidly, accidentally ramming into a wall before clumsily righting himself and stumbling up to the meeting room, hearing voices from inside. The boy pressed one hand against his bleeding wound and lifted the other one to shove open the door with a loud crash that gained the attention of all the teachers inside. He wheezed for a couple of moments, dipping his head and squeezing his eyes shut against the pain of such bright fluorescent lights.

“Y-Young Izuku!” Toshinori exclaimed, kicking the chair halfway across the room in his haste to stand up and approach the kid. “Shit...”

“'m okay,” he whispered out, hand clenched tightly around the doorframe as he struggled to keep himself upright. “S-sorry... Couldn't free Kacchan in time to escape... He's okay, too, though...”

The man was clearly panicking, pressing his own palm over the boy's wound to try and stem the bleeding. “Someone get Recovery Girl in here, now! It's okay, my boy. Can you tell me what happened?”

“T-their base is... Kacchan's in a bar, I think. Ragdoll-san's okay, too. H-how's Shouto-kun? And Shouji-kun? And Tokoyami-kun? Is everyone alright?” Izuku leaned heavily against his mentor, grabbing fistfuls of his oversized white shirt, staining it red.

“Everyone's fine. Some are recovering in hospital, but they'll be better in no time,” Toshinori assured breathlessly, going to tangle his other hand in the student's hair, only to think better of it as he noticed all the blood. “It's okay, my boy. It's okay. You've been very brave. You really are a true hero.”

Tears spilled down Izuku's cheeks as he let himself relax. His eyes slipped shut and he slumped forward, finally feeling safe enough to give in to the pain and exhaustion as he passed out.

Notes:

Quirk Query -
Bakubro. There's probably more details about his Quirk somewhere, but,,, i can't be bothered to search for it. So.
Is it just his hands that secrete nitroglycerin? If so, why did that specific area evolve different sweat glands? And if all of his sweat is nitroglycerin, could he just... become One Big Explosion? Or maybe only his hands have adapted to handle the explosions without hurting himself? Could he use his feet for boosters, too?? Does he constantly have to control it, or can he activate it when he wants to? I mean, he can probably control it, otherwise he'd constantly be in danger of exploding,,,
If all his sweat is NG, does that evaporate as well as normal sweat? If it doesn't, does that mean he can deal with higher temperatures? Or is he just about to die of heat stroke at any second??? Can other people, like Todoroki and Kaminari, spark unwilling explosions?

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Chapter 18: ALL FOR ONE

Summary:

Izuku throws himself into mortal peril to help his dad.

Izuku was listless in his hospital room from the moment he was awake and lucid. He had a vague recollection of Aizawa sitting by his bed and soothing him back to sleep, but he couldn't be sure if that actually happened or not. From what he'd worked out, he'd been healed by Recovery Girl and then moved to the hospital, since the school was technically closed, and the news of his return had been kept a secret from the world. His friends were overwhelmingly relieved when they came in to see him, and it was odd to realise that none of them blamed him for not saving Kacchan when he escaped. Kirishima and Tenya argued over the potential rescue plan and eventually everyone left him alone once more.

The door slid open quietly, and Izuku raised his head. Ragdoll entered the room in civilian attire, no face-paint in sight and a cosy cat jumper hugging her torso. She looked uncharacteristically solemn and uncomfortable, but it was nothing in comparison to how distraught she was after losing her Quirk in the other timeline, so he considered it a win. He tilted his head as the silence dragged on, motioning for her to take a seat next to his bed.

"Does Eraser know?" Ragdoll asked in a soft tone, fidgeting restlessly in the chair and tugging at her long sleeves.

He didn't ask her to clarify. "Yeah. So does All Might-san."

"Why are you doing this?" She fixed him under her yellow gaze, locking her hands between her thighs to keep them still.

"I can't explain my situation," he began slowly, something in his voice leaving no room for argument. "But I'm more powerful than I pretend to be, and I want to put my power to good use to help people."

"I don't... I don't think it's right for you to start fighting so young, but... you seem to be a target anyway. Villains are truly terrible to attack children..." She tucked her turquoise hair behind an ear, leaning back in the chair and offering a smile, raising her hands like paws as enthusiasm seeped back into her countenance. "Well, thank you! It was lucky I got out of there- apparently that big villain wanted to take my Quirk! Horrible, right? If the hero that rescued me ever wanted to help out with the Pussycats, we wouldn't be opposed to some extra paws! I'm glad you're okay, Midoriya-kun! Get well soon!"

She hopped to her feet, waving rapidly with both hands as she turned and bounded back out the room. Izuku stared after her for a few more moments before sighing and settling back down. He cracked a dry, guilty grin, knowing that she was going to have a heart attack when he enacted his stupid plan later.

The doctor assessed him and mentioned a couple of new scars to add to his collection, and then handed him a note from Kouta. Since it was late afternoon, he had to wait for evening when he'd get discharged to leave with his friends. He phoned his mum to reassure her that he was alright, conversing about the dorm system that was going to be introduced in an attempt to keep the kids safer. She sounded defeated and strained, and it broke his heart to know he was the cause of such distress.

Izuku met Yaoyorozu in the corridors and they left the hospital together, walking down the front steps towards Kirishima and Shouto, who both looked relieved. Tenya arrived and attempted to dissuade them, clearly torn between following his heart or his head when it came to saving Kacchan. He stepped up to Izuku, raising a hand and placing it heavily on his shoulder, glasses going opaque in the light of the street lamp as he stared down at his friend.

“Izuku-kun...” He began quietly. “Is this necessary?”

The boy stared up at his classmate with intense conviction, nodding his head. Tenya gritted his teeth before sighing and giving in, setting his rules along with Yaoyorozu. They all got on a train to Kamino Ward, following the tracker she'd placed on the Noumu at camp, and when they got off Kirishima picked out some disguises for them in a nearby thrift store.

It was a game of patience. The students sidled into a tiny alleyway, peering inside the warehouse at all the Noumus. An explosion knocked them down and kicked up a cloud of dust. Rows of policemen with riot shields were lined up outside the building as Mt. Lady, Best Jeanist and Gang Orca collected up the horrible, mutated creatures. Izuku didn't let himself relax as he knew of the terrors that would soon arrive.

His gut twisted as quiet footsteps echoed from the broken building. All for One emerged from the shadows, dressed in an unassuming suit with breathing apparatus over the lower half of his face while the upper half was almost entirely smooth and featureless behind a black mask. Best Jeanist reacted instantly, manipulating the fibres in his clothes, but it was no use.

Another large explosion shook the landscape. The smoke cleared to unveil a war-torn image, with buildings collapsed in piles of rubble and an entire circle of ground levelled by the immense power. Fires crackled in the wreckage, sending thick plumes of black smoke trailing upwards into the inky abyss above, dark enough to block out the moon and stars.

All for One spoke in a low tone, entirely too calm for what he had just accomplished. Icy fear washed over the world, painting it in bleak hues, and for a moment Izuku was drowning, crushed by the sheer intensity and unable to think of anything but death, but then he saw the terror on his friends' faces and he pulled himself together with a shake. He hardened his wide-eyed gaze into a determined glare, focusing on the memory of All Might defeating this ultimate villain before – and this time, the boy didn't want his mentor to do it alone.

The wall behind them was half-obliterated, with an uneven silhouette like the outline of a mountain range. His friends stared at him in disbelieving fear, trembling uncontrollably with sweat rolling down their faces. He forced himself to brighten, hoping to fight back the evil with a genuine smile, tilting his head and offering a thumbs-up as if nothing was awry in the world. Shouto's heterochromatic eyes shifted from the gesture to his face, and he took a shaky breath, clutching at his chest as he steeled his features into something more calm, because he knew that even if things were horribly wrong, Izuku wouldn't let anything happen to anyone he cared about. Tenya followed his example, letting the arms wrapped around his torso fall back to his sides as he attempted to stand up straight, pushing back his shoulders and placing a hand on Yaoyorozu's shoulder to ground her.

She looked at him as if he was insane, shifting closer to lean against his side as she shook uncontrollably, looking distinctly unwell. Kirishima had gritted his sharp teeth, clenching his hands into fists and glancing from side to side, seeming faint.

There was a choked curse from a familiar voice, and everyone's heads snapped to look as Kacchan was transported to the scene in a splash of grey mud, soon followed by the other villains. Kurogiri and Dabi were unconscious on the ground and Spinner was down on his knees. All for One approached Shigaraki as if he had all the time in the world, offering a hand.

All Might shot down from the sky, unveiling the full moon as he tore through the smoke, crashing down onto his nemesis in a blast of air that was powerful enough to send out a shockwave which shattered the ground and flung everyone away. Izuku immediately turned to his friends, expression determined and desperate, and started to recount his plan in a hushed whisper. Another line of buildings was demolished as the villain forced All Might back.

Kacchan turned to the lesser villains surrounding him, immediately getting into a fighting stance and blasting over the head of Compress. The Pro Hero attempted to sprint over to save the boy, only to get dark strips with glimmering red lines plunged into his muscular back, forcing him to the ground before All for One started to drag him back, whipping him away into the side of another building.

Izuku and Tenya grabbed onto Kirishima, all three lighting up their Quirks to smash through the wall and cause the villains to turn and stare at them in shock. Shouto pressed down a palm and threw up a giant ramp of glittering ice that they shot up, shoes sliding along the cold surface and the wind tearing through their hair as they launched towards the heavens. At the last second, Izuku kicked off, flinging them upwards and simultaneously shattering the ice into large chunks that rained down upon the battlefield. All Might slammed a punch into All for One's side to keep him distracted.

Kirishima looked over his shoulder with wide, red eyes, reaching out an arm towards the ground. “Come on!”

There was a pause, then a massive explosion, all orange and yellow and white-hot, throwing out a ring of shockwaves as Kacchan rocketed skyward, shifting in the air to angle himself better before slapping his hand against his friend's, both of them holding on tight as they continued to fly. Magne flung Compress after them, but Mt. Lady shot up in her titan form, blocking the man with her face and immediately collapsing back down. Gran Torino darted in with a flash of yellow, kicking the remaining villains in the head and knocking them out.

Izuku and Tenya dug their heels into the ground as they landed, while Kacchan set off another explosion to cushion the impact a little. The boy ran with them back to the main street, getting caught up in the crowds of people who were all trying to evacuate from the danger zone. They came to a halt in the middle of the crowd, getting shoved around, and Izuku used that to his advantage, making sure one of his friends was looking at him before letting himself get swallowed in the surging masses. He instantly turned, weaving between people with grace learnt over a decade, pushing back the way he came and finding a secluded alleyway to hide in.

With the press of a button, Oni was back. He jolted forwards and ricocheted off walls, moving faster than a blink in his desperation to get back to his mentor before he burned himself out. Even if All Might was just stubbornly holding onto the last remnants of One for All, Oni didn't doubt that if he strained himself less in the final battle then he would have a little longer on his transformation, which should allow the world more time to adjust to the idea of a new Number One Hero.

And, perhaps, a little more time for Izuku to fight side-by-side with his lifelong idol.

He slipped past some Pro Heroes who were rescuing civilians, dashing towards the battlefield, only for a sphere of blue light to explode and fling him backwards again. Oni caught himself before he was injured, crouching down to avoid the worst of the gales and feeling his heart beat impatiently in his chest. His eyes widened as he saw All for One readying another hit that shot forward like a horizontal tornado, blasting outwards and forcing him to duck once more, digging his feet into the ground and hiding his face.

The dust cleared agonisingly slowly. All Might was small and skeletal, with one skinny, shaking arm outstretched in a fist after he'd done his best to negate the blow. He was standing weakly while the villain gloated, looking almost entirely unharmed aside from a torn sleeve and a broken mask. All for One raised a finger as he spoke, and the hero was frozen in horror, mouth ajar and blood trickling down his face and dripping off his chin. He looked minuscule and defeated, with slumped shoulders and an expression devoid of any hope or joy.

Oni's body moved before he could think, and in a second he was at his mentor's side, practically snarling at the villain. He gently nudged his mentor, placing a firm hand on his hunched back and squinting his eyes in a supportive smile.

“Oni... What...” Toshinori choked out, staring in horror at his successor.

“Oh? What's this? A new challenger?” All for One asked gleefully.

“Oh, shut up, you ancient bastard,” Oni snapped, completely focusing on the broken hero. “It's okay now, All Might. Why?” His cheeky grin was reflected in his tone. “Because I am here!”

The man raised a large hand to cover his face, letting out a weak, wet laugh. “My boy...”

“I'm not letting you fight alone this time, All Might.” He lightly patted his mentor on the head, brushing his knuckles over the man's cheek to try and wipe away some of the blood, but mostly just smudging it.

“That's quite heroic of you. You seem very brave,” All for One commented, almost sounding interested, before his arm bulked up in preparation for another attack. “Can you keep to your word?”

Oni stepped in front of Toshinori, putting one foot back to steady his stance, deaf to his mentor's pleas. He watched as the swirling gale writhed closer, crossing his arms across his chest as he called upon One for All, begging for it to help him save the previous holder and finally defeat the evil brother. The boy clenched his hands into fists, before flinging his arms outward with an explosion of power that briefly glowed green, creating a counter to the villain's attack that broke down the worst of it, shredding through dust and steam and almost swaying him off balance, but he kept steady. His sleeves were torn apart and his arms were littered with grazes and cuts as he shielded his face from the worst of the impact, hoping that his small form was enough to stop Toshinori from being flicked off his feet. The scars on his hand were visible to the world, but he hoped it would be faint enough for people to not make the connection.

As the grit settled back down, he glared across the battlefield at All for One, who looked vaguely shocked at the revelation.

“The thing with heroes,” Oni called loudly, projecting his modulated voice so that even the news helicopters could hear him, “is that we're never alone. Even if you defeat one, we'll always return to avenge our fallen friend. For heroes, the urge to protect others is always stronger than the desire to survive, which is why we beat the villains, again, and again, and again, because there's always something to protect.”

“This really is enjoyable,” All for One laughed jubilantly, but the sound was cold and grating. “Amazing. You matched the strength and spirit of All Might himself. What sort of Quirk do you have, then? I'm sure I could use it better.”

His fingertips faded to black and strips shot out, lined with a glowing red that flashed as the attack rushed towards him. Oni darted to one side over the shallow chasm in the broken ground, flipping through the air and dodging lithely, merely chuckling as the lines chased him like restless snakes. He dropped into a sudden roll, leaping in front of his mentor, who was still shellshocked and trembling.

A sharp pain burned in his chest and he realised that he'd been too slow, and the strips had plunged into his flesh. He skidded to a halt, dropping his head as he gasped in a breath, feeling something rummaging within his ribcage before suddenly stilling.

“Oh,” the villain muttered. “I see.”

Oni clamped his fist around the tapes, clenching tightly until they shattered in crimson and onyx shards as he grinned under his helmet. “Surprise.”

He jumped back to his mentor's side, letting out a heavy breath. Blood spilled down his front from the five small holes puncturing his insides. Toshinori stared sideways at him with wonder, the glow returning to his shadowed blue eyes.

“Fight with me, All Might,” Oni said softly, balling a hand into a determined fist.

The hero regained his smile, pushing past his limits and inflating once more, muscles pressing against his tattered costume as he mimicked his successor's pose. “Lead the way, my boy.”

“Wow,” All for One commented, a little venomously, feet lifting off the ground as he rose into the air. “I really thought that was the last of your might. A wounded hero really is the most terrifying.”

His arm bulked up, straining within his suit as black sparks fizzed off his hand, glowing an ominous red. Oni glanced over his shoulder and saw the other Pro Heroes arriving, lifting up debris and rescuing civilians and unconscious heroes from the wreckage. The villain changed his trajectory, aiming for the survivors, and the boy fired up his Quirk and leapt off the ground, forcefully capturing his attention. He took the blast at point blank range, barely able to raise a fist to dispel the majority of the power in time.

Oni tumbled back to the ground, veins thrumming with energy as he picked himself back up with a smile, despite the new holes in his suit, which really was a testament to the villain's immense power. All Might landed by his side, expression flickering with concern before smoothing back out as they exchanged a nod.

Both heroes sprinted forwards in unison, springing off the ground and shooting towards All for One with glittering fists and identical grins. The villain's arms grew once more, calling upon what seemed to be his most powerful and favourite Quirk, but Oni shot behind him and slammed a heel into the back of his head at the same time as All Might plunged a fist into his nemesis' gut, doing enough damage to force him to cancel the attacks in favour of powering up his body with some kind of expulsion Quirk, flinging both heroes away.

They didn't even seem that affected, bouncing right back up and moving in harmony, distracting and attacking the villain who was starting to become overwhelmed. He whipped around with an enhanced arm and swatted Oni away like a fly, causing the boy to reel backwards, crashing painfully into an already destroyed building. His ears rang and his helmet crackled as he pushed himself up into a sitting position, checking his surroundings before tapping behind his ear to retract the headgear, remembering Aizawa mentioning that the engineers had added a troubleshooting feature that would be able to fix up a little of the damage while it was idle.

Yellow boots touched down in a flood of air, and before the boy could react, Gran Torino had slipped between debris and darted inside, clearly not expecting what he saw. The eye that wasn't swollen shut widened as he saw the kid sitting there nonchalantly, wearing Oni's ragged armour and looking distinctly worse for wear, yet somehow still glowing with hope and determination.

“Tell me this is a joke, kid,” the elderly hero sighed, going over to check his injuries.

“I'm not letting All Might fight alone again. He may have won last time, but... It was far too close,” Izuku muttered, pulling himself back to his feet and tacking his grin back into place before reactivating his somewhat-fixed helmet. “Even heroes need saving, sometimes.”

He didn't let the other man speak as he threw himself out of the building, flying forwards in a flash, green sparks hissing off his exposed arms and giving away his identity to those who were familiar with his Quirk, but that didn't matter, because All Might was still fighting the worst villain the world had ever seen, and he was doing it alone. Oni rocketed in and immediately delivered a punch to All for One, forcing him to let go of the hero's outfit in favour of turning to look at the new competitor, instantly firing off a fire Quirk to push him away. The two heroes were blasted back by another shockwave, landing heavily on the obliterated ground and breathing raggedly.

“You've played well, but until now, I've only been trying to weaken you.” All for One rose above the smoke and dust, listing out Quirks as his arm expanded, covered with geodes and twists of flesh and metal drills, making a great monstrosity of arms and skin that glowed with a crimson, inner light. “I'll punch you with the ultimate combination of Quirks I have right now. I know for certain now that One for All no longer resides inside of you... But it seems I was wrong in thinking that you passed it on to Midoriya Izuku. Whoever this person is, who came in to save you with your own Quirk – this is your successor, All Might, and I shall take great joy in defeating both of you together.”

Oni and All Might shifted their stances, reeling back opposite arms right next to one another, muscles dancing with yellow and green as they glared up at the villain. All for One drew back his mutant arm as he shot forwards, moving with inhuman speed. The heroes gritted their teeth, surging forwards and meeting him in the middle, slamming glowing fists against flesh and rocks, shooting out ruby, emerald and golden sparks and charging up a massive burst of energy as fated souls collided. A supernova exploded between their knuckles, obliterating the concrete and sending up a cloud of dust the size of a galaxy.

“Impact Nullification!” All for One boasted roughly, pushing harder against them as their arms shook violently under the strain, blood spurting from injuries they ignored.

One for All glittered brightly between them, sparking up more aggressively as the heroes shoved back, digging in their feet as they were pushed back along the ground, pain overwhelmed by hope lancing through their bones, supporting them like a guardian angel. Behind the blood splattered on his face, All Might's eyes shone a stubborn electric blue; through a crack in the screen of his helmet, Izuku's gaze was radioactive and dangerous.

The amalgamated arm shifted as the villain pushed out more spikes, tearing into their flesh, spilling hot blood down their scarred skin, eliciting choked cries of agony. Oni's shoulder was burning and his entire arm snarled with anguish. Tears spilled down his cheeks and he tasted salt and iron on his tongue. If Muscular was a flood, All for One was a devastating tsunami.

But, he wasn't afraid. How could he be, when his mentor was right by his side?

He wasn't going to give up. His boots found traction, dislodging a large chunk of concrete as the heroes pushed against the ground, finally able to fight back. They came to such a sudden halt that another shockwave blasted out. All Might glanced sideways and Oni nodded back, punching out his other arm with renewed energy and sending a ripple up the grim flesh. The Pro Hero darted aside while the villain was distracted, clenching a hand and bulking up his muscles even more, swinging around with a brutally effective fist to All for One's cheek, jolting his head to the side with immense power blasting out from the hit in the form of overwhelming gales.

Oni slipped aside, letting the giant fist slam into the ground harmlessly as he bolted forwards, landing a punch on the other side of the villain's head. Both heroes leant back a step before surging ahead, twisting their torsos as they pivoted aside another hit, reuniting like a parted ocean and swinging upwards simultaneously, connecting their knuckles to All for One's chin with the ancient power of One for All scorching through their blood. The breathing apparatus on the villain's face shattered into shards and blood splashed out from his skin as his head jolted back. Oni backed up as All Might shifted his attack, curling his fingers and driving his nemesis into the concrete, shattering the ground and causing an explosion of air to whirl around them like a tornado as chunks of debris were flung away.

The boy raised a bruised hand to cover the crack in his helmet, dropping to his knees and waiting out the wild winds. He pressed a palm into the ground as the dust settled around him, suddenly becoming aware of how hard his heart was pounding behind his ribs. Oni slowly lifted his head, chest heaving as he choked in bitter air.

All Might was crouched above the villain, hunched over in his baggy costume, limbs skeletal and lanky with blood dripping from his mouth as he stared blankly at the ground. Oni crawled towards him, half expecting the worst, but feeling his eyes burn with joyous tears as his mentor glanced sideways at him, a tiny smile quirking at his lips.

All for One was finally defeated.

After a few more moments of tense silence, Toshinori moved a shaking arm, reaching out to clasp his skinny fingers around Oni's hand and finding the strength to lift it skyward in a joint, triumphant fist of victory. Both of them unsteadily got to their feet and All Might bulked up once more, keeping their intertwined hands raised together over the unconscious body of the cruel villain they brought down together. Oni couldn't be sure if he was laughing or crying as the reality of the insane situation set in, and he looked up at his mentor to see he was in a similar state, tears welling up in his bright blue eyes but a wide, relieved grin firmly on his face.

Together, they had made history.

Dawn drew close as Toshinori and Oni watched All for One get led away into a Maiden as a nearby news reporter commentated the events. It was a huge relief to see their foe led away in unbreakable chains, ready to be shipped off to Tartarus as soon as possible.

The boy crossed his arms to hide his scars as best as possible, gently leaning into his mentor as the villain was safely sealed away. His whole body ached, but he couldn't find it in him to care as he peered up at the Pro Hero, tears in his eyes and the warm light of sunrise spilling over his helmet. Toshinori let out a fond huff of laughter, curving a battered arm around his successor and placing his large hand over the crack in his headgear to keep his face concealed.

“Crybaby,” he muttered affectionately, pulling the kid into a sideways hug.

“All Might,” the reported called, cameras turning towards the hero in a flash of lenses. “Can you tell us who your partner is? What is your relationship with him? What are you going to do next? Will you keep up with your hero work?”

Toshinori paused, half angling his slender torso towards the swarms of media, guiding Oni with him since the kid was still firmly within his grasp. He looked contemplative for a moment, glancing down at his successor who stared right back at him with the flickering visor, curiosity reflected in the wide-eyed display. The man visibly relaxed as a soft, genuine smile shone through his emaciated features, tapping his fingers lightly on the helmet and gently squeezing the boy.

“The future is in good hands,” he said earnestly, never taking his glowing gaze off Izuku.

Notes:

i drew ashido with different horns hELL yEah

 

Quirk Query -
Is Ashido's whole body immune to her acid? Can she only shoot it from her hands and feet, or anywhere on her body? Imagine her just spewing acid from her mouth like a deadly fountain,,
Is she immune to acid in general? Or maybe just a little more resistant than average people? Is her stomach acid more potent?? She can change the viscosity and potency of her acid, but like... how? Are there glands under her skin that alter with just a thought?

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Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of Time Trials