Inko hadn't meant to slam the door in a thirteen year old's face, but some things just happened when one unexpectedly came face to face with their son's ex best friend, current tormentor. Especially when that aforementioned son was currently off taking a seemingly impossible test designed to make him fail while crushing all his hopes and dreams in the process.

Given the circumstances, Inko thought, her reaction could have been a lot worse.

But why would Bakugou Katsuki come to their apartment? His visits had stopped long ago, coming to an abrupt halt the day his quirk had manifested, and he hadn't been back since. Even the recent kidnapping hadn't been enough to drive the two old friends back together. So why would he come here now?

Not for the first time, Inko wondered what it must have been like looking in from the other side of their-conflict? Separation? No word seemed to fit their situation and the depth that Katsuki's decisions had struck at in Izuku. Mitsuki had paid the boys' deteriorating friendship little concern when they had separated, insisting that they were simply growing apart, but Inko had always known better. It was her son, after all, who had been subjected to Katsuki's bullying day in and day out. Her friend might not be as blind to her son's faults as most, but she couldn't believe that Katsuki would abandon his best friend for nothing. Inko tried to imagine what it would have been like if their situations had been reversed, but the mental image of her kind hearted Izuku as a bully would never form. Maybe that's what it was like for Mitsuki too.

What was she supposed to do now though? Inko felt fairly confident that she still had a pretty firm grasp on his personality despite the years that had passed since she had last spoken to him. Which meant that Katsuki was probably still standing outside their apartment waiting for her to open the door again, ignoring the seconds that had ticked by as Inko had her own panic that could rival Izuku's on a good day. She couldn't just leave him there. He would either start banging on the door or hang around until Izuku and Aizawa returned, and what then? Inko hadn't wanted to go with them to the test, too worried that her own nerves would hurt Izuku's confidence. What would Izuku do if the test had gone poorly only to come home and find Katsuki glaring at the door?

No. Inko needed to know why Katsuki had stopped by. For Izuku's sake as well as her own curiosity. If he had come to cause some kind of trouble then Inko would simply send him on his way, and that would be the end of that. She would give him the benefit of the doubt for the moment, and if the was wrong then at least she could make sure he was gone before Izuku and Aizawa returned.

When she opened the door Katsuki hadn't moved, still standing in the hallway glaring at the door frame as if it had somehow managed to personally offend him in the ten seconds Inko had left him standing by himself. At the sound of the door opening again Katsuki turned, his sharp look landing on Inko for a moment before he realized he was no longer alone.

"Katsuki," Inko said, forcing a smile on her face. "It's good to see you remember where we live after all this time."

"Like I could forget something so stupid," Katsuki responded. Inko couldn't be sure whether Katsuki had ignored the steeled edge to her words or if he just hadn't noticed it. Either way the sound of his voice grated at her already fraying nerves.

Taking a deep breath, she took a moment to remind herself of all the reasons she couldn't verbally destroy a thirteen year old boy.

"Izuku's not here."

"I'm not here to see De-" Katsuki cut off, glaring at something behind Inko as he started again. "I'm not here to see him."

Well. That was unexpected. Inko could think of no reason for Katsuki to need to see her. It was possible Mitsuki had sent him, but Inko didn't think so. Not when she took a second look at Katsuki and realized...was he nervous? Katsuki didn't show his nerves the same way Izuku did with restless hands and rambling words, but Inko recognized the signs all the same. Time hadn't been enough to wipe the memory of a younger Katsuki from her mind.

Katsuki didn't fidget where he stood outside her doorway. His eyes still met hers with unwavering determination. The only sign that there was anything out of the ordinary about his visit-besides the visit itself- was the slight shaking of his hands that he had closed in tight, pale fists. Inko's talent for observation was as sharp or as practiced as her son's, but Izuku had gotten the talent from somewhere. As much as Inko wanted to close the door in his face again and get back to waiting on news from Hizashi, she couldn't let Katsuki leave. Not when something was clearly wrong. No matter her own personal feelings about him, Bakugou Katsuki was still a child who needed help, and Inko couldn't turn him away when he came looking for it.

Inko sighed. "Come in, Katsuki. I'll make us some tea while you tell me what's wrong." Katsuki started at her words before Inko turned her back towards him, already moving towards the kitchen. So she had been right after all. "And close the door behind you."

There was the sound of the door closing a little harder than necessary, and Inko didn't look back to see if Katsuki had decided to follow her to the kitchen. She might not have been able to let him leave knowing something was wrong, but if they were going to have this conversation it would be on her terms.

"Take a seat, Katsuki-kun." Inko said, moving the kettle to the stove.

Katsuki didn't speak as he pulled out a chair. No sharp words or barbed insults, just a scoff and the sound of the chair scraping against the floor. Inko didn't speak either as she went about preparing the tea, trying to calculate how much time she could spare him before she ran the risk of Izuku returning. She would give him half an hour, she decided. Half an hour to get whatever he had come here to say off his chest, and if he still hadn't solved whatever this problem was that he for some reason had determined she was the solution for then...She really didn't owe him anything.

Compassion had let Katsuki into her apartment, but Inko would always put Izuku first. If the problem persisted she would call Mitsuki. Let his mother help if thirty minutes of Inko's time wasn't enough. But how to address it? Inko knew what she would do to help Izuku, but a hug and a gentle prod at the source of the issue wouldn't work in this situation.

Placing a cup in front of Katsuki, Inko pulled out her own chair. A gentle approach with Izuku worked, in part, because Izuku was a gentle hearted person. His instinct was always to blame himself for his problems because he assumed the best out of everyone. Katsuki himself being the best example of that, of course. It had taken Izuku years to admit that Katsuki's behavior wasn't acceptable, wasn't his fault, wasn't the actions of a friend. What would work for someone who was almost the complete opposite then?

Katsuki stared at her. Inko stared back. He seemed in no hurry speak as their limited time slowly ticked by. She had to do something to move this along, but what? Inko waited until Katsuki picked up his mug, grimacing at the herbal smell, to finally speak. "We both know this isn't a social call, Katsuki. Go ahead."

"What?" He snapped, slamming the mug back down, tea spilling over the glass's edge.

"Whatever you need to talk to me about. Go ahead. Believe it or not, I don't actually have all day to wait around for you to get to the point. Ask what you need to ask or leave." The words tasted sour as Inko spoke, but she didn't know what else to try. This was okay, right? Oh no, what if she had miscalculated? Katsuki always acted directly, so Inko had thought that a direct approach would be best but-

"I have the perfect kind of quirk to be a pro hero," Katsuki started. Inko immediately bit back another sigh. So it was going to be this kind of conversation.

"There isn't a perfect quirk for being a hero, Katsuki," Inko replied, frowning down at her own mug. Maybe she had misjudged the situation. If Katsuki came to brag or to complain more about Izuku training with Aizawa, she would have no qualms with depositing him right back outside her door again.

His scowl deepened, and his grip on the mug tightened.. "What makes you say that?" The tone remained the same, still just as biting as if the very thought of him being wrong was ludicrous. But the words themselves gave Inko pause.

"You are right that a quirk like yours is more suited towards being a hero," Inko allowed, tracing the Yuuei logo on the mug she had gotten for Izuku as she wondered where this conversation was going. "But I wouldn't say that any quirk can be 'perfect for being a hero' as you said because when it comes down to it a quirk is only as good as the person's ability to use it effectively."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, even the most powerful quirk would be no use if you don't know how to use it properly. If you don't know how to adapt your ability to your situation, then what is your quirk really worth as a hero?"

Inko had been doing a lot of thinking about quirks and their role in heroics ever since Izuku started training with Aizawa. Looking back at how she had responded to her son's dream to be a hero when he was younger and learning what it really meant to be quirkless, she couldn't help but regret the way that she had handled the situation.

Quirks would always be a big part of heroics. There would be no escaping that. Quirks were the only reason that being a pro hero was even a profession. They were incredible shows of power and wonder that so rarely came in a society where super powers were the norm, and people depended on that entertainment almost as much as their own security. The problem came though, when people had started equating quirks with goodness, or usefulness, or the only way to be strong. Inko had allowed herself to buy into that same mentality, and had let Izuku down when he needed her the most. Of course having a strong quirk wasn't the only way to be a hero. She should have known even then that if anyone could find a way to prove everyone wrong it would have been Izuku.

Katsuki huffed. "You sound just like him," he said, flicking the handle of the mug. "Aizawa. Eraserhead. Whatever."

"You talked to Aizawa-san about this?" Inko couldn't help but ask. The pro hero hadn't talked much about his brief meeting with Katsuki other than to say that it had happened. Inko would be lying if she said she wasn't curious about how that conversation might have gone.

"Old man called me out to that creepy ass warehouse of his," Katsuki said. "Said some shit about a quirk not being all it takes to be a hero. Told me to think about how I used my power over Deku, or some nonsense like that."

Aizawa hadn't mentioned anything about that to Inko, but she didn't doubt it. It sounded like something he would say. Except-

"Deku?" The word sounded flat and cold through Inko's empty apartment.

Katsuki grimaced. "Aizawa didn't like it either. It's just a stupid nickname. I don't get what his fucking deal is."

"Yes. You do." Inko argued. "Lying when you've come to me for help isn't going to do anything for you, Katsuki."

"I'm not lying!" Katsuki tried to argue, shoving the mug back across the table, but Inko wasn't having it.

"You started to call him that name when you first got here, but you cut yourself off. Didn't you?" She countered, her voice just as steady as before despite her words cutting like ice. "If you didn't think there was anything wrong with it, if it was really just a silly nickname, then why would you do that?"

"That-" But Katsuki's protest died before it could even begin.

Inko was going to buy Aizawa a present, because the look of confusion on Katsuki's face was something she had never imagined she would get to see. Not because she enjoyed the struggle Katsuki seemed to be going through, of course, but because she had never thought that a day would come where Katsuki might realize that the way that he had been acting-the way that he had been treating Izuku- wasn't the right thing to do after all. She had watched for years as teachers and Katsuki's parents let his behavior slide, never able to do something about it herself.

And all it had taken was one conversation with Aizawa to plant that tiny seed of doubt.

"And have you? Thought about how you've treated Izuku?"

The anger drained from Katsuki's face as he pouted, mumbling just low enough that Inko couldn't make it out.

"What was that?"

"I have okay!" Katsuki snapped. "I have and it's bullshit! No one has said anything to me about having power over Deku, or whatever the fuck Aizawa was trying to tell me. We've been in school together for years. I've called him Deku for as long as I can remember. Not a single one of our idiotic teachers has said a single fucking word to me about it. And why is that! Huh? Because it's not a problem!"

"Then why are you here, Katsuki?" Inko asked, making sure the younger boy met her sharp gaze. "If you really didn't think that was a problem you wouldn't be talking to me for the first time since you and Izuku stopped being friends."

"I-" But again, his words seemed to fail him. Katsuki seemed genuinely torn. Inko couldn't imagine what he must be feeling in that moment. Aizawa had somehow managed to shift Katsuki's world just enough for him to start questioning things he had never considered before, and it had to be terrifying realizing that everything you thought to be true might not be…

"I'm going to be frank with you, Katsuki? Is that okay? Because you came to me for answers, and there are some things you need to hear." Katsuki might have been an egotistical bully, but he was still a child. An intelligent child who could maybe learn from the mistakes the adults in his life had failed to save him from.

"Whatever," came the grumbled response. Inko would take what she could get.

"I don't know what exactly Aizawa-san said to you," Inko said, taking a sip from her mug as she tried to decide the best way to start, "but I can guess. Like I said before, when it comes to having a versatile quirk and knowing how to use it effectively, you have an advantage. No quirk can be perfect for heroics, but I'm not going to deny that you have a better chance than most. There's more to being a hero than just being powerful or intelligent, though. And that other element is going to be the thing that holds you back if you aren't careful and really take this opportunity to think about your actions."

Katsuki exploded. "Holds me back? There's nothing that's going to-"

"Katsuki," Inko interrupted. "I mean this in the kindest way possible. But you need to shut up and listen to what I have to say. You came here to ask for advice, right? You wanted my perspective. Now respect me enough to not waste my time. If you don't want to listen to me, then there's no point to having this conversation. You can go ahead and leave."

Silence.

Inko struggled to hide her smile as Katsuki remained in his seat, glaring at the table but making no move to leave. Progress indeed.

"Putting it simply, Katsuki, you've been a bully. You've belittled others, and dragged their insecurities out for the world to see. You're quirk gave you a level of leeway with your teachers, and you've used the power you've been given to make others miserable. You want to be a hero, but do those sound like the actions of a hero to you?"

Katsuki huffed again, but didn't protest.

"People have let you get away with this behavior for years, and I can't speak to their reason, but they have done you a great disservice. Maybe if someone had told you know, had stopped feeding your ego, had helped you realize the consequences for your actions you wouldn't be in this situation," Inko said, and her heart ache for the struggle that he would have to face, despite how much she hated what he had done to her son. Katsuki was responsible for his own actions, and he would have to deal with the repercussions of what he had done if he truly wanted to change, but that didn't change the fact that every adult in his life up until this point had failed him.

"I'm not saying this to hurt you," Inko continued, trying to remain calm as she wondered if she was really doing the right thing. "But if you are serious about being if a hero, you need to examine the reasons why. Are you doing this because you want to be the best? Because it makes you feel strong? Powerful? Or are you doing this because you want to help people, because you want to make the world a better place. If it's the power you're after, then I suppose the path you're on right now is fine. But if it's the latter? You need to think about how your actions have been counter to that. You have so much potential, Katsuki. There is so much you can do to help others and build a better future, and you won't be able to live up to that potential if all you do is use the strength you've been gifted with to hurt others."

"Toshinori! You came!"

Nedzu sat with his back turned towards the door, eyes on the papers he had in hand, but Toshinori wasn't surprised in the least that the principal's call came the moment he stepped in view of the doors. Knowing him, Nedzu probably had camera's lined up and down the hallway he had just exited.

"How could I say no when you asked so nicely?" Toshinori replied, pulling out the chair in front of Nedzu's desk and taking a seat. "But if this is about your offer…"

Turning back to face him, Nedzu waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry, don't worry. I know when to let things go. For now." The smile he fixed on Toshinori was anything but reassuring. "I'll wait to try again next year. Who knows. Maybe you'll finally say yes."

"Maybe," Toshinori allowed, rubbing sheepishly at the back of his neck. "But I don't really think I would be that great of a teacher. I have no experience, and my situation is a little..unique."

"Well, we'll have to see about that," Nedzu said, moving to pull something from his desk drawer. "But that really wasn't the reason I asked you here today. How much time are you down to with your quirk?"

Toshinori started at the question. "Three hours. Three and a half max. It's still decreasing though. Why?"

"Because there's something I think you need to see," Nedzu answered, opening a laptop he placed gently on the table in front of him. A paused video filled the screen.

"Meet Midoriya Izuku," the principal said, still smiling, and hit play.

AN: No Aizawa or Izuku this chapter, but...

Up Next: Hatsume Mei

Thanks to everyone who commented on the last chapter! It really means a lot to me. I have a break coming up soon, so the next chapter definitely shouldn't take as long. Thanks again for being patient as school has been a little crazy.