Chapter Summary: The battle exercise begins.

A/N: You guys... have no *idea* how excited I was to write this scene. Like, seriously, I was so hyped. I hope you enjoy!

It was, in fact, something to worry about.

But All Might didn't know that. He had no way of knowing, because really, how was Izuku supposed to even begin to describe the full history he shared with Kacchan? He very well couldn't say, "Kacchan is angry with me for trying out for U.A. and used to pick on me for being Quirkless," without causing a huge issue. The last time a teacher addressed the problem, Kacchan and his friends took it out on him for weeks until they got the point across that Izuku should know to keep his mouth shut. He wasn't about to tempt fate by trying it again.

'Not to mention that it could look like they're showing favoritism,' Izuku mused as All Might handed them both capture tape and explained the objectives to them. He just barely registered the fact that they were supposed to use it to "apprehend the villains" for the simulation. 'I can't depend on them to make this easier for me just because I'm All Might's protege.'

Izuku knew where he stood on the pecking order in class. He was at the bottom beneath the rest of his classmates and they all knew it, too. What would it look like to them if someone like him was given special treatment because he was too afraid to face off against Kacchan? It would look unfair to everyone else and only make things harder for All Might, who was still trying to build a rapport with the rest of Izuku's peers. Not to mention it would only make Kacchan angrier and want to lash out even more.

"Young Midoriya," All Might said, causing the boy to look up. It was still so strange to see him in a suit and tie like any normal teacher. "Are you feeling alright?"

Izuku frowned but gave his mentor a nod nonetheless. "Y-Yeah… I guess just a bit nervous."

"I getcha," Uraraka piped up, "but at least we're not being threatened with some sort of punishment like expulsion!" She blinked, then turned to All Might with a frown. "We aren't going to be punished if we lose, right?"

Thankfully, All Might focused on her and shook his head. "No, young Uraraka, you won't be. You'll only be graded on your performance in the simulation."

Uraraka exhaled. "That's good… I was so scared when Sensei Aizawa said we'd get kicked out yesterday." She smiled again. "You're not nearly as scary as he is!"

"That's… nice of you to say," All Might replied, clearly not sure how to take the compliment. Izuku supposed he should take it as a win that Uraraka seemed to like him, if only because he wasn't as stern as Aizawa. His gaze lingered on Izuku and immediately, Izuku looked down, not wanting to meet his mentor's gaze. "Just try to focus on doing your best in today's exercise and I'm sure you'll both do fine."

"Thanks, Sensei!" Uraraka responded, and oh, Izuku envied her enthusiasm.

All Might seemed as though he wanted to say something more, but he blinked and looked down at his side, where Principal Nedzu stood. Izuku nearly jumped at his sudden appearance and clutched the map All Might gave him to his chest. How did he come up so quickly without making a sound?

"Sensei, the rest of the students are in the observation room," Principal Nedzu told him, and instantly, Izuku's stomach dropped, "they're waiting on the match to begin."

The corners of All Might's twitched downwards for a fraction of a second. "Right. Let's head down." Then, he turned back to Izuku and Uraraka. "If things get out of hand during the match, we'll be sure to step in. Just try your best out there."

Izuku tried not to let his relief show too much on his face. "Y-Yes, Sensei…"

"Good luck!" Principal Nedzu gushed with a beaming smile. "I look forward to seeing how you four do today!"

Even as All Might stepped away with Nedzu to join the others in the observation room, Izuku couldn't erase the feeling of unease that settled in his chest. His mentor spared one last glance over his shoulder at him and caught his eyes from afar, a silent question etched across his features. Still, despite the anxiety that bubbled in his gut, Izuku gave him a nod of reassurance. With a small smile, All Might nodded back at him before he faced forward.

'I can do this,' he told himself, though he wasn't sure how much he believed it, 'I can do this…' His eyes fell down to the map in front of him and he pursed his lips. 'I just gotta make a strategy.'

He knew he had months of practice with One For All under his belt now. Even though he was able to flip to 5% with little issue and could deliver punches with it, his anxiety could just as easily make him lose control. He spent the time between the entrance exam and his first day at U.A. trying to eradicate his margin of error, but the Quirk apprehension test knocked him back to the same mindset he had on his first day of training with it. Anytime he would let the familiar heat of One For All spread to his limbs, Sensei Aizawa's piercing red eyes would flash to the forefront of his eyes and in an instant, Izuku would feel control slip from his grasp.

"With a power like that, you'll never become a hero."

'I just need to work harder,' Izuku thought, 'I have to work harder than everyone else here to get to their level.'

"Sensei Yagi seems really nice," Uraraka commented, breaking him out of his thoughts, "I know he's not a Pro, but I don't really mind that so much." She turned to Izuku with a smile. "I'm really glad that he isn't threatening to expel us. It means we can relax—" With a blink, she jumped a bit. "Oh, you're sweating right through your costume!"

Izuku swallowed. "W-Well, it's just… because we're going up against Kacchan. And Iida, too…" He clutched the map tightly. "We need to be on guard in case they pull something crazy…'

Uraraka's brows furrowed. "Right… Bakugou is the kid who keeps making fun of you, isn't he?"

"Yeah," Izuku affirmed with a sigh. His eyes fell downcast and he slumped forward. "Plus, he's… amazing."

Despite all their troubles, despite all their history, despite everything that Kacchan ever put him through, Izuku knew deep down that Kacchan had the makings of a great hero. He saw it from the day he first heard Kacchan talk about becoming a hero, back when they were just little kids who didn't know how the world worked or even knew what their Quirks would be yet. Whenever he would come over to Izuku's place, the two of them would sit and watch videos of All Might on repeat, their eyes sparkling and their hearts aflutter as their shared hero and idol seemed to shoulder the weight of the world's troubles on his shoulders with no sweat. Kacchan would flap his hands excitedly while Izuku would rock back and forth in the computer chair beside him, unable to contain their shared glee.

Izuku couldn't place when the shift first started. He could just as easily say that it was when Kacchan's Quirk came in, but it wasn't that fast. One moment, he and Kacchan were watching a video of All Might, and then, as Kacchan's hands began to flap, a small explosion popped out from one of his hands. It wasn't big, but it was startling enough to cause them both to start crying and Izuku's mother to cradle Kacchan to her chest while he held his hands over his ears. Auntie Mitsuki and Uncle Masaru came down to check on him and once Kacchan managed to calm down, it became clear that his Quirk had finally manifested.

Weeks went by where Izuku didn't get to see him while Kacchan underwent different examinations to find how he activated it and how to better control it. When both their parents finally felt confident enough to let them play again, there was an undeniable difference. Kacchan didn't flap his hands while watching All Might videos anymore and would sit so incredibly still, his fingers clutching his knees for dear life while they sat and watched together. At the time, Izuku didn't think anything of it and simply started to rock back and forth just like he always did before Kacchan elbowed him in the arm.

"Why do you have to do that?" Kacchan snapped suddenly. "Why can't you just sit still, you weirdo?"

Izuku could still remember how his eyes stung while he clutched his arm. "Kacchan, that really hurt…"

"Whatever," Kacchan replied, "just quit doing that. It's weird."

It all seemed to go downhill from there. With time, Kacchan's visits to Izuku's house became less and less frequent, and on the rare times he came over, he never wanted to do any of the things he and Izuku used to do. The once beaming smile that graced his lips had turned into something far cockier and mean-spirited, the spark in his eyes now fanned to a full flame.

"I'm gonna be the next Number One!" Kacchan would proclaim. "And I'm gonna be even better than All Might!"

Izuku let out a heavy sigh. "I know he can be a bit of a pain… But he's so strong and confident… And his Quirk is amazing ." He looked down at his hand, where his now-healed finger was. "He's so much more controlled and experienced with it than I am with mine."

Uraraka frowned. "I kind of get it… If I use my Quirk too much, I get sick and wind up puking. But I guess that's not as bad as breaking your bones…" She smiled sheepishly. "I feel bad that you did that for me."

"O-Oh, t-that wasn't y-your fault!" Izuku said hastily, waving his hands. He forgot he was holding the map and quickly snatched it out of the air before it could drop. After he clutched it to his chest, he turned back to Uraraka. "I-It's my fault for losing control like that… I should have been more careful…"

"How come your Quirk does that?" Uraraka questioned. "I've never seen someone's power hurt them that badly before…"

Izuku let out a sigh. "It's… a little embarrassing to admit, but… My Quirk came in late."

Uraka blinked. "Wait, really? That can happen?"

"It's really rare," Izuku added quickly, which wasn't a lie . He had read a plethora of miraculous cases where some people's Quirks came in despite having two joints in their pinkie toe; it was one of the things that gave him false hope for a Quirk of his own when he was growing up. "The doctors said it wouldn't come in, but then…" He shrugged. "It just did ."

"Wow," Uraraka breathed, "when did it come in? A couple of years ago?"

It was Izuku's turn to be sheepish. "More like a couple of months ago."

Uraraka's eyes nearly bugged out of her skull. "What?!"

"Gah!" Izuku exclaimed, nearly dropping his map again. "T-Trust me, I was just as surprised as you were…" The image of All Might standing before him with that long, blond strand of hair still stuck in his mind even then. He straightened up and smoothed out his map. "I've been practicing with it ever since I got it and I thought I had a handle on it, but…" He exhaled tiredly. "Then I let the egg explode at the entrance exam."

"You what? " Uraraka blurted out.

Izuku's cheeks burned. "I-It's just a metaphor… Whenever I use my Quirk, I imagine I'm holding an egg in my hand and that I'm trying to heat it up in the microwave." A frown tugged at his lips. "At the entrance exam, I wound up turning the wattage up too high and it exploded."

"Literally," Uraraka added.

"Yeah," he affirmed, "literally…" Then, he forced himself to stand up straight and put his mask back over his mouth. "But that just means I need to get better. I can't lose just because I'm not sure of myself."

A smile spread across Uraraka's lips. "Yeah, that's the spirit! We can totally win this!" She pumped her fist into the air. "Our egg isn't cooked yet!"

Izuku's head snapped around to look at her. "W-What?"

Uraraka giggled. "You said that at the Quirk assessment! I thought it was kinda funny to say, but it also makes a bit of sense now that you explained your Quirk."

"O-Oh," Izuku stammered, and already he could feel his ears start to burn, "I-I did say that, didn't I?"

"You did," Uraraka affirmed with a laugh. She nudged Izuku playfully, which nearly made him flinch. "But we're not about to get scrambled today!"

Her smile and laugh were so contagious, Izuku found himself beaming alongside her and he nodded at her. Even though he was still nervous, it felt nice to know that he could rely on Uraraka during the exercise.

"Alright!" exclaimed Principle Nedzu's voice from an unseen intercom, causing both Izuku and Uraraka to jump. "Let's begin the indoor training! Team A and Team D, your time starts now!"

Izuku's smile faded, but his determination did not. He clenched his fists at his side and stared down the facade of the building before him and Uraraka, his jaw set hard enough for it to hurt.

'I can do this' Izuku told himself as they both made their way towards the building, 'and even if I can't use One For All, I've done enough reading on indoor fighting to give me something to work with.' He spared a glance down at his fist. 'Besides, Uraraka is right… Our egg isn't cooked yet.'

It was an interesting experience to be on the other side of the battle simulations. Toshinori had done plenty of rescue and battle scenarios when he had been a student at U.A. all those decades ago, but to be the one watching and evaluating them was completely different from what he knew. Even if he didn't take into account the upgrades in technology and the higher budget the school had, he was not limited to the perspective of an assigned team and could watch both the hero team and the villain team as they went to work, allowing him ample opportunity to plan and predict what they might do.

'I trust in your abilities, young Midoriya,' he thought, watching as he and young Uraraka snuck inside together, 'and it seems your teammate does, too.' Toshinori smiled to himself. 'Now that you're in the pan, try not to let your egg get scrambled, kiddo.'

"Pay attention, students!" Nedzu announced, breaking Toshinori out of his thoughts. "Take this opportunity to see what you would do in this scenario!"

Toshinori's grip on his clipboard grew tighter. He knew he couldn't show favoritism during the exercise; he had an entire class that he needed to keep an eye on and pay mind to now. However, he couldn't help but quietly root for his little protege to show off what he was capable of, especially in light of the Quirk assessment the day before. His peers no doubt had him down for the count, which gave him ample opportunity to prove them all wrong, should he perform well in the simulation.

'Keep your guard up,' Toshinori warned silently, 'anything can happen in these exercises, just like in real life.'

As if to prove his point, Bakugou popped out from behind a corner in a flash of explosions, causing both Midoriya and Uraraka to go reeling backward to try to dodge. Fear gripped Toshinori's heart when he saw that half of his protege's mask was gone from sight while he asked if Uraraka was alright and he stared with wide eyes, trying not to break his clipboard in half.

"Deku, are you alright?" Uraraka cried out, her eyes wide.

"It's just my mask," Midoriya replied, and Toshinori tried not to let his relief show. However, the tension in his shoulders quickly returned when the smoke began to clear and Bakugou stood before them both, a deep scowl etched into his features.

"What's the matter, Deku?" Bakugou taunted, staring Midoriya down. He didn't seem to pay any mind to Uraraka whatsoever. "You afraid to stand up and fight me?"

Toshinori arched a brow. 'Why do they keep calling him that? Is that a nickname?'

Midoriya stood up, and even through the screens, Toshinori could see the fire that burned deep within them. "I knew you'd try something like that… You wanted to take us by surprise."

"He almost got them both!" Mineta exclaimed.

Kirishima let out a loud growl. "A sneak attack, Bakugou? What kind of a man pulls a cheap move like that? "

Nedzu let out a chuckle. "A villain, so would it seem. He's not playing hero right now, remember?"

"It's a viable strategy," Toshinori observed, though he wasn't sure if it was that simple. Judging from how the two stared each other down just a while ago, he couldn't help but think there was more to it. "He's leaning into the part he was given."

"You're all a bit lucky," Nedzu commented, causing him to glance at him through the corner of his eye, "since you all get to go after them, you all get to see what did and didn't work for the first two teams."

"Like that sneak attack!" Ashido exclaimed. "Midoriya totally dodged it!"

Toshinori couldn't help but smile. "That he did."

"Oh, crap , there he goes!" Kaminari shouted, and instantly, Toshinori turned in time to see Bakugou charge towards Midoriya. His lips were pulled up into a cruel smile and his eyes bore endlessly into Midoriya like he was a predator chasing its prey.

"I'm not gonna hurt you bad enough for them to stop the fight!" Bakugou proclaimed. He raised his gauntlet and prepared to throw a sharp hook. "Just close!"

However, right as Bakugou was about to make contact, Midoriya grabbed ahold of him. Bakugou only had a moment to blink with surprise before Midoriya turned on his feet and slung his opponent's full weight over his shoulder as Bakugou tried to send out another round of explosions with his free hand. Midoriya let out a rallying cry and sent Bakugou's back hard into the ground with a resounding slam. Toshinori couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for the boy; he learned firsthand how brutal that move was when Midoriya used it on him at the beach during training and wound up leaving his back aching for a solid two weeks afterward. Although Midoriya had been apologetic to Toshinori and was reduced to tears, he did not regard Bakugou with that same level of remorse.

"Heavens!" Nedzu exclaimed. "How did he know he'd do that?"

Toshinori's brows furrowed. 'I know he's observant, but that couldn't be it… That felt more like…' His eyes widened. 'Like he'd seen it before.'

"Kacchan," Midoriya heaved through grit teeth, "you always use a big right hook to start a fight." His shoulders moved with each breath he took. "I know because I've watched you for years."

Kacchan… That was in reference to Bakugou's first name, wasn't it? Were they close? Is that why he referred to Bakugou with so much familiarity? A name like that could only come from someone who was like family. But if that were the case, then why had they stared each other down like that earlier? Was that just an inside joke between them that Toshinori didn't understand?

"I analyzed every amazing hero," Midoriya continued, "even you. I wanted to learn everything I could about them." His hands began to shake in front of him. "It was all in that notebook you burned and threw away!"

The memory of Midoriya's notebook came to the forefront of Toshinori's mind. When he first saw it that fateful day he met the young boy, he didn't pay much mind to the burns that marred the cover and pages. However, now, as Bakugou stared Midoriya down with seething anger, the puzzle pieces began to click into place.

"Sorry… I'm not used to people being interested in it. Some people think it's silly."

"Most people think my notes are weird…"

"You're… not saying that to make fun of me, are you?"

Toshinori's gaze met with Nedzu's from the corner of his eyes and he grimaced. It was apparent that his associate seemed to be thinking the same thing if the glint in his eye was any indication. When he turned back to the screen, he saw Midoriya straighten up and meet Bakugou's glare with a fiery gaze of his own. His entire body shook and yet, his resolve was still apparent on his features even from where Toshinori stood.

"You can call me Deku, but I'm not the same helpless, defenseless kid anymore!" Midoriya proclaimed. Toshinori thought he heard his voice shake through the comms. "You hear me? I've changed!"

'Deku…' Toshinori thought. 'What does…?'

Then, he remembered back to the day he went to go pick up Midoriya's new notebook. He had it specially made for him and wanted to make sure that they had the spelling of his name right. While he was putting in the information, the shop owner let out a laugh and said that he misread the name as saying, "Deku," which meant…

Oh.

"I-I wanted to s-show that I-I'm not h-helpless— " Midoriya's stammering voice echoed in his head. He had said that back on the day of the entrance exam through messy tears and shaky sobs, the memory of which made Toshinori's heart tug in his chest all over again.

'Is that what he meant by that?' Toshinori thought. 'Had it been because of...?'

"From now on…" Midoriya's loud voice proclaimed, breaking Toshinori away from his thoughts. His eyes widened as he saw his protege stand before Bakugou with his fists raised and eyes burning with unrelenting determination. "Deku is the name of a hero!"

"Deku," Bakugou snarled, finally standing up from the ground. He turned to face Midoriya head-on and raised his gauntlets. The tremors in Midoriya's body only grew, but he didn't stand down. "You're shaking in your boots, you're so scared…"

He let out a round of explosions from his palm and Midoriya flinched, causing Toshinori's hands to shake. 'Good God, what has he done to you, my boy?'

"But you wanna fight me anyway," Bakugou continued with a growl. He dug in his heels and clenched his fists. "That's why I hate you!"

Toshinori clutched his clipboard for dear life. 'We can't let this keep going. He's going to—'

Before Toshinori could even think of what to say or do, another voice cut onto the comms. "Bakugou, come in! Give me a status report! Where are you?"

'Young Iida,' Toshinori realized, his eyes trailing up to check the screen for his position, 'he must have stayed behind to watch the weapon while young Bakugou went to go find young Midoriya and Uraraka.'

Bakugou growled and brought his hand to his comm. "Just shut up and defend the weapon! I've got more important things to worry about!"

"Are you forgetting what our mission is? " Iida argued. His annoyance was evident on the screens as he spoke into his comm, only for it to be overtaken by bewilderment when there was a definitive click on the line. "Hello? He hung up on me!"

"Who is Bakugou talking to?" Kirishima interjected suddenly, causing both Toshinori and Nedzu to turn to him while Iida complained loudly over the comms. "I'm not hearing anything from them… Is it possible to get some sound?"

"He has a radio in his ear to talk to his teammate," Nedzu answered, and then he tapped his ear, where his own comm was, "we gave them to both teams before the match started, as well as a map to the building and a roll of capture tape to use to signify that you've apprehended the opposing team."

Toshinori frowned. "Although, young Bakugou doesn't seem to be listening to his teammate… It appears he's gone rogue."

"Well, that's not very strategic," Yaoyarozu commented bluntly, "that's only going to set both of them up for failure." She crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head. "He could bomb the exercise for both of them if he doesn't get it together."

"I don't know," Ashido replied, "I mean, the hero team only has fifteen minutes to apprehend both of the villains or capture the weapon right?"

"Yes," Nedzu affirmed.

Ashido frowned. "Well, then, the heroes are at a disadvantage regardless! They have no clue where the weapon even is . All Bakugou has to do is keep them away from the weapon and avoid getting captured!"

"That is true," Nedzu told her, "but Pros have to deal with these sort of disadvantages all the time, Miss Ashido. It's part of what makes hero work so dangerous." He held up his index finger. "Even though the odds may not be in our favor, however, it doesn't mean that the battle is lost. There's always a way to turn it around."

Toshinori spared a glance at his successor in the monitor and tried not to purse his lips. Was that his way of saying he wasn't going to stop the fight yet? Was he trying to test young Midoriya and see how he did?

Then, he thought back to that fire that burned in his eyes as he stood off against Bakugou and he felt himself simmer a bit. His successor's voice only showed that much conviction and determination whenever he spoke of becoming a hero. On that day on the beach when he shared the origins of One For All with his successor, he thought that his protege would turn him down and run away, but he didn't. Instead, he met Toshinori's gaze with a beaming smile and that same fire in his eyes.

"I know what it's like to be helpless…" his voice echoed in his head. "To not be able to save the people you care about… And I don't want anyone to ever feel the way I did during those times."

Toshinori took in a deep breath. Even though he was worried about how his protege would fare against someone with whom he seemed to share a lot of personal history, he supposed that he shouldn't count his boy out so soon when the match had barely started. Still, he wasn't about to let them continue should things step up.

"Principal Nedzu is right," he relented, "it's not wise to count the heroes out so soon." Midoriya's determined gaze almost made him smile. "And if young Bakugou isn't careful, he could easily learn that the hard way."

Nedzu raised his paw up with a beaming smile. "All together now!"

The students all seemed to brighten up a bit at that and they raised their fists in unison. "Let's hear a Plus Ultra!"

"Monsieurs!" Aoyama cut in. "They're on the move!"

Toshinori turned in time to see Bakugou take on a running start against Midoriya. His protege managed to tell Uraraka to make a break for it right as he blocked a flying kick from his opponent and Bakugou let out a loud growl over the comms.

"Ballsy move!" he exclaimed. "Think you can take me on your own?"

As much as Toshinori trusted the young boy's abilities, he couldn't help but worry. During practice, he could handle One For All, but during stressful situations like the entrance exam and the Quirk assessment, he had lost control due to nerves. There was no telling how bad the fallout could be if he lost control in a closed space when facing off against an opponent.

'You need to get out of there, kid,' Toshinori thought, his heart beginning to race. Then, he saw a flash of white in the boy's hands and he blinked. 'Wait, is that—'

Bakugou seemed to catch on, too, since he got ready to throw another big punch. Midoriya ducked down in time and sprang away from his opponent, the capture tape flying behind him as he landed a few feet from Bakugou.

"The little guy is doing better than I thought he would!" Sato exclaimed, and were Toshinori not so tense, he might have smiled at that.

Sero let out a small laugh. "He's holding his own and he hasn't even used his Quirk yet!"

Toshinori let out a heavy breath. 'I suppose that shouldn't surprise me… He always has been the type to take action, hasn't he?' The memory of him running towards the sludge villain and chucking his bag at its face nearly made him chuckle. 'Even during crisis situations… That fanboy information is really paying off, huh, kiddo?'

"He's not backing down," Nedzu observed quietly beside him, "that's a bit surprising, all things considering." His eyes cut to Toshinori briefly. "Perhaps he has something he needs to prove."

"This does seem…" Toshinori drawled, trying to find the words. " Personal , for both of them."

Nedzu nodded, almost a bit gravely. "That could prove to be troubling."

The memory of Midoriya's previous statements came flooding back to him and he grimaced. While he didn't know the full history or nature of his protege's relationship with young Bakugou, he knew that it wouldn't be wise for him to ignore it if they were going to be in class together in the future. No matter what the results of the match would turn out to be, one thing was very clear to him:

They were going to have to talk about that as soon as class was over.

A/N: Sorry to do a two-parter. Originally, the full chapter was mega-long and I figured it would be best to split it up at the time... Which is ironic, because my current chapters are double the length now. Still, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and will like the next one.