Chapter 12: Itsuka Kendo: Rising!

Some days earlier...

Itsuka opened her eyes.

She looked around to see where she was, and found herself in some sort of abandoned surgery room.

Itsuka tried to remember what had happened but not much came to her mind. She remembered going off on her own to see what Izuku and Bakugo were up to after curfew, she had seen them battle, All Might had showed up, she had heard a male voice behind her, felt a hand on her head and then...

Nothing.

Itsuka got up from the bed she was laying on. She felt like she had slept for a long time, and it certainly seemed to be that way.

Itsuka looked outside a nearby window and saw that she wasn't very far away from U.A... Plus, it was daytime already.

Had she slept through the entire night in this place?

Itsuka shook her head before deciding to explore the place she found herself in.

As Itsuka wandered through the empty halls of the building she was in, she concluded that this must have been a hospital of some sort before being abandoned.

Then, Itsuka heard voices coming from a nearby room.

Itsuka approached the room and hid behind the corner of the door. She instantly recognized the voices of her four former friends talking to each other.

Were they the ones who had taken her here?

Honoka sighs, unaware of Itsuka listening to their conversation. "Look, girls... I swear I'm just trying to keep us safe."

Haruka scoffs. "Yeah, right... This place is smelly, dark and dirty."

Misa nods. "Not to mention that it's not a good place to train."

Hikari sighs. "Yeah... And I don't like working with Satoshi either... I don't think any of us do..."

Honoka sighs again. "I know, I know... Just bear with me for now. This place is just a hiding spot for the moment. No one would try to search for us or Itsuka here. As for Satoshi and his gang, well... Whether we like it or not, he was our best shot at getting Itsuka back."

Hikari pouts. "How do you know that, Honoka? We've always fended for ourselves... I'm sure we could have snuck into U.A without getting caught... Why didn't you give us a chance?"

Honoka looks down. "Because I don't want to risk any of you getting arrested. Plus, U.A has doubled down on their security systems ever since the USJ incident, and it's been worse ever since All Might's fight with that villain in Kamino since the students now live in U.A because of it. There's no way any of us could have entered without getting detected. Luckily, Satoshi had the resources to do so."

Misa looks at Honoka with skepticism. "Is that so, Honoka? I have utmost confidence in my quirk and stealth abilities. I am more than capable of sneaking into any place I want."

Honoka rolls her eyes. "I know you're capable, Misa... But I wasn't risking you getting arrested. Plus, Satoshi's gang had the appropiate resources to sneak into U.A. without causing an uproar."

Haruka scoffs. "What's so special about those assholes anyway? What do THEY have that WE don't, Honoka?"

Honoka rubs her forehad. "Satoshi's gang might be small, but their quirks are formidable and useful. The only reason they remain as a small gang and not a big criminal organization is because of Satoshi's murderous tendencies. His lackeys only stick with him out of fear..."

Hikari looks at Honoka with concern. "But that's just another reason for us to be wary of them, right? We can't trust them... Not with HIM in charge."

Honoka looks at Hikari with a sad expression. "I don't like working with them either, but they were the only ones capable of getting Itsuka."

Haruka growls. "Out with it, Honoka! What makes those bastards so special?"

Honoka sighs in resignation. "Well... Their names are Satoshi, Kenshin, Kouki and Saisuke. Satoshi's quirk is a bit similar to mine... Everyone fears him because of it..."

Misa looks at Honoka with worry. "Is... Is his quirk really THAT terrible, Honoka?"

Honoka nods. "His quirk is called "Delirium", and it gives him abilities similar to mine. He and I are both capable of moving stuff with our minds and using psychic force to defend ourselves in battle, but Satoshi's quirk is significantly stronger on its psychological effects against one individual... If he manages to touch someone, he can mess with their minds in a way that no one else can. He'll trap his opponents inside their own heads, playing with their fears and insecurities for as long as he wants... It'd take a will of titanium to break free of his grasp."

The girls feel a cold shiver run down their spine.

Hikari speaks. "But... You're more powerful... Right, Honoka...?"

Honoka looks away. "Well... My quirk is more suited for combat and on a wider range, but his quirk is unbeatable against one individual. I can still control someone fully, but my grasp on people's minds is nowhere near as strong as Satoshi's quirk."

Misa lets out a sigh. "Did he... use his quirk on Itsuka?"

Honoka looks at Misa with concern. "It was probably the only way to take her without getting noticed. I just hope he didn't go overboard..."

Itsuka takes a moment to process everything she just heard.

Her friends had stooped low before, sure, but she NEVER would have expected them to work with criminals like that guy!

Although, that would explain why she couldn't remember much. Perhaps that "Satoshi" guy had managed to sneak up on her while she was distracted during All Might's conversation with Izuku and Bakugo.

Haruka grunts. "Honoka, that guy sounds like a complete garbage excuse of a human being! We didn't need to work with him!"

Honoka glares at Haruka softly. "We still needed his gang, though. They've got one individual who is very important..."

Hikari rolls her eyes. "Come on, Honoka. Who could possibly be so important?"

Honoka looks down. "Saisuke... His quirk is called "Binary" and it gives him total control over all devices he desires. He can turn U.A into his playing field with his quirk if he wanted to. Sensors, cameras, motion detectors, robots... Anything he can connect to will turn into his toy if he wants."

The three girls look at Honoka with surprised expressions.

Haruka speaks. "That... That quirk sounds like complete BULLSHIT!"

Honoka smiles softly. "Don't worry, though. Saisuke can use his quirk connecting to the devices via internet access. The way he keeps his quirk working is through a helmet. If he loses that helmet he'll be as good as useless. Plus, the guy only hangs out in the basement of this hospital. He's not fit for battle. If anything, he's a couch potato."

Itsuka thinks back to U.A's security measures. Most of the stuff U.A relied on was electronic. If this "Saisuke" guy managed to sneak into U.A, he'd be unstoppable. Although, she was already there, so it seems like he had bypassed every single security measure successfully.

'Better remember that guy just in case.' Thought Itsuka before listening to the conversation again.

Hikari sighs. "I see... And what about the others?"

Honoka looks up in thought. "Well... Kouki's quirk is called "Misery", and it makes him able to bring bad luck to a single individual for a couple of hours."

Hikari smiles. "Oh. I bet that's a fun quirk to use."

Honoka chuckles softly. "Yeah... The guy dresses as a prankster most of the times, so I bet he has quite a lot of fun with his quirk..."

Misa smiles. "I'd say so... And what about Kenshin?"

Honoka puts her finger to her own chin in thought. "Kenshin... His quirk is called "Duality", and it gives him the ability to transform into a redheaded monster with an insatiable thirst for blood and violence."

Hikari's eyes open wide. "Woah... Can he do that anytime he wants?"

Honoka shakes her head. "No... His quirk is almost like a second personality. If he wants to activate it, he'd need to let his second persona take over his body. His second personality is quite different to him, though. If you were to meet him face to face you'd hear the monster in him talk right after himself."

Misa makes a disgusted expression. "I wonder if his second persona is constantly trying to take over his body, like on some of the books I've read..."

Honoka shakes her head again. "Curiously enough, Kenshin seems to be alright with this second personality thus far. I don't know what he sees in that monster, but he doesn't seem to be too worried about him taking over his body constantly."

Hikari shrugs. "Huh... Well, at least he's happy...?"

Misa raises an eyebrow. "But... How do you know all of this, Honoka?"

Honoka smiles. "Ever since I met them, I've been talking a lot with Saisuke. The poor boy has been telling me a lot of stuff Satoshi probably wouldn't allow him to tell me. I don't know if he just likes me or what, but I've been taking advantage of that."

Haruka scoffs. "You shouldn't spend so much time with him, Honoka. The guy could be a pervert for all we know."

Honoka shrugs. "I've been gaining a lot of information from my time with him, so I'd say it's worth it. Plus, I can defend myself. I'll be fine, Haruka."

Hikari looks down. "So... I take it that Itsuka was successfully taken...?"

Honoka turns away from the girls and looks outside the window. "You see... I snuck into U.A with Satoshi and Saisuke. Saisuke hacked into the U.A security footage and played videos of a peaceful night at U.A over the actual footage of the cameras so we wouldn't be noticed."

Hikari raises her hand. "So... Kinda like how they do in cartoons? You know, when they draw something on a page and paste it in front of the cameras?"

Honoka chuckles. "I guess if that's how you wanna view it, yeah. Once we were inside, we headed to the student dorms to see where Itsuka was located. Luckily for us, Itsuka was going off on her own after Izuku Midoriya and Katsuki Bakugo. The two boys fought each other, so we had to stay quiet while they were at it to not be discovered by accident. Once the fight calmed down we found Itsuka all on her own... Satoshi used her quirk on her and put her to sleep."

The three girls as well as Itsuka were surprised at how easy Honoka made the whole ordeal sound.

Haruka speaks. "Huh... Well, that was easier than I expected. So... no one noticed? At all?"

Honoka shrugs. "Saisuke told me he wanted to damage U.A in some way, so we allowed one camera to record us walking through campus. He seems like the kind of guy that wants U.A to fail out of spite... Saisuke is a pretty cynical guy that thinks he's always in the right, and he wants U.A to fall apart because of its popularity. I'm sure you've all seen how much pressure U.A is under right now..."

Misa nods. "We noticed. It's really disgusting to see how cynical and rotten this society is... U.A has done many things right, but as soon as they fail once, the entire population turns on them... I hate this world and its people..."

Hikari looks down sadly. "Yeah, me too... This cruel world doesn't deserve saving..."

Itsuka looks down in both surprise and sadness.

So that was it...

She was taken away because she had been careless... And not only that, but U.A was getting ganged up on because of HER...

Itsuka wanted to deny her former friends' bold claims about the world and the people, but she had to admit that they raised some very valid points.

She got captured, and it was HER fault, not U.A's... Were the people really that hypocritical? The heroes that run U.A had saved them countless times! Was all that worth nothing now that they failed ONE time?

Honoka sighs. "Anyways... Leaving the whole U.A ordeal aside... We got Itsuka back, didn't we...?"

The girls look away.

Silence fills the room.

Not even Honoka speaks, and she looks away as well.

Itsuka takes a quick peek into the room, and sees that her former friends aren't smiling, but rather, they have a noticeably sad and uncomfortable expression strewn across their faces.

Hikari breaks the silence. "We did, didn't we...?"

Misa speaks next. "But... It doesn't feel right to me... Does it...?"

Haruka looks down. "I missed the little slut... But this just feels... wrong..."

Honoka keeps looking away in silence.

Itsuka supresses a groan.

How DARE they feel bad?

By the looks of things, they had been planning this for a long time. Now that they had successfully captured her, why were they so sad?

Itsuka didn't care.

She decided to get out of here as fast as possible. She'd heard more than enough.

Last time she got caught overhearing something she wasn't supposed to, and she wasn't about to let that mistake happen again.

Itsuka dashed through the halls of the abandoned hospital, looking for an exit.

After running for some minutes, Itsuka sees the exit in front of her.

But...

Itsuka slips on a puddle and falls face-first on the floor.

'What the fu-? That wasn't there, was it?' Itsuka thinks to herself as she gets up.

"Looks like you woke up sooner than expected." Itsuka looks behind her and sees a short green-haired guy grinning at her. His eyes were glowing purple and he was leaning against a wall nonchalantingly.

'So THIS must be Kouki.' Thinks Itsuka while glaring at the boy. "You... Let me go or I'll pummel that shit-eating grin of yours into mush."

"You should probably not resist this... (Or you'll be mauled...)" Itsuka looks behind her and sees that a blue-haired guy is standing between her and the exit.

'That voice right after his normal speaking tone... This must be Kenshin...' Itsuka glares at the guy. "You won't get away with this... The heroes will come and you'll all be arrested."

"But you're a hero yourself, aren't you? You look incredibly helpless, weak and defenseless to be one." Itsuka looks at Kouki again and sees that a black-haired guy in a suit is standing beside him with a smug smirk.

'That voice... It was the same I heard when I got captured... Satoshi?' Itsuka glares at Satoshi. "You're their leader, aren't you? Tell them to let me go or I'll beat you to a pulp in front of them."

Satoshi giggles. "You can try, but it's no use. You cannot beat us, Itsuka Kendo."

Itsuka clenches her teeth. "So you know who I am, big deal. You attacked me when I was distracted like a coward would do. You're all a bunch of cowards..."

Satoshi grins. "And yet, we always get our way! Besides, you can't blame us for your kidnapping, little hero... We took you here at the request of our friends..."

Satoshi extends his hand towards the empty hallway behind him and four figures emerge from the dark.

Itsuka sighs at the sight of her old friends approaching. "You four... I thought you'd be better than this, Honoka... Working with criminals like him? Really?"

Honoka flinches for a moment. "Itsuka... I... We-"

Itsuka interrupts Honoka with a loud yell. "I DON'T WANT YOUR EXCUSES! I thought you were just trying to get by, Honoka! I never would've thought I'd see you associating with scum like HIM!"

The four girls look at the floor in shame.

Satoshi groans. "Boring! How about you leave the sentimentalities behind and claim your prize, Honoka?"

Honoka nods before aming her hand at Itsuka. "I... I'm very sorry about this, Itsuka..."

Before Itsuka can react, she feels a sharp pain in her head.

Itsuka clutches her head, trying to make the pain stop unsuccessfully.

It feels like someone is forcibly plunging a knife into her brain.

After some moments, Honoka's eyes glow for a moment and Itsuka's pupils copy Honoka's green eye color. Honoka sighs, knowing that her control over Itsuka is now absolute.

Satoshi claps slowly. "Well done, girls! We have one more member in our little gang!"

The boys look ecstatic, while the girls nod and look away.

Satoshi laughs. "Ah... I'd almost feel bad for her. From now on she'll be with us, being forced to commit criminal activities after having studied at U.A of all places... But who am I kidding?! I LOVE tragic stories almost as much as I love romance!"

Honoka looks down.

She got what she wanted...

... But why did it hurt so much?

Satoshi turns around. "Welp, looks like it's time for our next hit!"

Honoka thinks about her situation for a moment...

... Before a plan forms on her head.

"Satoshi!"

Satoshi turns around. "Yes, Honoka?"

Honoka swallows some spit. "I'd... I'd like to ask for something else... You know, to control Itsuka completely..."

Satoshi raises an eyebrow. "Oh? Will it be fun for us?"

Honoka nods. "Yeah, it will..."

Satoshi claps. "Alright, then! I'm listening!"

Honoka sighs. "There's a boy called Izuku Midoriya..."

Present day...

Honoka flinches at Izuku's sudden scream of raw emotion.

Itsuka was currently under her control, standing in front of Izuku with a smile everyone knew was fake. Satoshi was laughing maliciously and Izuku...

Dear God...

Did Itsuka really mean that much to him?

From the information she had gathered about him, Honoka expected Izuku to be at the same alleyway her friends had fought him and Itsuka on, but she had attributed it to some sense of reckless desire to save everyone.

This was different, though.

Izuku looked like he had lost someone near and dear to him.

Satoshi lets go of Itsuka and looks at Honoka with a smirk. "Honoka, will you do the honors?"

Honoka sighs before sending a command into Itsuka's brain using her quirk.

'He's your enemy now. Fight him.'

As if she was a robot with no free will, Itsuka's smile dropped and she immediately adopted a fighting stance.

Izuku got up to his feet and looked at Itsuka with fresh tears on the corners of his eyes. "I... I'm not gonna fight you, Itsuka..."

Itsuka runs towards Izuku and goes for a kick aimed towards his stomach. "Then stay still and let me finish you off..."

Izuku barely dodges. "ITSUKA! SNAP OUT OF IT!"

Satoshi laughs. "Come on, Izuku! She's just some wannabe hero! She's nothing compared to you!"

Izuku glares hatefully at Satoshi. "You... YOU'LL PAY, SATOSHI!"

Itsuka enlarges her fist and jumps, aiming to crush Izuku from above. Izuku moves out of the way in time, although the ground trembles from Itsuka's raw power.

Izuku looks at Itsuka with tears now streaming down his face. "I... I'm NOT gonna leave you, Itsuka! I'll save you!"

Satoshi's laughter increases in volume. "Don't tell me you're getting cold feet now, Izuku! Your power makes hers pale in comparison!"

Izuku growls at Satoshi. "SHUT UP, SATOSHI! I'M NOT LISTENING TO YOU!"

Satoshi smirks sadistically. "WELL, NOW YOU'LL HAVE TO! You always think you can save everyone, don't you? Have you ever wondered what would happen once you met someone with no redeeming qualities like me or Itsuka at this very instant? This is the perfect opportunity for you to experience it! What will it be, hero? FIGHT or FLIGHT?"

Izuku was so enraged by Satoshi that he failed to see Itsuka delivering a roundhouse kick to his head.

The girls flinch upon seeing Izuku get kicked in the face and being sent to the wall behind him.

Izuku gets up and puts up his fists in a resilient stance. "I... I don't care what happens to me... I'm not gonna leave you here, Itsuka..."

Itsuka simply charges at Izuku with a blank expression on her face. "You're not my friend."

The girls look at Honoka with concerned expressions.

Honoka looks away for a moment.

Her plan was put into action...

... But it entirely depended on Itsuka at this point.

Itsuka was having a bad time, to say the least.

She was running away, but she didn't know from what.

Itsuka felt like she had been running through this dark forest for hours with no light to guide her, but she didn't even know when she got there or how she got herself in this situation.

The only thing she felt was a sinking sensation in her chest and an ominous feeling that something horrible would happen if she stopped.

Itsuka kept running, trying to ignore the distant screams and laughter coming from behind her...

But it was no use.

She was already feeling tired.

Itsuka stops to catch her breath, and quickly takes notice that the trees around her start to grow even more, snuffing out the dim moonlight that illuminated her path.

Itsuka suddenly felt...

Stranded...

Lost...

Cold...

Alone...

The hushed whispers around her didn't help.

Itsuka curled into a ball on the ground and tried to calm herself, but she found it quite hard.

The voices... Were they trying to demoralize her?

It was certainly working if that was the case.

Itsuka thought about staying there, lost in the dark forever.

What was the point on moving forward?

She didn't know where she was.

She didn't know if there'd be danger ahead.

And she didn't have the willpower to even stand up anymore.

But then...

Itsuka's mind drifts to Izuku, after his encounter with Todoroki at the Sports Festival...

"I know I could have died... I know I could have ignored it... I know my motivation might seem silly to everyone..."

"But I've always wanted to be a hero who can save everyone, and a hero's duty is essentially to meddle where you're not called."

"I saw someone who needed saving, and I couldn't bring myself to let him suffer anymore..."

Itsuka smiles faintly at the memory of Izuku's resilience.

His persistence was something she admired greatly.

He certainly had the heart and guts to be one of the best heroes ever... Even it he was a bit reckless sometimes.

Life sure was strange.

Her first impression of him was a bit underwhelming to be honest, but he had quickly earned her respect and trust in a way no one had ever managed to do before.

Hell, she was crushing on him!

Izuku had always managed to find himself at the center of pretty important events and plenty of dangerous situations, but he always came out on top.

Itsuka stands up, feeling encouraged by Izuku's memory.

Itsuka didn't want to be left behind. If Izuku was going beyond his limits, then so would she.

Then, Itsuka hears a faint whisper around her.

A whisper different than every other malicious whisper.

It was Izuku's voice.

"I'm not gonna leave you here, Itsuka..."

Itsuka looks around, but doesn't see anything remotely resembling of Izuku.

"Izuku?! Can you hear me?!"

Izuku stops in his tracks once he sees Itsuka clutching her head in pain.

Satoshi raises an eyebrow. "Huh? What's this?"

Izuku sees that Itsuka is clenching her teeth and that her green pupils are starting to flicker back to her normal teal color.

Izuku approaches Itsuka and extends his hand to her. "Itsuka... Are you okay?"

Then, Itsuka's pupils return to being green and she swats Izuku's hand away. "Fight me, Midoriya."

Izuku looks at Itsuka with a hurt expression. "But... Itsuka, I don't want to do this... I can't do this... You're my friend..."

Itsuka's stare is blank and expresionless. "You're no longer my friend."

Satoshi smiles. "That's better, girl. End him!"

Izuku staggers back with a worried expression. "Itsuka... No..."

Itsuka immediately dashes at Izuku and goes for a punch towards his body with her enlarged fist.

Izuku dodges it easily and observes the way Itsuka is moving. 'No... This isn't Itsuka. From our training sessions together I can tell she's gotten faster, and I'm having an easier time dodging her attacks now... Does it mean that Itsuka is fighting back? Is she holding back? Or... Am I not fighting the real Itsuka?'

Satoshi groans. "Come on, Izuku! All I'm asking you to do is fight your friend to the death and you can't even do THAT? Attack her or she'll end you!"

Itsuka spins towards Izuku with her fists enlarged like a saw.

Izuku dodges Itsuka's attack, and he notices that she's slowing down. "DON'T LISTEN TO HIM, ITSUKA! FIGHT! FIGHT IT!"

Itsuka blinks and she suddenly finds herself in a clear pasture at noon.

It certainly was a nicer place than the dark forest, although there was something in the air that felt... wrong.

"You're not supposed to fight back."

Itsuka turns around at the sound of her own voice, and she's met with the sight of a dark version of herself which is engulfed in shadows and has glowing green dots as eyes.

Itsuka squints her eyes. "I'm not staying down."

The shadowy Itsuka has no mouth, although Itsuka hears her voice in her head. She sounds like herself, but her voice is rather low and deep. "You will. My purpose is to hold you here."

Itsuka scoffs. "Your purpose... Yeah, right. That just tells me you don't even have free will. You're someone's puppet, aren't you?."

The shadowy Itsuka remains calm. "Maybe I am, but I'm still a better option than you."

Itsuka glares at her dark reflection. "Hah. Very funny."

The dark Itsuka nods. "Indeed. The fact that someone's recreation is a better option than the original is quite funny."

Itsuka crosses her arms. "Look, pal... I don't know where you came from or who you are, but I can guarantee that you're not better than me."

The shadowy Itsuka giggles ominously. "Right... Because you've done SO much thus far..."

Itsuka feels her heart rate speed up a little. "Excuse me?"

The dark Itsuka snaps her fingers and the pasture suddenly shifts and transforms into a place she didn't want to see ever again.

Itsuka steps back. "No... Not here..."

Before Itsuka can react, she finds herself inside the house she didn't want to go in and sees her younger self breaking in from the back, along with Honoka, Hikari, Misa and Haruka.

The dark Itsuka chuckles. "Yes... You're not a hero... A true hero would never do something like this and live with it..."

Itsuka sees her younger self and her friends about to come into the living room, where an old man is sitting, watching TV peacefully.

Itsuka tries to grab herself, but her hand phases through her younger self, as if she was a ghost. "No... Not like this...! Not this!"

As soon as the young girls come into the living room, the old man starts to clutch his chest in pain and falls on the floor with a pained expression.

Itsuka tries to run towards the old man, but feels her feet stuck to the spot she's in. "You... You can't do this! LET ME GO!"

The girls immediately start to plunder the house, looking for the most valuable resources and starting to put them in bags.

Itsuka sees that her younger self is just watching the old man die in front of her without doing anything about it.

Itsuka tears up. "YOU BASTARD! THIS ISN'T HOW IT HAPPENED! LET ME GO!"

The old man collapses to the floor and a puddle of blood forms below him.

Itsuka's younger self looks back at her with a sadistic smile.

Her former friends join in.

Itsuka feels as if she's in a nightmare she can't wake up from.

The old man... The person who didn't judge her and offered kindness to her...

He was dying in front of her eyes, and her younger self was smiling.

The dark Itsuka laughs. "That's right... You're not a good person, Itsuka... I might be a puppet, but at least I know what I stand for. Accept the facts and let me win..."

Itsuka chokes on a muffled sob, kneling down on the spot. "I... That's not true... I'm better now..."

The shadowy Itsuka chuckles. "No, you're not... All of this is your fault... You've done nothing right... You've done nothing worth noticing... If people knew this about you, how would they react? Your classmates and friends would lose their respect for you... You'd be expelled from U.A... You'd bring dishonor to your family's name... Face it... You're no hero..."

Itsuka sits on the floor for a moment.

Was her dark counterpart right?

Was she too late to atone for her mistakes?

Then, her thoughts drift to the old man again. She remembers the moment she saw him at the hospital.

His words...

"You're not a bad person... No one truly is... We're all just trying to cope with our own problems..."

"I believe in you, little girl... You're way too young to call yourself a bad person... Even if you're a little misguided now, you're still on time to take a better path..."

"We all believe in you, and we know you'll get to wherever you want to if you just try..."

Itsuka takes a deep breath to calm herself.

The old man was right.

So what if she was falling behind? That was just a boost to her desire to keep surpassing herself.

So what if her friends and classmates knew about her past? She's not the same person she was back then!

So what if she's made a few mistakes along the way? She was a hero in training, damn it! She'd atone for her mistakes and save people for as long as she lived!

Itsuka stands up and walks towards her dark counterpart, who looks absolutely flabbergasted about the fact that Itsuka is actually moving.

Itsuka speaks in a low, yet serious and threatening tone. "Listen to me, you second rate knockoff... You wanna let everyone know about me and the skeletons in my closet? FINE! Tell everyone for all I care! I've changed for the better, while you'll always stay as you are! Just some pitiful toy for someone to play with... I don't care about my past anymore... If I have a chance to do something to make a better future for myself and everyone in the world as a hero, I'm not gonna waste time being stuck in the past. So... UP YOURS!"

Itsuka punches her dark counterpart with her enlarged fist, and everything goes black for a moment...

Izuku notices that Itsuka's eyes are glowing less bright and that she's clutching her head again.

It was as if whatever was controlling her was suddenly having a much harder time doing so.

Izuku smiles faintly. "Yes... YES! COME ON, ITSUKA!"

Satoshi groans. "You're expecting a lot from her, Izuku! Fight!"

Then, Itsuka shakes her head and charges at Izuku again, although her movements are noticeably slower and easier to predict.

Izuku keeps dodging Itsuka's attacks. "ITSUKA, YOU CAN DO IT!"

Itsuka opens her eyes and looks around.

This place... So familiar...

Itsuka sees that she's on a park, and everything looks taller for some reason.

Itsuka takes a look at herself and sees that she's a kid again.

In fact, she is younger than when she met the girls...

Itsuka sees her dark counterpart appear in front of her. "I have to admit... You are certainly more stubborn than I expected."

Itsuka glares at her counterpart. "That's just me."

The shadowy Itsuka chuckles. "But you're not getting out... I will hold you here... I will keep you here... No matter how much you struggle..."

Itsuka crosses her arms. "Try me."

The dark Itsuka giggles. "You make extravagant promises you're not gonna ever be able to deliver on... You think things have changed just because you're a hero in training? No... Nothing has changed... In this world, you don't stand a chance with your quirk... You're not fit to be a hero... Everyone will just laugh at you like they've always done... That demo commercial you filmed alongside Yaoyorozu is the only thing you'll ever amount to do for as long as you live... Because in this world fame and recognition are only for some lucky individuals... You are not one of them... Face it and aknowledge your place in this world..."

Six figures appear the dark Itsuka, and Itsuka's eyes widen.

They were some the people who bullied her... Girls who thought she wasn't feminine enough and boys who mocked her quirk.

Itsuka felt a twinge of fear on her heart. She suddenly felt like a defenseless little kid again.

The people got closer and started to laugh once they were close enough to Itsuka. Itsuka drops to her knees and faces away from them, trying to ignore the onslaught of insults thrown her way as well as the small stones being thrown to her back.

"Get up, Man Hands!"

"What, don't tell me you can't get up, Clumsy Claws!"

"Show us what you've got, Monster Mitts!"

Itsuka tears up again.

The dark Itsuka chuckles. "See the people you want to protect? They'll keep laughing at you even if you give it your all to save them... Give up already... You obviously feel belittled from these insults... Let me take your mind... I promise I'll take care of it... You're only suffering because you're holding me back and you know it..."

Izuku sees that Itsuka's movements are getting faster and that her pupils are tinted in that unnatural green color again.

Izuku sweats. 'No! Is she giving up...?'

Satoshi giggles. "See? You have no option, Izuku! Kill her or she'll kill you! What will it be?"

Itsuka punches Izuku's chest with her enlarged fist, sending him crashing to a wall. Itsuka speaks in a monotone voice. "You're not my friend, Izuku Midoriya. Stay down and let me complete my task."

Izuku coughs and looks up at Itsuka, who is towering over him, ready to deliver the final blow.

Izuku speaks in a sad, yet desperately hopeful tone. "Itsuka... Please... I know you'd never hurt me... This isn't you... Whatever it is that's controlling you, I know you can beat it..."

Itsuka heard it.

That voice... it felt really familiar...

Then, the dark Itsuka stops laughing and looks to the side, where another figure is emerging.

Itsuka also looks at it, and sees that it's a boy her age, although he's covered in shadows and his face is blurred.

The boy stands in between Itsuka and the people making fun of her. The bullies raise an eyebrow.

"Huh? Who are you and why are you defending Ham Hands of all people?"

"T-T-That's mean! Stop hurting her!"

"Someone's standing up for Lumber Fists?"

Both Itsukas look surprised. The dark Itsuka snaps her fingers, but nothing happens. "What...? Is this a core memory? I can't seem to alter or modify it..."

Itsuka looks at the figure with a mix of gratitude, curiosity and familiarity. Where had she heard that voice before...?

Izuku notices that Itsuka is hesitating, and he smiles.

"Itsuka... I know you're probably fighting with everything you've got..."

Izuku takes advantage of Itsuka being hesitant to step closer to her.

"I just want to reassure you... I want to be there for you... I know you're struggling right now, and I won't leave you alone... I believe in you..."

Then, the boy's face becomes unblurred.

Itsuka gasps.

It was Izuku.

Upon seeing that this wasn't worth the effort, the bullies scoff and walk away.

The young Izuku turns around and offers his hand to Itsuka, trembling slightly from the possibility of a real confrontation having ocurred.

"A-A-Are you o-okay?"

Itsuka feels her lips moving on their own, as if this exact scenario had happened before.

"Y-Yes... I am. Thank you... Thank you so much..."

"N-No problem! D-Don't listen to them!"

"But... They called me names and made fun of my quirk..."

"I-I... I think your quirk is amazing! You can do awesome stuff with it!"

"R-Really?"

"Y-Yeah! I believe you can!"

Then, the younger Izuku disappears and everything falls into place for Itsuka.

At the Sports Festival, when she met him for the first time... Now she understood why she swore she had seen him before!

At Twinkle park... THIS was the memory that had been blurred out from her mind! This happened there!

When talking to him... Now she understood why being around him felt familiar!

Izuku sees that Itsuka is stepping back from him with a conflicted expression.

At the moment, Itsuka acted like a robot being told to do something against its own programming.

Izuku's smile widens and he talks in a soft tone. "I knew you were fighting, Itsuka... You've always been one tough cookie..."

Izuku wraps his arms around Itsuka in a warm hug. "Come on, Itsuka... Come back... I know you can do it and I believe in you... I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you got captured, but I promise that won't happen anymore... I care about you and I promise I'll always be there for you the way you've been there for me... Because I love you..."

Itsuka heard it.

Hearing Izuku's confession made Itsuka grin from ear to ear.

Even though things looked rather grim in these past few days, there was always tomorrow.

Now that she knew how Izuku felt... Now that she remembered and aknowledged the piece of herself she had been missing... Now that she had been given a chance to atone for her past mistakes...

There was nothing holding her back from being the best version of herself.

To be worthy of being with him.

To be recognized as the capable person she knows she is.

To be her own hero.

To make peace with her past and embrace the future with a smile.

To become Battle Fist: The hero who builds her path with her own hands!

Itsuka's mind drifts to the night Izuku had told her about One for All...

"I feel safe with you, Itsuka."

"All my life I've felt like I couldn't trust anyone. I... I always felt like no one would watch my back, because all I've ever gotten out of people is judging stares and disappointed looks... But I don't feel that way with you."

"I feel like I can tell you anything, like I can accept the past and embrace the future with a smile with you... You are my safe place, Itsuka."

"Izuku..."

Itsuka felt a tear of happiness escape her eyes.

Through it all... It appears that Izuku was the one that had been there for her since the very beginning...

Izuku was the only person who got to know her... The REAL her, and he had been the sweetest, most supportive and caring guy she had ever met.

Itsuka lets out a deep sigh of relief.

She wasn't going to give up.

Izuku believed in her.

He has believed in her from the beginning.

And by all that is holy...

She was NOT going to let him down.

Itsuka gets up on her feet, and the park fades away, leaving the two Itsukas in a blank void.

The dark Itsuka's jaw is practically on the floor, even without having one. "You... How...? How did you do it? You... You were supposed to be LOST IN THE DARKNESS AND I FINALLY GAIN CONTROL OF YOUR BRAIN!"

Itsuka chuckles.

The dark Itsuka grunts.

Itsuka's chuckle turns into a loud laughter.

The shadowy Itsuka growls. "WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING AT?"

Itsuka walks towards her dark counterpart with a smile. "I'm laughing at you, you pathetic and idiotic excuse of a puppet."

The dark Itsuka growls. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING PATHETIC?!"

Itsuka stands in front of her twin with a grin. "I think I know what you are now. Honoka created you and put you inside my mind to control me, right? You're nothing but some split personality disorder that will disappear any moment now..."

The dark Itsuka growls again. "THIS ISN'T OVER!"

Itsuka crosses her arms with a smile. "For you it is, actually. I don't care about your stupid projections anymore. The real world needs me, and I'm not gonna sit idly by while Izuku is fighting by himself on the frontlines. I'll stay by his side through it all, because I love him and because I owe it to myself to be better."

The dark Itsuka suddenly feels a strange sensation on her chest, so she looks over to her right arm and sees it fading away. "What is this... ominous feeling... in my chest?"

Itsuka sighs. "You know... You had a pretty short and sad life... Your sole purpose was to subdue me using fear and my anxieties in order to satisfy someone else's wishes while not being able to feel fear yourself..." Itsuka's smile turns into a grin. "Until now, that is..."

The dark Itsuka tries to step back from Itsuka, but feels her feet stuck to the spot. "No... DON'T APPROACH!"

Itsuka enlarges her fist and smiles one last time. "Sayonara."

Itsuka punches her dark counterpart, and everything fades away.

Itsuka's legs stop supporting her.

Izuku catches her before she hits the floor. "Itsuka? Itsuka! Can you hear me?"

Then, Itsuka opens her eyes and looks at Izuku with a small, yet relieved smile. "Ah... I... Yes, Izuku... I can hear you..."

Izuku smiles and feels himself tearing up at the sight of Itsuka's normal teal eyes. "Itsuka... I... Oh my God... I missed you..."

Itsuka pulls Izuku in for a much needed kiss on the lips.

Although surprised, Izuku doesn't pull away.

The two heroes in training savour this moment dearly, as the stress of the last few days melts away from their minds, having found each other at last.

The couple is interrupted by a very surprised-looking Satoshi. "Wha... You... How did...?"

Izuku pulls away from Itsuka and looks at Satoshi, and feels his rage return. "You... YOU'LL PAY FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE, SATOSHI! COME HERE!"

Izuku activates One for All and Itsuka takes a fighting stance.

Satoshi looks to the side, but...

He sees that the girls are gone.

'BITCHES! They left ME?! If I get out of this, THEY'RE DEAD!'

Satoshi growls before running out of the room and into the hospital hallways, with Izuku and Itsuka chasing after him.

Satoshi yells at the top of his lungs. "KENSHIN! KOUKI! SAISUKE! ANYONE!"

Itsuka growls from behind Satoshi. "You're nothing without your lackeys, are you?!"

Then, a red-haired guy and a short green-haired guy come out from different rooms and stand protectively in front of Satoshi. Satoshi yells at them. "WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG, IDIOTS?! KILL THEM! KILL THEM OR I'LL KILL YOU!"

Kenshin, who was already in his buffed form due to the commotion, lunges at Izuku while Kouki stares at Itsuka, his eyes glowing purple while doing so.

Itsuka remembers what she heard her friends say about her opponents' quirks and she calls out to Izuku, who barely dodges Kenshin's attack. "IZUKU! GO FOR THE GREEN-HAIRED DUDE! HE CAN ONLY CAUSE BAD LUCK TO ONE PERSON AT A TIME!"

Izuku kicks Kenshin's chest, pushing him back a bit to catch his breath. "Really?! How do you know that, Itsuka?!"

Itsuka slips and falls on a tube of medicine. "JUST TRUST ME ON THIS ONE!"

Izuku nods before leaping towards the end of the hallway, where Kouki is located.

Kouki tries to run away, but the speed Izuku is moving at proves to be too much after having trained with Gran Torino.

"Michigan..." Once Izuku is above Kouki, he brings his leg down to his head with great force. "SMAAASH!"

The green-haired boy's head is smashed to the floor by Izuku's kick, and he loses conscience.

Satoshi glares at his fallen subordinate. "Kouki, you idiot! What was that?!"

Izuku wastes no time before running back to Itsuka to help her fend Kenshin off.

Itsuka sees Kenshin and Izuku approach and an idea crosses her mind. "IZUKU, BE READY!"

Izuku nods.

Once Kenshin is close enough...

Itsuka uppercuts him, enlarging her fist at the last moment to send the boy higher!

"St. Louis... " Once Kenshin is in the air, Izuku prepares his legs. "SMAAASH!"

The beast boy is slammed down by Izuku, cracking the floor as a result.

Kenshin tries to get up, but Itsuka stands over him with a smirk. "I don't think so, sunshine."

Itsuka enlarges her fist and punches him in the face, knocking him out cold.

Satoshi clenches his teeth. "Idiots..."

Izuku looks back at Satoshi and jumps through the halway at him the way Gran Torino would, and in no time, Izuku pins Satoshi to the floor.

Satoshi struggles under Izuku. "Let... Me... GO!"

Izuku looks at Satoshi with an ominous expression. "Satoshi... You should feel proud..."

Satoshi raises an eyebrow. "What...?"

"All this time... Of all those I have faced... You're the only person that I really hate..."

Satoshi feels a pang of fear hit his soul. "W-Wait... You don't understand!"

Izuku's stare hardens. "You made things personal in a way no one else has managed to do..."

Satoshi struggles harder. "I... You weren't even in my original plan, man!"

Izuku sighs. "I almost feel bad for you... Living a life that way that you do... Only getting your kicks by making other people's lives miserable... You're nothing but a lonely man and I almost feel sorry for you..."

Izuku raises his fist. Satoshi trembles. "Wait! I can give you anything! Money! Fame! Mansions! A reputation! Please!"

Izuku smirks. "You're lucky I'm not like you, Satoshi. Sleep well. I hope I don't catch you on the streets or I'll come for you again."

Izuku punches Satoshi in the face, and the boy is instantly knocked out.

Izuku lets out a sigh of relief and stands over Satoshi for some moments, letting all his frustrations out...

Eventually, Izuku goes over to Itsuka, who is restraining Kenshin and Kouki with a very dirty-looking rope.

Itsuka smiles at Izuku. "Got him?"

Izuku smiles back. "Got him. Are we missing anything?"

Itsuka thinks for a moment. "I think we are. Follow me."

Izuku follows Itsuka to the basement. Izuku didn't know why Itsuka was leading him there, but he trusted her.

Once the couple reaches the basement, they see a person facing away from them, sitting in front of a desk with many monitors. Many monitors were displaying images and information about U.A, the news, the weather and the social climate. If that wasn't enough to assure Itsuka that this was Saisuke, the antenna emerging from his head surely was.

Not to mention all the... questionable photos of Honoka that were displayed on some of the monitors.

Itsuka rolls her eyes and decides to get this over with.

Itsuka pokes the guy in the shoulder.

Saisuke grunts. "Ugh. How many times do I have to tell you to leave me alone during my private time, Satoshi?! I swear you can't ge-"

Saisuke freezes upon turning around and seeing Izuku and Itsuka behind him.

Izuku chuckles. "Hello there."

Itsuka smirks. "Pervert."

Before Saisuke can respond, Izuku and Itsuka punch him in the face simultaneously, knocking him out.

The girls of the Ochita Hoshi club were unusually quiet on their walk home. The only sound echoing through the alleyway was the sound of Honoka's high-heeled boots clicking on the ground as she walked.

The events of the last few days had been quite something.

And yet, no one even knew what to say.

Hikari sighs and decides to adress the elephant in the room. "Hey... Umm... Honoka...?"

Honoka looks at Hikari. "Yes...?"

"So... You did it on purpose, didn't you?"

"What...?"

"Well... I know you said your quirk wasn't as strong as Satoshi's when controlling people... But you definitely could have kept controlling Itsuka if you wanted. You weakened your quirk's effects on her so she'd have an easier time breaking free, didn't you?"

Honoka looks away. "Uhh..."

Misa joins in on the conversation. "Also... You told Satoshi to look for Izuku Midoriya because you wanted him to help Itsuka break free... Right?"

Honoka chuckles. "Well..."

Haruka joins in too. "Plus... Getting Midoriya and Itsuka in the same place would be enough to arrest Satoshi and his gang now that they both have their hero licenses..."

Honoka sighs. "Was I that obvious?"

Haruka nods. "A little bit, yes."

Honoka looks back at the path in front of her. "So... What if I did?"

Hikari smiles. "Nothing. I was just making sure."

Honoka smiles too. "Hah, in that case... yes. I did."

Hikari chuckles. "Thought so. I'm glad I'm not the only one who regretted doing... all of this."

Misa looks away in shame. "So... I'm sure we can all agree that this was a bad idea, can't we?"

The girls look down.

Haruka sighs. "Yeah... It definitely was..."

Honoka looks back at her friends. "Girls... I want to do something, but I don't know if it's a good idea or not..."

The girls look at their leader with a small spark of curiosity.

Honoka looks back at the road on front of her. "I... I want to see Itsuka again... Maybe not right now, since all of this is still pretty fresh, but I want to see her again... I feel like there's a lot of things I want to say to her... I want to at least see her one more time..."

Misa smiles. "I want to see her as well."

Hikari smiles too. "Me three."

Haruka smiles faintly. "I... I guess it wouldn't hurt to see the silly slut one more time..."

Honoka smiles. "Well... Let's just wait a bit for now. And this time, we won't force things..."

Hikari giggles softly. "Yeah... That sounds good."

Izuku sighs as he walks out of the press's sight alongside Itsuka.

They had called the police using Saisuke's equipment, and soon, the police arrived alongside the press to document the whole incident. Izuku and Itsuka answered the many questions they were asked and fled the scene as soon as they saw an opportunity to do so.

Tomorrow they'd see how society reacted to Itsuka's rescue.

Itsuka leans her head on Izuku's shoulder and wraps her arms around him as they walk back to U.A. After all the bullshit she had to endure, being around Izuku again felt incredibly comforting.

Izuku looks at Itsuka with a soft smile. "Itsuka..."

Itsuka looks at Izuku with a smile of her own. "Yes...?"

Izuku blushes slightly. "I... Well... I just wanna ask you something..."

Itsuka's smile doesn't diminish. "Ask away, Izuku."

"Well... When I was fighting you back there... How much did you hear?"

Itsuka chuckles. "It was a really strange experience... At first I couldn't hear much, but I heard more and more as time progressed."

Izuku looks away briefly with a sheepish smile. "Ah... So... You didn't hear much, did you?"

Itsuka giggles. "I might have heard something spicy."

Izuku gulps. "S-Something... spicy...?"

Itsuka stops on her tracks and looks at Izuku with a teasing smile. "I thought I heard you say that you loved me... Not to mention I was pretty awake during that kiss..."

Izuku freezes in place.

After a moment, Izuku starts to tremble, stutter and look everywhere but at Itsuka. "I... W-Well-! You see-! That was...! I was...! You...!"

Itsuka chuckles. Izuku really WAS different when he wasn't in hero mode.

Itsuka approaches Izuku and holds his face in between her hands, looking at him with an adoring expression. "Don't worry. I'm glad you said so, Izuku."

Izuku blushes even more, although he doesn't make an effort to move away. "You... You are?"

Itsuka nods. "Yeah... Because I feel the same way, you dork."

Before Izuku can react, Itsuka pulls his face in for another kiss on the lips. Izuku quickly stops trembling and accepts the kiss, leaning into her slightly. Itsuka wraps her arms around his neck, and Izuku wraps his arms around her waist.

The couple stand there, kissing on the street for what feels like an eternity, not caring about the outside world at the moment.

After all the trials and tribulations they had to face, this felt like a release both teens seriously needed.

The kiss was sloppy, raw and very unexperienced, but it felt perfect.

The days of stress and torments they were exposed to slowly melted away from their minds as they basked in each other's presence, reunited at last.

After some moments, Itsuka lets go of Izuku and smiles warmly at him.

Izuku smiles softly. "Ah... That... That was... Amazing..."

Itsuka's smile widens. "Yeah... It was..."

"So... Does that mean that we're..."

Itsuka nods. "Yup. We are."

Izuku grins before hugging Itsuka again. "Good... I'm glad we are."

Itsuka returns Izuku's hug, resting her forehead onto his. "Thanks for coming for me, Izuku."

Izuku's grin turns into a relieved smile. "I would never leave you, Itsuka... I care for you more than you think... I love you..."

Itsuka sighs, mirroring Izuku's loving smile. "Same here, goofball... You don't know how much you mean to me... I love you..."

After a couple of moments of comfortable silence, the pair let go of each other in order to walk back to U.A again.

Whatever the future held for them, it didn't matter.

Both Izuku and Itsuka felt like the world had struck them with the biggest blow it could have possibly mustered up, and not only did they survive, but they had come out stronger than ever before.

Heck, their other problems didn't even seem so big anymore!

Whatever life threw at them next, the couple knew that they'd overcome it without issues now that they were together. It was time to go back to training in order to become the greatest heroes the world had ever seen. And the couple now knew deep in their hearts and souls...

They'd do it.

Satoshi groans on the back of the police truck.

Izuku and Itsuka had handed him and his lackeys to the authorities, and now he was on his way to prison with his teammates.

Satoshi groans, making his displeasure vocal to anyone who could hear.

Kenshin, who was back to his normal form, glances at Satoshi and rolls his eyes. "Oh, shut it, you big diva. We're in this because of you. (Such an idiot...)"

Kouki nods. "Yup. If it wasn't for these stupid anti-quirk handcuffs I'd pound that face of yours into mush."

Saisuke groans. "Man... I wish the police allowed me to keep my photos of Honoka..."

Satoshi glares at his subordinates. "Silence, fools! This isn't MY fault! It was HIS!"

Kenshin scoffs. "Yeah, right. I should have known that those girls would outsmart you, dumbass. (Such a sorry excuse of a leader...)"

Satoshi glares at Kenshin. "SHUT UP! I blame Izuku Midoriya for this! Once we get out of here, Izuku Midoriya will-!"

Satoshi is interrupted when something hits the truck they were being carried away on. The truck spins and is ultimately knocked over.

Before any of the boys can react, the cover of the truck is destroyed and the screams of the policemen let them know that whoever did this is definitely not messing around.

The boys are dropped on the ground, and a figure appears in front of them.

Satoshi looks at the figure briefly before a smile covers his face. "Heh... I was wondering if I'd ever get to meet you."

"Well, it's me, alright. It's a miracle that we were passing through here, don't you think?"

Satoshi giggles. "That depends on what you came here to do."

"I came to get rid of you permanently, Satoshi. My master has had his eyes on you for some time, and I can't allow that, you know? This is all supposed to be for me."

Satoshi chuckles bitterly. "And I'm guessing you're not gonna let my friends go either."

"Of course not! They're all dangerous if they're let loose!"

Kouki, Kenshin and Saisuke tremble. Satoshi chuckles. "I guess it's poetic in a way, isn't it?"

"Let me guess... Some hero got in your way and ruined your plans."

Satoshi chuckles. "Yup. Izuku Midoriya did."

"Ah, him..."

Satoshi chuckles. "Yeah. To be honest, I just wish I could have played with his mind some more... The way he was SCREAMING and CRYING... Ooh, I'll never forget it..."

"You're a sad one, Satoshi."

Satoshi grunts. "Excuse me?"

"With a gang like yours, you could have reached great heights! But they were all held back by you and your violent needs... You're too sadistic to think clearly. How does it feel to know that you could have had everything and anything you wanted, but you were left with nothing just because of some childish desire, huh?"

Satoshi smiles wickledly. "I only regret one thing... Not having killed the entire human race."

"Go to hell and take your sadistic tendencies with you, Satoshi."

"I'll see you there, Tomura Shigaraki..."

Satoshi giggles before being turned to ashes with his friends.

I planned to write this as two separate chapters but they felt too short... Again...

This story has now reached 100+ favorites!

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(BTW, new cover image! What do you think? Should I change it back or do you preffer this one?)