A hand slammed on his desk and Izuku awoke from his dazed state. He had been daydreaming aga-

Izuku was falling.

He was falling.

The ground was so close.

Izuku couldn't believe that he had actually jumped.

He was going to die.

He was going to die!

Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die!

CRUNCH!

Izuku threw his hands up and screamed!

Kaachan jumped away from Izuku's desk with urgency and asked, "what the hell is your problem?"

"Kaachan?" Izuku asked. He lowered his arms and realized he was back inside the classroom. "I-I think-"

"What the hell was that you stupid nerd!" Kaachan was growling in front of Izuku's face with his teeth barred. "Think you're funny huh? Or were you really sleeping in class? I know no one really expects anything out of a worthless Deku. But seriously, if you keep this up you'll never move to the next grade."

Izuku starred up into Kaachan's furious red eyes. Kaachan wasn't dead. Izuku wasn't dead. They were alive.

"Kaachan. I have something to tell you, about my Quirk!" Izuku started from his desk and grabbed Kaachan by the shoulders.

"What the?" Kaachan tried to shove Izuku off forcefully but Izuku held on tight.

"I know what my Quirk can do! And it isn't Invisible! The Doctor got it wrong. It's a Dormant Quirk! You see, Kaachan. I can return from dea-"

th…

Izuku froze. Something cold was working it's way into Izuku's heart. The world around him had frozen still. Kaachan hadn't so much as breathed since Izuku tried to tell him what his Quirk did. And Kaachan's two friends were standing over by the door, frozen amidst conversation.

Izuku tried to breathe but he couldn't. Something was squeezing him like a massive hand. It was gripping him tighter and tighter. It didn't hurt so much but Izuku certainly couldn't move.

"What is… going on?"

The words were choked out of him. He couldn't breathe. What was going on? Was there a Villain attack going on? Here at the school? But this hadn't happened before in any of the other loops. Only when he tried to tell Kaachan…

"I won't… tell." Izuku coughed. "I won't tell… him!"

The hand slowly let go and Izuku Izuku to the ground into a coughing fit.

The cold in his heart solidified. It was a warning from his Quirk.

Izuku blinked back tears.

He couldn't tell anyone about his Quirk.

Return By Death wouldn't allow it.

But…

Since when could Quirks think on their own? Just what the hell was his Quirk?

The chill vanished and the world resumed around him. Kaachan looked down with wide red eyes at Izuku choking on the floor.

"What the fuck!" Kaachan shouted and gripped Izuku by the collar.

Kaachan's shout got the attention of his two friends and the came scrambling over from the door.

"What happened?"

"Did you hit him, Bakugo?"

"Hit him? Looks like he's choking him!"

Kaachan snapped. "You idiots! Does it look like I'm choking him?" Kaachan aggressively pulled Izuku up and shook him back and forth in front of his two friends by the collar of Izuku's shirt.

"What else is it supposed to look like?" One of the friends muttered.

Kaachan grit his teeth and looked Izuku up and down. Izuku was still shivering. The cold hand was gone. But the fear. The fear had shaken Izuku to his core. He didn't know how. But Izuku just knew that if he ever told anyone about his Quirk. Return By Death would kill him.

Izuku did not want to find out what happened if his own Quirk would kill him. Quirks weren't supposed to work like this. They were like extra muscles. Not some sentient omniscient force.

"Come on!" Kaachan shouted right next to Izuku at his friends. "Help me get this damned Deku to the Nurse before he checks out for the day."

Izuku tried to muster himself. To move even just a little. To say something. Anything!

But he was just so scared of his own Quirk.

All of that resolve he had built up to jump from the school to save Kaachan, crumbled.

Katsuki Bakugo was pacing.

And Katsuki never paced.

Pacing was a sign of worry, of weakness.

But something was clearly wrong with stupid Deku. One second. For just a second Katsuki had seen Deku's eyes light up in that way they always did before he went on one of his famous nerd ramblings. But now…

Katsuki stopped his pacing and his two friends looked at him. They weren't his friends. These were just two stalkers. He knew he'd have them someday just like all of the other great Heroes. But to have them so early? Was Katsuki truly that great already?

Fuck yes he was!

It was only a matter of time. Any day now and the Pro's would be all over him just like these two loser stalkers.

The two stalkers were looking freaked. Worried that Katsuki had nearly killed the damned Deku. Like hell? Why would Katsuki kill shitty Deku? Maybe if Deku did something really stupid like this stupid stunt he was pulling then maybe Katsuki would have to kill him.

But…

Katsuki looked down at the broken green haired boy sitting on the ground against the outside of the school.

Katsuki had demanded his stalkers help him carry the stupid Deku into the Nurse's Office. They had made it just in time only for the Nurse to wave off Deku after a quick glance.

Like hell that Nurse did his job right! There was no way with whatever shitty Quirk that hack of a Nurse had could tell that Deku was fine with just a single glance.

There was obviously something wrong with Deku. Katsuki just didn't know what though.

Deku had been fine until he started to say something about his Quirk. His shitty Invisible Quirk.

Katsuki Bakugo had done a lot of research on Invisible Quirks for no reason in particular. But it had seemed as if Deku had finally figured out just what his worthless Quirk accomplished. And it nearly killed Deku.

That scared Katsuki.

Because if he was right it would change everything.

Deku's Quirk was dangerous.

The stupid nerd could get himself killed.

Or his shitty Quirk would kill him.

What could Katsuki do?

What would All Might do?

That was obvious. All Might would beat up the problem and save the day like he always did. But Katsuki wasn't All Might and not even All Might could fight off a Quirk like this… could he?

Maybe. Katsuki didn't write it off. All Might was amazing.

"Maybe we should just leave him here." That was the Finger Stalker. He gave Katsuki the creeps. Not that Katsuki was afraid of some stalking loser with a finger extension Quirk. It was more so that Finger Stalker thought Katsuki and him were on a level. One day Katsuki would have to show him just how over-leveled Katsuki truly was.

"I dunno." That was the Winged Stalker. Katsuki could have sworn that the Winged Stalker stared at Deku a little too often. Almost like he was observing him. Wasn't his grandfather some shitty Quirk Doctor?

Katsuki glanced at the Winged Stalker. Could he…

That was crazy. And Katsuki Bakugo did not do crazy. Leave that for the online fan theory fanatics. Katsuki was a problem solver. Only he didn't know how to solve shitty Deku's problem without beating his ass.

This whole situation was starting to piss him off.

"All right. Let's go, fucking Deku." Katsuki reached beneath one of Deku's arms and lifted him up to his useless feet.

Katsuki nearly stumbled when he caught the almost dead look in Deku's eye.

What the fuck happened to you, Deku?

That's what Katsuki wanted to say. Instead he shouted. "Move your ass, Deku!"

Green eyes flickered in Katsuki's direction before settling on the ground.

"Fucking hell!" Katsuki screamed. A large burst of fire, smoke, and sound exploded from his palms. "Get a move on already. We'll help you home since you're so useless with your useless Quirk, Deku!"

That seemed to strike something in Deku. At the mention of his Quirk, Deku flinched.

Katsuki's eyes narrowed. He liked being right. He liked being awesome. He liked having power. He did not like what implications Deku's Quirk could mean floating around inside his head.

Katsuki grabbed Deku and pulled. "Let's go already!"

Katsuki Bakugo dragged shitty worthless Deku through the streets of the city. Behind him were his two stalkers providing a wonderful commentary.

"This is boring!"

"Should have just left him at the school?"

"My Grandfather is a Doctor, perhaps we should…"

"Come on Bakugo, let's drop him here and hit up the arcade!"

"My Grandfather always says…"

If Katsuki's teeth weren't so amazing they'd be paste. With one look over his shoulders the two shut their mouths. His red eyes told them about the death and the killing that would be happening if one of them so much as said another goddamn word.

And it didn't help that he was having to pull such a crappy Deku. Deku was practically tripping over his feet every step he took. Katsuki was at wits end with all of them. One blast was all it would take. One single mega super awesome explosion to murder them all.

But of course a Hero might see. It wouldn't do for the Heroes to think of Katsuki as a Villain. Then again, if they let him explain the dead bodies they might just let him off with apologies of their own. They wouldn't hold it against him for killing two stalkers and one worthless Deku.

He just had to calm down. Soon Katsuki would be dropping off Deku at Auntie Inko's and he could ditch the two stalkers on his way home. And then he could spend the night studying, preparing. He was going to make it into Yuuei. He, Katsuki Bakugo would become a Hero. The greatest Hero of them all. Even better than All Might himself!

Then it happened. A sewer cover beneath their feet rattled. Izuku looked up lazily. Katsuki cursed. The stalkers held back.

The sewer cover popped off. A mass of green oozing slime climbed up from the depths. Deku stared up at the green mass blankly. The two stalkers went running, screaming for help.

Katsuki just stood there, frozen. Was this a Villain? A real life Villain?

The Monster spoke. "Come here little boys, I'm in dire straits."

A Villain.

Katsuki trembled in place. Katsuki was strong. Katsuki was going to grow up to become a Hero someday. But Katsuki didn't even have his Hero License yet. So what could he do? He wasn't even in High School yet. He was just a kid…

The Sludge Villain crept forward and Katsuki inwardly begged for a Pro to come along. To save them.

He could run. But he wouldn't. He may not be able to fight this Villain off. But his pride wouldn't allow him to run away like the stalkers either.

Then the Villain covered Deku in green slime.

Deku!

Katsuki moved. Katsuki rocketed forwards with a series of small explosions propelling him forwards. He swung his right arm and concentrated. One of his biggest explosions to date went off in the Sludge Villain's face.

The Villain growled and covered Katsuki's arm in… Katsuki didn't want to think about that.

"You damned brat. What an amazing Quirk! I could use a skin suit like you!"

A damned skin suit? What kind of sick fuck? Katsuki tried to scream but the foul liquid rammed into his open mouth. He tried to bite down. Rip and tear with his teeth. He had to fight. He had to live. He couldn't die! He set off a series of explosions with his free hand. He managed to blow some sludge away but not enough.

Katsuki readied to really let loose and murder this shitbag when he saw Deku in the sludge too. He couldn't…

If Katsuki let off any explosions inside of the Villain… he might accidentally kill Deku. Not like Katsuki Bakugo's regular killing. For real, actually kill Deku. Like Deku would be a smear on the pavement.

Katsuki damned Deku for being so useless.

Katsuki struggled and looked at Deku and realized in horror the idiot wasn't even fighting. He wasn't moving at all.

No!

Katsuki bit. Katsuki clawed. Katsuki kicked. Katsuki headbutted. Katsuki tried. But he was just so damn weak.

Worthless…

Katsuki began to cry uselessly. Like a damned Deku.

Then a storm of wind punched the Sludge Villain into pieces.

Katsuki was on the ground coughing and hacking up raw sewage. He'd be lucky if he hadn't caught some killer disease from the garbage. Ha! Wouldn't that be something. The great Katsuki Bakugo felled by sewage.

This was so fucking gross. When Katsuki caught those useless stalkers running off on him and Deku, he'd…

Deku!

Katsuki glanced over and saw a living god.

All Might was standing over the two boys looking concerned. "Are you all right, my boys?"

Who the fuck was All Might to call Katsuki and Deku his boys?

"Cutting it a little late, weren't you, Hero?" Katsuki verbally bit at All Might. The man might have been Katsuki's Hero. But Katsuki had nearly drowned in garbage. He was pissed.

All Might very visibly flinched. It was obvious from the way his big figure jerked. "Yes, well. You know how it is. Traffic and time. A Hero's worst foes! But I made it here just and time. You kids should be more careful." All Might looked to Katsuki's right. "Say, are you all right, my boy?"

Katsuki turned and saw Deku lying on the ground. He wasn't moving. He wasn't breathing.

Katsuki and All Might were at Deku's side in less than a heartbeat. All Might was checking for a pulse. Katsuki just stared.

This couldn't be… This wasn't right… All Might was here… All Might beat the Villain… Deku was still…

Katsuki's voice was so soft and frail. As if these next moments could shatter him into a billion pieces. "Izuku?"

Izuku Midoriya was dead.

Something was missing.

It was like a light in the world had gone out.

Izuku Midoriya was floating. Lost in fear and lost in thought.

This world was cruel. Not all men were created equal.

His Quirk was trying to kill him.

Return By Death was working against him.

Izuku opened one eye and watched as Katsuki flailed about in a thick green liquid.

The Sludge Villain again?Why is Kaachan here?Did something change?

A hand slammed on his desk and Izuku awoke from his dazed state coughing and choking.

That foul slime was everywhere. He could still feel it. Strangling and constricting him.

It was terrible.

"Hey, what the fuck is going on shitty Deku!" Kaachan shouted down at him.

Izuku could finally breathe again. He could breathe and think and…

He'd wasted it. That entire loop, he'd wasted it hiding behind his own fear. Fear of his own Quirk.

Some Hero Izuku Midoriya turned out to be.

Damn it!

Izuku slammed his fist onto his desk.

"Kaachan," Izuku said. "I will be a Hero."

Kaachan looked down at Izuku with such hate. "You'll what? You? Worthless Deku? Become a Hero? Don't make me laugh, with a useless Quirk like yours-"

Kaachan was caught off guard by the sudden and intense gaze from Izuku. "I'm not a worthless Deku, Kaachan." Izuku stood from his desk.

Kaachan watched him wearily.

Something was different.

Izuku pushed passed Kaachan.

Kaachan grabbed Izuku. "Hey. Where do you think you're going nerd?"

Izuku pulled away. "I need to study. If I'm going to pass."

Izuku left Kaachan and his two friends inside their homeroom classroom. As Izuku stomped down the halls. The few remaining students had to do double takes seeing the one kid in the school with an Invisible Quirk, the meek and shy kid who rarely spoke up except to ramble about Heroes and Quirks.

Izuku was pissed. And it showed in the dark shadows of his face. His emerald eyes burned with intensity.

Izuku Midoriya would save Kaachan. He would go to Yuuei. And he would become a Hero.

Izuku paused outside of the school and glared at the city.

But first, there was someone Izuku needed to talk to...