Author's Note: Had to rewrite this chapter since I wasn't happy with the first draft. Also, please let me know if the dialogue sounds unnatural or awkward. Feel free to criticize. Enjoy!
Origins: Interlude
Part I: Don't Tease me, Tokage-san!
It was the third monday of the school year. The morning buzz was a bit more high strung than usual and I picked up the little differences here and there. The students were a bit chattier for one, and the words "transfer student" could be heard every now and then, filling the air with either anticipation or indifference.
I was no exception. I tapped my foot in eager anticipation like a kid on Christmas eve waiting for the clock to chime twelve. It was always fun meeting new people and learning about their stories and quirks and the little things that made them who they were. Even if I didn't like a person, the new perspectives they bring were always refreshing.
"Good morning, Tokage-san," Yaoyorozu greeted from behind.
"Sup, Momo-chan," I winked at the uptight girl, "Y'look stunning today."
Her face flushed at the random compliment.
"Hey, hey!" Mina's bubbly voice called out, entering the room with energetic steps, practically skipping her way to our group, "Did you guys hear about the transfer student!"
"You mean the thing the whole class has been talking about since yesterday?" I asked in feigned surprised, "Nope, never heard of it."
"Don't be mean to her."
"Yeah! Stop being such a meanie!"
"What?" I complained, "Everyone knows about the transfer since yesterday. Her question was kinda redundant, you know?"
Yaoyorozu shook her head in disappointment and sat on the desk in front of me. I heard a loud, wistful sigh beside me.
"I hope they're a cute girl," Denki said with his cheeks resting on his fist. That was odd. He was usually a few minutes late to class everyday. Must've went early to see the new student.
"It's a boy." Mina corrected, "I heard it from Jirou."
"Nope. Definitely a girl," Mineta chimed in from five seats away, not even hiding the fact he was eavesdropping on us, "My twelve inched radar of mine told me so."
"Nice one," Denki snorted while Mina recoiled in disgust at the outward display of degeneracy. I just rolled my eyes in exasperation.
"Ew! Too much information, Mineta!"
"If he said three inches, would it be too little information?" I chided the pink girl with a half raised eyebrow.
"Not you too."
It's so fun to tease my cute classmates, I thought while giggling. Momo was the best of course, given how prude and insecure she was, but Mina was a close second. She was outgoing and bubbly, but she was sometimes fazed by innuendos and romantic gestures.
"How bout you, Tokage," Denki asked, "what do you think the new kid's gonna be like?"
"I don't really care as long as they're cute," I shrugged, "Although, I wouldn't mind having another Momo-chan to play with."
Momo, who was sitting two seats in front of me, glared at me with a frown.
"Boo. You're boring," Mina pouted.
The bell rung, signalling the start of homeroom. The students shuffled back to their seats at the sight of their lethargic, homeroom teacher, Aizawa-sensei. He dropped all his stuff without a care, leaving a messy pile of papers and stationeries scattered across his desk. He cleared his throat.
"As you all may have heard," he glared at Jirou who flinched at her seat, "we have a transfer student today. He's going to be here with us due to some circumstances, so please give him a warm welcome."
The teacher turned to the door. "Come in," he called out.
A few seconds later, the transfer student entered and walked to the front of the class.
He looked normal for the most part; green messy hair, a bit taller than average, and his good looks were hidden behind the lack of proper grooming. He was expressionless -a flat affect, some would say- and his body language was laidback, making him look somewhat approachable, albeit languid.
His eyes, however, told a different story. They were cold and calculating, darting from one person to the next like he was sizing everyone up and figuring the best way to bring them down in a fight. Then there was also the nasty scars on his throat and forehead.
Unexpectedly, the person who had the strongest reaction was Bakugo.
"Deku!" He shot up from his chair, almost knocking his pen and water bottle off. The sudden commotion drew everyone's attention. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Hello to you too, Kacchan," he greeted back with an amused smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, "I was bored and I wanted to see how you were doing."
I didn't buy his act. I saw his hand clutch the edges of his shirt before letting go. I noticed his foot shifting an inch or so, gravitating to the direction of the door. He was afraid of Bakugo. But props to him for holding his ground and hiding it almost perfectly.
"You don't belong here," Bakugo growled.
"Debatable." The transfer student shrugged before diverting his attention to the crowd.
"My name's Midoriya Izuku. Deku's just an endearment of mine," he gave a dry chuckle, "Feel free to give me nicknames though, cus I want to be the bestest of friends with everyone."
He made a lazy "peace" sign, two fingers extended in a V-shape, and walked away to an empty seat.
That was a weird introduction. The way he talked made me think he was reciting a script Mina wrote. Was he going for a genki and cutesy appeal? Or was he just being ironic?
"Wait," Aizawa stopped him before he reached the empty table on the second row, "You forgot to inform the class about your quirk."
Midoriya looked at him with an inquisitive head tilt, not seeing the point of doing so.
"It helps with future group activities and stuff."
"We don't need to know anything," Bakugo grumbled from the background, "He's just a fucking quirkless loser."
"Wrong. I'm a hydrokinetic loser," Midoriya corrected, "Big difference."
"Quit yer bullshit. First, you say stupid shit like wanting to be a hero. Fine. But now you're saying you have a quirk? You're being delusional, Deku. And a liar. You're doing nothing but make-"
Midoriya interrupted his rant with a sigh.
"It's disappointing, you know? I haven't seen you in a year and you're still the same."
His eyes softened and his words sounded sad and nostalgic.
"But I guess can't fault you for having a mental disorder."
Bakugo snapped. Explosions erupted and the deafening pop made half the class jump from their seats. Before Aizawa could deactivate his quirk, the bottle on the desk bursted and the water formed a barrier around Bakugo's fiery palms, sealing the combustion away. Midoriya lifted two fingers and the water rose alongside the gesture, causing Bakugo to raise his hands like he was being held at gunpoint.
Midoriya brought one of the two fingers in front of his lips and made a "shh" sound.
"I guess that's good enough of a demonstration. Please take a seat," Aizawa said. He then looked at Bakugo with a frown, "Detention. You too Midoriya."
Midoriya nodded and the water around Bakugo's hands fell, splashing into his shirt and textbook. I heard Bakugo mumble "bastard" under his breath before giving a menacing glare to the green haired boy.
"Before we start today's lecture, any volunteers to give Midoriya a tour of the school."
No one raised their hand. I was tempted to do it, but there were a few reasons holding me back. For one, if I volunteered, I would most likely get on Bakugo's bad side. And that wasn't a situation I wanted to be in.
Giving a tour after school was also such a hassle, especially when I could be doing homework or playing games on the new laptop I bought. I valued my free time too much. I wasn't going to give it up for a boy I haven't even talked to.
Surprisingly, Bakugo raised a hand up.
"I can show him the way out," he volunteered.
"Anyone else asides Bakugo?" Aizawa looked around the class, "Fine. The person who does gets to skip homeroom."
That seemed to do the trick. Everyone eyes lit up with enthusiasm and raised their hands -except for Kirishima, who was sleeping in his own little corner. Before Aizawa could choose a volunteer, I cleared my throat and spoke up.
"As Class Representative," I said with an expression of utmost seriousness, "I should be the one doing the tour. I don't want to burden my fellow classmates with my responsibility."
Unexpectedly, there were a few complaints and dissents about my suggestion.
"That's so unfair! She's abusing her power!"
"Pfft, now she acts like a class rep."
"Why'd she even get votes anyways?"
"Democracy is a scam! The government is controlled by lizard people!"
As annoying as the complaints were, they were all legitimate so I really couldn't argue with them. Except for the last one.
Seriously, Shishida? How dare you accuse us innocent lizard people of world domination! We would never do such a thing. I mentally protested.
The entire class devolved into chaos, arguing who should be the one to give the school tour to the transfer. Poor Midoriya. He was caught in the middle of the squabble, tapping his fingers on his desk with a frantic rhythm looking like he wanted to be somewhere else. Anywhere but U.A.
"Enough," Aizawa's command silenced the class, "As much as I hate to admit it, she does have a point.
He looked at me and nodded.
"Tokage, take Midoriya with you. Be back before homeroom ends."
"Aye, sir," I nodded.
I went to Midoriya's seat and smiled at him, guiding him to the exit. Before leaving the door, I turned to my classmates and stuck my tongue out at them with a cheeky grin. See ya, suckers! Enjoy homeroom for me.
I gave them my most sarcastic salute and left.
Midoriya and I started our tour on the first floor of the school. I planned on showing him all of the important rooms and the area where his locker was, so we started heading to the computer lab first, the room nearest to Class 1.
"So, you new here?" I asked, trying to initiate a small talk. I immediately regretted my poor choice of words. Of course he's new here, idiot.
Thankfully, he understood my what I meant.
"No. I've lived in Mustafu my whole life."
"So what made you transfer?"
"Personal reasons," he said with a distant look in his eyes.
I stopped asking after that. I didn't want to be rude and bug him about things he was uncomfortable discussing. I was a talkative person, but I was also aware people needed some space to themselves.
Still, it was boring to walk around in silence. After contemplating for a second or two. I decided to play a game.
Using my quirk, I detached my index finger from my hand. I floated it behind his back and poked him on the shoulder twice before hiding it on his blind spot.
"Can you not."
"Can you not what?" I asked in feigned ignorance.
"Poke me behind the back."
I gave him an inquisitive look and showed him that my hands were inside my pockets, thus making it "impossible" for me to be the one doing so.
When he looked away, I smiled and floated my finger behind his back to poke him once more. Just as it was about to make contact, Midoriya plucked it out of the air, trapping it inside his hand.
"You dropped this," the corner of his mouth quirked upwards while he held my finger for ransom.
Busted. Time to pretend I didn't know anything.
"Oh, thank you! I was looking for that the whole day," I gave a weak laugh, "Where d'ya find it?"
He ignored my question and rolled his eyes. Even so, I saw a glint of humor hidden behind them and spotted a momentary smile before shifting into his usual impassive look.
Seeing as his hands were still open, I reached out with my own to grab my appendage. It was probably easier to float it, but that aspect of my quirk was a bit of a headache. The moment I picked it up, my hands brushed his accidentally and he pulled back like he touched something really hot.
I was hot so I guess the reaction was warranted. Still weird, though.
"What?" I asked, confused.
He coughed to clear his throat.
"Nothing."
We continued our tour and resumed our previous silence. This time I wasn't bored since I was contemplating on happened a few seconds ago. How did he know where my finger was? Was he able to mentally track water or something? If so, then that sounds like a stupidly good quirk.
We arrived to our destination. Room 109. The refuge of loners and nerds.
"Here's the computer lab," I swept my hand in a grandiose gesture, presenting the high end computers of U.A., "You're free to use it anytime. Unless the room's fully booked, of course. There's also not a lot of restrictions on the computers so you can use them for entertainment."
"Cool."
"But the naughtier websites are blacklisted," I smirked at him, "So you have to do those kinds of business somewhere else."
He raised an eyebrow and gave me a quizzical look.
"What do you take me for? A pervert?"
"Most boys are," I raised my index finger in response, "Some just hide it better than others."
He scratched his imaginary beard in contemplation before speaking.
"Can't deny that," he chuckled.
We looked around the room for a few minutes and I showed him how to use his student ID to log in to the computers. After he figured out the basics, we exited the room and went to the direction of the cafeteria.
"So, how are you liking the school so far, Midorino-kun," I asked, intentionally butchering his name out of boredom.
"It's pretty cool," he replied, "Also, don't confuse my name with a pre-evolved pokemon. Please and thank you."
"I thought you wanted us to call you nicknames?"
"True," he nodded, "But couldn't you have given me a cooler one?"
"Like what?"
"I dunno. Anything but Midorino."
The conversation trailed off as we made our way to the empty cafeteria. I noticed as we entered through the doors, he was a step behind. I slowed down to allow him to catch up, but oddly enough, he slowed down as well, keeping the distance between us unchanged.
Wait a minute... I thought back to how he pulled when my hands grazed his. Don't tell me he's afraid of girls.
I turned around and approached him. He stepped back, confused.
"Is there something wrong," I asked with a knowing smile on my face.
He pursed his lips, trying to avoid looking into my eyes.
I leaned closer. He looked the other way, trying to maintain space between us. I tried peeking at his expression but he kept hiding his face. I stepped closer and he moved again, creating a back and forth between us, slowly approaching the opposite wall.
Once I got him cornered, I pinned him down with both arms to trap him in place and I saw his cheeks fuming with a deep red colour. Our eyes met and he gave me a look of frustration that bordered on a pout. I returned it with a mischievous smile and a playful pat on his cheek.
Maybe he's not so bad, I smiled while thinking about how cute he looked when flustered.
Part II: The Ideal of Bakugo
What did it mean to be a hero? I would always hear some pretentious teacher ask the question in class and a lot of my classmates would spout bullshit responses like "protecting the weak" or "being a good person." Fucking pansy ass losers. They just say that so they could act like some self-righteous prick and pat themselves in the back.
Being a hero wasn't about character or morals. Anyone could have those. There's a lot of stay at home mom's out there who were good people, but you don't see them stopping crime and saving lives. The only saving they did was in the groceries with their coupons and half price sales.
No, being a hero was about strength. Being capable enough to shoulder the burden of a thousand people without even wavering a single step. It didn't matter if you beat your kids or sleep with your best friend's husband. As long as you were strong and willing enough to save others, then you're a hero.
I guess that's why I hated Midoriya. Why I bullied and tormented him. We were cool back then when we were kids. Even when I learned he was quirkless, I didn't mind much since he was smart and had the coolest ideas back then.
I began to hate him when I realized how pathetic he was.
It was kinda weird now that I think about it. We were hanging out in a park with my other friends and Midoriya was out to get us some soft drinks after he lost a bet. Nothing unusual. Then one of the kids with us -I forgot his name- asked a question that would ruin my opinion of Midoriya.
"Hey Kacchan." the fat boy called out to me, balancing on a swing set while I sat on the bench beside it.
"Bakugo," I growled at him. I didn't like the other kids calling me Kacchan.
"Bakugo, yeah my bad," he scratched his head meekly; his tiny wings flapping with anxiety, "Don't you think it's weird how Midoriya doesn't ever get mad."
I glared at him.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"You remember that kid who pushed him? What's his name again."
"Takeshi."
"Ah, yeah, Takeshi," he scratched his neck, "Isn't it weird that Midoriya didn't do anything bout it? He just said sorry and left! If I were him, I woulda sucker punched his ugly face!."
"Right," I murmured.
I spent a few minutes thinking about the question before Midoriya arrived carrying three cans of soft drinks with a big dorky smile on his face. For the first time, I noticed how weird it was. He should be upset. He should be pissed that we made him run a mile away just to get us drinks. Why the hell was he looking like he got a new toy or something?
"Deku," I called, "Come here for a sec."
He walked closer to the bench and, when he was an arms length away from me, I shoved him to the ground, his hands scraping on the asphalt surface, smearing it with blood.
"Kacchan?" His eyes quivered with fear, "W-What was that for?"
"Nothing," I looked down on him, "Just wanted to try something out."
He laughed weakly.
"Jeez, Kacchan. At least give me a warning next time."
That was when I realized how pathetic he was.
He did absolutely nothing. He talked about becoming a hero like All Might, but not once did I saw him work hard for it. He just wrote on his stupid notebook thinking a thesis was enough to get them there. The notes were brilliant, but what use was a notebook when you weren't strong enough to utilize the information.
Then I later noticed how he looked at my quirk with envy hidden behind his admiration. Irritating. I knew what he was thinking. He thought I was lucky. He thought my quirk was the only reason I was strong.
But he could envy my quirk all he wants, but that didn't change the fact I worked hard to be where I was. I practiced martial arts. I spent everyday strengthening my body so I could handle the recoil from the explosions.
Unlike him, I actually did something instead of pitying myself and becoming a pushover.
At least now he didn't have the same dorky smile on his face.
I saw him across the hallway in front of a locker. He closed the locker and pulled a lock from his pocket, using it to secure the door. Before he got to pick up his bag on the floor, I grabbed his shirt collar and slammed him against the metal -the impact creating a loud echoing bang and silencing the conversations around us.
"What game are you playing," I hissed, "Fourteen years I've known you and you've always been quirkless."
He said nothing. He just returned my stare with a hardened look of his own.
There was a circle of people forming around us and most of them were concerned and ready to intervene. One of the Big Three, Tamaki Amajiki, was also in the crowd. He looked hesitant at first, but he swallowed and approached the two of us, ready to break the fight and help Midoriya escape from my grip.
Midoriya looked at the crowd and gave them a reassuring smile, specifically at the senpai who was walking towards us.
"Don't worry," he waved a dismissive hand, "We're just trying to resolve a misunderstanding. Right, Bakugo?"
I growled at him. He was definitely playing me. He wanted me to agree with him so he appeared in control of the situation while simultaneously putting me in a position where I was powerless to disagree.
I clenched my jaw and nodded. As much as I hated letting Midoriya get the upper hand, I didn't want to get in trouble with the big names of U.A. and get another detention from Aizawa.
"You heard him," I addressed the crowd, "Get lost and mind your own goddamn business."
I waited until everyone left. I saw Amajiki look back once more, before sighing and walking the other way.
"Answer me."
"I'm not obligated to."
I pressed him tighter against the locker.
"You gonna talk?" I twisted his collar. "Or are you not gonna do nothing about it and go for the easy way out again."
He grimaced and I saw some irritation in his expression.
"Trust me when I say this, but staying silent and being the better person is far from easy."
I raised an eyebrow.
"Making excuses as always," I snarked with a sarcastic and condescending tone.
"One hundred seventy four thousand and three hundred twenty eight litres," He recited casually, "That's how much water around us I can control. I can easily burst the pipes and drown you. But that doesn't sound too heroic, doesn't it?"
For a moment, no one spoke. I looked into his expressionless green eyes that carried a cold intensity behind them.
But for a quick moment, his eyes quivered and faltered against my stare, losing its hardened edge.
I laughed and let go of his shirt.
It was all pointless. I didn't have to go out of my way to intimidate him because, at the end of the day, he was still the same Midoriya I knew.
He was just another person beneath me.
More Author's Note:
1) Something's been bothering me for a while. Since Midoriya and Tokage have such similar hair colour, what are the chances they're secretly related? Oh well. Incest is Wincest, I guess.
2) Next Chapter is gonna be the start of the new arc.
End of Origins.
