"Boys-"

Izuku and Hitoshi both turned around to look at their father and grandmother.

They had returned home only a few moments prior, the ride in the car stiff and high with tension. Nobody spoke, nobody wanted to speak. The sports festival was a disaster and it was both of their fault. This was the first time Shouta spoke to them since returning. Both boys tensed, ready for the verbal lashing their father was preparing to give them.

"...Tomorrow morning, around seven, I'll be going to UA with mother. I'll be getting the rest of these bandages off, then after that I'll be taking mother to the train station so she can return home-"

'Finally.' both boys had thought as they looked at Aoi. Still, Izuku owed her, despite her pestering over the boys being 'too close' as she puts it, she still saved Izuku from being hit by Endeavor. He knew he should thank her before she leaves tomorrow.

"-So, I'm sure by the time you two wake up we'll be gone. I don't know when I'll be back as I want to train a bit to make sure everything works properly, but regardless, I want you guys to clean the litter boxes and take the chicken out before I get home. Got it? Oh and Don't burn the house down while I'm gone."

"Understood." Both Hitoshi and Izuku spoke in tired unison.

"Good…I'm going to lay down. It's been… well… I don't think I need to say it." Shouta gave a grumble as he wobbled his way to his bedroom. The sun was only starting to set outside and Aoi watched him go.

"I think I'm going to start dinner. Miso soup sounds good." Aoi hummed softly as she started to walk towards the kitchen.

Hitoshi looked down at his knuckles and ran a hand over the scabs. "I'm… going to lay down. I have a lot to think about…" He mumbled weakly and turned. Izuku watched him go, his head down, his eyes look dark, brooding…. Sad.

That just left Izuku.

Now that he was calm he felt confused and oddly guilty. At first he had thought that he was right, but now he was starting to see just how he was wrong. The dirty looks he got from passerbyers on the way to the car told him that.

Still, Izuku was confused by himself. His actions and how weird he felt about it all. It made him feel tired and he was about to follow Hitoshi and just lay down for a while to try and get a clear perspective on things-

"Izuku, dear?" Aoi poked her head out of the kitchen making Izuku turn towards her.

"Uh- yes, Grandma?"

"The tofu is on a high shelf and I just can't reach it. Could you please get it for me so I don't have to get a chair?"

"Oh, yeah. Of course." Izuku walked his towards the kitchen. Aoi smiled at him and pointed up at the box of tofu. Izuku, tired, simply used his object attraction quirk to bring the tofu down. "Here you go-" Aoi grabbed Izuku's hand and leaned in to his face. Her eyes flashing that familiar dangerous gold color. A sigh that she wasn't happen.

"Now- you listen to me," She hissed softly. "I don't care that you played rock, paper, scissors in the sports festival. Really, I don't. What I do care for, however-" Aoi tightened her grip on his hand. "I do not appreciate you trying to goat Endeavor into hitting you! What if he would have used his quirk? What if I hadn't have come there in time?! That was beyond reckless!"

"I just-"

"Listen to me, Izuku. Your father has been through enough. You picking fights with the number two hero isn't helping him in the slightest!"

"But-"

"No. Enough. You can't justify this, I don't want you to justify this. I want you to do better. Because one day you're going to wake up and neither your father, myself, nor Hitoshi will be there to protect you. Just remember that." Aoi gave a weak scoff as she let go of Izuku's hand.

Izuku frowned as he put the tofu down on the counter a little harsher than he had meant to. "You don't think I know that?" Izuku growled back at his grandmother. "You don't think I've been trying to get Hitoshi to back off jumping to my rescue? You don't think I'm trying to do things on my own without them to help me? I'm trying and I didn't ask for your opinion." With that huff he stormed away from his grandmother.

With an angry snort leaving his nose, Izuku stormed into his bedroom and snapped his door shut for good measure. He threw himself face down on his bed. Izuku let his feet hang off of the side of the bed. 'Well… that could have gone better.' He thought bitterly.

Kicking his shoes off. Izuku put his feet fully on the bed and curled up onto his side and tucked his knees up to his chest. 'Why am I so angry? I don't want to be angry, but I am.' He thought to himself and curled his arms around his knees so he was in a tight ball on his bed.

Angry tears misted against Izuku's eyes. He felt his face heat up. 'Do they just see me as weak? All of them?' He thought to himself as a pout played on his lips. 'When I was quirkless, then yeah, maybe… but now? I'm not weak! I'm working hard to be strong! I'm not some delicate doll. I'm going to fall and get hurt, or punched more than once. I understand that going after and antagonizing Endeavor may not have been smart, I know that… of course I know that, but someone has to stand up to bullies like him!'

Izuku sniffled weakly and reached a fist up to wipe his tears away from his eyes. He then huffed and relaxed his body. 'Whatever…' He felt a little defeated in all honesty. His eyes started to feel heavy as the events of the day started to really weigh on his mind and body. Izuku was tired. Really tired.

He just wanted to sleep forever and forget about this day.

'Tomorrow is a new day…' Was the last thought he had before he started to slowly drift off. He just needed some time alone from the world and everyone else and what better than a nap?

However, there would be no respite in his dreams. First he would hear whispering in his ears as he tried to sleep. Whispering from different people with none of the voices sounding the slightest bit familiar to him.

He felt like he was surrounded by several different people and when Izuku finally looked up and over his shoulder all he could see were darken silhouettes. Only their eyes glowed a hellish yellow as they stared down at him, as they judged him. Izuku counted these people.

There were eight. Eight people surrounded him and from what he could gather only one was a woman.

"Should we trust him?"

"I'm unsure. What we witnessed earlier… was alarming but…"

"I told you Toshinori made a mistake choosing this one."

"Don't be so hasty, two. Toshinori is a great judge on character. I will admit that what we saw earlier was alarming but lets not jump to conclusions…I'm more interested in that brother of his." The female was the one to speak this.

"I agree with seven, that brother is up to no good. You saw what he did. He's not only reverting number nine, but he's also making it so we can't see what's being hidden."

'Hitoshi?' Izuku can't help but think as he stared at the people surrounding him. They just stared at him. No longer talking. No, they were studying him.

Finally, one of the dark shadows moved.

Izuku felt odd when the dark shadow leaned down so they were eye to eye. He couldn't quite put it, but he felt a strange… kinship with this person. They were the leader of the eight people without a doubt. Those bright yellow eyes bore into Izuku's eyes. "Number nine-" The person addressed him in such a matter that it made Izuku feel like he was being scolded for something.

'Is that me? Am I Number nine to these people?' he thought.

"-What is your quirk?"

Izuku wanted to speak but he found he had no mouth to do so. He also saw that one by one these shadows were starting to slowly fade out of his line of site.

"Object attraction." Izuku thought that these shadows could at the very least read his mind.

"No, Nine…" The figure shook his head as they started to fade out. He was the last to do so, but before he fully left, his eyes flashed before Izuku. Green. A bright emerald green similar to Izuku's own green eyes. Then the shadow said: "Your quirk. What's your quirk?"

Izuku woke with a start. He ignored the ache in his neck and bones from sleeping in such a tightly curled position. Breathing heavily he swallowed hard before rubbing at his sweaty face. It was such a simple dream, but one that scared him. All of those eyes staring at him- those green eyes looking at him.

"Object attraction is my quirk." He grumbled a little and looked out the window. It was dark out now. The outside was quiet say for the crickets that chirped and cicadas that screamed.

He looked over at his alarm clock and saw it was nearly midnight. 'Grandma never woke me for dinner…' was the first coherent thought he had. He didn't really care about that to be completely honest, he wasn't even hungry, but still…it made him laugh a little as he pressed hands against his eyes and fell back onto his pillow.

"It was just a dream…" He breathed uneasily. He tried to shake those yellow eyes staring at him, but he was having a hard time doing so. "Just a dream…" He was now trying to convince himself as he pressed his hands harder against his eyes, so hard in fact that he saw spots dance around his blackened vision.

Eventually he did lower his hands down to his stomach and sighed while watching his fan lazily spin round and round. 'They mentioned Toshinori by name… this is something I should talk to him about on Monday. I need to talk to Iida as well, I saw what happened to his brother through Hichan's phone on the car ride home. I hope Tensei is okay.'

Izuku tries, god does he try to forget those eyes in his dreams. The scrutinizing gaze they put him under, but for some ungodly reason he can't.

'That brother of his… reverting number nine…can't see what's been hidden.' Izuku thought as he swallowed hard and glanced out the window once more. 'It was just a dream, Hichan isn't doing anything to me…'

'It was just so surreal. I don't understand a lick of it.'

Izuku would eventually get back to sleep at around two AM. But this dream wasn't much better than the last, if anything it was worse… At least people weren't staring at him so he could say that much.

His second dream started better than the last at least. In this dream he flew. He flew high above Musutafu at a fast rate. A man on a mission. He saw the night life for himself. People out and about happily living their life without a care in the world.

Normally, Izuku, basically being a fly on the wall at this point, would love to stand by and observe these people. Their lives, and more importantly, their very many quirks. Yet, tonight he ignored them. No, he flew past the night life and past these very people.

That was until he got to a quiet house. A house with all of it's lights off and all of it's residents sound asleep. He could feel just how many people lived in this home. Four.

Izuku needn't bother with doors as he simply let himself in. He didn't bother looking around, it was the residents that interested him nothing else. He slipped into the first room he saw.

There a woman slept. Her head turned to the side, her arm up to the side of her head. Her fingers occasionally twitching while she slept. Her hair was a mixture of white and red, beside her on her nightstand laid a pair of glasses. Izuku leaned in to look at her. Gently he touched her forehead.

Fuyumi Todoroki…

She didn't interest him. Her quirk was a simple weak ice quirk. When he pulled back she made a face in her sleep before turning over onto her side rather violently.

Izuku moved on from this room.

Into the next bedroom he went. This one was different from Fuyumi. Beer cans littered the floor and the room itself was a mess with clothes strewn all over the place. Izuku silently floated next to the boy in question. This boy slept with a pillow over his face. Their head turned to the side to allow easy breathing. Because of the pillow, Izuku couldn't see this person's face or hair color. His hand was over the cover and that's all Izuku needed. He touched the boy's hand…

Natsuo Todoroki…

Another weak ice quirk that didn't interest Izuku in the slightest. Once Izuku retracted his hand, Natsuo grumbled and, still asleep, he reached up and slapped at his own hand before relaxing again.

Izuku gave a weak grumble before moving on to the third room.

This room was much cleaner, not a thing out of place. It's occupant slept rather fitfully in their bed. Another boy. Izuku flew up to the side of this boy and stared at him as he slept. He was curled on his side, his face twisted in either pain or rage as his body shook.

'Pretty…' Izuku sleepily thought as he reached over and gently ran his fingers through that peppermint colored hair, on the red side that was. Once he touched the boy and buried his fingers through that hair he got the information he wanted.

Finally, someone with a powerful quirk… Shoto Todoroki, half ice-half fire.

The name…it struck a cord with Izuku but he just…couldn't…

It didn't matter. It was a quirk. A quirk that would serve him well-

Shoto suddenly shot up at Izuku's touch. His dual colored eyes wide while he panted and sweat dripped down his face. Shoto didn't see Izuku, no surprise there. He brought his hand up to his red hair where Izuku had been petting. His hand quivered.

Izuku felt anger. Not at being interrupted. He could take this boy's quirk whenever he felt like it, thank you very much, no, he felt anger at seeing the black eye this boy was sporting on his right eye.

Anger turned to fury.

His head whipped towards the last room and Izuku left Shoto Todoroki alone. No, he had bigger fish to fry it seemed.

There was a bully that needed to be punished.

He was in the master bedroom in the blink of an eye.

The man was asleep, yes, but even in his sleep the man was on guard. Izuku leaned down and touched the man's hand.

Enji was his name.

His quirk was strong as were his fists. There was nothing Izuku could do about the weight of the man's fists when they swung, but he could do something about that powerful fire quirk of his.

Tendrils shot from Izuku and into Enji.

By the time Enji woke with a gasp seconds later it was too late. His precious fire quirk was gone. A scream left Enji Todoroki's mouth only mere moments later once he felt the hollowness where his quirk had once been. This scream was so loud that it woke the others. Lights turned on one by one as people rushed out of their rooms to see what had happened.

Izuku simply floated up and flew away…


Hitoshi's eyes snapped open at the sound of screaming. More specifically, at the sound of Izuku screaming.

"Zuchan!?" His body tangled up in his blanket, Hitoshi nearly fell flat on his face as he quickly and urgently tried to wrestle himself free from his imprisonment. He gave the blanket a good kick and finally scrambled to his feet.

Hitoshi nearly ripped his door off of the hinges as he almost slid on the hardwood floor in his haste. Izuku's screaming intensified as Hitoshi rushed to Izuku's bedroom. Throwing the door open, Hitoshi realized that Izuku wasn't in his bedroom, but in the bathroom.

Turning away from Izuku's room, he rushed towards the bathroom, but he stopped once he saw the cats.

All four cats were huddled up in a corner of the hallway. Hissing and spitting, their fur bristled and their backs were arched high. Not a good sign.

"Zuchan?!" He rushed to the bathroom door deciding to ignore the cats for the time being. He went to open the bathroom door but it was locked. Izuku's screaming didn't stop. He sounded like he was in pain.

Hitoshi then smelt…smoke?

"Zuchan! Open the door!" He demanded while pounded as hard as he could. 'Dad! Where's dad?! Where's Grandma!?" Hitoshi didn't have time to think about them when all at once Izuku's screams stopped.

That was more alarming than anything.

"Zuchan!?"

Nothing.

The door suddenly opened. It opened with a slow and deliberate creak making Hitoshi stop as he reached for the door knob. Opening the door slowly, Hitoshi spoke in a cautious voice. "Zu-" A gasp left Hitoshi's mouth. He felt his pupils shrink into pinpricks as he stared, horrified at the sight before him.

There, on the floor of the bathroom, Izuku sat on his knees. He was cradling both hands close to his chest. A black burn spot in the perfect shape of a handprint sat in front of him on the floor, next to his scattered clothes. Several of which were singed completely and were blackened. Along with the clothes Izuku were currently wearing.

The gym uniform he had on yesterday, he had slept in. It was littered with burn marks. Not just that, but were the clothes were burnt so was his skin. These raged from burn blisters to actual burns that needed medical attention.

…but that's not what made Hitoshi gasp.

Izuku's hair…

It was turning white. Pure white. Not just white, but the curls were straightening out making his hair longer down to his shoulders. Only the ends of his hair showed a tiny bit of green and had a bit of wave to it. When Izuku looked up he had tears in his eyes.

His eyes that were alternating between red and green.

"What's…happening… to me?" Izuku wheezed out weakly.

He then slowly started to stand.

Hitoshi gulped.

Izuku swayed on his feet but took a step towards Hitoshi. "To-...Toshichan… it hurts…it hurts…" He whimpered painfully.

Hitoshi took a step back. "Stay…" He breathed out uneasily. "-Away from me!" Hitoshi snarled out as his whole form bristled.

Izuku stopped. His eyes still alternating between red and green, he looked confused as he reached out towards Hitoshi. "I don't… I don't understand…" Izuku whimpered tears misting up in his eyes. "Toshichan-"

"Stop! Don't call me that!" Hitoshi yelled.

Izuku whimpered. "What did I do?"

"Just go. Go away!" Hitoshi grabbed on to his ears while shutting his eyes and shaking his head violently. "I don't know how you managed to come back, but I don't want you here! Leave!"

Izuku swayed on his feet before collapsing to his knees on the bathroom floor. "Leave…" He repeated, slowly, and cautiously.

Then, Izuku looked up at Hitoshi. His eyes stopped alternating. Instead they stayed red while the rest of his hair turned stark white and hung just a little past his shoulders. "That's not nice, Toshichan…" Izuku whispered while making direct eye contact with Hitoshi.

Hitoshi shook and swallowed hard, so hard that he felt a click in his throat. He felt sweat run down the base of his neck and down his collarbone as a chill grasped him and ran down his entire body.

That was when fire erupted from the palm of Izuku's hand. "Clearly…I need to teach you how to be nice to others!-" He looked ready to throw and Hitoshi got ready to dodge, but just as suddenly as it happened a scream left Izuku's mouth as he grabbed at his head.

"I can't hurt Hichan!" Izuku cried to himself. "Stop it! Stop it!" He violently smacked himself in the face. Izuku literally fought with himself as he suddenly swung his head and smacked it against the bathroom counter. Izuku gave another scream while digging his nails into the top of his scalp.

Hitoshi felt paralyzed as he watched this all go down. 'It's the same as back then… that day we managed to get out… Izuku never liked it when his All for one quirk took over.'

"H-Hichan…" Izuku gave a weak whimper towards his brother. "I don't have long! Get rid of them! Quick!-"

"-Make it stop! Before it takes over again!" five year old Izuku grasped on to Hitoshi's shoulders tightly. "Hurry, before it can take your quirk again!"

"H-How!"

"Make me forget-"

"Izuku…" Hitoshi activated his quirk and just the same as all those years before; Izuku's internal struggle with himself came to a stop. Only it was different now.

Now, Hitoshi knew how to use his quirk and what to say.

Back then, Hitoshi had said the wrong thing. Back then, in his panicked state, five-year-old Hitoshi had told Izuku to: "Forget everything!"

"Izuku." He walked up to his brother and planted his hands firmly on Izuku's shoulders. "Forget about this moment. Forget about your white hair and red eyes! It doesn't exist! Anything associated with it doesn't exist!"

There was a moment of silence as Hitoshi pulled Izuku into his arms. "Forget about All for One. It doesn't exist… what you experienced was a dream. Sleep for a while, okay?" He whispered while running his fingers through Izuku's hair. 'Same as the USJ. Same when you discovered your 'quirk'. It was all a dream.'

Slowly, but surely, Izuku's hair started to spring back, curls coiling up and the green returning. This wasn't Hitoshi's first rodeo, but this was the scariest one and the close. Still, Hitoshi knew that when Izuku would return his eyes would go back to green all the same. Izuku slumped against Hitoshi his eyes shut while he slept.

Hitoshi sighed and looked at the damage done. 'How…how am I going to explain this one?' he thought as he looked from Izuku's singed clothing…to his burnt flesh. 'And where in the fuck did that fire quirk come from!?'