Izuku leaned forward on the park table, head cradled in his hands so that he could reach the straw to his drink with minimal effort. Hatsume sat across from him explaining a new design. He nodded along listening diligently as she told him the mechanics of it, happy to let her talk.

The park was where they usually spent their breaks. It was nice and quiet, not too far from Hatsume's apartment either.

"How's training been going?" she asked.

Izuku groaned. He was exhausted. "Good, but I hope it's enough." He gave her a curious look and then asked, "What are my odds?"

"86% chance of passing the provisional licensing exam, 97% chance of making new friends of the first day, 96% chance of having a panic attack. . ." her voice faded out as Izuku took in the complicated math equations she'd flipped to making his eyes go cross.

"Ok, ok, I get it," he let out a stiff laugh. "86% huh?"

She nodded pointed to a mess of numbers towards the top. "Even if you don't use the full range of your quirk, your chances of succeeding are quite good. Based on the data I've collated from previous exams; I say you pass within the first 30 students." She snapped the notebook closed giving him a hard look. "That is taking into account that you give your best."

"I'll give my best," he huffed, sitting back in his chair. He'd have to leave soon to meet Aizawa at UA. "I have to if I want to make any real progress with my quirk. I'll pass," he said again, making himself believe it.

"If you use the full range of your quirk, you're guaranteed to pass, but I don't think you're ready for that."

Izuku shook his head, enjoying the sun on his face. "Yeah, definitely not."

Progress was being made. He didn't get headaches by the end of training anymore and his meetings with Mrs. Ito had been helpful too. It was slow going though.

He sat up and went back to sipping his drink. Ten more minutes and he'd have to leave. "I'm moving dorms today," he said quietly.

Hatsume looked up from her notebook. "I forgot today was move-in day!" she gasped, slamming her pencil down. "Do you need help?"

"No, there will be plenty," Izuku grumbled, standing to throw his drink away. He'd tried to convince Aizawa that he didn't need help moving. The Hero Course dorms were right next to his and he didn't have much stuff. He could get everything moved in a couple hours, but like most of his protests, Aizawa ignored him.

Behind him, Hatsume started packing up. He only had a few minutes left till he absolutely had to leave. "I'll see you in a couple days," he said, picking up his bag.

She nodded, smile wide. "I can't wait to see the hero dorms!"

"I think they're the same as ours," Izuku muttered. He'd never considered they'd be different.

"One way to find out!" She gave him a good push in the direction of UA before turning in the opposite direction to go home.

UA wasn't far from the park, but still, he took his time getting there. The front gate was open, two faculty members standing guard as new students and their parents carried boxes up to the dorms. Izuku showed them his paperwork and they let him through. The mess of students and parents congregated around the first-year dorms. Only a handful of cars were parked outside the second- year dorms. The third-years had moved out at the end of the semester and current students had moved their belonging halfway through the break. He and anyone else who transferred courses after the semester ended had to wait till move-in day to move their belongings.

Aizawa's car was sitting in the parking lot which meant they were probably waiting in the lobby. He really hoped they hadn't been waiting long. Izuku took in the first floor of his dorm knowing he'd never be able to sit on the couches with Hatsume at three in the morning again, or play board games with the other students, or bother each other late at night (Hatsume would probably find a way) and so many other things he'd taken for granted.

"I'm on the fourth floor," he said to Aizawa, pulling his key card from his backpack. They followed him into the elevator, Shinsou pulling Eri in a wagon. She grinned up at him.

"Are you excited, Zuzu?"

He nodded. "I am." And a part of him was, but then he thought back to the final and felt sick again. Hopefully, no hard feelings lingered.

Izuku had never been embarrassed by his bedroom even if it wasn't as full as the other students. The TV was old, one that Hatsume had pulled out of a dumpster and fixed up for him. The other furniture besides the beanbag was school-issued, so that wasn't his either. His bookshelf was filled with notebooks from the years of analyzing quirks. Even though he did import them into an online format, he didn't have the heart to get rid of them. Besides his closet, those notebooks were the largest portion on the very small list of things he owned. His wardrobe wasn't much to look at either. All of his clothes only filled half a box.

"Something wrong?" Izuku asked Shinsou who was looking down at said box of clothes with a frown.

Shinsou looked at the box a moment longer and then met Izuku's eyes. "No, I guess I thought there'd be more," he explained, running a hand through his purple hair.

"Oh yeah." Izuku folded in the top and picked up the box, setting it down in the wagon. Eri looked at it and checked something off on her clipboard. "I don't really have much. We wear uniforms all the time anyway."

"I guess so," Shinsou muttered, sounding unconvinced. He looked like he wanted to ask something else but decided against it. "We might be able to do it in one trip."

"See, I told you I could've done it alone."

"It would've taken you at least three trips on your own, Midoriya," Aizawa pointed out.

"Besides, we weren't doing anything," Eri said, frowning down at her clipboard. Izuku leaned over

to look at it but couldn't make anything out of the glitter pen scribbled.

Izuku stepped around her to unmake his bed. He'd wash the sheets at the new dorm, so he didn't bother folding them. Roll up his All Might poster and his figurine and that was it. The room was bare. Another wave of sentimentalism hit him. The dents in the walls from Hatsume's inventions going haywire, the pale space on the wall where his poster hung, the familiar smell slightly different now.

A hand slipped into his and he looked down at Eri, a small encouraging smile on her face. "Daddy's students are really nice, Zuzu. You'll love them!"

He squeezed her hand hoping that she was right. Still, he was fully prepared to be avoided and tolerated. He was used to it; he could deal with that. Having friends turn on him when they realized what his quirk could do was far worse.

"That's everything, so we can go to the new dorm," Izuku said, letting Eri's hand go. He picked up the box closest to him labeled Bed & Desk and waited for the others to move.

Aizawa just stared at the two boxes, the TV, and beanbag, eyes narrowed with a frown. Shinsou shared a similar look.

Izuku gripped the box in his hands tighter feeling his cheeks begin to burn. The other students moving in did have a lot more things. Was he supposed to have more things? More things cost money which he didn't have. No one had ever mentioned it before, so why did they look upset? Izuku scuffed his foot on the ground wondering why they came.

"Eri," Aizawa said as he picked up the box filled with his clothes. "You make sure this doesn't fall off, ok?"

She held the box steady in the wagon as Aizawa began pulling it.

The 3-A dorm looked the exact same as all the others. Hatsume would probably be disappointed. It was also completely empty, most of the hallways were dark except for the emergency lights. He was on the fourth floor again, at the end of the hall. Aizawa swiped a new key card, opening the door before handing it to Izuku. The room was also the exact same as his old one, he didn't expect anything different, but it still gave him a sense of comfort. At least he could make it look the exact same and when Hatsume came over there wouldn't be a single difference.

Izuku started unpacking his clothes, tucking pants into draws, and hanging his shirts and uniforms up in the closet. It didn't take long to get everything in place.

"Where is your room, Shinsou?"

"Second floor," he said, glancing up as he handed notebooks off to Aizawa to put on the shelf. "Are these about quirks?"

Izuku perked up. "Yes, I've been analyzing quirks since I was a kid." He thumbed through one of the notebooks about Pro-Heroes, All Might poorly drawn on the cover. "I made everything digital a long time ago, but I can't get rid of them."

Shinsou looked through one of the newer notebooks. "Am I in here?"

"Yep, I have notes on all the Hero students."

Shinsou frowned, stopping on a page about a student in the B class. "I don't know if I should be

impressed or freaked out." He put the notebook back on the shelf. "But I guess that explains how you were so prepared during the final."

Izuku rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"It will be good to have someone like you on our team," he was saying as he broke down the box. "Yaoyorozu is pretty good at grouping us together based on our quirks, but she can't always do that in a villain fight. Plus, with your mindreading, it will be a huge help in formulating plans."

Izuku's throat went dry, a chill racing down his spine. He forced a nod. "Ok, I'll do my best."

"The dorms are all the same, so you should know where everything is," Aizawa said suddenly. "Eri and I are here pretty often, so if you need anything from home, let me know."

Home.

There was that word again said so casually. Izuku forced another nod.

Eri wrapped herself around his arm looking up at Aizawa, he wilted like he knew what she was going to ask. "Can I tell everyone that Zuzu's my new brother?"

Izuku's jaw fell open and his heart checked out, sending his brain into a mess of error codes. Shinsou stifled a snicker behind his hand.

"No, Eri, you can't tell anyone," Aizawa said, brows pinched.

She pouted. "But—"

"No, but's. We have to keep each other safe," he said gently, crouching down to her level. "How about this," Izuku said, giving her hand a squeeze, "you can tell them we're friends." "Best friends," she countered.

Izuku gave a show of thinking about it. "We'll have to make bracelets so it's official."

She lit up, bouncing on her toes. "Ok! Shinsou, too?"

Beside them, Shinsou grew pink in the cheeks. "Um, yeah, sure," he mumbled.

Eri bounced happily between them, smile wide and bright.

Izuku looked down fondly at the green and pink braided string on his left hand as he swiped his key card to enter his new dorm. It was still early, a couple hours until first period, but he needed his uniform, and All Might wanted to see him before classes.

He kept an eye out for signs that someone was there, but it was unchanged from his last visit a few days ago.

Hatsume was supposed to be there soon too to help with a favor claiming to have a baby perfect for the job. He opened his new bedroom door, leaving it cracked for Hatsume, and quickly changed into his uniform.

It began to settle in that it was his first day in the Hero Course. All his plans for his third year in the Support Course reduced to memories. He'd worked so hard on it too. Cultivating his love to outshine what he had to give up.

Now he was getting a second chance. And it felt so wrong.

There were so many people who deserved this more than him. People who wanted this with everything in them. People who didn't hesitate and who weren't scared. People who knew where they belonged.

Not a hero, he reminded himself, just there to learn how to control his quirk, then he'd be back to support. It was just a small stepping stone to what he really wanted. Because he didn't want to be a hero, absolutely not, it wasn't for him.

Plus, his classmates would probably hate him. They wouldn't be any different. Why wouldn't they when he'd taken control of them with no warning? Should he warn them? That would defeat the purpose, wouldn't it? But would they hate him less? Probably not.

With so many amazing quirks at UA it'd never been as bad as elementary or middle school, but he'd never used his quirk against someone in a real fight either. He'd learned how to tell the difference between conversation and the things he'd heard. Careful, calculated conversation.

Not a Hero.

Not. . .

Not a. . .

Hero. Not a. . .

"Midoriya!"

Izuku blinked, lungs burning as he sucked in air, eyes locking with Hatsume's. "Breathe," she commanded, guiding him to his desk chair.

Breathe.

There was so much concern on her face, and he felt so bad. How could he be a hero when someone

was always coming to his rescue? Aizawa was wrong. He was. . .

"Stop that," Hatsume said, holding his face tighter. He focused on the feeling of her fingers pressing into his cheeks. He reached forward, grabbing her wrists so she wouldn't pull away. "You are a hero, Midoriya."

He looked up wondering how she knew. "But—"

"You've been my hero since we met our first year." She smiled softly. "I know you're scared, but I believe in you."

"You believe in me," he repeated, still trying to get his brain working.

She nodded, gently pulling her hands away from his face. "I do. You're gonna do great today."

"I'm gonna do great," he agreed, releasing her wrists.

"Especially with a new haircut," she grinned, waving a new contraption off.

Right. The favor he'd asked for. He took one last look at himself in the mirror and his mess of green hair soon to be tamed.

He kept his eyes closed, towel wrapped around his shoulder, as Hatsume and her invention buzzed around his head silently praying that it wouldn't look terrible. Every time he tried to peek, she'd smack his shoulder, so he was forced to wait patiently till she was done. Something he wasn't great at. He just let the buzz calm his anxious mind till she gave him the ok to look.

The towel was whipped away and Hatsume chimed, "Finished!"

Izuku blinked at himself in the mirror not quite recognizing himself. "It looks great," he finally breathed.

"Of course, it does!" Hatsume scoffed, crossing her arms proudly. "It's mathematically impossible for my baby not to execute a perfect haircut."

Izuku glanced at the gadget sitting beside the sink then back to himself in the mirror. He ran his hands along the shaved sides of his head, shivering as the short hair poked into his palm. He then combed through the curls left on top, so it wasn't so perfect, and smiled, heart lighter. "You're the best."

Hatsume wrapped her arms around him from behind, head resting on his shoulder. "I'm proud of you," she whispered, arms tightening slightly. "I'll always be right beside you. Don't forget that."

Izuku felt his heart jump. Eye's stinging, he nodded not trusting his voice. "I won't," he managed, gripping her hand.

She pulled away still smiling at him in the mirror. "Now go be a hero."

A hero.

Izuku's heart hammered in his chest, stomach twisting so hard he thought he might actually be sick, so he focused on breathing the way Mrs. Ito taught him to. It helped a little.

All Might had brought him his suit. It was everything he'd ever imagined. He felt good. Like he could actually do this. He could do this. So many people believed in him, he couldn't let fear win. He wouldn't let it. Not again.

Be a hero. Be a hero. Be a hero.

The new suit. The new hair. He looked the part. Now he just had to play it. "Midoriya!" Aizawa called.

Izuku jumped, heart racing again. Taking a deep breath, he walked out from behind a building to his new classmates. He stopped beside Aizawa, forcing himself to look up. Curious, confused expressions. He looked back down. They were whispering to each other.

"This is Izuku Midoriya. You met him during your final. Today he's joining the Hero Course." Aizawa nodded his head towards the other students and Izuku stepped forward.

"Um, nice to meet you."

Their chatter grew louder. They were probably talking to him, asking him questions. Izuku winced as a wave of thoughts and feelings hit him, their curiosity reaching out. He'd gotten used to the quiet nature of Aizawa and Shinsou.

"You can really read our minds?"

Izuku looked up. It was Ashido, her gold eyes wide and curious, oblivious to his rising panic. He nodded, relaxing his hands at his sides. "Yeah, I can do that."

"What am I thinking?"

Izuku stumbled back as she leaned towards him. "Um, that you like my hair."

She gasped, grabbing him by the shoulders. "What now?"

He focused, blocking out the thoughts of the others watching. Pink. . . "I can't say that!" His hands flew to his burning face as she cackled.

She turned back to the others grinning like a cat. "Oh yeah, he's legit."

"That's enough, Ashido," Aizawa said, shooing her back into line. "You too, Midoriya."

Izuku scanned the two lines finding the only spot open in the second row. He hurried over, ignoring the glare from Bakugo next to him.

"For this exercise, you'll be split into two teams. Half of you will go with All Might to the training course next door," Aizawa explained. He called out the names and those students left the gym. He was sure Shinsou going with them was planned. Ashido paused in the door and waved to him as she went.

Shit.

"Don't fuck this up, Deku." "Begin."

Izuku spun back to look at Aizawa but he was walking away, the other students moving towards the training course. This was normal. Ok then.

He jogged to catch up with them.

"I'm Tsuyu, but you can call me Tsu," said a girl beside him.

Izuku released a breath. "I'm Midoriya. Nice to meet you." He didn't recognize her which meant she was one of the eleven unaccounted for during the final. "What's your quirk?"

"Frog," she explained simply, tongue sticking out a bit like it was too big for her mouth. "Wow, that's so cool! And your costume's perfect!"

She blushed a bit. "Thank you."

"You're from the Support Course, right?"

Izuku looked over at the new voice. He didn't recognize her either. "Yeah. They made me transfer after the final."

"Made?" she gasped. "I didn't know they did that."

Izuku scratched his cheek, looking away. "It's complicated."

"I'm Uraraka by the way."

Bakugo spun around, lip curled. "Let's get this over with. It's probably some robots."

"Right," the others said. If it was robots, Izuku knew he wouldn't be very useful. Surely, Aizawa had something else planned.

"We'll split up," Bakugo was saying. "Tail, four eyes, icy-hot, sparky, and Deku. You're with me. The rest of you, search that half."

Izuku watched Bakugo deal out orders now understanding what Shinsou had been talking about. This Bakugo was completely different, and the others trusted him. Izuku followed him, watching the way his back flexed beneath the black shirt. Izuku glanced down at his arms. He'd never thought of himself as weak, but Bakugo's arms were twice the size of his. Most of the guys for that matter.

"Hey, you really kicked ass during the final." The boy bumped playfully into his shoulder grinning. He recognized him. Kaminari. He leaned closer, whispering, "Bakugo's still pissed."

Izuku didn't doubt that. Kinda made him proud.

"Diggin' the hair, man. It's hot," Kaminari said, throwing an arm around Izuku's shoulders.

Izuku flushed, trying to put some distance between them.

"Kaminari, stop antagonizing our new classmate!" Another guy said, pulling him off. "I'm Tenya Iida, class rep."

Izuku shook his stiff hand. He was one of the students he'd stopped on the street.

"Hey, losers, we've got company," Bakugo warned from a few steps ahead. Coming towards them was a guy Izuku recognized. "Not you again," Bakugo groaned.

Mirio grinned. "Don't worry, Tamaki's here too! Better watch out, we're villains today." He disappeared into the ground. He popped out in front of Bakugo, landing a hit and dipping again before Bakugo could aim a blast.

Left. Kick. Where where where? Right!

Izuku kicked, foot connecting with Mirio's jaw the moment he popped out of the ground, sending him to the ground.

"Nice, Midoriya," he said, wiping the blood from his lip. "But it's gonna take more than that to stop me."

The next time he flew out of the ground, Izuku mentally dug in. Mirio froze, placid smile in place. Bakugo stopped his punch halfway, stumbling through the momentum. Izuku held tight, weaving thoughts. "Stay here," Izuku ordered.

Another wave of thoughts. These different. Confused.

He dropped to the ground as tentacles shot through where his head was. He rolled out of the way of another attack.

Tamaki.

He stood at the top of a building, looking down at them.

"Four-eyes, get the others," Bakugo ordered, smoke rising from his palms.

"Bakugo, I must insist you start using our name—"

"Just go!"

Izuku pulled his staff from his belt, pressing the button to extend it. Tamaki didn't want to attack them. He wanted to go home. "What did you do to Mirio?" he asked, almost sounding like a whine.

"Get down here, squid-for-brains!" Bakugo yelled, aiming a gauntlet at him. "No."

Izuku snickered, pressing the back of his hand to his mouth. He stopped though as Tamaki's thoughts filtered into his mind.

"There's someone else," Izuku said, inclining his head to the group.

"Who?" Kaminari asked, glancing around nervously.

Fire?

"You've got to be kidding me," someone grumbled behind him. A wall of ice formed, blocking off an onset of flames. Izuku stumbled back, watching as the ice glowed orange and began to melt.

"Endeavor," Bakugo growled, blasts popping in his hands. "Surrender," Endeavor said, "or the civilians we have held will die."

Izuku reached forward, searching Endeavor's mind. "The hostages are three blocks away, second building on the left, third floor."

Endeavor looked at him, fire growing a little taller. "How did you—It doesn't matter. You won't win."

How they were supposed to win against the #1 Hero, Izuku had no idea anyway. Even if he could take control of Endeavor, there was still Tamaki to worry about and his hold on Mirio wouldn't last forever, especially if he was fighting. Just the thought of controlling so many people sent a dull throb through his head.

Izuku raised his staff. He wouldn't be any good at long-range attacks and he couldn't get close because of the flames. He might be able to use his capture nets, at least to slow him down.

Izuku jumped away from an attack from Tamaki, the red tentacle slamming into the dirt. Between dodging Tamaki's attacks, Izuku made Endeavor stop moving. A simple command that was broken seconds later, but it allowed his teammates to land a couple of attacks. Each time Endeavor broke the hold he grew more agitated.

A clamshell slammed into Izuku's face sending stars across his vision and breaking his hold on Mirio completely. He fell to the ground holding his bleeding cheek.

The other half of their group arrived joining the fight.

A tentacle wrapped around his body lifting him into the air. "Please give up," Tamaki asked, peering up from under his hood.

Izuku ignored him, taking the moment instead to reach towards Endeavor and Mirio, pausing their attacks. "No," he bit out to Tamaki. He made a promise to Hatsume. He dug into Tamaki's head then. He would be the easiest.

Go home. This isn't worth it. You want to.

He plucked at thoughts and emotions till Tamaki slowly lowered him to the ground, withdrew the extra appendages, and walked away quietly. Izuku drove it into his head that he very badly wanted to go home as he walked away.

Izuku stumbled, his headache veering towards a migraine. Just a little longer. Staff raised, he took on Mirio, blocking his attacks against other students.

"You're a tough one," he said, signature grin still in place, taking a few steps back. Izuku shrugged. "I try."

"Eraserhead said you might be a problem," Mirio cracked his knuckles before raising his fists again. "We should spar sometime, but right now I kinda have to beat you."

Izuku winced as the voices and thoughts surrounding him grew louder. "Looking forward to it." He focused on blocking Mirio's attacks. Aizawa warned him constantly about overusing his quirk. He didn't want to be a hindrance to the team. He had to do great. He had to keep standing.

Left. Kick. . . .Right. Another kick.

Izuku stumbled back, cut on his cheek seeping fresh blood.

Keep fighting me. You've almost beat me.

More punches, but Izuku landed a few of his own.

So much fighting. The air dry from the fires and explosions. So many people thinking about their movements.

He could do this.

Just a little longer.

He blinked and Mirio was floating, clawing at the air with a startled gasp.

"Midoriya!" Izuku was pretty sure his name was Iida. "Are you ok?" he asked, pressing a strong hand against Izuku's back to steady him.

"I'm ok," Izuku said, wincing as Bakugo let out another explosion big enough to knock Endeavor off his feet. "Did anyone get to the hostages?"

Uraraka nodded. "We sent Tsu and Shoji. They should get there soon." "Ok. I'll hold off Endeavor a little longer."

They ducked as a shadow beast swooped over them, withering in the light of the flames. Ice and fire clashing in the midst of the fight.

Izuku dug into Endeavor's mind, drawing back his attacks, ignoring the way his head throbbed. He could do this. Just a little longer.

Izuku held Endeavor till the buzzer sounded. He dropped the control immediately, leaning on his knees.

"Well done students," Endeavor grumbled, hand pressed to his head.

Uraraka pressed her fingers together dropping Mirio to the ground. He stumbled but his smile never faded. "That was awesome! You guys did great!" He threw an arm around Izuku's shoulders. "You've got some serious tricks up your sleeve, Midoriya. What did you do with Tamaki?"

"Well, he wanted to go home," Izuku said feeling a little guilty. "So, I told him to go home."

Mirio slapped his back hard, laughing. "I'm going to go find him. Great job everyone!" He waved goodbye before taking off in a jog.

"You all did well," Endeavor said. "Your teamwork has greatly improved since the last time we fought." He scanned the students. "Which one of you kept stopping me."

Izuku shrunk back as several people motioned to him.

"This is Midoriya. He just joined us today," Iida explained.

"What is your quirk, young man."

Izuku stared up at Endeavor, the #1 hero, in awe. He was even cooler up close. More intimidating too. "Mental manipulation."

His eyes narrowed slightly. "I see. Eraserhead will discuss your performance further." With that, he left.

Izuku followed the others back to where they started. Aizawa wasn't there so they waited, which meant answering more questions.

"Have you already moved into the dorms?" "Yes."

"What floor?"

"Fourth."

Izuku rattled off answers, asking his own on occasion. His head was still pounding but at least he could function, unlike last time.

"Why didn't you transfer sooner?" Uraraka asked.

Izuku looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. "I didn't want to be a hero." Her face fell. "Why not?" Her voice was soft, genuinely curious.

"It's just. . . Just because we want something doesn't mean we can have it." He thought back to Hatsume and Aizawa. Training to be a hero was fun. He liked the sparring and the costumes and the glamor of it all. But when it came time for a real fight. . .reality would settle in like it did all those years ago. But he was mostly confused, torn between what he wanted and what was realistic. "I'm not cut out to be a hero," he muttered, "not in the end."

Hatsume and Aizawa would see that. Eventually.

Something slammed into his back sending him face-first into the dirt.

"What the hell are you talking about, Deku?" Bakugo growled. Izuku rolled over and glared up at him. Bakugo gabbed his suit yanking him close. "You don't get to show up and then decide you don't want to do it."

Izuku shoved at Bakugo's chest, but his hands held tight. "Let go of me!" "Midoriya, why don't you want to be a hero? Why did you transfer?"

He was pretty sure that was Iida talking, but he kept his eyes locked with Bakugo's. "The teachers made me because I can't control it."

Bakugo's hands started smoking. "You fucking idiot!" Someone yelled at them to stop. Izuku was shoving harder at Bakugo, but his grip only tightened. Distantly he wondered where Aizawa was. Finally, Bakugo got off of him. He stopped a few feet away, back turned.

Izuku rolled onto his side, wincing in pain from the headache and yelling. "It hurts, ok? I can't—I can't handle it," he explained, staring down at the ground. "I'm sorry."

"If you're just here to learn how to control your quirk, fine. But if you can't be a hero"—he turned to face Izuku—"you'll just get in our way."

Izuku's heart jumped into his throat, cutting off airflow. When he looked at the others they turned away looking guilty, but they didn't counter Bakugo either. He knew Bakugo was right, that giving anything less than 100% wouldn't be fair to the others, but last time 100% had nearly killed him. Even if he was stronger now and training with his quirk, he couldn't manage at full power.

"Midoriya?"

He met a pair of different colored eyes. Todoroki.

"I had to learn a hard lesson with my quirk when I started at UA." Todoroki crouched down offering Izuku a hand. "I also tried to suppress a part of my quirk," he said. "By suppressing your quirk, you're cutting off a part of yourself. I can understand why you feel you have to but remember you control your quirk, not the other way around."

Izuku considered that. "It's not that I don't—"

"Then what the hell is it?" Bakugo yelled, palms crackling. "Do you want to be a hero or not?"

"Yes, I want to be a hero!" Izuku admitted for the first time aloud. He wanted to be a hero so bad it almost hurt.

"Then what is the damn problem?"

So many things that Izuku couldn't tell them, and they wouldn't understand.

Bakugo shoved him again, tired of waiting. "Until you figure that out, stay on the sidelines."

Izuku stared at the ground between his feet, hands drawing into fists.

"Stay on the sidelines and figure your shit out, but you won't get stronger there," Bakugo said walking away.

Izuku noticed Aizawa leaning against the wall watching. He bit his cheek hard because he wanted to get stronger and he wanted to be a hero, but villains. . . He shook his head, dispersing the thought. No, he wouldn't be alone. He wouldn't be acting recklessly to prove something to himself. It was his quirk. He controlled it. He could learn to control it completely.

But more than anything, being scared forever sounded miserable.

Even Hatsume would move on to bigger and better things after graduation. Then he'd be alone again and if she was his only so-called 'sensor' he'd be in deep trouble. If he didn't give his all at training his quirk and finding his limits, his quirk would continue to haunt him.

"Kacchan!"

He looked at Izuku over his shoulder. "What, nerd?"

Izuku gave a single nod. "I'll do it. I'll become a hero," he promised, repeating those words over in his head.

Bakugo's eyes narrowed. "All or nothing, Deku."

"100%" Izuku stood straighter, ignoring the throbbing in his cheek and side. He'd give 100% and only prayed it wouldn't kill him.

Bakugo's lip curled back in a twisted smile. "You better, nerd."

"That's enough," Aizawa finally said, pushing off the wall. "Get to your other classes, we'll discuss the exercise tomorrow. Midoriya, you stay."

Izuku watched his classmates leave, some looking back apologetically. When they were alone, Aizawa fixed his tired eyes on Izuku.

"I knew you were going to be a problem child," Aizawa grumbled as he approached Izuku. "But I'm proud of you," he added gently. "I know that was hard."

Izuku's eyes began to burn immediately, and he sucked in a shaky breath. "Go to Recovery Girl and then go to class. You did good today, Midoriya."

Izuku laid starfish style on the ground staring up at the ceiling while Hatsume sat in the beanbag fast-forwarding through the intro of their show. He had a notebook in one hand and a pen in the other trying to think of ideas.

"I need to get stronger," he said for the tenth time.

"Think of any ideas yet?"

Izuku sat up, frowning down at his list. It was embarrassingly short. He was pretty sure one idea didn't even count as a list. "Just one, but. . .I don't know. I'm still not sure."

"Pitch it to me." She turned to him fully, giving him all her attention.

"Well," he started, chewing on the cap of the pen. "I need to practice with negative emotions."

Hatsume nodded. "Right. Those are the hardest for you to handle, but we don't have a controlled environment."

"That's the idea. . ." He shut the notebook and set it aside. "I was thinking of going to the hospital. Like the terminal wing? Maybe I could help them."

Hatsume slid off the beanbag and sat in front of him. "Are you sure you can handle that? That's a lot of pain."

Izuku chewed on the inside of his lip, wringing his fingers. "If I want any shot at being a Hero, I need to learn how to deal with thoughts and emotions like that."

She nodded, still looking apprehensive.

"But I can't go alone," he added, hoping to ease her worry. "I'll need someone there to keep an eye on me and you're the one who knows about. . ."

Hatsume nodded, not needing him to finish. "When do you want to start?"

"Tomorrow. I need to start as soon as possible."

"What about the exam? It's in a few days."

"I've been thinking about that," Izuku said, propping his head up on his fist. "I'll be facing a lot of students with quirks I know nothing about. I need to get over this hurdle before that."

Hatsume gave a determined smile. "Ok. We'll go tomorrow! What are the parameters?" She picked up his notebook, pen at the ready.

Izuku scratched at his cheek, thinking. "Well, I guess just to see what it's like to work with those memories. It's been a long time."

She hummed, writing it down. "We need to make sure you don't overwork yourself either, so maybe just one patient."

"Yeah, that sounds good." He laid back and closed his eyes, letting the TV and pen scratching against paper fill the silence.

100%

He'd get there. He'd face his fears. He wouldn't let the past repeat itself. Then, one day, he'd be a hero who could save lives.

He glanced over at Hatsume knowing that everything was happening because she believed in him first.