The atmosphere was tense and Katsuki almost couldn't stand it. Here he was sitting next to his father on the couch in the principal's office with his mother a short distance away next to his Auntie. Before him were three Heroes looking down on him with judgement in their eyes. Aizawa was glaring at him which somehow came through despite the bandages on his face. Nezu still maintained a neutral expression but he could see the anger in his beady black eyes. While Yamada looked both angry and disappointed at him.

"As you can see," Nezu spoke up, drawing everyone's attention to him as he righted the room back to its usual brightness and sent the screen away. "It was at this point that Aizawa-san and Yamada-san intervened. They reported to me that they found Bakugou-kun physically assaulting Midoriya-kun and so was restrained by Aizawa-san."

The blonde teen's eyebrow twitched in irritation as he remembered the trapped feeling he had felt from being tied up. It had not been pleasant as Katsuki did not like to be held back by anything. Physically or otherwise.

'And yet you hold yourself back emotionally.'

Fuck off.

"There were also broken Support Items scattered on the floor," the principal continued. "A result of his destruction of said Support Items which Bakugou-kun was later tasked to clean up by Aizawa-san. They also noted the sizable hole in Midoriya-kun's uniform from the explosion Bakugou-kun had let off against his torso."

To his left, Katsuki noticed his typically calm and collected father clench his fists on his knees in anger. To his right, both mothers had a hard look on their faces. Mitsuki with one of enraged disappointment and Inko with one of sorrow and concern for her own son. Perhaps even a bit of mourning for the boy she once knew in Katsuki, but now that image had been shattered with the sledgehammer the video had served as.

"Thankfully, Midoriya-kun is a rather forward-thinking individual," the chimera said. "For he had created and worn a sort of under armor that is resistant to fire under his uniform to prevent injury. All of this is corroborated with a report from Recovery Girl the lack of damage to his torso as well as additional video evidence from Aizawa-san's own goggles."

The tired man gave an acknowledging nod to the parents in the room rather than to Katsuki. Inko gave him a thankful one in return for his service and gave one to Yamada as well for his part. The blonde Hero standing near her gave her a reassuring smile and a light pat on the shoulder in return.

"However, while he was not harmed by that explosion, he was injured by an earlier one that was not caught visibly, but rather audibly, on camera," Nezu went on, placing his focus on Katsuki. "According to Midoriya-kun, Bakugou-kun purposefully reached out and set off an explosion on his right glove that he had been wearing at the time. The glove was a Support Item that channeled electricity and so upon being destroyed, it electrocuted Midoriya-kun and will leave permanent scars on his right hand."

Katsuki cast his eyes down to his knees to avoid looking at either of his parents or his Auntie. Not wanting to see their expressions in reaction to that. Internally he was reeling because he hadn't meant to harm the nerd in such a permanent way. It had been an impulse in the heat of the moment to reach out and let off an explosion on the shitty glove. Not entirely a conscious decision on his part. It just…happened.

'And set off a series of more explosions when you destroyed all his other Support Items.'

He couldn't argue with that even though he wanted to. Even saying it was to 'even the playing field' as he had said before sounded like a weak argument. Even to him. In the past before the nerd learned to fight back, he had let off explosions against Deku causing injury as a means to teach him he was powerless and therefore weak. Then the next day the nerd would show up with bandages having clearly treated the burns and so never developed any noticeable scars over the years. Which also probably stemmed from a possible resistance to fire most likely inherited from Deku's dad who could breathe fire.

Fuck. I'm starting to think like Deku.

'Is that really such a bad thing?'

"Aside from the physical assault," Nezu spoke. "There were some concerning comments during the, uh, 'conversation' that we'd like to bring attention to."

The mammal turned to Aizawa and gave a prodding nod as he knew the Erasure Hero would have choice words to say to his student. The tired man huffed out an irked breath before speaking.

"During all this, Midoriya mention several things I'd like to address," Aizawa drawled, his tone tired but determined as this was his least favorite part of this job but knew it was necessary. "First off, Midoriya claims that Bakugou has acted as a bully to him in the past. This is not the first time he has mentioned such a thing though it was more watered down than this."

The hell? When did Deku start talking to Aizawa? He's not in 1-A and has no reason to.

"While waiting at the bus before the USJ incident," Aizawa said, earning a confused glare from Katsuki. "He told me that when he had been declared Quirkless Bakugou started 'teasing' him. Now I know what that 'teasing' was. Not to mention he said that Bakugou apparently has a tendency to announce that Midoriya is Quirkless without his consent. Thankfully having to work with his childhood bully did not affect Midoriya's performance during the attack."

The fuck?

"What does Deku have to do with the USJ?" Katsuki questioned with a scowl. "He wasn't there."

"Oh, but he was," Aizawa shot back with a hidden grin. "Did you know, Bakugou, that Midoriya was the one to observe your Battle Training at the beginning of the year?"

"What are you talking about?" the teen said with a huff. "No, he wasn't. If he was, I would have known."

"You would…if he hadn't disguised himself," the Erasure Hero said with inner delight at the teen's confused expression. "Which he did feeling the need to hide. Even came up with a code name. Do you remember Hiro?"

Katsuki sat there trying to remember a Hiro extra. He remembered the other extras in his class mentioning something about a Hiro not wanting Katsuki to know something. Then he remembered that weird muttering extra wearing a stupid beanie and shitty goggles all while scribbling in a dumb notebook. One that had reminded him of Deku but he had written it off as coincidence at the time. But not anymore.

That's why that Hiro extra didn't want me to know who he was…the nerd was Hiro all along? Deku thought…he thought he had to hide from me?

"I'm going to assume that 'Deku' is the 'belittling nickname' Midoriya mentioned," Aizawa continued with a serious tone. "One given by you as he said to 'label' and 'show' how 'useless' you think a person without a Quirk is. That, along with any physical abuse to go with any additional verbal on top, is Quirk discrimination."

"Hah?" Katsuki scoffed with a quirked brow. "How is that Quirk discrimination? The nerd doesn't even have a fuc-freaking Quirk to discriminate against."

"Attacking someone by physical or verbal means because they don't have a Quirk is discrimination," the angry tired man growled. "Being prejudiced of someone for their Quirk or lack of one is against the law. Something that should have been addressed years ago since apparently you have been bullying Midoriya since he was four."

At this point, the Erasure Hero sent an accusing look to Katsuki's parents. Both of whom looked guilty for not having done more to guide their son.

"I want to apologize on behalf of my son," Masaru said with a bow.

"I do as well," Mitsuki added with her own bow. "We knew that something had changed between Izuku and Katsuki. Inko even told me as much when they were younger and Izuku had come home with a burn. We tried to address it but Katsuki had claimed it was an accident and Izuku didn't say anything different."

The blonde mother then turned to her friend with an apologetic sadness.

"I am so sorry, Inko," Mitsuki said to the fellow mother. "I didn't know it was this bad. Katsuki never said anything about this happening and Izuku never did either when I would see him. We never even got a call from the schools nor did the teachers say anything when we had parent-teacher conferences with them. Only saying how he was on track to be a Hero. If I had known…I would have done something about this sooner."

Then the Old Hag turned to him.

"How could you treat Izuku like this?" the woman asked, her red eyes filled with angered disbelief. "You were best friends growing up. How could you hurt someone like him? Why did you feel the need to attack him like this?"

From behind his mother, Katsuki could see his Auntie staring at him with saddened curiosity. Those dark green eyes searching his red ones for those same answers. Of how he could hurt her child as he had. An additional pair of greenish yellow eyes of the Voice Hero beside her also looked at him waiting for his response.

"Yes, son," his father said, turning to his son for the first time since they got there. "Why did you do all of this?"

The teen shifted to look at his dad whose disappointment for his child's actions was clear in his forlorn brown eyes. Beside him the Erasure Hero glared at him with partially obscured judging black eyes. Katsuki turned away from them to see Nezu's own black eyes watching him. Or rather studying him. Examining him. As if he was under a magnifying glass.

Having the weight of everyone's attention on him was suffocating. Typically, Katsuki reveled being the center of attention. But not this time. This wasn't the typical spotlight he was used to. This wasn't showering him with praise. This was different. This was judgment.

Judgment was not something he had experienced before. Not really anyway. No one before now had ever called him out on his actions towards Deku. No teacher or extra. Not even the Quirkless nerd himself did really anything about it except for learning to fight back. Even when Katsuki had spat those regretted baiting words, Deku had said nothing back.

His parents had tried but they had never known the extent of what he had done. Unaware of his dealings in school where the teachers and extras gave him nothing but praise for him and his strong Quirk. Doing or saying nothing about his actions and words towards the weak useless Quirkless Deku. Raising the student with the most potential to be a Hero up while pushing down the student who was destined to amount to nothing.

But now his actions, his words, were being called out. Revealed to his parents and Auntie. Scrutinized by his teachers. Ones who were also Pro Heroes. A title he still desired to claim as his own in the future. To join the ranks of those who fight back evil. To use this strong Quirk he had been gifted and become the Hero he was destined to be. Something that Deku could never be. Not without a Quirk.

Why do they care?

Auntie cared. Of course, she did. Deku was her son. But she wasn't delusional like Deku was. She too didn't think that he could be a Hero because he was Quirkless. He knew this because of her expressing her concern for her stubborn child's sole focus on an unobtainable dream while visiting his parents at his house. Views that Mitsuki and Masaru shared with the greenette mother. A confirmation to his own beliefs he had overheard repeatedly over the years during their talks.

They understood it was impossible. Had known it was pointless for Deku to dream so big. That his lack of Quirk negated his aspirations. Leaving him with nothing but pipe dreams of being the Hero that saves the day. Even if he had taken the Hero Practical and had somehow managed to get into the Hero Course, the level of Hero the Quirkless fucker could have become would be next to nothing. The amount of help miniscule and negligible in the grand scheme of things.

Deku being a Hero was pointless.

This was a fact that was long embedded in Katsuki's mind. Deku was Quirkless. Deku was useless. Deku could never be a Hero like Katsuki would be. Deku would die if he tried. Deku needed to know this before he got himself killed for his stupidity. Deku needed to get it through that thick head under his shitty mess of green hair that his useless, Quirkless ass could never ever be a Hero. Not without a Quirk.

Why did I do this? I'll tell you why.

"Because Deku needed to learn!" Katsuki snapped in answer.

"Learn what, Bakugou?" Aizawa asked with a growl.

"Deku is Quirkless," the blonde teen replied. "And yet, despite that he still wants to be a Hero. But he can't. He never could once he was declared Quirkless."

"Why is that, Bakugou-kun?" Nezu inquired as he sat at his desk with his paws steepled before him.

"Because if he became a Hero without a Quirk," Katsuki explained. "There was going to be a time when he would be overpowered. With no Quirk to defend himself with. But because of how impulsive the stupid nerd can get, I know he would just go in fighting anyway. Getting in over his head and where else could that lead him except to get hurt or even die."

I don't want Deku to die.

"So, you're saying you did all of this to prevent Midoriya-kun from getting injured?" Nezu asked, earning a nod from the teen. "I must ask you. If you were so concerned for his safety, why did you physically assault him? Why did you tell him to kill himself?"

Inko flinched at the mention of the suicide baiting. Mitsuki gave her a comforting squeeze around her shoulders as to keep her focus on the fellow mother even though she was itching with anger at her son. Masaru merely stared at his son with disappointed curiosity. Nezu still remained neutral and appeared calm. Yamada was oddly quiet for being such a loud mouth most of the time. Though he did have a lot to say but internally questioned his ability to control his Quirk due to his emotional state in the moment. As for Aizawa, he was glaring.

The tired man did not like that the teen thought his actions were justified just because the green one didn't have a Quirk. That he couldn't fight because he was Quirkless. It reminded him of his own childhood and how he had been judged because of Erasure. It wasn't a physical Quirk and only took another person's Quirk away except for mutant types. But it was enough to bring the fight to a Quirkless one. Where one could only rely on their own physical strength and training. Which is what Midoriya had done in his opinion. Except, rather than erasing the Quirks as he did, the green one instead counteracted them with his Support Items. Ones that were inspired by the Quirks of others.

"Because Deku needed to learn," Katsuki replied.

"You said that before," Nezu said with a tilt of his head. "But that does not answer my question. Why did you decide to use your actions and words towards Midoriya-kun in such a negative fashion? Why did you approach this concern for his safety with such violent actions and harsh words? It seems to me that attacking someone whose wellbeing you are concerned for is counterintuitive. So I ask you again, why did you do this?"

Katsuki sat there for a moment trying to come up with an answer to the question of why he had done what he did. Searching for some reasoning in his mind but was coming up blank. Because he had never thought about it before. Not even during the events themselves. Only going on pure instinct every time. Letting whatever his subconscious mind came up with happen whether with his fists or his mouth.

"I…I don't know," the teen admitted with brows furrowed in confusion. "I just did. And no one said anything about it before. Not once."

The principal hummed in thought before asking, "Are you implying that no one in your previous schools did anything to curb this behavior?"

"No, they didn't," Katsuki muttered, clenching his fists for a moment while still having his arms crossed. "None of the extras ever said anything and even joined in. Sometimes even the teachers got in on it too."

Inko let out a choked sob at that as it confirmed what her own child had said. That the teachers in his previous schools who had been tasked to take care of him hadn't. That they had done nothing to protect her baby all while telling her that everything was fine. Mitsuki pulled her into another hug and quietly shushed her as the meeting went on. Both to give comfort as well as seeking some for herself. For she too was learning for the first time the ineptitude of her child's past educators. Masaru was also reeling from that revelation and was silently stewing sitting next to his son. His own child who he apparently didn't know as well as he thought he had.

"Why do you think they did that, Bakugou-kun?" Nezu inquired. "Why did they allow you to treat a fellow classmate like this?"

"Because they knew that I would be a Hero one day," Katsuki offered in answer. "Because they knew what I've known since I was a kid. That I was born to be a Hero!"

"No one is 'born' to be a Hero, Bakugou," Aizawa snapped, drawing everyone's attention to him. "Heroes are trained. There's no chosen one or destined bound Heroes. They're all just people who worked their way into that position. As Midoriya has done in the Sports Festival."

"So fucking what?!" Katsuki growled, too pissed to watch his language. "So, the shitty nerd got first place. That doesn't mean a damn thing. He's not in the Hero Course. He didn't even take the fucking practical. Didn't even try because he knew he would fail. As he would fail to be a Hero without a Quirk. The Old Hag and Dad know that. Even Auntie knows that. Everyone knows he can't be a Hero. Deku can dream all he damn well pleases but he is never getting into the Hero Course! The practical is the only way!"

To his right, Inko let out a gasp at his words and gave him an incredulous look. Mitsuki and Masaru also stared at their son in shock. Having not known their words of concern for the Quirkless boy had been fuel for the blonde teen's beliefs. Had influenced his views and were used as justification for his actions and words. But Katsuki's attention was not on them and instead was drawn to his irate homeroom teacher.

"That's where you are wrong, Bakugou," Aizawa hissed. "Who am I?"

The fuck kind of question is that?

"You're Aizawa," Katsuki answered with a quirked brow. "My homeroom teacher."

"What else?" the tired man pressed.

What else?

"What more do you fucking want?" the teen spat out with a huff.

"Other than a teacher, I am a Pro Hero, Bakugou," Aizawa fumed. "I fight Villains in the dead of night or in the darkest alleys with no recognition whatsoever. Made quite a name for myself among law enforcement but not among the people. And do you want to know how I got into the Hero Course? By winning the Sports Festival my first year. Transferring from General Studies to the Hero Course."

The blonde teen looked at the man as if he had grown a third head. Because there was no fucking way that could be real. The man had to be lying. He just had to! Or else that would mean that Deku was right. But Deku was never right.

Right?

"This has got to be a joke, right?" Katsuki let out with a desperate laugh. "You're all just fucking with me. There's no way that's a thing. No fucking possible way."

"We are very much not joking, Bakugou-kun," the principal insisted. "We are in fact being quite serious."

"Why the hell do you care about Deku?" Katsuki demanded to know. "No one cared about him before."

"Because he is a student of UA same as you," Nezu replied. "With all the same rights and privileges as you. Who apparently has been neglected in an academic setting prior to this, but we at UA have a zero-tolerance policy on bullying and Quirk discrimination. Both of which you are guilty of on school property. Such misconduct would warrant expulsion."

The room fell deathly quiet at that last statement. Mitsuki and Masaru shared a look as they both thought about how on earth things had gotten this bad. Inko mentally played around with the idea of the teen being expelled even though she knew the actual punishments to be dealt out. The Heroes knew as well but were allowing the gravity of the situation settle on the trouble maker's shoulders. While Katsuki sat there frozen at the threat.

Never in his life had he ever imagined he would be threatened with expulsion. Or with any kind of punishment when it came to how he treated the Quirkless boy. No one had said or done anything about it before. Never did anything to indicate what he had been doing to Deku was wrong. Even the shitty nerd had done nothing about it. No one had.

'Except for Inko not taking him over to your house anymore.'

Shut. Up.

'Him taking self-defense to be able to fight back.'

Shut up.

'Him avoiding you and even resorting to disguising himself.'

Shut up!

'Him making Support Items to make up for his Quirk and wielding them better than you did your Quirk.'

SHUT UP!

'Him winning the Sports Festival. Not. You.'

"SHUT UP!" Katsuki yelled aloud in hopes that the inner voice would shut the fuck up.

The rest of the room was surprised as no one had been talking for the last few moments as the teen sat there in thought. The three parents looked at the teen in worry while the Heroes with concern. Aizawa had even moved into a defensive position just in case things got physical. Which would be a very bad thing to do in the principal's office but after having seen the explosive boy go after Midoriya with no qualms, it seemed like a possibility. One he was prepared to stop.

"I beg your pardon?" Nezu asked, breaking the tense silence.

"Why do you fucking care about the shitty nerd?!" Katsuki yelled with arms splayed open in rage. Explosions threatening to pop out of his tense hands but he held them back as he ranted. "Why now?! No one cared before. Not one! So why do you care now? He's just a useless Quirkless nobody who will never amount to anything! Less than nothing and shouldn't even been allowed to go to this school. Everyone knew that except for him himself. So why the fuck now do you people care? What is so fucking special about Deku?!"

"Because he is a PERSON!" Nezu snapped as he slammed his paws down on his desk. His neutral expression was gone with him now looking almost feral with his teeth bared. "He is a boy who has been mistreated by you and others for years for something out of his control. He did not ask to be born Quirkless much like how I did not ask to be an animal with a Quirk. Yet we both experienced mistreatment from people like you."

Katsuki stared at the chimera in actual real fear. An emotion he hadn't really experienced before now. Perhaps for a moment during the USJ attack when the Noumu had been coming right at him before All Might had pushed him out of the way. But with the principal of UA glaring daggers at him with his animal ferocity, the sight shot a shiver of fear down his spine. Nezu was being entirely serious right now.

"Midoriya-kun has always had a dream to be a Hero and help people," the chimera continued, his expression regaining some kind of composure but was still angry. "But instead of supporting him, he was faced with ridicule for it. All because he was born without a Quirk. Genetics do not dictate who we are or what we become. If that were the case, I would still be stuck in that laboratory instead of sitting here as I am today. Midoriya-kun fought his way up the ranks yesterday same as Aizawa did back in his time at UA as a student. Used his natural gifts to come up with a solution to make up for not having a Quirk."

"What 'natural gifts'?" Katsuki questioned with a huff as he folded of his arms in irritation. "Deku is Quirkless. He has no power."

"True, he does not possess a Quirk," Nezu stated with a nod. "However, a Quirk is only one type of gift a person is given when they are born. Midoriya-kun may not have a Quirk but he has one of the brightest minds I have seen in a long while. He had managed to catch Aizawa-san's eye on the very first day of school as he and Shinsou-kun were training for the festival. Aizawa-san took up training the two boys after school as well as brought Midoriya-kun's analysis to my attention."

"You mean his stalker notebooks?" Katsuki huffed as he slumped back against the couch. How the fuck do they know about the nerd's shitty notebooks? "Deku was always writing in those like a creep. Writing about all the Quirks he can't ever have."

"Those 'stalker notebooks' hold a treasure trove of information," Nezu retorted with a hard look that was paired with one from the tired man as well. "The sheer amount of data on Heroes in those thirteen volumes are both a gift and a curse. A gift to us Heroes who can use Midoriya-kun's insight to become better. But also, a curse if the same information were to ever fall into the wrong hands. Which is why I took it upon myself to make Midoriya-kun my personal student for his analysis. To both nurture and protect his information."

Deku? Nezu's personal student? Also trained by Aizawa himself? The fuck is going on with the world. Why do the teachers care so much about the shitty nerd? He's just a Quirkless loser.

'No, he's a Quirkless winner.'

Fuck.

"Your actions yesterday are unacceptable," Nezu declared with a more neutral expression but with a hint anger still there. "As well as your views of your peers. However, no matter how much it is justified to expel you for your transgressions, I will not. For the same reason you were not disqualified from the Sports Festival which would have also been warranted. That reason being because Midoriya-kun asked for it himself."

What?

"What do you mean he asked for it?" Katsuki asked with furrowed brows.

"Exactly that," the chimera replied. "Midoriya-kun requested for you to not be disqualified as he claimed such a punishment would not work with you. Having learned more about your views and your past teachers' mistreatment of both of you, I cannot help but agree with him. He also said that by allowing you to experience placing in third that it would be 'punishment in and of itself' to you."

Deku seriously asked for that. The fuck! That makes that piece of trash of a medal even more worthless! I don't need Deku's fucking charity. Wait…what was that bit on mistreatment?

"What do you mean 'mistreatment to both of us'?" Katsuki questioned as he loosening his arms to lean forward in search of the answer while putting his weight on his his elbows placed on his knees. "I wasn't fucking mistreated. They let me do whatever I wanted. They did everything they could to get me into UA so I could become the Hero I'm meant to be."

"That, in your case, is the mistreatment," the chimera answered, gaining a confused look from the teen. "Another point that was brought up by Midoriya-kun this morning. By allowing you to 'do whatever you wanted', they did not teach you the necessary lessons about treating your peers with respect. Through their inaction, they instead taught you to look down on others and that your misconduct was justified. Their negligence as teachers has misguided you to where you are sitting today. Here in my office facing the consequences of your actions."

Consequences? The fuck! I've never been punished by teachers before. They only ever praised me for my Quirk and potential to be a Hero. Even Deku knows that Explosion is strong and perfect for Heroics. He had said so himself.

'But he also said you've let your ego take over. That you care more about being the best than helping people.'

So what? The stronger and higher ranked Hero I am, the more people I can help by taking down the Villains. Once I'm Number One, everyone will know I have the power to beat them all.

"As I said, you were not disqualified and we will not be expelling you," the principal said. "Reason being another point Midoriya-kun brought up this morning. That when Hero schools were first developed, their intended purpose was to rehabilitate Vigilantes to become the first known Pro Heroes. To transform them from the outlaws they were to become law abiding and defending Heroes to protect the peace."

Katsuki scowled at the inference of rehabilitation and the subtle hint of him being compared to those that broke the law. Though being compared to a Vigilante was a tiny bit better than being compared to a Villain.

'Like Izuku had?'

Shut it.

"Now, I wouldn't go as far as to label you a Vigilante," Nezu said. "Even if you did use your Quirk illegally as well as in an attempt to harm another. However, your actions have put your attendance as a student of UA in a precarious position. You have looked down upon your peers and have openly attacked or attempted to attack two students. Any other school would see you as a lost cause and be done with you here and now. But Midoriya-kun seems to believe not all hope is lost for you."

Mitsuki and Masaru looked to the principal in anticipation while Katsuki sat there grumbling to himself. Inko waited patiently for the principal to reveal the decided upon punishments for the boy who had attacked and bullied her son. As for the Heroes, the tired one and the loud one both felt an itch of impatience for the chimera to finally reveal the consequences for the explosive teen's actions. While Nezu was savoring the moment.

"While I won't be expelling you, the punishment must match the transgression," Nezu announced. "While I allowed Midoriya-kun to voice his opinion as to what your punishment will be, the ultimate decision is mine as the principal of UA. Therefore, any and all punishments have been decided upon by me and I do not want to hear of any retaliation coming from you."

The teen merely grunted and clicked his tongue in response while slumping back with his arms crossed as the chimera continued.

"You stand charged with assaulting a student as well as cheating by destroying his personal property. Despite you calling them a cheat, breaking them was cheating on your part. Taking away his advantage to become yours in turn. Similar to harming another outside of a sanctioned match."

What?! I didn't cheat. Bakugou Katsuki does not cheat.

"You are also charged with attempting to assault another student. Twice. Once after your match had ended and again in the nurse's office as Recovery Girl reported to me. I will also be looking into your past records and schools to determine the extent of the charges of bullying and other misconduct."

Katsuki sat there with a scowl staying strangely quiet as the principal talked. Trying to process what was happening to him. His parents were quiet as well as they waited to learn the fate of their son. Those in the know patiently waited for the mammal to reveal his decision.

"For these transgressions, your punishments are thus," Nezu said, feeling internally gleeful at being able to dish out some well-deserved consequences. "In lieu of being expelled, you will be suspended for two weeks. This will be an in-school suspension and will be served on campus under teacher supervision. You will be isolated from your peers during regular lessons as well as lunch and training. You will also be banned from the internships starting in a week's time."

"WHAT?!" Katsuki shouted, instinctively spreading his arms wide in a hostile force of habit. "You can't do that! The first internships are important in becoming a Hero. Being scouted for them is the whole fucking point for the Sports Festival."

"I can and I am banning you from attending them," the chimera growled, his anger showing through again. "The internships are a privilege, not a right. One that you are not eligible to take part in due to your own actions. Instead, you will spend that time here at UA continuing your suspension under teacher supervision. Attending a mixture of training that you would have gotten on the internship as well as remedial lessons on human decency, Quirk discrimination, and other subjects. To be taught by the teachers and other experts. You will also be tasked with writing apology letters to Midoriya-kun and Shinsou-kun for your actions against them."

The teen folded his arms and slumped back again at that. Well, at least he would be doing something during that time. Being allowed to train would be helpful though he doubted he would get anything out of the extra lessons. Also, fucking apology letters? Seriously? He didn't do apologies.

"In addition…"

There's fucking more?

"…you will be required to attend mandatory therapy and anger management sessions with the school counselor, Inui Ryou also known has Hound Dog, for the entirety of your time at UA."

Fucking therapy? Seriously?

Katsuki wasn't some weak ass shithead who needs to talk about his 'feelings'. He doesn't do feelings. Only pride and anger. Those are all he needs to be a great Hero.

'Like Endeavor?'

Fuck off!

"You will receive marks for bullying and suicide baiting on your school records once I have collected all the evidences concerned with that. You will also be on a probation status for the rest of the year. Your behavior will be monitored closely by the teachers and staff. Any misstep from you will be documented and corrected as needed."

Great. So, he was going to be watched under a microscope. Just fucking great.

"Now, we can't exactly have a restraining order situation here. As Aizawa-san has two open spots in his class as well as has requested to have you still in his homeroom to keep an eye on you. However, you are to stay away from Midoriya-kun and Shinsou-kun as much as possible during class time and outside of it. Until decided otherwise by Hound Dog."

Fuck. They were going to be in 1-A with him? That's bullshit! Stupid fucking bullshit that seriously pissed Katsuki off. That the Quirkless nobody was going to be in the same top Hero class as him who was destined to be the best. Him and his Troll Doll friend. It was absolutely incredibly fucking ridiculous.

'And there's nothing you can do about it.'

Damn it!

"Changes will be made to seating arrangements as to be decided by Aizawa-san. You are also forbidden from calling Midoriya-kun 'Deku' ever again."

What?!

"I've been calling him Deku for fucking years!" Katsuki spat as he unfolded his arms and pounded his fists down on his knees. "He's never said anything about it. What the fuck am I supposed to call him?"

"By his name," Nezu quipped back. "His first name with his permission or his family name if not. However, I will not tolerate the term 'Deku' to be uttered in this school in the demeaning way you have intended it to be. Calling someone a term that means 'useless' in reference to their Quirklessness is another kind of bullying and discrimination. Therefore, you are banned from referring to Midoriya-kun as such."

The actual fuck? Why would they care about that?

Katsuki didn't get it. Didn't understand. He had been calling the nerd Deku since they were four. Since his uselessness was revealed at his lack of Quirk. No one had said anything about it. Wrote it off initially as a misread of the nerd's name and eventually accepted it as a habit and the norm. So engrained into the explosive teen's mind that the thought of calling him anything else made his brain hurt. What the hell was he supposed to call the greenette now?

'Izuku. With permission as Nezu said. Or Midoriya. As you deserve for what you've said and done to him.'

Having that nickname banned from his spoken vocabulary brought that sour feeling back. Similar to the one he got when the nerd stopped calling him Kacchan and again when Deku had declared he wasn't even Katsuki to him. Instead, he was only Bakugou to the Quirkless boy.

Resorting to his family name removed any sign of closeness or how many years they had known each other. Removed any indication to their connection and childhood spent playing Heroes in hopes to become ones together. Intensified that sour feeling to one that was biting and bitter. A caustic sensation that made him feel sick to his stomach.

What the fucking hell is that feeling?

Despite having been very talkative today, the inner voice gave no answer. Perhaps it too didn't know what that feeling was and so had no answer to give. Whatever the feeling was, it was acidic and abrasive. Burning pain in his gut that had nothing to do with his Quirk. An agonizing sensation that he didn't even have a name for.

The blonde teen was broken from his thoughts as the principal continued speaking.

"All of these conditions to your punishment are mandatory if you are to continue to be a Hero student here at UA," Nezu stated with a serious tone. "If you do not comply or make no effort to use this second chance we are graciously offering you, I will have no choice but to remove you from the Hero Course. Whether by transferring you to General Studies until you do show progress or, if there is none and your behavior worsens, I will be forced to expel you from UA altogether. A scenario Midoriya-kun himself agrees with despite his arguments against expelling you in the first place."

Again, with Deku being involved in this ridiculous situation of Katsuki getting punished for something he has done for years. Never told once that what he had been doing was wrong. Not until UA. Why was UA so different from his old schools? The teen didn't understand how he had ended up in these circumstances.

"With all that taken into consideration," the princepal concluded. "Do you agree to these terms, Bakugou-kun?"

The adults waited as the teen sat there thinking over the proposal. Katsuki still didn't get why he had ended up here. Sitting in the principal of UA's office discussing punishments for his actions. Ones he has done time and time again before attending his dream school. Only to be told that the years he spent trying to teach the shitty nerd his place in the world were actually years of bullying. That he, Bakugou Katsuki the future Number One Hero, was wrong.

He didn't understand. Didn't know why they cared so much when no one had before. Why here? Why now? Why ever? Other than Auntie and his parents, no one had cared about the nerd. Well, Deku's dad too he guessed though he hadn't seen him for a long time. Not since the accident. Even then, Katsuki didn't care for Deku's dad all that much and he had a guess that the feeling was mutual.

Hisashi had never shown the same affection to him as Inko had. Nor to really anyone else for that matter other than Auntie and the nerd. The elusive father was more of a loner than anything else. Other than Inko and Deku, Hisashi had no family that Katsuki was aware of as the man never had talked much about his past. Even took Auntie's last name instead of his own as he had 'no other family than them'. Or so he said.

The teen didn't know what Hisashi did for a living, only that it kept him constantly busy. However, despite that the father still made time to tend to his family. Even after the accident that kept them apart physically and resorted to visual and verbal communication. A change which Katsuki knew as he had heard Inko mention it at times during her visits. But other than his wife and son, Hisashi didn't really interact with anyone else in their neighborhood. Not even the teen's own parents who would visit the Midoriya household periodically.

Hisashi had been polite during those meetings but made no attempt to get closer to the Bakugous like Inko had. Always kept his distance from making ties with anyone. Only showing any attachment to his family and especially his son. Whenever Katsuki had been forced to join them and had to witness the father doting on the shitty nerd, the blonde felt like he wanted to puke at the sight. He and his dad never acted vomit worthy like that.

'But would you want to?'

The answer was no. Katsuki didn't need that from his dad. He knew that Masaru cared. Like when he had left food outside of his room earlier today. His father understood his son well and what kind of affection he was okay with. Knew that Katsuki wasn't the mushy type. They would share hugs and calming touches when needed, but for the most part Masaru showed his affection through his actions rather than being tactile or with words. He showed he cared in his own way.

'Then why do you care that other people care about Izuku?'

Because it didn't make any sense. Other than their parents, no one outside of the two households had ever cared for the Quirkless boy. No one at school or outside of it. No students, no teachers, no neighbors had ever said a thing. Nor had he ever been approached by a Hero or other authority figure. Not a single damn person had ever told him what he had been doing was wrong.

Until now.

That's what confused him. Why Katsuki didn't understand how he got here. The teachers of UA were the first to ever tell him different. To say anything at all really. That he was wrong and that Deku wasn't useless. That through their inaction, the teachers in his past had mistreated him. Both of them. That the nerd wasn't just some Quirkless extra in his story to become the Number One Hero. That Deku had potential that was seen by Aizawa and Nezu who both apparently had taken it upon themselves to train the nerd. That his Quirk stalking was actually useful and dangerous. It was overwhelming and he didn't know what to do about it.

However, despite all of that and being confused about it all, there was one thing he knew he had to do. Katsuki had to say 'yes'. Because all he has ever wanted, ever dreamed of doing, was to become a Hero. He thought he had been on track before. He was the only one from that shitty middle school to make it into UA's Hero Course. Had wanted to be the only one to go to UA altogether but Deku had gone the safe route and applied for the Support Course instead.

'On purpose and with reasons in hopes of transferring after the Sports Festival.'

It was true. Katsuki didn't want to believe it. Had dismissed Deku's words of there being another way into the Hero Course other than the practical. Because how could that be a thing? But it was apparently and Aizawa stood as evidence to that. He had done the exact same thing Deku had done. Fought his way through the Sports Festival and beat all others to come out on top. Proving his worth to be a Hero. Meaning that Katsuki had been wrong about the Quirkless boy who had stood proudly in the first-place spot standing above him in third.

Now here he was, in the principal's office discussing Katsuki's fitness to be in the esteemed UA Hero Course while Deku and that Mind Fucker would be transferred to his class. For as long as the blonde stayed in that class. If he said 'no' here, Katsuki would probably be demoted to Gen Ed and would have to 'prove' he was worthy of the Hero Course. Again. But if he said 'yes', then he would remain in 1-A and still be able to pursue his destiny to be the Number One Hero.

It would be annoying being under UA's microscope. Observing his every move and try to change who he was through remedial classes and therapy. Attempt to make him into something he's not. But despite that, Katsuki was willing to put up with their bullshit in order to stay in the Hero Course. He could handle it. So, with an irritated but conceding huff, Katsuki gave his answer.

"Yes."

...

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Notes extension: post/649647870628249600/part-2-chapter-5-consequences