Alrighty kiddos, it's Friday and it's six so it's update time!

Not much else to say so let's just get into things, woop!


Hitoshi frowned at his phone as his thumb flicked through his morning twitter timeline. He was determined to keep his focus on tweets sent out by his favorite heroes and not on the inane chatter of his classmates.

Around him his fellow students, very few of which had actually talked to him yet, chatted amongst themselves in the small friend-groups which were already starting to pop up. Hitoshi could have laughed. He had spent his entire childhood being on the outside of every clique in his class and by the looks of things it was going to happen all over again.

That was alright. He didn't need friends. He'd spent long enough without them anyway and besides, no one wanted to hang around the guy who could brainwash them at any moment. Not that he needed to be chatting with any of them to know who they were talking about.

Izuku Midoriya. They were talking about Izuku Midoriya. Or, to be more accurate, they were talking about what Izuku Midoriya had done to Katsuki Bakugo.

It had started almost immediately after they'd gotten back to class that Tuesday. Uraraka had been swamped by the other girls and some of the other boys demanding to know just what she had seen. Tenya had stepped in an immediately shoed them off while Hitoshi had taken the far blunter approach of just flatly ignoring anyone who approached him.

Of course, it hadn't mattered anyway. The next day rolled around and Toru excitedly began telling everyone about what she had apparently heard from a pair of gossiping teachers about how Katsuki had been rushed to the medical ward to have facial surgery after Izuku almost beat him to death in an uncontrollable rage.

The rumor mill had sped up after that. Apparently, Izuku was related to villains, or was a villain, or was actually possessed by an evil spirit, or that his quirk was too destructive to use and he'd be expelled, or arrested, or taken to some secret government facility where they kept the worst of the worst.

Hitoshi had sat back and listened as they had all come spilling out of the mouths of his classmates, and as he listened, he had felt his gut twist within him. This was how it always started. This was how it started with him, after all. The rumors, the lies, the whispering lips and sideways glances.

Izuku would return and find himself the subject of isolation and conspiracy. Just like Hitoshi had done after his quirk had become public knowledge. Just like every kid out there who had a quirk that wasn't deemed cool or flashy or good.

He grinded his teeth, though he did not bare them openly, instead he simply clicked his phone off and hunched down onto his arms, even if it hurt to do so. He wouldn't give any of them the satisfaction of knowing he could hear them.

Because he knew the truth of it. He had seen Izuku, up close, he had looked into his eyes. Eyes that had torn at something inside of Hitoshi which even now still ached. They'd been without empathy, pity, or remorse. Within them he had seen only boundless, bottomless hatred.

And yet in same micro-second he had also seen something else.

Izuku's soul. Screaming through a blackened gaze. Screaming behind something else which had blanketed his thoughts and stolen his body from him. There was something inside of Izuku Midoriya, of that he was sure, though what it was he didn't know.

All Hitoshi knew was that he had thought his own quirk evil. He had learned, sharply, that for some it was far, far worse.

He remembered talking with that lawyer, the man with the pitch-black eyes. His statement had been clear, quick, to the point, and yet the entire time he felt as though the man was simply humoring him. At one point the lawyer, called Hokori if he recalled correctly, had told Hitoshi it hadn't been Izuku's fault. That it was all down to his quirk going out of control.

Hitoshi had simply nodded and said nothing. He would rather ask Izuku himself. It wasn't in his nature to simply accept things at face value, not in events like this.

Izuku was supposed to be back in today and Hitoshi knew at some point he needed to pull him aside and talk to him. They had too, after all, too much was hanging in the air and Hitoshi was not the kind of person who let questions go without answers.

The door opened and the class hushed suddenly. In stepped Izuku and right at his side was Uraraka.

For a split second he could see it, almost superimposed over his own reality. The curling horns, the blasphemous pit-black eyes, the horrific rending claws and the coiling tail ending in a sharpened spear-tip. He could almost see the corrupt blue fire burning like a furnace along the teenager's scars and the shadow-blackened skin that had coated his arms and reached up along his neck like an oil spill.

But then it was gone. And only Izuku stood there, cowed and hunched and shockingly, sickly pale with his big, jade green eyes. He noticed suddenly how Izuku's ears now seemed to point almost elf-like from the sides of his head, and did he paint his nails black?

Izuku looked haunted, but he had always looked haunted. Hitoshi supposed he now knew why.

There were a few cursorily 'hellos' from the rest of the class, Tenya, of course, stormed right over and greeted Izuku vigorously, which Hitoshi couldn't help but smile at, though the smile itself was nothing but the tug at the corner of his lip.

Tenya was one of the few in class who still defended Izuku and perhaps one of the reasons why the rumors hadn't spilled out of their own classroom.

Curiously, even as Tenya talked his ear off Hitoshi watched as Izuku's eyes scanned the classroom and for a moment their gazes met.

Hitoshi prided himself on being good at reading people. He always had been after all, it was almost a prerequisite for making his quirk work. Getting people to talk meant picking out the tiniest flaws and ticks and tells on their faces.

Izuku was drowning in sorrow. It was written all over him like an open book and his eyes screamed out one, very loud, message.

I'm sorry.

Hitoshi looked away, unable to keep his gaze with the teen. He knew he was sorry, but that didn't mean he was going get up and go give the green haired boy a giant hug and a big ol' kiss on the forehead. It didn't work like that, at least not for him it didn't.

The door opened again, and Aizawa-sensei entered the room, ordering everyone back to their seats and to be silent. His usual entrance. Izuku took his place in front of him and for a moment Hitoshi stared at the back of his head, wondering just what could possibly be running through his mind.

The teenager moved a hand over his left forearm, feeling the touch of bandages hidden under his shirt. Part of his arm had been burned when he had pulled Izuku back and it still stung to the touch, though it was healing slowly. He'd have a scar there now, a bright spot against his usually tanned skin.

A permanent reminder of the very first day he'd ever met Izuku Midoriya.

The class announcements went on as usual, though there was a single, slight deviation. Towards the end of the announcements Aizawa-sensei turned his bloodshot eyes to Izuku and calmly told him that he would not be attending Basic Hero Training. Instead, he would be sent to the Principal's office.

This was coupled with a handful of gasps and a couple of 'ooohs' from the peanut gallery but Hitoshi kept silent. He wasn't going to join in with the crowd, not when half of them didn't even know the full truth of the matter.

They hadn't seen what he had seen within Izuku's gaze. They hadn't heard the fury of his voice, the thousands of screaming souls that seemed even now to be echoing at the very back of Hitoshi's mind.

They hadn't seen the hell that existed inside Izuku Midoriya.

The teenager seemed to shrink into his seat as Aizawa commanded the class to be silent. For a split-second Hitoshi almost reached out to give him a comforting pat on the shoulder. But he didn't. He didn't move because some part of him, inside, was still afraid of what he had seen within him.

He was still scared of the monster he had seen wearing Izuku's skin.

His new burn scar ached suddenly, and he put his hand back across it again. His talk with Izuku could wait, for now, maybe for when school was over. Until then he needed to gather his thoughts and get a grip on himself.

Izuku wasn't evil, just like he was evil. There were no such things as evil quirks, only evil hearts, wasn't that what Izuku told him All Might had said?

Hitoshi wanted more than anything to believe him.

Even when the opposing evidence was now scarred into his arm.


Nedzu's office was his pride and joy. Along his left wall were all the photos with famous heroes he had met over the years, as well as accolades and framed newspaper clippings of the times he had managed to get himself into the papers. Along his back wall were pictures and other favorite pieces of art that had all been made by students who had come to his school.

But it was the space behind him which was truly eye-catching. A wall filled with degrees gathered from some of the most famous centers of teaching in the world. Harvard, Oxford, Zurich, Tsinghau, and Oasis. He had trophies from various competitions and letters from various governments thanking him for his assistance in their various issues.

It was a monument to his intelligence, and he was proud of it. Nedzu knew he had very little else going for him, after all. He was an animal playing at being human, and yet, even amongst humans he was so often apart from them simply because he was so smart. The fact he was barely three-foot-five and covered in white fur was a secondary matter.

But even so. For this meeting he would need to appear as human as he possibly could. It would be the only way to connect with the young Izuku Midoriya. And connection was indeed the key here, if no connection could be formed, then he feared for Izuku's future in the walls of his school.

He had set up his little 'chit-chat' area, as he called it, with utmost care to create a welcoming, comforting atmosphere. Two opposing couches, each modernist in design of course, with a coffee table to separate them. An open plate of biscuits and a kettle filled with nice hot water. To one side were two nice, clean cups and the other a selection of various teas.

The only thing missing was a nice sunny sky. The far wall was nothing but several vast windows looking out over the world. The sky above was grey, heavy with the promise of rain and yet through tiny gaps in the angry cloud the sun could be seen through beams of golden light.

Nedzu tried not to delve too often into idle pensiveness but he would allow himself a moment to consider it a good omen.

There was a knocking at the door and Nedzu snapped his thoughts back to reality. "Come in!"

The door creaked open and in poked a head made of wild, limp green hair and wide, exhausted looking eyes. Nedzu quietly noted the ears pointing from the sides of his hair and the black fingernails curling around the edges of his door. These were new developments since Tuesday's events, something not even Chiyo could find an answer for.

And yet it were his long, dark scars which drew his eye the most. Of course, he could hardly talk and for a moment it seemed as though his own scar, the ugly mark across his eye, itched and pulled tight.

His heart went out to the poor boy. A quirk he clearly had trouble controlling trapped in a body that it damaged upon use.

But he wasn't the first child to come to them like this, and Nedzu was determined to not make the same mistakes he had before.

The fact that Izuku was standing before him now, dressed in the proud uniform of a U.A. student spoke volumes about his own drive, his own will to succeed. Nedzu had to count on that as one of honesty and virtue, not one hiding a darker motive.

"H-Hello, sir." Izuku shuffled into the room, closing the door behind him.

"Ah, young Midoriya," A phrase he had decided to steal from Toshinori hoping the familiarity would set him at ease, "Please, come and sit down. As I'm sure you realize we have much to discuss."

The boy nodded without a sound and moved on into the room and, remarkably without making any eye contact, he came to sit on the couch across from the tiny Principal.

His gaze was practically glued to the floor, his hands stuck on his lap and everything about his body was stiff and tense. Nedzu frowned, that wouldn't do at all.

"How are you feeling today?" As he talked he reached forward, picking up the kettle and started to pour himself a cup of hot tea. "Would you like a drink? A biscuit perhaps?"

"No thank you, sir, and I feel fine, I guess." The boy chewed the inside of his lip. "Sir, can I ask a question?"

"Of course." This was a little surprising, but Nedzu would let the teen lead for now if it set him at ease.

"Why did you wait until the middle of the day to expel me?"

Nedzu almost spilt his tea. He recovered quickly enough before the boy noticed of course but the question had hit him over the back of a head like a plank of wood. "My boy! Do you always jump to such grim conclusions?" He chuckled, though it ended in a sorrowful sigh. "I won't lie to you, Izuku. Assaulting a fellow student is a serious issue and we must find the reasons why. Expulsion is not entirely out of the question."

He saw the boy tense up suddenly, which was remarkable considering how on edge he already appeared to be.

"But I would rather not, if possible. Mr. Hokori's report only compiled what happened, I wish to find out the reasoning as to why it happened, do you understand?"

Izuku didn't seem to relax any, though after a moment he nodded slowly.

He sipped at his tea and let out a calm sigh before placing the cup into his lap, one furred finger still looped around the handle. "Now, I won't make you re-live the events of the exercise itself, but I do want to ask you about your quirk."

The boy again nodded slowly and Nedzu was about to continue before he spotted something. It was tiny, a micro-second reaction but it was there. Something had crossed through the teen's mind that he didn't like, and his hands had twitched in his lap.

Nedzu made no sign he'd seen it of course, but immediately he logged it within his extensive memory.

"How long have you been using your quirk?"

There was a tiny hesitation. "Since I was five, sir."

"No, that wasn't my question," Nedzu counted quickly, "I didn't ask how long you've had your quirk, I asked how long have you been using your quirk."

Izuku seemed a little surprised at this but he soon answered, "… maybe a year at this point. Probably a little less, I think."

A year? Well, that explained an awful lot. "I see. Well, for someone who has only been using their quirk for a year, you've displayed a remarkable amount of power." He saw the boy's lip twitch at a smile. "But not a lot of control." The smile vanished. "Don't be too worried. You've a lot of catching up to do, but that is what U.A. was built for."

Izuku gulped again and his eyes fixed back onto his lap "Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."

"However, after the events on Tuesday and after reviewing our own records about you, I'm afraid I have to admit that we've hit something of a roadblock." Nedzu sighed softly and locked his gaze onto the boy. "We failed you, Izuku, and for that, I apologize. To continue forwards we must understand more about your quirk and how it interacts with your mind and body. Do you understand?"

He wasn't sure how he did it, but amazingly the boy seemed to pale even more. Again, Nedzu noticed that hair-trigger twitch of his fingers and the way that his lip seemed to crease for just a moment. He was biting it from the inside of his mouth.

Pain. He was using pain to control something that he couldn't see.

"Please stop that." Nedzu's command jolted the teenager out of whatever self-destructive tendencies he had and brought his gaze back into focus. "Do not use self-harm to control your quirk. That is a destructive path and I will not allow you to walk down it."

Izuku's eyes grew wide and watery before he suddenly blinked the tears away and nodded at the Principal. "I'm sorry, sir! I just- I-"

"It's alright, Izuku. This is why we're talking." Nedzu's voice lowered once more. "Now, it's clear that our information on your quirk is horribly out of date, as I believe our information on other factors of your life also need updating."

This was the hard part. He hated himself for having to approach this subject, but Aizawa's point stood and it had to be addressed, they would be fools to ignore it.

"Izuku. I know you suffer from schizophrenia brought on by traumatic quirk usage." His eyes narrowed, though not in anger but only in curiosity. "You said you've only been using your quirk for a year or less. Be honest and tell me, are you still taking your medication?"

The boy sniffled for a second and it seemed to Nedzu that he seemed to be listening to a conversation that only he could hear before he slowly, almost carefully, announced, "Yes, I'm still taking my medication. If you don't believe me you can ask my mom, she makes sure I take it every morning."

Relief flooded through his heart and he leaned back into his seat, "Good, that's good to hear, Izuku. I believe you, I don't think you would lie to me about this."

The boy stayed silent and his hands cupped together tightly. "B-But, sir. I… even with my medication, when I use my power too much it still- I mean-" He took a shuddering breath. "If I push myself too far it starts to take control and- and I can't stop it and-" Tears began to flow softly from his eyes. "It just takes over and it's so hateful and when it does all it wants to do is-is hurt people."

Nedzu's hand shook and he disguised it by raising his cup of tea to his lips. A quirk that made the user actually want to hurt others? He didn't want to believe it possible, but he wasn't willing to simply shut down Izuku's thoughts on the matter. He wasn't like All Might, he didn't quite believe that evil was always a choice.

He had seen evil, up close and personal. He knew it wasn't a choice, but a gnawing sickness that when unleashed could enslave the human soul. Nedzu knew all too well that demons existed and that good intentions were Lucifer's favorite tools.

"I see. Well Izuku I-"

"But I'm trying!" The boy's sudden spark caused the animal to blink in shock. Izuku's fingers were now digging deep into his legs and tears were forming along the edges of his eyes. "I'm trying so hard to not let it win!"

Let it win? Such a strange choice of words. Nedzu placed his cup down slowly as Izuku cried out again.

"I-I know what I can do is- is evil and I know that someone like me shouldn't even be here, I'm- I'm not supposed to be a hero, not with what's inside me, but I-I've never wanted to be anything else!" He sobbed and wiped tears from his eyes which were almost immediately replaced a second later.

As he spoke his voice cracked and fell apart in his own mouth, his sorrow dragging his shoulders down from the sheer weight. "But I just- I'm trying, sir. I'm trying my hardest I know I let everyone down when I let it control me and- and I know All Might is disappointed in me but-"

"No one is disappointed in you, young Midoriya." Nedzu quickly cut him off. "No one. Not All Might, not myself, not Mr. Aizawa. No one is disappointed in you. We were unprepared, uninformed and unequipped to deal with your quirk."

Nedzu knew what his next sentence should be. He should tell the boy he was going to transfer him out of the school and away from the hero course, to somewhere where his quirk could be properly contained and controlled. Where he could live a normal life, where his dreams would be crushed but at least his soul could be saved.

The same words he should have spoken years ago to another young man.

But that young man hadn't been crying his eyes out. His voice hadn't broken, and his body hadn't been on the edge of breaking apart from the storm of self-hatred that roared inside him. They had both needed help, but they had needed different kinds of help.

He had taken such a risk before and the parallels even now were staggering. The burn scars, the troubled mind, the blue fire.

But he had failed that student by ignoring the problem. Was he really so prepared to fail another?

"I'm not going to expel you," Nedzu announced with a strong tone, his chin raising just slightly as he spoke.

Izuku sobbed but finally looked up once more. Nedzu expected him to smile, to cheer maybe, but instead he continued to look nervous, on edge, as if any moment now the axe would come swinging down on his neck.

"But I'm not going to ignore this either." He raised a hand to his chin for a moment. "We logically can't move forward until we have a better understanding of your quirk. Next Monday I will arrange for you to have a quirk assessment test. At least then we'll all have a much more solid understanding of your power. From there we'll figure out our next steps together."

Izuku stiffened suddenly and his eyes went wide. "Are- Are you sure, sir? I mean I-"

"Would you rather be suspended for two weeks?" Nedzu mused with a curled smile.

"No! No-No, not at all I mean- Well, you have to go all out in those things, right? Well what if I," He winced a little and shrugged, "You know?"

"Lose control again? Don't worry, I'll have Mr. Aizawa there to erase your quirk the moment it starts getting out of hand." He fixed Izuku with a raised eyebrow. "And I'm sure you've noticed but Mr. Aizawa's limit on how far he'll allow things to go is much, much shorter than All Might's."

Izuku again chewed his lip, though this time it seemed to be in thought rather than some twisted self-punishment and Nedzu allowed it. The teenager nodded slowly to himself and took a deep breath through his nose before breathing back out one more, his shoulders finally relaxing and his body easing from his constant tension. "Alright. I'll do my best, sir. And… thank you. For all of this. For giving me another chance. I know I don't deserve it but-"

"Of course you deserve it." Nedzu frowned at him and leaned forward once more. "You need to believe in yourself, young Midoriya. You're not evil, you're not a villain and no matter how difficult your quirk is to control with time and training I believe you will learn to use it to become a great hero."

"I… I suppose."

"No. Don't suppose." He pointed a furred finger at him. "Do." He paused for a second before raising his paw upwards, "'As a rule, men worry more about what they can't see than about what they can.' Julius Caesar said that. Consider these words as you progress. Focus on what you can deal with for now, and that includes your own mental health."

Izuku finally smiled. It was a sketched smile, earnest but frail. He still had doubts of himself, that was clear, but there was a hope there. A hope which the young boy was clinging to with both hands. Nedzu trusted that it would be enough, at least for now.

"I will, sir. I promise. And- and I swear, I won't let it hurt anyone ever again."

"I'll hold you to that promise." Nedzu lightly warned as he wagged a warning pawed finger at Izuku, "Now, go back to your lessons. I'm sorry you've missed your second round of hero training, but I'm glad we had this talk. We can finally start you off on the right footing."

Izuku nodded and stood up, already towering over the tiny animal but the respect in his eyes was more than obvious. He bowed deeply to the Principal and walked back towards the door, exiting with several more 'thank you's'.

Once he was gone Nedzu let out a long breath and fell back into the couch. He turned his head for a moment and noticed the weather hadn't changed. It was still spotty, still flickering with rays of golden sun and frowns of grey cloud.

Yes, he decided internally, it was indeed a fitting omen.


Izuku was exhausted. When the final bell rang he felt as though he was fighting to keep his eyes open. As he'd walked the corridor towards the locker rooms his classmates had chattered excitedly around him and discussed amongst themselves the cool and exciting new combat exercises that Aizawa-sensei had ran them through.

Bully for them. Izuku kept his bitterness locked up tight, however, he knew he would get his chance to get back into combat training again next week. But even so, the knowledge that he'd completely screwed up one lesson and been forced to miss his second wasn't resting easy with him.

Principal Nedzu had told him they could start on the right foot now. He only wished he had started off on the right foot the first time around.

And even then, the knowledge that he'd technically lied to his face wasn't sitting easy with him. Yes, he was taking his prescribed medication, but taking medication and having it actually be effective were two very different things. He chewed his lip as he gathered the things out of his locker and it was only when Uraraka tapped him on the shoulder did he snap out of his own thoughts.

"Hey, earth to Izuku! Are you there?"

"She should shut up, we're trying to think."

Izuku practically chomped the inside of his cheek and ignored the flourish of boiling irritation that flowed along his scars as he turned to his friend. "Sorry! I was just… it's been a long week, you know?"

"Yeah, I know." She sighed and flashed him a worn-out smile. There were still bags under her eyes, though they looked less heavy than before. "But hey, we can walk to the station together. Tenya's waiting for us outside, we could even show you some of the moves we learned today! Well, maybe, I mean within reason," She shrugged and rolled her eyes, "We can't throw you onto the pavement or something but-"

"Hey."

The young woman's blabbering was cut silent. Hitoshi practically emerged out of the shadow to walk over to the two, his exhausted gaze stern and almost cold. He looked between them both before fixing his eyes on Izuku. "We should talk."

"O-oh." Yeah, Izuku had been wondering when this would happen. Hitoshi had practically been avoiding him all day despite Izuku's own attempts to try and grab his attention. Still, he'd had a busy day and a small part of him had hoped that maybe he could have the no doubt emotionally exhausting conversation with him tomorrow. "Erm, yeah, I guess we should."

"Talk about what? How he blocked our rightful vengeance?" His curse hissed like a rusting blade along his mind. "Coward."

Izuku ignored the comment and turned his eyes to Uraraka, who understandably looked worried. "It's alright, go on ahead, I'll catch up." He even gave her a smile. It was one he didn't feel of course, but it was a smile nonetheless.

The girl hesitated for a moment longer before nodding. "Alright, I'll try and make Tenya walk slow." She shot Hitoshi one quick look, one of cautious concern, before turning and walking away.

The locker room was empty now, other than the occasional student moving from one after-school activity to another.

Hitoshi towered over Izuku, and Izuku felt every inch of the height the teenager had on him. It was amazing how intimidating Hitoshi was, even without his costume. He had an air of silent, dismissive command that bordered on cockiness. Though it wasn't the same as Katsuki's arrogant ego, it was more of a simple self-assuredness that he could stop anyone with a single question and no further effort.

Yet if one looked closely, with careful eyes, one could see the heavy weight of his quirk behind his stance. It pulled the corners of his mouth into a stoic line, etched heavy bags under his eyes and gave him an aura of mature responsibility that a person his age shouldn't possess.

"So." He scratched the back of his neck and Izuku suddenly realized it was a nervous habit. Was Hitoshi the one on guard here? "About Tuesday."

"Yeah. Tuesday." Izuku's head bow in shame. "I'm sorry. For everything. For what you saw. For what I did. For… for everything."

He could already feel tears rising to his eyes, but he blinked them away. He had sobbed enough for one day, at this rate he'd become dehydrated.

"We shouldn't apologize for what we are."

"What the fuck was that?" Hitoshi demanded suddenly, his voice causing Izuku to cower even more. "Because what I saw in there, that wasn't you."

"I-erm." Izuku's hands reached the straps of his bag and began squeezing them tightly. "It was… my power."

"You had horns. And claws. And a fucking tail." Hitoshi's eyes narrowed at him. "I thought you said all you did was throw out blue fire."

"How dare he!" The thing hissed through Izuku's mind like a furious beast, "We are far more than just appendages!"

"Actually," The smaller teen chuckled nervously, "I said it was more complex than that."

Hitoshi kept his narrowed gaze locked onto Izuku before finally, and almost sarcastically, saying, "Riiight. So, what happened then? Because there's a lot of rumors going around that I'm trying hard to ignore."

"Oh, yeah, well." Izuku took in a breath and forced himself to relax. It was alright, he had seen the curse inside him and all he wanted was an explanation. Izuku could just tell him what happened and then probably never talk to him ever again. "I, erm, when I push myself too hard one of two things tends to happen."

"Yeah, you said you pass out."

"Or, or," Izuku raised a finger suddenly as he looked to Hitoshi properly, "Or I kind of… well, my power takes over and… it does that to me."

"It turns you into whatever I saw?" Hitoshi cocked a head slightly. "Because you looked like a demon. And you were acting like one too."

"Demon?!" The thing roared so loudly though Izuku's mind that he actually winced, drawing out a slightly confused look from the taller teenager. "Demon?! What kind of accusation is that?! We are Izuku Midoriya! We are shadow and-"

"Yeah, well," Izuku sighed and looked away, "I'm going to get a quirk evaluation on Monday, so they can officially confirm how evil I am, I guess."

"Hey!" The tone brought Izuku's gaze up one again and he was shocked to see just how pissed Hitoshi suddenly appeared to be. "We're not evil, remember? We're supposed to be showing these bastards we're heroes."

Izuku almost stepped back in shock. The look across Hitoshi's face was anger, fury almost, but it wasn't directed at Izuku. It was… it was determination. It was indignation. It was irritation at his words, not at his actions.

"You slipped up, you lost control, fine." Hitoshi raised a hand and pointed an accusing finger at the smaller boy. "You should have told me the full truth before we went into that thing, I mean I thought you'd just burned people by accident or something. We could have formed a better plan, and I sure as fuck wouldn't have left you alone with that psycho Katsuki."

Izuku's mouth began to drop open and even the thing seemed shocked, moving its oil-slick heat through Izuku's scars in an almost protective manner for lack of any other response.

Hitoshi growled, and his hand dropped to his side before he shoved them both into his pockets and his eyes flicked to one side. "When I grabbed you and pulled you off him I looked into your eyes. Honestly," He let out a shuddering breath and met Izuku's gaze again, "It was like looking into hell. You were… barely there anymore, and I've not been able to sleep properly since. Well," He smirked, "Less properly than usual." His eyes narrowed again, "You want to know why Uraraka looked exhausted? Because I'm willing to bet she's not slept either."

Izuku felt the weight of his guilt settle on his chest and he leaned back against the locker, his legs suddenly feeling weak despite the rippling strength of dark power moving through his body.

"Seeing you like that…" He gulped and quickly licked his lips, "It was fucking terrifying." There was a moment between them that stretched out, silent and heavy. "But you know the worst of it all is that I could have prevented it. We could have swapped places, or we could have fought Katsuki together." He paused again, his voice dropped low. "I know what its like to think that you're a monster, Izuku, but trying to hide it from everyone isn't the solution. Please, don't do that to any of us again, alright?"

Izuku was crying. He wasn't sure when he'd started crying again but he was crying. Hitoshi suddenly looked awkward and he turned his head from side to side. "Dude, you need to quit doing that."

"I'm sorry." He choked as he pressed his arm against his eyes. "I'm so sorry, I just… I thought you hated me. I thought everyone hated me."

"No, I don't hate you." Hitoshi almost smirked. "I'm pissed off at you, and kind of scared if you get mad you'll turn into the actual devil, but no I don't hate you."

Izuku laughed. It was a sad, self-pitying, pathetic laugh but it was a laugh.

"… We like him." The thing's words were, for once, not harsh or grating or vicious but smooth. Like razor wire across the meat of his brain. There was respect there, thin as it may have been. "He's a pathetic filthy sinner, but we like him. The Child of Pharaohs will be a good ally."

That was… a surprise to say the least. It was easily the nicest thing it had ever said about anyone, with the exception of his mother, though he wasn't sure vowing to 'annihilate her enemies' counted as being nice.

For a moment, for a single brief moment, he considered telling Hitoshi about the voice in his head. The evil, awful, cruel voice that insulted everyone around him and cursed all living things under the sun.

But he held off. He promised himself he would, one day, but not today. Today had been exhausting enough.

He sniffled and again tried to dry his eyes on an already wet sleeve. "T-Thank you. And I'm sorry, for not saying anything before. I'm really sorry. I'm sorry. Sorry."

"Apology accepted, monster-boy." Hitoshi hesitated before turning suddenly, "I'll cya tomorrow then, I guess."

"Hey, wait." Izuku stepped forward and almost grabbed onto Hitoshi's sleeve, though he held his hand back at the last moment. A sketched smile appeared on his face as he shrugged. "Do you get the train? Why don't you walk to the station with us?"

"With us?" Hitoshi raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, Tenya and Uraraka and me. I'm sure they won't mind."

Hitoshi for a moment seemed to chew the answer over in his head before Izuku noticed the tiniest twitch of a smile at the corner of his lips. "Alright. Maybe you can explain to me why you have Legolas ears and emo nails."

Hitoshi turned and began walking, Izuku quickly followed into step with him, though it was a little straining thanks to Hitoshi's long strides.

However, as he walked he knew that not every hurdle set in front him by Tuesday's events had been jumped. There was a large one coming up, one whom he had yet to even begin thinking of a true apology for.

One named Katsuki Bakugo.

But that was a tomorrow problem for tomorrow's Izuku. For now, he just allowed himself the simple joy of walking to a train station with people he could still call his friends.


So hows about that, huh? Hitoshi is a good friend, and I actually like his reaction way more than Uraraka's. I feel his is more... I dunno, I just like how he doesn't hug Izuku, but kinda slaps him over the head a little. Uraraka is a comforting friend, but I feel Hitoshi is shaping up to be the 'get your shit together' friend.

Also NEDZU. What is Nedzu hiding? What memories is he referring to? Why did he mention Lucifer and not 'the devil'? Answers will come... eventually.

Until then hope you enjoyed reading, till next time my dudes!