AHOY TATERS WELCOME TO CH TWO OF MY HERO ACADEMIA GODS AND MONSTERS
DISCLAIMER I DON'T OWN MY HERO ACADEMIA, MARVEL OR DC, I ONLY OWN MY OCS
ALSO THIS STORY WASNT WRITTEN BY ME I COMMISSIONED AN AUTHOR ON FIVERR TO WRITE IT! SAID AUTHOR IS NAMED FLUFFSTASH!
PLEASE ENJOY, I KNOW I DID!
Izuku was prostrated on the dusty ground. His tears and snot were smeared across
his face, and his uniform was torn and smoking, like it had been blown up. He
struggled to get to his feet, but it was like all the energy had been beaten out of him.
All he could do was whimper quietly.
"Izuku!" Nobutoshi shouted, his heart thumping. "Hey, are you alright!?"
At the sight of his brother, Nobutoshi was irate. He was trembling, not with fear, but
with rage. Someone had beaten the hell out of Izuku. This was so much worse than
he had imagined when those students were gossiping about it. It was the most
terrible thing he had ever seen, worse than anything on TV. This was real life.
"Nobu, I'm okay," Izuku managed.
"You're not! We need to get you to, like, a hospital!"
His brother laughed weakly. "It's not that bad. I can… I can get up…"
"Let me help you!" Nobutoshi sat his brother up, leaning him against a nearby tree.
"Does it hurt?"
"...It's getting better. I just need some time. That guy's quirk is… really cool, actually.
I was powerless against it."
"The guy who did this? Bakugo?"
"Y-Yeah. How do you know this name?"
"I heard it from someone else. Why did you pick a fight with him, Izuku? Did he
insult you? Because of your quirklessness? Is that what happened?"
"That wasn't why," he mumbled. "He did do that, but it wasn't why. I wouldn't fight
someone because of what they said…"
"Why, then? You had something to prove? Ego?"
"Of course not. It was because…" He pointed behind Nobutoshi.
Nobutoshi turned around. There was another boy there, clearly shaken up, gripping
his sides and looking at the ground.
"Who are you?" Nobutoshi inquired.
"I'm… I'm…" The boy shook his head. "He saved me!"
"Saved you…?" Nobutoshi turned back to Izuku. "What does he mean?"
"They were trying to bully him… I think because he said something about being a
hero in class. They tried to attack him. I thought that was wrong, so I wanted to
defend him…" Izuku's shoulders slumped. "But they just beat me up instead. I'm so
weak, Nobu… There was nothing I could do."
"You're not weak. You did the right thing, Izuku. Hey, you!" He called out to the boy
who Izuku had rescued. "Can you get my brother to the nurse's office? I want him to
get a check up and everything. In the meantime… I am going to punish the person
who did this."
Izuku's eyes widened. "H-Huh? Wait, Nobu, what are you—"
Nobutoshi shot into the air and squeezed his eyes shut. He shut out Izuku's
tear-filled questioning beneath him, shut out the birds chirping in the leafy trees,
shut out everyone in the area except for a certain cruel, patronizing tone that he
knew would belong to the person he was searching for. His superhuman senses led
him there, enhanced by the pulsing, undulating desire that had caught alight inside
him… I need to punish them… Punish them… Punish them…
There were three male students loitering nearby, thinking they owned the place.
They were sweaty, a bit disheveled, flexing their quirks… One of them had blood on
his right fist, and another laughed scornfully about 'smashing' a weaker student.
Gotcha. Nobutoshi flew in their direction and crashed into the ground in front of
them. Two of the boys jumped backwards, astonished and afraid. But the third one…
Light, spiky hair. Hands in pockets. Stupid smirk. An overwhelming air of arrogance
that seemed to attract these groveling underlings to him like moths to light. The only
one that didn't look scared, even though he damn well should have been. Nobutoshi
knew he had found the culprit.
"You're Bakugo," he said. It was a statement, not a question.
Bakugo raised an eyebrow and guffawed. "Uh, yeah? Wanna chat?"
"I do, actually. I really do." Nobutoshi balled his fists. He was so volcanically angry
that he was actually coming across very calm. He decided to interrogate them before
dealing any damage. "Why did you do that just before?"
Bakugo laughed. "Do what?"
"You know what."
"Nah, I don't."
"Beat up that boy."
"Let me ask you something. Why do I have to answer your questions, huh? Who the
hell are you? Where did you come from?"
"My name is Midoriya Nobutoshi."
"Oh. Well, I actually don't care. Can you piss off?" Bakogo waved his hand
dismissively. "Go away or you'll regret it. I own this playground."
"B-Bakugo!" one of his underlings—the one with the wings—whispered to him in a
frantic tone, "I think that guy from before… That guy we just smashed… His name is
also Midoriya…"
"Haaah? Like that loser from before?"
"Yeah, so they're brothers… A-And this guy has a bad rep already. I don't think we
should—"
Bakugo smacked the winged boy. "Don't be a pussy. So they're brothers? Hey,
Nobutoshi, was it? Did you come to get revenge for your brother?"
"Yes," Nobutoshi said. "I'm glad you understand. But first, I want to know… Why
did you do it? Answer carefully, because this will decide how much I hurt you."
"This kid's talking like he's in a manga," Bakugo laughed. Unlike his underlings, he
was still not intimidated by Nobutoshi's words. In fact, he seemed to be growing in
confidence, as if he were completely sure he would win in a fight. "Your brother got
in my way. It was his fault."
"That's not what he told me," Nobutoshi said. "He was defending someone you were
picking on."
"Oh, that guy… Yeah, he was talking all high and mighty, you know, saying he wants
to be a hero when he grows up."
"...And what's wrong with that?"
"What's wrong?" Bakugo grinned. "His quirk is weak as shit. Nothing annoys me
more than people who don't recognise how pathetic they are. And how powerful I
am. I'm the strongest guy in this school. Anyone who resists that is going to have a
bad time." The grin spread wider, more arrogant and awful. "That brother of yours
was the same. He actually tried to be a hero there, but guess what? He didn't have a quirk at all. Nothing! He's basically a predeveloped lifeform, a stunted baby, to not
even have—"
"Stop talking," Nobutoshi said, his voice shaking. "I am going to make you take
everything you said back."
"Huuh? What, don't you agree with me, though?"
"Of course I don't!"
"You think your bro can be a pro hero?"
"He can."
Bakugo shook his head. "You're in denial, dude. I'm doing him a favor by showing
him how harsh reality is."
"But—"
"You've got an okay quirk, by the looks of it. Not as good as mine, yeah, but it lets
you fly around. Maybe you could be a hero, get into one of the smaller schools, and
do it that way… But your brother? What's he going to do?"
"He's… He's…" Nobutoshi gritted his teeth. He was appalled at himself for
legitimately pondering this question. He'd always thought: of course Izuku could be
a hero! He had such a noble heart. He studied daily and had his future planned out.
But… he had no quirk. That was such a massive wall to overcome.
"Coming around, right?" Bakugo laughed. "How about this, then? Ditch your weak
brother and join my squad. No one will mess with you if you're working with me."
"There's no way I'd ever join the 'squad' of such a bad person."
"That so?"
"Yeah." Nobutoshi took a step forward. "I'm going to make you regret everything."
Bakugo rolled his eyes. "Listen to this guy…" The spiky-haired boy matched
Nobutoshi's step forward, bringing his right hand out in front of him. He expanded
and retracted his fingers, as if he were examining them for marks. Then, suddenly, a
white-hot explosion bubbled up from his palm, sizzling noisily in the air and
dissipating.
Nobutoshi paused, curious. So that's his quirk. The ability to make explosions out of
nothing. He had to admit: it seemed quite powerful. Out of all the students' quirks he had seen, it was the best-suited for fighting, especially if Bakugo was immune to the
blasts himself.
"What's the matter? Scared?"
"Of course not," Nobutoshi said. "I was just thinking it's sad that someone like you
was given that power…"
"Aww, feelin' sorry for your brother, are you? Don't worry. You're about to get the
same treatment he did."
"You have no idea what's coming your way, idiot…"
Nobutoshi took a deep breath, gathering his strength. Standing strong in the hot
April sunlight, he felt an immense well of power inside him—a well that he had never
fully accessed. That power mingled with the desire for revenge, igniting like gasoline
at the sight of Bakugo's cocky, sniggering face.
How far can I send him flying? Fifty feet? Fifty thousand feet? With a good blow,
Nobutoshi really felt like he could smash this boy out of the stratosphere and shatter
every bone in his body. It was what he deserved! He'd never be back to bully weak
students again. Nobutoshi clenched his fist, drew his arm back, aimed at Bakugo's
chest, and—
"Nobutoshi, please stop causing trouble!"
Inko's voice rang in his mind like a bell.
Nobutoshi's fist dropped. He was recalling the several times Inko had been called
into school, still dressed in her work clothes. breathing apologies to the teachers for
the trouble her son had caused. Getting into fights, ditching classes… Every time, his
single mother was called away from the job she worked so hard at to support her
sons, and she looked so stressed.
He realized he could not take part in this fight. Not if it was going to implicate his
mother, who wanted nothing more than for him to be a polite, happy, responsible
boy… She would be so heartbroken if that didn't come to be.
The woman who meant the most to him in the world. His mother.
I can't do it. I… can't hit this guy, or else…
Taking advantage of this moment of hesitation, Bakugo's palm sliced through the air
and detonated in Nobutoshi's face. The explosion sent him skidding backwards along
the dusty schoolyard.
"Hah! Got you!" Bakugo hooted. "Now you're… Huh? You're still standing? Did I…
miss?"
Nobutoshi exhaled a gust of smoke and wiped at his cheeks. There was not so much
as a scratch on his face. He fixed Bakugo with a dark, intense glare, and turned
around.
"I changed my mind," he muttered. "Be glad. If you ever touch my brother again, you
won't be so lucky." And with that, he took off into the sky again, feeling unable to
restrain his rage any longer in front of that sneering, all-too-punchable face…
"Oh, so you're pussying out, yeah? Just like that? So suddenly!" Bakugo doubled over
laughing. "Too scared of my quirk, I'd bet! A weakling,like your brother! Hey, come
back! I'll hit you properly next time!"
Stop talking, Nobutoshi thought, flying higher and higher until even his superhuman
hearing could not pick up what Bakugo was saying. Even if you did that attack a
thousand times, it wouldn't take me down. He hovered amongst the clouds, looking
down at the now-tiny school, trying to exhale his rage, trying to convince himself
that he'd made the right decision. If it weren't for Inko, he'd have ended that
infuriating bully. He'd have sent him flying. Dealt irreversible damage. But… for his
mother, he'd decided not to.
Someday, he promised silently. Someday, Bakugo, I'll give you what you deserve…
I'll never forget what you did to my brother…
(line break!)
That night, Nobutoshi was still fuming. He kept picturing Bakugo's face and all the
terrible things he should have done to it. At Izuku's request, he hadn't reported the
kid to the school authorities, so Bakugo was probably still running rampant, picking
on weaklings, feeding his misguided superiority complex. He might even bully Izuku
again. Still, Izuku seemed okay with that, in a weird way… He was so relieved when
he saw Nobutoshi and realized no serious fighting had taken place.
What nonsense… Trying to defend the kid who beat you up…
Along with Inko and Izuku, he sat in front of the TV, dark thoughts running through
his mind. Why was everyone so interested in protecting this bully? If he wasn't
punished, he wouldn't learn.
"You boys were quiet tonight," Inko said nervously, drawing Nobutoshi out of his
thoughts. "Did something bad happen at school? Was it that stumble?"
Nobutoshi glanced at Izuku, who shook his head quickly. "No," they answered in
unison. It was best not to tell Inko, who would be needlessly traumatized by the
truth. As far as she knew, Izuku's injuries were from a 'stumble' down the stairs.
"Oh… That's good. Did you have a nice time, then?"
"I did," Izuku muttered. "I, uh, made a new friend. His name is Kai. We're similar
people, I think…"
Kai, Nobutoshi thought. He must mean that kid he saved from Bakugo. The one
who was too cowardly to fight for himself.
"How lovely!" Inko said. "What about you, Nobutoshi? Did you meet any friends?"
"No. I don't think anyone wants to be my friend."
"That's not true!" Izuku said. "You'll get along with Kai! I know you will!"
"Maybe…" He looked afraid of me, though. And I don't care for him.
"I'll introduce you properly. O-Oh, look! It's All Might! Mom, turn it up!"
The news was airing an interview from All Might, the number one hero. He'd just
defeated another powerful villain, and he was talking about how it was easy work,
how there was nothing to fear, how everything was fine because was there… All
Might always gave these types of speeches. They were full of energy and charisma.
Nobutoshi found them just as enticing as his brother when they were younger, but
now he was less interested. It was the same thing every time. Of course, Izuku was
still smitten.
"Keep it up, All Might!" Izuku cried, as if he could be heard through the TV screen.
Nobutoshi smiled slightly. As cheesy as All Might could be, he was the absolute best
at cheering up his brother.
The news report shifted to a different hero. He was a large, imposing man with a
beard of fire. Endeavor. It was a similar press conference setting, though there were
a lot less people in attendance.
"Look, it's the number two hero!" Izuku said. "He's super cool too. But he's been,
like, unpopular lately."
"Has he?" Nobutoshi asked. "Why?"
"Well, listen to what he's saying here… The reporters are being really mean to him."
Nobutoshi did as his brother suggested. He was right—the reporters were being
harsh, sticking microphones in the hero's fiery face and asking him bold,
judgemental questions. They had so much respect for All Might before, but none for
Endeavor.
"Don't you think you went too far, Endeavor?"
"Endeavor, have you heard the complaints about how you treated those villains?"
"Was it really necessary to incinerate that man, Endeavor?"
"Endeavor! At this rate, do you think you will drop in the hero rankings?"
"What would All Might do in this situation?"
"What that man does is none of my concern!" Endeavor thundered, silencing the
reporters. "When dealing with villains, I do not show mercy. They must be
thoroughly punished for endangering lawful citizens. If you do not like watching me
work, avert your eyes. Watch some other hero who cares more about his image than
saving people!"
The interview broadcast was cut off. The headline that raced across the screen read:
Pro Hero Endeavor Under Pressure for Unethical Treatment of Villains.
"He's a hard man, that Endeavor," Inko said, somewhat sadly. "To be honest, I find
him a bit scary… All those things he's notorious for… How he speaks in those
conferences…"
"Actually, I agree with him," Nobutoshi said.
"P-Pardon?"
"I think he's right. The way I see it, villains are the scum of the earth. They pick on
weaker people and try to make everything about them. I don't think Endeavor should
be criticized for punishing evil people, even if it makes people uncomfortable."
Inko looked concerned. "Nobutoshi… Didn't you hear what he did? He was
incinerating people… You know what that word means, right? It means—"
"Yeah, I know. And he was doing it to villains. People that deserved it. If people are
criminals or just generally bad, I don't think they should expect to be treated like
humans at all."
There was no response to this. Inko went silent, her eyes wide. Izuku looked dejected
and looked off to the side—he had probably linked this tirade to the earlier events of
the day, when he was bullied by Bakugo.
"...Have you been watching too many violent movies, Nobutoshi?" Inko eventually
asked.
"Uh, not really."
"Then…" She sighed, shaking her head. "To say such things…"
"It's just what I think," Nobutoshi muttered, regretting being so honest. "I'm, uh,
going to have a shower…"
As he stood under the hot shower water, Nobutoshi sighed. It was starting to dawn
on him that his views of the world differed greatly from those he cared about. It was
such an obvious, logical thing that villains should be punished harshly. Otherwise,
they'd just repeat their evil deeds! The same logic applied to bullies like Bakugo.
Preventing their crime and letting them leave without serious repercussions was
nowhere near enough. They needed to learn. They needed to be punished.
Nobutoshi felt a storm brewing within him. That deep well of power was agitated,
begging for release. He closed his eyes and saw images of Endeavor, that stern hero
sitting before the press conference. For the first time in his life, he felt he really,
seriously wanted to be a hero, not because he wanted to bond with his brother or
because he thought All Might was kind of cool, but because he had Endeavor's
attitude. It wasn't something that just anyone could emulate. But he knew he could.
He had the same view of how to manage society.
When I become a hero, I want to be like him. I won't show mercy to the scumbags of
the world…
(Line break!)
Aldera Junior High was, for the most part, a nice place. Nobutoshi's years of
elementary schooling passed like a blur. He turned up to his classes as much as he could without being bored, did generally well academically, and even made a few
friends here and there. He spent most of his time keeping his hearing focused on
Izuku—even though they were in different classes, he could hear what his younger
brother was doing most of the time.
This led to many more confrontations with Bakugo. As the two aged, their powers
grew stronger.
Nobutoshi would secretly fly off to the nearby abandoned park—a place that had
always inexplicably attracted him—to test his powers, shattering boulders and
blasting trees with his heat vision. It was a good way to let off steam. And he couldn't
really use his powers at school, not to their full extent. They were just too strong.
Bakugo, on the other hand, came to be revered throughout the schoolyard for his
devastating explosions that seemed to foretell his successful career as a hero. He
continued tyrannizing weaker students; Nobutoshi was the only one who could step
in to stop this. As much as it frustrated him, though, he never had a direct fight with
the bully. Inko's pleas stuck with him even as he aged… as well as the internal
promise that, someday, he was going to have his revenge.
Izuku still did not have a quirk. It was just as the doctor said—he was destined to be
quirkless forever. Nobutoshi wondered if this would cause his brother to give up on
his dreams, but it seemingly had the opposite effect. Izuku would train like an athlete
and fill up a notebook with strategies and observations of pro heroes. He was really
trying to be a hero. Despite everything.
Eventually, it came time to select a future pathway. The prospect of high school
loomed over them all.
"So, class," Izuku's teacher said. "Soon you'll have to hand in your high school
application forms. Since you're all third years, it's time to think seriously about your
future... I'll pass out the handouts for your prospects, but... You're all pretty much
planning to go into the hero course, right?" The class erupted, showcasing their wild
abilities. "Yes, yes! You all have wonderful quirks. Please don't use them at school,
though…"
"Teacher!" Bakugo called, his legs on his desk. "Don't lump us all in the same group.
I'm not going to be stuck at the bottom with the rest of these rejects!"
"Ah, if I remember correctly, you want to go to UA, right?"
Gossiping broke out. Everyone was talking about UA and what a big deal it was. No
one, except Bakugo, really thought they could make it in.
"UA? That national school?"
"It was in the top 0.2% this year, you know! Their acceptance rate's always really
low, too!"
"That's exactly why you're all rejects," Bakugo added cockily. "I aced the mock test!
I'm the only one in this school who could possibly get into UA! I'll definitely surpass
All Might and become the top hero!"
The teacher looked at the piece of paper in front of him, squinting. "Oh yeah,
Midoriya wanted to go to UA too, right?"
The class was silent for a moment.
One person said, "Midoriya Nobutoshi, you mean? That brooding guy from the other
class?"
"Oh, yeah," another said, "he doesn't come to school as much, but his quirk is really
strong. He might have a shot."
Bakugo snorted. "That guy wishes his quirk was as good as mine. He always stops
short of fighting me, so he's a total bitch—"
"Uh, let's not talk about anything against the rules," the teacher interrupted. "I'm
talking about the Midoriya in this class. Midoriya Izuku."
The class was silent for another moment. Then it exploded with laughter. Students
chastised the younger Midoriya sibling, saying he was being ridiculous, saying you
can't get into a hero course just by studying. Bakugo sauntered over to Izuku and
blasted his desk, sending the green-haired boy flying backwards.
"Hey, Deku! You're below the rejects, remember? You're quirkless!"
"W-Wait, Kacchan!" Izuku mumbled. "I-I'm not trying to compete with you or
anything! I'm just—It's been my goal ever since I was little, together with Nobu, and
I won't know until I try…"
He was truly committed, no matter what his class thought of his dreams. After class,
Izuku scrolled through the news on his phone, reading about the hero-related
incidents that had happened earlier in the day. He brought out his trusty notebook,
meaning to write some of it down.
Suddenly, Bakugo snatched it out of his hand. "We're not done talking yet, Deku."
"P-Pardon?"
"I said we're not done talking. We don't have as much time to chat these days, now
that your brother is always breathing down my neck. Or… is he your babysitter?"
"H-He's not my babysitter! He just happens to be around, and he cares a lot about
me…"
"He takes care of you like you're a little lamb," Bakugo sneered. "It's embarrassing,
but I guess I don't blame him. You've got no quirk, after all."
"But… I just…"
"What's this book? 'Hero Analysis for the Future?'" Bakugo placed it in between his
palms and blasted the paper, reducing the book to a smoking mess.
"H-Hey! That's mean!"
With no hesitation, he tossed it out the window. "I want to shine by being the only
student from this shithole to get into UA. So don't apply, and while you're at it, tell
your brother not to apply either."
"We're going to do… what we want to do."
He started walking off, shaking his head. "Give up on this hero shit, nerd." Before he
reached the door, he paused. "Of course, if you wanna be a hero that bad, there's a
quick way to do it. Believe you'll be born with a quirk in your next life… and take a
dive off the roof!"
(Line break!)
Izuku found his ruined notebook floating in a water exhibit by the window. He
plucked it from the water glumly, hanging his head with shame. If he couldn't even
stand up for himself, what chance did he have of being a hero? It was probably time
for him to give up on his dreams, once and for all.
"Izuku!" came his brother's voice.
He turned around to see Nobutoshi standing before him. His brother's school shirt
was crinkly and untucked, and his hair was messy—indications that he had come
very quickly, flying across the school. His face was stern and his fists were
clenched—indications that he was very, very angry.
"What is it, Nobu?" Izuku asked, a sad note to his voice.
"I know what happened," Nobutoshi snapped. "That fucking asshole, bullying you in
front of the whole class… And then telling you to jump off a roof. How could he say
something so demented? He should be arrested."
"You… heard all that?"
"I did, yeah. Every bit."
"Your hearing's getting even better, Nobu," he said emptily. "It's crazy…"
"I'm just relieved I could get here before anything else happened. Where did that
asshole go? Oh, over there?"
"Nobu…"
"I need to confront him. Hell, I'm going to beat him up this time. I've been holding
back for years, but this is the last straw."
"Don't, Nobu."
"Going to make him sorry for everything he's said. Hey, can you hold my bag? This
won't take long… I'm going to—"
"WILL YOU PLEASE LISTEN TO ME?"
Nobutoshi froze. In his entire life, he could count on his fingers how many times his
brother had full-on shouted at him. This was one of those times. Izuku was breathing
in and out heavily, a wild look in his eyes. He was close to tears as he tried to
articulate how he was feeling.
"E-Every single time… It's always like this, Nobu… You always run off when I don't
want you to… You always do these silly things."
"Izuku, I'm doing it for you—"
"But you never listen to what I want! I don't want you to go after him. I really don't."
"He deserves a beating, though." Nobutoshi crossed his arms, anxious to send
Bakugo flying. "I can't believe I've held back for so long. It's dumb."
"Well, I'm the one he's been harassing. And I don't want you to do anything, please."
"Not even a talking-to?"
"Not even that."
"Because you're embarrassed?"
"Well, yeah, but that's not important."
"Is it actually because he called me your babysitter?"
Izuku sighed. "You heard that too? No, of course it isn't the reason. I just don't want
you always racing off to defend me… You have your own life. And I have mine."
"You're my brother. I need to defend you from that guy."
"Because I'm weak, right? Weak and quirkless?" A few tears slid down Izuku's face.
He looked down. "All I have is this soggy notebook, and it isn't getting me anywhere.
I guess I can't blame you. I can only blame myself."
"Izuku…"
"I can't believe I'm crying again. I'm always crying in front of you…' Izuku sniffled
noisily, wiping at his face. "Always needing to be defended… Dreaming of something
that isn't going to be…"
Nobutoshi walked up to his brother and hugged him, hard. He held Izuku there,
wishing he knew how to fix this situation. He had been ignorant, he realized—his
brother had pride too. "I won't go after him this time," he said. "I swear. Should we
just talk about things, then? Get ramen after school like usual? Maybe that would
make you feel better, yeah, Izuku? Izuku?"
"N-Nobu… I…"
"Hm?"
"I can't b-breathe…"
"Oh!" He released Izuku from his embrace, watching as the boy gasped for air. "Sorry
about that…"
"It's fine," Izuku chuckled, shaking his head. "Damn, you're even stronger than you
used to be."
"Yeah, I have to remember not to use my powers in daily life…"
Izuku pointed to a nearby bench. "Should we… sit down?"
"Okay, let's do that."
The two brothers took their places on the bench. Izuku seemed to have perked up a
little, but there was still a pervading gloom about him. Nobutoshi was trying to give
his whole attention to his brother. He placed a hand across Izuku's shoulders, extra
careful not to use his super-strength this time.
"You know, I don't think I've asked," Izuku said, after a long pause. "What school are
you applying for? Obviously I'm picking UA, but that probably isn't going to work
out…"
"I haven't decided yet," Nobutoshi said truthfully. "Does it really matter?"
"Does it ma—Of course it does! You do want to be a hero, right? Most of the top
heroes come out of the top schools!"
"Right…"
"You could pick UA as well. It's the best one. You even get taught by pro heroes! In
fact, I've heard All Might is going to be a teacher!"
"Huh… What about the others? Endeavor, for example?"
"I don't know… B-But, I'm pretty sure there are internships with all the pro agencies!
So you could go anywhere you want once you get to that point. It would be so
awesome…" Izuku's shoulders slumped. "If I could somehow get in… Either way, you
should write UA down on your form. Talk to your career advisor about it."
"That's where Bakugo's going, though."
"Hm? Yeah, Kacchan's going there too. He's probably going to get in."
"I don't want to go anywhere that asshole is also going."
"He's going there because it's where all the strongest people go. And, like, with your
quirk… You have a much better shot than I do."
"Yeah…" As much as he wanted to, Nobutoshi could not deny the gigantic gap in
strength between him and his quirkless brother. "With enough determination, you
could probably get in there too…'
"Maybe…" For the umpteenth time that day, Izuku sighed. "Bakugo's right, you
know."
"No, he isn't—"
"I don't like how he's so arrogant either, but it's true that I'm weak and quirkless.
The chances of me getting in are less than zero."
"Don't say that…"
"You agree, right?"
"No!"
Izuku's face softened as he looked his brother in the eye. "I know you're trying to
make me feel better. You wouldn't do that for anyone other than me. Still, I want you
to tell me the truth, just this once… Do you think I can be a hero? Like All Might?"
"Well…"
"Be honest."
Nobutoshi gulped. He was rarely fearful of anything, but he felt fear then. He didn't
want to ruin Izuku's dreams, not when Bakugo had been trying to do that for years.
"It would be hard," he admitted. "As you currently are, I can't see how it would be
possible."
"As I currently am…" It looked like Izuku was playing with the words, testing out
how they sounded inside of him. "But there's not much chance of me changing, is
there? If I don't have a quirk by this point. It's just hopeless… Oh, what if I had a
Secondary Quirk Awakening, even if I don't currently have a quirk? Hmm, that
would require some type of freak accident, so I can't bank on it…"
"This isn't fair, you know," Nobutoshi said, his voice low. "It isn't fair that the people
who get powers are the ones who least deserve them. This world… isn't fair."
"I guess you're right… Can you promise me something, though, Nobu?"
"Yeah? Anything."
"Fill out your application form. Go to your advisor. Attend the exam. Get into UA.
You're so gifted that you'll probably pass with flying colors."
"Okay, we both—"
Izuku shook his head. He looked at his brother, eyes shimmering with tears,
somehow holding them back. "Just you. Nobu, please… I want you to become a hero
for me."
Nobutoshi's heart twisted in his chest. That statement was loaded with subtext:
become a hero for me, because I cannot be a hero myself. He wanted to tell Izuku he
was wrong, but there was no way. Nobutoshi had never been a genius with words. He
told things how they were. He didn't give false hope, which was why he was so bad at
his prior attempts.
Izuku was right—he knew that. When he imagined his brother putting himself in the
way of dangerous villains, the thought was sickening. Those who fought crime
needed to be abnormally strong themselves, like All Might and Endeavor, or even
Bakugo, with training and discipline… As annoying as that was to admit…
"One more request," Izuku said, looking away. "And this one is a bit selfish, so I hope
you'll go along with it."
"Okay…"
"Leave me alone for a while."
"Alone? But, Izu—"
"Please! I need time by myself. My whole life, I've had you to protect me… I'm sure I
would have run into so many problems without you. I'm sure Bakugo would have
bullied me way more if you weren't there to scare him off. You've done so much, and
I'm thankful for that…" He took a shaky breath. "Just this once, though, I want to
grow without you. I want to find out who I really am."
"What if something happens, though?"
"I'll have to deal with it."
"What if Bakugo comes back?"
"I'll survive."
"What if… you're walking home and you run into a strong villain?"
"There's no chance of that happening. This is a safe neighborhood."
Nobutoshi considered this. "You're absolutely sure?"
"I am."
"We're still going to… live together, right?"
"Yeah, it would just worry mom if we didn't. But let's not walk home together. And
don't keep an ear out for me." He stood up and, without warning, smiled brightly.
"Thanks for listening to me, Nobu. I'll just need a few days."
"Okay…"
He watched Izuku leave, gathering his school supplies and that soggy hero notebook,
walking home on his own…
Nobutoshi had to fight the desire to monitor him closely, knowing that Bakugo could
still be hiding, waiting to say more cruel things. Izuku wouldn't even know if he was
being monitored, of course, but Nobutoshi had sworn he wouldn't. He had promised
to leave Izuku alone for a while.
Okay. If that's what he wants.
It felt wrong, but Izuku never asked for anything so forcefully. If he was really going
to come to terms with himself, Nobutoshi supposed this was a small price to pay.
He loitered around in that area for a while, wondering what he should do next. It was
a weird sensation: somehow, Izuku asking to be left alone had freed Nobutoshi of
commitments he had always shouldered his whole life. His brother no longer wanted
protection. He was no longer allowed to go after Bakugo, as much as he still itched to
change the shape of that spiky-haired idiot's face.
Maybe I should fly over to the park and shatter some boulders, he thought. That
would help me blow of some steam. But he made himself stick to the ground. He
had promised Izuku something else in that conversation. Instead of taking out his
anger on rocks, he rummaged around in his school bag, pulled out the form from his
career advisor, and filled it in:
OCCUPATION: PROFESSIONAL HERO… SCHOOL PREFERENCES: U.A. High
School.
His scrappy handwriting stared back at him, paving a future before his eyes. He still
wasn't sold on the idea of going to a hero academy, but somehow… This looked right.
More interesting than any other options.
"Okay then," he said to himself, "UA it is."
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Nobutoshi, Izuku Midoriya was frozen in fear within a
dark tunnel, watching as a monstrous, sludge-like creature rose before him. He
didn't know it then, but this was an encounter that would change both their lives
forever.