Daikaiju

by Burning burning burning

Monsters exist, but are they all bad? After all, monsters are merely what we call what we can't comprehend. When a young boy lays waste to all he ever knew, he loses his humanity in the process. But, he finds someone who can understand him, speak for him. They are the key, and not all is as it seems. ( Rated M for later gore and violence.) (Art credit goes to Matt Frank.)

8. Struggle

Thanks to one of my favorite reviewers suggesting it to me, I've decided to add a theme song to this story. After listening to it on repeat for the past few days I cannot deny how well it fits and how good it is. Thank you Ranger McAleer for the suggestion; Nuclear by Mike Oldfield. Now onto the story.

---

"He who conquers himself is the strongest warrior." - Confucius

The gruff man instantly shot his gaze to the tallest teen in the room with a small grin and strode over with a confident gait, sizing him up and down as they stood at the same height, the man nodded.

Izuku quirked his brow, the rest of class 1A collectively confused at the odd behaviour. One orange haired teen spoke out, "Uh hey, are we going to start our lesson or-" the gruff man shut him up with a glare.

He looked back to the confused reptile and nodded, taking off the jacket he wore and tossing it to the side. "Yeah, you can definitely take a punch." Was that a compliment or-

Orange eyes widened, spit flew from his mouth as the man's fist buried in his gut. Keeling over, the reptilian teen was instantly out of commission and collapsed onto the floor with a thud. The rest of class 1A looked on in horror at the sight of the orange eyed teen being defeated, Aizawa unspokenly left them on their own as he zipped up his sleeping bag.

The temperature dropped as a battle crazed grin cracked across his unshaven face, "Fight."

At the word, screams sounded out across the gym as most of class 1A ran in fear. A majority of the class began spreading out away from the gruff man who stood over their strongest member victorious. He rubbed his fist slightly, "Damn his abdominals are made out of steel or somethin." The former hero muttered out before yellow electricity sparkled.

The battle crazed grin returned before the man simply disappeared from sight, in a split second he buried his fist in Sato's gut, knocking the burly teen out instantly before immediately blurring from sight again. The man had yellow electricity coiled against his body as he moved through the gym like a shark through water, the teen's with combat experience grounded themselves and darted their eyed around the room. Less experienced students quickly scrambled away from the area bar one, Kirishima had a determined grit on his face as he launched an attack and hardened his entire body.

The hardened fist flew towards his head in slow motion while the spiky haired teen shut his eyes, the retired pro easily bobbed and weaved under the poorly executed blow while time slowed to a standstill, the dark haired man shot out his left which crashed against the teen's hardened skin with the force of a small scale explosion. Shifting on his feet and continuing his assault, the man launched a right into his chest and finally a full bodied cross to the face as the teen stood motionless from his perception. In a split second the teen felt the blows detonate against his body and shatter his armored skin, the red haired teen gasped for breath as it was knocked from his lungs and he was sent flying into the nearest wall.

Ignoring his bruising knuckles, "Heh, who's next you trash bags." His battle crazed orbs glazed across their numbers before settling on one who showed no sign of fear in the slightest. He was either stupid or confident, either way the bandaged teen who'd caught his eye was about to be in a world of pain.

In a flash of speed, Master appeared behind the bandaged teen. His face morphed into slight shock as he noticed red eyes following his movement, an inflamed hand directed behind the angry blonde, dark orange lightning crackled around the aggressing arm as it bore straight at the retired pro. This reaction speed was phenomenal, for a newbie.

The formerly unshaven man easily sidestepped the explosion while the immense heat burned off his facial hair at the proximity, grabbing the teen's outstretched arm he began sprinting across the gym before sliding to a stop and shifting his weight. Raising the teen over his head, the retired pro catapulted the angry blonde into the air at high speeds.

The red eyed teen flew through the air like a missile, his senses displaced at the sudden shift of movement before he noticed the quickly approaching ceiling. He quickly shot his hands out and released small scale explosions to slow his ascent. Snarling as he glanced back to the ground level battle, he blasted back towards his opponent who'd already moved onto his next target.

"He's so fast… what type of hero course is this!" The electric teen was running around trying to keep as far away from the eyes of the dark haired man possessed, many of the other class 1A students following suit. The small unnoticeable outline of an invisible girl shaking near a wall, the sprawled out heterochromic teen on an ice shaft, Yaoyorozu and Jirou wrapped up in rope and knocked out. So many had been defeated in the blinding surprise attack, the confidence thanks to the practical results shattered.

Setsuna was watching from the main group of students, barely tracking the man with her eyes as he moved about the place in small bursts of speed. He moved so quickly that the air his movement displaced created a small cracking noise every time he moved. Like a whip.

Setsuna grit her teeth as Tokoyami froze when the former hero turned his eyes to him, the dark teen could've defended himself but hesitated and paid the price, the man was already moving again as the avian teen descended towards the floor in slow motion. Most of her fellow students weren't mentally ready to use their quirks on another person, robots were one thing, they weren't sentient.

Master quickly outpaced even Iida who could track his movements but was barely capable of dodging his attack. The bespectacled teen inwardly cursed as he was outclassed in his main forte, the pro hero dodging his quickest roundhouse kicks with practiced ease. The retired hero mostly moved in small bursts and there was a small 1-2 second window between each activation of his quirk, perhaps he could only use his quirk for a limited period of time?

She watched as the man knocked out the enraged teen with a bicycle kick before closelining the engine quirk user a split second later. He was going through everyone like nothing, not that it wasn't to be expected, they were only kids. The pro hero was testing them...

A small trembling hand tugged at her own, "S-Setsuna, he's going crazy… I'm not ready for something intense like this." Setsuna stood protectively in front of the shorter girl, her classmates littered across the gym floor fueling her resolve.

"Don't worry Urara, I'll protect you." Her toothy grin was shaky, but she stood and observed the retired pro as he jetted about the place with narrowed eyes. His eyes flashed to whoever he was targeting before he disappeared, there was a small moment where his feet pointed towards his target and the direction he was coming from could be predicted by the trails from his quirk. Reacting to him was borderline impossible so she needed to pay attention to these signals, Setsuna nodded her head and grit her teeth.

Setsuna's entire body tensed as his eyes finally fell on her, she watched closely as the retired pro shifted his foot and disappeared from view, Setsuna quickly shoved the shorter girl back while bracing herself. The trail of his quirk was the only thing she could see, "To the left…" she muttered as the large fist flew towards her at speeds too fast to properly react to.

The fist flew right through as her body separated and coiled around his arm, her legs wrapping around his throat as Setsuna reformed and put the pro into a triangle choke. The ex hero began to laugh a hearty laugh as Setsuna attempted to choke him out with all her might, green eyes burning with exertion. The splitter quirk user roared out as the defined muscles on her legs bulged.

"Just like that, you're the first one to properly counterattack me with your quirk. The sad part is…" Setsuna widened her eyes as the man spoke clearly despite the pressure on his throat.

"I'm in another weight class entirely, maybe try a rear naked choke next time." She grimaced as the speedster spun and spun, the forces against her body becoming extreme thanks to his supercharged speed. Her face became green, her grip slipping as blood rushed to the splitter quirk user's head.

Losing consciousness for a brief moment, her grip laxed and she went tumbling and skidding across the ground as if shot from a cannon. Setsuna screamed as she hit the wall and instantly keeled over, throwing up

Orange eyes flashed open, burning.

The man stopped smiling, "Huh might have gone too far... Nah, they'll face worse." The retired pro shrugged and then downed his entire flask, "Now who else wants a knuckle sandwich?" His eyes shot about the room, groaning teens clutching their chests and stomachs, some just lying flat on their backs with their eyes rolled back.

"I didn't even hitcha that hard, buncha babies…" The former pro finally settled on the shaking brunette, the girl eeped as she was finally in his sight.

"Awe, the little puppy huh?" He appeared behind her in an instant, the towering form shadowing over hers. "Boo." Her eyes rolled up, a loud thud sounded as she fell over, the man let out a hearty laugh at the fearful collapse. Unbeknownst to him, burning orange eyes drilled into his skull.

The reptilian teen slowly pushed himself up to his knees, his fist cracked against the floor as his body shifted. The reptile's bone structure began to expand, his height increasing by 2 or 3 inches, his spines grew, his claws lengthened, his tail swiveled and erratically crashed against the floor as he stood up. Izuku's body was coated head to toe in scales before he let out a roar and bolted, the ground cracking with each step as he outpaced even his running score from the quirk assessment test.

Burning orange eyes focused on a single person, the man who hurt her. The retired pro tracked his moving form while the reptilian teen closed in, the unshaven man smirked before electricity sparked around him. The orange eyed teen slowed and slowed, but wasn't quite stuck in place. Even with his enhanced speeds and perception, the reptile was moving quickly enough to draw caution. Appearing in front of the slow moving teen, the retired pro took a well practiced boxers stance.

The man launched a right cross at superspeed, the fist moved so fast that it began to heat up the air surrounding the two. Blazing knuckles reflected in Izuku's fiery orange eyes as it soared closer, the fist crashing against his face with the force of an explosion.

A growl sounded out as the fist almost fully extended, the heat was aggravating his anger even more as teeth grit, Izuku tilted his head expertly.

The reptilian teen barely slipped the retired pro, the fist grazing across his face while the heat gave him slight burns from the friction. The reptilian teen went low and shot an enclosed fist out the side, the former pro watched as orange burning eyes glared up with the ferocity of an unchained predator. The reptile's own right cross rocketed towards the clean shaven man, muscular legs contracted as potential energy coiled all across his body. Eyes widened in excitement, the yellow electricity around the two fizzled out as the retired pro sidestepped in a burst of speed. A crack sounded out as air was displaced from the blow.

The force from the full bodied punch sent out a wave of pressure that razed the floor and exploded against the wall violently, the wind shocking Aizawa from his nap nearby. The predator's head wobbled a little as he became unhinged and unbalanced, crimson orange light trailed blazing eyes as the predator refocused on the now stationary former pro hero, Master was grinning a small smile at the show of force and ferocity.

"Knew you could take a punch, come on let's go." The man gestured, taunting the boy. Burning orange eyes beheld a furious glare, heated breath coming from his maw as he stepped forth in an unbalanced gait and with blue energy flickering across his spines. An intimidation display, it was not a good sign.

The man lost his grin, "Hey Shota-" The teen was already on him in a flash, his speed even greater than before. The retired pro barely dodged the incoming fist before it crashed into the ground, his power still on cooldown. The resounding shockwave blowing heavy winds around the gym while the predator stood at the center of his self made crater, steam rose from the reptile's body as he grew ever taller and his musculature increased ever more.

"Shota! He's losin it!" The teen was holding his head with one arm, feral growls sounded out while he shook his head. The predator grounded himself and began shaking, blue light flickering across his spines and body, he fell to one knee.

The scruffy hero canceled out their quirks, his hair levitating as he focused intently on the teen in the self made crater. His eyes widened as the scales on the predator's body struggled back against his power, his gaze and efforts hardened as red eyes strained. The reptile reached out with a trembling hand as he tried to crawl, his grimacing face half covered with scales. With one last struggle, his body sunk to the floor.

Finally, the predator submitted.

Aizawa let out a breath of relief before squeezing his eyes close from the pain, he'd never had that much trouble cancelling a quirk before… It was like a sentient being fighting back.

"That was irrational, provoking him like that." Aizawa rubbed his temples as his eyes glazed over the fallen students, this was just as bad as last year if not for different reasons.

"If your classes didn't show exponential improvement over such a short time, I might campaign to get rid of them entirely." The former pro had a neutral face at his remark, becoming more serious while he checked the sprawled out teens groaning on the floor.

"You know for someone always going on about rationality and giving it to these kids straight, you are surprisingly tame when it comes to actually training em. Like you said life ain't fair. The sooner we get it into their heads the better." Aizawa hated that the man was right, he may appear to be a brute at first but he had sharp reasoning skills when he wanted to. Even if his first response to everything was to punch it.

The pro hero sighed, "You're right, but this? This was goading on a disaster, we have to be careful with this class specifically." They both nodded, Aizawa went around with a softer voice than usual, handing out water packets to the reawakening teens.

Setsuna rubbed her stomach as she lay in a fetal position, her body was slightly bruised from hitting the floor so hard but it was endurable. Shakily she got up, wiping her mouth while looking around at. All of class 1A was defeated. The splitter quirk user slouched over as she made her way back, the taste of acids and bile still in her throat.

Izuku pushed himself up as he recovered from the forceful quirk deactivation, he cursed mentally and punched the ground, lodging his fist into the floor. He almost lost it again, Nezu was right about him all along. What if someone or something hurt Setsuna without Aizawa to step in? He'd destroy whatever it was utterly and reveal himself to the world, he couldn't let that happen...

Izuku grit sharpened teeth, he HAD to be better. He's not the only one who'd suffer if he didn't...

---

10 minutes later…

Class 1A was lined up, standing straight as ordered. Kaminari had a wobbly grimace on his face, few were shaking in the presence of the man before them as he paced back and forth. Like Setsuna, Sato had a slightly green face, his knees shook as the man pacing in front of him reminded of his quick defeat.

The bandaged teen repeatedly stamped the floor, still grumbling about his quick defeat. Suddenly he didn't seem to be so scary to the rest of class 1A, Uraraka still trembled as she stood meekly next to him in a totally opposite fashion. Even if she got off the lightest.

The man stopped and crossed his arms, "Let's get this out of the way quickly, If any of you feel like dropping out raise your hand now and then get out of my sight." No hands raised, impressing him slightly. "Heh, good. Now…"

"What you just experienced was an overwhelming as hell obstacle, not only that but one you had no time to prepare for. What you've just experienced is a small taste of what heroes have to deal with everyday, you hear that? That means I let you off easy." Kaminari was tearing at his hair with that comment.

"THAT was letting us off easy?!? Are-" The man gave a deadpan stare, "Shut it, retard." The bluntness of his comment left the room quiet for a small second.

The man refocused his gaze on the rest of them as the boy fell over, nobody dared laugh at the electric teen. "As I was sayin, I was a villain in that moment, and if it was real you'd all be dead. Lucky for you I can pull punches." He let his words echo out a bit before continuing.

"I am here to break you, den build you back up stronger and better than before, if you got a problem wit that then tough shit. Still, you rejects lasted a bit longer than average, nice. But nearly all of you faced one huge ass flaw in that battle."

"We weren't quick enough?" The pink haired girl spoke up unpromptedly, the man raised a brow.

"Pinkie, most've you rejects are never gonna be quick enough to outpace me or react to me off pure reflex. Wrong answer." She gulped and retreated into herself a small bit.

"Now can someone tell me how you rejects actually screwed up?" His eyes fell on the hand that raised instantly, one of the few who actually used her quirk to stave him off for a small moment.

"Yes, pony tail." A tick appeared on her face for a small second before becoming more serious.

"While a few of us fought back quite well, due to our inexperience you were able to outmaneuver us with your speed enhancing quirk. Combined with your experience and stature you were quite easily able to take most of us out with a single blow-" the man held out his hands.

"Alright alright, how about someone who can say it in less than 3 sentences. I only have 25 minutes left with you lot, make it concise." Setsuna raised her hand while Yaoyorozu sulked, this man had a very rugged personality.

"Seaweed head, go." The girl snorted before getting serious, "We hesitated, most of us can't use our quirks on other people yet. Likely thanks to the restrictive quirk laws, sir." The man snapped his fingers.

"Bingo." Setsuna smirked, the raven haired girl frowned.

"You're all having second thoughts about attacking someone with a quirk, it's shitty but that's why I'm here. I'm going to rip your resignation to shreds." Setsuna felt herself get excited, not fearing their brolic instructor in the slightest. She fully understood now, this wasn't just a mindless slaughter. It was a very important lesson, she understood. "If you can't defend yourself you get hit, don'tcha want to keep your guts contents? Then don't get hit."

"Now, split into groups of 2 and pick a mat, you are going to be sparring each other to get used to fightin other human beings and not giant lumps of metal." A few robots brought out sparring mats at that, "On the double maggots!" His voice became more intense.

"Yes sir!"

"Call me master!"

"Yes master!" They collectively shouted again as they rushed to find partners.

---

The reptilian teen was about to find a partner before a rough hand held him back, "Not you lizard boy, you're with me." It made the class unequal, Izuku frowned.

"You think I'm going to let a monster like you get in the ring with these squishy little kids? No, you're with me. And don't beast out again, trashbag." The man gestured him to stay put, Izuku frowned at his words. It had a double meaning.

Setsuna instantly knew who she wanted to partner with, she bolted over to the student in question with a toothy grin.

"Be my partner Yaoyorozu, c'mon it will be fun." The raven haired girl in question looked down with a frown at the rapid request, she had several inches on the shorter girl.

"But, you're much shorter than I am, wouldn't it be more balanced to fight someone of similar height?" She postulated, quirking a brow.

"Nah, I'm more muscular than you so it evens out." She flexed her toned bicep, before it was laxed and hidden behind the gym uniform. It now bulged out surprising the raven haired girl, she hadn't really noticed before.

"Hm, it would be rather unfair for you to fight someone of similar height then considering the other girls aren't much for musculature, alright then... Setsuna." The girl had an issue being informal, "I accept your challenge." Setsuna grabbed her hand, suddenly shaking it and eliciting a small gasp.

"Awesome, you ever done any martial arts before?" She was curious, the pompous female looked and sounded like a rich kid so it was a likely possibility.

The raven haired girl recovered quickly, "Indeed, I've studied and practiced Tai Chi for the past 3 years. My father initially had me train to impress our marketing allies in China, I had figured I might as well continue. I find it enjoyable and a healthy passtime." Setsuna whistled, realizing that yes indeed she was a rich kid. She seemingly had no desire to hide it either.

"Alright then sweet, all I know is from what Izu taught me a few months back. We'll see if that's enough to match your sick Kung Fu skills huh." The raven haired girl's smile strained imperceptibly as the splitter quirk user did a flurry of practice punches to emphasize.

---

The man spoke loudly enough so everyone could hear him, "Alright, there's gonna be one group of 3 so you'll all rotate between matches, basic rules go, use anything you know besides lethal or permanently damaging. No quirks-"

"No quirks?" The red haired boy interrupted him, drawing a ruff neutral gaze as the man suddenly got in his face. The classes' surprise was quickly replaced by pity instead.

"Exactly as I said you glorified punching bag, as shown by your piss poor display earlier. You're gonna need to know how to punch before you know how to hit someone with a quirk, it's like jumping straight to advanced levels, powers can easily kill. Now dontcha interrupt me again or it's 50 pushups." The boy sweatdropped and nodded his head.

He stood in front of the class once again as they all situated with partners in front of wide sparring mats, Setsuna with Yaoyorozu, Jirou with Uraraka, Mina with Toru, Sato with Shoji, Koda with Tsuyu, Katsuki with Kirishima, Todoroki paired with Iida, Ojiro paired with Sero, and finally Kaminari was with Aoyama and Tokoyami. They all were in their UA gym uniform and stood ready in front of their mats thanks to the recovery period granted by their instructor.

"Quirks don't mean shit about becoming a hero, defending the innocent. You either risk your life to save someone or you don't, if you can't answer your conscience instantly when it's screaming out to you to save somebody then you're in the wrong profession. Anyone can save another person's life by knowing how to throw a punch at the right moment." His lament echoed throughout the room, striking a cord in most of them. Reminding them why.

"You're all tadpoles, defenseless and weak for now. The first step is getting rid of the mental blocks in your mind, and to do that you need to know what it's like to purposefully harm another human being. And after you finally can throw that punch without hesitation, you move onto the next stage." The man was eloquent when he wanted to be, the concept made him all the more scary.

"Tap out if you have to, if you're pinned you're pinned don't risk injury. We're going to be sparring for the rest of the period, get to it." The man left the teens on their own devices as he returned to his own mat, some of the students gave Izuku pitiful faces.

"AND DON'T FORGET TO STRETCH!"

"YES SIR!"

"CALL ME MASTER!"

"YES MASTER!"

---

"Poor Midoriya, he probably has to go against Mr. Iwao because of his mutations…" Setsuna ignored the muttering as she slipped off her shoes, stepping onto the far side of the mat.

"You know the rules right Yaomomo?"

"Yes I do- wait, what did you just call me?" The taller girl took a double take.

"Yaomomo, it's simple, short, and cute. It's just a nickname, a term of endearment Y'know? Don't think too hard about it." She babbled on, the other girl had a large sweatdrop on her forehead.

"Erm, alright then if you insist." She took her shoes off as well and tossed them to the side, she watched as the greenette girl got into a stance she'd never seen before. It looked unrefined.

"If I may ask, what martial art is that stance originally from?" Setsuna tilted her head slightly as she bobbed on the balls of her feet and threw out a few jabs.

"Pretty sure it's boxing, Izu taught me how to fight a few months back and this is the main stance he showed me. The internet was my best friend when I first started out." Yaoyorozu knew what boxing was, she'd never been able to observe it in person though. It originated from America, interesting. Mainly a punching focused martial art if she could recall properly.

"You ready?" The splitter quirk user asked, stretching.

"I am ready." Onyx eyes hardened, the taller girl put her left leg out in the direction of her opponent and her left palm extended to match, her palm held in the open as she partially extended her arm. Holding her right down low to the side, she bent her right knee low and finished her stance. It was a masterful process, one she'd practiced hundreds of times, elegant indeed.

"On the count of 3." Setsuna spoke, raising her brow a tad at the stance. After clenching her knuckles into the correct punching form so she didn't break them, a grin appeared across her face. She relaxed her muscles, making sure to keep them untensed until she needed them.

The raven haired girl whispered the mantra she'd repeated 100s of times, "Control your breath, control your opponent, misdirect their fist…"

Time seemed to slow as the splitter quirk user counted down, the calm and collected creation quirk user breathed with purpose. She trained for battle with many weapons thanks to her quirk, her battle prowess was something she prided herself on.

"3!"

The splitter quirk user's face hardened, the contours of her face becoming more rough as her body suddenly roared into activity. Muscles contracted in an instant as Setsuna's entire body roared, her lengthy lunges betraying her small size.

The raven haired girl widened her eyes, she was already being pushed back with the splitter quirk on her in the blink of an eye, arms raised in defense. It seemed all her training with Izuku was finally paying off, she felt confident. Setsuna controlled the pace of the fight thanks to her aggression, Yaoyorozu kept on the defense as she circled and strafed.

Setsuna shot out her left in a quick jab, keeping the raven haired girl pressured, she deflected it and tried a counter only for the smaller girl to block it with a protective stance. The shorter girl knew Yaoyorozu was using leverage to her advantage, she could keep a greater distance where she could attack and avoid counter attacks. It was a smart tactic considering their vastly different fighting philosophies, Setsuna preferred to be right up in the fight and thanks to her smaller stature she could stay there.

Setsuna upped her ferocity, getting close to the taller girl and weaving under a palm strike. She could tell the taller girl had lost her composure, her breathing was erratic and far less controlled from the start of the fight. The splitter quirk user smirked, her entire body tensing suddenly as all her muscles conjoined in one effort.

Her fist buried itself in the taller girl's gut, Yaoyorozu lost her composure entirely as she keeled over and instinctually guarded her stomach. The power in such a small frame shocked the eloquent female. Onyx orbs widened as she felt arms snake around her body and snap together like an iron trap, toned legs crushed against her sides and locked her in place before they both fell backwards onto the mat, the greenette had a dangerous smirk on her face.

After quickly realizing what happened, Yaoyorozu struggled viciously against the hold, waving her arms in an attempt to reach her opponent, she attempted to free herself by tugging at Setsuna's grip to no avail.

Setsuna performed a rear mount, there was little Yaoyorozu could do to escape at this point. "I've got your back Yaomomo, gonna tap out?" She grit her teeth, she was unprepared for this tactic.

"I will not give up so easily." She redoubled her efforts, the growls coming from the normally elegant creation quirk user shocking the surrounding students from their fights for a small moment.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." Her mind flashed back to the advice given by Master, toned arms quickly shifted. Yaoyorozu let out a choking sound as she pulled and pulled to no avail, her face going red while Setsuna tightened her chokehold.

It'd been 20 seconds already, the raven haired teen didn't know when to quit as her face went blue. "Just tap out already!" The words filtered through her rapidly draining consciousness, she was beaten.

Instantly they separated, the creation quirk user on her knees gasping for breath. Coughing violently, the girl groaned out.

Setsuna lost her smile, she wasn't all used to fighting someone other than Izuku who could easily take anything she could throw at him. He had to hold back in their spars or else. Still, she won.

A worried hand fell on the dark haired beauty, she was still coughing. "You ok?" Setsuna asked, her eyes softening.

Yaoyorozu stopped, her body shaking slightly. "I can't believe I lost so easily…" a whisper.

Setsuna sighed, "Don't get down about it, I ate the dirt a few times when Izuku went a little too hard sometimes, had to learn somehow." The girl whirled around suddenly, her face contorted in a frown.

"I wasn't equipped to fight you, that's clear to me now. Even with my three years of experience and practice, you totally overwhelmed me with your brawling capability…" Face shadowed, the eloquent girl let out a sad sigh.

"I was supposed to be strong, but all I've been doing is getting shown up…" Setsuna shook her head, she was used to succeeding in a controlled environment.

"Yaoymomo, we haven't even fought with our quirks yet. You don't need to be the best at everything, we all have long ways to go Y'know?" She tried to comfort her.

"Perhaps… But my parents would not perceive it that way." Setsuna knew what she meant now, having extremely high expectations placed upon you would destroy someone if they could not reach said expectations.

"You didn't do badly I'd say." That did little to improve her mood. "Come on we're rotating soon, don't wanna lose again do ya?" Her provocation worked, Yaoyorozu smiled, melancholic. "You still beat me on the quirk assessment test, don't forget that just because I folded you."

Yaoyorozu breathed in and shook her head, clearing her thoughts, "You're correct, we are all here to improve no? You are a good person, Setsuna. If a little provocative." Setsuna giggled, "Yeah."

"ROTATE."

15 minutes were left on the clock.

---

The angry blond sneered as his opponent congratulated him and left, even with a small bruise on his face. "Tsk."

Cracking his knuckles, the teen crossed his arms as everyone started rotating. Waiting for his next opponent, Katsuki began stamping his foot against the floor. Spikyhead had a good heart and tenacity but he was obviously new to fighting, the angry blonde wanted an actual opponent this time. One that could push him to his limits, not another faceless random who only wanted on his good side because he was strong.

Snapped from his musing, he saw a figure step up to the mat. His frown fell away into a small smirk, he began to laugh.

"If it isn't 4th place, glasses was too much for you eh?" No response, the explosive teen glared as the other boy looked clueless. Katsuki didn't like this prick from day one, what worth was beating him in the assessment if he was holding back?

"You think you're hot shit huh, I'll crush you for ignoring me. I'm the guy who'll wipe that clueless fucking expression from your face, get ready." The heterochromic teen barely narrowed his eyes, eliciting a dangerous chuckle from the other boy.

And thus, the scarred teens stood ready for battle. The period was almost over and the fact added even more tenacity between them, a bandaged snarling face against a frowning one as electricity seemed to jump between the two violently.

"I'll make that scar look like a fucking joke when I'm through with you!" He didn't bother with a countdown, the heterochromic teen's eyes widened before narrowing. His mouth quivered in anger as the explosive blond ferociously ran, the angry blonde had an impressive physical condition.

"So that got to you huh? Die!" He lunged, jetting into a flying knee. The bicolored teen leaned back with widened eyes, the knee flying right over his head. Red eyes glowed as Katsuki hovered above with a smirk, his bandaged face shadowed while a fist coiled into position. Like a well oiled machine, the enclosed palm rocketed down.

The blow knocked the bicolored teen back, staggering and nearly falling over as the. The light in his eyes remained, the typically calm and collected teen was breathing heavily with a red face. Restrained anger now in full force, Todoroki let himself become upset.

The heterochromic teen spit out blood and wiped his mouth, his glare followed the bandaged teen. Katsuki stepped back after that attack, a shit eating grin on his face. Rubbing his nose, the teen began a stance. His lower body was correct but he held his hands out to the side leaving his face completely defenseless, slightly jetting out his chin in a goading fashion.

"Cocky bastard…" The blonde chuckled darkly at the comment, "So you can talk!"

"Yeah and you talk too much!" The heterochromic teen clocked the other boy in the mouth, the fist drilling into his cheek after a full lunge.

Red eyes flashed in anger, "What was that weak shit!" A right hook was his response as he pushed back against the blow with furious energy, the heterochromic teen smirked.

"Bait." Red eyes widened.

Stepping to the side, Todoroki roughly gripped the protruding right arm stopping it's momentum. Katsuki tried to escape but Todoroki would have none of it, his leg sweeped through the shorter boy's stance.

Katsuki crashed against the floor, red eyes refocusing while air reentered his lungs. He barely rolled in time to escape the crashing fist as it impacted the mat below. Quickly snapping to his feet, Katsuki retreated like a feral animal afraid of death.

"So you have some fight in you, good." Katsuki stood up again, regaining his gangly stance. Standing low and nearly unbalanced, the position was a far cry from Todoroki. Leading with calm breaths and a dignified stance, heterochromic eyes still narrowed.

Katsuki lunged again, his strides uneven. He didn't telegraph anything but Todoroki could tell he was up to something. The heterochromic teen prepared his defense while his opponent approached from the left, his eyes blazing.

Katsuki bolted forth, his fist raised at the ready. He smirked when the dual colored boy raised his hands to the left, redirecting his energy he spun in place in a violently quick motion, an arm jetted out in a fist along the arc of his rotation.

Todoroki wasn't surprised, he ducked under the spinning fist and returned with a palm strike of his own. The blow knocked the now shocked teen off balance, his footwork slipping.

Todoroki narrowed his eyes as he followed his movement, his leg rocketing out in a violent side kick. His shoe impacted and knocked the explosive teen on his ass, he needed to continue his assault.

Too late, Katsuki performed a sweeping motion with his lower body before twirling onto his hands, the unusual defense pushed Todoroki back. Katsuki's legs raised into the air as he held up his body with only his forearms, a testament to his upper body strength.

"Where's your ferocity, I barely even felt that!"

---

"Beaten again trashbag." The two crumpled onto the floor.

The dark haired man sat on his lower back after taking him down once again, the greenette warbling pathetically from underneath the towering former pro. "Who trained you?" He asked, deflecting a half assed tail blow.

"Oh yeah, must've been a tough son of a bitch. You're talented, you have good reactions, strength, speed, and an understanding of the fundamentals for MMA, resurfaced a few years back after quirks were banned but still…" The older man watched as his students fought, their sloppy, childish, fearful fighting skills made his natural scowl deepen.

"You live in a different world from them for now, none of them realize it but you could easily kill any one of them in the blink of an eye. You could even kill me if I wasn't careful, but I've been doing this a whole lot longer than you have boy." Izuku laid on the floor, his eyes drooping from many quirkless losses.

"You're a beast in my eyes, a ticking time bomb. If I can't beat that out of you, then I'll die trying… Leviathan." The last part came out in a mere whisper as the man got up from his spot on the reptilian teen's back, the teen's eyes dilating for a small second as he stood up before turning back to normal. Izuku shook his head and groaned as the loud voice breached his hearing once more.

"Alright, show's over. You all got 5 minutes left so I'll let you off early for lasting longer than usual." His booming voice echoed across the gym, the eyes of sweating and unhinged teens showing relief.

The bandaged teen grunted and leered at the boy below him, "Get the fuck up." He helped, more like tore the taller teen from his downed position and onto his feet. Huffing, Katsuki left the heterochromic teen with a confused frown.

"Not bad…"

Even in just this short amount of time, these kids have already broken down so many walls. After the last few spars they seemed to have increased the intensity and lost their reservations to the tiniest bit, however Rome was not built in a day.

He addressed the exhausted teens, "Go shower and change. Good work today but your work is far from over. Expect things to get harder from here, today I let you off easy and gave you a small taste of what you'll face. Now get lost, ya rejects." And with that the man left to get more beer, robots quickly filtered into the room and folded the mats up once more before taking them away.

Setsuna had Uraraka resting on her shoulders for the second time, their spar was less of a fight and more of practice. The brunette female didn't land a single blow on Setsuna, her reflexes were simply too good for the relatively inexperienced girl.

"Hruf, Setsuna… did you really have to punch so hard…" She muttered from behind, the splitter quirk user scratched her head.

"Sorry Urara, I can get pretty lost in the moment. You definitely got better towards the end though, and should I call you a puppy? Or have you graduated from puppy to Chihuahua?" A small fist impacted, the brunette girl pouted.

"I'm not a puppy…"

"Then why are you acting like one? Could've fooled me, you're adorable."

"Darn..."

---

She arched as hot water went down her back, steam rising. Releasing a soft sigh, she relaxed against the stall. Her shower curtains untouched, giving sight of the entire room.

"Say, Yaomomo. Master was pretty tough on us huh?" She questioned, her eyes closed as she let out pleasurable hums.

The girl in the other stall took a moment, "Yes, he was rather tough on us… But I've known the difficulties in this institution have only raised in the past years, however to experience it first hand was… terrifying in all honesty."

A new voice sounded out in the stall to the left of Setsuna, "It was on another level, like I've never feared for my life until today. I'm just glad he's on our side… Also, you're really going to call him master outside of class? Setsuna?" She shrugged instinctually at Jirou's question.

"Might as well get used to it Y'know? Plus, he's more than earned that title in my eyes. If he can beat Izuku of all people, he has to be really powerful." Something popped in her mind suddenly.

"Oh right, what the hell happened to you during the start of class earlier? You both got tied up, a plan backfired?" She questioned the two directly next to her stall.

"Oh yeah, Yaomomo handed me the other side of the rope intending to catch him as he ran by really quickly. But like you saw, we got tied up and then everything became fuzzy after that." Setsuna giggled, her voice reverberating through the stall.

"Not my best plan… also you too Jirou?" She smiled behind the curtains at the nickname.

Setsuna started laughing at the concept, "Would've been funny if a former pro got bested by some rope of all things." A crash loudly sounded out suddenly, jolting the three from their laughter.

Setsuna whirled her head around and shut off her faucet, "The hell was that?" Yaoyorozu slightly opened her curtains at the comment, "I'm not quite sure?"

Exiting the stall, Setsuna quickly took the clothes from her locker and changed before making her way out of the female showers, several other 1A girls following her suit.

Loud voices could be heard as they exited the female locker room, "Jirou, can you listen in?" Setsuna barked out as crashing noises resounded from the boy's locker room, the ear Jack quirk user nodding and shoving her quirk into the wall. Listening intently, her eyes narrowed periodically.

Dark eyes widened, "Shit! move, somethings coming!" The exclamation caused a commotion as the girls quickly ducked away from the door, what sounded like yelling coming closer and closer.

Silence, the ruckus stopping for a moment.

BANG

The door snapped open, a figure rocketed out from it and slammed against the wall with a loud crash reverberating across the hall. The figure had no time to breath as clawed hands encroached around his face, eyes vibrating intensely as he grabbed onto the scaled arm and squeezed, his hand began smoking against grey skin.

Katsuki looked on for the first time in fear as two plumes of smoke rised from the predator's mouth, crimson orange eyes burning through the fumes as his bone white fangs bore straight at the bandaged teen and glistened. The shirtless form of Izuku growled as he tightened his grip, gray skin rippling with muscle while he held the explosive teen off the ground and coiled a fist behind.

Before he could do anything, a bulging arm from Sato held his fist back in place while Shoji wrapped all 6 arms of his around the predator's frame, barely managing to pull him back with the combination of both their quirks. The girls looked on in shock, Setsuna frowning at the display as she prepared to intervene.

"Calm down man! It aint worth it!" The vibrating form of the predator growled at the downed form as the two teens held his wrath back. Katsuki snarled while regaining his typical bravado, arms cackling with orange lightning, "You want to fucking fight now Deku? What happened to kneeling on the fucking floor?" A small explosion seared the air, casting a dark shadow across the hall.

"My quirk can easily kill you, don't forget that you bastard." His snarl sounded out with as much venom he could summon, growling in return the reptilian teen slightly relaxed his own power. The still struggling teens laxing their grip on his body, his strength dwindling.

"Wow, Bakugo really got Midoriya upset, I wonder why ribbit." Tsuyu questioned, her nonchalant attitude slightly jarring.

Mina had a grimace on her face, "Never seen Midori angry before, he really is a silent badass huh…" She recalled their first conversation, he seemed like a different person now with those burning orange eyes and rageful expressions.

Their attention snapped back to the group of boys when the predator broke from the hold suddenly, bated breaths were held in as the group of 1A students watched. A burning glare stopped on the now smirking explosive teen, Izuku's tail swaying erratically as he walked with a furious gait. Katsuki slowly raised his narrowed eyes as the predator stared straight down at him, steam coming from his nostrils in a huff.

"Go on, give me a reason to smear your scaly ass all across this hall…" Nobody moved, the tense silence only being alleviated by heavy breaths.

The orange eyed teen huffed one last time, his eyes looking straight as he brushed past the shorter teen. "Tsk"

Setsuna looked up at him worriedly as he approached, reaching out for his arm the reptilian teen simply trudged past while looking straight ahead. Setsuna frowned before a nasty sneer appeared across her face, what did Bakugo do? Green eyes whirled on the explosive teen, her intense glare striking him.

She raised a finger as she quickly strode over to the group of boys, "What did you do this time sparky, huh? Starting to think you're obsessed with him with how much you wanna start shit." The boy grunted.

"Go off, It's none of your damn business seaweed head." The comment was funny earlier, now it was pissing her off. She controlled her emotions even so, her toothy snarl falling away to a frown.

"Keep barking Bakugo, you're not going to keep up this act after you bark up the wrong tree one too many times." He let out a dark chuckle, orange lightning darkening the hall.

"Is that a challenge?" Several pops of an explosion sounded out.

"It's a promise."

---

Katsuki grunted as the girl walked away, her frown not leaving her body as she chased after the reptilian teen.

"Not cool…"

He caught the glances on him, "Huh? What are you losers looking at, buzz off." Shoving his hands in his pockets, he walked off. Not noticing the small footsteps following him, a hand on his shoulder stopped him in his tracks.

"Hey man; you ok? That impact looked pretty rough." Most of his frustration had been vented out thanks to the classes today. The explosive teen sighed he wouldn't give it up would he?

"Spiky hair, I don't want or need your fucking pity. Keep touching the stove and you get burnt, fucking idiot." His words lacked his usual venom before he made off for the exit yet again.

The red haired teen laughed, "Whatever you say man."

"Tsk."

It doesn't matter, none of them matter. Hate him, despise him, he would not change his goal or his methods.

Suddenly, all their phones vibrated.

---

Setsuna came to a stop as her phone vibrated violently, her eyes widening as the live video footage began playing after she opened the device.

"What the hell is that!"

---

In a moment that happened too quickly, the world was attacked yet again. The tensions of their mortal coils being quickly forgotten...

---

"Dear God! Folks this is Harry B. Beckett on the scene of an… Absolutely gigantic villain attack, it seems the local quirk militia groups have already begun their defense… Oh dear lord it's coming this way, RUN Mike we need to get the hell out of here! Run goddamnit! It's a disaster, buildings are falling oh my lord what a travesty."

"Oh heavenly father, I've sinned many in this life time but if you're hearing this, know I've accepted your Son as my saviour… Wait, the monster that I can only describe as a gigantic 100 foot tall praying Mantis… it's stopped…"

"Dear God… is that really her? Ladies and gentleman I fear my prayer was for not, Mike get the hell over here. We're saved!"

"It's Miss Wonder! I can see her in all her glory atop the building over there, the number 4 hero is here to save us! God has answered my prayers!"

"She's speaking, I can't hear her but I know what she says… She is here now, Mike keep your camera steady, she's about to jump!"

"The beast has fallen! Miss Wonder defeated it in one hit! Truly a blessed American woman right there huh Mike? Mike?"

"Let's go! Early bird gets the worm I always say."

"There she is, her heavenly golden blond hair blowing in the wind as she descends like an angel, truly All Might's successor right there! Mike, are you capturing all this?"

"No need to fear, why?"

"Because I am here!"

"It's a good thing I was nearby in California, I'm used to Texas handling itself pretty well but I'm always happy to help. Glad to see you citizens are ok, I've already done my best to evacuate everyone in the immediate vicinity before I revealed myself to the big monster but I'll do my second round with just as much tenacity."

"Get the hell out of my way! QNN news! Out of the way!"

"Miss Wonder! What can you tell us about the beast you've defeated, certainly a rampaging quirk user?"

"Ah hello again Harry, you seem to be a magnet for trouble huh? To answer your question... I am unable to at this time. Typically transformation quirk users revert back after being defeated…"

Click.

Clasping his hands, Izuku had immense sweat on his brow. Breaking news broke out on the TV screen suddenly, he couldn't understand English but the video footage was enough. His senses going haywire a few minutes prior, now mute. He felt a presence across the globe, a threat. It was quickly defeated by a powerful hero, yet the view of a beast like that sent his instincts into overdrive.

He'd made his way to their dorms quickly after leaving the locker rooms, his anger quickly falling away in his lonesome. Sitting still, he silently contemplated these odd instincts. Not even noticing the ruckus as class 1A students filtered back into the room, his eyes steady on the floor. What was happening? Ever since the locker rooms he'd felt a shift in his senses that enhanced his aggression, and now he knew why. He didn't like to be the aggressor in a situation, yet there he was… something was happening that he couldn't quite place.

Most of the class gave the orange eyed teen space after his sudden anger, the confrontation in the locker room falling to distant memory as the monster attack plagued the minds of everyone around him. Half an hour passed before they heard anything from a government official, the sudden event must've been noticed by governments across the globe.

"Turn the TV on!" Izuku followed the command, quickly breaking from his concentrated trance.

"Hello citizens, this is your Prime Minister Yokusei Tochi. Before we begin, let's pay our regards to the fallen in the recent monster attack." A silence sounded out, orange eyes widened at the terminology used…

Monster

"Yes, Indeed I did say monster. Our worst fears have come to pass, many thought the Kaiju shelters proposed by the board were unnecessary, but now it's become even more evident…"

"Monsters are real."

"Humanity has been attacked once again. In a faint reminder of the tragedy we all faced as a nation many years ago, another giant creature has suddenly appeared and left destruction in its wake, the attack leaving many of us in a state of remembrance... While we discern the nature of the now defeated creature we urge you to follow the news, keep updated. Whether the next attack happens in 10 years or tomorrow, it is certain that monsters beyond our quirked society do exist out there."

"I say this, but you must trust your government and it's heroes to do what is best. Do not panic, do not fear. We will defend against these attacks no matter what, we are all here to defend you. We have already proposed a bill to increase the hero budget by 15%, and to increase the Kaiju disaster prevention budget by 500%. If attacks like this increase, we'll be worrying about more than your average criminal… but our scientists are working hard to find a pattern, to predict and maintain the safety of our shores."

"Please, remain calm, civil, we are strong united! We will survive! And if push comes to shove, we will fight! This has been Yokusei Tochi, your Prime Minister. I stand with you, Japan, always."

The program reverted back as silence filled the room for a small moment, the announcement was nothing small to digest. The orange eyed teen regained his thoughtful expression, something was wrong… his usually immensely tiny pitch dark void of a pupil dilated, the concerned gaze of his mate and lover pinpointing on his empty face as he sat there perturbed.

Many of the students went back to what they were doing before, this was no incident G event and while the words spoken resonated well enough. Hardly any of the 1A students could tell what it really meant, Izuku was among them.

An odd feeling resurfaced, Deja Vu was it?

She tugged at his arm to no response, the boy had been acting oddly all day. "Izuku? You're freaking me out right now…"

The chattering of the many 1A students around him filtered out in blind noise, his heart thumping against his rib cage. The only way he could describe this feeling was a much muter form of the resolve he felt during the final portion of the entrance exam. This nuanced feeling was familiar yet… unknown. A foreboding, an ancient purpose.

They're here…

---

It seemed suddenly, people were reminded of the very catastrophe that rocked the world those few years ago. The second attack was for many a sign of a stronger world, however with it came a revelation… A transformation quirk user suddenly reverted back to a human form after being defeated, the creature that attacked was very much a living gigantic insectoid who died as a living gigantic insectoid.

The world recovered much quicker from this attack, the destruction not only being far less but this time the beast was defeated rather easily, a far cry from the G Incident. The US took the attack in stride, only 30 lives were lost that day but over 500 were injured. Many nations prepared for more attacks as tensions over the existence of monsters grew, footage from this new encounter was fresh and plentiful. Videos quickly accrued millions of views on HeroTube as news stations and public speakers spoke their minds on the topic, debate raged as to the ramifications and to the the world was shaken but like a muscle that's been torn and healed, it was far more prepared this time around. Dubbed Kamacuras, the beast was a sign to many of the times to come, and yet...

Life does indeed go on, UA students had no time to lag behind on their studies. But they were mistaken to think that the far away concept of monsters would not be knocking at their door soon enough.

---

World history:

"If you open to page 68 right 'ere, y'all will find chapter 3. Yaoyorozu, wouldja kindly read the first paragraph for me." The figures muffled odd Japanese drawl slipped from his mask, a revolver sitting snug at his hip.

"Gladly, Snipe Sensei." She quickly placed her finger on the text, her reading glasses giving her a stereotypical look.

"In 2020 after quirks first manifested in America, many citizens' militias formed around the notion that quirks were an extension of their second amendment rights and were not to be controlled or infringed by a state. The overwhelming tensions between the federal government and now quirked societies eventually boiled over in 2037 when the first quirked revolution began in America, or better known as the first quirked civil war, which only lasted a few days." She turned the page, catching her breath.

"The quirked citizen forces quickly invaded the capital and after meeting immense resistance, the revolutionaries threatened complete nuclear annihilation with the self imposed Martyr, Xander Crossed. The young teen had a power that allowed him to split the atom at a whim and was pivotal to the success of the quirked revolutionaries, the power was a suicide pact but was never activated. Luckily, the federal reserve surrendered and America was reborn anew with the emphasis on "true freedom." Now a decentralized state, what little is left of the Federal government is fully transfixed on the Military. Quirk laws and customs are all dictated at a local level, the capital of America relocated to Dallas Texas after the swift defeat of Federal forces and the taking of Washington D.C." She took a breath after finishing and began to write down on a piece of paper. The spew of info being regurgitated into notes, writing noises littered the classroom.

"Ver' good, now if someone would kindly point out-"

A loud beeping sound originated at his side and interrupted his lesson, the man took out a circular device and put it in his ear.

"Nezu sir?"

"Yes, I'm on m'way." The man pocketed the device and made his way to the door, the confused students of class 1A sported question marks over their heads.

The gunslinger addressed the class, his muffled voice carrying weight. "Stay 'ere, Nezu callin an emergency meeting on us teachers so I migh' be gone the rest of the period." The cloaked man quickly left the room, conversation instantly broke out.

Mina leaned back in her chair, causing Tsuyu to hold it up with an unamused expression. "Finally! Mr. Snipe really has an America fetish huh?" She giggled at her own remark.

"I wonder if I could see a real cowboy if I went to America…"

Setsuna shook her head, smirking as the explosive teen two seats in front of her began to grind his teeth at the "annoying losers."

She propped up her face, "Hey. Goji." The reptilian teen snapped up from his notebook, his attention shifted to the girl behind him as he dipped backwards.

She giggled at his upside down expression before becoming more worried, "Hey, you feeling alright?" An upside down nod, Izuku seemed to relax since yesterday. Normally he wasn't so easily set off to that extent, at least until she came into the mix…

"You looked pretty out of it… wanna talk about it while we have free time?" He thought about it for a second, sitting upright once more.

Worried

"About what the old fart said? Don't bother with that, they've been trying to make "Kaiju shelters" a thing for years, just because suddenly another attack happens after over a decade does not mean much, Y'know?" He shrugged.

Worried

A sigh, "Just don't let it mess with you too much, ok babe?" An idea popped in her head suddenly as he returned to his writings.

The green haired girl focused on her hand, the appendage falling apart into little pieces she now dubbed "her scales". The scales orbited the largest one at the center, the splitter quirk user grit her teeth as he concentrated.

Slowly but surely, her scales coalesced together and formed a hand. She waved it around a few times as it moved separately from her body, it slightly odd moving herself and another piece independently.

Setsuna smirked as she slowly floated her left hand over the boy's head, eliciting a few giggles. The teen didn't bother looking up as he wrote in the journal, his eyes narrowed and face concentrated.

Suddenly a hand fell on the middle of his paper, interrupting his sketch as he looked on with a raised brow. Poking the hand with his pencil, the appendage suddenly came to life. He'd recognized it instantly, his throat rumbled softly as the hand did a few little dances on his desk.

Taking the detached hand in his own, he interlocked his fingers with it.

Maybe today wouldn't be so bad after all.

---

"Hey look at this." Setsuna held out her phone in front of his face which was currently stuffed with rice and chicken.

The device showed an aerial view video of the attack yesterday, the giant insectoid seemed to come from the ground below if the large crumbling cavern behind it was anything to go by. It's awakening shot up dust, and it's cries were alien.

"Look closely, he's not hitting those buildings on purpose."

The insectoid was alien, not quite emotive. But Setsuna was onto something, it seemed the creature was mindlessly walking through the city causing rapid destruction in order to… find something?

"Weird right? When you see it lifting up a building and then setting it back down, you can tell it's trying to find something. My question is, what? It all happened so suddenly, and we have no word on this from the old fart yet. He just gave us that typical speech and said "We'll handle it"." The girl sighed and began digging into her bento, her chattering not going unnoticed.

"What's it really matter though, Sets? Either way we are at UA high right? Safest place in the country with all these wicked strong pro heroes." Mina sat at the other side of the green haired girl, their energies bounced off each other naturally.

"Not about safety my pink friend, I'm the type of girl who wants to know things even when it's none of my business. But this? It's the world's business." She postulated.

"I guess, but ignorance is bliss my dad always says!" Setsuna slightly rolled her eyes.

"Anywho, Bakugo really is a jerk huh? I thought he could've just had an off day before but after hearing what he said about you, he really is just a prick." The pink haired girl grumbled, the mention of Katsuki got Izuku's attention.

"What did he say?" Setsuna idly flipped her chopsticks at the question.

"He was trying to provoke Midori here, calling you all sorts of horrible names." The splitter quirk user nodded as her suspicions were confirmed, typically Izuku had a good time with holding back his anger. But recently it's spiked up, and a part of her knew it wasn't just because of the new environment and because someone dragged her name through the mud.

The blonde teen walked past, his eyes narrowed and the usual frown present on his face. The table was silent as he walked past with his own bento in hand, grimacing.

---

"Hate me all you like… it only makes me stronger." The explosive blonde muttered to himself as he left the main eating hall.

Finally, peace and quiet. Now at the roof of the school, Katsuki finally let the tensions seep from his body. The locked door gave him the comfort of being totally alone, he slowly took off his bandages and settled into an atypically relaxed position. He breathed in heavily, and then slowly exhaled.

He could still hear their screams.

The explosive teen breathed in roughly, his eyes furrowing slightly before laxing once again, this calmness was paradoxical to any outsider. The teen was so entrapped in his meditation that he failed to notice the soft click of a lock being turnt.

Katsuki knew that this was the only time he could really be at peace, the somber quiet to blanket his thoughts, his empty mind subjugating all his rage. The explosion quirk user remembered what his therapist showed him, taught him to do…

Empty your mind… he focused on the wind against his scarred skin, a rare feeling for him.

Slowly, his eyes fluttered back open. Light reentering his retina as he adjusted, rather than the empty space of the rooftops, his vision filled with the image of an…

Angel?

His eyes settled on a girl with odd vine-like hair, her dark green orbs piercing through his as she gazed into his soul, on her knees her head was level with his. She wore the UA uniform and had a mute expression on her face, slightly melancholic. She was an above average height girl, and had a gentle aura around her…

Not that Katsuki could notice.

"Ah, what the hell?" His eyes widened, the Bento flying into the air as he jumped backwards suddenly. The girl betrayed no emotion.

"Ah… Your food." He ignored the comment.

"H-how in the hell did you get up here?" He sputtered, still shocked by the sudden appearance of this stranger as he stood defensively.

"The door."

"The fuck? I locked that shit."

"Indeed."

Red eyes trailed to the bandages at her feet, his heart stopped for a small second as he realized...

"Oh fuck…" He began trembling, backing away as the girl started towards him.

"Don't fucking look at me you bitch, stay away!" His desperate yells did not faze her, Katsuki desperately attempted to hide his face and curled into himself.

She stopped with her bento still in her hand and sat down softly and quietly. Puttingher hands together for a small moment, the vine haired girl muttered something he couldn't hear with her eyes shut, what the fuck?

Katsuki looked on in trepidation, what the hell was going on? Suddenly the girl opened her eyes, her hands falling back to the bento. Making eye contact with him, she pulled a piece of bread from her bento before splitting it into two pieces, one large and one small.

She held out the large one towards him, the bread looked home made and had a golden coat. Likely a personal baking recipe, his mouth almost watered.

He huffed, his body language displaying slight aggravation and trepidation as he sat back down and grumbled. Glaring at the offering, Katsuki sneered and glanced off into the distance.

"You were calm before I arrived, does my presence unsettle you?" The girl had softer than soft eyes, like a person who'd rather die than harm another.

"Fuck no…"

"Then, I ask you why you refuse my offering of food?"

"I'm not weak."

"So then why do you fear my gaze then? And that did not answer my question..."

He snarled, "Fuck you, I don't fear anything. I…" He trailed off, the vine haired girl made a soft smile, utterly unfazed by harsh language.

"Admittedly, I came up here for peace and quiet myself. But, I was not expecting to see you here, dear brother." He furrowed his brow in confusion, did she have a screw loose?

She changed the topic, "Ah, you think your scar is unsightly then? I've seen much worse at our Chapel, you haven't much to worry about dear brother." She smiled kindly, her voice quiet and soft. Obviously some religious nutjob.

"Shut up, you have no idea what you're talking about." He was tired of people acting like they knew him, who he was and what he wanted to accomplish.

"Oh, then you fear what it represents then?" His eyes widened before narrowing, they sat in silence for a few moments more. The devout girl ate softly and quietly, she did not fear his gaze or his demeanour in the slightest. Even smiling at him, as if she was an old friend.

Putting a handkerchief down, she spoke again. "My brother, why have you come to the roof during this fine lunch period, if I may ask?" Katuski snorted, his face contorting into a smirk.

"Why does anyone? To escape from dorks who just can't keep their fucking mouths shut." Cursing mindlessly, the brooding teen carried on with his nasty snarl.

"I see, we are similar then are we not?" Tsk.

"You're crazy vine head, absolutely fucking bonkers." She giggled.

"Perhaps I am, but then again are we all not crazy? We picked the hero course after all, it's a fair assumption." He actually chuckled at that, not sarcastically.

"You have a nice laugh, dear brother… it is a shame you have such sorrow in your heart…" His mood relapsed, stomach rumbling as he sat in silence. A sigh sounded out.

"You've taken good care of your scar, I'm glad. Many of the homeless men, women and children who find sanctuary in our Chapel… they do not have the same luxury…" A sad tone filled her angelic and soft voice, her eyes slightly watering. Katsuki felt a tug at his darkened heart, almost inexplicably.

"I-" His heart clenched to an indefinite degree, as if it took all his will to commit to the utterance.

"I'm sorry…" His voice softened to a whisper, his eyes shutting tightly as if he feared the very words he spoke.

"It's quite alright, you remind me much of the many boys who I've taken care of when they seek shelter. And I apologize if I've caused offense to you, dear brother." Katsuki grunted, becoming more comfortable.

"Don't fucking worry about it…"

She smiled that soft smile at him, a smile lacking any judgment or malice. Her eyes didn't shy away from his disfigured burn scarring, she spoke to him… Like a normal human being.

"Would you like bread now?" He contemplated as she held out the large loaf again, his stomach grumbling. Katsuki nodded slowly.

"Wonderful." She seemed elated as her eyes shut softly, her heavenly smile brought an unknown joy.

Slowly holding it out, the red eyed teen timidly shot out his right to meet her. The vined haired girl gasped softly as he tore the bread from her hands and began devouring it with tenacity, her soft giggles echoing in the background.

After finishing, the explosive blonde grumbled. His eyes darted over the place before shutting suddenly, "thank you." He barely managed, his red eyes filled with emotion other than anger for once.

"You're welcome, dear brother." The teen huffed a little, his head shaking.

"Stop with that shit, the name's Bakugo Katsuki! Don't forget it." A cocky smile dawned on his face, she didn't seem off put by it.

"Alright then, dear Bakugo." A tick appeared on his forehead.

"How the fuck can you be so calm? Dontcha know who I am?" More so, what he is.

She chuckled, seemingly at his naivety. "Dear Bakugo, I'm taught to love everyone. I do not hate the sinner, I hate the sin." Her words flowed out like honey, even more calming than his therapist.

"Hmph." He looked away.

They sat there in silence for a few moments more, his mouth could still taste the confectionery bread. Red orbs drilled holes in the vine haired girl, not able to comprehend how she could just… Exist so seemingly, easily. Truly content, nothing to worry for.

She caught him staring, her bright smile causing him to flush with shame. The vine haired girl had total control over her emotions, even his vehement curses and insults could do nothing. How? How was it possible?

"Bakugo, I am Shiozaki Ibara… may I see your hands?" His eyes widened as he noticed, the now named Shiozaki sat right in front of him with their knees touching.

"What the fuck? Why would you need to see my hands, you weird or something?" His defenses kicked in, but she didn't relent.

"I'd just like to see how damaged they are, dear Bakugo." Her soft voice calmed him, damaged?

He hardly noticed, but his forearms and hands were badly scarred from the constant training he'd put himself through in private. Burns, scratches, calluses, they all littered his arms… some of it wasn't self inflicted, but he'd never let anyone know that…

He quivered his lip almost angrily before sighing with narrowed eyes, "Sure whatever, fuckin weirdo." Extending an arm, he flinched when Shiozaki angled them flat.

She smiled before taking his palm in her own,rough skin and burn marks littered his hand and arms. Her expression became more solemn as she closely inspected, like a caring maid. He was an odd contrast to her pale as snow complexion, spotless with blemishes as much as he was spotted with blemishes.

Her face scrunched up, "Oh dear, you've suffered much haven't you?" Katsuki reddened in anger, ripping his hands back from her soft grasp. His eyes narrowed.

"I don't need your pity." Venom seemed to spew from his mouth, his eyes losing their intensity as shame coursed through his body once more. He noticed a very crucial detail.

Tears. She was crying for him.

Katsuki furrowed his brow and blinked quickly, sitting awkwardly as the kind girl softly wept over nothing… he looked around, not knowing what to do or say. She only wept for a small moment before sniffling, her face was pale…

"Why?" It was the only thing he could say, her eyes suddenly refocused at his question.

"My apologies, I just… I felt as if I could feel your own suffering for a moment there, I promise you no pity dear Bakugo…" Hmph.

"Dumbass, who just cries in front of another person like that? Weakling." He scoffed, even if on the inside some deep part of him was touched…

"Silly boy, it takes strength to show your tears. Not weakness." The boy scrunched up his face in disbelief.

"Who's stronger? The boy who is afraid of crying in front of others, or the boy who couldn't care less?" His brows furrowed at the question.

"Whatever."

They sat in silence for a bit longer, she shared another bit of food with him which he accepted after minor coercion. They didn't have much time left it seemed, the passing period bell blared across the campus and signaled the end of this… Interaction.

Dusting herself off, the devotee made a small prayer once more before making her way towards the entrance. The explosive teen watched as she took her leave, his arms shaking as he grit his teeth and his mouth opened and closed without making a sound. The devotee stopped suddenly, as if waiting for something.

He steeled his resignation, "Will I see you again?" He whispered out, his voice raspy from constant yelling.

"That's up to you, dear Bakugo." She turned to smile at him before leaving, the door shut and her image was gone from his sight. The wind sounded out softly across the roof in his now lonesome and flowed through his clothing, he didn't expect this turn of events.

He sighed and fell on his back, the mental toll this short interaction took on him... It made no sense, how could she just… ignore his defenses so easily? Nothing made sense anymore.

Laying on his back, Katsuki rubbed his face and sighed. "What the fuck am I doing…"

He could make it, they had a 5 minute passing period. The blonde teen just wanted to sit back for a moment.

---

He began to wrap his bandages around his head once again as he prepared to take on his winning mindset once more, his confident smirk returned once more before he leapt off the building into a thrilling free fall.

Now? It was time to do battle.

---

Guest(1): Heh, when I was writing the first chapter it was initially just to have Godzilla fuck up everything, I then got a spark of creative genius(?). I'm not trying for an angst fest ngl, I just want to do some cool shit. Tbh the MHA world is mostly tame to some worlds out there, and my conflict will be man vs self and man vs society for a lot of the time. Anyways, thanks for the review.

Saramus92: Well not only did I want to get the obvious out of the way with her advanced hearing quickly, but I wanted to give a taste of how people would react to Izuku being the dubbed leviathan. Especially people who were affected by the attack, which vary depending on location. The worst off was easily Bakugo seein as canonically he lives extremely close to Izuku and thus ground zero. Glad you enjoyed it, and trust me when I say I'm gonna try my best to do something cool with this world concept.

MagicBananas223: I thought to myself "Wait, Jirou has enhanced hearing, she could theoretically listen in on their convo." And wrote it out, I plan to involve a lot of class 1A in this story because it is NOT going to be a personal small scale adventure my friend. It takes time, you have to understand that I put the death toll of his attack (from chapter 2) so high because it reflects how many lives would be lost if say a 15 megaton bomb dropped on a densely populated city like Musustafu. Not only that, but to make the impact of the revelation that much greater. It's like having a living nuclear bomb, obvious tact is needed to handle it. And people won't be so forgiving, or trusting. Izuku fundamentally is a good person, but he's been chosen to bear the weight of countless deaths, that's how I think about it.

Tetsutetsu Will be prominent, just not yet. I teased him in the practical scoring, he is important to my story as the first real antagonist and he is strong as fuck (if you've read the manga). Remember this though, it has been 6 months since he and Izuku fought.

Ranger McAleer: :)

fishlord17: yessir, DMC too. It has to be this way is better imo as well but it's more specific than rules of Nature which can be basically played over any fight. I play bury the light Devil never cry and we shall never surrender all the time, and when I'm brainstorming (particularly about Katsuki) I like to use Devil trigger (valiant hearts cover) because I think it fits his character perfectly (in this story)

Yes, finally we are getting there at almost 100k words (holy shit) to the point where I'll be actually starting the damn plot. The quirk test was a quick write for me, didn't want it to take up too much time besides display the main 3 game changers (setsuna izuku and Katsuki) and what level they are at now. Love subplots, see I have the opportunity to make subplots that weren't possible before thanks to the new background. Really excited

High praise, damn. Love that story and hearing you compare it to my own is just… damn. I'm not trying to throw everything I have at the reader just yet, If I revealed everything the entire chapter would just be exposition. The M-rating will become more prominent soon. Glad you agree with how I handled that, Todoroki had absolutely no business getting a free pass like that imo. I plan on doing things with all the characters, so Todoroki will definitely get his limelight.

Well she is insecure in canon, I feel getting last place would make it all the more great. She lost her mother, how she lost her I won't reveal yet but it is solvable I promise. Like Tokoyami Jirou lives In Shiuzoka (Musustafu is in shiuzoka), so she's a prime candidate. Bakugo definitely hasn't come away unscathed mentally, but he is fundamentally dead set on his goals. His characterization is a little different from canon, his superiority complex is taken down a knoch… but he still has the same overall personality.

Control, restraint, moderation. These things I've all had issues with my entire life, only until recently have I learned to be in control of my own impulses. I'm glad you enjoy the themes, you'll see more and more as time goes on.

Honestly I'm just hoping it pays off, "Dream sequences" are cliche after all. Hawks? Close but no cigar, Hawks may have the splitting aspect but his casual ease with fighting is far different. I enjoy essays actually, It just adds a lot to the word count which is kinda misleading but at the end of the day I still write huge chapters. Catch ya next time, great review as always.

Onto the rant:

End, you have gotten your first taste of someone from class 1B. How good was it? How bad? Does it make sense? Feedback yo.

Yeah… Knuckleduster? He's brutal. But the thing is, so was All Might when he beat down Izuku and Katsuki, this is just much much earlier before any villain attacks. The USJ jump started the process to remove hesitation and inaction, one of the reasons 1A was mainly present during the sports festival. However thanks to the increased crime rate and danger, they aren't pussyfooting with it in the actual classes now. I'm changing the schedule around a little to fit in this new class (if you thought quirk laws in canon were strict…), hope you enjoyed 1A getting beat up on their second day. Sorta like how Mirio did it but even more one sided.

I really had Setsuna put fucking Knuckleduster into a triangle choke, lol. God I love writing fight scenes. Anyone here watch Hajime no Ippo? If you want to picture what I meant by "slip" when Izuku dodged KD's punch, imagine takamura vs Hawk when he slipped his face off the blood when Hawk was about to KO, that's sort of what I was going for if anyone was confused on how Izuku dodged the punch.

Also, I'd like to clarify what I mean by buff. I said in a previous chapter that I plan on buffing most of class 1A, but that was poorly worded. I plan on buffing their mindset, and their fighting styles. Because I see massive potential for more unique fighting styles and applications of their powers, while still leaving room for growth. I don't want to give meaningless power boosts off the drop of a hat, you have to have build up. And a lot of power boosts in my hero are simply mentality changes, we'll see.

This has been your first taste of another monster appearing, and who is 'they'? You won't expect it, but that 'they' is plural.

I'm taking some creative liberties with America, we don't really know much about it in the main timeline of My hero. It's the heart of heroism in my hero after all, EXPAND. I want to make a unique take on America, contrasting it with Japanese society.

Bakugo becoming 'friends' with Ibara? What the hell????? Yeah I kinda couldn't believe it when it first popped into my head, but realized it sounded so compelling to me. Also, just because two people of the opposite sex interact doesn't mean romance. Not in my story anyways, I just like the dynamic between Bakugo (rough, loud, angry, fast moving) versus Ibara (Soft, quiet, peaceful, and hardly moves during fights.) It's kinda an odd concept? They really have never interacted once, but this gives me the opportunity to flesh out the only Christian character into something more than a zealot. As a Christian myself It's kinda disheartening to see how she's portrayed sometimes.

Finally, end rant. If you can't tell I'm being experimental, I dont know if these rant pages are really needed but I feel compelled to share my mentality after every chapter. Next chapters is the 1Q vs 1A battle training arc. Tell me if I'm doing too much too fast, later nerds.