Trtt

by Nexus Sannin

T

15. Mkkj

Beyond Plus Ultra, Beyond All Might

by Botts_for_Tootsie

Useless, Quirkless, Deku.

That's been his name for so long. But it can't possibly be true. Izuku was supposed to be the greatest hero in the world!

Izuku didn't need Bakugou's approval. He just needed to ask All Might. His idol would tell him everything would be okay! Just keep smiling!

Don't meet your heroes...They'll only disappoint you.

Shimura Nana can't stand to sit and watch as a young boy, much like her successor Toshinori, is told he can't be a hero because he's quirkless. Ghost be damned, she'll succeed where her successor failed.

Notes

This fic will have some pretty heavy themes. So if the tags weren't enough for you, consider this your last warning. This is going to be a bumpy ride.

Prologue

"You know if you really wanted to be a hero that badly, there might be another way..."

Please...just stop...just leave me alone, Kacchan...

"Just pray that you'll be born with a quirk in your next life,"

Why are you so mean, Kacchan? What have I ever done to you?

"And take a swan-dive off the roof of the building!"

And what if I did? Who could you bully then Kacchan?

Fueled with despair that Kacchan could even make him think of the possibility, Izuku turned around. His shoulders were tense and there was a spitting remark on his tongue. His shoulder burned from Bakugou's earlier harassment, but Izuku long since learned to ignore those. There had been plenty of worse injuries that left Izuku limping and hunched over, trying to get to the bathroom before his mother could see. This was child's play.

However, it seemed as if Kacchan wasn't worried about Izuku's potential comeback as he raised his hand. The smoke and heat radiated from his palm as he gave Izuku a sharp-edged smirk. "Something wrong?"

And just like that, Izuku wilted. His earlier fight left him as if deflating a balloon and he was left standing in a junior high classroom all by himself. He knew better than to talk back to Bakugou. Nothing he said ever got through to him. Bakugou didn't care what Izuku had to say. Especially not when all it took to get him to shut up was a little taste of his quirk. And it wasn't as if Izuku had a quirk to defend himself with.

Bakugou scoffed as he and his posse turned to the door and left. His earlier words still rung in Izuku's head.

The young Midoriya boy later walked down to the fountain full of dejection and sadness. He retrieved his burned and waterlogged notebook out of the fountain with a long-suffering sigh. He had been well versed in many of Bakugou's bullying tactics. But destroying his notebook was a rare occasion that had only happened one other time. Izuku was sure that with some time in the sunlight of his window, the pages could be dried enough to at least salvage what information he had left inside.

My dreams have turned into fish food...

For as long as he could remember, Izuku Midoriya dreamed of being a hero. All Might posters, pajamas, bedsheets, became the number one thing on his wishlists. Some would call him a fanatic, and maybe he was. But little Izuku liked to call it a passion. Not just for All Might, but what the man represented. Peace. And bravery. And strength. Three of the things Izuku never had.

Midoriya wasn't always aware of the imbalance that reformed the social class of society. He remembered being a small boy, only 3 at the time, so happy and full of life...With his best friend Kacchan. They were the duo envy of the playground.

"When our quirks come in, we're gonna be the #1 heroes! Aren't we Kacchan?" Little Izuku asked his friend with eyes wide in hope and pudgy cheeks pushed up into a grin.

"Pfft, we can't both be number one, Deku. But I'll be #1 and you'll be my sidekick!" Bakugou announced with confidence oozing from his pores. And Izuku found himself nodding along excitedly. As long as he got to be an All Might level hero, he really didn't care which of them ranked higher. As long as they were together.

But Bakugou's quirk formed soon after. And Izuku got excited for him and anxiously awaited the arrival of his own quirk...Maybe he was a late bloomer...

The next two years passed by quickly and still no quirk for the little Midoriya boy. Bakugou had left him in the dust for his new friends that actually had quirks. He had no use for a quirkless sidekick. And Izuku had tried so hard to hold on.

"I'm just a late bloomer, Kacchan! I'll get my quirk soon!" He swore desperately, but Bakugou never gave him a second glance. Or when he did, it was to use him as a stand-in for all the villains he swore to take down with his quirk. Izuku hated those times. He'd go home, clothes singed, skin raw and (on the rare occasion) blistered. His mother would dote on him constantly and offer to call Bakugou's mother, but Izuku defended him. He even lied at some points.

"He apologized!"

"He's still learning to control it!" "We were just playing!"

And every time she'd just give him a strained look, but she would put the phone down and Izuku was free to get a sigh of relief. And then...He eventually just gave up.

Not all men are created equal...Izuku learned that the night his mother kneeled in front of him, crying and apologizing to him as if his quirklessness was her fault...

Izuku didn't even know how he got on the top of the roof of the school. All he knew was that he was staring over the edge, looking at the hard concrete down below. His feet were cold and he noticed sometime during the walk he had taken his shoes off and left them neatly by the ridge. Was he really doing this?

Should I leave a note?

He decided against it, besides, his burned and soaked journal showed all it needed to. He stared

down at the fall and took a calming breath...

People say you die before you hit the ground... Would it hurt?

Who would be the one to find him? Would Kacchan see?

Izuku felt ice fill his veins. What was he doing? Jumping because Kacchan said to? That was ridiculous. Why should he give him satisfaction? The young boy stepped off the ledge feeling disgusted in himself as he shoved his feet back into his shoes. He'd show Kacchan. He'd get into UA without a quirk. He'd become the next #1 hero. He'd make All Might proud!

This was his thought as he took his journal and slowly made his way home. He forced a smile onto his face. One that probably looked more like a grimace than anything else, but he was determined to keep smiling. That's what All Might did. That's what All Might would want.

He found it hard to smile as the sludge monster grabbed him and tried to force itself into his body. His airways were cut off as he struggled in its grasp. Moving his limbs was like fighting molasses as one of his arms reached up and tried to pull the sludge from his mouth. The monster called him a hero...But Izuku wasn't a hero! Not yet. But he wanted to be... And he couldn't be if he let this villain take control of his body and use him as a puppet! But...But his sight was already getting spotty...The fight in his limbs was getting weaker...

I...I think I'm dying...

This wasn't how he wanted to die! Yes, he stood on the school roof and planned to jump, But he chose that. This...this was wrong...this was slow and painful and- and...Izuku had never taken the time to think about what it would feel like to die...

Someone, please help me!

A sharp metallic twang rang in the air, but Midoriya hardly noticed it as he tried not to cry. The sludge clung to him like a cage leaving him no room to struggle.

"Have no fear. You are safe," A voice...Wait Izuku knew that voice! It was- "Now that I am here, that is!"

All Might! The ensuing fight could hardly be called that at all. The sludge monster tried to attack, but All Might easily dodged it and went in for a single punch. The force of which shot into the sludge and forced it to disperse. Izuku heard the monster comment on its inability to reform only seconds before it exploded completely leaving not even a single speck on the boy's uniform.

Izuku fell back onto the pavement and it was either the oxygen deprivation or the impact that rendered him unconscious.

"Hey! Wake up! Hey!" Izuku heard as his body woke up. He felt a gentle tapping on his cheek as the voice egged him on. He didn't want to wake up. He just wanted to sleep. To go home and wallow in his own pity. There's no way his bad day could get any worse. Either way, he must have given some sign that he was awake as the voice continued. "Thought I lost you there!"

Wait...

Izuku's eyes jerked open and he sat up quickly as his brain tried to process what he was seeing.

"Woah there. Take it easy, kid. You hit your head pretty hard. Are you alright?" The voice- no All Might(!) asked him setting a supporting hand on his shoulder. The poor boy could only nod speechlessly as he looked up at the imposing figure of his idol. "Sorry about that! I didn't mean to get you caught up in my justicing back there. Usually I-"

Izuku was ashamed to admit that he tuned out as he tried to process what he was seeing. His hero. His idol. All Might! In the flesh! Standing right in front of him! This was something Izuku could only dream about! But here it is, actually happening! He needed an autograph!

Looking around frantically for his journal (the damaged one since it was all he had on him) he was amazed to see it held out to him. "Looking for this? I found it near your things when I captured the villain! I took the liberty of signing it for you!"

The boy's eyes widened as he took his journal back from his hero and opened it up to truly see All Might's signature on a whole spread of his notebook!

"Speechless I see! No worries! It was the least I could do for getting you all mixed up in this mess!" All Might told him before patting his pocket. It was only then that Izuku noticed the soda bottle containing the villain that had just previously been choking the life out of him. "Now then, I have to get this villain off to the authorities! Stay out of trouble! See you around!"

And just like that, All Might turned around and crouched down as if to jump away. Izuku saw his opportunity to ask something weighing on his mind slipping away and finally found his voice. "Wait! All Might! I- I have a question before you leave!" He shouted, holding into the hem of his jacket nervously. "Just one!"

What followed was the single worst decision Izuku had ever made in his life. Grabbing onto the hero right as he took off, being carried high in the air. It was terrifying but he was so badly needing an answer. Luckily, All Might seemed to take pity on him as he landed on a nearby rooftop. "Well then," And Izuku was ashamed to hear the annoyance in his voice, "I guess I have time to answer one question."

Izuku nodded as he wracked his brain for how to ask. "Is...Is it possible for..." He muttered. The words lumped up in his throat and he swallowed hard trying to force it back down. Was he going to cry again? He hoped not.

"You're going to have to speak up, my boy! I can't hear you!"

"Is it possible for someone without a quirk to be a hero?! Someone like me?" Izuku shouted suddenly and covered his mouth after. Yelling at All Might?! What was he thinking! "I have no powers but...could I ever hope to be someone like you?!"

"Without a quirk?"

Izuku looked down at his shoes and nodded. "Yes. I...my classmates call me weak a-and they tell me it's impossible. But I want to help other people! I want to save them! I want to be a hero like you!" And with that Izuku found the courage to look up at his idol, to meet his eye not as a victim, but as a hopeful kid. But...The man standing there wasn't All Might.

Steam rolled off his malnourished form like his skin was molten hot. His hair, merely a poor mimic of All Might, was stringy and limp...He looked sickly and...

Neither hero nor student noticed the absent bottles as the green blob inside the soda bottle started to wriggle around and slowly, oh so slowly, unscrew the lid from the inside. It came off easily and fell away giving it the opportunity to slither out. It continued its own plans to find a suitable vessel to hold out in while he tried to skip town.

And just his luck...Right above the manhole cover he found refuge in, he heard the voices of three young boys. Perfectly inconspicuous skinsuits for his purpose. He emerged from one of the holes to form behind the one farthest away. He was talking about someone. A fellow classmate. And his voice held wrought iron conviction that the villain knew would make for a sturdy skinsuit. With his luck, maybe he'd have the quirk to match.

"U-Uh...Bakugou!" One of the other kids warned as he pointed a lengthened finger to the villain.

The blond turned around and seemed to freeze as he took sight of the monster. "W-What the-" He couldn't finish his thought as he was ambushed by the green sludge.

"Y-You aren't All Might!" Izuku shouted immediately as he tried to discern this man from his icon. There was no way.

"I assure you, kid. I am. It's like those people who are constantly sucking in at the pool." he said nonchalantly as he wiped dripping blood from his mouth. "And I'm counting on you to keep your mouth shut about this. That includes your friends." He sounded tired.

Izuku shivered at the coldness in the voice that was such a sharp contrast to All Might's warm and happy greeting. "I don't have-"

His thought ground to a halt as he saw a grotesque red and patchy scar marking this man- All Might's skin. It was layered and layered with stitching scars and Izuku felt his own side burn at the thought of the pain. It worsened as All Might explained the fight that wrecked his body and put a

timer on his hero time. "Symbol of peace. Always smiling...I smile to hide the fear inside me. A brave face I use when this job gets rough." The man spoke with conviction and anger, a pantomime of All Might.

"So the answer to your question is no." Izuku almost forgot about his question in the wake of this reveal. But now that he remembered he shrunk down to his knees on the rooftop. His heart continued sinking down and down. Down to the center of the earth. "Heroing is a dangerous job and most villains can't be beaten without powers. So no, I don't think you could become a hero without a quirk. If you want to help other people, become a police officer. Or a medic. But leave the life-risking to the people with the durability to handle it."

"B-but my dream-" Izuku started as tears welled up in his eyes.

"It's okay to have dreams. Just make sure those dreams are attainable." All Might told him as he walked to the door on the building and headed inside. The door slammed signifying the end...the end of the conversation and the end of Izuku's dreams of being a hero. How could he continue on when his idol, the one he looked up to since he could walk, told him to stop trying. All because he didn't have a quirk.

After his idol broke his heart Izuku found no other way to continue on. His dreams he held so tightly were shattered. Not even by Kacchan, but by the hero he looked up to his whole life. He really was useless without a quirk. A stupid Deku like Kacchan had told him all those times before.

Izuku should have listened to him then. He should have given up on his foolish dream of going to UA on the technicality that quirkless people were allowed to apply. He could see now that the regulation change was for publicity's sake. After all, no quirkless person could actually pass the entrance exams, could they?

"Pray for a quirk in your next life...then take a swan dive off the roof of the building."

Bakugou's friend's laughter rang in Izuku's ear telling him just how stupid he was for ever thinking he had a chance in this unfair world.

Before he knew what he was doing, Izuku had his shoes kicked off sloppily and he was standing on the edge of the roof that All Might had so casually left him on after breaking his heart. His breath was quick and shaky as if trying to make up for a workout. But deep down Izuku could feel that he'd never been calmer.

He thinks about all the obituaries of quirkless kids like him who couldn't find the strength to continue living. How the articles always talked about how 'If only they reached out-' or 'They had so much to live for-'.

No, I don't.

He knew that if he didn't know anything else. He had nothing to live for. Not without a quirk. Even the police academy would expect him to have a quirk. What quirkless adults did he know? None.

The world has no place for me anymore.

The thought was unsettling. Scary even. But true...

There's no point in delaying the inevitable.

Izuku took one last deep breath, stretching his arms out beside him.

It'll be over fast.

He hoped it would be at least. He thought he had read somewhere that your heart would supposedly stop before you hit the ground.

Closing his eyes tightly, Izuku shifted his weight forward. He felt his toes leave the edge of the roof and then his heels. He was falling now. The wind rushed past him faster than ever. Faster than a roller coaster. It almost felt like he was flying. A small smile spread across his lips. Flying. That would be a fun quirk. Large wings spread out through the air like Hawks. That would be heroic.

Izuku didn't process the moment he hit the ground. There was a moment of a white hot heat, before there was nothing. It was only when he opened his eyes and saw himself limp on the pavement that he realized the deed was done. His body was bent in a grotesque fashion and the puddle of blood around himself was steadily growing. He found himself waiting for something to happen next. Wasn't there supposed to be a bright light? No light? Flames for eternity? Why was he still here?

Looking around he saw nobody milling about or frantically running over to call help. But then there was someone. A woman. Her hair was inky black and tied back away from her face. She was wearing some kind of hero costume. But not one Izuku recognized. Dark blue, yellow, and white. Almost reminiscent of All Might's original costume. Or perhaps UA's colors.

"Oh Toshinori, what have you done?" The woman spoke in a whisper as she kneeled beside Izuku's body despite the steady pool of blood growing around it. Distantly, Izuku noticed as the blood didn't pool around her. It kept it's normal spread even when it reached her knees.

My name isn't Toshinori.

Izuku couldn't help but think. He walked over to the woman who now shook with sobs. Cautiously, he reached out to her hoping to console her. His hand landed solidly on her shoulder which surprised them both until the sound of a door opening grabbed their attention. Both their heads turned to see the same skinny blond man as before. All Might. But he wasn't looking at them. He was looking at the body.

My body.

It was like everything was moving in slow motion. Izuku could see the confusion, the recognition, more confusion, and then deep bone-chilling terror cross over the slim face. The man's body tensed up before starting to run over. But it was like he was moving through molasses with how slow everything was.

Izuku realized he was running over with his hands already out waiting to touch.

No!

He couldn't help the denial from rushing out.

I don't want him to touch me!

The last thing Izuku wanted was to see those hands touching or holding him after the emotional pain he had just put him through. As if he cared about what happened to Izuku. If he cared he wouldn't have left Izuku on the roof to his own thoughts.

At once both the woman and Izuku dove for his body before there was a flash of bright light. ...

...

...

The first thing that came back was chilling cold. Like the time Izuku left his gloves at home and his hands suffered for it. But now it was all over. Deep inside himself.

Izuku opened his eyes and saw himself staring up at All Might. All Might who has tears rolling down his cheeks. He turned his head, looking for the woman again but all he saw was blood. All over the pavement. In shock, Izuku jolted into sitting up.

"N-no don't move! You don't know the damage!" All Might said, reaching out as if he were going to make him stay put.

Izuku ignored him. Shoving away his hands, Izuku managed to get his feet under himself and stand. Nothing hurt. Which was strange. He had jumped, the evidence was all over the pavement. But why was he still here? He tried looking over his own injuries but all he could see was the blood. But his limbs were no longer bent out of shape like before. And pressing his hands into the back of his head yielded the same lack of injury.

Like before, he saw All Might's hands reaching out for him and the same childish defiance came over him as he stumbled back. Before the man could try again he took off at a run.

"Child, wait!" All Might called out behind him but Izuku kept going. His socked feet smacked the pavement with every stomp until he was safely hidden in an alley near his house. It didn't seem to matter though. All Might didn't follow him.

Izuku took a moment to catch his breath. Slumped over he watched his socked toes wiggle on the ground. He left his shoes on the building. They were his favorite pair.

"You can get them tomorrow, foolish boy." A voice told him and Izuku's head jerked to the opening of the alley, but there was nobody there.

"Who's there?" He asked shaking a little. The chill never seemed to leave him as he ran his hands down his own arms.

"You can hear me?" What kind of question was that? Of course, he could hear. But where was the voice coming from?

"I'm right here!" The voice was indignant but Izuku saw nothing.

"I can't see you. Are you...the woman who was with me?" Izuku asked nervously. He could

remember her now. Black hair, tear filled eyes. He had caused that sorrow...

"Yes, sweetie..." She held regret in her voice. " Are you alright?"

Izuku thought about it before shivering again. "I'm cold." His arms wrapped around himself but it didn't help much, seeing as how his clothes were wet with blood. His blood. And he didn't feel up to confronting the fact that he had actually followed through with what Bakugou had told him to do.

"Let's get you home, alright? You should get cleaned up and then we can talk." Izuku could only nod as he turned in the direction of his house and started walking.

It was a pretty quick journey all things considered with no one around to see. There must be a villain attack somewhere. Izuku couldn't find it in himself to care as he walked into his home. There were pots and pans clunking in the kitchen and Izuku was glad his mother was distracted. He had stopped trailing blood pretty quickly as it absorbed into the fabric of his uniform. And he was glad to not leave tracks behind.

"Izuku, is that you?" She asked, still cooking.

"Yeah, mom. It's me. I'm just gonna go take a shower." Izuku said tiptoeing quickly down the hall. "Alright, dinner will be ready soon! I'm making your favorite!" She said cheerfully.

Izuku just ran into the bathroom and locked the door. He quickly stopped himself from leaning against it as he sighed. But that didn't prepare him for seeing himself up close in the mirror. He looked awful. Like something out of a horror movie! His green hair looked black as it was matted down on his head, blood dripping on his uniform not yet dry.

"Izuku, honey, you need to get clean." Nana's voice was gentle and kind, knocking him out of his horror. Giving him something to focus on.

Izuku looked down at his ruined uniform. It clung to his skin in an uncomfortable way and the coppery smell was almost overpowering. He didn't want to track blood anywhere as he took it off though...

It seemed Nana knew exactly what to do as she urged him to get into the shower fully clothed and stand under warm water. The water that came out immediately turned the water red as well and Izuku was sure it would never wash out.

" Don't worry, I know how to deal with blood." Nana's voice was serene as Izuku started to peel his uniform off and lay it into the tub. The difference was stark as his body actually started to get cleaner. He went through his cleaning routine having to wash his hair twice to get all the blood out, but it was worth it to step out of the shower feeling slightly better if not still cold.

Izuku wrapped a towel around himself before turning to his uniform. And the slight hint of peace he had was ripped away. Right. He still had to deal with that.

"When does your mother usually clean up?" Nana asked.

"Usually right before she goes to bed," Izuku answered weakly.

"Then we have plenty of time. Do you have hydrogen peroxide?"

"Will that work?" Izuku asked, perking up slightly as he reached for the brown bottle under the sink. Used for the many scrapes and cuts sustained by Bakugou. It was still mostly full as well.

"It should. Just spill a little on and let it sit for a bit. If you close the curtains your mother won't see. And we'll come to get it after dinner."

That made Izuku feel better at least. The uniform sizzled as the peroxide made contact with the blood, but the foam was slowly trickling down the drain. Stepping out of the bathroom he practically ran into his own room. He went to take the towel off to change but stopped. "Uh...you're not watching me...are you?"

There was a scoff in his head. " I'm perfectly capable of turning around...there. Now get dressed."

Izuku really couldn't do anything but take her word for it as he took the towel off and put on some soft lounge clothes. Finally done, he started vigorously drying his hair leaving it only damp and fluffy and blood-free. "You can turn around now."

"There doesn't seem to be a single scratch on you," Nana said both amazed and grateful. "Are you sure you never had a quirk?"

Izuku sighed before he flopped back on his bed. "Yes, I'm sure. The doctor confirmed it and everything." Izuku felt himself tear up despite his effort not to. "Just a quirkless Deku who has no use being a hero." The bitter reminder of All Might's words made his chest ache in heartbreak.

"Hey now. That's not true! Look- listen to me..." Nana sighed. "I don't agree with what Toshinori said. He was out of line and took his frustrations out on you. You can be a hero if you want. But you have to work hard. Even harder than all the rest. You need to be able to protect yourself from people with powerful quirks."

Izuku suddenly felt warmth bloom inside him chasing away the chill that had set in before. He found himself closing his eyes and basking in the warmth. Just as quickly as it was there, however, it was gone. He sniffled minutely as his body trembled.

The warmth came back then, brushing against his cheek where a single tear dripped down. "What are you doing?" He asked sadly.

"I...put my hand on your cheek... Did you feel that?" Nana asked and suddenly Izuku felt it again. "You're warm." He tells her holding his hand out and soon he could feel the warmth spread into his

fingertips.

"I don't know how this works. I shouldn't be warm to you." She seemed confused but also happy at this new fact shown by the warmth wrapping around Izuku's left side.

"Maybe we're connected. Somehow. I mean, you were there for me when I..." Izuku trailed off and cleared his throat. "You were near my body."

"I was with Toshinori originally. But after I heard him say all that to you, I decided to stay back to make sure you were okay. I...I tried pulling you back..." Her voice cracked. "My hands went right through. And then you fell. And I thought if nothing else," She sniffled causing Izuku to tear up as well. "If nothing else I could lead you to the other side. So you wouldn't be alone."

Izuku's tears fell in earnest now. This stranger who knew nothing about him was upset at his death. Even separating from the person she was there to try to help him. "I'm sorry," he choked. "I thought I was alone. And Bakugou told me to take a swan dive, and All Might said I couldn't be a hero, and- I just didn't know what else to do." He sobbed.

The warmth was all around him now and he curled into it. Closing his eyes, it almost felt like a hug. The warmth was quickly chasing away the sorrow he felt inside as he thought about what very well could have been his final moments.

"Shh, Izuku. It's...in the past now. We can't forget it, but we can move past it alright? Can you be strong? Heroes always smile don't they?" She tried comforting him and Izuku found himself nodding. "Smile for me, sweetie."

"I don't know if I can be strong." He was honest. "I just...I jumped. How can I recover from that?"

Izuku asked Nana as there was a knock on the door. He flinched harshly but sat up. He mourned the loss of the warmth as he separated from it.

"Honey are you alright? Dinner is ready..." Inko Midoriya called out.

"Yeah...I'll be right out." Izuku grabbed the towel he discarded and wiped the tears away quickly. "Do I look okay?" He asked the air around him.

"A bit red but that can be chalked up to the shower. Come on, you must be starving." Nana seemed to move away leaving Izuku feeling the chill once more. It couldn't be helped as he went to the door and saw his mother waiting right outside nervously.

Forcing a smile was difficult but it was worth it to see his mother relax. "I can smell it already." His stomach growled in agreement and his mother excitedly waved him over.

The meal was good. It was warm enough to chase away the chill that had taken over his body which was great seeing as how Izuku didn't want his mother asking questions. He felt like he hadn't eaten anything in days. His stomach was a bottomless pit where even the whole bowl couldn't fill. Stomach growling, he shyly asked for another bowl that his mom was all too happy to push in front of him. "Sweetie, did you eat lunch today?" She asked in concern, pushing some of his curls out of his eyes.

Thinking quickly Izuku shook his head. "One of my classmates... Their lunch was ruined so I gave them mine." More like Bakugou had stomped on his lunch after stealing it from his bag but oh well. He really didn't want his mother digging further into it.

Inko kissed his forehead with a smile. "My heroic boy. I'm so proud of you." Izuku felt the sting of his lie in his chest as Inko went to prepare her own bowl of food. He didn't like to lie, but the truth was far worse.

"Don't worry, sweetie. We'll make a hero out of you yet," Nana whispered to him happily.

Dagobah Beach

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

That night, after he had squeezed all the bloody water out of his uniform until his hands cramped, Izuku collected all of his All Might merchandise and hid it away in boxes inside his closet. Nana was silent the entire time as he worked which he was grateful for, but that didn't stop him from feeling her want to ask questions.

"I'm not going to give excuses for him." Nana finally said as the All Might sheets were replaced with plain black ones. "I don't want to but I feel like I should."

Izuku shook his head. "I don't...I don't care about him anymore." It was a lie and they both knew it. "He made his opinion clear."

"Izuku, wait," The boy stopped with a sigh and she continued on. "I'm breaking a lot of rules for this. I want to explain something to you. So please sit down."

"I don't want you to get in trouble over me." Izuku didn't know how being dead was supposed to work, but if Nana was breaking rules for him it must be important. By her silence this entire time she must have been trying to figure out how to explain.

"You won't get me in trouble." And her voice sounded so fond. "I just have to be honest about some things so we can understand your quirk."

Izuku still flinched at that. The fact that he has a quirk. Something that brings him back to life after he dies. It was pretty unsettling. But even so, he took a fresh notebook from his desk and flipped it to the first page. "Okay, I'm ready." At Nana's hesitance, he rushed to explain. "Oh, I write down everything I know about every quirk I come across. If you're worried about others reading it, they won't. I'll leave this one here."

That seemed to relax her as she started to speak. "Alright well. Let me tell you the story of One for All. It's a quirk that allows the holder to pass on their quirk to others," she paused and Izuku could only imagine that she was watching him write it.

Only when he finished the entry did Izuku seem to process exactly what she just said. "Wait, a quirk that can be passed to others?!" His excitement seemed to please her as he felt the warmth return, passing along the back of his head and shoulders.

"Yes. It is. Now, there is still a lot I can't tell you for privacy's sake, but I'll tell you what I can. One for All is passed down from person to person from the original holder to stop a very bad man named All for One..." She paused once more and Izuku realized she wanted him to connect the dots.

"Um...so if One for All is a quirk that can be given...All for One is a quirk that takes quirks?" He moved to write it down as Nana continued.

"Exactly! Can you imagine a man able to steal quirks and hand them out at will?"

He shivered both at the idea and the cold passing over his body once more. "The world would be in danger. He would be unstoppable."

"Exactly! Good! You're getting it!"

"How...how many people have had One for All?" Izuku asked as he flipped to a new page.

"I was number 7."

Izuku was almost frustrated as she left him hanging for knowledge again but he knew this must be her way of telling him what he needed without breaking so many rules. "So you already passed it on..." And then it all seemed to click into place. "You passed it on to All Might! That's why you were calling him Toshinori! You were his mentor, weren't you?! But...if you died this young. All for One got you. And then he fought All Might and that's how he got that giant scar..."

Izuku dropped his pencil and held his head in his hands for a minute. "Oh my...does this mean that...All for One is gone? Did All Might beat him?"

The silence was killing him.

"Nana?"

"We think so. But we don't know for sure. But Izuku that's not what I wanted to talk to you about."

Slowly Izuku forced himself to calm down obviously there was more and he needed to get it all written. "What else is there?"

The warmth sat on his shoulder as he waited. "All the holders of One for All are connected after death. Like a family tree prepared to give encouragement in dire situations if need be. But I can't feel the other holders anymore. I'm not bonded to One for All anymore."

Izuku froze and not even the warmth of Nana's arm on his shoulder could snap him out of it. "I'm...sorry."

"Izuku why would you be sorry?" Nana's voice was full of confusion. But Izuku only curled in on himself.

"If it wasn't for me you wouldn't be stuck here." As if anyone wanted to be tethered to some stupid Deku. And here he thought Nana was with him because she liked him. But instead, he just kidnapped her from One for All.

"Hey, no! Stop that. Izuku that's not true! I'm here because I want to be!" The warmth spread all over him and he couldn't help but lean into it. You need me more than Toshinori does. I said I'd make a hero out of you and I still plan on it."

Izuku looked up only to see the ceiling of his room. "I wish I could see you again."

Nana sighed. There was a lot of that happening lately. "There may be some pictures of me online.

But I doubt there's very many."

Izuku seemed to take that as a challenge as he went to his computer. "What's your hero name?"

"Nana."

"Then what's your actual name?"

"Shimura Nana."

" You used your real name for your hero name?" Izuku snickered as he began searching.

The atmosphere was happier now than before as Nana laughed in his head. "Oh yeah? What's your brilliant hero name huh? Small Fry? Broccoli Boy?"

Izuku blushed. He always thought he'd use some spin-off name for All Might. But now, of course, he knew that was the last thing he wanted. "I don't know yet...but I have time to figure it out."

They were silent after that as Izuku focused on research Nana. Surprisingly, there were a fair bit of pictures around of her. And it didn't take long for him to find merch for her either. Although, when he did she tried hard not to blush as he ordered a few trinkets with her symbol and face on them.

"I honestly didn't think I was that popular." She said quietly as Izuku finished up his research.

"It's not hard to see why." Izuku smiled this time. "The male to female hero ratio isn't a large as it was back then. And you were a strong, female hero that didn't base your popularity on sex appeal. You were a great role model. Something every little girl could aspire to be."

" Aw shucks kid." There was a quick blast of warmth on his shoulder that Izuku chalked up to Nana playfully punching him. " You should head to bed. You have a busy day ahead of you tomorrow and a long way to go before you can have a chance at being accepted into UA!"

"What are you going to do while I sleep?" Izuku asked, eyes already drooping slowly.

"I'm going to be looking around and exploring a bit. Don't worry. I'll still be here in the morning." She seemed to pick up on his anxieties. Izuku felt warmth as Nana pet his hair back. "Goodnight, Izuku."

The next morning Izuku woke up to a hand petting his hair. "Time to get up! You have training to

do! Up and at 'em!" Nana's voice was overly peppy and Izuku felt very reluctant to get out of bed.

"Mm...five more minutes." He said turning over.

"Fair warning Izuku my singing voice is terrible and you're the only one who can hear me! So that means I can be as loud as I want! La la la la-"

Finally, Izuku jerked up, covering his ears. "Okay okay! I'm awake!" His face pinched up in a pout the entire time as he kicked the blankets off only to turn towards the window and see barely any light outside. "Wha- Nana! It's not even morning!"

He turned scowling into thin air hoping to make contact with her.

"Yes, it is, Izuku. It's just early morning. Plenty of time for you to get ready and eat before we go out for a morning run!" She was unnaturally cheery about the whole ordeal, but Izuku knew she wouldn't take no for an answer.

Heading for the bathroom, he ran a brush through his wild curly hair and brushed his teeth. Stepping back into his room, Nana was sitting on his bed with a happy smile. "It's chilly outside so wear some long sleeves."

Izuku grumbled the entire way to his closet. In the end, he decided on some simple shorts and long- sleeved shirt with his old dusty sneakers seeing as how his red ones were still on top of a building.

Nana urged him to eat a banana and some toast at least before they left saying he could eat more when they got back. She seemed eager to get him out the door only for Izuku to stumble over a box

on his doorstep. Unmarked and everything.

"Ooo a present!" Nana seemed awfully smug as Izuku went to open it revealing his red shoes and bookbag.

"Woah! How did these get here?" Izuku asked immediately putting the bag by the door and switching his shoes out right then.

That was when Nana's mood dampened a little. "Well..."

"Nana...what's wrong? Who was it?" Izuku says standing in his favorite shoes.

"It was Toshinori. He came by and dropped it off late last night. I was watching him put it down. He almost put it by your window but I'm glad he thought better of it."

There was a sour taste in Izuku's mouth as he looked down at his shoes. He was glad to have them back, but to have depended on All Might...part of him wanted to take them off out of spite.

"Oh don't do that, Izuku! That's petty. I know you're better than that." Nana was stern as she said it but her warmth near his cheek took the brunt of it away.

"Can you always read my mind?" Changing the subject seemed like the easiest bet as Izuku stood back up, shutting the door behind him. He took off in a jog towards the right as he waited for his response.

"Only the big stuff. The thoughts with heavy emotions tied to them. Or I think it would work the same way if you were talking to me directly." Nana assures him. "But really Izuku. At least now you don't have to get them yourself."

Izuku sighed. That was true. He continued to think about it as he jogged on. The sun rose a little more as he ran passed Dagobah Municipal Beach. He took his break here despite the obviously unpleasant scene of trash and junk.

"Oh gross. What happened here?" Nana asked with clear disgust.

"Well," Izuku started."The water current brings trash out from the ocean and eventually people got tired of cleaning it so it accumulated. And then it became a dump sight for everyone unwanted or broken belongings." It really was a shame. Izuku remembered coming to the beach as a child with his mom. Sitting under an umbrella, building sandcastles. He wasn't tall enough at the time to go swimming, and by the time he was, it was overrun with garbage.

"That's awful." Nana seemed deeply upset about it actually. It made Izuku want to do something about it. Not just for her (mostly for her) but for the other people who would like to use the beach again.

With determination in his eyes, he jogged to the nearest convenience store. There was a frail- looking lady turning the key to unlocking the doors right as he ran by. With this way she flinched, Izuku knew he had scared her with his quick approach. "I'm sorry, ma'am. I was just coming to buy some trash bags. Do you have any in stock?"

Something about his face seemed to relax the older woman as she smiled and opened the door for him. "Right in the back, kiddo."

Izuku thanked her and smiled back before stepping inside. He found a box of trash bags quickly and took them to the counter.

"What's the hurry, son? Why do you need trashbags early this morning? You aren't trying to cause trouble are you?" The old woman pointed an accusing finger at Izuku and he quickly shook his head.

"Oh no, ma'am! I'm just going to try cleaning up the beach! I saw it on my morning run!"

This gave the old woman pause as she was scanning the box. "Oh is that right? You know how long that mess has been building, don't you? What makes you think you can do it alone?" Her words weren't harsh, but patiently realistic. Izuku took them to heart. She was right. He has no obligation to clean the beach. And he could very easily leave the mess alone. But if he waited for someone else to step in, how could he be a hero?

"Well, ma'am. I figure I should at least try it. Besides, it's cheaper than a gym membership!" Izuku smiled at the lady as he handed over his money. His statement seemed to please the old lady as she smiled.

"Good luck with that, son. If you need somewhere to dump the trash, the dumpsters behind my store get taken every Tuesday."

"Thank you, ma'am!" Izuku said honesty as he headed for the door. He hadn't thought as far ahead as to how he was going to dispose of the trash, so it was nice to already have a solution.

As young Izuku jogged back to the beach, Nana started to chuckle. "Cheaper than a gym membership. Well, you're right about that!"

Her laughter was an amazing sound. Izuku wanted her to be that happy more often. And if that meant cleaning the beach so she could see it's beauty again, so be it.

The first trash bags were filled rather quickly. Cans of beer, broken bottles, discarded newspaper, it all got thrown into the bags. Paper, plastic, glass. Izuku could tote them to a recycling center! He was already feeling excited about this new project when Nana spoke up.

"Hey, wait. Let me show you something." She said calmly as Izuku picked up soda can packaging rings. He held them up and watched her motion breaking every little loop. "Do this. That way, if this ever happened again, wildlife can't get their head stuck inside."

Izuku's eyes lit up as he began pulling apart each loop before putting it in its bag. Pretty soon, he had half the box of trashbags gone and only a 5x5ft square cleaned up.

It was as the sun started to reach the top of the sky that his phone rang and Izuku was reminded of his mother waking up!

"Mom?"

"Izuku! Baby where are you! I went to go wake you up since it's almost noon but you were gone! Where did you go?" She sounded both relieved and panicked over the phone and Izuku felt immense guilt overcome him.

"I'm sorry, mom. I didn't mean to worry you. I just went out for a walk this morning. And I got mixed up in some...community service stuff..." It wasn't technically a lie. And Nana even gave him an approving shoulder pat as he said it. A good reaction all in all.

"Community service? Izuku what are you talking about?" "I'm cleaning up Dagobah beach." He admitted.

There was a pause before Inko sighed. "Oh, baby. Your heart is so kind... I guess I can't be angry about that...but you are being careful right? So you don't hurt yourself?" Her worry was back and Izuku felt himself loving her even more.

"I am. I promise."

"Alright...come home for lunch alright? I'll have something ready for you."

"Okay, mom."

As they both hung up, Izuku felt Nana's arms wrap around his shoulders. "How come even when you're being defiant you're still the most charming boy ever?"

Izuku snicked as he grabbed yet another bag. "I don't know. Maybe it's another quirk of mine." He listened to Nana's laughter as he filed another bag and set it with the others. "Alright. I have 5 bags of recycling and two bags of regular trash...how do I do this?"

Nana let out a hum of contemplation. "Carrying too much can damage muscles...so if you can manage I say carry two bags per arm. That way you only have to take one more trip back here to take to the recycling base."

It was a smart idea. Izuku found himself complying with the instructions, ditching the garbage bags in the nice woman's dumpster before going to the recycling plant. As Izuku explained his plan once more to the attendant, the young man smiled. "Oh good for you, kiddo. Here, let me take those off your hands and you can come to bring me the rest."

They did a quick exchange and Izuku was off once more to retrieve the remaining bags. When the attendant took them, his other hand reached out in a closed fist. Izuku was confused but held his hand out under it. As he did so, the attendant dropped a few coins into his hand. "Here's what you earned. I know it's not much, just a few hundred yen, but it's great that you're trying to clean up the beach!"

Amazed, Izuku shook his head. "Oh no! I didn't do it for the money! I didn't even know you paid people to bring recycling! Here, I don't-" As Izuku tried to hand it back the attendant smiled and refused to take it.

"Keep it, kid. Seriously. You're doing good work. If you don't want it...I don't know. Give it to a homeless person. It's yours to spend." With that, the attendant walked off with the trash bags in hand leaving Izuku shocked.

"See, kid. Being a good person pays off." Nana said giving him a hug from behind.

Pocketing the coins, Izuku turned and left. His head was tilted down in thought as he walked. "I

didn't do it for the money though..."

"And that's admirable, but sometimes people like to repay you for your kindness. And there's a fine line between being humble and being rude." Nana told him. "Besides, look at it this way, you can buy some gloves to keep your hands safe while cleaning like you promised your mother."

When she put it that way, Izuku had to admit she had a point. Sure, a pair of gloves wouldn't break the bank, but continuously buying trash bags every other day would add up fast. If he could supplement the money this way that would be nice. "Okay, I guess you're right..."

When Izuku returned home, his mother quickly shooed him into the bathroom for a shower before lunch. "I love you, Honey. But you smell like garbage and sweat." Nana seemed to find this hilarious as Izuku heard her laughing all the way from the bathroom as she decided to stay in the kitchen.

Coming out of his room later freshly washed and dressed, Izuku felt like a new person. His arms and legs were aching with soreness a little bit, but he found it nice to have some kind of reminder of his work. And it was only lunchtime as well! Speaking of which, he absolutely devoured it. Nana and his mother had to remind him to slow down as he ate or else he'd make himself sick. It wasn't his fault though. All that lifting left him starving! Joking aside, however, Izuku couldn't keep the smile off his face as he reflected on his morning so far.

He could tell he was going to enjoy his new work out. Even if it meant getting up early in the morning.

Chapter End Notes

I'm glad people are enjoying this so far, I'm really enjoying writing it! I would just like to take the time to address a couple of things.

1) Tags will be added as the story progresses, I just avoided adding them now because I didn't want any spoilers. So keep that in mind. But of course, if there are any further potentially triggering topics I will try my best to remember to add a warning in the notes before the chapter.

2) I haven't really decided on endgame relationships for this fic yet. Or even if I wanted to include them in here. So, if you have an idea or a preference I'd love to hear it. But that's not saying the majority will win. I reserve the right to make the final decision.

That's all for now! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Aldera Junior High

The blank notebook spread was mocking Izuku as he desperately tried to write something down about his own quirk. It was the next day and Izuku felt that it was time to finish the beginnings of his own hero journal. But everything was just swirling around in his head. It seemed like a giant math equation he had no idea how to even start solving.

"Kid, I can hear your brain melting. What's going on? What has you stuck?" Nana asked.

Izuku tossed down his pencil and ran his hand down his face. "I'm trying to make notes on my quirk. But I don't know what to write. This has never happened before. Quirk analysis always came so easy to me."

Nana brushed against him sympathetically. "Maybe if you try writing it from an outside perspective like all your other journals you can figure it out."

So that's what Izuku tried. He started off simply by drawing himself on one side and writing his name above it. But looking down at the pencil sketch, he's could already feel something missing. "You need to be in here."

"Izuku," Nana said fondly but softly. Like she was about to give him bad news. "This is about you. And I feel that part of your writer's block comes from you trying to comprehend me and my connection with One for All."

"So you just want me to leave you out?" Izuku said in disbelief. How could he do that? Nana was proof of his quirk. She was 50% of it even! He couldn't leave her out of it. There would be no point in writing the information at all!

"No! No, that's not what I'm saying!" Nana corrected quickly. "I just meant...leaving me a spirit. Not a deceased hero. Just leave me as a ghost."

Izuku was quiet and he could feel her tension. "Isn't...isn't that dehumanizing? You aren't just a spirit. You're Nana. The seventh holder. The mentor of All Might! You-"

"I've come to terms with the fact that my time in the spotlight is over. I've accomplished a lot. And I'm proud of them. But it's your turn. I will help, yes. But in the end it's all going to be your hard

work." Izuku didn't know why he felt so strongly about this, but in the end, for Nana's sake, he let it go.

Turning back to his notebook, he sketched a tall humanoid outline standing behind and to the side of him in the drawing. He had to force himself to leave it at that and not add in Nana's costume and smile as he'd seen in the pictures.

"Thank you, Izuku."

Nana was right though, it was easier to write in his notebook as if he was writing about a new hero debut.

Izuku Midoriya Quirk: _

"I don't know what to name my quirk..." Izuku admitted shyly. "Hm...maybe something with the word 'soul' in it. Or 'spirit'." Nana offered.

If allowed Izuku knew he would fixate on a name for hours and not get anything else done, so he left the quirk name blank for the time being. One thing he realized that differed from writing about pro heroes is that everything he wrote about himself almost seemed like bragging. But he knew he couldn't underestimate his quirk like that.

Facts:

The bond formed to a nearby spirit after death.

Revival occurs with no residual injuries.

A mental link with the spirit occurs giving the ability for telepathic thought transfers.

"Hey, Nana. Can you interact with anything?" Izuku asked feeling like he already knew the answer.

"Not really. My hand tends to pass through everything. Besides you, the only interaction I can do is

this-" There's a pause before the bulb in Izuku's lamp started to flicker.

As it did, Izuku felt his entire body warm up as if sinking into a warm bath. The minute aches he felt from his morning run and trash clean up disappeared even. But all too soon the flickering stopped and the middle schooler was once again filled with the chilling cold. He had gotten pretty good at ignoring it, but there was no hiding it as all the warmth left his body. At least, it felt that way.

"Izuku are you alright?" Nana was touching him again. Izuku could tell because there was a warm tingle in his shoulder and chest. But everywhere else was still cold. It was very odd.

"I'm fine. Just...thinking."

Ability to transfer electrical energy from nearby appliances and use it as power. Persistent cold chill unless in contact with the spirit.

Bond seems to have formed in the chest.

Turning to the drawing again, Izuku drew a thin line from his own chest into the spirit's. That was their bond. "Nana, how far away can you walk away from me?"

"About a block. From that point I snap back to you. Like a blink. One minute I'm in the street and the next I'm with you." Nana explained helpfully as Izuku wrote it down.

"And...you don't think I have One for All?"

"No, hon. I don't have it either. The only one who has it now is Toshi. And when he retires...his successor will be the only holder." Nana explained. "And it can only be passed on through intention. Someone can't steal his DNA."

Izuku felt better with that as he flipped to the One for All page and updated it as well. "I think that's everything so far. We can add as we go along. I should head to bed. Class is tomorrow."

Nana groaned suddenly which made Izuku laugh. "Middle school education. I'm going to be so bored."

After putting the notebook away Izuku went into his closet and quickly changed into some pajamas. "You could always give me the answers."

"Izuku Midoriya! I will NOT help you cheat! In fact, I'll give you the wrong answers out of spite!"

Izuku couldn't help his smile as he walked out and flicked his lights off. "I know, Nana. I wouldn't seriously ask you to do that."

Nana was silent for a bit and Izuku figured she went out to do whatever she usually did when he slept, but warmth on his forehead proved him wrong.

"You're a smart boy, Izuku. You can certainly finish out the year using your own knowledge. Now get some sleep."

" Good night, Nana." "Night, kiddo."

The walk to school the next morning took Izuku right by the building he spoke to All Might on top of. Izuku hadn't even thought about it either until he was already there. Looking around, he couldn't help but find the spot near the base of the building where he had landed before. There was a clear, large stain that people seemed to just walk right over. It looked to have been scrubbed at seeing as how it was pretty dark. But there was the unmistakable tinge of red to it that anybody could tell what it was.

"Izuku?" Nana got his attention causing him to stumble back. "Maybe you should sit down. There's a bench right over there."

She was trying to lead him away. Izuku could feel it from the warmth pressing into his back. After standing there silent for a moment, he complied and went to go sit down. "Nobody cares." He

muttered.

Blood on the pavement wasn't an uncommon sight. Especially near the shops and business areas that were prone to having muggings and robberies. Cleaning crews came in every so often to make sure there were no biohazard risks, but the stains were mostly able to fade with foot traffic and rain. But this was different. This wasn't a small patch of blood from a hard punch in a villain fight. This was larger. Wider even. And people were walking right over it as if it weren't even there.

"They just don't know. It's been days even. The police probably stepped in already." Nana sounded like she was at a loss. Izuku felt bad for causing her so much trouble but he couldn't shake the thoughts in his head. He has jumped from the roof of the building. He had bled all over the pavement. He had died there. And they were just walking all over it.

"Why haven't the police found me yet? They had to know that was blood. A simple test could have shown them it was mine." Why was it such a big deal? It's good that the police didn't investigate. He couldn't have explained that to his mother. Especially since he had no scratches on him. He just...he wanted someone to care.

"I care, Izuku. Remember? I didn't even know who you were and I tried to help you...Maybe...maybe Toshinori had something to do with it. He has friends in the police force. He could have tipped them off. Told them not to investigate and the situation was handled."

"And they just believed him?" Izuku felt hurt and disgust.

Nana sighed and Izuku felt her sit down next to him and wrap her arm around his shoulder. " All

Might's word carries a lot of weight."

The silence between them stretched for a while before Izuku stood once more. He had to get to school before he was late. Still, the feeling of how unfair the whole situation was settled deep within him. His death really was that insignificant.

Melancholy sat deep in his chest for the rest of the walk as he made his way to his school building. He was one of the last ones to arrive, but he made it before the bell rang. Walking into his class, he saw most of the chairs empty as the students all circled around Kacchan's desk. They were all talking a mile a minute and Izuku found himself curious. Going to his own desk he set his things down and tuned in.

"Alright alright, I'll tell it again, but that's it. I'm tired of repeating myself." Bakugou grumbled but Izuku could hear the smugness in his voice. "The damn thing grabbed me while I was walking home. Those extras I was with ran off like cowards and didn't bother helping me. I didn't need it anyway."

Izuku rolled his eyes at how every student seemed to have admiration in their eyes as Kacchan continued on. "It took me to the center of town and tried to take over my body. The heroes were messing around and I knew they were too scared to help me either. So a grabbed the slimy bastard's face and blew it apart!"

A few of the girls cooed at the explosive blond. "Oh Bakugou, you're so brave! You took down that villain all by yourself!"

"Damn right I did! No sludge monster can take me down! I did it all by myself without the heroes. That shows how much better I'll be when I finally get into UA. I'll be number one!" Unlike all the times before when Bakugou would go on these rants about how much better he was than everyone else, the rest of the class seemed to join in on the excitement. Cheering Bakugou on.

What was this about? A villain?

"Izuku...You don't think he's talking about...the sludge villain are you?" Nana asked hesitantly.

"Toshinori trapped that thing the other day after it attacked you..."

"But how did it get away?" Izuku muttered, suddenly causing some of the students to turn to face him.

"Oh...It's Deku." They scoffed with disgust. Once his presence was announced the group started to dissipate. Nobody wanted to be near him. As if his quirklessness was contagious. And with his attention not on the quickly dispersing fanclub, Bakugou turned around and fixed his eyes on Izuku with an icy glare.

"Why the hell were you late, shitty Deku?" He questioned, getting up out of his desk and walking over to Izuku's. His hands were smoking as he placed them down on the wood. Izuku couldn't help but think about his notebook that was waterlogged and burned the Friday before.

"What the- Who is this brat calling Deku?!" Nana hissed causing Izuku to flinch.

Bakugou seemed to get annoyed with Izuku's lack of response as he let a small explosion shake the desk. "Hey! I'm talking to you, nerd!"

Izuku shrunk in on himself as he tried explaining. "Why does it matter! I'm not late because the bell hasn't rung yet!"

"You don't owe this punk any explanation!" Nana was indignant, Izuku could tell. And he knew he was going to have to explain later just what she would witness as the class went on.

"Do you think you're better than me? I made it here on time even after defeating a villain all by myself on Friday. And you think you can waltz in here just before the bell rings?!" Kacchan's anger was evident and Izuku was at a loss on what to do.

The green-haired boy tried holding his hands up in a placating way, but Kacchan just slapped them away and grabbed onto the front of his freshly cleaned uniform.

"You damn nerd! And don't think I forgot about that stunt you pulled either. Thinking you can get into UA even as a quirkless Deku! Give it up! I'm going to be the first and only student to get out of this shithole and go to UA!"

Izuku didn't know what to do. He could feel the heat of Kacchan's grip just under his chin. "Kacchan, wait! I-I don't know what you want from me-"

"I want you to leave me the hell alone for once! Ever since we were kids you've followed me around as if you're good enough to be compared to me. You're just a quirkless nerd and if you think that makes you anything less than a no-good waste-of-breath-"

Suddenly, the front lights of the classroom shorted out with a pop. Sparks sprinkled down from the ceiling causing some of the other students to cry out and scurry back. Izuku felt warmth explode all over his body and he desperately wanted it out. No sooner had the thought passed his head did Bakugou's hand jerk from the front of his uniform allowing Izuku the opportunity to slump back down into his seat.

"What the-"

The teacher ran in right then with the bell chiming as well. "Good morning class, apologies for my tardiness. There was a villain attack on the..." He paused as he took in the dark lights at the front

of the classroom and the students out of their seats. "Oh my, it seems we have an electrical issue. I'll be sure to inform the school board. But for now! We have learning to do. Everyone in your seats and we'll continue where we left off Friday."

The class went back to normal after that. As if it had never happened in the first place. They even ignored the busted lights that Izuku knew Nana had something to do with.

"Izuku, sweetie are you alright? That was Kacchan? The kid that told you to take a swan dive?"

She seemed to be brimming with questions and Izuku could do nothing about it. He instead flipped open his school notebook and started to take notes. There was time for an interrogation later when he was in the safety of his own home and able to comprehend the fact that Kacchan was also attacked by the sludge villain and apparently was able to fend it off all by himself.

One thing was for sure. Nana was not going anywhere. Her warmth was seated right between him and Kacchan. And while Izuku knew she realistically couldn't do anything to stop Kacchan from hurting him, Izuku felt a little safer that way.

Chapter Notes

Shinsou Hitoshi

TL;DR of the endnotes:

1) Thank you all for reading this fic and for giving me your feedback! It means a lot! 2) I have to get teeth pulled so idk when the next update is coming

3) Debating on making a discord server for this fic (because I have art I would like to share when the time comes)

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Izuku was barely able to pay attention to the teacher's lesson as he felt the anger rolling off of Kacchan in waves. Even with Nana being a buffer for it, Izuku knew he was in for it if he didn't avoid Kacchan at all costs. The Midoriya boy had even gone to the lengths of hiding in a bathroom across the school during lunch despite Nana's prodding to get lunch. Luckily, she didn't force him to explain what the situation was, but Izuku knew it was only a matter of time.

Finally, when the last bell of the day rang, Izuku didn't even bother putting his stuff into his backpack before booking it out of there.

"Don't you run from me, shitty Deku!" Bakugou shouted venomously, but Izuku wouldn't stop.

Izuku ran as fast as his legs could carry him out of the school with Bakugou's stomps right on his heels. One thing for sure, Bakugou had way more stamina than Izuku. Especially since he had only been working out for a few days. But despite the burning need for oxygen and the ache in his legs telling him to slow down, Izuku kept going.

"Don't worry, Izuku. Try to lose him in the alley!" Izuku did, ducking down the closest alleyway and nearly hugging the dumpster. His heart was rabbiting out of his chest but he covered his mouth so Kacchan wouldn't hear him breathing.

Feeling like he was hiding from a murderer, Izuku could only watch as Bakugou ran right passed the dumpster, allowing Izuku to duck out and run the way he came. He would end up taking the long way home, but it was worth it to avoid Kacchan's wrath.

When Izuku finally felt safe enough to stop running, his knees were shaking and he slumped over gasping for breath.

"You won't get air like that, Izuku," Nana chided gently. "Stand up straight and put your hands on your head. Take deep breaths."

She started to count out every breath for Izuku and he found it easy to close his eyes and follow along. Finally, when he felt like his lungs weren't going to collapse, Izuku opened his eyes and dropped his arms.

His relief was only temporary as he saw a tired-looking boy with purple hair staring weirdly at him. Izuku wasn't afraid to admit that he shrieked a little, fight or flight response kicking in. This case, it was flight and he took a few fleeted steps away before he realized it wasn't one of Bakugou's usual goons. In fact, this boy wasn't even wearing an Aldera Junior High uniform.

"Jeez, you look like shit. Who were you running from?" The boy asked rolling his eyes.

"Sorry, hon. I wasn't paying attention to him either. I was focused on helping you." Nana apologized and brushed against his hand.

"Uh...someone from my school..." Izuku answer lamely.

If possible, the boy rolled his eyes even harder. "I figured. Y'know the uniform...Do you get bullied often?"

Izuku shrugged. Of course he did. Every day pretty much. But he wasn't sure how comfortable he was with explaining that to the other boy.

"Hmph...My quirk is mind control, by the way. So...If I wanted I could just make you tell me anyway." The boy was facing the street, but his eyes were on Izuku. If he was trying to be nonchalant, he was doing a terrible job. Which made Izuku wonder why he was talking to him anyway.

"Izuku, we can go home if you want to. Don't feel like you have to talk to this kid." Nana sounded concerned for him and Izuku felt warm at the thought.

'I'm okay.' He tried to think to her. He wasn't really clear on how the telepathy link between them worked...

"If you say so...'

The purple-haired boy seemed to be waiting on a response, but Izuku was too busy thinking of what his motive could be to notice. Admitting he had a mind control quirk was unexpected. He could be lying to be intimidating, but Izuku couldn't see what he would earn out of that. So Izuku assumed he was telling the truth. And even going so far as making Izuku answer the question was odd. But of course, he asked about bullying. Looking the kid over, Izuku could see how he seemed to hold a sense of forced relaxation. Like he was ready to bolt at the nearest second but didn't want Izuku to notice.

"Do you get bullied often?" Izuku found himself asking out of nowhere.

It was clear that the other boy didn't expect him to ask the question in return as his eyes widened

minutely. But all at once the tension seemed to fall from his body. "Touche..."

The pair stood there on the sidewalk in awkwardness for a while. Neither knowing what to say.

"Hm. Seeing as how I will probably never see you again...Yeah. I get bullied fairly often. People think I'm going to be a villain because of my quirk." He admitted calmly. As if it was a fact of life. Which made Izuku offended on his behalf.

"That's not fair."

"The world isn't fair."

"...Touche." Izuku found himself responding which brought a smirk to the boy's face.

It was then Nana decided to speak up in Izuku's ear. "How about you invite him out to a late lunch? You need to eat and he looks like he needs a friend."

Without meaning to, Izuku nodded which made the boy give him another weird look. Quickly, Izuku spoke. "I skipped lunch. Um...Do you want to- Well..." Izuku wasn't sure how to ask without it sounding awkward and it seemed to show on his face.

"Hey, do you want to get lunch together?" The kid asked nodding off to the side. "There's a ramen shop a little way this way. We can eat and share sob stories."

Izuku nodded right away. "Yeah, I'd like that. Um...My name is Midoriya Izuku." "Shinou Hitoshi."

It was a short walk to the ramen shop. They mostly kept silent as the bell jingled upon their entry. Walking up to the counter they ordered and paid separately, with Izuku meeting Shinsou at a table in the back.

"Do you eat here often?" Izuku asked as he sat down. "I've never really stopped by here." "Yeah, sometimes. The owners here are good people."

Another silence spread between them and despite the previous plan of sharing sob stories, neither seemed inclined to speak. But Izuku figured that it was his turn at least. "I was running from someone named Kacch- erm. Bakugou. We've known each other since we were little."

Shinsou hummed as he traced his finger through the condensation on his cup. "You used to be friends?"

"Yeah...I was a late bloomer with my quirk." Very late. Like less than a week ago acquired a quirk. Of course Izuku didn't voice those thoughts.

"Ah. That'll do it. I never stayed in one place enough to get longterm friends. Or friends in general. People either wanted to know me for my quirk. I guess they thought I'd make people do things for them." Shinsou shrugged, not meeting Izuku's eye.

"So your parents move around a lot?"

Shinsou shook his head and the melancholic look in his eyes told Izuku not to press too hard for details. "Well, what school do you go to?"

"Homeschooled for now. Thinking of applying to UA though." "Oh? Me too."

Their food soon arrived and there was a lull in conversation as they dug in, Izuku more so than Shinsou. Nana warned him about eating too fast which made Izuku pause.

"You've shared a lot with me and I haven't shared much back..." Izuku was nervous as he placed his bowl and chopsticks down.

"Don't feel like you have to share, Izuku. You just tell him what makes you comfortable."

Izuku nodded once more which caused Shinsou to quirk a brow at him.

"Well, like you said we may never see each other again so...I don't really have anything to lose. I mean, the worst that can happen is that you don't believe me."

This time it was Shinsou who put his bowl and chopsticks down. "You don't have to share if it upsets you."

"I...I want to...Is that okay?" Izuku asked because of course he didn't want to burden Shinsou with that kind of information if it would make him uncomfortable.

"Yeah...I've heard a lot of stuff in my time. I don't think I can be surprised."

"Oh just you wait." Nana scoffed as she leaned in close, causing Izuku's left side to warm up. Izuku took a deep steadying breath. "Um...I just got my quirk. On Friday."

Shinsou's eyes widened as he immediately leaned forward. " Friday?"

"Y-yeah. I...I jumped off a roof. It was pretty high up...I wasn't really in the best mindset." Izuku's voice was so quiet he wondered how Shinsou could hear him, but he seemed to have no trouble doing so as he looked on. But Izuku refused to meet his eyes again. Choosing instead to look at his bowl of ramen.

"Did you quirk...did it save you?"

It took a moment, but Izuku shook his head slowly. "It didn't save me. But...It brought me back."

"It brought you back ?" Shinsou sounded like he was on the edge of disbelief, and honestly Izuku couldn't blame him.

"Yeah...There was a- a spirit there. We kind of...I don't know, bonded? And I came back. No scratch on me." Izuku finally looked up and felt his stomach drop at the pinched look on Shinsou's face. "I'm sorry that was a lot to just tell you, I should go-" Izuku stood up, glad that he had already paid at the counter and went to turn to the door when his sleeve was grabbed tightly.

"Wait! I'm just... processing. Just...wait." Shinsou spat, letting Izuku go and sitting back in his seat. Izuku couldn't blame him. It sounded crazy to his own ears. Slowly, Izuku sat back down, picking up his bowl he didn't go for a bite, just stirred his noodles around as he waited for Shinsou to speak again. "Can you prove it? NOT by...Y'know. But the spirit? Can you prove-"

Shinsou suddenly shuddered really hard, arms wrapping around himself and Izuku felt warmth explode within him. It lasted only a split second, but when it subsided Shinsou looked him in the eyes with shock. "O-Okay. Yeah. Spirit."

"Nana!" Izuku cried out looking over to where her warmth had resettled.

"It's alright, Izuku. I didn't hurt him. I just passed through him a little bit. He's okay."

Izuku shook his head with a sigh. "I'm sorry, Shinsou. I didn't ask her to do that she just-"

"Did what I asked." Shinsou cut him off by raising his hand. "I asked her to prove it...I'll be honest that was pretty strange. And I think I'm a bit tapped out on sharing sob stories for now."

Izuku lowered his head with a nod. He understood of course.

"I know we said we'd never see each other again and that was the whole point of this but...give me your phone," Shinsou said holding his hand out.

Izuku was confused but did so anyway watching as the boy typed away at it and handed it back. Looking at the screen he could see his contacts displayed with Shinsou's name added in.

"Text me when you get home. If you want. Who knows, maybe we can make a habit of these sob story ramen days." Shinsou finished his ramen soon after and stood from his seat. "I should head home now. But, y'know. Text me if you want."

The boy was gone before Izuku could respond and he was left sitting there across from an empty bowl.

"That went well..." Nana tried being positive causing Izuku to sigh. He finished off his ramen quickly and left with Nana on his heels. He was silent for the walk home, suddenly feeling very emotionally drained. He needed a nap. He could skip his workout for the day and pick up tomorrow. Nana didn't seem to have any protests about it either so he figured it was alright.

He barely remembered to text the number Shinsou gave him, telling him he made it home fine before he fell into bed for a well-deserved nap. Curling up, he felt Nana's warmth petting his hair before the sleep overtook him.

Chapter End Notes

I have big plans for this fic! But I'm not sure when the next update will be. I have an appointment to get some teeth removed on Tuesday and I'm not sure how fast I can recover from that or if I'll get another chapter out before then. Fingers crossed it won't take a long time!

On another note, I really enjoy reading your comments and stuff. I didn't expect this story to get that much attention. One thing I've seen people do is making discord servers for their fics and I've even joined a few. They end up being pretty chill places. I'm debating if that's something I should do here. One thing I would like to share on such a discord would be the art I've made for this fic. It's simple for now and not something I will be posting for what I expect to be a few more chapters, but it's something to think about! Also a discord server would make it easier for you to give

input for some plot holes I have. But like I said it's just a though right now!

Chapter Notes

Training Montage

Thank you all for the nice wishes! My surgery went well and I'm doing alright! Enjoy the chapter!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Izuku started throwing himself headfirst into his workouts. Every day after school he'd run home

and change out of his uniform before going down to the beach and picking out more trash.

His jogs and workouts were slowly helping him build muscle and stamina. Bakugou, as much as the exploding blond wanted to deny it, evading him was becoming easier and easier. Izuku started to keep a map of all the paths he took home from school and kept them random. Sometimes he would even meet up with Shinsou on the way home and they would take a break to eat lunch.

His friendship with Shinsou was just starting out, but it was like their sob story exchange helped strengthen their foundation. Shinsou explained the discrimination he felt growing up in the foster care system. Izuku really felt for him, but it appeared Shinsou was finally in a semi-permanent foster family. He didn't share details, but Izuku could see him growing happier as the days passed. Somewhat losing the dark bags under his eyes which in turn helped him become more perceptive.

So much so, He started picking up on Izuku's growing muscles and even height. Shinsou still towered over him, but the gap was closing more and more as the months passed.

"Izuku, maybe you should invite Shinsou to help you clean the beach, " Nana suggested one day. It was a decent idea. They both decided to try for UA and both their quirks weren't physically

based. They could both use the help. But still...asking Shinsou to help pick up trash?

"At least offer. I think it would help you both." Nana's voice was understanding but Izuku could tell she wouldn't pressure him to ask. "There's still a fair amount of trash left and it would be easier for both of you to pick it up in time for the UA exam."

That night, Izuku texted Shinsou about it.

To Shinsou: Hey, I have a question... To Midoriya: About?

To Shinsou: You know my workout routine? Well, I've been picking up the trash on Dagoba beach...

To Midoriya: That's been you? My foster parents have been talking about it.

To Shinsou: Cheaper than a gym membership. But uh...Would you like to help me? We can both work out for the UA exams, and taking bags up to the recycling center can get us a few hundred yen each.

To Midoriya: I'll have to ask my foster parents about it, but I'm sure they'll say yes. When do you want to meet?

To Shinsou: Tomorrow morning after breakfast? I usually go pretty early and stay until lunch. Just join me when you can.

To Midoriya: Gotcha. See you then.

Izuku felt excitement bubble up inside himself as he ate that night, his mom seemed to pick up on his mood as she passed him a second bowl of Katsudon. "What's got you so excited, Sweetie?" She asked pushing one of his curls behind his ear.

"I made a friend. And I think he's going to help me clean up the beach." Izuku explained after he swallowed his mouth full. Something about the way his quirk worked made him so hungry all the time. Or maybe it was the constant workouts. It was another thing that made him grateful for the extra cash that came with recycling. His mom loved cooking, but he didn't want to eat them out of house and home constantly. He ate light for breakfast, handled his own lunch, and came home to a hearty dinner. It was a good arrangement.

After dinner, he took some time researching the entrance exams of UA under Nana's encouragement. She wasn't sure if they were the same as when she was a student and knew it would help with Izuku's anxiety. She was right of course. He always felt better after he could make a plan.

It seemed, however, UA kept the technicalities of their exams under wraps. All he was able to find was that there would be an academic exam with reading, writing, and math portions. Then later

there would be a physical portion where they would be allowed to use their quirks. They would have targets to apprehend depending on the point values and they would have ten minutes to do as much as they could and they were to treat it as an actual villain situation. Izuku's quirk would be effectively useless.

Running his hands down his face, Izuku pulled out his personal quirk journal as if he would discover some new factor right then. Of course, there was nothing. But Nana placed a hand on his back gently. "Izuku, honey. You'll do great. I know it. You were destined to be a hero."

Izuku hoped she was right. UA was his dream. He wanted to be a hero. He needed to be a hero. He had no other plan.

Nana comforted him as much as she was able as he curled up in bed early that night. Her confidence in him was helpful and he fell asleep that night thinking that maybe his quirk wouldn't be completely useless. After all, with his personal cheering squad, there was no way he could lose hope.

The next morning, Izuku woke up, ate, and left as usual in the early morning hours to start his jog. His jog was more of a run now as he found the stamina to run faster for longer periods of time. By the time he came around Dagoba beach, he had barely broken a sweat and there was no sign of Shinsou yet. That was fine. Izuku knew he was crazy if he suspected the sleep-deprived boy to wake up early. What did surprise him was the brand new looking truck parked right at the entrance. Walking up, there was nobody around it, but Izuku saw a piece of paper taped to the window.

'Good day, child. I've noticed your work at the beach and I admire your tenacity. I don't know how much you care to hear this from me, but I'm proud of you. I would like to get together and speak to you about what happened when we met. Not now of course. But whenever you feel ready.

For now, feel free to use this truck to pile on any broken appliances or larger items you can't fit into a trash bag. I'll have it emptied out every day for you.

-A.M.

Izuku stared at the note for a while before tearing it off the window so Shinsou couldn't find it.

"Izuku? Are you alright?" Nana asked him gently and Izuku smiled slightly.

"I'm fine, Nana. I just...I don't think I'm ready to talk to him yet." He pocketed the note and slipped

his gloves on.

"You don't have to talk to him if you don't want to. It's whenever you feel like it. And I won't leave your side at all." Nana spoke truthfully.

Izuku hummed as he grabbed a trash bag and started gathering. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course. But I may not be able to answer..."

"Right...privacy...well, why would you stay with me?" Izuku asked suddenly. Nana paused. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you were with All Might first right? Why stay with me if you could go back to him. I know you aren't mad at him..."

Izuku worked in silence as Nana stayed quiet for a little longer. In fact, he only heard her speak as he was sliding a microwave into the truck bed.

"I am mad at him," Nana said quietly. "He took his frustration out on you. A child. He's an adult and he should know better. Even if you didn't jump off that building, Izuku. I would still be upset. But even if I wasn't angry with him I would still stay with you."

"Why?" Izuku stressed as he took a break. "Why am I that important?"

"You're always important," Nana told him immediately. "You are a human being and each human being is important and their life matters. Even villains because at one point they were just little kids afraid of the dark."

Izuku actually felt tears well up in his eyes at the emotion in her voice. He hadn't heard her this

upset since she was crouched next to his body. "Nana..."

"I had a son once."

Izuku was cut short at the admission.

"I had a son and I loved him with my whole entire being. And I gave him away because I didn't want All for One to find him and use him against me. I loved him but I let him go. I love Toshinori too like a son. I watched him grow into a hero. And I died so he could get away."

She sounded like she was crying and Izuku wasn't far from it. "I-I'm sorry-"

"Don't be. You would have to know eventually. But Izuku, Toshinori doesn't need me anymore. And he hasn't for a long time. But you do. I'm a mother. I need to be needed."

Izuku felt her warmth wrap around him like a hug and he leaned into it as much as he could without falling over. He had a mom already. But Inko Midoriya could only do so much. And she had always been so distant after his quirklessness was revealed. Izuku was sure she didn't mean to. But that didn't change the fact that he needed her.

"Midoriya?" Izuku heard and his eyes snapped open to look at the noise. He has Shinsou standing awkwardly by the truck, a bag, and a pair of gloves in his hands. "Are you okay?"

Izuku stood up and wiped off his cheeks quickly with his shoulders. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Nana and I were just having a talk. It uh...got a little emotional. Are you ready to help out?"

Shinsou nodded slowly as he held up the bag. "My foster parents packed us some water and stuff. So um...where do we start?"

Izuku held up his trash bag. "Grab one and start filling it with any kind of plastics. I have the paper bag. We can do glass next and so on."

Shinsou nodded and started working diligently. I had already been a few months since Izuku started, but he was amazed at the amount of bags they were able to collect by the time the sun hit

its peak at noon. Shinsou even helped Izuku load an old minifridge onto the truck! Meanwhile, Nana kept the encouragement going. Izuku had to play the middle man for when she spoke to Shinsou, but it went smoother as time went on. By the end, Shinsou didn't even seem weirded out when Izuku would randomly laugh. Instead of turning to wait to be let in on the joke without even having to ask.

It was nice. Peaceful even. They walked to the recycling center together somehow able to carry all their bags in one go. They took their pay and Izuku tried splitting it down the middle, but Shinsou insisted on only being paid for the bags he filled. After that, they split ways to go take showers before meeting at the ramen place to eat. They spoke about the UA exam a little, sharing nerves as they knew their quirks wouldn't help them much. At least, if the targets weren't human.

They brightened the mood a little with talks about their hero costumes, Izuku saying he had no idea and Shinsou whispering that one of his foster parents was an underground hero and how he might take inspiration from him. Izuku smiled offering to sketch out a design when the time came. All in all, they had a nice day together and parted ways with smiles.

Izuku should have known it wasn't going to be that easy... Chapter End Notes

I hope I handled the time skip smoothly. The entrance exams are coming in soon! Are you all excited :3

Also! I decided to go ahead and make the discord server. I've been answering comments as they come in, but I would like to connect more with the readers!

Here's the invite link! https/discord.gg/z8VKRxS

Quirk Manifest

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

It was Izuku's fault. He knew it deep down. He was getting too complacent. He got sloppy. His walks home grew less and less random. Izuku figured that Bakugou had lost interest in him. Bakugou would keep spitting insults at him all the time. But it was always the same ones so Izuku was able to ignore it. Nana, however, always had spitting remarks she hurled at him for every threat and sharp word. She couldn't stand him. Even after Izuku tried explaining to her that Bakugou was hero material, but she practically spat as soon as he said it.

"Heroes don't act like that, Izuku. Heroes are supposed to help others. Being a hero has nothing to do with having a flashy quirk. Heroes don't believe they're better than anyone else. They're public servants." Nana went on a large rant and Izuku couldn't help but agree with her. But there was nothing he could do to stop Bakugou even if he wanted to. And boy did that make Nana even angrier. She was pretty upset that the teachers had ignored Bakugou's treatment of him for so long. Often giving the boy ammunition on top of it all.

"We're getting you into UA. And you're going to rise above everybody who kept you down! Everyone!" She was passionate and her words always seemed to light a fire under Izuku. She was a hero. The best hero. The day his Nana merch came the hero was practically cooing over him. The first thing he did was put her keychain on his backpack in the same spot the All Might keychain used to be. Her poster was displayed above his bed.

Izuku's mom seemed intrigued at this new hero and Izuku stumbled his way through an explanation. "She's an older hero. I found her while researching. She was brave. I wanna be brave like her."

"Oh, Izuku..."

"Awww, son! Of course, you're gonna be brave like her! You'll be an amazing hero!" His mother told him honestly and it was the most confidence he had ever heard from her.

Of course, the next day was when Bakugou finally caught up to him. He was walking over a small bridge. Route 3 of his circulating paths home. Bakugou surprised him. Grabbing him from behind.

"I got you now, shitty Deku!" The boy hissed shaking him hard enough to knock his backpack off his shoulder and onto the ground. "Thought you could hide from me, huh?"

"Izuku! NO!" Nana yelled for him as he was pushed against the railing of the bridge.

Izuku could finally see Bakugou's face. And he was smiling. But it was feral. Practically shaking

in his rage. "You slipped up, Deku! I found you!"

"What do you want from me, Kacchan? I haven't done anything to you!" Izuku tried pulling the boy's hands away but an explosion made him recoil.

"Shut up!" Bakugou pushed him harder and Izuku felt himself leaning farther back, his feet slipping for purchase on the rails. "What are you doing, huh? Think you can gain some muscle and get into UA? You think it's that easy!"

"No no, Kacchan! I don't I-I... Just let me go! I haven't done anything! Just let me go!"

The smile disappeared from Bakugou's face as rage replaced it. Both hands grabbed the sides of his uniform and shook him even harder. "You. Don't. Tell. Me. What. To. DO!" The last shake was just enough to push Izuku over the railing. He fell almost in slow motion, watching the concrete rush up to meet him.

He was afraid. What if his quirk was only a one time save? What if this time he actually died? He didn't want to die. He wanted to live! He had a friend now. He had a goal. He had a mom and a mentor that cared about him and wanted him to succeed. He didn't want to fall.

'Nana please...' He thought as he closed his eyes. He didn't want to fall. He didn't want to die.

Izuku didn't know what to expect. He could only hope there would be no pain. Maybe. If his mom was there she could float him. Who was he kidding? She couldn't do that. Her quirk was only for smaller objects. But what if it was the mother's adrenaline thing Izuku heard about...

"Izuku oh my...open your eyes!" Did Nana sound...excited?

Izuku's eyes flicked open only to see concrete two inches away from his face. He screamed out in surprise only to realize that he wasn't moving. He wasn't even touching the ground. Looking up, he could see the bridge ledge he had fallen from with Bakugou's astonished look staring down at him.

"You're floating! Izuku you're floating!" Nana said in amazement. And as soon as the realization hit, Izuku felt himself fall the last two inches to the concrete. It ached a little but it definitely wasn't as bad as it would have been.

"Deku!" Bakugou ran to the stairs leading down to the underside of the bridge carrying Izuku's backpack. He was quick but suddenly stopped right before he got to Izuku. "You...aren't dead. You fell off the bridge ."

Izuku looked confused. "Kacchan...you pushed me off the bridge."

Bakugou's eyes darkened suddenly as he dropped Izuku's bag to the ground. "No, I didn't. You fell."

"Kacchan, your hands were on my shoulders. You shook me until I couldn't hold on. You pushed-" Izuku was interrupted by an explosion near his face.

"Shut up! I didn't push you! You fell on your own because you're a stupid clumsy Deku! You don't even have a bruise on you." He seemed angry but Izuku could see the fear bubbling in his eyes. He didn't want Izuku to tell anyone. Izuku could ruin his life.

"It's your call, Sweetie. Don't let him intimidate you." Nana advised him. Holding him from behind.

Izuku took comfort in her presence and sighed. "Okay, Kacchan. I fell on my own." Like that, Izuku grabbed his bag and set off to the steps again leaving Bakugou behind. "That...That's it?" Bakugou's voice fell flat.

"What else do you want from me?" Izuku paused turning to look at Bakugou. "You...You have a quirk. Like Auntie Inko."

"So?"

Bakugou stared at him for a second more before something changed. With a hiss, the boy turned and started walking the opposite way spitting curses. "Whatever. You're still just a stupid Deku! This doesn't mean you can get into UA. Don't even try it! I'll blow your face off! I swear!"

"Sure..."

Izuku turned back to the stairs and took them two at a time. "Nana?"

"I'm here, Izuku. I...I can't believe it. You have a quirk!" She seemed so giddy as she spoke. "We have to tell your mother! Oh, we have to start training!"

"So...It was me? It wasn't you?" Izuku asked softly. "I actually have a quirk?"

Nana's voice softened as she wrapped him in warmth. "Izuku...My quirk never worked on anyone else. And I can't physically touch you. That was you. That was all you!"

Izuku sniffled, feeling tears well up in his eyes. "I have a quirk." "You do, Izuku. You do!"

His steps picked up as he started running home, tears in his eyes be damned. When he finally barged in the door, his mother was in the living room and jumped suddenly. "Izuku! You scared- Baby what's wrong?" Her voice took on a worried tone as she made her way over.

"Mom..." Izuku whimpered as he reached out for her, slumping down to his knees to hide his face in her stomach like he would when he was a child. "Mom I have a quirk!"

There was silence as his mother seemed to process what he had said. "Wha- What? But the doctor said-"

"I know! But mom. Mom, I have one! I can float! Mom, I can float!"

The radical joy that overtook his mother's face as he said it was something he'd never forget. "Can you show me, baby?"

Izuku paused. Could he? Could he use it on his own? Izuku closed his eyes and thought about the fall from before. How he wished him mom could use her power to save him. How it would feel to float like that again. He heard a gasp ring out and opened his eyes to see him floating a foot above normal, looking down at his mother.

"Oh, Izuku! This is amazing! You have your own quirk!" Her eyes shined with tears and Izuku found himself falling to the ground with a thump.

He was now looking up to his mom who was chuckling at him. "You have to learn how to use this new quirk!"

Izuku found himself chuckling too. He couldn't wait to tell Shinsou. When he told his mother as such she shooed him off to his bedroom to go change. "Don't leave him waiting!"

Izuku didn't need to be told twice as he ran off. Smile stretching wide on his face. He had a quirk! _

Izuku was late to their regular meeting at the beach, but not by much. Still, he was relieved to see that Shinsou was still there. The purple-haired boy looked up at him with worry. Izuku knew why of course. Izuku was usually the first one to the beach. He was always punctual.

"What happened?" Shinsou asked immediately.

Izuku's smile was blinding as he came to a stop. "Shinsou I have a quirk!" Shinsou's head jerked as if he has whiplash. "Wha- Izuku I know you do-"

"No no no! Another one! Another quirk!" Izuku tried to summon the feeling of weightlessness again and was rewarded with a little bit of height. Nothing like before with his mother, but enough to show Shinsou he was serious. As soon as he saw the other boy understood his meaning he stopped his quirk. What he wasn't prepared for was the internal feeling as if his insides were turning inside out.

His face turned pale and that was the only warning he got before he collapsed to the side and started to heave up his meager breakfast. What was happening? Even when his stomach contents were outside of his body, he still felt the need to heave.

"Izuku breath...Just breath. Close your eyes." Nana cooed as he felt warmth all along his back. He could hear Shinsou talking hurriedly on the phone but tuned it out with Nana's help until his stomach was under control.

"N-Nana?" Izuku whimpered curling into Nana's warmth.

"I'm here, hun. I'm here."

"Wha- What-"

Shinsou came into view now, slipping his phone into his pocket. "I just called my foster parents. They said this is quirk exhaustion. A side effect of using your quirk too much. Especially a new one. Um, you need to not try that again."

Izuku had a smart remark on his tongue, but instead, he nodded and took a deep breath. "Sorry. Didn't mean to worry you. I- I got excited."

"That's okay. I understand. I might have overreacted a little. But my foster parents know a lot about quirks and..."

Izuku froze as he let the words process. "You told them I had a quirk."

"Yes...but I never told them what it was! I just...I called and said you found out you could levitate and that you just started puking. They seemed to understand from there." There was true worry in Shinsou's eyes as he tried to convey how honest his intentions were. And Izuku realized he was worried Izuku would be mad at him. Izuku was his first friend after all. It made sense that he

would be on guard when it came to things ruining that.

"Hey...It's okay...I know you wouldn't tell them important without asking. Thank you for being worried about me." Izuku mustered up a small smile and cringed at the taste in his mouth. "Um...Do you think we could skip cleanup today? I'm a little tired already and I'm starving."

Nana's laugh chittered in his head as he stood up. "Lunch sounds like a good idea, kiddo. The beach can wait another day."

"Nana agrees with me..."

Shinsou gave a small smile as he nodded. "Yeah, we can do that. Ramen place?"

"Please!" Izuku said so emphatically that Shinsou let out a startled laugh.

"Alright. Ramen it is. Come on."

The pair headed off, the trash left for another day. Nana followed along behind them, a constant and caring presence. Like a guardian angel.

Chapter End Notes

The entrance exam is coming soon! I promise! The next chapter, however, is going to deal with the written exam and some other loose ends I'm gonna deal with!

Discord Link: https/discord.gg/z8VKRxS

Chapter Notes

Before the Entrance Exams

I can't help that I have nothing to do while I recover from my surgery so I've just been writing chapters ahead of time.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The end of Junior High came quicker than Izuku could realize. He had thrown himself so deep into his hero training that he hadn't even spared a thought to the closing year. He made sure of course to study for his end of year exams, but besides that, the end of his junior high career came and went without a fuss. Bakugou had stopped harassing him so much, instead choosing to glare daggers at him every chance he got. Izuku wasn't quite sure the reasoning, but it made Nana happy to have him living a more peaceful life.

That is not to say he wasn't almost overwhelmingly busy though. He was. What with training his new quirk, working out with Shinsou, preparing for the UA exams. It was hectic. By the time school ended for the summer, they had half the beach cleaned up which was nice. However, it was more labor-intensive seeing as how the remaining trash was larger, dumped objects instead of soda cans and food wrappers. Izuku felt himself being pushed to his limit every day from the moment he woke up for his jog to the moment he fell into blissful sleep at night.

His quirk was slow going. He found that it was a give and take. He could levitate high off the ground in a short burst, or he could hover for a longer period of time. But if he were ever to overextend his energy, his stomach would flip causing him to lose any meal he had previously ingested. It was pretty frustrating.

Shinsou seemed to have more on his plate than ever as well. His head had ducked in shame when he came up to Izuku and explained his need to cut back on cleanup days in favor of extra tutoring. Izuku felt honored as Shinsou explained his less than stellar grades due to his lack of effort during his time switching around foster care. If he wanted a chance at UA, he was going to have to step it up.

The reveals hadn't stopped their either. It appeared that Shinsou's foster parents were both teachers at UA as well. He hadn't revealed who they were, but Izuku hadn't pushed him too hard.

"One of my foster parents wanted to just recommend me in. It's a different process and would have gotten me out of the physical exam, but I didn't want to take the easy way out. My other foster dad seemed proud of my choice...I know it sounds pretty stupid-"

Izuku was quick to correct him. "Not at all! You want to get into UA by yourself. Having your parents get you in would feel like cheating and I can't imagine what kind of trouble you would have with the other students if they found out. Trust me, I can understand completely."

Shinsou relaxed a little, slumping against the tailgate of the truck. "Thanks...for understanding I mean. I know I'm kind of leaving you short-handed with this whole mess," He motioned to the mounds of trash. "But I need to study more than just heroics if I want to pass any kind of exam to get into UA."

"Don't worry. I'm fine with it." Izuku smiled brightly. "Nana and I have been taking a little bit of time off too for quirk training. So it seems our roles are reversed!"

Shinsou chuckled and nudged Izuku's shoulder. "That must be wild, you know? Thinking you have no quirk and then suddenly finding you have two in one year?"

"Understatement of the century."

"Do you think your bond had anything to do with awakening your quirk?" Shinsou asked suddenly, passing along a bottle of water from his bag.

Izuku took it and sipped some as he thought. "I've thought about it. My mom's quirk is telekinesis based. Nana had a floating quirk as well. But since they're so similar there really isn't a way to definitively tell. The way I see it, there's no telling what happened."

"What do you mean?" Shinsou asked now thoroughly confused.

Biting his lip, Izuku paused. "Well, from the beginning, my bond with Nana could have been a dormant quirk of my own, or it could have been a reaction from the bond Nana had with the real world. I can't imagine why it would revive me without a scratch though. So I'm left to believe that way my quirk." Izuku spared a look at Shinsou who was listening with rapt attention.

"Nana had a floating quirk when she was alive, but I can't see how our bond would give me that quirk. She can only pass through people. Even me." It also wouldn't make sense seeing as All Might only appear to have one quirk and not eight. If the quirk came from the bond, All Might should have been able to tap into it. "So, I'm left to believe that my floating ability came from a mutation of my mom's quirk. An awakening of sorts."

Shinsou looked like he wanted to say something, but thought better of it. Izuku knew what it was though. "But if it's always been dormant inside of me, there's the question of why it didn't stop me from falling off a building." Izuku sighed. "I really don't know."

"That's rough."

"Yeah..." As their break ended, Izuku couldn't help but dwell on his quirks. It all seemed like a matter of circumstance. Nana seemed just as confused as he did on the whole matter.

And if that wasn't complicating enough, the note from All Might was practically burning a hole in his backpack. The man wanted to speak to him. Probably to apologize. But Izuku knew he would have to do some explaining as well.

'Nana?' He asked in his head, he had gotten a lot better at nonverbal communication with her which made asking for advice in public easier.

"Yes, sweetie?" Nana asked cheerfully as he swept a mangled hunk of metal into the bed of the truck.

'What do you think I should do about All Might?'

There was a pause. "I...Don't want to influence your decision."

'I know but...I need guidance. I don't want to see him, but I know part of that is just childish anger and I can't hold onto that forever. He's extended the olive branch...'

"I think you have your answer already, hun."

Izuku groaned heavily much to Shinsou's amusement. "I hate it when she's right."

"No, you don't."

"I highly doubt that, Midoriya."

They were both right.

Izuku hated the fact that he was sneaking out. But he needed to talk to All Might and there was simply no time left in his day to squeeze in a meeting. So that only left at night. Besides, he would be with All Might. The chances of something bad happening to him were minuscule.

All he did was leave a folded note under the windshield wiper of the truck.

Meet me here at 11 pm tonight. Midoriya

The note was straight to the point. And if the man stuck to his word of emptying the truckbed every day, there was no way he wouldn't see it.

So, Izuku crawled out of his window and ran all the way to the beach as soon as he heard his mom go into her own room for the night.

"Remember, Izuku. You tell him only as much as you want to. You don't have to tell him everything." Nana comforted him as he paused right before the beach. Izuku could see the tall lanky blond staring out at the water's edge and his heart skipped a beat.

'I can do this.'

"Yes, you can."

Yes, he could.

Slowly, Izuku walked up to the white truck, his hands tucked into his jacket pocket. It may have

been summer but the sun was gone leaving little warmth. Especially so close to the water. "Hi," Izuku said as soon as he was within earshot.

All Might's eyes snapped over to him and a weak smile overtook his face. "Hey, kid."

Izuku inched as close as he felt comfortable which was just out of arms reach of the man. Of course, he knew All Might wouldn't hurt him, but he was on edge.

"You got my note." "I did."

There was silence. And it was awkward. Finally, Izuku had enough and spoke quickly. "Why did you say that to me?"

All Might needed no clarification it seemed as his head sunk low. "I...I was angry."

"I didn't do anything to you," Izuku said with hurt clear in his voice. "I just...You were my hero."

Was he going to cry? Izuku felt the tears well up and he cursed his eye sockets. Now wasn't the time for tears. He needed answers!

All Might seemed physically struck by those words as a shaking hand came up to rub over his own face. "I was angry with myself. Since...this," His hand motioned to where Izuku knew layers of scar tissue remained. "I haven't been able to perform at my peak best as All Might. And that day was worse because I had been chasing that villain for hours and still couldn't catch him until it attacked you. Back in my prime before this...I wouldn't have broken a sweat."

"And I was just the unlucky person you decided to lash out at?" Izuku sniffled feeling Nana curl around him. He sent her thankful thoughts because he really needed the hug right then.

"...Yes. I...I'm sorry, Midoriya. I really am. And I know that there's no way those words can erase what happened on that rooftop, but I mean it. You...You jumped off the roof." All Might looked at him once more and Izuku could see the haunted look in his eyes. "You jumped off the roof after I

said those things to you and just walked away like I didn't just ruin your life."

Izuku felt like he owed a little explanation. "To be fair...It wasn't just you. I was having a pretty bad day. That wasn't the first time that afternoon I stood on top of a building."

He meant it as a dry humor kind of a joke but if possible All Might looked even more upset. "Kid, I was the adult. There's no excuse for my behavior. I should know better. I...I used to be quirkless too you know."

That was a shock. Izuku thought the was going into the situation with all the facts, but there was something else to throw him off. "You...what?"

"I used to be quirkless. Until I was gifted a quirk that could be passed down from person to person because my mentor saw the potential of a great hero inside me. And if she could see me now I know she would regret her decision."

"I could never regret my choice, Toshinori," Nana spoke with a heated determination. "Never."

Izuku walked closer then until he could lean against the tailgate beside All Might. "I don't think that's true. You've saved thousands of lives. People look up to you. You're the number one hero. The symbol of peace!"

"And I couldn't save you..." "I'm not that important-"

All Might and Nana both spoke up with iron-clad determination laced in their voices. "Yes, you are. Everybody is important. Every life matters."

Izuku froze, looking down at his shoes. "I'm sorry." "I should be saying that."

"You already have." "Still."

Izuku cleared his voice as he spoke. "Well, I've been finding a lot of reasons to keep living since...I was given a second chance. So...If I can forgive you...Can you forgive yourself?"

All Might's gaze faltered. "Kid, I don't think I can ever forgive myself."

"He needs time, sweetie. Forgiveness is hard to process. Especially if we don't think we deserve it." Nana told him wisely.

Izuku sighed. He knew that of course. But it sucked hearing it.

"Hey, kid? You know that quirk I was telling you about?" All Might said as the silence stretched on.

"Yeah?"

"I want to give it to you."

Wait...What? That wasn't part of this plan. Izuku had no plan for that. He never even considered being offered a quirk. Especially now that he had two equally mysterious ones to boot.

"I know it's a lot to take in for the moment," All Might said raising his hands calmly. "So give it thought. But I know you have the potential to become a great hero. And I want to help you achieve that goal."

Izuku felt like a rug had been ripped out from under him. His first instinct was to reject it. He didn't need a flashy quirk to be a good hero. He wanted to get into UA on his own merit. And All Might didn't even know about his quirks. How could he make such a big choice without knowing anything about Izuku?!

"I can't-" "Give it some time. Here, here's my number. Notes taped on windows are fun and all but this should be kept between us, alright? Now I think it's late and you've had an exciting night. So let's get you home alright?"

Izuku was already composing the longest text he had ever sent in his life in his head as he accepted the number from All Might and allowed himself to be led away from the beach in the direction of his own home.

I appreciate the offer. I really do. It would be an honor. But I have to say, I don't want your quirk. Maybe not ever, but especially for right now. I want to get into UA by myself and I can't do that if I rely on your strength. I'm training and working on my own. Please can we save talk about you giving me your quirk until after the entrance exams?

Izuku typed it all up as soon as he crawled into his window leaving no time for second-guessing and sending it. After doing so, he turned his phone off and tried to go to sleep, but even Nana's gentle warmth couldn't lull him to sleep after the nightly chat he just had.

Chapter End Notes

Wow! The response from the last chapter was more than I had expected! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

Discord Link: https/discord.gg/z8VKRxS

Exam One

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

The day of the written exam came quicker than Izuku could ever anticipate. He had decided to forego his beach cleanup that day to make sure he got plenty of rest so as not to fail the test. His alarm woke him for the first time in almost a year and he rushed to get ready even though he had plenty of time.

As he brushed his teeth and hair, Nana did her part by reviewing his flashcards with him, much to her amusement. They were all spread out on his desk and Izuku did his best to memorize every single one. He couldn't even go over them with Shinsou seeing as how the other boy would be in the testing center before all of them as his foster parents were UA teachers. They did, however, exchange a few texts wishing each other good luck the night before. And All Might had even wished him luck as well. They had reached a mutual understanding of sorts after their talk on the beach. Izuku would consider accepting All Might's quirk, but only after getting into UA on his own merit. It was like the talk he had with Shinsou about recommendations.

"Honey it's going to be okay. You're a great student! I've read your writing from your notebooks, you'll do great!" She praised as he laced up his shoes. He would need to get a new pair soon seeing as how his feet were quickly outgrowing them. Must have been compensating for his growth spurt somehow. Izuku was now eye level with Shinsou, much to their surprise. Luckily, his mother had the idea to get his second-semester uniform a size bigger than he needed. With her adjustments and temporary stitches until he grew into it, It had lasted him the entire way.

"I hope you're right."

Going downstairs, Izuku saw his mother was already awake and making breakfast. "There you are! I thought I was going to have to come to wake you up!" Inko Midoriya cooed to him as she filled up a glass with juice. "Sit! Eat! You need all your energy for your exam today."

Izuku did so with a happy smile seeing how his mother tried so hard to accommodate him, but still showed she cared. He looked down at his smiley face eggs and toast and could help but laugh. "Thanks, mom."

She sat down across from him with her own plate and dug in with the same enthusiasm. "Are you nervous, Izuku?"

"Mhm." Izuku hummed before washing down his toast with juice. "Very. I've been studying as much as possible but I still feel like I'm forgetting things."

"You aren't, kiddo. We've been over every inch of your notes a thousand times. Just breathe."

Inko's face softened. "I know you can do this. I believe in you. You're one of the smartest kids in your class!"

After their meal, Inko brushed crumbs off of his uniform and walked him to the door. "You don't want to be late! You have everything you need?" She asked wringing her hands.

"Yes, ma'am. In my bag. Most of the materials will be given to us by the test proctors though." Izuku assured as he slipped his phone into his pocket. "I have to go, bye Mom! I'll call you after okay?"

His mom waved him goodbye as he headed down the street, her excitement visible on her face. "You can do this, sweetie! I love you!"

"I love you too!"

The walk was longer than the one to his old Junior High, but it gave Izuku time to think about the test more despite Nana's groans.

All too soon however, he was facing UA High School. A place he hoped he would be attending soon. The entrance was wide and towered over him as he stood there, other students in various other uniforms milling in around him. It was bigger than he ever thought it would be. He was speechless.

"Out of the way, shitty Deku." Came a gruff voice behind him. Izuku barely had time to turn before he was face to face with Bakugou who looked every bit as angry as before.

Izuku jumped out of his way, holding his hands up in surrender only for the ashen blond to walk

right by without so much as a second glance. It was surreal.

"Woah, is that the kid who fought a villain and won all by himself?" Someone observed further in the building.

"Oh yeah! They say he blew the villain apart! Seriously hardcore!" "Right? I wouldn't want to be on his bad side."

The gossiping whispers followed Bakugou as he walked into the orientation room and Izuku stayed back to make sure the boy was really gone.

"Izuku are you alright?" Nana asked worriedly as Izuku continued to stand there.

"Y-Yeah. Sorry...I just...I guess he isn't willing to make a scene when there could be UA teachers

around..." Izuku took a deep breath as he turned to finally walk into the building. "This is it..."

Of course, that had to be the moment he tripped over his own shoe and started to fall face-first into the concrete. But he extended a hand out quickly, activating just a portion of his quirk to halt his fall. That was when he felt a light tap on his shoulder and the concrete went from stationary to shrinking from sight as he started to float higher than he had intended.

"Wha-!" He deactivated his quirk quickly, afraid of overdoing it only to realize he was still floating in mid-air.

"I'm so sorry!" A girl's voice said quickly and the hand on his shoulder grew tighter. Holding him in place. "I saw you falling and I didn't think to ask! I didn't know- here let me help you!" She said quickly pulling him down so his feet touched the ground and then suddenly he felt his gravity returning.

Looking over to the girl he saw her nervously fidgetting with her hands. "Oh! I'm alright! Thank you for helping me, even if it wasn't needed! We...must have similar quirks?" He offered with an awkward laugh.

"Must be! I've never met anyone with a similar quirk to me before!" Her eyes widened in excitement. "What's your quirk? Mine's Zero Gravity! For...obvious reasons." She leaned in close and Izuku felt his face heat up.

"Well, it's a Levitation quirk. I haven't really named it yet. But I guess seeing as how it reacted with your quirk, it lowers my own gravitational pull like yours does and when they mixed it made me float like I was made of helium." He muttered.

The girl's eyes widened as he explained. "That's so neat! I can't really use my quirk on myself or else I get nauseated. It's like we're opposites!"

"Well, mine makes me nauseated too, but it is cool to meet someone with a similar quirk! My name is-"

"Alright! We need to all head inside as the exam is just about to start! You two, stop loitering and go inside before you miss your exam!" A navy haired boy came out of nowhere, waving his hand around at the two of them causing them to step apart.

It seemed the interruption reminded the girl of why they were there and she jumped. "Oh right! I should get going! Maybe we'll see each other during the practical exam! Good luck!" She called out as she took off through the entrance.

"You too! Get inside!" The boy ordered sternly and Izuku hurried to comply. He was wearing a middle school uniform, but his tone made him seem like he was some kind of security guard! Either way, Izuku ran into the building and found his testing room quickly. He was soon swept away with all the instructions and prep given by their proctor, not someone Izuku recognized, but a hero nonetheless.

"Good luck, Izuku. I'll be silent while you work, but I'm cheering for you!" Nana told him, patting his back gently.

Izuku took a deep breath in and held it for a second before letting it out. His hand was somehow steady as he grabbed his pencil and opened the test to the first question.

Izuku wasn't the first one finished. But he wasn't the last one finished either. He hadn't felt rushed to complete his answers towards the end. Instead, he took his booklet and stood to hand it to the proctor. The woman flipped through it quickly to make sure he had his name printed on it appropriately before adding it to the stack beside her.

"Good job. Grab your bag and head out the door. There will be people handing out cards with information for your practical exam. They will guide you from there." The woman smiled kindly at him before he turned away to follow her instructions.

After getting his card, he was ushered into a lecture hall and told to find the seat that matched his examinee number. Thankfully, it didn't take long. However, he quickly realized he was seated next to Bakugou. Said blond scoffed as he sat down and pulled his bag under the table. "About time you showed up. I figured you had given up and ran home crying." Bakugou said maliciously.

"Don't listen to him, Izuku. He's just trying to get under your skin."

Izuku instead ignored Bakugou and turned to the front as more students filed in. By the growl let out by Bakugou, he could tell the boy didn't much appreciate that. But there wasn't anything he could do in a lecture hall full of other students and potential UA teachers.

It was another 30 minutes before the last students filed in and the lights were dimmed. Pro Hero Present Mic marched up onto the stage giving an intro much like he would on his talk show and Izuku felt his fanboy heart flutter. It was such an honor to potentially be taught by pro heroes! Especially ones like Present Mic!

Said hero went on to explain the practical exam rules and such, but Izuku was surprised to hear how they were almost identical to the ones online with no extra information. So it seemed like there was something about the test that they were hiding. Something they didn't want to affect the students' performances. And Izuku had a feeling it had something to do with the missing information on the handout the navy haired boy from earlier pointed out.

"Additionally, you with the unkempt hair!" He announced, pointing directly at Izuku. "You've been muttering this entire time. Stop that! If you can't bother to take this seriously, leave. You're distracting the rest of us!"

Beside him, Bakugou snickered and Izuku ducked his head in shame. He wasn't aware that he was mumbling. And even more so he had no idea he was being a distraction. Still, the tall boy's icy glare paired with the small bursts of laughter around Izuku made him clam up, covering his own mouth so as not to start mumbling again.

"Don't listen to him, Izuku. You have the same right as everyone else to be here. This kid has rubbed me the wrong way from this morning at the gate. I don't know what middle school he went to, but his superiority is laughable." Nana wrapped her arms around Izuku's hunched frame as if shielding him from the entire room. It was impossible, but it made him feel better.

As Present Mic started explaining the fourth villain type, Izuku couldn't help but feel like there was still something being left out. A useless villain used as a hurdle? Then why was it listed on the print out as a villain? It made no sense.

Still, there wasn't much time to dwell on it as the meeting came to a close and they were instructed to leave in an orderly fashion. Izuku assumed it was to keep them from hanging around and discussing the material of the written test. But even so, he didn't hang around anyway. He only had a small section of the beach left to clean and Shinsou was supposed to meet him there right after they left the building. It was the final stretch needed before his training would be complete and he couldn't wait. Already people had started coming to the beach. Metal detectors in hands combing through the sand pulling out bits of jagged metal so people could actually use it when it was finished.

Izuku was excited to see it. Even more so than he was when he first started the project. It had started as a gift for Nana and had developed into a way to train himself for the struggles and trials of UA. Izuku knew that had he not tried, he would have had no chance of succeeding in the exams.

The clock was ticking. It was almost time for him to shine! To rise above everyone whoever pushed him down! To go Plus Ultra!

Chapter End Notes

It's almost time!

Discord Link: https/discord.gg/z8VKRxS

Chapter Notes

Practical Exam

A note before I get into this chapter. It's long. About twice as long as a regular chapter and I love how it turned out!

Also, This is in no way a bashing centric fic. The previous chapter pointed out some qualities about Iida and this one will as well. I don't hate his character and this won't be a bashing fic for him either. I don't want this entire fic to just seem like a bashing fic. It isn't. Just stay tuned!

Shinsou and Izuku arrived at the beach, as usual, geared up and ready to tackle the last bit of trash left on the beach. It was mostly mindless work as they had gotten into a rhythm of sorts over the weeks spent cleaning. There were mostly just heavy appliances and other discarded object and they took turns breaking them down and loading them onto the truck. Looking over to Shinsou, Izuku could see just how far along their progress had come. Shinsou had gained muscles to his arms and thighs almost as much as Izuku. They were both carrying their own trash to the truck and loading as per usual which was a large contrast to before when it took the pair of them moving one object at a time.

"How did you think you did on the exam?" Izuku asked as he ripped apart an old dresser with little strain.

Shinsou's look tensed before he shrugged. "There were things I didn't know. But I think I passed at least."

"I'm sure you did great. Your extra studying with your foster dad must have paid off some." Izuku said optimistically.

He was relieved when Shinsou passed him a small smile. "Yeah, I'm probably just worrying too much. It's in the past anyway."

The sun was just about to set when they tossed the final scraps of waste into the dumpster behind the old lady's store. Despite their obvious improvements, they were both sweaty and panting. They had finally done it. 10 months, but Dagoba Beach was finally clean for public use. Regardless of how easy it would be to have the trash build up again, they both were proud of each other. It seemed Nana was as well as she brushed against both of their hands. Shinsou, of course, shivered hard at the contact but didn't startle as he would have months ago.

"It looks beautiful, boys. You did an amazing job!" She praised.

"Nana loves it." Izuku relayed to Shinsou which caused both of them to light up.

"But it is getting late. Your parents will get worried. And there are the practical exams in only a day." Izuku felt his anxiety spike at just the mention. "I know, hon. But you have to get all the rest you can."

"What is she saying?" Shinsou asked and Izuku figured after all the time they had spent together, the purple-haired boy had gotten used to Izuku's emotional ticks when it came to talking to Nana.

"Ah...She says we need all the rest we can for the practice exams." Izuku explained and winced sympathetically at the look that passed over Shinsou's face.

Still, Nana was right. Both boys said their goodbyes and parted ways knowing that the next time they would see each other would be at the practical entrance exam. Luckily, while Bakugou was assigned to a different training ground because he went to the same junior high as Izuku, Shinsou was homeschooled. In just over 24 hours, they would meet up in front of Battle Center B.

10 minutes didn't sound like a long time to determine the futures of hundreds of students. But in a place like UA, you had to be the best from the very beginning. Izuku knew that from his hero studies. Heroes had to make large and bold debuted to even become a blip on the radar. Three things would almost guarantee you a successful future as a hero. Graduating UA, interning at a well know hero agency, and your grand debut. Without those, it would be like digging a hole with a plastic spoon. Not impossible, but extremely unlikely.

The written exam was only one facet of the exam. Everyone knew the practical exam was what really made people stand out. So Izuku knew he had to do his best.

His morning started out much like the morning of the written exam, this time, with a hundred times more anxiety than before. He choked down as much as he could stomach from his plate, which really wasn't much. His mother wished him luck at the door. Nana kept up a constant flow of praise as his shaky legs took him back to UA and in front of Battle Center B.

There were so many other students there that Izuku couldn't seem to find Shinsou. And of course, he had left his phone at home so as not to damage it so there was no way he could send a text. Being alone surrounded by a sea of applicants that didn't even look nervous affected Izuku more than he would have liked to admit.

"Breath, kiddo. Just breath. You can do this. I know you can. You've trained for this!" Nana told him, filling him with warmth. Izuku nodded, but couldn't really say much else as his hands shook even in their clenched positions by his sides. "I can go find Shinsou if you want. So you can wish each other luck beforehand?"

"Please." Izuku agreed immediately. He needed a familiar face. Someone to tell him he wasn't the only one losing his mind in wait.

"Okay. I'll be right back. It'll be okay, sweetie."

Izuku could feel her moving away into the crowd leaving behind a bone-deep chill that was oddly grounding in this situation. It gave him something else to focus on rather than panicking. Taking a deep breath, Izuku looked around to hopefully find Shinsou on his own as well. Quickly, he realized there was no way to see through the sea of people unless he pushed through them, and that was the last thing on his list.

However, hope bloomed in his chest as he saw the brunette girl from the written exam. The one with a similar quirk to him. He hadn't gotten her name, but she looked almost as nervous as him. Maybe he could ease her stress as well as his own by wishing her luck, he thought as he started to make his way over to her.

A large hand clamped on Izuku's shoulder causing him to flinch as he jerked around to see who it was. He shivered minutely, feeling his panic rise within as he saw the navy haired student from before. From the look on his face, Izuku could see that he didn't mean to wish him any kind of luck. He meant business.

"She looks like she's focusing on the trials ahead," The boy said and it took Izuku an embarrassingly long time to realize he meant the brunette from earlier. "What are you going to do? Distract her and ruin her chances to succeed?"

Dread sunk into Izuku's core as he jerked away and shook his head. "N-No! That's not what I was doing at all!" What was this guy's problem? Why was he singling Izuku out so much? Could he tell how much Izuku was worrying? Was this part of his scheme to psych Izuku out?

A paranoia filled part of Izuku conjured up the idea that Bakugou had somehow put him up to it. But the more rational side of Izuku knew that was impossible. Bakugou couldn't bribe this student, he looked too official, so he must have gone to a private school which eliminated his need for money. And there was no way Bakugou could intimidate him. Not when he looked to mean just as much business as Bakugou's smokey palms.

"Oh is that the kid that almost bit it right before the written exams?"

"Ha! Yeah, it looks like it! But apparently he caught himself using his quirk right when a girl tried to help him. Their quirks combined almost sent him floating into space!"

"Woah really? That's wild!"

"Yeah, but he looks like he's about to vomit..." "Gross!"

Izuku heard the remarks from the other students and it completely cut off every excuse he was about to make to the student in front of him. Instead, he ducked his head low as he used to when Bakugou would push him into the walls in junior high. Arms staying by his side making it clear he wouldn't fight back. Of course, Izuku knew this kid wouldn't hit him. Not when there were so many witnesses. Maybe not ever, but it always lessened Bakugou's rage when he made it clear he wouldn't fight back. Maybe the other kid would leave him alone...

"Izuku!" Nana shouted at the same time as Izuku heard: "Oh, it's you!"

Several things happened at once. Warmth bloomed inside Izuku causing him to grip his chest right as the boy in front of him shivered harshly. All while the girl from the day before ran over excitedly.

"I'm sorry I came as fast as I felt your panic. Shinsou is near the gate, he says he wants to be the first in, but he wishes you luck. Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" Nana spoke and Izuku could feel her checking him over for any kind of injuries.

"I-I'm fine," Izuku said out loud which unknowingly answered a question the brunette from earlier asked as she gave him a worried look.

"Are you sure? You look like you're about to be sick. Did he do something to you?" Her voice

grew hard as she whipped around to glare at the navy haired boy.

Said student seemed at loss for words as his mouth opened and closed. "Wha- Me?! I didn't do

anything to him! I was trying to keep him from harassing you !"

"Harass me? Why would he do that? You saw us talking yesterday, he was probably just trying to say hello! I don't know who you are but you obviously are a student like the rest of us, so I don't know what makes you think you have the right to police us-"

The student's face grew pale as he was getting verbally eviscerated by the girl and Izuku couldn't help but feel guilty. "W-wait, it's okay. I'm fine. Really there's nothing to worry about." Izuku interrupted quickly standing between the angry girl and the navy haired boy.

Her rant stopped mid-sentence as she looked up at Izuku intensely. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah! I promise. Uh...Come on, let's go talk somewhere else." Izuku offered, eager to de-escalate the situation.

The pair headed off to the side away from prying eyes.

"I like her. She's got a fiery personality!" Nana observed making Izuku blush.

'Shh! Don't embarrass me!' He hissed in his head causing Nana to laugh.

As they stopped at their new destination, Izuku held out his hand to shake. "Uh...Hi, I'm Midoriya Izuku. I never did get your name before."

The girl's eyes widened before she smiled and grabbed his hand. "Oh! My name is Uraraka Ochako! It's nice to have a name for a face." She wilted a little, looking down at her feet. "Sorry for stepping in before. I didn't mean to make it seem like I didn't think you could handle it. It's just...you looked really upset and then you just froze. I thought he was using some kind of quirk on you."

"Oh! Thank you for trying to help me. He wasn't using a quirk, but I'm glad you stepped in. He

was...pretty intense."

Izuku and Uraraka shared a small laugh as they turned to the gate. "The exam should be starting soon..." She said.

"Good luck with the exam!" Izuku said immediately. "I hope we both pass and maybe we could be in the same class together!"

"That would be fun! Two gravity quirks in the same class-"

"Right! Let's start!" A voice projected from the top of the gate. "Get moving! There are no countdowns in real battles! Run, Run, Run, Listeners! You're wasting air time here!"

All at once, the gate opened and the students started pouring in. Izuku felt dread inside as he realized they were both at the back and trailing behind. If they didn't make up ground soon, there would be no villains left!

"Uraraka, activate your quirk on yourself, I'm going to throw you ahead of everyone!" He suddenly shouted.

The brunette's eyes widened. "But what about you?" "I have a plan. Just worry about yourself."

Her eyes flashed brightly before determination set into place. Placing her hand on her chest she nodded and started to float. "Hurry! I can't do this for long!"

Izuku nodded and gently grabbed her arm. Turning quickly on his feet he winded up creating momentum. When he felt he had enough, he activated his own quirk, sending them flying ahead and over the crowd like a discus.

Their landing was rough, but they were ahead, recovering quickly, they silently agreed to split up from there. "Good luck, Midoriya!"

"Good luck, Uraraka!" Izuku yelled out as he took off down a random street. The whole thing was set up like a city.

"Nana! Can you look ahead and find a group of villains away from the others?" He asked barely breaking a sweat. If his plan was correct, a large percentage of the students would flood the middle while a smaller but still sizable group would fan out around the edges. That left a little bit of room in between where Izuku knew plenty of villains would reside.

"There's a two-pointer up ahead! It's facing the other way! I can slow it but you need to take it down."

Izuku nodded quickly as he rounded the corner and saw the villain she was talking about. It was bigger than Izuku expected, but all at once, he felt the heat within right as it started twitching, sparks shooting from its arms and neck. It was a quick maneuver and with a little help from his levitation, he was able to get on top of it and rip it's head off from the rest of its body. The heat inside him seemed to convert into energy but as soon as the machine was disabled it faded and he tumbled to the ground.

"Come on! No time to waste! There's two more, both one point, around the corner. Hurry! Someone's closing in as well!"

Izuku charged off towards her directions and seemed to meet up in the middle of a small street. To his left and right were the robots and the other student had just entered the street. He hadn't recognized them but they seemed to have a mutation quirk that turned their head into a black bird. "I get left, you get right!" Izuku shouted as he sprinted off to his left.

"Right!" They answered and Izuku sighed happily at the fact that there was no argument.

Izuku dispatched the one pointer much easier than the two-pointer. He grabbed a piece of rebar laying on the ground from the debris and stabbed it into the center of the robot as it twitched and sparked under Nana's hold. He turned around only to see the other student ripping the robot apart with a sentient shadow figure. "W-woah!"

"Izuku, focus! There's not much time! The closest villain is two blocks away to the right."

Once more he took off running. It was weird seeing as how he wasn't winded at all even after the

fast pace of running and fighting so much. It had to have been something with Nana's hold on the robots while he destroyed them.

However, Izuku stopped as soon as he heard a scream emitting from the block he was on. It was only a split second choice that leads him off his path of the villain to follow the sound of the scream. "Hello?! Is there someone here?!" He called out.

"Help! I'm here!" A female voice yelled out. Izuku turned and saw a large pile of rubble and paled.

"Are you under there?!"

"Y-yes! Please help! I used up all my strength! I can't get out!" She sounded close to panicking. "I'm really claustrophobic! Please help me!"

What followed was one of the hardest lifts Izuku had ever attempted. Lifting a chunk of concrete from the top of the pile made his arms quiver, but he grit his teeth and kept going. "Hnn-AH!" He cried as he flipped the concrete off to the side exposing the top. Looking down into the hole he saw a girl covered in dust. He leaned over and offered his hand to her which she took gratefully. As he pulled her out, she took a moment to hug him tightly.

"Thank you! I heard people running by before, but they didn't want to help me. I think...I think I'm done. I'm going to head to the gate and quit. But thank you for helping me."

Izuku couldn't convince her to stay as she slid down the large pile of rubble and started running away.

"You see, Izuku? That's what a hero is! Helping people who need it!" Nana cheered for him as he took off once more. "Someone took down the villain you were going to, but turn right up ahead and there's a three-pointer."

This continued on. Izuku forced himself not to think about how long it had been or how many villains he had taken down. All he thought about was his next move. There were a few other students whos seemed to either get stuck or bite off more than they could chew. It was these moments that Izuku took time off his search for villains to help them out. A few thanked him, but some just shrugged him off and continued on with their exam. He didn't blame them. They were just trying to pass like he was.

Suddenly, the ground began to shake and shudder like an earthquake, and Izuku froze before he took off towards it. He didn't know why, but it was as if his body was reacting before he had a chance to think. But when he finally arrived at what was making such a ruckus, he almost wished he had run in the opposite way. There were dust and debris blowing everywhere as a larger robot, larger than some of the buildings, loomed over them.

At once, everyone nearby started to run. Even the navy haired kid from before. Izuku was about to turn and run as well before he heard it.

"Ow!"

Izuku froze. He recognized that voice. Looking back, he saw the dust settle, exposing Uraraka stuck under the concrete. Her face was contorted in pain and Izuku noticed it was a far cry from her happy smile earlier in the day. The ground trembled once more as the robot charged ahead.

Looking down, he could see the fear in Uraraka's eyes and that was all it took for Izuku to act.

"Nana hold it!" Izuku shouted as he ran to Uraraka. All at once, he felt the warmth bloom inside him. But this time, it was like fire. Burning him from the inside as sparks rained down from the robot. It twitched and shuddered as it tried to fight whatever it was holding it in place, but Izuku didn't care.

He got his arms under the concrete and started trying to lift it forcefully. Grunting and groaning in the effort he knew it was bigger than anything he had ever lifted, even the concrete from before. This was too much. But he couldn't stop and the robot was inching closer despite it's shorting out.

"Nana! More power!"

"Izuku I don't know if you can-"

"Do it!"

The fire intensified and he yelled out as he finally managed to lift the concrete. Something warm dripped down his face but he didn't care. Uraraka scrambled out from under the concrete and tried

to run.

"Midoriya, come on!"

Izuku wasn't listening. He dropped the concrete at once and stared up at the giant robot as it finally seemed to stop moving. A smile formed on his face and he barely noticed that the fire seemed to stop. He felt no pain. No heat. No cold. And then the world grew black.

Even having experienced it the first time, Izuku was surprised to see himself looking down at his own body. The warmth he had felt on his face it seemed, was blood. His blood. It had dripped from both his nostrils and the corners of his eyes. Even his ears it seemed.

"Izuku?!"

Izuku turned to see Nana standing off to the side. She was wearing the same costume he had seen her in before. It took him a second to realize what had just happened. "O...oh."

"Izuku, oh my-" The woman ran over and wrapped her arms around him tightly. "What happened I- No that's not important. You need to go back!" She said even as her hold grew tighter. Izuku felt his eyes close as he leaned into her arms, wrapping his own around her waist. She was warm. Much like she was when she touched him before, but this time he felt it on her and not inside himself.

"Nana..."

"Are you listening? You need to go back before they notice your body."

He wanted to stay here though. For a moment longer at least. Where it was peaceful and he felt no pain. Locked in time it seemed as everything around them moved in a snail's pace.

"You can't. Izuku, listen to me. You can't die here. You need to go back!" There were tears in Nana's eyes as she looked down at him. He hadn't remembered when he opened his eyes.

"I'm dead? Oh..." Izuku's brain seemed to be rebooting quicker now. He wasn't alive. He...he needed to get back. How did he get back last time?

Nana seemed to understand as she carried him back over to his body and crouched down. She held Izuku in her lap and grabbed onto his hand. "We have to do it together, I think. Like this."

As she said it, Izuku felt strength return to his hand and he reached out to his body right as Uraraka turned and saw it collapsed on the ground.

All at once, there was a flash of light and suddenly Izuku was sitting up with a gasp. The world was silent in the wake of the robot, and Izuku turned to Uraraka who was reaching for him. Deftly, he reached out as well and grabbed her hand. As they both stood, he saw her wince as she stepped on her bad foot and he didn't think twice about lifting her up to carry.

"Time's uuuup!" Present Mic announced with a flourish as a siren went off.

"Woah...that kid looks like something out of a horror movie." "But he's walking like there's not a scratch on him!"

Didn't you say he had a floating quirk like her?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Then he must have moved that slab of concrete all on his own!" "Oh, you're right! Wow! That's so awesome!"

"Very nice! Good work all around!" Izuku snapped his head over at the new lady's voice rather than tune into the babble of the students. "You're heroes in my eyes, every one of you!"

The woman was small and dressed in a lab coat. She had a grandmotherly appearance and a doting attitude about her as she pulled out some gummies and handed them to the nearby students. "Is there anyone hurt?" She asked.

Izuku nodded and walked up to her. "Yes, ma'am. Uraraka here is pretty injured. I think her leg is broken."

"Oh my! You look pretty bashed up yourself!" The old woman said.

"No. I'm fine. Can you help her?" Izuku asked quickly trying not to jostle Uraraka.

The old lady looked like she didn't believe him, but nodded. "Very well, Let me see her."

Izuku crouched down so the old woman was level with her, and his eyes widened as she kissed Uraraka on the cheek.

"This is Recovery Girl. I recognize her from Toshinori's school days. Her quirk is a healing quirk based on kisses." Nana informed with a snicker.

Izuku watched as Urakara's leg flashed in green light before straightening out. "There we go! Good as new!"

Izuku hesitantly put Uraraka down and they watched as she was able to put pressure on the previously broken leg with ease.

"Now your turn, sonny!" The old woman said grabbing Izuku by the ear and pressing a kiss to his dirty cheek. There was no flash of green light at all and this seemed to confuse her. "Hmm...There really is nothing wrong with you! Then where did all that blood come from?"

"I'm fine, ma'am! Like I said. I think there are some students back there that need more help than me! I'll go wash up!" Izuku excused himself, walking away from both girls as he followed the crowd of people to the entrance gate. He thought he was off Scott free as he exited, only to see Shinsou there, waiting for him. As soon as the purple-haired boy caught sight of him, however, his calm look faded into one of horror.

"There's no way you're getting out of this one." Nana sighed.

Aftermath

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Izuku couldn't even get a word out before he was grabbed by the front of his shirt and was being dragged towards a small building. "Wha- Shinsou what are you-"

Shinsou kicked open the door, startling a student who seemed to be washing their hands. Apparently this was a bathroom of some sort...

"Hey," Shinsou called to the boy who jerked upon their entry. "Wha-"

"Leave." The student's face grew blank as they started to walk to the door without even turning the water off. This was the first time Izuku had ever seen Shinsou's quirk in action and it was pretty scary. He was dragged to the counter as Shinsou grabbed a fistful of paper towels. "What happened?" Shinsou demanded rather than asked as he wet the paper towels and started wiping the barely dried blood off Izuku's face.

Izuku paused as he realized what was happening. Shinsou was worried about him. "Shinsou, I'm okay-"

"I know you are. Recovery Girl wouldn't have let you leave if you weren't. Now tell me what happened!" Shinsou was frustrated as he threw red soaked paper towels to the side. Izuku could smell the metallic scent of his blood on his face and tried not to look into the mirror.

"I...I was taking the exam like normal and then the zero pointer came out of nowhere." Izuku started as he licked his lips, cringing at the taste of blood. "There was a girl, the one from the written exam I told you about. She was stuck. Nana...She can do something to the robots. It shorts them out and gives me a power boost. But even with her holding the zero-pointer, I couldn't lift the concrete off Uraraka."

"You overdid it, didn't you?" Shinsou suddenly paused his scrubbing of Izuku's face, a barely- there tremble in his hands and arms.

Izuku stopped. He knew he overdid it. He died again. But still, he didn't want to admit it to Shinsou.

"I'm fine-"

"No, you aren't!" Shinsou shouted. Suddenly throwing the balled up paper towel into the still running sink. "Izuku...You were bleeding heavily out of your nose, eyes, and ears. You had a brain hemorrhage!"

Izuku's confusion must have been obvious as Shinsou went on to explain, clamping his hands on Izuku's shoulders tightly. "The blood vessel's in your brain exploded! Y-You...You died! Again!" Shinsou closed his eyes tightly as he shook. Lowering his head, he kept his hands on Izuku's shoulders. "You died."

"But I'm okay, Shinsou. Look at me there isn't a-"

"A single scratch on you. I know." Izuku wilted, all the fight leaving his body as Shinsou slumped against him. "That does mean you don't worry the hell out of me."

"Why-"

"Because he cares about you, Izuku. Because he cares." Nana answered immediately. "But...I'm fine." Izuku protested

"It doesn't matter if you're fine or not. You almost weren't."

Izuku honestly didn't know how to process that information. "I'm sorry."

Shinsou scoffed against his chest but didn't say anything else for a long time. When he finally moved, he took several steps back and pointed to the running facet. "Wash your face. If I keep using paper towels, we'll never get out of here."

Izuku did as he said, bending his head over the sink and scrubbing the blood from his face. It took a while and stained the cuff of his tracksuit, but eventually, Izuku didn't look like something out of a horror movie and Shinsou deemed him presentable for the outside world once more. The pair walked out to see a large gathering of students right outside the opened gate like before the exam. This time instead of looking excited, they all looked tired and worn out as Present Mic gave a speech.

"You all did great out there! Your results will be mailed to you along with your acceptance letter if you made the cut! You all fought hard! Don't be afraid to be proud of yourself for getting this far!" He cheered with a wide smile. "You're all free to go!"

Izuku turned to Shinsou as students started filing out. "I'm starving...Uh, do you want to go to the ramen shop?"

Shinsou spared him an unimpressed look before it fell away with a sigh. "Yeah. Let me just ask my foster dads. I'll meet you there in a few hours after I've showered."

"I'm buying," Izuku said hoping to brighten up Shinsou's mood, succeeding when he smiled slightly.

"I know you are."

A week later and Izuku was waiting on the living room couch full of anxiety. He could understand the need to take so long given the fact that there were so many applicants, but still. Even Shinsou hadn't been given his letter yet. But that was given the fact that his foster parents could show him favoritism. So they decided to give him his letter when Izuku got his.

With all the time waiting though, Izuku was able to figure a rough estimate of how many points he had gotten during the physical exam. He figured he had at least 20 combat points. He wasn't sure

if there were fractions of points given to those who take down villains as a group which happened a couple of times. All in all, he thought he did well for having only 10 minutes. 10 minutes to fight meant on average he took down 2 villains every minute which Izuku thought was nice considering all the times he stopped to help other test takers.

"I'm sure you did great," Nana told him once more as she felt him dwelling.

"What was your exam like?" Izuku asked suddenly.

Nana paused. "Well, it wasn't nearly as physically based. We were put into simulated combat situations and we had to determine the best way to complete them. It tested our quick-thinking skills and our plan making."

That didn't really help Izuku, but it was interesting to think about nonetheless. "I-Izuku! Izuku!" His mother shouted as she slipped and slid into the living room.

"Wha- Mom what's wrong?!" Izuku asked jumping up and catching his mother before she could faceplant into the ground.

"L-Letter! Izuku your letter is here!" She said holding the white envelope with red wax seal up.

Izuku paled as he took the letter with shaking hands. "It's finally here?"

His mother nodded excitedly, pushing him towards his room for some privacy. He barely had the awareness to grab his phone as he went, texting Shinsou and telling him the news so he could be given his letter as well.

It was as he was shut into his room that Izuku really felt the weight of the world pressing down on him. This was it. This was the moment that determined his future. He could be holding a UA acceptance letter or a kind yet dismissing letter that told him he didn't make it.

"Come on, Izuku. You should open it!" Nana urged as he slowly sat down at his desk. "Your mother is pacing a rut into the ground outside your door."

It was those words that finally gave him the strength to break the seal on the letter causing something to clatter onto his desk. All at once, a projection started to play.

"Hello! I'm here as a projection now!" All Might's voice shouted out causing Izuku to flinch

harshly.

"Always dramatic." Nana snickered. "I wonder what he's doing in a UA projection."

Izuku had the same question, but he stayed quiet as he leaned closer to the image. As if he would hear it better.

"It's taken forever to send these out, but with great power comes a great amount of paperwork!" All Might spoke before coughing harshly into his fist. Izuku felt bad for him as he recovered quickly. "My apologies."

"I feel bad for him if they made him do every single acceptance video." Nana sighed.

"The truth is, I didn't come to this city just to fight villains. I've also accepted a teaching position

right here at UA!"

A hand came into the frame seeming to urge All Might on and he sobered up significantly. "Right! Watch this video!"

Next came a video showing Uraraka walking up to Present Mic, seemingly begging him to give Izuku her points for saving her. "He would have had more points if he hadn't stopped to save me!" She reasoned and Izuku shook his head. Why would he just leave her there? Even if the robot was only meant as a scare tactic, he wouldn't have left her alone!

Luckily, Present Mic told her there was no need for her to give him her points, and the video cut off as All Might began speaking again.

"You passed the written exam with a decent score, but you only amassed twenty-three combat points. I'm sure you know that it isn't enough to pass the practical exam. Sorry."

All at once, Izuku felt his world crash. He didn't pass? After all the work he put into his training? He died out there and he still didn't pass?! Bakugou's words started haunting his thoughts. Was he really just a Deku? Izuku choked on a sob. What was he supposed to do now?

"Izuku, honey. Keep watching! It isn't over yet." Nana urged as she wrapped her arms around him from behind.

Izuku flinched as the video kept playing with no regard to the tears running down his cheeks. "Fortunately, there were other factors! You have a quirk, yes. But it's your actions that inspire others and put you above all the rest. You see, the practical exam wasn't graded on combat alone. How could a hero course reject someone who is committed to saving others regardless of the consequences to himself? That is what makes a hero right?"

The image flickered again, this time showing a clip of greyed out faced holding up paddles of numbers. "So we have rescue points! A panel of judges watches and award points for heroic acts outside of hunting villains! And you, Midoriya Izuku, amassed a grand total of fifty-five rescue points!"

A scoreboard appeared on the screen with only ten names. Each name was numbered according to their rank and Izuku was amazed to see his name at the very top! He was number one! His brain quickly cataloged the scores in his head spotting Kacchan in second place with only one point less! Uraraka was fourth behind someone named Kirishima! Even Shinsou was on the board at number ten! It was low, but it was on the board! Like Izuku, he had more rescue points than combat points!

"You and Uraraka both passed the exam!" All Might said as his hand extended out towards the camera. "Welcome, Izuku! You are now part of the Hero Academia!"

The image froze on All Might's smiling face and Izuku finally stopped to rub his sleeve against his tears.

"Sweetie you made it! I knew you would! I knew you'd get the rescue points you needed!"

"W-wha- You knew?" Izuku stuttered suddenly feeling slightly betrayed. "A-and you didn't tell me!?"

"It wouldn't have been fair," Nana explained, wrapping him in warmth. "UA keeps the rescue points a secret for a reason. It's to keep heroic acts true. If everyone knew what rescue points were, they wouldn't give it their all! I made sure you had a fair chance just like every other student."

Izuku could understand her logic...But it still stung to know she knew all along that he would get

in. But there was time to worry about that later. Instead, Izuku walked to his door and pulled it open to see his mother pacing the floor as Nana said. As soon as she saw his face she seemed to assume the worst and her eyes dimmed. "Oh, Izuku I'm sorry-"

"I got in!" "Wha-"

"Mom, I got into UA!" He announced falling into her arms like he did the day he found out he had another quirk. "I-I got in!" He cried into her sweater holding her tightly as she pet his hair.

"Oh, my baby! I'm so proud of you! I knew you could do it! I just knew you could!" She praised holding him close.

It turned out, there was a lot of preparation involved in enrolling in UA. There was a lot of prep that left very little time for Izuku to hang out with Shinsou, but he comforted himself with the idea that they would be attending UA together. Shinsou had texted him almost right after Izuku had released his death grip on his mother's sweater telling him the good news.

To Midoriya: I don't think we'll be in the same class. Barely passed the written exam even with my tutoring. They'll put me in remedial classes.

To Shinsou: Oh that's a bummer. But...we'll still see each other around! We can even walk to school together if you would like!

To Midoriya: Maybe. But odds are I'll have to get up early anyway to hitch a ride with my foster dads. Teacher stuff.

To Shinsou: Oh...

To Midoriya: Don't worry. We'll still make time on the weekends, okay? To Shinsou: Right! I look forward to it!

There was a lot of paperwork to do. And even more so in Izuku's case as he had yet to register his own quirk. And seeing as how he was a teen instead of a four-year-old, he was able to name it himself! He spent every second he could thinking of names, but deep down he knew it had to be something versatile so that both his quirks would fit under it. Of course, he wasn't going to mention his first quirk, but it would be nice to have a name for it too.

"What was your quirk name, Nana?" Izuku asked as he poured over the paperwork.

"Well...It was called Float."

"Which doesn't help my case." Izuku deflated as he marked 'Nana's quirk' off his checklist. "Levitate, no. Fly high, no. Sky hop, no. Hmmm...I don't know what to name it! What is something that applies to both levitating and spirits?"

"Boundaries? Y'know. Because you can transcend the gravitational boundaries and reach passed the spiritual ones as well?" Nana suggested offhandedly.

Suddenly, it clicked in Izuku's head as he started to scribble on the registration form. The word 'Boundless' was left behind as he dropped his pen aside.

"Oh! I like it! Unique but not crazy!"

With his quirk registered he was able to focus on his UA enrollment paperwork which was just as tiresome. He had to gather his transcripts from his junior high, his medical records, and his own personal files and fax them all to the school board. On top of that, he had to design the hero outfit that apparently would be made for him by the school! And not only did he have to do his, but he also promised Shinsou he would design his as well.

He spent many days locked in his room as balled up pieces of paper filled up his trashcan with every rejected idea. They were either too flashy, too similar to Nana's, or completely inhibited his quirk by adding too much weight.

Finally, Nana had to step in and make him look through several old sketchbooks filled with terrible hero drawings and All Might fanart. But inside, he found what he was looking for. An old concept he had drawn when he was so sure he would be a hero with Kacchan. It was heavily inspired by All Might, but with a few tweaks and a change in the color palette, he made it look as unique as his quirk name while still relating to Nana. He was glad he changed the bunny ears at the last moment

for a white hood imitating Nana's cape. Otherwise, he would have been embarrassed to even be seen at the UA.

While he was at it, he designed Shinsou's as well, sending pics back and forth as they tweaked it until it looked perfect. It was only as Izuku was sending the final design off that he got the idea for his own costume. Erasing the smiling mask, he replaced it with a yellow geometrically patterned mask that slightly imitated Eraserhead. He had gotten the idea from Shinsou as Shinsou had asked for a similar capture weapon to the underground hero.

Both designs dealt with and sent it, Izuku was finally satisfied with his work and confident everything was done. He was finally ready for UA.

Chapter End Notes

Sorry for the abrupt ending in this chapter, but I saw it as a good cut off before we dive into the first day of class and the quirk apprehension test!

Discord Link: https/discord.gg/z8VKRxS

Quirk Assessment

Chapter Notes

Whoo hooo! Long chapter!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The time for UA came quicker than Izuku ever realized it would. It was weird how time could feel like it was crawling by at one point only to shoot passed the next. News about his acceptance into UA had spread faster than the common cold. Izuku would never forget the day he answered a knock at the door to see the old woman from the convenience store. She had a bright smile on her face and held out a tin full of brownies for him to take. Their talk was short as she had someone watching over the store, but she made sure to praise his efforts on cleaning the beach as well as getting into UA.

"You'll do great things, child. I just know it." Her friendly face melted into something serious. "You keep your head up high and always do the right thing. Regardless of if it's the easy thing."

"O-Oh! Yes ma'am! I promise! Thank you for the brownies! And the use of your dumpster!" Izuku said bowing gratefully only to feel a tap on his head.

"Enough of that, young man. Just do as I said and succeed. I hope to see you on the news before I die!"

Izuku's mom chose that time to come around the corner and there was a brief moment where she stumbled over her words. She offered the old woman some tea, but the old woman seemed determined on leaving. Izuku watched her hobble down the hallway before slowly shutting the door.

But now, it was time for UA!

Izuku was sad to hear that he would be in a separate class to Shinsou, but the difference between 1- A and 1-B couldn't have been that drastic right? They both considered themselves lucky that Shinsou had gathered just enough points to earn a spot in the hero course curriculum. Even if that meant he had to take extra classes for the time being to raise his grade higher.

This was his thought on his first official day of UA. He made sure to hug his mother as she wished him luck on his first day and headed out the door. His UA uniform was crisp and clean and perfectly fitted for his height. He was amazed when the doctor told him he was now 5' 8" with still room to grow! Izuku had hardly noticed his growth over the summer, only noting that he was almost as tall as Shinsou.

His red tie was expertly tied and tightened on his neck. Nana had almost laughed at his first attempt at tying but sobered up as he explained his lack of a father to teach him. She had stood him in front of the mirror and said, "You don't need a father to teach you to tie a tie," with more determination than Izuku had ever heard from her before.

Nana seemed very serious as she guided him through each step of the process until he was able to do it himself seamlessly.

"See? Who needs a father when you have a ghost!"

That startled a snorting laugh out of Izuku which made Nana join in, wrapping him in warmth.

The walk to UA was much the same as before, but this time, Izuku had hoped to get there early so as to talk to Shinsou before class started. But the other boy didn't seem to be answering his texts on where to meet. Figuring they could meet up after class instead, Izuku continued on to find his actual classroom.

"Up ahead on the right side, Izuku," Nana said helpfully which Izuku thanked her for. He was amazed at just how large the door is, but he figured in a school where the motto was 'Plus Ultra' it was to be expected. Izuku knew he was likely to be the first student to arrive, so he had no issue with pulling the door open and stepping inside.

However, to his horror. He wasn't the first kid. In fact, it looked like he was one of the last to show up! And it was just in time to see the navy haired boy scolding Bakugou for putting his shoes up on the desk!

"Oh great. Both of them are here." Nana huffed.

'Just my luck.' Izuku sighed as he watched the encounter unfold from the door. The taller boy seemed to try to introduce himself, but he didn't know how callous Kacchan could be. In fact, he even seemed amazed at the idea of Bakugou threatening him. Boy, did he have a lot to learn about

being in a class with the exploding blond.

All at once, however, all eyes turned to him at the door. "It's you!" The navy haired boy gasped.

"Um...Hi!" Izuku said awkwardly as he waved a shaking hand.

"Good morning!" The navy haired boy said marching over. My name is Iida Tenya. I'm from the-"

"From Sommei, right?" Izuku interrupted. "I'm Midoriya Izuku." His nerves wanted him to back away as memories from both exams came flooding at him.

"Well, Midoriya, allow me to formally apologize," Iida said bowing at the waist in front of Izuku. "I misjudged you before the exams and I now know my actions could have been seen as harassment. I want you to know that I in no way meant to alarm you or to call attention to you in a demeaning fashion! But do not take that to mean I am excusing my actions-"

"Really, it's fine!" Izuku interrupted once more shaking his head. "It's in the past now, right? No hard feelings."

"You are entirely too forgiving." Nana huffed.

Iida stood up from his bow with a stoic look on his face before nodding. "Thank you, but I must

tell you..."

Izuku tilted his head curiously as Iida seemed to gather his composure. "You realized there was something more to the practical exam, didn't you? You must be very perceptive! As I stated previously I completely misjudged you! You are far superior to me as a student!"

"I...I doubt that very seriously. But truthfully I had no idea there was anything going on during the exams. I was just as frantic as everyone else to destroy the robots before time ran out!" Izuku explained rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

This seemed to throw Iida off as he looked at Izuku with wide eyes. "But...You got the highest

amount of points! Are you saying you did that out of luck?!" He said amazed. "Well-"

"No way this is that guy?!" Someone with red spiked hair said as he jumped out of his seat. "I heard about you! They say you took down the zero-pointer all by yourself! That's so manly!" He said nearly shaking in excitement.

"Pfft. As if, not with a weak quirk like his." Bakugou sneered at his own desk, arms crossed tightly.

The red-haired boy did a double-take. "Wha- Weak quirk? He ripped a slab of concrete by himself! He stopped the robot in its tracks! He saved-"

Izuku was quick to try to put a lid on the situation before it got...explosive. Waving his hands quickly, he spoke. "All that was luck! And most of that wasn't even my quirk! Really it's not that big of a deal-"

"Hey, I recognized that hair! It's you, Midoriya!" Uraraka cheered from behind him. Izuku flinched hard and turned quickly just in time to see Uraraka's smiling face. "I never did get to thank you for saving me at the practical exams!"

"O-Oh it's nothing, really! I should be thanking you for trying to go in and give me some of your points! But it looks like we both made it in on our own!" Izuku laughed slightly happy to have the conversation off of the entrance exams. Shinsou's worried face was still etched in his mind and he wasn't too keen on the questions he knew could come up.

"Wait how did you know about that?" Luckily it seemed like she wasn't looking for an answer as she shook her head. "Well anyway, what do you think we're doing today besides orientation? I can't wait to meet everyone!"

That was when their chat was cut off by a voice behind them.

"If you're just here to make friends then you can pack up your stuff now." The entire room of eyes jerked down to the floor behind Uraraka where a sleeping bag laid containing and raven-haired man. "Welcome to UA's hero course."

Izuku listened as they were berated for taking eight seconds to quiet down.

"Wow. What a prude. I've never met this guy before." Nana said which wasn't took helpful as Izuku tried to keep a straight face.

"My name is Aizawa Shouta. I'm your teacher. Now," he reached into the confines of his sleeping bag and pulled out a blue and white uniform. "Put these on and head outside. We're skipping orientation and going straight into the first test of your high school careers."

"What?!" The entire class shouted in unison. _

Later on, after they were all dressed and waiting for instructions, Izuku heard whispers behind him between Uraraka and a wide-eyed green-haired girl with some kind of mutation quirk.

"We're really missing orientation for a test? Can he do that?" Uraraka whispered but it appeared that that wasn't good enough as Mr. Aizawa cleared his throat.

"You'll find that the curriculum at UA is vastly different from everything you've ever experienced. This is a hero school and you are all aspiring heroes. Which basically means I have the leeway to run my class however I see fit." He spoke loudly and clearly with the scowl never leaving his face. "If you have a problem with that then feel free to stop wasting my time and leave now."

There was an awkward pause as he seemed to wait for people to decide to leave, but when it was clear that wasn't going to happen, he nodded. "Very well then. We won't waste time with a syllabus or orientation today. Instead, there will be a series of 8 tests. You will find that they are similar to physical tests you've taken in junior high. Only this time, you are allowed to use your quirks however you see fit."

There was an immediate outburst of whispers and chatter, but it was silenced with a harsh glare from Mr. Aizawa. "The country is still trying to pretend we are all created equal by not letting those with the most power excel. It isn't rational." His eyes raked over the group in front of him until they landed on Bakugou.

"Bakugou. You have a pretty versatile quirk...and yet you still only ranked number two in the practical exams. What was your farthest distance throwing a softball in junior high?"

Bakugou in turn growled under his breath. "67 meters. I think."

"Well, now you're gonna do it using your quirk. This time, try using your quirk for something other than pointless destruction." Aizawa lectured tossing a ball at Bakugou who caught it effortlessly. "Step into the circle. If you destroy the ball you get a score of zero. You can't leave the circle. But besides that, you have free rein. Now throw it."

"Alright! You asked for it!" Bakugou growled as he winded up his pitch and threw with all the force he could. Izuku watch in slow motion as the ball left his hand completely, but then Bakugou suddenly let out a blast, propelling the ball into the air with rings of smoke. "Take that!"

Aizawa didn't seem impressed as he turned towards the rest of the class and held up device portraying Bakugo's score of 705.2 meters. "All of you need to know your maximum capabilities. You figure out your capabilities and you can see your potential as a pro hero."

"705 meters are you kidding me?" A blond boy observed from the back. "I wanna go!" A pink-skinned girl said excitedly. "That looks like fun!"

"You should really learn your classmates' names, Izuku." Nana teased.

'What is up with you today?' Izuku asked in his head as he tried not to roll his eyes. 'You're a lot

more snarky than usual.'

"It's the first time I've been in UA in decades. Can you really blame me? I think the teenage hormones are getting to me." Nana snickered and Izuku really did roll his eyes that time.

This seemed to be the wrong thing to do at that moment as Mr. Aizawa's bloodshot eyes locked onto him and scowled. "Is this boring you, Midoriya?"

"Eee! No, sir! Not at all!" Izuku shook his head quickly. But Mr. Aizawa went on talking as if he hadn't said anything.

"If that isn't enough to keep you interested, how's this? Today you'll compete in these 8 physical tests to gauge your potential. Whoever comes in last clearly has none and will be immediately expelled from the UA hero course and another student can take your place!" Aizawa smirked at the teens as they stuttered to comprehend what he just said. "And if you're wondering, I can, in fact, do that. As I said, UA is a hero school. The best of the best. We do not have time to waste on those with no potential!"

"Immediate expulsion? That seems pretty harsh..."

Izuku felt ice in his veins as he thought about the other students in the class. He had seen some of their quirks in action and there was no doubt that some of them were stronger than him. It meant that he really had the potential to be the one sent home! If the tests weren't suited for him to use his quirk, he wouldn't stand a chance!

"Now I seem to have your full attention. Good. If you want to be a pro you're going to have to push yourself to the brink. The next three years will be filled with one trial after the next and only the best of the best will come out on top. So as the UA motto goes, Go Beyond Plus Ultra. Prove that you deserve to be here."

For all his abrasiveness, he did have a point. UA was the best for a reason. All Might graduated from here and so did Nana. Things may have changed but only to facilitate the ever-growing demand for heroes. UA wouldn't be the best if it stuck to by the book methods of teaching. This in mind, Izuku felt determination fill his body. He could do this! He could become a hero just like Nana!

"Heck yeah, kiddo. You've got this!"

First Test: 50-Meter-Dash

Izuku watched the green-haired girl from before and Iida line up at the starting line together. It was clear who the winner would be even without the timer. Iida was in his element on speed, but the girl wasn't just competing against him, she was competing against the whole class.

She received a score of 5.58 seconds which was pretty fast in comparison to Izuku's junior high

time. Izuku figured if he could keep his own time between 4 and 5 seconds, he'd be on track to at least not end up last.

"Midoriya, you're up next. Uraraka as well. Take your positions." Aizawa announced which made Izuku's heart stop momentarily. He had to go already?! "Your quirks are pretty similar based off your files. So this should be interesting to see who makes it out on top. Especially since there is no helping each other allowed."

Izuku watched as Uraraka started to activate her quirk on herself and her shoes. Which meant they would be pretty evenly matched. It was only a matter of whose quirk lowered their gravitational field the most, and who was faster. Izuku had trained for months in running, but that didn't mean he was a shoe-in. He had endurance, but that meant nothing when it came to a sprint. And like before, he wasn't just competing with Uraraka. He was competing with the entire class!

"Stop psyching yourself out! You can do this!" Nana encouraged him and Izuku nodded as he took his starting position.

"Good luck, Midoriya!" Uraraka said smiling as she got in her position as well. "You too..." Izuku muttered.

"On your mark. Get set!" As soon as Izuku heard the bang go off he lunged out, activating his quirk mid-stride. Immediately, he pulled ahead. His strides were longer now as he was essentially floating forward and pushing himself along at a rapid pace. He didn't even look behind him as he had only the finish line in his sights. It felt like forever before his foot finally touched that white line and the machine beeped.

"4.78 seconds!" The machine spoke and Izuku smiled as he felt Nana pat his back.

"You did great! You were practically a blur out there!" Whatever Izuku was going to reply with

was stopped as Uraraka ran up to him.

"Wow, Midoriya! You were really flying out there! Good job!" She said holding a hand up for a high five.

Izuku smacked it on instinct and smiled back. "You too! It was a good idea to use your quirk on

your shoes! Every little bit helps!"

"Alright, you two! Clear the track! Make room for the next two!" Aizawa called out causing the two students to run back to the other students waiting to take their tests as well.

Second Test: Grip Strength

Izuku held onto his device knowing he could get an average score by using his own strength. But that would put him lower on the list. He needed to use Nana's hold as well. The only issue was, he didn't know where to get the energy. They were outside. Far from any electric appliances aside from the devices used to track their quirks. And that wouldn't work for what Izuku needed.

"Izuku, look at that boy over there." Nana urged and Izuku followed her touch to turn and see the blond boy from earlier standing off to the side. He was looking down at his own device and was holding an electrical charge on his other finger. It was small but he inched it towards the device slowly as if to short it out.

'Is he...cheating?' Izuku asked himself as he walked over slowly.

"I don't know but I think he would be a good conductor of power. "

Izuku accidentally snuck up on the boy judging by the way he flinched. "I wasn't cheating! Wha-"

"It's just me!" Izuku said amicably as he raised his hands. "I saw you were having trouble figuring out how to use your quirk to help you with the test." Izuku tried to put on his most friendly look. "I'm no UA teacher, but studying quirks is a hobby of mine. I could help you out if you like?"

The boy looked at Izuku suspiciously. "What's in it for you?"

Izuku ducked his head. "Well...Maybe later on you can tell me more about how your quirk works? I've never seen a hero with an electricity quirk before. It looks pretty awesome!" Izuku wasn't lying in the slightest, yet he still felt a little bad about what he was about to do.

"Hm...What did you have in mind?" The boy asked now curious.

It took a moment for Izuku to decide, but he was fairly sure his plan would work. "Well, you charge your body with electricity right? Maybe you could trigger an adrenaline rush? People have more strength than they realize and adrenaline can help."

The boy seemed to consider it. "Hmm...That actually could work. I think I've read an article about something like that happening actually. I'll...I'll give it a try! Thanks! I'm Kaminari by the way!"

Izuku shared his name and a smile with the boy as he nodded and walked off. Now all he had to do was wait.

"Be ready Nana." He muttered.

She was. For when Kaminari charged up his body, she as right there and Izuku immediately felt the rush of warmth signifying his power-up. Squeezing the device as hard as he could, Izuku felt the warmth fade away. He looked at Kaminari as he shivered harshly as everyone seemed to do when in contact with Nana, but luckily the boy seemed to pass it off as part of his quirk and tried again.

Looking down at his device, Izuku was happy to see a score of 150 kg. If he was correct, that gave him one of the highest scores in the match! He reported it to Aizawa proudly, unaware of the man's suspicious stare as he marked it down.

Third Test: Standing Long Jump

Izuku needed no fancy gimmick on this test. He was third up but before Uraraka. He hoped she followed in his footsteps as he activated his quirk mid-jump allowing himself to continue floating passed the testing area. Aizawa rolled his eyes but marked down the max score for him.

His smile was open and happy as he heard his fellow students praise his skill and quirk. Was this how Bakugou felt? Izuku had to admit, it felt nice to be appreciated...

Speaking of Bakugou, Izuku was eager to see his score was the same as Izuku's seeing as how they both floated using their separate quirks. "Good job, Kacchan!" Izuku called out as the spikey redhead ran over to Bakugou. He only received a glare in return as Bakugou turned his attention to the redhead. It didn't matter though, Izuku's mood couldn't have been deterred.

Fifth Test: Ball Throw

Izuku figured his position in class was almost guaranteed, so he laid off on the repeated side-step test. He didn't want to overuse his quirk too much and risk making himself sick. Among the other students who weren't using their quirk for that part either, he ranked fairly well! He knew that the rest of the tests would be similar with the only other test he needed his quirk on being the distance run, but it was getting pretty clear to everyone that they were less and less able to reply on their quirks as the test focused more on physical fitness than skill.

But now it was time for the ball throw. This one, Izuku was nervous about. He couldn't really trick Kaminari into charging his quirk for him seeing as how they were going one at a time. So that meant he had to rely on his levitation quirk.

Nana's encouragement in his ear, Izuku stepped into the circle and grabbed the ball. He took a deep breath as he calmed his stomach. He knew what he needed to do. He couldn't throw very far on the ground, but if he gave himself some air, he could throw the ball farther than the students who couldn't use their quirk on the test. Students like the creation girl would surpass him, but he would still get a fairly average score.

This in mind, Izuku reaching inside himself and tried activating his quirk.

Now, Izuku knew what his levitation quirk felt like. And he also knew what his spirit quirk felt like. So there was no reason he should have felt such a blinding heat inside himself so suddenly when trying to use his quirk.

Immediately, he fell to his knees feeling like he was standing on the surface of the sun. 'Nana what's happening?!' he called out in his head only to receive silence. 'Nana?'

The heat seemed to be too much as Izuku cried out. He could feel the sweat pouring from his forehead as arms started to move him onto his back.

"Woah what's wrong with him?"

"He's sweating like a pig!" "But he's not even hot."

Just as suddenly, the heat vanished and was replaced with the chill he had come to expect regularly.

"Izuku?! Izuku can you hear me?! I'm here, sweetie, I'm here!"

"Jeez, he's freezing now!" "What?-"

"All of you get back!"

The voices rushed passed Izuku and he realized he had closed his eyes at some point. Opening them, he saw the worried faces of Uraraka, Iida, and the less noticeable, but still there face of Mr. Aizawa all leaning over him.

"Modoriya, can you hear me?" This time the phrase came from Mr. Aizawa and Izuku nodded slowly. The teacher sighed in relief. "Can you sit up?"

Again, Izuku nodded and felt several pairs of hands helping him to sit up. "W-What happened?" He asked looking around to see the entire class standing around him.

"I-I don't know! You just collapsed!" Uraraka shrugged nervously with Iida nodding beside her.

Aizawa seemed to think it was a good time to chime in. "Everyone, take a 10-minute break while I handle this." He ordered. "Now!" He said a little more forceful when nobody seemed to want to listen.

That triggered movement as everyone reluctantly dispersed leaving Aizawa and Izuku kneeling in the circle of the ball throw.

"Sir? Did I do something wrong?"

"He's Eraserhead, Izuku. He took you quirk! I couldn't reach you!" Nana said suddenly as Izuku felt warmth all around him. Nana was holding him. Or at least trying to. Izuku could hear the tears in her voice and he was honestly very confused.

Mr. Aizawa ducked his head before shaking it. "No...You didn't do anything. Here, let's get you on the bench and I'll explain."

Izuku was helped up by Aizawa with more care than he thought the man had. "Can you walk fine?"

Again, Izuku nodded. Even so, Izuku felt Aizawa's hand on his shoulder ready to catch him should he fall. They were both silent as they made their way to a bench. While Izuku sat down, Aizawa stayed standing in front of him.

"I erased your quirk," Aizawa explained which Izuku already knew from Nana, but it was nice to hear again.

"You're...Eraserhead." Izuku said rubbing the dried sweat from his forehead. "But why would you take my quirk away?"

"Because he's an inconsiderate asshole who should never be around children let alone in a school." Nana's retort came with a rage Izuku had never heard before and it surprised him. "I'm sorry, Izuku. I'm just upset. I couldn't reach you anymore and I was worried when you collapsed."

Izuku wrapped his arms around his middle almost like returning the hug Nana was currently giving him, but it didn't have the same effect, he knew.

Aizawa sighed as he looked Izuku over. "I was going to make a point about you overusing your quirk. I've read through your file and it doesn't match with the strengths you displayed today. Whether that means you were wrong about your quirk, or something else entirely is yet to be determined, but I promise you that I didn't know you would react that way to your quirk being taken."

It was as close to an apology as Izuku knew he was going to get so he nodded. "Um...My resting body temperature is 32 degrees." It was a shock to both Izuku and his mother when the doctor told them, but apparently it was fine as long as Izuku didn't show any adverse symptoms.

"Ah. So when you quirk was taken, your body went from that to a normal temperature and it was like you were running a fever." Mr. Aizawa seemed to understand. "As I said, I didn't know that would happen and I understand if you would like to speak to the principal about what happened today."

"He better hope he can still get a job on the same continent as you after this!"

Despite Nana's anger, Izuku shook his head. "It's fine. Mistakes happen. I'm fine."

"What?! Izuku no that's-"

Aizawa seemed surprised at his response before his usual calm mask slipped into place. "Fine...You're excused from the ball throwing portion of the test. I'll give you an average score as a place holder if you feel like you want to try again after the rest of your class goes. And you're sure you're alright? You don't need to see Recover Girl?"

Izuku shook his head and mustered up a small smile. "I'm fine, Mr. Aizawa."

The teacher left him to it then as he walked off to instruct the rest of the students as they filed in.

"Izuku how could you just let him off like that?" Nana demanded affronted even as Izuku felt her brush against his cheek.

"He didn't mean for it to happen, Nana. It was an accident." Izuku sighed, stretching his arms out. "If he really wanted to hurt me he would have waited until I was in the air and let me fall."

"But he's a teacher. He- He-"

"Was just trying to teach me a lesson about overusing my quirk." "But you weren't going to!"

Izuku let the dots connect in his mind in favor of speaking instead. He maybe wasn't going to overuse his quirk then, but he had overused his quirk twice before. Both around Shinsou.

"Are you saying-"

Mr. Aizawa was one of Shinsou's foster dad's. It made sense. He was a teacher at UA. Shinsou's sudden inspiration about his hero costume. All of it fell together. So it would make sense that Aizawa would want to make a statement to Izuku about overusing his quirk. He had scared Shinsou twice already with it. Even if Aizawa didn't know the specifics of the entrance exam, Izuku knew Shinsou was pretty shaken.

"See, Nana. He's just a dad worried about his own kid."

"Doesn't mean I have to like him."

Izuku was saved from having to respond as Iida and Uraraka walked over to his spot on the bench. Uraraka smiled as she handed over a cold water bottle. "Hey, Midoriya. You're looking a lot better!"

"Do you mind sharing what happened back there?" Iida asked worry and curiosity in his eyes.

With a shrug of his shoulders, Izuku tried to seem as nonchalant as possible. "Mr. Aizawa accidentally triggered a quirk malfunction. But I'm fine! I'm just resting for now. I'll be back out there in a bit!"

"Are you sure that's wise?" Iida's concern was strong, but Izuku had plenty of practice convincing others of his wellbeing.

"Mhm! Really I'm okay! Thanks for the water!" Izuku took a sip of the cold water with a smile, even standing with little issue. This seemed to soothe their worries enough for them to back off. For that, Izuku was grateful.

Walking back over to the ball throw, Izuku had to reassure a couple of other students that hew as fine before he was left undisturbed. Taking the opportunity, he sat and watched as everyone else took the ball throwing test. He paused, making mental notes on occasion about their quirks and potential uses, but mostly he basked in the fact that he was still there.

After everything, he was still standing! Still smiling! Just like a hero! Chapter End Notes

Discord Link: https/discord.gg/z8VKRxS

First Day Part 2

Chapter Notes

Short chapter this time! Mostly a transitional one!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Izuku stepped forward as soon as the last student was done with their ball throw. "Um, Mr.

Aizawa, I'd like to try to ball throw again..."

The entire class' jaws dropped as they gawked at him.

"Are you serious?! You just ate shit less than 30 minutes ago, you damn nerd! Are you trying to kill yourself?! Do you think you have something to prove?" Bakugou spat, as he stomped over towards Izuku. His hand was smoking as he went to grab Izuku's shoulder, but he was intercepted by Aizawa's capture weapon wrapping around his shoulder.

"I don't think that's any of your business, Bakugou. And using quirks on other students is forbidden under UA's rules. Are you trying to get expelled today?" Aizawa sneered as he pulled the boy back into line. "Take a lap and get it out of your system before you hurt someone."

Bakugou luckily seemed to have the good sense to keep his mouth shut, instead, he stomped away, actually starting a lap around the large track. His fists clenched by his sides sparked but never fully exploded as he went. Almost immediately, the redhead boy followed after him.

At once, the class's attention turned back to Izuku who was shifting nervously under their gaze.

"If you feel up to it, go ahead. But don't push yourself too hard." Aizawa warned as he handed the ball over.

Izuku had no idea where it came from, but he couldn't help but retort, "Weren't you the one who said we had to push ourselves to the brink if we wanted to succeed?"

It was rude and by the gasps of his classmates behind him, they knew it too. There was a deathly quiet moment as Izuku waited for Aizawa to send him to the principal for disrespect, but suddenly

the teacher just smirked.

"That I did...Well, go on then. We don't have all day."

The surprises weren't stopping it seemed...

Izuku stepped into the circle, feeling Nana's soothing touch down his arm. "Take it easy on this one, sweetie. You don't want to overdo it."

Rather than nodding, Izuku took a large steadying breath and activated his quirk. His levitation took him about two meters off the ground before Izuku felt his stomach tense slightly. He was quick then, winding his arm back and chunking the ball ahead with as much force as he could muster. As soon as it left his hand, he floated back down to the ground so as not to make himself sick. The ball bounced to a stop in the distance and Izuku turned to Aizawa for his score.

"Hmm. Not bad." The man said turning the device around so Izuku could see that it said 137.2 meters. More than enough to beat the times of the students who couldn't use their quirks to help them. And 'not bad' from Aizawa had to have been some kind of compliment. Izuku knew that was rare. It made Izuku feel a lot better.

The rest of the tests were unremarkably standard. Which meant everyone was buzzing with excitement to see the final scoreboard.

Aizawa smirked as he held his phone up to project the results.

1. Yaoyorozu Momo 2. Todoroki Shouto

3. Bakugou Katsuki

4. Midoriya Izuku

5. Iida Tenya

6. Tokoyami Fumikage 7. Shoji Mezo

8. Ojiro Mashirao 9. Uraraka Ochako 10. Kirishima Eijiro

Admittedly, Izuku tuned out after that. He was satisfied with knowing he was in the top 10 and not last.

"See! I knew you could do it!" Nana cheered for him, causing Izuku to smile brightly.

"And you will all be relieved to know that I lied about expelling the last person. It was a tactical ruse to push you to do your best." Aizawa said nonchalantly as he slipped the device into his pocket.

Oh right. Izuku felt guilty as he thought about how he hadn't even looked at last place. He was just relieved it wasn't him. Eyes scanning over the group, he found the student with the most relief who appeared to be the shortest one. From what Izuku observed during the test, he had orbs on his head that he could detach and stick to anything except himself. A neat quirk but not very useful in the tests besides the side steps.

"Y-you mean I'm not going home?!" The boy shouted and Izuku flinched.

Aizawa sighed. "I don't like repeating myself you know. Now, head to the showers and get cleaned up."

Izuku followed along with the rest of his classmates as they went into the showers and split up. He was the last one in which meant he got the shower closest to the door, but that didn't really matter

to him. Everyone seemed pretty intent on minding their own business so he stripped out of his gym uniform quickly. The quirk malfunction left him feeling gross and sticky the rest of the class and he was finally glad to wash it all off. It seemed it was true for all of them as the locker room was mostly silent except for the running water.

It was as they were all getting dressed that chatter started commencing once more. Izuku wasn't really interested in participating in it as he focused on tying his tie like Nana showed him and contemplating his next move. He needed to talk to Aizawa alone.

"Does that mean you're gonna..."

'Yeah...' Izuku was going to explain his quirk.

"Are you sure that's wise? I know he may be Shinsou's foster parent, but does that really make him trustworthy with something like this?"

'He's my teacher. I can't hope to improve my quirk without him knowing it's full capabilities...' Izuku moved on to tying his shoes, perhaps slower than usual as the class started to file out.

"That isn't the whole reason is it?" Nana knew him too well.

Izuku sighed. 'No, it isn't. If he took the news about my quirk well, or even just believed me, I'd probe him to get his opinion on quirk transferring. Or at least I'll try to. Don't worry though. I won't tell him about All Might or One for All.'

"That's not what I'm worried about." But Nana didn't elaborate on what she meant and before Izuku could ask, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Jerking his head over, Izuku saw Iida standing beside him looking very worried.

"Midoriya, I seriously think you should go see Recovery Girl. You've been staring at your untied shoes for 3 minutes now." He explained. "You've been off since you had that quirk malfunction."

Izuku blinked in surprise at Iida paying such close attention to him. He was so used to being ignored or sinking into the background that it was odd hearing someone have concern for him that wasn't Nana or his mother or Shinsou. "Oh, I'll be fine! I'm just thinking about some stuff." Izuku bent down, quickly tying both shoes before standing back up.

"You say you're fine but your actions say different." Iida just wasn't letting it go.

"Well, I'm planning on talking to Mr. Aizawa after class today anyway. If he thinks I need to see Recovery Girl, I will! I promise!" Izuku said smiling reassuringly at Iida hoping it was enough to ease his worries.

Luckily, it was as Iida relaxed, probably having complete faith in Mr. Aizawa's abilities to see through Izuku's ruse. "Alright. We better get going before he comes looking for us."

"Right..." Izuku said as they both headed out, bags thrown over their shoulder.

"Izuku start running."

'Wha- Why?!'

"He needs to lighten up a bit. No kid needs to be so serious. Come on...have a little fun!" Nana urged tapping Izuku on the shoulder quickly.

With an eye roll, Izuku took off ahead. "Midoriya?! What are you-"

"Race you back to class!" Izuku shouted back as he ran down the sidewalk to the building. He could hear Iida's fast strides behind him and just knew the other boy's longer legs would aid him in beating Izuku even without his quirk. He really didn't care about winning though. Nana was right, it was unexpectedly fun.

Izuku watched as Iida passed him up before stopping right at the entrance back into the building. Their smiles were happy as the pair caught up and Iida opened the door. "We shouldn't run in the halls of UA, but thank you for the challenge. I realize I should work on my stamina for running without my quirk in case It was ever nullified in batt-"

"It was just supposed to be fun, Iida," Izuku informed him as they walked down the hall.

"Fun?" Iida said curiously. "I can have fun." The way he spoke was defensive as if someone had told him before he was incapable of having fun. Izuku assumed they had. Iida clearly had a complicated personality and it could easily be misunderstood. Their interactions during the exams were proof of that.

"Good." Izuku agreed as they made it to the classroom.

"Ah about time you two showed up. I was just about to pass out the syllabus." Aizawa noted indifferently as the two students moved to their desks.

"My apologies, sir. We were just-"

"It's fine. Here, pass these out for me." Aizawa held out a stack of papers that Izuku assumed to be the syllabus and Iida's face lit up.

"Yes, sir!"

Iida was a complex student alright, but Izuku felt that it would be nice to get to know him.

"See? You need more friends, honey."

'I know.' Chapter End Notes

Discord Link: https/discord.gg/z8VKRxS

Misunderstanding

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

The end of class came sooner than Izuku realized as Aizawa almost mechanically went over things like grading policies and student conduct. The bottom line seemed to be that no cheating or violence or bullying would be tolerated. Which was common sense so Izuku felt confident in his ability to follow.

As everyone began packing up and leaving, Izuku stayed back, walking up to Mr. Aizawa's podium when it was just the two of them.

"Did you have a question about the syllabus?" Aizawa asked raising an eyebrow.

"No, sir. I just...I just wanted to talk about what happened. Y'know...my quirk malfunction." Izuku was nervous about coming clean about his quirk, but he knew it was something important. "My quirk is...complicated."

Aizawa seemed to grow serious as he heard that, immediately straightening up. "Well, it's part of my job to uncomplicate it for you. So perhaps you'd like to pull up a chair."

Izuku nodded, pulling over a desk to sit in while Aizawa sat down on top of another desk. "Are...Are you going to tell my mom? Or anyone else?" Izuku asked fiddling with his thumbs. He had to make sure. The last thing he needed was some secret organization busting down his door in the middle of the night to kidnap him and perform tests to see how he was seemingly immortal.

That seemed to interest Aizawa even more as he leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. "Midoriya, anything you say in confidence stays in this room between the two of us. But I won't lie to you, if I feel like you are an immediate danger to yourself or others or that you are under any kind of duress, I'm obligated to report that."

Immediately Izuku shook his head. "It's nothing like that. It's just about my quirk." He said quickly, finally meeting Aizawa's eyes to show his sincerity.

"Then I see no problem in keeping this between the two of us."

"Good...that's good."

"Izuku, you don't have to do this. Really. I can tell how anxious this is making you. It's only your first day." Even so, Nana's hand carded through his hair comfortingly helping Izuku to relax.

'I do though. He should know.'

Nana had no retort for that, but Izuku could feel her discomfort with the idea. "Um...Floating isn't my entire quirk."

"I gathered that, yes. Floating doesn't usually cause your body temperature to be lower. It also doesn't give you the ability to take down robots just by being in their proximity." Aizawa explained, taking a notepad off his podium. "So how about you start with the things you can do. And from there we'll figure out why you can do them."

That was a lot easier actually. Izuku didn't have to lie. He just had to keep some information to himself. "I can do that. Um...I can...take energy from things. Like the robots. It gives me a power boost."

He watched as Aizawa wrote everything down.

"And your file says you were a late bloomer. In fact, you didn't have your quirk registered until you were enrolling in UA." Aizawa pointed out. "Yet you have a lot of control already."

Izuku couldn't help but think that was thanks to Nana. She was the one who gave him energy. Really all he had to worry about was not vomiting when he used his floating too much. "It's mostly instinctual."

Aizawa nodded, making more notes. "Have you ever accidentally used your quirk? Maybe in situations of high stress?"

"When I get scared." Nana defends him when he gets scared. It feels kind of cheap taking all the credit for the quirk when Nana did most of it for him.

"Don't sell yourself short, Izuku. It's your plans and ideas that help me to help you."

"You must have been pretty scared to have your quirk activate so late in life."

Izuku's brain screeched to a stop as the words left Aizawa's mouth. What did he mean by that?

"I mean that most kids get their quirks at a young age, but yours came in the last year. In most cases that happens because there's a trigger that finally brings out the quirk." Aizawa explained patiently. "So I assume something happened and must have scared you enough for your quirk to trigger."

Izuku didn't even know he had asked that out loud. And now he felt nerves creeping back in. He couldn't understand why Aizawa was focusing so much on how his quirk was triggered. Weren't they supposed to figure out what he could do first? "I just...fell."

"Falling triggered your quirk?" "Yeah."

"It must have been pretty high up."

"Y-Yeah..." The concrete had rushed up to meet him. He could still smell the burning sweet scent of Bakugou's smoking palms pushing him over the edge. He didn't want to hit the ground. He was scared of dying a second time. At least the first time was his choice. But then again the second time ended up not being his choice either. He was up covered in his own blood looking down at himself as if it were a movie.

Belatedly, he realized Aizawa had been talking to him. But Izuku knew they were getting off track. Aizawa was treating him like he didn't know what his quirk was, but he did. "Mr. Aizawa, I have a spirit that's bonded to me that helps me with my quirk." He spat out watching as Aizawa froze mid-word.

"Midoriya...that is a very bold claim." He asked instead, very seriously. "You have to understand how that sounds."

Right. He thought Izuku was crazy. Or confused. Filled with a sense of determination, Izuku held his chin up almost in defiance. "I can prove it."

"...Please do." Aizawa encouraged with a nod. "I do want to believe you, Midoriya. But I need proof."

The proof is what he received as the lights started to dim and flicker in an indecipherable pattern above his head. The teacher's head jerked up to watch right before a shiver shook him from his seat on the desk.

'Nana that's enough.' Izuku decided when he felt his point was made. At once, the activity stopped and Aizawa was silent for a moment. The silence didn't last long, however, as he seemed to get a grip on whatever thoughts were floating through his head.

"Right...That does explain the control even with being a late bloomer." He said writing things down. "Is there anything else you can tell me about this...Spirit?"

"Keep me a spirit, Izuku. I do not know him, but he may know me. Better to be safe than sorry."

Nana said softly making it sound more like a request. As if Izuku would ever deny her the right to her own privacy like that. "Sweetie I know you wouldn't. I'm just being cautious."

That made Izuku feel slightly better as he looked at Aizawa who seemed to be waiting patiently. "She's...not like the spirits you see in films. She isn't vengeful or angry. I think...She chose to be here instead of passing on." Izuku never had to put it into words before. It was honestly harder than he thought.

"And you say she helps you?"

Izuku nodded immediately with no sign of hesitation. "She does. A lot. Especially with my quirk. In fact...She's really the one that handles the energy part. I can really only do the floating by myself."

There was a moment of silence as Aizawa made a couple more notes before suddenly he shuddered again. Harsher this time and Izuku could feel the warmth inside signifying Nana was taking energy, albeit a small amount.

"Nana, stop that!" Izuku demanded immediately. "What are you doing?!"

Izuku watched as Aizawa's shuddering stopped leaving him panting and slightly slumped over on

the desk, the pad of paper had fallen to the floor face up and Izuku bent down to pick it up.

"I was reading what he wrote. I just- Izuku he's wrong!" Nana pleaded as Izuku looked down at the writing and started to scan it for what seemed to make Nana so upset. "I would never hurt you!"

The notes seemed pretty standard, mostly marking Izuku's abilities and other things they had discussed. That is...until Izuku got to the bottom.

Trauma induced quirk?

Midoriya seems to be in control, but further observation necessary Possible possession

Exercism necessary?

Spirits intentions unknown

Research needed into possible separation methods Manipulative motivations?

Izuku felt his stomach drop as he read through it all. He had been glad to see Aizawa's understanding of the whole situation, but this was different. Even after Izuku had tried to explain how Nana was peaceful, Aizawa didn't seem to believe him. He had been so happy to finally be able to share his quirk with an adult Izuku hadn't stopped to think about Aizawa's motives.

"Midoriya, I was just writing things down that came to mind," Aizawa tried explaining as he seemed to see Izuku's emotions play out on his face. "I didn't-"

"You're wrong!" Izuku shouted suddenly, ripping the page from the pad and crumbling it up. "She wouldn't hurt me! I told you she wouldn't!" Izuku had never felt so angry, but most of it was on Nana's behalf. How dare Aizawa accuse her of anything! Izuku had come to him in confidence because he thought the man could help them both grow stronger, but this-

"I know," Aizawa raised his hands up in surrender as he took a step away from Izuku to give him space. "I should have trusted your judgment. You know her better than me right?"

Izuku thought the question was rhetorical but Aizawa seemed to be looking for an actual response. "...Yeah. You don't know her at all!" He said defensively, putting the fresh pad of paper down and stuffing the notes into his backpack. No way would he leave them behind.

"I don't know her. Exactly." Aizawa seemed to be treating him like a wounded animal, giving him space and speaking quietly. "I'm wrong. I admit that. I just want to help you, Midoriya. I'm a teacher. That's what I do."

"You're doing it wrong." Izuku sounded like a petulant child but he couldn't help it. He wanted to be angry at Aizawa. But the man was admitting his mistake. As he said, he wanted to help Izuku. But Izuku didn't feel like he was comfortable continuing their conversation anymore.

"Then we should leave, honey. You don't owe him an explanation. We can try again another time, but you've had a rough day today. Let's get you home. Inko will be excited to hear about your first day." Nana cooed reassuringly, hugging Izuku warmly.

Izuku nodded and saw Aizawa's slight confusion. "I'm leaving. I don't want to talk anymore."

He expected the nod that came his way as he grabbed his bag and tossed it over his shoulder. "Alright. And as I said I won't share this conversation with anyone else. I won't even keep a written record if it helps you know I am sincere."

"Okay...I'm leaving now."

Aizawa didn't seem to want to stop him, so Izuku headed for the door. "See you tomorrow, Mr. Aizawa."

"See you tomorrow, child."

Izuku left quickly, glad to see there wasn't anyone around to question him as he ran to the entrance gate. His day was mostly fun, despite the apparent fake looming threat of expulsion, the fact that his quirk was taken, and the fact that Aizawa seemed to believe Nana was some kind of demon who wanted to use Izuku to get what she wanted.

"Izuku, sweetie, it's alright. We'll keep our eyes on him and make sure he keeps to his word alright? I want you to be able to trust him seeing as how he's going to be your teacher. We all just got off on the wrong foot, alright?"

Nana's words were placating, but Izuku nodded anyway. He trusted his quirk to keep them together and he trusted Nana to keep him safe. He could tell this pleased her as her warmth never left his body the entire jog home. When he finally got home and changed out of his uniform, he flopped onto his bed and started to check his phone for messages.

Surprisingly there were a few from Shinsou.

To Midoriya: Hey, sorry about this morning. I fell asleep in the staff lounge and barely woke up in time for class

To Shinsou: That's fine. I was almost the last one to class anyway.

To Midoriya: We'll have to go out for ramen later. How was your first day though? You missed

the orientation ceremony.

To Shinsou: Aizawa made us take a quirk assessment test. To rank our potential. I got 4th place.

To Midoriya: Yikes. But good job.

To Shinsou: Yeah...I tried telling him about Nana.

Izuku spent the next hour telling Shinsou all about his day from Iida greeting him before class to Izuku running home. Shinsou apologized for keeping Aizawa being his foster dad a secret, but Izuku waved him off. He explained that he understood the precaution and didn't hold it against him.

On the other hand, Shinsou seemed just as upset as Izuku did when Izuku told Shinsou about the notes. Shinsou had been around Izuku and Nana to know she would never hurt him. She only protected him. It got to the point where Izuku was defending Aizawa to Shinsou as the boy seemed more and more irritated.

To Midoriya: If it weren't for the fact that my other dad doesn't know, I'd go up to him right now and give him a piece of my mind.

"I knew I always liked him," Nana said smugly and Midoriya relayed the information. Luckily that seemed to calm him down enough to where they just messaged about the orientation ceremony and the syllabus. Aside from Shinsou not having the quirk tests, there really didn't seem much of a difference between 1-A and 1-B.

To Midoriya: Do you care if we walk home together tomorrow? Maybe we can go to the ramen shop as well.

To Shinsou: Oh yeah! Let's do that!

With any luck, it could become a tradition of theirs...And just like that, the pair seemed to forget

about the stresses of the day in favor of happier topics. Chapter End Notes

This chapter was pretty hard to write! I have 5 rough drafts hidden away but this version seemed like the best to me! Hope you like it!

Discord Link: https/discord.gg/z8VKRxS

Battle Training Part 1

Chapter Notes

New chapter finally!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Izuku was relieved when Aizawa gave no hint about their conversation during his teachings. He was still the same grumpy instructor, but he never treated Izuku differently. Over the next week, Izuku found himself falling into a rhythm. He would wake up early most days and take the time to make a simple breakfast for himself and his mother who would shuffle in right as he's about to finish his food. She takes time to wake up while he gets dressed and ready and by the time he's walking to the door, she's there smiling happily. She wishes him a good day at school every day and sends Izuku off.

Now, Izuku could ride public transport, but he found it easier to just walk the way to school. He needed the exercise now that the beach was clean and walking was a great way to do it. He arrived at school at his usual time and it seemed that the first day was an isolated incident of him being one of the last to arrive. Nowadays, he turned out to be one of the first. Iida was always ahead of him, greeting him with the same enthusiasm he always had.

"Good morning, Midoriya! I hope you slept well! Looking forward to today?" He asks every time and Izuku always nods. Because he does look forward to every day. Even when it's regular lectures about history or English, Izuku can't help but listen with rapt attention. He takes studious notes as always, which also makes Iida happy and the pair often go over the morning's lessons during lunch. That is, until Uraraka chimes in with a groan about how boring talk shouldn't be allowed at the lunch table. Even Asui, another one of their classmates that Uraraka brought to their group, manages to chime in despite her often quiet nature.

By the time the rest of the day's lessons pass by as normal, Izuku often waits by the gate for Shinsou to come out. As they walk their way home, they share their experiences throughout the day. Almost exact, curriculum wise. But Aizawa tended to teach more cohesively, anticipating questions before they're asked and working the answers into his lecture. Vlad King, the 1-B homeroom teacher, tended to have more class discussions when questions arose.

Nana seemed to enjoy the days that followed Izuku's talk with Aizawa. She was enamored with every detail about UA, always telling Izuku how it differed from her time roaming the halls. Those little tidbits often put a smile on Iida's face as Izuku relayed them. It got to the point where Iida dove into research about their new school, even citing old student handbooks when Izuku brought up a fact he recognized. Of course, this was before Uraraka would distract them.

"I can't believe even when you don't talk about school, you still try to talk about school." She always says it as a joke so Izuku and Iida never feel bad, but it was nice to have a reminder that not everything had to be about academics.

It was nice, but everyone was antsy about their next training exercise. The kind that would put them apart from a regular high school.

They got their wish the very next week as they waited for Aizawa to shuffle into class.

"I am...Here! Coming through the door like a hero!" They heard announced from the doorway and all speaking ceased as they watched All Might march in wearing his Silver Age uniform.

The chatter picked up immediately as everyone whispered about how much they admired him and how cool he looked. Even Izuku couldn't keep a small smile off his face. He might not have had the best history with All Might, but there was no denying he was a powerful hero. If he were teaching them, there had to have been something amazing planned.

As All Might introduced that they will practice combat training, the room split into several groups. There were those like Kacchan who was filled to the brim with excitement. There were those like Uraraka who was slightly worried about how the battles would happen. And there were some like Izuku who were both.

"But! One of the keys to being a hero is...Looking good!" As All Might said it, slots in the wall began to pull out exposing cases with numbers. "These were designed for you based on your quirk registration forms and the requests you sent in before school started!"

Immediately an uproar began. Even Nana was cheering along with the students. "You see, Izuku? This is one thing that never changes no matter how many years it's been!"

Each student collected their assigned case before All Might began leading them outside. UA's campus was so huge they had to take a large shuttle cart to get where they needed to be. And when they were there they were herded off into the changing rooms to put on their new costumes.

Izuku was very very excited and nervous as he opened up his own case. He had agonized over his request form for so long, and of course, he knew the people who made their suits could make any alterations they felt were necessary. There was no telling what it would look like!

"Hurry up, I can't wait to see! I hope they got the colors right!" Nana urged Izuku who was just staring at his case.

It was the final push he needed to open up the case, seeing his suit packed neatly inside. _

"Clothes make the pros, young ladies and gentlemen! And behold! You are the proof! From now on you are all heroes in training!"

Izuku stepped out of the changing room, pulling his gloves on still. His costume was almost exactly what he envisioned it to be. The only difference was the detail put into it. Not only him it seemed as everyone else looked just as amazing in their costumes as well.

"Oh my- Just look at all of you!" Nana cooed. "Ready for battle already!"

"You all look so cool!" All Might praised with his wild smile and Nana squealed in agreement.

"Oh Toshi, I barely know any of them, and yet I'm already proud! They're going to do great things."

Izuku felt like he wasn't supposed to hear that last part, so he chose to ignore it as he lined up with the rest of his class.

"Oh, Izuku! I love your costume! I can see you took inspiration from a few heroes!" Uraraka said pointing to his mask styled after Eraserhead's goggles. The function wasn't the same so it was mainly aesthetically designed, but the yellow matched that of his gloves. "But it's subtle too! Were you going for All Might's colors?"

Izuku was confused about what she meant before it clicked. All Might's costumes usually consisted of blue, yellow, red, and white. Of course, it seemed like he was emulating All Might when it was really Nana he took inspiration from.

"Who do you think Toshi got it from?" Nana said smugly as Izuku tried to explain how he hadn't even thought about it looking like All Might slightly.

"Well, in any case, you look great! I should have been more specific about what I wanted." Uraraka said shyly. "This bodysuit is skin tight! Not really my style."

Izuku hadn't noticed before, but when called attention too, he did see how the costume hugged Uraraka's body very closely and his cheeks couldn't help but heat up.

"Her eyes are up there, Izuku!" Nana teased him, and Izuku felt her touch his cheeks as if pinching them.

'Hush! It's not like that!' He shouted back in his mind before addressing Uraraka. "Well, maybe they weren't sure if your quirk could penetrate thick fabric. Like if you wanted to make yourself float? In that case tighter, thinner fabric would work best."

Uraraka's eyes widened as she listened to him. "Oh, that's so smart! That actually makes sense! And here I thought they just wanted to make it look sexy!"

That made Izuku's blush worse as he turned his head as if to look at the others. "Uh...Yeah!" He said after clearing his throat.

"Listen up, students!" All Might called their attention back and Izuku was amazed at the quick silence that followed as everyone tuned in. "For this training exercise, you will be split into teams consisting of good guys and bad guys. The exercise involves these groups going head to head in teams of two in close quarters!"

Immediately questions started coming from all around. Surprisingly though, not from Izuku. Said boy was amazed as his classmates shouted their questions with the same excitement he usually had.

"Hold it now! I wasn't finished explaining!" All Might said with a semi-forced chuckle. "But your enthusiasm is appreciated! Now, the villain team is tasked with hiding a nuclear missile somewhere in their hideout! The hero team must foil their plans by either capturing them or finding the missile without being captured themselves! Now I'm sure you're wondering how the teams will be chosen..."

Izuku watched with the rest of his class as All Might reached for one out of several boxes at his feet. "You will be drawing lots!" He announced holding it up.

"Lots? Isn't there a more professional way to handle the teams? Like comparative skill?" Iida asked in general and Izuku was drawn to the fact that Iida's costume looked like Ingenium! It made sense after all! Their quirks were identical and Izuku remembered Ingenium being part of a family agency! But now wasn't the time for fanboying.

"I can see what you mean, but heroes don't usually get to pick who they fight with in real battles, so keeping it random helps stick to the authenticity of the exercise!" Izuku told Iida with a smile as the taller boy nodded in realization.

They got into a rough line to draw lots and Izuku found himself in last right behind the bird-headed student he had seen during the entrance exam. After receiving a small orb with a letter printed on it, they split up to find their teammate.

Izuku himself was surprised and relieved to see he was teamed with Uraraka! They had similar quirks, and they had already worked together somewhat! It was almost perfect!

"Oh...Midoriya, my boy, I'd like to switch you to a different partner..." All Might said calmly. "I

feel you would learn more about the lesson here if you were with someone with a quirk not so similar to your own."

Immediately Uraraka and Izuku's faces dropped, but he was right of course. "Who should I partner with then..." He asked looking around. They had an even number of students in the class so there was no way for him to know who he would be partnered with until All Might said.

"Good question! Attention, students! Raise your hand if you wouldn't mind switching partners with Midoriya!" He said and to Izuku's surprise, almost the entire class raised their hand. Kacchan of course just sneered at him, Uraraka couldn't, and well...he couldn't tell if the invisible girl was raising her hand or just stretching.

"Modoriya you can team up with Todoroki, then!" All Might announced. "Glad that's settled! Now, let's see who we have up first!"

Izuku walked over to the split haired boy he knew to be Todoroki Shouto and smiled. Todoroki wasn't very talkative. In fact, he often only spoke when called on. And when he was called out he always gave the right answer. He was smart but introverted. "My name is Midoriya Izuku-"

"I know." The boy answered flatly. Which made Izuku shrink back a little. "Oh...Well, I look forward to working together!"

Todoroki said nothing and Izuku was left awkwardly standing off to the side as All Might drew the first villain and hero pair.

"Alright! We have...Team D as the villains and Team B as the heroes!"

Izuku looked down at the new orb he was given and saw that that was him. Looking up, he immediately zoned in on the borderline feral smile Bakugou was giving him as he held up his own ball marked 'D'. Oh no...

"Group 1! Bakugou and Iida as villains VS Midoriya and Todoroki as heroes! Villains, you have ten minutes to set up before the heroes come inside! Make it snappy! Heroes, I'd be using this time to formulate a plan before you charge in!" All Might advised as he shooed the other students into a

building. "We'll be watching from in here!"

Pretty soon, Izuku was left alone with Todoroki as Bakugou and Iida (and what a pair that would be) went into the building to set up.

"So...any idea-" Izuku was cut off as Todoroki spoke. "We're splitting up."

Immediately, Izuku flinched at the coldness in Todoroki's voice. To be fair, he did ask if Todoroki had an idea, but he expected more collaborating than to just be told what their plan was. "I don't think that's such a good-"

Todoroki's mismatched eyes turned to him harshly. "And why not?"

Izuku scrambled to explain. "W-well this is supposed to be a teamwork exercise. To simulate heroes teaming up together in the real world. That defeats the lesson All Might is trying to teach if we just...split up."

He waited a minute for a response as Todoroki seemed to consider it before shaking his head. "We're splitting up. Both their quirks are pretty loud so if one of us gets captured, the other is most likely to hear it. It will also tell us if they plan on splitting up to both engage and guard the missile or if they're staying together."

"So you want one of us to sacrifice themself so the other can maybe get to the missile?" Izuku asked in disbelief and was even more blown away as Todoroki nodded. "I can tell you what their plan is! I know Kacchan and Iida-"

A bell rang signifying the end of set up time and Todoroki took off into the building leaving Izuku behind. As he disappeared down a hall, a wall of ice shot up to form a barricade to prevent Izuku from following which made the boy huff in irritation.

"What's their plan, sweetie? I'll listen." Nana offered gently as Izuku took off in the opposite direction.

'Kacchan won't stay with the missile or work with Iida. Which leaves Iida guarding the missile because he won't leave it unprotected.' Izuku explained in his head seeing as how he wasn't sure if he could be seen talking to himself. 'If I know Kacchan-'

"Which of course you do."

'Right. If I know Kacchan, he'll come for me directly. The best-case scenario is he finds Todoroki and Todoroki traps him in ice. Kacchan would rather wait for Todoroki to leave and find Iida before he breaks himself out to look for me again. So either way, I'm looking at a fight with Kacchan while Todoroki finds the missile.'

As Izuku finished his explanation, he peeked around a corner and continued to the next floor up to look for Kacchan.

"I'll scout ahead!" Nana offered and Izuku nodded. 'What does the electricity look like in here? All I see are a few lights and cameras.'

"That's basically all there is. This means I can help you a little if Bakugou shows up, but I have a feeling Toshinori will stop the battle if all the cameras go dark."

'So I'm mostly on my own...'

"I'm sorry, Izuku..."

It wasn't her fault, Izuku knew. He was just bound by his own secret. In a real villain fight, Izuku wouldn't think twice about using every resource, but here he was essentially in a maze while under the careful eye of his entire class-

"I gotcha, damn nerd!" Kacchan shouted right behind Izuku and there was no time to react as a blast knocked Izuku on his front, sending him skidding across the concrete for a few meters. Luckily, it had padding along the elbows and knees and his mask kept his face from scraping the ground.

Well, at least Todoroki would hear that.

Chapter End Notes

I'm so happy with the feedback I've been getting for this story and I hope you all enjoy the newest chapter! As the story grows I've noticed I've been getting more comments and that's great, but I find it hard to reply to every single one like I've been doing before. Even more so, I find it hard to avoid certain spoilers for future chapters. I'll try to answer as many as I can, of course, but please don't be offended or disappointed if I didn't get to your comment! I still love reading them and they help motivate me to write more!

Also! This chapter includes art made by me! I've had it drawn up since I started this fic and I am glad I finally get to share it! Let me know if the image doesn't show or something! I've never embedded a picture into a fic before!

Discord link (a good place to chat with other readers and myself!): https/discord.gg/z8VKRxS

Battle Training Part 2

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Izuku was barely able to catch his breath before he was hoisted up and shoved into the wall harshly by Kacchan. Said ashen blond nearly spat in his face as he spoke. "You think you're so powerful now? You get a shitty little quirk and you think that makes us equals?! I'm going to enjoy kicking your ass, Deku!"

Kacchan removed a hand from Izuku as he powered up his quirk and Izuku took the opportunity to duck under his other arm and run down the hall. He couldn't fight Kacchan head-on. His quirk was stronger and Izuku was already at the disadvantage!

"Izuku, sweetie, just tell me what you want me to do and I'll back you up!" Nana offered support and Izuku found himself relaxing just slightly for it. He wasn't alone in this fight. Even if Todoroki left him.

'Watch my back.' Was the only instruction Izuku gave as he darted around a corner, covering his own mouth to keep from making too much noise. Kacchan should still be following him...

His observation was correct as he heard the other boy run passed, noticing a second too late where Izuku was hiding. This was Izuku's opening as he grabbed Bakugou by his dominant hand and used his momentum to throw him onto his shoulder. Izuku watched as Bakugou collapsed onto his back, knocking the wind out of him.

"Take that you spoiled brat!" Nana sneered as she cheered.

The battle was far from over, however. Using Izuku's moment of triumph, Bakugou kicked his

legs out from under him, sending Izuku crashing to the ground with a thud.

They went back and forth on this, Izuku pushing Bakugou away, trying to flee once more. Bakugou wouldn't let that happen a second time it seemed as he used his quirk to discombobulate Izuku every time he was close to getting away. Izuku was left blinking the white spots out of his vision, ears ringing every time until Bakugou was on top of him.

The other boy grabbed the front of his costume and shook Izuku harshly. "You see? I'm still better than you! You can't beat me! I beat you in the quirk apprehension tests and I'm going to beat you

here!"

"K-Kacchan- What did I do?" Izuku couldn't help but ask, probably speaking louder than he needed to as he couldn't quite hear that well at the moment. "I kept it secret. I told Aizawa I fell!"

There was a split second of processing before Bakugou seemed to understand what he meant. By the gnashing of his teeth, Izuku could tell he had said the wrong thing even before his side lit up in pain from an explosion. It was so powerful at such close range Izuku could feel the breeze coming from the hole left as the fabric was destroyed. "You think you can get me expelled?! Is that it?! Can't beat me so you try to get rid of me! I told you, you fucking Deku, you fell on your own!"

It was the wrong thing to say, but Kacchan was acting so crazy, Izuku didn't know what to do.

"Toshi's telling him to back off or he'll cancel the battle!" Nana told him but Bakugou didn't seem to care.

"Y-You pushed me! You pushed me and I fell!" Izuku yelled loud enough for anyone in the hall to hear.

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Bakugou said gearing up for a close-range blast to Izuku's face.

'Nana! Grab him!' Izuku called out as he saw the grenade style gauntlet reach for his face for what was sure to be a knockout blow. It was his last resort now to use Nana's help. There was no way he could get out of this on his own. And how weak did that make him?

Izuku watched with his partial vision as Bakugou shivered harshly, arms shaking. "W-What the hell-"

"Use the capture tape, Izuku!"

Bakugou was easy to throw off with the added strength Nana's hold gave him as he tried to compose himself from the force of Nana's hold, but it was all the time Izuku needed as he looped the capture tape around Bakugou's wrists. His fight was weak as a kitten's leaving Izuku an easy time apprehending him finally. He didn't wait around for Nana to let go of Bakugou before he took off up the stairs to try to find Todoroki. With Bakugou down, they should have no problem taking Iida down together.

"Are you alright?" Nana asked worriedly. "You took some pretty hard hits back there." 'I'm fine. It's just a few bruises. Thank you for stepping in...'

"You never have to thank me for saving you," Nana told him firmly. "Never!"

Izuku felt her warmth along his arm as he ran to the left side of the building. There were several trails of slowly melting ice that caught Izuku's attention and he followed them until he saw the two-toned hair of Todoroki coming down the stairs. There was a split second as Todoroki saw him and raised an arm to attack, but realized in the last moment who it was in front of him. Immediately a scowl overtook his face.

"I said we were splitting up." He said walking back the way Izuku had come.

"Don't go that way!" Izuku warned. "I captured Bakugou but if I know him he's going to be pretty angry."

Todoroki paused in his steps as if finally taking in Izuku's bare side and dirtied costume. "I ran into him earlier. We had a little back and forth but he let me go. I went up to the fifth floor and started clearing the floors. The missile isn't on the fifth or fourth. We're on the third. It would be foolish to have it on the first floor. So it must be on the second." He finally explained which surprised Izuku.

"The second-floor ...makes sense." Izuku agreed. "Kacchan is captured so that leaves Iida. He's fast, but can only focus on one of us at a time."

"You float right?" Izuku nodded.

"I can freeze the entire floor of the room which should trap Iida. Which gives you time to get to the missile and then we win."

It was such a relief working as a team finally and Izuku nodded happily. The pair ran down to the second floor on the left side of the building and found the room Iida was guarding pretty easily. Iida seemed to...ahem...get into character and Izuku tried hard not to laugh at how serious he was. Even putting on a voice. Todoroki didn't have the same issue as he immediately started to freeze the floor.

"Wha- You heroes are no match for me-" Iida was interrupted as the ice started climbing up his legs, jamming his engines and keeping him stationary. "Oh no- Bakugou!" He shouted, his voice carrying far in the empty room. "Bakugou they're in here! I'm frozen to the floor!"

Izuku couldn't help but smirk in satisfaction as he activated his floating quirk and started to fly over to the missile. "He can't save you now!"

Izuku was only inches away from the missile before an intense rumbling started shaking the whole building. Without his concentration, he fell to the icy floor, struggling to get to his feet without slipping. The earthquake luckily settled soon enough, however. But that didn't last long as a hole burst open from the wall sending concrete and shrapnel everywhere. Izuku sustained a few cuts but considered himself rather lucky as that was all.

Finally, as the smoke cleared, Bakugou's smug face was revealed. "You think some shitty tape can stop me?! You're pathetic, Deku!"

"I believe you're taking the villain persona too far, Bakugou-" Iida tried to say only to be interrupted.

"Shut up, glasses! I don't care about this dumb exercise!" with a series of quick explosions, the ice coating the floor was shattered faster than it could reform. The ice broke in a path straight for Deku and he finally managed to pull himself up from the ground.

"Y-You're out! All Might said the capture tape-" "Doesn't matter! I got out!"

Izuku started floating once more, backing up onto the ice enough to be free from Bakugou's blasts. "Todoroki, freeze him!"

"I-I c-c-can't!"

Looking over, Izuku was horrified to see Todoroki's breath coming out in puffs of mist, frost spreading up from his cheek. He had overused his quirk! He was freezing! Which meant Izuku was on his own...Again!

But Bakugou wasn't advancing towards him... "Hey, Deku. You know how my quirk works don't you?" He looked like a predator who found wounded prey as he smiled, lifting his gauntlet slowly. "I secrete nitroglycerin like sweat from my pores on my hands and make it blow up. Imagine what I could do if I had a lot of it!"

It was then Izuku realized that the gauntlets weren't just for aesthetic designs. They were shaped like grenades for a reason. There was a small ticking noise as a pin poked out from the side. Kacchan didn't need to get close to him anymore. Not when he had a built-in projectile...

The earthquake from earlier made a lot of sense now. Bakugou had to get out of the capture tape...and it felt like he almost destroyed the building...and he still had another gauntlet left...and it was pointed right at Izuku.

"Bakugou, stop! You'll kill him!" Iida shouted trying in vain to untrap his engine legs. "He'll be fine as long as he dodges!" Bakugou spat as he pulled the pin with a click. Izuku's entire field of vision turned red as he suddenly felt a blast of warmth inside him.

"Run!" Nana yelled out and Izuku did just that. The floor ice was melting, which meant Izuku had a little more traction than before. That coupled with his floating propelled him off to the side in a split second just as his shoulder exploded in a flash of blinding hot pain. But despite the pain, Izuku charged ahead for the missile. The room was full of smoke and ash but Izuku didn't care. He knew where the missile was and as soon as his hand touched the cool metal he felt relief.

That is until there was no announcement.

"Izuku...I'm sorry...I...I think I fried the cameras." Nana said almost deathly quiet.

"Wha-" There was no announcement. There were no cameras. All Might didn't know the match was over...

Luckily, however, the man seemed smart enough to know that the cameras going dark meant something terrible had happened. For as the smoke finally cleared, All Might, symbol of peace, was standing in the middle of the torn apart room. Izuku was safe!

"Bakugou! I allowed you to continue the fight seeing as how you escaped your bindings, but I told you not to use that blast again! You could have seriously injured someone! I understand I said this was a mock battle, but you should know better than to cross lines like that! Get changed and go to Principal Nedzu's office this instant!" He scolded angrily pointing to the door. "This is a hero school. You'd do well to remember that."

Bakugou looked speechless as he was scolded by the man he aspired to be better than. But once the message sunk in, he threw his gauntlets down in anger and stomped away. As soon as his grumbling self had disappeared around the corner, all eyes turned to Izuku.

"Are you alright, hon?" Nana asked gently. "That shoulder doesn't look too good..."

Izuku's head turned to look at the shoulder and hissed when the motion pulled at the wound. The skin was dark and black, blistering in places and completely missing in others. And the smell- Izuku had to turn away before he made himself sick.

By the time he was able to open his eyes again, Iida, Todoroki, and All Might were rushing over to his side.

"Iida, my boy, run and get Recovery Girl. I don't want to move him if there's something wrong with his spine." All Might ordered and sighed in relief as Iida did so. The remaining pair crouched on either side of Izuku in the meantime. "Midoriya, how do you feel?"

"How the hell do you think he feels, Toshinori," Nana grumbled but Izuku waved it off.

"My shoulder stings and I think my ribs are bruised. But I don't think I have a concussion." Izuku summarized as he watched Todoroki's hand coat itself in ice and hover over his wounded shoulder. The heat from the wound immediately caused the ice to melt slightly, causing steam to rise into the air.

"I'm sorry for letting the battle go on for so long. Had I known how...Unhinged Young Bakugou would become I would have never let him rejoin the fight."

Izuku waved it off with his good hand. "You couldn't have known."

The trio was quiet as Iida arrived back with Recovery Girl. The old woman smiled down at them even as she took in the damage done to Izuku's arm. "Oh dear look what we have here. Don't worry, I'll have this healed in a jiffy."

Her lips puckered up and kissed Izuku on the forehead causing an intense wave of exhaustion to wash over him nearly knocking him out.

"Well, I was afraid that might happen." Recovery Girl sighed and Izuku forced his eyes open to hear what she had to say.

"It isn't healed yet," Todoroki mentioned in confusion.

"And it won't. Not now at least. He's too exhausted. If I tried healing him completely I could kill him." Nana gasped in Izuku's ear and Izuku echoed her sentiment. "He'll just have to rest. But I fear by the time I'm able to try again, the skin tissue will have already started healing itself."

All Might spoke next. "Isn't that good?"

Recovery Girl waved her hand. "Yes and No. My quirk can't distinguish between healed skin and scarred skin. So I can heal the majority of the injury, but there will still be a bit of scarring in place."

Izuku watched as Todoroki's head ducked down as if hiding his own scaring on his eye. "I see..."

There was silence between the group before Recovery Girl stood up once more. "Someone bring him to my office so he can have a nap. Not you All Might. You still have a class to run. And I better not have to come back out here." She scolds harshly, wagging her finger in All Might's face. It was funny considering the major height difference, but All Might still looked shaken.

"Yes, ma'am. Iida would you mind..."

"Not at all, sir," Iida said walking over to Izuku and kneeling down. One hand supporting Izuku's back and the other supporting his knees, Iida lifted Izuku easily enough. He made sure not to press on the still wounded skin of Izuku's shoulder as he marched with Recovery Girl. It was then, Izuku found it hard to stay awake. Recovery Girl said he needed rest...so there shouldn't be harm in him taking a few minutes nap...

"Sleep, sweetie." Nana chuckled as she pet his hair. Izuku felt Iida shiver, slightly jostling him, but it faded quickly before he fell asleep.

Chapter End Notes

Discord link (a good place to chat with other readers and myself!): https/discord.gg/z8VKRxS

Chapter Notes

Recovery

So... Upon reading your comments on chapter 16 I had planned to edit it and take out the part where All Might allowed Bakugou to continue the battle after breaking himself out. I had originally planned for it to be a spur of the moment choice on All Might's part to test Izuku and Todoroki's adaptability, but it didn't come off that way.

However, I waited too long and I feel that the chapter has been out too long for me to mess with it. So the choice stands. Sorry! I know some of you didn't like it.

Anyway here's the new chapter! Longer than the previous chapters and full of serious discussions!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The last year had held more excitement for Nana Shimura than the last decade of her afterlife. She was ashamed to admit that she had gotten complacent in her day to day life. Toshinori was a success. A legend. Even with his injury, the hours he was able to be All Might were filled with grand displays of power.

But it was always the same. It was like watching the same movie over and over. The first few decades are fun and all...but after a while...

Nana loved Toshinori. She watched him grow into the man he was today...But it was clear she wasn't needed anymore. Gone were the days Toshi would stay up late at night talking to thin air, asking for guidance. Now Nana was left with the occasional visit to her grave. She knew Toshi wasn't forgetting her. He would never. He loved her like a mother. He was just...moving on.

Nana couldn't explain how much that hurt.

Her afterlife changed the day she met that little green-haired boy on the rooftop. In his eyes, she saw hope. And in the same instance, she watched that hope crumble.

"Toshinori! How could you say that?!" She yelled as she watched her successor walk out of the building as if nothing was wrong. Deep inside, she felt the other holders hum in agreement with her fury.

She couldn't leave the boy like that. By her calculations, she had at least a few minutes before Toshi walked out of bounds and Nana was forced to follow him. In the meantime, she would stay with the heartbroken little boy hoping to ease his pain.

And then she passed right through him as he jumped off the building.

The rest was, as they say, history. Nana had meant to lead the little boy to the other side of the afterlife...maybe even go with him. But as they both touched his body, she felt herself being pulled thin. Her connection to Toshinori snapped.

From there, Nana found a new purpose. It was...it was like nursing a little bird back to health. She gathered up all the pieces of Izuku's shattered dream and glued it back together. She spoke to him, and to her amazement, he could actually listen.

Nana had found her new purpose.

And now she was watching him sleep in a hospital bed. He looked so small and peaceful. The costume he wore before was ruined, unfortunately. Recovery Girl cut through it with medical grade shears to gain access to his wounds. With her healing quirk obsolete, she had to settle for old fashion methods of healing.

His shoulder was like a bad sunburn. But worse. Even with the skin somewhat knitted back together, there was still damage. It would scar. Izuku's first scar of his hero career. And it was given to him by a student. Someone who should have been a friend.

Nana watched Izuku rest somewhat peacefully for hours. The class was already over and Nana was sure Inko was worried. But it wasn't like Nana could call her. It was then, however, that two people entered the nurse's office. Aizawa, Izuku's homeroom teacher, and a bear/mouse creature in a suit.

"Ah! What brings you two into my office?" Recover Girl asked with a smile.

It was the animal creature that stepped up first. "We came to inquire about young Midoriya. Is he still asleep?"

The happy cheerful face on Recovery Girl slipped into a scowl so suddenly it gave Nana whiplash.

"Of course he's still asleep. He's exhausted! He sustained second and third-degree burns to his shoulder and almost his face! Two bruised ribs! This is only the second week, and I fear his condition by the second semester!"

"Chiyo, your anger is warranted, but trust me to handle the situation. But we really need to speak with young Midoriya if at all possible." The creature spoke and Recovery Girl sighed, straightening her hair back into its bun.

"He should wake up soon, but you must get him to eat as soon as he wakes up. And don't stress him out. The more he aggravates the injury the worse it'll heal." She advised, pointing to the bed where Izuku slept.

The duo headed straight for Izuku and Nana was left stepping into the free spot at the foot of the bed Izuku was in. Izuku's wound had been bandaged up already, but that didn't stop Aizawa from looking like Izuku was bleeding out.

"What did you decide to do with Bakugou?" Aizawa asked with crossed arms. His voice was hard and Nana could tell he was angry. Good. It was about time someone was angry on Izuku's behalf.

The creature, Nedzu apparently if he was deciding what to do with Bakugou, spoke with a speculative look. "For now I've suspended him. He was mostly silent in our conversation, but he seemed sure that Midoriya would dodge the blast. I sent him home until I've had a talk with Midoriya on what he would like to be done."

"Probably nothing" Nana mused bitterly. Bakugou had Izuku wrapped so tight around his finger... "Aizawa, you've taught them for a week now. What can you tell me about the boy?" Nedzu asked

as he slipped into his seat.

It was quiet for a moment as Aizawa watched the sleeping child. "He's a late bloomer, so it's safe to assume he's a victim of bullying. Of course, we all know how a child can go through life this long and then suddenly manifest a quirk...Remember when I spoke to you about his quirk malfunction?"

"Yes. You said he seemed unconcerned...He didn't want to speak to me directly about it."

"It matches to All Might's claim. He said Izuku seemed unconcerned about his own wound after the battle." Aizawa spoke, running his hand over his face. "So we have a child with little regard for his own safety and a problematic past."

"You seem pretty interested in this child, Aizawa," Nedzu observed with a disarming smile.

This earned him a forced shrug. "He has a lot of potential if only he could be bothered to care a little more about his own wellbeing."

"Ain't that the truth," Slinking over, Nana passed her hand through Aizawa's. She watched a shiver roll through his shoulder before he stepped to the side, making room for her next to Izuku. The spirit smiled as she rested her hand on Izuku's.

"I believe there's more to it than that. And I believe it relates to this entity here with us now." Nedzu said and Nana felt fear for the first time in a long while as his eyes stared directly at her.

Aizawa tensed up but kept facing Nedzu. "What are you talking about?"

"Surely you've sensed them already, Aizawa. They're standing right beside you. Or could it be you're trying to hide your own knowledge of the spirit's existence? Perhaps that's what has you so interested in young Midoriya." The tension in the room could be cut with a knife as the two adults stared at each other. And to make the situation worse, Izuku was finally showing signs of waking up.

"Looks like we can ask him ourselves."

Izuku woke up slowly, a sense of confusion washing over him. His shoulder was numb instead of stinging in pain, the exhaustion was mostly receded, and he was looking into the faces of several people.

"It's alright, Izuku. You're safe in the nurse's office. Iida carried you here remember?" Nana asked and Izuku remembered slowly.

"Hello, Midoriya. It's unfortunate we had to meet this way." Izuku looked over to see a bear-like creature holding a paw out for him to shake. "I'm principal Nedzu."

Izuku barely remembered Aizawa referring to him after his quirk malfunction. He had to admit, for the principal of UA, Izuku expected him to be something...more. Even so, he reached out with his good hand and shook the paw slowly. "Hello...Am...I in trouble?"

"Oh Izuku, sweetie, no! " Nana cooed to him as Aizawa shook his head.

"Not at all, young Midoriya! We just have to speak with you about some very important matters." Principal Nedzu assured. "I also called your mother. She's worried but I assured her you're getting the best physical care here at UA. After our discussion, I will have someone drive you home."

"...Thank you."

There was silence as the four weren't sure how to continue on with the conversation. "I've suspended Bakugou Katsuki for the next few days." Nedzu blurted suddenly.

Izuku's eyes widened and he tried to sit up only to wince harshly as his injury was pulled. At once, there were hands gently keeping him in place. He had no choice as he was slowly lowered back onto the bed by Aizawa. "Why? What did Kacchan do?" He asked accepting the juice pouch handed to him by Aizawa. It helped to ease the dryness of his throat caused by inhaling dust particles from the ruble.

Nedzu's smile fell slightly as he cleared his throat. "Well, Mr. Midoriya, he disobeyed direct orders from his instructor which led to you being seriously injured. The suspension is only the beginning of Young Bakugou's punishment."

"I'm okay, though! Really I am! He shouldn't be suspended for hurting me. It was part of the exercise." Izuku implored. "We were supposed to treat it as a real battle!"

It was time for Aizawa to speak up as he gave the bedridden boy a strict stare. "Midoriya, All Might warned him several times not to use his gauntlet blast again because he risked collapsing the building with all of you inside. Not only did he use it, but he also aimed it directly at you. Had you not dodged, there's no telling what kind of state you'd be left in. UA may be training you all to be heroes, but we have rules in place to keep you all safe. Bakugou's disregard for those rules put you in danger and until Nedzu decided what further actions need to be taken, Bakugou will be

suspended."

Izuku looked back and forth from the two in amazement. He could understand the rules and their worry, but he was fine! He was telling them he was okay. His shoulder hurt, yes, but he'd had a lot worse.

"That's not something to brag about, Sweetie."

"So our first order of business is to ask you what kind of action you would like us to take in regards to Bakugou's further punishment."

Izuku spoke even before the sentence had finished leaving Nedzu's mouth. "Nothing. Really. We fought, he won, it's over!" What couldn't they understand about that?

"Izuku, what if it were Uraraka he had aimed that gauntlet at?" Nana asked softly.

Izuku felt fear rise within him at the very thought. Uraraka wasn't weak by any means. But one of

Bakugou's blasts...She wasn't fast like Izuku or Iida. She wasn't as strong as them!

"See? It could have just as easily been her on the line. You would want Bakugou punished then, right? What makes now so different?"

"I know, Kacchan," Izuku spoke, seemingly interrupting something one of the adults were trying to tell him. "I've dealt with him for years. I know how he attacks, I know how he thinks. He knows I know him. You watched the tapes, right? He knew I could dodge that blast!" Izuku was near hysterical as he tried to get his point across.

"He couldn't have known what would happen!" Aizawa said just as urgently. "You students are barely in your first week here, do you really think you have what it takes to analyze the consequences of your actions on the grand scale?"

"It...It wasn't that bad-" Izuku's argument weakened.

"That blast was powerful enough to damage the foundation of the building. It was completely

unusable for the other students. Had he hit a support beam in the room, the entire top three floors could have crushed you all." Aizawa insisted.

Izuku felt tears well up in his eyes. Had he really been so close to losing his friends? Todoroki was cold, but not malicious. And Iida...Izuku knew for a fact he had the potential to be great. Had their lives been that close to being cut short? "Why me? Why do I have to decide?" His lip quivered despite his attempts to stay together.

The adults seemed to take a collective sigh of relief before Nedzu addressed Izuku's question. "I thought that as the main victim of the blast, you would like some say in what happens to him. But you're right. That is a lot to put onto one child. I apologize, Young Midoriya."

A tissue came into his field of vision and Izuku accepted it without hesitation. "It's okay." He said automatically.

"You're so kind, Izuku. Even to people who don't deserve it." Nana sighed as she wrapped her arm around him.

"I say expulsion is in order," Aizawa said but Izuku saw him flinch as Izuku's head whipped around.

"No! You can't!" Izuku shouted. "H-He can be a great hero! His quirk is unlike any I've seen before, y-you heard about how he defeated a villain all by himself in middle school, right? You've already suspended him! That's enough!"

The lights started flickering above Izuku as he grew more and more worked up.

"That's not me, Izuku I think you're pulling in the-"

From the front of the nurse's office, Recovery Girl came barreling in. "I told you two to not stress him out! You may be teachers but this is still my office and when I tell you to leave a patient alone I mean it-"

Izuku suddenly felt a wave of peace roll over him. His muscles relaxed from their tensed position just as the lights stopped flickering. Looking over, he saw Recovery Girl removing a syringe from his I.V. "There. That should help with pain and keep him from overexerting himself. Midoriya,

child. Do you want them to leave? You don't have to force yourself past your limits."

It took a moment as Izuku thought about it. He really did want them to leave, but at the same time, they said there were other things that needed to be discussed. " 'M okay, ma'am."

Recovery Girl sighed heavily as she patted his limp hand. "I should have known. Alright. But don't' be afraid to tell them off if they upset you again." Her finger wagged in his face and he couldn't help but smile. "Now, I'm going to bring you something light to eat. Do you want a pudding cup or jello?"

"Jello, please."

She nodded, her signature smile coming back into place. "Such good manners. Perhaps they can rub off on these two while I'm gone."

Once more, Recovery Girl left leaving the three- er...four of them alone.

Izuku turned to Nedzu with the saddest look he could muster. "Please don't expel Bakugou."

"We can talk about that later why you're healed." Aizawa butted in. "I think we should move on to the next order of business."

That seemed reasonable, so Izuku nodded. What he wasn't prepared for was Nedzu rubbing his paws together like a movie villain and asking, "Midoriya were you aware that you had a spirit following you? Quite closely I may add."

...Fuck.

" Midoriya Izuku, watch your mouth!" Nana scolded.

He really couldn't help it though. He had expected the conversation to get easier when they moved away from the topic of Kacchan. And now it felt like the rug had been pulled out from under him. He was left gaping like a fish with his mouth opening and closing repeatedly. "W-What...what are you talking about?"

"That was exactly what Aizawa here said when I mentioned the spirit's presence before you woke up. I understand your hesitance to tell me, but I can assure you I'm trustworthy. I'm the principal of one of the best hero schools in the world after all. That kind of position doesn't come without being dependable." Nedzu paused as the intriguing look was replaced with something more contemplative. "Or could it be you're possibly under duress?"

"She wouldn't hurt me!" Izuku spat quickly in Nana's defense. But as soon as the words left his mouth he knew he was caught. He could have pretended he didn't know what Nedzu was talking about until he eventually gave up and left, but now there was no denying.

'Nana, I'm sorry.' He said in his mind hoping he hadn't just ruined everything for both of them.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Sweetie. It was going to come out eventually...we may even be able to work this to our favor." She went to hug him gently avoiding the bandages on his shoulder as if she could actually hurt him.

Izuku watched Nedzu's eyes track the movement. "Ah, I see. Of course, she wouldn't hurt you. She cares for you doesn't she?" There was no mocking tone and for that Izuku was grateful.

"You can see her?" Izuku answered his question with another one, but luckily there was no anger at his actions as Nedzu smiled.

"Not in the way you see with your eyes. Truthfully I can't see anything. But I can feel her. It's quite hard to miss actually. She's very strong."

"Is...he trying to flatter me?"

'Maybe?' Izuku didn't know what to say.

"I think it's time to come clean here, sweetie."

'With everything?'

"Everything except One for All. That stays a secret no matter what, okay?"

Izuku didn't know how much time had passed in their little exchange, but when he came back to focus both adults were looking at him with slight worry. "Her name is Nana."

Even though Izuku couldn't see Aizawa's face, he knew the man must have been shocked. After all, Izuku had barely given him any information at all before. He just acknowledged Nana's existence. This was a whole new territory. And Izuku knew it would get worse.

"She's bonded to me and she wouldn't ever hurt me." Izuku made the point very clear. He was tired of people accusing Nana of hurting him or using him.

"They're just concerned, Sweetie. They don't know me." Nana soothed.

They should. Everyone should know her. Nana was a hero. And a brave one on top of that. She died protecting the world from All for One. And yet nobody ever knew. She just seemed to disappear.

"What else can you tell us about her?" Nedzu asked knowing that wasn't the end.

Nana never left Izuku's side as he spoke. "She wants her past to stay private. But I can tell you she was a hero. A great hero."

There was a pause where Izuku assumed the two adults shared a look before Aizawa spoke. "I don't think I've heard of her before."

"You don't have to be famous to be a good hero," Izuku said with as much conviction as he could muster. "You should know plenty about that."

That earned him a small smirk from Aizawa that Izuku saw as he looked up. Aizawa's hand reached out to ruffle his green hair gently. "You're right about that, Problem child." That small token of affection helped Izuku muster the courage to say more.

"Mr. Aizawa, I...about a year ago I jumped off a building with the intent to kill myself," Izuku

admitted, and if it weren't for the sedative he probably wouldn't have been able to admit it so smoothly.

At once, the mood in the room dropped. Aizawa's hand in his hair grew still at the same time as Nedzu almost slipped off his seat. Nana tried comforting him by wrapping him in warmth, but Izuku still felt tears well up in his eyes as Aizawa slowly removed his hand from his head.

"I almost succeeded...But Nana was there. She wanted to help me however she could and then-"

All Might found his body. Izuku couldn't imagine what he must have felt seeing the body of a child he has spoken to only minutes prior. He probably thought Izuku would trudge home and cry into his pillow for a few days before ultimately getting over it. Maybe even taking his advice and becoming an officer or an EMT. But instead, Izuku jumped.

"We bonded somehow. I think it was my quirk. You know how you said quirks can be triggered? I think that's what it was." Izuku was getting restless. It was way too quiet. "Please say something."

"...Since then...have you ever thought about...trying to kill yourself again?" Aizawa said almost clinically after a second.

"No of course not. I...Things got better after Nana came into my life. I started working out. I met Shinsou. I had a friend..." Izuku tried to smile but it fell flat. "I had something to live for I guess..."

Nedzu seemed to think it an appropriate time to chime in finally. This time, however, he wasn't as cheerful and peppy as he seemed to be before. "Well, young Midoriya, I'm sorry you felt that suicide was your only option. And I must inform you that I am requiring you to attend at least a few sessions with UA's guidance counselor."

"I think that's a good idea, Izuku."

"But would I have to tell them about Nana? I don't really want that to be public knowledge. In fact, it's important that nobody else knows about her-"

"I understand your concern. And trust me when I say that you don't have to tell him any more than you want to. He will have to perform a suicide assessment, but that shouldn't be too hard for you to

pass if you say you've moved on from those thoughts." Nedzu was firm and surprisingly assertive for a short animal-like person.

Izuku nodded as he balled up the sheets in his fists. "Okay. Um..." Now he felt a blush creep up onto his cheeks. "There's more I have to tell you both. About my quirks."

Aizawa seemed to agree. "You mean the floating quirk. Your paperwork states that it seems to be a mutation on your mother's quirk."

"It's possible...But it didn't come until months after I bonded with Nana." After I tried to die, went unsaid. "I fell off a bridge." Pushed actually. "And I started floating before I hit the ground."

Nedzu seemed almost excited as Izuku would be at the thought of analyzing a quirk. "Oh? It seems that you have multiple quirks for multiple triggering events. Fascinating!"

Izuku wasn't used to such enthusiasm being directed at him so his eyes fell to his lap as he tried to hide his smile. "Something like that...And the lights thing is mostly just Nana. She can drain energy from appliances or people sometimes. It sort of gives me a power boost."

"And that was how he defeated the robots in the Entrance Exam." Aizawa summarized for Nedzu. "And my quirk seems to suppress his bond with the spirit, Nana. Which caused him to overheat during the quirk apprehension tests."

"That wasn't your fault," Izuku said immediately. "You couldn't have known how my body would react."

Aizawa's intense stare was leveled his way. "Regardless, I am an adult and I shouldn't have activated my quirk on a child without cause just to prove a point."

"You had a right to!"

"I didn't. I'm not Hitoshi's parent when I am teaching. I can't let biases get in the way of that." Aizawa wasn't letting up, but Izuku hated the idea of letting Aizawa believe the entire thing was

his fault.

"Izuku, other people can take the blame for what happens sometimes. You don't have to carry it all." Nana assured gently.

Izuku's lips thinned as he forced himself to keep quiet. Deep down he knew she was right but that didn't stop him from wanting to take it all. It would be so much easier that way...

"Well, now it seems we have a student with multiple quirks that could cause quite a stir if they were to be found out." Nedzu summarized. "I think we ought to keep this between the three-" He cut himself off by clearing his throat. "Excuse me, four of us."

"I like him."

Izuku couldn't help but grin at that as well. Besides Shinsou, nobody had ever acknowledged Nana as her own person before. It was pretty surreal.

"And so Midoriya can continue to train his quirk to it's fullest capabilities, I believe we'll have to come up with an explanation, won't we?"

Aizawa shrugged. "I've been putting some thought into it. I'm pretty sure we can pass his quirk off as some kind of electromagnetic manipulation quirk. It would explain the energy transference, the gravity manipulation, and the temperature difference. And that way nobody has to know about the spirit business."

It was a good explanation. Izuku doubted any of his classmates were interested enough to research electromagnetism. And he had an opening to train his entire quirk. It was foolproof.

And all too soon after they had agreed on their mutual story, Recovery Girl came back with a small tray of food including a small jello cup on the side. "Here you go, child. Fresh from Lunch Rush!"

"Thank you, Recovery Girl!" Izuku said happily as he gratefully dug into the meal.

He only hoped that his classmates wouldn't pester him too much tomorrow about where Bakugou

would be... Chapter End Notes

The ending was a bit rushed, but I think this chapter came out well. And the contents was decided via a poll on our discord server!

I hope you all enjoy it!

Discord Link: https/discord.gg/z8VKRxS

Chapter Notes

Reporter Horde

I hope you guys like the splits in POV. I originally wanted to avoid that so the story is only told from Izuku's perspective, but a lot of details were being lost. So I decided to make up for it this way!

See the end of the chapter for more notes *Previously*

All Might tried hard to keep his signature smile on his face as he entered the surveillance room with Todoroki in tow. Iida had taken young Midoriya to Recovery Girl while Bakugou was sent to the principal's office. It was eerily quiet as he stood in front of the students and cleared his throat.

"Alright, students. Who can tell me what went wrong?"

Several hands shot up and All Might motioned to the green-haired girl upfront. "Yes, you! Asui Tsuyu."

"Well, I think it started to go wrong as soon as Todoroki abandoned Midoriya at the start." She said bluntly. "This is a teamwork exercise and he decided to go in on his own which eventually led to his teammate being injured."

There was a chorus of nods and murmurs as well as several more hands going up. All Might pointed to another student. "Yaoyorozu Momo, you're up."

She paused as she thought about her answer. "Bakugou shouldn't have left Iida on his own to guard the missile so he could fulfill a personal vendetta. And like Asui said, Todoroki shouldn't have left Midoriya at the start."

This went on as people started pointing out more and more mistakes on both Todoroki and Bakugou's part, but miraculously, they seemed to ignore Iida and Midoriya.

"Anything else?" All Might asked finally.

There was silence as nobody spoke. Then, it was the gravity girl that All Might had changed Midoriya's partner from. She seemed hesitant as she stepped forward. "Um...I think I know a mistake..."

"Don't be afraid to share! This is constructive just as much as it is critique."

"Well," The girl looked down at her feet as she spoke. "Didn't...you mess up, sir? I don't mean any disrespect of course, but it just seemed that you- I just- When you let Bakugou escape even after he showed clear signs of aggression towards Midoriya-"

All Might let his smile drop for a moment as he nodded. "You are completely right, Uraraka. I did mess up. And you were brave enough to point it out! You see, students, I did see young Bakugou's temper. But when he escaped I thought it would have been a good lesson to teach you students about adaptability. I thought that by limiting Bakugou's use of his gauntlets, it would be enough to keep the exercise constructive. Can anyone tell me why my thought process was flawed?"

There was more silence as he saw the students still being too shy to point out his mistakes. Luckily, Todoroki seemed to finally speak up from his place in the back of the room. "You didn't factor in the possibility that Bakugou would ignore your instruction. And you allowed a split-second decision to contradict the rules you told up in the beginning. So, Midoriya and I weren't able to prepare for the event of Bakugou breaking free."

"Exactly. And in many ways, that makes me more at fault than Bakugou and Todoroki. And I apologize. You are all children still. I must have let the costumes trick me into thinking you were capable of handling such a stressful situation. You have a lot to learn before you can be heroes, just as I have a lot to learn about being a good teacher." Toshinori finished his speech and let the silence linger before he turned to the boxes once more. "Alright...time for the next group."

Thankfully, the rest of the groups went by without a hitch. The most memorable in All Might's opinion was the battle between Shoji Mezo and Sero Hanta as villains vs Ojiro Mashirao and Hagakure Toru as heroes. It was interesting to see two quirks best used for stealth go head to head. Not to mention, Sero and Ojiro were almost evenly matched when it came to attacking. In the end, Hagakure and Ojiro won by turning the entire thing into a hide and seek match. Hagakure basically hazed the two pseudo villains while Ojiro snuck behind and tagged the missile. Their laughter and comradery were what All Might had been aiming for when he had planned the exercise.

And nobody else needed to go to Recovery Girl. It was sad that Toshinori needed to even point that out...

When he was finally done with the students and had sent them home, he shamefully walked himself to Nedzu's office. It was his own fault of course.

The bear creature was looking over some files when Toshinori walked in.

"Ah, All Might! I thought I would be seeing you soon!" He greeted with a smile. "Have a seat. I presume you wish to talk about Bakugou Katsuki?"

All Might nodded as he took the offered seat. "I just finished with my students and sent them home. How did the conversation with Bakugou go?"

Nedzu shrugged as he pushed the files to the side. "It went remarkably quick. Bakugou was mostly quiet during the entire thing though he seemed very angry. When I was finally able to get the story out of him, I was shocked, to say the least. I couldn't understand why Bakugou would attack another student like that. But then I pulled out their files."

All Might stayed quiet as he saw Nedzu point to the files he had pushed aside. "Were you aware that Midoriya and Bakugou attended the same Junior High? Or that Midoriya was listed as quirkless until he registered for UA?"

Nervousness grew in All Might. "I admit I knew about Midoriya. You see, I had met him over the summer when confronting a villain. He asked me if he could still be a hero without a quirk. I signed his notebook."

The events were true...but the order wasn't. But what was All Might to say? He had caused the boy to commit suicide. All Might would never forget the sight for as long as he had left to live. He had seen the boy only a moment before on the roof. He looked upset- no...he looked crushed. And he had done that to him. He should have stayed back. Comforted the boy. Or better yet kept his mouth shut and not even said those cruel words in the first place.

Nedzu seemed to read the look in his eyes but didn't press further. "Something doesn't add up in these documents. They're both very smart with the top grades in their class, but on student evaluations, only Bakugou received glowing praise from all his teachers. Midoriya only received satisfactory results."

All Might's brow furrowed. "Midoriya is a pretty skittish child. Perhaps he blended into the background to avoid being targeted for his quirklessness?"

But All Might quickly realized that made no sense. He had seen Izuku's desperateness to be a hero. And Midoriya might have been quirkless, but that didn't explain why he would commit suicide. Sure, All Might was important to the boy, but surely he couldn't have been the only reason.

"...I'll consult with Aizawa about it. He and I are planning to go see young Midoriya when he wakes up. I shall let you know if anything interesting comes up." It was a clear dismissal as Nedzu pulled over the files once more and started to look over them once more.

Toshi stood and walked out, planning on doing some thinking about the students he now found under his tutelage.

The next day, Izuku found it harder than usual to get out of bed. Despite the hours upon hours he had received the day before, he was still pretty exhausted. However, he refused his mother's offer to stay home that day. It was only his second week at UA. There was no way he was going to stay home. Besides, if the pattern continued, it would just be normal classes all day instead of anything too physically demanding.

This in mind, Izuku crawled out of bed and took a shower. It was a bit awkward seeing as how the hot water was too much for the wound on his shoulder. So he ended up hanging his arm under a colder spray of water, letting it drip down and ease the stinging he already felt in it. That done, he carefully washed the rest of his body and hair.

The rest of his morning routine was the same besides him having to make adjustments for his shoulder. But once a new bandage was applied, everything went smoother. He ate breakfast with his mother while trying to assure her that he was just fine. Even Nana seemed on edge. But both of them knew better than to try to convince him to stay home after he had already decided to go to class.

The walk to UA was normal as well as he let his backpack hang on his good shoulder instead.

"The second you look like you're going to keel over I'm alerting Aizawa." Nana threatened seriously.

"I'll be fine. I promise!"

He received only grumbles in answer.

Most of the walk was in silence as Izuku thought about Bakugou. He didn't want the boy expelled. That wouldn't be fair. Bakugou was just as inexperienced as the rest of them when using their quirks. He was blinded by anger. Izuku had even provoked him when mentioning the bridge. He couldn't explain why he did it. He was just searching for any explanation as to why Kacchan was so angry with him.

What went wrong? They used to be so close. And now they were rivals. But why? Izuku was quirkless most of his life. And for all Bakugou knew he had a standard quirk. Nothing flashy. So why did Bakugou feel so threatened? Why was Bakugou so determined to win...

"Midoriya!" Izuku heard his name being called from behind and he turned to see Iida power walking up to him. "Ah, I thought that was you! It's good to see you on your feet."

Izuku gave the taller boy a smile as he paused walking so he could catch up. "It's good to be on my feet. I can't believe I slept so long."

He was left surprised as Iida's pace slowed. "About that, Midoriya. I want to apologize for you getting hurt. I should have had controlled Bakugou instead of letting him go on a rampa-"

"Wait, no." Izuku interrupted waving his hands quickly. "That's not what happened at all, Iida. You couldn't control Bakugou even if you wanted to. The best you could have done was follow him, but then the missile would have been exposed. You couldn't have known what would happen."

"...Still. I can't help but feel responsible somehow," Iida sighed as he pushed his glasses up onto his nose. "So please tell me if there is any way I can make it up to you."

Izuku was...stunned. He hadn't even realized that they had both stopped walking.

"It's because he cares, sweetie. You may say he's not at fault but his own conscience still holds him accountable." Nana explained as her warmth leaned on his good shoulder.

It gave Izuku an idea. Iida was obviously a very prideful person. He held himself to high standards and as such, he held his classmates to those same standards. There was no way he was going to let it go until he somehow repaid whatever debt he felt he owed. "Um...Iida. There actually is something you can help me with...If you want."

Iida immediately perked up, almost like a puppy receiving a treat. "Of course! I will try with my upmost ability to assist you. Just say the word!"

Izuku paused before sliding his backpack off his good shoulder. "So...My shoulder still stings, so it's not a good idea for me to use both straps on my bag. But it puts a lot of weight on a single shoulder." It was a lame excuse, Izuku had no issue carrying his own bag. "Do you think you can carry my bag for me? At least until we get to class?"

Obviously Iida expected more based on the confused look he gave Izuku. Even so, he stood straight and nodded. "Of course. It would be my pleasure to carry your bag for you to class!"

Izuku handed his bag over and watched as Iida carried it easily. "Thanks. I really do appreciate it."

They shared a smile as they continued walking again. It was Iida who started the conversation once more. "I had no idea you were still injured, Midoriya. Are you sure it's a good idea for you to be at school?"

"See?"

If Izuku could roll his eyes mentally, he would. But instead, he smiled. "I'm really okay. It stings, but nothing too bad. And we shouldn't have anything intense planned. So I figured I'm okay with coming to class."

It was a nice change to have more people care about him. People who had no obligation like Nana or his mother...He had friends now it seemed. More than one. Still...Shinsou would always be his first.

"If you're sure..."

"Mhm!"

The pair spent most of the walk with amicable silence, both in their own thoughts. It was only when they approached the school that they stopped. There was a horde of what appeared to be reporters outside the gates, blocking the entrance.

"They want to interview everyone they can about All Might," Nana told Izuku which made him frown slightly.

Relaying the information to Iida, Izuku tried to figure out how to get through them. The obvious choice would be to go through, but then they risked being corralled into an interview.

It seemed he took to long to think as the closest reporters caught sight of their UA uniforms. All it took was one look and they were suddenly surrounded.

"Tell us, what's the Symbol of Peace like in person!"

"How is All Might fairing as a teacher? What are you learning?" "What's his teaching style like?"

"Has he given any information about his quirk and how it works?" "What can you say about the rumors that All Might is-"

Izuku was quickly overwhelmed with all the questions as reporters swarmed around them. "I-I... no comment?" He tried only for them to press more.

"Is it true all students had to sign an NDA before enrolling?" "Has he started training yet? If so, how difficult are his methods?"

"I don't know-"

"His leadership and wisdom remind me on a daily basis that I attend the world's most prestigious educational institution!" Iida spat out. And as he spoke it seemed like all reporters zeroed in on his leaving Izuku free to duck and dodge towards the gate. But still, Izuku didn't want to leave Iida to

their prying! "Of course, he's the personification of honor and integrity that one would expect. But he's also not afraid to show his students a more humorous side."

Izuku froze suddenly as a hand touched his back turning quickly he was relieved to see Aizawa there. The man was silent as he held a finger to his lips, motioning Izuku to follow him. He didn't want to, but Izuku wasn't going to disobey. As soon as he was free from the horde, Aizawa turned to him once more.

"Are you alright?" He asked looking him over. "How's your shoulder?"

"I'm okay, sir. But Iida is still-"

"He looks like he can handle them just fine," Aizawa smirked and Izuku turned to see the entire crowd staring blankly as Iida lectured on about glory and poise. It was honestly pretty comical. "But I suppose I should get him before he wastes the entire class out here...Unless..."

Now Izuku was confused. "Unless what, Mr. Aizawa?" Was he actually planning on leaving Iida outside?

"Can Nana destroy their cameras?"

"Of course I can!"

Izuku felt her warmth leave him and before he could even respond to the questions there were shouts as cameras started to spark and sputter one by one. The horde parted as the reporters ran from the shorted cameras only to have their own malfunction. If you looked closer you could even see the microphones doing the same. Izuku felt the rush of energy that came with the power- sapping like a warm hum under his skin.

Iida's head turned around in surprise until he saw Aizawa and Izuku by the gate. Rushing over he spoke, "I expected you to already be inside, Midoriya. I was worried you were caught in sparks."

"Both of you head inside. I'll handle this out here." Aizawa ordered as the reporters caught eye of the trio. "Go."

They both nodded before bolting through the gate. As they passed the threshold, the entrance was blocked by thickly armored pannels. The pannels were so thick that Izuku could barely make out Aizawa threatening the reporters with lawsuits for forcing interviews on minors without a guardian present. "Well...UA is the best..."

"Of course, what kind of institution would it be if it couldn't protect its students from reporters. But the EMP that destroyed their cameras was a nice touch." Iida praised as he followed Izuku up to the front door of the building.

"Yeah..." Izuku nervously went along with the idea of an EMP than to even try to explain to Iida that he was the cause. There would be time later...hopefully.

Chapter End Notes

Also, I wanted to explain the class set up. So instead of going by the canon, I decided to do it a different way. UA has a standard 6 day a week curriculum. However, Sunday is a half/shortened day. Not only that, but that's when they have a practical lesson like the quirk assessment and the battle training. This helps with Izuku's injury continuity and gives me time to put in more events between major events.

Although, doing it this way may technically make the school year longer than normal, but please ignore that. (Although I doubt people would be counting the weeks in fanfiction to make sure it lines up with irl school year times)

Discord Link: https/discord.gg/z8VKRxS

Class Rep

As both Iida and Izuku entered class 1-A Izuku was immediately ambushed by half the class.

"Midoriya, you're back!"

"Midoriya, you looked amazing during that match!" "How are you even alive right now?!"

It was almost like the reporters outside, but now they were all asking questions about him . Luckily, Iida stepped in before he got too overwhelmed. "Everyone back up! Midoriya is still recovering from the battle so you all need to give him some space." He said chopping the air.

The rest of the students took a quick step back as they managed to look embarrassed at their eagerness. From there, they decided to approach one at a time.

"Hey, there. I'm Kirishima Eijiro. I think it's awesome you managed to hold your own against Bakugou. He's super strong!" The redhead that has usually been following Bakugou around said.

"We've been looking over the training results since yesterday. Oh, I'm Sero Hanta." The student with tape dispensers on his elbows said.

Izuku waved at the group and tried to smile. "Hi. You all seem to know me so..." "Of course we know you. You're Midoriya Deku!" The pink-skinned girl said.

Immediately Izuku felt cold seep deep into his bones. Even worse than when he first was revived and still getting used to his new temperature. "Oh...my name isn't Deku...It's Izuku."

This surprised the crowd he had amassed quickly taking the wind out of their sails. It was Kirishima that broke the silence, pulling a sheet of paper from his bag. It seemed to be the class roster as he looked it over. "Izuku, huh? But I heard Bakugou calling you Deku all week. And here the kanji can be read as-"

"It's not my name," Izuku said firmly as he took a step around the group to go to his desk where Iida had set his bag down. "Deku is a name Kacch- Bakugou gave me when we were little kids and I hadn't gotten my quirk yet."

"So Deku means..."

Silence fell over the class as everyone processed that piece of information. Izuku felt his face heat up as he tried to keep the embarrassment at bay. Great, he walked in to them praising his abilities, and now they knew just how useless he used to be. "Yeah. So my name isn't Deku. It's Midoriya Izuku." His voice was cold but resigned. He knew it wasn't their fault for the mistake.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Midoriya," Sero said breaking the awkward silence. His smile seemed a little more forced than previously, but the tension in the room melted away soon after.

From there, they all took a moment to introduce themselves to Midoriya who had apparently missed the intros during battle training. Poking his head up, Izuku smiled at each person that walked up to him. Some even asked about his injury. Not to pry but to genuinely ask him how he was healing. Aoyama even offered to be the one to carry his bag for him for the rest of the day, but Izuku quickly declined.

"Really, I'll be fine after I see Recovery Girl after lunch!"

One by one, students filed in and sat at their desks until the only person not there was Bakugou. Occasionally, people would glance over at his chair, subconsciously also looking at Izuku before turning back to their conversations.

Pretty soon, Aizawa came shuffling in a few minutes later than usual. Probably due to the reporters outside. Even so, Everyone quickly became quiet, not wanting a repeat of their first day where they were criticized for not quieting down quick enough.

"Decent work on yesterday's combat training. We have a lot to go over before the end of class so listen up." He announced in his usual monotone voice. "I saw the video feed and read over your results. And I'm sure by now you've all noticed the absence of one of your classmates. Bakugou Katsuki has been suspended following his actions during his combat training match. If I had it my way, he'd be expelled already. Take that as a lesson to always obey your instructions given to you by a teacher. Am I understood?" His voice was cold, sending a wave of warning over the entire class. It was clear that would be their one and only warning.

A chorus of "Yes, Mr. Aizawa." Broke out among the students as he looked over his notes. "Anyway, onto feedback. Midoriya, you're up first. Sometimes your opponent is stronger than you, so instead of fighting your best bet is to retreat and wait for backup."

But he wasn't just picking on Izuku. In fact, he had well thought out critiques for everyone and the entire class soaked up the new knowledge like sponges!

"Now that that's out of the way, let's get down to business." He said after everyone had there moment. "Your first task will decide your future at UA. As a class, you need a class representative. Being the class rep comes with a lot of extra responsibilities, but it's also a way to get noticed by hero agencies. Decide amongst yourselves. You have until my nap is over."

At once Aizawa slumped down into a sleeping bag hidden behind the podium. As soon as he finished speaking, everyone started shouting out their desire to be the class rep.

'Yikes. It was never this bad when I was in school.'

'Lucky you, then.'

The commotion was soon interrupted as Iida stood in front of the class with his hand motion that Izuku's begun to understand as punctuation of sorts when the taller boy was serious. "Everyone settle down! There's an obvious way to handle this situation. We can settle this with a vote!"

"Are you saying that because you want us to vote for you?" Kaminari asked bluntly causing Iida to turn red.

"Well, not exactly. I would like the position, yes, but holding a vote is still the fairest way to decide! The majority of everyone may vote for themselves, but the person who does get multiple votes surely has what it takes to lead this class."

Izuku had to admit, his reasoning made sense. And it seemed the rest of the class agreed as they took out paper to write their votes on. Iida, as the most trustworthy one in the class, was selected to collect all the slips and tally the votes.

As Izuku brought out his slip he thought about his vote. He certainly wasn't going to vote for himself. He'd be a terrible leader.

'Well, I don't know about that. I think you'd be great!'

'Thanks. But I'd rather not have that kind of attention on me.'

Nana sighed but didn't argue with him as she let him cast his vote. Instead of voting for himself, Izuku penciled in Iida's name and folded it. Iida clearly wanted the position, and Izuku couldn't think of anyone more capable than him. He was responsible, trustworthy, and while he tended to be a stick in the mud, he could be dependable. Exactly what they needed for a class rep.

The whole class waited with bated breath as Iida took time to count each individual vote and write the final total on the board from least votes to the most. Izuku had expected to be dead last seeing as how he didn't even vote for himself, but that clearly wasn't the case. In fact, there were a fair bit of students who seemed to have voted for someone else.

Still, Izuku watched Iida write down all the people with singular votes, people who voted for themselves it seemed. Except for Iida who only had one vote as well. Which meant he didn't vote for himself. Then there was Yaoyorozu who had two votes. Izuku wished he had seen her battle. She must have been amazing. However, what surprised him the most was the fact that he was written at the top.

"And it seems our new class rep is Midoriya who received 6 votes!" Iida announced. "Woah, 6?!" Mineta exclaimed. "Who was it? Who voted for him?!"

It was Uraraka who replied to him. "Hey! The point of a vote was to keep it anonymous! But...I did vote for him." She said with red cheeks.

"I did as well," Iida announced.

"And me. He's seriously manly!" Kirishima said with a smile. "Kero, me too." Asui croaked.

There was silence as people waited for the other people to speak up. But there was nobody else. Even so, Izuku froze in his seat. He couldn't be the class rep! He didn't know the first thing about it!

"Right." Aizawa sighed as he poked his head up from behind the podium. "Class rep is Midoriya. Our deputy is Yaoyorozu. Congrats you two."

"See? Other people think you're a good leader too!" Nana praised as she pet his hair. "So make them proud okay?"

Yaoyorozu and Midoriya were asked to stand in front of the class, but Izuku couldn't stop his knees from shaking.

"How did this happen..." He heard Yaoyorozu mutter under her breath as she spotted his nerves.

Yeah, that's what he would like to know. Iida should have won! Or Yaoyorozu even! Not him. He didn't even vote for himself.

'Don't listen to her, Izuku. She doesn't know you. She's probably upset that she didn't win.' Izuku watched Yaoyorozu shiver as if cold and take a step away from him. At once, Nana settled into her spot, wrapping Izuku in warmth.

"Now take your seats. We'll decide on the other positions after lunch. For now, it's time to go to your next class." And they were dismissed.

Izuku was quickly surrounded by his friends congratulating him as Iida carried his bag once more. He couldn't help but smile at their support. But that didn't stop him from feeling like he wasn't worthy of the position.

"I wish you had been voted as president," Izuku told Iida honestly as they walked down the hall. "You're good with rules and order. I'm just..." He trailed off with a shrug. He meant to be nonchalant, but the feeling of inadequacy hung around like the sting of his shoulder.

The group made up of Iida, Uraraka, Asui, and Izuku stopped suddenly in the middle of the hall. Three heads turned to face the green head boy who was standing almost behind them rather hunched in on himself.

"Midoriya, I have to disagree. I think you're the most qualified one out of all of us." Iida said

seriously.

"Yeah! That's why I voted for you!" Uraraka backed him up. "I mean, no offense to Iida, but you saved me during the entrance exams. You're already a hero in my book."

"Not to mention you're a likable person, kero. Unlike Bakugou." Asui joined in. Iida nodded as his argument was supported. "Exactly! As Asui-"

"Tsu-"

"As Tsu said," Iida corrected without a second thought. "You're more likable than me. I know I can be...overbearing when it comes to rules. And you saw me during the entrance exams. I assumed your character based on a few interactions."

Izuku was quick to defend him but Iida kept talking as if he hadn't spoken.

"My point being, Midoriya, all three of us, and three more of our classmates, believe you have what it takes to represent us. Now, if you simply do not want the position, we can have another vote after lunch. But we all think you're more than qualified."

Izuku was stunned. His actions in the entrance exam had been reflex. After all, how could he sit by and let Uraraka get hurt?

' That's what a hero does, sweetie. Do you think a civilian would be so quick to help those in need?' Nana's voice was soft and soothing, helping Izuku's hands settle from their shaking.

"I'll...think about it," Izuku said finally. "But we should go. Before we're late to class."

The trio ahead of him nodded but waited for him to start walking before they followed. They ended up being the last ones to class, but Izuku appeared confident with his friends backing him. Maybe...just maybe he could accept the position.

Izuku had been thinking about what his friends had said for a while. Even to the point were he barely paid any attention in class. Of course, he could always just ask for Iida's notes, but that wasn't the point.

He even texted and consulted Shinsou on what he thought about it, but Shinsou told him the same thing as everyone else. So many people believed in him to be a good class rep. Why couldn't he believe in himself?

Izuku's thoughts were interrupted by a tray smacking the table beside him. "Move over."

Looking up, Izuku was surprised to see Shinsou standing beside him. Without thinking, Izuku moved over from his seat, giving Shinsou room to drag a chair over and sit down.

"Excuse me, I understand the lunchroom is crowded but that's not an excuse to disrespect-" Iida began to reprimand but Izuku shook his head quickly.

"No, Iida it's fine! This is Shinsou Hitoshi! We met over the summer. He's uh...He's in class 1-B." Izuku explained.

Shinsou nodded to the other three as he picked up his rice. "I usually eat elsewhere, but Izuku's overthinking the whole class rep thing, so I figured I'd come to talk some sense into him."

Elsewhere, Izuku knew to be one of his parent's classrooms. Shinsou didn't like large crowds, so if he was willing to break his routine to talk to Izuku, then Izuku knew he had messed up.

"I'm sorry-"

"No, just listen for a minute," Shinsou said looking very much like Aizawa as he stared Izuku down over his rice. "I've already said that I think you'd make a great class rep. But you need to stop overthinking the job. Yes, it's an important position, but it's not a dictatorship. You have a deputy right?"

He paused waiting for Izuku to nod. "Then they can help you stay focused and keep you in line if you overstep. Which you won't, obviously. Because you're Izuku."

Uraraka couldn't help but laugh as she listened to Shinsou thoroughly reprimand Izuku. Izuku's cheeks reddened as he looked down at his food. "Okay...I guess you're right."

"I know I'm right. Now eat before I tell Nana." Shinsou said finally shoving food into his mouth.

'Listen to him, sweetie! He knows what he's talking about!'

Izuku's nerves seemed to leave him all at once as he laughed. "Fine, fine. You win."

As he started eating his food, Izuku looked up to see both Iida and Uraraka staring.

"What?" Izuku asked self consciously. "Is there something on my face?"

Luckily, Iida seemed to snap out of it as he spoke. "Not at all...I guess it's just a little strange seeing you so familiar with someone outside of our own class."

"Yeah, we all come from different middle schools, so unless multiple students from the same school make it into UA, we don't really have any of our old friends." Uraraka elaborated.

"Oh..." Izuku said as he set his chopsticks down. "Then I should introduce you all. Shinsou these are my friends, Iida Tenya, Uraraka Ochako, and Tsuyu Asui. Everyone, this is my friend Shinsou Hitoshi."

Shinsou nodded to each person in greeting and smiled slightly as they nodded in turn. "It's nice to meet some of Izuku's friends. Hopefully, you can keep him in line while I'm not there."

Izuku went to defend himself but was interrupted as a bell started ringing loudly.

'Warning: Level 3 Security Breach. Students please evacuate the building in an orderly

fashion.'

At once, chaos broke out as the older students explained that the warning was for someone who managed to get passed the school's barrier. Students were running to the exits, flipping their chairs over in their haste.

'Nana! Who's here? What's going on?' Izuku asked as he was flushed into the hall by the mob of students. He winced as his shoulder was jarred around by the squirming students.

'I don't know. But I'm going to find out!'

Izuku felt her warmth leaving his side, several students in the hall shivering harshly as Nana made her way through. As soon as she left, he was shoved harshly into the window by the mod. He could barely hear anything over the screaming of the students.

"Izuku!" Shinsou shouted, making his way over to the boy with Uraraka holding onto his sleeve. "Are you alright?"

He shrugged, wincing as his shoulder twinged again. But there was no time to explain as Shinsou looked over his shoulder out the window. Izuku, now curious, turned his head and looked out as well.

There was a mob outside as well it seemed. But instead of frantic students, it was reporters. They had somehow made it into the gate and were pressuring what looked to be Aizawa and Present Mic for comments.

Looking back over to Shinsou, the duo let out a sigh of relief. There as no intruder then...Threat seemingly diminished, Izuku's mind turned to how to get the students to calm down.

Izuku could try to float over them, but he was still injured, and with Nana off investigating, he had no power source. But there was Uraraka...

"Uraraka, make me float as high as you can!" Izuku said reaching between bodies for her hand. It was a struggle, but he felt her fingers brush his palm and suddenly he was floating above the frantic bodies. Using the window, he pushed himself forward until he was able to grab onto the exit sign hanging above the door. Just in time, as well, as he felt Uraraka's quirk leaving his body.

"Everyone listen!" Izuku shouted as loud as he possibly could. "There is no intruder. Look outside. It's just the media." Thinking about what Iida would say, Izuku continued despite his throat's protests. "We're UA students, aren't we? We should be able to handle something like this without causing a panic."

There was silence as everyone seemed to relax. Murmurs rang out as students began slowly making their way outside in an orderly fashion. With a sigh, Izuku floated himself down to the floor, feeling large hands helping him to his feet. Looking up, Izuku saw Iida's smiling face with Shinsou, Uraraka, and Asui standing behind him.

"You did great, class rep!" Uraraka cheered.

Izuku was just about to reply when he felt cold seep into his veins like needles. 'Izuku!'

'Nana?'

Bonds

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Izuku was nearly swept off his feet at the force of heat that swelled within him so suddenly.

'We have to go! Now, we have to go now!' Nana insisted, seemingly trying to push Izuku along, but

not being able to make contact. 'We need to find Aizawa now.' 'He's outside dealing with the reporters, Nana-'

'Then find Nedzu! There's no time! Go!'

Izuku took off running down the hall as fast as he could, feeling as if there was something chasing him. His friends were left behind him as he sapped power from the hall lights to fuel his sprinting. It was only when he saw the plaque on the door labeled 'Principal' that he finally stopped.

'Go in! Izuku hurry!'

Despite his lack of air, Izuku barged into the office seeing Nedzu at his computer. His entrance seemed to startle him as Nedzu jumped out of his seat.

"Young Midoriya, are you alright?" He asked worriedly. "Come. Sit."

Izuku did just that as he tried to catch his breath. "Nana, s-she-"

'Someone other than the reporters got inside. They were looking at lesson plans for All Might!' Izuku quickly relayed the information feeling dread sink into his stomach.

Nedzu was quick to jump back into his seat, quickly tapping away at his computer. Most likely to alert the staff. "Did she recognize the intruder?" He asked, his normal friendly tone gone.

'...' Nana was silent and Izuku felt his anxiety rise.

"Nana?... Did you?" Izuku asked again.

'Yes. But Izuku he can't know. This is a matter of One for All. I'll explain later! But tell him they need to find out what was on those plans!'

Nedzu wasn't too happy about the information being withheld, but he nodded anyway. "I'll have the staff on it right away. Don't worry, Young Midoriya, we'll get a handle on this immediately."

'I need to use the computer.' Nana said urgently.

The request was odd, but Nedzu allowed it. Pushing his own chair back and leaving room for

Izuku to step up to the keyboard.

'Open up a word file.'

As Izuku did so, Nana guided him through typing out a quick sentence and sending it off to print. As Izuku went to close out the program, the computer started to spark and smoke before the monitor finally went dark.

"Nana! What the-"

'I'm sorry, but I had to. Come on Izuku. Grab the paper. Let's go!'

It seemed the urgency was still there. Izuku apologized profusely to Nedzu as he ran over to the printer and headed for the door. There was no time to hear the principal's response as Izuku took off down the hall once more. Finally, he seemed to come to an office marked for All Might. However, the door was locked.

'Break it. '

The lights flickered as Nana funneled power into Izuku. But before he could reach the doorknob, he felt a warm trickle down his face. Wiping it away, he saw blood dripping from his nose. Quickly he bent the door handle with ease before pushing the now broken door open. The power left him in a rush making him feel a little light-headed. With his sleeve, he wiped his blood off the doorknob.

Luckily, there was nobody inside, but Izuku was still on edge.

'Drop the note and let's go outside before Aizawa starts trying to look for us.'

Izuku could do nothing but comply, dropping the note, face-up, onto the large desk.

'Find out what happened to Kotaro Shimura.'

That done, Izuku started sprinting again only to find that the students were now returning to the building. As this happened, the chilling pain Izuku felt started to dissipate.

'Are we safe now?'

Nana was quick to wrap him in her warmth. 'Yes, we are. Izuku you did so well for me. I'm so

sorry I pushed you so hard. Are you alright?'

Before Izuku could answer, there was a shriek coming from the hall.

"Oh my goodness, Midoriya are you alright?!" Uraraka shouted as she ran over. "Your nose is bleeding!"

Looking over, Izuku saw his friends rushing over, Shinsou specifically leading them. The look on his friend's face made Izuku feel like utter garbage.

"I'm okay, Shinsou! I swear." He said instantly as he held his hand up to his nose. "It's just bleeding a little."

Shinsou seemed to relax at the fact that Izuku was alright and even bleeding a little. But that didn't stop him from grabbing onto Izuku and heading down the hall. "We're going to Recovery Girl. Right now. All of you tell Eraserhead where we're going!" Shinsou called back.

Izuku was a little exhausted from all the running around but followed along without complaint. When the pair reached around the corner and away from prying eyes, Shinsou looked to Izuku for an explanation.

"There was an intruder. Nana saw them. I had to go tell Nedzu as soon as I heard." He explained loosely.

"And the nosebleed?"

"Nana was afraid. She was draining power to get me to run faster and it went a little overboard. But like I said, it's just a nose bleed. I didn't-"

Shinsou nodded and turned away quickly before Izuku could finish his sentence.

They arrived at Recovery Girl's office soon enough and the kind old lady tisked upon seeing Izuku. "You just can't seem to stay out of trouble, can you?" She huffed as she motioned for him to sit on a bed. "Take your shirt off as well. Might as well kill two birds with one stone."

Izuku hadn't thought about his shoulder wound before then. Unconsciously, his eyes darted to Shinsou.

"I already know. My dad told me as soon as he came home last night." Shinsou didn't seem happy at all and Izuku felt bad being the cause of that.

With his bare chest exposed, Recovery Girl took care of peeling off the bandage from his shoulder. It had started bleeding a little as well, which Izuku assumed to be from when he was knocked into the window. It was dark and scar tissue had already begun to form around the edges. And as Recovery Girl pressed a kiss to the back of his hand, Izuku felt her quirk start to work.

He leaned back against the edge of the bed, feeling a little lightheaded for a moment before it subsided.

"There. It's not perfect, but that's the best I can do. There's too much scar tissue already." She said. "And your nose will be just fine, dearie. Would you like a throat lozenge?"

Izuku nodded and thanked Recovery Girl as she handed him a small red candy drop that tasted like eucalyptus when he popped it into his mouth.

"You'll walk him back to class won't you?" Recovery Girl asked Shinsou. "He should be alright as long as he doesn't overexert himself again."

Shinsou nodded as he looked at Izuku. "Come on. Aizawa is probably worried about us."

Izuku didn't like the cold tone in Shinsou's voice but followed along anyway. The duo walked out of the office and started their trek to class 1-A. "Are you mad at me?"

Shinsou sighed heavily but was silent for a minute more. "...No. I'm just frustrated. You always seem to get hurt when I'm not around and I can't help you."

"Well...Is there any way you could transfer to class 1-A? Your dad is Eraserhead, right? Can't he pull some strings?" Izuku asked hopefully for something to help his friend's frustrations but deflated when Shinsou shook his head.

"That's precisely why I can't just transfer. It's a conflict of interest. The school board doesn't want any favoritism. Plus..."

"...Plus?" Izuku urged when it seemed like Shinsou wouldn't continue.

"I'm still in remedial courses. My grades are improving, but if anyone from 1-B would transfer to 1-A, it'd be the top student. And there are a few students in 1-B that would cause a lot of trouble if they found out I just skipped the order." Shinsou seemed pretty bummed about it and Izuku couldn't help but feel the same.

"But you could get there, right? Bring your grades up enough and prove you're worthy of being in 1-A?"

'Such a sweet little optimist.' Nana cooed to him making Izuku blush. Shinsou shrugged. "I guess. But it would take time."

They could make it happen. Izuku was sure of it.

Walking into Aizawa's class, several students started to get out of their seats and rush over to Izuku only to be stopped by Aizawa's glare. "Stay in your seats! All of you!"

Izuku froze as Aizawa's attention was directed at him. "What was the hold-up?"

"Well...uh. I went to Recovery Girl like I was told yesterday after lunch. She healed my shoulder as best as she could and she asked Shinsou to walk me to class in case I was too exhausted." Izuku explained, walking over to his desk where his backpack laid. Most likely thanks to Iida.

Aizawa seemed to take the excuse as it was and dismissed Shinsou with a note for his homeroom teacher. That done, he turned to face the students in his own class and spoke. "Alright. Now that the media is dealt with and all our classmates are here, let's talk about the remaining class roles. As the representative and deputy, Midoriya and Yaoyorozu please step forward."

Oh...He had forgotten about that. Great.

Izuku was never more glad to be home than he was that day. It had taken even longer than usual seeing as how Iida wanted to walk him home to carry his bag. And since Iida wanted to go, that meant Uraraka wanted to tag along as well. And then Asui of course wasn't left out. Izuku barely stopped his entire class from following him home!

It was nice of course, having so many people who cared about his well being and were interested

enough in him to want to see where he lived, but so many people would just be too much!

"My mom is a very nervous person and I don't want to overwhelm her. Especially after the media break in today!" Izuku said in apology.

"That sounds fair. We wouldn't want to upset her! I'm sure she's already worried enough after the training battles." Kirishima accepted with a sharp-toothed smile.

Everyone seemed to agree with that as well as they finally unblocked to way out of the classroom.

Izuku was mostly quiet as he led the way down the street. He could hear Uraraka and Asui conversing about what Izuku's mother was like behind him.

"Midoriya, can I ask you something? It...might be a little rude." Iida asked, face reddening slightly at the thought of potentially being rude. "And you don't have to answer if you don't want to."

Curiosity piqued, Izuku slowed down. "What is it?"

Iida cleared his throat, resettling Izuku's bag in his arms. "Where is your father? You haven't mentioned him at all..."

Oh...that. Izuku shrugged, honestly expecting something worse. "He's working overseas in America. Has been for a long time. I don't really know what he does, but mom says he's really busy which is why I haven't seen him in years."

"Years?!" Uraraka butted in, probably listening from the start. "I can't imagine what that would be like. Don't you miss him terribly?!"

Izuku shrugged again. "Not...really?"

"Wha-"

All three of his friends' jaws dropped in surprise. "What do you mean not really?"

"It's nothing personal or anything. He's been gone since I was a little kid. My mom's always been there for me for everything, I just...never felt like I needed a dad I guess?" Izuku tried to explain. "I don't hate him or anything. I just never depended on him for anything. Sure he sends money to my mom to help her pay bills and stuff, but that's it."

There was silence as his friends began following him again. It was only broken by Asui as they were approaching his building. "I don't think its that weird that you don't miss your dad, kero."

"You don't?"

"No. You say your mom took care of everything you needed this entire time. You didn't need your dad. Your mom must care about you a lot to fulfill both parental roles so easily, kero." It was the most Izuku had heard her say at once.

Izuku was significantly happier as he made his way to his door and unlocked it with a key. "Mom! I'm home. I brought a few friends that would like to meet you."

'She looks so shocked.' Nana said fondly.

There was a clatter of pans as Izuku's mom rushed into the room. "O-Oh! I had no idea you were bringing friends home, Izuku. I would have prepared more food. Here- I'll go get some guest slippers-"

"Oh, no ma'am that's alright!" Uraraka said quickly. "We can't stay! We were just walking Midoriya home."

"We've heard so much about you, we just had to meet you in person, Kero."

"Allow us to introduce ourselves, My name is Iida Tenya," Iida said quickly as he bowed to Inko. "Oh! I'm Uraraka Ochako." Uraraka bowed next.

"And I'm Asui Tsuyu." Asui followed.

Inko looked between the three as if they had gifted her the rarest diamonds. Her eyes shined with tears. "I'm Izuku's mother. I- I'm so glad to see that Izuku has made such respectful friends."

The three lifted from their bows with a smile. "We are honored to have your son as a friend. He will truly be a great hero!" Iida praised.

Izuku blushed at the flattery as he took his bag from Iida and placed it on the couch.

"You three will have to come by for dinner sometime. I can tell you stories about when Izuku was younger." Inko seemed ready to embarrass Izuku right then and there and he couldn't have that. Luckily, they weren't able to stay long enough for her to bring out the baby pictures.

He liked that he had friends, but he had emotionally been through way too much he was ready to lay down. His mom seemed to see that in his face as she urged him to go upstairs and take a quick nap before dinner. He didn't need to be told twice.

As soon as the door shut behind him, Izuku kicked off his shoes and laid down on his bed with his uniform still on. What he didn't expect was the blanket of warmth that came over him so suddenly.

"Nana?" He asked, slowly reaching up as if to hug the warmth. "What's going on."

Izuku heard a sniffle and couldn't help but panic. "Nana, what's happening? Why are you crying?"

'Izuku I'm so sorry. I was so afraid and I hurt you.' Nana stuttered out as she sobbed.

"It's okay!" Izuku said immediately. Because it was, a little nosebleed was nothing if it meant he was keeping others safe. "I don't know what had you so scared, but it'll be okay. I promise. Whatever it is we can fix it."

There was silence as Nana cried over Izuku's body. Izuku wished more than ever that he could hug Nana. Or even just offer her the slightest bit of comfort that she did him on a daily basis. It was so frustrating that he felt tears gather in his own eyes.

'This can't be fixed, 'Zuku. My son...He's dead.'

No...No he couldn't be. "W-we just left All Might that note though! You told him to look-"

'Because his descendent was the one who broke into the school.' Nana was done crying, now her voice was cold and numb. 'I...I hide a lot of things about the spirit world from you, Izuku. It's not pretty. Not everyone is like me. And...nobody like me ever stays like me for long.'

Izuku was at loss for words but it didn't matter as Nana continued her explanation.

'I saw him standing there. My...grandson. And he looked like a shell. I couldn't even recognize him at first.' Izuku tried once more to reach out to her and hug her when he heard her voice tremble. 'But there were spirits all around him. Tortured spirits. They were reaching out to him and I could feel their...emotions. They were terrified. And I could see-'

She stopped to cry a little more at the thought.

'I could see my little boy among them. But he was all grown up. I know it was him. I could feel it.'

Izuku felt his tears leak down his own cheeks while sadness filled his heart. "No..." Nana spoke of her child like they were an angel. She gave up so much for him. Even her life!

'Yes. It was him. That's how I knew. Most of the spirits there...they were family. I didn't know who they were but we were connected somehow. And they knew that too.'

"They knew?" Izuku couldn't help but whimper seeming to feel that there was an even worse realization coming.

'They knew...And they were reaching out to me. Trying to pull me in. I felt my bond with you strain. I was afraid it would break and I'd be sucked into them.'

Izuku was fully crying now. Small sobs shaking his shoulders as he grasped for thin air. Nana adjusted her warmth until Izuku felt what he knew to be her hands resting on his cheeks. ' Sweetie, I would never let that happen, do you hear me? Never. That's why I ran back to you.'

The pair held each other as best as they could. But it was hard. Their bond was so important, but it was clear there were things that could tear them apart. "You said- You said that spirits like you don't stay like you for long? What does that mean?" Izuku asked but he was sure he didn't want to know the answer.

'It means...spirits eventually turn into wisps of themselves. They're more spirit than soul. I've never had that problem because One for All keeps the holders' spirits pure.'

But there was a glaring issue there.

"You're not tied to One for All anymore."

' I know...but I won't fall like those other spirits. I swear to you.'Her voice was full of conviction, but Izuku felt doubt. It seemed like spirit world business was a lot stronger than he thought it was. And that villain. Nana's grandson. He would be trouble.

They were both knocked from their thoughts as a small knock came from Izuku's door. "Izuku? Dinner's ready."

"Okay, mom. I'll be right out." Izuku told her as he scrubbed the tears from his cheeks. She was probably still beaming from Izuku's friends visiting. Izuku wasn't going to ruin that for her. "Nana, do I look alright?"

' Yes, sweetie. You look fine.' Nana's voice was fond as Izuku felt her step away to a normal distance. ' Now go eat. You didn't get to finish lunch. You're a growing boy after all.'

Just like the somber mood was lightened. Not completely, but a little. Enough to keep them from feeling completely smothered by it.

Chapter End Notes

Discord Link: https/discord.gg/z8VKRxS

Before the Storm

The next day, Izuku was on a mission. His friends could see it on his face as he kept quiet most of the day. He took diligent notes, of course, but he was noticeably more secluded. Uraraka had tried to pull him from his shell with little success. Even Nana had tried her hand at it.

In fact, it wasn't until Izuku had seen All Might ducking into a side room that he perked up. "All Might! I need to talk to you!"

'Izuku what are you doing?' Nana asked worriedly.

All Might flinched back as he turned towards the excited student. "Oh, it's you young Midoriya.

Well, I was just about to eat my lunch...Would you like to eat with me? We can speak then."

Izuku nodded as he turned to his friends. "I'll catch up later, okay? Tell Shinsou where I am so he doesn't worry."

Uraraka looked like she wanted to protest, but the sudden bright smile on his face kept her from doing so. Iida was much the same as he nodded. "You can count on us, Midoriya!"

'Izuku, answer me!' Nana was getting impatient. 'You can't tell him what I told you!' 'I won't,' Izuku thought quickly. 'I have a plan.'

As All Might let Izuku inside, they sat on a couple of couches and All Might started to make tea. Before Izuku could begin speaking, steam filled the air and All Might deflated into his smaller form. "Sorry, my boy. I can't hold my form long so I tend to drop it when I'm alone to save time."

"Oh...that makes sense," Izuku nodded. "That's kind of what I came to talk to you about."

All Might froze mid pour. "I see..."

Izuku nodded. "If...if the offer was still on the table...I want to inherit your quirk." His voice was

full of conviction and he only hoped All Might heard it too.

All Might coughed quickly as he covered his mouth. "That's...that's a serious decision to make, my boy. Seems out of the blue for you."

'Izuku is this about what we talked about last night?'

Izuku sighed both physically and mentally. "I know. But I've been thinking about this for a while. With One for All, I can be a better hero. And...you know how you said it's a power stockpiling quirk?" Izuku asked as he accepted a cup of tea.

All Might paused. "I said that? I don't remember having that conversation."

Fuck.

'Izuku really this language needs to-'

'I mixed up our conversations, Nana!' he thought urgently as he scrambled to fix his mistake.

"Y-yeah! That night at the beach. You told me it stockpiles power. That's why it was a powerful quirk."

There was a pause as All Might thought it over before shrugging. "I guess I forgot. But, yes, One for All is a stockpiling quirk."

Izuku relaxed slowly as he regained his train of thought. "Well, I was also thinking about how One for All would affect...my quirk."

"Right," All Might gave Izuku an indistinguishable look as he sipped his tea. "We should also talk about the fact that you seem to have picked up a couple more quirks since we last spoke privately."

"It's not like that!" Izuku was quick to defend. "It's just...one quirk. All of it!"

"How?" He seemed more exasperated than angry. "I've wracked my brain around it but I can't figure out how it all works together. You've destroyed robots, cameras, lights. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you have One for All already."

'He always was smarter than people gave him credit for.' Nana sighed as she settled down next to him on the couch. ' You're going to have to tell part of the truth.'

"That day I jumped," Izuku paused as All Might flinched. "I don't know how to explain it." "You got back up without a scratch on you." All Might offered as he looked into his cup.

"Yeah...After I fell, I had an...out of body experience. I saw everything around me. I saw you running towards me. I saw...spirits ready to take me to the other side I guess. But I was so angry at you. I didn't want you near me. I didn't want you to touch my body. So I just..." Izuku made a wild hand gesture. He wasn't sure how to explain it. "Since then, I've been developing abilities. Aizawa said it was electromagnetism. That's how I can...do the things I do."

'Good enough?'

'I think so.'

All Might seemed to consider it before he sighed. "I have arrangements to make. And I've had things come up since the break-in yesterday. We'll have to put a pin in this conversation."

Izuku's stomach dropped as he heard the exhaustion in All Might's voice. "If...If you've changed your mind about giving me your quirk...I understand." He would. Izuku had turned down the opportunity of a lifetime and now he was trying to change his mind for his own selfish reasons. Maybe it was the One for All holders telling All Might he wasn't worthy anymore.

It was then that All Might's mood shifted as he got up from the couch. "No! No! That isn't it at all, my boy. I still want you was my successor. Even more so now than before. I see what you've accomplished by yourself and I know with One for All, you can accomplish so much more." He walked over to Izuku's side and kneeled down so they were eye level. "But there are things I have to handle first...The Sports Festival is coming up soon. You'll have it before then, alright?"

Izuku hadn't realized he'd been digging his fingers into the fabric of the couch until they relaxed by his sides. Feeling about a hundred percent better, he nodded. "Okay. Before the Sports Festival."

All Might shared a soft smile with him as he started to stand again. "Since I made the offer, I never thought of changing my mind, you know? I suppose that's how my mentor felt when she picked me as her successor. I was quirkless and I felt like I had something to prove but despite all my mistakes she never gave up on me."

'Damn right I didn't.' Nana said with iron-clad conviction.

'Now who swears too much,' Izuku teased her feeling a rush of heat against his shoulder.

"I've noticed my powers getting weaker as well. My time limit is still only a few hours though. I can't maintain my position in the air as I used to. Like when you grabbed onto me. It's doubled my response times." All Might sighed. "I can tell you honestly if I had given you my quirk before this school year had started, I would have been a completely different person."

Izuku flinched. "Is it possible for you to lose One for All before passing it onto a successor?" His voice was worried.

All Might paused for a moment before he shook his head. "No, I don't believe so. I don't think it's ever been tested before, but if all else failed, One for All would lay dormant inside me until I passed it on."

Izuku couldn't wait to add this new information into his One for All journal. Pretty soon, though, the lunch period was over and Izuku had to report back to homeroom before his friends sent out a search party. "Thank you for the chat, All Might."

"My pleasure, my boy. I look forward to the next time." _

By the time Izuku got to class, his friends were waiting for him by the door. As soon as Shinsou saw him he marched over and shoved a plastic pouch into his hand.

"What's this?" Izuku asked as he turns it over in his hand.

"A jelly pouch. I swiped it from my dad's stash when I heard you were skipping lunch. Now drink it." Shinsou said firmly before lowering his voice so the other students couldn't hear. "I can't believe Nana just let you skip a meal like that."

'Hey!' Izuku watched as Nana made Shinsou shiver. 'We were having a serious conversation.'

Izuku couldn't help but snicker as he twisted the cap off the jelly pouch and took a sip. It tasted like fruit punch, but thicker. Deciding it was palatable enough, Izuku actually began drinking it while he and Shinsou walked back over to the group.

"Hi, guy. I'm...sorry about this morning. I didn't mean to worry you." Izuku ducked his head hoping his friends weren't too mad at him.

"Well...everything's alright now, isn't it?" Uraraka asked as she gave a small smile.

Izuku nodded, reflecting her smile. "Yeah, I had a talk with All Might and everything's fine."

"Then we can forgive you for worrying us! But.." Izuku's head shot up at that expecting something bad to fall from Iida's mouth. "Let's not make a habit out of it..."

Oh, relief swept over Izuku's shoulders as he relaxed, taking another sip from the pouch. "Of course! I promise!"

"Get into class and stop blocking the doorway." Aizawa's voice interrupted the four. "Shinsou, I'll write you a note this time, but next time you're on your own."

Iida and Uraraka rushed into the classroom to avoid further trouble with Shinsou right behind them, but Aizawa's hand on his shoulder kept Izuku from following. "Sir...?" he asked worriedly. Was he in trouble?

"Midoriya...I won't ask for details about your mood this morning, but my office is open after classes always if you need to speak to me." Aizawa spoke with the same drone voice as always, but this time it seemed a little calmer and it soothed Izuku's nerves. "As for your mandatory sessions with the counselor, we're still seeing where to fit them into your schedule."

"Y-Yes, sir. I'm okay now though. I was just apologizing to Iida and Uraraka for worrying them." Aizawa nodded to his words and Izuku was sure that was the end of it before Aizawa spoke once more.

"For future reference, just know that UA catalogs the eating habits of every student. It's how the teachers know if one of their students are having issues at home and can't afford food-"

Izuku was quick to correct. "Oh, Mr. Aizawa, I'm fine! My mom and I have plenty of food at home, I just-"

"I know that, problem child." Aizawa interrupted back. "But the school still marks you if you skip a meal. Get too many marks and you'll have to be supervised during lunch to make sure you eat."

Silence spread between the two as Izuku processed the new information. He could understand why such a practice was used, but he was fine. He just skipped one meal. And Shinsou brought him a- "Ah! Shinsou brought me this. I didn't ask him to I-"

Izuku's defense was silenced as Aizawa chuckled. The sound was surprisingly jarring to Izuku's ears. "Hitoshi isn't as sneaky as he likes to think he is. I know he took it. But like I said, there's no issue as long as you eat when you're supposed to. Now let's get into class before the bell rings."

Aizawa quickly commanded the attention of all the students to make sure nobody paid too much attention to Izuku slinking back to his seat and finishing off the pouch. It was surprisingly filling for such a small package and Izuku was better able to focus on the lesson than his hunger. Occasionally, Izuku would catch his friends giving him curious looks, but he made sure to give them a happy smile so that they didn't worry like last time.

Later that night when Izuku arrived at home, he couldn't help but lay in bed and think about the Sports Festival. It was an event that him and his mom watched every year, each cheering on random students they didn't even know and making predictions as to who would win. Izuku was always better at it seeing as how his analysis skills were always improving. But he couldn't believe that All Might wanted to give him his quirk so soon. It was only a little ways away. And All Might said he'd have it before then...

"Izuku why would you do something like that." Nana had scolded him as he thought over their conversation once more.

"Because...We need it to keep our bond safe." Izuku told her honestly. "I don't want anything to take you away from me. And did you hear what All Might said? He hadn't even thought about giving it to someone else! If he's truly so tired as to give me One for All before the Sports Festival then that means his time as the Symbol of Peace is running out! What if he-" Izuku's thoughts ran wild about all the worst-case scenarios involving All Might and his skinny form. Anything could happen and All Might would be unable to defend himself. Would One for All fall into the wrong hands?

"Izuku! Take it easy! I...I know how dangerous our situation is. I just never wanted you to take One for All without it being your choice." Nana sighed.

It wasn't an ideal situation. But it was something neither of them could change. They needed One for All regardless of if they wanted it. That out of the way, Izuku was better able to reflect their conversation, better yet, his excuse to All Might about his quirk.

It was something he had pulled out of thin air, but it was a good explanation. But Izuku needed to do research into electromagnetism. So far, all of his abilities seem to be able to be explained away by it.

Which brought him to the next train of thought. The next physical battle lesson. So far they'd had the quirk test that seemed to teach them their capabilities with their quirk. Then they had battle training which taught them a little of what they could do in a real battle. So what was next?

Izuku would come to regret his excitement.

USJ

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

The practical lesson came sooner than Izuku has expected seeing as how he was looking forward to it so much. Especially since Recovery Girl cleared him to participate. His costume was trashed, but they were able to pull some parts off like his mask, gloves, and pads. Even so, Aizawa had warned them about using equipment they weren't comfortable with and how it could slow them down.

Using his gym clothes in place of his suit, Izuku met his fellow classmates outside near the bus. Distantly, he registered Nana leaving his side to go towards the bus.

"Midoriya!" Iida called out from behind him. Turning, Izuku saw the taller student approaching with his full armor on. His hand chopped the air as he spoke.

"Yeah, Iida?"

"What's your boarding plan for the bus?" He asked. "Will we be going alphabetical or by student number? Or perhaps by-"

"Ah...I didn't have a plan for that." Izuku's cheeks reddened. "I figured we'd all just...get in?"

Iida looked like he wanted to say something about that, but seeing as how he wasn't the class rep, he kept quiet. "I...I see. Very well then."

"The bus is open seating anyway, Izuku. Wouldn't make much sense anyway." Nana informed. " Pretty spacious too!"

"It's an open seating bus, anyway." Izuku passed on with a shrug. "Is that really an issue?"

Iida now looked confused. "Open seating? How could you know that? Have you already been inside?"

Oh...Izuku could see he was close to messing up. Looking down at his feet, he quickly backtracked. "Well, no, but you can see in the window can't you? The seats are different?" He said almost a little unsure.

He watched as Iida took a minute to stare at the window of the bus. Izuku felt himself almost start to sweat as he hoped Iida believed his story.

"...So it is. That's a brilliant observation, Midoriya!" Iida seemed to recover from whatever stupor he was in before only to turn to Izuku with a wide smile. "Of course, I shouldn't be surprised that our class rep has such a keen eye!"

This made Izuku flush bright red, unused to the praise. "Uh, It's not that big of a deal. I just- Should I come up with a seating arrangement or something-"

"Midoriya," Iida interrupted. "I have to apologize again. I lost the vote for class rep and yet I sit here undermining your confidence as our leader." Izuku almost had backlash from the change in emotions Iida was going through at such a rapid pace. That paired with Iida's usual intensity created a hurricane of emotion.

Iida was now looking off to the side, almost in shame. His body was stiff with his arms at his sides as if waiting to bow. Izuku couldn't imagine why. It was a simple misunderstanding. "Iida, really, it's alright. You were more prepared for this role than I am. As I said, I voted for you. You expected me to have a plan as any class rep would-"

Luckily he was saved from making the conversation even worse as Aizawa announced that they needed to board. "Get on the bus or we'll leave you behind." The threat was flat, but everyone piled in all the same.

Izuku took a seat near the front, feeling Nana settle in right next to him. Pretty soon all the seats were filled with their class, most talking the time to sit near their friends and chatting among themselves. Izuku was content to bask in the gentle chatter.

He felt Nana's arm come around his shoulders filling him up with warmth. As the doors finally closed, Izuku ended up sitting the closest to the front with Tsu next to him. On the other side of her was Todoroki. They took turns pestering Aizawa about where they were going, but the teacher was pretty dead set on keeping them in the dark.

"You'll just have to pay attention and find out when we get there. Now let me nap or I'll make you get out and walk the rest of the way." Again, a hollow threat, but it got everyone to back off.

Most of the ride was passed with the same gentle chatter until he was nudged gently by Tsu at his side. "Hey, Midoriya...Can I ask you a question?"

Izuku was confused but nodded along anyway. Tsu hardly ever spoke in their group, but when she did she always had something important to say. So he was curious about what she could want to know. "Um...Sure, Tsu..."

Asui was quiet for a moment as she collected her thoughts before speaking. "What exactly is your quirk?"

Until that point, Izuku wasn't aware that other people were listening in until Kirishima piped in as well. "Come to think of it, I'm kinda curious about that too!" He leaned in closer from his seat across the aisle.

Now that there was cross-aisle interaction, the rest of the class seemed to want to chime in. Each slipping in their questions and ideas about Izuku's possible quirk.

"Didn't you say it was something along the lines of self levitation?" Uraraka tried to back him up, but before Izuku could agree and let that be the end of it, Kirishima spoke once more.

"Well, yeah. That part is obvious, but there's got to be something more to it! I mean, have you seen how manly he is during a fight?!"

With a nervous chuckle, Izuku shrugged. "I've been developing my quirk...So what?"

"But it's only the third week of school and you've seemed to surpass the rest of us already." Tsu pointed out. "I'd say you're quirk is as mysterious as All Might's."

"Wow. Smart girl. Then again, Izuku, you haven't exactly been subtle with your powers."

With a lack of anything more to say, Izuku shook his head quickly. "No way! My quirk isn't anything like his. It's just..."

How did he get All Might to stop asking questions?

"Tell the truth, but tell the wrong part of the truth."

Exactly. "I didn't get my quirk until recently. I was... thought to be quirkless. But something triggered my quirk to come in and that's why it seems so different than before. I'm still getting used to it." Izuku looked down at his lap feeling shame rise within him. "I'm sorry if it felt like I was lying... I'm just...learning right now."

It seemed like that was enough to distract them from asking him more questions as everyone rushed to assure him that they never thought he was lying. They were just curious.

"Midoriya I think I speak on behalf of us all when I say that we greatly admire your resilience and determination when it comes to learning about your quirk while also trying to be a hero!" Iida chimed in. "Your dedication astounds me!"

Ashido nodded along. "I wouldn't necessarily put it like that, but I think it's super cool that you're still learning!"

The subject thankfully turned as everyone split off to chatter about how they got their quirks and what their days were like afterward. Izuku was so relieved to get the attention off of himself. However, the relief was short-lived as he noticed Todoroki staring at him from over Tsu's head. He didn't even look away when Izuku caught him staring which made Izuku's face turn even redder.

What could Todoroki possibly be thinking? Izuku had told the truth. Everyone else can accept that, why couldn't Todoroki? Deep inside himself, Izuku feared the prejudice he experienced in middle school coming back. He had just started to gain friends. He didn't want to go back to being a Deku.

"I won't let that happen, Sweetie," Nana assured him. Before Izuku could stop her, however, she left his side. Izuku wasn't sure what she was trying to do until he saw Todoroki jerking in his seat to look behind himself. The seat behind him was empty though.

"Todoroki are you alright?" Tsu asked with a hint of worry.

Luckily, Todoroki waved her off. "I'm fine." Was the only reply she received.

But it got Todoroki to stop staring at him, so Izuku counted it as a win. _

It was a pretty short ride all things considered. When the bus came to a halt, Aizawa stood up from his seat. Immediately gaining the attention of all the students.

"Alright, remember you are UA students. Compose yourselves professionally and we won't have any problems." He droned. "Group up at the entrance and wait for further instructions."

Izuku was glad that Aizawa handed out the instructions. Sure, Iida apologized for questioning him. But Iida had a point all the same. Izuku wasn't great with order and leadership. He definitely needed to improve that.

After everyone exited the bus and gathered at the entrance, they were led into the rather unassuming building where someone Izuku recognized right away was waiting for them.

"That's the Space Hero: Thirteen!" Izuku whispered excitedly, practically shaking already. "They're most known for disaster relief. Mr. Aizawa is that why we're here?-"

"Calm down, Midoriya," Aizawa said raising his hand slowly. "Just listen and we'll explain."

Immediately, Izuku's hand shot to cover his mouth. "Mmph!" He mumbled out an apology quickly before looking Thirteen, eager to start the lesson.

"Well then, it seems like some of you know me already! But for those of you who don't, I'm the pro-hero Thirteen." They announced giving a small pose. "It's great to see so many bright young faces today! I can't wait to get started."

A short look from Aizawa kept everyone from jumping in to ask what exactly brought them there, allowing Thirteen the chance to continue speaking. "If you look around you'll see areas set up exactly like disaster zones. Landslides, shipwrecks, wind storms, and even fires!"

"It looks like an amusement park!" Kaminari shouted out much to everyone else's agreement.

"Glad to see you like it. I designed this place to be somewhere to train young heroes like yourselves how to best help out in disaster situations. I call it-"

Everyone's faces lit up even before she had finished speaking. "The Unforeseen Simulation Joint! But you can call it the USJ!"

There was a murmur about Universal Studios Japan, but Aizawa stepped closer to Thirteen causing Izuku to pay closer attention.

"Isn't All Might supposed to be here?" He asked Thirteen causing Izuku's stomach to drop.

All Might was supposed to be there? But Izuku hadn't seen him at all that morning. The only news was that he had been pretty active with saving people that morning. But-

Aizawa seemed to sense his fear as he cleared his throat and pulled his capture weapon up to cover his mouth. Izuku was confused at first until Nana began speaking.

"He says not to worry. All Might will most likely make an appearance later."

'But what about the security issues?' Izuku asked in his mind. But there was no way for him to voice those concerns without alerting his class. It was times like this that made him wish Nana could speak to other people. His fear was noticeable it seemed as Aizawa's face grew a little strained.

"A lot of work has gone into his building to make it so authentic. But it is secure unlike in an actual rescue scenario." Aizawa stressed looking mostly at Izuku. "This is the practice. Remember, the real world has no safety measures."

Izuku was only slightly reassured.

"Which brings me to my next point!" Thirteen chimed in, none the wiser to the underlying conversation happening. "Some of you might know, but my quirk is very powerful. It's called Black Hole. I can use it to suck up anything and turn it into dust."

There was the expected chatter as the students around Izuku, especially Uraraka, started discussing the uses for such a quirk. It was a nice atmosphere, but Izuku could tell there was more.

"Despite the uses it has for rescue operations, my quirk could be easily used to kill." Thirteen said suddenly which ceased all talk immediately.

In the silence, Aizawa stepped forward. "You all know well enough how dangerous a quirk can be when you aren't careful." Izuku wasn't sure he liked the feeling of eyes on him he got suddenly from the entire class. It was as if they were able to see the burn through his shirt. To his relief, Thirteen took control of the conversation once more.

"You all have to keep in mind how deadly your quirks can be if you lose focus. That's also why we're testing your rescue skills here. You're going to learn how to save people's lives!" It was obvious she was trying to lighten the mood a little but it didn't work as well as Izuku figured she'd hoped. "You won't be attacking enemies or each other in this exercise. You will only be using your quirks to help-"

"Something isn't right..." Nana said suddenly cutting off Izuku's train of thought.

As Izuku looked to Aizawa, the man shivered intensely. Nana must have walked through him.

Aizawa's eyes shot over to Izuku and his panic must have shown on his face. "Midoriya what's-"

"There's too much spirit activity here. Especially in the courtyard down there. It's...It's overrun!"

Whatever Nana was doing directed Aizawa's attention down to the fountain. There was a second of deliberation in his eyes before he looked back over.

"Everyone get back to the bus! Now!" He shouted surprising the entire class. Even Thirteen was confused.

That split second of hesitation turned out to be their undoing as the lights flickered and the fountain down below started to go haywire. A dark purple portal spiraled open right in front of it as well.

With Aizawa's exclamation, it was clear to everyone else now that this wasn't part of the exercise at all.

They were all entranced as they watched the scene unfold. The portal grew bigger and bigger until it was massive. Slowly, a single hand reached through, catching the edges of the portal and pulling it open even further exposing an obscured face. Izuku trembled as the freezing cold terror he experienced from Nana came back full force.

"Izuku, that's him." Her voice was low and steady, but Izuku could feel her fear. Part of him reached out to her, wanting to make sure she wasn't going to be pulled away.

One by one, people started walking out of the portal. Five, Ten, Twenty, they just kept coming. And from Nana's observation, they all had spirits surrounding them. Whether or not they had the same pull as Nana's family, Izuku wasn't sure. He very much did not want to find out either.

Finally, the man Nana pointed out stepped out. He was covered in hands. Several pairs actually. Izuku felt sick. And right behind him, a hulking mass stepped out as well. It looked like someone with a mutation quirk, but...Izuku wasn't sure what it was supposed to look like. It was huge.

"Those are villains," Aizawa said gravely. "Thirteen, keep the students safe."

Izuku watched as Aizawa reached into his capture weapon and pulled out the infamous goggles he had modeled his mask after. Securing them on his face, Izuku was unable to see where he was looking. They would need a lot more than two heroes to defend them...

They were doomed. Chapter End Notes

Discord Link: https/discord.gg/z8VKRxS

Distraction

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Izuku watched as the large portal shrunk down into the form of another villain. As if they weren't already outmatched. His darks smokey appearance did nothing to ease Izuku's nerves. Especially as he started to speak.

"All Might doesn't seem to be in attendance." His voice was cold enough to send chills down Izuku's back.

Nana's grandson seemed very displeased by that. "Maybe he'll show up if we kill a few students."

They didn't stick around much longer as Aizawa ordered Thirteen to evacuate them all and get in touch with UA for reinforcements. When he didn't move to follow them, Izuku froze. "Aizawa you can't seriously be thinking of fighting them! There's too many. Your fighting style-"

Whatever complaint Izuku had on the tip of his tongue was halted as he felt a hand grip onto his arm. Turning quickly, Izuku was ready to punch what his instincts felt like a villain only to see Iida's stern gaze staring upon him. "Midoriya we don't have time to question the teachers. We have to go, come on!"

Izuku felt himself being pulled along and reluctantly followed.

'Nana, please stay with him.' He thought feeling her leave his side and hopefully staying with Aizawa as long as possible. Eventually, when Iida felt that Izuku wasn't going to run back into the fight, he let go of Izuku's arm. However, Thirteen stayed behind the group making it impossible to lag behind to see how Aizawa was managing.

"He's holding his own just fine, Izuku. Don't worry. They can't even touch him. He's clearly experienced with group fights." Nana assured and Izuku felt his panic recede. He should put his trust in UA to know how to protect them, he realized. They knew there might be an attack. So they planned for that.

'Can you help him?'

There was an answering pull of energy before it dissipated just as suddenly. "I'll lend a hand when I can. But...Izuku I can't get close to some of these villains. Most of them seem to be inexperienced thugs. But they have some very bad people on their side."

Izuku made it clear he didn't want Nana to put herself in danger of snapping their bond. Especially since Aizawa seemed to have such a good handle on the situation.

Rushing to the entrance of the USJ, safety seemed so close. Everyone looked to be relaxing. As if getting to the other side of the gate would mean they were untouchable. That peace was soon shattered as another one of those void-like portals opened up in the ground in front of them. Everyone stopped dead in their tracks allowing Thirteen to push through to stand guard in front of them.

"There is no escape," The villain mocked as they emerged from the portal. Their body seemed to snap up all the light in the area around them making them seem larger and larger by the moment. "We are the League of Villains-"

An organization. Of course. That's why there was such a stark difference in power. The thugs were serving the true members. "I know it's impolite, but we decided to invite ourselves inside this haven of justice to say hello to the most promising heroes of the future. Such a fitting space for All Might to take his last breath."

In front of him, while everyone was reeling at the information given to them, Izuku noticed Kirishima's shoulders tense up as if- Immediately Izuku's hand shot out to grab the armor on his shoulder. Kirishima jerked forward before realizing he was caught and turned to glare at Izuku. "What are you-"

"You'll get yourself killed!" Izuku hissed, feeling anger rise within him. They had no idea what this villain was capable of and they knew this League had no problem killing children.

"Well, we have to do something-"

"Ah, planning in front of your enemy? That's not very smart children. You should be careful before someone gets hurt." The villain sneered at them as its form grew larger and larger. "If you're so eager to fight, I'll scatter you across the compound to meet some of our compatriots!"

The void swirled all around them, encasing them in darkness. It was like wind whipping through

their hair and making it hard to keep their balance let alone form an attack plan. Izuku raised his hands trying to block the particles from getting in his face only to feel the warmth of the sun.

Opening his eyes, he saw what looked to be a mountain range above him. Above? Looking around, Izuku cried out upon seeing himself being lowered out of a portal high above the ground. In the distance, he could see the large mass of the villain and several more portals open up across the facility. But his thoughts were interrupted as he suddenly found himself falling through the air.

Preparing to use his quirk to catch himself, he heard the sounds of screams from above. Upon looking up, three others were falling with him. He couldn't make out all of them, but he could see Kirishima's flaming red hair. He looked to be trying to harden his whole body, but Izuku just knew that wouldn't work.

"Kirishima!" Izuku screamed, feeling his throat protest harshly. But he could barely hear over the roaring wind in his ear. He had to make sure he was heard. There wasn't time to freak out. "Kirishima!"

At that, Izuku saw his head jerk over and their eyes locked. It only took Izuku reaching a hand out toward him for Kirishima to get the plan. Straightening his body, Kirishima fell faster until Izuku was able to grab onto the bulky shoulder straps of his uniform. Kirishima grabbed onto the fabric of Izuku's gym uniform and they quickly shifted. Kirishima was laying with his back to the mountains while Izuku was above him face to face. There was a split second of panic before they both activated their quirks.

Izuku found himself lucky that the USJ was rigged up to so much electricity as he reached through his bond with Nana and pulled as much as he could into his own body. This was nothing like the entrance exam. This was supposed to work. If he could just use that energy to fuel his gravity reduction, he could, in theory, reduce their speed of falling enough for Kirishima's hardening to only absorb the minimum impact. But Izuku had never tried to carry someone before. And there was no telling how much force Kirishima's quirk could take.

Closing his eyes in fear, Izuku tried activating his levitation to it's fullest extend, too afraid to watch for the moment of impact.

The landing was harsh. All at once there was no sound of wind shooting all around them and Izuku braced his whole body. The impact knocked Izuku's hold off Kirishima leaving them no choice but to separate. Izuku was jerked to the side and he felt pebbles scrape across his face before he was able to raise his arms to protect himself.

Rapidly, he started skidding down what he felt was the side of a mountain. With no idea what height it was, Izuku activated his quirk once more despite the headache brewing to hopefully float above the cliffside. Only when he was sure he wasn't about to crash into a boulder did he open his eyes to see himself hovering once more above the orange rock of the terrain. He was quick to float back down before the headache and nausea took over, gently lowering himself to the ground.

Izuku swore he would never take having a stable ground for granted again as he caught his breath.

"Izuku! Are you alright? Are you hurt?!" Izuku was never more glad to hear Nana than he was at that moment. But even so, his heart wouldn't calm down.

"I'm fine. Where's Kirishima?" He asked as he dusted off his own body, wiping the inevitable drips of blood from his nose.

"A little ways behind you. He looks alright, and last I saw him he was getting up as well."

With a nod, Izuku turned around and jogged over to his fellow classmate. "Kirishima-"

Whatever he was going to say was cut off by arms wrapping around him tightly. "You're a genius, Midoriya! Can you imagine what would have happened if- No wait, let's never think of that again-" It was clear that Kirishima was high off the adrenaline of a near-death experience, but they had bigger things to worry about.

"Did you see who else was falling?-" Before Kirishima could answer there was a yell from above them.

"Make room! Get out of the way!"

Izuku didn't think twice as he jumped out of the vicinity. Looking up he saw the large shadow of a parachute gliding across the sky. Upon further inspection, it was Momo carrying Jiro, who looked suitably terrified of falling. As the pair landed, Momo tossed off the parachute back with a heavy sigh.

"Glad we made it in one piece. Are you two hurt?" Momo asked specifically looking at the blood smeared on Izuku's face.

"No, I'm fine. This just happens when I use my quirk too much." He explained nervously. "Sorry I didn't try to help you. I didn't even think I could carry Kirishima let alone two more people-"

Momo cut him off with shoving a napkin in his face, which he took gratefully and held it to his nose. "It's fine. We managed. No sense in dwelling on the past. We have to focus on getting back to Thirteen. Or finding our other classmates."

Smart move.

'Nana, can you find any of our classmates around?' Izuku asked her. "I think we should go back first. Anybody we find on the way, we can take with us, but if we all try to look for each other it'll just be a waste of time." He told the group.

"A waste of time?!" Kirishima blurted out. "Villains are attacking and you think looking for our classmates is a waste of time?!"

"Izuku! You all need to run! There are villains all around! They're waiting to attack!" Nana interrupted his thoughts.

But her warning came too late. Before Izuku could even open his mouth to speak his concern, an explosion rocked the boulder at the top of the cliff sending it rolling down the steep towards them. It wasn't hard to bolt out of the way as it started rolling down, but that meant they were spread out when the villains started appearing all around.

"Oh wow! There's a bunch over here!" Someone, a villain with some kind of wolf mutation quirk, growled out. Izuku shivered as he licked his jowls hungrily at them.

From there, there was no time to come up with a plan. It was very much just a fight for their lives. It didn't help much that Izuku wasn't sure which villains would be affected by his quirk. Kirishima's hardening worked well to block attacks, Jiro's speakers were amazing with the offense, and Yoayorozu's quirk was useful for weapons.

In the end, Izuku grabbed a police baton from Yoayorozu and used that. He was already reaching his limit as it was so he was saving his reserves for a dire emergency.

By the end of the battle, he was sweating and panting profusely. But he continuously pushed himself passed his limit. This was what his training was supposed to do. He was supposed to be stronger! Nana's encouragement rang off in his head every time he felt that he was getting too weak, and like an adrenaline shot, he found the strength to keep going. Slamming the baton into the nearest enemy, he watched them collapse with a groan before Kirishima delt the knock-out blow to send them to the ground.

Everything seemed to be going well. And like a fool, Izuku let his guard down once more.

"Izuku- " There was no time for a warning before a large hand clamped down onto his freshly scarred shoulder. The flesh was still tender underneath but no amount of thrashing could help him get away. Izuku realized he was truly caught as another large hand reached up and gripped his neck from behind.

"Nobody make any sudden moves! Do you hear me?! That means no quirks either! Drop your weapons or I'll fry this kid's brains." Izuku couldn't look over to see what the man was doing, but from the crackling sound and the smell of ozone right beside his face. The hand on his neck kept him still but there was no mistaking it.

'Nana, can't you do something?' He asked as he watched his classmates throw down their weapons.

"I- I don't know! What if it's too much for you to handle? I don't want to kill you again, Izuku!"

"You won't-" Izuku found himself muttering out loud only when the hand on his neck squeezed tighter.

The villain sneered, leaning closer to Izuku's ear. "I can assure you I would. But feel free to try me, you little runt."

"You know, you're a pretty lucky guy," Jiro said suddenly, dragging the villain's attention away from Izuku.

"Oh yeah? Why's that?" For a moment, Izuku was confused. But as soon as he saw the look on Jiro's face, he got her plan. The only issue was that she was being too obvious.

Jiro shrugged, trying to be nonchalant. "You electric quirk types are always destined for mainstream success. Even if you didn't want to be a hero, there's plenty of other jobs you could do right?"

Her stalling seemed to be working as Izuku felt the hand on him lessen just a little. Maybe even enough for him to get-

"Nice try!" The villain hissed and Izuku tensed upon feeling the electricity buzzing near his face once more. "Think you can distract me so easily? I'm not some dumb thug like the rest of them-"

"Emiko."

"Emiko?" Izuku repeated confused.

The villain immediately tensed up. "What did you just say to me?"

"E-Emiko?" Izuku didn't know what it was he was doing but it seemed to be working.

There was silence as even his classmates weren't sure what he was doing.

"How do you..." With the villain confused, Izuku took the opportunity to jerk out of his grasp.

The electricity brushed against the back of his neck as he pulled away, but Nana sapped it without even asking Izuku first. He felt the raw power seep into his skin and he used it to fuel his strength as he burst out. There was the intense pain in his head, but it faded as soon as the energy left his system.

Izuku fell to the ground in what he hoped to be a safe distance away before Jiro activated the speakers on her legs. The sound was jarring and harsh to Izuku's ears but it sure beats having his brains scrambled.

Just like that, the villain was taken down. And there was a slight screech of feedback from hidden speakers before an alarm rang out through the air.

"Alert. Intruders detected. Lockdown deployed."

His classmates rushed over him soon after, quickly helping him to his feet. There was a feeling of warmth dripping down his face. Ah. Another nosebleed. Izuku didn't much care but accepted the tissue given to him by Yaoyorozu regardless.

"As we were saying, We should get back to Aizawa and Thirteen." He reiterated. It was the most logical choice but he was surprised by the reluctance in their eyes as they glanced at him. "What?"

"I think we should look for our friends." Kirishima blurted. "Right now, the most dangerous place seems to be the entrance. It'll be better to group up with the others first."

Jiro and Yaoyorozu both nodded their agreement which stunned Izuku. There was no way to know if the entrance was the most dangerous place at the moment. Aizawa could have dispatched all the villains and was waiting for them now. Izuku sighed. "How about this, I'll go to the entrance alone. I'll lay low and see if it's safe. While I'm gone, you three can go find our classmates and bring them back here."

The other three shared looks before nodding. "Yeah, you seem pretty tapped out. You'll bring less attention if it's just you." Jiro pointed to his bloody shirt.

"Come back and wait for us if you get into trouble," Kirishima warned.

Yaoyorozu gave Izuku a once over before she reached for her arm. Light emanated from it as she created a small object and handed it to Izuku. "Here. This is a communications device. I'm not sure if it'll work in here with the lockdown, but try to use this if you get caught."

It looked relatively simple. A small antenna sat at the top with a small dial for the different frequencies. And finally, there was a button that Izuku knew was for the actual communication.

"Thanks. I'll let you guys know if anything happens!" Izuku slipped the communicator into his pocket.

The way to the entrance was clear, thankfully. Izuku didn't run into any villains, but he also didn't run into any classmates. His nose had stopped bleeding along the way as well.

"Nana, how is Aizawa doing?" Izuku asked as they started to get closer. There was the pull as he felt her leave his side.

"He's tired. But he's still holding out. There's only a few lower thugs, my grandson, and that big thing that came with them. I can't see any souls yet though. Maybe if we-" Whatever she was about to say was cut off by a horrified gasp.

Izuku was about to question what she saw when he found it himself. Somehow, in the span of the last few seconds, the large beast had gotten the drop on Aizawa. It was now crouched over his back, almost obscuring him from view. Izuku watched, unable to turn his head away as it grabbed Aizawa's arm and squeezed it hard enough for the bone to shatter.

The cry of pain Aizawa let out stabbed Izuku deep inside. He needed to do something.

"Izuku don't! Just stay back!" Nana cried out. "You can't do anything! You'll be killed!"

He knew that. Of course, he knew that. But maybe if he could buy them a little more time. There was the chance that someone called for help. The interference was gone, right? They just needed more time.

His body moved without thinking as he took a step forward. Luckily, all the villains were occupied watching whatever that thing was destroy Aizawa's body.

"Stop. Izuku I'm begging you, please. Don't fight. You can't see but that thing isn't- It isn't human! I can't help you any you've already reached your limit!"

So he was just supposed to watch Aizawa die? The man that's done more for him than any of his previous teachers? He couldn't. Another step forward and he could see the teleporter appear beside the ring leader. Their words were inaudible, but whatever it was seemed to piss the leader off as he started to scratch his neck manically. Maybe the reinforcements had arrived. So that meant Izuku really did only have to buy a little more time.

"Aren't you listening?! I said stop it! You can't win!"

He didn't have to win. That was the thing. He just had to make sure they didn't lose. The villains saw him now. But Izuku didn't care. All he wanted was to save Aizawa long enough to keep him from being killed. Reaching out, he latched onto the electricity sparking underneath their feet. His head pulsed in pain but he pushed through it once more.

"A new player enters the combat zone, huh?" The leader spoke in a raspy breath that sent chills down his spine. "What are you going to do? You've already taken a beating it seems. Do you really think you can stop us? Or are you volunteering to be the first to die?"

Neither.

"Izuku please."

Nana was crying. But Izuku couldn't worry about that. Instead, he forced the energy into his own body, fueling his speed and jumping up in the air with the help of his levitation. Deactivating it as soon as he reached above the beast, he started to fall.

"Let him go!" Izuku screamed, forcing all the energy he had into punching the thing right in it's exposed brain.

...

...

...

Dying hurt a lot more the third time around. Chapter End Notes

Sorry for the long wait! But I wanted to add a bit more than usual to the chapter!

Awakening

Chapter Notes

Sorry for the long wait! With classes and work and moving, I've been pretty busy.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Somehow in the span of a second, the beast reached an arm up and grabbed Izuku around the waist. Its hand was huge enough to encompass Izuku's entire torso and no amount of punching or kicking budged its grip.

"Kill him, Nomu." The leader hissed.

There was the sound of horrified screams filling the air. Izuku wasn't sure if it was Nana or himself. He was too focused on his ribcage folding in on itself like an aluminum can. There was no strain from the beast, Nomu apparently, as it crushed his abdomen without a second thought.

Izuku couldn't breathe. Did he even have lungs anymore?

He was dead before Nomu even tossed him aside like a broken doll. He watched in the third person as his body clattered across the concrete mangled, bloody, and lifeless. He...He was unrecognizable.

"No! No! Please!" Nana's voice rang out. "Please."

Izuku looked away from his body to see Nana near the leader. Not by her choice it seemed. But she could do nothing as the hands of several dark shadows grabbed onto her body and pulled her closer. Instinctively, Izuku reached through their bond for any energy he could. The only thing he found, however, was that of the Nomu. He could finally understand what Nana meant.

While the spirits dragging Nana were distinctive and silhouetted, The spirits of the Nomu were all jumbled together. Wriggling and thrashing like a worm. In between the spirits were bright white lines that looked almost like threads sewing them in place.

At once, they let out a sad moan. Nana was wrong. The Nomu might not have been human

anymore. But it used to be.

"Izuku! Izuku!" Nana's cries grabbed his attention once more. She had finally seen him standing there beside his body and was reaching out to him with both hands. "I don't want to be one of them! Please!"

Izuku moved without thought, suddenly calling upon their bond once more for strength. He gripped onto Nana's hands. He couldn't feel anything other than the pressure of the contact. Without dwelling on it, he started to pull, calling on any strength he could muster.

The only way he could describe it was like fighting through molasses. Every one of his movements was delayed. But he seemed to be making progress.

"Ours-"

"She's ours!"

"Can't have her-" "Give her back!"

Izuku heard a cacophony of voices say at once.

"No! She's mine!" He spat with childish defiance as he pulled with all his might. With luck, he gained some purchase until finally, Nana was free of the grabbing hands. The pair scrambled away but luckily it seemed that the spirits couldn't move that far from their host. They stretched out, hands grasping, but they couldn't reach.

Izuku took the moment to look around at the scene. There were the gore and viscera of his own body and remains on Nomu. And time seemed to move just as slowly as it usually did in this in- between of the spirit world. But enough time had passed for his body to be seen by Aizawa who barely managed to lift his head. Izuku could see he was close to passing out, but there were also wisps all around him. Like photographs layered on top of each other.

"He's hanging in there, Izuku, but..." Nana explained, her arms wrapping around Izuku tightly. "We have to get back-" Izuku said as he reached for his own body.

"Wait!" Nana's words stopped him. "Maybe now's not the time. We can wait here till the reinforcements arrive..."

They couldn't do that. They'd be here forever. Time moved so slowly. There was no telling what would happen. Actually, Nomu would probably finish Aizawa off and then anyone else in the vicinity. Izuku couldn't let that happen.

"Izuku..." Nana said with tears in her eyes.

Izuku paused, taking a moment to look over at the woman who watched over him for so long. She was the same as the first day they meant. The same hero costume and everything. The only difference was the anguish in her eyes. It was even greater than when she was crying over his body the first time.

"I have to." He told her, taking a few selfish moments to hug her tightly around the waist. Her arms wrapped around him with the same desperation. He felt her lips press against the top of his head gently. "I know you do...I just hate seeing you hurt."

Nana walked him over to his body and Izuku watched her intentionally look away.

As before, they reached for the body together and when they made contact, a bright light flashed behind Izuku's eyes. He opened his eyes feeling the cool blood crusting on his face. It was disgusting and one of the worst parts of the whole ordeal. But his body was repaired. Seemingly without a scratch. No ache in sight. It was as he sat up that he heard a large crash towards the entrance doors.

"It's him!"

Everyone paused to watch as All Might stepped through the broken doors. It was like the light at the end of the tunnel. The reason Izuku put himself in the position of danger in the first place. He succeeded!

"Fear not, students! I am here!" All Might announced and his deep voice carried down to the plaza. It was music to Izuku's ears.

"Well, well, well. Looks like we're having a boss battle after all." The leader hissed.

None of their attention was on him, so Izuku took the opportunity to dive off the side of the ledge, hoping to gain some cover. What he didn't expect, however, was to see Asui and Mineta there as well. The water around him immediately turned red as his blood was washed off. But he still must have looked a mess seeing as how the look of horror was prominent.

Hoping to at least make himself look less disgusting, Izuku ducked his head under the water. Shaking around, he tried to scrub the majority of the blood away from his face. His clothes were a goner, but he still held out hope. When he finally resurfaced, there wasn't much he could say before he felt himself being yanked up by his uniform. His instinct immediately told him to start fighting, but upon looking up, he saw it was All Might who had a hold of if. In one fell swoop, All Might was able to grab Izuku, Mineta, Asui, and Aizawa before depositing them near the entrance.

"Carry Aizawa out of here, students. Leave these villains to me." Before Izuku could mention anything about his time limit, All Might blasted off and jumped straight into battle.

That proved easier said than done as All Might landed a Carolina Smash right on Nomu's chest. But like before when Izuku was struggling, the beast wasn't even phased. All Might tried several more punches only for them to harmlessly bounce off.

Izuku turned to Asui, intending on helping her hold onto Aizawa, but when he took a step towards her she took a step back.

"Tsu? What-" Izuku asked, feeling a dread pool in his stomach.

"What are you?! Some kind of zombie freak?!" Mineta blurted out loudly. "We just watched you get crushed and here you are completely fine? What the heck!"

Izuku cursed heavily in his mind despite the scolding from Nana. Of all things, he had hoped they hadn't seen him die. But it seemed like it was only a matter of time before people started to uncover his secret quirk. "I-It's not like that! My quirk is- Now isn't the time to explain!" Izuku finally huffed. Without Asui's help, he scooped up Aizawa's front half and started to carry him. "We have to get to the others!"

The other two were reluctant to come near him, but slowly they managed to look past what had happened and help him with Aizawa.

Nana's urging in his ear, Izuku didn't stop to peek behind him no matter how much he wanted to. He had to get Aizawa out of there. From what he saw as a spirit, Aizawa didn't have much time.

Shigaraki Tomura watched the battle with excitement tingling in his bones. He has been preparing for this for years. The fall of the Symbol of Peace. Despite their rocky start, he finally seemed to have the first checkpoint in his grasp. Kill the Symbol of Peace, watch hero society crumble, rule the world. That last part was a filler for his real plan of course.

It was in the works...

And he was off to such a great start. Infiltrating UA was easier than he thought. With all the reporters there for All Might, it was easy to get them to distract the staff and students long enough for him to sneak in and steal All Might's schedule. And with Kurogiri's portals, he was in and out before anyone could get suspicious. And now here he was in the stupid training facility. They'd made a statement. Despite their issues, they even ended up killing a kid.

His satisfaction was obvious as he taunted All Might about his Nomu. Perhaps he gave away a little too much, but that didn't matter seeing as how All Might would soon be dead just like that annoying little brat-

Shigaraki's thoughts halted as he turned to look at where the boy's body used to be. It was pretty gross looking, he remembered. It would have surely made a statement to UA. But...the body wasn't there! The puddle of blood was, but not the body! Shigaraki stomped over before he saw the trail of blood leading to the water. Nearest the ledge it was pink and muddy with it. Had the brat managed to survive and crawl into the water? And drowned?

"Kurogiri!" Shigaraki snarled, the sounds of fights behind him mere background noises. The purple mist villain materialized beside him almost immediately. "Yes, Shigaraki?" "Don't 'Yes, Shigaraki?' me! Where's the brat's body?!" He demanded.

Immediately, Kurogiri looked up to the entrance where Shigaraki had forgotten All Might had taken Eraserhead and those other two brats. He hadn't much cared if they escaped, but even from

the distance, he could see the blood-stained uniform of the brat he swore was dead 5 minutes ago. "Grab him!" The order came swiftly.

"Are you sure you should be worrying about-"

"Don't question me."

Kurogiri sighed, but Shigaraki saw his portal swirl near the students. They didn't seem to be paying attention and that green-haired brat stepped right into it. Shigaraki wasted no time in yanking him though by his foot, making sure to only use four fingers.

The boy's body fell with a thud onto the concrete plaza and Shigaraki reveled in his look of surprise. "Thought you could get away, huh?"

Shigaraki had to admit, the boy was turning out to be interesting. "So what's your quirk? Duplication? Illusion? You're supposed to be dead."

Leaning closer, Shigaraki felt the boy's leg twitch as if thinking of kicking him. And he couldn't have that. Grabbing the leg in both hands, Shigaraki smirked. "I wouldn't fight. Killing you for real would be just as easy as-" With that, he lowered his pinky onto the boy's shoe and watched it crumble away into dust.

The brat was smart. Shigaraki was pleased to see that as he stopped his resistance. "All Might~" Shigaraki sang out as he grabbed the brat by the back of his stupid uniform and jerked him to his feet. "Look what I have!"

Shigaraki reveled in the look on All Might's face when he saw the brat. He thought he had gotten him to safety. But before All Might could charge over like he clearly wanted to, Nomu went to attack. The sight was fun to watch.

"You can't do this-" The brat choked out as Shigaraki wrapped an arm around his neck, holding him in place.

"As if you could stop me." Shigaraki hissed out. "But you're just an NPC in this game."

"So what? Are you going to kill me?" The brat tried to sound strong, but Shigaraki could feel the trembling in his shoulders.

But hey...that was a nice idea. "You're pretty smart for a brat."

Shigaraki held the boy securely even as he began to jerk and pull. "Oh, All Might~ Watch this!" And with that, Shigaraki placed his entire hand on the boy's back. There was a moment as nothing happened and then Shigaraki felt his uniform start to flake. Oh, how the brat cried out in fear before his skin started to decay.

The look on All Might's face was priceless. Shigaraki wished he had brought a camera. _

Izuku felt the moment Shigaraki's hand started to decay the skin on his back. It burned. It felt like the time he had tripped and scraped his knees across the carpet. The friction burns made it hard to walk for the next few days. But this was way worse than that.

And Nana couldn't help him. Izuku had begged her to help him, but there was some interference. She couldn't just steal Shigaraki's energy like she did to Bakugou or the Zero-Pointer. Izuku hadn't had the time to ask for the specifics. But even so, he screamed out. Pulling at whatever power he could.

The lights all around started flickering. Some even breaking in a shower of sparks.

Like before, Izuku experienced the feeling of his soul stepping out of his body. But...it was different this time. He could see he wasn't dead. His body was in pain, yes, but still very alive.

And Nana was there. Her anger and sorrow seemed to snap him out of whatever pain fueled trance he was in.

"Izuku! What-"

"I don't know," Izuku said immediately. And he didn't. Whatever power this was wasn't something he was familiar with.

But everything was moving so fast now. Not the real world. But the spirit one. Nana grabbed him quickly before pulling him away from Shigaraki's spirits. They reached out for him, but like before they couldn't reach. But unlike before, they could reach his body.

Izuku could only watch as they were absorbed into his body. All of them. At once. His body's eyes started glowing a bright white color as his head bent back without his control. And even in the spirit world where things move slower, the wail that vibrated into the air was nothing short of haunting.

Chapter End Notes

And another cliffhanger. I didn't mean to end it like this. I wanted to finish out the USJ incident in this chapter but it just kept growing and growing and I'd rather chop major events into parts than let it all roll into each other so quickly!

Discord link (a good place to chat with other readers and myself!): https/discord.gg/z8VKRxS

Stand-off

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

In his haste - or horror - Shigaraki released Izuku's body, taking a step backward away from it. It seemed that the spirits inside his body didn't care as they stepped forward towards where All Might was fighting the Nomu.

"Midoriya! Get away!" He tried to warn but it was too late. The Nomu's attention was now locked.

Izuku's spirit...Well, he couldn't help but be fascinated by what was happening. It was horrifying of course, but nothing like he had ever seen before. He almost wished he had his notebook.

His body, possessed by the spirits of the Shimura's looked ready to go face to face with the Nomu. Feet planted on the concrete like a bull ready to charge. The Nomu seemed to take this as the challenge that it was as it planted its feet as well, barely glancing at All Might. Its roar was bone- chilling, but Izuku couldn't help but note his body's wail had sounded worse.

There was a split moment as they both stared at each other before Izuku's body took a deep breath in, almost lifting itself to its tiptoes, before wailing once more. Immediately, however, the Nomu joined in. As if trying to drown out the noise.

"What...what are they doing?" Nana asked herself. Izuku shrugged. "Is this fighting?"

"No...Spirits don't fight. They...hardly interact at all with each other. This? I don't know what this is."

It seemed everyone had stopped to watch the spectacle as even Shigaraki paused his carnage. There was a pause as Izuku's body panted and heaved, seemingly from lack of air. The Nomu took a hulking step forward then as it readied its next roar. But Izuku's body took it by surprise. It seemed to be pushing itself beyond its limits just to prove a point to the Nomu. being louder and more aggressive in its sound than before.

And weirdly the Nomu didn't join back right away. Instead, it took a moment and watched Izuku's body scream. Face red and eyes streaming tears down his bloody face.

Izuku's body didn't spot. Taking a step forward it screamed louder. Voice splitting into different pitches.

The Nomu stepped backward and Izuku's body stepped forward again.

There was another pause as Izuku's body heaved for breath and the Nomu tried to swipe at it only for an arc of energy to smack it away. The lights flickered hard, cutting out completely before slowly flickering back on. And the wailing began anew. Until Izuku's body backed the Nomu up to almost be in line with All Might. At that moment, Izuku's body fell to its knees. Shoulders shuddering and shaking. Voice a mangled wreck. Slowly, even slower in the speed of the spirit world, its eyes dimmed and closed and the body slumped over onto its side.

There was silence on the battlefield as everyone tried to comprehend what happened. And all at once, things started back once more. All Might used the Nomu's confusion to slam it into the ground. Weirdly, it didn't seem to have much fight left as it slowly batted at All Might's blows.

Meanwhile, Izuku watched his body as the mass of spirits leaked out of it like a puddle of light. The puddle beaded and rolled back over to Shigaraki as if magnetized, small moans sounded out in a mockery of the banshee screams before. And all at once, it reformed behind him. More subdued this time. Only holding onto Shigaraki directly lined up with the hands that littered his form.

Izuku didn't wait. He ran back to his own body with Nana in tow. Both grabbing on in time to be absorbed into it in a flash of white light behind his eyes. Coming to consciousness, Izuku looked up just in time to see Shigaraki and the void villain muttering to each other. Minutes later, a portal opened up beside them.

There was no time to stop them before they disappeared. And when they did, the Nomu fell limp where All Might was fighting it. Not dead. But unresponsive as it still breathed and even blinked up at the sky.

Izuku went to stand but found his legs shaking too bad. He fell back down like a newborn foal. His arms shook as he held himself up and dizziness took over. Darkness started to pull at the corners of his vision. He started to lose time as he fell into warm and boney arms. "Kid?! Hey, stay awake, alright? Backup's here now. You need to stay-" All Might's voice faded out and Izuku couldn't find it in him to care. All that mattered was that there were reinforcements. And Shigaraki was gone. Nomu was down. He could sleep.

...

...

...

"-a complete nightmare. How can we even start to-"

"Hush now. He's waking up."

Izuku groaned as he forced his eyes to crack open. Dim light filtered in causing temporary blindness as they adjusted. When they finally did, however, Izuku saw the skinny face of All Might leaning over him. The man was grinning a fake smile that wilted the longer he tried. "Look who's finally awake. You had us worried there, kid."

He was thirsty. His mouth was so dry he couldn't even produce saliva. Let alone speak. Luckily, All Might seemed to realize this as he pressed a button and the apparent hospital bed Izuku was laying on raised up so that he was in an almost sitting position. In the next moment, a small straw was placed at his mouth and he frantically tried to sip from it. However, it was one of those coffee stirring straws and All Might seemed to be pinching it in a way that only allowed a small trickle of water at a time.

"Take it easy. We don't want you to choke." All Might advised gently. Izuku didn't really care at the moment. But pretty soon his thirst was quenched enough and the straw was pulled from his mouth.

He was given a moment of reprieve before a clipboard was tapped on his head by Recovery Girl. "Young man! I have had just about enough of you this year! And it's only your first semester." She scolded before she wrapped a cuff around his wrist to check his blood pressure. "Honestly, you're very lucky they brought you back here in time! You were completely dehydrated and anemic. Your own body was consuming its muscle mass to keep you alive! I can't heal that with a kiss I'll tell you that-"

Izuku spaced out as she fretted over him and went through the standard check-up. All he could think about was the previous times he was revived and nearly ravenous in hunger. That meant his

quirk must have relied on the energy in his body to heal and bring him back...If he was as close to death as Recovery Girl was saying, there was no way his own quirk could have brought him back...

"Lucky for you, I've been pumping you full of nutrients nonstop. So at least you won't waste away until we can get some actual food into you."

The entire time, All Might was just watching him, and Izuku just knew they were in for a long discussion.

"We have to tell him, Zuku," Nana whispered gently beside him. "I already heard them talking. They already know something's up. They won't accept half-truths anymore."

Just that idea was enough to fill Izuku's stomach with dread and the heart rate monitor he was hooked up to was reflecting that. His heart rate was still slower than average, but there was a noticeable pick up to beat of it. Recovery Girl noted this as she marked it on her clipboard. "I know you both have a lot to talk about. So I'll step out and allow you some privacy."

Which was nice, but the silence that accompanied her departure was not.

"Midoriya...I feel that you've been keeping a lot of secrets since we met." All Might started, looking like he was trying very hard to stay calm. "But we've gotten to a point where you are putting yourself in more and more danger. Still, I know it usually wouldn't be any of my business seeing as how I am not Aizawa. But I feel certain...allowances should be made since you will become my successor."

"Wow...That's the most professional thing I've ever heard him say." Nana snickered trying to lighten the mood. Which only sort of worked.

"I can tell you everything." Izuku blurted out. "I'll tell you everything from day one and...you have to believe me. Because it's all true."

All Might ran a hand over his face at the realization that this was no suddenly much more than just a discussion of quirks. "I've seen a lot of things, my boy. I can promise to keep an open mind."

So Izuku began his tale. Explaining the hard day he had at school being quirkless, avoiding using

names of course, and the events that led him to want to jump off the roof in the first place. He watched as All Might's fists became whiter and whiter as he clutched the fabric of the sheets on the bed.

"I don't remember hitting the ground. All I remember is just standing there. And I saw a woman there. She was kneeling over my body...and when I saw you...I panicked. I tried to grab my body the same time she did and we suddenly...I don't know. Both got sucked in together. But that's not the unbelievable part..." Izuku's own hands began to shake despite the warmth he felt of Nana's hands on top of them. "She knows you, All Might. And she's the one who told me about One for All."

Izuku watched the gears turn in All Might's head before realization crashed down. "It's the truth, All Might. I swear. I can prove it if you don't believe me. I can-"

All Might raised his hand and stopped Izuku mid-word. "No need...I...You can speak to her. She told you about One for All." He paused. Looking away from Izuku for a moment. "Continue the story. I need a moment to process this."

And so Izuku did. Explaining how he started his training. How he met a new friend. How he became happy again. He also spoke about all the powers he had come to realize that he had. The energy pull and boost. The flying. Everything.

"I left that note on your desk," Izuku admits though. "Nana," Izuku watched All Might flinch. "She saw Shigaraki when he was stealing your schedule. She could tell he was her grandson."

All Might wilted. "She'd be so disappointed in me..."

"Actually..." Izuku interrupted. "She's not. She's...upset. But not at you. You couldn't have known."

All Might looked up hesitantly, "Is she here? Right now?"

"Always."

"She's always with me. Always." Izuku says leaning into the warmth beside him. "When we bonded, her connection to One for All snapped. She goes wherever I go." Izuku notices a moment

too late that it was probably not the best idea to mention he was so close with All Might's mentor. It seemed almost like gloating, and Izuku didn't want that.

But still, there was no way they could speak unless he acted as a go-between. And that could be awkward...

Looking up, Izuku saw All Might staring at him once more. "Wha- Is something wrong?" He asked nervously.

All Might seemed to snap out of a trance of some kind and cleared his throat. "It's been a long time since I've seen my master. It's...odd. She's so close, but yet unreachable."

That was understandable at least.

But Izuku suddenly had an idea. Thinking back on what happened at the USJ, there's no reason it couldn't happen again. He just had to...step out. In a way that didn't involve dying. Harder than he thought it was, it turns out as he closed his eyes and tried to ease his breathing. It was just like falling asleep right?

"Izuku, honey, what are you doing?" Nana asked concerned.

'I want you to take control of my body. So you can talk to All Might. Tell him you aren't

disappointed.' He explained.

There was a hum from Nana and Izuku felt her warmth fade from his side right before his stomach seemed to drop and he was cast into limbo like before. Only this time, Nana seemed to slot right in place in his body without him. It was weird, but a lot less terrifying than it was at the USJ.

Looking over, Izuku watched the heart monitor slow to an extreme level. His body was slumped just slightly before it righted itself once more. When his eyes opened, it was the same glowing white as before.

"Toshinori?" A voice, Nana's voice, came from Izuku's mouth.

Izuku watched All Might's hands clench hard on the arms of his seat in surprise. "M-Master?! Midoriya?! What is-"

"I'm not quite sure, Toshi." Nana/Izuku spoke with a sluggish shrug. "We experienced something like this at the USJ. With the Nomu. But this is...new."

There was silence and Izuku noticed a tugging in his stomach growing stronger and stronger, pulling him towards his body. It seemed Nana could feel it to as she spoke quicker. "There really is a lot we need to discuss. But I don't have much time. This is draining for Izuku. But I believe Izuku will make a strong successor for One for All. Please don't change your mind. He can do great things! And he needs your help now more than ever to regain all his lost progress before the sports festival!"

Nana was speaking faster and Izuku felt the pull tighter. 'Nana this isn't about me!-'

"And don't beat yourself up so much, Toshinori! I'm still so proud of the hero you became and I want to watch you pass that knowledge into Izuku!"

She had a lot of things to say and not a lot of time to say it before Izuku was jerked back towards his body and shoved inside. There was a moment of discombobulation as Izuku fell back hard against the pillow. Before he knew it, the back of the bed was being lowered once more by All Might's shaking hands. "All Might-"

"I'll bring Recovery Girl back so she can set up more fluids. I'm sure your mother is almost here and I'd rather explain what I can so you can rest." All Might rushed as he collected his phone walked to the front of the office. He paused, resting his hand on Izuku's covered knee, and gave a weak smile. "We can talk about this later."

Which...was a terrifying thought...But Izuku assumed it was only fair. Chapter End Notes

Sorry for the long gaps between updates! I'm in the middle of trying to move into a new place and work and take classes online. But everything should be calm again by mid-November!

Discord link (a good place to chat with other readers and myself!): https/discord.gg/z8VKRxS

Chapter Notes

Infirmary Stays are Boring

I've finished work for the semester, and I'm fully moved into my new place. So I should be a lot more consistent with updates! At least until the next semester starts.

I thank you all for your patience thus far.

And I realize this chapter may not seem anything special for the amount of time I've had you guys wait for it, but I have a few more plans before we get into the Sports Festival! Stay tuned!

I also have a really important note at the end of this chapter so if everyone can take a sec to stop and read it that would be greatly appreciated.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Izuku woke up to a frantic muffled sound growing louder. He had been in and out of consciousness for a few hours at that point and it was the first time he heard such a noise. However, it was quickly becoming apparent that this was something serious.

He stirred, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. It sounded like someone was screaming with a pillow on their face. And it only got worse. Quickly, he heard Recovery Girl run over, but she stayed on the opposite side of the curtain leaving him unable to see what was going on.

"You're safe, Eraserhead-" she tried to soothe, but Eraserhead's - Aizawa's - panic was too loud it seemed. Izuku began to hear the metal clinking of the bed shaking. "Alright try to stay still and I'll remove part of the bandages."

There were a few more seconds before a choked gasp filled the air. "Mido- Midoriya!" Aizawa shouted out with a cough.

"Is just fine-"

"Midoriya!" Aizawa continued to thrash. Izuku could hear it.

"Sir?" Izuku called out quietly. "I'm here. I'm okay!"

Aizawa stopped screaming, but his panting was deafening. Izuku had never heard the man so upset. "Mr. Aizawa...Are you okay?" Izuku asked as the quiet persisted.

Slowly, the curtain was pulled open and Izuku was able to get a full look at Mr. Aizawa. Well, as best as he could with the man's entire body wrapped in bandages. Even on his face there were bandages. But Izuku could see that some had been pulled down under his chin to give him the freedom to talk. What could be seen of Aizawa's eyes were raking over Izuku, honing in on every little detail.

"I want an explanation. Now." He said gruffly. "Recovery Girl, sit me up." "I will do no such thing! You should be resting-"

"Please." And that must not have been something Mr. Aizawa said regularly as Recovery Girl grabbed his bed's remote and started to raise it just enough to set him up. "You look...Alive."

"You as well, Sir..." Izuku was at loss for words. He didn't know what to say that could potentially ease any bit of the stress Aizawa must be feeling. This seemed to be apparent as Aizawa rested his head back onto the pillow and huffed.

"Let's keep it that way, alright?" He surmised leaving no room for Izuku to protest. Not like he would of course.

Another hour or so passed before Izuku's mother rushed inside and straight over to his bed. There were tears in her eyes as she took in his sunken cheeks and pale skin. But before she could freak out and potentially wake Aizawa, who had thankfully fell back asleep, Izuku gave her an almost blinding smile.

"I'm okay, Mom!" He barely flinched as her warm hands grabbed him by the cheeks and started to move his face around as if expecting to find hidden scratches and wounds. "Really, I am. I just used too much energy with my quirk."

This seemed to be the moment Recovery Girl stepped in. "He's mostly correct. It seems that his quirk absorbs the energy in his body, and when it runs out, it absorbs things like body fat and muscle mass. With this information, UA can create a dietary plan that suits his body and quirk without causing this kind of reaction again."

For a horrifying moment, Izuku's mother seemed to hesitate. As if rejecting UA's help, or maybe even worse, thinking of pulling him out of UA. "See, Mom? They can help me! It'll all be okay!"

"...If you're sure, honey." Inko relented and Izuku knew it had to do with wanting him to be happy. That's why he loved his mother so much.

"With that settled," Recovery Girl said once more. "I would like to keep Izuku here overnight. We've been giving his body constant nutrients to make up for what his quirk consumed and it would only benefit him if we kept going."

Again, his mother hesitated, but one look at Izuku's excited desperation caused her to give in. "Alright...Would he be expected to attend classes anytime soon?"

"Oh no! Not at all! Class is canceled for the next few days while UA strengthens its security in the wake of this attack. To make sure it doesn't happen again."

Recovery Girl's professional optimism was working wonders on Izuku's mother's worries... _

Izuku once again slept as he was given more and more nutrition. The next morning, He was allowed to finally step out of bed and shower. There was a bathroom attached to the office which contained everything he needed. Even a set of sweats and a t-shirt. When he came out he felt a lot better which Nana seemed happy about.

'Where were you yesterday? When my mom came in?' He asked her as he paced around the small space for exercise.

'Exploring. Eavesdropping. Wandering.' Nana replied casually. 'Thinking mostly.'

Izuku quickly grew bored of the constant quiet mixed with the beeping of Aizawa's heart monitor. But he wasn't allowed to leave in case he tired himself out. Luckily, he was saved with the arrival of lunch.

With lunch came the arrival of All Might and the waking of Aizawa and Izuku was finally able to eat solid food.

All Might walked into the office in his deflated form as Izuku was digging into his lunch. A heavy beef broth for the moment, but he was promised more if he could keep it down. "Good morning, Midoriya! You're looking better."

"Feeling better!" Izuku said happily.

For a moment, All Might's eyes darted over to Aizawa who was lazily sipping a jelly pouch with one free arm. But he quickly recovered. "I was hoping to have a chat with you in private, but that can wait until you're ready to go home..."

'Tell him he can have the conversation here.' Nana piped up. 'He wants to talk about One for All.' "O-oh-!" Izuku said quickly. "Well...Nana says you can have the conversation here."

Again, All Might looked to Aizawa who only quirked an eyebrow at the pair. "Is she sure?" 'Aizawa needs to know all the cards on the table.'

Izuku repeated her words much to All Might's dismay. "He knows how Nana and I bonded together as well as some of the powers that I've developed." He added.

It was a very hard conversation to have, Izuku knew. But he agreed with Nana that Aizawa should be in the know as well. So many secrets are hard to keep when they're all scattered around. So, with All Might's consenting nod, Izuku talked.

He started with the fact that Nana was All Might's mentor. And how she died while giving him a chance to escape a great enemy. He mentioned how she watched over him after that. Sticking with him through decades of hero work. Izuku jumped past that day on the roof seeing as how they both knew what happened. The only thing he didn't explain was...

"There's a secret about All Might's quirk. And exactly why Nana had to sacrifice herself." This, Aizawa seemed to understand finally. "Right...so what is this big secret?"

With one final glance at All Might, Izuku turned to Aizawa and spoke, wringing his hands together. "All Might's quirk is called One for All. It's a stockpiling quirk passed down from user to user. Nana was the seventh. All Might is the Eighth. One for All's original holder was someone thought to be quirkless. His brother had a quirk that was able to take anyone else's quirk. And he was a very...very bad man."

Letting that hold in the air, All Might seemed to take up the podium. "One for All's original owner passed on the quirk before he died. And it's mission to stop his brother All for One from destroying the world. What followed was decades of fighting between All for One and the holders of One for All. It ended with me. Years ago. The reason I can only work for a few hours every day. But All for One's reign of terror ended."

"But Nana was bonded to All Might through One for All. It kept her soul and spirit pure. And when she bonded with me, her connection to One for All ended."

There was a pause as Aizawa seemed to absorb all that information. It was agonizing. "So...You have no need for a successor?" Aizawa asks.

"..." All Might sighed heavily. "Midoriya, tell him what you saw at the USJ."

Izuku felt his stomach drop. "Nana...before she died...She had a son. For his protection, she put him in the system. But at the USJ I saw her son's spirit. And others. They were all surrounding Shigaraki. The leader of all those villains. She says that's her grandson. It was after you passed out... but Shigaraki grabbed me and I...was forced out of my body by those spirits. They took control and had...some kind of standoff with the Nomu."

"I...think I heard."

The air was thick with tension as Izuku finished his broth even as it weighed heavy in his stomach.

"You want Midoriya to be your successor. You want Midoriya to inherit a decades-old war that's quite literally gotten him killed within his first year of UA." Aizawa said with barely concealed rage.

All Might went to speak, But Izuku just couldn't stay silent. "No! Mr. Aizawa, that isn't it. He asked me before and I said no! But I decided later that I wanted it. I still do! It's my choice. He's not forcing me into it or anything I promise!"

All Might quickly followed. "I fully intended to tell him everything before giving him my quirk. I wasn't going to just force it on him!"

"And Nana told me everything before then. As far as informed decisions go, I'm as informed as I could ever possibly be." Izuku felt his heart beating rapidly as Nana's arms wrapped around him from behind.

'I would never let you make this choice if I felt you were unprepared.' She swore. 'And I chose you as the successor even before Toshinori did.'

Aizawa's eyes softened just a bit as he sighed. "Regardless of how informed you are, I can't help but think you're too young to make this choice. But I can't control you. And I won't stop you. The best I can do is make sure you're capable of defending yourself should you need to..."

It wasn't approval. But it was something. "That being said,"

Oh, he spoke too soon...

"I want a report from both of you when classes are able to start again," Aizawa said with a bit of smug energy. "All Might, I want to know exactly what kind of power Midoriya is going to have when he takes on your quirk. And Midoriya, I want to know everything you can tell me about the quirk you have now."

Izuku rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "That's the thing, sir. I've been stumped on how to analyze my own quirk. I just don't know where to start-"

"Then I guess you better figure it out before classes start." Aizawa's voice wasn't harsh, but it was firm. Leaving little room for protest. Even All Might was rendered speechless in the wake of it.

But Izuku figured it was a fair enough request. _

Izuku's mother picked him up not long after. Well, a taxi called on UA's dime drove them home. It was pretty generous and Izuku's mother had a hard time accepting before she was told it probably wasn't a good idea to try to ride the train after the news of the attack became public knowledge.

When Izuku was finally able to go to his room, his stomach felt like it was going to burst with the amount of food his mother had given him. She seemed to have been stress cooking all day, anxiously awaiting his return. But Izuku was finally free to be alone.

Immediately, he took out his personal quirk journal and opened it up to the next blank page.

I seem to be able to disassociate from my own body on command now after the USJ attack. It seems to allow nearby spirits to use my body as their vessel for a short period of time.

My quirk feeds on my body's energy. Not sure yet if it's the healing that takes all the energy or the act of coming back to life. If there is no energy stored up, my quirk uses my own muscles and fat to power itself. When that is consumed, safe to say there is no more coming back.

Maximum times I've come back in the same day: 2 (3?) Note: Not sure if the possession by the Shimura's count

As long as I have a steady power source nearby, I am free to use my enhanced abilities without using my own energy. But if I absorb too much energy, my body starts deteriorating.

Possible uses: Communication with spirits for information?, closure for those who've lost someone?, Seeing how badly someone is injured?

'Don't forget stealth, sweetie. I can be pretty sneaky when I want to be," Nana teased and Izuku laughed but did write that down as well. He took the time to detail his own connection to Nana. How they communicated, but haven't tested that with distance.

My body is a lot colder than normal. If my body were the appropriate temperature, I exhibit the signs of a very high fever. Reason to believe this is because of my quirk seeing as how All Might never received the same treatment.

In the end, Izuku had about a fourth of the notebook filled with his own notes and analysis. He left plenty of space for developments and notes on when he inherited One for All. But the hour was late. He had yawned three times in the last five minutes while writing and Nana encouraged him to go to bed.

'You can finish up tomorrow, Sweetie. You've had a hard day. You need your rest,' She urged as Izuku was already walking to his bed. He tucked himself under the blankets before he felt Nana's warmth stroking through his hair. 'Sleep well. Tomorrow's a new day and we have plenty to do."

Rather than dwell on those words, Izuku chose to fall into an exhausted, but restful sleep free of nightmares.

Chapter End Notes

A little note here:

- I was informed about a month ago about a work on here that clearly plagiarized this fic. Even word for word with only a slight change in plot. I have since talked to the author of said work and thankfully they deleted it with no fuss. But I just wanted to take the time to ask that if any of you see a fic that has obviously stolen or copied this fic, please tell me. Obviously, I have no issue with people writing fics inspired by mine, but the blatant theft of my work is unacceptable and insulting to all the hours of work I have put into this fic.

- I don't claim to own the concepts of 'Midoriya has a quirk' or 'Midoriya has a death related quirk' or even 'Midoriya sees ghosts'. But it's pretty obvious when my work has been copied seeing as how I've made this fic my own without following the lines of canon exactly.

- Bottom line, use y'all's own discretion when you read fics similar to mine. And please do not try to take matters into your own hands.

Thank you!

Discord link (a good place to chat with other readers and myself!): https/discord.gg/z8VKRxS

Careless Whispers

Class started again four days later. It was a quiet affair mostly. But that was expected seeing as how the news of what happened at the USJ spread like wildfire. UA didn't want to call attention to the return of the students. In fact, the only contact Izuku had with anyone from UA during those days was Shinsou.

Shinsou was very upset about what happened. Even when he wasn't told all the details, Izuku figured seeing the bandaged mummy that was Aizawa was enough to seriously shake him. Izuku had apologized as much as he could without being too annoying about it, and Shinsou seemed to accept it, but things were still tense between the two of them.

Not to mention the nightmares that Izuku seemed to develop now. He couldn't help it as he felt that he wasn't in control of his own body anymore. The night after he came home, Izuku awoke to see Nana leaning over his body. It startled him to the point where he screamed, nearly falling off the bed. Nana jumped back in surprise almost as soon as his eyes opened.

Sitting up, Izuku turned on his bedside lamp with a shaking hand. However, when the light came on it seemed like there was no difference in the room. Just to make sure, he flicked it on and off again. The bulb lit up in its usual white light, but that light wasn't projecting around the room.

"Izuku, honey, your eyes," Nana finally said, resting her hand on his shoulder. As Izuku looked over he could still see Nana plain as day. However, it wasn't like the times when he died. Instead, her colors were muted leaving only the bright yellow of her gloves standing out.

Reaching up, Izuku scrubbed at his eyes. "Nana, what's happening?" He asked worriedly as nothing seemed to change.

"They're...glowing. I don't know." Nana muttered and Izuku watched her get closer to his face even as he moved back. "Oh! You can see me?"

It was weird. Izuku watched her lips move, but her voice was still projecting into his head. "Yes...Am I...?"

"You're still alive."

Good...

But they were still left with an awkward situation of Izuku now able to see Nana but not able to perceive light at all. They managed to get through it, but turning it off was a lot harder than it was for Izuku to turn off his floating. It seemed like an ability that always wanted to stay on. And he now had to intentionally concentrate on suppressing it.

"Maybe Aizawa can help," Nana suggested. "He has a quirk that affects his eyes."

"Are we so sure this is my quirk?" Izuku asked to thin air now that his eyes stopped glowing. "Hm...Remember what your principal said? Multiple powers for multiple catalytic events."

Izuku kicked the blankets off his legs then, attempting to get up to fetch his notebook, but a rush of warmth on his shoulders stopped him. And almost embarrassingly, his eyes flicked again. This exposed the sight of Nana's very unimpressed face as her hands rested on his shoulders. "Nope. Lay down. It's bedtime. You can write more in the morning. But for now, you need to sleep!"

And for a moment Izuku just looked at her. Truly the first time he was able to do so without having to die first. She was exactly how she looked in her photos. Hero suit and all. And maybe it was the late hour. Maybe it was his eyes trying to keep themselves from drying up. Maybe he was just emotionally overwhelmed by everything. But he felt tears welling up in his eyes.

And her face softened. Not of sadness as it did any other time he was able to see her, but fondly.

"Hey now," She cooed to him. And he cried. Cried harder than he had in a very long time. Almost hysterically as he leaned into her warmth. Not solid enough to support his weight, but warm enough to make him feel safe. He cried until his head hurt and Nana gently urged him to lay down again.

She hovered on the bed as if laying beside him even though she had no mass. Izuku felt her hand petting his hair while she urged him to close his eyes and go to sleep. He didn't want to of course. He wanted to see Nana's face and watch her smile for hours. But his exhaustion won out. He was asleep before he could stop himself.

The first day back, Shinsou and Izuku walked to UA together. They weren't able to do it often seeing as how Shinsou often accompanied his parents early in the morning. Izuku fought hard to keep his eyes from shifting the entire time. The last thing he wanted was to remind Shinsou of what happened at the USJ.

So the pair made their way into the building, Shinsou splitting off to the Staff Lounge to let his other parent know they made it while Izuku made his way down to Recovery Girl's office. As he expected, Aizawa was there getting some painkillers before classes started.

As soon as Izuku entered Izuku reached into his bag and pulled out the journal he had been writing in the entire time. It was about 34 full of information about his quirk, including the newer developments. But Izuku still needed help.

"Mr. Aizawa, I need advice." He said in place of a greeting.

"Hm? What about?" Aizawa asked as he swallowed the pills dry and accepted the journal.

And Izuku finally allowed his eyes to shift. Immediately the room went mostly dark leaving Nana the only visible figure in the room. She was standing by Aizawa looking him over, but as she saw his eyes glow she floated back over. Her arm settled around his shoulders. What surprised Izuku however, was Aizawa.

All around the man was a glowing light. Pale blue in color but he was the epicenter. The light was almost orb shaped with the top tapering and flickering like fire in a breeze. Izuku blinked harshly then. "Nana, can you see that?"

"See what, Sweetie?"

"Mr. Aizawa...I think I'm looking at your soul." Izuku finally stuttered out. Because that's the only thing it could be. Nana had no orb around her. Rather, she was glowing. Aizawa was just barely an outline, but he was surrounded by this light.

"My soul?" Aizawa paused as he looked through the journal. Reaching for the desk nearby, he grabbed a pen and handed it and the journal to Izuku. "Draw it for me."

Izuku's artistic skills were decent at least. And the orb wasn't complex at all. As he was doing so, Recovery Girl reappeared from a closet with a roll of bandages in her hand. As Izuku looked up at her, he could see she had one as well. However, it wasn't as neatly rounded as Aizawa's. Like it had wrinkles. And the tail at the top flickered at a much more even pace than Aizawa's. He drew her's as well before handing the journal back.

"I need to know how to keep it off. It dries my eyes out like your quirk does, so I figured you could help me?" Izuku trailed off with a question.

It was almost anticlimactic as Aizawa shrugged and sighed. "Passive quirks like that have to be trained. You're way behind your peers when it comes to that. So all I can suggest is practice and eye drops. Lots of eye drops."

Izuku expected the answer but that didn't make it any more disappointing. But he figured that was because he was hoping for some kind of cure-all for it. "Um...Also, can I ask about those counseling sessions?"

While he didn't wake up every night from nightmares, his sleep was far from peaceful...

"They start next week. We've had to adjust to include everyone in your class to have their sessions as well to make sure there's no lasting trauma based on what happened. You'll receive your session time in the next few days." Aizawa promised, handing Izuku a small box of eye drops from the medicine cabinet. "A drop in each eye every few hours, problem child. Anything else?"

Izuku shook his head and with a promise from Aizawa that he would read the journal over his lunch break, Izuku left Recovery Girl's office. He wandered around a bit, even camped out near the front gate. He hoped to catch Iida or Uraraka or Asui on their way in, but he didn't. Oddly enough, he didn't see anyone from 1-A at all.

Eventually, it got to the point where he would be late to class if he waited around any longer. So he rushed to the classroom.

Everyone was already there. Everyone. The only open seat was his own. Which meant everyone had to have come much earlier than usual. That was odd. He didn't receive any email or anything about it...

As he stepped in, he waved to his classmates. "Hey, everyone! What's going on-"

"Class is now in session. Everyone take their seats and stop talking." Aizawa grumbled as he trudged his way inside. It was his usual opening so Izuku didn't feel too singled out at the fact that he was the only one not already sitting.

Aizawa made a statement about the USJ. How they were all very brave and handled the situation well for students in their first term. But also how UA wasn't going to let anything like that happen again. He even broke the news about the counseling sessions.

"Lastly," He said straightening up. "I know that some of you may be worried about me since the USJ incident. I want to ease those worries. Yes, I still have injuries. But I am fully capable of doing my job. And in case any of you are feeling guilty for not jumping in to fight, don't." His voice was firm and he even reached up with the arm not in a sling to push his hair out of his face. "You are all children still. You have so much to learn before you are ready to enter the world as heroes. And it is my job as your teacher and a hero to make sure you all stay safe. Understand?"

There was a chorus of "Yes, Sir"s from the entire class and Aizawa nodded. "Alright then. Let's talk about the Sports Festival."

The change in subject lifted everyone's spirits greatly.

Izuku found his eye shifting several times during class. But he learned that focusing on his notes helped. Once, however, he found himself looking out over the sea of his fellow classmates. It may have been considered invasive to look at their souls...But he was so curious.

They all had the same basic shape. Some more expressive than others. Kirishima's soul shifted and twisted constantly. Denki's was prone to releasing small fizzles of electricity. Todoroki's was oddly still. And Tokoyami's had its separate section attached to it. They all had their own differences that set them apart.

He noted them all. Sketching them in another notebook seeing as how Aizawa had his. It was one of the most interesting classes they had had so far.

When class ended, Izuku stayed back long enough to give Aizawa the second notebooks with the soul sketches inside. Not only that, but Aizawa had held him back long enough to give him a lunch pass. It was almost like Izuku's student ID card but specifically for the cafeteria. "What's this for,

sir?" Izuku asked.

"This is for your new diet plan. When you get your tray, scan this and you'll get your meal. It's probably the standard lunch items in bigger portions with a health shake." Aizawa explained. "Eat as much as you feel you can. Prioritize the health shake."

Izuku thanked Aizawa before heading out, noting nobody in the hall at all. He hadn't talked to his friends all day and was looking forward to eating with them again after so long. So he almost practically ran to the cafeteria. It was filling up quickly, so he got into line as soon as possible. Aizawa was right about the food. It was quite a lot, but it looked very delicious. Lunch Rush even slipped a little menu on his tray to go along with it.

Turning around, he surveyed the cafeteria trying to get a look at where his friends could be. 'Nana, help me out?'

"On it!"

Just his luck, he found them with only a little bit of searching. They were sitting at a table to the back. And Iida and Uraraka were leaning close to Asui. They looked to be muttering about something as Izuku started to walk over, tray in hand. Briefly, their eyes darted up to look at Izuku and he smiled at them.

"Izuku wait-" Nana tried to interrupt at the same time as Izuku watched all three of the people he would call his friend wince at the sight of him. His pace slowed considerably as he watched them.

Asui had her head ducked down, hair covering her face. Uraraka looked like she was trying to comfort her, pulling her into a sort of side hug while quickly glancing between her and Izuku. They were talking about him...

Lastly, Izuku looked to Iida. Hoping with all hope that his assumptions weren't true. His eyes darted down to the empty seat beside Iida. Iida's eyes followed his gaze and Izuku watched him shake his head just the smallest amount.

Oh... Izuku wasn't welcome with them anymore...

"I tried to stop you-" Nana's voice was distant to Izuku's ears as he felt his chest tighten. He wasn't...welcome. "Who cares what they think, sweetie. Let's go-"

Izuku probably looked like an idiot. Standing in the middle of the cafeteria with his tray in his hands. But he couldn't help it. He thought...UA was supposed to be different than Aldera. And then both Iida and Uraraka were looking at him with pitying looks. Like so many other students had done when Bakugou or his goons had thrown his backpack in the pond. Or put mud and worms in his shoes. Or just plain told him he was useless.

His hands trembled dangerously while holding his tray. And he had half a mind to just drop it then and there. Run out and hide somewhere. Think about just how he could be so stupid as to believe he could fit in-

Suddenly there was a hand on his shoulder and one on his back. His tray was taken out of his hand and he was being led away. Distantly, he registered Shoji and Tokoyami on either side of him. They led him out towards the courtyard where picnic tables sat. They too were pretty full but there were a couple of backpacks on one which was where they took him.

"You can sit here, Midoriya," Tokoyami said firmly and Shoji hummed affirmatively.

Izuku couldn't speak. He felt his heart sinking deeper with every breath. And with that, his eyes seemed to flicker as well. Despite their attempts at calming him down, Izuku just felt betrayal stab deeper.

"They- They just-" He tried to explain but couldn't. "We know. They should be ashamed of themselves."

"I-I didn't hurt anybody-" Izuku rambled. "If they're upset about the USJ- I mean I couldn't control that-!"

"We know."

Chapter Notes

Revelry in the Dark

Hey, I deleted this chapter a couple of times while trying to post it, but only because I was trying to embed some fake screenshots. For some reason, it wasn't wanting to work. I'm not sure what happened. I think I did it the same way as I did the art of Izuku from previous chapters. Either way, it was becoming more trouble than it was worth, so I just did the plain text. Sorry for the inconvenience!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Izuku had to fight the tears in his eyes by pressing the heels of his hands into them. It hurt. The rejection. He had been so sure things would be different at UA, but now he could see he was wrong.

"I'm sorry-" He tries to apologize as he raises his head up. But Shoji placing his large hand in front of him stopped him.

"Don't be. You did nothing wrong." It was...well it was one of the first times Izuku had ever heard him speak. So it gave him pause, momentarily distracting him from his tears.

"He's right." Tokoyami steals his attention, crossing his arms over his chest. "We knew from the moment you didn't come in early for the class meeting that something was wrong."

Izuku's lip quivered but he managed not to sob. "C-Class meeting?"

Shoji shifted beside him and Izuku watched as two of his arms dug through his backpack. One pulled out a cell phone while the other pulled out a small package of tissues. Setting the latter in front of Izuku, Shoji unlocked his phone and handed it over as well. Izuku made sure to grab a tissue first. Mopping the tears off his cheeks before he grabbed the phone.

From Yaoyorozu:

I'm gathering a class meeting. It's scheduled for the first day back. Arrive an hour earlier than usual. Mineta and Asui said they have some information the class should know. It's about the USJ Attack.

From Yaoyorozu:

Do you think you'll be able to make it?

From Shoji:

Yes.

From Shoji:

What's this about?

From Yaoyorozu:

To be honest, I'm not sure. But they seemed very shaken so I want to hear them out.

From Shoji:

I'll be there. I'll also let Tokoyami know as well so you don't have to contact him.

From Yaoyorozu:

Thank you. That makes my job easier. See you then, Shoji.

Izuku's hands shook as he passed the phone back to Shoji. "I had no idea...I was wondering why nobody was around..."

Both Shoji and Tokoyami let out heavy sighs. "We didn't know you were excluded from the meeting until it started and you were the only one not there," Tokoyami informed. "Which made sense given that the meeting was about you."

"Me?" Izuku couldn't believe it. Iida, Uraraka, and Asui knowing about his quirk was one thing. But the whole class?

"They- Well, actually it was mostly just Mineta talking," Tokoyami noted. "Basically, Mineta called you some kind of possessed zombie creature of darkness and told us what they saw before they carried Mr. Aizawa out of there."

"Asui didn't deny any of it," Shoji added and Izuku felt crushed.

Really, how else was he supposed to feel? The entire class knew about his quirk. From how Tokoyami described it they even knew all the gory details. Holding his head in his hands Izuku took a shuddering breath. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen or for it to make it seem like I was lying to all of you- It's just so hard to explain-"

"I know." Tokoyami interrupted. Leaning just a bit closer. "I've known from day one that you have a spiritual attachment. Dark Shadow and I could feel it in the Entrance Exam."

"Her-" Izuku corrected on instinct before he froze, his brain finally catching up. "You...You knew?"

And Izuku watched as Tokoyami looked...almost excited. "Yes. I knew. I could feel it. But I never knew how to bring it up or if you even knew about it. But when I heard about what happened at the USJ I knew."

Tokoyami had steadily moved closer and closer until Shoji finally had to reach over and rest a hand on his shoulder. "You're overwhelming him," He said which caused Tokoyami to back up

quickly.

"I apologize for my eagerness. I just never met someone with a quirk so similar to mine," He said bowing his head.

"Uh," Izuku couldn't help but stumble over his words. "It's not...really all that similar? I just- Well, I guess you and I would have the closest similarities in quirks than anyone else in the class. But Dark Shadow seems to a different sort of entity-" He cut off his ramblings with a nervous chuckle.

"Oh?" Tokoyami seemed intrigued. And that was when Dark Shadow emerged in the bit of shade over their table. Situating themselves between Tokoyami and Izuku.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Izuku nodded. "I...Well, it has to do with my quirk." Proving his point, Izuku's eyes flickered. Oddly, Dark Shadow was outlined in the light which followed along with their visible connection until it faded into Tokoyami. "I'm not sure how to describe-"

"It's a wisp," Nana suddenly adds. "It's...like a half-formed soul. Usually, they fizzle out after a while, but it seems like this one's found itself a host- oh! Hello, there," Izuku looked over to see Dark Shadow facing Nana. Inching closer and closer until Nana could reach over and rest her

gloved hand on its head.

Izuku hesitantly relayed the information to Tokoyami, not quite looking away yet. "It's different from my bond. She's a fully formed soul. She was a whole person." His voice was soft as he watched Nana interact with Dark Shadow. Come to think of it, she had never been able to do that with anyone but Izuku. Or at least...She never attempted to.

"What was her name?" Tokoyami asked, shaking Izuku's attention away from the pair of spirits. Tokoyami's voice was calm and somber as if talking about a long-deceased relative.

"Shimura Nana."

It brought Izuku's attention back to the subject at hand. And oddly he felt more grounded than before. He was still deeply hurt by his friends' actions. But Tokoyami and Shoji were helping him feel stable.

"You should eat," Shoji spoke as he placed Izuku's tray back down in front of him. "They'll mark your record if you don't eat."

"You know about that?" Izuku asked as he finally reached and grabbed his food. The little menu said it was seasoned chicken with udon noodles paired with veggie udon broth. On the side was a small corn salad beside what Izuku assumed to be the health shake.

Shoji nodded and motioned to his mask. "My mutation doesn't stop at my extra appendages. People tend to stare whenever I remove my mask. I skipped lunch for the first week of class until I was brought into Recovery Girl's office."

At the reminder of their meal, Tokoyami started eating from his own tray. "Shoji eats a supplement meal in Recovery Girl's office. He joins me here when he's finished."

Izuku was surprised by all this new information about his fellow classmates. "My quirk consumes my own energy...And when I run out it uses my own muscle and fat. After the USJ I was pretty malnourished. Recovery Girl put me on a special diet too." He said motioning to the food on his tray.

"You don't have to tell us what happened if you don't want to," Shoji noted.

"And you don't have to explain your quirk either," Tokoyami added. That surprised Izuku. "Really?"

"We all have our boundaries," Shoji tapped his mask once more. Oh...

"I like these kids," Nana said cheerfully as she hugged Izuku from behind. "I think they'll be great for you."

"At the end of the day, we've all experienced quirk discrimination," Izuku listened to Tokoyami intently. "The best thing we can do is stick together. I thought Asui understood that."

That...well, Izuku didn't see that as fair exactly. "My quirk isn't a physical mutation, so I wouldn't expect her to understand. I think you all with physical quirks have it way harder than I do. No offense."

"None taken." But Izuku was pleased to see that it at least looked like Tokoyami was taking it in consideration.

It was then that Izuku saw Shinsou stomping into the courtyard area. He looked around almost frantically before his eyes landed on Izuku. As soon as he did, he all but ran over. Izuku noticed as he barely glanced at Shoji and Tokoyami as he wrapped Izuku in a hug. "What. Happened." He demanded.

Automatically, Izuku leaned into his hug. "They know. They all know." His voice shook as he said it.

Shinsou's arms tightened around him. And Izuku could almost feel him getting ready to pull Izuku away from the table as if one of the other two were ready to attack at a moment's notice.

"No, Shinsou, they're okay- Great even," Izuku assured, pulling away just long enough to look up at the taller boy. "Nana approves."

It was very obvious that Izuku was pulling out all the stops to try to get Shinsou, who was very slow to trust others, to approve of Izuku's new friends. And Izuku could see it in his eyes how hard he was trying to accept that. "I went looking to find you with the others. But you weren't there. I asked about you. They didn't answer. I used my quirk-"

Izuku's eyes widened at that. Shinsou was very careful about his quirk usage. Especially at UA. His quirk was one that was easily misunderstood.

"-I just wanted to know where you were. And they pointed out this way." Shinsou looked over to Shoji and Tokoyami finally. Izuku pulled away to look as well. The pair were calmly waiting for them to have their moment. Not looking the least bit offended by the suspicion.

Seeing the attention was on them, Tokoyami spoke. "Clearly we all have explaining to do. And lunch won't last forever." He said moving to the other side of the table, allowing Shinsou his spot beside Izuku. There was no debate as he took said spot, shivering slightly as Nana brushed against him in greeting.

By the time they all finished their own descriptions of the day, lunch was over. They didn't separate as they all walked to Classroom 1-A. And much to Izuku's confusion, Shinsou walked him inside the classroom all the way to his seat. Aizawa had yet to enter and Shinsou seemed to take the opportunity to glare the entire class down. Shoji and Tokoyami joined his efforts leaving the class wide-eyed and speechless.

"Meet me by the gates and I'll walk you home, alright?" Shinsou told Izuku, being loud enough for, what Izuku assumed, Iida, Asui, and Uraraka to hear.

"Okay," Izuku forced a smile on his face, trying to not seem affected by their criticism.

With that, Shinsou headed out. However, he made sure to fistbump one of Shoji's tentacle hands on the way out the door.

Aizawa was actually surprised this time when he walked into class to see that everyone was completely silent. He even paused in the doorway long enough to count all of his students before he walked up to the podium. Deeming everything somewhat alright, he began his lecture as normal.

Chapter End Notes

Discord link (a good place to chat with other readers and myself!): https/discord.gg/z8VKRxS

One for All

Chapter Notes

Slight filler chapter before we get to the good stuff :3

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Izuku lived in limbo for a few days after that. It was quiet. Very quiet, in fact. So much so that Aizawa was getting very suspicious of the class. And Izuku could tell it wouldn't be long until the truth came out. He only hoped he could hold it off a bit longer.

But in these days of limbo, Izuku had plenty of time to think. He even had his first mandatory therapy session. Well, it wasn't a session. It was the suicide assessment Nedzu had told him about. The questions were standard as always and Izuku took his time explaining that, No, he wasn't suicidal anymore. Yes, he was at one point. But he moved on. He had a support system. He was okay.

He even followed along with the promise sheet his therapist had pushed towards him. Before Izuku left that day he had a slip of paper with the names of three individuals he promised to reach out to if he ever felt like harming himself or others again. His mother, Shinsou, and All Might. They were the first he could think of, but also the first ones he had cell numbers for.

Speaking of All Might, the man was Izuku's savior four days after the dreaded cafeteria incident. It seemed that Aizawa was finally tired of being kept in the dark and he knew exactly which student to go to for answers.

"Midoriya, stay after class," Aizawa said quickly almost as soon as the bell had rung for the end of the day.

Izuku sighed heavily then, setting his bag down on his desk. "Go on ahead, I'll probably be a while." He explained to Tokoyami and Shoji as they paused in their trek out the door.

They hesitated but with Izuku's pleading eyes and Aizawa's stern gaze they knew not to try to resist.

That's where All Might came in. Aizawa had just made Izuku the subject of that stare when the

blond Symbol of Peace barged in as he was want to do. "I am here! With a request to speak to Midoriya!" He announced and Izuku's lip quirked in a small smile.

"Get in line. I have several questions for him." Aizawa said immediately, rolling his eyes as All Might deflated.

"I was actually wanting to talk to him about inheriting my quirk." All Might told him, rubbing the back of his neck. "I promised him he would have it before the Sports Festival, and I'd rather not give it to him the day of."

Aizawa looked visibly conflicted at that. Izuku did not doubt that he wanted to have his word first, but when it came to the importance...well All Might took the cake.

"Fine," Aizawa sighed as he pulled one of the chairs over to Izuku's desk. "You can go first." All Might quickly followed his lead as he grabbed a chair as well. "Great."

There was a moment of silence as he seemed to gather his thoughts. "One for All is very dangerous to wield, my boy." Was his big opener. "It came naturally to me, but I was in peak physical health and had been training my body for quite a bit longer than you for it."

"How much longer?" Izuku asked hesitantly. He knew he wasn't in the best of shape even still. He was a healthy weight, but all the muscle he had taken time to build up was all but gone. He was working out of course, as much as he could. But progress was always slow.

"...Years," At least All Might doesn't attempt to lie.

'He was a natural when he finally got a hold of it.' Nana said fondly. And Izuku's eyes flickered to see her sitting mid-air beside them as if she had pulled up a chair as well.

"Oh, speaking of-" All Might awkwardly motioned to Izuku's eyes. "-that. I've been doing some speculation on what exactly One for All would do for your quirk."

This, Izuku perked up at. He had done a lot of his own speculating in the notebook he handed to

Aizawa, of course. But this was coming from All Might who had first-hand experience with One for All. All Might seemed to smile at his enthusiasm.

"I believe that One for All could offer you an alternate source of power for your quirk. That way you won't be shorting out all the electronics around you. But," All Might was quick to interject. "It would be dangerous. Like plugging too many cords into one outlet. Add too much-"

"And you'll short circuit." Aizawa interrupted as he gathered where the line of thought was going. All Might nodded. "Exactly."

"So...You're saying I shouldn't use One for All at the Sports Festival." Izuku summed up, feeling somewhat disappointed. He had been looking forward to showing off a bit but also looking forward to strengthening his bond with Nana.

All Might looked hesitant for a moment. "Not...Exactly." The confusion must have shown on both of their faces as he continued. "The best way to gain control of One for All is to use it. See how it feels. Adapt it to your style. Etcetera. So, yes. I think you should use it at the Sports Festival."

"But not when in combat with other students," Aizawa said quickly. "There are several other activities that won't put your fellow classmates in danger. You can use those to work on your quirk."

"Right," Izuku said feeling the excitement building once more. He was practically bouncing in his seat. And Nana seemed to share his energy.

'Oh come on, Toshinori. Stop teasing the boy,' She chuckled. Brushing up against All Might's back causing him to flinch.

This seemed to be exactly what he needed to get his thought process back on track. "So...the only thing left is to give it to you." He turned to Mr. Aizawa. "I don't suppose you have anything to add?"

"I expect you to be smart about this. I know you're excited and I don't blame you for that. But I'm serious when I say that this could hurt someone as well as yourself if it goes wrong. So when you train it's under my supervision as your teacher. Understand?" Aizawa meant business.

"Yes, sir!" Izuku swore.

"Good...So how does this work exactly?" Aizawa asked, facing All Might.

What neither of them expected was for All Might to reach up and pluck a hair from the top of his head. "Eat this!"

... ... ...

'Oh my- Toshinori why would you-' Nana cut herself off with a laugh as Izuku and Aizawa traded disgusted looks.

"Hey now!" All Might said. "My DNA needs to be inside your body for the transfer to happen! Do you have any better idea?" His face flamed red with embarrassment.

Aizawa gave him a dumbfounded face. As if he couldn't believe All Might would ask such a thing. "We have a fully equipped medical office...And you want him to swallow a piece of your hair..."

'Nana please tell me you didn't make him eat your hair...'

Nana's laughter grew louder. 'N-no!' She snickered. 'It was just blood! He was pretty squeamish at

the time too!'

"Can we just use your blood?" Izuku asked hopefully.

Before All Might could respond, Aizawa stood up. "We are definitely using blood. Come on. I'll text Chiyo and tell her we're on our way. A piece of hair." Aizawa scoffed as he walked to the door. "Unbelievable."

Nana eventually got herself under control as they entered Recovery Girl's office. And she already had a small metal tray laid out with what seemed like everything they needed.

"Really, All Might? A hair?" She pointed out as soon as they stepped in. "Honestly, you'd think you'd never heard of sanitization. Both of you sit down." She motioned to the chairs beside her.

It was a quick process all things considered. Recovery Girl slipped an IV into All Might and Izuku's arms with practiced ease. Grabbing a syringe, she slipped it into place inside the IV and slowly started to withdraw blood. When she filled up the syringe, She disconnected it from the IV and turned to Izuku. "This will make you feel very warm. Possibly even feverish. But we can't wait for it to cool to your natural body temperature."

Izuku nodded as he offered his IV to her, Taking a deep breath.

Recovery Girl was right. It did feel warm. It almost felt like it was burning as his body accepted the blood. Nana whispered words of encouragement to him as he felt his body circulate the blood through his heart. It burned even then. Almost so much that he didn't even notice as Recovery Girl extracted his IV.

"Are you alright, Problem Child?" Aizawa asked worriedly as Izuku raised his head to look at the ceiling.

"It's hot." Izuku comments. "When do I know if it takes?" He asked All Might, looking for a distraction.

"A few hours mostly. It's seeping into your DNA right now. Rather than ingesting it, we put it into your bloodstream. So it may not take as long. Either way, It'll take some time. You should go home and rest."

Izuku nodded in agreement as he went to stand up. His knees knocked together weakly as he felt sweat gathering on his brow. Aizawa was quickly by his side then, offering him a supportive hand on his back. "I'll get Nedzu to get you a ride home. Do you want me to call ahead to your mother?"

Immediately Izuku shook his head. "No, I'm fine. I just- I'll go home and lay down. I'll tell her it was a hard day of training or something. She won't ask questions."

"If you're sure..." "I am."

No matter how sure he was, Izuku took one step towards the door and shuddered. The action of moving changed his heart rate from resting to active and the pump of blood was scorching in his veins. He needed not to take another step before two strong arms wrapped around him.

"Alright, I'm accompanying you home," Aizawa said immediately and Izuku couldn't find it in himself to disagree anymore.

"Can I have some water?" He asks instead and mutters a small thanks as a plastic straw was pressed to his lips. The water was room temperature. Which Izuku wasn't too fond of. But even he knew ice water wouldn't be good for him at the moment.

A minute passed and he felt more grounded. "Are you ready now, Problem Child?" "Oh...yeah."

There was a hand on his back ready to catch him if he stumbled, which thankfully didn't happen as the trio walked out of the doors to the gates where a sleek black car waited. All Might rushed ahead to open the door for Izuku to crawl in. "Send me a message after you get some rest to let me know you're alright, will you?"

"Mhm," Izuku hummed. The heat had mostly abated leaving him just feeling tired. Maybe a bit like he had sipped warm tea.

"Rest, sweetie." Nana cooed, brushing a hand over Izuku's forehead before he flinched at the increased warmth. "Sorry-"

"I'm trying to..." Izuku let his head lull to the side as Aizawa moved to sit next to him.

It seemed Izuku's muttering was unusual to Aizawa. "Trying to what, Midoriya?" The man asked curiously.

"Sleep."

There was a quiet 'Oh... ' that sounded from where Aizawa sitting but Izuku found himself falling asleep almost immediately after.

The distance from Izuku's home to UA isn't that long by car. But as Izuku felt his shoulder being touched, he feels as if he's being woken from an hour-long nap. He must make some kind of noise of protest because Aizawa's voice rumbles in a chuckle. "I know, kid. I wish I could nap right now too. But you're home now. I'm sure your mom is waiting for you."

Mention of his mother was the only thing that kept Izuku from falling back asleep. Instead, he forced his sluggish limbs to scoot out of the car seat to stand beside Aizawa. The same arm from before came to support him once more. Only this time, Izuku leaned more into it.

Aizawa didn't waver as he practically carried Izuku up to his doorstep and knocked.

"O-Oh! Izuku- I- What-" His mother stuttered as she opened the door and seemed to take in what Izuku could only assume was a troubling sight.

"He's alright, ma'am," Aizawa assured. "I noticed he seemed a bit sluggish this morning but I thought nothing of it. During training, he developed a fever and I had him rest in the Nurse's office for the rest of the day to make sure this wasn't from before."

Izuku was nudged gently and he found himself moving on instinct until he was leaning onto his mother. Her familiar scent filling his nose with home and safety. "So- You're sure he's alright?"

"Perfectly. Recovery Girl says fatigue is normal after traumatic bodily events. He just needs some rest. I'll get him to sit out of training as well for the next few days." Aizawa was a smooth liar. Izuku was impressed as he felt his mother's shoulder relax from its tensed position.

"Thank you for escorting him home then," His mother said happily. "Can I offer you some coffee or tea?"

Aizawa respectfully declined, insisting he had to do-... Something. Izuku stopped paying attention

as he pretty much fell asleep standing up. He didn't remember walking into his room or taking his uniform and shoes off before laying down on his bed. But that was where he ended up some time later. Passed out, and sleeping dreamlessly. An unimaginable power coursing through his veins.

Chapter End Notes

Discord link (a good place to chat with other readers and myself!): https/discord.gg/z8VKRxS

Training for Sports Festival

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Izuku wasn't sure how long he had been asleep. Or if he could even really call it sleep. He could feel himself laying in bed. He could feel the blankets on top of himself. He was warm. His arms were resting above his head on his pillow. His breathing was slow. His eyes wouldn't open.

There were voices. Not around him, but he could hear them. Was he dreaming?

"-been so long-"

"I know! But you're back and-"

The voices faded in and out. Izuku tried hard to listen to them.

"Look at him. He'll be perfect-"

"He'll have to build up those muscles again-" "That won't take long-"

As far as recognition, Izuku couldn't recognize any of the voices. Only that they were gradually getting louder. He felt his head turn on the pillow, his cool cheek pressing against the warm fabric.

"Shhh, you'll wake him. Let him rest." That was Nana's voice at least. And Izuku felt her ran running over his hair gently.

"Yeesh. I haven't seen you this protective since you first bonded to One for All."

Izuku shifted again, legs stretching out before relaxing once more.

"Lay off of her. She's just being a mom-"

"Don't wake him." Nana sounded annoyed now. "There's plenty of time to talk later."

This continued. The voices fading in and out. Not always comprehensible. Nana always came in to quiet them if they got too loud. But eventually, Izuku found himself blinking away. His room was pitch dark except for the sliver of light creeping in from under the door. Sluggishly, he sat up and reached for his lamp. As before when his eyes took on their milky white form, the provided light did little to aid in his vision. But he could see Nana sitting on the end of his bed.

"I told them not to wake you up," She sighed, standing and walking over to him. "They're just really excited to meet you."

"Meet me? Who?" Izuku rubbed his eyes and yawned. "What time is it?"

"It's been about four hours, kiddo. It's pretty late, but your mom is making dinner for you."

At that, Izuku felt his stomach grumble. He almost forgot what he had asked before, that is until he heard the voices again. They were much quieter now. Whispers. He really had to pay attention to understand what they were saying.

"Come on now, Nana. Stop hogging all the attention."

"Yeah! It's been too long since we last had someone new to talk to."

Izuku turned his head to each side trying to see who these voices were coming from, but there were only the two of them.

"H-Hello?"

" Hello there, #9!" "Up and at 'em!"

Izuku was speechless as he heard murmuring coming from all over his mind. Now that he was awake, he could only really pick up three distinct voices other than Nana. Everything else besides that was almost like white noise. "Nana, I can't see any of them."

"Well, that's because they aren't...like me." She tried to explain but was interrupted.

"Mama bear #7 just can't let the past go," A voice...Izuku felt like it was a sneer, but he didn't

know the voice enough to say if it was a joke.

"Shut it, #5. She can stay as long as she feels she needs to." "It's been decades."

"And it'll be decades more." Izuku flinched at the anger in her voice. Something was going on that he wasn't a part of, obviously.

"Are they the holders of the past?" Izuku asked as he stood, immediately heading for his desk where his OFA notebook sat.

"Damn right we are. #5 here. But you can call me Daigoro."

Izuku flipped to a fresh page and wrote his name at the bottom of it. "Daigoro. Number 5."

"#6. You can call me Sensei."

Izuku nodded as he wrote them down. He would need a while to get used to all these new voices of course.

"#4. You can call me #4."

Izuku couldn't help but notice that the higher up on the predecessor list, the harder it was to hear their voice. After Number 4 spoke, he found himself waiting for more, But there was only the dull humming. He left space, of course, he knew there were others. But for the moment he set his pencil down.

Number 4 (4, M)

Daigoro (5, M)

Sensei (6, M) Shimura Nana (7, F) All Might (8, M) Midoriya Izuku (9, M)

"Introductions out of the way, for now, you should go see your mom, sweetie," Nana urged, brushing against his back. "She's worried for you."

"I'll never understand these mothers. They worry too much. We can handle ourselves just fine, can't we Number 9?" It took Izuku a moment to realize Daigoro was talking to him, but when it clicked...Izuku felt offense on his mother's and Nana's behalf.

"They just want to show that they care," Izuku muttered as he took a second to gather control over his eyes and headed for his door. There was the start of a protest, but it was muted suddenly in a wave of warmth before Nana's hand on his back urged him forward.

Izuku's mother was spooning out a bowl of some sort of soup in the kitchen. After filling it, she set it down on a tray and poured a tall glass of water. It was obvious from Izuku's view she felt like he was still sick and wanted to bring him dinner in bed. It was a sweet gesture and Izuku found himself smiling at that. "Hey, mom..."

Inko turned quickly at his voice and a relieved smile took over her face. "Izuku! I was just about to wake you up. Come. Sit. Let me get the thermometer." She took the bowl of the tray and set it on the table for him to eat. Izuku watched her shuffle around before finding the thermometer.

"How are you feeling?"

"A lot better." Izuku gave her a genuine smile. "I guess I just worked too hard too soon. I'll take it easy from now on."

By the look on his mother's face, she was surprised at his concession. "Oh?" She came over and pressed the thermometer to his forehead and he let her.

"Yeah. I need to get into shape for the Sports Festival, but I'll ruin my chances if I push too hard too soon." As the thermometer beeped, he took his first bite of soup and hummed as it warmed him up in the best way.

"You're fever is still a little higher than average..." His mom noted. "But it's a lot better."

"Oh!" Izuku finally remembered something. "Since the Sports Festival is coming up, could I bring some friends over to watch some of the past events? So we can be prepared and all that." He asked practically buzzing with excitement.

Her amazement only grew as Izuku could see her eyes glistening. "O-Of course! Of course, you can have friends over! How many, what are their names, I'll make sure to prepare snacks-"

She went on in a rant, finally extinguishing the last bit of worry and tension that sat on her shoulders. "Is it the same kids from before that walked you home?"

"Uh...no actually." Izuku forced himself to keep a smile so that her happiness didn't waver. "It's Shinsou, remember him? And my friends Tokoyami and Shoji."

She didn't seem too bummed. If anything she was excited about the idea of more friends. As she babbled on about snacks and drinks and reminding him to get their parents' permission Izuku took the time to tell her about them. About how they have mutant quirks and how they faced discrimination because of it. Luckily, Inko was never one to look down on mutant quirks. She saw them as human just as she was. But she understood the sensitivity of the issue.

As he finished his soup and thanked his mother for it, Izuku took his phone out and sent several texts. One letting All Might know he was alright, one to Shinsou, Shoji, and Tokoyami to ask their parents if it was alright, and one to All Might again to tell him that OFA took. He was now the Ninth Holder of One for All.

Getting used to more voices was easier than Izuku had thought it would be. However, he could only assume this was because Nana had some control over it. Several times when he found his concentration wavering from all the words thrust at him, they disappeared suddenly before Nana was urging him back to his school work.

If Izuku had to describe the feeling of OFA, he would compare it to a live wire. The live wire being himself before OFA. Unrestrained. All or nothing. Very dangerous. But now he felt like he was grounded. OFA restrained his powers to a more manageable level, allowing himself to access them as he wanted. Of course, he didn't try to test it out for himself, but it was obvious in the way his eyes stopped flickering at random. Which was great seeing as how that was hard to hide from his mother.

It was only a few more days until the Sports Festival and much to Izuku's disappointment, he hadn't had much practice with his new power. Not for lack of trying, however. It was just that he had other classmates to worry about and Aizawa wasn't able to dedicate that much time to him during regular school hours. That would change today, however.

Aizawa had told them the day before that they would be split between several of their teachers for one on one lessons. Everyone was grateful for that but also excited for the Sports Festival practices they would be doing while they waited for their turns.

"This is the best time for you all to learn your quirks as well as each other. The student sitting beside you could either be your ally or your enemy at the Sports Festival. Be smart."

So the class was buzzing with excitement.

Izuku was glad to see Shoji and Tokoyami waiting for him outside the locker room. They even seemed to be holding their overnight bags so they could come to his house right after the Sports Festival marathon! "Hey, guys!"

"Hello, Midoriya," Tokoyami greeted and Izuku watched as one of Shoji's tentacles turned into a mouth to smile at him.

"Are you excited as I am?"

"Of course we are," They chorused together.

They all changed into their gym uniforms and headed outside. Coincidentally, they were led to the same field where they were taken during the quirk tests on their first day at UA. Now, however, there were many more teachers there and various object set up. There was a rock wall, some tumbling mats, and even a set of bars that looked to be either used for pull-ups or balance. As for the teachers, there was of course Mr. Aizawa, All Might, and Present Mic, but Izuku could also see Midnight and Ectoplasm as well.

"Now that you're all here," Aizawa sighed as if they had kept him waiting. "We will begin by calling students over one by one. You will go with the teacher that we feel will best help you develop your quirk. Everyone else can train on the obstacles we have set up here. However,"

Aizawa's voice hardened and everyone seemed to stop breathing in anticipation. "You are not allowed to spar until a teacher is free to supervise. If we see any of you using your quirks against each other with no supervision I will not hesitate to pull you from the Sports Festival completely. Do I make myself clear?"

There was a chorus of "Yes, sir!" throughout the class and Aizawa nodded in satisfaction.

"Good. First up, Shoji, you're with Ectoplasm. Satou, with All Might. Aoyama, with Midnight. Tokoyami, with me. And Jirou, with Present Mic."

From there, everyone split off. Those that were getting one-on-one practice first went over to the teachers, and the rest dispersed among the equipment. Looking around, Izuku planned his route. He would warm up with some stretches, then maybe take a few laps around the track. From there he would try lifting some weights, and if he had time before his turn was called, he would try the rock wall. The solid plan laid out, Izuku stood off to the side near the track but out of people's way, he started to stretch.

"Smart boy! Stretching first is beneficial!" Nana praised, clapping beside him. "Come on, I'll count for you."

Izuku allowed it. First sitting and spreading his legs out before grabbing his toes. He was annoyed to see that some of his flexibility had gone along with his muscle. Oh well, he'd just have to work on it.

After about 10 minutes, Izuku finished his stretches and stepped onto the track. "Okay...My stamina is probably not as good either. So I'll have to take it slower than usual-"

"Midoriya!" Izuku tensed as he heard Iida's voice coming from behind him. Turning around slowly, Izuku saw Iida running towards him from the rock wall with his hand chopping the air.

Izuku seriously debated just continuing with his run, but with Iida's quirk...

He sighed heavily and stood still, waiting for Iida to catch up.

"Do you want me to handle him, sweetie?" Nana asked.

As much as Izuku wanted to say yes, Aizawa's warning rang in his head.

When Iida approached, he took a moment to gather his thoughts, seemingly he had shown up without a plan on what he wanted to say. "Would you mind...if I joined you on your run?"

It was not what he wanted to say, but Izuku sensed he was beating around the bush. "I'm not running. Just jogging. I have to rebuild my stamina. But sure." He shrugs.

Stepping up onto the track, Izuku started a light jogging pace. Of course, Iida had no problem keeping up with him.

"Midoriya...During my mandatory therapy session...I've come to realize that we weren't exactly fair to you." Iida said bluntly. Which he was right about. "We should have given you a chance to explain yourself."

"A chance to explain myself?" Izuku interrupted suddenly feeling a spark of anger inside. "I have to explain myself to keep my friends from abandoning me?"

Izuku felt his pace picking up as he used his gathering rage to push himself forward. Iida seemed confused. "Abandoning you? We never abandoned you..."

"Fine. Pushed me away. Humiliated me. Kicked me to the curb." Izuku seethed. "Whatever you want to call it."

"Wha-" Iida stuttered now. "We just needed you to give Asui some space! She witnessed something terrible and it shook her badly. She wouldn't speak, she would barely eat-"

It was clear running wasn't going to help. So Izuku stopped suddenly on the track, chest heaving as his legs felt like jelly. Iida had run a few paces ahead before he noticed Izuku had stopped. But when he turned around, Izuku didn't hesitate. "You could have told me. You could have sent me a message or invited me to the class meeting. Something! Instead, you all went behind my back-"

"We needed the truth! And you had been keeping secrets from us since the beginning of the school year.-"

"Because I barely knew any of you-"

"I know!" Iida raised his voice and Izuku froze. Iida never raised his voice like that before. "I realized that in my therapy session! That's what I'm trying to tell you!"

The pair stood in silence for a long moment, just watching each other warily. Eventually, Iida spoke once more. "You had valid reasons for keeping secrets. I understand that. I'm not defending our actions. I just want to make things right again."

Izuku stared at Iida for a moment before letting his eyes flicker to their glowing forms. He could see Iida flinch away from him, but what he was mostly paying attention to was Iida's soul. As if it could tell him if Iida was being genuine. But Iida's soul just looked the same as always.

Retracting his spirit sight, Izuku sighed. "I...can't just forgive you. You don't speak for the class. You can't...take back what was said about me."

"It was Mineta who said those things. Not us-"

"Asui agreed."

"As I said, she barely spoke. I'm sure if she did speak she would have said he was overreacting."

"But everyone still went along with it. Everyone except Shoji and Tokoyami." Izuku said, looking over to the teacher groups. He was relieved to see that they looked to be finishing up. And Shoji was quickly making his way over.

"If we could just have an explanation of what really happened in your own words I'm sure they would be just as remorseful as I am-" Iida stopped mid-sentence as Shoji tossed his arm over Izuku's shoulder gently.

"Is he bothering you?" Shoji asked Izuku, completely ignoring Iida.

Izuku shook his head. "No, it's fine. I was just about to go try the rock wall."

"Actually, Mr. Aizawa sent me to bring you to the teachers. It's your turn to be paired with All Might." Shoji noted and Izuku looked over to see All Might watching them patiently.

"Oh, I'll make this quick then." Izuku nodded before he looked to Iida again. "Listen...Iida. I don't... want to give the class an explanation. At least not yet. I should be able to have secrets without being labeled a...a zombie freak." The words stung even now and Izuku had to clear his throat to keep his voice from wavering.

"Later, Iida." He finished, finally turning his back on Iida and letting Shoji lead him over to All Might.

"You handled that perfectly, sweetie." Nana praised, brushing against Izuku's hand. "What was all that about?" Izuku heard #5 ask.

"I'll explain it later." Nana brushed him away. "Just focus on your training, Izuku. You can do this!"

"Thanks, Nana," Izuku muttered, letting a smile cross his face once more. Chapter End Notes

Discord link (a good place to chat with other readers and myself!): https/discord.gg/z8VKRxS

Chapter Notes

One on One

PLEASE READ

I have started editing this fic from the beginning. Nothing too drastic will change. In fact, you don't even have to go to check if you don't want to. I'm just fixing some formatting and merging some of the shorter chapters together. So the chapter numbers will be thrown off for the foreseeable future.

Also, sorry for the gap in updates. I was busy with classes and work. But I should have a more consistent schedule now!

Also also, this fic was recced on Tiktok! Which I find wild. I never thought my fic would be recced at all. But I love hearing feedback and a rec is the best part of that!

Finally, since I'm merging chapters, some comments will be deleted. Not intentionally, but it doesn't give the option to merge those. If your comment gets deleted, I'm sorry. Feel free to leave it again on another chapter! 3

Thank you all for reading and sticking with me this far!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Izuku walked up to All Might with a somewhat forced smile on his face. He was excited for the

lesson on using his quirk, but the conversation with Iida rained on his parade.

"Is everything alright, Young Midoriya?" All Might asked, leaning over to look Izuku in the eye. He spared a glance over Izuku's shoulder, probably looking at Iida, but Izuku just continued to smile.

"Yeah! Everything's fine. Can we get started? I've been looking forward to this," All Might seemed to sense the honestly in the last statement as he straightened out, striking a pose and flexing. He felt a bit of guilt for brushing aside All Might's obvious concern, but he knew they were pressed for time.

"Then let's get started!" All Might said without much delay.

Finally, Izuku mused. Finally, he would get to practice with his new quirk. He hadn't stopped talking about it with Nana and she had thankfully put up with his constant babbling.

All Might held one of his hands out in a 'Stop' motion as he spoke. "Your power draws on the

energy around yourself. And when there is none around you, it draws on what's inside." He summarizes what they already knew.

"But that's changed now right?" After all, it was All Might's hypothesis that One for All could now act as a generator for Izuku to use.

"We have to see. So...Hit me!" All Might urged, pointing to the outstretched hand. "Give me all you got!"

It was...admittedly a bit strange. He didn't want to hurt All Might- Izuku cut the train of thought short. Limited time or no, All Might wasn't weak. And one punch wasn't going to be enough to harm him.

Izuku reeled his arm back, trying to pull out the energy he hoped was inside him. He felt the heat rise in his chest, bringing a smile to his face. It didn't burn like he thought it would. It almost felt like pins and needles spreading down his arm. Funneling as much as he could into his arm, he prepared to punch. From All Might's confidence, odds are he could take the punch no problem. He knew his limits. Now it was just up to Izuku to perform.

His fist cut through the air, much easier than it would before. He felt the heat gather in his fingers, almost burning now like a meteor striking through the sky. It grew more and more intense until-

"Stop!" Nana cried out very suddenly.

Immediately, the power faded. Scorching back the way it came, up to his arm, over his shoulder, through his chest, and into his core. Until Izuku's fist smacked into All Might's hand with a barely- there *smack* sound. All Might's palm was like a brick wall and the force behind the punch reverberated up his hand and into his wrist.

Izuku jerked his hand back with a hiss, shaking it out and cupping it close to his chest.

What the heck was that?

"This isn't going to work-" Nana interrupted his train of thought. "You can't use the power of One for All that way, Izuku." Her voice shook with worry. Sparing a moment to flick his eye over to the hazy scene of the spirit world, he saw Nana standing close beside him, almost but not quite reaching for his hand.

"W-What?" Izuku gasped. Apparently interrupting whatever All Might had been trying to tell him.

"Are you alright my boy?" All Might asked instead. Crouching down, All Might held his hand out for Izuku's wrist. "Let me take a look at it."

Slowly, Izuku laid his wrist in All Might's much larger palm. "I don't think it's broken." He explained.

In fact, he was fairly sure it wasn't. The pain he had felt before was dulling down into a persistent throb. Without being instructed, Izuku started touching his fingertips to this thumb one at a time. All Might watched closely before nodding. Placing one of his oversized fingers in Izuku's palm, he said, "Squeeze as hard as you can."

Izuku did so, feeling just a bit of pain but nothing too extreme. "She says I can't use One for All that way." He finally fills the blond in. "She told me to stop and all the power just disappeared."

They both knew who 'she' was and All Might's brow furrowed deeply. "Why would she say that?"

"I saw the power inside you, Izuku," Nana spoke up. "It was building up and up. Filling you up and there was so much of it..."

"What's going on over here?" Both Izuku and All Might jumped as Aizawa's voice carried over. Looking up, Izuku saw the man making his way over. The student he was with had disappeared, probably to go find the next one. "Is he hurt?"

"Not badly. It's just going to be a little sore in the morning," All Might explained. "We were just talking about how the power suddenly faded from his attack."

"Nana said she was worried because there was a lot of power filling up my strike." Izuku finally took his hand out of All Might's grip and gave it a few experimental twists. Fine for the moment.

Aizawa gave a hum. "How much power were you trying to use?"

Izuku briefly pondered on what kind of question that was before he answered. "A-all of it?"

"I did tell him to give it his all..." All Might said nervously with a wince.

There was a moment of silence with Aizawa giving them both an unreadable look before tilting his

head back with what sounded like a very heavy sigh. "We're switching students. Now."

Izuku was surprised as All Might stood quickly. "Right. Yes. Probably for the best. Which student were you working with?" Izuku was starting to feel put off by the nerves All Might was projecting.

"Ojiro. Guide him through how to fight a stronger opponent. He has some fighting skill already but take it easy on him." Aizawa instructed before All Might suddenly rushed away as if his tail end was on fire.

Izuku watched him run, meeting Ojiro halfway and putting on his trademark smile for him. "Did I do something wrong?" He couldn't help but feel like he had...

Aizawa waved it off. "No, no. He's just worried for you. Every UA teacher does this at least once in their first year. He'll be fine."

"Wait, does what?" Izuku was now thoroughly confused.

Aizawa's hands came up in a placating gesture. "We're pro heroes, Midoriya. We aren't used to training with kids when we get here. We all have a moment where a student gets hurt and we feel like it's our fault." Aizawa rests one of his hands on Izuku's shoulder. "It isn't a big deal, I'll explain it later. Let's just focus on your training for now."

Izuku couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy about it all, but nodded. "Fine..."

The two of them recentered themselves to stand across from each other as he and All Might had done before. Nana was a comforting presence behind him as Aizawa began his instruction. "Now, your power is new, so you can't be using it like a cannon right now. Your body hasn't had years to adjust like your peers. Start small."

"He's right, sweetie. Start small."

Looking down at his fist, Izuku thought about the feeling of power he felt before. How it pooled into his entire arm. Maybe instead of filling his arm, he could focus on just his fist...

Taking a deep breath, he balled his fist up and thought about his power. Instead of trying to pull it from his core into his arm, Izuku visualized it coming directly from his hand. After all, it shouldn't matter where he summons it. Theoretically, there is no one place a quirk is stored. It's in his entire DNA now...

A smile came to his face as he watched his veins start to glow with it, electricity cracking between his fingers as he raised his power level just a big-

"No!" Nana cried out again and just like before the power was gone.

"Oh come on! He had it! Stop trying to take his power away, Shimura. You aren't the Weidler

anymore." Daigoro scoffed and Izuku found himself looking to Nana. "What is he talking about?"

"...I'm not doing it on purpose."

Izuku was now getting frustrated. "Doing what on purpose?" He demanded.

"I just don't want you to get hurt. And when I see the power of One for All getting too much for your body to hold...I'm not sure. I make it disappear." Nana explains gently. "It's not intentional. But I worry for you. I don't want you to get hurt..."

Izuku quickly waved Aizawa over before quietly explaining what's happening.

"Well then..." Aizawa's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Looks like you're at an advantage already."

"I...I am?" Izuku wasn't sure how no control over One for All was an advantage. If Nana could mess with his power output, how long was it until another spirit could as well?

"Yes, not everyone has a power reader when they first start using their quirks and that can be dangerous. But this is a good way to test your limits without actively surpassing them." Aizawa summarized.

"What about...other spirits. Could they?" Izuku voiced his concern and watched as Aizawa's eyes narrowed in thought. It was an agonizing wait while he watched the gears turn in Aizawa's head.

"No...Your connection to her seems strong. That paired with the fact that she used to wield your power leads me to believe that's the only reason she has this ability." Feeling the conversation is over, Aizawa nodded and went back to his starting position.

Izuku looked down at his hand and sighed. "Alright, I'm going to try to funnel in power bit by bit. If I get close to the limit, tell me."

"Copy that, sweetie," Nana said eagerly. Izuku couldn't help the smile that brushes across his face. There was something amazing about having a supportive presence with him at all times. It was great.

Like before, Izuku funneled power into his hand, slowly, he let the power build up until he felt that it was getting a bit too hot in his hand. "There! That's nearing your upper limit." Before the power could fade, Izuku stepped closer to Aizawa and swung.

He had no real battle training. Especially not in hand-to-hand combat. He could already see Aizawa stepping to the side of his blow, but he was readying his capture weapon as well. As Izuku went to follow through with the punch, he felt the cool texture of it wrapping around his wrist.

But it was then that he felt the power release. With a loud POP that sounded almost like thunder, Izuku felt his wrist become free once more. Yanking it back quickly, he looked to see that the power had created a burst of energy that pulled the capture weapon off his arm, giving him enough room to slip out.

Smiling widely, he looked to Aizawa. His cheeks hurt from the size of his smile but he didn't care. Even Aizawa seemed in good spirits as he had a small smirk. It was quickly hidden as he returned his capture weapon, but Izuku saw it enough to know it was there. "Good work, Midoriya. Next time, if you aren't following with another attack, put distance between yourself and your opponent. Understood?"

It wasn't scolding. It was an actual critique. And it made Izuku so happy to hear that his smile grew wider. "Yes, sir! Yes!"

Izuku found himself looking over to All Might, hoping that maybe the man had seen his attack. But when he looked over, the eyes of more than just his teacher were on him. Not just All Might, but the other teachers as well. And even a majority of the students were giving him wide-eyed stares. The attention made his joy fade just a bit as unease boiled inside. The last thing he needed was to feel even more like a freak than before.

He could see Shoji and Tokoyami rushing toward him though, and that chased away the bad feelings. Mostly at least.

Shoji's large hand clapped him on his shoulder and Tokoyami was letting Dark Shadow get very touchy feely as he smiled. "That was an amazing sight, Midoriya." Tokoyami praised.

As if that broke the spell, the other students turned back to their teachers and training continued as normal. Aizawa gave Izuku the advice that he should work on his power control and hand to hand combat, but Izuku wouldn't forget the compliment from before.

He went with his friends over to the gym equipment then and started talking. They had planning to do. Along with his criticism, Aizawa had also made the announcement that they would be having a relay race soon after. A chance to use their quirks in a practical manner besides fighting.

Izuku was very excited for it. Chapter End Notes

Discord link (a good place to chat with other readers and myself!): https/discord.gg/z8VKRxS

The UA Sports Festival Approaches

"Alright Class," Aizawa addressed as soon as everyone finished their training. With that announcement, everyone quickly filed in to stand around him as he gave his speech. "You all did well today. I expect to see improvement in the focus areas each instructor has given you before the Sports Festival."

There was a murmur of excitement as there always was when it came to the Sports Festival, but Aizawa's glare silenced it quickly. "As I was saying..." He continued.

"All 19 of you will split up into groups of 3. Since we don't have a round number of students, one group will be allowed a fourth member. But before you jump at the chance, know you will receive a handicap in the race." Aizawa held his hand up once more before everyone tried splitting up into their groups beforehand.

Izuku didn't have to look for a group, thankfully. As soon as Aizawa mentioned the group size, Izuku felt one of Shoji's arms and Dark Shadow nudge him from behind. He nodded in confirmation, a smile on his face. It was nice not having to look for a group or being the last one picked.

"You are allowed to pick your groups. However, don't automatically go for your friends. During the Sports Festival, you will all be competing against each other, and the more you know about your classmates' quirks, the better." Aizawa's warning went almost unheard and he sighed as he seemed to know that. "Get into your groups and I'll explain the stations."

There wasn't much Izuku needed to do, but he found Tokoyami's arm resting across his shoulder anyway.

A few minutes passed and Izuku looked around to scope out the groups.

Iida, Asui, and Uraraka formed a group as expected. And it seemed Kirishima, Sero, Ashido, and Kaminari had snagged the group of four for themselves. Izuku made a note to keep an eye on Yaoyorozu's group with Jirou and Todoroki. It was a very strong group and they'd be the hardest competition. The final two groups were Aoyama, Ojiro, Hagakure, and Mineta, Kouda, Satou.

All in all, pretty solid groups, but the real test came down to the stations of the course.

"For your first station, your first member will start outside of the building behind me where they will have to use their search and rescue skills to look for a flag hidden somewhere inside," Aizawa said vaguely. "There are cameras inside so if you're caught tampering with someone else's flag, you will be disqualified."

Izuku was curious about it. At first, he had thought it was some sort of storage building for all the equipment they had brought out, but there were more uses for it if they were able to hide flags. But, it was a good match for Shoji, he decided right away.

"Listen up, Y'all!" Mic shouted suddenly, boosting his voice with his quirk. "Your second station is a 400-meter sprint! Or more accurately, two 200-meter sprints with a sandpit leap in between." He smirked as he seemed to think this was a huge challenge. "If your feet touch the sand, you have to waste time running to the border before you can keep going forward. So use your quirks to the best of your ability to get past it, yo!"

Immediately, Izuku thought of himself for that role, but he'd have to talk to Tokoyami about his speeds...

"For your third and final station," All Might announced loudly to capture everyone's attention. "A rock climb!" He waved to the rock wall that had been there from the start. "Your third team member will have to scale this wall as fast as they can to ring the bell on top. The first one to ring the bell secures the victory for their team."

Immediately, several hands raised. All Might blinked, clearly not expecting questions. All the same, he pointed to Yaoyorozu with his trademark smile. "You there! What's your question?"

"Will we be expected to free climb? Or are there harnesses available?"

"Harnesses are available and you will be allowed to put them on before the race starts." All Might seemed relieved that it was a question he knew the answer to. "You there!" He pointed to Kaminari.

"So...How tall is the wall?" He asked nervously. "18-meters!"

As more questions were asked, Izuku started thinking. As he thought, Shoji would be the best choice for the search and rescue station. He knew immediately with his float quirk he would be the best for the rock wall. By default, Tokoyami would have to take the sprint. Of course, he would ask the others for their thoughts, but it seemed like this was the best solution.

Luckily though, Shoji and Tokoyami were all for his plan. They didn't even fight him on it.

They had to split up as the race was being set up, leaving Izuku awkwardly alone by the end of the track. A few of the other groups were still deciding on what stations they wanted to do, but for the most part, they agreed to put their stealth quirk users in the search and rescue station. For the team of four's handicap, they would have to split the 400-meter sprint in half which would slow them down as the second runner wouldn't have the first 200-meters to pick up their speed.

Pretty soon though, Izuku was joined at the end of the track by Yaoyorozu, Kirishima, Ojiro, Uraraka, and Mineta. All of them, Izuku theorized, would have a nice edge when it came to climbing. Well, not so much Kirishima unless he used his quirk to dig his own handholds. And Izuku wasn't sure if they were allowed to break the wall to climb it...

"Hey..Midoriya?" Izuku was knocked out of his musings by the student in question's voice. Looking up from where he had been staring at the ground, Izuku saw Kirishima standing nervously. The boy wouldn't meet his eyes and was picking at his nails instead.

"Yes?" Izuku questioned.

Kirishima stepped closer and cleared his throat seeming to gather up some courage. "About the USJ-"

Immediately, Izuku's eyes darted around to see if there was anyone else watching. Mineta was talking about something with Yaoyorozu that made her face look like she was sucking on a lemon. Ojiro was talking to Uraraka, motioning to his tail. Looking back to Kirishima, Izuku nodded for him to continue.

"..." Kirishima struggled with his words for a bit longer, getting frustrated if the furrow of his brow was any indication. "I'm sorry about the class meeting."

Izuku flinched at the reminder, eyes immediately going to his shoes. "Oh..."

"I mean it." Kirishima implored. "After the USJ, I guess I was angry at you when you said you didn't want to go save our classmates-"

"I didn't say that." Izuku immediately interrupted. "I said it wasn't a good idea. Not that I didn't

want to." his chest tightened at yet another miscommunication.

Kirishima, noticing his mistake, immediately nodded. "Right. I get that now. The truth is...I've been...continuing my therapy session even after the mandatory ones. And it's helped me realize that I was being a really bad classmate to you."

Izuku bit his lip hard as he blinked away tears. Why was all this coming out now? Was Kirishima just trying to throw him off for the race?

"If this is just some ploy to get me to tell you about my quirk-" Izuku started, taking a step back.

"No! No!" Kirishima stopped himself, forcibly lowering his voice. "No...that's not it. I just...I've been thinking about this a lot. It totally wasn't manly of me to isolate a fellow classmate for something I didn't understand. I made assumptions. And well. You know what they say about those..." He tried to joke but it fell flat.

"I don't want to tell you what to do, sweetie. But he looks like he's genuine." Nana spoke softly as she wrapped her arms around Izuku's shoulders.

Izuku knew that. But at the same time, he still felt the humiliation of the cafeteria with everyone's eyes on him as he was rejected by his friends. "Can I- I need time to think on it." Izuku corrected himself. He didn't need to ask permission to have time to process.

"Yeah! Yeah, of course. Take your time. Take all the time you need." Kirishima nodded. "I just wanted to let you know that I was sorry for how I made you feel. I'm going to talk to the others too. Let them know that it wasn't okay. I'd really look forward to this tension over the class to go away."

Kirishima sighed then, and Izuku felt it deep inside himself as well. He wished he could skip ahead when everything was great and he didn't feel like he was going to cry at the slightest mention of what happened at the USJ.

They didn't talk after that as a sharp whistle rang out into the air signaling the start of the race. _

The entire class watched on in excitement even though nothing could be seen. Everyone was anxious to see who ran out of the building first. There was no sound coming from inside and sadly, it seemed that it was too far away from Nana to peek at before she snapped back to Izuku's side.

Eventually, Hagakure charged out of the building with a blue flag in hand. Slapping Aoyama on the hand, she leaned over with her hands on her knees, panting.

Immediately, cheers started whooping from Ojiro as he shouted encouragement at Aoyama.

Aoyama had barely activated his own quirk however as Shoji and Jirou ran out with a green and purple flag respectively. Unlike Hagakure, Shoji slapped Tokoyami's hand and started to jog his way towards Izuku. There was no way he'd get there before Tokoyami.

Kaminari, Kouda, and Asui brought up the rear, but Izuku was too busy watching the race in front of him to see who came in first. Aoyama, while he had the lead at first, couldn't maintain his quirk for long. So his quick bursts of speed were evened out by his breaks. Tokoyami ran with Dark Shadow cloaking his torso, Izuku wasn't sure if there was a benefit to that or if it were for flair. He was fast though. That is until Todoroki started to run.

Running really wasn't the best word to use for it as he just froze the track in front of his and slid across it. At the moment, Aoyama was ahead, but they were all coming up to the sandpit.

There were shouts everywhere as people cheered for their team. Ashido used her acid much as Todoroki had, Iida of course had his legs, Satou looked to have some kind of juggernaut charge going, The only one without some kind of quirk aid was Tokoyami. However, Izuku watched as their quirks started to get into each other's way.

Aoyama, unfortunately, ran out of power right in the middle of the sandpit leading him to take a tumble and having to run to the border. Tokoyami practically flew over the sandpit with a yell. He stumbled a bit as he landed, but recovered quickly. It was Ashido Todoroki and Iida that were having the most trouble. Ashido's acid was splashing onto Todoroki's ice causing it to melt before he could slide on and Iida was caught in the aftermath of both.

"Come on, Tokoyami! You can do it!" Izuku found himself shouting. "Let's go, Dark Shadow!"

Ashido was another casualty of the sandpit as her acid didn't provide its own surface to slide on. With her now behind, Todoroki had no trouble rushing ahead. Yaoyorozu even started joining in on the cheering as Todoroki inched ahead of Tokoyami. He wasn't breaking a sweat and Tokoyami was starting to lose his stamina.

"You're almost there, Tokoyami! You can do it! Push yourself!" Nana's voice was only heard by

Izuku, but he knew Tokoyami would be happy to hear it later on.

Todoroki crossed the finish line first, slapping Momo's hand. Izuku watched as he bent down and immediately started to melt the ice trail he skated in on. Looking closer, Izuku could see the frost sticking to the back of his hand along with a barely-there tremble. This was a race, so...leaving the ice on the track would give Todoroki's team the best advantage. So the only reason Izuku could think for him to be melting the ice so quickly was if he had to.

And thinking back to the battle training, Todoroki couldn't protect him from Bakugou's blast because he had overused his quirk. So that must mean he had to balance out his quirk with both the fire and the ice. But they hadn't seen Todoroki using any fire in training at all...

Izuku was almost too caught up in his thoughts to realize Tokoyami was rushing up towards him.

The bird-headed student's smack was more of a push as he jerked Izuku out of his head to start his own station. "Go, Midoriya!"

Izuku didn't need to be told twice. Turning towards the wall, he saw that Yaoyorozu was already a fourth of the way up the wall as she had created some hand-crank mechanism to pull herself up. That would be trouble-

"Izuku, use your legs! Use your legs!" Nana suddenly told him. "Use One for All with your legs!"

He didn't have much time to process what she had said before he left the heat and power building in his legs. It wasn't near as much as when he was training with Aizawa, but he knew immediately that it would give him a level playing field. And he didn't have much time. The others were closing in as well.

Crouching down, Izuku risked just a little more power behind his thighs. Yaoyorozu was reaching the halfway point. It had to be now.

Taking a steadying breath, Izuku jumped, releasing the built-up power as soon as he felt his legs leave the ground. There was a split second before it released and he had to clench his jaw when a throbbing ache settled in the muscles. But it worked. He shot up like a rocket until he was right on Yaoyorozu's heels. Izuku reached up and latched onto the handholds of the rock wall so that he didn't fall back to the ground when the momentum ceased.

There was barely a moment of stillness and Izuku was activating his floating quirk. It made it much easier to just push himself along than having to haul his own weight. It was this quick thinking that allowed him to shoot past Yaoyorozu, much to her dismay if the grunt of frustration was any indication.

"Yeah, Izuku! You got this! Hurry!" Shoji's mouth tentacle called up to him. For Tokoyami's part, he was furiously whooping and whistling and clapping. It was only two of his classmates, but it meant the world to Izuku.

Finally, His hand reached up, knocking against the bell at the top, and making it ring loudly. His blood rushed in his ears, dampening the sound and he found himself hitting it again just to make sure.

"We have our winners! Young Midoriya wins it for his team!" All Might announces And Izuku slumped against the wall as three voices celebrated around him. His chest heaved and his muscles ached as if he had been lifting weights for hours. Izuku panted from the exertion, giving a small whoop instead of cheering loudly.

"Midoriya!" A voice, Shoji, called from below. Izuku peeled his eyes open enough to peer down. It was only then that he realized that he was still high up on the wall. But there Shoji was with his arms held up. His eyes looked slightly worried but he seemed to be trying to stay calm.

Izuku didn't think much about it as he let go of the rock wall and let himself fall. It was eerily similar to the first time he let himself fall from a great height. Only this time, he didn't think of the landing or dying. Strangely enough...He found himself thinking about food.

He could take Shinsou to that ramen shop again. Oh, he could bring Shoji and Tokoyami too. Izuku was sure they wouldn't-

Arms encircled him suddenly, halting his descent. Izuku blinked, coming back to reality, and looked around to see that Shoji had caught him in a pair of his bulky arms. He caught him out of midair.

Izuku wasn't thinking straight as a laugh bubbled from within. It was a light and happy laugh. More carefree than he had felt in a long time.

"Are you alright?" Tokoyami asked as his laugh tattered off.

Izuku nodded. "I feel great." He said honestly. "But maybe a bit tired."

Both Shoji and Tokoyami gave each other a nod before Izuku was shifted onto Shoji's back and a

shadow was cast over his face. "Wha-" Izuku tried to question, but his eyes were already drooping...A nap wouldn't be too bad...He supposed.

The Sports Festival arrived in record timing and Izuku had bent over backward trying to prepare. He had so many setbacks and he was determined not to let any of them ruin his chances of winning. While there was no way he could get 10 months of progress finished in 2 weeks, he felt that he made up for it by studying his quirk. Sure, he was even behind on that. But the versatility of it would help greatly.

That is until his confidence was destroyed as Aizawa pulled him to the side and explained that as the 1-A class president, Izuku would have to give the opening speech.

This was it. This was where his career ended.

Opening Speeches

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Izuku had tried to convince Aizawa to let Yaoyorozu do it instead of him. She was the better speaker, he reasoned. But Aizawa shook his head. "I can't. It's not up to me. The school board decides who gives the opening speech every year. Not only were you number one in the hero course Entrance Exams, but you're also class president."

"But I can't do it! I'll choke or say something stupid or I won't shut up-" Izuku ranted before Aizawa placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Kid, I know you're worried. Which is why I'm telling you now instead of waiting until the day of. I'm giving you time to prepare your speech. And I'll even look over it for you. That way, all you have to do is memorize it and present it." Aizawa pulled Izuku into his side with an awkward hug. Izuku knew this wasn't something he would usually do which meant he learned it for Shinsou. Something about that calmed his racing heart even the tiniest little bit.

Still, Izuku found himself shaking nervously. "Can I give the speech with my eyes closed?"

"Hmm...Or you could use those glowing eyes. It'll show off your quirk to the heroes watching and it obscures your vision."

That was actually a really good idea.

It took a whole week for Izuku to be ready. Not that he was writing the speech the whole time. He finished writing the first day. The other 6 days were for him to rehearse it constantly until he knew it backward and forwards, inside and out. He had obsessed over it so much that even Nana was tired of it, though she won't tell him. But there were times when he was alone that he would practice it under his breath and he found her following along effortlessly.

"I'm sorry..." He muttered embarrassed as she caught him for the third time on the walk to UA for the festival. "I'm just really nervous."

"Don't worry, sweetie. You'll do great." Nana assured him. "Just breath! Relax! Have fun!" She was right of course. She was always right.

Izuku made his way into a side entrance opened specifically for the students so that they didn't get caught up in the press swarm at the front. There were a few other students there as well making their way to the locker rooms before they went to the arena. Izuku was glad they weren't allowed to use their prototype costumes seeing as how his was still destroyed and he wouldn't know how long it would take before it was fixed.

As he entered, he saw that he wasn't the only one there. There were a few other boys in the locker room changing out of their uniforms and into their gym outfits.

"Ugh! I don't see why they made us wear the regular outfit if we're just going to change into these all day!" Kaminari whined as he pulled at his tie.

"They want us to seem unified! Duh!" Kirishima smiled as he put on the gym shirt. "Did you see the press outside? I bet we look super manly on the footage."

Izuku tuned out the talk as he went to his locker and started to strip. Unconsciously, he started to recite his speech once more under his breath.

"Hey, Midoriya!" Kirishima called over. "Good luck on the speech today. I heard it was going to be you from Yaoyorozu. You're gonna do great!"

Izuku sighed heavily. "Thanks, Kirishima. I hope I can just make the speech without messing it up. I'm nervous."

Kirishima hummed as he stood up and walked over. "You'll be fine, bro. Plus, it's only the first one. All the other classes have to come after you."

That did help him a bit and Izuku found his shoulders relaxing just the smallest amount. "You're right. I need to calm down."

"That's the spirit!" Kirishima gave him a pat on the back before going back over to Kaminari.

After 30 minutes everyone had changed and loaded up onto the transport vehicle that would take them to the arena. After that, they were taken into a waiting room with plenty of tables and a few drinks and snack machines. The arena was mostly empty then except for the pros milling about.

It sure was a lot of waiting though. Even Nana was restless as she complained that it never took this long when she went to UA.

Pretty soon, however, they were allowed to leave and taken to the entrance tunnel of the arena. Izuku didn't recognize the woman leading them, but then again she wasn't in a hero uniform.

"Alrighty! You kids wait here until your class is announced and make your way to the stage! No running though," She advised. "Think of it more as the dramatic strut you see in movies. Once everyone is around the stage, our Referee will start the opening ceremony and you can go from there. Good luck everyone!"

She left soon after and the tunnel was filled with excited chatter. Tokoyami and Shoji kept up a gentle dialog around Izuku, not expecting him to join in but helping to keep him from his thoughts. They were great like that.

"Alrighty!" Present Mic's voice flooded in through the speakers. The starting monologue felt like torture for Izuku because it was different every year and there was no way to know when it would end.

"Now let's hear it for our first years in class 1-A!" The hero announced and immediately his classmates started exiting the tunnel into the outrageous applause of the now full arena. Izuku had no choice but to follow. His legs felt weak but Shoji raised a smiling tentacle to him. "We're going to be great."

Izuku hoped.

The time for his speech came way too soon.

"Now for our first-year address by Midoriya Izuku of class 1-A."

The applause was enough to make his ears ring and he had to watch his feet to make sure he didn't slip off the steps. "Activate those eyes, sweetie."

Izuku did and was relieved to see the entire arena fill with the orbs of souls and not the faces of people. But there were still so many. So many souls. So many shapes. So many sizes. He couldn't fathom what any of them meant. But then his vision was obscured as Nana stepped in front of him. He looked up at her face as she smiled down at him.

"Deep breath now." She instructed and he followed. "Repeat after me."

He cleared his throat, hands clenching by his sides.

"The Sports Festival, as we all know, is arguably the most-watched sporting event in the world."

She said gently and Izuku realized she was reciting his speech to him. Nervously, he copied her words.

"Every year, third-year students participate in their final Sports Festival. And every year, first-year students participate in their FIRST Sports Festival. And as an avid watcher of this event myself, I feel I speak for my whole class when I say that those are very big shoes to fill."

Izuku realized this was much easier than he thought. He wasn't talking to the crowd. He was talking to Nana. Nana knew this speech. Nana who would never judge him. A gentle smile started to pull at his lips.

"It's hard, as first-years to come in and stand out when we feel that we are in the shadow of our upperclassmen. But I'm here to say that we can and WILL stand out to all of you, and all the pros in the stand and the people sitting at home today. We aren't just 15 and 16-year-olds going to high school. We are the future of heroes. We are students of UA."

Izuku's hands came up to grip the microphone stand as confidence started to flood his voice. He could do this. He WAS doing this.

"We are class 1-A. And we will stand out to all of you! We'll Go Beyond!"

Izuku raised his fist in the air as he recited the school's motto along with the voices of his classmates and the people in the stands. The entire arena vibrating the air with their voices. Even Present Mic in the announcer's booth.

"PLUS ULTRA!"

The rush of adrenaline Izuku felt as the arena erupted in screams was like nothing he had ever felt before. The smile on his face was wide enough to hurt his cheeks as he released his grip on the stand and took a step back.

"Well, that'll be a hard speech to follow!" Midnight said into her microphone. "Let's give it up for Midoriya Izuku from class 1-A!"

Izuku stepped off the stage into the crowd of students. Many of them patting his shoulder as he joined back with Shoji and Tokoyami.

"Wow, Midoriya! I got chills!" Tokoyami smiled. "That was an amazing speech, friend."

"It was. I'm sure it'll be on the highlight reel as well."

Izuku's cheeks turned red at the flattery as even Kirishima complemented his speech. "And now let's hear from our class 1-B representative, Shinsou Hitoshi!"

Izuku was taken aback as he watched Shinsou walk up onto the stage. He hadn't mentioned that he would be the rep for 1-B. Izuku was completely stumped. Why hadn't Shinsou told him?

"While Midoriya's speech was very moving, I myself have different motivations for wanting to be a hero." Shinsou started before the applause could even quiet down. But as soon as the first words came out, the entire arena went silent.

Shinsou paused a moment, letting the silence stretch before continuing. "I would love to become a hero and save others, but my true motivations are more selfish than that. I want to be a hero to protect those I care about. My friends, my family, my peers. I don't care about being the flashiest hero, or the one that makes the most money."

Izuku gasped then because deep down he always knew Shinsou's motivations. He wanted to be an underground hero. But the raw conviction he heard in Shinsou's voice...and to dismiss other motivations like that-

"I will use this Sports Festival to prove to them that I have what it takes to keep them safe. I will get stronger. And I will become a great hero. All of you today will witness the first step of that journey. Plus Ultra."

Shinsou didn't wait for Midnight to announce his departure as he turned and stepped off the stage. Immediately, Izuku pushed his way through the crowd of students until he was right beside Shinsou in the cluster. His hand brushed against the other boy's arm causing him to look over.

Shinsou didn't speak, but he did give Izuku a genuine smile that settled his nerves.

"N-Now that's a student with some heavy convictions-" Mic's voice flooded through the speakers and it sounded like he was crying. "Let's move on to class 1-C now."

The rest of the ceremony passed in a blur of speeches. Not to say that any of them were bad but after Izuku's and Shinsou's the ceremony needed a welcome baseline. 'I'm happy for this opportunity, 'I will do my best', 'We will give it our all', were the basic jists of all the speeches that followed. Izuku was chomping at the bit to actually get started. As they went down the line of

classes, he felt it getting closer and closer. And he was riding on the high of his successful speech.

"Now that the opening ceremony is coming to a close, let's announce the first event of the UA Sports Festival!" Midnight turned to one of the large monitors on the arena walls, using her whip as a pointer.

All at once, Izuku felt the crowd of students shift forward as everyone tried to get a closer look.

"For our first event," A digital reconstruction of the arena was displayed on the screen. "We have an obstacle course set up for you! And to everyone at home who tunes in every year, you'll notice we're doing things a bit differently."

That gave everyone pause as whispers broke out among the arena. But Midnight continued without pause. "Usually we give free rein to our students to use their quirks however they see fit to complete the events. But this year we've decided to change it up! After all, a quirk isn't everything." She winked and Izuku watched several students blush.

"All participants will no be allowed to use their quirks during the first obstacle. You must use your brain just as hard as your quirk if you wish to be heroes one day."

Izuku had seen a few obstacle courses during his time of watching the festival, but they were always different. Not even repeating the same sections! So there was no telling what could come up. In the crowd, he looked at Shoji and Tokoyami with a grimace. Of all the planning they did together, this was the one event that they couldn't plan for. They seemed to share his sentiment.

But hopefully, the restriction of quirks will keep the playing field level...at least until the second obstacle.

Pretty soon, they all lined up at the exit gate of the arena which Izuku immediately narrowed his eyes at. It was too small. Four or five students could walk side by side through it, but there was way more than that here. There would be a blockade.

Luckily, it seemed that he didn't have to voice those concerns and tip anyone else off as one of Shoji's arms grabbed him by the shoulder. "I'm going to throw you through the exit tunnel. Activate your quirk and float through. Tokoyami can use Dark Shadow and I can climb the railings."

Izuku bit his lip. Technically, this wasn't the first obstacle. They just needed to get to the first obstacle this way. But there would be plenty of students who wouldn't know that loophole. "Gotcha."

They took their positions towards the back, giving them plenty of room to move so Shoji could throw. There was a tense moment of silence as they waited for the horn to sound, but when it did, they didn't waste time.

Shoji grabbed a handful of the back of Izuku's uniform and his upper arm. Izuku felt his legs leave the ground as he was lifted with little effort and he got ready to activate his quirk. Shoji shifted his feet. "One, two...three!"

Izuku felt the air whip by his face as he was thrown into the exit tunnel, almost immediately activating his quirk to keep him from falling. There was the sound of outrage from the students below him, but Izuku could already see the exit ahead. Pretty soon, others would catch on. Izuku could even see Todoroki's ice and Dark Shadow up ahead. He needed to get a lead and keep it if he wanted to advance!

As he felt his momentum slow, He released his quirk until his feet planted themselves back onto the ground. He was in a small group of students running who had also used their quirks to get through the door first. Not in the front, but he wasn't in the back. He could do this.

He was going to win! Chapter End Notes

Discord link (a good place to chat with other readers and myself!): https/discord.gg/z8VKRxS

The Obstacle Course

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

The first obstacle wasn't far from the exit of the arena, so Izuku took a moment to deactivate his eyes and floating to make sure he wasn't disqualified. Thankfully so, of course. As soon as he and the small crowd of students came to the obstacle, a few of the students started to run across it. From what Izuku could see, there were several stationary robots with turret guns attached.

Suddenly, a loud boom caused Izuku to flinch harshly. A wave of sand shot up into the air a split second before another student hit the ground beside him.

"Ah-" The student groaned as they rolled over and slowly stood, grasping their ribs. "Paintballs and mines? Are they trying to kill us before the second round?" They grumbled.

Izuku paused, watching as a few other students took a bad step after getting hit by a 'Paintball' and were blasted a few feet up in the air before falling. Some thought was put into this obstacle seeing as how there weren't so many mines that the students were being blasted constantly.

"Are your ribs broken?" Izuku asked worriedly. He'd never encountered paintballs before...

The student gave him a weird look before shaking their head. "No. It just smarted a bit. At worst I think it may be a bruise."

They raised their shirt up and Izuku could see that there was a small red circle on their side, but no bruising. "I think the thing we have to worry about the most is the mines."

With that, the student headed out once more, this time, being careful of where they were putting their feet. Izuku took a look behind him and mentally cursed as he saw several groups of students already making their way over. He'd have to move quickly now.

Taking the first step was nerve-wracking. And so was the second as yet another student set off a mine. He had to find some balance between being quick and being careful.

"Do you want me to scout ahead?" Nana asked.

"I can't use my quirk," Izuku said immediately. "It would be unfair."

Not like anyone would know...but he would. He'd know. He wouldn't cheat.

He wasn't paying attention as something impacted his back making him yelp. It was a stinging pain that almost knocked him off his footing. But he stayed firm. Not wasting any time, he charged ahead. He risked a second from glancing at his foot to see where he stood in the running, and from what he could see there were at least 10 students ahead of him.

But that was alright. Because he could see their tricks. One student from 1-B was kicking the sand around with every step. Sometimes it would dislodge a mine and move it off to the side. It was really obvious, but he was pretty far ahead.

Rather than doing that, however, Izuku settled for following in his footsteps, using the same path that he did. Now all he had to worry about was the paintballs.

That was a problem in itself because there were more robots as the trail went on. And there didn't seem to be a way to avoid them or block their shots. Unless- Wait... Unless!

Izuku immediately stopped his trek as his mumbling took off. "One mine doesn't have that much firepower inside of it seeing as how it's just meant to knock us around. But if I were to get a large amount of them near one of the robots, I could potentially destroy one giving me some of the wreckage to protect myself against the rest..."

"Anything you do though would help the students behind you. And you have to use the time to gather all the mines." Nana encouraged his thinking.

"But that student walking ahead..." Izuku dropped down and picked up a round case with a small button on the top. "They disturbed plenty already. All I have to do is be careful and collect them from the kicked sand."

Just like that, Izuku started rooting through the sand, picking up one, two, five- ten mines at a time. And it was great as one of the robots was locked onto a different student. He snuck up behind it and gently stacked all the mines under its platform before scampering back to the safe trail.

"How are you going to detonate them?" Nana asked. That was the easy part.

Finding a final mine, Izuku raised his arm right as the robot turned and aimed its barrel at him. He quickly threw the mine at the pile harshly all the care from before gone as he heard the robot fire.

The stinging pain impacted him right in his stomach causing him to fall over as the wind was knocked out of him. But on the ground was the best place to be as a large boom shook the ground sending sand flying everywhere. Izuku stayed on the ground a bit longer, covering his head as he heard the sounds of metal thumping against the sand. Luckily, the robot was mostly hollow and made of some lightweight aluminum and only set off a few mines around the area.

When Izuku got the all-clear from Nana that it was safe to uncover his head, he quickly stood and found a sheet of the broken robot's base to use as a shield. It was a bit flimsy, but anything was useful right now.

With that, he took off at a run down the trail. From the distant echoes of Present Mic's voice, there were already people on the second obstacle. He couldn't waste any more time. The path was clear for him and with the shield, he was able to deflect most of the robot's attacks. They made deep divots in the thin metal but as long as they didn't make those dents in him Izuku didn't care.

As he came out at the end of the obstacle, he breathed a sigh of relief that he was mostly intact. He tossed the heavily deformed sheet of metal to the side as he took off at a jog, now able to use his quirk.

Without asking, Nana funneled the slightest bit of One for All into his feet, giving him a longer stride so that he made it to the second obstacle in no time. He grunted with frustration as he saw Todoroki's ice trail melting rapidly. Todoroki's quirk was so versatile without even using its full capabilities. It almost wasn't fair.

Izuku shook it off though as he surveyed the obstacle. It entailed several small platforms spaced apart above a pit of some churning substance. Izuku was able to see what the substance was firsthand as someone jumping ahead lost their footing and fell inside. Quickly, they were consumed by what Izuku could only assume was quicksand. So no falling.

It was easy for Izuku to hop across. His quirk was made for this test. And he made up a little ground as he watched some of the other students make their way on wobbly legs.

"Scout out ahead and see what place I'm in!" Izuku asked Nana as he took off running once more. He was sure he would make it to the next round. But there wasn't anything wrong with excelling.

"I think you're number 14, sweetie! Todoroki is tied for first right now. The next obstacle looks like a physical test. A vertical spider climb followed by a test of grip strength, and then finally a wall run with a slide back into the arena." Nana summarized quickly as Izuku came up onto said obstacles. A few students were struggling on the spider climb and Izuku felt kind of bad as he breezed right through it with the help of his quirk.

"Yes! Let's finish this match strong, kid! Show the world what you can do!" Izuku stumbled in his footing slightly, slipping down the wall. He had almost forgotten about the few accompanying spirits inside him now. But every once and awhile, like now, they would make themselves known.

Daigoro was usually the one that spoke the most except for Nana of course. He, as Izuku came to realize, was very passionate about hero work. He liked showing off, not because he felt like he had something to prove, but because he knew how powerful One for All was. And he had some kind of disagreement with Nana. The two of them were by far the most confrontational of all the spirits of One for All.

Even so, Izuku took the encouragement and forced himself up the wall. In this case, he didn't have enough upper body strength to get through, so he had to use a bit more of his floating ability than he would like. Just something to ease his muscle strain. He found himself keeping the momentum going as he grabbed onto the rolling bar. There were three more bars in varying distances in front, each one a little larger than the last. Izuku took a breath and held it as he shot across, skipping the second bar entirely to grab the third.

"Whoah! Be careful. You wouldn't wanna slip this early in the game." Nana said worriedly, but Izuku was too focused on his swinging to listen. He could feel the strain of prolonged quirk use on his body and he needed to finish fast.

"Yeah, kid. Come on. Use those muscles!"

Izuku slumped over as his feet connected with the ground on the other side. His chest heaved with every breath and he had to force himself to calm down. The last thing he wanted was to hyperventilate. But while he recovered, he looked at the wall run. It was a large slope. Perhaps reaching about 8ft up. There were ropes hanging from the top, but they only reached down about 4ft. You would have to get a running start. Izuku was worried that he just might be tapped for the moment. He may have to do this one quirkless as well.

Taking a deep breath, Izuku stepped back to the edge of the second obstacle. He counted down in his head from three before taking off at a sprint.

"Keep your feet flat, don't try to climb with your tiptoes," Nana warned him quickly. She sounded a bit worried, but Izuku couldn't dwell on it.

His feet made contact with the wall. Flat as directed, he pushed himself up into a second stride. His thighs burned with effort but he reached up towards the rope. His fingers were barely inches away. Against his better judgment, he activated his quirk again. His third stride up the wall was enough to allow himself to grab the rope. Deactivating his quirk just as quickly, he gripped tight to the rope.

Izuku couldn't stop. If he stopped, he would just get too tired and fall back. One hand over the other, he pulled himself up. He was so lucky that his shoes were gaining traction. This would have been impossible otherwise.

As his fingers brushed the edge of the wall, Izuku activated his quirk one last time. His arms shook while he pulled himself up a bit gracelessly. Reaching up with his knee, Izuku was able to pull himself over the edge and into safety.

"You're so close, sweetie!" Nana encouraged him, and Izuku could feel her warmth nudging him towards the slide. Right. This was meant to be the easy bit.

Izuku crawled more than he walked to the slide, shoving his legs down first, he took off. The slide was more of an incline made of one plastic material. They must have waxed it seeing as how he could easily slide down the angle off it. There was a brief moment of darkness before the lights of the arena shown on his face.

His feet skidded across the turf as Present Mic's voice boomed in his ears.

"And here we have Midoriya Izuku from class 1-A coming in 14th in our first event!" There was a wave of applause as Izuku forced himself up onto shaky legs to walk to where the other students were gathering. "My my, he looks like he's run a marathon. We can only hope he keeps his stamina for the next two rounds!"

Izuku rolled his eyes slightly at that. He doubted the next round would be as physically taxing as this one was. After all, there were the 1v1 matches that UA had as the last round every year. It wouldn't make sense to tire out the competitors early on.

Even so, he accepted a paper cup of water and a small baggie of orange slices being handed out by

a few attendants at the center of the arena. He wasn't the only tired student as several others laid sprawled out on the turf. He took a seat as well, stretching his legs out in front of him to keep them from cramping up. As he drank his water and ate his oranges, he looked over the other 13 students who made it.

Todoroki was standing as passively as always with a similar cup in his hand. He was staring at the scoreboard rather than the video feed of the other students still in the course. Or maybe he was just staring off into space?

Further away still, Izuku saw a flash of ashen blond hair that caused his heart to tense up in his chest. Bakugou Katsuki was almost impossible to mistake. The boy was just as loud with his presence as he was with his quirk. And the glare he held on his face while downing a whole bottle of some kind of juice was a dead giveaway.

What was he doing here? Last Izuku had heard from him, he was on a three-day suspension after the battle training. But come to think of it...that was so long ago. Even before the USJ attack! Izuku couldn't believe it had just slipped his mind. Bakugou had been a focus in his life for as long as he could remember, so to see that he had just so casually forgotten about him was odd.

He had been allowed to compete. But why hadn't he been in class? Why had Izuku not heard anything about what happened to him after he was suspended? Something was going on...and he wasn't sure if it was a bad thing or a good thing.

He saw plenty of other class 1-A students as well. Iida was there pouring water onto his legs, making steam rise into the air. So was Kirishima which surprised Izuku. Izuku figured that the fact that he wasn't allowed to use his quirk in the first obstacle would put him at a severe disadvantage. He couldn't just charge through haphazardly. But apparently, he had some kind of trick up his sleeve. Good for him.

The rest of the group was made up of 1-B students without a single student from another class in sight. It was almost disappointing. The restriction of quirk use in the beginning was to give a chance to the other students who didn't get hero training. He hoped there were a few more who made it through than in previous years...

Izuku finished his water and oranges before going to stand and dispose of his cup. His legs felt a lot better and with some time to replenish his energy, he should be in tip-top shape for the final round.

After the recovery period, they were allowed to leave and go back to their waiting rooms to rest while the second and third-year classes had their first rounds as well. Izuku was looking forward to the second round. He took some time to relax, getting yogurt and a rice cake from one of the many vending machines before going to sit in the stands to watch the other events.

His classmates even joined him as they took their time to recover.

Izuku was plenty surprised when the results came in. 16 of his classmates made it into the second round, 14 in class 1-B (Including Shinsou thankfully), 7 students from the support course, and 5 from the GenEd courses. It was actually a much more diverse spread than years previously. But he still couldn't shake the thought of Bakugou suddenly being here...

"Hey, Kirishima?" Izuku asked before the third-year event started. The red-haired student turned quickly, seemingly shaken from his thoughts.

"Huh? Yeah, what is it?" He answered.

"...When was the last time you saw Bakugou. Before today." Izuku bit his lip nervously.

Kirishima thought for a moment. "I saw him leaving campus about a week ago. But before then, nothing. I just figured they were finally letting him back to class, but when I called out to him he ignored me. And then he never showed in class." Kirishima rubbed the back of his neck as a red tinge stained his cheeks. "I guess I just kinda forgot about it in the Sports Fest hype."

Izuku nodded. It still made no sense. But there were now a few more puzzle pieces.

The third-year event went by quickly but no less entertaining. And all too soon, the announcement for the second event for first-years started. They were all hustled back down to the arena- Well, the 42 that advanced. Izuku stood nervously amid the crowd then.

"You all went above and beyond in the first event!" Midnight announced, pointing her flog at them. "But now it's time to go even further beyond! We've tested your strength and endurance, now we test your mind."

Midnight's arm raised toward the screen and were once the obstacle course stood, now stood a large hedge maze. Wow. They sure moved quickly.

"This event is a first in our many years of running the Sports Festival, but this event is called Maze Scavenger Hunt! You will all start outside the maze where a basket of cards awaits you with a lockbox." An example of said objects appeared on the screen. "When the timer starts you will have 20 minutes to use the riddles on the cards to find hidden items inside the maze. Those items must then be returned to your boxes in exchange for points!"

A diagram appeared showing different colored cards with their point values listed from anywhere between 1 point to 10 points.

"The 16 contestants who finish with the most points by the time the timer goes off, advance into the next round. But! There are rules!"

Of course, Izuku thought. There were always rules. This seemed so easy...of course, UA would find some way to make it even harder.

Chapter End Notes

Discord link (a good place to chat with other readers and myself!): https/discord.gg/z8VKRxS

A Maze of Riddles

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

"There is nothing that says you cannot form teams to help you during this trial, BUT!" The small buzz that had formed as she spoke quickly ceased. "You must split all your points! Every single one! Riddles worth one point will only get you a half-point, riddles worth 5 points will be worth 2 and a half points, etc."

That made sense...Izuku looked over to Shoji and Tokoyami with a resigned look. Luckily, they gave understanding nods. There was no way they could team up and still have enough points to go into the next round.

"You cannot tamper with another student's lockbox, nor can you horde items that do not go with your riddle. As such, each student is only allowed to carry one item and one riddle at a time. This is a test of your mind. While quirks are permitted, using quirks to directly sabotage your fellow students will result in disqualification. Damaging the maze itself is also off-limits."

Izuku's amazement was growing. UA had stepped up their game. This was sure to be a Sports Festival to remember.

"If you get lost, you can either find your way out or call for help. If you call for help, however, you will be disqualified. If you want my advice," Midnight gave a sultry wink. "Your best bet is to wander around and hope you find the way out. Otherwise, you will be retrieved when the match is over."

Looking around, Izuku could already see some students spacing out. It was a lot of rules, sure, but that was to be expected from a new event...Even still, Izuku couldn't understand why someone would just tune out important information...

"All items must be inside your lockboxes for your points to count. If you still have the item in your hand when the timer runs out, that item will not count. And for our first-place contestant, a time penalty with be applied to give everyone else a slight advantage with this round! Now, you have 10 minutes to find your designated box and grab your first riddle."

Midnight waved her hand and everyone immediately dispersed. Izuku, for once, let them all run ahead. He let himself fall to the back of the crowd as he muttered to Nana. "Find my box, please?"

"Already on it, sweetie!" Activating his eyes, Izuku could see Nana floating away towards the lines of boxes.

Izuku looked over the basket of riddles. Each color was a different point value. White (1pt), green (3pt), yellow (5pt), red (7pt), and purple (10pt). There were the most missing from the green and yellow slots, Izuku noted. Understandable really. But there was at least one purple card missing. Not wanting to try his luck that harshly, Izuku opted for a yellow as well. It was a nice way to gauge the difficulty of the riddles.

Turning around, he saw Nana 'sitting' on top of the boxes. Izuku assumed it was his own. Starting to walk over, he looked at the riddle in his hand.

"Wish a wish, don't wish and tell, find this wish in a wishing well. ~ Midnight."

It was remarkably straightforward for what was supposed to be an intermediate-level riddle. Then again, Izuku didn't know where a wishing well was in the maze. IF there was one. Shaking his head, Izuku walked up to his box. It was more like a chest than anything. There could be some large items. Either that or they wanted the students to fill their chests.

He held the card up so that Nana could read it over his shoulder without him seeming too suspicious. "Strategy for a maze...You could scout around maybe and tell me where my items are." Izuku thought.

"I could. But you have to get to me when I find them."

"I can try to float over certain walls. Or maybe you could give me an aerial view and guide me?"

Nana nodded with a smile. "I can do that!"

Once again, Izuku felt like his quirk was an unfair advantage in this game. He could avoid the actual maze itself and focus on the riddles. But what about Shinsou? Without a physical-based quirk, Shinsou probably couldn't even explore the entire maze before time ran out. How was that fair?

"Sweetie, what's that look for, huh? Are you nervous?" Nana asked, concerned.

"Not for me..." Izuku looked over to where Shinsou was staring at a purple card in bewilderment. Feeling his chest tighten and his eyes burn with unshed tears. "What if he doesn't advance? This was important to him."

Izuku sniffled as he felt Nana's arms wrap around his shoulders. "He wouldn't want you to underestimate him, Zuku. He's a capable student. And very smart."

Still, Izuku couldn't shake his dread. "Help him. Please. Help him with his first riddle."

"But what about you?"

"I'll be fine. My riddle is easy. Help him!"

"Alright, alright. I'll give it my best shot." Nana sighed as Izuku felt her move away from him. And the dread he felt building in his stomach faded away slightly.

"One minute left, students!" Midnight announced and there was a last-minute rush of students running to their boxes. "The second round begins in three! Two! One!"

The timer sounded and like before with the obstacle course, there was a mass of students running into the maze. Rather than fight them all, Izuku went to one of the walls and used his quirk to hop over. It was off towards the side of the entrance, but not by far. This was why Izuku was surprised to see a large statue stood in the center of the pathway.

It was a statue of some man that Izuku didn't recognize. But he was standing with a foot perched upon a stone and had a spyglass held up to his eye. On closer inspection, Izuku could see that the spyglass was removable where it was held up to the statue's inset blue stone eyes. Potentially, it was an item. But the rules stated that Izuku couldn't take it unless he thought it was for his riddle. Clearly, it was not.

Izuku didn't waste much more time as he ran off deeper into the maze, looking for some kind of wishing well. Where he would find a wish inside...hopefully.

There were shouts all around as people tried to orient themselves with their classmates. Quite a few from 1-B were using this strategy.

"Dead end!" Someone shouted off to the right followed by a call of "Heard!" from the left. Smart.

Using his quirk slightly, Izuku rose above the wall of the maze then. Slowly, he tested his weight on the wall to see if it could support his full weight. It was a little hazardous, but if he moved fast enough, he could get around nicely. Running along, he heard the offended gasp of several other students.

"Is that even fair?!"

"I don't think that's against the rules but it seems like cheating."

"I want up there too!"

Izuku forced himself to press on, finding a wishing well relatively quickly with this new vantage point. It was in a large circular area but it wasn't the only thing there. Izuku could see another student rushing from the well to a long table. Jumping down, he walked over.

"I need to use the well for my riddle," Izuku said awkwardly. "Do you mind?"

The student scoffed, barely giving him a look. "Wait in line. I need the water for my riddle."

Looking down, Izuku could see the table they were using was made of glass and hollow on the inside. There were two holes in said table. One of which they were pouring water into. The student had placed several red blocks into slots that controlled the water flow. They needed to use the water to push a small red ball through to the end, but the water was quickly drained out through the legs, meaning they had to keep filling up their bucket and coming back.

"Did you happen to find anything inside the well when you started?" Izuku asked hopefully.

The student, significantly shorter than Izuku with fiery red hair and green eyes, huffed. "No. I didn't bother looking inside the well. I just need the water for my riddle. You can wait your turn!"

Holding his hands up, Izuku backed off. He just needed to be patient it seemed. But there was no time to be patient...

Another minute passed and Izuku took off towards the well. Without a second thought, he jumped inside. It was large enough for him to be able to climb out using his feet but big enough that the bucket could come down if it needed to. Izuku didn't have time to wait for other people.

The water inside the well was up to his knees, but Izuku could see several holes under the waterline where new water would be supplied. And while the light was dim, he could see something glowing under the water. It was easy to pick up said glowing item to see that it was a coin. No distinctive denomination or regional markings, but it cast a soft white light in the area around him.

"What the- Are you stupid?" Izuku winced as the voice echoed down to him. Looking up, Izuku could see the shadow of the student before looking down at him. "You got yourself stuck didn't you."

"No," It was Izuku's turn to huff. "I didn't have time to wait."

Crouching down, Izuku pressed just a single percentage of power into his legs before shooting up. He hissed as his arm scraped against the side of the well. It significantly slowed down his speed and he couldn't reach the top. Quickly, He pressed his legs to the side of the well and pressed his back towards the other end. He just needed a little more.

"Well, I don't have time to wait either. Here. Toss this down." The student said as they dropped the bucket in. Fair enough, Izuku sighed.

As the bucket reached him, Izuku passed it on down the well and started to shimmy up the walls once more. By the time he made it to the top, his arms were shaking and his breath was coming out in rough pants. He needed to calm down. But first, he needed to get out of the well.

He activated his floating just the smallest amount to tip himself over the stone edge of the well, thankful to finally be on solid ground.

"Splash me with water," He groaned with his eyes closed as he laid there on the ground.

The student just scoffed. "Fat chance of that. I need this for my riddle." They stepped over him and made their way back to the table, barely giving him a second thought. Fair enough.

Izuku didn't dwell long. Almost immediately after, he pulled himself up off the ground and started a slow jog back to the entrance. Izuku noted that a few other students were milling about, putting items in their box, grabbing another riddle, and some running back into the maze. As soon as his feet touched outside of the maze, Present Mic's voice rang out through the speakers.

"Woah! It looks like someone took a dip! I hope it paid off for him, he's going to have to deal with that for the rest of this challenge," Present Mic narrated causing Izuku's face to heat up slightly.

He didn't let this bother him too much as he followed suit with the others and put his item into his chest. On the scoreboard, his score jumped up by five points. It put him in fourth place, but there was no time to stop now. Even as he made his way to the riddles, students were making their way out. Without a second thought, Izuku grabbed one of the red cards and rushed back into the maze. 6 minutes had passed already. He needed to pick up his pace.

"Blah blah blah, something about destiny. Find a way to unlock it. ~Eraserhead"

So the riddles were made by more than just Midnight. Izuku sighed. And of course, Mr. Aizawa would be so vague. At least Midnight had told him where to find his item. Izuku was looking for a key, he knew. It was a cliche quote rather than a riddle. But he didn't know where or how large the key would be. He came across a gazebo-type structure with two brass statues inside. Paying them no mind, he instead used his quirk to jump up onto the sloped roof, hoping to get a better view of the maze.

"Izuku, sweetie, we may need some help. Shinsou's getting frustrated and I'm not sure where to even look for this thing!" Nana's voice rang in Izuku's head.

"What's his riddle?"

" Heroes always get remembered and legends never die, but the scope of a great man lies in what's behind his eyes." Nana read. " I think it means brain but we haven't found anything that could fit that description."

It seemed like Shinsou wasn't the only one that was getting frustrated. Izuku could relate. This test was hard on all of them. They had to have almost perfect recall skills no matter where they were. They had no idea if anything they saw could relate to their next riddle.

"Great man. Great man. Hero. I haven't seen any hero items out here at all. Not even references..." Izuku bit his lip as he looks around frantically. "Heroes get remembered. They have statues and merch everywhere...Even museums."

"Hard to believe they squeezed a museum in this maze," Nana noted. "And you said you couldn't see any merch. I've seen plenty of statues, but none of them are of heroes. They're just people standing around."

Izuku jumped down from the roof of the gazebo to look at the brass statues sitting inside. There was no plaque stating who they were. They were just sitting together!

"A hero statue. The scope of a great man. The statue of a hero." Izuku felt the words turning over in his head. Pacing the gazebo, Izuku wracked his brain. "Maybe a Snipe statue? Did Snipe write the riddle?"

"No, it was Nedzu."

Nedzu. Great. Izuku sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "A statue with a scope. 'But he scope of a great man...' It's not talking about heroes.

And like a ton of bricks, it hit Izuku. It was so obvious he felt like smacking himself at taking so long! He'd seen the statue right when he came it. "There's a statue at the front wall of the maze. It's a man holding a spyglass! His item is there!"

"You're a genius, sweetie! Let me tell Shinsou!"

Izuku's smile widened as he continued walking. It wasn't his riddle, but he solved it anyway. That accomplishment made him feel a little better about his riddle. Hopping back up onto the wall of the maze, he took off again.

There were many students around and so many different stations. Izuku could see small games being played all over. But the stations all had a clear theme. One looked like a circuit board that a pink-haired student wearing goggles looked to be breezing through. Another was a long box painted like a snake that a student with some kind of animal shifting quirk had jumped inside. None of it looked like a box or a key.

"We're at the statue!" Nana updated and Izuku nodded but did not verbally reply.

Eventually, Izuku found it. Almost the farthest from the entrance as possible was a large ornate door and a small pedestal with a box. Dropping down into the area, Izuku went straight for the box. However, he was filled with despair as he saw that the box was full of keys. To the brim.

Izuku let out a loud groan as he went up to the door. It was very underwhelming up close. The door was fancy, but it was just a door on a frame. It was locked of course. But it didn't go anywhere. In a way, the test was exactly like Mr. Aizawa to create. Izuku could spend however long it would take trying every single key, or he could narrow down his options by studying the keys and the lock themselves.

Sticking his finger inside the lock, Izuku felt only a cold protruding piece of metal. No spindles or dials at all. Immediately, he dug around the box and tossed out any key that looked like it belonged on a normal key ring. That left about 20 keys left.

He then started throwing away any key that was thinner than his finger. Because if his finger fits into the lock, the key should too. He was now down to 7.

"OH YEAH!" Present Mic's voice yelled. "Half your time is gone yo! Better pick up your pace if you want to advance."

It was then Izuku stopped looking at the keys and just started trying every single one. Logically, he wouldn't have to try all 7. It wasn't a solution Izuku would think for Aizawa to try, but he didn't have time to waste. He was far away from the entrance and when he makes it back he'll have 12 points. Izuku wasn't sure he could finish the third riddle in time to make more points.

As such, he nearly jumped for joy as he felt the third key click into the lock and turn smoothly. The large door swung open in an almost anticlimactic way. But he didn't care. Instead, he jerked the key out of the lock and took off at a sprint towards the entrance of the maze. He barely thought to jump back on the wall to save some time.

"Izuku that wasn't the right item!" Nana's worried voice nearly caused him to careen off the wall. "It wasn't right. He didn't get the points!"

But Izuku was sure he had the right statue. "What did he take?" Was his immediate thought.

"The spyglass! Was that not the right item?"

"No!" Izuku grabbed a fistful of his hair as he ran. "The scope of a great man lies in what's behind his eyes! Behind! He needs to take out the eyes!"

Izuku only thanked the fact that he came in 14th in the last round. Most of the attention would be on the top 10 meaning he didn't have to worry too much about people seeing his rantings to Nana.

"Okay, okay! I'll take him back." Nana said stressed. Izuku made a mental note to apologize to her later.

Jumping over the last wall, He saw he had 7 minutes left to get another riddle and solve it. No

pressure or anything.

Practically throwing his key into his box along with the coin, Izuku spared just a moment to look up at the scoreboard.

Yaoyorozu - 17 points Todoroki - 15 Points Tokoyami - 14 points Hatsume - 13 points Midoriya - 12 points Bakugou - 10 points Iida - 9 points Kirishima - 7 points Ojiro - 5 points Monoma - 4 points

Izuku looked on in horror as he saw that Shinsou still had zero points. He wasn't the only one, but he needed to get that card finished if he wanted a chance at advancing. Izuku ran to the riddle basket and bit his lip while grabbing another yellow riddle. He was really pressing his luck.

"I have a spine but no bones. ~Ms. Joke."

A book. Easy. Izuku shook his head as he ran into the maze. But it was never so easy as that. Never.

"And here comes Shinsou Hitoshi with the first purple riddle item of the event!" Present Mic announced almost beaming with excitement. "He's used up a lot of time looking for it but he's skyrocketed up the leaderboard."

Izuku sighed in relief. He's almost certain Shinsou's secured his spot into the next round. Izuku was taken aback suddenly, however, as shouts started to fill the maze once more.

"There's a pond with plastic ducks over here!" "I found a sword in a stone!"

"Anyone need a toolbox?"

People were getting desperate for points. Going so far as to give away their position in the hopes that they hear someone with their item. This could work in Izuku's favor, he realizes.

So when he ducks into the nearest opening and sees a small park setting, he shouts, "There's a park here!"

Almost immediately there's a body launching over the side of the maze and landing in front of him. Except, rather than falling, the body bounces like a ball and recovers quickly. "Thanks!" The student says before grabbing a fistful of the woodchips that covered the ground and going to take off.

"Have you seen any books?!" Izuku asked quickly.

"There's a whole freaking library somewhere that way," The boy shouted waving his arm in the direction of the back of the maze but not clarifying. Just great.

But it was a lot more information than Izuku had in the first place. So he does his usual leap onto the wall of the maze and starts sprinting towards the back of the maze.

"Get those legs pumping! You have five minutes remaining!"

Izuku did not need the reminder. Especially as another minute passes and Present Mic speaks again. "Four minutes, Listeners!"

Luckily, he found the library. It wasn't much of a library. More like a few tall shelves stacked with books. And seeing as how the riddle didn't specify what kind of book, Izuku just snatched a random one off the shelves and started to run back.

"3 minutes! If you want your items to count you should probably head back now." He was trying so hard to do just that.

"2 minutes. Wow, some of you are cutting it close."

Izuku cursed under his breath at Present Mic as he jumped down onto the ground and started to sprint using his quirk. He wasn't allowed to destroy the walls, so he needed to keep to the ground. Every time he met a dead end, he jumped over it. Making a beeline to the front, Izuku could see

several students slumped down by their boxes and Izuku so badly wished that were him. "1 minute!"

Izuku could see his box.

"30 seconds!"

He crossed the entrance gate. 10 seconds!"

His hand was on the box. Yanking it open Izuku practically threw the book inside, hearing it clatter and slumping to the ground right as a loud buzzer sounded.

"And your time is up!" Midnight took over with a pleased hum. "You all did very well out there, but there are only 16 slots. Let's all take a look at the leaderboard."

Heads jerked to the bright display screen as all of their portraits whizzed around, coming to stop in a typical leaderboard pattern. For a maddening moment, the list updated in an elapsed fashion. Izuku could see himself at the very bottom before his portrait jumped up with the first 5 points. The same was happening to the other students' photos as well until finally the chart settled leaving only the true results in place.

Yaoyorozu Momo (20pt) Tokoyami Fumikage (19pt) Todoroki Shouto (18pt) Midoriya Izuku (17pt) Hatsume Mei (16pt) Bakugou Katsuki (15pt) Shoji Mezou (14pt) Shinsou Hitoshi (13pt)

Iida Tenya (12pt)

Ojiro Mashirao (11pt) Uraraka Ochako (10pt) Kirishima Eijirou (10pt) Monoma Neito (10pt) Kendo Itsuka (9pt) Honenuki Juzo (8pt) Nobasu Haneru (7pt)

Izuku trembled as he looked down the list, quickly finding his name. Immense relief caused him to place a hand over his racing heart before realizing that he still needed to look. He was surprised to see that Shinsou had gotten more than the 10 points he knew of. But Izuku wasn't complaining of course. And Tokoyami getting second place overall! The scores were so close together, which Izuku didn't expect.

In UA fashion, there would usually be one person that blows the competition right out of the water. Yes, Yaoyorozu had 20 points, but Tokoyami was only one point behind her. And Shoji made the top 10 as well!

"Woo! Look at us!" Daigoro cheered suddenly, causing Izuku to flinch at the surprise. "We keep this up and we'll crush the third-"

His voice cuts off suddenly and Nana's warmth engulfs Izuku's left side in a weird feeling of comfort. "Don't listen to him. This is your victory, kiddo."

"Looks like we have a 3-way tie! Luckily all 3 of you are going into the finals." Present Mic commented knocking Izuku out of his conversation. He continued talking and making notes several times on the various placements. Even mentioning the dedication Todoroki had to have to make such a large comeback with the penalty that he had to start with. "All you crazy cats take a break and prepare for your final matches. Everyone else, keep those spirits up because we have plenty of other activities for you to participate in in the meantime."

They were all escorted off the field at that point, but not before Shinsou rushed to Izuku's side and threw an arm over his shoulder. Izukua allowed himself to be pulled in close.

"You helped me advance. I wouldn't have gotten a single point if it weren't for you." Shinsou said sincerely. "Thank you."

Izuku felt his face redden at the attention. "Ah, well, Nana did most of the work. I think she deserves some credit too!"

Shinsou only chuckled. "Oh, I thanked her alright. I'm sure she's had enough of me showering praise for the moment."

"Nonsense." Nana teased and Izuku passed along the message. Shoji and Tokoyami joined up with them before Shinsou had to split off to go into his class's waiting room.

There was a great buzz of excitement as the majority of his class talked about their riddles and eagerness to continue to compete. Izuku for once didn't feel left out as the conversation continued without him. He had his friends sitting beside him on a few soft chairs. For his part, Izuku was showering Tokoyami with admiration for his high placement. "I tried a 7 point riddle and it nearly took all of my time, how did you manage 2 and a 5 point!"

Tokoyami's feathers along his neck ruffled as he ducked his head.

"Aw, how sweet. You're flattering him!" Nana cooed and Izuku watched Tokoyami shiver as Nana touched him.

"I consider myself extremely lucky for I could not have hoped to complete the daunting riddles had both items not been so close together." He said humbly. "I had to fetch an ornate knife and a single candle. Both were in some sort of table setting in the middle of the maze."

Shoji patted him on the shoulder with one hand and created a smiling mouth on the tip of one of his tentacles. "You did great, Tokoyami."

"Th-Thank you both," Tokoyami muttered, fighting a smile as he looked to the floor. It was at this moment that Dark Shadow emerged from Tokoyami's side and butted into the conversation.

"I did most of the work!" The whisp announced and Izuku could see the moment Nana started talking to it. Its eyes lit up as it seemed to look into the wall.

"You did great too, sweetie!" Nana praised, causing Dark Shadow to melt much in the same way Tokoyami had.

Izuku rested his head on the back of the chair, full of content. He was having a lot of fun. His friends were doing well, he was doing well, and the rest of his classmates hadn't given him a weird look since the games started. It filled him with hope for what was to come.

Chapter End Notes

Discord link (a good place to chat with other readers and myself!): https/discord.gg/z8VKRxS

Also, sometimes I notice in between long pauses between updates, I get a spike of readers. Is this fic being recced? That's such an odd thing to think about. I'm not complaining of course if it is! I would love to know who (if anyone) has recced this fic so I could possibly thank them. It just feels odd that someone would like my fic so much to suggest it to other people? I don't know. I like it but at the same time, I just feel like it's unreal that my fic would have that kind of impact on someone!

Anyway, let me stop gushing and just take a moment to thank all of you for reading, regardless of where you come from!

1v1 Fights Part 1

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Everyone going into the third round stayed in the waiting room as directed while the rest of the class went to sit in the stands and watch the other classes compete. It took a moment before several monitors stationed around the waiting area cut the feed from the arena and displayed the UA logo. Sitting up a little straighter, Izuku looked to the screen mounted on the wall in front of where he was talking to Shoji and Tokoyami.

"Congrats on making it to the third round of the competition, Listeners! If you're watching this it means that you have proven you have what it takes to go Plus Ultra!" Mic's voice cut in.

"The matches for this next round have been randomly decided. There are no substitutions or switching." Aizawa's voice interrupted.

Present Mic let out an offended scoff. "I was getting there, Eraser!"

"Get there faster. We have to announce the second year event soon."

Izuku couldn't help but smile as the pair bickered over the prerecorded message.

It was then that the UA logo faded into a bracket alignment and their student portraits were overlaid onto it. "If you'll take a look here, you'll see your opponent for your first match!"

Izuku was glued to the screen as he watched the different pairs appear. His eyes read it from left to right, pausing when his eyes caught on something immediately. Right as he found Tokoyami's name, he looked over to see who he was paired against and his stomach dropped to see it was Shoji. For the first round no less. Izuku jerked his head over to see his friends' reactions only for Shoji to shake his head and point to the screen once more.

Confused, Izuku turned back and found his name. He was paired with Uraraka. It would be an odd match considering the similarities in their floating abilities, but almost immediately after he saw what had grabbed Shoji's attention. Not only were Shoji and Tokoyami paired against each other, but the winner of that match would also go against the winner of his match. And if Izuku planned on winning, he would have to fight one of his best friends.

Frantically, Izuku scanned the brackets looking for Shinsou hoping against all hope that he wouldn't have to fight him too if it came-

He'd have to fight Shinsou if they made it to the semi-finals. Izuku knew they couldn't tie for first place, but he had hoped that maybe they wouldn't have to go against each other right out. Or at all preferably.

"-So no complaining if you don't like your match-up." Aizawa's voice broke him out of his

thoughts. "If you'd like, you can forfeit and someone else will be moved into your spot."

"Woah that's a little harsh, Eraser." Present Mic said with a forced chuckle. "I think they'll all do great! I know I'm excited about these matches!"

There was more commentary but Izuku was too busy searching for a reaction in his friends. Tokoyami seemed to be doing the same while Shoji was still staring at the monitor with a pensive look.

"We have to fight each other," Izuku stated the obvious.

Shoji sighed, throwing his head back to lay against the back of the chair. "I knew this was a possibility, but right from the start? Such bad luck."

"There's nothing we can do unless we want to forfeit."

"We're not forfeiting." Izuku and Shoji blinked at each other as they spoke at the same time. Tokoyami for his part chuckled and relaxed back into his seat. "Then we're all in agreement. We made it this far."

Izuku nodded with a sigh. "Yeah...I just hoped we'd all be able to get to the third round."

The trio sat in silence for a moment longer before Nana refused to let it go on. "No more sulking.

You can practically see the finish line right now! Come on, let's strategize or something!"

A small smile stretched across Izuku's face as he relayed the information to his friends. "She's right. We need to talk about the competition-"

Whatever Izuku was going to say was quickly interrupted by a voice clearing behind him.

"Midoriya, do you...Can we talk in private? Outside?" Looking over his shoulder, Izuku saw Uraraka standing awkwardly behind him. She shuffled her feet, not meeting his eyes. He wasn't stupid, he knew this had something to do with their match together.

He spared a glance at Shoji and Tokoyami, seeing that they looked ready to interrupt if need be. But he shook his head to them. "Yeah, sure." He said to Uraraka and stood from his seat. "I'll be right back, guys."

They both nodded to him, letting him follow Uraraka outside the waiting room with no complaint. And Izuku could feel the telltale warmth of Nana right by his side the entire walk. She didn't waver, not even to move around the other students spread out in the waiting room. Izuku could tell by the way Kaminari shivered as he walked by.

Uraraka walked out of the waiting area, turning around and letting him exit before she shut the door and leaned against it with a heavy sigh. "Okay...I wanted to talk about our match."

Exactly as Izuku assumed. He said nothing but nodded for her to continue.

"Well, I just wanted to ask...that you don't go easy on me." She let the words tumble out even as she tensed her shoulders in a faux display of confidence.

Izuku's brow furrowed in confusion. "I wasn't?" "Atta boy," Nana's voice had an audible smile.

This seemed to shock Uraraka as she stood up from leaning on the door, actually looking up at Izuku for the first time. "Y-you're not?"

"No," Izuku told her. "Why would you think that?" If Izuku were to do anything out of the norm, he expected Uraraka to think he would be unnecessarily harsh considering their fallout.

"Wha- Because!" Uraraka's voice was soaked in astonishment. "Because I'm a girl and people always underestimate girls. And after all that stuff that Tsu and Mineta said about you at the USJ, I just-" Immediately her confidence wavered. "Well, I thought you would go easy on me just to prove them wrong..."

Immediately, Izuku felt his stomach roll. "You know...I'm getting sick of everyone making all these assumptions about me." He couldn't keep the anger out of his voice.

Taking a step back, Izuku took a heavy breath before he started to speak. "First, Asui and Mineta assume I'm some freak that lied to all of you on purpose. Then, Kirishima assumed I didn't want to save the others at the USJ. And now you think not only that I would treat you as less than any other opponent but also that I would throw away one of my few chances at impressing everyone watching the sports festival because I was scared about what you all think?"

Izuku didn't care at the moment as the light above them started to flicker. He could feel the minor thrum of power dancing on the hairs of his bare skin. It was a reaction to his anger and he could dispel it at any time.

Uraraka looked speechless. Her mouth opened and closed several times before she could finally force words out. "I'm sorry ." She said suddenly. "I didn't think about any of that."

"No, you didn't." Nana agreed as if Uraraka would know.

He huffed, pacing a few steps back and forth to work out some of the anger he could feel bubbling inside himself. "I'm not taking it easy on you. And before you get the idea in your head, I'm not going to be cruel either. This fight will be fair. And whoever wins, wins."

Uraraka nodded slowly and stepped away from the door. Taking that as a dismissal, Izuku pressed his hand to the concrete wall and forced the leftover energy into it to keep from shocking anyone with the metal doorknob. As soon as the light above stopped flickering, Izuku pulled open the door.

"I'm sorry about the USJ stuff too," Uraraka said softly, but Izuku didn't respond as he made his way back to his friends and plopped down.

"Is everything alright?" Tokoyami asked before he even hit the chair.

Izuku rested his head against the back of the chair before answering. "Yeah. Just making sure that I won't go easy on her..."

The matter was left at that as Shoji spoke. "Tokoyami and I were talking about our match while you were gone. We decided that regardless of who wins, we won't have any hard feelings behind it. And we wanted to extend that to you too. Seeing as how one of us will be fighting you in the next round..."

This made Izuku finally lift his head. "Oh of course. No hard feelings at all. I'll be happy as long as one of us wins the whole thing." He felt a bit of happiness return as a smile split on his face. Tokoyami and Shoji smiled as well and they went off in a discussion of quirks and matches.

The first match for the first-year students was announced to be Shinsou's. He was up against the Nobasu Haneru person. As they both stepped out onto the central area, Izuku immediately felt bad for him. Izuku recognized him immediately as the kid from the last minutes of the maze. He had some kind of elasticity quirk that made him bounce when he fell.

"Terrible luck," Izuku muttered, sitting up further and staring at the screen intently as Midnight announced the rules all of them knew already.

"Why's that?" Shoji prodded immediately. Izuku knew that his concern extended to Shinsou and that made a small smile form on his lips despite the pang of guilt in his chest.

"Nobasu's quirk would be perfect in a physical fight if I understand it correctly. But Shinsou doesn't have a physical quirk." Izuku didn't elaborate further as he watched both Shinsou and Nobasu nod to each other right as Midnight called for the start of the match.

They both started running at each other, which surprised Izuku. Shinsou's quirk perfectly allows the distance between him and his target. He wouldn't have to get physical if he could provoke a verbal response.

On the screen, their bodies collided, Shinsou's punch bouncing harmlessly off Nobasu's cheek as Nobasu's fist collided with his ribs. Izuku tensed up in his seat, bringing his hands close to his face as if it would somehow block the punches to Shinsou.

Shinsou takes several steps backward as he tries to avoid a barrage of punches. But there's a moment then, that Izuku sees the exact second Shinsou uses his quirk. There are no microphones on the field, so he doesn't know what was said, but suddenly, Nobasu's fist stops, giving Shinsou the perfect opportunity to shove him hard. Nobasu skids across the ground slightly, but activates his quirk again a second later, bouncing himself back to his feet.

"It doesn't make any sense." Izuku mused. "He's getting roughed up on his first match. He's playing with Nobasu. He could end the match right now. What is he doing?"

Shoji and Tokoyami seemed just as into his contemplation as he was. Tokoyami was now on the edge of his chair as well, close enough that he could lean over and whisper to Izuku, "Maybe he's trying to hide the nature of his quirk?"

"Mmm," Izuku hummed as he fidgeted with his hands. He wished he had brought his notebook, but he could only hope that he remembered all of this. Then again, the recordings of the matches tend to get published a couple of weeks later. He regretted not asking his mom to record the entire sports festival for him now. "Most likely, but he's taking a lot of hits to do that-"

Izuku froze as that exact moment appeared to be the tipping point. Whatever Shinsou said seemed to enrage Nobasu so much that he dropped his guard and shouted something. What the stands would misinterpret as a look of shock, Izuku knew was the face of someone under Shinsou's quirk.

Shinsou took this moment to barrel into Nobasu and lift him onto his shoulder. American football style, Shinsou threw him outside of the boundary line and a loud horn sounded right as Nobasu scrambled back to his feet bewildered.

Once more, Izuku was surprised as Shinsou walked over to Nobasu and held a hand out to shake. Nobasu stared at the hand in confusion as Present Mic rattled off about good sportsmanship. But eventually took the hand and shook it.

The two of them walked off the platform through the same exit and seemed to be having some kind of conversation, but the screen quickly faded to show the next bracket.

Bakugou vs. Monoma. Izuku had heard a little about Monoma from Shinsou, but Shinsou didn't socialize much with his class, instead of trying his best to get his grades higher. What Izuku was mostly worried about was Bakugou.

He hadn't interacted with Bakugou since their battle training. He hadn't even heard Bakugou speak. Izuku only hoped Bakugou wasn't a danger to any opponents. Even the thought made Izuku's skin crawl as he thought about how Shinsou would be his next opponent if Bakugou won this match.

The chatter in the waiting area picked up as Bakugou made his way onto the platform. Most of the class suddenly seemed to remember him as well.

"Woah, he still goes here? I thought his parents pulled him out-" Kaminari balked.

Kirishima quickly joined in. "I thought something similar. Before I saw him after the first event I hadn't even thought about where he ended up."

"But why is he here now if he hasn't been in class this entire time?" Mina asked the big question that everyone took a moment of silence to think about.

"Is that even fair?"

Izuku looked over to see the seemingly floating uniform of Hagakure staring at a screen as well. In fact, everyone had found a screen and parked themselves in front of it. And Izuku quickly turned back to his own right as a blond haired boy he recognized as Monoma strutted onto the platform.

Present Mic hyped about two blonds with tons of potential and Izuku barely registered Eraserhead

making a sarcastic mark before the match started. Bakugou struck first with a right hook attack, but Izuku watched as Monoma ducked right under his fist, grabbing it by the wrist. It was dangerous, and something he never expected. People when they found out about Bakugou's quirk would instictually fear it, with reason of course, the quirk was dangerous. But Monoma didn't think twice.

The amazement didn't stop there as he used his grip on Bakugou to pull him closer, reaching for his face. And then the trademark sparks of an explosion lit up in Monoma's palm, blasting Bakugou with a smaller but just as impressive blast right in his face! Quickly the two separated before Bakugou could get a grip on Monoma.

Izuku was practically falling out of his seat as he leaned impossibly closer to the screen. "They have the same quirk?"

"That's impossible, I saw him fill an entire pool with water in the maze. Just from his hand!" Shoji commented.

Immediately, Izuku knew what it meant. And it had him vibrating in excitement. "It's a copy quirk!" He whispered frantically. "It must activate on touch somehow. Why else would he get so close to Bakugou and risk getting hit by a blast?"

"Who do you think will win?" Tokoyami prodded.

That was an interesting question. Izuku's first instinct was to say Bakugou. Especially as he charged towards Monoma again, this time with both palms igniting. But Bakugou was pretty set in his attacks. There wasn't much variety after a while. Monoma was different. He had room to get creative...

"If Monoma beats Bakugou, Monoma is going to make it at least to the semi-finals," Izuku said boldly. "He's showing everyone his quirk, but unless you've seen him use it before, they won't know. His next opponent is going to fall for the same thing. His opponent after that might have a chance.-"

"If he wins he's going after Shinsou." Shoji cut in. "And if he beats Shinsou, he's going against either one of us or Uraraka."

Izuku turned to look at Shoji to see the boy shrug his shoulders dismissively. "I remember what the roster looks like." Quickly pushing away the thought that Shoji had somehow memorized at least half the roster in only two views of it, Izuku changed up his prediction.

"If he goes up against Shinsou, odds are he'll lose. Shinsou knows him and he knows Shinsou. They'd be familiar with each other's quirks. All Shinsou would have to do is verbally provoke him. Even if Monoma used Shinsou's quirk, Shinsou knows how to stay quiet. And he's trained physically. Shinsou can throw him out of the ring without revealing his quirk."

Settled on those predictions, Izuku hunkered down to watch the rest of the match. A sting of disappointment shot through him as he watched Monoma push Bakugou back the majority of the length of the platform. It was a major blast, but he knew immediately as the smoke cleared and Monoma was gripping his wrist tightly that it was over. Monoma had risked a large attack in the hope that Bakugou would be knocked out of the boundary line. But Bakugou knew how to plant his feet while using his quirk.

Izuku's head dipped down in disappointment as he heard several more blasts come from the speakers before the end of the match buzzer rang again. He didn't even have to be looking at the screen to know the outcome.

"Bakugou Katsuki advances to the next round!" Midnight praised as the applause roared. Quickly it faded as the roster came back. A red X formed over Monoma's portrait and Bakugou's portrait moved forward on the roster until it was level with Shinsou's. They would be the first match of the second round.

It would be the hardest or the easiest match yet. But either way, Shinsou would have to reveal his quirk. And he had already taken several blows...

Tokoyami and Shoji were soon rounded up by one of the attendants. The nice woman from earlier poked her head inside the waiting room and called out for them both by their first and family names. It was the first match for people for 1-A (not counting Bakugou who wasn't there). Everyone stood up quickly and started showering them bother with words of encouragement as they walked from the back of the room to the door. Izuku stayed back by their chairs knowing neither one would hold it against him. He wasn't a people person. But that did leave him alone at the back in his thoughts.

Well...almost alone.

'Who do you think is going to win this match, Zuku?" Nana asked sweetly.

"Shoji," Izuku whispered almost immediately. He didn't mean any kind of favoritism or cruelty behind it, But from what they saw, the platforms were large and out in the open. Dark Shadow would be in direct sunlight most of the time. If Tokoyami were against anyone else, he'd still have a good chance of winning. But Shoji knew about Dark Shadow's weakness. And he was unimaginably strong with all his tentacles. It wouldn't take too long before Tokoyami was forced out of the ring.

But he knew there were no hard feelings there. And Shoji would give Tokoyami plenty of time to show off his quirk to the heroes before he ended the match.

It took about 10 minutes for the platform to be repaired by Cementoss and for both Shoji and Tokoyami to be announced. The pair took a moment to smile and shake hands before walking to separate ends of the platform. Midnight cooed at the sportsmanship before she called the start of the match.

Shoji charged first but at the last second, brought all his arms in front as a shield right as Dark Shadow shot out and smacked against them.

"Get him, Tokoyami!" Uraraka shouted suddenly in the waiting room causing everyone to jerk their heads over.

Iida immediately stood and started chopping the air in front of him. "Uraraka! It is very rude to cheer against one of our classmates!"

The girl's face lit up red as she looked down to the floor. "It's not like that! I'm cheering for both of them. Tokoyami just had a really good shot." She said looking properly scolded.

Just then, Shoji got close enough to shove Tokoyami backward a little. "Yes, Shoji!" Uraraka praised genuinely before turning back to Iida. "I want them both to win, but I know they can't. So I want to support them both."

"Hey, that's not a bad idea. It's not cheering against them if you cheer for both." Ojiro tossed in.

Pretty soon the entire waiting room was alight in shouts and gasps for both Shoji and Tokoyami. Izuku turned back to his screen with a small smile on his lips. He couldn't wait to tell Tokoyami and Shoji. Even if it meant dealing with the fact that he probably wouldn't get the same treatment.

In the end, Shoji was able to keep Dark Shadow busy with half his tentacles while simultaneously shoving Tokoyami out of bounds with the rest. He took several cuts in his tentacles for it, but he didn't seem to mind as he patted Tokoyami's back gently. By the way his lips were moving and the smile he had, there were no hard feelings. "How sweet!" Midnight cooed at the two before ushering them off the platform to get patched up. Just like before, the roster was shown and Shoji's portrait was moved ahead while Tokoyami's had a red X over it. The next pair lit up brightly on the screen and Izuku forced himself to take a deep breath.

He was up next with Uraraka.

Five minutes passed before Shoji and Tokoyami arrived, neither one left with any of the injuries they earned in the fight. Izuku suspected Recovery Girl had a hand in that. They were both immediately showered with congratulations and praise for their fight. Kirishima expressing pride for how manly they both were when they walked off together.

The celebrations were cut short however as the attendant's voice spoke up from the door. " Ahem!" The lady cleared her throat to get everyone's attention. "I need Midoriya Izuku and Uraraka Ochako to follow me please."

The waiting room parted like the sea allowing both students to walk towards the front. "You're going to do great." Shoji told Izuku as he passed.

"Do your best!" Tokoyami quickly followed up.

There was equal praise for Uraraka but Izuku only focussed on his friends. As they both stepped out of the waiting room and the door shut behind them, the attendant smiled.

"Alrighty, Let me just go over some of the rules while I escort you down to the entrance tunnel."

This was it it seemed. Chapter End Notes

I've been trying to have this chapter done for a week now, but I got sick while

babysitting. Thought I could wait it out, but I'm still a little sick. This fic really has turned out to be the highlight of my day whenever I write. If nothing else, I know there will always be people to enjoy my fic and leave kind comments. Thank you all so much!

Discord link (a good place to chat with other readers and myself!): https/discord.gg/z8VKRxS

1v1 Fights Part 2

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

After being told the rules, Izuku was left standing in the entrance tunnel with Uraraka. He nervously fidgeted with his fingers to the point where he felt Nana's warmth on them which meant she wanted him to stop.

"...Good luck," Uraraka said to Izuku suddenly. Causing his head to snap over to her. It was mostly dark in the tunnel, with a little light filtering in from the arena. But he could still see her silhouette.

"What?" He questioned in surprise even though he knew what she said. Uraraka's face grew a little red, but she spoke up again. "I wished you luck..."

"...Good luck to you too." Izuku mirrored. "And for what it's worth, I'm not- Well I guess I am still angry about what happened after the USJ. But I don't want this match to be about that."

Uraraka seemed to understand what he meant as she nodded quickly. "Yeah, me neither! I want this match to be just us, fighting for the spot to move on. Giving it our all. No holding back."

"Well, we do have to hold back a little bit." Izuku joked slightly. "The attendant said we weren't allowed to seriously main or disfigure each other."

Uraraka paused before genuinely chuckling after the joke landed. "Well, there go my plans out the window. And here I thought I could float you into the sun."

Izuku shrugged. "If I didn't have my quirk you wouldn't even have to do that. You could just," He trailed off and used his hand like a claw to simulate lifting something and dropping it. It was dark humor, but Uraraka didn't seem bothered as she laughed and shook her head. The small moment of camaraderie was ruined as Present Mic's voice echoed from the arena.

"Uraraka Ochako!" He announced, signaling Uraraka to walk towards the platform. Uraraka spared a moment to give Izuku a wave before she stepped fully into the light. There was the standard applause from the crowd and Izuku stood straight for his turn.

" I'm here with Spirit Eyes if you need them, kiddo," Nana offered and Izuku took it gratefully. His

eyes lit up the dark space and all he could see were the round souls in the crowd as well as Midnight's and Uraraka's on the platform.

"And now we have her opponent, Midoriya Izuku!"

Nana stepped in front of him, leading him towards the platform. Izuku found it much easier to follow along behind her than it was to face the crowd. Sure, he could hear their applause, but he could easily pretend it wasn't for him. Nana made sure he paid attention to the steps so as not to make a fool of himself, but then she stepped off to the side. Regretfully, Izuku dropped his glowing eyes and instead focused on Uraraka.

Her face looked just as nervous as he felt but her body portrayed confidence. He tried to mirror that.

"You two know the rules right?" Midnight asked and Izuku nodded without turning his head toward her. Uraraka did the same. "Good. Then you two can shake hands, fist bump, slap wrists, whatever kids do nowadays. Or we can get on into it."

Uraraka spent a second looking at Izuku before she stepped forward and held her hand out to him. A rule was that they weren't allowed to use their quirks on each other before the match started, so Izuku had no issue with reaching forward and shaking her hand.

"Good," Midnight praised quietly before stepping off the platform and clearing her throat. "And with that, let the match begin!" She announced into her microphone.

Izuku immediately felt his stomach drop in panic. But he couldn't do anything about it as Uraraka charged toward him. Allowed her to touch him only so she would get close enough for him to grab.

Just as he suspected, his feet left the ground of his own accord. He was ready for it with his quirk though. Activating that sent them both floating into the air, him by their quirks and her by the grip he held on her shoulders.

"Woah! Those are some crazy compatible quirks!" Present Mic announced. "What do you think Eraserhead?"

"It was a crazy coincidence that they were matched up together for their first rounds. Their quirks are similar enough to put them on a level playing field." Was the only thing Aizawa said, which Izuku was grateful for.

Uraraka seemed to notice the predicament she put herself under as she reached between his arms and punched Izuku in the jaw. Izuku could tell she was pulling some of her punch, but it still stung enough for him to lower her down slightly. His eyes, while using One for All to power his floating, were glowing once more.

He tasted blood on his tongue as he dropped her feet to the ground. She kept her balance and Izuku felt the access gravity return to him to know that she had dropped her quirk. He followed up by lowering himself back down to the floor as well. They were back to where they started. But it was different now. Uraraka now knew that she had to be careful to stay out of his grabbing range if she wanted to use her quirk. And Izuku now had a busted lip.

"Back on the ground so soon?" Present Mic asked.

"They have to be careful. One wrong move and they send themselves hurtling out of bounds." Aizawa explained.

Both their plans changed at the moment. Izuku could tell by the way Uraraka planted her feet and raised her fists. Izuku was sure neither of them had any formal combat training...But he still had the advantage.

'Nana, help me out here.' He asked mentally as Uraraka took a swing. Izuku dropped back away from her fist with wide eyes-

"Punch!" Nana said suddenly and Izuku acted accordingly. He struck out with his normal strength immediately and felt soft skin against his knuckles. In a blink, he had used the opening to punch Uraraka's cheek. Both angles were off so it mostly glanced off her cheekbone, but it was enough for her to take several steps back in surprise.

The crowd grew deathly silent. Izuku knew why, as stupid as the reason was. He had just punched a girl. But he knew better. Uraraka was training to be a hero. It wouldn't do her any favors for him to treat her differently. A villain wouldn't.

"No time to daydream. She's gonna come at you quick. Guard your face. Let her hit your stomach and move with the punch to lessen the pain. But let her think she hurt you." Nana said quickly.

Izuku took every word of advice. And sure enough, Uraraka was coming at him with a series of quick punches from multiple directions. Raising his arms protected his face, but left his stomach wide open. Uraraka didn't know any better and took it. Her fist connected with his stomach and Izuku jumped with the punch.

Nana was right, it didn't take the wind out of him as he thought it would, but it did set an ache in his ribs. He dropped his hands down to cover his stomach in a show of exaggeration.

"She's gonna go for your face! Duck under and get behind her. Grab her arms and hold them to her chest!"

Nana's words were true once more and he quickly stepped behind Uraraka before she could continue to punch him. His arms wrapped around her shoulders and he squeezed to keep them in place. Uraraka twisted and thrashed but his strength outmatched hers and he waited for instructions from Nana-

His hesitance was all Uraraka needed. Throwing her head back, the crown of her head caught him in the nose. Izuku cursed suddenly as he felt the white-hot pain and distinct warmth of blood dripping down his nose. But the assault didn't stop there. While he was distracted by the pain of his face, Uraraka stomped hard on his toes.

"Fall back. Regroup." Nana ordered him and he let Uraraka go. She dashed out of his arms and he used his now free hand to probe at his nose. Yeah, that was blood alright. It dripped down his face and over his lip, but he wiped it away and brought his hands back up to his face.

"She has some training. Or she's done her research. You need a new approach. Get close but keep your distance. Encourage her to kick. Then grab her leg and start floating as high as you can."

Sounded like solid advice. Izuku did just that. He caught a fist mid-punch and threw it back to her. He used her failed balance to deliver a gut punch himself but quickly jumped back. Uraraka seemed to be losing her stamina as she charged at him. But every time, he just moved back. It was at the point where they were slowly circling the platform as he evaded every one of her attempts to grab or punch him.

Soon after the awkward dance started, she grew impatient and tried to strike him with a kick. Immediately, he stepped close and grabbed her by the ankle. He shot up in the air at record speed. He also might have used a bit of One for All in his legs to get some extra lift.

"Higher." Nana goaded him. "Higher."

It was to the point where Izuku seriously worried about his ability to recover if he just suddenly fell that Nana finally told him to stop. Looking out among the crowd he estimated himself to be about 20 ft up in the air. Uraraka was stock still as she hung upside down. In her face was a look of fear, but determination.

"Drop her. Make her use her quirk on herself."

Izuku hesitated. Uraraka almost always got sick when she used her quirk on herself. And it was a 15ft drop when taking her 5ft height into account. He didn't want to actually hurt her...

"Trust me."

It was as Nana said that, that he slowly took a breath...and released his hands from Uraraka. Immediately as he did so, he felt the hum of One for All leave his body.

"Bend your knees!" Nana demanded as Izuku started to fall from the sky as well. Izuku did so and closed his eyes tightly. He felt a scream well up in his throat but there was a sudden hot flash over his entire body and the wind stopped rushing against his face. Opening his eyes, he saw that his legs were currently buried up to his ankles in broken concrete. Somehow, the fall had been absorbed and he was now standing in a small crater of the platform. Small cracks radiated outwards as well.

As much as he wanted to dwell on that, he looked up frantically for Uraraka only to see her floating her way down the last 5 feet. It was a bit of a rough landing for her as she landed on her stomach, but she was stirring still. Pushing herself up on her arms, Izuku watched her shoulders heave.

Izuku looked to Midnight to see if the match was continuing because it looked like Uraraka was finished.

Midnight took a step closer. "Uraraka Ochako, do you conceded the match?"

Izuku looked back to Uraraka as she shook her head quickly and covered her mouth with her hand.

"We need a verbal answer, Sweetie." Midnight prodded.

"I'm not quitting!" Uraraka yelled quickly before covering her mouth again. She kept it that way as she pushed herself to her knees and slowly gathered her breath.

"Do I hit her?" Izuku questioned Nana.

"No. She's going to use the debris you created just now. Be ready."

Sure enough, as Uraraka gathered her breath, two large clumps of concrete came hurdling towards Izuku's head. He quickly dodged out of the way but didn't have enough time to dodge the next two. Almost by instinct, he reached out to catch them and felt warmth in his hands as they smacked his palms and shattered on contact. "Woah!" He couldn't help but say as he ducked once more.

"Don't dawdle. You're using up a lot of power! You need to end this quickly! Grab her again."

Izuku rushed to Uraraka, breaking several more concrete chunks. As soon as he was close enough, he grabbed her by the back of her uniform and threw her as hard as he could with a small amount of One for All out of the boundary lines. In fact, she flew off the platform itself and down to the turf below.

The buzzer sounded loudly above them, but Izuku rushed over to made sure Uraraka wasn't too hurt. He peeked over just in time to see Uraraka bend over and vomit a weird sparkle-y rainbow mess onto the turf.

"Midoriya Izuku advances to the next round!" Midnight announced, pulling him over and raising his hand in the air. But Izuku only watched as a medical gurney was brought out and Uraraka was deposited onto it. "Don't worry, kiddo. She'll be fine." Midnight whispered to him.

"Can I go with her?" Izuku asked as the applause started to die out and Midnight ushered him down the steps so Cementoss could fix the platform again.

"Yes, you need that nose looked at anyway." Midnight nudged him onward and he jogged ahead to catch up with the gurney. Uraraka looked sweaty but conscious. Her eyes cracked open as they entered the darkened tunnel and they locked onto Izuku.

"...Thank you for not going easy on me." She said with a shaky smile.

Izuku didn't have anything to say to that as they were both led to Recovery Girl's station. It was almost exactly like her office at UA and they were ushered behind two different white curtains.

Recovery Girl saw Uraraka first, which took several minutes until she shuffled into his section of the room.

"How is she?" Izuku asked immediately. Even as Recovery Girl waved him away.

"She's perfectly fine. A few bumps and bruises, but mostly she's just exhausted. Some fluids, rest, and a kiss later on and she'll be just fine." Recovery Girl explained as she motioned for him to lean down.

As soon as Izuku was in range, She planted a wet kiss on his cheek. Izuku hissed as he felt the bone in his nose repair itself and his lip fuse back together from where it split. The several other aches and pains on his body faded to a dull throb leaving him feeling tired as well.

"Take a nap now, boy. You have a couple of hours or so until you're next match and you need all the rest you can get. I'll give you some fluids as well and you'll be right as rain."

She outfitted him with a drip IV in his arm while he was already dozing off. He wasn't in a position to resist as the darkness clouded over his mind.

As Izuku roused later, he felt much better, but he was also very hungry.

His hunger was what motivated him to get out of the hospital bed. As soon as he started to stir, Recovery Girl pulled the curtain aside. "Up already? It's only been 45 minutes."

Izuku nodded as he stood up and stretched. The IV in his arm pulled uncomfortably but Recovery Girl made her way over to take it out. "Well, then, you can go. But take it easy. And swing by the cafe to grab something to eat."

He didn't need to be told twice. Fueled by his ravenous appetite, he practically found his way to the cafe by scent alone. A few chain restaurants were stationed around, but Izuku walked straight up to Lunch Rush's kiosk, knowing the hero would know exactly what he needed for his quirk.

"There you are! I was just about to send a tray down to the medical wing for you." Lunch Rush didn't make Izuku wait as he immediately started to prepare something. Less than 3 minutes later, he was handing Izuku a full tray's worth of food. "Come back if you need more," Lunch Rush gave Izuku a thumbs up and Izuku returned it with a smile.

"Thanks, Lunch Rush!" He said as he sought out the nearest table. There were tons of students milling about from all years, but they migrated towards the chain restaurants that left plenty of tables by the entrance. Izuku stationed himself at one of them and immediately started to devour his tray without even looking at the small menu.

"Take it easy," Nana warned. "You don't want to make yourself sick."

Suitably chastised, Izuku slowed down and stopped slouching over his tray like a savage. He

finished chewing the bite in his mouth and wiped his face. "Sorry," Izuku's cheeks reddened. Nana's reply was cut off as two voices came from the entrance of the cafe.

"Midoriya!" "There you are!"

Izuku jerked his head up and saw both Shoji and Tokoyami rushing towards his table looking very relieved. It brought a smile to his face and he moved over to allow them space to sit down. They took the spots immediately, still talking a mile a minute. "We waited for you to come back to the waiting room after the match but you never showed. The attendant said you were in the medical wing?"

"Uh, yeah. I tired myself out and after Recovery Girl healed my nose she had me take a nap with an IV in." Izuku explained shyly. Now that he finally had food on his stomach, he was starting to

remember the events leading up to his stay. He and Uraraka had fought pretty hard. "What did I miss?"

"Just Iida and Yaoyorozu's matches," Tokoyami told him as Shoji started to stand.

"I'll go grab us some food while you give him the details." Was his explanation and Izuku turned back to Tokoyami expectantly.

"The waiting room was almost dead silent during your match with Uraraka." He started. "We were all cheering at first when you both went into the air, but when it became a quirkless brawl...there was a little bit of arguing about gender equality in hero fights. But everyone is on the same page now."

Izuku breathed a sigh of relief for that mercy. The last thing he wanted was another reason for his classmates to avoid him. "Anything else?"

Tokoyami nodded. "Everyone seemed pleased when they saw you rush to follow Uraraka to the infirmary."

"What about the matches I missed? How did they go?" Izuku quickly changed the subject after that. He didn't want to discuss whether he forgave the class or not. He didn't want to. But he didn't want to go into his reasoning either.

"Iida won his match, but it was a hard fight. Mostly quirk-based. Honenuki's quirk seemed to be some kind of matter manipulation. He turned the concrete into quicksand and trapped Iida inside almost immediately." Izuku wished so badly he had his notebook. He had seen so many interesting quirks so far. He always tended to fill up another notebook every year when he watched the Sports Festival.

Shoji returned around that time, pushing over a tray to Tokoyami and setting his own down beside Izuku. Tokoyami paused to thank him before continuing his recounting. "Honenuki would have had him, but Iida used his engines to shoot himself out. It was a cat and mouse game for a while and they only managed a few hits on each other. Iida eventually managed to shove Honenuki out of the ring."

"Wow. The matches for this year have had crazy odds so far. I mean, Uraraka and I, Iida and Honenuki. Who did Yaoyorozu go against?" Izuku felt Shoji nudge his tray and instinctively started to eat again.

"A support course student. Hatsume Mei. Although I could hardly call it a match." Tokoyami scoffed and shoved a bite of his food into his mouth.

Izuku's brow furrowed as he turned to Shoji. Only to be blindsided once again as Shoji had his mask pulled down and was eating from his tray. Izuku had seen under his mask only one other time when Shoji had come over to watch his Sports Festival tapes.

~

His mother had been so supportive of him having friends over that she presented them with plenty of snacks to gorge on as they binged years worth of content. Izuku had completely forgotten to tell her that Shoji wore a mask. He had gone to explain it to her as she presented the platter, but Shoji put a hand on his arm to stop him.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Miss Midoriya," Shoji said reaching up and pulling his mask down to take a bite out of a finger sandwich.

Izuku's eyes widened.

All in all, there wasn't anything wrong with Shoji's face. It was just a bit more elongated which meant his mouth stretched back farther. His teeth were sharp, but not sharklike like Kirishima's.

"...Your mother is a very nice woman," Shoji said in explanation, his cheeks turning a bit red. "I can see where you get it from."

That was all the explaining he did, but it was enough. Izuku turned back to the television screen with a cheesy smile on his face, pressing play. "S-so this was the finals from the second years last year..."

~

And now Izuku felt the same smile pulling at his lips again. And like before Shoji's face turned red, but he continued eating. Forcing himself back onto the topic of conversation, Izuku looked to Tokoyami again.

"What happened in Yaoyorozu's match?"

"Hatsume hijacked the match. Somehow she got access to the speaker system and turned it all into her commercial for her inventions. She had a field day, making Yaoyorozu fight against her gadgets."

Yet another amazing match-up. Yaoyorozu had the versatility in her quirk to fend of Hatsume while also testing her inventions to the limit. "Who won?"

"Hatsume conceded the match when she was finished presenting. Yaoyorozu won by default," Izuku looked over to see one of Shoji's tentacles formed as a mouth while he continued eating. "She was pretty upset when she got back to the waiting room. But I think she made a great impression on the crowd."

Izuku couldn't help but agree. When it came to the Sports Festival, any attention is good attention. Even if Yaoyorozu only won by default, she still used her quirk to its fullest potential.

The next round was announced to be starting soon, which made the trio finish their food quickly and rush back to the waiting room to watch. It was supposed to be Kendo Itsuka versus Ojiro, and Izuku was foaming at the mouth to watch it. He could hardly explain his reasoning when he was questioned as they sat down.

"Kendo's quirk enhances her hands, Ojiro's tail is like another hand. I don't know what training Kendo has, but Ojiro has been open about his martial arts training. This is going to be a fun match to watch."

Before Izuku could settle in to watch, he heard his name being called behind him. Turning quickly, he saw Iida standing stiffly. "Midoriya, I'm glad you're alright after your match with Uraraka...Is there any news on her condition?" He asked waving his stiff hand around like a nervous tick.

"Oh!" Izuku said in surprise. He forgot that he was just now coming back from the Recovery Girl. He didn't blame them for worrying. "Yeah, she'll be fine! She's taking a nap right now. Recovery Girl wanted her to get some energy back before healing her. She'll be back before the finals, I'm sure." Izuku did his best to assure Iida before turning back to the screen.

He heard a quick, "Thank you, Midoriya." From behind him, but he was more interested in watching Ojiro and Kendo walking out onto the platform. They both had a stiff posture while Midnight asked them if they were ready which was curious. It made a lot more sense, however, as they both bowed to each other in unison.

With a gasp, Izuku barely stopped himself from squealing like a fanboy. "Oh, this match-" He cut himself off as they both rose from their bow and the start was declared.

"What's going on, Midoriya?" Tokoyami prodded.

"They know each other. They've trained together. They know how to fight."

"Oh!" Tokoyami said with increased interest as he too tuned into the video feed. "But they aren't limited to just their fighting skills. They can use their quirks. How would that affect their fight?"

Very very good question. Izuku wasn't quite sure. While Ojiro's tail acted as a counterbalance so knocking him out of bounds wasn't a realistic possibility, he had limited mobility while Kendo had both hands. Izuku expected Kendo to come out on top.

Their fight was slow at first. They knew each other's moves, so both were hesitant to make the first strike. It ended up being Ojiro though as he leaned back on his tail and kicked out with both his feet. Kendo tried to knock him over with a sweeping open hand, but the wind resistance that caught on the large open palm slowed it down enough for Ojiro to duck and then right himself again.

Izuku let out a small hiss of sympathy while he watched Kendo take a kick to the ribs. If she wanted a chance to win she needed to-

Right as Izuku was evaluating a possible plan to win, Kendo reached out with both her hands expanded to the sizes of Ojiro's full body. Ojiro tried to jump out, but the hands ended up clasping on his lower half leaving him trapped. A look of despair eclipsed his face while a look of glee stretched across Kendo. It didn't fade even as Ojiro started to pound on the skin of her hand with both fists. She quickly started to make her way to the edge of the platform, intent on dropping him out of bounds.

Ojiro's face grew impossibly red, Izuku thought he was going to pass out even, and his torso started to shake with exertion. Kendo's look of satisfaction quickly faded as her hands strained as well. For a few tense moments, nothing happened.

Izuku was almost afraid Ojiro was going to pass out before slowly, oh so slowly, Kendo's hands started to part against her will, and Ojiro's tail was revealed. The appendage was pushing against one side of Kendo's hands while he pushed at the other end with his feet. Ojiro didn't stop for a breath before he threw himself out of the grip and hit the ground in front of Kendo.

It was the lucky break he needed before he stood on a single leg and pivoted outward. His tail slammed into Kendo's exposed side faster than she could retract her arms and sent her hurtling out of bounds with the force of it.

He didn't hestiate to fall to his knees and start gasping for breath the moment that the buzzer sounded.

Meanwhile, Izuku was staring wide-eyed at the screen in the waiting room. "How strong is his tail?! It has to be almost completely muscle. Kendo has some kind of strength enhancement with her hands or else she wouldn't have been able to lift him so casually. And he opened up her hands enough to escape! I wonder how much he can lift. I wonder if there are bones inside it? Or maybe it's cartilage. I need to look into animal tails and see what could potentially be similar biology- Oh my- That's just- Wow."

Shoji and Tokoyami nodded in agreement. "His quirk is easily overlooked when compared to emitter types, but it's particularly fascinating to study."

Like all the others. Ojiro's portrait was moved ahead as the video feed of him limping off the platform with Kendo in tow faded away. Todoroki versus Kirishima was the last match in the first round for the first-year students and everyone was showering them both with much encouragement. Todoroki for his part brushed them away carelessly, but Kirishima thanked each person with a red-faced smile.

"I'll try my best to give you all a good show!" He said cheerfully.

Izuku couldn't help but smile as well. If anyone had a chance of beating Todoroki, it was Kirishima.

Chapter End Notes

Discord link (a good place to chat with other readers and myself!): https/discord.gg/z8VKRxS

Chapter Notes

1v1 Fights Part 3

Took a while. But it's hard writing all these fight scenes lol. Plus I started a new job that I have to go to in 15 mins and I was wanting to put this chapter out before going. I hope you all enjoy!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Kirishima's match with Todoroki was a quick one. Todoroki was quickly advertised as the son of Endeavor, which caused a lot of people to see Kirishima as the underdog in the match. Izuku didn't think it was very fair to him.

All in all, something about Todoroki's attitude rubbed Izuku the wrong way. Especially as Kirishima held out a hand for a shake right before the match started, and Todoroki ignored him. Kirishima didn't let it bother him, instead of pulling back and activating his quirk fully as the buzzer rang.

This seemed to be the perfect plan of action as Todoroki sent a wall of ice shards. The shards impacted Kirishima's arms and while he lost some ground on the platform, he was able to shatter most of the ice. In the reprieve, Kirishima took several stomping steps forward, but he was knocked back again in the same fashion. This happened several times until Kirishima had ice crystals stuck to his arms.

With a hiss, Kirishima tried rubbing them away as Todoroki huffed as if he had been running a mile. He wasn't quick enough to recover. And Todoroki threw him off the platform with his next attack. As soon as the buzzer rang out, Todoroki was melting the ice at his feet. The platform itself became overcome with steam and Todoroki stepped off before Midnight could announce that he had won.

"Yikes," Shoji said suddenly. "What's his problem, you think?"

"Hmm..." Izuku shrugged. "He doesn't talk much. The last conversation we had was with the battle training. He doesn't even answer questions in class unless he gets called on."

"Perhaps he's just antisocial?" Tokoyami offer, but it seemed like a flimsy excuse.

The first round of the 1v1 battles was over. The same attendant from before came into the room and announced that everyone was now able to sit in the stands if they wanted to, now that the

remaining contestants knew where to go when their next match started.

As the waiting area slowly became more empty, Izuku caught sight of the brackets being displayed on the screens. It had gotten smaller now that the first round was over. It only displayed the remaining matches and empty brackets. But there was a red outline around Shinsou's match with Bakugou. It must mean that they were next...

Shinsou was probably down by the tunnel already, Izuku assumed. Which meant he couldn't talk to him even if he wanted to about Bakugou. Izuku knew most if not all of Bakugou's attacks. The only problem was that Izuku didn't know that Bakugou would be competing. There was no time to warn Shinsou.

"Nana," Izuku spoke as he was the last one in the waiting room. "Can you go find Shinsou? Let him know we're cheering him on."

"On it, sweetie," She said happily, and Izuku could feel her moving away from him, their bond slowly stretching. She once told him she could go about a block away from him before she snapped back to him. They were almost exactly above the tunnel, so it was unlikely that she would reach her limit.

Sure enough, a few minutes passed and Izuku felt the tell-tale warmth of Nana returning to him. "He's a little nervous, but he seems to have a solid plan," She explains.

"Did he mention what the plan was?"

"No...Only that he knows it'll blow everyone away." Izuku's brow furrowed at the vague answer. What could Shinsou possibly be planning?

Izuku didn't have time to think about it as the door to the waiting room opened and Kirishima poked his head inside. He seemed confused, looking back and forth for everyone.

"Ah, sorry, they all moved to the stands," Izuku told him awkwardly.

Kirishima nodded, but his confusion didn't fade. "I thought I heard you talking to someone?"

"Oh! Just myself," Izuku insisted immediately. "It uh...it helps me prepare for my matches!"

The suspicion eased just slightly, but Kirishima's eyes stayed locked on Izuku. "Well...if you ever want someone else to talk to...I'm open...but we should probably go to the others before they start to worry."

Izuku nodded and stepped around Kirishima to exit the room. "Speaking of worry...How are you? Your arms looked pretty bad out there."

This seemed to be the distraction Izuku needed as Kirishima completely forgot what they were talking about before had. "Oh! That? It was nothing." He banged his fists together while hardening them to make a sharp impact noise. "One little kiss from Recovery Girl and I was right as rain."

They made small talk as they went to the stands, but the conversation ceased immediately. Present Mic tapped his microphone gently and cleared his throat causing a hush to fall over the crowd. "And now we begin the second round of 1v1 battles for the first years of UA! Let me hear you say 'Oh Yeah!'" There was a half-hearted echo among the crowd but it didn't deter Present Mic at all.

"For our first round, we have two students who placed rather high on the previous events. First off, we have a student who breezed through the obstacle course...Bakugou Katsuki!" Present Mic announced to the crowd and there was a roar of applause as the ashen blond stepped onto the platform. Bakugou didn't wave or address the crowd at all, instead, taking several deep breaths and looking straight at the tunnel that Shinsou would be entering.

"And then we have someone who showed off his mental skills in the maze, Shinsou Hitoshi!"

Shinsou has less stage presence than Bakugou did upon entering. The applause he got from the crowd was notably less as well, but Izuku tried his best to shout his support from the stands. And his chest warmed when he heard Shoji and Tokoyami doing the same. Izuku was sure the lack of response for Shinsou was mostly due to the mystery behind how his quirk worked.

That mystery would be blown out of the water during this match. There was just no way around it.

"Alright, boys. You know the rules so I won't waste my breath. Any words for each other?" Midnight asked and the pair paused to look at each other. To Izuku's amazement, it was Bakugou who stepped forward and offered up his knuckles for a fist bump. His lips moved, but no speaker picked up the words.

Whatever was said was enough to interest Shinsou, though. Because he didn't hesitate to step up and tap Bakugou's knuckles with his own before stepping back into his space.

"With that out of the way, I see no reason to stall any further. As soon as you two hear the buzzer, go at it!" The crowd cheered at Midnight's words and a heavy quiet followed after. Everyone waiting for the buzzer.

Izuku was practically shaking. Bakugou's physical quirk had Shinsou beat, but Shinsou had extra training. Plus, Bakugou was quick to trigger. If Shinsou can get him to respond to some verbal prodding, the match would be over within seconds.

"Come on, Shinosu...Come on." Izuku muttered, bringing his hands up to his face to chew on his thumb nail anxiously. "Take him down."

As soon as the buzzer went off, Bakugou jumped forward, rearing up with a crackling right fist. To Izuku's horror, Shinsou just stood there. Many people in the crowd gasped out, expecting the fight to be over just like that. Even Izuku fell for it at the last second. His arms flailed, hitting the sides of his seat. "Dodge, Shinsou!" He yelled out.

It was the last second. The last fraction of the second before Bakugou's crackling palm impacted Shinsou's face. In the blink of an eye, Shinsou ducked down, darting under Bakugou's arm. Within another blink, Shinsou kicked Bakugou's knee out from under him, sending him down into a kneel.

Bakugou recovered quickly, moving with the force of the kick and spinning. He brought his right hand up again to grab at Shinsou, but Shinsou surprised everyone when he punched Bakugou right in the meat of his cheek, forcing his head to one side with a snap.

Izuku didn't have to hear the words to see Bakugou let out an anger-filled curse. He blindly reached out, but Shinsou had stepped out of range. Izuku could see Shinsou's lips moving quickly. Bakugou didn't seem to care about talking though. The shout of frustration could be heard from their place in the stands.

Bakugou stood quickly, arms curled at his sides and larger explosions popping off. Shinsou looked

panicked momentarily as his lips kept moving. He dodged several more blasts, but that meant he was losing ground too. Bakugou was guarding his defense carefully and Shinsou couldn't slip under his arm anymore. If he didn't end the match soon, he would be forced out.

Shinsou's face grew red in frustration as well. He tried as best as he could to dodge but he was running out of time. Izuku could see his glare clearly from the screens broadcasting the match. Until finally, Izuku could read a few words. Something about Bakugou's mother.

"Shut up!" Bakugou stomped, and Izuku could hear just from the anger in his voice that steam would be pouring from his ears if it could. But that's all it took.

Bakugou's body froze then. In the exact position, it was in. Shinsou slumped over, hands on his knees. His lips moved once more.

"Oh my? What's going on? The fighting seems to have stopped!" Present Mic piped up. Izuku knew that Present Mic was aware of how Shinsou's quirk worked/ But he had been suspiciously quiet most of the match anyway.

Slowly, Bakugou's body turned around and he took slow, almost measured steps towards the boundary line. The camera focused on the blank look on his face as he walked. Izuku somehow expected Bakugou to break out. To get back into the fight. Sure, the fight had been hard, but it seemed like it had ended quite fast. Almost too easily.

"Woah, what's going on with Bakugou?" Kirishima mused, several seats down. "He looks like a zombie!"

"Did he give up?"

"Is he hypnotized?"

Questions and comments were murmured constantly by the onlookers, and the confusion doubled as Bakugou stepped out of the boundary line. The buzzer went off, signifying Shinsou's win, and the control he had over Bakugou disappeared.

Izuku watched in real-time as the tension came back to Bakugou's shoulders. His head jerked left and right, trying to get his bearings. And upon seeing himself outside of the boundary line with Shinsou still in it, his mouth fell open. Bakugou turned to look at Shinsou with a look of utter disbelief. The disbelief quickly turned into anger. Bakugou was practically shaking with it.

For a moment, Izuku was sure Bakugou was going to explode. But with another stroke of amazement, Bakugou just turned around and stomped back to the way he walked onto the stage. Midnight stepped onto the platform and grabbed Shinsou's hand, waving it in the air.

"Shinsou Hitoshi advances to the next round!"

Jumping out of his seat, Izuku cheered. "Yes! Yes! Let's go, Shinsou!"

Shoji and Tokoyami clapped as well, and Izuku could see a small smile pulling at Shinsou's lips as Midnight urged him to exit the arena. Like all the times before, Izuku watched as the bracket was displayed and Shinsou's portrait was moved forward.

Then, the next round was highlighted and Izuku's enthusiasm wavered exponentially. On the screen, Izuku's portrait lit up with Shoji's right above it.

"Our next match will begin soon. Contestants, please make your way to the entrance." Midnight announced.

Izuku's arms slowly lowered as he felt a warm hand rest on his shoulder. "It'll be fine, Midoriya. We'll still be friends no matter who wins."

"I know..." Izuku sighed as he looked up at Shoji. "I just..." "Wish it was someone else fighting me?"

"Yeah."

"Well, hun, even if it were someone else, you would both still be against each other in the end. All of you can't win." Nana reminded him gently causing him to sigh.

Shoji nudged him to the stairs. "We should get down there before they start looking for us." Izuku nodded and started to descend.

"Good luck you guys!" Kirishima called after them, quickly followed by Tokoyami and a few others Izuku couldn't pinpoint.

The walk to the tunnel was filled with a quiet that seemed too tense to break. Occasionally, they walked by other students that wished them luck as well and it served to make Izuku more nervous. Finally, they made it down to the tunnel where the assistant waited. As soon as she saw them, Izuku saw her say something into an earpiece before giving them her full attention.

"You know the rules at this point. So I'll just wish you both luck." She says with a small smile. "Thank you," Shoji answered, but Izuku stayed quiet until she left the tunnel.

"We'll give it our all. Like with Uraraka and I." He finally decided. It wouldn't be fair any other way.

Shoji nodded, and Izuku could see a smile forming under his mask. "Exactly. And whoever wins will have the support of the other."

"Of course."

The silence stretched on before Present Mic started to make his introductions. "How much do you use Nana in these matches?" Shoji suddenly asks which catches Izuku off guard.

But it gives Izuku a second to think. How much does he use Nana? In his last match with Uraraka, Nana was calling out all of her moves and giving him his plans. Sure, it was his body, but it was her plan... "Um...A lot...is that...Unfair?" He asks worriedly.

But to his surprise, Shoji shakes his head. "It's part of your resources. You don't ask me to fight with two of my arms tied behind my back, right? Same principle. Nana takes your quirk to the next level. This fight is going to be a show stopper."

Izuku was relieved that Shoji didn't see Nana as cheating and nor did he seem like he was giving up because he thought Izuku had the advantage.

"You'll remember him from his memorable debut match earlier today. The boy who defied all expectation (and the laws of gravity) let's welcome Midoriya Izuku back to the stage!" Present Mic hyped and the roar of the crowd was so much more deafening this time around.

"Do you want my help, sweetie?" Nana asked and Izuku nodded as he stepped out of the tunnel. Like before, he activated his Spirit Eyes once more so that he could watch Nana instead of the crowd.

Unlike the last match though, Aizawa piped up from the announcer booth. "You're having way too much fun with this." He said to Present Mic.

Small laughter rolled through the audience at the banter which slowly died down as Izuku made his way to the far side of the platform. When total silence had been achieved once more, Present Mic spoke again.

"And next up we have the student that stole our hearts with his great sportsmanship in the first round, give another warm welcome to Shoji Mezo!"

Izuku watched as Shoji walked up the platform at a calm and gentle pace. He didn't look out among the crowd as people cheered, mostly keeping his eyes ahead. His bangs hung over his face creating an almost mysterious appearance. When Shoji solidified his stance on the platform, Midnight gave them much the same speech as she did Shinsou and Bakugou.

The two of them had no problem shaking hands with each other before the start of the match. And without much anticipation, the buzzer rang out.

Immediately, Shoji charged at Izuku. Expecting this, Izuku used his levitation to shoot up into the air to escape his grasp.

"Oh, another air battle?!"

"Afraid not," Aizawa's voice rings. "He has to come down soon."

Sadly, Aizawa was right. Izuku looked down at Shoji who was pacing around under him like a hungry lion. Shoji had him beat in physical strength, even with OFA. Izuku didn't want to risk using so much power as to hurt Shoji.

"If you don't come down, Midoriya, I'll bring you down," Shoji promised with a hidden smirk. "Let's not make this too hard."

Now Izuku really didn't want to get down. But it seems the decision was made for him. Shoji took several steps back before getting a running start and jumping towards him. Izuku flinched as one of his hands latched onto his ankle. The additional weight immediately brought Izuku down. But rather than dropping Izuku onto the concrete, Shoji held onto Izuku by his ankle. When his powers finally gave out, Izuku was left to dangle by his ankle in Shoji's grip.

"I'm making him drop you. Be prepared!" Nana called to Izuku, and Izuku felt the rush of energy inside of him.

Looking over, he could see Shoji's body shake with the sudden exertion of holding him up. Quickly, Shoji raised a fist and tried to punch Izuku wherever he could, but Izuku wouldn't let that happen. Raising the foot that was not in Shoji's grasp, Izuku kicked towards him, aiming for the arm or shoulder that was holding him.

However, whatever power he was holding at the moment chose that moment to release just as Shoji took a knee. Izuku's foot shot out, catching Shoji's shoulder and sending a residual shock of energy towards the other student's face. It had the desired effect and Izuku was dropped onto the cold concrete unceremoniously. But Izuku froze as Shoji grunted in pain, grabbing at his cheek.

Izuku could see droplets of blood leaking through Shoji's fingers and felt cold dread sink into his stomach. "Oh my- Shoji I'm so sorry-"

His frantic apologies were brushed off and Shoji shook his head. "No. We're fighting. You're doing great." Shoji removed his hand and the blood dripped down his cheek to stain his mask. "Come on. Let's go!"

He charged again and Izuku ducked between his legs. Just as Izuku was bringing himself to his feet, one of Shoji's tentacles reached back in an almost double-jointed fashion and smacked him from behind. It knocked the wind out of him and sent him to his knees which gave Shoji enough time to recover and turn around.

"I have a plan, sweetie."

"What is it?" Izuku asked, not having to be quiet since Shoji knew about Nana.

"Remember in your last fight, the thing with the concrete? Let's go bigger."

"Bigger?!" Izuku parrotted in surprise.

"Bigger?" Shoji repeated in confusion.

"Do we have the power for that?"

" Do you have the power for bigger ?" Shoji seemed so lost in the conversation, Izuku almost felt bad for him.

Nana didn't seem to want to answer that as Izuku felt power rise within him, not of his own volition. But he knew what to do with it.

Kicking off the ground, Izuku made sure to get high enough to avoid being grabbed again. But rather than dissipate, the power within him kept building. "Nana, what's going on?"

"When I say, release the levitation and drop," She was quick in her instructions. "You're going to want as many points of contact as you can get when you land."

Several seconds passed before Nana told him to release. He did so without questioning it and tried to maneuver into a fetal position with his legs and arms cushioning him. As he fell, the windswept around him. He tried counting the seconds, but it only made the feeling of his stomach dropping

worse. He found a shout forcing its way out of his mouth.

As soon as Izuku's body hit the concrete, a shockwave of energy was released. The shockwave sunk deep into the platform with a crack before it started to radiate outwards. Shoji tried to dodge it, but he was soon wrapped up in it and it threw him off the platform. Izuku couldn't see it, but the large screens stationed around the arena flickered, some even going out for a few seconds. The platform itself was useless then. Just a hunk of rubble and debris. Izuku slowly released himself from his position to see that the air around them was filled with dust.

"Well..." Midnight's voice shook with surprise before she cleared it. "We might need to see an instant reply on that one."

Izuku stood, legs scraping against large chunks of concrete. He felt a distinct ache all over and pressure in his head like a bad cold. With all the smoke he couldn't see the instant replay, so when the buzzer chimed and the crowd went crazy, Izuku couldn't tell who it was for.

"And the winner of this round is, Midoriya Izuku!"

Izuku coughed as he felt an arm wrap around him and lift him. His hands tried to swat away the dust as he felt himself be moved and they were quickly joined by several others. Finally, as the dust settled, Izuku saw the trademark tentacles of Shoji carrying out of the rubble. "Shoji!" He said glad Shoji wasn't seriously hurt.

"Congratulations, Midoriya." Shoji pulled his mask down and smiled. "And Nana."

Away from the rubble, there was a stretcher prepared that Shoji sat Izuku on top of. "I don't need this I'm fine-"

"Sorry kid, Recovery Girl's orders. Just sit back and relax." One of the medical attendants informed him. But Izuku comforted himself with the fact that Shoji was walking along beside him. And as the stretcher was moved out of the arena, Izuku could see Cementoss trying to minimize the damages to what was left of the platform.

"Did I do that?" He couldn't help but ask.

"You did," Shoji confirmed. "Remind me never to anger you, Midoriya." He laughed.

A dark red blush came over Izuku's face. "I didn't know I could do that. Oh my- and now they have to rebuild the platform. And your face-"

Shoji's hand ruffled his hair, catching his attention. "We were supposed to fight. You did well. Just relax now."

Izuku sighed, Laying back on the stretcher as he was carried to Recovery Girl's office. "My mom is going to be so angry with me for doing that." He suddenly realized. He had been fighting more with Nana's aid because Shoji knew about her. But nobody else besides his teachers knew about her. He just exposed a lot of power and she was bound to know that wasn't normal for him.

The medic even let out a laugh at Izuku's expense and he groaned. Well, at least he made it to the next round.

Chapter End Notes

Discord link (a good place to chat with other readers and myself!): https/discord.gg/z8VKRxS

Unexpected Outcomes

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Recovery Girl was waiting in her office, foot tapping, he arrived on the stretcher. One hand held a tablet that she had pointing towards him. Izuku winced as he saw Aizawa's face scowling on it.

"Is that a video?" He asked worriedly.

"Yes, Midoriya. It's a video." Aizawa's voice came through and Izuku groaned as he realized it was a video chat and not a prerecorded message. He had been so caught up in thinking about his mom seeing the battle that he didn't even think about Aizawa. Izuku was so sure he was in trouble now.

Recovery Girl kissed Shoji on one of his large arms and sent him on his way with a surgical facemask and an apple juice before Aizawa spoke again. And when he did, his voice was pointed, but deliberately not aggressive. "Midoriya, tell me just what the heck that move out there was. Quickly. Before I pull you out of this festival."

"Oh no. He's pretty angry," Nana notes.

"Well..." Izuku started and then paused to clear his throat as his voice cracked. "I was fighting like

usual. And Nana had the idea to use OFA the same way we used it against Uraraka?"

"So it was Nana's idea." Aizawa's voice didn't lose any of the scolding tones. Izuku watched as he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "Didn't we agree that you wouldn't use OFA against other students?"

Izuku's mouth opened to rebuttal, but Nana's sudden warmth on his arm stopped him. "Izuku, honey, do you think you can do that body-switching thing like before? I want to have a conversation with, Aizawa."

"Midoriya?" Aizawa seemed a bit concerned now.

"Hold on, Mr. Aizawa. Nana wants to talk..." Izuku took a deep breath. It was so easy to step out

last time. Almost like going to sleep. But Izuku wasn't exhausted nor sick this time. He closed his eyes and imagined what it was like to fall asleep. Sleep to him always came suddenly. One moment he would be in bed, and the next he was out like a light.

Nana's warmth was almost like his blankets laying over him. Luckily, it seemed like both adults were staying silent to not interrupt whatever it was he was trying to do.

In the end, it was as quick as going to sleep. Like stepping out of a warm bath into the chill of the bathroom, Izuku once more saw the world in a muted monochrome scheme. Only this time, Nana was not around. Rather, he saw his eyes glowing a pale purple color and his body holding itself up off the stretcher.

"Midoriya?" Aizawa's voice was slightly slowed. Almost a slur. But Izuku noted it wasn't as nearly as slow as it was at the USJ.

"No. It's Nana," It was Nana's voice coming out of his mouth. A bit weird to see. "Hello, Eraserhead." Izuku's mouth pulled up into a smirk.

"Where is Midoriya?" Aizawa demanded immediately.

Nana used Izuku's hand to reach towards him. Izuku imagined it looked like she was touching air, but Izuku could feel the warmth of the hand near him. "He's right here. Listening. He's a very sweet boy, Eraserhead."

Aizawa says nothing in response, but Izuku can see him sitting rigidly on the screen. As if he was seconds away from bursting out of his seat and running down to the medical bay.

"Do you think I would hurt him?"

A few seconds pass as Aizawa thinks about it. "I think..." He speaks slowly. "I think you wouldn't

want to hurt him. I don't think that's your goal. But accidents can happen."

"But you were there with the one-on-one training. You saw me stop him from exceeding his power limits." She pressed. Her expressions didn't sit very well on Izuku's face. Izuku could tell by her tone she meant something as stern as Aizawa's glare, but on Izuku's boyish face, it looked more pleading. And with his eyes wide and projecting the faintest of glows, it was even harder to

portray.

"I was.-" Nana didn't let him finish his thought.

"I would never hurt him if I could help it. I've held OFA for decades. I watched it cultivate itself. I saw it grow. Izuku can barely hold a single-digit percentage of it." Nana's voice grew angry and the lights on the ceilings flickered while Aizawa's image buffered. "I am not a child, Eraserhead. I am a pro hero with decades of experience. I helped train the number one hero. I know how to protect my boy."

All at once, the interference stopped. Izuku or Nana's face was calm and passive.

It took a few seconds before Aizawa started to speak. "I understand you knew it would not hurt Midoriya. But displays like that can be dangerous. This is a televised event. It could attract the wrong attention. Especially from those villains that invaded the USJ. Anymore stunts like that and I have to pull him out of the festival." He slowly regained the same sternness as before, but Izuku considered it a win that he wasn't outright accusing Nana of putting him in danger.

"Understood."

"Good...Now...I want to talk to Midoriya." Aizawa said right as Izuku started to feel the tightening of the thread holding them together.

"Alright. Give us a moment." Nana said before Izuku suddenly felt as if he was dunked in an onsen. His head shot up from its slumped position and he looked forward to see Aizawa giving him a patient look.

"Midoriya?" Aizawa asked to be sure. "Y-yeah," Izuku nodded. "Am I in trouble still?"

It was then that Aizawa sighed. He rubbed a bandaged hand over his face which caused Izuku to slump down slightly. "No. You're not. Just...keep the flashy stunts to a bare minimum."

"Yes, sir. I will." Izuku assured and watched as the video chat disconnected and the UA logo was displayed. Recovery Girl set the tablet down off to the side and cleared her throat.

"Well, now that that's handled...Let's see what we can do about you." Recovery Girl looked him over but found nothing wrong with him other than a few bruises. She gave him the option to heal him, or for him to just heal naturally, and Izuku jumped on the chance. He wanted to save as much energy as possible to finish the competition. If that meant dealing with a few aches and pains, he would do so.

In the end, Recovery Girl gave him a bottle of vitamin water and waved him out the door. Izuku was quick to make his way back into the stands where the rest of his class were waiting. As soon as Izuku was seen, Kirishima practically sprinted over.

"Midoriya! That move you did was amazing! You did a complete cannonball and blew apart the whole stage!" He talked a mile a minute. "Shoji said you were barely hurt too. That's so manly, bro."

Izuku felt his cheeks heat up with warmth. "Ah, thanks Kirishima. Although I'm sure you could do something similar if you were high enough in the air."

Kirishima's jaw dropped. "You think so?"

Izuku was about to go into an in-depth explanation about it, but his attention was pulled away by Shoji. "How was your conversation?" He asked vaguely, referring to the chat with Aizawa.

Shrugging, Izuku smiled. "He said to lay off on the flashy moves before I have more control over my power. But I don't plan to push too hard."

Conversation flowed happily as Todoroki and Ojiro were called away for their match.

Izuku's predictions on the matches were pretty spot on. Ojiro started the match much as Kirishima had. He was able to break the first few ice attacks and almost seemed to be winning. However, Todoroki caught him by surprise. While Ojiro was bashing apart ice walls, Todoroki had created a frosted layer over the ground that latched onto Ojiro's feet and stuck him in place. When he went to slam his tail onto the ground to break it, his tail was overcome as well.

With his quirk effectively rendered useless, The ice slowly crawled up his body until he couldn't move no matter how hard he thrashed. And the chill was quickly taking over.

Midnight quickly called the end of the match before Ojiro became frostbitten, citing that Ojiro was unable to continue fighting while trapped. It saved him the shame of having to concede himself, but Izuku could tell he was still a little annoyed by it.

What surprised Izuku was Yaoyorozu losing her match to Iida. Not that Izuku had less faith in Iida. It was just that Yaoyorozu could create almost any weapon she wanted to. She started the match by laying out a large patch of marbles right from her stomach. Iida had halted his movements immediately so as not to run over the marbles. She even went so far as to pull out a small firearm from her hip.

Some of the students beside Izuku gasped, wondering if she was planning on shooting Iida with real bullets. That was surely against the rules. "It's a paintball gun." He supplied quietly.

"Wha- How do you know?" Kaminari demanded to know. "You can see the CO2 cartridge poking from under the grip."

Although Yaoyorozu tried to hide it, Izuku could see the glinting metallic cartridge gripped in her hand.

She shouted loud enough for the speakers to pick up, demanding Iida leave the platform or else she'd shoot. Iida spluttered for a minute demanding that she was breaking the rules. He even looked at Midnight to call the match before Yaoyorozu pulled the trigger on the gun and shot Iida in the shoulder with a bright blue paintball. Iida cried out and gripped his shoulder before he saw the bright fluorescent paint.

The cameras picked up on his face going bright red at the humiliation.

The rest was history. Iida sped around the marbles and grabbed Yaoyorozu around the waist and started to drag her to the edge of the platform. She fought of course, but he used his quirk to speed him over. Iida took a taser to the ribs, but he threw her over the edge of the platform quickly enough to get the win.

Izuku was honestly impressed.

All too soon, it was time for Izuku's match with Shinsou. Izuku was equal parts excited and terrified. He honestly didn't know which of them would win. He could overpower Shinsou eventually, but all it would take was one good verbal response and Izuku would be out.

Izuku found his hand being squeezed by his friends before he made his way to the entrance tunnel. Shinsou was already there waiting as well.

"Hey..." Izuku said softly.

Shinsou didn't turn to look before he responded. "Hey."

"Good luck."

But Shinsou didn't say it back. Instead, Izuku found himself with all of Shinsou's attention solely directed at him. "I want you to promise me something."

"O-oh?" Izuku spluttered.

"No hard feelings when I beat you. Yeah?" Shinsou smirked widely in a way Izuku had only ever seen on Aizawa.

Nana's laughter rang out in the air as Izuku felt his face go red. "Wha- No I'm gonna beat you!" "We'll see."

"Let's welcome back Shinsou Hitoshi from class 1-B!" Mic's voice rang out through the speakers with twice as much fervor as before. Before Izuku could say much else, Shinsou was already walking out to the platform while Aizawa seemed to be scolding Mic for hurting his ears.

Shinsou wasn't much of a hype man, so he didn't react much to the deafening crowd of people screaming for him.

"Do you want Spirit Eyes again, sweetie?"

Izuku was about to say yes, but slowly changed his mind. He had been using Nana to avoid the onlookers the entire festival. But here he was at the semi-finals. He couldn't hide forever...what if he won and they asked him to do another speech?

"N...No. I think I can manage."

He could practically hear the smile in Nana's voice. "You're gonna be great, sweetie." "Now let's get that same energy for Midoriya Izuku from class 1-A!"

Izuku forced himself to walk with his head straight instead of looking down at his feet. His fists were clenched at his sides as he forced himself to breathe. He barely managed to not trip on the steps up to the platform.

All at once, the cheers died down and Midnight walked over with the microphone. "You two look ready to go at it. Midoriya, do you have any words for your opponent?" Izuku suddenly had the microphone pointed at him and he froze like a deer in headlights.

But there was only one thing floating in his mind at the moment. "Uh- Plus Ultra!"

"Plus Ultra!" The crowd mimicked immediately as the microphone was passed to Shinsou.

"Couldn't have said it better myself." The purple-haired teen agreed.

Midnight stepped back and off the platform with a wide grin. "There you have it. And with that, let the match begin!"

Izuku and Shinsou stared at each other with almost feral smiles on either side of the platform. When the buzzer finally sounded for the start of the match to begin, they didn't move.

"Oh? No explosive start?" Mic mused. "That's a first."

"They need to be careful. One wrong move and either one can be forced out of the boundary lines." Aizawa vaguely explained, but Izuku's attention was stolen by Shinsou.

He cleared his throat slightly. "What, are you just gonna stand there all day?" Shinsou asked as he took a step closer.

Izuku said nothing as he met the step with one of his own. "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"

Izuku refused to go for the bait. Instead, he took a few steps forward and swiped out with his fists. Shinsou easily ducked under the strike and slapped his fist away. "Oh come on, you call that a punch?"

Taking a deep breath, Izuku straightened his stance. He knew how he had to win this, but that didn't make it easy. Shinsou knew so much about him. He could goad him in so many ways. Shinsou's frustration became more apparent. For a moment, the purple-haired boy stopped talking and charged. Izuku had to dodge several swipes and even a kick. But before he could counter it, Shinsou was already stepping back away from him. "Are you scared to fight me or something?"

Almost, almost , Izuku found his mouth almost opening to spit a reply that of course, he wasn't scared. But he caught himself and clenched his jaw shut immediately.

"You can't even land a punch on me. Do you think Nana's back hurts from carrying you this far?"

Izuku actually gasped. He was taken off guard so much that He didn't even dodge the punch coming at him. He felt Shinsou's fist connect with his face. Hissing, Izuku stepped back and cupped his cheek with one hand.

"Oh my, are you gonna cry?" Shinsou teased, his voice sickeningly sweet as if comforting a toddler. "Did I hurt your little face?"

'Nana, take his energy,' Izuku thought, not daring to speak out loud.

"On it."

Izuku watched as Shinsou's legs wobbled and gave out from under him. He cursed, but Izuku didn't let up. Rushing over, Izuku returned the punch and even landed a kick to Shinsou's stomach before he was grabbed by his shirt and dragged down as well.

"I'll tell your mom about Nana as soon as we're out of here. How do you think that will go?" Shinsou grunted out.

Rather than use the stolen energy to punch Shinsou even harder, Izuku used it to shoot up into the air, Shinsou'd hand being ripped from his shirt.

They continued this trend, trading blows and Shinsou spitting fiery insults at him one after another. But Izuku still managed to keep the upper hand. It was to the point where he knew, he was going to win.

"Yes! Yes, kid! That slot in the finals is ours!" Daigoro cheered in Izuku's head, much louder than usual. "Take him out!"

Izuku had Shinsou pinned to the platform with a hand fisted in his shirt and a fist poised ready to punch. Shinsou was already bleeding from his lip much like Izuku was bleeding from his nose.

Izuku was ready to throw what was sure to be a knockout when he heard Shinsou's wavering voice.

"I knew you always thought less of me," He coughs. "Always. Ever since you got into 1-A. We stop talking and you make all those fancy new friends. You forgot about me until they stopped caring about you."

Freezing in his place, Izuku spoke for the first time. "What? No, that's not true. You're my friend Shinsou. My best friend." What game was Shinsou playing? He wasn't trying to activate his quirk and yet he was barely fighting back.

Shinsou's eyes welled up with tears that didn't fall. "You say that, but- But when's the last time

we've hung out together? Just us? You don't have to answer. I'll tell you. Before UA."

"We hardly talk. And now suddenly you have new friends and more powers. And what's next? You forget about me."

Izuku shook his head but Shinsou rolled his eyes. "You can deny it, but I know it's true. Ever since the USJ attack, I've barely seen you at all. Nobody talks about what happened, but my dad and best friend come home close to death. And I wasn't there to help, you stop talking to me as much. I know it's because you think less of me."

"I would never! Shinsou, you've- You saved me when we met. I was drowning in my woes, but you still wanted to be my friend." Izuku implored, feeling hurt and tears building up within himself.

Shinso glared off to the side. One tear fell out and traced down his cheek. "I can't save anyone. My quirk is a villain's quirk, I'm too stupid to even get into the 1-A class. They put me in 1-B because my dads teach at UA. That's it."

"But- Shinsou, your speech. You wanted to win to protect the people you care about. If you just improve a little more then they'll for sure move you to-"

"They won't. I thought if I won the Sports Festival they'd let me transfer. But why would they transfer a kid whose quirk is useless if their opponent knows what it is..."

"Boys? We cannot call a draw. Someone must forfeit or be thrown out." Midnight called over. Izuku and Shinsou stared at each other, both caught in their emotions. "We have to fight..."

"There's no reason for me to fight anymore. I can't protect the people I care about." Shinsou told him. "Just throw me out already."

Izuku came to a decision rather quickly. He was only in his first year of UA after all. He had two more chances to win the Sports Festival. But Shinsou didn't want to just win the Sports Festival. He wanted into 1-A. And the only way to do that was to prove that he was worthy. He was close academically. But he needed a display of his quirk.

Out of everyone...Izuku wouldn't want to lose the Festival to anyone other than his best friend. Besides, Aizawa told him to lay low.

"You're going to win," Izuku told Shinsou. "Use your quirk on me, and show them you deserve to be in 1-A."

Shinsou's eyes widened. "You'd...you'd do that for me?" "You are my best friend, Shinsou."

Izuku watched as Shinsou's lip quivered before he felt a cloud of fog in his mind. Without his doing, his body stood up and stepped away from Shinsou's body slowly.

"Walk out of bounds," Shinsou told him, and Izuku's body turned to comply.

"Wha- No! What's this about?! We were about to win!" Daigoro practically seethed. "#9 turn

around!"

Izuku's body continued to walk towards the bounds without care of what Daigoro wanted. Meanwhile, Nana was showering Izuku with praise for being a good friend.

"There will be other Festivals, sweetie. And this time, you'll have Shinsou training right by your side. That was very heroic of you."

"The hell it was! What's the point in giving up? You could have won the whole thing."

'I don't want to win the festival if it Shinsou isn't allowed into 1-A. That's been his dream since school started.'

Daigoro went off in a rant of nonverbal grunts and grumbles. But Izuku didn't care. He was a few feet away from the edge of the platform. Izuku only wished he could see the look on Shinsou's face when he was announced the victor.

"To hell with that-" Daigoro suddenly spat and Izuku felt a similar feeling to before in the medical bay. And then he was staring at his body in the third person. "We've come too far to give up now."

"Daigoro!" Nana called out and Izuku saw her staring wide-eyed at his body. Even in the sluggish view of limbo, Izuku could see his body stop walking. His eyes were glowing a faint red glow. "Stop this!"

But Daigoro didn't respond.

In a frightening sight, Izuku watched as black tendrils shot out of his back towards Shinsou. The small smile that had been on Shinsou's face faded into a look of shock as the tendrils wrapped around his middle. He tried grabbing them and tearing them away, but his hands slipped through.

"We. Are going. To win!" Izuku heard Daigoro's voice come from his body. All at once, the tendrils flexed and Shinsou was lifted off the ground. Without so much as a word, Shinsou was thrown across the stage, right off the platform. His body hit the ground and rolled several times before he landed on his back, gasping in pain.

"Shinsou!" Izuku cried out, feeling panic and dread inside him.

In slow motion, the buzzer sounded and Izuku was announced as the winner. Daigoro, piloting Izuku's body, smiled at the crowd and shook his fist in the air in celebration. And the crowd went nuts.

Chapter End Notes

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Chapter Notes

Todoroki Trauma

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Child abuse, graphic injury, bodily fluids

If any of the above warnings bother you, please skip over the marked areas of this chapter. The chapter title, trigger warnings, and the beginning of this chapter would describe the kind of content we're getting into in the chapter. Consider that your warnings. I have marked in this chapter where the description of the triggers begins and where they end.

After the cut-off point, the story makes a few more references to the triggering content but it is vague. If this still bothers you, feel free to skip to the last few paragraphs of the story or even skip this chapter together. I will update the story tags as well. Please be safe and read responsibly!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Midoriya Izuku advances to the finals!" Midnight announced. "But let's give some love for

Shinsou as well for putting up such a valiant fight!"

The applause continued, only dying slightly as a stretcher floated out and Shinsou was lifted onto it. Izuku didn't care that he wasn't in his body. He started running, almost as if he were wading through tar, towards Shinsou. His arms reached out and grasped at nothing.

"Breath, kid," One of the paramedics coached. "Deep breath in and let it out slowly."

Shinsou coughed immediately as he tried and groaned as pain followed. Izuku followed the group down the hall, he could hear the announcements from the arena. Midnight explained the next match and hyped up the crowd a bit more.

"I'm sorry, Shinsou. I'm so sorry," He apologized profusely even though he knew Shinsou couldn't hear.

Suddenly, as they started to turn the corner to an elevator that would lead down to the Medical Wing, Izuku felt himself being pulled backward. Thinking this meant that he finally had control, Izuku relaxed. Imagine his anguish when he realized that, no, he still had no control of his own body. Nana shouted obscenities towards Daigoro. Even being a spirit with no need for breath, her pale face was red with exertion.

"You're a parasite! He's just a kid! You should be ashamed of yourself-" "Nana," Izuku said feeling tears well up in his eyes.

Nana's attention turned to him quickly. The anger immediately melted away as she rushed over to pull him into a hug. "My sweet boy, I'm so sorry," She apologized and Izuku sobbed because it wasn't even her fault.

"I-I couldn't follow him," Izuku knew he couldn't roam free. But it was the first time he realized just how tethered Nana was to him.

Nana squeezed him tighter but didn't try to placate him or give empty words of comfort. "I'm going to fix this."

Izuku was reluctant to let go of her warm embrace, but she insisted. By now, Daigoro was making his way back to the tunnel, a sly grin stretched over Izuku's face. Izuku, even in his spirit form, felt sick to his stomach. "Please-" He begged Nana even as she was already walking towards his body. Her eyes were set hard with steely determination.

Her hand reached to grab at Izuku's chest.

Izuku expected to be put back into his own body, but when the momentary bright flash of light faded from his vision, He saw his eyes glowing Nana's usual gentle purple. The smirk slipped off Izuku's face and was replaced with determination as she stomped through the tunnel.

"Where's Daigoro?" Izuku asked worriedly.

"Not sure. Don't care," Nana admitted. "Where are we going first? Medical Wing or to Aizawa?" "Aizawa is most likely going to the Medical Wing anyway because of Shinsou."

Nana nodded Izuku's head and took off at a slight jog down the hall. They both knew the

directions at that point so there was no need to reference the large maps on the wall at every other interval. What they didn't account for was rounding a corner quickly and coming into contact with a hard, almost wall-like surface.

Bouncing back, Nana grabbed the wall to steady herself. Izuku looked towards what they could have possibly crashed into. His stomach dropped a the sight of Endeavor. The current number 2 hero...Standing in the middle of the hall. His eyes glared down at Izuku with a fiery intensity. And if Izuku hadn't known Endeavor's history or the flaming facial hair tipping him off he would have just kept going.

"Ah, just the boy I wanted to see." Endeavor crossed his arms and made no move to stop blocking the hallway. "You're going to be fighting my son, Shouto, in the finals."

Endeavor didn't stop talking, which Izuku was grateful for because he wasn't in the pilot seat of his own body. Even so, Izuku didn't focus on whatever monologue Endeavor was trying to have. Instead, he found himself distracted.

If he focused, really focused, Izuku could see souls in this strange limbo. And while he had concluded long ago that souls were just different, nothing could prepare him for Endeavor's.

The soul was almost as commanding in its presence as the man himself was. The entire hall was filled with it, even up to the ceiling. The outer edge of it flickered like a candle flame. It was interesting, to say the least. But Izuku's attention was more drawn towards the tendril around the soul.

It was dark, almost tar-like. It curled like a serpent around the orb of the soul. The coils themselves were tight, the edges of the soul bending inward to accommodate the grasp. Izuku found himself taking a step closer.

"Nana, what's this?" Izuku asked but Nana didn't answer.

The closer he got, Izuku noticed the tendril uncoil slightly. It kept most of its harsh grip on Endeavor's soul, but with the slack it created, it started to reach for him. Not hostile, but slow and unsure. Like a dog sniffing his hand curiously.

"Hello?" Izuku asked, not sure if he should be expecting an answer. His hand reached out towards the tendril but made sure to be prepared to jerk it away at any moment. The tendril answered by

reaching father until it slipped under his outstretched hand and brushed against his palm.

-TRIGGER WARNING START-

Feeling a rush of cold come over him, Izuku closed his eyes and pulled his hand back. He held his hand close to his chest as if it would be yanked back forcefully. When no immediate onslaught came, Izuku cracked his eyes open.

He was surprised to see that they were no longer in the concrete hall of the Sports Festival arena. Rather, they looked to be in a traditional-style Japanese dojo. He looked up to see Endeavor's hard stare glaring down at him again.

"Do it again." He demanded.

'Do what again?' Izuku tried to ask but the words that came out of his mouth were, "But, Dad, I'm tired..."

"No whining!" Endeavor scolded. "Get up and do it again!"

Izuku felt his body moving without his permission. He looked down at the hands pushing himself up only to see white bandages woven between his fingers. There was no pain, or if there was, Izuku couldn't feel it. But what he could feel was a deeply centered ache. Like trying not to cry. Dad? Endeavor wasn't his dad. He had no memory for this.

Slowly, Izuku's body straightened up and stood in a hesitant fighting stance. Was he fighting Endeavor? Was this the tendril's doing?

His palms lit up in a blue flame and his arm reared back to throw it. But as Izuku thought he would throw it, the chill intensified and the flame disappeared. He hissed in pain he couldn't feel and brought his hand close to his chest again. "It hurts."

"Do you think innocent lives care if it hurts? Do you think All Might cares when it hurts?" Endeavor's flaming beard burned brighter. "No. They don't. Go. Again!"

The full-body chill happened again and Izuku was thrown into a new scene. A white-haired woman looked at him with warm palms pressed to his cheeks. She tried to smile but even Izuku could tell it was strained. "You'll be okay, Touya. I'll talk to your father and these 'training sessions' will stop."

"Promise?" Izuku felt his -Touya's?- mouth say shakily. "I promise."

Another chill went through him. This time, Izuku was left looking at the tearful face of a white- haired little boy currently wrapping more white bandages around him. "I-I hate him." The little boy sniffled.

"Shh," Izuku -Touya- hushed. "I'll be fine. It's okay, Natsuo." His voice was level and calm.

"It's NOT okay!" Natsuo huffed. "You and Mama are getting hurt, Fuyumi won't believe me when I tell her, and- and-" The poor boy stumbled over his words and whimpered. "I haven't seen Shouto in months."

"Fuyumi doesn't need to know anyway...Do you remember what dad did that one time when you yelled at him? Do you want that to happen to Fuyumi?" Touya spoke as if he had said it a hundred times before. "And mom and I can handle this. You're too young, but things have always been like this. And we're still here."

Touya wrapped his now bandaged arms around Natsuo and pulled him into a hug. "If it makes you feel any better, I'll sneak upstairs and check on Shouto tonight."

Natsuo cried a little longer in Touya's arms and Touya rocked him back and forth patiently.

Another chill. Another memory. Izuku was starting to feel sick. This. This was the Todoroki family. Endeavor had always kept his family out of the eye of the media. But this was a whole separate level. Izuku didn't even know that Todoroki had siblings . Which the secrecy made sense now that he saw and experienced...the abuse first hand.

Touya tiptoed up the stairs and made his way down the hall. There was a singular sliding door at the end of the hallway that Touya painstakingly slid open just enough to step inside. He made sure

to close the door behind him but kept his steps light. The room was bland and monochrome. There was a rocking chair, a plain cream-colored rug, and what looked like a dresser with a changing mat on top along one wall. In the center of the room was a white crib.

Stepping closer, Touya could see a baby sleeping inside. Izuku immediately knew from the small tufts of red and white hair on top of its head that this baby was Shouto. He slept on, unbothered by the presence by his crib. His face looked peaceful.

Reaching inside the crib, Touya tucked the light blue blanket a little more under Shouto's chin. "I wish I could sleep as good as you." Touya sighed.

For a moment, Touya just stood there watching the baby sleep. This proved to be his undoing as the door slid open unexpectedly. Endeavor's hulking frame stepped into the room and as soon as his eyes fell on Touya, his face turned harsh. Touya tensed as if he was prepared for Endeavor to yell at him. But the hero said nothing. Only, he stepped back out of the room and pointed to the spot in front of him.

Taking that as a cue, Touya walked over. He ducked his head, feeling his heartbeat rapidly in his chest as Endeavor slid the door shut a final time. There was no warning as Touya was grabbed roughly by the arm and all but dragged down the stairs.

"Dad, wait, I-" Touya tried to explain as he had to stand on his tiptoes just to touch the ground. "I was just worried-"

"Be quiet!" Endeavor seethed.

Izuku was saved from having to watch another scene as the chill happened once more. But the relief didn't last.

In this next scene, Izuku was finally able to see Touya. The boy had white hair like Natsuo, but the tips of it were a dark red. There were bags under his eyes telling of days of lack of sleep. Bandages now crawled up his arms, across his chest, and up to his neck. There was even a patch on his cheek.

Touya's face was blank. Almost devoid of emotion. For a moment, he just looked at himself. Izuku felt more and more unsettled as time went on. Was time frozen? Was Touya stuck? What was going on?

Suddenly, there was a sound from the hallway. A small voice, shouting. "I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!" Izuku assumed Natsuo screamed. There was a dull smack sound before a quiet crying began.

"You do not speak to me that way, boy!" Endeavor demanded.

Touya growled hands clenched hard enough on the sink to turn his knuckles white. "I'm tired of this." The material of the sinks started bubbling and melting in his grasp and Touya quickly let go. He took one final look at himself in the mirror, punched it, and stomped out of the bathroom. The shards of glass rang out as they clattered into the remains of the sink.

"Touya? What did you do?!" Endeavor glared as Touya entered the room. Natsuo was a little older than he was the last time Izuku saw him, but he was curled up onto the floor, a hand pressed to his cheek. Touya clenched his hands at his side.

"Don't touch him." He said quietly calm. "I'll kill you. I swear I'll kill you if you touch my brother again."

"Natsuo. Go to your room. Now!" Endeavor sent the shaking boy away and loomed over Touya. But Touya stared up at Endeavor with determination. "You think you can threaten me, boy? In my own home? The roof I put over your head?"

"I'll burn this place to the ground to protect my family."

"Is that so?" Endeavor tilted his head in challenge. "If you think you're so strong after everything

I taught you...Let's take this to the courtyard. If I win, you're going back to your lessons." "If I win you're gonna leave Natsuo and Shoto alone."

Endeavor chuckled and Izuku felt fear course down his spine. That was the laugh of a man who believed he was unstoppable.

The memory flashes again and Izuku is left reeling. The scene around them, the courtyard, was on fire. Trees, bushes, flowers, all of it was flickering and burning both in red and blue flames. Touya

panted, arms coated with his own blue flame, bandages long since burned off.

"Give up, boy. You'll burn yourself out if you continue." Endeavor lectured, standing almost completely fine in front of a destroyed fountain. His arms were crossed over his chest.

"I don't care!" Touya shouted as he threw a blast of blue fire towards Endeavor. Endeavor countered by smothering the flame with his own and absorbing it back into his body.

"I've grown tired of this childish tantrum, Touya. You won't win. Conceded and end this." Endeavor started to step closer even as Touya threw bursts of fire towards him.

The fire climbed up Touya's body until it reached his chest and licked at his neck. "No! Get away from me! I'll kill you!" But no matter what Touya threw at him, Endeavor shrugged it off and kept approaching. This continued until finally, he was able to grab Touya's shoulder and hold him still with an iron grip.

"That's enough! I'm through entertaining your outbursts! You're going to go inside and sit in your room until I clean this mess up," Endeavor ordered until a burst of a bright blue almost violet flame licked his shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" The hysterical boy cried out. "I'll kill you!"

The bare skin immediately burned and Endeavor hissed. His grip on Touya's shoulder tightened and Touya's feet left the ground. Touya's body flew through the air, and Izuku gasped as he realized the perspective changed from being viewed through Touya's eyes to peering over Endeavor's wounded shoulder.

Touya looked terrible. His skin was almost charred in places, his body smoking. He fell just beyond the broken fountain, occasionally a spurt of water would reach near him and fizzle out in steam. But his body wouldn't move. He lay limp on the ground and Izuku shuddered at what that meant. He had never seen a dead body before, the closest he ever got was Aizawa's.

Distantly, the sound of sirens rang out, and Endeavor cursed. "Foolish boy, look what you made me do!" He stomped over, kneeling and Izuku clenched his eyes shut to not have to see the poor sight.

But he could hear Endeavor's labored breaths. "Get up, Touya."

Izuku knew he wouldn't.

"Get up." Endeavor ordered again, although his voice was less stern. "Touya, boy...get up."

This went on as the sirens grew closer and closer. "My boy, get up- Wake up-" Endeavor stuttered. "Wake up!- Please!"

There was the sound of several voices approaching but Endeavor didn't stop. "I said wake up! Now! Touya wake up!"

-TRIGGER WARNING END-

The calling out faded quickly and Izuku was shaken as he heard Nana's voice finally.

"Oh my god-" Her voice came from Izuku's body. His body was bent over double, grasping at the wall for stability. There was vomit on Endeavor's boots. "He was a child-"

"What?" Endeavor's voice was tinged with confusion and annoyance. Probably about his shoes. "What are you talking about? Were you even listening to what I was saying? What's wrong with you?!"

"You're vile. You're a cruel vile man." Nana snapped and spit onto Endeavor's boots before wiping Izuku's chin. "He was your son and you-" She cut herself off. Izuku wasn't sure if she was shaking from the vomit or the rage. But tears were pouring down his cheeks. "He was a boy. Just a little boy and you tortured him. You made his life hell!"

Endeavor's face paled slightly. "What are you talking about, boy?" He reached for Izuku's shoulder but Nana jerked away.

"Don't touch me with your filthy hands!" She spat. "How many times did Touya tell you the same thing?"

If Endeavor was pale before, he was as white as a sheet now. The flames on his face faded away leaving bare sections of facial hair. "Who told you that?" He questioned, his hands halted but not retreated. "Where did you learn that!"

Nana let out a cruel-sounding chuckle. "A father isn't supposed to hurt his children. A father is supposed to love- to protect- his children. With his life! Not the other way around." Her eyes burned a deeper color and the lights in the hall flickered dangerously.

"What are you doing? What quirk is this?" Endeavor took a step backward, looking up at the lights.

"His soul left its mark on you. And it's suffocating you." She hissed. "You're a bad man, Enji. You should make your peace while you can."

All at once, Izuku felt himself being pulled back into his own body. A flash of white light and Izuku was back. He stared at Endeavor's face in all its shaken glory. His body trembled but he stood. Almost as if Nana was wrapped around him, he felt her warmth.

"Let's go, sweetie," Nana encouraged and Izuku turned away. He started to walk back the way he came, not wanting to squeeze by Endeavor even as the man still seemed shellshocked.

"Wait, boy- Midoriya!" Endeavor called out but made no move to follow. "What quirk was that? Explain yourself!"

"No!" Izuku shouted behind him as he turned the corner. Finding the nearest bathroom, Izuku ducked inside and locked the door behind him before he collapsed against it.

Sinking to the floor, Izuku just forced himself to breathe.

"Hands on your head, dear," Nana cooed to him and he complied.

"What was that?" He asked while counting out his breaths. He could feel the texture of his hair and the cold wood of the door on his back. It was refreshing to be able to feel anything other than raw emotion.

Nana sighed, "It's complicated...It's something not quite me, not quite Dark Shadow, but somewhere in between."

"It reached for me."

A hum of affirmation was his answer. "I know. They do that. I haven't quite heard of what they are

called, but they're remnants of souls. Fragments. A bit of...unfinished business."

Izuku had seen his fair share of horror movies to know what 'unfinished business' meant. "But isn't that like spirits? Fully formed and just lurking?" He asked.

"Yes and no," Nana agreed. "That's why I say it's complicated. Usually, in situations like that, you get a vengeful spirit that haunts a place or a person until they get what they want. But in Touya's case...It...I don't think he had much energy left. He attached himself to Enji as much as he could before the rest of him fizzled out..."

"And what he wants is...to kill Endeavor?"

"It seems so..."

Izuku sighed roughly, the air slipping out of his lungs in one rush. "I need to talk to Todoroki."

"What about Aizawa? We still need to talk to him about #5."

"That can wait."

Izuku stood from the floor of the bathroom and walked to the sink. There was a moment when he looked up from washing the bile and tears from his face that he expected to see Touya's face staring back at him from the mirror. But it was just him. Just him...

He dried his hands and face before walking out of the bathroom, only to be met with an attendant coming from down the hall. "Oh! Midoriya!" She said excitedly as she rushed over.

"Your match with Todoroki starts soon!"

"Wha-?" Izuku questioned. "But Iida and Todoroki haven't fought yet..."

She looked a bit sad as she informed him, "Young Iida had to forfeit due to a family emergency. This means by default Todoroki moved on. Your match starts in a few minutes."

Izuku hadn't expected that. He couldn't believe it. He hadn't even thought about what he was going to say to the other student. But it didn't matter. The attendant led him towards the mouth of the tunnel once more. Todoroki stood passively and didn't even look at Izuku when he walked up. "Todoroki-"

"You two play nice, and good luck!" The attendant smiled as she walked off quickly. "Todoroki-" Izuku tried to talk again only for Present Mic's voice to ring out.

"Let's hear it for the one and only Midoriya Izuku!"

Groaning, Izuku started to walk. But he turned his head quickly to Todoroki. "I need to talk to you about something very important. Just listen to me." He said and finally turned towards the platform."

Midnight smiled widely at him. "There's the superstar." She joked as he stepped up on stage.

"And now to the one who's shown just as much dedication and promise, Todoroki Shouto!"

Todoroki walked up quickly, almost eager to get the match over with.

"Todoroki, I'm sorr-" Izuku was interrupted by the crowd cheering loudly once more as Midnight unexpectedly announced the start of the match.

Before Izuku could speak again, he was being attacked with a wall of ice. He could tell, this was not going to be easy...

Chapter End Notes

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