A/N

Wow. I can't believe it. This fanfic is now over a year old. This fanfic gained way more attention than I thought it would, and I have nothing but gratitude to those who have stuck around and will continue to stick around even after this fic finishes. Yet again, thank you. Until next time!

…

"Everyone, check this out!" Kirishima shouted to 1-A. The class turned in his direction to see what he was talking about. "I found some footage of the All Might fight if you guys want to see it." After hearing this, most of the class huddled behind the red-haired student in curiosity.

"I don't think that it's a very good idea to watch this video," Momo stated to the class. "Not only do I feel like we aren't ready for it, but Aizawa Sensei could come in at any minute to make sure we're sleeping."

"Normally as Class President, I would agree with you, Yaoyorozu," Iida exclaimed, chopping his hands. "But I think this would be a perfect learning opportunity for the class. If what Aizawa Sensei told us is true, seeing Midoriya save the day could help ease the stress some of us might be feeling."

The elegant girl let out a sigh before joining the crowd. "I guess it couldn't hurt."

"Besides, the video is only eight minutes long," Kirishima pointed out. "Aizawa won't be checking in for another half-hour."

"Then what are we waiting for?!" an eager Kaminari called out. "Let's check this vid out!"

Kirishima tapped the play button and the video began, starting at the point when Izuku appeared.

"Look, everyone!" The news reported shouted, trying to speak louder than the helicopter blades. "We, at your local news station, have located the bout between All Might and the villain leader. We don't know what will happen when these two trade blows; however, we will do our best to continue to broadcast this fight in high quality."

The video continued, and the class watched as a controlled Izuku attacked All Might. There was a momentary pause in combat as the two titans exchanged words. The camera didn't pick up any of the conversation, but All Might quickly dashed around Izuku and tried to land a strike on All For One. Most of the class let out a gasp as the green-haired teenager took the brunt force of the attack that would've hit the supervillain.

"Absolutely disgusting," Todoroki muttered. "He's mind controlling Midoriya to completely keep the tide of the battle in his favor."

Kirishima paused the video, curious about what the half-and-half user could be implying. "I don't understand though. From what I read, the other League members were there during the beginning of the attack. Why would he use Midoriya when he could've used stronger members already working for him?"

"I'm not exactly sure, but we could probably guess using very simple reasoning. Mainly, it keeps All Might from going all out. If an innocent person is being used against him, especially someone who he knows, he'll hold back. And if this villain guy is as strong as he is smart, holding back would most likely ensure death."

"I guess that makes sense," the red-haired student pondered, rubbing his chin with two fingers. "Ok! Back to the video!"

The video was un-paused and the class returned their attention back to it, watching All Might smash the villain into the ground. The two exchanged blows again, allowing Izuku to take advantage. He blasted a concentrated beam into the Symbol of Peace's gut, sending him into a nearby building. After bursting from the rubble to attack yet again, a yellow flash appeared in the video to aid All Might.

"What the?" Kaminari muttered, slightly confused. "Anyone know who that guy is?"

"I remember him," Todoroki simply responded.

"Great. Something else you know that we don't…"

"His name is Gran Torino. According to my father, he's a veteran pro hero who disappeared off the grid for a while. He reappeared in Hosu City to help us fight off the Nomu that appeared. He even shot off after Midoriya after a…Nomu…"

"Something wrong, Todoroki?" Momo questioned. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"DAMN IT!" The half-and-half user shouted, flames flickering from his left side. "How could I have been so stupid?!"

"What exactly do you mean?"

"Near the end of the attack on Hosu, Midoriya was attacked by a Nomu that specifically targeted him. It grabbed him by his shoulders and flew off, meaning the only person who could've saved him had to have a flight ability."

"I think I understand. That would imply there was intensive planning to capture him. If a flying Nomu was sent to seize him, then they knew what heroes would be present in Hosu City. Gran Torino's intervention either means they didn't account for him showing up or that they wanted him to show up last second."

Todoroki turned back to the phone. "Most likely the former. Either way, we're about to find out. Un-pause the video."

The video was yet again un-paused and the class continued watching. They watched both sides rush towards each other and the battle turn from a two versus two to two one versus one's. Gran Torino took Izuku away from the camera's view, and All Might and All For One began trading blows. It continued until All Might landed a definitive blow and both fighters coughed up blood. The supervillain began floating in the air and the Number One Hero clenched his fists, charging up energy. After multiplying the size of his arm, the mastermind rushed towards All Might, who rushed towards him as well. The two clashed fists, creating a shockwave strong enough to shake the entire helicopter, obstructing the view. When it came back to view, All Might was being pushed back into a corner. It looked like the fight was going to end with the death of the Number One Hero until a beam hit the arm of the supervillain. The camera quickly whipped over to see Izuku holding one of his arms, with Gran Torino standing next to him, a hand on his shoulder.

"Yes!" cried out one student. The class turned their attention to the voice and no one was surprised to see Ochako pumping her fists. "Did you guys see that?! Izuku just saved the day!"

"Yes, Ochako," Mina spoke, shaking her head with a smile on her face. "We were watching the video too, you know? Your boyfriend saved the day and works really well with a quirk."

"Yeah he does!" It took Ochako a couple of moments to realize what Mina said. As soon as she registered the words, a blush quickly spread on her face. "Boyfriend?! That's not-I mean-I don't-We're not dating!"

"Don't tease her too much, Mina," Momo spoke behind a smirk, chuckling to herself. "She may never recover."

"I know, I know. It's just so hard to resist when I remember her face will turn as pink as a flamingo."

"We've got less than a minute on this video guys," Kirishima interrupted. "Let's finish up before Aizawa Sensei comes in." The class yet again returned their attention to the video.

After the supervillain focused his attention on Izuku, All Might capitalized on his mistake by reeling his fist back and shooting it at his opponent with as much force as he could muster. The camera feed was lost after All Might created a tornado with sheer power. The video went to black screen for a few seconds, then returned.

"We apologize for the loss of feed," spoke the news reporter. "It seems that the amount of power our Number One Hero put out was enough to not only defeat his adversary, but create a tornado and cause a loss of signal. I'm looking now and…what's this?"

There was a short moment of silence as the news reporter seemed to be contemplating something with a look of confusion on her face.

"That's weird. Zoom in on that." The camera turned from her face and landed on the three, specifically on All Might. Or at least the shrunken form of him. "It seems that the muscular mass our Symbol of Peace usually is has been reduced to a mere skeleton. Maybe it's a result of being pushed this far?"

Before the newswoman could continue, a portal opened and out walked Tomura Shigaraki, squeezing the neck of Izuku. Not only that, there was a knife being pushed against his back by Himiko Toga.

"It's not over yet, folks! Members of the so-called "League of Villains" have shown up to claim what they lost! It also seems like the vulnerable state of All Might won't be able to put up a fight! Are there any heroes nearby who will step in before the young Izuku Midoriya is lost again?!"

The question was quickly answered as Izuku disappeared with the League members and All Might fell to his knees.

"You saw it here, ladies and gentlemen. All Might defeated the dastardly villain who was wreaking havoc to the city, but was unable to rescue Izuku Midoriya. Questions are also being asked about his current state. People want to know things like "Is this because he used too much power?" and "Could this be his true form?" Find out the answers to these questions AND more as we try to schedule an interview with the Number One Hero. Working for you at NHK WORLD JAPAN, I'm Kyoko Tashiro. Have a wonderful rest of your day!"

Suggested content then appeared on-screen, signaling the end of the video. Kirishima powered off his phone and placed it in his pocket. There was a moment of silence in the room that class 1-A stood in.

The moment of silence was broken by Kaminari. "So that's it, huh? He helped the Number One Hero take down a super strong villain just to get re-kidnapped." The electric student began rubbing the back of his head. "Man, Midoriya's on an unlucky streak." An elbow was sent towards his side.

"Can you show some sympathy?!" Jiro yelled. "Look!" She pointed directly at Ochako and most of the class looked over. The brunette was barely holding back tears as she thought about the events that transpired in the video.

"I'm sorry, Uraraka." Kaminari solemnly stated. "I didn't even think twice before opening my fat mouth."

"Don't worry about it," the brunette sniffed. "Aizawa Sensei already told us what happened, but this was something else. I guess it hurt more to see it happen on video." The girls quickly gathered around Ochako to surround her with love and support.

"It's ok, Chako," Mina consoled, rubbing her back. "Midori will be back eventually and everything'll go back to normal."

"I agree," Momo added. "It's best to keep your hopes up and expect the best. Never give up on him."

"Kerro," Tsuyu ribbited, seemingly agreeing with the bunch.

"Thanks, everyone." The group hug lasted for a couple of moments, then came to an end. Seconds later, a snort of disgust came from a corner in the room. It wasn't a shock to anyone to discover that the rude gesture came from Katsuki.

"A class of aspiring heroes my ass," the explosive blond harshly commented. "When did this training camp turn into a pity party?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ochako asked, pulling herself from the girls.

"Isn't it obvious? Instead of pushing yourselves to become stronger like real heroes, you extras are wasting time and energy whining and crying about something that you have no control over. If I was unsure about it before, I'm not anymore. Some of you oversensitive babies aren't cut out to be heroes."

"Bakugo, I think you're taking it a bit too far," Kirishima jumped in. "I mean, it's ok for people to be sad, right? It's expected. It's even more expected from Uraraka since she and Midoriya were so close. I thought you would understand, being as though you've been friends with Midoriya longer than any of us."

Katsuki let out a little chuckle that quickly turned into full-blown laughter. Afterwards, he wiped a fake tear from his eye. "That was rich, spiky hair, I'll give you that. Let me educate you on something. Deku and I aren't friends. Hell, considering us acquaintances would be a stretch. I've just had the misfortune of knowing him all my life. Knowing him for as long as I have is worse than any kidnap-"

The slap happened so fast that Ochako didn't realize she did it until she felt the stinging sensation in the palm of her hand. She reeled her arm back and glared the stunned blond in the eye. "Don't talk about Izuku like that."

Katsuki, rage building from the strike, instinctively let off miniature explosions in his hand. The look of sheer rage he held was replaced by one of amusement. He let out a wicked chuckle. "So that's what causes you to snap, eh? Insulting your little crush, Deku?"

The brunette tightened her jaw and readied her body for another attack. Kirishima, seeing her stance change, stepped in between the two, along with Iida.

"That's enough, you two!" Iida reprimanded. "As class president, I have let this go on long enough!"

"Really, Bakugo?" Kirishima questioned, a disappointed look crossing his face. "Pushing her buttons on purpose? You can be better than that."

The blond let out a scoff, shoved his hands in his pocket, and headed towards the door. "Whatever. I'm outta here."

"At least apologize for what you said!" Ochako shouted. "You owe everyone that much!"

"Pfft. I don't owe any of you anything." The blond whipped around and shot his right hand in the air, showing his middle finger. The door was slammed behind him as he exited from the room.

There was another moment of silence in the room until it was broken by Ochako, breathing a sigh combined with anger and relief.

"I'm glad he left the room," the brunette commented, rubbing her temples. "I never realized until now, but talking with Bakugo drains all happiness from my body. If I had known him as long as Izuku, I don't think our first fight would've been during the Sports Festival."

Mina chuckled. "I'd pay money to see a cute, little Chako beating up a little Bakugo in the sandbox or something." The class shared a laugh as they all pictured the image.

"As eventful as tonight may have been, I think it's time we all call it a night," stated the Class President. "Aizawa Sensei could walk in at any moment and-"

The door to the room flew open. "What is everyone still doing up?! Do you want me to expel you?!" The class collective responded with their "No, Sensei's" and head shakes. The homeroom teacher took a look around the room a noticed the missing student. "Do I even want to know where Bakugo is?" Most of the class glanced at each other, seemingly unsure of who should give the answer. "Well?!"

Kirishima, being the closest to Katsuki, stood up. "Well. He, um, stormed out."

"Stormed out? Why would he…" The pro hero paused, his brain putting together the pieces. "You all watched the video, didn't you?"

"What video, Sensei?" Kaminari questioned. "There are millions if not bi-"

"Don't play dumb with me unless you're ready to deal with the consequences. It's bad enough that you're attending remedial sessions." The student hung his hang in shame. "So I'll ask again. And this time, I want a clear answer. Did you all watch the video?"

Iida stood up and addressed the homeroom teacher. "Yes we did, Aizawa Sensei. And as Class President, I take full responsibility for the class."

The tired teacher rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed in annoyance. "I wasn't asking in anger, Iida. I was just trying to find the reasoning for the class not turning in for the night and Bakugo storming off." The teacher turned and grabbed the door on his way out.

"Wait, Sensei! What is the punishment for the class disobeying orders by staying up?" A couple of class trouble makers sent nasty glares at Iida for asking the question. Reminding the teacher to deal out a punishment is the equivalent of reminding the teacher to hand out homework. You just don't do it.

"Normally, I would have a punishment ready for disobeying my orders. But you've all been under a lot of stress lately. The news I announced earlier while you're at a training camp certainly didn't help. So there will be no punishment. Just be in the process of turning in by the time I return with Bakugo." And with that, the teacher exited the room and embarked on his search for the explosive student.

A slight look and feeling of confusion was felt by a couple of class members. Kaminari was the first to speak on it. "No punishment, huh? If I didn't know better, I'd say Sensei is sick."

"Yeah, it's weird," Mineta commented. "Speaking of weird things…WHAT THE HELL IS THE BIG IDEA ASKING ABOUT THE PUNISHMENT?!"

"YEAH! ARE YOU TRYING TO GET US IN TROUBLE OR WHAT?!"

…

A quick rendezvous with Ragdoll gave Aizawa the information that Bakugo was a good distance from the campsite, sitting at the top of a rock formation. After quickly traversing the forest, the slightly worried homeroom teacher reached the area. A quick walk to the top of the structure revealed that the teen was accompanied by none other than Kota, who claimed the U.A. student was intruding on his private space.

"This is my private space and you ruined it," stated the little cynic. "Leave, you idiot."

"Well it just so happens I came here to be alone too," replied the annoyed Katsuki. "So scram, kid."

The kid threw his arms in the air in displeasure. "Gah! I can't even be by myself without you heroes ruining everything! Typical…IDIOTS!"

"That's the second time you used the word "idiot". At least come up with something new if you're going to waste oxygen talking."

"Why do you have to get so mean, you're talking to a kid. How are you going to be a good hero if you're not even a good person?"

Katsuki shot up from the floor, impulsively popping small explosions. "You don't know anything 'bout me! So I'll tell you one more time before I really get angry. Piss off, you little brat!"

"I know you are, but what am I?!"

"Pfft. I don't even know why I wasted my breath on you. You run 'round shooting glares at people who want to be heroes, all because you had a bad experience. That shows you don't know anything 'bout the world."

"I know tons about the world," the little kid shouted. "I know that my parents abandoned me to be pro heroes, and they died because of it! And if jerks like you who bully people are becoming heroes, then I know I'm right! Heroes suck!"

"Like I said before you don't know me. How the hell would you know I'm a…bully?" The blond paused his rant, confusing the child he was talking to. Every single moment he ever treated Izuku like garbage flooded his mind. He then fell to his hands and knees, fighting with himself to deny the new thoughts. That he is a bad person, and he never apologized to anyone for being a bad person.

"Are you…okay?"

Katsuki let out a chuckle, stood up, then wiped a stray tear from his eye. "Yeah, I'm fine. But there's someone out there who isn't because of me."

"Who is it?"

The U.A. student took a seat and signaled for the younger boy to sit next to him. He pulled out his phone and opened the video of All Might versus All For One. Instead of showing the fight between the two titans like the kid expected him to, Katsuki fast-forwarded until he reached the part where Izuku intervened. He showed the video clip to the child, shocking his whole world.

"That's him," Katsuki stated with a sigh. "That's the kid I treated like garbage for the past ten years."

"Why though?" Kota queried. "He's so cool saving the day like that!"

"His name is Izuku Midoriya. I came up with the name "Deku" as a fancy way of calling him useless, so trust me when I say he wasn't always like you see in the video. The reason I despised him so much was because no matter how badly I treated him, he clung to my side like a tiny, pathetic dog. It somehow got worse recently. Instead of being attached to my hip, it's the complete opposite. He only talks to me if we're forced to work together or if I start the conversation. It's almost like he's a different person."

"I don't get your point. If you're telling me how much of a bad person you are…does that make me right?"

Katsuki let out an annoyed sigh before responding. "I'm proving both of us right, shrimp. For the first time in my life, I am acknowledging that I am an asshole who bullied my former best friend. I'm also trying to tell your before it's too late that all heroes aren't bad. Some heroes are dicks, some heroes in training are just as bad. But not all of them are. Get what I'm sayin'?"

"Yeah. I think I do."

"Good." The teen laid back and stared at the moon. "I still want you to scram, though."

"Hmph." The kid stuck his tongue out and ran back in the towards the camp. Katsuki's short moment of true solitude came to an end as Eraserhead announced his presence.

"Confessing your sins AND comforting a child?" The homeroom teacher asked. "And I thought you said Midoriya was acting like a different person." The blond simply huffed in response. The teacher took a seat next to his student. "What you did tonight, talking to Izumi, was not only a good deed, but it was also a step in the right direction to becoming a respectable hero."

The adolescent contemplated his next words carefully. "I figured late is better than never. Especially considering my outburst earlier."

"I know you left the room, but I have a pretty good guess of why you left." The teacher took his student's silence as permission to continue. "You felt feelings for Midoriya that you've never felt before. Pity, regret, worry, and most of all sympathy towards his mother. Your lack of experience with those emotions towards a certain person was without a doubt the main reason you lost control. It doesn't exactly help that Uraraka isn't your biggest fan."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I've got a lot of shit to make up for and it isn't gonna be easy."

"You're right about that. Speaking of things that aren't going to be easy, your punishment. As much of a learning experience for you that this may have been, you still need to face consequences for what you've done. I'm assuming the reason it went on for so long is because you've gone unpunished." The blond simply shook his head. "Usually, I would have a punishment ready on the spot, but this is different. Your training needs to be prioritized and we can worry about your punishment when we return to school grounds. Until then, I want absolutely zero problems from you for the remainder of the week. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Now head to bed. You still need to be up early tomorrow."

Katsuki stood up and embarked on his journey back to the sleeping area, a weight lifted off of his shoulders and an unusual pep in his step. He opened the door to the sleeping area, attracting the attention of the class. He quickly scanned the room and his eyes landed on Ochako, who was in a corner of the room with the girls. After making his way over, Mina immediately stood up and blocked his way.

"I just want to talk to her," Katsuki pleaded.

"No way," the acid girl instantly responded. "You did enough damage already, you jerk."

"Well if you won't let me talk to her, I'll just say it out loud." The room was absolute silent, most curious to see what the usually angry student was going to say. "I'm sorry, Uraraka. I was completely out of line earlier. I know I don't deserve to be forgiven, but I hope you decide otherwise down the road. That's all." Katsuki walked to his sleeping bag, zipped it over his head, and didn't speak another word.

Ochako was completely and utterly dumbfounded. "Did…did Bakugo just apologize?"

…

Izuku stirred from his unconsciousness. The last thing he remembers before passing out was Mustard suffocating him in his gas. The boy tried to stand, but quickly discovered that he was tied down to a chair.

The door to the room flew open and in walked Tomura, Toga on his left and Dabi on his right.

"You're finally awake not-so-quirkless wonder," smiled the villain. "I plan to have some fun with you before your annoying father gets here." The pasty villain snapped his fingers and the blonde handed him a needle. Said needle was jabbed into his arm, and he could feel himself losing control.

"NO!" Izuku shouted. "What…are you doing…to me?"

"Relax," cooed Toga. "As much as I love Izu, we need the other guy right now~"

The green-haired boy began bucking back and forth in his seat, succumbing to the effects of the needle. His hair fell forward and he temporarily lost consciousness. After a sharp slap from Tomura, the boy returned to attention, eyes once again red with hate. Red electricity began popping from his body as he ripped himself from the seat. He faced the villains in front of him with a dastardly smile.

"It feels so good to be player one again," spoke the controlled Izuku. "I'm ready to cause some havoc, and then some!"