A/N- Hello everyone. Thank you for the feedback on the first chapter. Here's the next chapter. I hope you all like it.
Silence and inactivity were all that happened in a specific hospital room. The only sound was from a ticking clock that continued to measure the passage of time. But the sound of rustling sheets broke the silence. A movement was seen in the hospital bed that rested in the middle of the room.
Rotating from side to side was a boy with hair that was green at the roots but white along the strands. He tossed and turned in his sleep as a nightmare filled his mind. Eventually, the nightmare was too much to handle, and he jolted awake.
Izuku's eyes flicked across a barren, painted wall. He breathed deeply and rapidly as a cold sweat broke out all over his body. Calming down, Izuku eventually heard the constant ticking of the clock in his ears. Looking up at the clock, Izuku saw the time, which was fairly early in the day.
Izuku was spooked out of his thoughts as the ticking of the clock got louder and louder. Izuku cupped his ears to dampen the loud sounds that penetrated his eardrums. Focusing on his sense of hearing, Izuku managed to decrease the sound of the clock, but the sounds still lingered in his ears.
Looking around, Izuku realized he was not in the cinderblock room he and the other children were used to waking up in. Paranoia filled Izuku as he cautiously looked around. Izuku couldn't remember anything, so he wondered what happened to him.
As he moved around, Izuku noticed he wasn't chained up like he usually was when he was alone. Getting curious, Izuku looked over at the door and saw that it wasn't locked. Hopping off the bed, Izuku's feet met the cold ground, and he instantly jumped back onto the warm bed.
Izuku cupped his ears again since the sound of the clock and his feet hitting the ground was loud. He also noticed the ground felt very cold. It was colder than it looked. Izuku peered over the bed. There was nothing on the ground.
Reaching his hand down, Izuku touched the ground, and it did indeed feel cold. Placing his hand fully down, Izuku adjusted to the temperature and crawled off the bed. Getting onto his feet and focusing on his senses of hearing and touch, Izuku was able to dampen the feelings.
Moving forward, Izuku made it to the door, and a weird scent wafted into his nose. It smelled of chemicals and cleaner; Izuku knew this smell—it was the same smell as the doctor. Izuku walked back and got into a hiding position as he anticipated the doctor's arrival.
Soon the door handle turned, and Izuku hid as the door opened. Once a person walked in, they stopped and walked over to the bed. Izuku carefully observed them and noticed they weren't the doctor, but they smelled like him, so he wasn't going to take a chance.
Seeing an opportunity to escape Izuku slowly crawled out of the room through the open door. Being careful not to alert the person in the room.
Once out of the room, Izuku hid in a cart with a cloth over it as the person exited the room and ran down the hall in worry. Exiting his hiding spot, Izuku looked around and saw no one in sight. But he could hear them. They were down the hall, and Izuku was amazed by the fact that he could listen in on the conversation with his hearing.
"I've lost the kid!" the person said with urgency.
"Hey, calm down. What do you mean you lost the kid? There are four kids on this floor." A female nurse said as she pulled up the medical charts.
"The white and green-haired kid is gone! I walked in and he was missing."
"Relax, he couldn't have gotten far; his last check was 15 minutes ago, and there were no reports of kids running around. I'll call security, and we can find him. There are also heroes still here, right? Call them."
The two hospital workers split up as the PA system activated and alerted the entire hospital to Izuku's disappearance. Izuku saw this as his one chance to escape the doctor, so he ran, only to notice that he was significantly faster than he was before as he crossed a large distance with ease.
In a few short seconds, Izuku was down the hall, surprised by the speed he possessed. But he didn't let it distract him. Izuku turned and ran in a random direction since he didn't know the layout of the building.
As Izuku ran, he heard a voice, but it was a voice Izuku instinctively recognized. "... Izuku?..." Izuku recognized the voice. It was Koga.
Izuku stopped and ran back with such great speed that his feet quickly slapped across the ground. Forcefully opening the door, Izuku ran in and slammed the door shut. Izuku was too consumed with emotion to worry about what was going on.
Standing at the entrance, Izuku saw the black hair and the number 5 brand that belonged to Koga. She was sitting in her bed, looking out the window. She slowly turned her head as she heard the door close.
Her eyes shot wide as she stared at the figure of 7-year-old Izuku at the door. Izuku felt water enter his eyes as he gazed upon his alive friend. Izuku shot straight for her and jumped up onto her bed and hugged her.
Tears dropped from both of their eyes as they embraced each other. But Izuku unknowingly squeezed a bit too tightly and began making it hard for her to breathe.
"I-Izuku, you're squeezing me too hard!" Izuku let her go and apologized for his strength.
"Sorry, whatever happened to me was... weird. I'm still adjusting to it. Now come on, we need to save the others, then we can escape!" Izuku grabbed Koga and held her as he hopped off the bed.
"Izuku wait!" Izuku was about to run off, but he stopped.
"We can't wait, Koga! The doctor and his goons will be here soon! We need to save everyone else first, then we can run!" Izuku took a step forward, but Koga slapped him across the face. Izuku stopped moving and looked at her, confused.
"Izuku set me down." Izuku did as instructed and put her on the floor, only to realize Koga couldn't move her legs as she held herself up with her arms. Izuku kneeled to meet her gaze, and his eyes were filled with sorrow.
"… I'm sorry… I should have protected you." Izuku felt sorry for not helping sooner. But Koga grabbed Izuku's hand, and she radiated kindness as Izuku looked into her eyes. His eyes widened with realization. 'She's smiling. Despite her legs not working and everything we've been through, she's smiling.'
"It's not your fault this happened, Izuku. No one could have stopped this." Koga gripped Izuku's hand tighter as Izuku came to terms with what had happened. He gently gripped her hand and made a vow.
"I will get revenge on that doctor for what he did to us. Don't worry, I can do it." Izuku grinned at his declaration, but he was slapped in the head from behind.
Izuku gripped his head as it hurt. "Ow, who did that!?" Turning back, Izuku saw Razon with his eyes closed as he leaned against Tobei, who acted as a third leg despite being paralyzed on his left side. Izuku assumed they supported each other as they walked over here.
"Razon! Tobei! You guys are okay!" Izuku was slapped again by Razon, who stood over him.
"I'm fine. I just lost my eyesight, that's all, and you won't need to get revenge for us." Razon said with a relieved grin. Then Tobei, who couldn't move the left side of his body, spoke to Izuku.
"Izuku, we're fine, a bit disabled, but we're still here." Izuku smiled at them as his eyes got wet. His friends were okay, but he still wondered where Yuyu and Soshu were.
"I'm glad to see you guys doing okay. By the way, where are Yuyu and Soshu? We need to escape from here." The three friends all had their stomachs drop as they heard Izuku's words. They all realized Izuku didn't remember what happened or how they were rescued and brought here after Izuku stabbed the doctor to death. Koga knew they needed to break the news to him.
"… Izuku, put me on my bed, and get them a chair. You're going to want to sit down for this," Koga asked as she moved over to the bed.
"What no! We don't have time; we need to escape!" Razon slowly and carefully walked over without the use of his eyes and rested his hand on Izuku's shoulder.
"Trust me, Izuku, we have time." Izuku slowly nodded and picked Koga up to set her on the bed. Then he grabbed three chairs and sat them down around the bed.
"Guys, why don't you want to leave this place? The doctor is going to come soon. We need to escape so we can plot our revenge." The others felt sorry for Izuku. After the experiment was done, most of the kids died, and his mind was all hazy, so he doesn't remember anything.
"That won't be needed, Izuku," Tobei said as he rested on the chair. "We're saved. We don't have to worry about the doctor ever again."
"Why? What happened?" Izuku asked confusedly, and Razon was the one to respond.
"After the experiment, we were taken to a separate room by the doctor. He planned to experiment on us. But we were saved by heroes, and now we don't have to worry about him ever again."
"Why don't you want revenge, and what about the other kids? Where are Yuyu and Soshu?" The others looked down as they mourned the loss of their friends. They wondered if they should even tell Izuku the dark truth. But Koga took the initiative deciding Izuku should know the whole truth even if it hurt him.
"… We're the only ones who made it Izuku… The others... They're gone." Koga teared up at being reminded of her dead friends. Tobei and Razon also got emotional, and Izuku slowly understood what he was told as his soul felt like shattering.
Izuku's eyes widened as he understood what they were telling him. Tears formed at the corners of his eyes as he thought about how he'd never get to see his friends again. Izuku clenched his fists in righteous anger as he grew a deep hatred for the doctor who took his friends from him.
"... He'll pay. I'll make him pay!" Izuku almost exploded with emotion as his calm mind was overcome with anger. But Koga reached her hand out and put it on Izuku's face. He still had tears flowing from his eyes, but he felt all the anger leave him as he leaned into her compassionate touch to cope with the loss of two close friends.
"You've already avenged their deaths, Izuku... The doctor is dead. You killed him." Razon put his hand on Izuku's shoulder, and Tobei used his only movable arm to wrap it around Izuku's neck in a brotherly sense.
"Thank you, Izuku," Razon said as he gripped Izuku's shoulder with thankful emotion.
"You've avenged us, so now you can go be that monster hunter you wanted to be," Tobei said with a grin. Izuku's tears flowed faster as his friends supported him, even in their disabled states. Izuku felt extremely sorry for being the one that came out of the modification experiment fine while they lost everything and most of the kids lost their lives.
Suddenly, all the hazy memories of killing the doctor and burning all of the research came flooding back into his mind. Izuku gripped his head as the painful memories replayed in his head. The others sensed his distress and comforted him the best they could. Izuku was always there for them; he was always a shoulder for them to lean on, and they wanted to return the favor.
Izuku remembered every word the doctor said, all the pain he was forced to go through, and all the suffering from losing his friends. He didn't know what to do with himself. Izuku didn't deserve to be the only one fine. Guilt clouded Izuku's mind as he began to get depressed for leaving everyone behind to suffer their horrible fates. His friends sensed that within him as Izuku cried harder, so they tried even harder to bring Izuku back.
"… What do I do now? I don't deserve to be here." But Izuku was hit in the head by Razon again, clearing his mind. "Ow, what was that for Razon!?"
"IDIOT! You're still here with us! Now go live the life you deserve to live! Go be a monster hunter!" Izuku teared up more as he looked at Koga and Tobei's smiles, which were saying the same thing.
"But what about you guys?" Izuku wondered what was going to happen to them.
"We'll go live our lives. That's what we'll do. It's how we'll remember everyone. By doing what they couldn't, we'll live." Izuku cried even more. Even though he had a strong body and mind and had no issue with killing, he was still a 7-year-old with excess emotions. He and the others had to change the way they thought about coping with the pain. They had to put up mental barriers to protect themselves. Finally, those barriers can come down, and they can all be children again.
Koga gave Izuku the final push that let him open his mind and heart again. She grabbed his face and stared into his orange and green eyes as tears fell from them. She smiled down at Izuku with compassion, reminding him of his goals. "Go, Izuku, live your life; just don't forget us or the others. Go and be that monster hunter you always wanted to be," Koga said with a smile that cheered Izuku on.
Izuku managed to smile through his tears as he grabbed Tobei and Razon. Then he brought them all in for a hug, and they each responded to the hug by grabbing each other. A warm silence was held by all of them as they mourned the passing of their friends and appreciated that they made it out.
"We made it; we lived but at a great cost... Let's promise to live our lives so we can remember and respect them." Izuku held his friends tighter, with more tears falling as he tried to come to terms with the deaths of his friends. But with Koga's, Tobei's, and Razon's support Izuku felt determined.
Unknown to all of the kids, two heroes were at the door, listening in. They were Midnight and Aizawa. Their stomachs twisted with sympathy and anger on behalf of the kids.
"How could someone do this to them?" Midnight said this with sadness as she tried to comprehend what those kids went through that would force them to mature this much at the innocent age of 7.
"I don't know, but at least they can get closure," Aizawa stated, as he remembered seeing the brutally stabbed body of the doctor. Aizawa wondered what kind of torture those kids had to go through that would push them to kill so mercilessly. But Aizawa was glad that they could all be normal kids again.
"Yeah, let's leave them alone to mourn. I'm sure their parents would want to hug their kids when they get here." Midnight tried to be optimistic while still feeling sad.
Aizawa nodded and stuffed his hands in his pockets as he walked away with Midnight. But Izuku heard their conversation through the door with his enhanced senses, and it made him wonder what kind of person his mom had turned into since he had nearly forgotten all about her.
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A while later, Izuku and the others were "found" by Midnight, and they were all taken back to their rooms. Izuku sat in his room while some nurses walked in to do a check-up on him. At first, Izuku resisted them because he was paranoid, but after some gentle convincing by Midnight, he let them do a physical on him. Eventually, a doctor with Izuku's results came in and he was flabbergasted by what the tests found.
"My God! What happened to this kid? Despite the large scars he has on his chest, he's messed up." A doctor asked as he looked over Izuku with worry and intrigue.
"What's wrong, doctor?" Midnight asked as she walked over to make sure everything was fine.
"This kid's organs, muscles, bones, ligaments, and every inch of his body are all severely scarred, almost like he was torn apart and forcibly put back together to make him stronger. All his senses and nerves are heightened and very delicate at the moment. His eyesight and reflexes are several times faster than they should be. His muscles are 3x denser than a regular 7-year-old's, and his bones are now specialized for durability and speed. His metabolism is unbelievably high, his regenerative capabilities dwarf a few healing quirks. He can still get hurt, but he will heal at a much faster rate than regular people. It's like he was violently mutated to become a heteromorph, yet it's not a mutant quirk." The doctor showed Midnight images and results from an x-ray, a CT scan, and a blood test.
Midnight was shocked as she looked at the scans. Izuku's internal body was heavily scarred and twisted. She looked at Izuku. He looked fine on the outside, but his body was still sensitive as it healed. Izuku saw them staring and got cautious and worried. Midnight saw his fear and reassured him with a smile.
"Is there anything else, doctor?" The doctor nodded and pulled out a quirk factor test they did with his blood.
"His quirk factor is incredibly high for his age, but he has yet to manifest any signs of a quirk because his toe joint is still there and he's registered as quirkless. And the way this quirk factor reads, it's almost like he was forcibly given a high quirk factor; it's just unnatural to look at and doesn't make any sense."
Midnight looked over the results, and she came to a horrific conclusion: they were trying to turn Izuku into a weapon. She was thankful the heroes got to him in time, but she still ached over Izuku's unfortunate circumstances.
"I see. Thank you for the information. You may leave, and when the boy's mother comes, please send her up." The doctor collected his things and left the test results. He nodded and left.
Walking over to Izuku, Midnight wanted to get to know the child. She wanted to help him since she was sure he was still afraid. When Midnight saw the branded number 9 on his neck, she felt sorry for the poor child, but she steeled herself to help him.
"So you're Izuku. Do you know who I am?" Izuku looked at her with his green and orange heterochronic cat-eyes, which Midnight just now noticed were beautiful shades of green and amber orange. Izuku shook his head at her question. "I'm the hero Midnight, and I want to help people like you, Izuku. Can I sit?"
Midnight gestured to the bed he was sitting on, and Izuku studied her face as she smiled. "Why do you want to help me? I'm not in trouble." Midnight frowned at hearing that. She hoped Izuku would understand one day, but right now she wanted to help him.
"Do I need a reason to help people?" Izuku shook his head again.
"No... It's just that I've never had anyone try to save me before." Midnight felt like she was stabbed in the heart as Izuku said that.
"Well, now I am here to save you, and if you stick with me, you will never go through that again." Izuku slowly nodded, and Midnight could tell she was getting nowhere with him. She huffed and thought of a different strategy to ease Izuku back into normality.
"Say, have you ever thought about becoming a hero, Izuku?" Midnight asked to get some lighthearted conversation going with the child.
"Once, but then I got a different dream," Izuku said with some determined light in his eyes, making Midnight smile since she now had confirmation that there was still a child in Izuku.
"And what dream would that be?"
"I want to become a —" Izuku was cut off by the door slamming open. Both Izuku and Midnight turned to see a panting and crying, green-haired woman. She quickly scanned the room, and she locked eyes with Izuku's green and orange heterochromia cat eyes. Instantly, the green-haired woman teared up as she stared at Izuku.
She moved so fast that not even Midnight could stop her. Inko barreled straight into Izuku, and Izuku wondered who she was since he didn't remember this woman. That was until she shouted out of joy and relief.
"IZUKU! MY BABY! YOU'RE HERE AND FINE!" Inko squeezed Izuku tighter, and Izuku widened his eyes as he realized his mother was here. Inko cried harder as all the emotions Inko felt flowed out of her watery eyes.
Izuku just froze as he was hugged by Inko, but it was enough to remind him of the warm embrace she always gave him. Izuku cried and hugged Inko back. The mother and son hugged each other out of sheer joy as they were reunited with each other. Inko was so relieved to see her son, ever since he was kidnapped she was extremely depressed and felt like a failure of a mother. So to have Izuku here and hugging her, made Inko feel like the happiest mother in the world, which only made her cry tears of joy.
The sight brought a smile to Midnight's face, and Izuku started sobbing while being warmly hugged by Inko. Izuku was overcome with emotions as he tightly hugged his mom. Inko could feel the strength Izuku had since it was suffocating her, but she didn't care; her son was here in her arms again.
A moment later, the mother and son let go of each other with eyes that were red from tears. Inko sat back and stared at her son with relief. He was okay, and now she could be there for him again.
Inko spent so long relentlessly searching the city for him. She wanted to find her baby boy. If there was even a chance she could find him, then she was going to take it.
Finally, after two years of sleepless nights, Inko had her son back. Looking over him, Inko saw Izuku's hair was snow-white except for the roots of his hair, which were the Midoriya green color. Izuku had heterochromia. His left eye was amber-orange, while his right eye was dark green, but both eyes now had catlike slits in them. And Inko could see the strength in his body. She felt it when Izuku hugged her, but the most upsetting thing to her was the number 9 brand on his neck.
More tears came to Inko's eyes as she looked at her son, healthy and fine. Midnight saw that she was getting ready to go in for a hug, so she got up to leave the parent and child alone so they could talk.
Walking out of the room with her heels hitting the floor, Midnight knew she would have to ruin their reunion by telling Inko what happened to Izuku. As she walked down the halls, she could hear cries from other parents as they all talked with the three other kids that made it.
The reunions brought her happiness, but she was saddened by the thought of telling other parents that their kids died. She knew it was going to hurt to say, but the parents deserved closure.
Midnight's thoughts were interrupted by Aizawa coming to her with a file in his hands.
"Nemuri, are you okay?" Aizawa asked as he stopped in front of her. Midnight turned to meet his tired gaze.
"Yeah, I'm fine; it's just... these kids. They've been through a lot. And how are we going to tell the other parents that their kids are... dead?" Aizawa looked down and hated that he had to remind her of their jobs.
"We tell them the truth since they deserve to know. We'll hand them their children's bodies so they can bury them. As for the kids who made it, they'll need extensive mental health assistance so they can be children again." Aizawa handed Midnight the file, and she opened it. She began reading about the mental and physical therapy plans for each kid.
"Each child will have a specialized treatment. As for their mental health, the physiologists recommend group sessions so they can all cope with what happened since they all went through it together."
"I understand. I'll let all the parents know, but I do have one question, Aizawa. What will happen to the kids after they're let out?" Aizawa sighed since he figured Midnight knew what was going to happen.
"The disabled kids will be staying for a while. The Midoriya kid is going to be let out soon since he's well enough to move on his own. He will have to come back though, so make sure to tell his mom that."
"Alright, that will do. Thank you, Aizawa." Aizawa nodded and waved at her as he walked off to take care of other responsibilities. Midnight looked through the files as she walked over to Izuku's room.
Inside, Midnight saw Izuku talking with his mom. He had a small grin on his face as he caught up with his mom. Midnight didn't want to ruin the moment, but she knew that telling Inko about Izuku's release would bring joy to her.
"Hey you two, having a good time?" Inko looked at Midnight with a smile as she responded.
"I can't thank you enough for saving my son, Ms. Midnight." Inko got up and bowed to Midnight, who waved her arms.
"It's a hero's job, but I do have some news for you." Inko perked up at the mention of news, so she sat on Izuku's bed and listened. "Izuku will be released later in the week. We just need to run some final physical exams. But he will need to come back for a regular mental health check-up, and we will prescribe a good amount of group therapy with the other kids."
"I understand. I'll make sure he gets the help he needs, and this will give me time to set him up in school again."
"Great, I'll have the documents finalized with the doctors. You two sit tight and catch up while I go and inform the other parents." Midnight walked out of the room as Izuku turned to speak to his mom.
"Mom, if it's not too much to ask, can I still talk to my friends after I get out?" Inko leaned down and kissed Izuku's forehead.
"Izuku, they're your friends, and it's not a hassle. Just let me get their parents' phone numbers. You wait for me right here; I'll be back since we still need to talk about what you want for your coming back home dinner!"
Inko got up off the bed and walked out of the room with a smile as she looked at her son smiling with her. Once she left, Izuku dropped the smile and took on a stoic expression. He leaned back in the bed, feeling confused and unsure as he tried to deal with his thoughts.
Izuku lifted his arm and stared at his hand, the same hand that had taken the lives of two men. Izuku wondered if he even had a place in the world since he was a freak. He wasn't born this way; he was turned into this. The doctor's last words popped up in Izuku's head: 'You are an abomination.' Izuku clenched his hands in anger as he thought of the doctor.
"He's dead, so why should I continue to think about him? All I need to think about is my friends and how to help them. Becoming a monster hunter is a second priority." Having an almost complete idea of what he was going to do was good enough for Izuku. He unclenched his hand and let it fall to his side.
Looking over his body, Izuku noticed that it was stronger, and he felt stronger. But it didn't take him long to figure out that he was severely augmented. Izuku went from a pseudo-strong 7-year-old to one of the strongest in a few days, and he could feel the power in him.
Izuku leaned back further, so he was fully lying down in his bed. Relaxing into the sheets, he stopped thinking. Exhaustion started to set in since Izuku had gotten tired of restraining all his senses since they were all heightened. Izuku closed his eyes to get some rest so he could figure out what he was going to do with himself.
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With the window shutters open, sunlight shined through the window and right into Izuku's closed sleeping eyes. Izuku twitched and opened his eyes. His cat-like eyes went from wide to narrow in an instant.
Sluggishly waking up, Izuku put one arm under him and lifted himself, but he was on edge with his guard up. Looking around, Izuku calmed down since he recognized his surroundings.
Izuku got out of bed, walked over to the window, and it was opened, lighting up the room. Turning around, Izuku scanned the room. He recognized everything, including his dresser, desk, and hero merchandise.
It's been about a week since Izuku was out of the hospital. Once he was fully released, Inko brought him home, where he enjoyed a nice, warm meal that wasn't unspiced or full of protein. Izuku had actual food, and it was a much-needed, refreshing meal.
Izuku has yet to go back to school despite being out of the hospital. Part of that reason was that Inko wanted him to adjust back to regular life. She could see that Izuku was stressed when he got back. Izuku was not comfortable with all the sounds in the city, so she knew he needed to adjust.
But today was the day Izuku was going back to school. After some pushing by Inko, Izuku decided to give it a shot.
Walking over to his dresser, Izuku began rummaging around to try and find some clothes that would fit him. Only to depressingly learn that none of his old clothes fit him. Izuku was too big to try and squeeze into them, but he did have the school uniform, so he hoped that would fit him.
As he got dressed, Izuku sniffed the air, and a powerful scent of meat wafted into his nose. His mouth started to salivate as he grinned. Izuku's stomach told him he was hungry, and he wasn't going to complain.
Exiting his room, Izuku crossed the house and went to the kitchen, where Inko had just started cooking breakfast. She turned around and saw her son come and sit at the table. She wondered why Izuku was up so early and choosing to wait so long for breakfast.
"Izuku, why are you up so early? I just started making breakfast, so you'll have to wait a while."
"I had a hard time sleeping again. All the noise of the city is hard to ignore. And I smelled food, which made me hungry, so I came out." Inko had to remind herself that her son had enhanced senses now, so of course he would smell the food and have a hard time trying to fall asleep. Inko felt bad for him since he was having a hard time adjusting to normal life with his enhanced senses.
"Well, I can try to get some of those sense-dulling pills they sell; they may help you sleep at night."
"No, I want to see if I can overcome this first." Inko was surprised at Izuku's response. She worried for her son; despite him being 7, he was so mature for his age, and she picked up on his stoic nature. But Inko could also see the good nature in Izuku, she was happy to see that he hasn't changed in the two years he's been gone.
Inko nodded and finished making breakfast for the both of them. After setting Izuku's plate down, he waited for Inko to sit down as well before he started eating. Izuku savored every bite and appreciated the good food, to him, a homecooked meal was the best thing ever.
After the food was inhaled, Izuku cleaned his plate and got his new backpack with all the school supplies he'd need. Izuku went to the door and turned to Inko, who was cleaning the kitchen.
"Thank you for breakfast, mom. I'll see you later." Inko waved Izuku goodbye, hoping he knew where he was going.
As Izuku walked along the street on his way to school, he tried his best to calm his senses since all the smells, sounds, and tastes in the air were overpowering. Calming himself, Izuku ran his fingers through his white and green hair and pushed on.
After a long walk and putting up with the city, Izuku finally made it to school with the other students. He was 7 years old, so that meant he was in the second grade with other kids his age. Izuku was walking up to the school gate when he saw parents waving goodbye to their children. Izuku went over to a teacher and asked him where he needed to go.
The teacher noticed that Izuku must be a new student and pointed him in the direction of his class. Izuku thanked him and walked down the halls until he reached his class. Once at the door, Izuku could hear all the kids inside talking as the teacher told them they had a new student joining them.
All the students eagerly anticipated the new arrival, and soon the door opened. They all watched the white and green-haired boy walk into the room and face them. They were shocked by his orange and green heterochromia cat eyes, but they also wondered why he had a 9 on his neck.
"Class, this is Izuku Midoriya. He is coming back after going through some, uh… incidents. Please treat him well." The other students nodded, except for a wide-eyed, ash-blonde boy with spikey hair.
Bakugo was speechless as he stared at the stoic form of Izuku. It's been two years since Izuku disappeared. He doubted anyone remembered Izuku, but Bakugo did. After all, Bakugo always saw Inko searching for Izuku and spending many nights crying into Mitsuki's shoulder.
Bakugo was about to get up and cause a scene, but Izuku just walked past him and sat at the open desk that was next to him. The teacher started class before Bakugo had a chance to do anything, so he grumbled and spoke under his breath the whole time, but he didn't know that Izuku could hear every word.
Soon it was lunchtime, and all the kids were set free to go and enjoy their lunches. Inko had packed Izuku some food, and Izuku was about to enjoy it, but before he could, Bakugo came up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder.
Izuku turned, and he saw the angry face of Bakugo with three of his goons behind him. Izuku sized them all up and put his guard up out of habit.
"Yes?" Izuku spoke in a neutral tone.
"I want to talk to you."
"Can it wait? I want to eat my lunch." Bakugo got angry at that response and made a loud explosion with his hand. Izuku winced at the sound and spun to see that it came from Bakugo. Bakugo grinned with delight as he now knew Izuku had sensitive ears.
"I wasn't asking." Izuku narrowed his eyes at Bakugo and stood up.
"Fine, let's chat." Bakugo signaled for Izuku to follow, and Izuku did. As they walked, they were tailed by Bakugo's goons. But Bakugo told them to leave since he wanted to talk alone, so they complied out of fear of being blown up.
Izuku and Bakugo stood in the stairwell facing each other. Bakugo didn't know what to say. All he knew was that the quirkless Izuku had undergone a major change, and he was different, not just in looks but in personality.
"Do you remember me?" Bakugo asked with some rudeness, but Izuku wasn't going to stoop that low.
"No, I don't. Why are we best friends or something?" Bakugo gritted his teeth; he didn't know why, but he disliked how Izuku forgot him.
"We used to be close, then you were quirkless, and after that, you went missing. So answer my question: What happened to you, Deku?" Izuku's eyes widened in realization. Once Bakugo said the word "Deku," he regained more of his memories.
Izuku finally remembered most of his life before he got kidnapped, but he also remembered Bakugo and how he always called him Deku. Izuku slightly grinned as he stared into Bakugo's red eyes.
"Ah, I remember everything now, even you, Kacchan." Bakugo had an angry grin on, but he was satisfied that Izuku remembered him.
"So what happened to you, Deku? Did you run away?"
"Not at all. I was kidnapped and experimented on. They turned me into this." Izuku gestured to his body, and Bakugo took a good look. Izuku did look stronger, but Bakugo didn't buy it because a Deku is still a Deku.
"As if I care, you're still just a Deku," Bakugo said with a grin as he stared into Izuku's green and orange eyes with superiority. But Izuku just huffed and grinned at him.
"We'll see, won't we? But I'm more of a crude abomination than anything else." Izuku moved away from Bakugo and said he'd see him in class. As Izuku walked away, Bakugo took that personally and slammed his hand against the wall with an explosion.
"He's looking down on me!" Bakugo was somehow infuriated by Izuku's neutrality.
The rest of the day went slowly. Izuku talked to a few other kids and became acquainted with them. He began learning and thinking about other things besides survival, but old habits die hard.
At the end of the day, Izuku was walking out of the school gates after he talked with his teacher about expectations.
Once Izuku left, he was stopped by two boys standing in front of him. One had wings, and if Izuku remembered correctly, the other boy had a quirk that extended his fingers, which he mainly used to pull pranks.
Sensing a presence behind him Izuku turned to see two more familiar faces; they were all part of Bakugo's squad. Looking around, Izuku didn't see Bakugo anywhere. Izuku was no stranger to combat tactics, so he knew where Bakugo was most likely going to come from, plus he could hear him.
Reacting quickly, Izuku swiftly moved to the side just as Bakugo dropped onto the spot Izuku was at and made an explosion. Izuku's ears were slightly ringing after the explosion. The heightened hearing was good, but the explosions were deafening to him.
Looking up, Izuku saw an angry Bakugo staring daggers at him. Izuku knew that look. It was a look he used all the time in the past. Izuku knew where this was going since he was pushed into it, and there was no backing down now.
"You know, I was going to mind my business and stay out of your way, but I guess that won't happen." Izuku took off his backpack and tossed it to the side. Next, Izuku removed his uniform jacket, so all he had on was a t-shirt and pants with shoes.
"Oh, so the nerd is going to fight back! You have changed, Deku, but I'm going to show you your place."
"And like I said before, Bakugo, we'll see about that." Izuku rolled his neck and brought his fists up.
The boys around them were shouting and encouraging the fight. Bakugo ignored them and focused on Izuku; despite his lack of battle experience, he could tell Izuku was well-trained.
Suddenly, Bakugo used an explosion to propel himself toward Izuku with a kick. Izuku could see the attack coming clear as day with his accelerated reflexes, and he easily dodged the kick.
Following his dodge came a punch aimed straight for Bakugo's side. The punch had enough power that it knocked Bakugo out of the air. Bakugo rolled to a stop and clutched his side as the boys looked at the neutral expression Izuku had on.
Bakugo rolled his head on the floor and stared at Izuku with fury. Izuku kept his composure and brought his hands up. It was almost like he was goading Bakugo to attack him again. Bakugo slammed his hands on the floor and launched himself into the air.
Izuku watched as Bakugo fell from the air with his hands behind him to propel himself. With a yell, Bakugo launched himself at Izuku, with his hand raised to attack Izuku.
Sensing the incoming danger, Izuku dove under Bakugo, intending to kick him, but Bakugo's instincts let him think ahead, so he quickly repositioned himself. Izuku turned around to try and kick, only to be met with an explosion right in his face, creating a blinding smoke cloud.
Bakugo landed and ran for Izuku, intending to blow him up again through the smoke. But Bakugo was not expecting a fist to come barreling out of the smoke. The heavy punch buried itself in Bakugo's abdomen, making him fold over and slide back.
Breathing heavily Bakugo clutched his stomach since the punch was much heavier than he expected. But Bakugo grinned since it meant that crushing Izuku would be a bit of fun since he was a challenging opponent.
"Well, you really are an abomination." Bakugo loudly spoke to taunt Izuku, and he looked past the smoke to see an annoyed face on Izuku. His white hair had some black spots from the explosion, and his face had soot all over it.
"Bakugo, let's stop this; I don't want to hurt you." Bakugo growled at the suggestion: 'He's looking down on me again!'
"WHAT! No, we're not done yet!" With his anger getting bigger, Bakugo launched straight for Izuku. Izuku brought his hands up and deflected Bakugo's arm, so his explosion went off next to him.
With Bakugo's arm out of the way, Izuku slashed his elbow across Bakugo's face. Bakugo's head rocked to the side, and he was disoriented, but he was a feral fighter.
A kick came from below, and Izuku didn't have time to block or dodge. Bakugo's foot planted itself in Izuku's stomach while knocking all the air out of his lungs. Recovering quickly, Bakugo tried to blow Izuku up, but Izuku also recovered quickly.
Izuku lunged forward and tackled Bakugo to the ground. He got into a mount on Bakugo and held his arms to the ground. Bakugo tried to get up, but he couldn't overpower Izuku's enhanced strength.
"Enough! Let's end this!"
"NO!" Bakugo turned his hands and decided to use a move he recently came up with.
A deafening blast exploded into the air, and all the boys surrounding and watching the fight cupped their ears at the loud sound. It echoed through the air, and it stunned Izuku. Izuku couldn't hear anything but the ringing in his ears; it left him wide open.
Bakugo punched Izuku in the face while he was stunned, which flung Izuku off of him. Blasting right at Izuku Bakugo triggered a barrage of attacks. Explosion after explosion, Izuku was pushed back with his clothes being burned in the process. With one final punch, Bakugo launched Izuku back and watched him tumble across the floor.
All the boys watching cheered Bakugo on and declared him the winner since he beat Izuku. But Bakugo ignored them and watched Izuku. 'It doesn't feel right. He didn't block or defend that much. What's with him?'
While staring intensely at Izuku, Bakugo noticed that most of Izuku's shirt was burning and he had received small cuts as he was tumbling across the ground.
Suddenly, Izuku placed his hands on the ground, and he lifted himself. His face had frustration and annoyance written all over it as he stared back at Bakugo. But surprise would be plastered all over Bakugo's face as he saw Izuku's cuts stop bleeding.
Izuku pulled himself up and ripped off his burning shirt to reveal a few nasty scars running across his chest. Bakugo knew the fight wasn't over yet, despite throwing blast after blast at Izuku.
Bakugo stood tall and prepared to finish the fight, but he felt his forearms ache. 'Dammit, I'm at my limit! I need to beat him!' Bakugo stared at Izuku, ready to fight, but he wasn't prepared for the blinding speed Izuku used to close the distance.
In an instant, Izuku was in front of Bakugo with his fist pulled back. Izuku threw the fist out, and it instantly connected with Bakugo's chest. The powerful hit had all of Izuku's frustration behind it and completely pushed Bakugo back.
Bakugo flew back and hit one of the boys to stop himself. Bakugo gasped for air as he felt his lungs fill with air after Izuku's punch compressed his lungs. Bakugo got up from the boy, lifted his shirt, and saw that his chest was starting to form a bruise in the shape of a fist.
Looking up, Bakugo saw Izuku collect his backpack and put his uniform jacket back on as he walked away. Bakugo tried to get up to follow, but he fell as he gasped for more air. Bakugo slammed his fist into the ground because he lost to Izuku, of all people.
"Damn you, Deku! I'll get my revenge!" Bakugo yelled out as Izuku walked away.
But Izuku couldn't hear anything since his ears were still ringing and he couldn't get the smell of smoke out of his nose. Izuku blinked a few times, and his slit eyes adjusted themselves to the light after they were exposed to many bright explosions.
Izuku rolled his neck and looked at his arm. He noticed that the scrapes and cuts he got were already starting to heal. "So I do have an accelerated healing factor." Not thinking about it more, Izuku finished walking back home.
.
.
.
Once Izuku made it back home, he walked into the apartment, and he could smell Inko in the kitchen. She came out with an apron on, and she took one look at Izuku before she freaked out.
She bolted straight for Izuku and hugged him. "Izuku, what happened!? Why are you covered in blood!? And why do you smell like smoke!?" Inko grabbed a cloth and began wiping the soot off of Izuku's face.
"I got into a disagreement. Don't worry, I'm fine." Izuku said, trying to get her to calm down before she started crying.
"Izuku, you're 7! You don't need to be getting into fights!" Izuku rolled his eyes since it wasn't like he wanted to fight Bakugo.
"Hey, I came out alright, so let's just leave it at that, and why are you cooking dinner right now? Isn't it a bit early for that?" Izuku asked as he looked past her to see food cooking on the stove.
"Oh, I never told you, did I? We're having guests over. You remember Mitsuki and Masaru, right?" Izuku deflated at that. Mitsuki was going to be here, and he just beat up her son. "Since they'll be coming over, go clean up Izuku. Also, I went out and bought you some new clothes since nothing else would probably fit you."
Izuku sighed and threw his schoolbag over to the wall, then went to get cleaned up for dinner. In the bathroom, Izuku looked over his body and saw that his scraps were gone and that most of his cuts were fully healed.
A while later, Izuku came out of his room in a green shirt with black shorts. Walking into the kitchen, Inko ruffled his white hair while putting the finishing touches on dinner.
While the food was cooking, Izuku set the table. As he finished up, Izuku heard footsteps coming up to the door. Looking over at the door, he heard a knock and told Inko he'd get it.
Izuku went up to the door and opened it, not expecting to be lifted up and squeezed tightly between two massive breasts. Izuku's head was buried in Mitsuki's bust as she squealed with joy at seeing Izuku again.
"Ahhhhhhh! Izuku! It's so nice to see you again! You look so different with white and green hair! And your green and orange eyes are so beautiful!" Mitsuki squeezed harder, burying Izuku further in her bust as he tried to escape the softness.
"Mitsuki, you're strangling the poor boy." Masaru pleaded, which made Mitsuki drop Izuku as he gasped for air.
"Hey, it's been a while since I've seen him! Let me express my joy towards him!" While Mitsuki and Masaru argued at the door, Izuku sighed and looked down to see an annoyed Bakugo. He was about to talk to him, but Inko came over.
"Mitsuki! It's so nice to see you. Please come in." Once the Bakugo family walked in, Inko and Mitsuki got to talking while Masaru put in his input every once in a while.
Izuku and Bakugo were sitting on the couch at opposite ends, not talking to each other. But Izuku was eavesdropping on the conversation between Inko and Mitsuki.
"What! Bakugo got into a fight today?" Inko asked as she took a sip of whatever she was drinking.
"I know, he came home with these big bruises. I don't know what happened to him, and he won't open up about it."
"You know, Izuku came home and he got into a fight too." Mitsuki was shocked at that since she didn't expect Izuku to get into fights. Even if Izuku had gone through a few changes, Mitsuki still saw Izuku as a nice young boy.
"What a coincidence!" The two mothers looked over at their sons and decided it wasn't worth it.
Izuku stopped eavesdropping and turned to Bakugo, who had just said one thing with an angry growl attached to it.
"Don't you dare tell them what happened?" Izuku shook his head and leaned back against the couch.
"I wasn't planning on it." Silence followed the conversation as the two 7-year-olds sat on the couch waiting for dinner to be served. That was until Bakugo had another thing to say.
"Deku, do you still have the same dream you had before all this happened to you?" Bakugo asked without looking at Izuku. Izuku turned to him.
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb with me. I'm talking about that stupid dream you always had."
"Oh, you mean my monster hunter dream, right? I do still have that dream." Bakugo huffed at Izuku's answer, making Izuku slightly annoyed, but he wasn't in the mood to argue with Bakugo.
"Why be a dumb monster hunter when you can be a hero? There are no monsters in the world anyway, so it's stupid."
"It may seem stupid to you, but I'll make it happen. You can be a hero. I'll be a monster hunter." Bakugo huffed with anger, and Izuku sighed since he had a feeling he knew what Bakugo was going to say next.
"I'll beat you! I'll be stronger than you next time!" Bakugo shouted at Izuku.
"Katsuki, shut up! Don't yell at your friend!" Mitsuki shouted, making Inko giggle and Masaru sigh. Izuku grinned at their antics. Bakugo sat down and crossed his arms with an angry face, prompting Izuku to respond.
"We'll see who is stronger another day, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to try and get stronger." Bakugo looked at Izuku, and he was filled with furious determination.
"I won't let you win!" This time, Bakugo yelled that while standing up on the couch. only to be knocked off when a cloth was thrown at his head, followed by a yell from Mitsuki.
"What did I tell you, brat!?" Izuku chuckled and felt a warm sensation in his chest while hoping his other friends were doing okay. Izuku looked down at his healed hand and now knew what he needed to do.
Izuku made a tight fist with his hand and was filled with determination and belief to get stronger. Izuku believed he could get stronger, which also filled him with determination since he knew he had potential. It brought a grin to his face since it reminded him of the promise he made to his friends.
"I guess… I should start training... Hopefully, I can live a life that makes you guys happy. Isn't that what you want for me, Soshu and Yuyu?"
The rest of the night was calm for Izuku. He was glad to finally be back in normal life. He knew that his new life would present him with unfamiliar challenges. But Izuku looked forward to it. He didn't care what he had to do; he would live to remember his friends.
And Izuku didn't know how he was going to do it, but he was going to be a monster hunter.