My Infamous Academia - Lichlord909 (2024)

Chapter 1: Altered Destiny

Chapter Text

Chapter 1: altered destiny

"All men are created equal"

It is what we are told from the moment we have minds to understand the words; something said to appease the masses and let them feel better about themselves, to let the powerless believe they have power… but it is a lie. You need only look around you to see that people through no fault or effort of their own are better than others.

People who are smarter, stronger, richer or even simply prettier; those people blessed by the universe to be born in the right place at the right time and be catapulted to greatness while the rest are left behind.

And it has never been easier in all of human history to see the difference between the two. Since the emergence of quirks, super human abilities that once only belonged in the realm of comic books had become reality. But for the 20% of humanity that had no quirk, every day was a constant reminder of their inadequacy.

Most simply accepted their lot in life and moved on, better that than to rage against something you could never change. But in a society that venerates the idea of heroes and powers it is not always so easy.

This was the case for young Izuku Midoriya; whom for all his life had wanted nothing more than to become a hero, like any other young child would. He would watch videos on his computer for hours on end, seeing heroes saving people and beating up the bad guys. Hoping that one day he could be just like them.

But it was not meant to be; as more and more of his classmates had their quirks emerge he remained without and his mother grew increasingly worried and had decided to take him to the doctor.

"Sorry kid, not going to happen"

He had said it so bluntly it had taken Izuku several seconds to comprehend what he had heard. And he had said it with all the emotion and care you would use to describe the weather.

"He should have already manifested a quirk, but after viewing his x-rays I don't think he's going to" he continued tapping his finger against an x-ray of his foot.

"You see we've found that those with the quirk gene only display a single joint in their pinkie toe while as you can see, he has two".

By that point Izuku's mind wasn't even there anymore, his mind hyper focusing and drowning out the adults words as he looked at the x-ray.

All his hopes and dreams for becoming a hero, snuffed out like a candle in a wind storm. He would have laughed if he could, his idea for the future destroyed by something that seemed so small and meaningless.

After that, the rest of the doctor's visit and the ride home had been a blur. Once they had returned home Izuku had gone to his room without saying so much as a word with the only light coming from his computer that shined under his door as he watched again and again an old video of All Might's debut, saving a train full of people and walking out of the smoke with civilians literally piled on his back. Like the Greek titan Atlas that carried the world on his shoulders, he had become the symbol of peace in not just japan, but the whole world and all the while flashing his iconic smile. Eventually Inko went inside his room to see how he was taking the news but all she did was find her child balling his eyes out as he turned to look at her. His eyes were puffy and bloodshot, his lips quivering and snot flowing out of his nose as he pointed a trembling finger back at the computer screen.

"I can still be a hero too, right mom?" he sobbed, barely able to speak.

Inko inched closer to Izuku before hugging her son tightly; apologizing again and again as if she was responsible for him being quirkless.

But even as his mother's tears flowed with his own; Izuku did not give up hope. That against all odds and evidence he swore he would become a hero even if it killed him. And as it would eventually turn out, it nearly would.

Years would pass by, and while he was bullied and shunned because of his status as quirkless he was not completely without friends.

And that one friend came in the form of a short, purple haired boy by the name of Minoru Mineta. He had transferred to his school the same year he had discovered he was quirkless and the two had first met after Izuku defended him from Kacchan and his cronies. The two had been best friends ever since.

Now though; it was just another day at Aldera junior high as the teacher went around gathering papers that all asked the same question.

"Who do you want to be?"

"Now I should look at each of these individually, but who am I kidding. You all want to be heroes!" their teacher exclaimed with a wide smile as he threw the papers in the air and his classmates cheered in response, their voices drowning out Izuku's half-hearted confirmation, knowing full well that drawing attention to himself would not lead to anything good.

"Eh teach, don't lump me in with the rest of these extras" came the co*cky voice of Katsuki Bakugo who had his legs propped up on his desk, leaning back in his seat without a care in the world and with a self-satisfied grin on his face.

"Who are you calling extras!" the class roared in unison, staring daggers at the blonde which only made Bakugo laugh in their faces as he hopped onto his desk, detailing how he was better than any of them could ever hope to be, how he was going to U.A the most prestigious school in all of japan and how he would even surpass All Might as the number one hero. His tirade would have continued if the teacher hadn't interrupted him.

"Oh it seems Izuku is applying to U.A as well"

And just like that, the room that had once been so loud you could barely hear yourself think had gone dead quiet as everyone slowly turned their heads like the rusted gears of a clock to see Izuku fruitlessly hiding himself in his arms, trying to appear as small as possible as if they wouldn't notice him.

The silence was broken as the classroom erupted with laughter; louder and more damning than he had ever heard as some struggled to breath after hearing something so stupid.

"You need more than studying to get into the hero course" one classmate said between bouts of laughter.

"They got rid of the quirk requirement; there just hasn't been a precedent…" Izuku said trying to defend himself before a loud boom smashed into his desk, shattering the wood and sending him end over end from his chair and onto the floor, silencing the class once more as a menacing aura filtered in.

"Deku!" Kacchan roared as he stomped closer to the frightened Izuku.

"What makes you think a worthless, quirkless idiot like you deserves even a chance in the same ring as me? Are you trying to compete with me!?" he said in a dark tone and feral snarl as he stalked closer, forcing Izuku back until his back was pressed against the wall.

"Of course not Kacchan, I don't want to compete with you" Izuku said quickly, putting his hands up and shaking his head violently to try and stop the crazed boy from coming closer.

"It's just that, it has always been my dream to go to U.A and I know that there's never been a quirkless hero but I won't know unless I try." Izuku desperately tried to explain as he averted his gaze from everyone else and his voice lowered to a whisper.

"What the Hell do you mean "unless I try" are treating this like a joke?" he growled as several small explosions erupted from his palms. His eyes as well as those of his classmates bearing down on him like wolves before the piercing ring of the school bell brought the situation to a halt as it announced the end of the school day.

Everyone took their time to leave, each giving Izuku their own version of a stare down as they left, appalled that he had the nerve to even try being a hero.

Izuku did his best to ignore them as he packed away his note book but was stopped as an intrusive hand snatched it away from him.

"And what's this supposed to be" Bakugo sneered as he waved the book in Izuku's face before showing it to his two cronies that had walked up behind him.

"Hero analysis for the future" one of them answered as he covered him mouth chuckling.

"Hey give that back" Izuku said as he tried to reach out and take it, only to see Bakugo slam the book between his palms, creating a small explosion, singeing the pages and tossing it out the window.

"All top heroes have their stories begin in their middle school days, I can't have you ruining my backstory by trying to get into U.A; I'm a perfectionist like that" he said with a wolfish grin as he laid his left hand on Izuku's shoulder, smoke billowing between his fingers.

"So don't even think about it" he said with a look that promised violence as he moved past him.

"He's so pathetic, he can't even accept reality" one of his stooges said as they began to leave, though Bakugo had one last insult to hurl at the emerald haired boy.

"But hey, if you want to be a hero so bad I know a quick way to do it. Just take a dive off the roof, maybe you'll be born with a quirk in the next life" he mocked as Izuku turned around with a face that looked half way between wanting to cry and yell before another series of explosions from Bakugo dared him to try something.

Izuku just stood there frozen, his anger drowned out by his fear as his bullies finally left the room.

It was only after they had left that his anger resurfaced as his lips shrivelled into a thin line and slammed his fist into a desk hard enough that he hurt himself.

"And what are you looking at shorty" he heard Bakugo yell from down the hall as he heard a small pair of feet getting closer.

"Are you okay Midoriya?" he heard a high pitch voice say that brought a measure of peace to his mind as he looked up to see Mineta standing in the door frame. A bead of sweat was flowing down the side of his face as he looked back from where he came from, as if Bakugo would come back for another round. They weren't in the same class but they had made a habit of walking home together as their houses were in the same direction. His eyes seemed apologetic as he stood their biting nervously at his lip before Izuku spoke up.

"I'll live" Izuku said as he finished packing up his stuff.

"Yeah um… I heard what Bakugo told you to do" Mineta tried to say as he rubbed the back of his head, his hand gliding over the large purple balls that were his hair before continuing.

"Don't listen to him, he's just a prick" he said as the two left the classroom.

Izuku couldn't help but agree; while the two had once been friends and he would always remember those days fondly. Those days were a long time ago and it had gotten harder and harder to excuse the things that Kacchan had put him through.

"Don't worry, if he wants me dead he can do it himself" he said flatly as they walked down the halls of their school, Izuku explaining everything that had brought him to that moment and finishing just as they exited.

"That teacher's such a douchebag, he knew you were quirkless yet decided to tell everyone that you were trying to get into U.A" Mineta Sympathized as Izuku fished his notebook out of the water that was currently being eaten by koi fish.

"The worst part is how they laugh at me for being quirkless yet half of them have quirks so useless they might as well be." Izuku hissed as tried to dry out his notebook, the images of his classmates faces feeling as if they were knives scraping against his soul.

"I mean, one of them could make their fingers longer, that's it. While another one could pull his eyes out of his head whoop de do. And another one has a f*cking door stopper for a head!" he roared, letting his frustration flair before slumping his shoulders in defeat. He didn't swear often; his mother having given quite the memorable tongue lashing when she had first heard him, but he didn't know what else to do.

"It's not like yours which is cool and can actually do something" he said praising the pint sized boy. The two had spent many days and nights just theorizing the kind of stuff he could do with his sticky balls, it made Izuku feel better in that he was both helping his friend and contributing to him one day becoming a great hero.

"Thanks man, you still planning on going to the entrance exam?" Mineta asked as he looked up at the Izuku who had a contemplative look in his eyes.

"… I don't know; a part of me wants to try no matter the odds, while another is telling me to pack it up before I make a fool of myself." He said in a low tone as Mineta looked for a way to cheer his friend up.

"Well if anyone could get in quirkless it would be you. Besides I'll need you their when Bakugo finds out I plan on attending U.A as well" he said with a smile. Envy flashed through Midoriya's mind but was quickly put out as he had known for a while that Mineta was planning to go to U.A and he was not about to let resentment get between them.

"I'll try my best, but only if you promise to never use that costume design you made" Izuku replied, internally cringing at the memory as the two left the school ground.

"What do you mean, the design is perfect" Mineta contested, trying to defend his aesthetic choice.

"You look like a baby with that thing on, no one will take you seriously" Izuku tried to explain, even though they'd had this conversation several times already.

"And girls like babies, they like to hold them close and press their…" Mineta said, letting his lecherous nature shine through before Midoriya cut him off.

"Babies are cute; someone dressing like a baby just so they can cop a feel is creepy as hell" Izuku pointed out matter of factly, looking at his friend with constrained annoyance. Even if he never became a hero, he was going to make damn sure his friend didn't end up a laughing stock or in prison.

Eventually the two lapsed into a comfortable silence, letting the sounds of the city wash over them until the pair walked beneath an underpass when the sounds of cars and people were replaced with a shifting and bubbling noise coming from behind them.

Slowly turning their heads they saw a massive villain morph in front of them. The villain was disgusting to look at, like someone's snot had been given sentience along with two bloodshot eyes and a Glasgow grin.

"Oh a medium sized invisibility cloak, perfect" it gurgled as the two tried to escape only for the sludge villain to slam onto Izuku covering him in his slime.

"I'm so lucky I found you kid; you really are my hero" he cackled with demented glee as Izuku's mouth and nose were being filled with the villain's body. Deku struggled desperately, his hands clawing at its oily body to no avail.

"G… Get off of him!" Mineta screamed as he threw one of his balls only for it to sink into the villain doing absolutely nothing. The villain having finally noticed the only other resident of the underpass shifted it body so that Mineta could have clear view of his struggling friend slowly begin to succumb as his flailing grew weaker and weaker.

"Sorry I only need one get away body" he sneered as a slimy tendril smashed into the boy, sending him flying and slamming him into a wall where he landed with a dull thud. Izuku screamed as he saw his friend fall to the floor, which only served to hasten his end.

"Now where were we" the sludge villain said as he redoubled his efforts to take over Izuku's body, stuffing as much of himself as he could. Izuku was holding onto consciousness by a thread by this point, his life flashing before his eyes as his tears ran down the sides of his face and darkness was setting in.

Neither of the boys were in any condition to notice the manhole cover the villain had come from fly open, its lid ringing like a gong against the asphalt. Izuku could barely heard the sound of a loud voice coming from behind him as he felt a strong gust of wind and the sudden feeling of weightlessness before finally slipping into unconsciousness.

"Hey kids wake up" Izuku heard as he felt something light yet forceful repeatedly smack him in the face. Slowly Izuku's eyes squinted open and was greeted to the view of the number one hero All Might leaning over him with his trademark smile.

"Oh thank goodness you're alive"

Izuku backed up quickly, his mind running a mile a minute as he stared dumbfounded at his idol. He was even more amazing in person; a mountain of muscle with golden hair and his iconic smile. He was so in shock that he didn't even register All Might apology for allowing the villain to escape from him, holding up a pair of soda bottles that now contained his would be murderer.

Izuku only came back to reality when he saw Mineta begin to stir finally awakening from his encounter.

"Mineta, Mineta speak to me!" Izuku shouted to his friend as he held him in his arms.

"Oh Midnight; I didn't know you were like that" the purple pervert said in a daze before he was shaked awake by Izuku bringing him back to the present.

"Well it seems your both alright, see you around" All might said as he began preparing to jump away.

Izuku didn't have time to think, he needed to ask All Might if he could be a hero and as All Might leapt into the air he felt a weight on one of his legs and the sound of Mineta crying out Midoriya's name.

"Heyheyhey, I've heard of clingy fans but this is ridiculous" All Might protested as he tried to get the boy to release his grip.

"If I let go I'll die" Izuku cried out which seemed to stop the pro hero as he realized just how high up they were.

"sh*t" All Might thought to himself as he began to taste blood in his mouth and looked for a place to land and settled for an apartment building.

"Alright kid you had your fun, now I got to get going" the pro hero said preparing to jump away once more.

"Wait I need to…" he tried to say.

"No I will not wait" All might said cutting him off.

"I need to know if I can be a hero!" Izuku cried out, desperation dripping from his voice which seemed to stop the top hero for a moment.

"I need to know if I can still be a hero, even if I'm quirkless" Izuku said again as he looked down at his feet not noticing as steam started to leak from All Might's form. Izuku went on to explain his life dream of becoming a hero just like him, with a fearless smile and by the time he looked up the man in front of him was nothing like the tall, muscled form of All Might. What he saw before him had to have been the most gaunt, dishevelled man Izuku had ever seen, with deep sunken in eyes and a body that looked like it would collapse with a stiff breeze.

"Who are you? What happened to All Might?" Izuku yelled as the skeleton man opened his mouth only for a river of blood to flow out making Izuku scream.

"I am All Might, you ever seen a guy at the beach constantly sucking in his gut and puffing out his chest? It's basically the same thing" the top hero said as he back slid down the railing, wiping the blood from his chin.

"During one of my battles I was severely injured, half my respiratory system was destroyed and I lost my stomach." He said lifting up his shirt showing a nasty gnarled scar on the side of his body.

"Because of this I can only be All Might for three hours a day" he continued in an almost defeated tone.

"Are you talking about your fight with the toxic chainsaw" Midoriya blurted out letting his nerd knowledge shine through.

All Might looked surprised for a moment before chuckling to himself and waving his hand dismissively. "As if that punk could do this"
"No, this fight was hidden from the public as the villain who did this was very powerful" he said, his soft tone turning hard and cold as he remembered his encounter.

"Though I expect you to keep this a secret now that you know" he said in a stern tone as he slowly lifted himself back up, strain evident in his movement.

"Wait, what about what I asked? Can I still be a hero" the boy asked one final time.

The pro hero was silent for a moment, turning his back to the boy as he looked out over the city.

"I can't say you can" he said in a serious tone and as the words left his mouth they felt like daggers in Izuku's heart that sank deep into his chest. This wasn't how it was supposed to be; he was supposed to say that he could do it, that anything was possible. That making the impossible possible was what being a hero was all about.

"If you really want to help people try being a police officer. They get a bad rep for being handed the villains but they are still needed" he said as he made his way towards the door to the stairway.

"It's good to have dreams, but you need to be realistic"

And then he was gone, the man that he had idolized all his life had told him to give up on his dreams, the only thing really keeping him going through all the years of abuse, the final nail in the coffin slamming home. He wanted to cry, to ball his eyes out in despair but it wouldn't change anything.

They were right, they had always been right.

Elsewhere in the city a pair of eyes opened from the inside of a soda bottle, the light of the sun filtering through the plastic and leaving the world in a green tint. The pair of eyes was confused at first until it remembered its fight with the number one hero. As anger swelled in its goopy body as it swore revenge against him but that was before a dark shadow fell over him. As the eyes looked up he froze in fear, the blood that he didn't even have in this form freezing as a pair of cold hard eyes stared down on him. The villain tried to roll his container to get away but it was no use as he was easily picked up off the ground. The man stared at him; moving his container back and forth and observing him as if he were some sort of insect.

"I have plans for you" the man said in a gravelly monotone voice, a wicked smile creasing his already wrinkled features as the villain screamed and disappeared in a flash altering history forever.

Izuku walked the rest of the way home looking through his singed notebook, looking over all the notes about pro hero's quirks and how they utilized them, his face a mask of deep sadness that had lost the utility of tears. That was until he saw the last page as scrawled on it was All Might's autograph, something that just a few minutes ago he would kill to have now set his blood to boiling.

"Shake my hand only to spit in my face" he growled, staring at the name so hard someone would think he was trying to set it on fire with his mind. This only stopped as he felt a soft vibration coming from his pocket and seeing it was Mineta.

"Midoriya what the hell was that!" his friend screamed, so loud that Izuku had to move his ear away "We nearly die to a villain and then you jump on All Might's leg!"

"Yeah that was not a smart idea; I just really needed to ask him a question."

"What? What did you ask him?" Mineta questioned; exacerbated confusion clear in his voice.

"I'll… I'll tell you later man, I just need some time" he sighed.

"Fine, just promise me you never do something like that again. Nearly gave me a heart attack" he finally answered as they each hung up.

Eventually he got home and was so deep in his thoughts he didn't even notice his mother greeting him, just taking off his shoes and going into his room.

Looking all around, he saw the many pieces of All Might merchandise that surrounded him, years of work and hundreds of dollars dedicated to this collection as they all bore down on him and judged him. That pure, honest smile that had once brought him peace and hope had turned into a venomous mocking grin.

Izuku's anger finally boiled over; after years of abuse for something he had no control over and his hero rejecting his dreams, it had all become too much too bear as he leapt across the room like an animal and tore away the posters that lined his walls with a feral fury. The tearing of paper mixing with the snapping of action figures as he ripped them apart, tossing the pieces hard against the floor and walls until nothing that had symbolized his misplaced idolatry was left standing.

Breathing heavily he pressed his back against his dresser; slowly sliding down until he laid in a heap at the bottom, tears streaming down his cheeks and his hands pressing hard against his face as he lost control of his breathing, leaving him with only hiccups of breath. He had always believed that he could be a hero, that he would defy the odds. But now for the first time in his life he didn't know what to do.

He didn't know how long he sat on the floor, surrounded by destroyed memorabilia when he heard his mother knocking on his door. "Izuku honey; is everything alright" he heard his mother ask and was thankful that his mother had always respected his privacy enough that she didn't barge in without warning, he didn't want her to see him like this.

Izuku took several seconds to get his breathing under control as he struggled to answer.

"Ye…Yeah mom I'm fine, just doing some cleaning" he said through his teeth, hopeful that his mother wouldn't open that door.

"Oh okay; but you might want to get ready, you're going to be late for your job" she said, not sounding like she believed him but letting her son work it out on his terms.

Izuku cursed internally as he looked at the time on his phone 5:48PM. He had gotten a job as a bike courier to earn some extra money and not feel like he was just leeching of his mother. Sure his father sent them money every month but there was a reason they lived in an apartment and not a house.

With a long, agonizing sigh he peeled himself off the ground and wiped away his tears. Grabbing his courier bag from of his computer chair he opened the door to see his mother looking at him with barely concealed worry.

"Thanks for reminding me mom, I'll get going" he said as he put a gentle hand on her shoulder and closed the door behind him, hoping that his mother wouldn't look inside. As he was about to walk past her though, he felt her hand grab his arm, soft yet firm in its intention.

"Izuku is everything alright" she asked again, looking into his no doubt red and puffy eyes and it took all the strength he had not to ball his eyes into his mother's shoulder.

"If somethings wrong maybe I can…" she tried to say; her boundless kindness shining through her own watering eyes as Izuku hugged her tight, so that he wouldn't have to see her cry and that she wouldn't see him either

"No mom, you've already done more than I could ever ask for" he said as he clenched his jaw hard, taking every last bit of his will to not let it out.

They stayed that way for several moments before Izuku pulled away, knowing that if he didn't leave now he wouldn't leave at all. "I love you" he said as he gave his mother one last kiss on the cheek before leaving, exhaling a quivering breath as he closed the door to his apartment and was greeted by the cold evening air.

He stood there for only a second, letting the orange light of the sun shine on him before into his eyes before walking down to the ground floor of their building was his bike. He had gotten it as a birthday present years ago and while he had little need for it before, now it allowed him to do his job.

"The only kind of job for a quirkless fool like him" he thought to himself as he undid the lock and rode off into the evening.

Cycling his way through the city streets he let himself feel the wind rush by, the world melting away into a sea of neon lights and car horns as icy tears stung his face. Finally he got to his destination; a small two story building with red bricks that served as the courier station. He got off his bike and barely got five steps into the building before his boss Hibori stormed up to him. He was an older man with a thick mustache, a large cigar held between his teeth and was pointing an accusatory finger that Izuku.

"Midoriya your late!" he yelled, letting everyone else inside know.

"I'm sorry sir I was…" Izuku tried to say.

"I don't care about your excuses, here" Hibori said as he tossed a heavy, round package roughly the size of a basketball at Midoriya who stumbled back slightly from the impact.

"Take this to the corner of 19th and sloat. If you're late you're fired" he ordered before storming off to his office as he stuffed the package into the courier bag.

19th and sloat was in the historic district of the city, and on the other side of the city. Why someone wanted something delivered there was beyond him, place was filled with old buildings dating back to the first emergence of quirks and the only place of note was the half-finished skyscraper the city had never bothered to finish. But in the end it wasn't his position to ask. So he did as he was told biking between cars and hearing the honks in protest as he carried on.

After that it was a blur, all he remembered was arriving at his destination and a flash of light brighter than the sun, searing pain and the screams of the dying.

"Activation plus six minutes, pulse is forty five, respiration ten looking good Izuku"

Chapter 2: Answered Prayer

Chapter Text

Chapter 2: answered prayer

Midoriya's eyes flashed open, breathing in a deep gasp that set every nerve in his chest alight as a horrid pain deeper than anything he had ever experienced washed over him like a tidal wave. The pain was so great it threatened to send him right back into unconsciousness as he shut his eyes hard with the slightest motion sending a fresh wave of agony and making the young boy see stars. His ears were ringing and even laying down where he was, he felt as if he was being tossed around like a leaf in a storm.

But he had to get up, he knew that something bad must have happened, he could here screaming and as his teeth threatened to shatter from how hard he clenched his jaw he finally peeled his eyes open once more with a deep throaty groan and was greeted to a first class viewing of the apocalypse.

"What Happened?" he wheezed; a slight stream of smoke exiting his mouth as he struggled on to his hands and knees, peeling himself off the ground with each breath feeling like an elephant was stepping on his chest. His limbs feeling like jelly and each weighing a tonne as he shakily pulled himself up.

"Oh my god" he gasped in utter disbelief as he looked at the carnage around him. His head slowly looking in every direction to see that he was in the center of a massive, smoking crater, the smell of melting asphalt and burnt out cars hitting him hard as he struggled not to vomit. But he was more than just at the center as he stood upon the lone piece of earth that seemed to have been spared from the worst of it. Like some demonic podium allowing him to address the depths of hell that had decided to make this spot their new home. And above it all the sky was the colour of blood, chocked with and smoke.

As bile threatened to bubble over inside his burning throat he suddenly felt a bright light shine down on him as he lifted his burnt, blistered arm struggling to see the source as he heard a loud voice call out.

"There's someone alive down there" the voice said and Izuku realized that the sound must have been coming from a helicopter, the rhythmic whooshing of its blades sending gusts of embers and ash that bit at his open wounds like fire ants.

"Hold on kid, the heroes are on their way, if you can move head to the nearest disaster relief station" the voice quickly ordered as he felt the light of the helicopter shift from him towards the destroyed parking garage. Through teary eyes Izuku thought he make out the shadow of a person, their outline defined against a concrete wall by the bright light of the helicopter.

"Hey you; in the garage, get the hell out of there, the whole thing is coming down!" the man ordered as a car slid off the side and exploded in a large plume of fire and smoke.

"Come on Izuku you need to move, move" he growled to himself as every muscle screamed in protest. Leaving his podium the fire and smoke threatened to suffocate him as his feet sunk into the pulverized earth. Like deep mud, every step was a struggle as everything fell apart, chunks of buildings crashed to the ground, gas lines exploding creating even more fires. Salty tears burned his open wounds as the smoke burned his eyes and if he craned his neck he could see the skyscraper, its formed turned into a smoldering pire of concrete and metal, hanging by a thread as it loomed over him like a guillotine. It felt like he had been thrown into a warzone.

Soon he managed to get close to the edge of the crater, thirty feet high and with no idea how he was going to scale it in his condition and he felt despair begin to nip at his spirit. Looking around desperately for an escape he saw a small outcrop of the road that might have been able to act like a ramp out of there. Slowly, one foot in front of the other he pulled himself up the incline, his heart sinking in his chest as he reached the summit and saw a large gap between the ground and a ruined bus hanging over the edge. It was nearly a ten foot jump and peering down he saw the red hot asphalt shifting like lava, eagerly waiting for him.

Gripping his still smoking jacket he breathed hard trying to psyche himself up as he charged towards the edge and leapt into the air, feeling the hot air rising beneath him as his legs flaring in pain at the added stress. Slamming into the roof of the bus with a cry of pain, Izuku lost his footing and nearly fell back but managed to pull himself upright, letting himself fall forward onto the hot metal of the bus and pulling himself up quickly as the metal threatened to take his skin with it.

The bus began to shake and slide and Izuku hurriedly limped his way forward, practically throwing himself onto the roof of a car as the bus tilted upwards and fell into the molten river with a grinding screech. Izuku had caved in the roof of the car; its metal seems slicing at him as he crawled his ways over the hood and onto the ground with a thud. It took Izuku another minute to pull himself back up as he focuses his mind on the parking garage from before in the distance, with the road to it being the only way not blocked off by debris.

"Izuku, Izuku, you there? Come on man pick up!" came the voice of Mineta, screaming into air as Midoriya looked down and noticed his phone that had been strapped to his bag had miraculously survived. Propping himself on a concrete divider he took a trembling hand and answered it.

"Minoru, what the hell's going on, I think there was an explosion?" he said as he tried to catch his breath. It sounded stupid as the words left his mouth, what else could have caused all of this but his mind struggled with the sudden change in circ*mstance and right now the obvious was all that could be said.

"No sh*t there was an explosion! One second everything's normal and the next everything's going to hell, where are you!?" Mineta screamed in his ear as Izuku tried his best to get his bearings; looking back at the spot he had woken up. He thought the crater was big before but now looking from the edge he could see the crater was nearly the size of a stadium.

"I…I think I got caught in the explosion" he said not truly believing it himself.

"Oh sh*t! You got to get out of their man, I'm coming to get you!" he cried as he hung up the phone before Izuku could answer back, he didn't want his best friend to get hurt because of him.

Hobbling along the destroyed road Izuku made his way up a crumbling ramp and into the parking garage, the only place that looked semi stable and wasn't completely on fire. Finally stepping inside he saw sparks from a damaged electrical box bouncing across the concrete like stones skipping across a pond. He tried his best to stay clear but just as he crossed the half way point electricity lashed out at him, sending electricity through Izuku's body, his muscles convulsing in spasms as electricity coursed through him for several seconds before the machine finally died.

"What the hell, I should be dead" he sound dumbfounded, that had to have been thousands of volts of electricity and he didn't even feel hurt. In fact he felt good, like he had just drank a bottle of cold water during a hot summer day.

As he began to walk again, the pain from before now felt duller and farther away but his mind was brought back to the current danger as a piece of the floor above him along with a car came crashing down in front of him, the explosion knocking him back. Izuku grit his teeth as a fresh wave of heat and pain smacked into him as he picked himself back up. Trying his best to keep from inhaling all the smoke and it was only when he looked down did he notice the soles of his shoes had melted from the heat as he left a trail of cooling rubber in his wake.

Finally he got to the other end of the garage but didn't notice the live wire sticking out of the ground as he once again was jolted with electricity. Izuku's body tensed at the electricity jumped from him to several cars. Their alarms blared as they violently rocked from side to side from all the energy being imparted into them before they exploded, taking out a small section of the garage and turning it into a ramp to the outside.

"Whoa!" Izuku exclaimed as he felt the garage rock from the explosion.

"What's happening to me?" he questioned, thoroughly lost in the situation. He had been electrocuted twice in the last five minutes and instead of being dead, the injuries that had been agonizing before, now felt like pin pricks.

But he didn't have time to think about the implications of this as what stability the garage had before had seemed to be gone as it began to shake more and more.

Trying to softly jump down to the ramp, his little hop became a leap that nearly made him hit his head on the ceiling before hitting the concrete with a dull thud as he rolled down until he hit the ground.

"Where had that come from?" he groaned as he pulled himself back off the ground and began to hear the sound of sirens and the yells of people as he hobbled away from the wreckage.

"If you are able to walk please evacuate to the nearest disaster relief station. Remain calm, emergency personal are on route" he heard the same voice from the helicopter say as he trudged closer to a line of police cars whose officers were trying to evacuate and bandage the survivors they had found. Among them were heroes he recognized from months ago when he saw them apprehend a giant villain. There was Death Arms and Kamui Woods leading a group of survivors out of a collapsed building while the firefighter hero backdraft way trying to put out the blaze.

Pulling himself along; he went unnoticed, the few professionals already having their hands full. Looking down the street he could see, among other people looking on in shock was Mineta waving at him.

"Izuku, come on we have to go" as Izuku tried to get to him as electricity from all around him surged into his body. Street lights, cars, everything all at once struck his body as he began to convulse harder than ever.

"GOD NO!" Izuku screamed, barely able to stand as he tried to stop whatever was happening as bolts of lightning descended from the sky, hitting buildings and vehicles as people ran for cover.

"Izuku, it's the villains run!" he heard Mineta scream again through clenched teeth and scrunched eyes as more and more lightning came down. With no idea of what to do, Izuku run in the direction he heard Mineta come from but it seemed the lightning followed him as he ran down the street, hitting anything and everything around. But with every step Izuku could feel himself getting weaker, his arms and legs feeling heavier until he couldn't take it anymore. As the adrenaline finally faded and he collapsed in a heap the last thing he heard was his name being called out before darkness consumed him.

The first thing Izuku felt was something soft beneath him and the rhythmic beeping of a heart monitor as he stirred in his bed. Every part of his body felt like sh*t, his arms feeling like lead weights and his head felt like it had been put in a vice. Something warm however was wrapped around his arm and as he peeled his eyes open he saw his mother crying a waterfall of tears.

Immediately after she realized he had woken up and wrapped herself around him in the tightest hug she had ever given him, fearing for moment that she would accidentally break his neck. His mother tried to form sentences but all the words blurred together in blubbery mess as she tried to push herself closer to him.

"Mom, what are you doing here? Where am I?" he tried to question as he looked around. He was on some sort gurney and was surrounded by green curtains. More and more questions bubbled up to the surface of his mind as the sound of a door opening made him tear his eyes off his mother to see a woman in a white dress, poke her head between the curtains before her eyes went.

"He's awake!, i'll go get the doctor" she gasped as she hurriedly left the room. he didn't have to wait long as the door opened once more and he was struck by an all to familiar voice.

"Ah it seems you've finally woken up" the voice announced as he watched the curtains pull away and reveal a doctor, clipboard in hand before clearing his throat.

"Dr. Ujiko?" Izuku gasped as he stared at the goggled man that Midoriya hadn't seen since he was four.

"I'm surprised you remember my name" he said in a light tone and a thankful smile.

'I could never forget you' he thought to himself as he remembered that day. "But where am I?"

"You're in the Hospital sweetheart" his mother said, finally able to break away from her crying long enough to answer, her eyes red and puffy from crying for what he assumed were hours.

"You were in a terrible accident my boy, you're lucky to be alive" Ujiko said in a cautious tone.

It was only then did everything begin to rush back to him. The pain, the smell and noise all assaulting him at once as his eyes went wide in shock and he began to feel a warm sensation coming from his arm.

Bzzzt-zzzz-zzt

The strange, foreign noise pieced his mind like a spear as he looked down at his left arm which had tendrils of electricity arcing up and down his arm and between his fingers, painting the room in a soft blue glow. On instinct Izuku tried to push his hand away as if it were some dangerous animal and was only stopped from going further due to his mother.

"Izuku its fine, you're okay" she said with haste, though her tone betrayed her own worry as she did her best to not touch the electrified limb.

"How is this possible?" Izuku fearfully demanded as he watched the electricity flare up slightly from his emotions.

"Ah yes that, it seems that the explosion triggered some latent quirk within you." He said as the two Midoriya's looked at him in shock at the news that was as obvious as it was unimaginable.

"You are not the only one as well; we have had several others come in with newly emerged quirks." He said as he sat down in a seat on the opposite side of his mother.

"Strangely, it seems the majority of cases are from those that were quirkless, though there have been cases of those that already had quirks developing new ones. Yours appear to be electrical in nature and quite powerful to; you gave our staff quite the fright when you were brought in, nearly caused another blackout when we tried to run some tests." he said in a rough chuckle, the kind you'd hear your grandfather make.

"Though from the tests we were able to conduct, we've seen that your body has gone through an extreme metamorphosis." He marveled giving Inko his clipboard, showing her several diagrams and notes as he continued on.

"When you were brought in any equipment that came near you had its electrical energy absorbed into you and it seemed to have some form of healing effect on your body." He said; pointing out than anyone else who suffered the kinds of damage he had would have taken months to heal and would have left him permanently scarred over every part of his body.

Izuku; hearing this checked both his arms and even looked down his hospital gown to see his chest, looking for scars or at least stitches but found nothing but normal undamaged skin.

"Also because of this; the electrical energy coursing through your body is beyond anything a normal human body could handle" he said as he pulled out a simple multi-meter, a device used to measure electricity. And asked Midoriya to grasp a prong in each of his hands showing a reading that was 9's across the board.

"To put it plainly my boy, the energy we are seeing inside your body is in the gigawatt range. The only thing comparable would a nuclear power plant" he explained as the young boy just stared slack jawed at the revelation. He had that much power flowing through him?

"Likewise we have seen an increase in your resting heart rate as well as cellular regeneration well outside the standard norm which helps to explain your rapid healing. But thankfully we've so far seen no signs of cardiac arrest or cancerous tumors."

This was all happening so fast Izuku's mind struggled to keep up. He had a quirk now; it all seemed too good to be true. He looked to his arm once more that again crackled with energy and the fear that had once gripped his heart was quickly being replaced with euphoric joy as he hugged his arm tight against his chest as if it were a long lost friend, tears beginning to run down his cheeks.

"How is this possible? You said that he was quirkless, his pinky toe had two joints." his mother asked, completely in disbelief that her son would suddenly have a quirk after all this time.

"To be perfectly honest Mrs. Midoriya, we're not sure" Dr. Ujiko said plainly, rubbing the back of his head as if he was ashamed that an expert like him was without good answers. This was lost on Izuku as his mind was consumed in ways he could possibly use his power, obviously from what the doctor had said he could absorb electricity but was that all he could do. Could he expel it out of his body and if so how? How powerful would it be, if he could expel it how much range did it have, how many could he shoot, So many questions.

"Um…Izuku, you're mumbling again" his mother whispered bringing him back to reality and turning his face a light shade of red in embarrassment.

"Oh sorry… but wait; how did I get here?" Izuku asked as the last thing he remembered had been a bunch of explosions but before the doctor could answer the sound of footsteps getting closer got louder until the curtain was swung wide to reveal Mineta breathing hard before leaping up to hug Izuku before he even had the chance to register what just happened.

"Midoriya you're alive!" he cried as he little arms put a surprising amount of force in his squeeze.

"Mineta, what are you doing here?" he shouted in surprise.

"He's the one who got you here" his mother answered with a smile, though a sad look covered Mineta's features as she said it.

"Tried to anyway, my legs couldn't get you very far" he whispered, a look of shame written across his face.

"You got the heroes attention, you helped save my boy" Ink countered not letting that kind of talk have any space to grow.

"So wait, how long have I been out?"

"Four days" Inko answered.

"And since you're now conscious I'll have one of my nurses bring you to the recovery room within the hour. From there we can see about getting you discharged." He said looking down at his watch.

"I'm sorry I can't stay and answer more of your questions but I'm sure I don't need to explain that I have many other patients to attend to, take care" he said as he left the room and leaving the trio surprised by his sudden exit.

"Hey your eyes changed" Mineta gasped as his mother seemed to notice too.

"What do you mean?" Izuku asked, a bit of fear seeping in. His mother quickly pulled out her phone and turned on the camera app and showed him a reflection of his face as Izuku gasped as well. His eyes had gone from a vibrant green to a chilling blue.

As the doctor made his way through the hospital, he gave friendly waves and words of encouragement to the staff and patients he passed. But slowly he slithered his way to the morgue stopping only to see if anyone was watching him before he went inside. If anyone else had entered they would have been appalled and horrified by the number of dead bodies piled in stacks against the walls to make room for more. But the doctor felt nothing, beyond light disgust as the smell of rotting flesh pricked at his nose. He walked to the back of the room and opened a door only he could open and as it closed behind him his facade as the kindly doctor melted away.

Down the old man walked, his steps echoing across the barren corridors until he entered a large chamber filled with huge dark skinned beings held in liquid suspension, the lights in their tubes giving the room a ominous purple glow. And all along the walls were vials holding the proof of the doctor's years of work.

Sitting in his chair he pulled out a phone and dialed the only number on it. He didn't have to wait long for an answer as a small TV on his desk turned on, the sound of static filling the room for just a moment before the words 'sound only' could be seen.

"Greetings my Master" he said in a tone tinged with apprehension as he struggled to form the words to explain what had happened.

"I…it appears our associate has lied to us." he said bowling his head low.

"And how might I have done that" a voice said in a dark chuckle as the doctor wheeled around to see a man dressed in a white coat.

"You!" he practically screamed as the man stood there, hands in his pockets and a smug smile on his face.

"From where I stand the detonation went off exactly as planned, thousands lay dead, the heroes thoroughly unsettled and society rocked to its core" he said taking one languid step after another towards Dr. Ujiko.

"You promised us a new source of powerful quirks" the doctor raved as some of the lesser nomu began taking notice of the uninvited guest, their malformed bodies crawling out like bugs from an overturned log.

"I Promised power and as you have no doubt already seen I have done so" he stated as he instantly punched the head off a nomu that had gotten a little too close, his hand returning to his pocket as if it had never left.

Garaki sneered at the man, what he said was true, these powers were unlike anything he had ever seen, deeper, broader and more powerful in scope than almost any quirk known to him. But even still ever since he had he had come he had been nothing but a disrespectful worm to him and his master and even now he wondered why his master hadn't killed him yet.

"But I have been unable to replicate them, what good is power if it is of no use" the doctor said as his eyes narrowed in rage, the man finally stopping only a few feet from him.

"Poor, poor Garaki; always blaming others for your own incompetence, your grandson would be so disappointed" He chided, like he was reprimanding some foolish child. "Though I highly doubt you care much for his opinion considering what you did to him" he laughed, peering down his nose at the smaller man.

"And do not for a second believe that just because you can replicate those pathetic things you call quirks and make your toy Nomu that you can understand true power" he said staring down at the shorter man as he glared back at him. "Because that power isn't for you; it's for his pet." he said eyeing the TV screen.

"Enough" his master said; and like a gavel in a courtroom, all went silent.

"Where is the device" the lord of evil asked.

"Missing" the man answered back, his wrinkled face illuminated by the brightness of the screens around him "My people are searching for it as we speak".

"And what will you do when they find it" the TV said; far more a statement than a question as the room fell back into silence for several seconds.

"After my men recover the ray sphere we can continue on to phase two of our agreement"

This time it was his master that chuckled, dark and rumbling like thunder.

"Take care Kessler; you are no so out of reach as you believe. And neither is your 'pet' project" All for one said.

That seemed to finally knock the grin of his face and Garaki was more than happy to see it gone.

"I suggest you take your own advice All for one or your 'pet' might meet an untimely end as well" Kessler said and in an instant he was gone, the air subtly shifting to fill the space he left behind.

"Dr. Ujiko, you're required on floor three for a 1322" a small feminine voice said on the intercom. Ujiko continued to stare at the place he had been, old brown eyes staring death into the empty space.

"What are we going to do about him master" he asked, turning back to the TV screen.

"Nothing; for now" his master said. "For now, continue with your nomu and leave him for me" he ordered as TV shut off and left the doctor alone.

Leaving his seat and allowing the mask of the good doctor to fall over him again, a low smoldering flame of hate burning in his soul. None would betray his master and live to regret it.

Twenty minutes later the nurse Dr. Ujiko sent arrived at Izuku's room and wheeled his gurney to the recovery room. His mother had asked if he could leave today but the nurse told her that it was policy to keep coma patients for overnight in case of complications and given his extraordinary circ*mstances it only increased the need. As they moved through the hospital Izuku could finally see a small example of the carnage the blast had created. Each room they past were overflowing with patients, with the rest forced to sleep in the hallway. The air was thick with the smell of blood and disinfectant, which made the aesthetic clash all the more jarring as they reached the recovery room.

The room itself was small with a TV hanging in the corner but what drew his eye was the rooms only other occupant. It was a girl around his age with long green hair tied up in the shape of a huge bow. Like him she was wearing a hospital gown and was looking out the window at the evening sky.

"Also visitation hours will be over soon so it would be best to say your goodbyes" the nurse said before leaving.

His mother began to sniffle again, pulling a tissue from her purse as she told him that she loved him and to take care. While Mineta; after seeing that his friend was alright had taken to trying to talk to the strange girl. Though she really only gave one word answers before Inko ushered him out the door, but not before sneaking a knowing look towards Izuku leaving the two alone in a silence that was becoming increasingly more awkward.

"It is being called the worst disaster in living memory" the TV host said, pulling Izuku attention as he saw a helicopter view of the crater, the memories of that day fresh in him mind. "Currently the death toll has reached over four thousand with many more reported missing; among the casualties are several pro heroes, among them the buster hero Airjet and Crimson Riot. Currently no villain or group has taken responsibility as police continue to investigate the cause of the blast".

Izuku was breathing hard as he stared at the screen, the shear level of destruction had been bad when he was there, but in the state he had been in, he couldn't truly understand the devastation. How could he have survived that?

"The disaster however has triggered an international response as many countries and wealthy philanthropists have shown their support and I have the honor of having one of them with me in the studio, please welcome Mr. Joseph Bertrand." She continued as the camera panned out to show an elderly man that looked to be in his early sixties. He wore a dark blue suit with a red ascot and his hair was shaved on the sides, leaving only thinning gray hair on top.

"Why thank you Miss and might I say it is a pleasure to be in your fine country though I wish it were under better circ*mstances" He spoke in an accent that made it clear he was from the US.

"Mr. Bertrand is it true that you have brought over one two hundred first responders from your home of New Marais with all expenses paid by yourself?" the hostess asked as the image of the crater was replaced with images of people cleaning up debris.

"Indeed, volunteers one and all and many more are due to arrive by the end of the week."

"Mr. Bertrand not to sound ungrateful but what is it the drives you, what made you decide to pour so much of your personal fortune into helping us rebuild." She questioned as the camera zoomed in on Bertrand.

"No it's quite alright, I'm well aware of the reputation rich folks like me have but I have always considered myself a man of faith before a man of means. And my faiths teachings make it clear that all men and women are children of our Lord God and to look upon your suffering and do nothing would be an evil I in good conscience could not allow." He answered in a tone that spoke deadly conviction.

"Well on behalf of japan we thank you and people like you for your help" she said as the camera panned back to the hostess.

"In other news it would appear the number 8 hero Wash has gone missing from his penthouse in downtown Tokyo. We're live with…" the screen suddenly turned black, bringing him back into reality, seeing the frog girl staring at him, remote in hand.

"Umm…Hi" he said anxiously as the woman looked back at him with large cyan colored eyes and a deadpan expression. He had really talked to a girl before that wasn't his mother, most girls never really wanted to talk to him and now he found himself in uncharted territory.

"I'm Izuku Midoriya" he finally managed to say, mentally kicking himself for how awkward he was.

"Tsuyu Asui" she said before putting the remote back on the nightstand "Your friends a deviant".

Midoriya for his part just chuckled to himself as he really couldn't argue, how Mineta made a beeline for her once he saw her wasn't good for first impressions. "He is, but he's a good guy once you get to know him". Tsuyu only hummed in response as though she didn't really belief him.

"Would you believe me if I said , he saved my life" that made the girl turn her head back to him as the slightest look of surprise marked her features and seemed as though she wanted him to continue.

"You know about that explosion?" he said; though more as a statement than a question, he would be shocked if anyone hadn't heard about it "I got caught in the blast".

Izuku went on to tell Tsuyu about how he had woken up inside a massive crater, covered in burns and how he had to crawl his way out. Finishing off he told her about how Mineta had tried to carry him to the hospital on his back; the last part bringing a smile to his face, happy that he had a friend that would do that for him.

Tsuyu seemed to look him over for a few seconds before she spoke. "How come you don't look injured" she asked.

"The doctor said it has something to do with my quirk" he said as he formed a peace symbol and focused hard on that warm feeling he had felt before. Instantly the familiar sound of arcing electricity graced his ears as bolts danced between his fingers like the prongs of a Taser "When they brought me in they said my body absorbed the electricity around me and it somehow healed me" he explained.

With that she seemed very interested as she sat up fully with Izuku following suit, that feeling of anxiousness slipping away by the second.

"What about you, why are you here" he asked as the girl who now that he looked at her more closely kinda resembled a frog put a finger to her lip before looking at a plastic cup filled with water at the side of her Gurney. Pulling the rolling tray closer with hands that Izuku noticed were quite large she placed the cup on one end and her open hand on the other.

Closing her eyes Izuku watched as her brow furrowed as the water inside the cup began to shift towards the side closest to her hand. Bit by bit the cup slid closer to her open palm before finally connecting as she closed her hand around it and opened her eyes.

"That was amazing" he asked as his mind connected the dots as to why she was showing him this.

"Were you caught in the explosion to, I'm so sorry" he quickly apologized as the frog girl, not wanting to make her relive the memories so soon.

However Tsuyu shook her head "No but it rocked my house, it was scary" She said, her eyes glancing to the floor for a moment.

Izuku didn't have to imagine "so were you quirkless before this".

"No my first quirks name is frog, it lets me have all the powers of a frog" she explained as Izuku's quirk brain went into overdrive about how her old and new quirk could synergize really well. He only stopped when he realized he was talking out loud; though she hadn't seemed to mind, giving a slight smile at his nerdy outburst.

"You must really like quirks" she stated as Izuku smiled sheepishly, his skin tinged red at the embarrassment of showing that.

"Yeah; your quirks are really cool though" he said earnestly with a smile.

"Thanks, yours is too" she replied as the two continued to talk to each other until the sun finally set, promising to pick up where they left off in the morning.

"This whole situation is a disaster"

That had been the consensus amongst everyone as within the police headquarters multiple pro heroes had been sitting around a large round table, filled with documents and a large screen showing a live feed of ground zero. They had forestalled this meeting for several days due to the level of destruction but now it was time.

Detective Tsukauchi stared at the screen in bewilderment as he remembered the initial hours after the explosion. It had been like nothing he had ever experienced and he was certain that it would leave a mark on him for the rest of his days. The death toll was currently in the thousands and it seemed like it would only continue to grow.

"Things are still looking grim" Endeavor said, his usual demeanor subdued by the severity of the situation. "As of last counting, five thousand people have been reported as dead or missing. Of those that survived many were suffering from debilitating or mortal injuries, while the rest had been moved to hospitals all around the country."

The hero Kamui Woods eyes turned hard as the figures were laid bare. "What about the surrounding area, how much damage are we looking at?"

Tsukauchi looked down at the documents in front of him. "The center of the blast seemed to be a small apartment complex in the south-eastern side of the city. Whether the explosion was due to a quirk or not is presently unknown. The blast itself completely demolished six square blocks and shattered every window in the city. It also created what we've identified as a strong electromagnetic pulse that knocked out nearly half of the country's electrical grid and lasted three days after the blast. Hospitals and other relief centers were forced to use auxiliary power, limiting the number of people that could be saved, adding to the casualties."

"Disgusting," the pro hero Death Arms growled, his large muscular flare trembling with anger. "Do we have any leads?"

Kenji Tsuragamae, the chief of police sighed "No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack and the recent increase in criminal activity has made investigations more difficult. Though from what we've seen, high level villains have made no moves making most of the crime low level thugs and street gangs".

"They've gotten bolder, take your eyes off them for one moment and suddenly they think their invincible" Endeavor said with his arms crossed.

"For now we must attend to what we do know." All eyes turned to a sharply dressed man who up to this point had remained quiet during the proceedings. The man in question was Sir. Nighteye and he watched to make certain he had the group's attention before he pulled two files from his briefcase. "There are two main points in this document that we need to address. Firstly there are the objects found near the explosion" as he repeatedly tapped his finger against a picture.

At first glance in simply looked like another piece of torn metal but on closer inspection the shard of metal had what appeared to be softly glowing with purple veins running along its length.

"Why's it glowing?" Kamui asked. "Some kind of residue?"

"Unknown, but what we do know is that they have… extreme reactions to quirks."

Tsukauchi's eyes darkened as Sir. Nighteye went on to explain how one of the people on the forensics team attempted to touch one after taking the photo.

"The man's quirk was called ultraviolet and as the name suggests, allowed him to see into that part of the spectrum. When he attempted to grab the shard, its glow increased and seemed to be absorbed by him before disintegrating. Where upon his eyes began to melt, cooking his brain and killing him shortly after.

Everyone was in shock at how gruesome it had been with some physically cringing away.

"Are there any others?" one of the heroes asked as Sir. Nighteye nodded. "Currently we have found six, but with the size of the explosion there could be hundreds, possibly even thousands spread across the city and surrounding area."

The threat to the public was obvious as they agreed that a wide sweep of the area was necessary.

"Now that the first is settled, what about this second issue?"

"The second is the issue of the only person who survived the explosion at ground zero." Nighteye answered which piqued the interest of Death Arms.

"How? I was there and there's no way anyone could have survived being that close" Death arms said.

Without missing a beat the TV screen to a still frame of ground zero before the blast. And there standing on the steps of an apartment building was a young boy holding something.

"Who is this person?" Endeavor asked as his brow furrowed.

"His name is Izuku Midoriya and from what we've gathered he's just a regular fifteen year old boy, works part-time as a bike courier and had no quirk"

"Had?" Kamui said, questioning the choice of words.

With the press of a button the TV switched again, this time showing camera footage from a helicopter showing one of the disaster relief stations. They watched as the helicopter circled around until a flash of light drew the camera's attention and zoomed in to see the same emerald haired boy, covered in burn wounds and looking like he was on deaths door with arcs of electricity that flowed around his arms as the boy began to convulse. They heard the boy scream as bolts of lightning fell from the sky as people ran for cover, only seeing the boy begin to run down the street before a lightning strike hit the helicopter where the feed cut out.

"So much for being quirkless" the hero Backdraft said as the video ended. "Did the pilots survive"?

"Unfortunately no and this was the only piece of the helicopters recordings that still remained usable."

"But where is he now?" Endeavor asked.

"Currently he's inside Jaku General Hospital in a coma. Officers found him further down the road unconscious with another boy calling out for help. The other boy is Minoru Mineta, goes to the same school as him and has a quirk called pop off, allowing him to remove sticky balls from his head."

"But it seems that whatever that explosion was, seemed to have awakened a latent quirk and he is not alone. We have also gotten reports of several other people who reported to be quirkless suddenly manifest powers as well." Nighteye continued as the rest of the room tried to absorb what they had been told.

"What was he doing there?" Endeavor asked as Tsukauchi answered in Nighteye's stead.

"He was delivering a package"

Chapter 3: Horrid Curse

Chapter Text

Chapter 3: Horrid curse

The following day Inko and Mineta made their way back to the hospital, sitting expectantly in the waiting room. Inko had been surprised that the boy had come every day since the blast but he would always say that his parents wouldn't care. Inko knew that Mineta didn't have the best family life, always asking if he could sleep over and always being hesitant to leave when they were younger. But she had never seen him be physically hurt and she didn't feel it was her place to ask those difficult questions.

The waiting room itself was packed with people, some like them who wanted to see their friends and family members that had been affected by the blast whilst others were nursing wounds that had gotten to severe to treat at home.

But of the people that were with them, there had been a family of frog like people that had decided to sit next to them. The mother of the family; a large mouthed woman with short black hair named Beru had gotten to talking with Inko, both discovering that both of their children had been affected by the blast. The patriarch of the Asui family was a man named Ganma, who was the most amphibian out of the entire family with his skin and head being identical to a toads. He himself had an almost permanent scowl on his face, with only slight smiles revealing themselves as he watched as Tsuyu's younger siblings pestered Mineta over his appearance, mistaking him for a child when they first saw him much to Mineta's annoyance.

Eventually one of the nurses informed them that they could see their children and the two groups made their way there. When they opened the door they were greeted to Midoriya and Tsuyu each pressing a hand together as the boy's static electricity made the frog girls hair stand on end, spreading out in all directions with some even touching the ceiling.

The two snapped their attention towards the door in unison, Midoriya pulling his hand away in a flash, his skin tinged red as Tsuyu's hair fell back down to earth in a sea of green. Mineta meanwhile was just slowly nodding his head, smiling with all the pride a father might have after hearing his son had found a girlfriend. This would end up turning Midoriya's face scarlet as he covered his eyes with one of his hands, trying to avoid the look that he knew Mineta was still giving.

"Good morning mom, dad" Tsuyu said without any worry at their sudden entrance, simply giving the same deadpan expression though Midoriya could have sworn he heard a sharpness in her tone.

"Tsuyu, who is this" Ganma croaked, staring down the boy.

"Weren't you paying attention when Inko and I were talking? His name is Izuku Midoriya, he's her son." Beru said, chiding her husband as he huffed.

"Uh… nice to meet you Sir" Izuku stuttered out, trying his best to reclaim his voice. It was then he noticed a striking difference between Tsuyu and the rest of her family. Whereas her family all had solid black irises that made seeing their pupils difficult Tsuyu's were normal, with her pupils easily seen when contrasted against the blue of her eyes.

"How long until she can leave" Ganma barked at the nurse, not even acknowledging the boy.

"Uh… well their quirks seem stable so they both can leave when their ready" the nurse sputtered out, off put by the toad man's sudden tone shift.

Upon hearing this each mother pulled out a new pair of clothes for them to wear. The two groups began leaving the room with Mineta not so subtlety giving Tsuyu a small folded piece of paper before giving one last deviant grin to Izuku before the door closed leaving the two alone again. Each slowly looked to each other, both now tinged red with embarrassment at the prospect of having to change in the same room. Each immediately closed the curtains that surrounded their gurneys and got dressed, each painfully aware of what the other was doing by the sound of shifting and ruffling clothes filling the empty space.

Pulling the curtains away once more they saw as they finished at the same time. Izuku was wearing a pair of jeans and a plain white t-shirt that seemed tighter for some reason while Tsuyu wore a baggy hoodie and sweatpants that he thought she looked nice in.

Another awkward silence filled the room as both seemed to not know exactly what to say to each other.

"Come on Izuku you just spent so much time talking to her; this is the first girl you have ever talked to, you have not come this far to f*ck up now" he thought to himself as he finally broke the silence with the first thought he had.

"You said you were going to U.A"

"Oh God I'm f*cking it up" he screamed to himself as the words left his mouth, cringing at that being the first thing he thought of.

"Yeah, I've always wanted to go there, what about you?" she asked back bringing his mind way from his internal scolding as in truth Izuku didn't know either. He had accepted that he was just a quirkless failure and his dreams would never be realized. But now he had powers and right as the universe was set to close that door forever it gave him what he always wanted.

"I don't know, I thought about going to U.A but I was quirkless" he shrugged, his uncertainty flowing from his body.

"Well you're not quirkless anymore" she stated bluntly; a habit of hers he was beginning to enjoy. "Besides I think you could be a hero"

That statement made the boys eyes go wide. Besides Mineta no one had ever said he could be a hero. Not even his mother, who for all her kindness could never bring herself to say that. And Mineta had been his friend for years so he had expected him to say that, if only out of kindness.

But with Tsuyu; she was honest, as blunt as a hammer and without the barest hint of a filter from his admittedly limited time with her. She had only known him for less than a day; she had no reason to say that beyond her actually believing it.

"Thanks I'll… think about it" he muttered with a pained smile. "I hope to see you again Asui"

"Tsu…my friends call me Tsu" she said as she tilted her head and smiled.

"Oh ok Tsu, well let's get going" he said, trying to hide his blush.

As they began to walk out Izuku's heart filled with pride, he had been able to not have one but two conversations with a girl and not make a complete fool of himself. But his happiness was cut horribly short as they saw two men in suits waiting for him.

Of the two, it was the one with a pair of sunglasses that hid his eyes that drew his total attention. He had read all about when he was younger, obsessing over everything All Might related. It was the pro hero Sir. Nighteye; he had served as All Might's sidekick for years before they had a falling out for unknown reasons but after his meeting with number one hero, he could guess.

"Izuku Midoriya, I'm detective Tsukauchi and this is Sir. Nighteye. We are going to have to ask you and your friend to come with us." The one man said as pro hero walked up and offered his hand.

Izuku offered his hand to the hero and as they connected he saw his eyes glow a dull purple behind his shades, going wide for a moment before turning hard as ice.

Izuku was sitting anxiously as the detective sat on the other side of the table, foot tapping and thumb scratching the inside of his palm as the detective looked over several documents. The trip from the hospital to the police station had been a tense silence as he didn't know what the officers wanted with him. If they had just wanted answers why did he have to come here? He and Mineta had been separated, no doubt waiting inside another interrogation room while his mother had been asked to stay in the reception area while they were conducting their questioning.

"Let's start from the beginning, what were you doing the night of the explosion" Tsukauchi asked in a kind tone that helped somewhat with Izuku's feelings on the situation.

"Well I did what I do every night; I got home from school, sat in my room for a while and then went to my job" he said honestly, tapping his foot in anxiousness Tsukauchi began writing something he couldn't see in his notepad. "What time would you say you left your house?"

"Around 6:00, I work as a bike courier and my job starts at 6:30, I use a bicycle my mother got me" he blurted out, nervously adding details that were seemingly unimportant.

"And what did you do when you got to work?" he asked leaning closer.

"I wasn't there long, barely stepped through the door before Mr. Hibori gave me a package and told me if I couldn't get it there in time he'd fire me."

"And did you know what was in that package?"

"No sir, the packages are given to us already wrapped, the only person that might know would be Mr. Hibori. My job was just to deliver…" Izuku froze mid-sentence as the gears turned in his head and his mouth struggled to form words.

"What did you do with the package" the detective asked in a far more serious tone. "I…I took it to… 19th and sloat. Parked my bike and… I can't remember" he said struggling to finish the words that became more and more damning with every syllable.

"What do you mean you can't" the detective pressed as Izuku struggled to remember, wracking his brain over everything that he had seen. He got off his bike and looked around; it had been on the outskirts of the city and as such was home to the seedier levels of society. He remembered the old brick apartment building, flickering street lights and then heat, pain and a voice!

"I think I heard someone talking after the explosion." he said finally reopening his eyes to see a glint in the detective's eye. "What did they say?"

"I can't remember what he said, but I know it was a man's voice and that he sounded old and powerful." He said with a shiver, the words might be forgotten but the power behind them caused every hair on his body to stand up. And while unknown to him a second conversation had been underway. Behind the one way mirror two people were watching the proceedings; one with a hard analytical look and the other with a mixture of shock and sympathy.

"I know that kid" Toshinori Yagi otherwise known as All Might said as he watched the boy through dark sunken eyes, having let himself deflate into his civilian form. He hadn't thought that he would ever see him again and certainly not under these circ*mstances.

"From where?" Nighteye asked, snapping his attention to his friend. Toshinori then began to explain how he had saved him and another shorter boy from a sludge villain. Then how Izuku had latched onto his legs in order ask him a question and how he inadvertently revealed his true form to him, shocking the other pro hero who admonished him for being careless enough to reveal his secret.

"What was his question?" Nighteye asked as the number one hero lowered his head, a look of regret in his eyes as he spoke. "He wanted to know if he could still be a hero even if he was quirkless".

"What did you say?" Nighteye asked, looking at All Might intently.

"I told him to be realistic", All Might answered gravely.

"Now I'm certain All For One in involved" he said without hesitation as his gazed turned ice cold towards the young boy.

"That's impossible, I killed him; I saw his body get carted away" Toshinori snapped, saying it more to convince himself than Nighteye, the idea that he had somehow survived making become erratic before he calmed himself a moment later.

"If not him than at least someone connected to him" he said as he continued on with his line of reasoning.

"A quirkless child goes to his idol in search of affirmation, only to be told to give up. And then not even a day later the child now completely without hope goes to his job and is told to deliver a mysterious package. As he gets to his destination a massive explosion goes off and levels six square blocks, yet left him without a single scar. An explosion then went on to bestow quirks to people, more often quirkless people. Doesn't that seem a little too convenient?"

When laid out like that it seemed obvious which only made the fear grip at his heart all the harder. Because If AFO was known for anything it was the manipulation of peoples desires to get what he wants. And he was the only person that had the ability to give and take quirks from people. But he still doubted that the young boy could have knowingly done such a thing. AFO couldn't have seen him, couldn't have contacted the boy and arrange all of this in less than a day.

"Do you think the boy knew" Toshinori asked in a low voice as Nighteye shook his head. "I doubt it; his record is completely spotless, no behavioral issues, hasn't ever even missed a day in school, to go from that to domestic terrorism, no." he said as he gazed hard at the boy, his lips turning into a thin line.

"But when I used my quirk on him, it didn't work" he said in a low, almost scared tone.

Toshinori was left in disbelief; in all the time he had known him not once had his predictions fail to come true. It had been the very reason for their falling out. To have his quirk not work now was impossible. "What do you mean, it didn't work" he quickly asked.

"When I used my foresight to see into his future, what I saw made no sense. It was like looking into a kaleidoscope, as if someone had tossed the past, present and future into a blender where no clear line of action and reaction could be found, leaving it all as an unintelligible mess. It was as if even the future wasn't certain for him." He said, having to come to terms with the idea that his quirk wasn't omniscient. A quality he would in any other circ*mstance happily revoke… but now.

As Nighteye finished they watched as Tsukauchi stood up from his seat and walked around the table, the boy flinching away as he got closer. On the verge of tears Tsukauchi placed a hand on Izuku's shoulder, the kind tone from before returning. "It's going to be alright, an associate of mind will come in soon to ask one more question and we can move on from there" he said as he turned and walked out the room leaving him all alone with his thoughts.

As Tsukauchi left Izuku he saw his sister Makoto leaving the other adjacent room, her single lens sunglasses reflecting his image back at him as she walked towards him. Both siblings silently nodding Tsukauchi knocked twice, letting All Might know to change back into his muscular form before they entered.

"So how was the other kid" Tsukauchi asked as he put his hands in his pocket, slightly irked as she blew a bubble out of her gum, popping it loudly before answering. "Besides the kid making a pass at me and his eyes wandering to my chest when he thought I wasn't looking he's just your everyday kid, though he did say his family life isn't the greatest making it the reason he was in the area to help his friend."

"What about young Midoriya?" All Might asked, hopeful for answers.

"Nothing special, good kid, solid grades, doesn't cause much trouble, just a normal kid. But from what Mineta said he does get bullied rather frequently for being quirkless." She explained which made the symbol of peace lower his head in sadness at the boys' situation.

"So that might have been a motive" Makoto suggested.

"Still all this evidence is just circ*mstantial. What about this Mr. Hibori he spoke of, surely he would know about that package." All Might said, still looking for a way that would not incriminate the young man, especially after all he'd been through.

"Dead, when officers went to ask him about the package they found that the blast had sent a bus straight into his office" Tsukauchi growled as the room slipped into silence, that one piece of evidence that could have given them something had died with him which left only one thing.

"What about the kid? Do you think he's telling the truth?" she asked. While her quirk could tell if people were telling the truth, it only worked on people who truly believed they were telling the truth.

Tsukauchi turned towards the one way mirror, looking at the boy with tears in his eyes and gave them his answer.

Midoriya was nearly losing his mind as the all the pieces fell into place as he gripped his hair and struggled to breathe as the truth became clear. The package had been some sort of bomb and he had brought it there. All those people were dead because of him, the revelation making him cry a silent whimper as he curled into a ball in his seat, praying that if he squeezed hard enough he would disappear entirely.

Why had he survived, when everyone else had died? How had he, who had been at the center of the blast been able to just walk away. And who had been the voice? All these questions buzzed around in his head like vicious hornets, stinging his mind with every passing second.

Some small, logical part of him knew that it wasn't his fault; that his job wasn't to ask questions about the packages he delivered, just deliver them and get paid. But the guilt drowned out any logical reasoning, he had been the one to deliver it and if he hadn't, if he had just sat in his room that night none of this would have happened. And worse of all had been how he had reacted to the aftermath. Was his first thought about the tragedy of the blast, of all the lives lost? No it had been selfishness, horrible selfishness about finally having a quirk. The bodies of the fallen had not even been buried and he had been happy, not even caring about the circ*mstances.

As Izuku struggled with this revelation, he didn't notice as his body sent out a small pulse letting the boy until he could suddenly see through his hands. This shocked the boy back, almost making him jump out of his seat as he looked all around him, trying to search for what had caused it.

Again the pulse came as colour drained away from the room, replaced with arcs of flowing blue electricity. He could see it all, everything powered by electricity from the wires in the walls to the street lights outside. He could even see the neuro-electricity of dozens of officers in the building and even the people on the side walk, billions of neurons lighting up like a fireworks show. The walls of the building provided no obstruction as he saw clear as day like they weren't even there. But it's what he saw behind the glass that made his heart nearly freeze.

There were four people behind the glass, all staring at him, he saw as the electrical impulses of their nervous system flowed through each of their bodies. He could see every neuron firing off inside their heads, the electrical signals forcing their hearts to beat, their lungs to breath. But the one nervous system seemed to be missing something, a lung on his left side.

"All Might" he whispered in disbelief as the door swung open once more, bringing colour back to the world. This time it was a woman in a pristine white blazer and sunglasses. She had long black hair and large hoop earrings that jostled with every step as she took a seat opposite Izuku, crossing her legs and putting her elbows on the table.

"Hey kid, how are you holding up?" she said with a bright smile. Though all she got in response was a slight nod of his head, not able to speak as his former idol watched him from only a few feet away.

"Well my name is Makoto Tsukauchi, and I've been told to ask you a question. But first I need to tell you how it works for legal reasons." She said as once again she received only a nod of affirmation.

"My quirk is called polygraph; it allows me to tell when a person is lying when I'm in physical contact with them. I'm going to need you to give me your hand." She said as she laid out her hand on the table, palm up. Izuku gave one last look towards the mirror, where he knew All Might was watching and shakily gave her his hand.

"Izuku, did you know what was in that package" she asked, pulling off her glasses and letting the boy look her in the eye. That was when the tears finally began to flow.

"No" he finally managed to say in a strangled choke as they stayed like that for several more moments before Makoto pulled back her hand, a deep sadness carved on her face as she left the room.

Eventually Detective Tsukauchi and the muscled form of All Might entered the room. "Given the evidence, we have reason to assume that the package you delivered was the device used to cause the in Mustafu." The detective said as Izuku's head sunk lower into his chest.

"But given all present evidence concerning your involvement is circ*mstantial, your position as merely the deliverer and evidence of your ignorance about the packages contents provided by Ms. Tsukauchi's quirk there is not sufficient evidence to convict or for you to be held liable. You're free to go." That last sentence sent the boy's body into shock and felt as though he had been thrown into the frigid waters of the arctic as he snapped his head to look the two adults in the eye.

"No; I should be punished, all those people are gone because of me" he frantically said, shifting his eyes between the two adults begging to be punished. But All Might simply put his hand up to quiet the young boy.

"It wasn't your job to know, the fault lies on your employer for not properly checking what they were having you deliver." He said in a deep baritone voice. "You've done nothing wrong and I promise that the people responsible for this will be brought to justice".

He wanted to protest further, to scream that it was still his fault but one look from them told him the decision had already been made and he could do nothing to change it.

After that, the adults allowed him the time to collect himself before escorting him and Mineta to his mother who looked to her son with palpable worry, with tears flowing down her face.

The final ride back to their home had been even quieter than before as Izuku watched people trying to clean up all the damage that the explosion had created. Nearly every window in the city had been completely shattered and pieces of falling debris had crushed cars and any unlucky pedestrians on the sidewalks.

All the while, the feeling of guilt sank deeper and deeper into Izuku's soul like a tick burying itself in flesh. Denied the opportunity to be punished for a crime he had a part in, making him feel even less about himself.

Eventually they made it home and could only watch with sullen eyes as the car drove off; leaving them in the flickering lights of the street.

"Would you like to come inside" Inko asked sheepishly as they got to the foot of their building.

"No it's alright Ms. Midoriya, I should be getting home" he said with a tired sigh and giving Izuku a look. "If you need to talk, hit me up" he said as he walked away down the dark street with nearly every streetlight having been destroyed.

When they got inside it was obvious that their building hadn't been spared as his mother had taped garbage bags over the windows and their fridge was empty of everything, the EMP making most of the food go bad.

"I'm going to make us some tea okay" his mother said nervously as she walked into the kitchen.

"Ok" he whispered back as he walked to his room, seeing lines of cracks in the walls when the explosion had rocked the building. Placing his hand on the knob he opened the door to see the room that at one point had been a shine to All Might in all but name. But now was competently destroyed with pieces of action figures and posters from his earlier rampage mixing with overturned furniture, with only his bed having remained relatively in place after the blast.

Sitting down in his bed wiping away dust and chips of drywall, hearing the spring's creak as he laid himself down. Hands crossed by his waist; he looked like a corpse, felt like a corpse and should have been a corpse. His mind was like a ship in a storm, without direction. For the second time in his life he truly had no idea what he going to do now.

That's when he felt a slight buzz in his pocket as he pulled it out to see an unknown number?

"Um…hello?" Izuku asked hesitantly, not wanting another surprise today. Though once again it seemed the universe cared little for what he wanted and how he wanted it.

"Hi Izuku its Tsu" came a familiar voice which made the boy shoot back up from his bed.

"Tsu? How did you get my number" he asked as politely as he could. His world may be ending but it was no reason to treat her badly.

"Your short friend Mineta gave it to me. I was halfway to throwing it out, thinking he gave me his but I guess he was telling the truth" Tsu explained. Izuku was silent for a moment before he had to fight himself from laughing hysterically, the disjointed turn of events playing havoc with his emotions. It was not the kind of laughter sparked from joy but the kind where you had to choose between that and loosing yourself.

"Of course he did" he said as bit his lip so hard it bled. "So what's up"?

"Well seeing as we both have new quirks I thought we could practice together, give us the chance to see what they can do." she answered back.

Izuku froze the idea of being a hero after all that's happened, sending a chill down his spine and filling him with shame. How could be a hero who saves people, how could he smile and save the day when his hands were already bloodied by the deaths of thousands?

"Well I don…" he tried to say before he was cut off.

"Because when we were talking, you seemed like you've been analyzing quirks for a long time, so I thought there would be no one better to train with than you" she said, leaving the jade haired boy silent, his mind returning back to what she had said earlier that day. Those words acting like a lighthouse to a ship caught in a terrible storm.

She had believed in him; had known him for so little time yet was the only one to tell him what he had always wanted to hear and mean it.

He dug his hand into his green hair, tugging at it hard as he struggled with the decision.

"If you don't want to that fine" she said quickly.

"NO no… I'd love to it's just been a long day" he jumped to say. Even if he felt he could never be a hero at least he could help her become one. "I'll call you when I think of something we can do".

"Thanks, I'll try and think of something too. By the way, what did the police want with you two?"

"…they just wanted to ask us some questions, talk to you later Tsu." He said, as he hung up the phone, letting the device slip from his fingers and fall to the floor.

The next few hours went by quietly as Izuku struggled with everything that had happened. His mother tried to talk to him but he just couldn't talk to her about this. He didn't want to see the love in her eyes be replaced with hate if she found out what he had done. This eventually led him to the roof, the sky still chocked with smoke leaving only the street lights and his powers for illumination. Sitting on the edge; letting his legs hang in the air as he stared at his hands, letting small arcs bounce between his hands like he was playing catch with himself. Deep ache sat in the bottom of his gut, making it difficult to breath.

Deep in thought he wondered if he should tell anyone about what had happened, he had dodged the question with Tsu but he knew eventually there would come a point where everyone would know. You just can't keep something like this a secret. And what if he actually followed through on his childhood dream, his history and involvement would come to light eventually. You couldn't keep something like this hidden forever and whether they believed him about having no idea what was inside that godforsaken package or that the police did not have sufficient evidence, the media wouldn't care. He could see them as clear as day in his mind's eye, a crowd of people stretching all the way down the street wanting to tear him apart in vengeance for the death of their friends and family. And what would they do to his mother to get to him 'an eye for an eye' they would say.

He needed to talk to someone otherwise the guilt would eat him alive. Turning off the light show in his hands he pulled out his phone and tapped the only other contact he had besides his mother and now Tsu.

"Hey man, how's it…" he tried to say before Midoriya cut him off

"Hey Mineta, could you swing by my place, I need to talk to you about something".

"Alright I'll be there in fifteen" he answered back immediately; already knowing that something was up.

"Don't bother knocking on the door, I'm on the roof" he said before hanging up, not even waiting for a response as he prepared himself with shaky breathes.

And with that, the called ended and fifteen minutes later he saw that same small boy walking down the street. Soon enough he heard the familiar steps of Minoru behind him.

"So what did you want to talk about" he asked but by the tone he could tell he had an idea of what this was about. Midoriya tapped the piece of concrete on his side, silently asking him to sit. Mineta took the hint and sat next to Izuku though the prospect of falling kept his legs firmly planted on the side facing inward.

"What did the police ask you" Izuku asked, his mind trying to avoid the real issue with all its might.

"They just asked me questions about you mostly, what do you do after school, who do you hang out with, that sort of stuff" he answered truthfully. "I figured they wanted to ask us questions about the explosion and how lucky you were to survive" he said with a smile which only served to sink the claws of guilt deeper into her heart.

Izuku was quiet for a moment, a million different ways to broach the subject but with only two outcomes between them.

"I was the one who did it" he said in a voice barely above a whisper as he bit his lip hard enough to draw blood to stop his voice from quivering.

"Did wha…" Mineta tried to say before his eyes opened wide and his mouth hung loose as the meaning of his statement finally came to him.

"The night of the blast I was delivering a package and I don't remember what happened next but the package was a bomb" he said breathing hard, gripping the concrete till his knuckles turned white.

"If I had known, I never would have, I I…" he tried to keep talking but tears and emotion swallowed his words whole as he wailed in anguish, pressing his hands hard into his face.

Mineta was shocked by his friend's sudden shift, denial already on his mind before he even began speaking.

"That doesn't make sense Izuku; if you delivered a bomb there would be nothing left of you. You were there; you saw how big that crater was" he tried to argue desperately, but that only resulted in Izuku shaking his head no violently.

"No" he said in harrowing certainty. "No Minoru, when I woke up I was in the center of that crater and the only way I could have been there was if I had the package. It's the only way it makes sense" he choked out.

"Jesus Christ dude" Mineta gasped out as he rubbed a hand across his face as he thought about what he said before looking down over the concrete railing and the large fall below. "You're not planning on jumping are you" he chuckled nervously, fear drenching his voice at the thought that his best friend called him all the way here just to be a witness.

Izuku chuckled too despite himself as he shook his head. "No actually it's about Tsu" he admitted, forcing air in to his lung and forcing it to stay there before releasing.

"Tsu?"

"The girl from the hospital; she called me earlier and asked if I wanted to train our new quirks together." He said slowly bringing his breathing under control with only sputtering bouts of hyperventilating in between.

"So… what; you want me to be your wingman" he asked with a nervous smile, his mind completely thrown for a loop at the sudden change of topic.

"No; I want to know if I should, she told me she was planning to go to U.A and asked if I was too."

"What did you say?"

"I said I would think about it but before we left she told me I could be a hero. And I wanted to ask you" he said looking deep into his friends eyes, his being completely bloodshot.

"Can a murderer like me still be a hero?"

What followed next was a sharp sting as the diminutive boy slapped him hard on his cheek. It really didn't hurt but what it lacked in physical power it made up for in psychological power as the boy stared in shock as Mineta stared back at him with a hard look on the face.

"You're not a murderer; you're the kindest person I know. You had no way of knowing what was in there; you can't hold yourself responsible for that." He stated as tears began to flow from him, as his emotions began to overwhelm him.

"But how could I call myself a hero, when my hands are stained with the blood so many!" he yelled, his pain making way for frustration.

Why had this happened, why had he been given the one thing he had always wished for in the worst possible way? What had he done to deserve this!?

The two were silent for a moment as Mineta looked out over the city.

"You've been a hero as long as I've known you" he said with confidence as he looked into Izuku's wide eyes.

"When we first met, you saved me from Bakugo and his friends. You got your ass kicked by three people, covered in burns and bruises for a person you didn't even know." Izuku tried to interject as he could feel where this was going but was cut off by another look. Mineta needed to say this and he wasn't going to stop.

"And more than that you stuck with me; ME! The creepy, perverted little weirdo; it would have cost you nothing to pretend we had never met and for you to have kept whatever reputation you had. But you didn't. You and your mother have been more of a family to me then my own parents. You're my brother and you are the most selfless person I have ever f*cking met."

"You might not see it but I do! f*ck what our classmates said, f*ck what our teachers said and f*ck what Bakugo said!" Mineta yelled, swinging his arm in front of him in a dismissive gesture.

He would like to believe that he was really as kind and selfless as Mineta thought but he knew what he had first thought after finding out about his power. There had been nothing selfless about it. Even here and now, this was about him, how he felt, how he had been made to suffer. Not about the other victims, not how they had suffered, not how their families were suffering.

"While your powers came at a terrible price, now you have the chance to save more people than just one perverted fool and moreover you have the chance to find the bastard who did this." He finished, taking deep breath and an even deeper sigh as Izuku thought over what his friend had said.

Maybe he couldn't be selfless; he knew he couldn't be the kind of hero he had once idolized in All Might; fighting villains with that ever present smile. He couldn't, not anymore. But maybe he could still be a hero, a different kind of hero, a hero that could make their deaths mean something.

Atonement; a selfish atonement but still…

"Ok…ok I'll do it" he said with as much determination as he could summon. Looking at his friend with a thin smile and tears in his eyes he saw his face reflected in Mineta's as the two embraced, both psychologically exhausted by everything that's happened.

"Thanks man, I needed to hear that" Izuku whispered as he pressed himself into him.

"Don't thank me yet, you owe me a week's worth of takeout" Mineta said still in each other's arms.

"For what?" Izuku asked.

"For giving her your number; can't have my brother dying a virgin, what would people think" he answered back as the two began to chuckle which eventually escalated to full on laughter as they finally released each other.

"Alright, I'll see to getting you that. By the way you wouldn't happen to know a place we could train."

"I think I might know a place"

Chapter 4: Beach Side Training

Chapter Text

Tsuyu gazed up at her phone from underneath the snug warmth of her blankets; a smile spreading across her face as sleepy eyes gazed over the text message Izuku had sent her, saying that he would come over today to pick her up for their first day of training. She had initially been worried about what had happened between him and the police, remembering well the silence that had instantly appeared when the pro hero had taken them away. She hoped that at least nothing bad had happened and maybe they really only wanted to question him about the attack, Izuku did say he was near the epicenter.

Tsuyu sighed; resting her forearm on her head as she lay on her bed, "everything's fine" she said to herself "and he's coming over soon".

A boy was coming over to her apartment, and he was picking her up.

She felt her face heating up as thoughts filled her mind. Her knees rubbing together in unfamiliar anticipation, as she hugged her phone to her chest.

"Tsuyu; get up!" her mother yelled, pulling her from her inner thoughts as the look of happiness and embarrassment were replaced with her usual deadpan.

Reluctantly she pulled the covers off of her and leaped out of bed, performing a kick up with practiced ease she looked out over her room. She had done her best to tidy up, but there's only so much you can do with a partially collapsed ceiling and exposed insolation. Even now she could see the faint trail of her breathe as through the half destroyed room she could hear the erratic sound of wind smacking against the garbage bag taped to her window. The thin sheet of plastic doing little to stop the cold from getting in, though she was thankful the power was back on so she didn't have to worry too much about her siblings being cold.

Turning now to her vanity, whose glass had frosted at the edges and whose wood was adorned with gymnastic ribbons from a more pleasant time. Normally she didn't like looking at herself all too much; everything from her massive hands, stooped posture and beady eyes had never sparked in her the idea of beauty. It's what made what was happening seem almost unreal. She had asked Izuku to train, almost knowing that he would refuse, no one ever wanted to hang out with her, she never had the time for it anyway and even then no one could ever see past "this".

But he had; he had accepted, he wanted to hang out and train with her.

The thought leaving her to look herself in the face, her newly acquired feature shining back at her.

"Was this all of this thanks to you?" she asked herself as she looked into her strange, new eyes. Before the blast her eyes had been just like the rest of her families, bulging and off-putting. But now they shinned and she finally had something she could call beautiful and it might have just given her, her first friend.

'But that was the least of the changes she had to deal with' she thought to herself as she remembered having to show off her new power to get her parents to take her to the hospital. First time she had ever seen a look on their face that wasn't as placid as her own.

But the memory of how her father had treated Izuku sparked a flame of anger in her. The first person in years to speak to her like a person and that was how he acted. But then again she shouldn't be surprised as she turned from the mirror and moved to leave.

Turning to the door she looked to the picture of the bunny hero Mirko on it, the lecherous image stapled to the front of a dart board as she felt a twinge of irritation well up inside her at the sight. Taking a dark from her vanity she threw it, placing it dead center between her eyes as she huffed in mild amusem*nt. Pulling the door open she strode into the hallway of parents apartment. Walking into the living room she could see her parents were getting ready to leave while her younger siblings were sitting at the table.

"Make your siblings some food" her father ordered, not even bothering to look at her as she walked to the kitchen. Not bothering to replay she walked to the kitchen, her process was almost unconscious and nearly robotic as she prepared to do the same she had done so many times before. She decided on cereal with milk, something easy and as the milk poured into the bowl she felt a light tug on her shirt and looked down to see her little sister Satsuki who looked at her with expectant eyes.

"Come see what I drew" she said as her little hands pulled her along to the kitchen table. Tsuyu helped her back into her seat where she showed a picture that she thought was supposed to be Tsu, Satsuki and Samidare all smiling on a green field, sun high in the sky with big smiles on their faces. Tilting her head sideways she could see that she had drawn little streams of water coming from her hands like a sprinkler.

"I made it so you could get better" she said with a big smile, her eyes shining with an innocence that made her heart melt.

"Do you like it?" she asked, her body bobbing in her seat from anticipation.

It was moments like this she was glad she had learned to mask her emotions so well as she smiled and gave her little sister a hug, letting her little arms wrap around her neck. She would never cry in front of her parents. She would not give them the ammunition.

"I love it, in fact after I'm done making breakfast I'll put it in my room so I can see it every day" she assured, squeezing her tight.

"Speaking of rooms, were you talking to your boyfriend in there" an accusatory voice said as Tsuyu looked across the table to see her little brother Samidare, his hair covering one of his eyes as he looked at her. That stopped Tsuyu for a moment, her body going stiff before she released the hug and walked back to the stove.

"He's not my boyfriend" she answered back, not even looking back at her little brother.

"You better not have a boyfriend" she heard he father croak and she could tell he was staring into the back of her head.

"She doesn't have a boyfriend dear, besides she'll be too busy preparing for her entrance exam in a few weeks" her mother said, placating the old toad.

"I still don't see the point in it. It's not like they'll ever let a heteromorph be real hero. She'll be a side show at best" her father huffed.

Tsu meanwhile just continued to do her job, gently placing the bowls down for each of them even as muscles tensed underneath her clothes and a burning glare sat just behind her placid eyes. As the door opened and closed, the apartment was bathed in silence, interrupted only by the sound of her siblings eating while she faced the sink, the rage finally allowed to show itself.

But her mother was right; she would train, she would be ready and when the time came she would never look back.

It had been three days since Izuku had talked to Mineta on the roof of his home and his diminutive friend had told him he knew just the spot for him and Tsu to train their new powers. Izuku had been very thankful for his friend's idea because he honestly had no idea where they could have gone.

Sure there were gyms that allowed for people to train with their quirks, but those were only for pro heroes as it was illegal for normal people to use their quirks. Not to mention that those places were prohibitively expensive regardless.

And it was for that reason that the two boys were now walking down the new bustling streets of Mustafu. It was rather surreal for the green haired boy, the once noisy streets once filled with the sound of cars was now filled with sound of people walking, with abandoned cars littering the sidewalk to allow emergency personal to get through and people walking around them like water flowing around stones. Even now, nearly a week after the blast he could still hear the distant sound of emergency vehicles, and helicopters flying overhead had become a much more common event.

This, he found out was all because the explosion that had rocked the city had released a massive electro-magnetic pulse that disabled all vehicles not hardened against it, which included the railways they would have usually used to get around. Even now he couldn't even guess how he survived it.

"You said she lived around here" Mineta questioned in a slightly tired tone, bringing him back from his internal thoughts. Izuku looked behind him to see him begin to lag behind, the long walk apparently doing a number on his little legs.

"We've only been walking for an hour, don't be a baby" he chided. "Besides I think we're here"

As Mineta's final tired moan ended they arrived to an apartment building much like his, though this one had been relatively closer to the blast and the pair could see the effects plainly with solid cracks running the across and along the walls and he wondered if the building was even safe to be in. Up and up they walked to the fourth floor and lightly knocked on the door, hearing several voices inside and the sound of shuffling before the door opened part way and stopped only by a chain lock on the inside as a cyan eye peered out.

"Glad you made it" she said as the door closed again as the sound of her unhooking the chain rumbled against the door before it opened again to reveal her.

She was wearing a thick green jacket, which looked warm in the late winter air. Her hair was tied back in an elaborate knot and as always her face was an unreadable expression as she stared at the two of them.

"Nice to see you again Izuku, and you too" she said looking at each of them when they heard a soft giggling further inside.

"Is that your boyfriend" a young girl playfully giggled, she looked to be around five years old and as she pulled her hands to mouth a wide smile spread across her face. The girl wore a stained shirt that reached down to her knees and her large beady eyes watched the two of them with obvious curiosity.

"No Satsuki" she answered back as her eyes went momentarily wider as she looked back inside her apartment. Before she could say anything else another child came into the hallway. He looked older, around ten years old and wore a bored, disinterested expression as he leaned against the wall of the hallway.

"Does mom and dad know that you're leaving us alone to be with boys" he said, the boys demeanor instantly changing from whatever look Tsu was giving him.

"No; but I'm sure that your smart enough to know what will happen if you tattle" she said in an all too calm voice, leaning down to her little brothers level.

"Now remember what I told you. Don't open the door for anyone, don't touch the stove and your lunches are in the fridge. Set it for a minute and a half; don't put metal in it and if you forget anything I wrote it all down on the kitchen table" she said to her siblings as she turned back around to the boys.

"Now let's get going" she said closing the door behind her and moving past the two boys as they their eyes moved between the retreating form of Tsu and themselves.

"Oooh she feisty, make that two weeks' worth of fast food" Mineta joked as Izuku gave him a playful shove as they raced after her.

[40 minutes later]

When you think of a beach it evokes images of crystal blue waves, soft sand and cute girls in skimpy bikini's. But what they had arrived to was a far cry from that. No actually it was the polar opposite of that; trash piled up fifteen feet high as seagulls squawked and picked at everything that looked edible and a lot of what didn't. Tires, rusted out cars, furniture and every kind of appliance the mind could think of, you name it and it was there.

As the trio stared out at the dump around him Izuku noticed a small plaque on a graffiti covered stone that acted as a divider between the sidewalk and the beach that read "Takoba Municipal Beach Park".

Izuku pinched his nose as the smell assaulted his nose; the stench lessened somewhat by the cool morning air as he looked towards his short friend.

"When you said you knew a place, I was not expecting this" he grumbled.

"Oh and what did you say to me about complaining" Mineta laughed, giving a smug smile to the taller boy "this place has everything you need".

"This place is a dump" he said, pointing out the obvious.

"You said you wanted a place where people wouldn't notice you two practicing, a place with access to water and a place to train you strength and endurance. All of that can be accomplished here." Mineta explained as the third member of their group spoke up.

"But how are we going to train if we can't even move ten feet without stepping on trash" Tsu questioned and Izuku could only agree.

"I made a deal with my uncle who works at the dump; he'll drop off one of those big industrial dumpsters every day and all we need to do is fill it up" Mineta huffed.

"So were going to do the cities job for them?" Tsu said snidely, which to Izuku's surprise was the first emotion he had ever heard from her.

While the two of them went back and forth, Izuku went over it in his head. Yeah the majority of their "training" would basically amount to community service but wasn't that the point of being a hero, serving the community?

"If we want to be heroes it starts with doing the stuff no one else wants to. We'll clear a way to the ocean first so Tsu can train her quirk, after that we'll spend the first half of each day cleaning and the second half training" he said, slamming his fist down into his open palm.

The bickering duo stopped for a moment as they thought about his proposal before eventually nodding in agreement. No sooner that they had, did they hear the blaring beeping of a large truck backing up.

With a loud bang the industrial dumpster was laid out on the side of the road and seconds later a portly man stepped out of his truck. He was a middle aged man in his mid-forties with a five o'clock shadow and balding purple hair.

"Alright here it is, I'll be back in six hours" he said slapping the container like a gong. Turning around he reached into the cabin of his truck and pulled out a box filled with garbage bags and tossed it at Mineta make the young boy stumble back as he caught it.

The trio gave their thanks to the man and made their way down onto the beach and got to work and were immediately surprised. Izuku's first target was an old fridge, looking hard at it he took a second to think about how he was going to lift it without hurting himself, doing his best to stretch all the while.

Gripping the edges with uncertainty he straightened his back, lifted with his legs and nearly threw it into the air, shocking the boy so much he nearly stumbled over. Surprise washed over him like a wave by this as he looked around to see both Mineta and Tsu looking back at him with a similar expression.

"Midoriya, since when have you been so strong?" Mineta questioned, confusion drenching his face as he stared at the green haired boy who struggled with that question himself. As if to test how strong he was Izuku removed one of his hands and balanced the fridge in the other, lifting it over his head.

"I have no idea" he said in bewilderment of his own sudden increase in power as he walked back to the container and placed the fridge back down with similar ease. Turning around he saw how Tsu similarly displayed a level of strength that she didn't know she had as she lifted a stove with similar lack of effort.

This sped up the process greatly and provided a good amount of entertainment as the two watched Mineta struggle to lift objects that were now easy for them. By the end of the second hour they had cleared a path to the ocean and filled the container till it was almost overflowing and began switching to training.

"Are you sure the water won't be to cold" Izuku worried, afraid that his new friend would get hypothermia.

"Don't worry, I came prepared" she answered as she undid her large jacket to reveal a form fitting green body suit that hugged her curves. Izuku responded by looking away, his cheeks tinged red as thoughts enter his mind.

'Damn you Mineta, you have corrupted me' He thought to himself, only to see said boy looking on without a hint of shame, giving the frog girl a big thumbs up and a slightly bloody nose.

"This suit helps keep my body temperature regulated, so I'll probably be good for about an hour before I need to get out." she explained, either not noticing or caring about the short boys antics.

Again this new information sent Izuku's mind ablaze with ideas as he pulled out a notepad from his pocket and began writing things down, forgetting entirely his former embarrassment as he got closer to Tsu and began inspecting her suit.

"What's it made of, where did you get it, how much did it cost" the questions came a mile a minute before he regained control of himself; his face turning even redder then before.

"I'm just gonna go… over there" he groaned, quickly walking away, the embarrassment growing too much to bear as he disappeared behind a tower of trash.

With only a hint of blush in her cheeks she turned to look at the only other person there that even without a mind reading quirk she could tell what he was thinking.

"So how long have you known Izuku?" she questioned, hoping to draw the boys mind away from her body.

This seemed to have the desired effect as his lecherous face turned more serious at the mention of the emerald haired boy.

"Oh me and him" he said half seriously, pointing in the direction Izuku had left. "We've known each other for… as long as I can remember" he said with a smile on his face.

"But how did you meet, you two don't seem very similar?" continued, her trademark lack of filter being formally introduced to the smaller boy.

"Yeah well, looks can be deceiving" he huffed, only to feel the unblinking gaze of girl on him, making him sigh as he explained how they first met.

"I transferred to his school when we were still in elementary school. When I first got there we didn't really interact much but that changed when I unfortunately got the attention of the school bully" he said with a flippant wave of his hand.

"So he saved you?" she continued to question, pressing a finger to her lip.

"Yeah… he did" he said with a small smile.

"I had just gotten my quirk" he explained, plucking one of his hair balls from his head and throwing it at a piece of trash, making it stick to it.

"I got a little too excited and when I was at the park I threw one without looking" he said as he began to laugh at the memory of that day, despite himself.

"Got him right on the head" he said pointing to a spot on his own as an example. "He and his buddies came running looking to beat the hell outta me."

"And he stopped them?" she asked, showing she was still listening.

Mineta breathed through his teeth as he explained how Midoriya stood up for him, only to get beaten up for his trouble.

"After that I tried to thank him and you know what he said?" Mineta asked turning to look the girl in the eye as Tsuyu shook her head.

"That's what heroes do" he said with a sad smile, sad at how his best friend had always wanted to be a hero and how the universe had decided to answer his prayers in the worst way possible.

"After that, we've been best friends ever since" he finished as Tsuyu stood there, thinking over the story he had told her.

"But it wasn't all bad; his mother ended up having to shave the ball off, leaving him with this big bald spot for a few weeks, the whole school thought it was hilarious" he laughed as Tsuyu nodded his head, her mind finally made up.

"You're alright" she said, confusing the shorter boy as he looked up at her.

"When I first met you, I just thought you were a chronic pervert" she said, making Mineta sag his shoulders.

"But I can see you're more than that"

That struck the smaller boys so fast he was afraid he might get whiplash as he stared into the frog girls eyes.

"Izuku told about how you saved him after the blast, carrying him on your back." She said with a smile that to Mineta felt as though the clouds had parted and light shined upon him.

"He seems like a really good guy so … thank you for saving him" she beamed, while Mineta felt like he could die right now and be happy as he stood their stunned.

"No it's nothing Asu…" he tried to say before being cut off.

"My friends call me Tsu" she said as she offered her hand to Mineta.

"Well my names Minoru Mineta, nice to meet you Tsu" he said with a smile as he shook her hand. After that the two separated with Tsu jumping into the water with a leap that would have made an Olympic long jumper green with envy and Mineta started the process that he was not looking forward to.

Further down the beach, Izuku was navigating through the trash piles, doing his best to breathe through his mouth as his turbulent mind continued to harass him. Even after his talk with Mineta he was still uncertain if he could become a hero, or even if he had the right to.

Izuku slapped himself hard, letting the sting sink in as the pain brought his mind back to the present, his friend had put his faith in him and he was here now so there was no point in thinking about it.

Looking around he pulled out his notepad from before and flipped it until he came to a page labeled "My quirk and its uses". He had spent the last few days trying to figure out what his quirk was capable of and had unfortunately came to find out his new Achilles heel.

The memory bringing up phantom pain as he recalled trying to shower after Mineta had left, only to feel like he was being doused in acid, the image of his mother's face as she saw her son screaming in pain and convulsing on the bathroom floor would certainly never leave him.

'Note to self, sponge baths for the foreseeable future' he lightly joked to himself as he looked over what he had written down.

So far he knew that he could absorb electricity, having practiced on a couple batteries with arcs of blue seeping out as he drained them. But now he needed to find out if that was all he could do. Sure if all he could do is drain than maybe he could get a job disarming bombs or shutting down a villain's hideout but that wasn't good enough.

He needed to get stronger for them. He needed to make this worth it.

He had spent the last few days looking up heroes with electrical quirks, how they first manifested, what they could do with them and most importantly for him how to draw the power out.

Looking out at the dump around him he spotted a broken lamp sitting on the rusted out frame of a car. Stretching his arm out he focused, trying to pull that warm feeling back to the surface as he began to hear the ever more familiar sound of electrical discharges as arcs of energy danced between his fingers. He focused his eyes on the lamp; feeling the heat of his powers on the palm of his hand as the heat became hotter and hotter until.

BZZT!

His arm was pushed back by the recoil as he felt the heat jump from his hand and accompanied by the sound of electricity as a bolt of lightning leaped from his hand and slammed into the lamp, shattering it even further and leaving nothing more than smoldering shards of ceramic. Izuku pumped his fist in the air as he confirmed that not only could absorb electricity but also expel it. He looked down at his hand, the feeling of his power still fresh in him as he began to look for something else to shoot.

This went on for an hour or so, as Izuku experimented with his powers as he shot at anything that seemed breakable. This was so that he could figure out how much he could expel and to his surprise even after so long he didn't feel the least bit tired or that he was running out of juice.

'Unlimited lightning bolts?' he wrote down in his notepad as he put it away and settled trying to practice with his other ability he had taken to calling radar pulse. From experimenting he found that it had a range of about fifty meters and while his lightning bolts only required him to focus his energy in his hands, this like its name was a full body pulse launching in every direction.

Feeling the energy in his body, he held it for a moment, letting the power saturate every inch before releasing it, feeling everything from Mineta and Tsu to the stores and lights on the other side of the road. But that's when he felt it, an energy that felt different to anything else he had experienced. Following that strange feeling and shifting through the decaying piles of trash he came upon a pile of trash that seemed to radiate at the seams.

He could almost physically feel the pull now as he slowly began peeling away bags of trash, making certain that one wrong pull would not see him buried in the putrid mass. With one last pull the faint glow became bright as what he saw was a piece of jagged metal imbedded in a microwave that pulsed almost like a heart.

Izuku had heard about this on the news, something about contamination that came from the blast. They had said that they react violently to quirks and to notify the police if any were found. But as he gazed into it he couldn't help but want to touch it. It was as it was calling to him.

Like a moth to a flame he cautiously walked closer and tentatively reached out as the pulsing grew faster and faster and just as the tip of his finger touched it the piece of metal it erupted in a flash of light and disintegrated. Izuku tried to pull his hand back but the energy seeped into his arm.

'How was that possible' he thought to himself as the message the news said contradicted with the evidence before him. Had they lied or did they simply not know.

As Izuku looked at his arms he felt the power of the shard flow through his body and immediately felt stronger and unconsciously released another radar pulse where he felt another source of power, though to his dismay was deep in the water.

This was all so strange, what kind of power did that blast awaken in him and what connection did these things have with it?" he questioned, wracking his brain for an answer it couldn't provide.

Frustrated at that he pulled out his phone and decided that he had enough training and began to walk back to Mineta.

"Hey Mineta how goes your trai…" Izuku began to say as he turned the bend to see Mineta lying on his back with blood coming from his head.

"Mineta!" he Izuku yelled as he dashed to his friend "Mineta, Mineta speak to me!" he shouted as he tried to figure out what happened.

'Was it an accident, was it a villain, were they still here, and where was Tsu?

All these questions swarmed his mind as he heard a light grumble coming from his friend as Izuku thanked god he was alive, only for his ears to assault by the most high pitch yell he ever heard.

"DAMN THAT HURT" Mineta screamed as he slumped back to the ground, staring at the sky and breathing heavy.

"Mineta what happened" he asked again and his only response was a shaky hand pointing away from him where his saw a large pile of his balls stacked into a pyramid.

"Training; over did it, ow" he groaned as he peeled himself off the sand. Standing on wobbly legs and with Izuku focused on Mineta neither heard the sound of splashing water as Tsu leaped out and landed with a puff of dust.

"I heard screaming, what happened" Tsu asked as Izuku explained what had happened which she like always didn't really react to, watching silently as Mineta rubbed his hands into his face.

"Well have you had any luck with your new quirk" Izuku asked pulling the conversation back as Mineta slowly got his bearings.

Tsu nodded as she extended her arm towards a car door while Izuku could begin to see droplets of water coalescing in her palm before a ball of water about the size of a baseball launched itself at incredible speed, hitting the door like a gong and leaving a sizeable dent in the metal.

"Wow" was all he could say as he fought his inner quirk enthusiast to not go into another muttering rant about the intricacies of her quirk when he was reminded of what he felt earlier.

"Hey Tsu while I was training my quirk I found something strange" he said which peeked the frog girls interest all with the grape haired boy who had finally gotten all his dogs barking.

"I have this ability that allows me to see the electrical signals of things around me, from phones to people and when I used it I found something that when I touched it made me feel stronger" he tried to explain, talking about how it disintegrated, how he felt that strange power flow into him and how he could sense another one of those things coming from underwater.

"But didn't the news say they were bad for people with quirks?" she asked which Izuku nodded at.

"Oh so the governments lying, why am I not surprised" Mineta quipped, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Maybe their lying or maybe there's something else going on." He said trying to reason his way out of the conflicting information.

"All I know is that I felt a pull towards it and it didn't hurt at all" he said flexing his hand unconsciously.

"I'm just telling you that it's there if you decide to try. I don't know how it will affect you but if we want to be pro heroes we need to be at our bests and if those things can make us stronger then that's what we need to do" he reasoned.

Tsu thought about for a moment, her finger on her chin as she thought over it until she shook her head, believing that it was too much of a risk before adding a caveat.

"I'll try and see if can get it out of the water without touching it" she said as she asked where he had felt it, pointing to a small rock formation half way down the beach. With another leap Tsu was back in the water leaving the two boys to wait.

As Tsu swam through the ocean she thought about the power Izuku had talked about and wondered if she could possibly have a similar ability.

'We both got our power from the blast so there might be chance' she thought. While it was true that no two quirks were exactly alike, the nature of their emergent quirks might make that rule no longer airtight.

As she swam she focused on her new power and the feeling of all the water around her. All her life she'd had an affinity for the water due to her quirk but now it like having lived your entire life with gloves on and then suddenly having them come off as she released her sonar pulse. An exhilarating chill washed over her as she felt everything around her, from the smallest fish to the pieces of trash that floated through the water and all the power that water held. Surrounded by so much it was difficult to focus on only one place but as she did she began to feel what Deku might have been talking about. A shifting of the current that pulled her towards it and with a few more flutter kicks she came to the rocky formation which she soon discovered was a large chunk of concrete with pieces of rebar's sticking out of it along with a glowing shard of metal.

Tsuyu then felt the strange pull Izuku had talked about, its warm pulsing seeming almost hypnotic and it take a great deal of self-restraint to not reach out for it immediately. Pulling her eyes way she looked around for anything to grab it. Swimming around she eventually found a pair of barbecue tongs sitting on the ocean floor.

Quickly she scooped up the tool, giving it a few quick clicks together before heading back to pulsing shard, where again her eyes fell upon its pulsing form, promising warmth in such cold depths. With shaking hands she got closer and closer as the pulsing grew faster and faster and as she looked down to her hand she saw she had dropped the tongs. And seeing them fall away and with light filled eyes she grasped the shard.

It had been five minutes since Tsu had left and Izuku was beginning to get worried as he paced back and forth. Maybe she got caught on something or the shard had hurt her. Fear began to seep back into him; he couldn't take another person dying because of him as he began to hyperventilate. He was only stopped when hand grasped his arm as he looked down to see Mineta looking at him.

"She'll be fine" he said, flakes of dried blood chipping off of his skin as he scratched his head. With a sigh Izuku relented and just as he did a form leaped from the water and high into the air. Both Midoriya and Mineta looking up and watching the form sail through the air and land with a hard boom kicking up sand and obscuring her. Both coughing and waving the dust out of their faces as Tsu finally entered her view.

"Hey what happened? You were down there a long time" he asked.

"I'm sorry" she said "But when I saw tried to grab it I…" she tried to explain before a look of confusion fell across her face.

"Hey did you guys get shorter" she asked as the two looked to each other in confusion for a moment.

"No, you're just standing up straight" Mineta said as Tsu looked down at herself and her mind went blank. For the last four years of her life her frog quirk had become more and more dominant and she had been forced to spend every moment stuck in that half bowed, velociraptor pose, her spine molding into the posture of a frog.

Immediately she stretched as far as she could, her arms reaching to the sky and leaning back as she felt muscles she had forgotten had existed stretch with her. She stretched so far she fell over, falling to ground with a thud as the two boys moved to see if she was okay.

And she was okay; no, more than okay as they saw the girls lips pull back into a large smile, the first true emotion the pair had ever seen on her. She laid there for a few moments longer, arching her back against the sand and cyan eyes peering past the boys and into the sky as the limitations of her body finally lifted.

"Yeah, I'm okay" she said, still smiling as she lazily offered her hands to the boys to help her up, to which both immediately accepted. Getting back to her feet she felt a wave of relaxation she had not thought possible as she rolled her shoulders as she looked at Izuku with half lidded eyes that looked like the greatest high of her life.

"Sorry, tried to grab it with some tongs but…" she said, shrugging her shoulders. "It called to me"

Izuku could only nod his head in understanding, while he didn't like the idea of these shards having such a profound effect on them, he couldn't lie that he did enjoy the experience.

"So how did it feel" Izuku asked.

"It was… amazing" she whispered as the sound of screaming and gunfire filled the air.

Chapter 5: Meet the Reapers

Chapter Text

Immediately the trio bolted, quickly hiding behind the stone wall that separated the beach from the street beyond. Izuku looked to Mineta and then to Tsu; the first of which was shivering in his shoes, his eyes frantic whiles Tsu had reverted back to her emotionless expression, her euphoria forgotten but even then he could see the fear growing the corner of her eyes as small erratic bursts of gunfire and frightened screams fill the air.

"What's going on; why are villains here!?" Mineta silently screamed as each tried to pinpoint where exactly the noise was coming from.

"We have to see what's going on" Izuku whispered as he slowly peeked his head above the wall only to be pulled back down my Mineta.

"Are you crazy? Whoever it is they have guns. Let's just leave it to the pros" he said in a strained squeak.

"The heroes aren't coming" Tsu said with a look of certainty as the two wheeled around to face her.

"And how would you know" Mineta accused. That was impossible, it was their jobs to come and stop the villains. Why would they not come?

"I've been hearing gun fire in the distance off and on again for the last few days from my home. And very little police sirens coming from the same direction" she informed, keeping her eyes trained on where the noise was coming from.

"That doesn't explain why they wouldn't come" Izuku said, wondering where she was going with this.

"It was on the news; an entire hero agency and a few solo heroes got wiped out in the blast. So I think all those dead heroes mixed with how many civilians died is making the rest lose their nerve" she coldly explained while Izuku was feeling a storm of guilt and anger.

An entire agency gone in the blink of an eye, all because of him; if not for the anger he was almost certain he would have frozen, his mind entering a tail spin of self-hatred. But that anger was there and it was burning his insides like a fire, how could they claim to be heroes yet when the going gets tough they ran away!?

"I'm going to stop them" he said as he tried to vault over only to again be pulled down.

"You're going to get yourself killed" Mineta screamed. "I am not going to look your mother in the eye and tell her you died trying to be a hero"

"But we want to be heroes don't we" he argued. If he didn't do something now to help then he didn't deserve to ever be called a hero.

"If you go, you won't be a hero; you'll be just as bad as the villains. You'd be a villain using your powers unlawfully" she countered to which Izuku could only look at her in shock.

"No offense Tsu but that's stupid; we've been 'unlawfully' using our powers all day and before there were heroes there were vigilantes before the government made them official. If simply using your powers to help makes you a villain then every good Samaritan should be behind bars" he railed as Tsuyu looked away.

"Look I know you're scared, I am to. But we have to do something" he said, restraining from yelling. In truth he needed to do this, he needed to start paying them back and if he died in the attempt, than at least he tried.

"If you want to stay here fine, but don't try and stop me" he finished as he hopped the wall and ran off towards the gunfire, not letting Mineta have the chance to pull him back for a third time as he heard him scream his name. He didn't need to run far as the gun fire became louder and louder, battling with drumming of his heart in his eardrums in a contest to see which could deafen him first. His heart was hammering in his chest and his palms were sweaty as he stopped at the corner of a small intersection and peek around to see them.

There were five of them and each one was wearing a dark red hoodie that obscured their faces. And all of them were armed with Russian rifles he'd seen in old war movies as they fired into the air and buildings that lined the street. It seemed the street they were one was acting as an open market before they showed up as overturned carts and produce littered the street.

Turning back around; he looked at his hands, flickers of energy dancing along them as he prepared for the fight of his life. But how was he going to do this, they outnumbered him five to one and who knows how many more might be lurking around. They were armed with guns and who knows what quirks as well.

But that was when remembered the most important rule in combat.

'Always fight from the high ground' it wasn't a lot but at least it gave him something to start with.

Looking up he decided to test his new found strength as he jumped up to a ledge and began scaling the building, untrained fingers only taking a few moments to understand as he climbed. In a matter of seconds he had scaled a three story building and in any other scenario he would be absolutely astonished with that feat. But he had job to do as he silently crept across the roof of the building. Slowly, building by building he got closer, bring able to now hear them talking, and strangely it almost sounded like they were underwater as one coughed up a stream of black fluid. Breathing in one last deep breath he shot up from his hiding spot, his right arm crackling with energy as he aimed it at the first villain.

With a loud zap he released a bolt of lightning straight into the chest of the first villain; knocking him clean off his feet, though he did not have time to see if he was down for the count as he was forced back behind cover as his position became riddled with bullets as the rest open fired. Covering his head as pieces of concreate and fell all around he looked around for another place to move, if he got pinned down he was as good as dead.

For a moment the gunfire stopped, allowing him to look to his right and see another building across a small alley and as he was about to make a break for it he heard a strange metal clink as something dropped next to him. He turned his head to see the familiar pineapple shape of grenade as his eyes bulged in his sockets as he leaped away, the heat and shockwave rocking the building and hurtling him to the other side. Izuku nearly bit the tip off his tongue as pain rippled through body as he rolled to a stop but to his surprise, when he looked at his body he didn't see any blood or obvious signs of injury.

But he wasn't given the time for a proper examination as his new cover was once again assailed with gunfire.

This was getting him nowhere, he needed a way to get to take them all out in one go, otherwise he was done for. That was when he had an idea, just before they threw the grenade the shooting stopped; probably allowing the others time to reload while he lobbed it. So all he had to do was wait for that moment. But how was he going to take them all out, he couldn't do this more than once or else they would see the pattern and he had only so much roof to work with.

He wracked his brain, biting his lip so hard it bled as tried to figure out what to do. That when he remembered what Tsu had done as the memory of her jumping out of the water and slamming into the sand. If he could somehow wreath himself in his electricity he could create a shockwave that could hit them all at once.

Just as that thought had finished did the sound of gunfire stop and forced Izuku's hand, he didn't know if this idea would work but it was now or never and with one last breath he jumped off the balcony, into the street and straight into the villains.

In that moment he could see them, hurriedly swapping out magazines while one threw the grenade, the explosive projectile sailing right by him as arcs of electricity wrapped around him as he descended like a crackling blue comet. The villains barely had time to process what was happening as Izuku's feet hit the ground, and the earth erupted with the force of an artillery shell as he sent a massive shockwave throwing trash, carts and goons all across the street. Izuku did not give them the time to recover and as the second grenade exploded on the roof above him, raining pieces of concrete across the street he lifted a hand and blasted three of the four goons with electricity.

The forth one however he was not fast enough to shoot as the villain again gurgled, coughed up a black fluid that didn't look like blood and lifted its weapon. Izuku on instinct rushed the villain and grabbed his gun, attempting to wrestle control away from the villain as the electricity in his hand surged through the rifle and cooked off the gunpowder, causing the gun itself to explode and knocking both of them back.

With numb, blackened hands he looked up see the last villain, and his own eyes went wide. The villains hands had been completely mangled, one hand missing most of its fingers. But with such a terrible injury the villain stood stone still, watching Izuku from behind their darkened hoodie.

'What is this guy made out of' Izuku thought to himself, astonished by the enemy's insane pain tolerance.

But almost as a response to the question the villain's arms began to be covered in thick, black ooze until they turned into vicious whips. Now it was Izuku's turn to be surprised as the whips lashed out, giving him barely enough time to protect his body as they slammed into him with the force of a truck, sending him flying straight into a wall, cracking it. Izuku sputtered for air as he landed in the ground, barely able to keep himself from falling on his face as he struggled bring air back into his lungs.

Through blurry eyes he could see the villain, his whip like arms swaying from side to side like a venomous snake. Each step taken sounding like a foreboding bell. On shaky legs he stood back up as he prepared to fight him before he heard a loud wet smack that almost reminded of a bursting water balloon. The sound was immediately followed up by the sight of the villain hurtling through the air and landing on the hood of a car.

Then he began to hear a new sound, the sound of fast approaching footsteps and a familiar voice.

"Oh my god! Izuku are you alright" he heard Mineta say as the diminutive boy looked around at all the destruction.

Izuku meanwhile felt a wave of relief and weariness wash over him as he looked for a place to sit down and settled for an overturn cart, his head feeling as though it had been put in a vice.

"Yeah, never better" he eventually groaned, looking up to both Mineta and his rescuer who even now had drops of water dripping from her hand.

"Thanks for the save" he said to Tsu who periodically switched from looking at the downed villain to him.

She nodded in acknowledgement. "You're welcome, just glad you're okay"

"Hey man I'm sorry" he heard Mineta say. "I shouldn't have let you go off on your own, I should have helped" he said, a look of shame etched on his face.

Izuku could only put an arm on his friend's shoulder, too tired and too happy to still be alive to be angry.

"It's okay Mineta, it was my choice to make." He said, giving him a smile.

"Besides if you want to help you can…" he trailed off as he saw another member of the red coated villains rush out of an alley, and leveling a shotgun at Tsu's back.

Instantly he moved, faster than he knew he could and dashed from his sitting position, pushing Tsu out of the way as the villain fired, the metal balls sailing through the air and straight into his chest, knocking him end over end and onto his back.

"IZUKU!" Mineta screamed as Tsu launched a bolt of water straight at the villain's head, slamming into him and bouncing him off the wall of the alley he had come from.

Izuku for his part was in immense pain; his chest felt like it was being stung by thousands of hornets, forcing him to take short gasping breathes as Mineta rushed to his side, tearing streaming from his eyes.

"Izuku, stay with me!" he yelled as he ran to him.

Clenching his jaw so hard, he feared he would shatter his teeth he hoisted himself up and looked at his chest in confusion. Were he expected to see a bloodied mess of bone shards he saw nothing except holes in his shirt. Grabbing at the collar of his shirt he tore it in half to reveal a chest completely blackened by bruises.

Tenderly touching his body, he scanned it for the damage his mind told should be there, but there was nothing, no holes, blood or fragments of bone.

"We need to get you to a hospital" Tsuyu said, stress in her voice as for second time today he saw emotion on her face, genuine worry.

"No, no hospital" he said as tried to pull himself up to his feet. If he got sent to the hospital they would no doubt start asking questions, questions whose answers he knew would get him in deep trouble. As he got to his hand and knees he was stopped by Tsu as she put her hand on his shoulder. It was then he released an involuntary radar pulse and saw the nervous systems of his friends, the bio-electricity coursing through them evoking a terrible, monstrous idea.

"FEED"

With a groan he shook his head hard, dispersing the alien thought as he looked to see a lamp post. Pulling himself from Tsu's grip the pair watched as he crawled his way to the electrical source like a man dying of thirst.

"What are you doing, we need to get you help" Tsu pressed but Midoriya ignored her, focusing on the river of electrical life, stretching out a hand and feeling the lines of energy being drawn to him as arcs of electricity erupted from the post and into his body. It lasted only a few seconds before it he completely drained it.

With a relieved sigh he felt the pain dissipate like smoke in the wind and got back up and turned towards them. He looked completely fine, the bruises were gone and without so much as a scratch to show his encounter with a twelve gauge.

"Holy sh*t" Mineta gasped as the trio began to hear movement all around them, Izuku readying himself for another fight when he saw the scared and amazed looks of the civilians.

"Did you see what those kids did" one of them said as upwards of a dozen people began filtering out of the surrounding buildings, forming a crowd around them.

"That was really brave, what you did kid" an older man said, clapping a hand the Izuku's shoulder.

"Brave? This poor young man just got shot!" an old woman said, her brow wrinkling as she glared at the man.

"Yeah but look at him, not even a scratch" the man countered; giving the young Midoriya a reassuring smile.

"Yeah you saw him, he came in like POW! And ZAP! And then he slammed into the ground and blew them all away" a young boy said, looking at Midoriya with stars in his eyes.

In that moment as he looked at the child he couldn't help but be reminded of his younger self as he would watch videos of All Might stopping villains; pretending to be him as he ran around in his All Might costume.

But his internal remembrance was short lived as several other conversations began happening all at once which began to overwhelm the green haired boy.

"Alright that's enough" he heard a voice ring out that silenced the crowd as everyone turned around to see a tall, overweight man who's gut hung over his belt buckle and who had large protruding lips. "He saved your lives and your stuff, the least you can do is give him some space" he barked.

The older members of the crowd huffed but listened as the crowd began to disperse, some trying to salvage any of their wares that hadn't been destroyed in the fight.

"Now then, my name's Haruki and not to be rude but it looks like you could use some new clothes" the large man said, pointing to his now tattered rags.

Izuku looked down at himself and the hell that would come if his mother saw him come home looking like this.

"Why don't you come inside my shop, and I'll see if there's anything in your size" his chuckled, pointing the store a little further down the road.

"A… ah, I'd like to but I don't have any money" he said, not really knowing had to act in this situation.

The large man just gave him a look as he if he had just said the dumbest thing in the world. "Kid after what you pulled do you really think I'm going to make you pay" he asked incredulously.

"It's on the house"

Rubbing the back of his head he thought over the man's proposal, he didn't want to appear rude and he did need some clothes.

Turning around for a second opinion he saw an expectant look on both of their faces as well, wondering what he would choice and with that he did.

"I'm going to go get some new clothes" he decided. "While I'm doing that maybe Mineta could use his quirk to restrain the bad guys and Tsuyu could call the police" he advised as the two looked to each other.

"That's a good idea" Tsuyu said as she pulled Mineta along and Izuku followed the man further down the road. They didn't have to walk far as the pair came to a rather dingy pawn shop with metal bars covering the window and door.

"Now then, allow me to show you my wares' he announced with a smile as he unlocked the door.

"I'm gonna go look in the back, so while I'm there take a look around I'm sure there's something you would like." He said as he unlocked the door to the back and left Izuku all alone.

In that moment, in that silence did everything that had happened in the last few minutes come into perspective. He had fought villains, real villains, with guns and he had gotten shot.

"Holy sh*t" he whispered to himself as he took in deep, panicked breathes. He did it and he nearly died, the mix of emotions smashing together in his mind as he ran his fingers through his hair.

'That was nothing like the videos' he thought to himself, nervously laughing as the reality of hero work clashed with his childish fantasies. He had seen so many times heroes fighting villains, sure they sometimes got hurt but they would always win. But what had just done was real combat and with that came a burning realization.

"All Might had been right"

The idea searing at his ego like a brand but he could no longer look away from the truth. Without his quirk he would have died and all his hopes and dreams would have counted for nothing against a shotgun, let alone an actual quirk. All Might was just trying to protect him and he had been too proud to accept it.

Taking in one last breath he steadied himself, letting his emotions not get the better of him as he focused on the store he was in and just from an initial view it truly looked like he had everything from jewelry, tools, clothes and even car parts. But as he walked he noticed an odd squishing sound and as he looked down he groaned in frustration as once again, the bottom of his shoes had melted.

Not wanting to mess up Haruki's store he pulled them off; carrying them with him as he looked around. Honestly he didn't really know what exactly to look for; he doubted a pawn shop would be selling something that can stop bullets.

And as he saw Haruki come out of the back carrying a handful of clothes as he plopped them down on the cashier table.

"Alight I found this" he said lifting up a yellow and black jacket. "Got these off an electrician a few weeks back so I figured it'd be good for someone with a quirk like yours"

Izuku held the new clothes, thinking that was a good idea. It looked to be about his size and it did look nice.

"Um… do you have any shoes that won't melt" he asked, shamefully showing the melted pair in his hands.

The man brought a hand to his chin, rubbing it intently as he snapped his fingers as he went around the counter and into one of the aisles and returned with a pair of white and black sneakers. "These should do the trick" he said with a proud smile as Izuku looked them over.

"They ain't exactly hero grade, but they are Detnerat quality so they should be enough" promised. Izuku's eyes flashed when he heard the name, they were one of the most popular civilian grade support item companies in japan.

"Thank you so much for all of this, I promise I'll pay you back when I get the money" he said, though the man simply waved his hand.

"Like I said, you stopped those guys, and I wouldn't feel right if I made you pay" he repeated.

"But who were they" he asked, hoping that this was just a small time group.

Haruki took a long look out into the street before answering, a foreboding look in her eyes before he leaned in "Before the blast they weren't that much of an issue, just a bunch of junkies dealing drugs but now…" he said trailing off and shaking his head.

"But now they call themselves the reapers and they've gotten way more violent" he said and Izuku felt a chill run up his spine. "No one knows how many there are but they take what they want, when they want and until now no one had tried to stop them".

"It's a sad state of affairs when it's the adults that have to rely on kids for protection" he confessed, a look of sadness in his eyes.

"What had he gotten himself into" his inner voice said.

"Hey kid" Haruki said, snapping his fingers and bringing Izuku back to reality.

"There's a changing room over there and if you or your friends ever need anything else come on by, I'll give them a discount" he said as Izuku picked up the pile of clothes and walked off to change.

A few minutes later he re-emerged and looked himself in the viewing mirror. The clothes fit surprisingly well as he gave a few test stretches.

"Kid" Haruki said as he was about to leave making the young man look back to him.

"You planning on being a hero" he asked, to which Midoriya nodded.

"Then there's one more thing I'd like to give you" he whispered, as his eyes turned red and puffy. Bending down behind the counter Izuku heard as the man rustled around before pulling out a silver briefcase.

Fascinated by what he was offering he came to the table and watched as he opened the briefcase and turned it to show a long silver cord of wire with a black handle on one end.

"I got this off of a pro hero who liked gambling a bit too much. She called it her lightning whip" he explained, shocking the young boy. It was illegal for heroes to sell their equipment to normal people, the power they held being seen as too big of a risk.

"Pick it up and pump some lightning into it" he said as Izuku hesitantly picked up the handle. It was light in his hand and as he allowed the power of his quirk to flow into it. Immediately the cord sprung to life, arcs of electricity sparking across its entire length.

"This… this is too much, I can't take this" he stammered, it didn't feel right to take so much from the man but when he looked back he could see the tears were flowing now.

"My son wanted to be a hero too, wanted to go to UA even" he said in a shaky breath. "But now he can't" he said, breathing through his teeth as he forced the words out.

"So please take it, and do some good with it. The world's getting crazier and it's gonna need people like you to set it right" he confessed with a mournful smile.

Izuku stood there, watching this man confess to him over the loss of his son and could only think of one thing to say.

"What was his name" he asked as Haruki slowly pulled out his wallet and revealed a small picture of a tall, muscular boy about his age with lips just like his father.

"Rikido Sato"

Mineta and Tsuyu had done what Midoriya had suggested, using his quirk to stick the villains to the concrete. It had not been as easy as they would have liked as the villains thrashed against their sticky restraints, spitting out globs of black fluid as the yelled. After they made sure that they wouldn't get out Tsuyu had called the police, that had been a few minutes ago and a tense malaise had settled over them both. They had allowed their friend to go off and face a bunch of villains alone and that fact was hitting Mineta particularly hard.

"Dammit" Mineta whispered to himself, shame filling him as he covered half his face with his hand. He had known Izuku for years; called him his brother but when sh*t hit the fan he hid like a coward and let him fight those villains by himself. Shame could not even begin to describe the anger he felt with himself.

But as he looked over to Tsuyu who like always was unreadable and it was beginning to piss him off. Here he was, his cowardice eating himself alive and she didn't seem the least bit affected.

"He saved your life" Mineta chirped, hoping to bring a hint of emotion out of her.

"I know" she said, her voice only slightly wavering.

"We should've gone with him" he vented, turning to face her fully. This time she said nothing, her eyes staring off as she looked at something only she could see.

Before Mineta could get any further they both saw Izuku walking down the road, wearing new clothes and carrying a silver briefcase.

"You two ready to go" he asked as the two both silently nodded; the argument stopping before I could begin. It was evening now, the sun beginning to set and bathing the sky in orange light.

And as Mineta called his uncle telling him they were done early, the old woman from before came up to them holding a bag.

"Hold on a moment" the old lady said as she shuffled to the trio. "Here you go child, was trying to sell it before it went bad but I think you should have it" she said handing the back to Izuku who opened it to reveal several ears of corn and potatoes.

Izuku tried to not accept the gift but the woman shook and insisted, and not giving him the chance to argue as she walked away leaving him with the food. Sighing and shaking his head with a forced smile he turned towards Mineta and Tsu as they all walked home.

The walk back was silent none of them really wanting to speak about what had happened until they had reached Tsuyu's apartment building. The frog girl turning around and nearly shocking both boys as they saw her eyes filled with tears.

"I'm sorry, ribbit" she croaked, the emotions making her nervous tick re-emerge as she struggled to keep her breathing even.

"You're my friend, and I left you to fight those villains alone" she admitted.

"And when I saw that villain shoot you" she whimpered, barely able to keep what little composure she had had left.

She then felt something wrap itself around her and went stiff as a board as she realized Izuku was hugging her. She had never really experience something like this; she could barely remember the last time she had ever been hugged by anyone who wasn't one of her siblings. So to have Izuku who honestly she had just met, only have less than a day of conversation with give her this comfort, it was shocking though not unwanted as she slowly reciprocated, bringing up her hands and pressing herself against him.

"I'm sorry to; and I don't blame you" he said, turning his head to look at Mineta "Either of you"

"I don't blame you for not coming, it's not like I had any real plan once I got there. Everything that happened was basically pure luck" he admitted honestly as he slowly released the hug, both children somewhat reluctant in doing so.

"Besides, it all worked out in the end. We got to train our quirks and even got to test them out against real villains" he said, half smiling.

Tsu could only stare at him in complete bewilderment. "You are insane" Tsuyu said, his smiling beginning to infect her as well.

"You get used to it" Mineta said, smiling too.

And as the trio relaxed and spirits lightened somewhat none realized the shadowy figure watching them from afar, their cold blue eyes watching them like a predator.

"Good Midoriya, barely a week in and you're already experimenting with your powers. But you're not even close to ready for what is to come. So you better keep going or else I'll have to give you some proper incentive".

Chapter 6: Internet Famous

Chapter Text

Izuku's room was filled with deep, rhythmic breathing as he performed his daily exercises. It hadn't even been a full day since he had taken a shotgun to the chest but even still his push-ups were in the hundreds and he barely felt tired, much less pain. With one last exertion marking his four hundredth he pulled himself up, rolling his shoulders he stared at himself in the mirror with amazement. He never considered himself vain, but even he had to admit that he looked good as he flexed his new muscles. A physique that should have taken months to acquire was his in less than a week and as the voice of the doctor telling him of his 'Extreme Metamorphosis' he could only agree.

"What the hell was that bomb" he whispered to himself as the strangeness continued to pile on itself, leaving him completely at a loss for answers. A condition he unfortunately had become more and more familiar with. Walking over to his desk he flipped through the notebook designated for his quirk as he began writing down all the things his metamorphosis had entailed.

"Enhanced strength, enhanced endurance, healing factor" so many things that should have been quirks all their own were now all his. These things added with his general knowledge of quirks made it all seem so strange to him. Sure a strength enhancing quirk almost always had the added bonus of the body adapting to handle the stress that strength would put it under. Otherwise they would break their arm whenever they tried to punch anything.

But healing quirks were very rare, made even rarer still by either being able to heal others or themselves. To have his quirk also be able to heal him on top of everything else was…unbelievable.

"Izuku honey, breakfast is ready" he heard his mother say from the other side of his door, pulling his mind away and leaving the questions for later. Slipping on his shirt and grabbing his phone he left his room behind.

Walking into the living room he could see his mother at the stove, hands held up to its warmth like a fire as she watched over a boiling pot of corn, the smell mixing with the scent of tea and toast that all together smelt nice.

Sitting down at the table, a tense silence fell over the two of them as his mother kept her back to him. When he had gotten home yesterday from his encounter with the reapers his mother had given him a curious look and questioned why he was wearing something different than what he had left in. He had explained that he had gotten it from a store near the beach because he thought it looked nice, trying not to call attention to the lack of his previous clothes that he had thrown away with the rest of the beach junk.

It hadn't been entirely a lie, but he had never been a good liar. While she had verbally accepted the story; telling him that she hoped he had a good time and that he looked nice in his new black and yellow jacket. But she was an even worse liar than he was and he could see in her eyes that she didn't believe him. And now as she turned around and sat down across from him he could feel her eyes on him as they sat in silence, with the only noise being bubbling water and the crunch of food.

"Izuku" she said, making him sink further into his seat as he looked into his reflection in his tea. He didn't want to look her in the eye because he knew he wouldn't be able to keep himself quiet.

"Izuku please" she said again; pain in her voice as his chest tightened, the pressure growing more and more. He couldn't keep this up, he couldn't keep lying to his mom and as he turned his head up to look at her, her own eyes filled with concern and filling him with shame.

"Mom I…" he tried to say as a ping from his phone stopped him mid-sentence. His eyes darted to the screen and saw that it was Mineta.

"Izuku, you need to see this" it said and Izuku eyes moved from his mom and the phone.

"If it's important" she said with a soft smile that didn't reach her eyes.

Hesitantly and with regret he grabbed his phone desperate to quickly find out what it was that Mineta had been talking about. Opening his texts he saw that a video was attached. Pressing play his eyes went wide as he choked on his tea and immediately excused himself, headed straight towards the bathroom.

Locking the door behind him he pressed his back to door as looked back to the title of the video.

"Electric Kid stops gang"

The video was from the perspective of someone's phone that was hiding in a building, their hands shaking from fear as the sound of gunfire and the camera man's breathing. "Where are the heroes!" he heard the person said in a strangled whisper as slowly the phone camera slid above the window sill to show the familiar red coats of the reapers before a blast of blue lightning struck one of them. He watched the recording of his fight; the villains blowing up the roofs with grenades and there and jumping off the roof and landing in an explosion was him. Izuku heart nearly seized in his chest and he prayed that the camera man's shaking hands and general chaos would make identify him hard.

"Holy sh*t that kid's kicking their asses" the person whispered in amazement, watching as he lunged for the villain's weapon as it exploded. The camera man however was too focused on him to notice that Tsu had taken out the one with the whip quirk. He felt a sting of phantom pain as he watched himself take a shotgun to the chest and crawl his way to an electrical pole. And there at the end the man zoomed in; his body wreathed in electricity and his face clear to see.

"sh*t, sh*t, sh*t!" he whispered to himself as the heart began hammering in his chest, anxiety forcing the boy to pace back and forth across his bathroom with frantic footsteps. His eyes were flashing to and from the screen, unsure of where to even look as the magnitude of what was going to happen slammed onto him only for his eyes to finally fall onto the view count.

1.4 million Views

He nearly threw his phone as he dropped it onto the bathroom counter-top with a loud thud. Sitting on the rim of his bathtub he dragged his hands across his face; a muffled moan of agony escaping his lips. It hadn't even been a full 24 hours and already so many had seen it.

"I'm so f*cked" he cringed, heel tapping a mile a minute against the floor as he heard his phone ping from another text. Scrunching his eyes he pulled himself back up and lazily grabbed it, clammy fingers fiddling with the screen as he began reading.

"Hey man did you see what I sent you" Mineta questioned.

"Yeah I saw it" he texted back as he sat back down, fingers combing through his hair.

"Over a million dude, it's crazy" Mineta exclaimed "You're like one of the pros"

"I didn't plan on being recorded" Izuku said back, his anxiousness turning hostile.

"U didn't exactly do much to hide yourself" Tsu pointed out, finally joining the group text.

Izuku groaned as breathed through his teeth. He knew she was right but it didn't help to hear it. But it wasn't like he had the time to find a mask or something while those bastards were shooting up the street.

"So what r you gonna do" Mineta asked.

Izuku didn't know, he had no idea of how to even begin to handle this, he was hoping on this never happening to begin with! As he returned to pacing back and forth, beginning to hyperventilate as the thought of the police coming to his door and arresting him sent a dagger of fear right into his heart.

And that dagger was driven even deeper when he heard a knock on the bathroom door.

"Izuku there's someone at the door for you" he heard her say, and he didn't have to see here face to know as the apprehension and worry flowed from her lips. He stared at the door like a child would stare at his closet, knowing full well that was behind it saw nothing he wanted. But unlike an over imaginative child, he could not just curl up beneath his blanket, the consequences of his action had come for him and they weren't leaving.

But wait; "someone" he internally questioned, his mind screeching to a halt at the use of that word. If it was just police at the door their uniforms would have been clear to see and if not they should have at least identified themselves.

"Who is it" he asked, slowly moving towards the door as dread in place of fear slipped its way into him.

"It's a woman who says she needs to talk to you" she answered back.

A woman who wasn't dressed like a cop. Fear for himself was replaced with fear for his mother as he ripped the door open so hard he nearly pulled it off its hinges as his mother leaped back from the sudden action.

Inko looked like she about to speak but Izuku ignored her entirely, as electricity began to flow across his arms in preparation.

Turning the corner he saw a woman standing in his living room, their eyes cold and analytical as she scanned the room. She was wearing grey business suit and short brown hair. As she turned to face him fully, she seemed only mildly surprised by the electricity flowing from him as she gave a small, knowing smile.

"The man of the hour" she said; her voice cold in spite of her words as she walked up and looked down at him.

"Moya Jones" she raising her hand in invitation. Izuku quickly shook off the electricity in his hands as he accepted, shaking her hand as he wondered why this foreign woman wanted to speak with him.

His mother came up behind him, watching the two of them as Moya turned to her. "You have a lovely home Ms. Midoriya, may I take a seat" she said, turning her head to the couch. She didn't wait for a response from the matriarch of the house as she sat down; putting her briefcase to her side as she waited for the two Midoriya's to join her.

The pair of them only had to look to each other for a moment before they both sat down opposite to her.

"Who are you, and what do you want with my son" she asked as she nervously tried to regain a foothold in the conversation.

"You already know who I am" she said as she opened up her briefcase and pulled out a small tablet and the placed it on the coffee table. "And what I want is to discuss this" she finished as she pressed a finger against the dark screen, its surface lighting up to show a video of him fighting the reapers.

Izuku was silent as the video played; his eyes barely focusing on it as he watched his mother's reaction, and it was not a good one. His mother gasped, her hand covering her mouth as her eyes went wide. She watched as her son, fight real villains with real guns. And she watched him get shot.

As the video ended, he watched just stare into the black screen; her wide eyes, brimming with tears as she breathed deep and quick breathes.

"Mom" he said, laying a hand her shoulder which almost seemed to literally shock her back as she whipped her head to look him in the eye but her mouth remained silent.

"I'm sure this must be shocking but I'll need to speak to your son in private" Moya said as his mother could only nod her head like a rusty gate. "Can I speak to you in your room" she said turning to Izuku who was watching his mother, who looked like she had completely detached from the situation, staring off into space as tears ran down her face.

Slowly Izuku got up and lead the woman to his room, looking back to his mother who just kept staring. As the two entered the room and as Izuku shut the door Moya pulled a small black disc from her pocket and dropped it on the floor.

Immediately the device beeped and emitted a matrix lattice that encompassed the entirety of the room as Izuku looked around in surprise.

"Now we can talk freely" she said as she dropped her suitcase onto his desk and opened it once more.

"What was that" Izuku questioned defensively as the woman looked him with an expression that for the first time seemed genuine.

"It's a device that neutralizes sound in a given area; no sound can get in and no sound can get out." she explained as she sat down in his chair "We have a lot to talk about"

"Before I do anything else; I need to know who you really are" he demanded, the entire situation leaving him with a horrible taste in his mouth.

"I am a member of the Hero Public Safety Commission, international division. Our job is to preserve peace and as your encounter with that gang has proven; peace is currently getting bent over the table" She explained, leaning forward.

"The HPSC?" he nearly yelled as the gravity of everything that was happening tripled in weight. The HPSC was the practically the be all end all of the hero industry. They were the ones who doled out licences to new heroes and the ones that investigated the most dangerous crimes.

"And you are Izuku Midoriya; aspiring hero, current vigilante and the one who delivered the bomb" she said, looking into his eyes as if she could see right through him.

Izuku immediately got to his knees; apologizing profusely as he tried to explain that he hadn't known that it was a bomb, tears beginning to form in his eyes as Moya silenced him.

"I know, I've read the report" she said, rolling her eyes as he told him to stand back up. "I'm here because I need your help"

That shocked him, what could he possibly have that she would want or need from him. She answered the silent question by pulling a small picture from her briefcase and showing to him the image of a dark skinned man.

"That's my husband John White; before the blast he had been tasked with infiltrating the First Sons" she said, a look of deep sadness creeping into her eyes as she mentioned the man.

"Who are the first sons, are they some sort of villain group" he asked, to which Moya could only chuckle mirthlessly.

"More like a secret society that has been around since before quirks even existed" she remarked. "And they were apparently working on a device called the Ray Sphere. A device designed to grant quirks by draining the neuro-electric energy from a group of people and concentrating it into an individual"

This was all too much for Izuku; he knew that whatever that bomb had been a normal bomb. No normal bomb could grant quirkless people powers but secret society and spies, this was beyond him. And why him of all people? why had he been the one to deliver it?

"Forgive me but I still don't know what you want from me"

"The night of the blast I lost contact with him and I have not been able to find him" she admitted, a single tear sliding down her face that she quickly wiped away.

"But how do you expect me to find him" he questioned "I wouldn't even know where to begin"

"I know but you're the only one I know I can trust" she admitted which stunned him.

"What do you mean, you're a member of HPSC" he nearly screamed. "What do you mean I'm the only one you can trust?"

"The reason I'm coming to you is because I believe members of the HPSC might be compromised and I can't be certain who or how many that have been" she revealed, flooring the young boy.

"And I know I can trust you because I've read up on everything about you. You're a good kid and what you did to stop those thugs only confirmed it beyond a shadow of a doubt" she praised "And I know that if I were in your shoes I'd want to find the person responsible for all of this"

She stood back up, looking the young boy in the eye "So I'm offering you a deal; help me find John and the Ray Sphere and we'll be able to find the ones responsible for all of this and bring them down" she finished, offering her hand to him.

Izuku stared at her outstretched hand, a flurry of thoughts whipping about in his mind. This was all so much. Only a week ago he was just a quirkless kid but now he was being asked to work with a HPSC agent to take down a secret society. Jesus Christ it was all too much. But before anything else he needed to know one thing.

"My friends; Mineta and Asui, they helped me take down those villains, can you make sure they don't get in trouble, it was all my idea" he asked which made the woman smile.

"They will be fine" she said and as the memories of him waking in that crater, that voice from before he woke up and the thousands that died made his decision clear.

"Where do we start" he asked grasping her hand and shaking it firmly, a look of determination growing behind his blue eyes.

"I'll need some time with things as they are. For now continue training for those entrance exams, though with less vigilantism" she advised with a smile

"How did you know I'm… HPSC right" he was about to question before her position made it obvious how she knew.

"Oh and don't worry about contacting me" she said breaking the handshake and retrieving the device from the floor and with it, the matrix disappeared. "I'll contact you"

Putting everything back into her suitcase the two then left the room and to his relief his mother was no longer staring into space, but instead of that she was watching the video of his fight with the villains and from the line of tears on her face he could tell that she hadn't stopped watching it.

"Thank you for letting me into your home and you'll be happy to know that no charges will be filed against your son for his vigilantism" she said as her hand asked for the tablet back to she did.

"Yes thank you" she said picking herself up and drying her eyes with her sleeve that had grown damp from repeated use.

The two walked with Moya to the front door and giving her thanks one last time shut the door and leaving them in silence once more.

"Mom I…" he tried to say before his mother cut him off with a statement that shook him.

"You aren't going to U.A. I pulling you out" she stated, her tone leaving no room for argument. But Izuku made room.

"Mom I know you're upset but" he tried to say again before his mother did something she had never done. With hand outstretched and in a wide arc she delivered a hard slap across his face. With his enhanced physiology the strike barely budged him but it still left him stunned.

Inko too looked stunned by what she had done, looking between him and her hand as she began to yell "NO NO NO" again and again. "No; I'm not going to lose you again" she cried as she stared at him in desperation and grief.

"Lose me, mom I know I nearly died because of the blast but" he tried speak again but once more was cut off by his mother as she screamed.

"YOU DID DIE!" the words left him speechless as his mother ranted and raved, tears falling from her reddened face.

"Your heart stopped Izuku; no pulse, for six minutes! They tried and tried to resuscitate you but you wouldn't wake up. I begged them, BEGGED THEM to keep trying for just one more minute, but I could see them bringing a body bag. They were going to put my little boy in a bag FOREVER! She screamed as she croaked out the words, each one a labour as if a vice had been wrapped around her throat. Her legs began to give out under her as Izuku quickly grabbed his mother, holding her weight as she cried and cried.

"But you came back" she sobbed "My reason for living came back to me" she said as she looked into her sons eyes.

"So no, you're not going anywhere" she urged, balling her fist and weakly hitting her fist on the floor "You're staying here where I know your safe.

It killed him inside to see his mother like this, his body feeling cold as he hugged her to him as she sobbed into his shoulder. But it hurt even more to know that he would have to go against her and make her cry even more.

"Then you should have made her arrest me" he said as his mother looked at him in anger but he refused to silenced again as he continued.

"Six thousand people died mom; six thousand people and their still pulling more bodies out every day, people that will never get to see their mothers again… or their sons. People who had their lives stolen and the thousands more who will never see them again" he asserted his fervor growing deeper with every word.

"Those clothes I got yesterday, they were a gift from a man named Haruki Sato. He lost his son in the blast; he will never see his son again and he asked me to become a hero. What right do I have to just hide away after so many have died? So if you want me to stop, then call the cops and have them arrest me because it's never gonna happen otherwise. Because even if I don't go to U.A I will still save people, you have no power over that. The only power you have is whether or not your son saves people as a hero or a vigilante, those are your only two options" he finished, breathing heavily as his mother stared at him, her eyes breaking as she began to hiccup in sorrow, burying her face back into his shoulder.

"You Selfish, selfish boy" she croaked as the pair hugged each other tight in the hallway.

"I know"

And as the two sat there a call was being made as the woman called Moya raised her phone to her ear "The bird has been fed, let's see if he can fly"

Chapter 7: Hero Entrance Exam

Chapter Text

Location: Takoba Beach Park

Izuku breathed in the early morning air, far cleaner now than it had been in a long time, as the last traces of the festering dump that had once infested Takoba was being hauled away and in its place was nothing but nice, soft sand. The sun was just beginning to crest the horizon now, creating an aurora of colour across the misty ocean water that stung his eyes even as he forced them to see. And just as it heralded the beginning of a new day so too did it herald their entrance exam. Tsuyu and Mineta were with him, each to either side and each having a similar expression of satisfied accomplishment.

After their fight with the reapers; the encounter had shown them the cold truth of the kind of villains they could end up one day facing. And that lesson had pushed them even harder and farther than they ever thought they could. Each one acting as the others voice of encouragement and together they had improved upon their quirks by leaps and bounds.

Thankfully though they'd had no situations to truly use them; it seemed that the reapers had decided to leave this part of town alone after the scuffle, leaving the people safe and them without any distractions.

Izuku gave a contented sigh as he stared into the crystal blue water, the rhythmic lapping of its waves no longer accented by the rustle of plastic bags and the clattering of glass bottles.

"Not bad" Izuku sighed as the trio admired their handiwork. "Good job cleaning out the water Tsu" he complimented as she nodded her head, just as engrossed in the sight as he was.

"Alright that's enough staring, let's get going" Mineta said, being the first to break from the sight.

Izuku was surprised by this, even after training for so long Mineta had always been the first to suggest taking a quick break or cutting the training an hour early. He had trained hard certainly but old habits die hard.

Giving his friend a curious look the shorter boy smacked his fist into his open palm, a fire of determination burning in his eyes.

"After all the training we've been doing, I'm pumped for the exam." He said, shadowing boxing the air. "Besides it's not like we have all day"

Izuku agreed with him but there was one thing he wanted to know first.

"Before we go I kinda wanna ask you something" he said, looking back at their resident frog girl; who was looking decidedly less frog then when they had first met as she looked at him with crystal eyes that he enjoyed looking at more and more.

"Why do you want to be a hero" he asked, genuinely curious over her reasons for all of this. What drove her, what goal laid at the end of her road that was so important that she would take the path of a hero?

"I mean I already know why he wants to be one" he said with a smile, thinking about how many times Mineta had talked to him about all the girls they were going to get once they went pro.

Tsu looked back to the ocean and was silent for a moment, an unreadable expression in her eyes and making him think that he crossed some sort of line.

"Freedom" she finally answered and her silence showed that she wasn't interested in elaborating.

That answer surprised Izuku; he had never pictured her to a free and wild kind of person. Though again he wondered whose freedom she was talking about and what they would be free from.

But as the questions formed in his throat, he kept himself silent. It was not his place to ask for details and he knew well about keeping somethings private.

"To freedom then" he said encouragingly as he lifted his fist into the air.

"To girls" Mineta cheered raising his own fist and though it took a second; Tsuyu also lifted her fist into the air to, a small smile on her face.

"And to making it all worth it" he finished, and with one final glace back to the ocean they left Takoba and marched to their destinies.

Location: UA

"Woah"

It was the first word that sprung into his mind but it did not even come close to doing it justice as Izuku stared at the large gold plated letters of UA academy. All around them they could see and hear the crowd of kids like them, either hero hopefuls preparing for the exam or those that already wore the uniform watching as the newbies poured in with knowing looks of glee and pity for what they were in for.

"It's bigger than I thought it would be" Mineta gasped, as the two boys stood side by side as their eyes desperately tried to take in everything that there was.

"What did you expect; it's the most prestigious school in the country. All Might, Endeavor, Best Jeanist they've all come from here" Tsuyu admonished looking out at the school, her eyes growing hard with focus as she looked over the academy.

Tsuyu was right; it was the most prestigious and that also meant it was the most competitive, that fact weighing heavily on his shoulders. Even with all their training there had to be hundreds of people here, to be able to beat them all…

"Out of my way Deku, you too shorty" a voice growled as the trio turned around to see the familiar dusty blonde hair of Katsuki Bakugo, hunched over and sneering at the two of them like a junkyard dog as he stalked closer.

"If you get in my way, I'll kill you both" he threatened, lips tightened into a sneer as he walked by, keeping his eyes straight and not even bothering to look at them. Izuku, who not long ago would have flinched at the threat, maybe even stutter out an apology and retreat back into his shell. But after everything he had been through; the blast, the reapers, his argument with his mother and the knowledge of his own temporary death, he didn't. He just watched him go, without saying a word.

"So that's your bully" Tsuyu asked Izuku; pointing and accusatory finger at katsuki's back, her brow furrowing as she stared at it.

"Yeah" he sighed, memories of the past resurfacing. If he managed to get in he had no doubt Kacchan would as well, he might have been an overaggressive asshole but he was anything but incompetent.

"I didn't think he'd be so in your face about it" she said, eyes growing narrow as memories of her own entered her mind.

"He's never been one for subtlety" he admitted, exhaling through his nose and shaking his head in resigned acceptance as a subversive thought entered his mind.

"You guys go on ahead, I'll catch up" he breathed, looking up at the letters of the school.

Both Tsuyu and Mineta looked at him with surprise but didn't really see a reason to question it, so they left Midoriya alone with his thoughts. And in that solitude did the thought speak and give voice to his hesitation.

"I could leave right now" the niggling little voice in his head said; so full of fear, fear of failure, fear of all of this being for nothing, fear of his own motives of even being here.

"No; I can't" he answered back, pushing the thought back. "Not after everything I've been through, not after all of the training and not after what Moya had told me about the Ray Sphere and the First Sons. I will win, I will become a pro hero, avenge their deaths and make those bastards pay" he ordered, to that pathetic voice of opposition, mentally strangling it and hoping it would be silenced forever.

Eventually the thoughts did leave like darkness dispersed by fire, but it was still there just beyond the fires light, leaving him alone for now with only his goal. He was here and he was going to succeed; and as he took his firsts steps to do just that he tripped on his own feet, the ground rising to meet him as only one thought passed through his mind.

"For f*ck's sake"

But just as his face was about to kiss the dirt he was overcome by strange feeling of weightlessness that made his mind swim. Surprised by the sudden change in momentum, Izuku flailed around slightly as he tried to right himself.

"Sorry" he heard a voice say as he felt a pair of hands grab him and place him feet first back on the ground. Turning he saw a young girl around his age with short brown hair and hazel eyes.

"I know we're not supposed to use our quirks yet but it seemed like it would be bad luck to trip on your first day" she said with a wide smile that slowly become one of surprise as she kept looking at him.

"Wait! You're him, the guy from the video" she gasped, eyes going wide with excitement as several others heard her and turned their heads.

"Oh my god he is" he heard another voice say as more eyes fell on him.

"I heard he's Ms. Charge's son" another said as Izuku groaned internally at the mention of that video.

While it did eventually get taken down, due in no small part to the fact what he had done was blatant vigilantism but that didn't happen until it had racked up several million more views. And nothing on the internet is ever truly gone as by the time it was taken down it had already been shared on multiple sights, ensuring it was never going away.

"Yep, that's me" he smiled anxiously, face red with embarrassment as one or two people began snapping pictures of him.

"I…I'm sorry but I got to get going" he stammered out as he quickly walked away not wanting to get mobbed and needing to focus on the task at hand, leaving the crowd and the girl who saved him behind. He didn't even get her name.

It didn't take long to regroup with Mineta and Tsu and trio made their way to the orientation room, sitting all together as Izuku could notice eyes on him before the lights dimmed and the room was rocked by an ear splitting voice.

"HOW'S EVERYBODY DOING!" he yelled, pumping his fist into the air like a DJ at a concert.

To which the room responded with dead silence, all except Izuku himself.

"Oh my god, its present mic" he said in a whispered squeal of fanboying delight. He listened to his radio shows almost every day and he didn't think he'd ever get to see him.

Present mic then went on to explain the practical part of the exam which would involve a ten minute practice battle against robots ranging from one to three points.

"Sensei, on the printed copy it shows images for four robots not three. If this is a mistake it looks poorly on the educational integrity of this school" a young blue haired boy with glasses said, standing up straight as an arrow and with light shining on him he seemed to not care at all for the disruption he was making.

"And you" he said, turning and pointing a finger at Izuku which shocked the young man.

"You shame this bastion of heroism with your presence. A vigilante with no regard for the law such as you has no place here. Worse still is that you would distract students that wish to be true heroes with your constant mumbling. You should leave and never come back" he demanded; staring daggers at the green haired boy.

Izuku was left dumbfounded by the absolute lack of self-awareness this man possessed. This man's outburst over something the teacher was probably about to explain had distracted more people than his mumbling could have ever hoped to. And who was he to tell him he could not be a true hero as images of Bakugo saying similar things flooded his mind.

But his friends were in no such position for silence.

"Your yelling disrupted the teacher; you should be quiet and let him talk" Tsuyu countered leaning in and letting a drop of anger coat her words.

"Yeah Midoriya fought real villains while you were busy polishing your glasses, who the hell are you to judge him" Mineta yelled, not letting anyone so something negative about his friend.

Thankfully though the teacher was able to wrangle the argument down, and explained that the forth robot was worth zero points, made to be an obstacle and that it was best to run away.

After that they were all given a card detailing which combat zone they were assigned to.

Midoriya had zone B

Mineta had zone D

And Tsuyu zone E

"Even though we were right next to each other we all got different zones" Izuku complained as he stared at his card. He was hoping the three of them could work together so that they had a higher chance of all of them getting in.

"Probably so that friends can't work together" Tsuyu answered.

"Well no matter what happens, let's give it our all" Izuku said as Mineta and Tsu nodded in agreement and gave each other. As the trio began to filter out to the their spate buses Mineta called out to Izuku.

"Half as long" he said.

"Twice as bright" Izuku answered.

Location: Zone B

Midoriya could only marvel at the size of the mock city they were going to use and the fact there were several of them on UA boggled his mind. The walls alone that surrounded it must have been at least a hundred feet tall.

There were around twenty other people here and as the stretched and prepared they all gave him wary looks that unsettled him. Then though he saw the girl from before that had saved him from tripping over himself and remembered he hadn't thanked her.

But not before he could even take his first step to approach her did he feel a hand land on his shoulder. As he turned around he was unfortunately greeted by the face of the guy from orientation and from the look in his eyes he seemed like he was on the warpath.

"She seems to be preparing, I think you should leave her to it" he said, hand still clasped around his shoulder. As before with Bakugo now with this new guy where once he would have shied away now he could only feel indignant rage as he smacked away the taller boy's hand.

"What is your problem" he demanded, drawing the attention of everyone else.

"As I said, I will not allow a vigilante to besmirch this academy" he staring down his nose at Izuku.

At that, Izuku had just about had it with him. He was not about his moral character questioned by a man whose mouth was too big for his brain. But just as he was about to give this guy a piece of his mind.

"ALRIGHTY EVERYONE! YOU GOT TEN MINUTES, GET GOING!" present mic yelled as the blue haired boy along with everyone else ran. Leaving Midoriya with his anger, anger he decided he was going to take out on the robots as he charged behind the pack.

Looking up at the powerlines that ran throughout the city he decided it was time to reveal one of his new abilities. Leaping high he latched onto one of the electrical poles and climbed it in seconds. Taking only a moment to steady himself he jumped onto the power line and introduced his induction grind.

Remember his time training on the metal rails of Takoba he leaned forward, electricity lapping at his feet as he sped across the power lines, picking up more and more speed until he saw his first two targets. A one and two point robot who's red eyes glared at him with mechanical intensity as they readied their weapons. The robots fired, machine guns whirling to life as a barrage of rubber bullets sprung forth. Izuku for his part unleashed his second ability, calling to mind his attempts to mimic Tsu's power as a large shield of electrical energy erupted from his palm. The robots had their attacks completely nullified as the projectiles disintegrated on contact, their mass turned to energy that made Izuku feel like he like he had just drank several energy drinks. As their guns ran empty Midoriya deactivated his polarity wall and reached for his waist where his electro whip hung. Unfurling it in one smooth motion he let his electricity flow into it, its form crackling with singular purpose. Pulling his arm back he sent the tip of his whip right into the head of the one point robot, the whip extending like a metallic worm. The energy of the whip condensing into a single point as it connected, the sound of a thunderclap echoing out as it shattered into pieces.

But as he turned his hand to destroy the two point, he found himself temporarily blinded by a shining beam of light the scrapped the bot in one hit. This sudden lack of eyesight made the young boy loose his balance as he fell of the power line, stopping his descent as he latched onto the line with his one free hand.

"Thank you mon ami, we make a great team. Au revoir" he heard a flamboyant voice say as he just caught the image of blonde hair before whoever it was turned a corner, leaving him alone in the street.

Izuku cursed under his breath as he hoisted himself back onto the powerline. Not wasting anymore time he used his radar pulse and continued on, keeping up the pressure, using his radar pulse to find and take out any robots others might have missed until he came to a large intersection with several other participants facing a group of robots.

Izuku took what shots he could, aiming for the heads and anything that looked volatile on the robots bodies as one of the two point robots vibrated furiously before exploding.

Not letting up he spotted a three pointer that had the body of a spider and many glowing red eyes. He watched as it zeroed in on him and unleashed a barrage of missiles at him.

Bringing his hands together he reeled them back, feeling the energy grow in his palms as he pushed his hands forward and unleashed a shockwave of energy, the rush of electro-kinetic energy redirecting the missiles back at the unprepared bot. The missiles smashed into its form; gouging into its metal skin as the machine sputtered and sparked and as Izuku finally got close enough he jumped covering himself in electricity and unleashing a thunder drop on top of it. Crashing into its armored frame and plowing straight through it.

"That makes thirty two" his breathed, trying to take in air as he ran out of the smoldering wreck of the machine. Looking down at his shoes he felt a wave of relief as he saw no sign of melting. After using those powers though he was feeling drained and as he was about to absorb some energy from a nearby electrical source the ground began to shake with buildings crashing down.

Plumes of smoke began to fill the street as the massive zero point robot peered over the buildings and people began to scream and run. But Izuku stood their eyes going wide and frantic as memories of the blast washed into him. The heat, the scream and the smoke he was so caught up in the memories he almost didn't hear the pained scream of a girl.

Though frightened he saw her, the girl from before that had helped him. Her legs were trapped underneath a piece of debris and the treads of the massive bot were rolling closer by the second. His fear fought with his instincts in that moment, telling him to run away, that there's no way the school would let a person die. But as he saw the fear in her eyes, the pain in her grimace as the wight of the concrete bared down on her he made up his mind and swallowed his fear.

Izuku felt all the electrical energy coursing through the bot, but he knew he couldn't absorb it all in time to stop it from crushing her which left him with only one option as clouds began to form in the once blue sky. He had only ever used it once before and that time it left him completely drained but he couldn't see any other way.

As more frightened people rushed by him he raised his hands up and gathered all the electrical energy in his body and as he did he felt all the electricity around him, in the robot, in the people, in the air and in the sky as the lights of the false city flickered and flared and the surge of power that was about to be unleashed. He felt his energy connect with it, add to it and direct it and like pulling open the flood gates the clouds roared with thunder and opened like the mouth of a dragon in a downpour of rapid and continuous blue lightning strikes as he brought his hands down like a hammer bathing the newly darkened streets with their light. The lighting speared right into the top of the robots head as it sputtered and sparked, arcs of electricity slithering across it's body as explosions rocked its insides, the molten lance piecing it from top to bottom before erupting in a massive explosion that rocked the buildings; its metallic skin glowing at the seams before it was blasted apart.

But Izuku couldn't relish in his success; he couldn't even turn to see if the girl was okay. All he could do was fall.

Location: Zone D [Earlier]

Mineta was sitting forward, fingers interlocked as he stared off into space, his body lightly rocking as the bus drove them to their exam area. He wouldn't admit it but he was nervous without Midoriya there to watch his back. They had always been together since they were kids, brothers in all but blood and his absence was getting to him.

Steeling his nerves he remembered why he was doing this, as he imagined all the girls they were going to get once they went pro. Once he aced this exam him and Midoriya were going to get all the girls, it was going to be a veritable buffet of bombshells. He could see it even now in his mind's eye; beautiful, bountiful and bouncy as far as the eye could see.

Or at least that was what he told himself as the events of the last few weeks left the grape haired boy with a lot to think about. He'd had an idea in his head about how being a hero was supposed to be; go in, beat up the bad guys and get the girls. But that blast had shown him just how bad a villain can be and though he never said it, he too had second thoughts about being a hero after his interview with the police. The thought of going up against a villain capable of such destruction sent fear straight into his heart. And when the reapers had shot Midoriya; watching his best friend fall back on the pavement nailed it home for him. One false step, one wrong move and that's that, no money, no parties, no fangirls, nothing, nothing but a six foot hole to lay in forever.

And that was what made him respect Izuku so much; always thinking of others before himself, no matter how much danger he put himself in. And that was why he ultimately decided to keep trying to become a hero; Izuku was more of a hero than he could ever be. But he would try and hopefully he could become the hero Midoriya thought he could be.

But as he was deep in thought he was pulled from them when he could hear the snickering, as he looked into the eyes of a boy and girl, giving him jeering and mocking looks as they looked over what they must have thought was a weak little man, not even worth being considered a threat to their chances of getting in. He would make them regret that assessment as they all gave him the same look.

"Hey, you're that vigilantes sidekick aren't you" came the voice of the tall, muscular boy with hair that reminded him of a bullet.

"Not even a good sidekick it seems; couldn't even stop your buddy from getting blasted" he mocked as Mineta balled his fist, giving the smug prick a glare which only seemed to egg him on.

"Not like what he did was all that impressive. Nothing I couldn't have done. With this" he bragged as he hoisted a massive rifle in his hands.

"One lock of hair and those villains would have been done for" he grinned as his self-satisfying rant was cut off.

"Pride is a sin, you'd do well to rid yourself of it" a calm, voice said, interrupting the man as they both looked to see a young girl with vine like hair. Her posture was straight, eyes closed and hands together in prayer.

"What did you say" he asked incredulously as the girl finally opened her eyes to reveal twin pools of jade as she looked up at the man without a hint of anger or annoyance.

"When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. And I believe it would be wise to sit down" she said calmly, leaving the man to glare at the woman in impotence before huffing off back to his seat.

Mineta was left stunned as he looked back at the girl. He had never been defended by a girl before and definitely one that was as much of a looker as she was with clear, flawless skin and eyes you could get lost in. Mineta could only mouth the words "thank you" as the vine haired girl nodded her head with a small smile and closed her eyes once more.

"Was this the start of his popular phase" he thought to himself as the idea brought a devious smile to his face before it was cut off as he noticed the man sitting next to him who held what he thought looked like one of the gas masks used in world war one. His eyes were a mixture of all consuming panic and frightful intensity as he kept his eyes focuses on… the douche with the gun?

"Hey, you alight" Mineta tried to ask placing a gentle hand on the brown haired kid's shoulder. This seemed to knock the boy out of his internal world as he whipped his head around, his eyes hard as ice.

"What do you want" he barked defensively pulling himself away from his grasp.

"Woah, you just looked stressed out" Mineta said lifting his hands in a disarming gesture as the boy's shoulders eventually slackened and turned down to look at the red lenses of his mask.

"It's none of your business" he growled as Mineta internally groaned at having to deal with another guy with a pissy attitude.

"He not know what to do" a feminine voice said as Mineta looked further down the line to see another young girl sitting on the other side of the sullen boy, her blonde hair revealing her foreign heritage. The girl also had two horns on her head and hooves instead of feet. "His quirk gas, robots no work"

The boy looked like he was going to say something to the girl, but settled for a look of annoyance as he scowled and Mineta breathed through his teeth, a look of understanding.

"Yeah, I can see how that might be a bit of an issue" he said with a tense smile, though the boy didn't respond, leaving the smaller boy with his thoughts one last time.

Eventually they did get to their zone and filed out, Mineta giving himself a few last calming breathes as he took of his shoes, to the amused looks of some of his fellow competitors. He just smiled back as the door opened and the exam began.

Quickly he found him at the back of the pack but he had prepared for that as he tossed one of his balls on the ground and hoped on it. The purple ball give him all the bounce he needed as he sprung off it, sailing through the air and tossing a ball where he was going to land and repeated the process.

As he bounded of the second ball he recalled fondly of the time him and Izuku had a sleep over. They had gotten it into their heads that it would be a good idea to cover the floor in his balls and put a blanket over it to make a trampoline. It had worked, almost hit their heads on the ceiling but it worked, but it did end up staining the blanket… and the floor.

That memory had been the driving motivator for him learning how to do this as he knew that he would have to overcome the physical disadvantages of his body. And he had eaten enough sand in his attempts to learn this that he was not about to fail now.

Not long after he found his first bot, acting quickly he tossed a ball in the path if its wheel, stopping it instantly with the sudden change in speed and making it fall forward and smash its head on the concrete.

Letting himself have a moment of joy at his first victory, he continued on hopping from ball to ball and immobilizing any bots he came across, he even managed to save a girl almost as short as him with brown hair that obscured her eyes as he flashed a confident smile to her as he bounced away.

"Oh yeah, popular phase is a go"

But as he continued on he heard a scream and the sound of a gun from close by. Quickly he jumped over and was greeted to a street that was filled with a thick purple mist. Not trusting the gas Mineta jumped from his ball to the ledge of a nearby building and tried his best to look inside. Through the mist he could see the form of a massive three point robot, a robot that was sporting a massive gaping hole in its head. But along with it there were several other, more human shapes.

'What had happened, had that robot done this, or was this someone's quirk' these thoughts puzzled him as he heard two familiar voices, though they were familiar for two entirely different reasons.

One was the pro hero midnight, whose voice he could easily recognize from all her interviews, while the other was the much more recent voice of the gas mask kid from the bus. From here he could tell they were having some sort of argument that lasted for a few seconds more before the young boy took off running and as he jumped out of the cloud of mist he saw him carrying… the rifle of the dude from before.

Midnight didn't seem to take off after him so he figured that whatever happened, it wasn't too big a deal. Though as he looked closer he could see the shape of the vine shaped hair, lying motionless amongst the smoke.

He didn't need to see if the girl was okay, he still had time to go find more bots and he was sure that the teachers wouldn't let someone get seriously hurt.

"But what would Izuku do" he thought and he already knew the answer as he took in a deep breath and launched himself into the purple mist. Had it been any other time, he might have ogled and drooled over Midnight's flirtatious outfit that hugged her sensuous curves and left little to the imagination, but instead he only paid it a passing glance as he hoisted the unconscious girl over his shoulder and bounced back out onto the roof of another building.

Placing her down lightly he looked to see if there was anything obviously wrong with her but he couldn't see if anything was happening inside. Placing his ear close to her mouth he breathed a relieved sigh as he heard her breathing. That relief was short lived as the girl gasped and knocked her face into his as she coughed out the gas.

The two each rubbed the spot their faces connected as the two looked at each other. Mineta pulled between the pain and the sheer glee that had unintentionally gotten his first kiss. Sure it was technically on the ear but he was not about to complain.

"Um hi again" he said; cheeks now a deep red as he tried to explain what had happened to her.

"I'm going to try and grab the others still in the mist so…" he tried to say before the girl brought he hands together once again, confusing the boy before he watched her hair lengthen and become a rolling wave of vines that began to flow over the roofs edge.

Not even a few seconds later, he saw the forms half a dozen other people being hoisted out of the mist, their bodies wrapped up in the vines. And Among them was the familiar horse like legs of the horned girl, wearing the gas boy's mask.

"Woah" Mineta whispered when the once blue sky began to be filled with dark clouds and the sound of thunder. Both students from their position on the building could hear the thunder getting louder before the sky split open and one word escaped Mineta's lips.

"Izuku"

Location: Zone E [Earlier]

Tsuyu sat silently in the bus, her mind had been laser focused on the task at hand. Any worries she might have had, had been left at the gates. She had far too much riding on this to be bogged down in them. But it seemed the universe wouldn't let her have a few minutes of quiet as the harsh steps of a certain sand blonde boy walked up to her, his eyes a tempest of rage.

"Hey Kermit" the blonde boy growled, his knuckles white from how hard he was squeezing them. "What the f*ck were all of you talking about?"

Tsuyu looked up at the man, her placid facing growing a hint of annoyance at hearing his voice again. She knew what he was talking about and she had put two and two together on why this prick had been bullying Izuku for so long. The idea that a "weak and quirkless" Izuku could be a vigilante probably felt like acid to his ego. And better still, he didn't know the how. He hadn't learned that his former victim had gained a quirk and that prompted her to do something she did not do often.

Smile

"I don't know what you're talking about" she lied, letting the petulant douche seethe as trails of smoke began to leak between his fingers.

"You know exactly what the f*ck I'm talking about. That bullsh*t about that Deku being a vigilante!" he roared, nostril's flaring like a bulls as he leaned in closer in an attempt to intimidate her.

"Oh yes, that" she gasped, feigning sudden recollection. "Haven't checked the internet lately have you?" she said, her smile turning into a full Cheshire grin.

He looked like he was about to lose it, his fuse on its last few strands before both heard the sound of something sliding and a girl with pink skin and whiteless eyes appeared beside Tsu waving a phone in her hand.

"I thought I recognized you, you're the girl from the video" the girl said, her bubbly voice filled with an enthusiasm that either didn't know or care about the conflict she had stepped into.

Bakugo barely had time to yell at the interruption before his words ground to a halt as the impromptu trio watched the video play. The three of them getting a nice replay of everything that had happened, but Tsu's attention wasn't on the video, she had seen it enough times to have it burned into her memory. No she watched Bakugo whose face had turned from rage to utter disbelief.

"Remember the blast? The one that granted people quirks" she said to the blonde as a look of horrific realization spread itself across his face, the left side of his face twitching ever so slightly.

"He's got a quirk now, and he's going to be a better hero than you could ever hope to be" she stated with as much venom as she could pump into those words which seemed to make him enter an almost cold rage as she began to see the heat radiate around him as he slowly walked back to his seat.

Watching him leave Tsu turned to the new girl on front of her.

"Who are you" she asked as the girl gave her a sly smile and offered her hand.

"I'm Mina Ashido, nice to meet ya" she said as Tsu looked at the hand for a moment before shaking it.

"Tsuyu Asui, and thank you" she said as Mina relaxed, giving an exaggerated stretch as she slouched into the seat.

"No problem; if there's anything I hate, its bullies" she affirmed, giving Tsu another large smile to which she gave a small one in return. The rest of the trip was done in a comfortable silence between them.

But by the time the door of the bus opened, the inside had become a sauna as everyone poured out to into the fresh cool air.

The last to leave was Bakugo whose body almost seeming to glow under his clothes as he stepped off the bus, the metal almost seaming to bend under the dual assault of the heat and his weight.

Everyone avoided the blonde as if he were a raging fire as the door began to open. The blonde had been the first to act, not even waiting for it to fully open as he launched himself with a large explosion, clearing the gate and leaving the edges of the metal gate red hot.

Stunned for only a second the rest of the contestants hurried forth, doing their best to avoid the hot metal.

Tsu took off running letting her new found strength fill her legs as with a single hop she jumped sixty feet into the air. All that training had done wonders for her body, she felt stronger than she had ever felt before. And from her vantage point she could see her first targets, first there was a one point bot and a two point robot that had the body of a scorpion. Landing with a loud boom that didn't hurt her at all as she readied herself, remembering her training with Izuku, pooling the water at the tip of her finger until the pressure became too much and a stream of high pressure water sliced across the bot, cutting it clean in two. The one pointer seeing its comrade fall charged her, firing off a barrage of rubber bullets. In response Tsu created a shield of water in front of her, the bullets deforming the shield only to fall to the ground as the surface tension held.

The robot did not let up as it finally closed the distance, aiming to crush her with its massive arms. Tsu for her part pulled her hands back, the water flowing with it as she threw her arms forward, the shield reforming into a net that launched the bot into the side of a building. The robot, unable to break the surface tension of its prison eventually shut down.

Taking in a breath she forgot to take she moved forward, feeling only a small sense of thirst as she took down any bots she came across, though they were far fewer than she had expected. But she didn't need to wonder why for long as the heat grew and she found more and more puddles of melted metal and asphalt that she guessed were former robots.

Then she felt the ground shake as a deafening explosion rocked the building she was standing on. The explosion was close and while a part of her didn't want to get involved Bakugo didn't seem to be the kind of guy to care about collateral damage.

With another large hop she was blasted by a fresh wave of hot air that made it hard to breathe. As she landed she could see it; all across the street were pools of former robots as some of her fellow contestants struggled through the heat, some faring better than others, spending more time fighting the heat then fighting what few robots were left.

And at the head of this was the walking heatwave Bakugo, a look of pure fury ripped across his face as he blasted another bot, the white metal sloughing off like melted ice cream. Where before he simply looked like he was glowing, now he most certainly was, as his skin burned bright like metal in a forge. This was bad, Bakugo was not going to stop and some of these people might get seriously injured, she had to do something.

That was when she was again greeted by the voice from before, though now her bubbliness had been severely reduced.

"Looks like Blondie's about to blow" she said, nonchalantly sitting on the balcony and seemingly handling the heat far better than everyone else.

"We need to get everyone out of here" Tsuyu said, scanning the street for anything that could help.

"And how's your plan for doing that" she questioned, leaning in.

Just as Mina asked the question, she spotted it, a fire hydrant. She didn't know how lifelike these cities were but she had seen real lights in the building and if the school had enough money to spend on electricity for these mock cities, hopefully that would extend to working water.

"You see that fire hydrant over there" she asked as Mina nodded her head.

"I need you to gather everyone up in the center of the street, once you do I'm going to open it" she explained.

"You think a little water is gonna stop him" she questioned, pointing a finger at the lunatic as he destroyed another robot with a feral roar.

"We don't have time, just trust me" she pleaded as the clock was ticking down.

"Alight, alright I'ma get to it" she said; throwing herself backwards over the railing and shocking Tsuyu for a moment before the sound of sizzling filled her ears as the girl covered her hands in acid and thrust them into the side of the building, slowing her decent.

She watched as Mina slid from place to place like a figure skater grabbing a person after the next and getting them all together. It wouldn't take long now and with a deep breath Tsu shot across the street and right next to the hydrant. With one swift kick, she smashed the hydrant clean off with a loud clang, letting loose a geyser of water that was already turning to steam. The ground shook once more as a zero point robot showed itself, peering over the buildings around them. Throwing her hand into the raging torrent she commanded it to obey her as the chaotic rush became one fluid stream. Hopping on she rode the wave to the growing pile of people and used the water to grab them, catching their bodies in the wave as she sped off.

Mina was with her once more, the surface tension never faltering and allowing the girl to coast on the wave with the others as she gave her a congratulatory thumbs up. Tsuyu returned it then looked up as she saw the sky had begun to darken and the sound of thunder filled the air.

"Izuku" she thought, but before she could think of anything else a flash of light brighter than anything she had ever seem erupted behind her, making the street look for a moment like the inside of a light bulb.

She turned her head around and her voice caught in her throat as she watched the head of the zero point robot fall; the upper half of its body reduced to slag as the head splashed and sank into the molten lake that had been its legs.

"Holy sh*t"

Location: Exam Observation room

Amazement buzzed in the room as the teachers watched as not one but two zero pointers were completely destroyed. All Might the symbol of peace stood in his striped yellow and black suit as the teachers talked amongst themselves. All Might couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and admiration as he watched Izuku Midoriya. The boy had gone through things no child should ever have to go through; but to see him hear after everything and to see him doing so well and save that girl made the huge smile all the wider.

Though one seemed far less enthused as the pale and skinny form of Shota Aizawa whose long scarf hid everything below his yes which stared hard at twin screens showing each of the boys.

"Something troubling you" the large muscles man said.

"He shouldn't have been allowed to attempt the exam" the man said, pointing at the green haired boy behind his greasy hair.

"What do you mean, you saw what that kid could do" his loud mouth friend present mic said, looking at him like he had lost his mind.

"You've seen the video" the tired man answered back.

"We have all seen the video Aizawa but we must take it all into perspective, after the blast some heroes either retired or started avoiding certain areas" came the posh voice of principle Nezu. "It was only a matter of time before people started taking their security into their own hands"

"Besides, as far as I know he was never charged and was let off with a warning" Present mic pointed out.

On the surface Aizawa would agree with Nezu, the weeks after the blast having been a nightmare with hundreds of small time gangs making power moves all across japan, using the chaos as cover and making night time heroes like himself work twice as hard.

But he still could not accept it, while what the boy had done, might not have been wrong morally, it had still been illegal.

"What will we say our school stands for if we allow a known vigilante in" he argued.

"Our school will stand for the reasons it has always stood for; the same reason we are still running this school and training children to one day become heroes after the most deadly terrorist attack in Japanese history. Hope; this school is a beacon of Heroism, while its doors remain open the public has hope that things will get better and with the rise of more villains in the wake of that atrocity we are going to need people like him" the principle said, his rousing speech he received nods of approval from his fellow faculty members.

Aizawa narrowed his eyes as again he could see no obvious objection he could make without sounding unreasonable. He was right, the people needed hope and even now there had been a noticeable drop in applicants for the hero course this year, to such a degree that there were serious talks about combining the two first year classes. They were in no position to be picky.

"Seems like you're outnumbered Shota" Present mic playfully jeered.

"And what about him" Aizawa said, pointing at explosive blonde. "He pretty much disabled everyone in his group. Should we just forget it happened because he's powerful" he said, wondering what the mouse would say to that.

"Ah yes him" the mouse said clearing his throat. "I believe given the circ*mstances that anyone incapacitated by another's quirk regardless of which zone they were in should be allowed to retake the exam if they are physically able to do so" he explained, hoping that making it more all-encompassing would allow for an easier acceptance.

"And as you said, what the young man did was unacceptable so we shall deduct a fitting amount for every person he disabled" he finished as the teachers nodded their heads in agreement of the reasonable idea.

"Fitting amount" Aizawa thought to himself.

Reasonable and non-committal, the perfect way to pretend you're taking others into account while still being allowed to do whatever you want. It was so good that Aizawa almost didn't notice the nervous twitch of the mouse's eye.

Almost.

Chapter 8: Recovery And Results

Chapter Text

Location: Zone B

It had only lasted a few seconds but where the wide street had once been deafeningly loud with the sound of thunder, lighting and the screams of people running away in fear from the massive robot was now quiet with only the faint murmurings of the young hero hopefuls and the echoes of thunder rumbling high above them. A thick smell of ozone had blanketed the street, piercing their noses with its coppery sent as everyone stared in shock at the remains of the zero point robot. Its head was competently gone and what remained of its upper body could be best described as a metal flower whose pedals stretched out in all directions and glowed red like a rose. And beneath the defeated colossus was the green haired boy, who stood still as a statue.

"Holy sh*t" one boy gasped.

"Did he… just change the weather" another boy said in awe as he stared up into the once blue and cloudless sky that was now covered in thick, dark clouds.

"Just how powerful is that guy" a girl questioned to herself as the voice of present mic sounded over the silent city, telling everyone that their time was up as the young boys body finally fell.

But just before he could hit the ground, he was once again caught in the familiar arms of the brown haired girl; grabbing him tight by his shirt, a small zap of static electricity discharging on contact. She yelped lightly but kept her grip firm as she used her quirk on him, making him become completely weightless before he was laid on the ground, face towards the sky.

Izuku could barely hear anything, all of his senses felt muffled and distant. All except one; pain, he felt like a rolled up tube of toothpaste, all of his electrical energy having been poured into that attack. Not that he could have stopped if he tried, it was the largest downside of that attack, and once he opened the gates it became too difficult to shut them again, forcing him to ride it out until he was completely drained. And his body was paying for it; his head felt like an elephant was sitting on it and every muscle fired off randomly in spasms that rippled across his whole body.

"I said, are you okay" he began to hear, the voice echoing like he was inside a large tunnel. It was agonizing as he forced the muscles in his neck to turn, looking to his left so he could see the familiar face of the girl from before. Her eyes were that of worry and all the hair on her head was standing on end from the ambient electrical energy.

He couldn't do much more than give a weak smile; his throat too tight and dry to give a proper response. The girl though, didn't seem to mind as she gave a relieved sigh and smiled back at him, though that was quickly followed up by pained expression as she looked down at her legs. Izuku rotated his eyes as far as they could till his vision began to blur, but he could see a dark patch on her leg.

He tried to force himself to stand up or at least sit and try to help her, but the pained squeak that left his lips were his only reward for his half thought attempt.

It was then that they heard the rhythmic tapping of something coming closer as the form of a short old woman came into his view. She was dressed in a white lab coat and her eyes were hidden behind an opaque purple visor.

"Move aside dearie; let me have a good look at him" the doctor said shooing the girl back with her cane that was in the shape of a syringe.

"Who is she" he heard someone else say as he to wondered that.

"That is Mademoiselle Recovery girl, she is the backbone of the school" he heard a familiar flamboyant voice answer back.

"How are you feeling" she asked as looked down at him.

"Drained" Izuku he barely managed to wheeze out as the woman nodded her head and motioned for something he could not see. He then heard the sound of something rolling until he saw a small robot roll up next to him and take his hand.

Almost immediately after making contact, Izuku's body began absorbing the electricity in the robot, drinking in every last volt; and though it was like giving a man dying of thirst a single shot of water it was a welcome relief, the colour returning to the edges of his vision as the vice around his head began to slacken ever so slightly.

"Feeling better" she asked as the robot collapsed, completely drained.

"Yes" he said; easier this time as he sluggishly managed to pull himself into a sitting position, breathing deep and heavy through his teeth as shaky limbs did their best to keep him upright.

"Good, time for you then" the old lady said; turning to the girl before she puckered her lips, stretching them to a cartoonish degree as she planted them on their girls forehead. After that the girl's body was covered in green aura as the pained expression gave way to one of relief, her legs glowing even brighter. He was about to try and ask if she was alright before the girl slumped on the ground.

"Oh she'll be fine, my quirk allows the body to heal much faster but the person is left rather tired afterwards." She explained, noting his worried expression as two more robots carrying a stretcher came rolling up.

"Now then; if you are good to stand I'll be going, there's many more who need my attention." She said as she turned back around, the robots carrying the unconscious girl with them as they followed after her.

Taking in another breath he forced his feet underneath him. His body was practically vibrating as he forced himself to stand but as he tried to take a step his legs gave out on him and nearly fell face first again if it wasn't for him being caught one last time. Looking up he was surprised to see the blue haired boy from before looking down at him, he wanted to push away, to say that he could walk on his own but he didn't have the strength and it seemed the other boy knew this as well. So with a huff he resigned himself to being helped by the previously annoying boy as the pair along with everyone else began their march out of the city.

The walk back was thankfully rather quiet save for only the whispered gossip of his fellow competitors as they sneaked looks back towards him and Izuku asking the boy carrying him to stop for a moment whenever they neared a source of electricity. The boy silently following his instruction as he let the energy flow into him, letting the feeling of pain slowly begin to wash away as he absorbed more and more. By the time they had returned to the bus Izuku had ceased limping, the muscle spasms having finally become manageable as they climbed onto the bus.

Both he and the boy gave each other one last look as Izuku sat himself down, a silent thankyou shared between them before he went to his seat as well. With a tired sigh he closed his eyes, allowing himself a short rest as the rumbling of the bus lolled him into a light sleep.

When the bus stopped for the final time Izuku was the last to leave, dragging himself slowly out of his seat and off the bus. Rubbing his eyes he was rejuvenated when his ears were greeted by a familiar voice.

"Izuku" Mineta yelled as the smaller boy came running up to him a wide smile on his face. "I saw the sky go dark and a big flash of light, what happened" he asked as someone new came up behind them.

It was a girl around Izuku's height with thorny, vine like hair, who walked with a gait that was equal parts graceful and purposeful as she went to stand beside Mineta.

"Oh yeah; this is Ibara Shiozaki and this is the guy I've been telling you about, Izuku Midoriya" he introduced, realizing she was behind him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Midoriya, Mineta has been telling me a lot about you" She said, smiling warmly and lightly bowing her head.

"Really, only good things I hope" he answered back, eyeing his best friend playfully over what ideas he had filled her head with.

"He said and Lord forgive me that you were "the coolest motherf*cker you'll ever meet" she said with an abashed expression as she did the sign of the cross and began muttering a short prayer.

Mineta rubbed the back of his head, a tinge of red colouring his cheeks as Shiozaki repeated him.

Izuku chuckled at that, needing that moment of humor and was happy that it was his friend that gave it to him.

"So tell me, what happened" Mineta said again, directing the conversation back to the original question.

"There was this girl trapped underneath some rubble, the zero pointer was about to crush her so I called down a lighting storm and blew it up" he explained and while Mineta had seen him use his lighting storm once before, Shiozaki had not.

"You blew up a robot the size of a ten story building by calling down lighting from the sky" she said, her earlier serene expression completely done away with as she looked at him with wide eyes and a slack jaw.

Izuku merely shrugged his shoulders.

"Yep, told you. He's cool" Mineta said, nodding his head with a look of satisfaction.

The conversation was redirected once again though by the appearance of another pair of faces, and just like the one before one was familiar the other not.

"Hey Tsu, how'd your exam go" he asked though he could tell just by looking at her she was tired.

"It would've gone better if blondie hadn't cooked the whole city" the unfamiliar girl answered for her, as Izuku was struck by her bright pink skin and dark eyes. She was wearing ripped jeans and a black shirt with big pink letters on it as she walked, hands on her hips and a scowl on her face that almost reminded him of Bakugo.

But speaking of him Izuku's face turned to one of concern as the thought of Katsuki going overboard turned his tired mind fully awake.

"You should have seen him, by the end he was glowing like a furnace, melting robots and made nearly half the group collapse from the heat" Tsu explained and with each description Izuku became more and more confused.

"Izuku; he melted the zero pointer down to its legs" she finished; finally taking in a breath and letting that new information sit in the air.

That didn't make any sense, Katsuki's quirk was explosions and most of the damage came from the force of the blast itself, not the heat. Sure the heat could have possibly melted a single part of a robot but to melt the zero pointer to that degree… he and Mineta had never seen him have anywhere near that kind of power. Neither had they ever seen him glow before and that description threw the forest haired boys head for a loop.

"What do you mean by glowing" he said, trying to piece together as much information as he could.

"It means what it means; he was running hot, hotter than a car engine in July and steam rolling off of him like he just came out of a sauna" the girl said, talking with her hands as much as her mouth.

"Steam?" Izuku questioned as he and Mineta looked to each other as the same horrible conclusion entered their minds.

"Douchebag almost made it impossible for me to get any points; spent most of the exam helping her get everyone away from him" the pink skinned girl said, pointing to Tsu as her yellow eyes narrowed.

"Do you think he got a new power to" Mineta said to Izuku, being the first to speak of what they both feared.

'God I hope not' he thought to himself; Bakugo was bad enough as he was. To think that he could have a second and even more powerful quirk made him breath through his teeth.

"Please excuse me, but who are you" Shiozaki asked, knowing neither of them and only recognizing the long haired girl because of the outburst during the orientation. "I am Ibara Shiozaki"

Tsu gave a small look of embarrassment in forgetting to introduce herself and quickly reintroduced herself and Mina to everyone. But the mention of Izuku's name seemed to flip a switch in the pink girls mind as a sly smile drew across her as she sauntered up to him and extended her hand.

"So you're the electric man; I saw your video, I like your style" she hummed as Izuku respectfully, though with slight hesitation shook her hand, blindsided by the sudden shift in attitude as he fought to keep his mind focused.

"I think we should all get going, it's been a long day and I'm feeling pretty drained" he said, not completely lying and being too tired to properly deal with all this new information. He could cross the Bakugo bridge when he came to it.

"Yeah he's right, I'm feeling dried out from all that heat" Tsuyu said, as Izuku breathed an internal sigh of thanks. The two began to walk away and it seemed Mineta was getting the hint as he and Shiozaki began walking with them.

When he looked back at Mina he was thankful she didn't appear upset, as she walked with her hands resting on the back of her as she looked back at him with that same sly smile.

Ochaco's eyes slowly peeled open, dry and irritated by the intrusion of light as she exhaled a low breath. She felt so tired, as she slowly pulled her hand to her face. Resting it there and slowly rubbing her eyes as she finally began to see what was around her. From the looks of it she was in some sort of hospital room, the off green curtain surrounding her bed and the unmistakable sent of disinfectant in the air.

Rummaging through her mind she tried to remember what exactly had happened that brought her here. She had been trapped underneath something, a loud rumbling and then there was this bright flash of light. She wracked her brain more and more, pushing past the fog as she remembered what the light was. Lightning, it had been lighting and the vigilante boy had saved her.

She wondered what the look on her face was when he called down that stream of lightning. She remembered catching him from falling for the second time, and him giving her that small smile even when he like he was in so much pain and wondered if she would ever see him again.

That train of thought leading her to why she was in a medical room as she looked down at her body. Lifting up the blanket slightly she could see she was still in her regular clothes and the pain from before was gone. Tentatively and expecting the pain to resurface she slowly shifted her legs and while tiring it was not painful. That nurse's quirk really did do wonders even if the memory of her wrinkled lips on her forehead made her shiver.

Before she could think further on her situation, the sudden sound of a door opening pulled her back. Silencing herself, her ears focused on the distinct sound of clacking heels against the tiled floor. She watched the shadow of a woman with long hair pass over her curtain and moved to what she could only think was another bed to her left.

That thought was proven correct as the sound of shifting cloth and a relieved sigh filled the room.

"Well I'm glad to see you're still in one piece" the woman said, her voice haughty and exaggerated. The joke, if it was one fell flat as whoever she was speaking to was taking their time to answer before the voice of a boy filled the silence.

"Why are you here" the boy asked, a barb of anger peppering the apparent surprise of his voice.

"Because you got injured, and I wanted to make sure you were okay" she answered back as if it was more than obvious. "You did rather well in your practical exam, in spite of what you did"

There was another pause then before he answered; his voice shaky.

"Yet here I sit; after getting knocked out by my own damn quirk" he hissed, sounding like he was fighting back tears as the clack of heels came closer and the screech of a chair being moved.

Ochaco felt a pang of sympathy for the boy; she thought she had rather well in the exam even if she ended up like this. To feel as though you failed at something so important must have been soul crushing as she felt the pain in his voice. And it was only now she became painfully aware that she had unintentionally become an eavesdropper in a rather private conversation. Like a deer who felt the eyes of a predator on her she did he best to stay quiet; holding her breath and not moving a single muscle.

"I'm sorry Hibiki, these test just aren't made for people with quirks like ours" she whispered as the sound of the boy fighting against himself to keep the sadness at bay.

"Please don't pity me Ms. Midnight, it only makes it worse" he finally said and once again silence filled the room.

The person was the hero Midnight! The reveal leaving Ochaco stunned as she wondered what had happened between them that would prompt this.

"Is the pony girl okay" he asked; Ochaco confused by the sudden change in topic.

The woman gave a light chuckle at the question "She's okay" she answered.

"Good" the boy whispered, faint and distant as the sound of shifting and the sound of bare feet on tile.

"Wait, did you at least try and apply for the general studies" she quickly asked almost sounding… desperate.

"No, I didn't" Hibiki said as he began walking away, his shadow appearing on Ochaco's curtain as he was suddenly hugged from behind my Midnight.

"There's always next year okay so don't give up, I'll be waiting" she promised as she slowly released him, the boy staying still as a statue before he walked out of the room without saying a word. Ms. Midnight's breath then became shaky, hanging her head low as she left shortly after.

After that Ochaco sat in the silence, unsure of what exactly she had just witnessed and unsure of what to do now. After ten minutes of continued silence she pulled herself out of bed, still groggy but more than able to stand. Pulling back the curtain she could see the orange rays of evening shining through the window.

"Oh crap" she thought to herself. He parents must be worried sick about where she was. Opening the door out of the room she was greeted by an empty hallway and began her march out of the school.

It had been one week since the exams and he had high hopes of having passed it. He knew from self-scoring that he had done well in the written portion of the exam and he had destroyed a good number of robots. But then there was Mineta and Tsu; from what they had told him Mineta had managed to immobilize his bots, though he had spent the last few minutes helping Shiozaki with those that had been taken out by a gas quirk.

He didn't know the specifics but he wondered what had possessed that person to think that was a good idea.

Tsu meanwhile was the most worrisome; from what she and Mina had said they did not have a lot of time to get any points and had spent most of the ten minutes getting people away from Katsuki.

The thought that Tsu might not get in because that explosive prick couldn't control himself made him ball his fist anger.

They had decided that they would all open their letters at the same time, so that they could celebrate together… or console anyone who didn't make it in.

But now the time had come, as his mother had come into the living room, a look of internal conflict on her face as she revealed the envelope with a shaky hand. He had called both Tsuyu and Mineta not long after and they had received their letters as well. So their he was his foot tapping anxiously as he sat on the cough facing the door, switching from sitting to pacing back and forth every few minutes as the envelope sat unopened on the coffee table.

His mother, who was on the couch as well looked as though she about speak before they heard a knock at the door. Racing to the door he swung it open and was greeted to both Tsuyu and Mineta who each showed their envelopes, the bright red wax seal of UA stamped on each.

"Hey mom we're going to open them in my room" he blurted out as he ushered them inside. He was so caught up in the moment he almost didn't realize that this was the first time a girl had been to his house and the first time a girl would be in his room.

His face went beet red at the realization and the thoughts that came with it. In that moment he was almost happy he had destroyed all his All Might merch, he would have died of embarrassment if a girl saw that. But those thoughts were short lived as they were interrupted by the attention seeking cough of his mother.

"It good to see you again Asui" she said as she walked up to the trio of children.

"It good to see you again to Ms. Midoriya, and you call me Tsu if you'd like" she said, a hint of nervousness dotting her words as the idea of being in Midoriya's house and being introduced to his mother, made her normally cold body begin to heat up.

"Okay Tsu, welcome to our home" she said, smiling.

"But I'd like to talk to Mineta" she said, looking to Izuku who was looking as confused as everyone else.

"It'll only be for a second" She assured, waving her with a smile that turned sly.

"Besides I'm sure you and your girlfriend can think of something to do in the meantime" she implied as the two's faces each went scarlet.

"MOM" Izuku yelled, but Inko merely shooed them away, and leaving her alone with the purple haired boy.

Before the young boy could ask what she wanted he felt her arms wrap around him in a hug. If anyone was watching they might think the diminutive pervert would have been overjoyed to be touched by a woman. But they would have been wrong; he was a pervert to be certain but never to Inko. Not just because she was Midoriya's mom, but because she had always been more of a mother to him than his own. Not that it was exactly a high bar to clear but she always cleared it with flying colours. And she gave good hugs.

"Thank you" she said as Mineta already began to feel the shoulder of his shirt go wet with tears.

"Umm, thanks for what" he asked, finally reciprocating the embrace as he wondered where all of this was coming from. Inko was always emotional, even more than Izuku but this seemed different.

"For always being there for him" she whispered, pulling away and looking into his eyes.

"When the doctors said that he was quirkless I didn't know what to do. He had always wanted to be a hero and as he suffered there was nothing I could do to help him" she said, tears streaming down her face.

"But then he met you and it was like the dark cloud that had been hanging over him finally went away. Watching you two grow up together, watching him actually have fun and finally have someone who didn't treat him badly because of what he was." she praised. But as she did Mineta couldn't help but feel like an imposter, even if Izuku had forgiven him his inaction still weighed heavy on him.

"Please, I don't deserve the praise" he confessed, rubbing the back as his neck as he looked from her gaze.

"When he needed me, I stood by while he fought the villains." He said, hoping that someone other than himself would hold him accountable for what he did.

"Izuku told me everything, you did the right thing trying to stop him but you know how stubborn he can be" she said with a hurt smile as she remembered that horrible video.

"But that's why I need you to keep doing what you're doing" she said as she pulled some tissues from her pocket and dried her eyes.

"Where he's going I can't follow, I can't protect him anymore. So please try and keep him safe. Be that voice of reason in his head when he's about to do something dangerous" she almost begged as Mineta felt a tension grow in his heart.

"Can you do that for me Minoru" she asked as Mineta slowly began to nod his head. He could never say no to her.

"I'll try Ms. Midoriya" he said, his eyes going watery before he quickly wiped them away.

"Thank you, now get going. I'm sure they're both wondering what's taking you" she said, giving the small boy a spare tissue which he took gladly as Inko went back to the couch and Mineta went into Izuku's room.

Inko still had a mix of emotions about her son becoming a hero to say the least, after everything that had happened she had been happy just too still have her son. But after that woman had come to their home and had shown her the footage of her son being a vigilante and fighting villains. But he had been right, that blast had lit a fire in his heart and he wasn't going to stop for anyone, not even her.

It that moment she could feel nothing but a bittersweet pride in the boy she had raised, someone who stood up for what he believed in and fought for it, no matter who was against him.

As Mineta opened the door to Midoriya room he was greeted by the unsurprising sight of both him and Tsu sitting on his bed, nervously fidgeting as both looked up to see him enter.

"So what did my mother want" Izuku asked.

"Just wanted me to make sure you don't do anything stupid in UA" he said in a haughty tone. Smiling to hide the real emotions he was feeling.

Izuku rolled his eyes as they both got up, the bed springs creaking with their movement. All standing together in a rough circle, they each showed their letter as an unspoken question range out. Who would go first?

"I'll go" Tsuyu volunteered, a look of both resignation and fear slithering onto her face "Better to rip the Band-Aid off now"

Walking to Izuku's desk she slowly opened the letter, the sound of each small tear of paper like a foreboding bell. As she was about to pull whatever it was out she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Izuku giving her a small reassuring smile, gripping her shoulder to show that he was there for her.

Giving a small nod in turn she reached inside and was surprised to see a small black disk the size of a hockey puck. They didn't have much to time to think about what it was supposed to be before it projected the image of All Might.

"I AM HERE as a projection" came the baritone voice of the symbol of peace, wearing striped yellow suit as he smiled at them.

Everyone was shocked by the sudden appearance; they had no idea why All Might would be connected to Entrance Exam.

"Now Miss Asui, for your written Exam you scored near perfect, congratulations" he announced; but before the trio could begin celebrating, there was still the practical exam.

"But you only scored 12 points in the practical, which means you didn't pass" everyone in the room felt as though they had thrown into an icy river as All Might broke the news, Tsuyu hanging her head lower and lower by the second.

"Tsuyu I…" Izuku tried to comfort before he was cut off by All Might.

"Is what I would say if that was all there is" came a thunderous laugh as he smiled brightly, the camera shifting to show a recording of her and Mina pulling everyone else in their group away from Bakugo.

"The exam was not only graded by villain points; for how can a hero course turn those who save others even when you thought you would gain nothing from it." he continued as the video switched to a panel of judges, each holding a numbered paddle.

"Rescue points" he bellowed as the number sixty revealed itself on the scoreboard.

The hearts of everyone were soaring now, waiting only for those magic words that would send them straight into the stars as All Might offered his hand.

"Tsuyu Asui, welcome to your Hero Academia"

The room exploded in cheers as Tsu, with joyful tears in her eyes turned to Izuku. She practically leapt into his arms, knocking him back as she gripped him tight. Looking up at him; her eyes meeting as her face inched closer and closer, feeling each other's breath against their skin. That was until they noticed the only other person in the room, a person who with a small line of blood coming from his nose was staring at them as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Each of their faces again went back to that familiar shade of red as they pulled away doing their best to act cool from what each of them were about to do.

"I… I'll go next" Izuku stammered as he opened his envelope and the voice of All Might filled the silence.

After that they found out they had all been accepted, each of the celebrating but not to the same degree of Tsu's acceptance. They were in and as Izuku looked over to Tsu; his own face still burning hot from their close encounter, he couldn't be happier for it.

Chapter 9: First Day

Chapter Text

"Are you sure you haven't under or over packed" his mother worried, hands clutched together anxiously as Izuku put on his shoes. They'd been having this discussion ever since he had woken up, his mother chiming in over item he put in his bag. He knew why she was being so overbearing; hell if positions were reversed he would be worried sick so he played along. It was the least he could do.

"Yes mom I'm sure" he said with confidence getting up and letting himself get used to his new uniform, which consisted of a grey suit and dark green pants with a bright red tie. He rolled his shoulders, the still stiff fabric hugging him muscled body tightly as he turned to her and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder "Everything is going to be fine"

It wasn't a promise; he couldn't make it a promise. Where he was going, what he was planning on becoming, danger would part of the job description… and they both knew it.

"I hope so" she answered back with a thin smile, tears forming in the corner of her eyes as she got close to him, picking any stray pieces of lint, fixing his hair and straightening his tie. Making sure her son looked presentable and to show those teachers that he wasn't some punk, and to treat him right.

"But just let me fuss over you one last time… for my sake" she asked , lips beginning to tremble as she cupped his freckled face in her hands, the tears now flowing like streams down her cheeks as she looked into her sons eyes.

"I'm proud of Izuku" she said, lovingly as she moved her hands down and gave her son the tightest hug she could. "Go; and be the best hero you can be"

Izuku smiled and kissed his mother on the cheek, giving her a wave goodbye before he opened the door and moved towards the future. Once he reached the bottom of his apartment he saw Mineta waiting for him, the small boy having decided to walk with him.

Each giving a nod to each other they fell into the familiar pattern, silently walking to UA before Mineta began speaking.

"Sorry about, ruining the mood with you and Tsu" he apologized.

"No, no it's fine." he reassured his friend, shaking his head. In truth he was kind of happy he was there, he wouldn't have really known what to do after. Obviously with a person like Mineta being his best friend he had seen enough "material" to know what "came next" but there was a world of difference between seeing and being that person.

Not to mention how Tsu must be feeling about all of this, he had offered for all of them to walk together but she had declined and he hoped he didn't do something wrong.

"But do you like her… like that I mean" Mineta asked.

"I mean she's cute" Izuku admitted, face growing red. While he wasn't exactly good with hints and had never really talked to a girl, she like always had been about as blunt as a sledgehammer with what she wanted.

"And, I wouldn't have said no"

"Well you better hurry up and get her. Otherwise you'll never catch up to me" Mineta beamed as Izuku snapped his head to look at him.

"Who and when?" Izuku asked disbelievingly, more than curious as to who he was talking about. Mineta then went on to talk about in exhaustive detail about how he had bravely saved the vine girl Shiozaki and how she had kissed his when she had woken up.

"Yeah that figures… figured the only girl who would kiss you would be unconscious" Izuku mocked as Mineta scowled at him.

"Yeah yeah; laugh it up lightning rod. Just you wait, in a few weeks Ms. Bible thumper will be mine." he announced with full certainty.

"Will that be before or after she nails you to a cross after she finds your search history" Izuku questioned, thoroughly enjoying the playful ribbing.

"f*ck off" Mineta sighed, hanging his head as Izuku wheezed with laughter; grasping the shorter boys shoulder and jostling him as Mineta began to laugh as well despite himself.

He and Mineta walked in silence the rest of the way, interspersed only by them cursing under their breath as they got to the school and tried to find their class. The school was massive and without a map it was like a labyrinth before finally they found it. And as the pair looked at the huge door, one thought came to mind.

"Why would they even need a door this big" he questioned, craning his neck to see the top of the door that nearly reached the ceiling.

"Welcome to my world" Mineta joked as Izuku smirked and opened the door, his only hope being that he wouldn't see Bakugo.

"Get your feet off the desk; you disrespect the school and those that made it!" an obnoxious voice rang.

"HA, what junior high did a side character like you come from?!"

Izuku could literally feel himself cringe in annoyance as he heard those familiar voices. Why oh why could he not have this one thing. Why did he have to be in the same class as these two?

"My name is Tenya Iida and I am from Somei private academy" he explained as the blonde cackled at the information, grin wide and teeth showing.

"Somei huh, oh I'm gonna enjoy crushing you" he said as the taller boy recoiled, asking if he even aimed to be a hero.

"So that's what it looks like from the outside" he thought to himself, finding amusem*nt in the fact that for once neither he nor Mineta were in the blonde's crosshairs.

That feeling of happiness was short lived however as the two, along with the rest of the class all finally noticed them.

It was then to that he noticed how big the class was. It said with the envelope that there were to be two classes of twenty but he could see thirty people and among them was Tsu. When their eyes met she looked away, and Izuku felt his heart sink.

But he didn't get to focus on her for long as the blue haired boy marched up to him, arms stiff like a robots.

"Hello again; we didn't introduce each other when we first met, I am Tenya I…" he tried to say.

"I know who you are, my name is Izuku Midoriya" he interrupted, not really wanting to rehear his introduction.

But what he didn't expect was for Iida to bow his head, shocking the young boy.

"I am sorry Midoriya, I misjudged your character" he apologized, as Midoriya wondered what had brought this on.

"When I first saw you, I thought you were nothing but a villain to be, a vigilante whose only goal was to disrupt, but when I saw you save that girl I understood your intentions were pure."

Izuku just stood there for a moment, his initial opinion of him slowly rising. Sure he had been aggravating in the beginning but he had helped him back to the bus and he was apologizing.

"That's what happens when you judge a book by its cover" Mineta announced, smiling smugly at the much taller boy's excessive apology.

"It's okay, you don't have to bow" he said, trying to get him to stop bowing. While the apology was nice, he didn't want it to go that far. Iida seemed to accept that, leaning back up and adjusting his tie with the same robotic precision.

"Oh hey we're in the same class" They heard a bubbly voice said as all three turned to see the brown haired girl from before.

"Thanks for saving me, you were amazing when you called down that lightning strike!" she beamed as she repeatedly raised and lowered her hand in imitation of his moves.

"If you feel like talking, go home" a low, grumpy voice said as they all looked behind the girl to see what looked like a greasy homeless man in a filthy sleeping bag.

"It took you eight seconds to quiet down, pathetic" the man said as he sucked on juice box and unzipped himself out of his bag. As he began walking forward, forcing the group back by his presence until they and he were all inside Izuku wondered how someone like him could even get inside and if this man was potentially dangerous.

"I'm your homeroom teacher Shota Aizawa, put these on and head out to the field, the changing rooms are on the first floor" he said, pulling a large shrink wrapped bag filled with what he thoughts were there uniforms.

Watching the teacher walk away, everyone did as they were told and each one took a uniform and filed out.

Girl's locker room:

Tsuyu didn't draw much attention to herself as all the girls changed; though she did think it was rather crowded as she had to share it with twelve other girls, the room itself having been obviously designed for fewer people to be in it all at once.

The memories of Izuku played back in her head as she put on her gym clothes, the warmth of his body against hers, those shinning blue eyes that spoke of safety and acceptance. And she had ruined it.

"Why did I do that" she raged at herself inside her mind. The first person to treat her like anything other some bug eyed frog girl and she tries to kiss him out of nowhere. "She had ruined her first friendship because she couldn't control herself, she was better than this." she wanted to scream, she was so mad at herself, but her attention was diverted when she heard what the others girls were talking about.

"So he's cute right" Mina asked the invisible girl who Tsu hadn't learned the name of yet. Though anyone would have been deceived into thinking they had known each other for years from how they talked to one another. "My Aunt can't stop talking about him"

"Oh my God, yes" the invisible girl squeaked and it was clear to understand who the topic of their conversation was.

"Hey, you said something about Midoriya saving you" she said; louder so the brown haired girl, along with everyone else could hear. The girl shot up quick as that turning around with a hint of red to her cheeks.

"Oh is that his name?" the girl said in surprise, having up until this point not heard his name.

"Yeah; I was trapped under some rubble and the zero pointer was about to crush me so he blew it up" she said as everyone in the room turned to look at her. Tsuyu felt that flame of jealousy begin to scorch her, even as she fought to suppress it. He wasn't hers, so she had no right to be angry.

"How did he do that?" a tall girl with raven hair questioned curiously.

"He called down lightning from the sky" Ibara said with her own subtle look of amazement.

"That was him!? What Zone was he in?" Another shorter girl gasped, with dark purple hair and what looked like earphone jacks for earlobes. The Brown haired girl then re-entered the conversation by saying that he was in zone B which shocked her even more as she had been in zone F.

"You're lucky; I got stuck in zone E with that guy that was arguing with Iida. Had to retake the test because of him" a girl with orange hair sneered. "Thanks for the save though, if it hadn't been for you two that heat might of done me in" she added, looking to both Mina and Tsuyu.

"Oh it was no problem, besides thanks to her I finally got to meet him" Mina said as all eyes finally began falling on Tsu's back.

"Hey yeah, you were on that video with him. How do you know him?" The invisible girl asked.

"We met in the hospital after the blast in Mustafu" she said simply; zipping up her uniform and closing the door to her locker a little too hard as she left everyone else behind.

Boy's locker room:

"Hey I saw that video of yours; that was super manly of you!" the red head said, wrapping his head around Izuku's neck in a sideways hug. Izuku could only chuckle anxiously as he went along with the boys antics.

"I'm Eijiro Kirishima and it's good to meet ya" he said with a large smile, showing off his fang like teeth.

"Nice to meet you too, I'm Izuku Midoriya" he said as all the other boys, said hello; all except Bakugo who as soon as he had seen him, had kept his eyes on him like a hawk circling a field mouse.

Izuku simply rolled his shoulders, forcing the glare to wash of him like water of a ducks back, even though in the back of his mind he had nearly his full attention.

"We should definitely work out together some time" Kirishima said as he released him.

"Okay, that sound like fun" he said, his smile becoming more genuine.

It was such a strange experience, to walk into a room have people notice him and not laugh at or make fun of him. Was this what it was like to be popular, to have everyone want to talk to you? After so long with only Mineta by his side he never could've imagined a day like this could come.

"What about you Mineta, you looking to workout" he asked, wanting to involve his best friend in the conversation.

"Sure, why not" he agreed as his younger, more lazy side groaned at the obligation he had just signed himself up for. But that's the thing with training; you can never really stop if you want to keep going.

"Hey, I'm Denki Kaminari. You're quirks seems really similar to mine" a young yellow haired teen said, letting arcs of yellow electricity dance between his fingers just like Izuku.

"Wow yeah, I guess our quirks are similar, we should defiantly train together." He said, excited to have someone with such a seemingly similar quirk to train with. While Mineta and Tsu were great, they didn't exactly have quirks to contrast and compare with.

"How many lightning bolts can you shoot out, how many volts can you store up, can you absorb electricity to" he questioned; his nerdy quirk enthusiast side revealing itself.

"Um well; last I checked my limit was 1.3 million volts, but I don't really have any control of where it goes and if I use too much it'll fry my brain for a bit." He said; sounding slightly embarrassed about the limitations of his quirk.

"Why how many volts is your limit?" he asked sheepishly.

"Well I can absorb electricity from anything powered by it so theoretically as long as there's something nearby I can drain I can keep going. But the doctor did say my energy was in the gigawatt range, so… high hundred millions to low billion volts is my current limit." He said, estimating his current level by how many volts were in a single lightning strike and how many he could call down with a lightning storm.

He didn't realize the effect his answer had until he looked back at Kaminari, whose hand had begun to twitch in shock as his mouth hung slightly agape. Kaminari tried to speak before Bakugo stepped up and walked pass them.

"If you're done sucking him off, the teachers waiting for us" he said dismissively as he left.

"What's up with him" Kirishima asked as Izuku shrugged his shoulders. After Bakugo's departure Izuku and everyone else finished getting dressed and went down to the field, where they came to a surprising discovery.

"A quirk assessment test!" they all collectively shouted, each face a mask of shock.

"But it's only the first day" the brown haired girl pleaded. "Shouldn't there be, like an orientation or something?"

"You'll all come to find that at UA we don't exactly follow the beaten path. Meaning I and the other teachers are allowed to do whatever we want as long as get results" he said, with a shrug as if he had already predicted her question before the first word even left her mouth.

After that Aizawa began speaking about the foolishness of not allowing them to properly use their quirks for their fitness tests; that the school system and society at large still tries to force everyone to equal when they are anything but.

Eventually he called on Bakugo, the Blonde giving Izuku a glaring side eye as he walked forward.

"What was your record in the ball throw" the teacher asked.

"67 meters" he answered as the Aizawa handed him a baseball.

"Now try using your quirk" he said as the ashen blonde made his way to the circle.

"As long as you stay in the circle you can do what you want" he said dryly and with no need for further instruction the blonde gave a murderous grin as he shouted DIE! A massive explosion erupting from his hand as the ball screeched through the air.

"1200 meters" Aizawa said as the entire group gasped in shock at the display of power.

All except Izuku who watched Bakugo intently, looking for any sign of what Tsu had told him about. He had known Bakugo since they were children, and had been on the receiving end of his quirk for nearly as long, so he should be able to tell if there was anything different.

And there was something different about it. Of all the times he had ever seen him use his quirk, whether it was small or large it was always accompanied by plumes of dark smoke. Now though, now that smoke was gone and in its place were trails of white, translucent steam.

And his explosions had always been scattered, imprecise; the explosive force going out in all directions it could like a grenade and shaped only by how much he cupped his hand. Now though it was more directed, more controlled like a shaped charge with all the force going exactly where he wanted it. But still he no sign of the heat Mina and Tsu had talked about. Perhaps the heat needed to slowly build up before it could be noticed.

"OMG this is going to be so much fun" he heard Mina say, which had the unfortunate effect of striking Aizawa's nerve.

"If you think it's so fun then how about this, whoever finishes last gets expelled" he hissed as the class railed against the idea, saying that it wasn't fair.

"Seven thousand six hundred and thirty two" their teacher answered back as the glass went silent at the seemingly random number, random for everyone except Izuku.

"That's how many died in the terrorist attack in Mustafu" he continued. "Was it fair for them?"

The class went dead silent at that, the fresh memory of the blast rubbed raw by the teacher's words.

"The world is filled with unfairness, if you can't handle that, if you thought you could just goof off then I suggest you take my advice from earlier and go home" he all but ordered as he called for the next person to go.

Izuku looked at his hand, arcs of electricity bouncing between his fingers of the reminder of his mission.

Seven thousand six hundred and thirty two

They had their lives taken from them and so many more had their lives destroyed by their loss; the memories of the shop owner Haruki and his son flashing into the forefront his mind as he clenched his fist.

He would make it mean something.

After that the tests came one by one. They had watched as the brown haired girl; whose name he still hadn't gotten removed the gravity of the ball and threw it into space, receiving a score of infinity.

Next up had been a tall girl with long black hair; who flipped through a large book she had with her. She then went on to shock everyone when she immediately undid her shirt, eliciting a nosebleed from Mineta before she then proceeded to pull an RPG out of her stomach, attach the ball to the end and fire.

"970 meters" Aizawa revealed as Izuku gawked at the power of her quirk.

"The RPG-7, first manufactured by the Russian defence company Bazalt in 1958 with an effective firing range of 720 meters, made even greater by an advanced propellant of my own design" she beamed with a proud smile as she slung the empty rocket launcher over her shoulder and rejoined the mass of students who stared at her wide eyes.

"Her quirk is so cool" Izuku whispered under his breath as he began a rapid muttering session of all the possible uses of her quirk before Mineta elbowed him in the side.

Next was the 50 meter dash and Izuku had unfortunately been pair with Bakugo, the two looking at each other but with two different expressions. Just as the test began Bakugo surged ahead, using his explosions to fly across the distance with frightening speed as Izuku recoiled from the heat of the blondes explosions.

As Bakugo finished with a time of 3.7 seconds Izuku wondered if he could do something similar with his lightning. He didn't think it was strong enough to allow him to fly like Bakugo but it should allow him to clear large gaps he couldn't just jump.

He eventually did get the chance to test his theory with the standing long jump as he watched Bakugo yet again use his explosions. He wondered how he should allow the electricity out. Assuming he could, if he didn't release enough energy it wouldn't work and if he poured too much he might just end up zapping the ground.

When his turn finally came he imaged a stream, constant and steady. Taking in a deep breath he leaped forward, aiming his arms back and behind him and allowing the power to flow out of his palms. Immediately, plumes of electricity came pouring out with a loud buzzing sound. His balance however was atrocious as he struggled to keep himself steady. This proved far easier said than done as he eventually lost his balance and nearly face planted, landing in a puff of chocking dust.

Izuku however was not allowed a moment of celebration of a new use of his quirk, barely able to dust himself off before he heard the familiar roar of Bakugo.

"Deku! Don't you dare steal my moves you Bastard!" he screamed as he charged the emerald haired boy, hand raised to attack and… steaming?

That's when he saw it, what Tsuyu had been talking about; the heat. It has flowing out of him now, making the air around him ripple in waves.

"So it responds to his anger" he thought to himself.

Izuku however had more pressing issues to deal with as his arms wreathed themselves in electricity almost by instinct alone. Their physical encounter was prematurely halted by the scarf of their homeroom teacher, which wrapped around tightly against the enraged blonde.

"How is your scarf so strong" he growled; gritting his teeth as he continued to pull against his restraints. His neck craning back as the whole class got a view of their teacher, whose eyes glowed red and hair flowing in an unseen breeze.

"Because it's a capture weapon made of carbon fibre and titanium" he growled, obviously using a lot of his strength to keep the irate teen from getting closer to Izuku. "And Stop making me use my quirk, it gives me dry eye" he ordered as their teachers bloodshot eyes made Izuku finally realize who he was, Eraser head.

"Now if you're down making a fool of yourself; stand down, you're wasting time" he said as the scarf released Bakugo and flowed back onto his shoulders like a coiled snake.

The two boys stood their motionless, each eyeing the other. Izuku watching to see what Bakugo would do, the teachers at Aldera had basically given him free reign back then. But this was UA and it seemed even he in his enraged state understood that as he made do move to continue his attack even as his red eyes glared at him.

Izuku was the first to move, walking away from the sand pit and as he was about to pass him he heard him say something under his breath.

"No matter what, you'll always be a bug" his whispered between his teeth.

After that the next few tests went by quickly, and he was pleased that Tsuyu and Mineta were doing well with Tsuyu going after him in the standing long jump and blowing everyone else's scores out of the water with a fifty foot jump. Izuku had tried to congratulate her but again she remained silent.

Mineta meanwhile had down the best in the repeated side steps as he piled to sets of balls and bounced between them.

After all the tests were done they all waited with baited breath as one by one the names came on the screen, students gave small cheers of victory and congratulated others until at last the final name came up.

"Mina Ashido"

Izuku watched as everyone looked around to see who that was and everyone; including Izuku saw a pink skinned girl with horns, shaking like a leaf

Her eyes were wide almost bulging; mouth hung open as short rapid breathes escaped her mouth. That's when they heard steps, hard and certain as they watched Aizawa walk over to the girl, his aura speaking of only one thing. Her breathing grew even more frantic the closer he got and by the time he was in front of her she looked almost manic.

"Still think this is fun" he said, compete unfazed by the distress of his soon to be former student.

"Good" he whispered as he turned back around and walked back to his spot at the front of the class.

"No one's getting expelled" he said as the headsmen's axe lifted over the group and the girl collapsed onto her butt.

"That was simply a rational deception; but don't misunderstand, this was a one-time stay of execution. If you fall behind, you will be left behind" he emphasized with a dark grin.

"Handouts for the curriculum are in the classroom, we're done for the day" he said as he looked between Izuku and Bakugo "Except for you two, I have something to say to both of you"

"Wow, he is intense" a tall boy with black hair and tape elbows said as everyone began walk back towards the school

"Are you okay Mina" Kirishima asked as he helped the girl back to her feet, shaky as they were.

"I thought I was about to die" she yelled, looking as if her entire life had flashed before her eyes.

"It was obvious that he wasn't going to expel everyone" the raven haired girl said with a look of certainty that shocked the whole class. Izuku though had his doubts about that, when people lie their heartrates usually increase but his heart was as calm as ever. He had just been in a forgiving mood. Either way he promised he would never end up in a situation like that, he had come too far and had so far to go.

With gave him a look, silently asking him if he was alright; the idea of what their teacher wanted to talk about leaving them uneasy. And though her look was far shorter he saw Tsuyu look back as well with concern.

Izuku gave them a reassuring nod as the departed as well, leaving both him and Bakugo with Aizawa.

"Now then, if you're gonna stick around I'm going to lay down some ground rules" he said as the two boys waited expectantly.

"First of all, I don't care how powerful either of you are. You do what I say, when I say, got it" he commanded and while Izuku acquiesced almost immediately, Bakugo simply huffed. This prompted another surly glare from Aizawa.

"And you" he pointing straight at the rebellious blonde.

"If you ever attack another student outside of practice or injure them beyond a reasonable degree. You're out of here, no three strikes and no second chances. Do I make myself clear" he finished letting his warning sit in the silence.

Izuku was thoroughly shocked by this; this really wasn't like his old school.

"Whatever" he said dismissively, but Izuku could see that his former bully was squirming beneath the surface. He wondered in that moment if this was the first time in his life he had ever been told no and couldn't just scream and threaten to get his way. And he would be lying if he said he wasn't thoroughly enjoying the sight, seeing him experience even a fraction of the powerlessness he and Mineta had felt for so long.

"And for you Midoriya" he said, now pointing stone cold eyes at him.

"While your actions; illegal as they were, against those villains might have garnered you a level of respect from your fellow students and even members of faculty. You will receive no such favouritism from me and if I find out you are still acting as a vigilante I will personally hand you over to the police" he warned and the tone told he was more than willing to make good on that promise.

"Yes sir" he quickly answered as Aizawa watched them for a few moments more before telling them they could leave.

"Rational deception, here I thought Ms. Joke was supposed to be the funny one" All Might said as Aizawa left the boys and turned the corner of one of UA training buildings. Aizawa's eyes narrowed at the mention of that woman's name, for as long as he had known her she had constantly been annoying him.

"That was a rotten thing you did" All Might continued; eyes glaring at the shorter man.

"From her marks Mina scored fifteen and the invisible girl had been last, but you changed the results so it looked like she had come last." he accused as the shorter man looked back at him with the same tire, apathetic expression.

"Times are changing All Might and she needed to learn a lesson. If I can nip that care free attitude in the bud and foster a proper respect for the task they are aiming to fulfill, than that's just two birds with one stone" he said, turning his head to All Might and preparing to leave.

"And if not…I can always get rid of them"

With the day finished early Izuku found Mineta who like he said was chatting up Shiozaki. And surprisingly he hadn't been slapped yet which definitely showed progress. Deciding to all walk together the trio made their way out but just before the left the main gate Izuku felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around he saw the increasingly familiar face of Tenya Iida.

"May I walk with you" he asked and though a small, spiteful part of him wanted to deny him he could no longer hold onto that anger. He had apologized and had helped carry him back to the bus.

"Sure, we were just about to talk about Mr. Aizawa" he said as the taller boy began to walk in step with them. Mineta gave Izuku a dirty look, signalling that he was less than thrilled at the boy's presence. Izuku shrugged his shoulders at that, it wasn't like they were promising to always hang out. And if he turns out to still be annoying we just don't hang out with him.

"Hey! Wait up you guys" they heard a voice yell from behind as they turned to see the smiling face of the familiar brown haired girl.

"Hi, we never got each other's names, I'm Ochaco Uraraka" she announced as she skidded to a stop.

"Oh hi; I'm Izuku Midoriya" he answered back, happy to finally put a name to her face. "This is Tenya, Mineta and Shiozaki" he continued introducing each of them.

"Wait, if your names Izuku why did Bakugo call you Deku" she asked as Izuku did his best to hide a pained expression as Mineta shook his head at the numerous memories.

"Well you see… Deku is a name he gave me to pick on me" he explained, the name having dug its claws in deep.

"Oh, I thought it sounded like "you can do it. Plus I thought it sounded cute" she said with innocent smile.

Izuku turned to see Mineta's reaction and he wore a face of bewilderment that all but yelled "is this girl serious?"

"Um… that's nice that you thought of it that way" he said politely. "But its Izuku" he reassured.

"Oh okay, sorry for bringing that up" she apologized, seemingly recognizing the emotional landmine she had unwittingly stepped on.

They were about to continue on before another feminine voice called out and the group of four were greeted to the sight of Mina and Kirishima, the two coming up to them and all of them having to reintroduce themselves.

"Now, what were we talking about" Izuku asked, the sudden introductions making the topic of their conversation slip his mind.

"We were talking about Aizawa" Mineta answered.

"Yes indeed; while I am hesitant to judge our teacher's style of education. Deceiving us was immoral" he added, rubbing his chin in thought.

"Indeed, his conduct was most sinful" Shiozaki agreed.

"Forget that, he came at me like the grim reaper. Making me think I was about to be expelled after just getting in." Mina said irately.

Izuku could see where they were coming from; it hadn't exactly been the greatest introduction but he could also see where the teacher was coming from.

"Are you planning on quitting though" he asked her honestly.

"What kind of question is that Midoriya" Kirishima asked defensively, clearly offended by the idea. The reaction making him think the two had some sort of history together, maybe they went to the same school? Looking over to Mina though he could see hints of doubt that clouded her eyes as she averted her gaze; the bubbly and flirtatious girl from before having vanished.

"He's only trying to help us" he said as everyone except Mineta looked at him with surprise. "He's responsible for us; if we get injured he's the one that pays".

"He's right" Mineta agreed. They had both experienced the kinds of villains that will go straight for the kill and won't take it easy on them just because their kids.

"You all saw me get shot, who here has a quirk that could let them survive that?" as everyone looked to Kirishima. During the test he had been one of the only people to not use his quirk.

"W… well my quirk allows me to harden" he said, pulling up his sleeve and turning his skin into a hard rock like surface.

"But I haven't been shot at sooo" he continued though from his tone everyone could tell he wasn't confident in his odds.

"Exactly; as cruel as he was, he's just doing his best to make it so we take this seriously" he explained.

"I'm not giving up" Mina said, finally speaking up for herself as all eyes fell on her.

"I just got here and I didn't go through all that just to give up. Being last just means I have the most room to grow" she said, that fire of positivity beginning to reignite once again.

"That's the spirit "Kirishima roared, flashing his fang like teeth in a wide smile.

"And we'll be here if you need any help" Iida assured as everyone nodded their heads.

Amongst the rallying cry nobody except Izuku noticed the flowing long hair of Tsu walk by them. Not even sparing them a passing glace as she left.

"Oh yeah, you know that girl right" Ochaco asked as Izuku nodded his head, focusing on her retreating form.

"Yeah, she seemed angry about something. I don't know what though" Mina confessed as Izuku sighed. Something for later he supposed.

Several hours later:

Izuku lay on his bed, his mind reviewing the events of the day.

The large group then went on their way to the train station, making small talk and learning that Mina and Kirishima had known each other in middle school. Likewise Izuku and Mineta spoke about their time in middle school, at least the parts that didn't involve a certain blonde.

They had said their goodbyes at the train station and he'd had to endure a rather thorough interrogation from his mother about how his first day was, what he did and who he talked to. After that he had tried to search up powers that involved steam and heat and while some were close to what he'd seen Katsuki use nothing was a close enough match to be certain.

Suddenly he heard the buzzing of a message from his phone and as he looked he could feel every hair on his body stand on end.

"It's Moya, I have something"

Chapter 10: Mysterious signals

Chapter Text

Izuku felt adrenaline flood his body as he read those words. It had been so long since he had last heard from her that a small part of him had wondered if he would ever hear from her again. He felt his hands begin to shake, his fingers trembling, should he answer back and if so what would he say, what should he say?

It seemed though that he would not have to answer that question as another message appeared, an address, "246 Canight Blvd come alone". He knew that was in the neon district and it was at least a forty minute walk from here. What could possibly be there that could involve John and the Ray Sphere?

Izuku looked up to his bedroom door, it was evening now and his mother had gone to bed early so in theory it should be easy for him to slip out. Even still his heart raced in his chest, he had never snuck out of his house before and never for such an important reason. Slowly he pulled himself up, cringing at every creak and groan from the springs in his mattress.

But as he was about to stand up, the voice of Mr. Aizawa's warning rang in his ear like a church bell, if this involved vigilante work which it inevitably would. And if he got caught not only would he be expelled, he would end up in prison for this. Even with that threat looming over him he did his best to smother that growing sense of fear; he had already made up his mind, hero or vigilante he would save people. And this was more important than his dream school; more important than his freedom and more important than his life. Because these people, those First Sons were still out there plotting who knows what and this was his only way of finding John and the Ray Sphere, getting his answers and make certain they never hurt anyone ever again.

Standing up and walking on the balls of his feet he carefully got ready. He would have to be careful; he could get noticed so he needed something to hide his identity. Delving into his mind to try and remember something he could use he was struck by a sudden realization as he made his way to the closet. As he did he could not help but think of all the vigilantes that existed when quirks first began to manifest across the world; being forced to hide their identity for fear of both the law and villains that would inevitably come to seek revenge.

He tried to open the door quietly but it squeaked regardless of how slow he went. Rummaging through his clothes he came to one of the few pieces of All Might merch that had been spared from his wrath that day. A yellow mask that only concealed the eyes, it had been a limited edition to promote a movie collab between All Might and the ninja hero Edgeshot. Gripping the fabric tight in his hand he looked up to see the black and yellow jacket that he had been gifted.

He had promised Haruki that he would do some good with his gifts, and tonight was the night he started keeping that promise. Slipping on his clothes and pulling the silver briefcase out from under his bed, he retrieved his electro-whip, stuffing it into the inside pocket of his jacket for concealment. He hoped he wouldn't have to use it but it was better to safe than sorry.

Once he was set he made his way to the door, eyes staring at the knob intensely before slowly turning it, hearing every gear and spring move as he pulled it open. Staring into that dark hallway now held a sense of danger he had never associated with it before, it was as if he was young child again, waiting for the monsters that hid in the dark to jump out and get him. Taking his first tentative step forward he was rewarded with silence as he turned around and closed the door behind him as slowly as he opened it.

Sending out a radar pulse, he could see his mother lying in her bed, sleeping soundly. Slowly; step by step and praying to god every time the floor cracked underneath him he finally managed to get to the front door. Slipping on his shoes he paid one last look to his darkened home before he unlocked the door and left.

The moon was high in the sky and the night air stung his lungs as a puff of mist left his mouth. He didn't have much time to star gaze though, Moya hadn't exactly given him a time frame but she didn't seem the type who liked waiting. Knowing this he quickly made his way down the stairs of his apartments, his steps echoing against the concrete with every step. Once he was ground level he started running and didn't stop.

The Neon district, like its name suggested was where the night life of Mustafu liked to have their fun. From the flashing pink lights of love hotels to drunken salary men hopping from bar to bar, each made this place their home and in all the time he had been a courier he had never been down here one second longer than he had to. And all that was before the blast; now it was even worse. Whatever veneer of civility and class this place pretended to have was now completely gone. Sure they had cleaned the place up but only enough for customers to come. Slabs of concrete and debris from the blast filled the alleyways alongside druggies hopped up on every drug you did and didn't know existed. Working girls walked the streets, flirting with anyone that walked by and looked like they had money and the sound of ambulances provided constant backdrop to this den of vice.

Slipping between the crowds of adults who either gave him annoyed glances or didn't notice him at all. Izuku though kept his head down as the address he had been given replayed again and again in his mind. He was close now, barely a block away.

"Hey you" the salacious voice of a woman cooed. "Don't I know you from somewhere?"

Izuku knew that he should just ignore the voice and move on but his instinct to look up to see who she was talking to was quicker than his reason.

"Oh, young and cute" a shapely heteromorph in revealing clothes and cow printed skin appraised as she swayed in place, looking down at him with half lidded eyes that spoke of something being in her system. "Why don't you come with me, mama can show you a real good time" she whispered as she did her best to show off her massive "assets".

Shocked by the woman's display he hurried past her, doing his best to hide his blush. The woman however seemed to have taken offence from his refusal and began hurling obscenities at his back. But he didn't care; he refocused on the task at hand and finally made it to the address. It had been a movie theater, though from the titles that played across the rolling screens on the front they weren't the kind of movies a family would take their kids to.

As he looked around for Moya and thinking he somehow had gotten the wrong address he again felt a buzz in his pocket. Pulling out his phone he saw another message from Moya.

"Around the building, under the car" it said as he looked up from his phone. Walking around the corner he came to the alleyways of the Neon which were even worse than the main streets. It smelled like sh*t from piled up bags of trash and the squeaking of rats fighting over the fluids that leaked out of dumpsters.

And then there were the people, an orchestra of coughing filled his ears as he looked at the lines of homeless that lined the alley. Every last one was pale as a ghost with some covered in spines, shells and everything in between. It was like their quirks had gone haywire.

Izuku pitied their situation even as he gagged, both smelling and tasting the sickness in the air. Shaking his head he quickly moved through, doing his best to not look at any of them in the eye lest they ask for something. But he soon realized they were beyond that, their eyes staring off into distant places far from reality.

Finally on the other side he entered what he saw to be a small parking lot, filled with several cars. Izuku groaned as he began looking under each and every one, the process taking longer than he would have liked. Eventually he found a small bag underneath a car, fishing it out he found a small ear piece inside.

Opening the bag he pushed it into his ear and waited in anticipation before the sound of static and a feminine voice reached his ear.

"Took your sweet time, didn't you" the voice of Moya accused.

"I'm sorry Moya there was more than one…" he tried to explain, whispering to limit the echo of his voice.

"It doesn't matter, you're here now" She said cutting him off. "That earpiece is on an encrypted frequency, so we should be able to communicate without anyone eavesdropping" she informed.

'That was good' he thought, considering everything that she said about the HPSC being compromised it made sense to have an added layer of security.

"So what did you find" he asked, eager to get to work and find his answers.

"I've been picking up some weird interference from a rooftop near your position, I need you to find and locate the source and its purpose" she ordered.

Izuku then looked up and around at all the neighboring buildings "So what exactly am I looking for?"

"Not sure, look around for anything that could be sending a signal. Call me when you find something" she said as Izuku was left to figure it out.

'Alright, but how do I get up their' he thought to himself as he looked up at the buildings around him. They were a lot taller than the buildings near the beach and he didn't exactly see himself asking to go on the roof ending well. Heading back to the alley he quickly found his answer as he saw a fire escape that ran the entire height of the building. Normally these things were out of reach for most people, but Izuku was not most people. Looking around one last time to make sure that no one was watching he pulled the mask out of his pocket and put it on. It wasn't perfect by a long shot but hopefully it was enough.

Rolling his shoulders he jumped and latched onto the sliding ladder and climbed his way up. The clang of his shoes against the metal heralded his success as he began his ascent. As he made his way up he wrestled with the idea of how he was supposed to find whatever was causing the interference.

As he finally reached the top and looked out from his new vantage point, he realized then the enormity of his task, there were dozens of buildings and he didn't have all night. Thinking it was a long shot; he let out another radar pulse and felt all the electricity flowing around him, bright like falling stars. But there between the stars were smaller things, like small ripples on a pond that were coming from the radar dishes and cellphones all around him.

He supposed that him naming it the "radar pulse" was more accurate than he realized. Focusing hard on those ripples he sifted through them, one by one and trying anything different between them. It took him longer than he would have liked but eventually he found something, a ripple that did not act like the rest, as if two pebbles had hit the same spot of the pond one in front of the other. And that second ripple was hiding behind the first.

Following that ripple to its source he could see that it was coming from another rooftop several buildings away. He could use his new static thrusters to get him their faster but he didn't know who else was prowling these rooftops. Deciding against it he stepped back and took a running jump across the alley and continued on until he came to the source.

"Alright I found something Moya, it looks like there's a portable audio drive attached to this satellite dish" he explained.

"See if you can listen to it with your phone" she answered back as Izuku carefully pulled the audio drive out and plugged it into his phone. Once plugged in and pressing play on the audio he was greeted to a garbled mess of sound.

"Just sounds like gibberish" he informed, confused why it didn't work.

"It's because it's an encrypted message, but I can't break it. Look around and see if you can find any more of these" she finished and was about to end the discussion before Izuku jumped in.

"Wait! Do you know why so many people down here are so sick?" he asked, worried about whatever was affecting them. There was a pause then and he worried that she had ended the call and hadn't realized.

"It started after the blast, no one knows where it came from but recent intelligence points in the direction of a gang called the reapers being responsible" She revealed.

Izuku's heart turned to ice, had he indirectly caused, had that blast given those villains the opportunity to release a bio-weapon.

"Why haven't you begun quarantining yet" he demanded, these people were as much in danger as they were a danger to others.

"We are doing everything we can right now. If we declared it a pandemic and began quarantining entire cities it would only serve to cause chaos in a time where polite society is on life support" She scolded before shutting of the call.

"Entire cities; just how far had this spread?" Izuku thought to himself unable to shake the feeling that whatever this sickness was, it was going to get worse. But right now he wasn't in a position to argue as he sent out another Radar pulse, searching for that same double ripple and found another about a block away. Knowing where he needed to go he began traversing the rooftops, climbing up pipes and air windowsills until he came to a large street, filled with the light of cars that drove past. It was far too wide for him to jump and he wasn't about to try and use his new power when failure would mean a swift meeting with a two ton car.

Looking around for another way to bridge the gap he finally found a wire that went from one side to the other. Getting there and having a closer look he hoped it would be able to support his weight. Steadying himself he jumped on, letting the electrical current carry him slowly across the wire, going as slow as he needed to keep his electricity from shining too brightly.

When he was about half way across however the line snapped and Izuku's heart caught in his throat as gravity gripped him. Instinctively he pushed his arms out in front of him and unleashed his static thrusters, as branches of electrical energy forced him back up. Wobbling he managed to get close enough that he could latch onto the side of the building. Taking deep breaths to calm his nerves he climbed up the rest of the way, feet finally landing on something solid as he let out a nervous laugh.

Quickly looking back over the edge he could see that the fallen electrical wire had provided a good distraction as the wave of cars stopped entirely and everyone's eyes were focused on the sparking wire.

Thankful for that he kept moving until he finally reached the second satellite dish and found a similar audio drive in it. Pulling it out and repeating the process he was once again greeted by a mess of garbled words.

"It's just more of the same Moya" he said, disappointment filling his voice.

"I'm running the signals through a decryption program on my end. I've almost cracked it, I just need another sample. Look around for more." She told him as Izuku looked at the time on his phone. It was nearly two o'clock and he was running out of time.

Sending out another pulse he felt another signal, further away this time. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop he stopped dead in his tracks when he heard something just around the corner. His breath shallow and his feet light, he crept closer until he saw the unmistakeable red coat of a reaper. He didn't know he was there, hidden eyes staring out across the cityscape. Izuku's eyes went wide as turned back around; pressing his back into the concrete as he slowly inched away. Sending out another radar pulse he could see that the reaper was not alone, there were several other people on nearby rooftops as Izuku breathed through his teeth.

"Moya, we have a problem. Reapers are crawling all over the place" he whispered as he sensed that the villain wasn't alone.

"Just keep to the shadows, we don't want anyone finding you here" she said as Izuku ran his mind through all sorts of scenarios. Should he get down to ground level and use the alley ways for cover? No, the reapers were probably using their vantage points to watch the alleys for anyone going through them. He had to stick to the rooftops and be as quiet as he could. Moving quietly and constantly sending out radar pulses he made his way to the other side of the roof. Giving one last look in the direction of the idle reaper he hopped off and latched onto a pipe and shimmied his way up. On and on he went stopping whenever a reaper began to move and holding his breath every time. There was so many of them that he wondered what exactly had caused them to all to be here. Was a base of operation near here, were they waiting for something?

But he had no time to wonder as he saw his opportunity to move forward. Crossing quickly and landing on the balls of his feet he felt himself getting closer. He could see it now; the satellite dish was on the other side of a parking lot surrounded by buildings. The bright street lights shining down on a lone reaper that stood silently in the center.

'Have to keep moving' he said to himself as he finally got to the satellite dish and quickly pulled out the final audio drive. Plugging it in he felt his heart sink when he again heard nothing but gibberish.

"That was the last one Moya, what happened" he asked as he pressed himself against an air conditioner.

"Give me a second… alright I have it. I'm uploading a decrypting algorithm into your phone. That should let you hear the messages" she quickly said.

Trusting her he turned down the volume of his phone and pressed the phone to his ear as the third message finally played.

"I couldn't stop Kessler from detonating the Ray Sphere, dame thing took out five or six blocks and killed god knows how many. Found the Ray Sphere in the blast crater next to some kid. Didn't know if he was dead or not, didn't have time to check. I'm gonna try and hole up somewhere. If anyone is even listening to these things I need immediate extraction. Please, you have to find me before he does" The voice frantically pleaded.

"I can't believe it, that's john" Moya said in astonishment. "He must have been using these dishes as dead drops for his handlers"

"Meaning?" Izuku asked, his own mind brimming with questions. Had John been the voice he had heard? He didn't think so but he couldn't be sure.

"Meaning there are probably more of those dead drops scattered across the city. You should try and find as many as you can: they might be able to tell us where he took the Ray Sphere" she told him. But as he was about to continue he was stopped by the sound of talking back on the street level.

"Wait; something's happening" he whispered as he crawled his way to the side of the building and saw someone talking to the reaper on the parking lot. The new person was tall and lanky, and they wore a stark white hoodie with black markings in the image of a skeleton.

"You know your job" the person said, their voice echoing in the emptiness around them. The smaller reaper furiously nodded his head as the white cloaked reaper pulled a small backpack off his shoulder.

"Get this to the usual spot and our mistress will be most pleased" he said but as the smaller reaper was about to take it, only for the taller one to pull it away. "But if you fail, you'll beg for death" he promised finally handed the over the backpack to the reaper courier who wasted no time to start running.

"Did you hear that" he whispered.

"Yeah, follow that villain and find out what's in that package" she ordered as the white robed reaper seemed to shimmer before disappearing.

The reaper moved like a bat out of hell, running from alley to alley and constantly stopping and turning around that it almost made Izuku think he knew someone was watching him. After following him for several blocks the reaper finally entered a small underpass. Jumping down from his vantage point he crawled along the side of the wall, sending out his radar pulses to watch as the reaper pushed the bag underneath a vending machine and run off.

Turning the corner Izuku walked to the vending machine, getting down on one knee a pulling it out. The backpack was heavy and clanged like there was metal inside. Turning his head to his left and right to be certain no one else was around he unzipped it and was greeted to the pleasant light of blast shards, their glow shining beautifully in the dark.

"I got the package Moya" he confirmed as he pulled himself out of his hypnotic fascination and noticed the package had a second compartment.

"Find anything useful" Moya chimed in as opened the second compartment and found a small note and read it out loud.

"It just says that they need to up their production and that their mistress has something big planned" he repeated.

"That doesn't sound good, It seems these are about to get serious. I'll see about getting this information in the right hands" she said, sounding legitimately concerned.

"There are also these blast shards too" he admitted, while something deep within him wanted not to tell her he knew what was right.

"Blast shar… you mean Rayacite fragments" Moya questioned as Izuku confirmed.

"Keep them, consider it pay for a job well done" she said, the act of kindness shocking the boy after all the attitude he had been getting up till now.

"But Moya, I heard that these things were dangerous for people with quirks" he said, hoping to glean some information now that she was in an agreeable mood.

"They are dangerous and we don't have a clear explanation but from what our scientists are telling us is that the powers bestowed by the Ray Sphere are… different" she explained as the new information finally helped fill in the gaps for so many questions he had. Why his powers seemed so broad; he could control electricity but he could also change the weather and call down lightning, he could create blast of electro-kinetic energy and detect radio waves. Not even mentioning his new found durability, strength and healing factor. It was almost as if he had several quirks.

"Thank you for telling me that, and don't worry Moya I'm sure we'll find John soon" he reassured, a part of him knowing that her short fuse was from losing her husband. If his mother had disappeared he didn't what he would do.

"Oh um… thank you Midoriya, I hope we find him soon to" she said as she ended the call and Izuku was left with a package full of blast shards.

"Now what to do with it" he thought to himself, he could just absorb the shards right here and now and take all the power… or he could go to Tsu's place. Her powers were different like his and they could share it. It would definitely be a good gift and at least get them talking again.

Eventually and even with the promising glow of the blast shards the zipped the backpack back up. He was taking it to Tsu and hopefully they could have that chat.

Tsuyu lay in her bed, staring into the void of her room as the garbage bag taped to her window flapped again and again. It had been over a month and still her parents hadn't called someone to replace it, not that they had the money for it anyway. But even with that incessant flapping, it was not that which kept her up tonight.

No that honor was held by a certain forest haired boy, whose face hung in her mind like a framed portrait. Why did you just walk off like that? She raged at herself as she ran tense fingers through her long hair. Was she jealous of the attention that he was getting from all those other girls? The thought made her groan in embarrassment. It sounded so trivial, so immature and childish. Was she upset that he didn't kiss her; that would be even worse of a reason. She had been treating Izuku like a leper over nothing and it was eating her alive. Maybe she could text him and tell him she's sorry.

But what would she say "Hey Izuku I'm sorry I've been avoiding you because I'm a jealous bitch" she mocked to herself, the whole situation making her want to scream.

"Tik tik tik" came a noise from her window, like pebbles striking the plastic.

"Tik tik tik… Tsu it's me" came the voice of Izuku.

Instantly Tsuyu leaped up on her bed and ripped the plastic aside and was greeted by the same blue eyed boy standing on the roof of a neighboring apartment building.

"Izuku, what are you doing here" she whispered in shock, sticking her head out the window and looking around to see if anyone was watching.

"I wanted to see you, can I come in" he said and Tsuyu felt her face turn hot and red at the request, her mind filling with dirty and wonderfully horrible ideas. She was just happy she never gained the habit of sleeping in the nude.

"Um… sure, come in quickly, but be quiet my parents are home" she urged as the emerald haired boy stepped back and took a running jump, letting his powers flow from his hands like Katsuki, the thought of him automatically making her brow furrow as he latched onto the windowsill. Tsuyu did her best to help pull him though the small window, grabbing him by the jacket and hoisting him in as the pair fell back on the bed. With a small oof of their bodies hitting the bed they found themselves in the same situation as they had before, eyes staring into each other as Tsu felt his weight on her.

"I'm sorry Tsu" he apologized, quickly getting off of her and stirring a small amount of disappointment in her.

"I came here to give you something" he said as he took the backpack of his shoulder; Tsuyu watching as he unzipped the bag and her voice caught in her throat as the room was illuminated by the purple glow of blast shards.

"Where did you get those" she hurriedly asked, nearly leaping off the bed and switching between looking at him and the shards. She watched as Izuku stumbled a little of his words, explaining that he had been out looking for shards for them to share.

Tsuyu had a sense of suspicion about if that was all there was to his story, but that feeling was drowned out by a feeling of self-hatred. Here she had been, spinning her wheels on how to apologize to Izuku yet here he was giving HER something! Izuku though didn't waste any time, crouching down and depositing the shards on the floor in a pile.

The glow of the shards, now unrestrained by their packaging now filled the room completely. Each of their features accented by the glow as each seemed to wait for the other to go first. But Tsu hesitated, ever since she had absorbed that first shard she had felt her body changing. Her feet and hands had gotten smaller; her gloves now barely fitting and her mouth and tongue that were once the defining features of her face had shrunk as well. It hadn't happened all at once, a few inches here a few millimeters there but slowly she was changing; changing into something else, something normal, something she had wanted for so long. So why was she hesitating!

"Tsuyu, are you okay" Izuku asked as she felt wet lines streak down her cheeks. She rubbed them away, quick to hide her embarrassment but unable to play off the look of concern that he was giving her. Should she tell him, would he understand? She didn't know but she wanted to believe that he could.

Sighing she walked towards the bed and sat down, the springs creaking as she motioned for Izuku to sit next to her. As he did she exhaled through her nose, she was so used to being the rock for her younger siblings that she found it strange to be the one to open up.

"I'm… sorry about what I did" she said, eyes low and unable to look at him as she stared at the shards, the alien glow feeling so soothing.

"Oh um… it's okay Tsu, it was a little sudden but…" he tried to say.

"It's not just that; even since then I've been cold to you and you didn't deserve that" she said as Izuku put a hand on her shoulder, the weight grounding her spirit.

"I told you it's okay" he repeated, twisting himself so that she was forced to look him in the eye.

"But something tells me this isn't just about what happened between us" he said, more a statement then a question as Tsu's lips turned into a thin line and she gathered the strength to speak.

"It's just… I've wanted something like this for so long" she continued, the admission feeling both relieving and condemnable.

"Something like this, what do you mean?" Izuku questioned.

"Who's your favorite hero?" she asked and she could tell he was confused by the seemingly random question.

"Well All Might was my favorite for a long time but now…" he said, sounding unsure as he shrugged his shoulders and Tsu gave a hollow smile.

"Mine was Mirko" she admitted.

"The rabbit hero?" he questioned as she nodded her head.

"So why do you have her on a dart board" he asked as he pointed a finger to the punctured picture. Tsu was surprised that he had noticed but she'd found that he was the kind of person that was always looking around.

"It's a love hate relationship" she said as her shoulders slumped, two forces in her mind battling for dominance. "When you asked me why I wanted to be a hero and I said freedom… I wanted to be free like her"

She was everything that Tsu was not. Strong, confident and beautiful, a mountain she been told all her life she could never climb. But at the same time, for all her positives there was a glaring negative that made her grind her teeth.

"I always wanted to be a hero to Izuku. I wanted to be a hero so I could take my brother and sister away from here. But where a quirkless person has no one, all we heteromorph's have is her" she finished, her last few words growled out.

"We'll what's wrong with her" he asked and Tsu had to stop herself from laughing. What wasn't wrong with her?

"She's wears a bunny suit with half her ass hanging out" she seethed, he frustration coming front and center. "She's the most popular heteromorph for the most obvious reason. Look at her and tell me that's a great role model?"

"Well there's Gang Orca and Hawks…" he said as his mind drew a blank of any other popular heteromorphs that were even in the top one hundred.

"Exactly; gang Orca is the number one 'hero that looks like a villain' and Hawks is a pretty boy who wouldn't even have half the attention if he had a bird for a head" she affirmed, speaking with a lifetime of lived experience.

"At best we're treated like fetishes and at worst we're treated like freaks and all my life I've been treated like nothing but a freak, a bug eyed man handed freak" she said as memories of venomous giggles and condescending stares filled her mind. "The only thing I had was gymnastics, my quirk allowing me one thing to be proud of… but as my body changed to fit a frogs… my quirk took that from me to" she said as the tears flowed once more and she didn't have the strength to wipe them away.

"You have no idea how lucky you were to be born quirkless" she said, praying she didn't sound insensitive, he had suffered too and she knew it was wrong to compare but she couldn't help it. "When you go outside people just see you as a normal person, they would never know you were quirkless. But me… I can't hide this; I could never pretend to be normal and now that I have the chance to be"

"And now these shards are giving you the chance to get rid of your frog quirk; but even though it has caused you so much pain you're afraid to let it go because it's a part of you" he guessed as she looked at him in shock, a wave of relief crashing into her. He did understand.

"And then I met you in that hospital bed and you treated me like I was normal, treating me better than anyone I can remember. Talking to me, wanting to be around me almost dying for me... and I f*cked it all up." she said, beginning to lose control of her breathing.

And as she finished, that same feeling of self-hatred came back. What the hell was she doing talking to him about this? This wasn't about her, this was about him. He had come to give her a gift when he had done nothing wrong and now she was throwing all this emotional baggage at his feet. What the f*ck was wrong with her!?

"I…I'm sorry about all of this you shouldn't be forced to listen to…" she tried to say before she felt a pair of soft lips press against hers. Tsu nearly gasped as their lips connected, her eyes going wide as every nerve in her body lit up in surprise. He kept his lips against hers as she began to reciprocate, wrapping her arms around his neck as tears began to fall from her face.

It was clunky and awkward at first, both completely new to this as her wide mouth made the kiss more difficult, but as they went they helped each other learn as their tongues began to dance together.

In real time the kiss lasted less than a minute but to each other it was a small, blissful eternity. When the kiss finally ended the two breathed deeply, taking in much needed air. Once again they stared into each other's eyes, a new understanding and acceptance blossoming between them.

"I can't pretend to fully understand the pain you've gone through; but I want to be there for you and help make the pain stop" he whispered, squeezing her hand gently.

"I won't ask you to change because to me, you've always been beautiful" he swore as her heart soared, finally hearing the words she'd always wanted to hear. Tsu said nothing, fearing that she would break down into tears if she did, instead she pulled him close to kiss him again, enjoying this moment to the fullest as though at any moment she would wake up to this being all a dream. A dream she did not want to wake up from.

But as they each pulled away again and the glow of the blast shards radiated with an unanswered question, she knew she had a choice to make.

It took her a while to answer, two sides of her fighting for dominance. If she took the shards, no one would ever look at her and think "what a freak" ever again. And her new quirk had been useful; she never would have been able to save all those people during the exam without it. And there was no guarantee that the changes would stop, maybe these shards would only speed up what was already inevitable.

But if she didn't take the shards would she become recognizable. Would her parents even recognize her, would her siblings even recognize her?

That was when she made up her mind; she was becoming a hero for them, to take them away from this place and to do that she needed to be strong, as strong as she could possibly be and as much as it pained her, as profitable as she could possibly be. And she couldn't do that looking like a heteromorph. She didn't have any dreams of changing the system or changing people's hearts. She didn't have the power and she didn't have the time, her siblings would always come first and the rest of heteromorph kind would have to go on without her.

"I'm ready" she affirmed as she took in several deep breaths and stood up and made her way to the pile of shards. And it was only then did they both realize that neither could touch it without accidentally absorbing all of them.

This time though, it was Tsu that had the answer as she moved off to the corner of her room and retrieved a large umbrella, using the pointy end to sort them. There were seven shards, leaving three for her and three for him.

"You can have the last one" Tsuyu said before the question could be asked. "You went to all this trouble so you deserve it" she urged as Izuku was no doubt about to offer the final piece to her.

"On three" she said as Izuku nodded. Her heart was racing, a bead of sweat running down her neck.

3…2…1

As their hands touched the piles the room was filled with a brilliant light as the power of the shards flowed into them. She felt the bones in her face begin to shift; she could feel her tongue shrinking by the millisecond, her hands and feet alongside it. When the light finally dissipated, the room was once more caste into its natural darkness.

Moving her way through the darkness Tsuyu easily found the light switch, flicking it on and getting a good look at Izuku. For Izuku his transformation seemed almost entirely internal with only his eyes shining a more deep and vivid blue. But from the way he was looking at her she could tell the same wasn't for her.

Walking quickly towards the vanity, she stared in awe at her new self. Her eyes that once took up so much of her face were now normal and her lips once pencil thin and stretched nearly from ear to ear were now full and normal. But it was what was inside her mouth that told her the true extent of her change as she stuck out her tongue; a tongue that once could stretch nearly twenty meters was now barely five inches long. She reached a hand up to touch it but realized just how small they were now. It all didn't even seem real, like she could pinch herself and she'd wake up back in her bed.

Looking down at her feet, she marveled at how tiny they were, sticking one foot out and twisting it around so she could see every angle. 'I'm definitely gonna need new shoes' she thought to herself as she giggled like a child out of nervousness.

Looking back up to Izuku who up until this point had remained silent, she stretched out her arms so that he could see all of her.

"How do I look?" she asked; an anxious smile on her face.

"As beautiful as you did five minutes ago" he answered with a smile of his own as he walked up to her, wrapping a hand around her waist and tiniest shade of blush on her face. But before they could continue their earlier fun Izuku's eyes went wide as he looked at the clock.

6:00 AM

"My mother's gonna be up soon, I got to get going" he warned as he went to grab the empty package. And it was only when he was about to jump out the window did her feel a tug at his arm and a familiar set of lips on his cheek.

"After class, we are going shopping" she told him, already thinking about how much of her wardrobe she'll need to change.

"That should be easy, you look good in everything" he answered back as Tsu's face burned red with…love? Was this what love felt like?

As she watched him take a four story fall without missing a beat run out of sight she turned once more and began to experiment with her new body. Jumping lightly on her newly shrunken feet she knew she was gonna have to buy new ones. She stretched in every direction she could think of, cracked her knuckles and rolled her shoulders. All in all; she had never felt stronger, there was new strength in her limbs. A strength she didn't fully understand but one she would not deny and with the sound of her parents alarm in her ears and renewed purpose in her heart, she would take it for all it was worth.

Chapter 11: Old Scores

Chapter Text

To say he had cut it close when he got home would have been more than an understatement, having only just got into his room before he heard the sound of his mother's alarm go off. He had done his best to stow everything away; hiding his new ear piece in his desk and placing his clothes back in his closet. He's remembered the look his mother gave him when he entered the kitchen, looking like a fresh zombie and having to quickly manufacture a lie about not sleeping well. Which wasn't entirely false as the bright light of the class room stung at his tired eyes and forced him to shade them with his hand.

As the pain lessened his mind turned to all the questions his time in the neon district had answered but also all the new questions it posed. He'd only heard the last of the three messages he and Moya had found but the one he'd heard was fresh in his mind. John had sounded frantic, breathing heavy as if he'd just run a marathon and he mentioned a man named Kessler, the name alone sending a shiver down her spine. Whoever he was, he knew he had to be important. And then there was that sickness that those people were suffering from. How many were already infected, how far had it spread? As he looked around he didn't see anyone that was pale or coughing so a small part of him hoped that what Moya said had been true.

And the thought of the sickness then turned his mind again to its possible creators as the image of that white hooded reaper came to mind. When he had first fought them all those weeks ago he'd thought they were just a street gang but he was wrong. They were armed, organized and like that message said; preparing for something big.

But for now he was just a regular high schooler and his thoughts of the night would have to be picked up later as he looked over to were Tsu was sitting. She looked so different now, not unrecognizable but anyone could tell something had changed. But she seemed to be doing well with her change and he was happy for that but their conversation had given him a lot to think about. He'd always wanted a quirk but he had never thought about how he might have gotten one that actively hurt him.

And after all that happened for him to get his powers, he guessed the old saying was true. "Grass is always greener on the other side"

"Hey Izuku" Mineta said, waving a hand in his face to get his attention.

"You notice she looks different, like really different" he asked, motioning his head towards Tsu, who seemed to be thinking about something.

Izuku nodded his head "I'll tell you about it after school" he told him as memories of their night together came to him. He'd been surprised himself by how he acted, the old Midoriya would have never been able to kiss a girl without warning, too busy tripping over his own words. But that Midoriya was gone, after all he'd been through he had learned a valuable lesson. Life was short, he liked her and she liked him back and that was all he needed to know.

I AM HERE, coming through the door like a hero! The bombastic voice of All Might said as the classroom door burst open and all eyes turned wide with excitement as they saw him.

Izuku stared in surprise as anxiety filled him, a feeling that up until a few weeks ago he never would have had when seeing the number one hero. He remembered well the last time he had seen him; his large figure standing above him with his hand on his shoulder as he told him it wasn't his fault.

He'd had no idea that All Might would be a teacher as he struggled to think of how to act.

"Hey Izuku; isn't that his silver age suit" Mineta asked, sitting in his seat beside him.

"Yeah… it is" he answered back not taking his eyes off him as he strode in, red cape fluttering behind him.

"Welcome boys and girls to the single most important class here at UA high. Heroing 101, here you will learn at that it means to be a hero and fight in the name of good" he announced, pumping up the whole class for what he was planning.

"And for your first class we're gonna jump right into the thick of it with battle training" he hollered as the class erupted with enthusiasm. But some of their enthusiasm was darker than others as Bakugo turned to look at Izuku, his face a sad*stic grin.

"And one of the keys to being a hero is looking good" he said as pieces of the wall began to slide out, revealing containers numbered one to thirty. What was inside those containers were their hero costumes and as everyone else hurried to see how their costume designs had panned out, Izuku clutched tightly to his school bag and the contents within.

Izuku stared at his new green jumpsuit, remembering the smile on his mother's face when she had gifted the home made hero suit to him this morning. She had apparently seen some of his old designs in his notebooks and though he was deeply thankful it made him redouble his efforts to hides his things. Clutching it tightly in his hands it was so different to the costume he'd used to stalk through the neon but perhaps that was for the best. He didn't want to use the same costume and get spotted; it wouldn't take much for someone to put two and two together about his identity.

"That's your costume" Kirishima questioned, leaning on the lockers as he eyed the jumpsuit "seems pretty plain for someone with a quirk like yours"

"Indeed; it is not flashy at all" the French kid he had learned was name Aoyama said.

"It was a gift from my mom" Izuku answered, happy that he was blessed to have a mother like her.

"Dang, that's nice" Kirishima said with a fanged smile, nodding his head as he turned away. After that the boys filed out of the changing room, each eager to use their costumes. Izuku though was the last and with one final breath put it on, though he had decided against wearing the headpiece and mask, thinking it look a little too much like All Might as the sound of the zipper echoed loudly in the now empty room.

Opening the door to the hallway and turning to his right, he saw what could have possibly been one of the strangest things he had ever seen. Or rather what he didn't see as the door to the girls changing room opened and out walked a pair of floating gloves and shoes.

"What the…" he questioned to himself, his tired mind instinctively unleashing a radar pulse and getting way more than he had bargained for.

"I am so sorry!" he nearly screamed, immediately turning away and raising a hand to shield his vision. But then the fact that his radar pulse was omni-directional and he could see her even without looking where she was reared its head.

The invisible girl quickly turned around, a mask of confusion on her face as she watched what looked to her as a random outburst.

"What are you talking about, sorry for what" she asked, co*cking her head to the side and looking thoroughly confused over why he was acting the way he was.

"I…I can see you" he admitted, trying to sound as apologetic as he could as he watched the look on her face change from confusion to one of pure shock and then to one of anger.

"You're lying" she accused, pointing a shaky finger at his chest, eyes wide and lips pursed.

"I promise I'm not" he pleaded, hands still raised and eyes facing away. "My quirk lets me see the bio-electricity inside people. I can see you…clear as day" he admitted, swallowing hard as he watched her heartrate climb higher and higher, her eyes shifting around and looking for something he couldn't guess.

"How many fingers am I holding up" she asked, ripping off both of her gloves and lifting her bare right hand.

"Five" he answered truthfully as the invisible girl pulled her hand back as if it had been touched by fire. She then quickly put both hands behind her back and asked again. And he told her the truth; 2, 7, 5, 10, 1, 8 giving her answers in rapid succession until her shoulders slumped and her mouth hung open.

"Oh my God… someone can see, you can see me" she nearly whimpered as she looked like she was about to hyperventilate.

"I'm so sorry; I didn't mean to. I'll sit out on this exercise" he offered as he began to walk back into the changing room. He was only stopped when he felt a hand grasp his own in a tight grip. Her breathing was quick and uneven, her body shifting in place nervously before she gave him a look that was all but begging him to stay.

"Wait…what… what colour are my eyes" she gasped out, her lips quivering.

Looking into her eyes and watching the electrical impulses flow to and from he honestly couldn't see what colour her eyes were. But as he saw the impulses in her tear ducts flare more and more he didn't have the heart to tell her that. "Your eyes are blue" he answered as she let out a small gasp.

"Blue … my eyes are blue" she repeated again and again like a mantra, rocking herself back and forward. Izuku didn't know what to do in a situation like this, should he comfort her, should he giver her space, should he…

That decision was made for him as the girl leapt forward and embraced him in a hug so tight it rivaled his mother's.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you" she cried as she wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her body into him. Izuku froze up; the idea of a naked woman hugging him and crying making his brain stall. But even as he stood still as a statue she continued to sob into his shoulder, with only the blubbering, muffled words of thank you repeating again and again. It was only when he began to feel her slip, her legs no longer having the strength to hold herself up did he hug her back, if only to keep her from falling. Still unsure of how to handle the situation he thought back to times where he had as sad as this and memories of his mother comforting him gave him an idea of what to do.

"It's okay, it's okay" he began to repeat, holding her tight and rubbing her back in reassurance as she struggled to breathe between sobs.

They stayed like that for a long moment before she finally let go, his shoulder now completely wet. "I'm sorry... about that" she said regaining some of her composer and pointing to the wet spot on his shoulder. Izuku brushed it off, more concerned about the girl in front of him than anything else.

"I'm Toru Hagakure by the way" she introduced, smiling and bringing a small sense of normalcy into this strange encounter.

"Oh… I'm Izuku Midoriya" he said, offering his hand to which she accepted and told him that she already knew his name.

They then both stood there, looking at each other and both unsure of how to proceed after everything that had just happened.

"Look what just happened…" he tried to say before Toru shook her head.

"It's okay; I won't tell the teachers if you won't" she quickly promised, nodding her head enthusiastically.

"No but… I might need to use my radar pulse again" he tried to explain before she went to pick up her gloves and Izuku had to look away again.

"I don't mind" she nearly giggled, beaming a smile so bright it was blinding "Come on they're probably waiting for us" she said as she began towards the training area, a delighted spring in her step.

Izuku was completely floored by her reaction and had no idea how he had gotten out of that situation without getting slapped. Shaking his head and thanking whatever gods there were he walked after her until the light of the sun fell on their faces. Looking around they could see they were inside one of the mock cities they had used for the entrance exam.

"Hey Midoriya, what took you so long. Love your costume by the way" Uraraka praised as she walked up to him.

"I should've been more specific about what I wanted though, this costume's skin-tight" she said, smiling sheepishly and rubbing the back of her head. Izuku though had had his fill of looking at peoples bodies, looking away and noticing Mineta walking up to them.

Izuku mood was lightened when he saw that he had thankfully taken his advice on his costume, ditching that ugly diaper looking thing and replacing it with a normal utility belt. He'd also taken his advice and had a cape in the shape of grape leaves.

"God, I love this school" Mineta said as he flashed Izuku a knowing smile to Izuku who just shook his head. He could change the costume but the man remained the same.

"Alright you bunch of newbies for today's lesson we'll be…" All Might tried to say before he was interrupted by a storm of questions ranging from the consequences of losing to whether or not Aoyama's cape looked nice.

"I wasn't finished talking" All Might said, restraining his voice as he pulled out a small notepad.

"For this training exercise; the villains have obtained a nuclear bomb and hidden it in their hide out. It'll be a six man match with three villains and three heroes. The heroes win by either capturing the villains or securing the device. Likewise the villains win by either taking down the heroes or protect the device" he said as the image of the ray sphere explosion filled his mind.

"Teams have already been preselected and battles will be decided by lots" he said as he revealed a small yellow box.

"So let's get started!"

Teams:

Team H: Tokoyami, Tsuyu, Monoma vs Team J: Sero, Kirishima, Yosetsu

Team G: Kaminari, Jiro, Ojiro vs Team C: Mineta, Momo, Pony

Team A: Izuku, Ochaco, Hagakure vs Team D: Iida, Bakugo, Reiko

Team E: Mina, Aoyama, Kamakiri vs Team F: Kaibara, Kinoko, Ibara

Team B: Shoji, Todoroki, Shihai vs Team I: Setsuna, Kendo, Juzo

When Izuku saw the teams he had forced himself to not groan in pain. They were going first and not only was he going to have to face Bakugo but he was also going to have to be with the invincible girl who he now knew was named Hagakure. It wasn't that he disliked her; it was just that after their first encounter he didn't really believe she'd want to be around him.

"Everyone else can head to the monitoring room to watch" All Might said as they began to leave with Mineta and Tsu giving knowing looks as they passed. Looking to his left he was greeted by the familiar glare of Bakugo, drilling into him.

"Yep… it's gonna be one of those days" he thought to himself as he looked back at him, unflinching which only stoked his anger further.

"Come on Izuku! Let's win this" Hagakure said, pumping her gloved fist with enthusiasm. Izuku still couldn't get on a read on her, her openness and enthusiasm appearing to contradict what had happened. But it seemed he was not going to get any kind of answer until after the fight.

After that All Might instructed Bakugo's team to enter the building and gave them a five minute timer to get ready before the heroes went in.

"Wow this place is huge, do they really expect us to remember it all" Ochaco said. "And All Might's just as cool in person as he is on tv, and he isn't even threatening us with punishment so this should be…" she was about to finish before she noticed the intense stare he was giving the building.

Izuku was focused as different plans filtered through his mind; he knew that Iida had a speed quirk, Bakugo's explosions and that Reiko girl. His mind tried to dig back to when they had their assessment test; he had seen her cover the ball in a purple glow and sending it flying nearly a kilometer away. It seemed to be some sort of telekinesis quirk like his mother's but he couldn't be certain.

And then there was how he was going to deal with Bakugo. How was he going to deal with him? From what he could tell from the building layout they had been given the inside consisted of narrow metal corridors, the perfect place for someone with a quirk like his.

"You're thinking about Bakugo aren't you" Ochaco guessed, which brought Izuku back into the real world.

"He's gonna come for me" he said as he walked forward and turned to look at both Ochaco and Hagakure. "He's dangerous, so I'm gonna lure him out" he proposed as the words of Tsu filled his mind. If he could do that to a building sized robot than he didn't want to think about what he could do to either of them.

"Once I do you and Hagakure are going to find the bomb and secure it" he said as the two girls looked to each other.

"I'll go first; my quirk will let me sneak in with Uraraka following behind me in case I find someone" Hagakure volunteered as she pulled off her gloves and kicked off her shoes.

"Alright let's do this. But first, both of you face the wall and cover your eyes" he instructed but received a confused look from Ochaco.

"I'm going to lure him out, trust me" Izuku said and with only mild prodding from Hagakure they both walked and pressed themselves against the wall.

With less than a minute left before the match began he started coalescing energy. After he had absorbed those blast shards he had never felt more powerful and now it was time to show it. He'd just have to hit this at the right angle.

Meanwhile inside the building

"So this is the bomb, fake of course" Iida said as he tapped the cartoonish papier Mache prop with the back of his hand. "Still, even to play the role of villain doesn't sit well with me"

"The roles we play upon the stage are rarely our choice" came the monotone voice of Reiko. The silver haired woman wore a similarly coloured kimono with a puffy colour and mask that hid her mouth, though it did little to hide her dour eyes.

"Indeed, we must stay on our toes. With Midoriya on their team this will be…" Iida tried to say before Bakugo cut.

"Both of you, shut the hell up" Growled Bakugo as wisps of steam flowed off his body. His breathing could be heard even from where they we standing. "He's nothing"

"I must ask but why do you seem to hate him so much" Iida politely asked but was not replied to verbally as the temperature in the room began to increase.

"You two extras should stay in your lane and focus on the bomb. Deku is mine" he berated in a cold tone as the buzzer signaling the beginning of the training match sounded. But none of them were prepared for what came next as the windows on the room were violently shattered by an unseen force. Like rain the shards of glass fell onto the tile everyone instinctively looked outside and a familiar voice.

As the buzzer rang Izuku wasted no time, unleashing a radar pulse and seeing they were on the fifth floor and doing his best to ignore the naked forms of the girls with him. He then sent out a shockwave up the side of the building and shattered the windows on every floor. Filling his lungs he drew upon all the pain that man had caused him and Mineta and yelled.

"Hey you Blonde coward, come out here and face me!" he roared and did not have to wait long.

"Fifth floor go!" he ordered as Bakugo came rushing out of the building on jets of heat, flying straight at Izuku with the force of a rocket. Izuku barely had time to dodge, rolling to the right and letting the force of his landing carrying him further as he slammed into the street, kicking up a cloud of dust and concrete. Ochaco and Hagakure thankfully had followed the plan and were heading towards the bomb, he just needed to put his faith in them and by them time.

"Who are you calling a coward you bastard!" Bakugo screamed as he launched himself again, coming so close Izuku could see the white of his eyes as he unleashed another shockwave, Bakugo being unable to overpower it as it sent him flying through the glass of a nearby storefront.

"Young Midoriya what are you doing" All Might asked through their ear piece.

"Goading a villain out of his hideout is a perfectly sound strategy sir" he answered back as he watched where Bakugo had been flung into. He had no illusions that that would be enough to stop him and he was proven right as the slow rhythmic sound of breaking glass and heat grew closer and closer.

"You think you so smart huh" he hissed as he walked into view. "Don't think I didn't see you eyeing me during the assessment test. You're little frog bitch probably told you all about it so take a good look" he said as he lifted his right as small detonations in the shape of… Atoms went off in his hand.

"You got your quirk from that explosion, well I got something too" he continued with a sad*stic grin. "I'm sure you know a lot about my powers that let me produce nitroglycerin sweat. But now I can fuse their atoms together and use that energy for my explosions. So come on then you annoying bastard, SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT!"

Ochaco and Hagakure made their way through the winding corridors of the building. Like the plan had said Hagakure had taken the lead, with Ochaco following behind and using the visible ear piece in Toru's ear to know where she was.

"Do you know why Izuku said the bomb would be on the fifth floor" Ochaco asked as the snuck around another corner.

"He said that he can sense electricity, including the bio-electricity in people" Hagakure said, and though she couldn't see it sounded like she was smiling.

"Wow that's handy" Ochaco said as she thought over the growing list of powers Midoriya seemed to have access to. Their thoughts were interrupted as explosion after explosion rattled the building, lines of dust and chips of ceiling falling around them.

"I hope Midoriya's alright" Ochaco said, she hadn't really understood him when he said Bakugo was dangerous but now she was getting the idea.

"The quicker we capture the bomb, the quicker this ends come on" Hagakure urged as they began moving again. She was right, she just needed to do her best and hope Izuku can handle him.

Moving silently they finally reach the fifth floor and it was just as quiet as the last four, the tension rising with every step. Peering behind a corner she turned and whispered to Ochaco.

"I found the bomb" she whispered lightly as Ochaco looked down the hall and saw the light of day and with it the bomb. It was sitting in the middle of a large room but from where they were standing couldn't see Iida or Reiko.

"I'll go first" Toru said to which Ochaco nodded her head in agreement, after all if it ain't broke don't fix it. Moving as silently as she could along the wall to the door she peeked her head inside and saw Iida having what she thought was an entirely one sided argument with someone on the other end of his ear piece. But she still couldn't find Reiko, but as she took her first step inside her foot felt something wet and she was immediately with everything from planks of wood to metal cans. Toru shrieked in response as she fell backwards and heard the exaggerated evil laughter of Iida from behind the door.

"Is that you Hagakure HAHAHA we knew you would try to sneak inside so we devised a little road block for you involving these large oil drums" he said as Toru saw that the floor in the room was completely covered in water.

"You might be able to hide from our eyes but you cannot hide your affects upon the world" Reiko said from some unknown location inside the room.

"You are doomed heroes, the bomb is ours and we shall reign victorious AH HAHAHA" Iida continued to laugh as Toru quickly moved back.

"Well that didn't work. Any ideas" Toru asked, angered and gently rubbing the spots she had been it.

"Ochaco bit her lips as she thought; they had the room secure and anyway all but required them touching the floor… unless.

"I think I might have something" she said with a focused determination. Reaching up to her ear piece she began to speak.

"RAAAH" Bakugo bellowed as he lunged out of the store, destroying in a shower of brick and mortar with hands glowing with vicious intent. Izuku tried to use his shockwave again but Bakugo used his other hand to change his trajectory, arcing clean over the oncoming surge of energy and blasting Izuku right in the back. Izuku breathed through his teeth as his back was scorched, his muscles tensing as the explosion sent him skidding across the ground.

Izuku clenched his jaw as he used his momentum to get back up to his feet, turning and shooting a bolt of electricity back at Bakugo. Bakugo was fast, but he wasn't fast enough to dodge lightning as the electricity surged through his body and his muscles convulsed.

"Dammit; nuclear fusion. Why the hell did he have to get such a strong power!" he screamed internally as he smelt something burning and looked at his smoking back and realized to his horror that his costume had a massive hole in it, the material burned away by Bakugo's blast.

"What's the matter Deku, too scared to move or are you too busy crying over your sh*tty costume mommy bought for you" Bakugo mocked as he shook of the effects of the shock and set off more small explosions in his hands. "This is what true power looks like, so use whatever plans you have in that little head of yours because you'll never beat me!"

Izuku stared daggers into Bakugo, the memories and promise he'd made bringing forth an anger that burned his insides. He had tried so hard to be kind to that bastard. Taking years of abuse, taken the threats and the insults but that was it. This wasn't just for him; this was for his friend who stood by him as they suffered him together. This was for the greatest mother in the world that had to watch in silence as her son came home with smoking hair and singed clothes day after day because no one had ever held him to anything because of his stupid f*cking quirk. Not his teachers, not his parents but he was going to make him pay for all of it!

"You piece of sh*t!" he screamed as he charged the blonde, Bakugo stunned for only a moment as his mocking grin turned soured and he matched his charge with a feral zeal. As the charged and even in his enraged state, Izuku's mind could recognize the pattern he'd seen all his life. Bakugo always started his fights with his right arm and Izuku took full advantage as he grasped it in both hands and threw him over his shoulder and slammed him into the ground hard enough to shatter the asphalt beneath them. Izuku did not let him get up, climbing onto him and slamming his weight onto his chest, punching him three times straight to the face before he could properly defend himself. Izuku kept going, trying to pound through his defenses even as the air around him grew hotter and hotter until Bakugo pressed his glowing hand to his face, the heat searing his flesh as he tried to pry it off. But what happened next took him by complete surprise, as his electricity covered hand grasped the grenade shaped gauntlet it exploded violently. The resulting shockwave shattering windows and launching Izuku clear off of Bakugo and straight into a guard rail, the metal deforming as his body slammed into it.

The wind was knocked out of his lungs as he struggled to bring air back into his lungs. "What had that been" he wondered but the answer came to him quickly. Bakugo's sweat was like nitroglycerin and his electricity must have set it off. But that had been bigger than his normal blasts, had he been storing sweat in his gauntlets?

His train of thought was slowed though as the pain in his face was excruciating. Bringing a shaky hand to his face and fingers delicately prodding the burn he looked through the dust cloud and saw Bakugo beginning to pull himself up. But as the dust cleared he saw that Bakugo had suffered more than he had. His right arm had snapped, hanging like a broken branch wafting in the wind with only bruised discolored skin keeping the pieces together. He wondered if the fight would be stopped because of his injury but as he starred into his red eyes he realized that unless All Might told him to he wasn't going to stop because of a broken arm.

As Izuku pulled himself up as well he saw that Bakugo despite his blood lust was running hot now, his body glowing like metal in a furnace, the air becoming so hot it was getting hard to breath. He wondered if that was his weakness, that like him and Tsu he had a limit. That he could only get so hot before he shut down. He prayed that his hypothesis was correct because he was running low on energy.

"You're so pathetic" Izuku spoke through gritted teeth as he worked through the pain "Ten years of abuse, ten years of suffering in silence unable to do anything by take it from someone who talked so much about how he was so much better than everyone else."

"Well no more; no more and never again because this worthless Deku just broke your f*cking arm" he growled, letting the pain in his face fuel the venom in his words.

If he had thought Bakugo was mad before now he was furious, eyes practically glowing as he unleashed another massive explosion, aiming to kick his head clean off. Izuku drew his hand back again, intending to shoot the other gauntlet and cause whatever had happened before. But instead of a simple lightning bolt, what left his hand was a condensed ball of energy. It was relatively slow in comparison and Bakugo would have had no trouble evading it but with his broken arm he had no way of changing course as the missile struck him hard in the chest with another large explosion that sent him flying back and smashing through the third story window of another building.

Izuku began to stumble after that, whatever that was running on fumes as the vision around his eyes began to lose colour. He looked around, desperate to find another source of electricity and finally saw another light post. But it was too far, Bakugo would surely come rushing back before he could get there. But then he was struck by an idea as he finally pulled out his electro whip and swung it forward wrapping it around the post, using it as a medium to drain the electricity into himself as the colour began to return and the pain in his face diminished. But he did not have time to relax as Bakugo rushed out of the hole he made, soaring through the air on his one good arm and landing on the roof of a building, breathing heavy as he sneered at him.

"Izuku we need your help" came the voice of Ochaco in his ear.

"I'm a little busy" he stressed as he waited for Bakugo to do something; it wasn't like him to wait.

"We're outside the bomb room and we need a distraction" she asked.

"Such as?"

"Lead Bakugo to the base of the building, make him blow up one of the corners" she instructed as Izuku's eyes went wide.

"Are you crazy" he yelled.

"Trust me Midoriya" she pleaded, as Bakugo rushed out of the hole he made, soaring through the air on his one good arm and landing on the roof of a building, breathing heavy as he sneered at him.

"That was a lucky shot you hear me, but let me show you what I can do" he roared, a manic smile crossing his lips as Izuku's eyes went wide.

What he did next however stunned him as his broken arm began to glow brighter and brighter until with one strangled scream that sounded like the mix of a wounded animal and a demon he snapped the broken bones back into place with a loud crack. Flexing his fingers he looked down at him, the hand glowing white hot as he relished in his power.

Ochaco was right; he didn't really have a better plan and needed to trust his teammates. As he looked at Bakugo and despite his blood lust he could see he was getting tired, his body glowing so bright he could see his skeleton.

"Since I got your attention again let me tell you that these gauntlets ain't just for show, they also collect my sweat. So tell me you stupid bastard; what do you think will happen when I fuse their atoms all at once!" he threatened with glee as he landed on the roof of a building, steam pouring out his mouth with every breath.

"Bakugo stop, you'll kill him" All Might yelled as Izuku took off running towards the test building, he could do it he just needed to move. "OCHACO DO IT NOW!"

"He'll live if he dodges" Bakugo cackled as he pulled the pin on his gauntlet and a flash of light as bright as the sun rocked the entire street.

At Izuku's signal Ochaco put her plan into motion, with Toru climbing onto her back she touched both making them weightless as the building was slammed by a massive explosion that rocked it to its very foundation. Her heart was beating in her ears as she jumped souring through the hallway as the whole building began to lean to the left. Memories of her childhood, of days spent trying to fly through the hole of her tire swing filled her mind.

"Just like the swing, just like the swing" he said as two soared through the open door. Iida, even with all the chaos around them still tried to intercept them but now the water worked against them as he slipped and slid across the ground. Ochaco smiled despite the fear but as they were about to touch the bomb it moved on its own, a purple shimmer coating it as the pair landed feet first on the wall.

"Nice try" the voice of Reiko uttered as the silver haired girl finally revealed herself. She had been using the junk in the room for levitation, completely unaffected by the moving building.

"Toru get the bomb" Ochaco screamed as Reiko began to move the bomb in every direction, trying to keep it out of the invisible girl's hands. But she should have been more focused on herself as an invisible fist clocked her across the jaw, stunning her and giving Ochaco the opening she needed. Jumping with all her might she surged towards the falling bomb and clamped onto it hard.

"I'VE GOT IT" Ochaco roared in triumph as the buzzer sounded.

"HEROES WIN!"

Chapter 12: Battle Training

Chapter Text

Everyone in the observation room stared in shock at the battle they had just witnessed. Most having been too enthralled by the duel between Midoriya and Bakugo to notice what had happened with the others. The practice building had been decimated, leaning on another building for support as the left corner had been completely destroyed and in its place was a hole nearly twenty feet deep. Everyone watched as the smoke began to clear, hoping to see that Izuku had survived. All except All Might himself who as the Symbol of peace had raced towards the destruction with the speed of a bullet the moment the buzzer had sounded off.

Mineta and Tsu both looked to each other, their faces dripping with fear and worry. Had they just watched their best friend Die?

"Look I see someone walking out" Kirishima said as he pointed to a darkened figure limping out of the smoke.

"It's Midoriya, he's alive" Mina cheered as the tension visibly left the room.

"Oh my god, that was too intense" Sero said, his shoulders slacking in relieved tension.

"They were really going at it" Mina said in bewilderment, she had witnessed her fair share of fights in grade school but this was something more. "Hey Mineta do Izuku and Bakugo know each other?" she asked as all eyes turned to him.

"Umm… Bakugo went to the same school as us." he said, freezing at first before answering which only furthered her suspicions. Coupled that with what Tsuyu had said about them meeting in the hospital after the blast in Mustafu, the pieces began to fall into place.

And as she looked at the screen that showed Bakugo; tired and beaten, a small smile spread across her face and a single thought came to mind.

"Good job Midoriya"

Izuku let out a long breath, a slight stream of smoke coming out of his lungs as he coughed. He could barely feel the left side of his body and the right side felt like it was on fire. Happy though to still be among the living he looked around to see that he was inside what once was supposed to be the lobby, or at least what was left of it. Looking down at his ruined costume he felt his mood darken, the entire left sleeve had been destroyed and it was only the collar that was keeping it from sliding off. He felt a lone tear fall from his eye as he looked at it.

"I'm sorry mom"

"Young Midoriya, are you alright" the voice of All Might asked as Izuku lifted a shaky hand towards his ear only to find that his ear piece had fallen out. He then felt a hand on his shoulder and realized that he was actually there. Looking up he saw the mountain of a man standing before him as he jumped in surprise and making the pain flare up.

"I'm okay sir, just need some juice" he answered; his world spinning as he looked for anything electrical.

"You seem rather burned, I will call for the nurse" All Might said but Izuku shook his head as he heard the telltale sound of electrical discharge. Moving towards the sound he found an exposed wire and gasped it, the letting the thousands of volts wash over his body as the pain and numbness faded.

"I feel better now" he said, his mind now working in proper order. All Might, looking surprised at the display of accelerated healing gave a thumbs up as the sound of several footsteps grew closer.

"Midoriya we did it" came the voice of Ochaco, cheering as she walked down the ruined steps with Toru helping Reiko walk down and Iida not far behind. Her excitement was infectious as she jumped for joy, making Izuku smile as well.

"Great work Ochaco, your plan worked" Midoriya said as the evidence of his victory finally came into view. Turning his head he looked further down the street to see his former bully walking up to them, a thousand yard stare in his eyes which made the victory so much sweeter. His body wasn't glowing anymore but steam still wafted off of him. And his arm, once broken now seemed fine. It seemed he had a healing factor as well.

All Might seeing the boy went to check on him, and put a hand on his shoulder, the action seeming to pull him out of whatever tailspin of thought he was in. "Do not be discouraged young Bakugo, as long as you're willing to learn, a defeat is only an opportunity to improve" he advised.

Izuku could only shake his head at the number one heroes attempt, he'd tried to by nice to Bakugo for ten years and it didn't get him anywhere and he highly doubted that would change any time soon.

"Now then children, we shall review your battle in the observation room" All Might said as he turned and led them to the rest of the class.

As soon as Izuku entered the room he was swarmed by his classmates; smiling faces of astonishment filling his view. Well… most of them.

"If you ever do something crazy like that again I'll kill you myself" Mineta warned; pointing a shaky finger at him as he struggled to keep from leaping for joy at his friend's survival.

"That was insane Midoriya, how did you survive that" Kirishima asked, fang filled mouth smiling wide.

"Oh I used my polarity wall" he said as he pointed his right arm away from everyone and emitted a large circular field that bathed room in blue. "It basically turns anything it touches into energy for me to use" he explained as he looked to Mineta who understood what he was getting at, pulling a ball of his head and throwing it at the shield. As soon as the ball and the shield made contact, the hair ball disintegrated with nothing left to show it had ever existed, the demonstration kicking off another round surprise and admiration for his powerful quirk… except for one.

"Well in spite of the results, the MVP of this match is young Reiko" The deep voice of All Might announced, surprising the whole class and most of all Reiko herself.

"Shouldn't it be one of the heroes, they won after all" came the anxious voice of Kinoko Komori.

"You would think so; why didn't I pick one of those three? Any guesses" All Might inquired as the tall raven haired girl raised her hand immediately.

"I can answer that. Reiko was the one who most thoroughly embraced this challenge and the one who most accurately adapted to her assigned role" she said as she explained further.

"Bakugo allowed his personal history with Midoriya to cloud his judgement, allowing himself to be lured away by Midoriya so he could not assist his teammates. Likewise, using such a powerful weapon like his gauntlets in the direction of the bomb was a foolish move."

"Similarly Midoriya also allowed his personal history with Bakugo to cloud his judgement, seemingly having no plan outside of luring Bakugo away. Also when he had thrown Bakugo to the ground he could have attempted to use his capture tape to secure a victory but instead continued to fight him. He allowed his anger to get the better of him."

"As for Uraraka and Hagakure; there plan was far too reckless, relying on too many variables that if not met could have been disastrous. If they had treated the bomb as if it were real they never would have gone through with it."

"And though Iida prepared for their enemies arrival, even using water as a means of locating Hagakure it was that same water that prevented him from stopping them."

"Reiko meanwhile kept a cool head throughout the exercise, sticking to her assigned role to protect the dummy weapon at all cost even while the building was falling. All in all she respected the spirit of the trial the most" she finished as everyone stared at her.

Even All Might looked to the girl in shock, stunned that she had been able explain it better than he could.

"Well…yes; that about covers it" he said as he quickly issued for the next round to begin.

Battle 2: Team G vs Team C

To say that Mineta was happy with his current partners would have been something of an understatement. There was the lovely Momo, whose costume played to all her strengths and Pony who he had been surprised to see again after first meeting her. And while the horse legs were a bit of a turnoff she had a cute face. Truly the only way this could have been better would have been in Shiozaki had been on his team.

Out of all the girls in class he could confidently say she was the best. Sure some had bigger boobs, a nicer ass. But when everything was put together there was no competition. Maybe it was because she had been so nice to him; he wouldn't have been surprised if she had expected the worst when she had woken up to his face during the exam. Or maybe it was because he was a hopeless romantic beneath all the horny. One, the other or maybe both he didn't really know.

"So whatever happened to that guy you was sitting next to on the bus, the guy with the gas mask" Mineta asked as they walked into the training building.

"Not know. Once he gone, no see" she answered back in broken Japanese, her face turning into a frown.

Mineta nodded his head along, after seeing him run away with that guy's gun he'd wondered what happened before he got there. He'd seemed like a bit of a tool but from the way she seemed to talk about him, maybe there had been more to him. It's not like he'd caught him at the best of times, going into a challenge you're all but certain to lose would piss anyone off.

"So what happened, during the exam" he specified as the American transfer student seemed to think it over.

"Pony was fighting robots then big robot come, many eyes. Many rockets shoot pony and make her hit head. Big robot come closer and pony scared it crush her. Then purple smoke come and pony see big man fall, see Mustard take gun from big man and shoot robot. Got hard to breath, vision go blurry and dark but remember Mustard give helmet" She explained.

"Mustard?" Mineta said, confused by the odd name.

"It how you say… nickname. Funny joke I give about helmet" She said, smiling at the memory.

"If you two don't mind, shouldn't we focus more on the task at hand?" Momo chided.

Mineta rolled his eyes but agreed that it was time to get serious. After watching Midoriya's match with Bakugo he needed to keep pushing himself. Pulling his hair balls out he started sticking them to the floors and walls as they went and concentrating the most around the hallway that led directly to the bomb room and by the time they got in a small trickle of blood was beginning to flow down the side of his head.

As soon as they got in Mono wasted little time as she started producing sheets of steel and placing them over the door and as she worked he noticed the glare she gave him as he approached her. He half expected that, he had gotten quite the nosebleed when she demonstrated her quirk.

"What do you want" she asked suspiciously, turning to make sure that he couldn't look at her ass. Mineta simply smiled, he'd already had a good look at it on the walk here so it didn't matter. Besides; a nice ass can wait, now it was time to win.

"I've got a plan to deal with Kaminari" he told her as all that training and theorizing with Midoriya was paying off and he could see her expression turn from hostile to curious.

"What kind of plan"

"This was such bullsh*t" Kaminari seethed internally as they waited outside the building. When he had received his acceptance letter he'd been beyond happy, he'd been ready to be a pro. But then he met Midoriya, at first he'd been excited to meet someone with another electric quirk. And he was amazed at him fighting off those villains. But then he had met him and he'd thought he was full of it.

"High hundred millions to low billions" he'd said; Kaminari had been stunned, that was impossible, beyond impossible. How could someone just as old as him have a quirk so much stronger than his and with no downsides?

"As long as I have something to drain, I can keep going" he'd said.

But then he had watched him take on that Bakugo guy with everyone else, and with every second that ticked by he felt his guts twisting, a heavy weight building on his shoulders. He had realized with horror that Midoriya hadn't been lying.

And realizing Just how much Midoirya could do and how much he couldn't?

And he had been so causal when he explained it. As if creating a shield that can disintegrate stuff and apparently calling down lightning from the sky was like taking an evening stroll to him.

"How the hell am I supposed to compete with that?" he thought to himself as he looked at his hands in dejection, arcs of yellow electricity dancing between his fingers before he balled them into fists.

"Hey what's your name again" came a female voice. Looking up he could see the annoyed face of Jiro looking back at him.

"Oh ah Kaminari" he stuttered out, his cheeks growing a shade of red as he looked at the cute girl.

"Right, so your quirk is like Midoriya's" she asked as he felt the anger beginning to fill him at the mention of his name. Of course he would be compared to him, he'd done it himself and he was kicking himself for it.

"Kinda" he said, the one word answer drawing an irritated look from her.

"Well can you "kinda" deal with the balls in the hallway" she asked as she pointed inside. Walking over to look inside he could see that it was covered in Mineta's small purple hair balls.

"Use a shockwave or zap them and see if you can get rid of them" she instructed as Kaminari furrowed his brow.

"I can't" he answered back as he watched the light in her eyes die at the admission.

"Oh, so what can you do" she deadpanned, sounding thoroughly unimpressed by him.

"I… I can discharge electricity from my body, but I can't control where it goes and it messes with my head if I use too much" he said, any feeling of self-worth disappearing like tears in the rain with every word he spoke.

"Oh… that's nice" she said, rolling her eyes as the light in them faded in disappointment as the sound of the buzzer for the match to begin cut through the air.

"Whatever; we'll just walk around them. Come on Ojiro" she said turning away from him with Ojiro only giving him pitying hand on his shoulder before moving on with Jiro. Kaminari walked with them, his mind not all there as they moved through the building.

"Um, can't you use those earphone things to find out where they are" Ojiro asked, to which Jiro gained a smug smile. "Used to; recently my hearing has gotten a lot better" she answered.

Though they knew where to go it took them longer thanks to the floor being covered in Mineta's balls, with one wrong step resulting in losing a shoe.

When they finally reached the right floor and Kaminari saw the door the held the key to their victory further down the hall he felt a spiteful rage fill his body. He'd had just got here and already he was being looked down upon. He would not allow it; he was going to show them what HE can do!

"I'll go first" he said and Jiro quirked her eyebrow at the declaration, aiming to speak before being cut off.

"One of you, break down the door and I'll rush in and hit them with everything I've got" he said, glaring at the door like it owed him money.

Jiro gave him a look that all but screamed that shed didn't believe he could do it, but eventually accepted. "You better know what you're doing" Jiro said in snide exhaustion as she faced the door and plugged her earphone jacks into her boots. What came next was a wave on sonic energy that blew the door straight off its hinges. Kaminari didn't even wait for the door to hit the ground as he charged the opening, the bomb clear in his sight.

"1.3 million volts" he screamed, unleashing all his power as a surge of yellow electricity flowed out of his body. He was going to do it, he was going to win!

"VILLAINS WIN!"

"Huh?!" he said as his mind slowly came back to him.

Kaminari looked around to see what happened and realized quickly he wasn't standing on the ground but was stuck to the wall by a pair of horns and saw the horse girl and Mineta looking at him with pity.

"Sorry man" he said as he pointed a gloved finger to a large metal rod imbedded in the floor.

'A grounding rod' the thought feeling like a punch to the gut as tried to see what had happened to Ojiro and Jiro. Quickly he found Ojiro resting against the wall and nursing his ears while Jiro stood there, red as a tomato and missing one of her boots.

"Sorry but you were just outmatched" Momo said, as she held a flashbang in her hand and Kaminari hung his head. He had failed.

Battle 2: Team B vs Team I

Shihai, Shoji and Todoroki stood by the building in silence, waiting for the buzzer to sound so that their battle could begin.

"So what's the pl…"Shihai tried to say but was interrupted by Todoroki raising his hand.

"Wait" he said as the buzzer rang and the trio began to move towards the entrance. Without warning Todoroki pressed his hand to the wall of the building and covered the building in a thick sheen of ice. With a quiet slap something small fell from behind the doorway; looking closely Shihai was shocked to see that it was a human ear. Todoroki picked up as if it were just a dry leaf.

"Now we can talk" he continued, pocketing the severed ear like it was nothing.

"Shihai what is your quirk" Todoroki asked, the boy having half his body covered in ice.

"My quirk is called Dark, it allows my body to merge with anything dark coloured" he answered as Todoroki listened.

"Good, go in and deal with Juzo" he commanded as Shihai looked at him in anger.

"And who are you to boss me around" he challenged, already sick of his attitude as Todoroki turned to look at him.

"Do you want to win or not" he asked, he voice only mildly tinged with annoyance.

"Juzo's quirk allows him to soften any non-living thing he touches and swim in it as if it were water; your quirk allows you to move freely in darkness. I will destroy the lights, you will find Juzo and deal with him" he said in an almost tired tone as cold air began to circle around him and ice began to flow from his foot. The frost flowed up the wall and across the ceiling until it reached the lights, growing colder and colder until the lights shattered, covering the lobby in darkness.

Not having a better idea Shihai accepted the plan with a huff as he walked forward. Standing at the precipice he picked up a people from the ground tossed it at the tiled floor, the pebble immediately sinking into the hidden trap. Taking in a deep breath he leapt forward and allowed deep into darkness. The darkness was his friend, the darkness was his home and he would find any who would intrude upon it. His sense of sight had been taken from him in this watery abyss but he could still hear, still feel and that would be enough. Moving like a shark through the mud and capture tape in hand he pounced on that feeling and felt the muscles of his prey tense in surprise.

"Like the trapdoor spider and the tarantula hawk wasp, the predator has become the prey" he waxed poetically as he wrapped his arm around his throat in a chock hold. Juzo tried to escape the hold, instinctively trying to pull him off. But he would not let go as the pair thrashed and flailed, Shihai only increasing the pressure around his neck as his other hand attempted to wrap him with the tape. Just as he managed to tie the tape around his bicep Juzo erupted from his watery home like a whale breaches the surface of the ocean and right into the bomb room where Kendo and Setsuna were waiting.

Before Shihai could flee back into the darkness he was grasped by a pair of massive hands.

"Good job getting him her Juzo" Kendo said with a smile.

"Not fast enough though" he answered back as he coughed and rubbed his throat, showing the capture tape wrapped around him.

"Dammit, we can still win this if we" Kendo tried to say before the sound of ice cracking and slow footsteps could be heard further down the hall. Closer and closer it came until the eyes of Shoto Todoroki appeared.

"You can try and fight, but I'll just freeze you solid" he said in a calm and intimidating tone as he walked up to the bomb and touched it.

"HEROES WIN" came the voice of All Might as the buzzer sounded. As he did Todoroki began to melt the all the ice, turning the building into a sauna.

"By the way, here's your ear back" he said as he tossed it to Setsuna, the woman glaring in anger at her defeat even as she reattached her ear.

Battle 3: Team H vs Team J

"Are you ready Sero" Kirishima said, pumping himself up and jumping on the spot as adrenaline filled his system.

"Hell yeah" Sero affirmed as he covered the bomb room in his elastic tape.

After seeing the overwhelming power of Todoroki and the determination to win by Izuku, the two boys were more than eager to prove themselves.

"By the way, what's your quirk" Sero asked to the third member of their group.

"Oh, my quirk lets me bind things together at the atomic level" Yosetsu said as he demonstrated his quirk by binding a traffic cone to the wall.

"That's awesome, your quirk is perfect for this" Kirishima praised. "Go out there and fuse all the doors shut"

Nodding in agreement Yosetsu went to work.

"So do you have a plan" Sero asked him to which he shook his head.

"Beyond reinforcing every door from here to there no. Why do you?" Kirishima admitted as Sero began to smile.

"Yes I do"

Tsu rolled her neck as they waited for the buzzer. All of their opponents quirks were either defensive in nature or couldn't be used to their full potential indoors; still though that didn't give them an excuse to be arrogant. They needed to stay on their toes if they wanted to succeed.

"Don't worry you two; with me at the helm victory will be ours" Came the eccentric voice Monoma, a wild look his eyes and a smile just as deranged.

"Who made you the leader?" Tsu asked, eyeing the loud blonde and wondering if she would end up finding him or Bakugo more insufferable by the end.

"But who else has the tactical brilliance?" he asked gesturing to himself as if the answer was as obvious as the sun in the sky. As he finished stroking his ego the buzzer for the match rang through the air.

"Firstly; might I have your hands" he smiled as both Tsu and Tokoyami looked to each other. While they hadn't talked before they could each tell that they didn't want to follow this guy's instructions.

"I promise, our victory will be quick if you do" he continued "I'll even let either of you go in first if you'd like"

Both looking to each other, they each extended a hand towards the pompous blonde. Monoma wasted no time shaking Tokoyami's hand with that same smile. But when he shook her hand his smile faltered and turned to one of confusion and… disappointment? After that the trio moved to the building's entrance but found it locked tight.

"I'm a man of my word, which one of you would like to go first" he asked as Tokoyami volunteered. He eyes before two massive spectral arms erupted from his cloak, the taloned limbs smashing through the door and crumpling it like paper.

Sparing little time to assess his power they moved in with quiet steps, listening for any unfamiliar noise in the silence. Though as Tokoyami entered the darkness Tsu could have sworn she saw the darkness reach out and swirl around him.

With Kirishima on their team they were all but expecting him to bursting out of a wall. But as they moved from floor to floor they did not find him, all they found was more welded doors.

"Where are they" Tokoyami whispered, they checked every floor and they were running out of time.

"This is the last room" Tsuyu told him, her own anger beginning to show. She wished she could use her hydro-sense to find out where they were like Izuku could with his radar pulse. But she had learned while training she could only sense things if they were in the same body of water.

With a grunt Tokoyami smashed the door to the final room open, the door getting caught in Sero's tape that covered the room like cobwebs.

Moving in they didn't see anything; but for a moment they heard something, something falling.

From behind them something hit the ground hard, sending up a cloud of dust and launching Tsuyu and Tokoyami flying into the web of tape.

"HAHAHA it worked Sero" came the voice of Kirishima as he pulled himself out of the floor and looking up he could see where he had come from. High up on the ceiling were the smiling faces of Sero and Yosetsu. She could see that they had used Yosetsu's quirk to climb their way up and stuck the bomb to the ceiling.

"Sorry Tsu nothing per…" Kirishima tried to apologize before an ear splitting scream filled the room.

"AHHH MY ARM, MY ARM. SERO HELP ME" came the desperate plea of Monoma as everyone tried to look through the dust that had still not settled.

"Oh my god; Monoma are you okay" Sero answered back, both he and Kirishima racing to help him. But they were both caught off guard as two black spectral hands erupted from the cloud and grasped them, one in each.

If it were possible to be any more surprised, Tsu wouldn't have believed it as Monoma walked out of the cloud completely fine and even more, with a dark spectral figure coming out of his stomach that looked like Tokoyami's.

"My my; rushing to help an injured hero. You guys make terrible villains" Monoma gloated through a wide smile.

"Tsu, Tokoyami; get the bomb" Monoma ordered and though neither liked him they didn't want to lose either. Tokoyami was the first to get out, using his dark shadow to tear away at the tape that held him in place. Tsuyu took longer as she covered herself in water and began to struggle, using the water to wear away at the tapes adhesive.

Tokoyami send his dark shadow after Yosetsu who had nowhere to run and couldn't risk jumping without risking getting injured, which only resulted in his swift capture. Once she was out she wasted no time and tried to leap up to the bomb but when she tried she barely jumped five feet. The realization that with most of her frog quirk gone, so too was her jumping ability.

Tokoyami had no such problems as dark shadows other hand grasped the bomb and secured their victory.

"HEROES WIN" the voice of All Might said

"Monoma how could you"

"This is super unmanly"

"I did it because I knew you'd fall for it" he answered as he released the pair, both of them staring daggers into the blonde who smiled like he couldn't care less.

"So your quirk allows you to copy other people's quirks" Tokoyami said as Monoma's dark shadow dissipated.

"Correct"

Battle 5: Team E vs Team F

Mina bounced on the balls of her feet, eagerly waiting with a determined look in her eyes as she watched the villain team enter the building. She had taken being last in the quick assessment test to heart and she was going to make certain that they won here. They would have five minutes before they could go in but they needed a plan. Unfortunately she had never been good at making plans beyond going to a place and seeing what happened, always going on intuition and flying by the seat of her pants, but that wasn't going to work here. She hadn't seen what the people on the other team could do besides seeing Ibara use her vine hair to throw the ball in the assessment test. She looked to her teammates, hoping to reassured of their chances and immediately cringed when she noticed Aoyama was spending his time twirling around his cape and striking poses in his new costume.

That left Kamakiri; the tall boy that looked like a human praying mantis hybrid with large pincers sticking out of each side of his mouth and a punk Mohawk. She watched as the boy observed the building and hoped he had some kind of plan as she walked up to him.

"Hey Mantis man you got a plan" she said, beaming a smile that fell flat as the man gave her a hard glare.

"Piss off" he muttered as he went back to looking at the building and left Mina to glare back at him.

"Great, as if one Bakugo wasn't bad enough" she sighed, slumping her shoulders and damning her luck.

Rolling her eyes at her situation, she could only do one thing. Keep it simple, if anything gets in her way melt it and as the buzzer rang she barely had time to recognize the green shaded blur that rushed by her.

Running after the green blur and dragging Mr. Twinkles with her as they moved through the building. Strangely though, as they moved the winding corridors she couldn't hear any sound of Kamakiri. She figured he would have found them by now. It was then she started to see mushrooms. Not many one or two here or there, but soon the walls began to be covered in it and it was getting hard to breathe.

Beginning to cough and looking to see that Aoyama was looking good either they both finally began to hear something… giggling.

"Sword guy thought he was tough, but he couldn't get past me" a high pitched voice cheered, as if she was delighted to just say the words.

"We need to get away from these mushrooms" She gagged as grabbed Aoyama by the hand, leading him away as the giggling continued to grow.

Even as they escaped to a lower floor the pair still coughed and gagged. What was wrong, what was her quirk? Then she felt something on her, followed by another and another. Looking down at herself she saw that mushrooms were growing on her body, sprouting full grown on her skin. Mina panicked, trying to brush them off which only seemed to spread them and make them grow faster.

Desperate to get them off she covered herself in her acid, the mushroom sizzling and dissolving. Turning to look at Aoyama she could see that he too was getting covered in mushrooms and quickly tried to get them off eve as he tried to stop her.

"No, you will ruin my magnificent cape, it is made of silk" Aoyama cried, as mina had to resist the urge to smack him upside the head. She paid his pleas no time as she covered him in her lower acidic goo. The metal of his armor being spared but his red glasses and cape burned away in a shower of slime.

"There you big baby, now we need to" she tried to say before they heard footsteps coming from further up the stairs.

"Heroes you're running out of time, heroes come out and play" the voice said, singing the words like a nursery rhyme.

"What is this, a horror movie" Mina gasped as she grabbed Aoyama and kept running. What were they going to do, they couldn't run for ever. She then saw a window in another room; dragging the boy with her she slammed the door behind them.

Finally letting go of Aoyama she ran to the window and looked outside, the bomb was on the floor above them but it was on another side of the building and it left her with only one option.

"We're gonna climb outside" she said as she looked back to the terrified blonde.

"What! That is crazy, we will fall" he decried as Mina lifted her hand and acid began to drip from her fingertips.

"I'll create handholds and carry us up" she as she walked up to him, not in any mood to argue as Aoyama back away and tripped on his purple cape.

Aoyama whimpered a he clung onto Mina's back, the pink skinned girl lobbing a blob of acid at the window.

"Let's go" she said as she adjusted to the weight; walking up to the opening and hopping out. Using her acid she began to shimmy her away along the buildings wall.

"When we get inside, blind them" she said as she looked for the right window. Going and going she finally reached the corner of one window and looked inside to see Ibara and Kaibara watching the door and not looking out the window.

"Alright let's do this" she said as reeled her hand back and punched straight through the glass, throwing herself inside as if passenger weighed nothing. But in her haste she hadn't noticed that Ibara covered the floor with her vines. Ibara only needed to realize where they were before the vines lashed out like vipers, wrapping them both up in a cocoon.

"I'm sorry Mina" Ibara said they both she and Kaibara looked at the bound heroes. "Now all we have to do is wait out the clock"

'This was bad, this was really bad' she couldn't use her quirk to get out without injury Aoyama and if she didn't get out soon they would lose.

"They needed to get out and they needed to get out now!"

"Aoyama burn the vines" she told him doing her best to wiggle to one side of the cocoon and out of the lasers path.

"But you will be burned too" Aoyama said in hesitation but Mina would not have it.

"Do it" she repeated, tensing her jaw. She refused to accept defeat and if she needed to get burned so be it. As Aoyama audibly gulped Mina began to feel the heat build-up. But strangle she didn't feel it near her midsection where she thought it would.

Instead, to her shock it came from near her face as Aoyama pressed his palms to the vines and began to glow. Mina did not have the time to question though as she began to feel the heat wash over her. She bit her lip so hard it began to bleed as the vines began to smoke.

She watched, through a gap in the vines as the confident smiles on her opponents grew worried as more vines tried to reinforce the burning ones.

"More heat" she groaned as the heat increased and Mina pushed against the vines with all her might. Pushing and pushing, they finally overpowered the vines the two spilling out and into the rotating arms Kaibara.

Instinctively Mina pulled up her arms to defend herself, the attack hitting hard and sending to the left. The pain in her arms and face was awful and she thought she smelt burning hair but the realization of a drill arm bearing down on her gave her motivation to move.

Dodging out of the way of the attack she dosed the floor with her acid, melting the vines and forcing her attacker to slow down. Looking to see Aoyama she could see that surprisingly he was holding his own, dodging and letting out blasts of light from his belly button that burned and vines that came close.

"Why wasn't he using his hands" she wondered as she was nearly caught again as Kaibara leaped over the acid pool and tried to kick her, the limb sailing over her as she leaned back so far her back was parallel to the floor.

Using her momentum she kicked up and tried to catch him in the chin. But at the last moment he pulled his head away, the sole of her shoes just grazing him. Landing back on her feet she tried to punch him and found her attack redirected out of the way and his arm slamming into her neck in a clotheslineand sending her sprawling to the ground.

Landing hard she turned only see Kaibara's fist. Desperate and out of options she reached out and gripped the rotating forearm with all he strength. And to her surprise and his pain she stopped the strike, the sudden change in torque dislocating his elbow and made him howl in pain.

And before anyone could properly react to the sudden cry of pain the wall on the other side of the room burst open. Immerging out of the smoke like a monster from a horror movie was a titan of mushrooms that screamed like a demon from hell. Everyone was too shocked by what they were saying before it blitzed past them and grabbed the bomb.

"HEROES WIN!"

Chapter 13: Explanations

Chapter Text

As the final group left their training building and Kaibara and Kamakiri were hauled away to the nurse's office All Might had everyone gather at the exit of the mock city where he congratulated all of them on their first day of training. Exclaiming that for their first day they all did exceptionally well and that society would be in good hands with such promising heroes. Everyone was happy for the words of encouragement, much preferring his positive reinforcement over Mr. Aizawa's threats. He didn't stay long however, saying something about making sure the Kamakiri and Kaibara were okay and for Izuku and Bakugo to go to the nurses office as well to make sure they were healing properly before speeding down the hall like a bullet.

Everyone was amazed by the speed of the number one hero, saying how they wished they could move that fast, all except Izuku who knew the truth of All Might's limitations; his battle with that mysterious villain reducing his time as All Might for only an hour a day. As the class began walking down the long corridor he was held back by Tsu who gave him a look that told him she wouldn't take no for an answer.

Led by the hand to the side of the exit and once out of sight, he was greeted by a hard slap on the top of his hand.

"Ow what was…" he tried to say before Tsuyu pulled him into a kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him in closer. His complaints died on his tongue as hers met his as he began to kiss back, both thoroughly enjoying the other after their exhausting battles.

"If you ever make me worry like that again, I won't forgive you" she said as the pulled away to breathe, struggling to sound threatening as the happiness of his safety blunted her words.

"Didn't mean to scare you" he whispered with a smile.

Tsu pouted at that, an expression for easier now with her more human appearance. "Well you did" she whispered back, before her lips turned into a smug smile. "Good job with Baka-go by the way, that ought to sting his ego"

"Baka-go?" he repeated, surprised by the sudden nickname Tsu had decided to give him.

"If he's going to insult you with Deku I figured we should give him a proper name as well" she answered, sounding very proud of idea "I think it fits pretty well"

Izuku chuckled at the name calling; in all these years neither he nor Mineta had ever thought to give Katsuki a nickname, not that they would have said in front of him if they had. And sure he had once affectionately called him Kacchan but those days felt like a lifetime ago.

Her shoulders slackening however as she eyed his ruined costume "Shame he messed up your costume, you looked nice in it" she said, blushing slightly.

Izuku's face turned red at the compliment, Tsuyu giving a light chuckle at his reaction. They had already gone so much farther than mere compliments but it seemed there was something more embarrassing about saying it than showing it.

"It'll be fine" he said, shrugging his shoulders. "But I have to say, your costume looks nicer".

"Thanks but it's a little tight in the chest now, seems being part frog slims you down" she smiled as she stepped back to give them both a proper view. Her costume was even greener than his; with a streak of black and yellow running down the sides, though one difference was that hers was a wet-suit that hugged her curves in all the right places.

"Definitely" he said, his eyes wandering around her figure before he snapped himself out of it.

"Speaking of appearances, how did your family take the new… you?" he asked; hopeful that her parents would take the change well and be understanding.

"But understanding of what" he thought to himself, he had not told her or Mineta about Moya and what she had told him about these new powers. How would her parents understand if she didn't fully understand either? And whether he liked it or not, she was part of this, she had been affected by it and she deserved to know.

Tsuyu's smile dimmed as he asked the question and he mentally kicked himself for his short-sightedness.

"Can we talk about that later" she said; casting her eyes down and away from him as Izuku nodded his head, wordlessly accepting as he took her hand and squeezed it gently.

It seemed they both had things to say.

Boy's changing room

As Izuku entered the room he was greeted to the sight of Shoji, the large bodied Heteromorph holding back Kirishima as Sero glared at the blonde Monoma looking rather pissed off but not enough to be restrained.

"What the hell was that?!" Kirishima raged fruitlessly trying to get at the smug blonde.

"Yeah we thought you actually got hurt" Sero added as Monoma looked positively bored with the situation.

"If I must educate you so be it" he sighed, the redhead pulling all the harder against the hold to get at Monoma.

"We entered that battle under the pretense of heroes and villains for a device that if real could have decimated an entire city. Yet somehow you, under the label of villain thought it was a good idea to try and help a hero" he explained, looking down his nose at him.

"It was a training exercise!" he argued angrily.

"And if it hadn't been? If it had been real would you have been so quick to drop your defences at the first sign of real pain. We are training for the real world and as such we must approach our training with all the respect the real world demands. Yet you continue believing that your enemy will adhere to the same arbitrary rules of honor as you. Perhaps you should leave your "Manliness" at the door before you get someone hurt and we end up with another Mustafu" He finished not waiting for a reply as he finished changing and walked out the door.

Only when the door shut did Shoji release Kirishima, the redhead glaring daggers at the door before huffing back to his locker.

Izuku shook his head at the display; while Monoma had been broadly correct in the need for caution and to take their training seriously he could have worded it infinitely better.

But speaking of blondes with piss poor communication skills he looked over to see Bakugo changing as well; the hot head that always had something to say had been eerily quiet after their match, not saying so much as a word. His red fiery eyes had dimmed with every match, especially the match with ice guy.

And for all the pain he had caused and for all the joy he got in finally beating him, there was a small part of him that worried over what this change represented.

And then there was what Momo had said, her words ringing in his ears and make him sigh in resentful acceptance. She had been right; he had let his emotions get the better of him in their fight. As soon as he touched Bakugo he could have sent a surge of electricity and take him out, but instead he had tried to beat him down, trying to make him feel the kind of pain he had.

'And in return he got a face full of fusion' he thought to himself as he raised a hand to the part of his face that he had burned. It had healed by now but that wasn't the point, he had gotten reckless and their victory was pure luck.

He'd have to be smarter.

Looking away from one silent blonde he was greeted to the sight of another, Kaminari whose face spoke of something familiar. He could see that he wasn't even there; physically he was but mentally he was far away, his body on autopilot as he finished changing.

"Hey Kaminari, sorry about your match but…" he tried to say, walking up to his fellow electro-kinetic. His words seemed to pull him out of whatever world he was in before he looked to him with what he could best describe as a hateful sadness. Midoriya was surprised by the expression he saw but, could kind of understand. He had been taken out pretty quickly and that had to sting.

"If you want we could train to…" he tried to suggest before Kaminari looked as though he was about to break down before closing his locker and storming out of the changing room.

"What the hell was that about" Mineta asked and Izuku could only cast his eyes down. He had a feeling of where all that emotion had come from and something told him it would only get worse from here.

Girl's changing room

"Oh my god that was so bad" Jiro sighed, running a hand through her purple hair as she cringed at her loss, with Pony patted her on the shoulder to try and cheer her up.

Tsu could feel sympathy for her; her hero team had been the only one that failed to retrieve the bomb. Worse yet by the fact her missing boot was still in the training building, stuck to one of Mineta's hair balls.

"I knew I shouldn't have let him do that" she growled, a look of complete exasperation at her teammates uselessness.

"It not too bad, not like Kendo and Setsuna with Todoroki" Pony encouraged, simultaneously throwing Kendo's team under the bus.

"Hey we tried; he was just too powerful" Kendo defended. "He froze the entire building in seconds how were we supposed to defeat someone like that."

"And we had a plan; Juzo was supposed to take him down before he could get to us, but he was with us during the test for recommendation students and he'd seen what we could do." Setsuna added, subconsciously reaching for the ear that he had frozen and tensing her fist in anger at her lost.

"Besides It not too bad, without rod his attack work" Pony complimented. And it was true, without the grounding rod they all would have been taking out all at once. But Kaminari had the unfortunate luck of going up against a person who had been training with Izuku for weeks and a girl that could make just about anything.

"Indeed, it seems that short pervert has a brain" Momo said begrudgingly and Tsu her brow furrow at the insult. While she did not like his tendencies he did not deserve to be insulted like that.

"He's not too bad" Ibara defended, surprising Tsuyu with her willingness to defend him "While he is lecherous within him lays the heart of a hero" she continued, telling them about how he had saved her during the entrance exam.

"Yeah he helped me too" the mushroom girl named Kinoko said. "I was about to get overwhelmed by the robots and he trapped them all" all the other girls were more than surprised by their testimony.

"What about you Asui" Momo asked "You and Midoriya seemed to have known him the longest"

"He and Midoriya has been friends since they were kids, when the blast happened Midoriya had gotten injured. Mineta carried him on his back to safety" she told them, relaying the story Midoriya had told him the first day they met.

The entire room went silent when they heard that, the mental image of the vigilante that snapped Bakugo's arm being saved by Mineta stunning them.

"There's more to him than meets the eye" she finished and was about to leave the room before Mina stopped her.

"Speaking of that… you look different. And like, not new hair cut different" And with that every eye was on her and she had to suppress the feeling of anger from showing on her face.

She had hoped that no one would notice her change; they had only been around each other for only an hour before the left. Enough time that no one should have seen it.

But she should have known; she had been the first to meet her in the entrance exam and she seemed the type to just blurt out was on her mind. If there was going to be a classmate who would notice her change and call it out in front of everyone it would be her.

Faces plastered with curiosity watched her as she stood silent, her mind reeling from having to come up with an excuse. She'd had a similar conversation before with her family and that had ended... horribly.

"I… was someone that the blast gave another quirk too" she admitted and it was the truth and she had told them she had met Izuku in the hospital after the blast, which she thought would make the next part more believable. "My frog quirk is a transformation quirk and… it hurts to shift between them. Now that I have a water quirk I don't want to use my frog quirk unless I really have to" she explained, letting the pain her first quirk had caused her to coat her lie like sunscreen against the rays of her fellow classmate's eyes.

It seemed to be working, one by one the girls looks of curiosity warped into those of sympathy. It made sense, even Mina had known her for less than a few hours collectively and with the wide variance quirks and how they work they would have no way to know that she was lying.

"Oh… I'm sorry for bringing it up" Mina quickly apologized as a look of embarrassment washed over her face for her bluntness and for a moment Tsu felt a pang of guilt in the pit of her stomach for lying. She knew if it was someone else she would have been the first to ask. But even she didn't know. Why had that blast given another quirk, and why had been erasing her original. So many things had changed for her and she had so few answers and while her classmates might buy her story, she knew Mr. Aizawa and the rest of the school faculty who knew the truth of her frog quirk would want answers.

As Izuku left the changing room, he and Bakugo began their walk towards Recover Girl's office, giving Bakugo all the space he wanted as he walked far behind him. Beside him though had been Mina and the mushroom girl Kinoko.

"Hey; nice going with Bakugo by the way" she whispered, cupping her hand to her mouth so that the blonde couldn't hear.

"Thank you" he answered back, the taste of victory soured by how he had gotten it. "You did great too, I didn't know you were that strong" he praised as Mina smiled smugly, posing dramatically as they walked. They had all watched as she had stopped Kaibara's drill arm with her bare hand and that hadn't been the only time she had surprised them.

In the assessment test she had been the only one to beat Shoji's grip strength; beating his 540kg grip with her own 650kg grip. Even he and Tsuyu hadn't been able to grip harder than 300kg.

"Yeah like in the ball throw test, you nearly threw it a whole kilometer!" Kinoko added, bringing to mind the shocked looks they had all had when she had reeled back her hand and sent that ball flying over the tree line on the other side of the school.

"To be honest, I didn't know either" she admitted, her earlier confidence wavering as she repeatedly clenched and opened her hand "the strength thing is kind of new"

That made Izuku think; did Mina have the same kind of strange power as him. It seemed possible he didn't think she lived Mustafu before the blast, had the bombs effects traveled farther than he had assumed?

"So is that why you're going to recovery girl's office" he asked as she nodded her head.

"It was a split second thing, I didn't mean to hurt him" she said, sounding truly remorseful.

"That's why I'm going too" Kinoko told them, chuckling nervously "I got a little too into the role"

"That's putting it lightly" Mina joked as repeated what she had in the exercise. And though had been rather overzealous he couldn't help but be amazed by her quirk. It was practically the perfect area denial weapon, and he struggled to think how someone could get past it without a window to climb out of.

Finally they reached the Nurses office and were just in time to see Recovery girl pulled the last of the mushrooms off of Kamakiri's body.

"Ah; you finally here, you two boys go over there and I'll see how you both a fairing" she instructed only giving them a moments glace before pointing to an x-ray machine as she helped Kamakiri breathe in fresh un-spore filled air.

The two boys did as instructed; giving each other a wide berth as Izuku watched Mina and Kinoko apologize to their respective boys. Kaibara had been the more accepting of the apology, shrugging a shoulder as his other arm was hung in a sling. Kamakiri meanwhile rebuffed the mushroom girl's apology, saying he didn't need it.

As he looked at his scowling face from behind his transparent breathing mask he couldn't help but draw a parallel to the blonde beside him. It seemed he was returning to his old self, his brow beginning to slant into his usual angry self. After their apologies Recovery girl the girls left and not long after Kaibara and Kamakiri left as well after being cleared

Now alone with Recovery girl she went about making sure they were both okay, examining his upper body for any burns and making Bakugo take an x-ray for his arm.

"You boy's quirks are something else" she mused, shaking her head in bewilderment as she looked at an x-ray of Bakugo's arm that didn't even look like it had ever broken. "You both are as healthy as horses and your arm seems to have set itself properly" she said to Bakugo as she shooed them both off. In the end the visit had taken less than fifteen minutes.

As the two left Bakugo was quick to leave, so quick he didn't seem to notice the pair "empty" shoes sitting against the opposing wall. Izuku waited for Bakugo to turn the corner before he began to speak.

"Hey Hagakure" he said quietly as the shoes began to shift nervously. "Are you okay?"

She remained silent and the realization that he was standing in front of an invisible naked girl became more and more glaring in his mind as the silence dragged on.

"Sorry how I acted back there" she apologized "And I wanted to say thank you again…without the tears"

"It's okay" he said almost instantly. What was he supposed to say after having her cry into his shoulder?

"It's just… no one's ever seen me before. Like the REAL me" she admitted, sounding both sad and happy at the same time, chuckling anxiously as she continued. "And when you told me you could see me I thought you were playing some cruel prank on me"

As she spoke Izuku couldn't help but draw a parallel between her and Tsu, both girls having quirks that affected them in ways he never had imagined.

"And then when I realized you weren't lying, it was all just…" she struggled to say, sounding as though she was holding back tears. "It was a lot to take in"

"I bet it was" he said, as walked up to her and gave her another hug and while she might have been naked, much more than that she was hurting. "Come on, class has probably already started. Where did you put the rest of your uniform" he asked as they released each other.

"Around the corner" she answered and as they walked and turned the corner, Toru pushed aside a trashcan and retrieved her folded up uniform.

Walking back around Izuku gave her the privacy to change, it was more symbolic than practical given her quirk but it seemed right.

"Okay, you can come back" she said and turned to see a floating school uniform.

"If you'd like, you can hang out with me and my friends" He offered as the two walked back to class and allowed himself one radar pulse to watch her lips turn into a smile as she turned her face to his.

"I'd like that"

The rest of the day went by smoothly; the classes blurring together as his mind returned again and again to the conversation he knew he had to have. He'd already made up his mind about telling Tsu but he had also he was going to tell Mineta. He might not have gotten another power from that blast but he had known him almost all his life and he trusted him with his life.

Throwing his bag over his shoulder he walked over and gathered both Tsuyu and Mineta.

"I have something to tell you both" he whispered quietly.

"Alright man, shoot" Mineta said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Not here, let's go back to my place" he told them and while Mineta looked at him strangely for a moment Tsu was more than eager and he could have guessed why. The walk back to his place was quick and quiet, the silence only broken when Tsuyu spoke.

"What if your mom's there" Tsuyu asked.

"She usually isn't there around this time" he answered as they finished their journey to Izuku's apartment. As he fiddled with his keys and unlocked the door he was thankfully greeted by an empty house. Walking into his room and closing the door he turned to them both.

"So what did you want to talk about" Mineta asked, sitting cross-legged and leaning against his bed.

"What I wanted to talk to you both about was the blast" he said as he sat down in his computer chair, needing to sit so he could center himself for what he was about to say.

"Okay, but I need you both to promise me that I'm about to say doesn't leave this room" he stated, pointing to each of them.

Each nodded their heads, their faces turning more serious with the tone of Midoriya's voice as he slowly explained that after their fight with the reapers and after that video of him got popular, Moya came to talk to him.

"A person from the HPSC came to talk to you!" Mineta shouted and Izuku did his best to shush him, worrying that somehow someone could still be listening.

"What did she want to talk to you about" Tsu asked, fully enthralled by the conversation as he continued his story. Telling them about how she had come under the pretense of his vigilante work and then had asked to speak in private where she told him about the First Sons and the Ray Sphere.

"…and it drains neuro-electric energy" he finished as both Tsuyu and Mineta looked at him with slack jaws and wide eyes before Mineta jumped up from his spot with a wide smile.

"I knew it! All the stuff I've been saying, every word is true. The government was lying about the blast and are cahoots with a secret organization. The ray sphere… damn it all makes sense now" he sighed, happy to be vindicated.

"But why" Tsuyu asked "Why bother creating a bomb that gives people quirks"

"Isn't it obvious" Mineta said, turning to her. "That Ray Sphere dishes out ultra-quirks to anyone who controls it"

"Ultra-quirks" Izuku repeated.

"Come on man I thought you were supposed to be the quirk expert" he chastised, putting his hands on his hips "Super strength, healing factor, durability and everything else. Bakugo having his arm snapped and then have it heal in a minute like it was nothing. Look at all that stuff and tell me that's all from a normal quirk"

"But why didn't you get one. You were closer to Izuku when the bomb went off than I was" Tsuyu countered as she looked down at her now normal hands. "And why was it erasing my frog quirk"

"So that's why you look so different!" Mineta exclaimed.

"It's because they're not quirks" Izuku revealed and once more both of them were stunned. Izuku then continued on, telling them about Moya sending him into the Neon district and searching for John's Dead Drops and tailing a reaper who had a backpack full of blast shards.

"She said that whatever these powers are, they aren't quirks" he finished letting the information settle.

"Dude… you're actually a vigilante super spy" said in awe of what he had done.

"And now she wants you to help her find her husband with these Dead Drops" Tsuyu said, repeating what he had told them as he nodded.

"He's the last one to have the Ray Sphere" he told her.

"How do you know that?" she asked and Izuku stumbled. He hadn't told them what had been in the dead drops and while Mineta knew about his unintentional involvement in the blast he hadn't told Tsu.

Should he tell her? Would she understand? The thought of her looking at him and seeing a murderer sent a chill up his spine. No, no she would understand, right?

"It… it said so in one of the Dead Drops" he answered.

"Really, lets here them" Mineta encouraged and Izuku felt himself cringe internally. Pulling his phone out of his pocket he flipped to the three audio files, he'd only listened to the one but… he guessed now was as good a time as any.

With a tap the silence of the room was filled with the tried frantic voice of John White. All three listening intently as he explained how he retrieved the Ray Sphere and was going into hiding to get away from Kessler.

"It was you" Tsuyu said, looking at him with wide eyes. "You delivered the bomb"

"Wait wait; he didn't know it was a bomb!" Mineta said, quickly coming to his friends defense.

"I…I need a moment" she said, looking completely stunned as she rested her head in her hands. "Play the next one"

The two boys looked at each other and with nothing else to say they played the next one.

"Contact established with the First Sons. Met a woman who called herself Jane, and she asked me a variety of questions including whether or not I've exhibited extra sensory abilities. Don't know why she didn't just call it a quirk but I told her I was quirkless. Jane seemed to mull this over for a while and then she gave me an address. I was instructed to meet her there at midnight. No further details."

As the second message ended Tsuyu let out a long sigh as she looked at Izuku with eyes almost pleading.

"Did you know?"

"No, Tsuyu I didn't I swear" he swore with every ounce of honesty he had. "If I had known what would happen that day I never would have delivered that package".

"Come on Tsuyu, does he look like a terrorist" Mineta said, waving a hand at Midoriya as if the idea was too ridiculous to even take seriously.

"Do you really think I could do that?" he asked, his heart beginning to ache. "Deliver a bomb, kill thousands and all for what, to have powers, to be a hero" he said, disgust building in his throat at the idea his words created.

"No I don't it's just…" she tried to say but her lips were beginning to fail her.

"Would I risk going to prison by being a vigilante, trying to solve a crime I committed" he said walking up to her, and grabbing her hands in his and feeling the ache in his chest grow deeper at the stiffness of her body. The eyes of the girl that had embraced him feeling so distant "Remember what I said on the day of the entrance exam"

Slowly she nodded her head as she spoke, her throat sounding tense and restrictive "You said, you wanted to make it all worth it"

He felt a small amount of relief in that she remembered. "That's why I want to become a hero, to make their deaths mean something and to find every last member of the First Sons and bring them down"

Midoriya finally let himself breath in air after his speech. Gulping down breaths as the tension in the room began to lax.

"You're right… I shouldn't have doubted you" she whispered, squeezing his hands and a look of shame filling her features "It's just a lot to take in, I… I'm sorry"

Midoriya felt the pain in his chest slowly begin to settle down as the trio stayed in silence for moment, the reveal leaving both him and Tsu emotionally exhausted.

"Alright you two lets finish this. Play that third recording so we can hear what's next" Mineta suggested.

Pulling apart Midoriya sat back on his chair and thumbed through his phone and played the last dead drop.

"Ten day communication delay due to being incapacitated. Met Jane outside an abandoned warehouse. She put a black bag over my head and led me in. Counted two thousand steps and one right hand turn. She sat me in a chair. Strapped down my arms and legs and left me there."

"Abandoned warehouse… he must have been in the Warrens" Tsuyu said as her voice grew distant at the mention of that place.

"The Warren is huge though" Mineta added, shaking his head. "You could spend months combing that place and without knowing which warehouse they met"

That was a problem, as of now the only lead to John was whatever place he had been taken to and Jane, which was more than likely an alias for her real name.

"I'll call Moya later. See if she can help" he said.

"And when you do that you call me. I'm not about to let you do this on your own" Mineta told him.

"You can count me in too" Tsuyu added. "These villains need to be stopped and if the pros can't do it than we have to"

"No this way too dangerous" he interjected, trying to stop this train of thought before it left the station.

"Which is why I'm coming" he said with a smile even as his face looked nervous. "Someone needs to watch your back while you're out playing super spy"

Midoriya rubbed his temples with his fingers. This was the last thing he wanted but the genie was thoroughly out of the bottle now and neither of them were going to take no for answer.

"God damn it fine! But the moment any fighting starts we run, okay. And we don't use our powers unless absolutely necessary" he surrendered.

"Great, I'll go home and start looking through the warren on the internet. See if I can find a place that looks more suspicious than usual" he announced and was about to leave when Tsuyu spoke up suddenly.

"If we're going to do this, we should probably get some new clothes" Tsuyu advised, to which Mineta looked at her in confusion.

"We can't exactly go around in our hero costumes and we need something to hide our identities" she clarified and both boys thought it was a good idea.

It seemed they were going shopping after all.

U.A

Aizawa sat with his fellow teachers as they went over the recordings of the student's mock battles. He had to admit he was impressed with most of their performances, so many ready and able to use their quirks to the best of their abilities and being able to adapt on the fly. Usually most needed to get that trained into them, a lifetime of never being allowed to truly experiment with their quirks leaving their ideas for application hamstrung. But among that shining review was a black spot that he had known since the beginning he would have to remove.

"I say we expel Katsuki Bakugo" he told them all, paying little mind to his colleague's looks.

"Come now Aizawa, don't you think your being a little rash" All Might said, now in his skinny disheveled form.

"No, I warned him already. If he Injures someone too severely he's out" he said simply.

"Come on Shota your overreacting" Present Mic added, giving his friend a look that made his annoyance increase "I mean both those kids walked off that fight without a scratch"

"Indeed, their healing abilities are quite interesting" said the baritone voice of Ectoplasm.

"He'll live if he dodges" Aizawa retorted, not allowing for a shift in topic as he used the boy's words against him. "And what happens when he faces off against someone who can't just walk it off"

"He has potential and a Strong quirk. But all that means nothing if he can't control himself" Snipe added and surprising Aizawa slightly "If he can't do that, he's just a time bomb waiting to go off"

"Still though, it seems too much for a first offence" Cementoss defended. "Perhaps a suspension or simply stopping him from going to the U.S.J"

"Don't you think we should get her opinion on this" Present Mic said as eyes turned to the astronaut suit of Thirteen. "She would be the one having to help teach him"

"I think it would be a little harsh. I mean, we should at least see how he acts in an environment where it's necessary to save and not hurt" she told them.

"An excellent point" Nezu complimented. "If you are worried about how he will handle others the U.S.J would be a perfect place to see if you are correct"

"And if I am proven right" Aizawa asked, already knowing the answer.

"Then you can expel him" Nezu answered.

"Also, I would like to keep him around as well" Recovery girl chimed in, brow furrowed and hand on her chin in deep thought "These kids abilities are unlike anything I've ever seen"

"What do you mean by that" asked Nezu and if Aizawa was feeling paranoid, he could almost hear anxiousness in the mouse's voice.

"I have been healing people for longer than most of you have been alive and in that time I have never seen quirks like the ones granted by that blast" she told them, sounding grave.

"That boy should have had a shattered radius and ulna and the other had the beginning signs of third degree burns over most of his body. My quirk could have healed them but would have left them exhausted" she continued, taking in a breath and looking at All Might.

"But they healed themselves in a fraction of the time; soft tissue healed in seconds and broken bones in minutes and without even a hint of exhaustion that level of healing should have had on them"

"What are you trying to say" Midnight asked, speaking up for the first time since the meeting began.

"These are not simply the abilities of a single extra quirk"

"Than what do they have" Present Mic asked, his usual smile falling to the wayside.

"I have not the faintest idea and that is why I want them close at hand. Everyone knows the police have run out of ideas and suspects that could have been involved in that explosion but maybe we can at least figure out what exactly they were trying to accomplish" she finished finally, taking a breath after her long explanation.

Aizawa had to admit she was right, at least in the fact that the Mustafu terrorist attack had gone completely cold. No witnesses, no suspects and all the "evidence" was currently attending his class and if they were ever going to catch the bastards, they needed to rethink their approach and work with what they had.

Chapter 14: Disowned

Chapter Text

Takoba beach; it was such a different sight now. Children played and splashed in the crystal blue water and laughed with the innocence of youth whilst parents bathed in the sun on soft sand. So picturesque it could have been vacation card.

"Nice to see our work being appreciated" Mineta mused as the warmth of the sun washed over them. There was not even a hint of the disgusting dump that had once plagued this place and "shame we can't tell them it was us"

"The reward is seeing them enjoying themselves" Midoriya said with a smile as a group of kids ran past them to an ice-cream truck.

"Could you not be a paragon for five minutes and let me be selfish please" Mineta groaned; but even as Midoriya's his lips pulled into a smile it slowly died as he looked back at those the happy children. He couldn't help but feel a sense of wrongness about all of this, a wrongness that stabbed at his mind as it struggled between what he was seeing and what he had seen.

Here and know, unless you were told you never would guessed that less than a two hours walk from where he was standing were alleys of dying druggies and homeless people, their quirks seemingly run amok by the effects of the blast. It all seemed too normal, as if nothing was wrong.

"Um, excuse me" came a timid voice from behind as they all turned around to see a short brunette haired girl with green eyes looked at them nervously, clutching a clipboard in her hands.

"I couldn't help but notice but… are you three from U.A" she asked them and all looked to realize they were still wearing their school uniforms.

"Yes we are" Midoriya answered and he watched as the girl's eyes lit up like twin fire crackers, her initial shy attitude evaporating.

"Oh that's great! And… wait; you're the vigilante" she beamed as those within earshot looked in their direction at the mention of the word vigilante. They were to try and hush her; not wanting the attention as she bashfully covered her mouth with her clipboard.

"I'm sorry" she said with a smile. "I was just hoping you would be interested in donating blood"

They all looked confused before she pointed to a pitched tent on the boardwalk, with a big red cross on it.

"I'm sure you all know about that awful villain attack; well all those injured people needed a lot of blood and we quickly ran through our reserves. So I'm out here to see if I can find anyone willing to help bring our levels back up" she told them.

Izuku felt his earlier misgivings lighten; at least someone was doing something to respond to the effects of the blast.

"We have time, right" he both said asked to both Mineta and Tsu who each agreed, it shouldn't take too long and where they were going was practically around the corner.

"Great; follow me" she said, leading them down the boardwalk with slight skip in her step.

"She seems a little too enthusiastic, don't you think" Tsu said quietly to Izuku.

"Maybe but who knows, we might be the first people today to accept" he told her, shrugging his shoulders as they finally reached the tent.

With a quick swipe of Miko's hand the tent flap opened and inside was simple chairs that wouldn't have looked out of place in a doctor's waiting room along with empty IV bags which played Izuku's idea of them being the first.

"Just sit over there and I'll get everything ready" she told them, walking over to a rolling cabinet and began inspecting the needles, looking at them with the same discerning eye as a painter would his brushes.

"You might need stronger needles" Izuku told her, the reality of his strange powers coming to mind as he remembered his encounter with a reaper's shotgun. "Our skin is kind of tough"

The young girl gave a sly smile as the three sat down "I'm sure it must be, to have survived as you did. It must have been very painful"

"I wouldn't do it again if I could" he told her as she giggled and Midoriya saw Tsuyu side eyeing the girl.

"Ah we never got your name" he said, hoping to redirect the conversation.

"Oh I'm Miko Ahgio, what's yours" she told him as the three introduced themselves as well. Izuku was about to ask something else before Miko began to talk again.

"Still though, I thought you were very brave Izuku" she continued on; saying his name almost as if she was tasting it and either not noticing or caring about the pair of eyes glaring into her as she inspected his arm, fingers tracing his forearm as they looked for a proper vein.

"Getting shot at, explosions and getting hit by those nasty tendrils" she listed off, tapping his forearm with every example she listed off "you certainly know how to take a hit"

"What does this have to do with anything" Tsuyu interjected as a flash of annoyance spread across the girls face before she returned to her wide smile.

"Sorry, sometimes I get a little too excited" she admitted as she got to work, whipping down the area with rubbing alcohol before pressing a needle designed to help pierce quirk enhanced skin into Izuku's arm with practiced ease. Izuku felt a light twinge of pain and a small amount of surprise as he watched how quickly his blood came out.

The girl then went on to do the same to both Mineta and Tsu, the two girls giving each other a look that only girls could fully decipher. It had taken far less time than he thought it would as by the five minute mark each had filled their bags.

"Thank you both again and I promise this will be used to do great things" she told them as they left and it didn't take long before Tsuyu came close and spoke to him.

"I don't like the way she was looking at you" she whispered to him, wrapping her hand in his with fingers interlocked.

"I think a blind man could have figured that out" Mineta said with a chuckle as Tsu glared at him. "Don't get me wrong, I'm all for a good cat fight but…give me a ten second head's up so I can start recording"

Tsuyu didn't give his words the validity of a response only squeezing Midoriya's hand lightly as he gave Mineta a look that said "knock it off".

Mineta was quick to do so, raising his hands in surrender as the trio began to walk to their original destination.

"It is strange though… being here again" Tsuyu said as they walked past the beach down the familiar street that had started their road to heroism. Even now, looking carefully he could see the bullets holes high on the buildings wall that the reapers had created. He could still see stray pieces of concrete that had been kicked to the side from the explosions of grenades.

It truly was strange but this was the place he wanted to go as they came into view of a familiar dingy pawn shop. Pushing open the door, the bell dinging loudly as its owner looked up from a magazine.

"Midoriya!" Haruki gasped as he walked around the cashier desk and came up to them. "How have you been?"

"I've been okay Sir" he said, rubbing the back of his head bashfully by his enthusiastic reaction.

"Oh don't sir me" slapping his hand on his shoulder. "So you're finally taking me up my offer to help your friends"

Mineta and Tsu kept silent under the gaze of the large man, put off by his immediate and over-friendly demeanor.

"Yes Haruki, we were hoping we could look around for some clothes" he told him as Haruki released his hand from his shoulder and told them to take a look around and to take all the time they need.

The place had been just as stacked with random odds and ends as last time if not more as they all began to look through the aisles, Midoriya helping to try and find something to their liking.

Tsuyu seemed drawn to deep purple hoodie and a pair of oddly shaped silver gloves.

She asked what they were and Haruki was quick to explain that they were a support item he had gotten recently; apparently more and more former heroes were coming here to pawn off their support gear. He then went a long explanation on how he given the former hero a fair price for the gloves but Midoriya was more concerned with the apparently high number of heroes throwing in the towel, it seemed the blast had left a more permanent mark than he had thought.

"Ah Mr. Haruki, do you think you have anything… in my size" he sighed, pointing to his rather small frame.

Haruki rubbed his chin and laughed "Yeah, I think I might have something in your size. Something that isn't too embarrassing, come with me"

As Izuku watched Mineta and Haruki go into the back he grinned at the idea of his friend coming back in a goofy outfit before he noticed that Tsuyu had stopping dead in her tracks, her hands shaking even as she clenched them into fists.

"Tsuyu are you alright" he asked, worry deep in his voice as he looked at her face and saw that she was taking short and fast breathes, eyes wide as turned to look at where she was staring and saw a small shirt made for child, with a cartoon frog on the front.

"I…I'm sorry" she scrambled to say before she turned away, practically running out of the store. Izuku was quick to chase after her, following her around the side of the store where she leaned against wall.

"What's the matter" Midoriya tried to ask, nervousness drenching hi voice as Tsuyu's breathing grew more and more shallow until all at once she roared in anger and slammed her fist into a dumpster, the steel buckling and caving in around her fist with a deafening clang.

Izuku watched in stunned silence as tears began to flow down her face as she took her other hand wrenched herself free before walking to the other side of the alley as she pressed her back to the wall and slid down.

Izuku slowly walked to her side, nervous to her reaction. He had never seen her like this. For all the time he had known her, she was always the one to keep control of her emotions… or at least that was she was when they first met.

Silently he slid down next to her and heard her quiet sobs, hand covering her eyes as he laid a hand on her shoulder, her body shivering at the touch as she took a deep shaky breath.

"Tsuyu what's wrong" he asked her again as she remained silent. "Tsuyu please talk to me" he pleaded, desperation in his voice as she slowly peeled her hands away and saw her eyes red and puffy, face stained with tears and lisp quivering as she looked at him.

"It was… the way she" she tried to say, fumbling over her own words.

"Tsuyu what happened?"

That morning

As Tsuyu watched Midoriya turn the corner, his words having left a warmth in her chest after the moment they had shared. This moment was however cut short by the sound of the door to her parents room squeak open. Turning to her door she stood frozen like a deer in headlights as she heard the sound of her mother walking past her door and to the bathroom cooled her confidence for the future feeling like a flame that had just been dosed by a bucket of water as she looked down at her hands once more. Her perfectly normal hands.

"Oh shiiiit" she whispered to herself, pacing back and forth as she ran her fingers through her hair, looking around at nothing in particular as she came to the realization that she would have to explain her sudden and extreme transformation.

"How the f*ck am I going to explain this" she said through her teeth, anxiousness and dread drowning her as she tried to think of a way to explain this. But how the hell was she going to explain when she barely knew how any of this worked.

But she had time; it was usually half an hour before they told her to get up to make breakfast for Satsuki and Samidare.

She. Had. Time.

Sitting down slowly on her bed, trying to make the creaking of the bed-springs as silent as possible her mind raced through ways she could explain this.

Could she just play it off, she was already going through changes because of the blast.

"But it hadn't been this drastic" she hissed in frustration, they might not of noticed her standing straighter than usual but this was an entirely different ball park.

"Second puberty?" she thought before cringing at the idea.

As more and more ideas came and went, each one becoming more and more ludicrous as she came to terrible certainty that there was no way out of this.

"Maybe they wouldn't care" she tried to say to herself, the last ditch idea springing forth. it wasn't as if they cared much about her new quirk so maybe they wouldn't care about its effects on her either. She hated how much the first half of that statement was true.

As time went by and she heard the sound of her parents getting ready she could help but feel more and more like a mouse about to be fed to a snake with only her door separating their cages.

And it was only a matter of time that cage opened.

And that time was now.

"Tsuyu get up!" her mother said from the other side of the door, tapping loudly on her door.

A part of her wanted to just jump out of the window like Midoriya had than face was coming but that would only delay and probably make it worse…somehow.

"Ok mom… I'm getting up" she eventually said, doing her best to sound like she just got up.

Hearing her mother walk away Tsuyu took a deep breath as she tried to steady her mind. Letter her mask of stoicism fall over her features.

"The truth cannot hurt you, the truth cannot be used against you" she repeated to herself like a mantra before she got up and grasped the doorknob tightly. Turning the knob, hears the springs stretch as light began to spill into in through the growing crack she walked out into the hallway.

Feeling like a prisoner on their last walk to the chair she turned into the living room where her father was watching the news and not even noticing she was there.

That was before the sound of someone gasping pierced the relative quiet. Turning her head she saw her mother, her eyes bulging even wider than they normally did and her hand over her large mouth.

"Tsuyu?" she whispered, a shock in her voice as she no doubt questioned if she was really seeing what was in front of her. It was only then did her father look over, his face contorting into a scowl at the sound before his eyes too went wide as they beheld their daughter.

"What the f*ck" he said before Tsuyu could even get a word out, getting up off the sofa as his face returned to that oh so familiar scowl.

"Hello mom, dad; I'm sure you must have questions" she said, trying to sound as calm as possible.

"Damn right I do Asui" he said, croaking in anger as Tsuyu did her best to explain with what little knowledge she had, telling them that after the blast she had begun to change, her frog quirk slowly fading away with time and the presence of the blast shards. But in doing so she also had to admit that she had been going out training with Mineta and Izuku. And as she did she could only see her father grow angrier and angrier by the word.

"Midoriya" he hissed as he walked closer while her mother was to bust still trying to process all of this. That stunned her, so much so it nearly not the stoic mask right off her face. He was more upset about that than what was an unknown substance that was literally changing her from the inside out!

"Goes gallivanting off with some boy and leaving her siblings all alone" he hissed under his breath as he swiped his phone off the table.

It took all her strength to not anything after that. Who was he, who was either of them to talk about her siblings? She was more their mother than either of them!

Who was the one made their breakfast and packed their lunches for school – her!

Who was the one stayed up with them when they had nightmares – Her!

Who was the one who took care of them when they were sick – HER!

Who was the one who sacrificed even the chance of a social life because they couldn't be f*cked to take care of their very children they created – HER!

"Dear maybe you're… SHUT UP" her mother tried to say before she folded like a lawn chair under the assault of her father's words.

"He was in our home! He gave you those things!" he roared

"What are you doing" she asked; anxiousness and anger seeping into her words.

"I'm calling the school, I 'm going to get that boy expelled" he fumed, getting angrier and angrier as he fumbled with the buttons.

"NO" she said raising her voice; she couldn't let Izuku get in trouble because of her! "Please dad he did nothing wrong"

Her father's head whipped around in a flash, storming up to her and pointing a finger in her face. "Nothing wrong! Look at you. Look at what he's done!" he roared as the cracks in her mask began to widen as her father insulted Izuku.

"And you try to defend him, not the least bit upset by him destroying your quirk!" he said roaring in her face as he returned to trying to call the school.

Her blood was boiling now "Destroy my quirk" he didn't destroy a thing she growled inside her mind. He had the first person in her life that she could be herself around and now he was going to take that from her too!

"Good" she hissed, not even realizing she had said it before the words left her mouth.

"What" he said, eyes flaring with a dangerous intent "What did you say?"

Tsuyu could the feel the fear crawl up her spine, a lifetime of placating trying to force her back into being a scared little girl. But Midoriya had seen her, had believed and trusted him as she did him. And his words gave her the fire in her soul necessary to say the words she had always wanted to say.

"He did nothing wrong, I never asked to be a heteromorph" she finally said, a lifetime of bottled emotion rushing out all at once.

"And like you said, a heteromorph could never be real hero. You should be happy" she mocked, the ghost of a smile painted across her face before the stinging pain of a hand slapped across her face.

"Shut your f*cking mouth, you ungrateful little sh*t" he swore.

Tsuyu was stunned for a moment, in all her life he had never struck her. Oh sure, he had shouted barbed insults and backhanded compliments, screamed in her face innumerable times but this was a first.

A part of her wanted to cry, the last proof and final nail in the coffin to show that he never had any love for her. But another, swiftly growing part of her was something beyond furious as a seed of vindictive malice planted itself in her soul.

"What do I have to be grateful for? You've never given me anything" she hissed. All her life she had never been enough. If she ever succeeded in anything her father had always been there to tell her it meant nothing and any failure made it worse. It was why she had always been as stoic, unemotional. A mask carefully crafted over the years to protect her from him. Always telling the truth because it was the one thing he could not take from her!

Her mother was crying now, grating like nails on a chalkboard against Tsu's ears but amongst all that useless noise was were no calls for her father to stop no running up to try and put herself between her and her father. She was just as pathetic, a pathetic mother, a pathetic person and the only thing that brought her even a step above her father… was that she at least allowed her to dream and had done what she did to make her dream real.

"If it wasn't for me, we would still be living in the warrens! You wouldn't even have the luxury of complaining about a broken window" he spat, as though the bare minimum was any to write home about "And it was the money from MY POCKET that allowed you to lie to yourself and believe you could be anything at all!"

"Is that what you think" Tsu smiled, a thin malicious thing as she turned her head and glared a single eye at her mother "Do you want to tell him or should I"

Was her father really that stupid? He worked a low end salary job, the greatest height a "useless" heteromorph could hope for and he thought that kind of salary was enough to get her into the most prestigious school in Japan!

"Oh there were more pockets than your own…and so many hands and happy endings"

He looked at her in confusion, brow still furrowed as the gears in his head spin like a car stuck in the mud. He was really was that stupid.

"Funny thing about taking care of kids, you tend to stay up late and see so many things" she said and oh she had. Like she had told Izuku "freaks and fetishes" and when her mother would come home some nights smelling of bad cologne and sweat, heading straight to the bathroom without saying a word. It didn't take long for her to put two and two together.

It was only then did her father begin to piece together what she was saying and the look of sheer disgust and anger she beheld was nearly demonic. She watched, almost in slow motion as her father reeled back his hand again. And in that fraction of a second she felt as if she might have gone too far, admitted to much.

And in that mere fraction of a second she had a choice to make. She could let it land, the effects of the blast had made her far tougher than she had even been and she could take it. Take it and hope that it would be enough to sate his ego.

Or she could grab him by the wrist and squeeze, to make him feel the powerlessness he had forced her to feel.

With that the choice was clear, she squashed that feeling of fear and as her father swung his arm forward she snapped her hand up like a cobra and snatched his wrist, stopping it dead in its tracks and almost making her father fall over himself from the momentum.

His look of shock of halted attack turned quickly to that of pain as Tsuyu began to squeeze. She could feel the bones bend beneath her fingers as her cried out in pain.

"You are not going to call the school, you are not going to do anything" she told him, looking down at him with complete disgust as he fruitlessly tried to peel her fingers back. She should have done this, years ago.

"Tsuyu let him go!" came the voice of her mother as she came up to her, a look of fear in her eyes. "Tsuyu please"

Pleading, she was pleading for this man. After all he had done, after everything he'd said!

"Tsu, why are you hurting daddy"

The voice cut through her rage like a hot knife through butter as she turned her eyes back to the hallway and saw Samidare and Satsuki staring at her, her sister looking at her with tears in her eyes. She was holding her teddy bear tightly and was wearing a shirt with a cartoon frog on it.

Immediately she released her father, him crumpling to the ground as he clutched at his wrist in pain.

"Satsuki it isn't…" she tried to say, walking closer with fear in her voice. Tsuyu's heart than felt like it had been stabbed with ice, dropping down into her stomach as she retreated away from her, Samidare stepping up to… protect her.

Protect her from…me.

Tsuyu's lips were quivering now, the euphoric victory over her father turning to ash in her mouth. This wasn't how it was supposed to be.

"Get out" she heard a voice say as turned one last time to see father looking at her with that exact same look of fear.

"Get out of my house!"

Present

"I ran to my room, took my school clothes and jumped out the window. I ended up changing in the washroom of a gas station" she said finishing her story as more tears fell from her eyes.

Midoriya sat in stunned silence at everything he had heard, at first he had felt a deep, burning rage when she had told him what her father had done to her. But as the story finished the rage was accompanied by a deep sense of guilt that threatened to drown him; if he had never gone to her house, if he had never given her those blast shards than none of this would have happened.

Even the thought of her father making good on his threat to try and get him expelled played a distant second in the worry he had for Tsuyu, she had been suffering in silence and he didn't even know.

"I'm so sorry" he told her.

"The way they looked at me, they thought I was a monster" she sobbed, shivering as she struggled to breath.

"No Tsuyu, they're just too young to understand" he said, trying to console her, but it seemed he'd chosen the wrong words.

"And now I've left them all alone!" she cried out, flaring with anger before crashing back down as she stared up into the sky. "Who's going to read them bedtime stories?"

"Should we call the pol… NO" he tried to suggest before Tsuyu cut him off.

"No police, if I told them they would take them away and put them in foster care and I might never see them again" she explained. "I just don't know what to do"

The two sat there in silence both unsure of what to do or if there even was anything to do.

"Do you think he's going to try and pull you out of school" he asked her as she flatly shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe, the first year is already paid off but… I don't know"

"And now I have nowhere to go"

"Well… you can stay at my place" he told her, it wasn't much but at least something he could do.

"Would your mother let you" She asked looking at him through red puffy eyes.

"She'll definitely want to have a "conversation" afterwards but… yeah" he answered, his mother was a good person and after hearing Tsu's story he was even more grateful for it. It wouldn't take much to convince her.

"Come on" he said picking himself up and offering her a hand. "It is what it is now and we can try and figure out what to do tomorrow"

Tsuyu looked at his before slowly nodding her head and took his hand. "Let's grab Mineta, buy our stuff and go home"

"Ok; and Izuku… thank you" she said looking at the ground.

"You're welcome"

Later that day

Miko Ahgio sat on the peer, legs swinging over the edge as she watched the sunset with a wistful expression. It was late in the evening now, the last of the loving couples having left, the last of the sun finally falling over the horizon. If any were still around they would have seen identical twins as Miko lovingly she took another sip of her drink and looked over to the girl next to her, smiling warmly.

"You know, I was beginning to think that I would never get to meet him" she admitted; after she had seen that video of that boy fighting those villains, looking all bruised and battered she knew she had to meet him.

And now she had a name to put to the face.

"Izuku Midoriya" she hummed, the name like honey on her tongue.

She was about to take another sip before she stopped herself, putting her hand over the opening to physically stop herself. This was from him and though it was best tasting blood she had ever drank, that just meant it was something to savor, not gulp down.

Looking over the real Miko, her skin ghostly pale and blank eyes staring at nothing she couldn't help but thank her. After all it was her form and position that allowed her to even meet him. Plus her small size had made it easier for her to hide, who knew that a body could fit so easily in a cabinet if you fold them the right way.

"Thank you for everything but I think it's time we separate" she said laying her hand on the backpack between them. With a push the cinder-block inside the bag fell into the ocean pulling the drained girl along with it as the splash they made was quickly enveloped by the waves.

Getting up and letting herself stretch, her body began to be covered in blood, it emerging from every pore in her body, coating the girl that had pretended to be Miko and revealing Himiko Toga, the blood congealing and flaking off like dead skin.

And as the street lights began to flicker on if anyone were close they could seeing a girl skipping down the street, laughing and singing of a newly found love.

Izu Izu give me your answer do

I'm half crazy, all for the love of you

It won't be a stylish marriage

I can afford a carriage

But you'll sweet upon the seat of a bicycle built for two!

Chapter 15: Class Rep

Chapter Text

Midoriya's apartment

Midoriya stood in front of the kettle, the water whistling with steam as he poured two drinks.

"Tea's ready" he said to Tsuyu who was sitting on the couch and watching TV with aimless eyes just trying to keep her mind preoccupied. After her…explanation they had gone back inside Haruki's shop with Tsuyu doing her best to wipe her tears away before Haruki and Mineta came back.

They eventually did and bought the clothes that would serve as their vigilante costumes. Once they had left Mineta had been quick to ask what had happened but Izuku told him in only the broadest sense, telling him that her parents had reacted badly to her sudden change and that she would be staying at his place for a while.

At first he thought Mineta would use the situation for some perverted joke, insinuating what they would do with them living together. But instead he just nodded his head in understanding, and told him if they needed anything to let him know.

Now the two waited, doing what they could to pass the time before his mother got home, picking up the cups he sat next to Tsu and placed them down. The whole situation hung over them like a cloud, the only thing left for them to do was simply to wait and see. Like a terrible itch they could not scratch.

"Thank you" she whispered to him as she reached out and took a sip. He hoped that its warmth would provide her with some comfort. She had suffered so much and had done so in silence, so much that he never could have imagined. A sting of self-hatred filled him, he promised; he swore that he wanted to take her pain away but could not even see what was in front of him.

"How is it" he asked her, running a tired hand over a tired face, everything that had happened leaving him more drained than his fight with Bakugo.

"It's good" she told him, the answer lingering in the air before the silence returned, leaving only the ambient noise of the TV to fill the void.

But soon the sound of a key entering a lock broke the silence as the two stared intently towards the door. The sound of creaking springs and jingling keys filled the home as the door swung wide open, his mother carrying groceries with her.

"I'm home" she said loudly as she tried to take off her shoes, too preoccupied to notice the two of them looking at her. "Izuku I've got something I need to…" she tried to continue before she finally saw them.

"Oh hello Tsuyu" she said quickly, dropping the groceries down and closing the door behind her, her eyes switching between the two of them and given their full attention.

"Hello Miss Midoriya, it's nice to see you again" Tsuyu said, a thin smile spreading on her face as a look of concern flashed over Inko's.

"What's the matter, what happened" she asked anxiously, catching on that something was wrong almost immediately.

"I…we were hoping that you'd let Tsuyu stay with us for a while" he told her, his eyes darting to Tsuyu as he saw her shoulders sag, her features pulled down by the weight of everything.

"But why" his mother asked. "Did something happen" she continued walking up to Tsuyu and asking her directly.

It was then that a tear slid down Tsuyu's face as she explained broadly what had happened and why she couldn't go home. By the end Inko's were watering as well, hand over her mouth in shock.

"So can she…" Izuku attempted to ask before Inko's arms wrapped around Tsuyu into a tight hug.

"Of course she can" she said as Tsuyu froze, eyes going wide as if it was the first time she'd been hugged by an adult in a long time. And with everything she had told him, he could imagine how long that was.

"You can stay here as long as you like" she reassured her, tears flowing from her eyes in twin empathetic rivers.

"You must be hungry, what's your favorite food" she said holding by the shoulders and smiling.

Tsuyu looked to him and back to his mother, confusion and indecision on her face.

"I ah…" she said, her mind stuttering and spinning in place.

"Noodles" she eventually said, sound as unsure as she looked as her mother smiled with a brightness that hurt to look at. Moving past her and with a look of resolution that he rarely saw in her eyes she marched into the kitchen, the sound clattering pans and pouring water coming soon after.

"I'll be done in about half an hour so you just relax and get comfortable" she said over the sound cooking as Midoriya met Tsu's look of surprise with a small smile. In all honesty he had always known his mother would have accepted, it was just how she always been, charitable to the nth degree. But even he was surprised by how right he had been as he lightly grabbed Tsuyu by the hand and led her back to the couch and sat back down.

"I told you she'd let you stay" he told her as the corners of her mouth curled ever so slightly into the shape of a smile, the first smile he had seen on her face since their conversation in the alley.

"Yeah… you did" she whispered as she went back to quietly sipping her tea.

The two lapsed back into silence, letting the sound of the TV and the bubbling water fill the space. Before they knew it his mother called out to tell them.

"Food's ready" she told them as they got up and saw what had to be the best looking noodles he had ever seen. His mother wasn't a bad cook by any stench but he could tell she had put her A game into this.

"So how is it?" his mother asked as she took her first bite.

"It's great" she said, licking stray butter from her lips though they joy of her meal never reached her eyes which always held a forlorn disposition.

"So how's school so far" she continued, technically asking both of them but her eyes were focused squarely one Tsu.

"It's okay" she told her, giving only the barest answer. But his mother persisted asking if she had any classes she liked and other things about herself, careful to dance around any talk about her parents or siblings.

"Um mom maybe we should just let her eat" he told her, noticing that with each question the look in her eyes grew more distant, as if she were sinking into a pit.

"You're right, I'm sorry Tsuyu I just" his mother tried to say before Tsu stood up and asked where the bathroom was, a tension in her voice as she struggled to keep it even.

"Down the hall, first door on your right" she told her, her shoulders slacking and lips turning to frown as Tsuyu walked away.

"I…I didn't mean to" his mother said, unsure of what she did wrong.

"It's okay mom, I'll go talk to her" he assured, giving a small, reassuring smile even as his mind became a storm. He could guess why she had reacted that way; the way her parents treated her, the difference between the two must have hurt.

Slowly he came up to the door and even from the other side he could hear Tsuyu's heavy stuttered breathing.

"Tsu are you okay" he asked, and immediately wanted smack himself; of course she wasn't okay, no one would be okay after everything that had happened to her!

"Can I come in" he asked again, and in any other situation his face would have resembled a tomato to even think about going into the bathroom with a girl. The noise seemed to stop and worry raced up his spine before Tsuyu answered.

"Okay" she said softly.

Slowly Izuku turned the knob and opened the door and saw Tsuyu siting on the edge of the bathtub, her eyes red and puffy again.

"I'm sorry for acting like this" she sighed.

"No; Tsu don't apologize" he said closing the door behind him and sitting beside her. "My mother was just trying to…"

"I know" she said, cutting him off with a sad smile. "I know… you mother is such a kind person"

"Tsuyu listen" he told her, gently grasping her hand and interlocking his fingers with hers. "When I told you that I wanted to make your pain go away, I meant it. But for this… I don't exactly know how" he admitted as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"This whole thing is so f*cked" she chuckled, the fear, anger and sadness dripping away into a reluctant acceptance of the absurd.

"Yep" he agreed nodding his own head as the chuckling eventually turned to laughter. They laughed and laughed at all of it until it eventually hurt to breathe.

"You've done more than I could ask for" she whispered, the air in the room growing calmer bit by bit as she looked up at him, blue eyes staring at his own. "And I'm glad at least that you're here with me for all of this"

Midoriya taking the chance kissed her, Tsu letting a small gasp before falling into it. It was not like there time in her room, long and passionate. It had been short and sweet, a dual reassurance of feelings.

"You taste like a battery" she hummed.

"You kiss batteries often" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Only the cute ones" she said with a smile and for the first time since, this one reached her eyes.

"Come on, we should probably get out of here before my mother starts getting ideas" he said.

"Afraid of having "that" conversation" she giggled, face growing red as she did.

"No, that will probably come right before we go to bed" he surmised, not looking forward to it in the slightest.

Helping each other back up, and whipping away and last bits of tears from her cheeks the walked back out and into the living room where his mother was eagerly waiting.

"I'm sorry for my earlier behavior Mrs. Midoriya" she said, bowing her head.

"No dear, you don't need to apologize" she insisted "You've been through a lot"

Tsuyu nodded her head, agreeing silently with the Midoriya matriarch as they went back to the table and finished their dinner. Overall and in spite of everything it ended up to be quite a nice experience; with Tsuyu seeming to be more relaxed.

But eventually evening turned to night and the issue of sleeping arrangements came to the forefront. His mother took Tsuyu into her room, talking about how she might still have some clothes that would fit her, seeing as how she wasn't in a position to get her own.

It was only a few minutes before the two came back out; with Tsuyu wearing one of his mother's old shirts and a pair of sweatpants.

"Doesn't she look nice" his mother prodded to which he quickly agreed. As Tsu's face gained a light shade of red Inko walked over to the closet, pulling it open and rummaging inside until she pulled out a sleeping bag.

"Good thing I kept this" she praised herself as she handed to Tsu "Him and Mineta used to have sleepovers all the time"

"Why don't you go on ahead and make yourself comfortable" she said to Tsu as a knowing look passed over the young girls features before walking down the hall and into Izuku's room, leaving the mother and son alone.

"Mom can we not have the…" he tried to plead, face growing red with embarrassment.

"We are having the conversation" she cut in, putting a hand on her hip and a look that spelt a lecture.

"Mom I am teenage boy with access to the internet; I already know how all of "that" works" he said, hoping to embarrass him mother with the revelation and get him out of this. Except all he received in return was a look that silently said "no sh*t".

"Izuku honey, you're best friends with Minoru and though he's a good boy he isn't exactly subtle with what he likes or what he does in his free time" she told him, talking like it was the most obvious thing in the world "Frankly; I would be more worried if you didn't know"

"But that's not what all this is about" she continued. "I see the way you both look at each other; believe it or not but I was young to once and I know young love when I see it. But she's been through a lot and now might not be…"

"What you think we're just going to do "that" the minute we're alone together" he asked, now being the one to cut her off.

"How do you think you came to be" she said to him and his mouth hung open and he covered his face with a hand.

"Mooom" he groaned as he felt his mother put something in his hand, something square shaped.

He looked down and nearly felt his eyes pop out of their sockets as he gazed at the condom in his palm.

"Mom where the ffff…fudge did you get this!" he whispered tensely, struggling not to curse.

"Well I was going to tell you when I got home but" she said, giving him a look as he saved himself another lecture about language before walking back over to one of the bags she had been carrying, pulling out a lime green uniform with a smile.

"Since you're going to be off doing hero stuff and I didn't just want to sit around worrying all day and giving me any more grey hairs… I decided to get a job at the hospital, they give them out for free" she announced as Izuku's mind screeched to a halt, a lump in his throat forming as he remembered his conversation with Moya, about the sickness that had already spread to multiple cities.

"But isn't it dangerous, I heard there's something back going around" he cautioned.

"Oh yeah I saw it on the news, something about a bad flew season but it's okay Izuku. I only got a job as a receptionist" she told him, trying to assuage her son's worries.

It did not.

"But mom I heard the…flu was really bad this year" he tried to argue, the mental image of his mother being like one of those poor people in the alley feeling like ice in his veins.

"Don't worry, I'll be careful. Besides, think of it as me helping the people who gave me back my little boy" she said, raising a hand and lightly pinching his cheek.

"Now get going, she's probably waiting for you" she said as she walked into her room, getting in one last word before closing the door. "But no grand kids yet"

If it were possible for someone to die of embarrassment, he would already be in the ground. Rubbing a hand through his hair he let out a long sigh, his mother had no idea what was really going on and though Moya hadn't explicitly told him to not tell anyone he was already taking a risk by telling his friends. All he could do was trust his mom to be as careful as she could.

Walking to his room he found Tsuyu waiting on the bed, sleeping bag rolled out beside it.

"So how was it" she teased with a grin, taking no small amount of pleasure at seeing him embarrassed.

In response he lifted his hand and showed the condom pinched between his fingers.

He swore he never seen Tsuyu turn so red, doing her best interpretation of a tomato as her mouth hung open and her wide eyes darted from it to him and back again.

"Oh" she said, putting a hand over her mouth as she struggled not to laugh

Now it was Midoriya's turn to become a tomato as his embarrassment reached critical levels.

"Ha ha, laugh it up" he sighed, tossing the damn thing onto his desk and shut off the lights and casting the room in darkness.

"I mean…your mother's home?" she said between breaths, pointing a finger to the door behind her, the distance between their rooms being less than fifteen feet. "What; does she have noise cancelling headphones"

Izuku was glad for the darkness because the look on his face at the admission that his mother would even need those.

"Oh okay" he said, nervously chuckling as even through the darkness he could hear and feel Tsu get off his bed. And it almost felt like lightning when she came up to him and whispered in his ear.

"We can always find a time when she's not around" her voice making his heart skip a beat as she got down into her sleeping bag. "Goodnight Izuku"

"Goodnight" he said, struggling to keep his voice even as he slowly made his way to his bed and got underneath the covers, a single thought running over and over in his mind.

"Oh my God she would!?"

Next Morning

Morning came and with it the tense hope of silence, there were no calls from the school telling him he was expelled or a biohazard team kicking down the door for touching those blast shards. But with that silence came with the knowledge that his mother wasn't home, having already gone to her new Job no doubt.

He had explained it to Tsu when she had asked, her having a similar reaction to him when he told her where exactly she was.

"You think she's going to be okay" she asked, a drop of worry moving amongst her words.

Just like last night he didn't know, he prayed that she would be fine and if her casual reaction to the "flu" maybe there wasn't that many people who were infected…maybe; and if not to the hospital than where?

The thought blossomed and died in the time he had taken to think it. Paralyzed by his need to keep his secret and his concern for her safety, he could nothing but wait and see. For all his power he could do nothing.

"I'm gonna call Moya" he told her, also asking that she be quiet as he didn't know if he was strictly forbidden from telling anyone.

Pulling out his phone he dialed the number she had texted him with and only had to wait through two rings before she answered.

"What is it Midoriya" she asked sounding like she was in the middle of something, the sound of rustling papers and footsteps leaking through.

"Um hi Moya" he said sheepishly, still trying to get a read on how to talk to her. "I was listening through those dead drops and I think I might have found a lead"

Whatever she was doing stopped as the sound of movement ended.

"What did you find" she asked quickly, now sounding far more invested.

"In one of the dead drops he talked about meeting a woman named Jane and how they met outside an abandoned warehouse. I think they might have met up in the warrens" he explained.

Moya seemed to mull over that, the sound of light humming reaching his ear before she spoke again "The warrens are rather large, was there anything in there that might narrow our search"

"He said something about taking two thousand steps once he was blindfolded" he told her remembering the finer details. "If it took that many steps then the warehouse would have to be pretty big"

"If it's that big it should help narrow it down, thank you for bringing this to me" she said, Midoriya happy that they were finally going to start making progress.

"Oh and Midoriya" she continued, her light tone turning to a razor's edge. "It would be best if you didn't tell anybody else about what we're doing"

Izuku almost felt his heart plummet into his stomach as he heard her, turning to Tsuyu who in the silence of the apartment had heard as well and had a similar look of shock.

"I'm sorry what?" he tried to say, a bead of sweat flowing down the back of his neck.

"When I was sending you the decryption algorithm for those dead drops I took the liberty of cloning your phones frequency and making sure I'm always locked in with your GPS" she told him, sounding very pleased with herself.

"Meaning I heard everything"

"Ms. Moya if I may" Tsuyu interjected, no longer seeing a reason to stay silent with the secret out.

"Is there anything else you can tell us about our powers" she said sounding tense and anxious as she spoke. "I had a Heteromorph quirk before but when I touched the blast shards it began to disappear"

"Really? Now that is interesting" Moya questioned. "But unfortunately we have gained much ground on the specifics of what exactly these powers are capable of or of its full effects" she admitted, Tsu's eyes turning downcast at the lack of answers.

"But I do have a name" she continued on, their attention snapping back fully onto her voice.

"Do the extreme levels of power exhibited by those with these abilities the boys in the lab have taken to calling these people Conduits" she told them, the name settling in their minds.

"Thank you Moya" he said to her.

"Don't mention it, I'll contact if I can find anything" she finished as she hung up, leaving the pair still with questions but at least with a name for what they both were.

It was then he heard a ding from his phone and saw that Mineta had messaged him that he was waiting for them, the two realizing they were going to be late as they scrambled to get into their uniforms.

Not wanting to waste any more time the two conduits decided on the express elevator, jumping off the fourth floor together and landing on their feet with a loud thud.

"You know if I didn't know you two could survive that fall I'd think you were trying to kill yourselves" he said to them, looking up to where they jumped. "God I wish I could do that"

The two didn't give him any time to ponder further as the trio raced to the train that would take them to school, just managing to get in before the doors closed. Breathing a sigh of relief they all took a seat, letting the rolling vibration of the train's wheels relax them.

"So Tsu, I never got to ask but how are you doing…with everything" Mineta questioned, a look of concern on his features as he looked at her.

"I'm doing fine for now" she told him as she began to anxiously bite her lip. "We'll see when we get to school"

"And Mineta" she continued looking the short boy in the eyes "Thanks for asking"

Eventually the train stopped and the trio got off; making another though less urgent beeline for the school before they stopped to see a large crowd of people outside the gates.

"Whoa; what do you thinks going on" Mineta questioned as they walked closer and the answer revealed itself; the large turning out to be reporters that were currently badgering Iida and Uraraka for answers about All Might.

"Should of figured" Mineta said rolling his eyes at the media vultures.

"With All Might at the school it was only a matter of time" Tsuyu added as one of the reporters did a double take as she saw them.

"Hey it's the vigilante kid" she said as the crowd shifted its attention onto him.

"Oh no" he gulped as they were swarmed by the crowd, microphones in hand as they asked him question after question.

"How is it that you were able to get into U.A?" she asked.

"Um I was never formally charged" he tried to answer.

"So society is so short on heroes that the rules are being bent to accept vigilantes?" another reporter questioned.

"No I mean maybe" he floundered, his talk with Haruki and the seeming increase of heroes quitting making what the man said make some sense, even if he was twisting his words.

"How has All Might and the other teachers reacted to your attendance?"

On and on it went, one after another and he could see that Mineta and Tsuyu where under similar conditions.

"Alright, beat it you damn vultures" came a familiar voice before he suddenly felt himself lifted off the ground. Looking down quickly he saw that it was Mina an annoyed expression on her face as she picking up Tsu and Mineta up with her other hand.

"Hey what's the big deal" the reporters whined, which fell on the deaf ears of the pink skinned girl.

"Move it or get moved" she threatened as she walked forward, the threat proving more than just that as she stepped on more than a few toes and not seeming to have any strain in holding the three of them over her head. It was only when they were all safely inside did Mina set them back down onto solid ground.

"Thanks" he told her with a small smile.

She gave the reporters one last glace before waving her hand dismissively, a half grin on her face "Don't worry, my Aunt was a reporter and she taught how to deal with them"

"Really who" Uraraka asked, her and Iida coming up to them after seeing what had happened, going up to Izuku in particular to see if he was okay.

"Well she's not a reporter anymore but now she's an executive director of a publishing firm" she explained, seeming to enjoy talking about her family as they were all surprised and impressed by that; though Iida mind was focused on something else.

"Be that as it may it was still wrong of you to threaten those members of the media" he lectured, hand karate chopping the air repeatedly. "It will not look for the school and not to mention using your powers illegally"

Mina simply smiled like a gremlin; sticking out her tongue as she pressed the tip of her thumb to her forehead, her index finger sticking up to form an L.

"Powers were made to be used Iida" she told him. "It would be wrong to not use them. And besides no one got really hurt"

Before Iida could argue further a shadow fell over the group of kids as they turned around to see Aizawa and Present Mic.

"Don't you all have class to get to" he asked expectantly as they all scrambled to leave. As they did Izuku looked to Tsu each giving the other a nod, another hurdle silently passed as it seemed her father hadn't made good on his threat.

Once inside everything was allowed to return to a relative normal, until Aizawa came back with his usual tired voice.

"I've looked over all your combat training and your teams results" he told them as everyone waited for back handed praise.

"All in all it was decent enough for your first time" he continued as he looked over to Bakugo.

"It won't you any favors to sulk over your loss. Learn from it and be better" he ordered, the blonde scowling and looking away unable to weather his gaze.

"And Uraraka; your plan was reckless and dangerous. It good to want to win but if you ever want to be a pro you have to consider the danger you put your fellow heroes in, as well as the public" her told her, the brown haired girl nodding her head anxiously.

"Good; with that out of the way we can get to your first task. One that will decide your future" he continued, the declaration sending a chill up the spine of every student. What would it be, and other quirk test?

"You need to pick a class representative" he revealed and the tension flooded out of the class as every breathed a sigh of relief. But that moment did not last long as everyone began saying they should be the ones to become class rep. In a normal school this would never happen, no one would be fighting to do more work but in a hero school it showed to potential agencies that the rep had the potential to lead a team, a valuable skill for any hero.

"Silence everyone please" Iida boomed, the order momentarily stopping all discussion.

"To be the class rep is to have the trust of the class to lead them. As such the only way we can determine our leader is by a vote" conveyed; everyone immediately pocking holes in such a system, telling him that everyone would simply vote for themselves.

Iida however was adamant, stating that while most would, the one who does goes more than one vote would be the most suitable candidate. Aizawa meanwhile didn't really care, saying that they just needed to pick before he woke from his nap.

Election Results:

Izuku Midoriya – 5

Momo Yaoyorozu – 3

Itsuka Kendo – 3

Katsuki Bakugo – 2

"How did I get five votes" Izuku questioned, though his words were frowned out by the loud accusations of Baka go, looking around for those who voted for Izuku.

"What; did you really think you were going to win" Sero asked sarcastically, earning more of the blondes ire.

But by the end and after their teacher had awoken from his nap Izuku, Momo and Kendo made their way up to the front, each gaining their titles of Class representative and Co-Deputies respectively.

"Thank you all, I promise I won't let your confidence be misplaced" he assured as he looked over the class, Mineta giving him a subtle thumbs up.

Next he looked to girls on either side of him, a silent nod and calm smile shared between them. "Momo, Kendo let's do our best"

Lunch

Even after so much time, Izuku had yet to be fully comfortable with being popular or at least what he thought popular people dealt with. He was in the middle of a large table with Mineta, Tsu, Iida, Mina, Hagakure, Shiozaki, Kirishima and even Momo who was sitting at the far end. He was happy though that Hagakure had taken his offer, he knew well the sadness of being invisible though never quite so literally.

The table was practically buzzing the energy as Uraraka was gushing over how good the food tasted; Mina and Hagakure talking about their Aizawa's rather thorny attitude and even Mineta was talking with Shiozaki, the small boy listening about some Christian rock band she liked.

Eventually he though was brought to the fore of Uraraka's conversation as it shifted to talking about his election.

"I still can't believe you got so many votes Midoriya" she praised, big puffy cheeks still half filled with rice.

"I mean who else was it going to be?" Kirishima stated like it was obvious. "With Asui and Mineta he was sure to get at least three votes"

Izuku smiled at that; though he knew his friends trusted him it was still nice to hear, though he hadn't been entirely right.

"I didn't vote for myself though" he admitted, everyone looking at him.

"Then who" Mina asked, hand on her chin.

"I voted for Momo" he admitted, the Raven haired girl who had until this point stayed rather aloof snapped to look at him.

"Why" she questioned, tilting her head in confusion.

"Because I knew you would do great" he told her, the tall girl's face growing red at the compliment before looking confused again as he continued. "Because you called me out"

"When pretty much everyone else was just happy I survived or was praising my power you were the first to call me out on my short comings and how I could improve. It was something I needed to hear so thank you for telling me"

"Oh, well… you're welcome Izuku" she stammered, her face growing a slightly deeper shade of crimson as a soft smile spread across her face.

"Oh Izuku I never realized you were such a ladies man" she ties eyeing Mom's reaction as Tsu nudged him with her knee and gave him a glare.

But before he could defend himself, the blare of an alarm rang through the halls, everyone stopping and looking around in confusion.

"Alert; level three security breach, all students please evacuate the premises in an orderly fashion" a robotic voice announced as everyone began to scramble out of their seats and rush for the exits. But so many trying to leave all at once created nothing but a gridlock of people pushing and shoving to get past.

And Izuku found himself in the middle of it, his conduit strength at least keeping him from being pushed down and trampled in the stampede.

"This is bad good" Mineta said, the shorter boy clutching onto him to keep from being swept up in the living tide of students. Neither knew what a level three security breach was but to warrant the entire school to evacuate it must have been bad. Bad enough that Izuku willing to let out a radar pulse, he needed to know what was going on.

Letting It loose he focused his mind on all the electrical signals he could find, the students around him, the cables in the walls and finally the reporters and their equipment that were now in the school.

"It's the media" he said, Mineta looking up at him even as the rest of the crowd ignored him, too focused on trying to escape. Dammit, he needed to get everyone to listen, but how to get their attention. The answer came when he saw Mina who was having even less trouble with being carried by the crowd, a veritable pink boulder in a river refusing to move as the water broke against her.

"Mina" he called, the black eyed looking over to him immediately: "let me get on you" he cried as he looked over to Tsu and then to Mineta who already knew where this was going.

"Tsu catch" he said as without arguing he lifted and threw Mineta through the air, the small boy screaming as Tsu caught him.

Now was his turn as he maneuvered closer to Mina who held out her arm and allowed him to climb and stand on like a platform.

"EVERYONE STOOOOP!" he demanded, screaming loudly and firing two blasts of electricity into the ceiling, dust and smoldering plaster raining down on him.

"It's just the reporters, there are no villains. Everyone calm down, we cannot allow ourselves to panic. Let those in front get so we can get out without trampling each other" he ordered as he looked down on the now silent crowd. Eventually his demands were met as those in the back ceased to keep pushing, allowing those in the front get out and soon everyone had gotten out of the cafeteria.

"Thanks gain Mina" he sighed, relieved that no one had gotten hurt as she patted down her sleeve and hair get any last bits of dust out.

"No problem, besides that was some quick thinking" she complimented as Tsuyu and Mineta came up.

"Don't you ever throw me like that again" he swore as he pointed a finger at him. "I thought I was going to die"

"Sorry" he told him raising his hands in surrender even as he tried to suppress a smile.

"Whatever, let's just get back to class" he relented, shoulders slacking as they followed his example. "You're so lucky you're my friend"

But as they exited the cafeteria they were stopped one last time as the crosshair eyes of a pink haired girl zoomed into Izuku's vision. The girl was wearing dirty; oil stained overall's and had more bags under her eyes than she probably had years in her life.

"Hey you're the electric kid right, thought so because I saw you shoot that lightning" she blurted out quickly, Izuku needing a second to compose himself before answering.

"Um…yeah" he said slowly as before the girl cut him off.

"Well I am Mei Hatsume from the support course and I have a proposition for you" she announced, point a thumb at herself and sounding like a used car salesmen. "I saw you battle with that explosion kid and I knew I had to talk to you"

"Wait, how did you see our battle training" Tsuyu questioned, giving the new girl a cautious look.

"The business students are given recordings of the hero courses battles, gives them experience running PR and media stories for heroes when they graduate and you know how much they love to talk" she answered with a smile not noticing the irony of that last statement.

"Well what's the proposition?" Izuku asked, careful of what exactly he was getting himself into.

"I saw that your costume got really messed up in that fight. And I was hoping I could fix it up, maybe use some of my babies to make it even better and even make you something new" she said extending her hand like the deal had already been settled.

"And what do you get out of it" he asked, knowing that there was always a catch.

"Well seeing as how you're already kind of famous, you know how you fought those reaper guys. And with your flashy quirk if any support companies saw that you were using my gear"

"It would be free advertising for you" Mineta finished as her girl snapped her fingers to show that he was right.

"So how's about it, I fix up your stuff maybe make you something new and in return you point any people asking about your gear my way" she said with a smile, shaking her hand like it would make it any more enticing.

Thinking about it he couldn't really see a downside to it. Because his mother had been the one to give him his costume he didn't have any contracts with a support company to fix it. And besides if she was confident enough in her "babies" then they must be good.

"Okay, you have a deal" he said, grabbing her hand as her smile grew almost manic.

"YES! You won't be disappointed; just grab your old costume and bring it down to the support wing. I'll make it better than it ever was partner" she declared, pumping her fist into the air before speeding off back down the hallway.

"Are you sure that was a good idea" asked Mineta, seeming to have gotten over that whole throwing business.

Izuku shrugged his shoulders "What's the worst that could happen"

Later

Mineta was walking with Tsuyu and Midoriya, the halls emptying as students left for the day; though even in the emptiness the sound of drills and power tools grew louder and louder as they entered into the support wing. In his pocket he held something special, something he'd like Izuku with later and who the encounter Hatsume had created the opportunity.

Izuku for his part was carrying his ruined costume in his arms, the green jumpsuit barely holding itself together.

"Now which room would it be" Izuku said out loud as they passed door after door.

"Probably the one with the noise" Tsuyu suggested sarcastically.

Sure enough the noise of work reached a fever pitch as the three stood outside the door, Izuku only a few inches away from tapping it before a massive explosion sent the three of them sprawling across the ground.

Mineta coughed the smoke out of his lungs, the faint ting of metal falling to the floor and what he assumed was a teacher yelling at someone filled his ringing ears as he looked over and nearly felt his jaw hit the floor a second time.

Between him and Tsu was Midoriya, flat on his back but on top of him was that Hatsume girl with her nice C cup breasts pressing into his chest and from the shocked expression on Izuku's face he was getting more than an eye full.

"Hey partner, glad to see you made it" the girl said with a smile, completely oblivious to the explosion and what Izuku had seen as she peeled herself of him. And if Tsuyu didn't like Hatsume before she certainly didn't like her now as she stared daggers into the girl.

"Hatsume what did I tell you about blowing up the studio" came the annoyed voice of power loader, the teacher wearing an excavator bucket on his head. "You blow it up one more time and you're out for a week"

"Sorry Mr. Loader" she said, smiling only long enough for him to turn away before it fell and she looked back at his friend. "Come on in", he's only half serious" she told them as they walked into the shop that nearly the size of a basketball court.

"Now then let me see what I'm working with" she continued, opening her hands as Izuku gave her his costume. She hemmed and hawed, looking over it again and again until she nodded her head with a wicked grin. "Oh yes, I can work with this. I'll get this back to you in a few days"

"Thank you Mei" he told her, bowing slightly as he and Tsuyu made to leave before noting him staying in place "You coming Mineta?"

"Yeah just give me a minute, I wanna see if I can get any new gadgets from her" he lied as his accepted and walked away.

"So you're interested in my babies too" she said perking up like a cat who found a mouse.

"Not right now, but I think I have a "baby" you might be interested in" he told her as he pulled the paper out of his pocket and showed it to her. "You think you can make it?"

"Who do you think you're talking to, of course I can make it" she said as she practically licked her lips at the design. "But right now there's the issue of patents"

"Patents" he repeated, co*cking his head to the side in confusion.

"Any new designs we make in the support course are patented under the creator. But seeing as you gave me the idea, I think a 70-30 split in my favor sounds fair" she offered, reaching out her hand again.

"60-40" he returned, this was or his friend but he wasn't about let a money source slip through his fingers.

"65-35"

"62-38"

"Deal!"

The two then shook hands. "Pleasure doing business with you"

Chapter 16: U.S.J

Chapter Text

Next Day

Izuku slouched in his chair, eyes closed as he and the rest of the class waited for Mr. Aizawa to arrive. After he had returned home, a spike of fear had slipped into his mind as he and Tsu waited for his mother to return. A part of him still wanted to tell her the truth, to warn her of the danger she was putting herself in but there was just too much at stake. Thankfully she had returned safely and if he was honest she seemed happy with her new job, talking about some of her coworkers eagerly. Perhaps it was finally having something to do. With dad on the other side of the planet and him in school there wasn't much left for her to do.

Tsuyu as well had felt something similar, though directed towards her siblings. Even seen she got kicked out she hasn't heard anything and in that void of knowledge imagination began to fill it and in such cases, imagination did nothing good.

"Today's training will be different compared to what you have done before" Aizawa warned as his perpetually bloodshot eyes looked down over them all. Izuku perked back up, having not even noticed Aizawa enter. "For this you're going to have four instructors; me, All Might, Vlad King and another faculty member will be watching over you"

'Four Pros to watch them; could it be because of the break in?' Izuku thought to himself. After they had left the school they saw that the front gate had been destroyed. Could one of the reporters have done that, or was it something else?

"But what kind of training are we doing" Sero asked, raising his hand as Aizawa lifted up a card that said rescue with big blue lettering.

"Natural disasters; floods, fires, landslides and everything in between" he answered and as most of his class started getting pumped Izuku flashed back to the blast that had started everything. The fires and the screams it was obvious why they were getting them ready to handle stuff like that less than a week into the school year.

"What you where is up to you, I know you're all still excited with your costumes" Aizawa continued cutting through the revelry as he pressed a button on a small remote and panels with cases labelled one to thirty slid out of the wall.

"Get dressed and go to the entrance, the training will be off campus so don't keep the bus waiting" he said waving his and leaving with saying another word.

15 minutes later

"Why are you wearing your P.E clothes" Uraraka asked as she pointed a finger at his clothes.

"You saw how messed up they got, I'm just waiting on someone to fix them" he answered, thinking back to Hatsume's promise. He wondered what kind of "babies" she had in mind for his new suit.

"So what are we going to do class rep" Momo asked, as Izuku turned and quirked to head, wordlessly asking what she meant.

She then pointed to the bus and it clicked in his mind. As the class representative is was his responsibility to guide the class.

"Alright everyone; file in and sit with people you like" he told everyone, as they followed his instructions, though Iida looked appalled by the seeming disorganization of it but once inside the open design made it clear any real attempt to organize it would have met with failure.

"I kinda hoping this would be more battle training" Momo huffed with glum expression as the bus began to move. She than noticed that everyone; most of all Jiro looked who had sat next to her look at her with surprise.

"I didn't think you were a battle junkie" Jiro joked as Momo's eyes widened.

"No, no it's not that" she promised, shaking her head. "It's just… I had so many new gun designs I wanted to try out, I even had one for an mg42 that could…" she continued on, stars sparking in her eyes at the thought until she noticed that everyone was looking at her even more strangely.

"What?" she asked, confusion written on her face. "Did I say something wrong?"

"How do you know so much about guns" Tsuyu asked as even when they first met during the quirk assessment test, she had made her knowledge of firearms very apparent. And in a country like Japan that still held some of the most stringent gun laws, it was strange.

"Oh that's because my parents are arms manufacturers" she said with a look of pride. "Well technically my father owns the manufacturing, my mother is a defence contractor for the Japanese military" she further elaborated as everyone's mouths hung open at her parent's professions.

"One time during summer break my mother took me to south Africa. It was to finalize a deal with a PMC. They were super nice, they let me shoot some of the guns and ride in a tank, I've been in love ever since" she finished, a look of deep fondness in her features.

"Really" Pony Squealed with delight as she rushed over to Momo, practically hopping with energy! "What's your favourite gun" She asked, so excited she jumped from English to Japanese as the two girls suddenly began bonding over their shared love of guns.

"Of course it's the American that loves guns" Izuku thought to himself.

"Well I suppose her quirk helps with her passion" Tsuyu said, more a statement than a question.

"She's so lucky to have a quirk like that" he sighed as he stretched out his arm and activated his quirk. "All I can do is harden myself. Ain't to flashy"

"Well every guy can do that" Mineta whispered under his breath, chucking at his own lecherous joke as Izuku smacked him on the shoulder, trying to hide his own smirk.

"Oh don't be like that Kiri; besides you make the perfect battering ram" she both teased and complimented. "And if we are going by flashiness than that fits Izuku, Shoto and Bakugo to a tee"

"Yeah but he's a dick so he won't be popular" Tsuyu deadpanned.

"What the hell did you say!" roared Bakugo, clutching onto the bus railing.

"Damn; it was so quiet in here a thought you died, I was about to start celebrating" she said to him with the most passive aggressive smile she could manage as Mineta let out a laugh which he desperately tried to hide by covering his mouth.

"It's rather telling that we've only just met, yet your horrid personality is so apparent" Monoma added, pointing a lazy finger at the angry blonde.

"I don't know why you're talking with your sh*tty quirk. What are you gonna do, ask to shake the villains hand first" he barked as Kendo came up calm him down.

"Touch me and you lose it, Hand job" he said, glaring at the ginger girl and though she stopped moving toward she did her best to match his glare as the insult brought a fresh wave of outrage from his fellow students.

"Shouldn't you do something?" Momo asked expectantly.

"No point, he won't listen" he shrugged; he had been through this more than enough times to know for certain.

"Alright enough" Aizawa growled, shaking his head and rolling his eyes at the explosive boy. "We're almost there"

Reluctantly Bakugo did as he was told and as the treeline ended they caught their first glimpse of their destination. It was a massive domed structure, bigger than any stadium and even giving some amusem*nt parks a run for their money.

Once the bus stopped they were all greeted by the blackened helmet of the space hero Thirteen.

"Hello everyone, I've been waiting for you" she said through the microphone in astronaut suit.

"Oh my god she's my favorite hero" Uraraka cheered in excitement and Izuku could see why. She was an incredibly famous rescue hero who had saved people all over the world, remembering a story about how she had saved a family who had been trapped in their car from a mudslide.

After that they were led inside and his estimate of an amusem*nt park became much more certain. The place was positively gigantic capable of holding at least one hundred thousand thousand people and he wondered just how much money the school had.

"A shipwreck, landslide, ruin, mountain, fire and storm" Thirteen said, listing off each zone. "I created this place to prepare you all for each kind of natural disaster. I call it the Unforeseen Simulation Joint or U.S.J!"

"Just like Universal Studios Japan" everyone thought.

"Where's All Might, he said he would be here" asked Vlad King as Thirteen lifted three fingers. To anyone else it would have meant nothing but Izuku knew what it meant. He had seen that All Might had been busy rescuing people all day so he must have run out of time.

"Alright, it can work with the three of us" Aizawa stated, shrugging his shoulders.

But before they began Thirteen spoke of the dangers of quirks; how her own quirk Black Hole was incredibly dangerous and how their earlier training should have instilled a respect for the potential lethality of their own powers.

Izuku had first-hand experience with that; every time he'd wash himself he'd seen arcs of electricity arc across the water of the tub. He'd tried to pull the electricity back into himself but he had made little progress. He had to be extremely careful or else he could accidentally electrocute someone.

"Carry over the lessons you have learned, today you are going to learn to use your quirks to save people's lives. You will not be using your powers to attack enemies or each other. After all, that is what it means to be a hero, ensuring the safety of others" she finished, the speech garnering cheers and roars of excitement from the class.

"Now then let's get to…" Aizawa tried to say before the lights of the U.S.J flickered and flared, the dome cast in darkness for only a moment before they returned to normal. Before anyone could truly question what had happened a dark swirling void manifested in the center of the dome. Then a hand emerged as the void began to expand wider and wider until it could have two buses front to back.

"Thirteen protect the students" Aizawa ordered quickly as soon, people began to emerge from it; 1, 5, 15, 30! There we so many of them.

"Who are those guys, I thought we were rescuing people" Kirishima questioned, taking only one step forward before Aizawa barked at him to stay back.

"This is real" he said, bringing his goggles over his eyes as Izuku felt a shot of adrenaline spike through his body. The villains were here, how? Why?

"The only real heroes I see are Thirteen, Vlad King and Eraser Head" a deep voice echoed. "Strange, according to the schedule All Might was supposed to be here as well"

"So that's how you damn villains knew. You used the press as a cover to get what you wanted" growled Vlad King, fist clenching in rage.

"But how could they get so many inside" Kirishima accused.

"Thirteen; why hasn't any of the security alarms gone off" Momo asked as Thirteen admitted she didn't know. Shoto though bean to speak running through what information they did know, saying that if they must have a villain that is masking their presence and they chose an isolated area to attack them.

Izuku agreed to an extent, whoever they were they had though this out but he knew there was more than one way they could have masked their presence.

"Thirteen get them out of here and alert the campus" Aizawa said as him and Vlad King took up position at the front of the group.

"But if they can jam our sensors they might be jamming our normal communications as well" Vlad King added as Aizawa looked to both Izuku and Kaminari.

"You two; try and use your quirks to contact the school" he told them as Kaminari tried to use his head piece and Izuku pulled out his phone.

Izuku could quickly see that it had no signal and letting out a radar pulse, the normal ripples the he could sense coming in and out of his phone were gone. But he also felt something else, something emitting a strong signal that acted as the lone ripple in a stagnant pool. He couldn't sense exactly where but it was here.

"But sir; isn't your quirk only good for one-on-one. There's too many of them" Mineta said as both teachers turned to look at them.

"Can't be a hero as a one trick pony" Vlad said as the two teachers jumped in unison down the large stairs to face the villains.

A part of him wanted jump with them, he had faced villains before and these didn't even have guns as far as he could tell. But he stopped himself; he wasn't a pro and was more liable to get in their way.

Running with the rest of his class they all made a beeline for the exit but only managed to get about half way before the floor began to swirl with darkness. Out of the darkness came a villain, with glowing yellow eyes.

"Pleasure to meet you all, we are the league of villains" the smoke guy said as arcs of electricity began to dance up and down Izuku's arms.

"I know it is impolite to invite ourselves into this haven of justice but I could think of no better place for the symbol of peace to draw his last breath" he declared as Midoriya's eyes went wide.

All Might, there here to kill All Might?

But before anyone could step them, Bakugo, Kamakiri and Kirishima lunged forward; trying to attack the villain as on the air vibrated with shockwave of Bakugo's blast. Izuku had thought for a moment that maybe they had gotten him but the smoke villain simply reformed as if nothing had happened.

"Well done, you live up to your schools reputation but now it is time for you to meet my comrades and you deaths" the smoke villain blared as tendrils of darkness washed over them. He had wanted to use a shockwave to try and blow it away but those three had gotten in the way.

"Mineta, Tsu!" He yelled, watching the two of them become enveloped before he felt something grab onto him, felt the sensation of falling and saw to his horror, a lake beneath him.

U.A

"The number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable. Please try again later" the robotic voice said.

"I still can't get a hold of any of them" Toshinori huffed, stuffing his phone back into his pocket. "But then again they are teaching…unlike me" he continued, admonishing himself for such a rookie mistake.

Clicking his tongue he looked around the teachers' lounge and wondered what to do.

"Maybe I can say something inspiring at the end. I should be able to hold my hero form for ten minutes" he thought to himself, like the sound of his plan as he expanded into his muscled form.

"Time to join my stu…bleh" he tried to say before a spout of blood shot out between his teeth.

"Hold your horses" came a lecturing voice as the door to the lounge opened to reveal principle Nezu.

"Oh hello Nezu sir, your fur looks especially well-groomed and glossy today" he said, the years of once being a student making him instinctually go down to his level, inching across the floor on the balls of his feet to greet him.

"The secret is Keratin though I don't know if humans can get this lustrous shine. But we can talk about that later" he said as he pulled out a relatively large phone and showed the news stories of what he had been doing.

"It says you solved three incidents in an hour" he said, the symbol of peace having a sting of anxiety at being found out.

"It can't be helped; the fault mainly belongs to the ruffians who continue to make trouble, even knowing you're here. But you still need to learn to not react every time you hear about an incident" Nezu told.

"After all these years later you haven't changed; so proactive yet that injury of yours limits you, along with training your successor. You insist on remaining the symbol of peace and the only why you can justify staying out of the spotlight is by teaching. That's why I gave you this job." He explained exhaustively as Toshinori began to smoke, unable to hold his form for much longer.

"Speaking of which, how is young Mirio?" he asked as Toshinori poofed back into his frail form.

"He is doing…well" he tried to say as Nezu gave him a look to continue as he sat on the couch.

"When I gave him my power he took to it amazingly well and I'm sure he's going to more than worthy of holding the mantle but lately he's been having issues" he admitted, the first time he had seen it still fresh in his mind.

"What do you mean by issues" Nezu asked, leaning forward with a serious look in his eyes.

"It started out small at first, after he'd use One For All he'd be a little tried or drained which I didn't anything of at the time, it was something to be expected with training." He said preemptively trying to defend himself for his possible failure.

"But now it's gotten worse, if he uses it for too long he can barely stand and turns as pale as a ghost" he explained. Mirio had tried to brush it off but he could tell this was more than just simple over training. "I've even seen a few grey hairs amidst all the yellow."

Nezu brought a paw to his chin, rubbing it intently with a furrowed brow. "Does recovery girl know about this?"

"Yes, we're running some test but you know how it is with quirks. No two are exactly the same and One For All is more unique than most"

"Well I suppose we'll just have to wait and see" he shrugged. "But for his sake and for the sake of your other students I think you should try to focus more on teaching than hero work"

"I was actually planning on going to the U.S.J to make an appearance right now"

Nezu silently poured a cup of tea and pushed it in Toshinori's direction "Even if you did, you'd have to return right away so why don't you stick around and listen to some of my teaching philosophy"

"Let's start with combat pedagogy viewed through the lens of ethical quirk use" he stated not waiting for a sign of acceptance as he began talking. And Toshinori had a feeling he was going to be here a while.

"Ah well" he thought to himself "I'm sure they've got it under control"

Landslide Zone

Shiozaki felt herself falling; a cry of surprise escaping her lips as the dark void the villain had enshrouded them in dissipated and was greeted to the rapidly approaching earth. Quickly she activated her quirk; her vine like hair shooting out like harpoons and imbedding themselves into the ground acting both as an anchor and brace as she slowed her decent, twisting herself as to not hurt her neck.

But she soon found out that she wasn't the only one in danger a she saw Shoto, Monoma and Mineta falling. She felt her breath catch in her throat, her vines acting on pure instinct as the lashed out and caught Mineta, wrapping around him tightly but not tight enough to hurt him. With Monoma who was farther away, she could not be so delicate, wrapping him by the ankles and stopping his fall only a foot from the ground.

But Shoto who was the farthest she could not reach in time and would have never forgiven herself for her failure had he not simply twist himself and land directly on his feet with a loud thud, without any sign of injury.

Shiozaki breathed a sigh of relief as she settled everyone onto the ground, twisting Mineta so that he lands on his feet.

"Are you okay Mineta" she asked, quickly coming over to him and placing a hand on his shoulder as he got back control of his breathing.

"Oh Shio thank you, you're an angel!" balled Mineta, embracing her in tight hug, the difference in height leaving his head to press into her breasts.

"Ah you're welcome Mineta… but could you please" she stuttered to say, face growing red as a rose.

"If you two are done with the foreplay we've got company" Monoma yelled as a group of villains began to march their way towards them, faces contorted in malicious grins.

Their intentions along with their grins were short lived however as ice began to rapidly spread across the ground, the ice climbing their bodies and encasing them in seconds.

"Scatter us and kill us, pathetic" Todoroki hissed, huffing out a breath of fog. "You're adults, at least put up a real fight"

The three watched as he marched towards the group of frozen villains, most too dumbfounded and terrified to form a proper sentence.

"Unless I thaw you all out, your bodies will succumb to hypothermia in less than five minutes; your cells slowly dying one by one" he told them, his words as cold and uncaring as the ice around him. Shiozaki did not like this, they were villains sure but this was practically torture. They were no longer a threat to them.

"So unless you tell me how you plan to kill All Might…" he said, letting his earlier words speak for him. But instead of compliance or begging for mercy the villain began to laugh.

"If I were you kids, I'd worry more about myself" he said with a manic giggle as a scream straight out of the pits of hells washed over them. And before they knew it, it was on them.

Shipwreck Zone

Primal fear raced up Izuku's spine as he stared at the yawning pool of water beneath him. The fear threatened to consume him, if even a bathtub worth of water felt like acid, this could kill him. No, this would kill him.

With ever last bit of strength he had her poured his energy into his static thrusters. But it wouldn't be enough; he didn't have the strength to make it either shore or the boat.

And not to mention this damn weight!

"Whose holding onto me" he roared, fear making him lose his temper.

"I'm sorry Midoriya" came the shocked of Hagakure. "I tried to push you out of the smoke but"

"Oh God, if she's with me when I hit the water" he thought, the mental image screaming in his mind.

That was when he heard Tsuyu's voice, it both bringing relief and further fear as he looked down to see her in the water, and surrounded by villains!

"Izuku" she screamed as she sent a surge of water towards the villains and throwing them around like rag dolls, her hydrokinesis making it almost easy. But even still her eyes held fear, not for herself but for him.

"Tsuyu, grab Toru and take her far away from me" he tried to order before he saw something long and dark move its way under the water and towards Tsu.

"Tsu!" he tried to warn her, throat rasping and straining but it was too late as something grabbed her and pulled her under the water like a fishing bobber. All at once he felt as if he had been plunged into ice, a dread deeper than anything he had ever felt gripping his heart as a part of him died. And that part would not be alone for long.

"Hagakure listen; I need you to let go and once you hit the water, dive as deep as you can" he told her, remembering how fish in lakes survive lightning strikes.

"What why?" she asked with fear in her voice.

"Because I'm going to die" he roared, his voice shaking. "I can't control my electricity in water, once I hit the water it's going to discharge all at once and fry me"

"No Izuku don't die, there has to be…" she tried to reason but would not have it.

"Toru you need to jump or you're going to die please" he said, begging her to let go. He already had enough innocent blood on his hands he didn't want any more.

"No" she whispered.

"Toru ple…" he begged again, tears in his eyes but this time it was him being cut off.

"You're the only one who can see me. If you die I go back to being invisible. I can't go back to that, I won't!" she screamed clutching onto him even harder and making sure they would die together.

The water only ten feet away now as Izuku tried to push more power, the veins in his arms pulsing and threatening to burst from the pressure.

Time seemed to slow down then, his heart that at once had been hammering into his chest calmed with acceptance as the screams and noise of battle growing muffled and distant as he began to remember things, or rather everything. He realized then he was watching his life flash before his eyes. The day he learned he was quirkless, his fun times with Mineta and his first kiss. So many emotions filled him, a profound experience gifted to him before the end. "I'm sorry" he croaked; his final words, to his mother, Tsuyu, Minoru and all the people who died to give him this power.

He closed his eyes, not wanting to see his death coming when like a miracle something stopped him as he felt himself pressed into something stretchy and translucent.

"Wha… what" he stuttered his brain spinning in confusion as it tried to grasp that he wasn't dead. Twisting his head in every so, so much and so fast he might of worried he'd snap his own neck as he finally realized the reason for continued life.

Pressing his hand and feeling the barrier bend around and between his fingers he realized he was inside a massive soup bubble; but how? He felt Toru looking as well; just as confused he had no doubt as they looked around until Izuku saw something. Just on the edge and shadowed by the shade of a tree was someone, there arm outstretched and moving in a slow arc in accordance with the bubbles movements, the bubble popping the moment they were above solid ground.

As the two hit the ground he instantly turned back to where Tsu had been, there villains looked to be attacking the boat but there was no initial sigh of her or that thing. Letting out a radar pulse he could see that she was fighting with… something. Its brain was wrong, there was barely anything there. Even the animals he had seen had brains that shined brighter than that.

It was slashing at her, Tsu ducking a diving through the water like a torpedo… and he couldn't do anything to help her.

He slammed his fist into the ground, the concrete cracking under the force as he screamed. "f*ck!"

Getting he looked around, back to the treeline but they were gone. "What do I do, what do I do" he repeated to himself. Should he try and help the teachers, if they got warped away should he try and find the rest of the class.

He ran his fingers in frustration; help, he needed to get help. The signal jammer, he had felt something and after that second pulse it had gotten stronger. If he could find the jammer and stop it he could call for help, get the Pros.

"Where are you going" Toru asked as Midoriya whipped around, pointing a finger at her. She had been ready to throw her life away just to not be alone and as anger and pity fought to be the first to leave his lips they ended up strangling each other leave only an even if tense voice. "Going to find the jammer to take it down"

"Let me come with you" she asked, hands together almost as if she was pleading. He didn't have time to argue, Tsu and everyone else were out fighting and he needed to get going!

"Fine but you better keep up" he ordered her as he took off, Toru doing her best to keep pace as let out another Pulse, playing hot-cold and each time he was getting warmer until he came to a metal door behind the storm zone.

It was behind this door, he could feel it and as he tried to open it, he found it locked. This did not slow him down as he brought his foot up and forward in a front kick the crumbled the door and blew it off its hinges. The opening revealed a long, dimly lit hallway leading deeper down.

"Let's go" he said as arcs of blue lighting danced across his arms as the two walked down. All the while the image of Tsu pushed him forward. Whatever happens he would save her, he would save them all.

U.S.J Exit

"Shoji, do you have them" Iida asked, not letting his eyes leave the villain for a moment as Shoji with his quirk was able to create multiple ears, each twisting and turning like satellite dishes.

Everyone breathed a small sigh of relief when he told them that while they were scattered, they were still all inside the building.

"But what do we do now, that explosion didn't even hurt him" Gaped Uraraka as the two glowing yellow eyes stared at them like a predator.

"You're Ingenium's brother right" thirteen asked, as Tenya looked at the pro in surprise. He had not told anyone yet of his family's history with heroics, but he supposed that if anyone would know, it would be a pro.

"Yes Ma'am" he answered.

"Good because I have a job for you. Run to the school and alert them of what's going on" she told him.

"But it would be disgraceful to leave you" he said, his sense of honor revealing itself.

"Go Iida, there's alarms outside, that why there trying so hard to keep us from leaving" Reiko tried to explain, raising her hands and readying herself for battle.

"And I can help" Uraraka said pressing a hand to his bulky suit and making it feel weightless. He would need every advantage to escape.

"Use your quirk to protect others. Be a real hero" Thirteen blared, the voice and guidance of a pro proving effective as Iida got down into a sprinters stance, ready for the run of his life.

"I know you're desperate but do you think it's wise to strategize in front of the enemy" the villain boomed as tendrils of black smoke rushed towards them.

"Knowing it doesn't mean you can stop it" Thirteen countered as a port on the tip of her finger opened and began to violently suck in the darkness.

"You are strong Thirteen but you're profession as a rescue hero has left you woefully unprepared for a real fight" he pointed out with a haughty tone as a portal opened up behind her.

"Such as battle field awareness" she pressed as Thirteen was devoured by her own quirk, the back of her suit, ripped apart and turned to dust as her clothes and back soon followed.

She screamed in agony, the voice now unaltered by her decimated suit as she crumpled to the ground, her quirk deactivating.

"Iida go now!" Reiko yelled as his eyes lingered on the bleeding body of their teacher before he took off. He needed to get and get help now!

With a rush of air he sprinted with all his might, pumping his legs harder than he ever had before.

"Oh, a little sheep trying to escape the wolves" the villain scoffed as Tenya found himself under his terrible shadow.

"I'm close but what if it's locked? Could I kick it down? Do I have the strength" the questions screamed through his head as the shadow grew darker.

"You're not going anywhere you impertinent child!" he roared before the shadow lifted. Sparing only a single glance he saw that Uraraka was holding something metal, its silver colour contrasting against the darkness that surrounded it.

"I don't know what your quirk is but if you're wearing something you must have a body" she yelled as she through the piece of metal as far away as she could. "Run Iida!"

"Yes pest, how dare you" he bellowed as Iida desperately pried the door open. The villain would not give up stretching their misty form once more before Reiko used her quirk as well, hurling the metal piece far away.

"Noooo" the villain screamed in fury as his prey escaped and slivers of light emerged and Iida slipped his way past.

And as the villain watched as the image of the student was lost amidst the rays of light and freedom one thing passed through his mind.

"Looks like it's up to her now"

Mountain Zone

Jiro kept her head down as Momo laid down covering fire, her machine gun ripping through air and filling it with rubber bullets.

"Holy sh*t this is crazy, no one said they would have guns!" she heard a villain scream. She almost felt sorry for them.

Even since they had gotten teleported here Momo had been laying into them. Making sure any who tried to pop their head over what past for cover wouldn't have the time to attack. But as she looked at her now Jiro could tell that she couldn't keep this up. Sweat was flooding off of her and she was visibly getting thinner by the minute, the belt feed directly connected to her thigh providing both a constant source of ammunition as well as a constant drain.

"We get at least two more minutes before I run dry" Momo gasped through clenched teeth. Her face appearing gaunt, eyes sunken in and cheeks hollow the beautiful girl from before was long gone.

In that split second of diverted attention a villain lobbed a massive bolder at them, the chunk of earth aiming to crush them as Jiro quickly took a knee a plugged her earphone into her boots, the sound of her heartbeat shattering the rock into tiny pieces.

"Thank you" Momo said with deep breathes. But while the two of them were fighting there was a third that was doing anything but.

"Hey, get your useless ass up and help us" Jiro screamed as she looked at Kaminari who was cowering behind another outcrop of rock.

"And do what; I told you if use my electricity it will go everywhere. Unless you want to get fried" he argued back with venom in his voice and Jiro fought hard to not scream every insult and slur she could think off at him. But that could come later as his words gave her an idea.

"Wait, Momo can you make another Grounding rod, like the one from our battle training" she asked her, hope in her voice.

"Yes but… I don't have the energy to keep making bullets and make the rod" she grunted. "We need to get some distance to give me time"

Looking around quickly she tried to find a place they could retreat to. That place to the form of a small chasm formed between two cliff faces.

"There" she pointed as Momo nodded her head.

"Drag me, I don't have the strength" she told her as Jiro hooked her arms underneath her arms pits and began dragging her towards the gap as she continued to shoot in short bursts.

"Kaminari come on!" she yelled at the coward, while she didn't like him she wasn't about to leave him to die; the man needing little provocation, the idea of safety stoking what he had as he rushed for them.

They moved as quickly as they could through the gap, Momo firing off anytime a villain tried to make a move but they could smell blood in the water. Slowly though the grounding rod was forming on her arm.

Finally they reached the other side, Jiro gently laying Momo against the cliff wall as Grounding just finished forming.

"Here, take it" Momo whispered, her arm barely able to lift the rod to give it to Jiro as the sound of the villains grew closer, them no longer having to fear the rain of fire as they rushed through the chasm.

Jiro with a roar of effort plunged the rod as deep as deep as she could at turned to Kaminari.

"Kaminari do it now!" she screamed as the boy finally found his balls, running back into the chasm, lifting up his hands with yellow lightning arcing across his arms and yelled.

"1.3 million volts!" the chasm lit up so brightly Jiro had to cover her eyes and by the time the light died down and she turned her head to look, she saw the villains absolutely fried, their bodies twitching in uncontrolled muscle spasms.

"Damn" she said in shock. "Maybe there was more to him than I…"

That train of thought ended when Kaminari turned around with the stupidest look on his face, giggling inanely with each hand giving her a thumbs up.

"Or maybe not" she sighed as she looked back to Momo and realized she would have to drag them both of them out of there before a loud crack echoed behind her. And as she turned she saw a hand; a black, monstrous hand

Ruins Zone

"Say goodbye" Bakugo roared as he let loose another blast of fusion, the blow sending a pair of villains straight into a wall. He glared at the small, little weaklings with disgust; that hand guy and his warp friend couldn't even have the decency to send him worthy opponents. He spit on the ground in front of their unconscious bodies as he turned to see that spikey haired guy deal with some club wielding idiot as well as hand job and that mantis guy.

"I think that's the last of them" Kirishima said, breathing heavily as the four of them stood in a ruined office building.

"Good, now we can go and find the others" Kendo said. Bakugo scowled at that, who the hell did she think she was trying to order him around?

"You can do whatever you want but I'm gonna find some more villains to take down" Kamakiri said point blank, a sad*stic look in his eyes.

"Hey man we gotta make sure they're safe. Don't be like that" Kirishima tried to protest before an accusatory finger stabbed at him.

"We wouldn't be in this situation if you and that dumbass hadn't rushed in" he snarled as Bakugo felt his blood begin to boil.

"What the hell did you call me, you bug headed freak" he barked as he stormed up to the bug, though having to look to him due to their substantial difference in height.

"I called you dumbass you blonde bitch, are you retarded or just deaf" he barked back, not intimidated in the slightest as his arm blades began to extend and the blondes hands began to glow.

"Enough" Kendo yelled, getting in between them and pushing both back with her quirk. "We have villains attacking us and you're acting like this!"

"Get your Hands off my I…" Bakugo cursed before a noise fell over them and the argument died. It was loud and whirling, like a high pitch gust of wind that never ended.

"What is that" Kirishima whispered as the noised seemed to be coming from outside. The four pressed themselves against the wall that separated them from the outside and Bakugo slowly slid his body inch by inch until he saw it, and it made his skin crawl.

It didn't look human; it had no body, no arms or legs, its form held in the air by some sort of levitation quirk, dust kicked up in waves with the sound. But what it did have was a head or at least he thought it was but it was far too round and large, nearly the size of a car and as round as a basketball and every square inch of it was covered in large, human eyes that blinked in random patterns and looked this way and that in dozen different directions.

"What the f*ck" Kendo gagged in revulsion, sounding like she wasn't far from vomiting at the sight.

They were all so focused on the creature than none noticed the lizard villain skulking on the ceiling. He had been waiting for the moment they let their guard down and with his knife in hand he would kill them all, starting with the explosion kid.

But while they hadn't noticed him, the creature had noticed them as a single eye began to glow.

"Get back!" Bakugo Ordered as a thin green laser burst from it; slicing through the air, the cement pillar he had been using for cover and the poor villain behind him, the bastards head getting sliced clean in half, the top half sailing out the open window while the rest tumbled and slammed against the wall.

The creature wasn't done though as more eyes joined in, slicing the front of the building apart until the front of the building collapsed in a plume of thick dust. Thankfully the four had retreated far enough in into a hallway that connected the room to the rest of the building.

"Holy sh*t; what are we going to do" Kirishima stressed, voice straining to keep from screaming.

"We beat it" Bakugo grinned as his body began to glow with heat.

He wasn't about to run away, not after finally finding a real challenge and with no Deku to get in the way of his victory. At first he had wanted to go after that warp guy, to cut of the villain's mean of escape. But not anymore.

"Are you kidding" Kendo whispered harshly "We need to get out of here!"

"You can run if you want but what if that thing follows us to the others. You know; the ones the suck at fighting" countered Kamakiri and for once Bakugo felt something other than annoyance at his classmates words. Even if he would have to put him in his place later.

Kendo looked like she wanted to argue further before huffed in anger and nodded her head. "Fine but we need a plan"

Bakugo grinned even wider, oh he had a plan.

Outside

The sniper lay perfectly still amidst the trees, one eye peering down the organic scope of her arm as she watched the bend in the road that led from the U.S.J with a clinical eye.

'It was a good day to go to work' she thought to herself as the sound of running filtered in through one of her listening devices.

"One escaped, time of visual thirteen seconds." she said into her ear piece.

'Just like the old man predicted' she grimaced and wondered if that man had some sort of fortune teller quirk as she got more comfortable on her branch as she began to hum. It was a song that reminded her of her youth, something she had used to steady her heart for that one crucial moment.

And that moment came exactly thirteen seconds later. The escapee was a young boy, Ingenium's brother no doubt as she looked at the costume and leg thrusters.

"It doesn't matter, the plan must succeed" she whispered as she lined up her shot and fired.

BANG!

Chapter 17: Awakening

Chapter Text

Central Plaza

Aizawa and Vlad leaped from their perch at the top of the massive stairwell, soaring through the air like twin comets of justice and with only the thought of ensuring their students safety on their minds. Aizawa unfurled his scarf, letting the long stands billow behind him.

"Who the hell are those two" he heard a woman question as they fell, the villain letting her hair flow around her head like swirling vipers. They didn't recognize them, that meant they were either stupid or their boss hadn't bothered to give them the proper Intel, both were to their advantage.

There were three villains waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs, the woman, a man with gun barrel fingers and a fat guy in a pig mask and a green, full body hazard suit. Each one was dripping with overconfidence that lasted until he activated his quirk; and their confidence folded like their bodies. In their confusion as to why their quirks hadn't worked he shot out his capture scarf and ensnared them, wrapping them all together before he slammed into them feet first and riding them as they skidded across the ground like a living surf board.

One of them, the pig man seemed to have weathered the damage the best, already beginning to struggle against his restraints. Aizawa was quick to fix that as he slammed the heel of his boot on the villain's snout, hearing a satisfying crunch as the big man's body went limp.

Vlad King had not been idle either as the big man unleashed a torrent of blood from his gauntlets that both cushioned his fall and splattered itself onto all nearby villains, trapping them all as the liquid immediately crystallized, the villain's trying to free themselves leaving themselves open to a quick series of blows that took them out of the fight.

"Everyone watch out that's eraser head. He can erase your quirk with a look!" a villain warned as the villains surrounded the pair.

"It seemed at least some of them had brains" he thought to himself.

"I bet you can't erase a heteromorphic quick like mine" a four armed villain mocked, jumping into the air and hoping to land a superman punch. Aizawa easily dodged the telegraphed attack, letting the stone covered fist sail past him as he plunged his knee into the villain stomach, the villain's momentum adding to the force as he sputtered and coughed.

"You're right" he said flatly, dodging an attack from behind and letting the second villain punch the first in the face before turning around with a spinning kick and catching both of them in the side of the head.

"So which one of you punks are next" he threatened harshly as the pair spun through the air and onto the ground unconscious. The villains were wary now, their confidence peeled away. Even more proof that these guys nothing but petty thugs, only good to fight if they know they could win. But as their confidence fell his had risen and had made a mistake; letting himself blink for only a second.

"Dammit" he cursed as he watched the black smoke villain dissipate the instant his eyes closed. He wanted to go after him, to re-establish line of sight and shut him down but the rest of the villains foiled that plan before it could begin.

"You know what's worse than a hero" he heard a slimy voice say as he turned to see what he thought was the leader of these thugs. "A hero that lives up to his hype"

The man was scraggly, with a mess of light blue hair. He was covered in grey hands the gripped at his arms, head and neck with one hands palm pressed against his face and leaving only a single bloodshot eye to stare at him. If his getup was an attempt at intimidation it wasn't working.

"After we're done with these guys we'll show you just what we're capable of" Vlad boasted, tightening his fists and Aizawa could see he had gotten under his skin, the villain growling under his breath as he scratched the skin around his neck raw.

"I wasn't talking to you" he hissed, pure murder in his eye before he snapped his fingers. "Let's break that ego of yours"

Before Aizawa could even realize what had happened Vlad King and the bird headed villain were gone, with only a hard gust of wind being left behind.

"Where is he, answer me" Aizawa ordered, straining his voice to keep it even and in response the villain's eye contorted into one of pure delight as Shota heard a familiar voice scream.

"Fighting the final boss" he practically giggled. "I had wanted to save him for All Might but I figured he was due for a warm up match."

The villains were getting their confidence back; beginning to close in step by step as Aizawa gripped his scarf tightly, preparing for the fight to come and worrying about the state of his fellow teacher. And as it would immediately become apparent, he had more than just him to worry about.

"But I wonder. You two came down here to protect your students. So tell me Eraser Head; how do you think their fairing against his friends?"

Storm Zone

"Where is it!" Yosetsu screamed; his voice barely able to rise over the deafening sound of rain battering everything around them as Tokoyami and his fellow students ran through the downpour.

When they had all been teleported here, they had done their best to deal with the villains that had been sent against them, using the rain and darkness of the streets to their advantage. He and Shihai had used the shadows to separate the villains into smaller groups and ambush them, using Kaibara's fighting skill and Yosetsu's quirk to defeat and weld them to the walls and floor of the faux cities many alleyways. But then it had happened; one of the villains had put up more of a fight than the rest, a large brute of a man with some sort of armor quirk and in the tight confines of the alley's, he had used it to full effect. Kaibara had been knocked clear of the alley and into the rainy streets with a single punch. They had managed to defeat him; even as the darkness had begun to affect Dark Shadow but it wasn't even a moment later did they hear his screams.

Tokoyami's heart pounded into his chest; his lungs ached and burned like acid as he was pelted with the rain and wind. He could barely see; his cloaking clinging to his body and sapping him of heat. He felt like a panicking field mouse, desperately squeaking and running as the wings of a great and terrible hawk shrouded him. His eyes darted to the rooftops, to the alley ways and any dark shadow large enough to hold IT.

Yosetsu had his arms wrapped around Kaibara, welding the bleeding boy to him as the blood flowed from the wound in his chest, his crimson life-force lost in the never ending rain.

"Let me out" came the baritone voice of dark shadow; the words vibrating in his skull and making his teeth ache. He could feel him shifting and squirming under his skin, the darkness and the fear had grown too much and he had become…rebellious.

A part of him wanted to accept, to let him be enveloped and to let dark shadow take the wheel. He smothered that thought; drowning it on the same water that surrounded them.

"Let me out, you pathetic weakling" he demanded, red eyes staring into his minds eye in restrained fury but his resolve stayed firm, he had given in to him before and he swore he would never let it happen again.

"We need to find some place to hide" yelled Shihai, the morbid boy's eyes wide with fear as the shadows that once offered him safety with open arms had now turned into waiting jaws.

"There" came the deep voice of dark shadow, his voice rattling in his head like an earthquake as the pressure of Dark Shadow focused itself onto a single point, a shadowy finger emerging out of his cloak and pointing further down the street.

Tokoyami's first instinct was to pull him back in, he was too dangerous now. But through water logged eyes he could just make out the size of a large office building, its form looming over the rest of the buildings like a monolith.

Without instruction Dark Shadow sealed itself back inside and while Tokoyami wanted to refuse his quirks suggestion but in truth he didn't have any better ideas. They couldn't stay out in the open for much longer or thing would find them!

"Over there follow me" he yelled, forcing himself to run even faster to act as a guide. His feet splashed into the puddles as they raced towards safe harbour, and as he did he had never felt so afraid.

His vision became clearer as the building grew closer; thick concrete walls had never looked so beautiful. Not stopping his momentum for an instant he slammed his shoulder into the wooden door, shattering the lock and letting him sail through and hit the ground hard.

He hissed behind his teeth and cradled his shoulder, a moment's dread falling over him as a shadow loomed behind him. That was until he saw who the shadow belong to as Shihai came rushing in, with Yosetsu and Kaibara coming close behind.

The Vantablack boy gasped for breath, hands on his knees as he fought for air. Yosetsu though quickly set Kaibara down against the wall, deactivating his quick that had conjoined them before turning to the now broken down door and welding it back into place.

As the door was sealed and Yosetsu backed away, fearing that the thing would burst through at any moment the four of the stood. The dull sound of rain pattering against the walls and windows a tense silence fell over them all, their ears straining to hear beyond the rain and to the creature that stalked them.

Their attempts to locate their predator however were interrupted by the pained groan of Kaibara. His skin was pale, a shaky hand lightly pressing against chest as he fought to keep his eyes open.

"Hold still, let me see" Yosetsu whispered quickly, darting to his side and slowly peeling away his hand to properly see the injury. Tokoyami winced at what he saw as Yosetsu grasped him by the collar and tore the tattered shirt open to reveal three parallel gouges in his chest, running from his left shoulder to his lowest right rib.

"I'm gonna see if I can weld his these wounds shut ok" he said, talking to the barely conscious boy and sounding unsure himself. Neither Tokoyami nor Shihai objected, those wounds were bad and without any help he didn't think he would last much longer.

Pressing hands to Kaibara's chest as gently as he could he began to use his quirk, the wounds closing as skin on either said was tugged and fused together, forming a gnarly trio of scars.

"I think that should be enough" he sighed, releasing a breath he had been holding as he wiped the rain and sweat from his brow.

"Well at least someone is taking control of the situation" said Dark shadow, the barb hooking itself in Tokoyami's mind and causing a not to subtle sneer to cross his face.

"Kaibara listen to me" he said, grasping the boy's face in both hands to look him in the eye. "What attacked you?"

In truth they hadn't really seen the villain that had attacked him, only getting to see him run back into the alley like hell itself was chasing him. The memory sending a fresh chill up his spine, the fear in his eyes had been…profound and primal.

Kaibara's eyes were wide; short, frantic breaths leaving his lips before he began to speak, his voice just below a whisper.

"The lights"

"What did you say?" he asked again, he and everyone else leaning in close to hear him.

"The lights…don't…look into the lights" he croaked before his body went limp and fell forward, Yosetsu just able to catch him before his face hit the floor.

Panic filled the room as they feared the worse but as Yosetsu pressed his fingers to the boy's neck he breathed another sigh.

"He's just unconscious" he told them, a small relief in this horrible event as the trio now wondered what they were going to do now.

"We can't stay here" Tokoyami said, it was only a matter of time before that thing found them.

"Can't stay here? You were the one who brought us here!" Shihai snapped, his voice straining not to yell.

The confrontation was cut short by a shrill scream that sounded like nails on chalkboard and the sound of something breaking. Everyone jumped, moving away from the door as they stared at it, the sound of the rain somehow getting even louder.

"We have to hide" Yosetsu advised, picking up the unconscious boy and hefting him over his shoulder with a grunt.

"We have to hide until the pro's show up" he repeated, sounding like he was trying his best to not freak out.

"Hide? The damn coward!" sneered Dark shadow and Tokoyami could feel the anger ripple under his skin.

But even still no one was about to argue and without anywhere else to go they went the one place they could…up.

The stairwell they could barely see; without the light from the windows it was only the light from their phones were they able to move at all. Their steps echoed in the empty halls, one vacant and hallow floor after the other with row upon row of desks.

"Hey, does anyone else hear that" questioned Tokoyami as the sound of something wet slapping against something echoed from further down the hall. The three crept quietly the sound growing louder as the sound of rain added to the noise. Turning a corner they came to the source of the sound, a soaked window curtain flapped in the wind, rain falling in from a smashed in window. But the thing that stilled Tokoyami's heart and made every hair on their bodies stand on end was that the shards of glass were on the inside.

Something had broken in.

"Lights off, everyone hide!" he urged and once more they were cloaked in darkness and the ruffling of moving bodies as they hid beneath and behind desks.

"Coward" Dark shadow repeated as Tokoyami hid and from his position he could see Yosetsu push Kaibara under a desk before a place for his own. Shihai though had no need, simply letting himself fade into the darkness.

They remained motionless and again Tokoyami felt the sense of being prey, like the rabbit that had caught the attention of a fox, praying that it just stayed still enough that death would not come for it. And as they waited, a new sound came.

Snap Snap Crack!

Snap Snap Crack!

Quick yet even; again and again almost seeming to overcome the rain as a long emaciated hand crept itself from the top of the window. The sound of its claws scraping against the plaster of the wall as another hand came into view.

Tokoyami breath caught in his throat. The thing had been waiting for them; using the broken window to lay a trap and hoping they would get closer and investigate, and as the creature revealed its head he had to cover his mouth to keep from screaming as something out of his worst nightmares came over the window frame.

Its neck was long and twisting like a worm, stretching and shrinking as it peered into the darkened room. It had no jaw save for a pair of vertical sagging skin flaps where its mouth should have been and two dark pits where its eyes would have been.

In a flash it was inside and with it the 'snap snap crack' that he now knew were its limbs; multi-jointed like a spider as it crawled along the ceiling searching for them. Nearly every inch of it was skin and bone and he watched with sickening curiosity as its joints popped in and out of their sockets with every movement.

'Please heroes, get here soon' he thought to himself, fear scrawling up his back with a million tiny fingers. And that was before Kaibara began to stir, groaning lightly as the creatures head snapped in his direction.

Slow and ponderous; crack, crack snap went its limbs as it came closer to his hiding place.

Both he and Yosetsu looked to each other, each paralyzed by the horror less than twenty feet away from them.

"Let me out" growled, Dark shadow, wriggling under his skin as the fear and darkness began to chip at his will. "Let me out or your friend is going to die"

Suddenly the sound of broken glass pieced the air and the creature twisted about and Tokoyami then learned what Kaibara had meant by light.

Piercing white light burst from the creatures eyes, showing the opposite wall where a shattered lamp lay. Like a jumping spider it leapt to the lamp, flashing it light all around…until it found something.

A shadow at the corner of its light tried to shift away before its light caught up, pulling Shihai from the safety of his shadows. He expected him to run or for the creature to lunge and tear him apart.

Instead the fear in his eyes was replaced with a blankness that looked utterly foreign. He stood up half lidded eyes and began to walk towards the creature and to his further horror he realized the creature indeed had a mouth.

The flaps of skin stretched out wider and wider, showing off its opening throat before the skin flaps finally opened and revealed rows upon rows of teeth that flexed with dark anticipation.

The thing was going to eat him alive.

The realization ripping through him as Shihai drew closer, fully entranced by the light as he dragged his legs closer.

"Looks like he's dead" Dark Shadow chuckled in his mind and on instinct and spire he flung himself out of cover.

"HEY" he yelled and realized his suicidal bravery for what it was as the light darted from the Shihai to him, the Vantablack boy slumping to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut. Instantly he felt something pull at his conscious mind, like he was watching through his eyes as if it were a window rather seeing with them. He felt his body lurch forward, the creature redirecting its attention as it stretched its claws wide.

"YOU DAMN FOOL, I WILL NOT HAVE YOUR STUPIDITY BE MY DEATH!" roared Dark shadow but under the brightness of its light he could not defend either of them.

There, in the face of death brought upon by a creature born from hell itself did Tokoyami begin to feel something, a chill in his body, a void in his heart that at once was frightening and welcoming. Was it death, opening the door for him with a smile on its face? He did not know and didn't have the time to think. All he knew was that he wanted the light to stop, for the safety of darkness to return. His vision began to darken, the shadows growing deeper, voiding everything of its definition becoming nothing but darkness itself.

But it seemed that it was not all in his mind as the creatures light began to dim, like a flashlight slowly dying as the light retreated back into its head, as if afraid of the dark as he watched the void surround the creature. It screeched in confusion, talon slashing wildly as Tokoyami ducked out of the way; watching with wide eyes as the darkness devoured every inch of its body, leaving only a shifting void that thrashed around blindly.

Looking to Yosetsu he knew they needed to get out of there, whatever had happened he didn't know how long it would last and didn't want to be there to find out. But finally in this unnatural darkness the suffused the whole room was the wall of his will finally breached.

Dark arms erupted from his sides as pain ripped through his body.

"Finallyyyy" hissed Dark shadow as his quirk began to envelop him, becoming a twin of the horrid creature's situation.

As the hood of the raven began to fall over his face he looked to Yosetsu, the words crawling up his throat as he gave him the only warning he could.

"RUN!"

Mountains zone

A black hand erupted from the earth like a wicked tree; its fingers stretching out as it slammed it onto the ground. Jiro took a single step back eyes watching in silent horror as the ground began to heave as if it was breathing as a second hand and the rest of the villain revealed itself. Their body was massive, the size of a van and rippling with unnatural muscle underneath its stretched skin. It was on all fours like a gorilla, large sail like ears on the side of its head and a massive set of jaws that jutted out giving it a massive under bite. But what was most shocking was that it had no skull, its brain completely exposed.

Jiro stood still as a statue, fear ripping through her body like waves as the villain's ears twisted and turned before snapping its head in the direction of Kaminari; the dunce walking around and muttering to himself, his brain fried and leaving him completely defenseless. She heard the villain begin to growl like an animal, rivulets of slobber flowing between its fangs.

Jiro didn't have time to think as she got back down on one knee and quickly plugged in her ear jacks into her boots. The villain just began its charge at the doofus as the air rippled with the pressure wave of her sonic attack.

The villain screeched in pain, tumbling to the ground as it used its large hands to cover its ears. Jiro allowed herself a small yet anxious smile but she knew she couldn't keep this up forever. She just needed to think of a way to get them all out of this. Slowly she moved, step by step and putting distance between her and her other classmates; both Momo and Kaminari were out of commission and if this guy had any tricks she didn't want them near.

And it seemed her judgement was proven right as its fan ears retreated back into its head like worms burrowing into the ground. Instantly the effects of her attack stopped as the villain looked in her direction, nostrils flaring wide before it let out a wrathful scream, mouth opening to show teeth as large as kitchen knives and more than capable of biting in her in half.

Jiro had barely enough time to dodge away, the collar and sleeve of her jacket violently torn from her as the beast's jaws snapped where she had been but a moment before. She tumbled across the ground, rocks jabbing at her as she rolled to a stop. The villain turned to face her, the remnants of her costume handing from its teeth. Her heart was pounding her chest as she used the only defense she had. The wave just as before and again the villain didn't even react, as if that noise was nothing more than a light breeze. She tried to dodge away again but she was too slow as the villain lunged forward with lightning speed and grasped her left leg in its massive hand. Jiro shrieked in pain as every bone from her shin to her toes was put into a vice, feeling as if it was only a hairs breath from shattering. Then the real pain began as it swung her over its head and slammed into the floor, the air in her lungs viciously knocked out of her. An agonizing croak escaped her lips with the last bits of air she had as her back lit up like a string of fire crackers. She barely had the time to realize what was happening before the villain lifted her again and slammed her, face down into the rock, her only luck only being that she had closed her mouth in time to not bite her tongue off. The villain continued beating her again and again and again and the only thing Jiro was able to do was curl up into the fetal position as the very air around them was filled with the dust her impacts created.

With a final roar the villain hurled Jiro through the air; the brief feeling of weightless ending as her body slammed into the cliff face, skidding across its surface until she landed in a heap. She was fading in and out, darkness creeping at the edges of her vision. She didn't know how she was even still alive as she felt something warm and wet begin to pool around her head. She was bleeding everywhere, tasting the acidic iron on her tongue, her vision dyed red as it seeped into her eyes.

But even if she could barely see, she could feel. It was coming closer, hard lumbering steps that shook the ground with each step. Tears began to well up in her eyes, she was about to die. She had just wanted to make people feel safe and she was going to die. Strained hiccuped sobs overcame her as she felt the shadow of death loom over her, she closed her eyes her final thoughts being of her parent's faces and wishing she could see them one last time.

The sound of a gunshot brought her eyes open as another went off, and then another and another as the sound of bullets hitting something, filled her ears. Looking up through the blood and the pain she saw Momo, still sitting where she had placed her but now with pistol in hand and a look of a determination so fervent it struck her soul.

"Get… uuuup" she groaned in heaving wheeze. As the villain… no the monster took offence to the interruption, a low growl slithering from its lips as it began to stalk towards her. Jiro was gripped with a new fear; it was one thing to die but another to watch another die to by her time. Jiro's body screamed in protest, every nerve and muscle straining like stiff rubber bands only a few moments from snapping.

She felt sticky blood and pieces of dirt cling to her face, the thick liquid stretching into strands that connected her face to the ground below. She looked down to where her boots were and felt her heart go still with what she saw.

Her right boot was in tatters; wires and leather barely holding its form around her foot while her left boot was gone entirely. What was she going to do? What was she going to do! The monster was getting closer even as Momo continued to fire, the bullets bouncing and sparking off its skin.

And in that moment of pure desperation, with the image of Momo about to become a wet stain she felt something well up inside her, a power hidden yet with her since the day she was born as she took in the deepest breath of her life.

"STOOAAAAAAA!" she screamed, louder and harder than she ever had before. The scream tearing through the air, slamming into the monsters back and sending it flying end over end and into a cliff wall. The scream did not end their though, she continued on and on, it turning into a storm of razors that stripped the skin and flesh from its bones. When she gasped for air, its skin was entirely gone; ivory bones and organs bear to the wind with crimson blood flowing down from its body like a water fall.

Jiro starred in shock at the still corpse of the villain, horrified by what she had done and confused as to how she was able to at all. It was only when she Kaminari waddled out of the canyon pass was her attention diverted.

"Hey guy's I did it, are you both" he said; holding his head in his hand and a groggy look on his face before he saw everything that had happened. "Holy sh*t!"

"Denki" she wheezed; her throat raw after her attack. Immediately Denki tried to rush over to her, fear in his eyes before she ordered him to see if Momo was okay.

"But Jiro you're…" he tried to say before she cut him off.

"I know…go" he insisted, her whole body feeling like jello as she dragged her feet underneath herself. Scrunching her eyes and letting out a pained hiss she heaved herself back onto her feet, having to put her hands out to keep her balance.

"Hey, I think somethings wrong with her" Denki yelled and Jiro felt chill run through her as she limped her way closer, giving the still unmoving body a second glance before she finally got to her side.

Momo was gaunt, all skin and bones and her skin had gone pale. Fear gripped her as she kneeled down, fighting through the pain as she pressed her ear to her chest. Her heart was beating but it was erratic and Jiro didn't need to be a doctor to realize something was horribly wrong.

"I think she's having a heart attack" she pressed, picking herself and the top half of Momo off the ground.

"Come on, grab her legs" she practically screamed "we need to get her…" she tried to saw before the ground rumbled and a massive explosion rocked the USJ and the whole building was cloaked in darkness before the red of emergency lights bloomed, bathing the whole installation in a malevolent hue.

And from that red darkness did a second rumbling erupt and if Jiro had to bet she would have sworn she had seen a mountainous shadowy hand soar into the air.

Landslide Zone

Shiozaki dived out of the way, every nerve in her body screaming at the coming danger. Grabbing Mineta as she went she had not wasted a moment before a sonic scream ripped through the air, its destructive path slamming into where they had once stood, the ground shattering into pieces from the force and kicking up a cloud of dust.

They all looked up to see a black figure swoop past them at a frightening speed, gliding through the air, batting its wings as it's spiked tail swung at them, raining down a barrage of razor sharp needles nearly as long as her arm.

Todoroki was the first to recover, using his momentum to roll back onto his and erect a barrier of ice, the frozen water erupting from where he stood in the form of a half dome that protected the four from the rain of needles that cracked and sunk into but did not breach.

"Oh my god, what is that!" Mineta yelled as the shadow of the creature passed over them again and another piercing wail shattered their defence and sent them sprawling. It would seem that this villain would not give them a single moment to think. Again they did their best to recover and again the sound cracking ice found its way across the open terrain. But unlike before this ice was not trying to protect them as Shiozaki turned and saw some of the stronger villains breaking out of their icy cages, shattering the frosty restraints of their comrades and even using the needles like icepicks.

"This is bad" Shiozaki muttered as she watched the flying villain dart and fly over the glacier of ice that Todoroki had created. It would only be a matter of moments before the villains would regain their nerve and try attacking them again.

"Shiozaki, give me your hand" barked Monoma, turning her attention to the obnoxious blonde and it seemed he was not going to wait for a proper reply as he reached out and grabbed her.

Immediately his hair began to transform, going from the straw blonde to cords of vines like hers. While she loathed to be touched by such a vain man she was neither in the position or head-space to object.

Monoma used his new quirk to full effect spreading out and ensnaring some of the newly freed villain's. That was before a villain with some sort of blade quirk began to dice away at the vines. It seemed at least some of them did know how to fight.

She was quick to try and help, using her better familiarity with her quirk to sneak her vines along the ground and spreading them out, so that the villain could not destroy a great deal of them all at once.

The villain was forced to take his time, slicing at the vines in uneven strikes. And as the villain was distracted she heard a small roar, Mineta finally coming to the fight in earnest and throwing his balls, both at the villain and the ground around him. At first and to her shame, she thought him to be only panicking in his attack but she saw quickly that she had been wrong. One of the balls through the air and the villain, ignorant to his quirk attempted to slice the ball in half but only succeeded in trapping it on the edge.

With one of his blades rendered useless, Monoma was quick to wrap the villain, ensnaring him in a thorny cocoon as he thrashed impotently.

The victory though was cut short by another deafening screech as she looked over to see Todoroki flying through the air from the blast. He landed on his hands and knees, mouth hanging open, cold foggy air escaping his lips with every breath and his ears were bleeding, painting the ice that covered the right side of his body in a streak of red.

They couldn't keep this up and it was clear that his ice wasn't enough to deal with the flying villain.

"Todoroki use your fire on it" she told him, she had seen him thaw out an entire building during battle training. And she knew who his father was, with a last name like Todoroki none could mistake it.

But still he didn't seem to be taking her advice, sending a sneer of anger at her before he unleashed an even bigger spear of ice. And again the bat villain would dodge and evade, sailing over and around it with almost precognitive ease.

"Todoroki, use your fire!" she yelled more forcefully and again she was ignored. She could see frost building up on his arms and legs, his breath visible.

"What was wrong with him, could he not control his fire!?" she both thought and accused; she had seen him thaw an entire building why was he holding back!

"Use your damn fire" she roared, anger filling her as she looked at him like a petulant child.

"NO! I will never use…" he tried to scream back before the villain swung its tail again. Todoroki tried to block it but the frost had slowed him too much. Shiozaki tried to intercede, her remaining vines forming a shield.

But in the end though the ice was too slow and the vines to weak. The spines sailed over the forming ice wall and pieced the veil of vines like it was paper. She watched; almost in slow motion as they sailed towards her before she felt something push her out of the way.

She hit the ground hard and with a flare of pain she turned to see who had done it and her heart seized in her chest. Standing with a trio of needles embedded in his body was Mineta; two in his gut and one in his right shoulder. He looked at the needles in his body, lightly grasping them before giving her a look of shock as the purple of his suit began to darken.

Shiozaki rushed to his side and was just able to grab him before he fell, holding the boy in her arms.

"No, no, no, don't die, don't die don't die" she pleaded, her mind racing to try and find some way to fix him, to save him. All around them the fight continued; she could hear the sound of Monoma screaming to keep helping him but his words were distant and quiet when compared to the shaky breathes of Mineta.

"What's that quote? Greater love hath no man…" he tried to say a small trickle of blood flowing down the corner of his mouth.

"That a man lay down his life for his friends" she finished, tears beginning to streak down her face.

"A girl crying over me; who'd of thought?" he joked, a weak smile on his lips even as know gnawed at the corner of his eyes.

"Promise me" he said, suddenly grabbing her hand with his quickly diminishing strength "watch after Izuku, he's gonna need…all the help…he can get" he finished his voice getting fainter and grip beginning to loosen. He was dying right before her eyes.

"HAHAHAHAHA" came sick twisted laughter as she found herself surrounded, she looked them, the horrid glee in their eyes as they held the unconscious Monoma by his vine hair and the half frozen Todoroki pinned beneath their feet.

"Oh don't cry girlie; you and your boyfriend are going out together" their leader said, their inhuman smiles growing wider as that beast continued to circle overhead, shadowing them in its wings.

In that moment, as the villains drew closer, their cackles echoing in her soul a righteous fury unlike anything she had ever felt ignited in her soul, his body began to glow with an emerald aura and as it did so too did the ground began to shake more and more as the sound of splitting stone echoed. The villains tried to finish her but before they could enact their sin massive roots sprung up from the earth.

The villain's cried in surprise as their bodies were ensnared in roots as thicker than her torso's, their bravado breaking like cheap glass as the Roots grow around each other, higher and higher into the air and forming as massive trunk. Where once there had been nothing, now there was a massive tree whose leaves pressed against the roof of the dome. The villain's kicked and cried, spewing cures her way but her focus wasn't on them anymore, nor was it on her new and sudden abilities as the she watched the flying villain with a gaze of an avenging angel.

Is if by mental command the dozen of branches lashed out like whips towards the villain and while it had been fast, it only took one to snare it as the bastard screeched in protest as it was dragged back to the tree.

There the villain was trapped, as roots wrapped around its wrists, ankles and neck. It screeches powerless to free it. There in that moment she felt something tug at her mind, an idea that spoke to her deepest reaches, though in her right mind she wold never admit.

"Kill them" the voice said, these people who relish in their sin are an affront to the lord, "Expel the wicked from among you" and send their evil screaming into the pits.

But as she felt Mineta, still in her arms

"It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord

It was not her place; it was up to the lord to decide and she would not send them to him. It was not her place.

So with a long, laboured breath she exhaled the breath she held and only then realized fully what she had done as her mouth hung open. Not only had she created that massive tree, the ground around her was covered in flowers and grass.

She would have stared longer hand Mineta not begin to cough, worry stabbing at her chest as she watched with shocked silence as his body began to glow with an emerald sheen, the needles sliding out of him and falling to the ground but without a hint of further blood. In fact she saw that he didn't have any wounds at all and as Mineta opened his eyes once more she couldn't help but see it as…

A miracle.

Fire Zone

The heat was suffocating; thick dark smoke billowing from innumerable fires that covered the faux city as they fought. Adrenaline flowed through Mina's veins just as sweat covered her body as she swung her arm in a wide arc, letting her acid flow out of her in a great swath, the corrosive liquid splashed against the brick wall the villains had been using as cover. The sizzling and bubbling of her attack sung with the crackling of fire as the wall melted like ice in the sun.

There were two villains visible now, and through the choking smoke she could of swore she had seen confusion at their sudden lack of protection before tape and horns struck them, hanging them from street lights and walls respectively. Mina however remained focused, watching for anything else that might come, but when none came she couldn't help but let a smile spread across her face and pump her fist into the air.

"Yahoo, that was great guy's" Mina cheered, feeling then adrenaline pump through her system as she turned to the rest of them. Besides her their was Sero and Pony, who along with Ojiro had been their front line, all of them working to deal with any villains that came after them.

And behind them came the one that needed the most protection out of all of them. The mushroom girl Kinoko came out of her hiding spot, her costume, now ruined and peppered with holes from burning embers.

Here in this place, without the humidity for her fungus to grow she was as good a quirkless; a strange contrast given how dangerous she had been during combat training. Lastly was Aoyama, who given himself the mission of being the girls "bodyguard" but she thought he just didn't want to fight.

She could be annoyed at him later; right now they needed to get out of there.

"Sero can you swing around and see if you can find a way out" she asked, turning to the boy who nodded under his mask. With a whip of his tape he pulled himself into the air and was lost amongst the smoke.

They were forced to wait, not wanting Sero to lose them if they started moving. That also put them in the unfortunate position of being a sitting duck. The wait was only a few minutes but it had felt far longer before Sero eventually came back.

"I saw an exit…a few blocks from here" he said, taking in deep breathes after the exertion.

Mina could have hugged him with that news and it wasn't long before all of them began to move out, following Sero's directions to best they could, working around burnt out cars and collapsed streets.

"There" Sero said, pointing a finger down the road, to what looked like a several sets of door that as she looked up were connected to the wall of the dome, they had made it!

That was… before one of the buildings collapsed; slamming its broken, burning body into the path in front of them, kicking up a cloud of dust and wind that pushed them back and forcing them to shield their eyes.

As the street was chocked with dust and embers, the ground began to shutter BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.

And as the dust settled they were greeted to a walking mountain, Mina mouth hung and fear stabbed at her heart as she gazed at the villain, a memory rushing back to her when she had still been in middle school.

Though even in her shock, she could tell this was not the same villain as back then. The most obvious thing being that he was smaller, only twice her height rather than five and in place of clay coloured skin, this villains was nearly obsidian, glossy and nearly reflective. In place of a jaw it had a massive pair of pincers that ran with drool. The top of its skull was missing, leaving its brain completely exposed and its large unblinking eyes watched them.

In the moments that followed it almost seemed like time had stopped before villain's mandibles flared, raising up its massive arms and slammed them into the ground. Kicking up another cloud of dust as they all tried to ready themselves.

Pony and Sero tried to restrain the giant, launching their quirks forward… but it was like trying to stop a tidal wave with a sand castle. Pony's horns bounced clean off its skin, not even leaving a dent. Sero tried to wrap up the villain's arm, but instead of slowing them down he was pulled forward as it reeled its hand back, and slammed their open palm, sending him flying.

"Sero!" Mina screamed as he flew back down the street, and before she knew it, it was her turn as it kicked a burning car straight at her. She tried to dodge but the car came to fast, clipping her as she tied to move and send her sliding across the ground and slamming back first into a wall.

The brick cracked as her body hit the wall, a breathless cry screeching from her lips as the air the air was knocked out of her lungs. Her head was swimming, the world spinning as she tried to look for the Villain, and then she saw Ojiro. She watched as Ojiro fought desperately against the villain, using his tail to like a baseball bat, hitting debris to smash against the villain. Just like before it did less than nothing.

And as he tried to jump away, he was swatted out of the air like a fly and caving in the roof of a car. As she looked on at Ojiro's body she didn't know if he was even still alive. The villain though only moved on to their next target as Kinoko and Aoyama watched the looming shadow of the giant fall over them.

"Aoyama get her out of here" Mina tried to scream, even as he ribs cried in protest. Kinoko was helpless in this environment, they needed to run and get help.

But instead of helping her, Aoyama only gave a moment's glance to the terrified girl before running off and leaving her behind. Mina mouth hung open, watching the flamboyant coward dart away, his cape following behind him. The giant didn't even seem to notice him running, its head focused squarely on Kinoko.

All alone and out of option, she screamed in terror, crouching down and covering her head with her arms as the giant prepared to strike.

She needed to get up, dear God she needed to get up. pulling herself up, her muscles protested, by she did not listen, there was no one else now.

'It really was just like back then'

The memory coming back again as the world began to slow, the fear in her classmates eyes, the mountainous villain, she had done this before she could do it again.

She watched in slow motion as the villain's face sailed forward, aiming to splatter the small girl into paste, and Mina moved faster than she ever thought she could and slammed into her, pushing her out of the way and letting her take the full force of the hit.

It felt like getting hit by a train as he body was smashed into a burning building. She sailed through the burning air before she collided into and through something as she slammed into the far wall of the building. Blood poured from her mouth as she slid to a stop, she could barely move, her vision hazy with the smoke and the heat that surrounded her. Her ribs were on fire, some of them had to be broken and before she could even think of getting up the whole building began to shift and she realized just what she had hit.

A support column.

She barely felt the impact as the building caved in on her.

Service Tunnel

Midoriya and Toru made their way down the metal steps, hearing their shoes clang and echo against the walls as they did. Anxiety rippled through his body; they needed to be quick, Tsu was fighting that thing and who knew what had happened to the rest of his class. As they finally reached the bottom he let his electricity flow through his arms illuminating the grey concrete as they reached the threshold of the light. The hallway was long and so thin that Izuku could touch both walls at the same time. Squinting his eyes he could just see that it had a slight bend to it, which would lead them back into the USJ.

Not wanting to waste any more time, the two set off. Passing the bend Izuku continued to let out his Radar pulse, feeling the electrical currents around them and following the secret ripple that grew stronger by the second.

Going further and further, the featureless hallway began to open up into other directions, like the branches of a tree and each lined with doors. If he didn't have his radar pulse he was certain he would get lost down here. And as they moved closer to the signal he couldn't help but think about the person that had saved them. Who could it have been, it obviously couldn't have been one of the villains and none of the others seemed to have any problem with killing kids. And that quirk seemed familiar, but from he couldn't remember.

And why had these villains' come here at all? What was their purpose? That man with the warp quirk had talked about how they expected All Might to be here and that they had been the ones responsible for the alarm yesterday. They had a plan but it seemed, more than flawed. They had separated them into smaller groups to pick us off, that was smart enough but they didn't seem to know about our quirks.

Certainly they had picked the right location for him to be dropped, the water more than enough to kill him on contact but they had also sent Tsuyu there and with her conduit powers she had handled herself well…before that thing showed up.

"He just needed to move" he told himself, driving his determination to the front of his mind and forcing himself forward as the two finally came to a bright red door labelled "security". He couldn't sense anyone on the other side but he wasn't going to take any chances. Taking a breath and feeling his power course through him he gave a one last look to Hagakure who nodded her head once before he swung the door open, the metal clanging as it hit the wall and the two moved in.

In front of them were dozens of computer screens; each one black save for single screen at a desk separate from the rest. The two attentions were of course drawn to it, for Toru it was because it was seemingly the only one on and for Izuku it was for what was on the desk.

There next to the computer was a small device, about as large as a walkie-talkie and was plugged into the computer.

"Wait" Toru said; putting herself between the device and him.

"What are you doing" he asked, frustration leaking into his voice, electricity primed to fry both the computer and the signal jammer.

"This doesn't make sense" she said, lifting her hands to try and calm him. "If they simply wanted to jam the signal they wouldn't need to plug it into this computer, the computer is using wires not radio waves like a cellphone" she continued and pointed the computer screen that showed lines of code that in truth Izuku knew nothing about.

"I can figure out what they're doing if you give me a minute" she continued and almost looked like she was about to cry.

"I know you're mad at me for not getting off you, so please... let me make it right" she pleaded and Izuku had to stop himself from immediately denying her. They needed to stop the villains but they also needed to know what they were doing here.

Gritting his teeth Izuku nodded his head, and Toru want to work in a flash, slamming her butt into the chair and typing away at the keyboard at a blinding speed, opening up new windows and lines of code that he was equally ignorant of.

Izuku watched through his radar vision as Toru's brow furrowed, her eyes glowing slightly wider as her continued to type away and her mouth began to silently for words before she began to speak.

This thing…it isn't just a jammer" she said as one by one the screens on the far wall began to light up. "It's hooked up into the USJ's security cameras and… is sending out a signal?" she finished, sounding confused as her typing stopped and looked at the screens with wide eyes.

Toru gasped as she looked Jiro being rag dolled by a muscular villain and Izuku could see Mineta, his best friend…skewered.

Izuku felt his heart fall into his stomach as he watched him.

"No" he breathed and it was only by a great deal of will that he was able to pull his eyes away. He needed to get rid of that signal, now more than ever as he lifted his arm and was ready to send to bold of electricity to fry the damn thing.

BANG!

Izuku was sending flying through the air; his back lighting up in pain as if it had been doused in acid as he hit the wall of monitors and fell with a cascade of sparks and glass. Izuku groaned in pain, his jaw tensing as his ears rung as the noise bounced off the walls. He looked back to where he had been standing, sending out a radar pulse and again saw nothing. Toru was looking all around her in fear and confusion, what had…

BANG!

Again his body ripped with pain as he was shot again, this time right into his gut as he coughed and gagged. But this time he had seen it, the flash and the falling empty shell. Toru saw it to and tried her best to stop the villain, throwing herself to where she thought he was.

Why could he see her but not the villain?

That thought was ripped from his conscious mind as he watched something hit Toru across the face, sending her crashing into a desk and another BANG, illuminating the dark room and sending Izuku into a rage. He had been helpless in the blast that had killed thousands; he had helpless to help his best friend who for all he knew was gone.

He would not be helpless here! He would not let anyone else for him!

With a roar he threw an arm forward and unleashed a shockwave, hitting everything in front of him and sending them into the wall. There in the midst of splintered wood and dust he could finally see it, the outline of a large man, the dust clinging to them.

Lightning crackled across his arm as he loosed a blast that hit the villain straight in the chest, arcs dancing across his convulsing body. He hit him again and again until the villain flew clean off his feet, hit the wall a second time and fell still,

As the last bolt of lightning left his fingers and before the electrical buzz that came from the villains body ceased he moved to where he saw Toru land. Limping, the pain in his back and gut stabbing at him, he powered through, letting out a radar pulse and finding her.

"Toru are you okay!" he pleaded desperately, looking over her body to look for damage; he couldn't see any obvious damage. Had the villain missed his shot? Before he could think any further Toru jerked forward, coughing and gagging as she tried to regain her breath.

Izuku patted her back lightly, wanting to make sure she was okay as her breath began to even out. A small relief, given all that was happening, now all they needed to do was…

His thoughts were cut off by raspy labored breathes. Turning his head both saw the villain rise back up to his feet and whatever quirk he had disabled and allowed them to see what exactly they were dealing with.

The villain wore a strange suit that almost reminded him old deep sea diving gear and wore a gas mask with bright blue lens that zoomed and expanded like a camera. On his back were two massive air tanks that connected to the mask.

And worse of all, he still had his shotgun and was pointing it at them. Izuku grit his teeth in anger, cursed himself for such a stupid mistake. Electricity began to flow into his arms, and a further raising of the shotgun told him what would happen if he tried.

Slowly, the villain got up, limping slightly as he moved from the wall to the exit. It was only when he flung the door open and his attention divided, did Izuku try to stop him.

"An enemy is always at their most vulnerable when they think they've won" he remembered, the words of one of All Might's interviews giving him the idea. As the villain stepped a foot into the hallway Izuku made his move; shooting out another bolt of electricity and would have had him, had his injuries not come to bite him. His wounds flaring as he raised him arm, tweaking his aim slightly to the left and sending the bolt straight into the wall beside him as the villain slammed the door behind him.

Izuku roared as he raced after him, hobbling himself to the door and find the villain had barred it. Clenching his fist he punched at the door, the metal bucking under the assault and on the third strike, the door finally gave way, the top hinge of the door flying loose and the sound of something snapping coming with it. Immediately he saw the villain's shotgun, its pieces sliding and banging against the stone and Izuku realizing that it had been what the villain had used.

"That was good" he thought; without his weapon the villain wouldn't be able to shoot back.

But as he looked further down the hallway he saw something that brought his mind to a screeching halt. In front of the retreating villain was another person who with a raise of his hand caught the villain a bubble, the same bubble that had been used on him.

It was then that he realized who this person was as they move toward the villain, his costume now visible under the fluorescent lights and marking him clearly as the pro hero Wash. Izuku wanted to cry tears of joy, the pros had come, everything was going to okay now. All they needed to do now was…

And for the third and final time, his train of thought was derailed as the villain didn't even attempt to escape, standing like a statue as the hero moved past him, the bubble deforming easily to let him through and putting him between them and the villain.

"What are you doing, we need to" Izuku tried to say before Wash pulled back a part of his costume to reveal his face. Black veins trailed under his skin and black ooze flowed out of his eyes and mouth as the hero pulled open the door of his washing machine costume, revealing it was packed with explosives.

"IZUKUUUUUU!" the corrupted hero bellowed as he lit the explosives and charged them like a madman, screaming at the top of his lungs. Izuku had just enough time to collect himself before grabbing the half broken door and lamming it shut, and grabbing onto Toru before a massive explosion rocked the USJ and everything went black.

Chapter 18: Conduit vs Nomu

Chapter Text

Ruins Zone

Bakugo had finished speaking, the last of his plan explained to the three extras he had been forced to work with. And as the last words left his lips he felt a wave of annoyance rush through him, being forced to work with his lessers irritating him like a scab he couldn't pick. But if nothing else he could use this as an opportunity to showcase his superiority.

"Are you sure about this" Kendo asked; a notice of concern in her voice and forcing Bakugo to do the one thing he hated above all else, a thing that up until UA only his mother could force him to do… bite his tongue. She overall had the easiest part of the job; the least she could do was be happy about it and not second guess him.

"You're putting yourself in a lot of danger doing this" she continued and Bakugo could feel the anger beginning to boil beneath his skin. Was she underestimating him, did she think that he couldn't measure up and that Deku or that icy-hot bastard could do better; the thought of those two making the blond tense his jaw.

After seeing the power they wielded, freezing an entire building and what that green haired little sh*t did to his arm he had felt something he would never admit even under the most horrid torture; that being the realization… that there were others that could challenge him.

"And who the hell do you think you are to put me there?" Kamakiri added, angered by his role in the plan and making the explosive blonde roll his neck, hearing the small cracks and letting the small relief's keep him away from laying this oversized bug flat. But again he held himself back; he wasn't stupid he had heard Aizawa's warning that if he didn't behave he would expel him and he had seen the look he had given him back on the bus. And he knew damn well this extra would go crying to him if he asserted himself.

"You just want the villain all to yourself" he continued, pointing an accusatory finger at him.

"Come on Guys, the plan makes sense" Kirishima interrupted, putting himself between Bakugo and the other two.

'Well at least spiky Hair has enough brain cells to know his place' he thought to himself. People like him were made to hit things and take damage not think.

"I mean, it's not like we have any better idea's" he continued and even as the bug opened his mouth to speak, no words left his mouth as a look of frustration spread across his features before huffing in defeat, a smug smiling growing on Bakugo's face at the sight.

"If you're done bickering let's get going" he finalized; moving through the dusty, destroyed hallway and not bothering to look back to see if the rest were heading into position.

Moving lightly on his feet and doing his best to remain quiet he moved to a lower floor on the building. Closer now he could still hear the whooshing of the disgusting villain's quirk and as he slowly poked his eye around the corner their bulbous body even more disgusting. Its skin had a sheen to it, as if it was wet and he could hear its eyelids squish as it blinked.

Slowly, the seconds ticked by, Bakugo's muscles tensing beneath his skin, his brow furrowing in determination as his hands began to glow like white hot iron.

'This victory would be his and there would be no one who could deny it' he hissed in his mind as a shadow fell over the clearing. Looking up his he saw the beginnings of his plan come to life as dozens upon dozens of stones, ranging from the size of his fist to the size of his head were thrown high into the air, hanging motionless for a moment as they reached their apex before falling back down and aiming straight for the villain. It seemed hand job could at least follow simple instructions.

He heard the villain, growl from he didn't think it had as its eyes began to glow before shooting out another barrage of lasers. The stones cut to ribbons as they fell and provided him with his opening.

Taking off with the force of a rocket, he blasted himself from his hiding spot and took aim at the villain. With a roar a wave of searing heat erupted from his arms and hit the villain dead on. Bakugo grinned in delight at his coming victory before his eyes went wide as green light glowed from within the cloud of steam. Taking in a sharp breath he leaned back, a beam of light passing right over his head as the steam dissipated and saw the villain still floating there. Some of its eyes completely melted, blacked eyes dripping from charred sockets. And even with so much damage the villain kept one of its undamaged eyes focused on him, trying to cut him apart as he bobbed and weaved through the ruins and debris.

The laser followed him like a bloodhound, paying no mind to anything as it sliced through concrete and erupting in plumes of dust as they fell. This thankfully was to Bakugo's advantage as he shut off his quirk, letting him slide and skid across the ground before hiding again amongst the rubble.

"sh*t" he cursed, his lips curling into a thin line as he peeked an eye around his cover and discovered to his anger that the villain was still floating. He'd hit that thing damn near point, half its body burnt to a crisp and yet it was still going with the only real reaction it had being turning its damaged side upwards, no doubt to keep it lethal at the most important angles.

Bakugo bit his lip so hard it drew blood as his… lack of victory would mean that those other two were now going to be a part of this. The mantis head had been right; he had hoped that attack would have been enough and had only given them their task to get them out of the way and leave the defeat of the villain solely to him so that none could question that he and he alone was the greatest and strongest.

Red eyes glared at another ruined building on the other side of the clearing, its form hanging at a steep angle and looming over the area like the head of a massive axe. With a low rumble the building began to shift, dust shaken off as the wall that held the building aloft was destroyed, sliced to pieces and punched into chunks by Kirishima and Kamakiri. Like a colossal glacier the air was filled with the groan and snapping of its movement before it reached the point of no return and fell forward with a frightening speed.

The villain began to visibly vibrate as the shadow of the building fell over it, the wind growing stronger as the windows that had not already broken shattered and a wall of air struck the building. The gale was so strong that even Bakugo was forced to hold on to a piece of concrete to keep from being blown away from the attack. But even with such force the villain had only succeeded in slowing it down. The villain then began to move away, trying to get out from under the building seeking to crush it and in that moment Bakugo knew it was his time to strike again, paying no mind to the strength of the villain's quirk.

Through the wind and carrying a frightening glare in his eyes he burst out from his spot once more and towards the villain. His hands blazed like twin suns as the mucus ridden eyes spotted him as they again began to glow. In that moment Bakugo redirected himself, pulling his hands forward and aiming at the ground in front of him and unleashing another blast that sent chunks of rock and dirt. The villain undeterred began slicing into the cloud, aiming for the explosive blonde. But all their attacks missed as Bakugo reappeared; not from the sides or the back and not even from beneath but from above. The blonde using the dust as a smokescreen launched himself high into the air and above the falling building; hanging in the air for but a moment before rocketing back down and through the broken windows. Diving through the falling building like a falcon, he erupted through the other side and came to see the top of the villain's head. Aiming for the one place he couldn't see as he unleashed another, even more powerful wave of fusion empowered heat; his whole body gaining the colour of glowing metal.

The attack slammed the villain with tremendous force, smashing it into the ground and causing its air quirk to deactivate, the building falling now in earnest. As Bakugo fell and reached the side of the creature he let out another attack, to make certain the villain would not get up and giving the momentum to get clear as the building finally slammed down with the force of a meteor, shaking the ground like an earthquake.

Bakugo twisted and landed on his feet, skidding to a halt with a feral grin on his face as dust covered the entire battlefield.

"That had to have been enough" he thought to himself, pride and sad*stic glee washing over him at the villains defeat. That feeling though was undercut by the cheers of Kirishima.

"Yeah we did it" Kirishima laughed, pumping his fist into the air as he and mantis head walked out of the dust.

"Did we do it?" Kendo shouted from the top of the building.

"Hell yeah we did!" he said again, sounding no less enthused. But just as those words left his mouth did the ground begin to rumble and shake. All eyes fell on the fallen building as it began to bulge and in a burst of power the villain re-emerged but they had not come out unscathed.

Skin hung from its bulbous body like a grotesque robe, its hovering was wobbly and uneven; it few remaining eyes swirling in its sockets as if in a complete daze.

Bakugo had had enough with this guy, readying another blast to take this guy down. Whether or not this next attack would put the villain in the hospital or the morgue he couldn't care less!

But before any could attack the villain the villain began to spin, shooting out its lasers and becoming a whirling disco ball of death.

Everyone was quick to duck to the floor, watching as the villain sliced apart everything around it in one final attempt to end their lives.

"God Damn it, just die already!" Bakugo yelled, aiming his arms forward when a piecing scream filled the air. Distracted, he looked up to the see the building Kendo had been on was falling apart, her along with it and from that height he was certain she would make a rather large, wet smear… if the lasers didn't dice her first.

He wasn't her keeper and he doubted Aizawa could fault him if hand Job went out like a water balloon… but if he did save he could definitely use that to his advantage, get his teacher off his back, being a team player and looking out for his "fellow" classmates and he could use it to also prove that he was better than Deku and Icy-hot.

With that Idea in his mind he redirected his palms towards the floor and took off into the air. Not only would he beat the villain he would save her too. Weaving through the he soon found that his now blazing form was gaining the villains attention, its lasers growing more focused and co-ordinated as they converged on him.

Reaching out a hand to grab her he was forced to slow down lest the sudden stop snap her spine or crush her ribs. Finally grabbing her in his arms he went to the closest place of shelter which was now the mostly collapsed building they had been teleported into but as they just reached inside he felt a line of heat and pain rake across his back from his hip to his shoulder blade.

He snarled in pain, forced to make a sloppy stop as they both tumbled inside. Bakugo breathed a silent scream as he bared his teeth at the pain and swearing he was going to turn that villain to dust. But Just as Bakugo had returned to his feet did the seemingly endless lasers stop. Rushing to see he saw to his absolute fury that the Bug had finished the villain, its body sliced clean in two.

"Thanks for the distraction" he heard him say making the blonde blood boil beyond all reason, that f*cking extra had used his own plan against him.

But before he could do anything rash the entire USJ was rocked by an explosion that bathed it in complete darkness and making Bakugo's body look as if it were a miniature sun. Soon red emergency lights filled the darkness and with it more explosions coming from the center of the USJ.

He was going to take his anger out on someone and the villain's leader just volunteered himself.

Shipwreck Zone

"Tsu!" was all she could hear Midoriya yell, his eyes filled with a new fear that she didn't understand until something hard and sharp gripped her leg.

She could barely let out a shocked gasp before she was pulled under, the fear stricken face of Midoriya the last thing she saw before her face fell beneath the waves and the unknown villain dragged her deeper.

Looking down to her restrained limb she saw he assailant, their body long and smooth like an eel but its face was the true horror. Its face was like that of a wolf but it had no skin, no flesh either leaving only stark white bone, its exposed brain and a single yellow eye that glowed in a disgusting hue in the dark waters. With a solid kick to where she thought their wrist would be she managed to free herself. Tsu gritting her teeth as the villain let go, its claws racking her skin and letting out streams of blood into the water. Before even her conduit enhanced healing had time to close her wounds she was forced to dodge as those same claws aimed for her chest. It came at her again and again, her mind having to focus entirely on keeping her head on her shoulders until like a shot of lightning she felt her back press against the hard stone wall of the zones perimeter.

And it seemed her pursuer had realized their prey was cornered as it made to impale her. The world seemed to slow to a crawl as she watched those claws swing forward, their edges glinting in the refracted light of the water, she didn't have the time to dodge, and there was nowhere to go. But even still she had to try; Izuku was in trouble and if she didn't survive…he was going to die. That thought giving her all the motivation she needed as she twisted her body, moving as fast as she could to try and dodge her death and get behind the villain. And as she did she felt something strange over her entire body; as if she was…becoming fluid?

But those thoughts her cut short as the claws sunk through her and embedded themselves in the stone wall. Tsuyu's eyes went wide as she looked down to her stomach and was immediately dumbfounded by the lack of claws in her guts but more than that as she looked up the villain was gone.

"W…what" she thought her mind screeching to a halt before she heard a violent screech behind. Turning around she saw the villain, nearly ten feet away from her and slashing like an animal at the wall, seemingly searching for her as it created a cloud of dust that hung in the water.

Pressing her hands to her stomach, there was nothing, no marks or blood. Not knowing exactly what had happened she wasn't about to let the opportunity slip her by as she fled back to the surface and leaving the villain to its rampage.

Feeling that same sensation from before she let it carry her and what felt like an instant she was just beneath the surface. Breaching the surface she looked for where Izuku had been. She hadn't seen any electricity and she didn't see him or Toru anywhere. Hoping that Izuku was safe she caught off guard as a loud crash echoed and she saw the yacht in the center of the lake begin to sink, a massive gash in the ships side. And all around the sinking ship where the remaining villains, hoping perhaps that she would be too busy to help her classmates. She would be sure to prove them wrong as she heard the yells Juzo and Setsuna, the two recommended students who while powerful were at a complete disadvantage as a hand made of pure water reached into the air and aiming to cleave the ship in two.

The owner being a fished head villain who was stopped in his tracks as Tsuyu reached out with her powers and stopped the hand mid swing, a vice growing in her head as her and the villains will fought for control of the hand. With a grunt of mental energy she slammed the back of the watery hand into its former owner, the clash sending out a massive wave that forced Tsu back beneath the waves and using a sonar pulse to locate all the villains.

And it was not a moment too soon as she was forced to dodge again, the eel bodied villain having finally realized what had happened. Tsu was forced on the back foot again; annoyance and rage filling her as she felt the villains still on the surface continue attacking the boat, content to let the villain deal with her alone and it would only be a matter of minutes if that before the villains could get to them.

She would not allow it! Raising her hand she tried to keep the villain still, using the very water itself as a cage to trap it. But every time she tried to close the next, its body would slip out, dancing around the pockets of pressure like a serpent.

'This is getting me nowhere' she shouted in her mind, impatience and frustration growing more and more as the very water around began to physically vibrate, more than willing to show her rage. Having enough of this she tensed every muscle in her body, letting the coming claws fuel her as she thrust her arms forward and stopped all motion in the lake. She could have seen from the surface she would have saw all the tiny, innumerable waves hanging still like a picture. The villains both the eel and those at the surface now wiggled and writhed fruitlessly against water that had turned as solid as stone.

Sweat poured from Tsu brow in thick lines as it took all her strength to keep this up and she slowly pulled her head up, the tense muscles in her neck straining with the effort to look to the surface she could only hope that Setsuna and Juzo would take the opportunity and run for it.

To her relief it seemed that they were as she watched two shadows dart from the boat and cross over them. When those two shadows left her field of view she looked into the eel villain, it still raging like a caged animal and she could feel her grip slipping against its unnatural strength as she slowly began to turn. More and more picking up speed and loosening the water as she did until the villain's then found themselves pulled into a massive whirlpool with Tsu at its center. Reaching the bottom she watched the boat, the villains, everything was in her grasp.

Pooling water beneath her feet she waiting till the villain's had reached the center before with one last strained roar of exertion she used the water at her feet like a geyser, throwing herself high above the artificial lake and clapping her hands together, the water quick to obey as the whirlpool slammed shut with a massive boom that echoed all across the USJ.

Falling through the air she landed hard on the outer rim of the lake that rocked and shook, spilling excess water over the edge as she fell to her knees gasping for air. Her head was spinning, her vision blurring she had never done something at that scale before and she had to fight to not vomit as she tried desperately to get her bearings. Pulling wet strands of hair from her face she blinked hard, trying to pull herself to her feet as shards of the yacht rained down. Ever through all that she hoped that had been enough, for the normal villain's she was more confident but that eel villain had been something else…something wrong.

As more and more pieces of broken boat floated to the surface she allowed herself a moment to think. Where had Setsuna and Juzo gone? There were still other villains around and she needed to find Izuku.

As those thought pierced through he muddied mind she felt a hand press on her shoulder and had to stop herself from attacking when she saw the skull face of Juzo behind her.

"Asui; that was… incredible" he breathed, a stunned look in his eyes as he clapped her on the back as both he and Setsuna looked out at the destruction she caused.

Congratulations though were cut short as they began to hear laughter, not good or honest laughter but the kind you would hear in the white halls of an insane asylum and every bit of it dripping with malice.

Looking behind them they saw a group on the other side of the main fountain. With Juzo and Setsuna helping Tsu walk they made their way closer, hiding behind the lip of the fountain. Their eyes went wide at what they saw; a group of villain's gathered around their teacher, him grappling with the hand villain who… was disintegrating his arm!

She saw as the sleeve and skin of her teacher grew a dull grey before crumbling into a dust and revealing the red muscle underneath. They needed to do something quickly before they killed him.

"We need to get Aizawa away from them" Setsuna said as Tsu tried to regain enough strength.

"I'll soften the ground and trap them in the ground" Juzo added, sounding more than eager after being so useless on the boat.

"And I'll…deal with the leader" Tsu breathed, readying herself and trying to shake of the exhaustion. "I don't trust myself to handle him in this state… Setsuna you run in and get him away" she added, not wanting to see her teacher get hurt because of her. After the plan had been made, they set about enacting it. Slamming his hand onto the ground the villain's quickly found themselves sinking, the floor becoming quicksand.

With one last deep breath she pressed her hand into the fountain and created a tendril of water that wrapped itself around the villain's body and pulled him away from their teacher. With all known threats neutralized Setsuna made her move, rushing to their teacher and wrapping his uninjured arm around her neck, helping him away even as he told them to stay away.

Tsu didn't know why but as she pulled the hand villain closer she was going to find out.

"Where's Vlad King" Tsu demanded as the hand villain writhed in his watery chains, his quirk seemingly unable to affect the water.

The villain looked at her but remained silent; bloodshot and deranged eyes staring bloody murder at her, and even restrained as he was the sheer murderous intent the villain gave off made her hair's stand on end. Even more when she realized that the hand that covered the villain weren't some cheap props from a dingy Halloween store… they were real. Black, Atrophied veins running like lines of ink under tight, over stretched skin.

When he finally did speak he said a word that she had never heard before. "Nomu" The villain was stalling, he was going to tell us where Vlad was and he was going to tell them now!

But before she could force the answers out of him something forced the villain out of her water. It had all happened in a near instant; one moment she had him the next her tendril was broken, splattering against the dry ground. The sudden backlash sending her stumbling back as she found what had happened.

There being let down by a huge, muscle bound and bird headed villain was the leader.

"How could he have been so fast." she thought herself, the thought digging into her as she and the other two readied themselves.

"Students run" They heard Aizawa say, his breathing laboured. "That villain, took Vlad"

That made the blood in their veins chill as Tsuyu looked to the villain and demanded to know what they had done to him and only then noticed how bloody the bird headed villain's hands and feet were. On the other side of the villain appeared a dark void, the same dark void that had separated them all as the warp villain's yellow eyes appeared.

"Tomura Shigaraki" the void villain said.

"Kurogiri?" the hand villain questioned. "Did you kill thirteen?"

The thought that another Hero had been taken down filled them with more fear. But that particular fear was short lived as he admitted that not only had he failed to kill her but that one of her classmates had made it out.

The hand villain did not like that, beginning to furiously scratch as the skin on his neck and whispering that if he didn't need him he would turn him to dust; but as if a light switch had been flipped in his demented head he stopped, a look of realization in his eyes.

"Then I guess its game over" he admitted sagging his shoulders. "Can't deal with Dozens of Pros. And I was looking forward to killing All Might. Let's go home"

But the villain's eyes once again took on their manic expression as he looked at them all.

"You want to know what happened to your teacher…" he asked sad*stically raising a single finger in their direction "The same thing that going to happen to you". As they readied themselves for the fight of their lives a large explosion erupted from the fire zone, tearing open a hole in its dome and ejecting something that landed between them.

All of them gagged as they saw what that 'thing' had been… a severed head. It wasn't anyone from their class at least, its head looking like an insects with one of its mandibles having been torn off and its head caved in, cerebral fluid mixing with the blood that flowed out of the stump of its neck. Looking at the hand villain though, she could tell that he knew whose head this was as a feral roar ripped through the air.

It almost sounded like a tiger but not quite as all eyes turned to the hole the head had come from and there, shadowed by the flames inside was something she could only describe as a demon. Its roar vibrating in her chest as with unnatural speed it slammed full force into the bird headed villain, digging a canyon on destruction as they crashed into the ground. Before either side could react a second explosion erupted, this time from underneath and on the other side of the central plaza. Throwing dirt and concrete into the air and submerging the entire USJ in darkness. And in that Darkness was a bright, shooting star that roared.

"COME HERE YOU BASTARD" a bright beam of light and heat aiming itself directly at the head villain and it would have been the end of him if not for the warp villain who just managed to teleport them both away.

"NOOO" Bakugo roared as he slammed down where the villains had been; asphalt turning to sludge by his heat as a third and final explosion rang out. This time it was from the Storm Zone as a mountainous shadowy hand erupted from the dome and out came a living shadow, a pair of dark red eyes the only definable feature as it roared.

"KILL YOU ALL!" it bellowed, so loud it hurt to hear and before any could even think to stop him Bakugo took of directly at the shadowy villain. And all hell broke loose.

Service Tunnel

Midoriya Ears were ringing, everything inch of him hurt as he peeled his eye open. His bones felt like they were vibrating under his skin. Everything was dark and something hard and sharp had wrapped itself around him making it difficult to even move his head. Slowly though the pain began to subside, the ringing beginning to dull as his conduit healing again was his silent saviour. But in place of that regular pain was a kind he had never felt before, a deep one that felt like a vice around his head, making his vision blurry and feel… thirsty. He could feel Toru who he had clutched close to right before the explosion was breathing lightly, the rise and fall of her chest pressing into his own and showing that she had survived.

"Toru, you okay?" he whispered, hoping that she was still conscious as he tried to wiggle free of whatever had covered them.

"Yeah" she answered back softly, coughing lightly as the sound of falling rubble and more explosions echoed out from somewhere else. Izuku finally managed to free them, he threw off what he now saw was the very door they had used as a barrier, the metal having molded itself into the rough shape of his back, it ringing like a gong as it clanged against the floor.

"Oh my God" Toru said as Izuku's electricity illuminate the room and saw the destruction the explosion had caused. They had been thrown to the other side of the security room by the blast, the whole room looking like a tornado had gone through. Desks and chairs had been flung and shattered against the wall and the few screens that had survived his fight with the invisible villain were nothing more than sparking wrecks. But all that paled in comparison when they both looked into the hallway.

It was completely demolished, the hero hadn't gotten close enough to the door before he exploded and the entire tunnel had caved in leaving only a ramp of rubble up to the surface where an eerie red light was emanating from.

"Why would he do that" Toru continued, limping lightly as she tried to look where the pro hero had come from. They couldn't see anything left of him not a piece of him, his costume or the gas mask villain leaving them with nothing.

Why had he done that; he had screamed his name before he charge and that black coming out of his eyes. All of it mixing together and making a chill run up his spine. As if the dark eyes of… something had fallen on him. That thought was interrupted by the sound of fighting, explosions and roars that came from above. As if outside their little hole was the end of the world.

But he would brave the end of the world if he needed to; he needed to get out there, he needed to find Tsu Mineta. The image of his best friend dying alone filling him with a dread and rage he had never felt before. If he was dead… he didn't what he would do.

"Come on, we need to get out there" he said, rushing to climb the ramp of rubble back to the top.

"What about the transmitter" Toru asked and the question only stopped him for a moment. Trying to use another Radar pulse that feeling of thirst redoubled and the vice squeezed harder, making Izuku clench his jaw. There was barely any electricity around and in that moment he leaned another painful reality of his powers. Holding his head, he didn't have the time for a more thorough check as he pulled his phone from his pocket he unlocked it and tossed it over to her.

"Call the police, tell them we need the pros now" he told her, getting right back to climbing.

Finally reaching a hand over the lip of the crater Izuku hoisted his head and saw complete chaos. The entire area was a battlefield, bodies of villains strew about everywhere and some of them were even embedded in the floor. Whether they were alive or dead he didn't know as several thunderous cracks echoed out as though someone was taking a sledgehammer to a slab of meat it came again and again, and through the dark lights he saw them.

Two humongous beings were locked in a bare knuckle brawl, their strikes coming down like a hail storm and rippling across their skin in blows that would have turned concrete to dust and causing gusts of wind so strong that Izuku had to fight to keep himself from falling back into the hole. One was the bird headed villain, mouth agape and eyes mindless even as its opponent snarled like an animal. Its skin was a light purple with long, wild hair that was as white as snow…or it would have been if it had not been spattered with blood. Its mouth was filled with fangs like a baboon and large ivory horns, each nearly as large as his arms jutted from their head.

As the bird headed villain tried to throw another punch, their purple skinned opponent grabbed the arm, opened its mouth and bit down hard on the villain's shoulder, tearing out a chunk as blood spewed like a fountain from the wound before it began to regenerate and the other spat out the chunk of meat.

As the fight between the two continued the sky above Izuku's head brightened and heated up as he saw Bakugo fighting a living shadow that almost looked like Tokoyami's Dark shadow, except far bigger and perching atop the storm zone and hurling pieces of it at him. Bakugo would reply by blasting at its form.

Pulling himself up and onto his feet he turned around and offered a waiting hand to Toru who was still trying to call the police.

"Did you call them" he asked, hoping for some good news. But like always the universe didn't care.

"I'm trying but it still says there's no service" she told him, making his frustration reach levels he never thought possible. What was wrong, there was no way the transmitter was still working so what was stopping it, was there more than one and if there was why hadn't he sensed it.

"God damn it why did it always have to be the hard way" he cursed to himself as he saw a group of people doing their best to avoid the carnage, moving along the side and using the trees for cover… and one of them was being carried.

"Mineta" he immediately thought, running with all the strength he had and only when he got close did he see that he was wrong.

"Midoriya" Jiro gasped, sounding both frantic and relieved as she and Kaminari were carrying Momo.

"And me" Toru announced.

"Jiro; what happened" he asked, her clothes looking as if she had gotten into a fight with a bear.

"Not important we need to get Momo to a doctor, she's having a heart attack" she told him and as he looked at her he was completely stunned.

Her face was gaunt and skeletal, looking as if she hadn't eaten in weeks. Letting out another radar pulse and gritting his teeth through the pain he saw what Jiro had been talking about. Momo's heart was stuttering, her beats uneven. But worse he could see the electrical impulses that were growing fainter. If she didn't get help now, she was going to die.

"Put her down" he told her quickly, her eyes asking if he had gone crazy.

"Her heart is failing, blood isn't getting pumped to her brain and she's loosing brain cells by the second. Put her down!" he ordered as a plan formed in his mind.

Hearing that the two were quick to do as he said, laying her down lightly as Izuku kneeled next to her and in the deepest recesses of his mind he felt that familiar instinct telling him to feed, to take what little bio-electricity she had left for himself and separated from any other source of electricity the voice was louder than ever before. Like a starving man whose mind and body kept pushing for food, for survival.

Izuku shook his head violently, trying to physically get the thoughts to shut up as he forced what power his still had left in his body into his arms. "This has to work, just think of it as a defibrillator; not too much or too little"

Tensing his muscles he pressed his hand against her chest, as her back arched and Izuku tried to shock her heart back into a regular rhythm. Nothing, her heart was still failing.

"Dammit, don't you die on me" he growled, he had become a hero to make their deaths mean something and now when his classmate needed him he was failing!

Another shock rippled through her body and again nothing changed. Tears streaming down his face, no this can't end like this. For all he knew Mineta was dead and he was about to lose another! Jiro was beginning to cry as well and even Kaminari looked horrified.

"Work you useless Bastard!" he roared, curing himself for his weakness as he forced the last of his electricity in her, shocking her with all he had left as he back arched once more.

Bu-bump Bu-bump Bu-bump

He could feel it under his hands as a desperate smile crossed his face, tears streaming down his face in earnest as he thanked God that it finally worked. He was drained, he doubted he could shoot out a single lightning bolt and though it hurt badly to use his radar pulse he could see; her brain was lighting back up and he thought he could see her skin begin to regain some colour! Looking to Jiro he nodded his head and was immediately wrapped in a hug, by both her and Toru the girl's tears mixing with his own.

"Do you know where Mineta is" he asked, pulling himself from the hug.

"He wasn't with us but maybe he's over there" She answered, pointing to a massive tree in the landslide zone.

Izuku's mouth hung open, how the hell had he missed that, it was so big it was touching the roof of the dome!

"I think I saw Shiozaki with Mineta" Toru added.

But was Shiozaki the one who made the tree? He didn't know if her quirk could allow her to do that but it was the only lead he had.

"Thank you, come on let me help you get out of here" he told them. The landslide zone was close to the exit so they were going in the same direction anyway.

"Wait, once we're at the exit you should stay with us. It's too dangerous to go looking around with you as you are now" Jiro pleaded but Izuku shook his head, both to her question and get the dizziness out.

"I have to" he told her "He's my best friend"

Bakugo dodged another chunk of concrete as the villain continued to bellow. Gone was the blood lusted glee of before now he had nothing but frustration, nothing had gone right. First that damn extra steals his victory and then that smoke villain, the one he wanted to get from the start escaped with their leader! He was right in his sights, one more second and they both would have been his. And now he had to deal with whatever bastard this was. He was practically vibrating with anger.

Another blast of heat seared through the monster, it roaring in pain in a voice that sounded nearly human. It hurt? Good. He was tired of fighting things that didn't feel pain but in that moment it finally opened its mouth wide enough to see inside and there was something that would make dealing with this thing far more difficult. There in its mouth was that bird headed guy, his body writhing in pain and screaming to get away.

"He let his quirk over power him, pathetic" he thought to himself making so that simply blasting this thing to hell wasn't an option and he was running out of time.

But even he could tell that for all the noise it wasn't slowing down, blast after blast it would just reform and he was getting too hot. That was the one downside of his power, the hotter he got the stronger he got but only to a point. If he didn't release this power soon it would be bad.

Dodging another incoming projectile the monster slammed its claws into the skin of the doom above him in frustration, light from the outside pouring in and causing the shadow to shrink away. His quirks weakness was light. That must have been why it hadn't chased, preferring to just throw things at him.

And that gave him an idea as he saw the canopy of that massive tree, he didn't know where it came from but he didn't care. Gathering up all his heat he unleashed a massive blast straight towards the tree.

It lit up light a bonfire, the whole of the tree turning into a massive bonfire that acted as a second sun. With the introduction of so much new light he beast began to quiver, it screeched in defiance as it grew smaller and smaller. Even this victory though was hollow, he had been denied his total victory and as he fell to the ground, he swore it would never happen again.

Leaning on a broken wall Izuku breathed deeply, Jiro and Kaminari had managed to carry Momo with Toru acting as a look out for any villains still lurking around. Thankfully they hadn't seen any save the massive battle still raging in the central plaza that had somehow grown even more violent with the bird villain seemingly now on the losing side with chunks of flesh missing from his body. Their whole group was forced to shut their eyes though as the world went white and a massive explosion came from above them. Looking up he could see the tree was on fire, its blaze lighting up the USJ like a miniature sun. With it though he could finally see more than ten feet in front of him and almost made him want to thank Bakugo. He also saw that shadow monster begin to shrink away, that was one less problem to deal with.

And it was thanks to that new light that he was able to see who he was searching for.

"Minoru!" Izuku cried, beyond happy to see that his friend not only alive but walking.

"Izuku" he cried back looking just as happy to see him, hugging the shorter boy and releasing another geyser of tears.

"H…How I saw you get stabbed" he asked him, happiness giving way to confusion.

"It's because of her" he told him, not bothering to ask how he knew as he pointed to Shiozaki, the girl giving them a curt but happy nod as she helped an injured Monoma walk.

"Indeed it was a miracle" she told them.

"This isn't the time" came the aloof voice Todoroki, walking down from the landside with an uncaring expression even as Shiozaki gave the boy a look that would give Bakugo a run for his money.

Izuku was confused over what had happened but now with Mineta secure he needed to go find Tsu.

"Wait, I think I can hear some of the others" Jiro said, closing her eyes. "It's Asui and the others… they're in trouble"

"Where" Izuku nearly yelled, if Tsu was still fighting that eel villain he needed to help her.

"Near the exit" he told him and that was all he needed to hear.

"I'm going to help them, the rest of you get to the exit" he told them ready to run off.

"It would be unwise in your current condition, you'd only get in the way" he stated and Izuku was ready to object but it was Shiozaki who got to him first.

"And he would still do more than you" she hissed before looking to him.

"I'll come with you." she told him and Mineta tried to come as well but again both Izuku and Shiozaki were of the same mind. They had both seen him nearly die and they didn't want to put him in more danger.

Not wanting to waste one more second of time, the two of them rushed off, his determination shaking off the dizziness. Whatever it takes he would make sure she's safe.

They didn't have to get far to see what was happening another of those dark skinned villain's was attacking them. Tsuyu was alone, doing her best to hold it off the villain while Setsuna was in the back protecting the unconscious Juzo and Kaibara as well as Kinoko and Yosetsu. From the shifted ground it looked like Juzo had tried to trap it but it seemed the villain was just as much at home there as it was on solid ground. And Tsuyu had created two whips of water from her arms like the reaper villain on their first day of training.

Tsuyu was the first to notice their arrival, redoubling her efforts to keep the villain away but Izuku could tell they were on their last legs. Shiozaki acted first using the vines on her head…but something was wrong. Before she could use all her hair at once and they moved with surprising speed; but now only a dozen vines obeyed her and they were far slower.

The villain; noticing the slow moving vines easily sliced them apart and unleashed another quirk. Opening its mouth he shot a stream of green acid and while Shiozaki was able to dodge, it stopped her attack and refocused her attention on Tsu.

He could see the fear in her eyes, even from there. She had so much to live for. So many things left unsaid to her siblings Izuku knew what he had to do. He had slipped death more times than he deserved, from the blast to his first encounter with the reapers. If the universe wanted him so badly then it could have him but not her.

Throwing all caution to the wind he charged the villain, Shiozaki screaming at him to stop but he did not, he saw the look in Tsu's eyes go from fearful to horror as she watched him. With a great leap he jumped onto the villain's back it shrieking and wailing as he it writhed, trying to get him off but he hung on. The instinct came again, booming in his voice FEED FEED FEED, he saw the bioelectricity pumping through its body, a veritable oasis in his current state. "It had less brain activity than an animal, it was less than an animal" those thoughts were the final straw and finally Izuku finally gave in; with a single hand he reached up and gripped the exposed brain of the villain, felt the energy pulse between his fingers and began.

It was like the shriek of a banshee as he leeched the villain, arcs of blue electricity turning crimson as he drained more and more, the villains thrashing growing desperate like a wounded animal. And as it did he began to see things; a man in an alley, a building, a man shrouded by darkness with a hole in his hand and pain, so much pain.

Mommy help me I just needed money, make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it AAAAAAHHHHHH! And as if someone flipped a switch the last of the villain's energy left its body and fell over dead.

Silence fell over them all, the sound of the villain's slumping body all they could hear as Izuku stared into space. He knew he should have felt horrible, the last of the villain's memories burning his mind and the silent looks of everyone filling his eyes. But the only horrible thing was that he didn't, the vice in his head had lifted, the deep void in his gut had washed away and he felt like he had just eaten a five course meal of the most delectable food to have ever been made; like something inside him had been satisfied…for the moment.

It was so bad he had to fight the muscles in his face to keep from smiling, covering his watering mouth with his hand as the horror of it threatened to freeze him solid before a loud boom rocked them all. Turning they saw the bird headed villain indented into the stairs leading out of the USJ. Its body torn up, so much that barely any of its purple skin was left showing and it was missing an arm. And it was barely a moment longer before its opponent crashed into it, its feet slamming and crushing the villain's chest. I nits hand it held the villain's arm and proceeded to beat the villains head into a bloody mess with it.

When the villain's head was nothing but paste and its body ceased twitching it lifted its head and roared in triumph, letting go of the ruined arm before then turning its gaze on them. It was beaten up bad, its skin was torn and bleeding and exhaled in deep, labored breaths as it took one thunderous step to face them.

"Wait Mina stop!" cried Kinoko, the small girl rushing forward with her hands in the air and desperation in her voice.

That thing was Mina? The thought seemed absurd but the villain did not attack her, merely growling at the girl and forcing her to stop getting closer.

"The villains are all gone Mina, you saved us so please calm down" she pleaded and it almost looked like it was listening before the doors to the USJ burst open, cutting through the all other noise. And out from the smoke came All Might, still in his yellow suit and a look of fury on his face.

"Have no fear students" his voice booming through the air. "Because I am here!"

The monster however took offence to his sudden arrival, letting out another roar in challenge as she charged the symbol of piece. All Might though did not hesitate.

"DETRIOT SMASH" the words thunderous as the two met in the center of the stairs, the clash of their fists creating a shockwave that pushed everyone off their feet and for a moment it seemed that the monster was holding its own. But their stalemate only lasted a moment before the power of the number one hero won out and the monster was hurled back with tremendous force, digging a line in the ground all the way to the fountain.

The monster did not get back up then and only then did they see that Kinoko had been telling the truth. The monsters body began to shrink in size, its horns shrinking until the unconscious form of Mina was all that was left.

He'd never seen the symbol of peace shift gears so fast, going from this opposing figure that could strike fear into the heart of any villain back to that of their teacher. Immediately he was next to her, taking of his shirt to cover her as more and more teachers flooded in. The heroes had finally arrived.