*Updated chapter as of November 20, 2023. Because of some missing information and grammatical errors.
Author's Note:
Sorry for the impromptu hiatus. I was still working on the third part of this arc when my new college semester began. I got caught up with my thesis work that I never get to continue working on the new chapter. Even though I haven't updated this story for a while I still appreciate for the support and interest that you guys have shown for this fic, especially for a first time fanfic writer like me LMAO.
I'll start finishing the next chapter by December, so I could upload it by early January 2024.
If you guys are interested I also have a Twitter account. I haven't posted a lot there yet, but I'm planning to share my artworks for the fics I'm currently working on (cuz I do my own cover artworks) and my scrapped ideas as well. So follow me at my Twitter handle: Kamo73Kahoy :)
Chapter 3: Nothin' like Kansas, Part 2
"So, as third year students it's time to be thinking seriously about your futures and what you want to do with your lives," the homeroom teacher announced in a stern tone.
In front of him sat thirty third year middle school students, who mostly seemed uninterested towards the topic.
"I could pass out some career aptitude test," the homeroom teacher said as he holds up a ream of form papers.
"But why bother?" the homeroom teacher said casually as he threw all the papers in the air. "You know you all wanted to go to a hero track!"
The whole classroom erupted excitedly by showing off their Quirks, apart from Clark, who was quietly reading a book about the history of the world related to Quirks, as well as Katsuki, who sat slouched and his legs on top of his desk. A kid beside Clark used his transformation Quirk to buff up his upper body, ripping the top half of his uniform. Clark sighed as some of the tattered cloth landed on his desk. He quickly brushed them off and wondered if his classmate had an extra gakuran blazer.
"But no power usage allowed in school," the teacher said, back in his stern tone. "Get a hold of yourselves!"
"Hey, Teach!" Katsuki called out.
This prompted Clark to look up from his book. He looked at his explosive friend, observing what kind of trouble he will get himself into.
"Don't lump me in with these bunch of losers," Katsuki said with a smug face. "I'm the real deal, but these guys will be lucky enough to end up as sidekicks to some busted D-lister."
The whole class erupted with outrage towards Katsuki.
"You think you're better than us, Bakugo?!"
"Let's go!" Katsuki beckoned with a manic grin. "I'll take you all on!"
"Well," the teacher interrupted as looked at a piece of paper. "You do have an impressive tests result. Maybe you will get in on UA High."
Katsuki smiled smugly at his classmate's look of shock. Murmurs began to stir up, While Clark rolled his eyes and went back to reading his book.
"He's gonna try for the national school?!"
"That school has a point two percent acceptance rate!"
"It's impossible to get into!"
"That's exactly why is the only place worthy of me!" Katsuki proudly proclaimed.
The whole class went silent as Katsuki said those words. Clark sighed once more, but this time he did not take his eyes off from his book.
Katsuki suddenly jumped into his desk, surprising the whole class including Clark.
"I aced all the mock test," he started. "I'm the only one in this school who stands the chance on getting in. I'll end up more popular than All Might himself."
He's up on his high horse again, Clark thought as he watched Katsuki with bewilderment.
"I'll be the greatest hero of all time!" Katsuki proclaimed. "People from across the world will know who I am, and it all starts at UA High!"
"Katsuki," Clark started. "Get down from there or you'll hurt yourself."
"Don't tell me what to do!" Katsuki retorted.
He then slowly got himself down from his table and sat back down to his chair, with his arms crossed, as well as a mixed of embarrassment and a frown on his expression.
Some of the students in the class started laughing.
"Seriously? You're gonna let Deku rein you in like that?" One of the students teased.
Katsuki's expression contorted into rage and growled towards the direction to whoever spoke up.
"You wanna go now, loser?!" Katsuki instigated.
Clark knew Katsuki had a fragile ego and when he was instigated, this will turn out badly. When Clark was about to say something, the homeroom teacher brought up both of his hands.
"Settle down, settle down," the teacher said in a stern tone. "I don't want a fight breaking out inside this classroom or you all get in trouble, am I clear?"
"Yes, Sensei!" Said all students.
Katsuki replied with a scoff.
"Alright," the teacher said. "Now let's move on to our other agenda!"
As classes had ended, Clark began to pack up his notebook into his bag. He then glanced over to Katsuki's desk, talking to two of his childhood friends. One boy had a long, grayish brown hair that reached down to his shoulders. His name was Nagai Tesaki, and he had a Quirk called "Digit Extension", which he had an ability to extend his fingers. The other boy had a dark, short hair that goes by the name Kemuri Hagisha. Clark recalled that the boy's Quirk was called "Sharp Tooth", which grants him the ability to transform his teeth to sharp one's like a canine.
Those two were basically Katsuki's lackeys back when their Quirks manifested. They'll follow him around wherever he goes, and they would even join in on the bullying with Katsuki back then. Clark knew that very well. He was in the other end of their bullying once. But he was immature back then, he let his ego got the best of him, and surrounding himself with yes-men reinforced his superiority complex.
But as of lately, Katsuki began to distance himself from the two. Clark looked at Katsuki's way again, while the two lackeys are talking to each other, Katsuki seemed to be uninterested in their conversation. He sat at his desk while packing up his things. As Clark zipped up his bag, he then slung it over to his shoulders and walked towards the door. Clark will just text Katsuki to let him know that he'll be heading to Takoba without him. Clark slid the door open and was about to step out of the classroom.
"Oi, Deku!"
Clark halted and looked back to see Katsuki walking towards, with his bag slung over on one shoulder, both of his hands in his pocket, and the two lackeys following him, smiling mischievously.
"Wanna go to the arcade?" Katsuki asked.
The two lackeys' eyes widened in shock. They turned to Katsuki with look of confusion mixed with a bit of repulsion.
"Why are you inviting Deku, of all people?" Nagai asked.
"Yeah," Kemuri butts in. "I thought you don't want to associate with weaklings like him."
In a brief second, Clark saw Katsuki's frown deepened and his teeth gritted. He then quickly turned towards the two boys behind him, which made them flinch in reaction.
"Who asked you, assholes?!" Katsuki demanded aggressively.
"Okay," Clark decided to speak up. "Let's try not to get into trouble, alright?"
Katsuki then turned to Clark with his features a bit softened, but his usual frown was there.
"You comin' or what?" he asked.
"Well…" Clark uttered as he scratched the back of his head. "There's still cleaning that needs to be done at Takoba-"
"That could wait tomorrow!" Katsuki interrupted Clark.
He then pushed Clark out of the classroom and dragged him along as they continued to walk down the hall.
I guess I'm going to the arcade then, Clark thought as Katsuki continued to drag him.
The two lackeys looked each other with an arched brow. They both shrugged and decided to follow Katsuki.
Katsuki opened a can of cola, letting out a hissing sound. He then took a swig from the cola. Katsuki stood by the opening of a small alleyway, leaning his back to the wall, and waited for the others as they were buying their drinks. He suddenly heard chimes ringing. When Katsuki looked towards the sound, he saw the two leeches who just exited out from a small convenient store carrying a can of sodas of their own. Katsuki saw that they've been snickering on their way to him. He noticed Long Fingers was carrying a rectangular brown bag, probably some sort of magazine.
"Did you see the look on the cashier guy's face?" Long Fingers asked.
"Dude! He was so flustered when you placed that magazine on that counter," Sharp Tooth said as he laughed. "Man, you're wild."
Katsuki knew exactly what Long Fingers just bought and it made him scoff in disgust.
"You bought another adult magazine?" Katsuki asked.
Long Fingers looked at Katsuki, a bit surprised from the question.
"Uh, yeah?"
"You have internet, and you still buy magazines for that?" Katsuki asked.
"Hey man," Long Fingers said as he held up his hands. "Some people can track your online footprint. Sorry for being paranoid, okay?"
Katsuki didn't want to continue this conversation.
"Where's Deku?" he asked.
"He's still looking through the juice boxes aisle," Long Fingers replied.
"Hey," Sharp Tooth spoke up with a mischievous grin on his stupid face. "Why don't we just ditch him and go someplace else?"
"Yeah," Long Fingers said. "We can sneak in to the bar at the station and pick up some ladies."
"Now that's an idea I can get behind!" Sharp Tooth said.
"We're not going anywhere, you idiots!" Katsuki shouted. "We'll leave when I say we leave."
The stooges flinched and took a half step back away from Katsuki. Long Fingers was the first one to recover and began to frown at Katsuki.
"When did you care about him?" He asked accusingly. "Aren't you the one who started picking on Deku?"
Katsuki felt his blood boiling, he gritted his teeth and crushed the can he was holding on one hand, cola spilling out of it and into his hand.
"Watch… your… mouth," Katsuki warned. His words laced with a bit of anger.
"And then what?" Long Fingers asked. "You're gonna blow me up? Just like what you did to him whenever he tries to talk to you?"
Katsuki gritted his teeth even harder. Tiny pops of explosion appeared on his palms which burned the crushed can's plastic cover.
"You've gone soft, Katsuki." Long Fingers said. "You talk all high and mighty, sayin' that you're going to be the best hero of this country."
"And now you're wasting your time on Deku?!" Long Fingers continued.
"Why do you care, shithead?!" Katsuki argued. "If you don't like the way things are now, then fuck off!"
Katsuki blew up the can into smithereens. Long Fingers and Sharp Tooth carefully backed away from Katsuki, with fear written on their expression. But Katsuki noticed that they were not looking directly at him. He quickly turned around towards the small alleyway to find a dark green mud-like blob grew larger and larger. Katsuki noticed that the sludge was coming from the small sewer grate. Two large, round, yellow eyes appeared right in the middle of it. A large smile crept below the sludge's eyes, showing its rows of sharp teeth.
"Perfect," the Sludge Villain said with glee, with an almost distorted gurgle. "A skin suit with some firepower."
Katsuki threw away his bag and crouched into his fighting stance. His hands began to pop some miniature explosions, leaving off some trail of smoke.
"Villain…" Katsuki said through gritted teeth.
The villain charged towards the boy. Katsuki quickly raised his right hand up and shot out a strong explosion from his palms. The villain reacted by splitting himself, dodging the attack. Katsuki tried to make another explosion form his left arm, but the villain caught his arm and started covering it whole with goo. Katsuki tried to use his right arm to free himself, but he was suddenly pulled into the sludge villain. Katsuki felt something entering his mouth.
"You're a feisty one I'll give you that," said the Sludge Villain. "But you're mine now, kid."
Katsuki decided to use the full force of his Quirk, only for his arm being forced to turn away from the villain. Kemuri and Nagai stared in complete horror as Katsuki's Quirk began accumulating in his palms.
"Get down!"
Clark tackled the two boys to the ground. Katsuki released his explosions which impacted the buildings where he and the villain were standing. A loud boom echoed throughout the alleyway. The three boys could feel a gust of wind hitting them. Bricks and concrete scattered everywhere. Clark covered his head as debris are still flying over them and getting covered by dust. As everything settled, Clark coughed as ash and smoke lingered around them. He also felt the temperatures rising, which caused him to sweat profusely.
Clark looked up and found that the buildings that Katsuki blasted was on fire. He tried to look for Katsuki, but him and the villain were no longer in the area. He must find them and try to save Katsuki. Clark heard coughing from the boys, he needs to save them first. He then got up and walked to the two.
"Come on," Clark urged the boys. "We need to get out of here, the smoke's becoming thicker."
The boys obliged and got up from the ground. Their uniforms were covered with dust from the concrete.
"Come on!" Clark told the boys.
He ran along the small street that they came in before. Nagai and Kemuri didn't hesitate to run behind Clark. They kept running until they are as far away from the fire. They saw another narrow alleyway, the three boys decided to stopped by for a rest and try to catch their breath.
"Fuck me," Nagai uttered through tired breaths. "That was scary."
"Yeah," Kemuri replied as he leaned back to a wall. "I don't think I'm cut out to be a hero."
Clark's breathing began to slow down, and he was able to relax a bit. He patted his uniform to remove some of the dust. He thought of a plan to try find Katsuki and save him. But the only problem was dealing the Sludge guy. He doesn't have powers, he doesn't have gadgets, or anything that could neutralize the villain. All Clark could do was let the heroes or the police handle the situation. But it didn't feel right for Clark. He doesn't like the idea of just standing by the sidelines.
Clark heard a commotion in the other end of the alleyway. As he looked down to the other end, he saw what seemed to be people running away from something. Nagai and Kemuri also noticed the panicked screams. Clark slowly walked towards the other end of the alleyway, with the two following suit.
As they reached the end of the alleyway, they found themselves right at the Tatouin Shopping District. People running away in panic towards the right side of the district, dropping their belongings and their groceries to the ground. Clark looked towards his left to see what the people are running away from. His eyes widened as he saw a large fume of ash coming from stalls that are set ablaze, as well as a few buildings. Right in the middle of the fire was the Sludge Villain. An explosion was set off coming from the villain.
He still has Katsuki, Clark thought.
Clark felt a tremor, but each tremble was spaced, almost like its running. He looked at the right end of the district and saw the huge form of the rookie hero, Mt. Lady, running towards the district.
"Holy shit," Kemuri uttered. "Is that a giant lady?!"
Mt. Lady suddenly halted to a stop. She tried to step into the district, but the street was too narrow for her size.
"Wait!" She spoke. "I need at least two lanes to do this!"
So her Quirk is fixed to two sizes, Clark pondered.
Clark thought that Mt. Lady could manipulate the size of her gigantism, but seeing her struggling to enter the district debunked his theory.
Clark felt something whizzed passed them. It was Kamui Woods, carrying multiple civilians in his branched-out arms while running through the fire as quickly as he can.
"I don't do well with fire," said Kamui Woods. "I'll leave this situation to someone else."
Clark looked back to where the Sludge Villain was and saw he was confronting with some of the heroes. One of them was Death Arms who charged at the villain but was quickly swiped away by the Sludge's tendril. He also saw Back Draft who was busy dowsing the flames from one of the buildings. The sludge let out another set of explosions, driving the heroes away from the villain.
It seemed that the situation was getting worse. Clark looked around the district trying to find something, anything that he could use to get Katsuki out of the villain. But something caught Clark's attention. He saw a red box hanging on the wall with a fire hose reeled inside. It was not far from where the Sludge Villain was standing, maybe he had a chance.
"We need to get out of here," Nagai spoke up. "Let's get to where that giant lady is at, we'll be safe from there."
Nagai turned around and saw Deku seemingly running towards the Sludge Villain.
"Deku!" Nagai called out. "Are you fucking insane?!"
Deku halted his tracks and looked back to Nagai and Kemuri.
"In case if you hadn't noticed, this way is where we should go!" Nagai pointed towards where Mt. Lady and the police were, who are setting up blockades.
"I'm going to get Katsuki out of that villain," Deku declared.
"Are you suicidal or something?!" Nagai replied. "Just let the heroes deal with this, man."
"I'm not gonna sit around and wait for another capable hero to come," Deku argued. "My friend is in danger, and he doesn't have much time left. No matter what it takes, I'm going to help him however I can."
Deku took off his gakuran blazer and wrapped it around his neck, covering his nose and mouth to make a makeshift mask. He then turned around and bolted towards the villain, running along the sidewalk so the heroes won't see him.
"Come on, Kemuri," Nagai said as he turned to the opposite direction.
As Nagai began to walk, he noticed that Kemuri wasn't following him. He turned to his friend and saw Kemuri who stood still, with a mix of confusion and worry. Nagai knew exactly what he was pondering about, he just hoped that he'll pick the right decision.
"Kemuri…" Nagai began.
"Nagai," Kemuri spoke. "Do you still want to be a hero?"
"Oh no, no, no," Nagai uttered. "I know where this is going."
"Nagai-"
"Have you lost it too?!" Nagai demanded. "Are you willing to risk your life like that?!"
"If that's what it takes to become a hero, then… then," Kemuri began to stutter, fear still present in his expression. "S-So be it!"
Kemuri bolted towards where Deku ran off to. He took off his gakuran blazer and wrapped it around his neck as he ran. He was still afraid, but he was determined to help anyway he can.
Nagai wanted to run towards where the police were. He wanted to get away from all this trouble. But he felt a pang of guilt right at the back of his mind. Why does it have to be them to get attacked by a villain? Why does his friend had to be so stubborn? And why, of all people, had to be Quirkless Deku who one-ups them and become a courageous and noble idiot he was?
Nagai gritted his teeth and pulled his long hair with both hands in frustration.
"Fuck!"
Nagai dashed towards the direction where Deku and Kemuri ran off to.
Toshinori stood behind the large crowd gathered at the entrance of the Tatouin Shopping District. He watched as heroes struggled to fight off the Sludge Villain that he failed to detain. And now the villain got a hold on a student with a powerful Quirk, leaving a wake of destruction behind him. And he was powerless to do anything about it.
If only he hadn't wasted his time getting lost in the sewage system chasing the villain, he could've prevented this whole situation. If only he was mindful of his time limit. If only he was stronger. Toshinori's hand moved to where his injury was, feeling the dents and the scars, reminding him of his victory over his long-time enemy, but also remembering the people he had lost in that battle. He clutched his oversized white shirt in frustration.
"Isn't that the villain All Might was chasing earlier?" A citizen asked.
"All Might?!" Another citizen exclaimed. "He's here?!"
"Yeah, I saw him earlier." Another citizen spoke up.
"Are you serious?!"
"So where is he?"
The murmurs among the townsfolk became louder. All Toshinori could think about was how he failed as "The Symbol of Peace". He felt the pressure of being a hero pushing down on his shoulders. He never felt so pathetic and helpless in his life. The last time he felt this feeling was the day he had to leave Nana to fight that monster. He just hoped that somebody, or anybody would handle this and do it fast.
Clark threw a small box crate into the glass display of the fire hose reel cabinet. As it crashed, Clark stood back as shards of glass fell to the ground.
"Damn," Kemuri said, a bit muffled by his make-shift mask. "I never seen you this relentless before."
Clark pulled up the sleeves of his shirt and grabbed the head of the hose. He pulled it from the reel, making it spin a bit. Clark then examined the hose and found out that he could adjust the settings of the water's pressure. He set the pressure to the max and made sure the water will shoot out straight.
"So what's the plan here?" Nagai asked. "How are we gonna get Katsuki out of that villain?"
"The heroes can't get through the villain since he's basically made out of slime, but the Sludge Villain's eyes and mouth are what I think is the only tangible part of his body," Clark explained.
He then looked towards the two boys and pointed at the hose he was holding.
"We're going to use this hose and aim at the villains face," Clark said.
"Kemuri," he continued, looking at the boy. "I want you to come help me hold the hose down since its set to a high pressure."
"Okay," Kemuri replied nervously.
"Nagai, stay here," Clark ordered. "When I give you the signal, flip the switch, got it?"
"Yeah," Nagai uttered.
"Alright," Clark said, then turned to Kemuri. "Let's go."
The two ran along the sidewalk, using the cars and toppled over market stalls as cover so the villain wouldn't notice them. As they got near enough to the villain, they saw Katsuki struggled to claw his way out of the villain, but it seemed that the Sludge was swallowing Katsuki whole.
"I hit a jackpot with this kid's Quirk," the Sludge Villain said. "Just you wait All Might, I'll get my revenge on you!"
Clark made sure he had a clear shot of the Sludge Villain's face. He turned to Kemuri and gestured to him to help him hold the hose down. Kemuri pulled up his sleeves and grabbed onto the hose with both hands. Clark looked towards where Nagai was standing.
"Now!"
Nagai turned the valve in the opposite direction. He could see that the water rapidly running through the hose. Clark waited as the water made its way to the nozzle of the hose. Then a strong, straight stream of water burst out of the hose. The pressure surprised Clark and Kemuri, which made them loose control of the hose a bit, but they managed to recover and quickly aimed at the villain's face.
"What the-"
The Sludge Villain was riddled by a stream of high-pressured water square at his face. The villain lost a bit of his hold on Katsuki, who was able to breathe clearly. The heroes, police, and the civilians were shocked at the unexpected attack. Toshinori watched in disbelief as he saw two middle school students trying to water down the villain.
What in the world are they doing? Toshinori thought to himself.
It seemed that the crowd also had the same reaction towards the turn of events. Murmurs began to stir up among the crowd, mostly concerned about the well-being of the boys.
"Those kids are gonna get themselves killed!" Death Arms shouted.
"As much as I want to jump in, I'm still not fireproof," Kamui Woods said.
Nagai ran towards Clark and Kemuri, who were trying their best to keep the hose steady. He halted as he got near the group.
"Now what?" Nagai asked.
"Take my place," Clark replied.
Without question, Nagai took hold of the hose before Clark let go of it. As Clark removed his hands off the hose, the two struggled to control it for a moment until they were able to grasp it easily.
"What's the next step?" Kemuri asked, eyes still on the villain.
"I'm going to get Katsuki out," Clark said. "Keep the Sludge Villain busy!"
"Wait, what?!" Nagai uttered.
Clark bolted towards the villain and took off his blazer that was wrapped around his neck. Katsuki noticed him as he was now right in front of him. Clark dropped his blazer to the ground and quickly grabbed Katsuki by the collar of his uniform and tried pull him off the villain with all his might.
"Why…" Katsuki uttered. "Why are you here? You could've just run away."
"I… Know," Clark grunted as he struggled to get Katsuki off the villain.
"But I have to try," Clark continued. "If I could just save one person, then that'll be enough."
Katsuki stared at Deku, who was giving him the most genuine and kindest smile he had ever seen. Deku continued to yank him out of the villain. But at that moment, Katsuki felt a pang of guilt for all the times he tried to push Deku away. And all the moments he used his Quirk on him. But no matter what, Deku would always get back up and put a lot of faith in him. Katsuki felt tears running down his cheeks. He was pathetic. He let his friend down, but he will never make that mistake again.
Katsuki began clawing his way out of the villain. He kept on clawing and clawing, until he felt the villain had gradually loosened his hold of him. Probably thanks to those two stooges, who decided to become useful and keep the villain at bay. Katsuki was able to get his right hand out. Deku noticed his free arm and quickly grabbed it and continued yanking him out.
The Sludge Villain noticed that he was losing grip on the boy, but he couldn't concentrate because of the pressurized water continuously hitting his face. He decided that he had enough. He grew a tendril and swiped it towards the two boys holding the hose.
Kemuri was quick enough to notice the incoming tendril. He tackled Nagai to the ground to avoid the villain's attack, letting go of the hose which wildly flailed around, water being sprayed everywhere.
The Sludge Villain recovered and tightened his hold on Katsuki. Clark kept a tight grasp on his friend's hand, not letting go no matter what.
"You're becoming a pain in my ass, kid" the Sludge Villain said.
He created another tendril ready to attack Clark. The Sludge Villain brought down his extended limb towards the boy.
"Get out of my way!" he shouted.
A blur suddenly rushed in, creating a large impact in which a lot of smoke quickly covered the area. Nagai and Kemuri got up from the ground and waited for the smoke to clear. Their eyes widened as they saw a large, muscular man who was able to block the villain's attack. He had blond hair that was swept backwards and two tufts that stuck up above his head like a 'V'. He wore a skin-tight white shirt, green cargo pants that was held up by a black belt with a silver, stylized buckle that has a letter 'A' in the middle, and dark brown leather shoes. The most notable feature of the man was his smile.
Clark stared at the man who saved him. It was All Might, the number one Pro Hero of Japan and the world's Symbol of Peace.
"I'm so pathetic," All Might said.
Clark was taken aback by the sudden statement of the hero in front of him.
"I failed to do my part," All Might continued as he looked towards Clark. "But today you showed me what it really means to be a hero!"
All Might then used all his strength to wrench his right arm back from the villain, which easily ripped through the Sludge Villain's tendrils. He then reached out with his left hand and grabbed Katsuki's arm and easily pulled him out off the villain. Clark instinctively caught Katsuki as All Might released him from his hold which made them fall to the ground.
"A hero will always put his life on the line!" All Might declared as he pulls back his right arm.
"All Might!" the Sludge Villain screamed as he prepared an attack of his own.
"Detroit Smash!"
All Might's fist connected with the slimy body of the Sludge Villain with a thunderous boom which echoed throughout the shopping district. The punch was so strong it created a massive whirlwind in the middle of the street. Clark tackled Katsuki down, trying not to get blown by the wind. The heroes protected the civilians from the large gust of winds trying to blow them away.
As the winds settled, fires extinguished around them and the whole district was silent. Clark sat up as he stared at All Might's crouched form. The hero huffed as his right arm still outstretched from the punch. A droplet of water fell by Clark's feet, then another came, and then another. Suddenly, it started pouring throughout the district.
"Rain?"
"Is it from the wind pressure just now?"
"Did he change the weather with one punch?!"
"That was awesome!"
Cheers erupted from the onlookers from both ends of the district. Clark observed as All Might stood up, his balance was a bit off, but it was subtle enough so people around them wouldn't notice. He raised his right fist into the air, the crowd cheered louder. All Might glanced over his shoulder to look at Clark. As they made eye contact, All Might gave him a small nod. Clark gave him a small smile and returned a nod as well.
"Deku…"
Clark looked over to Katsuki, who was still lying on the ground. He stared at Clark with a tired look on his face.
"Thanks," he uttered.
Katsuki then closed his eyes and continued lying there, relaxing from the exhaustion and stress he had experienced today. Clark couldn't help but give his friend a smile.
"Rest easy, Katsuki," he said.
"You know, I thought we're in really big trouble for a second back there," Kemuri said.
The four boys walked under the setting sun in the middle of a small road in the neighborhood. Clark, Kemuri, and Nagai had their blazers hanging on one shoulder. Their white buttoned-up shirts were a bit wet and covered in dust. Katsuki quietly walked ahead of them.
"Yeah," Nagai replied. "Good thing they just gave us a warning and let us leave."
"Sorry for dragging you two into this," Clark spoke up. "I should've told you guys off when you two started following me."
"Nah, man," Kemuri said with a smile. "I gotta be honest, I never felt so cool when we pulled off that plan."
"It felt cool for you, but that was the most terrifying thing I've ever gone through," Nagai said.
"Now how are you gonna be a hero with that attitude?" Kemuri teased.
"Shut up!" Nagai said with an embarrassed tone.
He then gave Kemuri a light shove on his shoulder. Kemuri responded with a laugh. Clark couldn't help but laugh along with the boy's antics. He looked over to Katsuki, who stayed quiet as he walked ahead of them.
"Well, this is our stop," Nagai said.
They were at the cross section of the street. The group halted their walk, and so did Katsuki. There was a moment of silence, they didn't know what to say at this point.
"Hey, Izuku?" Nagai spoke up.
Clark was taken a back. This was the first time Nagai called him by his actual name. Katsuki's eyes widened with shock as well.
"Yeah?" Clark uttered.
"Let's hang out sometimes, alright?" Nagai said.
Clark stared at Nagai for a moment, and then gave him a smile.
"We haven't gone to the arcade yet," Clark said. "So next time then?"
Nagai smiled.
"Yeah, next time," Nagai said.
"Bye, guys!" Kemuri said as waved at Clark and Katsuki. "I hope you two get home safe."
Clark waved back in response, while Katsuki grunted accompany it with a small nod. Nagai and Kemuri walked together to the left side of the intersection. Clark and Katsuki stood there until the figure of the two boys disappeared from their sight. Clark looked at Katsuki.
"This way is your home, right?" Clark said pointing at the right side of the intersection.
Katsuki gave him a nod without looking at him. He then turned towards the path to his home and started walking away. Clark observed Katsuki with great concern. Maybe the boy's pride was shattered because he was defeated by a villain so easily.
"Oi, Deku!"
Clark was surprised by Katsuki's sudden callout. Katsuki then looked over his shoulder, with his usual frown on his face.
"Next time don't risk your life just to save me, you hear?" Katsuki said.
Clark gave him a smirk.
"I make no promises," he said.
Katsuki scoffed but let out a smile.
"Yeah," he uttered. "You wouldn't."
Katsuki turned around and walked his way home. Clark continued walking straight. As they parted ways, he couldn't stop thinking about the events that had transpired moments ago. It was exhausting, but he made new connections along the way. Specifically, Kemuri and Nagai.
A blur passed by Clark. It was All Might in the silliest pose Clark had ever seen.
"I am here!" All Might announced.
"A-All Might?!" Clark asked with a mix of confusion and shock. "What are you doing here?"
"I was looking for you, Young Midoriya!" All Might replied.
"Looking for me?" Clark repeated, even more confused. "Wait, how did you know my name?"
"I just asked the police, and they happily gave me your name," All Might said. "You know why?"
All Might flex both of his biceps.
"Because I am All M-"
All Might began to erupt with white smoke all over his body, enveloping his whole figure. Clark watched with concern for the Symbol of Peace. As the smoke began to clear, where All Might was standing stood a skinny man. He wore the same outfit as All Might's, but it seemed five times larger for his size. His blond hair was wavy with two long strands coming down from his hairline and framing his sharp, angular face.
"All Might?" Clark asked in disbelief.
"Yeah," All Might said in a low tone. "I am All Mi-"
He began to cough up blood. Clark instinctively ran to All Might's side with concern written on his face. He was trying to support All Might through his fits of coughs.
"Are you okay, sir?" Clark asked.
"I'm fine," All Might replied, still recovering. "This is completely normal."
All Might moved away from Clark as he straightened his posture, showing him that he was completely fine. But Clark still has the look of concern on his face.
"What happened to you?" Clark asked.
All Might grabbed the hem of his shirt, specifically his left side and raised above his chest. Clark's eyes widened at the sight of a large scar the covers most of his left side of his chest.
"An enemy of mine gave me this wound five years ago," All Might said in a bit of solemn tone.
All Might let the shirt drop back in its place. He eyed the boy, who stood silently for a moment. He seemed to be pondering about something.
"I couldn't think of anyone who could do that kind of damage to you," he finally said.
"You're perceptive," All Might complimented. "But yes, I kept my condition a secret to the public, so it won't cause mass panic in the country. The "Symbol of Peace" will always protect the innocent with a smile and must never succumb to the forces of evil."
He solemnly looked down to the ground while gently clutching his scar with his right hand.
"I laugh in the face of evil," All Might continued. "But behind that laughter was the fear the dwells within me. The pressure of the world is resting on my shoulders. I always doubt myself that if I really do live up to the type of hero that the people see in me."
Clark stared at All Might with understanding. He knew very well about the responsibilities of being "The Champion of Earth". But he couldn't imagine the kind of life All Might has gone through. Even though All Might was a parallel version of him from his earth, he was just a normal human being. As far as Clark knew, gods, Amazons, Kryptonians, Martians, or any other Extraterrestrial lifeforms don't exist in this world. And with the injury he sustained, he was basically walking with a metaphorical crutch. So, he understood why All Might felt pressured and stressed.
"But today," All Might started. He looked up back at Clark with a genuine smile. "You showed me that being a hero is not about strength and appearance. It's about courage and duty. You've inspired me to act even though I was at my lowest. And for that I thank you."
Clark smiled, but his brow was still scrunched up. Being a former journalist, he knew that All Might had other motives for him, but what could it be?
"I appreciate the things you say about me," Clark said. "But I don't think you came all the way here just to thank me."
"Ah, you're more perceptive than I thought you'd be," All Might said as he chuckled. "Before I tell you what I came here for, let me ask you: Why did you save that boy?"
Clark raised a brow. Was All Might testing him? Why was he testing him for? In any case, Clark wouldn't just ignore the Number One Pro Hero's question. It wouldn't hurt to answer honestly.
"Because it was the right thing to do," Clark said. "He needed help, and I just can't stand by in the sidelines. Not without doing something about it."
"Even if it seemed impossible?" All Might asked.
"Nothing's impossible until you try," Clark replied.
All Might's smile grew. He seemed excited about what Clark had told him, which confused him even more.
"Young Midoriya," All Might began. "I came here to ask you to be my successor!"
"Successor?" Clark repeated, still confused. "I'm honored, but I hate to break it to you... I'm Quirkless."
"That won't be a problem, Young Midoriya," All Might said.
His smile never wavered. He then dramatically raised both of his hands in the air like a showman.
"Because you are worthy to inherit my Quirk!" All Might announced.
Clark stared at All Might with wide eyes, his mouth half agape.
"What?"
Author's Note:
So that's part 2 out of 3 of Clark's arc. I hope you enjoyed your read and let me know what do you think of the story so far.