Katsuki Bakugo glared at the envelope sitting on his desk, the UA logo emblazoned on the paper. It had arrived twenty minutes ago, his mother shouting at him from across the house. The blond had managed to resist the urge to launch himself down the hallway with his explosions, if only to avoid the scolding his mother would give him if he had. He didn't have time for that, not now, not when the rest of his life was hinging on the contents of the envelope currently resting on his desk.

He wasn't nervous. Katsuki didn't get nervous. He was too strong to get nervous.

"Oi, brat! You opened the letter yet?" Mitsuki Bakugo shouted from behind his door, making Katsuki jump slightly.

"Fuck off, old hag!" he screeched back, snatching the letter off the desk and ripping it open. The blond scowled as the small metal disk that dropped out, bouncing on his desk. He blinked in surprise as the hologram suddenly started the image of All Might appearing in the air in front of him.

"Hello, Young Bakugo!" the projection of the Pro said happily, his trademark smile plastered across his face, "I am sure you're wondering why I am here! Well, young man, that would be because starting next year, I will be a teacher at UA! Helping to raise the next generation of Heroes!"

All Might was going to be teaching at UA! All Might was going to be teaching him! At UA! Katsuki was jerked out of his shock as the projection continued talking.

"But I'm sure you're not here to listen to me blather on! You want to know your score!" The projection's smile widened slightly, "Congratulations! You scored 77 villain points! A new record for villain points in the entrance exam!"

He had set a new record! Of course he had! He was Katsuki-fucking-Bakugo! He was strong! He always won! He-.

"Earning you a well-deserved joint first place in the overall scores for the practical! But don't be discouraged, it was a close thing! Very close, in fact!"

Katsuki froze, his eyes focusing on the scores as All Might stepped aside, his eyes shooting straight for the number one spot, his blood running cold as he felt the fury burning brightly within him. There was his name. Directly above another.

Midoriya, Izuku: 37 Villain points | 40 Rescue points

The shout echoed through the entire house, Mitsuki glancing up as she prepared lunch, scowling at the ceiling as she shouted for him to quiet down.

"DEKUUUUUUUUUUUU!"

Izuku sat at his desk quietly, writing happily in one of his notebooks. He'd passed the exam! He'd passed the exam in first place with Kacchan! He was going to be a student at UA! He was so happy! He'd had a small celebratory party with his mother and Sire the day he'd found out, the two Midoriya's crying happily as they hugged each other tightly, Sire presenting Izuku with a wrapped gift. The teen had been overjoyed but confused when the older man had said to save it for his first Hero exercise.

The door opened slowly, the chattering of the class quieting around him as the figure stepped silently into the room. Izuku looked up at the silence, his eyes going wide as they fell on the blond standing in the door, his red eyes scanning the room slowly. They fell on Izuku a moment later, the green-haired teen almost flinching at the cold anger that burned behind them.

"Deku," Katsuki said in an uncharacteristically soft voice, "I'm going to kill you."

"K-Kacchan?"

"You think you're so much better than me," the blond snarled, walking slowly forwards, shoving desks out of his way and he walked straight towards Izuku, "You think that you can just show up out of fucking nowhere and make me look weak?"

"W-what are you talking about, Kacchan?"

"YOU FUCKING KNOW!" the blond yelled, leaping forwards to grab at the teen, Izuku darting back just out of his grasp. Katsuki let out a small explosion, powerful enough the stun the other teen as he stepped forwards, hand closing around Izuku's throat, "YOU THINK YOU'RE SO GREAT! THAT YOU'RE BETTER THAN ME!"

"N-no!" Izuku choked as the blond slammed him into the wall, lifting him from the floor, "I don't!"

"DON'T FUCKING LIE TO ME, DEKU!" Katsuki yelled, lifting his left hand, explosions crackling across his palm, "I KNOW YOU! YOU'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT YOU WERE BETTER THAN ME! LOOKING AT ME WITH PITY! LOOKING AT ME LIKE I WAS WEAK! YOU'LLL NEVER BE A HERO, YOU QUIRKLESS FUCK! SO JUST FUCKING DIE!"

"I DIDN'T!" the shout was louder than Katsuki had expected, suddenly realising just how hard Izuku was gripping his wrist, tight enough that it actually hurt, "I'VE NEVER LOOKED AT YOU WITH PITY!"

"I SAID DON'T FUCKING LIE!" Katsuki howled, swinging his left hand at the other teens face. Green eyes swirled with colour as he stared into them.

"Stop," the word hit Katsuki like a physical force, his arm freezing in place a mere inch from Izuku's face, the explosions dying in his palm, "Let go."

Katsuki watched as he obeyed the command, his head slightly fuzzy as he fought against the sensation. What was he doing? He'd never listened to Deku before, so why was he doing it now?

"I've never thought that way about you, Kacc-…Katsuki," Izuku muttered, the sound loud in the silence of the classroom, "I've always thought you were amazing. That you would make a great Hero. But I guess I was wrong."

"THE FUCK YOU JUST SA-?"

"Shut up," Katsuki felt his throat tighten at the command, clutching his neck as his voice suddenly cut out, "Sire is right about you. You aren't a Hero. Heroes bring hope, Heroes save people, Heroes protect the weak."

The last words weighed on Katsuki as he looked back at Izuku, freezing at what he saw. Gone were the kind and gentle eyes he'd filled with fear so many times. Gone was the warm light that glowed in adoration and respect. Gone was the boy he'd tormented for so many years. In its place was a young man, his eyes cold and unforgiving, glaring at Katsuki not in hatred, but in pity. Real, actual pity. A shiver ran down Katsuki's back as he tried to speak, his voice still refusing to come. It felt wrong.

"You're nothing but a bully," Izuku continued, his voice strong and confident, "A bully who picks on those weaker than you because you need to validate your strength. You'll never be able to become a Hero if you continue like this. Not unless you change."

Katsuki blinked, the warmth that was so familiar flooding back into Izuku's eyes, bringing a strange sense of relief to the blond.

"And I believe you can change," the teen said softly, smiling at the other boy, "So prove me wrong, Katsuki. Prove me wrong and become real Hero."

"F-fuck o-off, you d-damn D-Dek-!" Katsuki managed to force out of his throat.

"Izuku," the boy said loudly, making Katsuki start slightly as he cut him off, "My name is Izuku, Katsuki. Use it."

"What's going on here?" The teacher asked as he walked into the classroom, looking around at the silent students in confusion, "What's wrong with Bakugo?"

"Nothing," Izuku said calmly, heading back to his desk, "We were just talking."

"Okay…" the teacher hummed, swallowing slightly at the strangely confident demeanour of the usually meek teen, "Well, Midoriya and Bakugo, the Principal wants to see you in his office. Now."

"Okay," the green-haired teen replied, grabbing his bag and books, and walking calmly out of the room, Katsuki staring at his back in shock.

"Bakugo!" the blond jumped at the teacher's shout, "The Principal's office. Go now."

"To think that not one, but two of our students made it into UA! Especially you, Midoriya!" the overweight man said happily as he grinned at the two teens, "This is a great day for our school!"

Katsuki wasn't listening to the man as he droned on about responsibilities and representing the school, instead staring fixedly at Izuku. The shorter teen was simply nodding along with the man's speech, a calm expression on his face as he listened. Katsuki couldn't figure it out, the boy's words running through his mind over and over again.

When had Izuku become so strong? The blond rubbed his wrist where the green-haired teen had grabbed him, the shadow of a bruise already forming on his skin. When had he learned to fight back? Who the hell was this "Sire" person, and why did that name sound familiar?

"Bakugo? Are you listening?" the Principal asked suddenly, pulling the blond out of his thoughts as he looked at the man.

"Huh?" he grunted, "Yeah. Whatever."

"Oh, good," the man hummed slightly, a nervous look on his face, "Well then, get back to class, we wouldn't want to affect your learning now that you're going to be Heroes."

Katsuki flinched at the word, unsure why as they walked out of the office, heading back to their class in silence as Izuku walked ahead of him, back straight, head held high.

"What the fuck happened to you, Deku?"

"I found my way out of your shadow, Katsuki," The blond jumped at the response, not realising he'd asked the question out loud, "That's all you need to know."

Katsuki stopped as he watched Izuku walk away from him, the teen disappearing around a corner as he left the blond behind. A strange feeling wrapped around Katsuki, the blond gritting his teeth as he stepped forwards, his pace quickening as he began to run after the other teen.

Izuku's heart was beating in his chest. He was standing outside the gates to UA, not as an examine this time, but as a full-blown student at his dream school. His uniform was crisp and clean, thanks to his mother, his tie tied expertly, thanks to the tutelage of his Sire, and his bag sat heavy on his back, filled with everything he'd thought he'd need for the first day of high school. Nestled in the bottom of the bag was the wrapped package his Sire had given him, the teen still curious as to what it contained.

Izuku stepped forwards, watching his feet carefully as he walked, not wanting to trip again. The girl that had helped him before came to mind, her face appearing in front of him for a moment before he shook it away, feeling his blood begin to boil. Now was not the time to waste energy. He made his way quickly through the corridors, swallowing nervously as he finally made it to the door to class 1-A. His class.

With a deep breath, he opened the door, blinking at the scene in front of him.

"Please take your feet off the desk!" the familiar blue-haired boy barked at Bakugo, who was lounging in the chair, "It is disrespectful to our seniors and the people who made the desk!"

"Shut the hell up, you extra!" Bakugo sneered, "What middle school did you come from?"

"Me?" the boy said, "I am Tenya Iida, I come from Somnei academy and-."

"Somnei, huh?" Bakugo laughed, "So you're an elite?"

"Katsuki," Izuku sighed, making the class look at him in surprise, not having heard him enter, "Please stop."

"Deku," the blond growled as he glared at the teen, "I don't do what you say!"

"AH! You!" the blue-haired teen suddenly said, walking stiffly over to Izuku, "I am Tenya Iida from Somnei acade-."

"I heard," Izuku cut him off, smiling nervously at him, "D-did you want something?"

"Yes!" the boy, Iida, hummed as he chopped his arm robotically, "I wanted to apologise! You saw through the true nature of the exam, while I did not! You are truly a better candidate than I am!"

"D-don't say that!" Izuku gasped, before looking away nervously, "I just…I just did what I felt was right."

"Ah! That curly hair!" the female voice made Izuku jump as the door slid open once again, turning slowly to look at the brunette as she entered the room, "You're the guy that saved me, right?"

"I-I g-guess?" Izuku squeaked, his skin turning dark red, "S-sorry about having to…you know…"

"Oh!" the girl blushed back, "It's okay. You needed to do it for your quirk, right?"

"Y-yeah," Izuku muttered, trying to hide his face behind his arms, "S-sorry."

"If you're here to socialise, then get out," the deep voice said from behind the girl, the class jumping as they looked at the yellow caterpillar lying on the ground, "This is the Hero course."

There's someone in there! The entire room thought as the creature drained an entire jelly pouch in one suck, before getting up and unzipping the sleeping bag it was wrapped in.

"It took you eight seconds to quiet down," the dishevelled man sighed as he walked into the room, "That's too long. I am your Homeroom teacher, Shota Aizawa, nice to meet you. Now, put on your gym uniforms and meet me out on the main field."