"There! Your hands are as good as new!" A doctor said as he finished his inspection. "That's good, Midoriya! You should be able to get back to using your arms as normal. Just make sure to wipe this ointment on your burn wounds and wear long-sleeved shirts when you're going outside."
Taking the ointment, Izuku was looking at his once-broken hand which was now out of its cast. He then started to stretch and examine his arms before he noticed some slight burnt scars on them. After a while, they wiped an ointment around his arms before wrapping his arms in bandages. Rubbing his arms, the green-haired teenager quickly put on his wristbands and traced his fingers against the dragon logo on them as he remembered the words his mother said.
"Izuku, I can't do this anymore! You're getting hurt and each time I see you, your wounds get worse and worse. Izuku! Is hurting yourself the only way to become a hero? I can't sit back and accept that, Izuku. I can't watch you destroy yourself again!"
Izuku heard her words echo through his head as he left the hospital. He then balled his hands into fists before he took a train to go home to Kawasaki.
'But I never believed that Katsuki would be arrested like that. Usually, he would get off with no repercussions.'
Izuku thought as he looked in the mirror, the reflection showing his face. He then touched the eyepatch as he remembered the last thing that happened in his fight against Katsuki which made his body tremble. He felt a feeling of a mixture of fear and rage as his hands balled into fists.
'I hope I never meet him again.'
Those thoughts ran through Izuku's head when he left the hospital in the UA campus. Rubbing his bandaged arms, he turned to the huge white building with a red cross logo.
"I didn't know the health facility was so big. As expected of UA, I guess." He thought aloud before he adjusted his bag and went to his class.
As Izuku reached his class, he noticed that the class was silent as everyone's attention turned to him which made him extremely nervous before his eyes darted around the room.
"Uhhh...hi..." Izuku nervously waved at them.
Everyone was happy to see him as they started to greet him, some of them walking to him with grins.
"Midoriya, it's good to see you back in school," Itsuka said while tapping the teen on his shoulder. "How's the eye?"
"It's...ok," Izuku said with a thumbs up before Yosetsu put on a makeshift eyepatch and put his arm around the green-haired teenager.
"Now we are Blackbeard and Davy Jones!" The Weld user said as he stuck beards on himself and Izuku who raised a brow. "Why am I Davy Jones?"
"My cousin watched this old-time cartoon from years ago about a talking sponge. In that cartoon, Davy Jones had green hair." Yosetsu answered.
"Huh?" Izuku said while scratching his head. "Interesting."
"Don't make fun of his badge of honor!" Tetsutetsu shouted as he pointed at Izuku. "He had that after fighting and beating that Bakugo jerk with valor and manliness!"
"Tetsutetsu is right," Togaru said with his arms crossed. "The dumbass got butthurt because he lost."
"It's his fault!" Setsuna said with an angry pout. "He tried to mess with Midoriya and he got a fast pass to the floor. He shouldn't have been talking shit!"
"Language!" Itsuka lightly slapped Setsuna's head, making it drop to the floor. "But you are right."
"Well, enough of that." Izuku waved his hands sheepishly before he asked. "I just hope I didn't miss too much in class."
Itsuka nodded as the class continued to converse with each other until Sekijiro came into class.
"Good morning, maggots! It's time to change and go to the P.E. Grounds."
Reaching his class and speaking with his classmates until class began, the group was led by their teacher, Sekijiro, to the P.E. grounds.
"What we're going to have..." Sekijiro said with a grim expression before he picked up a bunch of bats with a smile.
"...is a baseball competition!"
There was a moment of silence as his students looked at each other with confused expressions before they all collectively spoke.
"Huh?"
"What? It's for me to realize how far your quirks have grown in the past few months." The white-haired teacher said as he put down the box with sports equipment on the ground. "Think of it as a little sports event. From here on out, we need to work on creating your gear. Especially since the next year is around the corner. Go buck wild and use your quirks!"
The students shared smiles before Sekijiro started the event and walked to the bench. There was a moment of silence as everyone spoke amongst themselves until someone lifted her hand.
"So, who's choosing teams?" Yosetsu asked as he put his hands behind his head.
"Itsuka and Monoma! You are the captains! Pick your teams!" Sekijiro shouted, the two teens in question walking in front of the class.
"Well, that answers my question," Yosetsu said as they saw Monoma and Itsuka playing rock paper scissors to see who would go first.
After a while, Itsuka won the game as she went to make her pick, getting a sigh from Monoma.
"I'll take..." She looked around her classmates before she pointed at Setsuna. "Setsuna! Get over here!"
"You fool!" Monoma said as he made a dramatic pose, reminding Yosetsu of a certain blonde demon that stops time.
Itsuka raised a brow at her blonde classmate who pointed at Izuku.
"I choose Midoriya."
Izuku was surprised by this before Monoma explained. "You see his skills with the bat? That's not all parlor tricks! He has to be playing baseball before."
The two teens continued to pick their classmates, leading to Monoma, Izuku, Yosetsu, and Kosei being on the same team along with a few more classmates. As the team huddled, Monoma grinned as he glanced over at the other team. "Alright, it's time to beat them!"
"You know this is for fun, right?" Yosetsu said, Izuku nodding in agreement at the statement but seeing the blonde's face, he realized the answer.
"Winning is fun!" Monoma chuckled maniacally. Pony lifted her fist to the air with a genuine smile during their discussion. "Let's kick their ass!"
"Uhh...Pony. That's not the right phrase." Izuku said as he explained to the American student in English.
After a few minutes of planning, Sekijiro announced before he made Itsuka's team bat first which made the girl smile as she and Tetsutetsu went as the first batters. Monoma smiled before he pointed at Izuku.
"Midoriya, you're the pitcher!" Monoma declared which surprised Izuku and the others before Togaru, who was a part of the team, voiced his comment.
"Why are you so fixated on letting Midoriya be the pitcher? Shouldn't we plan more into this?"
"I agree with Kamakiri." Izuku lifted his hand before he looked at his teammates. "My quirk has a limit to how many times I can use it and since we're not using our gear. I can't control the power of my throws if you're looking for me to use my quirk."
"Hmm," Monoma said before he folded his arms. "Well, in that case, I'll be the pitcher."
Everyone went to their positions as Itsuka went to bat and Monoma picked up a ball and glove. With Izuku's instructions, his team distributed themselves throughout the field as the game began.
"Time to lose, Monoma!" Itsuka said as she tightly gripped her bat. The blonde simply walked away with a knowing smile. "Lose?"
Izuku was surprised by the humble behavior of his blonde classmate but he thought too soon as the Copy user spun around.
"What do you mean? We won!" Monoma said as he made a pose that made Yosetsu and Izuku chuckle nervously.
"Every time he makes those poses, I have a feeling he is about to drop a road roller on someone," Yosetsu said with a concerned look.
"He's very competitive, I'll give him that." Izuku scratched his cheek. "Alright, let's get this started."
Sekijiro blew the whistle which signaled the start of the baseball match. Monoma threw the ball with all his strength, the ball coming at Itsuka with a strong force as the girl smiled and positioned herself.
"Typical!" Itsuka smiled as her hands grew in size before she swung her bat. At that moment, Monoma made a conniving smile as the ball went upwards, making the orange-haired girl miss it as it went to the catcher's, who was Sekijiro, grasp.
"Strike one!" He announced as he threw the ball to Monoma, the blonde smirking at Itsuka who cracked her neck before she tightened her grip on her bat.
Monoma pitched once more which went past her at an incredible speed, resulting in another strike.
"What the? How?" Itsuka said, dumbfounded by what had happened before she turned to her teacher. "Mr. Vlad!"
Sekijiro cleared his throat and looked away from the furious, young woman. "Well, that is quirk baseball. You can use your quirks as long as they do not result in hurting the players. Also, he can use his quirk only to speed up or change the direction of the throw, he cannot slow it down or stop it. That's a disqualification."
Itsuka turned to Monoma who was mocking which made the young woman's eye twitch uncontrollably.
"Hehehe…ok," She said, her laughter managed to frighten everyone as she gripped her bat tightly. "Alright, you want to play difficult. I'll remind you of why you should not mess with me!"
"Bring it on, Itsuka!" Monoma grinned as he readied himself.
Everyone felt an intense aura emanating from Itsuka and Monoma, the aura reminding them of a fight between a tiger and a dragon. At that moment, Itsuka gripped her bat tightly which Monoma noticed before he spread his hands apart.
"Oh? You're gripping your bat! After seeing what I'm capable of, you're gripping your bar?" He said with a huge villainous grin.
"I can't hit you with a damn home run without taking this seriously."
"Ah, I see..." Monoma said while rubbing his hair out of his face before he readied himself to pitch. "Try to block if you like."
Everyone looked at the situation, Yui enlarged her phone and took a picture of the scene, and Setsuna asked her to send the photo to her. On the other hand, Izuku, Yosetsu, and Togaru looked at the situation with varying emotions. They all got ready before Izuku put his hands on their shoulders. "She's going to get a home run."
"I figured as much," Togaru said as he rubbed his hair.
"Yeah," Yosetsu said while repeatedly welding his glove to his hand. "The last person who said those lines got a punch so hard, it basically exploded him."
Monoma threw the baseball ball with all his might at Itsuka who watched the ball intently before she moved her bat, seeing the ball moving which made her smirk.
"Don't!" She enlarged her arms to drop her bat right at the position of the ball, much to Monoma's surprise.
"Underestimate!" Itsuka swung her bat with all her might as Monoma tried to make the ball faster.
"Me!" She sent the ball into the air, her team celebrating as she ran towards first base.
"Oh no!" Monoma said as he and his team ran toward the ball. Ibara quickly acted and used her hair to grab the ball and threw it towards Yosetsu, who could catch it with his Weld quirk but it was too late as Itsuka reached first base.
"Tch! Lucky break!" Monoma said as he saw Setsuna coming into the batter section with a mischievous smirk.
Izuku watched the situation before he turned to Pony. "Ms. Tsunotori, I need you to do something, please."
During this, Setsuna was able to hit the ball, making Monoma a bit irritated as he saw Komori come to the batter's square. Itsuka smiled triumphantly when she saw Monoma grit his teeth before he got into pitcher position again. He managed to out Komori, much to his happiness as he watched her leave the field.
"Sorry, Komori! Nothing personal." Monoma said happily.
"It's ok…" The meek girl said as she went over to her team's bench, ignoring the laughs of Monoma.
"He seriously needs to work on his over-competitiveness," Setsuna commented to Togaru who shrugged.
"At least he apologized. And trust me, that is much better than what most people would do."
Setsuna put her hands on her hips. "If sorry was all that was needed, the police and heroes would never exist."
After a while, they chose the next pitcher, Izuku, who went on the field. He looked in front of him to see that the batter was Shishida.
'Hard mode already?' The green-haired teen thought as he got himself ready.
"Well, we're going to get another home run!" Kosei grinned, Yui taking a picture of Shishida bulking into his beast form. 'Fuzzy.'
"Alright, it's time, Midoriya!" Sekijiro said to Izuku who nodded with a smile before he frowned and made a serious expression when he turned to Shishida.
The green-haired teenager covered half his face with his cap as he readied himself while Shishida tightened his grip on his bat.
'His quirk gives him super strength and beast-like abilities.' Izuku thought as he repeatedly threw the ball in the air. 'In that case, let's see how he deals with this...'
Izuku hurled his ball at an incredible speed, surprising everyone but Shishida who attempted to bat the ball. Still, he was unsuccessful when the ball past him and into Sekijiro's grasp.
"Strike one!"
"Woah!" Everyone was surprised by what happened as Shishida looked at his bat and then at Izuku who was smiling.
"What kind of throw was that?" Tetsutetsu asked, everyone as confused as he was as they watched Izuku catch the ball and go for his second pitch.
Shishida tried again to bat but Izuku's pitch went past him again which resulted in another strike. Monoma smiled widely when he saw Izuku going for another throw which Shishida managed to bat away.
"Finally!" Itsuka said before she ran towards the third base.
Almost immediately, Izuku caught the ball, not wasting a moment as he threw it toward Ibara who caught it and outed Setsuna.
"Oh, come on!" The green-haired teenager said as she walked back to the benches. "This sucks! How did Midoriya do that?"
Sekijiro watched the situation with a serious expression as he looked at Izuku who was blowing his hand. 'That's quite the skill he has. He was not joking about working to become a pro baseball player. He made a spin towards the ball that made it roll around the bat enough to avoid getting hit.'
The man remembered earlier today when he read up on information about his students, seeing that Izuku used to be
'He was not joking about being a baseball player before.' The white-haired man smiled as he watched as Shoda batted the ball but Izuku was able to catch the ball and pass the ball to Togaru, managing to out another member of Itsuka's team. 'He's learned a lot from being quirkless. Using his opponent's strength against them by using the momentum of their hits on the ball to redirect it towards the base holder to out his opponents. That's novel thinking!"
The game continued for a while with both teams going neck-to-neck until Itsuka got a home run, putting her team in the lead. Now it was Shoda's turn as he was now a batter, Kinoko being on second base waiting for him and Pony being the pitcher.
"It's time to take you out!" Pony said in English which made some of her classmates confused.
"I don't know what you're saying but I won't lose either, Tsunotori!" Shoda said as he batted the ball and ran.
Pony hurled the ball that nearly went past Shoda but he was able to quickly able to slam the ball across the field. Seeing the ball leaving the field, Izuku ran towards the ball, about to get it but Shoda squinted his eyes which made the ball fly into the air, much to his surprise.
'Darn, he used Twin Impact already. Then..." Izuku turned to Ibara. "Ibara, give me a lift!"
"Yes! May the Lord be your wings!" Ibara nodded, wrapping her hair around Izuku before she hurled him into the air. "Fly, young sheep!"
Rocketing toward the ball, Izuku caught the ball, the force causing his body to spin quickly. Itsuka's teammates watched in anticipation as Kinoko ran towards the last base with all her strength while Shoda confidently skipped to the first base. While rotating in the air, Izuku tried to hold the ball in both of his hands before he turned his gaze to the field.
'Alright, I need to get this angle perfectly!' He gritted his teeth as he observed the field and calculated his position. 'There!'
'Come on!' His arms started to glow as he prepared himself.
"C'mon, Midoriya..." Monoma said as he watched the teen still spinning in the air.
The freckled teen saw Togaru's position before he focused his aim on him.
"Kamakiri! Don't move!"
Togaru heard Izuku before he nodded and braced himself. Smiling, Izuku's arm veins glowed intensely before he flung the ball with all his might, his quirk shooting the ball at the speed of a bullet. The ball descended like a meteor towards the blade-quirk teen who caught the ball which caused his feet to skid across the floor as he tried to hold the ball.
'Stop! You damn ball!'
Able to stop, he noticed Kinoko running towards the home base before he sprinted to his base.
"I'm almost there!"
"Oh no, you don't, Komori!"
"Go!" The class yelled in unison as Togaru elongated one of his arm blades that had his glove and the ball towards Kinoko while extending the other towards his base.
Seeing the glove coming at her, Kinoko ducked underneath the blades before she created a mushroom under her feet that sent her rocketing toward the base. At that moment, Togaru managed to reach in front of her as she was about to touch the base, his hand about to touch her as her slide kicked up a cloud of dust that covered their bodies.
Everyone watched in anticipation as the smoke cleared, Ibara catching Izuku as they saw the smoke dispersed. Sekijiro looked at the result before he lifted his hand.
"It's a point for Itsuka's team! Which makes this their win!"
Itsuka grinned as she jumped in the air, her team celebrating loudly while Monoma's team dusted themselves off.
"We lost?!" Monoma yelled in shock as his teammates shook their heads and shrugged.
Seeing an arm around his neck, he turned to Yosetsu who had a smile on his face.
"It's not about the victory. It's about the friends that we made along the way-"
"Shut up," Monoma said as he walked away, Izuku patted his back as they returned to class, the blonde whispering.
"But it was fun tho..."
"Good news, Mrs. Midoriya! Your daughter Yumemi is alright!" The doctor said as he finished his check up on Yumemi who was smiling widely. "You have quite the healthy child, Mrs. Midoriya! She has no issues with her body!"
"O-ok," Inko said worried as her gaze went to the ground. "Are you sure? She had a fever the other day."
"Yes. Her body temperature is showing to be average." The doctor said as he checked his documents before he took out his stethoscope and checked the girl's heartbeat. "Her heartbeat is normal. No irregularity."
Letting out a sigh, Inko nodded as she patted Yumemi's head, getting a giggle from the girl which made her smile before a frown appeared on her face which did not go unnoticed by the doctor.
"Ms. Midoriya." He spoke with a sigh before he looked around the place and whispered. "I understand your anxiousness about your daughter and your son but I think you should take a break."
"I'm sorry...I...I don't want her to..." Inko stated before she put her hand on her mouth.
"I know the feeling...it's not pretty for quirkless people out there...but your children, they're strong." The doctor said as he looked out of the window. "Trust them. After all, just like your husband said, they're as stubborn as you."
Inko let out a small chuckle as Yumemi played with her Ryukyu doll with a huge smile. The little girl then tugged on the woman's sleeve.
"Mom! I'm going to be A-OK! That fever was nothing!" Yumemi put her hands on her hips. "I'm a strong girl, Mommy!"
Inko looked at her daughter, a smile on her face as she was about to hug the girl until her eyes widened in shock before she started shaking. Her breathing began to get ragged as she clutched her chest.
"Mommy!" Yumemi said which knocked Inko out of her thoughts before the woman looked around with a blank expression.
"Are you ok, Mommy?" The green-haired child said worried which made Inko look at her daughter for a while before hugging her. "I'm sorry, Yu. I guess I'm more tired than I thought."
Yumemi smiled as she patted her mother's back. "Tired, tired, go away~"
"Thank you." Inko patted her child before the both of them bowed to the doctor. "Thank you as well, doctor."
"Yeah! Thank thank!" Yumemi stated cutely.
"It's no problem. You're both welcome here at any time." The doctor said with a cheeky smile.
Inko and Yumemi left the hospital, the green-haired toddler ran down the street before she waved at her mother. "C'mon! We gotta go!"
"Wait up, Yu!" Inko said as she followed her daughter.
After a while, the two reached home, Yumemi running to her room while Inko took a sigh and sat down by the table. Enjoying the silence, Inko looked to the ceiling as she remembered what she told Izuku a few days ago.
"I can't do this anymore, Izuku."
The words echoed through her head before she looked at Yumemi who was going to take a bath.
"Why did I say that?" Inko put her hand on her head as she picked up a cup of water.
'I didn't mean to...' She paused as she put her head in her hands. '...but when I saw him...'
The green-haired woman took out her phone before she went through her contacts list, her eyes focused on a singular name until she pressed it. She waited on the call, the dial tone ringing in her ear until she heard a click.
"Hello? Inko?" Mitsuki's voice could be heard on the other end of the line, the woman's voice uncharacteristically mellow despite her usual boisterous attitude. "What's wrong?"
"Mitsuki, you have time to talk?" Inko asked the blonde woman who let out a sigh.
Mitsuki looked at Inko, the woman knowing the reason for the talk before she nodded. "Yeah...I do. What's up?"
There was a moment of silence between the two, Inko tried to sort out her emotions as she thought about how she should start. After a minute of contemplating, Inko was able to calm her nerves and speak.
"I want to know what happened," She asked in a serious tone. "Why did Katsuki do that, Mitsuki?"
Mitsuki's face furrowed when she heard the question from her friend. Mitsuki dreaded this question the day that she heard about the incident between Katsuki and Izuku. The blonde woman took a moment to think of how she was going to word her answer before she opened her mouth.
"To be honest, I'm not even sure." Mitsuki started before she massaged her forehead. "I know he didn't like Izuku but for it to go this far. We put him in anger-management classes and everything and we thought that he had changed-"
"Then why..." Inko said, her grip tightening on the cup she was holding. "...why does he hate my son so much...? They used to be such good friends."
"I don't know myself. I thought Katsuki would be more open to Izuku now that he had a quirk and they would become friends again. I thought he would change but…" Mitsuki's gaze was fixed on the ground as she said that, the woman not having the heart to look Inko in the eye. "...to attack him again...Katsuki…the little shit did something wicked…I can't believe he hasn't changed…"
Inko watched Mitsuki's frame with an understanding stare.
"Inko… I'm sorry for what he did…Izuku did not deserve it…" Mitsuki bowed to Inko who turned to look at the picture frame of Izuku during his high school graduation ceremony.
The woman levitated the frame towards herself, tracing her fingers against the photo as her eyes examined the picture. She chuckled a little when she saw the shaky smile on Izuku's face as he posed in his graduation gown while Yumemi was climbing his back.
"Mitsuki…" Inko began to speak. "…I'm going to be serious right now…there were a lot of thoughts rushing through my mind...so many emotions that I felt..."
Mitsuki silently listened as Inko put down the picture.
"I'm angry with you and Katsuki…I'm sad about what happened to Izuku…and I'm disappointed in myself for losing faith in Izuku…"
This surprised Mitsuki who raised a brow. "What?"
"I want to support his dream of being a hero...but he keeps getting himself hurt and tired by the day…then I got the phone call…" Inko said, her hands trembling as she grabbed her head. "Mitsuki…when I saw him like that…I couldn't hold it back…he was covered in bandages…but he had a smile…just like-"
"Inko!" Mitsuki's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, Inko breathing heavily as her friend talked to her.
"Calm down. And breathe." Mitsuki instructed Inko slowly, the green-haired woman following her actions until she calmed down. "OK. Drink some water. Are you ok?"
"Yeah…thanks…" Inko said between breaths. "…sorry…"
"It's no biggie!" Mitsuki said with a thumbs-up before she looked at Inko.
She hated seeing Inko like this.
What made Mitsuki more hurt was that the cause of Inko's pain was her own flesh and blood. Katsuki has a massive ego but throughout the years, Mitsuki has seen him grow up and mature which made her think that he has grown out of it, especially since he has had a clean record for the past three years.
She could not be more wrong.
She knew her son was volatile and ill-mannered but to think that it was to this extent, it scared her. The blonde woman still could not believe the severity of the wounds on Izuku when she visited him in the hospital.
"I don't like seeing you like this," Mitsuki mumbled but Inko heard, smiling weakly as she wiped her brow.
"Thanks, Mitsu," Inko said. "I didn't want to say that to Izuku…I thought I knew what he was getting into but..."
Inko held her head before she levitated a bottle of juice from the fridge and drank it to calm her nerves. "…after seeing him like that..."
The woman's mind went to the day that she saw Izuku in bandages, the shaky smile on the teen's face made her feel uneasy.
"Mitsuki…am I being too overprotective?"
Hearing the question, Mitsuki took a moment to think as she looked at a picture of Katsuki. She was always busy with her work but when she had the time, she was always strict with her son due to everyone enabling his aggressive behavior because of his amazing quirk.
Izuku, however, was a kind child who was like a ball of sunshine. A kind child whom Inko and Hisashi raised with no issues. She had always respected Izuku's drive and his humble nature which was something she wished her child would have.
If there was one thing that she regretted, it was her upbringing of him. Maybe if she was like Inko, Katsuki would have been different.
"Inko. You have done a phenomenal job raising him and now it's time for him to take his steps." The two heard Masaru say as he came home from work. "I know how you feel but you have to realize that Izuku is an adult. He needs to make his own decisions. Hisashi would say the same thing."
He then turned to Mitsuki. "It's the same for you with Katsuki. How he acts now is not your fault. He's an adult and he needs to face the consequences for his actions."
The two women were silent for a moment until Inko decided to speak.
"I know he's an adult..." Inko stated while clasping her hands. "But whenever he's hurt or bruised...my heart breaks...I tried to be strong but sometimes I wonder if I'm doing the right thing by making him go to UA...it has not been a year yet and all of this has happened..."
Mitsuki thought for a while before she snapped her fingers and had an idea.
"Why don't you visit his school?" The blonde woman voiced her idea.
This surprised Inko, her eyes widened before she put her fingers on her chin. "Oh..."
"You can check how he's doing at school that way. I know how you felt since Aldera so this could put you at ease." Mitsuki stated before she checked the calendar on her phone. "In a few months from now, UA is going to have a Cultural Festival. You can check if he's having fun then."
Inko thought about the situation before she heard something fall to the ground, turning to see Yumemi who was in the living. Before she and Mitsuki could say anything, a huge smile went across the green-haired toddler before she went off in a quick sprint and hopped onto her mother's lap.
"We're going to Uku's school!" She said with a bright expression that made Mitsuki have to wear a pair of shades.
"Yep! She's definitely your kid!" The blonde woman said which got a laugh from her and Inko.
Inko smiled before she patted Yumemi's head, getting a giggle from the girl before she thought about Mitsuki's idea while looking at the calendar.
'The cultural festival is around November.' She thought before she thought about her work schedule. 'I could be able to take some time.'
"Thanks, Mitsuki. I need to clear my mind and think before talking to him." Inko thought aloud as she picked up a medical book and started to read it. "I don't want to mess up again. I want to have faith in him."
"It's no problem, Inko!" Mitsuki said with a smile. "And Yu, make sure that your mother washes her face."
"Ok!" Yumemi nodded which made Inko raise a brow before she looked in the mirror, a huge gasp released from her mouth when she saw her face covered in tears and snot.
"Mitsu! Why didn't you tell me about this earlier?" She said as she ran into the bathroom, getting a laugh from everything before Mitsuki smiled at her friend as they continued their call.
It was the end of the day at UA College, the bell ringing that signaled some of the students to go home and others to start their late courses. Coming from Class 1-B's classroom was Sekijiro who watched his students departing the class to either go home or to their other courses.
"Man, that was a rowdy day!" Sekijiro let out a sigh, getting a few laughs from the class. He then changed to his sergeant persona as he yelled at the top of his lungs. "Clean up this mess before you leave!"
"Yes, sir!" All of the class said in unison before they went back into the classroom.
On his way to the teacher's lounge, the white-haired teacher noticed Shouta who was going to the same destination.
"Eraser!" Sekijiro asked as he took out a few strands of dirt from his hair. "How was it with your students?"
"They had..." Shouta pinched the bridge of his nose before he let out a sigh. "…way too much fun with the exercise. As long as they are happy."
Sekijiro harshly patted the raven-haired teacher on the back as they went down the hallway. "Stop trying to be cool. You're happy as well, Eraser!"
"Shut up!" Shouta said, putting his hands in his pockets.
As they were about to make a turn, Shouta then turned to see his students' smiling faces for a while until he turned around and hid his face with his scarf.
'Enjoy it while it lasts, problem children.'
Meanwhile, at the college entrance, Hitoshi, Kyoka, and Denki were waiting at the gate while checking their phones.
"Man, that was fun!" Denki stretched his arms. "We should do that more often."
"Yeah. I needed to see you get hit by another baseball," Kyoka let out a chuckle which made her get a glare from Denki. "That was super funny."
"What did you expect? It was a baseball thrown...by Todoroki!" The blonde exclaimed as his body shuddered. "It's either that or I get hit by the literal glacier that he was throwing behind it!"
"I can't blame him for that." Hitoshi chimed in calmly. "I'm taking my chance against the baseball. At least, it won't let me feel cold for the next few days."
"See? He understands!"
After some time, they heard a voice, turning to see Izuku dragging a pouting Mei, the scene made all of the students on the campus hold back their chuckles.
"Hey..." Izuku said as he dusted off his uniform. "Sorry, we were late! Mr. Power Loader was having a bit of an argument."
Hitoshi just looked at Mei who turned away from his stare.
"As usual, you have to act like a parent. Thank you, Mama Zuku. Say 'thank you', Mei."
"No, he interrupted my time with my babies!" The pink-haired mechanic's pout went bigger as she folded her arms. "I told you I'll be finished in a few more minutes!"
"You did say that," Izuku said with a poker face. "...an hour ago...plus, you have the baby in your bag so you can work on it at home..."
Mei's face lit up with a smile.
"...until 11 PM."
Her smile fell immediately before she looked away with a pout. "Hmph!"
"You have a test tomorrow!" Izuku said as Mei thrashed against his grasp. "Toshi! Give me a hand here!"
"Nope! You got it," Hitoshi said as they all laughed at Izuku's situation with Mei.
After a while, they were able to leave college, Izuku giving a piggyback to an exhausted Mei as the friends spoke with each other. During their conversation, Izuku felt the gentle wind hit his face before he looked at a window, seeing his reflection.
'My hair is starting to grow out again.' He thought as he touched his hair. 'I almost look like-'
"Zuku! C'mon, you know we have homework, right? And you know I do not want to get caught lacking by Mr. Aizawa again." Denki said as his friends waited for him down the street.
Izuku smiled before he heard Mei mumbling in her sleep on his back as he walked to them, the teen looking back at his reflection which reminded him about how he looked a few years ago when he was quirkless.
"I can't do this anymore, Izuku." Those words from his mother echoed through his head before he ran his fingers through his hair.
'Hmm. Maybe I need a haircut again.' He thought as he turned around, walking away from his reflection.
In the city of Kyoto, there was a mobile circus truck on the side of the road that was surrounded by children and adults.
"Oh! It's a circus, Mommy!" One of the kids said as he hopped energetically.
"This is going to be cool." Another said, stars showing in their eyes.
"Aren't clowns scary though?"
"This isn't like that horror movie! We're going to be alright!"
As the people toured the place, they were informed about an event that they attended, all of them going in front of a viridian tent. After a while of waiting in anticipation, they saw a green mist come out of the entrance.
"Green smoke? What is this?" One of the parents said as the mist went around them. "Is it poisonous?"
The smoke surrounded the children before it transformed into several nightmarish creatures that made them afraid.
"Don't be afraid!" A voice echoed, everyone turned to the tent's entrance before they saw the silhouette of a man with a cane appearing from it.
"Be brave and show me your smiles!" A man in a green and red suit and black pants emerged from the smoke with a smile on his face. The man also wore a black top hat that hid half of his face and also carried a metal-plated lion-head walking cane.
"I'm Courage the clown! The man who will show you all the fun in bravery! Because if you are brave..." He then turned to face the monsters, snapping his fingers twice which caused several small explosions that destroyed the monsters and dispersed the smoke. "...you will learn to face your fears!"
As the children cheered, Courage bowed dramatically before putting his hat over his head, revealing his young face and sleek, black hair, much to the surprise of some of the female adults as they shared the same thought.
'Damn! He's hot!'
Courage breathed a green smoke that morphed into a small monster that he crushed in his hand. His hazel-colored eyes wandered around the crowd as he went to a few of the kids, giving them balloon animals and hero cards that made them happy. As he made his performance, everyone was surprised at how the clown used the green mist to conjure their otherworldly fears before defeating them with his cane.
After his performance was finished, Courage bowed as everyone made a loud round of applause, the man being extremely happy when he saw the huge smiles on the children's faces. As everyone left, the clown waved at everyone before he went inside his tent, a few of the performers and workers handing out flyers as a brown-haired, fat man in a purple suit came out of another tent, his smile displaying his golden teeth to the crowd.
"Welcome everyone! Hope that you enjoy that little show from one of our best! We will be having a huge performance on Halloween! It's called the Dragon Circus of Fun!" The man announced as he walked towards the crowd. "It will be taking place in the city of Tokyo! Please make sure to attend, if you can!"
Within his room, Courage wiped the makeup from his face until he heard someone opening the door, turning to see a masked person leaning on the wall.
"Nice job, Master Akuma!" The masked man said as he played with a marble between his fingers. "As expected of my mentor, you know how to put on an amazing show!"
"Atsuhiro! It's good to see you! How has your 'magic' been doing?" Akuma playfully nudged his colleague. "You're going to be performing in this year's Dragon Circus of Fun as well! This will be your debut!"
"I know," Atsuhiro said before the marble in his hand turned into a deck of cards. Checking the cards, Atsuhiro took one of the cards before he made it disappear, Akuma smiled when he saw the marble going into his sleeve. "I've been practicing but I'm nothing compared to you."
"What are you saying? You're doing well." Akuma said as he tapped his mentee's shoulder, a smile on his face as he put down a marble in Atsuhiro's hand, surprising him. "Plus, your quirk is working wonders for you! Keep up the good work and everyone will notice you for sure!"
"Sure, master."
"That's the spirit! It took a lot for you to be here! I never thought my quirk would do so well but here I am. Entertaining children and giving them hope." Akuma said with a huge smile on his face as he watched the children frolic and play with each other. He then turned to Atsuhiro with his sincere expression. "If I can do it, you can too. And you don't need to compare to me. Be your own person. I did not teach you my skills for you to become another me. I taught you for you to weave your path. Make your own mark."
The masked man could not hide his amazement as he watched Akuma put his hands in his pockets. "You will be an entertainer much better than me in the future. I'm sure of it."
Hearing those words from his master, Atsuhiro was silent as he rubbed his head and chuckled. 'Master...you're just too kind, your willingness for the next generation...your belief in me. This world does not deserve you.'
As Akuma came out of his room, he noticed a brown-haired woman who was dressed in a red business suit and skirt by the entrance. As her blue eyes focused on him, she ran to him and hugged him, her body starting to glow before the glow faded away, causing Akuma to feel relieved.
"Erika, honey! How are you? I missed you so much." He said as he kissed her, the woman known as Erika smiled as she wiped his face. "I missed you too, handsome. I hope you're not working too hard. You haven't been home in days."
"Yeah, I know. We have to make preparations for the big event. But man, I need an actual good bath." Akuma said with a smile as they both shared a kiss.
"Ms. Higarashi! Good to see you again! Beautiful as ever!" The fat man from earlier said as he shook hands with Erika before he patted Akuma on the back with a hearty laugh. "Mr. Osore! You did it again! As expected of my best entertainer! I can almost see the money now!"
"Thank you, sir! I try my best." Akuma let out a weak chuckle as the man hugged him.
"Oh, I can see that! Keep up the good work, especially for our big event!" The boss said before he turned to Erika. "Please make sure that he does not overwork himself. Be the best wife you can be, Ms. Higarashi!"
"Fiancée, Mr. Tatsu." Erika corrected with a blush which made the man, who is known as Tatsu, laugh as he walked back to his room. "You both are basically married from where I'm concerned. Enjoy your time off, Mr. Osore!"
The two smiled and waved at the man before Erika led Akuma to the car, Akuma was about to go until he remembered something. "Wait! I need to get something."
The black-haired man went back to his room and came back with his bag as they entered the car, laughing with his fiancée as they drove off. Akuma hummed to himself as he fiddled with something in his pocket which did not go unnoticed by Erika. "What are you doing?"
"Nothing. It's just a little thing I got together," Akuma said with a huge smile, caressing a glimmering piece of jewelry glimmering in his bag. "I'll show it to you later."
Katsuki found himself being driven to a boot camp on the outskirts of Nagoya, looking outside to see walls as tall as the ones at UA. He saw a huge, gray building that was heavily guarded with lines of barbed wire adorning the metallic wall along with multiple soldiers, guards, and heroes protecting the premises. What surprised Katsuki however was a pair of huge walls that seemed impossible to move.
As the car reached the entrance, Katsuki noticed a muscular guard who had glasses walking up to them.
"License and registrations." The man spoke in a low tone that made Katsuki's body involuntarily twitch.
'What the hell was that?' The blonde thought while the officer provided his ID and license to the guard.
"Good. Go to building 5." The guard said as he snapped his fingers, the entrance doors opening which led the car in.
Reaching their destination, the officers took out Katsuki of the car and led him inside the building, the trio going to the receptionist.
"How may I help you?" She said kindly with an aura that made it look like she was shining.
"This is the new recruit." The guards said in unison as they pushed Katsuki. "We came to deliver him."
Before they could continue, they heard loud footsteps which made them turn to see a muscular man with brown hair and a few scars on his face. He was dressed in a soldier outfit with ripped sleeves, a pair of brown khaki pants along with green combat boots he approached Katsuki and the guards, his eyes looked at Katsuki who was glaring at him.
"Nice glare. I'll take him!" The low voice of the man surprised Katsuki. "What's your name, little shit?"
Hearing what Bullet called him made the blonde angry before he shouted at the brown-haired man. "The fuck did you just call me?! Who the fuck are you, you damn bastard?"
Bullet smirked before he gestured to the building.
"This is the Correctional Behavioral Programme." The man turned around to Katsuki with a glare that nearly made the blonde flinch.
"The name's Bullet. I will be your sergeant. You need to do as I say. Not what you think. If you have an opinion, tell me and do not act on your own. Comprende?"
Katsuki scoffed as he looked away which made the man smile as he slapped the blonde's back, knocking him into a wall.
"I like the kid! He's got just the right attitude!" Bullet laughed heartily with his hands on his hips before he picked up Katsuki. "We're going to get along just well!"
The police officers shook their heads and smiled before they gave Bullet the documents and left. "We did our job. You take care of the rest, Bullet!"
As they left, Bullet turned to Katsuki before he put a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Welco-"
"Get the hell off me!" Katsuki said as he let out a powerful explosion, pushing back Bullet in the process. The brown-haired man sighed as people came out of the buildings and surrounded them.
"Do you need any help, Sergeant?" One of the guards asked but Bullet shook his head.
"I'll be fine." Bullet said as he dusted off his clothing. "Just basic initiation. The usual."
"Oh! Got it." The guards said as they dispersed, much to Katsuki's confusion before he faced Bullet.
"Alright, kid!" Bullet said as he lifted his hand and gestured to himself. "I don't have much time. Come on, little shit."
"Don't call me that!" Katsuki yelled angrily before his palms started to let out sparks. "I'll kill you!"
"Try it then." Bullet said as he cracked his neck.
As a vein appeared on his forehead, Katsuki lunged at a smiling Bullet with glowing palms. The blonde was about to swing his right hand until he saw a fist coming towards him that he barely dodged, grazing his face.
'That punch was fast? How did he move that quickly?' Katsuki thought but he went around the man.
"Be careful, kid!" Katsuki's eyes widened when he noticed Bullet smiling at him. "I don't want to hurt you too much."
Katsuki was caught by surprise when a fist went past his face, the wind hitting his cheek which immediately made him retreat.
'Damn! His punch at that time was almost invisible. Is he able to punch at super speed?' Katsuki thought before he shot another explosion to push himself back.
As the blonde continued to avoid Bullet's attacks, he started grinning as he noticed the pattern of his opponent's strikes.
"Bastard! I'll kill you!" Katsuki rushed forward at the speed of a rocket, knocking away Bullet's arm as he aimed his hand at the older man's face.
"Kid's got moves. Don't he, Camie?" One of the older workers who had purple hair covering half of his face said, turning to the woman beside him.
The woman in question had straight, fawn-colored hair, dark brown eyes, plump and glossy lips, and a tall, curvaceous figure.
She yawned. "I dunno. Bullet has hands and they are devastating. Blondie better watch out or he's gonna eat dirt."
"Time to di-" Katsuki said before a hand suddenly clamped around his arm, much to his surprise. "What the? Fuck off!"
Trying to shake off his opponent's grip, Bullet grinned as the muscles on his arm began to turn red and get bigger. "Hope you have a parachute, kid!"
Before Katsuki could understand what Bullet was saying, he was suddenly flung across the field, barely able to stop himself with a powerful two-handed explosion.
Not missing a beat, the blonde flew towards the man before he launched a powerful blast that covered the area.
"What's wrong, boy?" Bullet said behind Katsuki, surprising the blonde who immediately fired an explosion that the man evaded. The man then went for a punch that Katsuki avoided by blasting himself in the air. "Didn't you say that you would kill me? Here I am!"
Gritting his teeth in frustration, Katsuki propelled himself towards Bullet, the blonde getting faster as his explosions got bigger before he began to spin.
"Howitzer Impact!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, a smirk on his face.
Bullet watched the spectacle with a proud look as he held out his arm.
"Interesting but-" Bullet said as he walked towards Katsuki, his arm bulged with veins as it moved quickly, grabbing Katsuki by his face.
The man laughed at the blonde who was trying to escape his grip by shooting explosions at him which did nothing as he pulled Katsuki close to him.
"-not good enough."
Within an instant, Katsuki was slammed into the ground which created a huge crater, the blonde felt the wind knocked out of him. Everyone watched as the blonde's body looked like it was stuck to the ground while Bullet walked away with a yawn.
"Too bad! You got some good skills, little shit!" The man stretched his body before he turned to the blonde. "You weren't all talk."
Katsuki could barely get himself from the floor, panting as he glared at Bullet. He was in complete disbelief at the man's strength.
'How the hell? How strong is this buff bastard? I should be wiping the floor with him.' Katsuki clutched his aching shoulder as he got up from the ground.
Some of the members tried to help him but he pushed them away, glaring at Bullet. 'How is he able to beat me when I'm the best in my class in the Heroic course? He's got to be a previous pro hero or something. That has to be it.'
"Guess you're going to have to work with us." The brown-haired man said before he turned to Camie. "Nice to work with you, Katsuki Bakugo. Sashimi! Get him to the infirmary."
Camie gave the man a deadpan look before she put Katsuki's arm over her shoulder. "C'mon, boss. For real? Just call me Camie, or Cam! Now I think you're doing this on purpose."
"Don't know what you're talking about." Bullet waved off the young woman before he went inside the building. Katsuki and Camie were left to their lonesome before the woman escorted the raging blonde to the nurse.
After a trip to the nurse's office, Camie escorted Katsuki who was mumbling with his hands in his pockets. "Of course, I'm ok. Damn it!"
"Bro, you need to chill. You can't be acting hard like you're hot shit when you got your ass handed by the boss." The blonde woman said which infuriated Katsuki who balled his fists and shook in anger. "Heck, you lost the fight the moment he decided to palm your face like a basketball."
"Shut the hell up, you damn bimbo!" He yelled at her before he stomped off, Camie following him with a pout.
"Hey, that's Ms. Bimbo to you, you damn asshat! Also, do you know where you're damn going? The rooms are that way!"
Katsuki stopped walking, grinding his teeth before he begrudgingly followed Camie. After a while, he was now in front of his room, Camie giving him the key before she walked off.
"Hope to work with you from now on, fellow reject!"
Katsuki looked at the key in his hand before he opened the room, seeing a bleak grey room that only had a bed and a table. Seeing the place made the blonde sigh as he threw down his bag and items before he sat on the bed. Inspecting the place, the blonde then shut the door as he was in his thoughts.
This was it.
This is his new room now.
To say Katsuki was angry was an understatement. As his mind recalled the events that led to this, small sparks were let out from his palms. His bloodshot eyes leered at the ceiling.
'I already hate this place.'
Bullet's Quirk: Wind Up
Bullet can build up energy on any part of his body to unleash a powerful output. He will need to exercise and stretch his body to prevent muscle spasms and pain.
Yeah, Katsuki has been taken to jail-I mean, the Correctional...you know what, it's basically jail. Now it's almost time for Halloween and the heroes better get ready to scare some people. Bullet beating Bakugo was a given because the blonde, despite being smart, is still hard-headed.
Funnily enough, I wanted to send out this chapter during Halloween but work happened.
Apart from Katsuki's situation, the chapter was just a whole feel-good chapter. A little transition to the next arc. Well, I hope you guys enjoyed it and the story and I'll have to go now.
Enigma out!