Chapter 2, ready and willing. Today we'll do a bit of world building and debut some faces, old and new.
As always, author's notes at the bottom.
"Well done Bakugo, it does our school proud not only to have one of our students pass the UA entrance exam, but to achieve one of the highest scores no less!"
Katsuki Bakugo could only be described as the picture of smug in that moment. His counselor's high praise did wonders for his already inflated ego, not that he needed any additional proof of his excellence. Of course he would be at the top of the charts, what else could they expect?
What Katsuki didn't expect was the presence of the other student in the counselor's office. This was supposed to be a small meeting congratulating him on being the only student from this second-rate middle school to make the cut for UA, so what the hell was useless Deku doing here?
'Heh, maybe the teachers had him come so he could get a reality check; a quirkless loser like him was never gonna cut it as a hero.'
The corner of Bakugo's mouth curved upward at the thought. Even so, for an obvious failure, Deku was standing awfully straight right now. The subtle confidence was a little perplexing to the explosive youth.
The lithe lady behind the desk moved to adjust her glasses, sliding the sapphire frame up along her sharp nose. As far as Bakugo was concerned, Ms. Takami could use some "counseling" herself, especially in regards to her… appreciation of color. That two tone hair of hers – left side teal, right side fuchsia – said enough on its own. That she'd styled it into a braided tiara, the two colors weaving in and out like coils of rope, said more regardless. Wasn't she in her forties?
Katsuki was contemplating the mental exercise that was the vaguely flower-esque pattern – there must have been at least seven shades of gold and auburn rioting about – on the woman's blouse when her sights turned on Deku. The excitement on Ms. Takami's face softened a little.
"Midoriya, I'm sorry you couldn't also have made it. I know you must be disappointed." Izuku said nothing, giving a few short nods in return. His classmate and former friend allowed his growing superiority to swell. But the feeling was rather muted due to Deku's lackluster reaction. Where were those pathetic tears the nerd always shed whenever reality caught up to him?
"Baring that setback, I'm happy to see you haven't given up on the hero program, even if not at UA. And to get an invitation to the second most decorated school in the nation!"
Ms. Takami's building energy was cut short by a tiny, rage-fueled burst ripping free over Bakugo's left brow. His once smug expression had slipped steadily throughout the counselor's speech until a look of teeth-clenched fury had overtaken his features.
"What… did you just say!?"
"An… an offer?" Izuku couldn't help the surprise that leaked into his words.
His mentor launched into a raucous round of laughter at the boy's confusion, cut short when his cackles came accompanied by sprays of blood. The pro hero warded off his fretting pupil as he collected himself. "Yes," All Might confirmed, "another school is inviting you personally to enroll in their program."
Midoriya stood back, stance slumped and eyes wide. "W-what? But I never put in for any other schools… how?"
All Might raised one hand, flicking the boy's brow. Even in his deflated form, Izuku bent back nearly ninety degrees at the waist, utterly unprepared for the show of force. "Use your head, my boy! UA is the top institute in the country and arguably one of the best in the world. There are plenty of other programs and such who keep a close eye on the goings on there; more than a few outside representatives like to watch over the entrance exams alongside the school's staff."
Rising to a more proper position, ignoring a few errant pops from his joints, Izuku began to nod in understanding. "I get it." The boy grasped his chin between his fingers, "UA has basically the toughest entry requirements in the nation – the pass rate, last I heard, is only about one in every hundred. But just because someone can't get into the top school doesn't mean they're without any kind of merit.
"Furthermore, with the way UA's test is set up, people with certain abilities would be at a natural disadvantage. I'll bet there were plenty of applicants who, while not the best in case of a robot invasion, would be a great asset in countless other scenarios. And then there's-"
Izuku flinched back on instinct, narrowly avoiding another of All Might's finger flicks. The symbol of peace grinned, applauding Midoriya's reflexes but mostly looking pleased that his little interruption had been successful.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, young man! You pretty much summed it up in that first bit: there are plenty of promising applicants that get left behind due to the nature of the entrance exam. But watchful eyes will always take notice of those with the right kind of talent, the right attitude."
Midoriya's mentor laid both palms upon his student's shoulders, pride emanating in his gaze. "I don't think there exists a world where a commitment like yours could go unnoticed, young Midoriya."
The boy couldn't help the smile spreading across his features, though he did well to keep his deeper emotions in check. The happiness was short-lived as a sudden thought soured Izuku's mood. The skeletal All Might balked at his pupil's abrupt shift, the boy's eyes dulling as his sight dropped to the sands.
He didn't need to be asked, Izuku venting his thoughts immediately: "It's just… you won't be able to teach me anymore." When the boy's eyes met his again All Might could see that, while not completely crushed, there was a deep disappointment building in them. Disappointment in the system, at the world, in himself…
In that moment, All Might pressed the idea he had been hoping to sell this night. Moving one hand to rest on Midoriya's scalp, he replied, "That is true, but I want to assure you that if you accept this offer you will be in capable hands. I'm pretty sure I know exactly who'd be in charge of your class, we're… associates, of a sort."
Izuku turned his head in question. "Another hero?"
"Not sure if even you'll have heard of him," All Might stared off to the side a bit, tiny smile in place, "he gets a lot less recognition than he deserves. But I can tell you that he's one of the reasons that school's program has grown to match leagues with UA."
All Might drove a most serious expression towards his pupil before putting in his final point, "And he was also the one who pushed for your invitation."
Aozora, one of two schools vying for a position beneath UA as the second most distinguished hero program in the nation. While some would find the notion of a contest for runner-up to be quite silly, the volume of failed UA hopefuls still seeking a quality institution made a battlefield of the educational landscape.. As such, competing programs like Aozora were always on the lookout for diamonds in the rough, the sort of excellence that would put them on top of the rankings, ever striving towards that illusory dream of surpassing UA High.
And to think, a place like that wanted him, that useless fucking Deku. Katsuki was seething: sure, UA had rightfully rejected the quirkless loser, but the idea that another institute of high renown was diving on Deku like he was worth something… it was an outright insult!
This is what led to our current scene, two soon-to-be-highschoolers alone in a dead end alley around the side of their middle school. Bakugo had his former friend thrust against the wall of the alley, the front of Deku's shirt bunched up in the raging teen's fist. The look on Bakugo's face would have befit that of a rabid animal, actual foam collecting at the corners of his mouth.
"Deku," he growled through clenched teeth, "don't think for even a second that this changes things. You're still weak, you're never gonna change that! Defenseless little Izuku is all you'll ever be!"
Izuku, for his part, ignored the spray of spittle from Kacchan's manic tirade. He was far more focused on the words flying from the boy's mouth, the sheer fury that rose with every syllable. On any other day Midoriya would turn numb to this, more out of necessity in the past. Years of bullying had made him rather resistant to this sort of thing. But a different Izuku was in charge today.
Bakugo flinched… flinched when "useless" Deku took the arm restraining him by the wrist. The nerd's grip was strong, more so than it had any right to be. And Midoriya's face, not returning his old friend's anger, was a stern mask of absolution.
"Kacchan… I'm not gonna let you put me down anymore." Plain shock lit up the other boy's features, but Izuku pressed on before he lost his nerve, "Someone that I look up to told me… that I can be a hero. So I'm not gonna sit here and listen to you call me useless anymore."
Then Deku did the unthinkable. Just as Katsuki's ire was building back to a roaring flame, Midoriya threw another curve ball at him when his other hand shot up, wrapping around Bakugo's arm. With both hands gripping it, Izuku tore the invasive limb away from himself, still keeping a firm hold as he shouted, "I will go to Aozora and I will become a hero! And you have no place standing in my way, Kacchan!"
That did it. That abso-fucking-lutely did it! He knew this whole thing was irrational, that reasonably, with them going to different schools now, any interest in Izuku Midoriya was pretty much wasted effort on his part. Bakugo knew all these things… but he couldn't let it go. "Deku" and "useless" were synonymous terms, he couldn't… he couldn't!
Bakugo punched into the side of the wall just left of Deku's face. The bright burst he sent was more flair than force, a little trick he'd been working on. But the nerd wasn't squirming, it felt like the double vice-grip on his arm was actually getting tighter! And that stupid face of his still had too much steel behind it.
"Fucking little-"
"Zzzzzzzziiippp!"
The furious one heard the voice the same instance he noticed the palm upon his extended fist, a foreign set of fingers sliding over his maw. The sensation was strange, far less painful than he'd imagine, as the flesh of his knuckles fused with the weathered concrete of the wall. Having your lips sewn together, on the other hand, was about as panic-inducing as he expected. If not for an obvious inability to vocalize, Bakugo would have unleashed the unholiest of shrieks.
"Really need to watch that language of yours, future hero." Ms. Takami leered forward, her chin perched atop Katsuki's left shoulder. Though the young man had long since grown numb to any sense of threat from the members of school staff, Bakugo had always harbored a hint of trepidation when it came to the guidance counselor. Belying that winning smile she often presented, Katsuki could sense a darkness in her, deep and crushing as the sea. He'd taken special care not to test those waters.
And now he'd gone and thrown himself in, petrified and helpless. Ms. Takami leaned her weight forward, reaching over Bakugo's shoulder to take hold where Midoriya clutched his arm. "It would be an unfortunate hassle if the situation escalated, wouldn't you agree Izuku?"
The boy with the algae-colored hair hadn't broken eye contact since the moment the woman had appeared over Kacchan's shoulder. His quiet shock matched her whimsical glee and only a short moment later… Midoriya released his hold on Bakugo's arm.
Ms. Takami was far more lethargic in her own release of Katsuki, waiting until the other student had edged back a good distance, out of his would be attacker's range. When she was satisfied, Ms. Takami took her hands away and hopped back, arms spread wide and palms open.
At first it was shock that held Bakugo in place, the experience of being so powerless a shattering blow to his considerable ego. Izuku skirted the perimeter of the exchange, coming to rest just beside the guidance counselor. Katsuki eyed his not-so-familiar punching bag, internally seething at the boy's stance, like he was actually ready to take him on, like he actually stood a fucking chance!
What made everything worse for him was that Bakugo was scared. Even with the object of his daily ire standing right in front of him, the hot-headed teen kept his sight on Ms. Takami. This oddly dressed woman who stood maybe a pebble shorter than the useless nerd next to her wasn't watching him, bitch actually had her eyes closed, the widest grin stretching across her face. But she didn't fool him – she'd never fool him again. He ignored the bead of sweat racing down his right temple.
"Head on home now Katsuki. I'm afraid I can't spare time to entertain guests today."
The silence stretched on for a moment or two, no one moving a muscle. Bakugo turned on a dime, scoffing at the whole scenario before striding away at as easy a pace as he could manage. He pointedly ignored the trembling in his arms.
As the oppressive party walked out of earshot, Ms. Takami rounded on the remaining student. Having gotten a small taste of her quirk, Midoriya couldn't help but flinch back. "Calm down Izuku, I've got the safety on." Ms. Takami formed a finger gun, her thumb-hammer notably twitching as though struggling to press down. Her grin grew so wide it caused her eyes to squint, the display dragging a smile out of the hero-hopeful.
A sudden chop to the noggin was the boy's reward.
"There," Ms. Takami sang, "I have given appropriate punishment for your actions." As Izuku rubbed the bruised spot on his forehead, his counselor brought her hand to her chin, perching it between her thumb and pointer. "Suppose I should also give some verbal advice, try and dissuade such encounters in the future..."
Midoriya could only watch as the tie-dye woman dropped both arms to her sides, chest puffing out as she took an exaggerated breath. Next thing he knew, this woman who stood as tall as his brow started some dramatic spectacle, her arms sweeping out in wide arcs as she turned in place as though addressing a sea of onlookers. Variously toned utterances of "blah" were delivered with passionate fervor, the cacophony easily filling the walled in space. Izuku finally let loose a snort of laughter as Ms. Takami abruptly turned her nonsensical dialogue into a nonsensical song and dance routine.
After about ten seconds of the Michigan J. Frog maneuver, a somewhat calmer student noted a rare sight upon his counselor's face: a true, sober expression. Her words, underlying with warmth, began, "I'm glad for you, Midoriya."
The hero-hopeful arched his brow. "Glad for what? I almost got into a fight just now." He left unsaid the likely outcome of Bakugo beating him to a pulp.
"Yes, I'm glad for that." Ms. Takami made to crouch down, realized her student was in fact taller than she was, and awkwardly aborted the action. "Sorry about that, still hanging on to old habits! Back on track: I'm glad that you stood up for yourself. Sometimes the person who needs the most saving is ourselves."
It would have to be said that his guidance counselor was Izuku's favorite faculty member. When others mocked, denied, or tried to steer him away from his dreams, Ms. Takami was the adult who did the one thing the young man needed most in his life. She listened. And beyond that, she supported his ambitions. Somewhere in their infrequent exchanges throughout middle school, Ms. Takami saw something in Midoriya worth believing in.
Just like All Might had.
Just like Aozora…
"Hey, buck up!" The indecisively colored woman sent a quick slap to the top of the boy's head, perhaps not-so-accidentally striking the site of her disciplinary chop. "It's a compliment, I swear! I think that was a good bit of growth you just showed me."
Breaking eye contact, a blush flooding his cheeks, Midoriya returned, "I just don't understand… don't understand how you – how an entire hero program – can have all this faith in me. I've never done-"
Ms. Takami clapped her hands together, a thunderous 'BOOM' shattering the midday atmosphere. "None of that," she snapped, "What was that whole exchange with Mr. Bakugo just now!? Was it all just for show?" Izuku balked as the color challenged woman thrust an accusing finger towards his nose. "You're on course to being a hero now, there's no more room for doubts!"
Midoriya flinched back as Ms. Takami flicked her invasive digit against his forehead. The counselor's arms raised, stretching skyward before folding down, hands clasped together behind the back of her head. "People are gonna judge you," she said, eyes trained on the bit of sky peeking over the edge of the school's roof. "People will hunt down your faults, barrage you with critiques, they'll do everything in their power to put you down. Adversity is a fact of life we all have to deal with sooner or later, even the strongest person in the world has their detractors."
Ms. Takami paused, her head turning to Izuku in a sidelong view. "But I don't have to tell you that. You've been going more than half your life crushed under the world's lack of expectations." The boy's gaze fell downwards. He hardly stirred when his counselor's palms fell upon his shoulders, but he hung on every word she said. "And not once did I ever see you stop living. You never wavered from your dream… and now people are starting to take notice. Even little Bakugo, if that display of his was anything to go by."
Izuku loosed a breath of laughter, straightening his stance as the chromatic woman stepped away from him. "You're gonna be fine, kid. Life hasn't stopped you yet, don't let it get to you just when opportunity comes knocking." Not lifting his gaze Midoriya listened as Ms. Takami marched back towards the mouth of the alley, his lips pulled back in a soft smile.
"Alrighty then, your turn to get lost now. I've got papers to sort and a date with my take-out guy that I just can't afford to miss."
This was the day. This was, once again, "The Day." The start of a new school year.
The alarm clock didn't stand a chance against the powerful fist that smashed its body into a heap. The glow of sunrise through parted blinds illuminated the tanned limb, riddled with scars, connecting the murderous fist to the body hiding beneath the covers.
The waking one's groan came out as more of a roar, startling a white pup sleeping at the foot of the bed. Heavy sheets were tossed forward as a broad, muscled frame lurched upwards. A frock of messy, dark hair spilled over the man's brow, obscuring his eyes. He smacked his lips, doing nothing to clear his vision.
With a slithering motion to relieve his feet of the covers, the awakened man curled into a ball and rolled out of bed. He landed in complete silence upon a circular floor rug, form low and set upon all fours. A breath passed before the much smaller pup bounded in front of its owner, rear raised high and tail wagging up a storm.
"Fuck off Osmund, its early." The puppy responded by yipping forward, mouth snatching up a thick strand of blonde hair draping over its master's nose. The man made no move to stop this, even when the tiny beast began tugging on the off-color lockes.
"You started this," he sighed, rising to stand at his somewhat mediocre height. Osmund, dedicated as he was, did not relinquish his grip on his master's mane, tiny body now hanging over the man's face. With ease the man reached around, hand wrapping fully around the dog's midsection. Holding the young hound before his face, he growled, "I win. Again."
Osmund gave a merry yip and three swift licks to his owner's face. A smile finally, slowly worked its way across the man's features. He shook his head a few times as he turned to the bedroom window, the city sky turning a warm orange.
Taking up his role as primary caregiver, Osmund pawed his way up his master's cheek, parting the man's hair with his nose, blonde streak on the right. The man stood before the second story window, orbs of topaz gazing back at his through the faded reflection.
Brushing a hand across his chin, he could only sigh at the absolute smoothness of his skin. "Still can't seem to grow one, eh Hokuto?" Catching his own eye, Hokuto and his mirror self laughed off the exchange.
A calendar to the right of the window sat open to the current month, the days crossed with a series of X's until a single weekday marked with a sticker depicting an exploding cake.
"Yeah, here we go again." Eyes moving from the "festive" date down to the white pup on his arm, Hokuto mused, "Should I shower then eat or is breakfast more important?"
Osmund bit into his master's bare chest, just missing the left nipple. Hokuto called his dog a pig, doing nothing to stop Osmund's assault.
Midoriya took the steps three at a time, his energy at an all time high. His mother had prepared an excellent breakfast and even the hour train ride wasn't enough to dampen Izuku's spirit. This was it, he was really enrolled in a hero program! As soon as he rose out of this station, into the blinding sun, Izuku would be taking his first step on the path to becoming a pro – a successor to the greatest hero of all time!
His world flared white as Midoriya exited the staircase, taking two blind steps forward. As his eyes adjusted to the light, Izuku noted where the line of concrete beneath him gave way to a manicured stretch of grass. Walking onto the green, the hero-hopeful raised his gaze across the expansive field, catching sight of a far off treeline, and…
Izuku froze, his very being coming to a stand still.
The edifice that stood before him was… insane – beyond meaningless words. From this angle Midoriya could hazard that the tower – no, the plateau resting at the heart of the field covered enough space to contain at least six city blocks. Its surface seemed to twist, lines and grooves running the height of the structure lain out in a rising spiral. The black material that made up the massive landmark was some sort of rock, very coal-like in the way it devoured sunlight.
But what really caught the young man's eye were the patches and swaths of territory all along the plateau's surface which jutted and bulged out of the structure. What made these spots unique were the presence of windows, railings, and open pathways, the marks of human habitation. Izuku thought he could actually see a good amount of people gathered along an overlook a few stories up though it was difficult to tell at this distance.
It appeared that the boy had found his new school.
Something small bumped into Midoriya's thigh, the disturbance not enough to distract the boy from his gawking. The weight stayed against his leg, as though using Izuku's taller frame to support itself as the mind attached stared at the mighty tower, mirroring Midoriya's state of awe.
The voice which broke the tension came from somewhere around Midoriya's waist, its quality feeble and astonished. "That's… that's so tall!"
And yeah, it was pretty fricken tall.
Let's do it from the top. We introduce Bakugo here, in all his typical glory. You will be seeing a good amount of him, but seeing as he and Midoriya will be going to different schools and this story is about our green-topped hero-hopeful, he'll have less prominence than he did in canon. I am a pretty big fan of his character arc in the main series, so I have similar thoughts in mind for where he's going.
Takami was a character I had some fun with. Because I'm a meathead, I thought of her power first and then her personality afterwards. Just to clarify, I wrote her before reading the joint training arc in the main series, so the fact that class 1B has a student with a similar power (it may just be the same power, I kind of forget a lot of the finer details of the other hero course students) is just coincidence. I actually based her ability off of one of the characters from the Steel Ball Run chapters of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. The idea of weaponized onomatopoeia stuck in my mind from the moment I first heard about it.
I also just wanted to establish one adult in Izuku's school life who gave some kind of a shit about the boy. Making her a bit of a loon was extra flavor I played around with. The name Takami is one I took from Takami Sahashi, Minato's mother in the series Sekirei. I suppose they share an inner fierceness, those Ms. Takami's hidden depths are a bit more in line with a certain landlady... Expect to see more of her in the future, she might just be a bit of a pet character for me.
We get a small glimpse of this particular encounter between Izuku and Katsuki in the main series, with them meeting in a location I assume to be some nook outside their school. Midoriya shows a bit of backbone here; I decided to extend that somewhat in my own rendition of the scene. For these two, this may be the last time they see each other. Both are attempting to get their point across to the other in as final a manner as possible: Kacchan that Deku is worthless, Midoriya that Bakugo does not control him. As such, there's a bit more heat in this interaction. Primarily though, this scene establishes Izuku's start line.
We'll get a good idea of Hokuto in the near future, he'll be a big character in this. Osmund too, for whatever a dog can contribute. Oh, Hokuto is named after the character from Rosario Vampire and Osmund kind of gets his from Ozpin/Ozma of RWBY fame. May or may not inform some aspects of their characters.
The name Aozora, as far as my pathetic translations go, means "blue sky." Of course it was vapidly inspired by that old Disney movie Sky High, but beyond the name there's little other connection. There's a lot about this place that remains to be said, we'll get to it as the story progresses. Suffice to say, this place has some history in my rendition of this world.
One more thing: I love Midoriya's relationship with All Might. I hope I managed to portray well enough the bond they've built over those months of training. Just like Bakugo, though they'll be in different school settings, Izuku and Yagi will continue to interact.
Alright then people, our hero's future stares him in the face and an unnamed individual stands clutched to his leg. To be continued in our next update: Oct 8/9