A/N: Hey guys! So, I am also an artist, and if you wanted to see any of these scenes drawn out I would post it on Instagram! Please comment down below anything you wanted to see whether that be some of the characters, their houses, a whole scene, anything! I already have some things sketched up so next chapter I'll leave a link! Anyways, enjoy!

It was a warm night. The wind blew the trees in the school grounds, and lights hummed up above. No one was walking outside at this time, and security had already done its sweep. No one was going to find the two teenagers behind the gym. And that terrified Eiji. But he couldn't turn back now. He wouldn't.

A hero never backs down from a fight. No- not only that. A *Bakugo* never backs down from a fight! That's what his dad would say.

Speaking of which, that was what Meiwaku wanted to talk about right? About his dad? Well... he didn't know Ground Zero was his dad. Or... did he?

"Meiwaku-"

"Shh." He was sharply cut off. He kept walking ahead silently, and Eiji didn't dare peep a noise. They came up behind Gym Gamma, a place covered in the darkness of night. It was only concrete below, and as Eiji realized this is made him nervous. Meiwaku was taking him out of his element.

"What... What did you want to talk to me about?" Eiji cautiously asked.

"Stop playing stupid, Bak-Otaku." Meiwaku spoke darkly. Hesitantly, Eiji winced,

"I'm, uhh, not playing..." He was actually that dense, so Meiwaku spelled it out for him very slowly,

"Who 'xactly are you to Ground Zero?"

"Umm..." Eiji nervously gulped and looked around. "I'm related to him-"

"So you a nephew or sumthin?" Meiwaku asked, his back still turned.

"Sure- I mean YES. Yes I am." Suddenly, a loud popping sound jolted Eiji back. Bits of an apple splatted all over his chest.

"Don't you lie to my face again, Bak-Otaku." Basuji growled and stomped up intimidatingly. "Now I'm gonna ask you one more time, who are you to Ground Zero?!" He spat. Eiji nervously looked around. What answer was Meiwaku looking for? Baachu just wanted things to go back to normal. Back when they were becoming friends! Back when Meiwaku didn't know Eiji was anything to Ground Zero, so-

"I'm nobody to him." He shakily said. It only made Meiwaku even angrier.

"I said stop lying to me!" He shoved Eiji back. "Now tell me the truth or I'm gonna beat it outta you!"

"..." Eiji was sweating a lot. He had already lied so much, he wasn't sure if Meiwaku would believe the truth if he said it. But what else was there to do? The truth was all he could say now, so-

"I said tell me now!" Meiwaku shook him by the collar.

Oh God, not the collar.

"L-Let go." Eiji squeaked. His throat felt tight. The suffocating feeling of a metal leash seeped into his skin.

"Tell me the truth first!" Meiwaku yanked him back and forth. Oh man oh man oh man. It was almost too much. Eiji used every ounce of his strength to hold back the sharp sticks that threatened to burst out! He tried to warn the bully once more, but his throat had seized up! A gurgling, croaking noise came from the back of his mouth as he attempted to breath.

"Why aren't you answering me?! You'd rather fight me than tell the truth?! Is that it?!"

"Ch—k—kak—crk—"

"You wanna fight?! Huh?! You wanna-"

*CRACK!*

Eiji sent a barrage of large palm trees out of his chest! Sharp blades and sticks grazed Meiwaku as he was flung back! He rolled to a halt and skidded onto all fours. Staggering upwards, he looked at Eiji with this betrayed, spiteful, enraged look in his eyes. He wiped a drop of blood from the corner of his lips and growled,

"Fine... Let's go."

"No! Wait! I didn't mean to-" Meiwaku didn't wait for some pathetic excuse. He grabbed one of the large decaying palm trees from the dirt below and lifted it above his head in an impressive show of strength.

"Eat this, Otaku!" He barreled the tree across the cement! It bounced off the ground several times before hitting Baachu!

"Oof!" He tried to catch it, but it was really hot... and started imploding on him! Splinters flew everywhere! Eiji covered his face with his arms, and when he peeked through his fingers he caught a glimpse of his tormentor approaching rapidly! "Wait! I can explain!"

"You had your chance!" Meiwaku growled as he threw punches after punches at him. Baachu asked for a fight, and Meiwaku was going to give it to him.

## Teachers' lounge

*Beep beep. Beep beep.*

"Students fighting behind Gym Gamma." The little robot intercom called out. Shinso felt a twitch in his eye as he swiveled around in his chair.

"Are you joking?"

"Nope!" Security footage blipped up on his screen and he groaned a long, tired groan.

"Problem child... and other problem child... fantastic. Who else could it be? Right before I was going to dinner with-"

"Hey, don't worry about this one." Another teacher said from behind. "I got this."

"You sure?" Shinso sighed in relief.

"Hai! Just let everyone else at dinner know I'll be late." He said with a thumbs-up. Shinso actually smiled for once and bowed in appreciation.

"I will. Thank you."

## Behind the gym

"I don't want to fight you!" Eiji cried out as he evaded the onslaught.

"Why?! You think you're better than me?! You think you're stronger than me?! Ha?!"

"No! I don't think that-" Eiji's sentence was cut short after getting kneed in the stomach. His breath was knocked out of him, and he was just barely able to defend the next imploding tree!

"After all this secret training you're still on the defensive?! I don't think so!" Meiwaku screamed. "Stop holding back!"

Despite what the bully thought, Eiji was not holding back. In fact, he was just looking for an opening. Leaning back, Eiji planted a solid kick right onto the bully's chest.

*Pop!*

He swore he heard something pop just now. He didn't kick that hard, did he?!

"Gyah!" Meiwaku held a rib. Oh no. Now he was angry. The daggers in his eyes shot through the nerd. "You're dead!"

"Stop! Listen!" Eiji smeared a sweaty hand along the ground and put up a wall of leaves between them. Meiwaku stood ready and waited for the plants to decay. "I am related to Ground Zero! I'm..." Eiji gulped and panted,

"I'm Ground Zero's son."

"..." Meiwaku bared his teeth and stood with his hands at the ready. That... That was technically what he wanted to hear... but... "If that's true, then why didn't you tell me?"

Eiji felt his irregular breaths begin to even out as he spoke,

"I didn't want to use him as a claim to fame. I want real friends. I want to be friends with you-"

"Cut the crap, Bak-Otaku!" Meiwaku snapped. Kicking the decayed trees and leaves to the ground, he screamed, "I know a lie when I hear one! I told you to quit lying to me!" He jumped after Eiji through the shrubbery and grabbed him by the arm. Pivoting himself, he threw Eiji over his shoulder and flattened him to the concrete below!

"AaAck!" Eiji could taste blood. Ouch.

Meiwaku ran off in the opposite direction only to skirt around and sprint after Eiji's immobile body. He jumped into the air and came hurdling down with an elbow that had Eiji's name written all over it.

"Crud!" Eiji spiraled thick vines from his arms and smacked Basuji away! He stood ready, but Meiwaku had the bright idea of grabbing the vines attached to Eiji's arm and swinging him around and around! "Wha- AAH!" Eiji's feet lifted off the ground! The centrifugal force had him holding onto the vines with everything he had! But he got his bearings midair. Out of his feet he burst forth two trees that weighted him to the ground. They tore up the concrete and gave air to the earth below.

Perfect.

Eiji dug his bare feet into the dirt and let thick vines keep his legs rooted below.

"Ultimate power stance: Rooted!" He screamed powerfully. Meiwaku shook with anger and came running towards him.

"That's the stupidest thing I ever heard!" He rightfully insulted. He lunged forward with his hands out. Before he could dig his claws into the vines, Baachu lowered himself into a gremlin stance and furrowed his brows, smirking a devilish, mischievous grin.

For a second... Meiwaku could've sworn he looked like-

"RAH!" Eiji shot tendriling vines around the bully.

"This ain't stopping me-" Meiwaku couldn't complete the thought before being spun round and round till his hands were bound and his arms immobilized.

"Haha!" Eiji guffawed. "I won! Now stop fighting me before a teacher finds us!"

Meiwaku didn't move. But he looked far from defeated. Then, to much of Eiji's surprise, he started to chuckle?!

"Hey stupid!" Meiwaku snarled at the stunned classmate. "The longer I active my quirk on something, the bigger the implosion!" He smiled villainously.

The vines attached to Baachu's arms grew hot. Very hot.

"Oh crap oh crap oh-" Eiji quickly wrangled to tare away the vines from his arms, but to no avail! The whips that bound Meiwaku's hand popped off in a loud bang! The implosions quickly crackled up the vines! As the train reaction of bursting fauna approached, so did Meiwaku! He was barreling forward with this crazy look in his eye that just about scared the straight piss out of Eiji. He squirmed and writhed in place until-

*Fwoom!*

Two thick trees burst from the earth Eiji's feet had been seeping sweat into this whole time. They ripped the vines from his arms and knocked them both backwards!

"Ack!" Meiwaku rolled to his feet and got low to the ground. "What the hell... was... wait, what?" Meiwaku smacked away the strange red... fruits? "What are these things?"

"I, uhh..." Eiji had absolutely no clue what those things on top of the palm trees were. "I dunno."

"You dunno?! They came out of your body!"

"Don't say it like that, that's gross!" Eiji shuttered. Meiwaku seized his opportunity and ripped off a large spiky orb of fruit and grinned sinisterly.

"Take this, Bak-Otaku!" He hoisted the sizable clump of fruits above his head.

"Wait wait wait-" Eiji whipped a vine around Meiwaku's hands that held the clump. The expression on the bully's face changed.

"Oh crap." He tried to pry his hands away, but they were deeply pressed into the fruits. They got so hot that they began to sizzle. With all the strength he had, Meiwaku tugged and pulled his hands apart until the vines snapped away. He tossed the fruits into Eiji's hands. "Hold this."

"Gah! No way!" Eiji threw the spiky fruits back.

"It's yours!"

"You want me to die?!"

"Take it!"

"Hot hot hot hot hot-" The fruit was thrown once more. As it flew between the two boys, it caved in on itself...

And imploded with a loud splat!

Steaming hot paste singed Eiji's skin! He curled away and instinctively shot wooden spikes from his back! They zipped through the palm fruit and grazed Meiwaku's side...

...ripping his shirt right off.

"Gyack!" He stumbled back.

When Eiji turned around he almost lost his lunch. The bully was curled over, clutching his bare chest with his arms...

A deep, zigzagging, concaving cavity on his chest stared back at him. It was oozing with red... there was red everywhere! Red chunks were seeping over Meiwaku's arms and onto the rubble below!

"Oh my God! Meiwaku! What did I do what did I do?!" Eiji panicked.

"Shut up! I'm fine-"

"Help! Somebody help! Oh my God I-"

"I'm fine!" Meiwaku snapped once more, grinding his teeth. But Eiji was in too much panic to settle down.

"I didn't mean to hurt you, I'm sorry I- Oh God, please be okay-"

"I said I'M FINE!" Meiwaku slapped Eiji and stood tall. Baachu rubbed his face with wide eyes. He was in awe of how calm Meiwaku was after just being impaled- "This ain't blood. It's that stupid mystery fruit you threw at me." He growled as he grabbed his useless shirt and wiped away at his chest.

"B-B-But you..." Eiji couldn't pry his eyes away from the terrifying sight. It was truly the most gruesome thing he ever laid his eye on.

"It's a scar..." Meiwaku said quietly as he wiped away the rest of the mash. "I can still fight just fine, so don't-"

*Pop!*

"GYAH! CUSS!" He curled over that crooked rib once more.

"Meiwaku!" Eiji ran up to him.

"Stay back!" He spat at the ground. "Stop worrying about me! I'm strong!"

"We need to get you to Nurse Eri! We-"

"I said stop!" He smacked the dork away. "I'm not weak! Okay?! Back off!"

"..." Eiji stood back and watched in awe as Basuji slowly straightened his posture despite the pain he was in. He was covered head to toe in cuts and bruises, and that rib was obviously dislocated...

"I am not weak... I'm going to become a hero... even if it kills me..." he shook as he stood tall. Lifting a fist in the air for victory, he huffed, "I will win! Even with everything in my way!"

Eiji was aghast at the pure determination. It was the same determination that Kōkyō had. That he had. But there was... there was so much pain and bitterness wrapped up in Meiwaku's declaration. It was like he was cornering himself with a promise.

"Meiwaku... I think you will become a great hero."

"...?" Basuji stood back with an odd expression of confusion.

"I never thought you were weak. You're one of the strongest people I know."

"Cut the crap-"

"Your determination to become a hero pushed me to do better. I've always looked up to you." Eiji's words were making Meiwaku grind his teeth and clench his side.

"I said stop lying to me-"

"I've admired you and wanted to be your friend. That's why I didn't tell you about my dad. Because I want to be friends with-"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Meiwaku screamed. "I know a lie when I hear one!" He spat a little quieter.

"Who in their right mind would wanna be friends with me?!"

"..." Eiji's eyes widened. It's like he understood a little more now. "I do."

"Why the hell?!" Meiwaku croaked. "I just bullied you-"

"Remember when you invited me over?"

"..." Meiwaku did remember. It was crazy awkward, and Eiji ended up cleaning his house for him.

"I was going through something really difficult, and you helped me out. You helped me feel safe."

"...What you playin' at here?" Meiwaku squeaked skeptically, not making eye contact.

"You help make people feel safe. I think that that's a big part of being a hero." Eiji smiled. Meiwaku still avoided eye contact. He breathed a little slower and whispered,

"You don't wanna be friends with me."

"Huh?"

"...I'm runnin' out of time-"

"HEY!" A boisterous voice interrupted the two. They both shot up in fearful surprise. A heroic man stood under a streetlight.

"Mirio-Sensei!" They both stuttered.

He calmly walked over to them and looked around at the destroyed grounds. But he wasn't angry. He sighed at the two nervous boys.

"Have you two stopped fighting?" He smirked. They wordlessly nodded. "Are you two friends again?" Before Meiwaku could answer, Eiji smiled,

"Yes. Yes we are." The bully had the look of a lost kitten on his beaten face. Then, smiling to himself he rolled his eyes,

"Don't I get a say in this?" His tease made Eiji laugh.

"Nope."

Mirio smiled and turned back.

"Well, let's get you both cleaned up. I'll discuss punishments with you later, but I have a dinner party to get to. Eri-Chan will get worried. Haha!"

Meiwaku and Baachu hobbled behind their Sensei with a plethora of injuries, but they were doing a little better now. Maybe now was a good time to explain some things.

"So... Ground Zero... he's my dad." Eiji didn't mind if his sensei overheard. He probably already knew.

"...Ah..." Meiwaku was actually listening now.

"I didn't tell you when you invited me over 'cause I didn't want to make your idol look... human." Eiji shrugged.

"...Hmm..." he nodded.

"So... yeah. His name is Bakugo Katsuki. He seems gruff, but he's got a soft side." Eiji mumbled this off kind of quietly. He watched for Meiwaku's reaction. Then out of nowhere he... laughed!?

"Hehe..." It was the first time Eiji ever heard him laugh! Ever! It weirded him out to no end. "You sat around and listened to me geek out about your dad? For like, four hours?"

"Heh... I mean, I didn't mind-"

"Heheh! Heh!" He smiled and chuckled. "Bak-Otaku, you really are an absolute pinhead."

"Ouch."

"Yeah. Ya know, I really only teased ya in middle school because you happened to sit in front of me and I was jealous."

"Jealous?"

"A bunch of kids were. Somehow you were the first kid in school to get a girlfriend!" He laughed.

Eiji's mind broke like an eggshell on a forehead.

"Ha?"

"Ya know. When Maru was your girlfriend." He shrugged.

"Uhh... She was never my girlfriend..."

"That's funny."

"I'm serious!"

"...Wait, really?"

"Yes really! You actually thought she was my girlfriend?!"

"Everyone did."

"Gyah! Are you serious right now?!"

Togata smiled as he listened in on the two. Yeah. They were going to be great heroes someday. As soon as they stop being so stupid.

## Teachers' lounge

"Well, your rib's back in place now!" Mirio guffawed. Meiwaku looked as stiff as could be as the pain throbbed in his side. "So. Who threw the first punch?"

Eiji gulped. It was technically him, so-

"Me." Meiwaku sighed. Wait- what?! He took the blame?! When he didn't need to?! It shocked Eiji's jaw wide open.

"Alright. Then for your punishment, four days of cleaning duty! And for you, Bakugo, three days of cleaning duty!" Togata said with as much authority as he could. The teenagers sighed. It was only fair after they destroyed school grounds. "Just be glad I came over instead of Shinso! He would've expelled you on the spot!"

"Really?!" Eiji shuttered.

"Probably not, he's actually a huge sucker when it comes to you kids. But he has this image he's gotta uphold. Now you two better head back to the dorms. And don't let me catch you fighting again!" He smiled with a shove. It seemed like he was hurrying.

"Hai..." the two sighed and walked away.

Eiji's hoodie had a gaping hole in front, and Meiwaku's shirt was nothing but scraps in his hand, but he still tried to cover the scar on his chest.

"..." Eiji didn't want to stare, because that probably was a sensitive thing for Meiwaku. But it was hard not to look. It was disgusting and terrifying.

"I can see you tryin' to peek, Bak-Otaku."

"S-S-Sorry." Eiji turned away. "It's just... that must've been painful..." he quaked at the thought. Meiwaku pursed his lips.

"...It was."

"I-" Eiji stopped himself, but honestly he was too curious not to ask. "What happened to you?"

"..." Meiwaku tisked and snarled at a wall, "Villains are the scum of the earth."

"...Oh." That was the only answer he could get. So Eiji decided to share something of his own. "When I was four, I got captured by villains."

"...?!" Meiwaku had a faint memory. Back in his obsession when he looked up every single damn article about Ground Zero. The part where his son got captured was on every news station. He didn't put two and two together until now. "Oh right."

"Erm... it... kinda left me with a lot of trauma. There was this collar..." Eiji grabbed his neck and gulped, "And now whenever people yank at my clothes I-"

"I'll stop doing that." Meiwaku spoke quietly. Eiji looked a little surprised, but it left him with a warm smile.

"Thanks."

"Just do me a favor and... not go blabbering about my scar. I'd rather my face be the only ugly thing people talk about."

"Heheh! You know, everyone here's your friend. No one will treat you differently because of that."

"..." Meiwaku thought about it, but he couldn't. He could barely stand the sight of his chest himself, let alone the looks he gets from others. "Not yet."

"...Alright. Would you like to wear my hoodie as we walk inside?" Eiji asked as they came up the to dorms. With a nod and a smile, Meiwaku sighed,

"Yeah. Thanks."

Maybe Meiwaku was reconsidering this whole friendship thing. It didn't sound to bad, actually. But whatever. He apparently didn't have much say in the matter.

And he was very grateful for that.