Chapter 10: That Kinda Fired
It was not a nice night at Endeavor's Agency. Everyone had gone home already, save Burnin'. She had one last thing to handle, and She wanted to get it done without any outside intervention. Though nights like this made her wish she didn't have Administrative authority.
Burnin' sighed as she switched between reading through the paperwork and looking up at the sidekick they belonged to. She really didn't want to do this. The sidekick in front of her was nothing but belligerent and self-centered, and that's just what she knew officially . She did not want this angry runt anywhere near the agency. Sadly, Endeavor's Agency was listed on his Last Chance application. With a blatant groan, Kamiji closed his file and glared at the sidekick.
"Here's how it's gonna go," Kamiji Moe tersely declared. "You are gonna come in tomorrow, we'll give you your orders. Do not deviate from those orders by any degree. You will not interact with anyone you're not supposed to, you will not do anything aggressive. You are not the big fish in this pond, got it? Everyone in this agency, and I do mean everyone , is a bigger fish than you. This is your last strike, and if you squander it you will be sent to the Commission for disciplinary action, and they will decide whether or not you get to keep your license. Understood?"
Instead of giving an actual response, the sidekick scoffed and looked aside. God, Burnin' wished she could send this prick out the window. Sadly, rules were rules. Best she could do was make sure those rules were followed, and this dunce would get what he deserved.
—
Izuku was having a good day.
It had been close to half a month since the Triplets were fired, and Izuku's work had never been easier. No more quarterly financial reports, no more double-checking entire columns of numbers, no more missing sleep and agency activities for the sake of a job that wasn't even his. Now he could just focus on his analytical work, letting him leave on time every day and spend so much time with his girlfriend, a freaking pro heroine.
The only thing that came close to making him feel that good were the doughnuts Rei would bring in every Friday. They were simple sugar or glazed doughnuts, but she made them herself and fresh in the morning. But you'd have to grab them fast, they usually disappeared before noon. Most of them went into Endeavor's own office.
Of all the titles one could grant to Endeavor, 'doughnut hog' was not an expected one.
"Okay, everyone!" Burnin' called out, grabbing everyone's attention. "Remember, we got a new sidekick coming to the Agency in a bit! He's honestly a douchebag who's on his last strike for the Last Chance Program, but that doesn't mean you should antagonize him. For all we know, he'll do that himself. Just work like normal, but try to work with him if ordered, okay?" With an affirmation from everyone, Burnin' walked over to Izuku's desk. Her face turned to one of concern as she whispered, "Sweetie, you know you can take today off, right? No one would blame you."
"It's alright," Izuku smiled. "Maybe he's forgotten about me. Even if he hasn't, you're here to save me."
That got a smile out of the heroine as she gently ruffled Izuku's hair before he went back to work. Due to his position as Senior Analyst, Izuku had been told who was coming, which in turn led him to telling her a bit about his past with the sidekick in question. Just enough to know there had been…issues. Hopefully those issues wouldn't follow them to the Agency.
Around half an hour later, the doors opened, and for the first time since graduating UA, Izuku saw Bakugou Katsuki.
The explosive teen was definitely bulkier than the past. Taller, too. His outfit hadn't changed much since high school, save his vest actually covering his chest. His expression was still as angry as Izuku remembered. Hopefully the years of separation would keep that glare away from Izuku.
"Alright, DynaMight," Burnin' grabbed his attention before he could see Izuku, "you're with me today. Don't talk to anyone else, got it? Come."
Bakugou, apparently named DynaMight, grumbled as he followed Burnin' to Endeavor's office. His gaze stayed on the heroine in front of him, not paying any attention to anyone else. The green man gave a sigh of relief as he went back to work. Unfortunately for him, he had his back turned at the same moment Bakugou's eyes happened to simply glance at him for a single second. But that one second…
"Deku?"
Izuku froze. Every sense in his body was warning him of danger. Reminding him of the burns and pain that often followed that derisive word. And sadly for the quirkless man, those senses wound up being useful once again.
One second, Izuku felt heat behind his neck. The next second, he was rolling out of his chair. Less than an instant later, his chair had exploded in a shower of flames and burning debris. Dammit, he liked that chair. Endeavor gave it to him.
"DYNAMIGHT, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?" Kamiji roared as Izuku got to his feet, now facing the angry sidekick. Burnin's moved between Izuku and Bakugou as the latter had his signature Angry Bastard Face. Neither of them noticed Shouto move closer to Bakugou, his arm icing up.
"What the fuck is that deku doing here!?" Bakugou yelled, pointing at Izuku.
"That 'deku' is our senior analyst," Burnin' growled, "and one of the biggest fish in our little pond. He is not the 'useless, worthless deku' you claim him to be."
That caught Izuku by surprise. That line. Useless, worthless deku. He never told Burnin' that line. How did she-?
"What a load of shit!" Bakugou screamed. "He's a quirkless fuck! He's not even a pebble on my path to be kicked aside! What sort of agency is this if you let trash like him even step through the doors!?"
"Are we having a disagreement?" Endeavor said, randomly appearing right behind Bakugou. The fiery hero loomed over the pissed-off pineapple like a scorching shadow of death. The room turned scorching the instant he appeared, and everyone except for Bakugou stepped away from the clearly-furious hero. "Because it sounds like we're having a disagreement."
"You heard me!" Katsuki roared, his pride and condescension overriding any sense of self-preservation as he pointed at Izuku. "That useless fuck is a waste of space, so get rid of him!?"
"And who are you to order me around?" Endeavor glowered. Before Bakugou could unleash another self-centered rant, Endeavor just covered Bakugou's face with his hand. "Let's go downstairs, DynaMight." Without another word, the fiery hero practically dragged the angry sidekick out of the main offices and towards the underground dojo. The moment he was gone, Burnin' turned to Izuku.
"Are you alright, sweetie?" the heroine asked worriedly.
"He didn't get me," Izuku stood up. "Which is a lot better than how things went in the past." Kamiji nodded, pulling Izuku into a hug. The two remained in place, barely noticing the few sidekicks rushing down to the dojo. Even Shouto ran past the couple. Then Burnin' gave a smile.
"Wanna go watch our boss beat the shit out of your former bully?"
—
Endeavor dragged the belligerent runt downstairs. He didn't say a word, knowing he was so furious any words would be little more than the same angry babble the brat was trying to say. How dare he speak so bad about Midoriya! Especially after everything he'd done for the agency! For him and his family!
When he reached the middle of the dojo, the Flaming Hero casually tossed the brat on the ground. To his credit, Bakugou didn't say anything as he stood up. Apparently seeing he was in the dojo managed to calm him enough to not explode on sight. Endeavor heard other people coming down. He couldn't help but chuckle. Sounded like his sidekicks couldn't resist watching him beat a rabid pineapple into the floor. When he glanced aside, he was glad to see Burnin' had brought Izuku down as well. Good. The man needed to see this.
"Here's how it'll go," Endeavor rumbled. "If you beat me, I'll fire Midoriya on the spot and instate you as an official sidekick. However, if you lose, your Last Chance will be officially revoked and you will be remanded to Commission custody and undergo a remedial exam to determine if you keep your hero license. Got it?"
"Whatever, you burning fuck!" Bakugou yelled. "No way I'll lose to an old-timer like you! I wouldn't lose even to All Might!" Oh, that earned a twitch from Enji. Without warning, Bakugou rushed at Endeavor, his hands raised to use his quirk, and-
Insert scene of brutal slapstick violence that must be censored to maintain the fic's rating.
"Holy shit," Onima said as he looked down at the defeated Bakugou. "That was one ugly beating, kid. Oh here, I think I found most of your teeth."
Izuku stared wide-eyed at the scene. He had not uttered a word at seeing Endeavor thoroughly (and literally) curb-stomp Bakugou into the floor. He knew Endeavor was stronger than Bakugou. That was a no-brainer. But he knew that Endeavor could have won that fight in seconds. Just burn Bakugou's palms and deliver a knockout haymaker to his face. No, Endeavor had purposefully made that fight last as long as it did. Why?
"Once you peel that runt off the floor," Endeavor ordered the surrounding sidekicks, "patch him up and call the Commission. Bakugou Katsuki, aka Hero Sidekick DynaMight, has officially had his Last Chance revoked. I also request he undergo a performance review. Shouto, was he in your class in UA?"
"No," Shouto replied, "he was in the other class. Class B."
"Good. Now leave us. Burnin' and I have something to discuss with Midoriya." Burnin' kept her hand on Izuku's shoulder while the others hauled away the beaten and unconscious Bakugou. Once they were gone, Enji looked back down at Midoriya.
"Midoriya," he started, "you have reached significant acclaim within my agency. You've helped bring down a handful of villains, including the group that was keeping my wife imprisoned in that hospital. With the triplets gone, you are no longer being asked to do any tasks outside your job description. And now your former bully has been shown his place."
"Sir?" Izuku asked, confused. Endeavor looked at him for a few seconds longer before giving a smile.
"I sure hope this means you won't try to get fired anymore."
Even with the two fire quirks around him, Izuku felt frozen. He…he knew? How did Endeavor know what Izuku had been attempting in the past? A hard pat on the shoulder from Kamiji broke him from his stupor.
"Sorry, sweetie," the woman smiled down at him, "but you are really chatty when you get drunk."
"According to Kamiji," Enji explained, "you informed her how you were relentlessly bullied by that blond prick during your childhood. And how the triplets in accounting had been dumping your work on them. How you had been trying to get fired because your contract prevents you from quitting. I apologize for taking so long to address the issue. Had I known sooner…" Endeavor sighed. "I will admit young man, after everything you've done, I'd rather not think of how things could have gone were you not here."
"I'm also really glad you didn't get fired," Burnin' continued. "I'd hate to think where I'd be without my little green angel."
"G-guys…" Izuku finally managed to voice. "...I…I don't want to leave anymore. I haven't since…since Endeavor told me I was a hero after the incident at Korusa. I mean, I-I entertained the idea a bit longer, but…" He took a breath. "I think I like it here after all." Enji gave a big smile and patted Izuku's shoulder, almost sending the quirkless man into the floor.
"I am glad to hear it. Perhaps in a couple years, when your contract is up for review, we could make some alterations and have you stay on for longer?"
"I think I would like that," Izuku smiled. Suddenly he felt very cold again. And judging from the visible breath from Enji and Moe, he wasn't the only one.
"Honey~..."
None of the three adults moved. Somehow, Todoroki Rei materialized behind Endeavor. The white-haired matriarch was smiling, but everyone who grew up with a mother knew exactly what sort of pain that smile could bring. Endeavor didn't even need to turn to know she was giving that sinister smile.
"Y-yes, Rei?" the Flaming Hero asked.
"What is this I've been hearing about you taking most of the doughnuts to your office~?" Rei asked. "Even though I make enough for everyone to have at least three~?" Endeavor tried to step away, but couldn't. Looking down, he saw his beloved wife had literally frozen his feet to the floor. And this was ice from his wife's quirk. The ice quirk that wouldn't cause hypothermia but could still root even him to the spot. He gave Burnin' and Izuku a pleading look.
"...You're on your own, boss," Kamiji Moe said, picking up her boyfriend and abandoning her boss to his fate.
—