Disclaimer: I don't own My Hero Academia
Author's note: I recently got over 500 reviews and just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has supported me so far. I never imagined this story would be this popular so thank you. Okay, onto the chapter.
As with the previous morning, Izuku woke up early. He did his exercises, got dressed and headed down to the Mess Hall. Much to his surprise, he wasn't alone. Shoto was up and eating as well.
"Morning," Shoto said.
"Morning," Izuku responded.
"You're up early," Shoto said.
"A habit I developed from my job," Izuku shot back. "You're up early too."
Shoto shrugged.
"I just woke up, didn't feel like going back to sleep," he admitted.
Izuku said nothing. That was as good a reason as any. He readied himself some toast and tea and sat down to eat. For a few minutes, they sat eating in silence. Then when the time came, they tidied up and headed to class.
"Hey, about yesterday," Izuku started.
Shoto glanced at him.
"What about it?" he asked.
"Was that just a one time use of your left side or will you be using it in the future?" Izuku asked curiously.
"I'm not entirely sure," Shoto admitted. "There's something important I need to do first. Depending on how it goes will be the deciding factor on whether I continue to use it or not."
"Oh, and what would that be?" Izuku asked intrigued.
Shoto stopped walking and stared at the ground.
Izuku stopped also and turned to him.
The dual quirk user looked up at him.
"I've decided to go and visit my mother," he declared. "And depending on how well this goes I'll make my decision."
Izuku's eyes widened. He hadn't been expecting that. His reaction did not go unnoticed.
"Do you think that's a bad idea?" Shoto asked.
"Hard to say really," Izuku replied honestly. "Will the hospital staff alert your father if you go?"
Shoto scoffed.
"I seriously doubt it. He never gave her much attention, to begin with, so he won't be monitoring her activity or visitors," he stated. "After all, it's been ten years since the incident."
Izuku raised an eyebrow. That meant it had been ten years since Shoto had seen his mother.
"Then I strongly suggest you go since you're not under the watchful eye of that fiery bastard," Izuku urged. "Take it from a guy who hadn't interacted with his mother for an entire year even though he wanted to. Believe me, you want to do this."
Shoto remained silent. Deep down he really did want to see her. He had wanted to see her for years, but he was never allowed. He was slightly nervous though because it was unlikely that she knew about what had happened to his older brother.
"I'm planning on doing this at the weekend," he stated. "What about you? Are you doing anything?"
Izuku gave him a look.
"Just study and train. I'm not allowed to leave campus, for obvious reasons," he said.
UA wouldn't allow a villain under their custody to wander around freely. This place was a prison for him after all.
There was also the issue of him contacting his old allies and being the target of a psychotic S rate villain.
So yeah, he was limited in what he was allowed to do.
"Makes sense," Shoto agreed. "However, may I ask you something?"
"Depends on what it is and whether I can answer or not sure," Izuku replied honestly.
Shoto stared at him for a moment before speaking.
"Why do you wish to remain a villain? Why not become a hero now that you have the opportunity?" Shoto asked. "You've got the personality and skills for it."
Izuku flinched. He wasn't bothered by the questions; it was what came after.
Shoto was the first person who thought he could become a hero, whereas others had told him countless times he couldn't.
Izuku quickly regained his composure.
"The League took me in when I was broken. Where others viewed me as worthless, they felt the opposite. They saved me from despair, and for that, I owe them everything. Becoming a hero would be the same as betraying them, and that's something I could never bring myself do," Izuku explained. "Besides, a quirkless hero is something society will never allow. They're too prejudiced to ever allow it so there's no point really."
Shoto didn't say anything. The way Izuku was speaking, he meant what he was saying. Yet, at the same time, he could detect an element of sadness in the way he spoke. There must've been a time when he really wanted to be a hero yet it all eventually shattered due to the bullying he received.
The League of Villains, he didn't know why but, he was starting to think there was more to them than what he encountered before.
'Society would never permit a quirkless hero. Surely, they aren't that prejudiced,' Shoto pondered.
He then remembered his older brother and the abuse he suffered for being quirkless. A lot of it came from their father but, other parts of it came from his school peers. He didn't know the full details since his brother avoided talking about it.
'Then again, maybe they are,' Shoto thought.
Aside from his brother and Izuku, he'd never interacted with a quirkless person before, so he didn't know what their full situation was.
"It's sad that you don't want to become a hero but, if you want to help the people you care about then I guess I can't stop you," Shoto said.
Izuku was grateful he was so understanding.
"By the way, how do you think the others did in their battle trials?" Izuku asked.
"Don't know," Shoto admitted. "I'm sure they all did okay. I feel bad for Yaoyorozu though. She was paired with Mineta, and I can't even begin to describe how that probably went."
Izuku shuddered. Yaoyorozu couldn't have ended up with a worse partner.
"Oh God," he muttered.
Class 1A Homeroom
The students started pouring in one after another. They were all still discussing the fights from yesterday. Bakugo came in, but, for some reason, he just went straight to his desk without saying a word to Izuku. When Ochaco arrived, she hurried over to Izuku.
"Oh my God are you alright?" she asked franticly. "When we were declared the winners, I went back to find you only to see you and Todoroki on the ground and bleeding from your foreheads. Just what kind of fight did you two have?"
"A very violent and emotional one," Izuku replied rather bluntly.
Ochaco sighed with relief.
"Well at any rate I'm relieved that you're okay," she said concerned.
Izuku was surprised at her level of concern. Though he figured it must've come from the fact that he fought the strongest of their classmates. Which reminded him.
"Hey, how did the other fights go?" he asked curiously.
Ochaco shrugged.
"They were alright I guess. Not as intense or brutal as ours, but otherwise pretty good," she explained. "Aside from Momo's fight that is. You wouldn't believe what she had to put up with."
"Oh, believe me, I have a very good idea," Izuku exclaimed.
Just then, Eraserhead came in and ordered everyone to sit down. He then announced that they would be resuming regular classes today and that they would working on special moves for hero training, much to everyone's (except Izuku) excitement.
Special moves were kind of like finishing moves. They weren't always offensive, but they symbolised a hero for who they were. They were all also centred around a person's specific quirk.
'I'm quirkless so I don't really need one,' Izuku thought. 'I wonder what I'll be doing while all this is happening. Maybe spar with Eraserhead or some other teacher.'
He didn't get much time to dwell on it though since class immediately began.
Somewhere in Musutafu
Throughout the city, it was mostly peaceful. There was a villain attack every now and then but other than that, things were quiet.
"HE TOLD HIM TO WHAT?" Mitsuki screeched at the top of her lungs.
Except of course over at the Bakugo Residence.
"I'M GONNA KILL HIM," Mitsuki raged.
Her expression mirrored her son's during the Sports Festival.
As to why she was acting this way. Inko had been invited over for tea since they hadn't seen each other since Izuku had been found. They talked a bit about how he was in UA now and the fight at the hospital. Then came the part about how Izuku joined the League. Inko was reluctant to tell her best what she had been told because she knew it would hurt her and Masaru.
They both guessed it had something to do with Katsuki and they insisted she tells them the truth. And so, she told them everything, about Izuku being bullied and who took part.
Masaru was livid but Mitsuki was downright furious.
Izuku was like a nephew to her and knowing that he was treated poorly pissed her off, especially since her own son was involved. Part of her wished he hadn't been blessed with a powerful quirk, otherwise, he wouldn't have praised and become as arrogant as much as he was.
When Inko told her about the day Izuku disappeared, about what Katsuki said to him, she literally snapped.
"Putting Izuku through all that shit was bad enough. But for fuck sake, telling him to kill himself, that's going way too far," she snarled.
She believed Inko. There's no way that she or Izuku would lie about something like this.
"Maybe we shouldn't have agreed to putting the two of them in the same class together, or even living under the same roof," Masaru said nervously.
Mitsuki snorted.
"I outta pull that boy out of UA, or at least tell the teachers about the shit he's done," she snarled.
"They already know," Inko told her. "They were made aware of it beforehand. If anything happens they'll deal with it."
Mitsuki couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"Are you serious?" she shouted. "How can you be so calm about this? What if Katsuki tries to hurt Izuku as he did before? Aren't you worried?"
Inko wasn't surprised at her friend's behaviour. She expected this sort of reaction from Mitsuki.
"Of course, I'm worried. However, I'm not as worried as I was before," Inko said honestly. "As I said, Izuku's changed. He's a lot stronger than he was a year ago. He fought off that thing in the hospital and even managed to defeat Katsuki at the USJ."
That caught Mitsuki's attention. So Izuku was the villain from the USJ who put her son in that state. Before she was angry and upset that that happened to her son, but now, now it was the opposite.
"Well good. It's nice to see that Izuku stood up for himself and gave that brat a taste of his own medicine," she stated firmly.
Masaru wasn't happy about Katsuki getting hurt but in this case, he agreed with his wife. He had it coming.
He stared guiltily at the coffee table. He and his wife were aware of what Katsuki had done to Izuku and often criticised him for it, not that it did much good. They should've done more, but they didn't, and this was the result.
"I'm truly sorry Inko," Masaru said sadly. "We didn't know he was capable of something like this."
Mitsuki went silent. She knew her son was violent and jackass, but even she never thought he would go that far.
"This isn't your fault, I know that. There's no way you could have known," she told them. She then looked down at the table. "Whether Katsuki remains at UA or not I don't care, and neither does Izuku. However, the next time I see him, I'm going to smack him across the face for what he did to Izuku."
"Then I suggest you make it hard," Mitsuki stated.
Both parents agreed that their son had at least earned a good slap across the face. If Inko really wanted to then they wouldn't stop her.
"Let him remain at UA for the time being," Masaru suggested. "That place sees him for what he is, and as such he's beginning to change."
"Fine," Mitsuki agreed. "Maybe Izuku will kick his ass like he did before if I don't first."
"He kind of already did yesterday," Inko mentioned. "During this battle trial they fought and Izuku won."
"Then I guess I'll just have to scream at him for a while," Mitsuki said with fire in her eyes.
Masaru sighed.
Inko gazed at him with sympathy.
It was a wonder how he managed to get by in this household.
UA Hallways
Izuku was currently on his way to the cafeteria for lunch. His mother had provided him with some pocket money, so he was set.
Classes this morning weren't all that bad. There was nothing he couldn't understand and some of it (Math and English) were pretty easy in his opinion.
History was also interesting.
It was strange though, being back at school, going to class. He was a student again, at UA. Of all things, he never imagined something like this, he never believed that he would return to this life.
It made him uncomfortable, so he always kept his guard up.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of several voices just up ahead.
Izuku looked up and saw two people (a boy and a girl) surrounded by six male students.
The girl had long blonde hair and grass green eyes, and the boy had messy indigo hair that stuck out and purple eyes. Izuku recognised him from the sports festival as Hitoshi Shinsou.
The girl looked angry while Hitoshi looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here.
"What do you want?" the girl demanded.
"Nothing really, just checking to make sure that the villain kid hasn't attempted anything," one of the boys sneered.
Izuku raised an eyebrow. Villain kid? Did they mean Hitoshi?
"He's not a villain," the girl said defensively.
Several boys laughed.
"Oh yeah, his quirk says otherwise," another boy sneered. "You saw the way he used it in the Sports Festival, how he used it to cheat his way through."
"It's probably how he cheated his way into UA," one boy interjected.
"Who knows who else he's used it on," the fourth piped up. "It's a miracle he hasn't used it to control the teachers for his own gain. Then again, he'd be expelled if he did, which would be a smart decision on UA's behalf."
Hitoshi tightened his fists. He was used to this treatment. People treating him like a freak, like a villain, like a monster.
All because of his quirk, brainwashing.
He couldn't even begin to describe how much pain this quirk had caused him, or how many times he wished he had been born with a different one, one more suited for heroes. It was because of his quirk that many people were afraid of him, and the very reason he didn't have that many friends.
Elena here was an exception.
When she used her quirk to feel his emotions and see his past, she knew he wasn't a bad person, just misunderstood.
Still, after the festival, people started to fear and avoid him, they also began to bully him whenever they had the chance by calling him a villain or telling others to be wary of him. They called him a monster and tried on many occasions to force him to use his quirk just to prove their points.
It was so frustrating that he didn't know how he'd managed to put up with it for so long.
Izuku sensed this was about his quirk. He had seen it during the festival and, given its applications, he could understand why many would deem it as villainous. However, that did not automatically make someone a villain.
He started to sympathise with Hitoshi, as he did with anyone who was bullied.
"For all we know, you could be brainwashed by him," the fifth one suggested. "Or better yet, maybe you're just doing this for something in return. Maybe you want him to use his quirk to get yourself a higher position here at UA."
"Yeah that's gotta be it," the sixth one agreed. "Makes sense for a villain like him to use others to get what he wants, and the same applies to you sweetheart."
Okay, that did it. Izuku was officially pissed at the students before him. They thought they knew everything about being a villain, but they knew nothing.
He was going to put them in their place.
"That is the biggest load of bullshit I have ever heard, and believe me, I've heard plenty," Izuku exclaimed.
The bullies and the bullied turned to look at him.
"Declaring someone to be a villain solely based on their quirk is downright stupid," he explained. "Quirks don't define someone as a villain or hero. It's how they use them that matters. How a bunch of dumbasses like you can't see that makes me wonder how you even got into this school in the first place."
His comment earned him several glares.
"First of all, who the hell are you? And who the hell do you think you are spouting crap like that?" the first boy demanded.
"Well since you asked so nicely, my name is Izuku Midoriya, and I'm a new student at Class 1A this semester," he explained politely. "Now as for who the hell I think I am. I think I'm the guy stopping you punks from bullying other students because of their quirks."
The announcement that he was in the hero course surprised the boys. However, in Elena's case, it made her aware of who he was.
'So, this is him, the boy Ochaco told me about,' she realized.
Flashback
"So, let me see if I'm hearing this right," Elena sighed. "That boy, the villain who saved you at the USJ, rescued your friend Ashido and is now attending UA in the same course and class as you. He also singlehandedly defeated the two strongest members of your class. Am I wrong somewhere along those lines?"
"Nope. You're definitely right," Ochaco replied. "Though I did help a tiny bit in those fights."
Ochaco was currently telling Elena all about Izuku Midoriya. Even though she knew she wasn't supposed to talk about who Izuku really was, Ochaco felt she had to tell Elena because she told her many things about him before, especially today after the battle trial.
Elena couldn't deny she was intrigued by this boy. She would also have to thank him later for saving her friend.
"So have you confessed your feelings to him then?" Elena asked rather bluntly.
"Huh," Ochaco murmured dumbfounded.
She had been completely caught off guard by that question. It took her several seconds to register what she had been asked, and when she did, her eyes widened, and her face turned bright red.
"W-W-What," she stuttered. "F-Feelings, confessed, what?"
She didn't know how Elena came to that conclusion, but she desperately began to deny it.
"You've got the wrong idea, Elena. I don't feel that way about him at all. I'm just curious about him since he saved me that's all," Ochaco said franticly. "I'm not in love with him or anything."
"Oh," Elena responded sounding amused.
She and Ochaco had known each other since the start of school and had built up a close friendship as a result. It was quite rare for students from different classes and departments to become friends. As a result of this friendship, Elena could always tell when Ochaco was lying and when she was troubled. It was also the reason why Ochaco was one of the few students who weren't scared of Hitoshi.
"How strange," Elena continued. "From the way you talked about him, I assumed you held romantic feelings for this boy. It appears I was wrong."
"Yes, you were," Ochaco assured.
"Such a shame," Elena teased while grinning.
Ochaco's blush turned brighter.
"What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded.
Elena giggled.
"Oh nothing," she lied. "Nothing at all."
Like all friendships, they had their moments of humour.
Flashback end
That same boy was now defending them.
'Time to see what your saviour made of Ochaco,' Elena thought.
The bullies slowly started moving towards Izuku.
"You're in the hero course huh," the fifth boy barked. "You must either have a good recommendation or an extremely powerful quirk if you got in this late."
Technically they were right about the recommendation, though it was hardly one to be proud of.
"I'm quirkless actually," Izuku stated.
That stopped the boy's dead in their tracks. The looks of surprise were clear on their faces.
Elena wasn't surprised because she knew from Ochaco.
Hitoshi couldn't believe what he had just heard.
'He's quirkless, and he managed to get into the hero course, despite all the hard work I put in,' Hitoshi thought upset. 'It's not fair. It's just not fair.'
Hitoshi felt immense envy towards Izuku. He worked his hardest to try and move up, to try and be a hero. But at the end of the day, it was all for nothing.
He was still a Gen Ed student and would probably remain that way for the rest of his time at UA. However, he would be seen as a villain for the rest of his life.
Sometimes he wanted to drop everything and just scream at the world around him. He kept it all in because he knew it would not do him any good, and at the same time, embarrass him.
The six boys started laughing and pointing at Izuku like he was the most hilarious thing in the world.
"Q-Quirkless," the first boy snickered. "You're quirkless and they let you into this school."
"Is this some sort of joke?" the sixth boy said still laughing.
"Did the pros make some sort of mistake when admitting you?" the third boy added.
'I wish,' Izuku mentally deadpanned.
Despite the boy's comments, Izuku remained unfazed. He was used to this sort of treatment.
"I could ask you the same thing?" he calmly retorted.
That comment caused the snickering to die down. The boys were now glaring at Izuku.
"What's that supposed to mean you quirkless freak?" the second boy demanded.
Izuku closed his eyes for a few seconds before reopening them.
"It means what it means," Izuku told them. "Let me explain this to you in a way your pathetic, dumb minds can understand. Six boys harassing a student who can't defend himself solely because of his quirk. Now, who in your opinion are the bad guys in that scenario?"
The response he received was silence.
The boys exchanged looks of uncertainty. Technically, he was right, they did look like the villains in this situation, or rather they didn't look like heroes.
Their expressions quickly changed back to glares.
"Why the hell are you defending this guy?" the first boy barked. "Do you know what his quirk is? Do you know what he's used it for?"
"I'm well aware," Izuku replied honestly. "I must say, it's quite an impressive and powerful quirk."
Izuku restrained himself from laughing at the jaws of the bullies dropping in complete shock.
They weren't the only ones.
Elena was happy that someone saw Hitoshi's quirk as something more than villainous.
Hitoshi was the one most shocked. This kid knew what his quirk was and what it could do, and still, he thought it was amazing.
"Let me explain," Izuku requested. "First of all, you're right in saying that that quirk of his could be rather dangerous if used for villainous reasons. However, that applies to all quirks, not just his. Quirks aren't heroes or villains, people are. Now in Shinso's case, if his quirk were used for the hero side, many good things would come from it. Why with that kind of power, he could get villains to surrender peacefully without causing any damage, acquire information from suspects and captured criminals easily, prevent robberies and crimes from happening, and even change the tide of a battle for the heroes."
Hitoshi was speechless. No one had ever praised or acknowledged any good things about his quirk. It also made him slightly uncomfortable because he wasn't used to hearing nice things about it.
"Also, what do you mean he cheated in the Sports Festival?" Izuku asked angrily. "Every student that took part was allowed to use their quirks to their advantage, including him. So, each time he used it, like the Cavalry Battle, was legal. So, stop being a bunch of pouty little bitches just because he used what he had to get farther than any of you probably did."
The bullies were furious with him. How dare a quirkless piece of trash like him to speak to them like that!
"Listen you quirkless freak," the first boy shouted. "You obviously don't know your place."
Before anyone could react, Izuku was already behind the boy and spin kicked him on the back to send him flying. The boy crashed face-first into the ground.
"Believe me I know my place very well, and it's not the one you're thinking of," Izuku stated firmly while glaring at the boys. "I stopped heeling before quirked individuals a long time ago, so you can't frighten me."
At that moment, he unleashed some of his killing intent towards the boys. They all flinched with fear. None of them was able to move.
"I'm only going to say this once, so I suggest you listen," Izuku growled. "Get your pathetic, weak asses out of here now before I decide to inform the principal about this incident. And the next time I catch you bullying someone I swear. I will break both your legs and force you to crawl all the way to Recovery Girl's office."
He released his killing intent, and the second he did, the boys started scrambling away. The looks of fear were present on their faces.
When they were gone, Izuku turned to face the pair behind him. They were both stunned at what they had just witnessed.
"You alright?" Izuku asked them.
"Yes. Thank you for helping us," Elena replied.
Hitoshi was less friendly.
"Why did you help us?" he asked suspiciously. "Were you expecting something in return?"
"Hitoshi," Elena warned.
Izuku wasn't fazed by the accusations made against him. He had been in the same spot as Shinso once, so he knew where he was coming from.
"If you're wondering why the answer is simple. I despise bullies," Izuku stated. "I had to go through a lot of shit in my life for being quirkless, so I can only imagine what you went through."
Hitoshi's eyes widened. He hadn't expected that. He quickly returned to a suspicious glare.
"What do you know about it?" he demanded.
"I have a pretty good idea," Izuku replied emotionlessly.
Hitoshi scoffed.
"I doubt you've ever been called a monster or a villain," he exclaimed.
"No but I've been called things like a mistake, useless, and a quirkless piece of shit," Izuku explained. "Oh, and on top of all that, I had the shit kicked out of me nearly every day."
That shut Hitoshi up. He had it bad, but not that bad.
Seeking to diffuse the tension Elena spoke up.
"You're from Ochaco's class aren't you, the one she teamed with twice yesterday?" Elena asked.
Izuku nodded in confirmation.
"Well, in that case, let's all go get lunch together. I was planning on meeting up with Ochaco and some of her friends," Elena explained.
The two boys had no objections (Izuku because he had no real reason to refuse, and Hitoshi because he didn't want to disappoint one of his few friends). Elena walked on a little ahead while the two boy's walked side by side. Hitoshi stopped walking and gazed at Izuku.
"Hey, did you really mean what you said about my quirk? And about me?" he asked uneasily.
Izuku stopped walking and turned to him.
"Of course, I did," he responded sincerely. "Your quirk doesn't make you a hero or villain. Only you can decide that. Also, while your quirk can be used for a lot of bad things, it can also be used for good. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
Hitoshi didn't know how to respond to that. He wanted to believe him, he truly did. But, his past made it complicated since most didn't see the good side of his power, only the bad.
"Unfortunately, not everyone thinks the way you do," Hitoshi bitterly stated. "Even the teachers are afraid of me. That's why I'm not in the hero course."
"To be honest I'm surprised you aren't," Izuku admitted. "You were in the top eight at the Sports Festival after defeating Juzo Honenuki and then losing to Todoroki in the battle tournament. You should've at least been considered for the hero course."
Hitoshi stared sadly at the ground.
"But I wasn't, and they even had an open spot also," Hitoshi murmured.
That made Izuku curious. Given Shinso's abilities, he should've been considered for the hero course. Scratch that he should be in the hero course. Yet he wasn't. Why? That was something he would ask Eraserhead about later.
Elena called them and they caught up to her. They headed in for lunch.
Cafeteria
The three students bought lunch and sat with Ochaco, Tenya, Mina and Shoto. They didn't question Hitoshi's or Izuku's appearance so, they just sat, ate and talked a little. Some students (mainly class 1A) eyed their group with curiosity.
Katsuki stared at Izuku with a solemn expression. It had been twice now that they fought, and both times he had lost. It annoyed him that Deku, of all people, had been the one to defeat him. As frustrating as it was there was nothing he could do about it.
The principal had made him very aware of what would happen if he assaulted or provoked Izuku in any way.
Flashback
Katsuki lay on his bed after being treated by Recovery Girl.
According to her, he had been roughed up quite a bit in his latest fight, though he already knew that. She left him on his own to go and do something else.
"I lost," he said to himself. "And it was to Deku."
He was angry and frustrated. With this loss, he realised that he wasn't the best, not if he kept losing to the same person repeatedly.
It was strange but, looking back on his past with Deku, he had never beaten the other boy in a fight. It was usually him and some other guys ganging up on him while the quirkless boy cowered in fear.
Never once did Deku fight back (not that it would have done any good), and he wasn't on the same level as him, but he did now and was much stronger.
He supposed that they were on even terms now that he'd been trained.
His thoughts were interrupted by the door opening and someone entering the room.
Much to his surprise, it was Principal Nezu. He had never spoken with the man, he sometimes wondered what kind of animal he was as he looked to be a mixture of three.
"Oh, good you're awake. I was hoping to have a talk with you Bakugo," Nezu greeted.
"Is this about my last attack in the battle trial?" Katsuki asked.
He wasn't stupid. He knew his last attack was dangerous and shouldn't have been used indoors. Now he was going to be punished for it.
"That's one reason," Nezu admitted. "I wasn't going to discuss it till the end but now that you've brought it up I may as well. What you did was extremely reckless and could have killed someone, if not severely injure them. A move like that is of no benefit to either a hero or a villain, especially in that kind of environment. Use a move of that scale in any training session again and I won't hesitate to expel you."
Katsuki paled slightly upon hearing this. He knew the principal was mad but wasn't this a bit much.
"Now on to the subjects of you becoming a hero and Izuku Midoriya," Nezu continued. "You have talent and a powerful quirk my boy, however, at this school, you are just another student, and no matter how much you might think otherwise, you are not better than others."
Katsuki wanted to shout back, but Nezu beat him to it.
"If you dedicate yourself to it, you can become a great hero. However, this depends on your attitude, and right now, you don't have one that belongs to a hero. Instead, you have the attitude of a spoiled arrogant little brat who thinks the world revolves around him. Well let me tell you now, it doesn't. You had better start working on your attitude because it is not one of a hero. I know full well what you did in your past to Midoriya, even about your little suicide comment," Nezu stated calmly.
At the same time, a murderous aura was emanating from Nezu that made Katsuki cringe.
"H-He didn't," he started.
"Oh yes he did," Nezu interrupted. "We have confirmation that he attempted to do what you said."
Bakugo couldn't believe his ears. Deku actually tried to commit suicide, and he drove him to it.
Nezu wasn't done.
"Which brings me to my next point. Izuku Midoriya. He became a student at my school, even though he was a villain. He is one of my students like now. So, if, for some reason, you try to attack or provoke him without any justification, I will not hesitate to expel you," Nezu explained.
For the first time in his life, Katsuki knew exactly what fear felt like as the principal lectured him. This little guy knew what strings to pull, and he gave him the feeling that getting on his bad side would result in serious consequences.
Nezu's aura intensified as he revealed his colder and more sadistic side.
"You have talent and potential, that's true. In the future, you can become a great hero if you take the right attitude, but at the moment I do not see a hero. All I see is an angry animal that must be slaughtered. I will not hesitate to expel you if you give me the right reasons. You have talent and potential but remember: You are not the only person in the world, you are just another fish in the sea, others good as you or better will appear in the future. You are not as 'unique' as you might think," Nezu finished.
Flashback end
After this incident, Katsuki made a mental note to never, ever, piss off Nezu. He was the first being to have ever made him feel fear. He also made him aware that he was not the greatest and that there was always someone out there better than him. Which was why he had decided to just avoid Deku altogether.
The latter of which seemed more than happy to comply.
He still couldn't believe he defeated Todoroki, who used his damn fire, something he wished he'd faced at the festival.
At the same time, he was shocked that Deku tried to kill himself, and he had driven him to it. He nearly killed a person, on more than one occasion. Some future hero he was.
Back with Izuku's group. They had just been discussing classes and the battle trial.
Mina asked in Ochaco liked anyone, something she learned from Toga. The latter of which desperately denied. The subject of the next hero training class was now being talked about.
"Special moves?" Hitoshi questioned. "Will you be able to do one since you're quirkless?"
Izuku shrugged.
"I doubt it. I'll probably just be sparring with one of the teachers," Izuku admitted. "I don't mind though.
Mina was about to suggest he help the other students with his notes but stopped when she noticed Neito Monoma staring at them, or more specifically, Izuku. Monoma was from Class 1B, a rival to their class. He was also especially intent on taking them down, so much that some students questioned his mental state.
Izuku sensed her stare and turned to look at Monoma, who looked away when he did.
"Don't worry about him," Mina said. "Monoma's all talk. He'll definitely do and say things to annoy you now that you're a part of 1A."
"I can handle it," Izuku replied.
He'd faced much worse than an annoying teenager.
Gym Gamma
At gym gamma Midnight, Ectoplasm, Cementoss, and Eraserhead were explaining about special moves: How to create them, what they were for, what they showed about you and about how they were for the Provisional License Exam in several weeks.
Cementoss altered the area so everyone would have a different space to work at.
Ectoplasm created multiple copies of himself to help each student.
Everyone (excluding Izuku) was excited and eager to get working on their special moves.
"Midoriya you'll be sparring with a clone for this class," Aizawa announced. "Any objections?"
Izuku shook his head. "I figured as much."
"Considering it's your speciality we thought it best," Cementoss explained.
Izuku said nothing. They must've watched the fight from the previous day to know this.
"That fight from yesterday was intense, passionate, and downright brutal," Midnight murmured. She then switched to a more flirtatious voice and a seductive grin. "And it turned me on."
Izuku shot her a deadpan look. Was this woman actually serious? He looked at the other teachers, who seemed to be able to guess what he was thinking.
"Yes, she's serious," they all said in perfect synchronisation.
"Oh, and that costume you wore was especially dashing," Midnight added.
Some male students scowled in frustration.
"He's a villain, yet his costume gets girls to like him," Mineta snarled. "It's just not fair."
Annoyed by Mineta's attitude, Izuku decided to put him in his place.
"Well at least costume doesn't involve me wearing a diaper," he coldly retorted.
Some classmates laughed at that while Mineta backed down terrified.
All chat ceased and class officially began.
As the students each worked with an Ectoplasm Izuku sparred with the clone sent to him. Surprisingly, Izuku managed to hold his own reasonably well against the pro and even gave him a tough time.
"Okay so put your palms together like this," Mina murmured as she clapped her hands shut. She then built the substance up in her palms. "And then shoot it out through the gap."
The substance shot through the gap at a long distance. Mina cheered at her success.
"Congratulations," Ectoplasm applauded. "Did you come up with this over summer break?"
Mina shook her head.
"Actually, during the time I was held captive I saw it in one of Midoriya's notebooks from the Sports Festival," she admitted. "There was something about me being able to produce a gelatinous substance though I haven't tried anything like that yet."
Ectoplasm glanced at Izuku who was fighting with another him.
"I see," he acknowledged.
Izuku finished a round of sparring with Ectoplasm and was now taking a break. Noticing Aizawa just standing there watching the other students he decided to go and talk with him.
"Mr Aizawa, can I ask you something?" Izuku asked.
The underground hero raised an eyebrow.
"Go on," he urged.
"The Sports Festival is a time when students can transfer from Gen Ed to the hero course depending on their performance, right?" he asked.
Aizawa nodded. "It is. But why are you asking?"
"I was just wondering, why wasn't Hitoshi Shinso transferred to this class?" Izuku asked. "He managed to make it into the top eight so shouldn't he at least been eligible for it?"
Aizawa blinked. Where on earth did that come from?
"He was considered eligible, but he lacks several qualities. One, he's not athletic as other students and two, his quirk can't be honed like the others here," Aizawa explained.
"That's because it's a mental quirk, not a physical one, like yours," Izuku pointed out. "Also, what's this about him being athletic? Since when is that necessary for being in the hero course? He could become that when he got here."
Aizawa didn't respond. Certainly, Midoriya had a point. Being athletic wasn't really a necessity but it did help. Also, in the hero course, physical quirks that could be used for combat generally were preferred.
He should know, he used to be a Gen Ed student until he transferred after the festival.
Izuku got the wrong idea for why it didn't happen.
"Don't tell me it's because you think his quirk is more suited for being a villain like everyone else," Izuku accused.
Aizawa looked at him confused.
"I don't think his quirk is like that at all. Why would you think," Aizawa started before he realised what Izuku just said? "Wait, what do you mean everyone else?"
This time it was Izuku who raised an eyebrow.
"Seriously, most of the students in this school bully him and call him a villain because of his quirk," Izuku explained. "Also, Shinso thinks the teachers are frightened of his power which is why he isn't in the hero course and, according to him, people tend to call a monster because of what he can do. If you don't believe me then I recommend you ask Elena Belikov or Uraraka."
Aizawa stared at the boy stunned. Was this really the situation? Was Hitoshi really being bullied because of his quirk? He was about to find out. He headed to where Uraraka was.
"Uraraka, I need to ask you something," he said.
The girl stopped her training and came over. Aizawa wasted no time in questioning her about Hitoshi.
"Yes, that's true, all of it," she confirmed sadly. "After the Sports Festival, people became afraid of him and either avoided him or bullied him. That's what I heard from Elena. The only reason he doesn't talk about it is that it's his problem to deal with, or so he says."
Aizawa didn't agree with that. As a teacher, he was supposed to protect and nurture his students, even those not in his class. If one student was being bullied at UA, then it was his job to fix it. He thanked her for her information and returned to Izuku.
"It appears you were correct," Aizawa admitted.
"And?" Izuku questioned.
"I'll take it up with the principal about what's been happening to Shinso, and then I'll deal with it personally," Aizawa explained. "As for him being transferred, that will have to be discussed among us, teachers. I'm not promising anything though."
Personally, Aizawa wanted Shinso in the hero course after watching him during the festival. The boy had so much potential and it was being wasted in Gen Ed.
"Thank you," was all Izuku said before going back to training.
The training went on for at least another twenty minutes, that's when Class 1B entered.
"That's enough Class A," Vlad King (the homeroom teacher) announced. "Gym Gamma is supposed to be ours now."
"We still have ten minutes," Aizawa pointed out. "I aim to use our time effectively."
Izuku glanced at the new arrivals who were in their hero costumes. Some of which were staring at him, likely because he was a new member of 1A. They started chatting amongst themselves.
"That a new student?"
"Maybe he transferred from a different department."
"I don't remember seeing him during the Sports Festival."
"Perhaps he just transferred this semester."
Izuku paid no heed to the comments being made about him.
"That's Izuku Midoriya, a new student and recent transfer to the hero course," Vlad informed his students.
The students started talking again.
"A new student in the hero course this late, that's rare," Itsuka Kendo murmured softly.
"I bet he's just some arrogant jerk who thinks he's better than us," Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu barked. "I hate him already."
"Now, now, we mustn't be so quick to judge," Ibara Shiozaki reasoned. "It would reflect badly on our class. Especially since we have yet to speak with Mr Midoriya."
Izuku couldn't help but note how polite Shiozaki was.
Neito Monoma was a different story.
"Wow, Class 1A has a new student. They must be pretty desperate to stay on top if they need a newcomer," he ranted. "Which is weird since they're supposed to be so much better than us."
His classmates sighed. They were pretty used to Neito's behaviour.
Izuku on the other hand, found Monoma to be annoying.
"Wonder what his quirk is if he got in this late," Yui Kodai pondered.
"Midoriya is quirkless actually," Vlad announced much to their surprise.
The new student was quirkless, and he had gotten into the hero course this late. As far as they knew, that had never happened before. They wondered how he was planning to take on individuals with strong quirks if he didn't have one himself.
"Quirkless huh, so I was right, Class 1A is really desperate," Neito teased loudly.
Some of the students were kind of in agreement with that.
Izuku at this point had had enough. He ceased training with Ectoplasm and marched over to where Class 1B was.
"You know, I'm not deaf, I can hear every word you're saying," Izuku informed them. "So, if you've got something you wanna say to me, say it to my face."
Some of the students seemed taken aback by Izuku's attitude.
Neito took advantage of this.
"Well, aren't you an arrogant one," he sneered.
"Well, aren't you an obnoxious one," Izuku shot back.
Neito flinched at the insult. Some of his classmates looked uneasy.
"Well played," Yosetsu Awase applauded.
"Don't praise him," Tetsutetsu yelled in outrage. "He's one of our rivals."
Izuku raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean rival? We just met," Izuku pointed out.
"Our two classes are rivals," Togaru Kamakiri explained. "Have been since last semester."
Well, that explained it. However, Izuku had no interest in pursuing a rivalry with anyone.
"I'm not interested in being in a rivalry with anyone," Izuku stated. "So, whatever's between you and them, please let it stay that way."
Some of 1B didn't know how to respond to that. If someone from 1A didn't want to be in a rivalry with them, they couldn't really argue against it since it was their decision.
Some took it the wrong way, unfortunately.
"What do you mean you don't want to be rivals?" Tetsutetsu barked. "Do you think you're better than us? I bet you do."
"Just because your class got all the attention last semester doesn't mean they'll get it this semester," Kosei Tsurubaba stated. "So don't act so high and mighty."
"Only the second day and already your acting like you're better than everyone else," Neito piped up. "Though that's nothing new from Class 1A."
Izuku was seriously starting to get irritated now.
"How are you even getting from what I'm saying?" he demanded. "I don't think I'm better than you or anyone else, and I couldn't give a shit about how much attention this class received last semester."
Some of the other students were on Izuku's side.
"Guys, if he doesn't want to be in a rivalry with us then let him, it's his decision," Itsuka defended.
"I agree with Kendo," Kuroiro said.
While there were some petty arguments about this, one student decided to ask the obvious question.
"Why is it that you do not wish to be rivals with any of us?" Ibara asked politely.
Izuku took a deep breath.
"Three reasons: 1. This started last semester when I wasn't here, so it has nothing to do with me. 2. It is a waste of time because there is no real reason for me to be in a rivalry with anyone. That brings me to 3. I have enough dealing with Bakugo on a daily basis. I don't need anymore," he explained.
The entire class and even some of the teachers stared at him with stunned expressions. The reasons weren't bad, and even understandable.
"You don't like Bakugo?" Nirengeki Shoda asked.
"You do?" Izuku shot back.
"Hell no, that guy's an arrogant jackass," Awase exclaimed.
"I hate that guy. He referred to us as extras and steppingstones for him," Tetsutetsu barked. "Half the time I want to punch his stupid face."
"I know right. He's been that way since we were kids. He was blessed with a powerful quirk and people began praising and fawning over every little thing he did. His parents weren't the ones who spoiled him though, it was everyone else," Izuku said.
Considering what sort of person Bakugo was, everyone (including Monoma) believed that statement about him.
"I still consider you a rival, so you'd better be prepared because I'll destroy you in the upcoming future," Neito ranted.
Izuku rolled his eyes. Mina wasn't kidding when she said Monoma would try and annoy him.
"Lookin forward to working with ya," Pony Tsunotori said. Then Monoma whispered something in her ear. "And I can't wait to beat the shit out of you."
Izuku noticed she was a foreigner and was struggling with the language. He doubted she even understood what she just said. Kendo was currently berating Monoma for what he just said. Izuku decided to shock him by showing what he was capable of.
He walked up to Pony and spoke in English.
"Hello there, it's so nice to meet you," he greeted her. "Judging by your accent I'm guessing you're from America."
"Why yes, I moved over here before school started and," Pony started before realising what Izuku just did. "Eh, English. You speak English."
Izuku nodded.
"Yes, quite well," he told her. "You seem to be struggling. Did you only recently start learning Japanese?"
"Unfortunately, yes," Pony admitted. "It was necessary for me to come here. Kanji is especially difficult since there are so many symbols with different pronunciations, but I'm learning."
"It's difficult among Japanese people even," Izuku said. "You seem to have a basic understanding though."
"Why thank you," Pony said with a bright smile.
The teachers could understand what they were saying, though the students could only make out bits and pieces. None of them had expected Izuku to be proficient in English. Neito went slightly pale as his attempt at annoying Izuku was about to backfire.
"By the way, what you said before, it actually means," Izuku started as he explained what Monoma just said.
Pony's bright smile changed to an angry glare directed at Monoma. She marched over to him and stomped on his right foot. He immediately started clutching it and jumping up and down from the pain.
"Monoma you jerk. Taking advantage of me not being able to understand some Japanese. Do that again and I'll charge at you with my horns next time," she shouted at him.
Some of his classmates laughed at that.
Neito glared at Izuku.
"Turning my own classmates against me, aren't you a clever one," he growled.
"You know, if you've got enough time and energy to complain about Class 1A, then you've got enough time to train and improve yourself," Izuku pointed out.
Neito gritted his teeth.
"You know for a quirkless person, you certainly talk big," he sneered.
"I may be quirkless but I give it my all," Izuku retorted. "And you know Monoma, your quirk may be powerful, but against someone like me, it's useless. A lot of quirked individuals have an advantage over quirkless people but there's one exception to that rule. Quirks that rely on other people's quirks are completely useless against quirkless people."
That shut Monoma up. Izuku wasn't wrong, his quirk would be useless against him.
"Instead of focusing on 1A, focus on your own class. You've got a lot of potentials and you are gifted, don't waste it," Izuku said before walking away. "That applies to all of you."
The entire class stood there dumbfounded. That kid praised them and thought they were gifted. Nobody else had said that about them.
Kendo smiled at Izuku. He put Neito in his place and made her and the rest of her class feel important. She definitely liked him (as did a lot of her class).
Neito wasn't sure whether he wanted to continue teasing him or not, but he was going to take his advice.
The teachers kept their opinions to themselves.
Shortly afterwards, hero training ended for 1A.
UA Hallways
Izuku was on his way back to the dorm now that class was finished. It had been another long day for him, but otherwise, alright. As he was walking, a familiar figure came out right in front of him.
"I AM HERE," All Might announced dramatically.
Izuku didn't react to the appearance of his former idol. The old him would have gone full-on otaku in this situation, but now he had better control over his emotions.
"Something I can help you with All Might?" he asked politely.
The fact that this man was now his teacher didn't faze him. In Izuku's eyes, he was just another teacher at this school and nothing more.
"I was hoping to talk with you if that's alright?" All Might explained.
Izuku raised an eyebrow. Curiosity got the better of him as he wanted to talk with All Might about certain things as well.
"Fine, let's talk," Izuku said.
Hi there. Well, what did you think of that? I'm sorry I took this long to update. I've been really busy these past few weeks.
Anyway, next you'll see Izuku and All Might talking along with a flashback of AFO.
Also, this chapter reintroduced Elena Belikov who still has a role to play. I thought it would be good for her to be friends with Shinso since they are in the same department. I hope you enjoyed reading this. Please review.