A/N: Been enjoying a lot of the recent responses, so thanks to my reviewers.
Chapter 21
The return to regular classes after the brief internship was jarring for Izuku. While the regular days at Endeavor's office had been slow and made him wish to be back at U.A – if only because the school day felt shorter than those at the office – that single day of being able to go out and help people had, until the bloody end, been fulfilling. Knowing it could be years before he went through another like it made him wonder if that what he was feeling was similar to how addicts in rehab felt. The classroom was quiet when he entered, many of his peers gathered around Tenya and Todoroki. It wasn't hard to guess at what they were all talking about, especially since Katsuki wouldn't return to class for another two days. That was when Recovery Girl would finally perform his final treatment, his stitches would be removed, and he'd be released to return to class. The memory of his childhood… rival stung and he had slept poorly since because of it.
"How are you feeling?" Todoroki asked as Izuku reached his seat. He glanced over, tempted to rub the bags under his eyes.
"Didn't sleep well," Izuku said. "I kept seeing what happened to Kacchan…"
Todoroki frowned, eyes falling to his desk. "He'll be back before we know it, Midoriya. Bakugou is strong. What happened won't break him."
Izuku nodded and sat down. It seemed as if his ears were buzzing. Kirishima said something to him, but they washed over him like waves on the beach.
"Quiet everyone," Aizawa declared, entering the classroom. His hair, usually down in waves, was drawn back into a messy bun. "I've received all of your reports from your internships. Other than Bakugou, you all did excellent. His is just a…special case."
"How's he holding up?" Mina asked in a nervous tone that surprised Izuku. Kirishima nodded and several others had serious, worried faces. I guess I never noticed the affect he had on everyone.
"He'll be back soon enough. Recovery Girl just wants to take things slow. An injury like the one he received fighting the Hero Killer can end a pro's career. Fortunately, his career still has hope." Aizawa paused as the class murmured. "Onto other matters. Finals are coming up and I suspect some of you aren't prepared for the exam."
There was a loud groan from several students and Izuku felt himself smile, even if it felt false. There was something about being drawn into the monotony of school that drove away his thoughts, the regrets and mistakes, about what happened to Katsuki. There had been a press conference the next day with Endeavor, and after a reporter questioned his judgment sending heroes-in-training out on their own that night the pro had bellowed, "IT WAS THE RIGHT CALL AT THE TIME, SENDING MY STUDENTS TO FIND A MISSING FRIEND. THEY HAD SIMPLE ORDERS, AND THAT THE HERO KILLER GOT INVOLVED AND THEY ESCAPED WITH ONLY ONE SUFFERING ANYTHING RESEMBLING A SERIOUS INJURY IS SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED! BAKUGOU WILL SAFELY RECOVER AND BE ABLE TO CONTINUE PURUSING BEING A HERO!"
While Izuku had blushed hard, looking away from his tearful mother while this happened during a live broadcast; most of the hero fandom online had swallowed it up. Endeavor had even gotten a boost of popularity from it and a few critics backpedaled on their harshest statements, though it wasn't enough to bridge the gap between him and All Might.
The day Katsuki returned was quiet and sullen. The entire class sat around, passively listening to Present Mic's lecture in English when the door slid open with a violent bang. Their eyes all turned to the open doorway and widened as Bakugou entered. His uniform, usually flowing a little sloppy upon his body, fit tighter like a professional suit. Even his tie, once the picture of disconcerted laziness, was drawn up close to his neck. As he crossed the classroom to reach his desk, Izuku caught his eyes. They burned fierce, red-hot with an intensity that made him flinch. The blond reached his desk, set his bag down, and then turned to face the class.
"I'm back, bitches."
There was a release of tension and the class grinned. Kirishima and Kaminari stood, clapping as they grinned at Katsuki. He scowled at them, which only served to encourage their behavior. It was only after a few minutes that Present Mic turned his voice all the way up and shouted to quiet the class, pounding sound waves hitting everyone.
After that, things returned to normal. They continued learning and studying, training and undergoing exercises. There was an afternoon where they joined Class B for a joint session, but Monoma and Katsuki arguing quickly derailed said session. That turned into a fight before Kendou could step in and stop them. It was only after both boys were covered in soot and Monoma was starting to limp that Aizawa stopped the fight. His eyes were a furious red, erasing both of their quirks and they were sent to suffer detention with Power Loader. Neither spoke of what was done to them, though a few odd pictures of them in white hero gear spread about the hero program. The rest of the session was closely monitored and whenever someone abused their quirk too much, Aizawa was quick to erase it before any serious damage could be done.
Izuku watched the students with poor grades – and oddly enough most of them flocked around either him or Bakugou most of the time – beg Momo to mentor them. While he skipped her open invite study session, he heard a couple of them speak about it the next week.
"You wouldn't have believed how nice her house is," Kaminari told Katsuki, making hand gestures that'd put Tenya to shame. "I mean calling it a house would be an insult. It's huge like a California mansion, and the area around it! I've never seen so much grass that wasn't a park. Rich people have everything."
Katsuki scowled. "And why tell me?"
Kaminari eventually sighed and admitted, "Because all of my other friends were there."
"And you're all idiots," Katsuki added. "If you accepted my offers, you wouldn't be in a position of nearly failing."
"Wait, you offered to tutor us?" Kirishima asked as Kaminari struggled to raise his fallen jaw. Katsuki seemed to realize, just like them, how strange the words that had come from his mouth were.
"Never mind," he grumbled, looking away.
With the certainty of the seasons, the final exam arrived. After three rough days of testing, not only on the subjects they had studied before U.A., but also on hero laws and theory, only one final test remained.
"You think what she said was right?" Uraraka asked Izuku. Class 1-A was heading out to the testing area, dressed in the same hero uniforms as when they went to their first training session.
Izuku nodded. "Itsuka isn't the type to give false information. If you had heard it from someone like Monoma, then I would doubt the information."
It seemed to be the right words, for she beamed at him and then turned to speak with Tenya. He appeared relieved as she relayed what Izuku had told her. From there, it spread through the shuttle in murmuring ripples. A few started speculating about how they'd be split apart, whether it would be pairs, groups of four or five, or even be similar to the entrance exam and have them compete to defeat the greatest number of robots with varying numbers of points.
"Hopefully the giant robot will be worth a lot of points instead of zero," Kirishima said loudly. "Taking one of those down is so manly you should instantly pass."
"Makes it too easy for the most powerful students in the class though," Jirou replied, absently twirling one of her jacks around a finger. "Midoriya, Todoroki, and Bakugou could take one down in their sleep, let alone when they're going all out."
"Yeah, but they got in either as recommendations or with the highest score on the practical exam," Kirishima shot back. Kaminari nodded his agreement.
"Eh, at least they won't have us fight the teachers," Mina said, as if the thought of doing so would make her drop out. "I mean, could you imagine passing or failing relying upon fighting All Might?"
"I doubt I even passed the written exam," Kaminari grumbled. There was a snort from Jirou, who only smirked when he glared at her. "For all the help that was Yaomomo's study session, I was too caught up on just how wealthy her family was to properly concentrate."
Izuku glanced to the back of the shuttle where Momo flushed a bright crimson at the comment. He'd heard she was rather mindful of her family's wealth, but he doubted she was aware just how many of her fellows lived in apartments or small family homes. It seemed odd knowing someone coming from that level of wealth was fighting as hard as all of them to become a hero. Or maybe that's just a sign of how important heroes are to society.
The shuttle eventually stopped before one of the larger interior combat testing facilities. There were five of them spread across campus, most designed to emulate convenience stores, hospitals, and office buildings. Only this one emulated the odder locales, such as concert halls and shopping areas. They all stepped off and came face to face with many of the instructors at U.A., including Principal Nedzu. The rodent-like administrator had changed little since Izuku first met him, so soon after taking the HLRT. He smiled at the gathered students, a spine-chilling expression that made Izuku suddenly nervous.
"Welcome, welcome," he said, his high voice giggly. Fear crept down Izuku's spine and he found himself counting the pro heroes before them.
Power Loader, Thirteen, Midnight, Ectoplasm, Eraserhead, Present Mic, Cementoss, and Snipe. Why are they all here? I can't imagine what scenario they've developed they'd need eight pro heroes for…
"I imagine you're all curious what we are doing out here. You should know that we told Class B to give you false information on the practical for the final exam. They too were surprised by what it really is." Nedzu paused to scan them, dark beady eyes glimmering with frightening intelligence. "Your practical exam is to fight one of us."
A small breeze passed over Class A and the little reaction in that moment was a few blinks and an agape mouth. And then they burst into shouting.
"What do you mean fight one of you?" Tenya asked arms waving erratically.
"Do we get to pick who we fight?" Mineta asked, impure eyes fixated on Midnight.
"Why can't we just fight robots?" Kaminari grumbled.
Before any more questions could be fired off, a whistling sound stopped the words on their tongues. The gathered students turned to look up and watched as All Might dropped from the sky. "I am here…late because a hero's work is never done!"
Nedzu cleared his throat and continued. "Now that we're all here, let me explain the exam. You will be paired off to face one of us, as I said. We've already selected the pairs and your opponent, so please follow whom we tell you to. Your goal is simple: escape or subdue the pro hero within the time limit. You will have a half hour, so you will have time to strategize and prepare." He paused and then nodded to Tenya, who had raised his hand. "Yes?"
"When you say escape, what exactly does that mean?"
The principal nodded. "Good question. There will be a single open exit in each combat area. A single one of you needs to pass through it to pass."
"Wait, so we can run away?" the invisible Hagakure asked, hands emoting for her. "Why?"
Eraserhead cleared his throat. "Because there are times when a pro hero finds themselves in a scenario they cannot handle. In those ones, the best course of action may just be to retreat and request reinforcements. Some of us have had to back out of situation and rely upon another hero to take down a villain or rescue a civilian. It's unflattering, but a reality of our work."
They went quiet, waiting, and the Principal turned to the end of the pro hero line.
"Satou and Shouji are with me," Power Loader said.
"Uraraka Ochako, Asui Tsuyu, please follow me," Thirteen said.
"Mineta Minoru, Sero Hanta, come along," Midnight snapped.
"Aoyama and Tokoyami," Ectoplasm said, his dark face unmoving.
Eraserhead yawned. "Todoroki, Yaoyorozu. Please don't disappoint me, for I won't be going easy on you two."
"Yo!" Present Mic shouted. "Will my lucky listeners Jirou Kyouka and Kouda Kouji join me for their exam finale?"
"Kirishima and Iida, I will be your tester today," Cementoss said.
Snipe pointed at two students. "Hagakure, Ojiro."
"If Ashido Mina and Kaminari Denki could report to Area 7, I shall examine your practical skills there," Principal Nedzu said with a self-satisfied smile.
"Thus that leaves Young Midoriya and Young Bakugou in my care!" All Might declared, grinning. "Come along now, we shall walk to the testing site!"
Katsuki Bakugou glared around the empty warehouse they had entered. Outside was the rest of an enclosed neighborhood area. There was a single point of entry, a wide gate much like those spread around the campus of U.A. Above it was a sign, one he sneered at when he chanced a glance back while following All Might's quick pace. The sign, with the childish wording and mocking chibi of Nedzu made him want to blast apart the Symbol of Peace before tracking down the principal and blast him into pieces too. Pikachu and pinky will thank me for it. They aren't smart enough to handle that weirdo.
"This looks like the training facility," Deku said, looking around. Katsuki frowned, but he looked around either way. There was an open area with white tiles and it was brightly lit. All Might stood underneath the light, grinning at them. "Is there a reason why?"
"When Nedzu suggested I take on the two of you for this exam," All Might began, "I remembered hearing about a fight you two had before entering U.A. So I decided to have some of the area redesigned to replicate it."
"Ah, now I remember," Katsuki said, rubbing his face. More than just his ego had been hurt that day. He then dropped his hands, letting them glow a faint orange. "You trying to turn us against each other?"
"Who said I would need to do so?" All Might said. A horn blared and the Symbol of Peace charged like a train barreling towards an intersection. Both students leapt back and then dodged away, letting the pro hero pass between them. Katsuki used his explosions to fly away from the rush of air and land close to where he started. In a flash of green electricity, Deku was beside him.
"We need to get out of here," he said, breathing deeply. "All Might has the advantage in an enclosed area. Trust me on this."
"If you're fucking wrong, I'll blast you apart once we're finished." With that, Katsuki led the way out of the warehouse, racing for the wall furthest from All Might as he charged for them once more and then blew apart the thin metal wall. He immediately rolled right, for the Symbol of Peace raced through where they had been the moment they escaped the warehouse.
"Running are we?" the hero boomed. He rolled his wrists, showing off the black bracers he wore. All Might's grin was as strong as normal. "I should mention that these weights limit the amount of power I can throw into every blow. If you wish to measure your strength against mine, this is a prime opportunity. I doubt Endeavor let you run from him."
Katsuki gritted his teeth, feeling the temptation to rush in, hands blazing and explosions thundering. It coursed through his veins, pounding and bubbling through him like a raging wildfire. There was a hint of movement to his left and he glanced over. Deku lowered into a powerful squat, drawing arms back to add extra power. A moment passed like from a movie, with all three tensing, glancing among themselves to see who would move first.
Time to show why I'll become the Number One hero!
The air was rent with explosions as Katsuki moved first. He shot forth not towards All Might, but into the line of sight between the pro hero and Deku. As Bakugou moved into position, maneuvering his hands to move forward, Midoriya sprung over him, quick like lightning and higher than most of the nearby buildings. All Might moved backwards a few steps, stopping when his back met a wall that reached the base of his ribs. The two students approached quickly, Katsuki low to the ground as explosion after explosion propelled him forward while Deku descended from the sky. Even so, All Might's smile didn't falter. In fact, he pulled back both arms, hands flared open.
"NEW ORLEANS CLAP!" the Symbol of Peace boomed as his arms came forward. A powerful shockwave shot forth from his clap and the two students dodged. As Katsuki went right, he glanced over and saw Deku drift right, using the shockwave to maneuver. If you're gonna fight in the air, can't be shittin' up your maneuverability, Deku.
A powerful explosion burst from his right hand, shooting Katsuki forward through the aftermath of the shockwave. All Might's eyes widened, revealing the blue color commonly hidden by shadows from his brows. Thick arms were raised in a crossed defense as Katsuki fired a concentrated blast. Nearly there with the attack. Soon enough I'll have a special move of my own!
"Impressive," All Might said through the smoke. Before Katsuki could reel backwards, a large hand shot forward and grabbed the front of his uniform. He was pulled forward with tremendous speed only to have a fist nearly the size of his head slammed into his stomach. His light lunch of rice and braised pork threatened to come up, though he couldn't hold back the thick strands of saliva that flew forth. They splattered against All Might's chest, who ignored the fluids. Instead, he brought his fist back to deliver another blow.
"KACCHAN!"
Katsuki swore he'd send Deku to Recovery Girl after they finished. Idiot should've headed for the exit. All Might would've realized you scampered off and would've dropped me and chased after you. Why do you have to keep being such a useless Deku?
Deku raced in, arms back in a manner that reminded Katsuki of the ninja games they played before his quirk appeared and it became clear that Deku was quirkless. His body shimmered and then vanished. Whatever power held by the quirk Deku received from All Might, he couldn't help but be the slightest impressed. Still a Useless Deku, though. It also made him wonder how serious Deku's declarations during the Sports Festival really was.
A moment later, Deku reappeared behind All Might, fist raised and legs drawn back to disguise which limb would be used to deliver a blow. He spun, a whirling blur of green, and struck the pro hero several times with both fist and leg. The blows landed with loud thumps, ones that Katsuki suspected would bruise in a few hours. It was enough to distract the Symbol of Peace, for his grip on the blond's uniform loosened.
Explosions broke All Might's hold and Katsuki was able to push away. Deku did similarly, dodging back before he could be grabbed and slammed into the ground.
"Kacchan," Deku started, but Katsuki cut him off with a glare.
"Head for the gate, Deku," he ordered. His hands smoked, explosive power almost begging to leap from his palms. "All Might is mine."
"You can't fight him alone," Deku declared. Katsuki growled, smoke brushing his nostrils as he suppressed releasing his quirk early. Yet before he could argue or attack, Deku wrapped his arms around Katsuki's chest by going under his arms. And then he leapt high into the air, giving them an excellent view of the neighborhood. There was a wide road that divided the area; one end stopped at the wall while the other reached the exit gate. Below them was a series of green cul-de-sacs, grid neighborhoods with a rare park, and a narrow stream that cut through the section they hadn't gone to.
A booming laugh caught their attention and they looked down to see All Might had joined them in the air, some twenty or so feet away and quickly closing in. Gritting his teeth, Katsuki threw out his arm and blasted them out of All Might's flight path. Their new trajectory sent them towards the ground and with a few correcting blasts, they landed hard on the wide road at the area's center. Deku rolled several times before coming to a stop on his back while Bakugou used his landing to combat roll into a brief jog.
"Try that again and I'll kill you," Katsuki declared as Deku rose.
"We got away though," he said, frowning.
There was a loud crash and they turned towards it. About halfway between them and the gate two hundred meters away was a slowly rising cloud of dust. Katsuki was tempted to turn to Deku and blast him away, but they were suddenly put on the defensive when All Might burst forth. The black bracers he had been wearing were gone, and that terrified the blond
Fuck! All Might is taking this seriously. And he always wins.
He dodged left, rotating as he moved with his left hand coming up to the pin on his right gauntlet. As the Symbol of Peace reached the space between the two dodging students, Katsuki pulled the pin and watched as a powerful explosion thundered between him and the pro hero. He was launched backwards, hitting a short wall hard before rolling away towards the gate. A thick plume of smoke hovered where All Might had been when the explosion went off and the temptation to brag and boast about what he had done was right there on the tip of his tongue. Yet, All Might had shown a tendency to brush off any attack thrown at him before beginning his own counterattack.
"Fifteen minutes left," a bland, feminine voice announced. "Fifteen minutes left."
Katsuki shouted, a wordless expression of outrage and frustration. And then he charged forward towards the smoking cloud that had consumed All Might. Explosions firing, he struck into the darkness, clearing it with sound and light and heat. As the cloud dissipated, he froze.
The Symbol of Peace was gone, and so was Deku. He looked around, confused and with eyes scanning the area and sky around him. A long moment passed and then he sighed, running one of his gloved hands through his puffed up hair.
Screw this shit. I should just head home.
With that, he turned away and walked down the center road towards the gate. Periodically, a loud boom or a plume of dust and debris would launch up somewhere, but it would vanish as soon as it appeared. Katsuki had blasted after the first couple he saw, but after reaching the third site too late to get involved, he determined it was easier to ignore it. They'll come for me right before I get through the gate, or at least All Might will. No purpose in allowing me to pass so easily.
And as he reached the gate with its mocking comment and chibi design, Katsuki paused and turned to face the area. Scowling, he sucked in a deep breath and then shouted.
"IF YOU WANT TO STOP US FROM PASSING, ALL MIGHT, COME FACE ME. YOU COWARD!" Katsuki's voice echoed through the fake neighborhood, somehow bounding around the small houses and across the main street. He waited several seconds as his voice faded, wondering if his message had been received. As he turned to go and pass through the gate, a laughing boom caught his ears and the Symbol of Peace landed before him, the ground crumpling beneath his feet.
"I AM HERE…TO STOP YOU!" All Might said, laughing.
A moment later, a huffing sound appeared behind Katsuki. He didn't turn back as Deku stepped up beside him, panting. "I…I thought…you'd get out…" he said, drawing in deep breaths.
"Wanted a last fight," Katsuki said, cracking his knuckles. "You're tired from fighting All Might, so head through the gate. I should be done by the time you get out."
"Oh?" All Might asked, crossing his arms. It drastically increased his menacing expression, becoming all flexing muscles and sharp angles. "Let's see if you can go beyond, Young Bakugou."
The following few minutes were a blur of light and sound, pain and heat, and it would only be afterwards, sitting around waiting for the last few pairs to finish their own exams, that Katsuki would get to watch his final fight with All Might. He had opened with the basics of what he hoped to be a special move, for he tightened the blast radius from both hands into an explosive beam that looked like a mis-colored attack from a kids show. It had surprised the Symbol of Peace, for he had to dodge the blast, spinning so he could also add more power to his next blow. The younger blond wouldn't give the chance, for he sprung forward in the wake of his attack and blasted away at the pro hero's back with a rapid succession of blasts.
The blasts were silenced when large hands grabbing his shoulders and, flipping Katsuki over All Might, slammed him onto the ground. He coughed up a hint of blood, just rolling away when the pro hero struck at where he had been lying. His left eye closed and his head turned a little to the right as chips of the street rained down on him. He rolled over and used a small explosion to launch himself back onto his feet and then immediately raised his arms to block a punch. There was a scratching sound as he skidded backwards and then he ducked under a second punch, using his explosive quirk to punish All Might for the attack. The pro hero pulled his arm back with a shout, the underside of his arm slightly seared from the blast.
"How do you lik – " Katsuki started, a vicious grin on his face before being interrupted by a pulverizing punch. It was a "blink-and-you-miss-it" type of blow, fast enough to trick the human eye and had the capacity to decapitate, should enough power be focused correctly into the fist. All Might held back, only delivering enough power to launch the student into the nearest brick wall. Blood gushed from the younger blond's nose, a sign it was likely broken. Yet before he could charge in to finish off Bakugou and then catch Deku, an intercom voice filled the area.
"The team of Bakugou Katsuki and Midoriya Izuku has passed!"