Let me get one thing out of the way for this chapter: I absolutely HATED Bakugo during this whole arc in the show. I don't make my opinions on Bakugo a secret, I disliked him in the start and only grew to like him when his anger was used for humor. I hated that he did shit like nearly try and kill Midoriya during the battle trials and was never punished for it. It made my blood BOIL when he struck Midoriya during their fight with All Might. And I HATE that it was up to Midoriya to fix him like his was his fault Bakugo was the way he was.
So, yeah. If I seem like I'm hating on Bakugo during this chapter it's because this is when he was the most dislikable to me (This and the whole 'swan dive' comment). It's also because Hitoshi isn't Izuku. It's as he stated in the pervious chapter: He's not a therapist and it's not his job to fix Bakugo.
I also hope to redeem Momo in this chapter for her…less than stellar performance from the Sports Festival. (Like I stated I just wanted to end it and didn't think too hard about what I did as the Sports Festival was my least favorite part to write.)
Hitoshi, as he figured, was placed last with Bakugo and Momo. He figured that the teachers really went with 'saving the best for last.' Todoroki and Sero were second to last in his fight against Midnight. Though, Hitoshi used that term very, very loosely. All it took was Todoroki stomping on the ground and a glacier of ice encased the woman completely. She stood no chance. 'Seriously, what were they thinking?' Hitoshi could only think as Todoroki and Sero had the fastest time for passing yet. Though, not everyone passed.
Kirishima and Sato failed and Ochako and Aoyama failed. His heart did go out to those that failed because he might be in with them. 'It's not exactly fair to place anyone up against the number one hero, is it?' Hitoshi mused while cradling his cheek in the palm of his hand. Granted, All Might was wearing double the amount of weights the normal teachers were wearing, but that didn't put his mind at ease, not in the slightest.
"Icarus, Creati, and Bakugo are to report to Ground Beta for their exam." Nedzu's voice rang out and Hitoshi let out a shaky breath.
'Let's get this done and over with.' Hitoshi really really didn't want to work with Bakugo. If it were anybody else in class this wouldn't be an issue. Hell, right now he'd take Ochako. Or just work alone with Momo if he had to, but no. It had to be with Bakugo. Hitoshi snorted and stood. He made sure his voice changer was on tight and gave it a quick test as he walked towards the training ground.
He stood on the outside of the gate and it wouldn't be long before his two companions would join him. Bakugo stayed silent and brooding, not even bothering to look Momo or Hitoshi.
"Remember the plan?" Momo softly asked Hitoshi and he nodded.
"Yes-"
"Look-" Bakugo sneered in their direction, his fists already clenched in rage (They haven't even started! Why was he so upset!?) "-You two can just go and find the entrance. I don't give a fuck, just stay the fuck out of my way and leave All Might to me." He hissed at the two of them.
"If you want to be a bloody smear then fine. I won't stop you." Hitoshi sneered at Bakugo and crossed his arms.
"Bakugo…" Momo approached slowly and cautiously. "It would be in our best interest if we all work together-"
"Shut the fuck up! I don't need you! I don't need anybody! I can defeat him on my own!" Bakugo roared at Momo making the poor girl back up in shock. Hitoshi quickly put his hands on her shoulders and glared at Bakugo once Momo relaxed.
"Look, fuckface, you want to be all macho then be my fucking guest, but do not take your anger out on Momo or me. All she did was give you a suggestion and you got right up in her face." Hitoshi rushed to Momo's defense in record time.
"Aizawa H-" Momo stopped him and quickly removed herself from his grip. "-It's fine."
Hitoshi snorted at Bakugo before retreating with Momo.
The bell would ring shortly after their little conversation and the gates would open. The three of them walked inside and they started through the fake city. "So, should I take to the powerlines?" Hitoshi asked Momo. "To scope out the exit."
Bakugo started to walk faster and Hitoshi didn't stop him. He just focused on Momo, well, Momo looked like she was going say something, but she then looked back at Bakugo. "Bakugo-" She jogged up to him. "Look, I know you want to do this on your own, but you should at least listen-"
Hitoshi almost couldn't believe it when Bakugo turned and struck Momo. The back of his hand caught her right in the cheek. Momo yelped as she hit the ground. She grabbed at her cheek and Hitoshi saw red.
'You want anger motherfucker-'
Hitoshi grabbed Bakugo by his collar and punched his classmate straight across the face. He saw blood spray from Bakugo's mouth "HOW DOES THAT FUCKING FEEL!?" He roared in such a way that he even surprised himself. Bakugo looked shocked from his spot on the floor and he touched his busted lip. "I already told you not to take your anger out on us! She was just talking! She didn't attack you!... You're going to be a shit hero if you don't do something about that fucking attitude of yours." Hitoshi was already breathing heavily as he walked to Momo and helped her to her feet. "Let's go." He ordered and pushed Momo towards the alley.
"I'm going to be a shit hero?" Bakugo snarled and he started to rise. "You have no right to talk about shit heroes when you're already a villain."
Hitoshi's whole body bristled and he gnashed his teeth. His body shook and his breathing became slightly uneven. At that moment he let his anger win and he started to play with the dials on his voice changer as he spoke. "Cute, you still think he cares for you the way he did when you two were kids right? You just want him, Zuchan, to bound up to you and call you-" He turned his voice changer on. "-Kacchan." He mocked using Izuku's younger voice.
Bakugo physically bristled in rage. "How dare you-"
"You were a shit friend back then and you're a shit person now! You're a bully an abuser!"
"And you're not!? You wiped his memories! You're the reason he didn't remember me or his mother! Do you know who does that?! Villains."
"Aizawa H…is this true? Are you the reason for Aizawa I's memories being wiped?" Momo asked in a soft voice.
'Fuck…' Hitoshi gritted his teeth as Momo's gaze turned sharp, but also calculated. She wasn't going to just turn on him without knowing the full story.
"The USJ. It was him. He's the reason Deku doesn't remember the attack because he wiped his memories!"
"Everything I did was for Zuchan!" Hitoshi defended himself. "Was it right? No! I'll be the first to tell you that! I did it because I love him and I just wanted him and my father to be safe-"
"You wanted yourself to be safe!" Bakugo rounded on Hitoshi. "You were scared of that stupid quirk of his, so you wiped his memories!"
"I-" Hitoshi's breath hitched ever so slightly and Bakugo, like a rabid dog, struck again.
"-You're a villain! You have a villainous quirk and you used it as a villain would! You have no place in the UA hero course and the only reason you're still here is because of daddy!-"
"-Fuck you!" Hitoshi roared back at him and the air became completely tense and on the verge of snapping into something catastrophic. Well, maybe it would have gotten that way, maybe if All Might would have waited just a few more seconds then one of them, be it Hitoshi or Bakugo, would have started a fistfight with one another. But it never got to be.
The shockwave came at them hard and fast. Hitoshi didn't have any time to protect and brace himself from the impact. He went flying down the street. Thrown so far that it took a bus a stop his trajectory. Hitoshi saw stars dance across his vision as he tried to suck in several deep breaths. 'What the fuck…' He then finally managed to focus his gaze on the center of the destroyed city. Even though his head was swimming he was able to make out All Might's massive form.
"I believe someone called me?" All Might cheekily asked as he turned to focus on Hitoshi. "After all, I am the villain." There was a smile on All Might's face, but it wasn't the smile that Hitoshi knew. This was a smile of a man who's been waiting to go feral. "And a villain doesn't need to worry about something as pitiful as a city!"
Hitoshi took his eyes off All Might and looked around at the city, or what was left. The main area that took the brunt of his attack was decimated. Most were rubble, but those still standing were just hardly holding on. There was glass everywhere from the windows he busted and when Hitoshi tried to stand up by pushing himself up and he winced when tiny bits of glass pierced through his hands. 'Focus on that later.' He decided fairly quickly.
Bakugo let out a bellow and Hitoshi watched as the blonde tried to use his explosions against All Might but it didn't affect the man. No, All Might knocked Bakugo out of the air like he was swatting a fly. Bakugo slammed into the road and Hitoshi's eyes widened. 'I have to get out of here…' He realized he knew that he was going to be eaten alive by All Might.
Hitoshi scrambled to Momo and grabbed her by her hand, he prayed All Might would be too distracted with Bakugo to bother with him and Momo. He cut right into an alley, but alas, luck was not on his side.
All Might was suddenly right in front of Hitoshi. "Hiya! I need directions to Fifth street!" a harsh wind hit Hitoshi in such a way that it nearly caused him and Momo to fall. Hitoshi acted quickly and he pushed Momo out of the way just as All Might struck him. Once again, Hitoshi went flying through the air, only this time he hit the ground. He braced his fall with his arms and he felt something snap in his right arm. All he felt was pain and a strained noise left his throat.
'I can't move my wrist.' He realized in a bit of a panic. His bone was still on the inside, which was good, but he was pretty sure his arm snapped in two. Not only that but he also noted how his chest felt like it was on fire. 'I think a rib broke.' If not broken then bruised. All Hitoshi could truly say was that he was in pain.
"Gah! Young Yaoyorozu is full of surprises!" He heard All Might say and Hitoshi quickly twisted himself to look at what was going on. Yaoyorozu had a flare gun in her hands and he saw the bright red flame right by All Might's feet. A warning shot. She now had the tiny gun pointed at him. All Might brushed some still smoldering chemical fire off of his shoulder. "Now, you know that little thing won't harm me!"
Hitoshi saw his chance and fiddled with the knobs on his voice changer. But, he knew that was too easy as Bakugo got up and rushed towards All Might with a roar. "He's mine!" All Might didn't even stop. He snatched Bakugo by his neck out of the air. "Gah!" A choking noise erupted from Bakugo's throat. Bakugo raised one of his gauntlets up. "You- you know. I never got show these bad boys off-" And with his free hand, he pulled the pin on the right gauntlet around his wrist.
The explosion was massive and Hitoshi heard Momo shriek. Probably not from pain but more out of the fact that she was right there. 'He has no care for others around him.' Bakugo Katsuki never failed to piss Hitoshi off. From his stupid walk all the way to the fact that he just doesn't care about people. He was a selfish narcissistic asshat. And guess what? His big explosion? Did nothing to All Might. The man was still standing.
"Well, that was inconvenient!" All Might roared as he snatched the gauntlet from Bakugo's wrist and crushed it in his mighty hand. "Thanks for telling me!" Then he threw Bakugo like a rag doll away from him.
'Yaoyorozu?!' Hitoshi's eyes scanned quickly for the woman but he couldn't see her. 'Was she hurt in the explosion?!' He got up to his feet and ignored all the pain that radiated through his body. Then, Hitoshi grabbed a broken metal bar from the ground. It was just a rebar, like the one he used to defend himself in the USJ. He tightened it in his left hand and then he ran. "Hey! Asshole!" Hitoshi called because he didn't have too much time to change his voice on the modifier he still sounded like a younger Izuku- no- he sounded like Cujo.
"H-" All Might turned in mild surprise and he got whacked across the head by the rebar. All Might wasn't even dazed, in fact the bar bent when it made contact with his head. But, he still fell for Hitoshi's attack. He grabbed the bar and hoisted Hitoshi with it. "Well, Young Hitoshi! It looks like it's you and me for now, isn't it? One Villain to another?" All Might now had Hitoshi's wrist in his giant hand.
Hitoshi's blood turned to ice. 'Did he… so…the truth comes out. He sees me as the bad guy. Same as Bakugo.' Hitoshi strangely felt calm. He stared at All Might. His eyes narrowed. "I… am not a villain!" He brought his foot back and he struck All Might directly in the area where Izuku had told him to.
Blood spewed out of All Might's mouth like a grotesque fountain and he dropped Hitoshi to cradle his side. All Might let out a shaky groan and stare at Hitoshi with a look of betrayal and anguish. "Aizawa H! Duck!" He didn't even look to see where Momo was shouting from. He just did as instructed and ducked down. He covered his head with his arms. There was another explosion, this one a little more subdued than Bakugo's, and Hitoshi looked up when he thought it was safe enough.
On a one-story building that was still intact, on the roof, Momo stood. Her outfit hung loosely on her as a big gun was resting on her shoulder. He recognized it as a gun that specifically shoots nets. He looked at All Might who had been caught. Even he looked confused by this because… it was a net and he was All Might.
"I took some inspiration from a classmate of mine." Momo made a little switch where a big red button sat. It popped right from her shoulder. "I'm sure you're aware of Kaminari Denki?" Then she pressed the button.
The net buzzed with life and if All Might wasn't already on his knees Hitoshi was sure he would have been. "We have thirty seconds!" Momo yelled and Hitoshi nodded.
"Jump! I'll catch you!"
She jumped from the roof and Hitoshi wrapped his scarf around her middle. He brought her down to him and to safety. The two of them ran. "Take left, I'll take right!" Momo instructed and Hitoshi made a face but knew exactly what she meant. He understood the assignment.
They rushed to Bakugo. Hitoshi grabbed him from under his left arm and Momo grabbed his right. They proceeded to drag the blonde through the streets. "What are you doing! Let me go!" Bakugo kicked and screamed and even tried to remove himself from their grip.
"Shut the fuck up!" Hitoshi snarled and Bakugo snarled right back at him.
"I have to prove that I'm better than him! If that means failing then so be it!" Bakugo then went quiet, as well as limp, when Hitoshi activated his quirk on the blonde. Momo looked at Hitoshi in alarm as they continued to run. "What? Dad never said I couldn't use my quirk on Bakugo."
Momo thought about it for a moment before she shrugged. It made it easier on them if Bakugo was quiet and complacent. They quickly cut from the street and down an ally. They took the tight ever weaving allies to try and hide from cover. They took only a second to put Bakugo on Hitoshi's back so they weren't just dragging him. However, their luck would run out.
All Might shot another shockwave down the alleyways and they got caught. Hitoshi and Momo were quick to press themselves against the wall and he held on to a ladder to keep them from flying off. Unfortunately, this meant that Bakugo was caught in the winds and he woke up because of the intense stimulation. "Let go!" Hitoshi felt pain when Bakugo struck him up top his head. "I'm ending this!"
Bakugo stared down the ally and looked ready to take off flying, but Momo got right in front of him. "You're no match for him, Bakugo!" She put both of her hands on his shoulders. He tried to push her, but she held strong and gritted her teeth.
"Come out, come out where ever you are!" Came All Might's sing-song voice as he tried to locate them. There was another shockwave, but this was one thankfully a little ways away from them and didn't hit the three of them directly.
"Please, we have to find the exit-"
"You losers can give up! But I'm not!" It was like he just wanted them to fail as he raised his voice so high that it echoed all around them. "I told you! I'm going to be better than him and I'm going to win, by myself!"
'Try and take All Might on, if Bakugo will so graciously let us? Or Take Momo and just run while Bakugo fails?' Those were his choices and he had to make one and fast. He and Momo stared at each other and Momo just let Bakugo go.
"Bakugo, we need to work together if we're going to do this." Hitoshi hissed between clenched teeth. "I have an idea, but it won't work unless you work with us."
"Why should I? You've proven that you can't be trusted." Bakugo hissed.
"Then have at it." Hitoshi turned ready to just take his leave and Momo grabbed him by his collar to stop him from storming off.
"-Because you need to trust him here and now." Momo came to Hitoshi's aid. "Can't you two see? Your pairing wasn't accidental. The teachers chose you both for a reason! You both need to get along. That's your final to work together! Because you're going to be paired with each other when you're both heroes. You need to learn to work with those you deem as your enemy in the hero world. So both of you get your heads out of your asses and put your dicks away!" She yelled in such a manner that Hitoshi could only look at her completely stunned.
The prim and proper Momo Yaoyorozu cursing and acting unladylike? He'd never thought he'd see the day.
"... What's your stupid plan?" Bakugo scowled deeply as he looked at Hitoshi.
Hitoshi would have crossed his arms, but his right arm was still radiating in pain and he could hardly move it. "Does your other gauntlet work?"
They had less than ten minutes remaining and this plan had better work.
"Your time is running out! If your plan is to just hide from me then you're all not ready to be heroes when the time comes to face villains!" Hitoshi heard All Might taunt them. Hitoshi gritted his teeth and looked at Momo. Hitoshi was on the roof of a building while Momo was tucked away in an alley.
'This scarf is heavy…' He thought as he felt the scarf in his hands. Momo then nodded and Hitoshi started off. He ran from the roof and wrapped the scarf around a power line. He threw himself upwards and landed on the thick cords of the off powerlines. Then he started to run along the lines. 'Let's see if Cujo was right around this…' He had perfected this voice with Cujo helping him out. If Cujo was right, this voice would make All Might speak to him.
Once he was above All Might, he opened his mouth, and he spoke.
"Say these exact lines, Toshichan-"
"Yagi Toshinori, I thought I trained you better!"
"That voice!-" All Might spun around in alarm as he looked at Hitoshi. There was something behind those blue eyes. First a strange sense of hope, but the confusion and hurt overshadowed that quickly, then, that betrayal returned when he saw Hitoshi for only that brief second before Hitoshi put him under.
Hitoshi then wrapped his scarf around All Might's forearms first and he jumped down from the line. He reeled himself towards All Might and made quick work to wrap him up as tight as he could. 'He's slipping from my grasp. Insane, he's so powerful he can free himself from my quirk.' Hitoshi noted as he could feel All Might fight against him for control. He made sure to wrap Toshinori's wound twice.
"Bakugo! Now!" When Hitoshi was out of the scarf, he jumped back and let Bakugo do the rest of the work. Bakugo shot out from the ally and fired his other gauntlet directly at All Might. Mainly his body.
The scarf, which wasn't his, tightened and constricted against All Might's body. Namely the wound. Momo really worked wonders. A scarf that was similar to Eraserhead's but was made with a metal that would constrict and shrink when in contact with heat. It was brilliant.
There were no screams from All Might but the pain was clear as he tried to fight it. Hitoshi could see the wispy smoke start to form and he knew they needed to act fast. "Cuff him and let's get this done with," Hitoshi growled and turned away from All Might.
Bakugo, of course, did the honors.
"Icarus, Creati, and Bakugo have won against All Might!" Nedzu announced and Hitoshi just huffed and started to stalk off.
"And for what it's worth, Bakugo…Zuchan may never forgive me for what I did, but he's still giving me a second chance and he's never once referred to me as a villain for what I did." With that Hitoshi stalked out of Ground Beta and towards a medic bot. He sat on a gurney and allowed himself to be carted away. 'I'm not a villain… I am not a villain.'
Izuku didn't know if it were possible to kill what was already dead, but by god, if these ghosts didn't release Cujo then he was going to find a way. He was already thinking of doing an exorcism before all of this.
"Release him." Izuku snarled through the open vault doors where One was standing. Just Yoichi, nobody else. Good, he didn't need all of that drama. Izuku scratched at the sides of the vault before stepping in. "Are you deaf? Or just dumb? I said: Release him." Izuku, having no fucks, got right up into Yoichi's face.
"We had a deal. He took a quirk-"
"I took that quirk." Izuku clarified while pointing at himself with his thumb. "I did. Not Cujo. When we merged, I fucked up. I saw dad use his quirk and I thought 'I wonder would it would be like to have Erasure.' and next thing I know I'm taking it from him. Now, give Cujo back." As he spoke with anger he didn't even know he had; he felt a stinging behind his eyes as his hair rose up on its own. Here, in the void, the effects of a freshly new quirk didn't affect him and he was thankful for that.
"Can't you see that Cujo is changing you?" Yoichi asked in a gentle tone. "You're not the same boy that nearly killed yourself if it meant saving me-"
"Oh, I am the same boy. I'm just also the boy that doesn't take other people hurting my family well. Cujo has spent his whole life bound away and you want to keep him that way because, what? He looks like you?!"
"He looks like my brother-"
"News flash: He looks more like you! His hair is straight! The only thing about him that looks like my sperm donor are his eyes!" Izuku yelled in exasperation. Izuku, finally, sucked in a slow and calm breath because he knew that yelling wasn't going to get him anywhere. Once he was sure he was, relatively, calm he looked at Yoichi with a leveled stare. "...This isn't working between us." He finally said and put his hands on his hips.
"Nine, please, you agreed to this."
"No. Actually, I didn't. If you look back you'll see I didn't. Not only that but - and I can't stress this enough, Uncle- Cujo didn't take the quirk! You're unjustly punishing him for something he didn't even do. Release him or I swear to all the gods above. I'm giving this quirk to the nearest stray animal I can find and I'll keep doing it if you return to me."
Yoichi pulled a face and put his hands on his hips. "...You are the Ninth holder of One for All. You are different from Eight in the sense that you have a deep connection with this quirk and us by default. You, by all rights, are a perfect holder for One for All. It also helps that we are now going towards the same goal. The goal is to stop All for One. You have to understand why we are uneasy around Cujo. Why we don't trust him? Why we feel it's best if he just…stayed out of the way for the time being. We already deduced that when you merged it was because he was making you stronger-"
"-Look at me," Izuku demanded and Yoichi complied. Two similar green eyes looked at one another and Izuku steeled himself.
"If I had known that I had Cujo when I accepted One for All, I would have turned Toshinori down. If I would have known that One for All would have put a target on my back by my own father. I would have turned him down. If I would have known that One for All was haunted by seven nosy ghosts that were trying to tell me how to live my life. I would have turned him down. I don't care about this quirk as much as you want me to care about this quirk. Now, let me make this clear. You are not helping me in the slightest. I want Cujo back, and now either you're going to give him back or I start giving this quirk away to random animals. Your choice, uncle."
Cujo and he would be reunited only moments later. "I gave him the wrong quirk…" Cujo whispered to Izuku while they embraced. "I didn't mean to."
"I know. We can fix this when I wake back up."
"He's going to be mad."
"No. He understands it was a mistake."
Izuku then sent Cujo away and out of the vault. He sent one last look to Yoichi. "I think- no- I am changing some things about our agreement. Accidents happen. Not only that but, like it or not, All for One is my quirk as is One for All."
"... Clearly…I can't stop you." Yoichi shook his head. "But you know why it pisses some of us to see you and him use that quirk. Right?"
"Of course, I understand…so, stop watching me and it won't be a problem." Izuku gave his uncle a smile and then hopped out of the vault.
Yeah, he'd say that went well. Cujo waited for Izuku and he extended his hand out for Izuku to take. Izuku took it with ease. Even though it was only for less than two hours, he really did miss the feeling of Cujo's hand in his.
You have no clue how many times I nearly wrote Hitoshi and Momo just walking out of the gate and leaving Bakugo behind, but I was nice. I let Bakugo have his win because I knew it was something that needed to be done.
I am living for an Izuku in this chapter. I love an Izuku that doesn't put up with people's shit and won't let people walk all over him.
