Flashbacks are italicized. Current events are not.

CHAPTER 1

AWAKE

(4 years old Aizawa Izuku, 12 years ago, Aizawa Manor, 3rd Biggest Bedroom)

The tuft of green hair immediately hid itself under the white covers as Aizawa Shouta opened the door and entered the room. The raven-haired man crossed the room and sat on the huge bed of his usually affectionate daughter who was being elusive towards him at the moment. His gaze softened at the big bulge under the white covers. He'll have to coax her out at this rate. And so he began.

"You know, I missed my only daughter today. She usually comes to see me at my office every night so I waited and waited and waited again but she never came."

The covers shifted.

"I came to see her but it seems she doesn't want to see me. I think she doesn't even want to talk to me anymore."

The covers shifted again and this time there was a sniffle and whimper.

"I guess she must hate me now."

The second the sentence left his mouth, the covers flew to reveal a green haired little girl with tears pooling her big eyes and teardrops on her cheeks. Said pint-sized human immediately tackled her father, her arms firmly around the man's neck.

"Not true! Tha' not true!" She bawled. "I was a bad girl… I got into trouble… I hurt someone… I was bad cause I hurt someone… but… but… I didn't want Papa to know because Papa… might… Papa might…*sob* ha-hate meee… but I didn't wanna lie because I love Papa… but then… Papa will know and… Papa will hate meee… I didn't want Papa to hate meee…"

Shouta just sighed in relief as he held his daughter securely against him. He rubbed circles on Izuku's back to try and calm her down but it seemed that his little girl still had a lot of tears to pump out even though she'd been crying since hours ago.

After a while, the girl calmed down and Shouta broke the hug and placed her on his lap still with his arms around her. He looked down at his daughter and he struggled to keep his lips from twitching into a smile. Only his daughter could look this adorable despite being the pint-size little mess that she was with her glassy reddened eyes, tear stains on her cheeks and the little pout on her lips.

"So will you tell me what happened now, Izuku?"

Tears started to prickle on Izuku's eyes again so it was Shouta's cue to reassure her.

"Trust your Papa, Izuku."

The girl sniffled and tried to stop her tears with every will power she had as she understood her father's words. And said father found the sight very adorable.

"I wanted to go to the castle greenhouse to keep my promise to Mr. Toshi and-"

"Mr. Toshi? Who?" Shouta interjected.

"I met him yesterday. He was really kind and he played with me all afternoon. He told me to call him Uncle Toshi but I didn't because I don't think we're related. He had blonde hair and my hair is green and Mama's hair is green and Papa's hair is black so I don't think we're related. I know Papa told me not to talk to strangers but Mr. Toshi is really nice and he played with me and he laughs and smiles a lot so he is not a bad stranger. He told me he works in the castle so he must be slacking when I met him cause he wasn't working and-"

Shouta's eyebrow twitched as he deduced who the stranger 'Mr. Toshi' actually was. Really. The audacity of that man. How dare he play with his daughter when he couldn't? He mentally noted to give the man extra paperwork tomorrow and to discuss genetics and relations to his daughter soon.

"Izuku, tell me what happened next."

"Oh. Sorry for rambling again, Papa. Okay. I wanted to go to the greenhouse but Papa, you said not to go to places alone so I asked Hii-kun to come with me."

"Hii-kun?" Shouta scanned his brain on who could that 'Hii-kun' be. His daughter was usually polite towards adults so she wouldn't normally make up nicknames for them. It was probably another kid. Someone his daughter met and played with. "Hitoshi? Shinsou Hitoshi? Our retainer's seven year old son?"

"Un." Izuku nodded. "So we both headed to the greenhouse but I got clumsy again and I tripped and…"

Shouta noticed how his daughter's eyes went downcast. He immediately knew that's when the trouble started so he let his daughter continue.

"I bumped into someone and I made the man drop a bottle of red juice. I said sorry but he still got angry. He was about to grab me but Hii-kun stopped him so he got angry at Hii-kun too. He grabbed Hii-kun on the neck then his hands started smoking. I think he was using his quirk and... Then Hii-kun told me to run but I didn't want to leave him. He looked like he was in a lot of pain so I didn't wanna leave him. I wanted to save him so I bit the man's other arm but he just flung me away."

Someone just warranted his own death sentence and Shouta would make sure it happens. He didn't and couldn't miss the bandages on his daughter's head, arms and legs.

"I think I hit my head on the ground because it hurt and I started to see something strange. There was a fog around the man and Hii-kun. It was dense and white. I saw that the man's hands was still smoking and it's really hurting Hii-kun. I wanted it to stop then suddenly the fog around the man disappeared and he dropped Hii-kun."

A fog around a person? A quirk user? Did his daughter just gained the ability to see if someone was quirkless or not? Then the fog disappearing when she wanted it too, did she perhaps also inherit his quirk?

"You also have it too, Papa." His daughter's voice broke him out of thoughts. "But yours' is different. It's blue and it's really, really thick unlike the man."

That confirmed it. His daughter could see something others couldn't and maybe with a few tests they could confirm if it only appears on quirk users or not. But that had to be dealt with later. Izuku wasn't finished with her story just yet.

"Then what happened, Izuku?"

"I saw burn marks on Hii-kun's neck and I got really angry. I wanted to hurt the man. I wished that rocks would hit him and then…"

Shouta held his daughter closer as she choked and began to cry again.

"It happened. The rocks on the ground flew and it started hitting the man and… I think I finally got my quirk but…but… I only used it to hurt someone… I just used my quirk to hit someone, Papa."

Little Izuku's tears fell once again and understanding shined on Shota's eyes. His child was just practically like her mother. Too loving, too gentle and too kind for the kind of world they live in. And it seemed like she also inherited her mother's quirk albeit a variation or mutation of it.

"I think my quirk also got upset with me, Papa. It hurt me when I was using it. My head hurt a lot and I got dizzy and then I couldn't stay awake anymore. It got angry I hurt someone, Papaaa." Izuku bawled.

Shouta frowned. Using her mother's quirk hurt her? Some kind of backlash? Does it mean it'll be dangerous for her if she used it again? Shouta looked at his daughter again. Then again, that could be dealt with properly later. Now, he better calm his daughter down.

"Izuku, a quirk doesn't get angry or upset." He reassured.

"It doesn't?" The little girl stopped crying and looked up at him expectantly.

"It doesn't."

"But I hurt someone with my quirk."

"You also hurt him when you bit him."

Tears started pooling on Izuku's eyes again. That wasn't supposed to come out that way. Shouta groaned.

"Why did you bite him, Izuku? Why did it ever cross your mind to hurt him?"

"He was hurting, Hii-kun. I wanted him to stop. I wanted Hii-kun back."

"That's right." Shouta hugged his daughter close. "Sometimes when we had to protect ourselves and the ones we want to protect, there will be times when we had to hurt someone to protect them. I wanted to keep this from you for as long as I could but, Izuku, this world is not that kind and more so the people living in it. "

"So there are bad people like in the stories?"

"Yes, but that is enough for now. I'd like to keep you innocent of those things for as long as I could. You understand me right, Izuku?"

Hesitantly, the girl nodded. "So I'm not in trouble? No one's in trouble?"

"There is someone in trouble." Especially the suicidal walking dead man that hurt his daughter. "But don't worry about that, Izuku. It's not you or your friend."

"So you don't hate me, Papa? You still love me?"

At the worried question of his child, Shouta sighed and hugged his precious bundle tight. He gave her a tender kiss on the forehead. He wasn't one with words but he hoped his actions would carry his feelings more than any words could ever do.

(Through the eyes of 16 years old Aizawa Izuku, Present Day, Unknown Location)

"Oi, if you're fucking awake then open your fucking eyes already."

I groaned as the gruff voice rang on my head. My head throbbed and I felt pain all over my body.

"Oi"

The voice demanded again. Then suddenly I felt something slimy slide over my cheek. Now, that got me to open my eyes. I sat up and then my eyes roamed to my side.

"Ahhh!"

"Shut your fucking mouth, woman. You're blowing my fucking eardrums off!"

Then I turned my head to the voice.

"Ah!"

"And now you're fucking scared of me too?!"

How could I not be?! On my left was a red reptile with wings on its back. It was the size of a small dog and it was looking up at me with expectant eyes and its red tongue was out dripping with saliva. It was the thing that licked me. It looked like a baby wyvern but it kinda looked a bit different. For one, wyverns are more slender and this one was fat? I think its scales looked harder and thicker too. It also had a horn on its head, something wyverns never had. More importantly, it had teeth that could easily bite off my arm!

On my right was a boy my age. Normally one would think that something or, more accurately, someone of my own species wouldn't scare me but this… person was different. His state of dress and the marks on his body clearly screamed mountain tribe. I've only heard of them but most people said they were savages. They said they were barbaric and uncultured people who refused to settle in one place like the rest of the civilization, preferring to move from one location to another. Mothers used them to scare children to sleep. Stories about them always depicted their uncontrollable rage and bloodthirsty violence.

More importantly, the boy was a quirk user and strong one at that. The aura hugging his body was orange, a very, very thick orange, almost red. His aura was very dense almost as dense as my father's and Uncle Hizashi's and they were two of the most powerful quirk users I know.

It was an unknown predator and an unknown possible murderer! People! I had every right to be scared!

I stared at the boy speechlessly and I just knew that I had fear practically written on my face. The boy stared back at me seemingly assessing me. He's probably deciding if he should cook me for dinner or just murder me in cold blood. I don't know which option to hope for. As I continued to stare at him, I can't help but take note of his features. The boy had blonde hair and deep red eyes. His eyes reminded me of blood. I felt a shiver down my spine. Am I gonna die for real this time?

Suddenly, the boy broke our staring contest, stood up and walked off leaving me with the strange red creature. It was still looking up at me curiously. Now that I could calmly observe it, it actually looked kinda cute. Then it moved closer to me and I shifted away but the size of the bed I was lying into didn't give enough space to move. Soon the reptile was sniffing my arm. Was it planning to bite it off? However, its next action surprised me. It rubbed its scaly head into my arm as if asking and pleading me to pet it. Hesitantly, I reached out my hand to it. It didn't try to bite me which was a very positive sign in my book. My fingertips reached its head and soon my whole palm. Its scaly skin felt warm and surprisingly comforting. My lips twitched into a smile as the little guy practically purred at my touch. Then as if finally determining that I was friendly, the little guy moved from my side to my lap as I continued to pet him.

Looking at it closer, it was kind of familiar. Then it hit me. I saw something similar. A creature like him. It was from a book at our family's library. It was a picture of a dragon. This little one was pint-sized compared to the depictions of the book but it still looked very similar to the dragons drawn in it. But that's the thing, dragons were not supposed to exist. At least not anymore. After the Great War, all of them have supposedly disappeared. The only creature nearest to dragons that currently existed was wyverns. Maybe this creature was just a wyvern with a very abundant diet and a mutated head. Maybe. I wonder where the boy got him.

Thinking and wondering, I touched my head on habit. Bandages? I traced the cloth on my head. My head was bandaged. Someone clearly treated me. Did he-

"What the fuck are you mumbling about now?"

Oh. He's back. I looked at him and this time I noticed he had a glass on one hand and a bowl on the other. Then my rebellious stomach growled. The bowl and glass was shoved towards me without ceremony.

"Get the food and water already. My hands are fucking tired carrying it."

My eyes widened at the offer and I felt my beliefs and the stories I was raised into crumble to the proverbial ground of my mentality. Wasn't he going to kill me? Wasn't he a savage? But he's offering me food and probably, most definitely, he was the one who saved me. Was this something a savage usually does? Was he really a savage that the world branded him to be? Was the mountain tribe even really savages? Somehow I don't know what to believe anymore.

The boy was crass and for the less than an hour he one-sidedly conversed with me, he may have spouted out more curse words than I ever muttered my whole life but somehow there was this feeling in my gut that told me to trust in him and his peculiar kindness.

"Thank you." I managed to choke out as I took the food and drink from his hands. "And I thank you for saving my life. It was you, right? The one who treated me?"

The boy grunted which I think was his way of saying yes. He walked around and sat down on the chair beside the bed.

"That little red fucker on your lap found you and I just carried your injured helpless ass here."

I smiled at the creature on my lap. To think that I actually got scared of it when I actually owe it my life. I owed my life to the mountain tribe boy and this red unknown creature. It was a strange feeling.

"So mind telling me now who the fuck are you and what the fuck happened to you?" The boy asked. I guess as my savior, he had the right to know

"I'm Aizawa Izuku and I'm an apprentice tactician. I was heading to Hosu when mountain bandits attacked me and I fell off from a cliff and you know the rest." I bowed my head in sincere gratitude. "Once again, thank you for saving my life and to whom do I owe my thanks to?"

"Izuku? That's a weird-ass name." He then looked at me thoughtfully. "I think Deku suits you better."

I could only gape at him, totally floored. What? Do people nowadays give nicknames to people they just met? Was he even serious?

He grinned at my expression then proceeded to introduce himself.

"From the Bakugou clan of the mountain tribe, I'm Kat-"

Suddenly, we were interrupted by loud noises outside. There were clanging sounds and there were voices of men. Then some screams of women followed. The women sounded like they were crying. Bakugou immediately snapped up. His expression was serious.

"Stay put. I'm going to see what the fuck is going on."

I nodded firmly. He went outside. I heard him curse and he entered back again. He looked furious.

"Fucking bandits. Those dipshits must have come down here from the other side of the mountain. Brought some women with them too. Probably planning to sell and enslave them. Disgusting pigs."

I immediately paled. Bandits? Again?

My eyes followed Bakugou as he took some weapons from the chest on the side. It was two falchion swords that he held on both hands. I saw something glint and I noticed the eterna stone embedded on its steel. For some unknown reason, there was energy inside eterna stones that can connect a user's quirk to his or her weapons which could also enhance it too.

"Wait, what do you plan on doing?" I asked a bit on panic. I knew the boy was strong but there may be strong bandits or even quirk users out there. Can he even take them all on and stay alive? I could tell there were a lot of bandits outside too.

"Isn't it fucking obvious? I'm murdering the disgusting shits. Those fuckers are rotten to the core anyway. The world won't miss them."

The rage on his eyes was so apparent and for a second, the stories of the mountain tribe's uncontrollable rage came back to me. No, I wasn't supposed to think that way anymore. This boy saved me and my father always told me to repay my debts.

"How many of them are outside? Can you take all of them on?" I asked.

"Why do you fucking care?"

"Because I'm coming with you."

Bakugou's eyes widened and he glared at me. "What? Why the fuck would you do that?"

"I'm going to help you defeat them. There are too many of them and there might be quirk users with them. I can help you and I will even if you won't let me." I said determinedly.

"Huh?! What the fuck do you even think you can do?! You're fucking injured! Weren't you just attacked by bandits and almost died?! Can you even stand?"

I flushed as I remembered my stupid mistake. But I can't let that stop me now. I set the red creature aside. I put my feet on the ground and stood up. I winced on the sudden pain that coursed through me but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle. I firmly looked at Bakugou.

"I may be a bit injured but I'm not helpless. Let me help. You saved my life so let me repay you."

He glared at me some more. Then he grumbled. Then he glared again. I glared back. I wasn't backing down on this.

"Fucking fine! But don't get in my way and don't get yourself fucking killed either. I just fed you so don't fucking waste it!"

I sighed at his response. I'm glad that he allowed me to help but he could be nicer about it. Even better if he could tone down his curses. But it does look like he really cared. He was just awkward about it. If this was any other time, I would have been smiling like an idiot but for now we had enemies to handle.

Bakugou and I hid in the bushes as we observed the bandits. We left the 'little red fucker', as Bakugou called it, back in the house hidden in some chest. Bakugou was really about to attack the moment we got out of his tent-like house but I stopped and suggested that we form a plan first. He reluctantly agreed, fortunately.

Anyway, the said bandits were all over the settlement. There were seven of them and there were three distressed women tied with ropes. Bakugou was right. These women were victims. They were going in and out of the tent-like houses. I think Bakugou called them ger. From what I could gather in their conversations, the bandits just attacked a group of merchants and they took the surviving women with them. They took a bad turn on their way back and coincidentally ended up here. Am I really that of a bandit magnet now? Anyway, the lot of them decided to scavenge the empty gers before they actually head back to their base or wherever forsaken place they happen to live in.

It was still a bit odd though. I haven't seen any other mountain tribe other than Bakugou. There were other gers all around but no people. Where were his parents? Was Bakugou the only one living in this settlement? If so, then why?

"So what's your fucking plan now?" I heard him ask snapping me out of my thoughts.

"There are a lot of them. Seven men and three of them are quirk users."

"How did you know?"

"My quirk" I simply answered and he grunted probably to give his acknowledgement that I'm not completely useless. "The women are also quirkless."

We lucked out on this one. About forty percent of the world's population were quirk users and to have only three of them here was good. There were only two of us so the lesser the advantage our opponents had against us was good.

Five of the bandits were searching through the gers and two of them were guarding the women. All of the quirkless had axes and swords while the quirk users were unarmed. It was either they couldn't acquire a weapon embedded with eterna stone or they didn't find it particularly important to have.

I looked at Bakugou who was still crouched down beside me. He was getting impatient.

"Let's get the men guarding the women first. Let's secure the women and then defeat the rest of them in order."

"Let's just fucking kill all of them in one swipe."

"No" I answered him sternly. "The women come first. They may use them as hostages and it will make things troublesome. You won't want that, do you?"

"Tch. Fine. So what now?"

"Let's sneak up on those two bandits guarding the women first and take them out quietly. We're taking out the nearest quirk users next."

For a moment, I was awe-struck. He took out a grown man with one slash and the other in the next second. I don't think he even activated his quirk. I knew at that moment that he wasn't an average warrior. He has prowess in battle, strength and combat instincts that was clearly a cut above the rest.

"Sa-sa-savage-"

A woman's terrified voice snapped me out of my trance. I immediately moved to cover the woman's mouth. The other women were terrified too. Well, Bakugou did just strike two men in front of them in cold blood and add the fact that he was mountain tribe. It did not help make a good first impression. Was I like this earlier too?

I turned to the women and fixed a stern stare at them. I can't have them screaming in hysterics now. "If you want to escape, then you'll have to keep quiet and cooperate with us."

I undid the ropes restraining the women.

"Hide-"

"Deku!"

It all happened in a flash. Slime-like tentacles came towards me then in the next second there was a loud explosion and I was whisked away with someone's strong arm around my waist.

"I thought I heard something odd. So it was you two?" A bandit said staring at the two of us with the others behind him.

They found us way faster than I expected but at the least the women got away. As if hearing my thoughts, another bandit one piped in, enraged.

"They released the women, aniki!"

The bandit was addressing to the man in the middle with slimy tentacles sprouting from his arms. He was probably the one who struck us.

"Doesn't matter." The man responded. "Those women are ugly bitches anyway. We've got someone of higher quality here." He licked his lips as his leering eyes were directed at me. "Those perverted old men would pay a lot of money for that green-haired hussy. Well, after we'd have fun with her. Let's just kill the savage and take her."

The others snickered in agreement. Scum. They're the lowest, no doubt about that. The word savage suited them a lot more. No. Savage might not even be enough to describe how vile they are. I'm not letting those men get out of here unscratched.

I looked at Bakugou and I could see the rage in his eyes. Seems like his in agreement with me. I assessed the situation again.

The women have probably fled away as far as they could. I still have an uninjured Bakugou here with me. There were five enemies to take down. Three of them have quirks. The two remaining quirkless men had strong builds with axes as weapons. They probably use force and brute strength than speed or sneak attacks. The quirk users had lean builds. They probably use their quirks more in combat than their own body. The one with the slimy tentacle quirk could probably extend those tentacles longer so he fights in long range or mid-range. Close range combat would be effective against him. The other quirk user was an idiot. He was grinning at us showing off his quirk by forming magma balls on his palm. Who does that in front of an unknown enemy? Anyway, those magma balls looked like it could be thrown or used on contact. My erasure quirk could temporarily rend him powerless and Bakugou could strike him out. The last one had a mutation quirk. Unfortunately, my erasure quirk was quite ineffective with that kind of quirk. I couldn't exactly erase a part of their body. The bandit had a scorpion's tail attached to his body and it might even be poisonous. We have to exercise caution against him.

I turned to Bakugou and gestured to let me go which he wordlessly complied. Then I asked him:

"Bakugou, how big can you make your explosions?

As if knowing what I had in mind, he gave me one shit-eating grin, turned one of his falchion towards the bandits and-

BOOOOM!

I knew he was strong quirk user but I never expected just how much. It was one of the flashiest, loudest and biggest explosions I've ever seen. He might even have taken out a few of them. I took out the knife I strapped on my thigh.

"Kacchan, when the smoke clears and if those quirkless brutes with the axes are still conscious, take them out first then the scorpion tail next. Be careful not to get hit by his tail since it might be poisonous. I'll keep the other quirk users occupied till you're done with the three."

"Fucking fine, Deku." Then he snapped at me. "Wait-who the fuck is Kacchan?!"

Woah. He looked angrier than I anticipated but I already ran off a bit of a distance so I playfully gave him a grin that would probably enrage him more. "Payback!"

It was fair. He just gave me nickname so why couldn't I do it too? And besides he never did finish saying his name. I've got to ask him later. For now, I'll deal with the enemy first.

I ran back and sneaked behind the other quirk users as the smoke cleared. They were still conscious as expected. They were a bit far from the explosion. The two bandits noticed me and both gestured to activate their quirks. They were a second late, however. I already activated my quirk. Rendered powerless, the bandits looked at their respective body parts in confusion giving me the perfect opportunity to attack. Taking my sight from the magma user and leaving him in confusion, I slashed my knife towards the tentacle bandit, he screamed and fell back terrified. He was even worse than I anticipated. I plunged the knife into his gut and he was out.

Then suddenly, the magma user was coming towards me with a magma ball on his hand. "I don't know what the fuck did you just do, you bitch. But now that I've got my quirk back, I'll scorch that pretty little face of yours and use you as a sex toy for the rest of your life!"

I focused my sight on the bandit to activate my quirk when suddenly, a falchion sword touched his skin and it exploded. There was no surviving from that.

I scanned the surroundings and saw the two quirkless brutes not moving with slashes and burn marks on their body. Scorpion-tail was also unconscious but only had burn marks on his body. So he was the one who got taken out with the explosion and the other quirkless bandits stayed conscious. Well, it was over now. Thankfully.

Then I turned my gaze towards Kacchan who was grinning and walking towards me. Not the nice kind of grin, mind you. It was the crazy and not a bit angry kind of grin. Did I just somehow sign my death warrant when I gave him a nickname?

"So you're not that helpless and weak, huh Deku?"

"Ummm... thank you?"

Oh no. Am I gonna die now?

"So what's with the 'Kacchan', huh Deku?"

Crap. I know it's not befitting for a noble lady to curse but can you blame me?!

Then my eyes widened. I saw movement behind Kacchan. Scorpion-tail was awake and he was going to hit Kacchan with his tail. I noticed some liquid was dripping from its tip and I knew on that moment that it was poisonous. I can't reach Kacchan on time. What do I do? What do I do?

Seconds felt like eternity. The tail's tip was a centimeter close to piercing Kacchan's skin when it was stopped in mid-air. My head ached more painfully than ever and my vision got hazy in the pain. I used my second quirk again after all these years. The next moments were hazy. I saw Kacchan's hazy form attack scorpion tail and blasted him off away. Then the pain in my head intensified. I heard Kacchan say something. Scream something. Then everything turned black.

I felt a very familiar slime slide over my cheek. I opened my eyes and groaned as I felt pain throbbing on my head. As expected, the red creature was right next to me looking at me with those expectant eyes.

"Fucking awake already? You took your fucking time sleeping, Deku. It's already evening."

I heard Kacchan from my side and sat up. I winced a bit at the soreness of my body. The red creature immediately moved to my lap and I began petting it. It purred on my touch and snuggled up to me a bit more. I looked at Kacchan who was sitting on a chair beside the bed and I saw the usual grumpy expression on his face.

"What happened? The bandits were they-"

"Those dipshits ain't anybody's concern anymore. And you fucking fainted, that's what happened."

"Oh. Thanks me for treating me again then."

"It was you, right? The one who stopped that scorpion bastard from killing me?"

I looked down the red creature on my lap. I never really did like talking about my second quirk. "Yes, it was me. My second quirk exactly."

"Why didn't you fucking used it before?"

"I couldn't. Whenever I use it, I get this unbearable headache painful enough to make me unconscious. It makes me weak after I use it too."

Kacchan grunted. I sensed that he won't probe the subject more so I decided to ask something that has been nagging on my mind for a while now.

"Hey Kacchan-"

Kacchan glared at me. Then he puffed and averted his eyes to another direction. Was he just telling me that it's alright for me to use the nickname? A chuckle escaped my lips. I really couldn't help it.

"What was your full name?"

"Huh?"

"Your name. You never did finish introducing yourself to me."

"It's Bakugou Katsuki."

"Katsuki" I tried saying his name and somehow it gave me a strange feeling. "Should I call you by real name now or-"

I stopped. For some reason, Kacchan was looking at me strangely. He looked a bit surprised. I furrowed my eyebrows at his curious behavior. Then he suddenly snapped out of it and he grumpily said:

"Do what you fucking want, Deku!"

Now, that surprised me. Whatever I want, huh? Hmmm… I think I'm going to keep calling me Kacchan as long as he calls me Deku. It seems fairer that way.

"So what now, Deku? Where are we going next?"

Now, that got me thinking. I was supposed to head home so my next destination should be Hosu To- Wait a sec- something's not right. "We? What do you mean, Kacchan?"

He smugly grinned. It looked to me that he was planning something evil. "It means I'm fucking coming with you, Deku. I didn't know you were stupid."

A vein popped on my head. I'm not stupid and I would never appreciate anyone calling me that. I set aside my anger though. "But why would you do that, Kacchan?"

"Ain't no fucking use staying here anymore. I fucking realized that after everything that happened. I'm getting weaker the longer I stay here." He looked down solemnly for a moment then he turned to me again with that confident grin on his face. "Besides you wouldn't last a day out there on your own. You'll die before you could even take three steps outside so might as well make sure you stay fucking alive and that my efforts aren't wasted."

I groaned. I couldn't even actually argue with him after all that happened. "I never knew you cared that much, Kacchan. To do that for me."

"It's not for you, Deku. You're just a side job. You're a fucking trouble magnet so I figure that if I just stick with you I'll be able to bust some heads sooner or later. I'll keep you alive and I'll have some living practice dummies to get stronger."

I sighed in despair. I mean what other else could I even do at this point? He was unbelievable, totally unbelievable. "Shouldn't you ask your parents for permission first-

"They're gone."

My eyes widened. "What?"

"They're fucking gone. My whole clan. They were murdered. Some fucking bandits came with their horses and fucking spears. They started killing everyone. I'm the only one who fucking survived."

My head hung in shame. "I'm sorry." I should've surmised as much. There was no one else in the settlement other than Kacchan. However, it was a bit odd. Bandits don't usually use spears. They were brutes and like the brutes that they were, they mostly use swords or axes. Mercenaries don't even usually use spears. Spears were mostly used by knights and cavalrymen so why?

"I don't need your fucking sorry. All I need now is to get stronger, find those fucking dipshits and send them all to hell."

I could only stare at him. I couldn't say anything back. There was so much conviction in his eyes and in his words. I could somehow understand though. If somehow I would lose those precious to me in the same way, I would probably have that same anguish as his eyes possessed, the same sorrow and the same thirst for revenge.

It became silent for a while. Kacchan did not say anything and I gave my attention to the red creature in my lap which was still snuggling up to me.

Suddenly, a rough hand cupped cheek. I flushed at the gesture. Kacchan was looking at me very seriously and his eyes were furrowed in concentration. Then his thumb started rubbing my cheek.

Eh? What?

Then his other hand cupped my other cheek and started rubbing it too.

Whaa?

Then strangely, he started leaning towards my face. Closer, closer, closer, closer-

"What on earth do you think are you doing, Kacchan?!"

I shoved his face as far away as I could. I swear my whole face felt like it's on fire.

"I'm getting rid of those dots on your face, Deku. Be fucking grateful that I'm even doing it for you."

That's it? That was the reason why he wanted me to spontaneously combust?!

"Then why do you have to get so close?!"

He looked at me like I'm the stupidest thing in the world.

"How am I supposed to lick you if I don't go fucking closer to you?"

Now, I did just combust.

"What?! Why on earth would you do that for?!"

"Weren't you listening, Deku? I'm getting rid of those dots on your face."

Whaaaaaaa! He did not just- Wait- Dots? Dots on my cheek? For goodness sake-

"THEY'RE MY FRECKLES, KACCHAN! THEY CAN'T BE TAKEN OFF!"

I was panting and my breath was ragged. My whole face was still red from the whole ordeal. Then finally understanding flashed in his eyes and all that he had to offer was:

"Oh"

Dear fate, why, why, of all the people in this world, did it have to be him?

Then he looked at me seriously and asked me very seriously.

"So you can't get rid of them?"

"Yes" I deadpanned.

"Those are part of your skin?"

"Yes" I gritted my teeth in irritation.

"That's fucking weird."

Somehow, I really wanna cry.

"On second thought, they fucking suit you, Deku."

"Eh?" I snapped up at him in surprise. "You really think so?"

"It makes you look- what's that fucking word again?" He tilted his head in serious thought and that got me quite curious. "Pathetic? Weak? Stupid? "

I should not have expected anything. I should not have. In a span of minutes, I was embarrassed, irritated and now I'm plainly pissed.

"If you just want to insult me, then just-"

"Ah! Now, I fucking remember." His red eyes connected mine. Then he grabbed one of my cheeks and pinched it. He grinned at me and said: "Those fucking dots surprisingly make you look cute, Deku."

My breath suddenly felt short. My heartbeat accelerated. My cheeks felt warm. What? Just what was- I wanna hide. I wanna hide. I wanna hide. I shook my cheek out of his hand, threw the red creature (which was surprisingly lighter than I thought) at him and hid under the covers.

"Arg! Don't just throw the red fucker at me, Deku!" He sounded pissed and I really, really don't care anymore.

Forget about dying. Bakugou Katsuki might just drive me to insanity first.

OMAKE

(4 years old Aizawa Izuku, 12 years ago, Aizawa Manor, after a certain father-daughter conversation)

Aizawa Inko smiled as her husband exited their daughter's room.

"Inko, you were here. Why didn't you say anything?" Shouta asked as he noticed his wife just outside the room.

Inko chuckled. "I just thought that I'd let the father and daughter talk it out."

"It would've been easier if you were there." Shouta's face looked as neutral as ever but Inko knew that he was internally suppressing a pout.

Inko shook her head. "I already said my assurances earlier. What Izuku worried and wanted was yours."

Shouta grunted. Inko giggled and moved in to hug her husband lightly which the man briefly returned.

"You're not planning on killing or torturing someone are you, Shouta?"

She knew how overprotective Shouta was on their only child which could easily lead to violent tendencies towards anyone who dared to hurt even a single hair on their little Izuku.

"Shouta?"

She heard a grumble then her husband's eyes averted hers' and refused to answer her. So he didn't want to lie. Her Izuku might get her hair color from her but little Izuku was her father's daughter through and through.

"I don't think you have to do anything much though. I frankly think that the man has suffered enough." Inko chuckled as she remembered a certain purple haired boy.

"What do you mean?"

"Hitoshi-kun has taken quite a shine on our daughter, it seems. According to witnesses, the boy was quite furious that someone hurt 'his ojou-sama' so he used his quirk to order the man to sleep with the pigs after he covers himself in manure and apologize his very existence to everyone in the kingdom. The poor man still walking around town, apologizing."

Shouta snorted in amusement. "That kid's quite creative."

"I think he was only this close to actually ordering the man to kill himself, Shouta."

"Nah. Kid did good." Then a sadistic smile showed on her husband's face. "I still don't think that bastard has suffered enough though."

Inko could only sigh. Well, she'll just have to stop Shouta, at least until the man's half dead already. She really can't have Shouta killing someone but the man did hurt her adorable daughter. Might as well indulge a bit.

So what do you guys think of it so far?

I hope you guys don't mind the length. The flashback got longer than I anticipated. It was supposed to be another journal entry from Izuku but since the main heroine was unconscious, I just thought it was a bit inappropriate hence the flashback instead. I think it worked well in the end though. And next chapters might just get as long as this one depending on the events that should happen in the chapter and Izuku's entries.

And I want to give a big thank you to the first round of reviewers, follows and favorites! They were a great encouragement! Arigatou!

Oh, and I'm still thinking about a name for the 'red little creature'. Any suggestions?

Favorite, Follow and Review!