*Twelve Years Ago

Musutafu Pre-K Center

"Okay, kids. Time for recess."

As a three-year-old, I thought pre-k was a fun place to form bonds. Mom and Dad thought so, too. It was hard in the beginning, but a few noticed me. Recess arrived, and we played around the playground. I wondered about how to make an impression. Then, I saw a girl getting picked on by a brown-haired girl.

She smirked as she kicked the girl's back. I didn't know why she targeted her, but their dialogue was evident. "You spilled milk on my shirt, loser girl. At least make yourself useful by being my playmate." The teacher occupied themselves, unaware of the scene. I sucked in and sighed, marching to the girls. As the brown-haired girl raised her foot over the classmate's back, I stepped in between.

"Hey, go away! I'm in the middle of a play date."

"Why are you being so mean? She did nothing. If you keep messing with her, I'll… I-I'll…" I put up my hands, balled them into fists, and took a stance. "I'll stop you myself!"

"Hmph, you believe your pathetic body can stop me. I guess you're a Deku."

The girl cracked her knuckles, stepped forward with a menacing grin. Skin ran cold from her smirk, but I'd stayed my ground. Closing my eyes, I shielded the girl behind me. That was when a boy's voice chimed, stopping the girl's assault. "What are you doing, Asano?"

A sandy-haired boy with red eyes approached her. She scoffed and turned her direction onto him. "Oh, I was playing, Katsuki."

"Beating up a classmate isn't playing, Asano. You're beating up a girl who accidentally spilled milk during lunchtime."

"She didn't apologize!"

The two argued, leaving me to report the incident. Later, the teachers called Asano's parents and once school ended, they stood near a mundane SUV. The mother looked mad, eyebrows furrowed and eyes sharpened. Asano looked at the ground with a frown. She gripped her pre-k uniform, as her mother scowled her for hurting an innocent girl. Meanwhile, her brother, Katsuki, walked up to me. "I'm sorry for my sister's behavior. Are you hurt?"

"No, but I was scared. Thanks for saving us."

"No problem. So, what's your name?"

"I'm Izuku Midoriya. You?"

"Katsuki Bakugo."

"Katsuki?"

Something popped inside my mind. I smiled and suggested an opinion to Katsuki. "How about I call you Kacchan?"

"Huh?"

"It sounds catchy."

"You're right, it sounds catchy. Okay, you can call me Kacchan."

With that, me and Kacchan became best friends. Alongside others, we got along, played games at the park, and shared our love for All-Might, the greatest hero who ever lived.

We talked about what quirks we could get. At four years old, anyone unlocked a power—called a quirk—and can either choose to become a hero or a villain. The day came and Kacchan and his sister had their quirks. Kacchan ignited sparkles from his palms. He didn't want to show it, but his sister gloated, presenting her fire-breathing quirk to our classmates. She targeted me, as I was the only one to notice Kacchan's quirk.

She almost fried me until Kacchan saved me. He used his quirk on Asano, leaving a mark on her face. It caused him to feel aware of his abilities. His explosion quirk was powerful, but after damaging Asano in self-defense, Kacchan thought concealing it would benefit everyone. However, I don't believe that. I'd encouraged Kacchan not to conceal it, but embrace it.

Although my speech worked, and Kacchan helped me escape a rocking building, courtesy of a villain, he still wore gloves to school. As for my quirk, I didn't get one. A certain joint prevented me from getting one. It disappointed me and my mom, but we held our heads high.

Present Day

Years passed, and we were in junior high, enjoying our last year. Kacchan and I were still close, supporting each other and spending free time together. Asano grew worse and looked… uh… fluffy. She believed she was beautiful, because of her quirk. But that increased her ego and delusional mind. We didn't mention her weight gain, if that meant saving our skins. Either way, our homeroom teacher brought up the UA entrance exams. During the summer, each student trained their quirk for the exams.

UA High, a prestigious high school for quirk-enhanced students, evaluate them by heroic intentions and skillfulness. Our classmates were excited to hear the news, especially the top three. First was Asano, who had the highest grade in the mock test. Second came Kacchan, because obviously. Finally, I ranked below them. Asano doesn't take my ranking too likely and tried scaring me away. However, Kacchan was there to drive her away.

He may have a powerful quirk, but he doesn't belittle me for being quirkless. Heck, I'd even helped him improve his quirk after school. Speaking of which, one day, we stumbled upon a villain on our way to school. A muscular man in black and he carried a support item. Support items helped pro heroes save civilians. They were also made to aid their quirks.

This villain held an item I'd never seen before. Kacchan told me to run away. He doesn't have a license to fight, but Kacchan distracted the villain by blasting sparkles at his face. We jogged around him, but then another blocked our path.

It looked like the end. We braced ourselves for capture, then we heard laughter. It wasn't no ordinary laughter. We opened our eyes, seeing a masculine figure descending from the sky. The silhouette didn't fool us. All-Might swooped in and beat the thugs easily. They went down from one punch. The tall hero saw us and smiled.

That smile symbolized his status as 'Symbol of Peace.' We smiled back, thrilled to see All-Might, our role model. "Are you kids alright?"

"W-We're fine, All-Might! T-Thank you!"

"Yeah, we're fine."

He jumped so high. It looked like he flew a few miles away. Gust of winds blew against our faces. Today was a glorious one. I'd met All-Might, in the flesh! What I didn't know was that our encounter created an opportunity. When I got back from school, Mom introduced me to our next-door neighbors, the Smithfields. The mom's name was Rhonda and her daughter's name was Gladys.

"Oh, you must be Izuku Midoriya. I'm Rhonda Smithfield and this is my daughter, Gladys. In a few weeks, she'll be attending UA High under a scholarship."

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Smithfield." I bowed down, which made Rhonda chuckle.

Gladys, her daughter, stared at me. Her eyes looked strange, as if she was observing me. Rhonda noticed it and patted Gladys on the shoulder. "Sweetie, say hello to Izuku."

"Hi."

"Excuse her, she has problems socializing with strangers."

I understood how Gladys felt. Social skills were an obstacle for me. After introductions, I went to my bedroom to study. Now that I saw Gladys' family, let me return to my grand opportunity to become a pro hero. My encounter with All-Might led to a discussion I'd never seen coming. Two days later, the teacher ordered me to see the principal. Asano thought I'd done something bad and might get expelled, but I'd ignored her.

Once I reached the principal's office, he sat behind his mahogany desk. Near his desk was a skinny man with blonde hair and blue eyes. Wait, his appearance looked familiar. I sat next to him, hands folded on my lap, and faced the principal. Every bone in my body quivered. Am I getting expelled for no reason?

"Mr. Midoriya? This meeting must be kept under wraps. Don't share this with anyone, not even your parents. Alright?"

"Uh… Okay, sir." Sweat glistened my cheeks. I got confused in what the principal was saying.

"Ahem, this guest is very special. He visited the school to pick you as his apprentice."

Apprentice? Wait, what?

"Yes, that is right. Young man, I'd picked you, because of your intentions. Along with excellent grades and friendly demeanor, I feel like my choice is right."

Now, things sounded awkward.

My mind couldn't process what they said. The man beside me was All-Might, my hero. It bewildered me, I'd even panicked internally from that. He said he suffered from a severe attack three years ago. Upon hearing it, I smacked my head. How could I forget about the incident? I'd felt stupid as an All-Might superfan. So, All-Might chose me as his apprentice, because he studied my accolades at school.

He felt like I can carry the torch, become the next number one hero. The meeting ended and All-Might, real name Yagi Toshinori, explained his quirk. 'One-For-All' was a unique quirk. It can pass itself onto people, each passage strengthened them. Toshinori was the recent holder. And so was I, when my extreme training over the summer began.

From that day onward, I'd kept our secret. Kacchan, his sister, my mom, and our neighbors don't know about our relationship. It felt bad to hide secrets, but I'll do anything for All-Might. Even push my body to the limit. Over summer break, I'd trained my body. Mornings, I ate a high-protein meal before jogging around the condo buildings. Afternoons, I did strength training. Thankfully, Gladys showed me YouTube videos about strength training workouts.

I'd thanked her for the advice. Those videos worked like a charm. Evenings, I ate another high-protein meal before jogging around the apartment again. On the weekends, Toshinori showed me a beach which had tons of garbage. It was my job to clean it throughout the summer. Some days, I'd felt sick to my stomach. Puked a few times, but I'd never gave up.

He noticed it and told me to lessen the expected motivation. "There's no need to push your body. Patience is key."

Days before the entrance exam, I'd heard Rhonda talk about her daughter. I later learned she had another daughter, Ayanna Smithfield, who's attending college. She talked to the school about accommodations for Gladys, once the first semester began. Accommodations? Can the school do that?

Two days before the entrance exam, I'd finished cleaning the beach. Toshinori was happy to see the process I'd gained. My body, although lean, showed muscle. Wow, I had actual abs and biceps. It amazed me. Toshinori pulled a yellow pill from his coat pocket and presented it to me. "Now that the training is done, allow me to pass down my quirk, Young Midoriya."

"Uh, a pill?"

"Long story short, a fellow scientist of mine copied my DNA and converted it into this pill. She wanted an easier way of passing down my quirk."

I wouldn't argue with that. For a moment, I thought he resorted to a gross tactic, like pulling a hair strand and forcing me to swallow it. I snatched the pill and swallowed it down my throat. A lemon-lime flavor tickled my tongue.

The entrance exam arrived. I was nervous, whether I'll pass or fail. There were a lot of students, their quirks had outstanding traits. Some were weird, but packed a punch. The battle arena had robots, all having varied scores. During the test, I'd grew comfortable around One-For-All. Through a bit of concentration, I jumped very high, punched a dent on robots, and ran fast. And I meant really fast. Like I was running a mile per minute.

The exam had rescue points, which became an advantage for me. I'd helped a handful of students, including a pretty brown-haired girl. Oh, she had the prettiest pair of brown eyes. And how she smiled. W-Wait, I'm getting distracted. My bad.

After the exams, I returned home and noticed Gladys writing her journal. Her mother said she's a creative girl with a vivid imagination. Drawing, writing stories, and expressing emotions through her hobbies were noteworthy details about Gladys. She looked like an excellent student for UA. I was glad to hear she got a scholarship, skipping the entrance exams and immediately entering the hero course.

Hours later, an envelope came to our mailbox. "It must be from the school, Izuku. Let's check it out!"

I ripped the envelope open, a holographic box fell onto the table. Without warning, we saw a hologram of All-Might announcing his part-time job at UA High. That brought butterflies to my chest. More good news was my acceptance into the school. Because of my physical performance and getting the second highest rescue points, the school put me in the hero course. Mom hugged me, tears trickled over my shoulder.

"You made it, Izuku! I'm so proud of you!"

"Oh, it's a gracious day! Thank you, Mom!"

We had a peacefully pleasant dinner, then I brushed my teeth, not forgetting my hard effort. I was one step closer into achieving my goal. Kacchan was going to flip when I share the news.

Oh right. He got a scholarship from Colbury, Maryland, which was an overseas country. Although it will suck without Kacchan around, we promised to talk occasionally. I promised him to watch over Asano, if her behavior became a problem, which will most likely happen. I'm still confused in why Asano got in. Her attitude, violent tendencies, and insults, she'll never be a hero. Anyway, I couldn't wait for UA.

Seven Days Later

A week into our first semester. The good news—before I get into the dark parts—was my class. Class 1-A was a part of the hero course. For unknown reasons, the classes were reduced from twenty to ten. In my class, there were five boys, including myself, and four girls. Guess who was on the girls' side.

"Move and make way for your princess."

Asano, out of shear luck, got into Class 1-A. So far, she'd been nothing but a prideful nuisance. It was junior high all over again. All Asano does was boss around students, whether they were her classmates, and bragged. Lots of bragging filled our ears, and it grew tiresome. Through her annoying moments, I'd befriended the rest of my class. Shoto was already my friend before UA, but he welcomed me with open arms. He even congratulated me on passing the exams.

Tenya Iida, Eijiro Kirishima, and Denki Kaminari were interesting guys. Iida was studious and followed rules to a T. Kirishima had a masculine vibe. Kaminari looked like the party type. On the girl's side, there was Ochaco Uraraka, Momo Yaoyorozu, and Tsuyu Asui. Together, they seemed decent.

We agreed that Asano's presence was sucking the enjoyment of UA. Iida came up with an idea, which could've been Kacchan's. We used voice recorders to tape Asano's hurtful insults. For photographic evidence, there was no need. The school had state-of-the-art security cameras. It went on for seven days until one incident changed everything.

Class 1-D, another class from the hero course, visited our classroom. Their teacher, Mrs. Aoi Aizawa, introduced herself with a charming smile. It shocked us to know that our homeroom teacher, Mr. Shouta Aizawa, had a sister. I thought she acted gloomy and demanding, but she looked bright. Next to her was her students, five of them.

"Hello, Class 1-A, I'm Mrs. Aizawa. Today, my class will like to introduce themselves and partake in an ice-breaker activity." She glanced at Mr. Aizawa, who put on his sleeping bag. "Whatever, just finish the activity before my nap ends." He fell on his side, instantly snoring away.

We've grown to know Mr. Aizawa's insomnia and strict behavior. Mrs. Aizawa cleared her throat and flicked a strand of long black hair over her ear. "My class will introduce themselves first. Daichi?"

A wheelchair-bound student rolled forward. He pressed two fingers to his temple and squinted his eyes. 'Hello, fellow students of 1-A. I'm Daichi Shoda. My quirk is mental. I can read minds, move objects with my mind, and enter one's consciousness.'

We leaned against our chairs from Daichi's demonstration. He receded to the line afterwards. The next student was a twitchy boy. He fidgeted his fingers, eyes darted to random directions, and lips twitched.

"Hi-my-name-is-Ryuji-Mashiro. I… Huh-crap-what-was-it?"

He talked real fast and forgot what he wanted to say. Ryuji stepped back and a hooded student was next. A whisper escaped, yet we couldn't hear. Mrs. Aizawa signed and notified us his name. "He's Mao Sugihara. Speech has been a problem for him, so he resorts to whispering."

We nodded and let the next student introduce themselves. A girl with long strawberry-blonde hair and blue eyes, she carried a white erasable board. With swiftness, she wrote something on the board and showed it to us.

"My name is Pim Tomoe. Nice to meet you all," Iida read out loud.

"Pim's mute, so she writes her responses on a whiteboard."

We nodded. Pim returned to the line, and the last student began their introduction. The last student from Class 1-D was Gladys. She fidgeted her fingers, eyes not contacting with ours. It looked like Gladys felt nervous about speaking in front of a crowd. "Uh, my name is Gladys Smithfield. My hobbies are drawing and writing. Rhonda Smithfield is my legal guardian and Ayanna is my older sister. S-She's attending college now, wishing to become an art teacher."

She smiled a bit. I smiled, too, but then Asano opened her mouth. "Hah, a black chick as an art teacher? That's a big excuse to hide your sister's prostitution." She reeled her head, a hefty laughter escaped her glossy lips. Everyone, me included, winced from Asano's response. Gladys shuffled in one spot, which got Mrs. Aizawa to settle the issue. "Please, Mrs. Bakugo. Glady is quite emotional. Apologize."

"Alright, miss. Gladys, I'm sorry your sister and mother are prostitutes."

"Mrs. Bakugo!"

"I'm sorry, but it's the truth. Black chicks are the grossest prostitutes that ever walked the earth. Unlike me, a princess, she won't succeed in life. Tell me, Smithfield?" Asano slammed her hands, leaned over the desk, and smirked hard. "Why did you apply to UA?"

"I applied to UA, because I want to follow my aunt's footsteps. She's a pro hero."

"Hah, your aunt must be a hooker, pleasing men by pretending to be a pro hero."

The response silenced Gladys. A whimper vibrated her throat, as she looked at her journal. She'd been holding onto it for a while. That must be her thought journal, the one I'd saw days ago. Mrs. Aizawa's hands shook, veins popped under her skin, and a fierce expression faced Asano. Wow, she's already frustrated with Asano and it took a few rants.

"Listen here, you—"

"Mrs. Aizawa? Please, come to the principal's office immediately."

She gritted her teeth, as Asano snickered and folded her hands behind her hair. A bigger grin shined under the dim lights. "The principal needs you, old hag."

Something snapped within Mrs. Aizawa, but she said nothing. Instead, she told her students to stay and speed-walked away. Her students stared at us. Daichi rolled forward, his wheelchair scratched and squeaked. "You all have to excuse Mrs. Aizawa. She's the sweetest teacher we have, but she, too, has a disorder. All of us have disorders. Take me, for instance. I can't move my legs. It's been that way since my birth."

"Oh, so Class 1-D is for disabled students?"

"Yes, Mr. Midoriya. Pim has mutism. The cause of her silence is ambiguous. Ryuji has ADHD. He can't focus and talks really fast. Mao is anti-social, but prefers to whisper. Gladys is a special case."

Daichi was about to explain Gladys' disorder, when Asano stood up and approached him. She planted her foot on Daichi's wheelchair arm and pushed it over. He fell off and slid on his side. Uraraka and Momo aided Daichi, while Asano chuckled to herself. "What was that for!?"

"I got bored, and the teacher left. A little fun wouldn't hurt."

"Tipping over a handicapped student isn't the definition of fun. That's harassment!" Iida stood up, shaking his dominant arm. "Besides, what you said to Gladys was racist! Not all African-American women are prostitutes! Apologize this instant!"

Asano sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "Why should I apologize to a dumb black chick? Her introduction was a snooze-fest, her hair looks plain, and her family sounds pathetic. Her aunt's a hooker pretending to be a pro hero. Not to mention her sister may be a hooker, too, if her lie about being an art teacher is real."

"That's enough!" Daichi, after thanking the girls, faced Asano with rigid black eyes. He brushed his short honey-blonde hair, sweeping off debris and dirt. "Gladys is a hard-working student. She likes our company and wishes to befriend Class 1-A! Hell, she knows someone from your class."

As expected—or unfortunate in my case—Daichi pointed at me. I stiffened my back, sweat caked my forehead, as Asano glowered at me. "Her mother moved next-door to Midoriya and his mother. Show some respect, young lady. I can see the rumors of a stuck-up princess disrupting peace across school. You're absolutely the worst!"

She ignored Daichi and stomped to me. I squealed, back leaning against the chair, eyes trembling from intense fear. The corners of Asano's lips seeped smoke. She prepared a flame breathe, but held it in. "Is this true, Deku? You know this black chick?"

I'd looked over Asano's rounded shoulder, seeing Gladys. Her eyes teared up, streaked her cheeks and dripped on her journal. She choked, head lowered and fingers used a pen to write in the journal. I inhaled and exhaled. "Yes, Daichi's telling the truth. We're neighbors."

"Hah, I knew something was off between you two. Deku and the black chick are friends. Perfect!" She backed up, arms thrown high and a grin stretching. "You two work perfect together."

"Please, stop this. Izuku has done nothing to you."

"You're talking back to me?"

Her heavy footsteps marched to Gladys, who still moaned. She clenched the journal close to her chest. Asano saw the journal and snickered. I had a bad feeling about this. My instincts were true, as Asano snatched the journal from Gladys' hands. "No, don't do it!" She tried taking it back, but Asano pushed her. Her back slammed on the chalkboard, she slid down, groaning.

"Is this your diary? Why bring it to school? I thought these were private."

"Actually, Gladys keeps that journal to write her feelings."

"What did that hoodie-dude say? You need to speak the hell up!"

Mao lounged to Asano, but Daichi sent a mental message to him. He stopped a few inches from her, a grim expression underneath his hood. Asano chuckled and flipped through Gladys' journal. Meanwhile, Gladys stood up, rubbing her lower back and dusting off white chalk. Pim walked over and helped Gladys.

"Dear diary, today—meaning right now—has been wonderful. Mrs. Aizawa," Asano said before looking over her shoulder with a disgusted frown. I'd heard her say, 'old hag,' then returned to reading Glady' journal. "Says we'll be visiting Class 1-A for an ice-breaker activity. I'm nervous to see Izuku's classmates. He's a kind boy to me and my mother. He surely gets his kindness from his mother."

She looked over her shoulder, smirking this time. 'Pudgy bitch' whispered through Asano's lips, and then she continued reading the journal. "When we get in, everyone is gentle and nice. Things were going fine until… until…"

Asano's hands shook, fingers gripping the journal's edges. Plastic squeaks echoed within the classroom. Her eyes began bulging out and cheeks turned red. Nostrils ballooned and blew out steam. "Until a chubby bully started belittling my friends." She closed the journal, a loud smack blasted across the classroom. Asano faced her fury on Gladys, who lowered her head, tears dripping on the tiled floor.

"Oh, you're dead, black chick! No one, and I mean NO ONE, calls me fat!"

Iida, Kirishima, and Todoroki lept from their chairs to stop Asano, but it was too late. Asano gripped Gladys' collar and lifted her, feet barely hovering the floor. "Do you have a death wish!?"

"Please… I don't want to release her."

"Who the hell is her?"

Gladys whimpered and clenched her hands. She struggled to release Asano's grip, but was too emotional to try. Having enough, I rose and walked away from my desk. "Stop this, Asano! You're hurting Gladys' feelings."

"Get away, Deku!"

In an instant, Asano smacked me across the face. A red hand marked my cheek, as I fell on my side. "Midoriya!" Iida tended to me, while Kirishima, Kaminari and Todoroki approached Asano, all expressing upset vibes towards her.

"Wanna fight me? My quirk will fry your skins." She pushed Gladys away, her back grinding the chalkboard once more. As I got on my forearms and knees, Iida asked if I was okay. I nodded, but rubbed my cheek, sensing fiery pain seeping my skin. My ears, the left side, rang, but my right caught something. Grunting, praying, and sobbing from Gladys.

"Don't, Sasha. Not again."

Sasha? A memory flashed. Mom and Rhonda were talking about us and UA High. Rhonda called the school to set up preferences for Gladys once it began. "My daughter has a disorder that could spell disaster, if the school doesn't prepare early."

"What preferences are you referring, Rhonda?"

"Well, for starters, Gladys has this persona. Sasha is her name, and she's an aggressive person."

The flashback ended when Gladys screamed. We and Gladys' classmates paid attention, as she rose and combed her fingers through her curly black hair. Her red-rimmed eyes darted, trembling from overflowing adrenaline. Asano, who almost blew fire at Kaminari, turned around and laughed at Gladys' panic attack.

"Aw, look at the crybaby. A panic attack won't make me feel bad for you."

"Oh, crap."

"You-really-fucked-up-now!"

"You should run for your life."

Mao, Ryuji, and Pim warned Asano to defend herself, but she ignored them. She crossed her arms, smirked at Gladys, and chuckled. "What's with the outburst? Was it because I smacked Deku like a bitch? He doesn't deserve prostitutes or daughters of prostitutes as a girlfriend. But that's what he picked. Nothing will change that."

"No, Sasha!"

"Is Sasha your prostitute friend outside of school? I bet she's a bigger hooker than you and your mother is."

"..."

She stopped panicking. Thirty seconds later, Gladys smiled, however it grew wide and terrifying. Her eyes, while still red-rimmed, showed a serious glance. "What was your name, fat bitch?"

"What!?"

"I said, what's your fuckin' name, fat bitch?"

Asano growled and stomped to Gladys, a three-inch height gap made her monstrous. "Call me that again, or I'll burn your face off!"

"I'd like to see you try, fat bitch, because no one screws with my sis. Do you know who you're messin' with?" Gladys cracked her knuckles and tilted her neck.

The warm up somewhat scared Asano, as she stepped three paces back. "I don't know, but I know you're a prostitute with no future."

"Wrong! I'm S to the A-S-H-A Ferocious!"

Sasha, as she announced herself, launched at Asano, one hand wrapping around her thick neck and pushing her down a row of desks. We were beyond confused in the display of strength Sasha showed. She pushed Asano against a table, but slammed her down, breaking it in half.

Sasha's fists pounded on Asano's face, each punch blared loudly. We winced, but her classmates stared with blank expressions. Daichi sighed and pressed two fingers to his temple. 'You all are questioning, 'How is Gladys beating the crap out of Mrs. Bakugo?' I'll explain. Gladys is a unique student in our class. She's the only one with two disorders. The first diagnosed disorder is autism. The second diagnosed disorder is Dissociative Identity Disorder, or Multiple Personality Disorder.'

My eyes widened. We faced Daichi, ignoring Gladys beating Asano's face as if it were ground beef. We heard Asano wailing and pleading for Gladys' pummeling to stop. "So, Sasha is Gladys' persona?" Uraraka raised her hand with a furrowed eyebrow at Daichi.

He nodded, and his fingers removed their tips off his temple. "Of course. Gladys keeps the journal to record her thoughts, as well as Sasha's. She treats her like a sister, so we treat her like an additional classmate. You can say Sasha Ferocious is the unofficial sixth student of Class 1-D."

Mao, Ryuji, and Pim all nodded from Daichi's explanation. For better or worse, we understood everything. Then, glass broke, followed by Asano's scream. It sounded girlish, which dazed me. I'd never heard Asano scream like that. We left to see Asano's face all beaten. Her nose bled, smearing the floor in red. Even her outfit carried dirt and blood splatters. A blackeye throbbed Asano's right eye, a teardrop leaked from its corner.

Sasha climbed out the broken window, her hand materializing a crystal baseball bat. She smacked it in her open palm; her face etching a wide grin. "Hehehe, you shouldn't have done that, fat bitch! Now you're gonna pay!"

"Wait! Violence won't reform Asano. Although she's selfish and rude, she's a part of UA." Iida's throat gagged. He hated stating that, but he was right. Asano was a student and what Sasha was doing was assault. Then again, Asano hit me and pushed Daichi off his wheelchair.

"I don't care if my methods are shitty! This fat-ass hoe made fun of my sis! At least let me mess up her face or break her ribs. Or better yet, why not an ankle."

"No, you're not committing further harm on Asano." Iida blocked Sasha, arms spread wide.

"Yeah, I'm not following orders unless they're from Mrs. Aizawa."

Sasha swung the bat to Iida's face, which threw him diagonally across the hallway. He slid until his back pressed the wall. Same with Asano, Iida's nose bled from the forceful impact. Kirishima and Kaminari aided Iida, while I watched Asano crawl away. She whimpered about her beautiful face mangled by a prostitute's daughter. Sasha noticed and sprinted, blocking Asano's path.

A towering shadow covered Asano, as she stared into a pair of soulless black eyes.

"No, no, no, fatty bitch. Time for a smacking!"

"Sasha!"

While Kirishima escorted Iida to the nurse's office, Mrs. Aizawa returned from her meeting with the principal. The bangs of her black hair swung over her eyes, but she saw Sasha preparing to hit Asano's head. She extended an arm and meandered. "I'm here now. Don't hit Mrs. Bakugo. She'd suffered enough."

Sasha's grip loosened, her eyes shifted from angry to worrisome. Asano whined like an injured dog and crawled to me. Her arms wrapped around my calf. I got confused of why Asano grabbed onto my leg. "I-I'm sorry, Dek—I mean Izuku! Please, get me away from this crazy woman!"

I tried shaking Asano off, but Mrs. Aizawa trudged to Sasha and removed the bat from her hands. Those eyes trembled, tears leaking from each corner and streaking down her cheeks. Sasha choked, then sobbed, as Mrs. Aizawa hugged her. "It's okay, Gladys. Let it all out. I'll get your journal and Sasha will write what happened."

The two embraced each other. Mr. Aizawa, who got the news from the girls, stormed out. Class 1-D was behind him, they saw Gladys and their teacher hugging. All sighed in relief, but Mr. Aizawa asked his sister about what happened. "I just came and witnessed Sasha Ferocious about to beat up Asano. I thought you knew. You were in the—"

When she remembered Mr. Aizawa was asleep the entire time, something snapped. It happened when Asano called her an old hag and began her belittlement on Class 1-D. She grew silent for forty seconds, but then faced me, eyes so sharp it could slice through the most resilient people. "Mr. Midoriya? Can you escort Gladys to a lounge room?"

"Of course, ma'am."

So, I guided Gladys to a nearby lounge room. I heard Mrs. Aizawa, who had been modest and kind, yell at Mr. Aizawa for being a heavy sleeper. My classmates filled them in on what occurred. From Asano insulting Class 1-D to Sasha beating her to a bloody pulp. They were furious at Asano, who remained silence. She quietly sobbed and covered her bruised face, not wanting us to see it.

A few minutes later, Gladys calmed down and talked to me. "I'm very sorry, Izuku. Sasha is reckless with her anger and what she did to Asano was wrong."

"Don't apologize. You had a reason." I patted her back.

"No, Sasha has done this once. Three days ago, a student from Class 1-B mocked my class and Sasha… well, let's say she kicked his butt and scarred him for life. Since then, he'd been quiet around me."

Class 1-B was also a part of the hero course. I'd rarely see them, but rumors about a student acting arrogant, similar to Asano's behavior, spread. I nodded and smiled at Gladys. "Gladys, you shouldn't feel too guilty about your persona. Sasha protected you, with her methods. That means she cares."

"I know she cares for me and Mom."

"But you worry Sasha might injure someone."

Gladys nodded. "She became my persona when my dad abused Mom. He slapped her, kick her, and burn her limbs with a cigarette. One night, he went too far, and I got so angry, I became Sasha. The incident motivated Mom to break up with Dad. We've never seen him again."

"So, that's why you moved to our apartment?"

"Yes. We couldn't live in that neighborhood anymore. We fear Dad might come back, take his frustrations on me. On Sasha."

Hearing Gladys' story tugged my heart strings. My eyes watered and a stream of tears streaked my cheeks. The floor got wet and Gladys climbed her feet onto the chair. "Wow, you're as emotional as I am."

"I-I'm sorry! It just that your story is tragic."

"Same goes for you. Not getting a quirk must've had hurt you, but it didn't stop you from reaching your goals. Why push forward, Izuku?"

I wiped the tears with my uniform sleeves. Once my vision cleared, I answered. "I continue, because I want to show the world. To show them how quirkless individuals can change expectations. Quirks are a requirement to succeed and save plenty of civilians, but it's a hero's honor that makes them special."

"Honor?"

"All-Might is our symbol of peace, because he never gives up. He always has a smile on his face whenever there's danger. I loved him as a little kid and I still do. I'm here, because of him and his influence. Do you have a favorite hero, Gladys?"

"I do. My aunt, Gloria. She's the disco heroine: Glam."

Glam hit a certain bell in my mind. A woman with a crystal quirk and she's best friends with Shoto's aunt, Miya. "Oh, I know who Glam is. So, she's your aunt?"

"Yes. I'm here, because of her. Gloria encourages me to never worry and focus on myself. 'Mind your business and those goals will finish faster.' It's hard to ignore negative people, but if they harm my family and friends, I can't."

I nodded. I would do the same, if my friends or family were harmed. We stood away from the table, just as the door swung open. Mr. Aizawa asked if we were okay. We answered, while leaving.

Two Days Later

The weekend ended, and we returned to school. Our homeroom began, as Mr. Aizawa reported what happened to Asano. Since entering UA High, I'd never seen her. Her face was banged up, and she felt miserable showing it. Recovery Girl, the school's nurse, said Asano suffered a blackeye, swollen cheeks, and head trauma. Iida only suffered from a nosebleed. Her quirk lessened the pain, but Asano visited a hospital to heal the exterior injuries.

"For Asano Bakugo's punishment, the principal concluded not to expel her."

"What!? But she's a menace!"

"Yeah, she almost threatened Class 1-D two days ago! You can't let that slide."

"I understand your frustrations. The evidence you collected and the security cameras showed Asano's reckless actions. Nedzu didn't want Asano to quit school, because we already started our first semester. It took a while, but we concluded on sending her to a juvenile hall."

"Juvenile Hall? Can the school do that?"

Mr. Aizawa cleared his throat and leaned against the podium. "The school can send misbehaving students to juvenile hall. Her parents approved of the decision once they heard the evidence and the incident. For one year, Asano will complete paperwork and rehabilitation sessions. If she fails before the due date, she'll start over or be expelled from UA High."

After the announcement, we died our excitement. For a full description, Asano, her parents, and Gladys' mother visited the principal's office yesterday. Nedzu shared the incident, as well as our evidence to the adults. Even though Asano tried denying the evidence, her mother smacked her upside the head. That spread seething pain, which silenced Asano.

She couldn't defend herself or her pride.

Like what Mr. Aizawa said, Asano was forbidden to enter UA High and must complete her rehabilitation program in juvenile hall. Failure will cause a do-over or expulsion from UA High. I predicted Asano's pompous attitude would bite her in the butt. My classmates, Class 1-D, and other students who suffered from Asano's tyranny, felt peaceful.

After school ended, I walked home and called Kacchan. Our conversation started with sharing our progress from last week. Then, I mentioned what happened to his sister and…

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! Oh, that's hilarious!"

"Kacchan, it isn't funny."

"Oh yes, it is! Asano got what she deserved!"

"That is true, but before going to juvenile hall, a student from Class 1-D assaulted her."

"And?"

"It was one of the most brutal beat-downs I'd ever seen."

"Did you forget what Asano has done to you? To us!?"

That can't be argued. Kacchan made a point; Asano did some atrocious deeds to us. I guessed her punishment was well-deserved, but how Sasha pummeled her looked gruesome. For the first time, Asano felt weak. Defenseless. Her quirk held nothing to brute strength and bottled wrath.

We ended our conversation, and I completed my homework afterwards. UA High was something else. Students with unique quirks and personalities. Friendships in the least expected places. Teachers with grander personalities than the students. I felt like my goals mattered. All-Might said, 'break past your limit. Go plus ultra.'

That's what I must do. Push forward and never look back.