Chapter 1
"My name is Izuku Midoriya and…I'm scared of my quirk."
This was his first time here; a Quirks Anonymous meeting at Mufasta City Center.
"Hi, Izuku." The others greeted.
He was not the youngest person in the room, thank goodness; there was another boy his age, 10 years old, with gravity defying blue hair and exhausted looking eyes. There was also a very tall woman who looked like a green mouse or horse with rabbit ears, a pretty and prim girl with a ponytail and cat like eyes, a girl with messy green hair and sharp teeth, a man with a scar on his forehead that was one second jittery and the next even more confidant that Ka-cha…Katsuki…..And finally, an older boy with a face that reminded him of the old Tintin comics his father read.
But even with such a cast, he stood out: Even under the bandages that covered his form, everyone could see he was covered in burns.
The host, an older man with a beard, calmly and warmly began to speak.
"Now, Izuku. Here is a safe space; unless your health is in grave danger, no one will say a word about what is said in this room. We usually go around the room with the newest member last, but if you'd like to begin?"
Izuku nodded; all eyes were on him, and while they were less judgmental than what he was used to, he wanted this done with sooner rather than later. Before that, he grabbed a cookie and a water bottle, took a deep breath, and began sharing.
"I guess the easiest way to explain my situation is to say…I'm an early bloomer?" Izuku explained. "But not exactly in the way you think; I did awaken my Quirk at the usual age, but…."
He paused, half trying to find the words and half pushing down the memories.
"Izuku, if I may interject?" The girl said before gasping. "Oh, sorry! My name is Momo Yayorozu, and I'm scared of my Quirk."
"Hi, Momo." The group responded before the host motioned her to continue.
"If you're not comfortable explaining what happened, this can wait."
"Thank you, Momo." Izuku said, genuinely meaning it. "But this happened years ago and…well it still hurts, but not as much…"
He took a bite of his cookie to calm himself and then continued with his story.
"My Quirk, Furnace, is basically a very specific 'Absorption and Release' Quirk; I can bring…"
He paused again, downing some water before hurriedly saying:
"I-can-take-flames-into-my-body-and-release-them-with-extra-strength!"
He swallowed the rest of his cookie and took a few breathes. The host moved to offer him more water but Izuku gently refused it, finding his words.
"My mom has a weaker telekinetic quirk and my dad has….breathing a certain element. So, my Quirk is a perfect fusion of theirs. The only downside is….when my Quirk awoke, my body wasn't ready."
Everyone in the room gasped, realizing what was going to be said before Izuku finished.
"I went into Pre-school expecting a normal day; hanging out with my friend…who used his Quirk a little too close to me."
"And this Quirk of his?" The beast woman asked.
"Explosion by nitroglycerin sweat." Izuku answered.
Everyone tensed.
"My quirk took his explosions in, but my body couldn't handle it and one of the caretakers accidentally used their empowering Quirk on us to try and negate the affects, and…"
Izuku opened his arms, showcasing his bandaged form and the room went silent for a full two minutes.
"And….your friend?" The host asked.
"Katsuki Bakugo. My only friend. What happened was ruled as an accident on his end but the caretaker was fired."
"What a horrid story. HECK YEAH, BADASS!" The Jittery man wept than hollered.
"Jin, what do we do when we want to say something?" The Host called out, sternly but warm.
"Sorry." Jin said. "You're all thinking it! My name is Jin, and I'm scared of my Quirk. I worship it!"
"Hi, Jin." Everyone said.
"Have you used your Quirk since then?" The host asked.
Izuku tensed and shook his head profusely.
"I was in the hospital for two weeks after that…and I can't even see fire on TV without my chest tightening, my head spinning and breathing become harder…At least with this Deternat Cooling Mummy suit, my burns don't bother me too much….And dad's at home with us now rather than travelling….My dad was a safety supervisor at Deternat before…now he runs the Mufasta branch."
A warm yet small smile crept on Izuku's face.
"My parents are amazing with all this…."
Memories filled his head; his mother helping clean up dead, flaky skin and preparing him delicious meals, his father overlooking his noes and applauding his attention for details; their anime and movie nights…Smiles soon covered the other's faces, especially the Tintin faced boy, who recalled his own father going to such lengths to help him as well.
"And how are things for you at school?" The host asked, growing worried when Izuku went silent for a moment.
"Fine." The boy hurriedly explained.
No one bought that for a second; he'd answered far too quickly, but everyone held their tongues. It was the kid's first night after all. He'd already shared more than they expected.
"Thank you for sharing, Izuku." The host said. "You can help yourself to another cookie before we get started."
Izuku did just that.
By the evening's end, Izuku had learned about his fellow Annoymous:
The boy his age, Hitoshi, had a brainwashing Quirk.
Jin had a clone Quirk that often confused him, explaining his personality shifts.
The first girl, Momo, could create ANYTHING she knew the molecular structure of….which learning such was both easy and overwhelming for her.
The second girl, Setsuna, could split her body into floating pieces, which she could often control but the sensation was still scary and spilt her focus, making it hard to direct.
The tall woman, Ippan Josei, was less afraid of her Quirk, but afraid of how people would react to her due to some past experiences with the Creature Rejection Clan.
And finally, the Middle School Senior, Mirio, had a Permeation Quirk and was constantly phasing into the ground, often losing his clothes.
Izuku sensed a bit of camaraderie in the younger members of the group; they all wanted to become heroes in their own rights. Hero; the most desired job in the world: Free use of your quirk, a cool costume and licensce to protect civilians and fight villains. Most kids wanted to be this when they grew up, and if your Quirk was grand enough, read; flashy, you often were pushed into that life.
Izuku had seen this happen to his former friend, Katsuki Bakugo; everyone claimed he could be the next All Might. And that praise had fed Katsuki's ego to unbearable levels…especially when he often led the teasing of him, the boy whose own Quirk hurt him. And the little explosions he used to intimidate Izuku. And the times he and his cronies had pulled away his Cool Mummy suit so that everyone could see his burns, partly on he orders of the gym coach.
It was a pain in the butt to hide the bullying but his parents were busy enough with him, so he wagered it was worth it.
Did Izuku want to be a hero himself? Yes. It had been his dream since toddlerhood; to take away the fears of others, sending villains running as he neared….
But that was before he was scarred and his Quirk awakened. To say nothing of the trauma: Izuku could no longer watch a grand deal of the Hero videos he'd loved as a toddler, due to them having flames or fire, which would remind him of that day in Pre-School….
He couldn't be a hero if he had such a fear, right? To say nothing of his disfigurement…
PPH-MHA
Eventually, the night came to a night and the Host bid everyone a goodbye, each of them taking a small bit of cookies, cocoa and water with them for the road.
Hisashi Midoriya was waiting for his son outside, worried. His son was a good boy who'd been dealt a cruel hand; he prayed this group would be nicer to him than the LAST help group he'd signed Izuku up for….Still had to pay back that idiot Miyashita for directing him there….!
So, you could imagine his relief and joy when his son came to the car with a tired smile and no tears or signs of harm, even wanting to come back next week and telling what he could about the members his age, while still holding back details.
Hisashi brought his son into the Midoriya apartment and helped his wife Inko get Izuku get out of his Cool Mummy Suit and into his Sleeping Sheath Suit, which not only soothed his burns and let him down, but lulled him to sleep with white noise.
It was an interesting life for the Midoriyas, but it was one they could and would handle.
PPH-MHA
What Izuku didn't know was that one of his fellow Anonymous was the adopted son of an underground hero. An underground hero who taught at UA and often would give what details he could get out of his son to his boss, Principal Nedzu.
Chapter 2
Aldera Junior High was certainly not the worst school you could go to, but it certainly wasn't the best, at least in the eyes of Izuku Midoriya. The school itself needed a paintjob at the very least, there were not enough security cameras or security guards to keep the peace and the teachers were either apathetic or too scared to act, to say nothing of the students.
Izuku had learned to ignore the gasps and the hurrying along whenever he came along. He had also learnt to tune out the whispers and jeers long ago.
"Hey, Deku!"
Except for one.
Katsuki Bakugo. Long ago, he and Izuku had been like brothers. Then the accident happened. Now, after such an event there are two ways a child could take scarring someone with their Quirk: Understand the need to control the Quirk and never have a repeat….Or blame the person who got hurt for 'not being tough enough to handle it.'
Sadly, the egotistical blonde chose the latter. And several of the dumber boys with small egos, along with many teachers throughout his life, had fed this ego.
Izuku found himself being pressed against his locker by one of Bakugo's idiot followers (he never bothered to learn their names).
"Bakugo said 'hey'. Burnie! Least you could do is say hi!" The bully smirked.
"Easy dude, maybe his hearing's off with all the sizzling his skin is doing." The other followed up feigning care.
"W-what you need, Ka-chan?" Izuku asked.
"Nothing your burnt ass can give." Katsuki smirked, slamming his palms repeatedly on the burnt boy's shoulder….in particular one that had been burnt a little more than the rest of the body, making Izuku wince. "Just reminding you your place and all….See you in class."
That was a nicer interaction between the two. And believe it or not, Izuku had someone even WORSE to worry about.
The gym teacher, Coach Shimura, was of the western stereotype; loud, drill sargenet like mentality..and he did not seem the believe second degree and third degree burns where a handicap that required less strenuous gym activities. If anything, he seemed to think Izuku deserved to be put through the ringer.
Now luckily for Izuku, the worst burns were on his hands; third degree, looking more akin to charcoal and red flesh. The only reason they still retained their motor functions and didn't ache was ironically because they had been boosted by the same Quirk that scarred the boy.
That did not mean that the rest of him was 'normal'; reddened, almost meat colored skin, black burns around the left side of his mouth and the right side of his lips being teeth surrounded by blackened flesh.
Back to the main point, Coach Shimura always singled Izuku out in any sports activity, making him stay late to finish what he called 'basic' work and not at all having anyone go easy on him.
To say nothing of what the other boys would do in the locker room; stealing Izuku's Cooling Mummy suit and playing Piggy in the middle with it while jeering at Izuku's condition, sneaking ways to turn up shower water to be hotter than he could handle….and then there was the time they tossed him into the girl's locker room….
Hearing the bell ring, Izuku hurriedly grabbed his books and headed to homeroom, mentally prepping for another hellish day.
He was not disappointed, sadly:
"Now I'm supposed to handle out these CATs….But screw it! You all want to be heroes, right?!"
The class burst into cheers, the students showing off their quirks freely, except for Izuku, who just kept to himself…at least he would've, if he didn't feel something begin to enter his form.
"Sensei! Midoirya is sucking up my flame!" A student jeered, starling the boy, who fell out of his chair before briefly glowing, the flame escaping his body and jet upwards, scorching the roof before dispatting harmlessly.
"And shut like that is why none of you losers will get into UA, like me!" Katsuki smirked.
"And Midoriya, apparently." The teacher mused.
The room went silent. Then all eyes turned to Izuku, who was just frozen as the memory of his scarring played in his mind: The pain, the screams, the trying to put him out….
"IZUKU MIDORIYA AND KATSUKI BAKUGO, REPORT TO THE PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE IMMEDIATELY!" the intercom boys leapt to their feet and headed over, Izuku trying and failing to ignore the glares…and the sizzling when Katsuki clamped a hand on his shoulder.
"Listen here, Deku. I'M going to UA! Just. Me! And whatever you said that got us sent here, take it back!" The blonde boy demanded.
"Ka-chan I'm going for general at UA! And I didn't say anything, I swear!" Izuku tried to explain, but they were already at the Prinicpal's office/
"Not you. Him." The secretary said, motioning Bakugo to take a seat while Izuku went in.
What he saw inside, shocked him: Along with the Principal, there was a man in a trench coat.
"Midoriyra. Sit." The principal ordered, only to add 'please' when he saw the man glare at him. "Apparently, there are some…concerns about you."
"Concerns from a Pro hero and a licensed therapist." The man explained, showing a police badge to the boy."Detective Tsukauchi, on behalf on Eraserhead. You go to a Quirk Annoymous group with his son, correct?"
Izuku's eyes widened in realization: No wonder Hitoshi looked so familiar! Izuku nodded in confirmation
"Well, while usually you'd be under patient confidentiality, your therapist felt enough worry to report a suspcison of bullying, along with Eraserhead himself. Two respectable sources like that? We tend to leap onto that."
"I KNEW IT!"
In stormed Hisashi and Inko Midoriya, the father positively LIVID and the mother rushing to gently hug her boy.
"I KNEW THIS SHIT SCHOOL WAS UP TO SOMETHING!" Hisashi roared. "I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT! I! FUCKING! KNEW IT!"
"Sir, please calm down." Tsukauchi tried to placate Hisashi, but the angry father was having none of it, storming over to the Principal.
"What? Have you allowed? To happen my son?" He demanded, only to pause when he felt Inko wrap her hands around his arm. He then took a deep breath and composed himself, settling for holding the love of his life while the detective took Izuku aside.
"I'm going to ask you a few questions. Answer yes or no. Truthfully as possible." He explained, waiting for Izuku to nod in understanding.
"Are you being bullied? Do the teachers do anything about it? Have you ever been taken advantage of in any way? And finally…do you feel safe here?"
"This is ridiculous!" The principal shouted. "Why just Deku? Katsuki is…!"
"Deku?" Inko asked in confusion. The Principal sat back down and said nothing else, probably because Hisashi kept glaring at him.
"….Yes. No….No. And No." Izuku responded.
"All true." Tsukauchi mused. "Is the boy outside one of…."
"Yes." Izuku said.
"Another truth. Physical, mental?"
"Yes. Yes."
"Another truth."
"He's not the worst. That would be…?"
"Coach Shimura?" The detective guessed. "Yes, we know about him. He's actually the reason we were already investigating this school: He's a not so subtle member of the Meta Liberation Army and often speaks about recruiting students online. And wouldn't you know it?"
He opened a drawer, revealing a copy of 'Destro's Manifesto' in the sweating Principal's desk.
Inko, already close to tears, was now bawling. Hisashi pecked her forehead before making his way over to his son, giving him a hug.
"Can we leave?" He asked, getting a nod. Before collecting his wife, he handed the detective a card. "Please. Call me if anything changes or you need anything."
Inko then glared at the principal.
"We're withdrawing our son from this farce of a school. Also, you can expect a call from a lawyer in the coming days." She growled as the Midoriyas made their way outside.
"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO THIS TIME, BRAT?"
"NOTHING YOU OLD HAG!"
Ah, yes. The call of the Bakugo mother and son scuffle.
"Calm down, dear…Hisashi? Inko?" Masaru Bakugo asked his best friend and his wife's best friend. "What's going on?"
All Hisashi said, after pushing his wife and son forward was:
"Your son is dead to us."
Hearing those words, spoken with no room for argument, silenced the Bakugos. Even when the Detective revealed himself.
PYRO
The moment they got home, the Midoriyas made their way to the living room. The drive over had cooled Hisashi's temper, which Inko and Izuku were grateful for. But now, all the father felt was disgust in himself: He had always felt something off, but did he act? No. Well no more of that
So, after sitting him down and giving him some tea, the parents learnt EVERYTHING their son had kept from them. And what he had kept? If they didn't already feel like failures as parents, they did know.
"Izuku, I'm so sorry!" Inko sobbed, hugging her son close.
"Kiddo, why didn't you tell us?" Hisashi asked with a pained look on his face.
"I...I didn't want to bother you...You already have to deal with so much." Izuku whimpered. "You shouldn't have to worry about a child who can't even control his Quirk..."
"Bullshit. And please, pardon my language." Hisashi said firmly as he put his hands on his son's shoulders, careful to avoid the worse burns. "You're the greatest kid I know. You're brilliant, you're kind...you're practically a Hero already in my eyes."
"B-but…"
"You just need practice and the right environment." Hisashi assured his son. "You know I know all about that stuff: I was pretty bad with my Quirk when I was at your age. Then I found a good training place and mindset….those and a pretty girl that saw something worthwhile in me."
Inko, despite still crying, gently whacked her husband's shoulder, wordlessly telling him to focus on their son with a smile.
"Izuku, I know I messed up."
"WE messed up." Inko added.
"Fine, we messed up. You have every right to not believe me, but I promise you: We WILL get through this. We'll help you with whatever you need or want. And when all is said and done: You'll live your dream and be the hero I already know you are."
Izuku teared up at his father's words before finally bursting into tears as he buried his face into his chest, Hisashi smiling and holding his son close as Inko joined in the hug. For how long the hug went, none of them cared or knew.
A knock on the door and small voice on the other side brought them out of it.
"Pardon the interruption?"
Inko opened the door and looked outside.
"Down here, madam."
Inko looked down and gasped.
"I-Izuku! Come here!" She called over. "A hero is here!"
Izuku zipped forward, leaving his father still in the pose of a hug and falling to the floor.
"I'm cool! I'm okay!" Hisashi called out.
Izuku's eyes widened. He knew who this was!
"Y-you're….!" He started.
"Am I a mouse, a bear or gerbil? The only important thing is that I'm the principal of UA." Nedzu, one of the smartest beings alive, smiled. "May I come in for a moment? I won't be long."
The Midoriyas nodded dumbly and motioned Nedzu in, allowing him to get comfy on a chair before he explained himself.
"My employee Eraserhead informed me of your…. situation. And while I doubt, you'll need it, I would like to offer my assistance." Nedzu smiled, handing a folder to both Inko and Izuku. "Miss Midoriya, what you have is all the information we have recovered from Aldera before your son's case along with an investigator who can get proof of what your son has endured. Also, the Principal of Mufasta Private is an old friend and owes me a favor, so your son's education is all sorted out."
He then turned his attention to Izuku.
"You, young man, hold the terms and conditions of a scholarship into UA's Hero course, based on your analysis notes alone. Not a yen will be charged to your family for your education into a fine hero…or if you still wish when the time comes, a general student. While I do see your merit, heroism is not a life that should be forced on someone. However, if you do become a hero, I can assure you that your class will be leagues above what you've endured."
"…How so?" Izuku asked. Nedzu did not have Foresght, after all. That was Sir Nighteye.
"Because the students of Heroics Class 1C are all akin to you."
PYRO
2 weeks later, Aldera was quickly going up in flames, figuratively on the most part. The staff had been called to a meeting in the teacher's lounge, but said 'meeting' was more or less just the teachers handing in letters of resignation.
"You can't leave!" The Principal roared.
"Considering what happened to Shimura?" Izuku's homeroom teacher said. "I'm not taking any chances."
Coach Shimura had been found outside his apartment, burnt alive and then chopped up into pieces. No fire Quirk on record matched the burn type and the savagery of the attack made the police suspect this was very personal. Hisashi had been questioned; his son had been Shimura's favorite victim, but he had an airtight alibi; a conference meeting with the Deternat branch managers.
"I warned you!" The librarian had said. "I kept telling you to do something about the bullying! And yes, it WAS bullying, not 'rough-housing' or whatever excuse you said! Just because some Quirks need stimuli does not excuse the harming of other students!"
"Bakugo was our sure-fire way to fame…!" The Principal started.
"No one gives a shit what middle school ANY Pro went to!" A history teacher snapped, throwing several stapled papers at his now former boss. "I checked: Nothing remotely special about any of the schools the Top 10 went too!"
"Would it really have been so bad to give Izuku a place to change?" Another teacher mused. "The boy had a handicap, and if we did that, we could've gotten some good publicity…"
"Too late now." Another teacher sighed. "Sir? I highly recommend you just admit the truth in court. And I MEAN the truth. No offense, but the Bakugo brat's personality would've made it real hard for him to become a hero anyways."
With that, all but the Prinicpal left the room and very quickly the school itself, hoping against all hope they might be able to redeem themselves when/if they found new jobs. They would not.
The Prinicpal, finally realizing how badly he had screwed up, took out a bottle of bourbon and took a swig.
"What the hell was I thinking?" He asked himself, rubbing his eyes. "Gone. Everyone and everything all gone…"
"Don't worry. You're not going to have time to regret it, sir..." Came a voice from nowhere as the Principal perked up and looked around.
"W-Who's there?!"
The reply he got:
"You know, even if someone from this school did have merit as a Hero, I doubt any of them would have even thought to thank this dump for helping them get where they are..."
A figure in a black hoodie that shrouded his face stepped out of the shadows, slowly approaching the Principal as he began sweating uncontrollably.
"W-What do you mean?"
The intruder eyed the bottle of bourbon and wiped the top of the bottle before putting the lid back on and stuffing the bottle behind him.
"This school's reputation? It ain't even worth jack-shit. And that's coming from someone who has nothing left to lose in this world..."
Before the Principal could react, he was grabbed by the throat by the hooded man, allowing him to see his glowing red eyes.
"You're going to be the first one to see what's it like to have everything taken from you...And soon, everyone in this whole fucking world is going to know how it feels to live in my world. A world without power. A world without mercy. A world without Heroes. And everyone will be able to see me for who I truly am."
The Principal had tears running down his face as the hooded man then raised his hand as blue electricity crackled around his hand before grabbing his face. The lights in the entire school went haywire as the Principal of Aldera let out an agonizing scream before his body swelled like a balloon, his screams distorting into hideous sounds of indescribable origin before bursting, blood, viscera, and organs splattering along the walls.
The hooded figure, his work done, walked over to a student handbook and looked over to see the pictures of Izuku and Katsuki. He looked somberly at the picture of Izuku, remorse, and guilt reflecting in his eyes before he turned to the picture of Katsuki, hatred flashing through them now.
"Yeah...that fucking little shit is going to get everything that's coming to him. And as for that Midoriya kid...hope you can forgive me for that day..."
Two Years Later
PYRO
Izuku looked up at UA, still not believing he was really here; and in his dream course no less. It truly felt amazing that he was being given a chance to learn here. With a small smile, he dashed in to find his class. With the hustle & bustle of the first day, no one really noticed him.
This gave him time to check his messages, and he saw that one chat was stacked with messages: Broco-Fun-Furnace.
Mufastu Private had been LEAGUES above Aldera: After a week or two, everyone was used to his burns, even though he was still given his own room to change into for gym class, which he was no longer forced to be part of if his body couldn't handle it.
He had also made some true friends in his classmates: His analysis was appreciated amongst his classmates (he was the guy you wanted to have on your team for projects) and this had lead to him interacting with kids his age in a positive environment. This had in turn lead to being invivited to the movies, comic and manga shops and parties, where aside from a spilled drink or two, not a single bad event ever befell the boy.
Izuku was still a mostly private boy and shy, mind you. But now that he knew it wasn't mandatory to be hated, he was happier and less likely to avoid making himself known.
Smiling at the memoires, Izuku began to scan the messages:
'Good luck at the big leagues, Izzy!'
'We're all rooting for you!'
'Try to remember us!'
Izuku smiled at that one: Him, forget the students who showed him kindness and friendship? Unlikely. He quickly responded:
'Always will. You guys be safe and stay out of trouble'
Another reply came and was quickly favorited by many:
'That cominh from the guy who helped 'you know who' direct the villain away from us and took down the mugger?'
'Never mind preventing the gang war?'
'Still not sure how that happened.'
Izuku responded:
'Neither am I.'
And then he saw the next comment:
'If you see 'you know who', ask her out!'
Izuku tensed and blushed at that one. And as if they were still there, that and the comment after it was the most favorited.
'Oooooooo!'
Luckily, it seemed a few of his friends had realized how this could make him uncomfortable
'If you get the chance, go for it. If it doesn't work, you're good pals, right?'
'Speaking of pals, say hi to Ejiro for us, will you?'
'Broco-Brain and Burn for the win!'
Okay that last one still kind of hurt. Luckily, the same student had quickly added
'That sounded better in my head. Please delete it and do your best, buddy'
'That's what YOU'RE supposed to do!'
'My apology, too?'
'Kami you're helpless with tech!'
'ANYWAY! Izuku, Text this chat after class!'
Giving a sigh of thankfulness, our hero found his class quickly. Scooting in quietly, he sneaked past the other students to a desk close to the window, obscuring his left shoulder from sight. Pulling out his notebook, he wrote in it quietly while waiting for the teacher.
The wait wasn't long. There was a crack as their teacher smacked the podium to get everyone's attention. Izuku looked up in disbelief. He had heard UA's teachers were all Pro Heroes but seeing it with his own eyes was something else.
"Good morning, class!" Nerumi Kayama, AKA 18 Only Heroine Midnight smiled as the students got to their seats. "Welcome to Class 1-C, the new Hero Course! Classes 1A and 1B may be the most obvious hero candidates, but you cuties are just as promising. Maybe not as flashy, but hey! Look at me!"
Many of the students, both male and female, looked at be beautiful teacher with blushes before realizing what she meant.
"..Okay yeah, I can see what I did there." Midnight chuckled. "Well, enough about me. Lets get to know each other! Tell us your name, your quirk and any hobbies! And maybe any…special somebodies?"
The first to step up was a girl with coral brown hair tied in a ponytail by a white ribbon. Judging by her poise and grace, Izuku could guess she must have been a Student Council President at her old school.
"Hello, my name is Monika Salvato. My Quirk is [Cyber]and it lets me manipulate things like a computer program. I'm basically a reality warper, but I prefer Reality Hacker. Anyways, I like coffee and playing the piano."
"Hi~! I'm Sayori Amagumo! My Quirk is [Phoenix] and it lets me do everything that a phoenix can do, manipulate fire, fly, even come back from the dead! I like sweets and poetry!" Said the girl sitting next to her. She had short coral pink hair with a red bow and very cheerful energy about her.
"Um, I'm Yuri Hazukasha...my Quirk is [Eye of Makarov]and...well, the possibilities of its uses are quite frightening and indescribable, but I hope to use them as a Hero. I like reading, chocolate, and knife collecting." Said a very tall girl with long flowing violet hair and a nervous look on her face as she fiddled with her fingers.
"I'm Natsuki Amai and my Quirk is [Stand Spirit]! It gives me a super tough fighting spirit that can help me fight and can also use magical powers! I like manga, baking, and really cool TV shows!" Said a shorter girl with pastel pink hair and a tough attitude about her.
"Um, I'm Yuriko Lami and my Quirk is [Bestial Demon]. It lets me transform myself into different mythological monsters." Shyly spoke a girl with long voluminous navy blue hair that covered one of her eyes.
"Yo! I'm Yumi Nakamura and my Quirk is [Rubber Man]! I can stretch, shapeshift, and change my body like it's made of rubber!" Cheerfully said a girl with long orange hair as she stretched her cheeks to emphasize her Quirk. "I like pulling pranks, dirty jokes, and just having fun."
"U-Um, I'm Mikaela Dutkiewicz, but please just call me Micky..." Shyly said a girl with long black hair. "M-My Quirk is [Huff & Puff] and, well...i-it lets me inflate myself like a balloon and manipulate air pressure for offense and defense! I-I like cute things, my family, and writing."
"I'm Ashley." Calmly said a girl with light blue hair that had purple streaks and different colored eyes with skull markings in them, one light blue and the other bright pink. "My Quirk is [Graffiti], which lets me spray graffiti paint from my hands that can do all sorts of things, such as create monsters, weaken targets, create portals, the works."
"Hi, I'm Meggy Spletzer." Greeted a girl with orange hair, freckles, a beanie hat, goggles, and headphones. "My Quirk is [Urban Jungle] and it lets me manipulate Electricity, Napalm, Ice, Smoke, Neon, Video, and Concrete! I like playing Splatoon and sports in general."
"I'm Saiko Bichitaru. My Quirk is [Arsenal]. I can pull out any weapon I need from nothing and can also store items in a pocket space." Said a girl with pink hair in pigtails that had streaks of yellow and purple. "I like music, fried chicken, and kicking the asses of punks who get on my bad side."
"Um, I'm Tari Sheridan..." Nervously said a girl with blue hair that covered one of her purple eyes. She also seemed to have a cybernetic arm. "My Quirk is [Gamer Arsenal]and it lets me use any weapons, powers, and items from video games I've played...and I've played a lot."
"I am Axol Kishibe!" Proudly introduced a boy who looked like an axolotl salamander, holding a cool-looking hybrid of a hooked staff and a pen. "My Quirk is [Inkweaver] and it allows me to create characters and objects from any media with my special pen! I am also skilled in Ninjutsu!"
"Zzzzz..." Snored a girl with lime green hair and watermelon seed-shaped whisker marks on her cheeks. Axol smiled as he decided to introduce her to everyone.
"That's my girlfriend, Melony Korone. Her Quirk is [Fierce Aura] and she can manipulate her Aura for a variety of effects. As you can see, she likes to nap."
"My name's Niles, Niles Reichi." Casually said a boy with purple-grey skin, silver hair that covered one of his eyes, and a red beanie with a white zero on it. "My Quirk is [Quirk Artificer] and it lets me take, give, edit, fuse, copy, and duplicate Quirks. I can even manipulate Quirks by changing how they are activated, disabling them, and even forcing them into a dormant state."
"Yo, I'm Kaizo Koorimaru, I'm Saiko's best friend." A boy with silver hair, sharp teeth, and black demon horns said, his feet propped on his desk. "My Quirk is [Unlimited Color], which lets me harness all sorts of space powers by different color lights."
"Hi! I'm Soleil Hinode!" Cheerfully spoke a girl with long golden blonde hair wearing an orange beret. "My Quirk is [Solar] and it lets me use powers related to the sun!"
"And I'm her girlfriend, Esmeray Gekko!" Said a girl with long black hair with purple streaks and a crescent moon hairpin. "My Quirk is [Lunar] and it lets me use powers related to the moon."
"H-Hi, I'm Strawberry...j-just call me Strawberry..." Shyly spoke a girl with curly pink hair and freckles. "My Quirk is [Candy Create] and it lets me create and manipulate all kinds of candies, sugars, sweets, and more."
"Guess we saved the best for last, huh?" Chuckled a boy with unkempt black hair and glasses. "My name is Ben Kayama and I'm our teacher's son...I'm adopted."
"You're doing amazing, sweetie!" Midnight gushed happily.
"Moooom~!" The boy whined in embarrassment before continuing. "Anyway, I actually have four Quirks; the first is [Disaster] and it allows me to manipulate the elements of disaster. Next is [Regeneration], which lets me regenerate and heal from just about anything imaginable, like Deadpool. The other two are [Bone Manipulation] and [Blood Manipulation]...they basically do exactly what you think they do Quirks that let me manipulate bones and blood."
That just left Izuku, who found all eyes on him. Taking a deep breath and remembering to keep an open eye, he responded:
"My name is Izuku Midoriya. The reason I look like this is because my Quirk [Furnace] awoke a little too early and burnt me. This is a Cooling Mummy suit from Deternet that soothes my burns. Oh! My Quirk allows me to pull and release fire into my body. I like analasyizng hero videos and sketching, as well as helping out parks by picking up litter."
He saw a few smiles throughout his classmates and on his homeroom teacher's face. A few looks of sympathy as well, but all in all? Good first impression.
"Now, today is technically a half-day, but we still got time before you kids can head home, so I'm giving you all permission to explore the school grounds. Stay out of trouble, stay out of the way, and if nothing else stay out of the principal's office. Good? Good. Dismissed!"
With that closing word, the students of Class 1-C got up and shuffled for the door. Izuku lingered a bit longer to finish the current sentence in his notebook: He had jotted his classmate's quirks and what they had mentioned. He was eager to see the Quirks of his new classmates in action but was too nervous to approach any of them to ask. He'd just have to wait for them to be used. Closing his notebook, Izuku slid it into his satchel before getting up and heading for the door.
"Wait a minute, kid," Midnight called out just before he stepped out. Izuku froze and turned to see the woman smiling at him. "You're Inko-Chan's kid, aren't you?"
"Y-You know my Mom?"
"Recognize those eyes anywhere," Midnight smiled bigger. "And yep, I know your mom! She was my big sis in all but blood! Tell her I said 'Hi', okay?"
Izuku shyly nodded and left the class, feeling even better than before.
PYRO
"Its nice to see everyone again, especially with this being the start of the school week." The therapist smiled at the next Quirk Rehab meeting. "Who would like to begin?"
"Well, I just want to say!" Jin announced. "Ippan and I are going steady…."
Momo and Setsuna let out coos of delight and Mirio gave a thumbs up and Izuku smiled.
"We're very happy." The giant mouse woman beamed before letting her boyfriend continue.
"And! I haven't used my Quirk on myself since Christmas!" The cloner exclaimed with pride, smiling as the room filled with an applause and muttering of congratulations.
"Six months, eh? Congratulations." The therapist smiled. "How does that make you feel?"
"There's a ringing in my head and it feels like my body is trying to split itself apart!" Jin suddenly hollered before he reached into his bag and slapped on a mask. "Ah, much better! Still nothing!"
"Sweete, sweetie, sweetie." Ippan cooed. "Calm down. Remember what Chiyo said: Breathe in…."
The masked man did as his girlfriend directed, holding his breath, and then looking at her as if he needed her okay.
"And then let it out."
Jin did so in relief. Ippan looked through her bag and handed him an inhaler, which he took a puff of.
"What would I do without you, my beautiful beast? Ippan, you are a life-saver!"
The woman simply chuckled and pecked her boyfriend on his masked head before continuing.
"Jin and I managed to get jobs together and one of the perks is therapy care…under none other than Recovery Girl herself."
And that, the younger members of the group all gasped.
"Yup. We're working at UA!" Ippan beamed. "Mirio, this is your last year, right?"
The blonde boy nodded with an invigorated shake of his arm.
"Yup! Come this time next year, I'll be a sidekick at Sir Nighteye's Agency!"
"You mentioned he was helping you with your quirk." The therapist noted. "Seeing as its been a while since you attended, would it be right for us to assume….?"
"No, I'm still kind of scared." Mirio confessed. "But Sir has been of a huge help. Last year I was the worst student at UA…Now me, Tamaki and Hado are the Big Three!"
Claps filled the room, but Mirio ushered them down.
"Izuku? Momo? Setsuna? Hitoshi? Did you three…?"
"Yup. Class 1B on Recommended!" Setsuna smirked proudly.
"General studies for me." Hitoshi sighed. "JUST missed Class 1C. Stupid robots."
"Class 1A on Recommendation as well." Momo followed, looking down at her feet. "Somehow…"
"Class 1C for me." Izuku responded.
The four then realized.
"WAIT, YOU GOT IN!? HOW DID I NOT SEE….!?" They said together. They were not 'close', per say, but Hitoshi at least considered the other three 'worthy' to be students at UA throught these chats.
"Okay. That does it." Setsuna declared. "Friday. Someplace. After school. All of us."
"My parents will be out." Momo suggested. "I'll have a car pick us up."
"…Car?" Hitoshi and Izuku asked.
The therapist smiled, happy for his patients.
PYRO
Meanwhile, Katsuki Bakugo, now an extra at some no name high school, was sent crashing to the ground, blood from his palms and bruises all over his form. He glared at his attacker, only for his eyes to widen when he saw who this was: Not Deku, not his uncle or aunt…hell, not even any of Deku's pals from MP, like that spike haired bastard or…
"Its all your fault." The attacker growled as he dragged the boy away. "You do nothing but destroy and as much as I have been DREAMING of killing you? My…bemafactor wants to see you."
Katsuki found himself being flung into the wall, knocking him out.
Chapter 3
"Ever since then, until Crust? No hero with a cape or cowl was ever allowed into the Japan Top 10." Midnight explained, finishing the lesson.
The class let out an 'Ah' of understanding.
"Yeah, that makes sense."
"Wait, so Disney and Brad Bird called it?"
It was the second day of school, and the first full class. Already, Nerumi Kayama, AKA Midnight, felt good about her students: So many promising cuties all doing their best to be heroes despite their apparently 'lackluster/barely proficient' Quirks, her own son among them. But there was still something lacking in her students:
A sense of comradery.
Now Nerumi was not naïve; she knew such a thing took time to develop smoothly. And in any other case she would've just left and let it develop on its own. But whenever she saw one student in particular, she knew that if such a sense developed sooner rather than later, it would do both him and his classmates a world of good.
Izuku Midoriya; the 'mummy'/burnt boy in her class. The son of her own big sister figure, Inko; who had encouraged a younger Nerumi to become the hero SHE wanted to be and stayed by her side during the controversy of her original costume. Becoming a mother had changed Inko…..Then again, who was Nerumi to judge?
Spying the time, she got an idea.
"...Well, looks like you got some free time before your next class." Midnight smiled from the podium, "So why don't you use this time to socialize for a bit. I need to grab something real quick, so don't burn the classroom down~."
She gave a wink before stepping out. The instant the door closed, the students all turned to each other and began talking. Many students got up to walk around, but Izuku stayed at his desk, writing what he could see about his classmates. He was mostly working on finishing touches for some of the things he learned yesterday when he noticed a shadow overhead.
"Hey, how ya doing?" Ben asked, startling Izuku slightly. "What's up, you've been acting awfully quiet since yesterday."
"I-I'm OK…!" Izuku huuriedly replied. "J-just writing."
"What'cha writing?" The Son of Midnight asked, not a hint of hostility in his tone. Izuku was nervous but slowly moved aside for the boy to see. He read a few lines before his eyes widened. "Holy crap, you're writing about us?"
"A-Are you mad?" Izuku nervously asked, especially since some of the other students heard what Ben said.
"No, if anything, I'm impressed. I thought I was the only one who thought my [Disaster] Quirk had some similarities to certain One Piece Devil Fruits!" Ben laughed good-naturedly.
"Me too!" Yuriko beamed. "Did you do me, too? Can I see?"
Izuku chuckled as he spied the others starting to gather around him. He almost began to panic, before he took a deep breath and reminded himself:
'This is NOT Aldera.'
He then stood up, lifted up his notebook and tore out the pages before offering them to his classmates, who each took their own page.
"Man, I would KILL to be able to sketch like this." Axol sighed in faux jealousy before he showed Melony her own sheet. The girl suddenly jolted awake and made her way over to Izuku
"Why didn't I think of any of these?! Heck, how did you?!" She asked, giddy with glee.
"Well, I quirk analyze as a hobby…" Izuku confessed.
"Dude, you ever think of being a mangka?" Ashely asked. "You got the skills."
Izuku blushed under the Cooling Mummy suit
"Funny; my mom said the same thing…"
He felt a tap on his shoulder and saw Yuri with tears in her eyes.
"T-thank you….But your guess is wrong." She revealed her sheet, which had the following notes:
Eye of Makarov; unknown. Makarov means 'good king', so perhaps a type of foresight or leadership tied to her eyes?
"What do you know about Lovecraft and Eldirtch abominations?" Yuri asked in fear.
"….Some kids at my first school would say I was cursed by some to look the way I do under the suit." Izuku confessed.
The room went silent for a minute.
"….What're their names?" Yuriko asked, her teeth sharpening and her nails turning into claws.
"L-lets not hurt civilians!" Micky tried to calm the girl down.
"Bullies don't count." Saiko retorted, summoning a railgun to her hands
"I agree." Natsuki said as a shadow began to form behind her.
"Me three." Tari followed before shooting Izuku a look. "You guessed a lot…but you gotta try more shooters. Who knows? Could be good for you."
"Now I like what you three are thinking…." Monika started before she materialized some social media pages. "But who needs physical pain when mental and social so much more scarring?"
"How about we just slime them instead?" Meggy suggested. "Doesn't really hurt them, yaches them a lesson and we can blame sewage?"
"N-not sounding very heroic…" Izuku said weakly, Micky nodding in agreement.
"You gotta admit they're not entirely wrong though." Ben mused, Niles nodding in agreement, before he looked over to Izuku
"Oh and Izuku? My Quirk does work better with contact, but I don't need it."
"Well, how about we let Izuku decide?" Soleli suggested, turning everyone's attention to the scarred boy, who sucked in a breath and declared:
"Honestly? They're really not worth it."
Everyone deactivated their Quirks, some disappointed but other smiling in pride of Izuku's choice.
"Reserve the righy to pummel if they prove otherwise." Emersay said, only taking it back when Soleli gave her a worried look.
Strawberry then handed everyone a lollipop.
"Comfort or snack, its always good." She beamed shyly, just as the bell rang.
"Aw, and we were just getting along!" Kaizo whined. "Now we gotta do math!"
Everyone groaned but headed towards the next class, missing their teacher beaming at pride.
"Well, that just made my day!"
PYRO
Before anyone knew it, it was 3:00. Time to head home for the day. 1C began to gather up their things, and several of them handed back their sheets to Izuku, with their own notes for him to add and update
Axol, after gently waking Melony and taking her into his arms, and Ashely both handed him a painting of himself they had made with their quirk.
"Wow! You guys are great!" Izuku beamed, gently putting the pictures in his backpack.
"Well, hearing that from a fellow artist makes it worth it." Ashley beamed, Axol nodding and Melony shooting izuku a grateful look.
"Hey, Niles? Where are you going?" Melony asked. "The buses are…"
"Oh yeah, I never told you guys! I live here." Niles said with a smile. "So does Ben, being Sensei's son and all."
Before he could ask for more details, Izuku was then startled by a call of:
"IZU-NII!"
A blur suddenly sent Izuku toppling to the floor, making Axol draw a giant paintbrush as Ashley's hands were covered with paint.
The attacker was a girl with blonde hair in briaided oigtails, noticeably sharper teeth like a vampire and red eyes with a beaming and sleepy looking smile on her face.
"Wait…did she call him….'nii?" Melony asked, making Axol and Ashley pause.
"Himi-nee!" Izuku shakily smiled. "Careful!"
"But I missed you!" The girl pouted. "And we got such a downer of a sensei…."
"Hey Himiko!" A girl's voice called out, making Himiko beam. "Are you taking the train? Lets ride together?"
The group turned to see a cute girl with rosie cheeks and a chestnut hair waving at Himiko, accompanied by a talleer young man in glasses.
"Midoriya!"
"Yes?" Both Izuku and Himiko asked together Himiko sounding sneaky while Izuku was confused.
"No, I mean OUR Midoriya! Not that you're not…! I mean….!"
"Tenya's a big stickler to proper and rules." Himiko whispered to her brother, who nodded in understanding as he picked himself up.
"Axol? Ashely? Melony? This is my sister Himiko." Izuku smiled.
"Adopted but proud!" Himiko added. "This is Ochako Uraraka…."
"Hello!" Ochako waved.
"And the stick in the mud is Tenya Ida, the little brother of Engeinum,"
"PLEASE do not tell them that!" Tenya begged.
"Payback for the selection exam!" Himiko smirked, making Tenya retreat into a corner in shame.
"Yo, what's with all the….? No way! Midori-bro!?"
Izuku's burnt half smile grew and he looked out the door, where he saw a familiar face that he quickly took into a hug.
"EIJI-CHAN!"
Eijirou Kirishima; his best friend at Aldrea Private with a Hardening Quirk and determination to be a MANLY hero while keeping his soft centre.
"No way, is that Izzy?!" Another voice cut in. And if it were possible, Izuku's happy mood grew even more when he saw HER:
Mina Ashido. The perky and cheerful, pink-skinned Acid-user with eyes like a setting sun. The girl who was already what Izuku had envisioned himself as being as a hero; friendly and settling problems without rising a fist, even though she could and would if needed. The girl who broke dance so flawlessly she made performers look like they were trying.
And the girl he was crushing on SOOOO hard on ever since he saw stop some delinquents from causing just by yelling and then dancing with them, befriending them at the same time.
"Hey Mina…" Izuku managed, waving hello before Mina took him into a hug. Izuku tensed, half scared and half delighted when he felt Mina's chest on his own.
Himiko and Ochako smiled knowingly at the interaction, as did Axol and Melony. The four shared a look.
"We were wondering where you got to!" Mina beamed, taking a look at her old friend before spying his classmates. "Oh, did we….?"
"No, not all!" Ashley assured the girl. "Say, we might wanna hurry to catch the train? Lets talk and run?"
And that's just what they did.
PYRO
At the UA staff room, the teachers were getting ready to head home. Well, most of them.
"So many cuties!" Midnight cooed over the reports of her students: What they lacked in flashiness they made up for in passion and common sense. Plus, she had seen them all leave together, with Izuku especially being asked for help and ideas, which he gladly gave.
Now if only he didn't mutter so much. Oh well, the kids seemed to understand him.
And to think that it was her precious Ben who had gotten the ball rolling. Such a sweet boy….altough he now had competition with Izuku for best student; going by marks and comments alone…
"What's got you so excited?"
Nerumi turned to see one of her best friends, Shota Aizawa, AKA Eraserhead, downing a cup of coffee
"Oh nothing Sho, just admiring the best of my class."
"Please don't risk another lawsuit."
Nerumi huffed.
"You know damn well those were NOT my fault and its all an act! And besides, Izuku's practically family…"
"Wait." Shota cut her off. "Izuku? As in Izuku Midoriya?"
Nerumi nodded.
"Oh, did you miss out on him?" She guessed with a smirk. "That's what you get for waiting until the last minute…"
"I got his sister."
"…Wait, sister?" Nerumi asked in confusion. Inko only ever had one kid, what was…?
"Adopted. The girl who was in the papers for her parents forcing her to act normal despite her Quirk."
Nerumi remembered reading about that It brought back…memories. Unhappy memories.
"She called me out." Aizawa remarked. "Apparently, her brother has notes on many heroes and she recongized me from them. Thanks to that, I HAD to pass everyone."
"You say that like it's a bad thing." Nerumi mused.
"They think this job is easy and fun." Aizawa retorted. "Thinking like that…"
"They won't end up like Oboro." Nerumi cut him off. "Not while we're here."
She sighed.
"You know what, Sho? I never agreed with the whole 'logical ruse' method. Don't get me wrong, I see the merit….but maybe around second or third years, to help prepare them for the real world when things aren't so black and white?"
"Like I said, the sooner they learn, the better," Aizawa replied.
"And what about the ones you actually DO expel because they need help?" Nerumi responded. "We're a hero school after all; we're supposed to encourage them to think for themselves and branch out."
"That is a Quirk Specialist issue." Aizawa droned on. "and besides, this year's second years turned out fine with what I did."
"It is not JUST a Quirk Specialist." Nerumi reminded him. "After all, seeing an accomplished Pro will help and inspire them."
"Or leave them as problem children and…"
"Oh, like you were?"
A silence filled the room for a full minute before Aizawa got up.
"I'm late for patrol."
He then stepped outside, where he passed Niles.
"My offer still stands." Niles said to the Underground hero, who simply walked away. "Fine. Be that way."
Present Mic had observed the whole thing and smiled.
"Mom-hood's changed you, Rumi." He mused. "And I mean that in the best ways."
A knock to the door came, getting the few remaining teacher's attention.
"Benny!" Neurmi beamed at the sight of her son.
"Hey mom. Sorry to rush, but…"
"Oh right!"
The female pro then rushed out the door with her son.
"Oh yeah! That date!" Mic mused, smirking happily, as did another; gangly blood man who resembled a skeleton.
'Shame we never met properly, young Midoriya..' All Might mused. 'you soynd like youd have made a fine successor….Then again, Mrs, Uraraka will surpass me without a doubt; I see so much of Sensei in her…'
And speaking of Sensei, he had some teacher books to read!
PYRO
"Cheers!"
Two iced glasses clinked as Hisashi Midoriya and Rikiya Yotubushi, the President and CEO of Deternatm shared a drink.
"To you, Hisashi: For not only getting us that overseas contract, but for your kids getting into UA!"
Hisashi accepted to cheers and sipped at his drink.
"Thank you for the kind words, President. But all due respect, why did you come all the way to my humble little branch?" He asked. "I am flattered, but I imagine you have a thousand other things to do…"
"You're a great employee and deerve some praise." Rikkiya assured the firebreather. "And thanks to you, we now have near unlimited access to the materials needed for the best super-hearing aids."
Hisashi accepted the praise as the two took another drink, the CEO recalling a few days ago…..
Flashback
"Coach Shimura?"
The coach, no, ex-coach, groaned, ready to deal with another hater before he saw the familar upward notion
"Y-you're with...?!"
"I AM." His visitor said, a cold finality in his voice.
Shimura fell to his knees
"I'm sorry I failed to bring in recruits! It's this one kid with annoying parents..."
"Midoriya, yes I know. His father works for me."
The man let that bit sink in
"And he is a very dear friend of mine...and I've just been informed you've been practically abusing his traumatized son?"
"A-abuse?! No, no, no! I-I was toughening him up! Kid wa going on about being a hero but not putting in the work. You understand?"
"Hmmm? Is that so? Because according to Hisashi, Izuku mentioned how you always said he'd be better off as a...bug scrapped the show, was the one that stood out most, altough there where others."
"P-Please, I-I just didn't know!"
"And you expect that to excuse you? You know, for someone who follows Desto's will, you clearly did not understand what he went through and WHy he created our group."
Shimura gasped as his boss put his hand to his chest, a pleasant smile on his face.
"It's fine...because you won't have to worry about it for too long. Tell me...do you have any family?"
"I-I have a mother..."
"Good...I'll send the poor woman a gift basket."
The man's hand then turned black and grew to engulf Shinura's whole torso, with his arms barely squeezing through fingers as the black covered more of his attacker
"Consider this your resignation notice."
Ignoring the strained screams and wails, the man crushed Shimura between his now giant hand. The coach was dead before he even realized
"Burn the body. Make it sloppy."
"Sure thing, boss."
A sickly look my man released a torrent of flames that grilled what used to be coach Shimura, his free hand accepting a full envelope as his master turned to head to a limo and back to his home.
End flashback
"This may be an odd question, and I'll understand if you don't answer…" Rikiya started. "But…what's your opinion on Destro?"
Hisashi gave his boss a look over and ooked at his drink.
"You can answer honestly." Rikkiya assured him. "He was my inspiration to start Deternat; so that no one else goes through what he did."
"Honestly?" Hisashi admitted. "He was my hero growing up."
Rikkiya, his interested peaked, listened eagerly.
"After my folks died in a villain attack, I was bounced around foster homes for a while. The second one was a MLA recruiter who had a copy of Destro's Manifesto and a drunking problem. So, whenever he was passed out, I read that book. Me, a kid who breathed fire but wasn't legally allowed to use it when it could've helped my parents? And this guy says 'screw the system' and fights for the basic right to be ourselves? I loved that book…made living there bareable until the guy died. Never did find the book before I moved…"
"You said he WAS your hero." Rikkiya recalled. "What happened?"
"He still is, kind of. But when I was around my kid's age, I met Inko….and well….call it cliché, but….she became my reason to….Um, Mr. Yotushi?" Hisashi asked, his boss having a far off look in his eyes.
"Oh! Sorry, Hisashi; strong drinks get me daydreaming. Tell ya what? Why don't toy take a few days off? Celebrate with your kids and that lovely wife of yours?"
Hisashi smiled and looked at a picture of his family dreamily.
"I would like that…but what about the branch?"
"Let me worry about that." Rikkiya smiled, gently pushing Hisashi towards the door.
PYRO
The sound of a metal crowbar striking against flesh and cracking bones echoed throughout an empty warehouse.
Katsuki Bakugou fell to the ground, blood dribbling down his face as his nose and several bones were broken, and one of his eyes was swollen shut.
"Wow, that looked like it really hurt."
Katsuki turned around, only to be struck again by the crowbar. Despite the frowning/screaming mask that the assailant was wearing, Katsuki could tell he was grinning behind it.
"Hang on; that looked like it hurt even more."
Katsuki managed to force himself to his knees and glare at his attacker.
"So, let's try and clear this up, okay? What hurts more?"
He raised his crowbar high as he pinned the broken blonde down with his foot.
"A?"
A strike across the back of the head.
"Or B?"
He thrust the end of the crowbar into his back.
"Forehand?"
A forehand strike across the face.
"Or Backhand?"
A backhand strike.
Katsuki fell down, coughing in pain as the jester-clad masked man laughed. The blonde weakly turned trying to speak as the man bent down to him.
"Eh? What's that? A little louder, Pomeranian?" He asked. "I think you got a collapsed lung, that always impedes the oratory."
Katsuki turned his head more and then spat some blood on the man's mask. Despite the grinning visage, he was frowning heavily under the mask as he slammed Katsuki's head down.
"Now THAT was rude. I guess you didn't learn anything positive growing up, huh?" He wiped the blood off the mask. "I suppose I'm going to have to teach you a lesson your schools failed to..."
He paused suddenly, mentally thinking over if that was worth it at this point.
"….Nah, I'm just going to keep beating you with this crowbar."
Katsuki sighed and waited, but the hit never came. Opening his eyes, he saw the crowbar stuck in mid-air, uable to move. His attacker sighed, pouted even, before turning his attention to the source.
"Darling, did you have to? The doctor DID say this was good therapy!"
'Darling' was a very attractive young woman in a mime outfit, albeit with the colors reversed from the usual order. She simply nodded before pointing to the next room and mimicking a phone call before pointing to her head.
The man grumbled as he pulled Katsuki upwards, glaring at him as he dragged him along.
"Lucky for you, the boss wants you alive and mostly well."
The Jester and Mime brought Katsuki into the next room over, revealing a dingy bar. A living shadow in a bartender's uniform stood behind the bar, preparing a single of bourbon for one of the patrons; a scraggly blue haired young man whose from was decorated with hands.
"Can you believe this?" He said in a sickly voice, high voice as he lifted up a newspaper to reveal All Might's beaming face. "It says he's a teacher now."
"Called it!" A younger man dressed as a casino dealer beamed as he outreached his hand to Jester, who grumbled and handed him a wad of yen. The Mime was quick to hug and cuddle her beloved, who returned the embrace.
"Hey? What do you guys think will happen…? When we kill the Symbol of Peace?" The hands wearing villain asked.
"HA!"
Katsuki burst into laighter.
"You dumbasses think you have a chance against All Might?! THE ALL MIGHT?!"
He continued laughing for a full minute before he realized no one was reacting to him.
"I can understand your disbelief." A new voice, coming from the TV, on Audio only, chimed in. "That man does deserve all the praise he gets and even at his age isn't noticeable slowing down…to the public at least."
The hands wearing villain downed his drink and made his way over to Bakugo.
"Pleasure to meet you at last Katsuki Bakugo. Tomura Shigaraki at your service. I'm a big fan of your work; destroying an entire school while claiming to be a hero?"
"I AM A HERO!" Katsuki snapped. "….I was supposed to be!"
The Jester coughed a hurried and big 'NO WAY IN HELL!' just as the kitchen door opened. In walked in a tall man dressed like a chef, carrying a bent-o box for each person n the room.
"You remind me of the first man I ever killed, but with some actual backbone." Was all the cook said. "Don't eat yours until you need to."
He then turned to the rest and gave a dramatic bow
"I must now prepare master's meal. Bon appetite!"
He then dashed back inside, leaving Katsuki alone with the villains.
"So, how wold you like to show the world what REAL heroes are?" Tomura asked. "I mean, they let a cripple in but not you?"
"And what if say no?" Katsuki smirked.
The room went silent for a full minute.
"Your parents are having dinner at that new fusion resteraurnt right now." The Jesetr smirked.
Katsuki's world went silent and all arrogance left his form.
"I just hope the chef remembers NOT to include a certain ingridant. Allergies are always such pitiable killers."
Katsuki hung his head and said norhing else.
"That kid? Is REAL power." The Casino dressed villain smirked.