An Angelic Hero

by The Shape of Evil

"Midoriya Izuku, you will answer now to the Will. Of. God." Izuku expected to perish when he fell from the top of the building, the last thing he expected was to come face to face with a literal angel. He may not understand what is expected of him, but that won't stop him from going beyond Plus Ultra. And hey, at least he got some cool wings and a halo out of it. (Ultrakill x MHA)

8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Mock Battle

"Izuku these edibles ain't shi—"

*Gabriel turns into a body pillow*

Bit late with this chapter but I honestly didn't expect it to be as long as it is. So much so that I'm moving some stuff over to the next chapter. Apparently I was really excited to work on this one. Probably due to the fact I finally get to show you guys how Izuku's armor looks. For my AO3 enjoyers you can see it at the end of the chapter, for FF it is now the cover of the story. Speaking of which this chapter has a special shoutout to the amazing artist who took up my commission.

Please support animayson the great artist who created the art for this story. Not only are his prices easily the most fair, but he is also a very quick worker, and his work is always top quality. He also does animation so if you're interested in that too I'd reach out to him. All of his socials can be found here: animayson . carrd . co (remove spaces obviously)

Oh, and before I forget like I did last time, here's the top ten for the entrance exam in case anyone was curious.

Izuku

Bakugo

Todoroki

Itsuka

Kirishima

Ochako

Tenya

Ibara

Tetsutetsu

Tokoyami

Otherwise I hope you guys and not guys enjoy this unexpectedly long chapter.

---

*Clang*

*Clang*

*Clang*

"Good Izuku, keep me off balance." Gabriel encouraged as he dodged another sword strike.

Said younger angel narrowed his eyes behind his helmet, holding 'Judgment' tightly in his hands. With a burst from his wings, he sprung forward, swinging the blade in a series of lighting quick slashes. Each missed strike only resulted in the next being even faster than the previous, further putting the Archangel on the defensive. Which Izuku knew to be an act for him to better hone his skills.

"Hah!" The greenette swung upwards before quickly twisted the weapon into a reverse grip for a sudden stab.

*Clang*

"Clever trick, but it won't work twice." Gabriel commented coolly as he deflected the incoming blade.

Spinning the katana back to a standard form, Izuku tightly clenched the grip of his weapon, taking a moment to size up his mentor. The blade was held threateningly in front of him on the off chance Gabriel decided to rush him for hesitating. A lesson he quickly learned when he received an armored gauntlet to the face. Good thing whatever material his helmet was made out of absorbed 'most' of the impact.

It still hurt a lot though.

Not wanting to waste any more time, the teen surged forward, elevated with the help of his majestic wings. As he descended back to the ground, Izuku brought down 'Judgment' in an overhead arc. An attack which was easily dodged to the side by Gabriel, but Izuku was not done yet. As soon as his feet touched the ground the greenette quickly aimed for a stab at the other armored man's chest.

When said attempt was also evaded, he continued his assault with a mix of quick slashes and snake-like thrusts. The effort seemed to have some effect as with each passing strike Gabriel resorted to deflection rather than dodging. A grin broke out onto Izuku's face behind his helmet. Perhaps he could finally catch his mentor by surprise for once.

*Shink*

"Huh?!" Izuku let out a confused mutter as he suddenly found himself swordless. He had little time to think further before he was met with a fist to his armored jaw. "Umph!" The angel landed on his back with a painful grunt.

"You're holding your sword too lightly." Gabriel scolded as he expertly caught the falling blade in his hand. "A firm grasp ensures your own blade won't be turned against you."

"Ugh, sorry Mr. Gabriel." Izuku apologized as he picked himself up from the ground. "Got a bit too excited for a second."

"As much as I admire your enthusiasm for our spars, try to keep it contained from now on." The older angel let out a sigh. He flipped the katana around before handing it back to his student.

"Right." Izuku sheathed his blade, glad his helmet was able to hide his reddening face.

"We'll stop for now, I wish to hear how your first day of…U.A was it?" The Archangel asked with a note of uncertainty.

"Yeah and it went pretty well. We mostly just went over orientation and stuff." Izuku answered casually. "Well…we did after we took our Quirk Apprehension test."

"Another one so soon after initiation?" Gabriel crossed his arms, somewhat intrigued by this news.

"Yeah, eight in total actually. And apparently it was supposed to help us find out our limits so we can surpass them and become better heroes." The younger of the two explained as he took off his helmet. "At least that's what Aizawa-sensei told us."

"You believe there was another motive?" His mentor asked, picking up Izuku's clues.

"I can't say for certain, but I think it was also a test of our creativity and character." Izuku answered with a shrug. "He seemed really mad when some people were excited about having loser quirk restrictions. And he went out of his way to praise those that completed the tests with their quirks."

"Hmm, if what you say is true then this Aizawa seems like a smart man." Gabriel hummed in intrigue. "Those with power should show restraint and those with a creative mind are more deadly than those with raw strength." The Archangel nodded to himself in approval as he recited his pupil's words.

"Yeah, he kinda reminds me of you." The greenette suddenly commented.

"Oh, should I be worried I'll be replaced?" The angel chuckled at his joke.

"No, I just think you guys share some similarities is all." Izuku continued on. "You're both strict but fair and will push people to pass their limits."

"Ah, well it is only right that–hey wait a minute." Gabriel stopped mid speech to glare down at his student. "Are you trying to flatter me, so we won't resume our training?"

"...did it work?" The young angel smiled sheepishly.

"A good effort, but you'll need better tricks than that my student." The Archangel laughed lightly as he patted Izuku's shoulder.

"So…does this mean we can keep taking our break?" The greenette asked hopefully.

"Ha ha. No." Gabriel bluntly answered. "Draw your blades, it's time to turn our attention to parrying for the day."

"Ugh."

*U.A, Next Day*

Izuku was immensely glad for his divine physiology as he stepped off the train and began his walk towards U.A. With the amount of time Gabriel's Light weapons struck him in the chest, he half expected his chest to be caved in. Yet, that morning he found not even a trace of the pain that plagued him just hours prior. Izuku noted to himself that if he ever met the Father that he would thank him for his foresight.

Though despite being refreshed as any other day, the greenette could not explain why he felt uneasy. There was a gnawing whisper in the back of his head, warning him of something that couldn't be deciphered. Izuku tried to block the voice out, but it only seemed to grow louder with each step he took toward U.A. As he approached the front gate the teen finally understood why he felt so on edge.

There standing with a grimace on his face and anger in his red eyes was none other than Bakugo himself. The blonde had his hands firmly in his pocket, his rage filled gaze glancing back and forth rapidly. He was searching for someone, and Izuku was more than certain that he was the intended target.

Frankly, the young angel had half a mind to sprout his wings and avoid the literal ticking time bomb like he was the plague. Yet, the loud, mature voice in his mind told him sternly how such actions would only prolong or worse inflate Bakugo's ire. With a silent sigh to himself, Izuku schooled his expression and began walking towards the gate.

'Just get it over with and you can move on with your day.' Izuku told himself as motivation. Keeping his expression calm and his posture straight as he approached.

"There you are, Deku." Bakugo growled as he caught the advancing greenette.

"Katsuki, good morning." Izuku politely replied back, still keeping an indifferent facade.

"Cut the shit, I want you to spill your guts right now." The blonde seethed, clenching his fists in his pockets.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Izuku answered back honestly.

"Bull–fucking–shit! Your quirk asshole, what kind of fucked up shit did you do huh?" The teen angrily questioned.

"I got my quirk." The angel said slowly. "The same as everyone else, mine just came in late."

"How fucking stupid do you think I am?" Bakugo bared his teeth as he snarled. "You expect to just fucking believe you awakened your quirk this late?!"

"I don't expect anything from you, Katsuki. That's the truth, end of story." Izuku rebutted firmly, staring down at his former friend with narrowed eyes.

"Yeah right! How long?! How long have you been looking down on me?!" The explosive user suddenly shouted. "Pretending you were quirkless, it was all a fucking act because you think you're better than me! Well fuck you, Deku!" Bakugo growled as he stepped into Izuku's personal space. "I'm going to become the number one hero and I'll blast you away if you think you can take me!"

"I don't care about your fragile ego, Katsuki. Do what you want but leave me alone." The teen deeply replied as he moved to walk past the blonde.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!" Bakugo reached out and roughly grabbed the greenette's arm. "Don't you walk away from me!"

"Katsuki."

For the first time in his life Bakugo was stunned, his red eyes widening as they met Izuku's green ones. Eyes that were once filled with weakness and an underlying dullness was now full of fire. The taller teen's eyes seemed to burn with an otherworldly intensity, making the blonde feel even shorter than he already was. And his voice, Bakugo would never in his life think such a tone of steel would exit the lips of Izuku of all people. It was daunting to say the least.

"Let me go, now." Izuku commanded with a voice of pure iron.

"..." Wordlessly and with no thought, Bakugo released his former friend. His outstretched hand hung idly in the air.

"Thank you." The winged teen muttered before continuing forward without so much as another word.

Once the teen was out of sight, Bakugo seemingly came back to his senses. His hand quickly morphed into a shaking fist, explosions popping within. His shocked expression now went back to his usual scowl and narrowed eyes. The blonde's body trembled with barely contained rage as he stared at where Izuku was.

"Deku…" Bakugo growled under his breath. 'I'll show you who's the best between us!' The blonde promised as he begrudgingly began his trek to his homeroom.

*Class 1-A*

By the time Izuku opened the large sliding door, he had managed to calm himself down from the confrontation. The angel liked to think that he didn't let his temper get the better of him, but he couldn't deny he was solely considering it. Bakugo's words cut far too deeply into his skin that he wanted to admit. Of course, the blonde was none the wiser to the true reason for Izuku's irritation. Because of course he didn't, Bakugo was always good at that, striking deep without even realizing it.

The explosive user was none the wiser to Izuku's true origin of his 'quirk', but the blonde's tenacity proved to work in his favor regardless. Exposing a mental wound Izuku would rather have left to be forgotten. His attempt to take his life was not something he ever wanted to think about again. Yet, the persistence of Bakugo reminded the green eyed teen that such a notion was foolish.

That moment of weakness was going to stubbornly stay nestled in the back of his mind like a parasite. Reminding Izuku that if things were slightly different, if Gabriel hadn't saved him, he'd be nothing more than a name on a tombstone. His dream, his passion for heroics, his mom, all of it would have been thrown away because Izuku was too weak. A thought that ignited a mixture of deep guilt and self-loathing within the angel's body.

"Midoriya." Tokoyami called out, leaning over in his seat to lightly tap Izuku's shoulder. A slight concerned look in his yellow eyes.

"Huh?" The angel was pulled from his thoughts. "Ah, sorry Tokoyami. Got a bit lost in thought there."

"You had a very intense gaze, are you well?" The shadow user pressed.

"Yeah, just…ran in Katsuki this morning." Izuku sighed deeply as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"Ah, I see. I imagine that conversation was less than pleasant." Tokoyami nodded in understanding.

"Yeah, it wasn't something I would consider fun." The taller teen lightly laughed. His previous dark thoughts fading away, ironically by talking to a shadow user.

"Well, if you ever have any trouble you can count on me and Dark Shadow to be of assistance." Tokoyami offered casually.

"I appreciate it, but you don't have to." Izuku blushed lightly. Caught off guard by the sudden show of protectiveness.

"Naw man, we've got your back." Mina, who had been eavesdropping, suddenly piped in. Leaning over her seat to flash Izuku a bright grin.

"Indubitably, we'll ensure you won't be bothered by that ruffian, mon ami." Aoyama chimed in, giving a majestic wink.

For a moment Izuku was too stunned to speak, staring at his three other classmates with wide, shocked eyes. Was this what a real friendship looked like? Having people come to your defense despite having no personal investment? To help despite Izuku telling them they don't have to get involved in his own problems?

The light, comfortable warm feeling that the angel felt yesterday suddenly made its appearance known again. Filling his beating heart with a sensation that made it somewhat hard to breathe but in a good way. It was as though Izuku's very body was unused to the idea of having friends who actually cared about his wellbeing. It took a lot of willpower to not let the tears that pooled by his eyes from spilling onto his desks.

"Thanks guys." The teen croaked as he hastily wiped his eyes. "That means…that means a lot to me."

Tokoyami, Aoyama, and Mina all gave their respective shows of support before turning their attention back to the front. The final bell rang along with Aizawa stepping into the classroom behind the last lingering students. Said Pro Hero wasted no time in calling for the attention of his class, immediately diving into their first real day.

Izuku noted that throughout the day that U.A was pretty standard with its curriculum and class structures. They took English and math classes along with a slight variation of history that centered more around Pro Heroes. Of course, the only difference was that rather than middle aged adults teaching it was some of the most popular Pro Heroes of Japan. Midnight, Present Mic, Izuku was dumbfounded how U.A could afford so many heroes.

By the time lunch rolled around the greenette had all but forgotten his little spat with Bakugo back at the front gate. Though right now he was facing an even worse problem, finding a table to sit at. Izuku stood hesitantly with his tray in hand, eyes scanning the vast cafeteria for any place he could sit that wasn't right next to a stranger.

"Yo, Midori!" Mina called out, waving frantically at her fellow student. "Come sit with us!"

Said teen let out a sigh of relief, thankful for the pink skinned girl saving him from public embarrassment. He made his way past the many tables before taking a seat next to the acid quirk user. Across from them sat Aoyama and Tokoyami, the latter of which disinterestly ate while listening to the blonde prattle on.

"So, Midori, whatcha think of U.A so far?" Mina asked excitedly.

"Well, it's been pretty normal, but I like it. I've learned a lot so far." Izuku answered with a small shrug. "Present Mic-sensei's approach to English is really unique."

"Boring!" The pinkette dragged out dramatically.

"Ignore her, I too have enjoyed our classes so far Midoriya." Tokoyami interjected with a deadpan look at Mina. "Personally, I find Midnight-sensei's approach to marketing to be very intriguing."

"Oh, I agree, my brooding friend." Aoyama nodded in agreement. "Her style, her poise, it is so…'sparkling' just like my fabulous quirk."

"You guys are lame." Mina interjected while crossing her arms in a huff. "You can't tell me you aren't excited for hero basic training." She challenged with a raised eyebrow.

"I admit, I am looking forward to seeing what type of lesson has been planned for us." The shadow user conceded. "Speaking of, do any of you know who will be our instructor?"

"Don't know, though from what I hear it's supposed to be a big shot hero." Mina shrugged casually.

"Oh, my how wonderful." Aoyama gleefully clapped his hands. "Though I expect nothing less for the perfection that is class 1-A."

"Am I wrong in assuming that its perfect because you're in it, Aoyama?" Tokoyami rhetorically asked.

"Why of course not, mon ami. It proves you have a good, feathered head on your shoulders." The navel laser user replied vainly.

"It's actually not feathers." Tokoyami answered but was ignored.

"Yeah yeah we get it, you're amazing your majesty." Mina playfully rolled her eyes. "Get a load of this guy, eh Midori?" She softly elbowed said teen in his side.

"I admire Aoyama's self-confidence, he just…needs to tone it down a bit." Izuku lightly chuckled.

And like that the angel was drawn into the friendly banter all throughout lunch. Jokes were made, they laughed, and they learned a bit more about one another. Izuku hadn't even realized that he had been smiling the whole time. With each exchange he found himself becoming more and more relaxed around his three new classmates.

No that wasn't right, his three new friends.

"Hey man, just call me Mina. That goes for you to Prince Charming and Edgelord." The pink skinned told him when he referred to her as Ashido. "We're friends and I think friends should call each other by their first names. Or have a nickname, I will also accept a nickname. But none of this Ashido business got it?"

"Ah yes of course Ashi–I mean Mina." Izuku quickly corrected himself.

"As you command, mon ami." Aoyama lightly laughed.

"Edgelord?" Tokoyami gave a confused look.

When the bell rang signaling the end of lunch, the four students made their way back to their homeroom. The acid quirk user enthusiastically ranted about her excitement for the upcoming training they had. Occasionally one of the boys would chime in, though they were content with letting their friend continue her tirade. It was only until they had made it back to class 1-A did she quiet down. Though she still excitedly bounced in her seat.

'Mina said it was a recognizable hero…I wonder who it could be?' Izuku idly wondered to himself. Though he didn't have to wait long as a loud, joyful voice came from the other side of the door.

"I AM–" The door was gently pulled open before All Might himself stepped into the room. "COMING THROUGH THE DOOR LIKE A REGULAR PERSON!"

It didn't take long for the class to erupt into confused and excited whispers, though Izuku was not among them. Don't get him wrong, the angel perfectly understood why his fellow classmates would be so enthusiastic. The number one hero even went out of his way to wear his old costume. A sight that would have had the old Izuku squealing in happiness but now evoked no such reaction.

'All Might's our teacher?' The greenette briefly wore a look of surprise before it faded. 'Wonder how this will turn out?'

"Welcome to hero basic training! Here you will hone your skills and learn the fundamentals of what it means to be a hero!" The buff man struck a pose for emphasis. "This class will be one of the most important throughout your stay at U.A! So be sure to give it your all!"

"Dude this is so cool!"

"I know right?! We get to learn under All Might himself!"

"I wonder what he'll have us do today."

"There's no time to waste, today we begin your first lesson!" All Might pulled a card from his costume showing only two words. "Combat training!"

"Heh, finally. We're getting to the good stuff." Bakugo smirked, leaning forward in interest.

"Though we can't have you fight crime in uniforms. So, I think you'll need these!" With a flourish of his hand the hero pointed to a series of cabinets against the wall. "No hero is complete without their costume! Get changed and meet me in Ground Beta!"

With that the muscular hero sped out of the room with a trail of dust and cartoonish like outline of himself. In no time the rest of the class immediately seized on their respective locker before speeding off toward their respective locker room. Izuku decided to take his time, knowing just how inconvenient his outfit could be. By the time he made it into the boy's locker room everyone else had either finished or were in the process of making their way out.

"Shall I wait for you Midoriya?" Tokoyami offered as the two passed one another.

"Naw, go ahead. It takes me a minute to get everything on." Izuku politely declined.

"Very well, I shall see you in Ground Beta." The caped teen nodded before leaving the room

"Right…now where are the greaves?"

*Ground Beta*

"Hey Edgelord, looking nice and spooky." Mina called out with a thumbs up.

"I thank you for the compliment." Tokoyami smiled as he gave a short bow.

"Your outfits are quite magnifique, but not as dazzling as moi." Aoyama interjected while striking a fancy pose.

"Ha ya ok." The pinkette snorted as she watched the blonde. "Have you guys seen Midori?"

"I briefly spoke to him in the locker room, I'm surprised he isn't out by now." Tokoyami answered with a hum.

"Well done all of you, such amazing costumes! You truly have the flare of heroes!" All Might laughed with his hands on his hips. "Now let us begi–"

"All Might-sensei, we're missing Midoriya." Mina raised her hand before calling out.

"Ah, I see." The Pro Hero stuttered before flashing a grin. "I shall go fetch him, remain here until–"

"Sorry, All Might-sensei, I'm here."

Class 1-A immediately quieted down, turning their attention to the sound of the loud metallic footsteps approaching. The entire class gained varying looks of awe when Izuku stepped out from the shadows. Even All Might himself looked completely flabbergasted from the outfit his student wore.

The common description that the other students thought of was that of a stereotypical knight, like one pulled from a fairy tale. Greaves, boots, gauntlets, pauldrons, and an imposing chest plate contributed to this idea. All of which was made from beautiful, almost otherworldly silver that seemed to shine as though it was made from Heaven itself. Green accents, a cross design on the chest piece, and a long, flowing loin cloth only added to the holiness.

But what really got everyone's attention was the helmet that completely covered Izuku's head. It was an armet style, with a single horizontal slit where the teen's eyes would be. A long green plume flowed through the air majestically. Two black katanas were strapped securely to his left hip, the inscription on each scabbard being visible for all to see. Apparently Izuku's wings had a flare for the dramatics, sprouting from his back to complete his look.

"Dude…" The red head, Kirishima, muttered with eyes. "You…look so manly!"

"Midoriya bro, you didn't have to flex on us that hard." A tape quirk user, Sero, added with an impressed look.

"Ah, sorry. I think you all have really great costumes." Izuku apologized sheepishly, not expecting such a reaction.

"Naw man keep it real with us, your costume blows ours out of the water." Mina playfully threw a punch at his armored bicep. "Ow! Damn that thing is hard."

"Are those…things even permitted here?" Tenya gestured towards Izuku's swords with a concerned look. "You could really hurt someone if you are not careful."

"Yeah, Principal Nezu personally signed off on it." The angel answered with a nod. "And don't worry Iida I would never harm a fellow classmate. I will never use my blades to harm anyone like that."

"Ahem, very good of you young Midoriya!" All Might praised with an awkward cough to gain the class's attention. "Showing restraint is one of the many qualities a hero must possess! Which leads us to our lesson for the day: indoor anti-personnel battles! Statistically villains tend to operate indoors, despite many battles being seen outside!"

"Isn't this a bit much for our first day?" Ochako, the cheeky girl, nervously raised her hand.

"Not at all! The experience today will give you all the basics for heroics! The nastiest of villains operate on the inside!" The number one hero pumped his fist. "Now for this exercise you will be split into two teams, a hero team and a villain team! Both teams will engage in a two versus two battle indoors!"

"What exactly constitutes victory?"

"How do we determine teams?"

"Can I not be paired with any of these weaklings?"

"Are you gonna expel someone like Aizawa-sensei threatened too?"

"One at a time! My quirk isn't super hearing ya know!" All Might shouted back, clearly overwhelmed by the bombardment. "Ahem, the situation is as follows; the villain team has a nuclear device and has hidden it within their hideout." The man had pulled out the same card and began reading the back of it. "The hero team must either find and capture it within the allotted time frame. Both teams can win by capturing the opposing side."

'Hmm, so the hero team will be at a disadvantage then if the villain team plays it smart.' Izuku noted to himself as he listened.

"Teams shall be chosen with this!" All Might revealed a yellow box. "Drawing straws!"

"Is this the best way, All Might Sensei?" Tenya asked skeptically.

"No, but it is the most realistic." Izuku answered as he took his own straw. "Heroes have to team up with whoever is available during an emergency. Time is a luxury that is missing in most cases and Pros have to make use of whatever resources they have, even if there is conflict between heroes."

"I see…apologies All Might-sensei I got ahead of myself." The jet engine user bowed his head. "And thank you Midoriya for correcting my foolishness."

Izuku gave an acknowledging nod before glancing down at the straw in his armored hand. The letter on it was 'G'. He briefly looked around before being approached by the space themed brunette girl.

"Are you 'G' too?" She asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, Midoriya Izuku, nice to meet you." The taller teen held out his hand.

"Uraraka Ochako." The brunette carefully shook his gauntlet. Feeling very small next to her partner. "Guess we'll be working together."

"Alright! Let's not waste any more time!" All Might reached into a white and black box. "Team G will be the hero team! And team B will be the villains! Teams get ready!"

Izuku followed after Ochako, a large frown blooming across his face when he saw Tenya and Bakugo making their way into the arena. The latter of which shot a harsh glare and a deep scowl at Izuku.

'Of course.' The angel sighed to himself before following after his partner.

*Outside of 'Villains' Hideout*

"So, Deku, do you have a plan?" Ochako innocently asked as the pair waited for All Might's signal to start.

"Please do not call me that. I know you mean no ill will, but that name brings nothing but bad memories." Izuku firmly told her, eliciting a frightened squeak from the girl. "And kind of."

"S-sorry!" The girl stuttered before swiftly moving on. "What do you mean by kind of?"

"Katsuki is no doubt itching for a fight with me. So much so he'll probably leave the device solely for Iida to guard." The angel explained with methodical calculation. "We can use that to our advantage, especially with a versatile quirk like yours. We'll win by going for the objective instead of trying to capture them."

"Not that I don't agree but how exactly are we going to do that?" Ochako asked with a confused look.

"We'll stick with each other on the off chance that we find the device. But if Katsuki shows up before that, we split up, that way you won't get caught up in the crossfire." Izuku turned to regard the smaller teen. "I'll do my best to subdue him and rejoin you but prioritize finding the bomb. Iida's quirk is limited because we're in a tight space, you're not so you should have no trouble outmaneuvering him."

"Can't the same be said for you?" The gravity user countered. "Your quirk is nice and all, but I don't think it'll be that useful indoors."

"True but trust me I can handle it." The greenette smiled behind his helmet. "I've got a few tricks of my own."

"HERO TEAM YOU MAY ENTER NOW!"

Without wasting a second the pair immediately entered the building with Izuku taking point. Together they scoured the entirety of the first floor, looking for any traces of the opposing team. When none was found, they moved up to the second floor to repeat the process. Though this time they were almost immediately interrupted.

"Deku!"

"He's coming, you know what to do." Izuku said as he felt the floor tremble.

Ochako gave a nod before racing back towards the stairway, leaving Izuku in the hallway alone. The angel kept his posture squared, his eyes narrowing as he waited patiently for Bakugo to approach. He didn't have to wait long as the blonde let off another explosion that sent him spiraling towards his target.

"There you are you fuck!" Bakugo shouted, throwing his right hand in a punch as he rapidly approached.

"You always lead with a right hook." Izuku said disappointedly.

The angel easily dodged to the side, avoiding the wild blow. He quickly countered with a swift knee to Bakugo's stomach. A pained grunt escaped the blonde's mouth, the force causing hum to pause for a brief moment.

"Die!"

When he regained his composure he quickly turned around, aiming an explosion at Izuku's armored chest. What Bakugo didn't expect was for his wrist to be firmly grabbed and pointed harmlessly at the wall. The greenette followed up with a sharp jab, sending his opponent crashing through the opposite wall.

"Be careful! You don't know where Iida or Uraraka are!" The taller teen scolded as he waited for the blonde to pick himself back up.

"I don't give a fuck about them! All I care about is making sure you know your place!" Bakugo roared as he charged at Izuku once more.

*Observation Room*

"Is it just me or is Bakugo getting manhandled right now?" Jiro muttered to the rest of the class.

"No, Bakugo is definitely getting knocked around by Midoriya." Tsuyu bluntly said what most others were thinking.

"I don't think he's doing that bad." Kirishima tried to defend the blonde.

"Dude, come on, look at the screen." Sero nodded just as Izuku delivered another punch to Bakugo's chest. "He's getting his ass handed to him."

"It's interesting." Momo, the ponytailed girl, hummed thoughtfully. "Midoriya has every disadvantage against him, yet he maintains such control."

"What do you mean, Yaoyorozu?" Sato curiously inquired.

"Bakugo's quirk is vastly more powerful and is not limited by space compared to Midoriya's." The black haired girl explained. "But Midoriya still has the upper hand despite these drawbacks."

"I mean Midori is a pretty in shape guy even without his quirk." Mina reminded the rest of the class.

"Indeed, he told me his mentor put him through quite the intensive training regimen." Tokoyami added with a nod.

The other students muttered amongst themselves as they processed this new information. Some recounting Izuku's previous feats during the apprehension test, others speculated on the greenette's mysterious mentor. Regardless of reason everyone watching the battle watched far more closely.

*Ground Beta*

*Boom*

*Boom*

*Boom*

The building shook with each explosion that left from Bakugo's hands. Unfortunately for him not a single hit came even remotely close to hitting their target. Izuku's helmet hid whatever expression he had as he easily dodged. Which only served to enrage the explosive quirk user even more.

"Stand still damn it!" The blonde fumed as he launched another blast. The armored student said nothing in response, instead once more dodging the explosion once more.

'I need to stop messing around and finish this.' Izuku chided himself. 'The foundation could destabilize if he keeps this up.'

Bakugo threw his arm out in another explosion, demolishing the adjacent wall when his target moved out of the way. However, rather than simply dodging and creating space, Izuku burst forward in a blur of silver and green. Before Bakugo could even register the other teen's movements an armored gauntlet was shoved into his face. The resulting force was enough to send the blonde bouncing off the concrete.

Izuku quickly followed up with a hard knee to Bakugo's defenseless midsection. The latter coughed up a glob of spit as his stomach met the former's armor. The young angel did not waste any time subduing his opponent. Grabbing a fist full of blonde hair, Izuku forcefully brought Bakugo's face to the floor. The tile split into a spider web of cracks, a loud crunching noise following soon after.

Like a puppet with its strings cut, the explosive user's body immediately fell limp with the impact. Alternating his hold, the greenette grabbed Bakugo's shoulder and turned his prone body onto its side. With a calculated gaze Izuku scanned over the unconscious boy's form, searching for any sign he went overboard with his strength.

'Lightly bruised abdomen, slight swelling from the forehead…he'll be out for a few but otherwise he's fine.' Izuku carefully placed the other teen in the recovery position. 'Now to regroup with Uraraka.'

With not a moment to spare the armored teen became a blur as he raced up the stairway.

*Observation Room*

"Dude…"

"That was totally wicked!" Mina cheered, jumping from her seat in excitement. "He was like bam, bam, bam and then Bakugo was down!"

"Incredible, Midoriya's skill is truly on a completely different level." Momo muttered in pure amazement.

"What kind of training taught him that? Cause sign me up!" Ojiro, the tail quirk user, grinned energetically.

"I do not know the extent, but it appears whoever taught Midoriya certainly knows how to take someone down." Tokoyami added casually.

"Take down? Dude he completely wrecked him." A small purple haired teen named Mineta snorted.

"Glad I'm not on the receiving end of that." Kaminari, a blonde boy, sighed in relief as he witnessed the display.

"Speak for yourself, I want to go against Midoriya even more." Kirishima banged his hardened fists together. "If he can take down someone as manly as Bakugo, he must be really strong."

"Or you'd get man handled even faster than the blonde jerkoff." The earphone jack user muttered, causing a few other students to snicker.

*Ground Beta*

Within a short amount of time Izuku was able to pick up his teammate's trail with the help of the clues she left behind. An open door here, a footprint there, and more were able to lead the teen up to the fourth floor of the building. Hovering down the hallway, Izuku spotted Ochako with her back pressed against the wall. Occasionally the brunette would sneak a glance into the open doorway before immediately ducking her head.

"Uraraka." Izuku whispered as he approached. To her credit the gravity user only jumped slightly before turning her attention to the boy.

"Izuku over here." She motioned for him to come closer. "I found the bomb and you were right; Iida is guarding it all alone. He's got in the back of the room."

"Alright, we'll stick with the original plan, no reason to deviate now." The armored angel nodded as he took in the information. "I'll draw his attention and keep him occupied. Go for the bomb no matter what, I'll do everything I can to slow him down."

"Right." Ochako nodded back determinedly.

Without another word both teens moved with Izuku taking the lead and Ochako following behind. The latter quickly broke off to hide behind a pillar while the former made his precedence known by walking into the center of the room.

"Give up villain, you're backed into a corner without any support." The greenette said with a faux hero voice. Behind his helmet a smile threatened to break through, being dramatic was always funny to Izuku.

"Ha ha! I may be without my partner, but I am more than confident that I can keep with you hero!" Tenya, unsurprisingly, also added his words with a dramatic flair.

"Your speed cannot outpace justice!"

"Then I shall blind justice with a cloud of villainy!"

"The rays of truth shall shine through your darkness!"

"Not unless the storm of evil is everlasting!"

"...hrng…" A low snort broke the banter between the two.

"Uraraka." Izuku disappointedly sighed.

"I'm sorry…hng–it–it's just too funny…" The brunette snickered from a few pillars away from the bomb.

"Ha got you now!" Tenya's engines flared to life as he aimed for Ochako's hiding spot. "Engine Boost!"

With a loud booming sound, Tenya's form surged forward in a great show of speed. Ochako let out a surprised yelp at the rapidly approaching boy. Thinking quickly, she used her quirk on herself, causing her to float toward the ceiling.

"No, you don't!" Izuku shouted as he raced after the glasses wearer.

In no time the angel managed to catch up to the speedster, shoulder checking his opponent into a pillar. Izuku continued his assault with a raised fist aimed for Tenya's midsection, though the strike never connected. The engine quirk user could feel the wind of Izuku's punch as he shot to the side. A long fissure split up the pillar, cracking the concrete and sending chunks of stones onto the floor.

"Uraraka the bomb!" The greenette reminded with a shout.

Without waiting for a reply, Izuku continued his pressure against his fellow classmate. Each passing strike only served to put Tenya on the defensive more. Though he was able to avoid being struck, Tenya soon found himself receiving a few light jabs. The attacks might have been quick, but they were more than enough to cause grunts of pain.

By that point Izuku had managed to corral his opponent to the opposite end of where the bomb was. Ochako had deactivated her quirk and raced towards the bomb, something that Tenya noticed. Gritting his teeth in determination, the engine quirk user jumped backward onto the wall. Using his quirk, the glasses wearer propelled himself, flying even faster through the air than he was used to.

Unfortunately for him, Izuku was both prepared and far faster than Tenya anticipated. The greenette used his wings to spring into the air. Like a serpent striking its prey, the angel's hand shot out and grabbed the other teen's leg mid-flight. With a great show of power, Izuku pulled and swung Tenya downward.

*Crack*

"Rrhg!" The glasses teen grunted as he impacted the tiled floor with a loud crack.

"Good attempt, but you need to be more decisive." The greenette landed over the fallen student, ensuring he wouldn't get back up.

"I got it!" Ochako cheered as she touched the paper mache prop.

"THE HERO TEAM WINS!" All Might's booming voice sounded.

"A well executed plan." Tenya complimented from his spot on the ground. "Your teamwork was impeccable."

"You did good yourself, considering you didn't have a teammate." Izuku commented while offering his armored hand.

"Like you said, heroes don't control who they work with. They can only make the best of what they have." The bluenette smiled as he took Izuku's hand. The latter easily pulled the shorter teen to his feet.

"Heh, yeah I did." The angel chuckled, flattered by his classmate taking his advice so seriously.

"You still did great, Tenya." Ochako complimented with a double thumbs up.

"Thank you, Ochako. Our battle today has certainly taught me a lot." Tenya bowed gratefully. "I believe it is time to–"

"DEKU!"

Immediately the trio turned to the loud, enraged voice of the previously unconscious blonde. Standing in the doorway stood Bakugo, breathing heavily and looking fairly winded. Though despite the exhaustion in his posture, the pure anger in his eyes demonstrated that he did not care.

"You bastard! We're not done yet!" The blonde fumed as his palms lit up with small explosions. "You won't get a lucky hit like that again!"

"Training's over, Katsuki." Izuku crossed his arms as he stared down at the agitated quirk user. "You want to fight? Wait until next time."

"Fuck that! I'm going to show you here and now why I'm going to be number one and why you're just a useless Deku!" Bakugo seethed with pure rage.

"And I'm telling you I'm not interested. Leave me alone." The greenette flatly denied with a low tone. "You want to be the greatest hero? Fine, challenge whoever you want, but I have no interest in being a part of your quest to satiate your ego."

"You think you're such hot shit huh?! Now that you got a quirk and managed to somehow cheat your way to the top of a few useless events! Well, you're not!" The explosive user ranted. "You're nothing–nothing but a fucking Deku! You'll never be better than me! You'll never be a hero!" Bakugo reached down and grabbed the pins of his grenade gauntlets.

"Katsuki, don't! That magnitude of an explosion will level the entire building!" Izuku shouted, his body tensing significantly.

"Then I guess you better use that lame ass quirk of yours to dodge! If you can!" The blonde taunted before pulling the pins with a maniacal grin.

*Tink*

*Tink*

Before Izuku could even register what was happening his body began to move on its own. The beginning of Bakugo's explosion emerged in a growing orange light. Faster than he had ever moved before, the angel grabbed Tenya by his collar. Using all of his speed, the greenette raced towards Ochako. By that time the blast had grown in size, reaching more than halfway towards the trio.

With no other option, Izuku pulled Tenya in front of him before pushing him into the gravity quirk user. Both teens had surprised looks on their faces as they crashed through the window and began to plummet towards the ground. Thankfully, Ochako immediately acted, using her quirk to stop both of them from hitting the pavement unharmed. The same was unclear for Izuku as within seconds the building became nothing more than rubble with a single loud boom.

*Observation Room*

The loud thudding of All Might's heavy footsteps and the creaking of wood echoed through the room. The number one hero raced out of the room in a blur of yellow the moment the camera feed went offline. Leaving the rest of class 1-A to talk amongst themselves in hushed murmurs.

"What the heck just happened?" Mina shouted in both frustration and confusion.

"I think Bakugo exploded." The red headed teen answered with a shrug.

"No really?" Jiro sarcastically drawled while rolling her eyes.

"I believe Kirishima is referring to the magnitude of Bakugo's blast." The shadow user hummed deeply.

"Tokoyami's right, I was in the same area with Bakugo during the entrance exam." Sero interjected. "Dude was blasting bots left and right, but no explosion was that big."

"Do you think they're alright?" The soft spoken voice of Koda Koji asked.

"Bakugo's probably fine since the blast was facing away from him, but Midoriya…I can't say." Momo answered with an uneasy look.

"Relax dear Yaoyorozu, Midoriya is surely unharmed." Aoyama waved away with an easy going smile. "Not only is he protected by his beautiful armor, he also has more than shown how quick footed he can be."

"I don't know about that." A frog girl, Tsuyu, showed skepticism to the blonde's claim. "Midoriya's fast but he's not that fast."

"I guess the only thing we can do now is wait and see." Tokoyami said while crossing his arms.

*Ground Beta*

From the rubble of the destroyed building a grenade shaped gauntlet brushed aside a few chunks of concrete. After a few moments the form of Bakugo re-emerged from the debris, his blonde hair flaked with dust. A few new bruises could be seen across his body from the few pieces of rubble that managed to land on him. But whatever injury he had was ignored, the adrenaline pumping through his veins numbing the pain.

With narrowed eyes the explosive user scanned the destruction, looking for any sign of Deku. He managed to spot a few wobbling pieces of rock as though someone was trying to move the pieces from within. A large, triumphant smile split Bakugo's lips, followed by the sound of roaring laughter. He'd done it, he proved his obvious superiority over Izuku and showed the useless Deku why he was going to be number one.

"I told you Deku, you were never going to be better than me." The blonde taunted as he made his way over to the wreckage. "Even if you got yourself a quirk you're still as useless as you were all those years ago."

No sound came from the pile of debris despite the ridicule, save for the slight shifting of stone. Though Bakugo would have loved to hear the familiar groveling of his former best friend, he was more than happy to prattle on about his achievements. The teen placed a foot on one of the concrete chunks, preventing Izuku from moving.

"You just had to keep trying didn't ya? You couldn't just lay down and give up, you just had to keep trying." Bakugo pressed his heel into the stone. "And look where that got you dumbass. Maybe now you'll finally learn your place and stop pretending that you can be a great fucking hero, cause you can't. All you'll ever be is a useless fucking De–"

The insulting name was never finished as Bakugo suddenly found his collar being gripped by an armored gauntlet. The stone prison that entrapped Izuku blew apart in a shower of rock and wood. Said student now stood at full height, towering over the blonde that he currently held within his grasp. Though it was not the height difference that caused Bakugo to freeze like a deer caught in the headlights.

Izuku's entire appearance seemingly changed out of nowhere. The silver portions of his armor had changed to a blood red, pulsating with some kind of energy. Even his once soft blue wings and halo had turned into a deep, angry gold. The greenette used said appendages to hover a couple feet off the ground. All the while keeping his hold on Bakugo, causing his feet to dangle helplessly in the air.

"Bakugo Katsuki." The teen's deep voice came through with obvious anger. "Do you think this is a game?"

"W–wha–"

"Do you think risking the lives of others to fulfill your desires is fun? Do you enjoy tormenting the people around you?" Izuku continued, subtly increasing his grip on the blonde with each word.

"No bu–"

"Really? Because everything up to now has proven otherwise." The angel growled as he brought Bakugo closer to his face. "You are nothing but a spiteful, angry little child who doesn't care about the destruction you cause. Your fragile ego can't bear the thought that someone might be better than you, so what do you do?" His tone became deeper, a barely constrained rage threatening to break through. "You berate them, you beat them, you destroy every last bit of their will until they are nothing but a hollow husk."

Izuku roughly threw the other boy onto his back while remaining floating in the air. His wings flapped powerfully as he stared down at the blonde with disdain. The visage of the winged teen hovering over him was by far the most intimidating thing Bakugo had ever seen. The blood red armor, the golden wings, and the sun shining rays of light over him. Bakugo wasn't religious but at that moment he believed that he was facing a divine judge.

"Listen very carefully Bakugo, for I will only warn you once." Izuku crossed his arms as he spoke with authority. "If you ever endanger the lives of the innocent like you did today I will not hesitate in taking you down. You will never use your quirk again and will be reduced to nothing but a handless shell of yourself." Punctuating his words, the greenette unsheathed 'Judgment' showcasing its sharpened blade. "There will be no mercy, just judgment. Understand, Kacchan?" The nickname was spoken with a deep seeded rage.

Bakugo could only nod dumbly, unable to properly form a cohesive word. Without another word the angel allowed himself to float back down to the ground. Like a stain being washed away, the red color of the armor disappeared, changing back to its original silver. The same happened to Izuku's wings and halo, which seemingly evaporated back to their original blue. For several long moments the two former friends simply stared at one another, until a familiar voice rang through the fake city.

"YOUNG MIDORIYA, YOUNG BAKUGO ARE YOU…ok?" All Might stopped in his tracks and gave the two boys a confused look.

"I'm fine All Might-sensei." The greenette answered in a controlled voice. "If you'll excuse me I'll be heading back now." Without waiting for a reply Izuku walked past the dumbfounded teacher, leaving the conflicted blonde to stare at his retreating form.

But the young angel would not acknowledge, neither as a challenge, a fellow aspiring hero, or a friend.

---

"Mr. Gabriel stop saying dumbass things you're not even making sense!"

"Izuku! I am going to post cringe in #general!"

Once again be sure to check out animayson if you're looking for quality art and animations.

Next Chapter: Green Shepherd