Bakugou Katsuki: Origin

by SoulMungry

Bakugou Katsuki was four when he was designated as being quirkless. Ever since then he has lived a life full of past sins, regrets and loneliness. Because of it Bakugou has decided that his future will be simple and without meaning. But despite it all there is still a part of him that dreams to become a hero.

2. Chapter One: Training Montage

"You're planning on doing what!?" exclaimed the person on the other end of the phone.

Toshinori Yagi winced at the loudness in his sidekick's voice. It had been two days since the incident, and the hero was taking some well-deserved "time out" in Might Tower.

"You heard what I said, Mirai," he calmly responded.

"But why in the world would you do it?" asked Mirai Sasaki, also known as Sir

Nighteye.

"You are still at the height of your power, while he is still at large. Besides, the hero society as we know it would collapse if you suddenly decided to stop being All Might. So why would you even dream of transferring One for All at such a crucial moment?"

"Because I'm tired," responded Toshinori, "and I believe that I no longer have the aptitude to be All Might. The previous incident made it clear."

"Then just take a vacation. It's obvious to me that you've burned yourself out. Just rest and leave the drastic decisions for when they are actually needed."

Hearing this made Toshinori wear a bitter smile.

"Unfortunately, we both know that All Might can't go on vacations. The thing about being an absolute symbol of hope is that your presence needs to be constantly felt. If All Might vanishes, even for a short while, everyone will take it as a sign that I've grown weaker, including him," he explained.

The only response from his friend was a prolonged silence.

"You know, Mirai, both of us were so surprised when he disappeared. We searched everywhere, under every rock and in every dark crevice of the criminal underworld. There were enough signs for us to know that he was still active, but not enough to find a trail. We believed he was planning some grandiose scheme to defeat me, but now I think that's not the case."

Something quivered in Toshinori's face as an expression of pure resentment appeared.

"I think he decided to bide his time, to do nothing and wait for an inevitable outcome. Either I exhaust myself looking for him, as is happening now, or I become overly complacent. In both cases, he would strike from the darkness and tear me apart."

"We are cornered, Nighteye. Whatever we do, he'll make his move first. And when that happens, I want to at least have a successor ready, so even if I die, he doesn't win," Toshinori solemnly declared.

There was a brief silence, during which Mirai moved to one of the nearest computers after fixing his glasses.

There was a brief silence, during which Mirai moved to one of the nearest computers after fixing his glasses.

"Can you tell me the name of your successor?" Mirai suddenly asked.

"Oh... uh... Bakugo Katsuki, if I remember correctly," said Toshinori.

Frankly, the hero had almost forgotten to ask for the young man's name after he agreed to become Toshinori's successor. They were both pretty exhausted at that time.

Furious typing sounds could be heard from the other side, which were eventually replaced by more silence until All Might's sidekick spoke again.

"Absolutely not!" Mirai exclaimed.

Toshinori pulled the phone away from his ear, wincing before putting it back.

"Why?" he asked, expecting a taxing conversation.

"You must've been extremely exhausted to greenlight this," said Mirai.

"Even with neatly styled hair and glasses, he looks like a punk. For heroism's sake, All Might, he's glaring at the camera!"

"Okay, so he's a bit rowdier than me. That's not a huge issue. All of his bad qualities can be ironed out with time. Besides, people like tough-looking heroes with soft spots. And in fact, his appearance kind of reminds me of you," said Toshinori with a chuckle.

"For someone so good at making people laugh, I expected better than this," commented his sidekick.

"Also, I've dug out reports claiming that this young man is extremely aggressive. Do you really want to entrust someone like that with the second strongest quirk in Japan, if not the entire globe!?"

To this, Toshinori had no response.

"Listen, All Might, I understand the points you made. However, I firmly believe that there are much better candidates than what I'm looking at right now. In fact, I already have someone ready. His name is Mirio Togata, and-"

"I refuse," Toshinori interrupted.

Another silence followed before Nighteye spoke again.

"Why?"

"Because you didn't see what I saw. And what I saw was a young man shielding another with his own body from an attack that would surely kill him."

"He has proven that he can take anyone born weak and with darkness in them and that he can turn them into embodiments of villainy. Why can't we do the opposite and finally show the world that anyone can be a hero? I believe that Young Bakugo is perfect for that. People expect the worst from him, and as such, he'll be able to help the disenfranchised better than I ever could."

"So, he is a gamble?" asked the quite irritated Mirai.

"Only if we don't succeed. And I doubt that will happen because Bakugo Katsuki has what it takes to be a great hero. I believe it."

---

"FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT, CUNT, USELESS GARBAGE. MOVE!" yelled the "future great hero" as he tried to pull an old refrigerator.

Bakugo Katsuki was currently in what seemed to be a junkyard, dressed in a black tank top, dark sweatpants, and sneakers, with his hair gelled up.

"You seem to be having fun down there," cheerfully said All Might as he sat atop the fridge that Katsuki was struggling with.

"GET OFF THE FRIDGE, ALL MIGHT! YOUR HALF-TON ASS IS JUST MAKING IT HEAVIER!" he yelled at the innocent-looking hero.

"What are you talking about? I weigh only 600 pounds."

"SAME SHIT!"

Finally, Katsuki took a deep breath and calmed himself down. Stress made him fall back into old habits.

"What are we even doing here, All Might?" he asked the hero.

"Because you sent me a message yesterday, asking me to wake up at the crack of dawn and meet you at a junkyard. Which I did, despite the red flags it raised in my head, only to have you ask me out of nowhere to pull a fucking fridge. So, please tell me, All Might, are you messing with me?"

"Oh, sorry about that, dear boy," said All Might as he awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

"I called you here because we'll be using this junkyard to prepare you for my quirk."

Katsuki looked around the place before turning his attention back to the hero.

"So, I'll be breaking shit?" he asked with an evil grin.

"Erm, no," responded the hero.

"You see, One for All is a massive concentration of energy, so if I tried to give it to you now, you'd most likely die."

"Okaay, what do I need to do to make that not happen?"

"Quite easy young Bakugo. Essentially we need you to bulk up. Once your body has gotten strong enough you'll be able to use my quirk without being torn to shreds."

"TORN TO SHREDS!"

"Don't worry, it will be fine. Plus, I'm pretty sure you're already halfway there," reassured the man.

Well yeah, he was pretty well built for a teenager his age. Having to constantly deal with total assholes who could curb stomp him without a second thought, made him only more motivated to get stronger. Apparently this was also a good idea to do otherwise this training shit might have taken longer.

"So, essentially, you need me to get jacked," Katsuki responded while eyeing the heavier pieces of equipment in the junkyard.

He then made a predatory grin.

"I can do that."

All Might chuckled atop the fridge.

"I'm pleased to see all that enthusiasm, young Bakugo. However, that's not the only reason why I've summoned you here."

The man jumped off the fridge and landed in front of the teen.

"This is also an exercise in building character," All Might explained.

Katsuki tilted his head.

"What do you mean?"

All Might's grin widened.

"You see, young man, being a hero is more than just showing off your power and defeating villains. It's also about serving your community, no matter how menial the job might seem."

"For example, this place used to be Dagoba Beach, a spot where couples, families, and anyone else could relax. Unfortunately, larger piles of garbage started washing up on its shores, diminishing public interest. And as if that wasn't bad enough, some questionable individuals started using it as an illegal dumping ground."

Katsuki realized he had seen a news report about it. The Hag had been extremely upset, as it was the place where she had her first kiss with Dad, despite how gross that was.

Meanwhile, All Might continued his lecture.

"Imagine, Musutafu has one of the largest hero populations in the country, and yet no one has bothered to come here and clean up this place.

"Because it takes more than a quirk to be a hero," Katsuki thought bitterly.

All Might placed his hand on top of the fridge and used his strength to not only compress it but also create a shockwave that scattered the trash behind him, revealing the rising sun.

"Your job will be to clean up this entire section of the beach. Only then will I grant you my power."

Katsuki took a long, hard stare at everything before facing the hero.

"I'll do it!"

The man laughed.

"You sound confident."

He then loomed over the quirkless teenager.

"Hopefully not overconfident."

Katsuki scoffed.

"If this is what I need to do to prove to you that I can be a hero, then I'll do it. It's as simple as that."

"Well, that outlook isn't entirely inaccurate," said the man, patting Katsuki on the back.

"Anyway, you'll need this," he said as he handed the papers to his successor.

"Aim to pass: American Dream Plan," the teen read aloud before giving the hero in front of him a skeptical look.

"You're really serious about your American-esque branding, aren't you?"

"Well, it's who I am!" All Might responded with another beaming laugh.

Katsuki snorted and then went back to checking the contents of the pages. After a moment, he spoke again.

"So, this is basically a fitness plan for handling One for All, right?"

"Essentially."

"And did you use this yourself when you were training to obtain this quirk?"

"Of course, and I can say that the results speak for themselves." All Might did a full body flex, much to Katsuki's chagrin.

He then inspected the pages again, leaving a brief silence between them. After going through everything, Katsuki spoke again.

"Alright, I'll have to make a few changes."

This gained a look of surprise from the world-famous hero.

"What do you mean?"

Katsuki Bakugo took a deep breath, attempting to display some empathy so people wouldn't think he was an asshole.

"Listen, All Might, I'm not trying to be disrespectful, but this plan seems focused on gaining as much muscle as possible. That's your body type—large and bulky, with a lot of strength, but probably not very fast."

"By video game logic, that would make you a tank. However, I'm more like a pure damage dealer. I rely on speed and strength, and I usually try to avoid getting hit in fights. But since I need a strong body to handle the power of my own punches, I think it would be better for us to focus on making my body stronger rather than bulkier."

Katsuki paused when he noticed that the number one hero was staring at him without saying a word. He suddenly became extremely nervous.

"Of course, I don't want to assume that I'm smarter than you, especially when it comes to a quirk you're more knowledgeable about. I was just pitching ideas."

"Young Bakugo," the man said solemnly.

The teen nervously gulped.

"I'm even happier now that I chose you to inherit my power," exclaimed All Might.

"Wait, why?"

"Well, you see, despite my accomplishments, I'm not that bright. In fact, I made many dumb mistakes while I was mastering how to control One for All because I didn't fully understand it. So seeing you, young Bakugo, already having a good understanding of your own strengths and goals, makes me feel very fortunate to have found you."

Hearing that stirred something uneasy in Katsuki's heart, and he quickly turned away from All Might.

The larger man immediately noticed it.

"What's wrong, young Bakugo?" he asked, before realizing that Katsuki's ears were a bit red.

"Are you perhaps embarrassed?"

"OF COURSE NOT!" shouted Katsuki, quickly turning towards the hero again.

But his red face spoke otherwise.

All Might's laughter echoed through the entire garbage dump while the quirkless teen managed to calm himself down.

"Anyway, is there something else I need to do?"

"No, there's nothing else you need to do for now. I'll adjust your exercise schedule, and you can send me a message with your available times. My sidekick will then create a proper schedule. He's quite good at that. So go home, young Bakugo, get yourself sorted out, because starting from tomorrow, the real training begins."

With that, All Might gave him a hearty pat on the back, almost making the teenager lose his balance. Katsuki then heard a notification sound from his phone. He checked it and saw a message from the Hag.

"Where the hell are you?" it read.

Katsuki realized he had one more thing to sort out.

---

"Where have you been?" asked Hag the moment her son walked through the front door.

The teen gave her a stare but didn't say anything.

They looked like carbon copies—same red eyes, same spiky ash-blond hair. The only thing they didn't share was facial structure; he got most of it from his dad.

"Sorry, I woke up early and couldn't fall asleep, so I decided to go for a jog," he explained.

His mother's eyes seemed to soften a bit as whatever lecture she had prepared got discarded. Still, she wouldn't be Hag if she didn't have a reason to berate him.

"However, you should've left a note or something. Villains have gotten bolder, and I'm pretty sure none of us wants a repeat of what happened, Katsuki."

She had discovered Katsuki's involvement with the villain. Well, it was pretty hard not to when "him sprinting into sudden death" was broadcast on national television.

Well, Hag had taken it as well as he had expected. He was sure that the whole damn neighborhood heard her tear him a new one while his dad tried to calm her down.

To Katsuki, it had been an unpleasant experience. The last time she had been this mad was when Aunt Inko had told her what he had done to Izumi. Katsuki had half expected her to slap him just like back then, but she hadn't done it.

"Hey mom, can you, dad, and I talk after I take a shower? There is something I need to tell you."

Bakugo Mitsuki had an expression like a deer in headlights. The woman's relationship with her son would be best described as "affectionate biting." In fact, the little brat hadn't addressed her as "mom" since he had learned what the name "hag" meant and decided it was very funny to call her that.

"S-sure," responded the woman, sounding unsure for the first time in her life.

"Thanks!" said Katsuki, giving her a meek smile before walking up the stairs.

"I won't take long."

She nodded and then quickly sprinted towards her husband, Masaru, who was dutifully making breakfast for all three of them.

"Honey!" she loudly whispered, gaining the man's attention.

The surprised husband turned away from the stove and saw a panic-stricken expression on his beloved's face, something he had only seen once when she had been going into labor.

"What's wrong?" he asked his distraught wife.

"It's Katsuki. He told me he wants to talk to us about something. I think he finally wants to open up."

Well, that made Masaru raise an eyebrow. Personality-wise, his son was an almost exact copy of his wife. It also meant that they shared many behavioral traits, like never wanting to admit that anything was ever wrong with them. So hearing Katsuki wanting to "talk about something" was surely a surprise. Still, Masaru knew his role in the family dynamic, and it definitely wasn't to stress about stuff like this.

"Alright, then I guess I'll hurry up with making breakfast," he said and returned to the stove.

The man ignored the jabs in his back from his annoyed wife.

Moments later, all three of them were sitting at the table. Katsuki was now wearing a regular black tank top with a white skull in front, as well as a pair of dark pants. He had forgone the gel and glasses because the teen only used them outside.

He looked at his mom and saw that she and dad, in turn, were staring at him. The atmosphere around the table was awkward.

Bakugo Katsuki hadn't had a sincere conversation with his parents in years. Most of their mealtime chats were just small talk because he wished to maintain the image of a son who never got into trouble. He also barely looked his parents in the eyes, fearing he would see disgust directed at him. However, he had to at least spill the beans about his aspirations to become a hero.

Of course, the All Might stuff would stay a secret, but they deserved to be informed about his silly little pipe dream. Even if it felt much harder than when he tried to save Fire Vomit from the Sludge Villain. He took a deep breath and let it out.

"I want to go and apply to UA and become a hero."

There was a brief silence until Hag spoke.

"Oh, that's it?"

He blinked a few times, feeling as if he'd been sucker-punched.

"And you're okay with it!?" he asked.

"Well, if you can get in, I'm fine with it," replied Mitsuki.

She then turned toward her husband.

"What do you think, Masaru?"

The man was currently chewing an egg. He quickly swallowed it before speaking.

"I have nothing against it. In fact, I think our Katsuki would make a pretty fine hero."

At this point, Katsuki looked exasperated.

"Did you really think we would be against it?" The woman laughed.

"But I'm quirkless," the teen said.

"So what?" shot back his mother.

"You know who cares about quirks? Bitches do. And you, my little moron, are no bitch. So what if you don't have a quirk? You don't need it, and you're a stronger person because of it. Besides, it's not like you don't have experience defending yourself against someone with a quirk."

That made the quirkless teen widen his eyes.

"Wait, you knew?"

The hag had a shit-eating grin on her face.

"About what? The little deal you struck with your principal about keeping us in the dark concerning your horseshit schoolmates? Yeah, he informed us about it the first time it happened."

Katsuki was sure he currently had the dumbest expression in the world.

"But why didn't you do anything?"

"Oh, believe me, young man, I was ready to knock down your door, get you to fess up, then hunt down the little fucker who did it and wring him like a towel. Fortunately, your father convinced me not to."

The quirkless teen looked at his father, surprised. The man had always been the one trying to mitigate all types of conflict in their household. However, he also tended to worry the most when it came to everyone's well-being. So he struck Katsuki as the last person who would allow such a thing to continue. The man gave him a gentle smile.

"I know your mother and you too well, son. The fact is, both of you are like a pair of tigers who are too proud to show their injuries, even when you should." He then placed a hand on his embarrassed wife's shoulder as she turned away.

"I decided to let you be and allow you to tell us about it when you were ready."

"Of course, all deals would be off if you got seriously hurt," intervened Mitsuki as she gave her husband an evil stare.

"However, it never came to that. Apparently, you're a pretty badass kid."

All logic indicated that he should feel happy. His parents agreed to his dream of becoming a hero without hesitation. So why did Katsuki feel as if his lungs were full of hot air?

Masaru, being the one with the highest level of empathy in the household, noticed it first.

"However, I have a feeling that us accepting your choice to become a hero was never the real issue, was it, son?"

"Is there anything else you want to get off your chest, brat?" asked Mitsuki.

Katsuki suddenly felt that he could no longer look them in the face and instead just stared at his plate.

"I never wanted to drag you into my shit. Ever since I realized I'm quirkless, I've just fucked up constantly, culminating in what happened with Izumi. Ever since then, I didn't want to make your lives tougher just because of who I was. And I didn't want to embarrass you by trying to reach some lofty goal that I could never accomplish."

"But most of all, I was afraid. Afraid that one day you'd tell me you hated me for ruining your lives and that you wished I had never been born."

There was silence after that. The only sound Katsuki could hear was a ringing in his ears. Then he heard a pair of footsteps heading toward him.

"Katsuki," said a voice he never expected to hear saying his name in such a gentle manner.

He looked up and saw his mom standing next to his chair, wearing the same expression she had the night they found out he was quirkless. To his surprise, she hugged him.

"Do you remember what I told you the night the doctor told us you didn't have a quirk?"

"No," he responded.

The woman chuckled.

"Dumbass. Well, I do. I told you that I didn't care if you were quirkless because, to me, you were, are, and always will be perfect. And it didn't change when you were four and stole my eyeliner to make yourself look like some kind of trash panda. Or even when you metaphorically pissed the bed by ruining your relationship with Izumi. Because even back then, I could tell she was going to be a ten."

"So I'd never hate you or wish you didn't exist. The day you became a part of mine and your father's lives, you were perfect, and you'll continue to be perfect to me until the day I die."

She then cupped Katsuki's face and raised it until their eyes met. To his surprise, they were wet.

"I'm especially proud that despite the bumps in your road, you've grown up into a fantastic young man. Though maybe lose the hair gel, but keep the glasses. Believe me, girls will be all over you in no time."

He stared at her, not knowing what to say. He had feared his parents hated him, just like everyone else, only to find out it was complete rubbish. Something rose from his body, and for the very first time, the floodgates opened. Katsuki got up, hugged his mother, and started to cry.

Mitsuki looked surprised, and Masaru got up as well and hugged them both. They were far from perfect, but for the first time in a long time, they felt like a family again

---

AIM TO PASS AMERICAN DREAM PLAN DAY ONE

Of course, to say that everything went smoothly from this point on would be a joke, especially if your name happened to be Bakugo Katsuki.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" The quirkless teen cursed as he carried a bunch of tires from the Dagoba garbage pile to the white pickup truck owned by All Might, complete with the license plate "MO-TRUCKER."

Bakugo was baffled by how Yagi Toshinori managed to use such a license plate here in Japan, but he couldn't deny his admiration.

It had been a month since he started participating in the "Aim to Pass American Dream Plan," and to be honest, he was starting to regret it. Mostly because his body felt like it was on fire, especially during training.

Every moment that wasn't training left him either passed out on a couch or struggling not to pass out while studying. In fact, he even forgot to apply his gel this morning before leaving the house. He was about to head out when he caught a glimpse of his mo...The Hag, smirking at him from the living room couch.

He immediately rectified the situation, much to her annoyance. Despite the frustrations and challenges, Katsuki wasn't in the mood to give up. This was still a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that only a fool would turn down. And as another reason...

"Come on, Young Bakugo, you need to put in more effort if you want to even set foot in UA."

...All Might.

He had the chance to see a side of All Might that the public didn't. While All Might portrayed the ideal image of heroism in front of the camera, rivaling only Endeavor, behind that smile there was a side that few got to witness.

"Why are you looking at me? I don't need the tire, the truck does!"

Yagi Toshinori could be an ass when he wanted to be. He had no qualms about berating Katsuki or tearing him apart. It took a week for him to understand how Katsuki ticked, and any attempts to "motivate" him with words would only result in the quirkless teen biting back and starting an argument. So instead, All Might found a more devious way to keep his successor motivated: he started "helping" him.

For example, with these tires. When Katsuki started to slow down, All Might would unleash a barrage of annoying jabs that lasted for about forty minutes until Katsuki had enough. He threw the tire away and told All Might to try carrying the damn tires himself and see how easy it was.

All Might's response was to get up, walk over to one of the large tractor tires that happened to be there, stack some of the heavier ones on top until it resembled a small tower, and then effortlessly carry them, in his weakened state and placing them neatly in the back of the truck. Then he turned to Katsuki with his signature All Might smile and said,

"It's really relaxing to carry something this light, isn't it, Young Bakugo?"

Katsuki fell silent and continued carrying the remaining tires, glaring intensely at the man. All Might should consider himself lucky that Katsuki's quirk wasn't a death ray or something similar.

"Congrats, you got another tire in! Hey kid, do you know the maximum age for a hero to retire? Around sixty. So, according to my calculations, by the time you finish putting that last tire in, I'll be too old to legally perform hero work and will have no choice but to pass you my quirk to you. Although I have my doubts if that's your intention."

The teen clenched his teeth, his eyes widening comically, and his gelled hair literally exploding in all directions as if he were undergoing a transformation. He also started carrying the tires from the dump to the truck at a much faster rate.

Katsuki swore to himself that he would finish this training session. Not only to inherit One for All, but also to have enough strength to shove a tire up All Might's inflatable ass...

---

AIM TO PASS AMERICAN DREAM PLAN: MONTH ONE

"Let me get this straight, you want me to fight you because?" asked an exasperated All Might.

It was a sunny June day, and a month had passed since Katsuki started training. Overall, the young man didn't feel that he was doing that well, despite what All Might said, so Katsuki decided that he needed to "up his game," so to speak.

"Because I need to not only become jacked but also learn how to handle myself in a real fight," the ashen-haired teenager explained as he loaded another piece of junk into the truck.

"I mean, kid, I'm happy for the dedication, but I thought you already knew how to defend yourself?"

"Yeah, but it's against delinquents, and most of them fight by spamming their quirks and hoping for the other guy to die. If I'm going to be the very best, I need to learn to fight like the best."

What he kept to himself was that almost no one picked a fight with him in school anymore. Even the three stooges had left him alone since Fire Vomit was too busy training to apply for Ketsubutsu Academy. Contrary to Katsuki's prediction, the fire breather had mystically become more humble and mature ever since he returned from the hospital.

Anyway, the real issue was that the ashen-haired teen was starting to fear that he'd get rusty, and knowing what UA could throw at their applicants, it would be a death sentence for his hero career. And that's why he was asking for help.

All Might looked extremely unwilling; however, seeing the dedication in Katsuki's eyes, he couldn't continue to protest.

"Alright," said the man, "however, we'll do it once a week in an extremely controlled environment, and if I feel that it's negatively affecting your performance, I'll call it off. Are we clear?"

"Yes, Sir," Katsuki grinned.

Despite everything, the number one hero couldn't help but grin. It was this type of mindset that made him believe Young Bakugo would make a splendid hero

---

AIM TO PASS AMERICAN DREAM PLAN, MONTH ONE, WEEK ONE

With a bang, the doors of the Bakugo house were thrown open and then unceremoniously slammed shut. As always, Bakugo Mitsuki was not amused by it.

"Brat, what did I tell you about entering through the door like a civilized person?" the woman yelled as she went to "greet" her son.

However, upon seeing him, she couldn't help but stop in her tracks. Katsuki looked horrendous. His hair was untamed from his "nerd helmet," something that would have pleased her if not for what was happening beneath that hair.

Her son's face appeared as if someone had mercilessly beaten it with a dough roller. It was bruised and swollen in several places. In fact, she was certain that the brat couldn't see properly with one of his eyes.

"Katsuki, who did this to you?" she asked.

As if it were a command, Katsuki's remaining eye was filled with so much hatred that she had never witnessed in him before.

""It twas nothwing," he slurred, "twaining."

With that, her quirkless son walked past her and ascended the stairs, each step resonating with a heavy "THUD" as his foot made contact.

Bakugo Mitsuki stood there, utterly shocked, gazing in his direction. She had no idea who her son was spending his free time with, but she and Masaru definitely needed to intervene—for the brat's own sake.

---

AIM TO PASS AMERICAN DREAM PLAN MONTH TWO

"Son, who is that muscular, blond man you've been hanging around with?" asked his father, holding his bowl of miso.

The family was enjoying a pleasant dinner until the teenager's dad brought up the topic. The teen, who had been lost in his own world of grueling exercises and tedious school work, almost did a spit take before facing his parents.

Mitsuki had an expression that clearly indicated she was going to be the "bad cop," while his father seemed genuinely concerned. Nevertheless, Bakugo Katsuki wouldn't be himself if he didn't try to keep secrets from his parents when it came to his well-being.

"What do you mean, old man?" he replied, throwing a question back at them.

"Don't pretend to be dumb, brat!" exclaimed Mitsuki, clearly not in the mood for games.

"Hey, I ain't pretending, you shit hag!" Her son shot back.

Both of them seemed ready to start arguing, but Masaru intervened.

"Alright, everyone, there's no need to get loud," he said calmly.

Both the more vocal members of the Bakugo family grew quiet as the usually timid man tried to calm the situation.

"Alright, Katsuki, I know you like to do things at your own pace and style, and I have no problem with that. In fact, I'm happy to see how mature you've become. However, your mother and I have noticed that you've been coming home more tired lately and sometimes with bruises. And no offense, son, but your explanation that it's just 'training' isn't enough.

So, can you please tell me if it has anything to do with that blond man I've seen you hanging around town with?"

Katsuki cursed his own naive thinking. After resolving the issues of the past with his parents, the quirkless teen had decided to no longer hide any injuries he sustained during training. He believed that his parents would understand if he simply said it was due to his hero training and left him to be.

Unfortunately, he had forgotten how adults could sometimes be very dumb with vory, especially when it came to their children's safety.

With an annoyed sigh, he turned to face his dad's earnest gaze and his mother's concerned expression. Katsuki couldn't keep secrets from them. He had tried for so long, and now none of these old geezers had developed a sudden aversion to hearing things he didn't want to share. Understanding this, he decided to spill the beans.

---

AIM TO PASS AMERICAN DREAM PLAN MONTH TWO, DAY TWO.

"You told them who I am!?" asked the exasperated number one hero.

Both of them were currently having a break in the dumpyard after the teenager had planted a lifetime's worth of electronic kitchen appliances in the back of All Might's truck.

"Not quite," Katsuki said.

After two months of struggling the teenager had finally forgone the hair gel and instead allowed his naturally spiky hair to be free. The reason for it was that halfway through their exercise Katsuki's hair already looked like a mess as well as the combination of sweat and gel soaked hair just felt incredibly uncomfortable to have.

He still kept his hair down when he went to school, though.

"I told them that we somehow met when I spotted you cleaning the junkyard which I was using as a training spot and I offered to help you which led us to becoming friends and that you offered me to get prepared for the UA entrance exam, since apparently you work at All Might's hero agency," the teen explained.

"I'm sorry that it sounds far-fetched, however it was the best that I could think of in such a short notice."

"No, it's fine," All Might responded, "I should've taken in the factor that your parents would naturally get curious. Unfortunately by the time I reached your age both of my parents were deceased and so I've no experience of how one's parents would naturally act. This was a huge oversight from me."

"Then what do we do?" asked Katsuk, who had noticed that the conversation had taken on an incredibly depressing tone and was trying to steer it back on course.

"The only thing we can do at the moment. I'm going to meet your parents and explain everything to them. It is very fortunate that officially "Toshinori Yagi" is an employee at Might Tower."

Katsuki listened to what the hero said nervously before asking.

"Do you think that everything is going to end alright?"

All Might smiled.

"Don't you worry," he said before inflating and making a pose, "after all I'm All Might. If there is one thing that I can do confidently is how to woo the public."

The number one hero then did his boisterous laughter which mixed well together with the sound of waves and Katsuki found himself easing up. Maybe, just maybe everything was going to be alright.

---

AIM TO PASS AMERICAN DREAM PLAN, MONTH TWO, WEEK TWO.

Well, the only way he could describe what is happening right now would be a disaster.

"Why the hell didn't you think of informing us before involving our son in any activities?" asked an exasperated Bakugo Mitsuki.

They were currently having a heated discussion at the dinner table, and Toshinori Yagi, looking visibly uncomfortable, was the target of her anger.

"I understand your frustration, ma'am, and you have every right to be angry with me for not consulting you first. I want to make amends by asking for your permission to train your son to become a hero," All Might replied, trying to diffuse the situation.

"I don't care! I want to know how a grown-ass adult, who supposedly works for All Might himself, decided to put our son in some shady training program without informing us. Have you seen the state he comes home in? If I wouldn't know better I'd say that my son has went toe to toe with a fucking steam roller." Mitsuki continued, her frustration evident.

Feeling done with it all, Katsuki looked to his father, who seemed to share his mother's concerns but remained silent. Which was bad.

Initially, everything seemed to be going smoothly. All Might had come over in his civilian form. His old man had even made a nice duck roast and they had dinner. Then after the food was gone the hag went to town.

Unable to bear seeing his favorite hero being berated any longer, Katsuki interjected.

"Alright, that's enough. I was the one who asked Mr. Yagi to train me, and the reason I come home beaten up is because I wanted him to teach me how to properly defend myself. There's no need for you to chew him out."

"Stay out of this, brat," Mitsuki snapped back.

"Hag, there's no way I'm going to fail the U.A. entrance exam just because you're paranoid," Katsuki retorted.

"You're not going to fail the exam, you disrespectful moron!" Mitsuki shouted.

"We'll get you a new trainer, as we would have originally if you had just told us you needed one, instead of pretending to be some hot shot who can solve his own damn problems," she continued, her frustration evident.

"Oh, yeah, because there would be loads of people who'd be dying to train someone who is fucking quirkless," He retorted.

Both mother and son locked eyes, breathing heavily, while Masaru, Katsuki's father, shook his head.

Breaking the silence, All Might stood up from his chair and spoke, "If I may intervene..."

He walked over to Mitsuki, surprising her, and bowed deeply, his forehead touching the floor.

Mitsuki looked at him with surprise and asked, "What are you doing?"

"I am apologizing," All Might replied, his voice filled with sincerity. "I understand your anger, and I acknowledge that I have endangered your son. If you choose to banish me from your home and from young Bakugo's life, it would be fair. But before you make that decision, please listen to what I have to say."

"I will," Mitsuki responded.

"Thank you! I've worked for All Might's agency for years, and although that time has filled my heart with love and hope for all the people that All Might has managed to save, it has also filled me with dread, especially concerning the future. I know more than most that All Might is human, just like everyone else, and like all humans, he also grows older."

Toshinori allowed those words to sink in before continuing. "I fear that day more than anything else because I know that without a symbol of peace, all the good that All Might has accomplished will be in vain. That was until I met Young Bakugo."

"He has spunk. If there's something that kid sets his eyes on, he'll strive to achieve it no matter what stands in his way. He's strong, smart, and has a good work ethic, but most importantly, he has a heart worthy of being a hero."

"So please, I beg you, let me help your son achieve his dream. And if you wish, afterwards, I'll walk out of the boy's life and never return. That's a promise."

The blond man said it all while he kept staring at the floor, not daring to move from his position even an inch.

"Please raise your head," Mitsuki said.

All Might raised his head, and Mitsuki's furious expression softened. She placed a hand on his shoulder, and the tension in the room began to ease.

"You know, I worry about him a lot. It's irrational, I know. My son is no pushover, quirk or no quirk. But that's exactly why I worry. When he's injured, he hides it. And if he's feeling miserable, that bonehead will just bottle it up instead of talking to someone,"

Mitsuki admitted, her tone filled with concern and a touch of affection.

All Might chuckled, and Mitsuki smirked, reminiscent of her son's mischievous grin.

She chuckled. "Though I'll admit that he has probably inherited that part from me..."

"He has a rough but good heart and a very negative opinion when it comes to his well-being. I'm afraid my Katsuki will tear himself apart while striving to achieve some distant goal."

Mitsuki then squeezed the man's shoulder even tighter.

"Just promise me that you'll take care of him." At this point, two out of the three men in the room looked at her with surprise, except for Masaru, whose opinion often aligned with his wives'.

"I promise!" There was a determined look in Toshinori's eyes, and the woman was glad to see it. She then released his shoulder.

"Also, promise me that you'll teach him to be more polite. If people start talking about All Might's disciple having a foul mouth, it will only tarnish both of our reputations," Mrs. Bakugo said.

The man chuckled as he got up.

"I'll do my best, Bakugo-san..."

Yagi Toshinori then froze as he realized something.

"What did you call me?"

"Oh, come on, we both know you look remarkably similar to that guy, even without the extra muscle. Frankly, the fact that you are most likely All Might was the reason I agreed to this in the first place."

All Might wanted to explain that he was only similar to All Might in appearance, but considering his true identity was the main reason Mitsuki agreed to his proposal, he let out a tired sigh.

"Just promise me you'll keep this information confidential," he pleaded.

"Don't worry. I prefer not to have villains attacking my front porch, so you're safe," Mitsuki assured him.

She then turned to her husband and said, "Masaru, bring out the cake. We're

celebrating!"

Masaru smiled and left the room, while Katsuki looked like he was on the verge of a brain aneurysm. Confused, he asked his mother,

"What the hell, hag? What's there to celebrate?"

Mitsuki grabbed his cheek and scolded him,

"Don't call me that! We're celebrating because you've scored the shiniest golden ticket known to man."

She turned to All Might, her grip still firm on Katsuki's cheek.

"By the way, Yagi-san, do you drink?"

All Might looked at her and at his successor, whose face was turning blue, and replied, "A little."

---

All Might turned to Katsuki and said, "You have great parents, Young Bakugo."

Katsuki, looking contemplative, replied, "They're cool, I guess."

The two were on the front porch as the boy was accompanying the man to his car.

All Might placed a hand on Katsuki's shoulder and said, "It's great that they support you in this endeavor. Not many parents would, especially when their child is quirkless."

"Yeah," Katsuki said, his voice filled with determination. "I don't want to let them down."

With a smile, All Might said, "With the progress we're making, you won't. Now that I have your mother's blessing, we can take your training to NEW HEIGHTS... within reasonable limits, of course."

Katsuki nodded, his resolve renewed.

"Yeah, let's break a leg."

As All Might walked to his car, he turned back to Katsuki.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Young Bakugo!"

"Bye, All Might," Katsuki said as the hero drove off.

The smile faded from his face, and he gazed up at the starry sky. Despite everything seemingly falling into place, Katsuki couldn't shake the feeling that he might still fail.

---

AIM TO PASS AMERICAN DREAM PLAN, MONTH SIX, DAY THREE

With a reddened face, both from the cold outside and the heat within him, Katsuki ran. October had arrived, which meant that the quirkless teenager had less than five months to get into UA—a dream that felt increasingly impossible with each passing moment.

"Come on, Young Bakugo, you're halfway there. Only five kilometers left!" They were currently running. Katsuki was wearing a black tracksuit while All Might sported a beautiful golden one. The ashen-haired teen tried to keep up the pace while ignoring the soreness in his legs and, more importantly, the voice in his head telling him to give up.

Katsuki had made what felt like almost no progress last month. And if that wasn't bad enough, the teenager's head was constantly filled with depressing thoughts of failure and the realization that he was just some quirkless, useless reject. He believed that All Might was wasting his time on him instead of finding a better successor.

Of course, being Bakugo Katsuki, he swallowed those emotions and pressed on. However, it felt like the only thing he was capable of thinking these days was depressing shit like this. And frankly, he wasn't sure when he would eventually snap. Suddenly, as a physical representation of his mental state, Katsuki tripped and fell on his face, hitting the ground.

He lay there for a second before his emotions exploded, and he couldn't keep them locked away.

"Dumb, useless piece of shit!" Those were the words uttered by the quirkless teen as he started repeatedly hitting the ground.

All Might had witnessed many of Bakugo Katsuki's emotional reactions, and while most of them involved aggressive lashing out, making him wonder if his successor might possibly have Tourette's syndrome, none were as violent as this.

"Young Bakugo!" All Might exclaimed and grabbed the teenager's arms.

That stopped whatever he was doing, and the hero pulled him up, leading him to the closest bench.

"Young man," Toshinori asked as he sat next to him, "what's wrong?"

"Nothing," Katsuki blurted. "Just fell, that's all."

All Might didn't look impressed. "Young Bakugo, that wasn't nothing. Please tell me so that I can help you."

The teenager sat there with a pained expression. He quickly started breathing heavily as more anger filled his expression before he couldn't take it anymore.

"It's just... I'm not making any progress," he admitted.

The hero was surprised.

"Young Bakugo, what are you talking about? You are doing splendidly for a teenager your age."

"But it's not good enough," he shot back. "I have less than half a year left, and I'm still not good enough with your quirk!"

At this point, Katsuki wasn't holding anything in. The floodgates had been opened.

"I can't be average for someone my age. I have to be the best there is, because otherwise, I won't even stand a chance. UA is going to be full of actual hero candidates, and all of them have at least ten years of quirk experience, while I can't even get five measly months."

For the longest time he had ever looked dejected, the quirkless teenager remained silent.

"I'm just not sure if I am the right person for the job, All Might," he whispered.

The man in question looked at him intently before replying. "Young Bakugo, I..."

That, however, was interrupted by a ringing sound echoing from his pocket, and All Might pulled out a black phone.

"Damn it, this is a big one," the hero said, facing the teenager. "Duty calls, but once I'm back, we'll talk."

All Might patted Bakugo on the shoulder before bulking up and leaping away into the distance. The quirkless teenager shielded his face from the sudden blast of wind and watched longingly as All Might became a small speck on the horizon.

"He always does that without giving people proper warning," someone said next to him.

The teenager quickly moved to the opposite side of the bench, ready to bolt if things took a sour turn. However, what he saw surprised him. On the other side of the bench sat a lanky man in a white suit with dark green hair. A few golden locks were styled in a way similar to Katsuki's. The man also wore red-rimmed glasses and an All Might-themed tie.

"You're Nighteye," Katsuki blurted out.

The man didn't look impressed.

"It's actually Sir Nighteye, though I'll appreciate whatever level of comedy you're capable of producing."

Sir Nighteye was All Might's sidekick. Everyone knew that, and his slightly creepy, regular office-joe aesthetic had become almost as iconic as All Might's own. Still, having him here raised some questions.

"Did All Might ask you to keep an eye out for me while he was away?" Katsuki asked, trying to make sense of the situation.

Nighteye shook his head. "No, he hasn't asked me to do anything like that. In fact, the reason I decided to meet you was my own, Bakugo Katsuki."

There was something in the man's voice that Katsuki didn't like.

Sure, it was no secret that Katsuki had the emotional complexity of a brick, but if there was one thing he was good at, it was reading people. Consider it a skill honed from years of having to hang around a bunch of superpowered bigots.

"What do you want from me?" he asked the man cautiously. Nighteye noticed the caution in Katsuki's gaze.

"Getting straight to the point. I appreciate that," the hero remarked. "Then I'll be frank with you."

Sir Nighteye fixed the quirkless teenager with a stern gaze. "I implore you to reject All Might's offer to inherit One For All."

Katsuki stared at him impassively, feeling as if someone had drained all sound from the area.

"Why?" was the only word he managed to squeeze out.

All Might's sidekick looked at him with pity, quickly replaced by cold professionalism.

"Because you don't possess any of the qualities a successor of All Might should have. Not in terms of personality, genetic gifts, or even past conduct. In all aspects, you fall short of his standards. That's why I cannot consider you worthy of One For All. I'm sorry."

It was one thing to know you weren't up to the task while others claimed the opposite. It was another to hear the same insecurities from a different person, especially when that person was All Might's own sidekick.

"I see," Katsuki blurted out, suddenly finding the sight of his shoes very interesting. The small hole of insecurity in his stomach had now grown into a gaping black hole. Not once did he spare a thought for how this revelation would affect All Might.

Seeing him so defeated, even Nighteye couldn't maintain his stern act any longer.

Sympathetically, the man placed his hand on the teen's shoulder.

"From your reaction, I understand that you had already figured this out. It's unfortunate that you had to face such circumstances, but if it offers you some relief, know that I hold no ill will towards you. Bakugo-kun, you did what any normal person would do in your situation. The fault lies entirely with All Might. It was his mistake to choose you."

As those last words were spoken, a crack formed in the cage of Katsuki's insecurities. "Mistake?" he repeated aloud,

"But All Might never makes mistakes?"

That actually elicited a chuckle from the hero.

"You have no idea how much I wished that were true," Nighteye joked.

Meanwhile, the quirkless teen was lost in his own thoughts.

"So this is how they see me, huh? As All Might's mistake?" the teen thought.

He was so consumed by self-doubt that he didn't spare a moment to consider how it would affect All Might. A conviction began to take hold in his heart.

"Get your paw off me," he whispered.

Nighteye tilted his head.

"Sorry, I didn't hear you. What did you say?"

"I TOLD YOU TO GET YOUR FILTHY MITTS OFF ME, YOU HACK!" The teenager yelled, throwing the man's hand away.

Sir Nighteye jumped back as if stung, while Katsuki panted loudly, as if the outburst had been physically taxing. Nevertheless, he felt invigorated.

"How dare you even assume that All Might made a mistake!?"

"He is the greatest hero in the world," Katsuki proclaimed. "All Might's mere presence ensures that Japan has considerably less crime than other countries. He has set an entirely new benchmark for what a hero can be. HE DOESN'T MAKE MISTAKES, YOU WORTHLESS EXTRA!"

Sir Nighteye, though shaken by the outburst at first, quickly regained his composure. "Don't be preposterous! Everyone makes mistakes, especially powerful people like All Might. It's up to people like us, those around them, to mitigate the damage those mistakes could cause."

"Screw you!" Katsuki retorted. "There are only two beings in this entire universe allowed to interfere in the big guy's affairs: God and All Might himself. And frankly, you're neither, Pointdexter!"

He grinned menacingly. "I am not All Might's mistake. I am his successor. That means I am the only person in the world he deemed worthy of being as good as he is. Don't you forget that, Vomit-Hair!"

"Vomit-Hair!" Nighteye exclaimed, instinctively running his hand through his green and yellow locks. "Listen, you—" he began before a beeping sound caught his attention. Nighteye pulled out a phone from his pocket and sighed.

"What's wrong, Cinderella? Clock ticking towards midnight?" Katsuki taunted. Indeed, it was. All Might had quickly dealt with the villain and was heading back, which meant Nighteye had around ten minutes at best. "We'll continue this conversation at a later date," he said, pointing at the teen.

"The hell we will," Katsuki replied. "In fact, you won't be bothering me anymore. If you try any more of your wannabe gaslighting attempts, All Might will hear about it, you jerk!"

"You wouldn't dare!" Nighteye said.

Bakugo Katsuki responded with a nasty grin, sticking out his tongue and flipping off the pro hero with both arms. At this point, Nighteye's already abysmal opinion of the boy sank to the core of Earth. But since All Might had arrived, he brushed past the teenager and disappeared into the trees.

The teenager looked at the spot where All Might's sidekick had vanished, sporting a fond smile. Setting personal feelings aside, Vomit-Hair had provided the much-needed pick-me-up he desperately needed. Suddenly, a gust of wind from behind indicated All Might's return.

"My apologies, young Bakugo," the hero said, already deflated.

"Unfortunately, as always, crime tends to interrupt moments like these. Now, returning to what's important, you..."

"It's okay, All Might," Katsuki interrupted.

All Might stopped and noticed something different about his successor. Young Bakugo was smiling—a rare occurrence, usually reserved as a scare tactic. But now, it seemed genuine.

"Are you sure?" the man asked. "Because you looked pretty bummed out just a moment ago."

Katsuki nodded.

"I needed to understand what it means to be your successor," he said.

All Might looked perplexed.

"My apologies, but I don't follow."

The quirkless teen lowered his head before speaking.

"Previously, I had the mindset that I'd never be good enough. That whatever I did would only tarnish your reputation. So I let that slowly eat away at me, and as months passed, I grew more and more frustrated with myself."

He then looked up.

"But that changed once I realized something. You took a huge risk by choosing me as your replacement. And since you're Number One, you must have had a good reason. So no matter how long it takes, I'll live up to you. We can't have people saying that All Might, of all people, made a mistake."

Perhaps there were a few tears in the teen's eyes as he spoke, but who cared, right?

He was allowed to be emotional.

"Young man," Toshinori said.

Then he shook his head and transformed.

"How many times do I have to say it before it sinks into that dense head of yours?"

The hero then lightly karate-chopped his successor's head, lacking any real force.

"I am already proud of you," All Might said, gripping both of Katsuki's shoulders.

"In a way, you have already surpassed me. Just like there can't be two identical snowflakes, no two heroes are the same. Young Bakugo, you have shown growth in areas I could only dream of achieving."

"I may have been the mighty fire that this society needed to free itself from the cold and apathy created by the villain society, but you, Young Bakugo, will be the roaring flame that keeps it warm after I retire. That's something I knew the day I chose you. And I still know it."

He then released the boy's shoulders. Katsuki smirked and replied in the best way he knew how. The quirkless teen rushed past the hero and started to run.

"Where are you going, young man!?" All Might exclaimed.

"Where do you think, All Might? I have five kilometers left. Either run with me or eat my dust," Katsuki exclaimed before dashing off.

The World's Greatest Hero watched as his successor raced ahead, his already wide grin growing even wider.

"That's the spirit, Young Bakugo! Let's keep these flames roaring!"

With that, he ran off too, soon catching up with his successor. Things were about to be different from now on.

---

AIM TO PASS AMERICAN DREAM PLAN, MONTH SIX, WEEK TWO.

"That's it! Keep it up, Young Bakugo," Toshinori shouted as his protege carried rather large pieces of trash from the piles to the truck. To say that Bakugo Katsuki was making progress would be an understatement. His carrying strategy was efficient, his speed optimal, and his movements downright machine-like.

Frankly, All Might feared they might run out of trash on this side of the beach sooner than expected at this rate. However, perhaps this success was due to different factors altogether. Toshinori looked to his side to determine the true reason.

"Good, Katsuki. If you get tired, you can always carry smaller pieces of trash to engage different muscle groups. That way, you won't strain anything and you will be able to keep working longer," explained Bakugo Masaru.

Both of his successor's parents had arrived to see his training progress on their day off. The boy's mother remained silent throughout the whole ordeal, simply observing. On the other hand, his father had been uncharacteristically vocal, constantly offering advice.

All Might noted that it was good advice, but he doubted it was the main reason for the teen's quick pace.

At this point, the quirkless teenager deposited the last piece of junk from one of the piles.

"Great work, Katsuki," Masaru praised. "And if you feel like you're running out of breath, don't forget to take a break, alright?"

Bakugo Katsuki nodded and resumed his work. However, All Might noticed something that only the boy's mother seemed to see. The teen's left eye was slightly twitching. They were both certain that he was probably just annoyed at being fussed over.

AIM TO PASS AMERICAN DREAM PLAN, MONTH SEVEN

All Might was forced to lift his leg to avoid a sweep that could have left him on the ground. In retaliation, he attempted to stomp on the assailant, but Young Bakugo swiftly moved to the hero's left, responding with a devastating punch aimed at All Might's liver.

A few months ago, All Might would have simply tanked the punch, but now, Young Bakugo's attacks had become stronger and actually hurt. All Might backed away, which the young man used as an opportunity to increase the pressure on his opponent.

He aimed a fist towards All Might's stomach, but the hero caught it in his vice-like grip.

"Seems like you were a bit too cocky there, Young..." Toshinori tried to say, but never got to finish.

Without missing a beat, Katsuki delivered a painful jab to a pressure point on All Might's arm. The sudden pain and shock caused the hero to loosen his grip, allowing his protege to free said arm. Katsuki then swung towards the man's jaw.

Quickly, All Might guarded his head with both hands, feeling the impact on his limb as the young man's unsuccessful punch collided with it.

"Yes, that will most definitely leave a bruise," the hero thought.

Lately, his body had been covered in these bruises. It reminded Toshinori of his time training with Gran Torino, albeit less traumatic.

Previously, Young Bakugo would have tried to break his guard, eventually tiring himself out due to their vast differences in stamina. However, now the teenager didn't make such mistakes and seemed to be aiming for something else.

Not giving him the opportunity to execute his plan, All Might dropped the guard and made a long overhead swing.

Katsuki dodged it by ducking under the swing and backing away, keeping his body low to the ground. This was a new technique the ashen-haired teenager had learned—using the size difference between them to his advantage.

By keeping his body close to the ground, he ensured that the hero could only use attacks that were highly disadvantageous.

All Might previously tried to rely on kicks, but Katsuki used that as an opportunity to exploit his balance and trip him.

Essentially, he had turned Toshinori's two advantages—size and mass—against him. The man would shed a tear if he wasn't so focused on not getting beaten by a teenager.

So, he decided to play a prank on Young Bakugo. All Might activated One for All but used only around one percent of its power. The increase in strength was minuscule, and there were no physical indicators that he was using his quirk. However, even a minuscule advantage could change the odds in a fight.

Faster than before, All Might rushed towards the boy, aiming a devastating axe kick at his body. He saw panic fill Young Bakugo's eyes, quickly replaced by something else. Toshinori knew this was going to hurt.

Instead of ducking, Katsuki pulled himself onto All Might's leg, now face to face with the man. What he did next would stay with Toshinori forever. His successor swung his right arm, aiming for the hero's head, but instead of making a fist, the attack was a palm strike.

All Might didn't understand what he was doing before the palm impacted his ear, and immediately, his head started spinning.

He was falling. That much was obvious. All Might landed on the sand, disoriented. He looked up and saw that the young man was also on the ground, seriously panting.

"Why didn't you punch me in the jaw instead?" the man asked.

Young Bakugo raised his head, and Toshinori could see how utterly exhausted he was.

"Your... (pant)... head... (pant)... is like a massive cage... (pant)... made of bone and... (pant)... muscle. If I hit it, I'd break my arm," Katsuki explained through labored breaths.

"But if I disorient you... (pant)... you'll fall, and someone else can restrain you. It's something a hero would do."

After saying that, the quirkless teenager fell onto his back, continuing to breathe heavily. The spar had exhausted him to such a degree.

Meanwhile, All Might leaned back, looking up at the evening skies with a smile.

"You'll do great, Young Bakugo!"

---

AIM TO PASS AMERICAN DREAM PLAN, MONTH SEVEN, WEEK TWO.

"Katsuki, come down! Dinner's ready!" Bakugo Mitsuki yelled from the kitchen on the first floor while her husband prepared the table.

She waited a few minutes, expecting to hear a response or some stomping, but there was silence.

"What is that brat doing?" the woman wondered aloud before leaving the room and heading up the stairs.

After climbing a multitude of steps, she stood outside her son's room. Not one for pleasantries, she opened the door.

"Listen, brat, I know you think you're hot shit now, but that doesn't mean..." she started to say but stopped when she spotted him.

Bakugo Katsuki was leaning over his study table, fast asleep. Mock tests were scattered around him, indicating what he had been doing before deciding to take a nap.

Mitsuki smiled and entered his room. She gently touched his shoulder and gave him a shake.

"Katsuki, dinner's ready," she said in a kind voice. There was no response, indicating how tired he truly was.

Mitsuki brushed some hair off her son's forehead and noticed the dark circles under his eyes.

"Dumbass," she chided him, but there was no spite in her voice.

Just then, she heard footsteps and turned around to see Masaru.

"Sleeping?" Her husband asked quietly.

She nodded.

"Doubt even an air-horn would wake him up."

The bespectacled man smiled and walked up to his son.

"I'll get him," Masaru said, lifting him up from the chair.

Their son mumbled something inaudible but didn't wake up.

"God, he's heavy," Masaru remarked as he carried Katsuki towards his bed.

"Well, he's not five anymore," Mitsuki joked as her husband tucked their son in.

She then spotted something on the table and lifted one of the test papers.

"He sure isn't," Masaru commented as he placed a blanket over Katsuki's sleeping form.

Curious, he got up to see what his wife was doing.

"Found something interesting?" he asked.

"I'm not sure if that brat wants to go to high school or join the Space Federation,"

Mitsuki replied. She handed him the paper.

"See this?" Masaru adjusted his glasses and scanned the contents of the page.

"Well, they sure didn't teach anything this complex when we were young," he commented, wide-eyed.

Mitsuki scoffed.

"We just weren't interested in any of this crap."

He then placed the paper on the table and leaned against it, observing their sleeping son.

"I'm honestly surprised we ended up with such a clever kid," he remarked.

"Hey, don't go complimenting the little bastard. We don't want him developing an ego," Mitsuki rebuked him.

She, too, turned her attention to their son.

"He's just a determined little bastard," Mitsuki said, her voice softening.

"I think he gets that from you," her husband said.

Her smile faded as she looked towards the ground. "That's not the only thing he got from me."

Her tone carried a hint of bitterness, and Masaru placed a comforting hand on her back. "He got only the best things from you," Masaru assured her.

"I don't believe it," she replied. "I just sometimes feel like I failed somewhere along the way. That if I had set a better example early on, maybe things wouldn't have ended as badly as they did."

"You can't know that," Masaru protested.

"In fact, maybe all those things needed to happen for Katsuki to grow into the person he is now. Yes, both of you have your edges, but I believe they make you even more wonderful. And I'm especially proud of what our son has become, largely thanks to you."

Mitsuki blushed slightly at his words, turning her gaze back to their boy as her husband embraced her.

"Yeah, I'm proud of the little brat too. I think he's going to do great. Especially because he has your heart," Mitsuki said, placing her hand on Masaru's chest.

They shared a kiss before Masaru spoke again.

"How about we let him rest?"

Mitsuki grinned and looked back at Katsuki.

"I guess he does deserves one."

After that, they both left their son's room and closed the door, leaving it filled with darkness. On his bed, Bakugo Katsuki slept, his ears slightly red.

"Embarrassing bastards," he whispered.

---

AIM TO PASS AMERICAN DREAM PLAN, MONTH EIGHT, WEEK FOUR.

With a yawn, Toshinori Yagi walked out of his truck. It was an incredibly early morning on Christmas Day, which was the main reason why the man didn't want to go anywhere. Despite knowing that most people in Japan didn't think much of Christmas, he still held a sliver of hope that Young Bakugo would take it easy, at least for today.

Dealing with the boy's never-ending well of energy was starting to become more tiresome than facing villains. In fact, Toshinori would never admit it, but he would feel slightly sorry for his old nemesis once Young Bakugo was finally freed from his chains, so to speak.

Speaking of the young man, where was he?

Sleepy All Might looked around, dressed in a stylish leather coat and holding two coffee mugs—one for himself and one for his overenthusiastic protege. But said protege was nowhere to be found.

That's when Toshinori spotted something out of place. There was a tower of trash near the entrance of Dagoba Beach.

It shouldn't be there. Young Bakugo had gotten rid of the nearest trash heaps months ago. Has someone created a new one?

Grumbling, the number one hero walked over to the tower until his eyes caught sight of something else. The sun had finally risen above the sea, revealing a beach completely free of any litter. Toshinori was dumbfounded until he spotted some evidence.

Rows of drag marks led from the entire beach and ended at the pile of trash. He couldn't believe it.

"Did Young Bakugo actually do this?" the man thought in disbelief.

"Merry Christmas, All Might!" someone shouted.

Bakugo Katsuki sat atop the pile of junk, dressed in a green military jacket and a red winter hat. He looked tired but incredibly happy.

"Do you like my gift?" he asked.

"You did all this as a gift?" the hero asked, gesturing towards the clean beach.

"Well, it's only part of your gift," the teenager said, climbing down the tower. He pulled out a parcel from his jacket and handed it to All Might.

"This is the other part."

Gingerly, the hero took the package and inspected it. The gift wrapping was in the colors of his hero suit, with a nice bow to boot.

"You did a good job wrapping this," he commented.

"You don't want to know how many times I screwed up," Katsuki said. "So you better appreciate it!"

All Might smiled and gave the tray to his protege, then unwrapped the present. Under all the wrappings was a dark blue and red sweater—a bootleg Endeavor sweater, to be exact. He could tell it was a bootleg because the front of the sweater featured a neat depiction of Endeavor with words over it that no one would ever dare to put on any of Japan's second greatest hero's merchandise.

"YOU WILL ALWAYS BE MY NUMBER TWO. K.B."

Naturally, All Might responded in the way any well-mannered person would.

"Ha ha," he laughed, holding the sweater.

"You like it?" Katsuki asked, sounding rather pleased with himself.

"This must be the nicest, meanest gift I've ever received," the man admitted, examining the sweater again.

"I'm sad that Mirai isn't here. He'd be rolling on the ground by now," he remarked.

"It's cool that you like it," the quirkless teen replied. He then faced the clean beach. "So, what's next?"

All Might gave him a puzzled look.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, I cleaned the section you told me and even more. So, what's the next challenge?"

All Might was surprised.

"Young Bakugo, there is no next challenge."

"But then what do I need to do to prepare myself for your quirk?" Katsuki asked, incredulous.

"But, Young Bakugo, don't you want to receive One for All as soon as possible?"

"I do," the ashen-haired teen replied with a serious expression.

"Every day, I spend time thinking about how it will be when I can finally start walking in your footsteps. However, I trust you. So, I am going to accept that quirk when you deem me ready. Not a second earlier," Katsuki explained.

Toshinori looked at him speechless, then checked the sweater again before gazing at the beach.

"Now would be a good time," he finally said.

The ashen-haired teen widened his eyes and turned towards him.

"Are you serious?" he asked.

The hero grinned.

"Yes."

All Might transformed into his bulked-up form and faced his successor.

"Young Bakugo, you have endured the test of time and conviction. More than that, you have outperformed even my highest expectations. Before we begin, let me tell you a few much-needed words."

"There is a great difference between luck and achievement. One happens by accident, the other is the result of hard work. Never mistake yourself for the former."

Something glistened in Katsuki's eyes, but he quickly wiped it away.

"Thank you, All Might," the quirkless teen said.

His mentor's smile became even wider as he plucked a single strand from his hair.

"Now, eat this!"

Whatever high energy had existed before suddenly vanished.

"What!" Katsuki exclaimed.

"Why the fuck would I?"

"Oh, sorry, my boy,"

The hero coughed.

"For my quirk to transfer to another person, they need to swallow a piece of my DNA." he explained.

"Then why does it have to be one of your nasty-ass hairs!? Couldn't it be, I don't know, blood?"

"How is blood better!?"

"Well, it's, you know, symbolic. Definitely better than a hair," Katsuki explained.

"No, it's not!" All Might replied, speaking from experience.

"It just tastes like metal, making you want to vomit. Now, eat the hair!"

The hero handed the quirkless teen the strand, which he took gingerly. Katsuki stared at the golden lock and its source.

"This better give me powers, or else I am suing."

With that, he swallowed the strand.

A few very gross minutes later, it was down, and Katsuki did his best not to gag. All Might then handed Katsuki his coffee, which the teen inhaled.

"That was fucking nasty!" the teenager remarked.

"Believe me, blood would be worse. It has a longer aftertaste."

"But back to the point. It will take a couple of hours for One for All to become active in your body. My advice would be to not do anything until New Year. If you feel some sort of power urges, then leave them be."

"Why do we need to wait that long to start training?" Katsuki asked.

"There are three main reasons," All Might said, extending three fingers.

"First, your body needs time to get used to containing One for All. If we start training immediately, the backlash could be devastating. Second, One for All is a quirk that contains an enormous amount of raw power. For your safety, it should be trained in a specialized facility, not here. And finally, third, you need a break. You've been training nonstop for around eight months. If not your body, then your mind needs a rest."

Katsuki shrugged.

"Well, you're the boss," he said. "

Don't worry, you're already doing great. I believe you will master my quirk in no time." the man assured him.

"Thank you!" said the quirkless teen. "Then see you after the New Year, I guess."

"Indeed," replied All Might.

He then picked up his gift.

"Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, young man. And don't worry about the remaining trash. I will make sure it gets delivered to its proper place."

"Thanks," Katsuki responded.

"Happy New Year to you too!"

After that, they parted ways, and the teenager walked home. He had big things to prepare for.

---

The rest of Bakugo Katsuki's day was very uneventful. He went home, got a lashing from Hag for going out at night, and then saw her do a one-eighty the moment he told her that All Might had instructed him to take it easy until the New Year. That somehow ended with him lazing on the couch.

Frankly, Katsuki had never been good at procrastinating, and that was before he had been forced to endure eight months of whatever All Might had done to him. Now he was literally dying from boredom. It didn't help that Hag had been adamant that he couldn't help with dinner. Don't parents usually want the opposite?

Anyway, he decided to watch some TV, but he barely registered what was on the screen because his thoughts were more occupied with One For All. The quirk that he had sort of acquired through a gross ordeal. Frankly, he didn't feel out of the ordinary even though a few hours had already passed.

The technically no longer quirkless teenager raised his arm and, despite what All Might told the teenager, tried to activate One For All. Nothing happened.

Disappointed, he lowered his arm and continued to ignore the TV.

Maybe he couldn't activate the quirk yet because the concept of "having a quirk" didn't exist in his mind. In that case, he was screwed. Katsuki doubted that he could just walk up to someone and ask how it feels to have a quirk. He was pretty sure it would be the same if a guy walked up to him and asked how it feels to have legs.

"Are you sure you don't want to join us?" Suddenly, his pointless line of thoughts was interrupted by his mother, who was talking to someone on the phone.

"No, it wouldn't be a bother. Are you sure? Oh well, bye Inko! However, if you reconsider, feel free to come over. We'll save you a seat. Merry Christmas!"

His mother then ended the call.

"Scoot over!" she asked/ordered, pointing at his legs.

"I thought I was ordered to relax?" Katsuki asked, holding his face in one hand.

"Relax, yes. Occupy the entire damn couch, no. Now move!"

Bakugo did as she ordered, and soon they were sitting side by side, watching TV. "Was that Aunt Inko?" Bakugo asked once his curiosity got the better of him.

"Yes," his mom replied, watching the news.

"Why did you invite her to spend Christmas with us?"

"Because apparently she'll be spending it alone otherwise."

That received a curious look from her son. The woman sighed.

"The gist of it is that Izumi apparently decided to spend the holidays with some friends, so she wouldn't be able to visit her mother."

Mitsuki then shook her head.

"I swear, Inko is too lenient with that girl. If you tried to pull a stunt like that, I'd drag you home!"

"Yeah," Katsuki said, his thoughts elsewhere. In all of this fiasco, he had forgotten that Izumi Midoriya would also be attending UA.

"I wonder if we will be in the same class," he wistfully thought.

"And if yes, will she still hate me?"

---

The remainder of the day was quiet. The Bakugos had their fancy Christmas dinner, which was a testament to Masaru's culinary skills. Afterward, they watched a movie, and Katsuki went to bed.

As he lay there, staring at the ceiling, he noticed that sleep seemed surprisingly elusive. The young teen then raised his arm and narrowed his eyes, attempting to visualize his quirk power manifesting itself. Obviously, nothing happened.

Feeling somewhat bitter, he turned on his side and eventually succumbed to sleep.

"All Might will most likely come up with something," he thought, his eyes half-closed. Unbeknownst to Katsuki, eight shadows were currently watching him sleep.

He dreamt of an old, war-torn city where two white-haired boys were playing. They were brothers. The older one was strong and mischievous, while the younger seemed frail and trusting. They reminded Katsuki of himself and Izumi.

Soon, the city transformed into an old apartment room. The two boys had also grown into men. The older one wore a dark suit and had a cruel grin, while the younger, despite being taller, appeared even frailer than before.

The younger brother pleaded, but the taller man didn't listen. A crimson mist covered the older one's hand, and he forcefully pressed it against the younger brother's head. The younger brother began convulsing in pain. The same pain that now coursed through Katsuki's body.

It felt as though he was being violated. Something was being changed and forcibly molded to match a different person's design. The ashen-haired teen could only hope that anything resembling himself would be allowed to remain.

The scene shifted once more, and now the younger brother was alone in the same room. He raised his hands, and the entire room was filled with white light. Katsuki couldn't help but feel strangely captivated by it. Then, something else happened. They locked eyes, and Katsuki realized that the guy could see him.

"It's your turn!"

---

With a jolt, Bakugo Katsuki jerked upright from his bed, breathing erratically as his body radiated an unnatural heat. Dismissing the nightmare as just another shitty dream, he sat up and reached for his phone to check the time. However, as soon as his fingers touched the glass screen, it cracked.

Instinctively, Katsuki pulled away. But then he leaned again forward, having his curiosity piqued. He discovered a single large crack marring the surface of the device. Before his sleep-addled brain could process what had just happened, something else caught his attention.

An orange light filled the room, emanating from his fingers, which were now engulfed in streams of orange electricity. Slowly, a smile crept across his face. Could this be it? His quirk? But his excitement quickly turned to alarm as the situation rapidly worsened.

The electricity, once confined to his fingers, now surged out from every pore of his body. Uncontrolled energy wreaked havoc in his room, incinerating or melting everything it came into contact with.

Katsuki was at a loss, unsure of what to do. It felt as if unseen forces were pulling at his limbs from all directions, while his body temperature continued to rise with each passing second. Eventually, his body became so hot that it not only burned through his clothing, but also seared through the bed and floor.

He crashed to the ground, the impact barely registering amid the unbearable pain coursing through his body. Realizing the dire consequences if he remained in his house, Katsuki struggled to his feet and stumbled into the backyard.

Fortunately, he didn't need to bother with opening the glass door, as he had melted right through it.

"What happened?" Katsuki wondered, feeling the scorching heat beneath his feet.

"Did I do something wrong?"

He glanced at his hands, still emitting an overwhelming amount of energy.

"Dammit, go away!" He desperately ordered.

However, his heightened emotions and desperation only exacerbated the chaos, causing more uncontrollable energy to surge forth. Overwhelmed by the pain, Katsuki collapsed to the ground, screaming in agony.

"AlL MIgHt, AnyONe heLP!" he pleaded as his own quirk tore him apart.

Then, he heard a voice.

"Katsuki!"

The teen managed to turn his head, his vision clouded by pain, and saw his mother standing at the destroyed entrance.

"D-ONt, sTay B-b-BacK. I CANT CONTROL IT!" he exclaimed, as more electricity escaped his body.

At this point, the teenager writhed in pain, surprised that he hadn't passed out yet.

"Masaru, come quick! It's Katsuki!" his mother shouted, and a few minutes later, a pair of footsteps hurried toward him.

"don't," he whispered through the pain. Suddenly, someone touched his face.

"Katsuki," his mother said gently, "you need to calm down."

"Mom," he whispered.

At this point, the teenager was practically blind due to the pain.

"I'm here," she assured him, "and so is your father."

Another hand touched his shoulder.

"Hey, son," his father said, his voice filled with tears.

"Your mother and I are here for you. So take your time."

Katsuki lay there as the destructive quirk ravaged his body.

"Calm down," he thought, desperately searching for a way to achieve peace.

Then, a memory floated into his mind.

He found himself in his bedroom during one of the worst days of his life, when he had been discovered to be quirkless. There, on the bed, he lay cradled in his mother's embrace, crying.

Back then, Katsuki had believed that his life was over or that things would only get worse. And, in a way, they had gotten worse. However, he knew deep down that life didn't work that way for anyone.

Suddenly, his mother vanished, and his sobbing self remained alone on the bed. Katsuki, wasn't emotionally gifted. The correct description for him would rather, emotionally stunted. However even he knew what he needed to do at that moment.

Bakugo Katsuki sat on the bed and embraced his younger self.

"It's okay," he said, gently stroking his younger self's hair.

"No matter how bad things may seem, they will get better. There's no need to throw a temper tantrum, brat. Just sleep."

The newly acquired quirk within Katsuki's body responded. The energy he emitted dwindled until nothing remained. Eventually, the ash-haired teen found himself naked but surprisingly unharmed.

Katsuki sat up and then noticed them. Both of his parents lay motionless at his feet, the air filled with the scent of ozone and burning flesh.

"Mom, Dad?" He called out, but there was no response.

With growing concern, he leaned over to examine them.

Upon discovering the burns on their bodies, his heart twisted in anguish.

"Someone help!" he shouted, hoping that someone would hear him.

And so, on that day, Bakugo Katsuki became the Ninth holder of One For All.