Zoran Dawn-eclipse: Thank you! Poor guy turned naked, but at least nobody was there to see. Would have been so embarrassing lol.

My dudes, I posted a one shot that was only MHA and it got soooo many views in just one day on ao3. had barely any views in first day. I think the MHA fandom is much more active in ao3 than the one piece. Though the difference it a LOT. I think OP had 30 or 40,000 works, and MHA has over 200,000! (⊙_⊙)

"Please show us!"

"C'mon, please?!"

"It's not fair if you can do it and keep it to yourself!"

"Yeah, you're being selfish!"

"Shut up!" Ace shouted, finally snapping. He threw his textbook and it shattered the window, silencing the room. Shanks sent him to the office, and Ace was glad to get out of the class. Hopefully now they wouldn't ask him if he got so angry about it. But he was ashamed of snapping so badly and actually manifesting the anger physically. It hadn't happened but for him throwing his pillow at the wall.

And the movement of throwing made his back ache. When he got to the office, he had the slip of paper and handed it to the desk secretary. She looked surprised and disapproving of what she read, and sent him to the principal, which he didn't want. "Can't I just have detention or something?" he asked, not wanting to be admonished by the nice man that called Rayliegh there personally to help him. What if he took that away as punishment?! But he was told to go to Newgate anyway.

He knocked on the door lightly, hoping he wasn't there even though his senses told him differently. "Come in," Newgate said, and Ace pushed the fancy wooden door open, entering and closing it behind him. "Ace, it's a surprise to see you." He sounded pleasant and Ace didn't want to make him mad. "Is it another health problem?"

"...No. I broke a window, and Shanks sent me here…" he said awkwardly, sitting down and not making eye contact.

"Why did you do that?" he asked, sounding a tad disapproving, but mostly curious.

"Because everyone expects me to show them my new dragon form, and keeps calling me selfish and rude for not doing it! I'm not some sideshow for them all to ogle at!" he ranted, surprising Newgate with the pure fury in his voice. "I didn't mean to break the window, but I threw the textbook because I was angry and annoyed with everyone pressing me," he explained, his voice more calm now.

Newgate said, "I can see why you were angry, but physical violence is not tolerated. I think we should have a meeting with your mother about how we can possibly deal with the strong emotions you feel. I know you usually control them, but this was dangerous. What if the glass could have cut somebody?"

Ace deflated, ashamed. "It was an accident, it's not like I wanted to hurt anyone," he grumbled. "It's just- people don't look up to half-dragons like that! When I go to the outside world, if I ever showed it, I'd just be hated more by everyone around!" he said, his voice raised again. "They don't understand it because they're all human."

"I understand how you feel."

"You're human, too. You couldn't understand," Ace said. Great, now he was arguing with the principal.

"It's true that I don't know your position exactly, but I do know what it's like to be ostracized. When I was young, my own quirk was out of control. I didn't do it because I was angry, but my school was destroyed. I made this place so nobody feels alone and out of control like I did." Ace was shocked. He didn't know Newgates quirk, because it was disrespectful to ask people that outright. "I don't understand your particular pain, but I know what it's like to be hated for something out of your control. But I learned from mine. People won't change in this lifetime, and you must deal with it every moment. But even then, violence will only perpetuate the stereotype where all half-dragons are out of control."

Ace hated being called out of control. "But they wouldn't leave me alone no matter if I was snappy."

"And do they think you can resort to violence do anything to further your point?"

"I- I don't know, maybe now they know not to mess with me about it!"

"Or maybe they're afraid you will harm them next," Newgate said seriously, and it felt like a slap to the face.

He wiped his eyes before tears came out. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to, please don't tell my mom." The principal refused. There would be a meeting. Ace worked so hard to prove he was under control with his family but for being testy sometimes.

Newgate said, "I think anger management classes would be fitting." Ace shouted that he didn't need a counselor. Then he muttered that they couldn't afford more issues. "There is counseling and anger management on campus; you will not need to pay. But I am making it mandatory. Your mom will still be contacted about this." Thank goodness he didn't cost more money, even if it caused more stress.

"I promise I won't do it again."

"You proved today that it can be out of your control. I can't take a promise in the moment or regret as fact. I'm not judging your character, but the situation is something to look at carefully. You will need to write a formal apology to both your classmates and teacher. You will not be charged for replacing the window. That would be ridiculous to charge money for such a thing when I was not when I leveled an entire building," he said in a matter of fact tone.

"You don't trust me because I'm not human, do you?" Ace accused, his anger coming back.

"That is not true. But I think some help on this subject would also do you good. Until now, you've been admirable about controlling your anger towards other people. It has been months of this. There was always going to be a moment that made you really snap. It's just lucky the book and shattered glass harmed nobody," Newgate said.

He left the meeting ashamed and worried. Ace wondered if that explosive anger was what Bakugo felt whenever he exploded in the past. If so, it must have been miserable. He went to class to get his things, as he was told he was done with class for the day. When he entered and collected his things, he walked in and out with his head down. The whole class was silent when he was there.

Had he lost trust? Had he lost friends? Did people now see him as an unstable monster? He was so scared his image was wrecked again and he lost everything. But when he went down for dinner, someone patted him on the shoulder. "You think you're the only one that snapped and threw somethin'? You just made a lot of noise with yours," and they walked off. It was an upperclassman that Ace didn't recognize. So, did everyone on campus know?

He found Marco and Sabo at their usual table, clearly looking out for him. Sabo waved him over, and his own hair caught on fire before he patted a watery hand on it. What a useless quirk. Ace's eyes looked downwards in shame. "Ace, over here!" Marco called. Of course he knew where they were, he didn't need to call him.

But he walked to them and sat down with his food. "How'd it go?"

"...I have to take anger management classes and a counselor. My mom is gonna be told, too. And I have to write apologies."

"Well, I think you're making a huge deal out of it. How many times has someone lashed out in anger intentionally? You've been giving off warnings all day. It was wrong for you to break something, but it didn't hurt anyone. Besides, you shattered that thick glass with a paperback book! That's impressive!"

"Don't praise him for that, it'll just give mixed messages!" Sabo said in annoyance. Marco just laughed. Ace sighed. What an exhausting day.

-x-

Ace sat in the chair in the office beside his mother the next afternoon, head down. The ten year old felt very awkward and uncomfortable. Inko was upset, but didn't get outright angry about it. Ace clearly regretted it, and they were going to take steps to remedy the situation. The phone call was painful. Telling her he got in trouble and needed to have a meeting.

He was silent most of the time, not making eye contact. Inko agreed Ace should get assistance with his anger and feelings about his worth. He cringed at hearing that again. That he thought he was worthless. It had been awhile since someone else said such a thing, even if she didn't mean it like how his old bullies had.

When the meeting was over, Ace packed his things for the weekend and went home, silent in the backseat. "I understand why you were upset, and that you regret it. I know you didn't mean to get physical. But Principal Newgate is right about helping with your anger. You've done a truly admirable job, and perhaps we should have had you getting help from the start instead of shouldering it all yourself." Ace said nothing, and she didn't push further.

That night, he worked on his apology letters. His one to his classmates was forced, because he felt they instigated it by not respecting his wishes and continued answers. So it was hard. Izuku was surprised that Ace snapped like that, which sucked, too. He wasn't angry or disappointed in him or anything, just surprised.

Ace was sure he was incapable of reacting in anger like that to the jerks at school he didn't like talking about, ever. When Ace asked, he refused to say, which was frustrating, but he didn't get mad at him. He was embarrassed and Ace knew the feeling, so he couldn't judge too harshly.

The next day, a package came that Izuku ordered for Ace, which was a surprise. He wondered what it was, but opened it. It was a mouth piece that athletes used to not break their teeth during harsh sports. "When you hurt, you clench your teeth hard. Now, if you hurt or are exercising, you can just use this to help out."

Ace was touched but unsurprised he got this for him, helping him out in any way he could. There was even a lanyard that could hook onto it, so he could carry it wherever he went to use on hand at any time. "Thanks. It's a really good idea." Inko smiled at it, proud of both of them, despite Ace's mess up at school.

But being away and not pestered about anything was nice. It was a comfortable break. Neither of them bugged him about wanting to see what he looked like. He would fit inside the apartment fine with the size he was now, but wasn't in the mood to make it even more known what he was. He thought his time with Rayleigh got rid of his self hate at least a little. But after being treated like some interesting exhibit, it just made him hurt and angry about it. Worried that would be how it was the rest of his life. Hopefully not.

"Eat something," Izuku said when they were having pizza, and Ace just stared at his slices. "What's wrong?" he asked, mom at the grocery store. She mostly worked on weekdays so she could have time for Ace on the weekend. Ace sighed and pushed his plate away so he could lay his head down.

But he answered. "I'll either be repulsing to people, or a side show. Just an animal or something, not a person with my own feelings and ambitions. It's just isolating, even though I have family and friends. I hate it so much."

"You have Rayleigh."

"He's a teacher or something, and I already talked about my feelings with him. I don't want to bother him if I don't have to," Ace replied.

"There aren't many people like him out there, you could be the only one, and he'd rather get to know you more! You guys could be good friends or something!" Ace didn't want to risk annoying him, and he shrugged about it. Rayleigh didn't need to meet with him. Ace didn't want to push him away. It would be devastating to lose that. "Let's go somewhere - to the playground. Get out of the apartment." Ace wished they could go places on their own, but they were still children and Inko hadn't forgotten how easily Ace had almost been kidnapped when they were younger.

Ace put on pants instead of pajama shorts and a shirt to go outside. It was hot, but not terribly. They joined in playing on the play structure with some other kids. They didn't glare at Ace when they were distracted and having fun. Ace wished the outside world was like his school in their empathy for Ace. He just really hoped he hadn't messed it up.

-x-

"I'm sorry that I snapped and threw something. I didn't mean to hurt or harm anything. I was angry because I'm tired of being treated like a sideshow. I understand your curiosity, but I'm a person too. I'll do my best not to snap again, and am getting help to calm the anger down. It's hard, but I'll still do my best," Ace read, and put his apology to Shanks on his desk. His classroom apology wasn't perfect, but kids nodded.

Some apologized themselves, which was appreciated. Ace hoped it stayed this way. If they didn't treat him like an interesting event or something, perhaps he would show them. Just not now at least.