Lmao I got a 62% on my chem exam :D

OoOoOo

Izuku sat very still.

He was paying careful attention to every word that came out of the principal's mouth; his softspoken voice making Izuku's ears burn. Nezu was an enigma; everything he said was carefully crafted in advance. Outsmarting him in any way, shape, or form would be nigh impossible. If he was going to navigate this meeting, he would have to know what he was dealing with.

And he had to find a way to stop Kacchan from getting expelled.

He had thought about this for a long time. He knew Tomura and the rest of the League had been right; Kacchan wasn't what a hero should be. His attitude was startlingly similar to Endeavor's and he didn't care about anybody but himself. He didn't deserve to be a hero.

That being said, Izuku couldn't allow him to be expelled.

Even if Kacchan didn't deserve to be a hero, but being a hero wasn't about what you deserved. It was about protecting the people who needed it. And hero society couldn't afford to lose someone with as much potential as Kacchan.

As Izuku saw it, someone with Kacchan's power had to become a hero.

And if he was being honest, Kacchan wasn't Endeavor. His worst crime was picking on the poor quirkless kid that no one cared enough to stop from being bullied. That was hardly worth being expelled over; it hadn't even happened in UA! His feelings being hurt was no reason to ruin Kacchan's future.

Nezu gave him a kind smile. "Now before we start with Aldera," he said. "I actually want to bring up an incident in All Might's heroics class."

Izuku's stomach dropped as that day played out in his mind. He had almost forgotten about that first day; it felt like a lifetime ago. He subconsciously grasped the arm Kacchan had injured that day. "The exercise got a little out of hand," he muttered. "That's it, I was fine."

The principal hummed. "Not according to Recovery Girl's notes," he replied calmly. "Mild burns as well as a concussion." Izuku winced as his mother made a strange sound in the back of her throat. "Midoriya, I've been principal here for a long time, but for a student to inflict injuries like that during their first class is a rarity."

"Kacchan gives his all during every fight," defended Izuku.

Nezu nodded. "As I expect from my students," he agreed. "However, part of being a proficient hero is knowing when to stop. Bakugou's lack of restraint is very disturbing." He leaned back. "Make no mistake, Midoriya, All Might should never have allowed it to go as far as it did, but do you think any of your other classmates would have gone that far?"

Izuku hesitated, then shook his head. "No," he admitted, eyes falling to his lap. Even Todoroki, intense as he was, hadn't aimed to seriously hurt anyone. Even during the Sports Festival, Izuku's worst injuries had been self-inflicted. Todoroki was facing him as a threat and with very good reason.

With Bakugou, he hadn't even used One For All at first. But that hadn't stopped Bakugou from going all out. Even when he was down, the blond had kept going. Had taken pleasure in beating him down again and again.

Because Bakugou liked running people weaker than him into the ground.

"But," Izuku pressed, ignoring the voice in the back of his head. "Isn't it the teachers' responsibility to teach him these things?" They couldn't have Mr. Aizawa take the fall for Izuku not knowing how to use his quirk, but not for Kacchan not having restraint. Right?

"Well, Midoriya," said Nezu patiently, sifting through some papers. "All of your classmates have been improving and working on their flaws. All except one; Bakugou of course. Why don't we look at his progress thus far?"

Izuku gulped, knowing that whatever was in Kacchan's file wasn't good.

"Now," continued the principal with that same calm smile. Inko leaned forward, her eyes sharp. "One incident in particular that stuck out to me was your final exam. Originally, we had overlooked this because the view wasn't the clearest. But upon further inspection, we were able to discern what had happened. Do you happen to know what that is?"

He almost wished the floor would swallow him whole. Of course he knew what Nezu was talking about. The punch. Kacchan, in a fit of anger, had hurled his fist into Izuku's cheek during the final exam.

None of the teachers had said anything, so Izuku had assumed that they either hadn't noticed or didn't care. Just like all his other teachers. But apparently, that hadn't been the case.

Nezu's pleasant smile remained in place. "If we had caught this at the time, Bakugou would not have passed," he assured them. "In fact, violence against a fellow student outside of training or combat against that student alone is enough for at least suspension."

Izuku's teeth sank into his lip.

"Of course," added Nezu. His voice held no hint of malice, but Izuku felt dread build up in his chest nonetheless. "That isn't even counting what happened at the Training Camps. Bakugou was informed that he was the target and specifically told not to engage, yet sought out the fight anyway."

"I did too!" defended Izuku. "I fought Muscular, then went after Bakugou." He wouldn't allow the rules

"You were protecting a civilian," Nezu shot back. "From your recount with Detective Tsukauchi, Muscular threatened to kill that child. Mr. Aizawa had given the students to use their quirks if necessary, your case was necessary." His eyes narrowed slightly. "Bakugou confronting villains was not, especially when he knew they were there for him."

Izuku pressed his lips together, but his retort died in his throat.

Principal Nezu's eyes softened. "Midoriya, you aren't on trial here," he said gently. "You aren't the one in trouble. Bakugou's actions don't just affect you, they're a hindrance and danger to your entire class. It's my job to make sure they don't continue."

Inko laid a hand on his shoulder. "You never think about yourself," she pointed out softly. The sorrow in his mother's voice made him hate himself just a little more. "So if I have to put it into different terms, what happens when he's on the field? What happens when Bakugou's recklessness endangers a civilian or he brutalizes a minor villain? Should someone like that really be a hero?"

Izuku shut his eyes. "No," he whispered, trying not to cry.

He had been doing it again, hadn't he? Making excuses for Bakugou. Disregarding his behavior. Power wasn't everything and it should never be what primarily defines a hero.

Mentality like that was the reason Endeavor was still a hero.

"Shall we continue?" asked Nezu. "Or would you like to step outside for a moment?"

"No," sniffed Izuku wiping his eyes. He looked up at the principal, a new sense of determination settling in his stomach. "No. I'm ready."

OoOoOo

I was reading an anti-Bakugou post on Reddit and someone made a very good point. They said, "Class 1A has to fight Mirio, guess who isn't there to get his ass folded?" And I just- this is such a good point. Bakugou is never put in a position where he loses. TODOROKI SHOULD HAVE WON IN THE SPORTS FESTIVAL

Ahem, anyway I hope you liked it and please review!