"Katsuki!" Mom yelled across the house. Why the hell did she have to fuckin yell? He was just in the other room, not the other damn prefecture.

"What do you want, Hag!" It was too early to have a shouting match, however, Katsuki wouldn't be the one to back down from it.

"Be useful for once and get your brother. Breakfast is ready!"

"Fine!" Katsuki shouted back. He tossed his book on the coffee table, stood up from his reclined position on the couch, and stomped up the stairs to the room he shared with his twin.

Katsuki opened the door and glanced at his brother's bed. It was a mass of blankets, pillows, and plush heroes. Somewhere under the mess of fabric was his brother, fast asleep. Katsuki hated waking him up this early, unlike Katsuki, he was NOT a morning person. Katsuki knew better than to try and talk to the nerd before he had a cup of tea or some shit. Katsuki sat down on the edge of the bed and rummaged through the piles of blankets till he found a shoulder. He shook it vigorously.

"Oi, Deku, wake the fuck up. Breakfast is ready," No movement. All right, we'll do this the hard way then.

Katsuki shoved his hand under the covers and grabbed onto Deku's leg. He hoisted the nerd up by his ankle till he was hanging in the air like a really pissed-off bat. His brother's crimson red eyes flashed open and glared death at him, his blond curly hair dangling down away from his freckled face like a brush. Huh, so he's keeping it like that then? Deku crossed his arms and set his face into a pout.

"Put me back in that bed and let me go back to sleep," Deku closed his fuckin eyes again and pretended to go back to sleep.

"There's no fucking way you're goin back to sleep. Suns up, you're up. Time to eat, nerd. The Hag's gonna be pissed with you if she finds you skipping a meal again. I'll fucking carry you to the table like this if I have to." Deku groaned, placed his hands on the ground, and lifted himself into a handstand. Katsuki let go of his brother's ankle and he righted himself on the floor. The nerd started to walk towards the door.

"Oi, Deku," His twin stopped in place.

"What? I'm goin to eat breakfast? Happy?" He doesn't realize…

"Deku, you forgettin something?" Deku cocked his head to the side looking confused before he looked down at himself. He was standing buck naked in the middle of the room. He quickly covered himself and flashed a deep shade of crimson. Katsuki let out a laugh as he pushed past his embarrassed brother. "Fuckin cover yer ass first. Pretty sure Mom's got a minimum requirement of underwear for breakfast attire."

Deku muttered behind him as he sluggishly dressed himself for the day. Katsuki had barely made it out the door when he heard the nerd's voice in his head. Why didn't you just use Mind Palace to wake me up for breakfast?

A dull pain throbbed in his head. Katsuki stopped in place and rubbed at his temples. Because it fucking gives me a headache, that's why. Katsuki didn't know if he'd ever get used to this damn quirk.

Do you not like it? I thought it was useful… I'm sorry if it's causing you trouble God damnit, Katsuki didn't mean to make his brother feel bad. Especially after what he'd gone through after giving him the quirk. He still hadn't exactly figured out how to keep some things from transmitting over.

I like it, sorry, I didn't mean it like that. It's just that it's new and is going to take some getting used to. The more I use it, the less I feel like my mind is actually my own. Katsuki felt like his thoughts were bleeding into his brothers and vice versa.

I… I can understand that. Is that something you're ok with? If not, I can try and figure out a way to stop it.

Katsuki thought about it for a moment, then decided it helped him feel closer to his brother. Don't worry about it, nerd, it's fine. As long as you're ok with it, I don't mind. Besides, it will probably help us be better heroes down the line. Katsuki imagined Deku smiling after he had said that. He chuckled and walked the rest of the way down the stairs.

Thanks, Kacchan.

Don't worry about it, nerd.

Katsuki walked into the kitchen and plopped himself down at the table. His mom turned to look at him and leveled a spatula at him, one hand on her hip.

"Oi, brat, where's your brother?" Katsuki pounded his fist on the table, plates, and cups rattling.

"He's coming, you hag. Give him a minute, he's getting his ass dressed." Katsuki shook his head and looked at the table. Plates of eggs, bacon, and toast covered the surface.

"American again?" Not that Katsuki was complaining. It's just that they seemed to eat this way a lot since they got back from their trip.

"Got a problem with that, Brat? If you don't like it, don't eat it."

"Where's dad?" Katsuki asked, ignoring his mom's quip.

"He had an early meeting at work. Fuckin ruined my plans for a good breakfast." Katsuki started filling his plate with food. "Wait for your brother, damnit!" Deku entered the kitchen at that exact moment allowing Katsuki to save face.

"He's right there, ma!" Katsuki pointed at the curly blond standing in the entrance to the kitchen. Katsuki continued to pile his plate with food. His mother stared at Deku, a frown forming on her face.

"Sprout, Hun, we talked about this." Deku pouted and looked down at his feet.

"Fuckin get off his case, ma, if he wants to have blond hair, let him." Deku looked at him and smiled, face gleaming bright. Katsuki flashed his hair green causing his brother to laugh out loud.

"Katsuki fucking Bakugo. Do not encourage him!" She waved her spatula in a threatening manner at both of them. "Izuku, honey, you know I love you. I… I know you have your insecurities… But, you really don't have to change yourself to fit in or anything. You're my son. I love you no matter how you look." Deku's eyes started to water and he embraced their mom in a hug.

"Thanks, mom. I… I love you too." Deku hugged her tighter. "I… I just really want to be like you and Kacchan!" Katsuki beamed with pride that his twin wanted to be like him in every way. Even in ways that their biology didn't make them from birth.

"Well, Just… Just don't ever think we don't love you the way you were born. I love you, my little broccoli sprout." Katsuki snorted as Deku turned a shade of bright red.

Come sit down, Broccoli sprout, Katsuki taunted. Deku looked at him with a pout as he sat down. He stuck his tongue out at Katsuki and started filling his plate as well.

Mom sat down and the three of them ate their breakfast without any further arguments breaking out. Mom was an amazing cook, she liked to learn dishes from every country that they visited on her travels for work. She particularly liked cooking American-style breakfasts due to the sheer amount of meat she was able to cook. Neither Katsuki nor Deku would complain about the mountain of bacon before them.

"Did y'all finish your applications for high school?" Mom looked at them over her mound of scrambled eggs.

"Yeah, we sent them in last week," Izuku responded, mouth full of toast and bacon.

"Good, the last thing we need is for you two to miss the deadline. The world can't afford to miss out on you two because of some fucking clerical error." Katsuki saw Deku shudder at the thought.

We did everything correctly? Didn't we? Deku muttered in his head.

Calm down, we double-checked all the forms. We have our exams scheduled for February. Stop worrying about it, you're making me nervous. Katsuki finished the last bite of food and put his fork down on his plate with a clink. Deku stared back at him and nodded.

Thanks, Kacchan, I'll try.

Mom looked between the two of them. "Talk out loud damnit, this is getting weird."

Deku laughed at their mom's exclamation. "Sorry, mom, we're just trying to get some practice in."

Mom shrugged and stood up from the table. She started gathering plates and brought them to the sink. "I understand, y'all don't want to talk to your old lady anymore. I get it."

Katsuki's mind filled with frantic stuttering bleeding over from his brother. "Can it, Hag, Deku's got enough on his plate without him having to figure out whether you're being sarcastic or not. Deku, by the way, she is. You can stop mumbling in my head now."

"Sorry, didn't realize I was doing that." The nerd's mumbling was bad before the connection. Now? Well, Katsuki discovered that Deku was constantly mumbling internally. He only mumbled out loud when it got REALLY bad.

After the classic guilt trip from their mom. He and Deku thanked her for breakfast, grabbed their backpacks, and left for school.

Walking to school was a challenge for most students. Although they were under the careful watch of the Number One, even in Musutafu, it felt like villains were always hiding just around the corner. Most parents either took their kids to school personally or enrolled them in various protection groups led by pro heroes. This was an extremely popular option among parents in Musutafu. Sure, it was expensive, but Musutafu had money. You had to pay to live this close to UA and the number one.

Katsuki and Deku were in a unique position. Their mom didn't need to worry about them. She was confident in their ability to protect themselves and each other. She believed in them as heroes. And so, unlike most students in the town, Katsuki and Deku walked to school by themselves. Unafraid that they could be attacked at any moment. That He could be hiding around any corner.

They arrived at Aldera a few minutes before class started. The brothers took their seats and settled in for a grueling day. Katsuki and Deku didn't exactly see the need for this specific school anymore. They didn't need the learning aspect of it anymore. Not since Deku got them Comprehend. Even before that, they had been at the top of their class since elementary school. That only improved now. They had their entire course curriculum stowed away on a shelf in their shared mental space. Ready to be used in case either of them needed the information. To them, class was more or less a formality. Something to complete so that they could go on to their actual objective. The Hero course at UA.

Most of the day passed uneventfully. They sat through the boring classes, ate lunch, and sat through more boring classes. By the time they had gotten to Quirk Theory, Katsuki and Deku had given up all pretense of paying attention, lost in conversation with each other.

Do you think they'll like our hero names? Deku asked, the teacher rambling about quirk singularity theory in the background.

Deku, we've been over this. Yes, they'll like it. Why wouldn't they? They're fucking awesome, Katsuki didn't understand why the nerd was so worried about this. Katsuki placed his chin on his open palm and stared out the classroom window.

It's just that… well… Hero Duos are kinda rare nowadays… what… what do we do if one of us doesn't get in? Katsuki couldn't believe what he was hearing… Err… thinking from the nerd.

Deku, what the fuck? Why would you even think that? After everything we've been through you still don't think you have what it takes to get in? With your quirk? Deku, the two of us could probably take on the Bastard himself if we wanted to. He heard Deku choke on something behind him.

Don't joke about something like that! You know we'd get creamed. I don't even know if we'd last long enough for the number one to get to us. By the way! I can't believe he started teaching at UA last year! That's so cool! I can't wait to learn under him! Katsuki couldn't deny that he was excited to learn heroics from the number one hero. Katsuki was just about to respond to his twin when their teacher shouted his name.

"Katsuki and Izuku Bakugo, am I boring you?" Katsuki's gaze snapped to their teacher's stern face.

"Umm, no sir. I… Just got lost in thought. That's all." Katsuki could hear Deku kicking his feet together under his desk. He always did that when he was nervous.

"Well, if you can't struggle to pay attention to my class, I can promise you that you won't get into UA. No matter how 'flashy' your quirks are. Do you hear me?" Katsuki's blood boiled at that remark.

"Listen, you community college reject, who are YOU to sit up there and tell me and my brother what we can't do?" Deku tried to calm Katsuki down.

Kacchan, it's ok, just let it go. It's not like he can actually stop us or anything... Katsuki ignored the nerd. Before he could continue, his teacher responded.

"I am your teacher, whether you like it or not. I'm going to be frank with you. I don't like you, either of you. You and your brother exude an aura of superiority I find repulsive and disruptive to my class. I don't think you have what it takes to be heroes. Yes, everyone wants to be a hero, of course. Everyone wants to be safe. But just because you passed the aptitude test doesn't mean you'll pass the entrance exams. Sure, you two have impressive quirks, but don't get your hopes up. Things have been much harder since the arrival of the Symbol of Fear. You two don't have what it takes. So set yourselves realistic expectations. I don't think you two will make the cut."

Katsuki stood up, his chair screeching across the floor. "Fucking watch me!" The angry blond stormed out of the room.

"Uh… Kacchan, wait!" Deku shouted after him, scrambling behind.

"I'll see the both of you in my office for detention tomorrow before class!" Katsuki stopped and looked back, Deku's face flushed with rage. His jaw dropped at the uncharacteristic sight.

"Like hell, we will!" Katsuki shouted, stepping back towards the classroom door. He stopped when he saw Deku raising his hand.

Without facing his teacher, Deku raised his right hand high and clenched it into a fist, his middle finger standing tall in defiance. Katsuki laughed, clutching his chest. They let the classroom door swing closed and left the school for the day.

Can you believe the nerve of that guy? Who is he to tell us what we can and can't fuckin do? Katsuki fumed as they left the school grounds heading home.

I mean, he is our teacher…. and, he's not entirely wrong, Kacchan. Deku flashed him a weak smile.

The fuck do you mean by that, nerd? We've fuckin earned a place at that shitty school. Whether he wants us there or not. Katsuki clenched his fists, smoke rising from between his fingers. Deku placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

Kacchan, that's not what I meant. What I meant was that he's not wrong. It's significantly harder to get into UA than it was in the past. They're more selective than ever. I heard they only let 5 people into the hero program last year. Katsuki shook his head.

Look, nerd, selective or not. We're gonna fucking blow them away at the entrance exams! Deku smiled and pumped his fist in agreement. The two of them walked forward in silence for a few moments. Katsuki reached out and punched Deku lightly on the shoulder. The curly-haired blond looked at him with a tilted head.

What was that for? His brother rubbed at his shoulder.

UA or not, we're gonna be the best heroes this world has ever seen. Deku started to smile at Katsuki's remark but then his face froze. His brother's smile fell instantly and morphed into a look of shocked fear.

Epicenter, we're in trouble… Katsuki's heart froze at the sound of the hero name Deku had helped him choose as a child. They had agreed to use that only in moments of peril. Heart racing, he whirled around to see what had scared his brother so much. A wall of green and black slime oozed out of the ground. It bubbled and rose out of a sewer grate mere feet from them.

Katsuki fell in place next to his twin, they had trained for moments like this. Each of them stood at attention ready to act the moment the villain made a move. Without a Heroics License, neither of them was allowed to attack the villain. They didn't have the authority. However, with the recent rise in crime, the Public Safety Commission decreed that civilians were now allowed to use their quirks in defense of themselves. They weren't allowed to try and attack the villain, but they were allowed to fend them off until authorized help can arrive. Katsuki thought that it was fucking stupid, but, he figured it was better than being sitting ducks till some asshat with a piece of paper from the commission showed up.

A raspy voice rose out of the muck, "Aahhhhh, look. How fortunate of me, willing skinsuits."

Remember, Explosion only. Deku shot him a sideways glance.

What? Why? Why can't we just use…

Because we don't know who's watching! Or did you forget our decision? No. Katsuki had not forgotten the decision he and his brother had made. He didn't like it, but he understood why they had to hide their power.

Fuckin fine, you go low, I'll go high. Deku nodded and let off a string of deafening explosions from his hands. While they legally couldn't use their explosion quirks against the villain, they could definitely use them to try and attract help. Of course, they could still use the excuse that they lost control of their quirks. They were still kids after all. However, neither Katsuki nor Deku liked lying. They wanted to do this by the book.

I give us maybe 5 minutes before a hero arrives, or, at least that's the usual response time. Deku was right, they had to survive for 5 minutes. Piece of cake.

The sludge villain shot out streams of slime at them. Katsuki blasted off to the right while Deku did likewise to the left. They circled around the villain letting off as many explosions as they could in order to increase the odds of a hero hearing them.

"Ooohhh! I like skinsuits with a little bite!" The amorphous mass shouted with glee as it shot more slimy tendrils after Katsuki. Every time one shot Katsuki, he blasted out of its way with a burst of speed. This would be a lot fuckin easier if we could just augment ourselves. Katsuki complained to his brother.

Yeah, but whoever said being a hero would be easy? Deku jumped out of the way of a blob of slime grasping for his torso.

Fuckin fine, god, why do you have to be like this. Katsuki dove into a roll as a slimy mass passed over his head.

Come on, you love me and you know it. Deku kicked away a tendril with a flying roundhouse.

Shut up sprout, pay attention to the fight! Katsuki's leg was suddenly wrapped in goo and pulled out from under him. He blasted away the oozing restraint with a quickly timed blast.

Are you ok?! Deku shouted in his mind.

Yeah, I'm fine, the bastard isn't gonna get me that easily. Deku didn't have time to respond. Katsuki jumped out of the way of a slimy appendage just in time to see Deku get absorbed by the mass.

Kacchan! Help! It's trying to aahhhhhh! Can't… breathe… Katsuki's heart raced, his brother was screaming in his ears. Fuck the commission, Katsuki started blasting away at the slime villain. He'd deal with the legal fallout after he saved his twin. Steam and chunks of slime flew through the air as Katsuki blasted his way through the oozing mass.

Hold on Deku! I'm coming! Katsuki heard no response from his brother. He readied to release a much larger blast into the villain when a hero arrived.

A mountainous figure dressed in black and grey landed with a crash next to Katsuki causing him to fall onto the ground. The street cracked from the sheer force of the hero's impact. The figure plunged a fist into the slimy void and pulled it out, a coughing Deku in tow. Still holding his brother. The slime villain crouched back, receding away from the newcomer.

"Oh, no please!" The slimy mass cried. "I'm not a threat to you! Please, don't!" The figure in grey laughed a deep booming laugh before he replied with an equally deep voice. Katsuki recognized that voice anywhere.

"Villain, who are you to think that you can terrorize this town?" Katsuki knew that particular voice belonged to All Might. "That's my job!" Katsuki's confidence in the fight fell into abject despair. They were screwed.

The symbol of fear laughed at the cowering sludge pile and reared back to punch tossing Deku onto the ground. Gale force winds rocked the streets as the sludge pile vaporized into a mist. Cars, street lamps, even entire buildings were ripped off of their foundations and flung by the mighty punch. Katsuki rushed to his brother who lay coughing on the ground.

Deku! Deku, are you ok? Katsuki screamed into the nerd's mind. Even at that moment, he knew better than to talk out loud lest it attracts the attention of the monster behind them. Deku coughed up a pile of sludge and took a deep breath.

I… cough… I think I'm ok? Just a little out of breath. My arm hurts like hell though… Deku winced when he tried to move. Katsuki looked at his brother's arm. The arm was black and disfigured where All Might had grabbed onto it. The bastard had pulverized the bone. How the hell is he still conscious? Katsuki knew his brother had a high pain tolerance, but hell, this was insane.

As the sound of the wind died down, the sky grew dark. Katsuki looked up as clouds swirled above their heads. Rain started to fall around them. Katsuki was in both awe and abject horror. The force of the villain's punch had changed the weather.

Katsuki barely had a moment to formulate a plan when he heard steps coming in their direction. Lightning flashed illuminating the muscled figure who stood before them. A psychotic grin stretched across his face. The symbol of fear struck a mockingly heroic pose before them, fist raised into the sky. Thunder cracked as his smile widened, piercing black eyes staring at them with malice.

"I am here."

We're fuckin dead…