The next morning, Izuku was slightly shocked to find Mineta sitting in one of the desks, pale and shaking, but still there. Izuku's seat was right in front of the Grape Boy's, so he sat down and allowed their classmates to go and interrogate the kid. As it turns out, Aizawa's expulsion had only lasted for one day, to scare Mineta into shaping up, or face permanent expulsion in the future. It certainly sounded like it worked, if the tremble in Mineta's voice was any indication.

After the drama of homeroom was their morning classes. Izuku wasn't sure what he'd been expecting from them, but it certainly wasn't Present Mic standing in front of the chalkboard, lecturing the students in a bored tone. Normally, the Pro Hero was so enthusiastic, both when he was patrolling the streets and on his radio show. Right now, though, it seemed not even the infinitely-cheerful Present Mic could make English sound fun. Occasionally, the man would shout something out loud to evoke an energetic reaction in turn, but it never quite worked.

The rest of the mundane subjects followed suit. Cementoss' soothing voice sent several students to sleep, and Izuku caught himself dozing off once or twice. It didn't help that the man taught Modern Literature, which was a hit-or-miss kind of class for Izuku (usually more miss than hit) as far as personal interest in whatever they were reading went. Ectoplasm was in charge of Math, and Midnight taught Modern Art History (Izuku did his best to keep his eyes from lingering on the X-Rated Heroine, but the poses she occasionally struck made it very difficult).

Then came lunch time. The cafeteria was incredibly large, and the tables had individual seats instead of benches like Orudera. Everything was clean, and the white floor tiles were actually white, instead of beige or gray from years of concentrated grime. The food also looked fantastic, like something Izuku would expect from at least a four-star restaurant, while still being affordable. Luckily, Izuku had made plenty of cash from dungeon running, so he didn't have to worry about the prices like he would've before. He ordered katsudon, to try it out and compare it to his mom's.

Once he grabbed his tray, he purposely slowed his steps so that his classmates would all have time to sit. As expected, they mostly grouped up. Then, he went and plopped himself down at a completely empty table on the opposite side of the cafetera. He put in his headphones, cranked up his music, and began browsing the Hero Forums while enjoying his lunch. He couldn't say for certain whether he preferred his mom's katsudon, or this one. On the one hand, his mother's cooking was specifically tailored for his tastes. On the other, though, this was tossed together by Pro Hero Lunch Rush at a ridiculous speed, so the fact that it tasted this good was insane. He'd reserve judgement for now, until he'd had it a few more times.

After lunch was Foundational Hero Studies, which everybody had been looking forward to. The class quietly buzzed with anxiety, some students whispering quietly to their neighbors, while others waited for their teacher to enter the room. Izuku had no clue who their teacher would be, but a yell from in the hallway made his heart sink.

"I AM...!"

The green-haired teen dropped his head into his hands. Please, god, no-

"Coming through the door like a normal person!" All Might, the Number One Hero, finished as he hung from the doorframe like a decidedly abnormal person.

This is such shit.

While his peers erupted into noise at the entrance, Izuku's forehead thumped lightly against the surface of his desk. "Fuck," he whispered. Bakugou sitting directly in front of him the entire day, All Might teaching the class he was most excited for- he just needed the Slime Villain to make a comeback, and they'd have a grand old reunion celebrating the worst day in Izuku's life.

All Might began speaking, so Izuku reluctantly tuned back in.

"Hello, young pupils! I am here to teach Foundational Hero Studies, where you will learn the basics of being a Hero! Let's get right into it!" All Might roared, dropping to one knee, flexing his muscles that bulged through the spandex of his suit. He whipped around suddenly, thrusting out a palm holding a card, the word battle engraved on it. "We'll be doing combat training! And to go with that, are these!" The man pointed to a section of the wall, from which shelves emerged. Numbered briefcases sat on the shelves. "Costumes made based on your Quirk Registration and the requests you sent in before school started! Now, get changed, then meet me in Ground Beta!"

In the locker room, Izuku ignored the voices of his fellow males as they oohed and aahed over their Costumes, or chattered idly with one another. He cracked open his metal briefcase and quickly stripped out of his school uniform. It took only two or three minutes to don his Costume; he'd simply sent in the business suit he'd worn for the Entrance Exam, and asked the Support Company to make a copy with more durable, yet flexible material. It wouldn't provide much protection, but it would stand up to much more wear and tear than his actual suit. There were no extra gadgets or equipment; he had his daggers, and he had his Shadows- that was all he needed.

Izuku straightened his black tie as he exited the tunnel leading into the fake city, finding that he was the first one out of the changing rooms. Figures. Now he was alone with his ex-idol.

"Looking sharp, Midoriya-shounen!" All Might boomed, flashing his student a thumbs-up and a wide grin- probably fake, Izuku thought, remembering their chat on the roof nearly a year ago. Izuku just nodded curtly, leaning against the wall off the side of the tunnel and pulling out his phone. He ignored All Might's ill-fated attempts at conversation, choosing to focus on the latest Hero news in America. Someone had decided to recreate the Pre-Quirk comic book Villain, Doctor Octopus, attaching a Support Gear consisting of four robotic tentacles to their back, only to be taken out by a spider-themed Hero. Looks like history really did repeat itself. Izuku smirked amusedly.

By the time he'd finished the article, the rest of his class had finally finished changing, and were coming out to inadvertently save him from the awkwardness. All Might said a few encouraging words, inciting a cheer from most of the students, before beginning his explanation of the exercise.

Basically, it was an indoor search-and-destroy, except instead of destroying, you had to secure the objective (but search-and-secure didn't quite have the same ring). Two Heroes vs. two Villains. The Heroes had to touch the objective or capture the Villains. The Villains had to run out the clock or capture the Heroes. Pretty straightforward, until you actually thought about it.

Indoors meant limited maneuverability, and a restriction on more powerful attacks, since there was the risk of bringing the building down on your heads. Also, Heroes needed to be more careful about property damage, as a general rule. The Villains, on the other hand, didn't need to hold back quite as much. On top of having time to set up traps within the building, as well as knowing the location of the objective while the Heroes had to search for it, the Villains had a distinct advantage. Then again, wasn't that was Aizawa had said yesterday? That it was a Hero's job to turn the tides in situations like this? So, although All Might was reading the instructions off a script, it seemed he had put more thought into this than Izuku had expected.

Izuku was probably being a bit harsh on the Pro Hero. The man had been the Number One for decades. He would know better than anyone that you couldn't always punch your way out of a situation, and would've developed the sharp wit necessary to save lives in low-key disasters.

"Now, we'll draw lots to both determine the teams, and who you'll be facing off against!" All Might announced, picking up one of the two boxes that had been sitting next to his feet.

Izuku found himself on a team with the girl with a spiky ponytail- the one who'd made the electric scooter for the long-distance run during the Quirk Assessment. They were up against Bakugou, because of-fucking-course, and a kid with white hair, wearing a white jumpsuit, and half his body covered in ice. It looked vaguely Terminator-esque, especially with the glowing red eye.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Midoriya-kun. My name is Yaoyorozu Momo. I hope we work well together," Yaoyorozu introduced herself. Was she a rich girl, or just cultivating an image for her Hero career? Well, no matter how proper she acted, her costume completely ruined the effect. A red leotard, open down the middle, with one yellow belt wrapped around her waist, and another slightly above her sizable bust. She was showing even more skin than Midnight, the R-Rated Hero.

Izuku didn't let his eyes linger. She might be beautiful, but he wasn't particularly interested in her. He also wouldn't give her the chance to accuse him of being a pervert to everyone who would listen. Izuku simply nodded without saying a word, and returned to staring at the clear blue sky above. The occasional fluffy white cloud would roll by, but otherwise, the atmosphere remained static.

"Do you know what Bakugou-kun and Todoroki-kun's Quirks are?" Yaoyorozu asked. Her tone made it clear she did- she was just checking if they were on the same page.

He nodded once more.

"Do you have a plan to deal with either of them? Or will you simply face them head-on? Your Quirk is probably strong enough to do so. My Quirk, on the other hand, requires a bit more careful thought."

Quirk, Quirk, Quirk. It grated on his ears to hear that word say so many times in quick succession, but considering the situation, decided it was probably necessary. He pointedly ignored the fact that she'd basically just implied he was a mindless brute.

"I should probably explain," Yaoyorozu explained. "My Quirk is called Creation. Using lipids I store within my body from eating, I am able to make any inorganic object, so long as I know the exact chemical formula for it."

Well, it was certainly an interesting Quirk. The possibilities for something like that were endless. Izuku imagined her tossing a bucket of napalm at Bakugou while he was mid-blast, and erupting into a violent firestorm. The imagery made him chuckle.

"Is there something funny?" Yaoyorozu asked, a hint of an edge to her confusion. As if she was saying, you better have a good reason for laughing at me, or else. The idea of this exhibitionist threatening him made Izuku want to laugh even louder, but he refrained. No need to cause a scene and push her to recruit their classmates in a crusade against him. It'd happen eventually, but he at least wanted to enjoy a few days of relative peace before his life at U.A went to shit.

"Nothing really," Izuku replied blandly, the corners of his lips still raised. He could sense her examining him, trying to determine the validity of his words, before eventually giving up and taking him at face value.

"...As you say. In the assessment, Todoroki-kun used ice. However, since his hair is both white and red, as well as him being Endeavor's son, it is possible that he also has some form of pyrokinesis that he has not yet displayed." Izuku nodded thoughtfully- that was a sound enough theory. "Todoroki-kun showed incredible power with his ice alone, however, and Bakugou-kun nearly matched him. They took third and fourth place, respectively, in the exam. I may have placed second, but I am unsure if I would be able to match up to them in real combat. As such, I propose that I play support while you confront them head-on. I can make smoke grenades and flashbangs to interfere with their vision, noisemakers to distract them, and small projectiles to hopefully get a lucky shot."

Izuku nodded again. "Sounds good," he murmured lazily, not offering up any information himself. Out of the corner of the eye, he could see Yaoyorozu puffing up, like she was going to berate him for his lack of cooperation. Luckily for his ears, though, she was cut off by All Might's voice over the speakers.

"Five minutes are up! Hero Team may enter the building!" With that announcement, Izuku strolled towards the front door, hands shoved into the pockets of his black dress pants.

"Wha- Midoriya-kun! You can't go in through the front! What if the Villains have set up a trap!?"

Izuku, hand on the doorknob, stared at her for a moment, saying nothing. Then, he opened the door and stepped into the building. His teammate followed, and gasped at the sight before her. Sure enough, like she'd predicted, Bakugou was there, likely waiting to ambush them as soon as they entered. However, instead of glaring at them viciously and shouting ugly slurs while sparks danced across his palms- like he did just about anytime he interacted with Izuku- the blond was face down on the floor. A Shadow Soldier stood over him, unmoving.

Izuku casually walked over to the prone Villain. "Good job," he told the Shade, who preened at the praise, before turning his attention back to Bakugou. He levered a foot under the teen's shoulder, then flipped him onto his back. Even unconscious, the blond's face was contorted into a harsh scowl, muscles pulling in a way that had to be uncomfortable, and would probably leave his brow sore when he woke up.

For a second, a fleeting moment that had already passed, a dark part of Izuku- the part that had helped him survive the dungeons, that learned to thrive in the wild danger and craved the violence of battle- urged him to take advantage of this opportunity. With his Strength, one solid stomp was all it would take to shatter Bakugou's skull underfoot. It wouldn't even require his full power- just like crushing a bug. The blond would never be able to harass him again.

Izuku shook his head. He wasn't naive enough to think that Heroes never killed, but he did know that they avoided it unless there was no other choice. And right now, with Bakugou out cold on the floor, and barely able to prove a true threat even when he was awake, Izuku certainly had a lot of other choices. He turned away with a scoff, and began walking down the hall, looking for the stairs that were nearby according to the building blueprints they'd memorized at the start of the exercise.

"Are you simply going to leave him like this?" Yaoyorozu asked, still frozen in place. "What if he wakes up?"

"Tie him up if you want. I can just leave my Shadow to watch him," Izuku tossed over his shoulder, not stopping his slow, ambling steps. If the bully did wake up, the Shadow Soldier would just knock him out with another blow to the back of the head.

Just as he began walking up the stairs to head to the second floor, All Might announced over the speakers, "Bakugou-shonen has been captured! One Villain remains!" Yaoyorozu caught up with him quickly after that. If she said anything, Izuku didn't hear her, too caught up in his thoughts.

For years, Izuku had dreamed of one day getting his Quirk. Of finding out that Tsubasa's stupid pinkie toe joint test had been inconclusive and statistically insignificant, and showing it off to Bakugou. To all the people who'd belittled and berated him for having a dream far above his station. In most of those fantasies, Bakugou would stop bullying him, and maybe even be his friend again, now that Izuku had proved he could stand beside him as a Pro Hero. In some of those delusions, he'd even imagined himself finally standing up to Bakugou and beating him in a fight (everyone has daydreams like that, don't judge!), and being filled with a sense of pride.

Izuku knew he'd changed since his Awakening. Become another person entirely, both physically and mentally. However, there was no greater sign of just how much he'd changed than the fact that he felt nothing at finally, finally proving to Bakugou that he wasn't just a pebble on the side of the road- he was a goddamn mountain in his own right.

No pride. No vindication. Not even sick pleasure at seeing the bastard on the ground before him, a complete reversal of their roles as bully and victim for the past decade. It happened, and Izuku didn't care. Couldn't care, not with the things he'd seen, the vicious enemies he'd fought in the dungeons, the pain he'd suffered as he honed his skills. Compared to all of that, Bakugou was nothing. Not even a pebble on the side of the road. Just a speck of dust, floating around haphazardly, that could be waved aside without a second thought.

That stopped him cold.

Who am I? Izuku wondered. Who have I become?

Midoriya Izuku was a kid with a big heart and bigger dreams. Dreams he could never hope to accomplish, but wouldn't stop chasing. Now, they're in sight. The day he becomes a real Hero is almost at hand. With this power, granted to him by the System and made his own by his efforts, it was just a matter of time.

Yet, it felt like he'd traded his heart for it. There was just a void in his chest now, black as his shadow and colder than ice.

Once, he'd looked up to All Might. Wanted to be just like the Number One Hero, wanted to save as many people as he could with a reassuring smile on his face. After seeing the truth behind All Might, though, he couldn't fathom being like that fraud, running around with a fake grin, crushing the dreams of kids that idolized him.

Once, he'd believed in the inherent goodness of humanity. Thought that every life was precious, and deserved to be saved, even from themselves in the case of Villains. Then they showed him their worst sides for ten years, and he became jaded. Tears at the report of another death on the news became winces of sympathy became casual disregard. After all, they were probably just another person that would hate him for being Quirkless, for losing out on the genetic lottery. Deep down, Izuku had been relieved that he'd never have to meet those people. He wouldn't have to disappoint them, too.

Once, he wanted to be a Hero.

Now... Izuku wasn't sure what he wanted. It was like he was going through the motions at this point. It felt like he hadn't been excited about being a Hero in forever. He was grateful for his Awakening, because it meant he was no longer powerless in a world where everyone had some sort of superpower. He was proud of passing the Entrance Exam, because it showed him how far he had come, how hard he had worked. He was ecstatic to be here at U.A, not because it was one step closer to fulfilling his childhood dream, but because he'd proved everyone wrong. He was worth something. He wasn't Quirkless, worthless Deku. He deserved to be alive.

But with all these selfish feelings inside his black heart, there wasn't any space left for other people. He loved his mother, but she was one person. How could he become a Hero that saved everyone, when he didn't even care about humanity?

Tapping on his shoulder brought him to the real world. He found himself crouching low, a hand on the floor to keep his balance, while the other rested on his knee. Why was he breathing so hard? Why were there dark spots in the corner of his vision? Why did it feel like, no matter how much air he greedily gulped in, he couldn't breathe?

"Midoriya-kun?" The tapping evolved to full-on shaking. "Midoriya-kun, are you alright?" Yaoyorozu sounded concerned and panicked.

Izuku shot to his feet, making the rich girl step back with a yelp. He regretted it almost immediately when he lurched to the side, barely catching himself on a wall before he could fall back to the ground. He pressed his clammy forehead against the blessedly-cool concrete, and pulled violently at his tie, completely ripping it off and tossing it away from him. The top two buttons of his white dress shirt were next, popping off with barely a tug. It helped him, a little bit. For a few moments, Izuku focused on the contractions of his diaphragm.

In through the nose, out through the mouth. In through the nose…

The soothing rhythm grounded him, enough that he could actually comprehend the words falling out of his partner's mouth. He turned his head slightly, still resting it on the chilled stone, to side-eye Yaoyorozu.

She seemed to take that as a good sign. "Are you alright?" she asked, stepping closer to put a hand on his arm.

Izuku's nostrils flared as he took one last mighty inhale, before slowly letting it hiss out through gritted teeth.

"...Fi- Fine," he rasped after a moment, fighting against his heavy tongue to make the word come out.

Yaoyorozu pursed her lips, looking like she didn't believe him even a little bit. "I think you should sit down," she finally said, after examining him with a keen eye.

"No. M' okay," he whispered breathlessly, further fueling her scepticism.

"You certainly do not seem it," she replied primly. "I will tell All Might-sensei to call off the exercise."

His breathing was somewhat back under control, and his heart was no longer pounding in his chest like a prisoner in a cage, trying to get out. He swallowed thickly, then pushed off the wall. For a scary moment, Izuku thought he'd overbalanced, and was going to fall on his ass. Yaoyorozu seemed to think the same, because she latched onto his arm to keep him steady. They were both proved wrong when he managed to stay on both feet.

"See?" he asked rhetorically. "Fine." The exhaustion in his tone did nothing to convince her. "Let's go," he said, ignoring her suspicious gaze. He had to pause after his first step, knees weak and legs wobbly. He sucked in a breath, then took another step. This one was stronger, enough that he didn't shake. Another breath, another step, and it seemed like his body had gotten with the program.

"Midoriya-kun, perhaps you shouldn't push yourself…" Yaoyorozu said, tightening her grip on his arm, preparing to pull him to a halt.

"I have to if I want to be a Hero." The rich girl let out a resigned sigh, but didn't say anything else. She did, for some reason, keep hold of him, which slightly irritated Izuku. "I don't need your help to walk," he growled.

It took a second for the girl to realize what he was talking about, but when she glanced down at her hand, which was wrapped around his forearm, her face exploded into a brilliant blush. She let go like he was made of burning coals. "I- My apologies!" she cried, dipping into an overly-proper 90 degree bow at the waist. "I forgot myself for a moment! It was not my intention to make you uncomfortable!"

Izuku just… Stared at her. "Whatever," he muttered, the excessive formality making him shift in place a bit. He began walking once more, faster than before, not caring if his teammate kept up or not.

A few minutes later, they'd reached the fifth floor- the top of the building. A chilly gust had blown down the staircase connecting to the fourth floor, so Izuku had some idea of what to expect, but was still a bit surprised to find the entire corridor frozen over. Ice covered the walls, roof, and ground in a centimeters-thick layer, sharply decreasing the temperature. Luckily, he adapted easily to the sudden shock of cold due to his high Vitality. He began walking gingerly over the ice, then sped up a bit when he realized his Agility and Dexterity made it much easier to keep his balance.

By the time he reached the room where the bomb was located (which he knew through his link to his Shades), Yaoyorozu had only made it a quarter of the way. She looked positively mutinous, furious at being left behind without a second thought. Izuku didn't bother waiting for her as he opened the door and walked in casually, acting like there wasn't an unconscious Todoroki laying facedown on the floor, similarly to Bakugou at the entrance to the building.

The part of the fake ice thing covering the left half of Todorki's head was shattered, revealing his red hair. Izuku shot the Shadow Soldier standing over the teen a thumbs up, receiving a cheeky salute in return. It didn't seem bothered by the cold at all. Which, considering it was a reanimation, made sense. Izuku pressed his hand against the papier-mache nuclear bomb, and listened as All Might shouted over the speakers.

"Hero Team wins!"

Back in the observation room, Momo didn't know whether to be furious or sympathetic with Midoriya Izuku. The stand-offish boy had had what she thought was a panic attack, but had also completely disregarded her presence during the exercise, even shaking off her attempts to help. The four students who scored the highest on the Quirk Assessment, and he'd made the other three look like complete fools. It was absolutely infuriating how far above her he was, and it seemed the rest of the class felt the same, if the way they awkwardly shifted when All Might-sensei asked who they thought was the MVP was any indication.

It was Asui-san who finally bit the bullet and spoke up. "Well, the MVP would have to be Midoriya-chan, kero, since he did everything himself. His summoned soldiers incapacitated both the Villains, and he retrieved the objective."

All Might nodded seriously, ever-present smile looking a bit strained. "Well put, Asui-shoujo. You are correct. There are several problems with the way this exercise turned out, however. The most major issue I witnessed, which was present in both teams," All Might pointedly looked at Momo, Midoriya-kun, Todoroki-kun, and Bakugou-kun (the latter two seemed infinitely frustrated, something Momo could empathize with, though to a lesser degree), "Was the distinct lack of teamwork. Midoriya-shounen more or less disregarded Yaoyorozu-shoujo completely, despite her attempts at cooperation. On the Villain Team, Bakugou-shounen and Todoroki-shounen did not even speak, simply leaving each other to their own devices. Once more, congratulations to the Hero Team for their victory. And now, let us move on to the next match," All Might finished. He was eying Midoriya-kun strangely, like he wanted to say something, but was holding back.

For some reason, the sight made Momo a bit uneasy. Anything that could worry All Might was definitely cause for concern, and it seemed the rest of the class had also caught on, judging by the furtive glances they were sending the green-haired boy. Midoriya-kun remained as stoic as usual, ignoring his classmates and leaning against the wall casually, arms crossed over his chest.

Eventually, Momo dismissed her worries. Midoriya-kun's business was not her own. Hopefully, it would stay that way.

Yeet.

Discord link: dis co rd. gg / aX8fbBF4