Notes: More background development to set up the structure of the story. It'll be a bit until I reach canon timeline with class 1-A's introduction. But interesting news is that next chapter will have the appearance of some rather villainous *wink wink* characters.
For Bakugo Katsuki, life was simple. 1. All Might was the coolest number one hero who always won his fights with a smile on his face. 2. He was going to be the next number one hero with his awesome explosive quirk. 3. Izuku was going to be his sidekick when they got older. They were all four years old already so most of the class already developed their quirks. It was only time before crybaby Izuku came in and chattered off his head about what sort of quirk he got.
Of course, Izuku wouldn't get a quirk better than his, but that was because Katsuki was supposed to be the best . Anyways, Katsuki was excited to see if his friend finally had a quirk to show off since the weekend had passed. As he entered the classroom with the other extras , Katsuki looked around to see a mop of fluffy green hair. His eyes narrowed and his smirk became a frown as Izuku was nowhere to be found.
'Stupid Izuku is probably just late.' He reasoned as he sat down for homeroom. The day passed and there was still no sign of Izuku. 'He probably got sick or something, knowing crybaby Izuku…' Katsuki thought as the second day passed by with no signs of Izuku again. It wasn't until he realized it was Friday with no sign of Izuku that something had to be wrong. The teachers had been whispering out of his range as well and he was certain it had to be about Izuku.
His mom had been looking at him with this weird expression that rubbed him the wrong way whenever she would pick him up from school and saw him looking around for Izuku. Katsuki decided that enough was enough. "Hey...Okaa-san, where's Izuku?" His mom tensed up as her grip on the knife she was using to prepare dinner tightened. Mitsuki knew what happened to Izuku. Inko had cried to her about it the day after the two came home from the doctor's office.
'Of all children, it just had to be little Izukun.' She sighed as she lied down the knife and turned to face her moody son. "Izukun...had to go away for a while Katsuki. He and his mom need some time off because of personal reasons." She tried to keep it as vague as possible since it wasn't her place to blabber about Izuku's situation. Katsuki however, didn't care to pick up on that cue and little sparks ignited from his palms. "Tell me the truth! Where's Izuku? Where'd he go?"
Mitsuki narrowed her eyes at her son before she noogied his head, ignoring the slight heat that the explosions caused against her skin. "Don't yell at me young man, I'm still your mother. I know you're frustrated, but I can't tell you any more than that Katsuki." The little cretin finally stopped his barrage as he sniffled, before he asked his mom, "I-Is stupid Izuku ever coming back?"
Even though Izuku cried a lot, was scared of everything and sometimes got on his nerves from all the talking he did, Izuku was still his friend. He made Katsuki feel like he was on top of the world and that no one could take him down whenever he gushed about his quirk and how cool Katsuki was. It was unfair that Izuku could just leave without a word like that and not let Katsuki know. Izuku told him everything ...or at least he used to. Mitsuki patted his hair as she looked up at the ceiling, recalling her talk with Inko and Izuku.
Inko kept casting her gaze to the door as Mitsuki got a bit frustrated as she explained what the doctor had suggested. Mitsuki had, once again, let her hot-headed personality get the best of her because she felt like Inko was giving up on little Izuku and surely it couldn't have been that bad .
The room was dark and so cold as she peered in and an irrational sense of fear rn down her spine as she looked around to see where Izuku was hiding. Inko had pleaded for her to close the door and let Izuku have his space, but she was determined to prove that there was nothing wrong with the green haired cutie. There couldn't be. After all, compared to her own son, Izuku was practically an angel.
A series of clicking sounds alerted her that something was nearby, but they sounded like they came from above her, which made her furrow her eyebrows in confusion before she looked up. Piercing green eyes stared back at her from a sea of black as her breath hitched and her eyes widened in fear. A mouth, or what she perceived as his mouth, seemingly ripped open as Izuku's familiar yet distorted voice spoke up.
"Bakugo-san? W-What are you doing here?" He asked as his clawed hands pulled his shadowy form into view from where it was floating near the ceiling. Mitsuki felt her chest clench as she tried to force herself to take in deep breaths and she felt horrible for flinching away when Izuku came close enough to hear her response. Izuku had noticed and his expression was heartbreakingly sad as he seemingly materialized back above her, clinging to the darkness of his ceiling.
"W-What...I don't understand Inko. I know it's still your sweet boy but I-I can't help but want to run away." Mitsuki breathed out after Inko closed the door and gave her a rather frighteningly disappointed look. "That's exactly why I-no we - have to lay low for a while Mitsuki. Izuku still needs to be schooled but, the only option I have is to homeschool him." Inko rubbed her eyes as she sighed, giving Mitsuki a smile that looked like death.
"It's-It's not all bad...I mean the doctor said that the government would p-pay for our situation and medical expenses. A-And I'm sure Izuku can learn how to control his quirk within no time!" Inko tried to convince them, but the thought fell flat on their ears as Inko's voice trembled. 'He has to.' She thought as she couldn't bear the idea of having to lock her precious son away like some sort of criminal .
"I'm so sorry Inko...I'm sorry." 'I'm sorry I can't be the better person and help you. I'm sorry that even I'm afraid of Izuku.' Mitsuki said as she pulled Inko into a hug. "I-I just, I'm not a bad mother am I?" Inko cried quietly as Mitsuki looked at her in shock before grabbing her shoulders tightly. "Of course not Inko! What the hell are you thinking?" She yelled; although she tried to be considerate of Izuku who was still in the other room.
Inko shook her head as if disagreeing and looked at Mitsuki with a disheartened expression. "My own son develops a quirk that scares other people and the first thing I do is agree to hide him away like he did something wrong!" She is stunned when Mitsuki slaps her cheeks together and hold her face between both of her hands. "Inko. You're a wonderful mother who's trying her damn best to help her son. If lying low is what Izuku needs right now then do it. But don't think of yourself as a bad mother because you aren't ."
Inko cried into her shoulder as Mitsuki patted her back. "Let me know when you and Izuku are moving out, I'll get my stupid husband to come help you ok?" Inko nodded before she looked at Mitsuki and said, "I know you'll want to tell little Katsuki, but please Mitsuki...don't tell him yet. Izuku and I will come back, definitely! I-I don't want your son to be afraid of Izuku...that would devastate him!" And so, Mitsuki bit her tongue as her son awaited her answer.
"Of course he will you little brat! Izuku is your friend, isn't he? He'll come back for sure." She said as Katsuki sniffled before wiping his nose and smirked at her, "Damn right!" She noogied his head again, "Who taught you to curse you brat?!" She scolded as he whined at the pain. "Let me go ya old hag!" Mitsuki could only hope her words would come true as she looked down at her son and his reassured expectation that Izuku would come back.
It was three long years before Izuku was finally deemed socially secure enough to be allowed back into society. The doctors and scientists had ran countless tests and helped Izuku reign in his quirk enough for him to maintain his human form for long periods of time. One of the few benefits of his time isolated from the rest of society, being that he was able to meet some pro heroes during some of his tests.
The scientists said they wanted to see how strong his fear aspect was and used it almost like a training exercise for the heroes. They didn't actually fight, if anything they used Izuku as a sort of hazing for new pro heroes, not that Izuku realized that. The only problem they ran into was Izuku's increasing complaints of the coldness that ate away at him. The scientists thought it was an unwanted side effect of his ice manipulation and tried heating him up externally instead to try and suppress it.
But there were just some moments where Izuku is just so cold and hungry , like something was missing inside of him and he needed to fill it up . He would stare, unblinking, whenever he would see some of the pro heroes laugh and bond over a joke or story about their latest adventures. Something inside of him telling him to just open his mouth and eat . That voice scared him and Izuku wasn't dumb, he knew that if he told the truth the doctors, they would make him stay with them even longer.
He didn't want to stay locked up anymore. He loved his mom and knew she only did what was right for him, but Izuku misses being able to go to school. He misses being able to walk outside with his mom freely. He misses kacchan . 'Does Kacchan still even remember me?' He thought as he held his mother's hand. His control over his form isn't completely perfect yet, and he still has to report to the office every other weekend, but at least he could tell Kacchan everything that's happened in the past three years.
His quirk was so amazing now that he understands and can control it so much better. People didn't have to be afraid of him anymore! He could fly, become like a ghost, control ice to an extent, and was super fast and strong just like All Might! Kacchan would be so proud of him! He also could melt into the shadows and move around like that but, Izuku didn't like using that part of his quirk.
It made him feel so cold and like he wanted to find something to hunt . The same way he remembers learning carnivores do to their prey and Izuku didn't want to think about what that meant about him. Inko giggled as she smiled down at her son who had the widest smile on his face and was bouncing up and down slightly at the fact that he was able to go back to school with the other kids.
Izuku had worked so hard and had been such a sweetheart this whole time they had to lie low. She would still shiver, whether it was from the coldness of Izuku's body or remnants of his fear aspect, but it was definitely manageable. Most people wouldn't realize it unless they knew their uneasiness came from Izuku. But sometimes, when Izuku is on his fourth or fifth bowl of rice, and still asks for more because ' Mama, I'm still hungry! It's still so cold inside!' she can't help but feel as if there's something still wrong with him that no one understands.
Sometimes Izuku would cling a bit more to her when she brings back good news from her day at work or share a funny story. She noticed it, but ignored it for the sake of her son. She noticed that whenever he would cling onto her during those moments, his adorable, wide green eyes full of happiness and wonder would shift back into those chilling green on black orbs. Her mood would suddenly plummet as a gripping sensation of freezing and loss suddenly takes over her.
Those were days where Izuku didn't eat as much as usual and Inko, for the life of her, didn't want to admit what that could possibly mean. She was scared to think of it in all honesty. "Are you excited to go back to school and see Kacchan again Izuku? It's been a long time hasn't it?" Inko said softly as Izuku nodded cutely. "Yes Mama! I have so much to tell Kacchan!" He responded with sparkling eyes.
Katsuki had entered the classroom that morning accompanied by two other extras that called themselves his friends. He lost the grin he used to wear after the first year with no sign of Izuku returning. His mom told him to be patient, but Katsuki didn't want to wait. The teacher said something about greeting someone nicely and something about them being homeschooled blah blah blah. Katsuki didn't really care as he looked out of the window at the annoyingly blue sky.
'Shitty clouds, being so carefree.' He thought before a familiar voice made his head snap toward the front of the classroom. "-doriya" "IZUKU?!" He yelled as explosions rocked his desk from excitement. The rest of his dumb classmates recoiled in surprise as Izuku looked so damn happy to see him again. "Kacchan!" He responded in with the bright smile Katsuki had missed from their time before.
The teacher sighed before he told Katsuki to settle down and told Izuku to sit in the remaining seat. Katsuki smirked despite the fact that Izuku wasn't able to sit close to him because it didn't matter. Izuku was back .
"You've been gone for three fucking years, crybaby Izuku!" Katsuki teased as he pushed at Izuku's shoulder, noticing that it barely affected the green haired boy like it used to. Izuku nodded before he teared up, "I-I've missed you k-Kacchan!" Katsuki flushed red from embarrassment as the other kids on the playground looked at them and snickered. His palms exploded in their direction as he told them to fuck off, the nearby teacher ignoring his cursing because they weren't paid enough to deal with his shit.
"So uh...why were you gone Izuku? My mom didn't really tell me much." Katsuki asked as Izuku looked a little down at the reminder of what he had been doing for the past three years. "I-I got my quirk Kacchan! But I wasn't-it wasn't a good quirk at first...the doctor said I needed help before I could go back to school." Izuku tried to explain as Katsuki scoffed. "Well the doctor's stupid Izuku, I coulda helped you! I got my quirk first after all!" He smirked before he noticed Izuku wearing a bittersweet expression.
"Thanks Kacchan...you're a good friend." Izuku said before Katsuki exploded his palm in his face, startling the freckled boy. "Stupid Izuku! You should leave the thinking to me! Come on let's go play with our quirks!" Katsuki ordered as he wrapped a hand around Izuku's wrist and tried to pull him away. When he met some resistance Katsuki turned around to look quizzically at Izuku who shook his head slightly.
"T-The doctor said I c-can't use my quirk around other p-people Kacchan, sorry…" Katsuki scowled as he pushed at Izuku, his lackeys finally coming around when they noticed him being mean. "Stupid Izuku, who said you could talk back to me? It's been three years and you finally have a stupid quirk and I want to play!" Izuku only shook his head again as he started to tear up.
Katsuki bared his teeth in displeasure before he was interrupted by one of his lackeys. "Come on Bakugo! Forget about him and play with us!" Katsuki growled at them for trying to order him to do something before he glanced at Izuku who picked himself up but stood awkwardly to the side. He clicked his tongue before turning away from Izuku, "Three years and you're still a crybaby Izuku. Don't play with us until you use your quirk."
Izuku sniffled as he watched Katsuki walked away with his friends as he retreated to the classroom since no one else wanted to talk to him. Once Katsuki put his claim on Izuku it was like a huge sign that told everyone to avoid him. "Idiot Kacchan, things aren't that easy…" Izuku mumbled as the rest of the day passed by awkwardly.
Their relationship didn't really improve from that point on since Izuku vehemently refused to show off his quirk. Katsuki became more aggressive in hopes of pushing Izuku to use his quirk, and the rest of the class took the opportunity to take out their frustrations on Izuku as well. Izuku said nothing as he refused to fold into their actions, simply tearing up when their words and sometimes their fists hit him.
On bad days where the bullying became too much, his control would slip, causing the class to realize something was off about him. When they got too close, there was an unsettling chill that reached out and latched onto their stubby arms and reaching fingers. Sometimes they would see Izuku's eyes flash into a terrifying, apathetic glare.
Some kids complained about how creepy he could be when he walked because they couldn't hear his footsteps. Even his bullies experienced a lingering impression of despair whenever they would push him too far. Katsuki was the only who thought that was all bullshit since he didn't notice anything like that when he was with Izuku. But he was fed up with Izuku's behavior.
Izuku was supposed to get a cool quirk and then be his sidekick because that's just how it was supposed to be. Katsuki would be the brave hero who rescued everyone with a smile and Izuku would be there to help him with the other villains. He wasn't supposed to be even more cowardly and useless than before!
Then why was he standing in front of Katsuki and defying him? Katsuki set off an explosion in Izuku's face as the green haired boy stood in front of him and his lackeys, protecting some no-name extra. "I-You-You shouldn't h-hurt him anymore Kacchan! It's w-wrong!" Izuku declares as Katsuki growled in response.
"Get out of the way Deku!" Katsuki mocked as Izuku flinched in surprise at the change in names. "D-Deku?!" Izuku yelped indignantly as the kid behind him fled the scene. Katsuki wore a sinister grin as he said, "Yeah, Deku because you're useless and can't do anything! Deku!" He laughed as Izuku's face gained a hurt expression.
"T-That's not true Kacchan! I'm not a Deku!" Izuku argued only for him to be surrounded by the three boys who pushed him and kept repeating the horrible nickname. "S-Stop! Why are you being so mean Kacchan?" Izuku yelled before another explosion sent him falling back onto the dirt. "Stop crying Deku! This is what losers like you deserve!" Katsuki laughed as he and the other two walked off.
Inko was worried out of her mind when Izuku came home, roughed up and bawling his eyes out. Izuku didn't tell her what Katsuki had said though because he didn't want his mom to think badly of his friend. Unfortunately for Izuku, the nickname spread like wildfire among his classmates at school and even they began using it to bully him. Between calling him 'creepy' and the newly dubbed 'deku', Izuku felt like crying as it seemed everything was against him in the world.
Inko noticed this, but nothing she did could make Izuku open up about what was happening at school. The doctors were aware of his decline in emotional state as well whenever he came for his bi-weekly appointments. They too, were unsuccessful in getting Izuku to explain what was happening. The only information they learned was that Izuku's human form was becoming more unstable to hold and that his body temperature was growing increasingly more freezing every day.
Izuku started eating less as well, after his classmates found another thing to bully him about. His quirk required for him to eat a lot of food to fill up the empty feeling inside of him and make his focus better. Everyone thought he was being a pig however, when they saw the five bento boxes that his mom packed each morning. His mother was none the wiser to Izuku throwing away his food, to the animals in the woods nearby the school.
As weeks flew by, the toll the combination of bullying and starvation Izuku suffered leached away at his mental state. Izuku became increasingly jumpy and more irritable as he tried his hardest to focus in class, ignoring the gnawing, burning sensation in his stomach and chest. He didn't want to worry his mom, he couldn't ask the teachers for help and the other kids were so, so cruel .
He was so tired. Izuku felt so tired and hungry and so cold . He wanted to cry as he woke up one morning for school. Today it took forever for him to be able to switch back into his human form, making him late for school. The teacher did nothing but embarrass him for being late which led to his classmates laughing at him again.
'S-Stop it, stop laughing!' Izuku thought as he bowed his head and sat down in his seat. Everything passed along as usual, and Izuku thought he would be able to make it through the day without incident until the kids in class invited him to play heroes and villains with them. Surprisingly, Katsuki was the one to lead them, "Come on Deku! You can come play heroes and villains with us!"
A sense of paranoia sat in the back of Izuku's mind as he watched his classmates smile encouragingly. 'I-I don't understand why they're being so n-nice, but…' He thought before nodding nervously. "O-ok Kacchan! How-How do we play?" Izuku asked as they lead him to the middle of the playground and circled him. Katsuki smirked as he shrugged and said, "It's really easy Deku! First, everyone here is a hero! All heroes have quirks they can use to defeat the villain! Second, You're the villain."
Izuku didn't have a chance to argue at the unfairness before one of the kids hit him with their quirk, making him stumble forward. This sparked for the others to join in as Izuku raised up his arms to try to defend from their barrage. "S-Stop! I'm not a villain! W-Why is everyone so mean?" He cried as they all laughed at him. "Creepy Deku!" "Creepy Deku!" They chanted as they continued knocking Izuku around with their quirks.
"K-Kacchan! Please tell them to stop!" Izuku pleaded as Katsuki smirked before he shouted for the others to settle down. "Sorry Deku, but heroes don't listen to villains! If you used your quirk maybe you could be a hero with us!" Katsuki said cruelly. Izuku was crying but he still refused, shaking his head he looked up at Katsuki whose smirk turned into an ugly frown.
"Then die, villain ." Katsuki said before blowing up his palm in Izuku's face, blinding him with the light and heat. Izuku shouted as his eyes watered from the pain and tried to cover his ears as the other kids resumed their chanting. 'Shut up. I'm not a villain' Izuku thought as he clutched his hair even tighter. "Creepy Deku!" Creepy Deku!" "Die Creepy Deku!"
'It hurts...It's so cold...mama, WHY IS IT SO COLD? ITHURTSITHURTSITHURTSITHURTS- I'm...hungry." Izuku couldn't breathe as a freezing cold burst from his chest, the feeling of sharp needles piercing through his lungs and esophagus as the world became too bright and a little too loud. Izuku peered one eye open only to see the forms of his classmates distort into something more monstrous.
'W-Why are you laughing? Why are you so happy? Why are you happy that I'm hurting?!' Izuku screamed in his mind as the ugly feeling inside of him boiled over. "I hate it…" He whispered as Katsuki and the others stopped at the sound of his voice. "I HATE IT I HATE I HATE YOU! " Izuku screeched as his form exploded into a miasma of darkness that slammed into the other children, sending them flying backward.
Suddenly, the rest of the playground was alert and rushing to see what was happening as the teachers realized they had fucked up by letting the bullying escalate. Izuku's form flickered back and forth before the darkness that wrapped around him expanded and his head looked up to meet the terrified gazes of the rest of his classmates. "I'm so cold, it's so cold...I hate it- Why is everyone so warm while I'm so cold? I HATE IT!"
His voice was distorted as if he were speaking through a layer of water as Izuku attacked his classmates, the teachers only reacting fast enough to pull them away before Izuku's claws disemboweled them. The other children were frightened to the point of being paralyzed as they couldn't take their eyes away from Izuku's monstrous appearance.
Katsuki sat up in a terrified shock as he tried to scramble out of Izuku's range. Izuku locked onto Katsuki's form as he swooped in and took Katsuki into an almost painful grip. "SHARE IT WITH ME KACCHAN! I'M SO COLD! I'M HUNGRY, SO HUNGRY. YOU HAVE A LOT DON'T YOU KACCHAN? GIVE IT TO ME, YOUR HAPPINESS."
Katsuki peered into the depths of Izuku's pupil-less green eyes as the area where his mouth would be tore open and Katsuki realized he was looking into the maw of death. As Izuku breathed in, Katsuki's life flashed before his eyes as his memories suddenly came to mind. He was helpless as his vision started to black out, and all he could think of before everything went dark was, 'I'm sorry...Izuku...I-I didn't know-'
Suddenly, Izuku was slammed into, throwing him off of Katsuki's prone form. "Izuku?!" The voice yelled in disbelief as Izuku twisted his neck to see who interrupted his meal . Black eyes stared back into his as the young Pro-hero 'Manual' looked on in horror and disbelief. They had met when Izuku's doctor asked for some volunteers to help Izuku experiment with his quirk.
Manual had quickly taken a liking to the mild-mannered Izuku and saw him as a little brother of sorts. However, as he was forced to dodge a vicious tackle from the monster Izuku had become he wondered what the fuck happened for the school to let this happen. Izuku had worked so hard for those three years that he had been hidden away just so he could re-enter the normal world.
Now numerous children were passed out around him with varying levels of injuries and a hysterical crowd of teachers who have no idea how badly they've fucked up. "Izuku! Please! Snap out of it!" Manual yelled before his eyes widened as Izuku rushed him again, crashing into the wall behind him with enough force to break through the wall. This was not what Manual expected when he heard screaming coming from the school he was passing by.
"Please Izuku! Snap out of it! This isn't you!" Manual yelled before he took out his phone and dialed back up. "I'm sorry Izuku but, if you continue this behavior I'll-I'll have to take you in!" Manual tried to explain only to freeze as Izuku's claws rested on his shoulders. The gaping tears that acted as his mouth breathing a numbingly cold air into his face.
Izuku's clawed hands traced his helmet before wrapping around his neck as the ghastly face tilted its head from side to side as if trying to recognize who Manual was. Or at least, that's what Manual was hoping Izuku was doing. A series of shots rang through the air as Izuku, or what was supposed to be Izuku shrieked and quickly retreated as another nearby hero arrived. They had seen Manual's alert for help.
Manual held a hand up at the other hero as he quickly explained, "Don't hurt him please! I know it's hard to believe, but that's just a child!" The other hero widened their eyes in response before nodding jerkily, Izuku's form instilling fear into them. "This is so fucking messed up then." They said as Manual couldn't help but agree.
Izuku seemed to be in pain as the overwhelming sensations of the world around him seemed to settle down. Half of his face morphed back into the familiar creepy form Manual was used to. "Ma-Manual, Manual-niichan!" Izuku growled out as his shadows tried to anchor him back to the ground by grabbing at the dirt. Manual approached him slowly and cautiously as he nodded, "That's right Izuku, it's me. Manual. Do you recognize me?"
Izuku did an action with his head that Manual took as a nod since his form seemed to be settling down. "Izuku, I know this is a lot to take in, but you need to calm down ok? After this, we're going to go see your doctor ok? You need help right now and it's not good for you to be here." Manual reasoned a bit too hastily, not realizing how Izuku might feel about the implications of his words.
Izuku's pupil constricted as he took in the sight of his classmates bleeding and his teachers staring at him with unfiltered terror. "I-I'm not a b-bad kid! I'm not a villain!" Izuku stuttered as he started backing away, grasping at his hair in a painful manner. Manual cursed as he realized his wording could have been a bit more considerate.
Izuku spun around hoping to find an escape from the situation only for his breath to be taken away as Katsuki's prone form lied, breathing shallowly near him. His skin was deathly grey and it looked like he hadn't eaten for months. Izuku couldn't hear anything past the static that roared in his mind as he realized, 'It's my fault...Kacchan…' "Kacchan, KACCHAN!" Izuku yelled as the shadows took over his slight frame once again.
Manual and the other hero were helpless as Izuku let out an ear-splitting screech, the sound bringing them to their knees from the weight of the pain they could hear in it. " I'M DISGUSTING! I HURT KACCHAN, I HURT EVERYONE! THEY'RE RIGHT, EVERYONE IS RIGHT! I'M JUST A MONSTER!"Manual's eyes widened as he tried to reach out and grab onto Izuku, only for his fingers to slip through the chilling shadows of Izuku's torso before the boy escaped.
Not a trace of him was left as the shadow travel aspect of his quirk basically let him teleport away. Manual was just as speechless as everyone else in the wake of Izuku's meltdown. The Pro hero was stunned silent for a moment before he turned his furious gaze as the teachers who were supposed to be responsible for Izuku's wellbeing. "Start explaining. Now ."
