A/N: Halfway to 100, how awesome is that! This story is really coming along nicely!
I read the reviews on the most recent chapter, and I'm really glad a lot of people are enjoying the idea of playing with Toga becoming a hero. However, I know some people are worried that it will be a shallow change, and the gravity of her actions before this won't be acknowledged. Well, all I will say is that there is no need for concern. Izuku technically doesn't know what Toga did, but some other people in Class 1-A do, so some won't be as quick to move on as he was :)
I apologise in advance for this chapter and how insanely long it has taken to release. It will not be as emotional as it was in the anime as the lore of "My Hero" has unfolded differently, but I intend for it to develop Izuku and Bakugo's relationship even more. I also graduated Uni as one of the top of my class, which is pretty sick. I really hope to update this story more frequently.
I hope you enjoy chapter 50!
Spending time with Toga was always memorable, at least the few times Izuku had been around her recently. She'd clung to him almost the entire time he was there, and although it bothered him a bit, he didn't have the heart to tell her to stop. She seemed so happy with her current situation; like the light and colour had come back to her face. Now, however, he just wanted to see his friends again. It felt like ages since he'd last spent any time with them.
After a quiet and lonely walk across the campus, 1-A's dorm came into view, the lights of the lower level all glowing. He could see a few of his friends sitting around on the sofas, Mina being one of them. Looking at her always gave him a strong butterflies feeling in his stomach. He was so in love with her he had no way to describe it.
After scanning his I.D. card, Izuku pushed through the front door to see Uraraka standing there. She wasn't really standing there, it was more like he had caught her just as she was walking back to the living room.
"Oh, Deku, you startled me!" She exclaimed, clasping her hand to her chest and doubling over slightly.
"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." Izuku raised his hands apologetically, closing the door with his foot.
"No, don't apologise. I'm glad you're back, I missed you." Uraraka said with a sweet smile, rubbing the back of her head awkwardly. Uncertain of how to reply, the flattered greenette simply gave her a chuckle, before his eyes fell upon something she was holding in her hand. It looked like a simple sheet of paper with writing on it. The way it was written reminded him of a letter or something, but he couldn't only see the top two lines.
"What's that?" He asked curiously, pointing to the paper. Uraraka's eyes went wide and she quickly hid it behind her back.
"Oh, i-it's nothing... Just some... Notes, for training stuff..." She stammered quickly. Izuku stared at her for a moment. Why was she so flustered? Perhaps it was embarrassing stuff, like how she had to train to overcome the nausea of making herself float. He decided not to press the matter further.
"Oh, I see. Come on, let's go see everyone." Izuku smiled sweetly, nodding to the door before starting towards the living room. Upon entering, all eyes were on him.
"Midoriya, there you are. We were getting worried." Tsuyu croaked, smiling over at him and Uraraka as they continued into the room.
"Sorry, I had to go to the Teachers Dorm," Izuku replied with a calm smile, sitting himself down in the space his friends had cleared beside Mina.
It was then that a small buzz in Izuku's bag startled him away from his friends. Reaching down into it, the teen retrieved his phone, turning on the screen to see a text from a contact he had not seen in years. Kacchan.
"Go out front later. We need to talk."
Izuku slowly turned his gaze up from his phone to his old friend sitting opposite. His eyes were fixed on the greenette's, and his face was carved into a frown. Izuku swallowed nervously. The two of them had not messaged in years, and never before had Bakugo avoided saying anything openly to or about the One For All Quirk user. What did he want?
Izuku did his best to push the anxious butterflies into the pit of his stomach and enjoy the company of his friends. He simply couldn't do it, though... What did Bakugo want with him?
Night had fallen now. Izuku had made his way as quietly as possible through a dorm, and could now see Bakugo through the front window, leaning up against the wall and looking up at the school.
"Kacchan?" Izuku started slowly.
"You came then," Bakugo muttered, looking over his shoulder with a raised eyebrow. "Come with me."
Izuku stared at the blonde teen as he pushed off the wall and began walking down the road.
"Kacchan, wait!" He said urgently, jogging to catch up to his old friend. Bakugo, unsurprisingly, did not acknowledge Izuku, looking dead ahead as they walked towards some unknown destination.
"Where are we going?" Izuku let out a sigh. Still, Bakugo said nothing, and Izuku rolled his eyes and scoffed to himself before the sight of the city training area came into view.
"What you told me- about your powers coming from All Might," Bakugo spoke up finally as they neared the training area. "That was true, wasn't it?" He asked, frowning over at the greenette. Izuku's stomach dropped, and he tripped over his own feet, stopping dead and staring at the Explosion Quirk user.
"I-I-I... T-That's not..."
"It's true. I know it is." Bakugo stated, stopping at the doors to the artificial cityscape. "I know you well enough to know you'd never lie about somethin' like that. You're an idiot, and I know you spoke before you thought, back then." He explained, sliding his hand into his pocket and retrieving a key card, sliding it down the reader beside the door and standing back as they slid open.
"H-How did you get that?" Izuku stammered. What was happening? He was sure Bakugo would have forgotten by now...
"Quiet." The teen snapped, starting through the doors and into the massive training area. Izuku's whole body felt like it was shaking as he followed his old friend through the facility.
"I've spent more than enough time watching you and your fights. Anyone who hasn't figured out you inherited your Quirk has to be an idiot." He continued, leading the greenette through the streets whilst scanning his surroundings.
"That's why you're here." He stated finally, stopping dead and turning on his heel, staring Izuku dead in the eyes.
"With All Might's powers gone, he's gonna have to retire. You know that?" Bakugo asked. Izuku hesitated at first before meekly nodding, turning his gaze to the floor. "That means that one day, you're gonna have to take his place-."
"I-I know all this... Already..." Izuku snapped before his voice faltered a little. "I knew the whole time, and I knew I'd have to take his place one day, but not this soon... I'm not ready..." Izuku muttered at the floor.
"If you're gonna be the new All Might one day, then you should at least be able to defeat me now," Bakugo grumbled, getting into a fighting stance. "Fight me, Midoriya." He smirked.
"W-What? W-We can't..."
"Fight me! Deku!" Bakugo screamed, sparks crackling from his palms before he pushed off. Izuku barely had any time to react, throwing himself back and away from a burning hot explosion. Izuku gritted his teeth through the pain of the explosion burning on his legs, the power of Full Cowling flowing through his body.
"Are you serious, Kacchan..." Izuku muttered to himself, before Bakugo sped through the cloud of smoke, throwing another crackling hand at the greenette. Izuku quickly sidestepped, managing to dodge this time before again leaping up into the air. He could not fight Kacchan, not here or now. This would only get them both into heaps of trouble.
"Don't run, coward!" Bakugo snarled over his shoulder, firing himself up after the One for All Quirk user. With a strained exclamation, Izuku twisted his body around to dodge his rival's swing as they began to fall. The blonde young man whipped around and fired yet another explosion, then another, and another, relentlessly laying attacks on the greenette.
"Kacchan, wait!" Izuku ordered, finally making some distance between him and the blonde boy. "This... This isn't going to prove anythi-."
Again he was cut off by an explosion. He was not prepared to dodge, and the explosion was almost a direct hit, sending the greenette reeling backwards. "
"WAIT, I SAID!" Izuku screamed, hitting the floor and rolling a little before managing to push himself to his feet, skidding to a stop. By the time he'd looked up, Bakugo was already in his face, crackling another explosion between his palms.
Without thinking, the greenette grabbed him by the shoulders, trying to push him away. Instead, Bakugo's foot slammed hard into Izuku's jaw. Again the boy was sent reeling, a sharp pain his jaw radiating around his head. Gritting his teeth, Izuku fell into the reeling motion, carrying his weight around to his hands before throwing his legs up, kicking the incoming explosion up into the air.
A small sound escaped Bakugo's lips as Izuku got back to his feet, and the Explosion quirk user fell hard to the floor with a grunt. Upon seeing his old friend on the floor, Izuku felt his stomach drop a little, and started towards him to help.
"I-I'm sorry... Are you oka-."
"Shut up." Bakugo snapped, slapping Izuku's hand away hard, staring him in the face. "Why... Why are you running from me! Do you think you're too good to fight me!?"
"W-What? N-No!" Izuku tried to argue.
"How can you, someone so weak- so far below me, be looking down on me!" Bakugo boomed, getting to his feet and stepping in Izuku's direction. "All this time I've worked to be the best, yet All Might just handed this power to you, and now you think you're better than me!"
"You don't have any idea what you're talking about!" Izuku fired back. Bakugo's eyes went wide, and he stopped dead.
"D-Do you have any idea how hard I've had to work? I'm the last person who deserved a power like this..." He argued back.
"Then face me! Prove to me that you're worth this power! You've always been on my tail since we met, and no matter how much I beat you up, you stuck close. If you wanna act like you're above me, prove to me that you are!" Bakugo growled, getting back into a fighting stance. Maybe they would get into trouble, but it had been years since he and Bakugo had come this close to talking about their feelings.
Ever since middle school their communication with each other had been limited, but with All Might now gone, they were both feeling the pressure. Bakugo looked up to All Might just as much as Izuku did, and he was also one of the very few people who now knew about the origins of his power. Perhaps, Izuku thought, this was Bakugo's way of helping his old friend out, as well as venting out some of his stress and anxiety now that the Symbol of Peace was gone.
Bakugo moved first again, starting at a run towards Izuku. Swinging his leg around, he landed a firm kick across Bakugo's cheek, throwing him back and away.
This is perfect... I can test my Shoot Style out on you... The One for All Quirk user thought to himself as Bakugo steadied himself, turning and glaring daggers over his shoulder.
"I will not be your sandbag anymore, Kacchan!" Izuku called, before the blonde boy took off again, firing himself into the air in a cloud of smoke. Izuku pushed himself back as Bakugo shot towards the ground, again narrowly missing his attack, but already he was encroaching on Izuku's position. He didn't have time to land before Bakugo would reach him... He had to think.
As quickly as he could, Izuku launched his foot around to repel Bakugo's hand, but he had been feinted. The Explosion Quirk user propelled himself around the greenette, onto the floor, before throwing a mighty punch into Izuku's abdomen. The wind rocketed out of the boy's lungs as he was sent careening across the tarmac and into a metal fence.
Forcing the air into his lungs, Izuku shook himself steady. It was no good, Bakugo's fighting style was too aggressive to predict, and his Quirk to versatile to figure out. He had to use that against him and try to be just as unpredictable.
A yell pulled Izuku from his thoughts, and he threw himself up and over the railing to avoid another punch from his old friend. Then, there was a sudden grip on his arm, and before he knew it he had been thrown across the road again. Tumbling to the opposite end of the street. He had no chance to catch his breath, even if he tried to make a window for himself. Whatever he did, Bakugo was ready for, as if he knew what Izuku was going to do before he knew himself.
"I thought you weren't gonna be a sandbag, Deku!" Bakugo yelled down the street, picking himself up from the dented railing Izuku had hit.
"I won't be!"
Bakugo was first to move, again, but this time Izuku had enough space to make a clear dodge, sweeping around Bakugo and pushing himself off for an attack at his back.
"You're slow!" The Blonde teen boomed, reeling around and cupping his hands together, a blinding flash appearing from between his palms. Izuku had never seen this move before, not that he could see at all. Quickly he raised his arm to shield his eyes, but a fist got to it before he could, throwing him backwards and onto the floor again. His body stung from all the cuts and grazes. Izuku didn't let himself recover fully, jumping messily into the air just to get some distance.
"You seriously think you're gonna surpass me! No matter how many times I beat you down, you sick close! You're an idiot!" Bakugo was yelling every word, his body shaking and his eyes wide.
"Because you had so much I never had! You were so much closer to All Might than I ever hoped I could be!" The greenette fired in return, taking off at a sprint towards his rival. He could feel the buzz in his stomach growing stronger, and the occasional strikes of teal energy grew a little brighter. Was it the nerves he was feeling? Adrenaline? He was not sure. However, one thing he did know, was that his mind was burning to prove himself. It felt almost as though the limit of One for All he was using had increased, but just slightly.
"That's why..." He somersaulted through the air, throwing a kick down towards the blonde teen, his heel smashing down onto Bakugo's crossed arms and forcing him down into a crouch.
"That's why I kept chasing after you!" Izuku cried. He could feel his entire body buzzing. He felt stronger- he felt faster. Adjusting himself once he'd hit the floor, Izuku pushed himself into the kick, this time throwing Bakugo across the concrete. He kept his footing, sliding about thirty feet across the floor before coming to a stop.
"But you will never pass me! DEKUUUU!" The Explosion Quirk user screamed back.
Both boys pushed themselves off as hard as they were able, streaks of orange and teal carving their way through the darkness. Izuku dug his right foot down, throwing his body in a circle before carrying the momentum into a spinning back kick. His boot slammed Bakugo's cheek, causing the boy to stumble backwards, but again he kept himself balanced.
No windows! Izuku yelled in his mind, keeping the momentum going and tucking in his arms to gather more speed, before pushing off into another axe-kick. With all his might he pushed his foot to the floor, but he felt no resistance. Instead, he saw Bakugo leaning backwards into a fall, his right hand outstretched and illuminated a bright orange.
Before he knew it, both were engulfed in flames, being tossed like pebbles across the main street of Ground Beta. Izuku let himself be carried around by the blast, before digging his feet into the floor, leaning as far forward as his ankles would let him, before pushing all his strength into the ground and launching himself towards Bakugo again.
"IS THAT ALL YOU'VE GOT!" Izuku hollered, sailing through the air towards Bakugo. That was the one thing he always hated about the blonde teen. Once his image of "I have to save you" was overpowered by his feeling of "I have to beat you," then he found himself throwing more insults. Just as the fight with Muscular. But it was that image of Victory Izuku always had in times like that. An image that was so clearly of Katsuki Bakugo, that powered him to achieve it. Once close enough, Izuku jumped into the air again, but for a reason. Bakugo followed suit, the two gaining ground on each other at incredible speeds.
"You see my Shoot Style so clearly. You figured me out through my kicks..." Izuku smirked at the teen through the dust and smoke around them. "But I could always use my fists!"
Bakugo's face fell, and he quickly tried changing his posture to block the attack, but it was too late. Izuku had forced an opening for himself, carrying his entire body into the punch that plastered itself across Bakugo's cheek.
"LIKE I'D EVER LOSE TO YOU, DEKU!" The Explosion Quirk user screamed so loud, Izuku was sure it had broken windows around them. A sudden, vice-like grip on Izuku's shirt made his stomach drop, and he was thrown into a death spiral by Bakugo before an overhead explosion fired them towards the ground at bone-shattering speeds. It milliseconds, Izuku felt himself forced into a crater in the road, his arms and legs pinned by Bakugo's complete weight.
It was over... He had lost. His body was screaming, and his lungs were on fire, gasping for breath as he lay defeated beneath his old friend.
"I win..." Bakugo breathed, tightening his grip on the greenette. Perhaps that was the case, but inside, Izuku had never felt such a feeling of victory. This stupid, pointless fight had lifted so much weight of his shoulders, and he was sure by Bakugo's voice, that he felt the same. For so long they had lived with so many unspoken troubles between them, but it finally felt like some of that had lifted.
"You two. Enough." A strong voice pierced the silence. It was All Might...
"You... You're..." Bakugo grunted, getting up and off Izuku, stumbling back to his feet.
"Y-You're... Back..." Izuku managed to sputter the words through exhaustion and shock.
"And what a sight to come back to. Why are you both fighting?" The frail former pro asked, stopping a few feet away from them. He looked as though he had only recently been discharged. His arm was still cast in bandages, and he still lacked colour in his skin, but he looked better than before.
"Why Deku... Why this weakling?" Bakugo growled, staring over his shoulder at All Might.
"Because he was powerless, yet more heroic than anyone else..." All Might explained as Izuku pushed himself out of the small divot in the ground and onto the road. "I saw that on the day he came to try and save you from that Villain. You were already more than capable of competing to become the best."
"I'm weak too, you know," Bakugo growled... "It doesn't make sense..." He said quietly.
"My limit was close... I kept it from the public to protect them. I needed someone with the qualities I know my senior would have looked for," All Might rested his hand on Bakugo's shoulder, before pointing his boney finger at Izuku. "And I found him."
"Tch!" The Blonde teen scoffed, pushing All Might's hand off his shoulder and sitting heavily on the floor beside Izuku. "That's... So stupid..." He grumbled, letting out a heavy sigh and resting his head in his hand. Izuku watched the two talking, wiping blood from his lip and finally beginning to get his breath back.
"You wanna keep this quiet, huh..." He said after a few seconds, frowning over at Izuku, then up at All Might.
"Yes. We are still far from ready to share this with anyone." All Might answered before the greenette could.
"Fine. I'll keep it a secret, unlike this moron. But you tell me everything."
All Might did as Bakugo asked. He explained how he came to choose Izuku, and about how One for All is a Quirk that is passed from person to person, becoming stronger and stronger through time, and about how he came to start losing his power. Bakugo gave very little input on the matter, but agreed to stay quiet, and make sure Izuku became as strong as possible. He was also, however, very insistent that he would not surpass him, although that only made the greenette crave the satisfaction of proving him wrong.
That was about ten minutes ago. Aizawa arrived and quickly put the entire conversation to sleep. He tended to the boys wounds, and they were now being marched back to their dorm in silence.
"You boys have no idea how stupid you are," Aizawa growled as the neared the Class 1-A dorm. The lights downstairs were illuminated, and Izuku could see silouhettes of his classmates pacing back and forth inside.
"It was foolish, but they know that. You are too hard on them, Aizawa-." All Might started before quickly getting cut off.
"You are far too soft." The Erasure Quirk user barked, before pushing the front door open and letting the two boys inside.
"Midoriya, Bakugo! Where have you been!" Iida's voice was first to meet their ears. Looking around at his classmates, the handful that were awake and present looked as though they had only just gotten out of bed, yet Iida seemed as though he'd yet to even touch the sheets.
"I was so worried! What were you both thinking!" Momo spoke up, before Aizawa entered, and everyone returned to silence.
"You boys. Who hit first." He grumbled.
"Me," Bakugo replied quickly, still scowling at the floor.
"Then you will have four days of house arrest. Midoriya, you will have three. You will clean this building in the time your classmates are away, and I expect a written apology before the arrest ends. Count yourself very lucky I do not punish you more severely. Now everyone, back to bed." Their Homeroom teacher spoke sternly, before turning on his heel and leaving them all in silence.
"Explain yourselves," Momo ordered again. Bakguo scoffed, rolling his eyes and heading to his room without another word.
"It's kinda personal... I'm sorry we caused you all trouble." Izuku muttered, looking down at the floor.
"It's alright, we are just glad you're okay." Momo sighed, a small grin creeping onto her lips.
"Midori? What's goin' on?" Mina's voice drew them all to her attention, standing at the foot of the stairs in a pale blue crop-top and shorts pyjamas.
"These guys were fighting." Kaminari smirked, leaning over the back of one of the sofas.
"You what!" Mina looked wide awake now, her eyes going wide as she looked between Izuku and Bakugo "Are yo-... Midori, let's just go to bed..." Mina sighed, sounding half annoyed, half tired.
The greenette anxiously fired a glance at his friends, before following his pink-skinned girlfriend back up the stairs to her room. They did not exchange any words as they headed to her room.
"What did he do?" Mina finally spoke up as they got to her floor.
"Who? Bakugo?" Izuku fired back.
"Yeah. I know what he's like, Midori. He treats you like shit. I doubt you started that fight." She pushed open her room door, leading him inside and closing it behind them.
"I-It sort of was my fault too... I after the entrance exam, about One for All. He didn't buy it at first, but I guess after everything that's happened recently, he figured I wasn't lying." Izuku explained as Mina settled herself back into bed.
"Wait... He knows? Why would you tell him!" Mina exclaimed, staring at him dumbfounded.
"It was a while ago... I-I didn't think about it then..." He responded quickly, walking around her bed and perching beside her. "All Might told him everything too, when he got to us and we explained what happened." Izuku continued, resting his head on the wall behind them.
"So, what did happen?" She asked, letting out a sigh and leaning into him, wrapping her arms around his midriff.
Izuku stumbled on his words for a moment, "I don't really remember... He was really emotional. He said he felt like I was looking down on him. Something about him thinking his strength wasn't recognised. That's not exactly it, but it's all a little hazy..." Izuku explained between pauses.
"Seriously? How's an asshole like him about to assume he's the one being looked down on by you. He needs to get a grip..." Mina grumbled, shaking her head. "Did you beat him?" She added hopefully.
"No... I could have, but he really is strong... I still have some catch up to do, especially after what happened to my quirk at the Training Camp..." Izuku responded with a shrug, smiling down at his girlfriend.
She didn't say anything, moving her hand under his shirt, rubbing it against his skin carefully, tracing his scars with her fingers. It tickled slightly, the skin still being quite sensitive.
"I'm just glad ya'okay." She cooed softly, tightening he grip on him. "I love you." She said with a content sigh. Izuku's heart fluttered. No matter how many times he heard that phrase from her lips, it always felt like it was his first time hearing it. He rested his hand on her soft curled hair, tracing the shape of her horns with his finger.
"I love you too, Mina. I'm so lucky to have someone like you." He whispered softly.
"Me too," She whispered, lifting her head slightly and planting a gentle kiss on his neck.