Chapter 3

Katsuki looked up from where he had collapsed.

Deku stood over him, eyes wide with concern. That look had always made Katsuki's insides twist. To him, the worry always seemed like something to close to pity and he'd wanted none of that shit. Pity was for weaklings.

But Deku had said that he didn't look down on Katsuki and it was obvious he meant it. But how could there be worry if he wasn't seeing weakness?

Everything had changed so much since the day Katsuki had tossed Deku's burnt book out the window. It was that day when he reached the epitome of his childhood assholery during the accompanying 'conversation' with the tiny, quirkless boy.

Deku had grown stronger since then. Not just in physically, either. And the development - no, acquisition of a quirk… of All Might's quirk - certainly helped. He finally grew a pair, too. Gained the ability to interact with classmates, go toe-to-toe with Katsuki, and take on every challenge thrown his way with his head held high.

It pissed Katsuki off because he felt like he'd done nothing but get weaker. He'd fucked up time after time, whether in school or facing villains. By the second day at UA, he'd been outsmarted by Deku the 'pebble' and seen that Half n' Half was obviously more powerful than him. Then, during the UA tournament, his chance to redeem himself, they had fucked him over again. The fire and ice wielder had chosen their fight - Katsuki's Fight - as the fucking moment to let his personal shit to finally catch up to him and throw the damn match. But not before he had given Deku his all. Katsuki's childhood tag-along would have given him a better fight for sure. If Half n' Half hadn't talked to Deku before the third round of the tournament, it would have been Deku standing across from him in that ring. That medal would have been worth something, rather than just fill him with shame every time he saw it.

Then there were the two back to back travesties of his shadowing of Best Jeanist and being paired with Deku for finals. And he'd only made it through the latter because Deku had beat sense back into him when he talked about throwing the fucking match.

And then there were the villains. Everyone kept bringing up the Sludge Bastard and would no doubt continue to do so with his capture by the League of Assholes. Even the Misty Fucker's teleportation trick after he and Shitty Hair had attacked him at the USJ seemed like more of the same crap to Katsuki.

Katsuki clenched his teeth, anger and frustration building along with the tears pricking the corners of his eyes. He always had to depend on someone else to pull his ass out of the fire. Classmates, teachers, random heroes…What kind of hero wasn't even capable of protecting himself?

He recalled the look on Deku's face in the forest, right before Katsuki was pulled through the Mist Fucker's portal again. And the green haired idiot had the nerve to look like it was his fault Katsuki got captured by the villains.

As if Deku hadn't done everything in his power to prevent Katsuki's capture. He got the Telepathic Cat Lady to send out a warning to everyone that Katsuki was a target. Then he had ignored his busted arms to charge into danger in order to find him. In the process, he summoned some of the most bad-ass backup ever, disposing of a cannibalistic death row inmate in seconds. Then, when he should have been out of his mind from pain, the nerd hardly missed a beat as he organized an escort strong enough that it could have given All Might himself a run for his fucking money. If Deku had known about the Masked Motherfucker, Katsuki doubted the bastard would have made it within a hundred yards of them. He bet the idiot organized the last-ditch effort to save him, too.

But that was Deku, wasn't it? Always butting in and trying to deal with everyone else's shit. He wouldn't fuckin' stop meddling, no matter how hard he was pushed away or beaten into the ground.

And Kamino Ward was further proof of that. Even as Katsuki had grabbed Kirishima's hand in his final escape in Kamino, Deku was right there behind them. He was undoubtedly the orchestrator of that batshit plan, cause no one else there would have thought that shit up in their wildest dreams... they should have put him against Nezu for the exam. He'd give Mr. Animal Genius a run for his fucking money!

So why was Deku, with all of his brains, his newfound confidence and an incredible quirk to back it all up, still following Katsuki around like a puppy? Why did classmates like Kirishima act like he was, as Deku phrased it, 'amazing?'

How couldn't they how pathetically feeble he was?

Deku jarred Katsuki from his spiraling thoughts by plopping down in front of him like they were still four fucking years old and had just finished running through the park. Katsuki hadn't realized it until Deku was at eye level with him, but he'd been waiting to see what the curly haired teen would do next. He… he was afraid to blink for fear that it would let loose the torrent of tears he was desperately trying to hold back. Why the hell did him sitting down like that feel so fucking important? Deku pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, his scarred right hand wrapped around his left wrist. Even in the dark, he could see how mangled it was from the damage his new quirk had wrought.

Why had it done that to Deku? Katsuki was pretty sure that none of All Might's permanent injuries came from that quirk. Yet, in a matter of months, Deku's arms were almost completely fucked up. Somehow, the blond suspected it wouldn't have done that to him…his arms were built for taking large amounts of force.

But, honestly, Katsuki knew All Might's choice had nothing to do with Deku's physical abilities. It was whatever was inside Deku that made him stand up to Katsuki and his personal set of side characters when they were messing with some of the weaker extras. The thing that caused him offer his hand when Katsuki had fallen into the river. The force that pushed him to barrel toward the Sludge Villain without thinking when all of those heroes just stood there and watched.

What was that something, though? Katsuki had always been taught that the most important thing about becoming a hero was strength. Power. Whatever Deku was acting on, however, was something different. It made it so that Deku was always there when other people were at their weakest, as surely as if he'd had some sort of teleportation quirk. And he always did whatever it took to set everything right for them.

"Are we done now, Kacchan?" Deku asked and Kacchan knew he wasn't just talking about this fight.

And, weak as he felt at that moment, Katsuki could no longer look the other boy in the eye. Instead, he looked down at his lap, curled his hands up in them and pretended to study them, as if he could see anything through his own unshed tears now.

Katsuki still didn't understand why Deku would want anything to do with him. He'd done so much to the green haired boy - to push him away and yet, he was always there, right behind him.

Now, yet again, Deku was asking Katsuki to stop pushing him away. He didn't get it. Deku had confessed to finding him impressive, that he was the person who was always there. But he was wrong, he hadn't been there, really. Not by choice.

But Deku had been there for Katsuki when he needed help, even if he made it clear that he didn't want any. At least Katsuki thought he didn't want it at the time. Yet, it made him wonder why he spend so much time reflecting on those moments? Why did he always recall that while everyone else just stood in the distance, whether it was kids on a log or heroes and civilians waiting for someone more qualified, Deku was right there, ready to help him.

Katsuki knew that Deku shouldn't want to be right there for him. He really didn't deserve to have someone like the ever smiling Izuku Midoriya. But, at that moment, he couldn't stand the thought of ever turning around when he was in trouble and not seeing Deku there.

Especially after having to deal with exactly that while the Villains had held him at the bar…

He'd never say it aloud, but as happy as he'd been when he took Kirishima's hand, he hadn't been able to believe he was actually safe until he glanced back to find a familiar pair of green eyes staring into his.

"Yeah, I think so."

Katsuki didn't have to look up to know that Deku was smiling, looking at him like they were four again. It was best he killed any wrong ideas and stupidly overextended hopes of 'going back' now. "But don't ask me what the fuck comes next."

For a moment, Deku was quiet. Thinking, as he always did with everything. Then, he finally said, "Let's try to make it something better."

"Course you'd say something like that." Katsuki stated. Despite feeling like crap, he momentarily had to fight the urge to chuckle at the ridiculously hopeful outlook his old friend still had. He didn't understand how Deku did it. He doubted that he ever would.

Then he heard their teacher clear his throat.


Shota looked down at the two boys sitting on the pavement at his feet. They both looked small and vulnerable at that moment. Bakugou was curled up with his hands tucked in his lap. Midoriya looked up fearfully at Shota through tear filled eyes, the confidence he'd displayed when refusing to stop fighting having evaporated.

There were so many problems here, most of which would be difficult to deal with. They would certainly take more than one conversation to fix. And he was worried that once he finally started thinking about them, the issues would only multiply. But at least the first question to ask was obvious. "Do either of you have injuries serious enough that you need to visit Recovery Girl right now?"

"No," Bakugou said in a single, clipped and sharp.

"I don't either," Midoriya added.

"Good." Shota stated, relieved. Their battle - before he'd stepped in and used his quirk on them - had been intense, to say the least. Cracked pavement, bent guard rails and smoking buildings with crumbling sections of walls stood a testament to the ferocity the fight. It would have been easy for one of them to be seriously injured and not realize it while they were still on an adrenaline rush. But, after a couple minutes, they would probably be calmed enough to notice most of their aches and pains. So, he could trust their judgement.

At least in respect to their physical condition.

Their states of mind might be a completely different story.

"Now, you are going to explain why you felt this was necessary." Because they clearly had. They'd quite literally beaten each other into the ground and refused to stop even after he'd stepped in. Midoriya going so far as to look him dead in the eye when he told them to stop and stated that they wouldn't. That they couldn't. That was not like him.

At his demand to know what was going on, Bakugou's shoulders seemed to sink deeper, making the boy look even smaller.

Midoriya was the one who answered. "Kacchan was upset because All Might used up his power saving him."

Bakugou flinched as if struck by Midoriya's words, Shota felt a headache coming on. He remembered what the explosive boy's mother had stated about him being so weak that he let himself be captured. So, this was how deep those words cut. That he'd been blaming himself for All Might's fall and then had failed the exam today. He'd felt the need to pick a fight with a classmate to redeem himself as a strong fighter in his own mind.

"Bakugou. Look at me."

After a moment, the boy looked up, red eyes bloodshot as tears ran from them.

"What happened in Kamino Ward is not your fault. You saw the shape All Might was in. He'd been in decline for a long time and probably should have retired years ago, after the fight that left him in that condition. Still, I understand the temptation to blame yourself. However, he, Best Jeanist and all of the other heroes knew that this operation would be dangerous."

"But if I hadn't been captured…"

"Bakugou, you did the best you could at the time, given the circumstances. You are a talented student. But you are still a student, targeted by an entire organization of villains, some of whom were experienced killers. That you held off so long-"

"But I didn't run away…in the woods, that Cat Lady sent Deku's message that I was a target and I ran toward the fight way. It was my fault!" Bakugou stated, trembling as tears continued to flow.

And there was the heart of it, the guilt that was eating him alive. He'd made a bad choice that had serious consequences.

Shota didn't consider himself to be very good at consoling people. He was rather lacking in social skills in general, to be honest. Usually, it wasn't much of a problem. Students considered him harsh to the point of bordering unapproachable, which he was comfortable with. He was the teacher who'd expel them if they slipped up even for a moment. Very few saw that he acted with their well-being in mind. And he was perfectly happy to keep a distance with them. Certainly, none of the students would have depended to him for comfort.

This year, though, was different. It was already littered with dangerous situations where not only the students had to depend on Shota to save them, but he had to rely on them as well. Despite the terrible circumstances that had caused it, he couldn't help but feel closer to these kids than a mere student-teacher relationship. He couldn't help but try to comfort the boy falling apart in front of him. Carefully, gently, Shota placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to think of something to say.

Shota was startled when Bakugou lean against his shoulder and sobbing into it as he balled up his hands in Shota's shirt.

For a minute, Shota wrapped his arms around the blond and let the boy sob against his chest. Young Midoriya watched on, eyes focused on the other boy with solemn eyes full of agonizing sadness, crippling loneliness and deep longing focused on the other boy. Shota had a feeling that he'd have tried to hug the other boy if he thought it would help. Still, Midoriya held back because, despite the moment he'd just shared with Bakugou, the green haired boy knew it would be going too far.

How did Shota mistake this for something as simple as a rivalry?

Shota returned his focus to Bakugou, though he was determined to give Midoriya the attention he was due as soon as he'd dealt with the boy in his arms. "You're not the only first year I've taught who would have run straight into a fight when given the opportunity. They were like you - overconfident in their abilities, despite having minimal training. By the time they had to face their first villain, that behavior would have been tempered some and they'd have gone through training that you haven't been exposed to yet. Yes, you should have done as you were told instead of engaging, but I should have taken initiative to correct the underlying behavior that caused you to act out. As a result, when the moment came, you were unprepared."

Shota felt Bakugou stiffen. He had a feeling that if anyone else had told him that he wasn't ready to face villains, he would have blown his top.

As it was, Shota decided not to give him the chance to stew over what he'd said, "Even if they didn't catch you, judging from the fact that they also tried to take Tokoyami, they would have been perfectly willing to snatch someone else." And if Shota was a betting man, he'd put his money on it being Midoriya, since his condition after rescuing Kota would have made him an easy target.

Shota continued. "I'm not going to tell you to stop blaming yourself. It would be illogical to think that would work." On either of you. Shota knew Midoriya blamed himself for the other boy's capture. He'd first known the villains had succeeded when the boy's agonized wails had echoed through the woods, a sound that would probably haunt him to the end of his days. "It would also be hypocritical, coming from me. How do you think I feel when I remember the fact that the villains took you while you were supposed to be under my protection? Or wondering if my quirk would have made the difference against that monster All Might fought?" He sighed and added, "I certainly meant what I said about my responsibility for not correcting your behavior that put you in danger in the first place. It's something that I'm more determined to work on than ever after tonight."

The boys both looked shocked at Shota's admission. Midoriya opened his mouth to say something but was stopped with a look.

"My point is, it's understandable to look back after the fact and wonder 'what if,' even if it's not logical. Still, sometimes those thoughts can help make you stronger. So, remember what you did wrong and use that to do better next time."

"Count yourselves fortunate that everyone you know made it through alive this time." If only he could say the same for the countless people caught up in the destruction of Kamino Ward. "You have no idea how lucky you are for that."

But how much longer would that luck hold? Experiencing loss was a part of being a hero. A major reason he kept himself separate from his students was that he knew many would be crippled or dead before they reached his age. It's why he didn't mess around with kids he knew couldn't cut it. However, when the kids were supposed to be safest, this year's freshmen had already been faced multiple attacks by villains unlike anything that fully trained heroes had faced in years. Probably since All Might stepped up as the Symbol of Peace.

And now, these students were being forced into one situation after another that they weren't ready for. This was the very thing Shota had prided himself in protecting his students from. It infuriated and terrified him that his ability to keep his single greatest promise to his students had been torn away.

Shota shoved the thoughts away. He had enough to consider without dwelling on something he couldn't control at the moment. He would be able to devote plenty of time to it during the hours sleep eluded him and in the nightmares that swallowed what little rest he got. Right now, he had to address the situation in front of him.

Bakugou's fists tightening and his shuddering breath drew Shota's focus back into that moment. He rubbed his hand along the teen's back to comfort him as the man felt a wet spot growing in his shirt.

And Midoriya watched on, already trying to bury his own pain and remain inconspicuous. To be forgotten so Shota would focus on his classmates' suffering.

Shota caught Midoriya's eye, letting him know he wasn't going to ignore him, even if the green haired teen would probably insist otherwise.

The two hearts of class A were tearing both themselves, and each other, apart and burning to cinders even as they began their ascent to greatness. If something had been different, if this fight hadn't happened, it's very likely that Bakugou, one of the most promising students to walk into UA, would have burned out. Eaten alive by his guilt, had he been without any help. How many other students were this close to breaking?

And to save Bakugou, Midoriya had been willing to take whatever the explosive boy threw at him in the empty streets of a faux city in the dead of night. And all the while, he seemed to consider it a major point to not be the other boy's 'punching bag.'

Shota was going to have a serious conversation with Nezu. The principal had promised the media that the student's psychological needs would be addressed. Well, here were exhibits A and B for the absolutely stellar job the school was doing with that. Bakugou had been kidnapped and Izuku had his life threatened at a mall, but they had clearly needed counseling long before those incidents. Sure, they weren't responsible for the students' needs before they set foot on campus but once they were in UA?

All of Class 1-A… actually, at this point all of the first-year students - had been through life-threatening situations involving Villains. As heroes, the staff have enough personal experience with that kind of thing that they should know that these kids weren't okay. Yet, here he was, with two beat up students because the staff, himself included, had failed them in not just keeping them physically safe but in regards to their mental health too.

For a few minutes, Shota and Midoriya waited silently as they allowed Bakugou to calm down and collect himself. Eventually, the tears dried and his embrace ended. He stood stared at the ground, glaring at it as if it had personally offended him. And he looked like his normal self as Shota too rose to his feet.

Once it seemed that Bakugou was had recovered as much as possible, Shota finally spoke again. "Unfortunately, no matter how necessary and unavoidable this fight was, you still broke the rules." Midoriya flinched, more hurt by those words than from his injuries. "You will both be under house arrest for three days. During that time, you will clean all of the dormitory common spaces, morning and night." He considered written statements of regret but in all honesty, UA probably owed them the apologies for letting this go on for so long. Besides, he wasn't about to let them have one closing statement and then bury this. "You will only be allowed to leave only to attend therapy sessions with Hound Dog that I will set up for you."

Izuku looked down at his feet, although Shota didn't miss his puzzled expression, even as Bakugou opened his mouth to object. So, he was aware of both who Hound Dog was and his wider reputation as a hero.

"No, this isn't part of your punishment. It's something you both should have received well before now." Shota glared at them. "Any hero agency worth its salt would require members of their teams who went through your types of experiences to see a therapist if they wanted to keep their jobs. Your families will be informed and if they want you to see someone outside the school instead, UA will cover the charges. What happened tonight is proof that you need it. If your only outlet for your emotions is picking a fight with a classmate, something needs to be done."

Bakugou must have truly been spent because the look that Shota received now was just tired.

Shota frowned and added, "When your House Arrest is over, we will have a conversation about exactly what you two were arguing over." He looked pointedly at Bakugou as he stated this.

Bakugou bit his lip as his gaze sank back to the ground, this time with the occasional side glances at Midoriya.

Shota was relieved. Much like with his decision to run toward danger rather than away, it meant he knew Bakugou had done wrong and he felt guilt over it. And he knew that he wanted to do better. If Bakugou was incapable of such remorse, then Shota would have to accept that, despite his incredible talent, he would have zero potential as a true hero. He'd forever be a constant danger to himself and everyone around him.

Shota looked over the boys, taking note of their conditions again and added, "as for your injuries, if the pain doesn't get better, go to the infirmary. However, don't you dare go on thinking that you can rely on that lady's quirk."

Bakugou and Midoriya exchanged a look and Shota could tell that, at the very least, the relationship between them would come through this vastly improved in comparison to what it had been before. He would have to remember that when he considered how he approached the situation later. He didn't want to undo the progress they had made here.

"S-so, I guess we should go back, now?" Izuku asked.

If the situation had been less serious, Shota might have smirked at Midoriya's attempt to slip away. It was just like him to see to someone else's needs but then try to avoid anyone trying to deal with his personal problems. "Not quite. What did Bakugou mean when referring to your 'new quirk?'"

Shota was already thinking about certain things he'd noticed about Midoriya that were starting to come together like the pieces of a puzzle he hadn't even known was there before, completely eclipsed by the much more noticeable mystery of the tension between him and Bakugou. Still, the teacher felt that he should have noticed sooner.

First, there was Midoriya's learning curve. He'd gone from breaking most of the bones in his body, to specific parts, to being able to mostly manage his power, all in the course of a couple months. That learning curve didn't match a teenager who'd had over a decade to learn how to manage his quirk. What it did match was the way toddlers who got powerful, self-destructive quirks might learn to wield their abilities.

Except such children didn't go from being in peak physical condition to having limbs so mangled that they were a blow short of complete uselessness in a matter of months. Of course, they weren't required to perform with those quirks in the field and were instead sent to quirk counselors who would help them learn to manage their abilities properly.

In fact, Shota recalled that he wasn't the first person to make such an observation. Not by a long shot. While the staff had discussed his performance during the entrance exam, the issue had come up. 'He was considerably damaged by his own attack…like a child getting a first glimpse of his power.'

At the time, Shota had assumed the boy had neglected his quirk, making him write the kid off. But day one of class, the boy had killed that assumption. So now, with Bakugou's comment, he had to wonder…

"Midoriya, when did your quirk manifest?"

And at that question, Midoriya's form seemed to shrink in on itself as he trembled. He could see the kid calculating exactly what he should say. Midoriya had many skills, hiding secrets when directly confronted wasn't one of them. After a couple moments, he finally stated, "Right before the entrance exam."

Shota glanced at Bakugou, who stated, "I never saw him use it before the first day of classes." Which explained his violent reaction when Midoriya had thrown the baseball with the power of his quirk behind it. He thought his longtime classmate and victim had been holding back on him.

Shota again considered the shape the Midoriya was in and confident that the boy was telling the truth…but his face said that it was not the full truth. "How many times had you used it before the exam."

"I…didn't."

"Fucking seriously, Deku?!" It seemed like, even when Bakugou was too drained to rally his anger for himself, he could still find it for Midoriya. What did that say for how he felt toward the other boy?

Shota glared at Bakugou making sure he wouldn't interrupt again. Then he looked at Midoriya and said, "You ran into the UA Entrance Exam with a newly active, unused, untested quirk with no idea what it did?"

The look on Midoriya's face mixed with his fear was not the shame of a child who'd done something stupid and was receiving a scolding for doing so. It was indignation. But it only lasted for a moment before it sank beneath the aforementioned fear like quicksand.

And of course, Midoriya wouldn't run in without even the slightest idea of what he would be doing. His plans were often reckless and self-destructive, but he always had them, and a few backups if possible. His problem, other than his blatant lack of concern for himself, was that he needed time, even a couple seconds, to form that plan. He was poor at simply reacting spontaneously in the field. A fact Bakugou had taken full advantage of tonight.

Even if Midoriya didn't care about the damage to himself, he wouldn't have risked the robot being able to continue its path to Uraraka. He'd known exactly what he was doing when he'd leapt at the Zero-Pointer as it threatened her during the exam. So, even without using his quirk, he'd had an understanding of exactly what it was. How?

And who had ever heard of a quirk activating over a decade late? There were a few types of quirks that could hide for that long but they were all subtle. Midoriya's was anything but.

So, when the green haired boy got a determined - if regretful - gleam in his eye, Shota cut him off. "Midoriya, your face has already given you away. Don't stand there and try to lie to me."

At that, the boy deflated, looking more than a little relieved. "We can't talk about it. It's not just my secret."

Bakugou growled. "Should've learned to keep it sooner."

"You weren't exactly quiet about whatever it was tonight either, Bakugou," Shota stated.

At that, the blond glared at his feet but didn't retort. He knew it was true.

Shota wished All Might was here to talk to Midoriya. As close as they were, he could… suddenly, all gears in his mind ground to a halt, before spinning again, double time.

All Might, who already had picked Midoriya as his clear favorite before day one. Whose quirk was easily comparable to Midoriya's. In seconds, more pieces clicked into place. All Might's decline had taken a steep curve at the beginning of the year, matching the time period where this boy had shown up. Shota had attributed it to his declining health and the USJ incident but maybe there were more factors involved.

And just now, hadn't Midoriya mentioned that All Might had "used up" his power. The failure could have been caused by several different things and it wasn't unreasonable to suspect that it had somehow been finite and reached its limit, as such quirks did exist. But Midoriya had spoken as if it was a fact, rather than a possibility.

Until now, the word 'coincidence,' would have seemed to be the only explanation to the late appearance of Midoriya's quirk and the fading of All Might's power. But with Kamino Ward, with the reveal of All for One, it had been revealed that quirks could be transferred. Could be taken. And the way All Might fought that man waiting for him there spoke of a bitter history.

And if there was one way to do transfer quirks between people, there could be others. Off the bat, he could easily imagine a copier quirk out there that could permanently duplicate another person's quirk to make it their own. Or someone who could simply pass quirks along between people without using them. He was going to have nightmares over the possibilities, now that he'd started thinking of them.

"You already knew what it could do…you'd-" Shota glanced around, recalling that the walls had ears here and there was at least one pair on campus that would leak information to their enemies. "It's All Might, isn't it? He's the other person."

Midoriya and Bakugou exchanged another glance that was as much of a confirmation as if they had given one aloud.

Midoriya started mumbling to himself and Shota got enough to know he was trying to decide where to start and put up a hand. "Not here. The Teacher's Lounge is soundproofed," Shota stated.

Izuku nodded.

And suddenly pieces to a puzzle Shota hadn't even known was there began snapping into place, starting to form an image that he really didn't like.

He looked at Bakugou, "how much do you know about this?"

"'Bout as much as you right now."

Shota nodded, already frustrated that he boy knew so much, even as he was relieved that he didn't know more. Whatever this secret was, it was huge. Dangerous. It needed to be contained as much as possible. "Go back to the dorm and don't discuss it with anyone. If you need to know more, you will hear it later. Do you understand?"

Bakugou nodded in understanding before turning and walking off into the night.


At this point in the series, I think that Bakugou is at a point where he no longer considers Izuku weak but he doesn't quite comprehend what it is that makes him strong. He's still someone who views the world around him in terms of strength but is just starting to question that way of thinking. For years, he has been a bully who enjoyed inflicting pain on those he views as weaker than him and I don't think he has been given a chance to shed all of that yet. He is not a nice person, even though he is improving over the course of the series. Although his fight with Izuku may have helped him along the road to being a better person, he can't completely change overnight, as is a point often made throughout the series. It's going to be something I'm going to try to explore in this story. In consideration of this, I tried to make Bakugou's reflections display him as a jerk but still make it possible to sympathize with him.

If anyone thinks it's out of character for Bakugou to break down with Aizawa in a similar way as he did to All Might, I disagree. Of all the staff, Aizawa has repetitively demonstrated the deepest understanding of Bakugou. There is no doubt that the boy is seriously flawed but he wants to be a hero.

Both times that the public has turned on him, first in the arena against Uraraka and then criticizing his attitude as possibly villainous after his kidnapping, it was Aizawa alone who defended him. I feel that Aizawa is arguably the most supportive teacher Bakugou has ever had. Maybe the most supportive authority figure, depending on how people might interpret his parents' treatment of him.

Bakugou would usually pretend to be unaffected by Aizawa's words but it would be an act. There's no way he couldn't feel for one of the only people who ever both stopped poor behaviors, like when he tried to attack Izuku on day one and defended his positive ones. Take a look at how Bakugou acts in the moments after the incidents mentioned above. He was unreadable in the arena, which is a major step up from his usual attitude of being pissed off at everything. He was also emboldened when held by the villains. It was actually seeing the UA broadcast when he started calculating an escape route, rather than just thinking about how to hold the villains off.

I think that he would trust Aizawa enough to expose his vulnerability around him.

And honestly, I would be rather disappointed if Aizawa didn't have some idea of the emotions that might be behind his mask of constant anger. He might not know all the specifics but I think he has a good general idea for Bakugou's true emotional state. He was quick to accept All Might's explanation of Bakugou's meltdown in the cannon. It certainly wasn't surprising once he had it explained to him.

Mind, I think that he's ignored a lot as well, for the sake of plot convenience because as the teacher with the largest expulsion rate, people like Bakugou or Mineta should have been noted and addressed if not outright expelled within the first few days. After the way Bakugou hit Izuku during the exam, there should have been repercussions as well.

At this point in the series, I personally think that Bakugou is a promising hero by the standards of this society, which looks mainly at quirks and strength, rather than personality. By my definition of being a hero, having to care for and protect others, it's around this point in the series that there are signs that he might be capable of being a hero of any sort one day and not necessarily a great one, yet.

Izuku's inability to hide his secrets well is something that comes up quite a bit in the series and is brought up here for an important reason beyond just that it is part of his character. One of the things that is going to get attention in this is Izuku's intelligence and that it is going to be noticed. A major part of the main MHA series is showing students strengths and weaknesses, including their potential and areas that need room for improvement. I want to remain true to that. Izuku is smart but he has obvious weak points, his ability to keep secrets is a big example of that.

I know that the 'Cat Lady' Bakugou referenced is Mandalay but Bakugou almost never uses names but I didn't see him give her a nickname, so I stuck to that here.

I've got a head cannon about Hound Dog's behavior when he's not out in the field that I'll write more on later. I'm thinking with stuff like these sessions, I'll show one meeting to give an idea of what happens but otherwise just reference future ones, unless they further the plot. Otherwise, things might drag.

By the way, since I've talked about Bakugou so much in the notes of the last couple chapters, if anyone was really interested and wants to read a good Analysis of Bakugou in the series, I would recommend Chapters 34 and 38 of Ne Plus Ultra by ItsClydeBitches on Archive of Our Own. I'd also recommend checking the whole piece out if you like reading a series of short stories related to My Hero Academia with various themes.