It was the next day of school, and as usual, Ochaco and I were talking. Everyone in Class 1A had already settled into their respective roles as students, getting more comfortable with the rhythm of our classes. Lunchtime had arrived, and I was enjoying a cheese steak sandwich, something I'd grown to like a lot recently.
I never really thought much about food before, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the taste. As I chewed my sandwich, I couldn't help but think about how weird it was that I actually had friends now. It was completely different from the time with Katsuki, Katsumi, Shoto, or Shiori. Things felt lighter, less hostile. People didn't sneer or shout at me like back then.
Ochaco interrupted my thoughts.
Ochaco:I wonder what we're having for the next class since lunch is almost over.
She tilted her head, her brown eyes wide with curiosity.
"Hero training," I said plainly, swallowing the last bite of my sandwich. I didn't have much energy to give an excited response, but Ochaco seemed pleased with my answer.
Tsuyu, who was sitting next to Ochaco, chimed in, her usual calm expression never faltering.
Tsuyu:I wonder who's teaching the class.
Mina: I bet it's going to be awesome It's going to be awesome!
Mina added, practically bouncing in her seat with excitement. Her energy was infectious, but I couldn't match it.
I glanced around and noticed something strange. Is it me, or am I suddenly surrounded by girls? Ochaco, Tsuyu, Mina, and even Momo had joined in on the conversation. They were all sitting close, making the cafeteria feel even smaller.
Oh well, I thought. As long as I'm not forced to talk too much, I'm fine with it.
Inwardly, I already had a good idea of what was coming next. It was probably going to be All Might. He's the most suited for teaching combat, even with our… complicated relationship. I couldn't shake the feeling that it would be like old times, back when he was my favorite hero. Before he crushed my dreams, before he gave One For All to that monster of a sister, and before the facility where I got my quirk One Above All turned my life into a living nightmare.
Kirishima, sitting across from me, leaned forward with his usual enthusiasm.
Kirishima:I'm so pumped for hero training! I wonder what it's going to be all about.
Izuku: imagine If it's All Might, it'll most likely involve combat
I said, my tone more cynical than excited.
Izuku:I'm pretty sure that's the only thing he's good at.
Kirishima blinked, a little taken aback by my response, but he didn't argue. He just grinned.
Kirishima:Yeah, but come on, man! It's All Might. Even if it's just combat, it's gonna be awesome!
Even though I wasn't close to All Might anymore, I had to admit he was still the No. 1 hero for a reason. No one could deny his power, not even me.
Before I could dwell any longer on it, a voice echoed through the cafeteria.
"Lunch break is over. Please return to your classes."
Everyone stood up, grabbing their trays and heading for the door. I followed behind, my mind still stuck on what was to come.
A few minutes later, we were all seated in class. The room was buzzing with excitement as everyone waited for our instructor to arrive. Then, in typical fashion, the door flew open dramatically.
All might:I'M WALKING THROUGH THE DOOR LIKE A NORMAL PERSON!
All Might announced his arrival as he practically burst into the room. It was so over-the-top that I couldn't help but roll my eyes.
The CRINGE
"Oh my God, it's All Might!"
someone shouted from the back of the room.
"Damn, so cool!" another voice added.
"All Might's our teacher?!"
"Is that his Silver Age outfit?!"
The entire class, minus me, was ecstatic. I couldn't blame them. For most of them, this was probably a dream come true. The Symbol of Peace teaching at UA who wouldn't be thrilled? But for me, the excitement just wasn't there. I'd seen too much behind the mask.
All Might strode confidently to the front of the classroom, standing tall as ever.
All might:HELLO EVERYONE, IT IS I, ALL MIGHT! AND YES, I AM NOW TEACHING AT UA. TODAY WE'LL BE FOCUSED ON BASIC HERO TRAINING. TODAY'S TRAINING WILL BE FOCUSED ON BATTLE TRAINING.
The class erupted in excitement, everyone talking at once.
Kaminari:Battle training? I can't wait!
Kaminari said, practically bouncing in his seat.
Sero:I wonder what kind of fight scenarios we'll be doing!
Sero added.
Kirishima:This is going to be so manly!
Kirishima grinned, his fists clenched with determination.
Everyone was hyped. Meanwhile, I sat back in my chair, feeling like an outsider. To be honest, the fact that I'm even allowed to participate in these kinds of things feels like cheating. I had the quirk One Above All. I've already bested elite heroes during my Nemesis phase, and now here I am, sitting among a group of newbie heroes. I'd need to talk to Nezu about this. It didn't seem right, even if I was trying to live a normal life now.
Mina:Yo, earth to Izuku!
Mina's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I blinked and turned to her, realizing I'd zoned out. She was looking at me with concern.
Mina:are you okay? You sort of just went blank for a minute there.
I scratched the back of my head awkwardly, offering a small, sheepish smile.
Izuku:sorry, I do that sometimes.
She smiled back, but her eyes lingered on me a bit longer, like she was trying to figure out what was going on in my head. I quickly looked away.
All might:NOW THEN
All Might's booming voice interrupted the chatter,
I almost had to cover my ears, sometimes I hate the fact my
All might:NO HERO TRAINING WOULD BE COMPLETE WITHOUT YOUR COSTUMES!
At his command, the walls of the classroom began to open, revealing twenty suitcases neatly lined up in rows. Each one had a seat number engraved on it.
All might:NOW THEN, YOUNG ONES, GRAB A SUITCASE WITH YOUR SEAT NUMBER AND GET CHANGED! MEET ME AT BATTLEGROUND BETA!
The class erupted once again, everyone eagerly jumping out of their seats to grab their suitcases. I stood up slowly, walking over to where mine was. As I picked it up, something caught my eye a note taped to the top of the case. It had handwriting I recognized all too well.
From Hisashi and Inko Midoriya, your "parents."
I felt a lump form in my throat as I stared at the note. I peeled it off and unfolded the paper, reading what they had written.
"Izuku, we know things haven't been easy between us. We can't erase the past, but we hope this is a small step forward. Even after everything that's happened, we understand if you don't see us as parents we don't blame you. We love you and we're proud of you. Maybe this suit can be a new beginning for us."
A new beginning? I scoffed. Did they really think some fancy suit was going to fix everything? After everything I went through, all the neglect, all the betrayal… Did they really think that putting some words on paper would make it all better?
As I stood there, gripping the note tightly, I heard a soft voice behind me.
"Izuku…" It was Izumi, my sister.
Izumi:Mom and Dad… well, they said that… even though… uhm… even after everything, we hoped this would be a start.
I could hear the nervousness in her voice, the hesitation. But her words didn't change anything for me. The damage was done.
"Whatever," I muttered coldly.
Izuku:You know this changes nothing between us.
I didn't wait for her response. I grabbed my suitcase and headed for the locker room.
Once inside, I took a deep breath and opened the suitcase. Inside was my hero costume. To be honest, it looked incredible. The design was sleek and practical, a perfect blend of form and function. It was mostly black with dark green accents, the material lightweight but durable, meant for stealth. It had a hoodie with pointed tips and a mask similar to the one had as Nemesis, covering most of my face except for my eyes it was tight-fitting yet flexible, with reinforced padding around the chest and limbs for protection not like I needed it though
As I ran my fingers over the material, I couldn't help but feel conflicted. The suit was amazing, but it didn't change what was broken inside. It was just a cover, like the mask I wore around everyone else.
As I made my way to Battleground Beta, the first person I saw was Ochaco Uraraka. She waved at me with a huge grin on her face, clearly excited for the upcoming exercise. Her hero costume was simple but effective: a skintight black bodysuit with pink lines running along the edges, emphasizing her natural flexibility and mobility. She wore thick, round gauntlets on her wrists, designed to help her use her Quirk without feeling the strain. It was a sharp look that suited her perfectly.
Ochaco:Wow, Izuku, your hero outfit looks cool!
she exclaimed as soon as I got close enough.
I gave her a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of my neck.
Izuku:Thanks, Ochaco. Your costume looks great too. It really suits you!
Before I could say anything else, Kirishima strolled up, his bright red hair spiking in every direction as usual. His outfit screamed toughness he wore a sleeveless, red leather vest with black pants and massive boots, and his chest was mostly bare except for the long, jagged chest plate protecting his core. He grinned when he saw me, giving me a thumbs-up.
Kirishima:Yo, izuku! That costume looks manly as hell!
he said, his sharp teeth gleaming as he grinned.
I chuckled awkwardly.
Izuku:Thanks, Kirishima. Yours looks really tough, too. Very... uh, rugged!
Tsuyu who was close to me which has become a normal thing
Tsuyu: I like you're outfit ribbit
Izuku:Uhm thanks
Next came Lida, striding in with the same intensity he always had. His hero costume was almost identical to his older brother Ingenium's sleek blue and white armor that covered most of his body, with engines built into his calves to amplify his speed. The helmet he wore had a similar design to Ingenium's too, completing the look. I blinked, realizing the resemblance. I'd almost forgotten they were related.
Lida gave me a respectful nod.
Lida: your costume is highly functional. It should serve you well during combat.
Izuku:thanks, Lida
I said, trying to keep up with his formal tone.
Momo said with a smile
Momo: it suits you
Gazing at her revealing outfit I tried my best to hide my red face
And I thought nemuri 's outfit was provocative
I swear I hate puberty hormones
Izuku: yours too, it's unique
I tried my best to reply
Mineta: damn that's one awesome outfit Momo
He said while drooling which earned him a smack from Mina who gave me a thumbs up is it me or is something wrong with that girl
As I stood there, Tooru appeared or rather, I knew she was there because I could hear her voice. I couldn't actually see her.
Tooru:Izuku, your outfit really suits you!
she said, her voice bright and cheerful.
I smiled, though it felt odd not being able to see her face. I wasn't sure what her expression was, but I could tell from her tone that she was happy for me. "Thanks, Tooru," I replied, grateful for the compliment.
Despite all the praise, I didn't really get why everyone was so excited about my outfit. I mean, it was just a suit, right? But I figured I should at least thank Hisashi when I got the chance. He had designed it, after all. I glanced down at my suit, which was an upgraded version of the one I'd worn as Nemesis sleek, black, and green with energy-absorbing fibers woven into the fabric.
Curious about how well it worked, I activated One Above All, just a little. Tiny wisps of energy began swirling around me, and the material of the suit absorbed the excess power, glowing slightly as it did. It was better than my old Nemesis outfit in every way.
As I turned to the side, my eyes landed on Tooru again or rather, what I had never been able to see before. With One Above All active, I could actually see her. Her body became visible to me. She had long, messy light green hair that fell down past her shoulders, and her eyes were wide with surprise. She was wearing her usual skintight costume to tight, honestly, now that I could actually see it.
I felt my face heat up immediately. Blushing furiously, I looked away and muttered,
Izuku:Uh... Tooru, could you maybe... put on something less revealing?
There was a pause. Then, she screamed.
Tooru:WAIT... YOU CAN SEE ME?!
Her shout made everyone in the area stop and turn to look at us. Great. Just what I needed.
I sighed and put my hand over my face in frustration.
Mina:you just had to raise your voice, didn't you?
I mumbled under my breath, feeling the eyes of my classmates on me.
Tooru:You... You can actually see me?
she asked again, her voice trembling with disbelief.
I sighed again, knowing there was no way out of this now.
Izuku:Yes, I can see you. You have long, messy light green hair, and, uh, can we please talk about something else?
She didn't seem to hear my request.
Tooru:You... You can really see me?
she repeated, sounding utterly shocked.
I nodded awkwardly.
Izuku:Yeah. But seriously, Tooru, let's just... move on, okay? This is getting kind of awkward.
Her voice trembled even more, and I noticed she sounded almost... emotional.
Tooru:You're the first person who's ever been able to see me...
she whispered.
I felt a pang of guilt. Great, now I'd made her emotional, and I didn't know how to handle that. I glanced away, feeling uncomfortable.
Izuku:I'm... I'm sorry, Tooru. I didn't mean to—
All might:LISTEN UP, EVERYONE!
All Might's voice boomed, saving me from further awkwardness. His presence was commanding as always, his larger-than-life figure towering over us.
All might:TODAY, WE'LL BE PRACTICING A HEROES VS VILLAINS SCENARIO! THE VILLAINS WILL GUARD A BOMB, AND THE HEROES MUST RECOVER IT WITHIN A STRICT TIME LIMIT. QUESTIONS?
As expected, Lida shot his hand up instantly, firing off questions about the rules, the boundaries, and the objectives. All Might answered him as best he could, but I could tell he was already excited to get things going. There were a few other murmurs from the students, but everyone was eager to start.
When it was time to select teams, I ended up paired with Ochaco as one of the heroes. She practically bounced with excitement, her usual energy infectious.
Ochaco:Yes! We're gonna do great, Izuku!
she said, flashing me a bright smile.
I smiled back at her, though my mind was already racing.
Izuku:Yeah, we'll do our best.
On the villain side, the first team was Izumi my sister and Lida. I glanced over at All Might, feeling an odd tension as I realized he'd made the teams. My stare must have been obvious because he quickly dodged my gaze, whistling innocently.
Katsumi:Damn it. It should be me instead
I heard Katsumi mutter nearby, glaring at the teams being chosen.
I hoped she meant she wanted to be on the villain team instead of Izumi, and not that she was upset about me being paired with Ochaco. That would've been a whole other problem especially for me
I wouldn't mind showing how my hands are rated E for everyone
As we all got ready to begin, I couldn't help but feel the weight of the situation. I looked over at Ochaco, who was busy stretching and preparing herself. Then I glanced at Izumi, who was already strategizing with Lida. I wasn't sure how this was going to go, but I knew I'd have to tread carefully.
No matter how much I had improved since my time as Nemesis, there was still a lot to prove. This was only the beginning.