Chapter 29 lets go! This is a chapter with a handful of interactions with people who have long since needed a new perspective, I feel I did a good job in the last chapter in showing ONE's heart and what he stands for. This will be a relatively quiet chapter and focus more on the on Talk no jutsu in stread of fighting. This was a relativly easy chapter to write and I hope you enjoy it because after this things are going to heat back up with the villains. Enjoy!
Chapter 29 Former friends, family, fools and ONE's aid
Momo made her way to Izuku's house, suitcase in hand. She wanted to see her boyfriend after this crazy week. All the things she'd been thinking about and what he must be going through, she wanted to be here for him. She would have her parents send a driver to get her later but for right now she was headed to Izuku's. She felt a little bad because she didn't keep in touch with him as much as she promised she would, the last time they spoke was the afternoon after the Kamino incident before the aliens attacked. It's been four days since then and she's been hard at work training. She saw how busy he's been through online reports, such as the situation in Musutafu park, the Prime Minister mentioning him and crediting him as the one who stopped the aliens and now his video revealing that he's quirkless. Everyone at the camp saw that video and everyone had their own opinions about it. It took everything in her not to go off on those who tried to defend the hero academia for discriminating against him.
Mr Aizawa had given her a knowing look after he saw the video and the two even had a talk in private about ONE after the villains were arrested. It mainly boiled down to him calling her irresponsible for knowingly allowing someone to engage in vigilantism for so long. Last semester they even had a whole class about vigilantism, why it's bad, wrong and can't be indulged. She stood there and took it, not really caring for her teacher's words. She also couldn't help but think about what Bakugo said. They had walked together for a while seemingly going in the same direction when he dipped off, heading home. But before he left he gave her a warning to pass on to Izuku, "Tell the nerd I'm coming to kill him." He turned to walk away when Momo blasted him with a wave of Power Aura. It wasn't as strong as Izuku's, Michiko's or even Saki's, but the blonde froze in his tracks and slowly turned, a fearful look on his face as he refused to look into her cat-like eyes.
"I don't care.. Whatsoever how damaged your ego is, Bakugo." Momo looked him in the eyes, her onyx eyes piercing his red ones. "Izuku surely has a lot on his mind right now, I won't allow YOU of all people to be an annoying trifle."
"The hell did you just say to me?" He asked with venom, his anger slowly overcoming her aura of intimidation.
"Even if you act like a hot tempered fool, I know you're very perceptive. So I'll put this in a language you can understand… You've done more than enough too Izuku. He stays out of your life so grant him that same kindness."
Bakugo clenched his hands making small explosions, A vile sneer across his face, "This has nothing to do with you, Ponytail. This is between me and the nerd, so stay out of it!" He growled.
Bakugo felt his hands being sliced and the sensation of a blade piercing his heart. He didn't see it, but he felt it, he fell back on his ass, his eyes in complete horror. His heart was beating rapidly and aching and he felt pain in his arms, looking at them he saw they were still intact and inspecting his chest and found he wasn't bleeding.
He looked up at the black haired girl, "Before you can consider yourself a good hero, you should try becoming a good person." Momo turned and walked away, turning off her Power Aura that was scaring the blonde, "A hero's heart often means more than what they can do." She said behind her, not turning around.
Bakugo shook off his fear after the pressure he was feeling faded and stood up. He watched the spiky ponytail girl walk away, most likely to Deku's house. He grit his teeth as he watched her, he knew she was strong and even more than that he knew he couldn't beat her. He thought about attacking her to prove a point but as those thoughts ended he felt the pain in his arms and chest. He realized she'd have sliced off both his arms if he'd attacked, and if he had no hands it effectively made him quirkless. "Quirkless?" Just thinking of that word made him angry. Sad bastards born without power. Genetic failures of a human race that have left them behind. People who are just in the way and won't cut it as anything. Then there was Deku, the damn nerd he's known his whole life. Dreaming, stupidly to be a hero, it pissed him off how someone like that could be so powerless but so ambitious. It didn't make any sense, HE didn't make any sense.
He knew from the very beginning he was destined for greatness, he can blow things up like it's nothing, his quirk was top notch. He knew it was just a matter of time before he surpassed All Might and became number one, for people like him it's nothing but coasting to the top. But literally nothing has gone the way it should have. He's far from being the strongest or even the most desired student. It's been slowly creeping on him that he may never achieve his dream, that he'll be left behind, made an afterthought, and it's got everything to do with ONE, no.. Deku. That bastard had been ONE all this time. He's shown time and time again he's better than most pros, including All Might. Because of his independent status, on top of his drive and ambition he'll be a top hero in no time. He was always there, laughing behind his back. How could he have climbed so high and he didn't notice? He was nothing! A quirkless loser! A powerless nobody! Why didn't he just stay that way? Why didn't he just accept it and stay out of the way? Why won't he just GO away?!
Bakugo wrestled with these thoughts before grabbing his bag and heading home, screw that ponytail bitch, if she wanted to stop him from confronting the nerd she should have killed him.
Momo made it to the Midoriya house and after some knocking Inko answered the door, "Hello Momo." The mother said, welcomely. She then noted the young woman's suitcase, "Are you just getting back from your training camp?"
"Yes ma'am." Momo answered with a bow "May I come in?"
Inko opens the door fully for her, "Of course. "She answered with a smile.
Momo walked into the house and looked around, she saw Eri sitting at the kitchen table doing homework, her eyes lit up when she saw the older girl, "Momo~!" Eri squealed as she bolted from the table and went to hug the older girl.
Momo warmly reciprocated the hug, "Hello Eri. Are you doing okay?"
"Yeah." Eri responded happily. They broke apart, "What are you here?" She asked innocently.
"I just got back from a week-long training trip and I wanted to see Izuku." She replied with a smile.
"Oh."
Inko walked into the living room, "He's actually sleeping right now, I heard him come in pretty late this morning."
"I see. I take it he had a pretty long night?"
"This whole week has been full of long nights." Inko stated. "You're welcome to stick around until he wakes up? And I'd be happy if you could help Eri with her homework?"
Momo's face lit up, pumping her fists as she loved helping people learn, "Not a problem Mrs Midoriya!" She said excitedly. She looked down at Eri, taking her hand and walking back to the table, "Come on Eri. You've got this." The two sat down and began working on math. When Eri came to live with them they bought 1st through 2nd grade math, reading, writing, social studies and science books and Eri was homeschooled through these five days a week.
Four hours later
It was four in the afternoon and Izuku had woken. That was a refreshing sleep and he was ready to see a new day. He left his room, went to the bathroom, took a shower, brushed his teeth and flossed. After getting dressed he saw his mom had made lunch for him and he sensed Eri was gone, "Good afternoon mom."
"Hi Izuku. Did you get enough sleep?"
He stretched, "I did. But unfortunately crime doesn't sleep. It may not be good for me but I may need to pull all nighters more often."
Inko was a little worried at these words, "Where did you go last night?"
Izuku rubbed the back of his head, "I was all over the Chubu region last night. That's actually nothing compared to All Might who once worked for three days straight stopping crime nonstop. I can't imagine that kind of work ethic."
"While I'm happy that you're living your dream Izuku, don't forget to take time to rest and make time for the people who care about you." She said warmly before gesturing to the kitchen, "I made you two bowls of Katsudon for lunch, I figured you'd be hungry after you woke up, and Momo took Eri down to the park to play."
Izuku was surprised, "Momo's here?"
"She came here right when she got back from her training camp. But you were asleep so she chose to help Eri with her homework until you woke up. They should be back in a bit, and you should tell her about your video."
Izuku took in his mothers words, she was right. He didn't talk to Momo at all before he decided to reveal his quirkless status to the world and she definitely would have liked to have known. "I'll talk to her when she gets back, mom. By the way, dad's coming back soon right?"
Inko closed her eyes and smiled , "His things should be arriving soon and he'll be back this week."
"That's a good thing." Izuku said with a smile before he went to the kitchen to eat. He loved katsudon, his mother knew him so well as this was his favorite dish and her way of making it was his absolute favorite. It didn't take him long to scarf down the first bowl and as he was halfway through the second bowl he heard the door knob turn and in walks a happy Momo and Eri. Both girls' faces lit up when they saw him sitting at the kitchen table, "Welcome back you two." He said with a smile.
"Izu-Nii!" Eri excitedly ran to him and hugged him.
Izuku held her, fully accepting her embrace, "Hi Eri. I heard Momo helped you with your homework. Did you like it?"
Eri's red eyes met his as she smiled, "Yeah. Momo-Nae's really smart, she helped me do things easier." She answered innocently.
Izuku pulled her in tighter, "That's great~!" He looked at his girlfriend who was loving this cute scene, "She IS pretty awesome." Izuku ended his hug with Eri and approached Momo, arms outstretched to hug her, "Happy to have you back, beautiful." He said warmly with a charming smile.
Momo smiled, happy to see her boyfriend's aura was as warm and welcoming as it's always been. And that cute face of his did a quick pull on her heart strings as she accepted his embrace. "Glad to be back my love."
The two went to his room and sat on his bed. They sat in silence, Momo sat on his left side, holding his hand as she laid her head on his shoulder. He could sense her worries, and it made him feel a little guilty. The last time they spoke was a few days ago and they hadn't spoken since, even given the crazy aftermath that followed the Kamino incident. "I'm sorry, Momo."
Momo kept her head on his shoulder, "For what?" He asked, gently.
"For not keeping in touch. I should have kept you in the know of what was going on with the alien aftermath, my quirk drama and my video… Sorry." He replied sincerely.
Momo held his hand a little tighter and snuggled closer to him, she could sense his worries when they walked in here and she was sure he felt hers as well. "It's fine Izuku. I didn't keep in touch as much as I promised because I wanted to speak to you in person, not over a video or phone call. I may not have known everything but I saw enough to figure you'd been through a lot. I should have done more as well." She said warmly.
The two accepted each other's words, a good sense of understanding between them. Izuku smiled at her and perked up, "So, how did the rest of your training camp go? I'm eager to hear about it."
Momo smiled at him, "It was most fruitful. Not only for myself but everyone there." She giggled lightly, "Actually the students who trained with you were a little upset you never came back to the camp."
Izuku rubbed the back of his head, smiling awkwardly, "Yeah, I'm sorry about that. For the record I intended to go back, but with everything that happened I was a bit busy."
"Understandably. Honestly I think the one who's upset the most about that was Kendo."
"Kendo? I didn't know she liked me so much." Izuku joked.
"Oh she likes you, quite a bit." Momo said slyly.
Izuku gave a sly smile of his own, "Oooh~. Am I her hero crush or something?" Izuku laid her back to the bed with his right hand. Making eye contact with her, his green eyes looking at her sexily, "I saw how she was looking at me back at the camp. Jealous?" He asked with a charming smile.
Momo couldn't help but blush, pouting a bit as she gently bopped his nose with her left index finger before putting a hand to his cheek. She looked into the eyes of the boy she loved, "If I were the jealous type I probably wouldn't be here. Being with amazing guy's like you comes with the territory."
Izuku smiled, feeling warm at her words. Though it was a playful jab, he couldn't have been happier with her response and how thankful he was to have her in his life. He put his hand over hers, "And I'm eternally grateful for that." He paused for a moment as he lovingly held her hand, "This whole week has been pretty crazy. I could probably write a whole book about it."
I saw the Prime Minister's address, but what happened up there? Everyone's talking about it, and now there are even more eyes on you, not to mention All Might's retirement."
Izuku took a breath, "Love, you have no idea how phenomenally stupid this entire attack was."
Momo looked at him confused, and then he told her everything. Momo was in absolute shock after hearing everything he had to say. She didn't interrupt him and let him speak, as to hear the whole story, and it was irritating. "So the reason for all of this was mainly because a powerful, alien, space pirate was bored because of how strong he was? So much so he spent the last fifty years traveling to earth just to fight someone a prophet said was his match?"
"That's about the jist of it." Izuku replied honestly.
"That is the most asinine thing I've ever heard."
"I'm right there with you, Love. Despite how stupid his motivations, I guess from his perspective he was glad it wasn't a waste."
Momo sat up, "It's just so hard to believe. I guess it shows that life in the universe really isn't much different from people you'd expect in your own world."
Izuku spread his arms and smiled, "So much for intelligent life out there, right?" He said, jokingly.
Momo sighed, "Indeed." She paused for a moment, "That aside, what made you make your video. People have been clawing for that information but revealing it like that was a surprise to me."
"I just wanted to finally get that off my chest. With this latest incident that question was going to be asked louder and louder. Plus I figured coming out and revealing I'm quirkless would help not only people like me but people who look down on quirkless people think differently." His face lit up, "I actually met a kid that same day who found strength and courage in knowing he was just like me. He was able to stand up to his abusive father because I did that. It warmed my soul."
"I see. I was admittedly worried about the negatives that could come from your video, but they're actually outweighed by the positives now that I think about it." She turned her head and looked at Izuku, "I read your comment section, it was surprisingly very positive. But most people don't understand that quirks aren't the end all be all. If I just had my quirk and brains I'm sure I'd still be fine, but without Michiko's training I don't know where I'd be."
"I feel the same way… When I first started I never wanted to be a symbol, or an icon. I just wanted to be a hero. The kind I always dreamed of being. I guess the biggest reason for the video was to motivate people. No matter your flaws or shortcomings you can make seemingly impossible dreams possible if you're willing to put in the work… I'm the furthest thing from lucky, in the world we live in I'm a literal bottom feeder… But it didn't have to be that way just because society says it is." He smiled, "Each and every one of us is the master of our own fate. And while it's easier for others, anyone can reach that same heights if they're not afraid to put the effort in."
Momo felt warm and inspired by his words, this was one of many reasons why she loved him. She's never met someone that has a heart like he does, most heroes who see it as a job don't go nearly to the level the ONE does and she doesn't just mean power. Izuku genuinely cares about people. He cares so much about a society that treated him so terribly just because he wasn't like them. He's so amazing because he's able to genuinely connect with and understand people who are at the bottom or slip through the cracks, because he understands full well that that could have been him. Her onyx eyes looking into his emerald ones lovingly, a beautiful smile on her face that would charm most men, "Izuku?" He met her gaze, "Don't ever change." She said warmly.
Izuku looked at her charmingly, "I won't." Izuku took his legs off the side of the bed and laid straight on top, resting with his left hand behind the back of his head. Momo rolled over and got on top of him, she placed her hands on his strong chest and made her way down to his abs. She always loved the feel of his herculean, chiseled physique even through his shirt. She was in her school uniform, Izuku brought his hands to her soft thighs, the touch of his strong hands excited her as his hands made their way up, past her skirt, almost touching her butt.
She smiled sexily as she could feel him getting hard beneath her, "Am I making you happy, Izuku?"
He gave her a charming smile, "More like I'm happy to have my girl back." He made a dramatic expression, "I was truly lost without my one and only~!"
Momo smiled down at him, "Is that so?" She leaned down and planted a kiss on him, then the next moment they were passionate making out. Momo brought a hand to his cheek to deepen the kissing while their tongue wrestled for dominance and like always Izuku won. Her boyfriend had slid his hands up her skirt, taking a firm grip of her soft ass and making her moan. She always loved when Izuku touched her, he had this way of exploring her body and finding all of her sweetest, most sensitive spots. She always loved it when he'd go straight into them, he was an amazing lover, he knew what places to touch, how much pressure to apply, it was always perfect. It wasn't about getting her off, it was about her basking in pleasure and making her feel good and he'd become a master at that.
They broke from the kiss, a thin line of saliva connected between them as they looked in each other's eyes like star crossed lovers. Momo raised back up, still looking at him sexily as she started unbuttoning her shirt, Izuku slid his hands up her waist the more buttons she undid until her shirt was fully unbuttoned revealing a sexy red bra containing her bodacious titties. Momo reached behind herself and unhooked her bra, freeing her big boobs that seemed to hypnotize Izuku, who was now fully hard beneath her. She cupped her boobs, "See something you like Izuku?"
He smiled at her sexily, "It's good to know no matter how strong I am, I'll always be human." He reached up and grabbed her boobs, her nipples sticking about between his fingers. "Because no mortal man could resist the Yaoyoroppai!"
Momo's excited smile faded for a moment, "Please~ don't call them that. You sound like Minetta." She brought her hands to his, encouraging his fondling and giving him a sexy smile. "So.. You like these, my boobies. My massive fucking tiddies."
Momo arched her back and came a little from Izuku, suddenly pinching her nipples, "Don't even start that! You hang around Ashido too much." He smiled slyly as he kept a grip on her nipples, Momo breathed heavily for a moment before she recomposed herself.
Momo rode her sudden pleasure and looked back at him, "How do you do that to me so fast~!"
Izuku gave her a charming smile, "Talent."
Momo trembled excitedly, Izuku came up and kissed her and Momo absolutely melted from the kiss. She gave him a sexy look as she could feel his hard dick under her, she pushed Izuku down to the bed and the look on his face implied he knew what she was planning. She got off of him, a playful, lusty look on her face as her eyes landed on his rock hard cock. It looked like it was on the verge of bursting through his shorts, she began to playfully massage the large bulge when there was a knock at the door. All the passion and lust died as both teens went on edge, Momo quickly covered herself with her arms and Izuku almost panicked when he saw the door wasn't locked, his mom just had the courtesy to knock. Momo quickly got under the bed sheets and he got off the bed, quickly adjusting himself to hide his erection before answering the door, "Yeah Mom?" He said confidently, opening the door enough so as to not look suspicious.
Inko gave him the "Mom look" and noted the girl laying in her son's bed, she also caught a small glimpse of the red bra in the center of the room behind her son. She knew he was sexually active and held her concerns as she knew he was responsible. Matching green eyes met, "Katsuki's here to see you."
Izuku's face shifted to clear surprise, "Bakugo?" She shot a quick glance at Momo who had a knowing look before hiding under the sheets. "Well that's not suspicious at all." He turned back to his mother, "Give me a minute." He answered before closing the door. Izuku looked at Momo who seemed to be hiding from him, "Do you know anything about this?"
Momo rose up from the sheets, her exposed breasts jiggling as she brought a hand to her cheek, "He may have wanted me to tell you he was coming to kill you~." She said, almost reluctantly.
Izuku slouched and let out a deep sigh, "Of course he did."
"Do you want me to come with you?"
"You can if you want, but this is something between the two of us." He answered before reaching down and picking up her bra and tossing it to her, "I'm pretty sure she saw that by the way." These words caused Momo's face to turn beet red. He left his room and went to the front door only to find his mom in an awkward silence with Bakugo, "Thank you mom, I've got this now." Inko gave him a nod and went back inside. Izuku looked at the blonde who had a look of suppressed anger, which was unheard of for him. Not caring for any nonsense he gave him a smile, "Wow, even though our moms are friends I'm actually surprised you still know where I live." He made a thoughtful expression, "When's the last time you were here?.. I think we were seven, as I recall." He joked.
Bakugo grit his teeth, "Cut the crap nerd. There's only one reason for me to be here and you know what it is. So come on!" He aggressively demanded, gesturing to Izuku to follow him.
Izuku shook his head, "Sorry, can't do it. My awesome girlfriend is over. Since you've never had one you can't understand this, but it's kinda important to spend time with her." He smiled brightly, "Plus it's really fun. Change a lotta bit and I'm sure you'll get one one day. Cool? Alright, later." He began to close the door when Bakugo stopped it.
The blonde gave him a murderous look, "Don't you DARE think you can screw with me today you fucking nerd. I know it's you.. I know you're him… And if you don't come the fuck on I'm gonna tell the whole damn world it's you." He said in a low growl as to not alert Inko.
Izuku looked at the shorter blonde, this was the last thing he felt like dealing with today, hell, he still hadn't gone on patrol. Izuku sighed, "Mom, Momo, Eri, I'll be right back!" He exclaimed before closing the door. Izuku saluted the blonde, "Ok, let's go on your pointless ego trip." Baugo shot him a quick death glare at that statement.
Bakugo started walking with Izuku following, the two were in complete silence as they made their way to a familiar area, the woods they used to play in when they were kids. The last time they were here together Izuku was still trying to be his friend and Bakugo was basking in his dominance over everyone. Izuku smiled nostalgically as he looked around, "Haven't been here in a couple years. This place used to look so much bigger." Bakugo never said a word, but Izuku could sense the malice oozing off of him. Izuku could hear the sound of flowing water along with the other sounds and scents of nature. They made their way to a log that acted as a bridge over a shallow creek. He could sense a shift in Bakugo as he was the first to step on it, Izuku followed, noting how this log was a lot smaller than he remembered and it wasn't as high above the water as he remembered either. Izuku let out a pleasant breath, "The world was so much bigger back then."
Bakugo stopped on the bridge, turning to look at him with a death glare silently telling him to shut up. He took a quick glance at the water below before turning ahead and taking a step when he slipped on some wet moss. He began to fall towards the water when he was quickly grabbed from behind, keeping him from falling. "That would have been ironic… And funny." Izuku said as he helped him back onto the log before letting him go. Bakugo turned to snap at him but Izuku beat him to it, "Blah blah blah, I didn't slip. Blah blah blah, I was just fine. Blah blah blah, die nerd." Izuku crossed his arms, "Can we move on now? I DO have important things I would like to do today."
His tone angered the blonde, "Come on. We're almost there." He turned and walked forward. Izuku followed him all the way until they reached a clearing with plenty of open space. Bakugo stopped in the center and and turned to stared down the greenette,
Izuku looked around, taking in his surroundings. "Thirty minutes of walking, for this? Okay." Izuku noted how peaceful the place was, "Hm, this would have been a sweet training spot for me, shame I never knew about it." After spreading his senses and getting a full feel of the area he met the blondes murderous red eyes. His face looked calm, but he was clearly inwardly fuming.
"I've always hated you, you know that Deku?" He spoke, seriously.
"Kinda hard not to take the hint. Ironically I don't hate you. I don't think enough about you to hate you, you're just this quirkist guy I know." He answered casually.
Bakugo's hands balled into fists, "Quirkist?"
"Obviously. Your entire world view is built around how much better your quirk is than everyone else's. Not only that you have no problem with openly mocking and belittling anyone who's quirk you deem inferior Essentially tying a person's entire worth to their quirk."
He visibly shifted, "The hell's wrong with that huh?! The extras can whine and cry all they want, the fact is you're either born to be great or be a bottom feeder."
Izuku rolled his eyes, "Oh yeah, a lucky jerk and his explosions.. Take that away, what are you?" He asked seriously. Bakugo registered his question, looking almost hesitant to answer. "I know people with "Weak" quirks worth ten of you.. Sure, you've got a strong quirk, but that is literally IT. Your quirk is where any and all positives about you as a person end."
Bakugo made small explosions from his hands, "You think I give a shit! All that matters is that I'm stronger than anyone else. It's only a matter of time before I surpass All Might and become the number one hero."
"You've been spewing that nonsense since we were kids. Don't you know that being recognized as or being the strongest hero means almost nothing? There's a difference between having strength and being strong and YOU are definitely not strong, you just have strength."
Bakugo grit his teeth, ready to explode as thoughts of ONE flashed through his mind, "Was it funny? Looking down on me all this time."
Izuku met his gaze, unflinching, "I believe I've told you before, nothing I do has anything to do with you. I stay out of your life, so how could I possibly look down on you?"
"Because you never fought back!" His bangs covered his eyes as he grit his teeth and lowered his head, trembling with anger.
Izuku kept a stern look, "And what would have been the point of that? I didn't train to gain power to show it off, hurt others or gain some meaningless title."
"So you're calling my goal meaningless?!" He growled.
"This coming from the same guy who told me to kill myself because being quirkless my life must be SO devoid of meaning that I should just end it and hoped to be born with a quirk in my next life?" Bakugo's eyes narrowed at these words, "You're so frustrated right now because you're realizing what I've always known. You need your quirk to feel strong, or have any value or worth as a person. I do not. You don't deserve my antipathy, all you've ever deserved is my utmost pity."
That was the last straw as Bakugo blasted towards Izuku, and predictably he threw a strong right hook. The blast seemingly hit the greenette, Bakugo stopped and looked as the blast faded and saw Izuku was gone. "Where'd he-".
"You know, despite how cool your quirk is it's actually kinda nasty." A voice said from behind him causing him to quickly turn around to see Izuku standing casually, unharmed. "Your quirk is essentially exploding sweat, but your explosions REALLY stink. They have a musty after smell to them, has anyone told you this?"
Bakugo rushed back at him, throwing another blast only for Izuku to dodge. And then another, and another, "Stop running! Stand still and fight!" He demanded.
Izuku appeared behind him with his back to him, "Who said anything about fighting?" He backflips over Bakugo to dodge a blast. He landed a good distance away from him, "An important thing about having power is that you get to choose how to use it, and I chose not to engage in something like this."
Bakugo rushed back at him, throwing a series of explosions that all failed to hit his target. "FUCK YOU DEKU!" He roars as he starts throwing stronger explosions, setting some of the woods around them on fire.
Izuku appeared in a flash in front of Bakugo after he'd missed him again, "So this is the attitude of a future pro? Standards have plummeted." Bakugo brought his hands together, creating a bright explosion of light to blind him. Izuku was unfazed however as in a flash he disappeared just before bakugo's next attack could connect. The blonde was breathing heavily from anger as he knew he was being toyed with, "How much longer do you think this is gonna be? I did say I had other things to do today. Plus you interrupted the time I was spending with my girl." Izuku asked from behind him.
Bakugo turned to him, pure rage in his eyes, "You're not going anywhere until you fight me!" He said with venom. "I don't give a damn what it takes, you and I are settling this?"
Izuku cocked his head in confusion, "I'm confused, what exactly is there to settle? "We're not rivals or friends. We stay out of each other's lives and don't want anything to do with each other. There is no connection between us aside from the fact our moms are friends, and neither you or I are a fan of fake friendship. So what exactly needs to be settled here? I should just go my way and you go yours."
Bakugo blasts forward with two strong explosions, flipping to build momentum, "DIE!" He throws a massive blast that seemingly engulfs Izuku, destroying the ground where he stood.
"Is your tantrum over yet."
Bakugo turned around to see Deku was behind him again, not a scratch or single burn on him. He was so wroth with anger, his eyes threatened to blow a blood vessel. "STAND STILL YOU FUCK!" He roared
"I told you, I'm not going to fight you." Izuku said, calmly.
"You're gonna fight damn it! Or I'm gonna tell everyone your secret!"
"You'd endanger my family and loved ones just for a chance at appeasing your ego? What is the matter with you?"
Bakugo hated him, truly hated him more than he ever has at this moment. He wanted nothing more than to blast the nerd straight to hell and the realization he couldn't was tearing at him. "Why won't you fight?!" He roared as his anger was becoming uncontainable.
Izuku crossed his arms, "Why should I? This isn't a friendly fight or even training. This is just an egomaniac trying to take out his frustrations on someone he's always looked down on. Guess what, I'm not your punching bag. I never was. Boo-hoo nothing goes your way or was as you thought. Big deal, move on and take the knowledge that you were wrong about a lot of things and use that to become a better person. Then maybe you can be a good hero."
"I don't need any fucking lectures out of you, nerd! I'm gonna kill your ass right here and now!"
"Still as far from a hero as you can get." He sighed, genuinely disappointed it has to be this way. "Fine then. We'll play by your rules Bakugo." He said before his aura became serious and he took his stance. "Come at me, fool."
Bakugo's eyes widened as the air around them became heavier, it made him sweat and his heart began pounding faster. However he wasn't excited about it, he was feeling something he never thought he'd feel from Deku of all people, and that was genuine fear. He smiled confidently, his face full of anger, "It's about time you bastard!" He blasted forward, "I'm blasting you straight to hell today!" He roars as he closes in on the greenette who casually raises his right arm with a flat palm. Bakugo gets close enough, both arms cocked back as he readied a double blast, "DI-" He was cut off from Izuku landing a single, heavy chop to his left shoulder, pain shot through every part of his body, the hit cracking the ground beneath him and causing him to lose all feeling and drop to the ground. His eyes became heavy and whatever thoughts he had vanished. As he slipped into the void he couldn't comprehend the pain or even the fact that he lost. As his eyes shut and the last glimmer of consciousness faded the last thing he saw in the dark cloud of his mind were two boys, it was them when they were little.
"Wow! You're so lucky, your quirk is amazing Kacchan. When I get mine I hope it's just as cool."
"Whatever Deku, no matter what power you end up with you'll never be able to beat me."
Izuku shook his head as he looked down at the beaten blonde. Sighing, "It didn't have to be this way you know." He put the unconscious blonde on his shoulder and made his way out of the woods, making his way to the Bakugo house. He got a few stares along the way, but eventually made it to his destination. After knocking on the door he was met by Mitsuki Bakugo, "Hey aunt Mitsuki, been a while." He said with a smile
The older woman was pleased to see him, "Hey Izuku, how have you been?"
"I've been alright, can't complain too much." He then gestured to her unconscious son on his shoulder, "I'm just dropping him off."
Mitsuki had a unamused smile, "What did that idiot do now?"
"I guess he was trying to prove a point and it kinda backfired on him." He said with a smile.
The mother shook her head, "Of course it did." She gestured to the house, "Thanks for bringing him home."
"No problem." Izuku said as he entered the house. He went to Bakugo's room and laid him on his bed. He noted how much his room has changed since they were kids. It was as generic as you'd expect for Bakugo and was surprisingly clean. Along with that he was surprised that he had an All Might poster on his wall. He had actually given him that when they were little, It was a poster that had every age of All Might on it, young to golden. He had one just like it in his room because his mom had given it to him for his seventh birthday, however she was able to get a second one for free so he chose to give it to him, because he knew he liked All Might too. Izuku looked at the poster, "So you still have that huh?" He turned to the knocked out blonde on the bed, "I wonder if that All Might card is still here somewhere. I know I've still got mine." He thought before turning and leaving the room, closing the door behind him. He made his way back down stairs and found Mitsuki in the living room, "Alright, I'm taking off auntie, good seeing you." He said with a wave.
"Good seeing you too." She turned from the TV and looked at the greenette who was heading for the front door, "Izuku?"
Stopping and looking at the woman, "Yes ma'am?"
MItsuki gave him a warm, motherly smile, "It's disappointing you two never go along like me and Inko do, but regardless of what that boy may have said or done just know I've always thought you were a special kid."
Izuku was surprised for a moment, any issues he had with Bakugo he always left it with him. He never thought negatively of aunt Mitsuki, she's always been nice to him. "Thank you. He hates me for whatever reason, but I hold no animosity towards him." Izuku closed his eyes and shrugged, "We're just too different I guess."
Mitsuki had a look of disappointment from his words, "That brat still has a lot to learn, Izuku."
"I know. I'm just saying some things you should already know. Have a good day aunt Mitsuki." He said, waving with a smile as he left.
"You do the same." She said to his back as she watched him leave.
Izuku made his way back home and spent the rest of the day with his favorite girls. He told Momo about his encounter with Bakugo and she gave him a warm hug. Later on Izuku took everyone out for dinner. Momo's driver had arrived that night and the two shared a final kiss before the limo pulled off, taking her home. The sun had gone down and he decided to go on patrol, working so late last night and everything that happened this afternoon really ate up his day. Finding a secluded spot he got into his Beta costume, he leaped onto a rooftop and began free running across the city looking for crime. Musutafu has actually been pretty quiet since the alien attack so he'd probably need to head to one of the larger cities for action tonight. Looking down from a building he spotted a familiar heterochromatic haired boy, "Todoroki? Let me go say hi." He thought as he jumped from the roof towards the teen who was walking on the sidewalk.
The half n half boy never saw him coming as he landed without making a sound behind him. "Todoroki?"
Turning around, Todoroki's eyes widened in surprise, "ONE?"
The hero smiled, raising a hand, "Hey, how's it been?"
"Fine. Are you on patrol right now?"
"Believe it or not I just got started for the day."
Todoroki had a blank yet confused look, "But it's night."
"I know. I mean I'm just now putting on the suit and heading out. It's been a long afternoon, plus I didn't wake up until about four."
"I see." He turned his head as if thinking of what to say next. "I saw your video. You're truly quirkless?"
ONE smiled confidently, "Yes sir!"
"I never would have guessed."
The hero's smile continued to shine, "I don't blame you for that. Is it really that hard to believe you can achieve great power just from training?"
"Your level of power, yes, it's hard to believe." Todoroki responded blandly.
ONE shrugged, "Well, it's the truth." He started punching the air, "I fought through blood, sweat and death to obtain the strength to become the hero I always wanted to be."
"Who he wanted to be." Todoroki thought as his words resonated with him. He hasn't forgotten the words he spoke to him during their first conversation, he was able to change as a person at least a little and see more clearly. He was out for a walk, though he just got back from camp he had to get out of the house. His old man was in a mood. According to Fuyumi he's been like that since the alien attack, as after All Might's retirement he's now the top hero, and he's not pleased about it. "ONE, do you mind if I ask you a question?"
"Shoot." He responded.
"You said everything you've done is for your dream, but what kept you going despite all your obstacles?"
"That you wanna know, huh." He paused for a moment, thinking about his answer. "If I'm being perfectly honest, my dream, and my effort to achieve it were all I had. A hero was all I ever wanted to be, so much so that I never entertained the idea of a plan B. I understood early that all those who doubted me or dumped on my dream were just speaking from a place of ignorance. Everytime someone told me I couldn't be a hero without a quirk, I just took it as them saying without their quirks, THEY couldn't be. It was just another case of me being different from everyone else, just because you believe in something doesn't mean I have to. My peers, teachers, the hero academia and even heroes told me my effort was for nothing. They never so much as looked at me, and when they did all they saw was that I didn't have a quirk. I guess my answer is that I always knew my hard work would pay off one day, and I never lost faith in that. Because effort truly is pointless if you yourself don't believe in it."
Todoroki registered his answer, a rare sign of peasant emotion in his eyes, "I see. That's pretty inspiring."
"I do my best. Now let me ask YOU something, are you feeling alright? I sense your feeling uneasy about something."
Todoroki had a shocked expression, impressed at his perception. He closed his eyes, "My old man was being a "Pain", so I had to get out of the house."
"Is that right? I'm assuming it has something to do with him now being the number one hero?"
"That's right. He's been in a mood since All Might's retirement, and according to my sister he's been cooped up in his training room doing nothing but torching the place. Thankfully that room is specially made or the whole house may have gone up in flames by now."
ONE brought a hand to his chin and thought for a moment. He looked the other teen in his eyes, "This may not be one of my brightest ideas but do you mind taking me to speak with him."
Todoroki's eyes were visibly surprised, "Are you sure about that?"
"I'm not the biggest fan of your father, even more so given what you told me before. That being said, this seems like one of those times where an outside source is needed."
Todoroki still looked uneasy, he then closed his eyes and sighed, "Okay. Home's this way." He walked in the opposite direction with the hero following him.
The two talked amongst themselves as they made their way to the Todoroki house, they even got some looks on the street with several people approaching ONE for autographs and even recognizing Todoroki from the sports festival. "You're as popular as ever I see." Todoroki said as they left a group of fans.
ONE put his hands behind his head, "It's not all it's cracked up to be. With the Storm, the Kamino Incident, the aliens and now my video the love has been pretty heavy lately, but of course I'm grateful for it."
"You don't feel any pressure? I know how some people are calling for you to be the new symbol of peace."
ONE looked the heterochromatic in his eyes, "Todoroki… I do NOT want to be the symbol of peace, nor am I a replacement for All Might." He gestured to the area around them, "Look around you? It's the beginning of a new era in hero society. All Might's reign was so impactful that people are still holding onto what he built up. The adjustment period hasn't started yet, and I believe for some it's going to understandably be scary. That being said, even I understand that one person cannot shoulder the burdens of an entire country. On the surface, sure it looks like All Might did it, but there are plenty of cracks in it. Cracks that were intentionally ignored and allowed to spread and spread. I know because I'm one of those. My point is that this society becomes truly peaceful when everyone is included in that ideal. Everyone matters."
Todoroki was amazed by the passion in his words. His whole life he was groomed to surpass All Might, he honestly didn't know much about the world or people because of his upbringing. He wanted to keep talking to the independent hero, noting to himself to look outward at the current state of their society and strive to become a hero who can help create that peaceful world. They continued to talk until they made it to the Todoroki Abode. It was a large, spacious traditional style Japanese home.
ONE smiled as he observed the outside of the house, "This looks really nice, I really love the architecture."
"Thank you. My mom designed most of it."
"How is your mother by the way?"
"She's actually doing great. I recently started visiting her more often."
"That's great. I wish her a speedy recovery."
Todoroki put a hand to the door, "Thank you. But I don't see her ever coming back here, not with Endeavor still living here." He opened the door and the two went inside, as ONE suspected the house had a very traditional interior with smooth wooden floors and tatami mats.
ONE sensed three other people in this house, one of them was approaching them, "Shoto! Is that you?" A femine voice called out. A moment later a young woman looking to be in her early twenties rounded the corner to where they were. She was average height with white hair with red highlights tied in a ponytail and turquoise eyes, she wore glasses, a light blue t-shirt with horizontal white lines, dark blue jeans and white socks. She had a casual look when she spotted her brother who was taking off his shoes, her eyes and body language quickly morphed into pure shock when she saw his guest, "O-O-O-ONE!" She exclaimed in disbelief.
ONE smiled, completely unbothered by her response. He bowed his head respectfully, "Hello ma'am, sorry for showing up unannounced like this."
Seeing the hero's respectful demeanor, Fuyumi quickly regained her composure. She put a hand to her chest, "Sorry for freaking out. I'm Shoto's older sister, Fuyumi."
"It's an honor to meet you." He said with a warm smile.
"How exactly do you know my brother?" She asked, clearly curious.
"We had a nice talk a while back." ONE answered.
Shoto turned to ONE, "He gave me some good advice and wise words back then. He was also at my training camp. The point is I told him about how Endeavor's been acting and he wants to help."
"What!" Fuyumi exclaimed. After calming herself she sighed, "ONE, no offense to you because I'm actually a fan, but our dad hates you."
"I am aware, but I'm unsure why." He responded calmly.
"Probably because you're just as good if not better than All Might." Shoto stated bluntly.
ONE pointed at Shoto," It could be that. Where is he right now?"
"Where he's been for the past four days, in his training hall. Follow me." She gestured to the hero to follow her, ONE quickly took off his shoes and he along with Shoto went after her.
So is it as bad as I'm imagining?" ONE asked.
"Maybe. Dad's been cooped up since he was told he was now number one, only coming out to eat and bathe, even skipping work, which NEVER happens."
"Well hopefully I can talk to him and see where his head is at."
Fuyumi turned to him with an enthusiastic smile, "Please do… Bye the way ONE, you're welcome to stay for dinner."
Though he just ate, he didn't mind eating again, plus he could smell the delicious aroma from the dining room when he walked in the house. "I'd like that." He answered with a smile.
They reached the training hall and Fuyumi slid the door open, inside they saw Endeavor, he was sitting on the floor, beared ablaze. He was wearing a navy blue tank top and black sweatpants, the room was covered in scorch marks and burning flames along with the remains of destroyed exercising equipment. "Dad, we have a visitor." Fuyumi said, almost nervously.
Endeavor turned around with a casual angry expression that turned red with anger as he burst into flames, quickly standing up upon seeing the guest, "What the hell are you doing here!"
ONE stood, unintimidated, "Good to see you too, Endeavor. I heard you were going through the motions so I came to talk." He said, kindly and honestly.
Endeavor's glare deepened, "Get the hell out of my house you brat?!" He demanded.
"Come on Endeavor, this is a critical time. Surely you'd want to talk to SOMEONE about how things are likely to change now that All Might's gone?" His glare didn't shift at all, "Come on, I'm not here to brag, judge, joke or whatever you think I'm here for." He said sincerely.
There was a pause with the man's angry look not going away, his eyes shifted to his children, "Leave us."
Shoto walked back down the hall as ONE entered the room, Fuyumi looked at the green clad hero's back, sensing the tension. She looked at her father, "Dad, dinner will be ready in a bit." She said before sliding the door shut.
ONE stood in the darkly lit room, Endeavor's eyes locked onto him, he smiled, "Even though I can only smell the food I'm certain your daughter is an amazing cook. She'll make an amazing wife to some lucky guy."
Endeavor's glare shifted from anger to annoyance, "Cut the crap!" He exclaimed, pointing his right index finger, "Before we go any further, take off that mask?" He said, demandingly.
"You know I can't do that, Endeavor."
"You came to MY house. If you want to have any type of civil conversation then take it off!"
ONE looked the older hero in the eyes, he was conflicted, they both were. He could sense Endeavor was in the midst of a mental turmoil, and despite his feelings he wanted to help because that's who he is. He's followed Endeavor's career and encountered him enough since becoming a hero to get a good feel of his personality. He was pretty sure he wouldn't tell anyone, but still. "What would be the point of that? My true identity matters very little in the grand scheme of things."
Endeavor's annoyed look faded before brushing him away, Get out of here. I don't have time for your misdirection today." He turned with his right side facing the independent hero.
There was a silence between the two before ONE sighed, "We're just sort of.. Alike."
Endeavor turned to him, clearly irritated by that statement, "WE are nothing alike."
"We're both heroes made by the society All Might built up. For better or worse now that he's gone, society's going to have to rely on itself, not just one person. And who better to rely on than heroes made by the positive and negative aspects of said society. Heroes like you and me."
"And you see that as a good thing? I know what the media has been saying, I'm no replacement for All Might. People have more faith in you taking the reins than they ever could for me. The new symbol of peace, where did you even come from?"
ONE took a breath, met the man's gaze and brought his hands to his cowl, lifting it up and showing his full face, hair included. His emerald eyes met Endeavor's teal, "My name is Izuku Midoriya. My dream was always to become a hero, and though I was born quirkless that didn't discourage me. Through years of hellish martial arts training I gained the strength to be a hero, but I was barred from every hero school I applied to from taking their entrance exam because of my status. Instead of giving up I took my dream into my own hands and became a vigilante, you know the rest."
Endeavor's annoyed look was quickly replaced with one of absolute shock. He had seen ONE's video, but couldn't accept that he was quirkless. Even more so it stoked a burning desire to see what he really looked like behind that mask, but he wasn't expecting a kid about the same age as Shoto. Even his voice was different. "You're just a kid."
Izuku smiled, "Only in the ways that matter." He joked.
"No older than my son." He said in disbelief. He brought his right hand to his face, this being too hard to try and process. ONE was quirkless, he's not even an adult, and is a much more capable hero than he was. This is not a good time for him as he was still reeling from learning All Might's true form and now this. His entire life's ambition has never felt more hollow and meaningless than right now. He gets the number one spot not by his own merit, but because All Might stepped down because he couldn't do it any more. Now a quirkless runt, who's even stronger than All Might, comes in and seems to raise the bar higher than All Might ever could. It was only a matter of time before he was standing amongst the top ten heroes. "It was for nothing. ALL of this was for nothing."
ONE at the large man going through a harrowing realization and a serious internal crisis. "Endeavor, I'm sure you have a lot to think about right now, but let me say this… All Might is gone. What's coming is gonna take more than just strength to carry society through. It's bigger than I am, and it's bigger than you are. Get out of your own way and focus on what's important.. Everyone else. All Might left a lot of cracks in the society he protected, can we at least agree to try and take care of those? To make a brighter future for everyone."
Endeavor looked into the emerald eyes of the independent hero he's hated all this time, this boy was looking at him with a hopefulness he himself couldn't muster. This boy has been through some things because of the life he lived, he almost didn't want to look at him. "And how do you feel about All Might's retirement?"
"I knew he didn't have much time left as a hero. I actually spoke with him a few days ago. Even though he couldn't use his awesome power anymore, he didn't give up and finished his last job." Izuku sighed, "Endeavor if you want to be in a mood about all this then fine, but don't forget what makes a hero in the first place. Despite the mistakes you've made you surely understand why you never surpassed All Might, and it has almost nothing to do with power."
Endeavor took his hand from his face, revealing his eyes. He turned to look at the teenager, " You already said that once you brat. What exactly have I been missing?"
There was a pause as ONE registered his question, "Heart." He answered calmly. "You're an amazing hero, Endeavor, but that doesn't necessarily translate to a good person. Your personality and power made you an effective hero, but not a symbol of peace. Not saying you should be that, I'm just stating it given the criticism you've been getting lately. The point is you've saved many people's bodies, but have you ever once saved someone's heart? That's the truest testament of a hero."
Endeavor looked at him, his anger expression calm. He had taken in his words and was deeply processing them. "Heart" That's what made All Might so special and was the true barrier between them that he could never cross. While he wanted to dismiss ONE, in his heart he knew he was telling the truth. He's always known ONE was stronger than he was and that was a reason for his animosity, but he also saw how the public looked at him, it was so much like All Might it made him sick. Then when he heard All Might was beaten by ONE after they failed to capture him, he felt cheated in the worst way. What was he meant to do now? All the people he's hurt, his own family. Their lives and especially their hearts have been irreparably broken because of what he did. He never wanted things to be this way. All he wanted was to be the strongest, and it turned into a meaningless Endeavor.
His thoughts shifted to memories of his late son before he took a breath, "Alright."
Izuku raised an eyebrow, "Alright?.. What now?"
"You watch me." He said confidently with his usual angry expression.
Izuku smiled, "Okay then. I'm interested in seeing what you have to show." He said in his hero voice before putting his cowl back on.
"Do you have All Might's number by any chance? I need to speak with him."
"Sure." ONE pulled out his phone and gave him the number.
Endeavor once again noted the differences in his hero and normal voice, "It's fairly impressive how you've disguised your true voice so well."
ONE smiled, "Thanks. My sidekick's mom is a phenomenal actress, she taught me all about voice impressions." He put a finger, "Wait, check this out." He brought a hand to his throat, massaging in as he cleared it. He swallowed spit before centering himself, "SHOTOOOOO!" He raised a fist, yelling out, sounding exactly like Endeavor.
The flame hero looked at him irritated, "Get out of here!" He bellowed. As his body erupted with flames.
ONE put up a hand defensively, "Come on! I've been wanting to troll you with that since the sports festival. Plus your daughter invited me to stay for dinner, it would be awfully rude for me to dip without at least tasting her food after I agreed to stay." He said, playfully with a smile.
"Then put some in a bento and get lost!"
ONE dramatically put a hand to his chest, mouth agape at his words, "Wow, talk about incredulousness."
ONE sensed a presence on the other side of the door before it opened, it walked a worried looking Fuyumi. "Um, is everything okay in here? Dinner's ready dad. Natsu came home for dinner too. I sent Shoto to come get you but he got a bit annoyed after hearing you yell for him."
Endeavor's glare threatened to burn a hole in the back of ONE's cowl, ONE turned to him for a moment with a mischievous grin. "Forgive me for that dear daughter." He said in Endevor's voice, completely shocking Fuyumi, "We were talking and I got so hot blooded I couldn't help yelling his name, SHOTOOOOO!" He flexed his body as he yelled it to the ceiling.
Fuyumi's shock was quickly replaced with laughter as she started laughing, "That really does sound like you!" She said through her laughter and noted the embarrassed look on Endeavor's face.
Endeavor was pink with embarrassment, he quickly grabbed ONE by the back of the head and lifted him up, "Fuyumi, please make our "Guest" a bento so I can be rid of him?" He asked, now angry.
Fuyumi had finished laughing, she happily exhaled, "Sure dad. ONE, we're having Tonkatsu, is that fine with you."
ONE gave no resistance as Endeavor held him up, "That's perfect. I love Tonkatsu."
The young woman smiled, "That's great, I'll be right back." She said before walking down the hall.
ONE and Endeavor watched Fuyumi leave, "She is truly a jewel. I hope you all appreciate her." He complimented nicely.
Endeavor's grip tightened on his head, "What's that supposed to mean? You're not planning on making a move on my daughter are you? She's too old for you and out of your league, runt."
"Couple things, one, I have a girlfriend who's already out of my league but loves me regardless. Two, I'm not planning on making a move on her, just paying a compliment based on observations. Three, even if I was, I'm old enough. The age of consent is thirteen after all. And four, just because I'm shorter than you, don't call me a runt!" He said, crossing his arms.
Endeavor growled lowly, not caring for the snarkiness in his tone, he kept him up as they left the training hall. They said nothing to each other, neither commenting on this stage position. ONE sensed a presence closing in as they rounded a corner, a tall young man with spiky white hair was on his phone when he walked face first into ONE's stomach. He dropped his phone and fell back, grabbing his face thinking he walked into a wall, "What the hell?" He asked as he rubbed his head.
"Sorry about that. I'm offering no resistance." ONE said casually.
The young man opened his eyes and was shocked, "ONE!"
ONE raised a hand, "Hello~" He responded playfully.
He then Saw that ONE was being held up by the back of the head by Endeavor, His expression quickly soured. "Oh, it's you." He said, averting his gaze from Endeavor and picking up his phone.
"You okay? That looked like it hurt a little." ONE asked sincerely."
He rubbed his head, "I'll be fine." He smiled at the hero, What are you made of anyway? It felt like I walked head first into a metal door or something."
"Years of physical training have intensely toughened my body. For better or worse I'm pretty durable."
Well that's a relief. Kudos for taking down that boss villain in Kamino, you actually saved a few of my friends back then."
I'm incredibly thankful that no one died that night. I can't go into the details but that guy was a special kind of evil and needed to go down."
"Great to have a hero like you around… I'm Natsuo."
"Nice to meet you. Normally I would bow when meeting you for the first time but let's settle with a fist bump." ONE raised his right fist with Natsuo raising one of his own, the two did a fist bump before he walked past the two, "Cool guy." Endeavor didn't say a word as they kept going. They made it to the front door and Endeavor tossed ONE and he landed near the shoes.
ONE noted Natsuo's aura when he saw Endeavor but chose not to pry. The two continued to be silent before Fuyumi brought him a black bento box along with Shoto, "Here you go ONE, I got a good bit of everything in there."
"Thank you so much Miss Fuyumi. I can smell the delicious feast from here and I'm certain this will be delicious."
Fuyumi closed her eyes and smiled, "I hope you enjoy it."
ONE bowed his head, "I'm sure I will." He bowed to the Todoroki family, "Thank you for entertaining me." He shot a glance at Endeavor, "I'll be watching, Endeavor." He said before turning and exiting the home.
Fuyumi looked at her dad, "What did that mean?"
Endeavor only held a thoughtful expression, not answering her as he turned and went to the dining room. Shoto watched him go, that look in his eyes was so unfamiliar to him it was almost concerning. "Just what did ONE say to him?"
Two days later
It was two o'clock in the afternoon. Izuku had just wrapped up patrol for a while and was chilling at the house with his mom and Eri. His dad and his stuff were supposed to be arriving soon and he wanted to be here to greet him when he came home for good. Izuku was sitting on the couch with Eri, helping her with her writing, "No, that's not the right Kanji, Eri." He drew it the right one the right way, "I know it's a little complicated but remember, little differences in writing mean a lot."
Eri registered his words and rewrote the kanji much better this time, "Like that?" She asked, showing him.
"EXACTLY like that." He praised, patting her head, much to her enjoyment. The door opened, and in walked his dad followed by a moving company's workers, "I'm home, family!"
Eri squealed with excitement as she bolted from the couch, she jumped into Hisashi's waiting arms, "Hey my lil Eri, you miss me?" He asked, embracing her.
Uh-hu." She spread her arms, "I missed you this much papa!" She said with an adorably cute smile.
"You missed me THAT much." He said playfully. He smiled, "That makes me so happy, Eri." He walked with her into the apartment with the men carrying his stuff behind him.
Izuku played jealous, "Hold up! Eri, do you have a new favorite guy? I thought that was ME~!" He said, dramatically."
Eri turned from him, a cute smile on her face as she rested on Hisashi's shoulder, "Don't hate, son. The ladies love you right?"
"They do a lot more now, yeah."
"You inherited that natural gift from somewhere, right?" He said slyly.
Izuku rolled his eyes and playfully stuck out his tongue at his dad and Eri. He stood up, "Good to have you back though, dad." He looked to the workers, "Do you guys need an extra hand? I can help you get all this stuff faster."
One of them who was holding a box looked at him, "It's our job, but you're more than welcome to help out."
Izuku smiled and walked past the four men who all had their hands full, "This will be done in no time." With the other kicking in and Izuku carrying two-three boxes at a time, and Eri carrying smaller things they were able to empty out the truck in less than thirty minutes. All of his dad's stuff was in the house and all they had to do was sort it. "That didn't take nearly as long as I expected it to."
The moving people left, leaving the family of four to take care of the rest, "Those guys definitely came on point. Definitely a five star review for them." Hisashi stated.
"Now all we have to do is put your stuff where it needs to be and you're officially home for good honey." Inko said, smiling lovingly at her husband.
"That can wait for now, I still have a few days before I go back to work and I can knock that out myself." Hisashi put Eri in his lap, "Speaking of stuff, now that our son is old enough to be a part of a family discussion, what do you all think about getting a house?"
The question flew over Eri while Izuku's eyes widened. They had actually hinted about moving during his last visit, he had lived here his whole life but with his dad moving up the company ladder it was only natural to move. This question was largely aimed at him as both his parents were looking at him, "I'm all for it! But what brought this up, dad. I know we're not the richest but we're happy and we're comfortable?"
"There's nothing at all wrong with being comfortable, Izuku. But with my new job I'll be making more money and thus make finances easier for us. We've been here almost twenty years, I think it's time we moved up. Not right now obviously, but after this year I'll have made enough to lay the foundation for us getting a house."
Izuku raised a hand, "Actually, I made quite a bit this month, more than my advance actually. At this rate I could help speed things up if you want me too."
Hisashi narrowed his red eyes for a moment, "How much exactly?"
"Fifty million yen." He answered sheepishly.
Both parents were surprised by this. Eri looked up at Hisashi, "Is that a lot?" She asked innocently.
Hisashi didn't answer her, only covering her ears, "You made fifty million yen in one month?"
"Yes sir. The merchandise has really been selling like crazy given everything that's happened this week. Several shops even sold out of stuff. I'm working on my shoes and I've got several commercials lined up."
Hisashi sighed, a little annoyed that his son made more than he did even with his new job. Before he left he made sure that they all sat down and had dinner with the Fujiwara family. He's heard of them for years and that their sons were best friends was a surprising coincidence. He and Taichi spoke excessively about the business deals he's planning with ONE. He walked him through the whole money process and assured him it would all be fine from a tax perspective all while assuring him this would be great for Izuku and his future. "The popularity of heroes." While that number was shocking, Izuku is on pace to become a millionaire soon. Despite his slight envy he was happy and proud of his son, "I appreciate the offer, son. But I suggest you save that money for yourself. It'll set you up nicely after highschool."
"I checked the balance yesterday and I actually haven't touched any of it. Not even my advance. So if there's anything you all may want right now, just know I've got you."
"Duly noted Izuku." His mom said warmly as she walked into the kitchen.
He gets paid once a month from his merchandise and the first payment shows he made fifty million yen, he had only had merchandise out for a little over a month and he was making plenty of cash. Several shops that sell his stuff have sold out in this past week with everything that's happened, his popularity has truly exploded. He'd be linking with Taku later this week to go over designs for his signature shoes and his grandpa was already working on a demo for his video game. Many businesses have been reaching out to him to do commercials or advertise something, mostly through direct messages through the app. His video is still making waves and he's set up an interview with Miko Fujioka, though he was independent, the media and business side of heroics was still something he'd have to adjust to.
Later that night
ONE was standing on the roof of a building in Hamamatsu. He had got a call about a pending bank heist in the city and was on his way to meet up with the caller when he got a call on his hero phone. Pulling his phone out and seeing it was Momo he happily answered, "Hello, Love."
"I'm happy you answered, beloved. Are you busy at the moment?"
"I can spare a few minutes. What's up?"
"I just wanted to talk to you. Did you hear UA is moving us into dorms?"
ONE was shocked, "What?"
"Yes. The teachers apparently met with all the students and their parents and got consent. Mr Aizawa and All Might came to visit me. You should have seen them, I don't think I've ever seen Mr Aizawa so intimidated." She said, bringing a hand to her mouth to hide her giggling.
ONE chuckled, "Well for us "Poor people" going to your house for the first time is a bit of a culture shock. Not to mention I'm sure your mom let them have it for allowing villains to attack you twice."
"Mother was rather irate with them, though it was very passive in nature. Father did most of the talking though."
"Oh GOD!"
"It wasn't that bad!" Momo chuckled.
"Not that bad? Your dad loves you a lot! I haven't forgotten the talk we had when we started dating and knew we'd eventually "Do it"."
Momo smiled on the other side of the phone, "And what did my doting father say to you? I asked you several times and you refused to answer."
"It basically boiled down to him promising to eliminate any and all trace and record of me and my family's existence if I broke your heart. You know, rich people power. Have I told you how much I love you lately?" He asked jokingly
Momo giggled lightly at her boyfriend's cute antics, "That does sound like father. But you could stand to mention it more."
Oh really." He smiled slyly. "I love you, baby~. I don't know what it is but you drive me, crazy~. And everytime I'm around you girl it feels amazing~. And I'm on my best behavior when I'm with my baby~, cuz I can't lose my baby, oooohhh~." He sang beautifully into the phone, making Momo's heart flutter at his words. "How was that?"
"You just love pulling on my heart strings don't you?"
"Sure do."
Momo smiled, "Do you want to come help me move in tomorrow?"
"While normally I'd love to, that I can't do. I'll be busy with patrols and other things. But Nezu did ask me to help the first years train for the provisional exams. Do you know what you want to bring?"
"I know I want to bring my bed set and TV, I'm actually almost finished packing up clothes."
ONE was surprised as he figured they'd be providing the beds. "Have you seen your bed? I doubt it'll fit in your dorm room. And if it does, it'll take up most of your space."
"My furniture is not THAT big Izuku."
Love, your bed couldn't fit in MY room."
Two days later
ONE had gotten his guest pass from Nezu and was headed to UA's gym. Class A should be in there and preparing for training. The students were now living on campus and everyone was still adjusting. He had textend Momo last night and she said after moving in they did a best room contest with Sato winning, mostly due to the delicious cake he made. Wish he could have tried it.
Gym Gamma
Eraserhead stood in front of his class, he stood alongside Midnight, Cementoss and Ectoplasm. "The initial plan may have been for you to receive provisional licenses at the end of the training camp, but in exchange for allowing that to continue you Lot would instead go the traditional route. Everything you have done has been in preparation to develop your ultimate moves, not just strengthen your quirks. For the next rest of your summer vacation you will spend it training these abilities." Eraserhead said as Cementoss made several structures for training, "Prepare for intensive training. All of the teachers are here to help you unlock the potential of your movesets." He looked up, "And also."
In a flash of speed ONE phased through the ceiling and landed in front of the class, a bright smile shining on his face, "You all need help with your ultimate moves? No problem, because I Got This!"
The whole class was shocked to see ONE, "It's ONE!" Most of them exclaimed in unison.
"Hey! Been a while, class A."
Kirishima pumped his fists, excited to see the independent hero again, "Yo ONE, what are you doing here man?"
"I got a call from Nezu asking if I could help you guys out. I agreed and here I am. I heard everything Eraserhead said as I was flying over here, and in addition you should think about how you can improve your costumes. Especially now that you have a better understanding of your quirks. I'm expecting all of you to go Plus Ultra. Do you have it in you?"
Most of the class was fired up, "Yes sir!"
"I'm so charged up for this?" Kaminari stated confidently.
Ashido shot her hand into the air, "Hey ONE, what kind of ultimate moves are you working with?" She asked.
ONE smiled confidently, "I've got a whole arsenal. Some supplementary, others strong attacks. Though admittedly I can't use my favorites too often for obvious reasons."
"And what reasons are those?" Momo asked, feigning ignorance.
"They're too powerful and would cause too much destruction. Remember, your ultimate moves are like your calling cards, a representation of who you are as heroes and a way to scare off villains too. Keep in mind it doesn't necessarily have to be an attack. Case and point, "Sky Walk!" He called out as he jumped, kicking off the air going higher and higher before he started flying across the room. Showing off incredible aerial maneuverability. He landed back in front of the class, "That's just one of many moves I've come up with. Creativity knows no bounds when you combine it with hard work, and is only limited to your imagination. Though I do have my other responsibilities I'll be here helping you all train as much as I can. Also I'm interested in seeing the new dorms."
Several student's erupted at this, wanting him to come and see their rooms. Eraserhead quickly got them back under control, "Don't get distracted by your fandom, he's here to help you all improve. Ask him anything you like but keep in mind he'll be divided between you AND class B. So push hard."
"Yes Mr Aizawa." The class said in unison.
The class then got to work on developing their super moves, the teachers observed their progress, giving out tips when needed. They had five days until the provisional exames and they would push the students to achieve the most in that time. They would be prepared for the exams and go Plus Ultra, and hopefully having an extra hand in ONE would help considerably.
ONE stood on a cement structure with Kirishima, "I'm pretty sure I've told you before, your quirk is very simplistic, both in function and training it."
"Yeah." Kirishima looked at his hand, "I liked what you said about creativity, but my quirk is pretty limited."
"Then I suggest not thinking about something that isn't a problem. Focus on your strengths, and it'll come to you." He paused in thought for a moment, "Hey Kirishima?"
The redhead snapped out of his own thoughts, "Yeah."
"Have you ever heard the story of the shield and spear?"
"No." He answered honestly.
"It's a paradox. It goes that a man was trying to sell a spear. When he was asked how good it was he said it could pierce through any shield. He was then asked how good his shield was, and he said it would block any spear. The point is with a quirk like yours you can be either the impenetrable shield or the unstoppable spear, think about that and get back with me." He said before disappearing in a flash of speed, leaving Kirishima to ponder his words.
Todoroki was standing by himself, a flame burning in his hand as he thought about what to do. "I resented this for so long. Now I have to figure out how to bring it to the highest level I can." He thought as he looked at his hand.
"Todoroki?" A voice called to him, looking up he was startled to see ONE. He jumped back slightly from the shock, "Don't sneak up on me like that."
"I apologize. I saw you thinking to yourself. Let me guess, you're trying to figure out how to become more proficient with your fire?"
He looked at the hero, "That's right."
ONE gripped his chin, he perked up smiling, "I think I have an idea that may work perfectly for you. Question, how good are you at compressing your flames?"
"I can't do that at all? Compressing the flames while turning up the heat is Endeavors "Flashfire Fist" and I rejected any and everything about it for so long."
I see. Well try this, focus on using both sides at the same time." Todoroki had a look of discontent at these words, "I know you may feel a little conflicted, but don't look at is as you doing what Endeavor's always wanted you to. It's your quirk Todoroki, use it to be who you want to be." He said before disappearing.
Todoroki saw that ONE was entering Tokoyami's blocked off cave, "Who I want to be." He thought to himself. "I've thought about that for so long now. I doubt I'll ever forgive what my old man has done, I definitely won't forget it. I've resented him for so long that I'm basically figuring out a part of my quirk from scratch… ONE's right. I'll be the hero I want to be, and it's got nothing to do with Endeavor." He thought as he looked forward with new resolve.
ONE dipped under the caution tape and went into the cave structure where Tokoyami was training, "Dark Shadow!" He could hear him battling with his own quirk as he entered the darkness.
"Tokoyami?" ONE called for him. He was actually impressed by the size of this room as it was pretty deep and no light past the entrance was getting in. As ONE made his way he sensed malice, in the darkness he saw two vicious looking red eyes staring at him, it was Dark Shadow, and Tokoyami was trying to control him. His training in its entirety was a battle of wills."
The bird head boy was covered in his quirk, "ONE, you're not supposed to be here! I have to do this on my own!"
"I'm only here to help Tokoyami." Dark Shadow roared and lunged at him, ONE's eyes glowed white as a wave of pressure passed through the cave, making cracks in it and giving those on the outside chills. ONE stood firm, looking up at the massive shadow creature that paused in midswing. Dark Shadow backed away from him, fear prevalent in its expression, "The strength of your will is what keeps Dark Shadow under control. It's all about staying calm, and being in tune with your emotions so that your will keeps him in check."
Tokoyami was trembling just as much as Dark Shadow was, he knew his quirk very well but for ONE to easily tame him like this was astounding, "ONE, what did you do?" He asked, his chills not going away.
"I merely projected my will power onto Dark Shadow. I may have gone overboard because I'm sure everyone in this building feels it. The point is, control your emotions, Tokoyami."
The bird head boy breathed heavily as Dark Shadows' grip on him lossed thanks to his fear of ONE. "I'll keep trying."
ONE turned to leave, "Just call me, and I'll come to help you." ONE exited the cave and looked around at all the students training. "Everyone's working so hard." As he said this he heard a blast. Looking towards his ten o'clock to see Bakugo making headway, "I bet he's had a handful of moves in his head since before starting school." Bakugo turned to him and he grit his teeth with a look of pure hatred before turning away from him. ONE didn't say anything, only looking around at the students trying to figure out their moves. He spotted Momo training with the real Ectoplasm and decided to head over, she had long since learned to create several items at once, but she was struggling on coming up with an original Ultimate move and not something she was taught. Given the nature of her quirk she figured a move of hers would be supportive and any physical attack would come down to her physical prowess.
"Yaoyorozu, do you have any ideas yet?" ONE asked.
"A few. The problem is that they don't feel original. I know several people who could mimic them if they tried."
"C'mon, don't sell yourself short. I can tell you're the smartest person in your class and as I said before, your ultimate moves are only limited by hard work and creativity."
"I'll keep trying, ONE."
The hero gave her a thumbs up and a charming smile she recognized all too well, "You can do this!"
The students of class 1A continued to work on the ultimate moves in preparation for the licensing exam. Many were pushing themselves both physically and creatively to come up with moves specific to them. Everyone was inspired by the next person's progress and though ONE didn't just hand out answers to everyone they all appreciated his input and hung on to everything he said to them. This was going to be a process to help the students develop their moves, he had a good understanding of all their quirks by now and he would definitely make sure they all were ready for the exam.
And chapter 29 is in the books. I was happy to get this out so fast and ready to get on the stuff that happens in the next chapter. You'll get an insight on what the LOV and Tachibana's group are up to now that AFO isn't filling any of their pockets. The country gets a deeper glimpse into ONE and how he became who he is. Leave a review on the chapter if you liked it and see you next time. Next time, ONE does an interview, continues to help the first years, the LOV go on their own. Class 1A does their licensing exam and Stain goes back to work.
